Oz Federal Election 2013 - Discussion and Comments

[Rallo]

"But who was the right-wing soft-jock on the left? Seemed to have a poor grasp of political history for someone who has been on radio since the sixties."
Jeremy Cordeaux who was on talkback for years in Adelaide , he was married to Andrew Peacock daughter not sure if he still is.

 

[casanovawa]

Agree - the only argy-bargy was Barnaby interjecting his oh-so-droll comments continuously to the point where Tony Jones had to slap him down. But who was the right-wing soft-jock on the left? Seemed to have a poor grasp of political history for someone who has been on radio since the sixties.

And Tony himself was in a rum mood. He made a very snide comment and I was hoping the Labour newbie would have responded "I'll take that as a comment, Tony!", but alas the opportunity went begging.

Lateline was more illuminiating and I particularly like Tony Windsor's take on the whole media reform issue. He thought that the package of 6 measures was unlikely to pass, but breaking it out could see most of them through. The sticking point seems to be the Ombudsman applying the "public interest" test, as of course the government plans to use this to censor all dissent. Yeah right! Anyway his parting comment was along the lines of :-

"I'd like a media that is not afraid of reporting the truth, but moving away from inventing it!"

I wonder who he was referring to????

[In unrelated news there was a report of 600 new phone hacking victims being uncovered in the UK.]

And finally - sad old me got caught watching Order in the House last night (or should I say, this morning). Weird how Julia wipes the floor with Tony in parliament but can't win a trick outside of it.

The only one of any consequence was Alannah McTiernan... All the rest looked a bit out of their depth or not up to it... I mean Barnaby would not be my first choice to speak on behalf of the coalition, the Labor bloke looked a complete non-entity, probably why he chose to be a powerbroker as doesn't look like he would be good at much else...

Missed Lateline, but as stated before don't have much time for Whinger... Sorry Windsor...

And Gillard can 'wipe the floor' with TA because Parliament is by and large slanted towards the Government with the opposition only able to ask the question and unless you have a strong Speaker to bring the member of the Government back into line they can answer any how they want, at least they can't drone on endlessly like they used to be able to... Outside she doesn't have that big advantage of being able to ignore the question and just come out with any slanted bull she chooses and isn't being given dorothy dixers...

And even in Parlimanet i guess if you like that side of politics she might seem likes she's performing pretty well... To me, and I would have to think others, the longer she talks its just a grating whiny, twangy, fingers-down-blackboard drawl with usually some manufactured outrage... The longer she speaks the worse it gets, so with Julia less is more... Come September and political oblivion it will just about be perfect...

But give me any number of better parliamentary performers from both sides of politics than her...

 

[Hvr]

<snip>

I'd like our leaders to be people I can admire, respect, honour. Not mean nasty dissemblers.

Sounds like we're in big trouble then on both sides of parliament.

 

[Pushka]

I'm not genuinely excited by either party either. I just believe that the Coalition will manage the financial position of Australia better and not spend their way out of trouble. But that will come at a cost of other initiatives. And at least I can make sense of their policies. Gillard policies just leave me scratching my head sometimes.

 

[Skyring]

And even in Parlimanet i guess if you like that side of politics she might seem likes she's performing pretty well... To me, and I would have to think others, the longer she talks its just a grating whiny, twangy, fingers-down-blackboard drawl with usually some manufactured outrage... The longer she speaks the worse it gets, so with Julia less is more... Come September and political oblivion it will just about be perfect...

But give me any number of better parliamentary performers from both sides of politics than her...

Jim Killen was the man. Paul Keating had a way with words.

It's not the turn of phrase that gets me, though some speakers present themselves very well. Or very poorly.

Nor the accent or the whine. That sort of criticism is as immaterial as those who complained about Pauline Hanson because they didn't like her tone.

It's the way she plays a political game that grates. The points she scores are not ones that matter out in the real world. A political fix rather than a practical one is her preference.

These are people charged with leading the nation. We elect them to represent us and to make the decisions that keep us safe and prosperous.

And yet, Julia Gillard's attention is not on what it should be. She's got her focus on two men: Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott.

If she just let them be, let the nation take first priority, everything else would fall into place. We'd be happy with her. What really matters isn't Julia Gillard telling us what's best for us. It's us telling ourselves things are going well.

And when we look at all the backbiting and squabbling going on, we know things are far from perfect.

 

[casanovawa]

Sounds like we're in big trouble then on both sides of parliament.

I guess part of the problem we might have here is that Parliament is part theatre part gladiatorial combat and in say the US, the President isn't actually part of parliament (or congress there) and so you can have the two parties sparring at each other and point scoring and sometimes acting like children and knifing the odd leader and the president can sort of act at another more stately level seeming to be above it a bit... Not sure if any other countries might be like that as well, where here the PM is just as much in the mud slinging/game playing as any of it, if not the focus of it... But having two centres of power in an elected president and elected house of the people quite obviously has its other draw backs...

But i know what your thinking Hvr, i'm remembering fondly the good old days of Howard and Costello as well...

 

[casanovawa]

I'm not genuinely excited by either party either. I just believe that the Coalition will manage the financial position of Australia better and not spend their way out of trouble. But that will come at a cost of other initiatives. And at least I can make sense of their policies. Gillard policies just leave me scratching my head sometimes.

The next government, of whatever ilk, would have to be amazingly inept to have such an endless string of own goals and shooting itself in the foot as the current bunch... Its tempting fate to say almost anything has to be better, but i think they would have to try very hard to be as mediocre... Did I just hear last night on the radio that more boats have arrived in this financial year i think they said than in the whole Howard Government period?? 3 cheers for a border protection policy that is obviously going gang busters!!!

