Election10 chatter post

Captain RAAF said :

Where’s the ‘Armed Revolution’ box to tick? Where we get to grab the whole stinking lot of them and put them against a wall?

This country needs a good clean out.

What happened to “serving the government of the day”?

housebound said :

(Senate results gives Gary Humphries >1 quota. See here: http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2010/guide/sact-results.htm.)

Hmm… AEC website (http://vtr.aec.gov.au/SenateStateFirstPrefs-15508-ACT.htm) says the quota is 56,329, not the 55691 votes the ABC is using to calculate that result.

I think this election we’re just going to have to wait until all the votes are counted before we know for certain (particularly for all those lower house seats).

Jim Jones said :

georgesgenitals said :

Jim Jones said :

Perhaps an IQ test would be appropriate … it would probably spell the death of Family First, which would be an added bonus.

Good idea. It would also spell the end of the NSW Labor Right, many ACT MLAs (all parties – no sectarianism in that statement), and most time-serving federal and state MPs. Lin Hatfield-Dodds would also be excluded if a maths exam were included: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/lin-wont-concede/1920646.aspx

(Senate results gives Gary Humphries >1 quota. See here: http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2010/guide/sact-results.htm.)

WillowJim said :

Does that make me commie scum?

Not at all.

Apart from not winning the 2PP vote, Abbott has failed to win his own state and has won a majority of seats in only Queensland and WA where there were well funded anti Labor campaigns. So perhaps the three amigos should bypass the Monk and deal directly with Palmer and Forrest.

Not a good result for Labor after a bloody inept campaign, but the conservatariat seem to be conveniently forgetting that Howard’s first term government suffered a similar swing and – unlike Gillard – failed to win a majority of the 2PP vote – in fact, it was the lowest 2PP vote in the five post war elections where the winner did not receive a 2PP majority. Of course unlike Gillard, Howard had the luxury of a huge majority from the ’96 election which saw him across the line and which puts into perspective his much-hyped ‘courage’ in going to the electorate with the GST in ’98 compared with Rudd Gillard’s decision not to test their much smaller majority at a double dissolution.

Jim Jones said :

.

Jim! You’re back! Damn shame that a political junky like yourself was away on holidays during the last week of an election campaign 😉

PM said :

So you’re criticising the ALP for funding Defence, are you?

I’m criticising the vacuous belief that the “ALP hates Defence”. Assuming that Captain RAAF is/was military, his trite thinking is a sad reflection on the service. I’d assumed, wrongly, that servicemen understood that support for the ADF has mostly been very strong, and bipartisan, in this country.

But, since you ask, I personally believe Defence is bad at managing money. See any number of ANAO reports if you want to know why I think that. Does that make me commie scum?

Jim Jones said :

georgesgenitals said :

Jim Jones said :

Solidarity said :

Herf derf … dat greens wommin is fat … herf derf

It sincerely troubles me that people this stupid are allowed to vote. One of the necessary evils of representative democracy I guess.

So you’d prefer non-compulsory voting?

Perhaps an IQ test would be appropriate … it would probably spell the death of Family First, which would be an added bonus.

And the bogan Labor heartland.

Jim Jones said :

PM said :

WillowJim said :

So is the “ALP hates Defence”, why the f^ck do they keep giving Defence so much of my money?

Because the country, and the ALP, would be royally shafted if it didn’t

Yeah, we’d be invaded by … umm … I dunno … New Zealand.

Oh… So you’re criticising the ALP for funding Defence, are you?

It gets better now the GG is wondering if she can do her job.

PM said :

WillowJim said :

So is the “ALP hates Defence”, why the f^ck do they keep giving Defence so much of my money?

Because the country, and the ALP, would be royally shafted if it didn’t

Yeah, we’d be invaded by … umm … I dunno … New Zealand.

georgesgenitals said :

Jim Jones said :

Solidarity said :

Herf derf … dat greens wommin is fat … herf derf

It sincerely troubles me that people this stupid are allowed to vote. One of the necessary evils of representative democracy I guess.

So you’d prefer non-compulsory voting?

Perhaps an IQ test would be appropriate … it would probably spell the death of Family First, which would be an added bonus.

WillowJim said :

So is the “ALP hates Defence”, why the f^ck do they keep giving Defence so much of my money?

