RedBridge Group has conducted its first federal poll for the year, and the movement it records since its last poll in early December is in favour of the Coalition, who are up three points on the primary vote to 38%. Labor and the Greens are steady at 33% and 13% with others down three to 16%, and Labor records a 51.2-48.8 lead on two-party preferred, in from 52.8-47.2. A question on negative gearing finds an even split of 39% each for and against the status quo, with the latter composed of 16% who favour removing it from new rental properties in future and 23% for removing it altogether. Further detail is forthcoming, including on field work dates and sample size.
Progressive think tank the Australia Institute has published a number of federal seat-level automated phone polls conducted by uComms, most notably for Dunkley, whose by-election is now less than three weeks away. The result is a 52-48 lead to Labor on respondent-allocated preferences, compared with a 56.3-43.7 split in favour of Labor in 2022. After distributing a forced response follow-up question for the unusually large 17% undecided component, the primary votes are Labor 40.1% (40.2% at the election), Liberal 39.3% (32.5%), Greens 8.2% (10.3%) and others 12.4% (16.9%). A question on the tax cut changes finds 66.3% in favour and 28.1% opposed, although the question offered a bit too much explanatory detail for my tastes. The poll was conducted last Monday and Tuesday from a sample of 626.
The other polls are from the teal independent seats of Kooyong, Mackellar and Wentworth, conducted last Monday from samples of 602 to 647. They show the incumbents leading in each case despite losing primary vote share to Labor, together with strong support for the tax cut changes. In Kooyong, distributing results from a forced response follow-up for the 9.7% undecided produces primary vote shares of 33.5% for Monique Ryan (the only candidate mentioned by name, down from 40.3% in 2022), 39.5% for the Liberals (42.7%), 15.7% for Labor (6.9%) and 7.5% for the Greens (6.3%). Ryan is credited with a 56-44 lead on two-candidate preferred, but preference flows from 2022 would make it more like 53.5-46.5.
In Mackellar, distribution of the 10.8% initially undecided gets incumbent Sophie Scamps to 32.2% of the primary vote (38.1%), with 39.3% for Liberal (41.4%), 14.8% for Labor (8.2%) and 6.6% for the Greens (6.1%). This comes out at 54-46 after preferences (52.5-47.5 in 2022), but I make is 52.7-47.3 using the flows from 2022. In Wentworth, Allegra Spender gets the best result out of the three, with distribution of 6.3% undecided putting her primary vote at 35.1% (35.8% in 2022), with Liberal on 39.0% (40.5%), Labor on 15.3% (10.9%) and Greens on 10.4% (8.3%). The reported two-candidate preferred is 57-43, but the preference flow in this case is weaker than it was when she won by 54.2-45.8 in 2022, the result being 59.2-40.8 based on preference flows at the election.
Federal preselection news:
• Andrew Hough of The Advertiser reports South Australia’s Liberals will determine the order of their Senate ticket “within weeks”, with the moderate Anne Ruston tussling with the not-moderate Alex Antic for top place. The third incumbent, David Fawcett, a Senator since 2011 and previously member for Wakefield from 2004 to 2007, will be left to vie for the dubious third position against political staffer and factional conservative Leah Blyth.
• The Sydney Morning Herald’s CBD column reports nominations have closed for the Liberal preselection in Gilmore, and that Andrew Constance has again put his name forward, after narrowly failing to win the seat in 2022 and twice being overlooked for Senate vacancies last year. He faces competition from Paul Ell, a moderate-aligned lawyer and Shoalhaven deputy mayor who had long been mentioned as a potential candidate for the seat, having been persuaded to leave the path clear for Constance in 2022.
• Hannah Cross of The West Australian reports Sean Ayres, a 26-year-old lawyer and staffer to former member Ben Morton, has emerged as a fourth Liberal preselection contender in the normally conservative Perth seat of Tangney, joining SAS veteran Mark Wales, Canning mayor and former police officer Patrick Hall and IT consultant Harold Ong.
Enough voters from New England are more than happy with Mr Joyce.
Natalie is seemingly happy with Mr Joyce.
The Parliamentary Nationals are happy with Barnaby as a “team member” or leader.
