The fortnightly Essential Research poll is one of the more encouraging sets of recent polling numbers for Labor, finding them up three on the primary vote to 32% with the Coalition up one to 34%, the Greens down two to 11%, One Nation down one to 7%, and the undecided component steady at 7%. Labor has its nose back in front on the pollster’s 2PP+ measure, up one to 47% with the Coalition down two to 46% and the remainder undecided. Anthony Albanese also improves on the monthly leadership ratings, up three on approval to 43% and down three on disapproval to 46%, while Peter Dutton is up one on approval to 42% and down one on disapproval 41%.
Also featured are some particularly interesting results on US politics, including a finding that Donald Trump was viewed more favourably in the survey period than he had been after the 2020 election (but before January 6). Trump was viewed favourably by 36% and unfavourably 56%, compared with 20% and 72% in 2020, and 23% felt Australia’s relationship with the United States would improve under Trump compared with 37% who felt it would worsen, the corresponding results last time being 7% and 63%.
A very occasional series of questions on unions suggests they are strongly supported, with 64% rating them important to working people today and 26% rating them unimportant, respectively up four points and two points, and a 63-37 split recorded in favour of them being good for the economy over bad. A third of respondents felt Labor was too close to the unions, another third felt the balance was about right, 10% thought they weren’t close enough, and the remainder weren’t sure. Labor scored higher than the Coalition on a series of questions involving the rights of workers, including a slight edge on the question of “ensuring unions are operating ethically”, with Labor favoured by 27% and the Coalition favoured by 23%. The poll was conducted Wednesday to Sunday from a sample of 1137.
The weekly Roy Morgan poll has Labor leading 50.5-49.5 on its respondent-allocated two-party measure, and by 51-49 when it applies preference flows from 2022. The primary votes are Labor 30.5% (down one), Coalition 37.5% (down two), Greens 13% (steady) and One Nation 6.5% (up one-and-a-half). The poll was conducted Monday to Sunday from a sample of 1652.
Didn’t nadia88 say that she was going on a holiday and would be back for the NT and Queensland state elections? For the record, I hope she keeps her word and comes back also.
Entropy –
The town is in a part of Syria that is illegally occupied by Israel.
You are the one talking “rot”
C@t, Nadia made it very clear the hostile nature was not doing them any favours, and that they would be taking a break.
Hell, you then (on the day she announced their departure) made a comment (even though Nadia had not named you) claiming you had not been targeting them… a classic case of self reporting if there ever was one…
Butcher @ #255 Wednesday, July 31st, 2024 – 11:04 pm
They fought a war over it and Israel won:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Six-Day_War
You may not approve, but that doesn’t change history. Syria could try and get it back, of course, but they haven’t.
C@tmomma –
For the record Nadia88 did not say that she was going on a holiday and would be back for the NT and Queensland state elections. That was just the hope of another poster. She did on a number of occasions ask why you were snarking at her and asked you to stop.
Butchersays:
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at 11:04 pm
Entropy –
The town is in a part of Syria that is illegally occupied by Israel.
You are the one talking “rot”
=================================================
I just presented the facts. While you have been lying to us from day one and you know it. You also know i know it. So lets have a deal. You stop posting lies about me and i want tell the truth about you.
C@T, if Wong was not wrong and it does belong to Israel… then why has the dept walked the comments backed to refer to it as occupied territory?
Is Wong wrong, or is the dept wrong
Vensays:
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at 7:33 pm
Hundreds of Aussie jobs in limbo as iconic burger chain goes into voluntary administration
Two dozen Carl’s Jr restaurants have been affected by the move.
_____________________
Underpayers from way back. I have never eaten there.
The one on Torquay Rd Geelong is still operating. Must be one of the independent ones.
Thanks Lordbain for sticking up for the Greens too.
I’ve only had the gumption to post this past 2 weeks but like other new posters , watch before entering. I haven’t sworn on the site, but my previous post got pulled so I suppose us greens have to be super careful and follow all rules. I don’t have the calibre to post the way you do. I’ve seen some posters really treated badly this week and past month. I won’t mention names in case I get wiped, but yes it’s a bit sad.