Because the country, and the ALP, would be royally shafted if it didn’t

If there’s a repeat election, in lieu of donkey votes, people of too much ennui to vote should instead get a Marijuana Party candidate up. Gerhard Zatschler (now with ACT Heritage) ran for the ACT in 1977:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Candidates_of_the_Australian_federal_election,_1977

Captain RAAF said :

I’m a Liberal voter (naturally) because the ALP hates Defence …

Hmm. That may be a Captain RAAF fact, but let’s look at the real-life facts, based on the Rudd/Gillard years.

Defence portfolio budget:
2010-11: $55.5 billion
2007-08: $45.6 billion
real increase (factoring in three-year inflation rate of 8.4 per cent): 12.3 per cent

ADF personnel (two years only):
2009: 55,068 permanent personnel
2007: 51,198 permanent personnel
increase of 3,870 personnel

Defence civilian staff (two years only):
2009: 15,243 APS staff
2007: 15,903 APS staff
loss of 660 civilian staff (in line with Labor’s promise to employ more personnel rather than civilian staff)

Plus, Labor says the Defence budget will increase by at least 3 per cent in real terms each year until 2015-16, while every other portfolio had to keep spending growth within 2 per cent during the financial crisis and, now that the economy is growing again, at net zero growth.

So is the “ALP hates Defence”, why the f^ck do they keep giving Defence so much of my money?

Jim Jones said :

Solidarity said :

Herf derf … dat greens wommin is fat … herf derf

It sincerely troubles me that people this stupid are allowed to vote. One of the necessary evils of representative democracy I guess.

So you’d prefer non-compulsory voting?

Solidarity said :

Herf derf … dat greens wommin is fat … herf derf

It sincerely troubles me that people this stupid are allowed to vote. One of the necessary evils of representative democracy I guess.

Captain RAAF said :

[
Yeah I have actually. I’m a Liberal voter (naturally) because the ALP hates Defence

Oh god, “Cliche’s R Us” we have a new candidate for you…

The Greens had my far the most people handing out paper, and the most signs stuck up everywhere. So much for those trees, hey.

Plus, the Dodds lady is fat. She is consuming more than her needs…. Anyone see a problem there? How can you be for the environment if you can’t even control yourself from consuming too much of it?

Plus thier policies… No nuclear? (becasue wind/solar is so “green” to set up!) Carbon trading schemes? (forcing manufacturing out of local hands and into Chinese hands where the polition will be created anyway) Electric cars? (scrapping already made good hardy petrol ones which cost the environment far less to manufacture…) For the environment, how exactly? Ahhhh….

The message from the electorate is quite clear

The ALP and the Coalition should get half the cabinet each. I’m not sure on the finer details but Wyatt Roy is the obvious choice as Minister for Aging.

Bob Katter should be Prime Minister with Adam Bandt as his deputy.

You know it makes sense.

Captain RAAF said :

….my number one promise would be to capture and manage our vast tropical rainfall in northern QLD and the NT during the wet by building the largest series of dams in the world and channeling water to the south and drier regions in VIC, SA and NSW..

I wonder why no one has thought of this before? I assume you’ll be digging a canal to re-flood the Lake Eyre basin to provide a glorious inland sea while you are at it?

Captain RAAF said :

georgesgenitals said :

Captain RAAF said :

Where’s the ‘Armed Revolution’ box to tick? Where we get to grab the whole stinking lot of them and put them against a wall?

This country needs a good clean out.

Thought about running for parliament? What would you do differently?

Yeah I have actually. I’m a Liberal voter (naturally) because the ALP hates Defence but I would bring in the mining tax the buggers are making a fortune and we should all be getting a piece of it, The NBN would be booted as it’s a colossal waste of money, Internet filter gone, Carbon tax gone but just so I don’t start looking like one of the many visionless politicians this country seems to produce, my number one promise would be to capture and manage our vast tropical rainfall in northern QLD and the NT during the wet by building the largest series of dams in the world and channeling water to the south and drier regions in VIC, SA and NSW.

These things would be up there with the Hoover Dam, Aswan High and Three Gorges projects, I’m talking biblical water capture, turning this country from a drought vulnerable one to a freakin paradise.

