The Australian Election result

[Padraig]

You meant "the magnificent Julia Gillard" scotty, didn't you?

[jean]

He meant the splendid Julia Gillard.

[An_Inspector_Calls]

Scotty: I'm not sure the result leaves everything clear-cut since Abbott could still face opposition from their senate.

Gillard is under investigation for fraud:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/investigations/gillards-law-firm-files-seized-as-police-investigate-awu-slush-fund/story-fn6tcxar-1226709397416#

and according to this analysis:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/carbon-tax-to-blame-for-loss-says-bill-kelty/story-fn59niix-1226718930047#

"when Julia Gillard actually announced the Greens policy (of introducing a carbon tax), people saw it as a breach of faith, a breach of trust. When people have come to a view that they don't trust you, when you have broken a commitment to them, when enough people believe that, it gives them a great opportunity therefore not to be interested in politics, they just wait until the next election"

[ahinton]

How come then did that truly, truly awful Ms Gillard ever became leader of the Labour Party ... ? Illogical!

The Australian people have spoken, and spoken with great clarity It's called democracy. Voting in Australia is compulsory. There can be no argument about the decisiveness of the result.

If nothing else it's somewhat reassuring to know that it's the Aussies and Russians who decide the next stage of their own countries political and social direction and not ahinton? :winkeye:

No one decides that - not me, nor the Russians nor the Australians - so nothing at all is reassuring.

[Richard Barrett]

hideous misogyny of Labour

The hideous misogyny was coming from the Liberals (which is what your linked article says, in fact), not from within Labor.

[Richard Barrett]

How come then did that truly, truly awful Ms Gillard ever became leader of the Labour Party ... ?

See my answer to Jean's post. How she became leader of Labor was by challenging Kevin Rudd to a leadership contest, which he then withdrew from, leaving her unopposed.

[scottycelt]

You meant "the magnificent Julia Gillard" scotty, didn't you?

I'll check my trusty dictionary, Padraig ... I may have mistook 'awful' for 'awesome' ... if so, apologies to all, not least the lovely Ms Gillard ... :winkeye:

[scottycelt]

Scotty: I'm not sure the result leaves everything clear-cut since Abbott could still face opposition from their senate.

Gillard is under investigation for fraud:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/investigations/gillards-law-firm-files-seized-as-police-investigate-awu-slush-fund/story-fn6tcxar-1226709397416#

and according to this analysis:

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/carbon-tax-to-blame-for-loss-says-bill-kelty/story-fn59niix-1226718930047#

"when Julia Gillard actually announced the Greens policy (of introducing a carbon tax), people saw it as a breach of faith, a breach of trust. When people have come to a view that they don't trust you, when you have broken a commitment to them, when enough people believe that, it gives them a great opportunity therefore not to be interested in politics, they just wait until the next election"

I'm certainly no authority on the Australian political system but I assume their PM hasn't any more power than our own? I suspect very little will change, maybe a few more state assets sold off, all that sort of thing.

Life for Australians will continue very much as before I should imagine. Still, it's refreshing to have someone who's prepared to challenge 'conventional wisdom' quite openly, though, as we all know, politicians are perfectly capable of taking precisely the opposite view once in power!

[ahinton]

I'm certainly no authority on the Australian political system but I assume their PM hasn't any more power than our own? I suspect very little will change, maybe a few more state assets sold off, all that sort of thing.

Life for Australians will continue very much as before I should imagine. Still, it's refreshing to have someone who's prepared to challenge 'conventional wisdom' quite openly, though, as we all know, politicians are perfectly capable of taking precisely the opposite view once in power!

Volte-faces (should that be woltes-face?) and dissembling are just two of the more commonly used chemical weapons in the politician's armoury so, yes, perhaps Abbott says one thing and means another; who knows - only time might tell, I suppose. I am unaware that he'd have any more power than, say, David Cameron. I would never have thought to live to see the day when you'd consider attitudes in favour of same sex marriage as "conventional wisdom" so, scotty, you've made my day!

[ahinton]

the lovely Ms Gillard ... :winkeye:

Good grief! You certainly need that winkeye, scotty!...

[amateur51]

He meant the splendid Julia Gillard.

Oh I'd agree with that assessment

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeGeooZOUdE

[amateur51]

I'm certainly no authority on the Australian political system but I assume their PM hasn't any more power than our own? I suspect very little will change, maybe a few more state assets sold off, all that sort of thing.

Life for Australians will continue very much as before I should imagine. Still, it's refreshing to have someone who's prepared to challenge 'conventional wisdom' quite openly, though, as we all know, politicians are perfectly capable of taking precisely the opposite view once in power!

I wonder if you have watched the David Marr interview about Abbott that I posted - he describes Abbott's attitudes as being '1950s [Australian] Roman Catholic" and we can all imagine what that's like.

[amateur51]

Volte-faces (should that be woltes-face?) and dissembling are just two of the more commonly used chemical weapons in the politician's armoury so, yes, perhaps Abbott says one thing and means another; who knows - only time might tell, I suppose. I am unaware that he'd have any more power than, say, David Cameron. I would never have thought to live to see the day when you'd consider attitudes in favour of same sex marriage as "conventional wisdom" so, scotty, you've made my day!

Where he does have power is as the officicial cheerleader for mocking/denigrating women, lesbians and gay men, refugees and asylum seekers and others with access to a voice in modern Australia. In fact looking at that list, the people he represents (white, male, heterosexual Australians) are in a significant minority, hardly Prime Ministerial material.

[Mr Pee]

I wonder if you have watched the David Marr interview about Abbott that I posted - he describes Abbott's attitudes as being '1950s [Australian] Roman Catholic" and we can all imagine what that's like.

Imagine away, he still got elected with a large majority. Funny how you lot seem to dismiss the result as a protest against Labour rather than a vote for traditional conservative values. If the electorate were genuinely that fed up with Labour that they didn't want to vote for them, would they instead have voted for a party whose policies they rejected? The result would have been much closer in that scenario, with more votes spread between the various parties, not a thumping win for Abbott.

[Richard Barrett]

Where he does have power is as the officicial cheerleader for mocking/denigrating women, lesbians and gay men, refugees and asylum seekers and others

And his commitment to an objective view of climate change is illustrated by his having not included a minister for science in his cabinet (the first time the Australian government has been without a science minister since the post was created in 1931). He has also abolished ministerial posts for disability care, aged care, youth and higher education. And his cabinet now contains fewer women than that of Afghanistan. Well done Mr Abbott!