UPDATED Thursday 9 September 2010
These links are to posts of interest to the contemporary political debate. They are updated daily, sometimes more often.
For contemporary political news in the metropolitan MSM go to Political News Watch
For past months of LYN'S DAILY LINKS go to LYN'S LINKS SEPTEMBER 2010, LYN'S LINKS AUGUST 2010, LYN'S LINKS JULY 2010, LYN'S LINKS JUNE 2010, LYNS LINKS MAY 2010 and LYNS LINKS APRIL 2010
9 September 2010
The Tyranny of Constant Publication, Mr Denmore, The Failed Estate
"Deadlines" now seems quaint, with even Laurie Oakes twittering second-by-second updates from doorstops.
http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/
Listening for the new told lies, Grog, Grog's Gamut
So on August 24 Tony Abbott said of the new paradigm: “I think we can be a more collegial polity than we have been”. Did anyone really believe him?
http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/
Independents feed off the weak, The Piping Shrike.
For the Coalition not only do they not get government, but the Nationals in particular have to watch the independents
www.pipingshrike.com/.../...feed-off-the-weak.html
Victorian federal redistribution and other tales, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger
As Peter Brent of Mumble points out, it is almost certain that the complete figures which will be available in a few weeks’ time will show Labor the winner,
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2010/09/08/victorian-federal-redistribution-and-other-tales/
Self Interest, the major Parties and the Independents, Rich Bowden, The Angle
Would be doing its utmost to destroy the next parliament to return to the polls to build on its perceived momentum and gain a majority in its own right.
theangle.org/.../
The conservative noise machine cranks up, Gary Sauer-Thompson, Public Opinion
The conservative strategy is to bring on the next election as soon as possible by whatever means. Attack, attack, attack. Destroy, destroy, destroy.
www.sauer-thompson.com/.../the-conservativ.php
Election finalised thread, Jeremy Sear, Pure Poison
(Democracy, n. Going back to the polls until the Liberal Party wins.)
blogs.crikey.com.au/.../
The Sky is falling... or is it? The Conscience Vote
Bizarrely, some of the most rational commentary on the final election result came from Peter van Onselen, writing in The Australian. I’m not quite sure how that snuck in there.
consciencevote.wordpress.com/.../
Expect Libs to go in for the kill, Tim Wilson, Institute of Public Affairs
The opposition will seek to chip away at Labor's weakest links in the hope of forcing resignations to destroy the government's numbers and make the independents choose between a minority Liberal government or another election.
ipa.org.au/.../expect-libs-to-go-in-for-the-kill-
Labor lost the war, but won the peace, Ben Eltham, Unleashed
Abbott is superb as an antagonist. He is, in his own words, a ferocious political foe. But once the formal election campaign ended, these very qualities proved to be liabilities.
www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s3005830.htm
Sun Shines on Gillard... For Now, Anthony Fensom, The Diplomat
There are clouds ahead, and Abbott will be hoping they hold a silver lining for the Coalition.
http://the-diplomat.com/2010/09/08/sun-shines-on-gillard…for-now/
NBN was a key part of the agreement on govt., with flat pricing across the country, 3WAN.Net
But Opposition leader, Tony Abbott, refused to back down on the Coalition’s broadband policy and insisted it was the better of the two.
http://sutherla.blogspot.com/
The three amigos and the glasshouse government, Guy Beres
It’s likely best for Bob Katter and his hat to be getting up to mischief outside the tent rather than inside..
http://guyberes.com/
Seeing the Future, Still Life with Cat
Not least because they know they will be carved up by the Murdoch-dominated press and filleted by their own electorates.
stilllifewithcat.blogspot.com/.../...g-future.html
The body language of Tony Abbott , Mark Young, Gamma Ways
Tony Abbott, consigned to being Leader of the Opposition once more, rather than his obviously desired office of Prime Minister,
http://mhcyoung.blogspot.com/
The Coalition Lost, Reb, Gutter Trash
As I’ve mentioned many times in the past, the born to rule mob and their supporters don’t handle rejection particularly well.
