Federal election 2013: Articles, discussion etc.

[ozbob]

From Antony Green's Election Blog --> http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2012/04/clive-palmer-for-canberra.html

April 30, 2012
Clive Palmer for Canberra?

The announcement this morning that businessman Clive Palmer wants to nominate for LNP endorsement in Lilley against Treasurer Wayne Swan is a distraction the Labor Party would welcome today, and welcome even more in the next Federal election campaign.

After having been forced to distance itself from Peter Slipper and Craig Thomson over the weekend, the government would welcome today's announcement by Palmer as it swings the spotlight of political attention from Labor's political fringe dwellers to those of the Coalition.

In my view the Labor Party would dearly love to see Palmer as an LNP candidate, and the LNP would be crazy-brave to select him as a candidate.

Mr Palmer has many admirable characteristic as a self-made billionaire, but one of them is not tact.

I cannot help but see comparisons with the 1980s when a previous titan of Australian business, John Elliott, also actively sought out a seat in Federal Parliament.

In Elliott's case it was an attempt to replace John Howard as Liberal leader, and it came to nothing as Elliott could not even get the numbers to dislodge low-profile backbencher Roger Shipton as member for Higgins.

Elliott was as happy to toss around his personal opinions on politics and politicians in the 1980s, just as Clive Palmer is today.

Labor had enormous fun at Elliott's expense, with a famous television advert using an impersonation by comedic actor Max Gillies. Immitating Elliott's speaking style, Gillies opined how he liked a beer and so had bought a brewery. He liked footy and so had taken over a club. And he loved a party, and had one of those as well. An unsubtle reference to Elliott's presidency of the Liberal Party.

The Labor Party would produce something just as pointed if Palmer ran.

Palmer's tendency to go off at political tangents would also be a nightmare for Tony Abbott, who has been single-handedly demolishing the Labor government for more than two years.

Palmer as candidate would be a massive distraction for the Coalition. He would provide ammunition to Labor's campaign, and potentially provide a distraction from the Coalition's daily message.

Just as Palmer has today.

Very few successful businessmen have transferred to politics in Australia, and those that have were not from the entrepreneurial end of business that Clive Palmer inhabits.

Entrepreneurs thrive in an world where some investments bomb, but some succeed spectacularly. That's not the world politicians inhabit, where backing the wrong horse is the short path to political oblivion.

In politics you have to be right all the time, or if not right, at least have enough wriggle room in your rhetoric to argue you weren't wrong.

Clive Palmer as a candidate would be godsend for journalists in an election campaign. Instead of the endless repetition of prepared lines by Julia Gillard and Tony Abbott, media outlets would be more drawn to the colour and movement of Clive Palmer's tangential approach to answering a question.

If politics these days is about spin, Palmer's version looks more like a whirling dervish. For Labor he would be a weapon of mass distraction.

The media would be praying for Clive Palmer as a candidate, and I suspect Labor strategists would be rubbing their hands with glee at the prospect.

I find it hard to believe the Coalition would fall over itself in welcoming Palmer.

[ozbob]

[tweet]https://twitter.com/CliveFPalmer/status/196828511720312832[/tweet]

[somebody]

And then we get the mad monk?  I think I'd rather Julia.

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Hanging by a thread

[somebody]

Ever vote ALP?

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Galaxy poll finds no Julia Gillard Government MP would survive election in Queensland, with 23% primary vote

[ozbob]

Cash splashes might have garnered a few votes in the past.  Most people have wide screen  televisions these days ..

Money needs to be directed towards sustainable infrastructure for the future.

They are imploding as did the pink bats.  The carbon tax is a ' dead tax walking ' ...

[Mr X]

I take it in my stride that I am one of the 34% of QLDers who supports a carbon 'tax' and wouldn't vote for the Mad Monk and his archaic views.

[ozbob]

Not really a choice is it?

I expect Prime Minister Gillard to step down in the not too distant future, and it is not beyond possibility that the implementation of the carbon tax in its present form is  then delayed or dropped.

They will do anything to attempt to not derail the train wreck ..

[somebody]

Yet who would it be in favour of if Gillard steps down?  There can be no going back to Rudd - outside of Qld, that wouldn't be popular.

Also, what would they do?  Support the carbon tax or try to remove it?  The latter case presents an interesting choice to the opposition.  If they block the repeal of the carbon tax, then that would look pretty hypocritical but if they vote with the repeal, their main electoral winner has evaporated.

[Mr X]

If Julia decides to back away from the Carbon Tax it will make her look weak and a poor leader; didn't she once say that the only poll that counts is the one on election day?

