It’s been a while since I last did an update of preselection and related federal election news, in which time the following has accumulated:
• Labor’s national executive anointed candidates a fortnight ago for three usually safe Labor seats in Melbourne whose incumbents will retire at the election. In Bill Shorten’s seat of Maribyrnong, Labor’s candidate will be Jo Briskey, national co-ordinator of the Left faction United Workers Union. Much has been made of the fact that Briskey moved to Melbourne in 2019 after an unsuccessful run for the Brisbane seat of Bonner, and has a backer in Queensland Left heavyweight Gary Bullock.
• The candidate in Brendan O’Connor’s seat of Gorton will be Alice Jordan-Baird, a water policy expert. Earlier reports indicated the preselection was developing into a contest between rival Right faction power bases, with Jordan-Baird the favourite of that associated with Richard Marles and the Transport Workers Union, while the Bill Shorten/Australian Workers Union axis favoured Brimbank mayor Ranka Rasic. State minister Natalie Hutchins, a Shorten ally who was earlier mentioned as a potential contender in Maribyrnong, said Jordan-Baird lacked a connection with the area and was chosen over an “experienced local” in Rasic.
• Basem Abdo, an adviser to outgoing member Maria Vamvakinou and fellow member of the Socialist Left, has been confirmed as Labor’s candidate for Calwell. Earlier reports indicated resistance among local party branches to a perceived factional fait accompli, reflecting general discontent around the fact that the party’s national executive has again taken over the Victorian preselection process.
• The Liberals have preselected Tom Venning, a Barunga Grains farming manager who formerly worked for the NAB and Deloitte, as their candidate for the regional South Australian seat of Grey, which will be vacated at the election with the retirement of Rowan Ramsey. Venning’s uncle, Ivan Venning, was a veteran state member of parliament. Other contenders included Suzanne Waters, a former United Australia Party candidate described by InDaily as “a regional paramedic who reportedly quit her job with SA Health over its COVID vaccination mandate”, who was endorsed by arch-conservative Senator Alex Antic. Also in the field were Kimba mayor Dean Johnson, Whyalla police officer Matt Sampson, and Rikki Lambert, chief-of-staff to ex-Family First Senator Bob Day.
• The Northern Territory Country Liberal Party has preselected Lisa Bayliss, police officer and senior vice-president of the Northern Territory Police Association, as its candidate for the Darwin seat of Solomon, held for Labor by Luke Gosling on a margin of 9.4%. Camden Smith of the Northern Territory News reports the CLP preselection for the other Northern Territory seat of Lingiari, which Labor came close to losing against the trend in 2022, “has been deferred and will be considered by the party’s management committee in coming weeks”.
• There was a brief flurry of early election talk last week after Anthony Albanese suggested a double dissolution election could result if the Coalition and the Greens persisted in blocking the government’s housing bill. The notion is complicated by the fact that a double dissolution cannot take place in the last six months before the term of parliament expires, the relevant date being January 25. To create a trigger, the government would need to follow a rejection of the bill this week with another attempt after a delay of more than three months, which would require that parliament be recalled in late December or January.
• Paul Sakkal of The Age reports Victorian Liberal sources saying their polling has them “in front or neck-and-neck in Aston, Chisholm, McEwen and Goldstein, with Kooyong and Dunkley less likely chances”.
• James Dowling of The Australian reports that Labor in New South Wales will not field candidates in the October 19 New South Wales state by-elections for Epping, Hornsby and Pittwater, respectively being vacated by Liberal members Dominic Perrottet, Matt Kean and Rory Amon.
Diogenes @ #199 Sunday, September 29th, 2024 – 11:40 pm
And some people don’t seem to understand how a Treasurer keeps downward pressure on inflation and pays down the national debt so as to decrease the amount of interest the government pays and so has more money to spend on its programs.
Diogenes says:
Sunday, September 29, 2024 at 11:40 pm
“ Treasurer cites lower government spending as the key driver behind the $15.8bn surplus, which is $6bn better than May’s forecast”
And some people here wonder why Albo is viewed as Lib Lite.
Anyway the big end of town will be happy.
——————————
How easily Labor has been fooled by the Liberals, believing ex PMs Howard and Abbott that a budget surplus is desirable.
Shows how the right faction decision makers, such as Shorten and Chalmers are determined to lose Labor votes.
