Recent entries
- What you don't see in a campaign
- It ain't over til it's over
- How to vote in Federal Election
- Juila will and Tony will not?
- Dance of the reluctant brides
- Yes We Will .. Will We?
- Election result on 'knife's edge'
- Power to the People
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What we're talking about
- Stanley on Power to the People So now we are people.No wonder even the East Timor parliamentarians rejected our begging for attention.Did the people decide ... more
- Jenifer on Yes We Will .. Will We? Yes, we will....go to the dogs ,if I don't win. Gillard's last jinx. more
- Barb on What you don't see in a campaign I see! I see! I see!Very very big knife for very very big stab for Lady as counting results brings Tony to Top. No running ... more
- Sally on Dance of the reluctant brides Lenny must be suffering from acute entrails problems as his red medusa idol lately. The eennnnnnd of the wwwwooorrrlldd is ... more
- Hughes on Yes We Will .. Will We? I suspect Lenny is a tree hugger and BBrowntongue is expecting to ride on Labor prefs at the cost of Labor itself. They ... more
- Katrina on Election result on 'knife's edge' When you have biased lefties like MARTIN O'SHAUGHNESSY using subtle ratting suggesting listeners could pass a sympathy vote ... more
- Kate on It ain't over til it's over The National Beijing Network will be bought and run by you know who ? So no complaints.All is fine. Only I have the ... more
- baron of bentleigh on Yes We Will .. Will We? I am in Crean's electorate and most of us in line have switched sides. We are making our vote count and putting Labour and ... more
- Lenny on Yes We Will .. Will We? Sue, only an ignorant self serving imbecile would vote for the Liberals. The Rabbit couldn't manage a game of two up~! ... more
- peed off on How to vote in Federal Election I would like to know if either party is going to do anything about changing the policies in the department of housing. Wait ... more
- Brendan Mason on How to vote in Federal Election I used to believe in compulsory voting but now only want people with fair dinkum opinions to vote. Those who don't care ... more
- Brendan Mason on It ain't over til it's over The fear of the Liberals is of what may or MAY NOT happen where as we know what to fear of Labor...house fires, rorts, ... more
- David on It ain't over til it's over Lets not give this incompotent government another term. more
- mylene on Yes We Will .. Will We? Lots of people say if the election result doesn't go their way they'll leave the country but I'll bet anything that nobody ... more
- Danny on It ain't over til it's over Gillarding is the word.You will wake up on Sunday You will wake up on Sunday You will wake up on Sunday, will you really, ... more
- janet page on It ain't over til it's over Just remember people when you vote tomorrow, you are Not voting for an Individual, but a political party, and the parties ... more
- janet page on Power to the People If you want people power, Look up the, Senate on Line Party. more
- janet page on It ain't over til it's over Labor has announced it will sell off the multi billion dollar Broad Band, that we the people will be forced to pay for. And ... more
- steve murphy on Juila will and Tony will not? Gerard, It is the one big question that hasn't been answered during the campaign. What will it cost me to access 100mbps? ... more
- Kevin H on Yes We Will .. Will We? I hope Labor wins and the GST goes up to 40-50%, petrol 5$ a litre and more, bank rates at 19.7% as it was with the last ... more
Is it slipping away from Abbott?
Abbott on the campaign trail (Fairfax Photos)
BLOG: Tony Abbott’s run for The Lodge appears to have reached a hiatus after the bravura of his official campaign launch on the weekend, giving rise to questions about whether or not his small target strategy will be enough to see him through the remainder of Campaign 2010.
Yesterday was a policy free day for the Opposition Leader. Yes there are those who might sardonically say what makes yesterday any different to the rest of his campaign, but in the past 48 hours it has all started to look a bit thin.
Even the media commentary is starting to change. Ever so subtly, news reports are beginning to refer to policy scrutiny and substance, which is a dangerous phase for the Opposition Leader.
He has to maintain the attacks against his opponent by reinforcing the messages of Government disunity, disarray and incompetence but as voters start to focus on their choices in the run-up to polling day, you get the distinct feeling that the Coalition will need to do more, save the voters break for Ms Gillard.
The PM has had a good couple of days. Her performance on the ABC’s Q&A program last night was very good. She came across as knowledgeable, engaging and willing to take on all comers in a very respectful way. While many might argue that the broad populous doesn’t watch such a program, the commentariat does and it infects the tone of everything they write, broadcast and telecast about her.
