Australian Election

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Earnie Shavers

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So, about 18 hours till we will all be voting.

2 out of 3 polls today say Rudd, but polls in Australia are meaningless rubbish.
Of the major Australian newspapers, editorial endorsments today have gone as such: SMH, Telegraph, Courier-Mail, Australian for Rudd. Herald Sun the only one for Howard. The Age for neither. The West is still going on about Ben Cousins. Real mood in the air for a change I think.

I think it's going to be incredibly narrow, real cliffhanger. Labor need to wrestle 16+ seats off the Coalition to win. That's going to be a massive ask and would require the largest swing against a government since WWII.

I don't know that they'll be able to do that. I don't know anyone who isn't voting Labor and doesn't hate Howard/Liberals with a passion bordering on psychotic, but then I'm 29, single, live in the Inner West of Sydney and work in the film industry. Not exactly the Liberal demographic anyway and I don't know really if even a hatred for Howard will swing that demographic against him. Then again my mother is 63, lives on the North Shore of Sydney - an area that reaches into 5 electorates, whose MP's happen to be Howard/Ruddock/Nelson/Abbott/Hockey - she is incredibly conservative, a huge Howard fan in the past, and she's over it, voting Labor.

Any bolder predictions?
 
I'm predicting an increase in votes for the Greens.

Is that bold? I dunno. I wonder if Karen Chitjof (sp) will win her seat.
 
I'm voting Labor. I'm not THAT passionate about politics in this country, there doesn't seem to be much of a difference between both parties, but the reason i'm voting Labor is because i think Peter Costello is a fuckwit and I don't want him to be PM. John Howard should have kept that in the bag!!

A lot of people at work have been talking about this is the year, and i just wish it was, but there are just so many liberal people who won't change whether they are voting for john howard or some shit... its just a liberal person or its nothing.
 
I'm voting Greens. So I guess, because of preferences I'm voting Labor. I voted Labor last election.

I get the pick between Bob Debus and Kerry Barlett if I went with major parties. w00t. :eyebrow:
 
catehope said:
I'm predicting an increase in votes for the Greens.

Is that bold? I dunno. I wonder if Karen Chitjof (sp) will win her seat.

hell no! I doubt she can win now, not after her dickhead husband and kelly's little stunt. What seat is yours? Mine is the now infamous Lindsay, and the neighbours near my mum's house who had a swastika painted over Chijoff's face have replaced it with a Howard sign. I don't know whether to laugh or cry.

Does anyone, speaking of laughing/crying, listen to 702? Howard and Rudd were both on this morning, and Howard make me want to harm things. His bullshitting on IR makes bile rise in most people's throats. The Liberals have to be on their last rotten miserable legs in this country. Him and his bed mate Costello have caused absolute distrust in the population. I live in a typically blue ribbon Liberal seat, but it looks to be Bradbury's year. He was once our mayor, and this year he had the fortune to run against Chijoff who has her dickhead husband to thank for fucking up her chances. What a fuckwit. She's a giant pain in the arse, too. She hangs around everywhere like some lingering fart, and does fuck all. I'm going to savour Liberals losing. I hope they do. I don't necessarily like Labor, and am not even voting for them, but seeing fuckjob Howard having to wake the fuck up is going to make my day tomorrow.

My real interest is in seeing the Greens get the Senate. I predict 15% for them. I last heard it was around 11%, but I'm reckoning they can creep up to 15%. It would also tickle me pink to see dickless Mark Vaile cry.
 
Macquarie. I live in Bullaburra.

I honestly couldn't believe it when Jackie Kelly announced it was funny. And "Chaser-esque" of all things.

I hope Chijof is annihilated. I think Barlett will win Macquarie to be honest. Although, Debus might scrape through on a some what sentimental vote. If that even makes an ounce of sense.
 
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I was going to say I can't even believe Debus is still around. I remember when someone set fire to or exploded part of the council chambers up in katoomba. I grew up in Lawson, by the way. Small world, huh?
 
A very small world. I actually work in Penrith (glamourous, no?). I'm assuming you're somewhere in that area if you're in Lindsay, yes?

I was just talking about it with my brother, he thinks Chijof might win based on the fact that people are easily scared these days. Or something to that effect, he was kind of muttering.
 
I work at the Private Hospital, in the specialist rooms, which is kinda Penrith. We live in Emu Plains, previously good old Glenmore Park, after escaping the heady highs of Lawson life. Your bro might be right, but I reckon Kelly did a lot of damage with her condemnation of us westie scum when she said we didn't even need UWS as "afterall, no one in the west even goes to uni so the money spent there is wasted" Whatever, bitch. Go retire and shut the hell up. And so Chijoff has taken over a sinking ship with this one, it seems. Still, I guess she has had more of a presence here. I dunno. I can't stand the woman. Her lack of substance is something to behold.

Forgive my excessive anti Liberal spitting, by the way!
 