Just as they did in 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019 by keeping and following Liberal policies.
I notice Chalmers will not have cut funding on religious and independent schools, but have continued less than adequate funding for the 64% of all students, many with great needs, in public schools.
Just like they will not increase funding for hospitals, paramedics, nurses, doctors even if their big immigration policy has meant more Australians, especially the increasing number of older Australians, may need those services.
And what ever their current housing policy is, in over 2 years of government there is no plan for significant public housing.
Labor MPs can’t bring themselves to use those words.
No cuting of the generous taxpayer payments to wealthy aged care, child care, NDIS, health insurers.
It seems Labor, now the Alternate Liberal Party wants to lose votes by keeping their knees on lower income Australians.
Of course those on Jobseeker, those needing the faulty system of Job Providers don’t deserve any help at all.
In Labor MPs eyes.
Labor’s plan is to increase the gap between the have’s and have nots.
They will not get votes for increasing the surplus.
The father of the Liberal Party, the late PM Menzies believed in significant budget deficits. To grow the economy and country.
https://theconversation.com/menzies-a-failure-by-todays-rules-ran-a-budget-to-build-the-nation-30823
That poorer Australians like Albanese and his mother should be protected by having a dwelling provided, a reasonable income, and opportunity to succeed in life.
So very different to the modern Albanese Labor Party today.
Labor should be ashamed.
#weatheronPB
Unblemished pale sky,
still, primed, and ready to go,
at the starter’s gun.
Raise the dole you ar*ehole
Nicholas, nice Explainer on just printing money. Perhaps you can also Explainer to me the economic consequences of “keystroke” money production – in the absence of productivity increases – on inflation and the national standard of living.
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Jim Chalmers will become the first Labor treasurer since Paul Keating in the 1980s to unveil a second consecutive budget surplus as the government attempts to talk up its economic credentials and efforts to bring down the cost of living. Shane Wright reports that this morning Chalmers and Finance Minister Katy Gallagher reveal a $15.8 billion surplus for the just completed 2023-24 budget. That follows a surplus of $22.1 billion in the 2022-23 budget.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/jim-chalmers-to-deliver-first-consecutive-labor-budget-surpluses-since-paul-keating-20240929-p5kecw.html
The LNP small target strategy is politically effective. It’s on track to take out an unpopular Labor premier and, in the process, give a Labor prime minister a better chance of keeping his job, posits the AFR’s editorial.
https://www.afr.com/politics/queensland-wipeout-good-for-labor-s-federal-election-chances-20240929-p5kecb
“They’re tackling Coles and Woolies, but who’ll dare break up the political duopoly?”, askes Sean Kelly. He says that, on one level, it’s understandable that a duopoly, be it political or corporate, is a comfortable place to be. But with the teals and Greens creeping up on the major parties, it could be worth a rethink: it’s not clear the old business model is working anymore.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/they-re-tackling-coles-and-woolies-but-who-ll-dare-break-up-the-political-duopoly-20240929-p5keb1.html
“ACCC, while you’re at it, why do pink razors cost more than blue ones?”, challenges Victoria Devine who gives us plenty of examples of supermarkets putting premiums on products for women.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/saving/accc-while-you-re-at-it-why-do-pink-razors-cost-more-than-blue-ones-20240927-p5ke00.html
The value of the loyalty programs offered by Coles and Woolworths is being brought into focus as the competition regulator publishes fresh data about the market power of big supermarkets. Declaring last Friday that ‘oligopolistic’ markets can limit price competition, Australian Competition and Consumer Commission deputy commissioner Mick Keogh said the major supermarkets have similar loyalty schemes.
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2024/09/29/coles-woolworths-loyalty-accc
Dutton is unacceptable, but Labor under Albanese doesn’t deserve to be re-elected, writes Paul Begley.
