Wilson Tuckey, the Liberal member for O’Connor in Western Australia, has produced a television advertisement for the 2010 election.
Tuckey, 75, was first elected to the House of Representatives in 1980.
Clare O’Neil: Howard’s Terrifying Lack Of Reflection
Mar 20, 2008
In March, John Howard visited Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government, where I am a Master of Public Policy student. Howard began his visit with a formal address on Australia/China relations. About 250 Harvard students and staff assembled in the school’s famous John F. Kennedy Jr. Forum to listen.
Howard reflected on his term as a period of deepening integration between Australia and China, evidenced by growing trade between the two countries. He framed the relationship in pragmatic terms, which drew a contrast to the familial bonds he described between Australia and the US. [Read more...]
“Partially Treated Sewage Sandwich” From Julie Bishop
Feb 19, 2008
The Federal Opposition’s Julie Bishop has given an extraordinary press conference in which she attempted to justify the coalition’s decision not to to oppose the government’s legislation abolishing WorkChoices.
Listen to Julie Bishop’s press conference:
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Rudd Government Faces First Question Time
Feb 13, 2008
The Rudd Government has faced its first Question Time in the new Parliament.
The Opposition Leader’s first question was about petrol and food prices. It required a Dorothy Dixer from the government’s backbench for the stolen generations apology to be raised.
Julia Gillard delivered the most assured and polished performance, emphasising the government’s mandate on industrial relations when asked about the legislation introduced today to dismantle the Howard government’s WorkChoices. [Read more...]
Kevin Rudd’s Speech On The Apology To The Stolen Generations
Feb 13, 2008
The Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, has moved the motion of apology to the Stolen Generations, at a sitting of the House of Representatives at 9am today.
Listen to Rudd’s Address:
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Watch Rudd’s Address:
This is the text of Kevin Rudd’s Address on the motion of apology to the Stolen Generations.
I move that today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.
We reflect on their past mistreatment. We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations—this blemished chapter in our nation’s history.
The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia’s history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future.
We apologise for the laws and policies of successive Parliaments and governments that have inflicted profound grief, suffering and loss on these our fellow Australians. We apologise especially for the removal of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander children from their families, their communities and their country. [Read more...]
Liberal Party Director Analyses Election Defeat
Dec 19, 2007
The Liberal Party’s Federal Director, Brian Loughnane, has addressed the National Press Club on the coalition’s election defeat.
Loughnane said it was clear the coalition’s defeat was attributable to longer term strategic issues than short term tactical issues of recent months.
Click on the play button to listen to Loughnane’s address:
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3-2-1 Split In Tasmanian Senate Poll
Dec 13, 2007
The AEC has declared the Senate result in Tasmania. The ALP has won 3 places, the Liberals 2 and the Greens 1.
AEC State Manager for Tasmania, Marie Neilson, said that the Senate count had involved the keying of votes into a computerised system, and today an automated process was used to distribute preferences and determine the six elected candidates. “As with all aspects of the count, the final process undertaken today was able to be observed by scrutineers representing candidates.”
The successful candidates for the 6 Tasmanian Senate vacancies, in order of their election are:
- Nick Sherry (ALP)
- Richard Colbeck (Lib)
- Bob Brown (Greens)
- Carol Brown (ALP)
- David Bushby (Lib)
- Catryna Bilyk (ALP)
Bennelong Declaration Ends Howard’s Political Career
Dec 12, 2007
The Australian Electoral Commission today declared the result in the electorate of Bennelong, formalising Maxine McKew’s victory over the former Prime Minister, John Howard.
Howard attended the declaration, congratulated McKew and spoke of the beauty of a democracy in which a peaceful transition of power can take place. [Read more...]
ALP Lead In McEwen Now Only 6 Votes
Dec 10, 2007
The ALP’s candidate in McEwen, Rob Mitchell, has had his winning margin cut to 6 votes as he waits on the Australian Electoral Commission’s response to the Liberal Party’s request for a recount.
Media reports today say the lead has been cut to 5 but the AEC’s website shows 6.
The Queensland seat of Dickson has now been declared by the AEC, with victory going to the former Howard minister, Peter Dutton, by 221 votes. Damian Hale has been officially declared the winner of the Northern Territory seat of Solomon for the ALP by 196 votes.
Three other Queensland seats remain in doubt. In Flynn, the ALP’s lead has been cut by 247 votes to 212. In Bowman, the Liberal candidate’s lead has slipped 21 votes to 81. In Herbert, the incumbent Liberal, Peter Lindsay, has increased his lead by 29 votes to 352.
In the Western Australian seat of Swan, the ALP’s Kim Wilkie looks set to become the only incumbent Labor member to lose his seat. In NSW, former Howard minister Jim Lloyd seems certain to lose Robertson to the ALP’s Belinda Neal.
- Herbert – (Qld – Liberal) – Lib ahead by 352.
- Bowman (Qld – Liberal) – Lib ahead by 81.
- Swan (WA – Labor) – Lib ahead by 280.
- Robertson – (NSW – Liberal) – ALP ahead by 185.
- McEwen – (Vic – Liberal) – ALP ahead by 6.
- Flynn (Qld – open) – ALP ahead by 212.
Trivia note: today is the 30th anniversary of Malcolm Fraser’s victory in the 1977 Federal election. Today is also the 58th anniversary of Menzies’ 1949 victory, as well as the 52nd anniversary of his fourth consecutive victory in 1955.
ALP Wins McEwen By 7 Votes
Dec 08, 2007
The final count of votes in the Victorian electorate of McEwen has given the seat to the ALP candidate, Rob Mitchell, by 7 votes, in what is likely to be a federal record.
Despite holding a lead during most of the past two weeks of counting, the former Howard government minister, Fran Bailey, fell behind today as the final batch of postal and absentee votes was counted.
After the distribution of preferences, Bailey has 48,409 votes to Mitchell’s 48,416. This is a swing to the ALP of 6.42% from the 2004 election.
The AEC says there have already been two counts in the seat but that the candidates are entitled to a recount.
On present trends, if the ALP holds McEwen, it will have 84 of the 150 seats in the new House of Representatives.
