Former Labor Party member and union boss Brendan Nelson has been elected Liberal Party leader this afternoon in Canberra, 45 votes to 42. Western Australian Julie Bishop has been elected as his deput, writes Christian Kerr.
Crikey
We did everything as sensibly as we could, says REX
REX can’t wait for the ATSB to investigate its recent single engine flight from Wagga Wagga to Sydney, writes Ben Sandilands.
Education, economics at forefront of Rudd ministry
Education, employment and economics are at the forefront of the Ministry just announced by Kevin Rudd in Canberra, writes Christian Kerr.
Remaking Australia, part three: John Carroll
In a special post-election series, Crikey asked leading Australian thinkers to sketch a blueprint for a future Australia. Today, Today, sociologist John Carroll looks at Australia’s place in the world.
The Monk’s not mad
Tony Abbott might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but he is a decent bloke, writes Christian Kerr.
From the desk of Dave Grooper MHR
(click to enlarge)
Does Garrett have competition for the Arts job?
An ALP insider has told Crikey that Bob McMullan is likely to be the new Arts Minister under a Rudd Labor Government. What would he be like? wonders Nicholas Pickard.
The NT intervention is unravelling: Altman
Fortunately, the full intervention fiasco has only been rolled out to a handful of communities. This was because of incompetence resulting from lack of adequate consultation and reluctance to collaborate with effective community-based Indigenous organizations. So calling an immediate moratorium on the intervention and urgently reviewing its workability and sustainability would make good policy sense, writes Jon Altman.
A bad time to win government? The economists’ view
With inflation hitting the top of the RBA’s target band and continued fragility in US markets, Crikey asked a panel of leading economists if now is a bad time to win government.
Remaking Australia, part one: Eva Cox
As the election hangover fades and a new government packs itself into Parliament House, we have a chance to remake the nation for a new century. In a special post-election series, Crikey asked leading Australian thinkers to sketch a blueprint for a future Australia. Their brief: to spell out how Australia might fully realise its potential.
Liberal leadership: The contenders
Who should be leader of the opposition? Perhaps we should first ask why anyone would want the job?
Guess who’s coming to Canberra: let us know
Forget about who will be in the ministry. It is much more interesting to think about who may be in ministerial offices or pushing the policy program paperwork up from the departments, writes Christian Kerr.
The collective wisdom of Crikey
Far from being a mob of raving lefties, Crikey readers showed they are quite a conservative lot with their entries in our 2007 Federal Election Competition and quite good judges to boot, writes Richard Farmer.
Crikey Says: Crikey Says
Which is all very well, except now we get Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister. For three years. Had anyone thought that through?
How John Howard forgot the fundamentals
There is no one great mass in politics. There are competing interest groups individuals identify themselves with – but individuals are the building blocks. This campaign, John Howard has forgotten that. If he loses, this will be why, writes Christian Kerr.
Tipping Comp: You’ve still got a chance to win $250 of wine
Entrants in the Crikey Federal Election Contest are predicting that Labor will end up with 84 seats in the House of Representatives after tomorrow’s vote. The Coalition is expected to be reduced to 64 members with two Independents holding their seat, writes Richard Farmer.
Crikey Says: Crikey Says
We see it like this…
Stephen Mayne: The Higgins Diary that wasn’t
We’ve all had some chuckles about Crikey’s little disclosures at the end of my recent political stories, such as this one on Wednesday: “Crikey: Against all our advice, Stephen Mayne is running as an independent candidate in the seat of Higgins.”
The polls must have turned
Now they’re not having an evacuation - check out the memo for the scheduled (and now cancelled) securit y drill for Pailiament house…
Crikey Says: Crikey Says
The Jackie Kelly pamphlet affair gives context to the behaviour of another John Howard favourite, Senator Bill Heffernan, making it all the more relevant in the last moments of this federal election campaign.
The Daily Verdict: Day 38 & the agenda meets the Press Club
At the National Press Club this afternoon Prime Minister John Howard certainly stressed his economic management record and the risk posed by Labor but he discovered again just how difficult it is to set the agenda, writes Richard Farmer.
Mackerras: Psephologists pick a Labor landslide
I thought readers of Crikey may be interested to know the predictions of us psephologists of the number of seats we expect Labor to win on Saturday, writes psephologist Malcolm Mackerras.
Bill Heffernan: air safety guardian
It’s not a good day for favourites of the Prime Minister. First Jackie Kelly – and now there’s more on Bill Heffernan and his rough flight into Brisbane on Tuesday. Christian Kerr reports.
Crikey Election Awards: Vote now!
Now’s your last chance to vote in the Crikey Election Awards.
Bronwyn Bishop: but think of the children!
Bronwyn Bishop has sent the letter below to her constituents. In it, she expresses her concern that “our youth have never experienced a socialist government…”
