Australia - 7 September 2013

[Lurker]

Rudd is placing the NSW party under direct federal control, giving Dastyari full power to clean it up-  starting with a new executive. Meanwhile there's a Cabinet debate about the election date, some want August, Rudd wants October/November. Date to be announced today.

Why does Rudd want this? It seems to me that it would make sense for him to call the election as early as possible, before he (possibly) loses the momentum.

[Lurker]

Regarding the other issue, the ALP was shut out of government throughout the 1950s and 1960s because it's most conservative faction was thrown out of the party and decided to hit back in a fantastically spiteful manner. That sort of history is quite the incentive for not trying that type of thing again.

Yes, of course, but the question is rather why are there so unusually many anti-gay people in the ALP in the first place? Is there something about Australian culture that differs from much of the west when it comes to this?

In most western countries - and pretty much everywhere that is most comparable to Australia - Social  Democratic and centre-left parties are strongly in favour of gay marriage.

[Lurker]

A question for you Aussies:

Have there been much complaints about media bias in this election? I looked at a list of newspapers endorsements and was surprised to see that every single newspaper has endorsed the Coalition (with Canberra Times being the lone exception). Seems like the press really despise mr. Rudd.