Actually, I had a bit of a brainphart here. The ALP didn't loose the seat, they just failed to win it and registered the swing. That makes 16 to go, I think. Still a bad result for them though.

""The win continues the Nationals' 86-year stranglehold on the seat, in Victoria's south east corner""

 

...and how many different governments have been in and out of power in that time?  This means nothing.

Btw, topic title is a bit provocative; I thought people were trying to make a better effort around here to keep things from being dragged down by 'my politics is better than yours'  "discussion".

Just a mere comment AG. :)

But what if my politics actually is better/superior to yours? :P

Brett.

 

P.S Fair point though FO.......the title assumes that A) This Board's Australians collectively desire a change of gov't, and that B) A Liberal/National Coalition government is the way to go....... No problem with that personally, but obviously not all necessarily agree.

that is funny, I don't recall you ever making such an effort.

regardless, things get worse for Krudd from here, his fuelwatch is a joke as is the follow on turnipwatch, his off the cuff "end all nukes" club is an obvious redundant distraction from his other policy disasters, his AsianEU was so off the cuff that the Indian minister for external affairs found out about it from our press,  he has shown himself to be the bastard boss that the unions campaigned against last election (and they have started campaigning against him already), his signing of Kyoto will come home to roost, with the carbon trading scheme that his cabinet is trying to invent due to start, in 2010 (an election year) - jack up the price of everything then go to the polls!, a"luxury car" tax increase that hits Taragos (won't "working families" love that one), the "alcopops" fiasco and forcing aust post to jack up the price of a stamp to 55 cents in Oct to cover the $150 mil that Labor is lifting from the till.

 

All in the first 7 months. throw in the berserker woman from the Iguana and Krudd is the gift that keeps on giving.

... because one of you has obviously died and Fallouts been put in charge of censoring the Australia board. Alternatively he might like to just not contribute to threads that he finds too "provocative", instead of telling other people what they can and can't talk about.

 

I agree with those that are saying that the bye election result isn't a huge deal of its own accord. However a swing of that size is a small indicator of where things are heading for the Rudd government. They haven't done a very good job thus far. To Kevin's list of complaints which I mostly agree with, you can add the fact that they fritted away the golden opportunity for real spending cuts during their electoral honey moon.

Here in Canberra which is pretty strongly ALP territory, there is a quiet sense of disollusionment with the way that they are running things. What I'm hearing everywhere is that they are disoganised, obsessed with image and symbolism, and Ministers won't make a tough call on their own. A lot of that gets back to Rudd's micromanaging leadership style and a distinct lack of political guts. Personally I'm surprised because I thought he would be better at this. He has also created a massive rod for his own back by promising things he couldn't deliver at the last elecion, which was stupid because people were sick of Howard and were going to kick him out one way or another.

 

I reckon that unless they start getting some runs on the board, before too long the public will start questioning the wisdom of their decision of the last election. The problem for them is that getting runs on the board is going to be hard because they don't have control of the Senate. Combine that with a change of opposition leader who can make more of an impression than Nelson (who I like but who just doesn't seem to connect with the public), then they will start  looking threatened. I also wouldn't rule out the ALP turning on Rudd if he lost a lot of seats at the next election or if he took a big slide in the polls, because he isn't well liked in the party.

 

I'm making the prediction that Turnbull will lead the Libs to the next election and the ALP will take a big hit, but will hold on by the skin of their teet. They they will be in a prime position to be booted the next time around.

Well said. Fallout is employing a standard socialist tactic of trying to delegitimise any discussion that does not support the left's point of view. Our democracy is built upon open debate by all "sides" of the political spectrum and should continue this way.

I cannot claim to have any knowledge of FOs intentions, but the obervable nature implies that ALL political discussion points are to be avoided. Given the divergent views of those such as FO and BF perhaps this is appropriate. Although I am sure that a similar reaction to that present here by predominantly right-wingers would be my fate were I to start posting some of my RW rants/comments on the Daily Kos ............is it necessary to consider the political context of the website? (Strong Defence being the more frequent domain of those on the right?) I would think yes and no.  Yes in so far as the demographics of those who use the site, but no in so far as LW people can have ideas on Defence too (Was Labor really wrong to identify Fighters and Subs as DOA critical? - scrapping of Forward Defence and the Land Force implications aside). I would think that for full and frank discussion we need a cross-section of views and that politics may need to be checked at the door.........or simply minimised to sniping side comments that do not subvert topics of discussion (or alternatively post topics of purely poitical natures to indulge there rather than in the Defence related ones).

 

Brett.

 

P.S For any of those feeling in agreement with my comments above, but also concerned about the potential political centrism involved......I have composed a prayer to make it alright (despite its highly blasphemous nature - complaints department staff are standing by).

 

O' Heavenly father, may this affliction of wall to wall labor governments be mercifully short. May they, being naughty in thy sight, 'snuff it'.  May the 'lustrous glass jaw' of KRudd shatter after one term. Might media-consultant political machines of substantial spin and little substance be shown to be the work of the devil that they most assuredly are. May the future see plentiful and adequate defence spending, that we might more perfectly cooperate in coalitions. May flights (II A) of heavenly angels speed the introduction of AWDs for the RAN. Amen.

 

P.P.S "He's definately going to hell for that one!"......... :P

 

Thats what I did. It keeps those of us interested in politics happy without politicising every Defence related one.

 

P.P.S "He's definately going to hell for that one!"......... :P

Well I guess its some consolation, to the already collapsed coalition. Wait a minute, its seems to have collapsed further and downer has departed, perhaps the 42% two part preferred did not favor is aspirations for the next election.

 

Just my 2c

1stCohort.