Today is a great day not only in Australian history, but also in world history. It marks the day when people of character and sensibility pushed back against an overwrought and pointless green agenda, and pushed back in a big way. They’ve had enough, and they’ve scraped the Krudd off their shoes and are moving forward.
Tony Abbott has won the Australian election in a landslide, and vows to abolish the carbon tax as a first order of business. Abbott has declared Australia is “once more open for business” in claiming victory in Saturday’s election.
It is a huge blow to the Rudd-Gillard labor party and their green goals, which were built on a lie foisted on the Australian people. In 2010 when Gillard said “no carbon tax” in a videotaped speech that has been seen as the key moment Australians lost trust:
Then, shortly after she was elected prime minister, she acted as if those words were never spoken, and implemented a carbon tax anyway. There’s nothing worse than a liar who is oblivious to their own lies, and in my opinion, this was the catalyst that set the stage for the end of labor’s green dream as well as their dominance in government.
Abott says he will abolish the carbon tax. In an August 5th Herald Sun article:
If elected, the coalition on day one would suspend the CEFC (Clean Energy Finance Corporation) and prepare legislation to shut it down permanently. It’s vowed to introduce legislation within a fortnight designed to abolish the carbon tax, and all government climate agencies associated with Labor’s clean energy laws.
From the Herald Sun today:
“Today the people of Australia have declared that the right to govern this country does not belong to Mr Rudd or to me or to his party or to ours but it belongs to you, the people of Australia,” Abbott said.
“And you will punish anyone who takes you for granted.”
Andrew Bolt wrote on his blog: “Finally, a man worthy of the office of Prime Minister – and humble enough to hope it.”
Congratulations to my friends in Australia, the Krudd is kaput and the carbon tax is going away, and almost certainly Flim Flam Flannery too. What a great day!
Cook, Ove, and Sou, this Krudd’s for you!
Meanwhile, back in the USA, the Washington Post seems oblivious to this loud message from down under (h/t to Steve Milloy):
The first thing to do is to build the cost of pollution into the price of energy through a simple carbon tax or other market-based mechanism. Though the tax revenue could be rebated right back to people, higher sticker prices for fossil fuel-derived energy would still give them reason to change behaviors and demand more energy-efficient appliances.
It’s like deju vu all over again, because Australia’s carbon tax was setup just like that, and it was flatly rejected by the people of Australia today. Let’s hope we don’t have to deal with the same madness here in the States.
UPDATE: Australian Eric Worrall writes in a short story submitted to WUWT just moments after this was published says:
Tony Abbott, the man who once described climate change as crap http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Abbott#Climate_change , has won a landslide victory in the Australian election, an election which has seen substantial swings against Labor and the Greens.
While we Australians have been disappointed by Abbott’s genuflection towards green dogma, with his promise to replace the hated carbon tax with a watered down form of carbon pricing, we live in hope that it is simply window dressing, to appease greens within his party. Abbott has given us grounds for such hope, with statements to the effect that his budget to mitigate climate change will be capped, regardless of whether the allocated funding achieves its stated goals, and a promise to tighten up the allocation of the national science budget. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/abbott-vows-to-cut-futile-research/story-fni0cx12-1226710934260
Abbott has also spoken out against Tim Flannery http://joannenova.com.au/2013/04/jobs-and-junkets-are-on-the-line-abbott-could-axe-flannery-and-the-climate-commission/ , the government doommonger general, who did more than anyone to deliver Australia’s white elephant desalination plants, with his strident support for predictions of permanent drought (end of snow, anybody?).
So its exciting times for climate skeptics down under – and potentially, a global warning for the ambitions of politicians and political parties which are getting too cosy with the greens.
Good on ya Abbott 🙂
Hold your horses.
Congratulations to our mates in Australia. Lead On
Great news. Well done Tony.
The liberal media will go out of their way to not report what just happened in Australia, just as they refuse to report the any failures of socialized medicine in other countries, refuse to report that you must have an I.D. to vote just about everywhere but the U.S., and so on. Our liberal/leftist media makes a mockery of the idea of a “free press” that is valued because it gets the facts out to the people. The MSM *suppresses* facts and skews stories because they are a willing arm of propaganda. The Global Warming theory should have died several years ago, but most of the MSM deliberately don’t report the facts that show all the predictions already failed.
Abbott, you little ripper! Sitting here in Perth listening to the results come in. Looking forward to some spring cleaning coming around these parts.
This restores my faith in voters. Thank you Australia!
I wish Americans would wake up and make similar changes.
I was watching a live “twitter” feed on ABC when the results were coming in. Unsurprisingly, most of the “twits” were from lefties who were just about unanimous in saying that they’d leave the country.
Well. I’m sure they wouldn’t be missed. But where would they go?
Great news to go with my 43 th anniversary. Love is in the air and all is right with the world, at least until tomorrow.
It’s what happens at the Senate level in this case that really matters. Its not over yet!
“Where would they go?” The UK unfortunately. 🙁
Someone close the doors please!
DaveE.
Liberated is the right word.
But it going to take a long time to fix the huge number of problems that the green/warming movement has foisted on Australia.
@Jimmy Haigh – in 2004 one of my acquaintances, a certified lefty, said the same thing when Bush was up for re-election. He never had the stones to make good on his promise.
“Jimmy Haigh. says:
September 7, 2013 at 7:03 am”
New Zealand. Oh, wait!
Congratulations Australia!
That is great news. With CAGW, it’s death by a thousand cuts, and this one runs deep. Too bad we’re stuck with prez. (Constitution, what Constitution? We don’t need no steenking Constitution when it comes to “Saving The Planet”) Zero for 3 more years.
Congratulations to Oz for standing against tyranny.
Well done Australia show the world the way to go.
Joanne Nova writes:
“Rudds concession speech
Never admit defeat. You would think he is planning 2016. This is a man who thinks this result is a temporary aberration. No lessons to learn. He looks relieved and happy (he hasn’t lost his own seat, the carnage is not as bad as predicted yesterday). A child in the room with us, watching him, looks confused and says “who won the election”?
50:1’s Best:
Joanne Nova 50:1 Interview (42:41)
David Evans 50:1 Interview (47:51)
G’day for Australia. There’s still enough smart people there to know when they’ve been duped and will hold leaders accountable for mediocre performance. They also still have a conservative party, and opposition to authoritarian rule.
It’s too late for America.
Hold on cowboys! We still have Bandt in Melbourne, Green MP. Oh to see the “nodding dogs”…
Patrick Hrushowy says:
September 7, 2013 at 7:01 am
This restores my faith in voters. Thank you Australia!
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You are most welcome. Abbott has also got the message – as he said in his victory speech reproduced above. That was the main message we wanted to send to all our politicians, enough lies, spin and corruption – and stop with the CO2 scam already ! 🙂
Being British I knew next to nothing about Australian politicians, so all I can say now is Abbot appears to be barely a nanometre away from the previous government’s climate policies, he is just far better at hiding it. I wish I was wrong but everything he’s said in the last couple of months has been no different from Labor.
In the meantime, we back in Blighty see more and ever more wind farms ‘blighting’ our countryside – supported by ever more tenuous arguments – noting that 25-year lives for these monstrosities are being subtly replaced by 20-year lives – and even 15-years…
Because, as is bleedin’ obvious (to quote Basil Fawlty) NONE of these installations (especially offshore) will last 25 years. Anyone investing on that basis seriously needs their head examined.
Anyway – good on yer, cousins – make sure you keep that Tony Abbott to his word about the Carbon Tax…
Sadly, our ‘political elite’ will not heed the lesson of Australia.
Barack Obama and David Cameron will continue to shrilly promote their ecoloon policies.
Ecoloonery is yesterday’s story and the voters are saying “Stop it, no more expensive climate BS.
Barack, David – are you listening?
Most countries in Europe are left-enough to suit their needs. How about Greece?
After they get rid of the Green agenda crap they need to restore the gun rights to their citizens
Rejoice, rejoice, rejoice !!!
Today Australia – tomorrow voters throughout the rest of the western world will also wake up to the fact that their left-tards have similarly attempted to impoverish them through the pursuit of punitive anti-growth, anti-jobs, anti-democratic and misanthropic legislative agenda. All based on ‘scientific’ fallacy and concocted graphs.
Come on, Abbot – you beauty.
“Australia liberated from their long national green nightmare” not by a long shot!
There is still hope for humanity down under. Now if we could just find some here in the States.
Unfortunately there are enough Greeen Lunatics in the Senate to upset some of Tony Abbot’s plan. Australian Federal politics is a Bi – Cameral system.
It may come to another forced election to completely rid Australian Politics of the “Green Scourge”.
The Australian Senate has members elected for six years. Half of which go up for election every three years in conjunction with the lower house election.
Complicating the incoming governments agenda is an eccentric Australian Mining billionaire \who has won some crucial places in parliament. Would you believe he is desperately anti green however has won seats in the political system with assistance via the Green party.
neasdenparade
Being British I knew next to nothing about Australian politicians, so all I can say now is Abbot appears to be barely a nanometre away from the previous government’s climate policies, he is just far better at hiding it….
It is conceivable that Abbott has duped us – he is after all a politician. But Abbott has (recently) struck out at icons of the Australian green establishment, such as Tim Flannery, and has spoken of his desire to cap emissions mitigation, regardless of whether the allocated budget achieves its stated goals.
And Abbott originally won the Liberal (Conservative) party leadership by toppling Malcolm Turnbull, as a rebellion against Turnbull’s attempt to offer bipartisan support for Labor’s carbon tax.
So I would say there is substantial evidence that Abbott thinks spending money to mitigate climate change is cr@p, just like he says, and will work to contain the damage, even if he can’t completely stop the waste of money and resources.
I’m hopeful that we can have a parliamentary inquiry into the science of climate change. I’m going to suggest as loudly as possible that Dr Dennis Jensen should chair the inquiry. Barnaby Joyce should be on it too. 🙂
You should drop in a link tot he 50to1.net video just for fun.
BBC News reported on this today saying immigration and the economy were the main factors behind Labour’s annihilation.
No mention at all of Gillard’s lies about the carbon tax.
Congratulations, Australia!
“Though the tax revenue could be rebated right back to people…”
Yeah, that’ll happen.
If Abbott doesn’t make good on his word of abolishing a carbon tax as promised, our good mates in Australia should undertake a recall election.
And if such a solution isn’t available to them, that would be the first order of business.
Australia is a constitutional monarchy. We use the Westminster Parliamentary system of “democracy” devised in Britain in around the late 17th century. Unfortunately, we have let the “American” media style pantomime “politics” invade what is popular as apposed to what is “needed”. So we have(had) Rudd “who wants to save Australia”, and Abbott “who wants to save Australia”. Which fool do you follow?
RockyRoad says:
September 7, 2013 at 7:37 am
If Abbott doesn’t make good on his word of abolishing a carbon tax as promised, our good mates in Australia should undertake a recall election.
And if such a solution isn’t available to them, that would be the first order of business.
———————————————————————————————————–
Depends on what the Senate looks like when the votes are all in. If the Liberal Govmt cannot get legislation through the senate then it will likely lead to a ‘double-dissolution’ election – which would likely be disastrous for the opposition..
A song for Rudd-Gillard-Flannery (a 1970s moment from an old geezer like me)
The greens and labor party will lose control of the Australian Senate in the middle of next year when the half of the Senate elected yesterday take office, so it may take until then to get it repealed.
Eric Worrall I hope you’re right, but replacing a carbon tax with a tax on carbon or a carbon price wasn’t my idea if change, plus didn’t he state how important the climate was only last week? Of course he is entitled to change his mind as they all are, but if he’s even considered such issues in the runup to the election I see little hope of any difference. I am not aware of any country as yet without such policies now so if Australia did indeed drop all taxes then it would set a precedent. But I very much doubt that’ll happen somehow.
A significant battle has been won. The war, however, is far from over.
If Abbott is smart, he will seek to soften the anger from the greenies by supporting some environmental programs based on sound science and economics, and I hope he can do the same successfully.
But if he gets hooked on the CO2 boondoggle, he too must go.
Pretty terrible how democracy is about booting the other party out, not voting in good principles.
As if Abbott is not another fake-conservative central planner who benefits from a crisis to garner votes from us hapless fools. Every three years, the enthusiasm is disconcerting. Abbott will send us to war if Syria escalates, he will provide socialism for the middle class and wealthy and special privileges for corporations and banks through stimulus and govt programs, he will continue the welfare state, foist bureaucratic morality upon us and continue to operate in the collectivist mold. Yes, but he’s no worse that the ALP brand of collectivism. That does not make him good.
Plus consider the fact that abolishing the CT was a campaign promise. It’s not a done deal, he has to negotiate with the senate. Do you think govt is likely to prosper through a carbon tax or do you really believe the government cares about you?
Yep…I’m real excited.
Government is unnecessary.
David A. Evans says:
September 7, 2013 at 7:06 am
“Where would they go?” The UK unfortunately. 🙁
Someone close the doors please!
DaveE.
Very unlikely. Most of those people are “pommy-bashing” self-styled republicans. They wouldn’t want our “warm beer” (although Aussie beer has to be drunk frozen because the taste is horrible!) and they won’t want to be exposed to the ribbing their terrible cricket team has earned them!!
Anthony,
Please allow me to thank you for sharing news of the election that swept a new government into power in Australia by a landslide! Tonight was a great victory in Australia for rational thinking and an overwhelming rejection of Climate Change Alarmism by defeating the ALP/Greens alliance.
The ALP/Greens ran a relentless campaign of mis-information, straight from the Climate Alarmist playbook that has lead to draconian policies that have cost jobs and stifled growth in Australia by blowing out the cost of electricity with Renewable Energy Targets, a CarbonTax and proliferation Green-Tape. Just some of the consequences can be seen in this analysis of RET & CarbonTax: http://www.instituteforenergyresearch.org/australias-carbon-tax/
So, I feel it’s important to recognise YOUR contribution to the election result by providing independent facts that helped to educate so many people in Australia, as it does around the world.
Anthony, I want to sincerely thank you again and ALL of the positive contributors to WUWT for the great work that you do and the outstanding efforts in making WUWT one of the finest Climate Change resources online. This is indeed a great day for freedom.
Regards,
Geoff.
The same will probably happend in Norway on Monday. Today’s redgreen government looks not to be reelected. The problem is still all the enviro radicals(ecoterrorists) they have placed in the government to attack and prevent freedom, economic growth and progress? How to smoke them out and get rid of them?
