Battle stations

A lift in the tempo of federal preselection activity finds one Liberal MP out the door and another likely to follow.

First up, note the new post below on the Western Australian state election campaign. To the matter at hand: as talk proliferates of a federal election later this year, there has been a noticeable uptick on the volume of preselection news to report.

• A Liberal preselection for the eastern Melbourne seat of Menzies last weekend produced a boilover with the defeat of Kevin Andrews, who has held the seat since 1991. Andrews lost the local party ballot by a 181-111 margin to Keith Wolahan, a barrister and former army officer. Wolahan was reckoned to have enough support locally to have knocked over Andrews ahead of the 2019 election, but was thwarted when the state party organisation took charge of the entire federal election preselection process, much to the chagrin of the membership. Wolahan had support from factional moderates but took to Andrew Bolt’s program on Sky News to push back against the notion that he personally could be so described, and put it to Virginia Trioli of the ABC that he “never joined the Liberal Party to be called a moderate and very few people do in Victoria”.

• It appears increasingly likely that controversial Liberal MP Craig Kelly will be bumped aside for preselection in his Sydney seat of Hughes by Kent Johns, who had the numbers locally in both 2016 and 2019 but was saved on both occasions by prime ministerial intervention. The Australian reported on Friday that Nationals MPs, apparently including Queensland Senator Matt Canavan, wished to recruit Kelly to the party, apparently with a view to him seeking re-election in his entirely suburban electorate. However, a Nationals source was quoted saying this “wouldn’t happen while Michael McCormack is leader”.

Nine News reports New South Wales Deputy Premier and state Nationals leader John Barilaro is considering a move to the Senate. The Coalition arrangement in New South Wales gives the Nationals second and third positions on the Senate ticket at alternating elections, with the next election being the party’s turn for the unloseable second spot. The party’s position is vacant because one of its two Senators elected at the 2016 double dissolution, Fiona Nash, lost her position amid the Section 44 fiasco in December 2017 and it was won on a countback by a Liberal, Jim Molan. Molan lost his seat after being reduced to fourth position at the 2019 election but returned to the Senate upon filling Arthur Sinodinos’s vacancy in November 2019. Since he is now 69, he is presumably set to retire. The Liberals’ first and third positions on the ticket will presumably remain with the incumbents, Marise Payne and Connie Fierravanti-Wells.

• With the retirement of Labor veteran Warren Snowdon, Sky News reports his regional Northern Territory electorate of Lingiari is set to be contested for Labor by the former Deputy Chief Minister, Marion Scrymgour.

• The Northern Territory News reports the Country Liberal Party’s Senator for the Northern Territory, Sam McMahon, may face preselection challenges from Damien Ryan, the mayor of Alice Springs, and Linda Fazldeen, a Darwin businesswoman. The report says the preselection is likely to be held in June or July.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

3,041 comments on “Battle stations”

