# Australian Federal Election August 21



## Wanderer

Who would have thought that less than three years ago when we had John Howard as Prime Minister and Kevin 007 on the rise that it would have been a rise and fall, or lets say the latter for the Unions and Labor Party did run a strong campaign against the Industrial Relations policy workhorse of Work Choices.

Gillard was seen as a loyal deputy, a rising star of the party and though Abbott and Gillard have been something of an odd couple with various sparrings going back to when the Liberals were in government, Abbott has had particular tags applied to him.

It is not a long campaign period we are in for and much of the battle ground is well established:
*. Labors economic management*, they claiming to have guided Australia through the GFC without entering recession and doing far better than any other developed country.
But there has been some enormous wasteful programs that even now have not been fully revealed, the Building the Education Revolution that Gillard's department was responsible for.
The Housing insulation program with house fires and deaths.
The Australian Fibre Optic cable broadband system, full of unknowns and no business plan
Most recent budgetting/Resources Super Profit Tax fiasco
*The Liberals are prepared *to revisit all of these programs and in general terms do always run a tighter fiscal ship, it being no secret that past enormous Labor budget deficits have been wittled away at to return budgetting to surplus.
*It being a bit like splurging on a credit card Vs tightening your belt to live within your means.*
And then there will be other issues about:
*. Such as Immigration*, what should Australia's population growth program be? and Asylum Seekers, the impact increased boat arrivals is having!
*Hospitals, Education and Housing affordability*will also likely be given a run too.
*Labor are likely to run a campaign *based on what programs they have, their policies and they will try and not even mention where the spending comes from for they'll claim they will have the budget back in surplus within a few years - it never usually seems to happen with them and so can that believed? 
They will also run a smear Tony Abbott campaign and look to build on every flaw he has, every decision he may have ever made.
They will also no doubt attempt to make hay from having Australia's first woman Prime Minister.
*The Liberals would it seem * be focused on the economic credibility of Labor and what will not go down too well will be their resolution to review spending programs and have some greater accountability.
Labor will paint that as no policies and removing stimulus for the economy.
The Liberals will also no doubt raise the issue of how Julia Gillard became PM and the strength of the Unions involvement.
A very Pro Kevin Rudd prominent journalist just a few days ago questioned Gillard's conduct in her meeting with Rudd re his removal from office and one wonders whether that could even be a set-up to trap the Libs into a blunder.
It is likely to be a very tense torrid five weeks with a take no prisoners approach from both sides of politics, an interesting time.

One thing for sure it is a good opportunity to see how Australians feel about different aspects of life in Australia, particularly those that have a strong govrnment influence.

I'll leave the thread up as a sticky for all to contribute to, either with views or queries on Australian politics.


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## Dexter

I checked my enrollment yesterday and I was really impressed that someone thought of putting database online. 

I am bit surprised that Gillard called the election so early. Although I think this is deliberate. Polls seem to have gone up a bit since she took over and she probably wants to take advantage of it. 

I am still not 100% convinced who will get my vote. Miners issue seems to be resolved but in my opinion it is time to tighter budget - and that one can be expected from Liberals rather than LP.


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## TigerStripes

Interesting post, indeed.
I have just a little question: The abbrevation GFC, what does it stand for and what is ist?


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## Dexter

Well... looks like we still don't have a clear winner. Or maybe we do - independent candidates. Any party that wants to control the country will need to form coalition with at least 3 of them to push their constitutions through.

I personally gave my vote to Liberals. Not that they are much better but key points were:

1. Mining tax - this is stabbing your own back
2. Leadership issues both in federal and in NSW in ALP

Looks lime my candidate will take over. Let's hope I made a good choice.

As for Senate - I gave my vote to Australian Sex Party.


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## Wanderer

TigerStripes said:


> Interesting post, indeed.
> I have just a little question: The abbrevation GFC, what does it stand for and what is ist?


Global Financial Crisis, a bit like the global version of what Europe has at the moment and hopefully we'll not all be quite as badly off as Greece.


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## Wanderer

Dexter said:


> Well... looks like we still don't have a clear winner. Or maybe we do - independent candidates. Any party that wants to control the country will need to form coalition with at least 3 of them to push their constitutions through.
> 
> I personally gave my vote to Liberals. Not that they are much better but key points were:
> 
> 1. Mining tax - this is stabbing your own back
> 2. Leadership issues both in federal and in NSW in ALP
> 
> Looks lime my candidate will take over. Let's hope I made a good choice.
> 
> As for Senate - I gave my vote to Australian Sex Party.


Yes, an interesting result and going to be a week or so until it is finalised but yep, hoping the Libs get enough of the seats still in doubt to get support from the independents for forming a government.

Interesting program on ABC 4 corners Monday night too as seems as if that second dip of the GFC is on the way.
There was not too much done other than stimulus and bailouts over in the US and to some extent here, a $B for the car sales industry and yet basics are the same.
I've been expecting it for you do not fix a financial overspending problem by borrowing to spend even more, a bandaid solution at best.
And Labor claim they have a better financial record!


