A week is a long time in politics and its been even longer for the Labor Party this week. The Labor Party’s momentum of the phony election campaign has given way to a Liberal Party that is running a blitzkreig on all fronts.
I’m for the Liberal tax cuts: Australia still remains one of the most highly taxed nations in the OECD and they are long overdue, but Rudd’s response has been pathetic. I heard talkback during the week: despite mainly being State issues people were whinging about hospitals and schools. Rudd should have come out and said we won’t support the Liberal’s tax plan: we’ll lift the tax free threshold but we’ll spend $20billion on schools, hospitals and roads. It would have split the electorate, but it might have been enough to get Rudd over the line. People like tax cuts, but given things are going well for most people now they’d more likely support schools and hospitals.
Rudd’s ad campaign has been awful. Ask people which election campaigns they can remember and the only ads that are always recalled are the Liberal anti-Union ads. Rudd talking positives his is bland delivery isn’t cutting through at all. Perhaps they need a jingle? wheel Gough out to sign it’s time or similar? 🙂
I’m still not predicting a Liberal victory, but I’m thinking that this election will be closer than the 15 seat ALP majority I predicted. Rudd needs to regain momentum and lead instead of follow (presuming he’s still got some rabbits in his hat) or there is a chance that we might see a slim Liberal victory.
