Howard left at the barrier in last 9 days to election

The Financial Review today highlighted Labor's superior commitment to technical education and trade skills as well as wondering how John Howard came to be left at the barrier.

The Australian in its turn suggests that Rudd's fiscal restraint is not a campaign ploy and heralds the start of a reassessment of economic policy by political leadership.

The Financial Review:
http://www.afr.com/home/viewer.aspx?EDP://20071115000019962223&magsection=news&title=Rudd+claims+budget+high+ground&source=/_xmlfeeds/home/feed.xml

http://www.afr.com/home/viewer.aspx?EDP://20071115000019962203&magsection=News&title=Tingle%3a+Rookie+boxes+Howard+in+on+spending&source=%2f_xmlfeeds%2fnews%2ffeed.xml

The Australian today:
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/paulkelly/index.php/theaustralian/comments/alp_wins_the_high_ground_on_economy/

Selected quotes from Labor's 2007 federal election campaign launch

"When I grew up, we were taught the value of community – looking out for one another when times are tough. That doesn't seem to matter to Mr Howard."

"I have no intention today of repeating Mr Howard's irresponsible spending spree.
Unlike Mr Howard, I will heed the warnings of the Reserve Bank.
Unlike Mr Howard, I will not place in jeopardy households already struggling with mortgages.
Unlike Mr Howard, I don't stand before you with a bag full of irresponsible promises that could put upward pressure on inflation.
Today I am saying loud and clear that this sort of reckless spending must stop."

"On hospitals, we have put forward a national plan to end the buck-passing between Canberra and the States.
I have a long-term plan to fix our nation's hospitals.
I will be responsible for implementing my plan, and I state this with absolute clarity: the buck will stop with me."

"Mr Howard has spent a decade in denial on the critical challenge of climate change.
Even now, Mr Howard still opposes Kyoto.
I make this commitment: If we are elected, I will immediately ratify Kyoto."

"And today I announce that if elected I will set up a major new renewable energy fund to develop, commercialise and deploy renewable energy technologies across Australia.
We need to harness our enormous potential in solar, wind, geothermal and wave power.
This fund will support projects that take renewable energy technology from the lab to the grid.
I am determined to make Australia part of the global climate change solution – not just part of the global climate change problem."

"I believe education is the engine room of equity. The engine room of opportunity. And the engine room of the economy.
I would not be standing here before you today were it not for the encouragement, instruction and opportunity provided to me by the teachers who shaped my life."

"In chapter three we announced we will tackle the chronic shortage of maths and science teachers by halving HECS for those disciplines at university, and we'll halve it again for those graduates who go on to teach maths and science in our schools."

Full transcript of Kevin Rudd's campaign speech:
http://www.theage.com.au/ed_docs/ALP-Campaign_launch_speech_141107.doc
SBS World News Australia on Rudd's speech:
http://naca.sbs.com.au/worldnewsaustralia/rudd_unveils_vision_for_future_135092

Campaign Day 32

Watched Labor's campaign launch yesterday. You little ripper, Kev! The difference between Labor and the Coalition couldn't have been better expressed. Howard offered nothing but money. Labor offered some hope for the future.

Punters go for Labor after Rudd's campaign launch

MEDIA RELEASE NOVEMBER 14

PUNTERS LAUNCH INTO LABOR

Election betting agency Lasseters Sportsbook reports heavy support for the Kevin Rudd-led Labor

party following today's official election campaign launch in Brisbane, ahead of the November 24 poll.

Over the past week one punter has invested nearly $30,000 on the ALP in a sprinkling of individual

seats around the country including Bowman (QLD), Herbert (QLD), Longman (QLD) and Stirling (WA).

Labor's Jason Young has shortened in Bowman to $1.70 (from $2.10), George Colbran is into $1.65 (from $2.00) to win Herbert and Jon Sullivan's price has been slashed in Longman ($4.00 into $2.30).

The betting on individual seats has been reflected in the overall market with Labor's price cut to $1.30 (from $1.35) over the past 24 hours, and the Coalition's price has blown out to $3.50 (from $3.25).

 

"This push for Labor has been the strongest indication yet a change in government could become a reality," says Gerard Daffy from Lasseters. "It'll be very hard for the Coalition to win from here."

