# I pit 46.6% of Australian voters **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 9, 2004, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358 "2004-10-09T11:58:40Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 11:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/1 "2004-10-09T11:58:40Z")
Latest results from [the ABC election website](http://www.abc.net.au/elections/federal/2004/results/sop.htm) : Party – % Vote – Swing Liberal – 40.6 – +3.2 National – 6.0 – +0.4 Labor – 37.9 – +0.0 Greens – 7.1 – +2.1 Democrats – 1.1 – -4.3 One Nation – 1.2 – -3.1 Others – 6.1 – +1.7 So what has John Howard done to deserve a swing in his favour? Or is it just the idiotic One Nation supporters returning to their natural home? At least the Green vote is up, and their preferences might give Richmond to the ALP. I’m glad I’m not living in Australia, though I might not be so happy in Bush wins again next month. ---
**Author:** ![Typo\_Negative](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/typo_negative/32/484_2.png) [@Typo\_Negative](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Typo_Negative)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 12:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/2 "2004-10-09T12:05:20Z")
huh? ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/3 "2004-10-09T12:07:57Z")
> [@spooje](#): > > huh? It’s the Australian federal election which was held today. The governing Liberal-National (i.e. conservative) coalition won the election with a slightly increased majority. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 12:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/4 "2004-10-09T12:10:36Z")
See this is where Americans need to pay attention! You need ZERO personality to win an election. ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 12:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/5 "2004-10-09T12:21:03Z")
I’m disappointed, but not surprised. We’ll see what the next four years bring - hopefully I’ll be pleasantly surprised. Now I have to get my political kicks by watching the U.S. election. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/6 "2004-10-09T12:23:58Z")
I’m more then frigging disappointed. Shit I thought Aussies would kick some arse! ---
**Author:** ![Desmostylus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@Desmostylus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Desmostylus)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/7 "2004-10-09T12:24:06Z")
It’s not the 46.6% that voted for the coalition that need pitting. It’s the fucking idiots that ran Labor’s campaign. Fucking useless assholes. Who the fuck had the idea of bringing Beazley in as foreign policy spokesman? The fucker thought he was some kind of elder statesman, instead of a fucking proven fucking loser. Probably going to lose his own seat as well. Jesus H. How hard would it have been to get stuck into Downer? A fucking trained fucking monkey could have done it. Pass the fucking bourbon. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 12:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/8 "2004-10-09T12:27:52Z")
Yeah but what did howard do to win? Shit he didn’t even go on Rove:D I’m just bloody pleased our elections are not for a year yet and the doofus opposition has already done themselves in. Shit Aussies! I was so sure you were sick of that lap dog! ---
**Author:** ![Kayeby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/9de0a6/32.png) [@Kayeby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kayeby)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/9 "2004-10-09T12:33:14Z")
I was going to add “bitterly” in front of “disappointed”, but I thought it might make me seem too much like an angry, bourbon-guzzling Labour voter. 😛 My division gave Liberal the seat by a huge margin. All the polls and pundits were predicting a Liberal win, with only one bucking the trend. The people I know who voted for Liberal did it “because Liberal is better for the economy”. I don’t know much about the economy, but I’m pretty sure a lot of the people saying it don’t know much about the economy either. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/10 "2004-10-09T12:38:16Z")
> [@Kayeby](#): > > The people I know who voted for Liberal did it “because Liberal is better for the economy”. I don’t know much about the economy, but I’m pretty sure a lot of the people saying it don’t know much about the economy either. I’m a Labor supporter, and I’m not really sure whether Labor or Liberal are better for the economy. What Howard deserved to lose over was his obnoxious treatment of refugees, and his participation in the US invasion of Iraq. The trouble is that apparently a lot of people don’t like refugees, and also want a repeat play of the Vietnam War. ---
**Author:** ![calm\_kiwi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc348/32.png) [@calm\_kiwi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/calm_kiwi)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/11 "2004-10-09T12:46:22Z")
Bigoty Little Bastard Howard? It’s a good thing his family were not checked geneticaly when his family bacame Australians! Yes I know our PM will not win any beauty comps 😃 but she doesn’t woof woof on certain international issues. I can’t believe you lot voted that fucking wanker in again! So the economy is good? Tampa was such a good image for Aus. Iraq was even better. Oh well CER won’t die. ---
**Author:** ![blackhobyah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blackhobyah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blackhobyah)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 12:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/12 "2004-10-09T12:52:24Z")
> [@calm kiwi](#): > > See this is where Americans need to pay attention! You need ZERO personality to win an election. It’s true you don’t need much in the way of personality, but it helps if you’re dishonest, zenophobic, racist and willing to pitch an appeal to the worst of people. If you’re also arrogant, willing to sacrifice the have-nots in order make the haves even richer and don’t mind keeping children in detention camps for years and years, hell, you too could be the Australian Prime Minister. And who knows what you might achieve if you’re willing to invade a foreign country for no better reason than you think George Bush is a big spunk. I’m not really a patriotic, “rah rah my country” sort of person, but in the past I’ve thought Australia, on the whole, was a decent sort of place, and I’ve been proud of our egalitariansim and “fair go” sort of approach. Sadly, that sense of a willingness to care for each other and look our for the underdog seems a thing of the past. Maybe it never was anymore than just a cultural fantasy, but it wasn’t a bad fantasy to have. But no more, thanks to little Johnny, that kind of thinking is now unAustralian. The ANZAC spirit now lives on in the detention centres and private schools, and underfunded hospitals and old people who can’t afford to live. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/13 "2004-10-09T13:31:30Z")
