Medical Records

Thank goodness for the Internet. If it wasn't for that we would have to rely again on what we read in the newspapers, see on TV, hear on the radio and receive through the mailbox at election time, in order to get our election information.

However, as well as being a blessing, it can be a curse as it is also able to overwhelm you with a blizzard of information. So it is for this reason that I have waded through the thicket of facts and figures that fly around in the Health area in order to distil the truths from the half-truths, and tried to lay it out in an easily digestible form.

As Health is such an omnibus area of policy, with so many different facets, and numbers that boggle the mind and pour out of every corner to overwhelm and bamboozle, I decided to therefore condense that data and, hopefully, present it to you in such a way that you might then be able to get a handle on it and use it to inform you in your deliberations before you go to the voting booth.

I thought I might also include a list of the achievements in the area of Health over the last three years by the Rudd/Gillard government because we need to make our decision based not only on promises for the future, but also results over the past term of a government.

In this way, when it comes to election day you will be as fully informed about the issue of Health as possible.

Labor achievements

I will first outline what Labor has achieved over the last 3 years in the area of Health.

- More than 76,000 elective surgery procedures delivered in the last two years and over 125 hospitals receiving new elective surgery equipment and operating theatres.

- Injection of $1.5 billion into public hospital emergency departments – this has already seen more than 35 emergency departments receive upgrades and will expand capacity to rollout a new four hour cap on emergency department waiting times.

- Expanded the number of hospital beds, with investment to build 1,300 new sub-acute hospital beds.

- Doubling the number of GP training places to 1,200 a year by 2014 and funding training for over 1,000 new nurses each year.

- Delivering on a commitment to build 31 GP Super Clinics that locate a range of services in one convenient location – and adding an additional five communities that will benefit.

- Established the Health and Hospitals Fund to make long-term, inter-generational investments in our national health infrastructure. This fund has invested $3.2 billion in 32 projects around the country.

- Investing $2 billion into building a world class cancer care system – including building regional cancer centres to make it easier for Australians to receive the care they need close to home.

- Committed to closing the unacceptable life expectancy gap for Indigenous Australians within two generations and backed this up with an investment of $1.6 billion in an Indigenous Health National Partnership.

- Delivered more than 850,000 dental check-ups to teenagers under the Medicare Teen Dental Plan.

- Providing more attractive incentives and retention bonuses for doctors to work in rural and regional Australia.

- Increased aged care places by more than 10,000 - including 838 new transitional care places to help up to 6,285 older Australians leave hospital sooner each year.

- Closed the tax loophole that saw alcopops sales soar and implemented a $103 million binge drinking strategy. This has seen alcopops consumption fall by 30 per cent.

- Rolled out preventive health programs in schools, workplaces and communities across the country.

- Increased hospitals funding by over 50 per cent.

For a first term government that had been out of power for the previous 12 years I think that we could all agree that this list of achievements is impressive. Especially considering the number of other initiatives that were put up to the parliament but blocked in the Senate. I seem to remember a Denticare Universal Dental Care program was proposed as well. I don't think the legislation came before parliament but that was probably because, by the time it had been mooted, it was already obvious to the Rudd government that they were dealing with a hostile Senate. So I wouldn't be surprised if we saw it reappear in a re-elected Gillard government, especially as The Greens have proposed it as one of their Health policies.

The Coalition

For those who are familiar with what I have written in the past I hope that you would say that I have tried to be 'Fair and Balanced' when it comes to assessing the Coalition and their policies on their merits. Thus it is again in this same spirit that I am going to outline their Health policy proposals.

Health



- $140 million to increase after hours Medicare rebates for GPs.

- $25 million for the After Hours Practice Incentive Payment for GPs. 


- $350 million to increase rebates for longer consultations with health care professionals.

- $115 million to boost Medicare rebates for practice nurses
.

- $200 million for GP infrastructure Grants.



In August, the Coalition announced a health funding injection of $833 million.

The Coalition says it would retain $437 million in Medicare funding that is allotted to practice nurses, which would be scrapped by the Labor Government. 



Mental Health



- $1.5 billion mental health plan
.

- Establish 20 Early Psychosis Intervention Centres
.

- Provide 800 beds for acute and sub-acute care
.

- Fund an additional 60 Headspace sites
.

- $395 million over four years for aged care

.

In June, the Coalition announced $1.5 billion allocated to extend frontline services to Mental Health. The funding will be directed to 800 new acute and sub acute mental health beds, 20 Early Psychosis Prevention and Intervention Centres and 60 further 'Headspace' youth mental health centres.

The Coalition's $395 million over four years for aged care would include $335 million for an aged care bed incentive program and convalescent care to assist up to 20,000 elderly people waiting in hospital to return home.

Now, looking at the above details I think a couple of salient points need to be made. Firstly, we have to realise that a large proportion of the funding to pay for these initiatives has been found by the Coalition by redirecting funding away from other areas of the Health Budget.

The E-Health initiative of the Labor government will be shelved; funding to continue the rollout of the remaining GP Super Clinics will be canned; and funding for Doctor and Nurse Training places would be redirected.

Essentially, therefore, we have a 'Robbing Peter to Pay Paul' Health strategy. Money from one area of Health has been taken away to fund another area that the Coalition has identified as being more worthy. They have had to do this because there is no Surplus from which to draw additional funds to pay for their policies.

The Greens

As I have just mentioned, The Greens have a suite of Health policies too (well, more like a table and chair of policies than a whole suite). So, in order to be fair to those who might be reading this that want to vote Greens, I have included their proposals.

- Develop a National Health Care Strategy.

- Abolish private health insurance rebate, redirect funds to the public health.

- Increase incentives for GPs and medical specialists to bulk bill.

- Universal access to publicly funded primary dental care.

- Introduce a tax on junk food and alcohol
.

I believe that, if the Greens do end up holding the balance of power in the Senate with the ALP in government, then we might be seeing some of this wish list become a reality for the Australian people in the next term of parliament.

The Labor Party

- 1,300 new sub-acute hospital beds.

- Emergency department waiting times capped at four hours.

- Training for 5,500 more GPs, double the GPs trained every year
.

- National after-hours GP service – with a 24-hour advice hotline
.

- Support for 2,500 additional aged care beds
.

- $277 million for mental health to help identify and prevent suicide.

- $134 million Rural Health Workforce strategy: to support 2,400 rural doctors.

Labor has reached a deal with most state governments on implementing a National Health and Hospitals Network to provide $5.3 billion in additional funding. Western Australia is the only state holding out from the deal.

Key initiatives outlined by Labor include 1000 new nursing training places every year and an additional 1300 GPs qualified or training by 2013. 



The Party also announced an additional 23 new GP super-clinics, on top of the 36 clinics already stated in the Health overhaul. The clinics would be situated mainly in rural and regional areas.

A 24-hour hotline would provide GP advice and arrange follow up community visits. 



Labor is promising city doctors who move to rural and regional areas up to $120 000 in relocation payments to boost the rural health workforce. 



Labor’s Mental Health package will target four key areas:
- frontline services for those most at risk;
- direct prevention and crisis intervention;
- services targeted to men and looking after kids, both those at risk and generally building their resilience.

Labor says an extra 20,000 young people per year will get mental health assistance with its $277 million support for communities, schools, health services and carers, to do more to identify and prevent suicide.

Now, I think it's a very valid point that what would be the best Mental Health policy of all would be the one that you would get when you combined the Coalition and Labor policies together. I also think that, as it is constrained by the fiscal discipline theme in this campaign, the ALP, should it be re-elected, will take on board the Coalition's propositions in this area and incorporate them into its own response in the future when there is more money in the kitty. I mean you would be a foolish and irresponsible health policy formulator if you didn't take on board what, to my eyes, is a sound proposal from the Opposition. Especially when it came to the area of Mental Health.

So, to sum up, I find myself thinking that the Coalition, as with so much of this campaign's policy announcements, have come up with some sound proposals. The only trouble is, they want to fund them by taking away programs that are worth the money that is being spent on them, whilst at one and the same time refusing to touch Health expenditure in areas that are sacred cows to the Coalition. For example, the Private Health Insurance Rebate, which is effectively a subsidy to the industry, a Private Industry, from the taxpayers' purse. The Libertarian in me thinks that if an industry is unable to thrive and prosper on its own steam, then maybe it shouldn't exist at all. I mean, looking at it from a different perspective, surely the Private Health Industry has a product that is appealing enough to attract paying customers? Surely Private Health Insurance premiums could be structured in such a way as to also be attractive to people who want to benefit from Private Hospitals and the other attractions that the Private Health Industry can provide over the Public Health system? Yes, there needs to be a small stipend to the Private Health Industry to reflect the fact that a large proportion of the taxpaying population uses their services, but not as much as they get from the public purse now.

Also, the Dental Health scheme introduced by Tony Abbott when he was Health Minister should be scrapped, as Labor wants to do, because it has been rorted.

Labor, I think we can also agree, needs to do more in the area of Mental Health and Dental Health. And hopefully they will in years to come.

Well, what do you think? What do you think of the competing policies? Also, what do you think hasn't been included by any of the parties that you would have liked to have seen them offer?

Health. It affects us all.

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George Pike

11/08/2010Nicola Roxon made it clear exactly what the Liberals are up to in her address at the press Club debate today. They simply want to destroy all health system reforms and leave everything exactly as it is, purely to keep the health system elites happy. The cancellation of the Superclinics provides a very clear example of that train of thought, because they are going to be bulk billing most services, something the elites are dead against. They are also going to train many of the new health professionals coming onstream within the Superclinics. That is something the private clinics want stopped at all costs because it will see the rapid rise in doctor numbers, which will in turn lead to competition and lower fees. The proposed cancellation of the EHealth system is just based upon pure ignorance, as is their entire broadband policy. Even the health professionals will be scratching their heads over that one!

NormanK

11/08/2010Sorry Hillbilly, off-topic but I wanted to get this posted. Hope you don't mind. Acerbic Conehead Thanks for another great piece. You can take it as read that you have a fan in me. Ad astra suggested that you watch or read last night’s 7.30 Report and I join him in that encouragement. http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2010/s2979381.htm Honestly, there are aspects to this interview which I know I could never have written. This is my particular favourite and I hope some comic picks up on it. [quote]”TONY ABBOTT: Well I accept, Kerry, that not everyone is gonna like our system, but I just don't believe that you can trust this government to roll out a $43 billion bit of infrastructure. KERRY O'BRIEN: But does that preclude you (going ahead with it) if the plan itself is good?”[/quote] In other words, they (the Coalition) are not going to build the NBN because Labor can’t be trusted to get it right. What?? He reiterates this a couple of times through the interview. In the absence of anything positive to say about their own policy, Abbott reverts to bagging the government. Mr Abbott has no interest in or understanding of broadband and quite probably can’t see what the fuss is over wanting to be able to download porn faster and have better connections for on-line games - go and get a job you lazy dope-smokers. The damage done to his credibility last night should be encouraging to all who see him as a hollow shell packed full of slogans. He and his team are starting to unravel and whatever else we might say about the MSM, they do so love a wounded politician to feast upon. If events continue as they have over recent days, they’ll be having him for breakfast, lunch and tea. Ms Gillard, by contrast, has been relaxed and cheerful in all of her recent high-risk appearances. On the NBN more generally, Stephen Conroy alluded to two things yesterday which haven’t had much of a run yet. The first is what spectrum the Coalition plan would operate on. They will have to wait for analogue television to wind down before they can begin delivering using the bandwidths liberated by its closure (2014). So really, much of it is an empty promise. They are just going through the motions. Secondly, but more importantly, the Coalition refused to discuss [bold]upload[/bold] speeds. Upload speeds and signal continuity are going to be crucial to advancements in the health sector and the Coalition system will be snail-slow and very dodgy when traffic is high so don’t be in need of remote surgery at any time other than between 10.30pm and 6.30am. By contrast: [quote]“The optical fibre network on which the NBN will run, in Tasmania and across Australia, is technologically symmetric so it will theoretically allow downstream and upstream speeds of 100Mbps simultaneously. While iPrimus plans to offer symmetric speeds to business customers, Bhatia said there weren't enough residential applications to warrant higher speeds than those offered. (Roughly across the board 25Mbps line will be able to upload at 2Mbps, 50Mbps users will get 4Mbps upstream while those on the full-speed, 100Mbps package will be able to upload at 8Mbps.) "There isn't that much stuff going upstream except in torrent applications," he said. "The only application which uses significant upstream speeds is video conferencing which, in my experience, works very well at 384Kbps."[/quote] http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/347431asymmetric_speeds_plague_first_nbn_plans/ Much of what the rest of the article points to is that providers will determine the make-up of packages depending on demand but it should be noted that the potential will already be there to provide 100Mbps//100Mbps. Also fibre will accommodate much much higher speeds, without digging up the ground again, should it be required in the future. A plumbing analogy is not out of place in this conversation. The NBN will be a one metre mains providing more than enough pressure and flow-rate ( to 93% of Australians) for anything we can imagine in the foreseeable future. The Coalition plan would be a five centimetre pipe with an ever-diminishing pressure and flow-rate depending on the number of consumers tapping in at a given time. Anyone curious about future pricing for individual homes may find this interesting. NBN Stage 1 Plans http://www.internode.on.net/residential/broadband/fibre_to_the_home/nbn_plans/ The final word on the whole broadband debate belongs to Grog (thanks) when he correctly points out : [quote]”I guess the speed of light will always be faster under a Liberal Government.”[/quote]

2353

11/08/2010No one will ever "fix" health so everyone gets the treatment they consider to be appropriate on demand. The brief reason is no country's budget is big enough to handle it. The reality is that if tow people present at a Hospital at the same time, one with a hernia and one with a heart condition - the one with the heart condition will be (justifiably) treated first on the basis their condition might literally kill them. The hernia patient may want to die due to the pain - but they won't due to their health problem. So hernia sufferer sees others wheeled into the operating theatre ahead of them, has a set against whatever level of Government and blames them for their pain and suffering. The fact that Australia doesn't have the infrastructure, staff or money to treat them immediately. To purchase a stainless steel screw for your deck or boat would cost you under a $1 - to buy a identical stainless screw to put in someone's arm or leg probably costs over $20. The reason for the difference is the testing and certification that has to be done to maintain good patient outcomes. It is a continual balancing act for those in the health industry to maintain services and outcomes within a budget - sure more is possible but it costs money. So for those that want to get their hernia (or similar problem) fixed without waiting for the inevitable delays in the public system - what do you want to do; pay more tax, tell us what services you want cut or join the queue.

Ad astra reply

11/08/2010NormanK Thank you for your comment. It really is a no-brainer: fibre-to-the-premises versus wireless, ADSL and 'other technologies'. Yet the Coalition still says the former technology will be soon out of date. As Grog says: 'the speed of light will always be faster under a Liberal Government'. It stands to reason.

