Should Australia go back to the polls?
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It is fair to say this whole election thing just didn’t work out. With bogus campaigns from the major parties, minute policy differences, two often intolerable leaders, minimal gaffe hilarity (there’s only so such Barnaby Joyce can do) and an endless stream of so-what political scuttlebutt, is there any wonder the Australian public scratched their heads as they stumbled towards the ballot box? Is there any wonder why the good people of this ‘ere land down under (plus Family First voters) awoke last Sunday, heads fuzzy and minds ground into pulp, to hear the news that big fat nobody had been elected as Prime Minister and not even super-powered ABC election analyst Antony “put his head in a jar when he dies because when he’s gone by god we’ll miss him” Green knew what was going on. Now mainstream media are tracking the exploits of a small group of “kingmaker” men who 99% of the public didn’t even know existed until now - particularly the “three amigo” independents Bob Katter, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott, all of whom are former members of the National Party. Much to the chagrin of Tony Abbott, the three amigos haven’t automatically cast their allegiance to their former party - far from it. As discussed in yesterday’s media wrap, they requested (read: demanded) Treasury costings from both the major parties. Gillard happily obliged and threw in a few complimentary bottles of Chivas but Mr Stop the Boats wasn’t having a bar of it. So in short: Australian politics is in a dilly of a pickle, hanging in suspended animation until somebody grabs the remote and presses the “play” button. What to do and how to get out of his muck? Sections of the commentariat have suggested - gasp! - that it may be time to reset the clock, expunge our memories of the last week and head to the polls once more, as if this schemozzle never happened. Is that answer? Another federal election? More late nights for the already sleep deprived Crikey team? Here’s what the pundits are saying: Soapboxing Bridig Delaney: Time for introspection
Dawn.com Mahir Ali: Thumbs down for politics-as-usual
Sydney Morning Herald Lenore Taylor: Abbott doesn’t want to reach a deal, he wants another election
Richard Ackland: Cut the big parties down to size and reform can blossom
The Punch David Penberthy: The NEW! improved low-fi el cheapo election campaign
The Age Michelle Grattan: This tiptoe along the precipice has an awful lot of downsides
News.com.au Another election, independent Rob Oakeshott warns
Herald Sun
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111 Comments
NO!!!
Why is it that federal level parliamentarians can’t do what just their counterparts in our states, and in most western democracies do after an election - talk to each other and decide on who a majority will support to form the executive.
A fresh election is a very much last chance option - and will be a clear indication on how crap the current lot are! Voters may then deliver an even more telling, a pox on both your houses result!
Bring it on! With no advertising no donations just a debate about policies.
You’re dreaming. 33 days minimum of groundhog day.
If there are policies where are they now?
Back to the polls, I haven’t felt this good for a while and I think it has something to do with the fact that I haven’t seen or heard Gillard on TV for a week at least , it’s fantastic, I would be ecstatic if that continued.
This will be a mess unless there’s a clear winner, Bob Brown is already trying the get the tree huggers into portfolios, what a joke and the more I see Bob Katter in that hat (is it getting bigger?) the more certain I am that this has to be resolved at the ballot box again, unfortunately.
Glad you feel good Glenn. Remember those 33 days of listening to Gillard will be back.
Just don’t let us read you here complaining if a fresh poll for the House of Representatives and ACT & NT Senate doesn’t go your way.
What if another election produces a similar result? The parliament must sit and try to make this work. Perhaps the situation will prove unworkable after some time and the parliament won’t last three years. But to just give up is an insult to the electoral process and parliamentary democracy. Although it is already clear that at least one of the major parties prefers parliamentary dictatorship to parliamentary democracy.
kevrenor - what will be will be and you remember that also, it’s just better if the result is clear.
David Reid - good question, I suspect people will desert the Greens and the Independents and go for the major parties to get a result. THATS why Brown doesn’t want another poll nor will Gillard because she knows the likely outcome will be her out.
The Australian population has mumbled. SPEAK UP AUSTRALIA!!!
Because presumably Australia would ‘vote properly’ the next time around…
The path to an immediate new election does not exist. The independents have the opportunity of a lifetime in the next 3 years, and they will not squander it.
