tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5928164776127538974.post2976188331204296045..comments2023-11-01T03:32:14.895+11:00Comments on Nic Stuart: Faulkner DepartsNick Stuart, Nicholas Stuarthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07664320617342513026noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5928164776127538974.post-20060708025604651632010-07-14T11:51:42.418+10:002010-07-14T11:51:42.418+10:00John,
Thanks. I intuitively agree that many ailie...John, <br />Thanks. I intuitively agree that many ailienated voters may make the deliberate decision to vote informal, but I remember the astonished look Peter Brent gave me when I suggested this the other day. I think he still believes that the votes will end up back with Gillard rather than left as a protest that may allow Abbott to win. <br />Perhaps this doesn't consider how angry many people are over Gillard's slide towards the 'right'.Nick Stuart, Nicholas Stuarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07664320617342513026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5928164776127538974.post-23943446731022529072010-07-14T10:31:26.539+10:002010-07-14T10:31:26.539+10:00You ask: Where will the progressive left park its ...You ask: Where will the progressive left park its vote? My answer is that this vote may turn informal, as it did in 2001. (See your article, “People have switched off and are voting informal”, Canberra Times, 27 November 2001.) <br /><br />Commentators talk about the “two party preferred” vote, and Labor politicians make the cynical assumption that in the end Green votes must come to them. In fact, Green votes may not be Labor votes temporarily parked somewhere else. Many voters who give their first preference to the Greens may leave the other squares blank. <br /><br />Peter Brent’s analysis of recent voting trends is interesting (http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/too-risky-for-labor-to-go-to-the-vote-just-yet/story-e6frg6zo-1225890961973 ). Something like 5% of the vote went from Labor to the Greens when Rudd postponed the ETS, went back to Labor when Gillard replaced Rudd, then went back to the Greens when the public realised that Gillard and Abib were responsible even more than Rudd for postponing action on climate change and Gillard’s refugee policy started to look like the “Pacific solution”. If Gillard succeeds in “neutralising” the refugee and climate change issues by moving close to Abbott and Howard, then voters who were alienated when Rudd abandoned the ETS may see no reason to give their preferences in the end either to Labor or to the Coaltion.<br /><br />There is something Gillard could do to win back those voters, without alienating voters who are sceptical about the ETS. She could follow Bob Hawke’s advice (http://currentaffairs.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=927141) and call a Climate Change summit, promising to take the options that emerge from the summit to a plebiscite.John Kilcullennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5928164776127538974.post-14276138433028503462010-07-13T16:58:19.980+10:002010-07-13T16:58:19.980+10:00what secret mission is kevin rudd on in washington...what secret mission is kevin rudd on in washington?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5928164776127538974.post-69128857824978222502010-07-13T16:07:10.187+10:002010-07-13T16:07:10.187+10:00The Australia Defence Association (ADA) thanks Nic...The Australia Defence Association (ADA) thanks Nic for acknowledging our longstanding reputation for political and institutional impartiality. And for acknowledging the efforts we make as a public-interest watchdog group to help public debate on defence and wider national security issues be informed rather than the opposite.<br />It may, however, be somewhat disconcerting for some to have Nic describe our commentary on the departure of Senator John Faulkner as Minister for Defence as "an accurate assessment". <br /><br />This will no doubt intensely worry certain cranks and polemiscists among the "Canberra Times" readership who react with humourless letters-to-the-editor alleging bizarre conspiracy theories and plain abuse every time the ADA criticises one of Nic's columns in the paper.<br /><br />Has Nic paused sufficiently to think about the risks his praise of the ADA might cause to the psychological health of this small, but seemingly determined, band who so often suffer ideological apoplexy when the ADA is forced to confront one of their pet prejudices or subjective beliefs? <br /><br />Neil James<br />Executive Director<br />Australia Defence Association<br />execdir@ada.asn.au<br />www.ada.asn.auAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com