The federal redistributions for Victoria and Western Australia have been finalised, with only minor changes made to the proposals published in May. Higgins duly remains abolished, with adjustments made to the boundaries between Ballarat and Bendigo, Bendigo and Nicholls, Chisholm and Hotham, Corangamite and Wannon, and McEwen and Scullin. My estimates of the new margins suggest this increases the Labor margin from 3.5% to 3.7% in McEwen as compared with the original proposal, reduces it from 12.0% to 11.3% in Bendigo, and is barely measurable anywhere else.
In Western Australia, Fremantle and Tangney swap territory and Canning gets to keep the Shire of Waroona. The closest any of this comes to being of electoral interest is that Labor’s margin in Tangney is down from 2.9% on the proposed boundaries to 2.6%. The finalisation of the New South Wales boundaries can presumably be expected very shortly.
Preselection news:
• Bill Shorten announced yesterday he will bow out of politics at the next election, creating a vacancy in his safe Labor western Melbourne seat of Maribyrnong. Shorten will take up a position as vice-chancellor of the University of Canberra in February, which will presumably be close enough to the election that no by-election will be held. John Ferguson of The Australian reports the ascendant Left is hopeful of gaining the seat, with one potential contender being Jo Briskey, national political co-ordinator of the United Workers Union and unsuccessful candidate for the Brisbane seat of Bonner in 2019. Potential candidates from within Shorten’s own Right faction Australian Workers Union orbit include state minister Natalie Hutchins and former AWU official and political staffer Shannon Threlfall-Clarke.
• Labor’s candidate for the new seat of Bullwinkel on Perth’s eastern fringe will be Trish Cook, deputy president of the Shire of Mundaring. Cook was chosen ahead of widely touted front-runner Kyle McGinn, a member for the state upper house region of Mining and Pastoral who failed to secure a winnable position on the ticket for the March state election. Hamish Hastie of WAtoday reports the preselection was determined by the party’s national executive, at which “some in the party were surprised” since it would normally be left to the state party administration.
• Jeremy Neal, a paramedic and former Cairns councillor, won a Liberal National Party preselection vote last weekend to succeed retiring veteran Warren Entsch in the far north Queensland seat of Leichhardt. The Australian’s Feeding the Chooks column reported rival contenders included “local aviation identity” Alana McKenna, who had the backing of Entsch.
• Mal Hingston, a defence contractor with “a long history of work in the manufacturing, mining, oil and gas industries”, has won Liberal preselection for the north-western Tasmanian seat of Braddon, which will be vacated at the election with the retirement of Gavin Pearce. Earlier reports indicated there were five candidates, including Belle Binder, founder of a farm labour scheme, and Vonette Mead, Latrobe deputy mayor.
• Alex White of the Herald Sun reports Fiona Patten, who enjoyed a high profile as member of the state upper house with the Sex Party and Reason Australia from 2016 to 2022, has been announced as the lead Victorian Senate candidate of Legalise Cannabis party.
Worth repeating on the new thread:
Mr Ed
Friday, September 6th, 2024 – 1:51 am
Comment #752
Unless an incumbent Government is performing exceptionally well, voters are hammering them come election time.
This seems to be a new pattern worldwide and it doesn’t matter where they are on the political spectrum. So left, right or centre parties are not safe.
I think this lashing out by communities is the result of unfairness everywhere. COVID broke all the established norms with massive payments to sections of the community to keep everything afloat resulting in nations being swamped with debt. Shortages sent prices through the roof and they have not dropped. Many nations cannot house their middle income families.
We have a situation in Australia where 25% of asx 200 companies pay zero tax. What are the numbers paying less than 10%, or 20%. We have our senior political leaders using tax havens to also hide wealth. The Internationals use every trick allowed by the Tax office to minimise their contributions. Corporations and the very wealthy have everything stashed away in tax havens and always have their hand out for more.
The end result for many countries is lack of funds for Government provided services.
Although everything being done is probably legal, I think everyone can smell a rat. Somewhere. I think. Whoever I can rail against will cop it even if they are not the cause of the problem.
