Maybe there is hope and change after all:
Zorro says:
March 26, 2011 at 5:16 am
The AGW promoting, carbon tax toting, Australian NSW Labour government has just been virtually annihilated in the State elections – there is hope folks.
“It’s cataclysmic, I mean it’s a bloodbath,” Mr Foley, an upper house member, told ABC Television.
“The accumulated dysfunction … is what’s driving this result. It’s an accumulated dysfunction of four years, not 16.
Full story:
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/state-election-2011/coalition-romps-to-victory-in-nsw-20110326-1cbbt.html
R James says:
March 26, 2011 at 5:32 pm
Oooops – good point.
The Aussie dollar is so high it’s really expensive here . The politicians are so low they have to crane to look up to snakes. The beer is truly awful. We have bush-fires every week, floods every other week, and droughts at least once a month. Only one road around the entire country.
You don’t want to live here, mate!
Jerome, let’s not forget the sharks that eat anyone even looking at the ocean, funnel web spiders lurking around every bend, and those killer kangaroos!!! Oh yes, the outback where you get lost if you blink. Probably the only thing in our favour is that we have a strong public push against the carbon tax.
ianl8888: Don’t doubt it impacted, especially in the coal areas, but the ALP has been headed for a horrible defeat for months if not years. The carbon tax was just another factor.
NSW today, UK tomorrow? Well I can dream, can’t I?
Well done you Aussies!
“Mooloo says:
March 26, 2011 at 12:39 pm”
The “White Australia” was definitely a Labor Party (ALP) policy. Nothing conservative about it at all. Also remember the ALP came into power with a massive surplus before the GFC. The Govn’t paid upto $900 per person who qualified for the rebate. The ALP, effectively, spent the 10 year old surplus to bail Australia out of the GFC. The ALP believes it worked, I am not convinced. The ALP, and the Govn’t, are now in deficit, hence the drive for a new tax, in addition to the new, temporary (Yeah right!) flood tax for Queesland. As for the economy in NZ, with GST going up 2.5%, the ETS which applied about an ~8% increase to the cost of everything, there is inflationary pressure, growing debt private and Govn’t, which will lead to only one thing IMO, a wrecked economy, at the time NZ needs strength in the economy.
“Theo Goodwin says:
March 26, 2011 at 1:29 pm”
Gillard said, before the election, “There will be no carbon tax in the Govn’t I lead.” The Govn’t, lead by Gillard, is now planning to implement a tax, which will have a 4% increase per year compound interest component, then a migration to an Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS or, Ponsi scheme IMO).
“Robertvdl says:
March 26, 2011 at 2:47 pm”
I don’t know about F1 in Aus, but I know the V8 racing teams run E85 ethanol I think, but, to offset their emissions, they fund tree planting. That was a few years ago, not heard anything since nor seen any published results of numbers planted. This seems, to me at least, more tokenism.
And I still can’t vote, either state or federal, due to my “imported” status. A politico friend of mine reckons Gillard won’t survive as PM much longer.
The AGW promoting, carbon tax toting, Australian NSW Labour government has just been virtually annihilated in the State elections – there is hope folks.
Please don’t post on things you know nothing about. BTW it’s Labor.
UK Sceptic says:
March 27, 2011 at 1:37 am
NSW today, UK tomorrow? Well I can dream, can’t I?
Well done you Aussies!
I’m afraid it will be much more difficult to find more than a douzaine of voters in the UK with sufficient intellect to understand what their government is doing. The polls still favour the AGW position in spite of enormous efforts to change it. Most likely due to the governments publicity agents, the BBC. They all adore the BBC (auntie) over there.
william gray says:
March 26, 2011 at 8:07 pm
Wow I attended the canberra rally and have some great banners on the drawing board.
Here in Katoomba on election day my niece and I went searching for the polling booth, we decided to vote at the local school and I was so happy and surprised to see a election poster saying Quote ‘Rosa Sage does not believe in man made climate change.’
