Tuesday 8th of October 2024

behind Family First and the Fishing Party....

pauline plus

from Jeremy Buckingham

I’m currently locked in a ‘neck-and-redneck’ battle with Pauline Hanson to win the final seat for the Greens in the NSW Legislative Council. At the moment I’m in front, but Hanson is catching up on below-the-line votes.

Labor are keen to distract the public from their incredible electoral demise and so they and sections of the media are trying to blame the Greens for Hanson’s near success.

Labor machine men Luke Foley and Anthony Albanese have been peddling the idea that the Greens decision not to recommend a preference to Labor in the Upper House has somehow helped Pauline Hanson. This is absolute garbage.

Labor performed so poorly that their candidate for the final seat, Andrew Ferguson, is now behind both Family First and the Fishing Party. Labor cannot beat Hanson, only the Greens can. Ironically, it is Labor’s preferences that will likely decide whether Pauline Hanson or the Greens win the final seat in the upper house.

However, News Limited’s David Penberthy, printed Labor’s spin and then went further, falsely claiming “the Greens chose to direct preferences to the One Nation founder ahead of the ALP”. This is not true.

Penberthy has refused to correct his article. Instead he has doubled-down and showcasing his spectacular lack of understanding of the NSW electoral system on Monday he wrote:

Preferences from Green voters have exhausted or gone to minor party candidates, which at this stage of counting has in Hanson’s case put her in front of the ALP for the final Upper House spot.

Again this is simply not true. The battle between Pauline Hanson and the Greens has so far been fought entirely on primary votes. No preferences have yet been allocated in the count.

http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/55402.html

factional thugsters...

Assistant Treasurer Bill Shorten has rejected Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd's suggestions that "factional thugsters" are ruling the New South Wales Labor Party.

Labor has gone into damage control after Mr Rudd's appearance on ABC's Q&A on Monday night.

In an apparent breach of cabinet confidentiality, the former prime minister revealed his cabinet was deeply split over an emissions trading scheme - the issue that ultimately led to his replacement.

Mr Rudd also labelled the NSW election right a "torpedo" in the side of the ALP.

He said "factional thugsters" are intimidating the party, and added that Labor MPs should be able to have a say without fear of retribution.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/05/3183171.htm?section=justin

extreme right wedgy...

Former One Nation leader Pauline Hanson looks likely to claim the last seat in the New South Wales Upper House.

The result will be officially declared tomorrow, more than two weeks after the state election.

ABC election analyst Antony Green estimates Ms Hanson has a lead of more than 6,000 votes over Greens candidate Jeremy Buckingham, who is also vying for the final position.

With 91 per cent of the vote counted, the Coalition has secured 11 of the 21 Upper House seats.

Labor secured five, the Greens two, and the Shooters and Christian Democrats each have one.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/11/3187519.htm

see toon at top...

stop press...

Despite being well ahead on the primary votes, Ms Hanson was overtaken by Greens and Liberal-Nationals candidates when preferences were distributed today.

Ms Hanson stood as an independent candidate at the state election on March 26, having severed formal links with One Nation, the party she co-founded.

http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/hanson-fails-to-win-seat-in-nsw-20110412-1dbuy.html