Australia General Discussion

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Wish I could've been there...

Same here. My Gran was contemplating whether or not she was going to go, but she decided against it. Thanks to a damned cold, which is also keeping me from school today.

I can imagine the front page of the Herald Sun after this occuring today. "I STILL LOVE WAYNE" oh wait, that's exactly what the Herald Sun will have as their major headline tomorrow .

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Rudd's War on Binge Drinking is not going to work, nor is Brendan Nelson's proposed forum on the matter.

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Move over Binge Drinking, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd has another problem to deal with. Petrol Prices. How could such an idiot promise to cut petrol prices, when it is out of his control to do so? Well finally, thanks to this latest news event, most of the Australian people have finally caught onto this. The "Honeymoon" is now over .

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Petrol prices is a worldwide crisis. Australia, France, Canada etc.

Try telling that to Kevin Rudd, the man who believed that even though the current Petrol Crisis is that of a worldwide one, he could cut petrol prices.

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Rudd lets Japan off the Hook

PRIME Minister Kevin Rudd has effectively conceded defeat on his plan to stop Japanese whaling, declaring after talks in Tokyo that Australia and Japan have agreed to disagree on the issue.

The long-awaited talks between Mr Rudd and his Japanese counterpart, Yasuo Fukuda, concluded yesterday with both leaders saying the Japan-Australia relationship was too important to be disrupted by their disagreement over whaling.

Mr Rudd later insisted that Labor's policy had not changed from last year, when he demanded that the Howard government take Japan to the International Court and pledged that Labor would do so.

But he made it clear yesterday that Labor now had no plans to take Japan to court and would instead pursue its complaints through normal diplomatic channels and through its campaign to reform the International Whaling Commission.

"Prime Minister Fukuda and I have agreed that you can have disagreements between friends," Mr Rudd said, with Mr Fukuda at his side. "This disagreement should not undermine in any way the strong relations between our two countries … we will be working diplomatically for the period ahead."

This means, in effect, that after Labor's election campaign pledge to haul Japan before the International Court, and after the Government spent $1 million sending a Customs vessel to follow the Japanese whaling fleet last summer to collect video evidence, Australia's policy on whaling is now back where it started.

Mr Rudd immediately came under attack from anti-whaling groups and the Opposition, which said it was not good enough to "agree to disagree" and called on the Government to announce its long-delayed special envoy on whaling.

Last summer the Japanese killed 551 minke whales, the most abundant whale species. This was well short of its target of 850 minkes and 100 larger whales. Ecologist and former Australian of the Year Tim Flannery has argued that Australia should not oppose the minke kill, saying it frees up food in the oceans for the larger, endangered whales

Mr Fukuda was keen to talk about the whaling issue, raising it in private discussions over lunch as well as in formal talks. But the Australian side saw no shift in his stance, and in his public statement he emphasised that diplomacy had triumphed.

"We agreed to engage in further discussion, so that differences on this issue will not underline good bilateral relations," he said.

The talks took place amid political turmoil in Japan, after Mr Fukuda was censured by the Opposition-controlled Upper House for making people over 75 meet more of their medical costs. But Mr Fukuda took two hours off his domestic troubles for an hour of official talks followed by lunch with Mr Rudd.

Importantly, he gave support to Mr Rudd's initiative to try to tighten the nuclear non-proliferation treaty by setting up an international commission co-chaired by former foreign minister Gareth Evans and holding an international conference to discuss how the treaty can be made more effective.

In a communique, the two leaders did not mention whaling.

But they emphasised the strengths of the bilateral relationship, which has been questioned after the sharp dispute over whaling and after the Rudd Government's decision to pull out of talks between the US, Japan, India and Australia - which China saw as aimed against it. Instead, the leaders agreed to strengthen bilateral and trilateral defence co-operation.

Responding to Mr Rudd's retreat on whaling, Greenpeace Australia Pacific chief executive Steve Shallhorn said it was time to move on the appointment of a whaling envoy "because regular diplomatic channels are clearly not working".

