The Australian reports the first Newspoll for the year has Labor’s two-party lead unchanged at 55-45, from primary votes of Labor 38% (down one), Coalition 34% (down one), Greens 11% (steady) and One Nation 6% (steady). Anthony Albanese is down five on approval to 57% and up four on disapproval to 33%, while Peter Dutton is steady at 36% and up one to 46%. Albanese’s lead as preferred prime minister narrows from 59-24 to 56-26.
There were further questions on the Indigenous voice to parliament, which found 56% in support (28% strongly and 28% partly) and 37% opposed (23% strongly and 14% partly). Extensive further detail on why respondents felt the way the did. The most favoured among listed of reasons for those opposed was that “it won’t help the issues facing Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians”. The poll was conducted Wednesday to Saturday from a sample of 1512.
Pi @ #1449 Tuesday, February 7th, 2023 – 7:06 pm
From the RBA website:
It is the duty of the Reserve Bank Board, within the limits of its powers, to ensure that the monetary and banking policy of the Bank is directed to the greatest advantage of the people of Australia and that the powers of the Bank … are exercised in such a manner as, in the opinion of the Reserve Bank Board, will best contribute to:
the stability of the currency of Australia;
the maintenance of full employment in Australia; and
the economic prosperity and welfare of the people of Australia.
“Dr Doolittle says:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 8:00 pm
Alpo at 11.41 am
You say: “Pootin was a Marxist in his youth, otherwise he would have been never able to rise up the top of the Soviet/Russian leadership.”
This is rubbish. When Yeltsin broke up the USSR in 1991, Putin was a nobody. He had been a fairly low level KGB spy in Dresden in November 1989 when the Berlin wall fell. One of his main personal gripes is that he had to moonlight as a taxi driver back in St Petersburg. However, he soon got rich, embezzling as the key official liaising with foreign firms in the St Petersburg Mayor’s office. He was never near the top of the Russian leadership until the Yeltsin clique promoted him. Then he rose “faster than yeast”, as a disgruntled official in Kazakhstan observed about the future Kazakh President Nazarbayev in the late 1980s. Somewhere I have a Russian Who’s Who book, published in the mid 1990s. Thousands of entries on significant people across Russia; nothing on Vladimir Putin.”
Absolutely nothing in your post suggests that Putin wasn’t a Marxist in his youth. Putin’s rise to power was fast, yes, but had nothing magic about it, as you mention in your post. So, your “This is rubbish” is extremely misplaced.
Thanks ajm. TIL.
Lars Von Trier @ #1224 Tuesday, February 7th, 2023 – 7:22 pm
He might have met your dear old aunty.
“I think your a fantasist Dr John and I’m calling c@tshit. Supposedly a deceased Melbourne mobster stole millions from your family home and now you claim to have visited Bob Hawke at his then home to collect gambling debts.”
That is a very important call, as the only official ‘authorised by his Estate’ biographer I was about to include a whole chapter on this gambling debt story but now I shall omit it. Very important call thank you so much.
WeWantPaul says:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 8:17 pm
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
If it helps Bob Hawke owned a horse named Buoyant Bird which won a few races.
Ha
Hmmm,
Getting over my jet lag, while skimming posts on PB.
There seems to be some disagreement about what Labor’s policy towards the original indigenous inhabitants of our country has been, from Whitlam, through to Hawke, Keating and after.
In the broad brushstrokes, Labor has taken the recognition of our First Nations’s peoples very seriously, and has a actually tried to recognise them, which is an important step to recognising the insurmountable social and economic barriers that our First Nation’s peoples have endured, keeping many of them amongst the poorest people in Australia.
Did Hawke think a treaty was the most important thing?
Where does Whitlam fit in (From little things, big things grow: Paul Kelly, Kev Carmody remember Gough in song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAONlfoNVuY)
How does Paul Keating’s Redfern speech fit in?
And Kevin Rudd’s apology?
For those of you criticising Labor for not doing enough – sayingwe need treaty now, but The Voice is not important, would you care to list the ways since 1972 the Coalition (who after all have Federally held power for 75% of the time since 1972 have advanced our First Nations causes?
