Talkback wrap: what they're saying about Labor's win

While the press gallery was busy tapping out tens of thousands of words on what yesterday’s events meant to every conceivable sector of the economy, punters were readying themselves to assault talkback radio to offer their considered on-the-ground perspectives of the tumult. Here’s a snapshot of what was bellowed on talkback radio this morning as […]

Brisbane

4BC:

Caller Roy doesn’t support preferences and thinks it should be one vote one person. Roy says Bob Katter is the only person who stood up for his morals but presenter Greg Cary thinks Tony Windsor also went with his conscience.

Michael does not agree with Bob Brown’s statement that when you come to a fork in the road you should take the most exciting route. He says that with Labor in power, small business is always going to fall.

Jason says Labor will manage fishing areas better than the Coalition. It worried him that the Liberals seemed to “not worry about the future”. Presenter Chris Adams says there is a lot more confidence shown by businesses when a Coalition government is in the seat. Jason says he hopes Labor do the right thing for small businesses and the bush.

Anna says Labor wouldn’t have won with Rudd. She hears his UN job is voluntary and won’t take up too much time. She’s worried Wayne Swan is still around and wishes Katter, Tony Abbott and Noel Pearson weren’t given the time to do something for Indigenous people. She thinks Rob Oakeshott is selfish.

Laurie says he doesn’t think the current parliament will last 12 months. Adams suggests Oakeshott is a clown. Adams says he is worried it will be a Green-controlled Senate.

ABC 612:

Caller John says Katter has said previous governments have done nothing for the bush. John discusses the Dairy Reconstruction Scheme in which farmers were paid to leave the land and a minimum amount was guaranteed for wool and sugar. John comments that tobacco farmers north of Brisbane were paid out four times with tax payer money.

Greg says there has been little animosity from the Liberal National Party towards the independents. Greg believes the independents will keep the parties honest. Greg says he supports the mining tax and says the mining boom has been booming for seven years while the royalties have not increased at the same rate.

Pauline from Albany Creek says she has voted Labor all her life. She agrees with the independents in that both parties have lost sight of what they should stand for and hopes the independents will shake up the Labor Party.

Doug says the two independents have said the Labor Party and the National Party in parliament have been focusing on their own parties and not looking after the bush. The independents may be able to remove lobbyists, he says, and the money spent on the campaign to remove Labor came from the mining industry while 215 mining industries didn’t pay tax last year. Doug says “the bloke” from Fortescue Metals in West Australia has not paid personal tax in five years.

Dave says he can’t see how the independents went for Labor when the Liberal Coalition had more votes.

Melbourne

3AW’s ‘Grouse or Shouse’ segment:

Caller Liz says Oakeshott is grouse, adding his two children were split on who to vote for but it is shouse he did not wait for his third baby to be born. Leonard says his speech may have lasted until his next child is born. Eamon says it is shouse that four men, and then ultimately one, can hold Australia to ransom.

ABC 774:

Caller Jennifer says the people in Port Macquarie should have voted Liberal if they did not want to go with Labor. Jennifer calls for uniform petrol prices as well as uniform broadband prices. Jennifer was pleased that Wilson Tuckey lost his seat because he was well past retirement age; she calls for Andrew Robb and Bill Heffernan to retire.

John says Oakeshott is in trouble as responses in parliament will now be limited to four minutes. Adam says he listened to Oakeshott’s speech yesterday and it went “on and on” — it reminded him of the time his late mother attended a speech by former Australian PM Bob Hawke and was thrown out of the audience for telling him to “get on with it”. Adam says he knows where his brother Michael Veitch got his humour from.

Melbourne Talk Radio:

Caller Peter says he would like to ask Windsor where his credibility is, saying he made his decision on the biggest, uncosted infrastructure project in Australia’s history. Peter says he would like to ask him what effect he believes the NBN will have on the budget bottom-line. Presenter Steve Price asks what guarantee Windsor has that the NBN will impact his New England electorate. Co-host Andrew Bolt says Oakeshott has turned into a national joke after yesterday’s press conference.

Mary says Kevin Rudd should be given the mental health portfolio. Mary says Abbott’s graciousness in defeat is a great example to young people. Steve Price wonders if Abbott was secretly happy with the result; Bolt doubts it, and remarks the Liberals may have been — long-term — saved from themselves.

Richard says Katter is the smartest man around, as if the current government falls over and the Coalition win another election, Oakeshott and Windsor will be left with nothing.

Angelo praises Bolt’s article in the Herald Sun today. Angelo says the electorates of Lyne and New England should engage a constitutional lawyer to argue that their representatives are not representing their interests. Price and Bolt say this is not possible; the only solution is another election.

Alan declares two-party preferred officially dead. He says government now goes beyond Labor or Liberal and covers the Greens and independents. Alan says the independents knew Abbott would call another election as soon as possible in order to gain full control, and no voters want another election. Price says many people did want another election.

Martin describes the election decision as “unconscionable”. The independents must have campaigned on the incompetence of the government they are now supporting. Windsor finally has his revenge on the National Party and Oakeshott sounded like an 18-year-old female primary school tree-hugging teacher. Price would like to know where Oakeshott and Windsor directed their preferences during the election. Martin suggests that Oakeshott and Windsor ought to have fire insurance on their houses.

