Comments on: Highlights of week four

By: Mark Bahnisch

Mark Bahnisch — Sat, 09 Sep 2006 02:41:27 +0000

Gary, and anyone else interested, you can watch the video of the “Great Debate” via the Courier-Mail site:

http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,20378652-952,00.html

By: Peter K

Peter K — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:41:15 +0000

There was a large potiential swing on offer (as I believe there is in Victoria) but it looks like it won’t be realised tomorrow. Looks like ending up a pretty much status quo – an excellent result for Labor.
Predictions….An ALP 2 Party vote of 53%…the Nationals will build fat in their heartland seats and the Libs to make more modest inroads in middle ring and outer Brisbane. ALP to lose Kawana, Indooropilly, Clayfield & Mudgereeba whilst gaining Chatsworth (easily) and Redcliffe (closer). Bundaberg won’t fall or even be particularly close. Kate Molloy to win comfortably. Clear win for Dolly Pratt in Nanango, leaving Gympie as the nats only gain, though I’ll be watching Mulgrave.
That makes it: Lib 9, NP 17, Ind 5, ONP 1, ALP 57.

Seats to watch:
Mt Isa – expecting a 10%+ swing. Remember 1986 and Cook in 2004.
Tablelands – ONP hold but much closer than last time.
Mulgrave – Warren Pitt seems far to much like a member from central casting, to ever be completely comfortable here.
Currumbin – one to watch but Jan Starkey likely to hold.
Broadwater & Aspley – should be very vulnerable but ALP to just hang on due to strong sitting members.

By: William Bowe

William Bowe — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 13:26:59 +0000

Mick, after reading the transcripts and minutes on the inquiry site, I concur that the media reports I was regurgitating were insufficiently skeptical of Abbott's interpretation of events. I have reworded my entry accordingly. You might be interested to know that I reached a similar conclusion about the Courier-Mail's reporting of earlier Coalition attacks on Cleary over the DHC letter to Patel: link.

By: Mick Muscat

Mick Muscat — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 11:09:56 +0000

“Bundaberg (Labor 5.3%): The Liberal campaign to tar Labor candidate Sonja Cleary with the Jayant Patel brush went all the way to federal parliament yesterday, where Health Minister Tony Abbott called for her disendorsement. As a local nurse, Cleary served on the District Health Council, on which she seconded a motion to write a supportive letter to Patel when allegations against him were first raised, and to ascertain who had been leaking information about patient deaths at Bundaberg Hospital.”
This whole statement is incorrect and I would suggest you correct this right away.
Sonja Cleary did not second a motion to write a letter of support to Dr Patel or tried to ascertain who had been leaking information.
She did second a motion to have the District Health Commission try to get to talk to Messenger (National member for Burnett) to get more information so that further action to rectify the problems that were occurring, as apparently no one else had any information but Mr Messenger.
Sonja Cleary did not join the Health Council till after the problems occurred and before she was elected as an ALP candidate by the ALP branches in Bundaberg.
This is a complete fabrication of the truth and all this is on the Commissins web site (sorry I don’t have a link).

By: GK

GK — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 08:25:14 +0000

Mal, I’ll be happy to scrape the poached egg off your face tomorrow

By: Mal

Mal — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 07:31:05 +0000

Everyone has forgotten the seat of Burnett, home of Rob Messenger who took the Dr Death stuff to Parliament. Well lucky he had his day in the sun, cause it will cloud over very quickly tommorow and he will lose his seat. He has concentrated so much on trying to be the pretend member for Bundaberg that the rest of Burnett have turned on him and it will bite him hard tommorow. It is the sleeper in the election and I will be proven right, let me tell you, he is on the nose!

By: Evan

Evan — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 05:09:19 +0000

Thanks all! I’ll definitely check in here tomorrow night – great site for all political junkies!
Do election debates really make that much difference anymore?
It’s probably come too late in the campaign to affect the outcome too much, and I doubt too many in QLD will be watching.

By: David Walsh

David Walsh — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 04:59:57 +0000

I watched the debate on Sky News. I thought the watered down format made it a bit of a bore.

The first half was simply the moderator asking questions in turn to each leader. Generally the next question had little to do with the previous question; so we basically had the two leaders discussing different topics. At this stage I was ready to turn off the television.

But the second half was a little bit more interesting. There the leaders each got to ask the questions of their opponents in turn. This meant that the questions were more challenging. But it still suffered from the same problem as the first half: there was no room to respond to the answers given. The leaders could give evasive answers and their opponents couldn’t take them up on it. For a so-called debate there wasn’t much debating.

I can’t be bothered going into the actual content covered. Hopefully a transcript will appear at some point. Suffice to say that Springborg probed at the govt’s apparent weaknesses of health and water, whilst Beattie focussed his questions on Coalition disunity.

Overall I think Beattie came across as smoother and more relaxed. But Springborg didn’t look out of his depth. Both successfully dodged tough questions (aided by the format). No clear win for either leader.

By: Max

Max — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 04:12:52 +0000

Hang out here Evan… it was very entertaining last time I think a good 100 comments or so were cracked if my memory serves me correctly. I’m sorry I will be out tomorrow night and won’t be able to watch the commentary, but thems the breaks I suppose.

Otherwise you could try the ABC site… at the very least there should be a direct radio coverage?

By: Evan

Evan — Fri, 08 Sep 2006 04:02:31 +0000

Question about TV coverage of the QLD election night count for those living outside QLD: is there any chance it might be on ABC2, the digitial channel? I haven’t got Pay TV. Otherwise, I’ll be hanging out on the various election web sites.