Reflections on the Miracle of Democracy at Work in the Greatest Nation on Earth

Reuters poll trend: 54.8-45.2

Reuters’ fortnightly labour-saving device, Poll Trend, shows the two-party gap narrowing to 54.8-45.2 from 56.2-43.8 last time out. This is achieved by aggregating results from Newspoll, Morgan and ACNielsen and “smoothing volatility by using a five-term Henderson moving average”. Labor’s primary vote is down from 48.3 per cent to 47.8 per cent, with the Coalition up from 39.5 per cent to 40.8 per cent. A weekly breakdown shows that almost all of this movement came in the week before last.

UPDATE: Surprising news from SportingBet: “punters have flocked to the Coalition since this morning’s rate rise with 96% of money bet with Australia’s biggest bookmaker, Sportingbet Australia, going to the Coalition since the Reserve Bank’s announcement was made”.

658 Comments

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  1. 451
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:43 pm | Permalink

    Sportsbet has labor drifting uncontrollably to $1.32…..

  2. 452
    VoterBoy of Over the Water
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:44 pm | Permalink

    or Ann Coulter…

  3. 453
    Let It End
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:44 pm | Permalink

    Ross Gittens, always tells it the way it is.

    The treasurer is mainly pretence

    t’s clear from the way Howard and Costello have had to change their tune during the course of this campaign that, far from being able to influence interest rates, they didn’t even see this rise coming. As long ago as August, the Reserve Bank governor, Glenn Stevens, warned that if the consumer price index figures due on October 24 revealed a continued build-up of inflation pressure, he would have little choice but to raise rates, even if an election campaign were in progress at the time.

    So Howard could have called the election well before yesterday’s meeting of the Reserve Bank board, but he didn’t bother. That may go down as one of the great miscalculations of modern politics.

    Rather, he chose a campaign slogan, Go for Growth, that’s now proved embarrassingly inappropriate and has had to be ditched. He wanted to claim the credit for the economy’s rapid growth and promise that under the Libs it could continue indefinitely, leading us back to full employment.

    Whoops. It’s the rapid growth that’s making the Reserve so nervous about inflation and will have prompted it to raise interest rates twice in the past three months. Its objective is clear: to slow the rate of growth and thereby ease inflation pressure.

    A fortnight ago Howard and Costello were claiming the inflation rate was at its lowest in almost nine years. Now they say there’s a lot of inflation in the system so only they can be trusted to manage this “more challenging and difficult economic outlook”.

    Will the punters fall for this two elections in a row? I doubt it.

    http://www.smh.com.au/news/opinion/the-treasurer-is-mainly-pretence/2007/11/06/1194329223119.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

    Costello is a fraud!

  4. 454
    Crispy
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:45 pm | Permalink

    OMG look at the time. Deadline tomorrow. I’m unplugging my modem now and getting Mrs Crispy to hide it somewhere clever until the morning. G’night all.

  5. 455
    will
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:45 pm | Permalink

    LaborVoter, I agree.I have seen other elections where people voted the idiots in, you just don’t know how the average joe thinks

  6. 456
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:45 pm | Permalink

    http://pulse.ninemsn.com.au/forecast/

    The Pulse survey is now showing Labor winning 19 seats, but two of those are Wentworth and Bennelong.

    There are 12 seats listed as “Too Close to Call”. So this is another poll that suggests the result will either be a close Labor win, or a Labor landslide.

    Samples are now up to 900+ for most seats, i.e. margins of error of 3.5% or less.

    But it all depends on how good their weighting scheme is.

    Labor are wasting some huge swings in seats they already hold, especially in Victoria.

  7. 457
    Harry 'Snapper' Organs
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:45 pm | Permalink

    Lordy me, the LNP are absolutely gorn, mate, gorn. Have never seen such a total meltdown of a political party in my entire life, and I’m an old bastard. It couldn’t happen to a more deserving group of self serving, narcisstic, incompetent bastards ever in Australian political history.

  8. 458
    BLUEBOTTLE
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:46 pm | Permalink

    I don’t suppose there is any value in Labor doing a day or two on COSTELLO as your next [unelected] PM if you want him on your TV for the next 3 years ? Na, better to focus on WORSTCHOICES (IR) and toss some more money/messages at the mothers looking for childcare and education stuff now, oh and something substantial for the grey voters apparently yet to be detached from JWH in Victoria and WA.

  9. 459
    It's time
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:46 pm | Permalink

    What’s “The Monthly”? Some new magazine? Just saw an ad on SBS for it. Cover story was Costello – The great pretender.

  10. 460
    will
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:46 pm | Permalink

    Wayne Swan on LL, .the libs chickened out!

  11. 461
    Roy Orbison
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:46 pm | Permalink

    Mr Squiggle,

    “I think only 7:30 report carried it, so it may have been missed, but essentially the RBA statement today said wage pressures had been contained, despite other inflationary pressures.