Mr Joyce needs the job and renumeration to sustain his life style and notoriety.
I suggest that the PM appoint Barnaby as the next Governor General thus enabling Barnaby to enjoy a drink, perform at functions, provide for his sons’ futures, take the pressure off Mr Littleproud, rid the GG position of the Military or Religious procession, create an awareness of the historical significance and irrationality of the position and keep everyone amused.
Barnaby for Governor General!
shellbell @ #101 Monday, February 12th, 2024 – 11:01 am
Thanks Shellbell
Did you know that Jessie Street was the Mother in Law of Jack Fingleton? I knew Jack’s son, Grey, who died recently. He used to tell great stories about his grandmother.
Just on Dreyfus’s appointment of an ALP aligned deputy commissioner for the AAT, here is an abridged list of Liberal government appointees…
Name State Type of Connection
Gary Humphries ACT Former Liberal senator
John Sosso QLD Director-General, Justice Department (Newman government)
Robert Cameron VIC Liberal Chairman Kew State Electoral Council
Paul Clauson AM QLD Former attorney-general and minister under Liberal government
Michael Cooke* NSW Former adviser to Tony Abbott
Denis Dragovic* VIC Liberal preselection for the House of Representatives; Victorian Senate preselection
Ann Duffield* QLD Former chief of staff to Scott Morrison
Richard Ellis WA Former chief of staff to former premier Colin Barnett
Matthew Groom VIC Former Liberal Party member for Denison
James Lambie QLD Former policy adviser; senior adviser and chief of staff to George Brandis
Donald Morris* VIC Former senior adviser to Eric Abetz
Andew Nikolic AM CSC* VIC Former Liberal member of House of Representatives
Justin Owen NSW Lifetime member of the Sydney University Liberal Club; former treasurer of the Australian Liberal Students Federation
Belinda Pola QLD Former chief of staff to Mathias Cormann; former staffer to Joe Hockey
Christopher Puplick AM* NSW Former Liberal senator
Theo Tavoularis QLD Liberal Party donor; represented former AG George Brandis’ son in a criminal case.
Rachel Westaway VIC Former Liberal candidate for the NSW Upper House
Antoinette Younes NSW Former adviser to Michaelia Cash
Dominic Katter QLD Queensland Liberal National Party “law and order adviser”
Hedley Chapman* SA Former Liberal Party member for Kingston; former senator
Rodrigo Pintos-Lopez VIC In-house counsel for former Victorian premier Ted Baillieu.
William Stefaniak AM RFD ACT Former Leader of the Opposition (for the Liberal Party) ACT
Ian Berry QLD Former LNP member for Ipswich
Simone Burford WA Adviser and chief of staff to former attorney-general Daryl Robert Williams; chief of staff to former communications minister Richard Alston; senior adviser to John Howard
Helena Claringbold NSW Former staffer to Tony Abbott
David Crawshay OAM VIC Former Liberal Party staffer
Brendan Darcy VIC Former adviser to Kevin Andrews
Phoebe Dunn VIC Former senior adviser to former attorney-general Daryl Williams
Peter Emmerton* SA Former adviser to Liberal Minister of Education and Training
Shane Evans* NSW Former adviser to the Howard Government; media adviser and chief of staff to Minister for Fair Trading NSW
Joseph Francis* WA Former Liberal Member for Jandakot
William Frost ACT Former senior adviser to Christian Porter
Steven Griffiths* SA Former Liberal Member for Goyder
George Hallwood* SA President of a Liberal Party branch
Keith Kendall VIC University Liberal Club member
Nora Lamont* VIC Liberal Party member; Councillor for Mullum Ward, Maroondah City Council
Russell Matheson NSW Former Liberal Party member for Macarthur
David McCulloch NSW Former policy adviser to Communications Minister Paul Fletcher; staffer to former senator Amanda Vanstone
Nicholas McGowan VIC Liberal candidate for Jagajaga
Karen McNamara* NSW Former Liberal Party member for Dobell
Justin Meyer VIC Former senior adviser to former premier Dennis Napthine
Helen Moreland* VIC Former senior adviser to Tony Abbott
Perrohean Sperling PSM VIC Former senior adviser to John Howard
Michael Sutherland OAM WA Former Liberal member for Mount Lawley; former speaker of the WA Legislative Assembly
Peter Vlahos VIC Liberal candidate for Chisholm
Robert Baldwin* NSW Former Liberal member for Paterson
Anthony Barry VIC Former press adviser to Malcolm Turnbull
Stephen Barton* WA Former chief of staff to former WA Legislative Assembly member Joseph Francis
Jane Bell VIC Liberal preselection for the House of Representatives
Suzanne Boyce FAICD* QLD Former Liberal senator
Nathan Goetz NSW Former Liberal Party member. Ran for the Wyndham City Council in the 2008 election.