And for an added wonderful extra treat:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVORrx9jIiE
I suspect that only one other poster on this very informative site for all things political has any genuine knowledge of the activities of Bob Hawke 1970s (ish) during this timeframe, before Canberra, his associates at the time, particularly his gambling associates, and his whereabouts from day to day.
I’m calling bullshit on anyone else
Here’s the claim being made by the Sydney Morning Herald as a major selling point, to differentiate themselves from their mass market competitor:
Well, they are a lot better than The Australian but that’s a pretty low bar.
I think I’ll spend my $3.95 elsewhere.
Bob Hawke was very much a public figure in the 1970s, as head of the ACTU at a time when it was regarded by many as the second most powerful position in Australia.
Meher Baba
I understand what you’re saying about Dutton. It’s hard though to know whether he’s being underestimated or overestimated. I keep waiting for a sign of significant change but I’m just not seeing anything.
The proposed Voice is intended to ensure that the opinions/advice of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders are heard on matters affecting them. The commission for Truth and Treaty would appear to fall into this category. Even if the Voice is not the specific body that carries out all processes, a properly formed Voice could be trusted to speak First Nations advice/opinions (consensus where it exists, diversity where it doesn’t) on those other processes and the bodies that carry them out.
Otherwise, any other process/body will be subject to the same current debate, regarding legitimacy and whose agenda is being pushed, as the Voice. Those debates are not unnecessary but they *are* Noise, typically don’t address the core issue being discussed, and can easily be manipulated for destructive purposes. Its proper that the proposed consitutional (and later legislative) changes be rigorously examined. It’s proper that the legitimacy of a Voice be constructed with rigorous examination. A properly designed Voice will mean such debates only have to happen once (in its own formation) or at the very least accompany future issues at reduced volume.
A properly implemented Voice will cut through that Noise. It will be able to speak for (or against) those other processes without relying on proxies in the event that the government changes hands (or the government changes its mind). The opinions it speaks will not be mistaken for government opinion, and will prevent a government cherry picking a friendly opinion to pass off as authoratative First Nations advice. It will be able to stamp legitimacy (or withhold it) on other processes.
How long do you think Treaty will take? Labor may start it (federally) but may not even be in power for the entire process. Truth in particular is likely to end up an *ongoing* affair, something that is taught to every new generation, and will be subject to the whims of future governments of all stripes as education often is.
There is nothing to say that something stronger than the Voice can’t be boostrapped through the assistance of the Voice. If you like, you can view “Voice first” as a strategy to isolate a particular type of non-constructive debate (that its clear from this forum even supporters of the Voice and other action for First Nations find hard to refrain from indulging in) to this point in time so that ongoing discussions/debates can take place in clear(er) air.
TURKEY EARTHQUAKE
– Over 5,000 dead in Turkey and Syria, toll expected to increase steadily in coming hours and days.
– Thousands of buildings have collapsed in both countries
– Hundreds of aftershocks, with 5.7 magnitude earthquake in Turkey’s east in recent hours.
Turkey says three thousand personnel have come from other countries to assist in rescue and support effort
Apparently the Greens’ First Nations advisory group told the Greens that they should support the Voice.
So who were the BlakGreens Thorpe took advice from?
Steve
I “met” Bob Hawke at the Bunbury races in the mid 70s. He walked past the bar and I said “Gidday Bob” and he said “Gidday” and walked on to a chorus of friendly greetings from the other punters.
In those days I’d say a majority of the blokes at the bar would have been union members.
The local Liberals were up in the members.
I recall being struck by how short he was.
For the ‘same-same’ fans out there (you know who you are), this gives some credence, at least in one respect:
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/jostling-for-nsw-senate-vacancy-as-andrew-constance-fiona-scott-eye-run-20230207-p5cijy.html
The senate has been debauched into some sort of lucky losers escape lounge, by both parties. What do any of the list of these failed Liberal Candidates bring to the table in terms of party renewal? Lucy Weeks, Dave Sharma, Fiona Martin, Fiona Scott, Andrew Constance FFS (although that prospect is likely to send P1 into a swoon). The Victorian branch of the Liberal party is just as bad. On the Labor side, Deb O’Neil: hardly setting the world on fire. Is it really that hard to talent identify and use the senate ticket to enhance the horsepower of your team? FFS.
AE
That story also says that Abbott has been ringing around but has not much support.
If only.
