September 7, 2010

A re-elected government, and the talking points that flow

So, we finally know who’s going to be running the show until the next election. And we’ve already seen the start of the Coalition’s talking points in response to their loss – but more on that later.

When Bob Katter appeared alone to declare his support for the Coalition, there was likely a moment of delight on the conservative camp before they realised what one of the three amigos appearing alone likely meant. Having spent 17 days talking about voting as a bloc, the most obvious reason for Bob Katter to be speaking alone was that he was also . . . → :: Read More ::

September 4, 2010

Nothing surprising has happened, so why are people surprised?

In the last week, the general perception of Australia’s latest season of So You Think You Can Govern has shifted. In the aftermath of the election, despite a hung parliament, most commentators seemed to consider an Abbott government to be a foregone conclusion. In the last few days, that has changed, with Gillard now the hot favourite to get a majority. What I’m struggling to understand is why there’s been such a dramatic turnaround – not in the likelihood of Gillard forming government, but in people’s perception of such. Nothing has changed in the last week. Nothing has come . . . → :: Read More ::