The Australian politics thread

[howardj]

music to his ears

[stephen]

Queensland politics gets personal as Campbell Newman attacks Anna Bligh's husband Greg Withers | Courier Mail

Wow, what a sensationalist headline. A better one would be "Campbell Newman attacks high ranking public servant in charge of bloated department". I can't believe that DERM has 5600 employees. What can they possibly be doing all day?

[howardj]

The biggest furphy as to why Labor can't change leaders again is that the Indies will desert the Government and force an election; that their agreement rests on Gillard remaining PM. While that may have at one stage been true, the current climate has rendered it no longer so. The last thing the Indies want is an election. They want an election even less than Labor. Not only would they be annihilated, but their only ever taste of power and relevance would be extinguished.

Labor should dump Gillard and install Steven Smith. She just has no connection at all with the public. Rudd, Hawke, Howard - there was a connection there at some stage. And Keating at least had public respect. With Gillard...she just leaves you cold.

Installing Smith wouldn't generate a short term turnaround in the polls, but people would at least be more receptive to what Labor does and has to say for the next two years.

[SirBloody Idiot]

I like Smith, but the guy is just as ineffective a talker as Gillard is. I think they've probably got to bite the bullet, get pulverised in the next election and start again from there.

[stephen]

Really the ALP's only choice if they want to maintain power after the next election is a return to Rudd. I get the feeling that some in the party would rather lose the election than return to Kev.

[Top_Cat]

$10? Feeling the pain? Carbon class war? You must be joking - The Drum Opinion - The sense of greed and entitlement in this carbon tax debate is almost beyond belief. (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

[Spark]

So much awesome in the above.

[Burgey]

Apparently there is a story coming to light on 730 Report tonight that a News Limited publication hacked the phone of a Howard Government minister in the lead up to the 2007 election.

Mr Hartigan ought to hope this is not the case.

[Son Of Coco]

Really the ALP's only choice if they want to maintain power after the next election is a return to Rudd. I get the feeling that some in the party would rather lose the election than return to Kev.

As much as I know that's what the Libs would love, I disagree. The election's a long way off yet.

Interesting piece from Laurie Oaks in the paper on the weekend too...it seems old pollies are changing their minds almost as quickly as the current ones.

"Being among the first movers on carbon trading in this region will bring new opportunities and we intend to grasp them." - do tell Johnny Howard...do tell.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/...-1226095596737

[SirBloody Idiot]

fmd Alan Jones is one of the worst people in the country.

[benchmark00]

fmd Alan Jones is one of the worst people in the country.

[howardj]

Everyone knows a Steven Smith type character. Look at the man. He's your suburban accountant, he's your brother's cricket coach, he's your local school teacher, he's the local small businessman.

[stephen]

As much as I know that's what the Libs would love, I disagree. The election's a long way off yet.

I really think that people have stopped listening to Julia. She can't be leader if the ALP want to maintain power.

The polls are saying that Rudd is the man. I think he'd be their best choice. He's the only one on their team with any election winning form. But he would have to go to the polls sooner rather than later, because he wouldn't want to remind the electorate why the ALP got rid of him in the first place.

Simon Crean would be ok too, but he isn't exactly Mr Charisma.

[James90]

The likelihood of a Labor win in 2013 is looking very slim but changing leader or policy direction won't accomplish anything. Gillard is the perfect leader to get outcomes in a hung parliament but not the best for bringing the community along with her. I think some of the negative sentiment will die off after the carbon tax is legislated, the flood levy has been and gone, the NBN has been rolled out as have numerous GP Super Clinics and Trades Training Centres.

I don't know who is responsible for the following quote but I'm starting to like it: "The Labor Party's role is to make large-scale irreversible reform when in Government, even if it means being out of Government for a long time"

Smith is uninspiring, Combet is too green (in both senses of the word), Swan is too tainted and Rudd is too friendless. The next ALP leader will be Bill Shorten and he will lead from opposition.

[benchmark00]

Smith is uninspiring, Combet is too green (in both senses of the word), Swan is too tainted and Rudd is too friendless. The next ALP leader will be Bill Shorten and he will lead from opposition.

Definitely agree with this.