No not one that is the far more than likely result of this election.
I have a feeling some here in our forum are more intent on troubling me about my words than asking why?
WHY?
Every state and the federal government in Labor hands.
The problem is not the voters, not Labor deceiving the people.
Some of us, ALP members understand we are not governing well in some states, mine for one.
But can Conservatives understand so many of your true believers voted for the best of two bad choices? Labor?
As Labor in some cases is doing such a dreadful job, no contest, why can conservatives not turn it around?
Lord Mayor of some city, at best the highest office in Australia they will hold and no debate WHY?
After this for a century worst ever result history will remember it as a turning point.
Kevin Rudd will not wast his chance to wipe out the memory of high interest rates, he will restore the ALP brand name.
IF Conservatives can learn from Labors lost years, from our flogging in 2004 a better stronger movement will come.
Like ripe plums states are waiting to fall ,but not to the party that has lost contact with its Liberal birth place.
Consider todays front bench in Canberra is it not clear Sir Robert Menzies parliamentary Accountability is dead?
Conservatives must consider a leader not tainted by this impending defeat to start rebuilding.

You seem to be implying that the ALP goverments in power now, and the one that is likely to be power federally come Nov 24 are not conservative. I'd like to see some evidence of that.
For a start, name one clearly progressive action or policy promise by a Labor government in recent years.

name a few you'd like to see, wiz.

parties are in the 'ruling' business, not the service, not the idealistic, not the good management business.

if they could, they'd do nothing at all. but they justify their pay and perks by 'ruling'. actually, the public service drives the bus while the pollies collect the money and dole out the best seats to their mates. the 'ruling' business comes down to shifting rheostats up or down, turning taps on or off, just a bit.

of course, like the owners of any sheep station, they try to keep the flock healthy and productive. but only as it serves their own purposes, individual sheep who fall out of the mob won't get any care. expecting progressive policies from this type of person is misplaced hope.

not one? 7 going on 8, rather.

The real problem for Australia, Belly, is that there in not one conservative government in Australia, and there never has been.

The so-called conservative Coalition is no such thing. It's current promises to hand out big dollars to regain government is socialism, pure and simple. John Howard is a wet mess, who should have handed over the leadership two years ago.

What Australia needs is something like the Australia First Party, but they don't seem to be interested any more. Perhaps they, too, have been convinced by the media-backed polls/propaganda claiming that the federal election is a done deal for the ALP -which it might be, gawd help us all.

I wish I could share the rain falling here with every inch of Australia.
And I wish we could debate this subject with understanding Australia first? idiotic to think we would ever vote in numbers that mob even into the house.
Now I am implying Labor is already in power?
Want to bet they will not be?
My prediction is 24 to 26 seats, a majority of 8 to 10 what is yours?
The polls have not lurched much from day one of Rudd's leadership, dreadful lies and fear are in store for us in the next three weeks.
Australia rejects that tactic.
DEMOS please! are you that sure only you have the answers? that the electorate is stupid?
can you explain why they do not think like you?
Hide your heads under the blanket but just as this storm is here Rudd is soon to be too.
Australia needs an opposition that ask how did we go wrong?
2 party's stand in the end oh plus the dieing nationals one will lead one must reform and reenter the race or this country suffers.

Howard's government has had its day. The polls know it, the people know it and even Howard's senior colleagues know it but can't muster the will to tap him more strongly on the shoulder... I guess it's too late now.

When he tries to tell voters he is excited about staying in politics -
(but only for a year or two - ) Howard sounds unconvincing.
Then he hopes those same voters will be 'kind enough' to re-elect him.
He comes across as a frail man pleading for another win just for the record books.

He is a man who didn't know when to go - and it's going to cost him the election.

Why should we trust a man who has lied to us over all these years?
The children overboard affair. The AWB - debacle. Our invasion of
Iraq. His unwillingness to ratify Kyoto. His unfair Workchoices laws and AWAs... his contemptuous disregard for the Aboriginal people of this country.

If his own party's elders speak out against him (Fraser and Hewson),
and don't trust him, why should we?