The town hall style meeting with a couple of hundred voters scheduled for tomorrow at the Rooty Hill RSL in greater Sydney, where Mr Abbott will also engage with voters, should add to that positive image the PM has put forward so far this week.
Yesterday, she got the political debate back onto safe Labor territory in the form of education and today was out spruiking her efforts to save the Murray-Darling Basin. There’s been plenty of colour and movement and some policy to go with it.
In contrast Mr Abbott wandered around the Ekka (the Royal Brisbane Show) gave a speech at his daughters Alma Mater in Sydney and he left it up to his Shadow Communications Minister, Tony Smith to announce the Coalition’s alternative to the National Broadband Network (NBN)in the form a $6 billion affordable broadband plan.
The Ekka and school appearances didn’t actually give us anything. No real insights and nothing personal were projected as was the case for Gillard on Q&A.
As for the affordable broadband plan, it seeks to offer high-speed internet using a mix of optical fibre, hybrid fibre coaxial, wireless, DSL and satellite technology. All these things work and while people are concerned about the $43 billion cost of the NBN, the Coalition plan runs the risk of being seen to be a cobbled together ‘poor cousin’ to the rolled gold NBN.
The fact Mr Abbott didn’t lob for the announcement won’t help avoid accusations that the policy was a last minute necessity and he has unnecessarily given the PM a stick with which to whack him and she is, claiming he didn’t turn up because he was too embarrassed.
The Coalition needs to redouble its efforts and look to do more than just attack its opponent if it is to stay in the race.
Unity versus incompetence?
AUGUST 9 "Tony Abbott’s official election campaign launch in Brisbane yesterday sent a clear and unambiguous message to Australians that their choice on August 21 is between unity and competence or disunity and incompetence. Simple as that." Read the full analysis here.
Blog comments
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Julia Gillard, Wayne Swan, Kevin Rudd, Peter Garrett, Penny Wong, Martin Ferguson and the list of imcompetence goes on. That just about sums it all up. Then there's Bob Brown and the Greens. OHHHH PLEASE!!!!!
Even Lindsay Tanner and John Faulkner woke up and decided not to stand again. I suppose they wish to protect their credibility (well what's left anyway).
Australia do you really want to gamble our future on these economic MIS-MANAGERS.
Jane Thursday 19 August, 2010 - 5:50 PM -
Lenny, you're sounding like a 'lemon'. The ALP couldn't run a chook raffle, let alone Australia's economy. The past three years is evident of that, yet you're blaming the world's financial woes on the likes of the former Howard Government, or more so 'Liberalism'...?
Lenny, those who follow and support Australia's 'Lemon' Party are indeed lemons themselves. Take a good long hard look in the mirror and hope that what you see doesn't resemble that of a lemon, because a vote for Gillard's 'Lemon Party' will certainly guarantee Australia becoming a 'Banana Republic'!
Go figure... a banana republic run by lemons...???Gerard Tuesday 17 August, 2010 - 7:49 PM -
Lenny:
Granted there are good and bad on both sides, but at least most of the Liberal pollies went into politics with money behind them, whereas most of your Labor mates went in with little and came out loaded. I wonder how you can explain that?
Barack Obama is doing wonders in the US isn't he. I guess you would have voted for him too.BTW: I would prefer Budgie Smugglers to Tracksuits and Moccasins running our country.
All that aside, have you been able to come up with anything that Labor have done that has worked yet?
Milton Tuesday 17 August, 2010 - 6:53 PM -
Lenny:
So it is just an us and them thing with you. Our Liberal governments had nothing to do with the rest of the world. Sadly your union inspired 'I want more (stuff everyone else)' attitude is what is making it difficult for us to compete in world markets and driving our cost of living up. When are you going to tell me why you are so bitter with the world?Milton Tuesday 17 August, 2010 - 6:35 PM -
Milt, perhaps we could look at the number of businesses that went belly up as a DIRECT result of your Liberal Party inspired GREED mentality economic mismanagement? Sorry Milt, HOW many TRILLION was that world-wide??? Or would you prefer to count the number of intended retirees who lost not only their life savings, but also their houses, to support your government's irresponsible economic management theories?
Lenny Tuesday 17 August, 2010 - 2:04 PM -
Milt, if you play your cards right, I might even be able to get you a gig at the Comedy Festival, as a supporting act for The Rabbit~! Liberal Party economic theories are always good for a laugh~! :)
Lenny Tuesday 17 August, 2010 - 1:47 PM
