2007 Australian Federal Election

[stelaras]

Whilst im not a unionist i find the constant slagging of them a little disturbing as in the most case most union heads are level headed people, its just the minority of thugs that spoil the name.

However, let us not forget that half of the members of the RBA board are Ex-Union men!!!!!

[Al]

I don't understand the fear campaign against the unions being perpetrated by the Liberals. I think such campaigns would only work with people who already vote Liberal anyway. I suspect that the majority of Australians would have a neutral or even positive view of the unions, since it is them who have created the working conditions that people enjoy.

I agree. I do think Unions have a place amongst our society. It's just the occasional thugs which give them a bad name.

[Bulldozer]

Okay, up if someone can just clarify for me - Whats the diff. between Senate and H.of.Reps?

I can't believe you're serious.

Just turned 18. First-time voter. Don't expect me to know everything.

Don't they teach that stuff at school anymore - Civics, Society & Environment? God help us if students aren't taught about the foundation of our society anymore!

[bmw boy]

haha yeh I don't get all this union scare campaign crap

I think it would be better for the Government to show us what their plans are for the country, rather than using all thier ads at targeting Labor.

Chaser : Union Boss Video, funny shit!

http://au.youtube.com/watch?v=zuoRUVepPA0

[Al]

I'm lost for words. From the Sydney Morning Herald.

Liberal shame over fake pamphlet
Phillip Coorey Chief Political Correspondent
November 22, 2007 - 9:41AM

Outgoing Liberal MP Jackie Kelly says a bogus pamphlet that portrays Labor as sympathisers of Islamic terrorists and was distributed by her husband was just a "Chaser-style of prank".

The Liberal Party was flailing last night after a senior NSW party official and Ms Kelly's husband, Gary Clarke, were implicated in the dirty tricks campaign involving race hate in Ms Kelly's former western suburbs seat of Lindsay.

The ALP has written to the Australian Electoral Commission demanding action be taken after Ms Kelly's husband, Gary Clark, and NSW Liberal Party state executive member Jeff Egan were caught distributing bogus pamphlets in Lindsay portraying Labor as sympathisers of Islamic terrorists.

The two were among a group of five caught and photographed in the act by Labor sleuths on Tuesday night.

Speaking on ABC radio this morning, Ms Kelly said she did not approve of the pamphlet, but labelled it a "Chaser-style of prank", a reference to ABC TV comedy team The Chaser.

"I think its intent is to be a send-up but obviously it hasn't worked," she said.

"I think if you read it you'd be laughing. Most people who have read it have said 'That's a Chaser-style of prank'."

Ms Kelly said the "prank" was "really immature stuff" that would not influence any voters.

Ms Kelly described her husband's actions as "skylarking" after a few beers.

"I'm a bit upset with him, but no, look I love him," she told Southern Cross Broadcasting.

"He hates the unions with a passion and after weeks and weeks of letterboxing, what gets to be boring material, of a repetitive message that we get them to letterbox all the time, they come up with their own skylarking over a few beers and think that something's funny," Ms Kelly said

Ms Kelly also accused Labor members of going after the Liberal workers who were distributing the pamphlets.

"An ALP goon squad, which I understand was led by some unionists, have chased down and hunted down and tried to intimidate. I understand there was even a fight,'' Ms Kelly told ABC radio today.

Labor's national secretary, Tim Gartrell, names Mr Clark, Mr Egan and Troy Craig, president of the Glenmore Park Action Group, in his complaint to the commission, and urges the matter be referred to the Australian Federal Police and NSW Police.

The scandal was the last thing John Howard needed as he tried to resuscitate his campaign before Saturday, and will likely overshadow his final speech to the National Press Club today.

The bogus pamphlet carries the ALP logo and is from the non-existent "Islamic Australia Federation". It applauds the Labor Party for supporting Muslim terrorists.

It thanks Labor for supporting the Bali bombers, who it says were "unjustly" sentenced to death, says Labor backs the building of a new local mosque, and praises the party for allowing Sheik Taj el-Din al Hilaly to live in Australia.

"We gratefully acknowledge Labors [sic] support to forgive our Muslim brothers who have been unjustly sentenced to death for the Bali bombings," it says.

"Labor supports our new Mosque construction and we hope, with the support and funding by Local and State governments, to open our new Mosque in St Mary's soon."

Labor's candidate for Lindsay, David Bradbury, called it "a disgraceful act". The ALP campaign spokeswoman, Penny Wong, demanded the Liberals reveal what level sanctioned the behaviour. "People who are very senior in the NSW division of the Liberal Party are involved," she said.

The Liberal Party NSW director, Graham Jaeschke, said he became aware of the incident on Tuesday night. Two of the people involved were Liberal members. Both, including Mr Egan, were suspended from the party. All five have been banned from the campaign. Mr Jaeschke said they were "over-enthusiastic individuals". "They were not authorised. We condemn the action and the people involved are no longer members of the party."

The Liberals' campaign spokesman, Andrew Robb, said the action was not sanctioned from on high. "Silly things happen, wrong things happen, this was wrong, it was offensive, it was unauthorised, there was no knowledge off the party," he said.