Of course this is going to cost a couple of bucks but how would you rather fund Australia’s long term survivial, while their are resource mad countries the world over clamouring for our rocks and dirt and prepared to pay top dollar or when we have no water and have run out of rocks and dirt to sell?

Find me a Politician with that kind of vision and I’ll vote for him!

I like the way Snrub thinks!

georgesgenitals said :

Captain RAAF said :

Where’s the ‘Armed Revolution’ box to tick? Where we get to grab the whole stinking lot of them and put them against a wall?

This country needs a good clean out.

Thought about running for parliament? What would you do differently?

Yeah I have actually. I’m a Liberal voter (naturally) because the ALP hates Defence but I would bring in the mining tax the buggers are making a fortune and we should all be getting a piece of it, The NBN would be booted as it’s a colossal waste of money, Internet filter gone, Carbon tax gone but just so I don’t start looking like one of the many visionless politicians this country seems to produce, my number one promise would be to capture and manage our vast tropical rainfall in northern QLD and the NT during the wet by building the largest series of dams in the world and channeling water to the south and drier regions in VIC, SA and NSW.

These things would be up there with the Hoover Dam, Aswan High and Three Gorges projects, I’m talking biblical water capture, turning this country from a drought vulnerable one to a freakin paradise.

Of course this is going to cost a couple of bucks but how would you rather fund Australia’s long term survivial, while their are resource mad countries the world over clamouring for our rocks and dirt and prepared to pay top dollar or when we have no water and have run out of rocks and dirt to sell?

Find me a Politician with that kind of vision and I’ll vote for him!

Captain RAAF said :

Where’s the ‘Armed Revolution’ box to tick? Where we get to grab the whole stinking lot of them and put them against a wall?

This country needs a good clean out.

If you can get a majority to vote with you, you don’t need an armed revolution. It’s the way this country works. With the level of apathy shown by the voters (let alone the candidates) this time round I doubt you could get together enough people to storm a phone booth.

Captain RAAF said :

Where’s the ‘Armed Revolution’ box to tick? Where we get to grab the whole stinking lot of them and put them against a wall?

This country needs a good clean out.

Thought about running for parliament? What would you do differently?

Where’s the ‘Armed Revolution’ box to tick? Where we get to grab the whole stinking lot of them and put them against a wall?

This country needs a good clean out.

Skidbladnir: Batman has also become an ALP/Greens contest at this election (although the ALP candidate has more than 50% on primaries). So there’s now three – Melbourne, Batman and Grayndler.

rebcart said :

I hear that in Russia there’s a REAL “none of the above” voting option on the ballot paper. If that option gets the majority of votes, there’s a new election held, and none of the candidates on the previous ballot are allowed to re-run.

I would vote for this to be implemented.

No worries Johnboy.

Bwahahaha.
Potential for Greens to take the scalp of Anthony Albanese through his seat in Grayndler.
AEC have now called it an ALP\GRN contest, as Albanese has 46.6% of primary vote, but potential for Greens to squeak across the line on the back of Liberal preferencing.

http://vtr.aec.gov.au/HouseDivisionFirstPrefs-15508-121.htm
http://inner-west-courier.whereilive.com.au/news/story/lib-labor-spat-over-preferences/

It’s very hard now you said we should move onto something more constructive JB. It’s hard to be constructive when the candidates themselves barely offered anything.

Can you lower the standard to say ‘stoner level’?

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

You wrote a book about how to reduce your participation in democracy to its most apathetic level, and to limit your civic engagement to a last-second anonymous paper tantrum? I’m kinda not surprised. You must have blitzed that citizenship test.

I did, I got one hundred percent.

Lets look at the rest of your nonsense; you could not address my fundamental point of my posts, why is a “none of the above” vote less worthy, and why should anyone vote for a candiudate they do not support?

Then you come up with some child like ignorance about; “limit your civic engagement to a last-second anonymous paper tantrum”, a point no one has supported or even posited. At best a pure strawman, at worse the sort of deceit that we have come to expect from you.

Refusing to vote for the given candidates is exercising ones rights in a democracy, if done conscientiously, not through laziness or ignorance. By denying people the right to do so (or lying about their intent or choice as you do,) you undermine the fundamentals of democracy.

Why not address what people have actually posted, not rubbish you make up and put into people’s mouths WMC,?