Oh yes, because spending money on anti-terror pamphlets is so much better right? Only rich kids have ambition right?

But then again, as a public school educated, leftie daughter of two public school teachers, how should I know? My only ambition is to wear Adidas trackies and have 5 kids to 5 different fathers all with stupid names and use the dole to buy myself a tacky manicure. I shall call them all Caitlin Jnr. :eyebrow: Or maybe Chardonnay because that's what I was drinking at the time of their conception...

Absolute bollocks.

I'm scared that the Australian public will back down from voting the libs out. Not exaggerating, which I'm prone to doing.
 
I'm voting Labor/Rudd, not because I think he's the best candidate, but I just want dickface (aka. Howard) to finally go. Besides, I live in a ultra safe labor electorate (Simon Crean's seat actually) so it doesn't matter who else I vote for.
 
After last time (and the time before, and the time before that ad infinitum), I am way past making predictions.

I have reasons for cautious optimism, but am prepared to be wrong.

As for 16 seats being a big ask, any election is a big ask. But remember, it doesn't matter which 16 seats. And one party does not merely have to win seats, the other party has to not lose them.

If Howard does win, I can only ask, 'based on what??' Based on just what the fuck, exactly?
 
The man owes his political life to 9/11 (by which I mean, that was the time when incumbents suddenly could not lose); it's been gravy from there on in.

I'm old enough to remember when he nearly became a one-term prime minister. He is not loved and Work Choices was an act of quite staggering hubris. He may get lucky again, but remember, it's just that... luck. And that's not a very good basis for confidence.
 
Well, I'm excited. I just missed out on being able to vote in 2004, so this is my first Aussie federal election. I've spent some time working on my Senate vote as I'll vote below the line, and some of the minor parties are hysterical - or in the case of loony fringe right wingers, hysterically disturbing. What's really bizarre is that here in Victoria, One Nation are fielding two Senate candidates ... plus a third from One Nation WA is running in the ungrouped category!

Also, I do hope shitloads of people preference Fundies First DEAD LAST. We don't need those wackos winning another Senate seat and possibly even achieving the balance of power. Considering their one Senator is from Victoria, I'm kind of worried about what this state will do. For goodness' sakes, people, before voting above the line, check out the party's preference flows and make sure it doesn't go straight to idiots! I haven't checked all parties in all states, but I was surprised how bad the Democrats preference flow tickets were in VIC and QLD. When I showed them to a couple of friends wavering between Greens and Democrats in the "which minor but potentially seat-winning party shall I vote for?" stakes, they instantly discarded the Democrats and went Green. Even though I doubt that's happening much nationwide, the Democrats are still a dead political force anyway. Don Chipp's probably turning in his grave.

Personally, I'm hoping the Greens poll extremely strongly. I expect they will. They've run the best campaign of anybody who has a chance of achieving a seat and the whole climate change debate seems to be really generating support for them. I know a number of people for whom the final straw with the major parties is the irritating negative ads. Has anybody actually seen a positive, non-fearmongering ad from the Liberals? I sure haven't. Labour's largely avoided overt fearmongering and focused on policies (at least the hot topic ones), but the Liberals have just harped on about absolute drivel like "70% unionists" bullshit. My favourite is their ad about "union extremists, environment fanatics, and learners". OH NO, LEARNERS. So, what, Howard & Co. actually know it all and aren't learning a thing any more? Well, if their brains are that closed, they can kindly fuck off! Personally, I'm hoping the Greens get the Senate balance of power and Rudd becomes PM.
 
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The ammount of Christian influence on all these parties is sickening.

Australia doesn't have a serious pro-freedom party, if I could just not get my name ticked off it would be a blessing.

At least the internet is pretty free of the concequences of this election, at least until they want to stick filters at an ISP level (because their 100 million dollar voluntary ones don't stop kids looking at porn).
 
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I'm actually thinking that Bob Debus might actually beat Kerry Barlett now, in my electorate. Mostly on sentimentality, because he's a former state labor member and the community knows him.

But they could also go with something tried and tested. I think it'll be close, but Debus might scrape through.
 
Has anybody here actually checked the material produced by the Citizens Electoral Council? I see they're running candidates in a good number of places, and yet I don't know how more than 5 or 6 people could be delusional enough to buy their insane crap. I frankly find them hysterical.

There's some interesting minor parties and independent candidates out there, though. I quite like the positions of one of the Victorian Senate candidates, Tejay Sener, and gave him a high preference when I voted. But all in all, go Greens! :up:
 
Oh how I love the Chaser guys!

http://news.ninemsn.com.au/minisite...9&sectionid=6046&sectionname=minisiteelection

Chijoff chased by Chasers in APEC mode
Saturday Nov 24 13:00 AEDT
By ninemsn staff and wires

Insult was added to injury for embattled Liberal candidate Karen Chijoff today when she was ambushed by Chaser stuntman Chas Licciardello over the bogus leaflets scandal.

