Yesterday's opinion poll has Labor and the Coalition at 50/50. This is going to be such a close election. If Labor loses Marginals in Queensland and NSW such as Robertson, it is going to be extremly difficult when WA start filtering through.

The Coalition has to win 17 seats to win government. However, this could possibly be more if Liberal doesn't hold all their seats. They are tipped to lose Paterson that is held by Bob Baldwin.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-election/it-could-be-all-over-for-labor-before-the-polls-close-in-wa-20100819-12s3s.html

According to this article, watch Tasmania. If Labor loses those 2 seats, it would make it extremly difficult for Labor.

This is going to be so close and I can't wait!!!

this is not a horse race or a game of footy, guys.
In these times of global crises, this is one of the most important Australian elections I have seen in my life, and I have been here for a while now.

We are going to need a proven, steady, safe government in what is coming. These are extremely dangerous times now.
We will need a sensible and conservative government, and this time I am absolutely convinced (not on the looks of candidates, not on hair colour, not on gender, or any superficial things like that), that we need this particular group in the Liberal party in government for the next three years. If things turn out bad during that time, or there is need for a change next time, I will reconsider. But, they have a track record, a good one that this country desperately needs now and in the next few years, whereas the Labor party has demonstrated all the things that are deplorable in a government. This particular Labor group are not, in my view, stable and steady hands, nor minds, to be entrusted with our country.
Industry is extremely worried about the prospects of them getting back in, and there is likely to be a very big economic backlash if they do, as industry is not going to invest while they are there. Capital markets could get even tighter in this country and we see an economic contraction even worse than what might be experienced globally as many are saying around the world right now is definitely going to happen.
We just cannot trust this Labor government to get their heads around this and out of their ideological mindset. This time, this country needs the conservatives...like no other time in its history, I believe.

It is not a two-up game, folks. You better vote for stability this time and the group that has the personal strength and proven track record to do it. The Liberals.
We will suffer very bad times if they don't get in, you will see.

Notwithstanding my being agnostic, I may still "thank god", when all of these -

C

redible

R

eliable

A

bunadant

P

aradoxes

are over and the Political Spin, more commonly referred to as plain BS, are brought back to "normal" levels and the decision has been made.

But, whatever it may be, it will not alter our main Economic direction, it will only make a difference at the margins & affect the speed of events!

[quote author=perceptions_now link=1282259677/0#4 date=

But, whatever it may be, it will not alter our main Economic direction, it will only make a difference at the margins & affect the speed of events! [/quote]


I find it hard to agree with the above perceptions_now.  I fear that if labor are returned thanks  to Greens preferences, the country will suffer greatly, as Labor will be held to ransom by the Greens in any decision making.

shampain socialist wrote on Aug 20^th, 2010 at 11:33am:


Well, you may get your wish, so we shall see if the problem is solved?

That said, in the scheme of things, the influx of "boat people" is relatively minor, in the current, overall situation.  

Quote:

nichy wrote on Aug 20^th, 2010 at 11:39am:


We are about to head back into the GFC and given their past history & rhetoric, I expect the Liberals would/will do exactly what the UK Conservatives have done, which is a massive AUS-terity programs.

However, a massive decline in the Publics DISPOSABLE INCOME, AT THIS TIME, IS ABSOLUTELY THE WRONG THING, AT THE WRONG TIME!

I'm not saying that this sort of action is wrong as such, but it will be in the current circumstances.

There are many things that must be done, but AUS-terity right now is not one!

Equitist wrote on Aug 20^th, 2010 at 12:46pm:

oh bugger, I can't be bothered   

Equitist wrote on Aug 20^th, 2010 at 12:46pm:


It wouldnt matter, if a coalition wins, its not because Abbott is popular.

Thy, look in your own backyard, the Libs went from Zero to outside chance, not because of how good the libs are, Im sure an intelligent person such as yourself knows why.

Verge wrote on Aug 20^th, 2010 at 12:53pm:


LOL...that should have been 'popularly-elected'...

That said, I agree that incumbents tend to lose elections but the Libs clearly favour negative fearmongering as their political tool of choice - and it remains to be seen how effective the respective campaigns have been overall...

Actually, it remains to be seen whether the overall 'Lib fear factor' is: -

* Fear of what Libs say is real

and/or

* Fear of what agenda Libs really represent

Who really knows what each voter fears most in each electorate, eh!?