In other incidents, it has been reported car windows were smashed in North Sydney, paint stripper dumped on a car in Bennelong, and signs defaced in Wentworth.

The Liberal MP for Macarthur, Pat Farmer, said his campaign had been targeted during the past fortnight, with vandals burning an election billboard, defacing posters and spray-painting his home and office.

with Paul Bibby, Arjun Ramachandran and AAP

Bring on the election.

[Ho Really]

...Bring on the election.

Yes, but what about afterwards? This incident has brought to the fore an underlying problem. We'll be hearing a bit more about the building of mosques, Islamic schools and Islamic enclaves. It is a sensitive issue (in Sydney) that will eventually boil over, it has happened before and it will happen again.

Cheers

[Ho Really]

Anyone been watching Difference of Opinion with Jeff McMullen on ABC lately?

Cheers

[Bulldozer]

Anyone been watching Difference of Opinion with Jeff McMullen on ABC lately?

Yeah. For some reason I keep watching it, despite how terrible it is. Insight on SBS is hundreds of miles ahead.

[crawf]

Well because I wont have enough time to vote tommorow I just voted at the polling booth at the Freemason Hall for the first time, though I'm having a few regrets with my decision.

BTW the interior of the Freemason Hall is just simply stunning.

[Will]

I was just reading an editorial from the Australian newspaper, one in which it encourages people to vote Labor. I have always regarded the Australian as a conservative right-wing newspaper. As such, their support for a Rudd Labor government has shaken my voting intention to the core. For the people at the Australian to support Mr. Rudd, it would suggest to me, that therefore a Rudd Labor governemnt would be just as mean and tricky as the Coalition, and continue to portray greed and selfishness as positive attributes to aspire to. As such, I am now seriously considering voting for the Greens in the senate. Although I disagree with many of their social policies, I would like to make some sort of protest vote.

[Bulldozer]

For the people at the Australian to support Mr. Rudd, it would suggest to me, that therefore a Rudd Labor governemnt would be just as mean and tricky as the Coalition, and continue to portray greed and selfishness as positive attributes to aspire to. As such, I am now seriously considering voting for the Greens in the senate. Although I disagree with many of their social policies, I would like to make some sort of protest vote.

The ALP are right next to the Coalition on that political compass thingy. Best to vote for the real deal, not the "me too" impostors I think it'd be best to give your primary vote to an independent if you're going to do the protest thing, but I say that as someone who'd throw a party if The Greens all died horrible deaths in a bus or plane crash. (I'd also do the same if it were the Socialist Alliance or Family First)

I hope all you croweaters put 1 next to Nick Xenophon for the Senate though... SA needs senators batting for the state, not their party. The last independent Senator, Brian Harradine from Tasmania, did very well in milking the government of extra goodies for his state.

[Plasmatron]

[Bulldozer]

For quick success: idclev30 iddqd idkfa, although I don't think you need to kill Romero to win this game.

I have a die cast cyberdemon facing off with a lost soul on top of my TV

[UrbanSG]

Well I just can't and never will vote Liberal on principle. They stand for all of the arrogant, rich or idiotic Australians. Money, money, money. Money isn't everything, although in this society it really is unfortunately thanks to conservative governments.

No where near enough attention has been focused on climate change in this election. Jobs are so damn important according to John Howard, jobs, jobs, jobs. Geeze it will be interesting, we have to make sure we have jobs even when the world will completely alter for the worse in the next few decades thanks to continued record pollution levels, Australia's record is shameful. The lack of support for renewable energy by Australia and America is a disgrace for so called developed nations. IDIOTS!!!!!! China will never act unless all developed countries do. Even though Labor is closely aligned to the Liberal party at least they are prepared to go a bit further when it comes to the environment and education, my two biggest interests.

Anyway unfortunately I think we may end up getting another Liberal win and Costello in power. F*ck I can't wait for that like a hole in the head.

[Bulldozer]

If you're serious about wanting to see emissions in Australia cut drastically then vote Liberal - the only party that is for nuclear energy. France has more than 3x as many people as Australia but produces less emissions than Australia. How do they do it? 59 reactors producing 80% of their electricity, that's how.

In the USA, the first application to build new reactors in 30 years was recently made and more are now bound to follow. Many companies are working on electric cars and when electric cars start to take off there is going to be a massive surge in demand for electricity over and above the already predicted doubling of demand by 2050. Only nuclear will be able to provide that.

Finland is nearing completion of the first EPR, France has begun construction of the second as a pilot for the replacement of their existing fleet with 40 of them from 2020. Russia is about to commence building dozens, and China is doing the same. The UK is most likely going to replace their reactor fleet and Germany is reconsidering nuclear energy in light of the resurgence of Russia and their dependence upon Russian gas. (Plus they're failing to meet their Kyoto target as they build new fossil fuel powered plants to replace phased-out nuclear plants - a policy brought about by their greens party!)

That East Asian Summit in Bali the other day (ASEAN plus China, India, New Zealand, Australia, Japan and South Korea) declared that they are backing nuclear energy as a solution to cutting emissions and secure energy.