Save the date

Confusion surrounding the likely date of the New South Wales state by-elections, to add to that we already have about the federal election.

This coming Monday is the last date on which an election can be called for this year, specifically for the December 11 date spruiked recently by Anthony Albanese, which few if any still expect. The parlour game thus seems likely to move on now to the alternative scenarios of March and May. A complication in the former case is a South Australian state election set in the normal course of events for the third Saturday in March, i.e. March 19. If I understand the situation correctly, the South Australian government will have the discretion to delay the election by up to three weeks if a federal election is called before February 19 for a date in March.

Here’s what we do know:

• Max Maddison of The Australian reports grumbling within the New South Wales Liberal Party over its failure to have finalised candidates in the important seats of Dobell, Warringah and Gilmore. The report cites Liberal sources, no doubt with an interest in the matter, accusing Alex Hawke of using his clout on state executive to delay proceedings to the advantage of candidates of his centre right faction. “Other senior Liberal sources” contend the problem is “a lack of quality candidates and impending local government elections”. Prospective nominees for Dobell include former test cricketer Nathan Bracken, along with Michael Feneley, a cardiologist who has twice run unsuccessfully in Kingsford Smith, and Jemima Gleeson, owner of a chain of coffee shops.

• Further on Gilmore, the ever-readable Niki Savva reported in her Age/Herald column a fortnight ago that “speculation is rife” that Andrew Constance will not in fact proceed with his bid for preselection, just as he withdrew from contention Eden-Monaro ahead of last year’s by-election. If so, that would seemingly leave the path clear for Shoalhaven Heads lawyer Paul Ell, who is reckoned a formidable opponent to Constance in any case.

• Labor has not been breaking its back to get candidates in place in New South Wales either, with still no sign of progress in the crucial western Sydney fringe seat of Lindsay. However, candidates have recently been confirmed in two Liberal marginals: Zhi Soon, an education policy adviser and former diplomat, in Banks, and Sally Sitou, a University of Sydney doctoral candidate and one-time ministerial staffer, in Reid.

• In Victoria, Labor’s candidate in La Trobe will be Abhimanyu Kumar, owner of a local home building company.

• In an article by Jason Campbell of the Herald Sun, JWS Research says rising poll numbers for Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party are being driven by “skilled labourers and lower-end middle-management”, supplementing an existing support base that had largely been limited to people over 65. Maleness and low education remain common threads.

• An article on the voter identification laws by Graeme Orr of the University of Queensland in The Conversation makes a point I had not previously heard noted: that those who lodge a declaration vote in lieu of providing identification will have no way of knowing if their vote was ultimately admitted to the count. This stands in contrast to some American states, where those who cast the equivalent of postal or absent votes can track their progress online.

New South Wales by-election latest:

• It is now clear that the by-elections will not be held simultaneously with the December 4 local government elections as initially anticipated. The Guardian reports that the state’s electoral commissioner, John Schmidt, told a parliamentary committee hearing yesterday that “it wouldn’t be possible or sensible to try and aim earlier than the middle of February”, in part because the government’s “piecemeal funding” of his agency had left it with inadequate cybersecurity standards.

• Labor has announced it will field a candidate in Bega, making it the only one of the five looming by-elections in which the Coalition and Labor are both confirmed starters. James O’Doherty of the Daily Telegraph (who I hope got paid extra for pointing out that “Labor has chosen to contest the seat despite Leader Chris Minns last month criticising the looming by-election as expensive and unnecessary”) reports nominees for Liberal preselection will include Eurobodalla Shire mayor Liz Innes and, possibly, Bega Valley Shire councillor Mitchell Nadin.

• Anton Rose of Inner West Courier reports Liberal hopes in Jodi McKay’s seat of Strathfield are not high, particularly if Burwood mayor John Faker emerges as the Labor candidate, and that the party would “not be mounting a vigorous campaign”. One prospective Liberal nominee is said to be Natalie Baini, a sports administrator who was said earlier in the year to planning a preselection against Fiona Martin in the federal seat of Reid.