https://johnmenadue.com/dutton-is-unacceptable-but-labor-under-albanese-doesnt-deserve-to-be-re-elected/
Ross Gittins writes that week will see the world’s first global Nature Positive Summit in Sydney, hosted by federal Minister for the Environment and Water Tanya Plibersek and NSW Minister for the Environment Penny Sharpe. He says to never mind the nice words what we should do is create the incentives necessary to discourage destructive behaviour and encourage helpful behaviour.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/let-s-all-be-more-positive-towards-nature-but-how-20240928-p5ke84.html
James Massola explores the lingering influence of Tony Abbott and Peta Credlin on Peter Dutton. He says that almost a decade after Abbott and Credlin, now a Sky News host and News Corp columnist, left office, Liberal MPs are sounding the alarm about the influence the pair has over the strategy and tactics of the federal opposition.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-lingering-influence-of-tony-abbott-and-peta-credlin-on-peter-dutton-20240920-p5kc63.html
“Award-winning journalist or Liberal party player: will the real Peta Credlin please stand up?”, urges Amanda Meade.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/sep/29/award-winning-journalist-or-liberal-party-player-will-the-real-peta-credlin-please-stand-up
Coal miner Simon Turner was recovering from a broken back when the penny dropped. He was victim of a billion-dollar wage scam pulled off by BHP and its labour hire firms. Michael West reports on the company and the black coal wage swindle.
https://michaelwest.com.au/same-job-lame-pay-bhp-and-the-black-coal-wage-swindle/
NSW’s approach to COVID lockdowns and policing lacked clarity, should have been more localised, went for too long and risked social division, according to a panel of experts. Alexandra Smith and Michael Koziol tell us that A panel of six experts – which included the then Police Commissioner Mick Fuller – convened by The Sydney Morning Herald to interrogate NSW’s approach to lockdowns and policing agreed that the health orders lacked clarity, should have been more localised and continued for too long once COVID-19 vaccines were available.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/the-morally-wrong-restriction-the-police-refused-to-follow-20240923-p5kcw3.html
The Albanese government’s vision for green manufacturing is yet to be made reality, but there is more to the hype than mere words, writes Mike Foley. He says experts are saying Australia’s green manufacturing dreams are far from dead, but campaigning on that same message in the next election, due by May 2025, will be far more problematic.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/why-australia-hasn-t-lived-up-to-its-green-manufacturing-hype-yet-20240925-p5kdit.html
According to Michael Read, the Coalition is considering stripping the prudential regulator of some of its powers to regulate mortgage borrowing, and overhauling credit laws that MPs fear are locking first homebuyers out of the property market.
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/own-home-becoming-just-for-rich-coalition-weighs-lending-overhaul-20240926-p5kdmx
Private schools are insisting parents pay a full term’s fees – amounting to up to $10,000 – if they withdraw their children due their being a victim of bullying, prompting calls for schools to relax rules if student safety is at risk, explains Jordan Baker.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/the-high-price-of-withdrawing-a-bullied-child-from-private-school-20240929-p5keca.html
Ronald Mizen says rank-and-file Labor members are urging the Albanese government to curtail negative gearing and capital gains tax concessions as part of an ambitious reform agenda, which targets 75 per cent homeownership by 2035.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/labor-members-want-negative-gearing-changes-in-ambitious-housing-plan-20240929-p5keby
As the city’s T3 rail line shuts down for at least a year, the need for serious investment in public infrastructure could not be made more clear, declares the SMH editorial which tells readers why Sydney needs $4 billion a year for future metro projects
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/why-sydney-needs-4-billion-a-year-for-future-metro-projects-20240926-p5kdub.html
Rob Harris tells us that today Britain will flick the off switch on coal-fired power after 140 years making it the first G7 country to stop using coal for power generation, one year earlier than first set out by the previous Conservative government in 2015.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/britain-flicks-the-off-switch-on-coal-fired-power-after-140-years-20240927-p5kdx9.html
The US government has moved to ban Chinese software and hardware from its roads, with the Albanese government now under pressure from Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce to follow suit as questions remain over the degree to which Australia’s electric vehicles are susceptible to cyberattacks. David Swan looks at the potential for this to happe.
