Note to readers. I am treating this post as my Monday Forum post. I am told that the debate got better during the Q&As. Maybe I'm wrong in my initial reaction, but I found myself disappointed and quite angry. What was your reaction to the debate? What did you learn from it that was new in terms of policies, style of government?
This will be tomorrow's post. I'm sorry, but I switched the debate off. This is what I wrote on Twitter:
What a boring lot of twaddle. I switched off the Rudd v Abbott debate. It's like listening to a narrow middle management job interview.
Seriously, and maybe it improved later with questions, but it was the most boring job interview I ever heard. I wanted to know what both thought were the key issues for our future, a bit of high level stuff backed up later in questions with additional details. What should we aim for over the next three years, how might we get there?
Surely that's not too much to ask? It doesn't have to be perfect, but it gives me a basis for choice. To the degree that each leads a team, I wouldn't vote for either.
How about something like this. "I will leave the detail to the questions. In the short time I have, I want to tell you about the most pressing challenges Australia faces and what we will do to address them."
6 comments:
old lefties like me harbour fears that Abbott's lack of policy stems from wanting to hide his actual plan
said plan being the same savage austerity that has failed again and again wherever it has been applied
cutting spending and public service jobs and government payments serves only as a triple brake to bring the economy to a screeching halt
I didn't tune in. From all reports I didn't miss anything.
Does the text of the speech being in writing mean we should believe what Tony says?
I've never been so disgusted by Aus's politicians as I am now - and that is saying a lot.
I think people must have forgotten what a Rudd government was like - or maybe they just loathe Tony and don't understand that they can vote for someone other than the majors
I can understand your concern, old leftie. Austerity isn't always a bad thing, depends on circumstance. The Howard Government could have been more austere instead of doing things like freezing petrol excise or other things that I could name. But mindless austerity is a real problem to my minds.
The press coverage coverage caught it pretty well, Evan, although there were some variations in perceptions on who "won". Clearly the Q&As were better. I haven't checked on whether or not there is a transcript yet, but I will read that.
I don't have much to say about the 'debate', mainly because I don't think they had much to say either. I live in hope that we will get some sort of inkling shortly about the financial side of the LNP policies, because that always interests me.
Instead I spent Monday night and yesterday on a flying visit to Canberra to see my two little granddaughters, including a visit to the National Arboretum:
http://www.nationalarboretum.act.gov.au/visit/arboretum-highlights
- which I expect will become another 'must visit' place over the next few years as it develops - much like the Black Mountain bottanical gardens. Recommended!
Driving around Canberra early Tuesday, at a very busy intersection, in bitter winds and light rain, I chanced upon a candidate standing in the back of a ute smiling and waving at the passing cars. His umbrella was half broken, and his signs had mostly ripped off - dunno what party. Pointless, really.
There must be easier ways of making a career change.
kvd
Sounds a good trip, kvd. I haven't been to the arboretum. Well, on your last point, speaking as a former preselection candidate and party official, a little bit of insanity helps!
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