This is what Gillard was widely reported to have argued on 23rd August 2010 just after the election:
She was better qualified to offer stable government, Labor had won a higher share of the two-party preferred vote, Labor offered an integrated set of policies, and she stood taller in the opinion polls as preferred prime minister.
So winning the two-party preferred vote was front and centre of Gillard’s claim to power after the close election. Well guess what people, she spoke to soon. As of 3:55:43 PM the AEC has reported, with the vote still being counted, that the Coalition is now only 5,000 votes behind the ALP on two party preferred. The Coalition has been catching the ALP for a few days and it looks set to overtake the ALP by the end of vote counting this week.
The Coalition has already won the primary vote, won the most seats in the HoR and now look set to win the 2PP vote. Winning = mandate to govern!! Can you imagine after all the victories over the past nine months that Abbott ends up not being PM? If the three ex-nats independents want to find out what a conservative up rising is, then they better back the Coalition or otherwise they will get a taste of the 400,000 emails and calls that inundated Parliament a few months ago calling for the dumping of Rudd’s ETS. That is not a threat, it is reality. Talk back radio is already being swamped with angry callers who are against the independents for being so limp wristed. So man up three amigos and get off the fence.
UPDATE
The Coalition has just taken the lead in the two-party preferred vote – 7:09:39 PM – by 635 votes.
UPDATE I
The 2PP is all locked up now 50-50. So it is at least a mute point.