ALP Doomed but how many seats will they get?

[Ideo]

But, once again, this is a factor in all political parties. I'm not sure at the federal level, but the NSW Liberal party currently has some major issues regarding branch stacking, particularly in western and north-western Sydney. It's pathetic that they have followed the ALP down this line, not to the same extent, - and it is mainly the hard right/Taliban wing of the party that are doing this, just as it was the Sussex St hacks who did that for the right of the Labor party in NSW which gave us such wonderful outcomes as Eddie Obeid.

That said, I 100% agree with you regarding the issue of union parachuted "local" members. Craig Thompson is perhaps one of the best examples of how well that pathetic tactic works out. I have some friends who resigned from that branch in disgust at how the proper local member was done over in order to give a union hack a job.

Irrespective of all that, the simple fact is Australia does not elect a PM. We elect a political party. Massive difference. To make out that it is somehow undemocratic is a blatant misrepresentation of how the political system has worked and undermines every single PM ever.

 

[Peter 14.7]

Irrespective of all that, the simple fact is Australia does not elect a PM. We elect a political party. Massive difference. To make out that it is somehow undemocratic is a blatant misrepresentation of how the political system has worked and undermines every single PM ever.

Agree but the average voter , sadly, does not remember that when voting.

i.e. My mum liked Howard because he was nice and did a lot for pensioners

She didn't like Costello because he smirked.

Trying to explain to her, as Treasurer, Costello had as much, if not more, say in pension levels was a waste of time.

But yet, i agree , this will not change. It will stay this way until we have a really painful recession in AUS. Like VIC did with Kennett, VIC had to be on its knees to accept the medicine.

Thus, if ever, as before we, remain,

The Lucky Country.

Not what most people think nowadays but the original meaning from the 1964 Book "The Lucky Country" by social critic Donald Horne.

Australia is a lucky country, run by second-rate people who share its luck.

Horne's statement was an indictment of 1960s Australia. His intent was to comment that, while other industrialized nations created wealth using "clever" means such as technology and other innovations, Australia did not. Rather, Australia's economic prosperity was largely derived from its rich natural resources. Horne observed that Australia "showed less enterprise than almost any other prosperous industrial society.

Reference:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lucky_Country

Nothing changed in 50 years.

Peter

 

[Ideo]

I agree re The Lucky Country. It is still relevant.

That's why there needs to be a shift away from tax cuts to all and sundry to targetted systems to actually increase the overall value of Australia on a global scale. Research and development, becoming a country of knowledge rather than a country that just digs stuff out of the ground.

This is what the money from the mining boom should have been spent on. The NBN is the only policy in recent years that actually goes someway to providing that level of investment in the future of the country. Yes, it has been badly managed with countless mistakes along the way, but I still think it is fundamentally essential for the future success of Australia as more than just a bit open pit mine.

We don't even really bother to refine what we dig out of the ground. Hell, we export the raw product to Japan and let them do it - at higher costs than it would cost to do it here, so there is clearly the capacity to do it. But is their any form of willingness to do so?

I've been looking through all the policies of the major parties at the moment, and although most of it was guff and empty motherhood statements, one that stood out was from the United Australia Party essentially saying the same. I realise it is is just an exercise in ego, but it was one thing that actually made you think about what this country could be, rather than what we are content to be (which is to whinge about how hard things are but not do a thing to change them).

 

[weg]

The fact is had Shorten stuck with Gillard she would still be PM. He is the king maker because he brings a lot more than one vote. They changed because Rudd could win and Gillard could not. Nothing to do with policy , direction, etc..

Agree, but even the power that Shorten has/had was because he towed the union party line which evolved from way back to the stand he established as a union heavy many years ago.

That also can be pulled at any time if he doesn't continue to play the cards right - I know you already knew that... just saying .

But how is this any different to any other political party operating within Australia?

The public do not vote for a leader. They vote for a party that internally elects a leader.

Ideo, Michael W was pointing out that the ultimate decision making power is with the unions not the party in regards to who leads.

