PM pencils in September 14 for the election

cranky said :

The combination of the Rabbits promise to sack 20,000 Pub Servs, and the acknowledged downturn in business during political campaigns, does not auger well for the local business scene during the next 9 months.

We are not being well led.

He won’t be sacking 20,000 public service jobs, natural attrition will be how its done as well as some VR’s.
Some of the oxygen thieves that are currently pending the sack due to breaches of some sort or another will be first to go and there are a lot of them! This will get Tony some initial wins but other than that the pubes won’t even notice the 20,000 going.

Duffbowl said :

Just to make it all a tad more interesting.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/craig-thomson-arrested-by-fraud-squad-20130131-2dmnn.html

My mild paranoia makes me wonder if the PM was tipped, and made an election announcement a day early to *attempt* to derail the inevitable calls for an early election from the Coalition.

Wondered that myself. If they tip off the media, no biggie to imagine they’d tipp off the PM too…
But anyway, the gambit seems to be working – already drawing potential players out of the woodwork – like Zed. And I have to admit to some delight at seeing all the APH press gallery so gutted at having all their lazy “when will it be” and “will KRudd challenge” tripe nuked. Now they’ll have to work…

dungfungus said :

Chop71 said :

We may well be at the polls before Sep 14

Please explain how this might happen.
Assuming Thomson and Slipper both plead “not guilty”, it will be at least sometime after the election before respective trials can be arranged so Gillard still has the numbers and the support of the independents.
A sitting member is not compelled to resign until he/she is found guilty and the sentence has to exceed a certain level. Even if Gillard was to be arrested the same situation would apply.
Self preservation in politics is a pretty powerful emotion.

I’m not saying anyone is guilty of anything but just as you mentioned several reasons for Sept 14 there are just as many possibilities that things could fall apart and it happen sooner. Anything from a dd to resignations to change of leader etc etc. Gillard has only announced her date for an election, but it is also up to plenty of others to make that call and not just her. ie GG (just for starters)

HiddenDragon said :

I did not expect the Thomson matter to escalate so quickly and so dramatically

That’s what she said!

I did not expect the Thomson matter to escalate so quickly and so dramatically, but I certainly had it in mind when I made my earlier comment – #37 – about waverers on the cross benches. I also think there is still a lot more mud to be thrown about the PM’s past, and, notwithstanding the decision of Justice Rares (and that the Coalition would seem to have some questions of its own to answer) the general “yuck factor” about Slipper/Ashby is not at all helpful to the Government.

So with all of that, and the potential for further scandals/stuff-ups in coming months, it certainly occurred to me that one or more cross-benchers might, just – and very belatedly – try to distance themselves from the Government by supporting, or seriously threatening to, a no confidence motion. The exceptionally early announcement of the intended (and it is no more than that) election date could thus be an attempt to pre-empt, or at least discourage, any such thoughts on the part of the cross benches.

Chop71 said :

We may well be at the polls before Sep 14

Please explain how this might happen.
Assuming Thomson and Slipper both plead “not guilty”, it will be at least sometime after the election before respective trials can be arranged so Gillard still has the numbers and the support of the independents.
A sitting member is not compelled to resign until he/she is found guilty and the sentence has to exceed a certain level. Even if Gillard was to be arrested the same situation would apply.
Self preservation in politics is a pretty powerful emotion.

“PM pencils in September 14 for the election”
Just caught this headline and was excited about receiving my commemorative PM pencil. The kids could use it for drawing faces on the ballot paper…

Duffbowl said :

Just to make it all a tad more interesting.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/craig-thomson-arrested-by-fraud-squad-20130131-2dmnn.html

My mild paranoia makes me wonder if the PM was tipped, and made an election announcement a day early to *attempt* to derail the inevitable calls for an early election from the Coalition.

I think so. When I saw on TV that Thomson was arrested this klaxon went off in my head and my ears are still ringing.

bikhet said :

The Fairfax press also has it online, but seems to only have his apology. There’s also the missing hair-drier and his general air that the world owes him a Rolls-Royce. Anyway, enough of KRudd – he’s now a feather-duster.

I didn’t do more than give a cursory glance to the first page of results on Google. But I agree, regardless of what you think of him, he is yesterday’s news. His snarky remarks from the back bench do give me a wry smile every now and then though.

