Let the counting begin
It’s almost time to start counting the votes.
Many readers will be watching the live count but for those who aren’t, please feel free to drop in with your comments and impressions.
As the night unfolds there are bound to be a dozen new stories worth sharing.
Will we know the winner by tonight? If it’s anything like 2010 then maybe we won’t, however, the latest polls tell us that the government will be returned, albeit narrowly. Or maybe Turnbull might lead a minority government? Or it might be a hung parliament? In due course we’ll know if the latest polls were right.
A fortnight ago the polls ‘suggested’ that ago that Labor might crawl over the line, which seemed to be the signal for the mainstream media to step in and throw their weight behind the government. We’ve come to expect that from the Murdoch media, and lately from the ABC, but Fairfax took everybody by surprise when yesterday both The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald did an about-turn and jumped on the Turnbull bandwagon. This from the SMH was a stunner:
“If Australia gets this decision right, the nation should enjoy the economic strength and social progress to create greater opportunities for all. Given the choice between a Coalition led by the socially progressive economic reformer Mr Turnbull, and a Shorten-led Labor party backed by reform-resistant unions, we support the election of a Turnbull government”.
This bit; “greater opportunities for all” was hard for most people to get their head around. Perhaps the SMH might consider, as an indication of these ‘greater opportunities’, what you will not get with a Turnbull Government as indicated from our poster below. Perhaps there is something else they might have in mind … that none of us know about.
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39 comments
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Carol Taylor -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
Freethinker -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
townsvilleblog -
cornlegend -
Möbius Ecko -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
cornlegend -
cornlegend -
Carol Taylor -
Bighead1883 -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
cornlegend -
Bighead1883 -
Bighead1883 -
cornlegend -
Bighead1883 -
Deanna Jones -
paul walter -
Bighead1883 -
Michael Taylor -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
cornlegend -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
cornlegend -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
cornlegend -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
Athena -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
Freethinker -
Freethinker -
Athena -
cornlegend -
Jennifer Meyer-Smith -
cornlegend
Return to home pageI am completely perplexed as to where the SMH dug the term ‘social progress’ from. What sort of social progress? Where and how? Social progress is meant to mean enhanced quality of life – so consider all the retrograde steps including withdrawal of funding meant to assist society’s most vulnerable – meaning that the Libs have sent social progress in entirely the opposite direction.
The SMH has enjoyed a historic high level of respect for investigative journalism and analytical argument. However, this 11th hour support and praise for the LNP Degenerates based on false information is an indictment on how far they have fallen.
Meanwhile, I am watching the count as are any other political tragics. Won’t it be lovely if the Greens/Labor/Other Alliance win!
This is where Labor insiders need to take heed of how important it is to build bridges with its natural allies.
Go the Alliance – whatever the result!
The worse call of the night, Peter Dutton retain his seat. A san news
I agree Freethinker,
Peter Dutton is a pox on our democratic rule of government and law.
His time will come and when it does it will be a major defeat for him that leads him to The Hague for Crimes Against Humanity.
JMS is has been a great election for the people that were kicked out or kept out, and with 67 seats each and with 22% of the vote still to count we could see either the end of the LNP or a very strong Opposition. Our lobbying was a factor in the result, bring a party who suffered a landslide against them 3 years ago to this position is a great achievement we should all be happy about.
townsvilleblog
agree, Bill deserves credit for an excellent result
Wow what a great observation by a tweeter.
Yes townsvilleblog,
it’s great to see the chinks in the LNP armour and the possibility of their defeat which you are right to say, we have helped by our constant lobbying.
If Bill and his apparatchiks have listened so effectively, then they must be listening to what is needed now …
… and that is a return to Progressiveness away from neoliberalism while building bridges with Labor’s natural allies in the Greens, NXT, and progressive micro parties, which strongly represent many of the 1/4 of Australian voters, who spoke very loudly yesterday and over past weeks.
Go The Alliance!
[Why must we wait to Tuesday before postal and absentee votes are counted?]
“Why must we wait to Tuesday before postal and absentee votes are counted?”
Postal votes don’t get counted till, I think the 15th ,
The ordinary count doesn’t restart till tuesday
“who spoke very loudly yesterday and over past weeks.”
And, where did it get them?
You have pauline Hanson, Derryn Hinch etc
Jennifer Meyer-Smith
any personal favourite moments yet?
mine would be
Linda Burney wins Barton,Susan Lamb kicking Wyatt Roys arse, Emma Husar waving ‘bye to Fiona Scott and best of all
Labor Anthony Albanese 46,659 67.3% +11.5%
Greens Jim Casey 22,678 32.7% -11.5%
Go ALBO
Leigh Sales let it slip twice during the night, firstly ‘we’ when referring to the Liberals and then a major YES! when the numbers came in showing that a Liberal was ahead in a particular electorate. I wonder whose side she was on?
