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And so ends Tony Abbott’s very, very bad week. Tasmanian independent MP Andrew Wilkie gave his thumbs up to a Gillard government yesterday, putting the PM job back within Julia Gillard’s grasp.
Wilkie ignored Abbott’s promise of $1 billion dollars for his local hospital, and instead supported Gillard who offered a $100 million upfront for the hospital and smartcards to limit gambler’s losses. You can read the full Gillard/Wilkie deal letter here. Interestingly, it seems that if the Coalition does form government, Wilkie will still get the $1 billion for the hospital, since it wasn’t contingent on him supporting Abbott.
As he showed his team Gillard colours, Wilkie said “It was almost intoxicating to look at a piece of paper that offered me one billion dollars…”
It’s now 74 seats to Gillard (including Wilkie and Greens MP Adam Bandt), 73 to Tony Abbott and the three other independents — Tony Windsor, Bob Katter and Rob Oakeshott — still undecided. A final answer from the independents is expected early next week. Yesterday Bob Katter gave his 20 points wishlist to both leaders.
A quick glance at the news website headlines seems to see momenteum building for Gillard, with The Australian leading with “Julia Gillard edging closer to power”, The Daily Telegraph has “Julia hits the jackpot” and The Age and Sydney Morning Herald both leading with “Abbott fires $1 billion blank.”
Has Gillard got it? Can Abbott convince the independents — who are traditionally quite conservative — that the holes in the budget can be patched up? Here’s what the pundits are saying.
The Australian
Dennis Shanahan: PM has momentum in theatre of the absurd
Julia Gillard is gaining momentum in the race towards forming minority government. Stage-managing every step and choreographing every scene, the Prime Minister is simultaneously building alliances with independent MPs and campaigning to build legitimacy for her diminished government.
Michael Stutchbery: It’s potholes, not black holes, causing the bump
But there is no $11 billion “black hole” in the Coalition’s projected budget surplus. At most, Treasury secretary Ken Henry has found a few potholes that can be repaired without too much trouble.
Mathew Denholm: From also-ran to powerbroker
It’s a big gamble by Wilkie. Most people in his electorate, including the doctors and nurses battling away with a 1950s, sub-standard RHH, would far prefer the new greenfields hospital offered by Abbott. Wilkie says to have taken Abbott’s $1bn for a single hospital in Tasmania, rather than $1.8bn from Gillard for hospitals across the country under an expedited funding round, would have been “pork-barrelling”.
The Age
Michelle Grattan: Abbott digs himself a hole
By revealing Abbott’s offer, Wilkie has played a tough political game. He has painted Abbott a spendthrift willing to throw out an enormous political bribe. This came just as Abbott was trying to maintain that his costings were respectable. Gillard took up the political gift, linking Abbott’s reckless offer and questionable costings. Wilkie also gave the other independents a negotiating standard. Abbott won’t be thanking him on either count.
Waleedy Aly: Too much consensus, not too little
At the risk of sounding absurdist, allow me to suggest that the very vacuity of our politics, and even its veneer of nastiness, derives not from too little consensus, but from far too much.
Katharine Murphy: From Canberra outsider to centre stage
Wilkie yesterday ended a long and tortuous journey, from Canberra outsider to would-be king maker.
Tony Wright: Hospital sting leaves Coalition nursing wounds
As the Tasmanian independent Andrew Wilkie stood in a parliamentary courtyard declaring he was a Julia man, it was very nearly possible to hear Tony Abbott banging his head on the wall of his office
The Sydney Morning Herald
Peter Hartcher: Darkness clouds ALP gain
Julia Gillard won a vital advantage yesterday and is tantalisingly close to power, but any outcome is still possible as the reels keeping spinning on the poker machine of Australian democracy.
Lenore Taylor: In a game of being on target with figures Abbott shoots himself in foot
An MP who does not like pork - how could the Coalition have picked that?
The Courier Mail
Dennis Atkins: Abbott can only blame himself as Labor gains momentum
The momentum Labor lost during its shambolic election campaign has reappeared at just the right time for Julia Gillard and her team as they struggle to pull together a majority from the hung result.
