2013 Federal election - Rudd sets date as 7th September

[mick]

Why does it appear that the Liberals do not have the courage to bring on the no confidence motion?
Would not the independents voting for the government be more ammunition for the Liberals to defeat them in the election?

I think Tony Abbott is staying well away from the "wrecker" label the ALP are trying to make stick.
Why take the risk of giving them the hook to hang it on again with the election so close.
Especially so, since the Greens and independents will back the PM anyway, even if it is only to prolong their political lives another month or so.

But they are doing it for the good of the country not personal /financial reasons

[Gozu]

Pauline Hanson running for One Nation again in the senate at the election.

[Bully]

poll out yesterday and it shows that rudd maybe the only labor member left for queensland after the federal election

[Grahaml]

Polls are showing Rudd might be the only Labor MP left in parliament.

Have to give credit to Downer. After the last election when it was still undecided who would be in government (and most thought Abbott would convince Windsor, Oakeshott and Katter to join him) he pretty much said the next government wouldn't be much good without full control of one house. Things have definitely gone down that track.

[dedja]

Pauline Hanson running for One Nation again in the senate at the election.

Must be time to top up the bank account again ...

[Gozu]

Polls are showing Rudd might be the only Labor MP left in parliament.

Have to give credit to Downer. After the last election when it was still undecided who would be in government (and most thought Abbott would convince Windsor, Oakeshott and Katter to join him) he pretty much said the next government wouldn't be much good without full control of one house. Things have definitely gone down that track.

Massive prediction!

If Abbott had have convinced the Indies to side with him the Libs would be about to lose office now too. Even though this has been a pretty good government (as opposed to good ALP) I did think after the last election Labor might do well to give the poisoned chalice to the Libs to get rid of them and get back in sooner.

Unfortunately as things stand I think we're looking at a two-term Liberal government.

[bulldogproud2]

Polls are showing Rudd might be the only Labor MP left in parliament.

Have to give credit to Downer. After the last election when it was still undecided who would be in government (and most thought Abbott would convince Windsor, Oakeshott and Katter to join him) he pretty much said the next government wouldn't be much good without full control of one house. Things have definitely gone down that track.

Massive prediction!

If Abbott had have convinced the Indies to side with him the Libs would be about to lose office now too. Even though this has been a pretty good government (as opposed to good ALP) I did think after the last election Labor might do well to give the poisoned chalice to the Libs to get rid of them and get back in sooner.

Unfortunately as things stand I think we're looking at a two-term Liberal government.

You may well be right, Gozu, but I wonder how soon it will be before people realise that most of the Liberal Party's policies are doomed. Indonesia have already scuttled the policy of 'turning the boats back', saying it will never be done. A bit arrogant of Abbott to not even consider Indonesia's position when announcing the policy.
Additionally, their proposal re Climate Change is far more expensive and less productive than Labor's. How long will it take to realise that they are going to be paying the major polluters in Australia money rather than taxing them?

With the Parental Leave policy also being an expensive policy, hopefully the media will soon report the truth - that we will be facing a much bigger deficit under the Liberal Party than under Labor (not that the level of debt in Australia is of concern, being only 10% of GDP - it is like having a $60 000 mortgage on a $600 000 house and a huge income).

Of course, further extending the deficit under the Liberal Party's policies are that they will be repealing the Carbon Tax and Mining RENT taxes, leading to further drops in revenue.


Cheers

[shoe boy]

Polls are showing Rudd might be the only Labor MP left in parliament.

Have to give credit to Downer. After the last election when it was still undecided who would be in government (and most thought Abbott would convince Windsor, Oakeshott and Katter to join him) he pretty much said the next government wouldn't be much good without full control of one house. Things have definitely gone down that track.

Massive prediction!

If Abbott had have convinced the Indies to side with him the Libs would be about to lose office now too. Even though this has been a pretty good government (as opposed to good ALP) I did think after the last election Labor might do well to give the poisoned chalice to the Libs to get rid of them and get back in sooner.

