Election 2010, who do you think will win and why??

[tulley]

The Australian newspaper was just mentioned as providing information contrary to treasuary costings by about 11 billion dollars, this should come as absolutely no surprise to anyone at all as they are owned by News Ltd as is the daily Telecrap and many other daily rags in every state. The Australian in particular has been waging an anti labor campaign for the past two and a half years with the most biased and inaccurate journalism ever seen in this country, this is just another example. Has anyone here ever watched Rupert FOX NEWS on his pay TV network, they use the slogan FAIR AND BALANCED,but like the Australian newspaper they are the furthest thig from fair and balanced but dont just take my word for this, Malcolm Fraser on monday night on Q+A stated in no uncertain terms that News ltd at every opportunity has talked down the achievements of the government and drawn attention to the smallest of errors in government policy. All of this misinformation added to the unrelenting critism of the talkback radio industry and a population of aspirational bogans who want as much middle class welfare as they an get their hands on. We all know what News ltd has done to rugby league its now happening in politics and for those who think this is good, what if they decide to change aleigence to the other side. Oh, and by the way Malcolm Frasers scathing comments about News Ltd, were not reporte on Tuesday, I wonder why?

 

[CussCuss]

Can you beleive we are STILL talking about this subject two weeks after the election.

I first voted in 1972 (or maybe 73)....I have never seen anything like this....it really is a mess and whomever takes power I think won't be there anyway for 3 years.....methinks we'll be back to the polls within a year.

Perspective... perspective. There are no guns or coups involved, the worst that is happening is a bit of mud slinging.

You would rather they negotiated in a couple of days? Id rather they take twice as long and get it right.

 

[tulley]

WINGNUT CALLS NEWS CONFERENCE        2PM today Mr Rabbit accompanied by his TWO FACELESS MEN of the Liberal party...Nick Minchin and Andrew Robb, who helped him dispose of Malcolm Turnbull by knifing him at midnight in December, today responded to the 11 billion [or was that trillion Barnaby?] oversight that those left wing idiots in treasury have identified.                                            When asked to explain his position he replied to the editor of The Australian Dennis Shanahan .....ah, er ,ah, BIG NEW TAX, but er, ah, er, eh, REPAY THE DEBT, but er, ah e, er, STOP THE BOATS, and THE BOTTOM LINE is er, my fingers are in my ears er, and I cant hear any of your left wing FACELESS MEN questions any longer.  Needless to say, Dennis Shanahan was very impressed and assured Mr Rabbit that the Prime Minister in waiting will get a very accurate report on his conference in tomorrows Australian.

 

[Rusty]

Ive just read through the treasury's report, and I can say that Abbott has a point. His costings are by my count off by about 4 Billion not the 11 the treasury claims. They claim an additional 7 Billion by excluding savings that Abbott plans to make on grounds they have no right to exclude them on and also by excluding assumptions that every costing makes, I would guess in all likelihood including the Labor ones.

Obvious bias is clear when you read the treasury report. Clearly Abbotts team didn't get it right, but at the same time there are reports from his team that they were not allowed all the facts they should have been. Its not ok for the treasury to say that 3.3B of health funding could not be cut because of the programs they are being spent on and then not reveal even when asked the list of programs in question.

 

[The Gronk]

Well Wilkie has come on board with the ALP now. 

No offense Rusty, but I'd back treasury on the costings.  Ken Henry was appointed by Costello and kept on by the ALP so I think he can say he is independent,.

If there are any mistakes, well Abbott should have sent in the policies in plenty of time, not done it kicking and screaming.  I guess he knew there was some dodgy accounting there. 

 

[Matabele]

Forgotten in all of this, it was Henry who first came up with the big new mining tax on everything that was the final straw for Rudd's demise.  What does that do to his credibility, even in the eyes of the ALP hackers crowing at his dismissal of Coalition policy?

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Mata's...you are a "late starter" in this thread....your  well thought insights would have been valuable over the last month!

 

[CussCuss]

Forgotten in all of this, it was Henry who first came up with the big new mining tax on everything that was the final straw for Rudd's demise.  What does that do to his credibility, even in the eyes of the ALP hackers crowing at his dismissal of Coalition policy?

Not much, considering by most reports people were ok with the tax itself, its was just how rudd ****ed with it to come in at a lower level (at the bond rate i think) instead of following an already existing working system that they had with gas. He was also unwilling to negotiate so they said a big '**** you' and the rest is history.

