Our good friend Possum Comitatus spent most of last year happily rampaging among the detritus of received political wisdom cutting myths down to size armed only with a rapier sharp mind and a handful of regression equations. Now, Possum has turned his statistical armoury onto the assumption that a Lib/Nats amalgamation makes sense because the Nats are letting the side down, and found that… the Libs have been letting the side down.
The logical conclusion all the various reviews should draw to ensure a Tory renaissance?
Springborg for PM!
Love the piccy - Lawrence in full mental stride!
But at least his tie matches the trees! That’s gotta be a sign of leadership.
Has Jake Smith returned to assist Springborg?
<metaphor pedant>
A rapier is not a thrusting, not a cutting weapon, and has no edge at all. A “rapier-sharp wit” is for poking fun, or bursting bubbles, or making a point. Maybe he’s a Push Possum with a myth-slicing razor?
</metaphor pedant>
Liam [4]:
Delightfully put, sir.
Possum and Everyone:
It’s hardly news that the Liberals have been bludging on their coalition “partners” …. but it’s nice to see this issue emerging into the light of day.
Liam, ConcOx sez: rapier n. a light slender sword used for thrusting.
For the abominable crime of Metaphor Mangling, you are to be taken from this place and hung like a pendant as an example to all who might contemplate similar folly.
EC [6]:
].
Can I watch? [sorry Liam.
You know, I’ve always thought the guy on the purple header banner (the the street march one) actually resembles Mr Springborg.
Anyone else see it?
What’s really worth a mention here too is that the Libs have been very successful over the last decade or so at poaching Nat seats. Once you bring that into the thought orbit, the sheer dismalness of the Liberal Party election results becomes even worse.
The party in the Coalition with weakest electoral performance is cannibalising seats from the party that has the strongest performance (acknowledging that both have been going backwards, but one a hell of a lot faster than the other).
Any national amalgamation would see everywhere but QLD dominated by the people that have demonstrated a unique capability for losing, yet in QLD (because of the unusual nature of the place), the Nats dominating the QLD franchise of McConservatives would guarantee that the whole fiasco screws them six ways to Sunday for a decade.
I don’t know who is running this circus, but they’re in the wrong business!
Poss/Mark - speaking of losing liberals, what are Campbell Newman’s chances of remaining the nation’s top liberal in March?
Crabb in the smh today - profiled the suppoosed next in line after Campbell - some 20 year old - newly elected Uni of Q student president….which is surely wrong - there must a liberal mayor or shire president who’ll become the Liberal’s big cheese if Campbell doesn’t get up?
Yeah there’d have to be, jo, but doing some actual research is no doubt not in Crabb’s job description.
Campbell’s chances are pretty good, I’d imagine, though it’s very low key at the moment and not that long off.
Enemy combatant, my metaphors were perfectly clear. With a rapier (round and pointy), one only makes thrusting attacks. To cut, you need a sword with an edge.
Jo, Crabb is wrong. I know that Scott Farlow is the Liberal Mayor of Strathfield. I reckon that outranks a student union.
It’s Tony Burke!
Liam,
I reckon the Mayor of Woollahra, darling - would surely outrank some inner western suburban upstart named Scott…the Shadow Treasurer will pay costs.
But according to Mark, we apparently we won’t get to witness any bloodbath, or at least fraternal arm-wrestling between lowly local liberal legislators. Bummer!
Btw, did Annabel Crabb acknowledge that this claim was first made in the Courier-Mail last year?
I’m not sure local governments rank each other jo, but you’ve got a point.
If they did have a hierarchy, Clover Moore, surely, would be one of the highest ranking conservative leaders.
Thanks Liam, you just reminded me that a golden opportunity to become the highest ranking Liberal in the whole country, is coming up in September…(sorry Campbell)
Clover vs ………?
Possum [9]:
Beauty! So which phoenix will rise from the ashes? Greens? Australian Democrats? L&DP? The resurrected Communist Party?