Ad astra reply

11/08/20102353 You are so right. Setting priorities has always been a part of medicine, as has rationing. It is not possible to provide every possible service to everyone at the same time. And with technology increasing in complexity and expense every year, it would be possible to spend much more on health than we do, indeed so much that the community could not possibly afford it, and other non-health expenditure would have to be cut to allow this to occur. For heath planners it may be, for example, a choice between more aged care beds or a new PET scanner. So we need to accept that unless we are prepared to pay a whole lot more tax, health service expenditure is finite and therefore services are finite too. In reality, despite its flaws, such as, for example, long waiting lists for elective surgery and long waits in emergency rooms, we have a good health care system in this country, one that is the envy of most other nations. Because we always hear about the flaws, because we’re always told it is ‘broken’ and needs ‘fixing’, it is not surprising that many people don’t appreciate how well off we are, and are inclined to complain.

George Pike

11/08/2010I am currently living near Scottsdale and my Dodo service is charged at $59 per month for 10 off peak, 10 gig on peak, for a 1.5mbps down 128kbps up capacity. The new NBN rates from Internode look positively heavenly from here!

jj

11/08/2010'Nicola Roxon made it clear exactly what the Liberals are up to in her address at the press Club debate today. They simply want to destroy all health system reforms and leave everything exactly as it is, purely to keep the health system elites happy.' Oh yes thats right the terrible Liberal party wants to see all those Australians that cant afford private health insurance to die! liberals couldn't give a stuff about public health! I think there is one major thing you people are forgetting, and that is that hospitals are a state issue! The Liberal party gave them the GST to fund our hospital system, but oh no what did Bob car and co do instead? Spend billions of dollars on the olympics, fireworks for new years eave. Wat does our current state government do instead of investing in our hospitals, (oh yeh and that does include regional hospitals, we seem to have to keep reminding this mob that NSW does extend west of the great dividing range): but property to start a metro system that Sydney doesnt really need and then figure out that they cant affoard it and so have to pay the money back, (plus consultancy fees) costing us around $1 billion; build a race track at homebush when we already have one; spend millions every year on fireworks; sell off government businesses such as the state lotto; build a desalination plant e.t.c Maybe if this state government could manage, deliver and improve the way they deliver services and priorities in their budgets, than NSW would have billions more to spend on our health system. But oh no forget about the fact that we do actually have states in Australia and just expect the government to pick up the mess and fix it up! Oh and just another example of the incompetence of this government is their decision to take a blank cheque to the issue of the Murray Darling without having actually seen the report. Tony Abbott took the sensible approach in allocating money for this coming years allocation only as to allow farmers in years to come to still be able to produce the food we eat once normal seasons become a common occurrence again, (like we are seeing at the moment). Oh and how about you tell your leader that Sydney doesnt need a new rail ling through Labor marginal seats; what we need is a noth west and a south west rail link. This is obvious pork barreling as our state government hadnt even put this project on their list for needed funding, but hey what does the Labor party care $2 billion isnt much if it helps them retain 1 or 2 seats in western Sydney!

HS

11/08/2010Hello everybody! I'm sorry I haven't had much time to be here during the campaign, it's been pretty busy, and I didn't realise just how frenetic it can get. In fact I'm off to another meeting tonight! Nevertheless I thought it was important to put the Health facts out there because I found myself feeling overwhelmed and unable to see the wood for the trees in this area, so I thought there might be others out there who felt the same. I hope what I have written for you helps to sort the wheat from the chaff as far as the Health area goes, it certainly is one which is a heady mix of politics and policy. As George Commented, a lot of the decisions which parties make about Health are ideologically-driven. It's interesting what he said about Bulk Billing and Dr/GP numbers. I actually feel lucky to have a family GP who still Bulk Bills my family and I. Strange, huh? To think of it in the terms of the effect 12 years of Howard had on the Health paradigm, such that it is now considered exceptional NOT to pay over the odds for your Dr visits, even if you are a Carer/Pensioner such as I am. It's also true that Abbott strangulated the numbers of Australian graduates from Med school so as to drive up the prices they could charge for their services. No wonder the Coalition want to get rid of the Labor government, so that they can go back to business as usual, as the hard medical yakka is done by the imports from overseas countries, in the Emergency Departments of Public Hospitals and Rural areas, while the Australian-trained Drs go into the Specialties and and Private Hospitals, where the big money is. Anyway, as I said, the Coalition Mental Health policy is good, if light on the staffing promises to make it happen.

Jason

11/08/2010jj, a few more pieces like the one above, who knows a safe seat at the state election could be yours,or a guest spot on the chaser, I'll go with the latter.

HS

11/08/2010jj, Can you please explain why Barry O'Farrell has already canned the Western Sydney Rail Link? He's doing exactly what he did over Electricity Privatisation, being a cynical wrecker. Is that the sort of Liberal Party that you want to support?

Lyn

11/08/2010Hi Jason Jason thankyou, for your link on the previous post, isn't that good, that GetUp are angry with Mr Abbott. I am posting your link on here Jason for everybody to read. Tony Abbott won't meet with us? We'll take it to him on the campaign trail with a message he can't miss: no more hold-up or hiding - it's time to honour his commitment. Tony Abbott: Honour Your Commitment , GetUp https://www.getup.org.au/campaign/EndMandatoryDetention&id=1301

Graeme

11/08/2010Hillbilly, You are right to suggest that our health care system is the envy of many other countries, but it could always be better. I object to being coerced into joining a private health provider for my hospital cover. Most private hospitals, as far as I'm aware, do not provide emergency services; certainly not the ones in my area.Public hospitals do, and if I need elective surgery, I will take my chances wuth the public system. I would rather see my rebate go back into the public system and, as you suggest, let the private health care providers really compete for business. I know my rebate(subsidy?)is worth around $400 pa, which I think is about average. So if you have, say 5 million punters with that sort of rebate, that works out at a handy $2 billion pa that could be spent on public health. I don't know if the figures are accurate, but it would be interesting to find out. 2353 I'd be happy to pay, as tax and see it go to public health, the 70% premium I'm forced to pay a private health insurer. Then let the private health insurance industry try to convince me that I need to part with more of my hard earned to apy for any extras they can provide

nasking

11/08/2010Re: community meeting w/ leaders tonite on SKY: Stuff all in-depth questioning of Abbott and his beliefs. Soft-ball questioning of him...plenty whistled as applause when he came out. Plenty of feeding/leading questions. And sycophantic, apologist, complimentary stuff about him from a number of the “usual suspects” As we expect from a Murdochracy forum. -------------------------------------------------------- Tony doesn’t even know about this: Australian attorneys-general are considering changes to the national computer game classification scheme but have not yet made a decision on whether an R-18+ rating will be introduced. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/07/2893648.htm He just likes to knee-jerk response by saying that he “instinctively likes to protect us from filth”. And then backflips in the space of a coupla minutes. He was confused, and ill-informed…and showed his true Luddite side again. -------------------------------------------------------- Tony admits that “wireless is not as good”. So he admits he’s offering regional centres a second rate system. ------------------------------------------------------- Tony reckons that: “All of us are against the big end of town”. That’s why he praised Twiggy so enthusiastically today & has decided to dump the mining tax. --------------------------- Tony’s detailed response to “what his government would offer to improve on hospital care”: “We just have to run them better George”. ---------------------------------------------- Tony’s so used to being in a totalitarian run cabinet in the previous government under King Howard that when asked by Speers “Do you go by majority” when making a decision in cabinet…Tony replied: “In the end, the way a cabinet should work… I suppose…is by consensus.” The PM’s “sense of what is right” Hmmm…”I suppose”…sounds like guesswork eh? I guess Tony can only imagine what consensus must be like. ------------------------------------------ Tony’s so concerned about patients that when asked what he’d do to help improve things for them in hospitals he bragged about knowing a top clinician…and how awful it was that this clinician couldn’t order a plate of sandwiches w/out getting permission. Go the sandwiches. ------------------------------------------------ Tony reckons the NSW Right is crap: “It might be the fault of the NSW Coalition that we haven’t got rid of them before. Perhaps if we were a better political outfit we would have won a couple of elections ago.” ------------------------------------------------------------ Tony gave refugees a good reason to come: “If I was living in Afghanistan or Iran or perhaps Sri Lanka and I thought that there was a prospect of coming to Australia for a better life I would be inclined to grab it with both hands. Who wouldn’t?” ----------------------------------------- Tony, a debacle... :) N'

Lyn

11/08/2010Hi Nasking Nasking, Excellent comment on the community forum. Murdoch creating news, the audience was stacked, Joel, son of Liberal MP, another question, said he was a Labor voter, that's good, but how many Liberal voters were there. The viewers were told, they were all undecided voters. Sky News is so biased, it's unbelievable, the reports from Ashleigh Gillan and David Speers make me sick. Julia Gillard much harder questions than Abbott, eg. gay marriage. Abbott said, in answer to one question, "when I want money, I think the banks are good, but when I have to pay, I say the "bloody banks"are screwing me blind". Gutter talk, from someone putting themselves up for Prime Minister. Abbott compared the NBN to buying a car, he can only have what he can afford. Abbott in answer to one question, changed his mind because the cabinet went against him, but when, he is Prime Minister he will decide.

nasking

11/08/2010Good stuff Lyn. I suspected there were Libs in the audience. Rigged stuff again eh? So much for the "undecided voters" bit. More attempts to manipulate public perception by the Righties & their media allies. And yes, Ashleigh Gillan was sickening. No attempt at an unbiased opinion whatsoever thru most of it. Amazing how much importance Speers is being given in this election campaign. Why did he get to moderate both things the leaders were a part of? The Murdochracy should not be catered to by the Labor Party...they're dancing w/ the devil. I reckon many people from other States might be kinda annoyed that Gillard was given a rougher time in Sydney than Abbott. N'

Acerbic Conehead

11/08/2010HS, it’s great to see you highlighting the important issue of health. And I noticed Julia was doing the same today in the pie-shop when she showed us how nutritional the great Aussie pie is. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/julia-gillard-holds-out-for-a-leaders-debate-on-the-economy/story-fn59niix-1225903905156 But Joe Hockey is more than a bit miffed that Julia got to wrap her dentures around our national icon and he didn’t. So, I’m sure you have it in your heart to sing along with Joe’s sorely-neglected gastric juices as they lament an opportunity lost. It’s to the plaintive airs of Moving Pictures’, “What About Me?” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OzQKECQgjW8 :- ( Well there's a biggish boy awaiting At the counter of the pie shop He's been waiting down there Waiting half the day As Shadow Treasurer, a bit of a flop He gets pushed around, knocked to the ground He gets to his feet and he says... :- ( What about me? It isn't fair I've had enough, now I want my share Can't you see, I wanna pie Jooles gets a personalised one – why? :- ( Well, she’s a red-head girl Stuffin’ her face at the counter of the pie shop She's been waiting back there Waiting for a feed This is her big chance, no doubt She can’t stop Well, she's not too proud To cry out loud She runs to the street and she pleads... :- ( What about me? It isn't fair I've had one, want more than a pair Can't you see, I want the Lodge No way too many will make me a podge :- ( Take a look back, remember the Howard Battlers They’re now a bit crook They were the ones that made the pie grow bigger So listen as they whisper: "Jooles is in with a look” :- ( Yes, now we’re goin’ down the gurgler Slidin’ in the polls Labor’s crucified the goose, run up the debt And I'm feeling cold and alone I guess I'm lucky, I smile a lot But sometimes I wish I had more than pie charts... :- ( What about me?

Lyn

12/08/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Election 2010: Day 26 (or rooty toot toot), Grog, Grog's Gamut[/i] because it wasn't a debate Abbott was able to get away with an inordinate amount of bullshit. He was able to talk about the NBN being like the government building a really fancy car, http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/ [i]Out of Puff, Andrew Elder, Politically Homeless[/i] The indolence of Tony Smith, the cowardice of Greg Hunt in pretending to craft a climate change policy as front for a "weathervane" leader and a sneering party http://andrewelder.blogspot.com/ [i]Pandering to prejudice , Mungo Maccallum, National Times[/i] The name, incidentally, dates to 1802 and refers to the roots of trees, not the other kind. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/pandering-to-prejudice-20100811-11znh.html Policy costing on hold till Treasury leak found: Robb,Emma Rodgers, ABC He has accused the Government of using the leaked document against the Coalition because it is "desperate". http://www.abc.net.au:80/news/stories/2010/08/11/2980065.htm?WT.mc_id=newsmail [i]GetUp! calls Abbott a welcher and throws down the gauntlet, clarencegirl , North Coast Voices[/i] a surfing lesson and meeting with Tony Abbott. his office, having suggested the meeting would occur before the election, have now stopped returning our calls. They are refusing to hold up their end of the deal http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/ [i]Prime Ministerial strokes…, Shakira Hussein, The Stump[/i] If Mark Latham is planning to lodge a multimillion dollar lawsuit against the Australian government after the trauma of being “stroked down the front” by the Prime Minister, he hasn’t said so. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/2010/08/10/prime-ministerial-strokes/ [i]Twittersphere slams Rooty Hill audience ,SMH[/i] observers on social networking site Twitter said the audience was stacked with supporters of Mr Abbott. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/twittersphere-slams-rooty-hill-audience-20100811-11zu6.html [i]Abbott pledges R18+ gaming review, Renai LeMay, Delimiter[/i] despite the fact that there is a Federal Government review into the matter ongoing, Abbott admitted he didn’t know it had been an issue. “It’s not an area that I’m particularly familiar with,” he said. “I didn’t know there was a problem here.” http://delimiter.com.au/2010/08/11/abbott-pledges-r18-gaming-review/ [i]Coalition NBN 'policy' to blame for Abbott'sembarrassment,Stuart Corner,ITWire[/i] The Coalition NBN policy's total focus on the 'how' of broadband rather than the 'why' has left its leader in the unenviable position of trying to justify the choice of technologies that he does not understand and has marginalised the NBN as an election issue. http://www.itwire.com/opinion-and-analysis/cornered/41092-coalition-nbn-policy-to-blame-for-abbotts-embarrassment [i]NBN: Better is not good enough,PAUL BARRATT , Australian Observer[/i] Opposition’s thinking is that, not understanding the potentialities of the technology and apparently being uninclined to ask, they see the National Broadband Network primarily in terms of games and entertainment – they see us as spending $43 billion to enable country people to watch Big Brother in high definition. http://aussieobserver.blogspot.com/ [i]Libs tech-ignorant, and proud of it!, David Braue, ZDNet[/i]. The real truth is that the Coalition just does not "get" communications; Tony Abbott's confessions on the 7:30 Report (watch it here and bring popcorn) made this eminently clear. http://www.zdnet.com.au/libs-tech-ignorant-and-proud-of-it-339305149.htm?omnRef=NULL

Bilko

12/08/2010The OH was moved from the public hospital last week, after her accident 5 weeks ago, where all her medication was provide, to the private off shoot here in Canberra where she had to provide her own medication that we had bought over the counter at our local chemist. It was just as well that I had taken a small selection in when she was initially admmitted. Yes I do have private health cover as well but if that is a private health system methodology for reducing its costs while still charging my health cover an arm and a leg for the bed etc then I am happy for my rebate to cease and put it into the health system. It must run in to a few billion per annum, we could have a world class health system like a world class broadband system but both will disappear if the mad monk gets in. The OH is now home resting and getting some sleep almost impossible in any hospital regardless of who runs it.

