2010 Federal Election

The Opposition Leader's strident demands that the independents be barred from having access to the Treasury "Red Book" and his refusal to allow the Treasury to cost the Opposition's election promises is wrong on so many counts it's hard to know where to begin.

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So, let's take stock on where all this belligerence leaves Abbott: Firstly he's seen as still being fuelled by campaign aggression when the political paradigm dealt by the election outcome requires calm. Second he's seen as shifty on the issue Coalition costings. And thirdly, and perhaps most importantly, he's fouled, in one fell swoop, his relationship with the independents.

The latter is not a good look for someone potentially relying on those same independents to support the Coalition's claim to government.

Last, but not least of all, the above has left Abbott looking like he's still an Opposition Leader, rather than a Prime Minister in waiting. All you need to know is that Abbott's behavior has left Labor "flabbergasted", the description of one ministerial adviser.

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Calliope said:

I must have missed that. Let me in on the joke, Dude.

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Logique said:

Abbott and the Coalition are in a terrific win-win scenario now. Whatever happens from here, the Coalition were the winners in the election.

The Gillard brand has been tarnished, perhaps fatally so, along with the Labor brand.

I still believe it will break to a Coalition-Indeps government, but even if it doesn't - the Coalition will be the eventual winners, further down the line.

Abbott doesn't need to take any nonsense from the indeps.

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IFocus said:

A surprising look from Glenn Milne

"Adversarial and aggressive Abbott stumbles"



Couldn't agree more



http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s2994830.htm

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robusta said:

Don't think it matters anymore Labour or Lib/Nat all policies are almost exactly the same, the only differences (mining tax, broadband, ....) will be decided by independants.

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robusta said:

Don't think it matters anymore Labour or Lib/Nat all policies are almost exactly the same, the only differences (mining tax, broadband, ....) will be decided by independants.

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sails said:

The hung parliament and subsequent independents with balance of power are how Australia voted probably because the average voter believed what they were told and didn't bother to look into it. No point banging the head now - it's too late.

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noco said:

This was typical of the ABC biased attitude towards the Labor Party.

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Glenn Milne is no friend of Labor hence my surprise

Glenn Milne is a Canberra journalist and political commentator. He currently works for News Limited as a columnist for The Australian newspaper.[1] He is a former chief political correspondent for the Seven Network where he reported for Seven News and often conducted interviews on Sunday Sunrise. He has also been political editor of The Australian. The former Prime Minister of Australia, Paul Keating, was known to refer to him as "The Poison Dwarf",[2] a nickname that stuck.

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/20/2989172.htm

I watched ABC Insiders this morning with Barry Cassidy and two pro Labor journos and the discussion revolved around Abbott. They were intent on criticizing him throughout the whole program. Laura Tingle was more neutral.

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Abbott was on the program

Not a word about Labor's costings on the NBN, the CPRS and their relationship with the Greens. Does anyone know what the final cost of the NBN will be, whether it is viable and how much consumers will pay let alone what it will cost the tax payers to install? No, The Labor Party want to keep that 'hush hush' which makes one think it was done purely for political gain

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Labor just gave Abbott access to the costings?


A little re NBN here BTW Nick Ross hates Conroy pro NBN

If you're wondering what the $43 billion will actually be spent on, here's the breakdown:

Fibre to 90 per cent of premises: $26.6 billion

Last 10 per cent of premises: $5.3 billion
Backhaul (connecting networks together): $3.3 billion
Overhead: $2 billion
Out tuning (with 2.5 per cent inflation): $5.6 billion

Total: $42.8 billion

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http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/08/20/2989172.htm

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IFocus said:

If you're wondering what the $43 billion will actually be spent on, here's the breakdown:

Fibre to 90 per cent of premises: $26.6 billion

Last 10 per cent of premises: $5.3 billion
Backhaul (connecting networks together): $3.3 billion
Overhead: $2 billion
Out tuning (with 2.5 per cent inflation): $5.6 billion

Total: $42.8 billion

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gav said:

And what are the chances of this little project being on budget? (considering Labor's fantastic fiscal management over the past few years)

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sails said:

This is what the media keep bleating on about and seem to want the average voter to believe but are they really much the same? I think you could also add boat smugglers policies to your list. Fiscal managment has significant differences too, IMO.

The hung parliament and subsequent independents with balance of power are how Australia voted probably because the average voter believed what they were told and didn't bother to look into it. No point banging the head now - it's too late.

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noco said:

I watched ABC Insiders this morning with Barry Cassidy and two pro Labor journos and the discussion revolved around Abbott. They were intent on criticizing him throughout the whole program. Laura Tingle was more neutral.

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Not a word about Labor's costings on the NBN, the CPRS and their relationship with the Greens. Does anyone know what the final cost of the NBN will be, whether it is viable and how much consumers will pay let alone what it will cost the tax payers to install? No, The Labor Party want to keep that 'hush hush' which makes one think it was done purely for political gain.

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robusta said:

Don't think it matters anymore Labour or Lib/Nat all policies are almost exactly the same, the only differences (mining tax, broadband, ....) will be decided by independants.

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IFocus said:

Labor just gave Abbott access to the costings?

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Julia said:

Good to see Laura Tingle making an appearance. She's worth ten of the regular journalists on "Insiders".

And when is some halfway decent journalist going to do some forensic enquiry into the Greens' policies and their costings? If this had occurred prior to the election, I'd bet the Green vote would have been halved.

It may well be decided by the Independents, but I disagree that there is no difference between the two main parties. Certainly, for political appeasement reasons, they have both moved to the centre, but there are still considerable philosophical and economic differences.

My greatest disappointment in the Coalition is their willingness to engage in middle class welfare to the stupid degree that's exemplified by their parental leave scheme. Whatever happened to their once great policy of encouraging people to be responsible for themselves?

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Julia said:

Are you asking a question here? Access to whose costings?
Can you please clarify this statement/question.

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IFocus said:

Abbott has been given access to treasury costings on the NBN by Government

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noco said:

IFocus you have only told part of the story. It was a conditional arrangement.

From an extract in the Weekend Australian.

Tony Abbott has agreed to submit the Coalition's election promises of for costing by Treasury on the condition they not be provded to Julia Gillard and Wayne Swan, as part of a deal to open the books of the Government and opposition to the three rural independantswho hold the key to power.

As part of the deal the Government has agreed to provide full Treasury costings of the minung tax and the National Broadband Network to the opposition and it will not provide the independants access to public service briefing papers already prepared for an incoming government.

The rest of the story Sid Maher can be read on page 7.

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