Today, Australia woke up to a minority government with Labor clinging to power thanks to the support of a handful of independents. The forming of a new government is always a big day for newspapers — the analysis, the vox-pops, the cartoons and, most importantly, the front page.
On election eve the editorship of Australia’s major metropolitan newspapers threw their hats (probably not a Katter-esque Akubra) behind either Gillard or Abbott. They instructed their readers as to why the newspaper was leaning a certain way.
So here we compare today’s newspaper front pages to whom the newspaper endorsed before we went to the polls on August 21:
The Australian:
What they said:
“It comes down to a question of trust in a contest between a leader who learned his trade under Mr Howard and one who served under Mr Rudd. On those grounds, we endorse Mr Abbott as our 28th prime minister.”
Today’s front page:
The Daily Telegaph:
What they said:
“Labor is in a sick state. It needs to heal itself and only a stint in opposition can give it the opportunity to rediscover its moral compass.”
Today’s front page:
The Herald Sun:
What they said:
“Without any great enthusiasm, we believe Mr Abbott and the Coalition are best placed to lead Australia. Labor is bloodied by its swift removal of Mr Rudd and remains equally accountable for the mistakes he made. The insulation batts scheme, the BER chaos and the confusion over the climate change debate will be writ large in the history books.”
Today’s front page:
The Sydney Morning Herald:
What they said:
“…we believe Labor at a federal level deserves another chance.”
Today’s front page:
The Age:
What they said:
“The Age believes the government should be returned, because of … successful economic stewardship and so that it can resume the project of adapting Australia to meet the challenges of the 21st century.”
Today’s front page:
The Courier Mail:
What they said:
“We know well what Mr Abbott stands for because his positions are well chronicled. Like this newspaper, he stands for the strength of free enterprise empowered by less regulation and lower taxes. So does his party. The nation will be better for their return to government.”
Today’s front page:
The Adelaide Advertiser:
What they said:
“As close as it will be, Ms Gillard and Labor should be given a second chance.”
Today’s front page:
The West Australian:
What they said (not online):
“Tony Abbott has offered to scrap the tax, lifting a yoke that will constrain WA’s prosperity. For this reason, The West Australian believes a vote for the coalition is the safest option for the future of WA and for the nation as a whole.”
Today’s front page:
And the others…
The NT News, never one for a mundane front page, has gone for a breakfast cereal feel.
The Illawarra Mercury, in separating from the pack, has run with a Brady Bunch theme…
“Our C-Mail” forgot to mention the main reason “it was touting their “Murdoch Coal-ition”” – “”Friday” has an “a” and at least one other vowel in it”!
So nice to live in a country with a ‘free press’, isn’t it?