Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

[Pukka]

So Rob Oakeshott's quitting politics

"There is absolutely no fear whatsoever of the ballot box. It's not an issue of running and losing"

Somehow I don't really believe that.

 

[Mal]

I've mentioned it before and I'll mention again that my flatmate is HEAVILY involved with politics. He is well known in politics and his girlfriend is also well known (and has a wiki page). Yes they are recognised. They are dedicated towards Labour in the UK...

I enjoy my conversations with them (and other guests) about politics. Always interesting to hear what the UK political sphere thinks about Australia.

As a Labor candidate Gillard is supported strongly. But they find the whole process interesting.. I find it interesting that in the UK the labour party has the same factional BS that Australia enjoys...

 

[The Rok]

I've mentioned it before and I'll mention again that my flatmate is HEAVILY involved with politics. He is well known in politics and his girlfriend is also well known (and has a wiki page). Yes they are recognised. They are dedicated towards Labour in the UK...

I enjoy my conversations with them (and other guests) about politics. Always interesting to hear what the UK political sphere thinks about Australia.

As a Labor candidate Gillard is supported strongly. But they find the whole process interesting.. I find it interesting that in the UK the labour party has the same factional BS that Australia enjoys...

You live in the Ecuadorean embassy in London?

 

[Pushka]

I don't think whether a person can knit or not is worth getting in a twist over or wasting any more pixels..

Totally agree with that. So why did the publicity machines think to do this?

(But I maintain she isn't a knitter because in each shot I've seen of her she isn't holding the needles correctly to knit. When they showed her in a video last night she knitted how I did when I was seven and when you knit that way you cannot produce items like those bootees. That was when I realised she had little idea. But hey, lets do a photo shoot of her being feminine. Nothing to do with the pose. I was taught to knit when I was seven and many moons later still do so. End of story)

But didn't anyone find it weird she would pose for such a feminine situation? Doesn't that reinforce the gender barrier?

 

[Pushka]

I've mentioned it before and I'll mention again that my flatmate is HEAVILY involved with politics. He is well known in politics and his girlfriend is also well known (and has a wiki page). Yes they are recognised. They are dedicated towards Labour in the UK...

I enjoy my conversations with them (and other guests) about politics. Always interesting to hear what the UK political sphere thinks about Australia.

As a Labor candidate Gillard is supported strongly. But they find the whole process interesting.. I find it interesting that in the UK the labour party has the same factional BS that Australia enjoys...

Well, that makes sense if they support Labor in England. They are only going to see what is shown on BBC etc and the intricacies of the domestic situation is missed.

As a standalone speech her misogynist one was impressive but that fact that it was (in my opinion and many others) poorly directed and totally wrong would not even be known.

 

[Pukka]

Totally agree with that. So why did the publicity machines think to do this?

(But I maintain she isn't a knitter because in each shot I've seen of her she isn't holding the needles correctly to knit. When they showed her in a video last night she knitted how I did when I was seven and when you knit that way you cannot produce items like those bootees. That was when I realised she had little idea. But hey, lets do a photo shoot of her being feminine. Nothing to do with the pose. I was taught to knit when I was seven and many moons later still do so. End of story)

But didn't anyone find it weird she would pose for such a feminine situation? Doesn't that reinforce the gender barrier?

I don't want to get involved in knittergate but if you do something often enough it's habit so I believe you. There was some politician holding a fishing rod a while back, again trying to blag a few votes thankfully it didn't have any hooks on

 

[medhead]

Totally agree with that. So why did the publicity machines think to do this?

(But I maintain she isn't a knitter because in each shot I've seen of her she isn't holding the needles correctly to knit. When they showed her in a video last night she knitted how I did when I was seven and when you knit that way you cannot produce items like those bootees. That was when I realised she had little idea. But hey, lets do a photo shoot of her being feminine. Nothing to do with the pose. I was taught to knit when I was seven and many moons later still do so. End of story)

But didn't anyone find it weird she would pose for such a feminine situation? Doesn't that reinforce the gender barrier?

It was a puff piece in a women's magazine that's been picked up by the political commentariat. Not sure why we need to over analyse posed pictures. I'm also not sure that everyone has to knit the same way as you.

 

[Pushka]

It was a puff piece in a women's magazine that's been picked up by the political commentariat. Not sure why we need to over analyse posed pictures. I'm also not sure that everyone has to knit the same way as you.

Let me rephrase that then. People who knit items like bootees knit like I do. People who are learning or posing for knitting pictures, knit like Gillard. I'll compare it with the way your hand is placed on a tennis racquet.

Anyway. Enough of that. A special caucus meeting is happening.

 

[medhead]

Let me rephrase that then. People who knit items like bootees knit like I do. People who are learning or posing for knitting pictures, knit like Gillard. I'll compare it with the way your hand is placed on a tennis racquet.