DrKoresh said :

I always thought Rudd was alright. I wasn’t concerned about his religion influencing his politics, something which I doubt even the most die-hard Abbott supporter could say for Tony. I hadn’t heard of this RAAF incident until now, but I looked it up and it sounds mostly like muck-raking over a fairly minor incident. A theory which is supported by the fact that all the publications about it online come from News Limited or the Daily Tele, sources with a fairly pronounced Right-leaning bias.

The Fairfax press also has it online, but seems to only have his apology. There’s also the missing hair-drier and his general air that the world owes him a Rolls-Royce. Anyway, enough of KRudd – he’s now a feather-duster.

We may well be at the polls before Sep 14

Just to make it all a tad more interesting.

http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/craig-thomson-arrested-by-fraud-squad-20130131-2dmnn.html

My mild paranoia makes me wonder if the PM was tipped, and made an election announcement a day early to *attempt* to derail the inevitable calls for an early election from the Coalition.

I’m a Labor voter but the Labor circle-jerk on this website makes me think I should vote Liberal out of spite for a few users on here.

With the usual suspects going at each other harder that a pair of fetishists locked in a sex shop, this is going to be a long 7 1/2 months…

bikhet said :

watto23 said :

That said, I think the electorate would prefer Malcolm Turnbull over Abbott. Personally I think Abbott will win and if he does he may only hold on for a term. Abbott is great at debating and as an opposition (he does have a degree in politics), not convinced he is a good leader though, as I think the best leaders require the right kind of personality. I think Kevin had it and so did John and Bob.

Bob and John I’ll give you, but I lost all respect for Kevin after he had a go at that RAAF steward. You don’t get stuck into people who don’t have any control over the situation and who are not in a position to defend themselves.

I always thought Rudd was alright. I wasn’t concerned about his religion influencing his politics, something which I doubt even the most die-hard Abbott supporter could say for Tony. I hadn’t heard of this RAAF incident until now, but I looked it up and it sounds mostly like muck-raking over a fairly minor incident. A theory which is supported by the fact that all the publications about it online come from News Limited or the Daily Tele, sources with a fairly pronounced Right-leaning bias.

watto23 said :

That said, I think the electorate would prefer Malcolm Turnbull over Abbott. Personally I think Abbott will win and if he does he may only hold on for a term. Abbott is great at debating and as an opposition (he does have a degree in politics), not convinced he is a good leader though, as I think the best leaders require the right kind of personality. I think Kevin had it and so did John and Bob.

Bob and John I’ll give you, but I lost all respect for Kevin after he had a go at that RAAF steward. You don’t get stuck into people who don’t have any control over the situation and who are not in a position to defend themselves.

Mav said :

Oh Yay! Daily media polls about who is beating who, I cannot wait for October. The way our media has been going we may as well turn off the TV till after the election is over, I can see it now daily offerings of the two major parties calling each other names interspersed with splutterings from the Greens and KAP.

What a year this will be. 🙁

Could be but it surely is better than speculation over when an election will come, with the opposition continually trying to take down the government and force an election ASAP, rather than offer productive opposition. It was a smart move, because it changes what the boring diatribe will be about and probably in favour of the current government.

That said, I think the electorate would prefer Malcolm Turnbull over Abbott. Personally I think Abbott will win and if he does he may only hold on for a term. Abbott is great at debating and as an opposition (he does have a degree in politics), not convinced he is a good leader though, as I think the best leaders require the right kind of personality. I think Kevin had it and so did John and Bob.

schmeah said :

Pork Hunt said :

So when does gov’t go into caretaker mode and cease buying things, issuing tenders and contracts etc?
How does this affect the people and businesses that carry out said activities?

You might as well forget Parliament for the rest of the year, it will just be a shit fight with zero productivity.

Unbeliavable.

You might call 3-400 pieces of legislation, each one negotiated with the cross bench (instead of just being bulldozed through on typical majority) “unproductive” but I certainly don’t. It only appears unproductive because that nimrod Abbott wants everyone to think this country is going to the dogs; like Greece, where last time I checked unemployment amongst the working age was around 26% and amongst the youth upwards of 50%.

How dare you come on here and start waving facts around??

Chop71 said :

Footy finals,

very un-straylyn like from the PM

On the other hand, this is what New Zealand PM John Key did in 2011 – and is there anything more Australian than taking something from NZ and pretending we came up with it ourselves? 😉

Oh Yay! Daily media polls about who is beating who, I cannot wait for October. The way our media has been going we may as well turn off the TV till after the election is over, I can see it now daily offerings of the two major parties calling each other names interspersed with splutterings from the Greens and KAP.

