#QLDvotes

Campbell Newman, Tim Nicholls and co want a second term — are you going to give it to them Queensland?

When #QLDvotes on 31 January 2015, you will have a chance to send a clear message to the LNP — and Tony Abbott — Australians do NOT like what you’re doing to our State, and our country. A vote for Campbell Newman’s LNP — is a vote for Tony Abbott.

This was the strong message Victoria sent to Canberra when they ousted Napthine after ONE term. Abbott was visibly shaken. He’s now running scared. Will #QLDvotes bitchslap Abbott too?

I was going to put together a post detailing all of Campbell Newman’s bad points. Then I came across Alex McKean’s — Ten vital things to remember about the Newman Government on January 31 over on Independent Australia.

It’s a very comprehensive reminder of everything about Campbell Newman that is a shambles. His lies, his scandals, his trashing of democracy, his blatant environmental vandalism, the list goes on and on. It’s well worth a read if you are voting in #QLDvotes 2015.

Image: When #QLDvotes on Jan 31, 2015 - a vote for Campbell Newman endorses Tony Abbott. Send a strong message to Canberra, number every box and put the LNP last!
Image: When #QLDvotes on Jan 31, 2015 – a vote for Campbell Newman endorses Tony Abbott. Send a strong message to Canberra, number every box and put the LNP last!

Consider: When it suits them, both State and Federal politicians say, “we are as tight as tight can be. We have a wonderful relationship and can greatly influence our State/Federal counterparts.”

But, if it doesn’t suit them, when their Federal counterparts polling numbers are in free-fall as Abbott’s are now, they sing a different tune. “Oh, no dear gullible voter! We are completely different beasts. Voters elect State Governments on State issues; and vice-versa in Federal elections.”

Need proof? Two days into the  #QLDvotes campaign:

Queensland Premier Campbell Newman says

“This demonstrates that any suggestion that this government is anything other than sovereign and independent of the federal Coalition is false. Clearly this is an example of why the Newman LNP Queensland government does have a different way of doing business and policy than the federal Coalition. Soon to be ex-Qld Premier Campbell Newman

Federal Qld LNP MP Steve Ciobo says

“We see the close working relationship between Campbell Newman and Tony Abbott, so I think that’s actually what it’s going to be an endorsement of, and not implications any other way.” Moncrieff MP Steve Ciobo

Federal Qld LNP MP Janice Prentice says

“I don’t think you can, to be honest; I believe that Queenslanders vote on Queensland issues and I don’t think it translates either way. I really believe that Queenslanders will vote on the issues that affect them in Queensland. I don’t see them saying, ‘Oh this is happening federally therefore it must translate to Queensland’. Ryan MP Jane Prentice

Will you wake UP please Australia?

What a crock! Abbott’s Federal Government pursues the same IPA driven policies, agendas and wish lists that Queensland’s Newman and NSW‘s Baird are busy implementing in their respective States. Qld and NSW electricity privatisation, the redevelopment of public lands and favourable deals for their big business donor buddies.

Image: birds of a feather, flock together. Kick these bastards out!
Image: birds of a feather, flock together. Kick these bastards out!

Abbott, Newman and Baird are all tarred with the same brush. They are birds of a feather and they flock together. Well they did flock together until Abbott’s popularity in the opinion polls plummeted.

During the recent Victorian election, Abbott was so toxic with the Victorian election, he was mostly excluded and essentially a bit player with only a very minor role in the campaign. Despite Abbott’s exclusion from the Victorian election campaign, the Napthine LNP government was dumped after one term. Historically, Napthine’s was the first time single term Victorian Government in sixty-five years.

Newman is employing the same tactic of distancing himself from Abbott, clutching at anything to retain power.

Mr Newman, who called the election while Tony Abbott was overseas, said the Prime Minister was welcome on the campaign, but he “didn’t need” anyone other than his own “strong team”.

The Premier has repeatedly urged voters to judge his government on it’s own record, not federal issues. Source: The Brisdane Times

Don’t fall this ploy. Taking #QLDvotes 2015 for example using the list compiled by Alex McKean on Independent Australia lets “compare the pair” — Abbott and Newman.