Russians are refusing to fight for their country. Those conscripted want to surrender. USA is a country at war with itself. UK has wealth in London, rest of the Nation is bankrupt. etc etc etc
Stinker: ”
“Is Boerwar actually John Howard?”
No, for his many faults, Howard was never as obnoxious, repetitive and utterly dull as Boerwar.”
You can tell Boerwar is getting under the skin of Greens, They start the abusive pile on.
They can’t stand it when BW explains how the Greens fail at every thing the Greens voters hope they stand for.
The reason for this particular pile on is that BW has shown how the Greens are failing to protect the environment.
Well done BW.
The inevitable next question:
Is Leader actually Boerwar? 🙂
Is Oliver Sutton actually pied piper?
Oliver Sutton @ #NaN Friday, September 6th, 2024 – 6:02 am
Why do you find it so hard to acknowledge Boerwar’s obviously perceptive contributions and the fact that someone appreciates him?
The Greens are on the nose. It seems as though only their diehard old fans are sticking with them. As I’ve stated before, for the first time since The Greens were formed, and we had one of the co-founders of The NSW Greens, Hal Greenland, living in this area, there are no Greens candidates standing for Council in my Ward. And only 3 across the whole Central Coast! I think it’s something of a canary in the coal mine that The Greens’ leadership and their fan base need to reflect upon deeply as they take their latest turn to the Noisy Populist Activist Cause Left.
#weatheronPB
Cool. Calm. Collected.
Waiting. Still. Unaffected.
Clear. Bright. Projected.
Boerwar’s “perceptive contributions”. Seriously?
It is of no national significance one way or the other if there are no Greens standing in one ward in one council, it’s meaningless.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/shorten-didn-t-give-labor-a-parting-shot-he-gave-it-a-parting-gift-20240905-p5k81m.html
Put a dope in the Senate, eh?
They’ve chosen well.
William: “John Ferguson of The Australian reports the ascendant Left is hopeful of gaining the seat, with one potential contender being Jo Briskey, national political co-ordinator of the United Workers Union and unsuccessful candidate for the Brisbane seat of Bonner in 2019.”
—————————————————————————-
I posted a long rant about this earlier which for some reason PB seems to have chewed up and spat out.
Anyway, to cut a long story short. If it is absolutely essential for the Left to have Maribynong, why not hold the by-election now and run Dan Andrews as a candidate and then Albo can marry Jodi and take her off on a nice long holiday while Andrews becomes PM. Unlike almost every other major figure in the history of the Labor Left, at least Andrews has a bit of leadership ability.
The Labor Left are increasingly an anachronism, but one which exercises an undue hold on the party. The militant unions that were once their base are losing their grip, the inner cities which were their electoral strongholds are abandoning them for Greens and independents.
But the Left can still seize control of the levers, eg: Albo as PM, Steven Miles (a renegade from the Right faction) in Queensland. And they can strongly influence policy, which doesn’t help Labor’s cause very much. The current Left-influenced policy on Palestine is just anti-Israel enough to piss off voters like me, but in no way satisfies the younger generation of protesters. The anti-landlord legislation passed by Labor in a number of states recently (including SA and NSW which have rational Premiers from the Right faction) is totally eclipsed by Mad Max’s proposed landlord-persecuting Stasi at the Federal level.
Younger left-leaning voters increasingly see the Labor Left as “Greens Lite”, and prefer to vote for the real thing.
If we can’t have Andrews as PM, how about Albo still goes off on a long holiday and we can have a sensible Labor Right figure like Clare or Bowen or even Burke. Or even perhaps Chalmers, but I still think he’s a bit of a goose.
Another post lamenting some very serious societal issues with genuine cause but then not going onto observe that there is a Government of the day capable of doing something about it. Thats why we elect them. The laments of problems, with little action, perceived or justified, leads to dissatisfaction.
Not that Dutton is the answer. Sheesh.
25% of companies in the ASX not paying tax? Thats legal? I dunno could the Govt implement tax reform to address it?
