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OZ VOTES 3
ABC reports John Howard has phoned Kevin Rudd to concede defeat. Current predicted Labor margin: 24 seats. Nick Minchin says result is “tragic for us on the conservative side of politics”. Julia Gillard says Howard will be remembered with “respect and affection”.
UPDATE. Jeff Kennett: “Not only are the Democrats gone, but the Greens achieved nothing, after all that effort ...” Not entirely - they did hand over the usual bunch of preferences to their ALP pals. Overall Green vote up only 0.6% on 2004, despite big early numbers.
UPDATE II. Pronounced by Julia Gillard, “ably” contains three syllables. Peter Costello is claiming that, just like Liberal leadership rival Malcolm Turnbull, he’ll achieve an improved vote - against massive national trends.
UPDATE III. John Howard arrives at the Wentworth Hotel to concede.
UPDATE IV. Howard congratulates Rudd on “very emphatic victory”. Says it has been a privilege to be Prime Minister of “this very beautiful country ... the Australian people are the greatest people on earth, and this is the greatest country on earth.” He’s leaving on some perfect notes. Australia will miss this bloke more than it knows. Howard also, as did Mal Brough, urges that Labor support ongoing intervention in wretched Aboriginal areas. Thanks staff for putting up with a “sometimes cantankerous” Prime Minister during the past few months. Lots of smiles. Final words as PM: “I wish the government elected by the people of Australia the very best in the years ahead.” Nick Minchin describes it as “a great speech from a remarkable man.”
UPDATE V. Kevin Rudd advances on the stage in Queensland. WHAT THE HELL IS THAT MUSIC?
UPDATE VI. Rudd: “Today Australia has looked to the future ... we as a nation will move forward ... we will write a new page in our nation’s history.” Promises to “always govern in the national interest”, which is a relief. Vows to “forge consensus” on issues of common interest. Veers towards template campaign speech at midpoint. Thanks “life partner” Therese.
Audience enthusiasm seemed to trail off a few times, particularly when Rudd mentioned “the worst drought Australia has ever suffered” (crowd applauded, hesitantly) and when he described the suffering of a long-time staffer: “He’s had to put up with me for FIVE YEARS!” (crowd applauded, nervously). Phrase “You know what?” used three times. “Working families” once.
A moving and gracious speech by Mr Howard, demonstrating the qualities we expect and admire in our liberal leaders.
Of course, just because we admire them and hold them up as examples does not mean we have to follow them. Imagine the impact his speech would have had on the Australian public if it had reflected the thoughts of “true conservatives”.
#185 “...no shit, I’m gutted by the result. Im gonna get even with some cunt for this”
#139 “Graceful in defeat? Fuck that. The war just started”
#233 “We will still live here, but we won’t pay tax to this new regime.”
Didn’t Al Gore publicly back Rudd for PM?
Damn that man. Oscar winner, Nobel laureate and now king maker to boot. Its almost as if blogs such as Timmys here have absolutely no effect on what the majority believe in.
You forgot one thing: “fraud”.
The majority are simply too stupid to realize the truth I suppose.
2-In case you missed it we just got a big dose of democracy
No - democracy requires an informed electorate.
What we have just seen is a coup d’etat.
RIP Democracy
(just you wait and see)Posted by eeniemeenie on 2007 11 24 at 01:09 PM • permalinkHere’s a tip, gaza-strip. How about you write down a list of all the things your new Gore-appointed King, whose courageous leadership you’ve expended so many gloating posts to cheer, will do which are so much different from what Howard would have done. What bright future do you expect under Rudd that was simply impossible under Howard’s jackboot? In what glorious way (other than being provided an opportunity to be a first-rate jackass on this blog) does your personal future now seem so much improved? Same question for Australia’s future.
When compiling your list, remember, as an example, that signing on to Kyoto is meaningless. Actually reducing carbon dioxide emissions, while also meaningless to the climate, would be a concrete change, although I don’t know how it actually improves Australia, so you might want to think that through before putting it on your list.
Finally, after consulting your list of zero items, please reconsider your foolish posts and general asshattery.
Posted by Crispytoast on 2007 11 24 at 01:23 PM • permalinkSorry things didn’t go the right way, Australia, but now that your Labor party have to govern like adults, let’s hope they do the responsible things and don’t fall prey to the loud-mouthed special interest lefty groups. We in the US will not be so lucky should we get a boneless, money-hungry Democrat in office *cough*Hillary*cough*.
Here’s something to take your minds off your troubles:
President Bush pardons the Thanksgiving turkey. Is it plastic?
I link, you decide.
Congratulations to Mr Rudd. Rightly or wrongly, he is our PM for the next 3 years. The voters have spoken and we have to give them credit for their ability to make the right decisions over the last 100 or so years. (Remember australia is one of the oldest democracies in the world).
God bless Australia. My country, right or wrong.
Posted by Jack from Montreal on 2007 11 24 at 02:01 PM • permalink#28 Speaking of platitudes, you’re full of shit, Jack. If you love “your” country so much, why take your obviously good abilities overseas when you could be engineering tunnel drills or mountainside blasts back home? Not enough money in it? Nobody asked you politely to push an issue?
Maybe I shouldn’t be taking it out on you, mate, but good God it’s annoying to get junk mail right now from a smug expat.
“Australia will miss this bloke more than it knows.”
No kidding. The world has needed this sensible, articulate, and plain-spoken man more than it knows. That goes for Alexander Downer too.
Mark my words: Australians will come to remember John Howard’s capable leadership - and his dignified departure - with fondness (and regret) in years to come. I’m American and I already do.
#250,
I’m from LA too, but it means basically what it says.
Wretched Aboriginal areas are the Aboriginal communities that are “deeply afflicted, dejected, or distressed in body or mind” - they have low life expectancies, alcohol problems, domestic violence problems, child abuse, etc, etc.