https://www.smh.com.au/technology/are-evs-at-risk-of-being-hacked-and-will-chinese-evs-be-banned-20240924-p5kd2k.html
Clare Sibthorpe tells us two airport workers and their associates allegedly spent months planning to smuggle a mammoth amount of cocaine into the country in a freight container, unaware authorities were watching their every move.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/inside-sydney-airport-workers-alleged-botched-smuggling-of-100kg-of-cocaine-20240927-p5ke33.html
Switzerland and Italy have redrawn a border that traverses an Alpine peak as melting glaciers shift the historically defined frontier. The two countries agreed to the modifications beneath the Matterhorn, one of the highest mountains in Europe, which straddles Switzerland’s Zermatt region and Italy’s Aosta valley. Glaciers in Europe, the world’s fastest-warming continent, are retreating at an accelerated pace because of human-caused climate breakdown.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2024/sep/29/melting-glaciers-switzerland-italy-alpine-border-matterhorn
Israel has opened new front against Iran-backed militants, bombing Houthi targets in Yemen. We are told Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was moved to a secure location in Iran on Saturday after Nasrallah’s killing.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/israel-pounds-lebanon-pressuring-hezbollah-after-killing-its-leader-20240930-p5kefu.html
Hezbollah is damaged, not finished. But what will Iran do about it, wonders Rodger Shanahan.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/hezbollah-is-damaged-not-finished-but-what-will-iran-do-about-it-20240929-p5keb2.html
Israel’s assassination of Hezbollah’s chief ushers in one of the most dangerous periods for the region since the October 7 attacks, as we are about to see whether the Lebanese militant group or its master, Iran, retaliate against a series of humiliating blows, writes Cameron Stewart.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/newlook-power-balance-emerging-in-the-middle-east-after-hezbollah-chiefs-assassination/news-story/e4e673681d3f912b3b60f9af6586d91b
The conflict between Israel and Hezbollah has reached an exceedingly dangerous point that should compel the world to rethink its strategy of running for the hills, argues Dan Perry.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/israel-s-airstrikes-in-lebanon-are-different-from-what-s-happening-in-gaza-here-s-why-20240925-p5kddh.html
Home Affairs Minister Tony Burke issued a warning for anyone inciting ‘discord’ in Australia, after protesters in Sydney and Melbourne brazenly waved Hezbollah flags and carried framed pictures of assassinated terror chief Hassan Nasrallah.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/protesters-in-melbourne-wave-hezbollah-flags/news-story/ecda6a1fb87b37a3a22730b09acb8796?amp
Austria’s far-right party has won an historic first national election after tapping into voters’ fears of immigration and the Ukraine war, exit polls predict.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/austria-s-first-far-right-national-election-win-since-world-war-2-20240930-p5kefv.html
The SMH has identified a NSW builder who has very clearly earned nomination for “Arsehole of the Week”. An absolute shocker!
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/the-jet-setting-bentley-driving-builder-who-left-850-defects-in-his-wake-20240925-p5kdg1.html
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe
Alan Moir
Megan Herbert
Maria Ercegovac
https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.9097%2C$multiply_1.1032%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_126%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/c61398ffef9bf3c35f3d17087bf3b2d5784cc20c.jpf
Peter Broelman
Joe Benke
Matt Golding
Mark Knight
Leak
From the US
Thanks BK!
On the self-titled ‘expert panel’ that the SMH assembled to conduct a retrospective critique of health orders, we have “Nationals MP and former deputy premier Paul Toole; Western Sydney Leadership Dialogue chief executive Adam Leto; Tourism and Transport Forum’s Margy Osmond; former president of Local Government NSW and City of Sydney councillor Linda Scott; and former NSW Police commissioner Mick Fuller – along with mental health expert Professor Patrick McGorry who participated via Zoom”
Talk about putting your thumb on the scales.
All those complaining about surpluses should be ecstatic that government spending is at a 60 year high. If “Whitlam” is the gold standard, then you’ll be pleased to know that government spending and taxing is a much higher share of the economy than at his time.
https://www.westpaciq.com.au/economics/2024/09/public-demand-23-sept-2024
Maria Ercegovac
Jeepers BK, this one should have come with a health warning…
Thank you, BK.
‘Israel has opened new front against Iran-backed militants, bombing Houthi targets in Yemen. We are told Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was moved to a secure location in Iran on Saturday after Nasrallah’s killing.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/israel-pounds-lebanon-pressuring-hezbollah-after-killing-its-leader-20240930-p5kefu.html‘
============================
FWIW. (I fear not much).
1. Israel did not involve itself in the Yemen civil war.
2. Israel did not carry out strikes against the Houthis.
3. The Houthis initiated and maintain a trade blockade, sinking ships and killing innocent seamen. FWIW, if Australia tries so send a merchant ship through the Red Sea, the Houthis will try to sink it.