The LNP is most likely to win Brisbane, so the final tally will be:
LNP 73, Labor 72, Green 1, Independent 4.
The 3 ‘bush’ independents will first try to form a Government with LNP. Unless Abbott is a complete moron, he will agree to the 7 point plan and submit his promises to the Treasury for costing. Otherwise, the 3 bush independent will form a Government with Gillard + Green + Wilkie. I would rather see Bob Katter’s hat on TV than Gillard’s or Abbott’s face
another poll??? another chance to play rock, paper, scissors and have another hung outcome???
I don’t mind The Mad Katter, but I almost threw up when I looked at the photo of Wayne Swan curtsying to him.
It is fair to say this whole election thing just didn’t work out.
That is not true at all. Already we have seen an offer from the coalition to make parliament more open honest and accountable. Many other nations have working minority governments.
This election has given us a long missed taste of democracy and the only fair thing to say was that this whole election thing just didn’t work out as rupert murdoch or kerry stokes wanted it to. Who is paying crikey for this patently obvious lie? It is happening here and on BKs threats too. Can anyone else see this?
“I don’t mind The Mad Katter, but I almost threw up when I looked at the photo of Wayne Swan curtsying to him.”
What came next when the cameras weren’t on you wouldnt want to know about.
twobob - democracy worked yes but if the outcome forces people who have different fixed ideas to try to work together that is NOT want the public intended to happen, therefore give them another chance to speak.
Watch the outcome change , if not, then you’re right.
The only people I see advocating a return to the polls are right-wing nut bags who are just bitter and twisted that the election we’ve just endured failed to deliver them the absolute power they crave like crack cocaine.
As more sensible people are continually pointing out ,the only real litmus test for whether or not we might require a second election boils down to this.
Can either major party can DEMONSTRATE a reliable working majority on the floor of the House.
Until such times as parliament sits again, all this hullabaloo being churned up by right-wing shit stirrers has no credence whatsoever .
Neither does the passive online polling carried out by major media organisations on this issue give us any real indication as to how the wider Australian population feels on this issue. I could explain the difference between passive polling and those which survey a statistically critical sample of the Australian population, but I wouldn’t want to be accused of sadistically using logic to dumbfound out right-wing compadres.
Suffice to say online passive polling conducted by News Corporation just prior to the election indicated well over 70% of the population were going to vote for the coalition .. lol
The period of time that phoney and the fibs (if installed by the independents) will have before the new senators take office is plenty to see his destruction of the health, education and communication reforms.
$150 million cost of a new election is cheap compared to what he would cost us.
The fact that the coalition could dare go to the election with a shallow bag grab of impossible to fund promises is testament to how they have been able to hide under the massive dark shadow of heavily biased media (mis)reporting like cockroaches.
I daresay the limited news owned coalition would construct a Labor left us no money mantra as they duck away from their promises, if they take power.
I think the kingmakers in each of the lib/lab camps need cutting down to size for both party’s sakes.
I wonder how long ‘friendly’ tony will last before he commits a decent faux pas?
“What came next when the cameras weren’t on you wouldnt want to know about.”
Ha ha ha Glenn. I laughed until I stopped.
Going back to the polls is a huge expense. And we are going back, why? Because the electorate decreed that no one party has a mandate to govern this nation. We are in the same position as we were the day after the election - waiting for the independents to cast their lot with one party or another. I am afraid we just have to wait.
And for the record the coalition did not supply any costings from their accountancy firm (as stated by that firm) so the media should stop giving them credit as having supplied costings.
I hope Wayne took out his false teeth.
Looks like the “born to rule mob” have not accepted the outcome and/or they appreciate the fact that Abbott does not have the temperament to operate in this kind of environment. Now if it were Turnbull, it would be all over by now with the coalition in Govt.
Even blind freddie knows why Toxic Tony is so desperate to plunge us into another election in the next few months.
Given he was unable to slay the Labor beast wallowing in the depths of divided dysfunction on this occasion, allowing it any opportunity whatsoever to reunite, rebuild it’s credibility and bolster it’s brand will make him simply unelectable next time around.
It’s truly a case of now or never for Toxic Tony and the Turramurra Taliban.
So don’t be surprized if you see him roll into a press conference with an RPG on his shoulder ..lol ..The fighting season is well and truly at hand.