Poll news:

• A Redbridge Group poll conducted for Simon Holmes a Court’s Climate 200 non-profit group records Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s primary vote as having slumped from 49.4% in his blue-ribbon Melbourne seat of Kooyong to 38%. With the Greens on 15%, well short of the heights achieved with Julian Burnside as candidate in 2019, such a result would put Frydenberg under pressure from Labor on 31%. Around half of the balance is attributed to the United Australia Party, which seems doubtful in an electorate such as Kooyong. The objective of the poll was to test the waters for a Zali Steggall-like independent challenge, and responses to some rather leading questions indicated that such a candidate would indeed be competitive or better. The survey was conducted from October 16 to 18 by automated phone polling from a sample of 1017.

• Liberal-aligned think tank the Blueprint Institute has results from a YouGov poll on attitudes towards carbon emissions policy, conducted in nine regional electorates from September 28 to October 12 with samples of around 415 each. In spite of everything, these show large majorities in favour of both halving emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050 even in such electorates as Hunter and Capricornia. Even among coal workers (sub-sample size unclear), the results are 63% and 64% respectively.

• The Australia Institute has published its annual Climate of the Nation survey, based on a poll of 2626 respondents conducted by YouGov in August.

• It took me a while to update BludgerTrack with last week’s Resolve Strategic and Roy Morgan results, but now that it’s done, I can exclusively reveal that they made very little difference. Labor is currently credited with a two-party lead of 53.8-46.2.

Also:

• Antony Green has published his analysis of the finalised Victorian state redistribution.

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.

2,799 comments on “Save the date”

Comments Page 10 of 56
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  1. ‘When Labor racked up a relativley small debt afetr the GFC all you heard on TV/Radio/internet was how are we ever going to pay this debt back blah blah blah…
    But if the LNP racks up debt 10 times that amount all you hear is a pin drop from the media’

    Exactly. Thats why Hockey and Abbott are the ultimate hypocrites with there ‘we have to live within our means’ crap and the debt ended up being double Labors even before the pandemic.

    Liberals won’t have debt as weapon when in opposition. Even Republicans when they complained about the debt when the Obama administration took over were accused of hypocrisy from the debt that was left by the Bush administration. From tax cuts for the rich and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

  3. My most “hacky” thing was repairing the keyboard socket on our PC clone.
    Pro tip: Don’t plug an “PC/AT” device (Genius mouse) into a “PC”.

    Adding “over”clocking circuits to TRS-80/System-80 computers was de rigueur.
    Cutting PCB traces etc. would horrify people today (and rightly so.)

    Fun times.

  4. Bushfire Bill @ #419 Friday, November 5th, 2021 – 9:39 pm

    Watching Ted Lasso on Apple TV right now.

    It’s the last program we would ever normally watch, but we’ve watched everything else available. So, it was “Any port in a storm…”

    It is absolutely brilliant. Funniest thing I’ve seen in years, but “intelligent funny” rather than “slapstick funny”. Perfect combo of American and Pommy humour.

    Do not miss it.

    I watched the first couple of eps but just couldn’t get into it.

    I’ve been enjoying Invasion, Swagger, Morning Wars and Truth Be Told.

  5. He could be a Labor treasurer. No details yet, but this could be a Labor announcement.

    NSW Treasurer Matt Kean has singled out women as being critical to the state’s economic recovery, flagging a big spending program to expand childcare so more women can work.

    In his first interview with the Herald since becoming Treasurer, Mr Kean said increasing female workforce participation was the first in his four-pronged agenda to fire up productivity, along with climate change action, investments in science and technology and improving housing affordability.

