Wherein the Poll Bludger celebrates the grand final weekend by doing what it always does. No Morgan poll this week, but they do inform us that St Kilda supporters are slightly less likely to practise yoga than normal people. Not only but also:
• Today’s the big day for the Liberal Party’s preselection in Bradfield. Read and comment all about it at the dedicated post, where you will find a complete and updated form guide to all 17 candidates.
• More by-election action thanks to former WA Premier Alan Carpenter’s retirement announcement, which will shortly produce a vacancy in his safe Labor seat of Willagee. Dedicated post immediately below.
• Imre Salusinszky of The Australian reports that Liberal MP Louise Markus, whose seat of Greenway has been made all but unwinnable by the redistribution, has nominated for preselection in the neighbouring seat of Macquarie, where Labor’s margin has been cut from 7.0 per cent to 0.1 per cent and sitting member Bob Debus is planning to retire. Kerry Bartlett, whom Debus defeated at the 2007 election, has not nominated.
• Imre Salusinszky also reports that an obstacle to Dickson MP Peter Dutton’s transfer to the safe Liberal Gold Coast seat of McPherson has been removed with the announcement by Richard Stuckey, local doctor and husband of state Currumbin MP Jann Stuckey, that he has withdrawn from the preselection race. Presumably still in the field are Karen Andrews, chair of the party’s federal divisional council and an ally of outgoing member Margaret May, and Michael Hart, who unsuccessfully contested the state seat of Burleigh at the last two state elections.
• Jeff Whalley of The Geelong Advertiser reports that the Liberal preselection for the state seat of South Barwon will be a contest between Andrew Katos, who represents Deakin ward on Greater Geelong City Council, and Tony Le Deux, who “has his own catering firm and in the past managed the legendary Melbourne food shop The Essential Ingredient”. Despite earlier reports, former Surf Coast Shire Council councillor Ron Humphrey has emerged as a non-starter. Whalley reports the candidates are respectively backed by factions associated with Stewart McArthur, former federal member for Corangamite, and the seat’s preselected candidate for the next election, Sarah Henderson. The seat is held for Labor by former Geelong mayor Michael Crutchfield on a margin of 2.3 per cent.
• Andrew Landeryou of VexNews reports Jeff Kennett has provided former Hawthorn AFL player Stephen Lawrence with a reference in support of his apparent bid for Kennett’s old seat of Burwood, currently held by Labor’s Bob Stensholt on a margin of 3.7 per cent. Also identified as candidates are David Solly, IT manager and one-time Nationals member, and Graham Watt, “owner of a thriving carpet cleaning business”. Landeryou notes that demographics and a large Chinese community are producing a long-term shift to Labor in the seat.
• The Camden Advertiser reports Camden mayor Chris Patterson rejects rumours he will run against federal MP Pat Farmer for Liberal preselection in Macarthur. It is expected that Patterson will run for the state seat of Camden, held by Labor’s Geoff Corrigan on a margin of 3.9 per cent.
• The Australian Women’s Weekly’s Belinda Neal glamour photo shoot hits the news stands Monday.
A snap shot of the front page of The Online Oz right now: (political stories only)
[Rejection of ETS a vote winner: Truss
Border laws ‘linked to boat arrivals’
TAYLOR: Poll offers opposition glimmer of hope
BAD ATTITUDE: Labor may get burnt in Sunshine State
Stevens warning on stimulus: Coalition
China wooed by Australian debt
RBA confident on Australia’s outlook (practicaly hidden)
Liberals can’t lose Dutton
Paul Kelly: Shift to G20 was matter of time
We could lose on climate: Coalition
Tanner names interim data centre panel]
‘Course I’m probably just cherry picking…
The poor MSM: having to report economic success for the Labor government through gritted teeth!
And News Ltd’s pathetic attempt to suggest that a 56-44 lead for the Rudd Government was good news for the Coalition – one of the more creative attempts at journalism I’ve seen in a while!
Ratsars @ 800
Excellent summary.
I thought Glen Stevens was level headed, measured and sure of himself.
A good man to have hold of a lever.
And Unions WA has just launched a new campaign aimed at the WA Govt’s new Workplace laws.
http://www.noworkchoicesinwa.com/
[Well their ABC radio702’s political report]
Vera, i want “my ABC” back with my 8c plus interest. while i was doing my beauty walk this arvo and listening to My ABC News Radio, i heard an interview between my ABC and a woman from the QLD Chamber of Commerce commenting about the “new” Newspoll where there was “some good news for the Coalitions in the bush.
OMG, she was presented to me as the world greatest “expurt” on:
1. The GFC
2. The Stimpacs
3. The CPRS/ETS
4. Australian politics.
I was impressed. i want that woman.
Finns, I suppose Possum’s latest might be a bit of a shock then, such as, the Opposition would get crucified if the current polling were repeated at election time?
Latest on UK Politics:
British Labour could win the next election IF they dumped Brown and replaced him with any one of 8 other contenders, according to a new poll:
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brown-i-fight-on-1794247.html
[Mr Cameron score 8 – Also did his research and offered the Governor a free kick
against his critics. The Governor declined.]
Bit generous! Cameron, was just after a media release quote like the rest (basically he was after a head kicking of Simclair Davidson).
Give Stevens a 10 as well!
[Rejection of ETS a vote winner: Truss – Samantha Maiden, Online political editor | 4:48pm THE Coalition is split over a climate change election, as Warren Truss declared that flatly rejecting an ETS could prove a vote winner.
o TAYLOR: Poll offers opposition glimmer of hope
o BAD ATTITUDE: Labor may get burnt in Sunshine State]
Labor is in deep pile of shit according to the Australian’s homepage.
Finns
Glad to see you made it back OK 😉
I was reading about your exploits in an earlier post.
[The Finns mobilised 14 divisions to fight Russia]
[Labor is in deep pile of shit according to the Australian’s homepage.]
Yes. Rudd might as well resign now and give Turnbull the keys to the Lodge.
Afterall the best newspaper in Asutralia wouldn’t slant the facts at all.
Yes after Shanahan’s more balanced poll analysis lately, the OO has relapsed big-time with hysterical spinning of the quaterly Newspoll. But Shanahan not part of it. Interesting
So Rudd meets with Murdoch and the OO goes feral.
Anyone watch 4 Corners? Completely scary stuff. Thankfully the terrorist were found guilty and put away for 32 years:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/sep/07/terrorists-plot-atlantic-liquid-bombs
New thread.
Hansard of last week’s Senate CoOmmittee is up. Here’s a taste:
[Senator CAMERON—What about some of the infrastructure projects that form part of the package?
Prof. Davidson—Name them.
Senator CAMERON—The Ipswich Motorway.
Prof. Davidson—The government’s job is to build roads anyway. I would have thought that is a state government responsibility.
Senator CAMERON—Are you seriously putting to this inquiry that the federal government should play no role in investing in the nation’s road infrastructure?
Prof. Davidson—I am putting it to you that if you wanted to build roads that you would give the money to the states and allow the state governments to make decisions as to what roads they wish to build.
Senator CAMERON—That is an interesting point of view!
Prof. Davidson—We have a constitution that actually has states that make decisions about these things. You do represent the states, don’t you?
Senator CAMERON—I am here to ask the questions, not you.
Prof. Davidson—Actually, I am a taxpayer. I will ask questions too.
Senator CAMERON—You will not ask me any questions. I will be asking the questions,
thanks very much.]
Have to say Davidson came across as such a partisan hack, that his evidence (such as it was) carried very little weight. His bias was far too obvious.
http://www.aph.gov.au/hansard/senate/commttee/S12457.pdf