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  1. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    Philip Lowe is right. Raising jobseeker is not just about good economics, it’s about fairness says Greg Jericho.
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/commentisfree/2021/feb/07/philip-lowe-is-right-raising-jobseeker-is-not-just-about-good-economics-its-about-fairness
    The Morrison Government has been nothing but a detriment to Australia’s progress and should be voted out for a prosperous future, writes John Wren. In his wrap-up of the week in politics.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/wrens-week-australia-cannot-survive-another-three-years-of-lnp-government,14773
    James Massola tells us that the Morrison government is finalising the rollout of digital and hard copy COVID-19 vaccine certificates that will play a key role in post-pandemic life in Australia.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/jab-and-go-morrison-government-readies-rollout-of-vaccine-certificates-20210205-p56zv7.html
    And people living close to vaccination sites may receive surprise afternoon phone calls telling them to hurry in and get their jabs as part of a standby program to prevent precious Pfizer doses going to waste.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/standby-lists-could-prevent-perishable-pfizer-vaccine-doses-going-in-the-bin-20210130-p56y0x.html
    There is a growing list of potential challengers to outspoken Liberal MP Craig Kelly, including a war widow the Prime Minister has known for a decade. Bye bye Craig!
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/speculation-grows-about-craig-kelly-s-future-as-challengers-emerge-20210205-p56zv2.html
    Jacqui Maley points out what the Kelly/Plibersek confrontation meant for both of their parties.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/fight-between-plibersek-and-kelly-revealing-for-two-reasons-20210205-p56zyh.html
    Peter FitzSimons declares that in NSW the bushfire scheme takes pork-barrelling to a new level.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/bushfire-scheme-takes-pork-barrelling-to-new-level-20210205-p5701q.html
    The SMH is concerned that hundreds of NSW police officers are leaving the force because of the toll their job is taking on their mental health.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/police-underbelly-exacts-too-high-a-price-20210205-p56zvn.html
    Rachel Lane explains that one doesn’t need to be rich to enter residential aged care.
    https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/you-don-t-need-to-be-rich-to-enter-residential-aged-care-20210205-p56zx2.html
    This article in The Australian says that, after a decade of rapidly falling costs, the rechargeable lithium-ion battery is poised to disrupt industries.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/the-wall-street-journal/the-battery-is-ready-to-power-the-world/news-story/6746b5bbfdf0620556fbd55887aee006
    What?? The federal government has given institutions named and shamed in the royal commission into child sexual abuse an extra eight years to sign up to the national redress scheme.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2021/02/07/national-redress-child-abuse-extension/
    According to Paul Sakkal, the Victorian government proposed using prisoners to pick fruit on farms amid a worker shortage caused by international border restrictions, before the plan was immediately savaged by farmers and canned.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/chain-gang-andrews-government-plan-for-prisoners-to-pick-fruit-shot-down-by-farmers-20210206-p5704q.html
    Joe Biden, a self-styled pragmatist, is governing as a progressive who’s in a hurry to get things done – even if Republicans refuse to come along for the ride, writes Matthew Knott.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/joe-biden-ditches-bipartisanship-for-policy-boldness-20210206-p57057.html
    Joe Biden says Donald Trump’s “erratic behaviour” should prevent him from receiving classified intelligence briefings, a courtesy that historically has been granted to outgoing presidents. A sound decision IMHO.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/erratic-trump-shouldn-t-get-classified-briefings-biden-20210206-p57067.html
    After a string of controversies including inciting the storming of the Capitol, the second impeachment trial of Donald Trump is about to begin, writes George Grundy.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/donald-trumps-second-impeachment-the-trial-of-the-century,14774

    Cartoon Corner

    Peter Broelman

    Matt Golding

    Simon Letch

    Mark Knight

    Reg Lynch

    Matt Davidson

    From the US





  2. If there are no Liberal moderates in Victoria (and one wonders why the term is so repellent to them) then the Liberals will be up against it trying to gain seats here.

    It’s sad: ‘Liberal moderate’ used to be a term used with pride, and it was the preponderance of Liberal moderates in Victoria which made it the jewel in the Liberal crown.

    You’d think conservatives would have sense of and pride in, their history.

  3. Almost 40 per cent of wealthy Victorians said they didn’t think the government should take action on climate change, compared with about 30 per cent of working class.

    And 45 per cent of wealthy respondents believed that investing in renewable energy will cost jobs, compared with 33 per cent of working class people, 20 per cent of middle class and 29 per cent of upper middle class.

    Attitudes to climate change were also deeply partisan: with 62 per cent of Labor voters concerned about climate change, compared with 13 per cent of Liberal voters.

    https://www.theage.com.au/environment/climate-change/wealthy-victorians-least-likely-to-support-climate-action-poll-20210206-p57063.html

  4. I watched a John Oliver thing on the filibuster last night (it was from a year ago so seems free to watch on Youtube.

    Interesting history on it but great analysis and opinion regarding the risk and benefit in ditching it.

    My view has always been that political parties should have greater reign to pass or change laws. Not all laws – laws fundamental to the democratic process (voting, corruption etc) for eg should still require some level of cross party support. A political party can then live or die by the laws they create without recourse to blaming the system.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3y1QA6OeAcQ

  5. I thought Malandirri McCarthy was Labor’s Senator for the NT, not Marion Scrymgour, as Mr Bowe states above?

    Also, John Barilaro has been reported by 9 News to be doing what wrt the Senate?
    Fwiw, I read that he has denied he will be standing.

  6. If there are no Liberal moderates in Victoria (and one wonders why the term is so repellent to them) then the Liberals will be up against it trying to gain seats here.