    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nsw-treasurer-flags-childcare-boost-to-help-fire-up-the-economy-20211105-p596gs.html

  7. This is perhaps a little off-topic, but I found it interesting to see the accused in the Cleo Smith abduction case shuffling across the tarmac of the Canarvon airport, not in handcuffs, but in shackles. Surely the use of leg irons was hardly necessary? But then again, the sight of blackfellas in chains is historically a very Western Australian thing.

  9. ABC Breakfast

    “The big news of the day is a potato as big as a dog.”

    I have now read the signs. Dutton is on track to beat Morrison. 😉

  11. Governor – General
    99.83% Precincts Reporting | 98% expected voteNov. 05, 2021 4:08 pm
    Party Name Votes Vote %
    Dem
    Murphy, Philip 1,280,073 50.86%
    GOP
    Ciattarelli, Jack. 1,217,841. 48.38%

  13. Billionaire philanthropist Bill Gates has recommended governments spend up to a billion dollars per year conducting something he calls “germ games” to further prepare the world for future epidemics and biosecurity issues.

    Gates has long been a voice of caution against the dangers of viruses affecting the global community, playing a major role in the US response to the current Covid-19 pandemic via the the World Economic Forum’s Epidemics Readiness Accelerator.

    In October 2019, a month before Covid-19 was first detected in Wuhan, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation partnered with The Johns Hopkins Centre for Health Security to conduct “a high-level simulation exercise for pandemic preparedness and response”, labelled Event 201.

    The former Microsoft CEO has been outspoken throughout the pandemic, regularly offering his opinion on how the world should tackle something as all-encompassing as Covid.

    Now, the 66-year-old has recommended the WHO form a Pandemic Task Force in preparation for the next big viral event. Speaking with chair of the United Kingdom’s Health Select Committee Jeremy Hunt, Mr Gates outlined his new proposal for western governments, which he believes could be doing “dramatically better” despite most nations currently treating Covid as their most pressing issue.

  14. Barefoot across a tarmac in shackles off to a max security prison a 1000kms away for a man with what appears to be fairly specific problems seems very disturbing.

    If it is like NSW, where I am trying to help a man of Vietnamese background who was bashed within an inch of his life by an indigenous cell mate who was schizophrenic and managed to be within the remand system in prison for a week or more without his medication, then the mental health assessment will be cursory and only for the purposes of seeing if he can be put in a cell alone.

  15. shellbell

    Yes, it is all extremely disturbing.
    My first thought was that shackles are used by fat-bellied police who know they can’t outrun their prisoner.