Opposition environment spokesman Greg Hunt said the failure to announce the appointment sent a message to Japan that Labor was only interested in the whaling issue for domestic purposes.

He also said the Government's election promise to take Japan to the International Court "was always a fraud".


Prime Minister Rudd has also taken this opportunity to backflip on his "Education Revolution" policy which would see Year 9-12 students like myself receive a free laptop computer. According to Education Minister Julia Gillard the plan isn't even likely to start in 2013, some five years after it was proposed this supposed Revolution would begin.

But despite all of the above and with the Rudd Government's blunders of late, such as the leakings of the Fuelwatch scheme, which was even criticised by my own member of Parliament, Martin Ferguson, who happens to be Energy and Resources Minister, Kevin Rudd's Labor Government will be re-elected in 2010.

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Lib/Nats to win in 2010?

With Brendan Nelson at the helm? I think YES . Although the Gippsland by-election officially finishes Kevin Rudd's honeymoon period as Australia's 26th Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd will sadly be re-elected for a second term in 2010. Sure Petrol Prices, the Housing Crisis, etc have all played a major part in the National's 7% swing in Gippsland and will continue to be on the minds of Australian voters for some years to come, and most likely be on their minds in 2010 but Rudd will weave his magic, as seen in last years election and thus win. However I can see the Rudd Government losing a maximum of 3-5 seats thus reducing their majority.

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Thanks to the Great Depression in October 1929, the Australian Labor Party lost one of their bright hopes for the future, Treasurer Joe Lyons who was lured by the prospect of heading the United Australia Party. The UAP was then new conservative political party which consisted of former Nationalists and members of the Country Party, ranging from Billy Hughes, John Latham to Earle Page. The United Australia Party led by the popular Lyons was consequently elected at the 1931 General Election over incumbent Prime Minister James Scullin and his Labor Government. The 1931 General Election proved to be a significant one as it was the first to see both leaders of a Roman Catholic background.

Smid, what do you hope to achieve from this? Will Polnut and Hugh help contribute in our ventures to inform other members of the forum about Australian political history? I don't want to be the only one rambling about General Election's in the 1930's .

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BUMP

Newspoll: Voters want Costello to lead the Liberal Party

Font Size: Decrease Increase Print Page: Print Dennis Shanahan, Political editor | July 29, 2008
PETER Costello is overwhelmingly the first choice among voters to lead the Liberal Party, as Brendan Nelson stakes his leadership on trying to delay the Rudd Government's carbon emissions trading scheme.

The Opposition Leader is in a tight political position as he forms a new Coalition policy on climate change, is accused of being "gutless" and of using the emissions trading scheme as a tool of Liberal leadership jostling.

The latest Newspoll survey shows Mr Costello, the former treasurer who has sat on the back bench since the Coalition lost the election, emerging as the popular favourite to be Liberal leader - doubling his support since December. It also confirms the Government's dominance over the Opposition, with Labor leading the Coalition on a two-party-preferred basis by 57 per cent to 43 per cent.

As Mr Costello decides whether to resign or stay in politics and possibly lead the Liberal Party, Dr Nelson has less than half the former treasurer's support among voters. According to the survey, taken exclusively for The Australian last weekend, Mr Costello has 41 per cent support compared with Dr Nelson's 18 per cent.

Dr Nelson also trailed the Opposition's Treasury spokesman, Malcolm Turnbull, who received 24 per cent as preferred Liberal leader. In December last year as the Liberals contemplated a new leader to replace John Howard, support was shared among five candidates, Mr Costello, Dr Nelson, Mr Turnbull, Tony Abbott and Julie Bishop.

The December Newspoll survey showed Mr Turnbull on 25per cent, Mr Costello on 23 per cent, Dr Nelson on 15 per cent, Ms Bishop on 13 per cent and Mr Abbott on 6 per cent. With Ms Bishop and Mr Abbott removed from the latest poll, all of the public support appears to have shifted to Mr Costello as speculation has swirled about his future.