Ongoing intervention is the Government playing nanny state and trying to fix the problems - rather than letting the state government handle state matters…
Sheesh, I finally take my fingers out of my ears and raise my head from under the duvet and the worst has happened. Maybe I should just go back under the duvet for the next 3 years and the Krudd years will all be over.
As for the crowing lefties - why is it that your nasty vitriolic spirits come to the fore even in victory. You really are a very sad little lot.
Are we taking bets on how long it will be before the GST is increased? I say by end 2008.
This sums up the achievements of Howard’s 11 years pretty well.
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 11 24 at 03:31 PM • permalinkHey, Ozzies!
Double-U Tee Eff are you doing down there?!?
I expected a bit more from an entire continent of men (and women) all of whom look, walk, talk, and obtain breakfast like Paul Hogan does (and don’t bother denying it!)
Does this mean that now is the time for an “eighty percent ally” ?
Look, I am already boycotting wine from Californiastan (where I myself live!), and from France. Wombat Wine(tm) was all I had left to imbibe with a clear conscience!
Now Howard’s gone, and Sarkozy’s in. If you guys continue to screw it up I may have no choice but to switch my drunken-gland allegiance…
...from Australia to France?!?!?
Oh, the humanity!! Tell me it hasn’t come to this!
Well, I suppose it’s still early…
From a staunch but shaken Oz supporter, best of luck to all right minded Australians: may you weather the storm of Kyoto and all the other silly nonsense coming your way.
Posted by zeppenwolf on 2007 11 24 at 03:46 PM • permalink#22 Dear Mrs. H, I stared at the picture for a full minute and the turkey never moved. It is, once again, plastic. Love, GGGGGaza
Posted by dean martin on 2007 11 24 at 03:50 PM • permalinkAlthough she is the exception, all of my wife’s six siblings are teachers/nurses and rusted on labor voters, and they are all coming here today to celebrate my Mother-in-law’s 85th with a barbie. God help me.
Still, either way I was going to have to keep my trap shut today.Posted by ooh honey honey on 2007 11 24 at 04:01 PM • permalinkOmigosh - look at Gazaa, he thinks he can talk intelligently on U.S. policy! What a dip. Listen, if algore is such a “kingmaker” why didn’t he win the presidency in the 2004 election? And why isn’t he running for the Democratic presidential nomination this time? Because he’s a L-O-S-E-R and nobody wants to take a chance on him. Everyone laughs at him here and his “carbon footprints.” So Gazaaa - you really need to go back to history lessons, okay? Ha ha ha
History, for gazaaa and many like him, is territory forever unexplored.
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 11 24 at 04:26 PM • permalinkGaazaaaaa (whatever)—I opened the blog to new commenters at Tim’s request, but abusing the privilege is not allowed. So far all you have done is confirm the beliefs of the longtime commenters here that people like you are uncivilized children who shouldn’t be allowed to run a hamster cage much less the government of the entire country. I am sure there are supporters of your new prime minister who are sensible and reasonable—congratulations, you’ve just made them look bad.
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2007 11 24 at 04:28 PM • permalinkit sounds like Up Here in the Yukon: the conservatives run an economically sane ship, have money in the bank, a bustling econlmy, etc.. and the bolsheviks win the next election, and spend all the money and drive the economy into a death spiral.
My sympathy to Australia. I would guess that Howard will resign and be replaced by a New Face, and (I hope) as good a leader and person.
I cannot think of that Rudd guy without seeing him eating his ear wax.
Hey, _Ash! It’s already afternoon here (well, by your time, it’s afternoon yesterday). I’ve been a little unwell so this is the first time I’ve been able to monitor the situation. Several people have signed up since I took off the block, but only a few have actually commented. Sadly, the trolls just couldn’t wait to jump in. Even more sad is the fact that they are so unoriginal. Remember those halcyon days of yore when trolls actually could fling some pretty unique and stinging rhetoric… actually, neither do I.
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2007 11 24 at 04:38 PM • permalink#52 Andrea: Interesting that the trolls would wait until the election is over before deciding to drop by. Very like jackals.
The upside to the election would seem to be that Rudd had to run to his right in order to win. So the Liberals have essentially established the center of gravity - for now, anyway. BTW, are there any videos of Garrett doing his victory spasm?
I think one result of this election will be a golden age for Tim Blair, Andrew Bolt, et al. A Labor government should provide an embarrassment of riches in terms of editorial fodder.
And with respect to the rather comical notion that Al Gore had any impact on the Australian election, I have nothing to add to Kittykat’s excellent analysis at #47.
I am shocked - absolutely gobsmacked, in fact - that Mal Brough has lost his seat.
One of the most decent human beings imaginable and an intelligent and very effective and caring Minister
What could his electorate have been thinking? Were people there voting against his spending so much time on Canberra matters, for example, the NT intervention?
Let’s hope that that intervention isn’t dropped by the Rudd Government. For the first time in decades, Australians in the remote communities have seen a ray of hope and some concrete steps to alleviate their plight.
Crossing fingers that Rudd will continue his earlier professed support for the effort!
Come on Andrea, you gotta admit Miranda Divide and Lunchboy were some cool trolls.
Gaza of the many a’s, not quite. He seems to erotically fixate on Al Gore. Not a good look!
Posted by Quentin George on 2007 11 24 at 05:03 PM • permalinkXmas Present for the New PM from the Reserve Bank
Posted by Quentin George on 2007 11 24 at 05:09 PM • permalinkYou have to open the gates now and then Andrea, if only to remind us of what lies outside. Which is pretty much the lesson to be learnt from yesterday’s result, now I think of it.
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 11 24 at 05:11 PM • permalinkAnd the super-upside is: at least you lot don’t live in Venezuela. Incidentally, Hugo’s big initiative seems to be in trouble (but one has to wonder whether an actual loss, calculated on the basis of bourgeois math, will make a difference to hog boy).