http://guttertrash.wordpress.com/2010/09/08/the-coalition-lost/
8 September 2010
Let the Great Unhinging begin, Possum Comitatus, Pollytics
What we will witness over the next 18 months or more is a Great Unhinging –an orgy of hysterics that will far surpass the duplicity, dishonesty – let alone the complete arsehattery – that substituted for public debate on matters of government during the previous 12 months
blogs.crikey.com.au/.../
Gillard’s wild ride has just begun, Media Wrap, Crikey
www.crikey.com.au/.../
Independents holding Australians hostage: Palmer, ABC
"The majority of Australians want another election
http://www.abc.net.au:80/news/stories/2010/09/08/3005573.htm?WT.mc_id=newsmail
The morning after the afternoon before, The Drum
blogs.abc.net.au/.../...-the-afternoon-before.html
Post - election lines I'm already sick of, Jeremy Sear, An Anonymous Lefty
1. 700,000 More Votes (provided you include the Nats but discount the Greens):
http://anonymouslefty.wordpress.com/
Welcome back Julia, now do it differently, Moira Rayney, Eureka Street
Welcome back, Julia. The Lodge is yours, though your throne has a sword over it. Playing it safe was incredibly risky and nearly cost you not only power but the principles that thrust you to it.
www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=23178
Election 2010: Game over (or, Fibre to the Lodge) Grog, Grog's Gamut
I fully expect Abbott to do everything in his power to bring this Government down as soon as he possibly can.
http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/
The Stephen Bradbury of Australian politics, Andrew Elder, Politically Homelesss
Link away like whipped dogs. They got up on their hind legs and insisted Abbott engage in the same self-defeating coalition-shunning behaviour
andrewelder.blogspot.com/.../...lian-politics.html
The Change we Need, Alex White
But despite that, despite the concerted effort by the Murdoch Press, despite the leaks, Labor has won the election..too scared of The Australian, the Telegraph and the Courier Mail.
http://alexwhite.org/2010/09/the-change-we-need/
Reflections on the revolution in Canberra, Paul Barratt, Australian Observer
The Murdoch Press will be unrelentingly hostile to the Gillard Government and the independents. It will deny the legitimacy of the Government, and will concoct all sorts of stories to adorn its front pages.
http://aussieobserver.blogspot.com/
The Tony Windsor furphy the press and opposition are spreading, Kim, Larvatus Prodeo
Desperation, of the press to find a talking point which would fit the narrative that the Labor minority government is somehow illegitimate.
http://larvatusprodeo.net/
Minority Governemnt + the media,Gary Sauer-Thompson ,Public Opinion
The News Ltd narrative will be that Labor will implode and they will be doing everything they can to undermine the Oakeshott and Windsor's support for a minority Labor Government
http://www.sauer-thompson.com/
So,what was that all about, James Farrell, Club Troppo
The hysterical public warnings by Minchin, Hockey and the like about the spectre of an ‘utra-left wing’, ‘Green-Labor coalition government’
clubtroppo.com.au/.../#more-12410
Australia gets a Government, Derek Barry, Woolly Days
The weather vane, the people skills and the mad monk were all hidden away and he ran a relentless campaign of negativity.
nebuchadnezzarwoollyd.blogspot.com/.../...ent.html
Phew! Terror Australis avoided by the narrowest of margins, Clarencegirl, North Coast Voices
Abbott will be seeking ways to disrupt parliament, destabilise the political process and sabotage confidence in government.
northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/.../...oided-by.html
Labor Holds On, wmmbb, Duckpond
But then, we were saved from Tony Abbott
ianwestbrook.blogspot.com/.../labor-holds-on.html
Gillard slides in on back of NBN, Josh Taylor, ZDNet
With the Labor Government set to return, the NBN project has gained a new lease of life as iiNet CEO Michael Malone was quick to point out Twitter.
www.zdnet.com.au/...n-on-back-of-nbn-339305843.htm
Telstra ups customer service offerings,,,Delimiter
Exceed their monthly data allocation on BigPond Elite and Ultimate plans will be shaped up to 256kbps — “four times faster than before,” Telstra’s Young stated.
