WELL, it’s silly season again — no not Christmas, the unofficial State election campaign.
All the telltale signs are there, candidates cars decked out not with tinsel but election signage, and pollies of all persuasions attending even the opening of a flower show.
Hats off to Bass Liberal candidate David Fry whose 4WD can be seen parked in prominent positions around Launceston complete with a larger than life head shot.
My mind harked back to the last Federal election when several Michael Ferguson signs were changed from ‘Liberal for Bass’ to ‘liar or ass,’ hats off for originality.
Both Labor and Liberal have wheeled out that proverbial dead horse ‘we won’t govern in minority or do a deal with the greens.’
If the electorate delivers a hung-parliament then what can Tasmania expect. In the worst-case scenario we could go back to the polls again but it’s far more likely Labor would govern in minority. Mainly because Labor seems the only party that could go close to obtaining a majority and the fact that the Liberal Party has their ‘no deals charter’ with their leader challenging Paul Lennon to sign it.
If Labor was to govern in minority than Premier Lennon would have to tone things down a bit. A highly bemused press gallery is still talking about his tirade that blamed them for everything. You could actually see his moustache bristling. He reminded many of Yosemite Sam complete with foot stomping, all he had to change was ‘blast that flammin rabbit’ to ‘blast those flammin greens.’
Where were the minders, and just what was he thinking?
He should be happy he already knows one of his Christmas presents is the Meander Dam. After minor hiccups like not being approved at tribunal stage (which the government then bypassed) and not enough private investment (they just threw more money at it).
Betfair is in the bag and according to the Premier the Community Forests Agreement has ended the forestry debate; someone should tell the greens.
Brett Whiteley delivered the best line of the year
Perhaps the best line of the year goes to Brett Whiteley who described one of his political opponents as ‘Paris Giddings.’ “I keep getting her confused with Paris Hilton as both seem to have their faces plastered all over the place,’” Mr Whiteley exclaimed.
Ms Giddings does seem to be the current Labor spokeswoman for everything. However what kind of politician calls a rally of 2500 people ‘irrelevant and reckless?’’ These people vote and the last time the Albert Hall saw scenes like that we all know what happened.
It could be argued that the actions of the Pulp Mill Task Force were equally reckless, especially when it got to the point that the RPDC had to ask ask for them to be ‘reigned in.’
But what about the Liberals?
Hopefully someone has bought Rene Hidding a personally signed copy of Bob Cheek’s book.
Whatever happened to all of Mr Hidding’s threats to sue for defamation and `to use every means at my family’s disposal in fighting this books publication?’
It seems all Mr Hidding wants for Christmas is everything Paul Lennon has.
Not many policies either just the old school yard diatribe of “yeah but we would do it better than them.”
The State Liberals may pay for the sins of the father as a result of their Federal counterparts megalomaniacal Work Choices Bill, with many voters failing to make the distinction between State and Federal Liberal.
Phoenix is “fascinated observer of the Tasmanian political process.”