Looks like poor Tim is going to be selling Big Issues from now on.
Posted by Margos Maid on 2007 11 24 at 05:11 PM • permalinkAren’t the ALP goons going to arrest Tim, just like Irfan promised?
Posted by Quentin George on 2007 11 24 at 05:16 PM • permalinkI’m trying to think of conversation starters…
“Aaah they’re all crooks anyway”
“Probably won’t make any difference one way or the other…”
“So you will never complain about anything again?”
“So Muslims are community builders and global warming’s true now?”
“So Howard’s gone. Now we just have to hunt down those who embrace his ideas.”
“Hey! Now we can really celebrate diversity!”
and so forthPosted by ooh honey honey on 2007 11 24 at 05:16 PM • permalinkSomeone mentioned bumper stickers way back. The one I remember is:
SUFFERING LABOR PAINS? DON’T BLAME ME.Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 11 24 at 05:18 PM • permalinkThe downside, here, is that Detective Paco’s bookie Tiny Weiss was gunned down in a drive-by shooting, probably for touting Howard to win. Fortunately, he was wearing his Kevlar suit (not to mention a couple of hundred pounds of protective flab), so he wasn’t seriously injured.
#59: I have to agree, to some extent, with Quentin. Although I think Miranda Divide is much overrated as a troll, he/she/it did tend to rise above simple, unadorned nose-thumbing.
#37, Sam.
“Ongoing intervention is the Government playing nanny state and trying to fix the problems - rather than letting the state government handle state matters… “
The state governments has had decades to handle “state” matters and in the case of remote communities did virtually nothing but allow those communities to deteriorate to the wretched state they are in today.
The federal intervention was the only ray of hope for the people in those communities and the loss of Mal Brough will be felt profoundly.
If the Rudd Government does not follow through on its commitment to the intervention, I for one will be prepared to gather a case to take before every human rights and humanitarian body I can think of.
On the election results, John Howard bowed out with the dignity and grace he has shown over the past 11 years, many times under almost constant attack and verbal and written abuse which many times has verged on the personal and the criminal.
But, Oh, frabjous, glorious day! Callooh! callay! Kerry Nettle is no more and neither are the Democrats.
I think it would be nice to hear from Miranda at this time. Where are you Miranda?
Posted by Margos Maid on 2007 11 24 at 05:28 PM • permalink#68 That’s true, but it doesn’t stop it being nanny statish. Clearly you can’t just let child abuse be the status quo for a community - there are time for the government to say “stop that”. I’m just not sure it’s a federal concern.
But now that I think for a second, the vast bulk of such intervention would be in the NT, which isn’t a state and hence the there is no “Feds pushing into state’s business” issue…
I am shattered
The worst case of unfair dismissal ever.
What is it that people favour ‘style’ over substance.
I suppose we are seeing the fruition of a generation who has never done it really tough, feed them daily doses of victim hood and that they deserve more because they are ‘worth it, feed them full of aspartame loaded soft drink, and feed them mindless tripe like Rove, Big Brother and Idol and this is the obese brain dead with no understanding of history or how the system works, thanks to well indoctrinated teachers. What hope for a future ‘lucky country’?
Thankyou to a gracious,able and the Best Prime Minister this country has been privileged to have lead us.
For all those who want change, what the hell for? do you sacked a top and efficient worker after 11 years? no you offer him a rise and beg him to stay.Kevin Rudd and his team kept on about Mr Howard’s age and yet he was little older than Rudd when he became Prime Minister and has grown in the job and made us the envy of the world. Now we have an ear wax chewing munchkin to represent us on the world stage-
Has anyone else noticed the little looks and mouthings Therese gives Kevin- rather like a over zealous mother watching her precocious little darling and reminding him of what the next line is and when he fluffs, purses her lips with expressions oh well done or uh uh.
This election I think will see changes to Australia the effects not felt in full for three years by which time, the Public service, judiciary, Police and military will be stacked with socialist and then God help you all.I doubt whether I will live to see it.
Now I must go an weep buckets of blood.Best of good wishes to Mr Howard and Janette, enjoy your retirement with pride and our affection. Surviving Libs -please please STAY THE COURSE- your country needs you more than ever
Classy, dignified speech by Howard conceding defeat, just as he did in 1987. The Sunrise crew on Channel 7 made specific mention of it several times. No such praise for Rudd’s speech. It worst victory speech in Australian political history - shallow, trite and sickenly syrupy. It probably revealed more about Rudd the prime minister than anything else he has uttered so far.
Expect that Labor is grooming a successor already to take the party into the 2010 election, someone with the gravitas that a prime minister should have. The knives will come out in late 2009 as Rudd starts to hit low poll figures. It could happen earlier if Rudd doesn’t stop grinning like he’s disturbed.
Good to see the Democrats demolished, which was its destiny the day it elected show pony Natasha Stott-Despoja as leader. Hard to take them seriously after that. Good to see the Greens didn’t make the inroads Bob Brown predicted but why vote Greens when Labor has lurched to the far left anyway? And in other positive news, Phillip Adams has just wasted another pile of cash promoting his trophy wife’s newest hobby. Open a frock shop, Patrice, if you want something to do between manicures.
Buck up, Aussies. We here in the States still stand with you. Keep your heads up and your powder dry.
Posted by Spectre765 on 2007 11 24 at 06:26 PM • permalinkCompletely O/T but a prime example of eco-weirdness in this article at the Grinaid.
Some silly cow spouting off on how wonderful it is that some people are getting steralised “for the environment”.
The comments section is a house of horrors, these people think 12 monkeys was an instruction film not a work of fiction.