@Jimmy Haigh
It’s become somewhat of a tradition here that people swear they will leave the country if the vote doesn’t go their way… the next person to leave will be the first person I’ve ever personally seen do it (from either side).
Of course it’s not unique to Australia but it’s really getting tiresome.
I have 2 close friends this time around that said they were leaving if Rudd lost, trust me they’re not going anywhere.
Abbott still has a tough road ahead of him. The makeup of the Senate is critical, as is the role of independents. But this is one heck of a good step in the right direction. .http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Q2fY7I-ZGE&feature=youtube_gdata_player
Is everybody expecting electricity prices to go down and the economy to improve?
LA Times out with the expected cheap shot on Abbott this morning. Widely reprinted. Showed up in the Anchorage McClatchy fish wrapper. Typical leftist.
http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-australia-election-tony-abbott-kevin-rudd-20130906,0,1851884.story
Congratulations to all in Oz for showing us the way. Now if we here in the US are smart enough to follow that lead……..
Cheers –
Geoff, your zealotry and collectivist rhetoric is scaring me. It’s probably better that Labor are out but it’s simply ridiculous to say this is a great day for Australia. Australia, like the entire western world, is on a downward spiral due to bipartisan economic idiocy and the debt financing of the welfare state.
Preferential democracy still reigns and Labor will be back in power. SO this “change in government” doesn’t particularly matter in the long term.
Sadly most major policies are now made behind the scenes in the UN under Agenda 21 and then filtered down through national governments as if the parties actually chose them themselves. I have yet to find a single ruling or opposition party in the ‘democratic’ world who has not adopted these policies, and until the people understand what they are they will continue to dominate our lives to the exclusion of anything local and national.
This has made my day, well played you aussies!
Problem is now is when he kills off the bull shit Carbon taxes hows the shortfall in revenue going to made up.
UK gets over £30 billion a year in emmission taxes I read. So I reckon Govts will stick their ear plugs in and “Keep calm and carry on” taxing the crap out of us.
Whats the bet they’ll change it from a CO2 tax to a pollution tax.
Anyways I’m looking forward to see the climate Quango closers start but I wont hold my breath about it.
QUOTE
david says:
September 7, 2013 at 7:19 am
After they get rid of the Green agenda crap they need to restore the gun rights to their citizens /QUOTE
Well as a fellow poster (Les Francis) pointed out our Political system is terribly complicated, however there is hope! the Liberal Democratic party under David Leyonhjelm picked up a senate seat, one of their core policies is a Carry a Conceal Firearm for personal Defence, but it will be a long hard road, rolling back Aus’s draconian gun laws will be as hard as…well… say rolling back Gay Rights (I’m just using that as an example)
Carbon taxes were sold as saving the planet, not revenue raising. We all know the actual reasons were for revenue but they should be honest and say they need the money for that if they do and drop the whole story behind them. If it really did make a difference then the CO2 would be dropping like a stone worldwide as a result but they haven’t made a ppm of difference. Even if CO2 was a problem then they’ve had over a decade to prove taxing it won’t stop it being emitted as it’s essential to leading a civilised life.
Well done Oz!
Here in the UK our chance will come in the spring of 2014 when we can vote for UKIP and Nigel Farage in the european elections.
A bloody nose for Cameron, Milliband and Clegg and several thorns in the side of the undemocratic and hated EU politbureau to be sent to Brussels.
Bring it on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I have snobbishly (but in good humor) often repeated that the carbon tax in Oz was the best thing for the US economy. Our community organizer president was too busy playing video games with military drones to take advantage of that good fortune. Now I’m very happy to offer congratulations to Oz on the pending dissolution of the carbon tax – the best thing for Oz since Julia packed her bags. Never ever forget!
“…and with the election of Tony Abbott, sweet rains began falling across the centre of Australia, and the barren red-soiled land became fertile once more…”
I half-expected that line in the genuflection above.
Politicians are judged by what they have done, not what they say they are going to achieve. So its simply too early to tell what Abbott’s Liberal/National coalition will do in government.
And because I’m a pluralist, I worry about the affect on Australian democratic system of an absolute majority such as the Coalition has managed to achieve. A weak, infighting opposition without a recognized leader will necessarily mean that scrutiny will be reduced with cronyism being the consequence.
I wish Tony Abbott well (really I do), and I hope that Australia goes from strength to strength but I’m too old now to forget all of the new dawns and fresh starts that have failed in the past.
According to today’s NORSEX SSM/I Ice Area graph on the Sea Ice page, this year’s icemelt in the Arctic is bottoming out.
It looks like even Mother Nature celebrates the result of Australia’s national elections.
Now “historical” speech, Oz Senator Bernardi giving the watermelons what-for.
Far many years now,in the English speaking world, the skeptical view has been politically unsafe in national elections. The ebb tide of this foolishness may have just begun. Time will tell
I’m have been an interested watcher of the climate debate for a number of years. I am a geologist by training, and like many I was (and remain) deeply concerned by the claims about the science.
But you’ve lost me Anthony. The triumphalism (and political positioning) displayed by you in this article, and trumpeted by the followers here is naive, simplistic and quite frankly a bit obscene.
Too many agendas here for my liking……… I’m off.
This is encouraging! Congratulations, Australia! The test now is to see whether the campaign promises were real, or just another bait and switch. Here in the Staes, both parties have waxed fat by perfecting the art of never delivered campaign promises. Additionally, neither party ever rescinds the horrible legislation passed by their rivals.
I hope this recent election works well for you, but don’t let the politicians weasel out of their promises!
Where’s Nick to tell us what the numbers really mean ?
Applying a carbon tax to “raise revenue” is akin to killing the goose that laid the golden egg. Certainly any other form of taxation would be better. A dead goose lays no eggs at all.
The BBC’s report was the most mealy mouthed, sour-grape filled load of garbage that they could come up with. They cannot believe that a county could vote for a man who is conservative, anti homosexual marriage, and a climate realist. According to the prevailing BBC mentality, such people are a tiny, mentally unstable bunch of extremist nutcases. In fact the BBC are much kinder to the Al Qaeda backed rebels in Syria, than they are to climate realists, or those who feel that marriage should be left as a religious commitment between a man and a woman.
The BBC give kinder coverage to the sort of hate-filled beheading loving terrorists, than they do for climate realists.
“And I can inform you that the Australian Labor Party vote is at the lowest level in more than 100 years,” [Abbott] said.
The coalition policy costings audited by the treasury show that repealing the carbon tax will result in a saving of A$1.1 Billion, once the subsidies to support business affected by the tax are also removed – go figure…
SamG says:
September 7, 2013 at 8:21 am
“…but it’s simply ridiculous to say this is a great day for Australia.”
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I wont dignify the personal comments with a direct reply.
As it may not be obvious to some, so for their benefit, allow me outline why a change of government is in fact a great day for freedom in Australia and by example, around the world.
Background
Senior members of the Greens in Australia include self proclaimed socialists, communists and were shaped by their then lead Bob Brown. Brown believes people are not served by the self interest of National Sovereignty. In this speech Brown delivers the 3rd annual Green Oration: http://greensmps.org.au/content/news-stories/bob-brown-delivers-3rd-annual-green-oration
In it Brown refers to people as Earthians and advocates Global Government, . A claim he repeated here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzJm-ZosEbo
Greens Hold Balance of Power in Hung Parliament (2010)
Brown advocates shutting down coal mining in Australia (core source of base load power in Australia, competitive advantage to many industries and a major export) and heavily increasing taxes on other mining activities. After the 2010 election, the Socialist lead ALP (promising no CarbonTax), signed an alliance with the Greens to form a majority govt. Shortly there after came a raft of new Greens designed taxes and a $23/tonne CarbonTax, to be latter converted to an ETS linked to the wildly unstable EU market. The govt projection for the price of Co2 was to quickly rise to $38 to eventually $350 per tonne by 2050. The impact was to greatly increase the cost of doing business in Australia and diminish certainty over the input cost of energy to industry and consumers. Needless to say, this had a devastating impact on investment, business and consumer confidence.
The LNP Exposed the True Costs of Ineffective Co2 Policy
Tony Abbott and the LNP opposition party opposed each of the measures from the start and has consistently campaigned to repeal the Carbon and Mining taxes and remove the Green-tape. As stated by others, there will be opposition from the remaining Greens in the senate, but after three years of consistent policy advocacy, there is no reason to doubt Tony Abbott & LNP will not be active to repeal the offending legislation. Abbott doggedly pointed out the cost of the CarbonTax/ETS and today was successful in gaining the approval of a previously skeptical electorate.
Conclusion
Having lived it everyday, I have no doubt with that in fighting the ALP/Greens, we are talking about the fight for freedom and in the long run, the sovereignty of Australia itself. But I will leave it up to others to judge by their own definitions.
[For out-of-country readers,
ALP =
ETS =
LNP =
The former leading party was =
The new (next) leading party will be =
Mod.]
Had Labor won an outright victory, Gillard probably would not have implemented the carbon tax but Labor was one seat short. In order to form a government, they had to create an alliance with the one Green party seat. The carbon tax was the cost of that coalition with the Green seat. They compromised their position for political power.
Can’t_stand_Rudd_or_Abbott says:
September 7, 2013 at 9:21 am
I’m have been an interested watcher of the climate debate for a number of years. I am a geologist by training, and like many I was (and remain) deeply concerned by the claims about the science.
But you’ve lost me Anthony. The triumphalism (and political positioning) displayed by you in this article, and trumpeted by the followers here is naive, simplistic and quite frankly a bit obscene.
Too many agendas here for my liking……… I’m off.
======================
I know I shouldn’t but….
The commenter above seems to be a glutton for punishment, or why even read this deep 🙂
Then insult the host !!
“The triumphalism (and political positioning) displayed by you in this article, and trumpeted by the followers here is naive, simplistic and quite frankly a bit obscene.”
Comment looks like it was a lefty “concern troll” trying not to act like one in the comments. Some typical key giveaways:
“Can’t_stand_Rudd_or_Abbott ” concern trolls often pretend they aren’t aligned with either side when in fact they are. “I’m have been an interested watcher of the climate debate for a number of years. I am a geologist by training, and like many I was (and remain) deeply concerned by the claims about the science.” They start off with something that shows they were leaning toward you or are sympathetic but now they don’t/aren’t. Then finally, the part I posted above. Obvious butthurt that their side lost results in a hissy fit along with an ad hominem (naive, simplistic, obscene) attack.
Probability here is quite high that we have a disgruntled watermelon pretending to be a neutral observer here but is nothing of the sort.
Let’s hope that his will be the first of many anti-agw governments over the next 3-5yrs.
crosspatch says:
September 7, 2013 at 10:29 am
Had Labor won an outright victory, Gillard probably would not have implemented the carbon tax but Labor was one seat short. In order to form a government, they had to create an alliance with the one Green party seat. The carbon tax was the cost of that coalition with the Green seat. They compromised their position for political power.
Like Cameron in the uk, that is pure cowardice and lack of leadership.
Congrat’s Oz!
Regarding Gillard & Co –
What is worst? An ignorant politician or the person who votes for the same politician?
Good Luck Norway in the election! You’ll need to be liberated …
No path of politics are perfect but left wing politics have burned their bridges … (I don’t use the term “liberal”, as many people are confused and can’t differ this from “socialism” …)
This makes the fourth Pacific Rim country to move from a center left to a center right government. Canada, Japan, and South Korea are the others.
Also, keep an eye on Denmark, They have elections coming up next week.
mogamboguru says:
September 7, 2013 at 8:50 am
According to today’s NORSEX SSM/I Ice Area graph on the Sea Ice page, this year’s icemelt in the Arctic is bottoming out.
It has stopped melting 2 weeks early.
A big Thank You to all those who have written here wishing Australia well and who rejoice at Gang Green getting the thumping they deserve. It is a indeed a good day in Australia.
To all those undecided about the merit of this election, Abbott has promised a double-dissolution if the Senate gets in his way, which means that every senator will be up for re-election. The carbon tax is going to go. No matter what excused the MSM is given for Abbott’s win, the carbon tax was and is the big issue.
After Gillard’s lies, Australia’s rejection of Labor plus the trouncing of the Greens, Abbott is under no illusion. We in Australia don’t want greenie-ism, we don’t want the carbon tax in any form (and earlier Abbot promised he would not rename it, would not turn it into something else, wouldn’t not shrink it, he would ABOLISH it) and we don’t want lies. He’s just seen what we do with liars. If Abbott wants to hang on for longer than one term, he will do what’s right for the people and the economy. A healthy economy means more jobs and more tax revenue, not less.
To those the-glass-is-half-empty types in here, you can live in fear if you want to, but it won’t gain you anything – and you bloody well are not going to spoil my day! Stop listening to the hype put out by the greens and by Labor about “how bad” Abbott is or will be – you gave Gillard a chance, you gave Rudd a chance, I think it’s about time Abbott is given a chance. Good or bad, he’s going to be a heck of a lot better than the lying, thieving bunch we just got rid of. Grow up, get a life and stop bloody whinging!
Anthony, thank you for rejoicing with us. It feels good to be free.
God Bless the Aussies. Now if only we could convince the Moron Voters to stop electing progressive socialist Dems, we too could return to a free enterprise nation with liberties that have been restricted by the PC Leftists via Obamacare and assorted liberal pieces of faux legislation.
John A says:
September 7, 2013 at 8:49 am
By pluralism I guess you mean cummunnism. Democracy is about putting your trust in the majority to do the best for your country, your familly, your tribe or group. Commitees of 20, 30, 40 or more people never achieve anything useful. That’s why back in the stone age we humans started to form groups with a leader to help us cope with our dangerous environment.
The global warming scam which has cost many lives and a huge sum of money was able to take hold because of pluralism. It’s just another word for group think.
Stephen Richards says:
September 7, 2013 at 10:38 am
…Had Labor won an outright victory, Gillard probably would not have implemented the carbon tax but Labor was one seat short. In order to form a government, they had to create an alliance with the one Green party seat. The carbon tax was the cost of that coalition with the Green seat. They compromised their position for political power…
*
That’s the excuse given, however Gillard was not forced into giving Australia the carbon tax. She has claimed it is the best thing she has done, she holds the carbon tax up as her best achievement, and she very happily locked it down to make it difficult to remove, and publically rubbed Australians’ noses in it. These are not the actions of someone forced into it. There was not one shred of remorse from her. The Greens didn’t make her do it at all. She did it happily.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/life-is-much-better-under-labor-after-all-says-study-20130830-2sw8l.html
The former Liberal government had the same results during a worldwide economic boom that the Labor party had under successive leaders during the global financial crisis.
