Archive for December, 2009

Poor Wayne Swan

I can’t help but feel sorry for Wayne Swan today. He is the one Labor politician who couldn’t avoid the limelight and had to try to explain away another interest rate rise…he did not look in the least bit comfortable.

Perhaps now I understand federal Labor’s obsession with the emissions trading scheme. Wayne Swan is on-record as saying that traffic jams cause inflation, so perhaps he is hoping that an ETS will reduce the number of cars on the road, thereby reducing the number and severity of traffic jams, thereby cutting back on inflation and, as a result, interest rate rises and his subsequent uncomfortable press conferences.

It’s an interesting, albeit flawed, theory Wayne.

Samuel

December 1st, 2009 at 04:50pm

Rudd staying in the US. Obama coming to Australia

Not simultaneously though, I might add.

Kevin Rudd’s aeroplane has been grounded due to a mechanical fault.

His spokesman says the Prime Minister will stay overnight in the US capital where he met with US President Barack Obama early this morning our time.

Mr Rudd was due back home tomorrow.

Meanwhile Barack Obama is being invited to visit Australia next year.

Mr Rudd said Mr Obama may visit Australia in 2010, possibly combining his trip with visit to Indonesia, where he spent part of his childhood.

”We had a chat at the end of our conversation about his desire to visit Down Under,” Mr Rudd said.

“I told him he was always welcome and we are looking at the possibility of him visiting Australia in the course of 2010. That would be terrific,” he said.

Despite my opposition to the Bamster, I would warmly welcome him to this country as the democratically elected leader of the free world. It would be an honour to have him here, just like it was an honour to have George W. Bush here earlier this decade. Perhaps he can bow to Kevin Rudd and Tony Abbott?

Samuel

December 1st, 2009 at 01:11pm

ETS not entirely dead just yet

The good news is that Tony Abbott, who never had any intention of doing anything other than oppose the ETS, called a secret ballot on the matter of the ETS after he became party leader, and the party voted 55 to 29 in favour of deferring the ETS instead of supporting it.

The bad news is that four Liberal Senators are willing to cross the floor and vote for the ETS, according to an anonymous source of News Limited blog The Punch. Thankfully that is short of the seven Senators that Rudd/Wong/Gillard need in order to have the ETS approved by the Senate.

Two things on those Senators. Firstly, I’m surprised that there are four willing to cross the floor. One or two I could understand, but four seems a bit high immediately after the party voted in a new anti-ETS leader and clearly voted against the ETS.

Secondly, why do I get the awful feeling that Gary Humphries is one of the Senators who could cross the floor?

Update: Greens leader Bob Brown has just said what I’ve been saying for a while now. An Abbott Liberal Party gives Labor and the Greens the opportunity to negotiate a stronger ETS…one that they actually believe in. We can now have an election where the issue is a Labor/Greens “strong ETS” versus a Liberal/National “no ETS”. End Update

Samuel

December 1st, 2009 at 12:53pm

Tony Abbott is the new Liberal Leader

Tony Abbott has won the Liberal Leadership spill and is the new leader of the opposition.

Malcolm Turnbull, Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey contested the ballot after the leadership spill was approved by a margin of 48 to 34. Joe Hockey was eliminated in the first round, and then Tony Abbott defeated Malcolm Turnbull by one vote, 42 to 41, according to the party whip at a press conference moments ago.

Julie Bishop remains as deputy leader.

Tony Abbott is expected to hold a press conference at 10:45.

Samuel

December 1st, 2009 at 09:52am

Liberal leadership

The Liberal Party have voted for a leadership spill. Contenders for the top job are Malcolm Turnbull, Joe Hockey and Tony Abbott.

More to follow.

Samuel

December 1st, 2009 at 09:41am

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