Many Liberal MPs believe Mr Costello should stay in parliament and become Liberal leader, while others are convinced he intends to leave politics once he has finished writing his biography, due to be published in October.

Mr Costello was on holiday with his family yesterday and is not expected to return until after the Liberal Party meeting on Wednesday to discuss the climate change policy.

In the Newspoll, Mr Costello's strengths were among Coalition voters - with 53 per cent preferring the former treasurer - men and those over 50 while Dr Nelson's were among women and those over 50. Mr Turnbull's highest support was among ALP voters.

But when asked if Mr Costello's leadership would make a difference in the way they voted, 57 per cent said it would make no difference. Twenty-three per cent of those surveyed said Mr Costello's leadership would make them more likely to vote for the Coalition and 15 per cent said it would make them less likely to vote for the Coalition.

Voters were overwhelmingly of the view, 65 per cent, that Mr Costello should stay in parliament until at least the next election. Three former Coalition ministers have already resigned from parliament, forcing by-elections, and there have been government calls for Mr Costello to resign and hold a by-election for his Victorian seat of Higgins at the same time.

Kevin Rudd also kept his 50-plus percentage point lead over Dr Nelson as preferred prime minister in the weeks after the release of the Government's green paper advocating an emissions trading scheme, which could push electricity and gas prices by 16 and nine per cent.

Mr Rudd had 66 per cent support as preferred prime minister compared with Dr Nelson's 14per cent.

Wayne Swan attacked Dr Nelson's position yesterday as being "gutless", saying an ETS had "become the tool of various forces in the (Liberal) party room in their jostling for the leadership".

"This is too important an issue for Australia to be subject to that sort of treatment in the Liberal Party but that's the stage they've got to, because they are simply incapable of facing up to the long-term challenges that are essential to our future prosperity," the Treasurer said.

"We certainly will not shirk our responsibility to deal with the really tough and hard decisions of the future, which we are required to make if we are going to protect future prosperity. Dealing with dangerous climate change, and not dealing with it, has a very substantial cost," Mr Swan said.


Although it would be a spectacle so see Costello and Rudd duel in Parliament Housequestion time when you've got nothing else to do on a weekday afternoon, I cannot forsee Costello launching a bid for the Liberal Party leadership anytime soon. Costello had his chance to finally become leader of the Liberal Party upon the Government's defeat in November 2007, but his time has gone. Brendan Nelson, yes Brendan Nelson, will stay on as leader of the Liberal Party until the next Election due in 2010, eventhough Nelson has been lacklustre as leader of the Opposition.

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What's the source? The Australian?

It is indeed The Australian Smid, one of my favourite Australian newspapers, though The Age is my personal favourite. It has the right balance between stimulating political discussion and articles, not to mention excellent football journalists .

Costello would be a fantastic leader!

Costello would be better than Nelson for sure. Primarily because he would offer more enjoyable Parliamentary Debates between himself, Kevin Rudd and quite possibly Treasurer Wayne Swan. Not to mention he could always mock Environment Minister Peter Garrett by dancing similar to him in his Midnight Oil days. I'd like to see Brendan do that. 

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Government Attacks Costello as Leadership Speculation Mounts

The Federal Government is continuing to attack the record of former treasurer Peter Costello, as speculation increases about him taking over the Liberal leadership.

Brendan Nelson's leadership has come under renewed pressure over the past few weeks following his handling of the Coalition's climate change policy.

It has been reported Mr Costello is waiting to be drafted to the leadership to avoid a tussle between Dr Nelson and Opposition treasury spokesman Malcolm Turnbull.

Prime Minister Kevin Rudd told Channel Nine the question the Liberal Party faces is one of policy, not personality.

"Look at the three big policy challenges we're wrestling with at the moment," he said.

"On the economy, the Liberal Party left us with interest rates the second highest in the developed world, inflation at a 16-year high and 10 successive interest rate increases and beyond that, on climate change, 12 years of neglect and denial, and the only thing they believed in, WorkChoices."

