"It's a hard thing to sell in a pub on a Friday night": Joyce admits depression in Coalition ranks

Nationals Barnaby Joyce appears worried about how the Nationals are faring in the election campaign and is predicting electoral defeat for the Coalition if voting reflects the opinion polls on 24 November.

 

"There is a sense of depression about it. If the polls are the reality we're not going to lose, we're going to get annihilated," Senator Joyce told Sky News."

News.com.au article yesterday:
 http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22756088-29277,00.html

 

Senator Joyce still hasn't come to grips with the fact that the Nationals simply acting as John Howard's rubber stamp for the last eleven years may finally be coming home to roost. Even his own occasional fireworks usually led to a backdown on his part.

If  the NSW North Coast is an example, then the fact that the Nationals haven't vigorously pursued funding or services for their electorates over the same period is also turning voters off.

 

Nevermind, the Nationals can always fall back on one of their tried and true tactics in marginals seats - they can always send doppelgangers and the dead out to vote on polling day to boost their chances.

Campaign Day 31

You've just got to feel sorry for that Costello bloke. First he has to stand there with a sickly smile on his phisog while Howard gives away the farm. Then he finds out that Howard doesn't intend to hand over the reins until there is only a year left until the 2010 election, leaving him little hope of salvaging anything from the mess.

Poor Peter must go to sleep at night counting the daggers he would like to plunge into Howard's back.

A generation's home dream vanishes in Australia

With an old-style three bedroom house with a galvanised roof advertised for $425,000 in Maclean, a similar house in Grafton on the market for $370,000 and a cladding 'starter home' advertised for $325,000 in Yamba, and with newer or larger homes coming it at much higher prices, it is clear that first home buyers are also struggling on the North Coast.

The family home of our dreams is starting to require a debt commitment of almost half a million dollars and is fast becoming as expensive as those in metropolitan areas.
John Howard's housing policy does little to address this problem.

The Age reveals that Australia is now a world leader in unaffordable housing and that neither of the two political parties are addressing the core reasons.
"A survey by consultants Demographia released this year found that Australians paid 6.6 times the median household income for a median-priced home. In New Zealand, Ireland and Britain a median-priced home cost between 5.5 and six times the median yearly household income. In the US and Canada it was between three and four times. An affordable market is regarded as about three times income."
The Age article on Monday: http://www.theage.com.au/news/federal-election-2007-news/a-generations-home-dream-vanishes/2007/11/12/1194766590346.html?page=fullpage#contentSwap1

Odds are getting better for Labor in Page, Roberstson, La Trobe, Herbert, Leichhardt, Petrie, McMillan & Corangamite

MEDIA RELEASE

13 November 2007

 

OPPOSITION NOW FAVOURITE IN 19 COALITION SEATS –

MORE THAN ENOUGH TO FORM GOVERNMENT

 

Punters betting with Australia's biggest bookmaker Sportingbet Australia have installed the Opposition as favourite in 19 Coalition held seats, just a week and a half out from polling day.

The Rudd led Opposition needs just 16 seats to form Government.

Sportingbet Australia CEO Michael Sullivan said the Opposition was closing in on favouritism in an additional 4 seats.

"Experience has taught us that the betting public are keen judges of the mood of the electorate," said Mr Sullivan.

"The Opposition has moved into favouritism in the NSW seats of Robertson and Page, La Trobe in Victoria and Herbert in Queensland and is line ball in the Queensland seats of Leichhardt and Petrie and the Victorian seats of McMillan and Corangamite," he said.

"Despite Labor's dominance in the betting stakes, the weight of money wagered since yesterday's Coalition campaign launch has been a fairly even spread," Mr Sullivan said.

"A lead this big, just 11 days from polling day, means that unless the Prime Minister can pull out the biggest rabbit of his career, his tenure in politics is likely to come to an abrupt end." Mr Sullivan said.

The latest odds from Sportingbet Australia rate the Opposition the clear favourite at $1.35 and the Government at $3.20.

 

AUSTRALIAN FEDERAL ELECTION

Sportingbet Australia Market

Labor $1.35

Coalition $3.20