Friday 26 October 2007
Campaign Day 12
It seems that during this election campaign the North Coast is awash with visiting political heavies from the major political parties.
Howard, Vaile, Downer, Abetz, Rudd, Albanese, Garrett, to name but a few.
Where were they all between elections? Or didn't we matter then?
Even our own sitting members rarely visited parts of their electorates during the last four years.
Labels:
federal election 2007
Did you know? #2
There are 13,645,073 people now enrolled to vote at the Federal Election on 24 November.
A whopping 2,558,475 of these are voters 65 years of age and older and 15,646 are young people who will turn 18 by election day.
New South Wales has 4,495,336 voters enrolled.
Labels:
Australian society,
federal election 2007
North Coast life in Howard's lucky country
The Northern Rivers Echo reports on the facts of life for many North Coast residents.
On housing affordability and homelessness:
http://www.echonews.com/index.php?page=View%20Article&article=18071&issue=294
http://www.echonews.com/index.php?page=View%20Article&article=18071&issue=294
On Lismore Neighbourhood Centre foodbank:
The situation in the Lismore area is mirrored up and down the coast in varying degree. No work or too few part-time hours of work, inadequate pensions or benefits, high rents, rising food and transport costs make life hard for many.
From Coffs to the Tweed this morning many breakfast tables have little or no food on them.
It is so very easy for politicians cushioned by their parliamentary pay packets, political commentators safe in their media towers and working professionals with steady incomes to underestimate the level of quiet desperation that exists on the NSW North Coast.
Whenever these groups get an inkling they usually call for debate, investigation or their own re-election.
But economic dynamics and social disadvantage have been studied and talkfested to death. What is needed is practical response.
When John Howard became Prime Minister the North Coast socio-economic profile was similar to what it is today, yet under Howard and despite national growth the divide between rich and poor in this country has widened and our region still suffers structural inequality.
Being poor on the North Coast is both personal and political.
Use your vote wisely.
Labels:
Australian society,
federal election 2007
Thursday 25 October 2007
Who is the laziest, most indolent, unimaginative treasurer in Australia's post-war history?
Former PM Paul Keating gave Peter Costello a real serve today. Speaking at the opening of Greg Combet's campaign to hold the Newcastle seat of Charlton for Labor, Keating described Costello as the "laziest, most indolent, unimaginative treasurer in our post-war history".
Q: What does that really mean?
A: Costello rates lower than Howard.
Read The Age's report on this at: http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Menzies-was-trade-union-hero-Keating/2007/10/25/1192941212040.html
Q: What does that really mean?
A: Costello rates lower than Howard.
Read The Age's report on this at: http://www.theage.com.au/news/National/Menzies-was-trade-union-hero-Keating/2007/10/25/1192941212040.html
Labels:
federal election 2007
Campaign Day 11
John Howard and Peter Costello have been in the news warning Australians that we should all be afraid of recession under Labor. Fair crack of the whip! I'm already supposed to be afraid of boat people, al Qaeda, weapons of mass destruction, Iraq, Korea, Iran, Aboriginals with unfettered access to their own welfare payments and Sudanese refugees - I don't have room for any more of your fears.
Labels:
federal election 2007
Nationals Chris Gulaptis plays 'me too'
Nationals candidate, Chris Gulaptis has come out against nuclear power plants being established in the Page electorate.
"Mr Gulaptis yesterday became the latest Coalition figure to speak out against nuclear power with a single line at the bottom of a statement spruiking the Howard Government's record on green and renewable energy sources. "Along with a vast majority of locals I do not support nuclear power," the statement said."
Unfortunately Chris Gulaptis would be rightly viewed as a political lightweight by a re-elected John Howard and a vote for Gulaptis would not protect this electorate from Howard's nuclear energy policy.
Labels:
federal election 2007
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)