Graham says the opposition ought to propose dams in Oakeshott and Windsor’s electorates. This would split them as the Greens and Labor are opposed to new dams. Linda says Labor’s election decision is a circus. Price says Oakeshott is the chief clown.

Alex discusses the election, which he says was a circus. The people of Australia could petition the Governor General to call another election. Price says the constitution does not allow for that. He says he expects another election in a year rather than three.

Peter agrees Oakeshott was boring. He fears he may become the speaker of parliament. Peter says if he is given a position as minister for regional development it is a conflict of interest. He says the budget will be blown. He says the broadband network needs a feasibility plan.

The rural independents’ heartland

ABC North West (New England):

Caller Margaret says she is disgusted by Windsor’s decision. She asked “where is all this money coming from?” She says the unions have put the current prime minister in place.

Sandra says she thinks regional Australia will benefit from Windsor’s decision. She says the NBN and renewable energy are important for regions.

Rebecca says she is disgusted by Tony Windsor’s decision to side with Labor. She says she doesn’t understand why a person who has ‘wasted so much money in schools’ should be allowed to waste more money.

Caller David says some people will be surprised by Tony Windsor’s decision to back the ALP, but says he doesn’t think itt is surprising. He says that most Australians felt that Tony Abbott, Federal Opposition Leader’s Coalition wasn’t ready to govern.

Caller Robert says he supports Tony Windsor’s decision, saying it is good for rural Australia.

Caller Kevin thinks the decision [by Tony Windsor to side with Labor] is good for regional Australia.

ABC Mid North Coast (Lyne):

Interview with Oakeshott. Caller Dean congratulates Oakeshott on a “sensible decision”, saying their have many years of Coalition representation in Coffs Harbour with little effect. Oakeshott says he looks forward to having good working relationship with Luke Hartsuyker noting the parliamentary reform which allows for every local member to bring in legislation and have it voted on.

Allan says he respects the situation Oakeshott is in but says most of the electorate didn’t want a Labor government and asked why he went with Labor instead of the Coalition. Oakeshott says he made it clear in his speech yesterday that he couldn’t afford to view this through the political party prism and says he hasn’t gone Labor or Liberal he has gone for a consideration of how we form a majority on the floor of parliament where no one party has a clear majority. He says no party has a mandate and says he wants endorsing a philosophy or any brands and says he has some strong views about the NSW Labor government at the moment. Oakeshott states that the conclusions he had to draw were based on how to have a stable government that works for regional Australia and electorates like Lyne.

John congratulates Oakeshott and says his speech was fantastic at conveying what he went through to come to that decision. Oakeshott notes an upcoming Four Corners documentary with a behind-the-scenes look at working towards making that decision.

Sydney

2GB:

Caller Rick says Oakeshott has just made himself unemployable. Ron says Liberals and Nationals need to chose their candidates earlier and they should start campaigning now in the seats held by Windsor and Oakeshott.

Barbara says she is a neglected group of society as she a self-funded retiree. Barbara says the mining tax which Oakeshott and Windsor have given the green light to will affect her super. Presenter Alan Jones says super funds have money invested in mining companies like BHP and Xstrata.

Cath says she is disgusted with Windsor and Oakeshott for making us wait. Peter says he is from Oakeshott’s electorate — he came across very well as a supporter of local constituent issues. Peter says Oakeshott is a wolf in sheep’s clothing.

Gerard says he thinks it was great day for Australia yesterday and we have a government with certainty. Gerard says it is his opinion and Jones needs to respect it. Gerard says Jones only ever quotes The Australian and they wanted Abbott. Jones says Laura Tingle of the Australian Financial Review called Abbott a liar and a fraud which proves how biased the media is against Abbott. Jones says he will speak to Joe Hockey and he thinks what he will say will be revelatory about how the discussions between Andrew Robb and the Treasury were conducted. Jones says the Treasury was partisan.

Annette says she will not say hello because it is a sad morning. Jones says he launched Oakeshott’s campaign years ago and he now knows he was “sucked in and duped”. Jones says the AEC is saying Corangamite is still in doubt.

Phillip says Abbott’s place in history will be assured. Phillip says Oakeshott is a fake and that Barnaby Joyce was right when he said that Windsor can not be trusted. Michael says he is outraged by what has happened and he feels democracy seems short circuited.

Zac says he is confused about Jones’ criticisms because everyone knew how close the election would be. Zac says he is a Windsor constituent and he thinks he is a good leader and man who made the right decision.

Peter says the last eight weeks has a positive in that he is impressed with Abbott. Peter says yesterday’s comments by Noel Pearson “were huge” because there has not been any political leader who has been recommended by a senior aboriginal elder.

Wendy says the two independents are absolutely Labor leading misfits and they will end up “like this Wilkie fellow, they’re going to be ex-everything”. Wendy says Oakeshott is an egomaniac.