Definitely final post from me, if it gets through.
Entropy –
I know you keep saying I am lying but what about.
I have no idea what “your truth” is so tell me. You are obviously an obsessive person as can be seen by your obsession with Brittany Higgins and the million words you have written about her. Now you are obviously obsessed with me.
Wong is doing a fine job as FM.
Difficult to make a leadership challenge when you’re FM.
Lordbainsays:
Wednesday, July 31, 2024 at 11:17 pm
C@T, if Wong was not wrong and it does belong to Israel… then why has the dept walked the comments backed to refer to it as occupied territory?
Is Wong wrong, or is the dept wrong
==============================================
Wong heads the Department as Minister. The correction issued would have been signed off by her. She admitted getting it wrong and then correcting it. Something we all should be allowed to do. As everyone makes the occasional mistake. It was hardly a hanging offence, as some would suggest on here.
But that’s the point entropy; some are indeed asking her to be fired. But others here are stating it wasn’t a mistake, and then bludgeoning those who point out it was.
It’s a parasocial behaviour that’s honestly a little concerning (not you)
Wong is a decent Foreign Minister and Labors foreign policy broadly speaking is reasonably measured and diplomatic but then it’s also not that hard to be polite. Labor is struggling in substantive and dificult areas of policy that require urgent addressing like housing.
mj –
“ Labor is struggling in substantive and dificult areas of policy that require urgent addressing like housing.”
I completely agree. The problem is Labor is trying to fix a social problem with capitalism trying to encourage private investment with more tax breaks. They need to announce a nation building plan to build public housing to replace all the public housing sold off over the decades. They can not do it overnight but they can start the process and when people see them doing something they might cut them some slack.
The New York Times reports that Iran’s Supreme Leader has issued orders for a direct strike on Israel following the assassination of Haniyeh in Tehran.
Labor has to at least do better than Thatcher on Housing.
https://theweek.com/culture-life/property/margaret-thatcher-right-to-buy-legacy
In my view
Good morning Dawn Patrollers.
Whatever his achievements as PM, another rate rise would just about bury Albanese, writes Niki Savva in an absorbing contribution.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/whatever-his-achievements-as-pm-another-rate-rise-would-just-about-bury-albanese-20240731-p5jxzv.html
Home buyers may get an interest rate cut by November and the Albanese government an important boost before a federal election after new figures showed signs of disinflation and deep cuts in spending by the nation’s consumers, says Shane Wright.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/inflation-numbers-take-pressure-off-reserve-bank-for-rate-rise-20240731-p5jxv6.html
Investors now believe the next move by the Reserve Bank of Australia will be an interest rate cut rather than a rate rise, after underlying inflation came in only slightly above official forecasts in June, says Michael Read.
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/rba-likely-to-hold-rates-as-underlying-inflation-eases-20240731-p5jxvo
Inflation figures are out, showing the CPI is 3.8% for the June quarter, up by 0.2% which does not bode well for interest rates, but is this really a good measure of the cost of living? Harry Chemay reports.
https://michaelwest.com.au/latest-inflation-firgures-how-does-the-cpi-reflect-the-cost-of-living-crisis/
“Neither Dutton nor Pezzullo convinced me to set up Home Affairs”’, says Malcolm Turnbull in response the George Brandis’s article a couple of days ago.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/neither-dutton-nor-pezzullo-convinced-me-to-set-up-home-affairs-20240731-p5jxyp.html
Peta Credlin goes on a rant here about multiculturalism, I think You work it out!
