Australian Election

[noosard]

A week ago, Anthony Albanese appeared well placed as the election was about to be called. Now he has comprehensively blown the first campaign week.
This isn't to say he can't recover. But it does raise big questions about his ability to perform under intense pressure, which has always been a concern for Labor, and about the competency of his campaign team.

Albanese's bad head for numbers was not his only problem in these first campaign days.

He foolishly exaggerated his economic credentials — which speaks to his desperation to establish them in the public mind.

He described himself on Tuesday as having been "an economic policy adviser to the Hawke government", when he actually was a research officer to Tom Uren, at that stage a junior minister.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-15/ ... /100993738
For you Jack

[noosard]

Only a week ago, the Prime Minister was facing one of the worst campaign lead-ins for an incumbent in memory. He was being called a bully and worse by those on his own side of politics. His own messy 2007 preselection battle was back in the headlines.

Every campaign has its gaffes and gotchas, but Albanese in that Monday moment looked genuinely ill-prepared for the level of scrutiny leaders face once the contest formally begins.

The brain freeze fed directly into criticism Labor spent three years kicking Scott Morrison without coming up with its own plans. And it kept the focus where Morrison wants it, on "macro" economic strengths rather than "micro" kitchen table concerns.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-14/ ... /100989436
For Jack

[Whistler]

Only a week ago, the Prime Minister was facing one of the worst campaign lead-ins for an incumbent in memory. He was being called a bully and worse by those on his own side of politics. His own messy 2007 preselection battle was back in the headlines.

Every campaign has its gaffes and gotchas, but Albanese in that Monday moment looked genuinely ill-prepared for the level of scrutiny leaders face once the contest formally begins.

The brain freeze fed directly into criticism Labor spent three years kicking Scott Morrison without coming up with its own plans. And it kept the focus where Morrison wants it, on "macro" economic strengths rather than "micro" kitchen table concerns.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-14/ ... /100989436
For Jack

Rather selective on quoting this article, how about this quote from the same

"Albanese's problems have made Scott Morrison's first week rather easier than he might have anticipated.

But by Thursday the Prime Minister was starting to feel the heat, with the travelling media peppering him over his stubborn resistance to setting up a robust integrity commission (rather than the pallid model he proposed).

It's clear Morrison, who demands Labor agrees to his model before introducing legislation, has little intention of trying to forge a deal if re-elected. This will play poorly for him in the "teal" seats where high-profile independents are challenging Liberal incumbents.

Morrison was appearing with the member for the Tasmanian seat of Bass, Bridget Archer, who crossed the floor in a bid for a debate on a crossbench bill for an integrity commission.

At Thursday's news conference Archer acquitted herself as well as she could in the circumstances. But another Liberal candidate, Morrison's "captain's pick" for the Sydney seat of Warringah, held by independent Zali Steggall, was in a heap of trouble this week and the PM found himself in the middle of it.

Katherine Deves had social media posts last year (now deleted) that talked about transgender children being "surgically mutilated and sterilised" and criticised police for participating in "Wear it Purple" day, celebrating diversity.

Morrison on Monday praised Deves for "standing up for something really important" — that was, ensuring girls and women playing sport were "playing against people of the same sex". Deves, he said, was "standing up for things that she believes in, and I share her views on those topics".

By Wednesday, when more had come out about Deves, and she apologised for her inflammatory posts, Morrison said lamely: "They're not views that I was aware of."

To which the obvious question was: Why not?

Morrison and his factional ally, minister Alex Hawke, had delayed a batch of preselections until the last moment. Morrison had led the three-person selection committee for a suite of candidates, including the candidate for Warringah.

Why hadn't the Liberal party vetted Deves properly? If it had, and was aware of the social media posts, did it think no-one would notice?"

[marjamlew]

Will the mindboggling levels of corruption, rorting, dodgy grants to coalition donors and incompetence catch up with Scotty?

[noosard]

In an election campaign ruthlessly focused on jobs and cost of living, there is no question Albanese should have known the unemployment rate and the official interest rate as well as he knew his own name.

Instead both figures became part of a list of numbers ranging from the price of a loaf of bread to the gap between inflation and wages growth.

Albo had studiously memorised them all and reeled them off but when he got asked the one figure that really mattered he had a brain freeze.

There is no doubt it was embarrassing and will haunt him for the rest of the campaign. But there is no truth to the claim that he was ignorant of the facts.

The difference is that instead of pretending he was misquoted or misheard or that he was talking about something else or that the journo was out of line, he just admitted he screwed up and apologised. And that act alone may have actually won more votes than the stuff up cost him.

I have heard from a number of sources that Albo’s immediate mea culpa actually turned more voters towards him than against. People are giving him credit for being human and admitting his mistakes. Finally, an honest politician!

https://www.news.com.au/national/federa ... 89c39804de

For Jack

[noosard]

Scott Morrison might have enjoyed a better week than Anthony Albanese, but his election campaign is still missing an important ingredient.

[GT93]

I had my fun and did the Vote Compass questionnaire (where I was light on knowledge I tended to give a neutral answer):

[GT93]

When I clicked the weight your results, that pushed me a bit closer to Labor and pushed the Greens level with the Liberals.