delimiter.com.au/.../
Glenn Milne: Good on gossip, bad on geography ? Tobias Ziegler, Pure Poison
Glenn Milne picks up the gossip wherever he can, and happily spreads it around:
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/
3 Wise Men….or not, A Blog about Nothing..... Much
Twitter was going nuts with people tweeting about how long his speech was and how much longer until we know.
jackmcclane.com/2010/09/07/3-wise-men-or-not/
Matthew "Rupert says you've got it wrong" Franklin, Stop Murdoch
Relentless hammering by Murdoch's hacks of the talking point that Australians really wanted an Abbott government.
http://stopmurdoch.blogspot.com/
7 September 2010
Labor to rule: Oakeshott, Windsor back Gillard, Bernard Keane, The Stump
Julia Gillard will cling to power by the narrowest possible margin
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/2010/09/07/gillard-gets-over-the-line-we-finally-have-a-government/
D-day plus 17 …, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger
These voices will spend the coming months and/or years peddling distortions and hyperbole to create a sense of crisis about a situation which in reality has every chance of serving Australia well.
blogs.crikey.com.au/.../
Abbott pledges sleepless NBN vigilance, renai LeMay, Delimiter
You can be absolutely certain that the Opposition is going to be hyper-vigilant in this area,” he said. “My strong suspicion is that the NBN is going to turn out to be school halls on steroids.”
delimiter.com.au/.../
And the winner is, The Conscience Vote
Whether you’re left- or right-leaning, this can only be a cause for celebration.
consciencevote.wordpress.com/.../
And the winner is…, Massivespray, Spray of the Day
Then Rob Oakeshoot stepped up and after gibbering on for a full 20 minutes (and driving everyone on the live feed into increasing heights of hysteria)
he finally came on board for Labor.
sprayoftheday.wordpress.com/.../
Independents break, but Government goes to Gillard ABC
Dennis Shanahan at the Australian: It is a testament to Gillard's political skills and charm as a leader that she has salvaged a Labor government
http://blogs.abc.net.au/drumroll/
Katter goes to the Coalition Bernard Keane , The Stump
Katter said he would have a “moral responsibility to provide the Government
that’s in there for stability” in the event of Labor winning the support of Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor.
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/2010/09/07/katter-goes-to-the-coalition/
Tony Abbott disappointed as Julia Gillard says Labor ready to govern , Ben Packman, Kate Rose, Herald Sun
Mr Abbott rededicated the Coalition to the role of opposition, saying it will hold the government "ferociously to account''.
www.heraldsun.com.au/.../story-fn5ko0pw-1225915316387
17 days...and 30 minutes later we have a winner , Tony Wright, Brisbane Times
Tony Abbott's Coalition will be dirty - it gained the majority primary vote and - assuming you count West Australian National Independent Independent Tony Crooke as a natural Coalition member - the majority of the seats (73-72).
www.brisbanetimes.com.au/.../...0100907-14z6g.html
Election 2010: Extra Time (or, do You want sugar with your tea leaves?) Grog, Grog's Gamut
I really don’t know what will happen. I would love to say the ALP are looking good, but I truly don’t know,
http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/
Aftershocks, Andrew Elder, Politically Homeless
The estimable Grog has skewered this already. This is so stupid that Julie Bishop and Greg Sheridan would be prevented from saying it out of Mutually Assured Stupid,
andrewelder.blogspot.com/.../...never-you-see.html
Accountable to Whom?, The Piping Shrike
Making Parliament more accountable, that it raises questions about what ‘accountable’ actually means here. Accountable to whom?
http://www.pipingshrike.com/
Essential Research: 51-49 to Labor, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger
The latest weekly Essential Research poll has Labor opening a 51-49 lead after 50-50 results over the previous two weeks
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/
Family First puts democracy last, Mungo MacCallum, Echo
That would leave Labor in power, an outcome utterly unacceptable to the Murdoch press.
www.echonews.com.au/.../
Polls, polls, polls & the campaign for another Election, Kim, Larvatus Prodeo
More reliable is Essential Research today, which you can read about at Crikey.
