Yes I was barefoot, and loud and I did barge into the Prime Minister’s entourage and I should have been a little more polite. The truth, however, is that it was not a set-up, writes Prime Ministerial interrupter and barefoot heckler, Charles Roche.
Rudd
Rudd’s first home owner saver account: useless
Labor’s plan to combat housing affordability, like most political solutions to an economic problem, will almost certainly be utterly useless. The problem with housing affordability is a simple demand and supply equation – more people are moving to major Australian cities than dwellings are being constructed.
Flint: Garrett lets the “Real Agenda” out of the bag
Peter Garrett has well and truly let the cat out of the bag, his “Real Agenda.” He has been talking about this for weeks, writes David Flint.
Flint: Rudd will tax your super, where’s the outcry?
Labor will end tax free superannuation, according to one of its most prominent campaigners. When Peter Costello surprised and delighted the nation with his revolutionary, absolutely tax-free, superannuation policy, he estimated the government would forgo $7 billion over four years, but that would rise as babyboomers drew down their superannuation, writes David Flint.
Errington: Howard will keep gnawing away
Some people are still expecting Howard to come up with “a Tampa” to win the election, but this misconceives Howard’s political strengths. If he defeats Rudd, it will be because of many small manoeuvres rather than a single knockout blow, writes Wayne Errington.
Abjorensen: Has the larrikin disappeared from politics?
If 1996 was the revenge of the nerds, 2007 offers no choice at all: whatever the outcome a nerd wins, writes Norman Abjorensen.
The next four weeks? Boring as batsh-t!
Is there anything new in the Newspoll today? Not really. It’s more of the same old, same old – with the figures fine-tuned, writes Christian Kerr.
Comitatus: The Badnewspoll
Sometimes, when your luck has run out, you just can’t take a trick. Today’s Newspoll, with a healthy sample of 1706 provides more evidence of impending annihilation. The ALP primary vote is up 3 to 51, while the Coalition is down 1 to 38 for an overall TPP of 58/42 to the ALP, writes Possum Comitatus.
Rundle: I would have gone with Bec Cartwright and the shaved monkey
You get a whole new perspective on the debate when you watch it via second-rate feed at noon on the other side of the world. Two blurry, virtually identical figures, jerking around like puppets, words frequently making no sens-
Ah. I have just been informed that the vision we were getting was full broadcast quality.
Rudd’s obvious […]
Crikey Says: Crikey Says
The Rudd-warming fluctuations of the ”worm” during last night’s leaders’ debate as screened by the Nine network were an amusing though fundamentally inconsequential, distraction. The interruption of the network’s debate feed by person or persons unknown on the advice of goodness knows who else, was not.
Errington: Why is Howard so hopeless at leaders’ debates?
It’s odd that John Howard is so hopeless at leaders’ debates. He is, in theory, an ideal debate contestant. Yet, last night he was nervous, repetitive, and crabby, writes Wayne Errington.
Crikey Cabbie Panel: Who won the leaders’ debate?
The worm controversially returned for last night’s leaders debate and almost stole the show. But worms aside, Crikey Cabbies were this morning asked for their verdicts. Who won, and why?
Smith: Debate choices — John & Kev or Kath & Kim?
It is going to be a real struggle for choice on Sunday night. Not between two men in grey suits with striped ties on Sky TV. For ninety per-cent or of Australians or more, the choice will rest between Kath and Kim, Incredible Journeys with Steve Leonard, Australian Idol, Sixty Minutes or Homo Sapiens, writes Ian Smith.
Tips and rumours
Overheard at Fairfax. A couple of the political reporters talking about the ACNielsen Poll that will be published tomorrow on the election. They were saying that Rudd would be very happy with the outcome, and the Labor primary vote has gone up!
A colleague had a day trip from Sydney to Melbourne on Monday. His 0730 Qantas flight out […]
Campaign lite: Spot the Difference edition
Can you spot the difference between: Electoral ad campaign rebuttals and an Escher drawing? Trade unionists and Pez dispensers? Rudd and Tintin?
Howard debates himself: exclusive preview
Howard vows to debate himself if Kevin Rudd won’t. How does this play out? Guy Rundle ponders the possibilities.
Sparrow: The ALP is as right-wing as it claims to be
It’s a time-honoured Tory theme, trotted out in every election since the 1890s. The Labor Party seems moderate and respectable – but, actually, it’s a Trojan horse through which Fabian socialism, flouridisation and the black helicopters of the United Nations will emerge into the public arena.
Flint: Surprised Rudd needs better intelligence
For the second time in this campaign, Labor has been taken by surprise. An essential aspect of any campaign, military or political, is in gathering and learning from intelligence, writes David Flint.
Possum Comitatus: Howard’s Children of the Corn
Since the last election, the 18-30 demographic has turned decidedly nasty for camp conservative, writes Possum Comitatus.
Errington: Howard on the defensive, Rudd to the test
Little has been achieved in the past few weeks of jousting and speculation. The period since APEC has shown only what we already knew – that voting intentions are only going to change during the intensity of the campaign, if at all, writes Howard biographer Wayne Errington.
Forget principle Kevin, stick to Me Tooism
For a moment this morning I thought the party of Kevin “Me Too” Rudd had rediscovered principle. The Australian led its front page with a report that a Labor Government would speak out “consistently” against the death penalty. The rediscovery was not for long, writes Richard Farmer.
I’m ready to take on the pollsters … and the bookies
When the pollsters start hedging their bets it’s time to take a punt on the Federal Election. With Rod Cameron’s caveat that the then current polls “defied reality” I logged on to the bookies.
Making the most of a big weekend of sport
Both John Howard and Kevin Rudd attempted to gain some political mileage from the focus on AFL and NRL grand finals over the weekend.
Errington: Will Howard really embrace Team Liberal?
Howard’s announcement of the “team” approach to election campaigning may have been a short-term ruse to prevent any more destabilising leaks from the Costello camp, but a team effort could have its advantages, writes Wayne Errington.