  16. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    Laura Tingle, in this long essay, describes how Morrison returned home from Glasgow a significantly reduced figure at home and abroad.
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-06/morrison-glasgow-trip-climate-change-national-security-questions/100598788
    George Megalogenis writes that Morrison has wedged himself on climate – and opened a door for Labor. He says, “it’s time to talk about Anthony Albanese, and his ambition for climate change policy. The Labor leader has reached the inflection point in the electoral cycle where he must choose between truce and attack.”
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/pm-wedges-himself-on-climate-and-opens-a-door-for-labor-20211104-p59655.html
    David Crowe says that the verdict on the week is simple: It was the worst trip overseas for an Australian prime minister in living memory.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-descended-into-political-hell-now-he-hopes-to-emerge-20211105-p596fq.html
    Pual Bongiorno explains how Morrison spectacularly failed the diplomacy test.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2021/11/06/how-morrison-spectacularly-failed-the-diplomacy-test/163611720012829
    AUKUS was awkward but Emmanuel Macron is no saint, writes Phil Coorey.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/aukus-was-awkward-but-emmanuel-macron-is-no-saint-20211102-p595fw
    John Hewson asks, “When will Morrison learn that a slogan is not a policy?” He says, “Morrison is yet to come clean with all concerned. Again, the endgame for him is simply winning, ignoring the costs and our genuine national interest.”
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2021/11/06/when-will-morrison-learn-that-slogan-not-policy/163611720012835
    As Scott Morrison moves to an election footing, he is basing his strategy around trust – hoping to relate it to economics rather than honesty, opines Karen Middleton. She writes, “People in focus groups are starting to criticise Morrison spontaneously … For Anthony Albanese, it’s a different kind of absence – a lack of political impact.”
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2021/11/06/inside-scott-morrisons-election-strategy/163611720012831
    Peter Hartcher writes about Ross Garnaut’s assessment of the COP26 outcome – “We have a climate road map but no engine”.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/we-have-a-climate-road-map-but-no-engine-the-garnaut-verdict-20211104-p59654.html
    Ross Gittins writes, “The Prime Minister’s Plan to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 is full of . . . hyperbole. A masterpiece of the spin doctor’s art. A document carefully crafted to mislead.” He says The Plan™ was crafted to mislead. A fair enough assessment, I’d say.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/it-s-a-masterpiece-the-dizzying-spin-in-morrison-s-plan-to-reach-net-zero-20211104-p595zm.html
    Just like its pavilion at the Glasgow climate summit, Australia is awkwardly wedged between the two realities emerging at COP26, writes Karen Middleton.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2021/11/06/the-two-stories-the-glasgow-climate-summit/163611720012832
    Crispin Hull reckons Morrison’s “Australian Way” was better as an airline magazine. He says, “I used to think that the Australian way meant people being hard-working, realistic and practical with no bullshit. The original Australian way decried bludgers, expected everyone to do their fair share and required a bit of effort and sacrifice. Under Morrison’s Australian Way, we can continue with new coal mines, coal exports and pretty much business as usual while the rest of the world does the heavy lifting.”
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7498221/the-pms-australian-way-was-better-as-an-airline-magazine/?cs=14264
    Jacob Greber reports that Australia’s top company bosses are frustrated by a lack of clarity and consistency from the Morrison government on climate policy, according to a survey of CEOs who say it is clouding their ability to walk away from doomed investments and chase potential opportunities.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/whack-wary-ceos-lament-paralysing-effect-of-morrison-carbon-plan-20211105-p596bv
    Pontificating Paul Kelly says that behind the war of words, what matters most is safeguarding the nuclear subs deal.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/aukus-the-stakes-could-not-behigher-for-scott-morrison/news-story/b3743d58458930b8178ba21b1613bb09
    Campaigning on ‘trust’ is dangerous with a ‘liar’ tag pinned to the PM, writes Michelle Grattan.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/campaigning-on-trust-is-dangerous-with-a-liar-tag-pinned-to-the-pm-20211105-p59687.html
    Zoe Daiel explores the vexed issue of trust with politicians.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2021/11/06/zoe-daniel-morrison-macron-trust/
    Labor has to get “tougher, stronger, hungrier” if it is to have any chance of taking government back from the Coalition, with opposition frontbencher Ed Husic warning his colleagues they can’t play too nice after three election losses in a row, writes Katina Curtis.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/tougher-stronger-hungrier-labor-frontbencher-urges-his-party-to-fight-hard-for-election-20211105-p596dz.html
    Peter van Onselen begins this contribution with, “Will the economy be front and centre during next year’s federal election campaign? That is the only question that matters. If not, Scott Morrison doesn’t have a pathway to victory, given how small his parliamentary majority is and how strongly broader issues are running against him.”
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/coalitions-pathway-to-reelection-narrows/news-story/6cc750d154ad08d991b4888dde2a41e7
    Tony Wright looks at Turnbull’s vengeful efforts last week and the behaviour and legacies of past prime ministers.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/malcolm-turnbull-wreaks-roman-vengeance-but-what-of-his-legacy-20211104-p59660.html
    Whether Morrison agrees or not, coal power is now consigned to history, writes Ambrose Evans-Pritchard from the London Telegraph.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/whether-morrison-agrees-or-not-coal-power-is-now-consigned-to-history-20211105-p5968u.html
    The ABC’s integrity could be undermined if its journalists continue to use interview techniques that allow those in power to avoid accountability, argues Eric Hunter.
    https://johnmenadue.com/do-the-abcs-journalistic-standards-matter-thats-a-leading-question/