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
David Crowe reckons Bill Shorten didn’t give Labor a parting shot, he gave it a parting gift. He writes that his most important parting gift may be the example he set for how to do the job. “Labor is at its best when we know what we stand for,” he said. Those are words to remember when Labor decides what to fight for at the election ahead.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/shorten-didn-t-give-labor-a-parting-shot-he-gave-it-a-parting-gift-20240905-p5k81m.html
The loss of Bill Shorten from parliament will be felt keenly, both by the Labor Party and the nation as a whole, writes Greg Sheridan. He says, “Even with his leadership prospects eclipsed, Shorten, just by his presence and seniority, was an anchor of strategic good sense within the party. Now that’s going too. It’s a new Labor Party. Shorten didn’t get everything right, or everything wrong, in his long public career. But he’s a distinguished servant of the nation. It’s now up to the Labor Party to keep those strategic values at the centre of their politics.”
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/shortens-retirement-leaves-labor-party-weaker/news-story/757cebe317c092c7a671ab348e6ccdc0?amp
Retiring Shorten took control of his destiny, Albanese says – probably a little later than PM would’ve liked, writes Karen Middleton.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/sep/05/bill-shorten-retirement-announcement-anthony-albanese
Reserve Bank governor Michele Bullock has warned some Australians will have to sell their homes to cope with high inflation and interest rates amid business fears they may have to restructure their operations and lay off staff to survive. Shane Wright and Penry Buckley report that Bullock, speaking in Sydney, said lower-income Australians were over-represented among those struggling to get by, with some likely to dip into their savings or buy lower-quality goods to help make ends meet.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/some-will-have-to-sell-their-homes-rba-governor-gives-economic-warning-20240905-p5k80p.html
Our economy has turned into a tortoise. The Reserve Bank will be happy, says Millie Muroi.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/our-economy-has-turned-into-a-tortoise-the-reserve-bank-will-be-happy-20240904-p5k7yp.html
Labor has left the door open to doling out extra cost of living assistance, even as economists warn that the rapid growth in spending is fuelling inflation, writes Michael Read.
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/no-let-up-in-government-s-spending-splurge-20240905-p5k845
Health Minister Mark Butler’s review must eventually produce healthier private hospitals and insurers that pass on the benefits in lower premiums, says the AFR’s editorial about “playing Solomon on the bitter divisions in private health”
https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/playing-solomon-on-bitter-divisions-in-private-health-20240902-p5k71g
“The rest of the world is cutting interest rates, so why aren’t we?”, asks Stephen Bartholomeusz.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/the-rest-of-the-world-is-cutting-interest-rates-so-why-aren-t-we-20240905-p5k81y.html
Both federal question time and Senate estimates briefs are routinely released under Commonwealth freedom of information laws but in NSW, the government can still hide from scrutiny. SMH editorial says that the lamentable situation has come to light after former independent senator-turned-transparency advocate Rex Patrick applied this year under the Government Information (Public Access) Act for budget estimates and question-time briefing documents prepared by public servants to help government officials and MPs answer questions in state parliament.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/cloaking-government-briefing-documents-in-secrecy-creates-suspicions-20240905-p5k82p.html
Australian students could be the real victims of international caps, argues Waleed Aly.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australian-students-could-be-the-real-victims-of-international-caps-20240905-p5k80e.html
The Liberal Party is going to war with itself in court, and the only winner will be Jacinta Allan, opines Annika Smethurst.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/the-liberal-party-is-going-to-war-with-itself-in-court-and-the-only-winner-will-be-jacinta-allan-20240905-p5k86w.html
Women and children will gain more support to flee domestic violence under a $702 million plan to be put to national cabinet on Friday after a federal review warned frontline services could not cope with the growing calls for help. David Crowe says that Anthony Albanese will outline plans for more services to support the victim-survivors of sexual and family violence to be jointly funded by federal, state and territory governments.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/the-702m-plan-to-help-tackle-rise-in-domestic-violence-20240904-p5k7y0.html
The worsening GP shortage in NSW will see the state government broaden the conditions that pharmacists can treat in local chemist shops, including ear infections, stomach bugs and joint pain. Alexandra Smith tells us that NSW Health is working on expanding the scope of practice for pharmacists to allow them to treat more conditions including middle ear infections, acute minor wound management, acute nausea and vomiting and gastro-oesophageal reflux disease.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/these-illnesses-once-needed-a-trip-to-the-gp-now-a-pharmacist-can-treat-you-20240905-p5k85n.html
The head of the National Anti-Corruption Commission Paul Brereton made misleading statements to Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus over his management of conflicts of interest regarding the Robodebt referrals, say Michelle Fahy and Elizabeth Minter.
