Are the Libs imploding halfway through the election campaign?

John Howard's election campaign strategies appear to be causing disquiet among a number of Liberal Party insiders.

 

This last week we have seen a suggestion that should the Coalition Government gain re-election, there would be an immediate move by his party to oust Howard from the position of prime minister.

Also making it into media reports is the fact that some Liberals believe that Howard's presentation of a Howard-Costello prime ministerial team was a fatal mistake.

Then we see that other Liberal insiders are unhappy with Tony Abbot's performance showing a government which is arrogant, blase and too long in office.

Another Liberal leak suggested that John Howard's attitude to this election was all 'me, me, me'.

 

The fact that Liberal Party members are leaking to the press in the middle of a tight election campaign suggests that they are indulging in a bit of early payback for what they see as John Howard's unwinnable position.

Nationals candidate Chris Gulaptis thinks North Coast workers deserve lower wages

From the man who once said that housing 2,000 people on flood-prone land was OK because what was a flood here or there, comes another breathtaking opinion uttered during his debate with Labor's Janelle Saffin last week.

 

When defending WorkChoices Chris Gulaptis said: "Northern Rivers residents moved to the region accepting they would be paid lower wages as part of the trade-off for living in one of the most desirable parts of Australia".

 

Firstly, not everyone moved to the North Coast - a great many were born here.

Secondly, why should we be expected to accept lower wages along with reduced access to major social infrastructure and higher across-the-board costs? Scenery doesn't pay the bills.

 

What makes this Nationals candidate's opinion doubly offensive is the fact that he has previously boasted about his own comfortable income.

 

The Northern Star article on local debate:
 http://www.northernstar.com.au/localnews/storydisplay.cfm?storyid=3753993&thesection=localnews&thesubsection=&thesecondsubsection=

Campaign Day 24

Caught John Howard yesterday comparing Coalition pollies running for re-election to horses racing in the Melbourne Cup.

Small difference John - in Australia we like and respect our horses.

Melbourne Cup Day Newpoll release

Not-the-Mebourne-Cup cartoon in Crikey.com.au today

For this Newspoll 1,708 people were interviewed by phone.
Federal Labor leads the Coalition 53% to 47% two-party preferred.
Rudd remains the preferred prime minister leading Howard 47% to 43% with 10% uncommitted.
Of those interviewed 63% have decided exactly which candidate or party they will be voting for on election day.
Newspoll 2-4 November 2007:
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/files/newspoll-6nov.pdf