http://australianpolitics.com Resources, News & Commentary from Malcolm Farnsworth Tue, 07 Feb 2012 03:23:43 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= Resources, News & Commentary from Malcolm Farnsworth AustralianPolitics.com no Resources, News & Commentary from Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/wp-content/plugins/powerpress/rss_default.jpg http://australianpolitics.com/category/federal-elections/2007-federal-election http://australianpolitics.com/2010/07/18/wilson-tuckey-tv-advertisement.html http://australianpolitics.com/2010/07/18/wilson-tuckey-tv-advertisement.html#comments Sun, 18 Jul 2010 09:15:46 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/?p=896 http://australianpolitics.com/2010/07/18/wilson-tuckey-tv-advertisement.html/feed 0 http://australianpolitics.com/2008/03/20/howards-terrifying-lack-of-reflection.html http://australianpolitics.com/2008/03/20/howards-terrifying-lack-of-reflection.html#comments Thu, 20 Mar 2008 02:37:57 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/?p=174 http://australianpolitics.com/2008/03/20/howards-terrifying-lack-of-reflection.html/feed 0 http://australianpolitics.com/2008/02/19/partially-treated-sewage-sandwich-from-julie-bishop.html http://australianpolitics.com/2008/02/19/partially-treated-sewage-sandwich-from-julie-bishop.html#comments Tue, 19 Feb 2008 03:27:32 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/2008/02/19/partially-treated-sewage-sandwich-from-julie-bishop.shtml http://australianpolitics.com/2008/02/19/partially-treated-sewage-sandwich-from-julie-bishop.html/feed 0 Julie Bishop,WorkChoices 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. - 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: Listen As the Sydney Morning Herald's Annabel Crabb put it on February 20: The Opposition's Julie Bishop was on something quite different yesterday. Some sort of calmative, perhaps. Ms Bishop has been vocal for months on the need to fight to the death for Australian Workplace Agreements. And yesterday, for 30 minutes in the Senate courtyard, before a vast throng of fascinated reporters, with a fixed smile on her face, she consumed what for the benefit of family readers we will call a partially treated sewage sandwich. She was cool, charming and professional. She at no point lost her cool. And for much of the time, she made no sense whatsoever. This is unsurprising, given that Ms Bishop was trying to explain how agreeing to abolish the agreements was pretty much the same as insisting on keeping them, if you thought about it. AustralianPolitics.com no http://australianpolitics.com/2008/02/13/rudd-government-faces-first-question-time.html http://australianpolitics.com/2008/02/13/rudd-government-faces-first-question-time.html#comments Wed, 13 Feb 2008 04:41:32 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/2008/02/13/rudd-government-faces-first-question-time.shtml http://australianpolitics.com/2008/02/13/rudd-government-faces-first-question-time.html/feed 1 accountability,Dorothy Dixers,Kevin Rudd,Question Time 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 ... 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. Anthony Albanese, the Minister for Infrastructure (and many other things, as the Speaker pointed out!) seemed to relish his new position to lash the Opposition. Peter Garrett, the Environment Minister, also spoke confidently on the issue of Japanese whaling. The Opposition directed a number of questions at the Treasurer, Wayne Swan, about inflation and economic management. Swan appeared confident but his delivery was somewhat diffident, reminding me of his nervousness at his National Press Club debate with Peter Costello during the election campaign. The new Speaker, Harry Jenkins, was obviously attempting to impose his style on the House. He suspended Wilson Tuckey for an hour, following repeated points of order from the Western Australian Liberal who walked out of the chamber during Rudd's stolen generations apology speech this morning. Now that he has been blooded, Jenkins will need to develop a brisker style of management of the House. Click PLAY to listen to the Rudd Government's first Question Time: Listen to Question Time AustralianPolitics.com no http://australianpolitics.com/2008/02/13/rudd-stolen-generations-apology-speech.html http://australianpolitics.com/2008/02/13/rudd-stolen-generations-apology-speech.html#comments Tue, 12 Feb 2008 23:50:09 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/2008/02/13/rudd-stolen-generations-apology-speech.shtml http://australianpolitics.com/2008/02/13/rudd-stolen-generations-apology-speech.html/feed 4 Kevin Rudd,sorry,stolen generations 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: - Listen - Watch Rudd's Address: - 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: Listen 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. For the pain, suffering and hurt of these Stolen Generations, their descendants and for their families left behind, we say sorry. To the mothers and the fathers, the brothers and the sisters, for the breaking up of families and communities, we say sorry. And for the indignity and degradation thus inflicted on a proud people and a proud culture, we say sorry. We the Parliament of Australia respectfully request that this apology be received in the spirit in which it is offered as part of the healing of the nation. For the future we take heart; resolving that this new page in the history of our great continent can now be written. We today take this first step by acknowledging the past and laying claim to a future that embraces all Australians. A future where this Parliament resolves that the injustices of the past must never, never happen again. A future where we harness the determination of all Australians, Indigenous and non-Indigenous, to close the gap that lies between us in life expectancy, educational achievement and economic opportunity. A future where we embrace the possibility of new solutions to enduring problems where old approaches have failed. A future based on mutual respect, mutual resolve and mutual responsibility. A future where all Australians, whatever their origins, are truly equal partners, with equal opportunities and with an equal stake in shaping the next chapter in the history of this great country, Australia. There comes a time in the history of nations when their peoples must become fully reconciled to their past if they are to go forward with confidence to embrace their future. Our nation, Australia, has reached such a time. That is why the parliament is today here assembled: to deal with this unfinished business of the nation, to remove a great stain from the nation’s soul and, in a true spirit of reconciliation, to open a new chapter in the history of this great land, Australia. Last year I made a commitment to the Australian people that if we