The Australian reports that Newspoll has produced its second successive result of 57-43 in Labor’s favour. The Prime Minister’s approval rating is up two points to 68 per cent, while Brendan Nelson’s preferred leader rating is down two points to 12 per cent. More to follow.
We also have the weekly Essential Research survey showing Labor’s lead steady on 58-42. Also featured are questions on issues deemed important in determining vote choice, economic conditions, interest rates and China’s human rights record. The first of these provides at least some good news for the Coalition if you know where to look: Labor’s core strengths of health and education are found to have fallen in importance since January, while economic management and taxation are up (though so is environment). There is also an echo of the Gippsland by-election in the substantial increase on “Australian jobs and the protection of local industries”.
UPDATE: Newspoll graphic here. Brendan Nelson’s disapproval rating up from 42 per cent to 48 per cent.
[We all know that he refused the leadership last year and that a desire to punish the Libs was part of this.] 46 Zoom
If that’s the case, Zoom, maybe he wants to punish them more by continuing.
I beg the Liberals to keep Nelson as leader, I’m enjoying the trainwreck!
SMH says to expect 5% inflation and 2% economic growth – not terrible (it’s about the same conditions Spain and half the EU are facing), but it’s not great either.
That said, the ironic thing is that we’re going to be doing economically better than most of the other developed world’s economies…
Costello is a surfer. But he only rides waves of success.
The worse things look economically, the less likely Costello will make a comeback.
I find it amusing that the journalists who are collaborating with Turnbull et al in spruiking the line that Rudd and Swan are guilty of “talking the economy down” are the most egregious perpetrators themselves. Shanahan’s habitual mantra – “… with talk of a looming recession…” – is a case in point.
The pensioners, doubtless hard-pressed, openly whinge when a Labor government is in power. They readily admit that their plight goes back through years of inequity, yet fail to make the connection that most of those years they lament involved J. Howard and P. Costello in charge of the nation’s purse strings.
Henderson rails (yet again!) about the Culture Wars, criticising the absence of “right leaning” commentators. He picks Radio National (one of the smallest audiences in the country), yet neglects to mention ABC TV; indeed he is a regular on Insiders, as are Bolt and Akerman. Lateline regularly hosts Liberals on panels and in interviews. And TV news always tack on an obligatory “however, the Coalition disagrees…”
I suppose Henderson would criicise (as do The Nameless One’s commenters) the concentration of attention by the ABC on the Liberals’ leadership woes. But if Cozzie is the Messiah, why shouldn’t we receive regular updates on his return from the wilderness? I want to be ready when He returns, don’t youse?
As someone pointed out a few days ago, the Libs can’t even claim to have a Lord Mayor as their highest ranking elected official anymore. Yet they expect the ABC to cover (and cover for) this clear failure of their party to perform by giving them equal air time. More stories with right wing commentators and more coverage designed to promote by giving equal time to a party that is nationally and even gubernationally, indeed locally out of office: how could that be balanced? I am reminded of La Trioli’s claim to Malcolm Fraser that her job was to present the government’s point of view even when they couldn’t be bothered to send someone along to the studio for a debate. How her gig on Lateline Friday interviewing Chris Pyne must leave her feeling now. She thought it was her leg up into the limelight. Tut, tut… yes Virginia, there is justice in the world.
A fortnight since the last Newspoll has gone by… A fornight in which it has been confidently predicted that Labor is a oncer, Costello was coming back to show those socialist buffoons a thing or two about managing the treasury, Wong was likened to Hitler and Saddam for acknowledging the drought, and the pensioners suddenly realised thay had been caught up in a raw deal, but blamed the wrong person for it.
And nothing much has changed, except Brendan’s a little worse off, Rudd a little better, interest rates are tipped to fall, Akerman yet again predicts a Heiner inquiry, the CLP loses another election, the ABC’s still a cabal of leftist, woolen tie wearing ratbags, our swimmers aren’t as fast as we were told they were, the Chinese faked some fireworks and the Russians put on some real pyrotechnics.
And where is the Messiah when you need him? Hiding under a table, weak and trembling, but letting it be known this is his way of being strong and silent.
