[csaa-forum] ALP 101

[Lisa Gunders]

Hi all,

I agree with Melissa in that I don't think immitating the politics of the
Coalition is the answer. Unfortunately, as the old saying goes, 'you have no
defence against a liar'. Just as Howard lied about the GST not hurting low
income households, just as he lied about the children overboard affair, he
has lied about interest rates. Even as the election coverage was still going
to air, Nick Minchin (on ABC) was starting to prepare the way by saying that
they had never said that interest rates wouldn't go up, only that they
wouldn't go up as much as under Labor. It would only take a rise of one
percent for thousands and thousands of people to lose their homes.

I worked on a booth during the morning and then watched the coverage in the
evening. The observations of those of us working on the booth were borne out
in the pattern of swings in the coverage. It was obvious that there was a
lot of anger in the electorate and that people who in previous years would
have politely taken all how to vote cards were agressively refusing
everything but Liberal ones. But for 8 years the government has encouraged
us to thing that it's ok to be rude and agressive to minorities and those
you don't agree with.

Young, employed males (those currently doing relatively well out of the
economic reforms) fit into the group just described.

There was a lot of anger from people who had previously been Labor voters
but who could no longer bring themselves to vote Labor because of their weak
stance on Iraq. I suspect, but have no real evidence (other than the
increase in the Green vote) that these people probably voted Green.

The other noticeable pattern, that showed very strongly in the pattern of
swings in the election coverage analysis, was that young families were
voting Liberal. These are the aspirational voters that other contributions
to the list have mentioned. But why are we surprised? When Howard brought in
the increased first home buyers payment it both created a bubble in the
housing market and let a lot of young people into the private housing market
who would not have got there normally but who, because of the rapid increase
in the cost of housing, are now extended to their limit. The papers have
been saying this for ages. Is it surprising that the thing upmost in their
minds when it comes to voting is interest rates? We currently have in this
country a politics of fear based on lies, and against liars you have no
defence.

Sorry for such a long rant. I felt I had to comment on this one.

Lisa

Lisa Gunders
School of English, Media Studies, and Art History
University of Queensland
St Lucia   Qld    4072
Ph. (07) 3365 1440
Email: l.gunders at uq.edu.au


-----Original Message-----
From: csaa-forum-bounces at lists.cdu.edu.au
[mailto:csaa-forum-bounces at lists.cdu.edu.au]On Behalf Of Melissa Gregg
Sent: Monday, 11 October 2004 7:49 PM
To: CSAA discussion list
Subject: [csaa-forum] ALP 101


indigo's ideas have me thinking, but i don't think scare tactics are
necessary so much as a party that makes sense on some level.
as judith brett has argued so well,
(<http://www.cambridge.org/aus/catalogue/catalogue.asp?isbn=0521536340>
) the Liberal party has successfully re-articulated its 'liberal' name,
philosophy and party history to a contemporary agenda. this is why the
party remains relevant and appealing to a lot of voters, however far
that particular definition of liberal might be from alternative
conceptions.

when will Labor have the guts to do the same? when will it start
embracing its history and start talking about what work actually looks
like in these times, and how that reality depletes the energies needed
to imagine a different future? or get home in time to read the kids a
book?

the italian effect conference was one recent event where some of these
issues were well debated, and Ilaria Vanni's paper (see abstract at
<http://www.arts.usyd.edu.au/departs/rihss/IEprog5A.html>) showed how
cultural studies concepts like carnivalesque and tactical intervention
a la Certeau still offer a useful guide for highlighting the
inadequacies of Politics. Now that the downtrodden North Tasmanian
logger has been saved by Howard, how's this for an updated Labor image:
  <http://www.inventati.org/hackeralbum/affreschi/maternita.html>

Melissa Gregg
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Centre for Critical and Cultural Studies
4th Floor, Forgan Smith Tower
University of Queensland 4072
CRICOS provider number: 00025B

ph     61 7 3346 9762
mob  61 4 1116 5706
fax    61 7 3365 7184

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