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/tribe-trumps-nation-in-this-new-multicultural-missive/news-story/4e74a0dc38121404c3f92a02ec316c28?amp=
In fomenting disgruntlement and simultaneously appealing to it, the Republican Party of today is no longer conservative in any way, writes Peter Hartcher from the US. He says that J.D. Vance is uniting a powerful group of Republican supporters and some former party faithful fear what it means for the future.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/the-pulsating-sense-of-grievance-driving-donald-trump-s-supporters-20240731-p5jxys.html
The media and politicians are inevitably arguing Anthony Albanese’s decision to move Clare O’Neil and Andrew Giles and replace them with Tony Burke at Home Affairs reflects their failure to fix our immigration system. The reality is much more complex as few Australians would be aware of the mess they inherited, particularly following the mismanagement of the Dutton/Pezzullo administration, says Abul Rizvi.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8713671/anthony-albanese-reshuffles-cabinet-amid-immigration-system-crisis/?cs=27845
Given the catastrophe they inherited from the Coalition Government, Labor’s immigration record over two years is actually quite good. Huge improvement is still required. They will remain seriously hampered by the Home Affairs portfolio construct and must eventually restore a freestanding Department of Immigration, Citizenship and Multicultural Affairs. Andrew Giles has been unfairly criticised for his handling of a problem that was of Peter Dutton’s making, argues Peter Hughes.
https://johnmenadue.com/labors-immigration-record-and-the-zombie-portfolio/
The Albanese government came into power promising to “fix the aged care crisis”, two years on and aged care remains in a crisis that seems to be deepening, writes Rachel Lane.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8712674/aged-care-crisis-deepens-under-albanese-government/?cs=14258
NSW public schools face losing billions in extra funding after the state government indicated it would refuse to sign a new agreement that ties additional cash to a raft of education reforms. Lucy Carroll and Christopher Harris write that Federal Education Minister Jason Clare has given the states until the end of September to accept a new school funding deal or risk losing an extra $16 billion over 10 years, a move that has intensified the stand-off between the Albanese government and state education ministers.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nsw-schools-face-missing-out-on-billions-in-clash-over-funding-20240731-p5jxz7.html
And the Victorian government is bristling after Canberra tied federal funding to school reforms including mandatory phonics tests. Education advocates want an end to the stoush.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/disgraceful-squabbling-students-suffer-as-governments-brawl-over-school-billions-20240731-p5jxzx.html
A new factional war has erupted in SA’s Liberal Party amid claims of “stupid” underhanded tactics – and fears of a looming landslide defeat. They are a mess!
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/new-sa-liberal-war-breaks-out-amid-claims-of-skulduggery-in-states-most-marginal-seat/news-story/c5a8c049c2546a0400c4a5fc90b77ea4
Elizabeth Knight lays out the real reason Rex Airlines has hit the decks. She says that while competition experts and airports have been howling for years about how the slot system has been gamed by the established airlines to entrench their dominance, governments have been extremely tardy about addressing this competition choke point.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/a-hex-on-rex-the-real-reason-it-has-hit-the-decks-20240731-p5jxw1.html
The collapse of Rex Airlines will raise questions about monopolies in the aviation business, but regional Australia needs the carrier to keep flying, declares the SMH editorial.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/capital-city-failure-must-not-threaten-rex-airlines-regional-services-20240731-p5jxvw.html
Regional Express will need a deep-pocketed buyer willing to invest to regenerate the airline’s ageing fleet, casting doubt over government assurances that regional centres will remain connected without a significant injection of taxpayer money, says the AFR.
https://www.afr.com/companies/transport/rex-needs-a-buyer-willing-to-spend-big-on-planes-20240731-p5jxug
The housing crisis in Australia is already bad enough without media stereotyping tenants and landlords into victims and villains, writes Rosemary Sorensen.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/housing-crisis-worsened-by-media-fearmongering,18823
If you have any influence on the next generations, tell them not to do an arts degree – at least until the federal government fixes its fee problem, says Jenna Price.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/students-are-starving-one-man-could-fix-it-with-a-keystroke-20240731-p5jxxw.html
Amid all the spectacle and pageantry of the Olympic Games lies budget blow-outs, infrastructure disruptions and a lack of any real benefit, writes Binoy Kampmark.
