Australian Election Announced - 1 Day Later Craig Thompson Is Arrested!

[David48]

Well, Austalia finally knows the date when it will go to the polls to elect their next government.

September 14

Eligible voters will go to the polls on September 14 in what will mark the longest election campaign in the nation's history. Here

Surprising in the fact that the date is announced as former Labour and now Federal independent MP Craig Thomson has been arrested on the New South Wales central coast.

Without his support ... it is a hung Parliment.



Here

Bizzare timing ... or something more to it?

.

[David48]

In a related election topic ... in the World News Forum this morning ...

Wikileaks founder Julien Assange to run for senate in Australian election

.

[xen]

It will be a very dirty election - from all sides.

Fun to watch but the result will make us all losers, no matter who wins.

[David48]

A more indepth look at the battles both parties face in the lead up to this years election.

MP Craig Thomson

TONY JONES, PRESENTER: On just day two of a marathon federal election campaign, Labor has taken its first hit with police arresting and charging the crossbench MP Craig Thomson.

The former Labor backbencher and union boss was charged with one count of fraud and police intend to lay another 149 charges next week.

Craig Thomson maintains he's done nothing wrong and has promised to vigorously defend himself.

Video and Transcript.

[David48]

And, it appears early in the campaign ... the news gets worse for the current elected government.

Eddie Obeid, a recent former Labor State Politician is under investigation by the The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) inquiry has so far heard allegations the Obeids and their associates stood to profit $100 million from the deals.

This story will play out for the many days of the hearing ...

HERE

[David48]

Following on from above ...

In a tense and heated session, Mr Obeid was questioned about allegations he had inside knowledge of mining tenders and colluded with his Labor colleague, the former mining minister Ian Macdonald.

Full Report here

[Radar501]

Craig Thomson was strip searched by prison officials following his arrest. His solicitor complained about such treatment of an 'innocent' man.

It was only several months ago during a press conference that Thomson told reporters that the whole saga was pushing him to the emotional brink.

Had Thomson not been searched, and then self-harmed, his solicitor would certainly have something to complain about.

[scotto]

I hope he gets what he deserves if it is proven he did wrong?

as for the ranga mole hope she never comes back as she was never

voted for in the first place ie taking over from the dudd

[David48]

The News just keeps get worse for the elected Gillard Government ...

Two senior Labor ministers have resigned only 48 hours after Prime Minister Julia Gillard announced this year’s election date.

Higher Education Minister and Leader of the Senate, Chris Evans, resigned from his cabinet post and leadership position this morning.

Attorney-General Nicola Roxon has also resigned, citing the desire to spend more time with her family as the main reason behind her decision. Senator Evans has not given a reason for his resignation, but says he has enjoyed the last 18 hours of speculation surrounding the announcement.

HERE

This news is a few days old now ... but I want to get the sequence correct with the updates.

[David48]

More on the ICAC investigation into the Obeid ... well, we can call it a scandle now.

Paul Obeid has admitted to coaching an accountant to lie to a journalist, but insists the family has done nothing wrong and does not know how confidential government maps came to be in his office.

From the ABC video

[David48]

How does the ICAC investigation into the Obeid case link to the Current Federal election.

Well, he was a power broker within the Labor Party but then this revelation emerged ...

TONY EASTLEY: Two Federal Government ministers have found themselves caught up in the affairs of New South Wales Labor power broker Eddie Obeid and his appearance as a witness at the ICAC anti-corruption hearing in Sydney.

The

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy

says he took up an invitation to stay at a ski lodge owned by Eddie Obeid several years ago. Minister Conroy says the invitation came to him via the

Environment Minister Tony Burke

, who also stayed at the Perisher Valley apartment twice.

Both ministers say they accepted the accommodation in a personal capacity and they've now amended their entries in the parliamentary pecuniary interests register.

Transcript here

I am a swinging voter and try an not show a political preferance ... but since this is not being reported in the World News Forum ... I thought there might be a few in Thailand who might have some interest in the local political events.

[xen]

How does the ICAC investigation into the Obeid case link to the Current Federal election.

Well, he was a power broker within the Labor Party but then this revelation emerged ...

TONY EASTLEY: Two Federal Government ministers have found themselves caught up in the affairs of New South Wales Labor power broker Eddie Obeid and his appearance as a witness at the ICAC anti-corruption hearing in Sydney.

The

Communications Minister Stephen Conroy

says he took up an invitation to stay at a ski lodge owned by Eddie Obeid several years ago. Minister Conroy says the invitation came to him via the

Environment Minister Tony Burke

, who also stayed at the Perisher Valley apartment twice.

Both ministers say they accepted the accommodation in a personal capacity and they've now amended their entries in the parliamentary pecuniary interests register.