    John Kehoe tells us that Morrison plans to open the border to foreign workers before Christmas and said the nation must fix supply chain port blockages if it is to make the most of a post-lockdown economic rebound.
    https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/foreign-workers-to-fly-in-before-christmas-20211105-p596al
    Berejiklian ‘rorts’ have nothing on the Morrison government’s, declares Mike Seccombe.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2021/11/06/berejiklian-rorts-nothing-the-morrison-governments/163611720012822
    The Morrison Government gave $38 billion to businesses – major companies included – that didn’t need it. How can they justify that, asks John Lord.
    https://theaimn.com/the-morrison-government-gave-38-billion-to-businesses-major-companies-included-that-didnt-need-it-how-can-they-justify-that/
    In his weekly whine, Gerard Henderson mounts a rear-guard defence of Berejiklian and criticises the ICAC.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/icacs-hattrick-oflynchings-must-not-be-extended/news-story/7d9e8c4681d4c451eba63f0063d013f5
    Pfizer is hailing its experimental drug for treating COVID as a “gamechanger” after it was found to cut rates of hospitalisation or death by nearly 90 per cent in vulnerable patients.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2021/11/06/pfizer-covid-pill-coronavirus/
    Tim Costello declares that Crown has grown into a monster and must be split up.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2021/11/06/crown-has-grown-monster-and-must-be-split/163611720012828
    Here’s Amanda Meade’s usually entertaining look at the week in the media.
    https://www.theguardian.com/media/commentisfree/2021/nov/05/andrew-bolt-says-alan-jones-poetic-departure-not-cancel-culture-as-sky-finds-room-for-piers-morgan
    Premier Mark McGowan has decided to put the freedom of movement of 2.7 million West Australians in the hands of 250,000 people who so far – whatever the reasons – have declined the abundant opportunity to be vaccinated, says Gareth Parker.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/wa-s-path-to-freedom-is-being-dictated-by-250-000-people-yet-to-get-the-jab-20211105-p596gk.html
    Hesitancy among young people is slowing Australia’s vaccine rollout, further delaying the lifting of restrictions and the reopening of borders, writes Lydia Lynch.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/generation-no-jab-delaying-freedom-for-all/news-story/2741fe3c1869ee10b7dbb2b7c006eea8
    Kate Halfpenny gives Tim Smith a lecture about alcohol being a drug and describes the “the eternal private schoolboy under his navy suit”.
    https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/let-me-be-the-one-to-break-it-to-you-tim-smith-alcohol-is-a-drug-20211104-p5961j.html
    Federal MPs are continuing to rally around Tim Smith, encouraging the drink-driving MP to “make up his own mind” about his immediate political career, in direct defiance of Opposition Leader Matthew Guy. And with nominations for the seat of Kew due to close on November 12, Mr Smith’s state colleagues have turned their attention to a potential challenger should Mr Smith decide to recontest his seat, writes Annika Smethurst.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/tim-smith-gets-more-federal-support-as-call-goes-out-for-women-to-run-20211105-p596fw.html
    If there ever was a sign that the personal responsibility of the political class had evaporated, then the sorry show of Victoria Liberal Tim Smith provided it.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/tim-smith-and-the-death-of-political-accountability,15718
    NSW Treasurer Matt Kean has singled out women as critical to the state’s economic recovery, flagging a big spending program to expand childcare so more women can work.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nsw-treasurer-flags-childcare-boost-to-help-fire-up-the-economy-20211105-p596gs.html
    History professor, Frank Bongiorno, pulls apart Tudge’s ham fisted effort to change school curricula.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/correction-minister-democracy-s-roots-are-neither-christian-nor-western-20211105-p596cs.html
    The plan to tighten Australia’s voter ID laws is just a clumsy uptake of US culture wars, argues Jason Wilson.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/nov/06/the-plan-to-tighten-australias-voter-id-laws-is-just-a-clumsy-uptake-of-us-culture-wars
    NSW transport minister Rob Stokes is spruiking that the “design flaws” in Sydney’s light rail vehicles will be experienced all around the world.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-s-inner-west-light-rail-line-out-of-action-for-up-to-18-months-20211105-p596gv.html
    Following yesterday’s national cabinet meeting, school students, hospital workers, aged care staff and childcare educators are likely to face regular rapid coronavirus screening under a plan leaders are considering to prevent outbreaks in high-risk settings and keep the nation open.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/living-with-covid-regular-rapid-testing-and-shorter-quarantine-20211105-p596ee.html
    As Australia Post records huge profits, its delivery system is in freefall. Will frustrated customers see a turn around by Christmas, explores Hannah Ryan.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/business/2021/11/06/what-going-with-australia-post-deliveries/163611720012830
    Driven by its military-industrial complex the United States depends on continual war. As the War on Terrorism peters out a new enemy is invented, China, writes John Menadue.
    https://johnmenadue.com/australia-forfeits-its-autonomy-by-buying-into-never-ending-us-imperial-wars/
    The man accused of raping Brittany Higgins has been committed to stand trial in the ACT Supreme Court and is due to face court again on November 18.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/man-accused-of-raping-brittany-higgins-is-committed-to-trial-20211105-p596ab.html
    The shifting of liabilities between shell companies has left thousands of women harmed by transvaginal mesh implants with no one to sue for proper compensation, explains Rick Morton.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/health/2021/11/06/exclusive-legal-ultimatum-slap-the-face-mesh-victims/163611720012834
    The editorial in The Age says that Trump is showing no sign of going quietly.
    https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/trump-shows-no-sign-of-going-quietly-20211105-p5969e.html
    China, for so long a beacon of strong COVID management, is looking vulnerable. Consumers are hoarding vegetables and toilet paper, explains Eryk Bagshaw.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/spooked-chinese-brace-for-ominous-winter-of-shortages-high-prices-and-lockdowns-20211105-p596du.html

