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Libs out of touch – Victoria says a resounding NO to hatred and division

Early counting in Victoria shows a landslide to Labor in a total repudiation of Matthew Guy’s law and order platform which always felt uncomfortably like racial profiling.

The highlighting of a crime by a Muslim individual and some poor behaviour by some teenagers from the Sudanese community was a tacky campaign that may have resonated with the One Nation voters but the people who live in Melbourne still enjoy dining out despite what Peter Dutton might think.

The threats to publish judges’ sentencing records were an appalling attack on the separation of the judiciary and the executive, especially considering three federal ministers had to apologise abjectly to avoid being charged with contempt not so long ago for their criticism of sentencing decisions.

The Liberal Party rhetoric and approach, particularly at a Federal level, is angering many communities who feel they are being victimised and alienated. This, of course, adds to the risk of radicalisation and anti-social behaviour.

Instead of working with Muslim community leaders, they found themselves excoriated in the media for not saying and doing enough to stop lone wolf attacks by individuals with mental health problems, before being peremptorily summonsed to a meeting then publicly castigated for their lack of enthusiasm.

How to win friends and influence people Scott.

Just like the perpetual African gang stuff which is making life miserable for the many good Australian kids who happen to have black skin.

The Aboriginal community have so patiently sat through endless inquiries, commissions, apologies and invitations to offer their ideas, only to see none of the recommendations or suggestions ever come to fruition.

Too many kids in detention? Let’s have an inquiry. Didn’t we already do that? Yes, let’s get Tony Abbott and Warren Mundine to do it this time.

And I still remember when Tony Abbott crowned himself in Napoleonic fashion, “Minister for Women”. Do you men have any perception of what that felt like?

Anyway….

Well done Victoria for using your vote to say no to hatred and division.

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57 comments

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  1. Kate CHAPLIN

    YAY!

  2. Diannaart

    I could not picture Matthew Guy as premier. Now I don’t have to.

    Sigh of relief, mostly.

  3. totaram

    I have posted on another thread about Vic. I hope these coalition bozos learn something, but I will not be holding my breath. They don’t care. They have to follow IPA orders + a few extra orders from sundry sky fairies. Sad. I am so happy to see that the voters can see through these tricks. The tricks might have worked 20 years ago, but will they work again and again every time? This is a test for the human race. Let us see.

  4. Win Jeavons

    God does not give orders . Practitioners of religion claim to speak in her/his/? Name but it is too often filtered through their personal hangups. The basic teachings are ethical and non judgemental. Jesus never mentioned people of non binary sexuality, nor a number of other issues . Self promoted interpreters do a lot of harm, not only in christianity or islam.

  5. MikeW

    Well done Victorians, bring on the federal election.

    I think your being unfair to Tony Abbott Kaye Lee, after all he promised to reduce electricity prices so you could do more ironing.

  6. paul walter

    Centrelink robodebt, the Banks RC, the constant attacks on civil liberties, the arrogance of the federal IPA Liberals, wages stagnating while tax cuts go to the rich. the viciousness toward ethnic minorities and workers rights and the implications of it for the rest of us now resonate. The cutting of social infrastructures and privatisations that only make things worse for the public…these are the things that the clumsy Guy campaign with its tabloid diversionary race baiting and reiteration of a hard right agenda, drew attention to the lack even an an ounce of contrition or humility, or evidence of a platform of hope offered to ordinary people…no vision, just continued looting on behalf of the rich

    Mike W, clearly Kaye Lee has done her ironing despite Abbott, because she is a woman and therefore multiskills..

    The only thing that worries me slightly is the extent of the victory which precludes the Greens from holding BOP (people got sick of their internal feuds also) and is likely to breed complacency in the future.

    Now, back to my SBS doco on Mesopotamia, which also seems to be an attempt at boosting Kurdish aspirations to autonomy from Iraq, Iran and Turkey.

  7. terence mills

    The coalition is on the nose nationally.

