Wherein we finally wrap up the Call of the Board series, a slowly unfolding state-by-state round-up every seat result from last year’s federal election. Here we tie up the loose ends of the territories, where Labor achieved a clean sweep of five seats – an essentially foregone conclusion for the Australian Capital Territory (which went from two to three seats at this election), but a strong result for them in the Northern Territory (which may be set to lose its second at the next). Previous episodes of the series dealt with Sydney (here and here), regional New South Wales, Melbourne, regional Victoria, south-east Queensland, regional Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia and Tasmania.
Solomon (Labor 3.1%; 3.0% swing to CLP): The always marginal seat that covers Darwin has only gone the way of the winning party once out of the last four elections (in 2013), this time returning Luke Gosling after he gained it for Labor in 2016. Gosling’s 6.0% winning margin off a 7.4% swing in 2016 was the clearest win in the history of a highly marginal seat, the previous record having been Dave Tollner’s 2.8% win for the Country Liberal Party in 2004. This meant he had enough change to record the seat’s second-biggest margin even after a 3.0% swing back to the Country Liberals. As the map to the right illustrates, the pattern of swings in the seat reflected broader themes from the election: the affluent area around the city centre swung to Labor, but the lower-income suburbs of the north went the other way, and the more conservative new suburbia of Palmerston went further still.
Lingiari (Labor 5.5%; 2.7% swing to CLP): Warren Snowdon retained the remainder-of-NT seat of Lingiari, which he has held without interruption since 2001, his closest shave in that time being a 0.9% margin in 2013. The swings in the two Northern Territory seats have been closely matched at the last election, with a 7.5% blowout in Lingiari in 2016 followed by a 2.7% correction this time. There have been occasions in the past where swings varied widely between Alice Springs and Katherine on the one hand and the remote communities in the other, but not this time.
Bean (Labor 7.5%; 1.3% swing to Liberal): The ACT’s new third seat was created entirely from territory that was formerly in the Canberra electorate, whose member Gai Brodtmann did not seek re-election. David Smith, who had previously filled Katy Gallagher’s Senate vacancy when she fell foul of section 44 in May 2018, had no trouble holding Bean for Labor in the face of a slight swing. Left-wing independent Jamie Christie scored a creditable 8.3%, contributing to solid drops on the primary vote for both major parties.
Canberra (Labor 17.1%; 4.1% swing to Labor): The Canberra electorate covers the central third of the capital, and might be regarded as the true “new” seat since it drew territory from both of the previous electorates. Like Darwin, Canberra offered a miniature reflection of national trend in that the city’s inner area moved solidly further to the left, while the suburbs swung to the Liberals. This was reflected in a 4.6% primary vote increase for the Greens, reducing the gap with the Liberals to 27.8% to 23.3%. This is the lowest yet recorded in an ACT seat, but with the Liberal how-to-vote directing preferences to Labor ahead of the Greens, they would probably have remained out of contention if they had made up the difference. With the departure of Gai Brodtmann, its new Labor member is Alicia Payne, who dropped 2.0% on the primary vote to 40.5%.
Fenner (Labor 10.6%; 1.3% swing to Liberal): Labor’s Andrew Leigh suffered a slight swing from similar primary vote numbers to 2016, the main disturbance being the appearance of the United Australia Party with 4.1%.
:sigh:
Doctors have praised preparations so far, but want an Australian national body like the European Centre for Disease Control
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/15/things-are-changing-so-quickly-will-australia-cope-with-coronavirus-if-the-worst-happens
Australian public health experts will be sent to Yokohama, Japan, where more than 200 Australians are quarantined on the docked Diamond Princess, amid concerns the cruise ship could be incubating the coronavirus.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/floating-incubators-cruise-ships-weak-link-in-containing-coronavirus-20200214-p540ry.html
Scott Morrison’s assistant minister, Ben Morton, is associated with four clubs that won tens of thousands of dollars through a grants scheme he wields influence over.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/15/pms-assistant-minister-ben-morton-linked-to-clubs-awarded-more-than-38k-in-grants-scheme
It is one of the biggest fraud cases in the nation’s history and is being heard three years after Julian Wright filed an explosive writ alleging that his siblings “fraudulently misrepresented” the future value of Wright Prospecting Pty Ltd (WPPL) following the unexpected death of their father, Peter Wright, in September 1985.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/15/a-billionaire-battle-wright-family-in-bitter-court-dispute-over-iron-ore-inheritance
Winston Peters, the Deputy Prime Minister and leader of Ardern’s coalition partner NZ First, is increasingly being called out on party practices.
