Elections point to Progressive disaster.

[Rorschach]

State elections local elections... are all pointing to a Labor federal disaster. The Greens aren't looking too healthy either. It would seem most people have had more than enough of progressive idealism.

Extracts...

Greens down gurgler as Libs win the west
* by: VIKKI CAMPION and RICHARD NOONE
* From: The Daily Telegraph
* September 10, 2012 12:00AM

THE Greens were humiliated and the Liberals conquered the west. It was a day of mixed results across the political spectrum, with Labor recovering some of its vote lost at the last state elections.

One of the biggest shocks came in Liverpool, where Ned Mannoun became the youngest and first popularly-elected Liberal mayor in the former ALP stronghold.

Mr Mannoun took 43.63 per cent of the vote, a swing of 23 per cent, with the Liberals winning a majority on Liverpool Council.

Labor was buoyed by an astonishing assault on the Greens, which suffered swings against of 15 per cent in the Blue Mountains, 8.8 per cent in Randwick, 11 per cent in Leichhardt and 13 per cent in one Marrickville ward - handing the ALP up to 45 per cent of the primary vote.

Labor spokesman Luke Foley said: "The result is further evidence of the Greens' vote falling at a rate of knots.

"It's a combination of the retirement of Bob Brown, the refusal of the Greens to compromise on asylum seekers and Marrickville Council's boycott of Israel. We have shown it's possible to turn back the green tide."

Mr Foley admitted Labor's revival had been patchy in western Sydney but better than the last state election.

The Greens were decimated in Waverley, lost track in Manly - leaving it in Liberal hands with 45 per cent of the vote - and saw a swing of up to 9 per cent against the party in Ashfield.

In Parramatta, the Liberals enjoyed a swing of up to 20 per cent and 11 per cent in Auburn as the party marched into Labor heartlands. The Liberals even won Ashfield at the expense of the Greens.

On the Central Coast, the Greens rout continued as its primary vote slipped to 10.78 per cent at Gosford and into single figures in Wyong.

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[Neferti]

I have my fingers crossed that the same thing will happen in the ACT next month.

Currently we have an ALP/Green Coalition Government here and it is time that changed as Stanhope (who retired a while back) had been Chief Minister for 10 or so years! Unfortunately, the local Libs are almost as bad as the ALP/Greens. Plus the fact that Canberra is a Labor stronghold. When I first moved here I was told that the Liberals only got 6% of the vote in Canberra (Fraser's time) and my comment at the time was "it will be 7% next time as I will vote Liberal" and, guess what? It did actually rise to 7%. Not that I believe my vote made a difference.

We even have a Motorists Party and a Pirate Party registered to vote for next month, plus numerous independents and the Hare Clarke system is ridiculous anyhow. Oh well. Can only live in hope that the people of Canberra think the same way as the rest of Australia but I doubt it.

IF they threw out Self Government, most of us here would be rejoicing! The ding bats in The Assembly think they are important when they are really like a local Council. Pathetic. Something that most Canberrans agree about.

[boxy]

Frankly, I think that major political parties getting involved in local elections undermines the whole point of them. They're there to deliver roads and take out the trash...

[Black Orchid]

It's nice to know the affiliations that running candidates have though. Too often they hide it in local council elections

[Rorschach]

It appears I'm still here.
That can't be a good thing.

Labor have always used Local Councils as a "training" ground for pollies. They build up a representation take over a Council, vote in a mayor, get them a higher profile then run them in state and federal elections.
The Libs have only come to the party on this sort of thing recently and even now don't do it very much.
I think the greens are using it like Labor but unfortunately for them they ain't that popular.