And yes, as long as they can half manage the economy the people with a bit of get up and go can usually look after themselves and there should be enough money left over to help those who genuinely need it... Screwing up the economy and creating some class warfare/politics of envy doesn't help anyone in the long run...

 

[amaroo]

I see the croupier dealt out the misogynist card......againnnnnnn

The only card left in the pack is a self portrait - joker

 

[browski]

I see the croupier dealt out the misogynist card......againnnnnnn

The only card left in the pack is a self portrait - joker

No, you are wrong. Being accurately described as "Policy weak" was more telling than being called a "Man".

Julia looks like she is just warming up. Tony's fall might be the most spectacular we will ever witness. Go get him, Jules.

 

[casanovawa]

The gender and workers vs the rich cards are about all she has...

Her Govt screwed up the media changes and now has to come in and sweep up the mess...

We need more of her 'policy' like a hole in the head...

 

[amaroo]

No, you are wrong. Being accurately described as "Policy weak" was more telling than being called a "Man".

Julia looks like she is just warming up. Tony's fall might be the most spectacular we will ever witness. Go get him, Jules.

hahaha - Jules, doesn't get any warmer than a QP cup of tea!

With another slimy, stinky, time bomb coming down the ICAC rear tube - in the form of a past National Secretary of the CFMEU......poor old Jules is only going to get warmer, and a great deal smellier

 

[browski]

hahaha - Jules, doesn't get any warmer than a QP cup of tea!

With another slimy, stinky, time bomb coming down the ICAC rear tube - in the form of a past National Secretary of the CFMEU......poor old Jules is only going to get warmer, and a great deal smellier

Best you spend less time pinning your hopes on the media and more time working out why Julia has got your boy's measure.

 

[amaroo]

Best you spend less time pinning your hopes on the media and more time working out why Julia has got your boy's measure.

It must be a bad feeling

I missed biting that bullet due to the Kevin07 euphoria - Howard just needed to go......2010 didn't have the same punch however, the Kevin07 feeling is back - only it's Tony13

 

[Pukka]

Best you spend less time pinning your hopes on the media and more time working out why Julia has got your boy's measure.

Julia has got nobody's measure. I can't wait for the budget, how is Swann going to explain the black hole. I do hope they stick with her though, I prefer labour to have someone absolutely useless at the helm it gives me a certain amount of comfort going into an election.

 

[casanovawa]

Could you imagine if they did knife her??? I mean getting rid of one Prime Minister in their first term is pretty rare, but doing it twice in a row?? That would have to be one for the history books wouldn't it???

I see Carr had to field a question about his loyalty standing next to Kerry in the US... Is there any truth to Carr thinking its time for her to go, who knows with that bunch?? Either way, more nice stuff out on the global stage.. Although i'm sure the whole world still thinks she is star material... And wasn't Swanny voted World's best Treasurer??? Probably a good indicator of why the world is in so much trouble at the moment!?!?!

 

[browski]

Julia has got nobody's measure. I can't wait for the budget, how is Swann going to explain the black hole. I do hope they stick with her though, I prefer labour to have someone absolutely useless at the helm it gives me a certain amount of comfort going into an election.

Julia has had Tony's measure ever since he shat himself when she told him "It's On". Julia treats Abbott, like Howard did Beasley. She knows she has him covered; that's why she is so confident and Tony walks around aimlessly.

By the way, It's Labor; maybe you can learn that whilst you comfort yourself these next 3 1/2 years.
Probably best not for a Lib lover to be talking about Black Holes for 2 resaons.
1. Hockey
2. That's a scientific term, and you don't want to be caught believing in science.

 

[Pukka]

Could you imagine if they did knife her??? I mean getting rid of one Prime Minister in their first term is pretty rare, but doing it twice in a row?? That would have to be one for the history books wouldn't it???

I see Carr had to field a question about his loyalty standing next to Kerry in the US... Is there any truth to Carr thinking its time for her to go, who knows with that bunch?? Either way, more nice stuff out on the global stage.. Although i'm sure the whole world still thinks she is star material... And wasn't Swanny voted World's best Treasurer??? Probably a good indicator of why the world is in so much trouble at the moment!?!?!

I'd rather not I want her to stay.

 

[Mal]

Was speaking to a lovely Scottish lass this morning about aus politics. She is involved in Scottish politics somehow.

She was full of praise for gillard especially how she handled Abbott. Interesting conversation.

 

[casanovawa]

What's perked you up so much Browski, she just dropped some silly half-@rsed line in Parliament today, more of a plea to those behind her to give her a chance to reach September, rather than the reality that she's knee deep in a another pile of her own making... I see the independents who recently were saying this media legislation had little chance are caving again... Desperate birds of a feather i suppose??

Even if she does have 'TA's measure' as you suggest, even ex-Labor Minister in WA Alannah McTiernan last night was indicating that people in the burbs hate her and are waiting for the chance to give it to her??? That even with the drubbing Labor got in WA some of the few Labor voters suggested they would vote Labor for the State (so not many) and won't vote for her... I struggle to see where your optimism has come from, specially with the lousy budget coming up just advertising another failed promise or own goal (though we have lost count of those)...

 

[amaroo]

Julia has had Tony's measure

The only measuring being carried out is by the Parliament portrait curator for Ex-PM's........deciding how to fit in Jules must be a task and a half to say the least I wonder if they have already had her in for the sitting?