Ok, in the parallel universe that is press reporting of polls, we get this from the West Australian:
Extensive Olympics coverage over the past two weeks may have pushed politics out of the minds of many Australians and be responsible for the minimal changes in the latest Newspoll of voter sentiment and no improvement for the coalition.
Right. Yep. Because the natural order of things is that the Coalition vote should always be rising and its failure to do so is an aberration to be explained away by… stuff that happened in the same fortnight. Whatevs.
Meanwhile, Dennis Shanahan puts it all down to the waiting, waiting, waiting, waiting for Costello to release his book. Which, by the way, the ABC is giving free publicity to by televising a National Press Club speech by the former Treasurer on the day of its release. What’s with that?
But note the common assumption that the Liberals should be gaining were it not for their leadership woes. Really? How do they know? Because they do. It’s not argued. But it’s there as the background assumption on which all the rest rests.
Elsewhere: For actual commentary on the poll, go visit Possum and the Poll Bludger’s crew in comments. The Poll Bludger also links to the rather interesting Essential Research poll (Labor 58-Coalition 42) which shows that there’s a 7% negative differential between state and federal ALP voting intentions among its sample.
Kim I am constantly baffled by the commentary about the Federal Labor Government. I have to be careful here otherwise I will turn into one of those ‘the ABC is full of Howard-Haters-caffelatte sipping pinkos’ but in reverse.
But seriously, if I had the time and inclination I would like to go back to the media coverage of the first months of the Howard government in 1996. My memory (which may be admittedly biased) remembers that it was glowing about the ‘battlers’ and pretty dismissive about the Labor Party.
When Labor opposed the GST in the Senate it was ‘obstructive’ and the Democrats were hailed as the ‘real opposition’ because they negotiated with the government (and we saw what great benefits it gave them as a viable political party). Now the Coalition is opposing Government measures and all the commentariat seems to say is ‘wow, see how you get out of this one Labor!’
When I read an opinion article which was actually positive towards Rudd in the Sunday Age, I nearly fell off my chair.
What has happened? Over the last decade of Howardism there must be so many ‘political analysts’ in the MSM that got used to that mindset that they still haven’t realised that it is a different kettle of fish. It seems that the Australian is successful in somewhat influencing the whole debate negatively for Labor. So we get the usual negative spin from them and pronto it gets repeated by Frank Kelly on Breakfast on the same day.
all this discussion of Costello coming back was a belief that somehow he could stem the tide of worldwide recession and save us. And everything will be hunky dory again. It all be comfortable like the last past ten years.
There seems to be a sort of glee about Labor being in the pickle here. A sort of ‘well what you are going to do now that you ousted the ever so powerful Howard?’ type of comment, without asking what the Coalition would do if they were in government. Would they do anything different? Would their policies make the Australian economy immune from the troubles of the global economy?
I haven’t seen this. Maybe I am looking in the wrong places.
Its called “still not admitting we were wrong” Guido.
How about this for a hypothesis:
Voters are, collectively, reasonably happy with the way the government is proceeding. They are smart enough to realize that it’s too early to assess things in great detail, because the government haven’t even implemented large amounts of their agenda.
In other words, nothing to see here, move along…
Unlrss you are on welfare and classified as part of the undeserving poor;i.e
Disabled.
Aboriginal.
Single Parent.
Unemployed.
Then, you’d hardly know there’s been a change of Government. In fact, Howard-like, they’re picking on unemployed over 55 year olds, apparently. Which Howard did not do.
“In fact, Howard-like, they’re picking on unemployed over 55 year olds, apparently.”
Could you elaborate on this, Paul?
Silkworm ,try this link.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24203848-2702,00.html
The Participation Taskforce should recommend new accounting re allowable earnings for over 55s so that they aren’t penalized out of the job market to start with. Maybe then they’d have a crack at the millions of jobs available for seniors. You know, fruit picking,mining,heavy vehicle and machinery operating etc. Black money anyone?
Guido, the press like to kick governments. It doesn’t matter whether they are left or right, ALP or Liberal, just so long as they get a kicking. Who’d want to kick the Liberal Party? They’re less than irrelevant right now.
BBB
BBB, I don’t recall the Libs getting much of a kicking from anyone in the MSM for the whole time they were in government.
This is a problem the world over. RWDBs think the MSM is hopelessly left-wing. Lefties think the MSM is a front for corporate interests. What can I say, David? You haven’t been paying attention. I can name about 20 scandals covered at length by the MSM that reflected very poorly on the Howard Government. Children overboard? AWB? The Iraq War? Ring any bells?
BBB
Yes, BBB, I know that you see yourself as one of this site’s resident sceptics, but for crying out loud, no government in recent history has got such a dream run from the media as the Howard government. Reality check in order here!
The Australian report linked @ 6 is incorrect - single parents are not turfed off the pension when their youngest turns eight - they are still entitled to the Parenting Payment, a pension card, etc - however they now must work 15 hours per week and sign a contract.
So similar ‘mutual obligation’ arrangements and contracts to the dole but they still receive a proportion of the Parenting Payment less Gross Income calc. and the Pension Card etc.
I thought study and volunteer work were counted towards the 15 hours - but possibly this is a discretionary Centrelink thing and not regulated…?
And I think parents are turfed off and always have been, when the kids turn 15/16???
Continue on….
I think the Howard government got such a good run at the last election that some papers were itching to put a ‘Vote Howard’ sticker on their front page. Howard was always going to pull a rabbit out of the hat (Tampa, terrrorism, 9/11, racist fear etc)and Costello’s ‘brilliance’ was going to bring the poll bounce.
Whilst that dirty Rudd in Scores had to look forward to incessant screaming about Burke and that he was done for. You could see glee and joy in the faces of the reporters writing about Burkegate thinking they had sunk the evil threat to the Empire.
Howard got a dream run from the conservative press and they only ventured to really get stuck into him when they thought Labor had no chance.
It is pretty tiresome to see and to keep complaining about. It is like living with a ‘drop dunny’ (murdoch media) in the house, it smells all the time but not much you can do about it. And to follow the analogy we know who represents each piece of smell.
BBB, I certainly have been paying attention. Whilst some in the media did pursue the Howard government over sa few of its … err … misdemenours, the general thrust of the newspapers, TV and radio was to paper over this stuff. None of it got a decent run until well after the event, except for Haneef, and anyone challenging the government got belted about the ears for being unastrayan from every direction.