BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election

Subject: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 09:58 AM

and his party loses the election. about bloody time.

Govt - 58 seats
Opposition - 83

Australia votes 2007

tho my local member kept his seat, bugger, his campaign to tell everyone how Green he was by filling our letterboxes with brochures seemed to have worked, even tho as Minister for the Environment he approved a pulp mill in an almost pristine area. He spent lots of his own money on leaflets & expensive pamphlets telling us what a great bloke he was (his wife even told us so in one brochure) & how he was an ordinary bloke (he takes buses!!)

but his party lost & I wonder what will be happen in the party room when they have to elect a leader. Will the current Deputy Prime Minister, the next Prime Minister according to the (outgoing) Prime Minister really get elected by his colleagues unopposed as the (outgoing) PM has been saying.

oh, to be a fly on the wall.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 10:02 AM

As I said - "No Ads Till the Result!"


:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 10:34 AM

how's thing in your seat, do you have a new local member?

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: JennyO
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 10:46 AM

I lived in little johnnie's electorate - Bennelong - for 25 years, and couldn't get rid of the bugger. I even campaigned for the Greens in Bennelong at the last election, and still he lingered on.

I had a sticker on a car I got rid of 3 years ago, that said "Tell John Howard it's over". By the time I sold that car, the sticker was faded and barely recognisable, it had been on there so long already.

But now ............

*sings* (to the tune of Guide Me O Thou Great Jehovah)

Lost in Bennelong, lost in Bennelong
Howard lost in Bennelo-o-o-ong,
Howard lost his seat in Bennelong!

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Azizi
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 12:00 PM

Congratulations on your Great News!

From an American to her Ozzie friends

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Little Hawk
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 12:29 PM

Bravo! About bloody time, as Sandra said. We have jobs at Tim Hortons (donut shops) in Blind River, Ontario, if Mr Howard is in need of one.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Clownfish
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 02:52 PM

About bloody time says it all

Ding dong the witch is dead
Which old witch? The wicked witch
Ding dong the wicked witch is dead
Wake up sleepy head rub your eyes get out of bed
Wake up the wicked witch is dead
She's gone where the goblins go
Below below below
Yo ho Let's open up and sing and ring the bells out
Ding dong the merry oh sing it high sing it low
Let them know the wicked witch is dead

Here in London we have been walking around with a smile on our faces all day. That's when we weren't singing and dancing in the streets.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Helen
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 03:23 PM

Most of the Liberal party people who were interviewed last night said that until the postal votes are counted we won't know the final result on John Howard's seat of Bennelong, but the votes right from the start of counting have stayed consistent with Maxine McKew in advance by about 1.5% after preferences. It's possible she will lose, but given the swing towards Labor across the country, I'm betting on her to win. Little Johnny seemed to think he had lost his spot in parliament, in his speech.

I have to say that listening to that speech of his last night is the first time I have ever seen a good side of him, i.e. conceding gracefully, but he couldn't resist having another dig, another go at shoring up the propaganda. This country is better off than it was 11 years ago. In your dreams, mate!

There was no surprise in "Our Town" Newcastle. Labor romps in as usual. They don't have to do anything except send us all a calendar every year. One state Labor minister kept sending one of those cheap little black on white business card sized calendars and he just kept getting elected until the Labor party shafted him and put a high profile candidate against him. He went Independent, but it was a shambles, very bitter on all sides, and the brainless bimbo Labor candidate romped in because she was the Labor candidate, and she had been a local news reader on tv for many years.

But ex-tv person Maxine McKew is a different kettle of fish entirely. Clever, knowledgeable, sharp, insightful, tenacious. Go Maxine! Go for PM next time!! With Julia Gillard as Deputy.

Happy, happy, happy,
Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: JennieG
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 04:00 PM

No surprises in our electorate - Blaxland - safe Labour seat, which means Labour takes it for granted and the Libs don't put up a candidate they wish to foster for the future because they know they won't get in. Our new bloke who replaced the sitting member is called Jason. Jason!!! for heaven's sake!!!!

I never thought I would see the day when my Parliamentary representative was called Jason!!!!!

By the time the next federal election rolls around we will have gone from here, we're moving out hopefully in less than 2 years.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Charley Noble
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 04:32 PM

Ol' Howard's lost in Bennelong,
Left us here to sing this song;
Ol' Howard's lost in Bennelong,
Left us here to sing this song.

Ol' Howard's lost in Bennelong -
Ol' Howard's lost in Bennelong -
Ol' Howard's lost in Bennelong,
Left us here to sing this song!

Nice to hear that Oz is moving on. Maybe those of us enduring hard times in the States can do the same in a year or two. Hope the world can survive the wait.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Helen
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 05:14 PM

HARD TIMES COME AGAIN NO MORE
(Stephen Foster)


1. Let us pause in life's pleasures and count its many tears,
While we all sup sorrow with the poor;
There's a song that will linger forever in our ears;
Oh Hard times come again no more.

Chorus:
Tis the song, the sigh of the weary,
Hard Times, hard times, come again no more
Many days you have lingered around my cabin door;
Oh hard times come again no more.

2. While we seek mirth and beauty and music light and gay,
There are frail forms fainting at the door;
Though their voices are silent, their pleading looks will say
Oh hard times come again no more.

3. There's a pale drooping maiden who toils her life away,
With a worn heart whose better days are o'er:
Though her voice would be merry, 'tis sighing all the day,
Oh hard times come again no more.

4. Tis a sigh that is wafted across the troubled wave,
Tis a wail that is heard upon the shore
Tis a dirge that is murmured around the lowly grave
Oh hard times come again no more.

@harmony
filename[ HRDTIMES
TUNE FILE: HRDTIMES

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 05:58 PM

Well it felt like that in England back in 1997...

Congratulations - but keep your powder dry.

This must all get confusing for American conservatives who go on about how liberals are the spawn of Satan...

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 07:15 PM

G'day McGrath of Harlow,

... American conservatives who go on about how liberals are the spawn of Satan...

Yeah ... aren't they? (I mean little Johnnie's variety!)

Regard(les)s,

Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Helen
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 07:29 PM

In Oz the Liberals = the Liberal Party, as opposed to the Labor Party. The Libs are not what we refer to as "small-L liberals". They are the conservative party who pander to the wants and needs of the business owners and rich people. Confusing, I know.

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 08:37 PM

Actually Helen, I heard it explained better than that.

The Australian Liberal Party WAS genuinely 'Liberal' - ie, what the Yanks would call 'commo' - not communist, but genuinely believed in helping their fellow man for the common good - things like abolishing slavery and supporting the old, sick and unemployed on pensions and free medical care and all that...

Well, the Aussie 'liberals' about the time of Howard and a few others, one day said, "well, we're going over to this corner on the Right side of the room, and since there are more of us than you, we're taking the name and the Party Funds with us!" What was left became "the Democrats" - nothing whatsoever to be mistaken for "US Democrats!" - this party died with the death of Don, it's founder, but had committed hari kari with stupidities like Cheryl Kernow changing parties, and the brilliant idea of their leader ganging up with Little Fascist Johnny to bring in the GST (which Little Fascist Johnny had sworn 'never ever a GST!') Johnny also brought in the stupidity of 'core and non-core promises' - ie. ones you keep and just other lies!

When Pauline Hanson came on the scene, Little Fascist Johnny veered hard to the Right - pretty much the US Right! - and this is where he gets his nickname from!

The Liberal Party was reputed to embrace second rate failed US political advisors. Explains a lot, you see.

Johnny's arrogance culminated in the 'Australians have never had it so good' statement - which was on a par with another pollies' "the recession we had to have" statement! Then the Liberals stated the US wanker mantra 'destroy the Unions' game - since Aussie Political life is strongly bound up with the Unions fight against selfish rich greedy arseholes for the last 100 years - this policy was bound to eventually end in tears. In 1907, there was the famous law case which decided that the working man was entitled to a wage that allowed him a reasonable standard of living, and not to be forced to live like an animal (the Yanks still haven't got there yet!)