It’s a strange thing, but all I heard from people who were outspoken about who they were voting for was that they would vote for Latham. And yet, in the end he actually lost ground! But as the analysts are saying, it’s not so much a positive vote for Howard as a negative vote for Latham’s lack of experience. He’s only been leader of the Opposition a short time, and his repuation before that certainly wasn’t a positive spin, so that’s almost definitely what did him in. But I think he’d be a great guy to continue as leader of Labor and still go into thenext election. By then Howard is sure to have decided to step down for re-election, and his potential replacement will have the disadvantage. ---
**Author:** ![Governor\_Quinn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/d26b3c/32.png) [@Governor\_Quinn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Governor_Quinn)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/14 "2004-10-09T15:57:43Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Or is it just the idiotic One Nation supporters returning to their natural home? Looking at provisional Senate totals: NSW: Liberal/National ticket up 2.10%, One Nation down 3.73% VIC: Liberal National ticket up 4.44%, One Nation down 1.78% QLD: Liberals up 3.55%, Nationals down 2.67%, One Nation down 6.86% SA: Liberals up 1.84%, One Nation down 3.47% WA: Liberals up 9.44%, Nationals down 1.56%, One Nation down 4.67% TAS: Liberals up 7.77%, unable to determine One Nation downturn (They didn’t run candidates). In short, it seems to be independent of One Nation, as the percentages are either considerably larger or smaller than the One Nation losses. ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 4:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/15 "2004-10-09T16:02:38Z")
Fuck every cunt in Australia who voted for that measly slimebucket arsehole and his bunch of festering pustule cronies. I can’t fucking believe that you are all that fucking stupid. Then again, maybe i can. A friend of mine emailed me the other day telling me about a news story he saw: > [@My friend](#): > > Mark Latham was chatting to two unwed single mothers at a TAFE [technical or community college] whose fees have skyrocketed and whose services were being cut drastically thanks to Howard. They complained to Latham about how hard things were, and apparently he impressed them with his ideas. And then they said that, while they knew aboslutely nothing about Labor’s policies, they were voting for Howard because of terrorism. That’s the sort of mindset we’re dealing with here, folks. The stupid are easily led by fearmongers. Although i have to agree with **Desmo** about the poorly-run Labor campaign. ---
**Author:** ![kambuckta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/53a042/32.png) [@kambuckta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kambuckta)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/16 "2004-10-09T19:49:21Z")
Well, at least we get to whinge for another four years. 😉 And my sentiments are the same as those so eloquently expressed by **blackhobyah** and **Desmo**. What a waste of a good Saturday. ---
**Author:** ![Primaflora](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/898d66/32.png) [@Primaflora](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Primaflora)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/17 "2004-10-09T21:47:28Z")
I’m bitterly disappointed but not surprised. I think Labor ran a poor campaign but I was hoping for a more of a anybody but Little Johnny result. ---
**Author:** ![Battle\_Pope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4bbf92/32.png) [@Battle\_Pope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Battle_Pope)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 11:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/18 "2004-10-09T23:15:45Z")
I thought it would have been closer but I’m not suprised Howard one. I dont like Howard but I voted for him for one reason - my job was on the line. I work for a Department that would have been axed by Labor if it had won (this was stated repeatedly by Latham and the shadow minister responsible, so there are no doubts about it). With a family to support and a mortgage to pay - frankly they could have had film of Johnny personally throwing kids off a ship & then chucking rocks at them - I still would have voted for the little prick. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [October 9, 2004, 11:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/19 "2004-10-09T23:35:26Z")
Giles, this is democracy in action. You evidently don’t like the choice Australia has made, but you really ought to respect it. ---
**Author:** ![blackhobyah](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blackhobyah](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blackhobyah)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2004, 12:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358/20 "2004-10-10T00:00:53Z")
> [@qts](#): > > Giles, this is democracy in action. You evidently don’t like the choice Australia has made, but you really ought to respect it. We’re not out there blowing up Parliament House, so short of direct taking up guerilla activities in the gardens, there’s nothing else for us to do but suck it up. On the other hand, I think we are allowed some time to grieve for what has been lost, which [Margot Kingston](http://webdiary.smh.com.au/archives/margo_kingston/000321.html) in the _Sydney Morning Herald_ said so well, > [@](#): > > Australia entered a new era last night. Australians roundly rejected the once compelling appeal of ‘a fair go’, which must now be considered a relic of our past rather than an expression of our essence. . It’s not just John Howard, much as I despise him, it’s that half the Australian electorate saw clearly the human rights abuses of Howard’s government, his willingness to lie about the big things, his complete lack of concern for those in need, his “back to the fifties” approach to social needs, and they said, “we don’t give a fuck about any of that”. That’s what breaks my heart. Oh, and **Vagus** , I don’t know how long you’ve been in the public service, but even if they had axed your Dept, you’d have had to be very unlucky to find yourself out of a job. It took Lyn Kosky in Victoria a year to get rid of 300 public servants in the Deptartment of Education’s debacle of a restructure. You’d have been absorbed into one of the new Departments which would have emerged. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-pit-46-6-of-australian-voters/268358.md?page=2)