Jennifer Meyer-Smith July 2, 2016 at 7:22 pm
What alliance??? the one existing only inside your head
So far Lab 72 vs LNP 66
http://vtr.aec.gov.au/HouseDefault-20499.htm
Do you know what I like about the LNP/Greens electoral reform?
All Australia just had their fingers go through the toilet paper
cornlegend,
we all agree in robust social democracy, do we not? Great victories re: “Linda Burney wins Barton,Susan Lamb kicking Wyatt Roys arse, Emma Husar waving ‘bye to Fiona Scott” and …
… congrats to Anthony Albanese for retaining his safe Labor seat. I’m sure Albo would agree, he does not own the seat!?
Don’t let your single-eyed vision blind you to the real enemies: continued neo-liberalism; Big Biz corporatisation of Australian political policies and procedures; and indifference to the stifled voices of vulnerable people on welfare and in detention.
If Albo is a true Labor man of Labor’s Left, he needs to prove he’s anti ALL of these travesties of justice.
Pass the message on to Albo, won’t you!
Bighead,
listen very carefully. A quarter of the voting public are voting for the alternative parties!
While I am pleased Shorten has run a successful campaign, so have the Greens and an assortment of Independents and alternative parties.
Don’t get too cocky because that chunk of the population despises the sense of entitlement of the Lib/Lab duopoly.
Tell your mates not to act like un-gracious victors. A very bad look in the eyes of your allies in the emerging ALLiance.
Jennifer Meyer-Smith
Albos 67.3% with a swing to him of +11.5% DOES put him in ‘Safe seat category” I reckon you could pretty much say he “owns” it after the dirty tricks campaign he went through and the locals saw that .
I did spend a bit of time in that Electorate and his swing came as no surprise after listening to locals
Jennifer Meyer-Smith July 3, 2016 at 8:41 am
You make ridiculous assumptions to go with your ridiculous commentary
Are you Bipolar by any chance?
cornlegend July 3, 2016 at 8:45 am
Your team did marvellous Cornie and driving around polling booths feeding the hungry workers was fantastic
A 150 burgers from Hungry Jacks,I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when the person took that order over the phone [chuckles lots]
Bighead, I had to pay by card as they thought I was pranking, we also got rid of 100 salad rolls 100 pies,100 cans of drink 100 little cakes 100 sausage rolls and untold tea and coffee for the poll workers . The campervan came in handy,Three old farts in a campervan, it was fun A mate took pity on the Nats as they poll bugger all, so he fed them too:-D
I’m just hiding the food bill from the missus
cornlegend July 3, 2016 at 8:59 am
No wonder you got legend in your name,you earn it
They find out Cornie,they always find out and then comes the stern look followed by “did you think you could hide this from me forever
Bighead1883July 3, 2016 at 8:47 am
Jennifer Meyer-Smith July 3, 2016 at 8:41 am
“You make ridiculous assumptions to go with your ridiculous commentary
Are you Bipolar by any chance?”
One can’t BE Bipolar. You can have it but you can’t be it. That’s like saying “Are you cancer by any chance?”
Do you really think it’s acceptable to use that kind of language? Are you 12, by any chance?
I think some here make a very good point concerning refusal of further Green/ Labor feuding and the observation that many good people, across the board, did very well last night under pressure.
Deanna Jones July 3, 2016 at 9:25 am
What language? as you join in the discombobulation in an acrasial fashion
I saunter back to recline and ponder these machinations
All the mainstream media want to talk about is Labor leadership speculation. Seriously pathetic, isn’t it?
Yes Michael,
I don’t get why Plibersek was asked that stupid question about a possible challenge to Shorten considering he’s just led Labor back to a fighting chance of helping to pull the carpet from beneath smarmy Malcolm Muck’s feet.
This is especially the case when Labor would be stupid to allow such a challenge to occur because it would destroy Labor’s bid to demonstrate team loyalty and support for its leader, as opposed to the inner fight debacles in the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd era.
Bighead is living up to his name of having a big head.
Shame that there’s nothing inside it. 🙁
Who said close elections, with Lib blood in the water can’t be fun
Miranda Divine @mirandasdevine 13h13 hours ago
So mad I could scream! If @TurnbullMalcolm had let @TonyAbbottMHR maintain leadership we wouldn’t be looking foolish right now #ausvotes
Andrew Bolt urges ‘disaster’ Turnbull to quit
Right-wing firebrand Andrew Bolt has called on Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull to resign and accused him of being a disaster, leaving the Liberal Party in ruins and treating…
Profile image of authorThe Age
Jul 03, 2016
MegClark @MargaretClark12 3h3 hours ago
“@NeilMcMahon: ASTONISHING Alan Jones addressing Turnbull via 7 broadcast, telling him to leave home and come face the people. Humiliating.
@GuardianAus
Here come the insults. Alan Jones calls Liberal MP James McGrath “chief bedwetter” #ausvote
@davrosz
Sam Dastyari extends Halal Snack Pack offer to Pauline Hanson http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au
Stephen Koukoulas Verified account
@TheKouk
Egad!