All Shanahan’s little pieces of paper, blown off his office table by the prevailing winds of… sameness.
Now, where are those scissors? Dennis has some cuttings-out to do.
Bushfire Bill: well done mate, comment of the day award to you!
Methinks the biggest let-down of 2008 won’t be Nelson’s leadership performance, but his successor’s.
Thanks Bushfire, are you Mungo macallum in disguise??
Bushfire Fill, I want you to have your own regular column.
nice one BB
I think you’ve only missed one issue from the week – the fact that the Seven network seem to be obsessed by the US athletes when there’s no Aussie to crawl up the arse of – what’s with THAT?!
If I was Mungo I wouldn’t be hunkered down in suburban Sydney, rugged up like a sick Eskimo with my fingers blue and typo prone, listening to bulldozers wreak Sartor’s revenge on the patch of bush next door.
I’d be a Happie Chappie.
I’d be even happier if I could understand the difference between womens’ Olympic judo and two ferrets in a sack. Whatever happened to uki-goshi and tomenagi? Why couldn’t they stop slapping each other and then falling over?
Bliss would be my constant companion if Rudd realised that his opposition is so awful they’re making him look good. Bolt actually wrote, po-faced I presume, that 57-43 wasn’t too bad, considering. Considering what? That we could be hit by an asteroid later on today?
My mood would improve if Adelaide-Bendigo Bank had promised they’d stop randomly putting my mortgage up when they had the chance to on Lateline Business last night.
Lastly, if I could figure out this optics problem I’m working on, on and off between blog posts, I’d be rich. Then I might be Mungo after all, or at least give him a fright.
Oh Bushfire, if your previous post wasn’t enough to warm the cockles of my heart with a stingingly accurate summary of the rubbish being peddled by so many in the last week, then your analysis of the Olympic Judo bout last night is just so spot-on as to wipe away the last chills of winter from my soul.
Thank you!
And BB, if nothing else then putting a smile on so many blogster faces this morning *should* make you a Happie Chappie.
Julius Caesar refused the crown three times, only as a way of getting the appearance of being drafted into the job by a desparate group in need of leadership. But Cassius and Brutus stabbed him when he came to collect.
Watch out Dollar Sweetie!
Yes BB, a mad capped collection of sweet repartee, that I really enjoyed. Our female swimmers are a bunch of drug cheats, and it’s really getting under my skin. It’s not purely the fact that they are and that they are winning but it’s the throwing stones in glass houses that really gives me the irrats. Unfortunately this has brought out my sicofantic worse, as I can’t wait till one of them gets caught and blows the lid off the whole thing. Unpatriotic, you say. Well not really. I just can’t stand the injustice and people taking credit when it is not due. Cossie and Howard you are the same you economic freudsters.
centaur
I haven’t heard anything about our water babies – have you got any clues to back that up? Remember that sheeps blood extract and breast milk are still legal…wink wink… I’ve heard more disturbing things about some of our other ‘sportsmen’ though.
Every time I see an opposition spokesman crying about the injustice in what are long term problems a flick of the TV remote and the quick muttering under my breath of “twelve years” eases my blood pressure somewhat.
Let’s just hope we’re not doing the same thing with the current mob in a decade – this country really can’t afford it.
“Julius Caesar refused the crown three times, only as a way of getting the appearance of being drafted into the job by a desparate group in need of leadership. But Cassius and Brutus stabbed him when he came to collect.”
Too right, Riccardo. Further, Caesar awarded Brutus a promotion before his assassination.
Socrates@8-
hope you don’t mind,, but just made reference to your Widson Tuckey comment over on the the US election thread ..
Sums it up in a couple of words 😆
“The cause is a matter for economists to debate, the price will be paid by Mr Rudd. That’s politics old boy!”
You keep on making these statements ESJ without any supporting argument. If Rudd was going to be blamed for this situation it would be showing up now in the polls. It isn’t and he isn’t. Get over it.
[No reason ShowsOn? Only the classic reason – global price of oil.]
