Australia election rivals neck and neck

[pampango]

Source: BBC



Campaigning in Australia's national elections has entered its last day with the two main parties neck and neck.

An opinion poll suggested the governing Labor Party had lost its narrow lead to be tied with the opposition coalition.

Julia Gillard, Australia's first female prime minister, is facing a fight to the finish with centre-right coalition leader Tony Abbott. But correspondents say she faces a backlash at the ballot box over a range of issues including the way she replaced Mr Rudd and her policy direction on climate change.

According to the survey by Newspoll for The Australian newspaper on Friday, voters were split 50-50 between the two main parties. A Newspoll survey on Monday had put Labor at 52% and the Liberals at 48

Read more: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11033157

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Gillard has unveiled her climate change plans in Brisbane. It includes a 150-person citizens assembly to work on a consensus for climate change<51> and a crackdown on dirty power plants, a $1 billion investment into greening the electricity grid and also further investment into green technology. A $2000 subsidy for cashing in old cars was also announced to reduce pollution. Reaction to this by Australian businesses has been positive.

Gillard has expressed a pro-choice position on abortion saying that "Women without money would be left without that choice or in the hands of backyard abortion providers" and that she understood "the various moral positions" regarding abortions.

Gillard has made clear she does not support the legalisation of gay marriage, saying that she believes "the Marriage Act is appropriate in its current form, that is recognising that marriage is between a man and a woman".

Gillard was brought up in the Baptist tradition, but is not religious. In a 2010 interview when asked if she believed in God, Gillard stated: "No I don't ... I'm not a religious person ... a great respecter of religious beliefs but they're not my beliefs."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Julia_Gillard

[daleo]

1. Australia has a run-off system, or something like that

I think Labour has an advantage in second preferences. She may not be perfect, but I think her position on global warming is better than her opponent's.

[John Q. Citizen]

2. wow, an avowed non-believer. I hope she pulls it out!

[canetoad]

7. She will John Q

with a reduced majority and a large chunk of Greens senators. I'm good about predicting stuff like this.

[Dawson Leery]

8. How much of a reduced majority?

76 seats is what is needed. Will she have a buffer of a few seats?
Will the greens assist Labor on key votes in the Senate?

[Dawson Leery]

3. Abbott is Palin-style nut.

[canetoad]

10. Not true

We have no Palin-esque politicians on our federal horizon simply because the system is different. Abbott may be conservative and openly catholic but he at least has an education.

Truth be told, Abbott would be an assett if he were a Labor politician.

[Dawson Leery]

11. I based my view on hearing him speak about

his religion and economic policy. Perhaps there is something good in him in terms of policy?

[Kringle]

4. was this election really necessary? .nt

[Dawson Leery]

5. Why do you ask this?

[Kringle]

6. was there a confidence vote, that failed? .nt

[canetoad]

9. Yes Kringle it was necessary

The term for a Federal government is 3 years. Last Federal election was in 2007.

Your turn. Tell me what you believe 'confidence vote' means, cos I sure as hell don't know.

[Kringle]

12. my undrstanding is, in certain parliamentary systems,

if certain budget bills fail,
the gov't falls

[pampango]

13. "Immigration Key As Australians Go To Polls"

Another poll suggests one of the key issues in the campaign is immigration, with 69% saying the country is taking in too many newcomers.

Although the country is huge, most of the centre is inhospitable, with the vast majority living along the coast. Every year the population rises by more than 2%, with a net annual influx of 300,000 people. In per capita terms, that's more than four times higher than migration levels to the UK or the US. Both parties have pledged to halve that figure.

Most people living in the country illegally are European or American visitors who overstay their visas, but in an election campaign it is simpler to blame the refugees who try to get into the country by boat, even though they make up only 1% of the total. Mr Abbott has promised he will "stop the boats".

"There is a world of difference between people who arrive with documents by air and then overstay their visas and people who arrive unsafely, with no documents by boat," he said.

"Stop the boats" seems to be the conservative Australian version of our republican "Secure the borders" mantra.

"Mr. Abbott: There is a world of difference between people who arrive with documents by air and then overstay their visas and people who arrive unsafely, with no documents by boat" - One big difference that most of the former are Americans and Europeans and all the latter are Asians.