    It will be interesting to see if in the next Fed election Independents, the ALP and Greens can do better in Victoria than the last election. Is the rust ready to fall or is it just an illusion?

  7. This part of Late Riser’s summary of the Anthony Scaramucci interviews put up by BB (and one of them by myself earlier), stood out:

    * Trump voters are desperational, not aspirational. (and that this needs fixing)

    Because this is exactly what I had been told by our NSW Labor Senator a week ago that Labor had found about voting patterns at the last federal election. Or, as she put it, they have found that people on welfare and on the lowest incomes voted for the Coalition more than they did for Labor. You might think this is a strange outcome but they found that these people voted out of desperation to keep what little they have and they believed that the Coalition would not make things worse as there would be a great outcry and they could at least, barely, survive on that. They had found a way to survive and they didn’t want that apple cart turned over. They feared change…to a new government whose policies they were unsure how they would affect their lives.

    Strange, and shocking, but true.

    Now, how Labor disabuses them of that notion is the $64 dollar question.

  8. You know, I see in Mitch Marsh what every sandgroper sees. Talent and potential. But I wonder if this has hurt him. He was selected based on that perception – before he was ready and before, perhaps, he truly believed in himself. I checked this morning and his Sheffield Shield batting average is 29. That is significantly lower than Rod Marsh.

    Now, I know shield cricket isn’t the best form guide for rising stars. But perhaps form in Shield does help the mental attitude of a player.

  9. Almost 40 per cent of wealthy Victorians said they didn’t think the government should take action on climate change, compared with about 30 per cent of working class.

    No doubt the same wealthy Victorians that will demand answers from the government when their bathing box is washed away, their Mt Eliza mansion falls off a cliff, or Bass Strait rips Port Phillip Bay a new one through their Portsea/Sorrento holiday home…

  10. Now, how Labor disabuses them of that notion is the $64 dollar question.

    They arent listening to the ALP. They are listening to 2GB.

  11. In what might appear to be an outrageous attention-seeking exercise, scientists from the University of Glasgow say it’s “entirely possible” giant rats could be trained to sniff out COVID-19.

    Except it’s true.

    There are already COVID-sniffer training programs for dogs in airports in at least half a dozen countries, including Australia.

    So why giant rats when we can have cute beagles?
    Giant African pouched rats, up to a metre long, have been used with great success for 20 years to sniff out landmines and tuberculosis in low-to-middle income countries.

    The giant rats, nocturnal burrowing natives of sub-Saharan Africa, are pests in the wild and sometimes hunted and eaten, according to a report from the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute.

    But they’re very smart, quick to learn and blessed with highly sensitive nostrils to navigate burrows through the dark.

    It takes 250 days to train them to sniff out landmines – three times less than the time required to train mine-detection dogs.

    https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/science/2021/02/07/giant-rats-sniff-covid-coronavirus/?

  12. zoomster @ #3 Sunday, February 7th, 2021 – 4:54 am

    If there are no Liberal moderates in Victoria (and one wonders why the term is so repellent to them) then the Liberals will be up against it trying to gain seats here.

    It’s sad: ‘Liberal moderate’ used to be a term used with pride, and it was the preponderance of Liberal moderates in Victoria which made it the jewel in the Liberal crown.

    You’d think conservatives would have sense of and pride in, their history.

    Just look at where the Republicans are now. No longer conservative and certainly no longer any hint of liberal democratic about them. There was a good discussion on the Bulwark the other day about labels and descriptions of political ideology and how their meaning changes over time. Esp in relation to conservativism, but ‘moderate Liberal’ is the same.

  13. SBS has been running a series of programs dealing with Hitler, WW2, Fortification etc for the last forever it seems.

    The photo below shows a fortification on the Island of Guernsey which vaguely has the shape of a moon boot.

    Another poster said the the two continents not currently rolling out vaccinations are Australia and Antarctic.

    I understand and understand full well Doctor Fell what’s ahappening with Australia. The Gummint fuckwits are busy with Hydrporocorequinine at the moment and can’t be bothered with side shows.

