As you’re all no doubt aware, the Prime Minister has just held a press conference announcing the election will be held on November 24. Didn’t hear the whole thing, but after all the justified outrage about the government’s changes to electoral laws, I am surprised to learn that the legal formalities will be conducted on a timetable that will leave the rolls open until October 22.
UPDATE: Those who have had time to think about this point out that the writs will be issued on Wednesday, so the deadline for new enrolments is 8pm that evening. The October 22 date invoked by the Prime Minister is the closing date for amendment to existing enrolments.
UPDATE 2: An AEC press release announces: “If you’re not on the electoral roll and you’re entitled to enrol, you must fill in an enrolment form immediately and return it to an AEC office by 8pm, Wednesday 17 October. If you’re already on the roll but still need to update your address details, to ensure your vote you must complete an enrolment form and return it to an AEC office by 8pm Tuesday 23 October”.
726 Comments
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Thanks Eddie.
Go growth. Go Liberal.
Uh-oh. That’s going to get them in trouble.
Testing –
Oakshot at 409,
Didn’t Vaile and Gleeson go to Wingham public school, what’s now known as Wingham Brush School?
I’m a sort of a local, so I’m probably cheating here
The point about unions is not that we wil have the CFMEU in power but that a totally unrepresentative group will be calling the shots. Instead of a comparison with lawyers the proper comparison would be like the current cabinet being comprised of 13 members of the Country Women’s Association.
Unions are rent seekers – ie seeking to extract a rent from productive activity just like lawyers. The difference is lawyers remain relevant because people will always seek to minimise risk by having a lawyer involved in a transaction – the role of unions has declined as their purpose has declined in the economy.
Fairness in employment does not require a $100 milliion industrial arbitration system and statutory rights for trade unions – it can be done much more simply. Labor has of course recognised the necessary changes with forward with fairness which is really workchoices lite. So it shouldnt be that much of an issue in the election campaign.
To Glen: 414
You say:
“i would be very wary of anybody who likes having one party be in charge everywhere in a country that would destroy accountability”
So, you are a supporter of the accountability of governments?? I think your side of politics are about to get enough accountability via the electorate to last you a while mate.
Howard wants us all to believe that he is the man responsible for all the good things (like the state of the economy, when actually that was PJK), but has had nothing to do with any of the less than good.
He has dodged accountability while in office since early in his 1st term.
As a union member and someone who was on the picket once or twice i was understanding when a deal was done to end the 98 wharf dispute betwixt the MUA and Patricks, without it going to a full clown conspiracy trial for Corrigan, Rieth, and Howard. After all, the MUA was trying, foremost to protect as many of its members jobs as they could. But if it had gone to trial back then, what a different Australia we would have now!! Howard and Rieth were in it up to their necks all the time that they were professing no prior knowledge to the people and the parliament.
Then there was Children Overboard. As a man, Howard must be haunted by this. But did he correct the record during the campaign? No, he maintained the skeer as best he could.
Irag, WMD, took us into a war we didn’t need that will go down in history as one of the truly great strategic blunders, ever.
David Hick’s detention. Threw one of our own (not the best of us, but one of ours none the less) to the dogs because he was too gutless to say boo to the Shrub.
AWB?? Happened on your watch mate. Give money to Saddam on the sly so that he can buy guns to shoot as us and our mates.
Howard has taken responsibility for none of these. Its always someone else or too hard to determine.
He has taken responsibility for SerfChoices though and look where thats taking them!
Well, now its 2007, game on, a large dose of accountability about to drop from on high. Run Rattus Run!!
CB at 439,
Sydney and Melbourne thing comes from here:
http://www.theage.com.au/news/national/race-is-on-as-virgin-voters-go-for-rudd/2007/10/13/1191696241329.html
All this talk about Howard and his Liberal Lawyers reminds one of the old joke about, ” What do you call 70% of Howard’s Cabinet chained together at the bottom of the Ocean?”
A bloody good start!
They don’t say that about Union Officials.
386
Edward StJohn Says:
October 14th, 2007 at 5:59 pm
Ah Lefty E
I dont think anyone who has followed JWH would disagree that he has always supported Labor market deregulation..
….
And what have we now: certainly not de-reguslation. We have a key part of people’s lives thrown into uncertainty: a labour market that has been bureaucratised. John Howard has replaced over 100 years of law, practice and understanding of labour relations and replaced it with a bureaucratic fix. It is a shambles and is anything but de-regulation. He should be and will be condemned for his ideological fantasy tour.
I think the term ‘Go for growth’ sounds more like an ad for viagra. And I’m sorry, there is no one on either side of politics that helps me with ‘growth’.