The National party (the other party in the coalition) has become increasingly irrelevant, and in Queensland has lost large chunks to Labour.

The Greens gained quite an increase in voting this election, most especially at the expense of the Liberals, but in a few critical seats they lost support, as it turned into a 'to the death' between Liberal and Labour. In Howard's seat, the Greens vote declined, and in Turnbull's seat, he actually got a high sswing towards him, one of the very few Liberals to do that - even Costello had a swing against him. The Greens have now replaced the Democrats as 'the third voice'.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 09:34 PM

And now Costello has announced he won't be standing for the leadership. It gets better and better, although the icing on the cake (Maxine getting rid of Howard without having to do it via a by-election) is not yet confirmed until the postal votes come in on 7th December.

My location, covered by New England (Commonwealth) and Northern Tablelands (State) electorates, is still the only part of the country with Independents at both levels above the municipal; Tony Windsor was returned but everyone was rather smiling on my "Your Rights at Work" T shirt.

We now have to see what happens to the Senate.
And remember the old saw

"It doesn't matter who you vote for, it's always a politician that gets in."

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 10:20 PM

It appears that the Liberals have now lost control of the Senate.

Costello has now announced that he will not stand for leader. That leaves a strong guess that Turnbull will be the new leader.

Labour needed 16 seats to win, they gained about another 16 as well.

The Democrats now cease to exist as a political party (you must have elected member to be a 'real party' - pending a new party before its first election, of course) - the last 2 who were up for re-election did not regain their seats, and will now finish at the end of June. The Senate has fixed terms - 4 years with half up for election every alternate 2 years.

The democrats got less than 2% - you need a 'quota' - 100% divided by the total number of seats. Once a party has a quota, they can 'carry' the excess from the first elected candidate onto the second candidate, etc. From memoery it's about 12% for a quota.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rapparee
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 10:47 PM

Let's see if this Yank can get it straight:

John Howard is OUT in Oz;
Tony "Landslide" Blair is OUT in Britain;
The Poles are pulling their troops OUT of Iraq;
The Brits are pulling some of their troops OUT of Iraq....

Doesn't poor Georgie Porgie have ANY friends anymore?

(Apart from what's-his-name in France, I mean.)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Helen
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 11:23 PM

Well, funnily enough, Our new PM-elect, Kevin Rudd, didn't even mention the Iraq war last night in his victory speech, except to say that he supports all Australians, and he included members of the defence force in that. I'm sure he specifically mentioned those defence force people who are "overseas". I'll have to listen to the speech again. If anyone wants to see the video

there are videos here of Little Johnny's & Kevin Rudd's speeches

They won't be there for long I think, a couple of weeks maybe, so get in early.

Helen

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 01:44 AM

A commentator a while ago said that all of George's 'supporters' had been voted out of office, and he expected Johnny soon would be too.

He was right.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 09:54 AM

"When Pauline Hanson came on the scene, Little Fascist Johnny veered hard to the Right - pretty much the US Right! - and this is where he gets his nickname from!"


             So what's going on with Pauline Hanson? I'm finding Australian politics kind of confusing.
             But I saw where she lost in her bid for the Senate, but does she still retain a seat in Parliment? And she ran on her own ticket, but it seems like there was a One-Nation candidate in the race.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 05:21 PM

Riginslinger, it's not surprising you're confused about One Notion and Pauline Hanson. Foolestroupe (being a Queenslander) might be able to give this better but I'll try.

Pauline Hanson started her political career as a Liberal Party (read "Conservative") candidate for a seat (seats in lower house legislatures , at both state and commonwealth levels are given names and I think hers was "Blair", confusingly for you nonOz people) in Qld but became a liability during that 1996 election campaign when she proposed some rather racist views. She was disenfranchised by the Libs but was elected. At the following election she was voted out but had read the entrails and had gathered a lot of people to her ideas and formed One Notion as a party to campaign for election to the Senate. Her ideas are appealing to many with a simple view of how things ought to be done and who hanker for the days when Aborigines ("blacks" and "coons" were terms widely used in times past) knew their place (subservient and submissive) and whites were the only acceptable immigrants.

It helps to know that, for most Oz legislatures and certainly for the Commonwealth, Preferential voting is used for lower house seats and Proportional representation with a Preferential distribution of votes is used for the Senate. For the current election (where half the Senate is up for election; 6 seats for each State) a quota (required for a candidate's success) is 1/6th of the vote for that State. If it had been a Double Dissolution, the whole Senate (12 seats for each State) is up for election and a quota is 1/12th of the vote for that State.

It is rare for candidates from minor parties to get up for a seat in the lower house (even with distribution of preferences) so Pauline knew she couldn't win her seat back, but minor parties have more success in the Senate, especially if it's a Double DIssolution. The two major parties would normally get enough votes to claim the first four quotas for a State (two each) and the preferences get distributed, meaning the minor parties are in with a chance for at least one Senate seat in each State.

There was some scandal about whether One Notion was properly registered and another when electoral funds were not properly accounted for so, while One Notion might be a registered party in Queensland and score close to a quota we live in hope it doesn't. Although I'm south of the Qld border I noticed the Senate ballot paper for NSW had a couple of candidates registered as "Pauline", so I suspect this is a method her sympathisers are using to gain votes; they scored no guernsey from me.

I hope this helps.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: s&r
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 05:50 PM

The Spooky Men's Chorale had their own way of protesting as you can see here


Stu

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: GUEST,LB
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 07:40 PM

I am eager to see this weeks issue of the Alice Springs Newspaper. Wonder what they'll have to say. Think this new government will be more sympathetic to that area and its economic development than the Howard group?

While I live in the US, I follow that area quite closely.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 08:02 PM

Can't help with the Alice paper, but, for the first time since the CLP took over the NT News, the Darwin paper, that paper recommended voting against the Coalition. At least, that was the way it was presented before the polls opened.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 08:38 PM

Well Rowan, A Queenslander I be, but why would you think that would mean that I would be any less confused, especially about 'Pauline'.

The basic story you have give is correct.

For Non-Aussies, her party was called "One Nation", but the typical Aussie sense of humour renamed it (perhaps more accurately) "One Notion"!!! :-)

I haven't checked Wiki - oh dammit - why not....

http://en.Wikipedia.org/Wiki/Pauline_Hanson
is really well worth reading - a whole soap opera in one personality... BTW, if you like 'George Bushims' - that Wiki page (http://en.wikiquote.org/Wiki/Pauline_Hanson) has a link to a whole lot of 'paulineisms'!!! :-) her most famous of which was "Please Explain!" - delivered in the typical 'lower class' Aussie Strine nasal whine...

QUOTE
In 2006, she was named by The Bulletin as one of the 100 most influential Australians of all time..
UNQUOTE

That's definitely true...

The really dangerous thing about her, was that like Hitler (and she WAS compared to him! but for totally different reasons than you might expect!) was her naive unsophisticated uneducated 'redneck' approach

eg
"If this government wants to be fair dinkum, then it must stop kowtowing to financial markets, international organisations, world bankers, investment companies and big business people. The Howard government must become visionary and be prepared to act, even at the risk of making mistakes."

IS very good (and very populist - even with me!), but the nature of her followers, many insular (like many Yanks!), not very well or most importantly not widely educated (again like Yanks!) meant that the real fear among the educated was that her followers WOULD turn Australia into a facsimile of 30s Germany, (even thought they themselves would be horrified by the comparison!),. that idea really does need to be dealt with - and it now seems that Howard with his anti global warming and other ideas has now bee woken up to and purged.

In some ways she WAS screwed over by those with their own agendas -

for example
QUOTE
Let's define the word, what racist is - "A person who believes that their race to be superior to another's." I've never advocated that. And I challenge anyone to tell me one thing that I've said that is racist. Criticism is not racism. Accountability is not racism. And that's what I've tried to say over the years.
UNQUOTE

"Criticism is not racism. Accountability is not racism." - so true, but it was her followers that scared the shit out of people...

