Humble servant of the Nation

Wentworth by-election the preface to electoral doom for the Coalition

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There’s one thing we can predict about the upcoming vote in Wentworth — it will be a Chris Gayle by-election. That is, it’s going to swing hard.

When unpopular governments begin the doleful trudge to the next election almost anything can trigger the descent into abject despondency.

At the fag-end of the Labor Kirner government in 1992, a government beset with turmoil, scandal and chaos, the tram drivers went on strike. Not only did the drivers pull the pin, they decided to make their displeasure known more starkly by driving trams up to the top of Bourke Street and along Spring Street, before parking them in long lines just outside Victoria’s Parliament House.

For the weeks the strike lasted the motionless conga line of trams remained. Labor MPs would look out their windows from their parliamentary offices at the traffic chaos below, shudder and draw the curtains before having a long lie down with a cold compress on their foreheads. It was an excruciating reminder when one really wasn’t needed of the belting that was coming their way.

Full column here.

261 Comments

  • Dismayed says:

    the latest conservative coalition PM sends his children to taxpayer funded Private schools because he does not want them “exposed to the values of others”and a program that arose from recommendations of 2016 Royal Commission into family violence, which “identified the critical role that schools and early childhood education have in creating a culture of respect to change the story of family violence for future generations”. makes his skin crawl. This is not a person that can lead and offer the Nation an inclusive vision. This type of toxic conservatism is NOT in the National interest.

  • Boadicea says:

    This latest full on riot in the streets of Collingwood could cost Daniel Andrews government. I thinkVictorians have had enough

    • John O'Hagan says:

      When you actually live here, the streets of Melbourne don’t resemble the front page of the Herald Sun. Sure it was a bad brawl, but I’ve seen worse in my travels. In fact, the worst I’ve seen was in Launceston! And as for scary street gangs, I’d rather be in Bogota than Albury-Wodonga on a Friday night.

  • Milton says:

    First time for a long time to watch q&a and for all the criticism of Alan Jones he has the numbers in front of him and is not scared of reminding people of the basic facts of Turnbull removing Nelson and Abbott. And in the latter case traducing Abbott’s landslide victory to a loss not seen since the sixties. Moreover, the great liberal leader, and party man, who got a record 38 negs. gives the FU to the party and to his seat of Wentworth. A coin toss between Rudd and Turnbull regarding their self assessment and their abilities. For mine, a tie. Both duds.

    • Dismayed says:

      Jones’s numbers are bullshit lies and worse. Wake up milton.

      • Carl on the Coast says:

        If you don’t actually listen to or watch Jones A, how can you dispute and describe his numbers in such an agrarian manner Dismayed?
        Or on the other hand, if you do actually watch and listen to Jones A, which numbers in particular do you have a problem with and why?

    • BASSMAN says:

      Rudd:- unemployment 4.1% in 2008/One of only 2 countries not to go into recession during GFC/wholesale electricity prices HALF of what they are now/deficit half of what it is n ow/grosss debt half of what it is now-it is $530 trillion deficit half of what it is now/created 900,000 jobs in tough times….I could go on…
      Turnbull-ZILCH

  • The Bow-Legged Swantoon says:

    G’day, Jack!

    Just looking in to say g’day and best wishes for your good health. Hope it’s all going to plan and the blog inmates aren’t doing your head in too much.

    Take care, mate!

  • Milton says:

    This bloody (good!) site is still playing up and getting on my tits. Unless I post it doesn’t update and even then I may get 66 posts on the updated page, yet when I go to previous comments it will go back to 40 comments. And the ever shortening number of posts per page is a new look, even when I can’t see them!

  • Henry Donald J Blofeld says:

    Strewth, Mr Insider we see PM Morrison warming to the idea of a Royal Commission into the Energy Sector.
    Now what could our Energy Providers be hiding from we the long suffering ripped off Consumer.
    Methinks lots!
    https://tinyurl.com/yc3h23hl

  • Boadicea says:

    That tweet from Selka was abhorrent. Just appalling. They should be deregistered. Let’s see how Morrisson goes with this. It’s a perfect opportunity to exert authority over Bill – who I think will find that Morrison is not a pushover.

  • Jean Baptiste says:

    Series 2, “Ozark” on Netflix.

  • Carl on the Coast says:

    It was 66, now back to 42, but I no complain.

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