The Australian Labor Party (ALP) were elected in a landslide win in the Australian Federal election on Saturday, November 24. The 'bastards' of the Liberal and National party coalition Government have been voted out. And the Prime Minister, John Howard, once called by a Liberal Party colleague 'the lying rodent', is likely to lose his own seat in the swing against the conservatives, only the second Prime Minister to do so in Australia's short political history since federation in 1901.
The Australian Labor Party is now in government in all states and territories and federally. The highest ranking elected Liberal Party politician in power is the Lord Mayor of Brisbane.
In the national tally room in Canberra on Saturday night you could clearly hear chants of "throw them out" from visitors on the tallyroom floor as results were being posted up signifying a political rout for the conservatives. There were cheers each time the Prime Minister's own electorate results were posted up showing he was likely to be defeated in a close race with high profile former ABC journalist Labor candidate Maxine McKew. In the Prime Minister's Sydney electorate of Bennelong and several more where the outcome is close, it will be Green preferences strongly favouring the Labor party that decide the result.
The issues of the election were many and varied but included reaction against the 'Workchoices' anti-union legislation, concern on environmental issues especially climate change, and support for public infrastructure in health, education and communications. After 11 turbulent years of conservative Federal Government many voters expressed simply a need for change. As indeed it was.
Just days before the election the husband of Liberal candidate for the NSW seat of Lindsay, as well as the husband of Jackie Kelly the retiring Liberal member, were caught red-handed letterboxing a fake leaflet in the name of a fictional muslim organisation congratulating the ALP on its supposed support for muslim extremism. A third person caught was a member of the Liberal Party state executive. Although John Howard attempted dissociation from this incident, the damage to Liberal Campaigning was done and showed the extent of the desperation of the Liberal Party this election. It resulted in a strong swing to the Labor candidate in the seat of Lindsay, and averaged 7.9% across NSW electorates.
The greatest swings to the Labor Party were felt in Queensland, the home state of Kevin Rudd, where several safe Coalition seats swung to Labor with an average state swing of 8.7%. Industrial relations changes were said by the Labor Party to be a major factor, although degredation of the Great Barrier Reef by climate change may have played a part. There is still a high rate of unionism in Queensland.
In Tasmania the proposal by Gunns Ltd to build a controversial $1.3billion pulp mill in the Tamar Valley, approved by the Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull, almost certainly boosted the green vote. Activists are likely to continue challenging the pulp mill through all legal and social avenues, and then through civil disobedience if necessary to stop the pulp mill from being built.
In other states climate change was highlighted as a prominent issue with a march by up to 150,000 people across Australia two weeks before the election, and activist protests and blockades in NSW and Western Australia highlighting CO2 emissions from coal exports and coal fired power stations.
Anti-union legislation and individual work contracts - Australian Workplace Agreements - are having an increasing effect on working people in reducing their conditions of employment. Howard's battlers, aspirationl working class families - finally decided this election to desert the conservatives. The Australian Council of Trade Unions campaigned against the Government on this legislation. Three high profile unionists: Greg Combet, former secretary of the ACTU, Richard Marles from the ACTU, and Bill Shorten from the Australian Workers Union, were all elected as Labor candidates this election.
This election saw a record vote for the Greens of 7.8% nationally. Senator Bob Brown, the Greens Leader from Tasmania, easily won a full quota (14.5%) for himself with 17.74% of the primary vote. The Greens are likely to win the sixth Senate spot for South Australia and Western Australia. With two Green Senators not up for election this time, their representation will increase to 5 Senators, a level which guarantees them minor party status and extra parliamentary resources.
Due to preference flows Green Senate candidates in NSW and Victoria are unlikely to win enough preference votes to achieve a quota (14.5%), despite winning 10.11% of the vote in Victoria and 8.36% in New South Wales, and clearly being the third party on primary votes after the ALP and the conservative Liberal National Coalition. NSW Greens Senator Kerry Nettle, who has supported many activist and progressive campaigns over the last 6 years, appears likely to lose her Senate Seat.
Activists need to keep the pressure up on the Rudd Labor Government in office to ensure business, social, welfare, and environmental reforms are instituted to adapt the social infrastructure to face the global challenges of peak oil, global climate change and inequalities of wealth distribution. The Liberals campaign slogan of "going for growth" was rejected at the polls. It is now time for the Labor Party to govern for sustainability and for activists to keep these new bastards honest.
