The Australian has published a follow-up to its weekend Newspoll survey, showing issues rated most important and the party considered best equipped to handle them. Labor holds handsome leads on six of the eight listed issues, the exceptions being the economy and national security. Interestingly, the Coalition’s score on industrial relations has increased to 34 per cent from 31 per cent at the previous survey in June, after hovering around 30 per cent since the beginning of 2006. Industrial relations is also the one issue where there was no appreciable shift to Labor when Kevin Rudd became leader. The other issue to run against the overall trend is national security – it surged to Labor as strongly as any other when Rudd took over, but the Coalition has since recovered to levels near those of the Beazley era.
Reflections on the Miracle of Democracy at Work in the Greatest Nation on Earth
Newspoll issues survey
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874 Comments
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Wrong again PJK the ad on the website ‘who will run the economy’ say Gillard is a Union Lawyer…once again your arguments are not based on facts…
“PJK i have downloaded the ad and it says…”
Rudd has beautifully countered this ad, and VERY quickly too. I hope it gets as much airplay as the coalition’s disgraceful attempt at fear-mongering (yet again…)
http://www.kevin07.com.au/
Fulvio @ 594
Well said.
I find the policy of the Government concerning “union bosses†to be childish and silly. It reminds me of a kid yelling at one of his peers that his Dad is bigger and tougher that the other Dad.
We are all the product our experiences. I am a farther, a husband, a church member, a member of a service club, etc etc etc (the list is endless). To pick one of these and somehow say that that particular experience determines my life to the exclusion of all else would say more about the accuser than it would about me.
I am afraid, in my opinion, that this policy reflects badly the Government and its camp followers who support and propagate such an argument. It shows a lack of understand of their fellow man, as well as a lack of leadership. It shows that the Government is more concerned with playing the man and not the ball. It shows a lack of understanding for what is needed for the future of this country. It shows as lack of honesty in their dealings and a lack respect for others.
This policy also shows a lack of policy development in other areas or and an understanding of what the voters are looking for.
It is amazing that those who argue this case here do not understand how they are belittling themselves. It is an equivalent to “picking ones knows in publicâ€. You belittle yourself and everyone knows that whatever else you do your fingers are dirty.
Being a union boss or being associated with a union or proving a service for a union or knowing a unionist or having a unionist in the family does not determine anyone. It is part of the experiences of life which all should encounter in ones life. It is just a pity that there are not more in the Government with this experience. If so maybe we would have IR Laws that instead of punishing the worker would help them.
Well all I can say is that after all the discussion on here today, in the MSM and around work is that the libs have nothing going for them yet.
Tax cuts, scare campaigns and rear mirrors just isn’t doing it for you lads.
Best to come up with some new ideas and forward looking vision re the real problems facing this country or it’s game over.
Glen: you’re hilarious mate! Still getting your script from Liberal Party HQ?
Hah Noocat it shows Rudd has a glass jaw and they fear the public from knowing how beholden to the Unions they really are…way to waste millions of dollars on ads that are weak as piss…Labor should be spending time on developing a tax policy no trying to defend the indefensible Union links to the ALP…i guess Rudd’s PR team told him to do it like everything he’s done as leader since last year…
Glen said” PJK i have downloaded the ad and it says
Union Officials
Anti-Business Union Officials
Unionist
The only time is mentions Union boss was in reference to Joe McDonald saying we’re coming back…
Stop spreading your lies PJK…”
News for you, Glen McDonald is not a Boss…Big Kev is the Boss…and the add you are referring to is not the one I can see. Here’s that one.
http://i153.photobucket.com/albums/s223/wcekempy999/Lies-1.jpg
Thanks for the reply Mark (584)
I spent some of the day handing out how to vote cards in miranda, barry colier is a top bloke who unlike the libs actully is a very hard worker for the shire, much more so than malcom from cronulla who is about as useful as tony abbot in an abortion clinic, barry went so far as to address the problem of kicking the local council in the backside to make them do something about my local road which is full of pot holes and bingo, i get sent a letter telling me barry had spoken to the council and it would be fixed within a year. It would be nice to see at least one labor win in the shire on Nov 24, whats everyones prediction for the two shire seats? (huges and cook)
Congratulation to whomever it was who got Glen on the back foot.
