4 Comments

1. 1
   Bogdanovist
   Posted July 22, 2010 at 1:55 pm | Permalink

   A scanning error has (inadvertantly) improved rule 14 considerably and appropriately!

2. 2
   moo
   Posted July 22, 2010 at 2:49 pm | Permalink

   “Press Gallery president Phillip Hudson has just distributed the rules for Sunday night’s debate as agreed between the two parties”

   I am still left bemused by the fact that these rules control only one debate between only two parties.

3. 3
   david.byrnes
   Posted July 22, 2010 at 3:19 pm | Permalink

   Sounds like a Q and A episode only less intersting.

   Why are they not able to ask questions of each other exactly? Isn’t this the only opportunity for the next 3 years that the two leaders will actually stand across from one another and have the chance to engage in an acutal dialogue.

   All the other times throughout the term it’s either one of them asking a single question and getting an 8-10 minute answer, or waging a war of words with the media playing middle man and the voters seeing a 10-20 second summary of the key grabs on the 6pm news.

   You wouldn’t hear the Prime Minister saying “I’m not going to engage in speculation…” if the one questioning her was the Leader of the Opposition.

   No wonder they thought Masterchef would trounce it.

4. 4
   Ron E. Joggles
   Posted July 24, 2010 at 8:53 am | Permalink

   “4. The debate will open with a three (3) minute opening statement by both Leaders”

   Surely it’s a bit unrealistic to expect Abbott and Gillard to co-operate on a joint opening statement.

   I think it would be better to have “a three (3) minute opening statement by each Leader”.

   Or is that what Phillip Hudson meant? Is it possible that he doesn’t understand the distinction between “both” and “each”? The National Press Club represents the pinnacle of Australian journalism, doesnt it?

   Then again, these rules have to be understood by Abbott and Gillard – I guess that’s why Phillip thought it necessary to include “(3)” alongside “three”.