Vanessa wrote on Aug 20^th, 2010 at 3:06pm:


Late polling notwithstanding, I still wouldn't be surprised if the Labs scraped it in - either way, I too remain hopeful that the Greens will gain just enough power to block the worst of the LibLab policies!



PS I also won't be surprised if some of the right-biased pollsters do some cynical face-saving backpeddling over the next 24 hours!

shampain socialist wrote on Aug 20^th, 2010 at 12:50pm:


Referring to the bolded area. The GFC happened. You cannot say that the Libs would have come out of it with less debt. We were saved from the recession. BY LABOR. We came out of it with the lowest debt and Unemployment. The Libs would have done nothing. They opposed the stimulus packages. We would have had way higher debt and unemployment. You say the Libs are better at managing the economy? Your in another world if you think that.

Equitist wrote on Aug 20^th, 2010 at 12:46pm:


You do sound ridiculously stupid when you talk like that!

James Bluntus wrote on Aug 20^th, 2010 at 4:00pm:


Speaking as someone old enough to vote (ie not you) and old enough to remember Howards election in 96 while not in nappies (ie not you) you have a very myopic viewpoint on the GFC. Govts that ruled before you were born and others that ruled while you learned to read and write are the ones that put Australia in the position to avoid recession - not soley Rudd labor. They were gifted a v8 supercar in a field of Camrys and their only acheivement has been to REMAIN 10 laps ahead of the field - not to run the entire race on their own. One day you too will be old enough to think of things that happened before last week - hopefully before you get the vote.

... wrote on Aug 20^th, 2010 at 4:02pm:


No. He publicly opposed the stimulus packages.

Quote:


It's conservatives that saved Australia by having a healthy bank balance when the financial crisis hit. That wouldn't have been the case under a leftwing govt

the fact is the alp are a failed govt.
from the best ever popular pm (dudd) they are now 50/50 to lose.
Abbott has HUGE momentum and judas has stalled

they deserve to lose.

Genuine fear that we could be led by big ears in budgies.

Too horrible to contimplate.

My options

1) Christian Democrats (Fred nile group)

2) Lib

3) Lab

4) Family First

5) Green.

How do you deciede when 2,4 & 5 all need to be rated number 5.

The fact is that Howard came through the Asian resource boom with a surplus of just over 20 billion.
Less than the amount his incompetent government lost of our super money that it sent to the US on the first day of the crash.
For a decade he could have been investing in Australia, but he also gave 55billion taxpayer dollars to top up aussie super funds, 37% of which went to the top 5% income earners in the country.
Howard preferred pouring money into rich people's bank accounts over investing in health or education, and Tony cheered him on, and wants the chance to do it again.

His first job if he wins will be to start paying back the mining billionaires for their support, by giving them the 9 billion in taxes back.
No guessing that he will find 9 billion in cuts to health and education so they can each get a few more lear jets.

Tony has no vision, and no ideas, sure Labor botched so much of what they did, but they were under extreme pressure to act fast, to avert disaster, and that does not excuse their failings, but it does make them a little more understandable.
We are hanging on by a thread economically, and if the Libs come in, we will see that thread broken, and the recession will hit hard, and the personal, and economic cost of their inaction will hurt hundreds of thousands of people, very hard.

The Labor party is taxing the mining industry because the Labor Government is broke.
You do not have the right to take money off successful support industries and public utilities because you have run up irresponsible government deficits. You don't get ahead by running up credit debts; it just runs other people down when you hit them for more taxes.
The mining industry has kept this country out of trouble, not the Labor party and the union bosses.

This is not about Howard, Abbott, Gillard or anyone else.
It is about getting rid of a Labor government that has botched things and does not have faith in itself.

You cannot have faith in a commander who does not have faith in themselves.
You cannot responsibly vote this government back in, it is against Australia's interests.

Does Labor deserve to be elected?

Quote:


That's a big

Well in 12 hours time we should see results coming through from the eastern states and to a certain extent the central states. This is going to be a tight one. I won't be on until 4. Campaigning for Labor from 8-4. Should be a good close night. Can't wait!!!

Well it has been a very low life campaign that the libs have run, but hopefully after they lose today, the back room boys will seriously look at choosing a centrist leader to bring the party back to the middle ground.

We are facing a tough road ahead, and I know that Labor will lower the impact in terms of the amount of human suffering that flows on from economic struggles, but it will also mean that they will receive little credit for it, and the Libs will almost certainly win in 2013/14.

I vote for Costello to come back and lead them to victory, go Pete.