Lyn

12/08/2010Hi Bilko What wonderful news, your wife is home. Best wishes from us all. Yes I had to have, both feet operated on in a private hospital in Sydney, under Private Health cover, the gap fees at the Hospital were $1000.00. Purchase my own medication and hire my own crutches. Nothing for nothing. Specialist check ups, gap fees high. That was 10 years ago, we haven't paid private health cover since. 3 years ago my husband had to have a gall bladder operation, under the Public System, didn't cost one red cent.

Michael

12/08/2010The Opposition's plan to spend 1.5 billion dollars on mental health, targeting especially the young teens and adults described as being most at risk, sits alongside the same party's intentions to impose penalties on the unemployed under 30 years of age. While not confirmed, the first running of this idea in public boiled down to 'go West and work in the mines', and no dole as the way to get people there. While it may not pan out quite so black and white, I would bet London to a brick (there's an oldie!) that it will be a variation on this. Coerced employment, a modern version of the 18th and 19th Century (sounds right for Tony Abbott) transportation policies that the then British government saw as a way to forcibly populate Australia. Anyone who can seriously believe that one party can honestly offer to spend 1.5 billion on youth mental health, while simultaneously setting out to enforce a policy that forces unemployed young people away from home and their support structures of family and friends and community, needs... their heads read. Coalition mental health policy is a lie that will fall by the wayside should Abbott's Coalition be elected. The 'doctor' will prescribe five years down the mines to deal with 'wimps seeing things'. That an esteemed mental health practitioner like Australian of the Year Professor Patrick McGorry supports Coalition policy indicates a degree of desperation in the field that does require addressing. However, to place blinkers on and cross fingers in the hope that the Coalition will follow through with an election buying lie as big as this one, against the evidence all their past involvement in the area, and in the context of how they address all other issues of youth problems and crises ("get a job, you little bludger"), then one has to ask whether desperation is destroying commonsense?

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12/08/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

Lyn

12/08/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS PART 2[/b] [i]The chips fall in favour of Abbott, Media Wrap, Crikey[/i] marginal seats of Western Sydney, Rooty Hill RSL was the destination for a town-hall style public forum, with both leaders http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/08/12/the-chips-fall-in-favour-of-abbott/ [i]Rootygate - Galaxy fails again!, Dowza, Dowzocalypse[/i] Where was the LESBIAN AVENGER (so I have nicknamed her) Janice when it came to Tony Abbott? There was not that fire and fury that Gillard had to face even though he deserved it just as much. http://dowzocalypse.com/2010/08/11/rootygate-galaxy-fails-again/ [i]Does News hate Gillard? The reality is worse, Crikey[/i] blunt and sometimes [b]nasty coverage in News Limited newspapers [/b] of the government in general, and Julia Gillard in particular, is the collateral result of http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/08/11/crikey-says-does-news-hate-gillard-the-reality-is-worse/

sawdustmick

12/08/2010Off Topic, The Rooty Hill Forum some bloke called Steve Leibmann yesteday and said that he was survey for the Forum and there were only four question, Age, Sex, and do you subscribe to the Daily Telegraph or the SMH.

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12/08/2010Michael The problem with special pleading, which is what we have seen from Patrick McGorry and John Mendosa, is that to be an advocate for their constituency, they have to plead for as much as they can get, irrespective of the needs of the rest of the healthcare community, or for that matter the needs of the community generally. They are not in the business of balancing priorities, except of course within their area of interest, mental health. So when the Coalition says it will give mental health more funding than the Government, they applaud that and seek to grasp it with both hands. The fact that other services, such as GP Super Clinics and e-health will be cut so they can have their allocation does not concern them, at least not enough for them to question the Coalition’s ‘generosity’ to their cause. So we should not be surprised at their approach. In fact, it is because there are thousands involved in special pleading for all manner of causes that we need governments to determine priorities ‘in the national interest’. Priority determination must be the hardest task of governments. There is never enough money to do everything just when special pleaders want it done. During this election campaign we have seen many examples of prioritization. To give but one example, not related to health, Tony Abbott believes that it is more important to save money, or to use it elsewhere, than to build the NBN, whereas the Government believes that investing in the NBN will bring a major benefit to business, education, health, and in its train increased productivity and a stronger and more competitive nation. The electorate has to decide which set of priorities is more appropriate. Sadly, self-interest may influence this decision more than might the national interest. Michael, you raise yet another variable, the question of whether promises made during an election will be kept. Suspicion that promises might end up being ‘non-core’ rather than ‘core’ is what worries people, and makes voting decisions even more problematic. Genuine undecided voters have a tough time and get very little balanced comment from the MSM to help them. That is why we need a vibrant Fifth Estate to inform those who know about it and use it. We do have a role, albeit modest.

George Pike

12/08/2010Liberal neanderthals have been screaming for cancer services in Burnie in Tassie's NW coast for months...now those services have been announced and there is a whole lot of moaning groaning whinging and whining from guess who...the same Liberal neanderthals! The griping was absolutely nothing to with cancer services and everything to do with the populist vote, just as was their federal counterparts' pro-ETS stance at the last election, and just as it is with the ridiculous and ludicrous stances against the BER, NBN, superclinics, EHealth and computers in schools programs today.

George Pike

12/08/2010Just been listening to Julie Bishop dribble absolute crap on Australian foreign policy...accusing the government of incompetence in that area...when it was the Liberals who joined the US in invading Iraq illegally and leaving Afghanistan to fester...now we have the Afghan war going into its 9th year with no end in sight and Liberal are going to be turning back boats full of people fleeing the mayhem that they, the Liberals, helped create...great hey!

George Pike

12/08/2010Check this one out...a perfect description of last night's farce in Rooty Hill! http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2980690.htm

NormanK

12/08/2010Handsome Lips talking about the NBN last night at Rooty Hill RSL in front of a stacked audience : [quote]"I appreciate that young people, in particular, live in a kind of wired up world, you know, I mean, it’s, my kids spend their whole lives on Facebook actually and they’re always wanting to download things and for me broadband basically is about being able to send an email, receive an email, for them it’s about downloading movies, downloading songs, all that kind of thing and that requires bandwidth, I accept all of that."[/quote] He does not have a clue. As far as he is concerned it's all about music, Facebook, porn, on-line games and emails.

Michael

12/08/2010As the Rooty Hill exercise displayed, there are still lies to be told, facts to be distorted, homilies to be mangled, and "down to your level" 'blokiness' to be enacted. By 'fair dinkum' (how many bytes in a dinkum?) bloke of the day, Tony A. Would you buy a used car from this man? After all, as a driver, he doesn't need to know what makes a car go. Apparently, as a driver, it doesn't matter whether, to apply his National Broadband Network metaphor, you are driving a new release top of the range model, or a second-hand clunker. So long as people wave affably at you as you pass.

jj

12/08/2010Yes, yes, yes all the Murdoch press's fault! It was rigged! The Murdoch press hate Labor! Tony Abbott got such easy question! Julia Gillard would have done better if the audience hadnt have been all Liberal supporters! Come on you guys you are really putting on show how one eyed you folk really are. As one of the opinion pieces on Crikey stated (pollytics), "Sometimes it leans one way a bit, sometimes it leans the other way a bit – sometimes it doesn’t at all. That’s the nature of the beast." I didnt hear you screaming and shouting when the worms gave the debate to Julia Gillard. Nor did i hear you screaming when Tony Abbott got some obviously bias treatment from Kerry Obrien when quizzed on the Coalitions broadband policy, (when Gillard was asked questions about some of the complexities of her NBN scheme she said the exact same thing as Tony Abbott). I also dont recall hearing foul play when Julia was subjected to some pretty subdued questions on the ABC's QANDA program. So how about you just take the same attitude to the bias of journalists on your side of the field, as the more conservative side of the field; i mean every link of 'Lyn's Daily Links' is from a journo or an opinion writer who has an obvious bias to the Labor party. So give it a break, and open the other eye.

jj

12/08/2010Oh and George i thought i would just let you know that the party of which you support also supports the war in Iraq; also supports off shore processing; and at the time, also supported the war in Iraq! Once again, open your other eye and you might find that you see things a little better!

jj

12/08/2010AA "...whereas the Government believes that investing in the NBN will bring a major benefit to business, education, health, and in its train increased productivity and a stronger and more competitive nation." You are quite right, the government can only BELIEVE, because it doesnt KNOW. You see, the problem with this mob is that they act too much on belief than on raw facts and figures. Maybe if they had have conducted a proper business plan than they would be able to use words such as KNOW, CERTAIN and UNDOUBTEDLY, but they cant, because they couldnt be bothered even though they want people to take a stake in it!

George Pike

12/08/2010your lack of vision is only outshone by your ignorance jj

jj

12/08/2010"the Opposition's plan to spend 1.5 billion dollars on mental health, targeting especially the young teens and adults described as being most at risk, sits alongside the same party's intentions to impose penalties on the unemployed under 30 years of age. While not confirmed, the first running of this idea in public boiled down to 'go West and work in the mines', and no dole as the way to get people there. While it may not pan out quite so black and white, I would bet London to a brick (there's an oldie!) that it will be a variation on this. Coerced employment, a modern version of the 18th and 19th Century (sounds right for Tony Abbott) transportation policies that the then British government saw as a way to forcibly populate Australia." Wow what a fortune teller you are! Oh but woops it is the Labor party that is proposing such a scheme. 'If children of dole recipients dont get their children to regular health checkups they could possibly lose the dole.', 'Gillard has announced a scheme to try and get people to move from their home to get work in the west'. Oh what a crackup, the policy you claimed was in the pipeline for Abbott was actually announced by the Almighty Labor party, the party of ethics, the party of the socially conscience! What a hypocrite you are!

HS

12/08/2010Bilko, I'm so glad to hear that your OH is out of the hospital and I find it instructive of just the sort of system we would get in Australia if Tony Abbott was allowed to run our Health system again as our Prime Minister. The Conservatives always say that Private Industry run things better than 'beaurocrats'; however, when you actually experience the reality of their ideology you generally find something completely different to be the case. Instead, what you seem to get is the profit motive winning out over the best interests of the patient. Sure, Private Hospitals can provide lavish care, but you usually, as well as having paid your Private Health premiums, end up getting a bill for the 'gap' and extras at the end of your stay. Which would do nothing to reduce stress levels when you need it most. To add to that, I imagine that the new, atomised Hospital Board system for Public Hospitals that Abbott is advocating would also see a leakage towards 'Gap' fees for Public Patients, excepting the truly indigent, in the same way that he allowed 'Gap' payments at the GP surgery to become the norm during his time as Health Minister.

jj

12/08/2010your lack of vision is only outshone by your ignorance jj Wow nice comeback! what am i so ignorant about then o' knowledgeable, wisest one.

jj

12/08/2010'Instead, what you seem to get is the profit motive winning out over the best interests of the patient. Sure, Private Hospitals can provide lavish care, but you usually, as well as having paid your Private Health premiums, end up getting a bill for the 'gap' and extras at the end of your stay. Which would do nothing to reduce stress levels when you need it most.' Do you understand the principals of a private sector hospital! The only way they can attract customers is by offering a superior service to their competitors! So therefor if they do put profits ahead of patients, no one will spend their money on private health! To use a phrase of one of you fellow Labor supporters, your ignorance, (i just have to add a little bit), is outshone by your naivety, stupidity, and obvious lack of understanding on all things business!

macca

12/08/2010$200,000.00 bet on labor to win yesterday. The resident troll being more vitriolic than usual. Somethings in the wind!

NormanK

12/08/2010George May I respectfully suggest that we don't feed the troll. He is not interested in debate - only confrontation. No amount of logic, condescension or even sarcasm will satisfy his//her hungry little ego and frankly I'm getting bored.

jimbo

12/08/2010Hi all Have spent the whole afternoon on Pollbludger,what a great site,have been reading their latest write up and the 839 blogs that go with it.Apparantly wingnutt and robb have blown another policy rollout and appear to have a black hole to do with defence but what is more important is for people to go to this site and read the blogs as i think they will cheer a lot of people on this site up

Jason

12/08/2010jj, " Do you understand the principals of a private sector hospital! The only way they can attract customers is by offering a superior service to their competitors! So therefor if they do put profits ahead of patients, no one will spend their money on private health!" It's so great they took up the socialist ideal and asked the tax payer to keep them viable. What ever happend to your ideal of let the market decide comrade.

jj

12/08/2010NormanK, i just think it is about time that people started explaining to you guys how ridiculous many of your positions are! I am not really sure what you are getting bored about, as you dont seem to disagree with much of what i am saying. When you guys start getting a little balance, then i will leave you alone, but till then, i will be the voice of reason on this blog.

jj

12/08/2010Your right Jason the tax payer does subsidies private health insurance and will continue to whether Labor or Liberal, because they all know that the private sector offers a better service; just ask Kevin Rudd! I believe that he opted to go to a private hospital for his operation, huh what a hypocrite!

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12/08/2010Bilko Do give your OH best wishes from the [i]TPS[/i] family. She must be pleased to be back home again. Hospitals are tiring; home is much more tranquil and genial.

Michael

12/08/2010JJ, hi. Labor Party policy is to pay a relocation allowance to unemployed willing to change place of residence in accepting a job. Coalition policy, which I said was not officially announced, but had been skirtingly referred to earlier as refusing anyone under thirty years of age unemployment payments, and so force them to relocate for the simple need of eating, has not been locked down as yet. If it replicates the voluntary nature of Labor's, well, good and applaudable. However, on past practice and current behaviour of Coalition politicians, I doubt it will be voluntary, expect it will be punitive, and ultimately, of little productive use to distant employers faced with disgruntled employees 'doing Abbott time'.

George Pike

12/08/2010Wasn't it amazing to see a guy like Turnbull totally destroying what credibility he had left by declaring the Opposition's stance on broadband a winner! I have no doubt what so ever that Turnbull would continue the roll-out of the NBN without question if he was suddenly shot back into the leadership...and the ETS would also be put straight back on the table too. Why do people have to act so hypocritically, simply to try and win an election...makes common human decency and integrity look like lost treasures for the poor old coalitionites.

