Eltham: It’s apples and oranges this SaturdayDon’t believe the ‘both parties are the same!’ hype. Ben Eltham explains the clear policy differences between Labor and the Liberals this election.
Liberal Party
Jubilation, expectation and a whole lotta nuthin’ — the Liberal launch
The Liberals believe they have the election within their grasp and don’t have to take any risks to clinch it. Thus, yesterday’s policy-free launch.
Keane’s Talking Points: the Libs’ risk-free strategy
As Labor did, the Liberals have adopted a risk-averse, front runner strategy to sit on their lead until polling day.
Hockey takes the Rudd approach on Queensland local media
The first few days of the election campaign have seen leaders from both parties featuring heavily on the front pages of the local Queensland press.
Essential: Gillard thrashing Abbott as preferred PM
Labor holds a healthy lead in the latest Essential poll and Julia Gillard begins the campaign with a huge advantage over her rival Tony Abbott, while the two party preferred is 55-45 to the ALP.
Keane essay: Abbott and Gillard two strikingly different politicians
For all the superficial similarities — they are both novice leaders and both reached the top job by knifing their predecessors — Tony Abbott and Julia Gillard are strikingly different politicians.
How many seats does the Coalition need to to win?
Pollsters like Roy Morgan seem to be getting confused over what’s already a Liberal seat and what’s a marginal seat and how many are needed. Charles Richardson explains the facts.
‘SheMarketing’ — the science of selling Tony Abbott to women
The major political parties need to better understand what women want, according to the women’s advertising agency reportedly behind a Liberal Party campaign to improve Tony Abbott’s image.
Gillard will win the election but Labor has lost its way
Both our major political parties have an identity problem. It’s the task of their leaders to define them, but is Julia Gillard up to the job?
Westpoll: Labor up in WA
The new Westpoll paints a much rosier picture for Labor in WA, who have narrowed the two-party deficit to 54.5-45.5 to the Coalition, writes William Bowe.
Video of the Day: Kevin O’Lemon
Another hilarious ad by the Liberal Party mocking Kevin Rudd and the excitement of Kevin07. Or, as they prefer to call him, Kevin O’Lemon.
Alex Hawke slams party rivals over Young Lib fracas
Federal Member for Mitchell Alex Hawke has slammed a ruling of the NSW Liberal Party’s disputes panel, claiming he was vindicated in shutting down a rowdy Young Liberals meeting last September at his electorate office attended by police.
Newspoll: Labor up but Rudd down
The latest Newspoll is both good and bad news for Kevin Rudd. Two party preferred is up 52-48 to Labor, but Rudd’s preferred prime minister rating is down three points and Abbott’s up four, says William Bowe.
Election 2010: good reason why the Nationals aren’t in focus
There’s a good reason why election coverage doesn’t usually focus on the Nationals. As usual all the attention is on Liberals versus ALP, with this year a bit of extra coverage for the Greens.
Grattan: Can you tell the difference between the Nats and the Libs?
If Tony Abbott wins the election, then Nationals leader Warren Truss would become Deputy PM. As Liberal policies become more in line with the Nationals, it will become harder for the Nationals to differentiate themselves.
Alexander and sacred Lib ground at Bennelong … tell it to the voters
“Welcome to the traditional owners of Bennelong, the Liberal Party!” Lib campaign manager Rod Bosman told a fundraising lunch last week. The problem is no one seems to have told the voters.
Crikey Says: Farewell, Petro
Say farewell to one of the few remaining rational voices on the asylum seeker issue as we brace ourselves for a very ugly election campaign.
Colless: Time for superhero Sinodinos to come to the rescue
The Opposition is a shambles, from Julie Bishop’s gaffes to Tony Abbott’s unpopularity. Arthur Sinodinos — Howard’s former chief-of-staff — needs to come back and kick them into gear, writes Malcolm Colless.
Marr: Question Time — waste of time
Animal sounds by pollies braying for blood, hypocrites fighting hypocrites, pouring over their BlackBerrys with no respect for their peers: Question Time is a farce, writes David Marr.
Newspoll gets Greenwashed
The ALP has risen one point in the latest Newspoll, taking the two party preferred to 51/49. But the Greens have jumped a whopping 4 points to come in on 16. Is it a rogue Green poll? asks Possum Comitatus.
Bartlett: Are the Libs turning into the Tea Party?
The Coalition has turned into a force that disagrees with everything for the sake of it, no matter how mundane, and it’s destroying the government’s ability to form public policy, writes Andrew Bartlett.
Fraser quits: well, duh
Daily Media Wrap: Former Liberal PM Malcolm Fraser’s resignation from the party has been met by the nation’s pundits with a collective, “Well, duh.” But is it still a big blow to Abbott, or just a long time coming?
It pays to be a Lib
The latest BRW Rich List is out and Malcolm Turnbull has made the cut. Liberal MPs are usually three times wealthier than other MPs, worth on average $4.9 million each.
The inside story on Fraser’s
resignation
Both Tony Abbott and former staffer David Kemp appealed to Malcolm Fraser not to leave the Liberal Party, reveals his biographer Margaret Simons.
Malcolm Fraser quits the Liberal Party
Former Liberal Prime Minister Malcolm Fraser has resigned from the party, saying he no longer supports the way the Coalition is operating.