https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/olympic-games-perennially-costly-always-over-budget,18822
Plans to build a 340MW wind farm and a big battery in the New England Renewable Energy Zone in NSW have been shelved by developer Ark Energy, following a “change of mind” from some of the landowners involved in the project, writes Sophie Vorrath after Barnaby Joyce’s rhetoric took his anti-renewable vitriol to a new low.
https://johnmenadue.com/new-england-wind-project-shelved-as-local-mp-barnaby-joyce-takes-anti-renewable-vitriol-to-new-low/
Methane-busting solutions must be scaled up and farmers incentivised for using them, as production of the dangerous gas hits the highest levels in 800,000 years, a report says. The Climate Council report calls for immediate action on methane reduction targets and a rethink on how the greenhouse gas is tackled by the agricultural and mining sectors, reports Liv Casben.
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/life/science/environment/2024/07/31/methane-menace-must-be-tackled-and-farmers-rewarded
Still suffering from Coalition mismanagement, data reveals that Australia’s broadband network is significantly behind that of New Zealand. Paul Budde reports.
https://independentaustralia.net/business/business-display/nbn-lags-behind-new-zealand-in-latest-oecd-broadband-rankings,18820
A former counter-terrorism police chief has accused Nigel Farage of helping incite violence that broke out in Southport after the killing of three children in a knife attack this week. Farage drew criticism from across the political spectrum for remarks he made in a video on Tuesday in which he questioned “whether the truth is being withheld from us” after the attack on Monday. Farage is a real piece of work.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/article/2024/jul/31/farage-accused-of-inciting-southport-violence-by-former-counter-terror-chief
Israel has all but declared war in the Middle East – a conflict it cannot hope to win, writes Simon Tisdall. He says the killing of Hamas’s political leader has raised tensions yet again. Only a ceasefire in Gaza offers any prospect of peace.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/31/israel-hamas-iran-ismail-haniyeh-gaza-middle-east
Hamas leader’s killing in Tehran likely to further escalate violence in Middle East, opines Ian Parmeter.
https://theconversation.com/hamas-leaders-killing-in-tehran-likely-to-further-escalate-violence-in-middle-east-235886
A British police special enquiry team is examining allegations that Will Lewis, now the chief executive of the Washington Post, presided over the deliberate destruction of emails at Rupert Murdoch’s UK newspaper business when he worked for the company 13 years ago. The Met has told the former Labour prime minister Gordon Brown that its standing unit responsible for high-profile cases is reviewing a complaint he had submitted about Lewis after fresh disclosures emerged during civil actions relating to the phone-hacking scandal.
https://www.theguardian.com/media/article/2024/jul/31/police-set-up-special-enquiry-team-to-examine-role-of-washington-post-chief-in-email-deletions
First Murdoch papers targeted me. Now there is evidence they falsely implicated me in a cover-up, writes Gordon Brown in an op-ed.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/31/gordon-brown-tom-watson-news-international-william-lewis-rupert-murdoch
Joe Biden is politicizing US supreme court reform – and that’s a good thing, declares Austin Sarat who says reining in the rogue court is a crucial goal with wide support from Americans across the political spectrum.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/article/2024/jul/31/joe-biden-supreme-court-reform
Kamala Harris’ pick as her potential vice president has taken on greater significance since the assassination attempt on Donald Trump and could sway a close election, writes Farrah Tomazin who looks over the front runners.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/days-away-from-a-crucial-decision-who-will-harris-choose-as-her-white-house-running-mate-20240731-p5jxtd.html
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe
Andrew Dyson
Matt Golding
Cathy Wilcox
Peter Broelman
Dionne Gain
Bloody Spooner and his severely limited repertoire!
From the US
Cagle cartoons https://cagle.com/cartoons/
#weatheronPB
Keeping still for warmth,
waiting for the sun to come,
slowly, down to us.
