An off week in the fortnightly cycles for both Newspoll and Essential Research, but we do have three fairly detailed sets of attitudinal polling doing the rounds:
• Ipsos has results from its monthly Issues Monitor series, which records a dramatic escalation in concern about the environment. Asked to pick the three most salient out of 19 listed issues, 41% chose the environment, more than any other. This was up ten on last month’s survey, and compares with single digit results that were not uncommonly recorded as recently as 2015. Cost of living and health care tied for second on 31%, respectively down three and up six on last month. The economy was up one to 25%, and crime down one to 21%. On “party most capable to manage environmental issues across the generations”, generations up to and including X gave the highest rating to the Greens, towards whom the “boomer” and “builder” generations showed their usual hostility. The poll was conducted online from a sample of 1000.
• A poll by YouGov for the Australian Institute finds 79% expressing concern about climate change, up five since a similar poll in July. This includes 47% who were very concerned, up ten. Among those aged 18 to 34, only around 10% expressed a lack of concern. Fifty-seven per cent said Australia was experiencing “a lot” of climate change impact, up 14%; 67% said climate change was making bushfires worse, with 26% disagreeing; and only 33% felt the Coalition had done a good job “managing the climate crisis” (a potentially problematic turn of phrase for those who did not allow that there was one), compared with 53% who took the contrary view. The poll was conducted January 8 to 12 from a sample of 1200; considerable further detail is available through the full report.
• The Institute of Public Affairs has a poll on Australia Day and political correctness from Dynata, which has also done polling on the other side of the ideological aisle for the aforesaid Australia Institute. This finds 71% agreeing that “Australia Day should be celebrated on January 26” (55% strongly, 16% somewhat), and 68% agreeing Australia had become too politically correct (42% strongly, 26% somewhat). Disagreement with both propositions was at just 11%. A very substantial age effect was evident here, but not for the two further questions relating to pride in Australia, which received enthusiastic responses across the board. I have my doubts about opening the batting on this particular set of questions by asking if respondents were “proud to be an Australian”, which brings Yes Minister to mind. Perhaps the most interesting thing about the poll is the demographic detail on the respondents, who were presumably drawn from an online panel. This shows women were greatly over-represented in the younger cohorts, while the opposite was true among the old; and that the sample included rather too many middle-aged people on low incomes. The results would have been weighted to correct for this, but some of these weightings were doing some fairly heavy lifting (so to speak).
Elsewhere, if you’re a Crikey subscriber you can enjoy my searing expose on the electoral impact of Bridget McKenzie’s sports sports. I particularly hope you appreciate the following line, as it was the fruit of about two days’ work:
When polling booth and sport grants data are aggregated into 2288 local regions designated by the Australian Bureau of Statistics, there turns out to be no correlation whatsoever between the amount of funding they received and how much they swung to or against the Coalition.
I worked this out by identifying the approximate target locations of 518 grants, building a dataset recording grant funding and booth-level election swings for each of the ABS’s Statistical Local Area 2 regions, and using linear regression to calculate how much impact the grants had on the Coalition vote. The verdict: absolutely none whatsoever.
I think some members of the MSM should study this article and put it to better use in their interviews. Can’t expect it from the right-wingers, of course. They just lap up Morrison’s spiel.
https://www.theage.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/scott-morrison-s-mastery-of-the-tv-interview-means-something-has-to-change-20200120-p53t2w.html
poroti @ #40 Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 – 8:28 am
Hillary gathered 66 million votes. Even more than Trump. You can’t say she wasn’t popular.
The LNP is our version of The Donald: “Yeah, we did it. So big deal!” All the good right wing authoritarian dictatorships do it so we can do it as well.
Remember the early “Learning to read” books, with their simple language?
This is Spot. Spot can run. See Spot run up the hill. Good boy, Spot.
This is how Trump talks most of the time, taking one word and trying it out in different sentences.
This is just scandalous. It is Josh Frydenburg virtually saying that he thinks it is worth it for the nation to become a Climate Change pariah in the world, just so we can maintain his ‘strong economy’! 😡
Josh Frydenberg says the Coalition will not compromise “the strength of the economy” to manage rising environmental concerns as international authorities urge governments to do more to tackle climate change.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/treasurer-climate-s-economic-threat-requires-balanced-approach-20200121-p53tch.html
Right. So the process will be:
– impeachment managers and Team Trump make their cases (happening now)
– Senators have 16 hours to pose their own questions (in writing to be read by Roberts, as per Senate rules)
– in Clinton’s trial these questions went for over 100 hours (the Senate cannot do its normal gig while a trial is in play)
– questions are answered by either side depending on the question
– then it’s vote time, likely to be in a week or two after the Senate has been going at it hammer and tongs for 6 days per week often late into the night
– debate on the vote will be for four hours on whether to admit witnesses or not, thus keeping the trial going
– Moscow Mitch is betting that Democrats and Republicans alike will simply want to end the thing
– Dems need 4 Republicans to cross the floor to vote to keep the trial going
– Romney, Susan Collins and Murkowski have either said outright, or are very supportive of hearing from more witnesses (Bolton in particular), so that means one more Republican needs to cross the floor to keep the trial going
– this all presupposes that the above 3 vote to hear from witnesses (big ask IMO)
I just thought of a good ad campaign that the Lincoln Project could use if the inevitable Republican acquittal of Trump ensues:
Run this in every state and district:
Words to that effect anyway.