Which is currently at its lowest price since May.
centaur 007
$64
“Our female swimmers are a bunch of drug cheats, and it’s really getting under my skin. It’s not purely the fact that they are and that they are winning ”
Which swimmers , and which drug test ?
Tricket 100% sure, Jones 95%, and Rice 80%. The cartel of athlete, coach and medico are always a step ahead. That’s why Marion Jones et al get caught years later. Everyone gets tested and you would have to be stupid or Bulgarian to take things close to the event. I have 30 years of training, and steroid experience to know what body structure can be achieved naturally and what can’t. Don’t get me wrong it’s not 90% of all the other competitors aren’t also but we are always throwing the stones. I only trust the horses and only because it’s dressage.
Does anyone else find it strange that the voting population thinks Nelson is a complete dud, but despite this they’re not really marking down the party that continues to keep him in the leadership position?
It doesn’t make a lot of sense to me – it basically says we’re going to vote for them no matter what doesn’t it?
In the party room there’s basically no impetus to roll the poor bastard because he’s not really killing the party – they might as well wait until the stars align before sticking the next bloke in the hot seat because apparently party reform or policy development are no longer criterion for attracting core voters.
I’m a bit sad for the country that the status quo is considered ‘good enough’ really.
71
centaur_007 Says:
August 12th, 2008 at 11:37 am
Tricket 100% sure, Jones 95%, and Rice 80%.
Where is your evidence , apart from your amateur opinion ?
A gold medalist Tricket and Rice woulsd hav already been tested in Bejing
(having already been test regularly in ‘oz’ 0
You ar talking bullsh.t , your views represent less than 1% of ‘oz’ population
I hope you’re here in 8 years Ron. Like I said that’s not how steroids, growth hormone, etc work. Test all you want now.
Innuendo is no good centaur.
That’s the same as blaming all cyclists because there are definitely some that do dope. It’s a nice catch all but, it’s not true.
I’m not doubting the possibility of what you’re saying, but without evidence or a credible theory of the method it’s pretty shallow.
End of discussion as far as this goes – put up or shut up.
Besides, this isn’t the forum to be discussing this.
I find it easiest just to assume they are all taking drugs which makes it a level playing field. Then the best man/woman wins. All this hysteria about drugs is a bit silly. Who cares if they take steroids? What’s really freaky is that these drongos get paid megabucks at the taxpayers expense to swim a few laps of a pool and we all get excited by it.
Why do they have freestyle, butterfly, backstroke and breastroke? Do they run the 100m sprint backwards, sideways and skipping as well as forwards? Why don’t they just do freestyle?
I’ve had my ran, now lets get back to politics. The Rud government I believe will give pensioners at least $30 week extra, but they can’t be seen to be doing in response to a study or any lobby group. They missed a great opportunity at the budget. I’m not sure where they can sneak it in now and dissasociate from the other stuff and seen to be bowing to pressure. I think by next budget it will be a) too late b) predictable.
Anyone else?
rant that is
centaur@77 : Rudd can quite rightly use and point to, the review of the pension by his government if and when they increase it. He has said all along that he will wait for the review before making any decision.
“I have 30 years of training, and steroid experience to know WHAT body structure can be achieved naturally and WHAT CANN’T”
And NOT one official in swimming , or in Atheletics or in ‘oz’ Olympic Federation has such knowledge Anyone can throw mud by innuendo , and then as you say ‘lets get back to politcs’
Yes we should get back to politcs, your diwsgraceful unsubstantiatd slur simply needed to be rubbished first , I do rubbish it as innuendo seeing you could not put up or shut
I mean had you said Wilson Tuckey was on happy pills , fleetingly somone may hav taken you seriously until we realizied Wilson Tuckey has no excuse whatsover for being a dumbwit , he’s naturally one without any pills
It requires a particularly slavish devotion to be a jack- in-a-box troll, when your utter failure of a Party and its policies, gets its arse kicked in twenty odd elections in a row. To then offer a critique of the Party that did the kicking takes some chutzpah.
Socrates:spot on about journos. The thing is, I think most journos nowadays are so wishy-washy, so amoral, that they’re actually secretly impressed when someone like Putin does this during the Olympics.