Lasseters Sportsbook earlier today took the unusual step of closing the market on the seat of

Wentworth after the legitimacy of George Newhouse's ALP candidacy was brought into question.

 

Australian Federal Election             Seat of Bowman (QLD)      

$1.30 Labor (Kevin Rudd)            $1.70 Jason Young (ALP)  

3.50 Coalition (John Howard)        $2.00 Andrew Laming (LIB) 

 

Seat of Herbert (QLD)                       Seat of Longman (QLD)           

$1.65 George Colbran (ALP)         $1.55 Mal Brough (LIB)   

$2.10 Peter Lindsay (LIB)             $2.30 Jon Sullivan (ALP)     

 

Seat of Hasluck (WA)                  Seat of Stirling (WA)                                  

$1.50 Sharryn Jackson (ALP)        $1.72 Michael Keenan (LIB)

$2.40 Stuart Henry (LIB)              $2.00 Peter Tinley (ALP)

 

Seat of Robertson (NSW)                 Seat of Eden-Monaro (NSW)                                                

$1.80 Belinda Neal (ALP)              $1.25 Mike Kelly (ALP)

$1.90 Jim Lloyd (LIB)                   $3.50 Gary Nairn (LIB)  

 

Seat of Bennelong (NSW)             Seat of Page (NSW) 

$1.45 John Howard (LIB)              $1.85 Chris Gulaptis (NP)

$2.60 Maxine McKew (ALP)           $1.85 Janelle Safin (ALP) 

 

Seat of Corangamite (VIC)           La Trobe (VIC)

$1.75 Stewart McArthur (LIB)         $1.65 Rodney Cocks (ALP)

$1.95 Darren Cheeseman (ALP)    $2.10 Jason Wood (LIB)

 

Seat of Deakin (VIC)                         Seat of McMillan (VIC)   

$1.80 Phillip Barresi (LIB)             $1.80 Russell Broadbent (LIB)

$1.90 Mike Symon (ALP)              $1.90 Christine Maxfield (ALP) 

 

Seat of Solomon (NT)

$1.65 Damian Hale (ALP)

$2.10 Dave Tollner (LIB)

In 2007 Rudd needs to remember the Coalition's 'black op' past

It is to be hoped that Kevin Rudd displays true fiscal responsibility in Labor's federal election campaign launch today.

 

The Coalition has endorsed Howard's rash billions bag of election promises in the hope that Labor can be forced into a similar election promise overspend. That way the Coalition in Opposition will have a ready-made stick with which to beat Labor if Rudd gains government on 24 November.

 

Past experience has shown that Howard & Co. will be extremely bitter if they lose.

The last time they were so bitter Liberals, Nationals and certain private sector individuals held an emergency meeting the day after the election which brought the Whitlam Government to power.

 

A day after that particular meeting Coalition MPs were boasting in the Australian Club in Sydney that big business was going to help them get rid of Whitlam within twelve months.

 

It of course took the Coalition longer than that to destabilise the national economy and drive Australia into a panic. However they were eventually successful.

Senior officers in the Army with a nod and a wink from at least one general went so far as to formulate a plan to take over essential services if civil unrest broke out, and the Navy consulted constitutional lawyers about its oath and decided to lay its ships one mile off the coast and only take orders from Buckingham Palace if law and order broke down.

 

A month out from The Dismissal a very senior Coalition member was again boasting in the same gentlemen's club that they had found a 'legal' way to get rid of Whitlam.

 

John Howard was a Coalition MP during this entire period. If he loses government it is likely that he will encourage both the Libs and Nats to revisit these tactics. With Howard it will always be b*gger the country, I want it all my own way.

Rude Rupert

For someone who declared, "I have no views on (Australian) politics at all", (and rightly so, because he's a US citizen) Rupert ("Muddy Waters") Murdoch was not exactly reluctant when it came to expressing HIS views about OUR tax system, OUR troops in Iraq, OUR broadband, OUR industrial relations and OUR media laws.

Muddy Waters Murdoch reckons that giving money back (for things like tax cuts, higher utility allowances to pensioners and money for education) is sapping the Aussie spirit. He would say that, wouldn't he?

Read more about where Murdock sits in relation to events associated with Australia at
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22753352-1702,00.html

"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.