[somebody]

If Julia decides to back away from the Carbon Tax it will make her look weak and a poor leader; didn't she once say that the only poll that counts is the one on election day?

I was referring to a new ALP leader.

[Mr X]

If Julia decides to back away from the Carbon Tax it will make her look weak and a poor leader; didn't she once say that the only poll that counts is the one on election day?

I was referring to a new ALP leader.

Would still make the party look weak.

[somebody]

I think it could be spun in such a way as to minimise the damage.  Looks like the Carbon Tax is going to be repealed anyway so why not "listen to the people and take the initiative?"

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> Gillard facing fresh threat

[ozbob]

Melbourne Age --> ALP primary vote sinks to 26 per cent

[justanotheruser]

And then we get the mad monk?  I think I'd rather Julia.

No, Juliar has had her run and they have more than blown it with the books a complete mess. Running deficit three years after a recession, comon too slow. At the way they are going how will this be repaid before the next recession?

Why this stupid obsession with not running a deficit. it is not a problem having a deficit with government. Sure you don't want it to be too big but it does not have to be positive all the time. but hey if you want no funding for public transport then go ahead and say no deficit ever please!  i think you also forget the 'recession we had to have' in the 1990's. Australia was one of the first to enter recession and last to finish. That was actually planned by the Hawke/Keating government. it was done to reduce inflation in what was seen as a once in a lifetime opportunity. It was suggested by Bernie Fraser then gov of Reserve bank. hawke and keating agreed to make the recession last longer so inflation would be reduced. of course the effects came in as Howard won government and he took all the credit.

Without the injection of cash into the economy Australia would have suffered greatly financially so people should not be quick to be critical of the payments made by Rudd. Lets also not forget that every federal election Howard and Costello just promised more and more tax cuts and people voted for it. So be realistic when you are comparing Rudd's one off hand out to Howards 11 year hand outs which came from increased tax revenue. hey if people are stupid enough to believe that all the money was built up by reducing costs rather than increased tax revenue then the Sydney harbour bridge is for sale at a very reasonable price, any takers!

[somebody]

Hawke came to power in 1983.  Perhaps you are thinking of Keating who was in fact the treasurer for much of the time.

[justanotheruser]

Bob hawke remained prime minister untill 20th Dec 1991. Recession had already hit Australia by then. Certainly Paul Keating as treasurer contributed most of the economic policy. however Hawke was still in power when Bernie Fraser suggested extending the duration of the recession.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> All Qld Labor MPs could go: Newspoll

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> All Qld Labor MPs could go: Newspoll

[ozbob]

From the Couriermail Quest click here!

Ipswich's Patricia Petersen claims she has formed a new political party called the Australian Independents

Ipswich's Patricia Petersen claims she has formed a new political party called the Australian Independents

    by: Brian Semmens, Ipswich News
    From: Quest Newspapers
    August 07, 2012 12:00AM

Patricia Petersen has denied the name of her political party - the Australian Independents - is a contradiction as she prepares for a possible tilt at federal politics.

Independents tend to shun political allegiances.

Ms Petersen said she was considering running against Federal Member for Blair Shayne Neumann at the next federal election expected next year. She said she was also considering running for the Senate.

"It sounds like an oxymoron, but it's a party of practical purposes only to ensure local representation,'' said Ms Petersen, who failed to be elected to the Queensland Parliament in March.

"Unlike political parties, we don't have party agendas.

"We have close to 1000 members so far from all over Australia. We sent the paperwork to the Australian Electoral Commission six or seven weeks ago. It will take them up to another six weeks to sort through all the paperwork and checks that the founders are on the electoral roll.''

Mr Neumann, who will face Raceview's Teresa Harding as the LNP's preslected candidate, disputed Ms Petersen had the requirements needed to form a political party.

"From what I know, you need a person in parliament or have 500 members,'' he said. ``She'll have to satisfy the electoral commission if she's going to form a party.

"If she's forming a party, that's her business. I'm proud to be representing the Australian Labor Party at the next election.''

Ms Petersen said the "new political organisation is aimed at ensuring genuine independents are elected so that the Australian electorate has a strong voice, a say and "democracy is restored to our political environment''.

"The Australian Independents is about providing constituents with a real opportunity to direct policy, to allow the community to have their beliefs, views and priorities represented in parliament; it is about constituents having their elected representatives listen to their concerns, respond to them and fight for them in parliament,'' she said.

"It's in the Australian Independents constitution that every politician affiliated with the party, must at all ties stand up for their electorates and earnestly represent their electorates; if they don't do this, they will be expelled from the party.