[jackspratt]

For Jack

Thanks noos.

But I am sure it is not just me who is enjoying the fruits of your newly discovered observance of forum etiquette.

[noosard]

For Jack

Thanks noos.

But I am sure it is not just me who is enjoying the fruits of your newly discovered observance of forum etiquette.

not newly discovered just ignored

[noosard]

This 1939 newspaper shows Australia's politicians have behaved the same way for 80 years
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-17/ ... /100990270

[Whistler]

This 1939 newspaper shows Australia's politicians have behaved the same way for 80 years
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-17/ ... /100990270

Comparing Australia in 1942 to Australia in 2022 is just plain lazy journalism. Sir Frank Packer by the way was a legendary bastard of the highest order.

1. In 1942, there were no opposition parties as such as it was a wartime government where both major parties formed a coalition government. There was little political argy bargy going on, the country was fighting for its very existance

2. Australia was reeling from the Great Depression when war broke out, unemployment had been as high as 40%

3. There were still shanty towns, no water, no electricity, no facilities in metropolitan Sydney

4. Japan was breathing down Australia's neck with Darwin being bombed that year, the Japs taking Singapore with much of the Australian forces captured. In May 1942 Australia and US navies narrowly defeated the Japanese off the coast of Queensland.

The comparison between wartime 1942 and 2022 is fatuous.

[Whistler]

Meanwhile, Morrison has further displayed the fact that he is totally out of touch. The fiasco for the Division of Warringah will not only guarantee they will fail to regain this blue ribbon seat, but the shock wave will turn more voters off in other divisions as well.

His career in politics is all but over. However the damage he has done to the liberal party is awful. There are so many good people in that party that badly need a decent leader to promote their causes.

[noosard]

This 1939 newspaper shows Australia's politicians have behaved the same way for 80 years
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-17/ ... /100990270

Comparing Australia in 1942 to Australia in 2022 is just plain lazy journalism. Sir Frank Packer by the way was a legendary bastard of the highest order.

1. In 1942, there were no opposition parties as such as it was a wartime government where both major parties formed a coalition government. There was little political argy bargy going on, the country was fighting for its very existance

2. Australia was reeling from the Great Depression when war broke out, unemployment had been as high as 40%

3. There were still shanty towns, no water, no electricity, no facilities in metropolitan Sydney

4. Japan was breathing down Australia's neck with Darwin being bombed that year, the Japs taking Singapore with much of the Australian forces captured. In May 1942 Australia and US navies narrowly defeated the Japanese off the coast of Queensland.

The comparison between wartime 1942 and 2022 is fatuous.

The Date that was used is Jan 14th 1939
And there were more than 1 party at this time
Labor held 29 seats UAP held 28 Country held 16 with 1 independent
WW2 had not broken out yet

[noosard]

Poor Anthony stumbles after church

"when asked by a reporter if he remained committed to Operation Sovereign Borders, and if so, if he supported the retention of temporary protection visas.

Mr Albanese’s response was a succinct – but entirely incorrect – “yes”.

In fact, Labor opposes the visas on the grounds that they leave those seeking asylum in limbo for years on end."

[Whistler]

This 1939 newspaper shows Australia's politicians have behaved the same way for 80 years
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-17/ ... /100990270

Comparing Australia in 1942 to Australia in 2022 is just plain lazy journalism. Sir Frank Packer by the way was a legendary bastard of the highest order.

1. In 1942, there were no opposition parties as such as it was a wartime government where both major parties formed a coalition government. There was little political argy bargy going on, the country was fighting for its very existance

2. Australia was reeling from the Great Depression when war broke out, unemployment had been as high as 40%

3. There were still shanty towns, no water, no electricity, no facilities in metropolitan Sydney

4. Japan was breathing down Australia's neck with Darwin being bombed that year, the Japs taking Singapore with much of the Australian forces captured. In May 1942 Australia and US navies narrowly defeated the Japanese off the coast of Queensland.

The comparison between wartime 1942 and 2022 is fatuous.

The Date that was used is Jan 14th 1939
And there were more than 1 party at this time
Labor held 29 seats UAP held 28 Country held 16 with 1 independent
WW2 had not broken out yet

1939 was not 80 years ago.

The world changed dramatically between 1939 and 1942 with the outbreak of WW2.

Nonetheless the comparison is still lazy journalism. The great depression had a massive impact on Australia, point 2 & 3 are very valid.

[noosard]

What it is is bad maths
hey they only jurnos cant expect too much

But No1 is way off target

[Whistler]

What it is is bad maths
hey they only jurnos cant expect too much

But No1 is way off target

No Noosard,

Number 1 was not off target if it was 80 years ago, it was dead accurate, but not for 83 years ago, I already stated that in my previous post.

2019 no Covid in the Western world, 2022 and several millions dead and the world turned on its ear, three years in particular times in history can be highly important. 1939 was not 1942.

Your post was 80 years ago, that was 1942 not 1939.

[Whistler]

Huge swing back to Morrison

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal ... 5ae0m.html

[marjamlew]

Huge swing back to Morrison

https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal ... 5ae0m.html

It's Peter Costello's news paper. How's the 2PP looking?