Next Liberal leader betting:
Abbott $2.50 fav
Bishop $4.00
Morrison $5.00
Others $11.00+++ #ausvotes
Julia Gillard @JuliaGillard 12h12 hours ago
Yes, the Labor Party is back. A great campaign on what we stand for by Bill, Tanya and the Labor team – JG.
Labor are back. Congratulations to all of us for destroying the LNP.
The Greens, Xenophon and decent crossbenchers (plus some scary ones) are on the rise.
Go The ALLiance (Greens, Labor, NXT and decent crossbenchers)!
😛
Love some comments
Even if Turnbull wins, he loses. And even if Shorten loses, he wins
Lenore Taylor@guardian
“Pretty pathetic” says @LaurieOakes of the Turnbull speech
Mike Carlton @MikeCarlton01 13h13 hours ago
Pleased to see that Leyonhimmler is out of the Senate
Bill Shorten spent the night before the election feeding the homeless
https://www.buzzfeed.com/aliceworkman/bill-shorten-spent-election-eve-feeding-homeless-people?utm_term=.fk3WGGEqB#.ky2R3348V …
AG Brandis says Twitter is to blame for the election result due to the “trivialisation of political discourse”. #ausvotes
Red Poppet @theredpoppet 5h5 hours ago
#ausvotes #auspol2016 #auspol Well done to Shorten and ALP for their efforts in bringing ALP back from the wilderness. Congratulations.
Queen of Light Hill @hewie90 14h14 hours ago
THE whole of AUS talking about who will govern us and pathetic DiNatale is talking about the results of Melb Ports FFS…what a fool #LOSERS
cornlegend,
you had my heart singing until that last crass comment.
Don’t risk the wilderness for Labor stuck in neoliberal land with a self-defeating refusal to join The ALLiance with the Greens and decent crossbenchers.
you have to be kidding with your coalition stuff.
After Di Natales effort last night and his crowing, maybe it is time for the Greens to change leaders and MAYBE there could be some negotiation
Di Natales effort at the Greens do
“But let me tell you something. At the moment we’re in a battle with the Labor party. And if we get over the Labor party – it’s currently line-ball – we’re a chance of knocking off the Liberals, who are now currently in a position to win that seat.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/jul/02/greens-celebrate-close-election-contests-in-batman-and-melbourne-ports?CMP=share_btn_fb#_=_
Spoken like a pollie who sees both Labor and Libs as enemies
so, guess what 😀
Pot calling the kettle black.
Poor Miranda Devine. Too bad she has blocked me on Twitter so I can’t annoy her. If Tony Abbott had remained I think we would have our result already – a huge swing to ALP.
Family First has lost Bob Day in the Senate. That makes me very happy. I’m stunned that Dutton, Christensen and Joyce were re-elected. and two Senators for One Nation. WTF? Queenslanders are a worry.
cornlegend,
you might want to read First Dog’s advice to Labor to be nice to their Greens friends. Here cometh the inevitable ALLiance.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/jul/02/first-dog-on-the-moons-election-night-musings?utm_source=esp&utm_medium=Email&utm_campaign=First+Dog+on+the+Moon&utm_term=180107&subid=7087310&CMP=ema_1732#comment-78063698
Athena, who is worse Bob Day or Fred Nile? It is a hard call.
Jennifer we have to accept that people prefer the LDP, One Nation, before any progressive party.
It is a reality, only in electorates close to the big cities the Greens have decent results. (educated voters perhaps?)
Progressive parties or independents will not have many elected candidates until the system of distribution of seats and votes change.
We still have the Greens with only one or perhaps 2 seats in the HoR compared to the danionals over 20 with less that 1/3 of the votes that the Greens have.
IMO Jennifer we have to wait another 10 years or more to start seen some change.
Freethinker, they’re both scumbags but I only get to vote for Bob Day.
Jennifer Meyer-Smith
It won’t matter, according to Labor insiders Malcolm Turnbull has already this morning been on the phone to Andrew Wilkie and Cathy McGowan, and you could bet your bottom dollar Xenophons and Bob Katter got a call.
Couldn’t imagine any of them knocking him back
Has Bill been on the phone to them too? This is the time for negotiation and mutually beneficial agreements that serve the Australian people.
Jennifer
NO,
I read some pundits are predicting, after preferences One Nation may have 4, but not sure about that
“One Nation was polling so strongly in her native Queensland it appeared she might pick up a second seat for her running mate Malcolm Roberts.
The party also polled strongly in NSW and may claim a seat there after preferences.
“People want Australian values, they want their culture, they want their way of life,” she said earlier in the night.”
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2016/australian-federal-election-2016-nick-xenophon-and-pauline-hanson-set-to-be-dominant-voices-on-senate-crossbench-20160702-gpx5tx.html#ixzz4DJSxsptY