The big lie bought by many Australians is that Labor did a poor job of economic management. It did better than the previous Coaliton government, including after implementing the carbo tax, which was off-set for low to middle income earners by raising tax brackets and other returns. In truth, both parties have managed the economy well since the 80s, albeit with different priorities – Labor has spent on civil infrastructure, and the Coalition has focussed on creating surplus. This is the essential difference between their economic models.
The major source of disaffection with Labor was the leadership changes. The horrible campaign from both parties obscured the truth – Australia has had a strong economy since the dollar was floated in 1983. Little changed after the carbon tax (many households saw rising electricity bills, but ignored the higher income from offsets.
A recent poll indicated that the Carbon Tax was not as high a priority for voters as for the political campaigners.
http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/08/poll-its-the-economy-stupid/
The Poll: http://news.anu.edu.au/files/2013/08/Attitudes-to-Electoral-Reform-report.pdf (page 9)
Top of the list was jobs and economy.
This is despite the best efforts of the Coalition to paint the Carbon Tax as a serious problem, and Abbott’s repeated promise to repeal it.
Axing the Carbon Tax is not a done deal. The Coalition will not likely hold the balance of power in the Senate, which they need, or they must court independent members.
This has been one of the most appalling campaign seasons I’ve witnessed. The Coalition campaigned far more successfully (strategically), but both sold hollow bills of goods.
Time for the US populace to get rid of the Socialist- control fanatical envirowaccko left..
The Aussies did it so can WE!
crosspatch says:
September 7, 2013 at 10:36 am
“The triumphalism (and political positioning) displayed by you in this article, and trumpeted by the followers here is naive, simplistic and quite frankly a bit obscene.”
Comment looks like it was a lefty “concern troll” trying not to act like one in the comments. Some typical key giveaways:
“Can’t_stand_Rudd_or_Abbott ” concern trolls often pretend they aren’t aligned with either side when in fact they are. “I’m have been an interested watcher of the climate debate for a number of years. I am a geologist by training, and like many I was (and remain) deeply concerned by the claims about the science.” They start off with something that shows they were leaning toward you or are sympathetic but now they don’t/aren’t. Then finally, the part I posted above. Obvious butthurt that their side lost results in a hissy fit along with an ad hominem (naive, simplistic, obscene) attack.
Probability here is quite high that we have a disgruntled watermelon pretending to be a neutral observer here but is nothing of the sort.
*
Thank you, Crosspatch, I believe you are right.
SamG says:
September 7, 2013 at 7:55 am
“Pretty terrible how democracy is about booting the other party out, not voting in good principles.
[…]
Government is unnecessary.”
Hobbes, 1651:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leviathan_%28book%29#Part_I:_Of_Man
I used to think of Australia as being a mythic Texas-down-under. A place largely of easy going but no-BS tolerating (except in good humor) self-reliant people. It was crushing to read of all the things the leftists and hyper shallow media were in fact getting away with. The stories of the beleaguered landowners was particularly Orwellian. Coincidentally the first one I read about involved transplanted Texans being crushed by Stalinesque bureaucrats determined to shut down their farm. May the population now wake from the nightmare and never forget the lessons learned but that is probably being too optimistic. Regardless I want to heartily congratulate the Aussie voters who made their voice heard. Meanwhile here in the states I can scarcely watch 5 minutes of the Weather Channel without some display of Dogmatic Stupidity forcing me to flip it off (choose your interpretation). It used to be one of my most-watched stations until the GE/NBC garbage newsertainment took over.
There is no doubt the newly elected government of Australia knows full well why they were elected to power. One thing politicans know very well – what keeps them in power and why citizens vote them into power. They will keep eleminate the Green stupidity – they know full well that is why they were elected. Just as why Obama was elected in the states – and he is doing what the citizens elected him to do – go wild with European style systems – and I do not see an end to that style in the US anytime soon. Sorry Americans – the Republicans have no idea what they stand for anymore.
crosspatch on September 7, 2013 at 10:43 am
Just to clearify, Denmark have their next national election in 2015 (Folketinget). The election they have this year is on local level (municipal).
C’mon Aussie c’mon.
That’s the green conman put to the sword, now only one thing left.
Win back the Ashes.
Good luck with that.
@ Barry. As is often the case in life, it’s not what people say, its what they don’t or didn’t say.
In your analysis of Australian economics you omitted to look at the Australian National balance of payments. Most notably the fact that a healthy surplus was turned into a substantial deficit. So Labo(u)rs apparent economic performance parity that you quote was paid for out of debt, which would eventually have to be paid for.
Speaking as an English Lefty you may feel free to ignore me…
But I urge you to pause a moment.
Election promises and the actions of the elected are not always in complete concord.
@Paul Homewood
I was about to make a similar comment about the BBC lack of mention of the climate tax issue but then read yours.
I was watching live coverage on BBC News 24 of Abbot’s win and his speech when he heralded the “end of the carbon tax within 3 years”, shortly after he made the comments about carbon tax the BBC cut to someone else. The presenter then said the issues labor lost on were the economy and immigration (boat people). Later transmissions edited out Abbots mention of carbon tax.
The BBC biased about climate change, who knew?
Apparently at one time Abbot wanted to be a priest, so perhaps it is more likely that he will keep his word and deliver on his promises.
Can’t_stand_Rudd_or_Abbott says:
September 7, 2013 at 9:21 am
Oh dear! I think your outburst is a little strange. For one thing, if you have bothered to follow the climate debate, and have half a brain, you will know by now that carbon taxation is a completely false path. And that fact should be obvious to either side of the debate and any political stance. For another thing, anyone elected on a particular election ‘promise’ – and perhaps worse, from a party allegedly intent on protection ‘ordinary’ people (the labour party) – can hardly expect to remain unvillified in the press? I don’t think running this story is particularly political but it is quite important in terms of the climate debate. Even if Anthony demonstrates a particular stance – he is entirely at liberty to do so.
This is a blog – not a national impartial media outlet!
As for Gillard, I hope she rots in hell, but no doubt she has already filled her boots from the trough. If it were up to me, she would at least be left penniless after so much DISSERVICE to Oz.
US Associated Press completely misses the moment.
“Australian Conservatives outst Labor Party” by Russ Britt
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/australia-conservatives-oust-labor-party-2013-09-07
“coalition led by Australia’s Liberal Party defeated Labor by a 53% to 47% margin.” [ no mention of seats. ‘Hey, it was really close. Really.’ ]
“Tony Abbott, a 55-year-old former Roman Catholic seminarian and Rhodes scholar. Abbott was considered relatively unpopular, ” [ he’s religious (gasp!). Who’d vote for him? ]
“But infighting between Labor Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and others …. caused consternation among voters” [Labor’s infighting lost the election, not policy. You hear that Democrats??]
“Labor’s loss also was blamed on its imposing a tax on the nation’s biggest carbon polluters.” [ Just a minor issue, really. Hardly mattered at all ]
All,
In ‘Nam, I had a chance to meet some of those Aussies. Tough bunch – practical, level headed and smart. While government moves slowly I expect that patience is at a premium with the voters down there, and they won’t take words over action.
Also, if as some say here that the UN is calling the political shots for the US government, isn’t that taxation without representation????
Mike
Here’s what the Communist Broadcasting Corp (CBC) of Canada (AP feed) had to say……
“Under Howard, Australia — one of the world’s worst greenhouse gas polluters on a per capita basis — and the United States had been the only wealthy countries to refuse to ratify the Kyoto Protocol on reducing global warming.
One of Rudd’s first acts as prime minister was to ratify the Protocol, and he became Australia’s most popular prime minister of the past three decades with his promise to introduce a carbon emissions trading scheme. His popularity fell after he failed to persuade the Senate to deliver the scheme.”
Well it’s been said that when New Zealanders emigrate to Australia, it raises the IQ of both countries. Well actually it works for most other places besides Australia.
So must have been a few Kiwis shipping across the pond to shore up that uninhabited island.
Anyhow, welcome home to our Aussie Mates; sorry it took you so long to wake up from your horrendous nightmare. I’ve been nagging at John Key, to nudge you chaps for quite a bit, and it is good news to have some help, in taking good care of the crusty side of the pizza.
George
PS First race of the America’s Cup starts, in about an hour and a half. So it’s an Aussie skipper versus a Kiwi skipper, with the Yanks paying for the Aussie, and the Arabs, paying for the Kiwis.
Larry can afford to pay for his toys, and the Kiwi taxpayers are into ETNZ for about $34meg. Let’s rumble !
Government is nothing but the gang who got put in because people couldn’t figure it out amongst themselves. think, sibling fight, parental intervention.
M Courtney on September 7, 2013 at 11:50 am
We have noticed this, in particular when desperate left wing have been winning an election … (getting in bed with power greedy ignorant pseudo green’s …)
“””””…..crosspatch says:
September 7, 2013 at 10:42 am
This makes the fourth Pacific Rim country to move from a center left to a center right government. Canada, Japan, and South Korea are the others……”””””
Well if it wasn’t for Australia, there wouldn’t be any Indian Ocean, So I don’t think of Australia as “Pacific Rim”. It central Pacific, just like NZ.
I shall now consider affirming my Australian Citizenship (through birth).
M Courtney says:
September 7, 2013 at 11:50 am
Especially if you review the statements of two (lying) politicians before Abbott:
Rather difficult to refute your point M. Courtney, especially since Gillard and her cohort are such great examples.
Meanwhile in Canada, traitor to conservatism Harper promises behind closed doors to Obama that he is going green and willing to bring in a carbon tax.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/story/2013/09/06/pol-harper-canada-us-climate-change-strategy-letter-keystone.html
“I used to think of Australia as being a mythic Texas-down-under. A place largely of easy going but no-BS tolerating (except in good humor) self-reliant people.”
That’s pretty much what it seemed to be when I was there in the 90s, at least when you got away from Sydney. It’s apparently gone rapidly downhill in the last twenty years; if I read about a stupid new law in the tech media I can pretty much guess it’s a story from Australia before I even get past the headline.
@ut8t5 12:26 pm +1 for that link.
From the Australia No Carbon Tax Climate Skeptics Party Sep. 7, 2013
It is too soon to say the Green Niightmare is over.
Has the LNP woken up? Has the Public?
Congrats Aussies!
It was way past time to change the nappy down under. The warmist stench was beginning to reach all the way up here.
Good riddance to Rudd and Co. A monster government characterised by how it lurched from one disaster to the other with both eyes closed. They made frankenstein look human…
J Martin,
Economies go into and out of surplus/deficit for various reasons. A managed deficit wisely spent is better than an ill-managed economy returning a surpls. If a deficit is the result of self-defence, to deal with a recession or to make investments that promise a long-term return (like businesses borrowing to expand), then this can be wise and manageable. Australia avoided a recession, loss of jobs and a hit to GDP, while expanding health and education by spending into deficit. The Coalition did well to attain surplus during the boom years, which Labor used to save the economy when the GFC hit. That was sound economic management, as pretty much all economists here agree. International economists also agree, and point to Australia’s economy as a leading example of sound management in a crisis.
But that point is secondary to the main topic here. The Carbon Tax did not hurt the economy by any significant degree, and the main point is that by the time of the eldection, it was not even a minor issue. Probably because, like the Coalition-authored GST, which had a bigger negative impact on disposable income, the result was not what people feared. That’s most likely why in recent polls it barely rated as an issue for ordinary Australians. Add to the mix that a majority of Australians want the government to take action on climate change.
These observations are not anecdotal, they’re statistical. The most recent poll sees 61% of Australians wanting the Oz government to do more about climate change.
Promising to repeal the Carbon Tax was not a primary reason for the success of the Coalition yesterday. It’s not yet a given that it will happen. That will depend on any new legislation getting passed, and it is unlikely the Coalition will have the power to do it alone.
I expect Abbott will break many promises, just as Rudd would have had Labor won.
ecoGuy:
You say
He was human. And the story was about the failure of people to recognise the humanity of his monster.
Please try to avoid dehumanising people.
Warmunists do that. Greens do that. We are better than that.
Richard
albertalad says:
“… Obama was elected in the states – and he is doing what the citizens elected him to do…”
There is a mountain of evidence proving that immense voter fraud was employed to elect Obama. This may sound like sour grapes, but in fact voter fraud has been ramping up over the past decade or so, to the point where, for example, television media inadvertently announced Obama’s election two weeks before the election.
Tropical storm Sandy gave Obama the pretext to be on nationwide TV almost non-stop for three days straight, without allowing Romney the legally required equal time. Romney was effectively shut out by the media — and exit polls showed that fully half of all voters made their choice in the final 24 hours before election day. Obama is not as popular as you may think.
In another example of voter fraud, in Washington state Pauline Gregoire lost her election a couple years ago. Then there was a recount. She lost the recount. Then there was another recount, which she also lost. Then someone ‘found’ a ballot box that had been ‘overlooked’, which gave Gregoire the few votes she needed to ‘win’. The Democrat Secretary of State immediately swore her into office — something that her opponent had repeatedly requested, but was denied.
There was a very similar turn of events that enabled comedian Al Franken to cheat his way into the Senate. The list of people ‘winning’ by voter fraud is long and growing. So don’t be too sure that Obama was elected for doing ‘what the people want.’ Fully three-quarters of Americans do not want Obamacare. A large majority do not want still another war, especially since this one is intended for one purpose only: to put yet another Islamic radical terrorist regime in charge of yet another Middle East country. Obama wants to bomb Syria because Syrians are bombing Syrians. Didn’t President Washington warn us against taking sides in foreign civil wars?
So I feel pretty confident that if only legitimate citizen votes were counted, and equal time rules were enforced, King Obama would have lost his last election. Free Obamaphones can only buy so many low-info voters.