formed the next government of the Commonwealth we would in parliament say sorry to the stolen generations. Today I honour that commitment. I said we would do so early in the life of the new parliament. Again, today I honour that commitment by doing so at the commencement of this the 42nd parliament of the Commonwealth. Because the time has come, well and truly come, for all peoples of our great country, for all citizens of our great Commonwealth, for all Australians—those who are Indigenous and those who are not—to come together to reconcile and together build a new future for our nation. Some have asked, "Why apologise?" Let me begin to answer by telling the parliament just a little of one person’s story—an elegant, eloquent and wonderful woman in her 80s, full of life, full of funny stories, AustralianPolitics.com no http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/19/liberal-party-director-analyses-election-defeat.html http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/19/liberal-party-director-analyses-election-defeat.html#comments Wed, 19 Dec 2007 12:58:19 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/19/liberal-party-director-analyses-election-defeat.shtml http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/19/liberal-party-director-analyses-election-defeat.html/feed 0 2007 Federal Election,Brian Loughnane,Howard Government,Liberal Party,National Press Club 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 tact... 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: Listen to Brian Loughnane's National Press Club Address This is the text of Brian Loughnane's Address to the National Press Club. Mr President, Ladies and Gentlemen: I thank the National Press Club for the opportunity of today's address as it allows me to discuss our defeat and some of the key issues for the Party over the next three years. I just wish it were different circumstances which brought me here. But on 24th November, the people of Australia voted clearly to change Government. I want to make it clear that the Liberal Party both accepts the decision of the Australian people and acknowledges the extent of the loss. Doing so is the first step on the road back to Government. We have already begun the task of reviewing the reasons for our defeat. We will do so thoroughly over the next few months in order to properly lay the groundwork to rebuild and again earn the trust and confidence of the Australian community at the next election. Some things are already clear. The first is that the result on 24 November was driven more by longer term strategic issues than a series of short term tactical events in the last few months, although these did unquestionably contribute to the magnitude of our defeat. Since the election, we have conducted research among voters who switched from the Liberal Party in the seats we lost and I will set out the key findings of that research today. There has been much commentary on the result since 24 November and much of it in my view is misguided and speculative. This is an important opportunity to set the record straight and lay out the facts. So far as I am aware, it is also the first occasion the result has been reviewed with the benefit of input from specific research conducted since the election. The Challenge The task confronting the Coalition in 2007 was always going to be challenging. It is unusual for any Government in Australia to be elected to a fifth term. The redistribution effectively removed the increased margin won by the Coalition at the last election and reduced the swing required for a change of Government from 4.4% to 2.8%. Significantly, the redistribution occurred in New South Wales and Queensland – the States that counted most in 2007 – and removed any buffer for us when the swing came. It had been evident ever since its defeat in 2004 that Labor had been getting its act together and was building on its experience in State campaigns to refine and develop its federal campaign. Labor used its incumbency in every State as an integrated part of its federal campaign. There are now few federal Coalition seats without at least one State Labor or Independent MP. This had both political and on-the-ground effects, especially for resourcing local Labor campaigns for the federal election and for local media reporting. Further, eleven long-serving Coalition members retired at the 2007 election. We were defeated in five of those seats. However, while these factors made the task of being re-elected difficult, they did not contribute directly to our defeat. Key Reasons In simple terms, a range of factors came together which led the electorate to conclude that while the Government had done a good job, it had run its race and change, while having some risks, was 'worth a go'. This sentiment for change resulted in the Coalition losing the support of some key groups in the electorate that had supported us since 1996. The most important according to our research were parents, in outer suburban and regional areas, in the 35-49 age group. AustralianPolitics.com no http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/13/3-2-1-split-in-tasmanian-senate-poll.html http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/13/3-2-1-split-in-tasmanian-senate-poll.html#comments Wed, 12 Dec 2007 13:13:42 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/13/3-2-1-split-in-tasmanian-senate-poll.shtml http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/13/3-2-1-split-in-tasmanian-senate-poll.html/feed 0 http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/12/bennelong-declaration-ends-howards-political-career.html http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/12/bennelong-declaration-ends-howards-political-career.html#comments Tue, 11 Dec 2007 13:18:19 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/12/bennelong-declaration-ends-howards-political-career.shtml http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/12/bennelong-declaration-ends-howards-political-career.html/feed 0 http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/10/alp-lead-in-mcewen-now-only-6-votes.html http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/10/alp-lead-in-mcewen-now-only-6-votes.html#comments Sun, 09 Dec 2007 13:27:16 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/10/alp-lead-in-mcewen-now-only-6-votes.shtml http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/10/alp-lead-in-mcewen-now-only-6-votes.html/feed 0 http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/08/alp-wins-mcewen-by-7-votes.html http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/08/alp-wins-mcewen-by-7-votes.html#comments Fri, 07 Dec 2007 13:30:57 +0000 Malcolm Farnsworth http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/08/alp-wins-mcewen-by-7-votes.shtml http://australianpolitics.com/2007/12/08/alp-wins-mcewen-by-7-votes.html/feed 0