https://johnmenadue.com/nacc-boss-misled-dreyfus-over-robodebt-pic-mark-dreyfus/
According to Millie Muroi and Shane Wright, Petrol prices at the bowser are primed to fall in coming months as a slowdown in major economies reduces demand for oil.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/relief-for-motorists-in-sight-as-oil-prices-slide-20240905-p5k826.html
Michelle Pini says it appears Gina Rinehart has a PR problem. She says that In the case of Gina Rinehart – who has an estimated personal fortune of $46.9 billion (US$31.5 billion) – it is extremely difficult to determine whether it began with the fact that she inherited Hancock Prospecting from her father, the late Lang Hancock, or whether Gina’s own efforts to outdo his callous legacy are to blame.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/gina-drills-digs-and-destroys,18951
After five weeks of evidence and five years of trauma, a judge now weighs who to believe in Reynolds v Higgins. Sarah Basford-Canales wraps up her coverage of the trial.
https://www.theguardian.com/law/article/2024/sep/05/linda-reynolds-brittany-higgins-defamation-trial-verdict-ntwnfb
https://www.theguardian.com/law/article/2024/sep/05/linda-reynolds-brittany-higgins-defamation-trial-verdict-ntwnfb
John Setka faces the prospect of police action over potentially “unlawful” appearances on large state government work sites as the deepening CFMEU crisis splinters the broader union movement.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/john-setka-referred-to-police-after-defiant-visit-to-metro-tunnel-build-site-20240905-p5k83u.html
Anthony Segaert and Max Maddison write that despite Local Government Minister Ron Hoenig threatening to suspend the council and delay the election after a legal victory in the Land & Environment Court on Monday, the government abruptly changed tack late on Thursday, declaring voting in Liverpool would proceed. They say freshly elected councillors will face a months-long public inquiry after a report released in mid-July detailed a list of serious allegations, described by Hoenig in budget estimates on Thursday as “the worst I’ve seen of any council”.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/minister-slams-liverpool-council-allegations-as-worst-i-ve-ever-seen-20240905-p5k83j.html
The Coalition’s education spokeswoman, senator Sarah Henderson’s proposed bill to establish a royal commission to assess the “incidence of anti-Semitic activity” during recent student campus protests and whether universities could have managed matters better, could be construed as being nothing more than a political stunt, posits Scott Presser.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8753406/coalitions-push-for-royal-commission-on-campus-anti-semitism/?cs=9676
A record 245 patients have died or suffered serious harm due to errors that unfolded at Victorian hospitals within a year. Henrietta Cook writes about some of the incidents that are detailed in a Safer Care Victoria report published online last week, which revealed that approximately 167 patients died as a result of errors in Victorian hospitals in 2022-23.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/victorian-hospital-blunders-lead-to-167-patient-deaths-20240905-p5k81x.html
A senior CFMEU organiser has been charged over alleged threats to kill an Indigenous labour hire owner who he was recorded telling “I’ll f—ing take your soul and rip your f—ing head off”. Nick McKenzie and David Marin Guzman report that Victoria Police arrested CFMEU Indigenous organiser Joel Shackleton, 40, on Thursday morning and charged him with making threats to inflict serious injury and threats to kill, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years’ prison. Nice type!
https://www.smh.com.au/national/cfmeu-official-charged-over-roadside-abuse-of-indigenous-firm-owner-20240905-p5k89g.html
Dripping with sarcasm, John Crace writes that the Tories think being weird makes them interesting, but it just makes them weird.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/article/2024/sep/05/tories-not-interesting-just-weird
Farrah Tomazin thinks the Trump-Harris gender gap could be a gender chasm by November.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-harris-gender-gap-could-be-gender-chasm-by-november-20240904-p5k7sg.html
The US right keeps accusing Democrats of ‘communism’. What does that even mean? Jan-Werner Müller says conservatives think giving children free lunch at school is socialism, but vast, powerful private monopolies are freedom.
