Hung Parliament in Australian 2010 Federal Election

Aug 222010

Hung Parliament in Australian 2010 Federal Election August 22, 2010 Posted by Peter Hallam at 12:57 pm News Media, Politics Tagged with: alp, australian electorate, federal election, former prime minister, greens, hung parliament, independents, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, national vote, new south wales, power brokers, state of queensland, turmoil No Responses »

Kevin Rudd retains seat of Griffith in Brisbane

Hung Parliament Turmoil for Australian 2010 Election

The Australian 2010 Federal Election has seen the Australian Labor Party (ALP) haemorrhage support acquired during the 2007 Federal election.

Significant support from Queensland (QLD) and New South Wales (NSW) all but evaporated in response to the dumping of former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd by ALP party power brokers.

The dumping of Kevin Rudd as Prime Minister saw Julia Gillard, Australia’s first female Prime Minister rise to power and immediately call a national federal election.

Ms Gillard said at the time that she wanted to be “elected in her own right” in order to validate the action taken against Kevin Rudd.

However, the ‘back room’ tactics that saw the ousting of Kevin Rudd Continue reading »

Why Should I Vote Green

Aug 202010

Why Should I Vote Green August 20, 2010 Posted by Peter Hallam at 7:52 pm Gratitude, Health, Life the Universe and Everything, News Media, Politics, Space Cadet Stuff Tagged with: australian federal election, australians, bob brown, business benefits, clean energy, climate change, constructive role, dental care, future generations, greens, hallam, Julia Gillard, polluters, protecting the environment, stable climate, stimulus package, tony abbott, war in iraq No Responses »

Vote 1 - The Greens

Why Should I Vote Green in 2010?

This is why Peter Hallam is voting Green in the 21st August 2010 Australian Federal Election. You may like to consider this too. If you aren’t in Australia, or for that matter an Australian, do look into the policies you local Greens Party Candidate is promoting, and that of the Local Greens Party in your country. You may be pleasantly surprised. They are a real, stable, viable alternative to traditional conservative political parties.

Taken in its entirety from HERE, but it says it all.

The Greens stand up for what’s right, not just what’s easy. Whether it’s protecting the environment, introducing universal dental care, opposing the war in Iraq or advocating for refugees to be treated humanely, the Greens are driven by values, not polls. Continue reading »

Voting Preferences and Voting Green

Aug 172010

Voting Preferences and Voting Green August 17, 2010 Posted by Peter Hallam at 8:42 pm Business, News Media, Politics Tagged with: 15th august, australian greens party, australians, biggest party, climate action, electoral system, fairness, federal election, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, liberal national coalition, preference votes, preferential voting, record highs, senators, voting system No Responses »

Vote 1 - The Greens

Voting for a Greens Candidate

I read recently on the Australian Greens Party website that the way the Australian Preferences voting system lets you decide in order of priority how to allocate your vote.

One of the things I was interested in was told to me by a Liberal Campaigner outside Woolworth’s Supermarket on the Weekend of the 14th and 15th August when he said that there is no point voting for a minor party because they will not be recognised and that I should vote where my vote get someone actually elected into Parliament (then he handed me a Liberal / National LNP how policy card).

I found this on the Greens party website:

FICTION: A Green vote is a wasted vote.
FACT: Your vote for the Greens is never wasted. A vote for the Greens is a vote for the Greens – for real climate action, for fairness, for sustainability. Continue reading »

Why Kevin Rudd resigned as Prime Minister of Australia

Jun 242010

Why Kevin Rudd resigned as Prime Minister of Australia June 24, 2010 Posted by Peter Hallam at 4:11 pm News Media, Politics Tagged with: Back Bench, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Parliament, Prime Minister No Responses »

Kevin Rudd holds back tears during his resignation speech as Prime Minister.

As much as I am in favour of Julia Gillard as the first female Prime Minister in Australia’s history, and applaud the decision by the Labor Party to elect her as the First Female Prime Minister of Australia, the fall of Kevin Rudd was both underhanded and uncalled for.

The article by Ben Eltham in New Matilda is a pretty concise take on what many people knew to be coming, but which no one actually expected to happen.

Eltham says: A leader [Kevin Rudd] who had once been so popular and powerful finished his reign isolated and bewildered. For months now, support for the Prime Minister has been slipping away: in the polls, among factional power-brokers, and among the MPs and Senators of his party. Continue reading »

Julia Gillard First Female Prime Minister for Australia

Jun 242010

Julia Gillard First Female Prime Minister for Australia June 24, 2010 Posted by Peter Hallam at 8:36 am News Media, Politics Tagged with: Australian Prime Minister, Caucus, election, John Howard, Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, politics 2 Responses »

First Australian female Prime Minister - Julia Gillard

Female Prime Minister for Australia

Australia now has its first female Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

Supporters for Prime Minister Rudd acknowledged that Ms Gillard will take over as Prime Minister after a vote by caucus in Canberra this morning [Thursday 24th June].

This morning Ms Gillard’s supporters told Australia’s national broadcaster the ABC there was a push to get Mr Rudd not to contest the vote. Continue reading »