Australian Federal Election - Sat 21 August 2010

[arie_skop]

lol Odd, somehow the country has done well without a leader, we even managed to catch Paul Hogan for not paying his taxes.


.
A O, I hope next time people actual take the election seriously.
We can't have these crazy Independents running our country. (for eg Bob Katter)


Broome should be part of Northern Territory, independent MP Bob Katter says


Key independent Bob Katter wants the Kimberley to become part of the Northern Territory. Picture: Ross Schultz Source: The Australian



ONE of the men holding the balance of power in Australia wants to redraw state boundaries, making the Kimberley - including Broome - part of the Northern Territory.

Independent MP Bob Katter believes the map should be redrawn to dramatically change the borders of the Northern Territory and Queensland, the NT News reports.
WA would lose the Kimberley and Broome, which would become part of the NT.
Mr Katter, who represents a north Queensland seat in Canberra, said the NT should be renamed the state of North-Western Australia.

Former WA Labor Attorney-General Jim McGinty scoffed at the idea.
"Bob Katter is as silly as a cut snake,” he said.
Mr Katter said an expanded NT could:

BETTER exploit its natural resources;


BECOME a food bowl;

ACCOMMODATE an extra 100,000 people.


Mr Katter also wants Queensland split into two states - north and south - from a line heading west from near Rockhampton.
He said Australia should be reconfigured to "develop and occupy" its land mass.
Broome should be part of Northern Territory, independent MP Bob Katter says | Herald Sun

[A*O]

Katter has always been a Krazy Kweenslander and I like the fact he is such a maverick. I don't suppose anyone ever thought he'd end up holding the balance of power. His dilemma now is that while he's fallen out with the conservative Nationals and stood as an Independent and you'd therefore expect him to side with the ALP, the vast majority of his constituants are traditional conservatives and if he does pick Julia he's going to have a very unhappy electorate. And those crazy fuckers have guns. LOL

[calcifer]

Well it's a week down the track and we STILL don't have a final result. If the deadlock can't be broken I see no alternative but to have another election and this time I thing people will be far more emphatic in making their choices.

Having said that, it's interesting that the country continues to function pretty well without a Federal government and so far the sky hasn't fallen in. Maybe we don't need them at all? LOL

à la belgium.

we had elections on 6/13. it's now day 76 and we're still in the preformation phase. things are looking particularly bleak this morning, they can't reach an agreement on the situation in brussels (there are a couple of urgent issues to deal with regarding the constituencies around brussels and a financial restructuring is also in order etc.) and it's blocking the negotiations. everyone seems to think we're headed towards another political impasse.

[arie_skop]

haha I forgot the guns. Julia or Tony is going to have a tough time dealing with Katter. I bet he'll just disagree with all their policies. And, then it will be time for another election.

I'll admit that Katter is entertaining.

[A*O]

Update: 7 Sept 2pm local time. Katter just jumped in with the Liberals so both parties now have 74 seats. If the other two go with Labour then they have a majority (of 1!) and can form a minority Govt. Same applies if they both go with the Libs. HOWEVER if one goes one way and one the other it's 75 seats each and time for another election. Yay! We'll know in an hour's time apparently.

I reckon they will go with Labour - even though their constituents HATE the Greens (Labour's new fuck buddies).

[Sleuth]

Labor has it!! Wasn't exactly thrilled with any of the choices but I would rather Julia than Tony.

[A*O]

We are going to be in limbo for the next 3 years or until an MP carks it. Each side has the numbers to block the other on anything remotely contentious and the attentionwhore Independents will bask in the power they now wield. So much for "stability".

[Wiseguy]

The Gillard government is back in power. At least it's over. I had hoped for a different decision, but at least regional Australia is being looked after - about time.

[A*O]

I predict a LOT of backroom deals among the factions who are going to make the Independents' lives hell with strongarm tactics and other 'inducements'. Show pony Oakeshott thinks this arrangement will mean no more major party politics, just issues, which just goes to show what a naive fool he is. I'd LOVE to know what the ALP offered these guys personally and politically to sweeten the deal. Someone asked Oakeshott if he'd been offered the job of Speaker and he didn't deny it. Dear God, he'll NEVER shut the fuck up.

[arie_skop]

Finally it's all over and we have a MP.

Let's see how long Julia will last in the top job. Can she outdo Rudd

[sputnik]

Labor has it!! Wasn't exactly thrilled with any of the choices but I would rather Julia than Tony.

this.
i'm not australian but i am a politics nerd so i've been following this pretty closely and the liberals are fucking scary! john howard was bad enough but tony abbott might even be worse.
my aussie friends are happy about this. although a couple of them are diplomats and while they're glad labour will be heading the government, they are pretty sure kevin rudd will be minister of foreign affairs and they're definitely not too keen on that.

[A*O]

Well I can tell you that the majority of Aussies are VERY angry about this because the majority of Aussies did NOT vote for a Labor Govt 3 weeks ago. Forget party politics and the personalities, this is going to be a disaster for the country as a whole. We need another election so people can stop fucking about with donkey votes or votes for joke parties and make a serious decision. It shouldn't be down to 3 independent MPs and the sweetheart deals they've been bribed with.

[sputnik]

that's the parliamentary system though... i can understand why people would be angry but that's how the system works in australia. and minority governments aren't always that bad.
obviously the country's split down the middle so even if they did call an election, results wouldn't necessarily be any different.

[A*O]

True. But since voting is compulsory here (another rant) a lot of people wasted their votes by messing about with the ballot papers or voting for people like the Australian Sex Party or the Climate Change Skeptics, etc. Hence the apparent 'split'. Having seen all the nonsense of the last 2 weeks next time voters will be a lot more focussed on electing the party they want to run the country.

Even now we have a very fragile Govt and I highly doubt we will go the full 3 years before another election is required.

[sputnik]

yeah true but i think it's better to at least let labour form a government and let a year or two pass to let the dust settle before another election makes sense. right now it would just be a huge waste of money.