Even if it does end up being 75-75, then its up to Her Quite Fly Excellency, Governor-General Mrs Quentin Bryce, AKA “Bill Shorten’s Mother-in-law”.

Pandy said :

However, with a likely hostile Senate, how long would it last?

Double dissolution.

All Senators get chucked out. More likely result is that Labour losses seats and they go to the Greens.

Yep see that happening. Not.

Might have been interesting had Rudd presented “this great moral, environmental and economic challenge of our age” with a double dissolution election.

Imagine it; Abbott had just ousted Turnbull over the issue, by a single vote, and we would have basically had a “do you believe in climate change” referendum.

Pommy bastard said :

Damn, didn’t know you could do that, it’s a “none of the above” vote then, a protest vote.

Well actually, it’s more of a “I don’t give a stuff” vote, or a “I’m too dumb to follow simple voting instructions” vote, and nobody can tell the difference.

I hear that in Russia there’s a REAL “none of the above” voting option on the ballot paper. If that option gets the majority of votes, there’s a new election held, and none of the candidates on the previous ballot are allowed to re-run.

However, with a likely hostile Senate, how long would it last?

Double dissolution.

All Senators get chucked out. More likely result is that Labour losses seats and they go to the Greens.

Yep see that happening. Not.

Damn, didn’t know you could do that, it’s a “none of the above” vote then, a protest vote. As valid as any vote for someone in my book.

You wrote a book about how to reduce your participation in democracy to its most apathetic level, and to limit your civic engagement to a last-second anonymous paper tantrum? I’m kinda not surprised. You must have blitzed that citizenship test.

Goes to show what happens when both parties don’t really garner the ‘growing’ youth vote.

Also I like the idea of the Greens having the balance of power and voted thusly. However if it was ever at all possible to have a Green government, I wouldn’t vote for that, because that is scary

I-filed said :

Julia Gillard’s complete lack of contrition or an acknowledgement of her campaign faults and lack of a policy vision, in her address this afternoon – she pretty was demanding to govern with the independents on some “we got more votes” pretext – was quite depressing.

So how would you sum up Tony’s address this afternoon that consisted of two minutes bagging the Labor party for being dysfunctional, one minute of questions then he walked out! No policy vision from him there!

Is it any wonder none of them got elected in their own right?

Julia Gillard’s complete lack of contrition or an acknowledgement of her campaign faults and lack of a policy vision, in her address this afternoon – she pretty was demanding to govern with the independents on some “we got more votes” pretext – was quite depressing. Gillard is indeed a myopic union factional hardhead. God I’m glad I didn’t vote Labor this time around. And I hope the independents respond to her her self-important sense of entitlement and disrespect for Tony Abbott’s camp with the derision it deserves.

Deref said :

rosebud said :

How can any one say that Labor has done nothing (the common statement among the common crowd)? Are we not the last Western Democracy standing after the GFC? A case of ‘if it doesn’t bite you in the ass, it doesn’t matter?

+20

The major irony of this election is that Labor’s greatest – some may so only – achievement, keeping us out of the global recession, was either unused or unusable.

There’s got to be something in that… perhaps Labour knows something about forecast economic conditions that we don’t and that something has led them to avoid drawing any major attention to them in that context…?

housebound said :

Assuming the federal greens perform better than the ACT Greens (shouldn’t be very hard).

ha ha
+50Mill

toriness said :

Better to have somebody who will fix this planet rather than pray for a better one in the afterlife.

+ a million

Oh come on. The Greens ARE the new religion. A ‘committed’ Green has EXACTLY the same light in their eyes as the freshest born-again Christian: same apocalyptic vision of the world, same conviction that THEY have the only answer, same unrealistic and ultimately harmful expectations about human behaviour….

Don’t get me wrong. I voted Green in the Senate, but you can’t miss the similarities.

rebcart said :

Pommy: an informal voter is one who puts in a ballot paper, but isn’t counted (because he/she numbered the squares wrong, or doodled over the paper, or put crosses instead of numbers, or left it blank etc.)

Thanks for the information Redcart, much appreciated.

Damn, didn’t know you could do that, it’s a “none of the above” vote then, a protest vote. As valid as any vote for someone in my book. If you had the UK system which does not compel you to turn up, then your wouldn’t have this alleged “problem” WMC.

