Oh right... that was me.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political ... z25Z1oLXWC" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;"Poll position: Gillard arms Labor for early election with new committee
September 5, 2012
Peter Hartcher
Sydney Morning Herald political and international editor
THE Gillard government has started formal preparations for a federal election, promising to run a full term but also giving itself the option of an early poll.
In the past week the Prime Minister has created an election policy committee, chaired by the Minister for Families and a former deputy Labor leader, Jenny Macklin.
Ministers have been instructed to nominate liaison staff to the committee by tomorrow, and to submit policy proposals by October 6 to equip the government with ideas to take to an election. LOL, now that is funny.
Some ministers said the policy committee was a normal part of election preparations. And some PM said there would be no Carbon tax under the government I lead.
The creation of the committee a year from the promised election date was no indication of an early poll, they said. Uh-huh... but they will run whenever they think they have the best shot at winning.
But some government insiders and party officials said it was part of preparations that would give Julia Gillard the option of an early election if she so chose.
An early election could be a defensive measure against a Rudd challenge. ROTFLMAO, when are they ever going to get over themselves and put Australia and Australians first for once?
"Some senior people have started talking about an early election," encouraged by a recent recovery in Labor's standing in the opinion polls, an official said. LOL, well that didn't last long did it.
Preselections for Labor candidates are under way and should be complete by November.
"The idea is to come out of the Christmas holidays into the new year and go to a February election; there are people weighing it as an option,'' the official said. Feb, yes that was the likely date I was thinking they'd go early if they went early at all.
"You can tell from what's going on right now with the politics that the Prime Minister's office is clearing the decks" of problem issues.
Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury told ABC Radio this morning: "As someone out there on the frontline, I'm ready to go into battle whenever the Prime Minister gives the order." LOL, Bradbury, another fool.
Mr Bradbury said that Labor had a commitment to serve a full term and that he expected that election would not be called until "well into the new year". But he said it was "sensible to be planning for all contingencies."
A Labor strategist described the conflicting pressures on Ms Gillard: "She has her promise to run a full term on one hand, and the threat of caucus members moving against her on the other," referring to the prospect of a switch to a Kevin Rudd leadership.
An early election could be a defensive measure against a Rudd challenge.
The time-honoured rule for prime ministers and election timing is that they go when they think they can win.
But Ms Gillard's situation is complicated by her written pledge to the independent MPs Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor as part of the agreement to form a minority government. Which would be irrelevant if she went to an election anyway. She's broken promises before.
In 2010 Ms Gillard agreed in writing "that this Parliament should serve its full term and that the next election will be held on a date to be agreed in September or October 2013, and further agree to investigate legislative proposals which are within the terms of the constitution and give greater certainty to the Australian people about the Parliament serving full, three-year terms". If she'd have asked and listened to most of us she would have called an election already.
On the other hand, Ms Gillard promised her caucus that she would turn Labor's dire polling figures around within several months of July 1 this year, the date the carbon tax took effect. Not looking good Julia.
And Labor's voter support has indeed been improving. From a low point at the end of May of 26 per cent in its primary vote, it has slowly clawed its way back to 32 per cent, the Herald/Nielsen poll shows.
A Newspoll published yesterday found the same level of support for Labor. But while this is an improvement, it still puts Labor in an election-losing position. Sure does.
[b"The result for Labor has gone from being catastrophic to standard, garden-variety landslide," said the Herald's pollster, Nielsen's John Stirton. No government would call an election with poll support as low as this.[/b] But desperate times call for desperate measures.
The rules on election timing are another consideration. The government can hold an election as late as November 30 next year.
But any election held before August 3 would put the House of Representatives out of sync with the Senate. This is entirely possible but creates complications. Like they care.
With Judith Ireland