    We now need the independents to join a vote of no confidence next week and force a federal election, immediately.

    It is ridiculous that federally the Libs with their little mates the Nats are clinging to power without a numerical, operating majority.

    Let’s be done with them, now.

    Interesting observation on Morrison who instead of giving Liberals support during the Vic election campaign was actually buzzing around Qld in his bus (when he wasn’t flying) – what was that about ?

  8. Matters Not

    Yes a landslide victory for Labor in Victoria. The Libs and Nats at the Federal level will be devastated. It’s a massive loss. It also bodes badly for Morrison et al, but a glance at history shows that when the electorate disgorges its bile at the State level it has a calming effect. The baseball bats are shelved because the anger evaporates – sometimes rather quickly.

    Bill Shorten will hope that that the electoral momentum can be sustained.

    As an aside, lots of people from both sides of the political aisle are facing a new reality tonight. Joy for some – sorrow for others. The Greens should be disappointed as well.

  9. wam

    What a lesson for billy. Avoid the shock jocks and keep the message simple. If you mention the lnp it is to put a question into the morning show simpletons tiny minds.
    How did the diludbransimkims go I heard a twit talking about women but it was too late. The pragmatic boys had trashed too many principles

  10. Kaye Lee

    They are saying at this stage 53 Labor, 16 Liberal, 7 National, 1 Green and 1 Independent with 10 still not called.. That’s a slaughter. Might add fuel to the call for the LNP to split up again in Qld

  11. Adrianne Haddow

    Yay Victoria !

    It soon will be time for NSW to send a resounding message to these LNP incompetents. Fingers crossed.

    It seems the fear mongering cannot mask the ineptitude or self- serving policies of the LNP/IPA government

    Disappointed for the Greens, the bad press re. Buckingham may have had its desired effect.

  12. Matters Not

    With such a thumping majority, Andrews has a whole set of new problems. Perhaps, first and foremost is the greatly extended backbench – now how to keep them busy and well away from plotting and planning. In Australia Parliaments (unlike the Sri Lankan equivalent), not everyone can be a Minister or at least an Assistant Minister so there will be any number of disgruntled. Some holders of higher honours will be dropped and some who thought they were certain to be rewarded will also be disappointed.

    It’s probably the case that (from Dan’s POV) the majority brings more problems than it’s worth.

    KL, re the ‘split up’ In QLD. Effectively there at the Fed level (when it comes to party room alliances) but would be a disaster at the local level. So I hope it happens.

  13. helvityni

    Michael, as I told you few days ago, Labor will be the winner…

    All those SILLY commentators were talking a very tight race, I KNEW they would be proven wrong…WOW !

  14. helvityni

    Adrienne Haddow,

    Spot on, “It seems the fear mongering cannot mask the ineptitude or self- serving policies of the LNP/IPA government”

  15. Matters Not

    Re – KNEW they were wrong? How so? In the tea leaves? A lightning bolt followed by verbal message from above delivered with a loud .. An Email A poll? etc… Or just a case of wishin .. and a hopin …?

    Please explain.

  16. Kaye Lee

    Labor now 61, Libs 17, others unchanged…only 1 left to call. Surely they can’t have counted all those prepolls yet? Do they not even need them because the leads are unassailable? Or are they just very efficient? Actually, these might just be predictions? They are coming from the Guardian live feed.

  17. helvityni

    MN, I don’t drink tea….

  18. paul walter

    And they are still trying to deny it is to do with neoliberalism and the Federal government. How many beltings within a year or two does it take for it to sink in with them that people are jack of the selfishness.

    Yes, Helvityni. you nail it. A fearfully lazy, desolately unimaginative campaign that revealed to the electorate perhaps once and for all how little they have to offer most people.

  19. Matters Not

    Suspect that this result is peak Labor. But maybe someone has a different construct? Plausible, reality constructs are almost endless when it comes to the political world.