    That’s the whole point. Costs are going up, people are working longer and more unsociable hours and wages don’t go up? The great unwashed feel they are carrying the can for the wealthy. And they’d be right!

  12. 462
    Dave55
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:47 pm | Permalink

    Is there an ACN out tomorrow?

    Oh and Swan on LL now.

  13. 463
    Winston
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:47 pm | Permalink

    Re interest rates it seems the great “wedger” has wedged himself.

    To say that the interest rate rise is evidence of a good economy is plausible if not for the commitment to keep rates at record lows. There’s a major contradiction there.

    The Libs are all over the place on this.

    If you want to claim responsibility for the good news you can’t avoid the bad.

  14. 464
    will
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:48 pm | Permalink

    Hey Harry”Snapper”Organs, how old are you? I thought I was old at 60!

  15. 465
    kina
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:49 pm | Permalink

    SportingBet

    Tuesday, 06 November

    Labor has won both weeks two and three of the election campaign convincingly. That is the verdict from punters betting with Australia’s biggest bookmaker, Sportingbet Australia.

    Sportingbet Australia CEO, Michael Sullivan today revealed that all the money had been for Labor since the end of the first week of the campaign.

    “The Coalition got an ‘election bounce’ after it called the election with 70% of bets in the first week going to the Coalition,” he said

    “But it was short lived and betting has been all Labor since then, with 61% of bets going to Labor in week two and 64% in week three.

    “Labor goes into week four of the campaign with a wind in their sail and well ahead in the betting markets, the polls and every other indicator going around.

    “And I’ve been running betting markets on elections for twenty years now and I’ve never seen either Party come from this far behind in the odds to win,” said Sportingbet CEO Michael Sullivan.

    Week 1 (bets) Week 2 (bets) Week 3 (bets)
    Labor 30% 61% 64%
    Coalition 70% 39% 36%

  16. 466
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:49 pm | Permalink

    There were two 15-second Labor interest rates ads during the first ad break on the Channel Nine News in Perth, and one 30-second Coalition interest rates ad during the second. On Channel Ten, the 15-second Labor ad ran in the second break and the 30-second Coalition ad ran in the third. You might be surprised to learn that the Channel Nine news ordered its stories as follows:

    0.33 Dante Arthur sentencing
    5.50 Prison escape
    7.33 Maori-Aborigines street brawl
    9.30 Ben Cousins back from US
    10.53 Interest rates
    14.44 Outro to ad break

  17. 467
    Glen
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:49 pm | Permalink

    Swan on lateline zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz!

    Worse than Andrew Robb.

    Will Downer was on last night that is why Swan is on tonight the Libs didnt chicken out mate you’re dreaming.

  18. 468
    will
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:51 pm | Permalink

    Hey Glen they declined the invitation to come on………they chickened out.

  19. 469
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:51 pm | Permalink

    Will Labors’ policies make housing more affordable?
    Wayne Swan on Lateline telling us what Labor will do. Simple answer we will tinker at the edges and do nothing.
    Other than workchoices and Climate Change there are few other differences between the parties.
    And peak oil is approaching and both parties are massively spending on roads. The future these people are dills.

  20. 470
    Winston
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:51 pm | Permalink

    Glen – are you saying Tony Jones tells fibs. Shame on you.

  21. 471
    Glen
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:51 pm | Permalink

    Jones didn’t say that Will he just said Swan was the guest for tonight.

  22. 472
    Diogenes
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:52 pm | Permalink

    Agree LaborVoter. A wise man once said “Noone ever went broke underestimating the intelligence of the American people”. And re Rupert I heard him on radio today saying he wouldn’t be intervening or commenting on the Australian election.

  23. 473
    turfmeister
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:53 pm | Permalink

    You must have caught too many zeds Glen, Tony Jones did say thatCostello and Howard both declined.

  24. 474
    Dazzamack from Perth
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:53 pm | Permalink

    Kina at 449,

    My Mrs is Chinese too, and tho she has no interest in politics as she has never known democracy, she does love seeing and hearing Rudd kick it in Chinese.

    You can’t tell me that Bennelong is safe for the Rat, cos if the Chinese/Asians there, the whole 17% of them, are anything like my Mrs (couldnt care less about politics but see a white guy who has taken time to learn their language) then Maxine is the next member for Bennelong

  25. 475
    BLUEBOTTLE
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:53 pm | Permalink

    Whats on tommorrow, oh yeah the great GAFFEGATE DEBATE..Both Garrett and Turnbull will be quickly dispatched to their respective caves thereafter and little more will be said about climate change-environment issues until election day.

