Australian Politics (7 Viewers)

[Rafy]

The Speaker informed the House that it was his intention to issue a writ on Friday, 30 October 2009 for the election of Members to serve for the Electoral Division of Bradfield, in the State of New South Wales to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Dr Nelson, and the Electoral Division of Higgins, in the State of Victoria to fill the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr Costello. The dates in connection with the by-elections will be fixed as follows:

Close of rolls.......................... Monday, 9 November 2009.

Close of nominations............... Thursday, 12 November 2009.

Declaration of nominations....... Friday, 13 November 2009.

Date of polling........................ Saturday, 5 December 2009.

Return of writs........................ On or before Monday, 8 February 2010

 

[Fish Tank]

Just an open question for all: Does anyone watch Question Time (Particularly the House of Representatives) because the sight of grown men and women behaving like school children is an amusing sight? Whenever I can, I try to watch QT for that reason. Sure it is low brow, however IMO it makes a good 2pm break from the soaps and midday movies the other networks have at that time.

I watch the best bits on YouTube, namely ones with my mates Paul Keating and Lil Johnny.

That's the only reason why I'd become a politician, to argue with randoms and get paid for it

 

[roza07]

Do politicians act so badly in other nations parliaments??

 

[Iron]

[youtube]7PE_vr0t3FA[/youtube]

This cracks me up/ Even tho it's pretty cheap, it's better than the rest of whatever shithouse program this is. The accent is dead on and I think it mostly hit on a pretty big truth

 

[Sarebs]

Just an open question for all: Does anyone watch Question Time (Particularly the House of Representatives) because the sight of grown men and women behaving like school children is an amusing sight? Whenever I can, I try to watch QT for that reason. Sure it is low brow, however IMO it makes a good 2pm break from the soaps and midday movies the other networks have at that time.

Yes!!! I call it Tantrum Time.

 

[Rafy]

Bradfield (NSW) 2009 by-election (Saturday 5 December)

22 candidates running in Bradfield (9 of these CDP).

 

[Rafy]

Rees crackdown: ministers axed from NSW cabinet

Tripodi and Macdonald sacked.

 

[Lentern]

Rees crackdown: ministers axed from NSW cabinet

Tripodi and Macdonald sacked.

Wow, that's pretty cool. Good decision as well, placating the factions will do Rees no favours as generally the factions are disliked. Pissing them off and getting away with it will say something to the effect of "the warlords don't call the shots".

 

[Lentern]

Someone is being groomed for a big promotion in the new parliament. If I were a prime minister I might be inclined to prefer a willing mercenary as minister for environment instead of an hardcore greenie who is deeply uncomfortable with cabinet policy. With that being said there are half a dozen cabinet ministers who Combet cold improve upon, Health, Indigenous Affairs, Trade, Attorney general,Innovation....

 

[S.H.O.D.A.N.]

If I were a prime minister

No.

 

[Lentern]

No.

Feel clever?

 

[blue_chameleon]

Feel clever?

That response took you 4 days to conjure?

 

[Silver Persian]

According to channel 10 news, Turnball's hold on the leadership is tenuous and could end over the next few hours. Although this seems to be on the basis of a comment from the ever reliable Wilson Tuckey.

SMH says Kevin Andrews may challenge
Liberal Party Leadership Challenge| Emissions revolt: heat rises in party room| Shadow cabinet OKs ETS deal

 

[John McCain]

Even if he gets the ETS through, which he supposedly has the numbers for, having such a large number of senators cross the floor will not be forgotten, he'll be dumped soon enough. Theres no way to salvage the leadership now.

And so the party will enter the wilderness of years. More so.

 

[Lentern]

Possible scenarios methinks:
1)Malcolm passes the bill but suffers an embarrassing amount of dissent and resigns delivering on his pledge that he isn't willing to lead a party that isn't fair dinkum on climate change.

1a. Abbott is then elected unopposed
1b. Abbott nominates but being a polarizing figure a combination of Malcolm supporters, Abbott haters and her personal supporters rally behind Bishop who would probably win in similar circumstances as those which saw Alexander Downer and Mark Latham elected to their respective party leaderships.