https://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/article/2024/sep/05/communism-meaning-republicans
Through his lawyers, Donald Trump has pleaded not guilty to fresh criminal charges accusing him of attempting to overturn the 2020 election, as he prepares to be sentenced later this month for fraudulently covering up a sex scandal.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-pleads-not-guilty-to-fresh-2020-election-interference-charges-20240906-p5k8bl.html
Donald Trump has quietly wound down his presidential campaign in states he was targeting just six weeks ago amid polling evidence showing that Kamala Harris’s entry into the presidential race has put them out of reach and narrowed his path to the White House.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/article/2024/sep/05/trump-swing-state-harris
Donald Trump says he would establish a government efficiency commission headed by billionaire supporter Elon Musk if he wins the November 5 election, during a wide-ranging speech in which he laid out his economic vision for the country. America is f****d!
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8754784/trump-would-ask-musk-to-lead-a-federal-government-audit/?cs=14329
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe
Matt Golding
Cathy Wilcox
Fiona Katauskas
Peter Broelman
Mark Knight
Leak
From the US
The death of Tamil asylum seeker
Mano Yogalingam last week has sent shock waves through Australia’s refugee community.
The 23-year-old is the second asylum seeker to have died by suicide in the past month while awaiting a permanent residency determination.
His death has sparked a number of protests across the country this week, led by refugee advocates who are calling on the federal government to expedite a pathway to permanency for an estimated 8,500 asylum seekers still on temporary visas.
Among those protesting is a group of Perth-based Sri Lankan Tamil refugees, who have staged a sit-in protest and vigil outside federal Labor MP Sam Lim’s office in Willetton.
Lim holds the seat of Tangney, which spans south Perth and has a strong Sri Lankan Tamil population: Tamil is spoken by 1.2 per cent of the electorate, which is four times higher than the WA state average and three times the national average.
The protest at Willetton took a turn on Monday afternoon when the first-time Labor MP
and former police officer made an unscheduled appearance.
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/labor-mp-comments-to-refugees-labelled-disrespectful-amid-permanent-residency-calls/yckwfe0ql
Trust Leak.
Thanks BK.
@William Bowe
Just a minor correction. Fiona Patten was first elected in 2014 not 2016.
Even if Labor run a parachuted candidate like Briskey (who presumably doesn’t live in the seat of Maribyrnong) or Hutchins (whose state seat of Sydenham has 0% overlap with Maribyrnong), I don’t think Maribyrnong could become competitive. The Essendon area will likely flip back to the Tories, but that won’t stop Labor getting Putin-like 2PP margins out of Kensington and Ascot Vale. As a side note, one weakness of Hutchins as a candidate is that I would be seriously scared of a June 2025 Sydenham by-election as it could be easily lost.
A record 245 patients have died or suffered serious harm due to errors that unfolded at Victorian hospitals within a year.
_____________________
Jesus Christ.
It also documented several cases of missed testicular torsion that seriously harmed adolescent and young boys. These boys had arrived at emergency departments with acute abdominal pain.
_____________________
I don’t know what that is, but it doesn’t sound good.
Leak’s cartoon is down to his usual standard, nasty without a trace of wit.
Then there’s Peter Broelman’s cartoon. Is he trying to out-Leak Leak?
Morning all. Thanks for the roundup BK. On Shorten’s departure and this SMH article:
“ This is an incredibly unusual departure. Shorten is not taking a government job. He applied for a competitive interview for his next post, as vice-chancellor at the University of Canberra, and secured the position. He is not joining a lobbying outfit, a consultancy or a corporate titan. Yes, he will have a generous salary, but he chooses to work in education, where it is possible to do some good in the world.”
Shorten departs politics in a more dignified manner than most in recent times.
