Labor's Ministerial Portfolio Allocations

You just wouldn't want it would you, immigration, the widow maker of portfolios. Admittedly John Howard put dills into it, Kevin Andrews and Phillip Ruddock were the stand out dills, but it just isn't going to make you sexy with the electorate. You have the dilemma for appearing tough, for certain, significant, sections of the electorate, but then you get beaten around the head for any injustice carried out by your department, or in Andrews' case the minister.

I wonder how Rudd sold it.

And just on Kevin Andrews. Who voted for him, I bet that's a party stopper question in his electorate.

Labor's first meeting as government.

Must be exciting, though not without trepidation. I mean I would be scared, working for a control freak like Kevin Rudd. Have your heard him being interviewed when discussing the ministry, the twinkle in his eye when he discusses setting benchmarks etc. Look, having peaple like him can be good for the country, they can get things done, I just feel sorry for those working for him.

Kevin Rudd's Victory Speech

They all do it, the first Prime Ministerial speech, promises open, accountable government, a determination to unite the country and to establish a new beginning.

Then things to start going wrong, the new leader feels trust has been betrayed, or he starts to receive bad press and gradually the open door will close.

However, I won't be cynical, this is a new beginning and I'm sure the patterns of the past will not be followed.

A new beginning.....

The Night Before The Election

It's almost over, the policies, dirty tricks, we can now reach for the prize, the sausage at the church fete, Ummmmmm.

Liberals and the racist leaflets

John Howard and the leadership of the Liberal Party claim they had nothing to do with this, and it is quite possible they didn't. However, they have created a party machine where, in the past, the use of race has been a legitimate (not in my opinion, I stress) weapon to include in political warfare. I imagine most observers of previous elections would agree.

So, while the racist leaflets may not have been approved by the leadership, I can't help thinking that an example, for behaviour, tactics etc, has been established at the most senior levels and it is no surprise that it would be imitated at more junior levels, albeit, in this case, not all that junior.

True leadership would set an example to follow, not poor behviour to imitate.

Julia Gillard was late.

Oh my god, how awful it would have been to walk into Federation Square, late for a radio interview. Would you have been tempted to say you were only half as late as Tony? I didn't hear the interview, however, I understand the tension was detectable, that's always delectable.

I have to say I am enjoying the election so far, Howard wanting to talk about the future, not the past, except when talking about Labor. Kevin sticking to the script, to the frustration of the journalists. Th only thing I would like more of is the gaffes, sure, we have had some good ones, but not that many. Both parties have been reasonably disciplined. Disappointing really.

Kevin Rudd's Cocky Little Smirk.

I do love it when the Libs are under pressure, it usually bursts out through Downer's mouth.

I can't believe Alex believes such comments help. Surely he must realise that tantrums appear, to the public, as just that, behaviour of a child that can't get it's own way.

John Howard - Another Bad Poll Cartoon

The polls haven't moved again, they are still bad for John Howard. I'm reading more and more that it is demographics, with the youth vote going to Rudd. Seems a little like the Whitlam era when a generation wanted change. I think that time the war, in Vietnam, had a lot to do with it. Now it's housing prices. That is of course an oversimplification, however, the generational change factor is the interesting one. I wonder if it would have been an issue if Costello had been leader. So, I'm sure, does he.

John Howard, "Give you the money"

When it rains........ Actually, that's the other thing that is going wrong for John Howard.

He really can't take a trick. I'm sure the auditor was wrong, it would only be a coincidence that Coalition seats benefited from pork barrelling in the last election. Further, even if it was deliberate, he's atoned, he is giving everyone money this election. Try and find someone who wouldn't benefit from a coalition victory, or a Labor victory for that matter.

Bring on the election and prosperity for all.

John Howard - Fiscally Responsible?

Who said John Howard is the political master of our times? Personally, I just think he has just come up against dud opposition in the recent past. Today's efforts by Rudd prove that. Rudd simply fed Howard a dummy, ie the "me too" strategy, which led Howard on a spending spree, only to leave him exposed as being fiscally irresponsible, the very charge he made against labor. Where can he go now?

If he does manage to pull a rabbit out of the hat, and "that trick never works", then I agree, he should be labelled the best politician of the generation, if not all time.

If he doesn't, and the liberals are decimated, then he will have a very sad, and lonely, retirement. I'm not saying that anyone deserves that, however, he does to deserve to pay the price of his winning at any cost style of politics. Particularly, given the price some people have had to pay to allow him those victories.

Howard and Rudd, Economic Managers?

If you didn't laugh you would cry. The election is being fought, in a large part, on the relative economic managment skills of the Howard team vs the Rudd team. And they are roughly equal. Both are incompentent.

First, both pursue tax cuts causing increases in interest rates and further rises to come.

Then, they propose to solve the housing affordability crisis by encouraging buyers to, effectively, spend more. That is, they are simply encouraging increased demand without trully addressing the supply issues. Under both parties housing will just get more expensive.

Howard has done this once before with the first home buyers scheme. Such schemes only make housing more expensive, particularly if the supply issues aren't addressed.

I think I am going to have a cry.

Rudd's Nuclear Power Plants.

Two weeks to go, most of the money spent, it's now time for the scare tactics to really crank up.

Also, some dirty politics might even be a bit of fun. Say a senior christian pollie caught with his/her pants down.

They can do it in England, we should be able to do it here. We can beat them a just about everything else, why not the pollie scandal Olympics. Just before an election would truly be a gold medal performance. We deserve more than a politician running late, or forgetting the script. Give us sleaze.

John Howard says sorry. Got yah.

This is what happens when the suburban solicitor becomes Prime Minister, every word is dangerous and treated with up most care. Why, well someone might sue. A nation perhaps?

Imagine the proposal to Janette, a carefully worded set of draft documents, formalised after careful consideration and advised amendment. Please God, say he at least lit a candle.

John Howard, Rabbit Outta a Hat, Again? Cartoon

Can he do it? While he has stayed on message, and been given some gaffes to work with, John Howard hasn't found his Tasmanian timber workers this time. Can he pull the rabbit out of the hat? To quote Rocky, "Aw, that trick never works".

Interest Rates Increase Cartoon.

No doubt about John Howard, he keeps trying and trying. Having lost the interest rate argument, particularly in the face of a, highly, probable rise tomorrow, he changes tack and tries to argue that given rates are rising, largely due to international factors, that only experience can manage the economy.

Will this generate interest in another term for a Howard Government?

Peter Garrett Cartoon

Poor Peter, tripped up again. "No I didn't". Who knows, it did seem like a silly thing to say, and that's what most mistakes are.

Part of me thinks that Steve Price saw a silly joke as a chance to make a name for himself. Still, while politicians make mistakes, journalists make careers. Steve's got to eat.

I equally profit from the mistake, no mistake, no cartoon.