I have a folder of many similar examples of voter fraud. It does not take wholesale cheating to swing an election; only a couple of votes in critical precincts are sufficient. Democrats have become increasingly brazen, and of course no one calls them to account because the U.S. Attorney General is one of the most corrupt of the bunch. You couldn’t get 100% of voters to agree that the sky is blue, but in some precincts 100.0% of the votes went to Obama — and more votes were cast than there were registered voters! People have publicly bragged about voting in multiple states. Nothing is done about it. Also, try to get voter rolls purged of the dead, and those who have moved out of state. You will get nowhere, because those dead folks and the people who have moved are proxy voted. The evidence is everywhere, but no one will do anything about it.
The Democrats have become experts in these tactics. The result is more and more candidates who actually lost their elections, but who found fraudulent ways to ‘win’. The system is thoroughly gamed, and corrupt. Add to that between 38 – 40 million citizens of other countries, who are here illegally — but who vote anyway. None of them are prosecuted. That is the entire reason behind our completely open borders: voting by illegals. Also, a majority of the U.S. military was deliberately disenfranchised by direct orders of the Commander-in-Chief, who knows exactly how the military would vote.
I believe we have passed the point of no return in the U.S. There is no ‘right and wrong’ any more, there is only what you can get away with. So, good for Australia! Their citizens aren’t plagued by hordes of illegal invaders, and they have made it clear in this election what they want. Given the choice, they made the right decision. Good for them!
People are seeing through the scams, lies and alarmism of global warming. The politicians of other countries should take note.
Congratulations to Abott and his party, his followers and most importantly the Australian people.
Canadian report on Australian election
• emphasizes “hated carbon tax”
• features photo of Abbott, wife, & daughters
Do you agree that he has made “Another erroneous rationalisation”? If not, why do you link to that lousy web site?
dbstealey on September 7, 2013 at 1:00 pm
Unfortunally, simular things happened when G. W. Bush was reelected …
J Martin says:
September 7, 2013 at 11:51 am
Apparently at one time Abbot wanted to be a priest, so perhaps it is more likely that he will keep his word and deliver on his promises.
Did you forget the /sarc marker?
Congratulations to The People of Australia. This is a shining moment! I am happy for you.
I hope The People of the USA recognize the wisdom in this change and follow the lead.
Election officials said with about 80 percent of the vote counted, Abbott’s Liberal-National Party coalition had won around 52.6 percent of the national vote, and projected it would win at least 88 seats in the 150-seat parliament.
hardly a “landslide”
without real propagandist misinformation as is so often presented on this site, I am sure that Australia would have kept their heads and worked to ensure their general population benefits from continued carbon-free energy generation structures.
in the meantime:
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/environment/weather/warm-winter-caps-nations-hottest-year-20130901-2syzt.html
Australia has just experienced its warmest 12 months since climate records began.
Data monitoring by the Bureau of Meteorology shows the average temperature throughout Australia in the year to August 31 was 1.11 degrees above the long-term average.
One can only hope that this brings positive change. I’m a life-long conservative Liberal/National coalition voter and I’m nervous about Tony Abbott as PM. He’s a social sonservative, but economically he’s far too big-spending for my liking. But what I am told (by those that know him) is that he’s nothing like the cariacture that has been painted of him by Labor and mainstream media. Hopefully we can get a PM with a bit of gravitas and decorum, instead of mysogyny-obsessed Julia Gillard and selfie-obsessed Kevin. If he’s no good, there’s always a new election in 3 years time.
I’m posting a link to a site that has been unbelievably popular the last few days. It’s filled with profanity, so NOT safe for the family:
http://dontbeafuckingidiot.com/
This, unfortunately, represents too many Australians for my comfort, and it’s a typical leftist rant against everything proper. Anyone who thinks gay marriage and keynesian stimuli are really important and really good have some sort of mental aberration, and distract any given country from what is really important.
I’m not convinced that Abbot is a great choice, but is certainly a BETTER choice than Gillard and Krudd.
One thing most commenters appear to have overlooked is the impact of the Abbott victory on the Australian Labor Party.
No senior Labor politician will ignore the fact that a substantial part of Abbott’s support came from his campaign against the political agenda of their Green Party coalition partners.
I suspect it will be a cold day in hell before Labor offers the Greens another coalition. For many years to come, in Australian politics, the Greens will be damaged goods.
dbstealey at 1pm says….
“….because the U.S. Attorney General is one of the most corrupt of the bunch. You couldn’t get 100% of voters to agree that the sky is blue, but in some precincts 100.0% of the votes went to Obama — and more votes were cast than there were registered voters! People have publicly bragged about voting in multiple states. Nothing is done about it.”
Yes, but I’m sure Jai Mitchell will say left wing voting corruption is for a good cause.
ut8t5 says:
September 7, 2013 at 12:26 pm
Meanwhile in Canada, traitor to conservatism Harper promises behind closed doors to Obama that he is going green and willing to bring in a carbon tax.
Au contraire
Given what has just happened in Australia, Mr.Harper has put Obama behind a big “eight ball” with regards to Keystone.
jai mitchell:
You’ll believe anything. Australia’s 12 month temperature (to July) according to UAH equal 15th warmest.
The election result was a protest vote against the ALP and Greens, with those votes predominantly going to Clive Palmer’s party, then preferences flowing back to ALP. Tony Abbott always said the result would be close.
To change the balance in a Parliament is one thing. To try and change the embedded ideology in an entire Civil Service, which is not elected but remains in place, is impossible.
That, Australia, is your problem. Abbot’s win might cheer you, but he is defenceless when faced by the entrenched venom of the self-serving, self-promoting bureaucrats in the background.
If the Senate refuses to abolish the Carbon Tax then Abbott has the option to call a double dissolution dissolving both houses and a reelection. However if he doesn’t want to go that way all he has to do is set the carbon price to zero and then dismantle the departments that handles the carbon agenda.
Melbournians showed what a bunch of pansies they are for voting for a green and unfortunately we still have the screeching Milne in the Senate.
Michael J. Bentley says:
September 7, 2013 at 11:59 am
All,
In ‘Nam, I had a chance to meet some of those Aussies. Tough bunch – practical, level headed and smart. While government moves slowly I expect that patience is at a premium with the voters down there, and they won’t take words over action.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Off topic, but a heartfelt thank you to all the servicemen/women out there.
A great victory over the radical green extreme. We here in Oz have found WUWT invaluable in this cause. There has got to be a better way of stewardship for the planet than by scaring the hell out of everyone.
neasdenparade: Tony Abbott has described Climate Change as Crap. This fairly definitive. The swing against the Greens in Tasmania, which is the State worst affected by Greenism was 9%. This establishes the line of least resistance that directs policy.
“jai mitchell says:
September 7, 2013 at 1:49 pm
Data monitoring by the Bureau of Meteorology shows the average temperature throughout Australia in the year to August 31 was 1.11 degrees above the long-term average.”
Sure! 1 thermometer for every ~68,500 square kilometres.
Your uninformed ignorance is showing again.
Mike Smith says: “…If Abbott is smart, he will seek to soften the anger from the greenies by supporting some environmental programs based on sound science and economics…”
Wrong. The Greens aren’t about environment and never were. To get Green support, he’s be far better off kissing a statue of Karl Marx on the bum.
I’ve been waiting so long.
Congratulations Australia!
Congratulations Australia!
Congratulations Australia!
“ntesdorf says:
September 7, 2013 at 3:12 pm”
That comment by Abbott is always taken out of context. Abbott did say that however, in context, it was made in relation to “the argument behind climate change” meaning the IPCC claim that only ~3% of CO2 from human emissions *IS* driving climate to change in a bad way. In this case he is totally correct.
Steve B says: “Melbournians showed what a bunch of pansies they are for voting for a green…”
It’s a hotbed of Wustralians.
“barry says:
September 7, 2013 at 12:57 pm”
Abbott does not have to repeal the carbon tax, he can set “a price” at $0.00 and dismantle all the bureaucracy behind it. Howard took GST to an election, and failed. ~51% of voters voted against LNP and Howard. However, as will Gillard and the “Price on carbon” and deals with the Greens and Independents, Howard did a deal with minor parties and came to power. We got a GST. The GST replaced other taxes and is, unlike New Zealand, not applied to all goods and services.
Either way, as Rudd(erless) was trying to imply in the few weeks he was PM, the sky did not fall in.
dbstealey says: “…A large majority do not want still another war, especially since this one is intended for one purpose only: to put yet another Islamic radical terrorist regime in charge of yet another Middle East country.”
Did you know that Muslims are not required by the Koran to tell the truth about their religious preference?
Unfortunately, here in the USA they have imported enough 3rd world people, who now can vote, that this sort of outcome is now impossible.
Yes Jai, approx 90 seats for the Libs, and less than 60 for the ALP/Greens…
not a landslide at all !!! BOZO !!!
congratulations from a US citizen here. Australia is a great example for others to see! thanks
@Eric Worrall says:
September 7, 2013 at 2:06 pm…
And if you look further at Tasmania, you can see that the Lab/Green agenda has been totally sliced and diced down there. Libs now hold most of the state.
Can’t_stand_Rudd_or_Abbott says:
September 7, 2013 at 9:21 am
…………(load of junk)………
……………………………………… I’m off.
Goodbye, 🙂
I hope the door hits you hard in the a**e on the way out and sends you sprawling face first into a cow pat.
jorgekafkazar
Mike Smith says: “…If Abbott is smart, he will seek to soften the anger from the greenies by supporting some environmental programs based on sound science and economics…”
…
Wrong. The Greens aren’t about environment and never were. To get Green support, he’s be far better off kissing a statue of Karl Marx on the bum.
Agreed – its no accident that the strongest green vote comes from the same inner city rentamob dropouts who used to carry Trotsky banners.
“Frosty says:
September 7, 2013 at 1:53 pm
If he’s no good, there’s always a new election in 3 years time.”
My gut feel is Turnbull is just biding his time. He was OK being tossed out as leader of the LNP in favour of Abbott while in opposition but I am sure he’d be keen to be re-elected to the role of LNP Leader and thus PM of Australia. Turnbull is Rudd(erless) light!
In 2010 when Gillard said “no carbon tax” in a videotaped speech that has been seen as the key moment Australians lost trust:
=================================
Should have paid attention to what happened to the fellow who said “read my lips” about not raising taxes 🙂
HURRAH FOR AUSTRALIA!
… and thank you, Lord.
(lol, of course I was praying!)
A very good result, yet people still voted for Labor and the Greens. The fact that some 40% of Australian voters cannot see the destructive damage meted out by these fraudsters is very alarming. I am also alarmed at the multiple voting that helped Rudd to hold on to his own seat. Get Up actually told their supporters to get around to as many polling booths as possible and vote as many times as they could. The AEC have done nothing to stop it.
As for global warming it was double the temperature we have now only 280 million years ago when the world was lush with life, and so was the carbon dioxide content in the atmosphere. This can all be checked on the net from real Scientists. The danger is cooling not warming.
Stephen Rasey says:
September 7, 2013 at 11:57 am
US Associated Press completely misses the moment.
“Australian Conservatives outst Labor Party” by Russ Britt
http://www.marketwatch.com/story/australia-conservatives-oust-labor-party-2013-09-07
..
” [ no mention of seats. ‘Hey, it was really close. Really.’ ] ”
..
” [ he’s religious (gasp!). Who’d vote for him? ] ”
..
” [Labor’s infighting lost the election, not policy. You hear that Democrats??] ”
..
“Labor’s loss also was blamed on its imposing a tax on the nation’s biggest carbon polluters.” [ Just a minor issue, really. Hardly mattered at all ] ”
I hope the [/sarc] tag missing here, because it is the opposite of the truth.
Just for clarity, Tony Abbott repeatedly stated over three years and during the campaign proper, “This election is a referendum on the CarbonTax.” The people delivered a crushing defeat to the ALP/Greens alliance, with the ALP suffering the worst electoral defeat in 100 years.
You will find many ALP/Greens sympathists in the media incorrectly stating the ALP losses were due to infighting. This is a tactic to designed to quarantine negative sentiment of the discredited environmental and Co2 policies from spreading further afield. Like the desperate homeowner’s response to the rising flood waters, trying in vain to move the furniture to higher ground.
clipe says:
September 7, 2013 at 2:42 pm
ut8t5 says:
September 7, 2013 at 12:26 pm
Meanwhile in Canada, traitor to conservatism Harper promises behind closed doors to Obama that he is going green and willing to bring in a carbon tax.
>>>>>>>
Au contraire
Given what has just happened in Australia, Mr.Harper has put Obama behind a big “eight ball” with regards to Keystone.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
As with all things political, it is rather more complicated than that. Since Harper has been saying for years that he won’t act until the US does, and that he’ll harmonize with them when they do, his position hasn’t actually changed. He’s just providing some cover for Obama to hide behind when he approves Keystone. If there is an eight ball involved, it has to do with Syria. Harper was very vocal in his support for Obama’s position on Syria, and while we can only surmise, it seems likely that behind the scenes the conversation was along the lines of “you owe me one, now get off your duff and get the Keystone approval done”.
As for being a traitor, again, think it through. Harper is offering to trade tens of millions in carbon taxes for hundreds of billions in oil revenue.
jai mitchell says:
September 7, 2013 at 1:49 pm
We’ve thrown out the liars, frauds, incompetents, drunks, half-wits, and unemployables of the labor government. Now we’ve got the a different set of liars, frauds, incompetents, drunks, half-wits, and unemployables in charge. Hey ho.
They’ll be less keen on the green, but even greater suck-ups to the US and Israel. Expect more Australians to die in pointless wars.
dbstealey wrote: “In another example of voter fraud, in Washington state Pauline Gregoire lost her election a couple years ago. Then there was a recount. She lost the recount. Then there was another recount, which she also lost. Then someone ‘found’ a ballot box that had been ‘overlooked’, which gave Gregoire the few votes she needed to ‘win’. The Democrat Secretary of State immediately swore her into office — something that her opponent had repeatedly requested, but was denied.”
Unfortunately the Secretary of State in Washington State at that time was a Republican suffering Stockholm Syndrome.
MEMO:
Hey, all you Eeyores above, …. if you can’t rejoice at this, what can you rejoice at?
This is, in short, “… a time to dance… .”
Carpe diem!
***************************
And Here’s to you, the 690, a light brigade that WON THE DAY!
Jimmy Haigh. says:
September 7, 2013 at 7:03 am
I was watching a live “twitter” feed on ABC when the results were coming in. Unsurprisingly, most of the “twits” were from lefties who were just about unanimous in saying that they’d leave the country.
Well. I’m sure they wouldn’t be missed. But where would they go?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
To the EU. Maybe collections could be taken up to buy them one way tickets to Greece.