There’s a discussion on ABC Radio about the old concept of having Homes for the Bewildered for people suffering trauma. The idea is a quiet place in the country, they put a blanket over the knees and the person is left to contemplate and stare at the wall. Hopefully to recover. Sounds like a policy idea to me.
The central risk facing the coalition scare campaign in relation to union officials is that it relies on the public believing “union officials/bosses” are in fact scary.
And, with union membership so low (as the Coalition has pointed out ad nauseam), most people have no dealings with union officials from which to be “frightened”.
From what I can tell, a lot of people lump “union official” in with “professional politician”, “party hack”, “spin doctor” and “lobbyist” as a type of person who works in a completely different field to the one they live in. They’d be far more likely to think them “boring” than “scary”.
And “boring” is likely to translate as “unthreatening”.
# 610 – Derek, sounds like John Howard’s future, to me.
Only Labor stooges and Union members wouldnt find Union bosses scary…
You’d have to be joking to think people wouldnt find Joe McDonald scary saying ‘we’re coming back’…id be locking the kiddies away when that ad comes on he’ll give them nightmares!
I find former AMA union boss Brendan Nelson very scary. As well as all those National Farmers Federation (Union) hacks who make up the agrarian socialist National Party.
I don’t find Joe MacDonald the least bit scary but the liberals scare the hell out of me,
One Exclusive Brethren boss is far scarier than 100 “union bossesâ€.
Unions don’t break up families.
I am a Union member… have been for 27 years. It makes me laugh when foolish people deride the benefits we have all enjoyed (both nonmembers and members) as a result of the work of unionists and their considerable effort.
My Union have worked tirelessly to support a multitude of worthy causes both here and abroad. The officials were elected by me and others like me to represent us. Who has the right to tell me I can’t be represented in such a way if I so wish.
It is beyond belief that 20% of the workforce can’t be represented by union officials as members of parliament. This 70% crap is hardly frightening. Most are brilliant people and hugely knowledgeable about the workplace, industry and business… far more knowledgeable than anyone the coalition could put forward.
Let us not forget that 16 years of growth was set up by the sacrifices of the union movement at the urging of it leaders to help Australia. I for one can never imagine the business council or AMA making any such contribution.
If you’re a Union basher you simply have no idea of the struggle it took to get to where we are today, by selfless and committed people. You need a good clip behind the ears.
For anyone interested, the Dennis and this Newspoll get the regression treatment.
http://possumcomitatus.wordpress.com/2007/10/17/does-economic-management-influence-the-primary-vote/
Why in the hell did Costello single out Bill shorten and Greg Combet? They must surely be two of the best liked people in the country.
Joe McDonald scary? He’s a big of a joke over here in the West, to be honest. Sure he gives unions a bad name now and again but for every Joe McDonald in the Union movement there are 10 Bill Shortens or 10 Greg Combets – articulate, smart, likable. That’s what is really scary to the Liberals.
Liberal – Going for lying… again…and again.
The poor Libs around here must really be hurting. All that hysteria. Talk about fear and loathing.
Look fellas, your bloke has had 11 years and people have just grown a bit tired of him.
That’s life. Most marriages don’t last that long.
If it helps, try thinking of what’s going to happen on 24th November as a trial separation.
So, you see, Mummy and Daddy still love you and it’s not the end of the world.
Because Costello has fallen for his own spin, he thinks that any and every unionist in the country is inherently bad. I realise this is a pre-requisite philosophy for joining the Liberal party, but I don’t think it persuades many voters.
well there is an issue with having alot of former union officers at the top of a political party, but I don’t think it means that party should be denied government. The issue is a long term debate about the structure of the ALP that will go on for a long time.
Go for Growth. Vote Liberal. You know you want to.
Actually I find that offernsive, I have never been a union member and the only political party I have ever belonged to is Liberal but Unions do not scare me in the least. I understand why they are actually necessary.
You are either an ideologue or have led a totally sheltered existence to make such a ridiculous statement.