@ RONIN8317 - I am fed up with this MSM generated predicted tally of seats for the major parties. On these numbers, the Coalition is supposed to have 73 seats to Labor 72, but no one is telling the public that included in the Coalition total is the seat of Tony Crook, the WA National who defeated Wilson Tuckey. This guy has repeatedly said he does not belong to the Coalition and intends to sit on the cross benches. In my book, that makes him a conservative Independent, NOT a member of either major party and in the same category as the three other “conservative” Independents. Whether he intends to horse-trade or not is irrelevant.
Now, for those who say that Mr. Crook will support the coalition anyway, I would like to point out that Adam Bandt (Green-Melbourne) has already declared that he will support Labor. So the MSM can’t have it both ways. Either they add both MPs to the final count or neither of them.
Therefore, I suggest the final tally (assuming the Coalition win Brisbane) should be:
ALP - 72, LNP - 72, Green - 1, Independents 5 (Katter, Windsor, Oakeshott, Wilkie AND Crook)
NO, not with the MEDIA including News Ltd trying cripple Labor, the people are too suseptable to the negative PUSH by the news media in general, going through that again would be unbearable.
CML: don’t throw the conservative media and right-wing out with inconvenient facts. They don’t like it. They don’t cope. So, even though Mr Crook has repeatedly said he is essentially an independent, he’s not. Why? because he is not, that’s why. It’s like Mr.Costello stating he didn’t want to be PM. He didn’t become PM, but we are told, despite the fact he mentioned it over and over again he didn’t want the job that he DID want the job.
The democratic process as enshrined in our Constitution and law is in train. Let it run its course.
Apart from Limited News with its obvious agenda, it seems those who bet money on the outcome are barking the loudest for a re-run.
The left wing squealing Labor ratbags in here are shit scared of another election because they know Gillard and the keystone cops will go down as they should.
The cost ? small beer compared to another 3 years of incompetency by Gillard and the fools around her.
There is a bigger prize at stake here than just making a government.
Limited News wants what ever gives them control to wrest the new Asia Pacific news contract from their ABC.
Oh and to emasculate public broadcasting a la BBC2 loss.
I have some very religious liberal friends and I’ve noticed that they invariably misrepresent things they’ve heard to create like a little false paradigm that supports and ignores the bits of reality they don’t like.
Bit like field- dingaling
Going on his latest statements, I think Fieldung is being advised by the team from The Chaser. Who else could dream up such stupidity?
In reply to CML, please see this article below:
http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2010/08/is-tony-crook-new-nationals-mp-for-oconnor-a-member-of-the-coalition.html
Mr Crook’s remark about ‘being independent’ is fanciful. WA National is still National.
@ GLENN - I am not in “the left wing squealing Labor ratbag” category - I didn’t vote for them! My point is that these numbers must be correct, otherwise the MSM are getting away with misleading the public. And we all know that in the case of Limited News, it is far more important to paint a picture of the LNP having more seats than the ALP - right, wrong or otherwise!
Forgot to say in my last post that I don’t agree with going back to the polls just now. Lets see how the scenario unfolds. Just heard on ABC News that the ?ALP scrutineers in the seat of Boothby (SA), are claiming that a large parcel of votes have been “interfered” with, and they intend taking the result (LNP win) to the Court of Disputed Returns. Could be a long time before this is all over!
Gillard ( in press conference) keeps repeating “stable and effective Govt”
Exactly what she hasn’t delivered.
CML - wasn’t aimed at you but there are others in here who fit the description very well.
Votes interfered with ? groan, what next !
@Socratease
It’s rumoured Steven Fieldmouse gets a lot of his advice and a substantial part of his funding from a conservative stink tank in the USA called the Heartland Institute. They are somwhat humorless compared to the Chaser boys but certainly no less wierd and wacky
Glenn
If she wasn’t delivering a stable and effective government in this caretaker state, right now our markets would be an abysmal mess. There is more to government than simpley wacking the “I AM the PM” badge on. It takes someone who is able to see beyond themselves. And regardless of who you voted for, right now, I am glad that our caretaker PM sees that there is more at play here then her own leadership.
CML
In the press conference Julia mentioned that Mr Crook had noted the press had his seat incorrectly included in the Coalition numbers.