Unfortunately as things stand I think we're looking at a two-term Liberal government.

You may well be right, Gozu, but I wonder how soon it will be before people realise that most of the Liberal Party's policies are doomed. Indonesia have already scuttled the policy of 'turning the boats back', saying it will never be done. A bit arrogant of Abbott to not even consider Indonesia's position when announcing the policy.
Additionally, their proposal re Climate Change is far more expensive and less productive than Labor's. How long will it take to realise that they are going to be paying the major polluters in Australia money rather than taxing them?

With the Parental Leave policy also being an expensive policy, hopefully the media will soon report the truth - that we will be facing a much bigger deficit under the Liberal Party than under Labor (not that the level of debt in Australia is of concern, being only 10% of GDP - it is like having a $60 000 mortgage on a $600 000 house and a huge income).

Of course, further extending the deficit under the Liberal Party's policies are that they will be repealing the Carbon Tax and Mining RENT taxes, leading to further drops in revenue.


Cheers

It is all good Tony and his mate Pyne will save us all

[Psyber]

It is all good Tony and his mate Pyne will save us all

Yeh... and when they have finally dug us out of the hole the ALP will be re-elected and dig us back into it again.

[shoe boy]

It is all good Tony and his mate Pyne will save us all

Yeh... and when they have finally dug us out of the hole the ALP will be re-elected and dig us back into it again.

Shit we are in a big hole Could it get any worse? The country is a basket case?

[Q.]

Shit we are in a big hole Could it get any worse? The country is a basket case?

Negatory.

Been one of the best performing economies since the GFC. Australia is a bloody good place to be.

[bulldogproud2]

Shit we are in a big hole Could it get any worse? The country is a basket case?

Negatory.

Been one of the best performing economies since the GFC. Australia is a bloody good place to be.

Agreed, in the top three performing developed nations in the world.

Unemployment Rate - in the lowest three in the developed world
Inflation Rate - at the lower end of the target rate
GDP growth rate - in the top five developed nations in the world
Level of Debt/GDP - fifth lowest in the developed world.

Please, oh please, let me know what is wrong with Australia's economic performance relative to the rest of the world??

It just shows that unfortunately the Fourth Estate (the media) can con a lot of people, simply because it suits their interest to have a certain party elected.

[am Bays]

It just shows that unfortunately the Fourth Estate (the media) can con a lot of people, simply because it suits their interest to have a certain party elected.

please oh please do you think an electoral wipe out is due to a biased fourth estate?

I'll cope with maybe 1-2 % explanation but when you are facing a double digit two party preferred difference it is more than media bias that causes you to lose.

One simple reason for this prospective wipe out - lack of trust. Like Howard/Costello with work choices when you bring in legislation that you do not promote in your election campaign you get belted by the electorate. Bring in the carbon tax when you say weren't you face the same consequences.

Despite any respective merits of the legislation and you can argue them to the cows come home (with all their methane) you decieve the Australian electorate you get kicked out of office. And don't bring up the GST example as Howard fought the 98 election on bringing in the GST hence one of the reasons he survivied 2001 (i'm sure you'll bring up Tampa).

The key election issue this time is trust and honesty, not the economy, not boats, not the carbon tax (even though it is linked to my main point) it's trust and Governements that don't do that get kicked out.

Despite what people may think in their pseudo intellectual towers, the Australian electorate isn't dumb. It makes it decisions based on on who to vote for on how the issues affect them not what they read or see in the media.

[mick]

Hear Hear, so nearly 60% of the electorate is stupid?? Any economic success Labor has had was built on the magnificent economy they inherited, it just proves how resilient our economy has been even with incompetents at the helm for 6 years, hopefully they'll be in opposition for a generation.

[Gozu]

Polling has consistently shown the carbon tax is pretty much a non-issue with the voters (but Abbott and fellow right-wingers think it is even though it's piss weak) but I agree the big issue is trust and that has everything to do with the knifing of Rudd.

