Federal Election

[Ramps]

the marginals in Qu and WA will tell the story. Thats why Abbott has a chance.

[Francois Jackson]

the marginals in Qu and WA will tell the story. Thats why Abbott has a chance.

Thats true Ramps.

he is not without a shot at this.

the miners have all jumped ship and want the Libs in hence the donations they are throwing at the Liberal campaign compared to Labour

[tiger101]

libs also have a chance of winning back 2 seats they lost in 07 in tasmania

[tiga]

One thing I don't understand is why knife someone in the back only to then re-spawn him quicker than JC with a bottle of Manna like some Messiah that will rescue the Labor cause?
This really has me perplexed and clearly shows the current government has absolutely no idea on how to run a political campaign let alone the country. I guess it just goes to show how desperate Rudd was to get that overseas posting his ego so desperately craves.

Agree tiga. It is a problem for sure. This has been the most dull campaign in living memory. It is essentially between two soundbite chasing boofheads. Both Rudd and Turnbull are more capable than those who replaced them.

The stimulus was a joke. The country had already shaken off the major affects of the GFC prior to any of the major stimulus packages such as the BER coming into effect. But hey....We are moving forward....

C'mon tiga... that is very much out of step with the best economic minds in this country and the rest of the developed world. It was a well-timed, and well-designed package and hasn't really been a big election issue because it would be the Libs against the world.

Jake, I'm not saying the stimulus packages had no effect, what I am saying is that IMO stimulus should not even be in the top 5 reasons as to why we recovered so quickly. Mining, China and a solid and regulated banking industry are at the top of my list yet the government hangs onto the stimulus like a "warm wubby" that they cuddle into at night keeping them safe from all that monsters hiding in the closet.

Now moving onto another stimulus announcement, something I have a bit more experience in...the NBN. If this goes ahead it will be the biggest white elephant waste of money known to Man. I am hoping that the Libs get in just to stop this crazy plan. 46 billion dollars spent on us just so we can bittorrent our little bums off. Lets face it...I'd prefer to see 46 billion going to health (thousands of extra beds) or transport.
I don't think government has heard of the word "bottleneck". 70% of current internet traffic leaves this country.  Most web resources such as websites, file hosters etc.. are throttled to 2mpbs per connection on average. 30% of current internet connections are "Wireless" and growing rapidly. People want more mobility not wall speed.
So a 100mbps connection is essentially useless unless you are a hospital or a corporate company requiring point to point high speed connections for data transfer which most already have, but for the average Joe, 100mbps speeds will never be realised or needed. As far as I am aware, the government hasn't even conducted any feasibility studies on this project. In order for this program to be even slightly viable, uptake would need to be in excess of 70%. Good luck with that. The areas where they have already run it out (in marginal seats mind you) hardly anyone is taking it up based purely on the costs involved.

Oh btw, where is the 46 billion coming from? It will obviously be borrowed money and if this sucker gets run out and uptake is less than 60% who is going to foot the bill?? Yep you guessed it...Us.

[Tigeritis™©®]

One thing I don't understand is why knife someone in the back only to then re-spawn him quicker than JC with a bottle of Manna like some Messiah that will rescue the Labor cause?
This really has me perplexed and clearly shows the current government has absolutely no idea on how to run a political campaign let alone the country. I guess it just goes to show how desperate Rudd was to get that overseas posting his ego so desperately craves.

Agree tiga. It is a problem for sure. This has been the most dull campaign in living memory. It is essentially between two soundbite chasing boofheads. Both Rudd and Turnbull are more capable than those who replaced them.

The stimulus was a joke. The country had already shaken off the major affects of the GFC prior to any of the major stimulus packages such as the BER coming into effect. But hey....We are moving forward....

C'mon tiga... that is very much out of step with the best economic minds in this country and the rest of the developed world. It was a well-timed, and well-designed package and hasn't really been a big election issue because it would be the Libs against the world.

Jake, I'm not saying the stimulus packages had no effect, what I am saying is that IMO stimulus should not even be in the top 5 reasons as to why we recovered so quickly. Mining, China and a solid and regulated banking industry are at the top of my list yet the government hangs onto the stimulus like a "warm wubby" that they cuddle into at night keeping them safe from all that monsters hiding in the closet.