An adverse side effect of the digital age appears to be a loss of patience. We can communicate back and forwards 100 times a day, so a few days seems like a very long time.
Given a parliamentary term of 3-4yrs and the fact that parliament isn’t due to sit for a couple of weeks (actual date anyone?), everyone is getting a bit worked up over an ‘issue’ which is only 6 days old and assuming no legal challenges on seats will probably be resolved by the end of next week.
I note that posters from both sides have suggested that $150m for another election is cheaper than the cost of having the respective parties in power. This is clearly partisan and not consistent with democratic principles. If someone gains power through the correct democratic process, they have the right to run government regardless of what people on the other side of politics think of them.
Realistically the independents will really want to cut a stable deal to form a part of a government as they couldn’t get a better outcome at a new election. They are the kingmakers, and they have a very strong interest in making a king, so expect it to happen.
Stable and effective Govt isn’t axing a first term elected PM, just before his first term ends.
Effective Govt isn’t the rorts that went on , insulation etc I don’t have to repeat it all.
Gillard is a chameleon, she will change to suit in seconds, first it’s Kevin, then it’s Mr Rudd then it’s Kevin again when she needs him and the plaudits she reigned on him at the Labor launch were nauseating, if Rudd were a real man he would have walked out.
Glenn,
Seems you can’t see beyond yourself either. I am talking about what is required to keep an even keel on things while the country is in caretaker mode.
No need to ask where your political inclinations lie.
Apart from the time it takes to count, recount and recount the recounts, etc, the provision of a 13 day period after election day for receipt of postal votes (posted before election day) is what drags this business out when seats are so close as to require all so-called “declaration votes” to be counted before a result can be announced.
Andrew Bolt, getting things ass backwards since 1959.
Andrew Bolt was born that way. His poor mother!
Space Kidette - any stability in the markets has nothing to do with Gillard repeating mantras and making condescending hand gestures I can assure you.
Andrew Bolt tells it like it is and he’s right almost all of the time.
Glenn,
If you think that if there was the slightest hint of instability in the Australian Government, caretaker or otherwise, that it wouldn’t impact on the markets you are kidding yourself.
Space Kidette - you think there’s no instability now ?
@Mack
The Asia-Pacific news contract is undoubtedly an issues for Murdoch, but by far the biggest threat a minority Labour government poses to his commercial interests here in Australia is the continuing rollout of the national broadband network.
As long as the vast majority of backbone infrastructure in Australia is owned and controlled by large commercial entities like Telstra, Rupert can rest assured there will always be some clever distribution deal he can strike in order to create barriers to real competition in rich media delivery (both via Pay TV and fast Internut)
Once the NBN is in place, poor Rupert will find it increasingly difficult to maintain and grow his market share in a level playing field environment where innovative Internet TV start-ups will inevitably be able to gnaw away at both Foxtel’s Pay TV business and News Corps soon-to-be subscriber-based online business with cleverly packaged niche market product offerings.
Telstra are also absolutely crapping themselves at this prospect
No - I don’t. Our caretaker PM has kept the country on an even keel in a difficult situation.
We are waiting on an outcome. Right now the only game in town is which way the independents vote. And until Julia Gillard OR Tony Abbot front up and say I have the numbers to form a government we just have to be patient and wait.
And if neither of them can do that THEN we have a new election.
“No - I don’t. Our caretaker PM has kept the country on an even keel in a difficult situation”
I dare say you could have done as much as she has ie: nothing.
A fresh election is not in the interests of the Three Amigos — they won’t throw away their once-in-a-lifetime chance to wield power from the back paddock.
Despite all of their recent platitudes, when it comes to the crunch they will side with whoever makes it possible for them to be part of executive government.
Jack Lang’s advice about always backing self-interest was never more applicable.
So Rupert didn’t get his boy in power , so let’s go back till he gets what he wants. They have not even finished counting yet ? The rightards are going silly then ever “Andrew Bolter tells it like Rupert tells him Blah Blah Blah. Glenn ,where do you do your Stand Up comedy shows? Abbott is looking like a 2nd hand car salesman , trust me there is no money owing on the car and all services have been done , so there is no reason to want to look at the books. From now on Abbott has his push bike at Press meets ,so he can get away faster from questions, not a good look.