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12/08/2010Morgan poll just now: Labor (57.5%, up 7.5%) up strongly last weekend as Gillard & Rudd were set to meet in Brisbane; well ahead of Coalition (42.5%, down 7.5%) http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2010/4556/

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12/08/2010jj You have been hyperactive today. I have just one question. How does any business know how successful a venture will be until it is put into action? On way it can learn is to examine what has happened with the same venture elsewhere. We have evidence from Singapore, Japan and South Korea, where high speed broadband is in place, of the benefits of that technology. Don’t you think that is even better than the ‘business case’ for which you long?

Lyn

12/08/2010Hi Ad I was watching Sky today when Latham appeared at Abbott's press conference , there is something ,really, really, suspicious going on. Sky didn’t have to show the viewers , the reporters didn’t have to follow Latham around,I saw that blonde reporter from Sky, nearly break her neck getting through the scrum, to get to Latham. David Speers is nearly jumping out of the TV in a frenzy to report on Latham. Sky News were the first to interview Latham during this campaign , then they made headlines about the interview. Then Paul Murray, on Sky interviewed Mark Latham, they made news out of that interview, Latham said he is not used to being touched, he is a married man, and Latham bagged Laurie Oakes, Paul Murray, Sky News, then had Mark Latham on his show again. Channel Nine apologised in writing to Julia Gillard, now are they going to apologise to Tony Abbott. because today, Latham asked Abbott to apologise to Pauline Hanson for having her jailed. It seems to me Sky News and channel nine are making up News or mischief or something else, eg. bad publicity for Labor maybe.

Bilko

12/08/2010AA,HS and Lyn many thanks for your kind comments the final stroke arrived today a $760 bill for the ambulance, now I pay taxes, rates and some weird extras the ACT have put on my rego. I will need a ramp to get in and out of the house another cost. Don't get sick folks it can be hell on the pocket. Everything the mad monk says raises the question is it core or non core or is it written down or off the cuff. I say again the man is unelectable and will be shafted by the 26th of August my old mums birthday if she was still alive. may the force be with us all

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12/08/2010Further to the Morgan poll reported above: Gary Morgan says: [i]“Last weekend’s Face-to-Face Morgan Poll showed a strong jump in ALP support (57.5%, up 7.5% from August 3, 2010) as Prime Minister Julia Gillard and former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd got set to meet and reconcile in Brisbane, and then campaign together; well ahead of the L-NP (42.5%, down 7.5%). The effect was strongest in Queensland with the ALP (62%, up 11%) cf. L-NP (38%, down 11%) gaining very strongly on a Two-Party preferred basis. “As well as the reconciliation between Gillard & Rudd, the RBA’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged at 4.5% and the likelihood that interest rates will not be raised in the near-term also provided a positive boost to the Government support — further backed up by the latest weekly Roy Morgan Consumer Confidence Rating— showing Consumer Confidence rising 4.8pts to a six-month high of 129.0. “However, despite this positive sentiment, the boost to the ALP will be temporary after pictures of Gillard & Rudd together which appeared later on the weekend clearly showed how uncomfortable they were with the situation — and there has been no campaigning together in Queensland. “Today’s Morgan Poll shows the renewed strength in the Greens vote (15.5%, up 4.5% and now at its highest ever recorded in a Face-to-Face Morgan Poll on Federal voting intention). The rise in the Greens vote this close to the Federal Election is clearly worrying for the ALP as it attempts to hold onto inner urban seats that are at risk — most prominently the seat of Melbourne, now vacated by former Finance Minister Lindsay Tanner. The Greens require a swing of only 4.7% to pick up Melbourne, and today’s Morgan Poll shows that there is every chance the Greens will achieve this. “In coming days Roy Morgan will be releasing polling information from key marginal seats around Australia — the seats that will decide next week’s Federal Election. In addition Roy Morgan is conducting Australia-wide interviewing to show the state of the parties nationally.”[/i] Morgan is predicting the rise in Labor support will be temporary because of "[i]...after pictures of Gillard & Rudd together which appeared later on the weekend clearly showed how uncomfortable they were with the situation[/i], which is no more than wishful thinking. This pro-Labor result is probably why it wasn't reported on Seven News tonight, although the poll was said to be done for them.

Jason

12/08/2010AA, jj and his ilk still think that the invention of the wheel wouldn't work, and that the earth is still flat. I'm looking forward to seeing their R&D policy! I forgot you would be branded a witch and burnt at the stake

Jason

12/08/2010AA, Boerwar over on the Poll Bludger posted the following Abbott looking at a steam engine, ‘I am not a technhead, but it will never work. Typical Labor economic trick. It is too noisy and it eats up the coal. Horse drawn carriages are much better.’ Abbott looking at Wright brothers’ contrapation: ‘I am not a tech head, but it will never get off the ground. Stupid idea.’ Abbott looking at first telephone: ‘I am not a tech head but you can’t tell me that you are going to get someone across that line so that they can talk to someone in another room. Pull the other one.’ Abbott, looking at first bicycle: ‘I am not a techhead, but it will obviously need an extra wheel or else it will fall down. Its got no future.’

Miglo

12/08/2010Greetings all. Sorry I haven't been around much lately, but work is getting in the way of my blogging life!!! Anyway, I posted a wee comment at the Cafe, and whilst I usually don't double up, that wee comment contain a few words from Julia that quite frankly, inspired me. They need to be repeated here, there, and everywhere. On the NBN issue, Julia, in having an attacked on the Liberal’s stuck-in-time policies came out with this absolute gem: Imagine missing out on all the possibilities of the future. Wow. That knocked me out.

Lyn

13/08/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i][u]Election 2010:Day 27 (or,What the hell is a gigawatt?)Grog,Grog's Gamut[/u][/i] as for finding out where each and every dollar of your own personal taxes go, we can already find that out on a nifty website called TaxCheck. http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/ [i]Morgan face-to-face: 57.5 - 42.5 to labor, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i] lead recorded here is their highest since February http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/ [i]Gillard Pulls Ahead of Abbott Fortnight Before Election, Morgan Poll Says, Garfield Reynolds, Bloomberg[/i]Labor had 57.5 percent backing, compared with the opposition Liberal-National coalition’s 42.5 percent, the face- to-face survey of 900 voters conducted on Aug. 7 and 8 showed http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2010-08-12/gillard-pulls-ahead-of-abbott-fortnight-before-election-morgan-poll-says.html [i]Too many characters in search of a plot , Mungo MacCallum, Echo[/i] Building the Education Revolution program by the task force headed by Brad Orgill. This had been eagerly awaited by the media and by The Australian inparticular, which has spent the last six months in a relentless and sometimes hysterical campaign against http://www.tweedecho.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2316&Itemid=543 [i]Third party to cost coalition promises, Gabrielle Dunlevy, Trading Room[/i] The thing that Mr Swan needs to concern himself with is the knock on the door from the federal police," he told ABC Television on Thursday. http://www.tradingroom.com.au/apps/view_breaking_news_article.ac?page=/data/news_research/published/2010/8/224/catf_100812_204500_0172.html [i]Has Labor turned the tide?, Mark Bahnisch The Drum[/i] tipping point might, ironically, be seen to have been the Coalition's campaign launch. You can't win with a front runner strategy if you're not actually in front. http://blogs.abc.net.au/drumroll/2010/08/has-labor-turned-the-tide.html#more [i]Rumble in the Rissole,Possum Comitatus, Pollytics[/i] people were identifying Young Liberals in an audience that was supposed to be filled with “uncommitted” voters. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollytics/2010/08/12/rumble-in-the-rissole/ [i]Labor Back on Track says Barrie Cassidy, Reb, Gutter Trash[/i] “The Insiders,” Mr Cassidy has praised Labor for the handling of its election campaign in recent weeks http://guttertrash.wordpress.com/2010/08/12/labor-back-on-track-says-barrie-cassidy/ [i]Labor’s National Broadband Network – Less than $10/month, Zebra, Stubborn Mule[/i]. So I’m for the Government’s NBN plan…but what do you think? http://www.stubbornmule.net/2010/08/labors-nbn/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+StubbornMule+%28A+Stubborn+Mule%27s+Perspective%29 [i]Election rant 1: Wireless greed By David Braue, ZDNet[/i]. , An Abbott government would be able to do exactly nothing — zero, zip, zilch — to roll out wireless broadband in its first term in government http://www.zdnet.com.au/election-rant-1-wireless-greed-339305187.htm [i]Abbott Thinks 1Gbps NBN Is ‘Utterly Implausible’, Nick Broughall, Gizmodo[/i] Tony Abbott today spoke up about the NBN announcement this morning that has promised to deliver speeds 10 times what was previously promised. Despite repeated admissions that he’s not a tech head, he has announced that he believes 1Gbps speeds from the NBN are “utterly implausible”. http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2010/08/abbott-thinks-1gbps-nbn-is-utterly-implausible/ [i]Tony Abbott's policy Laziness, Paul Barratt Australian Observer[/i] The episode told us something deeper about Tony Abbott. He protested several times that he was not “a tech-head”, for which read “geek” or “nerd”. My take on that is a sub-text that real men don’t have time for these quaint matters, they are far too busy riding bikes, battling the waves and filleting barramundi. http://aussieobserver.blogspot.com/2010/08/tony-abbotts-policy-laziness.html [i]Quigley denies giving Labor free 1Gbps kick, Renai LeMay, Delimiter[/i] The planned speed boost will see Labor’s broadband policy promising speeds of up to 1Gbps when the NBN is built — compared with the Coalition’s policy, which only promises speeds of 12Mbps. http://delimiter.com.au/2010/08/12/quigley-denies-giving-labor-free-1gbps-kick/#more-7066 [i]Tradition returns to campaign 2010,Barrie Cassidy, The Drum[/i] Stephen Conroy - sounds like he knows what he is talking about, and the Coalition shadows do not. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/12/2981217.htm?site=thedrum [i]Anti-Abbott ad features his pet budgies, Mumbrella[/i] The ACTU’s latest election attack ad on Tony Abbott features the Liberal leader with his two pet budgies named Work and Choices.They live in his swimming trunks. … removed due to terms of use violation – [b]I’m pretty sure it means violating our eyes[/b] http://mumbrella.com.au/anti-abbott-ad-features-his-pet-budgies-31440

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13/08/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

jj

13/08/2010'How does any business know how successful a venture will be until it is put into action? On way it can learn is to examine what has happened with the same venture elsewhere. We have evidence from Singapore, Japan and South Korea, where high speed broadband is in place, of the benefits of that technology. Don’t you think that is even better than the ‘business case’ for which you long?' You must be kidding! So you are saying that you have never budgeted in your life! Of course you wouldnt have run a business so you wouldnt have ever done a projection of profits, or a cost benifit analysis on bringing in new stock. Australia has a different geography, climate, demographic e.t.c. all which have to be taken into account when rolling out such a scheme; this hasnt been done. Let us also remember that our government wishes to sell this venture off to the private sector after completion, so whoever buys it is going to want to know what the expected take up rate will be here in Australia, (not in Asia). So why didnt they bother to do such a plan, as to silence the critics? Well utter stupidity is the only reason that comes to mind. Who is going to want to invest their hard earned money in a project that has a lifespan of which we have no idea; a take up rate of which we have no idea; an expected return rate of which we have no idea; an impact on productivity of which we have no idea; a total cost, of which we have no idea e.t.c. And the government actually wants to sell this thing off! Oh and just another thing. What i dont get is how you ilk can bag out Mark Latham the way you do, and yet support Gillard so emphatically. Gillard got the numbers for Latham to run for PM; Gillard not just supported him but also helped create a lot of the policies that the Labor party took to that election! Now she bags him out, as if he is some lunatic. Could you imagine if one of your friends treated you like that! Seeing as you are all such great fans of the ranga, doesnt the fact that she supported Latham to become PM shine a negative light on this woman's political judgement; because how i see it, every time she bags out Latham, she is just showing us all how lacking she is in her judgement.

jj

13/08/2010Oh and to Michael, i think you are adding a bit of your own spin to the welfare policy debate. If the coalition hasnt officially announced anything, than dont start putting words into their mouth, because i can tell you, whatever anyone suggests about the coalition on this blog is always 100% untrue.

Jaeger

13/08/2010Really, jj? In that case, I suggest the Coalition are dead certs to win the election. :-P

Michael

13/08/2010Bon riposte, Jaeger.

Jason

13/08/2010jj why do you think that we have to explain anything to you?

Lyn

13/08/2010Hi Jaeger Good on you, Jaeger.

Lyn

13/08/2010Hi Jason Good on you Jason.

Ethistan

13/08/2010Can I just say I really hate the term "ranga". It is the equivalent of going around calling people "niggers", or "chinks" or "spics" or any other racial slur you can think of. It is disgraceful the way the media and people like jj use it to denigrate redheads.

HS

13/08/2010Miglo, Ditto, mate. Busy as a Bumble Bee in Spring! :) * Thanks guys for holding the fort. Can't wait till Sunday week. Madness ends and happiness begins, I hope.

George Pike

13/08/2010Here's great letter from the Drum from Lyn's links above... Stuttgart Surely the Australian people can see through the shallow, mean, vicious, dishonest and disgraceful statements made by Coalition politicians. The picture they paint is of a nation teetering on the brink of absolute disaster when nothing could be further from the truth. Life in this country is still safe, comfortable and a damn sight better than just about any other nation. Anyone who thinks differently should try living in the UK for a while. People need to remember why the two major parties were formed in the first place. The ALP was formed to protect the rights of the ordinary working class citizens from the abuses perpetrated upon them by greedy employers. If the ALP had not been formed then your children would still be working down coal mines and your wonderful living standards would be far worse than they are today. The 'Liberal' Party, the name itself is a lie, was founded by and for to protect the interests of those same greedy employers and already wealthy elite. People join the ALP and run for parliament because they care about people and their right to decent treatment. Conservative right=wing politicians obviously only care about protecting the interests of the rich. Witness the language of Mr Abbott, Mr Hockey, Mr Robb, Mrs Bishop, Mr Truss and most of their fellow conservatives, negative, nasty, arrogant and smug. I literally feel sick in my stomach when I listen to their poisonous bile spewing forth. Pink batts were never the problem, greedy employers not training or supervising staff caused death and distruction. To use these tragedies to score political points is highly distastful. Yes, some greedy construction bosses took advantage of the school buildings program to line their pockets at taxpayers expense but it was only 2.7% of the projects and that leaves many, many schools with new and useful buildings and many people still in work. To call the excellent NBN project a white elephant waste of money is ridiculous, it is vital for this nation's future. $43 billion is a lot of money but it will pay for itself very quickly, I for one will be very happy to pay a premium for the ultra fast upload/download speed. Any Australian who is not part of the wealthy elite and votes for the return of Work Choices should not complain when they have to take a pay cut or even lose their job. Wake up Australia, Mr Abbott might actually become our next PM and we will all suffer under right-wing rule, oh, unless you're a mining company owner/shareholder. You'll be sitting pretty on your mountain of cash made from our resources. One last point. I want the next PM to have above average intelligence, Julia Gillard has that in spades. Mr Abbott clearly does not.