Butcher @11:50pm
Good post IMO
Decades of neoliberal economic chickens are coming home to roost, and this government has got absolutely nothing in terms of fresh policy ideas. On housing it seems determined to double down in the private sector model that got us into this mess rather than just actually building some housing, but pretty much every major reform that the ALP has instigated in modern times (NDIS, the NBN etc) have been riven with neoliberal ideology and ended up costing either consumers (NBN) or the taxpayer (NDIS) way more than they needed to, just for an ideological sake of there being a precious ‘market’
It’s early days but it seems the government’s (non) response is also going to see consumers and, shockingly for the ALP, workers sacrificed on the altar of market forces. It was reported the other day that bonza went to the government 10 days before publicly folding and were essentially told to GAGF, when bonza employed a large number of people and serviced beneficial routes that weren’t otherwise being serviced
Now we’re seeing the same that the government is hanging out to dry the customers and employees of Rex’ 737 routes
Instead of labour it’s pretty obvious now that the ALP represents markets, not people
PageBoi says:
Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 7:15 am
Butcher @11:50pm
Good post IMO
Decades of neoliberal economic chickens are coming home to roost, and this government has got absolutely nothing in terms of fresh policy ideas. On housing it seems determined to double down in the private sector model that got us into this mess rather than just actually building some housing, but pretty much every major reform that the ALP has instigated in modern times (NDIS, the NBN etc) have been riven with neoliberal ideology and ended up costing either consumers (NBN) or the taxpayer (NDIS) way more than they needed to, just for an ideological sake of there being a precious ‘market’
It’s early days but it seems the government’s (non) response is also going to see consumers and, shockingly for the ALP, workers sacrificed on the altar of market forces. It was reported the other day that bonza went to the government 10 days before publicly folding and were essentially told to GAGF, when bonza employed a large number of people and serviced beneficial routes that weren’t otherwise being serviced
Now we’re seeing the same that the government is hanging out to dry the customers and employees of Rex’ 737 routes
Instead of labour it’s pretty obvious now that the ALP represents markets, not people
________
The concept of corporate charity as beneficial is quite interesting. There are quite a lot of people on the Right that believe in this as well. Socialise the losses or something.
Do you have criteria in mind beyond just making a loss? How open should the public purse be for corporates?
p.s. how is the NBN neoliberal? Wouldn’t market forces simply be not building any infrastructure as corporates would do it if it were profitable?
And thanks BK!
National Association of Black Journalists question-and-answer session with Donald Trump and reported that even among political experts, people were “gasping” at his comments.
Speaking to Nicolle Wallace for “Deadline White House” Wednesday, Alcindor called it “remarkable” and “something to behold.”
“To see former President Trump in front of a group of Black journalists who invited him to answer questions about policy, about his views on the campaign trail, about his views about America and his vision for the future, and to have him go after Vice President Harris in this way that is really, questioning her identity, questioning her authenticity, was really, something to behold,” she said.
She noted that she has followed Harris for over a decade and that she has always been clear about her identity and talking about her background she got from both her mother and father.
Fox News commentators quickly called Trump’s comments “an absolute dumpster fire.”
Late Risersays:
Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 7:13 am
#weatheronPB
Keeping still for warmth,
waiting for the sun to come,
slowly, down to us.
_____________________
0 degree and ice on the windscreen in Geelong.
I might become a grey nomad when i retire and head north for the winter.
Kyle Chalmers has won a third straight Olympic 100m freestyle medal, finishing second as Chinese teen Pan Zhanle absolutely shattered his own world record in stunning scenes in Paris.
Chalmers came from last on the turn to clock 47.48 seconds to add another medal to his Rio 2016 gold and Tokyo 2020 silver.
The NBN is the essence of neoliberal…….
The original plan was to build it and then privatise it (they don’t talk about that but so much these days) so the network has to earn a commercial rate of return on its capital to remain ‘off budget’ , so it has to charge way more for access and bandwidth (CVC charges) than a comparable network like say NZ, then there’s the question of why the hell do we need hundreds of different retailers, all selling literally the same product, clipping the ticket and adding their marketing costs and whatnot. What ‘value’ do the retailers add, and how the hell is it competition.