Why should anyone be ashamed of not voting for candidates or parties they did not endorse?

rosebud said :

How can any one say that Labor has done nothing (the common statement among the common crowd)? Are we not the last Western Democracy standing after the GFC? A case of ‘if it doesn’t bite you in the ass, it doesn’t matter?

+20

The major irony of this election is that Labor’s greatest – some may so only – achievement, keeping us out of the global recession, was either unused or unusable.

Let’s see what the wash up is.

Wilkie and the Greens’ Bandt will back Labor. The three ex-Nationals MPs will probably lean towards the Coalition.

75-75 at full time. The only sane result is a penalty shoot out.

Except they’re saying 73 seats to the Coalition, so +3 (if it happened) would make the dreaded 76 and the Mad Monk would be the boss.

However, with a likely hostile Senate, how long would it last?

Mind, the 3 independents have all left their conservative parties for a reason, so expecting all 3 to just lay down and die for the Coalition might be jumping the gun a bit. Who knows?

Pretty amazing if Wilkie Whistleblower wins his seat. I imagine that would raise a few smirks inside Canberra’s bowels, especially down at the ONA.

johnboy said :

Take note Labor. If you had the votes the filter has lost you there’d be champagne tonight.

I suspect they’d have romped in.

Pity that the Sex party didn’t get any seats.

And I can’t believe that we’ve returned Humphries! Really – we do get the government we deserve.

Does this mean the Murray-Darling river system disaster will continue for another 3 years?

Roll on, Caretaker Period II: Electric Boogaloo…

Assuming the federal greens perform better than the ACT Greens (shouldn’t be very hard).

It otherwise doesn’t really matter who holds the balance of power, as long as it isn’t Labor or Libs. It’s the only way anything comes up for scrutiny and leaks into the public arena for propoer public debate. In the end, they all get bought off anyway.

It’s victory to the spoilers [including their lovely carping media mates].

75-75 at full time. The only sane result is a penalty shoot out.

Shoot this lot and hold a new election?

nhand42 said :

Am I the only one who finds a greens balance of power in the senate a slightly scary prospect?

I don’t see why. Better to have somebody who will fix this planet rather than pray for a better one in the afterlife.

+ a million

Okay, now that that’s all done and dusted; will the real Julia please stand up???

The next three years is going to be very interesting. Not much “Going Forward” me thinks!

WillowJim said:
“Democrats supporters are renowned for despising the Greens above pretty much everyone.”

That’s not actually the case at all, if you look at the group voting tickets of the Democrats across the years in all States they have for the vast majority of the election given the Greens their first preference. The Democrats have usually despised the major parties more than the Greens. I think the Greens un the ACT need to understand that they are the ones that screwed the relationship with the Democrats last election with not sticking to their agreement last election between Norvan and Kerry and then the “woops” excuse just rubbed salt in the wounds. The ACT Greens are notorious preference-wh0res and will need to do some major fence mending to get the support of other minor parties. As far as I know when Darren preferenced the Liberals first he did not even take the decision to their National Executive, just shows how far they have slid.

johnboy said:
“Democrat voters are more prone than most to vote below the line?”

I would agree

The Traineediplomat said :

So what are the odds for how long a Liberal minority government will last after July 1 with the Green balance of Power…

Suddenly HE Quentin Bryce becomes important??? Go Quentin…do the right thing

Am I the only one who finds the prospect of Quentin having the “balance of power” a slightly scary prospect?

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

And all you informal voters – f*ck you. I’d say ‘I hope you’re proud’, but of course you are.

Or maybe it is a reflection of the pathetic campaigns run by all three parties.

No, that’s a balanced diet.

Jethro said :

Am I the only one who finds a greens balance of power in the senate a slightly scary prospect?

I find a House of Reps controlled by the likes of Bob Katter and other right wing nut jobs who left the National Party because it wasn’t conservative enough far more scary than a Senate controlled by the Greens.

He creeps me out that Bob Katter.

Although, I creeped myself out voting liberal yesterday 🙂

Let’s see what the wash up is.

Wilkie and the Greens’ Bandt will back Labor. The three ex-Nationals MPs will probably lean towards the Coalition.

75-75 at full time. The only sane result is a penalty shoot out.

ABC are saying that all three independents have said that broadband is important in their electorates, and two of them mentioned “bad behaviour by the Nationals”. So I’ve got my fingers crossed for an ALP-independent coalition getting over the line.

