Charles Richardson
Psephologist and writer
Charles Richardson has contributed to Crikey since 2002, and was a ministerial adviser in the Kennett government and a former editorial manager at the Centre for Independent Studies in Sydney.
Despite the headlines, the general picture in the British election campaign hasn't changed much: polls still show the three parties evenly matched, with the Conservatives in the lead but well short of what they need for an absolute majority.
The latest NSW Newspoll found latest Newspoll found premier Kristina Keneally's personal ratings are going strong -- so why did The Oz run with the line "the Keneally government is dead in the water", asks Charles Richardson.
This week, the Greens are celebrating their own milestone, with two Greens yesterday sworn into office as members of a predominantly Labor cabinet in Tasmania.
The British media is buzzing with excitement today after a spate of polls showing a surge in support for the Liberal Democrats. The comparison between Greens and Lib Dems is an interesting one.
Tasmanian Greens leader Nick McKim made the right decision to turn down a seat in David Bartlett's cabinet. If you’re contributing half as many MPs as the senior partner, it’s reasonable to expect more than one ministry out of nine, writes Charles Richardson.
An election year isn't a good time to be getting on the wrong side of democracy. John Brumby should probably try to settle this dispute as quickly and quietly as he can before he gets himself in trouble.
The Australian media has failed to understand why the death of Poland's President Lech Kaczynski was controversial, what his death signifies, or how there are some lessons to be learned for Australian politics.
Political junkies, as well as those who just appreciate dodgy geography, can now amuse themselves by checking out the submissions received on the current redistribution of federal electoral boundaries for Victoria, now available at the AEC website, writes Charles Richardson.
So it turns out that in Tasmania's post-election saga it was Greens leader Nick McKim, who seemed to have played the coolest hand up to that point, who blinked first.
So while Australia's total population is a matter of legitimate concern, so are many other things -- its distribution, its skill composition, its age and gender profile. To target each independently in advance is a recipe for policy overload.