The sight of Abbott as an opposition Senator for the next five or so years would do my heart good.
Proof positive that the Liberals are bereft.
Steve777says:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 8:41 pm
Bob Hawke was very much a public figure in the 1970s, as head of the ACTU at a time when it was regarded by many as the second most powerful position in Australia.
You are correct.
However there was a “non public” Bob Hawke and that is what is being referred to in these posts.
Upnorth says:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 7:16 pm
Simon Henny Penny Katich says:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 6:49 pm
poroti @ #1420 Tuesday, February 7th, 2023 – 6:18 pm
Simon Henny Penny Katich at 6:43 pm
The Emperor of Lang Park none the less.
I thought even QLD’ers turned off that Wally after recent events.
He’s been caught drinking Tooheys?
Something like that.
中华人民共和国
Even Hawkie was not perfect in “matters of the flesh” and I still reckon he is Bonza. Wally will always be the Emperor and has the statue to prove it!
____________
Remember HG & Roy in commentary calling Allan Langer “Deborah Kerr” (The King and I)?
Sub Brief’s latest video; I guess it now counts as a submarine.
China’s Spy Balloon Equipment Breakdown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tbezqLxT750
Alpo at 8.11 pm
If you want some reading on Putin, try Philip Short, Putin: His Life and Times (Bodley Head, 2022). What were Putin’s interests as a youth, in the late 1960s?
“With friends, he swopped tapes of the Beatles, then banned in the Soviet Union” (p 48). “Only in one respect did he differ from his contemporaries. He played almost no part in the school’s extra-curricular activities. … All his spare time was devoted to sambo”, a Soviet martial art. (p 49)
ajm says:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 8:10 pm
Pi @ #1449 Tuesday, February 7th, 2023 – 7:06 pm
Watermelon: ” The RBA has 2 objectives 1. Keep inflation within the 2-3% band 2. Maintain full employment ”
? Really? I thought those were the objectives of the US federal reserve, but the RBA only targeted inflation? Happy to be wrong, but I thought I remembered that from years ago.
From the RBA website:
It is the duty of the Reserve Bank Board, within the limits of its powers, to ensure that the monetary and banking policy of the Bank is directed to the greatest advantage of the people of Australia and that the powers of the Bank … are exercised in such a manner as, in the opinion of the Reserve Bank Board, will best contribute to:
the stability of the currency of Australia;
the maintenance of full employment in Australia; and
the economic prosperity and welfare of the people of Australia.
____________
The RBA claims to be striving for the last three mentioned points?
Just as well they’re not on Hard Quiz!
Douglas and Milko says:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 8:29 pm
Hmmm,
Getting over my jet lag, while skimming posts on PB.
There seems to be some disagreement about what Labor’s policy towards the original indigenous inhabitants of our country has been, from Whitlam, through to Hawke, Keating and after.
In the broad brushstrokes, Labor has taken the recognition of our First Nations’s peoples very seriously, and has a actually tried to recognise them, which is an important step to recognising the insurmountable social and economic barriers that our First Nation’s peoples have endured, keeping many of them amongst the poorest people in Australia.
Did Hawke think a treaty was the most important thing?
Where does Whitlam fit in (From little things, big things grow: Paul Kelly, Kev Carmody remember Gough in song: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dAONlfoNVuY)
How does Paul Keating’s Redfern speech fit in?
And Kevin Rudd’s apology?
For those of you criticising Labor for not doing enough – sayingwe need treaty now, but The Voice is not important, would you care to list the ways since 1972 the Coalition (who after all have Federally held power for 75% of the time since 1972 have advanced our First Nations causes?
____________
I have good news, D & M:
The Coalition has only been in power for 55% (approx.) of the time since 1972.
1975-1983
1996-2007
2013-2022
I would accept the view they’ve been 75% bad – especially in relation to FN peoples.
Cronus says:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 8:43 pm
Meher Baba
I understand what you’re saying about Dutton. It’s hard though to know whether he’s being underestimated or overestimated. I keep waiting for a sign of significant change but I’m just not seeing anything.
____________
The most important thing is to not misunderestimate Dutton.
I wonder if the referendum fails, how damaged will the Albanese prime minister will be.
Dutton will also claim that the LNP is in a much better place to co-operate with an incoming second Trump, or first deSantis administration, which seem to be very likely.
