I wouldn’t normally do this, but people are already voting, and we are on the brink of war. I ask Mr Abbott to release all his costings now, immediately, forthwith.
Or I will come crashing down on him.
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Table Talk: Bob Ellis on Film and Theatre
Published by Boban Services Pty Ltd. ACN: 001516945
About Me
Name:
Bob Ellis
Location:
Sydney,
Australia
I did my early vote yesterday at Maroubra. For the Greens, my accustomed vote in recent years. My conscience is clear
A better world IS possible
if you vote greens, your real vote is your second preference
voting is not enough to give you a clear conscience; democracy is more than 30 seconds work every couple of years
Too many smug Greens party voters like you who think symbolism is more important than results could allow Abbott the worse of two evils to prevail. How will your conscience deal with that?
I’m with Al Berzins on this one. I will carefully evaluate the candidates, then vote with my conscience who I think is best.
Well said. When I place my vote my conscience will also be clear.
Is Australia having a ‘conscience’ vote, Christ, has Abbott done this to us?
If Australia goes down the happiness gurgler and becomes a dreadfully serious, confessional-style, proto-catholic readjustment nightmare, will the new ‘temporarily’ unemployed youth and others have to confess ‘everything’ to the mad monk’s agents when they gratefully receive their shrivelled dole cheques, eroded by the Abbott/Hockey ‘savings’ mantra.
And no one is reporting that Indian and Indonesian currency is in free fall.
Or the 0 hours policy beloved of American companies like McDonalds.
Labor should be hammering the NBN, NDIS & renewables & modernity. They aren’t.
I’m not qualified to speak about the flow-on effect of preferences but I do have a very strong gut feeling that Clive Palmer is going to erode a bigger proportion of the original Liberal vote than people currently realise. Those many Liberals who in their droves detest Abbott are certainly defecting to Palmer- believe me.
quite possibly true, but would they preference labor ahead of the coalition, after putting palmer first?
Is “the brink of war” you speak of the Syria situation, or another conflict?
look out the window: is it really brightly lit up out there? probably the sun is up, then
I live in the UK, wasn’t aware that Australian politicians had plans to intervene in Syria.
where America goes, so does Australia, just like the UK (despite Cameron’s slight slipup) -hadnt you noticed?????
Syria of course!
KRudd, Diplomat-With-Temperament has called for a “robust response” and will make Cameron and Obama like it!
Has Abbott ever mentioned Syria? Does he know where it is? Does Julie Bishop know where her arse is, and can she show us?
(second thoughts, maybe not)
Friend’s daughter, who attended a very expensive private school, she did not know that Bali was a part of Indonesia, she’s going to Uni next year and wants become “a diplomat”…
Your mention of ‘expensive’ brought to mind hundreds of designer shoes. Any ideas on what Therese Rein will be wearing to the launch, Helvi?
I heard Pyne will be wearing glass slippers on election night?
Very good
Borrowed from Therese?
An acute on the left shoe; a grave on the right. And diamonds on the soles.
Oh Sweet Hypocrisy Christine.
You chide Helvi for “bothering you”. You even sought to employ Doug as shield, yet here you are - picking at the frayed edges with a sharp pin.
Laughably shameful.
You’re confused.
Wake up
Unless …. you know that Helvi is Johns almond/Fluffy White Pooch. I’ll take your word for it.
No. I asked D Quixote to put up a barrier - didn’t want him as a shield!
Hypocrisy isn’t sweet
You’re mixing it up with victory.
I’m never confused Christine.
And yes the sight if hypocrisy is indeed sweet. As is the sight of distraction.
Doubly sweet.
Almost diabetic.
Shield/ barrier - you play the pedant, and ill play the guy rolling on the floor laughing.
Sweeeeeeeet!
Major Judd to ground control….
Are you there Major Judd….?l
This is major Judd to ground control, I’m stepping through the door
And I’m floating in a most peculiar way
And the stars look very different today….
perhaps a kiosk job on Rottnest?
no
The G/G has no power to do any such thing.
“come crashing down” - I would have thought almost anyone had the power to do that, in the right circumstances.
grow up
unless it’s Melbourne Cup Day… hic.
No, amphibious. The Governor-General is Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces, and can appoint or sack any Minister including the Prime Minister and can call a new election without consulting him, as John Kerr did, on the advice of the Opposition Leader.
Do not tell lies.
Or I will come crashing down on you.
That’s fine Bob but given that Abbott is not PM yet, exactly what power does the GG have to “come crashing down on him”?