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22 Comments
Missed here is an extraordinary piece of Liberal propaganda from Glenn Milne at The Drum. He does nothing more than channel Eric Abetz’s fury. There are so many holes in Milne’s argument and only a couple are covered in the response I wrote:
This is not journalism, it is just frothing Liberal anger. Milne totally ignores the fact that if Wilkie had sided with Abbott he would have guaranteed Greens preferencing against him next time and the the Green got a higher vote than the Liberal candidate.
He also ignores the fact that as an independent with a central role to play in the coming parliament he will convince many voters that they are better off with independent representation. While he avoided being greedy and avoided Abbott’s appalling billion dollar bribe he has won 100 million for Hobart Hospital and ensured that any government will be very mindful of Denison’s needs.
Finally, this statement is simply untrue: “She gave him $900 million for a new Hobart hospital. That’s a hefty price tag for one vote.”
Why is the ABC employing a Liberal propagandist?
Abbott need to send Robb and Hockey to the back bench and get new talent.
Tony Abbott’s faith in his policy costings mirrors his Catholic faith in The Virgin Birth, The Resurrection and The Ascension.
In the end, however, his $11 billion budget black hole was found out because a Protestant Treasury doesn’t believe in The Assumption.
That’s why the Secular Party advised the major parties to Keep Religion Out of Politics.
“If we get in, well… we’re going to give it to the hospital anyway! So.. nerr!”
haha what in the hell is going on! This is hilarious and despicable all at the same time.
David,
I just don’t get these obvious Liberal advertorials, either. And the frothing anger you mention, was absolutely vicious in the lead up to the election and has transmuted itself post election into the equivalant of in your face tanties - “WE WILL HAVE OUR WAY”.
It is funny, that in the last few days, as Julia has gained formal support, the stories have almost been hilarious, as you can feel the journo’s are in twisted torment about the possible outcome. The truth is it still can go either way, but they are so fearful of an ALP outcome that they still pick up poisoned pens in the hope that their words will impact those who will decide. Maybe Rupert threatened their jobs in the case of an ALP outcome…
@David Sanderson
I’ve actually lodged two official complaints with the ABC Ombudsman this week over the ABC continually skewing The Drum’s panel and subject matter to the right. Howard appointee Mark Scott’s campaign to cover his lazy ass over accusations of “left wing bias” has now gone well and truly beyond the pale.
Toxic Tony and the Toorak Taliban are now simply reaping what they have so cynically and despicably sown.
The Coalition ran a viciously relentless smear campaign predicated on stopping waste that was massively overstated and paying down a debt that was comparatively small by world standards - and undoubtedly necessary in the dire circumstances of the GFC
Having created an unprecedented level of hysteria over this nations need for greater fiscal responsibility, the Coalition are now dying by the very sword with which they cynically sought to eviscerate our democracy.
Joe Fat Back’s whining about Andrew Wilkie “setting them up” is just laughable.
It was the Coalition who set themselves up for this from the very start by dragging our political discourse down to the lowest common denominator in an attempt to grab power they neither deserved nor were ready to wield responsibly
I for one am just loving watching them choke on it
Thank you, Crikey, for being a sound source of information for thinking people. And well done, Wilkie! General SunTsu would be smiling on you.
As George Bernard Shaw blogged today about Multiparty Wilkie, “we have established what you are sir. You’re now merely haggling over the price.”
And how sleazy to reveal the rejected client’s offer…
Also missed here. (No doubt due to the curse of the paywall) is Laura Tingle’s delicious thunderbolt in today’s Fin Review.
A small snippet.
And he didn’t want Treasury costings because of leaks…
tony, mate, sorry, you had a go: a good go. A noble effort. Well done, mate. but you were never suited to the job, and you were let down by the cowboys and yahoos of your cabinet. Your picture will go on the wall, all good.
As for Julia: you were clearly never good for the job. Don’t confuse luck with competence… You had a huge chance, you blew it. It’s time to go. You get the pension!
@DAVID SANDERSON
I saw that piece by Milne and left a scathingly critical reply.
I nearly fell off my chair when I saw that it was posted!
cheers
@ACIDIC MUSE
I too will be lodging a complaint with the ABC ombudsman.