Wiki - "In 1997, Professor David Flint observed: "It was media indulging in its own fantasies, believing its own stories, which turned Ms Hanson into a spectre stalking the land... Her message was presented in some quarters as if it were the voice of Satan. In fact, her views are more moderate than many right-wing parties in Western Europe.""

You have to remember that Queenslanders previously had "Uncle Joh" - http://en.Wikipedia.org/Wiki/Joh_Bjelke-Petersen (you should read this!)

A man who actually revered Hitler and certain African Dictators for their simple minded approach - and allegedly had to be dissuaded from dressing the 'Queensland Police Special Branch' officers in Brown Shirts (think SA thugs!)... we actually had a law that 'three people was a demonstration', and you could actually be arrested JUST FOR WALKING DOWN THE STREET IN A GROUP OF THREE! I'm NOT making this up you know! The Qld Police Force was eventually publicly exposed as highly corrupt - Fitzgerald Enquiry.

So there was some genuine fear that Pauline would grab support based on 'Old Joh Supporters'...

Another quote
"What I can't understand is why come here and try and change our country into the place that you've come from? And all I ask of people is come here, respect our country, respect our laws, our culture, our way of life. Be Australian, join us, enjoy this beautiful country and everything that it has to offer."

seems on the surface to not be too problematical... :-) Even I have to agree with the basic surface expression of that...

And another
"If politicians continue to promote separatism in Australia, they should not continue to hold their seats in this parliament. They are not truly representing all Australians, and I call on the people to throw them out."

She also made statements - claimed as racist - objecting to the Govt throwing huge sums of money at 'Aboriginals' - "giving them special treatment" - which was undeniably true - and the problem was that the huge amounts of money was NOT helping them by changing their circumstances - indeed Little Fascist Johnny's recent desperate effort of sending in the military to 'help them' acknowledged that SOMETHING DIFFERENT (apart from just throwing money!) HAD TO BE DONE...


*** Yanks (actually 'Bloody Yanks') is an Aussie expression, apparently not capable of being translated in any way that most Americans cannot find offensive, although that is NOT the intent of the expression.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rapparee
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 08:48 PM

Poor George.

All alone, without a friend* anywhere. Ragged and freezing in the cold, cruel world, hardly a billion dollars to his name, incapable of supporting another war, criticized by his own Party, a veto overturned, and now without even the advice of an Australian....




















*Except for that guy in France.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 08:54 PM

BTW, while chatting with a guy handing out Democrat party how to vote info on Sat - we both suddenly realised the true position on voting.

He mentioned that while scrutineering last election, he noticed a large number of ballot papers (all individually accounted for - no real 'stuffing' is possible undetected - all papers are hand signed by an official on being handed to the voter) were totally blank - in other words a legal 'null vote' - we talked about 'informal votes' and whether they are deemed 'informal'. Then it hit me!

In Australia - apparently one of the few in the world - we have allegedly 'compulsory voting'.

That's not true - we have 'compulsory attendance at a polling booth' (or substitution, such as postal voting, absent voting, etc), but NOT COMPULSORY VOTING!   :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 10:14 PM

Foolestroupe, that's one of the reasons each polling booth has scrutineers during the counting; you wouldn't want anyone filling in the blank ones during a close contest, would you!?

Re: >i>we have 'compulsory attendance at a polling booth' (or substitution, such as postal voting, absent voting, etc), perhaps a couple of terms could be defined to help the nonOz readers.

Postal votes are generally available for those who know, ahead of polling day (always a Saturday in Oz, so all workers can attend) that they will be away from a polling booth on polling day.

Absentee votes are cast on polling day when you attend a polling booth outside the area of the seat in which you are enrolled. Most electorates also have a booth, open for a week ahead of polling day, at which you can cast your vote ahead of polling day.

Donkey votes are those ballot papers where the numbering of preferences down the list of the candidates' on the ballot paper is simply "1", "2", etc down the list. Because the order of listing for each candidate is itself chosen by ballot after the deadline (usually a couple of weeks prior to polling day, most candidates want to be at the physical top of the ballot paper to acquire the donkey vote.

Informal votes are those votes determined to be so (ie invalid) by the Electoral Officer. To bhe formal and thus counted, there should be a number in each candidate's box on the ballot paper, there should be no repetition of any number (ie, where there are three candidates the numbers should read "1", "2" and "3"; "1", "2" and "2" would be informal and discarded from the poll) and there should be no writing outside the boxes. Anything written outside the boxes renders that ballot paper invalid and its vote informal. The blank ones mentioned by Foolestroupe don't fir the first requirement and are thus informal.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 10:23 PM

Rowan and Foolestroupe: Thank you so very much for the information. I think I've got part of it. I can see I need to do a little more research. It seems to me that the form of government in Australia is somewhat more complicated that in the US. The one thing I envy above all other things is the fact that you have multiple parties. Here we basically have two parties, if one party takes a postition on an issue, the other party takes the opposite position--all other points of view are ignored.
                            It's maddening.
          I heard on an NPR broadcast that the Greens were positioned to do well in the recent election, and I was encouraged by that. It doesn't seem to have happened, however, so I think I'll need to do a little more research.
          Regarding Pauline Hanson, she has become somewhat of an icon in the US for people who are concerned about runaway immigration. There are two camps, however, for whom this issue is most important. There seems to be a consevative group whose rants on the issue really do border on racism, and there is another group who worry about the overwhelming numbers of people. There are a number of Greens and environmentalists in the latter group.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 11:20 PM

Riginslinger, you've got the gist of it as far as Pauline Hanson's legacy is concerned.

Regarding the Greens in our election, the main results I know at the moment are;
1 The Greens candidate for the Senate seat in the ACT didn't get up; Senate seats (two each in the ACT and the Northern Territory but only one each in a half senate election like the one just counting) from the Territories have slightly different rules to Senate seats from the States (6 elected from each State in a half Senate election and 12 from each State after a Double Dissolution. Territory Senators take their seats as soon as the polls are declared but State Senator, having a fixed term, must wait until next July. This would have changed the balance of power in the Senate immediately.

2   The Greens Senator from NSW may have lost her seat. Even if this is ultimately correct she will be there until July.

Your comment about the effects of having only two major parties is much the same for Oz, USA, UK and France except for the effects of counting and distributing preferences. We had "first past the post" counting in Oz until the late 50s or early 60s, with the same effects as currently in the US.

The effect of Perot and possibly Ralph Nader, as third candidates in the recent US Presidential elections is usually regarded as "detrimentally" diverting votes from the only candidate (of your choice) worth electing. The French and most Europeans get around this in their Presidential elections by having two polling days; the first weeds out all except the two highest-polling candidates and the second presents a choice between only those two candidates. Theoretically, minor parties can get a candidate up into the runoff with such a system but the two polling days are a fortnight apart.

The Oz politicians of the late 50s and early 60s were responding to a claim that some electorates had three (usually; more than two, in any case) candidates that were equally desirable/undesirable in the eyes of voters and the voters wanted a way of making sure their choices "counted" beyond a situation where one got 34% of the votes and the other two each got 33%. Hence the preferential system was introduced. In a three-way race, if a candidate gets "1" from more than 50% of the votes cast in their electorate they are declared elected but, if each candidate gets fewer than 50%, the one with the fewest "1" ("primary votes" in Oz terminology) has their papers distributed to the other candidates according to which candidate had their name ranked "2". If a candidate now has more than 50% of the total votes cast they are declared elected but, if not, once again the candidate with the fewest papers in their pile has their papers distributed among the others according to the "3" rankings. And so on until one candidates scores more than 50% of the votes cast.

Hence the use of the term "Two party preferred" when commentators describe predictions and/or results. And the argybargy about which party id directing their preferences to which other party. Serious bunfights but all the counting is rather quick these days.

I was able to describe all this to my offspring as we watched (the above is more or less the same as I told them on Saturday night) but the explanation of how the Senate seats are counted takes a bit longer.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Neil D
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 11:23 PM

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney - PM
Date: 24 Nov 07 - 10:34 AM

how's thing in your seat, do you have a new local member?
   