Rudd answered all these Lib stock mantra’s very well, he’s on a roll
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/national/election-gets-personal-from-day-1/2007/10/14/1192300583292.html
Wot’s a ROTFL? Excuse ignorance.
BO – justify your assertion “people’s lives thrown into uncertainty”. That’s just plain wrong.
“Yes lets have the Unions run Australia and lets have one party be in at all levels of Government and lets have a bloke who has less than 1 year of leadership experience and been in Parliament for less than 10 years as PM and lets have Julia Gillard as Deputy Prime Minister and lets have Wayne Swan as Treasurer.â€
Where do I queue?
But, piece by piece:
“have one party be in at all levels of Government”
Meh, the Liberals still have the Brisbane Lord Mayorality – for now.
“lets have a bloke who has less than 1 year of leadership experience and been in Parliament for less than 10 years as PM”
Two words: Bob Hawke. Had four weeks leadership experience and 2 years in Parliament when he became PM. He was quite successful.
“lets have Julia Gillard as Deputy Prime Minister”
Just what is it about Julia Gillard that gets Liberals so fired up? Is it the voice (clearly not the product of a Swiss Finishing School where the Liberal women go)? Is it the fact that she is a …woman? Is it because she can go cop it, and then dish it out with interest?
“lets have Wayne Swan as Treasurer.”
Ans what’s the problem with Swan? The way some people carry on, you’d think he was Che Guevera. He’ll be a great Treasurer. Like Costello, he’ll be able to master his brief, but unlike Costello, Swan will have thoughts of his own – shock, horror!.
Is this guy for real, I thought he was describing Howard or maybe he is just wearing blinkers:
Piers Akerman : Why Rudd is not fit to rule
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22579837-5007146,00.html
Rolling On The Floor Laughing
Derek,
Roll on the floor laughing.
Howard’s pitch “like me, or loathe me, at least you know what I stand for” is similar to Keating’s election slogan in 1996 “Leadership”. It was based on the assumption that you may think Keating was a bit arrogant, but at least he took tough decisions. It is ironic that Howard is now reverting to Keating’s flawed election strategy.
ROTFL @ ESJ
ESJ
If you can be sacked because your boss had a bad day, or because he/she woke up on the wrong side of the bed, or whatever surely you have an uncertain work life.
This is especially true for unskilled workers – who do vote.
Liberal ads are on youtube for those you cant bring themselves to visit the liberal website.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=T3XTLzvSvLM
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQ_NeVtkXJ0
ESJ
to you anyone who disagree with howards is a unionist-you’ve spent weeks accusing me
all i can say is
UNIONS BOO
Howard and Rudd are on 60 Minutes.
The Labor Party should just use John Howards 2004 advertisements.
“WHO DO YOU TRUST TO KEEP INTEREST RATES LOW??”
Would go great guns with another interest rate rise set for November 9th.
@ 443 Chris B
Alexander Pope mangled by me to mean I hope I see a healthy democratic contest before I die. Which probably won’t be long as I’m no spring chicken.
As usual, the Liberal Party advertisements are dishonest.
By concentrating on government debt, which in any case is not “zero”, they ignore net foreign debt. This is what they exploited so deceitfully in 1996, when they claimed that it was a huge problem. It’s three times bigger now, but do they ever mention it? Of course not.
Furthermore, it is simply wrong to suggest that government borrowing, in a globalised economy, puts ‘upward pressure’ on interest rates. The extent to which this would be the case is infinitessimal.
These advertisements are rubbish.
hmmm while we are in chat from decades ago
LMAO
LMFAO
LOL
WTF
I’d like to make a little comment about this tit for tat over one lot being full of union officials, and the other lot being full of lawyers…
It’s a sad fact these days that, for people in many professions, it’s cirtually impossible to make a straightforward transition into politics. If you are a teacher, nurse, academic, defence force member, police officer…the list goes on…you have an “office for profit under the Crown” and you may have to quit your job to campaign. Such people are certainly unlikely to run in a seat they can’t win, just to get experience.
If you run a small business, it’s very hard to spend the time required on campaigning, unless it’s very profitable and you can afford staff to replace you.
If you’re a shift worker – as more and more people are these days – you will not be able to attend the meetings required.
If you’re a mother, it is difficult to find the child care while campaigning, and even harder if you get elected.
Really, the only people for whom it is relatively easy to move into politics are union officials (because their union supports the ALP) or lawyers (who are well-paid and independently emplyed, and whose businesses can keep running without them), plus a limited number of other professions, including farmers. You need money and back-up staff to make a decent go of it these days.