Geoff
All parties are soft-socialist, including the LNP. It’s all a matter of degree.
Representative Democracy is an inequitable system, representing only the constituency who voted for the party, those who received campaign bribes based on advance promises of redistributed wealth and the corporate recipients of special privileges, who gain from the welfare/credit/warfare state, maintained by all soft-socialist parties under the umbrella of Australian politics.
If your preference wins, you only control the vote in your district and state, having no control over other districts and states and the group voting tickets apathetic citizens have parties chose for them. Even the principle of equalising power in the senate is not fool proof because senators will rubber stamp the types of central planning, welfare, legislation and stimulus programs they agree with. Do you vote for taxation, Marxist central banking, crony capitalism, the welfare state, speculative bubbles? -No, I thought not.
The Greens attained power like any political party does -Through demagoguery and making deals with politicians. Their fervency was also encouraged by the corruption endorsed by both ALP, LNP and all political malfeasance across the globe. Many sincere, yet ignorant people voted for them through complete frustration of the system. It was also exacerbated by their compulsion to vote. It’s not only compulsory; they believe voting is virtuous and civilised -it isn’t. Voting is giving sanction to being ruled and coerced.
The Greens were playing to their audience like Liberal and Labor does. This is what happens under democracy, one government screws up the country and the other feeds off crisis and the public’s enmity. Simply voting will preserve this system, even by adhering to the ‘Lesser of two evils” philosophy. But I suspect it’s much worse than that. You actually believe in Liberal govt.
In the US, the civil rights act abolished government approved segregation and racial intolerance and people applaud government for bestowing equality and freedom upon them. But it was the government that approved it in the first place, just as the government approved the colonisation of Australia and the expropriation of indigenous land, while we applauded Rudd for saying “Sorry”.
This is the history of the world, the government breaks your leg, then hands you a crutch and says ‘see, look what I do for you’. Apply this to the carbon tax.
RoHa has got it.
Don’t be so downbeat, Guys. Tony Abbott is a Rhodes scholar and a devout Catholic and family man. Expect intelligence and compassion from our new conservative government over the next three years, a marked contrast to the last six.
A note on the likely Senate outcome.
Half the Senate (38 of 76) sat for the election and the new Senate configuration will take effect from 1 Jul 2014. A Labor/Green’s controlled Senate, as is presently the case, can block the proposed (from 2014-15 Financial Year) Coalition abolition of the Carbon Tax/ETS. The final result in the Senate will not be known for days however it looks certain that the Labor/Greens will not have control of the Senate from next Jul 1 next year. Most likely they will fall short by about 3 Senate places short. With help from 8 others/DLP, mainly right wing, in the new Senate they should be able to get this abolition and associated legislation passed in Jul 2014, even if Labor decide to block it in the meantime.
So goodbye Carbon Tax/ETS.
For anyone interested in the Senate voting this is a good link.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/federal-election-2013/results/senate/
In that, the Aussies proved themselves smarter than Americans. Our president did the exact same thing, but he got re-elected.
For the first time in my life I voted Liberal. I, who 6 years ago handed out How to Vote cards for the greens, voted vehemently against the labor/green alliance. It’s clear in this election that, while all the labor spokespeople said its was disunity that brought labor down it was bigger than that. For me, I discovered AGW was a fallacy. And once that happened, I wondered what else I’d swallowed unthinkingly. Labor have behaved badly in government, bringing in a carbon tax and mining tax that accelerated the economic downfall of a strong country. Then the tax increases kept coming.
We sailed into the GFC on a mining boom, and our banks were largely untouched by sub-prime mortgage conflation. Sorry guys, don’t think that was the previous government’s smart thinking. John Howard handed out tax cuts and surpluses with the mining boom largesse. Very little infrastructure planning and spending for the rest of the economy. Could have done better. But KRudd and co, spent way too much to keep us out of the GFC. OK we missed the GFC, but are now struggling right at the time that our mining boom is slowing. No-one in government saw that coming!
The carbon tax is part of the mix but not a huge part. It’s more than that. Labor don’t represent a large chunk of the population in Australia any more. The greens now have the urban intellectual elite, who can’t see the world beyond the safety of their local coffee shop, the libs have most people and labor have their “true believers”. My senate ballotpaper had 97 boxes, representing about 40 small protest parties.. That’s the largest spread I’ve ever seen. We have preferential voting so all those protest votes flow through somewhere Noone wanted any more KRudd stupidity, but not everyone is convinced about Tony Abbott either. It’s good victory and we all want some stability. Lets hope we get that now.
Jimmy Haigh. says:
September 7, 2013 at 7:03 am
Unsurprisingly, most of the “twits” were from lefties who were just about unanimous in saying that they’d leave the country.
Well. I’m sure they wouldn’t be missed. But where would they go?
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
Mid sunday morning here in SE Australia and the rehashing of the election and what might have been is well underway. in the usual shallow and breathless media fashion.
But in reference to Jimmy Haigh’s comment
Where ever they go we Australian’s can quote the famous comment of a past, very blunt New Zealand Prime Minister who in reply to a parliamentary speech decrying the large exodus of Kiwi’s to Australia.
“No doubt it will raise the IQ’s of both countries”.
From Friedrich Neitzsche’s Beyond Good and Evil;
Aphorism number 183
“Not that you lied to me but that I no longer believe you has shaken me.”
SamG said September 7, 2013 at 5:52 pm
Amen!
We’ll have to watch the labour market next, Tim Flannery and 12,000 followers from the Climate Change Department will be looking for new jobs. Will they need counseling … or PTSD treatment, or even de-programmed, before being able to rejoin the scientific community?
Keith Minto said @ September 7, 2013 at 6:09 pm
Bob Hawke was a Rhodes scholar too. Didn’t seem to help us much!
SamG said @ September 7, 2013 at 8:21 am
Dambisa Moyo’s book How the West Was Lost: Fifty Years of Economic Folly–And the Stark Choices Ahead addresses the economic idiocy well.
My prediction: a change of LNP leadership soon followed by a carbon tax under a new name. Plus ça change…
To HB. Congratulations on your open-mindedness. To come from a position of belief to scepticism is remarkable! You clearly have a great mind and character. We just need to hope that Greg Hunt (the new Minister for Climate Change) has the same strength to realize he is wrong on this. Greg is a good man, it is possible he could be swayed.
Bob Hawke won respect from both sides of politics and was certainly well aware of the undue progressive influence of our national broadcaster the ABC.
This was well described by Nick Cater in The Lucky Culture http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Culture-Australian-Ruling-ebook/dp/B00AXS5G9Y
You can’t beat a decent IQ tinged with compassion,…it shines through every time.
Don’t forget that about 35% of Australians still voted for the most corrupt and incompetent government that Australia has had since Federation. In other words, they rewarded the clowns; and returned many of them to office.
That does not bode well for the future, regardless of what Tony Abbot will try to do.
A very good result for Australia and Australians, now it is up to the New Prime Minister Tony Abbot to carefully and methodically undo the economic damage of the 6 years of muddling chaotic Green/Labor cobbled together alliance, to build the economy, create jobs, (other than in government, public service jobs) reduce the Labor waste and our growing dependence on debt.
He has a very good and safe majority in the Parliament, and I am not really worried about the Senate as with the ultra right wing (the greens claim) additions to the Senate, this will be a damper on bad green economic activism a balance to the power they used to wield far beyond their actual numbers or electoral support. Having to negotiate issues through a senate is not a bad thing as Labor and the greens mounted a very personal attack on Tony Abbot claiming that he would cut jobs, cut welfare, and take an axe to climate change mitigation with his direct action conservation plans.
Tony’s role in previous governments had been to blunt the attacks of the opposition and reduce the effect of minority parties so was labelled as an “attack dog”, lacking in compassion and anything else they could hang on him like the Gillard label of misogynist, and because of his effectiveness in industrial labour issues and reducing the effect of powerful union bosses pushing almost blackmail like claims against legitimate businesses that scare effect troubled some voters.
Tony Abbot answered his critics and is very conscious that all of Australia will be watching him as he assumes the leadership of this country and in my view the lack of a coalition majority in the Senate is an excellent opportunity for him to work with the electorate and all parties for a very good result for all.
Landslide majorities in both houses of Parliament just raises the expectations of extreme elements that for one reason or another financially back/fund, donate to your party and then want instant results on single issues “they see” as their priority. As one politician said to me years ago, “if I don’t have a clear majority in the senate, I don’t have to placate the extremists in my own party for not moving harder and faster to fix their particular issue”
Let Tony establish himself as a Prime Minister, a statesman for all, it might take a little longer, be patient with him as this is the way that conservative governments win successive terms, by winning the hearts and minds of the country.
One final comment, Labor governments traditionally get thrown out when they run the country into economic recession due to their fiscal irresponsibility, .they become “on the nose” to voters. This time they largely wrecked their own electoral chances by disunity,underlying waste and relied upon a manufactured fear climate, that didn’t work in their favour with voters, but did create some fears and thus a move to alternative right wing self interest parties.
Very optimistic at the election of a party of proven economic growth and fiscal responsibility!
Keith Minto said @ September 7, 2013 at 7:27 pm
I “respected” him alright; I was a Labor Party branch secretary during the 80s. When my fellow ALP member Jack Lomax (chair of the Tasmanian Labor Foreign Affairs Committee) pointed out that we could only vote for ALP Party Policy by voting NDP, he was expelled. Policy decided at conference was overriden by the Parliamentary Labor Party under RJ Hawke.
This led to a great exodus from the Party here in Tasmania, partially made up by recruitment of radical greens. My letter of resignation to the State Secretary said, in part: “If you ever decide to start a labor party, please let me know because I would love to join.”
A memorable statement by Bob Hawke during his time as PM was: “By 1990, no child will be living in poverty”. Real wages fell by 25% during his reign. ‘Nuf said…
Something for all to consider. There is a a saying in HR that ” the best indicator of future performance is past behaviour”.
Tony Abbot, at his core, is a true servant of the people. His early consideration of the priesthood indicated preparedness for a life of service. His continuing community service as a volunteer Bush Fire Brigade member, volunteer Surf Lifesaver, Volunteer in various Aboriginal communities and his annual rides for charity mark him distinctively as a man of commendable values and character.
His opponents, by contrast, have revealed themselves to be self-serving and dishonest.
I sense a whiff of integrity in Government will be at last restored.
Thanks to all well wishers in the US, UK etc.
And thanks to you, Anthony for posting various comments of things down here. I met you a few years back when you arrived in Narrogin with Bob Carter and David Archibald on tour and was impressed that three “Wise Men” should even bother with us. But then again we had a couple of great TexAussies in Matt and Janet Thompson here who have a strong connection to Jo Nova and David Evans and Bob Carter.
Good news from the Australian election!
And note that while Labor’s primary vote from 38.0% to 33.9%, a drop of 11%, the Greens vote dropped from 11.7% to 8.4% – a drop of almost 30%.
In an earlier comment I mentioned Denmark. I meant Norway. Norway is voting on Monday and it looks like the center left is going to get booted from power there, too. Just as it did in Sweden a while back.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/09/03/uk-norway-election-idUKBRE9820GS20130903
Reblogged this on Illuminutti.
Hooray, Australia! Maybe this will put the fear of God into some of our greenies and their sycophants here in the U.S. and across the pond in Europe.
SasjaL says:
“Unfortunally, simular (sic) things happened when G. W. Bush was reelected …”
Citations, please. Be specific.
I am not a Republican. But it seems that about 99.9% of voter fraud is carried out by Democrat Party operatives.
noaaprogrammer:
Thanks for the correction. I was writing from memory, which @65 isn’t what it used to be…
Tony Abbott has never said Climate Change was crap.
He said the consensus was crap.
Those of the left (including your Wikipedia) quote were manufactured for political reasons. He has stated that human are having an effect on the climate but is unsure by how much.
Paul Evans said @ September 7, 2013 at 9:09 pm
He did say the climate was warmer “at the time of Julius Caesar and Jesus of Nazareth” than now. That is, during the Roman Warm Period. KRudd said: “No scientist would say that!” Is it really only historians that believe the Roman Warm Period was.warmer? I seem to recall that IPCC’s FAR said as much!
I congratulate the Aussies on COMPLETELY throwing out the scoundrels, eviscerating them like I have asked you to do before. You checked the facts, you saw how your Labor government messed up policy-wise, and you acted accordingly. I wish we in this country could do the same thing; we will have the same chance next year. In addition, I can only hope that this is the beginning of the end for the Greens, not only in Australia, but in our own country, in Europe, and elsewhere.
How can anyone trust a priest who had what he thought was an illegitimate child? Seems to be against any personal values.
Abbott may be a Rhodes scholar but understands very little economics. He rides his bike very well wearing lycra .Women are fearful that he will stop a woman’s right to an abortion as he is a strong supporter of the Catholic fraternity. Rudd lost the women’s vote particularly in Victoria when he deposed our first female prime minister –there are misogynists on both sides of the Australian parliament.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard introduced excellent legislation in education, health and paid parental leave and raised pensions for the elderly. She did what no God fearing man has dared when she established a Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse.
You Americans could well follow some of these initiatives for the betterment of your unhappy country.
barry says:
September 7, 2013 at 12:57 pm
J Martin,
What a load of nonsense Barry. 61% want action on climate?? I don’t think so – probably 61% of the voters in Melbourne electorate. The rest of your essay was also nonsense.
neasdenparade says: September 7, 2013 at 7:17 am
…
Yes, you are right, you know nothing about Australian politics and I can assure you that there a chasm of difference between the socialist scaremongers of the Labor Party and rationalists of the Liberal Party … Other than a few tokens and adaptation policies, warmism in Australia is DEAD !
I know it is a bit of a bore but here are the facts as opposed to some of the factoids and fantasies paraded above. These facts are all publicly available and verifiable. Make of the facts what you will but please, do not make stuff up:
(1) Abbott’s party policy platform position is that the climate change is real and that humanity is helping to cause the change.
(2) Abbott has allocated over $3 billion of taxpayers funds to his CO2 reduction spending programs. They don’t come from something called a ‘carbon tax’ but they do come from ‘general revenue’ aka our taxes. By not calling it a ‘carbon tax’ he is just being a bit smarter than the other mob.
(3) Abbott has as his target the same emissions reduction target (5% by 2020) as the erstwhile government. No change.