      That's kind of a personal question there Sandra. But seriously, I'm glad you got rid of your little fascist and I can't wait till we get rid of ours. Now, if only theres was something you all could do about this Rupert Murdoch guy we'd really appreciate it.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 25 Nov 07 - 11:46 PM

"something you all could do about this Rupert Murdoch guy"

Well you silly Yanks made him revoke his Aussie citizenship and take out yours, so now you can't even deport him! :-) :-P

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 12:10 AM

Rowan,

"responding to a claim that some electorates had three (usually; more than two, in any case) candidates that were equally desirable/undesirable in the eyes of voters and the voters wanted a way of making sure their choices "counted" beyond a situation"

There was also the fact that the splits in both 'left' & 'right' sides meant that each side could have two (or more!) candidates. Both sides would REALLY prefer that THEIR side, even if they didn't like the actual party, got in - thus the 'preferential' bit helps there.... :-)

Actually, it DOES make things 'more accountable', because it's harder to get away with lies forever...


"Regarding Pauline Hanson, she has become somewhat of an icon in the US"

This is exactly what was the real fear about her and the 'hitler' garbage...

As I said 'a whole soap opera in a single personality'...


It's been 'confirmed' - if you believe the news! - that Little Fascist Johnny IS looking for a new job... But Maxine is refusing to claim victory as she says that it is too close to call - there are a lot of 'postal & absent' votes - they can take days to 'come in' - and if it VERY close - there can also be several recounts of the whole votes - all ONLY EVER done by hand.


The Greens did rather well on a total percentage vote basis across the board. Non-Aussies may not understand though, how a party that gets no, or even just a very few people elected can wield a lot of power. Well, you see, many of the seats Labour won, got over the line due to distributed Green 2nd preferences. The 'Democrats' (NOTHING like US 'Democrats'!) used to do that, but their voted almost totally evaporated. They were seen as 'too close to the Liberals' - while the Greens were seen as 'somewhat close to Labour' - they made a strong running about many things that Labour did not want to go as far with - eg, that 'private schools' should get no more funding than 'public schools' - Under Little Fascist Johnny, the per student funding for private schools is now several times greater than public schools - and that does not take into account the 'fees' paid by parents!. This is the 'benefit' of our system - Johnny tried to tamper with that, but fortunately wiser heads on even his own side saw the 'long term benefits' of such a system, compared with any short term possible gains.

Well the Nationals Leader has now also refused to lead the party - as did Costello (Johnny's publicly anointed!) for the Liberals on election night. If they hung around, then the voters, as has happened in the past - will continue to 'reject their failed policies' (vote the party out!) - since they don't appear to admit that they 'stuffed it'! :-)

The Nationals got hurt - percentage vote wise - perhaps even harder than the Libs, especially in Queensland - traditionaly a fairly anti-labour area!

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 12:12 AM

BTW, I once accidentally met Pauline - she WAS and IS - DUMB!!!!

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: JennieG
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 12:13 AM

I'm in two minds about compulsory voting as mentioned by Robin and Rowan above. In years gone by I have worked at polling boths, and that includes counting the votes at the end of the day. While the majority are fair dinkum votes there is a small ratbag element who writes obscene comments on their voting papers....who the bloody hell do they think reads them???? There are obviously well-meaning but incorrectly filled out papers too, and then there's the donkey vote, plus the totally blank papers.

Because voting is compulsory and these folk are on the electoral roll they turn up to the polling booth and have their name ticked off, what they do with their vote after that is entirely up to them.

Cheers
JennieG

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 12:28 AM

JennieG -

I used to think when younger that we should only have 'optional voting' but as I have lived longer, I am now utterly convinced, that in spite of what you say (and I confess to once having written on the paper "I want none of these idiots!") the benefits of our system far outweigh any minor negatives.

The extra lobbying power that the electorate as a whole, rather than just those few who can afford to bribe, gets by having effective minor parties is just impossible in the USA - where an honest politician is just 'one who STAYS bought'!!! :-) There, you only have to bribe TWO organisations, here no-one can afford to bribe them all - and only bribing the big boys is, because of the system, largely a waste of money! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 12:39 AM

You're right, Robin, with your comments on the origins of the preferential system; I was trying to be succinct but descriptive enough for nonaussies to cope with it and the basis for "why go to the trouble'. Except for the fact that there's a swag too many methods of casting votes ("correctly", even) in the US already, as well as the fact that the plethora of positions voted on at any election there, I'd almost be brave enough to recommend, politely, they took a good look at it as a way of dealing with the stranglehold the two (funded) parties exercise.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Wainwright99
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 02:01 AM

In all truth I am sad to see Peter Costello quitting.
Tony Abbott could have been his deputy.
Yes, Abbott and Costello running the country.
Can't think of a more appropriate team to lead the Liberals...

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 05:39 AM

"Abbott and Costello running the country."

Ah - you didn't hear of the law suit they brought?

Abbot & Costello Vs... ah - can't remember... any other aussies remember the case? - was mentioned here a while ago, I'm sure... Defamation, I think it was...



Look! I'm not making this up you know!

:-)

Seriously!...


And you wonder why I carry on the way I do... I'm the only sane one here...

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 05:48 AM

Rudd is a Queensland boy.

The National Party (previously called The Country Party) lost quite a few seats in Qld...

On Election night, Kevin said he wished his father was still alive to see his son, especially since his dad was such a staunch member of The Country Party...

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: hilda fish
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 05:49 AM

I remember years ago seeing some very ragged writing on a wall in Carlton Melbourne: "do you think they would let us vote if it really made any difference?" Oh dear. I almost danced in the pub when I heard that John Howard was FLATTENED. I don't care what happens to him - he's got lots of money and is gonna be okay. Not many working people, asylum seekers, Indigenous people, etc. can say that. Just hope Rudd doesn't betray our trust. He is a bloody politician after all.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: JennyO
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 08:56 AM

And now we already have a song written for the occasion by John Dengate - our most brilliant writer of political parodies, who has never been slow in seizing any opportunity that presents itself. Here it is - hot off the press!


ADIEU JOHN - (TUNE: Cockles and Mussels) - John Dengate

He lost the election, he suffered rejection
The polling booths ran with the Liberals' blood
His grip has been broken, the people have spoken
So cry, John, good bye, John…
We'll try Kevin Rudd.

As fast as you please, John, hand over the keys, John,
Be on your way and don't loiter my son.
Off through the back gate, for you've got the sack, mate…
Adieu, John, shoot through, John,
Your day it is done.

Your ego's diminished, your tenure is finished
So best find a pub and sneak in and get pissed.
Drink yourself silly far from Kirribilli ­
Yes sob, John, your job's gone
And you won't be missed.

You cheated and blustered, you could not be trusted
You pushed us too far with your devious lies,
You're finished, you're dead, mate, so cover your head, mate
Go, John, lie low, John
Assume a disguise.

He lost the election, he suffered rejection
The polling booths ran with the Liberals' blood
His grip has been broken, the people have spoken
So cry, John, good bye, John…
We'll try Kevin Rudd.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 09:04 AM

"BTW, I once accidentally met Pauline - she WAS and IS - DUMB!!!!"

             It's funny how people like that come to power. I guess it's because they just don't realize how stupid they are. We had Ronald Reagan and George W. Bush--no candidates for Mensa those two--and they did a lot of damage.

             Has Rudd given any indication where he might be on immigration? I've read that he has a strong environmental background.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: GUEST,John Gray in Oz
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 10:42 AM

Foolestroupe - yes, your memory is in reasonable shape.
About 7 years A political writer here called Bob Ellis wrote a book called Goodbye Jerusalem. A Faction - combination of fact & fiction. In it he wrote about about sexual peccadilloes of Tanya & Margaret during their university days. Something to do with sexual rewards for young men to join the Young Liberal Party. These girls went on to become Tanya Costello & Margaret Abbott. It was they who sued Bob Ellis, and his publisher, and received a substantial payout.
Poor old Bob. In the US & UK it would have been thrown out of court but in Oz we have really draconian slander laws.