Memo to Boerwar
Blak Greens now support Voice, leaving Senator Thorpe politically on her own.
“The Blak Greens convenors advised us that there are a diversity of perspectives within the party and in the broader community but at the end of the day we cannot say no to a voice to parliament,” Bandt and Faruqi wrote. (in email to Greens party members late on Mon 6 Feb)
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/feb/07/greens-first-nations-advisory-group-told-party-it-could-not-say-no-to-voice
Three weeks ago their position seemed less clear, but it’s no surprise that they have realised that could not possibly support Hanson and Mundine.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jan/15/blak-greens-say-they-wont-support-indigenous-voice-without-treaty-negotiations
MelbourneMammoth says:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 9:21 pm
I wonder if the referendum fails, how damaged will the Albanese prime minister will be.
Dutton will also claim that the LNP is in a much better place to co-operate with an incoming second Trump, or first deSantis administration, which seem to be very likely.
____________
1. Very little
2. I hope he does
golls says:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 9:06 pm
Steve777says:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 8:41 pm
Bob Hawke was very much a public figure in the 1970s, as head of the ACTU at a time when it was regarded by many as the second most powerful position in Australia.
You are correct.
However there was a “non public” Bob Hawke and that is what is being referred to in these posts.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
You are spot on goll –
For example we were friendly with one of Bob’s best mates.
His mate ( name supressed here) made a lucrative living selling imported 2nd hand luxury cars.
The mate also played team golf for big $ money at private golf courses albeit regularly playing dead for the opponents and collecting later after he got beat. Ha
so thorpe is on her own only one greens member has joined her leaving the greens so the liberals will likely choose dallas mckinerney but all the liberal so called moderits have is a long term nsw state mp and a former federal mp that only lasted one term
MelbourneMammoth @ #1474 Tuesday, February 7th, 2023 – 9:21 pm
Not. Going. To. Happen.
Melbourne Mammoth at 9.21 pm
Read the polls re the Voice. With a head start, because the Yes campaign will not begin until late this month, No is already a long way behind.
Re US, Dr John will take your large bet on the Republicans with a smile. They badly under-performed in the mid-terms. Didn’t you notice? The only election in which foreign policy mattered in Australia was in 1966.* Labor lost badly, despite Menzies’ mendacity over the shameful Vietnam war. That made a Labor win in 1969 difficult, when it should not have been. Had Labor won in 1969, McMahon would never have been PM, and Whitlam would have had two terms before the recession came in 1974.
* The 2001 election was affected by the swamping media coverage of the terrorist attacks in the US, but key issue was asylum, not foreign policy.
plus you still have the liberals fcomplaining abbout labor having to many corear politicians abott served in the parliament foor 25 years as did abetz and howard but some how kenearly was some corear politician that 2 g b attacked mean while perottit who has been in politics all his life is suddinly some anti gambling campaigner desbite spending a decade increasiing poacker machines and cutting the tax to clubs along with asisting the major sports bodies but he is not a corear politician
Yes, there I was. Just a metre or two between me and Bob Hawke.
And about a hundred other people in the room. 😐
i dont get whiy kenearly atracted so much dislike from people like hadley and 2 gb yes she was installed buy some bad mps but so was the preveous two premiers plus abott who was one of our worst pms and lasted over 25 years wants to come back to politics but he is not a corear politician
also labor faction leaders are constantly attacked in the msm as hacks or facelis men but the likes of michael crodger who never bothered to enter politics and over saw themasive defeat in 2018 and graham richardwson are some how respected comentators on sky news
i think dutton is over estemated compaired to albanese who is pm who the media constantly under estematd Dutton was discribed as this great leader who would help the liberals in the outer suberbs he basickly is just like Abott with out any personality hehas failed to land any attack on the government so far and is not even doing well in Qld when he was used as the spojkesman foor frecklington and palaschzuk still won a strong majority you would have thought the l np would have worked out he does not have a lot of influence in qld
he has no sence of humer how could voters relate from him has failed to break out of the tough home affairs minister unlike morrison who used the daggy dad likable campaign in 2019 Dutton has not atempted to break out of the sky news 2gb type leader who is not interested in bringing any one outside the base
Pueo @ #1469 Tuesday, February 7th, 2023 – 9:08 pm
Thanks. Interesting.
