Election 2004 | Day 31 | Roundup (or Suckup)

9 DAYS TO GO.

$1.40 Coalition, $2.70 Labor.

I scored yet more crap in my letterbox today from Kezza. This is the fourth piece of junk I've gotten now. And I got a whole one piece from Ptolemy a few weeks ago. What's the deal?! Serious lack of advertising here. Kezza also took out nearly a half page ad in the local paper, whereas Ptolemy had about a 4cm one. Seriously Ptolemy, sell your car or something and advertise more.

Extra Labor Savings Found:

A COALITION push to discredit Labor leader Mark Latham was derailed yesterday when Treasury said Australia would be $133 million better off under Labor savings policies.

Shafted.

Here's something to cheer up anyone thinking the Coalition might win it - Chris Sheil confidently predicts an ALP win.

More Polling Stuff
Award for worst wording of a sentence ever when regarding percentages:

After transfers are taken into account, the poll puts support at 51 per cent for Labor and 49 for the Coalition, though 12 per cent of respondents said they were still undecided, leaving the election wide open with nine full days of campaigning to go.

It also seems that vote buying doesn't really work, and that two thirds of people will have Iraq on their minds when they go to vote.

I'm Ready To Lead, He's Ready To Leave
ALP campaign launch was today. And did the olds ever score or what! If you're over 75, all your medical stuff is covered. That was the biggie. Others were quarterly pension adjustments, allowances for grandparents with custody of their grandkids, and other stuff.

The Australian Health Association, Catholic Health Australia, Australian Nursing Federation, Health Services Union, veterans, and the ACTU reckoned the Medicare Gold policy rocked. So did my grandma (but she's fiercely pro-Labor anyway).

But there was still one old fart that didn't like it...

"Mr Latham's speech is completely devoid of any plan to keep the economy strong into the future and interest rates low."

- Guess who?

Yes, good old Johnny. Funny how he can say that when his only "plans" to "keep interest rates low" in his speech were "we run strong budgets" and "Labor's IR policy is the spawn of Satan." WOW! I FEEL INSPIRED!

He's going to be hanging around Melbourne tomorrow, so hopefully Ms Fits will flash her panties at him. Or hit him with a brick. Either way.

Bob had this to say about the speech:

"I must say I think there is a freshness about the Latham package which will win points with the electorate. There is a flavour of that emerging in the campaign, that there's a little bit of staleness about the government and about the prime minister."

- Bob Brown

• SMH: Latham: I'm Ready To Lead
• News Ltd: Pensioners Win Big With Latham
• ABC: Latham To Do "Whatever It Takes"

The Daily Telegraph doesn't like Latham, but I think they were impressed.

Lozza reckons Howard will be gone within a year if he wins this election.

And in closing, a chunk of a longer interview where Howard makes himself look like a tossbag.

JOURNALIST: How have you changed the psychology of Australia and Australians during your eight-and-a-half years of government?

PRIME MINISTER: Oh, that is an incredibly sort of reflective question to ask me on a day like this. I mean, perhaps, you know, over a cappuccino or a latte or something or other you might like to…you could bring all your friends along as well. I think Australia is a more self-confident country now than it was in 1996. I think it has a greater sense of belief in its own separate identity. I don't think it agonises over its cultural identity. I think it just thinks it's in pretty good shape. It certainly has a sense of wellbeing but it retains its traditional commitment to a fair go and a sense of compassion but that we are a fortunate prosperous country and the dominant decision people have got to make is, who is better able to keep it that way. Who is better able to maintain that prosperity, not take it for granted, not assume that we'll always be there, but who's better able to maintain that prosperity and to keep their interest rates low. I think those things do play on the minds of Australians and so they should because you can't take these things for granted.