The formerly erratic Roy Morgan appears now to be in the regular habit of releasing fortnightly federal polling results, the latest of which encompasses a sample of 2747 respondents surveyed over the previous two weekends. This records little change on a strong result for Labor last time, with their two-party lead out slightly from 53.5-46.5 to 54-46. Changes on the primary vote are negligible, with both major parties up half a point to 37.5%, the Greens stead on 12.5% and One Nation up half to 3.5%.
State two-party breakdowns are provided as usual: these show Labor leading 52-48 in New South Wales (a swing of about 4%), 60-40 in Victoria (about 7%), 54.5-45.5 in both Western Australia (a swing of about 10%) and South Australia (a swing of about 4%) and 57-43 in Tasmania (about 1%), while the Coalition leads 52-48 in Queensland (a swing to Labor of about 6.5%).
Next Federal election in Parramatta.
Cartman laying down the law 😆
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/aug/20/scott-morrison-warns-leaders-not-to-break-covid-reopening-deal-ahead-of-national-cabinet-meeting
ItzaDream
Why hasn’t click and collect been organised earlier? We’ve had it here for months.
Isn’t the point of that Pam Beesly meme that the two things actually are the same?
We are reportedly up to six new cases in Shepparton, north of Melbourne. Could regional Victoria be about to get a knock on the door from their old friend Lachlan D (aka Locky D AKA lockdown)?
Have family in Nathalia. Hmmm.
And now there’s a cop in Pakenham with covid. Creeping closer.
Luckily I’ve imposed my own lockdown in Motown.
Please, no anti-cat statements today. I don’t usually use this blog for grief therapy.
But two weeks and three days ago our beloved cat, who graced our lives for 15 years, died peacefully, but a little unexpectedly, in her sleep. She had just gone for a walk in the garden and had eaten her favourite breakfast, a few slices of cut meat, before settling down for a catnap. She did not wake up.
She was 18, so we didn’t expect her to live too much longer, but as with all beloved elderly folk, you hope they won’t go just yet; that they can be around for just a little while longer.
But I am glad she died peacefully and with fewer old age infirmities than might have been expected at her time.
I will never forget her.
SHP
I bites me tongue. Best wishes.
I’m wondering if the Taliban have a thing for Antipodean women 🙂 In a couple of days the BBC journalist the Taliban telephoned as she was live on air was an Australian lady and the first question at the Taliban’s opening presser was from a kiwi women working for Aljazeera .
Guardian
Scott Morrison warns leaders not to break Covid reopening ‘deal’ ahead of national cabinet meeting
The prime minister says states and territories must not backtrack on the plan to ease restrictions once 70% and 80% vaccination targets are met
We shall see..
sooner or later Dan will have a presser immediately following SfM
Thanks boerwar. I feel your sentiments and my eyes tear up in response.
Has anyone felt able to answer Graham’s question on the state of play? Or is it all too ghastly to summarise???
I have seen various bits and pieces suggesting that one of the problems with feminism, and hence the outcomes for girls and women, in Afghanistan is that formerly it allied itself with Russians and latterly with the Americans and the Australians.
There are some threshold issues here.
Did feminists do enough to call out Russian, American and Australian support for and/or engagement in corruption, brutality and war crimes?
How many feminists picked up a gun and joined the fight? Around 4,000 American servicemen died and around 46 servicewomen died. Was it enough for feminists to leave most of the fighting and the dying to men?
‘lizzie says:
Friday, August 20, 2021 at 3:10 pm
Has anyone felt able to answer Graham’s question on the state of play? Or is it all too ghastly to summarise???’
_________________________
We’re buggered until Christmas and we may well be buggered after Christmas.
Sir Henry Parkes
They have a way of breaking our hearts.
All the best to you.
Boerwar
Yep. I guess Morrison will soon be promising the opportunity for everyone to have xmas lunch and dinner with their family.
Or maybe Easter next year. Sigh………….
”
Bob Lynchsays:
Friday, August 20, 2021 at 11:45 am
When are PB people going to realise there are bugger all cases in the other LGAs Coincidence? I don’t think so yet they want to lump them all together.
Don’t remember them having this 1 in all in approach during the Norther Beaches outbreak.
”
No siri Bob, My Lord, Master of my Dominion
First of all Northern Beaches can be easily cut off from rest of Sydney
Second of all when cases started in Eastern suburbs and migrated to SW Sydney, what my Lordships did was to have restrictions on one side of King St, Newtown and freedom on other side, which quickly escalated to have mockdown through Greater Sydney.
When that did not work, 3 LGAs of SW Sydney were on lockdown. They were subjected to police and military surveillance. After all this when case numbers did not go down, Western Sydney was put under same lockdown.
After all this did not work, me lordships and masters of our domainwere still subjected to mockdown.
So me Lordship there was a “gathering” in Maroubra where 11 people have tested positive.
But Maroubra isn’t in one of the LGAs with harshest lockdowns! Gee could there be a connection?
What is the result. Masters of our Domain impose curfew on us plebs. During all this our lordships are only subjected to lockdown. What a bloody inconvenience.
Thank me Lordship for letting us plebs live.