A few highlights.“As I have often said, the simple answer to the “how then are we meant to keep the population going then Einstein?” argument
that seems to be the Breeders one and only defence is to outlaw all breeding in the population at large. Individuals would then be selected and called in for ‘breeding duty’, rather like jury service or giving blood. The resulting offspring, in controlled and precise on-a-need basis numbers, would then be taken away and raised in special centres outside the main population, raised to consider all their future co-citizens as brothers and sisters, before being introduced into the adult population at age 18. This is an excellent strategy that would keep the population going whilst at the same time eliminating not only all the problems inherent in uncontrolled breeding, but also all the problems in society as well, from crime to health to traffic to housing. It needs only, as Spaceman says, the courage for visionary leaders to effect it.”“Recently, I was watching ‘planet earth’ on Discovery. It brought tear to my eyes to see such a beautiful planet being destroyed by us. I won’t mind a bit if humans are removed from this Universe in a non-violent/‘humane’ way.”
Thern theres this mob.
So cheer up, theres plenty of weirdoes for Blairites to poke fun at yet!!!
Zob, zob, zob!!Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2007 11 24 at 06:35 PM • permalinkHillyminx, I think you exaggerate. Let’s not go all “the voters are stupid” like the lefties.
Besides, the Australian electorate usually swiftly corrects mistakes they make (75 vs. 72, 96 vs. 93).
Posted by Quentin George on 2007 11 24 at 06:39 PM • permalinkWe had empty bottles and cancs (and the only full one left at my post box) strewn throughout our neighbourhood last night. Seems the iced vovo and tea suggestion didn’t quite make it. Also, they left behind their scissors and bowl with leftover bung down near the water, where we had gone to feed the wildlife a bit of tucker.
Either kids celebrating end of year, or labor shits gone wild. The real hangover starts today.
I survived 9 years of power point Beattie - 3 years of Rudd will be no sweat.
Howard gave a great speech. Rudd couldn’t give a good speech unless it was written for him.
Morning everyone,
Andrea (#49 supra) - thanks for re-opening registrations for commenters! The wannabe at this keyboard wanted a chance to come to this party, rather than just looking in at the virtual windows.
I’m feeling better this morning than I was expecting to. Don’t get me wrong - I’m not turning cartwheels either. God knows I’m not looking forward to seeing my taxes cranked up, social conservatism trashed, and having Australia return to wringing its hands in self-imposed obscurity. I think the consoling thing is that from this point, we on the right having nothing left to lose politically. We couldn’t be more out of office if we tried. So, ...
Release the hounds!
One more thing: It shouldn’t be forgotten (or underestimated) just how batshit crazy a lot of Labor’s supporters are. If you don’t believe me, check out “Your Say” over at the Age website. Then, remember that it’s this class of people who are providing a lot of Labor’s intellectual underpinnings.
OK, you can stop rocking back and forth in terror now. Sorry to do that to you.
The point I’m leading to here is that the actual Labor rank and file have expectations that Rudd will have (a) no prospect of meeting and (b)no intention of meeting if he doesn’t want the voters to lynch him next election. I think he’ll find it a damn sight harder to be PM and Labor leader than opposition leader.
The other good news is that (as I explained to Mrs RL), even as we wake up to this defeat, the conservative movement in Australia looks far better now than it did in March 1996. Think about it this way: back then, how many conservative newspaper columnists were there? All I can think of were Geoffrey Blainey (when published), Paddy McGuinness (maybe) and John Stone (slightly demented). Now, we have Andrew Bolt, Janet Albrechtsen, Angela Shanahan, Caroline Overington, Paul Sheehan (sort of), Imre Saluzinsky, Miranda Devine and our gracious host, Tim Blair. Yeah, we’ve had a loss. But this time, we can fight back. Lets keep our heads. And keep the faith.
OK. That’s my two cents for the morning. Time for breakfast, TV and going to Mass. Mrs RL, being the sensible person she is, is avoiding the news channels and has switched on a Tivo of the Green Bay v Detroit game (don’t tell me how it went). Time to spend some time licking the wounds and ignoring the winners. And then to return to the fray.
Keep the faith, my friends.
Renegade Lawyer.
MelbournePosted by Renegade Lawyer on 2007 11 24 at 07:10 PM • permalinkO/T:
I found this in a comment at No Pasaran.
Voluntary Human Extinction MovementSo far, they’re keeping it peaceful and voluntary. Wonder how long that’s gonna last?
You know this is gonna get lots worse before it ever gets any better.
Hope this helps lift the blues a bit. Just remember, no matter how bad it gets, its no where near as bad as it’s gonna get.
Now we have an ear wax chewing munchkin to represent us on the world stage
I for one welcome our new ear wax chewing munchkin overlord. Hillyminx, you probably weren’t trying to be funny, but damn, that made me laugh.
And I finally remembered where I’ve seen Kruddy before!
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 11 24 at 07:28 PM • permalinkWell. Break out the ear wax, then! And help yourself.
Posted by andycanuck on 2007 11 24 at 07:34 PM • permalinkVery true, Renegade. Rudd’s going to be scrutinized like no other labor PM in history. After such a big campaign, everyone is familiar with his policies. I wait with keen interest how he’ll manage under the pressure of various Labor factions. For the first few months they may be all kept busy signing Kyoto, repealing some IR laws, getting that fast broadband in and their education promises started. But I’ll be surprised if the Unions remain satisfied beyond 6-12 months and if the far left factions don’t then start stirring the pot. The chances of the GST rising after 2 or 3 years is 50/50. Those odds will go up if they get re-elected.
Costello should be taking over as head of the Coalition. I pray that the Australian public listens more to what he has to say and increase his popularity accordingly. Labor will probably provide him with plenty of ammunition and I doubt their usual excuses will work as well this time round.
Time to rest and feed the attack beasts. They’re gonna be busy.
#96
What’s he supposed to do?
Throw himself on the ground and have a tanty? You forget, he has dignity, unlike morons of the left.