What a year this will be. 🙁

bigfeet said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Something something women deserve no rights about their own body something something things would be better if women acted like they did in the 50’s something something Jesus spoke to me in the shower and told me women are nothing more than breeding machines.

I expected better from someone who likes to stamp their feet, wave their tiny fists in the air, hold their breath and demand ‘screenshots’ from everyone else when quoting.

Actually, no I didn’t. You delivered exactly as expected.

Can you post a pic of me acting in the way described?

The AEC has published a list of key dates.

Bear in mind the PM is somewhat overstepping her power. There could still be an earlier election if she loses a major vote and it’s actually up to the Speaker and the GG to call elections (almost always on the PM’s advice mind you)

For those getting their panties crinkled overthe choice of Yom Kippur:
Its a Jewish holiday, either your government defends all religious holidays as inviolable and never gets anything done, or it treats them with an equal disregard.
Its also a Saturday. Observant Jews will pre-poll, just like every other time we”ve held an election on the Shabbat.

Hell, you can do it too.

I think the very, very early announcement of the election date is an attempt to appear statesperson-like, to put pressure on the Opposition to provide more detail about what they would do, and to put pressure on the cross benches – just in case any of them might waver in their support for the Government in light of any actual or alleged scandals that may emerge over coming months.

Without acknowledging it, the speech made a powerful case for tax increases, as well as for the promised “structural” savings – the detail of which will be fascinating, to say the least, particularly if they do actually meet a fair Commonwealth share of the cost of Gonski and NDIS (fasten your seatbelts and brace yourselves for the Territory’s funding options for those whoppers).

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Something something women deserve no rights about their own body something something things would be better if women acted like they did in the 50’s something something Jesus spoke to me in the shower and told me women are nothing more than breeding machines.

I expected better from someone who likes to stamp their feet, wave their tiny fists in the air, hold their breath and demand ‘screenshots’ from everyone else when quoting.

Actually, no I didn’t. You delivered exactly as expected.

Masquara said :

Pork Hunt said :

So when does gov’t go into caretaker mode and cease buying things, issuing tenders and contracts etc?
How does this affect the people and businesses that carry out said activities?

You might as well forget Parliament for the rest of the year, it will just be a shit fight with zero productivity.

Unbeliavable.

I suspect the electorate would like a fiscal conservative AND social progressive at the helm come late September. Neither Juliar nor Tony nor Julie fit the bill. That leaves you, Malcolm Turnbull!

Why pick on a quote by me for what appears to be a stand alone post? In any case what’s wrong with a post tax fight Paul Hogan for PM?

Pork Hunt said :

So when does gov’t go into caretaker mode and cease buying things, issuing tenders and contracts etc?
How does this affect the people and businesses that carry out said activities?

You might as well forget Parliament for the rest of the year, it will just be a shit fight with zero productivity.

Unbeliavable.

You might call 3-400 pieces of legislation, each one negotiated with the cross bench (instead of just being bulldozed through on typical majority) “unproductive” but I certainly don’t. It only appears unproductive because that nimrod Abbott wants everyone to think this country is going to the dogs; like Greece, where last time I checked unemployment amongst the working age was around 26% and amongst the youth upwards of 50%.

johnboy said :

parliament is prorogued.

Yes, they are thugs, cut-throats, and thieves, but you didn’t have to come right out and say it.

dungfungus said :

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Gungahlin Al said :

You know I think this might be a clever move (for once) from Gillard.
1/ Abbott is even showing up Zed with his lethargy to get going after holidays.
2/ Even the mainstream media is getting thoroughly jacked off with Abbott’s refusal to answer anything he doesn’t want to.
3/ It forces voters to face up to the fact that on 15 September this joke of an alternative could actually be our Prime Minster, and therefore will give a rather different perspective to every single thing he does from now on. Including, according to twitter, refusing to take any questions after his response this afternoon. (Might as well just post a bloody YouTube clip!)

Plus one.

Anybody who votes for not only a halfwit, but also a half retarded religious fanatic who thinks women being abused is a good thing, should probably be put down.

Maybe if you could be a little more civil or are you just venting your spleen befor Labor’s new offensive comments legislation kick in.
Please supply proof that Abbott said “women being abused is a good thing”

Something something women deserve no rights about their own body something something things would be better if women acted like they did in the 50’s something something Jesus spoke to me in the shower and told me women are nothing more than breeding machines.