Sir Henry Parkes
Commiserations. I know your pain. I still miss my 18 year old Ginnie girl who died almost 3 years ago. A dog, not a cat, but one whom I’ll never forget either. Take care of yourself.
Opera Australia cancels and promises rescheduling of its main works for the rest of the year.
That’s Aida, and 3 cycles of The Ring Cycle (15 hrs over 4 nights – in itself it’s like mounting a whole season) in Brisbane. They’re still selling tickets for Cinderella (musical) for November in Sydney
Meanwhile, by comparison
The Royal Opera House London opens a new season in September.
Pretty much business as usual, aside the obvious, with full seating, masks are encouraged, Covid vaccination status is under consideration.
The Met, New York, too opens its new season in September.
All attendees must be verifiably fully vaccinated, and sign a Covid waver.
lizzie @ #352 Friday, August 20th, 2021 – 2:59 pm
It’s Dubbo. I’ll prepared, like …. you know the rest.
Wooops
That’s a post I was toying with putting up, or not, and then lizzie came along.
Sir Henry Parkes @ #355 Friday, August 20th, 2021 – 3:02 pm
I know the feeling.
All the best.
Some Australians overseas are still waiting for Morrison’s promise of being home at Christmas 2020
Vic
Glad your op went well. (Just catching up).
I had to postpone my first “jab” (Jul 19) because of lockdown. Haven’t made another appointment yet because I really want someone to keep an eye on me for the first night; family history of thrombosis. And no one available to do so. Was sort of waiting for Pfizer, but now I see there are maybe heart complications associated with it.
Feel like I’m in no-mans-land.
kezza2
I was going to comment yesterday about the Pfizer/heart problem effect but didn’t want to make too much of it without further info. It may be just a racing pulse, but you’d need to know more.
Sir Henry
Sad day. I’m a believer in getting another quickly. The common spirit helps heal the loss.
Fran Kelly decides to come out with a big spread in this weekend’s 9fax outlets…
‘Political journalist Fran Kelly, 63, has hosted the ABC’s RN Breakfast show since 2005. Her partner Marion Frith, 65, a former speechwriter and journalist, had a brush with death in 2015 and has just written her first novel.
Fran: We’ve been together coming up for 30 years now. We met on an assignment and became friends first. I was very attracted to Marion’s energy and her humour. She’s daring, she’s a “don’t die wondering” kind of person.
I’ve done the show for 17 years and she listens to it every morning. She has been very supportive, which you need when you’re doing breakfast radio. It’s a punishing schedule that dominates the rhythm of the home. I came to journalism late in life, but Marion came up through those old-school newsrooms and has never lost that passion. So I’ll get home and she’ll say, “Oh, I thought you were really easy on so-and-so”, or “Why did you let that go so long? It was dull.” Occasionally she’ll text me on air, “Keep going with this one.” She has good instincts. Is it always welcome? Well, I can take it or leave it: I’ve got the power over the mic.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/a-shout-out-to-all-the-step-parents-out-there-fran-and-marion-on-30-years-of-love-20210730-p58eja.html
sprocket_ @ #374 Friday, August 20th, 2021 – 3:30 pm
It interests me that they haven’t married, as far as I can read. Not judging, just wondering why some do, and some don’t.
In the interest of scientific research
https://twitter.com/i/status/1428587040447205378
lizzie
Yep. We need further info.
On a positive side, my “estranged” friend had AZ on Wednesday. Did the 15 min wait. Had no side effects at all till yesterday, and reported semi-flu-type manifestations, that subsided today.
I don’t bloody know what to do, quite frankly.
I can’t believe that I actually assembled an IKEA cot today for my niece and only had three screws left over.
Great news re Sotrovimab. A great new weapon in the ongoing fight.
kezza2 @ #375 Friday, August 20th, 2021 – 3:34 pm
You do know what to do.
For Graham
I find the Chris Billington website informative on projections for NSW. Graphs 3 suggests with projected vaccination rollout might peak at 4500 with a range of 2500 to 7500 cases per day. Obviously a whole lot of assumptions underpin the projections but still very frightening for NSW and especially the health system as it tries to cope.
Victoria seems to be keeping pace with cases but can’t quite get ahead of it at the moment.
https://chrisbillington.net/COVID_NSW.html#methodology
Mavis
Three’s a worry. Something’s out of balance. But good effort, all the same. 😆
”
Lizziesays:
Friday, August 20, 2021 at 11:52 am
Chant begging for understanding.
”
Impose curfew Sydney and then ask for understanding. Let us see how that goes.
Just when the states get some momentum going with AZ, along comes Morrison to derail it with an another classic ‘announcement’.
@lizzie says:
Friday, August 20, 2021 at 3:28 pm
kezza2
I was going to comment yesterday about the Pfizer/heart problem effect but didn’t want to make too much of it without further info. It may be just a racing pulse, but you’d need to know more.