I did a push poll too Glenn , and everybody said let the Labor/Green run the country.
harrybelbarry - bit early to be hitting the grog isn’t it ? though I dont balme you it’s a shocking rebuff for Labor.
Labor/Green run the country ? isnt that an even worse scenerio than just Labor running the country ? , yes I think it is.
Anyway let the cards fall where they may, it’s a circus now except for the sweating Labor geeks who are scred there might be another election, it’s amusing to watch them squirm as they envisage a life without handouts.
Glenn,
A life without handouts heh? Did you miss this little handout from the Coalition
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/coalition-plan-for-rental-vouchers-20100826-13uau.html
I agree Socratease
The politics of self interest dictates the three muskateers must inevitably back a Labor minority government .. in the meantime they have to be seen to be pursuing due dilligence in the national interest to ensure that the only people who will ultimately believe they made a bad decision were mindlessly partisan wing nuts to begin with
No way back to the polls.
We will now have accountability and a cross of the best Labor and Liberal and Green policies.
We have the best outcome now, why do people talk about throwing away this opportunity?
Glenn, that is hilarious. Perhaps you could remind us of which prime minister introduced handouts in the form of baby bonus etc etc. I’ll give you a hint - his last name was Howard and he wasn’t part of Labor…
Neither side is game to walk away from middle class welfare, but it was the Coalition who made an art of buying elections with it.
Anybody remember Stan Howard?
Glenn,
Just a reminder as to who wants to bump up maternity pay! Let me help - it wasn’t the Greens, it wasn’t the independents and it wasn’t Labor.
I’m talking about $900 cheques in tha mail
Baby bonus was ok, except all the Labor sponges went and had more kids and now they’re all on here.
“Neither side is game to walk away from middle class welfare, but it was the Coalition who made an art of buying elections with it.”
Nothing could beat Heir Rudd wallowing in self adulation handing out $900 cheques to the great unwashed Labor sponges, the profits from pokies went through the roof.
That was a disgrace but typical Labor incompetence.
Ah Glenn, you are a lost liberal cause, so much for me thinking this site attracted free thinkers.
Free ? you Laborites are always wanting something for nothing HA
Labor 72
Libs 73
Give up yet ?
All I want is for people to chill out. You have cast your vote. Now have faith in the constitution and electoral processes to work out the new government - whichever way it falls.
The numbers mean nothing until someone fronts with 76.
Glenn, last time I had a drink was on Saturday night , to celebrate QLD ‘s 1st GREEN’S SENATOR in Larissa Waters and the 6.73 % swing to the Greens in a country seat and 11.69 % of the votes. Libs only got a slight movement with 1.47 %. The Greens are now cashed up.
Better than Ltd News running the country and the Catholics (Known Terrorists ). Yes another Catholic Church cover-up .
“The numbers mean nothing until someone fronts with 76”
How’s this then -
Labor 70
Libs 76
Whoops errrrr……sorry that not this election that’s the next.
harrybelbarry - well it’s about time you had another, I’m off now to do exactly that with clever men of great importance.
Have a good weekend.
Glenn, I just love the way you trumpet your own stupidity.
Come on Glen, I’ll admit the performance thus far has occasionally bordered on brilliance but isn’t it time you admitted to being a professional clown doing a highly satirical parody of the average mindless Alan Jones devotee
Acidic Muse -( just waiting for my driver ), now Acidic Muse, or Maximus Wankus as you’re known around the office, I enjoy mixing humor with the facts it makes them more interesting.
It seems clear to me that people really wanted the lLibs to be running the show after weeping Rudd and robotic Red stuffed everything up, what happens now is anyones guess but mine is twofold - either we go back to the electorate, bloody nuisance, or the Independents back the Libs , why ?, because those who voted for the Independents prefer the Libs to Labor so if they back Labor they’ve destroyed their own political career.
Wait and see.
Ah Glenn, you have just exposed yourself as that petulant catholic boychild, Tony Abbott!
Tony Abbott has proclaimed that his win about the costings process not been shown to government seems a bit childish. Firstly, the governments numbers are for public consumption. Secondly, the election has been held - what is to be won or lost by also showing the coalitions numbers? I believe that the press should ask Tony why his numbers aren’t for public consumption.