Mr Rudd dismissed suggestions that, given the economic circumstances, Mr Costello would make for a formidable opponent.

"The key question on the future of the country is are you fair dinkum about long-term economic leadership and what we've inherited from 12 years of Costello as treasurer are the facts and figures I ran through before, including the second highest interest rates in the world," he said.

"Together with his being part and parcel of a government that was engaged in climate change denial and WorkChoices and Mr Costello, among the others, was wanting to take WorkChoices even further, so on that score I've got to say it is quite clear cut that the Liberals, whoever their leader is, have a real policy problem with their direction for the nation's future, because of the legacy they left us in the past."

Trade Minister Simon Crean has told Channel Ten he is not sure Mr Costello is the answer to the Opposition's leadership problems.

"This is a guy that whenever he's been wooed he's never consented and whenever he's chased he's never succeeded," he said.

"He's also the treasurer that has had a manic obsession in terms of pursuing an agenda that really cost the previous government a lot in the last election - WorkChoices."

NELSON STILL CONFIDENT

Yesterday Dr Nelson said he was confident he still had the backing of senior Liberals.

He said he had no plans to talk to Peter Costello about his intentions when he returns from holidays.

Former prime minister John Howard yesterday offered his support to Dr Nelson as party leader, saying it is a tough, unrelenting job in opposition.

"There is no harder job than being leader of an opposition, it's tough, it's unrelenting. You have my total goodwill, my total support," he said.

Speaking at the New South Wales Liberal Council meeting in Sydney yesterday, Dr Nelson said it was up to the former treasurer to decide his future.

"Peter Costello has earned the right to make the decision about his future with his own family in the best interests of both them and the people of Higgins," Dr Nelson said.

"As I've said privately and publicly, I would be very happy for Peter Costello to stay on in the Parliament.

"If he chooses to do so he will immediately be on the frontbench, but that's his choice, that's his decision, he'll make it in due course and in good time."


It appears that I have spoken too soon about Brendan Nelson's embattled leadership of the Liberal Party. As everyday passes it seems that former Treasurer Peter Costello is mounting a leadership challenge against Nelson. You know it's big when it's being talked about alot in the Australian media at the moment. However the Australian media did so when there was a yet another potential Costello challenge for the Liberal Leadership in 2006 and in 2007, but that moment never came. So with such leadership challenges in the world of Australian politics you never know.

In typical Costello fashion, Costello has not taken the plunge as of yet and it has been rumoured that Costello is waiting for a "Draft Costello" movement to declare his candidature. It shall be an interesting few weeks, though I have a feeling that Nelson will stay on as leader until the next Election. Costello's too weak declare his candidacy and knowing Costello he probably won't challenge Nelson at all.

Off the topic of Peter Costello, I saw Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner this morning. However, my Mum wouldn't allow me to talk to him, probably because I would have vigorously attacked and him, and you might be surprised, it has nothing to do with his politics. Tanner has been the member for Melbourne since 1993. It took eleven years for my Gran and myself to see him on television, another three years to hear him speak and another year to see him in person. Damned Australian politicians or any that never come to your electorate. You can thank safe seats for that .

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Costello Reveals He Won't Be Leader

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After all the months and speculation of former Treasurer Peter Costello challenging incumbent leader of the Liberal Party Brendan Nelson, Nelson's ailing leadership is safe for yet another day. And one would assume with Costello's decision that he will quickly exit the political arena, however he will not, at least for another six months or so. Why? Because of The Costello Memoirs which, according to Melbourne's The Age are the most anticipated Australian political memoirs of the decade. Thus, in my mind Peter Costello wants to finish his career in Canberra with a bang and piss off a lot of people along the way. Should be an interesting read and a quite humorous one as well, or so I think.

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I'm looking forward to getting it and seeing if he'll autograph it for me.

I'll probably end up buying his Memoirs myself due to their much anticipated status. It shall be interesting to read Costello's remarks about last year's election, especially Caucus' attempts to remove Howard from the Prime Ministership upon the conclusion of the APEC Summit back in September 2007.