Just after voting there she passed us by. I hailed her and she came towards us and I said how happy I was that a candidate had the guts to be open about the issue. She also new of Tim Flannery’s 1000yrs statement.
I still don’t know if she has won the seat.
William I can report that Rosa Sage, a simple local dentist won the marginal seat in a 16% swing away from Labor. I met the Independent candidate Janet Mays who thought she had a great chance of winning except for the possible reaction against ‘Brand Independent’ as a result of the current support of Independents in the Federal government in every cause they want to inflict on the populace. This fear materialised.
The Labor spin has begun that carbon tax had nothing to do with the election. Ask just one question:
What happened in Penrith?
As a result of the resignation of Labor Karyn Paluzzano in 2010 the resulting by-election in Penrith led to the largest by-election swing in NSW political history. But what has changed in Penrith since then? Was there a correction?
Not only did this margin hold in this traditionally Labor held seat it but Labor’s vote has decreased by a further 10% and the Green candidate Suzie Wright’s by 30%.
It is remarkable that the astounding by-election result of 2010 has not only been maintained but more significant that it is further accentuated. Even more astonishing when you consider the media’s love affair with the gal from Ohio Premier Kristina Keneally who appeared ten times as much as plain old Barry O’Farrell on ABC TV.
I can only think of one event that would cause this effect – carbon tax.
Even though the carbon tax issue is not a state matter, the conservative parties astutely ran on a platform of No Carbon Tax to capitalize on discontent over rising power bills.
It has been the biggest rout in Australian political history and it’s obvious that a lot of coal miners in Lithgow, the Hunter and Illawarra (staunch Labor supporters over generations) have deserted Labor because of this impending pernicious tax.
Aynsley Kellow says: ‘The carbon tax was just another factor.’
Like the difference between a good win and a landslide, which will reverberate throughout the land of Oz.
Hmmm well the headline of this post is not quite 100% and some have rightly suggested that it may be misleading. Especially for those not familiar with Oz politics.
I would suggest Aynsley Kellow has it about right. If Anthony would like a short post deciphering the NSW election repurcussions, he may like to ask Aynsley to do one if he would be so kind.
p.s. To all those who are contemplating coming to Australia, let me tell you you will never ever make a better decision. This truly is the lucky country despite a string of lousy politicians over the years.
stephen richards said: They all adore the BBC (auntie) over there.
Actually no, we don’t adore the BBC. A large swathe of the population want to see it removed from the public teat by scrapping the legally enforced (criminalised, heavily fined and/or imprisoned if you don’t pay up) TV licence.
@UK Sceptic
re the BBC – hear hear! So far the BBC has not mentioned the outcome of the NSW elections – it would be rather inconvenient as they might have to discuss some of the reasons.
A year or so ago I answered a telephone survey on behalf of the local BBC services in my area which, among other things, asked me how much I would pay for the BBC local services if they were available on a subscription basis instead of the licence fee. The researcher was audibly shocked when I said I wouldn’t pay at all for news services as I found them biased in what they reported and how they reported it and I already relied on other sources for news.
Sometimes the word “bloodbath” has a nice ring to it.
UK Sceptic says:
March 27, 2011 at 4:37 am
Actually no, we don’t adore the BBC. A large swathe of the population want to see it removed from the public teat by scrapping the legally enforced (criminalised, heavily fined and/or imprisoned if you don’t pay up) TV licence.
Are you sure? They claim huge viewing figures. “The most watch news service”, “the best natural history and environment programs. The best weather forecasts.
In France the ‘audio visual redevance’ is about €120 euro and the government channels, of which there are several, are not allowed to advertise after 20.00hrs. There have been some blatant interference, by the president, on those channels. There is a suspicion that one reporter was demissioned because he challenged the President too much.
I know of several friends here (french speakers only ) who like very much the cultural programs of the BBC.
I feel very sorry for you english people in the UK because you do not have anyone in your political circles that belive AGW is anything but true.