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## GoldenGirl

*Waiting for A New Government*

ARGGHHH - I hate politics... but I have to say, I would rather go through an election campaign again that this comfounded waiting....

I think it is totally unworkable to have 3 or 4 MPs holding the power. I wonder if the voting would have been different if people had realised their votes were going to be used this way?

I know politics is one of the subjects that is really fraught with complications and one I rarely get drawn into. But this election really has me seething! Nothing much has been done since Gillard took over, then 2 months in, call election, 5 weeks of electioneering and now 2 more weeks of waiting till all the votes are counted. I feel like our country is rudderless (absolutely NO pun intended there!!!).

What does everyone else think?
Annie


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## FrankSS

I just want to know, since the government entered caretaker mode, do visa's keep getting approved/processed? And now we are in limbo, how does that affect spouse visa or any other applications now?


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## Dexter

I have a feeling that Labor and Gilliard will be eventually the ones claiming victory. Media suggest that independents will rather go for Labor than Libs. They also suggest that Tony Abbott will rather focus on the 2013 election than on building minority government. I personally think it may be a good move from him to hold off for these 3 years and build his power up rather than rely on coalition with independents.


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## Wanderer

The government departments just keep doing their business Frank and caretaker mode just means no new policies and if any events of some significance come up anywhere in government, the Caretaker PM would be obliged to consult with the opposition leader and even more so given the closeness of the result.


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## Wanderer

GoldenGirl said:


> ARGGHHH - I hate politics... but I have to say, I would rather go through an election campaign again that this comfounded waiting....
> 
> I think it is totally unworkable to have 3 or 4 MPs holding the power. I wonder if the voting would have been different if people had realised their votes were going to be used this way?
> 
> I know politics is one of the subjects that is really fraught with complications and one I rarely get drawn into. But this election really has me seething! Nothing much has been done since Gillard took over, then 2 months in, call election, 5 weeks of electioneering and now 2 more weeks of waiting till all the votes are counted. I feel like our country is rudderless (absolutely NO pun intended there!!!).
> 
> What does everyone else think?
> Annie


It is really that the independents initially have the power to decide which party will govern and yes once they have made that decision they could elect not to agree with a particular policy of the government, however I doubt that we'll really see that happening for
1. The independents are hopefully smart enough to realise that they're not going to be governing and can accept that will not always agree on the policy of the major party they have chosen to back.
There could be some behind the scenes negotiation but the government policy will largely have to be accepted for if they do not, they couldf be looking at a new election and that could be the end of them.
2. They're the last ones to want another election at all for exactly the reason as above.
You could possibly have pople voting differently in many electorates if another election was held and though you could end up with one of the two major parties having a slight majority, you could also still get much the same result.
The close seats polls are all but declared and come Monday/Tuesday I think it is going to be decision time for the dependents and who will have the numbers.
And that has to happen anyway before a new election can be called.


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## Wanderer

Dexter said:


> I have a feeling that Labor and Gilliard will be eventually the ones claiming victory. Media suggest that independents will rather go for Labor than Libs. They also suggest that Tony Abbott will rather focus on the 2013 election than on building minority government. I personally think it may be a good move from him to hold off for these 3 years and build his power up rather than rely on coalition with independents.


That could be so Dexter, depending on which way the independents lean but they will be very cognisant of the fact that it is not only their own electorate who determined that Labor had their chance.
And polls are actually saying their electorates want the Libs.
Aside from the three ex Nationals, one of whom does not want anything of a mining tax, the WA national also will not support a mining tax and then Wilkes in Tasmania has a soft spot for loggers, so he isn't all tied up with Labor/Greens either.
I reckon the independents will see the right writing on the wall and some of their electorate could well be pointing it out to them over the weekend too.

As for Tony, there's absolutely no way any parliamentary leader is going to give up on having the keys to the lodge and looking towards 2013 will be the furtherest from his mind for anything can happen in three years in opposition as we have well seen in the past three.


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## Dexter

We are closer to labor government... Andrew Wilkie went for Labor offer and - as expected - so did Greens.


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## Wanderer

The Greens were a certainty and that could have a few Labor/Green voters who might otherwise be swing voters wondering somewhat when the next election comes along.
Wilkes is something of a more interesting case for he has various reasons to not be siding with either side and in effect he has partially done that for whilst he is supporting Labor re they having the numbers, he has also said he'll not necessarily side with them in a no confidence vote against the opposition in in opposing a supply bill.

So yes, looks like the three Amigos and the rather forgotten WA National are left to decide and who would really know with those three, it becoming a bit farcical all this we'll decide when we're ready and yet at the same time they are saying lets have some parliamentary reform.

They really need to review the AEC counting process, a week for postal votes to be in by and as soon as they have known winners of seats, they should look at transferring some count resources to the marginal/close seats to get earliest possible decisions and then they can proceed with finalising count numbers all over.

Meanwhile we have shaky knees Oateshott now saying that because Labor have 74 that is something to be considered.
All three of those seats had the lowest Labor polling of all 150 and if they side with Labor I reckon they might just be in their last term somehow, and for two of them re age, that could well be what they may consider anyway.


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