Anyway, Smid I assume you have connects to Costello himself or with a friend of a friend? You know, I would always like my copy signed

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I'm titty ing your mother! 
Now that's how you have a sex scandal!  You cats are nuts down under!

And he's still denying he performed sex acts on a fellow Minister on Budget Night. And that Minister, who happened to be Noreen Hay who happens to look like this. Who would have thought that Budget Night could turn from a sophisticated event into a sex romp, even with the most unattractive parliamentarians. Only in New South Wales.

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NSW is indeed screwed up. It's glorious. Melbourne will reign supreme once more!

TAKE THAT NEW SOUTH WALES! Compared to the situation in New South Wales at the present, the Brumby Government looks competant compared to the former Iemma Government and the incumbent Rees Government. Isn't he lucky they have fixed four year terms and that the last election in New South Wales was held in March 2007.

Anyway...did you see the game last night Conor? Hmmn? Dreaming really is all you can do.  

Indeed it is Hugh, indeed it is, and believe me I think I will be dreaming for the next couple of years. Judging from our performance last night I believe that we're heading into a redevelopment phase, one which no AFL team can avoid. To you're boys credit Hugh they played very well last night, primarily because you have our former coach Rodney Eade as your coach. Hehe. I bid you good luck against Geelong next Friday night and you will need it. Shame it was such a beautiful night, we had excellent seats and yet we lost At least it was to my second favourite team

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Damn it Smid you beat me to it

It should be interesting how the Liberal Caucus votes this morning to decide whether they keep ailing leader Brendan Nelson or select Shadow Treasurer Malcolm Turnbull to lead the struggling Federal Liberal Party. Although I would like Turnbull to defeat Nelson at the ballot this morning, I suspect that Nelson will do vice versa defeat Turnbull. However saying all of the above if anyone should lead the Liberal Party at this point in time it should be Peter Costello, he's the only one that could win the next election for them, despite being closely linked to the Howard Government. Hehe.

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Why would Turnbull?

Because Turnbull was the only other candidate for the Liberal Party leadership who's name was not Brendan Nelson and nobody else, a part from Malcolm Turnbull and Brendan Nelson wanted the Liberal Party leadership. And guess who the Liberal Party selected out of those two options.

The Liberals aren't going to win in 2010, probably not in 2013

Its fair to say that the Rudd Government, despite their falling popularity amongst the electorate will win reelection in 2010, presumably against a Liberal Party led by Malcolm Turnbull. However I do expect there to be a swing against the Labor Government. We must remember the Liberal Party does only need a 2.9% swing towards them in the 2010 election to regain control in Canberra.

As for your comments regarding 2013 Xahar, I think if the Labor Government led by either incumbent PM Kevin Rudd or by present day Deputy PM Julia Gillard becomes drastically unpopular amongst the electorate that the Liberals have a decent shot at regaining control in Canberra. Anywho its too early to predict whether or not the Liberal Party have a chance at winning to 2013 election. We must remember it is five years away.

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Although I like Malcolm Turnbull and hopes he defeats Kevin Rudd's Labor Party at the next election he has sure made some shocking cabinet decisions today.

Whilst I did predict that Turnbull would select Deputy Leader Julie Bishop to become Shadow Treasurer today, Bishop was selected purely based on tokenism. The same applies for when Bishop was elected as Deputy Leader of the Federal Liberal Party last November. Bishop is by far no means an excellent parliamentarian, nor can she conduct an interview properly thus I have some doubts, in fact a lot of them regarding Turnbull's selection to make her Shadow Treasurer. Not to mention there were far superior choices Turnbull could have made to select as Shadow Treasurer, Andrew Robb anyone?

Whilst on the topic of Andrew Robb I have no idea why he was replaced by Helen Coonan in the Foreign Affairs portfolio. Robb, for someone who had only briefly served as a minister in the Howard Government in 2007 was doing quite well in his Foreign Affairs portfolio and I thought deserved to remain in his position, if not Foreign Affairs then the Treasury. Likewise with Bishop in the Treasury, I have a lot of doubts regarding Coonan in the Foreign Affairs portfolio.