The NBN could just offer retail plans itself, no messy retailers clipping the ticket, no need for complex POIs or CVC or any of the other invented crap that goes with it
You can say much the same about the NEM
And on the airlines, the point is about providing a beneficial service to people. The government could have taken an equity stake in bonza and could do the same with rex, it has any number of levers it could pull if the goal is providing services to people rather than protecting the purity of the market
(Or you could get really cynical and say it’s about protecting Qantas, who are basically corporate vampires)
Australia has just about the highest median income in the world.
Exporting capital also.
Next retail figures will be very interesting for July with tax cuts.
Retailers moaning not as much as maybe a splurge is happening as low income workers nearly spend as much as they earn.Maybe electricity rebates inflation impact being swamped by spending tax cuts.
Massive property buying frenzy in Perth and I mean massive.
PageBoi says:
Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 7:44 am
The NBN is the essence of neoliberal…….
The original plan was to build it and then privatise it (they don’t talk about that but so much these days) so the network has to earn a commercial rate of return on its capital to remain ‘off budget’ , so it has to charge way more for access and bandwidth (CVC charges) than a comparable network like say NZ, then there’s the question of why the hell do we need hundreds of different retailers, all selling literally the same product, clipping the ticket and adding their marketing costs and whatnot. What ‘value’ do the retailers add, and how the hell is it competition.
The NBN could just offer retail plans itself, no messy retailers clipping the ticket, no need for complex POIs or CVC or any of the other invented crap that goes with it
You can say much the same about the NEM
________
But why does a government build infrastructure ie the NBN in the first place if it is being neoliberal? You failed to answer.
Penny Wong really did call Madjal Shams a “northern Israeli town”.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2560111/middle-east
Diplomacy requires the careful use of language and the response to this blunder is not surprising.
(For the record the only country that accepts the Israeli annexation of Golan and Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is the USA. For a short time under Scotty we accepted Jerusalem, if we also accepted the Golan annexation we might as well just outsource our foreign relations to the US)
PageBoi says:
Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 7:46 am
And on the airlines, the point is about providing a beneficial service to people. The government could have taken an equity stake in bonza and could do the same with rex, it has any number of levers it could pull if the goal is providing services to people rather than protecting the purity of the market
(Or you could get really cynical and say it’s about protecting Qantas, who are basically corporate vampires)
________
Services to people? Is that the criterion for corporate support?
As you may be determining, I am not a big fan of public private partnerships. Big fan of public services actually. But would prefer private over public private partnerships as it is the worst of both worlds.
Butcher @ #265 Wednesday, July 31st, 2024 – 11:50 pm
Your critique sounds plausible, and effectively critical of the federal Labor government. Such a pity it’s wrong (and I’m sure other state and territory governments are doing the same thing as this):
https://www.realestate.com.au/news/no-apologies-govt-buys-85-beach-cabins-for-social-housing/
So, are you going to ‘cut them some slack’ now? Because Labor are quite obviously not just ‘using capitalism trying to encourage private investment with more tax breaks’. They are doing that also in order to pull every lever available to them. Will you at least acknowledge that now, Butcher?
Oakeshott Country @ #280 Thursday, August 1st, 2024 – 7:51 am
Maybe it’s because Israelis live there? You, and many others may not approve of that fact but, after 52 years of occupying that space, the Occupied Territories of the Golan Heights, that’s what the town has become. It may not be right morally, but it is effectively the case. In those 52 years after the 6 Days War, Syria hasn’t succeeded in taking the Golan Heights back. So, until they do, it is effectively a town that is under the control of Israel.