The Brisbane City Council goes into caretaker mode for the ides of March election next week. Gridlock Campbell will be under pressure over worsening gridlock, promising to keep rates increases under the inflation rate and failing to keep that promise, handing over Minnippi Park to developer mates for a golf course, holding the all time record for burst water mains, letting the City Botanical Gardens lawns get over run by nutgrass and carpet grass and ruling with the arrogance unique to Liberals who believe they are born to rule. Should be a fun election on March 15.
Mark, just went back and read the Crabb piece - and no she didn’t acknowledge nuffin, except that she has totally forgotten that Australia has 3 levels of government, beyond the city of Brisbane that is.
Springborg was tipped ages ago as being keen on standing for the Federal seat of Maranoa. Springborg has spent the week calling for older, Party members to get out and make way for younger pollies but it wasn’t clear whether he was taking about State or Federal members at the time. If his dream of a quick coalition merger were to eventuate, then he could switch to Maranoa without being seen as a turncoat.It could even be seen as a genuine stepping stone towards the Lodge.
Hang about! What about the Gold Coast for most-senior-Liberal-in-the-land? Who’s the mayor running the crew? Gotta be a conservative.
I should atttempt to use Google before asking questions. The mayor is an independent.
I am pretty sure that the mayors of Perth and Adelaide are card carrying Liberals.
The entire story about Josh as president of the uq union & second highest Liberal in the land is frankly hilarious.
Firstly, he isn’t a Young Liberal. He is a member of the Liberal party but not the Young Liberal movement (on purpose!). The rest of the team are mostly (90%) members of the UQ Liberal Club but are not actually members of the Liberal party. The remainder of the team are international students, Nationals & Democrats.
The original Courier Mail story was based on the following media release which emphasised why the student team won (pragmatic small “L” liberal approach) and the plan to reopen the Schonell theatre. This Josh = 2nd highest Liberal in the land is a total fiction invented by lazy journos.
The original story was broken by Landeryou totally separate to the UQ Liberal Club: http://andrewlanderyou.blogspot.com/2007/10/campus-carnage-uq-libs-lash-left-in.html
Original Media Release:
LIBERAL STUDENTS WIN CONTROL OF THE UQ UNION
Tuesday, 6 November 2007
The University of Queensland Liberal Club (UQLC) have announced a landside victory for its team in the UQ Union student elections held in mid-October, highlighting that students were tired of irrelevant political campaigns and demanded tangible outcomes from their Union in a post-Voluntary Student Unionism (VSU) environment.
Running under the aptly-named team “FRESH”, the UQ Liberals won all major Union positions by a considerable margin, with results that had not been seen on campus for a Liberal team since 1992.
FRESH Presidential Candidate and UQ Union President-Elect, Joshua Young, believes the team’s electoral success came from strong, responsible policies that focussed on the day-to-day issues facing ordinary students and the inability of the current Labor administration to actively engage with the student body.
“Students are sick and tired of having anti-war, anti-Howard, anti-VSU campaigns jammed down their throats,” Mr Young said, “The Union wastes hundreds of thousands of dollars of student money on these rallies that only manage to attract a dozen of their mates”
“This outstanding election result shows that whilst it’s important to have a say in global events, students want to see their money spent on change in their own backyard first. They want to see more events and activities held on campus, they want to see the University being held accountable for their decisions and they don’t want to see tricky student politicians on their own political crusade, - they want students looking after issues of direct day-to-day concern to them”.
“Our plan to bring a Subway onto campus was extremely popular,” Mr.
Young said. “The Union has monopoly control of the food outlets at the St. Lucia campus and have taken advantage of struggling students by continually raising prices and not addressing quality issues.
“By providing a Subway rather than other fast food stores, we can keep our campus relatively healthy, whilst increasing the range of food options for students to choose from”.
Mr Young also believes his promise to reopen the Schonell Theatre may also have been responsible for the overwhelming victory.
“The Theatre was originally closed by our Labor opposition in 2006 simply because they were unable to correctly read a financial statement that stated it was making a profit and thought that a stronger political message could be sent if they blamed its closure on VSU,” Mr Young said, “My aim is to reopen the Schonell Theatre and place it in a financial position where it can stay open for years to come.”
