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Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 2:54 am
by Gob
Australians will go to the polls on August 21 after Julia Gillard pulled the trigger for the first winter campaign in more than 20 years and asked the people to give her a mandate to move the nation forward.
Just three weeks after deposing Kevin Rudd, Ms Gillard arrived at Government House at 10.40am to seek permission from the Governor-General, Quentin Bryce, to dissolve the Parliament.
She left 30 minutes later and held a press conference to announce the minimum five week campaign and ask the people to elect her in her own right.
"I seek a mandate from the Australian people to move Australia forward," she said at a press conference.
"This election presents Australians with a very clear choice...whether we move Australia forward or go back."
Ms Gillard was due to to head to Brisbane later today to deliver her first major campaign speech tomorrow morning at the Eidos Institute, a public policy think-tank.
Queensland and NSW are the battleground states for this election.
A sizeable swing away from Labor in either State could result in it being the first one-term government thrown out of office since 1931.
Labor actually holds 81 seats and 76 are needed to govern. A uniform swing away from Labor of 1.7 per cent will see it lose. The last winter election was in 1987 and they are deemed risky for governments because voters are generally sullen over the winter.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/ ... utostart=1
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 12:52 pm
by Sue U
And the major issue is whether to "move Australia forward or go back"? What the heck does that mean? Relocation to the North Pacific or reunification with Gondwana?
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 1:10 pm
by Lord Jim
the major issue is whether to "move Australia forward or go back"?
Yes it's vacuous, but it's
exactly what the Dems have been signaling will be
their theme this fall....
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:06 pm
by Andrew D
Lord Jim wrote:the major issue is whether to "move Australia forward or go back"?
Yes it's vacuous ....
Right up there with "It's morning again in America" ....
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 7:24 pm
by Lord Jim
Right up there with "It's morning again in America" ....
But that was appropriate Andrew, because after the long dark night of the Carter Administration, it was indeed, "morning again in America"
America was back, and standing tall....
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 8:51 pm
by Andrew D
And tripling the national debt ....
Oh, wait. That's right: When Democrats increase the national debt, that is an unspeakable horror. When Republicans increase the national debt, the sun is rising ....
And let's not forget the oddest political spectacle in recent history: a Democratic Congress restraining the deficit-spending impulses of a Republican President (Reagan). That's right -- Democratic fiscal restraint vs. Republican spending profligacy.
But that's the way of it. When the Republicans want us to spend way beyond our means, deficit spending is anathema to the Democrats. And when the Democrats want us to spend way beyond our means, deficit spending is anathema to the Republicans.
(And the political power of the phallic metaphor of "standing tall" -- not to mention the Reagan avatar of the pointing "finger" -- should not be underestimated.)
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 11:24 pm
by Gob
Sue U wrote:And the major issue is whether to "move Australia forward or go back"? What the heck does that mean? Relocation to the North Pacific or reunification with Gondwana?
It's a reference to the previous (Howard) government, who's policies were regressive and "conservative".
It's also a sly dig at the leader of the opposition, a catholic hard right polly, who is known to be somewhat Victorian in his views.
I now return you to your discussion on US politics.
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 11:42 pm
by Gob
Tomorrow's woman, yesterday's man?
July 18, 2010
MOVING forward
Labor's campaign slogan comes with an obvious message: it is the party for the future, the one voters should look to for leadership on the big issues such as population and climate change.
It is also a plea to voters to forget the events of less than a month ago when the man they voted for in 2007 was unceremoniously dumped by his party. By asking voters to move forward with her, Julia Gillard is asking people to forget the very recent past and follow her to a new Labor future. She is also firmly painting Tony Abbott as yesterday's man, shackled to the wreckage of Work Choices and unable to look to the future on issues such as climate change (not that Gillard has said anything substantial on this matter yet).
But moving forward sends a slightly mixed message because Gillard doesn't want to sever all ties with the past. The economy is one of Labor's strongest selling points and keeping Australia from financial collapse and continuing low unemployment are all things set in train by the Rudd government. So were policies such as the My School website which Gillard continues to nominate as one of her proudest achievements
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/ ... utostart=1
This will be my first chance to vote as an Australian citizen!
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2010 11:56 pm
by Lord Jim
This will be my first chance to vote as an Australian citizen!
I assume you'll be voting Tory, of course....
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 12:07 am
by Gob
They are called "Liberal's " here Jim, and no.
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 12:10 am
by Lord Jim
I knew that the "Conservative" party in Australia is actually called the Liberal Party, but I thought the were also referred to as "Tories"....
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2010 12:15 am
by Gob
Nope, that's a Brit thing.
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 2:03 am
by Sean
For some reason, the only TV debate between Gillard and Abbott will take place on Sunday... directly opposite the Masterchef finale. I doubt that such a monumental (emphasis on the 'mental') cock up in scheduling could happen accidentally. So which candidate (or is it both) lacks confidence in their debating skills?
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 3:13 am
by Gob
No way am I missing that! Something as important as that should not be sheduled against something so ephemeral. I mean, one is about the heart and soul of a nation, the other is just politics.
I'm betting on Claire and Adam in the final with Claire winning.
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 4:23 am
by SisterMaryFellatio
Fuck Clare....she had better not get it..shes crap
....Adam is far more innovative (is that the asian lookin dude with the ponytail?...sorry have only just got into it) Clare goes for the sympathy vote and turns on the tears!! That woman has no place in a kitchen....shes needs some balls!!
If Gordon Ramsay had a go at her she would dissolve into tears. (then he'd prolly shag her to make her feel better)
PS will not be watching the political debate!
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 5:43 am
by Gob
Hey, I didn't say I liked her..
I'm betting she wins as shaggable totty sells more cookery books
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 11:19 am
by SisterMaryFellatio
Ummmm Gob did you see last years winner?
Not shaggable at all!!
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2010 10:14 pm
by Gob
Depends on your taste!
Runner up was though, and got a fair bit of publicity, and kept the (male) interest going.
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 3:45 am
by The Hen
My favourite was Aaron. He had a nice size chip on this shoulder and it was done to a turn.
I miss his grizzling.
Go Adam!
Oh ... and Julia G, i suppose.
Re: Aus goes to the polls
Posted: Thu Jul 22, 2010 8:13 am
by The Hen
We really do need this election asap.
Julia won't move into the Lodge until she is elected, preferring to stay in the apartment she rents in Canberra instead until the people are behind her.
Can you IMAGINE the security issues that have been presented having a PM just living amongst the hoi polloi like a regular person? It hasn't been easy for them.