    Cartoon Corner

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    From the US









  17. Insiders Sunday, 7 Nov

    David Speers joins Andrew Probyn, Lenore Taylor and Phil Coorey to unpack the PM’s big week at the G20 and COP26 Climate Summit plus a new outbreak in hostilities with claims of lies and leaks in the French submarine dispute.

    Guest : Chris Bowen – Shadow Climate Change Minister

  18. Crowe in the smh:

    Morrison tried to find a safe way to meet Macron the next day. Rather than risk an awkward moment in front of hundreds of cameras, he approached the French President in the privacy of the leaders’ lounge. The only known photograph of that moment is one taken by Morrison’s official photographer, Adam Taylor, but even that image shows no warmth.

    This seems to me a misreading of the events. If he was trying to find a “safe” way to meet Macron it would have been without his photographer, and without leaking/publishing a photo. What Morrison did was ambush Macron to use in Morrison’s own propaganda.

  19. And then there’s this from Crowe:

    The political pain was not a series of stumbles by Morrison. It was inflicted on him by a force he could not control.

    Right. He couldn’t control his lying to France, or how he responded to their obvious anger (i.e. victim blaming). Got it. Thanks for letting us know he’s a pathalogical liar.

  21. ‘Control Freak’ Morrison.

    Or, ‘Pork Barrel’ Morrison.

    Or, ‘Big Daddy Patronage’.

    or, ‘Liar from the Shire’.

    Hmm, so many choices. 🙂

  22. George Megalogenis writes that Morrison has wedged himself on climate – and opened a door for Labor. He says, “it’s time to talk about Anthony Albanese, and his ambition for climate change policy. The Labor leader has reached the inflection point in the electoral cycle where he must choose between truce and attack.”
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/pm-wedges-himself-on-climate-and-opens-a-door-for-labor-20211104-p59655.html

    And I think, with Chris Bowen on Insiders tomorrow, it might be that point in time has arrived.

