Australian Federal Election
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<p>Transcript available from 7:30 Report last night: <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2016/s4488065.htm'>http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2016/s4488065.htm</a><br>
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Sample:</p>
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<p>LEIGH SALES: Alright. Another issue of trust. I've put this to you before, but let me raise it again. You've said repeatedly in regards to union misconduct that you have zero tolerance for criminality and illegality and I've previously read you numerous judgements from courts all around the country labelling the CFMEU an organisation with total disregard for the law. And yet you continue to accept money from the CFMEU, the Labor Party does, and to allow them a say in the formulation of Labor Party policy. That's not zero tolerance, is it? It's a joint venture.<br>
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BILL SHORTEN: Oh, no, that's not fair at all, Leigh. That's not fair at all. I don't think you can assert that the Labor Party's done any of those things, so using it is a joint venture ...<br><br>
LEIGH SALES: But you do take money from the CFMEU. You do let them have a say in policy.<br>
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BILL SHORTEN: Leigh - Leigh, it was that proposition about a joint venture - that's a bridge too far and that doesn't stack up. In terms of the CFMEU, I have got zero tolerance for when their officials break the law. They're absolutely not welcome in the Labor Party. I don't tar every building worker or every trade union with the actions of some officials. I don't expect Mr Turnbull ...<br><br>
LEIGH SALES: But there have been numerous - sorry, ...<br><br>
BILL SHORTEN: But let's just be clear ...<br><br>
LEIGH SALES: I don't want to go to Mr Turnbull because what I want to go to is this. There have been numerous ...<br><br>
BILL SHORTEN: Well no, you are because you're setting up a double standard here.<br><br>
LEIGH SALES: No, no. No, no, I'm not. No, I'm not at all. There have been numerous cases that I've read you in the past where judges around the country have said that the CFMEU as an organisation - not individuals, as an organisation has a record of flouting the law and I'm pointing out that despite you saying you have zero tolerance for that, the Labor Party still has a very tight relationship with them.<br><br>
BILL SHORTEN: No, I don't confuse every person in that union with the actions of some officials. But we do have zero tolerance. We're the ones who've increased the penalties. We're the ones who've proposed new oversight in terms of the regulation of workplace relations. What I won't do though is engage in a general attack on the trade union movement and label everyone with the actions of some people. But where there is criminal activity, the way you hunt it down is through the use of a joint taskforce of police. This government has called the whole election on the basis of their regulator, but they're proposing a system of bureaucracy which is not needed when you've already got the tools there. What we've got to do is give the compliance authorities the resources to do the job they've got to do. And just while we talk about flouting the law, how many bank scandals do there need to be before we get a royal commission into the banks?<br><br>
LEIGH SALES: Sticking with the trust theme, Labor's record in office. The Treasurer Wayne Swan promised four surpluses. He didn't deliver one. You promised an effective mining tax. It raised next to nothing. You promised no carbon tax. You introduced one. You dismantled the Coalition's border protection regime claiming that would save $60 million. It cost more than $10 billion. You axed two sitting prime ministers. Isn't that reasonable for voters to baulk at trusting Labor again with the reins of government?<br><br>
BILL SHORTEN: Well the Labor Party, when it woke up after the Sunday after the last election, realised that the good things it had done in office - the Apology, the handling of the Global Financial Crisis, a whole range of measures - have been overshadowed by infighting. Everyone collectively in the Labor Party learned a very valuable lesson that hardest way it can be done, administered by the Australian people. People do want to see a strong Labor Party and they want to see a strong Liberal Party. What they want to see are united parties and I've got to just put on record my gratitude to my party for the sense of unity and purpose that we've had since then. When you talk about some of the programs and some of the measures of government, under this government, they've never recorded a surplus. Under this ...<br><br>
LEIGH SALES: No, we're talking about your record.<br><br>
BILL SHORTEN: No, they are, but just, let's be clear. Under this government, and this is the government seeking to offer themselves - how do they say they've learned their lesson?<br><br>
LEIGH SALES: We're talking about your record. I'm asking how voters - if people think, "OK, well past behaviour is the best predictor of future behaviour," they look at some of those things I've outlined and they feel nervous about going back to Labor.</p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="NTA" data-cid="591149" data-time="1466749165">
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<p>Yep. I'm reaching the age where I think the politicians in my youth (Hawke through to Howard) would eat the present lot for entree and wonder where the meat and potatoes were.</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>And there were people of some substance back then. Not all of them but a hell of a lot more than there are now. </p>
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<p>A conversation I was having yesterday about the ALP and lack of quality reminded me of Kim Beazley Snr when he was lamenting what Labor had become in the late 60s. The party was pushing a host of "trendy left agendas" as he said it. Beazley got up in front of his comrades at an ALP conference in 1970 and gave them a serve. "When I joined the Labor Party, it contained the cream of the working class. But as I look about me now all I see are the dregs of the middle class. And what I want to know is when you middle class perverts are going to stop using the Labor Party as a spiritual spitoon."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Far too many ALP parliamentarians today are products of the machine - student politics, work for a union or as a political staffer, run on an ALP ticket for the council, run for preselection. </p> -
I wonder how those guys would go in today's society though? People are different, the media are different, and the way they communicate is different
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="591167" data-time="1466752047">
