Submitted by rickeyre on
Last Saturday's state election was something of a whimper in the end. Perhaps the poorest-quality NSW election in my memory has ended with the ALP, rather than being swept from office or even suffering a major swing against, has been returned to government with just a slight reduction in its majority.
Submitted by rickeyre on
At 8.45pm I'm calling Marrickville as a win for the ALP.
Submitted by rickeyre on
I've done my democratic duty this morning. As I said to the duty officer on the way out, I spent more time folding my upper house ballot paper that I did actually voting.
Didn't bother with preferences. 1 for Fiona Byrne in the lower house, 1 for Group I - the Greens - in the upper house.
Submitted by rickeyre on
Tomorrow I am voting in my ninth NSW general election, beginning in 1978 when I backed Harry Jensen in Munmorah. In 2007, I'm doing my third election in Marrickville, including the 2005 by-election. Historically safe Labor, Marrickville has witnessed some intense campaigning by both the ALP and Greens candidates over the past few weeks.
It's one of the few electorates in tomorrow's election with nine candidates. Here is my form guide, in order down the ballot paper:
Submitted by rickeyre on
This is how I would like to see the NSW State Election pan out tomorrow:
A hung parliament, led for now by the Labor Party with the Greens and progressive independents holding the balance of power, and getting a couple of cabinet places as part of the deal.
An upper house balanced by Greens, Democrats and other progressive minor parties, with the CDP(FNG), Shooters Party and other redneck small interest groups blown away.
Greens victories in Marrickville and Balmain... and let's go for broke here - Sydney, Heffron, Newcastle, Orange and... Vaucluse.
Submitted by rickeyre on
If ever there was an argument for the separation of church and state, his name is Fred Nile.
Member of the NSW Legislative Council since 1981 (except for two months in 2004 when he ran for the Senate), Australia's answer to Jerry Falwell is heading the Christian Democratic Party ticket for the Upper House in the March 24 election.
Reverend Nile (a retired Uniting Church minister) always his cards fairly and squarely on the table, and this press release issued last Saturday is no exception:
Submitted by rickeyre on
Not one but two Youtube videos this time, produced by the NSW Greens and dealing with the proposed expansion of the port facilities in Botany Bay, which if it goes ahead will be an environmental disaster for the bay, and create major road transport issues throughout most of the south and south-west of the Sydney metropolitan area.
The first video is a two-minute overview of the Port Botany situation, and the second features a public meeting/media call by the Greens candidates for Marrickville (Fiona Byrne) and Maroubra (Anne Gardiner) on the Botany Bay foreshore.
Submitted by rickeyre on
"The Socialist Equality Party insists that the only realistic solution to climate change is the abolition of the profit system and the destructive division of the globe into rival nation-states."
- Patrick O'Connor, SEP candidate for Marrickville (source: World Socialist Web Site)
Submitted by rickeyre on
Youtube video produced by the Marrickville Greens drawing attention to the toxic waste created by the dumping of obsolete computers. Features Fiona Byrne, who is running for the State seat of Marrickville in the March 24 election.
Submitted by rickeyre on
As I've already indicated elsewhere, I'm supporting The Greens in the March 24 state election. The state of the major parties is so bad that neither the ALP nor the Libs/Nats deserve to govern. The best we can do is hope for a hung parliament, with a Iemma minority government held to accountability by third parties and quality independents. The Greens have the best third-party credentials in my opinion, and a more sound choice than the unknown (and often unskilled) quantity of independent candidates in many cases.