JG/FME

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 10:50 AM

So did Abbott and Costello ever figure out "Who's on First?"

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Charley Noble
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 03:53 PM

JennyO-

"Adieu John" is a lovely piece of work by our esteemed friend John Dengate. Thanks for posting it.

Hopefully, we here in the States will be able to compose something in a year or two with equal spirit. Of course we don't even know what candidate the Republicans will come up with yet. Makes composing a song in advance a little difficult.

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: McGrath of Harlow
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 05:48 PM

But you'll never have the pleasur of voting Dubya out, any more than we did with Maggie. Or for that matter Tony. That's what must make this Ozzie triumph particularly satisfying. As the Spooky Men's Chorale advised, they voted the bastard out

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 06:02 PM

please let John know that his delightful song - copyright acknowledged - will be put on The Fooles Troupe list.... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 06:21 PM

The Dominos keep falling.

The Northern Territory, where Little Fascist Johnny (BTW Yahoo Answers deleted my answers that quoted that name - I gave them both barrels about Bloody Yanks censoring Aussie Political Comment - a web search revealed that I did not invent that term first! but of course the robots just ignored me!) did his 'Military Intervention' was a Labour Government, but the Chief Minister resigned, quoting the last 6 months since the intervention as being 'very stressful' - although she sorta supported it - the 2 territory Govts - NT & Canberra have no autonomy, but are overruled by Canberra, as evidenced by Little Fascist Johnny overruling the 'euthanasia' legislation...

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 26 Nov 07 - 09:02 PM

Precious few are putting their hands up for the leadership of the Liberal Party; thank goodness Alexander Downer of the fishnet tights and silver spoon has decided to keep out of it. And the Nationals are looking for a new leader, one who can represent a generational change.

For the benefit of the nonaussies, in the Oz system, the govt is formed in the lower house (House of Reps) which means the Prime Minister and Deputy PM must be MHRs and not Senators. When in coalition the Nationals (always a small party but large enough to avoid being regarded as a minor party) have had their leader take the Deputy PM office. The only National younger than antediluvian is Barnaby Joyce; he's in the Senate and already on record as supportive of the ALP's intentions about WorkChoices legislation. Not the preferred attitude of a party that, when named the "Country Party", was known for advocating the socialisation of farmers' losses and privatising their profits while demonising workers and their unions.

It will be interesting to see how the Liberals deal with their "reactionary Right" elements and whether the Nationals can take all of Pauline's followers into their fold. And how the ALP shapes up to the task of delivering on their promises.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 03:56 AM

by-the-by, the Spooky Man link above is not the Spookies, it's "just" another marvellous choir organised by their choirmaster

signed
picky pedant

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 05:38 AM

Also now eating their innards is the Queensland State Liberal Party - State parties are totally separate organisations from the national ones. There has been a call for a leadership spill.

They have 2 irreconcilable factions, and 8 seats... that's right - exactly 4 in each...

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: GUEST,DK
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 07:59 AM

I am as pleased as anyone to see the back of Howard but I regard Rudd - apart from Industrial
Relations laws - as being more 'Liberal Lite' than Labor. I hope I'm wrong, only time wil tell.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 10:49 AM

I haven't found anything to indicate where Rudd is on immigration. Has he said anything to give any indication?

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 04:28 PM

Riginslinger, as you're probably aware from your research, "immigration" in the context of an Oz election (these days) covers two major issues;
1   how many we let in from countries where the majority are "not like us" (shades of the White Australia Policy) and
2   how we treat asylum seekers and other refugees, all demonised by the Coalition as "illegals".

The most recent comment I've been able to attribute to Rudd is his response to what he intends to do about the "Pacific Solution", a method used by the Caolition to declare some parts of Australia as not being parts of Australia for some purposes (particularly claiming asylum) and sending the claimants to special concentration camps on Manus Island (part of PNG, who need the money) and Nauru (who need the money even more); we have our own concentration camp on Christmas Island but that island is still part of Oz sometimes while the other two aren't at all. Rudd said he'd "take advice" on the matter.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 05:07 PM

He also said that 'the Pacific Solution' seemed to be a huge waste of money, but that he may not be able to shut Naaru et al down immediately due to contractual arrangements.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 06:15 PM

I've become amused by the current proximity of this thread title to the "Daily Chimp Webcam" one...

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 06:19 PM

As an outsider, reading what's available in the states, one gets the impression that if they just threw the doors open, there'd be standing-room-only in a matter of weeks.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 06:24 PM

You mean that all the US chimps would wanna come here? I thought they did already... except George, no wait, he spoke in our parliament house, and his SS* 'minders' US tried to throw Aussies out of the chamber and tried to stop Aussie pollies asking George questions....

Bloody Yanks!

:-P

* Unfortunate that abbreviation really...

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 09:30 PM

Yes, well naturally we'd love to get rid of George. But the story line is all about boat people from Indonesia and all points east. It might just be hearsay.

                   Of course, like the man said, "I only know what I read in the newspapers."

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 27 Nov 07 - 09:38 PM

Lucky that I can't afford to buy them anymore then Riginslinger ... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: goatfell
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 08:24 AM

I was in Australia the first time Howard got when they got rid of that 'human being' called Keating, but now when Howard got invovled with Iraq I didn't like him at all, But like his Ilk the new Prime Minster will be another arsehole, Australia should be like Britain, DON'T VOTE OR A DICKHEAD WILL BE PRIME MINISTER.

GORDON BROWN FOR ONE.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 04:40 PM

Unfortunately Arran, it's still the case that, whether you (or I) vote or not, a politician will still get in. If everyone abstained from voting, then us hoi polloi would have even less influence over the self-appointed.

And, back on the topic at hand, we still don't know whether the seat of Bennelong has actually changed hands. But we'll find out today who will replace John Howard as the leader of the Parliamentary Liberal Party and thus Leader of the Opposition.

Thanks for posting the song, JennyO!

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 07:43 PM

Bugger another one vanished - well I'm not going to retype it

1) The liberals party farce continues...

20 Rudd will announce his government today.


Joe
This one just died - the thread was NOT updated when the new display list came back - and was not present, so, as I guessed, the DB is not taking the added message. Check the error logs just prior to this message time.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 28 Nov 07 - 10:05 PM

Brendan Nelson and Julia Bishop replace John Howard and Peter Costello as Leader and Deputy Leader (respectively) of the Liberal Party.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: John O'L
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 01:27 AM

I like the look of the new Liberal leadership. Dare we hope for a new era of responsible government with effective opposition?

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 04:55 AM

latest from ABC News Radio

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: GUEST,Arran
Date: 29 Nov 07 - 07:45 AM

well over in Scotland we have four elections, the Genaral election (the government of Britain) who gets in there, the Scottish Election ( for the Government of Scotland) who gets in there and the Europeiean one lastly the council one, so you see we here in Scotland are very busy indeed oh I vote in everyone.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 05:31 AM

we only have 3 elections - Federal, State & council & voting is compulsory in all (well, attending the Polling place & getting ballot papers after name is crossed off list is compulsory!)

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 08:01 PM

McKew claims victory in Bennelong
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22852311-29277,00.html?from=public_rss

December 01, 2007 09:36am
Article from: AAP

A WEEK after voters went to the polls, Labor star recruit Maxine McKew has officially claimed the Sydney seat of Bennelong, making history as the person who knocked off prime minister John Howard in his own electorate.

Despite leading Mr Howard from the outset, Ms McKew has been reluctant to claim Bennelong, saying it was too close to call.

Today in Sydney the former ABC journalist and now parliamentary secretary to the Prime Minister and Cabinet finally claimed Bennelong as a Labor seat - the first time it has been out of Liberal hands since it was established in 1949.

"One week after the polls opened I can now say that in Bennelong we are 2100 votes ahead, we have 51.25 per cent of the two party vote, so we are comfortably ahead," Ms McKew said at Gladesville Public School.

"I can formally say that Bennelong is now a Labor seat for the first time."

Mr Howard is only the second sitting prime minister to have lost his seat, after Stanley Bruce was defeated in 1929.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 08:19 PM

Icing on the cake!