Anyway. Enough of that. A special caucus meeting is happening.

Your comment about having the hand under the needle just got me thinking it was a style thing. For example my grandfather used to hold his fork with the hand below whereas I hold my hand above the fork. I'm certainly not learning to eat. Not that I paid much attention but my mother certainly did a lot of knitting when I was a child and I cannot picture her hold her hand below the needle.

Special cactus meeting? Meh!

 

[Pushka]

snip

Special cactus meeting? Meh!

Yeah, might be right on that. I think it might be the media drumming up business after a quiet news day yesterday.

 

[Moody]

WTF this is living proof that she will stop at nothing to try and get a vote. Pathetic.

No it's not. Though you have inadvertently proved something else ..... again ....

 

[serfty]

Like Oakshott, it looks like Tony Windsor has looked at some private polling and decided not to waste his nomination fee ...

Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott announce they are quitting politics

I was wrong about Oakshott but right about Windsor.

I would suggest that be "one greens, three independents and the ALP have formed a government by combining".

It is basically a given that by aligning with Gillard, Windsor and Oakshot went against the wishes of the majority of people who voted for them - although that's matters little in a legal sense.

I reckon Windsor has got his revenge on the Nationals after being dumped for pre-selection while a sitting representative and would be unlikely to re-contest "New England".

IMHO, Oakshoot is "off with the pixies', will re-contest his seat and be genually surprised when he loses it.

Not so interesting now:

House of Representatives Results
[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR]
[TD]New England
2010 significant results[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD] (1st Pref.)[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]SMITH, Greg[/TD]
[TD]Country Labor[/TD]
[TD] 8.13%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]COATES, Tim[/TD]
[TD]The Nationals[/TD]
[TD] 25.22%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]WINDSOR, Tony[/TD]
[TD]Independent[/TD]
[TD]61.88%[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

[TABLE="class: grid"]
[TR]
[TD]Lyne 2010
Significant results[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[TD](1st Pref.):[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]OAKESHOTT, Robert[/TD]
[TD]Independent[/TD]
[TD] 47.15%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]LIPS, Frederik[/TD]
[TD]Labor[/TD]
[TD]13.49%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]GILLESPIE, David[/TD]
[TD]The Nationals[/TD]
[TD]34.39%[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

It will be interesting to see what happens for 2013 in these seats.

 

[Moody]

So Rob Oakeshott's quitting politics

"There is absolutely no fear whatsoever of the ballot box. It's not an issue of running and losing"

Somehow I don't really believe that.

Didn't think you would.

Tony Windsor is also quitting, citing health and family concerns. But he also mentioned that the conservative hate campaign had taken its toll.

So congrats to you and all your mob ....

 

[medhead]

No it's not. Though you have inadvertently proved something else ..... again ....

I took that comment to be sarcastic.

 

[Moody]

Like Oakshott, it looks like Tony Windsor has looked at some private polling and decided not to waste his nomination fee ...

Independent MP Tony Windsor will not contest next federal election

Yep - that must be the motivation, eh? Nothing to do with the fact that even if elected they will be unable to represent their electorate properly due to the Tony Abbott revenge factor?

I don't blame either of them for leaving politics behind - they have both achieved an enormous amount under the minority government but that has all been lost amongst the baying vitriol of the lynch mob.

Sad day for Australian politics but that is clearly misunderstood here ...

 

[serfty]

Didn't think you would.

Tony Windsor is also quitting, citing health and family concerns. But he also mentioned that the conservative hate campaign had taken its toll.

So congrats to you and all your mob ....

Bull-dust! Those guys political careers were numbered by the length of the 43rd parliament from the moment they put their hat in with Gillard's.

They came from inherently conservative/right-wing electorates. As I posted back in February:

...
It is basically a given that by aligning with Gillard, Windsor and Oakshot went against the wishes of the majority of people who voted for them - although that's matters little in a legal sense. ...

 

[Moody]

I took that comment to be sarcastic.

On this forum - are you sure????

 

[Moody]

Bull-dust! Those guys political careers were numbered by the length of the 43rd parliament from the moment they put thier hat in with Gillard's.

Why? What have they done to harm their electorate and the rest of Australia? If they stood under the platform of "I promise to be Tony Abbott's lackey" and reversed that position then you may have a point. But they were elected to act in the best interests of their constituents, and they came to the decision that they could not support Tony Abbott. Makes perfect sense to me.

 

[tgh]

Whatever rocks your boat moody.. most will just see a couple of rats getting out before the Tsunami.

 

[Moody]

They came from inherently conservative/right-wing electorates.

Funny that those so-called right-wing electorates (state and federal) failed to choose the National Party candidate every time that Tony Windsor stood as an independent. What do you think they were trying to say???