larvatusprodeo.net/.../
Independents or Geese? Emmjay, The Daily Bludge
I had big hopes for the independents – until I tired of their sickly smiles on TV and their assurances that they would make a decision soon, soon, soon.
dailybludge.com.au/2010/09/independents-or-geese/
Parliamentary reform-how it's going to be, Peter Martin
Agreement for Better Parliament
http://petermartin.blogspot.com/
Snippet of Burke turns his wisdom on its head, Tobias Ziegler, Pure Poison
The Australian’s latest call for the independents to respect the wishes of Newspoll their electorates comes from Professor Kenneth Wiltshire,
http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/
The Three Amigos, Damob, Throwing Stones from the Glasshouse
The Coalition, led by Tony Abbott, still have this ‘born to rule’ mentality which has damaged the Liberal Party in the past and will continue to damage them in the future.
damob.wordpress.com/2010/09/06/the-three-amigos/
Don't Panic, The Conscience Vote
That didn’t stop Abbott publishing an open letter in the Sunday Telegraph that can best be described as three-parts ‘the country is doomed'
http://consciencevote.wordpress.com/
You sound a bit defensive, Glenn, Dave's Archives
However, Milne's take on Andrew Wilkie just seems a little unhinged.
http://davec.org/
Election Analysis, Critical Times
Murdoch’s media monopoly, the powerful mouthpiece for the most reactionary section of the ruling class, strongly campaigned for the victory of their most loyal servant, the Liberal/National Coalition under Abbott’s leadership.
www.criticaltimes.com.au/.../
Tasmania’s governing partnership: the possibilities and the perils, Kate Crowley,
Inside StoryIt’s so far, so good, for Tasmania’s Greens-backed minority government,
inside.org.au/.../
Treasury Comparison, John, True Politik
Coalition-costings, Labor Party Costings
http://truepolitik.blogspot.com/
6 September 2010
Election 2010: Extra Time (or, Who is he talking to? Who is listening? Grog, Grog's Gamut
Tony Abbott has taken the rather bizarre step of writing an open letter to the three independents in The Sunday Telegraph. It is a letter that smacks of utter desperation,
grogsgamut.blogspot.com/.../...e-or-who-is-he.html
Abbott promising to put city voters last, Jeremy Sear, An Anyomous Left
Don’t worry, country voters, I’m on your side. I *hate* the cities and all their stinking, repulsive hippy voters. In government I will crush them
anonymouslefty.wordpress.com/.../
Costingsgate: "If Andrew Robb & Tony Abbott say that, then it must be true." Peter Martin
If Andrew Robb and Tony Abbott say that, then it must be true…
petermartin.blogspot.com/.../...robb-and-tony.html
Coalition frenzy peaks on Twitter, with QLD Young LNP, Clarencegirl, North Coast Voices
The venom spewed forth in an almost inexhaustible stream until last night this particular tweeter was apparently advised to cool it by his political colleagues;
northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/.../...ter-with.html%3A+blogspot%2FUtodS+%28North+Coast+Voices%29
Working out Minority Government, wmmbb, Duckpond
The major reason is that it would be stability for the next three years,
wmmbb.wordpress.com/.../
Ker-Plunk! Or How To Blow An Election, Ash's to Ashes
If you are a hard-core Coalition voter you must be shaking your head right now wondering what the hell is happening.
ashghebranious.wordpress.com/.../
Which way will the country independents jump? Paul Barratt, Australian Observer
Oakeshott and Windsor at least will be bemused by the fact that Tony Abbott says that he will achieve dramatic cuts in the carbon intensity
aussieobserver.blogspot.com/.../...dependents.html
Undoing the Coalition's good work, Rob Burgess, Business Spectator
Labor has understood this from the start and has tightly controlled its messages to keep them focused on their new audience –
www.businessspectator.com.au/.../Undoing-the-Coalitions-good-work-pd20100906-8ZRJK
Windsor puts off D-day call, Sara Lane ABC
Independent MP Tony Windsor says a decision on which party will form government is unlikely to be made today.
www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/06/3003231.htm