This article is well written and the LNP is well on track to win Nicklin!

The candidates linked with Oakeshott and Windsor were obliterated, the others did reasonably well. It was the poison from the two reptiles that shafted their own electorate that left their friends high and dry.

Independents that represent the wishes of their electorates are safe.

There is something going on that is very wrong in Australian politics and it will eventually affect the trust we currently take for granted in our democracy.

There is a concerted effort being made by extreme right wing politics to both misinform and to demonise their opponents. The do so in order to garner the gullible, the xenophobe and the apathetic vote that only reads the headlines to decide on an issue.

Port Macquarie is a case in point. The ire exhibited by the right of politics in the seat of Lyne has been palpable and they have stopped at nothing to demonise Oakeshott and the other independents that sided with Labor after the federal election. They have twisted facts and they have lied outright in the process. The right’s absolute opposition to anything being proposed by the current government is almost hysterical.

This is all being done in concert with people in the media, business and politics. There is no heed being paid to the truth in the majority of the arguments being put forward by them.

Cases in point are:

The NBN – likely to be superseded? – Is there anything on the horizon faster than light?

Climate change - How can they even doubt it? Your own personal experience should enlighten you to the truth. Just recall the weather of the last twenty years or so.
Boat people: If you’re being chased and you run into someone’s home seeking help, are you trespassing and thereby acting illegally? – Of course not. So what is it that makes boat people illegal? – They are asylum seekers not illegal boat people. It IS legal to seek asylum. It is OUR JOB to ensure they are genuine

The media and political parties should not adjudge them guilty of an illegal act as they are currently doing even in the absence of a charge of illegality.

There is a high percentage of ignorance in an educated electorate!

Rubens you make a good point.

There has been a creeping antipathy in the RW agenda for some time. Much of what is going on with the Independents is nothing more than sour grapes.

Obama is facing similar obstacles when attempting to provide access to health care only to be demonised with accusations of Communist and misleading remarks made about his religious faith by the more radical of the Right. The Bush family may have been deposed but sadly the interest groups who influenced government policy have not gone away and still wield a huge influence over the affairs of Americans despite the lessons in the GFC.

The current extremism exhibited by the Right is way off scale compared to anything the Left is dishing out.

The rhetoric has become vitriolic. Oakeshott and Windsor being called 'reptiles' and slogans like 'Bob's bitch' and Tea Party types calling for the assassination of someone trying to improve the state of democracy, is atypical of the mob-mentality coming to the fore in Conservative politics - demonise, demonise, demonise, why let facts get in the way of a good piece of spin and fear-based politics.

The demonising or scare tactic approach does tend to eventually fall flat usually being overstated and overdone and most of all an insult to the intelligence of the voting public.

So I reckon bring it on and let the people see who they are really voting for.

rs

"The right’s absolute opposition to anything being proposed by the current government is almost hysterical."

Get over it, the ALP opposed everything the coalition did for 11 years, was that also "hysterical", no it's what an opposition is supposed to do .. oppose,that's what makes governments strong. If they didn't oppose what would they be .. the ALP.

"Climate change - How can they even doubt it? Your own personal experience should enlighten you to the truth. Just recall the weather of the last twenty years or so." This assumes you think no one in the RW believes the climate actually changes .. right?

Everyone accepts that actually, what is not well accepted is whether CO2 is adding to the warming, and by how much, also whether we can do anything at all about it with a tax for god's sake, even if it might be happening.

To simply say the coalition does not believe the climate changes is simplistic and childish, but it is a leftie mantra I do admit, totally in keeping with lying about your opponents.

Yep "There is a high percentage of ignorance in an educated electorate" Thanks for making that point!

pelicin "The rhetoric has become vitriolic." oh boo hoo, PM (MOS) Howard was often called HoWARd, Bush's bitch, the deputy sheriff, Hitler, effigies were burned frequently, little hate songs sung on the ABC and SBS, but now Bob and Juliar are all sensitive, what a bunch of hypocrites and sooks you all are.

"demonise, demonise, demonise" why and Tony Abbott is regularly called the mad monk, is that demonizing enough for you?

"Tea Party types calling for the assassination of someone trying to improve the state of democracy" what utter BS and you know it, but it is typical of the kind of scare and fabricate tactics of the loser left, is it not?

Hi Pelican

I think NSW is going to be a salutary lesson for the people of NSW.

Here is a group of disparate people with a hunger for power and a myriad of agendas, not all benign.

There is a strong element of religion inspired policies emanating from the Hillsong Church and Opus Dei that will attempt to curtail some freedoms and choice in our society.

Drug users will be driven form the injecting rooms in the Cross back into your neighbourhood back alley for them to leave needles in places where they will pose danger to the public.

Abortion will be made more and more difficult.

On the other hand you will be free to cut tress down in the bush and go shooting anything that breathes there as well.

Labor had their developer cronies and it stunk. However, they have cash and they will do business with the new government.

Wait and see the west of Sydney become a worse treeless expanse of McMansions with 2-3 cars in the garage because as much as they promise, public transport projects will not be anywhere near finished, if started at all, by the time they lose power as they inevitably will at some point.

The worst of it though will be felt by the least able to defend themselves; workers and the disadvantaged. Their community housing policy... Do they have one?

How many new tolls are they going to introduce?
What are the terms of the new transport projects? – Private rail lines as the airport one was?
What are their plans to reduce rental pressures?
Neither side has been good at any of those things but be assured; this lot will really hurt if you are not able to afford a beamer now.