Dawn Fitzgerald WA Former chief of staff to a WA Liberal minister
Ian Fletcher AM WA Former chief of staff to former WA premier Richard Court
Margaret Forrest QLD Senior adviser to the Department of Justice and AG (Newman government); electorate officer for AG George Brandis
John Griffin* VIC Former chief of staff to for Victorian premier Jeff Kennett
Meredith Jackson QLD Former chief of staff to Christopher Pyne
De-Anne Kelly* QLD National Member for Dawson
Helen Kroger* VIC Former president of the Victorian Liberal Party; former Liberal senator
Michael Manetta SA Liberal candidate for seat of Torrens
Stephen Parry* TAS Former Tasmanian Senate president
Donna Petrovich* VIC Former Liberal member in the Victorian Legislative Council
Susan Reece Jones VIC Liberal Party member
Brian Warren Stooke AM* VIC Liberal Party member
Andrew Tragardh VIC Liberal preselection for the Victorian Legislative Assembly
*No known legal qualification, or has not been able to provide evidence of qualification when contacted.
Are we heading to an election? Premier answers the question.
Ahh Tasmania good news for the coalition federally he seems hell bent asap in going to one.
The Dunkley byelection and its voters may well be subject to a big GST scare campaign as well as media coverage for weeks on wall to wall labor Govs something Australian voters do not like and another handy campaign tool for Dunkley.
Fed labor will be happy for Tasmania to muddle on as is for a few more weeks.
Rural Australia has been booming water almost everywhere and land prices healthy.Joyce will blow over.
Late Riser says:
“Mr Tup! I like it. I might try it for a bit. Thank you, Oliver Sutton.”
Thanks, LR. Feel free to go forth and multiply it with my blessing.
goll – I hear that the role of Cultural Ambassador is vacant since the passing of Les Patterson.
Rex Douglassays:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 11:41 am
Albo, as a property investor himself, could use any NG policy changes to his own political advantage (integrity & fairness), if he was smart.
=====================================================
Albo has one investment property and owns two properties. While obviously as PM he gets a house supplied. So currently is not using either but will be using one of them, once his term as PM ends. I think one possible NG change could be to limit it to one investment property per tax payer. Which would effect many politicians quite a bit but Albo would not be one of them.
If the political connection of the NACC appointment by Dreyfuss was decades old and they are not now politically active, then I withdraw my earlier concern.
@Socrates
It was mentioned in the Fairfax article Justice Stephen Rothman was a Labor candidate for the seat of Wentworth in 1984, and contested Labor preselection for the seat of Dobell in 2003. I wouldn’t have a clue if he still is a member of the party or has been active since then.
The Jesse Street Centre must cause some confusion with people who look for Jesse Street. Like how in Melbourne we have the Walter and Eliza Hall Institute which is not a Hall.
Unlike most, I’m sure Foreign Affairs Minister Wong won’t be distracted by the Superbowl and will be closely monitoring the attack on Rafah at present.
Has there been any updates from the Govt re resumption of aid …?
goll says:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 12:05 pm
Enough voters from New England are more than happy with Mr Joyce.
Natalie is seemingly happy with Mr Joyce.
The Parliamentary Nationals are happy with Barnaby as a “team member” or leader.
Mr Joyce needs the job and renumeration to sustain his life style and notoriety.
I suggest that the PM appoint Barnaby as the next Governor General thus enabling Barnaby to enjoy a drink, perform at functions, provide for his sons’ futures, take the pressure off Mr Littleproud, rid the GG position of the Military or Religious procession, create an awareness of the historical significance and irrationality of the position and keep everyone amused.