You for example.Andrea, this fly is really annoying. Sticking its proboscis in everything and stomping it’s filhy feet all over everything. Please give it a spray of something to get rid of it.
Hi Cridland - I’ll try and summarise. It all relates to our indigenous peoples, who have been receiving social security for many years without any obligation to seek work. Just as well, since there is no work out in the remote places where many are still living.
This situation has gone on for too long, and the social breakdown has reached terrible depths. Leftists/progressives resist any attempts to change the rules, while simultaneously decrying the squalor and bad outcomes.
Assimilation or imposition of obligations, like sending the kids to school, or doing community service for their pay, have been resisted. Then the black community leader Noel Pearson of Cape York in Queensland got just such a program going there.
It is aimed at disciplining the community into observing what most of us regard as normal everyday rules for good living. He saw that they were going down the tubes via welfare dependency, and that the only motivation they had was to buy booze and/or drugs then waste their lives.
The Cape York community was the shining light which made it possible for the Federal Government to go for such a program in the Northern Territory, with a view to it being nationwide. Communities have to go without booze, have health checks, send kids to school and get into improvement programs not just waste away.
It is dynamite to the Politically Correct brigades, who love whining about the squalor and the short life expectancy and the incarceration rates, but who do nothing about it.
We don’t know what the future is now. The Minister responsible has lost his seat, and the government has lost office. The ALP supported the program as a pre-election me-too ploy, but may roll it back now. They might also re-instate the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commission (ATSIC) who used to have oversight of programs but were canned for being wasteful, factional and ineffective.I’d just add to blogstrop at 99 that in WA at least sexual abuse of children has become an issue in recent years.
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 11 24 at 08:04 PM • permalinkBarry Jones is saying something about “mean spirited nature of John Howard’s government”. How anyone who served in the Keating government can say that with a straight face…
Posted by Quentin George on 2007 11 24 at 08:10 PM • permalinkAnd so, as Kevin Rudd and his legions of Death approached the Capital city, the skies darkened, the earth sickened into a putrid mass of alien fungi, a plague began amongst the populace killing the old, the weak and the infirm, and just before the darkest night fell there came a low droning from the sky as the locust demon hordes of hell descended upon stricken Australians….
...or something.
Look I realise that this blog is rarely the place for clarity in political debate, but can we have a little sanity?
I’m sure that Kevin Rudd loves Australia as much as John Howard or Tim Blair.
I’m also sure that truth will out - Rudd will continue most of Howard’s policies while changing others because he has a democratic mandate to do so (as Howard himself conceded).
The truth is that bad policies will get punished and bad governance will get its perpetrators their just desserts.
And the Liberals have three years to elect a new leader and convince the electorate that they are better at governing by being an effective opposition all in just three years.
If I have a criticism of John Howard, he stayed at the helm for three years too long. “Time for a change” is a powerful siren call for an electorate that gets bored after a while.
But its not the end of the world.
#107
You governed splendidly, John Howard. Don’t know whether Australia has Knights, you should be Sir John Howard.
1.618 should be along soon…
Posted by flying pigs over mecca on 2007 11 24 at 08:36 PM • permalink#105
Look I realise that this blog is rarely the place for clarity in political debate, but can we have a little sanity?
Thanks for showing us the error of our ways, Messiah. Your condescending misguided pablum is much appreciated.
Posted by Crispytoast on 2007 11 24 at 08:37 PM • permalinkHey, blogmire, I just dropped in for some graceless gloating. So your lousy poster boy’s gone, and with him his puny, dog-whistling, fear-mongering agenda. Good riddance.
Bloghead, you’ve led your flyblown flock to poisoned wells. You craven suckers have taken an 11 year ride on the coattails of one man and for what? Good luck with dredging for a leader in that dried-up well of cheap talent bequeathed to future generations of liberal supporters by His Rodency. Your obedient boosterism on behalf of Johnnie’s miserable hide have left you with nothing but Peter and Malcolm. Ha! I am rolling around on the floor laughing out loud, as they say here in cyberspace.
Do try to keep a sense of humour as all your filthy work is rolled back, wound up, repealed, rescinded, exposed, renounced, shredded and binned. I look forward to year upon year, term after term of cheap laughs at your irrelevant expense.
Posted by Miranda Divide on 2007 11 24 at 08:41 PM • permalink“Term after term”? Is that a threat, Miranda? Not one you’ll see fulfilled I suspect.
Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 11 24 at 08:51 PM • permalinkAh, Miranda, you’re too late. Your duties as monumentally-ignorant incoherent troll have been ably supplanted by a new superstar in the form of deluded imbecile gazzaaa. But thanks for playing!
Posted by Crispytoast on 2007 11 24 at 08:57 PM • permalink#105
the locust demon hordes of hell descended upon stricken Australians….
Heavens no, John A, quite the opposite! Sea levels are no longer gonna rise up and swallow half the known world ‘cause Kruddy’s gonna sign Kyoto; no Australian family will have to endure life without a plasma TV and side-by-side stainless steel fridge ‘cause Kruddy’s gonna wind back WorkChoices, and no kiddie will have trouble with literacy and numeracy any longer ‘caus Kruddy’s gonna buy them all a laptop with a fast internet connection so they can stay up all night playing World of Warcraft.
All thanks to an epiphany on behalf of the Australian voters and their choice of a new saviour!
#107 and #109 - by convention, an outgoing Prime Minister is offered the Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), which is the equivalent of the old knighthood. Paul Keating was offered it, but declined.
I for one look forward to the lefties’ wailing and gnashing of (bad) teeth when they realise that Rudd’s going to be as centrist as Hawke was. He’s already shafted the aborigines, and from this point on, he’ll be attacked from the left (including the ABC) as much as from the right.
