Australian Federal Election Called for October 9th

"The Prime Minister, John Howard, announced an October 9 election date today saying the six-week campaign would be one fought on the issue of trust.

Announcing the election date at a press conference at Parliament House in Canberra, Mr Howard said it would be a decision for voters about who they trusted most to look after Australia and its economic future."

more at Sydney Morning Herald

Well, I have a feeling Howard will lose now that everyone is coming out about the children overboard affair. He's done good these few years with the economy and that but the treatment of refugees has been shameful and personally I have felt that it has made the general population prejudiced towards refugees and asylum seekers. If the Liberals do win I sure hope that Costello takes over quickly.

I'm a Labor guy btw. But I wouldn't mind having Costello as PM.

Interesting Howard taking the trust issue head on, I suppose there wasn't too many alternatives.

Incidentally, I too find myself preferring Costello to Howard. But hey I also prefer Beazley to Latham, I still haven't been able to figure out how the ALP chose Crean over Beazley, at least Latham over Crean I can understand.

look. I definately wont vote Mark Latham, He's not the guy for Australia.

I will vote Johny Howard even though i dont trust him at all. But i really hope that Peter Costello takes over straight away from John Howard, coz damn... Peter Costello is da man! Well he's very good with economics anyways ;P
I still want him to do the budget though, no doubt about that. ;P

yay! election time!! I'm voting for Latham coz i'm not going to vote for costello or even potentially Tony Abbot!

thanks,
drfunk

More I think about it, the more I'd prefer a liberal win WITH Costello taking over. Looked into his take on certain issues such as asylum seekers and the republic thing and he sounds much better than both Howard and Latham.

Latham will win a very close election. History will judge the decision to send troops to Iraq but in the short term it will cost the Liberals the election.

Trouble with the PM getting to announce the election date whenever he wants is that he also gets to kick off the campaign and attempt to dictate terms and issues. The official election announcement should be made by the Governor-general: completely apolitical.

God I hate listening to politicians. Howard constructed three Labor strawmen in that press conference. One, that they can't handle the economy. Of course they will be able to handle it within their socially responsible and conscious policy framework. It just may not suit big business to the same extent. Two, that Labor are ideologically opposed to functional, universal health care (of course, he didn't say that, but that's what he's attempted to imply). And three, that it's unusual that Latham hasn't released his party's full policy platform or budget and that no one knows what he stands for. Unfortunately, saying it will make it so for a number of voters, but it's not actually true. And no major party with ambitious designs is going to release their full platform too early in the campaign, let alone before it has even begun. Something the Liberal party learnt when they lost the 1993 election.

Anyway, I'll be voting Green from a safe Labor seat. The Greens can still afford to be bluntly spoken and upfront about what they believe in and advocate. Both major parties will lose a number of votes to Greens and Independents, but the preferences will go to Labor.

Howard going for the trust angle is an attempt to call Labor's bluff. It's an attempt to call everyone's bluff, actually. Never trust anyone who asks you to. And never trust a person who'll use all tactics open to them to wriggle out of a lie or mistake, whether it be ignorance, plausible deniability or "national interest". Howard admitted in the press conference that his government has made many mistakes...but they never accepted full responsibility when they were actually committed, and you'll never get them to list these mistakes.

[edit on 29/8/04 by Grimnebulin]

Grimm, Have you actualy had a look at some of the greens policies? and what they would do, introduce, etc? I checked out some of them before the last election. Tehy were weird funny, wouldn't work, and was jsut too plain stupid. I could't understand how anyone would vote for them. It's just when poeple see the GReen party they think oh environmentalism. That's good, we'll go vote for them. But if you lok at their other policies, the party is jsut plain ridiculous.

Originally posted by D
More I think about it, the more I'd prefer a liberal win WITH Costello taking over. Looked into his take on certain issues such as asylum seekers and the republic thing and he sounds much better than both Howard and Latham.

Yeah the Liberals would have been better if Howard had steped down. Swing voters just might be sick of him after nine years.

I've read their entire platform, and being an anarchist (and environmentalist) they're eminently more preferable than either of the major parties. Of course, being an anarchist I'm therefore a complete loon anyway and not worth listening to.

Maybe you should take another look at the Greens. They've grown in numbers and scope since the last election. As they grow, the more responsibility they'll take on. They're pragmatic enough to know that their success will lie in putting pressure on the main parties, preventing policy from swinging too far to the right. I would be happy to see them in power though.

[edit on 29/8/04 by Grimnebulin]

Originally posted by Grimnebulin
I've read their entire platform, and being an anarchist (and environmentalist) they're eminently more preferable than either of the major parties. Of course, being an anarchist I'm therefore a complete loon anyway and not worth listening to.

Maybe you should take another look at the Greens. They've grown in numbers and scope since the last election. As they grow, the more responsibility they'll take on. They're pragmatic enough to know that their success will lie in putting pressure on the main parties, preventing policy from swinging too far to the right. I would be happy to see them in power though.

[edit on 29/8/04 by Grimnebulin]

please, even One Nation had more policy insight than the Greens. Bob Brown is embarrassing, he should stick to environmentalism.

The Greens there very mention makes me cringe.

They're stupid, embarrassing and cringeworthy. I just can't refute such scathing, totally plausible and credible critiques. One Nation has my vote, and my preference will go to Liberal.

Originally posted by Grimnebulin
They're stupid, embarrassing and cringeworthy. I just can't refute such scathing, totally plausible and credible critiques. One Nation has my vote, and my preference will go to Liberal.

One Nation? what good would they do? vote them in to power and the country will be ruined before there first term of Office is over.