    But I digress. How will the rollout proceed on the ice in Antarctica – in particular I refer to Hitler’s enclave. Could Australia help out just as soon as we have finished fucking about our good friends of the South Pacific Islands ❓

    Could SBS be trying to tell us something ❓ And what have Moon Boots got to do with anything ❓

  14. Nearly 200,000 more people are predicted to die of coronavirus in the United States by June, despite the rollout of vaccines expected to slow fatalities.

    The virus death toll, which so far totals more than 455,000 American lives, is expected to reach 631,000 by mid-2021, according to a forecast from the University of Washington’s Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation (IHME).

    But despite the prediction of hundreds of thousands more fatalities from COVID-19, the IHME says daily deaths from coronavirus have peaked and will now be on the decline thanks to the availability of vaccines.

    “The balance between new variant spread and associated increased transmission and the scale-up of vaccination in our most likely scenario suggests continued declines in daily deaths through to June 1,” the institute said, according to CNN.

    “By June 1, 2021, we project that 123,600 lives will be saved by the projected vaccine rollout.”


  15. Simon Katich says:
    Sunday, February 7, 2021 at 8:28 am
    ….

    It will be interesting to see if in the next Fed election Independents, the ALP and Greens can do better in Victoria than the last election. Is the rust ready to fall or is it just an illusion?

    Labor did very well in Victoria at the last Federal election, the problem is Queensland.

  16. This is an area that Labor need to focus on and where the low paid might listen to them:

    Dozens of protesters have again gathered in Adelaide’s Chinatown district urging better wage protections for vulnerable workers, especially migrants and international students.

    The rally came after an alleged assault on a worker at Chinatown business Fun Tea last week, which has sparked discussion about alleged wage theft among the international student community.

    The man can be heard denying the claims.

    The video then shows another man stepping in and striking the woman in the face before kicking her to the ground.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-06/adelaide-chinatown-protest-calls-for-end-to-wage-theft/13128664

  17. Another poster said the the two continents not currently rolling out vaccinations are Australia and Antarctic.

    This was taken from a Facebook meme that Albo was shopping around during the week. I wouldn’t be confident it’s an accurate assertion.

  18. Mitch Marsh represents the worst of nepotism, a desire on the part of those who make selections to entertain rather than to win and the illusory pursuit of a great allrounder.

    That may have started when Andrew Symonds was preferred in the test team over Brad Hodge or when Shane Watson was brought into the side

  19. Rudd had an answer. TV shows (like Rove). FM radio. Bring the sauce bottle.

    He was a little more personable than Albanese and Shorten tho.

    Labor did very well in Victoria at the last Federal election, the problem is Queensland.

    If your problem is Queensland then I worry about the answer. Yes, you need policies and a pitch for those voters in QLD who have left the reservation. But in many areas Murdoch has blanket coverage. That isnt insurmountable, but you might have to sacrifice an arm or a leg.

  20. Confessions @ #22 Sunday, February 7th, 2021 – 9:02 am

    Another poster said the the two continents not currently rolling out vaccinations are Australia and Antarctic.

    This was taken from a Facebook meme that Albo was shopping around during the week. I wouldn’t be confident it’s an accurate assertion.

    I wouldn’t pay too much attention to my post. I find the SBS programs very interesting, particularly those concerning the rise of the NAZI party.

  21. Watson was a high quality shield cricketer. Bowling Ave around 27. Batting average well over 40.
    He would probably make the all time Tasmania 11 for both batting and bowling.

    I find it hard to criticise the test career of an allrounder who was a capable bat at opener and 3. Perhaps kept too long I seem to recall his backup bowling (to give the frontline bowlers a rest) became important enough (good economy) in the team balance to compensate for his front batting flaw and runs drying up.

    And the fact his ditched Queensland for Tassie gives him cred.

    https://www.cricket.com.au/news/feature/shane-watson-oral-history-sheffield-shield-debut-tasmania-queensland-sledging-rivalry-stuart-law/2021-01-03

  22. Lars

    I don’t need to be reinstated, I’ve never stopped being a member.

    I’ve not been notified of anything to the contrary, so I’ve also survived the audit process.