Pork Hunt said :

So when does gov’t go into caretaker mode and cease buying things, issuing tenders and contracts etc?
How does this affect the people and businesses that carry out said activities?

You might as well forget Parliament for the rest of the year, it will just be a shit fight with zero productivity.

Unbeliavable.

I suspect the electorate would like a fiscal conservative AND social progressive at the helm come late September. Neither Juliar nor Tony nor Julie fit the bill. That leaves you, Malcolm Turnbull!

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Gungahlin Al said :

You know I think this might be a clever move (for once) from Gillard.
1/ Abbott is even showing up Zed with his lethargy to get going after holidays.
2/ Even the mainstream media is getting thoroughly jacked off with Abbott’s refusal to answer anything he doesn’t want to.
3/ It forces voters to face up to the fact that on 15 September this joke of an alternative could actually be our Prime Minster, and therefore will give a rather different perspective to every single thing he does from now on. Including, according to twitter, refusing to take any questions after his response this afternoon. (Might as well just post a bloody YouTube clip!)

Plus one.

Anybody who votes for not only a halfwit, but also a half retarded religious fanatic who thinks women being abused is a good thing, should probably be put down.

Errr….. Let me see,

1. the Launch/Launch on the weekend? Sure there wasn’t much happening earlier in the month but it is January FCS!

2. You reckon the PM does any thing/answer anything the media wants all the time?

3. Or we could continue with the joke we have right now…dear lord not another 3 years of this!

Anyone who continues to support this misogynist naming (oh, except when its her other half), mind changing (No carbon tax/definitely a surplus) government may also need their head read.

The combination of the Rabbits promise to sack 20,000 Pub Servs, and the acknowledged downturn in business during political campaigns, does not auger well for the local business scene during the next 9 months.

We are not being well led.

8 months to decide which EU country I’ll go and live in while the mad monk is in power.

So when does gov’t go into caretaker mode and cease buying things, issuing tenders and contracts etc?
How does this affect the people and businesses that carry out said activities?

You might as well forget Parliament for the rest of the year, it will just be a shit fight with zero productivity.

Unbeliavable.

Masquara said :

Julia was wearing thick glasses – is that a first? Made her look as though she was wearing one of those Marx Brothers glasses/nose combos. She has some semite-ish honker! Which made Julia’s choice of Yum Kipper day for the election even a tad poignant.

I also like kippers.

I’m totally down with this.

It gives the Opposition 7 months to come up with policies; it gives a definitive end date to this frustrating political cycle and it means, from this point, Abbott may actually start answering questions – instead of 1) walking away 2) parading his daughter/wife/Chief of Staff around to answer puff questions about his character. It’s a smart move. And a religious holiday that most wouldn’t be able to locate on a calendar .. please.

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Gungahlin Al said :

You know I think this might be a clever move (for once) from Gillard.
1/ Abbott is even showing up Zed with his lethargy to get going after holidays.
2/ Even the mainstream media is getting thoroughly jacked off with Abbott’s refusal to answer anything he doesn’t want to.
3/ It forces voters to face up to the fact that on 15 September this joke of an alternative could actually be our Prime Minster, and therefore will give a rather different perspective to every single thing he does from now on. Including, according to twitter, refusing to take any questions after his response this afternoon. (Might as well just post a bloody YouTube clip!)

Plus one.

Anybody who votes for not only a halfwit, but also a half retarded religious fanatic who thinks women being abused is a good thing, should probably be put down.

When did Tony Abbott state that he thinks women being abused is a good thing?

Comic_and_Gamer_Nerd said :

Gungahlin Al said :

You know I think this might be a clever move (for once) from Gillard.
1/ Abbott is even showing up Zed with his lethargy to get going after holidays.
2/ Even the mainstream media is getting thoroughly jacked off with Abbott’s refusal to answer anything he doesn’t want to.
3/ It forces voters to face up to the fact that on 15 September this joke of an alternative could actually be our Prime Minster, and therefore will give a rather different perspective to every single thing he does from now on. Including, according to twitter, refusing to take any questions after his response this afternoon. (Might as well just post a bloody YouTube clip!)

Plus one.

Anybody who votes for not only a halfwit, but also a half retarded religious fanatic who thinks women being abused is a good thing, should probably be put down.

Maybe if you could be a little more civil or are you just venting your spleen befor Labor’s new offensive comments legislation kick in.
Please supply proof that Abbott said “women being abused is a good thing”

what’s the fuss with calling an election now?

its not as if we don’t know the date of the next ACT election.

