News & Politics - Australian News #1 ~ News from Down Under - Page 2

**sunnykerr** · 08-20-2010, 07:20 PM

Indeed:

Quote:

Australians vote in tight general election

Polls have opened in a general election that looks set to be one of the tightest in Australia for decades.

Julia Gillard, Australia's first female prime minister, is running neck and neck with conservative coalition leader Tony Abbott.

The polls are taking place two months after Ms Gillard ousted Kevin Rudd in a Labor Party leadership challenge.

Correspondents say she has been hit by a backlash over the move.

Fourteen million voters began casting their ballots after polls opened at 0800 (2200 GMT). Voting is compulsory in Australia.

'Fix the mess'

As the campaign drew to an end, one opinion poll gave Ms Gillard a narrow lead over Mr Abbott, while another had them level.

"This is a tough, tight, close contest and in a tough, tight, close contest, the real risk is that Mr Abbott is prime minister on Sunday," Julia Gillard said.

"Tony Abbott is too great a risk to your family's future and to your local economy."

Mr Abbott - who leads the Liberal Party - worked through the final night of the campaign.

"I'm determined to fix up the mess that this government has created," he said.

"That means we've got to end the waste, pay back the debt, we've got to stop the big new taxes and we've got to stop the boats [of asylum seekers]."

Both candidates have made several visits to marginal constituencies upon which - given the slim margin between them - the election could hang.

Most of these are in the states of Queensland and New South Wales.

All of the seats in the lower house are up for grabs, plus half of the seats in the Senate - where opinion polls show the Greens could end up holding the balance of power.

That Labor is locked into such a tight election race represents a turnaround in its fortunes since the start of the year.

Missteps by Kevin Rudd on climate change and a controversial mining tax caused his support - previously high - to fall sharply.

Ms Gillard was Mr Rudd's deputy, and when she challenged him for the leadership in June he surrendered without a fight after realising his support among government colleagues had collapsed.

But Ms Gillard's move triggered a backlash, with support for her falling sharply in the two months since she has been in office.

She has also been hit by a series of damaging - apparently internal - leaks during the campaign, something that Tony Abbott has cited as evidence of disarray within the Labor ranks.

Mr Abbott, meanwhile, has toned down his well-known climate change scepticism and talked tough on immigration, portraying his coalition as a stable answer to a government beset by in-fighting.

Source

It'll be interesting to see the results, considering no one really has the advantage of incumbency here...

-Kelly- · 08-21-2010, 12:05 AM

I thought the sex party was a joke

until I saw it on 1 of the Ballot papers

**sunnykerr** · 08-21-2010, 07:19 PM

Quote:

Independents set to decide next Australia government

Australia appears to be heading for a hung parliament, as it looks increasingly likely that independent candidates will hold the balance of power after the final result is known.

Neither of the two main rivals are likely to win the 76 seats needed for an outright majority.

ABC Australia is predicting 73 seats for the opposition coalition and 72 for ruling Labor.

PM Julia Gillard vowed that she would "keep fighting".

Opposition leader Tony Abbott said it was clear Ms Gillard's Labor had lost its majority and its legitimacy.

The election comes two months after Ms Gillard ousted Kevin Rudd in a controversial leadership challenge.

With 78% of votes counted, Labor has 70 seats and Mr Abbott's Liberal/National coalition has 72, according to national broadcaster ABC.

'Back in business'

Australia has not had a hung parliament since 1940.

A handful of MPs may well hold the balance of power after the final result is known: ABC Australia is predicting one seat for the Greens and four independents.

The BBC's Nick Bryant, in Sydney, says they will try to get best deal they can for their constituencies and there may well be some pork barrel politics over the next few days as Ms Gillard and Mr Abbott try to gather some loose coalition or arrangement that will give them power.

Two independents, Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor, said they would side with the party most able to provide stable government, according to the Associated Press. A third independent, Bob Katter, said he would back the party that promised the best deal for his constituents.

All three are former members of conservative parties.

Speaking to supporters in her home town, Melbourne, Ms Gillard quoted the words of former US President Bill Clinton, saying "the people have spoken but it's going to take some time to determine exactly what they have said".

"Obviously this is too close to call. What we know is there will be a number of independents in the House of Representatives playing a role as the next government of Australia is formed.

"There are anxious days ahead, but I will keep fighting".

Mr Abbott told supporters in Sydney: "This is a night for pride in our achievements, satisfaction at the good results that have been achieved but also a measure of reflection on the magnitude of the task ahead."

He said the coalition was "back in business" and would try to form a government. Labor would "never be able to govern effectively in a minority", he said.

Mr Abbott said there should be "no premature triumphalism but an appreciation that this has been a great night for the Australian people".

