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<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080
size=2>While it's true that 'marginal seat' politics might carry the day at
election time, it's also true that perceived majority public opinion can
be important in framing policy and legislation.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080 size=2>As
we know, some pollies are disturbed enough by the issues to risk their
reputations (becoming bearers of bad tidings) even now by going public on
PO.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080 size=2></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080
size=2>Queensland state Labor MP Andrew McNamara gave a speech on PO that was
promptly dubbed "Peak Career" by his colleagues.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080 size=2>No
politician will move seriously on trying to shape policy until they
think they can carry the public.</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080 size=2>So
even within general politics, it is important to try to get the public across
the issues. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080 size=2>On a
slightly different note, is anyone aware of who (among the various Australian PO
and other groups) is working on a formal submission to the Senate Inquiry?
(See link below)</FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006> <FONT face=Verdana color=#000080
size=2><A
href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/rrat_ctte/oil_supply/info.htm">http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/committee/rrat_ctte/oil_supply/info.htm</A></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080
size=2>Submission deadline is 24 February. </FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=087051222-18012006><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080
size=2></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=594123104-17112004><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080
size=2><SPAN class=087051222-18012006>Sandy Pollard</SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=594123104-17112004><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080
size=2><SPAN class=087051222-18012006></SPAN></FONT></SPAN> </DIV>
<DIV><SPAN class=594123104-17112004><FONT face=Verdana color=#000080
size=2><SPAN class=087051222-18012006> </SPAN></FONT></SPAN></DIV>
<DIV></DIV>
<DIV><FONT face=Tahoma size=2>-----Original Message-----<BR><B>From:</B>
peakoil-bounces+sandy.pollard=dewr.gov.au@act-peakoil.org
[mailto:peakoil-bounces+sandy.pollard=dewr.gov.au@act-peakoil.org] <B>On Behalf
Of </B>David Jorm<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, January 18, 2006 10:39
PM<BR><B>To:</B> peakoil@act-peakoil.org<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Peakoil]
Majority Opinion (78% favour renewables)<BR><BR></DIV></FONT>Agreed; good
example is the majority of Australians never supported the war in Iraq. A
federal election occured not long after this highly unpopular event - what
happened? Imcumbent won, by focusing on the swinging voters and what would sway
them, namely tax cuts, baby bonuses, interest rates, etc. People with strong
party alliances aren't going to switch teams because of policy changes, so it
becomes those who will who must be targeted.<BR><BR>
<DIV><SPAN class=gmail_quote>On 1/18/06, <B class=gmail_sendername>Adrian
Whitehead</B> <<A
href="mailto:ccserac.project1@ecoaction.net.au">ccserac.project1@ecoaction.net.au</A>
> wrote:</SPAN>
<BLOCKQUOTE class=gmail_quote
style="PADDING-LEFT: 1ex; MARGIN: 0pt 0pt 0pt 0.8ex; BORDER-LEFT: rgb(204,204,204) 1px solid">
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN>Majority
Opinion is not really that important.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2><SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN>An astute
political player what is important is the opinion of the swinger voters
in marginal seats these are the people that need to be won
over. </SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2><SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN>Sadly
rusted on voters don't matter, and safe seats don't
matter.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2><SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN>Howard has
been a master at this game, and governments who do it well can keep them
selves in power or win elections, i.e. Richardson with the
Franklin.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2><SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff size=2><SPAN>Poor
players will often confuse their goal and make a mess of their own politics,
such as Biesly in 2001 election on refugees.</SPAN></FONT></DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2><SPAN></SPAN></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV dir=ltr align=left><FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2><SPAN>Adrian</SPAN></FONT></DIV><BR>
<DIV lang=en-us dir=ltr align=left>
<HR>
<FONT face=Tahoma size=2><B>From:</B> peakoil-bounces+adrian=<A
onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="mailto:ecoaction.net.au@act-peakoil.org"
target=_blank>ecoaction.net.au@act-peakoil.org</A> [mailto:<A
onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="mailto:peakoil-bounces+adrian=ecoaction.net.au@act-peakoil.org"
target=_blank>peakoil-bounces+adrian=ecoaction.net.au@act-peakoil.org</A>]
<B>On Behalf Of </B>Antony Barry<BR><B>Sent:</B> Wednesday, 18 January 2006
11:10 AM<BR><B>To:</B> Keith Thomas<BR><B>Cc:</B> ACT Peak Oil
discussion<BR><B>Subject:</B> Re: [Peakoil] 78% favour renewables (in
UK)<BR></FONT><BR></DIV>
<DIV></DIV><BR>
<DIV>
<DIV>On 17 Jan 2006, at 9:27 PM, Keith Thomas wrote:</DIV><BR>
<BLOCKQUOTE type="cite">
<P style="MARGIN: 0px"><FONT
style="FONT: 14px Andale Mono; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal"
face="Andale Mono" size=4>It would be nice to think that democracy in mass
society would come up with the best solution. That works OK for traditional
politics, but not for peak oil and climate change. It matters not a whit
what the majority - or even ALL - the people say or
favour.</FONT></P></BLOCKQUOTE></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>Politically it DOES matter what a large majority thinks. A
government which ignores strong public opinion risks being kicked
out and it's actions negated. Governments can lead but it's risky. The present
Commonwealth Government has taken a risk with Iraq, Telstra
and industrial relations presumably because it thought the
majority opinion was wrong and people would come round to their way of
thinking.
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>We want the government to take action to steer us away from the
disaster which peak oil will bring. To do so we need to bring more people to
the view that this is a problem which must be faced urgently.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Decisions such as the Gungahlin Drive Extension might not have been
made if the likely future of fuel supplies was considered.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>At least Canberra planning now looks to be trying to keep
development closer and cutting back on continual sprawl.</DIV>
<DIV><BR></DIV>
<DIV>Tony</DIV>
<DIV><BR>
<DIV><SPAN
style="WORD-SPACING: 0px; FONT: 14px Andale Mono; TEXT-TRANSFORM: none; COLOR: rgb(0,0,0); TEXT-INDENT: 0px; WHITE-SPACE: normal; LETTER-SPACING: normal; BORDER-COLLAPSE: separate; font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal">
<DIV>phone : 02 6241 7659 | <A
onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="mailto:me@Tony-Barry.emu.id.au"
target=_blank>mailto:me@Tony-Barry.emu.id.au</A></DIV>
<DIV>mobile: 04 1242 0397 | <A
onclick="return top.js.OpenExtLink(window,event,this)"
href="http://tony-barry.emu.id.au"
target=_blank>http://tony-barry.emu.id.au</A></DIV><BR></SPAN></DIV><BR></DIV><BR>
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17/01/2006<BR></FONT></P></SPAN><BR>_______________________________________________<BR>Peakoil
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