The Australian General Election has called for September 7 2013.

Who would you vote for?

(Note for poll: Greens = left, Labor = center-left, Liberals = center-right.)

Poll: Who would you vote for in the Australian General Election?

Labor (157)

37%

Liberals (123)

29%

Greens (109)

26%

Other (31)

7%

420 total votes

Your vote: Who would you vote for in the Australian General Election?

(Vote): Labor
(Vote): Liberals
(Vote): Greens
(Vote): Other

Poll: Who would you like to win Prime Minster in the upcoming election?

Kevin Rudd (127)

78%

Tony Abbott (36)

22%

163 total votes

Your vote: Who would you like to win Prime Minster in the upcoming election?

(Vote): Kevin Rudd
(Vote): Tony Abbott

valheru

Australia815 Posts

January 30 2013 09:07 GMT

I think a lot of people's opinion on this (and one I share) is that "I don't want to vote for anyone I just want to vote against someone". I have a rather low opinion of politics in Australia nowadays.
That being said I would vote for Labor because just not Abbott.

EDIT: Hey triple sevens.
EDIT: Actually no I'll vote Greens 1 but Labor 2 but a Greens vote is pretty much wasted but on the off chance neither of the two big parties get in and someone with a (hopefully existent) spine gets in...

ManicMarine

Australia388 Posts

January 30 2013 09:09 GMT

Greens voter here, although mainly I just share Valheru's opinion of 'anything but Abbott'. Was a Labor voter but couldn't stand the intra-party politics.

rob.au

553 Posts

January 30 2013 12:40 GMT

Cracks me up that you vote greens thinking it doesn't matter, it's why we got a carbon tax despite the overwelming majority of Australians voting for parties that were not going to implement one.

paralleluniverse

3953 Posts

January 30 2013 12:55 GMT

On January 30 2013 21:40 rob.au wrote:
Cracks me up that you vote greens thinking it doesn't matter, it's why we got a carbon tax despite the overwelming majority of Australians voting for parties that were not going to implement one.

Mitt Romney's economic adviser Greg Mankiw:
http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/a-reading-for-pigou-club_24.html
http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/a-reading-for-pigou-club.html
http://gregmankiw.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/a-cartoon-for-pigou-club.html

Even right-wing, conservative, American economists agree with a carbon tax. Indeed, anyone who's taken a 1st year microeconomics course would easily understand that carbon is an externality and hence a carbon tax is good policy,

AssyrianKing

Australia1947 Posts

January 30 2013 12:56 GMT

They are all bad...

BoxingKangaroo

Japan877 Posts

January 30 2013 12:59 GMT

I seriously doubt that the major parties will start their full campaigns now (too expensive). All this talk of an 8-month campaign is silly.

At the same time, it's naiive to think that parties wait for the official announcement before getting into 'campaign mode', as if announcing it later would spare us from electioneering in an election year.

At least this way, we are spared all the endless, groundless speculation about when the election will be called. I'm pretty grateful for that.

Meatex

Australia283 Posts

January 30 2013 13:00 GMT

Anyone btter than current prime minister what with her illegal activities in the past that she has covered up

paralleluniverse

3953 Posts

January 30 2013 13:04 GMT

On January 30 2013 22:00 Meatex wrote:
Anyone btter than current prime minister what with her illegal activities in the past that she has covered up

lol

There is no evidence of illegal activities. Just wild and baseless rumors.

Aeropunk

Australia236 Posts

January 30 2013 13:10 GMT

#10

On January 30 2013 21:56 PiPoGevy wrote:
They are all bad...

That's pretty close to my views on the matter. I'm voting Liberal, because they'll screw up the economy a lot less than a Gillard led Labor will.

paralleluniverse

3953 Posts

January 30 2013 13:18 GMT

#11

On January 30 2013 22:10 Aeropunk wrote:

Show nested quote +

That's pretty close to my views on the matter. I'm voting Liberal, because they'll screw up the economy a lot less than a Gillard led Labor will.

What exactly about the economy is screwed up?

Have a look at GDP growth, the unemployment rate and inflation in the US, UK, Europe and Japan. Then look at Australia.

DropBear

Australia2727 Posts

January 30 2013 13:19 GMT

#12

Neither side has any policies bar the other side are idiots. Neither leader is qualified to run things and there aren't any obvious alternatives.

Totally voting sex party. I don't care who wins so long as there isn't another minority government, one side needs a majority this time.

Also lol at how quickly this thread has produced unbridled idiocy. Pretty much sums up Aussie politics

paralleluniverse

3953 Posts

January 30 2013 13:22 GMT

#13

On January 30 2013 22:19 DropBear wrote:
Neither side has any policies bar the other side are idiots. Neither leader is qualified to run things and there aren't any obvious alternatives.

Totally voting sex party. I don't care who wins so long as there isn't another minority government, one side needs a majority this time

Hell, no. The minority government is the best thing to happen to Australian politics after Rudd was removed.

I cannot bring myself to vote for Gillard given that she's a pathological and proven liar and a horrible person. With a minority government, I can vote for the Greens and have Labor policies without voting for Labor and without having Labor in power in it's own right.

paralleluniverse

3953 Posts

February 04 2013 07:57 GMT

#14

DESPITE last week's excitement, Julia Gillard's early announcement of the election date is unlikely to change much. It's certainly unlikely to change many voters' perceptions on a key election issue: her ability as an economic manager.

It's long been clear from polling that the electorate doesn't regard the government as good at managing the economy.

Why this should be so is a puzzle. As Gillard rightly claimed last week: ''As the global economy still splutters, unlike the rest of the world we have managed our economy so we have low inflation, low interest rates, low unemployment, solid growth, strong public finances and a triple-A rating with a stable outlook from all three of the major ratings agencies.''

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/why-voters-believe-the-economy-is-in-trouble-20130203-2dsgp.html

x2fst

1272 Posts

February 04 2013 08:01 GMT

#15

what a joke election, every option is stupid. guess it's sex party again

ShadeR

Australia6925 Posts

February 04 2013 08:03 GMT

#16

As of right now for me its a toss up between the sex party or donkey vote.

paralleluniverse

3953 Posts

February 04 2013 08:04 GMT

#17

The Liberals now wants the Navy to tow refugee boats in international waters back to Sri Lanka.

This is ridiculous, probably illegal, and an embarrassment to the country. What other country tows boats of refugees back to their origin?

And if the boats are in international waters, what right does the Australian Navy have to tow them? According the the UN, the way that Australia treats refugees is already a disgrace, and inconsistent with international rules. We don't need an even worse and more heartless reputation.

RowdierBob

Australia12013 Posts

February 04 2013 08:10 GMT

#18

Things will be fine either way.

People like to bitch and moan about our politicians but both sides do a decent enough job. As long as they don't meddle too drastically in our business interests, she'll be right mate.

Liberal, Labor--it's all pretty much the same. Most of their differences are on values based issues anyway.

Brett

Australia3815 Posts

February 04 2013 08:11 GMT

#19

+1 to the "anyone but Abbott" vote. To be frank, nobody has demonstrated that they are worthy of my vote at this point, so I really don't know what I'll be doing come election time.

Jisall

United States1769 Posts

February 04 2013 08:11 GMT

#20

Australia has elections???

Lol. Yet another reason to love the land down under