(4) Abbott has promised to maintain the mandatory renewable energy targets.
(5) All but one single major newspaper endorsed Abbott for prime minister in their editorials. The ‘left-wing MSM’ in Australia hardly exists except in the fevered imaginations of the credululous.
(6) In relation to Worrall’s hope, wtte – if I read it right – , that Abbott has secretly deceived Australian voters and will get rid of his CO2 reduction expenditure of $3billion once he gets in, I have heard this said by quite a few people. But Abbott has promised ‘no surprises’ as a keynote bottom line in his campaign.
(7) The Greens percentage of the national vote dropped from double to single figures.
(8) The Greens have lost the BOP in the Senate.
In terms of opinion as opposed to verifiable facts:
(1) IMHO Gillard promising not to introduce a carbon tax followed by the introduction of a carbon tax was a very significant reason for the defeat of the Labor Government.
(2) IMHO, a lot fo things that were said by Abbott about the likely bad economic impact of the carbon tax simply did not happen. For example, the city of Whyalla was not wiped out. The economy was not destroyed. The Australian coal industry is still a humungous export earner.
(3) Abbott now has a significant mandate for a large suite of reforms, including getting rid of the carbon tax along with maitaining mandatory renewable energy targets and changing carbon reduction programs from a market-based carbon pricing mechanism to big-government direct spending on carbon reductions schemes including planting trees and soil carbon sequestration.
(4) This election represent a major power shift from left to right in Australia. Lacking a balance of power in the Senate, the Greens will have zero impact on government policies for at least the next three years. In fact, everything that happens in Australia will be a consequence of a right wing government which will have to negotiate with further right holders of the balance of power in the Senate to get measures through.
IMHO Abbott will do his best to stick to his bottom line: No surprises, no excuses.
Can’t_stand_Rudd_or_Abbott says: September 7, 2013 at 9:21 am
…
See ya ! Careful the door doesn’t slap you on the backside on the way out !
Jennifer Lovering said @ September 7, 2013 at 9:54 pm
Gillard also promised us no carbon tax. When she broke her promise, she said that the carbon tax would not disadvantage low income earners. That too was a lie. As a low income earner (~$10k p.a.) I receive no compensation; I just have to pay more for almost everything. Clearly Gillard must believe that people in my position (i.e. not on the government teat) deserve to suffer. A pox on her misandry!
Nothing will change. Gillard was always going to go back on her word because that’s the New World Order agenda. Abbott will try to postpone axing the carbon tax and will definitely engage in an emissions trading scheme which is much more valuable as they can set the floating price of carbon arbitrarily. The EU globalist bureaucrats can manipulate and crash economies at will more easily.
I’m afraid both sides are owned by the bankers
climateace said @ September 7, 2013 at 10:11 pm
I couldn’t agree more. A point of detail, however. It is certainly true that journalists in Oz, by and large, are left-wing hacks[1]. OTOH, the newspapers & TV stations are owned and operated by people of opposing politicz. Their interest is advertising revenue; the editorial direction is to keep that rolling in. As that revenue stream has diminished in recent time, the MSM’s owners have taken a slash and burn approach to said journos. Does anybody really believe that those remaining would willingly sacrifice their incomes by opposing their employers’ wishes?
[1] Andrew Bolt is certainly not left wing, nor a hack. I highly recommend reading the material he says he is proud to have written.
http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/C766
Australia is free again. I wish Americans would wake up to the EPA crap being shoved.
Common sense carries the day in Oz. Yay!
redcords says: @ September 7, 2013 at 8:02 am
I have 2 close friends this time around that said they were leaving if Rudd lost, trust me they’re not going anywhere.
Take up a collection and buy them refundable one way tickets to Greece and hand them to them.
albertalad says: @ September 7, 2013 at 11:20 am
…. Sorry Americans – the Republicans have no idea what they stand for anymore.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
The problem is we are stuck voting for the lesser of two evils. Also we now have 82% of the country non-rural and well over 25% whose paycheck depends on the public trough. – Two wolves and a lamb voting for whats for dinner.
Just a correction to the above article. Tony Abbott, the newly elected PM, did not say climate change is crap. He said climate science is crap.
He certainly acknowledges climate change and is taking direct action to reduce emissions in compliance with our Kyoto agreement. Whether he believes the CO2 hypothesis seems stuck somewhere in between the politics and actual science if such science is ever attempted. 🙂
I think he might be persuaded to fund research opposing the CO2 hypothesis; the problem is who does one get in this field who would command respect.
The whole field has been so tarnished that it will be left to skeptics to soldier on and keep highlighting the failure to ever show empirical evidence to support the hypothesis.
<blockquote.Abbott does not have to repeal the carbon tax, he can set “a price” at $0.00 and dismantle all the bureaucracy behind it.
Unfortunately our politics is rooted in the westminster system of a plural, bicameral process. King Tony can do none of these thigs without successfully getting legislation passed for it. Australia isn’t some banana republic.
Re these comments:
“Abbott does not have to repeal the carbon tax, he can set “a price” at $0.00 and dismantle all the bureaucracy behind it.”
“Unfortunately our politics is rooted in the westminster system of a plural, bicameral process. King Tony can do none of these thigs without successfully getting legislation passed for it. Australia isn’t some banana republic.”
But, on the other hand, the relevant bureaucracy is probably part contract (the top brass) and part Public Service (the ones who actually do the work). The public servants can be transferred out, as their jobs are abolished – this needs no legislation. Standard procedure is they are put on the “unattached list” which gives them some measure of priority for other jobs at their or a lower rank. After 12 months on the unattached list they would be declared redundant. The contract staff would remain till their contracts expire, or offer alternative positions. In any case, anything from the ‘bureaucracy’ would be just filed in the round grey receptacle.
Remember that while the Government requires new legislation to amend or repeal Acts of Parliament, it needs no legislation to abolish regulations. While the Senate reviews regulations, and can strike down any regulation which it believes is outside the authority of the Minister or the enabling Act, it may (might?) not be able to reinstate a regulation that has been repealed by a properly made regulation. An interesting point for a Parliamentary lawyer!
Tony has promised that one of his first decisions will be to tell the legal people to draw up legislation for repealing the various Climate Change Acts. This Bill is to be the first order of business when parliament is opened. This will be passed by the House of Representatives and then sent to the Senate. What will the Senate do with it? Probably refuse to pass it, but there is just a chance that the ALP will see sense and pass it. If the Senate rejects or amends the Bill, it will be returned to the HoR, and then either the amendments will be accepted, or the Bill will be again passed, and sent to the Senate. By this time it will be close to the changeover, and who knows what the new Senate will do? If it rejects the Bill again, it will become a subject for a double dissolution. Given the then mood of the country, Tony will have to decide whether to risk this, with the chance that the ALP will have managed to sort itself out and he loses, or he will win sufficiently well to pass the Bill in a joint sitting. It is also plausible that with the money the Greens have spent on this election, and their massive drop in support, that they may decide “to blink”!
Gail Combs said @ September 8, 2013 at 12:27 am
You misspelled weevils 😉
Apropos landslide, the polling a week ago showed the distinct possibility of KRudd and Swann, among other prominent Labor members, losing their seats. That would have been a landslide! And very amusing…
Ken B, Dave Sivyeer and ‘climateace’ have pretty well got it right. Just a few additions on the history in the Liberal Party.
After losing the 2007 election, we had a temporary Leader of the Opposition (Brendan Nelson), then Malcolm Turnbull took over. He supported the Climate Scam fully, and made an agreement with Kevin Rudd that the Liberal Party would support Rudd’s Emission Trading Scheme (ETS), without consulting the Liberal Party Room. Tony, as did many others, objected, and they forced Turnbull into a leadership ballot, which Tony won by one vote, and he became Leader of the Opposition. This meant the end of agreement on the ETS, and, being doubtful of being able to get it past the Senate (the Liberals opposed it, as did the Greens, Rudd dropped the proposal. The Greens opposed it on the ground that it was insufficient, they wanted a far more stringent scheme. From this time on, Rudd’s approval ratings began to decrease, till eventually Miss Gillard and her Union Mates managed to depose him and she became Prime Minister.
After the 2010 election, there was a hung parliament, the Liberal National Party Coalition having 73 seats and the ALP 72 out of 150, with one Green and four Independents. Miss Gillard persuaded the independents to support her by various means, and she formed government. Before the election she had said there would be “No Carbon Tax under the Government that I lead” (see clip shown above), but she persuaded the Greens in the Senate to agree to one, which we unfortunately now have.
It is true that Tony Abbott and the Liberal Party are still in favour of reducing carbon dioxide emissions by 5% in 2020 and in favour of the renewable energy targets. However, they argue that the ETS was a bad scheme – although in terms of economics the best, in practice the easiest to become completely fraudulent and corrupt (see Europe) – and therefore BAD for the country. The “Carbon Tax” is the most efficient, but it is economically bad, as it is levied in such a way as to penalize industry that cannot pass on the tax – ie, all export industries, while the industries that can pass on the tax do so, hurting all consumers, especially those who have to rely on electricity. Also bad in that it was not at first applied to road freight transport, but does to rail fuels, while not applied at all to passenger car fuels, but to the coal that produces electricity for our railways and tramways. A totally bad tax. The “Direct Reduction Scheme” was expected (by those in favour of the ETS) to be the most costly of gaining the desired reduction, but is now to be capped, so it is not an open ended drain on the economy. In addition, the DRS is one which will be used to support various projects which means it will be possible to turn the spending off easily via the Budget if desired (we do!) and can be used to support projects which would otherwise be desirable.
All indications are that Tony is honest, and will be a good Prime Minister.
The efforts must be to further demolish the CAGW scam, and persuade the pollies that it is wrong. Eventually (asap!) the pollies will get around to agreeing, and will drop the bad policies.
Ironic, considering your substance-free reply. I guess it can be daunting to click on a link to check source material, making rhetorical statements and typing “nonsense” a much more appealing prospect.
The sample size was 1 million, and it was national. The questionnaire covered a range of issues – it wasn’t designed to attract a particular demographic, other than those who think about policy and politics.
In another poll, 40% of Australians responding agreed that steps should be taken to address global warming even if costs were significant, slightly more said that steps should be taken but not too costly, and only 15% said no steps should be taken that have economic costs at the present time.
http://lowyinstitute.org/publications/lowy-institute-poll-2013
Or how about getting some wisdom from the man of the hour?
Tony Abbott (2009) – “The argument is absolute crap. However, the politics of this are tough for us. Eighty per cent of people believe climate change is a real and present danger.”
He since recanted on the “absolute crap” statement, clearly stating his acknowledgement of AGW, and the Coalition has a CO2 mitigation strategy it would like to supplant cureent legislation.
Like it or not, a majority of Australians think the government should take steps now to deal with global warming. So does Tony Abbott, for example with the Carbon Purchasing Fund. The Coalition definitely wants to scrap the Carbon Tax (and the ETS, which is legislated to replace it in the next few years). Perversely, it will allow most of the offsets that the tax pays for to stand. That’s a deficit-angled decision, but the full detail of their economic costings has not been released yet. We’ll have to wait to see for ourselves how they will do it – should they successfully repeal the carbon tax.
@ David Horscroft September 8, 2013 at 12:50 am.
Nice summary 🙂
But for how long?
Dudley and Pompous
‘All indications are that Tony is honest, and will be a good Prime Minister.
But for how long?’
It is not looking all that good, actually.
Abbott has broken three undertakings on day 1.
The first was to go somewhere or otherwhere unimportant.
The second was that he failed to turn back a boat today.
The third was Abbott’s repeated promise that under an Abbott Government there would be ‘no suprises’.
Abbott has made numerous public undertakings to turn back the boats. So counts as a ‘sutprise’ that he was peddling off on his bicycle somewhere when a boat was not turned back.
So far he is sticking to his repeated promise that there would be ‘no excuses’.
Dudley
One of the very interesting things about Abbott is the degree to which he will continue to be able to reconcile (or paper over) two fundamentally-opposed factions in his Party and Coalition Partner – the National Party. It is simply not possible for there to be a sensible policy and programmatic compromise between the opposing worldviews of AGW deniers and an AGW supporters.
The elements of the currently promised $3 billion CO2 reduction spend looks very awkward at best and bad policy at worst for precisely this reason. While they were in Opposition both factions could comfort themselves that it did not really matter.
Now when it all turns real because they have power – it does matter.
Watch this space.
I don’t know where you live, Mike, but the Oz MSM have mostly slanted their commentary to the right. Amazingly, News LTD paper The Telegraph took out what were virtually front page ads for the Coalition. You won’t believe these front-page pictures.
http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/ScreenHunter_23-Aug.-08-09.18.gif
http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/ScreenHunter_27-Sep.-02-14.40.gif
Yes, they’re real. No, the MSM in Australia is not left-wing. Can’t believe I’ve lived to see the day when a major newspaper stumps for a political party in full-page, front-page spreads. There are no examples of this sort of campaigning for Labor. Are there examples in other parts of the world? Apart from the New York Post (News LTD again) endorsing Mitt Romey on the front page.
“climateace says:
September 8, 2013 at 1:58 am”
The Govn’t is in “caretaker mode” and Abbott, and none of his cabinet, isn’t sworn in as PM yet. So less than one day into being “PM”, what do you expect him to do?
Dudley
Nice post about the niceties. Given the likely senate composition come July 2014 it is unlikely that Labor would see much point in opposing Abbott’s climate initiatives between then and now.
The public servants can be sacked these days so no real need to finesse anything there. If they get in the way in the interim it is quite easy to change their duty statements.
I doubt whether the High Court, unpredictable though it may be, would countenance a regulation the sole purpose of which is to circumvent the powers of the Senate to disallow (or not) a regulation. No doubt the lawyers would make hay out of it, nevertheless.
While the DD is a threat, it is IMHO more implied than real. Lots of newbies would hate having the possibility of having their lollies snatched from their grasp. Another election campaign would cost the parties money they do not have. And, given the increasingly strange outcomes being generated by swarms of candidates and lots of microparties in the Senate any outcome is possible. The risks are disproportionate to the rewards.
Still, the basic principle applies: no current government is bound by the actions of its predecessors.
IMHO, the major difficulties will not be apparent until Abbott&Co examine the small print in various government CO2 contracts with the large corporation energy suppliers.
Breaking many, many very big contracts would certainly cost hundreds of millions and may well cost billions. Who knows? Not the public and not Abbott.