Barnaby for Governor General!
________________________________
With the greatest of respect Goll – FORK OFF!!!!!!!!
(I mean that in the nicest possible way.)
Trump was elected President and stands a good chance of happening again. WE must be very careful what stupid ideas we give the universe.
pied pipersays:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 12:09 pm
Are we heading to an election? Premier answers the question.
Ahh Tasmania good news for the coalition federally he seems hell bent asap in going to one.
The Dunkley byelection and its voters may well be subject to a big GST scare campaign as well as media coverage for weeks on wall to wall labor Govs something Australian voters do not like and another handy campaign tool for Dunkley.
Fed labor will be happy for Tasmania to muddle on for a few more weeks.
=========================================================
Yes the revelations in “Nemesis” that the previous LNP was looking at both raising GST and an inheritance tax. Was a surprise to many. Particularly that Scott Morrison was the main person pushing for it too. Fortunately Turnbull knocked it on the head. Though once Morrison got the leadership i assume he was only abiding his time to introduce it. The Australian public dodged so many bullets by voting Smirko and his party of economic incompetence to the opposition benches.
‘meher baba says:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 8:08 am
BW: “Who were Joyce’s fellow drinkers who failed to notice that he was stupified and who let him wonder off alone into the night?”
I don’t know anything about BJ’s specific circumstances, but I do know that someone out drinking can seem perfectly fine one minute and then be four sheets to the wind only a few minutes later. (I’m only talking about my friends of course.)
As George Burns once put it: “It only takes one drink to get me drunk, but I can’t remember if it’s the thirteenth or fourteenth.”
Drinking while on some forms of medication would only make this more likely, I would think.’
———————-
MB joins the Coalition spinners. Nobody ever notices when someone is pissed to the eyeballs until they fall over in the street and they start yelling profane abuse at whoever is at the other end of their phone. Yeah. Right.
I am looking forward to some more world-class lying on Nemesis tonight.
A common saying is that satire often reflects reality. This offering from the Shovel does exactly that:
“Wrong of Passer-By to Walk Past Drunk Barnaby Joyce”, Say LNP Politicians Who’ve Spent Years Walking Past Drunk Barnaby Joyce.
Boerwar – It depends on the level of intoxicant of the drinking partners as to how well they judge how drink BJ was. If they were tanked to the eyeballs too, then he might have seemed fine.
B.S. Fairman @ #102 Monday, February 12th, 2024 – 12:14 pm
When Jessie Street stood as the Labor candidate for Wentworth in 1946 her supporters put covered the street signs in Eastern Sydney with “Jessie” – so that the signs all said Jessie Street (boom tish!). Some of the party members didn’t quite understand the point, so that there were also several Jessie Avenues and one Jessie Road
MABWMsays:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 12:17 pm
goll says:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 12:05 pm
Barnaby for Governor General!
________________________________
With the greatest of respect Goll – FORK OFF!!!!!!!!
(I mean that in the nicest possible way.)
Very careful what I eat these days so won’t seriously put that piece of pork on my fork.
The latest bender isn’t Barnaby’s first nor last.
Barnaby is a “wind turbine” of sorts.
OC
“Did you know that Jessie Street was the Mother in Law of Jack Fingleton?”
I did know that.
I am not sure whether parent teacher meetings were a thing in the 1930s, but student Laurence Street (later Sir Laurence) with parents, Sir Kenneth and Lady Jesse, would have been something.
The Streets are themselves descended from William Lawson, who accompanied Gregory Blaxland and William Charles Wentworth across the Blue Mountains.
pied piper at 12.09 pm
“Joyce will blow over.”
Pigs might fly. For some background re what Joyce represents in the Nats see:
https://theconversation.com/what-is-barnaby-joyces-women-problem-and-why-does-it-matter-163255
For his long shadow see:
https://www.crikey.com.au/2022/05/25/barnaby-joyce-toxic-for-liberal-party/
And here’s a more extensive assessment, based on polling from the Australian Election Study (2022):
https://www.anu.edu.au/news/all-news/unpopular-leaders-punished-at-the-polls-in-2022-election
‘The findings come from the joint ANUpoll/Comparative Study of Electoral Systems survey of more than 3,500 voters, which examined Australians’ political attitudes before and after the 21 May vote.