Here’s another great article on Sports Rorts 2.0:
Two out of five of the grassroots projects under the Morrison government’s controversial sports grants scheme had begun construction before funding agreements were in place, in clear contravention of program guidelines.
Despite ministers’ insistence no rules were broken, work on eight projects had finished by the time their applicants had finalised funding agreements with Sports Australia.
…”In addition to program ineligibility, this situation suggests that – particularly in respect of the eight completed projects – those selected for funding under the program may not have required Australian government funding in order to deliver their projects,” the report said.
…Labor leader Anthony Albanese, who visited a bowling club in the Labor seat of Perth that missed out on funding, demanded the government release the full assessment list of the 2000 sporting groups that sought funding.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/40-per-cent-of-sports-projects-breached-guidelines-20200121-p53tbx
Looks like there’s a LOT of Sporting Clubs that missed out on Grants that Albanese can visit. 🙂
GG
The “nobody likes him” comment LOL had nothing to do with how popular Hilary was.
C@T
Josh is probably right to dismiss the idea that the RBA will buy power stations or other businesses because the RBA has made it clear that the only thing the RBA would consider buying is government bonds.
Right wing political correctness:
– climate denial
– monarchism / anti republicanism
– the language of patrioutism
– disdain for the language of inclusiveness
– expressing how strongly you want to punish wrongdoers – criminals, climate activists, etc
– disdain for certain groups – greenies, welfare recipients
– hatred / contempt for unions and unionists
– devotion to January 26
– disdain for “socialism”, which is pretty much anything you disapprove of
– especially in the USA, the language of (consevative Christian) faith, calling on the Diety at every opportunity
– … no doubt the list can be greatly expanded
I know I’m being naughty to post this. 😆
Six Things Indigenous People Want You To Know This Survival Day
https://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/what-indigenous-people-want-you-to-know-survival-day_au_5e1e5c3dc5b63211760ad280?utm_hp_ref=au-politics
‘Pay the rent’: Invasion Day protesters urged to hand over cash at march
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/pay-the-rent-invasion-day-protesters-urged-to-hand-over-cash-at-march-20200121-p53tdr.html
Confessions says:
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at 9:11 am
Tom NicholsVerified account@RadioFreeTom
12m12 minutes ago
This trial will be the legacy of the Republican Party. I think there was an argument to be made that Trump alone couldn’t kill the GOP. I don’t agree, but I think a lot of GOPers could at least pretend it was possible to recover from Trump. After today, no more pretending.
Do you even know who your re-posting? Seems like your a fan of pro-nuclear weapons, US first strike traditional conservative Republicans. Who knew?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Nichols_(academic)
Peg
This is where the left gets itself into trouble because many Australians would respond with “well you already receive funding from us taxpayers”
Ipsos Survey
https://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/environment-now-trumps-economy-on-australian-list-of-biggest-worries-20200121-p53td7.html
Mexicanbeemer @ #61 Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 – 9:07 am
Yes, I read the article recently where the IMF (?) suggested the Reserve buy Stranded Assets like Coal-Fired Power Stations and mines and the like. I thought, no way ia a COALition government going to allow that! Even though the Reserve is apparently independent.
In fact, Morrison and Frydenburg are about government guarantees and underwriting of the damn things! 😡
The IPA poll looks like a push poll.
Day 200 of the First Shorten Government. The Greatest Government in Australian History.
On this day Prime Minister Shorten delivered carrots to a wildlife sanctuary.
I bet Scott Morrison truly Believes his prayers were answered when it rained over some of the bushfire zones last week.
C@T
Yes, I read the article recently where the IMF (?) suggested the Reserve buy Stranded Assets like Coal-Fired Power Stations and mines and the like. I thought, no way ia a COALition government going to allow that! Even though the Reserve is apparently independent.
In fact, Morrison and Frydenburg are about government guarantees and underwriting of the damn things!
—————————————
I would think the government would do it before the RBA would and from time to time the reactionary faction pushes the idea of the government buying or underwriting a coal power station but like many things with this government they just going around and around with the same debate on repeat cycle.
Fess
I haven’t had a chance yet to listen to Wilson.
Will try later on.
More Ipsos results:
* agree that this is a wake-up call for the world on the impacts of climate
change (72%)
* agree that governments should mobilise all of society to tackle climate
change, like they mobilised everyone during the world wars (66%)
* More Australians agree than disagree that mining and burning coal makes
bushfires worse (48% v 34%)
Quite sickening SMH headlines at the moment:
Greensborough Growler @ #43 Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 – 8:30 am
And that’s as may be, but I’m still thinking that the Herald Sun/3AW/2GB/Daily Telegraph/Adelaide Advertiser/Courier Mail/West Australian/Hobart Mercury/Channel 7 Sunrise etc. watching contingent of ‘Quiet (Dumbed Down) Australians’, are still believing the government propaganda that is being disseminated to them. If people on the streets of Italy and America are believing it, it’s some damn good yellow journalism in service of the Morrison government!
