Australian Politics thread

Hmm, I read the title of this thread as "New South Wales state erection".

You're sick, Jason

James. C wrote:

You're sick, Jason

Why I never - dirty, dirty child he is indeed.

I'll change the title to "state erection" once we get at least five pics of Kristina Keneally looking MILF-y on here.

Get to work.

Consider your bluff called:








^This one personally does it for me, but I have a suit fetish.

Done.

Vesper wrote:

But you almost blew it with that last Kevneally pic.

Oh gees. Completely derailed a topic.

Labor should listen to Keating and Hawke.

They won't, though. They're idiots. It's concerning that so many of the NSW factional right - the people who were responsible for the mess in NSW to begin with - are calling the shots on the Federal level.

And I'm finding Gillard's latest attack-dog antics against Abbott downright unseemly.

Can we just change this into Australian politics? It seems more appropriate.

Vesper wrote:

Can we just change this into Australian politics? It seems more appropriate.

Good idea.

It's difficult to see what the future of Labor will be. You've got the Left who, as Beazey Snr eloquently put it, are the "dregs of the middle-class" who use the party as a "spiritual spitoon". Then you've got the Right who don't seem to stand for anything other than focus groups and polling. Then there's the clear conflict between the values and desires of the "heartland" (who deserted Labor en masse on Saturday) and the inner-city bong brigade. Bascially the ALP is fucked at the moment. It needs to be cleansed of the spivs and union hacks before it can be, in any meaningful way, the party of the working man. The used car salesmen like Bitar, Arbib and Dastyari need to be booted out.

And Gillard's whining about the placards is hilarious - and so is the media's obedient outrage. Imagine if Thatcher had a sook every time someone called her a bitch.

As for the immediate future of NSW Labor, John Robertson may be a worthless tool but it's clear that the ALP will be out of power for at least 8-12 years, so it's not like the party expects him to do any real damage to the new Government. A bit like the Federal Libs picking Brendan Nelson in '07. Robertson will be a meat-shield while the party recuperates and will probably be replaced with Michael Daley either before or after the next state election.

He's still a laughable choice. I had Sky on during the counting, and Graham Morris asked someone whether they *really* thought he was presentable. I thought that was harsh, then I heard his voice.

I think the answer from the Labor guy was "He's really great in person, on the ground"

Like that will help them

CJB wrote:

A bit like the Federal Libs picking Brendan Nelson in '07.

Dare I say, look what happened in the 4 years following that. ;)

colly wrote:

CJB wrote:

A bit like the Federal Libs picking Brendan Nelson in '07.

Dare I say, look what happened in the 4 years following that. ;)

Indeed, they have an Opposition Leader who, for the first time in a lifetime, managed to snatch a first-term government's parliamentary majority. You wouldn't see that happening under Nelson or that bloke from Double Bay who the Left suddenly loves because they remember how badly he did in the opinion polls.

Admirable performance by the Libs, which is what you were getting at, I'm sure.

CJB wrote:

colly wrote:

CJB wrote:

A bit like the Federal Libs picking Brendan Nelson in '07.

Dare I say, look what happened in the 4 years following that. ;)

Indeed, they have an Opposition Leader who, for the first time in a lifetime, managed to snatch a first-term government's parliamentary majority. You wouldn't see that happening under Nelson or that bloke from Double Bay who the Left suddenly loves because they remember how badly he did in the opinion polls.

Admirable performance by the Libs, which is what you were getting at, I'm sure.

And given that it was Tony Abbott who had it handed to him on a platter by an insipid ruling party and still made a mess of it - it only shows anything can happen in Australian politics. ;)

Not really following you Colly. Without Abbott they wouldn't have blocked the ETS, Rudd wouldn't have had to perform the credibility shattering backflip and the ill-fated attempts by Rudd and Gillard to make up for it never would have happened. Rudd would still be Prime Minister, we'd have an ETS, possibly even a Super Giant CompuGlobal Hyper Mega Profits Tax. They wouldn't have even gotten close to where they were at election day (or are now) if they had gone with anybody else. Abbott made Labor panic and threw them off their game. And Turnbull, as much as I think he'd make a more stable, presentable leader, fucked up more royally with the Godwin Grech debacle than Abbott ever has.

So while someone else might make a better leader per se, or have more goodwill from the electorate, Abbott was the catalyst for everything. And as a love-him-or-loathe-him figure, he still contrasts strongly against Gillard who tries to be everything to everyone at all times.