"How do you know what constituents want? You ask them. As a politician, you should be regularly meeting with community members, holding community forums, listening to them, being proactive, looking for issues that are of concern to them.

"In current political parties, elected representatives fight for their parties and their party's views; in the Australian Independents, elected representatives will fight for their constituents. That's a big difference between us and them.''

"We already have candidates lined up to run at the next federal election  in Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Western Australia. We are hoping to have candidates contest every seat in the country. Unlike regular political parties, our essential criteria for running as a candidate is commitment to real democracy, excellent listening skills and superior capacity to represent one's electorate.''

Ms Petersen said that the Australian Independents logo, a flag, designed with yellow, red and blue, was significant.

"The yellow demonstrates respect for our Aboriginal past and future, the hint of red symbolises a revolution in the way that politics is conducted in this country and the Southern Cross and blue background, respect for Australian achievements to date and restoration of genuine democracy,'' she said

[Gazza]

Good on her for the idea, but a lot of her own polices are a bit silly.

[#Metro]

Yawn. People start parties like this all the time. And they die, or become zombie parties that no-one votes for.

A decent political party needs to facilitate the broadest membership possible. Something that's unlikely to happen with the founder in total control.
Australian Independents is also a contradiction in terms. Independant of what?

[ozbob]

From the Queensland Times click here!

Patricia wants her own party

Patricia wants her own party

Rebecca Lynch | 7th August 2012 5:30 AM

SEASONED election candidate Patricia Petersen could be leading her own political party into the Federal Election next year.

The Ipswich woman, who has contested three Federal and two State elections, has applied to register a party by the name of "Australian Independents" with the Australian Electoral Commission.

Dr Petersen most recently attracted 8.8% of the vote when she ran as an independent in the seat of Ipswich in this year's State Election.

She said the party's application had included a list of 550 members, which is above the minimum AEC requirement of 500 members.

Dr Petersen said she formed the party to ensure independent candidates remained "genuinely independent".

"Each Australian Independent will fight in parliament for their electorates, stand up for them, do their job - that's real democracy," Dr Petersen said.

"Australian Independents being a party might appear to be an oxymoron, but we're a party for practical reasons and more of an alliance. We're also not going to accept donations from corporations or unions."

Dr Petersen said she aimed to have an Australian Independents candidate running for every seat in the next Federal Election.

"There are already three people in Queensland, two in New South Wales and another in Western Australia who are lined up to run," she said.

As to whether she herself would contest a federal seat, Dr Petersen said she was undecided, but saw "a need for change in Blair".

She said the benefits of running in a party included mentorship and support within the party, as well as possible public funding and bulk orders of election materials.

According to the AEC, a funding rate of $2.42 per vote is payable if a registered party's candidate attracts more than 4% of first preference votes in their division.

An AEC spokeswoman said the minimum timeframe to process an application for registration was three months.

[justanotheruser]

Australian Independents is also a contradiction in terms. Independant of what?

that was clearly answered in the article.
independant of party politics but also ensuring they keep to what the electorate wants rather than making agreements on other things like some of the current independants have done.

[#Metro]

independant of party politics but also

But it's a PARTY

[Gazza]

Party for legal purposes, but I don't think they'd operate like one of the others (No 'leader', no policies etc)

[Arnz]

She's a serial candidate.. much like Debbie Blumel (until her recent stint on the SC Council) and Christine Anthony up the coast.

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Galaxy poll sees Federal Labor support jump seven points in Queensland

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Poll position: Gillard arms Labor for early election with new committee

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> The 10 issues that will decide the election

[Jonno]

Brisbanetimes --> The 10 issues that will decide the election

No mention of rail infrastructure and yet we kill 1200+ on our roads.  No debate = no change!y

[ozbob]

Brisbanetimes --> Parties arm themselves for federal election war

[somebody]

It isn't that bad for the ALP with Abott still opposition leader.  I won't be surprised if they get back in, just like in the election vs Latham.

[somebody]

Latham never won an election as fed party leader or do you mean Latham and Abbott are similar?

Correct.

[somebody]

Here is something I found on FB

Very biased and unhelpful.

[huddo45]

Here is something I found on FB

That's where you should have left it!

[ozbob]

Couriermail --> Politicians are back from holidays and hitting the campaign trail in preparation for a federal election later this year

[somebody]

Wayne Swan interviewed re:health: http://blogs.abc.net.au/queensland/2013/01/treasurer-wayne-swan-.html?site=brisbane&program=612_morning