  20. Kaye Lee

    I agree Victoria is the most progressive state politically. (Maybe Canberra too). I doubt the Feds can do anything to salvage it. They gave up their only goodish policy so Labor took it. Are they really going to run with lower taxes for corporates and shifting embassies and forcing government departments to go bush? The Peter dutton approach doesn;t seem to be resonating with anyone but Pauline and Mark Latham. (chuckles to self…..)

  21. Matters Not

    re – forcing departments ..

    Seems to me that Morrison faces the same problems which confronted Turnbull. A National Party that appeals to some parts of the bush (irrationally) and a Liberal backbench anchored to an unscientific past.

    That’s the political reality (a dopey or objective concept? LOL) that Morrison must face.

  22. John Kelly

    As Victorians….

    1. We know when we see a hollow policy platform.
    2. We know when we see covert racism
    3. We like politicians who do what they say

    Labor’s campaign was simple and direct.
    Good policy will always trump cosmetic overlay.

  23. Kaye Lee

    John,

    I wish your last line was true but Julia Gillard got dumped and Tony Abbott became PM. I am still reeling from that.

  24. Kronomex

    Coming soon from the LNP in Victoria, “The voters have spoken and we have heard what they said. We will listen and take on board what the bastards…er, voters, have said and we will take note and win back their confidence. And change yet again and again and…”

    My favourite comment from one of the papers earlier in the evening was, “Victorian state election 2018: Labor celebrates after comfortable win – as it happened.”

    Which has since been changed to, “Victorian state election 2018: Labor celebrates after Liberal wipeout – as it happened.”

    Sigh, what a difference a few hours can make in newspapers.

  25. John O'Callaghan

    I am a staunch Labor voter from Queensland, but tonight we are all Victorians!

  26. wam

    kaye the rabbott’s skill at lying frightened the whimps like husic, backbiters like the lemon and the monkey who collectively wore shorten down and he dumped gillard. She had no trumpet for policy but andrews had form and no rabbott. but he has gone the lnp has rough mascara which is already running giving billy a chance.

  27. paul walter

    Jexpat, If you mean seats won, firstly the Guardian itself claimed the 61 seats but Murphy herself pointed out that postals etc would soften the swing in the final analysis, thus away from the high water claim to something closer to what Bonham proposes.

    I guess the point I was trying to make concerned the impact of federal issues on the election in Victoria with the example (once again) involving delinquent Peter Dutton, a fitting representation for the federal government and Australian Liberalism in general.

  28. MöbiusEcko

    Latest with 71.1% counted is 52 ALP, 24 L/NP, 3 Other.

    What is worse for the L/NP, many of the seats they have won have gone from safe to marginal whilst most of the ALP seats have gone safer. Bodes badly for the L/NP at the next election.

  29. Paddym

    “Neoliberalism”, always sounds like a contradiction. These clowns are anything but “new” or “liberal”.

  30. Kaye Lee

    Craig Kelly really takes the cake. This is today’s offering….

    WE MUST FIGHT AGAINST LABOR’S BALDED-FACED LIES

    Labor’s election campaigning strategies are all based around ‘Big Lies’.

    Labor have mastered the propaganda tactic of fabricating untruths, and then repeating the lies over and over, until eventually enough gullible people will fall for them.

    The truth is, there are no cuts, and the Coalition’s spending record amounts on health in all States. Labor are simply going the low road of spreading lies, fear and division

    And more Labor lies ‘The Australian’ ……

    Federal Opposition Leader Bill Shorten has congratulated Daniel Andrews on a “remarkable” win, which he says is a result of voters rejecting ‘’Liberal cuts’’ and ‘’failed attempts at addressing climate change’’.

    “Today’s result is also a fundamental rejection of the Liberals’ cuts to schools, TAFE and hospitals, and their failure to invest in renewables and take action on climate change.”

    COMMENT : But this is just a complete pack of lies.