He’ll be a lot less left that his crowd will hope and expect because these clowns think labour strikes are the only types of strike that count. They don’t realise that when labour strikes, it eventually goes back to work. However, when capital strikes, it goes out for good. Rudd can’t undo globalisation, so he’ll have to keep the lef tin check before business decides Australia is just too much bother and factories in China are a hell of a lot easier.
Posted by Young and Free on 2007 11 24 at 09:01 PM • permalink“Do try to keep a sense of humour as all your filthy work is rolled back, wound up, repealed, rescinded, exposed, renounced, shredded and binned.”
But I thought kevvini had promised to act just like the man hes replacing, surely he wouldnt have told a little fib or 2?
Business will add another 10% to their costs and life will continue on. The future fund will be squandered followed by a nice jack up in the GST. Any unpopular decisions will be “suggested” by one of kevs multitude of commitees and he will pretend to act on “impartial advice”.
Most of us with the brains to have put away some money during the 11 years of economic sunshine will ride it out ok, most of the people the left pretends to care about will do it tough. As usual.Gee you make it sound like low interest rates, full employment and national confidence arent things to be aimed for. Careful what you wish for, you just might get it…
Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2007 11 24 at 09:04 PM • permalinkGalaaaaaah: thanks for your Lefty input; much source material for future reference.
Howard characterised the typical Aussie on the world stage - punching way above weight.
Howard had a mandate and immediately carried out what good ole populist Labor didn’t have the guts to - GST - even though it was mooted by Keating as Treasurer back in ‘85 - remember the ‘banana republic’ comments - but Labor tried to cling to power and was thus populist, instead of implementing the changes needed.
As Howard did what he saw as necessary whilst in office, his departure was not bitter, contrasting with Labor leaders’ eventual bitter disappointment in eternally courting popularity (case in point: Tony Blair).
Rudd has a mandate but will do nothing with it: per Paul Kelly on Insiders, Rudd will be planning what to do to cling to power at the next election - and the prissy lil civil servant won’t have the guts to play with the levers, now that he’s in the driver’s seat.
On GST - I’m not fully up on the facts, but I understand that the States have not done away with many of the taxes that GST revenue was supposed to replace.
Perhaps they’ll be more amenable to a strict instruction from Boss Kevin, hmmm?Posted by SwinishCapitalist on 2007 11 24 at 09:11 PM • permalink#117 splice
Kruddy’s gonna buy them all a laptop with a fast internet connection so they can stay up all night playing World of Warcraft.
Heh. Came across this on the WOW forums earlier today:
Now we can hope that him improving the quality of our broadband wasn’t just an empty election promise, and I can stop playing between 600-1,000ms, and settle down to a nice 400ms Aussie ping.
Posted by flying pigs over mecca on 2007 11 24 at 09:12 PM • permalinkWent for a ride this morning from North Sydney to Bondi and standing at the foot of the stairs to cross the bridge, saw John Howard doing his morning walk. A good man just getting along with life.
Posted by Munificent on 2007 11 24 at 09:17 PM • permalinkThere should be more Shakespearean talk around this place, I thinketh.
Posted by Margos Maid on 2007 11 24 at 09:17 PM • permalinkCool, our very own little pet troll has arrived on time. Welcome, Moronda (gazza, you are far too pedestrian and boring to qualify, as Moronda has, for status here as our pet).
Lessee
Do try to keep a sense of humour as all your filthy work is rolled back, wound up, repealed, rescinded, exposed, renounced, shredded and binned. I look forward to year upon year, term after term of cheap laughs at your irrelevant expense.
Ok, so GST is going to be rolled back… erm, no. The ALP has already embraced that one and is humping its leg.
The structural economic reform program? Well, the ALP has also adopted that one. I could go on but you get the point (well, you would, Moronda, had you enough neurons to form synapse)
Well, surely the evil of making the Reserve Bank independent will go? Aaah, no, the ALP wants to keep that one too.
Sucks to be you, Moronda. To get elected, KRudd had to BECOME a form of Howard Lite. Interesting electoral things will happen if he moves from that approach.
According to KRudd, he is a fiscal conservative, a Christian, and is generally further to the right than Howard was in 1996. He has the power (for a short time) to ignore the factions.
So what space is actually left for YOU and the socialist ashes you scraped off the ash-heap of history to weep over, Moronda?
Now, admittedly, there are a few over-the-top semi-hysterics here (cool it, guys, this was always going to happen) but their comments, taken all together, do not match the bile and gracelessness of yours and gazza’s, alone.
And we will, as always, keep our sense of humour. Unlike the left: unlike you, we actually have one.
As we also deal in the real world, and not the fabulist dream where you live, we have already taken steps to survive the economic malaise en route. With my mortgage, I can survive 12% easily, only above 16% will very serious belt-tightening be needed.
And what price an ALP government when that happens? And what price you?
So enjoy your time in the sun, we knew that you were always going to get it, and we know that it too… will set.
meanwhile, we’ll be here pointing and laughing at you as it dawns on you that KRudd is not Hugo Chavez
MarkL
Canberragazzaaaaa
Gee for a self proclaimed “swinging voter who voted Lib at the last state election” you seem to relish the LIB defeat a little more than you should.
“The Liberals have no obvious agenda left to distinguish it from Labor”
Because Labor have moved to the right, not the oppisite you silly boy.Posted by thefrollickingmole on 2007 11 24 at 09:27 PM • permalinkthefrollickingmole:
Yes, isn’t it funny how the last 5-6 years or so there have been people popping up on the net who claim to be “swing-voters” or “former voters for X” (Liberal in OZ, Republican in USA) who oddly enough seem to keep making the same talking points of the opposing party?
Do they really think people will believe that?
Gazzaaaaaa: Consider this a comfy little room or pub where people meet to discuss things. Now, consider that it is not a bright idea to wander in like a drunken boor pissing over the floor on your first day in.
Comprende?