The Bushfires MAY have changed things, but I’m already hearing reports of people saying how quickly green shoots are appearing after the bushfires, as in, pfft! those bushfires were exaggerated.
One good turn deserves another?
Mexicanbeemer @ #74 Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 – 9:29 am
I hope so, MB! I don’t have your confidence about that, though. This is a government that are prepared to brazenly use the Treasury to fund their ideological jihad.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/jan/22/scott-morrisons-senior-ministers-discuss-how-to-reposition-climate-policies
Labor faces the same issue in its inner city seats where the Greens poll well. Reconciling the different demands from inner city voters who want real action on global heating versus the demands from coal miners and their communities in Queensland to preserve their way of life is fraught.
Labor needs to come out with detailed plans for just transition and sell these plans every day from now to the next election.
Yep C@t,
That will be one of the next memes.
‘Look at the country recover.’
‘It has always recovered.’
SfM photo op among vigorously growing saplings.
The pillow talk between Kellyanne Conway and her husband George must be very interesting at times.
‘nath says:
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at 9:27 am
Day 200 of the First Shorten Government. The Greatest Government in Australian History.
On this day Prime Minister Shorten delivered carrots to a wildlife sanctuary.’
Thanks for drawing this to our attention. You are quite right, as always.
Shorten would have been a much better prime minister and a Labor government would have been a much better government.
Only three more interminable years of buyer’s remorse to go.
Taxpayer money to ‘bail out’ the Clives and Ginas of the world. Fark off IMF . Let ’em do their dough.
Peg
The Greens face no such problem.
Boerwar says:
Wednesday, January 22, 2020 at 9:44 am
Shorten would have been a much better prime minister and a Labor government would have been a much better government.
Only three more interminable years of buyer’s remorse to go.
You too eh, boerwar?
https://switzer.com.au/the-experts/peter-switzer/i-miss-bill-shorten/
https://theconversation.com/scientists-hate-to-say-i-told-you-so-but-australia-you-were-warned-130211
Being quiet, civil and respectful doesn’t cut it anymore. Writing letters, sending emails, signing petitions doesn’t cut it anymore. Politely requesting action from our politicians doesn’t cut it any more. Such actions have been tried for decades and have failed.
Now is the time to take collective action within our communities and be loud.
Now is the time to stand up, march in the streets and take direct action.
Otherwise it will continue to be business as usual all the while the planet burns.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/you-can-t-make-this-stuff-up-bhp-says-australian-bushfires-hurting-coal-production
Mavis @ #83 Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 – 6:44 am
I have no idea how they stay married.
Vic:
The advice he has could equally be applied to Labor here IMO.
This seems an opportunity for interested Bludgers.
https://www.aph.gov.au/vegetationandlandmanagement
Breaking: Prime Minister Morrison has advised Australians not to concern themselves about the coronavirus. The Government will stop it by deploying McKenzie, Taylor, Dutton, Hunt, Molan, Joyce, Robocop, the ADF Reserve, not many thoughts at all, and a shitload of prayers.
See Spot run indeed.
and from local sources – singer, songwriter, author John Williamson
I will be visiting my senior, executive, managing director favourite daughter tomorrow (early childhood education) and I will be sure to check the “Daddy Snores” item. 👼😇
Peg
So, stop wasting your time on Bludger.
Get your Greens mates out and protest.
Make sure that Greens influencers like Wally get a lot of time on the podium.
Now is the right time!
Just do it!
Confessions @ #92 Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 – 9:58 am
They never take any notice when people write in submissions telling them what they don’t want to hear. Just like Sports Grants. So why bother wasting your time with this lot?
Boerwar @ #95 Wednesday, January 22nd, 2020 – 10:03 am
But I thought Pegasus had glued herself to her laptop! 😆
Confessions
Perhaps for them all the politics is just a game, a job. Like married lawyers who just happen to have unpleasant clients.
Confessions:
[‘I have no idea how they stay married.’]
I can only think that Kellyanne is an extremely good actor.
Pity Paul Kennedy didn’t know about this when he interviewed Greg the Lying Hunt this morning:
Aaron Dodd
@AaronDodd
They’re all in on it. A rat’s nest. To quote Obi Wan Kenobi “You will never find a more wretched hive of scum and villainy [than within the Australian Liberal Party]”. #auspol #sportsrorts
@GregHuntMP
THE Russell – The BOT who Votes
@THE_Russell
Hunt acknowledges $175,000 “grant” to a yacht club in his electorate which was not recommended by Sports Australia. He was thanked by the yacht club in a Facebook post to club members “for all the back room work he did in organising the payment” days before the election. #auspol
A Yacht Club, FFS! In a wealthy Liberal electorate!