https://www.theage.com.au/world/oceania/ardern-coalition-under-pressure-as-peters-accused-of-conflict-of-interest-20200214-p540v3.html
Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s top aide has admitted “significant shortcomings” in the program, including decisions made by ministerial advisers, but has rejected claims politics dictated who received cash.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-s-top-bureaucrat-defends-his-report-on-sports-rorts-20200214-p540yw.html
The New South Wales police minister has refused to comment on a secretive blacklist used disproportionately to target young Indigenous people with sometimes “coercive” tactics because it is “an operational issue”.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/15/nsw-police-minister-wont-comment-on-scheme-that-targets-indigenous-children
‘A moment of complete despair’: last population of Macquarie perch wiped out in NSW river carnage
Fisheries managers arrived too late to save more of the endangered species as heavy rain washes ash into NSW rivers, robbing fish of oxygen
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/15/last-population-macquarie-perch-nsw-river-carnage-bushfire-ash-fish-species
A $100 million grants program, established by the government ahead of the 2019 election, was restricted to 25 preselected projects, most of them in key seats for the Coalition.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/02/15/environment-grants-awarded-invitation-only/15816852009403
The federal government is holding up a bid to compensate more than 60 people who allegedly suffered psychological trauma in immigration detention during the Howard years, stalling one lead case just as it was about to go to trial.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/02/15/government-stalling-howard-refugee-compo/15816852009402
Liberal moderates are appalled. Trent Zimmerman and Dave Sharma, who both hold inner-city seats where there is high concern about climate issues, went public, saying the government should not put taxpayers’ money towards new coal-fired generation.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/02/15/canavans-successor-apt-fuel-energy-wars/15816852009394
This summer’s bushfire crisis has had a profound impact on people with disabilities
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2020/02/15/disability-and-climate-disasters/15816852009390
On the key issues animating public attention – an Aboriginality test and sovereignty – close reading of each judgement reveals very careful statements. There are no majority pronouncements that change the status quo.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2020/02/15/the-high-court-and-the-aliens-power/15816852009396
Respect and a little bit of fear. It has served our leaders for 200 years and made the country thoughtless, anxious and contented.
https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/editorial/2020/02/15/respect-and-little-bit-fear/15816852009386
KayJay @ #1904 Saturday, February 15th, 2020 – 6:48 am
Good work Lizzie and thanks for your news items.
KayJay
Albrechtsen is such a reliable Murdoch writer, isn’t she!!
lizzie @ #4 Saturday, February 15th, 2020 – 7:12 am
There is another item in The Australian which I will have a look at a little later. One of the problems with The Austrian is that should a straight, factual, informative item appear – it could be dismissed as just another load of old BS. The item concerned is
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/bushfires-how-system-failed-our-courageous-volunteers/news-story/ac1fcadda85fb6157e55a54b8b93bcaf
There’s a lot of information concerning failures, equipment, personnel -etc. However I think the article may be simply to deflect possible criticism from the Federal to the NSW Government.
In any case – a lot of work needs to be done.
Off to water pot plants.
Did a Bludger have a meltdown last night? The forum cop had to be called out?
Bellwether @ #6 Saturday, February 15th, 2020 – 7:25 am
Sorry, but I refused to let being called a rat who was infesting the blog go through to the keeper. If you think people shouldn’t react to slurs like that it’s up to you but lays out your standards for all to see. Mine are obviously higher than that. Anyway, you were one of those who agreed with Mr Newbie, and you probably know it.
And even though I wasn’t going to say any more about it, you couldn’t resist, could you?
Now, can you just let it go, for all our sakes? Oh, and I’m sorry I have feelings, obviously you don’t.
Emperor and Dictator Donald the First:
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-declares-legal-right-to-seek-intervention-in-criminal-cases-20200215-p54128.html
The horrible little goblin who “runs” the senate seems to have crawled back into his shell as well.
How a political party you’ve never heard of could split the government
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/2020/02/14/paula-matthewson-coalition-split/?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Saturday%20News%20-%2020200215
From The Guardian’s live COVID-19 blog:
Whew!
There are no guidelines issued regarding restaurants or public transport, so I guess it’s OK to sit as close as you like to others in those situations, as long as you make sure first they are not infected. Apparently COVID-19 can tell the difference. Maybe it’s the altitude or something?