Pommy: an informal voter is one who puts in a ballot paper, but isn’t counted (because he/she numbered the squares wrong, or doodled over the paper, or put crosses instead of numbers, or left it blank etc.)

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

And all you informal voters – f*ck you. I’d say ‘I hope you’re proud’, but of course you are.

What’s an “informal voter”? Someone who turns up in a sloppy joe, shots and thongs with a stubby in each hand?

Tetranitrate said :

nhand42 said :

Mothy said :

ACT Dems preference against the Greens – well done you spiteful idiots, a continued failure to acknowledge a political reality.

Did you expect any better from the Dems? Their obsequious submission to the Libs gave us the GST. The party never recovered from that mistake.

That’s utter BS.
The Democrats did just fine at the 2001 election – if the GST was the cause of their demise, then why weren’t all their members up for re-election wiped out, as happened in 2004 and 2007?

The senate vote for the Democrats declined in the 2001 election and both houses declined in subsequent years. And I’m amazed you think the GST had nothing to do with it. That’s all anybody was talking about back then.

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/stories/s28235.htm

That people voted for them in the lower house in 2001 means very little; the decline in support for the Democrats began with the GST. It led to infighting, resignations, backstabbing, and the party imploded.

I think there’s some similarity to Labor in this election. The unexpected ousting of Rudd, the retaliatory “leaks”, all made the party look like a bunch of backstabbing twits. I’m sure it cost them a lot of votes.

This from Twiterer ?)on #ausvotes: “Australia has spoken. We said “meh”

johnboy said :

Take note Labor. If you had the votes the filter has lost you there’d be champagne tonight.

C’mon John, that’s like saying the homebirth zealots cost Labor the election

75-75 at full time. The only sane result is a penalty shoot out.

Mud wrestling! Three falls or a submission to take it. Julia has to wear a bikini, Abbot has to wear a suit and tie.

Mothy said :

ACT Dems preference against the Greens – well done you spiteful idiots, a continued failure to acknowledge a political reality.

A bit like the Libs directing preferences to Wilkie in Denison. They prefer to give votes to the guy who exposed their Iraq war fraud.

Er Woody, the conservatives have always had the ‘duelling banjos crowd’.

That was kind of my point. Most self-respecting parties around the world resort to coalitions as a last resort, not a de facto position. The Libs started out by ganging up, faced a party on its knees and with its back turned, and still couldn’t do it.

The Coalition – the party less than a third of us wants, pushed over the line by a bunch of social retards nobody wants.

sorry we can’t all be so as enlightened and worldly like you WMC.

Not as sorry as me.

And all you informal voters – f*ck you. I’d say ‘I hope you’re proud’, but of course you are.

gunslingr said :

Aww, what a shame Wilson Tuckey looks to be on the way out

He’s looked on his way out for years though. Mad little thug that he is.

I think they should run the whole show again, I very much enjoyed it, my first vote as an Aussie was great fun. My first “preferences ” vote, and my first “compulsory turn up and be marked off vote”, weird but nice.

Hung parliaments make for strange bedfellows, look to the current situation in the UK for what may follow.

How can any one say that Labor has done nothing (the common statement among the common crowd)? Are we not the last Western Democracy standing after the GFC? A case of ‘if it doesn’t bite you in the ass, it doesn’t matter?

Interesting that Lin Hatfield Dodds from The Greens did not sweep decisively into the Senate despite The Canberra Times going all out to campaign for her, even to the extent of refusing to publish letters advocating a vote for Gary Humphries (including mine). I think this says more about the declining influence of the Crimes more than anything else. I feared Hatfield Dodds winning so I voted below the line and put the other Green candidate second last and Hatfield Dodds last.

So what are the odds for how long a Liberal minority government will last after July 1 with the Green balance of Power…

Suddenly HE Quentin Bryce becomes important??? Go Quentin…do the right thing

nhand42 said :

Mothy said :

ACT Dems preference against the Greens – well done you spiteful idiots, a continued failure to acknowledge a political reality.

Did you expect any better from the Dems? Their obsequious submission to the Libs gave us the GST. The party never recovered from that mistake.

That’s utter BS.
The Democrats did just fine at the 2001 election – if the GST was the cause of their demise, then why weren’t all their members up for re-election wiped out, as happened in 2004 and 2007?