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<p>I wonder how those guys would go in today's society though? People are different, the media are different, and the way they communicate is different</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>I wouldn't mind more the odd politician that stood for something concrete rather than what they can get on 140 characters :)</p>
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<p>Serious though, it is a very different game with the way the media and the public engage with politicians. People often point the 24 hour media cycle as "the problem". I don't know. It is what it is and I'm more in the if you can't deal with how things have evolved then public life probably isn't for you anymore. </p>
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<p>The cycle can be a very helpful problem when your opposition gaff/contradiction/lie/stuff up is played on loop for 24 hours on Sky News and ABC 24. I think where problems arise is how parties and politicians react. The more staffers I meet, they are young and are this 'new generation' and seem to always want to engage with it.</p>
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<p>Take that Shorten interview. Trainwreck if you ask me. Sometimes politicians will say something way left field to get some air time. Wise leader then is expected to "clarify" what was said. And whilst the attention is on them, he/she can get a few free kicks in as well. The media isn't focused on the other bloke. Politics 101 stuff.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But that Shorten interview last night was not that kind of media moment. His campaign/ads/slogans were exposed and Shorten's response had nothing. No doubt were two camps in Shorten's office last night thinking 1) the Leigh Sales interview will blow over, so lets do our trip to the Northern Territory, announce some 'feel good' stuff and the media will latch on to something else (Brexit etc). The 2) camp will be thinking, we need to deflect and get back out there and defend our position. Polling tells us Medicare is an issue (because we asked them!!!). Let's hit twitter, facebook, blah blah blah.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ACT Crusader" data-cid="591156" data-time="1466750416">
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<p>And there were people of some substance back then. Not all of them but a hell of a lot more than there are now. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>A conversation I was having yesterday about the ALP and lack of quality reminded me of Kim Beazley Snr when he was lamenting what Labor had become in the late 60s. The party was pushing a host of "trendy left agendas" as he said it. Beazley got up in front of his comrades at an ALP conference in 1970 and gave them a serve. "When I joined the Labor Party, it contained the cream of the working class. But as I look about me now all I see are the dregs of the middle class. And what I want to know is when you middle class perverts are going to stop using the Labor Party as a spiritual spitoon."</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Far too many ALP parliamentarians today are products of the machine - student politics, work for a union or as a political staffer, run on an ALP ticket for the council, run for preselection. </p>
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<p>I joined the NZLP a couple of years ago, and while it's not the ALP, I suspect there are similarities in how they operate.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Basically, most of the internal work is fundraising and campaigning. Not terribly sexy work, quite frankly, but it's how people earn their stripes to go for higher honours. That's why MPs are usually products of the machine, because they put in their "apprenticeships" and worked their way to nominations by dint of large amounts of voluntary work on other campaigns and fundraising. Doing this for a reasonable length of time eventually means party members are willing to support them by volunteering for their campaigns, which is a necessity to get elected.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="Godder" data-cid="591177" data-time="1466755645"><p>I joined the NZLP a couple of years ago, and while it's not the ALP, I suspect there are similarities in how they operate.<br><br>
Basically, most of the internal work is fundraising and campaigning. Not terribly sexy work, quite frankly, but it's how people earn their stripes to go for higher honours. That's why MPs are usually products of the machine, because they put in their "apprenticeships" and worked their way to nominations by dint of large amounts of voluntary work on other campaigns and fundraising. Doing this for a reasonable length of time eventually means party members are willing to support them by volunteering for their campaigns, which is a necessity to get elected.</p></blockquote>
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Different machine I think Godder. The common path is the union official or political staffer (not back office campaign volunteers). That's why it's been such a big deal when someone hasn't come from that path - Nova Peris, Maxine McKew. And they often don't survive because they don't have a factional base to go into bat for them when the lions start circling. -
<p><img src="https://scontent.fmel1-1.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/13439182_1053819214708417_4490913743209979095_n.jpg?oh=7fb497cc49e98f0c6b8820da6f73b4b0&oe=57FA5D5A" alt="13439182_1053819214708417_44909137432099"></p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="antipodean" data-cid="591150" data-time="1466749855">
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<p>Transcript available from 7:30 Report last night: <a data-ipb='nomediaparse' href='http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2016/s4488065.htm'>http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2016/s4488065.htm</a><br>
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Sample:</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>FARKING HELL.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ACT Crusader" data-cid="591184" data-time="1466757044">
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<p>Different machine I think Godder. The common path is the union official or political staffer (not back office campaign volunteers). That's why it's been such a big deal when someone hasn't come from that path - Nova Peris, Maxine McKew. And they often don't survive because they don't have a factional base to go into bat for them when the lions start circling.</p>
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<p>That's true of the Libs as well ACTC.</p>