Lyn

13/08/2010Hi George Thankyou, George you are a bar of gold, very worthwhile read, Love this bit, how true: [i][quote]The 'Liberal' Party, the name itself is a lie, was founded by and for to protect the interests of those same greedy employers and already wealthy elite. [/quote][/i]

Lyn

13/08/2010Hi Ad Compliments of Tobias Ziegler, Pure Poison: [quote]The leaders are hitting our TV screens on Sunday morning. Laurie Oakes will be interviewing Julia Gillard at 8:40 on Nine, while Insiders (courtesy of Mike Bowers) at 9 o’clock has Barrie interviewing Tony Abbott — the panel for the show is Malcolm Farr, Brian Toohey and Karen Middleton, and Talking Pictures has Mark Knight.[/quote] Have at it.

Lyn

13/08/2010[b]Today's links part2[/b] [i]Latham head clown in this election circus,Media Wrap,Amber Jamieson,Crikey[/i] “The brutal truth is that the Coalition isn’t ready to return to government, http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/08/13/latham-head-clown-in-this-election-circus/ This spells trouble, the heat is heating up: [i]The ABC'S pursuit of Wayne Swan on "LEAKS", Kim, Larvatus Prodeo[/i] Hockey and Andrew Robb have now managed to completely avoid any rigorous scrutiny of the Coalition’s promises, http://larvatusprodeo.net/2010/08/13/the-abcs-pursuit-of-wayne-swan-on-leaks/

George Pike

13/08/2010Could the Liberal's proposed destruction of the marine parks system be the Trojan Horse for oil exploration on the Great barrier Reef? You bet your bottom dollar it could! My uncle chartered his boat to a US oilex company and they found huge fields under the reef...the marine parks system was introduced at the time to stop the exploitation of those fields...more proof that Abbott and his cronies are nothing less than corporate puppets..

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13/08/2010jj From what you write about the NBN, it sounds as if you would not proceed with it, despite the positive prognosis that came from the McKinsey and KPMG implementation study. Is that not good enough for you? Instead of bagging the NBN, why not tell us what you would do instead. Before you do, please re-read [i]Would Tony Abbott really be stupid enough to trash the NBN?[/i] http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2010/08/04/Would-Tony-Abbott-really-be-stupid-enough-to-trash-the-NBN.aspx and tell us how your alternative scheme would do what the NBN can. Nobody, even the Coalition, is saying that fast broadband is unnecessary, so we need to know how YOUR version of broadband would meet the future needs of the economy, education, health and the social imperatives. Try giving us some positive answers. Looking through your contributions here, you seem to spend most of your time criticizing Labor initiatives, Labor personalities, and others who contribute here, including the extraordinary statement that [i]“…whatever anyone suggests about the coalition on this blog is always 100% untrue”[/i]. Such statements not only run the risk of being ignored because they are extreme (is anything ever 'always 100% untrue'?), but you run the risk of being regarded as not just extreme in your views, but someone whose opinions are not to be taken seriously, thereby destroying the possibility of balanced discourse with you. More balanced comment from you might evoke responses that advance the dialogue.

George Pike

13/08/2010Check this out...a pure copy cat strategy, yet the ABC reporter did not mention that fact in the slightest... http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/13/2981972.htm?section=justin

Jason

13/08/2010AA, The troll is a yes man, he turns up each day gets his talking points and follows to the letter. He says he's the voice of reason and will bother us until we change our mind. AA I thought we all had open minds yes we agree on the aims of the left, I for one don't think Labor is left enough, no doubt others will disagree. AA you can't reason with it, yes it comes on here with it's vitriol but will not argue policy, because if those at the top don't understand why would the unthinking foot soldiers.

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13/08/2010George I too was gobsmacked and disappointed at Malcolm Turnbull’s utterances about the NBN in his chat with Maxine McKew on [i]Lateline[/i]. I thought, he could not possibly believe what he was saying. He is a ‘tech head’ having been involved with the establishment of Ozemail some years ago, and must know that the Coalition broadband plan is inferior to Labor’s NBN, and will not do what’s required for the economy, health and education. After taking the principled stand he did on the ETS, it was disappointing that he chose not to do the same over the NBN. It shows up the distorting effect of the party system in politics where the imperative to toe the party line overrides commonsense, reason and honesty. For the record, what Turnbull said was: [i]”....The Labor Party's plan is a colossal white elephant. It is going to spend at least $43 billion, possibly a great deal more to create an asset that will be worth a fraction of that. “So it is literally burning billions, tens of billions of dollars of taxpayers' money. Now I am passionately committed to technology and broadband, and as you know, I was a co-founder of one of the first big internet companies here in Australia. “I'm passionately committed to it. But you don't need to spend money on this white elephant to get there. “We're dealing with scarce resources, in this case taxpayers' money, and we've got to ask ourselves how do we best deliver the broadband services that we require? How do we make sure broadband is made available to those areas which the market is unlikely to serve on commercial grounds - rural and regional and remote areas - and that's what the Coalition's plan is focused on? How do we provide the backhaul infrastructure that ensures that all of these networks can provide the speeds they need? “We're providing support for that. “I mean, you know, the important thing to remember about the internet is that it is not like a big set of plumbing pipes. It's not a - it doesn't have to be one network. It is a connection of various networks of different kinds. “You know, some of it's old technology - coaxial - some of it's fibre optic cable, some of it's satellite, some of it's wireless, some of it's twisted copper pair. It's the whole range, and the question is how do you deliver the services that people are prepared to pay for in the most cost-effective way? And I think that is what our policy proposes.”[/i] You can read it at: http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2010/s2980491.htm

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13/08/2010Jason You have neatly nailed the backwardness of seeing the NBN as new-fangled and of doubtful benefit, and when I heard Tony Abbott saying yesterday the he could not believe that 1 Gbps would be possible, I though that to be an incredible statement from someone who by his own admission is not a ‘tech head’. It sounds like what someone who had never seen an airplane saying ‘I cannot believe that 747 can ever get off the ground, let alone fly’.

nasking

13/08/2010"Labor, I think we can also agree, needs to do more in the area of Mental Health and Dental Health. And hopefully they will in years to come." Indeed. Thorough & mightily useful post Hillbilly...well done. I don't trust the Coalition to do much for public health...but rather shift funds by way of increased rebates to the private sector. There's no way that Abbott's gonna disappoint the BMW crowd. If he tries he'll be stomped on by the other Libs real quick. And as you aptly say "robbing Peter to pay Paul" approach on their part. Not good. Cheers...and thnx to Lyn & others for useful links. N'

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13/08/2010Lyn I doubt if Mark Latham will play out as a negative for Labor, or for the Coalition for that matter. He is recognized as unhinged and when he gets under Laurie Oakes' skin, he’s a goner. Goodness knows what he’ll say on [i]60 Minutes[/i], but I doubt if anyone will give it much credence, nor will it change many votes. All it will do is to denigrate Channel Nine. Jason You may be right about jj. I wish that were not so. George That report is further evidence of ABC bias or ineptitude, take your pick.

jj

13/08/2010'The 'Liberal' Party, the name itself is a lie, was founded by and for to protect the interests of those same greedy employers and already wealthy elite.' Employers are evil! They are all greedy and couldnt care about their staff! i myself am an employer. i employ 15 staff and i wouldnt want to do anything wrong by them. i mean dont you get it, it is not in the interests of the employer to have unhappy employees, because then nothing will be done! I have no protection from any of my staff just walking out on me if they wish, even if i may have spent hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars helping to train them up to be right for the job. We have work parties, functions, and once a week, we make sure we all go down to the nearest pub to have a bit of fun. But oh no all employers are greedy, evil people who are out to exploit! I suppose you would call me apart of the Bourgeoisie, and you the proletariat, (talking of backward views, last time i checked Marx died in the 1880's). Now i am not saying that there are not bad employees, but hey, give us employers a break, it is in our best interests that we have a happy and enthusiastic staff, and plus we are human beings too, (by what you say you seem to think not), we want to do what is best for our staff, as most of us are close friends.

jj

13/08/2010Jason, i havent actually havent seen you write about policy yet, and i think if you look over most of what i have written it has been about policy.

jj

13/08/2010George, if you wish to believe that garbage about oil drilling in the great barrier Reef than you go ahead and do so, but somehow i think you will be disappointed.

jj

13/08/2010Ethistan, As Julia Gillard has said, she believes that the term ranga is not offensive and that she doesnt mind it herself. i would never use the term 'nigger', or 'Asian' to describe someone, but i believe jokingly using the word 'ranga', is like jokingly using the word 'Pom'

Ethistan

13/08/2010Oh, so if one red head has come out and said it is okay to use the word then every red head in the country is cool with it? So you would never call someone a "nigger" but are happy to liken people with red hair to orangutans? Do you also believe that calling an African a monkey would not be derogatory? Whether you think it is funny or not, "Ranga" is a derogatory name for people with red hair. Why do you think racial slurs about some ethnic groups like African and Asians are not okay, but slurs against Celtic people are?

Jason

13/08/2010jj, Now i am not saying that there are not bad employees, but hey, give us employers a break. Would gladly give you a break, but jj if you treat your staff anything like you treat people on here! why should we? How about coming on and put a point of view without all the venom, if it is sound you'll win the debate, but if all you want to do is shout and give us gems like this " When you guys start getting a little balance, then i will leave you alone, but till then, i will be the voice of reason on this blog." Blogs like this are for the battle of ideas even yours but it's a battle on the facts not rhetoric.

George Pike

13/08/2010jj's back, jj's back! still hasn't convinced himself that his thingy is REALLY big!

Jason

13/08/2010Make you election poster here http://www.tonyabbottisright.com/

jj

13/08/2010Sure Jason. But as of yet you havent actually put up many opposing arguments. Do you believe that employers should have unfair resignation protection? Do you believe employers should have to wear the cost for maternity leave? Shouldn't maternity leave be an across the board social policy funded by government? How is it fair for an employer to pay the wage of two people, when only one is actually contributing towards the business? What is wrong with the coalitions Paternal plan? What is wrong with their education plan? What is wrong with their industrial relations plan? What is good about the way the Labor party has handled the issue of climate change? What is good about the Labor party using class warfare and tall poppy syndrome against those that have worked hard during their life and earn high slaries? What is so wrong about giving employees the choice between an individual workplace contract, and a union controlled contract? What is so wrong about handing over the BER money to the local school committees to spend? What is so evil about Tony Abbott? Why is Gillard any more suited to being PM then Abbott? How was kevin Rudd a good PM? What does the Labor party stand for anymore? What does Julia Gillard stand for? Please answer.

jj

13/08/2010Ethistan, last time i checked, 'ranga' was not a racial slur, and i will only use it to describe people who dont mind it being used.

George Pike

13/08/2010He may as well just give them abacuses to go with their whizz bang Liberal broadband! http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/coalition-pledges-120m-for-schools-technology/story-fn59niix-1225904656262

NormanK

13/08/2010Hillbilly Skeleton Thanks for your hard work on a difficult and multi-faceted subject. For those who missed last night’s Lateline programme, may I recommend the interview with Professor Jay Rosen from New York University. http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2010/s2981595.htm He is a harsh critic of contemporary journalistic practices and in this instance he highlights the failure of the media to turn out product, during an election campaign, which is beneficial to educating the populace with regard to their choices on polling day. He refers to current reporting as “ horse race journalism” which he defines as : [quote]”Horse race journalism is a reusable model for how to do campaign coverage in which you focus on who's going to win rather than what the country needs to settle by electing a prime minister. And it's easy to do because you can kind of reuse it sort of like a Christmas tree every year and it requires [b]almost no knowledge[/b] either. And it kind of imagines the campaign as a sporting event, right? And everything that happens in the campaign can potentially affect the outcome. And so you can look at it as 'How is it going to affect the horse race?' And every day you can ask, 'Who is ahead and what is their strategy?' And I think this perspective appeals to political reporters because it kind of puts them on the inside, looking at the campaign the way the operatives do. By the way, I'm told that you actually have a program here on Sunday morning called the Insiders. LEIGH SALES: We do. JAY ROSEN: Is that true? LEIGH SALES: We do. JAY ROSEN: And the "insiders" are the journalists. LEIGH SALES: That is right. JAY ROSEN: That's remarkable. LEIGH SALES: Mm.“[/quote] The last exchange reflects what many people have been saying at TPS for a long time. How newsworthy is it for journalists to interview journalists about their “interpretation” of current events? I won’t quote the whole article here but he does make an important point about what is at the base of today’s reporting style. To keep the analogy going, rather than wasting time discussing the jockeys’ colours, the brand of saddle being used, the braiding of the horse’s mane and the impact on the horses of the shadow of a boofhead passing over, perhaps journalists could focus on information which is of genuine concern to punters. I’ll let the analogy drift away. Professor Rosen suggests that the media could identify, prior to an election campaign, what issues are of prime concern to voters and then use this information as a template for gauging whether to run with a story and if so, how best to present it. There was no small amount of irony that Lateline began its news bulletin with Boofhead and made him the main thrust of its lead item. [quote]”But once again a bothersome former Labor leader stole the limelight.”[/quote] If Lateline used a template of what matters to voters in this election, Latham would not even be on the radar. The only way he can steal the limelight is if editors and producers thrust him into it. If (as Professor Rosen suggests) Boofhead was consigned to the tail-end of the item as comic relief, there would be no overshadowing of policy announcements and incidentally there would be no positive reinforcement for his behaviour which after all is designed to get him into the publics’ eye for his and Channel Nine’s commercial benefit. As an aside, the fact that Mark Latham no longer represents nor speaks for the Australian Labor Party in 2010 is conveniently overlooked in the quest for a bit more controversy. Really, does anyone in Australia believe that this out-of-control idiot is in any way a representative of Labor? If we combine “horse race journalism” with “gotcha” and Michael’s “top dog” concepts, we end up with a very sorry state of affairs in the contemporary media. There will always be an audience for this type of self-serving drivel but surely our taxpayer funded, supposedly independent broadcasters can provide us with “dry” reporting, free of gossip, hyperbole and horses. P.S. I emailed Lateline to express my hope that its producers and editors had taken note of what Professor Rosen had to say and to my considerable surprise I just got a reply. I wasn’t harsh or overly critical but did close with the remark that the ABC was losing viewers through its current practices. Here’s the reply : Dear Sir, Thank you for your email. I agree Jay Rosen made some very good points, as you have. However, I'd point out that the Latham segment was approximately 40 seconds in a 4 minute package. I'd also point out that our political packages are reasonably comprehensive .. certainly compared with some other outlets. That said, your thoughtful comments have been taken on board ... and I hope we don't lose you from our audience!   Yours Sincerely, John Bruce Executive Producer Lateline & Lateline Business That’s pretty fair I guess. The proof of the pie of course is whether Sloppy Joe gets to it first - no, I mean in the cooking.