More at:
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/australia-votes-lying-rodent-and-other-bastards-out
In the national tally room in Canberra on Saturday night you could clearly hear chants of "throw them out" from visitors on the tallyroom floor as results were being posted up signifying a political rout for the conservatives. There were cheers each time the Prime Minister's own electorate results were posted up showing he was likely to be defeated in a close race with high profile former ABC journalist Labor candidate Maxine McKew. In the Prime Minister's Sydney electorate of Bennelong and several more where the outcome is close, it will be Green preferences strongly favouring the Labor party that decide the result.
The issues of the election were many and varied but included reaction against the 'Workchoices' anti-union legislation, concern on environmental issues especially climate change, and support for public infrastructure in health, education and communications. After 11 turbulent years of conservative Federal Government many voters expressed simply a need for change. As indeed it was.
Just days before the election the husband of Liberal candidate for the NSW seat of Lindsay, as well as the husband of Jackie Kelly the retiring Liberal member, were caught red-handed letterboxing a fake leaflet in the name of a fictional muslim organisation congratulating the ALP on its supposed support for muslim extremism. A third person caught was a member of the Liberal Party state executive. Although John Howard attempted dissociation from this incident, the damage to Liberal Campaigning was done and showed the extent of the desperation of the Liberal Party this election. It resulted in a strong swing to the Labor candidate in the seat of Lindsay, and averaged 7.9% across NSW electorates.
The greatest swings to the Labor Party were felt in Queensland, the home state of Kevin Rudd, where several safe Coalition seats swung to Labor with an average state swing of 8.7%. Industrial relations changes were said by the Labor Party to be a major factor, although degredation of the Great Barrier Reef by climate change may have played a part. There is still a high rate of unionism in Queensland.
In Tasmania the proposal by Gunns Ltd to build a controversial $1.3billion pulp mill in the Tamar Valley, approved by the Federal Environment Minister Malcolm Turnbull, almost certainly boosted the green vote. Activists are likely to continue challenging the pulp mill through all legal and social avenues, and then through civil disobedience if necessary to stop the pulp mill from being built.
In other states climate change was highlighted as a prominent issue with a march by up to 150,000 people across Australia two weeks before the election, and activist protests and blockades in NSW and Western Australia highlighting CO2 emissions from coal exports and coal fired power stations.
Anti-union legislation and individual work contracts - Australian Workplace Agreements - are having an increasing effect on working people in reducing their conditions of employment. Howard's battlers, aspirationl working class families - finally decided this election to desert the conservatives. The Australian Council of Trade Unions campaigned against the Government on this legislation. Three high profile unionists: Greg Combet, former secretary of the ACTU, Richard Marles from the ACTU, and Bill Shorten from the Australian Workers Union, were all elected as Labor candidates this election.
This election saw a record vote for the Greens of 7.8% nationally. Senator Bob Brown, the Greens Leader from Tasmania, easily won a full quota (14.5%) for himself with 17.74% of the primary vote. The Greens are likely to win the sixth Senate spot for South Australia and Western Australia. With two Green Senators not up for election this time, their representation will increase to 5 Senators, a level which guarantees them minor party status and extra parliamentary resources.
Due to preference flows Green Senate candidates in NSW and Victoria are unlikely to win enough preference votes to achieve a quota (14.5%), despite winning 10.11% of the vote in Victoria and 8.36% in New South Wales, and clearly being the third party on primary votes after the ALP and the conservative Liberal National Coalition. NSW Greens Senator Kerry Nettle, who has supported many activist and progressive campaigns over the last 6 years, appears likely to lose her Senate Seat.
Activists need to keep the pressure up on the Rudd Labor Government in office to ensure business, social, welfare, and environmental reforms are instituted to adapt the social infrastructure to face the global challenges of peak oil, global climate change and inequalities of wealth distribution. The Liberals campaign slogan of "going for growth" was rejected at the polls. It is now time for the Labor Party to govern for sustainability and for activists to keep these new bastards honest.
More at:
http://sydney.indymedia.org.au/story/australia-votes-lying-rodent-and-other-bastards-out
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