As part of my duties as CDU’s designated political analyst/commentator for NT electoral purposes, I’ve been delving into the interstices of the booth by booth results in the NT seats of Solomon and Lingiari.  The results are quite fascinating, especially in Lingiari. Read more »

Readers of this blog will know that I share Paul Krugman’s view that the US Republicans are a crazy, scary bunch. And during the Howard years there were lots of people who argued that Howard was the same.  Which is ridiculous.  He was sympathetic to the Crazy Party of the United States, and he did steal from their playbook, but mostly in the department of the culture wars – at which he was no slouch himself.

He never trashed the budget the way the Crazies can’t help doing. And this column by Paul Krugman reminds me that there’s something else they didn’t do for which I must say I’m very grateful.  They didn’t cut the top marginal rate of tax until right at the end of their term of office, when they were, in part responding (and responding in a fairly minimal fashion) to the urgings of ALP politicians. Read more »

From today’s Fin:

“He [Tony Abbott] has undermined and potentially destroyed a first-term Labor government.” This eulogy to Abbott from former prime minister, John Howard, captures all that is bad about the coalition’s approach to opposition. Oppositions do not have to be destructive, but Abbott prefers denigrating political opponents, mostly with outrageous exaggerations which even he doesn’t believe.

The opposition aimed at voters who believe that the Commonwealth should have no net debt because government finances need to be managed like household budgets. It was directed at electorates obsessed by boat arrivals, not knowing (because there are only press releases for boat arrivals) that thousands of asylum seekers come each year by aeroplane. Voters were even told to worry about the “constitutional coup” when Kevin Rudd resigned in favour of Julia Gillard. The opposition ignored 2007 when Liberal ministers (unsuccessfully) asked Howard to stand down in favour of Peter Costello. Read more »

What if the Greens make amending the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 to provide for at least some measure of proportional representation in the House of Representatives?  Should Bob Brown do so?  Should either major party agree?

The Greens would have to be tempted to use this possibly unique opportunity to force a long-cherished electoral reform that would give them (and/or other minority parties – and there’s one reason why Brown might hesitate) a permanently influential position in government.  If they don’t make PR a condition of supporting one of the parties, they will certainly retain their Senate balance of power position but their ability to influence which party actually forms government, or to actually participate in government if they wish, will almost certainly be fleeting. Read more »

I’m quite puzzled by the negative, disillusioned tone of much of the blogosphere and MSM commentariat coverage of the federal election campaign.  I’ve actually been quite heartened, almost inspired, by it.

The advent of 21st century versions of old-fashioned “town hall” participatory democracy with the ABC Q and A public grillings of both leaders and the Rooty Hill and Brisbane Broncos public fora have delivered unprecedented real public scrutiny of both leaders’ policies and personal qualities.  To my way of thinking these fora are much more useful and real than the previous tradition of staged TV debates and Press Club performance in the last week. Read more »