Initial counting had given Labor a marginal lead over Mr Abbott's coalition - but other results suggested heavy swings against Labor, in particular in the key states of Queensland and New South Wales.

Snap election

Voting is compulsory in Australia, with 14 million registered voters.

Correspondents say he has tried to exploit the Labor party's divisions after the departure of Mr Rudd, trying to portray his coalition as a stable answer to a government beset by in-fighting.

In his campaign he has pledged to tighten immigration and has hit out at government spending. He has also toned down his well-known climate change scepticism.

Ms Gillard, a former lawyer who called a snap election shortly after coming to office, is hoping to be rewarded for the government's handling of the economy, which weathered the global recession remarkably well.

That Labor is locked into such a tight election race represents a turnaround in its fortunes since the start of the year.

Missteps by Kevin Rudd on climate change and a controversial mining tax caused his support - previously high - to fall sharply.

Ms Gillard won a leadership race in June but, despite her success, her support has fallen in the two months she has been in office.

Source

I have to say, please, anyone but the mad monk, or whatever Tony Abbott's nickname is. He's sceptical of climate change, doesn't believe in same-sex and abortion rights and swears like a sailor?

Okay, so I don't care about the swearing. But come on. This is the 21st century, Mr Abbott. Come and join us. Being up with the times isn't evil.

Rinz · 08-22-2010, 04:20 AM

If he doesn't "believe in same-sex and abortion rights" then that's his business and it has nothing to do with anyone else. I'm so sick of people having a go at him for believing in different things than some majority or minority does. It's stupid. I admire him for actually having an opinion on such issues even when he knows they're not going to be popular. I don't agree with him on the same-sex rights, but that doesn't mean I have a go at him for having a different belief on it than I do. That would just be ignorant of me.

-Kelly- · 08-22-2010, 08:02 PM

We may have to re-vote, it's only talking so far.

Julia Gillard, Tony Abbott vie for favour with independents | Perth Now

I would rather re-vote than have someone else do it for me

lancer1993 · 08-22-2010, 09:39 PM

I don't want to vote again!

Evie · 08-23-2010, 06:26 AM

God this election is just dragging onnn and onnn!

I really hope Labor snags the win.

**sunnykerr** · 08-23-2010, 06:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rinz (View Post)

If he doesn't "believe in same-sex and abortion rights" then that's his business and it has nothing to do with anyone else. I'm so sick of people having a go at him for believing in different things than some majority or minority does. It's stupid. I admire him for actually having an opinion on such issues even when he knows they're not going to be popular. I don't agree with him on the same-sex rights, but that doesn't mean I have a go at him for having a different belief on it than I do. That would just be ignorant of me.

If he were a private individual seeking nothing more than to influence his sphere of friends and colleagues, I would say to him, "Have whatever opinion you want to have about all the topics you want to have them about."

If he were just a man on the street, it would be one thing.

But he seeks to lead the country. So his private opinions on matters that would come under his purview were he to be elected seem to be of rather some importance to other people. At the very least, they are open to public discussion.

And this is something I know from having such a man as a Prime Minister. When Harper was elected here, we never thought abortion would be an issue that would ever be discussed again in Canada. And then we had to renew our commitments to worl aid organizations. And, funnily enough, Canada no longer supports organizations that educate women in Third World countries about contraception. And, funnily enough, we spent this summer debating in the news and in talk shows (fortunately not in the Assembly, yet) whether abortion laws in Canada should be amended.

It's funny how a Prime Minister's private beliefs find their way into the public sphere once he's elected. That's all I know.

Evie · 08-23-2010, 09:12 PM

Quote:

If he were just a man on the street, it would be one thing.
But he seeks to lead the country.

yes, id have to agree. entirely different situation and it's just scary to think he could lead this wonderful country of ours.

-Kelly- · 08-23-2010, 11:29 PM

I hope Labor gets it

Rinz · 08-24-2010, 12:09 AM

Regardless of whether he is an average person off the street or the prime minister or the opposition leader, unless he is actively forcing his opinion and changing laws in order to get everyone to believe and live by his beliefs and rules from them, then what he's saying has nothing to do with you. I just don't see how it can. He isn't forcing anyone to share his views or forcing women to keep their children at all costs, he simply said his opinion on it and that's that. A lot of his beliefs on the subject come from his religious beliefs, which how can anyone critisise him for his opinions that stem from that? We all believe different things and we need to be respected for those beliefs whether we agree with them or not. If we don't want to agree then fine, nobody is forcing anyone to believe anything against their will. If they are then you don't have to listen.

If he was to implement changes based on his religious beliefs and make abortions illegal or publicly shame women in some way for having an abortion, then I'd have a problem with it. I don't believe in forcing religious beliefs on other people no matter how strongly you feel about certain issues.