Study co-author Professor Ian McAllister said the findings show leaders were more important than in previous elections.
“Our findings show both Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce were very unpopular, and both were especially not popular with their own voters,” Professor McAllister said.’
B.S. Fairmansays:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 12:28 pm
Boerwar – It depends on the level of intoxicant of the drinking partners as to how well they judge how drink BJ was. If they were tanked to the eyeballs too, then he might have seemed fine.
=================================================
You forget he was mixing it with medication. Though without knowing the exact other drugs he was mixing it. We can only speculate on the exact potency of his cocktail. So if his drinking partners were just drinking alcohol straight and not indulging in other drugs with their alcohol. It is possible they were unaware how potent the cocktail Barnaby was self medicating on was. Though this is assuming he had drinking partners?. As it is just as likely he was self medicating all alone in his office too.
Hopefully we can skip the mediocre offerings of the current Shield players and advance these players quickly
https://www.theguardian.com/sport/2024/feb/11/ferocious-australias-next-generation-beat-india-in-u19-cricket-world-cup-final
BW: “MB joins the Coalition spinners. Nobody ever notices when someone is pissed to the eyeballs until they fall over in the street and they start yelling profane abuse at whoever is at the other end of their phone. Yeah. Right.”
BW, are you still banging away about this?
You’ve got me. I’ve been in deep discussions at Menzies House all this morning to work out the right spin for this story because the precise level of Joyce’s intoxication when he fell over is going to determine the result of the Dunkley by-election and far more besides.
Chum, I’d tell you to piss off, but I know you don’t believe in travel.
shellbell @ #112 Monday, February 12th, 2024 – 12:32 pm
When Don Bradman died, the local Port Macquarie rag asked Gray Fingleton for a comment. He said “Can I start with Yipee!” It was not published
The Joyce issue may fade into the background – all stories have their limit of public interest – but that doesn’t mean it won’t come back around election time. If Joyce is still part of the front bench team come election, questions will be asked of Dutton during the campaign about the suitability of his team.
Stooge, listening to flamenco, heart rate healthysays:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 11:53 am
Negative gearing of real estate acquisition has been a feature of this Australian tax system for close on a century. There have been attempts to reform it in directions that would make it less of a racket. These attempts have failed. Australians seem to like the racket, despite the inequities it creates.
Negative gearing of loans used to purchase shares is also permitted.
========================================================
Pretty sure you can’t. If a corporate lawyer takes a loan to purchase shares he can’t deduct the interest paid on that loan against the tax paid on his salary. He can only deduct that cost when he sells those shares. The cost becomes part of the of the cost base of those shares. Which is only usable as tax deduction when shares are sold. If the same person takes a loan to buy an investment property. The yearly interest and other costs on the investment property can be taken off your yearly income, which is what NG is. Of course someone that lists share trading as their primary occupation and does enough share trades a year to qualify as such in the ATO eyes too. Can deduct any cost of doing business against their income. Which also applies to every other business too.
Note: Capital losses on shares being sold in a financial year. Also can’t be used to deduct from tax from that yearly income. Those capital losses keep getting carried over to future years. Until you have a capital gain on shares to use them as a deduction against. If you never achieve a capital gain on any shares. You never get to use your capital loss as a deduction.
A degree of schadenfreude on display. Addition is a mental health issue, not a choice. Plenty of other reasons to critique Joyce. His politics for starters.
It’s obvious fat barnyard takes Lipitor. This does not mean he mixed medication
with alcohol, he’s just a useless alcoholic drunk who gets completely smashed at every
opportunity for free alcohol… This useless waste of space should get sacked 😡
Player One says:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 11:19 am
Arky @ #121 Monday, February 12th, 2024 – 11:15 am
“I don’t know why some people here still think you’re the good faith high horse lefty you cosplay. You break character in this way a bit too often for that”
.
My, we are a little touchy today, aren’t we?
_________
It is spelled ‘touché 😉
davo
Joyce, judging from his florid complexion at times, may also be taking medication for hypertension.