Without Abbott we still wouldve had the mining companies' massive backlash against their new tax, the foibles of Garrett and the insulation scheme were still there to be pointed out and we'd still have hundred of asylum seekers arriving at our shores. And I'll agree that Abbott hasnt fucked up royally like Turnbull did with the Godwin Gretch debacle (though going to that rally will hardly convince a lot of the people he needs to convince), in fact what he has done hasnt been bad and I find myself agreeing with him on the odd occasion - but surely now with Labor in the pits they can find that more pleasing-to-the-electorate leader and let Abbott swing his hammer with the Deputy role or something. Then I'd probably actually vote for them.

Thats not to mention the various ineptitudes that the state governments of VIC and NSW committed to further destroy their own brand.

And we need the Greens thrown out of politics.

Abbott is the only credible leader the Coalition can have at the moment. They need stability for the remainder of the Gillard Government's shelf life.

Turnbull would soften the Coalition's attack on the carbon tax, as he's still fully committed to an ETS. He also has little electoral appeal in the 'burbs amongst the "swinging voters" and blue-collar workers. Jewish babushkas in Wentworth won't get you 76 seats in parliament. The leftists who sing his praises now that Abbott has spooked them are never going to vote Liberal anyway.

The Red Queen would make minced meat out of Hockey.

Andrew Robb is effective, but moreso in finance or treasury.

Bishop...she's got a good death stare I suppose.

Biggest blunder of Bishop's career was going out into the press so soon after being made shadow treasurer. A month or so later she was across the economics and the detail, but she never recovered from those early slip ups.

Once they get elected they should swap Turnbull and Hockey around (or give Hockey health, or something), keep Robb in finance, Bishop in foreign affairs, or IR. Replace idiots like Morrison and Mirabella.

So I see Mrs Red and Mr Brown are having marital issues.

Quote :

“The Greens will never embrace Labor’s delight at sharing the values of everyday Australians, in our cities, suburbs, towns and bush, who day after day do the right thing, leading purposeful and dignified lives, driven by love of family and nation,’’ she said.

“The differences between Labor and the Greens take many forms but at the bottom of it are two vital ones. The Greens wrongly reject the moral imperative to a strong economy …

“We happily leave to the Greens being a party of protest with no tradition of striking the balance required to deliver major reform.’’

These Greens sound like real bastards. I bet Gillard would never strike any deals with those fiends!

Quote :

Greens Leader Bob Brown today attacked a “poorly advised” Julia Gillard for her savage dismissal of his party and warned her comments could be “divisive” for the agreement supporting minority government.

“The reaction we’ve already had ... one caller in tears over the way the Prime Minister has described the Greens,” Senator Brown said.

Aww diddums.

Brown's also had a go at Obergreenfuhrer Rihannon, leader of the NSW Greenshirts, for the electorally damaging boykott policy. Funny that he had so little to say on the matter when it looked like the Greens would actually win some seats.

On that topic, is wanking to Natalie Portman or Bar Refaeli now fordbidden within the Marrickville area?

Albanese is a t*** and an idiot. If he thinks NSW voters will fall for the cop of shit line he just fed van Onselen and Kelly on Sky he's just as bad as the idiots who just got handed one of the biggest electoral defeats in the history of the country.

So to summarise the last few days:

- Rudd hates Gillard
- Gillard hates Rudd
- According to Gillard, the Greens hate everyone
- Wilkie hates anyone that doesn't hate pokies

Thanks again to Windsor and Oakeshott. You really did well in foisting a cohesive, like-minded coalition onto us.

On Monday night, after QandA, I turned to my father and said "You know what, much as I hate him, if Brown picks up that line Andrew Bolt was bitching about on Insiders yesterday, Gillard is in unimaginable shit. (beat)

But far be it for Bob Brown to pick up an argument from Andrew Bolt"

Then Lateline came on. Wow

I'm predicting her goodwill will be annihilated in short time, if it hasn't already. Her refusal to be candid and to try and frame Rudd's comments as something they absolutely aren't only looks worse in contrast to Rudd.

This will sound completely unimaginable, to me and I'm sure those here, but Rudd actually earned my respect on Monday night. He and Kenneally should go off and start "New Labour" or something.

Bolt was spot on. If Abbott had said Bob Brown doesn't like families he would be skewered. Labor would join in the skewering undoubtedly.

Gillard's problem is she wants to be all things to all people. She claims to be a social conservative and yet at the first sign of mass opposition to the carbon tax she pulls the sexism card like a caricaturish lefty. The Right despises her already and she will certainly find little love on the Left is she keeps attacking her Green "frenemies".

As for the prosepct a new and improved ALP - well, if they bring in US-style primaries and other reforms to break the hold of facitonal thugs and union hacks then they will have earned my respect.

This exchange on global warming might be of interest.

ambler wrote:

This exchange on global warming might be of interest.

The hypocritical critique of changed arguments (something that Freeman hadn't even done, though the journalist certainly had) in the third to last email says it all really.