Despite aggressive campaigns from two major opposition parties, UQLC President Ben Riley, felt that a Liberal victory was inevitable.
“In the end, our opposition have been in power for the past 11 years, and in this time things have only been getting worse,” Mr Riley said, “We’ve seen an average of 55% price increase across the board, services shut down and staff fired, while hundreds of thousands of dollars is spent on political campaigns.”
“FRESH offered students a different approach, and as our team has a strong business background, we understood that the only way the Union would survive is if it generates its own income,” Mr Riley said, “This means lowering the inflated prices in the Union food outlets and getting students involved in events provided by other Union businesses.”
“Recently, we saw our main opposition ‘Voice’ merely repeating campaign promises from previous years and different campuses, without any interest in actually delivering, and in the end students were sick of continuous Labor rhetoric that had no substance – much like the current ALP under Kevin Rudd”
With the Federal Election fast approaching, Mr Riley believes the landslide victory of UQ Liberal students may be a positive omen for the Coalition on November 24.
“I think this victory shows that younger people, particularly university students, are beginning to understand the political machinery of the ALP, and how representation and support always come second to the party’s own interests,” Mr Riley said
For further information, contact us:
Toby Latcham
UQLC Media Officer
s4099560@student.uq.edu.au
An Interview with Joshua Young, UQ Union President-Elect 2008
1. What are you studying (and what year), and how long have you been involved in the union?
I am commencing my fourth year of a dual Bachelor of Business Management (Real Estate & Development) / Bachelor of Economics degree. I have spent the last 2 years as a Union Councillor and last year was a National Union of Students (NUS) Delegate.
2. What motivated you to contest the presidency?
I have been active in the Union since my first year. During this time, I’ve been disappointed with the decisions made by previous left-wing Presidents. As a working student, I’ve seen prices continually increased and services shut down. I guess you could say that I really became motivated to run for Union President when Lucy Weber, the 2006 Union President, closed down the Schonell Theatre – seemingly forever. At the same time, student representatives disappeared from my classes and funding to political causes – particularly left-wing causes – increased noticeably. I contested the Presidency of the UQ Union because I believe that the Union is a vital institution at the University of Queensland with a rich history. The Union President has a unique ability to make an impact in the way that students are represented an provided service on campus.
3. Can you tell me a little bit about the platform Fresh campaigned on and you were elected on?
The philosophy of the Fresh Team was to focus on the little things and get them right. For example, prices and quality of food in the Union facilities, re-invigorating student culture on campus by getting more local acts to play and supporting the Brisbane music scene. We fundamentally opposed the politicisation of the Student Union by the previous executive. Whatever the individual believes of the Student Union executive, that executive shouldn’t push those beliefs onto other students and use their money to do so. We wholeheartedly believe that this is the central ethic of our team not to push ideas onto students, but instead make their campus life more enjoyable.
Personally, I am very keen to see the Union adopt the International Accounting Standard and begin publishing its financial information in the public space in the interests of greater accountability and scrutiny.
In terms of student representation, we’ll be taking a vigorous approach to issues that come up during the year and most importantly, unlike previous years, we will actually turn up to University committees and work constructively with the University on issues where we have common agreement.
4. You are the first ‘liberal’ president since 1996 - was your election a surprise, and what do you think it reflects?
First of all, it’s probably better to describe our team as ‘right of centre’. While I personally am a member of the Liberal Party, the majority of my executive are not and its probably much more accurate to describe our team philosophy as economically and socially liberal.
In 2003, a ‘liberal’ team won a majority of the Union executive but failed to win President. So while, yes, I am the first ‘liberal’ President since 1996, there have been prominent members of the Student Union from the right side of the spectrum over the past 12 years.
I think that previous centre-right student election teams suffered a lot of the stigma from the previous Howard Government with very vigorous and effective campaigns being mounted on campus against the perceived ‘destruction of higher education’ under the Howard Government. I guess, in a way, my election was probably a sign that students on campus were a bit over the Howard Government and left-wing Unions and were seeking a change. Apart from this, I don’t think my election represents a ‘dramatic’ swing to the right, instead it probably more accurately the more immediate concerns of students in bread-and-butter issues like prices, services, and financial accountability.