Transcript here

I am a swinging voter and try an not show a political preferance ... but since this is not being reported in the World News Forum ... I thought there might be a few in Thailand who might have some interest in the local political events.

You are doing a good job of it - straight down the middle reporting of the events. Thanks David .There are a lot of Aussies in Thailand now and these elections are very important because ultimately it will reflect on such diverse matters such as visas back to Oz , how healthy the Oz dollar is and so on. I would assume if they are really interested they would be reading the papers on line as well.

Politics is just a football game with longer lasting consquences.

[Radar501]

“In democracy we get the government we deserve”.

Alexis de Tocqueville

[GrantSmith]

If you're not registered to vote in a marginal seat - like me, one of the safest labor seats in the lower house which has only seen 3 changes of political party since it became an electorate - then it will be business as usual.

For those in marginal seats things will (IMO) play out in much the same way as the QLD and NSW state elections.

Federal Labor will be obliterated.

As for Craig Thomson hahah what an idiot, if it is proven beyond a reasonable doubt that he did pay for hookers on his union credit card.

Oh well lets al enjoy the political cartoons that will grace the pages of the media over the next few months.

[simple1]

if you're interested in Australian news and political players have you seen the news report that Senator Nick Xenophon has been detained by Malaysian authorities after being told he was a security risk.

http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/latest/16158948/xenophon-detained-at-malaysian-airport/

[GrantSmith]

if you're interested in Australian news and political players have you seen the news report that Senator Nick Xenophon has been detained by Malaysian authorities after being told he was a security risk.

http://au.news.yahoo...aysian-airport/

This was pretty funny, but I would have had had more of a chuckle if it was that moron Greens Senator Sarah Hansen-Young who was detained in Malaysia...

To be fair to Sen. Xenophon, he copped it on the chin and appeared non-fussed about it...

[David48]

if you're interested in Australian news and political players have you seen the news report that Senator Nick Xenophon has been detained by Malaysian authorities after being told he was a security risk.

http://au.news.yahoo...aysian-airport/

This was pretty funny, but I would have had had more of a chuckle if it was that moron Greens Senator Sarah Hansen-Young who was detained in Malaysia...

To be fair to Sen. Xenophon, he copped it on the chin and appeared non-fussed about it...

Yes, it was all over the news here. And you are correct, he seem to cop it on the chin.

Actually, I have a fair of respect for this guy as a politician. Life isn't easy as an Independent and he seems both a smart and committed pollie.

.

[David48]

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has made a pitch to blue-collar workers, unveiling details of the Government's new $1 billion jobs package. The legislation is designed to improve the benefits Australian companies see from large-scale projects undertaken in the country.

Ms Gillard says concerns have been raised that major projects undertaken by multi-nationals tend to lean towards using international suppliers and importing material and equipment.

Under the plan, large companies will be required by law to give local firms the opportunity to bid for contracts before they are sent offshore.

"When there are projects worth more than $500 million, they will need to have an Australian industry participation plan," Ms Gillard told a press conference in Melbourne.

"They will need to look to how they can involve Australian businesses and create Australian jobs in what they do."

More here

[David48]

In a blow for the Gillard government the mineral resources rent tax (MRRT) which was fairly widely agreed that it cost then then Prime Minister of Australia, Kevin Rudd his job, (the Prime Ministership) ... the MRRT proved to be a dud failed to raise the projected revenue of 2 billion dollars and raised 126 Million in it's first 6 months.

So, to add to the embarrassment of backing down one the governments promise of a budget surplus this financial year, the government has already spent the projected $2,000,000,000 ... hope I got those 0's right!

WAYNE Swan talked and talked in Parliament this week. And the more he talked, the worse he looked. The disappearing mining tax - the tax that raises no revenue - is a running joke. The butt of the joke is the Treasurer.

The disappearing mining tax - the tax that raises no revenue - is a running joke. The butt of the joke is the Treasurer.

As Swan tried to explain why a tax forecast to raise $2 billion this financial year yielded only $126 million in its first six months, a deepening despondency among Labor MPs was palpable.

It was clear what many of them were thinking: this might well be the final nail in the Government's coffin. That it is very likely one bungle too many. Because, although Swan and Julia Gillard angrily deny they have bungled, that is the way the mining tax is seen by Joe Public.

From the

Herald Sun

In the interests of balanced viewpoint, I really would like to report a positve for the Gillard Government, but sadly, they are few and far between at the moment. But it's a long time before the Election and things can change.

I don't wish to go into the current polling, but those results do speak for themselves.

Portrayed in a graph

Here

[simple1]

Prime Minister Julia Gillard has made a pitch to blue-collar workers, unveiling details of the Government's new $1 billion jobs package. The legislation is designed to improve the benefits Australian companies see from large-scale projects undertaken in the country.

Ms Gillard says concerns have been raised that major projects undertaken by multi-nationals tend to lean towards using international suppliers and importing material and equipment.

