The atmosphere was tense in the Imperial Hotel on Saturday night, with both the Greens and ALP after-parties descending on the Spring Street pub. Plus, Michael John says goodbye and Steve Fielding pushes in line.
August, 2010
Campaign Crikey leftovers: Imperial showdown … Johnson waves goodbye … Albo and Steve make friends …
The winter of our discontent
Once upon a time, nearly everybody voted for the major parties. In 1975, after the collapse of the DLP and before the rise of the Democrats, 95.9% gave their primary vote in the House of Representatives to either Labor or the Coalition. That figure was still well above 90% as late as 1987.
Pakistan: mass devastation, miniscule global response
The devastation caused by mass floods in Pakistan over the past three weeks is of catastrophic proportion, yet the world has turned a blind eye. Has aid become too commercial, asks Durkhanai Ayubi?
Labor needs fundamental change, not a line blaming leaks
The election has revealed that Labor has a major cultural problem at its highest levels.
Will the DFO collapse see Samuel walk away from the ACCC?
The Austexx/DFO fiasco which appears to have reached a temporary stalemate will most likely lead to the end of Graeme Samuel’s tenure as chairman of the ACCC. And whatever you think of Samuel’s leadership of the ACCC, that is not a good thing for Australia.
McKew: ‘I don’t regret a minute of it’
This morning, McKew was in the office, helping her staff to find new jobs, but she’s not bitter about the result. “I don’t regret a minute of it. I loved doing the job locally and I loved working on public policy. It was a great thing to do.”
Letter from the miners: boys, what have we done?
The mining industry has scored a big win over the weekend, but there are a couple of little problems in its wake.
Where the battle was lost: even Labor stars relinquished the suburbs
‘Mums and dads’ of Australia have sent a fairly clear message to the Labor government, with key suburbs in New South Wales and Queensland abandoning the ALP. Luke Williams crunches the numbers.
It really was the economy, stupid: how Queensland dragged down Labor
Queensland voters punished the Labor Party severely in Saturday’s poll, and perhaps a weak state economy played a much bigger role in the outcome than many commentators realise.
Mungo MacCallum: ‘Australia’ rejects the system, and Labor is to blame
There is a superstition among many political commentators that the nation has some sort of collective mind; that when the voters go to the polls there is a psychic bond which determines the overall result. It’s rubbish, as Saturday showed.
Your Say: Daily Mail readers' feedback: An amazing passage of play by Tony Abbott
Crikey readers have their say on Saturday’s election.
Morning Market Report: US markets continue to fall
The S&P 500 is now 12% off its high for the year and the Dow is down 9%.
Daily Proposition: Be inspired by the wacky world of Tim Burton
Tim Burton was apparently surprised and unaware of some of the items that are currently on display at the Australian Centre for the Moving Image (ACMI) in Melbourne. It’s easy to see why, writes Matt Smith.
Media briefs: An Age editor out the door … Tony and Julia in the bedroom …
Sally Heath goes willingly from Age’s A2. Plus, Asia Pacific fellowships for journalists, a Jay Rosen interview and other media news of the day.
Political snippets: Greens the key to government stability
When it comes to the question of whether Australia will emerge with a stable government, the Greens are the key.
Video of the Day: Taiwan’s take on the 2010 election
A Taiwanese production studio unleashed their take on the 2010 election on the weekend, encapsulating with eerie accuracy the downfall of KRudd and the rise of Abbott, Gillard and the Greens. This hilarious one and a half minute animation made the rounds on Saturday and Sunday, and has narrowly beaten other classics such as OMG […]
Crikey Says: Australia’s second climate change election?
How can a hung parliament succeed in pursing any meaningful action on the issue when a newly elected Rudd government with an unprecedented mandate failed so spectacularly?
Some advice to the independents about rural health
In the 40 hours since the polls closed, there have been more references to policies in support of rural and remote communities than in the previous 40 weeks. Rural health lobbyist Gordon Gregory offers some advice on the direction rural health care should be taking.
Chong’s illustrated election night dinner
What did you have for dinner on election night? W H Chong consumed a non-partisan menu including “calorific celery sticks” and “blanched New Greens.” And for dessert: a Hung Pavlova.
Theatre review: The Trial — enjoyable Kafkaesque buffoonery
A new adaptation of Franz Kafka’s classic novel The Trial is full of awkward over-articulation of, well, absolutely everything. But high energy performances and a quirky approach kept Andrew Fuhrann grinning from beginning to end.
Apple attempts to lock down iPhone jail breakers
Less than a month after a US supreme court judge ruled that jail breaking an iPhone is not a copyright violation Apple have swung back - attempting to file a new patent that could restrict key features for jail breaking users.
Dark horizons for flight attendants
Having to bear the brunt of angry customers grousing about increasing costs, fewer staff and inevitable flight delays, being an airline attendant in America has become a tough trade - a far cry from the high-flying career once considered glamorous.