How detecting whether someone within two rows is infected is not specified.
Maybe Dr Wombat could give a lecture on the difference between airborne droplets and aerosols? That ought to calm the Nervous Nellies.
A polite enquiry of the alleged infectee perhaps?
One of those infra red thingmybobs they point at people in airports?
Maybe we could just go out of our way to show solidarity with our fellow man, shake hands, give them a kiss and then wait 14 days to see if we develop symptoms?
Let’s not panic, after all. Virtue trump’s a virus any day of the week. You can’t catch COVID-19 if your heart’s in the right place.
As well as and also —
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/coalition-leaders-expect-michael-mccormack-to-stand-aside/news-story/13a281be22d29adbb0e0afb8f271a0df
So there you have it folks. Somebody knows what happening but he/she’s keeping it quiet.
Thanks KayJay for wading through the muck and bile that is the Smearstralian to bring us up to speed so we don’t have to.
What are the odds that when Rupe finally goes his pet will also be quietly put down.
I knew it! Littleproud, the friendly face of Nationals leadership but a mate and former staffer of Barnaby Joyce’s just the same.
A thread which seems to run constantly though all reports of the Liberal/NP funding promises is that the promised money hasn’t arrived “yet”. Meanwhile, it can be employed in other promises.
How on earth can the budget be relied on to tell the truth?
‘The Weekend Australian understands a change in Nationals leadership — following Barnaby Joyce’s failed move against Mr McCormack — would see Mr Joyce not challenge for the top job and instead work as a minister in Mr Littleproud’s team.’
Aren’t they on to Barnaby yet?
Once again, it looks like he’s going to get what he wanted all along – in this case, a return to the Ministry – to stop him wrecking the joint.
It will be interesting to see how long it takes The Donald to have a, to use an Americanism, conniption fit about this –
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/justice-dept-wont-charge-andrew-mccabe-the-former-fbi-official-who-authorized-the-investigation-of-president-trump/2020/02/14/8ab3aac0-4f48-11ea-bf44-f5043eb3918a_story.html
C@tmomma,
Do you realise that by using, “…Oh, and I’m sorry I have feelings, obviously you don’t.” that you might set off another row. If you had just finished at, “Now, can you just let it go, for all our sakes?” the matter may well have finished there.
The Coalition can be counted on to lie to suit their interests. A case in point: it now looks like Angus Taylor’s wife, Louise Clegg is actually, ‘maybe’, going to run to become Lord Mayor of Sydney, after all:
https://www.smh.com.au/culture/celebrity/for-the-2020-sydney-lord-mayoral-race-the-signs-are-in-bundeena-20200213-p540ml.html
Kronomex,
You could be right. 🙂
The Bureau of Meteorology issued a hazard surf warning stretching from Byron to Eden near the Victorian border for Friday and Saturday. Activities to be avoided include swimming, boating and rock fishing.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/beaches-close-across-nsw-as-cyclone-linked-surge-lifts-erosion-fears-20200213-p540jr.html
Of course we who know stuff via “The Australian” well understand that the BOM is totally unreliable and is prolly a proxy for the World Government in Waiting (United Nations) and therefore we’ll be rock fishing as usual and forget safety equipment we’re proper Strayans.
Barnyard’s maxim on leadership now appears prescient….
“It’s hard to straddle a sheep and keep both arse-cheeks in the leaders chair”. B. Joyce 2016
KayJay
Once, when exploring the South Coast with my then very young sons, I turned around to see my husband and the boys, who were standing on a cliff, being engulfed by a huge wave.
Apparently my husband was saying to the boys, “See how wet this rock is? Well, that shows you need to be careful, because….”