Labor are very different in that external forces have control of the party and the public have little knowledge of who these significant people are and what they stand for - that's assuming they're even aware of it in the first place.

 

[The Fence]

Labor are very different in that external forces have control of the party and the public have little knowledge of who these significant people are and what they stand for - that's assuming they're even aware of it in the first place.

If the "people" would only listen to the media and think about things a bit....especially the phrase "faceless men".

That's why I call them "low info" voters.

They are up for all the media hype on personalities at the top but fail to recognise that political parties are governed by more than the leaders only, especially labor who dont seem to mind changing leaders mid term at whim. No wonder some "people" get the ***** when kev was stabbed and now are very happy he's back.
because "they" voted for him and dont like Joolya taking over like she did.

Oh it's tragic...

 

[Dazz]

With the looming election it feels to me like a long drawn out death. 99.9% predict NLP win.

And on the question of seats it seems the safe money is on 20 to 30 seats in the lower house.

So what do you think? 40 seats ALP? 30 Seats or less than 20 seats?

So, now we know the results. Coalition won the election.

It's safe to say that Kevin Rudd did the job he was swung in by Labor to do - the "furniture" was saved.

They ended up with ? 55 seats, so a loss of only 17 seats for the ALP. The ALP were expecting a far bigger loss than that.

 

[HotRod]

Been a bit quiet too.

All the "true believers" off licking their wounds.

That nutter Palmer possibly being a MHR, blech.

And those looney parties in the senate with less than 1% of the primary vote, that is a joke.

 

[Peter 14.7]

So, now we know the results. Coalition won the election.

It's safe to say that Kevin Rudd did the job he was swung in by Labor to do - the "furniture" was saved.

They ended up with ? 55 seats, so a loss of only 17 seats for the ALP. The ALP were expecting a far bigger loss than that.

yes, Kevin can retire as PM saying this:

See I saved your ****
"She" was disaster
Had you never dumped me, we would still be in charge

For him a massive win. For Her a massive fail.

Peter

 

[Peter 14.7]

Been a bit quiet too.

All the "true believers" off licking their wounds.

That nutter Palmer possibly being a MHR, blech.

And those looney parties in the senate with less than 1% of the primary vote, that is a joke.

Actually I saw Clive on Q @ A and I think:

he is not a looney
he is Richard Branson type, all publicity is good
he is sharp as tack
he cuts through rubbish
he laughs at himself
he drives home points.

he chewed up the female Green Senator with simple facts and quesiton which i note, she failed to reply.

As he said in only one example: why is it you must use ID to get on a plane, hire a car, go overseas, even hire a video YET you can vote on your word only.

And then use a pencil to mark your vote.

Who is the Nutter there? us.

As a scrutiniser, I dont think the AEC is not in itself corrupt the system is too easily open to abuse or incompetence.

Peter

 

[MarkB]

@ Peter

I'm sure Rudd will say all sorts of things.

But I am equally sure that in years and decades to come he will be remembered as a media-whore and a termite.

They (the ALP) really ought to cut him loose imo. Worst of all, it seems the termite's appetite remains insatiable ("Rudd Wants to be PM Again").

History will be far kinder on Julia imo.

 

[Peter 14.7]

@ Peter

I'm sure he will say all sorts of things.

But I am equally sure that in years and decades to come he will be remembered as a media-whore and a termite.

History will be far kinder on Julia imo.

Agree

but on Julia I think she will be remembered as a puppet of those in power with no position of her own, willing to go back on commitments when it suited her without a shred of shame.

Peter

 

[Crabnet]

Actually I saw Clive on Q @ A and I think:

he is not a looney
he is Richard Branson type, all publicity is good
he is sharp as tack
he cuts through rubbish
he laughs at himself
he drives home points.

He he, I laughed when he said that he was being discriminated against because he belonged to a minority group..........of Billionaires.
"We don't attack poor people because they are poor, and we shouldn't attack rich people because they are rich. We don't want those divisions in society."
An interesting fact I learned about him the other day was that he spent some time as Joh Bjelke-Petersens media manager before the ill-fated Joh for PM campaign.