We could be reasonably sure that both the corporations involved and the Gillard Government had a vested interested in locking the stuff down contractually as far and as hard as possible.
Patrick
He announced that he was on the job today being briefed by departmental secretaries.
Dudley,
yep, you’ve pointed out the hurdles in abolishing the Carbon Tax. Basically the point I was trying to make against suggestions above that the Carbon Tax repeal is a done deal.
Labor will likely oppose, along with the Greens and Abbott will most likely have to call a double dissolution if he wants to move forward. He has promised exactly that. Remains to be seen if he has the ticker to do it, as the opportunity to do so will arrive no sooner than 2015 (Carbon Tax to be supplanted by the ETS July 1 of that year), and could cost him the Prime Ministership if the move fails. Most likely outcome is some tinkering with legislation as is, and blaming Labor and the Greens for not fully making good the promise (if anyone actually holds him to it). In the meantime, Australian households will probably be less opposed to the scheme if each tax period rolls by and their overall nett income has changed little. I think that is the likeliest scenario, but the Coalition are quite good at calmly selling negative stories, so who knows?
“tonyM says:
September 8, 2013 at 12:29 am”
Took me a while to find something on the claim however, it seems a small town paper was “making stuff up” or simply wasn’t paying attention?
http://blogs.abc.net.au/victoria/2009/12/climate-change-is-crap-tony-abbot-said-to-the-pyrenees-advocate.html
The MSM here in Aus seem to relish every opportunity to “beat up” Abbott.
“climateace says:
September 8, 2013 at 2:30 am”
You are suggesting he can actually do anything without first being sworn in by the Governor General?
Patrick
‘The MSM here in Aus seem to relish every opportunity to “beat up” Abbott.’
You obviously do not subscribe to The Australian, the Sun Herald or the Daily Telegraph.
Corroborating the remarks, right-wing national newspaper The Australian quoted a Liberal party (Abbott’s party) vice-president of the branch which hosted the event where Abbott made the remark in 2009.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/politics/the-town-that-turned-up-the-temperature/story-e6frgczf-1225809567009
When later asked about the comment, Abbott said he was tired and the remark did not represent his considered opinion. It wasn’t made-up – unless Abbott was lying about his own words.
I think it is impossible to know his actual views on climate change. Although he now claims to ‘believe’ in AGW, and has endorsed Coalition policies to mitigate CO2 emissions, it’s more likely that his position reflects the political realities of the majority of Australians who think the government should deo so, which Tony himself has acknowledged (putting the figure at 80% in his own words).
We have had a great result here. I know a couple of the new minor conservative senators personally. They are not the loonies the media make them out to be. This could be an opportunity to turn back some of the politically correct crap of the last couple of decades. If Tony Abbott plays his cards right, he can get in the sort of stuff he would love to get through and claim it was at the behest of the minor parties. 🙂
“climateace says:
September 8, 2013 at 3:14 am”
I subscribe to none of them, least of all the two main propaganda branches of the Govn’t namely the ABC and SBS. However, the media that were rallying around in support of Rudd in 2007 and Gillard in 2010 are the very same media who dumped Rudd in favour of Abbott. Choosing winners? It’s wasn’t a difficult choice. The general opinion I have observed is that “Murdock media” put Rudd into power in 2007 and replaced him with Abbott in 2013.
Here’s me thinking we live in a free and democratic Constitutional Monarchy free from the influence of media “big money”. Clearly I have the nasty end of the stick.
It seems my posts continued to be left in the moderation cue and posted after much deay, despite doing nothing wrong. Mods, if your goal is to encourage me out of the discussion, it’s working. Pity – I try to be polite and on point, engaging the topics and not flaming. My experience with WUWT is that it stifles debate. I don’t get this treatment at any other blog on either side of the debate. Other than my remarks often being contrary to the party line, I’m mystified as to the reason, having been given none. What is the rationale behind this policy?
crosspatch says: September 7, 2013 at 8:48 pm
(Jon wrote about Norway already at 8:01 am.)
In Sweden we had our regime change seven years ago, but not much has changed regarding the (fake) climate issue. The economy is better though … We still have the carbon tax (as one of the first countries that introduced it). Media is still allowed to express false propaganda, without being able to come up with any kind of evidence. Next year, we have national selection again.
The left wing parties along with the media seems to do most things, in a desperate attempt to smear existing right wing government. They themselves (left wing) don’t care about their own obvious problems (factional, utopian campaign promises and other things that are rarely mentioned in media …). Also, they (Socialist Party) still have not dealt with their very dark period(s) during the 1900s (especially the ’30s-’40s). As I see it, the outcome of the next election will depend on whether voters are able to see through the smear campaign or not.
An obvious help for existing government to remain in power, is when anyone from the “Green” Party opens his/her (its) mouth … (ignorance has no limits …)
Labor is in denial. They are furiously pretending that the carbon tax lie had nothing to do with the result, even though it was a major tool to remove both Prime Ministers during the one term by their own Labor caucus.
The greens are pretending that things went very well despite losing 25% of their vote and more than likely 1 or 2 Senators in the Upper House ( the Senate). Labor is pretending things have gone very well because they have lost less seats than predicted. The truth is, that it is Labor’s worst loss since Federation of the States in 1901.
Such hypocrites. After the 2007 and 2010 elections they made much hullabaloo about having a mandate, even if they had to lie about the carbon tax. Now with a record win, they are saying the Abbot Government does not have a mandate.
And they wonder why they have been so thoroughly rejected.
Voters looked at their cost of living after the green madness has been inflicted on the so-called major polluters. The major polluters just passed the costs onto voters.
Then there are the green absurdities. A man in Sydney contacted his local council about removing a tree since greens do not recognize right to property. He was worried that it might fall on his house. The council refused permission by Heritage Listing the tree. Soon after, it blew over in a storm and crushed his house. The council refused any responsibility and the insurance company refused to pay saying the tree was not their problem.
Smug green bastards. I believe after making it public, he ended in winning his case. Greens thrive out of sight and in positions where they make themselves unaccountable.
In Queensland, they passed a Vegetation Management Plan that meant a person charged was guilty as soon as he was investigated. They altered the separation of powers so that the judges were part of the executive, not independent. In other words, anyone appearing in front of the judge was already guilty, it was just a matter of deciding the fine.
They also provided a permit system, where they could alter the maps after the event despite granting permission for someone to enjoy their own property, to make themselves right.
That would appear to break one of the major tenents of law, that you cannot be found guilty if the law is impossible to follow.
This reprehensible vegetation act was passed by the Labor party following instructions from the greens. The greens with 10% of the vote was dictating what the 90% should do.
“barry says:
September 8, 2013 at 3:17 am”
Well I am not convinced, “corroboration” in a two-bit media article, without any form of documentary evidence, just “hearsay”, what so ever, means nothing IMO. It’s falls in to the Gore quotes category where he is said, in the media, to have “invented the internet”. As I have found (I didn’t really bother while Abbott was in opposition), there is plenty of documentary evidence, audio and visual records, which supports what tonyM said at September 8, 2013 at 12:29 am. The word “science” has been left out of many of Abbotts quotes, even while we have SkS quoting the comment, it appears, correctly. Who knew SkS would get something right?
“barry says:
September 8, 2013 at 4:30 am”
I believe you are taking this way out of proportion. I am a long-time regular poster here, so are many others, sometimes a post pops into the moderation bin. It happens.
“Jack says:
September 8, 2013 at 6:13 am
The greens with 10% of the vote was dictating what the 90% should do.”
This is, apparently, democracy.
Well if that’s so, it’s just more of the same bull politicking we’ve seen from both sides this election season. Gillard’s apparent backflip on the Carbon Tax was one in a list of disappointments that broke trust with the public. It probably wasn’t a key factor – after all Howard survived backflipping on his pledge to “never ever” introduce a GST and went on to hold power for a record period. And Rudd was not associated (in the public mind) with the Carbon Tax, and bringing forward the
ETS was probably a vehicle for reinforcing that distance.
I think rather it was the combination of two leadership changes and a poor campaign full of policies that broke faith with different stripes of Labor supporters. Rudd’s reinastatement was greeted with a surge in the polls, which was squandered in the Labor campaign. The Coalition’s negative campaigning changed to something more positive in the last couple of weeks when his popularity slumped. The elction result was less about Coalition appeal and more about Labor failures. Abbott was never popular – he polled low up until the last week. Labor’s failures made him a more appealing candidate.
I personally don’t have high hopes for Abbott – he displays much less experience as a leader than he should considering his time in politics – but maybe he’ll grow into the office.
dbstealey says: September 7, 2013 at 9:06 pm
If you’re an US citizen, the only way you could have missed it, is through media censorship … but if you were just as active on the Internet back in 2004 as you are now, then you have few excuses. The issues with the US election back then (and later) was clearly observed & reviewed by media in Europe and in the rest of the world (is it time to demand independent/international electoral observers in the United States?).
These sites sums it up:
http://whatreallyhappened.com/WRHARTICLES/2004votefraud.html
http://www.yuricareport.com/ElectionAftermath04/ThreeResearchStudiesBushIsOut.htm
(Conspiratorial pages? Maybe, but they also mediate links … Also, Internet is a wonderful thing where it’s possible to search for and find information/things. In general (and regarding your other comments), anyone who’s capable to manage a computer and have an Internet connection …, but not everyone looks further then the few first search results, fewer beyond the first page … How many to get the hole picture? Even less. How many checks the results from different search engines? Extremely few!)
Regarding the “(sic)” (and you stating not to be a Republican),
this is a typical path of leftists, when trying to win arguments … (a cheap shot, as pointing at irrelevant details a.k.a. arm waving etc.)
Most important, you don’t know me, like you don’t know most of the commentators here on WUWT, but I’ll help you along with the most important things:
* I’m a non English native speaking person (Swedish).
* I’m dyslexic (Regardless, I read everything here on WUWT, except for looong (sic!) comments and I make my own conclusions, mostly based on what I did learn in school …).
* Due to my medication (terbutaline based), I have limitations in my fine motor skills and these minor tremors are unfortunately like the dyslexia, a permanent state that I have to deal with the rest of my life …
* Most of the time when I’m on the Internet, I’m using a smartphone (try imagine the size of the keyboard …). I think I’ll manage anyway through persistence. Expressed political and scientific ignorance by professionals bothers me actually a lot more …
About you,
* You neither misspell or make grammatical errors.
* I guess you have a keyboard that follows the QWERTY standard – take a look at the key that is positioned to the direct left of the “i” key …
You are mistaken. After all this time It is a sign of naivety that the Modern State totalitarian objectives are not recognized.
Abbot will just take the carbon tax and will replace it with something else. The Modern State totaltarian structure doesn’t allow it to be reduced, bureaucrats and the socialist media enablers will make it impossible to the Abbot Governemnt to survive if he really wants to trash the thing.
They will allow him to replace the thing, rename the thing, but the money must still go to the Modern State.
I know. This has been an ongong situation for nearly all my posts for months. It’s not the spam filter (I have been a moderator myself). Delay has been from an hour to nearly a day while other posts appear below. But I don’t want to have a conversartion about it, just glad my recent posts have been approved (thanks mods).
Back to topic….
Jack says: September 8, 2013 at 6:13 am
The concept of Vegetation Management Plan sounds to me like an idea that is to the left of socialism, beyond national socialism and located somewhere in the communistic region of politics …
(Btw, what happened to the preview function …?)
Patrick,
The Australian is the only national newspaper in the country with the third largest readership and by far the greatest reach. It was a reporter from The Australian that got the quote from the Liberal vice-president from the region, who was there. And Abbott himself acknowledged that he said it, describing his language as hyperbole, mistake, loose language etc. There are multiple sources including from direct interviews on this.
http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2010/s2808321.htm
All of them say he was talking about the science on climate change – as he does – including The Australian report I posted. I’m not aware that he was reported to have been referring to something else (maybe in some two-bit daily?).
He has backed of the statement. This owes more to political realities that personal conviction, I’d say.
“barry says:
September 8, 2013 at 7:57 am”
Nothing independent at the ABC. I hear ya!
“barry says:
September 8, 2013 at 6:54 am
It probably wasn’t a key factor – after all Howard survived backflipping on his pledge to “never ever” introduce a GST and went on to hold power for a record period.”
WRONG! That was 1993! In 1996, Howard and the LNP took the GST to an election. They failed! ~51% of the votes were AGAINST Howard and the LNP and the GST. However, “deals” were done, and we got a GST. Remember, the GST REPLACED other taxes. Was a “carbon tax” taken to an election?
Ken Hall says:
The BBC’s report was the most mealy mouthed, sour-grape filled load of garbage that they could come up with. They cannot believe that a county could vote for a man who is conservative, anti homosexual marriage, and a climate realist. According to the prevailing BBC mentality, such people are a tiny, mentally unstable bunch of extremist nutcases.
Not withstanding the basic truth that you can probably find “extremist nutcases” who hold any viewpoint or political position. (Probably in just about any political group which has ever existed, or is likely to exist.) Human nature being what it is, people are more likely to apply the term “extremist” to viewpoints/people they dislike than to those they like.
Terms such as “conservative” can often cover so much as to be meaningless.
My view, for the last 20 odd years, in the “homosexual marriage” idea is that easiest and simplest way to “equality” would be for the state to cease to recognise any form of “marriage”. Since extending special laws covering hetero-monogamy to also apply to homo-monogamy is still discriminatory. As well as encouraging the idea that monogamy is somehow “best” for everyone.
Also in many cases elections can come down to picking the “least wost” from a ” bad bunch”. Especially where all the candidates are career politicians. I’m not sure if Australian elections allow for a (strong) “None Of The Above”.
I’d wait until October before passing judgment as to if the Australian government is doing anything sensible on the AGW issue.
A politician giving up a source f revenue. Hmmmm
Well Done Australia ! This will send a strong message to political hacks all over the world that the vast majority of people are not in support of carbon taxes and the snake oil salesman attached to them. The Greenie crowd better find something real to scare people about because their source of funding will continue to tank.The Liberal Party in British Columbia remain commited to rip off it’s citizens and screw its economy to appear self rightous .Wake up BC no one is following you over the cliff.
Patrick,
http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2004/s1185116.htm
It was a remark that was well in the public discourse when the GST introduced, which makes it comparable. Labor made sure everyone was aware of the backflip and the press had a field day with it.