5. Will this factor mean we will see a different union to that of 2007 - and more broadly, what can students of UQ expect from the 2008 UQ Union?
There will definitely be a marked break with the past this year. We have already begun a Union review process which is being conducted by Ernst and Young, which we hope will lead to significant gains in terms of efficiency. There’ll also be noticeable changes on campus with the reopening of the Schonell Theatre, as well as immediate price cuts and a more active campus culture. I’ve also fast-tracked a new Union website which I hope will lead to a new era of openness and accountability in the Union’s decision-making processes. Students will also see a lot more activity on the Gatton and Ipswich campuses than before as a number of our team members come from these campuses as well as from the Dentistry and Medical schools.
A unique focus of the team this year is our dedication to issues of social justice directly affecting students. With the help of the University, we will be re-invigorating the Student Emergency Loans program on campus and we will also be heavily campaigning on public transportation and car-parking charges which really do make a difference to student income. On a broader note, this year our UQ Union will focus on indigenous student issues as well as equity and racism issues affecting international students.
I’m also very worried about the funding impact that the Rudd Government’s abolition of full-fee places will have on University funding. If this funding shortfall is not made up in some way, then it will have a drastic impact on students with the loss of millions of dollars in revenue.
6. Would you like to share your thoughts on VSU and how it will affect your agenda for the year?
As a liberal-minded student, I strongly believe in the freedom of association and the democratic right of students to choose what ideals they support. The UQ Union is traditionally a very political organisation, and I feel students should be able to choose if they want to become a member. Before VSU, students who were struggling financial had to raise almost $150 a semester to pay to the Union or they were removed from their course. This no longer happens, and I’m proud to be a member of a Union that doesn’t force money from students’ pockets.
Paying Union fees is very different to paying taxes which are largely means tested or based on the size of the property that you own. I recognize the difficult position this puts the University in when it comes to funding essential services, however the University of Queensland is a very wealthy university and it should be able to provide many of these services out of existing funding without further government assistance. Previously, the University never charged a Union fee per se, but they charged a services fee which was then dispersed to the Student Union. As someone that fundamentally believes in a user-pays approach wherever possible, I do not support this method of Union fee collection by proxy.
In terms of the UQ Union, VSU has forced the Union to become more rational and efficient in the kinds of services it provides, and I believe that this is a good thing. However, we do have to take a moderate approach and not throw the baby out with the bathwater by shutting down facilities of cultural significant to students like the Schonell Theatre. This year, I hope to show that it’s possible, under a VSU environment, to run a revenue-neutral Student Union that is self-sufficient in the short, medium and long-term.
7. What do you think will be some of the biggest challenges this year
(for yourself or the union)?
This is going to be a very important year for the UQ Union, and we’re obviously going to face quite a few obstacles and challenges. With the organisational review I’ve initiated, I expect that we’ll face heavy resistance from the employees’ trade unions to long overdue changes, as well as the negotiation of a new Enterprise Bargaining Agreement. We’ve also seen the increased desire for senior staff to go onto individual contracts, all of which have the potential to create further obstacles to Union reform.
Recently, we’ve also faced the opposition of left-wing student groups with entrenched special interests – these are people who only seem to support the democratic choice of students as long as the students support them. I personally feel that the Union shouldn’t be an exclusive club for left-wing groups with their selfish agenda, and I aim to defend the Union against these damaging views.
Overall, my term as President will most likely finish at the end of the year, so I face a challenge in ensuring my policies are enacted, but at the same time making sure they’re done properly and not rushed.
This will be a very difficult and trying year for myself and my executive, however with potential benefits for all UQ students, it’s something that I feel we must do.
8. Any particular goals or achievements in mind for the union in the
year ahead?
Definitely. As I’ve said, this is the first time for quite a while that a ‘liberal’ executive will be working in the Union, and it’s really a chance for us to try new strategies and succeed. I would personally like to see a redevelopment of both the internal Union structure, as well as the number of businesses the Union operates and the way in which they are operated.
