Did Australia vote for a party that had no intention of running the country? Scott Morrison’s new economic non-platform (which Bernard Keane calls a reheat of neoliberal cliches) seems to suggest so, and Crikey readers are inclined to agree. Elsewhere, readers discussed the damage to Queensland of courting the right-wing vote, and the injustice of Australia’s privacy laws.
On Morrison’s economic non-platform
Robert Smith writes: This is what we get from a mob who did not expect to be in government now. They spent the pre-election period trying to minimise the losses so had no agenda for anything much. Once they lost Turnbull’s seat and became a minority they basically shut down the Reps and did not have enough legislation to keep it occupied for the days it did meet. Congratulations Australia — this is what we voted for.
Venise Alstergen writes: Had the voters spared a few minutes of their time to notice how the Liberal Party was full of piss and wind they could at least have put them last in the voting poll. So here we are at the mercy of a troglodytic bunch of fifth-rate politicians, their lobby groups and the parliamentarians who grovel at the sight of religious crap.
Steven Westbrook writes: The ALP made some tentative steps to move away from neoliberalism and was punished. The irony is that the real elite actually practice crony capitalism. It is the aspirationals who are mug enough not to realise that the system is rigged against their dreams of making the A-list.
On Queensland
Hugh McColl writes: If Queensland Labor’s last minute election campaign Galilee Basin Pledge is anything to go by, both the party and its union/factional backers turned on greenish moderate supporters and went after the deeply unfaithful, dwindling, right-wing blue collar vote — which had already deserted to Hanson, Palmer and Katter. In Herbert, the Greens had a 1% surge, the Liberals a little more while Labor’s Cathy O’Toole took a 5% hit and bowed out. If Labor really is soul-searching it should stop looking on its feral right hand side.
On Australia’s privacy laws
Peter Wileman writes: Our government has gone to extraordinary lengths to ruin the life of a whistleblower who shone a light on our government’s criminal bugging of the government of Timor-Leste. Meanwhile the perpetrators go free. So, if they want to nail any of us, for any reason, what chance to we stand? Buckley’s!
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I as along time subscriber and keen reader of Crikey am very disappointed with the Michael McCormack article by Ben Pobjie published in the June 21 edition.
If it is meant to be a take-down of our deputy Prime Minister then that should have been mentioned, on the website it is classified as Humour.
Definitely not in the usual tone of the editions on Crikey.
To each his own, Brucie. For myself, I found it to be hilarious. The man wants to move the ABC to Wagga Wagga for some reason? If you are going to make stupid suggestions you will be called out on them.
Anyway, how did you find yourself to be here at Crikey? Shouldn’t you be listening to Alan Jones?
I think the lack of comments on this particular subject indicate the general feeling of shock and dismay that the Australian voters would vote for such a mob boofheads that provided no vision for the future and spent the whole of the election campaign rating and raving about what Labor were going to take away from them. I am ashamed to call myself a Queenslander,and Australian.