Day 23 report
Yesterday, Labor released statements on access to primary care in Bendigo, weeds, an evocities project for regional NSW, roads projects in northern NSW, veterans, and flooding in Lismore.
There were no new policies on the Coalition web site.
Today, the Reserve Bank will announce whether or not interest rates will be changed. The market is anticipating a rise of 25 basis points in the cash rate, from 6.50 to 6.75 per cent.
The structure of a Labor government: According to the media, a Rudd Labor government would initiate a razor gang review of the public service with a view to significant cutbacks (SMH, Age, CM, Hun).
Over at the Oz, Paul Kelly is predicting that a Rudd Labor government “means a deepening of the prime minister’s powers and a reorganisation of government that is Whitlamesque in its scope and its obsession about process.” According to Kelly, the bureaucrats working on a possible transition to a Labor government “can hardly believe their eyes”.
On the psephological front: Simon Jackman and William Bowe have looked at the accuracy of predictions based on state level swings versus national level swings (and whether they differ for status quo elections and change of government elections). Update: Sol Lebovic discusses the same issues in the Australian.