It seems that the newly grown spine of Barr (maybe that should be Baaahh) was a Clayton’s spine after all –
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/14/us/politics/michael-flynn-prosecutors-barr.html
Sigh, the sports rorts just keep rolling on and on and…
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/15/pms-assistant-minister-ben-morton-linked-to-clubs-awarded-more-than-38k-in-grants-scheme
Sorry I can’t do the cartoons this morning as I have to go and do my weekly volunteer gig at the RSPCA Op Shop. If there is no movement on the BK internet front by the time I get back then I will do them, unless someone else has stepped up to the plate. 🙂
Cud,
Thank you for the Doom Eternal review. I can’t wait! We’ve already paid for our copy. 😀
Jeez America is becoming like a tinpot African despot nation. However some good news amongst all the crazy.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/national-security/justice-dept-wont-charge-andrew-mccabe-the-former-fbi-official-who-authorized-the-investigation-of-president-trump/2020/02/14/8ab3aac0-4f48-11ea-bf44-f5043eb3918a_story.html
Pleased to see the occasional hint of sanity in the US wrt McCabe … And the fact that Trump has lost another of his ‘lock em up!’ arguments makes it all the more comforting in a period of total insanity
zoomster
Saturday, February 15th, 2020 – 8:12 am
Comment #21
Oh Jeez. Shudder. 😵
This is a satire about the Barr-Trump Tweetbroglio and it is so funny if you are able to access all of it, do. It is written in the voice of Bill Barr:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/14/please-stop-tweeting-mr-president-its-making-it-much-more-difficult-me-do-your-bidding/
😆
I can do Rowe but I don’t know where BK finds all the other cartoons.
C@t:
Yes I read that earlier and got a chuckle out of it 🙂
KayJay @ #2 Saturday, February 15th, 2020 – 4:05 am
Did Janet make note of shellbell’s observation that the “activist” judges were the Coalition appointed ones, whilst the dissenting ones were the Labor appointments? 🙂
There’s a small typo in this article – there was a 4.1% swing towards Labor (not Liberal) in the division of Canberra.
The NT was surprisingly good for Labor relative to the general election results (even with the small swings against Labor, they’re still more Labor-voting than they usually are). Unfortunately, that probably means the government won’t do anything to preserve the second NT seat (unlike in 2004).
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6627899/porter-could-face-court-over-decision-to-censor-auditor-general/?cs=14230
Rick Wilson drops the mic on ‘moral eunuch’ John Kelly for only now turning on Trump
In a typically no-holds-barred column for the Daily Beast, GOP campaign consultant — and a thorn in Donald Trump’s side — Rick Wilson hammered former White House Chief of Staff John Kelly for finally coming forward to criticize the president, saying he could have done it much earlier but was just too “chickensh*t” to stick his neck out.
“John Kelly’s half-assed, just-the-tip critique of Donald Trump Thursday was too little, too late, and too lame from the retired Marine Corps general turned Everything Trump Touches Dies poster boy,” Wilson began with his typical getting right-to-the-heart-of-the-matter style. “At best, the former White House Chief of Staff displayed a l’esprit de l’escalier that is insufficient for the gravity of the moment. At worst, he looked like one more ex-Trump chickenshit in a barnyard full of them.”
Writing, “Alexander Vindman showed more balls in one day than John Kelly ever has when it comes to Trump,” Wilson added, “The ship of state is rudderless, and its crew members are fanatics, one and all, grubby little ass-kissers, balls-washers, and jock-sniffers all telling Donald Trump he is the the tallest, thinnest, smartest, and sexiest man to ever hold the Office of the President. We expect nothing more than their silence, or their lies.
We expected more of a man like Kelly.”
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/02/rick-wilson-drops-the-mic-on-moral-eunuch-john-kelly-for-only-now-turning-on-trump/
From lizzie’s media round up:
How many of these secretive grant programs are there? They all seem to have one common theme – pour taxpayers’ money into certain electorates prior to the 2019 election. Totally corrupt.
‘Banana republic’: Judge slammed DOJ for stringing along McCabe investigation to help Trump politically
According to federal judge Reggie Barnett Walton, President Trump’s involvement in the McCabe investigation was “disturbing,” a “mess,” and reflected a “banana republic.”
“I think it’s very unfortunate,” Judge Walton told prosecutors as the case stalled in late September. “And I think as a government and as a society we’re going to pay a price at some point for this.”
According to CREW spokesperson Jordan Libowitz, the delayed released of the documents show that the government was “trying to cover up the fact that they were stringing this [lawsuit] along while looking for a reason to indict McCabe.”
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/02/banana-republic-judge-slammed-doj-for-stringing-along-mccabe-investigation-to-help-trump-politically/
Barney in Tanjung Bunga
Saturday, February 15th, 2020 – 8:54 am
Comment #32
She did.
I don’t believe the above makes any sense – but in my defence – I haven’t even finished my first cup of coffee. 😵
KayJay
…one of the longest moments of my life….