4. The Houthis fired, and continue to fire, missiles and drones at Israel, killing and wounding Israeli citizens.
Ergo, the Israelis did not open up a new front against the Houthis. After Oct 7 and the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip, the Houthis opened a new front against Israel. That front has been active ever since.
The general background remains the genocidal intentions and activities of Iran Plus and Israel.
I see that the gaslighting parrot and unsteady eddy are riffing off each other.
Now I wonder why that would be?
Morning all. Thanks for the roundup BK. Labor should rightly boast about achieving a second surplus. Few governments do without a ming boom.
Surpluses are not a good in themselves. It depends on the situation. But when you have an inflation problem surpluses are the right thing to do, and Labor needs to say this.
Griff, agreed re the tilting of the SMH “expert panel”. I also note the expert panel discussing the management of a pandemic did not include a single epidemiologist 😐
Thinkin’ Albo will wait until next year now.
Crime the big issue in Qld election, just like it was in 2012.
Bikies was the issue then, Newman won, the cops went after dorks on Vespas and went nuts on RBT. I had 2 in 1 day, both during daylight.
So, although Qlders may have forgotten, LNP goverments mean massive police presence and 24/7 harassment.
I’d say, by May 2025, they’ll be well and truly over it.
There are a lot of conflicts in the world right now and unfortunately this also makes it easy for people to run scare campaigns. Banning Chinese EVs is one of them.
“ The US government has moved to ban Chinese software and hardware from its roads, with the Albanese government now under pressure from Nationals MP Barnaby Joyce to follow suit as questions remain over the degree to which Australia’s electric vehicles are susceptible to cyberattacks. David Swan looks at the potential for this to happen.”
https://www.smh.com.au/technology/are-evs-at-risk-of-being-hacked-and-will-chinese-evs-be-banned-20240924-p5kd2k.html
If Chinese made EVs are so dangerous, why not also ban:
– Chinese made petrol utes, vans and trucks?
– Chinese made Volvos, Teslas, VWs and Fords?
The answer is obvious: US car makers can’t compete with Chinese EVs but are fine making money off the rest. This is a beat up.
The self driving technology in most cars is nothing more than auto braking and crash avoidance. So what?
We would be fools indeed not to realise that our US friends are engaged in a trade competition with China as well as a security one.
May 2025
Inflation down
One million jobs
Low unemployment
Two interest rate cuts
Nice little March budget
Emissions down
Record EV sales
Large wage increases for lower paid workers in feminized industries.
v
Never Never Nuclear Power Stations
Hatred and Division
v
Highest company tax in the world
Scaring the private sector out of the rental market
Gouging billions out of Mums and Dads Super accounts.
“ Raise the dole you ar*ehole”
2nded
The congratulatory telegrams from the conga line of previous LNP PMs, ex LNP treasurers, past LNP finance ministers together with the obligatory black mugs, not to mention the LNP starlet on Insiders yesterday are in the wires, heading to the privatised Canberra PO, stating simply “well done Jimmy, Katie, Albo and the extended family for achieving what we never could”.
Socrates says:
Monday, September 30, 2024 at 8:35 am
…
The answer is obvious: US car makers can’t compete with Chinese EVs but are fine making money off the rest. This is a beat up.
…’
——————-
This one can’t be let through to the keeper.
The general global manufacturing picture is that China has used a mercantilist approach to destroy o/s industry after o/s industry. It pinched scads of IP. It undercut ferociously.
There are three domains in which it has yet to succeed: high tech, car manufacturing and agriculture. Massive subsidies are going into high tech while China’s populace is suffering badly. Chips are the main game. US companies are investing $20 billion in chip plants because the legitimate concern is that once China is self sufficient in high end chips Taiwan is a shot goose.
China is buying up huge tracts of o/s ag lands.
Which leaves car manufacturing. The last mass manufacturing frontier.
Chinese Government subsidies to EV manufacturing are $230 billion and growing.
Most of China’s EV manufacturers would disappear overnight without ongoing subsidies. Most cars they sell is at a loss.
The notion that ‘the problem’ is that other car makers can’t compete misses the point entirely, IMO. What is happening is a national mercantilist loss leader approach to destroying the competition. Which is why countries all over the world are raising tariffs against China’s manufacturing. Too little, too late.
