tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post7402656306566299996..comments2023-12-06T00:23:28.790+11:00Comments on Press gallery reform: Andrew Elderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-52323755873831284602008-12-18T21:37:00.000+11:002008-12-18T21:37:00.000+11:00NZ system: different, I'll grant you ... but bette...NZ system: different, I'll grant you ... but better? I thought Clark disgraced herself by doing a deal with Winston Peters and the NZ Greens gained about as much as Meg Lees did when she passed the GST.Andrew Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-35786013114017587832008-12-18T15:46:00.000+11:002008-12-18T15:46:00.000+11:00Oops -- boy, is my face red.By breakdown of the du...Oops -- boy, is my face <I>red</I>.<BR/><BR/>By breakdown of the duopoly, I didn't mean Prime Minister Barnaby storming the citadel, Treasurer Brown by his side. I meant a move closer to the German or New Zealand model, whereby no party can hold a majority and genuine negotiations are required with minor parties. The Coalition is largely nominal, and has been for decades -- it's a party, just not organised as one.<BR/><BR/>Even in so-called 'multi-party' systems, there really are almost no countries where more than two parties have a genuine chance of forming government -- there are two broad-based parties, who will provide the prime minister, and masses on either side. The Nationals' power was originally based on their potential to bring down the government by crossing the floor -- a laughable prospect today, but they will only regain some purpose if that possibility is regained.Douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06345079564133624529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-25291251184601449402008-12-17T10:59:00.000+11:002008-12-17T10:59:00.000+11:00No, it'll be Labor and Liberal with the Nats joini...No, it'll be Labor and Liberal with the Nats joining the Greens etc. as "honest brokers" - little honesty but plenty broke.<BR/><BR/>My favourite example of Nat pragmatism was their railing against communism while at the same time selling wheat-n-wool to the USSR and what was then known as "Red China". The kind of duplicity involved in the oil-for-food scandal is eminently understandable in that light.<BR/><BR/>If Whitlam were reading this he'd pick you up on your spelling of 'unrepentant', comrade.Andrew Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-14083393923942839252008-12-16T22:29:00.000+11:002008-12-16T22:29:00.000+11:00Excellent analysis, Andrew. The Nationals are a su...Excellent analysis, Andrew. The Nationals are a subject of constant fascination to me: they're a party with a constituency but not much ideology. No other party is QUITE so blatant about being in it entirely to score favours for their constituents.<BR/><BR/>Of course, the natural extension of such a purpose would be a National Party that sold itself to the highest bidder at each election. Royalties for Regions, the WA Nats plan, is far more left-wing in its big-government, big-spending, egalitarian intent than anything Carpenter had on offer. A Barnabised National Party with only vague social objectives (because really, banning gay marriage doesn't buy tractors) but a clear commitment to populist economics (Whitlamist in its spending, Ruddist in its pragmatism) would be a very dangerous political player -- dangerous, that is, for the major parties. Such a party could even compete in the 'provincial' heartland of Labor, the Hunter and the Illawarra.<BR/><BR/>Could our two-party duopoly be on the verge of collapse?Douglashttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06345079564133624529noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-85812689430915138382008-12-14T16:18:00.000+11:002008-12-14T16:18:00.000+11:00Too early to tell, wishful thinking on your part I...Too early to tell, wishful thinking on your part I suspect.Andrew Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-30808980226873119932008-12-14T15:50:00.000+11:002008-12-14T15:50:00.000+11:00excellent analysis. The LNP will fragment whenever...excellent analysis. The LNP will fragment whenever the next Qld state election is called so its all upside for Labor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-8925270575447841522008-12-14T13:33:00.000+11:002008-12-14T13:33:00.000+11:00That's why three-cornered contests (Nat-ALP-Libera...That's why three-cornered contests (Nat-ALP-Liberal) are no bad thing for the Coalition, JM - the Labor vote generally goes down. The Queensland ALP have learned that porkbarrelling works for them and the environment is the loser as a result.Andrew Elderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04705844456819481896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-22534369.post-66727556896455857182008-12-13T22:14:00.000+11:002008-12-13T22:14:00.000+11:00"Barnabyites" Interesting viewpoint Andrew.In f..."Barnabyites" Interesting viewpoint Andrew.<BR/><BR/>In fact, your outline here used to be (many decades ago) a commonplace of Australian politics:- the Country Party will go with whatever party gives them the most.<BR/><BR/>I recall at the time of the Gair appointment to Ireland that Whitlam/Sneddon managed a sort of joint soundbite revolving around "the old whore of Australian politics" with Whitlam referring to the Country Party and Sneddon getting confused.<BR/><BR/>Your analysis also reflects the actual vote flow in the bush - if there isn't a National party candidate then many of those votes can end up going to the ALP as the rural poor can't bring themselves to vote for Liberal city slickers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com