Roy Morgan Research released Sunday 19 November says marginals too mixed to call

"On November 15-17, with one week to go to the Federal election, L-NP two-party preferred support is 44.5% (up 1% from the face-to-face Morgan Poll conducted November 10/11), ALP 55.5% (down 1%).

This represents a swing of 8.2% to the ALP since the 2004 Federal election.  However, in the crucial L-NP marginal seats, where Labor needs to win 16 seats to win Government, the swing is slightly less (7.7% to ALP) and varies greatly by seats and States.

The ALP looks set to win between 14 and 24 seats, which means the election result cannot yet be called."

"New South Wales: 8.8% swing to the ALP in the seven key marginal seats surveyed. The swing required to lose each is Parramatta 0.9%, Wentworth 2.5%, Lindsay 2.9%, Eden-Monaro 3.3%, Bennelong 4%, Dobell 4.8% and Page 5.5%."

Summary of Morgan Poll November 15-17 findings:

http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2007/4246/

Most risible media comments of the 2007 Federal Election

From a Sunday Mail editorial on 18 November, just six days out from polling day.

 

"That Prime Minister John Howard's Government stands this morning under threat is a mystery."

 

"The Sunday Mail believes the Coalition is best placed to govern Australia for the next three years."

 

Where has this editor been for the last eleven years?

Just for fun - a Daily Telegraph readers poll on Howard's election chances

The Daily Telegraph online readers poll which began on Sunday now has 4,964 votes in at 4.47pm. today.

 

QUESTION: Is John Howard wily enough to still snatch victory?

Yes - he still must have something up his sleeve.      48%   (2396 votes)

No - just look at the polls.                                        51%   (2568 votes)

 

It seems some people are still expecting or fearing that now famous rabbit in the hat.

 

Bookmakers odds are still shortening in Labor's favour and yet another Liberal, former NSW Parliamentary Leader Peter Debnam, has taken a swipe at John Howard's campaign strategy.

The Daily Telegraph today:

http://www.news.com.au/dailytelegraph/story/0,22049,22779967-5001021,00.html

John Howard, master of the dimwitted remark

It must have been something he caught off a White House toilet seat. On the same day Australia learnt the contents of the latest UN synthesis report on climate change, John Howard told us all that climate change may be serious "but the world will not end tomorrow because of it".

News.com.au report yesterday:
 http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22778836-29277,00.html

 

An Australian prime minister may have been able to say something like that twenty years ago. John Howard himself may have gotten away with such a remark even eleven years ago. But not today. The time to go slowly-slowly has long since past.

 

Many worlds may end tomorrow because of climate change.  A farmer's world may end because long-term weather changes and water scarcity have meant that crops failed for years on end.

A sea-change retiree's world may end because their retirement home was destroyed by severe storms or is now being lapped by seawater due to sudden coastal erosion.

A worker in the city's life may end because all the money in the world can't put enough food on the family table anymore due to increasing world-wide food shortages and famine.

 

It has to be said. Howard's head is now burrowed so far into the sand that even his ar*se is beginning to disappear.

 

Copy of IPPC Fourth Assessment Report:

http://www.theage.com.au/ed_docs/17_11_07_ipcc4.pdf

Medical care in Howard's 'me first' Australia

"AUSTRALIA'S doctor shortage has reached crisis point, with three-quarters of the country's land area, and more than 12 million people, now deemed as lacking adequate access to primary care.------The latest available figures, from the end of March, reveal the federal Department of Health and Ageing has declared "districts of workforce shortage" over 74 per cent of Australia - or 59 per cent of the population.-------Mr Abbott said the figures were based on a "statistical construct" and while the shortages extended into suburban areas, there was evidence people could still see a GP if they were willing to wait a few hours."

The Australian article today:

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22781101-5013871,00.html

 

Really, Mr. Abbott? I see you don't mention rural or regional Australia. Here on the NSW North Coast the wait to see a GP is often counted in days or weeks with a $50 pay upfront bill attached. While turning up at the local hospital emergency department is a bit of a lottery because many of these hospitals don't have full-time doctors, and if they do your wait for treatment can sometimes be a long as six or seven hours.

 

The Australian Constitution says that the buck stops with the Federal Government on health care. So why did you let matters come to this pass?  Ah, yes - you have always expected the poor and those living in the bush to take what's leftover after your 'me first' mates have had their medical needs met.

Campaign Day 36

Anybody else notice that John Howard has just promised to stop an additional 60,000 people on government pensions or benefits from purchasing any form of alcohol or tobacco.

No? Well don't say you weren't warned.

First it was the goories; now its people with a drug conviction; next it will be the unemployed; followed by the disabled, widowed, old soldiers and aged.

If re-elected John Howard wants to turn most of government payments into a form of voucher system with little cash in hand for any of us receiving money through Centrelink or Repat.

Apparently if you are poor then you can't be trusted with money and don't deserve a couple of beers and a fag on Saturday night.

However if you are swimming in lard like Howard, then you can spend your parliamentary salary or pensions as you please. Advance Australia Fair indeed!

What's a former PM worth?

Brisbane's Courier Mail http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,22775928-953,00.html
reports that on top of a post-PM package of more than $300,000 a year, John Howard is expected to earn upwards of a million dollars from non-executive positions, international speaking tours and consultancy work.

A few quick calculations done on the back of a beer coaster reveal that during Howard's time at the helm, where he and Janette have lived off the public purse, he must have been able to stash away well in excess of $1.5 million as savings. Hence, he'll head off in to the sunset very well heeled . And, remember, in addition to his pension that is tax-payer- funded he takes with him heaps of other lurks and perks. What a jerk!

That's quite a reward for wrecking the future of working families!