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I can't help it, I love Senator Coonan.

Really? That was something that I didn't expect. Although I believe that despite her extensive ministerial experience she will faulter in her new position as Shadow Foreign Affairs Minister, she is much more tolerable than Julie Bishop or the infamous Bronwyn Bishop.

I once predicted she'd be our first female PM, and even though she is a senator, it might just happen.

If any female politician is to become Australia's first female Prime Minister than it would have to be Julia Gillard and she's in the prime position too: Deputy Prime Minister. Hugh, I doubt we will ever see another Senator become Prime Minister of Australia. It was a mere fluke that John Gorton, who as we know was a current member of the Senate at the time, became Prime Minister in January 1968 all due to John McEwen's dislike of William McMahon. And Helen Coonan doing a Gorton in the near future I doubt it very much so.

On another matter Hugh sorry to see your boys lose to Geelong last Friday night. However, I'm glad to see Adam Cooney come home with the Brownlow Medal . This coming from the man who wanted the crowd's favourite Richmond's Matthew Richardson to claim the coveted prize.

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Of course, Bronwyn Bishop also made the move from Senate to House of Reps, in the thought that she might become leader and subsequently PM.

Ah yes, who can forget back in 1994 when Hewson's leadership was on the rocks and Bishop was considered the odds on favourite to replace Hewson at the helm. But once a spill was called by Hewson in May 1994 she didn't run for the vacant position and ultimatly it went to Alexander Downer, who lasted a mere nine months. Compared to Brendan Nelson, Alexander Downer could have won in 1996 had he survived

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I knew Julie Bishop would be a terrible selection for the Treasury portfolio and now, only two days after being appointed to the position she has done a "Wayne Swan".

Jule Bishop Gets Official Interest Rate Figure Wrong

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Once again on the matter of Julie Bishop and the Treasury portfolio, her own staff members have admitted taking the rap over a plagiarism row, which was brought to attention during her first speech to the Parliament in the Treasury position where elements of her speech sounded similar to an article in the Wall Street Journal. For more on that story, click here.

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I'm not sure what's more amusing. Kevin Rudd claiming to have entered a gentlemen's club whilst on a foreign policy excursion to New York in 2006 or new Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull claiming to have used marijuana. I personally find the latter to be more so believable.

Turnbull Hailed As 'Refreshingly Honest'

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In more serious news, were going to buy more than $4 billion dollars worth of American mortgages, despite Prime Minister Kevin Rudd telling the Australian press that were quote "light years away from the financial troubles in the US". For more on that story click here.

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Rudd Urges the United States to Pass Bailout Plan

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Kevin Rudd has said numerous times throughout the last two weeks that Australia can avert an economic crisis. Today, even though the House of Representatives in the United States has rejected the Bailout Plan, which Kevin Rudd urged President Bush to pass, Rudd continues to sing this repetitive tune. If you ask anyone who does not live in the aristocratic parts of the country, nine times out of ten they'll say that we cannot escape the coming crisis nor do they support the Bailout (most notably my Father, does he get pissed!). I guess Rudd, like many of us will have to wait and see, but I doubt he'll be right.

Anywho, Kevin Rudd has finally bitten the bullet by committing to support paid maternity leave, thus leaving the United States as the only developed country not to have such leave. However, he has only committed to 18 weeks. For more on that story click here.

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BUMP

And I thought the Australian public were beginning to dislike Kevin Rudd, obviously not. According to an article in The Age on October 27 (yes two days late, oh my, call 3AW!!) Kevin Rudd is experiencing his highest levels of popularity since taking office on December 3, 2007. I think this carefully planned television stunt, seen on Channel Seven nearly two weeks ago helped in his quest to seek higher popularity numbers.

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Hurrah! Minchin is Opposition Leader in the Senate!

Gporter's secret idol!

Indeed, Senator Minchin is Garrison's political idol. Take that Ronald Reagan!