Please do not feed the troll, people. If we all ignore it, it will eventually give up and go back to news.com where it belongs.
Try to leave aside political bias and look at this purely as a point of constitutional law. The law provides for exactly this scenario, and must be allowed to run its course. If a majority of seats in the house stand behind one party, that party will advise the GG that they are able to form a government REGARDLESS OF WHICH PARTY THOSE SEATS BELONG TO. If it is not your preferred party, so be it - we’ve all survived years living under governments whose political philosophies we don’t agree with. It’s called democracy, and one of the natural side-effects of the system is that roughly 49% of the people will always be pissed off with the result. Or you can bugger off elsewhere. I hear North Korea, China, Burma and Cuba all have stable government.
I see that Wilkie has now found an issue to latch onto: poker machines.
I love it when “unaligned” senators get all hot and bothered about matters of state government jurisdiction from the safety of Canberra.
… so did Xenophone approach Wilkie to be his Reps man, or did Wilkie dream this one up all by himself?
Glenn makes a good point. The people who elected the trio of independants rated the Coaltion well ahead of Labor when they listed their preferences. They ignore that fact at their peril and Abbott knows it. It’s only a matter of time …….
I guess after a week, we are still waiting….looks like we’ll know sometime next week…?
I would be more inclined to go to another poll just cause these last week we’ve seen how Abbott and Gillard have handled the uncertainty and media scrutiny.
Since neither of the two major parties differ that much in policy terms, the leader’s performance has been very informative. Now, if only we could keep the leadership spills in Labor and the Liberal parties to a minimum…
http://www.currentglobalperceptions.blogspot.com/
Stevo the working twistie, are you seriously trying to bring calm rationality to a discussion primarily driven by someone courting Poe’s Law with wonderful zingers like ‘Andrew Bolt tells it like it is and he’s right almost all of the time’?
Glenn’s mum must be picking him up from school (after hours 4.09 pm ) or is he at a bus stop.
Why is Wilkie not looking at the numbers ?
Hooray for Stevo the working twistie!
I wonder if Acidicmuse, Harrybelbarry and Glenn are sending links to this thread to the three independents to try to sway them.
All these people who follow a party their whole lives need to wake up. I can’t remember which candidate said it on election night when he was interviewed, but here goes, “politics is about people, not the bloody party party” Finally the reds, the greenish reds and the goose steppers are going to have to listen up a bit.
Let us compromise:
The US male for Prime Minister (Rupert) he endeavours to run the show anyway, Phony for Treasurer, Bob Katter for Foreign Minister and Kevin for Speaker.
This has to be the bottom line for the Independents - they should get what they can from Abbott then go with it otherwise they’re spitting in the face of those that voted for them.
They better enjoy this term because there wont be another for them if they ignore this.
Voters in independents’ seats want Abbott, poll shows
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/28/2996037.htm
Ahhh probably because it has a link in it………..
Here it is with out the link -
This has to be the bottom line for the Independents - they should get what they can from Abbott then go with it otherwise they’re spitting in the face of those that voted for them.
They better enjoy this term because there wont be another for them if they ignore this.
“Voters in independents’ seats want Abbott, poll shows”
From ABC News web site
Sorry, Glenn, but the voters have already played their role. All that is left is for the three wise men to make up their mind - and they have pointedly said that they are aware of the media and their tricks and they will not be influencing their decision. Nice try sunshine.
Thats BS it WILL influence their decision - nice try yourself, as if self interest wont come into it LOL
It’s no trick you know, people just don’t want Gillard get it through your head.
Correction. Limited News wants a Coalition outcome and are turning themselves inside out to get it. Although I must admit it is hilarious entertainment watching grown professionals prone themselves before the almighty Rupert Idol lest they get voted off the island for displeasing their wage paying god.
So Glenn, instead of turning yourself inside out trying to influence the outcome, why don’t you just sit back, relax and wait for the decision from the three wise men like everyone else.
I’m doing exactly that but you’re deluding yourself if you ignore the facts - people don’t want Gillard and they won’t wont the Independents either if they side with her, end of story.
Have a good day.