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<p>I worked in politics for a few years, for a Minister in the NSW Lib/Nat Government. Though not a party member myself (and not a 'true believer' by any stretch), I have come into contact with a lot of these staffers looking for higher honours.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>It depresses me a little, because with a lot of these guys (especially the younger ones) they haven't got a solid grasp on why they believe what they do. Why they are on the political right. I know some blokes who champion the monarchy, who champion Brexit without the foggiest fucking idea why they do it. They just mimic the actions of their fellow right-wingers.</p>
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<p>And this isn't a smear on the right at all, because it's the same on the other side. Full of people believing in a cause with no solid ideological foundation to base it on. I actually have a lot of respect for libertarians (some of them) and those on the harder right (like Cory Bernardi, weirdly) because at least they have clearly thought hard about what they believe in, and why they do it. They have a real conviction that they are correct in their views.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>But both major parties are largely filled with these mindless drones who come up through the system without having to formulate a solid view on the world, and have that view challenged. And that's why there is such a dearth of thoughtful, inspirational figures on both sides of the aisle IMO.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="ACT Crusader" data-cid="591184" data-time="1466757044">
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<p>Different machine I think Godder. The common path is the union official or political staffer (not back office campaign volunteers). That's why it's been such a big deal when someone hasn't come from that path - Nova Peris, Maxine McKew. And they often don't survive because they don't have a factional base to go into bat for them when the lions start circling.</p>
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<p> </p>
<p>Sounds the same, TBH. In NZ, the union officials I've had dealings with (quite a few from various unions) generally started out as delegates somewhere, and become officials from there. Labour parties were generally founded as the political arm of the labour movement, while trade unions were the industrial arm (and often instrumental in the foundation of labour parties, including in NZ), so it's hardly surprising that it's still a major source of people and funding.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>A major source of political staffer here is student politics, because you get people who are interested, have relevant experience, and generally have relevant degrees. As with Unions, it's hardly surprising in that context. Sure, ideally, awesome people would come in from the outside and be given the rocket push, but politics is a tough business, and failure is common in that scenario. John Key is very much an outlier in that respect.</p> -
<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="barbarian" data-cid="591247" data-time="1466779646">
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<p> I actually have a lot of respect for libertarians (some of them) and those on the harder right (like Cory Bernardi, weirdly) because at least they have clearly thought hard about what they believe in, and why they do it. They have a real conviction that they are correct in their views.</p>
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<p>Not sure that statement is true about Cory. I strongly suspect he holds his views because Jesus tells him so. No deeper analysis required there.</p> -
<p>And so, we enter the last week, where the rampant negativity begins.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Watching <em>Insiders</em> today, Chris Uhlmann was very quick to point out that while Mal might try to leverage Brexit as a harbinger of voting for stability, the bigger message for the major parties is that disenfranchised voters will leave establishment parties on the principle of lashing out. Barrie Cassidy seemed pretty convinced that there was going to be a bit of a shock coming for both sides, and the panel was generally in agreement that South Australia is going to be hell for Labor with Xenophon muddying the waters.</p>
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<p>Shorten has done himself no favours with the Medicare thing this week. He's still plugging it too, as per the vision from the Brisbane "launch" today.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Get the feeling its going to stay in that "LNP reduced majority" thing. But shit, anything could happen after this last week.</p> -
<p>So, how do we feel about the ALP basically getting free advertising through union funded attack ads on the LNP? I have seen more union advertising than from any other source this election. And they don't appear to be held to account for anything they say. </p>
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<blockquote class="ipsBlockquote" data-author="mariner4life" data-cid="592136" data-time="1466984090"><p>So, how do we feel about the ALP basically getting free advertising through union funded attack ads on the LNP? I have seen more union advertising than from any other source this election. And they don't appear to be held to account for anything they say.</p></blockquote>
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Speaking of advertising, the Gonski posters that you see at some schools and are around are in green. All finding by the AEU (for the ALP) but it looks like Greens advertising. <br><br>
In the seat of Higgins on the weekend and the Greens were really hammering it. It's safe Liberal territory. Peter Costello held it for eons and Kelly O'Dwyer now holds it still with a good margin. But there are some "green" areas like Prahran and parts of Sth Yarra. The Greens candidate is Jason Ball and he has a bit of profile as a footy player and was an advocate for LGBTI related issues. <br><br>
I don't think they win but it's more a long term strategy of setting a platform for next election. <br><br>
Greens likely to win the seat of Batman off ALP. David Feeney will be wondering how a top 10 ALP held seats in terms of 1st preference votes is basically gone because of his stuff up. -
<p>I think Shorten's message on the Libs and 'selling Medicare' is way off base, and smacks of desperation to me. Hope it hurts him at the ballot box, it's a ridiculous claim.</p>
<p> </p>
<p>Think Brexit will help Turnbull, the economic messages will only get louder this week and this plays right into the hands of the Libs.</p> -
I've just watched him get taken to task on his medicare scare campaign. Apparently it's okay to outright lie about the privatisation of medicare if you make your own definition of privatisation.