Like a vary large number of post-50 Australian males.
Macarthur – It seems that the Russian strategy at the moment is keep ploughing on until a Trump victory.
”The Jesse Street Centre must cause some confusion with people who look for Jesse Street…”
It did.
Entropy says:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 12:11 pm
Rex Douglassays:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 11:41 am
Albo, as a property investor himself, could use any NG policy changes to his own political advantage (integrity & fairness), if he was smart.
=====================================================
Albo has one investment property and owns two properties. While obviously as PM he gets a house supplied. So currently is not using either but will be using one of them, once his term as PM ends. I think one possible NG change could be to limit it to one investment property per tax payer. Which would effect many politicians quite a bit but Albo would not be one of them.
————-
Did read the smart Treasurer Jim Chalmers yesterday ruled out changes to negative gearing.
Of course if he wanted to increase rents and push more individuals and families into homelessness he would consider it.
Less rental properties available will mean rents will rise. Many will lose their rental homes.
I notice when Bill Shorten had it as a policy in 2019, he didn’t say anything about increasing the government sponsored housing for low income people to rent.
As we know keeping people, adults and children in poverty, was his plan. Never wanted to increase Newstart. His call was to help wealthier Australians buy a property. Too bad about others less fortunate.
Actually Morrison said something similar to young people. Don’t rent, buy he said.
It is not negative gearing that has caused property prices to rise. High immigration numbers, the GST, first home owners grants have. All LNP and Labor government policy.
But blame investors in existing properties.
So punishing investors supplying housing for renters that a possible Shorten led government wouldn’t do seems rather dumb.
And still people criticise politicians for negative gearing when the over 2 million Australians who negatively gear, to fund their retirement, are ordinary middle class Australians who had the ability to save.
And were fortunate not to have health issues so they could keep a job to fund this decision.
If more money is needed increase the RPPT on gas.
Shorten, not a very nice man.
Entropy says:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 12:57 pm
“Pretty sure you can’t.”
Wrong – see Sec 8-1 of ITAA 1997.
Griff @ #180 Monday, February 12th, 2024 – 1:08 pm
Only if you have a point – touché 🙂
Goll sorry to be the words of tough love – but stop your whingeing and get off your backside. Be the change you wish to see in the world.
Griff – Addiction is a mental health issue. But if the addict is no seeking help, they probably should not being doing an important role. Nor does it help if those around the addict enable them either.
An explanation of how negative gearing works is shares:
https://curveaccountants.com.au/news/negative-gearing-and-shares/#:~:text=If%20you%20borrow%20money%20to,value%20of%20the%20investment%20increases.
The cost of borrowing is deducted from the income (dividends)
Interesting to see how any future government removes this from real estate but not other investments
The yearly interest and other costs on the investment property can be taken off your yearly income, which is what NG is
No, the costs of borrowing are deducted from the income (rent). If this is positive you have positive gearing and the balance is added to your taxable income. If it is negative you have negative gearing and the balance is deducted from your taxable income
Davo
Absolutely and would get sacked in any other workplace.
Number of criminals released following landmark NZYQ ruling revealed
Fresh details about the number of non-citizen criminals released following a shock high court ruling have been revealed.
Courtney Gould
less than 2 min read
February 12, 2024 – 12:43PM
NCA NewsWire
Seven murderers, 37 sex offenders and 72 violent criminals were released from immigration detention following last year’s landmark NZYQ High Court ruling.
Documents tabled on Monday morning revealed the 149 detainees released also include 16 domestic violence offenders, 13 drug offenders, and five people convicted of people smuggling or other crimes of international significance.
Fewer than five with “low level or no criminality” were also released.
Six of those who have been released have been arrested and charged for breaching their visa conditions. Another 18 have been charged by state and territory police.
The release of the ruling last November caught the government by surprise, sparking a frenzied rush to legislate new laws to tighten visa conditions and enact preventive detention laws to re-detain non-citizens.
But the documents tabled in senate estimates revealed the government has yet to make an application to re-detain any of those released.
“As of 31 January 2024, nil individuals have been re-detained in an immigration detention facility on the basis that there is a real prospect of their removal from Australia being practicable in the reasonably foreseeable future,” the report said.