Dr Doolittle
Uh oh, looks like Sambo has spread to the US of A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CnVmsQJPH4w
I watched 7:30 earlier. The Greens that were born out of protest are now a fully fledged adult political party. Including a sanctimonious leader to boot. Having been handed a baton out of the Uluru Statement from the heart Bandt still had to say Truth, Treaty, Voice even though he’s lost a senator for that not being the party position…going just on events of the past couple of days. Confusing performance.
I read earlier about how a Melbourne greens councillor quit also and that was used as a show of sympathy of Thorpe’s position amongst greens politicians. I tried a count of all federal, state and council reps across the country using the ‘Internet of Things’ and got to about 160 but suspect more as records (ahem) may not be complete.
Not sure that 2/160 is showing a great ‘sympathy’ for her position…
Aaron newton at 9:36 pm
And yet she seemed very popular with the Sky After Dark crew. Hardly Kumbaya ‘wokist’ central. She was treated very respectfully and given bucket loads of air time. Featured on many a panel
I was in the audience at the launch of a government program by Hawke. My fellow public servants and I were not supposed to attend but there was an air strike or something which would have meant lots of empty seats and this of course would have looked bad on TV. So we were told to be there for the cameras but not the refreshments – not wanting to see food wasted we stayed anyway! I considered it a reward for playing our part by looking like a genuine audience.
Somebody at the hotel function room had designed a backdrop to the stage where Hawke and our tall Division head stood side by side. The backdrop consisted of heavy horizontal lines like those used by police (in movies at least) to conduct line-ups. This backdrop made it painfully obvious that Hawke was not very tall.
Ms Keneally was reasonably popular as Premier. Like Joan Kirner and Carman Lawrence in Victoria and WA before her, she took a hospital pass, being handed the wheel of the ship of state when it was taking on water and listing badly…
porotisays:
Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 9:55 pm
Aaron newton at 9:36 pm
i dont get whiy kenearly atracted so much dislike from people like hadley and 2 gb yet..
And yet she seemed very popular with the Sky After Dark crew. Hardly Kumbaya ‘wokist’ central. She was treated very respectfully and given bucket loads of air time. Featured on many a panel
________
She was loathed in Wagga by those I spoke to during the federal election. Their main gripe being that she’d been parachuted into seats and never won an election. Seemed to do the conservatives head in.
I think though that was because she was a woman because I could give them any number of men that had the same ride and they’d shut their lids.
I’ve been known to give a bit of stick to a man that’s only coming into his first election after 6 years after a parachute drop. Reckon a bit of humility he’d have before calling out others that have stuck their neck out and run but nope…
Keneally was hated because she was a foreign sounding woman that played the game. The game until now has been foe men…shame because she was way more capable than my example.
Funny though, Joan Kirner has more of a legacy in Victoria than some that followed. There are those that can see when a woman is there to clean up the shit that men have left behind!
I went to an election rally at the Capitol Theatre Bankstown in 1974. Gough Whitlam and Bob Hawke were both on stage, together with local Federal and State members Paul Keating and Neville Wran. The current and two future Prime Ministers and a future Premier.
Dr Doolittle @ Tuesday, February 7, 2023 at 9:22 pm
Thanks very much. That answers my question I posed yesterday, “whither the BlakGreens?” I had a thought along this line when we heard talk that Thorpe was insisting on being the conduit of communication lines on all things First Nations in The Greens.
This is such good news:
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/putin-is-raiding-his-piggy-bank-as-his-cash-woes-grow-20230207-p5cifq.html
From The Guardian:
“Russia lacks munitions and units for successful offensives, says UK
Russia almost certainly now lacks the munitions and manoeuvre units required for successful offensives, UK Ministry of Defence says.”
Oh dear, the Russians are fast becoming “inoffensive” when the Ukrainian offensive with the new supplied weapons from the West hasn’t started yet…. With some luck, this war may end by the end of this year…
“Andrei Kostin, the chief executive of VTB, Russia’s second largest bank, has blamed sanctions for its entire 2022 losses, acknowledging how western sanctions have crippled parts of Russia’s financial sector.”…
Well, Putin wanted to play hard ball… and look what he got in return.