Now moving onto another stimulus announcement, something I have a bit more experience in...the NBN. If this goes ahead it will be the biggest white elephant waste of money known to Man. I am hoping that the Libs get in just to stop this crazy plan. 46 billion dollars spent on us just so we can bittorrent our little bums off. Lets face it...I'd prefer to see 46 billion going to health (thousands of extra beds) or transport.
I don't think government has heard of the word "bottleneck". 70% of current internet traffic leaves this country.  Most web resources such as websites, file hosters etc.. are throttled to 2mpbs per connection on average. 30% of current internet connections are "Wireless" and growing rapidly. People want more mobility not wall speed.
So a 100mbps connection is essentially useless unless you are a hospital or a corporate company requiring point to point high speed connections for data transfer which most already have, but for the average Joe, 100mbps speeds will never be realised or needed. As far as I am aware, the government hasn't even conducted any feasibility studies on this project. In order for this program to be even slightly viable, uptake would need to be in excess of 70%. Good luck with that. The areas where they have already run it out (in marginal seats mind you) hardly anyone is taking it up based purely on the costs involved.

Oh btw, where is the 46 billion coming from? It will obviously be borrowed money and if this sucker gets run out and uptake is less than 60% who is going to foot the bill?? Yep you guessed it...Us.

I agree totally. The NBN is the most scary policy I've ever heard of especially due to the gross mismanagement of taxpayer money already realized.
Insulation scheme. people dead, houses burnt. Failure. 2 billion wasted 1 billion to fix. Scrapped
Grocery watch. Failure. Millions wasted. Scrapped. 
Petrol watch. Failure, millions wasted. Scrapped.
BER. Billions wasted. biggest mistake is letting the Victorian state government to implement the program in Victoria. They couldn't organise a mcdonald birthday party without wasting billions of dollars. More of the rorts will be manifested if the coalition are in power as they have promised a royal commission.
..... And lastly. NBN. I can't trust a government that has had so many mistakes and so much waste. They had "lost their way" so sack the primeminister as if it was ONLY his fault. What rubbish!!!
This 43 billion dollar scheme may sound great to some but by going on current form and history, by the time the scheme is finished, this labour government would probably wasted twice that and be finished in 2021. By then, the NBN will be obsolete.

[mightytiges]

The Libs $6b broadband policy will obsolete before it's even implemented. 12mbps is really going to set the country up for the next 20-30 years. Like the "640k ought to be enough for anybody" comment in the early 80s . Gotta loves the Libs when it comes to infrastructure and forward planning. Almost 3 decades in power in Victoria (1955-82) and they did sweet stuff all except close lines and leave things to rot when it came to Melbourne's public transport system as the city grew outwards post-WII and now we are paying for that lack of vision. Even just replacing all the old wooden sleepers with concrete ones is now a 3 year project .

Anyway thank goodness the Federal campaigning is over = no more swamping us with annoying and uninspiring political ads. Gawd help us if the Greens end up with the balance of power  . The result all depends on NSW and Qld marginals as Ramps said.

[Penelope]

I just hope its a hung Parliment - I'll even supply the rope.

[Tigeritis™©®]

The Libs $6b broadband policy will obsolete before it's even implemented. 12mbps is really going to set the country up for the next 20-30 years. Like the "640k ought to be enough for anybody" comment in the early 80s . Gotta loves the Libs when it comes to infrastructure and forward planning. Almost 3 decades in power in Victoria (1955-82) and they did sweet stuff all except close lines and leave things to rot when it came to Melbourne's public transport system as the city grew outwards post-WII and now we are paying for that lack of vision. Even just replacing all the old wooden sleepers with concrete ones is now a 3 year project .

Anyway thank goodness the Federal campaigning is over = no more swamping us with annoying and uninspiring political ads. Gawd help us if the Greens end up with the balance of power  . The result all depends on NSW and Qld marginals as Ramps said.

poor form MT. You're normally well informed but you obviously haven't read the liberals broadband policy. The Money they have proposed is made up mostly of grants to be given to industry that want to invest in better and faster technology. It's allowing the industry to grow with financial incentives.
What the NBN WILL be is a great big expensive white elephant that will be out of date when finally finished let's hope noone dies as a result of it's implementation.
And let's not get started with Vic government. We ALL remember when the Cain government made us the laughing stock of the nation. Gee even Tassie was laughing at us when we went from a tripple A rating to a negative A. Then Joan Kirner came to save the day (look familiar) problem was they just laughed louder. It took Jeff Kennett and the Liberal party to fix the mess and to repair Victoria's reputation back to top state in Australia.
It's no wonder the labor is struggling in NSW and Queensland due to the waning popularity and mess that both state governments have left them in. Both ALP and both led by women! Suprise suprise.
Fact is  MT I wouldn't trust any Labor government to run a local bingo game at my granny's senior citizens hall, their history speaks for themselves. 

[Francois Jackson]

Down to the wire this is. Sorry i had to say its the Libs by a nose IMO.

Maxine smashed in Bennelong. What an idiot!!