I also note a piece on the drum by scott. I found the article a long winded, rambling article with an interesting piece of insight into how the ABC intend to set the agenda in future elections. As per usual it is a fairly reasonable idea that is terrifying when you consider its potential for abuse.
@David Sanderson
You have to remember that Milne has had many years practicing his trade through the Rupert empire. Their reporting is always slanted towards sensationalist twaddle, they don’t know any better.
Slightly off-topic, but still in panic-related election news - Family First isn’t dead yet. With 83% counted in SA Senate (as of 1pm Friday), FF’s Bob Day currently makes the cut (see the ABC’s Senate Results count).
Permission to wail & lament, sir.
@Paddy
I’ve long thought Laura Tingle this nations most insightful and objective political commentator by a country mile. Even when I disagree with her I usually find it hard to fault her logic. It’s a real shame so few Australian’s read her stuff simply because it’s in the Financial Review
@TwoBob
Yeah, I read some of Mark Scott’s puff piece but found myself getting nauseous.
Like Sean Brown at SBS, he was appointed by the Howard Government to oversee the main-streaming (dumbing down) of our National broadcasters. Hopefully the process can be reversed with Scots removal and a few strategic board appointments during the next few years.
I actually would not mind the ABC giving so much more access to right wing propagandists like Glen Milne, Tom Switzer et al if there was a similarly accessible media platform via which those of us from the Centre Left were able to pitch our own point of view to the Coalitions semi literate suburban base.
The mainstream media simply don’t see this kind of objective balance to generally be in their commercial interest.
We therefore live in hope the roll out of the NBN will eventually allow niche market media start ups to gain enough traction to begin redressing this growing imbalance.
The Coalition is firming in the betting markets. Clearly some people think the Sodom and Gomorrah hallucinations emanating from Robb and Hockey will scare the independents witless.
I don’t think so - once again the Coalition are treating the independents, and the public, like small children who loved to be frightened by fairy tales.
Wilkie was never, ever going to support the thugs who destroyed his life. The thing is that no-one can now have the numbers to govern anything properly.
David
Wealthy right wing whack jobs like Clive Palmer have been manipulating the betting markets for weeks now.
Knowing how often our moronic media quote Centerbet, they realised spending money there has actually become one of the cheapest ways of influencing public perception.
It’s why the betting markets were so heavily skewed to the ALP just prior to the election - to encourage a protest vote against Labor in the belief they were going to win easily anyway
That the media allows itself to be passively complicit in this kind of disinformation without doubt seriously undermines our democracy
Goodness gracious me, the dangerous left wing communist greens are coming. The sky is falling. I’m scared! Help!!!
@ 2B
Please dont do anything silly. Please call Beyond Blue if you feel you may take your life. If you do choose to do this, please make sure you get in before the Green’s Death Taxes.
Like the policy-free zone of the political parties (whatever happened to clearly annunciated party manifesto’s published before any election campaign) the majority of the mainstream media appears to be driven by sensationalist personality-driven ideology (the most disappointing right now being the ABC) as opposed to any serious independent analysis. It’s truly depressing apart from independent organs like Crikey that endeavour to maintain genuine journalistic values and the occasional ray insight that penetrate the gloom from commentators like Waleed Aly and George Megalogenis.
The fact that the completely discredited Glen Milne continues to get a run astounds me. Tell me about ABC bias once again. If a labor party apologist vented their spleen in a similar fashion I’m sure the heavens would fall.
It has been a bad week for the Libs. For the umpteanth time they have been questioned about their budget costings and the best they can do is say they stand by them, as though their personal credibility means anything, anymore.
Wilkie also raised the issue of the illegal nature of the war in Iraq…. which I note Kerry Obrien was none plussed by. This is a piece of incompetence that the Libs delivered and which does not add any credibility to their assertion that they can run a nation. TA would have to talk long and hard to overcome that hisorical evidence of a lack of competence.
I’m quite used to journalists expressing their opinions rather than reporting facts. It bores me silly to read the usual lines of bias, but I keep looking for threads that will expose some truth or new perception of a situation.