Jason

13/08/2010jj, Paid parental leave I agree with, it shouldn't be a burden to business and should be paid through the family tax A or B. That said the coalitions plan is just too generous why the figure of 150k including super. your right it's a social issue and should be treated as such, after all if you became unemployed you don't get your old salary for 6 months. Paying two employees when only one is productive isn't on I would go and speak to someone at fair work Australia or an employers organisation to see what steps can be taken to solve that problem Education Plan it only was announced today haven't really looked IR is good Abbott is keeping labors. Work choices wasn't ever about what Howard claimed it had more to do with busting the unions and stopping the funding that flowed to the ALP. Climate change I think the government stuffed it. I thought they sold as badly as John Hewson's "birthday cake" from the 1993 election. The Tall Poppy's. It's called politics the Former PM and his wife are worth millions It comes from a time when there was a class divide it hardly exists now. Individual contracts As you saw during work choices if your low skilled or poorly educated or both you can be exploited. I don't like them if I'm going to do 80 hours a week I wish to be paid for 80 like wise if I only do 1 hour I expect to be paid. The BER money Not all school committees are created equal and where does the blame rest with? I would hate to have my arse kicked over something I had no control over Abbott isn't evil he just isn't a leader good foot soldier, he likes or let others to play dog whistle politics which seems at odds with his catholic faith. I'll address the rest later have to pick kids up from school.

HS

13/08/2010Hi guys! You just have to have some fun with this: http://www.tonyabbottisright.com/default.aspx :) It's a hoot! It's also an amazingly subversive election tool. I can't wait to see what NormanK and Acerbic Conehead come up with. Please get back to us here with the results!

HS

13/08/2010Speaking of humour because it's Friday: http://blogs.abc.net.au/drumroll/2010/08/fiona-katauskas-game-on-1.html

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13/08/2010NormanK Thank you for drawing our attention to Leigh Sales’ interview with Jay Rosen, who was right on the mark in [i]Reusable 'horse race journalism' fails the public[/i] http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2010/s2981595.htm We have had ‘horse race journalism’ thrust upon us all throughout this campaign. ‘Politics as entertainment’ has been the style of this election. What a difference it would make if journalists canvassed the issues that are important to the people. There is evidence that this can appeal. Look at the very large audience for [i]Q&A[/i] – Julia Gillard’s appearance broke the record for this programme – and the interest in the satirical programmes [i]Gruen Nation[/i] and [i]Yes We Canberra[/i]. Even the commercial networks that have flicked the switch from vaudeville to serious matters are getting good audiences for their ‘debates’.

FFreddy

13/08/2010Watched the Latham vs. Abbott ‘clash’ on the Channel 9 11am news on Thurs. It was introduced by their ‘resident expert’ Ben Fordham and it began with Latham telling Abbott he had interviewed Pauline Hanson (!!) and would Abbott now apologize for the role he played in her jailing. Abbott ummed and ahhed and tried to downplay his role very unconvincingly. By the 4.30pm news the same day the ‘clash’ was reduced to vision only with BF voiceover very critical of how insulting Latham’s behaviour was to the invited veterans and the only vision+audio was of some of the veterans telling L to piss-off. I didn’t catch any of the 6pm news onwards. Who knows what Sixty Minutes will do with Latham but it will be interesting to see if this footage and issue is included. I would have thought this has the potential to be very damaging to Abbott especially with that Queensland demographic that could be very upset when reminded of this if they know of it at all. I suppose in the end it’s just another pointer to the way in which so much of Abbott’s personal and ministerial history has been scrupulously swept under the carpet by his pimps in the MSM.

debbiep

13/08/2010 Hi all Wondered if anyone else heard on today's Abc radio an interview with John Nichol's? It was just as enlightening as Jay Rosenen on Lateline Last night. Over the weekend may I suggest that you listen to the audio at : http://www.abc.net.au/local/stories/2010/08/13/2982180.htm?site=brisbane&microsite=conversations&section=latest "US political journalist John Nichols was summed up thus by Gore Vidal: "of all the giant slayers now afoot in the great American desert, John Nichols' sword is the sharpest" Broadcast date: Friday 13 August 2010 John Nichols is the Washington correspondent for the influential American public affairs journal The Nation. A self-confessed political junkie, John is deeply concerned that the quality of political coverage is declining, not only in the US but around the world. He believes there's nothing more important for a journalist than to cover politics: "this is how we give people the information they need to make the decisions they need". John is visiting Australia this week to be part of the 2010 Walkley Media Conference..

Lyn

13/08/2010Hi Ad and Norman K You might like this piece on Horse Race Journalism: [i]'horse race' journalism ,Gary Sauer-Thompson , Public Opinion[/i] Horse race journalism is a reusable model for how to do campaign coverage in which you focus on who's going to win rather than what the country needs to settle by electing a prime minister http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2010/08/horse-race-jour.php

NormanK

13/08/2010debbiep & Lyn This is what makes TPS so wonderful. Thanks ever so much for the links.

George Pike

13/08/2010Here's yet another example of heavily biased journalism from the ABC. These people might as well set their office up at Liberal campaign headquarters, that's where they get all their "news" from! http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/13/2982664.htm?section=justin Statleine here in Tassie was straight from the Liberal PR crew as well...absolute garbage about how the marginal seats are getting all the money...when nearly all of the Labor announcements have been applicable to ALL electorates. They are saying the spending has not been good for as long as Duncan Kerr has been in office, 20 years...so at least 12 of those years were under a Liberal government anyway....makes you wonder how much mining money is flowing where hey????

George Pike

13/08/2010Forgot to mention...not one mention on the asylum seeker ship that was found off Canada with 300 Sri lankans on board....they went there because of Australia's harder stance against asylum seekers...now why would the media hide that story I wonder...especially when they have shown so much interest in the boat people of late!

Acerbic Conehead

13/08/2010HS, thanks for the heads up on the poster competition. http://www.tonyabbottisright.com/default.aspx I entered the following: A bigger tool than Mark? The budgies will know. HE feels threatened? Of course it was warmer in Jesus’ day. Wasn’t he the Sun of God? I ain’t writin’ anythin’ down. WorkChoices – industrial manslaughter. Great old big tax on our patience. Vote for Phoney Toney. Weathered and vain. That bloody worm’s annoying me. Hang on a minute til I have a good scratch. John and Bronny’s “off”spring. Wireless? Clueless.

NormanK

13/08/2010HS Your wish is my command. <a href="http://www.imagebam.com/image/83d02c92865456" target="_blank"><img src="http://thumbnails22.imagebam.com/9287/83d02c92865456.jpg" alt="imagebam.com"></a>

NormanK

13/08/2010Not as easy as it looks eh? The Chocolate Factory is mine. Vote for me! Vote for me! Vote for me!

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13/08/2010Tomorrow's Nielsen 53/47 to Labor. Primary votes Labor 40 (+4) Coalition 41 (-3) Greens 12(-1) via [i]The Poll Bludger[/i] http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/

HS

13/08/2010I have said it before and I will say it again, Bruce hawker, comptroller of the ALP campaign, is a bleedin' miracle worker. He has righted the good ship Labor after their initial stumbles, so that she is heading in the right direction now, and barring Latham dropping a bombshell, or 'the leaker' via Laurie Oakes coming out with a decapitation-level bombshell next week, then we should see the government returned. Why, even in my seat, Robertson, we have seen some pundits suggesting we might hang on. I sure do hope so because we have the superior candidate. I just know I will have kittens before this week is out, it's so stressful! * Acerbic C., I just knew that website was tailor-made for you. * NormanK, Ditto. * My efforts are lamo in comparison. * Now, don't forget Lateline starts early tonight, at 10.10PM. :)

HS

13/08/2010NormanK, There was an error finding your images. Can you fix it up?

sawdustmick

13/08/2010JJ, You have listed a fairly extensive set of question to answer and I will do the best I can off the top of my rusted on Labor baldly head. By the way you say you run your own business, where do you find the time to spend so much of your valuable time to working on this blog? What is wrong with the coalitions paternal plan? For as start unless I am mistaken it is not a paternity plan there are no leave provisions for fathers, mothers only. If I may be so bold I have a question for you. When Abbott removes his Great Big New Levy or is a Great Big New Tax from business do you believe that the tax payers should then be stuck with a Maternity Levy Plan that will cost us something in the order of eight Billion Dollars? What is wrong with their education plan? Nothing is wrong with an education plan it just does not have the investment the Labor has made over their very short time in government and lets face it they will never invest as much as Labor. They had nearly twelve years to increase spending and the never did. Julie Bishop would have been one of the worst Education Ministers this country has seen and has screwed every portfolio she has ever been give. Now Tones has closed down the computer in school program and with the 450 million he has come out and copied Julia’s plan. You know, support teachers with more cash for those who perform and hey what about the replace computers in schools with whatever the school wants to purchase. What is wrong with their industrial relations plan? This ones got me stumped, the only IR Plan that I am aware of that the Libs have put forward over the last decade is WorkChoices and Tones has assured us he does not intend to have any IR policy until 2013. I guess my answer to this question would be that Tones does not have any IR Plan. Of course I could be wrong perhaps JJ you have heard something on the small business grapevine. What is good about the way the Labor party has handled the issue of climate change? Well at least they had a crack at getting legislation for an ETS it failed and that’s history now. They will have another crack at an ETS down the track and who knows they may succeed. One thing is fore sure Abbott’s so called Direct Action Plan as Malcolm has said it just Bullshit. However, I think that is just soar grapes by Truffles for Abbott stabbing him in the back over the ETS handshake with Labor. What is good about the Labor party using class warfare and tall poppy syndrome against those that have worked hard during their life and earn high slaries? You will have to be more specific JJ What is so wrong about giving employees the choice between an individual workplace contract, and a union controlled contract? Are well that’s what WorkChoices was all about. This plane evolved from the HR Nicholls Society which has two main objectives, one to get rid of uions or at the very least disembowel them, you know divide the workers and conqor. This enables employers to have more if not the ultimate power at any negotiating table. AWA’s were specifically designed for this purpose to enable those employers more control of those workers who worked in industries without Union backing and therefore had little negotiating power, such as hospitality and retail etc. The second and arguably the most devious was to de-humanize the value of Labour. They believed that Labour should be treated the same as any other commodity you buy it for the cheapest price you can get. Labour was seen in the same vein as purchasing any other piece capital expenditure such as plant and equipment to run your business. And just like any piece of equipment that over time passes it use by date you discard it and purchase a new piece of equipment to replace the old. I will sign off for now and attend to the others at a later date.

NormanK

13/08/2010HS Don't know what the story is with the link - it works from my desk but not in the post. You may have the onerous task of browsing - think chocolate. AC Well done.

Lyn

13/08/2010Hi sawdustmick Thankyou for a very well thoughtout comment, and a very enjoyable read, excellent.

Lyn

13/08/2010Hi Ad [i]Neilsen: 53-47 to Labor, 9:40 pm, by William Bowe , The Poll Bludger[/i] GhostWhoVotes tweets that Nielsen has Labor leading 53-47 on two-party preferred, from primary votes of 40 per cent for Labor, 41 per cent for the Coalition and 12 per cent for the Greens. More to follow. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/ [i]Labor leads coalition in latest poll, Channel Nine[/i] Hartcher said the numbers reflect those at the 2007 election. "On the face of it you would say the government would be returned with the same level of support it had last time," he said. http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/election2010/7944893/labor-leads-coalition-in-latest-poll Labor takes lead into campaign's final week, Sarah Collerton, ABC Julia Gillard has also charged ahead in the preferred prime minister stakes. She now holds a 14-point lead over Tony Abbott. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/13/2982798.htm?section=justin [i]Labor leads coalition in latest poll ,SMH[/i] She is now ahead of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott by 14 percentage points. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/labor-leads-coalition-in-latest-poll-20100813-123fz.html

Lyn

14/08/2010Hi Everybody Another Sunday program for everybody: [b]SUNDAY MORNING TV'S ,POSTEROUS[/b] SUNDAY MORNING 15 AUGUST: 8:35am Ch7 Weekend Sunrise - The Riley Diary Political editor Mark Riley takes an entertaining look at comings and goings of week four on the Federal Election campaign trail. 8:38am Ch9 Today on Sunday - Laurie Oakes interview Laurie Oakes talks to Prime Minister Julia Gillard 9:00am ABC1 Insiders On Insiders this Sunday, Barrie Cassidy interviews the Opposition Leader Tony Abbott. On the panel: the Daily Telegraph’s Malcolm Farr, the Financial Review’s Brian Toohey and SBS’s Karen Middleton. And Mike Bowers talks pictures with Herald Sun cartoonist Mark Knight http://sundaymorningtv.posterous.com/sunday-morning-tv-an-insiders-guide-to-sunday-0

Lyn

14/08/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Election 2010: Day 28 (or, the longest week)Grog, Grog's Gamut[/i] the amazing “Ghostwhovotes” has leaked that Neilsen Poll has the ALP on 53 and LNP on 47 – a 4% swing to the ALP from last week http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/ [b][i]Luddite Tony Abbott shows he's 'no tech-head' on National Broadband [/i][/b] [i]Network , Laurie Oakes, Courier Mail[/i] Abbott, in reply, revealed his ignorance. "For me, broadband basically is about being able to send an email, receive an email," he said. For his daughters "it's about downloading movies, songs, all that kind of thing". http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/national/luddite-tony-abbott-shows-hes-no-tech-head-on-national-broadband-network/story-fn5z3z83-1225905067794 [i]Railroaded, Andrew Elder, Politically Homeless[/i] from the Opposition was poor. It's gotcha politics, full of sound and fury and signifying nothing. It reinforces the Abbott image of no vision. http://andrewelder.blogspot.com/2010/08/railroaded-yesterday-federal-government.html [i]Betting Market Friday, Possum Comitatus, Pollytics[/i] This washes out into a 5 agency aggregate probability of election victory running 68.6% to Labor: http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollytics/2010/08/13/betting-market-friday-20/#more-8681 [i]A hole in Tony's broadband bucket,Paul Budde, Business Spectator[/i] Where the hell did we get the 12Mbps number they Coalition used in their undercooked broadband plan anyway? http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/NBN-Telstra-Coalition-Election-Labor-Conroy-pd20100813-89RYD?OpenDocument&src=kgb [i]Beyond the election horse race: kicking off a health policy series, Croakey[/i] What do the people of Australia want this campaign to be about? http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/2010/08/13/beyond-the-election-horse-race-kicking-off-a-health-policy-series/ [i]Canberra jobs rally, Chris White [/i] it took years for the Canberra economy to recover after the last time the Coalition gained power in 1996 and took the axe to the public service. http://chriswhiteonline.org/2010/08/canberra-jobs-rally/ [i]Australia - Opposition leader seen as clueless in his handling of broadband plan , 3WAN,NET[/i] "If Tony Abbott was PM 100 years ago we would have never built a telephone service across the country," Bonne Eggleston wrote. http://sutherla.blogspot.com/2010/08/australia-opposition-leader-seen-as.html [i]Politics abhors a vacuum Mark Davis and Miriam Lyons , Inside Story[/i] Rather than focus on what politicians can do to improve people’s lives, the media focuses on personalities., http://inside.org.au/politics-abhors-a-vacuum/ [i]Policy Minefields,Jane Goodall , Inside Story[/i] But if he wins the election, Abbott will find himself in deep waters. He will be faced with a set of issues for which there is no clear resolution, http://inside.org.au/policy-minefields/ [i]A Decade of Australian newspaper readership, Part 2, Jason, Restless capital[/i] But there’s another “death spiral” at work besides the one Tim Dunlop told us about in his post the other week. http://restlesscapital.net/ [i]Does Channel Nine misleadingly edit it's videos? Peter Martin[/i]http://petermartin.blogspot.com/ [i]A Gutter Trash How to Vote Guide!, Reb, Gutter Trash[/i] this race that some have suggested – promises to be on a “knife’s edge.” http://guttertrash.wordpress.com/2010/08/13/a-gutter-trash-how-to-vote-guide/