Rob says Oakeshott is an idiot. Jones says Oakeshott’s speech was embarrassing. Les says Oakeshott thinks he is a big shot and his odds of being reelected are a long shot. Sue asks what influence GetUp! had. Sue says GetUp! had a High Court challenge before the election. Stu says it will not take long for the Labor party to die of its own venom after biting its own tail. Simon says Jones keeps saying that only one in three people voted for the Labor Party but in the end it is actually one for one.

Caller Murray says at the next state election of each state there should be a referendum to change the constitution “so this can never happen again”. Jones says he had a call that Oakeshott wanted to come on the program and he said no. Jones says he supported Oakeshott as a National Party candidate and he has betrayed that.

2UE:

Caller Lynne has a negative view of the Greens. Bob Brown pledged not to introduce death duties before the federal election but she watched Q&A and Senator Sarah Hanson Young said the policy would come in. Stanley says the policy states that the duty would apply on estates over $5 million. It can only be brought in with major party support. Lynne thinks Labor would support this. Stanley says Lynne is perpetuating a cruel myth that Labor and the Greens are the same party.

John is trying to work out how a party with most votes can lose the Fed election. John says we have three unwise men. They agree that the government may fall at any by-election. John says the TV and everyone else seems up in arms. Stanley says Senator Bill Heffernan warned the Greens would bring in death duties but this is “wingnut stuff”.

2SM:

Caller David lives in Lyne, and was disgusted with what Oakeshott did yesterday. He says it is obvious his constituents lean towards the conservatives. He says he talks to many people and this will carry thought to the next election. He says Oakeshott was more concerned with the better deal for himself rather than the feelings of the community he represents.

Caller Laney says she listened to 2SM all night. She wants to know how many of the Labor MPs won their seats due to the Greens. She says NSW had the best hospital system, but now it is horrible. Gilbert says the bureaucracy was bloated, instead of the hospital system.

Hobart

ABC 936:

Caller Gordon predicts that Rupert Murdoch has tried his hardest to influence the outcome of the Australian election. Ted comments that Rob Oakeshott, Independent, dragged things out in his speech yesterday.

Canberra

ABC 666

Caller Pat asks why does Bob Katter get to tell everyone about stable government then do the opposite

Caller Michael, Quiz winner says the government will be acquiescent, and says the country’s economic issues need to be addressed by a Bob Menzies, a Paul Keating, or a John Howard. He advises Labor members to stay clear of the trams, and says members will be going to their leaders asking for things and threatening to leave the party if they don’t get them. Michael says the member for O’Connor doesn’t have any power, and Solly agrees.

Caller Rob suggests Solly run a sweep on how long the new government will last, and says the government won’t last three years because their egos will take over. Solly agrees it’s precarious, and Rob says Abbott isn’t just going to sit there for three years. Rob goes on to discuss the quiz question.

Caller Penny says she thinks the new government is wonderful and we have a renaissance in Australian politics, with Labor, the Liberals, the Greens and the independents.

Caller William says he is disappointed the Liberals didn’t win and he was impressed with Tony Abbott, Federal Opposition Leader. Williams advises he is 11 and is also impressed that Bob Katter, Independent MP went with Abbott.

Caller comment on the formation of the new government, mentioning Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor’s decision to support Labor.

2CC

Caller Del says the country is now in the hands of a ‘group of a political harlets.’ She says it was payback time for Tony Windsor. Rob Oakeshott was always going to go to the left, compere suggests, and Windsor was the one who had the most grief.

Caller Alan says Tony Abbott had more of the primary vote, but it is not unheard of to have more and not govern. Compere says the difference between Kim Beazley and now is that there were 3 Independents that got to choose. He suggests perhaps they should have taken the will of the people into more account than they did.

Caller Terry says Warren Truss and Barnaby Joyce deserve ‘a kick in the backside.’ Tony Windsor got his revenge, he says. Compere says he doesn’t know how we are going to pay for the broadband. It will blow out to much more than $43b, he says.

Caller Max says Corangamite has till not been called, and host Mark Parton says he has looked at it and does not now how they cannot call it as it looked decisive. Max says the Coalition won the most votes, two party preferred, and more seats than Labor. Parton says yes, but that wasn’t enough for Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor.

Caller James says the bias of Ray Hadley and Alan Jones was ‘sickening’. He thinks Labor would win another election. Parton says Tony Windsor doesn’t see it that way. He disagrees with how the ALP got rid of Kevin Rudd, Former Australian Prime Minister.

Caller Dave says he wishes people would stop speculating, but Parton says Rob Oakeshott has made it pretty clear that he has had discussions about becoming a Minister. He doesn’t think the Parliament will last longer than 18 months.

Caller Peter says he who laughs last laughs longest. He says Canberra Labor supporters are hung up in their hatred of the Liberal Party. Peter can’t see how the independents can say they were concerned about stability and then go with Labor.

Caller John says it smacks of hubris to have the Coalition denied power, and that Rob Oakeshott loves the attention too much.

Adelaide

ABC 891

Caller Ed says one of the reforms that MP Rob Oakeshott demanded was to keep questions and answers in Parliament to a few minutes, and yesterday he did not stick to this.