  23. Senator Murray Watt
    @MurrayWatt
    Over two years since Scott Morrison’s announced a $4 billion Emergency Response Fund:

    * not a cent spent on disaster recovery or prevention
    * Over $700 million earned in interest for his government.

    Not even disaster survivors are safe from Scott Morrison’s lies.

  24. “People in focus groups are starting to criticise Morrison spontaneously … For Anthony Albanese, it’s a different kind of absence – a lack of political impact.”
    .
    Bingo.

    George Megalogenis writes that Morrison has wedged himself on climate – and opened a door for Labor. He says, “it’s time to talk about Anthony Albanese, and his ambition for climate change policy. The Labor leader has reached the inflection point in the electoral cycle where he must choose between truce and attack.”
    .
    Double bingo.

  25. shellbell @ #464 Saturday, November 6th, 2021 – 7:36 am

    Barefoot across a tarmac in shackles off to a max security prison a 1000kms away for a man with what appears to be fairly specific problems seems very disturbing.

    If it is like NSW, where I am trying to help a man of Vietnamese background who was bashed within an inch of his life by an indigenous cell mate who was schizophrenic and managed to be within the remand system in prison for a week or more without his medication, then the mental health assessment will be cursory and only for the purposes of seeing if he can be put in a cell alone.

    Jimmy Blacksmith?

  26. For me, Ed Husic is talking a lot of sense and is aa fighter. Whenever I have seen him lately, he has been a clear communicator and as he comes from the Western Sydney Region, he is aware of all the pitfalls there.

  27. Political Nightwatchman @ #451 Saturday, November 6th, 2021 – 1:36 am

    ‘When Labor racked up a relativley small debt afetr the GFC all you heard on TV/Radio/internet was how are we ever going to pay this debt back blah blah blah…
    But if the LNP racks up debt 10 times that amount all you hear is a pin drop from the media’

    Exactly. Thats why Hockey and Abbott are the ultimate hypocrites with there ‘we have to live within our means’ crap and the debt ended up being double Labors even before the pandemic.

    Liberals won’t have debt as weapon when in opposition. Even Republicans when they complained about the debt when the Obama administration took over were accused of hypocrisy from the debt that was left by the Bush administration. From tax cuts for the rich and the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq.

    ‘all you hear is a pin drop from the media’…..and Labor…..just sayin’

  29. mundo says:
    Saturday, November 6, 2021 at 8:32 am

    “People in focus groups are starting to criticise Morrison spontaneously … For Anthony Albanese, it’s a different kind of absence – a lack of political impact.”
    .
    Bingo.

    George Megalogenis writes that Morrison has wedged himself on climate – and opened a door for Labor. He says, “it’s time to talk about Anthony Albanese, and his ambition for climate change policy. The Labor leader has reached the inflection point in the electoral cycle where he must choose between truce and attack.”
    .
    Double bingo.
    ——————————–
    Various experts, including several bludger geniuses, have been advising, nay insisting, that Albanese MUST lay out Labor’s policies NOW, for most of the last three years.
    It turns out that they were wRONg and that Albanese was right.
    This won’t stop the armchair political experts from continuing to insist that Albanese conforms with their wondrous insights.
    Because self-reflection and admitting that they were wRONg and Albanese was right all along is not a strong point for these geniuses.

  30. It’s just sad that, when you have obviously talented people like Ed Husic around, he is on the Opposition benches, but it’s a bunch of clowns from the Coalition that you have as Ministers.

  32. https://www.businessinsider.com.au/will-dominion-own-mypillow-if-it-wins-defamation-lawsuit-2021-11?r=US&IR=T

    “I’m the one that asked them to sue me,” Lindell told Insider on Wednesday, repeating false claims of election fraud. “I don’t care if it’s a scrillion, a billion, whatever. It’s all just a joke.”