My goals for this year are to see an average decrease in all food prices in the Union outlets, and to see the Union further support itself on its own revenue, rather than requiring hand-outs from the University. I’d also like to promote the businesses and services we already offer, such as the Red Room, the Schonell Theatre, and the wide variety of support and representation services.
Finally, I’d like to see this Union work closer with the University to achieve more beneficial outcomes for students, and to act as a voice of the student body on all University decisions.
So Annabel got it wrong, and got it wrong via ripping off a story from the Courier-Mail.
Yeah totally. In fact, I’m not even sure what Annabel’s article has to do with anything at all. She claims that Josh is the 2nd highest Lib in the land but doesn’t even discus what he thinks about the Liberal party or his involvement in it. This would have made much more interesting reading to hear a young person’s honest perspective on the Liberal party from the inside that isn’t from the hard-right. Given the collapse of the coalition’s share of the youth vote, you would think that this would make for a better column from Annabel. Sigh.
Possum @ 9, ummmm shouldn’t the Libs be trying to take seats from LABOR?? Or is Qld a bit “different”?
Antonio @ 24: thanks, mate, but I browse hereabouts to AVOID student “politics”. It’s fascinating [yawn] and really, really “incredibly” important but [snore]
Ambigulous, how dare you accuse student politics of being fascinating or important! Anyway, the point I was trying to make was how the entire story has been distorted by both the SMH & CM by posting the original media releases.
Btw, in Queensland the issue of which coalition partner wins the most seats is important for determining who the leader will be. This has been a subject of severe destructiveness for both sides over the last few elections.
Ambigulous - one would think that the Libs should be focusing on taking seats from Labor, but it doesnt seem to stop them from going after the Nats either.
In Qld, a fair chunk of the seats, particularly the regional seats based on regional cities have Nats candidates that really dont have much of a chance of ever being elected. A Lib candidate on the other hand would be highly competitive, so you see that Nat vs Lib bickering all over the joint in the lead up to every election in Qld. The Nats wont accept that their dominance is ending, and the Libs dont have the walnuts to tell the Nats where to stick it and run an aggresive program of 3 cornered contests (well, not nearly aggressive enough anyways).
But neither of them ran as endorsed Liberal candidates, so they are not Liberal mayors, they are mayors who happen to be liberals.
(Of course Josh Young didn’t run as an endorsed Liberal either, but I’m not defending Crabb’s article.)
The current Woolhara mayor is not Liberal, he is a Residents First candidate. Liberals have 7 of 15 spots on the Woolhara council, so they don’t have a majority there either.
Lefty E and I have both tossed this question around here and at Pollbludger before, and noone has uncovered anything to counter the claim that:
At the current time there is no chamber at any level of government in Australia that has a majority of endorsed Liberal and/or Nationals candidates other than the Senate, nor is the premier at any level of government an endorsed Liberal or Nationals politician other than Campbell Newman.
Any clarifications to wording or opposing examples welcomed.
Thanks Antonio @ 28,
look mate, if you had to quote it in full to defeat Annabel, fair enough.
Thanks Possum @ 29, yep we have an occasional three-cornered contest in Victoria too. Some of our rural State seats had independents (3 in the first Parliament with Bracksy as Premier).
Victorian State Lib MPs currently stewing over factional frictions, but no-one’s suggested tossing a coin to resolve a deadlock - - yet.
Ambigulous, the problem with 3 cornered contests in Pineapple country is that we have OPTIONAL preferential voting. Consequently 3 cornered contests here tend to hopelessly split the Right vote rather than maximising it.
Martin B - very sorry for the lazy assumption re: the Mayoralty of Woollahra - just totally assumed that they would still be holding a majority in a heartland LGA like Woollahra. (nb. to self: check facts before attempting to be amusing)
It’s hard to believe that there isn’t an LGA in the entire country with a Liberal or Nationals majority? Like wow.
It has to be said that it is mainly because there are relatively few LGAs where the major parties actively endorse candidates, particularly outside urban areas. NSW and Qld appear to be the main places where there are some endorsements.