Abbott and Newman are so similar — rumour has it they share the same neuron. You decide, are they the same, or different? Here goes:

  1. Attacks on the judiciary — I was unable to find an example of Abbott directly attacking the Judiciary. If you know of any examples of this, please tweet me a link @krONik. I would be very thankful for your assistance.
  2. Attacks on lawyers — Over at New Matilda there’s an interesting article by Max Chalmers on how Abbott has seriously de-funded the Aboriginal Legal Service.Aboriginal people are some of the most vulnerable, neglected and victimised citizens in Australian society.Abbott has shamelessly slashed funding for the ALS. This funding cut to the ALS ensures continued disenfranchisement of Aboriginal people furthermarginalising them with inferior access to due legal processes the rest of us take for granted.Aboriginals are already over-represented in Australian gaols — they are targeted and gaoled for offences other citizens would get off with a warning. This is another of Abbott’s many broken election promises.
  3. Image: Breaking Medicare with a #GPTax to fund a Medical Research Future Fund is dumb. The main beneficiaries of the Medical Research Future Fund will be #BigPharma. You can bet it won't cure cancer or even the common cold. Abbott's Pollie Pedal shirt is a who's who of where your #GPTax money will go when you or your kids are sick and you're handing over your seven bux. Need proof? Cadbury.
    Image: Breaking Medicare with a #GPTax to fund a Medical Research Future Fund is dumb.

    Attacks on doctors, nurses and midwives — Abbott’s #GPtax not only attacks sick people, it attacks all health professionals who work in a Medicare system already starved of funds. Doctors’ financial viability is attacked forcing them to absorb increased costs, or pass the cost hikes onto their sick patients.

    I wrote about the #GPtax here. And @TeamOyeniyi wrote about the #GPtax as well. This is another of Abbott’s many broken election promises.

  4. Image: NSW ICAC
    NSW ICAC – 12 LNP Politicians have so far resigned or been sacked. Who’s next?

    Raising caps on political donations — NSW #ICAC has raised serious concerns about dodgy political funding where the NSW Liberal Party funnelled illegal developer donations to the Federal Liberal Party, who bounced it back to the NSW Liberal Party.

    While this is not “raising caps on political donations” it corruptly circumvented NSW electoral donations laws.

    To date, 12 LNP politicians have resigned or been sacked as a result of the NSW #ICAC, including Arthur Sinodinos, one of Abbott’s bosom buddies, who was deeply involved but “couldn’t remember” anything ever.

    In my opinion, it’s worse to break a law than to raise electoral donation funding caps. Go to point 6.

  5. Image: Freya Newman exposed Frances Abbott's secret $60 scholarship
    Image: Freya Newman exposed Frances Abbott’s secret $60 scholarship

    Cash for legislation deals — there are quite a few examples of this, however, Freya Newman exposing Frances Abbott’s secret $60k scholarship from the Whitehouse Institute is the example that sticks in my craw the most.

    The Abbott Government forces a #DebtSentence on all University students, but Abbott’s daughter gets a massively discounted education just before her father changes Federal education funding for Tertiary providers.

    It’s not cricket! Is it corruption? Personally, I don’t know. Australians will never find out at this rate, either. Go to point 6. 😉

  6. Image: Questions remain on if and when Abbott renounced his British Citizenship as it is illegal for dual nationals to sit in Australia's Parliament.
    Image: Questions remain on if and when Abbott renounced his British Citizenship as it is illegal for dual nationals to sit in Australia’s Parliament.

    Muzzling the Anti-Corruption Watchdog — Oh dear Australia! Abbott won’t even give Australia a Federal #ICAC. I’m unsurprised given he’s as dodgy as they come. What’s he trying to hide that we don’t already know about?

    Perhaps Abbott hasn’t renounced his UK Citizenship and has been in Parliament illegally all these years? Nobody but Abbott knows and he doesn’t feel Australians have a right to see his renunciation papers.

  7. Image: I want a Federal Independent Commission Against Corruption - now!
    Image: I want a Federal Independent Commission Against Corruption – now!

    Sacking of the PCMC With Abbott refusing to establish an #ICAC this point about sacking the PCMC does not apply to Abbott. Without an ICAC there can be no PCMC.

    Go back to Joh’s Queensland … err Abbott’s 1950’s … err … try point 6. 😉

  8. Image: Abbott lies about no cuts to everything in existence
    Abbott lies about no cuts to everything in existence

    Media Manipulation — Abbott has relied on compliant old media. Rupert Murdoch’s #NewsCorpse has provided mostly favourable copy on every stinking, rotten scandal that has hounded Abbott. In some cases, it has completely buried possible criminal activities (the #Ashbygate Conspiracy).

