Pericles
"She finds herself in a position, unique in Australian political history, of having to manage a mishmash coalition of Labor hardliners, Labor lightweights, air-head Greens and a couple of what's-in-it-for-me independents."

Why can't she just do nothing until the next election? I mean it's not as if she's going to get in again, certainly not trying to force the ideas of the mishmash onto the population, and that way there'd be less damage for the next mob to fix up than if she keeps trying to do stuff.

Loudmouth if the election, as is most likely, is a ordinary one the results will be far different.
Independents are not going to be needed and maybe not returned in any case, you will never see a hung federal Parliament in your remaining life time.
Greens are gone, big call but it is my view.
They how ever while not winning as many upper house seats would most likely still be in control.
And while Gillard is firing blanks, do not look for a NSW style victory for Conservatives.
Much of what is called miss mash policy's is in fact supported by most.
Gillard is the wrong person,Labor is AGAIN sitting like a rabbit in a spotlight.
Afraid to act, a new leader could say sorry, for every thing.
Then dump unpopular policy's,remembering not to breed greens voters by ignoring the environment.
Abbott is also the wrong man who of us can say they think he is not.
As Gillard leans on him he leans on her,both are riding on the others unpopularity.
A Turnbull lead opposition would bring a victory without doubt.
A change in Labor Shorten, or Combet would in fact lead to one on conservative bench's.
IF the next election was DD under current leaders Lib/Nats will win.
Federal Labor has lost touch with its supporters but we are fixed against the mad monk.

Belly:>> Abbott is also the wrong man who of us can say they think he is not.<<

Thats a fact.

>> A Turnbull lead opposition would bring a victory without doubt.<<

Belly I want the Labor feds out, but if Turnbull gets the nod it's tea party time for Australia. We do not need a hawke leading the Libs, keep the starling.

I have to differ here, no joy in it.
See what concerns me the most, frightens hell out of me, is the direction Australian politics has taken of late.
every one of our past 4 national leaders, not Gillard!
Was better than our current two.
We see tea party politics right now.
Who would ever think the party of Bob Menzies would concede its policy's and ideas to the American republicans, and the very worst of them at that.
Labor,I do not request a Socialist Utopia from them, no such thing exists, can exist or should exist.
But we all, even you and I let media turn our politics in to a joke.
Watch ABC women questioners will IQ of less than impressive ask dumb questions in hope of getting answers that will give headlines not facts.
We need only our best to move both sides of this country's politics out of Americas muddy foot tracks.
We need to get off out knees and be the country we in fact once could be so proud of.
Politics is becoming like football, my team was robbed rubbish.

From what I have seen over the last forty years, and the recent remarks on the Liberal party web, It is fairly obvious from the remarks of those fanatics of the liberal party, that their only vision is the destruction of the labor party, and the only vision of those of the labor party, is to destroy the liberal party, and I hope they both succeed, I doubt that the other parties have enough intelligence to become a proper source of government, and maybe somebody intelligent will start a party with integrity and intelligence to step in and run the country intelligently and working with pride and honour with their constitution, ensuring that our Australian manufacturing and farming industries have priority, and not destroyed with the export mining reciprocal imports of those cheap clothing and even trains and other goods that the stores are depending on so dearly. Sure we have fanatics who don't even know what is needed to obtain a good economy. Away from those recessions that both parties have driven our country into over the last thirty or so years, Paul Keating, John Howard, Peter Costello and Wayne Swan. If you are going to blame any of the guilty people, you have to blame all responsible without favour, except if you are a fanatic and corrupt of course.

Merv the world you want last existed in about 1950.
It is not possible to turn the clock back.
And the very people you think are hurting the most would be of not help in fixing it.
The big tin shed hardware chain, soon to have real opposition, the big white goods providers.
All sell other country's goods.
To compete we would need to pay 20% of current pay rates, and have a slave class of workers.
World trade good or bad, it can be both, is the bridge we all walk on or sink and drown.
We have labor or liberal take your pick, but waiting for the perfect party is a waste of a thousand lifetimes, it will never happen