This election/auction has shown what a complete farce our democracy has turned into.
It has evolved into an American presidential style election where personalities (if they can be called that) and money have replaced governance.
As the two leaders crisscross the country with their entourage of press and aids, making appearances at factories, shopping malls and anywhere that they can be filmed kissing babies the question is how much has all this cost? It must add up to millions when added up and someone is paying for it all.
A guess would be that the taxpayer is putting in a big share and of course big business is throwing money at the leader most likely to win and repay the favour later.
All the promises of big amounts to each place that could be swayed into a change of vote are going to be reneged on and why is it only possible into hand out this money at election time?
A better way to conduct this circus would be for each leader to have say ten minutes on TV each day for two weeks preceding the election to state their policies.
No flying around the country to bolster up marginal seats, what do we have TV and video conferencing for?
The ultimate step would be for ALL donations to be banned.
The savings could then be better spent on bolstering up the health service, education and other essential services such as fire fighters, ambulance and police.
The homeless would also stand a chance of a fairgo.
I am sure that everyone in Australia is now so fed up with all the nonsense being spouted and printed that they will all be just so relieved to get it over with, they will vote for that drovers dog.

Abbott is playing sneaky.
Quote
"Tony Abbott promises to release full list of Coalition spending cuts by Thursday"

That will therefore give virtually no time to check them and most important it will be during the electronic media black-out period, when parties are banned from buying space on TV and radio for political advertising, so he won't be bought to task for anything controversial.

To me that indicates he has something BIG he is trying to hide, but alas Rudd has stuffed up SO BAD I will be glad he is going.

Philip S,
I haven't seen any costings from Rudd or indeed how much he is handing over to the next Government ? How can Labor promise bilions then say there's not sufficient funding for the a Coalition Government to spend ? Which is it ?

If Rudd and Abbot are the best leaders this country can throw up we really do have a problem for the future.
If Liberal and labor are the best management we can find God help us.
Politicians in general have never been my cup of tea but the current crop really are a joke.
SD

its not looking..like a pro rudd thread
i think you are forgetting..we get the leaders we deserve

ok..lets presume this thread is really re election 2013
rudd..drew well ahead at the party launch..
but pushed it too far..at the end

[he should clearly have shut up..when the applause..went loud
..at his..*near closing words..the paty never quits..line

but then..he personalized it..with his ego..killing the mood

he got it wrong..
he should have said..i wont quit..neither will [you] the party

applause..shut up

invite keating and bob..TOGETHER..on a shared stage
suck-up...the applause..strengthen the PARTY vibe..etc..
instead he lead ballooned it..[and thus ..what could have been]

instead of inflating
he deflated..it at the end..
and it became krudds..lathen moment

ahhh men

now..it only needs tony..to do the same
and he will..cause we deseve the leaders we got
[in fact..their both too good..for the likes of us]

Precisely, Philip S.

Abbott is so "upfront". he's going to release his costings at the eleventh hour - after the electronic blackout.

And no-one on the Coalition side around here thinks that's dodgy?

Here's some analysis of their "boat buy back" scheme...It's rated "pants on fire".

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/federal-election-2013/indonesia-boat-buy-scheme-ridiculous-20130901-2sz09.html

(Nasty old Labor leaves Australia the economic envy of the world - and we get Abbott and Murdoch spruiking their largesse to rich mummys and a hare-brained scheme to buy back Indonesian fishing boats from a country with one of the longest coastlines in the world)

Has the world gone mad?