I’m just glad Tony isn’t planning to do any premature triumphalising!

Mothy said :

ACT Dems preference against the Greens – well done you spiteful idiots, a continued failure to acknowledge a political reality.

Because it is clearly too hard to vote below the line in the ACT, what with the 9 numbers that had to be written down.

Fiona said :

*SUCKS UP TO THE INDEPENDENTS*

Julia did some royal ass kissing in her speech, she was almost on her knees.

Curtin had lamingtons, and Party Cupcakes in ALP red, LNP blue, and Green.

*SUCKS UP TO THE INDEPENDENTS*

Minority government. Excellent. Any chance that the new government (whoever it is) might actually listen now?

Mothy said :

ACT Dems preference against the Greens – well done you spiteful idiots, a continued failure to acknowledge a political reality.

+1

Aww, what a shame Wilson Tuckey looks to be on the way out

Mothy said :

ACT Dems preference against the Greens – well done you spiteful idiots, a continued failure to acknowledge a political reality.

How the Democrats directed their preferences is completely irrelevant. At 63% of the count Gary Humphries is less than 2 thousandths of a quota away from being elected. They will get an order of magnitude more than that from people who voted below the line and preferenced Humphries above the Greens number #1 candidate.

Mothy said :

ACT Dems preference against the Greens – well done you spiteful idiots, a continued failure to acknowledge a political reality.

Exactly.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

the Libs who…despite throwing its lot in with the duelling banjos crowd, still couldn’t get over the line.

Er Woody, the conservatives have always had the ‘duelling banjos crowd’. I think what changed was a lot of the ‘Howard Haters’ have simply realised that Kevin07 was a slogan in search of a meaning.

Mothy said :

ACT Dems preference against the Greens – well done you spiteful idiots, a continued failure to acknowledge a political reality.

Did you expect any better from the Dems? Their obsequious submission to the Libs gave us the GST. The party never recovered from that mistake.

Anyone see Barnaby Joice take a swing at Swan on the WIN coverage? Swan is a typical Labor hack but Barnaby is a complete embarrassment.

I think the mooted hung parliament would be a good result. It accurately reflects the mood of the nation, and the independents will have the leverage to force some honesty and transparency into an increasingly dysfunctional political system.

Mothy said :

ACT Dems preference against the Greens – well done you spiteful idiots, a continued failure to acknowledge a political reality.

+1

ACT Dems preference against the Greens – well done you spiteful idiots, a continued failure to acknowledge a political reality.

I noticed a sneaky tactic on the election coverage today.

all day, journo’s and pollies said: “the three independents”

then at about 9.00pm, when everyone realised that there would likely be a hung parliament, the liberal pollies started saying: “the three conservative independents”. Some journos also started using that phrase.

clearly they are engaging in expectations management.

johnboy said :

GARY’S UNDER QUOTA!!!! GAME ON IN THE SENATE!!!!

He’s been under and over all night. He’ll get in alas. Darren Churchill hang your head in shame. IMO.

Bob Brown and Sarah HansonYoung have almost conceded they will not get the ACT senate seat.

Steven Fielding gone.

Am I the only one who finds a greens balance of power in the senate a slightly scary prospect?

I find a House of Reps controlled by the likes of Bob Katter and other right wing nut jobs who left the National Party because it wasn’t conservative enough far more scary than a Senate controlled by the Greens.

I don’t know who’s more pathetic – Labor for pissing away the handful of votes it needed to secure a majority over distractions like the net filter, or the Libs who, despite running against a childless, unmarried, atheist, female Brutus, and willingly throwing its lot in with the duelling banjos crowd, still couldn’t get over the line.

MudLark said :

Found lammos, sausage sandwiches, egg and bacon rolls, cakes, jams and jellies…

Oooohhh that’s better than the selection at Lyons, although they did have some stuff, so maybe I just got there late.

WHile I am finding this an interesting spectacle, it isn’t as good as the last one… But for that I was out of town, inaugurated room full of slightly inebriated united students watching krudd on a tiny tv…. Ah the memories.

Woody Mann-Caruso said :

Am I the only one who finds a greens balance of power in the senate a slightly scary prospect?

Not at all. There are plenty of other bogans out there.

