The great big federal election 2013 thread.

[stui magpie]

I thought I might as well make one thread, this is going to be a loooong campaign and I'm sure there will be lots of interesting points and things to argue about.

Jules is not off to a good start. Straight after calling the election Thompson gets arrested, Hubby makes remarks about small Asian women's fingers then two cabinet minsters announce they intend to retire and won't contest the next election.

[partypie]

Julia Gillard won't die wondering.

Naming the election date now may not be the tactical blunder many commentators seem to be hoping it will be.

It effectively means that the Liberals are stuck with the leadership they have, which seems to me weak and negative. It also means Rudd can't make another play for the ALP leadership, and that Julia is keeping her commitment to let the Parliament run its full term.

Regarding the ALP retirements, at least some new ministers will be blooded by September, and new people will get a chance to get elected and perhaps contribute something.

[Tannin]

[Tannin]

Roxon was a very strong performer and will be missed. Evans, on the other hand, was Mr Invisible. No loss there. Give the Senate Leader job to Bob Carr.

[David]

Surprised but not disappointed to see the back of Roxon. I wonder what the reasoning was?

[Morrigu]

[Tannin]

^ I reckon they are amazing! No matter which party, no matter whether you love their policies of loathe them, the stress on a politician's home and family life is just plain terrible. We all complain about the dipstick pollies we get, but I'll tell you this much, given the lousy life they have, we are lucky even to get the ones we have.

[swoop42]

Julia Gillard called the election now because Abbott is only a few rungs higher than George W when it comes to speaking off the cuff and answering media questions.

Much better to give him 8 months of opportunity to put his foot in the mouth than 1.

P.S-Out of interest I'd like people to answer this question (seriously for once).

One idea will suffice.

To win the election Labor needs to......

Approve gay marriage.

For me most young people only have a limited interest in politics but one issue that they may feel strongly about is gay rights.

Polls also suggest that the majority of Australians of all ages now agree with gay marriage.

So for me to win a larger amount of the youth vote and to set herself apart from Abbott Gillard needs to change her current stance on this issue.

Secondly with most Australians only having a casual interest in politics it's easy to get to the polling booth on election day and not recall all the positive things the current government of the time had achieved during there term in office.

So for me Labor needs to remind Australians of all the positives they have delivered with ad campaigns during the final month leading up to election day.

With the campaign of negativity the Liberal party has successfully conducted over the last 3 years to many Australians have been brain washed into believing our country is a basket case when in reality it has an economy the envy of most of the world.

Critical that Labor gets across the positives.

[HAL]

Julia has a fuzzy brain.

[watt price tully]

6 pollies from the ALP won't be contesting at the next election & 6 from the opposition a this point in time.

For me the issue that would have knocked Prime Minister Gillard with respect to timing is the Thompson issue & the sleazy way it was dealt with by the NSW cops, their relations with the media & the scumbag of a premier there.

Apparently Evans & Roxon declared their hands last year( to Prime Minster Gillard).

[HAL]

How did you hear about HAL?

[CP]

Anything less that a wipeout at the polls will be a huge surprise. Both leaders will have good, bad, awkward, embarrassing & triumphant moments from now until then.

And it all means nothing. The ALP's ills are terminal and Australians can't possibly be stupid enough to vote for the most corrupt party in the Western world.

You can spend 8 months discussing how clever and brilliant Jool-ya's tactics are, or you can use the time to reconcile with the likely result.

[Nick - Pie Man]

And Hawthorn are a shoe-in for the flag too!

[David]

Good points Swoop, though I think the gay marriage bit is a little idealistic. The vast majority of the people who support same-sex marriage are already voting or preferencing the ALP over the Liberal Party anyway; I think they've long since worked out that they don't have many votes to win on that one. It'll be the right-wing working class vote from Western Sydney and elsewhere that'll be the real battleground again, so expect lots of talk about border security this time around.

I hope I'm not being too cynical.

[HAL]

Why specifically do you hope for he or she'm not being cynical?