Posted by Patrick Chester on 2007 11 24 at 09:33 PM • permalinkOh, and frollickingmole? I think it was the other new poster wandering in pissing over the floor who claimed to be a swing voter. Name was “alias” or something like that.
Posted by Patrick Chester on 2007 11 24 at 09:36 PM • permalinkOh, sorry. The name was “agile” instead of alias. Must’ve been thinking of that Jennifer Garner TV show for some reason.
(What was the point of that show? Spy stuff and watching Garner beat the crap out of people while wearing various disguises or something?)
Posted by Patrick Chester on 2007 11 24 at 09:39 PM • permalink#12- I’ll quite happily call him a cunt and a fuckwit- I calls ‘em as I sees ‘em. To that I might add, timeserver, lickspittle, shameless opportunist, pretentious twat and smug, smarmy, self-rightous, squirrel-faced tosspot.
Mind you, it’s a sign of what Australia has to offer- a car-dwelling, earwax-munching pillock grows up one day to be Prime Minister- shows that anyone can do it if they slip their tongue up enough bottoms.
OK now I am seriously scared. The free speech police are rampant - on another board I gave my view of the world and a hoarde of new immigrants jumped down my throat and told me I could f*ck off back where I came from (been here nearly 30 years!). It looks as if any dissent will be crushed by the mighty Thought Police machine. After all those years when we had to put up with the leftist blathering and whinging, I thought I should be able to have my turn without someone stopping me!
#139
Habib: Well, that explains the smile on Bob Brown’s face after every meeting with KRudd!
Speaking of Bob the Bowel Banditti, he appeared to be a little…. uncomfortable last night after his “bushwalk”. Celebrating too much to sit down without wincing, perhaps?
Bearing in mind our boring troll gazza’s apparent perverse and masturbatory affections for Al Gore, perhaps he should hook up with Bob? They’d make a lovely couple. Imagine the pillow talk, once the pillow-biting is done for the morn!
We could all chip in for gazza’s dress and Bob’s lube. I figure Bob to be the husband of the happy couple.
MarkL
CanberraGazzy, you may have missed this on the other thread:
You haven’t even begun to hurt. Wait until the parliamentary inquiries into AWB, our entry into the Iraq war, the deportation of Haneef just for starters. The dark curtain is about to be lifted and things are going to get real ugly for the Libs.
This is what I treasure about Leftards. They screetch about persecution and oppression, yet suffer none. But give them a whiff of power, and the purges begin.
Totalitarian scum. Choke on your own vomit, Gazz, you Stalinist prick.
#258- I’ll be seriously minimising my tax burden now, moreso than I already do- if you thing JWH’s profligate ways with public money were outrageous, this new pack of pinheads will make him seem truly parsimoneous in comparison- they’ll probably either have to swipe back some of the GST from the states, or jack the rate- on the cards with ALP politburos across the board. I’ve already stared moving readies offshore so Kev &Co; can’t get their sticky fingers on it and piss it up a rope on Kyoto or some yartz beanfest.
Conversely I hope every luvvie dickhead gets truly hosed- you pork the pig you gotta pay the farmer.
#156, Habib,
There are plenty of young couples who buy their first home, who, despite large mortgages, completely outfit the place with every gadget they need, including a whopping TV. My point is that people have grown up in a recent environment where you can get a job, interest rates are relatively stable, you don’t have to save for anything but can get what you want on credit.
Most people don’t give a rats arse about Kyoto or climate change so long as ‘someone (else) is doing something’.
Howard was always heading for a fall. People got too used to better economic times.Wait till those known economic wizards, the left, get their paws on our spondoolicks. A dose of Labor is like having a big night on the piss in your 30’s. You thought it would be fun, but the overall reality is that it’s not what you really want or nedd.
I was asked a somewhat serious question last week by a very left inclined business acquaintance. Knowing my conservative leanings he said in part: “... how will you drown your sorrow and anger on Saturday night ? ”
I began to wonder: “Would I be sad and angry or would he?” However after taking a quick inventory of the policy difference between Howard and Rudd (it’s a short list), I decided it would be my associate’s dark day not mine. He’s a true believer, one of those on the left who believes in the ‘light on the hill’. It’s he who will be filled with sorrow and anger now the cold light of a Rudd government has chilled him awake this Sunday.
At least with Howard he had someone he could safely hate, a man he could boastfully despise as the ‘rodent’ such is the odium filled nature of his ideology.
So what will Rudd mean to the shiny eyed left? Nothing, no grandiose plans to revive the favourite glittery things the left so adores – just more of the same fiscal conservatism from a new prime minister and treasurer who’ve promised to slash $10 billion from federal expenditure and decimate the commonwealth public service.
Rudd will make a token ratification of Kyoto and withdraw part of our forces in Iraq some time towards the end of 2008 – their job is largely done so Howard would have probably made the same changes. But we are still at war with the left’s favourite Islamo-fascists and Rudd has promised more troops for Afghanistan.
Rudd’s ‘climate change’ policy is also almost identical to Howard’s – just tokenism to placate the slavering Greens whose votes he needed to claim office.
As Gordon Brown has found in the UK the realities of office will soon cause Rudd’s silly 2050 emission target policy to slide quietly off his ‘must do list’.
To Noel Pearson’s dismay Rudd also revealed last week there would be no Aboriginal treaty, no reconciliation and definitely no ‘sorry’ from his government.
So what did the dim and delusional left gain from all their hard work? The removal of the Democrats from parliament, not one seat for the Greens in the House of Representatives, the return of Malcolm Turnbull and a pulp mill in Tasmania.
So am I going to worry or shed a tear now Rudd has got across the line? Most emphatically not.
However I still prefer Howard as a man and politician and his excellent speeches last night and at the National Press Club last week confirmed my opinion of him.
