21 April 2012

Wake up Zed! Katy wants a fight!

| johnboy
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Chief Minister Gallagher has taken to wondering what she has to do to get an opposition in this town.

With 6 months to go until the next ACT Election the Canberra Liberals have been on an extended holiday, ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher said today.

“In all my time in the ACT Assembly I have never known such a lazy start to any election campaign by an Opposition. While the Government keeps delivering on our commitments and doing the serious policy work to strengthen our city, the Canberra Liberals seem content to fly under the radar,” the Chief Minister said.

“That the Canberra Liberals – the supposed alternative government in the Territory – remain a policy black hole at this point in the election cycle is quite astonishing.

“For three and a half years Mr Seselja’s lazy Opposition have been on holiday, content to carp and whine without developing real alternatives of any substance.

“To be a viable alternative government, you actually have to stand for something. You can’t just sit on your hands not doing the hard yards on the policy front for an entire Assembly term and then expect the people of Canberra to take you seriously.

“I call on the Opposition to end the vacation and to start engaging on the big policy issues in health and hospitals, education, the revenue system, local government services, community services, social justice, and equal rights to name just a few.

She goes on at length to outline all she’s been up to.

Which is all well and good, but considering her government has priced average income earners out of the Canberra housing market it’s hard to care about the frilly stuff at the edges.

UPDATE 21/04/12 16:34: Zed has bestirred himself to decry this personal attack on his efforts:

Today Katy Gallagher made the case for a change of government, with a personal attack against the ACT Opposition. ACT Opposition Leader Zed Seselja said this attack comes from a Chief Minister who does not understand that Canberrans want solutions, not gutter politics, from their leaders.

“This election is about change versus the same, and today Katy Gallagher made the case for a change of government,” Mr Seselja said today

“What’s important to Canberrans is important to the Canberra Liberals and we’ve already announced policies to lower car rego and junior sports fees, bring infrastructure projects in on time and on budget, and to ensure the government pays its providers on time.

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hjholden said :

gooterz said :

Quite clearly there is too much retail space in the ACT but in the wrong places.
There is no plan yet to develop Jerrabomberra but there should be!

Given that jerrabomberra is in nsw and not the act I do t see how this is even relevant

District of Jerrabomberra. It’s in the ACT If you check a map.

gooterz said :

Quite clearly there is too much retail space in the ACT but in the wrong places.
There is no plan yet to develop Jerrabomberra but there should be!

Given that jerrabomberra is in nsw and not the act I do t see how this is even relevant

Could it be that Katy knows what the internal polls are saying.
This far out Zed does not have to do much.
The Libs only have to reprise the Stanhopian paradise we have all lives through.

chewy14 said :

Bramina said :

chewy14 said :

ka1042 said :

Gee zooterz, I was under the mistaken belief that there might be some constructive and informed discussion here. You’ve certainly lost me.

I think he’s saying that this government is so crap that the opposition don’t have to actually do anything to get elected.
In any other town than Canberra it might be a winning strategy.

I’m not exactly a Green. They’re too ideological for me. But at least they seem to make an effort. Perhaps they should have a go at government.

LOL.

Hell why not. Could they do any worse?

For example.. on Katy’s site.. what on earth is “outlining a plan for introducing a 7 day ACTION timetable”.
If i’m not mistaken.. havent we had action buses 7 days a week for a number of years/decades?

How hard is it to solve the housing crisis? Surely letting some of the air out of the bubble will soften the impact for the inevitable burst!

Quite clearly there is too much retail space in the ACT but in the wrong places.
There is no plan yet to develop Jerrabomberra but there should be!

Its no good trying to plan new bus networks/ tramways etc when the government is only thinking 5-10 years ahead.

Hopefully if the libs get in it’d be a message that we weren’t happy and wanted change.. Hopefully they’ll deliver. ACT was never about the politics, all the timesheet business just annoys the people that know we really didnt want self government. Minimal is better!

Bramina said :

chewy14 said :

ka1042 said :

Gee zooterz, I was under the mistaken belief that there might be some constructive and informed discussion here. You’ve certainly lost me.

I think he’s saying that this government is so crap that the opposition don’t have to actually do anything to get elected.
In any other town than Canberra it might be a winning strategy.

I’m not exactly a Green. They’re too ideological for me. But at least they seem to make an effort. Perhaps they should have a go at government.

LOL.

Hell why not. Could they do any worse?

SnapperJack said :

“A lazy start to the election campaign”. Erm, Katy the election isn’t on until October, a full six months away. We still have a long way to go until we “start the election campaign”.

The idea of ACT politics being the focus of a six month campaign is really unpleasant to contemplate.

chewy14 said :

ka1042 said :

Gee zooterz, I was under the mistaken belief that there might be some constructive and informed discussion here. You’ve certainly lost me.

I think he’s saying that this government is so crap that the opposition don’t have to actually do anything to get elected.
In any other town than Canberra it might be a winning strategy.

I’m not exactly a Green. They’re too ideological for me. But at least they seem to make an effort. Perhaps they should have a go at government.