Will Kerry O'Brien ever be allowede to forget his comment, made during the ABC's televised commentary on the polling results last Saturday and when the broadcast crossed to Maxine McKew's Campaign HQ, about "a swing to the ABC"?

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 08:35 PM

The Chaser boys didn't, Rowan... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Charley Noble
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 09:12 PM

Congratulations!

So when can we immigrate?

Cheerily,
Charley Noble

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: JennyO
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 09:55 PM

Soon please, Charlie. Now THAT would be the icing on the cake!

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 30 Nov 07 - 10:03 PM

Thanks Robin,
I was at the local Netball Assocn AGM while the Chaser was broadcast and missed them. The AGM decided to encourage starting a Men's Division; the Australian Netball governing body got around the AntiDiscrimination Act by declaring "Netball is a single sex sport" so, although more girls/women play netball in Oz than men play most football codes combined, it's not confined to them.

There you go Charley! You can learn a whole new aspect of Oz culture by coming and playing netball!

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Dec 07 - 03:49 AM

"Netball is a single sex sport"

They didn't call it 'netball' when I was a teenager.... :-P

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Don(Wyziwyg)T
Date: 01 Dec 07 - 06:33 PM

Lovely to hear some good news!

Now if we could only shove LURCH north of the border and lock the gate in Hadrian's Wall.......Ho Hum!

Can't win 'em all.

Don T.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Dec 07 - 07:23 PM

This morning Aus TV played a little prophetic animation that was first out in July apparently

Johnny Howard singing 'Yesterday'...

Anybody found it on the net? I don't have broadband, so don't look for such stuff...

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 01 Dec 07 - 09:21 PM

Now Brendan (oooo what a luverly name!), the new leader of The Liberal Party, has decided to go against one of Little Fascist Johnny's basic policies, and support Rights for Gay Couples... (some US readers may not be able to cope with that, with their ideas of what 'Liberals' are...)

BTW, Brendan has been getting a lot of air time lately - seems someone discovered old film of him in his younger days, in a Labour Party organised protest march, screaming his head off "I'll never vote Liberal"... when confronted on camera recently before the election, he smilingly replied "I can absolutely assure you that there is one Liberal candidate that I WILL be voting for..."

There was a certain member of parliament who when asked at Question time, why he had been a member of every party except the Country Party replied "a man has to have SOME standards!".

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: John O'L
Date: 02 Dec 07 - 12:19 AM

I saw Costello on Lateline saying that if he had led the Libs into this election they might've won. Incredible. No grasp on reality at all.
He didn't rule out a future tilt for the leadership either.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 02 Dec 07 - 07:36 AM

Well, actually, if Johnny had either run the election last november, he might have walked in, or if he retired, he would have done so as a successfuk leader and costello could have lost the election all on his own.... :-)


I saw the typo, and left it.... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 02 Dec 07 - 08:09 AM

check out par 3 of this comment by an ABC NEWS reader commenting on Howard's resignation speech. Was she serious, or tongue in cheek??? Or was it a case of type in haste & not check spelling or sense.


Sheilah:

24 Nov 2007 11:07:48pm

Many are probably so busy celebrating at the moment that they haven't thought about what Mr Howard actually did in this campaign.

It seemed obvious for the last year that the Liberals' time was up. Had Mr Howard stepped down before the elections and let Mr Costelloe take over, the party would still have been defeated. Then the usual bloodletting and internal leadership struggles (such that the Labor Party has only recently thrown off) would have ensued.

In the party's interests, Mr Howard has gone to the election willing to take the defeat and risk a less than glorious end to his personal career for the benefit of the party. It was a case of eschewing self interest - so rare in a politician.

John Howard has done a marvellous job and should be congratulated. Now we must wait and see whether someone who has never even held a ministry can steer our country's economy through the difficult financial times ahead.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 02 Dec 07 - 08:46 AM

Yes Sandra, I am surprised - usually the Labour Party has managed in the past to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory...

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 02 Dec 07 - 09:09 AM

maybe they took lessons from the Labour Party ...

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 02 Dec 07 - 10:59 AM

"Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election..."


                      It sounds like he lost his ass. Is anybody looking for it?

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 02 Dec 07 - 04:34 PM

It sounds like he lost his ass.

Riginslinger, even the donkey vote couldn't save John Howard.

And with his pension entitlements, I doubt he'll ever be bare arsed for lack of the readies.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 02 Dec 07 - 05:31 PM

Sad, very sad!

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Stewie
Date: 02 Dec 07 - 06:17 PM

Foolestroupe, can you stop putting a 'u' in the spelling of Australian Labor Party - you are leading the poms and yanks astray. :-)

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 02 Dec 07 - 09:11 PM

The poms?

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: John O'L
Date: 02 Dec 07 - 10:02 PM

Poms.
Well, when the convicts were transported here, they had Store High In Transit printed on their...No no no, wrong bullshit, sorry.

A story goes that the convicts had POHM on their shirts for Prisoner Of His/Her Majesty.
Another story goes that a train of rhyming slang goes along the lines of - immigrant, Jimmy Grant, pomegranate, pommygrant, pommy.

Suffice to say that for some reason lost to us now, Australians call all English "Poms" or "Pommies".

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 02 Dec 07 - 11:04 PM

Fools is also leading me astray, oops (perhaps I can say it was a typo!

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 02 Dec 07 - 11:47 PM

Okay! I can understand how things perculiar to Australia could lead yanks astray, but I don't see how they lead Poms astray, given they've been there for a while.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 12:07 AM

There was a time, Riginslinger, when there were more Septic tanks here than Poms; ~62 years ago, from memory. But a few things have changed since then.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Little Hawk
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 12:13 AM

I've heard that it's Poms, Pommies... or Pommie Bastards for short!

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Stewie
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 12:24 AM

Ringinslinger, I referring only to the spelling - from F's posts, the poms might think we spell our Labor Party like their Labour Party.

--Stewie.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 02:25 AM

Now I'm bloody confused!

Johnny's seat - The "L" party - I'm NOT gonna bloody well spell it any more! got 28% primary vote in 2004, and 45% in 2007.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 07:28 AM

That's interesting. I wonder when the POMS quit coming.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 04:50 PM

Riginslinger, the Poms have never really stopped coming; it's just that 62 yearts ago Australia was at the tail end of being the American launchpad for the military push to defeat Japan and the Poms here were a bit outnumbered.

And in the thread's title comments, Warren Truss is now the Leader of the National Party. With any luck, John Who? will fade into oblivion. Although I'll be interested to see how a little tradition gets played out.

Traditionally, ex Prime Ministers were offered a knighthood until the Labor Govt got rid of imperial honours and replaced them with the serried ranks of the Order of Australia. When the Coalition defeated the ALP in 1996, Paul Keating was offered one by John Howard but declined, on the grounds that as an elected representative he was only doing what was required of any such person and thus was not deserving of special reward for duty. He then went to ground and played no public part in politics apart from some defense against politically motivated attempts at calumny.

After polling day but while he thaought he still had a chance at retaining his seat, John Howard commented that he'd ultimately reture and not make any public contribution to politics "unlike previous ex Prime Ministers"; he may well have had Malcolm Fraser in mind rather than Paul Keating, though.

Given that comment, will Rudd offer Howard an AO? Will Howard accept, if offered it?

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 05:14 PM

And, within an hour of being sworn in as PM, Rudd had the paperwork for ratification of the Kyoto stff signed off by the GG.

Swift work!

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 05:15 PM

Okay, thanks. But let me ask the question in another way. When did the Brits quit dumping their political prisoners in Australia?

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Leadfingers
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 05:19 PM

100

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Leadfingers
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 05:20 PM

It definately said 99 when i posted !! Bugger !!

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 05:34 PM

Sorry, Leadfingers.

Riginslinger, Bob Bolton (who has huge files at his fingertips) will probably correct me on this but my recollection is that deportation of convicts from Britain to Oz colonies ended in the late 1840s. Different colonies may have ended transportation at different times. Wikipedia might have some details but I am short of time just at the moment.