I can ignore the crap that politicians and the media will spew out over the next eight months and focus on who to vote for just before 14 September.

Masquara said :

Julia was wearing thick glasses – is that a first? Made her look as though she was wearing one of those Marx Brothers glasses/nose combos. She has some semite-ish honker! Which made Julia’s choice of Yum Kipper day for the election even a tad poignant.

Wow, you really are a simple, petty little boy aren’t you!

I think she looked quite attractive.

Gungahlin Al said :

You know I think this might be a clever move (for once) from Gillard.
1/ Abbott is even showing up Zed with his lethargy to get going after holidays.
2/ Even the mainstream media is getting thoroughly jacked off with Abbott’s refusal to answer anything he doesn’t want to.
3/ It forces voters to face up to the fact that on 15 September this joke of an alternative could actually be our Prime Minster, and therefore will give a rather different perspective to every single thing he does from now on. Including, according to twitter, refusing to take any questions after his response this afternoon. (Might as well just post a bloody YouTube clip!)

Plus one.

Anybody who votes for not only a halfwit, but also a half retarded religious fanatic who thinks women being abused is a good thing, should probably be put down.

Faark… I’d rather shove myself back in utero for the next 8 months.

Anyone know a female Asian doctor?

Julia was wearing thick glasses – is that a first? Made her look as though she was wearing one of those Marx Brothers glasses/nose combos. She has some semite-ish honker! Which made Julia’s choice of Yum Kipper day for the election even a tad poignant.

So why the early call?

People who cannot vote on Saturdays for religious reasons can always do a pre-vote or postal vote. No big deal.

A seven and a half month election campaign? I will surely drown in my own vomit by then…

You know I think this might be a clever move (for once) from Gillard.
1/ Abbott is even showing up Zed with his lethargy to get going after holidays.
2/ Even the mainstream media is getting thoroughly jacked off with Abbott’s refusal to answer anything he doesn’t want to.
3/ It forces voters to face up to the fact that on 15 September this joke of an alternative could actually be our Prime Minster, and therefore will give a rather different perspective to every single thing he does from now on. Including, according to twitter, refusing to take any questions after his response this afternoon. (Might as well just post a bloody YouTube clip!)

Jivrashia said :

So… Caretaker mode in government agencies for the next 8 months?

No decisions, no new projects?

No caretaker until government is dissolved in mid August.

So… Caretaker mode in government agencies for the next 8 months?

No decisions, no new projects?

Well it’s pretty simple. Elections have always been held on a Saturday, in my lifetime anyway. So any Jew giving a toss about Yom Kippur has been shafted by every PM for the last 40 years or so as it. Turnbull should have been well above having a go at Gillard over this.

Indeed, it’s a perfect snapshot of the incredibly shallow level of political debate in this country.

Let’s vote them all out!

Mr Gillespie said :

A lot of fuss over the election date. People still crowing about their precious religion being stepped on, some sacred Jewish holiday falls on September 14. Why do we have to worry about walking on eggshells, what about real issues and why on a Saturday, you can cast a pre-poll vote y’know!!

Not surprising you are also are against Jews.

Bob Hawke almost lost the unloseable election in 1984 when the campaign dragged on too long. Australians don’t like American-style elections. As for the election date being under cover of the footy finals, the Labor premier in WA thought he would be returned easily by holding the 2008 election in the middle of the Beijing Olympics and the footy finals and he was turfed out. 14th Sept is also Yom Kippur, a key Jewish holiday.

A lot of fuss over the election date. People still crowing about their precious religion being stepped on, some sacred Jewish holiday falls on September 14. Why do we have to worry about walking on eggshells, what about real issues and why on a Saturday, you can cast a pre-poll vote y’know!!

Scary times

Nice to see the persecution complex is coming out strong in reaction to the date.

Tony said :

OMG! what about the One Direction concert!!! Julia, PLEASE!!!

i’m rather sure 1d concert goers will be far too young to be casting a ballot…

OMG! what about the One Direction concert!!! Julia, PLEASE!!!

Footy finals,

very un-straylyn like from the PM

bugger, knew you’d beat me to the punch.

all i can say is that it is entirely un-strylyn of our lady of holy anger, saint julia, to call the elction mid-footy finals. i thought that was historically a bad time to call it? anyway, c’arna cats!

i see she is electioneerig already with the call not to electioneer in the sitting of parliament up to the dissolution of the government. right.