No matter which party you vote for they all want to be the greenest.
Baa humbug and Aynsley Kellow
Why did NSW voters not turn to the Greens?Maybe because of the carbon tax?I know the Catholic guy was warning NSW voters that the greens want to stop funding private education,that may have had some effect.
NSW voters sent a message to both Greens and Labor.We know what the message was to Labor(not much to do with the carbon tax),but what was the message to the Greens?
http://www.theage.com.au/national/nsw-spells-trouble-for-alp-20110327-1cc0a.html
I’ve been talking to some of my Kiwi mates back in New Zealand in recent days. Seems their Emissions tRading Scheme (ETS) is causing some pain, they are complaining about higher fuel costs, let alone higher food/energy costs.
I am a australian right wing Extremists as the Gilard GOVT call us and we are proud of it the fight against carbon tax has just started
there is a protest in sydney on the 2nd of april at 10 30 am hyd park NO TO CARBON TAX RALLY people power will kill this tax, the average Australian cannot beliveve what is happing in Australia
Robertvdl… Did you actually read this document you reference? This is a direct quote from your referenced document.
“This will be achieved without new or increased taxes on Australian industries or increased costs to Australian households and families. We are committed to incentives rather than penalties; to rewarding positive action rather than punishing Australian families, households and businesses.”
They make it absolutely clear they plan to achieve a very modest 5% reduction in emissions by 2020 by using incentives. Not by raising taxes and applying penalties.
Robertvdl says: March 26, 2011 at 6:53 pm
I’m sorry , but after reading
http://liberal.org.au/~/media/Files/Policies%20and%20Media/Environment/The%20Coalitions%20Direct%20Action%20Plan%20Policy.ashx
a WUWT reader can’t vote in Australia. The Coolition also believe in man made climate change and that CO2 is to blame. They are as stupid as the rest. It’s like jumping out of the boiling water into the fire. So who should I vote ?
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Robertvdl says it all. You are all deluding yourselves in thinking that a change in government in Oz (or anywhere else in the Anglosphere for that matter) will make any difference. As I say earlier the policymakers are in effect guided by the advice given by their respective country’s Chief Science Advisor to the Prime Minister or equivalent. Those people’s advice is orthodox ‘climate science’. End of story. It is ‘game set and match’ to the ‘Team’. Sceptical views are to be ignored.
Douglas
Amen to that! We need to start running against liberals’ environmental records here in the US.
King of Cool says: March 27, 2011 at 2:53 am
[————-The Labor spin has begun that carbon tax had nothing to do with the election. Ask just one question:What happened in Penrith? –by-election in Penrith led to the largest by-election swing in NSW political history. But what has changed in Penrith since then? Was there a correction? —-Not only did this margin hold in this traditionally Labor held seat it but Labor’s vote has decreased by a further 10% and the Green candidate Suzie Wright’s by 30%.—- I can only think of one event that would cause this effect – carbon tax.
———————————————————————-
Good analysis King. AND the ONLY way to change the policies of either the Liberals or for that matter Labour (fat chance of that), is to protest directly about the Carbon Tax issue. It has to be made abundantly clear that this issue will cost them power. The Policy makers are ‘in bed’ with the ‘climate scientist’ orthodoxy and will not change. They are self satisfied, smug and sniffy academics. They treat you sceptics with ’ignore’. The only ones who can change are those who stand something to loose. I.e. the politicians. The ONLY power the sceptics have now is political –via the ballot box. If this fails ——?
Douglas
I like this:
Alcheson says:
March 27, 2011 at 9:12 am
“They make it absolutely clear they plan to achieve a very modest 5% reduction in emissions by 2020 by using incentives. Not by raising taxes and applying penalties.”
“Incentive” is the euphemism used by the solar and wind industry (and by every other economically unviable technology) for “subsidy”. Subsidies, of course, have to be financed by taxes, or call them levies if you will, IOW monetary redistribution is what we’re talking about.