HS

14/08/2010lyn, Thank you for your little collection of gems this morning, of which you are one! :)

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14/08/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

George Pike

14/08/2010Here is the story folks, spread it far and wide, the media are hiding it to save Abbott's scrawny ass! http://www1.voanews.com/english/news/asia/Ship-with-490-Tamil-Asylum-Seekers-Arrives-in-Canada-100627394.html

George Pike

14/08/2010The relevant bits....blows Abbott's "the boats keep coming" attack right out of the water! http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/13/2981795.htm

Lyn

14/08/2010Hi Hillbilly Thankyou for your compliment, I get to pleased when the links go up every morning, for my friends on "The Political Sword". During my excitement, & with a mountain of infomation out there to read and collect for our precious "Political Sword, I have forgotten to say, a special thankyou to you, for your brilliant column on Health, which is so important to us all. I certainly think we have a much better future with Labor, than the the Coalition in all areas, but definately health and education.

Lyn

14/08/2010Hi Ad Looks like the sooky Coalition is upset, because their campaign has been too easy on Labor and not negative enough, Yes that is true, it's what they have said. Can anyone believe how this mob goes on, chopping up lemons, continual whining, knocking and whinging, lies about debt, lies by the dozen, favoured by the MSM. I just heard Phoney on Sky, doing a press release, have 2 goes at the media, telling them what questions they should be asking Julia Gillard. Abbott, also said he is proud of the very clean, not negative, Liberal Campaign. Coalition ads 'too soft' on Labor , Simon Canning, The Australian John Singleton, whose ad agency Banjo has been running hard-hitting ads against Labor for the mining and healthcare industries, slammed the Liberal ad campaign as the worst in the party's history. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/coalition-ads-too-soft-on-labor/story-fn59niix-1225905112924 Leaders forced to wait as O'Brien steals show , Christian Kerr, The Australian Another ABC TV host, Barrie Cassidy, let Ms Gillard speak for 83 per cent of their interview last Sunday. Mr Abbott got only 71 per cent six weeks before. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/leaders-forced-to-wait-as-obrien-steals-show/story-fn59niix-1225905099729

HS

14/08/2010This is a very interesting story in the Health area: http://www.theage.com.au/federal-election/pathology-staff-told-vote-lib-20100813-1239v.html

HS

14/08/2010lyn, It's a pleasure to follow up your links. :0 Speaking about negative Liberal ads that aren't according to them, but they are, I was shocked at how they scraped the bottom of the barrell for their 'Train Wreck' ad. There was so much said in it that was untrue. Just like the latest ad which has bold lettering over a house on fire, the term 'Illegal Immigrants' used again, and a spurious reference to Cost of Living pressures. All I know is that COL pressures are always much greater when you don't have a job!

Rebbeca Chinn

14/08/2010I like Dr. Laura but I do not think she was smart to have said what she did on the radio.

NormanK

14/08/2010AA If these links don't work, feel free to delete the post. http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/ffe6be61fe.jpg http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/be27497a44.jpg http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/b2e94934d5.jpg

Lyn

14/08/2010Hi Norman K The links all work perfect. I like the chocolate poster best.

Miglo

14/08/2010Hi all. To get some relief from the stress of election campaigns I've posted a caption competition over at the Cafe. The winner will receive a never-been-used WorkChoices key pad. Now if that isn't a wow factor then I don't know what is. ;-) The only rule that apples to the competitio are: 1. Comments must be demeaning to Abbott. 2. Abbott cannot be made to look nice or positive. 3. There is no word limit. http://www.globalresearch.ca/articlePictures/inquisition.gif

jimbo

14/08/2010Hi all Have been over at poll bludger and the libs and the msm are winging like there is no tomorrow.Andrew Bolt is already calling it for labor and has taken a major hit from bloggers on his site ,some calling him a Labor stooge.Also betting agencies have tightened for Labor and bvlown out for the Fiberals Tony the wingnutt has baulked at answering questions at another of his pressers which now adds up to three.Poor FFiberals are blaming all and sundry for the way the polls have gone including their major partners and supporters the MSM and News very Limited,probably not such a good idea by wingnutt especially when going into the last week of an election.Julie however in her presser has been very confident and during the presser used turnbulls own words to put out her climate change policy as well as givinghim credit for the idea,you need to read the blogs for yourselves as what is happening is very quick and fluid.Julia has also in her presser challenged Wingnutt to a debate on the economy again and sao if he refuses he wll look a major fool.Also the NBN is killing the Fiberals as compared to their POB---- Pony Express Broadband,so JJ if i were you and you have your head of your rectum now i would suggest you return it for the next week or so.MR CRISPY questions

Miglo

14/08/2010Oops. Wrong link posted. Should be: http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2010/08/14/caption-competition/

HS

14/08/2010NormanK, Brilliant! I hope you posted them to the 'TonyIsRight' site, spread the love around!

HS

14/08/2010You know what I find interesting about Abbott's protestations to the media that they should be asking tougher questions of the PM(not that they aren't, because I have heard them ask some doozies that made my toes curl)? It gives us an insight into his mindset which sees the media as needing to be on his side and attacking the PM for all they're worth but giving him the rails run.

NormanK

14/08/2010Lyn, HS Thanks. I did post them at TonyAbbottISRight but the system is terribly slow at loading them. I've only seen one of AC's so far and none of mine from last night. What a great idea it is and what a good response. Also posted a couple of "straight" ones : "This photo is making my budgie think it's a galah. I can feel a cockatoo coming on." "The photographer asked me for my shit-eating grin but honestly I'm full."

George Pike

14/08/2010Even the British media are ahead of Australia's as far as confirming the hardships a female PM must endure... http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/aug/13/women-power-julia-gillard-australia

HS

14/08/2010Ad Astra(and others interested in the Coalition's Broadband policy vs Labor's), This commentary on ZDNet is one of the most lucid and objective I have read to date(other than AA's of course!): http://www.zdnet.com.au/election-rant-1-wireless-greed-339305187.htm?omnRef=http%3A%2F%2Ftwitter.com%2F

HS

14/08/2010NormanK, Maybe the TonyISRight Server is being overwhelmed with responses!

George Pike

14/08/2010My caption..."ok, ok, I promise I won't pay any more MRRT!"

George Pike

14/08/2010Strange how the 51-49 margin in favour of the Liberals was a strong majority and the 53 to 47 for Labor is the narrowest of margins hey! These media creeps need pulling back into gear poste haste...a Royal Commission into their behaviour, before and during the election campaign, after the election, would see more than a few of them and their corporate mates spending a fair bit of time in the slammer I would say. The anti-government pro-Liberal portrayal of EVERY issue down here in Tasmania tonight has to be seen to be believed...it is nothing less than Nazi style propaganda at its ugliest. It will be very very interesting to see what happens in the morning and during the week. Hopefully the bias will reach such nauseating levels that the people will turn against the Liberals in a very big way...I'll keep my fingers crossed at any rate!

Ad astra reply

14/08/2010HS Thank you for the ZDNet link. A very informative piece that Tony Smith and the Coalition should read. It shows how out of touch they are with communications technology. I've been working today on a piece for tomorrow: [i]The enigma of leadership[/i]. Turning in now to watch football.

Michael

14/08/2010This weblink takes you to a gaspingly cynical article ratifying "anything goes" as a political tactic in this country, regardless of what it does TO the country. Shaun Carney's admiration is on a level with applauding the efficiency that criminal protection rackets display in cowering shopkeepers or anyone else they target. If political commentary has reached this level, then it can only have been brought there by the style of political bastardry that Abbott has practised, and worst of all, established a template for in the future. A self-reiterating and self-serving cycle of 'whatever it takes'. But I have observed elsewhere - eventually 'whatever it takes' takes you. http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/politics/a-shot-at-the-title-20100813-1235n.html

NormanK

14/08/2010Michael [quote]" This confirms what became increasingly evident under Howard - that the modern Liberal Party is driven overwhelmingly by political imperatives rather than fine arguments about ideology and policy."[/quote] Taken in isolation this comment could be viewed as a criticism of the contemporary Liberal Party but when put back into the context of Carney's article it can be seen as merely an observation. This is an appalling article which praises barbarism over ideology and perhaps even reflects a business model where treachery shouldn't be taken personally and the company (in this case Australia) is nothing more than a trophy and a cash cow. I hope you are right and that in the unthinkable eventuality of Abbott taking power, the Liberals, and the Coalition more generally, would turn cannibal and devour themselves through their addiction to this empty political agenda (of which they are constantly accusing the Labor Party).

Bilko

15/08/2010Off topic folks but I am having trouble with crikey sites pfor eg pollbludger shows the last time I logged on only 243 entries but when I go to show all their are 900+ also trying to log in is failing any suggestions

Lyn

15/08/2010Hi Ad Look At what Antony Green says, about this Super Poll absolutely amazing: [i]Galaxy Marginal Seat poll, Antony green, Abc [/i]This produced a national 2PP figure of 51.1% for Labor, completely at odds with the figure of Coalition 51.4% reported above. Then it dawned on me that [b]whoever calculated 51.4% has made a very basic error of political analysis.[/b] What someone has done is take the five entries in the 2010 2PP column and average them to get a national figure. [b]Wrong. Very wrong.[/b] These produce a National Labor 2PP % from this Galaxy poll of 51%, not 48.6%. [b]Someone has made an absolute howler in trying to turn polls in 20 marginal seats into a national figure.[/b] http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2010/08/galaxy-marginal-seat-poll.html

Lyn

15/08/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Galaxy marginal seats polling, Mark Bahnisch, Larvatus Prodeo[/i] Antony Green has now written a blog post explaining how the “national” result of this poll of 200 voters in a number of marginal seats has been [b] misreported wildly due to a series of egregious errors.[/b] http://larvatusprodeo.net/ [i]Election 2010: Day 29 (or Hubris and the underdog) Grog, Grog's Gamut[/i] The Libs’ campaign launch when they were doing well in the polls was full of self congratulatory glee. They spent more time cracking jokes about Labor http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/ [i]Galaxy marginals polls and the rest, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i] This poll has been [b]dubiously reported,[/b] thanks to a national total calculation which has credited the Coalition with a 51.4 per cent two-party vote http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/ [i]Newspoll marginals poll: NSW Queensland, Victoria , William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i] An article on the Liberal campaign by Simon Canning and Patricia Karvelas of The Australian is interesting both for its content, and in providing the first hint of pre-emptive recriminations in the Liberal camp. “Senior Coalition frontbenchers” have complained the Liberal camapign director, Brian Loughnane, had “left Tony Abbott vulnerable with an overly safe advertising campaign”. The Nielsen poll released earlier this evening gave Labor 86 per cent of respondent-allocated Greens preferences. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/ [i]Is it really that hard to read a pendulum? Charles Ruichardson, The Stump[/i][b]media’s coverage of this election campaign has been slanted towards the Coalition[/b]. Adding up the ABC’s figures gives an overall loss to Labor of nine seats. Adding up the real figures gives an overall loss of one seat. Big difference. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/ [i]Labor in Front 53-47, JJ Fiasson, The Daily Bludge[/i] I have no doubt that News Ltd will do their utmost best to minimise Labor’s chances where it counts. I also have no doubt that an increasingly desperate Liberal party will stop at nothing. http://dailybludge.com.au/2010/08/labor-in-front/ [i]One more week and it's all over, Mark Bahnisch, The Drum[/i] we are probably looking – at this point in time – at a relatively comfortable win for Julia Gillard and Labor. http://blogs.abc.net.au/drumroll/2010/08/one-more-week-and-its-all-over.html [i]Cracks appear,Andrew Elder, Politically Homeless[/i] Grog spoke true when he said: For Tony Abbott ... Sure he wants to win. But if he loses I don’t think he loses any where near as much as does Gillard http://andrewelder.blogspot.com/2010/08/cracks-appear-if-peter-hartcher-is.html [i]The campaign's real red-heads, Bernard Keane, Business Spectator[/i]. The Coalition has now chewed up all its savings, including Thursday's round of savings taken from Labor, and is nearly half a billion dollars into the red, http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Abbott-election-public-service-spending-pd20100813-8A6F3?OpenDocument&src=sph&src=rot [i]Election 2010: It's time Tony Abbott's Plans Faced Some Real Scrutiny, Mark Phillips, The Angle[/i] The ACTU this week released a detailed and comprehensive report on Abbott’s three-year record as a Howard Government Workplace Minister. You can read the full report here. http://theangle.org/2010/08/10/election-2010-it%E2%80%99s-time-tony-abbotts-plans-faced-some-real-scrutiny/ [i]The putative Australian deputy sheriff in any Abbott-led federal Government, clarencegirl, north Coast Voices[/i] any lack of democracy after August 2010 is probably your fault - you, you, you nasty blogospherers! http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/2010/08/putative-australian-deputy-sheriff-in.html [i]Battle of the bridesmaids, lawrie Zion, Upstart[/i]. who will be this country’s next Leader of the Opposition? There are those who think a pair of Bishops would be better than an Abbott, and a Julie/Bronnie code share would certainly be more surreal that the duality that is Julia. http://www.upstart.net.au/2010/08/13/battle-of-the-bridesmaids/

George Pike

15/08/2010Green's figures were just backed up by another polling expert on Channel Ten. I just shot Green's analysis all over Facebook with the headline..."the polled hard facts"...good one hey!