    • There are NO cuts to schools and NO cuts hospitals – in fact, it’s the exact opposite, spending on both schools and hospitals under the Coalition is at record levels – substantially higher than when Labor were in office – and this has been done

    • Investment (albeit mal-investment) in ‘renewables’ last year was at record levels. And this year, that record will be broken again – with expenditure 50% higher than Labor’s best year when they were in Government.

    • And “taking action on climate” – is a statement that denies the science and a is bald-faced deception. Australia’s Chief Scientist has confirmed that given we only contribute 1.3% of the world’s CO2 emission – NOTHING we do in Australia will change the climate. To suggest some policy of the Labor Party is going change the temperature of the globe, prevent bad weather or stop the seven seas from rising is nothing other than a grotesque lie.

  31. Diannaart

    Kaye Lee

    Craig Kelly, incapable of creating anything original, resorts to projecting Liarberals’ ideas onto Labor.

    Cathy McGowan will table a private member’s bill on Monday. With a hung federal parliament new anti-corruption body now appears closer than ever.

    Bring on ICAC.

    To those who believe public disgust at federal Liberals’ shenanigans, and I admit, may have played a part in the resounding Labor victory, Daniel Andrews government has achieved more than the LNP have in past 22 years. I live in Victoria.

  32. paul walter

    The ABC’s response?

    A rigged panel on Backsiders- all Tory, no indies.

  33. Geoff Andrews

    Totaram,
    You said last night (9.04pm): ” I hope these coalition bozos learn something”
    I don’t.

    Kaye, the fact that Australia, with about 1/300th of the world population generates about 1/70th of green house gases, is a measure of Craig Kelly’s morality or that he never understood fractions in primary school.

  34. Kaye Lee

    Interesting comment this morning from Nikki Savva re Craig Kelly. Preselection in Hughes has been delayed until next February because he will likely lose and Morrison is scared Kelly would then move to the crossbench in the lead-up to the election.

  35. Jexpat

    @ Paul

    All I’m saying is that- especially after the near spectacular fail of the early call at Wentworth, people should be very wary of repeating exaggerated claims by corporate media that may not (or are not) supported by the actual numbers and expected/historical trends.

    Another example was the claim tht the Greens would be completely wiped out in the Upper House due to above the line preference scams. While it’s likely that they’ll end up with major losses, including one to a candidate who recieved just .59% of the primary vote, it appears that they’ll salvage at least one seat, with a second one still in play.

    *I would add that preference flow rigging to this extent rivals many of the more egregious election rorts we see in certain American state elections.

  36. Ella Miller

    Now, do we dare dream? Is Australia waking up and realising who we really are and what we hold dear?

  37. Christina Heath

    Ella Miller. I am hopeful. I live in a very conservative rural electorate but even in the Wagga bi-election recently, the electorate voted for the independent Dr Joe McGirr. Though he is relatively conservative, he is strong on social justice and the need for climate action. So excited about Victoria. Mike W, I think I will forego the ironing today and wildly celebrate.

  38. totaram

    Geoff Andrews:

    That was written in haste. On reflection, I agree with you. Let us hope they learn nothing. I have learned a new word : Schadenfreudenburg

    Kronomex: Such good news! Molan would have outdone Pinochet if he had a chance.

    I want to see the federal ICAC up and running and then all those jokers referred to the high court as they should be. Here’s hoping.

  39. New England Cocky

    An excellent result for all Australians, now to get back to the real task of making Australia great for all the Australian voters rather than just the foreign owned multinational corporations. Well done Victoria!!!

    Victoria is certainly leading the way to a brighter future in so many ways!!

  40. Michael Taylor

    I declare today “Hug a Victorian Day.”

  41. paul walter

    Only if they have showered.

  42. Kaye Lee

    Jim Molan has cancelled his scheduled appearance on Q&A tomorrow night because he “would find it hard to defend my party” right now. So what Jim is showing us is that it has never been about policy or ideals for Jim. He fell into the Senate by accident 9 months ago – no-one voted for him – and yet he apparently expected to be given the top spot on the senate ticket and since he didn’t get it he’s shutting up shop. Hubris?