Howard didn’t reciprocate the unpleasant personal attacks Rudd delivered in a stumbling speech he read the day before, Howard didn’t hesitate and he didn’t sweat and fidget as he took and answered difficult questions one after the other with ease – a truly prime ministerial performance.
I’m going on a long driving holiday soon and I just cant wait to hit the road; sunrise over the desert, music playing, a cup of tea in hand and a conservative Australia rolling under my wheels regardless of who won.
So suck it up you of the left, you lost more last night than if Howard had won – you don’t even have him to hate anymore.
#159
Well said, Peter.
I might add the theme from a post I made some time ago.
Ladies and gentlemen, we are the realists of the conservative, realist side of the spectrum. With that comes the turf we saw John Howard show last night, dignity, self-control, realism and quiet good humour.
As we have seen on these pages here, the ill-mannered uncouth bogans of the left (spavined cretins like our little pet troll Moronda and that boring, pedestrian gazza) are petty, small minded, vicious and totalitarian in victory where they show their best characteristics. After their 11 years of defeat, we know them to be fantasist, spiteful, hate-filled, conspiratorial and totalitarian in defeat.
These are not winning attributes in Australia. To win, ‘people’ like Moronda had to be rejected and marginalised even by KRudd, himself a self-proclaimed ‘fiscal conservative’, God-bothering millionaire.
It must suck to be Moronda and her ilk, the inner-city whackjob.
And this is their turf. So let us retain our dignity, honour, realism and self-control, and leave them the hysterical spittle flecked invective, conspiracy theories, fantastical self-delusion and vile totalitarian dreams as they fantasise about revenge on the people who made them wealthy.
Do not know what I mean? Read Moronda’s bile-filled, spiteful, graceless rant in victory. Compare it to Howard’s dignified humour in defeat.
And strive to emulate the latter.
MarkL
Canberra#159 - Well said, Peter. Being perpetual teenagers, Lefties can only be contrarians. Their sense of self consists of oppression by authority (read: parents) and noisy protest (read: tantrums.) They are constitutionally incapable of doing anything constructive. Look at Miranda and Gaza - they can only crow over their opposition’s defeat, and cannot offer substantive alternatives to present policies.
Imagine teens whose parents get so fed up by the whining that they say, “Fine, for the next year, you’re in charge.” In six months they’d be wading through pizza boxes and Red Bull cans trying to get to the door where three bill collectors are waiting with a federal marshal.
A Lefty without conservatives is like Canada without America. There’s no there there.
So let us retain our dignity, honour, realism and self-control, and leave them the hysterical spittle flecked invective, conspiracy theories, fantastical self-delusion and vile totalitarian dreams as they fantasise about revenge on the people who made them wealthy.
Do not know what I mean? Read Moronda’s bile-filled, spiteful, graceless rant in victory. Compare it to Howard’s dignified humour in defeat.
And strive to emulate the latter.
Huzzah. I couldn’t agree more. Folks, our side can’t be in power perpetually. When we’re on the outs, let’s conduct ourselves like sober adults. The Lefties want to hang us. We, on the other hand, need only sit quietly and let them hang themselves.
Guys, gaassszzaaa is gone, and once again Miranda Divide reigns supreme as the pet troll of this blog. Rave on, Mir!
Posted by Andrea Harris, Administrator on 2007 11 25 at 12:01 AM • permalinkWheedles
Come on, Moronda, come out and cavort for our sport and amusement.
You know you want to.
We have filled your bowl with tofu and left a skinny caramel french vanilla latte for you.
quiet aside
Andrea, I think Moronda saw all the big bad realist-people and got scared. Our pet troll is back under its rock again, just… lurking.
MarkL
canberraThe Liberals didn’t loose last night - Australia did, and hopefully it wont take long for them to be horrified by the result.
I’m going to write down a series of predictions and see how many come true over the next term.
Interest rates will rise substantially
Same with unemployment.
The Aussie dollar will fall from record highs
Housing, petrol, food and electricity prices will all rise
Government spending will blow out
Taxes will increase
Kevni will ‘jump’ or be pushed sometime in the next three years.
There will be a major increase in illegal immigrants trying to get into the country.
The Liberals didn’t loose last night - Australia did…
No, just the Liberals.
And the verb is “lose” not “loose”
Following on from Andrew Bolt, I can only see that if the Liberals have lost their local and State bases then those need to be rebuilt first.
Here in the UK, the Conservatives have a “Blair-lite” (Tony not Tim) pushing hard for green taxes, recycling, little wind turbines on the top of people’s houses, and economic indicators like per-capita incomes to be replaced by a new green index devised by the neo-Marxist “Fiends of the Earth”.
#39 Andrea—
Gaazaaaaa (whatever)—I opened the blog to new commenters at Tim’s request ...
Noooooooo!
Well, I do not plan on handing out applications to the VRWC for the time being. I’m still working on the last bunch.
Posted by wronwright on 2007 11 25 at 09:49 AM • permalink#356 Young and Free
He’ll be a lot less left that his crowd will hope and expect because these clowns think labour strikes are the only types of strike that count. They don’t realise that when labour strikes, it eventually goes back to work. However, when capital strikes, it goes out for good. Rudd can’t undo globalisation, so he’ll have to keep the lef tin check before business decides Australia is just too much bother and factories in China are a hell of a lot easier.
A word to the wise. Something labor unions in the US still haven’t figured out.
Posted by Spiny Norman on 2007 11 25 at 11:46 AM • permalink#94 Agile (last page)
No, Labor does not have a “mandate for three years.” Australian Governments are elected to serve a minimum of six months. After that they’re not there by right of election, they’re only there on sufferance until the next election. This “mandate for three years” nonsense started with Whitlam complaining about the umpire’s decision in 1975. There is no substance to it, constitutionally, at all.
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Aw chuckles, seriously? You’re reduced to making fun of her accent? How did it come to this…