Lyn

15/08/2010Hi Bilko Poll Bludger links working on second link after "rel no follow" cheers

Lyn

15/08/2010Hi George Thankyou so much, excellent, fantastic. Cheers

Acerbic Conehead

15/08/2010Bilko, I had that problem yesterday, so its probably a case of, "please do not adjust your set". As you say, when you click "Show all", you get to view all the posts.

Bilko

15/08/2010Hs & lyn thanks, things semm to have improved since I linked via this blog keep up the good work

George Pike

15/08/2010Barrie Cassidy and Tony Abbott nearly made love on television! What a completely farcical interview. Cassidy asks the right questions to allow Abbott to spew forth his worthless spiel without hindrance, then both men smirk and giggle like a pair of school kids who have just knocked off the lolly shop. Their scorn for the intelligence of the public will come back to haunt them in spades.

Ad astra reply

15/08/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

George Pike

15/08/2010It never ceases to amaze me how the Liberals go and on about financial mismanagement from Labor, when it was John Howard who sold off Telstra without forcing a horizontal seperation of the company. The prime reason that the cost of the NBN will go so high is due to that one fundamental error. Howard also urged people to buy Telstra 2 at $9 per share, saying they were great value at that price, when he knew all along that the company would have to be seperated at one stage or another so that share value was totally false. He deceived the Australian people simply so he could pay down the public debt to make himself and Costello the big heroes. He defrauded the public to make sure the superannuation payments for politicians and public servants was covered into perpetuity. He also defrauded the public by rigging the unemployment figures by deceitfully shifting 750,000 job seekers onto the disability pension where they would no longer be counted as unemployed. That not only impacted heavily on the welfare bill, it also relegated all those people on the disability pension to permanent unemployment because no employee in their right mind would take on someone who has been on the disbility pension due to the possibility of legal implications if their "disability" caused them injury while doing their job. People who think Liberals are going to spend anything on education and health are kidding themselves too. They didn't spend a cent on them when they had $20 billion in surplusses, they chose to give it all away in welfare for the wealthy in the form of tax breaks instead, so why would they change now, when members of exactly the same crew are leading them? Howard and Costello also created a child protection nightmare with their populate or perish policy. They also created a situation through their higher education policies where foreign students were taking all the local trade based jobs such as hairdressing, food service, cleaning etc. Their policies were cold calculating anti-social pro-industrialist garbage...and if the people want to go back to that shocking level of social destruction to satisfy their own greed, then they should vote for Abbott and forever hold their peace!

Michael

15/08/2010Didn't you just love 'tech-head' Tony talking about broadband and comparing it (in his mind) to multi-grain bread when he warned against putting all our eggs in the "high fibre basket"? I mean, I know the guy runs....

HS

15/08/2010Great! After all the hard yards and long days I put into comparing and contrasting the policies of both parties in various areas, the ABC gazumps me, with a dedicated web page to boot: http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2010/policies/areas/ * Oh well, that's the way the election cookie crumbles I suppose. :) (Now, I'll just go and have a look at it and see how unbiased a compilation it is).

Lyn

15/08/2010Hi George and Michael Great comments again and again, thankyou. Did you see Abbott tell Barry Cassidy, Phoney thinks the community forums are a great idea , just like Rooty Hill. So now Sky has a "campaign alert up", Sky and Courier mail have requested Julia and Phoney , attend a community forum on Wednesday night at 6pm in Brisbane . Oh! but, Keiren Gilbert is a bit concerned, that Julia may refuse because she didn't do so well at the Penrith Forum. Honestly, how am I going to survive this election. I Suppose there is one consolation, just because Murdoch and Co say the Coalition is winning doesn't make it so, just because the polls are distorted doesn't mean the public will vote for Phoney. I am making myself believe, perhaps this biased reporting, could have the reverse effect, and the public might get shocked that Phoney is a possible.

Bilko

15/08/2010George Pike, you must sometimes feel like john the baptist crying in the wilderness but don't despair just keep fighting the good fight. You have put me off watching my onesiders recording this morning, so I might just wait untill we win on Sat then watch them back to back next Sunday. The ALP campaign rollout is coming that should raise all our expectations. When will you be able to connect to the NBN, earlier than most of us on the north island.

Lyn

15/08/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS PART 2[/b] Galaxy poll error looks like [b]News Ltd's fault - decided they needed a headline national figure and did it a stupid way [/b http://twitter.com/WilliamBowe [i]Galaxy doesn’t follow the script, Peter Brent, The Australian.[/i] ... 51.4 to 48.6. Any national calculation from these numbers has Labor ahead around 51 to 49. [b](Antony Green explains how someone stuffed up.) [/b] If you weight the swings and apply them across all states, you get an 1.8 percent national swing to the Coalition which comes to about 51 in 49 in the government’s favour. http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/mumble/index.php/theaustralian/comments/galaxy/ So, how about that Galaxy poll?, Mark Bahnisch, The Drum [b]Underdog status for the incumbent, as in the 2009 Queensland election, focuses voters' minds on the potential actuality of a Coalition government. It makes a protest vote less likely, and tends to favour the government[/b]. [b]There's nothing in Galaxy to shift my belief that Labor will most likely win on August 21.[/b] http://blogs.abc.net.au/drumroll/2010/08/so-how-about-that-galaxy-poll.html

George Pike

15/08/2010Hi Bilko, I am only a few kilometres from Scottsdale, so it shouldn't be too long at all. They are running the cable along the power poles in the smaller regional centres so it will be fairly quick. The majority of the fibre was laid down a few ago, along with the gas pipline, through the major Tassie cities...and the suburbs are going to have cables slung on poles as well, so it should cover the entire state before the end of next year I reckon. Most of the fibre has been slung on poles in the mainland cities too I think...so it will proceed faily quickly once it gets into full swing. What the Liberals fail to tell the population with their new whizz bang model T broadband is that Telstra are going to rip out the copper anyway..so if the NBN doesn't go ahead there will no landline access to anything for anyone except those who have cable in the cities.

George Pike

15/08/2010This is what is going on in Tassie...the people can see right through the shallow glitzy facade of the Coalition and their shady dishonest fake leader. http://www.examiner.com.au/news/local/news/politics/labor-set-to-sweep-tassie-seats/1913298.aspx

George Pike

15/08/2010Here's a bit of Liberal instigated violence you might not see on the news tonight...despite the Bowen races affair making it to the headlines everywhere.. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/sunday-mail/campaign-violence-caught-on-video-as-wyatt-roy-talked-on-his-phone-in-the-background/story-e6frep2f-1225905296726

Lyn

15/08/2010Hi Ad Another poll report, Possum was down earlier: [i]Polls and marginal benefit ,Possum Comitatus, Pollytics [/i] media headlines and reports have sort of made a [b]rather chunky balls up of, reporting [/b]it as some sort of weird 51/49 Coalition lead at the national level. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollytics/2010/08/15/polls-and-marginal-benefit/

Ad astra reply

15/08/2010HS The ABC site is valuable, although it simply comprises ABC articles cobbled together. Your piece portrays sound research and is therefore more complete than the ABC collection. We need what you contribute, as is evidenced by the response you have had to this piece.

Lyn

15/08/2010Hi Ad Ad who is Andrew Catsaras, he has been on TV today and have seen once before, is he one of the bloggers that we follow? 2 more late links: [i]Leading analysts cast doubt on poll figures, SMH[/i] Andrew Catsaras, a strategic marketing consultant and polling analyst, told Network 10 he also had doubts about the poll's findings describing them as "a bit misleading". http://www.smh.com.au/national/leading-analysts-cast-doubt-on-poll-figures-20100815-124ua.html [i]Labor wants economy debate with forum , Mathew Franklin, The Australian[/i] Mr Bitar responded promptly He agreed to a town hall style meeting “on the condition the first half is a debate between the leaders [b]on the economy[/b], followed by questions from the audience in the second half, with [b]both leaders on the stage at the same time[/b]”. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/labor-wants-forum-with-economy-debate/story-fn59niix-1225905467586

nasking

15/08/2010Hi all, I've been a bit crook of late but managed to get up a new post at the Cafe: [u]What Lies Beneath? Whether it be crafty “snake oil salesman” of the “good old days” who used to CON the people into buying crappy, perhaps toxic & useless goods by pretending they were fonts-of-all-knowledge and “regular folk just like you”…to prosperity preachers who promote old-time family values but use hi-tech merchandise and communication to sell their wares & “too good to be true” message to a gullible public willing to hand over their lifesavings…we’ve seen the likes of Tony Abbott before.[/u] http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2010/08/15/what-lies-beneath/ Keep up the insightful & informative work all. Thnx to Lyn for her useful comments & links. N'

HS

15/08/2010Lyn, I saw your Tweet! :)

Lyn

15/08/2010Hi Hillbilly Wow! thanks for telling me, I am improving then. Cheers

HS

15/08/2010Ad Astra, You are correct about the ABC Policy comparison site. I feel vindicated! How they could call that a comparison, I don't know.

Gravel

15/08/2010HS Yes please do put your piece up, I am interested and love the way you think and write. My comment on the election as of this morning.... This time next week we will wake up in either a democracy or a dictatorship. (Should those two a's be an's? )

NormanK

15/08/2010Surprise, surprise. I thought I heard mention of this interview with Rio Tinto boss Tom Albanese earlier in the week and would wait for the MSM or Labor to keep the story running. I guess media houses didn't want a mining story over-shadowing a good Boofhead story. [b]Rio Tinto CEO: More comfortable with mine tax[/b] [quote]""It's not perfect, but I would say it's something that allows Rio Tinto to make the investments that we want to make in Australia," Albanese told the Sky Business channel's "Sunday Business" television program. "That's all we can expect, and that's all we're concerned with. We want to have the ability to continue to invest in Australia," Albanese said."[/quote] [quote]"Earlier this week, Rio Tinto posted a first half net profit of US$5.85 billion for the six months to June 30, putting it on track for a record annual result. Releasing the result, the company outlined plans to spend up to US$13 billion in capital spending over the next 18 months."[/quote] http://www.marketwatch.com/story/rio-tinto-ceo-more-comfortable-with-mine-tax-2010-08-08

Paul of Berwick

15/08/2010Just had a market research company call me. I live in a “marginal” seat (La Trobe). It was automated. Questions were like – “who do you think will win?”, “how likely are you to change your vote?”, “who do you normally vote for?”, etc. I didn’t quite catch it, but it sounded like “JW Research” for “Telechoice”. So, no need to speak to a human for this polling, just press 1 to 5 for your answers

HS

15/08/2010Paul of Berwick, Me too! I believe it was Telereach.com.au. They said we could go there for the results after the poll was finished. I live in an ultra-marginal seat also! Robertson on the Central Coast. Home of Belinda 'Iguanas' Neal. :)

HS

15/08/2010NormanK, Looks to me like SkyBusiness were angling for a negative soundbite from Albanese in the last week of the election, and he didn't bite!

NormanK

15/08/2010HS My question is why hasn't anyone run with this as a positive story? I'm in Dawson (marginal) where Mackay and surrounds are bound to be worrying about jobs in the industry and these statements give the lie to all of the hype surrounding the MRRT as a disincentive to investment and profit. US$5.85 billion profit in six months is not exactly tough times. I would have thought the ALP would have jumped on this - perhaps they have and the horse race callers didn't think it newsworthy. Thanks guys. I'll join the chorus calling for your investigative work over the MSM any day. Publish and be damned! Gravel Two "a"s are good. Democracy sounds good.

HS

15/08/2010Sunday paper pre-election editorials: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/why-labor-deserves-a-second-term/story-e6frezz0-1225905274135 * http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/editorials/australia-has-been-let-down/story-e6frfhqo-1225905277135

HS

15/08/2010A very amusing allusion was drawn by a fellow tweeter today: http://www.answers.com/topic/kakistocracy Guess who they were referring to?

HS

15/08/2010AA, I thought you might be interested in adding this to the blog(see near the bottom of the entry for instructions): http://mashable.com/2010/08/13/tweet-button-bloggers/

HS

15/08/2010NormanK, The obvious answer is that the MSM don't want any narrative other than their own intruding on the picture they are painting.

HS

15/08/2010This is Antony Green's analysis of the so-called 'Monster' poll out today in News Ltd Sunday papers, which gives the lie to the headlines which have been running about it all day: http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2010/08/galaxy-marginal-seat-poll.html

NormanK

15/08/2010HS Whilst I am very pleased to see two Sunday editorials offer their tick of approval for a Gillard government, I have to say : what a load of horse manure they both are. I know I'm biased but what more visionary statements do they expect from an incumbent? To articulate a whole new approach to how they will govern in the next term is to leave themselves open to criticism of the last term. Yet it seems that to say we will do more of the same good stuff whilst having learned from the bad, is not "visionary" enough. Honestly I don't know where Ms Gillard could be more all-encompassing in her enunciation of her ambitions for the country. It is far easier for an Opposition to paint a big integrated picture of the future because they don't have to disavow their past in order to do so. And yet Abbott has failed to do this and is in fact harking back to the good old policies which saw them booted out. What an absolute load of rubbish and waste of ink. There is a serious dearth of intellect in today's MSM.

Cheap Stocks

15/08/2010This is my first post on this website and all i can say is thank you for all these useful information! If you allow, I would like to use some of your content. I write articles for article directories as my part time job. I am willing to refernce your site in these articles. Kindly get back to me via email ASAP. Regards Jannie Waze!

HS

15/08/2010Jannie, Thank you for your pleasant remarks about our site. Ad Astra is our blog Big Kahuna, and he will get back to you ASAP. :)

HS

15/08/2010NormanK, Of course I agree with the thrust of your remarks, however, imagine to what effect they could have put their words if they had so chosen to. Advocating a vote for Tony Abbott would have been picked up right around the commentosphere with a megaphone. I do agree that they could have been more circumspect in their assessment of the PM and the government, and more rational instead of opting for the call for a 'vision'. I mean, Julia's vision is as plain as the nose on your face, if you look for it.

Ad astra reply

15/08/2010Folks I have just posted [i]The enigma of leadership[/i] http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2010/08/15/The-enigma-of-leadership.aspx

George Pike

15/08/2010I'll tell you the most glaring difference between Julia's vision and that of the conservative political machinery...hers is all about social equity and progress, theirs is all about the global corporate sector and the profit motive. A win for the conservatives will be a massive loss for democracy in this country. We will not be governed by representatives of the people, we will be governed by corporate puppets...it is as simple as that.

Bilko

15/08/2010GP thanks for the info hope you get connected soon

Ad astra reply

15/08/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx Lyn Andrew Catsaras blogs regularly as 'Socrates' on [i]The Poll Bludger[/i]

Ad astra reply

15/08/2010Nasking Glad you're back writing. Nice piece - you've nailed it - the Tony Abbott that we're seeing on the campaign trail is not the real Tony that we've come to know over the years, and he keeps changing. So if he becomes PM, who knows what he will do and say?
How many Rabbits do I have if I have 3 Oranges?