Two weeks into the election
campaigns, Australians in general are still undecided as to who they will vote
for and support in the coming elections.
The electorate is just patiently waiting and listening while Kevin Rudd
and Tony Abbott battle it out in the campaign trail. So far the voting public is still unimpressed
by what they see and hear, saying only that they are most likely to choose the
lesser of two evils.
While some say that the opinion
polls conducted during the campaign period does not reflect the actual voice of
a voting nation, it does however, affect opinions and sway votes more votes for
the leading candidate. And if this is
the case, so far Tony Abbott may just take the win.
Despite the recent Tony Abbott
gaffes on suppositories and sex appeals which have nothing entirely to do with
government policies and economic development, the Liberal Party leader has taken
top spot on the opinion polls by 4%. Andrew Hughes, a lecturer for marketing and
politics at the Australian National University was quoted as saying that it has
always been Tony Abbott's’ election to lose.
“He won’t win by much, but he doesn't have to win by much”, he added.
Australians are seeking change
after the kind of leadership they have experienced under former Prime Minister
Julian Gillard. Since Rudd has taken over as Prime Minister, he may have shown
promise, quickly overhauling key policies.
But the honeymoon phase has truly come to a shuddering halt, political
observers said. Christopher Pyne, shadow education minister, goes as far as to
say that , “ The Australian public is starting to remember all the reasons why
they wanted him gone three years ago.”
Change is what the Liberal party
may be able to offer and many believe Tony Abbott can deliver. Amanda Vanstone, former Howard government
minister, shares how Tony Abbott’s position on three important issues
(developing Top End, border protection and power and energy issues), validates
this perception.
Only three weeks to go, and still a
lot can happen. And as the electorate,
watch, wait and ponder, all eyes are on the candidates seeking the top
seat. And their vote is not driven by
momentary mistakes but on how they are convinced by an aspiring leader that he
is capable of running a country facing economic uncertainties.
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