Griff,
I think we actually agree, I would also vastly prefer public services and think PPPs are terrible. I would actually love to see the government announce that privatization of the NBN is off the cards, and for nbnco to start offering plans itself and undercutting the profit retailers, I’d also love to see the government re-nationalise the electricity distribution networks and set those businesses up as retailers to undercut the profit retailers (it could use snowy hydro for this)
But I would rate the chances of ANY change of economic paradigm along those lines by this government as being virtually nil
Hell this government can’t even bring itself to undo the coalition’s job ready graduates program which will see an arts degree cost 50k, or to properly fund public schools, and it certainly can’t bring itself to properly tax the fossil fuel industry……
Labor is all in federally and state on a population Ponzi scheme.
Housing a few here and there does nothing as Fed labor prefers importing labor/students to local housing and jobs.
Labor created this mess.
Err public services? You mean the passing parade of overpaid trash in Victorias well funded health department that was on display through covid?
Arts degrees being rightfully priced by the market.
Oakeshott Countrysays: Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 7:51 am
“Penny Wong really did call Madjal Shams a “northern Israeli town”.”
Excelent, IMO, as that description reflects reality. As C@tmomma posted above, Syria started a war with Israel, Syria lost.
Stiff shit.
Thank you, BK.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has sought to clear up the confusion, insisting Wong’s language about the town of Majdal Shams was not meant to signal a policy shift.
Ha ha.
Wong didn’t know that Golan Heights is in Syria, though presently occupied by Israel.
You’d have to assume even the dumbest Minister [Clare O’Neil or Andrew Giles] would know that.
Did Labor have any Syrian voters? [Note that many Lebanese consider themselves Syrian]
Well, they’re gone now.
Fargo61says:
…
She either didn’t know it wasn’t in Israel, or she’s dictating a new Australian Foreign Policy.
Those are your choices.
Minutes after Iran’s Supreme Leader promised a “harsh punishment” for Israel in retaliation for assassination of Palestinian leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, a symbolic red flag was hoisted atop a major mosque in the holy city of Qom. The flag has been raised for the sixth time in Iran’s history.
Last time the flag appeared on the eve of Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel in April this year. Iranian Leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei earlier had promised “harsh punishment” for Israel in retaliation for the killing of Hamas’s political leader.
In those 52 years after the 6 Days War, Syria hasn’t succeeded in taking the Golan Heights back.
Ummmm, … it’s not 2019 anymore, though many Australians wish it were.
That number increasing daily.
‘Oakeshott Country says:
Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 7:51 am
Penny Wong really did call Madjal Shams a “northern Israeli town”.
https://www.arabnews.com/node/2560111/middle-east
Diplomacy requires the careful use of language and the response to this blunder is not surprising.
(For the record the only country that accepts the Israeli annexation of Golan and Jerusalem as Israel’s capital is the USA. For a short time under Scotty we accepted Jerusalem, if we also accepted the Golan annexation we might as well just outsource our foreign relations to the US)’
————————————-
+1
PageBoi says:
Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 8:07 am
Griff,
I think we actually agree, I would also vastly prefer public services and think PPPs are terrible. I would actually love to see the government announce that privatization of the NBN is off the cards, and for nbnco to start offering plans itself and undercutting the profit retailers, I’d also love to see the government re-nationalise the electricity distribution networks and set those businesses up as retailers to undercut the profit retailers (it could use snowy hydro for this)
But I would rate the chances of ANY change of economic paradigm along those lines by this government as being virtually nil
Hell this government can’t even bring itself to undo the coalition’s job ready graduates program which will see an arts degree cost 50k, or to properly fund public schools, and it certainly can’t bring itself to properly tax the fossil fuel industry……
________
We definitely can walk together a wee way 🙂
Personally I find the NBN situation a minor annoyance. Much bigger issues like health, education, disability services, housing, employment, security (I roll up defence, police, security services, prisons) etc.
Despite the desire for PPP by most politicians, irrespective of their tribe, I think there are some green shoots. Energy in Victoria. Prisons in NSW. Some small movements in public housing in multiple States. Discussion on public provision of employment services at Federal level. I am somewhat optimistic and very thankful we haven’t gone down the PPP path as far as the US or the UK.
The Albanese Govt is as flat as a tack.
Lifeless and timid.
