PM Julia Gillard seems to be playing a strange waiting game down under now that she has refused to introduce fruit machine legislation until 2016 (to placate a independent in her coalition government after relinquishing the speakers chair to a member of the opposition/independent last year.
When is a coalition promise a promise or a subterfuge.
Mort, our down under correspondent has been requested to give his take on this and forecast when an election can be expected.
I suspect Gillard would personally prefer to introduce legislation that enables the poker machine punter to acknowledge an amount of risk before they embark on a session of gambling; even the polls suggest nationally we are in support of the legislation.
Sadly, the Clubs industry together with the opposition has run an effective campaign suggesting it is un-Australian, it’s more nanny state, it will affect jobs and it will affect donations to charities and sporting events.
I think Gillard has concluded if the legislation continues its passage through parliament it won’t succeed and will do damage to the re-election of various Labor members. I’m doubtful about this and wonder if it won’t turn out to be seen as another backflip by a weak populist government similar to the climate change decision that undid Rudd.
Further I figure in her pragmatic way she reached this conclusion along while ago and is one of the reasons the deal over the speaker was sorted late last year; at least it gave her a smidgen of room to manoeuvre.
So clearly “When is a coalition promise a promise or a subterfuge” is when it must be pragmatic to do so. This government is all about staying in power no matter the cost to principle. So very disappointing!
The next election is due by November 2013, Gillard will try to stay as long as possible in the hope her stocks will improve and or the opposition fall over somehow. I can’t see there being a coup against Gillard despite the appalling polls.
Brilliant
How old is the oldest Labor MP? – any chance of a by-election? – that would certainly spice it up especially if another independent were elected!