    So, what will Rudd do to overcome his apparent electioneering fatigue and get the ‘gossip’ away from economic security and onto his trump cards ? I agree that more $$$$$ promises will not do it. Rudd has got this far by NOT scaring the horses.

  26. 476
    sondeo
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:53 pm | Permalink

    471
    Glen Says:
    November 7th, 2007 at 10:51 pm

    Jones didn’t say that Will he just said Swan was the guest for tonight.

    Glen, he said the Treasurer and Finance Minister were asked to appear and they refused.

  27. 477
    will
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:53 pm | Permalink

    Glen, you obviously missed the intro……….they declined to come on. I am sure I can be backed up on this.

  28. 478
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:54 pm | Permalink

    Thanks Billbowe.

    That’s the news in WA?

    Blardy hell!

    And here I was thinking Qld was parochial!

  29. 479
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:54 pm | Permalink

    If interest rates continue to rise under Labors very little approach this time next year Wayne Swan will be declining interviews on Lateline.

  30. 480
    Dave55
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:54 pm | Permalink

    Glen at 471

    Selective hearing from you I think. Jones said that he wanted a debate over interest rates but both Costello and Mincin declined to attend. Abbott is running late …

  31. 481
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:55 pm | Permalink

    Jones didn’t say that Will he just said Swan was the guest for tonight.

    Yeah, but the Liberals are gutless, it goes without saying. Why else would they say inflation is an unavoidable consequence of a growing economy?

  32. 482
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:55 pm | Permalink

    MarkyMarky,

    Peak Oil may be approaching, but Peak Rabbit has passed.

  33. 483
    AM
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:55 pm | Permalink

    The way Tony Jones is attacking Swan, you would think Labour has been running the country for 11 years.

    Is Tony a JWH attack dog?, he has tried to wedge Swan about ten times, Swan has avoided everyone.

  34. 484
    will
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:55 pm | Permalink

    Glen……..nar nar nar nar nah!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  35. 485
    turfmeister
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:57 pm | Permalink

    Anyway as an aside an each way bet on Arapaho Miss in the Oaks might be worth considering.

  36. 486
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:58 pm | Permalink

    Selective hearing from you I think. Jones said that he wanted a debate over interest rates but both Costello and Mincin declined to attend. Abbott is running late …

    And Howard is busy being told the new interest rate by Tracy Grimshaw.

  37. 487
    Frank Calabrese
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:58 pm | Permalink

    ACTU Real People ad on Ch 7 Perth now. Seven News ran about 3-4 ALP ads compared to 1 Liberal ad.

  38. 488
    tabitha
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:59 pm | Permalink

    Labor tries hard always fails
    Liberal works hard always delivers

  39. 489
    Triffid
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 10:59 pm | Permalink

    I know this is completely off topic & would be better posted elsewhere in a technical forum, but if anyone has been using RSS Feeders for a while & wouldn’t mind sharing what they use, I’d be most grateful.

  40. 490
    ShowsOn
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 11:00 pm | Permalink

    [Liberal works hard always delivers] interest rate increases.

  41. 491
    will
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 11:00 pm | Permalink

    I thought Wayne Swan handled Tony Jones quite well

  42. 492
    VoterBoy of Over the Water
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 11:00 pm | Permalink

    Labor tries hard, often succeeds
    Liberal blowhards usually fail

  43. 493
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 11:01 pm | Permalink

    @488

    You can lead a horse to water….but you cant afford the delivery charge
    A bird in the hand is worth a turd in the waterpipe….

  44. 494
    sondeo
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 11:01 pm | Permalink

    Triffod @ 489, I use Firefox Browser with an RSS plugin….excellent.

  45. 495
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 11:02 pm | Permalink

    I love people who think as far as ten minutes ahead.
    Meanwhile tax breaks for rich through negative gearing continue causing people with nothing to struggle and what are our governments going to do about the wealthy who can afford to negative gear provide crumbs to people entering the market. What next.

  46. 496
    will
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 11:02 pm | Permalink

    Tabitha is just a liberal hack
    Talks not from the mouth but from her crack

  47. 497
    Glen
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 11:02 pm | Permalink

    Still why would you want to give Swan any credibility by appearing on Lateline with him, Cossie and Howie were right not to give the Rooster the light of day. If Jones wanted a debate on interest rates he should have had it last week not the day of the rise of course they are not going to want to go on Lateline to get belted by Red Jones.

    I saw the intro just not the intro of the Swan interview, i stand corrected.

  48. 498
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 11:03 pm | Permalink

    @496 LOL

  49. 499
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 11:03 pm | Permalink

    Triffid,

    Feedreader is easy
    http://www.feedreader.com/download

  50. 500
    Deo
    Posted Wednesday, November 7, 2007 at 11:03 pm | Permalink

    Costello shows his yellow belly again by refusing an appearance on Lateline. What a sorry excuse for a man.

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