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Methinks Labor will be back in power next week.....good luck to them BUT whomever gets into power will be fighting for it again within 12 months. Just one by election (and perhaps that's KRudd in Griffith when he takes his UN posting) and it will stuff it up just like that.

Besides who (from either side) wants to be behest to the whims of 2 or 3 individuals, it just can't last.

 

[tulley]

Rob Oakeshot in the seat of Lyne today was asked about the enormous responsibility he has in coming to a decision. He said its a huge responsibility for any man and he needs his sleep to make the right choice,when asked further about it he said he has been sleeping like a baby ie waking up crying every 3 hours

 

[Rusty]

Well Wilkie has come on board with the ALP now. 

No offense Rusty, but I'd back treasury on the costings.  Ken Henry was appointed by Costello and kept on by the ALP so I think he can say he is independent,.

If there are any mistakes, well Abbott should have sent in the policies in plenty of time, not done it kicking and screaming.  I guess he knew there was some dodgy accounting there. 

Im not questioning the Treasuries ability, I am questioning their intent. They have played politics recently and from my reading this is another example of public servants pushing an agenda.

 

[Canteen Worker]

Be careful Rusty as the briefings from Treasury were to the independents and are the same ones that are usually reserved for the incoming Government. There is no suggestion that there was anything from Treasury that was political. The papers are running their stories based on what was said by Tony Windsor.

The Libs had no problems with Treasury leaks when Gordon Grech did his thing and their dishonest posturing re the Honesty In Budget posturing may come back to bite them.

 

[The Gronk]

Some of the specific accounting done by the Libs here is extremely dodgy whatever way you look at it, and the fact they wouldn't let treasury look at it before the election says it all really. 

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Labor will have the support of all the Ind's and the Greenie giving them 77....one of who will be speaker, still giving them the 76 it needs to clear all motions.

Good luck to them I say, but a marriage made in hell and doomed for failure within 12 months.

Oh and by the way, it will be the same if they go for Abbott...this is an untenable situation and is doomed for failure either way.

 

[bob dylan]

I reckon you are right Mark we will be back voting with 12 months if the coalition get the nod, and within 18 months if Labor get in.

 

[The Gronk]

Yeah who knows.  However there have been a bunch of state parliaments that have been hung and made it through the whole term easily.  Sometimes it actually makes the politicians lift their game.  At the end of these terms the party in government has often ended up with a huge majority as people approve of their efforts in making it through and don't want another hung parliament.  So whoever the indies back may be in for two terms if they can keep things stable. 

Here's hoping. 

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Whilst you might be right Gronk, the "smoking gun" is the Greens in the Senate, when they take power in July 11 it may well be a total disaster in Government whomever is in power.

My tip is regardless of who "wins" today it will be back to the polls in 12-18 months.

 

[Canteen Worker]

It is very interesting that the length of the parliamentary term has not come up. We are one of only two major countries that has a three year term and maybe four years or three years fixed with the option of an election in the fourth year would be a good innovation. It would get us over the one year and then think about getting reelected cycle. I know the 8 year senate term might be an issue but there are ways to deal with that.

 

[The Gronk]

It will be interesting to see what happens to the greens policies once they have the real-world scrutiny of holding the balance of power. I reckon most of the ridiculous ones will fade away, as they cant be much more than thought bubbles, and that as this happens the greens will lose a lot of credibility. 

Its easy to hold weirdo policies when they never have the chance of being realised. 

 

[Mark from Brisbane]

Well Gronk they DO have some weird policies.

I actually wrnt on to their website prior to the Election and had a look, and OMG....I just wonder if the average Aussie that voted for them ever looked at that??

I sat next to two young girls (voting for the first time) at the train station on my way to work just prior to the election, the conversation went like this.

" have you voted yet"...."nah doing it Saturday"...."I did mine at the pre poll to save lining up on Saturday"..."who did you vote for"..."the Greens"...."why"...."they save the Whales"..."doesn't Abbot or Gillard save the Whales to"..."don't know, I just got handed a form as I went in and the guy said vote for the party that saves the Whales".

FMD...this is the problem in politics, there's a stack of people out there that have no ****ing idea.

I don't care if you are so far left all you can vote for is the Greens, at least you have made the time to find out and based your decisions on that but fair dinkum how many votes went that way because of the aforsaid reasons.