We can only wonder how many current Australian economic problems would not exist if Shorten had won in 2019 and his tax reforms been enacted.
It’s funny how everyone except The Australian has missed the “Union Civil War” that’s about to break out and its threat to Labor, plastered over their front page and their lead story online.
Or did they just make it up?
Speaking of those economic problems Stephen Bartholomeusz in the SMH asks the right question: if the rest of the world is lowering interest rates why aren’t we?
Just because the RBA was too slow to raise interest rates does not mean that they should be too slow to lower interest rates as well.
Updated: A new division called Bullwinkel has been created covering Perth’s outer east and the rural Avon Valley to the east. A map of the new electorate is included in this post. The name Bullwinkel honours Lieutenant Colonel Vivian Bullwinkel AO MBE ARRC ED FNM FRCNA (1915–2000), a civilian and military nurse who was the sole survivor of the 1942 Bangka Island massacre and a prisoner of war. The name recognises her dedication to honouring victims of war crimes, service to nursing, and the community, in both her civilian and military service. This electoral division name also honours the contribution of military medical personnel and recognises those who were prisoners of war.
https://antonygreen.com.au/2025-federal-redistribution-final-boundaries-for-western-australia-released/
Mavissays:
Friday, September 6, 2024 at 7:56 am
“Trust Leak.”
Jealousy and envy run deep in contemporary tribal Australia.
Wealth inequality in a multitude of images and on many levels.
Taylormade
The urologists’ creed “Leave no stone unturned”
But seriously it is important that these numbers are published. When I started out it really was a case of the mistakes being buried. Over the last 50 years the level of governance, transparency and accountability in hospitals has greatly increased. Does this lead to better outcomes? Yes, but under no system will the number of mistakes be negligible.
Steve777 says:
Friday, September 6, 2024 at 8:24 am
Leak’s cartoon is down to his usual standard, nasty without a trace of wit.
__________
A rat leaving a sinking ship is a common theme in political cartoons. So no points for originality sure. But nasty? Please, don’t be so precious, particularly when retiring liberals are routinely portrayed as such in the past.
I’m not even sure Shorten would appreciate your manufactured outrage.
Yeah, Bullwinkel’s a Coalition gain I reckon. FUBAR’s right, if they don’t win it there’s something very wrong (even worse) with the WA Division of the Liberal Party.
I’m seriously over this wind. It has decided to present itself again just now.
Grrrr.
@meher: “why not hold the by-election now and run Dan Andrews as a candidate”
I think the key issue there is Dan would need to want the job. This isn’t the NSW Liberals where they nominate people before actually checking if they will accept.
FWIW Dan would face a lot of suspicion from non Victorian voters especially NSW due to the COVID years (this is also why the idea floated in 2022 of Gladys Berejiklian parachuting into Federal parliament for the Libs was classic Sydney bubble stupidity even without the corruption cloud hanging over her). I don’t think he’s likely to be interested in Federal parliament and spending even more of his life having his kids watch him get abused daily by the press.
Oakeshott Country says:
Does this lead to better outcomes? Yes, but under no system will the number of mistakes be negligible.
_______
A team of surgeons once left necrotic tissue inside me. Of course the kidneys shut down and I got to experience the thrill of projectile vomiting finally. But as least they had the kindness to open me up again and fix their mistake.
Even if Labor run a parachuted candidate like Briskey (who presumably doesn’t live in the seat of Maribyrnong)
Long way from Bonner to Maribyrnong.
edit:
https://womensagenda.com.au/author/jbriskeywomensagenda-com-au/
Why do the same faces keep popping up?
Predict more resignations [so far, Burney, O’Connor, Vamvakinou, Perrett, Shorten] many more female candidates, and a total lack of Labor branding at the Election.
Jo Briskey
Australian Labor Party
Briskey completed a Bachelor of Psychology at the University of Queensland and later completed a Master of Educational and Developmental Psychology while working as a tutor at QUT and a research therapist at the Institute of Health and Biomedical Innovation. A psychologist by training, she was the mental health policy adviser for the Health Minister Geoff Wilson before taking leave to be the unsuccessful Labor candidate for the local seat of Cleveland at the 2012 state election. Briskey is a qualified psychologist, and for the past five years has been the Executive Director of The Parenthood, Australia’s peak advocacy organisation for parents. She is also the daughter of the former local state Labor MP Darryl Briskey.
