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May 16, 2014

Abbott threatens election; goose calls for Christmas in July


Cartoon: By Bill Leak 
"Elections are when people find out what politicians stand for and politicians find out what people will fall for."– Alfred E Neuman
The Abbott budget appears to be in trouble with a reasonable likelihood that it could be blocked in the senate.  The last time this happened was in 1975, resulting in the dismissal of the Whitlam government.
The contentious nature of the move, and the resultant furor has resulted in a reluctance to repeat the exercise.  Some on the left claim an injustice owing to the oppositions aim to force an election, however the government of the day was mired in scandal, corruption and incompetence.  The one that replaced it was not much better.
In an effort to intimidate the senators from minor parties, Abbott has now threatened to go to another election, which would have to be a double dissolution.
Laying out a political strategy towards the next election, the Prime Minister said he would not accept attempts to “completely frustrate” the government. 
Parliament will start to debate key budget bills within days as the Coalition prepares to force votes as quickly as possible, so that changes such as the new deficit tax can take effect on July 1. 
Plans for a $7 fee on visits to the doctor appear set for defeat in the upper house, undermining a wider plan to make $10.5 billion in healthcare savings over the next four years and channel the money into a medical research fund. 
Labor frontbenchers met last night to consider supporting the 2 per cent extra tax on incomes of more than $180,000 when Bill Shorten delivers his budget reply speech to federal parliament ­tonight. … 
… While open to “horse-trading” on details, Mr Abbott indicated he would insist on the passage of the overall legislation. 
“We’re happy to talk respectfully to the independents and the minor parties in the Senate, and obviously a certain amount of horse-trading is something that you just accept is part of the business,” he said early yesterday. 
“What we won’t accept, though, is an attempt to completely frustrate the business of government. I don’t believe that they will try to completely frustrate the business of government because, if there was an election again, hardly any of them would win their seats.” …
Abbott has blown most of the political capital he was handed in the election when voters saw the back of the Labor Greens government with a sense of relief.  After two terms of wild spending and mounting deficits, voters understood the need for fiscal restraint.
The problem they have now though, is that during the election campaign, in an effort to make himself a small target, Abbott comprehensively ruled out most of the things he has now proposed in the budget.  This makes a clear case that voters were deceived.
The threat to minor parties is real.  A committee of major party MPs has analyzed the voting in the 2013 election and unsurprisingly come up with a list of recommendations for a new system for senate elections designed to prevent minor parties being elected.
On the other hand, in a double dissolution the number of votes required to elect a senator is halved owing to the need to elect twelve per state, rather than the normal six.  The 25-27% of disillusioned voters is likely to stay constant and they will still be voting for someone other than the Liberal/Labor/Green triumvirate. 
This should be good for the Liberal Democrats who only have to hold their vote in NSW for David Leyonhjelm to be reelected outright with a nice base for a second senator.  If the 2013 vote holds for us, we could pick up a senator in most states.
With the possibility of a number of the single issue parties falling out, the LDP policies virtually make it inevitable that their memberships will come over to us.  These include, the Sex Party, Shooters, Wiki, Fishing & lifestyle, HEMP, and some of the saner members of PUP.
Our message to Tony; bring it on dickhead.

2 comments:

  1. Abbott is no leader. Liberals aren't for Liberty. Greens are Red. Labor is Communism. So why do people vote for more? How can the system be changed? The LDP is one small party that is trying, but is assaulted by forces purporting to be democratic and ignored by the masses of ignorant and biased people who stand to gain the most from LDP principles. I'll add to MAD Alfred's words -- "Elections are Stocktakes that determine the mass of idiots in society" Peter Cunningham

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  2. Its easy to become disillusioned Peter, but you never fail till you give up. I was doing this stuff back in the 70s and 80s with the Progress Party and I believe it is still worthwhile, When we don't win seats, we still influence things.

    It is the way it is because Australia has always been a conservative sort of place with a fairly statist outlook. This is why the Liberal Party do not present liberal policies, but pursue their old conservative ones as you would expect if they have been taken over by the Nationals. Even the minor parties tend to find safety in single issues in order not to be seen as extreme, most steering clear of other issues because they no philosophy of liberty that allows them to see that they are all on the same side.

    Most single issue parties are conservatives of either the left or right persuasions. They seek support from those with similar grievances, but have little sympathy for others in the same position on different issues. The Shooters wont deal with us because they dislike our social liberalism despite our liberal firearms policies. VE preference against us despite our support for their issue because they are from the left and see us as the right. Sex don't like us because they are uncomfortable with guns that are not being pointed at them by the government.

    All see us as competitors, rather than being on the same side. Most tend to be group therapy for losers rather than being serious players.

    We don't have them on the run yet, but its beginning. The Liberals are having another go at blocking our name with yet another appeal, the majors are ganging up on us, possibly to their own detriment, and Hockey has not made any friends in minor party ranks with his claim that he can't psychoanalyse minor parties and doesn't advise others to try.

    Remember the quote, "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

    The laughing and fighting are happening now.

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