  23. Trump’s election fraud lie has cost taxpayers $519 million — and his tab is still rising: report

    “The costs have mounted daily as government agencies at all levels have been forced to devote public funds to respond to actions taken by Trump and his supporters, according to a Washington Post review of local, state and federal spending records, as well as interviews with government officials. The expenditures include legal fees prompted by dozens of fruitless lawsuits, enhanced security in response to death threats against poll workers, and costly repairs needed after the Jan. 6 insurrection at the Capitol. That attack triggered the expensive massing of thousands of National Guard troops on the streets of Washington amid fears of additional extremist violence,” the newspaper explained.

    https://www.rawstory.com/trump-taxpayers/

  24. boerwar @ #2 Sunday, February 7th, 2021 – 7:53 am

    Was the last Federal election the last coal election? Which wedge now?

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-07/government-climate-policy-fight-press-club-wasnt-a-peep/13126136

    Labor gave up on climate change policy after the last election. Australia will now only adopt rational policy if we are forced to do so by the rest of the world, which became much more likely when Biden won.

    If the COALition is smart – and they are clearly a lot smarter than Labor when it comes to winning elections – they will make a virtue out of necessity and probably win the next election by doing so. You can see them crab walking towards it even now.

    After Labor loses Albo will resign, the Gibbons will appoint a new opposition leader and Labor “strategists” will produce another post-election review whingeing about how they coulda … woulda … shoulda … won if it hadn’t been for those goddam coal miners not being well enough trained in Doublethink, and also for those goddam perfidious Greens.

    This report will be completely ignored by everyone, and around we will all go once again 🙁

  25. Speers has lifted his interruptions up to a new level with Marles. Constant interruptions so the poor guy can’t even finish one sentence.

  26. P1

    Your implication is that the report was useless, but then you also seem to think Labor should act on it.

    You really need to think these things through.

  27. Been There @ #1713 Saturday, February 6th, 2021 – 8:51 pm

    Late Riser & Other Gouties
    Sorry for the late response, Saturday arvo you know.
    I have only recently been on the Allipurinol.
    Like you I’ve never been a fan of medication so in the past just the Indocid plan has worked.
    All things considered I find that’s the best approach for me.
    Please see your Doctor before undergoing what I do, some medications may clash.
    Cheers

    Cheers BT. My GP and I are well acquainted. She and I understand each other. 🙂 Best of luck with this thing.

  28. Speers has hit new low in his interview today. He needs to be pulled into line by the Producer.

    And now – he turns to Craig Kelly – more fun than serious politics.

  29. lizzie @ #16 Sunday, February 7th, 2021 – 8:54 am

    In what might appear to be an outrageous attention-seeking exercise, scientists from the University of Glasgow say it’s “entirely possible” giant rats could be trained to sniff out COVID-19.
    Except it’s true.
    There are already COVID-sniffer training programs for dogs in airports in at least half a dozen countries, including Australia.

    So why giant rats when we can have cute beagles?
    Giant African pouched rats, up to a metre long, have been used with great success for 20 years to sniff out landmines and tuberculosis in low-to-middle income countries.
    The giant rats, nocturnal burrowing natives of sub-Saharan Africa, are pests in the wild and sometimes hunted and eaten, according to a report from the United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute.
    But they’re very smart, quick to learn and blessed with highly sensitive nostrils to navigate burrows through the dark.
    It takes 250 days to train them to sniff out landmines – three times less than the time required to train mine-detection dogs.

    https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/science/2021/02/07/giant-rats-sniff-covid-coronavirus/?

    This canard gets rolled out by authorities (particularly Thatcherite Homo economicus ones) with many socially determined outbreaks – from TB to landmines. Rats & dogs may be used for “screening” mass samples – and for image management (eg sniffer dogs), but are not sensitive or specific enough for clinical use. Trained health care workers asking appropriate questions with diagnostic backup are far more effective and efficient – albeit they cost more. Hence the Thatcherite tag.

  30. rhwombat

    It also seems incredibly slow moving. And what about the giant rats that escape into the wild when their period of service is over (just speculating).

  31. lizzie @ #41 Sunday, February 7th, 2021 – 9:45 am

    rhwombat

    It also seems incredibly slow moving. And what about the giant rats that escape into the wild when their period of service is over (just speculating).

    The ones that survived finding landmines tended to get eaten. Not so much of a problem with the TB screeners – Giant Gambian rats can get TB, just like badgers.