I feel sad that we did not and now will not have a Bill Shorten Labor Government. He was a negotiator like Bob Hawke. He gave great support to the minors buried in Tasmania, unlike Koch from Ch7 who went down there and just got in the way.
I will not forget that the PM’s office during the 1st Rudd PM was a shambles, unfortunately, at that time Rudd had to go. I don’t think that it was just Shorten to blame I believe that it was many ALP members wanted Rudd out. If Rudd had of called for a vote we may have found out how many, but he chickened out.
I recently read a report regarding patients who died in Victorian hospitals after contracting covid whilst in hospital. This information is super important obviously.
Meanwhile it was reported that South Australia could not determine how many patients actually died in hospital after contracting covid there. Apparently, it is very difficult to determine such matters.
I found that rather strange to say the least.
Rewi says:
Friday, September 6, 2024 at 9:14 am
I’m expecting the Nationals to win it, not the Liberals.
Victoria, the wind is great for doing washing. Get the towels and sheets done. It also drives the wind turbines which drives the conservatives nutty…
Daniel Andrews will not be parachuted into Shortens old seat. It isn’t going to happen.
In case it hasn’t been noted, the feral Setka and his minions formerly of the CFMEU have decided to go to war with fed and state Labor.
Dan Andrews will be glad to be out of this dog fight,
jacinta Allan meanwhile has her work cut out. good luck I say
Alpha zero
I’m all for a bit of wind. But these gusts are triggering.
Yesterday my sibling had a huge gum tree fall on her ppty from next door. Luckily no one was outside at the time. It happened around lunchtime.
A rather forlorn figure.
The ALP are good at health. Apparently.
How’s the Ambulance ramping going?
Arky: “FWIW Dan would face a lot of suspicion from non Victorian voters especially NSW due to the COVID years (this is also why the idea floated in 2022 of Gladys Berejiklian parachuting into Federal parliament for the Libs was classic Sydney bubble stupidity even without the corruption cloud hanging over her). I don’t think he’s likely to be interested in Federal parliament and spending even more of his life having his kids watch him get abused daily by the press.”
——————————————————————————
I’m sure you’re right. And I certainly don’t want him to be PM. My point is simply that he would be a far, far better leader than Albo: because, to put it simply, he is actually a leader.
And, in the absence of Shorten, I can’t see too many other potential leaders among the Labor Caucus.
Jim Chalmers has modelled himself on Keating, and has managed to capture all of Keating’s substance and style apart from his wit, presence, charm and his understanding of economics.
Tanya Plibersek is, as she has always been, a nice person and a pretty face, but that’s about it.
Penny Wong is a star, but doesn’t want the job.
Jason Clare gets mentioned in despatches occasionally, but he is again mostly just another pretty face: a 21st century version of the massively-overrated supposed “future leader” Michael Lee.
Richard Marles is posh boy swot who collects snow domes. He’s smart and has lots of sensible things to say, but he doesn’t look to me like someone whom the public would take seriously as a political leader. (But then, neither did Bob Carr.)
Tony Burke is a tremendous communicator, but for some reason he doesn’t seem to be liked within his own party.
Clare O’Neil looked a long-term prospect (say 5 years time), but she’s been badly (and unfairly IMO) burnt by Albo.
At the bottom of my list is Chris Bowen. When he served as acting leader for a few months after the 2013 defeat while they got the new voting system for the leader up and running, I thought he was more impressive than either Shorten or Albo have ever been. He was of course badly burnt by the nosedive of Labor’s “big end of town” tax policies in the 2019 election and was subsequently demoted in favour of Chalmers. But I reckon he’s still just about the best option the party’s got left to it. But, alas, I suspect it’s not to be.
Setka has declared war on the Labor party and has directed the union membership not to vote Labor ever again.
In fact, the mantra now is that Labor are the party who ultimately smashes unions.