KayJay
It’s the same old story. Labor tries to counteract the influence of more years of Liberal rule and is accused of much bigger influence. Would that it were so!
For days, the media have been holding up Kelly’s whiteboard as evidence of the “same-same” corruption of Labor. Yet the current government hold me breathless in their arrogance and refusal to be held to account.
Good job lizzie
people to work from home
This is another area where the NBN ballsup has let the country and economy down badly.
I’m surprised hand hygiene isn’t / hasn’t been more widely proselytised, especially on aircraft, but it basically applies to anywhere where you can contaminate your hands in public, and that means any door you open with your hands.
One supermarket I go to has wet wipes for wiping trolley handles – I’ve yet to see anyone other than myself use them.
Katharine Murphy
Is disunity in politics really death any more? I’m not so sure given the rolling climate conflict
If you were a political scientist, you might wonder if some of these internal differences within the major parties are irreconcilable
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/15/is-disunity-in-politics-really-death-any-more-im-not-so-sure-given-the-rolling-climate-conflict
Roger Stone asks for new trial in sealed motion, one day after Trump accused jury forewoman of bias
Defense attorneys for Roger Stone demanded a new trial Friday, one day after President Trump suggested that the forewoman in his friend’s case had “significant bias.” The legal motion could delay Stone’s Feb. 20 sentencing date on charges of witness tampering and lying to Congress.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/legal-issues/roger-stone-asks-for-new-trial-in-sealed-motion-one-day-after-trump-accused-jury-forewoman-of-bias/2020/02/14/1e36e412-4f65-11ea-9b5c-eac5b16dafaa_story.html
Eva Cox’s 2020s vision: Now markets have failed, let’s talk about social wellbeing
We need to address the distrust epidemic among voters and return to the reformist urge to offer a better vision splendid
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/feb/15/eva-coxs-2020s-vision-now-markets-have-failed-lets-talk-about-social-wellbeing
ItzaDream
I’ve been using those handwipes on hands and trolley for several months now. No idea if it protects me, but when the trolley handles are hot and damp I prefer not to touch them unprotected. I am of a “vulnerable age”, I suppose. OTOH everyone who visits me has suffered from some sort of chest infection over the past few months.
Thinks.
Oh gawd, perhaps I’m that symptomless carrier!
Just a quick update on my post yesterday … the payment promised by Vinnies two weeks ago showed up in our account this morning. We don’t know what went wrong, but they came good on their promise to fix it.
This should be enough to last us until the insurance company gets off their arse and finalizes our claim.
It seems that Vinnies, along with the Salvos, are the only organizations actually offering genuine financial assistance direct to bushfire victims (don’t get me started on the Red Cross!) so they are just completely snowed under 🙁
Just thought I’d better clear that up for the record 🙂
School strikes give me hope, says head of Friends of the Earth
Outgoing charity chief Craig Bennett says next generation ‘could not be more exciting’
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2020/feb/14/school-strikes-hope-friends-of-the-earth-craig-bennett
The other day The Guardian had a piece about Sunrise scaremongering over the Covid-19. And fair enough too, the Sunrise program is regularly a shocker on fact checking and balanced ‘reporting’.
However, The G might want to either do a bit of its own fact checking… or brush up on their maths…
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/feb/15/things-are-changing-so-quickly-will-australia-cope-with-coronavirus-if-the-worst-happens
I was under the impression the mortality rate of the flu is up and down but around 0.05%. Found this…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/most-coronavirus-cases-are-mild-complicating-efforts-to-respond/2020/02/12/213603a4-4dc2-11ea-bf44-f5043eb3918a_story.html
So, not “twice” the mortality, as the Grauniad states. More like 20 time or more.
iirc, a former Obama adviser suggested Barr might be smoke screening feigning interference when all he wants is for Trump to STFU so he can do his bidding quietly. Regardless of what Barr is up to, this is post-impeachment Trump, all checks and balances are snuffed out, and autocracy has arrived.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/letter-from-trumps-washington/donald-trump-a-president-so-unhinged-that-even-bill-barr-says-hes-out-of-control?source=EDT_NYR_EDIT_NEWSLETTER_0_imagenewsletter_Daily_ZZ&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_source=nl&utm_brand=tny&utm_mailing=TNY_Daily_021420&utm_medium=email&bxid=5be9dca124c17c6adf4378ea&cndid=50169544&esrc=&mbid=&utm_term=TNY_Daily