  32. Re 2GB. One wonders at the wisdom of the Labor Council selling 2KY to Sky.
    2KY used to broadcast the horse races and presumably had a Labor orientation. I imagine there would have been a significant Labor ready audience there which has sought other pastures, namely 2GB and 2UE.
    KayJay, this will sound weird but I love that Nazi Megastructure program. I thought I knew a lot about WWII but after watching that series I realised I had barely scratched the surface.
    I wonder who owned the concrete company?

  33. Compare and contrast how crackpot Marjorie Taylor-Greene is treated by Republicans with that of Liz Cheney.

    The Wyoming Republican Party on Saturday formally censured Rep. Liz Cheney (R-Wyo.) because she voted to impeach Donald Trump last month, making the congresswoman the latest in a string of high-profile Republicans punished by their state or local party apparatuses for daring to criticize the former president.

    Cheney, the third-ranking Republican in the House, was one of 10 Republican members of Congress who voted to impeach Trump on a charge of incitement of insurrection after a pro-Trump mob overran the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6 in a violent siege that left five people dead.

    “There has never been a greater betrayal by a President of the United States of his office and his oath to the Constitution,” Cheney said in a statement at the time.

    For doing so, Cheney was rebuked by her state GOP’s central committee “by a resounding margin,” with fewer than 10 members voting against the censure in the Saturday voice vote, the Casper Star-Tribune reported.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2021/02/06/wyoming-gop-censures-rep-liz-cheney-voting-impeach-trump/

  34. There was some talk here last night about DR (Demand Response) Aggregators, and their role in our future electricity grid. So, what are DR Aggregators?

    From https://www.researchgate.net/publication/260635498_The_Role_of_Aggregators_in_Smart_Grid_Demand_Response_Markets

    Aggregators are new entities in the electricity market that act as mediators / brokers between users and the utility operator. Aggregators possess the technology to perform DR and are responsible for the installation of the communication and control devices (i.e. smart meters) at end-user premises. Since each aggregator represents a significant amount of total demand in the DR market, it can negotiate on behalf of the home users with the operator more efficiently. The current role of aggregators amounts to paying a monthly fee to the contracted end-users (mainly industrial ones) in order to gain direct control of their appliances. Thus, in case of a peak-demand emergency they can turn off the energy-intensive appliances of the users, e.g. air-conditioning, for a short period.

    So theoretically, a DR Aggregator pays you money to gain control of your appliances to enable them to manage the network load. So, will you end up the winner? Or will the money you are paid simply be added to the retail cost of your electricity? Spoiler Alert: The above paper concludes it is possible for benefit to accrue to all participants. But that would require a rational and equitable market, and this is Australia we are talking about – so I know which outcome I would be betting on.

    Only one thing is certain – which is that Australia’s already massively complex electricity sector is likely to get yet another layer of both technical and financial complexity added … at your cost.

    I have never been so glad to be off-grid!

  35. “I thought Malandirri McCarthy was Labor’s Senator for the NT, not Marion Scrymgour, as Mr Bowe states above?”

    This is correct. There won’t be a federal senate seat vacancy available in N.T for Labor to fill. Because Marion Scrymgour is not coming from the federal senate and has never been in the federal senate.

    Sky News have incorrectly got her mixed up with Malarndirri McCarthy.

    It is correct its been reported Marion Scrymgour is favorite to be preselected for Labor to contest the seat of Lingiari though.

  36. Really, the media is so wimpy nowadays (‘When I was young..” “Back in my day…”)

    Listening to an Al Jazeera report on Myanmar, scattered with phrases such as ‘what protestors claim is a military coup..” ‘…allegedly seized power…” ‘…presumed to have been arrested…”

    Every thinking person in the world who knows anything about what happened knows there’s been a military coup, that key politicians have been arrested, etc etc, and yet the media report implies that these things are up for debate and we’d better not rush to judgement about what’s happening.

  37. zoomster @ #34 Sunday, February 7th, 2021 – 9:27 am

    Your implication is that the report was useless, but then you also seem to think Labor should act on it.

    My implication was that it doesn’t really matter what the report says, it will be partly an exercise in self-justification and will also be largely ignored – just as the last one was.

  38. @SophiaMcGrane
    ·
    1m
    great basketball analogy by David Pope that describing Morrison as having pivoted on action on climate change actually means Morrison is just moving around in the same spot.. not moving on #insiders

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