I recall a former Labor premier saying that many moons ago with respect to the BLF.
davesays:
Friday, September 6, 2024 at 9:15 am
Oakeshott Country says:
Does this lead to better outcomes? Yes, but under no system will the number of mistakes be negligible.
_______
[A team of surgeons once left necrotic tissue inside me. Of course the kidneys shut down and I got to experience the thrill of projectile vomiting finally. But as least they had the kindness to open me up again and fix their mistake.]
That probably explains the abnormal amounts of bile stored in your gallbladder.
Would have they been prepared to go in again and remove your gallbladder?
Vice bloody chancellor, achieved with a good surgeon’s precision.
I admit a tad of necrotic tissue may have been left behind which will in all likelihood be examined when the “projectile vomiting” starts during the next sitting.
My advice with respect to the medical profession.
Any GP who is dismissive of a patients symptoms should be given a wide berth.
Luckily for myself and my family. The mantra of the clinic we attend, is to always listen to what the patient is saying about how they feel and any symptoms they present with.
Our GP clinic believe that the patient is their best tool to get to the bottom of any health issues.
And this has proven to be very effective indeed.
To be honest I am glad Shorten is gone, his back stabbing is still a stain on the party. Labor’s brand still sufferers from that and I think it wont fully recover until the rest of those who were also involved in the back stabbing are gone as well. That includes Albo and especially Bowen, who is the worst Human to ever join the ALP. I have never been more eager to see generational change in the ALP.
goll @ #42 Friday, September 6th, 2024 – 9:37 am
I always thought it was an overactive spleen
Insiders Sunday, 8 Sep
Australia records its weakest annual growth in years; Treasurer says uncertainty, price pressures and higher interest rates smashing the economy; Federal takeover of NSW Liberals over council nominations; Cabinet meets in WA.
( * no Guest listed as yet )
Further to my last post, I don’t think I’m just being a grumpy old man when I suggest that the leading Labor figures of the Hawke-Keating era were head and shoulders above the current lot:
Hawke, Keating, Evans, Button, Dawkins, Willis, Grimes, Walsh, Kerin, Beazley, Blewett, Duffy, Crean, Cohen, Susan Ryan, Richo (as a minister), Robert Ray and Brian Howe. (Some would also include Bill Hayden, Mick Young and Barry Jones on that list, but I’ll abstain).
What’s interesting about that lineup is how many of them were not factionally aligned (at least until the short-lived Centre Left faction was set up), and how few came from the Left faction.
If we adopt my list as a football team and select Gerry Hand, John Faulkner, Clyde Holding and Peter Cook for the bench and Laurie Brereton as the Sub, then we might well ask how many of the current Albanese Ministry could hope to break into that side on merit?
If it were up to me, Wong would be one of the first picked, and Burke, Bowen, Murray Watt and Gallagher (a very smart lady IMO) and Malarndirri McCarthy (who is already showing her class IMO) as well. And he won’t be a popular choice, I’m sure, but I reckon Don Farrell is going ok too. I’m not too sure about the rest, even senior figures such as Albo, Plibersek and Marles.
(BTW, for the sake of balance, I thought that the overall quality of the ministries we endured during the ATM period were also way worse than the ministries under Howard.)
But I grow old, wear the bottoms of my trousers rolled and measure out my afternoons in coffee spoons (or, more precisely, cups of the endless herbal remedies that my new agey partner thrusts my way). So I should probably be accused of looking at the past through rose-coloured glasses.
Oakeshott Country 9.51am
[I always thought it was an overactive spleen]
An imperfect matrix of contributing factors from past excursions into a fragile political anatomy and quite possibly untreatable.
I find it a bit of a laugh that the CFMEU people are looking to the law in their troubles with the government when so many of their associates totally disregard it.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/bankrupts-botox-and-a-serial-killer-the-colourful-world-of-george-alex-20240905-p5k82c.html
I get the feeling that George Alex isn’t big on procedural fairness.
Rossmcg: “I get the feeling that George Alex isn’t big on procedural fairness.”
—————————————————————————–
I reckon he applies a powerful set of unwritten rules.