Australia - 7 September 2013

[Platypus]

Wow.

[Platypus]

Not impossible, to be honest, but not probable.

[Platypus]

I think the timing of this was to push an even worse story down the list...and it succeeded. If it was going to happen anyway, might as well be used to trump Craig Thomson.

[Platypus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hReBMauqhrY

For those who don't know what we're talking about...

I very little about Australian politics, but it seems amazing that handshake could have swung voters though.                                                                                                                                                       I know Gillard has been very unpopular and labour have been clobbered in state elections but I'm still expecting, her to pull of a narrow victory when voters are faced with the choice of PM Abbott.

It wasn't the handshake alone, it was just what convinced people that he was a brute. For months before, there had been rumours of a bucks night video (which never actually surfaced) and he was forced to explain why he broke a taxi driver's arm. The handshake didn't make people think he was a thug, it merely allowed them to decide that what they had been told was in fact true. I think prior to the handshake, they were willing to give him the benefit of the doubt, caught up in partisan mud-slinging, the handshake dispelled that cynicism.

This is pretty much entirely accurate and although the addendum than we never like our politicians to be violent is perhaps useful, there's nothing further to add.

[Platypus]

Lolno.

[Platypus]

The ALP plan is basically to 'ignore' the election until 25 days out, as the Liberals are going to do anyway, and then go nuclear on the negative.

It's going to be a pretty disgusting election.

[Platypus]

http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/pm-asked-if-partner-is-gay-in-baffling-interview-20130613-2o72n.html

has the audio.

[Platypus]

Perfect as ever:

[Platypus]

Adam Bandt won't hold Melbourne, I'd say.

[Platypus]

I believe it, people are morons.

[Platypus]

Gillard goes to the GG and resigns, she appoints Rudd as PM, Abbott passes a motion of no confidence in the house, and then either

a) Rudd has the support of the chamber and remains PM until an election at a time of his choosing.

b) Rudd loses the support of the chamber, and Abbott gains it, and he remains PM until an election at a time of his choosing.

c) Rudd loses the support of the chamber, and Abbott doesn't gain it, but someone else does and becomes PM until an election at the time of their choosing.

d) Rudd loses the support of the parliament, and nobody else gains it, and poarliament automatically goes into caretaker mode until an election is held at the earliest possible moment, and the GG has the opportunity to choose someone other than Rudd as caretaker PM, but would be very unlikely to choose anyone else than Abbott or Rudd.

[Platypus]

http://www.isjuliagillardstillpm.com/

[Platypus]

Any minute now.

[Platypus]

Sky News is reporting rumour as news, take it with a grain of salt, even though it may well be true.

[Platypus]

I've heard that the ALP will, as much as possible, make this a referendum on the NBN vs. whatever the mess the coalition call a policy is called. It's pretty much the one area of policy that they sh**t all over the Libs in, and if they win, it poisons Turnbull's chances of leading that party.

I don't know if it'll actually work, but it has a chance I guess.

[Platypus]

NBN?

National Broadcasting Network.

National Broadband Network, actually.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Broadband_Network

[Platypus]

Photo taken by a 12-year old girl, Sophie Deane, of the PM. She happens to have Down Syndrome. I think the truest success of the government has been the world-leading NDIS, and it will be Gillard's best legacy to Australia.

[Platypus]

New, proper, Roy Morgan poll.

Click the link for results.

3,458 questioned.

[Platypus]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=YLdsfuDrg0M

I miss Gillard :/

[Platypus]

Small target works well in state politics, where nobody really pays attention anyway (sorry Smid). But federally, it'll be interesting to see if it works at the ballot box.

[Platypus]

Dunkley would be the only gain possible, and perhaps even likely if Billson resigned, but it won't happen this time around.

[Platypus]

I'm not voting.

[Platypus]

It's a complex issue, here's my rambling thoughts posted on the BBC World Service facebook page:

You must be logged in to read this quote.

So it's not an automatic reaction against the policy, it's a rejection of the policy for being bad, despite not being necessarily wrong. But the way it is being framed and 'sold' is disgraceful, and the political discourse on the issue in Australia is ing atrocious.

[Platypus]

Turnbull would be forced to keep the coalition's policy, to be fair. Not that he'd be gung-ho about implementing it.

[Platypus]

There are still outstanding pre-selections for Labor.