Newspoll: support plunges for Windsor and OakeshottThe latest Newspoll survey shows support for independent MPs Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott has taken a dive in their own electorates, though the means of determining the results was particularly problematic, writes William Bowe.
Hung parliament
How Australia made a hung parliament work
There isn’t a whole lot of historical precedence for Australian federal governments coping with a hung parliament, but there certainly is amongst the states. Anne Twomey takes a fascinating look back at the 1910 NSW Labor government.
Oakes: The new parliament is a snoozer
Australia’s federal hung parliament and the “new paradigm” was supposed to be an exciting and tumultuous time for politicians and the press. However, Julia Gillard’s determination to play it safe has resulted in an ass-numbing yawn fest, writes Laurie Oakes.
Hudson: The last thing Labor wants is an early election
Anybody who suspects Julia Gillard will break her promise to the independents and rush to an early poll is dead wrong. For starters there’s been no post-election poll bounce and she’s got way too much stuff to do, writes Philliip Hudson.
Grattan: Coming to terms with the might of Brown’s Greens
The Greens will not have control of the senate until next year but strategists on both sides of the political divide are coming to terms with the party’s dramatically increased ability to influence policy and debate, writes Michelle Grattan.
Farr: Finally, parliament will take the power back
For decades the power of parliament has been eroded by governments and Prime Ministers seizing it for themselves. But Australia’s knife edge election result has changed the ball game - and it’s about time, writes Malcolm Farr.
Labor set to re-think battle for the middle ground
Labor have long considered occupation of the political middle ground a precondition for success, but the arrival of the Greens as a major power broker will challenge the traditional way of thinking, writes Peter Lewis.
Grattan: How can we define Gillard’s first 100 days?
Traditional definitions fail to accurately summarize Julia Gillard’s first 100 days as PM. However, this much is certain: she needs to come up with her own distinct style, says Michelle Grattan.
Oakes: Gillard wants us to forget about her first 100 days
There’s no denying that Julia Gillard’s first 100 days as Prime Minister have been a tumultuous period in Australian politics, but there’s no wonder why she let the moment pass with little fanfare, writes Laurie Oakes.
New parliament, old hypocrisy
A little hypocrisy has always gone a long way in politics but in a hung Parliament it seems more important than ever.
Maley: The new paradigm is like a DIY cabinet
During Question Time yesterday the Speaker was confused, Christopher Pyne was ejected and there was some argument over what constitutes a “supplementary” question. Like an Ikea cabinet, nobody is 100% sure how the new paradigm will work, writes Jacqueline Maley.
Grattan: Parliament will be tricky, unpredictable and fun
In a parliament where more people can affect policy outcomes and where every vote counts, the atmosphere is wild, unpredictable and full of suspicion. In other words: it makes good entertainment, writes Michelle Grattan.
Day one of the new paradigm
Crikey Media Wrap: After the longest election striptease in Australian political history, the supposed “new paradigm” finally arrived yesterday for the first non-ceremonial day of Question Time. It included much of the old rhetoric but also delivered a victory for the Coalition.
Labor on a Slippery slope
Labor has overlooked Peter Slipper’s past in elevating him to the Deputy Speakership. It should hope he keeps a low profile from now on.
Access’ prophet and loss record belongs in the budget bin
Access Economics was up to its old tricks overnight, forecasting doom and gloom for the federal budget and in the process scoring easy publicity.
Cox: a form guide to Parliament’s first-week agenda
The PM has listed 42 pieces of legislation for tabling in the first week. They are a very mixed bag but at a very rough glance, less than 15% of items are likely to be controversial and may be debated.
Mungo MacCallum: Mungo: pig drama, an anagram of paradigm, seems appropriate
Tony Abbot has now made it clear that his lust for power is absolute; he will stop at nothing.
Julia and Tim move into the Lodge
On Sunday Julia Gillard and Tim Mathieson became the first unmarried couple in history to move into The Lodge, some three months after Gillard replaced Kevin Rudd as PM. She officially denies jumping on the bed.
Grattan: Get ready for war
Forget all that talk about a pleasant new political paradigm with smiles, handshaking and a gum drop house on Lollipop Lane. With such tight numbers, this parliament will be summarized by one word: war, writes Michelle Grattan.
The final numbers: roughly democratic
The final election figures say some important things about how Australian democracy actually works.
Labor’s form on climate policy: what not to do next
If inroads are going to be made, Labor needs to show some backbone on carbon pricing and mitigation objectives, writes Andrew Macintosh, associate director of the ANU Centre for Climate Law and Policy.
The underdogs have the bark and the bite
The four independent MPs and the Greens MP hold more control than any other minor party or independents before them. But don’t forget the power of the major, writes Paul Williams.
Labor risks forgetting who the enemy is
If Labor were to de-escalate its war on the Greens it would be in a much better position to fight off the opposition challenge where it matters.
Political snippets: Tyranny of the minority
Two or three per cent of voters who feel so strongly about an issue that they will change the way they vote because of it are far more worrying for an MP than the 97% of voters who, whatever their views on the issue, do not feel strongly enough about it to change their vote because of it.
Now we know who won — does it matter?
This year, the system got the right result. But that was due more to chance than to design.