Sure, I agree with this. But I don’t think “long term debate about structure of the ALP” changes any votes either. I doubt many voters could explain the structure of any political party, or explain how one could be improved.
‘Why in the hell did Costello single out Bill shorten and Greg Combet? They must surely be two of the best liked people in the country.’ – post 619
—————–
These sort of statements simply illustrate the reality that William’s otherwise excellent site is overpopulated by unrepresentative trade union hacks and Labor Party buffoons.
The reality is that it’s only taken a couple of days for the Liberals to strike the fear of God into these keyboard heroes. It’s only taken a few days for the Libs to grab the political agenda by the throat.
And the Labor stooges are absolutely petrified – why? Because they know that Rudd and Labor can hit the Liberals with their absolute worst, but Howard and Costello are going to stomp on them that little bit harder.
Government returned with an 8 seat majority.
Let it end @ 625
Here here. Good for you.
Idiot @ 627
Change hands.
Wow – The Labor party are the political wing of the labour movement, whats changed in over a hundred years?
And the Liberal party must separate from the EB
Evan and Fagin: brilliant comments gentlemen!
I just saw the latest Liberal ad on TV: so bad it’s amusing!
Oh dear, I’m so scared, those horrible union bosses are coming to get me. The funny thing is the Liberals can’t pin the union boss label on Rudd LMAO
rcandelori,
Life been hard for you ever since they got rid of slavery?
The news services displayed Labor as the positive forward thinking party and the Libs as being negative and carping. Fantastic.
Go for a growth. Get a neuclear reactor next door.
Labor wins day three.
Looks like “Tabitha” has a sister
Please do not prod the trolls with pointy sticks.
It’s obvious that John Howard and Peter Costello are unfit for government as Johnnie cannot name the official interest rate and Peter Costello can’t even tell us why people’s mortgages are supposedly going up by $3000 a year.
This is just unforgivable.
If i was a liberal party supporter this is the time of reasoning i would use.
On the other hand i am not from the liberal party and what i wrote is b.s
Maybe the next time Rudd forgets something trivial we can point these gaffes out and the trolls will actually think about something for once instead of sprouting the usual tired old unions = bad, KRUDD is just a copy of Howard and where are the alp’s policies even though i just commented on one of them
Overall i think the election campaign hasn’t really altered the perception that this government is tired. Sure they gave out 34 billion but this is over 5 years and really hasn’t made much difference to the average voter out there.
If all the coalition has is tax cuts and scary unions then they should move over as they do not have an adequate plan for this country.
According to Crikey.com.au and MediaMonitors, 75% of talk back callers dismissed his tax cuts as an election bribe. See bottom of this page:
http://www.crikey.com.au/Election-2007/daily-top-10.html
“most public students are trouble makers”
perhaps this fella is Jaime from Summer Heights High.
ice444 the 34b arent just tax cuts it is actually a tax policy something Labor doesnt know the meaning of…so much for Labor’s mantra that we are the highest taxing government on record complete BS if you ask me…something tells me we’ll hear nothing from the Unions throughout the entire campaign because they know they will damage Rudd’s chances…
**IF** Costello keeps his seat, he will be staring across parliament at one or both of these guys on the front bench not too far away from where he used to sit. Just desserts for trashing them today ……..
So what’s the official interest rate?
I hope there are not people who really think that Higgins will fall to the ALP, that would be delusional.
They’ll both be heavy hitters. Costello doesn’t want to face them when he is in opposition.
No 672
Just as delusional as predicting the downfall of Howard in Bennelong.
No. 676
Crikey is a left wing mouthpiece. How boring.
well i know higgins more than bennelong and the margin is higher in higgins. Does bennelong have a toorak in its borders, dont think so.
Rudd’s latest ad: nice answer to the “Evil Union Bosses” crap from the Rodent. Labor’s ads look much more sophisticated this time.
Which advertising agency are they using?
Evan: yes mate, we have to be on guard for those Liberal Party trolls infesting this blog and the ozelections2007 board. Obviously these young Liberals have been hired to troll the political sites.
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