The latest Essential Research poll doesn’t detect the cliff-hanger Newspoll claims to see. Labor is still stuck on 46 per cent to the Coalition’s 54, 2PP.
Opposition Leader Tony Abbott will soon be back in the fray, having had time for reflection over the break. He may, with profit, have decided that much as he may wish to respond to Labor’s slimy character assassination, his wisest course is to relentlessly wrench the conversation back to the economy and to trust. What Labor has promised - and is promising - must be contrasted with its actual delivery. Can we believe a word Gillard says? Can we really trust her with our money and our jobs? This reckless spending must stop. The green tape must be slashed. Let’s create wealth before we let government spend it.
And I’d plea for an end to such bitter division and the punishment of dissent. Australians shouldn’t be in fear of criticising their government. Newspapers shouldn’t be threatened. Journalists should not fear the sack for what they say. Australians shouldn’t be scared to speak their mind, whether at work or at the football. Time for some sunshine.
One thing may have to be fine-tuned. unless Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare has decided to no longer announce boat arrivals, no asylum seekers have arrived by boat so far this year.
UPDATE
How naive of me not to immediately assume the Gillard Government had simply stopped announcing new boat arrivals. In fact:
The latest boat arrival, carrying 78 people, is the second asylum seeker vessel in a row to be transferred directly to the mainland, despite Labor’s promise to implement tough new offshore processing policies, Shadow Minister for Justice, Customs and Border Protection Michael Keenan said… “Every illegal boat arrival for 2013 has been transferred directly to the mainland, sending a strong and clear message to the people smugglers that this Labor Government just isn’t serious about stopping them.”
And three minutes ago, this news:
A BOAT carrying asylum seekers which was feared to be missing has been intercepted off Christmas Island this afternoon.
