1. As a first-time voter, how did you find the election
campaign?
Which issues seemed to dominate? Which were not discussed
adequately?
It seemed to me that the election was mainly an exercise in
Rudd convincing the Australian people that he was just as bland, conservative
and economically unconcerned with anyone who wasn’t of the middle class as is
Howard. He seemed to leave Gillard to do most of the actual leg work on Work
Choices.
In terms of what was left out, everything and nothing.
Everything came up and then both candidates agreed, Howard trying to insinuate
that Rudd did not in fact agree and then they went back to their own
well-crafted political narratives. The only thing that was totally excluded was
any mention of changing the Constitution so our federal system works.
2. Which were the main issues of concern for you?
Coming right out of school and facing a move to another city
to get into uni, a few issues that I have not had to think about have come up,
and others have stayed the same. At the end of the day I’m primarily concerned
with Aboriginal affairs, housing, industrial relations, education and reform of
the Constitution.
3. Approaching the polling booth, how did you feel?
To be honest I was a little bit distracted by being back at
my primary school. Also, the great feeling that we might finally get to do over
Howard.
4. Who did you vote for? Preferences?
The Greens then Socialist Alliance in the Senate filtering
back to Labor. The Greens then ALP in the House of Representatives.
Photo: Andrew Collis:
Alexander Turnbull outside the Darlington
Public School polling
booth
Source: South Sydney Herald December 2007 www.southsydneyherald.com.au/