Mysteryman said :

“While the Government keeps delivering on our commitments and doing the serious policy work to strengthen our city”

Are all female labor leaders as deluded and full of s#1t as each other? It certainly appears so.

Mysteryman said :

“While the Government keeps delivering on our commitments and doing the serious policy work to strengthen our city”

Are all female labor leaders as deluded and full of s#1t as each other? It certainly appears so.

Gee Mysteryman, i’ve seen some of your previous posts and it is pretty obvious what side of politics you stand on. As I said before,CAN WE HAVE SOME CONSTRUCTIVE AND INFORMED DISCUSSION HERE.

ka1042 said :

Gee zooterz, I was under the mistaken belief that there might be some constructive and informed discussion here. You’ve certainly lost me.

I think he’s saying that this government is so crap that the opposition don’t have to actually do anything to get elected.
In any other town than Canberra it might be a winning strategy.

“A lazy start to the election campaign”. Erm, Katy the election isn’t on until October, a full six months away. We still have a long way to go until we “start the election campaign”.

“While the Government keeps delivering on our commitments and doing the serious policy work to strengthen our city”

Are all female labor leaders as deluded and full of s#1t as each other? It certainly appears so.

Gee zooterz, I was under the mistaken belief that there might be some constructive and informed discussion here. You’ve certainly lost me.

NickD said :

It is amazing how infrequently the Canberra Liberals appear in the local media. While a small target strategy is a common political tactic, it only works if the voters actually know who you are. The Greens probably have a higher profile.

I’m all happy with a government that works, doesnt need to prove it self to the media and just works!

I’m sure they wont be much new roadwork between now and the next election. Or the ACT libs might be in longer than it took Labor to finish and properly signpost the GDE.

It is amazing how infrequently the Canberra Liberals appear in the local media. While a small target strategy is a common political tactic, it only works if the voters actually know who you are. The Greens probably have a higher profile.

Zed is not lazy, merely exuding confidence. On the other hand Katy seems stressed by the forthcoming election.

In an ideal world the governent of the time would run smoothly and the alternative government would have nothing to criticise, and would therefore be fairly mute.

In this case the government is vocal about the alternatives not having any voice, shouldn’t this make them happy that the current government are doing a good job?
No they are bewildered because they only know how to compete, are clingy and needy.

AsparagusSyndrome5:50 pm 21 Apr 12

I don’t regard local government issues including health, education, transport, local government services, etc to be the ‘frilly stuff at the edges’, when considering where to cast my next local government vote. And while the ridiculous local housing bubble and unaffordability is certainly a huge issue for those renting or looking to buy (I fully agree – it’s totally stuffed) , the majority of Canberra’s population is not in that category at any given moment. So there are ‘other issues’ at play for many of us, and they do matter.

In the interests of democracy through a well-informed electorate (especially for those thinking of voting for an alternative government), we can click here to learn about the current policies of the Canberra Liberals:
http://www.canberraliberals.org.au/ABOUT-US/OUR-POLICIES/OUR-POLICIES.asp

And if that’s too ‘big picture’, and we want to learn and understand how they’re vigorously responding to the issues of the present and taking it to the government of the day (so that we don’t end up with a complacent or lazy government), here is their ACT News, a vibrant and dynamic list of matters that they wish to put before the electorate for our consideration:
http://www.canberraliberals.org.au/NEWSROOM/ACT-NEWS.asp

I’m pleased to see that the pages load quickly and there’s not a hint of obfuscation.

My only other suggestion is that it could use some background sound effects… perhaps crickets.

Katy, at last. I’m screaming out for an alternative government in the ACT who has a bit of vision and clout. These overpaid lazy Liberals couldn’t give a stuff about Canberra, banging on about the ACT Labor party without offering any alternatives. 6 months out from an election, just look at their website http://www.canberraliberals.org.au, the clunkiest website I have ever seen from a party wanting to lead the ACT. Their website hasn’t been updated since the last election in 2008. Shows how determined they are. They have no intention of winning government and if they did, they just wouldn’t know what to do. What a joke this ACT Liberal mob are. I remember the early Labor days in the ACT when Kate Carnell and Gary Humphries offered a vision for an alternative Liberal government in Canberra.

Zed is wisely rolled up in a ball and making himself a small target while the federal ALP implosion and flatlined opinion polls rub off on the state governments. Why distract anyone from the activities of this smug, “entitled” government?

Catching the Zed who is catching some zeds.

Sounds like a “Show us your policy” call to me. The cry of incumbents everywhere before the budget leading into an election.

And just like incumbents everywhere, Katy will just have to wait until the opposition is ready for its reveal.

CrocodileGandhi4:04 pm 21 Apr 12

“Which is all well and good, but considering her government has priced average income earners out of the Canberra housing market it’s hard to care about the frilly stuff at the edges.”

Yes, but without having a clue as to how the Liberal’s will even begin to make housing more affordable, her point stands.

Isn’t that the lament of many a government?

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