  43. paul walter

    Cowardice, Kaye Lee.

  44. Kaye Lee

    A bit of both maybe paul

  45. silkworm

    Heard Craig Kelly on ABC (24) telling those lies about Labor. When he starts to lie, he gets very angry. His face turns red and his voice gets louder. This just turns people off, but he can’t help it. It just goes to show how politically inept most of the Morrison ministers have become. One of the questions I keep asking is, why does the ABC persist in having these right-wing extremists on?

  46. Stephengb

    Excuse me for being different but I hope the LNP continues with their electoral and policy game plan because it seems to me to be working really really well.

    For the ALP.

  47. Kaye Lee

    My response to Kelly’s dummy spit on his facebook page about dishonest campaigning….

    I realise the people here inhabit a closed circle of affirmation but seriously guys, the fear campaign came from the Libs this election and it didn’t work. Just like at the federal level too. Dishonest fear campaigns about the debt and deficit, about changes to negative gearing and franking credits, fear campaigns about migration instead of sensible discussion, fear campaigns about the credibility of the ABC, fear campaigns about Islamic terrorists and African gangs, fear campaigns about renewable energy. fear campaigns about asylum seekers, fear campaigns about unions. It’s all very well to have a different opinion but the Libs have not offered policy alternatives. It’s a bit rich to complain about negative campaigning when Abbott made it an art form, wasting years on Peter Slipper, Craig Thomson and Julia Gillard’s job 20 years ago, instead of thinking about policy and governing. Have a look at this page. Positive policy discussion is totally absent. PS I hate to be picky, but what does “balded-faced” mean?

  48. totaram

    Silkworm: On a similar note to Stephengb, perhaps it’s the ABC’s subtle way of having a “left bias” without having a left bias! The more they show these cretins who turn people off, the better it is for people like us who want these people gone. I have read somewhere that the Liberals themselves realise that Craig Kelly is a liability and/or for other reasons, he is likely to lose pre-selection. So let us enjoy the spectacle while we can (if you do enjoy that kind of thing. I personally don’t – such a waste of time).

  49. totaram

    Kaye Lee: If Craig Kelly is about to lose preselection, perhaps you should turn your attention elsewhere. His faithful followers will be left floundering anyway. Ha, ha!

  50. Florence Howarth

    Matter not. Knew because nothing else made sense. If they came that way after Guy who is a relatively nice man, what are they going to do for Morrison & Co.

  51. Matters Not

    KL re your post at 5.57 pm, it’s likely to fall on deaf ears (you know that) or worse still – further cement what the writer describes as entrenched beliefs’

    entrenched beliefs are not altered by the facts, we need to understand that those who cling to them cannot be persuaded to another view. In the same way that we accept physical deformities in those who have them, and do not seek to change them, it seems we need also to accept entrenched beliefs in those who hold them. To try to change these entrenched beliefs to ones we consider more suitable might be seen as laudable, but we need to understand that such a change may be difficult, if not impossible.

    Instead of becoming frustrated and angry at the hopelessness of effecting changes to the entrenched beliefs of our politicians, calm acceptance of the nature of entrenched beliefs, and unruffled tolerance of those who hold them, may be a healthier option for us as we attempt to maintain our mental equilibrium in today’s dizzying post-truth world of politics.

    http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/posts.aspx?postid=73db3ddd-aec9-4e21-86e1-f579ca630792

    Howling at the moon … and all that. But mountains are there to climb I suppose.

  52. Diannaart

    Entrenched belief is a bitch.

    However, in 1967, 90% of Australian voters supported the referendum on inclusion of First Nation people into the Census.

    Last year the SSM poll was overwhelmingly supported.

    And, Victoria voters emphatically in favour of a progressive government.

    Kaye Lee and many others continue the good fight against ignorance, bigotry and hypocrisy.

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