GST had a bigger impact on the CPI than the Carbon Tax, by the way. Not sure where you’re getting your info from. But that’s not really an issue to my mind. Standard of living index was the same during the Howard years as under Labor (2.6% increase per annum). Increases in prices have been off-set by increases in disposable income under both (or should that be all 3?) governments.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/life-is-much-better-under-labor-after-all-says-study-20130830-2sw8l.html
I’m going to wait and see. It’s easy to say you’ll do something but when it comes time to vote and make it actually happen . . . well we’ve seen what can happen here in the States.
SasjaL,
My apologies, I did not know of your limitations. Sometimes I assume too much…
I am convinced that Abbott will call a double dissolution if he has to.It may not come to that,Labor politicians may come to their senses,If not,it will be they who will be blamed for the expense and waste of time of a double dissolution,Not Abbott.They are acting delusional still,so they may force us to the polls again,
Mr Abbott said he would be respectful and courteous towards all who managed to gain a seat.
“But in the end, I think they all need to respect the government of our nation has a mandate and the parliament should work with the government of the day to implement its mandate,” he told radio 2UE.
“I know it’s a two-way street and respect has got to be earned, rather than merely demanded, but nevertheless, the people voted for change and change they will get. I am determined to ensure the parliament will give them the change they want.”
Well done Tony and Barnaby Joyce for New England. (Who ran a mate in solar panels against him, and I scrutineered and the Greens and his supporters generally supported labor) Waiting to see if Clive Palmer wins Fairfax. I think he will not vote to retain carbon tax. But he certainly will make parliament more lively. So long as he doesn’t turn it to ‘Clive Palmer Hour’.
Clive Palmer got in by 300 preference votes, but he was the only one of PUP (Palmer United Party) to get into the lower house, but two look to get Senate seats. The amount of millions he has spent on advertising no doubt helped and the promise to increase pensions by $150 per week,. People will believe anything.
Yes, he will probably make politics more interesting and less desultory. We also have a member who thinks asylum seekers cause traffic jams. Labor is out in the wilderness. Hopefully we’ll se a change for the better, even if a bit of nuttinness ensues.
It’s very unlikely that a double dissolution would be constitutional until early 2015. A lot can happen in that time. Labor may well feel vengeful against the obstructionism of the Coalition and their negative campaigning of the past 3 years. If Coalition popularity goes Southward over the next 15 months, it would probably be in Labor’s interests to encourage a double dissolution, with a fair chance that the Coalition would lose seats, replaced by more independents. Abbott has to cement public trust over 2014, or calling a double dissolution would be a high-risk adventure. Gillard and Rudd are gone, so Labor now has the opportunity to reinvent itself – and it won’t be easy. My call is that a DD will depend on Coalition political fortunes. Labor may cave to repealing the CT if the Coalition goes strong. But I will credit Abbott with integrity if he calls it in the face of waning popularity. This, too, will be interesting to watch.
It’s been entertaining reading the “analysis” in the Fairfax press, the ABC and similar propaganda outlets. Most of them blame party disunity for the defeat, and there is no doubt that it damaged them. But not a single one mentioned the sleaze factor (eg the Peter Slipper episode), the cuddling up to the Greens, concern about rising debt, border protection or indeed any substantive policy issue, let alone all the flip-flops, as relevant.
If this is what they really think, Tony Abbott has not got much to fear from the Opposition in the forseeable future.
“If this is what they really think, Tony Abbott has not got much to fear from the Opposition in the forseeable future.”
Not so sure about that johanna. The thing is, of those left in the parliamentary Labor party there wouldn’t be enough talent to change a light bulb. The propagandists are dying from lack of audience and the ABC is now paid for by the Abbott government.
Tony Abbott has exactly the right policies; that is why he was voted in, Labor had the wrong policies, that is why they were voted out.
NO to the; Carbon tax, the useless department of climate change, the $10 billion clean energy fund, many environmental bureaucracies, job-strangling red tape, job-destroying green tape, the mining tax, 12,000 useless public servants, the very expensive NBN, massive BER waste, bad parts of the fair work legislation, severe media control, fringe benefits destruction, sudden changes in policy, lack of consultation, poor policy planning, poor policy implementation, thought bubbles, back-stabbing the Prime Minister.
Sweeping away all this Labor/Green ideological nonsense will lift such a massive burden off the Australian people and business. The economy will get much, much stronger and benefit everyone.
NO to all these economy-destroying socialist policies means YES to jobs, YES to growth, YES to business, YES to investment, YES to affluence, YES to surplusses, YES to having the means to help people in need.
Tony Abbott has exactly the right policies; that is why he was voted in, Labor had the wrong policies, that is why they were voted out.
NO to the; Carbon tax, the useless department of climate change, the $10 billion clean energy fund, many environmental bureaucracies, job-strangling red tape, job-destroying green tape, the mining tax, 12,000 useless public servants, the very expensive NBN, massive BER waste, bad parts of the fair work legislation, severe media control, fringe benefits destruction, sudden changes in policy, lack of consultation, poor policy planning, poor policy implementation, thought bubbles, back-stabbing.
Sweeping away all this Labor/Green ideological nonsense will lift such a massive burden off the Australian people and business. The economy will get much, much stronger and benefit everyone.
NO to all these economy-destroying socialist policies means YES to jobs, YES to growth, YES to business, YES to investment, YES to affluence, YES to surplusses, YES to having the means to help people in need.
barry says: “We also have a member who thinks asylum seekers cause traffic jams.”
Myth making there, Barry. The Member took the issue of the increasing population including the high influx of resettled refuges in her electorate, which was discussed in the full interview, to highlight the congestion on her local roads and her plans to build more roads. It was a logical link, one that inner city elitists do not comprehend
She was not suggesting what you and probably the propagandists that influence you, infer.
There are polls that asked people to nominate the issues that concern them when going to the polls. Jobs and the economy topped the lists. I am sure that the ‘sleazy’ items had impact, but thes didn’t feature in issues nominated by the public. I’d say that the leadership battles were primary, but that other issues, including some of those you mention (not Slipper – the public is not surprised by this sort of behaviour on either side of the aisle) filled in the background of a widespread malaise with Labor of the voting public.
Also, the public is fickle. Kevin Rudd’s reinstatement saw Labor’s primary vote soar by 8 or 9 points to come within striming distance of winning the lection. Whether it was relief at Gillard’s ouster, or affection for the Dentist, the point is that swinging voters can turn on a dime and that’s what they did. They don’t hold grudges. Not so for Labor/Liberal faithful.
More than anything else, Rudd screwed his campaign and lost the bounce with many ill-advised policy blunders and messaging under a hastily-cobbled, unruly campaign team. The Coalition had a well-oiled team that had been together for some years. They were primed and ready and did a great job at outmanouvering and outshining Rudd’s clunky junket. He deserved to lose.
dbstealey says: September 8, 2013 at 4:46 pm
Normally I wouldn’t bother to respond, but unfortunately you missed my point! You noted my specific problems but missed the general stuff, which can happen to anyone. It doesn’t require a “limitation” to make a typo … (by the way you commented, it is possible to consider it as a discrimination …) The person who’s flawless, isn’t born yet (although some generally think they are …)
What has this discussion got to do with inner-city elitists?
The Member claimed 50 000 asylum seekers had arrived, and that it was a hot topic in her electorate because thet contribute to traffic jams on the M4. Less than 40,000 people arrived by boat since the Labor party took power, of which 18,000 have been granted refugee status in the whole country since 2007. It is unlikely that her district hosts more than a few hundred refugees, if that. Nor is it clear how many own cars or drive on the M4.
There are no hard figures behind her remarks, just opinionising, and greatly exaggerated numbers. The remark was hyperbole and silly, (traffic jams? what about jobs and economy?) and doesn’t deserve more than a bit of a laugh. But it could play well for people who think the main source of illegal immiggration is is boat people, when the far greater number of illegal immigrants arrive by plane and most stay (20 000 have been here more than a decade). I wonder why the current 58 000 illegal plane arrivals aren’t a political football.
With the end of the Green [snip] movement all of their BOGUS regulations and laws like the smoking bans should be QUICKLY REPEALED!
Will those of us like DP be remembered fighting these Nazis for years on end……………it doesn’t really matter except that we have hopefully fought and won freedom and liberty for another 80 years for our children and their children………….That’s what its all about anyway!
Greenism is the most amazing conspiracy. It actually fits the profile of those X-factor films where
people you meet are really lizards. You get the impression that there is a secret society all around you. Only time will tell if Abbot keeps his promise.
Go Oz! Finally a reversal of the foolish CO2 Tax – the Blunder from Down Under.
Tony Abbott made a gaffe in a recent speech – but obviously it did not cost him the election.
He said:
“No one — however smart, however well-educated, however experienced — is the suppository of all wisdom.”
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/australian-election-tony-abbott-hits-bum-note-with-suppository-of-all-wisdom-gaffe-8757527.html
I disagree: I respectfully submit that the IPCC is the suppository of all wisdom.
Too funny! I suppose-a-Tory is allowed the odd malapropism…
Kevin Rudd is under pressure to leave parliament by those who supported Julia Gillard and chose not to stand for this election. But an update, it looks like Clive Palmer will win Fairfax so one of Palmers United Party will get into the house of representatives. Surprisingly 6 minor party senators might also get in. Because of a complex preference deals. That’s OK for me, as cum July 1st they will hold the balance of power, and it appears they are also against the carbon tax.
The coalition has now 88 seats confirmed and 57 for the ALP. Only one Green got in to Melbourne and he is popular there amongst his electorate. Barnaby Joyce got in to New England previously held by Tony Windsor Independent, with 54% of the primary vote and nearly 72% with prefs. So no deals now with minorities or independents. If I were younger I would find Tony Abbott the type of man I would be attracted to. Rhodes scholar, is a bush fire worker, ran the Sydney to Surf marathon assisting a blind runner, is a life saver, supports women’s refuges, is an Oxford boxing blue, cycles for charity, and has a great family. He did serve in a Catholic seminary once too. Problem is in Australia, there are lots of people who vote on personalities, and also Tony worked out with soldiers while in the NT.
Rudd with his multi millionaire wife, whose job seeking company is under investigation in UK, Google Ingeus, does not really fulfill the labor image. I can’t stand the egomaniac, and hope he leaves parliament for some cushy job overseas.
[Is the company name “Google Ingeus” or was that an instruction to the reader “Google ‘Ingeus” ? Mod]
Tony Abbot [did] not say ‘climate change is crap’ as is often quoted. What he said was “the idea that there is a consensus on climate change is crap”. Selective editing by his opponents.
Mod: Her (Theresa Rein/Rudd) international job seeker company is called Ingeus. If you Google, Theresa Rein you will find the information. Her UK job seeker company Ingeus is under investigation in UK for not performing per her multi million dollar contractual agreements and targets.. Also it is alleged that in UK she is listed as a British resident. Well she is not of course. It would appear that they are pushing job seekers into unpaid work with no guarantee they will get a job, or lose their benefits. Anyway, little has been said in Australia about this. But they did have their 2.25 million dollar home in Canberra up for sale too. Hardly hard up, when Australians are trying to pay off their mortgages.It is estimated she is worth over 200 million dollars?
Re Barry’s comments:
“It’s very unlikely that a double dissolution would be constitutional until early 2015.”
“But it could play well for people who think the main source of illegal immiggration is is boat people, when the far greater number of illegal immigrants arrive by plane and most stay (20 000 have been here more than a decade).”
On current expectations there will be a Bill (or Bills) to repeal all the Climate Change and Carbon Tax Acts on the first day that Parliament sits – late October or early November. No doubt it will be passed and sent to the Senate, which will reject it. It will be resubmitted in late February or early March, and if it is again rejected will be the subject for a double dissolution, for an election in April or May. The only restrictions are that there must be a gap of three months between first and second submissions, and that a double dissolution cannot be requested in the period 6 months before the term of the HoR is to expire. No need to wait till 2015.
However, if you look at page 6 of today’s “The Australian” (10 Sept) you will see a table showing the parties likely to form the Senate after 1 July. The estimate is that in addition to the 33 Coalition members, there will be 2 from the PUP, 1 DLP. 1 LDP, one Family First, who are all believed to be in favour of repealing the carbon tax, This totals 38, while the number to pass the repeal bills is 39. The others are Nick Xenophon, and one each from the Motoring Enthusiasts and Sports Party. It would be probable that at least one of the three would support repeal. So Tony would not need to go to a double dissolution. Same applies to the Mining Tax. On the other hand the Direct Action Plan looks likely to fail, with no support from the others, while the Paid Parental Leave is likely to pass with the support of the Greens.
Memo to all: if you don’t take “The Australian” look at it in your local library tomorrow.
Illegal immigrants do not arrive by plane. No airline will carry a passenger to Australia who does not have a valid visa enabling legal entry to Australia. If someone slips past the Airline boarding controls, and reaches Australia without a visa, that person is automatically shipped out again by the same airline. This means the possible loss of a fare if the return of the illegal arrival means that a fare paying passenger is not carried. Hence Airlines ensure “No Visa, No Travel”. Hence no illegal arrivals by air.
I think you may be confusing the issue of illegal immigrants with visitors overstaying their visa permissions. Undoubtedly there are many of these, but when caught they are shipped out – either willingly using their return ticket, or detained and then flown out at their expense if their return ticket has expired. I have known one lady who was just about to overstay and requested an extension. It was not granted, so she had to fly to Bali. Being a German citizen, she requested a new visa at the consulate there and promptly returned to Australia. She married here and is, I presume, now an Australian citizen.
Yes here in the UK we have the dreaded wind turbines foisted on us, pad for by a levy on our electricity bills, no we are going down the Fracking route !
Yep, the Conservatives won a plurality (minority government) and will have to form a coalition with Progress. Interesting times!
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/09/us-norway-election-idUSBRE9880Y820130909
As Norway suffers months of near darkness in winter, I suspect they are not going into solar or wind turbines, and preferring oil or coal based electricity.
Captain on the bridge! Go you good thing!
bushbunny;
Norway is sloshing in hydropower, and feelthy rich from North Sea oil. It is playing around a bit with wind power, but has no real need or use for it. Population is around 5,000,000, and state coffers have about a trillion dollar surplus ($200.000/capita). Healthcare is free, cars are taxed at 100-200%. Gas is $10/gal.
Strange place.