Labor almost became the first govt to be kicked out of office after just one term in about 80 years at the last election because of it but managed to form a minority government despite having their majority wiped out. It was one of the most humiliating elections ever for the ALP, their powerbrokers and so called strategists. Regardless the public will make sure they don't get back in again this time.

You want to carry on like an opposition in government, the people will make it happen.

[bulldogproud2]

What people seem to forget is that Abbott took leadership of the Liberal Party in pretty much the same way as Gillard did of the Labor Party - by knifing someone in the back. In Abbott's case, it was Turnbull. In Gillard's case, it was Rudd (admittedly it is worse to knife a Prime Minister than a Leader of the Opposition).
If it is trust that is the issue then may I please remind you of the following:

The only reason the Carbon Tax was introduced was because of the Greens level of control. If Labor had won the election in their own right, there would have been an Emissions Trading Scheme, not a Carbon Tax

Secondly, Tony Abbott has promised to turn the boats back if he wins government. If he is unable to do this, he should be held as accountable as people are holding Julia Gillard for the Carbon Tax. Btw, he will not be able to do it - Indonesia has already slapped his wrist over this.

Thirdly, Tony Abbott publicly stated that the only time he will tell the truth as Leader is when he is reading a prepared speech (btw, a prepared speech written by someone else, not him). How can a country trust a man who states he will never tell the truth of his own accord??????

[bulldogproud2]

Hear Hear, so nearly 60% of the electorate is stupid?? Any economic success Labor has had was built on the magnificent economy they inherited, it just proves how resilient our economy has been even with incompetents at the helm for 6 years, hopefully they'll be in opposition for a generation.

Well, if 60% of the population say that Australia is a basket case economically, then yes, they are stupid!!
Compare Australia's economy against any other in the world.

Cheers

[mick]

Hear Hear, so nearly 60% of the electorate is stupid?? Any economic success Labor has had was built on the magnificent economy they inherited, it just proves how resilient our economy has been even with incompetents at the helm for 6 years, hopefully they'll be in opposition for a generation.

Well, if 60% of the population say that Australia is a basket case economically, then yes, they are stupid!!
Compare Australia's economy against any other in the world.

Cheers

You keep saying this but why is only 40% of the population willing to reward the government for this monumental achievement? Nasty old Rupert's fault I suppose? Blame the press the panacea for all Labor's woes

[bulldogproud2]

Hear Hear, so nearly 60% of the electorate is stupid?? Any economic success Labor has had was built on the magnificent economy they inherited, it just proves how resilient our economy has been even with incompetents at the helm for 6 years, hopefully they'll be in opposition for a generation.

Well, if 60% of the population say that Australia is a basket case economically, then yes, they are stupid!!
Compare Australia's economy against any other in the world.

Cheers

You keep saying this but why is only 40% of the population willing to reward the government for this monumental achievement? Nasty old Rupert's fault I suppose? Blame the press the panacea for all Labor's woes

You tell me. If you agree that Australia is doing extremely well economically compared to the rest of the world, please tell me why the government is being canned.
On the other hand, ask any economist and you will get a different response than you do from those canning the government.

Cheers

[mick]

Hear Hear, so nearly 60% of the electorate is stupid?? Any economic success Labor has had was built on the magnificent economy they inherited, it just proves how resilient our economy has been even with incompetents at the helm for 6 years, hopefully they'll be in opposition for a generation.

Well, if 60% of the population say that Australia is a basket case economically, then yes, they are stupid!!
Compare Australia's economy against any other in the world.

Cheers

You keep saying this but why is only 40% of the population willing to reward the government for this monumental achievement? Nasty old Rupert's fault I suppose? Blame the press the panacea for all Labor's woes

You tell me. If you agree that Australia is doing extremely well economically compared to the rest of the world, please tell me why the government is being canned.
On the other hand, ask any economist and you will get a different response than you do from those canning the government.

Cheers

Exactly the economy was in far better shape in 2007 yet Howard lost the election, the press had a lot to do with that Rudd was their poster boy and still is to a certain extent.