Australian Politics – From Today’s Bolt Report

Posted on Sun 03/25/2012 by

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By Andrew Bolt ~

Yesterday, there was a State election for the State of Queensland, my home State. The sitting Labor Government led by Anna Bligh was thrown out of office in one of the largest landslide results in Australian political history. The swing was an average 16.2% across the State. The Labor Party lost more than 40 seats, and after the final result, looks likely to only hold 7 seats in the new Parliament. The new premier is Campbell Newman. He was the popular Mayor of the State Capital Brisbane, prior to leading his Party the LNP (Liberal National Party) the major Conservative Party in the State. Newman took a huge gamble, leaving his position of Mayor,  a job he was so popular in that he could have stayed for more years than the 8 he had already served as Mayor. His second gamble was that he accepted the job as Party Leader, from outside the Parliament, something that had not been done before in Australian political history. His third gamble was that he nominated in a seat that was safely Labor, held by a popular Government Minister with a healthy 7.5% margin.

Last night, all those gambles paid off as he led his Party to a thumping victory. Here, Andrew disussed some of what has followed from that resounding victory…..TonyfromOz.

My editorial – Labor’s Queensland wipeout is a direct warning to Julia Gillard, another leader who broke a promise – and Peter Beattie agrees that a broken promise killed the Bligh Government. He dodges on whether it will do the same to Gillard.

Former NSW Premier Kristina Keneally blames Kevin Rudd for “poisoning” the election. Former Liberal Finance Minister Nick Minchin says Gillard can see now what a broken promise will do a government. He says the result justifies his call for the Nationals and the Liberals to merge nationally, too. Some barneys are had about the federal implications.

Nationals Leader Warren Truss is coy on a federal merger, but scathing of Bob Katter’s performance. Isn’t a rap for Katter’s sick ad.

And have you seen Katter’s blithering excuse?

Andrew Bolt is a journalist and columnist writing for The Herald Sun in Melbourne Victoria Australia.

Andrew Bolt’s columns appear in Melbourne’s Herald Sun, Sydney’s Daily Telegraph and Adelaide’s Advertiser. He runs the most-read political blog in Australia and hosts Channel 10’s The Bolt Report each Sunday at 10am. He is also heard from Monday to Friday at 8am on the breakfast show of radio station MTR 1377, and his book  Still Not Sorry remains very widely read.

Read more excellent articles from Andrew Bolt’s Blog . http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/

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Posted in: Australia, Politics, Public Opinion