It certainly wasn't continued after gold was discovered in Oz in 1851, as Australia rapidly became regarded as a desirable place to get to by much of the British population; ships' crews deserted as soon as they reached port at Geelong, for example.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: John O'L
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 05:46 PM

From The National Archives

"Transportation was not formally abolished until 1868, but in practice it was effectively stopped in 1857, and had become increasingly unusual well before that date. During those 80 years 158,702 convicts arrived in Australia from England and Ireland, and 1321 from other parts of the Empire, making a total of 160,023 men and women transported. A good account of the transportation system is given in R Hughes, The Fatal Shore (London, 1987)."

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 07:37 PM

Thanks for that correction, John; my wits were elsewhere.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Leadfingers
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 08:20 PM

Wasnt it Noel Coward , on an Australian tour , when asked at Immigration if he had any convictions enquired if it was still a requirement ?

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 09:16 PM

It's a good thing they aren't still doing it. Tony Blair could end up in Oz for war crimes.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: John O'L
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 10:54 PM

Not a correction Rowan, merely a clarification. I thought transportation was stopped in the 1840's, and I'm surprised to find it went on so much longer.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Bob Bolton
Date: 03 Dec 07 - 11:52 PM

G'day John O'L and Rowan,

For the most of Australia (the East Coast ... with Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and Tasmania ... and most of the population) continued transportation was opposed vigorously throughout the 1840s ... and effectively ended very early in the 1850s ... or we would never have leaked the news of gold finds in the Bathurst - Hill End (Ophir Goldfield) area.

The much more recent immigrants in Western Australlia were happy to have convicts ... and utilised forced labour until the 1860s. If they had stumbled on the Kalgoorlie / Coolgardie goldfields a few decades earlier ... things may have been different!

Regards,

Bob

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 12:22 AM

Yep Bob, and as became evident durint the recent election, Western Austarlia is STILL 20 years behind the rest of AUstralia... :-)

From Robin in Queensland - the state once reputed to be (due to daylight saving) 100 years and one hour behind the rest of Australia, but the recent elections showed us now up in the 21st century - the 10 seats picked up in Qld anchored Rudd's victory - the swing in W.A. was much lower - even some swings TO Little Fascist Johnny - also reputed to be at least 20 years behind the rest of Australia - see "Work Choices" & "Global Warming" .... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 12:24 AM

Hey! I got the thread back on track too! :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: rich-joy
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 01:33 AM

Woa there, Robin - be careful - I'm a Sandgroper!!!
Mind you, historically, WA has never really felt part of Australia (i.e. "the Eastern States") and has tried to succede three times, I think!!!
Anyway, it was mainly "colonised" to keep those pesky French from getting their hands on any of Oz - Developers and Entrepreneurs/manures and "upper class" Crims, have always played a big part of our history - even to this very day!!!!

Cheers! R-J

(who had Rellies on the ill-fated "Rockingham" (i.e. "Thomas Peel estaters") and also a Convict Rellie at the founding of Albany in 1826 and another Convict on board the "Corona" in 1866.
The last Convict vessel to WA was the "Hougoumont" in 1868, which also brought those infamous Fenians, who later escaped - thanks to the Yanks - on the Catalpa"!!!)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 07:29 AM

The Queensland Liberals did it again.

A real circus...

They held a 'secret' meeting in a Brisbane hotel, then wondered what all the reporters were outside for, and how did they know?

Unbeknown to them, Eric Idle had booked in to the same hotel to organise 'Spamalot' performances coming up....

:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: ad1943
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 03:05 PM

They once asked Noel Coward to say something funny and he said
" Australia"


Allen in Oz

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 04:26 PM

G'day Rich-Joy.

I think you meant that sandgropers are successful generally but they've never managed to succeed in seceding. Secession is rarely musical but Perth has excellent sessions.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Bugsy
Date: 04 Dec 07 - 07:24 PM

Actually, Allan in Oz, Noel Coward was asked to say something in Australian. he said "KANGARROOO"

Cheers

Bugsy

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: rich-joy
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 04:26 AM

"I think you meant that sandgropers are successful generally but they've never managed to succeed in seceding. Secession is rarely musical but Perth has excellent sessions."

damn ... I always meant to go and check that spelling before pressing the old submit button (too much sand in the brain gears!!!)
LOL!

R-J

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 11:11 AM

Is there a standard definition for - sandgroper?

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 04:29 PM

Sandgropers are Western Australians.

In the same vein,
Queenslanders are bananbenders
New South Welshers are cornstalkers ("Cornstalk" is the mag of the NSW Folk Fed.)
Victorians are cabbagepatchers
Tasmanians are various things but I prefer Taswegians and Vandemonians
South Australians are often forgotten, partly because their boundaries kept shifting and because they administered everything we now call the NT, and
all this stuff started when there weren't enough people in the Northern Territory to take into consideration and the ACT didn't exist.

Those from NT call themselves Territorians (their unwillingness to lose the term will probably mean they will never achieve statehood, because "Territory" is a jurisdictional category "lower than" a State. North of Elliot (a dot alongside the Stuart Hwy roughly half way between Alice and Tennant Ck, most call themselves Top Enders whether they come from the Territory, the northern part of WA or FNQ (Queensland, from Townsville north); if you get half a chance, try and get to the Top End Folk Festival.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 04:52 PM

Croweaters! How could I forget South Australians like that.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 05 Dec 07 - 05:07 PM

Rowan,

          Thanks, I'll make a note of all of that.

b

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Dec 07 - 12:47 AM

Well, the Qld Liberals have sorted it all out....

The guy Tim whjo has been trying for over 12 months to become leader, has now become deputy leader, and has promised not to challenge till after the next state election...

Things had reached such a state yesterday that the 8 members were told that if they did not sort it out, names would be put in an hat and one drawn at random to become leader.

I'm not making this up you know!

Someone was creul enough to go on camera and say that if Tim won, he would be forever known as "Toss-Up-Tim" (instead of what he - and the Qld Liberals are generally known - as "Tosser-Tim").... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: rich-joy
Date: 06 Dec 07 - 03:28 AM

Just received this latest from Dale Dengate (esteemed wife of afore-mentioned Oz icon, John!) :

MAXINE, THE MAGNIFICENT
TUNE: Men of Harlech.

Maxine Mc Kew you are saluted
That's a fact that's undisputed.
Howard's career you really rooted –
That is worth a song.
Maxine, you are blithe and bonny;
What a job you did on Johnny
After all the years, he's gone, he's gone, he
Lost in Benelong.

Chorus repeated as coda at end
Howard, the little, Nero,
Fell before our hero
Liberals wept when in you swept
And now our ranks are wallowing in beer, oh,
Maxine, where have you been?
Thank heavens you at last came on the scene,
Oh, how the Torries vent their spleen –
They're down where they belong!

Johnny's ego you've deflated
How we cheered and celebrated
Such excitement you've created –
Maxine, you're the one!
Pour the beer, uncork the wine,
On porterhouse and spuds we'll dine
For not since 1929
Has such a thing been done.

Maxine, you're a wonder,
A legend now down under
The odious pong in Benelong
Is buried underneath the town rotunda.
Since you powered over Howard
Christmas bush has bloomed and gardens flowered-
Liberals hid in holes and cowered;
Right wins over wrong!

c. JOHN DENGATE November, 2007


Apparently Dale's corrected some typos from the original version, so I'll re-post this one :

ADIEU JOHN
TUNE: Cockles and Mussels

First verse and chorus:
H e lost the election, he suffered rejection
The polling booths ran with the Liberals' blood
His grip has been broken, the people have spoken
So cry, John, good bye, John…
We'll try Kevin Rudd.

As fast as you please, John, hand over the keys, John,
Be on your way and don't loiter my son.
Off through the back gate, for you've got the sack, mate…
Adieu, John, shoot through, John,
Your day it is done.

Your ego's diminished, your tenure is finished
So best find a pub and sneak in and get pissed.
Drink yourself silly far from Kirribilli –
Yes sob, John, your job's gone
And you won't be missed.