Under the plan, large companies will be required by law to give local firms the opportunity to bid for contracts before they are sent offshore.

"When there are projects worth more than $500 million, they will need to have an Australian industry participation plan," Ms Gillard told a press conference in Melbourne.

"They will need to look to how they can involve Australian businesses and create Australian jobs in what they do."

More here

Been said before by Labor government. Up to the skills and competitive positioning for Australian owned companies to compete. Better late than never for funding, but lack of sufficient numbers of Australian skilled workers has been identified as a major issue for many years & has yet to be successfully addressed.

Remember TAFE funding has been cut!

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/breaking-news/ridout-warns-against-tafe-funding-cuts/story-e6frg90f-1226525928737

[David48]

Once uncomfortably sharing a king size bed - now divorced - sleeping single beds

Remember the wedding ceremony?

Christine Milne centre back, now the leader of the Greens after the retirement of the long standing party head Bob Brown.

Now split

Greens leader Christine Milne says her party's agreement with Labor is effectively over

, citing a string of Government policies including its refusal to redesign the mining tax.

In a speech to the National Press Club in Canberra, Senator Milne says it has become clear that Labor no longer has the "courage or the will" to work with the Greens on a shared national agenda.

"Labor has effectively ended its agreement with the Greens," Senator Milne told the audience.

"Well so be it. But we will not allow Labor's failure to uphold the spirit of our agreement to advance the interests of Tony Abbott.

"We will not walk away from the undertakings we gave not only to the Prime Minister, but to the people of Australia, and that was to deliver confidence and supply until the Parliament rises for the election.

More from the ABC

here

.

[GrantSmith]

A small win for Labor...

I'm sure plenty in the Labor factional fraternity are relieved at this trial separation..

[David48]

Gillard survives day of leadership turmoil

At the end of a remarkable day in federal politics, Julia Gillard has declared the party's leadership ructions "completely at an end".

She emerged from the third leadership spill in less than three years still Prime Minister - re-elected unopposed and unanimously by a caucus which has once again revealed just how deep its
divisions run.

Since the spill, a number of supporters of former leader Kevin Rudd have resigned from positions within the party, including Chief Government Whip Joel Fitzgibbon.

ABC News

[David48]

There have been a few victims in the fallout from yesterday's events.

Rudd supporter Chris Bowen has confirmed he will quit the ministry after the leadership spill.

ABC News - quote and video clip

On a personal note, I think that it's sad that Chris Bowen is lost to the Labor's Ministry as he was both competent and capable Minister and is a Politician.

.

[Hedghog]

And people that live in Thailand are interested.

Don't think so.

[Radar501]

Gillard survives day of leadership turmoil

At the end of a remarkable day in federal politics, Julia Gillard has declared the party's leadership ructions "completely at an end".

She emerged from the third leadership spill in less than three years still Prime Minister - re-elected unopposed and unanimously by a caucus which has once again revealed just how deep its

divisions run.

Since the spill, a number of supporters of former leader Kevin Rudd have resigned from positions within the party, including Chief Government Whip Joel Fitzgibbon.

ABC News

That photo should read:

ROMAN HISTORY NEVER REPEATS

Julia Caesar emerges triumph from the Theatre with her loyal senators, after suppressing the assassination attempt and banishing the principle conspirator.

"et tu Simon?"

[weegee]

Thanks Dave....hard to get all the facts here, and you have covered a lot for us who want to know,.... the real stories.

Much appreciated.

[GrantSmith]

On a personal note, I think that it's sad that Chris Bowen is lost to the Labor's Ministry as he was both competent and capable Minister and is a Politician.

.

Call me a conspiracy theorist BUT.. I have a funny feeling this is all a ploy to get the marginals re-elected..

I was reading last week that there will be large swings against current sitting MPs if Ms Gillard is leading the ALP come September 14...

Now that Bowen has 'appeared' to take one for the team, it may make his electorate think that he has their interests at heart...

[David48]

Labor fails to gain traction in latest Newspoll

The Labor Government's announcement of its billion-dollar plans to reform education has not translated into any change in the latest Newspoll. The poll, published in today's The Australian newspaper, shows the Government's primary support remaining steady on 32 per cent.

The Coalition's vote has dropped another two points to 46 per cent, having been at 50 per cent two polls ago.

However, the Coaltion retains an election-winning lead of 55 per cent to 45 per cent after preferences, unchanged from a fortnight ago.

From here

To put that poll in context, a week before the poll was taken, the Gillard Government announced $2.3 billion in tertiary education cuts to help fund the Gonski education reforms.

EDITED to add that the "Support for the Greens fell one point to 10 per cent."

[David48]

Research suggests increased spending is adding to falling revenue to deepen the budget deficit facing the Federal Government.

Here