Exudes no authority at all.
Subservient to corporate vampires.
Leadership in the parliament and at Labor HQ needs revitalising.
‘Holdenhillbilly says:
Thursday, August 1, 2024 at 8:16 am
Minutes after Iran’s Supreme Leader promised a “harsh punishment” for Israel in retaliation for assassination of Palestinian leader Ismail Haniyeh in Tehran on Wednesday, a symbolic red flag was hoisted atop a major mosque in the holy city of Qom. The flag has been raised for the sixth time in Iran’s history.
Last time the flag appeared on the eve of Iran’s unprecedented missile and drone attack on Israel in April this year. Iranian Leader Ayatollah Sayyid Ali Khamenei earlier had promised “harsh punishment” for Israel in retaliation for the killing of Hamas’s political leader.’
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The wheels on the bus go round and round.
Morning all. Thanks for the roundup BK. There is a theme in several articles which has bothered me for a while. It is the need for structural reform in areas like Home Affairs, which Labor shows no sign of acting on.
Albanese came to power with a plan for stability and slow change, which he has stuck to. In foreign affairs, budget repair and economic policy that has been a good thing.
But stability is not a virtue in itself. If something is broken, you do fix it. Several aspects of government – Home Affairs/Immigration, NDIS, Housing, Defence procurement, Environment and transport regulation (my field) – numerous inquiries have shown are structurally broken. So why not structural changes?
I don’t understand why Labor fears to change government structures that do not work, and which it did not create. Why not eliminate LNP failures?
I think this is doing damage to Labor’s chances of retaining majority government. Dutton should ensure the LNP does not take over, but at present Labor is headed for a minority government. Too rapid change, and too slow, are both undesirable extremes.
Israel’s Channel 12 reports that messages have been sent to Iran through diplomatic back-channels that Israel is willing to go to a full-scale war if Iran and its proxies conduct a significant retaliatory response to yesterday’s assassinations.
PageBoi @ #284 Thursday, August 1st, 2024 – 8:07 am
The Job Ready program has been consigned to the dustbin of history.
The Universities Accord was launched by Minister for Education Jason Clare months ago. Whilst the high priced arts degree are still a thing, these are about to be adjusted. Like all economic adjustments you don’t just go and change the entire funding and pricing model in a single fell swoop as the disruption costs more than the savings.
“The report makes 47 recommendations, the most immediately significant of which seems to be scrapping the previous government’s Job Ready Graduate (JRG) package. Introduced under the Coalition, this was intended to use cost to sway students in the direction of urgently needed skills like nursing. It was a failure. As the report says, only 1.5% of students applied to enrol in courses they would not have applied for under the pre JRG student contribution arrangements.
Particularly significant was the 113% rise in student contributions for students studying communications, humanities, other society and culture, and human movement. By cutting student and Commonwealth contributions in other disciplines, the JRG package also reduced the amount of funding available to higher education providers to deliver subjects that are critical to future jobs and innovation like science, engineering and mathematics. The Review recommends that the Australian Government reduce student contributions for those affected by JRG and moves towards a student contribution system based on potential lifetime earnings.“
https://www.artshub.com.au/news/news/what-does-the-universities-accord-final-report-mean-for-the-arts-2705800/
We all know that the Greens’ ideological wet dream is 100% public ownership of housing.
After all, the list of socialist housing paradises is as long as anyone’s arm.
The proof is in the puddings.
All they need to do is to find the $14 trillion.
In the interim they can add their trifle to the housing crisis.
By joining Dutton in once again blocking funding for housing.
Thug and his Toolie; Squalid and Sordid.
… all the while squealing about the Albanese Government not doing anything.
Squalid and his little mate Sordid.
On the Olympics, I haven’t been following it live, but caught up with results. Well done Kyle Chalmers on winning Silver in the 100 metres freestyle.
The margin of victory by China’s Pan was huge – over a complete second. Frankly I cannot recall such a margin in a sprint since the days of East German dominance…