___________
There is known side effect of the Pfizer and heart conditions, due to my history I was given a bunch of info on it to be informed, something like a 1 in 4 million possibility and instead could opt for the Alka-Seltzer, decided the odds were better for Phixer, so for no side effects at all not even a sore arm
Interesting. Just had an international call come through on my (old fashioned) landline. As with all such calls it went to answering machine for screening. Caller hung up. I checked the country’s telephone code. It was Afghanistan. Have had the odd call from India and Malaysia in recent weeks, but the origin of this one is a first.
Edit: Added final sentence.
Surely Minns is going to demand an independent inquiry into the NSW Govt response to the current Delta wave when the vax rates reach the targets …?
SYDNEY, Aug 20 (Reuters) – Kathy Chalker, a Sydney art studio owner, is just the sort of voter Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison needs to win the country’s next election – a long-time conservative party supporter with a small business in a swing seat.
But Chalker has already decided to vote Morrison out.
With her business closed indefinitely under a COVID-19 lockdown in Australia’s biggest city, Chalker blames Morrison’s government for what she sees as the blundering management of a vaccine rollout that is behind almost every other developed nation.
“Why weren’t they prepared? We were all watching this happening around the world – it’s pure incompetence,” Chalker told Reuters from her home in Sydney’s western suburbs, the epicentre of a COVID-19 outbreak that is the country’s worst since the pandemic began.
Chalker is not alone in her sentiments. On current polling, Morrison’s Liberal Party-led Coalition would likely lose its thin majority in the country’s 151-seat parliament at an election that must be held by the middle of next year.
https://www.reuters.com/world/asia-pacific/locked-up-fed-up-australian-voters-put-prime-minister-notice-2021-08-19/?taid=611f4161029ed3000190f934&utm_campaign=trueAnthem:+Trending+Content&utm_medium=trueAnthem&utm_source=twitter
lizzie @ #384 Friday, August 20th, 2021 – 3:44 pm
Keep receipts.
Rex
Listen pal, I know that I WANT to have the vaccination.
But I have valid concerns. And none of your holier-than-thou prognostications is going to ease my mind.
Dr Fumbles Mcstupid: that’s good to hear.
Do the Taliban contract COVID-19 ?
Well, Fran does have a lovely voice.
Which kinda reminds me of a Black Books episode with a different Fran who liked listening to the radio. it is a bit rude – so I wont post it.
Q: It interests me that they haven’t married, as far as I can read. Not judging, just wondering why some do, and some don’t…
I married my partner of 30 years for 2 reasons-
1. His grasping family would swarm around our assets in case of death.
2. Super funds do not pay-out necessarily by your instructions….marriage I thought would give some certainty.
I am not exactly a romantic, but definitely a realist!
Apologies, Sir Henry, I was not trying to upset anyone.
I’ll leave the remainder of my anti-cat routine for another day.
The vaccination statistics again, as always, make an interesting read. All percentages are 16+.
https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2021/08/covid-19-vaccine-rollout-update-jurisdictional-breakdown-20-august-2021.pdf
The statisticians at COVID Live think the ACT and NSW will hit 60% first dose together on Tuesday next week and that the ACT will get to 80% double dose in 58 days – 83 days for NSW.
I think those double dose figures will be a bit sooner particularly in the ACT which had 1.54% of its available population receive its second dose yesterday which I’m sure is a record.
Its high first dose vaccinations to date should create an upward trend in its second doses from now. Andrew Barr may be the national leader in the position best to direct the nation in terms of any changes at that point – he will be weeks ahead of anyone else. Of course, hopefully at 80% double dose there is something like 90% first dose and structures in place for the 12-15 year old vaccinations.
New South Wales is back-to-back days with greater than 1% first doses. The other jurisdictions have been very steady in their vaccinations although Victoria is now below the Commonwealth rate. That, to a large extent, seems to be because of this unexplained differential, which has existed for some time, in the Commonwealth component of its vaccinations. Just by way of comparison, yesterday Victoria had about 43,000 Commonwealth-based vaccines whereas New South Wales had over 85,000, that differential being in play all this week. For example, last Friday, New South Wales had more than 80,000 vaccines through the Commonwealth pathway compared to Victoria’s little over 35,000.
Something to look out for over the weekend are the indigenous vaccination rates which are updated weekly and a thing to dread is the usual Saturday upswing in New South Wales cases.
Just on my favourite statistic, ACT 75-79 year olds, their one dose figure is now up to 100.47%. Someone please tell these people to stop having two doses of the first dose!
A final one – on Sunday, it is six months since NSW’s first vaccine. NSW hit 2.8 million five weeks ago and is now 5.6million+.
Torchbearer @ #394 Friday, August 20th, 2021 – 3:27 pm
You dont need an excuse for a piss up. But marriage is a good one.
”
Soharsays:
Friday, August 20, 2021 at 1:59 pm
Solo Monk@JJKALE2 · 1h
Dan Andrews:
“The federal government is entitled to make announcements. I’m entitled to point out the facts.”
OUCH!!!
”
Relationship between and Fed Libs on the edge of breakdown. Or did it already breakdown?
TB
Were these two issues addressed either in the proposal or the response?
1. His grasping family would swarm around our assets in case of death.
2. Super funds do not pay-out necessarily by your instructions….marriage I thought would give some certainty.