One thing we’re not seeing in this election is any sense of priorities for the state as a whole. We’re back in the bad old days of appeasing regional interests to effectively buy seats. Ironically, Joh Bjelke-Petersen’s overt threat that electors would get nothing if they didn’t return a National Party MP was made in Mount Isa in 1977. The Borg was at The Isa today, promising jobs, jobs, jobs from restarting the uranium industry (something The Greens indicated they’ll be taking into account when allocating preferences). The Borg wasn’t as blunt as Joh, but Anna Bligh’s similarly jobs-themed promise of a cool sixty million or so for an AFL stadium down the Gold Coast is in the same boondoggling stakes, to adapt a term Kim Beazley was fond of.
Perhaps The Borg is also capitalising on some suggestions made at his rumoured 20k a plate dinner date with big business last Friday night. Strangely, there haven’t been any announcements of the guest list from Mike Horan, the Shadow Minister for Open Government (among other things). Business is too afraid of scary Labor recriminations, according to Lawrence Springborg.
I think the point I was making yesterday about the contest being outside Brisbane, where the LNP is capitalising on perceptions that the government is too focused on the South East corner, has been reinforced in spades. Spades to dig up some uranium from the fertile ground of the electorally Labor seat of Mount Isa. And announcing upgrades for regional hospital services. Meanwhile, Labor’s trying to shore up its rapidly disappearing majority on the Gold Coast.
Glenn Milne is at least a week out of date – or perhaps it’s the Canberra based “Liberal strategists” for whom he’s the mouthpiece. Labor’s threat just now is an almost total collapse outside Brisbane. Campbell can continue to sit on his hands, and the LNP just has to pick up a few Brisbane seats, and they’re in with a shot. Whether a government with little input from the capital could survive is a question that now needs to be asked. Those with a long memory would recall that it materially impacted on the demise of Joh’s National Party regime.
24 Comments
AFL stadium promise on the Gold Coast today. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/03/09/2511187.htm
Given the crowds to AFL on the coast is this really even a vote winner???
Newspoll to come out tonight, expected to show LNP ahead 52-48 TPP.
Ryan, I’ll make the same comment I made on an earlier thread. Please make comments on topical threads topical and post general election stuff on the most recent open thread! Thanks!
Glenn Milne couldn’t find his arse if it was on fire.
When did Mike Horan become the Shadow Minister for Open Government and, more to the point, what the f**k is this portfolio?
On 30/9/2008.
http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/view/legislativeAssembly/documents/memberBio/HoranMichael.htm
Looks like Mike Horan got the gig when Stuart Copeland dropped off the frontbench:
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,24397133-3102,00.html
By the way, I love the juxtaposition of Shadow and Open in that title. Lovely.
Heh!
Perhaps Mike Horan could be the shadowy minister for Open Government.
I thought it was a four part series from the early days of “Yes Minister”.
http://search.yahoo.com/search;_ylt=A0oGkioR.LRJGSEABTpXNyoA?p=open+government+yes+minister&y=Search&fr=yfp-t-103-s&fp_ip=AU&vs=youtube.com&rd=r1&meta=vc%3Dau
Just like Shady Lane in the good old days when the Liberals last posed as Nationals, el tel.
Mike Horan. Wasn’t he the Health Minister in the Golden Age when there were no crises? Perhaps he might want to reveal how he caused Budget blowouts that caused Joan so much angst.
Perhaps as Minister for Open Government, he might authorise an early release of the relevant Cabinet Documents.
As for the whole campaign, it demonstrates that the LNP like the Nats are always better at winning ‘hearts and minds’ and in their view principles are for the losers.
Little has changed apparently despite Fitzgerald.
He might be the one to open the brown paper bags on behalf of the government.
how does this happen? in three weeks, labor has gone from a strong position – to one that appears to be weakening everyday… i suppose living in brisbane means you don’t really know what the rest of the state is thinking. I think they need to get some advice from Peter Beattie.
Lots of budget cuts to public health initiatives though.
Seriously though, I have never heard any explanation as to what the title Open Government is supposed to mean in the new Government but it does sound suspiciously like a Ministry of Truth we have seen in other places like Animal Farm.
Im sure there will be no Minister for Open Government if they do actually win.
Newspoll 51-49 to LNP in Qld
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25163621-601,00.html
Sorry Mark, I was being sarcastic.
As for:
” will be no Minister for Open Government ‘
I suspect there would be but as steve points out the job description would stretch the imagination.
steve, do you mean 1984?
Nature 5, yep, I know!
I just wanted to emphasise that hospitals aren’t the whole of the health portfolio. You can imagine what the “efficiency dividend” will do elsewhere in the department.
20 Sam it was 1984 now that you mention it.
I can see why some businesses don’t want to be know as LNP supporters – ALP thuggery. It goes right to the deputy premier.
Read this story;
“Labor bullying accusations”
http://wynnum-herald.whereilive.com.au/news/story/labor-bullying-accusations/
“Wednesday March 4, at 2:02pm I received a phone call from Linda Harnett. Linda is the Campaign Manager for Paul Lucas. She asked me why I was displaying four LNP signs on my property and why I was not supporting ALP as well. She went on to tell me that over 50% of the electorate were ALP supporters and it would be bad for business if I did not at least support both.”
Back to the pork barrel point , sometimes its not “what in it for us?” , but “whats in it for them?”.
Here in Townsville we have some blatant examples of labor giving :
* preferred developer status
* development fast tracking
* sale of government/public lands
*protection of developments from state environmental laws via the state development act
to groups of developers that have donated bigtime to the ALP and will probably continue to do so. Everyone here is against the proposed marina and canal estate in Townsville , all but the big gun developers and the ALP.
Some have already come a cropper.
Whats in it for the labor party?
They use public funds and land (including marine park) to generate campaign funds for the labor party. It seems all the big time developments in Townsville , and we are talking hundreds of millions, and billions have labor donor names written all over them.
You can get background at http://www.cynicismcentral.org/node/44 and
http://www.cynicismcentral.org/node/58
The public gets shafted in this because its our funds that are being spent and our lands being sold , to generate money for the labor party so they can try shafting us for another bloody term .
You people want to make this election more than a defensive action for all parties and a little bit more lively? then sink your teeth in for christs sake!