You cheated and blustered, you could not be trusted
You pushed us too far with your devious lies,
You're finished, you're dead , mate, so cover your head, mate
Go, John, lie low, John
Assume a disguise.

H e lost the election, he suffered rejection
The polling booths ran with the Liberals' blood
His grip has been broken, the people have spoken
So cry, John, good bye, John…
We'll try Kevin Rudd.

c. John Dengate


Cheers! R-J

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 06 Dec 07 - 05:33 AM

"Right wins over wrong!"

Shouldn't that be "Left"?   :-P


BTW, it seems to have missed most people's notice what happened when Labour last won in 1929 - just a few weeks later - can you spell "Wall Street Crash"?

:-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Dec 07 - 08:52 AM

Tonight a friend was showing us pics of his recent trip to Egypt (so much better to see pics of Sphinx, temples, tombs etc. taken by a friend than seeing the same in a book).

Eetting back to topic, he was in Cairo on election night & was watching Al-Jazeera (the English language version, naturally!!) & saw excellent coverage & commentary on the election.

I had a quick squizz on their website & found 58 references to Kevin Rudd & 270 to John Howard.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 12 Dec 07 - 04:41 PM

The declaration of the poll for the seat of Bennelong was yesterday and the televised images of Howard at the end of the formal part of his public life showed a smile that would be better described as a rictus. "Not happy John" was definitely not a good loser.

Cheers. Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 12 Dec 07 - 06:57 PM

not having a TV I miss sooooo much. And I can't even find it on ABC NEWS site!

I did find a mention on the Sydney Morning Herald site - just a link from a story about results declared. But no picture.

How the mighty have fallen? .... dust in the wind, all they are is dust in the wind ...

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 13 Dec 07 - 12:30 AM

Labor, Coalition win Qld senate seats
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22918793-29277,00.html?from=public_rss

December 13, 2007 03:16pm
Article from: AAP

Labor and the Coalition will have three senators each in Queensland after the close of the count today.

Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) state manager Anne Bright said the count, which was scrutinised by representatives for the candidates and parties, was completed today.

Sitting Labor senators John Hogg and Claire Moore were returned, with new ALP candidate Mark Furner securing the third seat.

Sitting Liberal Party senators Ian Macdonald and Sue Boyce were returned, as was veteran Nationals senator Ron Boswell.

Australian Democrats deputy leader Andrew Bartlett lost his seat.

The Senate will sit in its existing form until June 30 next year.
~~~~~~~~

So that's a tie here in this state...

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: John O'L
Date: 13 Dec 07 - 01:30 AM

"How the mighty have fallen?"

Howard was never mighty, Sandra. Not even close.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 13 Dec 07 - 05:09 AM

Oh John, but he was a mighty bast....

What with Rudd in Bali, I wonder if we can persuade the inimitable Mr Dengate to do a parody on that good old song with the chorus "I been to Bali too!"... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 13 Dec 07 - 07:26 AM

Oh, yes he was, John - mighty in his own estimation!

Which is why the gods (aka. the Bennelong electorate) brought him down.

Robin - I've passed on your request to John, tho as "The email is down" (Shiny Bum song) when I saw John & Dale on Tuesday I dunno if they will get it immediately, so I'll call tomorrow.

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: GUEST,Dale
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 03:47 AM

'Always scribbling Mr Gibbons' as George 111 said to the writer of centuries of English history tome. So John is writing lots about current activities of pollies, but many only get a verse or to and are rejected...you should try writing a song or tow youraelf. It only looks easy when it works. Most go in the bin.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 05:01 AM

"It only looks easy when it works. Most go in the bin."

:-) - you can see what got thru the mill from me in the last few years - the only ones worth keeping have been posted here... :-)

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 16 Dec 07 - 07:50 AM

ohh, the email wasn't down! Good thing, cos I forgot to call.

hello, Dale

sandra

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 05:35 AM

I don't know if this will help our US friends understand our Aussie election porcess at all...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Hanson gets $200,000 electoral windfall
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22944612-29277,00.html?from=public_rss

By Kate Corbett

December 18, 2007 07:25pm
Article from: AAP

PAULINE Hanson's United Australia Party has secured more than $200,000 in electoral funding, despite neither of its candidates getting into Federal Parliament.

In August, Ms Hanson angrily rejected suggestions she was running for Parliament just to raise money for herself.

The former One Nation leader spent 11 weeks in jail in 2003 for electoral fraud before her conviction was overturned on appeal and she was released.

Today, her newly formed party received $202,440 from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on the strength of its performance in the 2007 federal election.

Candidates and political parties are eligible for AEC funding if they receive at least four per cent of formal first-preference votes in a federal poll.

That means not only winners receive the money, and candidates like Ms Hanson can still benefit.

The payment comes in two stages.

The first payment, issued 20 days after the election, accounts for 95 per cent of the total amount.

The remainder is paid after all voting is finalised.

In the first round of payments, seven parties and 15 independent candidates have received payments, adding up to a total of $46.54 million.

As expected, the Australian Labor Party earned the biggest payment - $20.9 million, while the Liberals received $17.2 million, the Australian Greens $4.1 million, and the Nationals $3 million.

Among the independents, senator Nick Xenophon received the highest payment of $296,627, almost triple that of Tony Windsor who received the second biggest amount of $105,217.

At the 2004 federal election, the AEC paid out $41.9 million to 10 parties and 15 independent candidates.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 10:10 AM

I've just set up a photo website for my folk club & included a set of pics on the election.

Election results Nov 24th @ The Dog

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 04:24 PM

'The former One Nation leader spent 11 weeks in jail in 2003 for electoral fraud before her conviction was overturned on appeal and she was released.'

    'Today, her newly formed party received $202,440 from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on the strength of its performance in the 2007 federal election.'



                           That'll teach 'em to throw her in jail!

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 18 Dec 07 - 07:21 PM

are you as cynical as us?

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: The Fooles Troupe
Date: 19 Dec 07 - 04:49 AM

I'm NOT making this up, honest!


Nats MP wants One Nation in Coalition
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22949633-29277,00.html?from=public_rss

By Gabrielle Dunlevy

December 19, 2007 06:45pm
Article from: AAP

A NORTH Queensland Nationals MP says One Nation and Family First should be drawn into any merger of the state Coalition.

Mirani MP Ted Malone said the conservative parties must join forces in order to have any chance of winning government at the next election.

Mr Malone said a merger of the Liberal and National parties could serve to split the conservative vote among people who felt left behind.

"All that will happen is we will leave behind some of the conservative voters in Queensland to support other parties that will ultimately divide the vote," he said.

Mr Malone said the parties could work well together, despite their differences.

"These groups of people would actually be a lot closer than the people who represent the Labor party," he said.

"The gambit and spread of policies and interest groups in that segment of our community would be far wider than it would be under a situation where we are representing all conservative forces."

The federal Nationals joined the Liberals last week in announcing a review into their poor electoral performance, while preliminary discussions are underway in Queensland to form a single conservative force.

Federal Nationals leader Warren Truss called on the conservative parties to explore the option of merging, but said a national merger was a "big ask".

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Riginslinger
Date: 19 Dec 07 - 03:54 PM

"are you as cynical as us?"


                  Yeah! Check out the election stolen in Ohio thread.

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Rowan
Date: 30 Apr 08 - 01:15 AM

'The former One Nation leader spent 11 weeks in jail in 2003 for electoral fraud before her conviction was overturned on appeal and she was released.'

    'Today, her newly formed party received $202,440 from the Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) on the strength of its performance in the 2007 federal election.'

And now there's an investigation into where the latest lot of money from the AEC has got to; apparently it's in an account that it shouldn't be in. Could she be a slow learner?

And, for those of you interested in the Chaser team's test of APEC security in Sydney last year, the charges against them were dropped.

Cheers, Rowan

Subject: RE: BS: Oz Prime Minister loses seat in election
From: Sandra in Sydney
Date: 30 Apr 08 - 04:52 AM

Chaser charges dropped!