Rofl.

Democrats supporters are renowned for despising the Greens above pretty much everyone. Even if one in four support Gary and three in four support LHD, Gary will still win.

Found lammos, sausage sandwiches, egg and bacon rolls, cakes, jams and jellies…

Am I the only one who finds a greens balance of power in the senate a slightly scary prospect?

Not at all. There are plenty of other bogans out there.

johnboy said :

GARY’S UNDER QUOTA!!!! GAME ON IN THE SENATE!!!!

Sorry, I was going by the ABC projection. But looking at the AEC, Gary’s so close that the Democrats’ preferences will definitely push him over the line.

From a quick check of a few seats, including Canberra and Fraser, the informal vote saw a deecent swing. As there was only 3 candidates in Canberra, I would assume it was reasonably deliberate.

I hope Labour gets in, to give them a chance to fix the hospitals that Liberals stuffed up, they had ten years, and look what they did, just keeping money in the coffers instead of spending the money on people’s needs!

Am I the only one who finds a greens balance of power in the senate a slightly scary prospect?

I don’t see why. Better to have somebody who will fix this planet rather than pray for a better one in the afterlife.

Hadley said :

nhand42 said :

For the next election, how about a ban on the stupid sausage sizzles at the exits and entrances. Putrid sausages cooking on uncleaned grills creates the most nauseating stench. I’m not even a vegetarian (I love me a steak) so I can’t imagine how they would handle it.

Boo! Sausage sizzles are the best part!

Vote 1 Hadley!

Congrats to Gary Humphries, who’s now elected despite Kate Lundy disappearing pretty much for the entire campaign.

Just goes to show how hard it will be to change any of the ACT’s four federal representatives.

Take note Labor. If you had the votes the filter has lost you there’d be champagne tonight.

milkman said :

Sadly, I suspect the ranga and her illiterati will get in.

nope seems more like the mad monk on the back of the western sydney ignoriscenti

Sadly, I suspect the ranga and her illiterati will get in.

I clean the BBQ every couple of years whether it needs it or not.

Did anyone go to a polling place with with lamingtons? Research suggests that they were unavailable in canberra, a sad sign of the times. I did get a nice snag & bread though.

the sausages got me out of be this morning

nhand42 said :

For the next election, how about a ban on the stupid sausage sizzles at the exits and entrances. Putrid sausages cooking on uncleaned grills creates the most nauseating stench. I’m not even a vegetarian (I love me a steak) so I can’t imagine how they would handle it.

Really? I grabbed a snag on the way out, and my vege wife didn’t seem to be heaving too badly. Or at all actually.

I love that for one day every few years at least, our local schools get a chance to raise funds right on their own doorstep.

btw…is there such a thing as a ‘cleaned’ grill Australia wide?? Does anyone remove their grill and clean it?

Weird that voters move towards Labor in Fraser, but towards the Liberals down south in Canberra. Proves that there’s more to the north-south divide than a fake lake!

I wonder if more minor and independent candidates reduces the total number of primary votes won by the major candidates, and also reduces the chances of any of the minor candidates getting above the 2.5% required for payments by the AEC, thereby reducing the total cost of AEC funds paid to candidates?

nhand42 said :

For the next election, how about a ban on the stupid sausage sizzles at the exits and entrances. Putrid sausages cooking on uncleaned grills creates the most nauseating stench. I’m not even a vegetarian (I love me a steak) so I can’t imagine how they would handle it.

Boo! Sausage sizzles are the best part!

Libs I was hanging out with in Queanbeyan felt it was going to be hung.

Preferences should still flow to Labor from the Greens… guess it’s a matter of seeing how that goes too.

yes we need a new party or two. There were no crazy parties for me to even bother going below the line this time… only nine boxes all up?!

For the next election, how about a ban on the stupid sausage sizzles at the exits and entrances. Putrid sausages cooking on uncleaned grills creates the most nauseating stench. I’m not even a vegetarian (I love me a steak) so I can’t imagine how they would handle it.

ABC2 seems to be showing a swing to Libs already.

do you think this banner was meant to create this effect?

what effect? or do I just not get it. i was never any good at those magic eye things.

Don’s Party should be compulsory viewing for every voter!

Overheard a mother asking her little boy who he thought she should vote for. His answer? “The Raiders.”