Labor’s problem is not so much what it stands for but what does it stand against. Tony Abbott is against the carbon tax, the Greens are against the big mining companies and Nick Xenophon is against pokies but Labor is against, drum roll please, the Liberals. I know, I know, the ALP has passed lots of legislation and Julia Gillard is a great negotiator but that message clearly isn’t winning any votes, and why would it? Listening to the ALP talk up its legislative record is like listening to a 25-year-old telling you about how great their marks were in year 12. Who cares.
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There is no such thing as a safe seat
A notable trend in Australian politics has been the decline of the share of the vote won by both major parties at federal elections. There are no longer any safe seats in Australian politics: minor parties and independents win more “safe” seats than they do “marginal” ones.