Despite a persuasively convincing imitation, the Howard government isn’t dead in the water yet. There are simply too many variables to be absolutely cocky about a large Rudd victory, writes Norman Abjorensen.
Election 2007
Take a punt on Election ’07
No election party is complete without a punt. It’s like watching the Melbourne Cup without previously making a trip to your local TAB, only to tell all your friends you knew the winner would get up. So what do to? Hack punter Leigh Josey has the answers.
Fashion Dos and Don’ts
Don’t wear the party tee. But Do try the tracksuit. Stylist to the stars, Sophie Black, has the hot tips.
Richard Flanagan: why we must stop this dark, satanic, mill
If you care about the heart of this great country on election day do not vote for any candidate of any party that supports the pulp mill, says Richard Flanagan.
Quiz: Which election night party is that?
Angry, distraught people yelling abuse at TV broadcast of Howard victory speech. Is it a) Kooyong b) Higgins c) Australian DF Barracks Mess room, Iraq d) Yarralumla. Guy Rundle puts you to the test.
Errington: Is John Howard turning into Paul Keating?
The similarities between John Howard and his old nemesis, Paul Keating, have piled up during this campaign. Perhaps after a few years, all prime ministers start to sound the same, writes Wayne Errington.
Don’t defrock the Monk
All the polls suggest that after Saturday, Kevin Rudd will be PM. And the opposition? Peter Costello will be tainted by association. Malcolm Turnbull mightn’t even have a seat. Who will the Coalition turn to?
Flint: Behold the arbiters, for they will decide the election
The crucial arbiters who will decide this election, the less interested and the undecided, still don’t know how they’ll vote. They look for similar values in a government to their own, which are mainly conservative, and they rely on common sense, writes David Flint.
Kevin Rudd’s $110 million gift to Gunns pulp mill
Richard Flanagan in his Stop the Pulp Mill rally speech last Saturday in Hobart, here on Tasmanian Times, seems to have been the first to notice the extraordinary subsidy Kevin Rudd’s ALP has given to Gunns pulp mill.
Andrew Robb – how quickly you forget
Days out from the 1996 election, Treasurer Ralph Willis released a letter suggesting a Howard government would cut grants to the states. It was a forgery. Eleven years later, though, Liberal minister Andrew Robb has a dodgy document of his own, writes Christian Kerr.
The Daily Verdict: Day 37 and no crocodile tears for K07
Every day of this election campaign I faithfully check the front page of the Northern Territory News to gather the information I need to plug in for Crikey’s Daily Verdict so I am, let me tell you, well informed about crocodiles, writes Richard Farmer.
Bahnisch: Backwater one day, powerhouse the next
Kevin Rudd has now released a new “chapter” in his home town pitch. While the best mates of the Coalition leadership might take some time out of their ongoing love-fest to rubbish Rudd’s aspiration to make Brisbane a financial hub for the Asia-Pacific, all that proves is how out of touch they are with the Sunshine State.
Election Party Planner: What would Martha Stewart do?
For the Liberals, a picket fence-themed party is always a hit. Kevin ‘07 revellers need a decorative mood that’s triumphal and happy — but can be turned around at a moment’s notice.
We’re the party that ate itself: Democrat insiders tell
At thirty years of age, the Australian Democrats are terminally ill when they should be in their prime, write former staffers John Cherry and Vivienne Wynter.
Hardy: Beware the interwebs. They don’t lie
So what if Andrew Robb decided to rely solely on internet search engines to back up his argument about Labor candidates being ineligible to run in Saturday’s election? Marieke Hardy ponders if bringing down your enemies via Google really works.
Canapes and cocktails menu
Ben Shearman suggests some savoury (and sweet) treats to nibble on during the coverage.
MacCormack: Is panic setting in for desperate Libs?
Two signs of desperation from the Liberals yesterday. Is panic finally setting in? asks David MacCormack.
The high and low laughs of Election 07
As the election campaign eases into its fourth year and we gather to learn how badly we’ve done in the exams, we pause to consider the highlights so far.
Crikey crib sheets: The hot ads of the campaign
With YouTube enabling an everyman and his dog approach to election advertising, there’s been an embarrassment of riches. The risk, of course, is that nothing gets heard above the din. So which ads have cut through the cacophany (for the right or wrong reasons)? Crikey has the round-up.
Rudd’s federalism: the sleeper awaits
Federalism is being ignored by both sides of politics in this campaign, writes Christian Kerr.
The PM’s special agent goes on a solo mission?
Earlier this year it was revealed Senator Bill Heffernan phoned John Grabbe, the general manager of Cubbie Station, and introduced himself as an ASIO agent, writes Christian Kerr.
Miss Maud: More poll results from the West
In the first edition today, Crikey bought you the results of Morgan polling taken in vital marginal seats in WA. Now, we’ve got another – the Miss Maud Coffee Bean Poll.
Can the polls be wrong enough?
There will need to be an amazing late swing back to the Coalition if it is to retain office, writes Richard Farmer.
The Kevin conundrum
The most interesting poll appears only after a federal election. It is the Australian National University’s Australian Electoral Survey, writes Christian Kerr.