Leigh, no doubt that Howard's govt has not been "small government" conservative, but that ideal has never really been successfully put in practice anywhere (the US got away with a relatively small *percentage* of total GDP being spent by governments for about 50 years, until about 2001, but given how huge the US GDP is, it doesn't sensibly compare with economies like Australia).
Further, there's no in principle reason you couldn't have a progressive low-spending government, if every possible effort was made to provide extensive government services as efficiently as possible.
Ultimately though, why on does it matter if the government spends 20% of the GDP or 50%? Are Swedish voters idiots for consistently voting for governments that take on the responsibility of determining how to spend half the country's wealth? If there were consistent evidence showing that big-spending governments lead to poor economic performance and low-spending governments lead to good performance, it would be one thing, but I'm not aware of any such evidence. Other than being concerned about one's personal material wealth above any other considerations, I can't think of any logical reason for caring so much that a government that taxes as spends as little as possible on maintaining basic services that benefit all

A few points worth noting, a poster questions why Labor is conservative?
Mate remember voters elect EVERY MEMBER to the house, your wish is not shared by enough voters to get any far from conservative party elected EVER.
Howard bizarre as it looks it is never too late, a new leader right now this coming week, not the walking sneer Costello, not any one tainted by this Cabernet, would reduce my party's lead without doubt.
A leader who said sorry for the lies, sorry for workchoices sorry for the massive miss use of that massive mandate in 2004.
Conservatives please! think about it! how did your government turn such a STUNNING victory in ONE TERM into such an impending defeat?
WHY not debate it?

Belly, if Australians are so set on conservative governments then why do polls show that
a) the vast majority of Australians want MORE spending on services, and less on tax cuts
b) the vast majority support gay marriage, legalisation of euthanasia, stem cell research etc.

...all things that are pretty much only ever opposed by conservatives.

Labor knows and understands its likely return to power comes because of real changes in the party.
Me too, well bit of a joke in reality Howard first crafted such actions and willingly took the ground the ALP vacated.
Menzies made it his victory style to do so.
While even mad Mark whats his name? thanks for Garrett dill! was further left he was away from both voters and reality.
Truth is while people do want more spent on services they are unlikely to want other than mainstream government, surely it is clear me too is the future of Australian politics?
Australia even under John Howard has always spent on such services and in truth been a mixture of private and public in service delivery.
We after reading this mornings poll in our most pro Howard news paper ask ,if Howard fails in Benalong, and conservatives win the election can Costello be Prime Minister?
Will that affect next weeks polling?
Rudd's pledge to keep his promises concerns me see I believe him but Garret could better serve the environment on any highway with a bag picking up wast bottles and such.

I am not sure too many of us do not know how to find our way there if we wish.
However in a forum called Australian Politics I am surprised few want to talk about this subject.
I can from personal pain understand the way conservatives who understand the subject are feeling , even this far out from an election ,gutted.
My pain in 2004 started months before the election, clearly those who knew the subject understood Labors impending doom.
And like some conservatives today , I had to walk among my party's faithful and listen to the blind unseeing hope without grimacing, such false hope!
Failure to understand voters are not always fools, how foolish for any party to not understand this.
2004 that dreadful day for the ALP election day, who can say it did not look like 2 more terms for John Howard?
9 years in the wilderness for the ALP!
Without control in the senate it may well have been.
Senate inquiry's into AWB may have helped heal that wound.
No workchoices and far less # we are invincible# from this government.
Even idiotic Garret falling over his ego can not turn these polls ,fear can not do it , lies are a reason for them.
Costello is only the man for some of his side of politics and unlovable, his time is past who will lead the Liberals?
Can you see your self wakening up to a Liberal victory?
And if Howard lost his seat? Peter in charge?
How did this massive turn around happen?

BTW, re the small vs big govenrment debate, interesting article in today's Age: http://www.theage.com.au/news/business/alp-falls-for-coalitions-myths/2007/11/04/1194117878684.html

"[Fred] Argy [former senior treasury official] says the "big government" versus "small government" debate is essentially a difference of opinion based on ideology (and self interest), not economics."

Oh, the actual report mentioned in The Age article is here BTW:

http://cpd.org.au/sites/cpd/files/Fred_Argy_Australia's_fiscal_straightjacket_CPDNov07.pdf