Ms Chijoff was in a car leaving a polling station in the marginal seat of Lindsay when Licciardello — wearing the Osama bin Laden costume made famous when the Chaser breached APEC security in September — made his entrance.

He forced some of the infamous bogus pamphlets produced by Chijoff's husband Greg and outgoing MP Jackie Kelly's partner Greg Clark onto a horrified Greens campaigner before setting upon the Liberal candidate.

"Have some leaflets, Karen," Licciardello said through the car's passenger window to Chijoff.

"You guys have done such a great job handing out these leaflets you should finish the job."

Chijoff voiced an inaudible objection, but this only gave Licciardello more rope.

"You don't know where they came from? I know what you mean, I had nothing to do with them either!" he said as Chijoff's car started to move down the street.

"Come back, Karen — no one has understood the Bali bombers for years!"

The controversy over the racist leaflets has led to the resignation from the Liberal party of Chijoff's husband as well as the expulsion of three other unnamed party members.

Gary Clark, husband of retiring Liberal Lindsay MP Jackie Kelly, was caught by ALP campaign workers letterboxing the bogus letters along with Greg Chijoff and others.

The flyer claimed to be from a fictitious Islamic group, the Islamic Australia Foundation, and said it welcomed Labor's forgiveness of the Bali bombers.

It also welcomed the Labor party's support for a controversial new mosque in the suburb of St Marys.

The incident occurred as the Labor candidate David Bradbury said the pamphlet scandal engulfing the western Sydney electorate has not assured him of victory.

"There is definitely a lot of people wanting to talk about the pamphlet issue, it is something that has had some penetration as far as the media is concerned," he said last night, after another day campaigning in the electorate.

"But in terms of what impact it will have, it's difficult to know.

"It's not as if people are coming up to me saying that they will change their vote as a consequence of that."

Lindsay is held by the government by a 2.9 per cent margin..
 
I'm finding it interesting that there's an article about our dinky wee election on bloomberg.com

I don't remember it being such big news before, or did I miss something?
 
When is it over please? The counting of the Eastern States votes has usually begun (and broadcast) before I've voted over here in the federal electorate of Moore (this time I'm in Moore, I move house a fair bit according to the electoral commission). This year I voted early as its important that I make it to the local Indian restaurant in time.

When will we have an inclining as to whos won? Or do I just go to the concert, come home, go to bed, and wake up to a dickhead in power.
 
beli said:

When will we have an inclining as to whos won? Or do I just go to the concert, come home, go to bed, and wake up to a dickhead in power.

Apparently we should know by 11pm Eastern :happy: Can't wait for it to be over!

I voted Labor. Our sitting Liberal member (seat of Paterson) has been campaigning desperately, from what i've seen i'd be suprised if he keeps his seat.

The thought of Costello leading Australia :| (that's if no-one challenges him for the leadership and why should he be PM without facing the public?). I'm over Howard. Being 18, he's the only PM I can really remember and i've had enough of him.
 
Counting starts as soon as the polls close in each timezone, and going on past experience, these federal elections don't ever seem to be that close actually - speaking purely in numbers of seats in each column.

Antony Green on the ABC is nearly always voicing a pretty definite assessment by not much after 7pm sometimes. So, that's not the official result but it's a damn good guide.
 
Axver said:

Also, I do hope shitloads of people preference Fundies First DEAD LAST. We don't need those wackos winning another Senate seat and possibly even achieving the balance of power. Considering their one Senator is from Victoria, I'm kind of worried about what this state will do. For goodness' sakes, people, before voting above the line, check out the party's preference flows and make sure it doesn't go straight to idiots! I haven't checked all parties in all states, but I was surprised how bad the Democrats preference flow tickets were in VIC and QLD. When I showed them to a couple of friends wavering between Greens and Democrats in the "which minor but potentially seat-winning party shall I vote for?" stakes, they instantly discarded the Democrats and went Green. Even though I doubt that's happening much nationwide, the Democrats are still a dead political force anyway. Don Chipp's probably turning in his grave.


They made it easy for once here. After Chijoff's name on their ballot propaganda, they suggested the Christian Democrat candidate (Andrew Green, I think it was here) to be #2. That cut out 2 names: Chijoff - 7 and Fundie - #8.

:cute:
 
^^ inkling not inclining. :lol:

THE results of a major exit poll of voters in today's federal election has predicted Kevin Rudd will be the next prime minister of Australia and that John Howard will lose his seat of Bennelong.

The Sky News exit poll taken in 31 key seats predicts a two-party preferred result of 53 per cent to Labor to 47 per cen to the Coalition.

The poll predicts Mr Howard's seat of Bennelong will fall to Labor, with celebrity candidate Maxine McKew tipped to get 53 per cent of the two-party preferred vote.

channel nine

Dunno about Howard losing his seat. That would be unusual, yes?
 
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