    Lindell said he was “not worried” about Dominion’s “frivolous” lawsuits. Dominion wanted to suppress his voice “by trying to bankrupt Mike Lindell,” he said, switching to third-person.

    But if Dominion wins its defamation lawsuit against Lindell’s company, will it actually end up owning MyPillow?

    Bankruptcy law experts say it’s possible. If MyPillow loses, Dominion will have two opportunities to add a pillow company to its portfolio: Seizing its assets or winning a bankruptcy auction.

  33. This is a good critique, and I feel the same often applies to the Labor questions in QT.

    It would be bad enough if over-use of leading questions were journalists’ only sin, but they also gratuitously provide other “free kicks”, such as “double-barrelled” questions: asking a question then adding a possible answer, or unjustifiably interrupting an answer. None of these ill-considered constructions encourage transparency – just the opposite. Not to mention the raft of everyday lapses in standard grammar, clear diction and engaging presentation, all key elements in achieving unambiguous and authoritative communication.

    https://johnmenadue.com/do-the-abcs-journalistic-standards-matter-thats-a-leading-question/

  35. The more a person has tried to self harm the more they must be constrained, little to do with escaping. Tried to self harm twice so far. Victim abducted from parents at night, 18 days of horror for parents and child. But what about the poor offender in chains…look racism I am horrified.

  36. The political pain was not a series of stumbles by Morrison. It was inflicted on him by a force he could not control.

    That force being his innate dishonesty and narcissism.

  37. When dealing with “what ifs”, the only way to confirm whether someone is “right” is to run multiple universes in parallel and compare the results.

  44. Victoria has recorded 1,268 new local COVID-19 cases and 7 deaths

    There are now 16,662 active cases of the virus in Victoria, and 7 people have died during the current Delta outbreak.

    There are 651 people in hospital in Victoria with COVID-19, of whom 106 are in intensive care, and 70 are on a ventilator.

    The new cases were detected from 65,410 test results received yesterday.

    There were 15,058 doses of vaccine given at state-run centres yesterday, as well as more vaccinations at GP clinics and other venues.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-06/victoria-records-new-covid-cases-and-deaths-saturday/100596500

  45. Journalists keep reporting the Coalition’s climate stance as a “pivot”.

    There is no pivot. Australia has done what it always does under the Coalition. Admit to as little as possible, while acting as a spoiler and blocker to delay action. It’s the same strategy. The language moves with the rest of the world, but behind it and at the greatest distance they calculate they can get away with, to disguise their inaction or even contrary action.

  46. Another empty promise. All forgotten now.

    Jo Dyer
    @instanterudite
    ·
    10m
    Hey, remember when we got that new taskforce for women back in March with Marise and Michaelia and Sussan and Karen and Anne, and it was going do lots of things, and some people said it was just a cynical announcement? Bet those critics are feeling really foolish now

  47. lizzie @ #491 Saturday, November 6th, 2021 – 9:08 am

    C@t

    Getting excited over the pic of Albo.

    Reasons?
    Because it was such a good picture. It was my local patch. And to annoy people like mundo who try and make us believe Albanese has no charisma. And the Liberals who think Morrison is the only one capable of projecting an image to the electorate. 🙂

  50. The Morrison Government gave $38 billion to businesses – major companies included – that didn’t need it. How can they justify that, asks John Lord.

    https://theaimn.com/the-morrison-government-gave-38-billion-to-businesses-major-companies-included-that-didnt-need-it-how-can-they-justify-that/

    —————-
    What could be the opportunity cost in $38 billion wasted on the rich and powerful?

    One could have a competition on who could come up with the best policies/projects for $38 billion to really address pressing issues in Australia.

    Homelessness, scientific research, re-wilding, public transport, skills training, extending medicare, addressing water mis-management, removing profiteers from aged care, etc.

    Solving anything, except marketing, is NOT the Liberal Australian Way.

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