She can refuse to swear him in and, on the advice of her Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, call another election.
Pretty you’d find that the Constitution provides no scope for the Governor General to refuse to commission a government that was elected with a clear majority simply because some people didn’t like how an election campaign was conducted.
Well, Sir John Kerr did. He commissioned a Prime Minister with no majority in the House, and kept him when that majority voted him out.
Bob,
The public is perfectly capable of making up their minds who they wish to vote for, with or without detailed costings.
What you are suggesting is that if the election result is not to your liking, you want to see it overturned.
Why even bother with an election?
Wikipedia:
“In Australia, however, the powers are explicitly given to the Governor-General in the Constitution; it is their use that is the subject of convention”
in other words, the G-G can do WHATEVER s/he likes
‘convention’ of course being the same as ‘whim’ - see Turdoch’s career
This ‘war’ which would be yet another intervention in the Middle East if anything… Why would this require costings from the opposition over and above Iraq in 2004, Afghanistan in 2007 and Egypt in 2010 if I may beg your indulgence?
Bibulous, the G/G cannot publicly upbraid & demand answers from a government, never mind an/any Opposition.
Anyone considering voting Independent, including PUP, had better think carefully about where they park their second preference. If enough Independents get in, it makes it likely that there will be another hung parliament.
The crucial datum is that Rudd and Labor will negotiate with Independents, while Abbott and the Libs will not.
If Palmer candidates hold the balance of power, will Abbott be true to his word and refuse to negotiate with them?
If you want an effective minority government, as Gillard’s certainly was, then you need to put the Libs last.
Palmer is a pumper and Abbott is a Grabbott.
Pumping the economy, opposite to stifling/cutting the economy (grabbotting) stimulates (among other things) through raised pensions and increased spending (GST).
The Liberal’s economic policy is a blue, shrivelled, freezing scrotum.
Palmer will suck serious votes out of the Libs. Can you hear that sucking sound comrades, it’s slowly getting louder.
Ryutin, did you really think of this? Sorry to burst your contentment bubble. What were Labor’s odds again. Very tasty no doubt.
Doing the door knock routine and in the last few days having some conversations in shopping centres the older types who are supposed to be LNP supporters to a man according to some actually talk a bit about Palmer.
Quite a few of them are quite keen on his policy to increase the pension by 20% and also add $150 per fortnight to the disabled as well.
In the latter case a few expressions worrying that 65yr olds are not in the NDIS.
the man on a horse syndrome - it becomes more attractive as you see your life going down the tubes and become bitter
DQ, I’ve got an IQ problem again - could you (or anyone) be so kind as to interpret JSA’s “man on a horse” post above?
Only if you have the time, or inclination…
Cheers
I think he means that we hope for a messiah, “a man on a white horse” to come charging in and put everything to rights.
The Yanks are well known for electing them, and ten becoming disgruntled when the magic wand solutions are not forthcoming.
thanks for that.
The “man on a white horse” in the Book of Revelations” is actually a quote from Suetonius writing about Domitian.
Didn’t see any horses then or today.
Most of them quite nice to talk to actually.
Don’t now how you go when out shopping, maybe your area is full of aggro oldies.
Take an armed guard!
or hire a stalker…
Mr Abbott has not answered the call.
When does the crashing down begin, Bob?
This crashing down, it’s already happening, people are voting as we speak, without a final (financial) brief from the main parliamentary opposition, and possible government - with six long years to prepare and still not deliver - play within the tacit rules of the engagement.
The Liberal Party has failed the electorate. People are currently voting on trust only, but a trust that is not reciprocated to them, by being given the true and final details, vital to any sane assessment. This action of quite deliberately delaying (denying) information to those who’ve already voted could be challenged by a legal a class action - with regards the constitutional right of all voters having access to equal information at the time of their collective voting. The politicians know well enough in advance the time frame during which votes can be cast. What if you cast your vote yesterday and find out next week that the figures don’t add up and you now wish to change your vote?
Six years in opposition and now this deceit, this larceny of the constituents right to know, this callous brick in the face of democracy.
I believe in a fair go. This crashing down of hope, in the lucky country, all but reduces me to fucking tears…
Wild horses won’t drag the policies and costings out of Abbott until it is too late for scrutiny.
The statement by Treasury is a minor technical point which can now be exploited by this unelectable rag-tag of Howard rejects until the election day. Some countries would have stood them up against a wall; they can thank the robust democracy we still have, as of today, that they are not so placed.