There's women out there who get pregnant after being raped, and what are they supposed to do? Someone close to me had an abortion because her husband was a violent pig that always hit her. So I understand all about abortions and I don't agree with Abbott on the issue, but his opinion is his own and I don't have to listen to it and live by his beliefs right now so it has no impact on me. Just because he's a public figure it doesn't give him any right to tell me or anyone else how we should live our lives, but right now he's not doing that so I don't understand why so many people have been so angry by his opinions on the subject when they don't have to listen or live by them.

Anyway, thank goodness there's still people out there who have differing opinions on issues. I was beginning to loose faith in people actually having minds of their own seeing as too many people are such sheep these days.

On a different issue, what do you guys think about people being allowed to vote even when they have no idea about the policies of the party they're voting for? There's been a lot of discussion here since the election about it. A lot of people were angry to hear that people voted for Labor only because they wanted the NBN and the Liberals said that they would scrap it. Apparently though there's a filter on it, so it's not even going to be as fast as what a lot of people are saying it will be. I read 90% is filtered but I'm not sure if that's a fact or not.

lancer1993 · 08-24-2010, 01:28 AM

I agree, I'm not a woman but I believe women should have the right to choose, I personally would hate to have to make that choice but I applaud those who do.

I think everyone show has a right to vote should take an interest or just not bother, that said I'd hate to go down the US route and have half the population not vote because they don't have to and can't be bothered.

**sunnykerr** · 08-24-2010, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rinz (View Post)

Regardless of whether he is an average person off the street or the prime minister or the opposition leader, unless he is actively forcing his opinion and changing laws in order to get everyone to believe and live by his beliefs and rules from them, then what he's saying has nothing to do with you. I just don't see how it can.

And that's precisely why I wouldn't want him in a position to change the laws, i.e. getting elected. Because then he'll be in the exact position to do whatever he wants with the parliamentary agenda.

I mean, either way, you're quite right, it'll never affect me. I'm halfway across the world here.

But then I can't help forming opinions for all that. And from having seen what Harper has done since taking office here... I never thought the right to a safe and legal abortion would be in question in Canada either. And I hope it will never be. But it's becoming increasingly clear that Harper is trying to find a way to at least revise the laws if not change them altogether.

And I'm merely saying that, by the time a man or woman is elected PM, their opinions become much harder to ignore. And you can't necessarily fight the way they now impact almost every aspect of your life.

As Australia is going through an election now, I do believe that now is the time to consider who might be in charge of the country.

I mean, do you really think it doesn't matter that any PM doubts the reality of climate change? George W. Bush thought the concept was so ludicrous that he slashed the budget of the one agency in charge of overseeing deep-sea drilling and look at the catastrophe that happened this summer in the Gulf of Mexico.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rinz (View Post)

On a different issue, what do you guys think about people being allowed to vote even when they have no idea about the policies of the party they're voting for? There's been a lot of discussion here since the election about it. A lot of people were angry to hear that people voted for Labor only because they wanted the NBN and the Liberals said that they would scrap it. Apparently though there's a filter on it, so it's not even going to be as fast as what a lot of people are saying it will be. I read 90% is filtered but I'm not sure if that's a fact or not.

More often than not, I find that any new government elected has more to do with expelling the former government than supporting the platforms of the incoming government.

If for no other reason than that it's very hard to really grasp what a government will do once it is in power since they will promise just about everything under the sun in order to get elected and, once they are elected, they will inevitably do what is most politically expedient for them.

Which is perhaps why I am quite keen on our New Democratic Party here in Canada. They haven't a snowball's chance in hell of getting elected, but they usually get enough representation to be quite a thorn in the side of whichever variant on the central-right party that does get elected.

Having no shot at power makes them far more reliable.

-Kelly- · 08-24-2010, 11:41 PM

What about Rape Babies

I mean teens and women force to have a baby from the Rape....it's not fair to them.

I found this Poll.

Quote:

Do you think Australians should be sent back to the polls to resolve the hung parliament?

* Yes 65.99% (4569 votes)
* No 29.46% (2040 votes)
* Don't care, I only lodge informal votes 4.55% (315 votes)

Total votes: 6924

I voted Yes

Rinz · 08-25-2010, 12:00 AM

Yeah I said about women getting pregnant from rape in my post above. It would be a disgrace if they were forced to keep their baby against their will.

I wonder if Aussies do get sent back to the polls if it would be more one sided now that people know how close it's been. I wouldn't want to go back to the polls. I think whoever got the most amount of votes from the public should be elected. Right now I think it's Liberal. If they have the most then they should form government. If Labor then the same.


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