There is no need for another election, and no guarantee that it would achieve a different result in any case. There is no requirement for any kind of guarantee or agreement from the independents (however desireable that might be), and if such is not forthcoming, rememberbing that in any case it would need more than “the three amigos”, it would be perfectly proper for the Governor General to commission the current Prime Minister to form a Government, and for her to test it’s authority on the floor of the House. If she then immediately lost a no-confidence motion there would be an interesting question as to why the independents had not earlier signalled their intention not to support the Government, and whether the Prime Minister would advise the Governor General to invite the Opposition Leader to form a Government or to call a fresh election.
I think Glenn, the alias for the petulant catholic boychild Tony Abbott, has just picked up his bat and ball and gone home…
Glenn said:
Regrettably for that claim, the majority voted 2PP for the ALP …
Alos, in the three independent seats they spurned candidates committed to having the Libs ‘run the show’. They voted instead for people who would exercise their judgement.
“They voted instead for people who would exercise their judgement.”
and their judgement might be to back the Libs, you cant really spin your way out of this.
Glenn, your argument might hold true - if everyone in the three wise mens’ respective electorates voted exactly the same way.
But you know and I know, Glenn, that this is highly unlikely. What actually happened was that under the current electoral commission rules, the independents were voted in as the representatives for their electorates. I didn’t see any of those votes in any of the independent seats coming back with zero votes for other parties.
They have been voted in and whether they choose to ‘represent’ their constituency, or even choose to go off in some completely different tangeant, the point remains the same - we still have to wait on the decision of the three wise men.
I live in Lyne, I voted for Rob Oakeshott and I’m sick to death of the media (and you lot) telling me that I’m a conservative voter and I really want an Abbott government. No-one has polled me. If they did I’d tell them I’d like an Abbott government. That response might or might not be the truth because why should I tell some pollster what I really think?
The situation here is not as simple as you all seem to think. We aren’t all ‘conservative’. A lot of us voted Labor or Green and gave Rob our second preferences. A lot of us voted for Rob simply because we don’t want anything to do with the major parties, we actually enjoy being free of all that. A lot of us are Liberal voters who have been denied a chance to vote Liberal because the Libs won’t give us that option. Those of us who would like to vote Liberal often won’t have a bar of the Nationals and won’t vote for them.
If we had really, really wanted an Abbott government we’d have gritted our teeth and voted in the majority for the National Party. We didn’t. The Nats finished with 37% of the two party preferred vote, there was a 21% swing against the Coalition compared to the 2007 election results. Hardly a convincing demonstration of our alleged preference for Abbott.
I resent insinuations that the 80,000 or so if us who voted last Saturday somehow got it wrong and really wanted something else. I’m fed up with city-based journos waffling on about Lyne as if we were all part of a Dad and Dave movie. No-one has bothered to come up here and have a look at the place or asked the locals face-to-face for their opinions. We just get patronising wafffle and continual references to Oakeshott as a ‘farmer’ or a ‘hick’ or some other rural-type insult.
Stop trying to lump us all together into some sort of homogenised ‘conservative’, Hicksville wanna-be Liberal population, because we most definitely aren’t that. I’d also like the idiot on Sky News who talked about the ‘Lynn” electorate all morning to go away and find out how to pronounce the name correctly.
Fair enough.
All you keyboard warriors are just dilettantes.Time to get dirt under your nails.Ha.
BTW a quick thanks to the token trolls Glenn,Astro etc.
Leaving so soon ? I thought you’d hang around to see Julia curse as she realises she has to stay in Altona.
glenn,a small damp region between two peaks.
davirob - and loving every minute of it.
@ Glenn I’d like to come up with something clever but mostly I’m just smiling.
That’s with you Glenn.
davirob - gotcha, you’re obviously having a few on Sat night , thats our birthright here in AU all the best to you
And who gunna the country ? who gives a toss as long as Harvey Norman still has 5 years interest free everythings ok.
And who gunna the country - I’ll try again -
And whos gunna run the country
Thats better.
Still smiling Glenn.Bloody Hardly Normal only gave me 2 years interest free last time I went there.Cheeeeeers.
My understanding of Anthony Green is that it will be months maybe a year before another poll can be held. We cannot keep going like the last week so these egos just have to grow up, sort it out, and govern the country intelligently (well at least govern the country anyway).