Both union delegates and lawyers bring skills to politics that are useful. But so would so many other trades and professions, if given the chance. Where are the carpenters? The shop assistants? The nurses? The school principals? The engineers? The train drivers (paging Ben Chifley)? The video shop proprietors? The chefs?
The whole of politics needs to be more family friendly, and people in the public service need to be allowed to stand for parliament more easily, before we’ll get a government that represents us more accurately.
Good to see David Briggs is so pessimistic about the Coalition’s chances, rating them only a 10% prob to win, as he’s been the most pro-Coalition pollster.
PeterG Government is not responsible for foreign debt by they are for Commonwealth debt…
60 Minutes what a joke why dont they just come out and say they are backing Rudd Tara Brown asked Howard if he feared defeat 4 times…for christs sake!
Just watched the Rodent & Rudd on 37 Minutes Channel 9. It seemed to me that Rudd was certainly asked tougher & more personal questions (strippers & being married to a multimillionaire etc) than the Rodent. However Rudd came across as more energetic, passionate & relaxed. The Rodent seemed nervous, hesitant, tired and pleading.
Am I too biased? How did they come across in your opinion?
The Galaxy Poll must be bad for Briggs to say that.
Glenn, Tara is just being realistic
Glen,
Tara Brown is the softest journo they have. She’s a powder puff who usually interviews celebrities. If Howard can’t handle her he should be ashamed of himself. To complain that she is too tough is absurd.
She’s not tough but she spent half the interview asking Howard whether he could win and whether he feared losing typical media bias…
Um, this isn’t what the Liberals said for all of the 1980s. I guess that makes them hypocrites.
I didn’t switch over in time to see Howard’s interview, but I didn’t think they were soft on Rudd. They came straight out and said ‘Mini-Howard’, ‘Me-too” and “Glass Jaw”…although the interview was too short to really press the point. I thought Rudd dealt with it pretty well.
I’m happy parliament didnt go back, I think another shouting match wouldn’t go well for him.
Glen,
You’re a wimp if you think that was a tough interview. Better throw in the towel if Tara scares you.
If she was tough she would have asked whether Howard’s favourite Dylan song was “Knockin on Heaven’s Door”.
Can I just say I’ll support any party that bans smiley faces on the internet!
Meanwhile, the election really must be on. I spotted my first Vote 1 – Martin Ferguson poster in Northcote today. Holy plebiscite, Batman!
And Glen questioned earlier why he hadn’t heard anything from the Nats or the minor parties. Well Glen, in the space of one five-minute ABC Radio news bulletin this afternoon, I heard them all. The Nats were talking about rural health and better highways/rail, Lyn Allison was complaining about personal atacks in politics during the campaign, Bob Brown was calling on people to stop one party getting a Senate majority, and Stephen Fielding said something or other which has failed to remain in my mind.
But of course that was the ABC, which you should discount because of its outrageous pro-Liberal bias.
Labour ad on interest rates:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iBQzSDx1lVk
ESJ saith: ‘Fairness in employment does not require a $100 milliion industrial arbitration system and statutory rights for trade unions – it can be done much more simply’
You have a very limited understanding of the various roles unions play, and no understanding of the economic arguments for them. The most important of which is monitoring, enforcement and education in relation to workplace rights, customs and grievances. Moreover they do so on a broad social insurance version of the user pays principle.
The Workplace Authority, Ombudsman and industrial registries will need several thousand staff to even touch that role, and yet will do so with all the inefficiencies and informational insensitivities of bureaucracies. And they will do so at great cost to taxpayers – why shouldn’t workers pay directly for the bodies that monitor conditions in their industries?
lols at all u peeps. Use have no idea wtf is going on do u?
lmao
gtg, c u soon
(ahh that brings back memories)
Debate details released
Place: Great Hall, Parliament House
Time 7:30 next Sunday
Moderator: David Speers
Duration 90 minutes
God not that dill.
This is what Ray Martin gets for agreeing to host Labor fundraisers.
Yes, Howard looked tired and very uncomfortable in that interview.
Overall, Day One to ALP
90 Minutes!?
God spare us all.
Rudd came across as more genuine and energetic, but I’m a biased Labor supporter, so I’m probably not the most objective observer.
One word of advice to Kev: he should talk a lot more about his experience as a small businessman and diplomat, so he can effectively blunt Howard’s criticism that he’s too inexperienced to be PM.
who is broadcasting the debate? And is Costello going to be apart of it, since we have to vote for Howard+Costello vs Rudd?
It will be broadcast on 9, ABC and 7. 10 will be showing the hilarious teen comedy Weird Science.
I think Sky News is broadcasting it, not sure about free to air
Heard it on Sky News
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