2) Malcolm passes the bill and attempts to continue on only to be met with hostility by the right faction.

2a. Abbot is the sole challenger of Malcolm and probably wins.
2b. Abbott dilly dallies and Andrews(maybe Dutton) takes advantage of his hesitation and the rights discontent, runs against Malcolm. 50-50 either way.
2b (i) Dutton/Andrews wins and there is lots of excitement about new directions, substance, returning to their roots etc. High approval ratings and the electoral moderates completely polarized, Rudd thrashes them in a GA.
2b (ii) Malcolm wins but is mortally wounded. Before too long he is challenged by Abbott who wins convincingly and loses the general election even more convincingly.
2c. The right organizes itself properly and makes a proper power grab rather than merely installing a leader. Abbot goes for the leadership, Andrews nominates for the deputy leadership, Minchin obviously keeps leader of the senate but with the bonus of foreign affairs. Dutton is made treasurer, Malcolm goes back from he came, Hockey and Pyne get some useless non jobs-shadow ministers for agriculture and attorney general perhaps. The press would greet this with enthusiasm claming the party has direction, substance, CONVICTION and then Rudd would go on to win the biggest majority since 1975.

I think 2b (ii) is the most likely but I would add that with the possible exception of Menzies, Turnbull is the most brilliant leader the liberal party has ever or is ever likely to have. His intellect, his daring, his persuasiveness, his contacts, his communication skills, his reputation; He is head and shoulders above even Costello. If ever there was a man who could pass this bill, win over caucus support, banish his rivals to obscurity, start developing new and progressive policies and manage to put the pressure back on the government it would have to be Turnbull. If he chooses to tough this out we could be in for a glorious show.

 

[loquasagacious]

Lentern if Turnbull really is all that then why has he struggled so much so far...

 

[aussie-boy]

Does the Liberal party not realise that climate change is the single biggest issue facing the human race?

I think Malcomn Turnbull is brilliant as well; however too rich and arrogant to ever be PM.
He'll do a fantastic job keeping Rudd on his toes however, hopefully until the end of Rudd's second term when he'll get stale.

I really think Rudd will get voted in again - his policies on building a FTTP network, income management for all welfare recipients, and big federal spending on urban infrastructure are too good to pass up.

Likewise, his idiotic policies (YA changes, internet filtering) need serious opposition to stop

 

[Lentern]

Lentern if Turnbull really is all that then why has he struggled so much so far...

Timing mainly. That was why I insist Costello is still a more capable politician because he had the good sense not to nominate for the leadership when his party was so unpopular and the government so very popular. I also think the behaviour of Minchin and the nationals is even worse than the stuff Sir Joh Bjelke Petersen and Ian Sinclair pulled on John Howard in 1987. If you doubt the influence of timing keep in mind that both the worst and the best election results for the liberal party since 1977 came under the same leader(Howard).

News:
3 parly secs have resigned from the front bench, most notable Corman. Supposedly Bill Heffernan could handpick a leader of his choosing if he stopped fighting for Turnbull.

Motion for spill failed 48-35. Question is does Malcolm do better in a motion for a spill or a leadership vote, I think the former. Some people might value "unity" but if a spill was going to take place anyway they might vote for their preferred leader. 58-34 wasn't enough for Crean to cement himself, nor was 66-44 enough for Hawke. I don't know what Hewson got in 1994 but it wasn't enough.

In other news Chris Ulhman stole a joke from yes minister and looked so pleased with himself for doing so. Theif!

 

[Rafy]

The following members of the Turnbull Ministry have resigned or are about to resign.

Tony Abbott
Nick Minchin
Eric Abetz
Bob Baldwin
Sophie Mirabella
Tony Smith
Stephen Parry
Michael Johnson
Mitch Fifield
Mathias Cormann
Brett Mason

 

[Sarebs]

I think Malcomn Turnbull is brilliant as well; however too rich and arrogant to ever be PM.

Pretty much this. The sooner he's out the better, the country needs a strong opposition party to be any success.