Still though at least i got to see the day Howard became what the 2nd person in history to lose that seat.

Still remember vision of the racist prick  sulking with his pig of a mrs.

[the_boy_jake]

Most likely a hung parliament. No big policy commitment, no investment in infrastructure, effectively a Lib win.

I got to say as someone who works designing wireless chips that if the NBN doesn't get traction with the electorate for the reasons that tiga and Mr Tigra say, then it really shows there is a fundamental lack of understanding of the technology. "People want more mobility not wall speed." That may be so, but the fundamental physical capacity of wireless channels means you need more smaller wireless networks and that 3G/4G cellular is not the answer. The solution is wireless hotspots on a very high-bandwidth fixed network (take the surprisingly higher than expected sales of the WiFi iPad over the WiFi + 3G option as evidence that cellular is overkill anyway).

I happen to think Quigley is an honourable guy. He isn't in it for the money, apparently giving away most of his salary to charity. I couldn't agree more with his article in the Australian.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/government/quigley-defends-nbn/story-fn4htb9o-1225907166756

[mightytiges]

The Libs $6b broadband policy will obsolete before it's even implemented. 12mbps is really going to set the country up for the next 20-30 years. Like the "640k ought to be enough for anybody" comment in the early 80s . Gotta loves the Libs when it comes to infrastructure and forward planning. Almost 3 decades in power in Victoria (1955-82) and they did sweet stuff all except close lines and leave things to rot when it came to Melbourne's public transport system as the city grew outwards post-WII and now we are paying for that lack of vision. Even just replacing all the old wooden sleepers with concrete ones is now a 3 year project .

Anyway thank goodness the Federal campaigning is over = no more swamping us with annoying and uninspiring political ads. Gawd help us if the Greens end up with the balance of power  . The result all depends on NSW and Qld marginals as Ramps said.

poor form MT. You're normally well informed but you obviously haven't read the liberals broadband policy. The Money they have proposed is made up mostly of grants to be given to industry that want to invest in better and faster technology. It's allowing the industry to grow with financial incentives.

LOL @ "want". That's worked well in the past with ultilites hasn't it. Obviously an iron clad guarantee of moving Australia into the 21st century .

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/industry-sectors/coalition-plan-to-leave-us-in-backwater/story-e6frg9hx-1225903658119

And let's not get started with Vic government. We ALL remember when the Cain government made us the laughing stock of the nation. Gee even Tassie was laughing at us when we went from a tripple A rating to a negative A. Then Joan Kirner came to save the day (look familiar) problem was they just laughed louder. It took Jeff Kennett and the Liberal party to fix the mess and to repair Victoria's reputation back to top state in Australia.
It's no wonder the labor is struggling in NSW and Queensland due to the waning popularity and mess that both state governments have left them in. Both ALP and both led by women! Suprise suprise.
Fact is  MT I wouldn't trust any Labor government to run a local bingo game at my granny's senior citizens hall, their history speaks for themselves. 

I can play that game too. Both parties have had bad past governments. The disaster of the Fraser-Howard Liberal government driving the country into the ground in 1982 - high unemployment, high inflation, high interest rates,... every key economic fundamental was needing CPR. You can thank the Hawke-Keating's reforms for opening up and modernising the economy.

[mightytiges]

Most likely a hung parliament. No big policy commitment, no investment in infrastructure, effectively a Lib win.

Yep both major parties look like they won't get to 76 seats needed to form government outright. A sign the public doesn't rate either side. The result won't be known till for at least a few days as they need count postal votes in a number of 50/50 seats.

One thing is certain and that's the Greens will hold the balance in power in the Senate no matter who wins and their seat in the House of Reps could end up deciding who wins Government.

[FNM]

How are they going to work with the independents
The independents can't even stand each other after watching Tony Windsor and Barnaby Joyce tonight lol

[the_boy_jake]

Most likely a hung parliament. No big policy commitment, no investment in infrastructure, effectively a Lib win.

Yep both major parties look like they won't get to 76 seats needed to form government outright. A sign the public doesn't rate either side. The result won't be known till for at least a few days as they need count postal votes in a number of 50/50 seats.

One thing is certain and that's the Greens will hold the balance in power in the Senate no matter who wins and their seat in the House of Reps could end up deciding who wins Government.

Isn't it amazing the parallel between this and the UK election?

There the Lib Dems chose to support the Tories because 1) there was a protest vote against the government. 2) It was a more stable arrangement given any arrangement with Labour would have required a heap of other minor parties like Sinn Fein coming on board.

Will be interesting whether the Greens choose the Liberals for similar reasons, especially given that the independents are mostly notionally conservative

[cub]

So who ends up PM  ???