China has zip interest in the notion of a level playing field.
We have been fellow travelers on this one – major beneficiaries of China’s bad trade behaviours. So now we are economically highly exposed to China’s trade.
Our ‘luck’ is petering out.
Isn’t that odd. The gaslighting parrot and unsteady eddy riffing off each other. Again.
Irenesays:
Monday, September 30, 2024 at 6:45 am
“How easily Labor has been fooled by the Liberals, believing ex PMs Howard and Abbott that a budget surplus is desirable.
Shows how the right faction decision makers, such as Shorten and Chalmers are determined to lose Labor votes.”
———
Yep its a right faction Labor conspiracy to upend Albanese and maybe cost Labor the election. What a rediculous thing to say. It makes no sense. A surplus tells the voters the Labor Party are running a responsible economic plan and NOT going with the ‘spend.spend.spend’ mantra the Coalition often accuses Labor of doing. Throw in an interest rate cut before the election along with a direct targeting of cost of living issues addition or 2 and Dutton will have no chance of winning this one. The right faction might go after Albo after this election but that can is a long way down the road in my mind.
Setting Extremists’ Magic Pudding economics aside for a moment, the interest bill in the Fed Budget is already north of $20 billion a year.
Just imagine what cheap rental housing you could build with that.
I just saw the LNP are on 50.1 % on bludger track. But on that number Labor still govern in minority with Bandt and the Teals.
The LNP need around 51.3 to 52 to have a show I think to get to 73 seats.
11 interest rate rises.
After Qld election and maybe a neg gearing drop in polls maybe a nice time for a leadership challenge?
The Newspoll WA result last night off very low sample size.East coast sinking WA slipping something has to give.
Problem bringing in 1.1 million created this cost of living crisis now cannot get rid of them quickly as they are applying for Asylum in their tens of thousands.
Relying on interest rate cuts that reserve bank says are not on is not a winning strategy.
We wait for the labor party dark arts to undermine Albo like last week.
‘michael says:
Monday, September 30, 2024 at 8:57 am
I just saw the LNP are on 50.1 % on bludger track. But on that number Labor still govern in minority with Bandt and the Teals.
The LNP need around 51.3 to 52 to have a show I think to get to 73 seats.’
—————–
Yep. If you were to bet on which leader would be first to get the chop from his friends, it would have to be Dutton who is looking at least at another four years as LOTO Nothingburger.
OTOH, saner Greens heads might prevail.
Good post Michael. Spot on. Its going to be interesting to see Williams tracker stands after the QLD and WA elections have washed through.
Boerwar Dutton will contest the May election next year. Albo is not confirmed yet I think for May next year, a couple of bad polls in coming months could see backbenchers on their phones.
If there ever was a moment in modern Australian history when a compromised, self interest focused media together with their shameless political reporters, writers and assorted significant wannabes have displayed their lack of backbone…….
Achieving a second budget surplus should be applauded for its transparency., honesty, solid fiscal decision making and good governance.
An over indulged, over opinionated, mob of voters will in all likelihood not know what a budget is, nevermind a surplus and have their nose rings tugged by the media to react as directed.
The Greens will demand a harbour bridge for every child as their significance capacity explodes while any commentators of any colour who mentions that a budget surplus is not the “be all and end all” will be allocated a “set of steak knives” to do as they please.
The majority of Australians voters have for a long time shown their complete inability to recognise “good government”, preferring their soap operatic, third world, amateurs provided by the LNP thespian society, fully inflated by a compromised media.
The outraged reactions overkill on PB will be titillating!
Not!
(And I note has started already)
Badthinker, I cannot believe that the Queensland police would give a bike rider – Vespa or otherwise – a ticket without good cause.
I only know one Qld copper (ex) and he is a paragon of integrity.
Keeping Queensland Safe.
Kevin Bonham@kevinbonham: Freshwater Qld (state) 56-44 to L-NP
ALP 30 L-NP 43 Green 12 ON 8 others 7
Pref PM (usually favours incumbents) Crisafulli leads Miles 46-38. Similar to other Qld polls.
Another PP drive by shot at Labor and praying for a challenge to Albo. Aint going to happen.
Elmer the Miles change did not work in QLD, but putting someone younger in the USA against Trump is currently looking good. So who knows what works. Josh would have done better against Albo in 2022.