    Abbott has also emasculated the ABC by slashing the budgets of ABC and SBS. This is another of Abbott’s broken election promises.

  9. Image: Abbott forces Australian Defence Force personal to accept a below cost of living wage increase and hikes rents
    Image: Abbott forces Australian Defence Force personal to accept a below cost of living wage increase and hikes rents for Australian Defence Force accommodation.

    Sacking Public Servants — where Abbott hasn’t sacked public servants, he has forced them to accept below CPI wage increases and has slashed conditions in the process.

    Even the Australian Defence Force has been forced to accept a below cost of living wage increase. Added to that, Abbott has raised rents in Australian Defence Force accommodation, again above cost of living increases.

  10. Silencing Dissent — Abbott refuses to go on #QandA, 7:30 Report or Lateline and do live interviews. Abbott’s self imposed exile from #QandA means that the live studio audience of ordinary Australian Taxpayers and Voters have no direct line of communication with their Head of Government. Abbott is a gutless wonder as previous Prime Ministers Rudd and Gillard both appeared on #QandA and faced grillings by the audience. Check point 5 and point 8.

So what are the differences between Abbott and Newman? I can’t really see any. Everything Abbott has done, in one form or another, Newman has also. The reverse is also true. What came first, Newman’s changes? Or Abbott’s? Who’s the chicken, and who’s the egg with this pair?

Newman’s Queensland Police have now set a precedent of arresting a man because of the T-Shirt he was wearing. What are the Federal Police and the security agencies likely to do with Abbott’s new laws on terrrorism?

The use of the VLAD act was designed to make bikie supergrasses roll on superiors with the threat of an extra 15 to 25 years’ jail on top of a sentence for a serious crime committed in the name of a gang.

But many of the bikie underworld’s acknowledged kingpins have yet to be caught.

VLAD has also been used to charge – so far without convictions – non-bikies, ranging from a couple allegedly running a large-scale cannabis growing operation to a small time dealer who sold several MDMA pills and a bag of speed to his friends.

Newman’s VLAD is successfully used for anything but its original purpose, of curtailing outlaw bikie gangs. Will Abbott have me, or you arrested for your blog posts? Source: Guardian Australia

Are Newman’s 2015 #QLDvotes dirty tricks a precursor to Abbott’s election game plan in 2016?

May the LNP dirty tricks begin! Newman has been accused of breaching election campaign advertising rules.

Bob Ellis also has quite a bit to say about Newman’s snap #QLDvotes election. He believes that Newman is employing some dirty tricks in #QLDvotes 2015.

Campbell Newman’s snap early election announcement in Queensland yesterday was a cheat to keep as many young people off the rolls as possible, says , which still might fail.

Newman’s move is a tremendous cheat, of course – many, many people, in particular students, will not get on to the electoral rolls by Saturday; a goodly number are not even in Australia – and it may well keep his party in power. But it’s possible it won’t and it’s worthwhile reasoning why. Bob Ellis

You can read the full Bob Ellis article here.

Make your #QLDvotes count!

Clearly, Newman and Abbott have the same DNS. On 31 January 2015 when #QLDvotes, you have a chance to send a message to both Campbell Newman AND Tony Abbott.

Use your constitutional right to vote freely in this election. Number every box on your Ballot Paper. Please don’t just cast your vote with a Number 1. Your voice is important this #QLDvotes — to change governments you CAN’T let your preferences exhaust. You must number every square.

Thanks for reading. You can leave a comment, or Tweet me @krONik.

2 comments

  1. Gosh, where to start!
    Nicely set out points using easy to read language
    Arguments backed up with links (always nice touch)
    Reputable sources used eg: Guardian
    Love the little ‘?’ thingies to help explain terminology. Essential in order to fully comprehend context of article/argument
    Emotional language – very nice touch. Loved it!

    I can see the work put into this & it is appreciated 🙂
    Really well done

    • Thanks for the positive comments. It did take me a fair amount of effort to get it to this point.

      The ? are abbreviations. They are fiddly, but, they help people who may not know what the abbreviation or acronym means. And, I like them.

      I’m going to do ‘Minister for Women’ next …

      That should be fun.

G'Day! Feel free to leave a Reply