The election is officially up and running. The various parties can use all the bus's, cars and planes that they decorated in the party colours for the NSW election, just finished. Already the party leaders are about in their hard hats and Day-Glo vests showing the media that they are just common working men.
Scott Morrison is keeping his schedule secret on rumours that the opposition has hired Rent-A-Crowd to hijack his election speeches.
The Australian Federal Election will be on Saturday the 18th of May 2019. The nomination of candidates will close on Tuesday 23rd of April 2019. There are 19 MP's and Senators who have decided not to recontest their seats: 7 Labor; 11 Coalition; 1 independent.
During the last parliament a number of sitting members either resigned or were dismissed by the High Court for failing to comply with Section 44 of the Constitution. Theoretically, a candidate cannot nominate if disqualified by Section 44! Section 44 summarised is, a person cannot nominate if the person:
- Is a dual citizen.
- Has served more than 1 year in prison.
- Is a traitor.
- Is an undischarged bankrupt or insolvent.
- Holds any office of profit under the Crown.
- Has any financial interest or agreement with the Public Service.
Already three Coalition candidates have withdrawn because of Section 44, they didn't know who they were. One Labor candidate has withdrawn because her Palestine views were incompatible with party policy. At least she knew what the policy was.
Melissa Price (Coalition Federal Environment Minister) has rocked the election boat by approving a groundwater management scheme for a mine proposed by Indian mining giant Adani. Adani still needs nine approvals from the Queensland government. Many protestors think foreign investors just see Australia as a convenient hole in the ground.
Bill Shorten has been berated by a TV interviewer for refusing to answer questions about climate change and policy costings. Being vague about costings is one of the issues that the NSW Labor leader was guilty of, and he lost the election. Bill has had many weeks to prepare for probing interviews and failing to do his homework may mean he fails his end of term exam.
We are hearing the same answers over and over when election
candidates are asked
'tough' questions on talk back radio, and they often respond by
chanting
a mantra of party policy.
Billionaire Clive Palmer (United Australia Party ) has spent an
estimated $21.6 million dollars on advertising across TV, print and
radio with another $6 million to be spent on an ad blitz two weeks
before the election. In contrast all major parties combined spent $16
million in total for the last election. Palmer has candidates in all
150 lower house seats. I presume he has checked they all comply with
Section 44. Considering how he was treated by the major parties last
time he was elected, it looks like another revenge issue. As an aside,
he has promised to pay out his sacked Queensland workers.
The Labor party has been noted for its large tax increases when in government and of course frivolous spending by Kevin Rudd (ex Labor Prime Minister). Josh Frydenberg (Coalition Treasurer) claims that the spending announced by Shorten (Labor) will cost $387 billion, the equivalent of an extra yearly tax bill of $5,400 per household. Treasury denies giving him those figures.
It is a fact that some opinion polls cherry pick the data they use. My family have instances where they have been unceremoniously cut off answering if they give the 'wrong answers'. It has been revealed that one company,Melbourne-based uComms, is owned by ultra left wing unions and it gave incorrect misleading polling results for the recent NSW election. Adolf Hitler said that 'if you tell the lie enough times people will believe it'. The most accurate opinion poll is likely to be the bookmakers whose profits depend on having accurate information.
Referring to bookmakers sportsbet, Tab and Beteasy the latest prices for the next sworn in government are:
| Party | sportsbet | Tab | Beteasy |
| Labor | 1.18 | 1.18 | 1.18 |
| Coalition | 4.75 | 4.25 | 4.75 |
| Greens | 201.00 | 301.00 | |
| One Nation | 251.00 | 501.00 | |
The Coalition price is easing slowly, Clive Palmer is being ignored.
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