Home Affairs secretary Stephanie Foster told senators the response was “ongoing”.
“With the Department managing current litigation and preparing for future cases, continuing to engage internationally on removals and working with the states and territories to further embed our community safety arrangements,” she said.
So we cannot kick people out of our own country anymore?
davosays:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 1:05 pm
It’s obvious fat barnyard takes Lipitor. This does not mean he mixed medication
with alcohol, he’s just a useless alcoholic drunk who gets completely smashed at every
opportunity for free alcohol… This useless waste of space should get sacked
=========================================================
One of the excuses coming out of the LNP appears to be he was on medicine. The truth of this or not has not been confirmed though. Also we don’t know if it was medically prescribed or something Barnaby picked up somewhere else without a prescription. Assuming it was not an illegal drug. Any drug bought from legitimate sources will clearly display warnings about how they shouldn’t be used. If Barnaby was stupid enough to ignore those warnings and mix the drug taking with alcohol taking. It is no excuse for his behaviour, as the actions he has taken are far more reckless than if he just drank to much. in my opinion.
new tangney preselection seeker just dropped
From a post in previous thread ..
Democracy on Trial: Rusty Bowers (interview) | FRONTLINE
True to say Rusty by Australian standards is a very strange man, on one hand he appears to be extremely virtuous & ethical.. very.. yet he was able to justify voting for Trump who he believed to be an arsehole ..all on the basis that Trump would deliver the Supreme Court.. how do people like Rusty live with themselves.. they lead totally transactional lives.
Is this an American trait?
https://youtu.be/q-ZaD2JBcAE
Irene says:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 1:11 pm
Increase the Petroleum Resource Rent Tax (PRRT) on our drilled gas, an Australian resource sold cheaply.
Australian students on HECS debts contribute more to the government coffers than the PRRT.
”
Dr Doolittlesays:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 10:45 am
Sceptic at 10.24 am
With respect, that question is irrelevant, because the Tories are slip-sliding away in terms of popularity.
The pertinent question is whether, later this year, the Tories will lose worse than in 1997, or than in 1906.
Here is an interview with the leading UK polling expert, John Curtice, about 14 months ago:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XlENcZYJgQQ
His main point is at the end. Any party in power creating fiscal chaos will be defeated without doubt.
Here is another interview with Curtice sometime in the past year:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AL3bnJP9PEw
The big 4 problems for the Tories are:
1) Hypocrisy of Tory behaviour during lockdown.
2) Chronic nature of British economic decline.
3) Dire condition of National Health Service.
4) Decline of other public services.
In his very moderate way, he says the Tories have no hope at all of turning around any of those faults.
”
If ever there comes a situation, where politicians and people of UK, USA and Australia have to choose between democracy and dictatorship, UK will somehow in their own bumbling way would choose democracy. I don’t have that confidence in USA and Australia.
People like Trump and Dutton should never be near the seat of power and yet they were in power, leading charge from opposition and promising to turn USA and Australia to dictatorships if elected again. There is no blow torch from media (MSM) with few exceptions to their behaviour and utterings.
pied piper @ #191 Monday, February 12th, 2024 – 12:21 pm
Presumably all those people have completed their custodial sentences and would have been released anyway by now if they were Australian citizens.
Are non-citizens lesser human beings?
To paraphrase Julia Roberts character in Noting Hill, once the media has a photo of you in a compromising position they’ll roll it out for decades.
That’s probably the key issue for BJ. That photo is now going to be stock art for media outlets every time they run a story on him. I noticed a few images of his now wife pregnant. The press live in the gutter.
Irene justifying negative gearing – because of course Irene personally benefits from it – is definitely one of the funnier bits of political contortion on this blog in recent times.
Oakeshott Country says:
Monday, February 12, 2024 at 1:18 pm
“…Interesting to see how any future government removes this from real estate but not other investments.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Solving the problem isn’t rocket science. Just needs political will.
One elegant solution is to simply quarantine the application of investment losses to investment income. That would retain the integrity of that aspect of the law whilst eliminating most of the tax arbitragers. (Negative gearing is simply a tax arbitrage – converting personal exertion income into capital gains.)