I doubt many have much experience outside the PR-avertising-journalism industrial complex to actually be impressed by anything other than cynicism.
Gerard must be the current designated misinformation driver. The truth is of course that on the whole the media in Australia is right leaning and some journos far-right.
So Brendan has the party’s “unqualified support”… 😆
http://www.theage.com.au/national/online-liberals-push-for-costello-20080811-3tmp.html
Diogenes@76
I think you may have forgotten Synchronised Swimming in that list…
Must be time to mention Workchoices again and what effect it would have on peoples ability to cope in a slowing economy and, that Costello was one of the prime movers. Quickly followed by a mention of a debate on the Republic issue.
On the French SBS news this morning they had what I think was the russian rep on the security council giving the US an absolute bagging. If I got it right, it was something or other along the lines of the pot calling the kettle black, sort of thing.
The clip ended with the the russian rep reminding the US that it had bombed civilians in Iraq, Afghanistan and Serbia.
Some of you might recall the Russians cranking up the starting motors on their Black Sea fleet when NATO was bombing the crap out of Serbs aka the southern slavs. It was humiliating for the Russians because those ships were going nowhere and were going to do nothing. They were forced to leave their little brother in the lurch. There are lots of threads to this nasty little Georgian war but one of them is the Russians getting one back on the West for Serbia. Unless Bush and Cheney are prepared to put up on Georgia, they should shut up because all they are doing is increasing the West’s humiliation every time they open their mouths and do nothing while the Russians complete their plans, whatever they are.
Other footage is available from sothern Russia of Ossetian refugees. These have Russian-type names and speak Russian. There are numerous russian minorities in former states of the USSR. In some of these states the ethnic russians are getting a very bad time indeed. This is to remind everybody that the bear has claws and that irredentism is alive and well.
Another thread is the russians versus the muslims.
Finally, of course, there is, ahem, oil.
I thought that the last big biggerup that Bush and Cheney would inflict on us was going to the bombing of Iran. I hope I am wrong and their last buggerup is in the Caucausus.
Rudd should increase rent assistance by $30/wk
Is not pensioners in own homes really hurting, it is those, esp singles, renting. Then at the review a pension increase can be granted.
Gary Bruce,
I cannot but speak the truth.
89 Edward – ok, let’s hear it then.
Ok GB, I am right, you are wrong.
EStJ
91 Edward – About as comprehensive and as in depth as your previous comments. The sniper in full flight.
Gary Bruce, I admit I have come to the conclusion that the shield of your Labor uber alles prejudice is impenetrable.
Yep, Boerwar, I fully agree. South Ossetia (and now Abkhazia) are Russia’s way of venting her spleen over Kosovo. If the US and its NATO chums can carve new countries out of old ones, so can Mother Russia.
Um Kakuru the facts are somewhat different, I believe Kosovo was 90% Albanian and had a genocide launched against them – some people might think this justifies the creation of a new State.
The Pineapple Party has shuffled the deck chairs and as per the usual Springborg confusion, the Shadow Ministers don’t actually shadow Ministers but adopt names dreamt up in fantasyland. Also it is delivered the week after it was promised.
Flegg has refused to take a shadow portfolio. The Shadow treasury position has gone to the head of the Santoro faction. The Member for Gympie, David Gibson has been put in the sustainability, environment and climate change and clean energy strategy shadow portfolio based on his opposition to the Traveston Crossing Dam.
The Nationals Fiona Simpson takes on the major infrastructure shadow portfolios.
Health shadow is Deputy of the National Liberal Party Mark McArdle. The Dentist from Surfers Paradise has been given Education Shadow role. Workchoices supporter Steve Dickson seems to have been named workplace and job security spokesman.
The winners seem to be ‘the outdated’ with Hobbs, Johnston, Horan, simpson, Malone, Seeney joining a long list of notable failures form the past couple of Shadow Cabinets who have so far been unable to make any impression as Shadow Ministers. It would be interesting to know what the average age of this recycled brigade happens to be.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/news/queensland/major-opposition-reshuffle-announced/2008/08/12/1218306842670.html#
93 Edward – when you want a proper debate on Labor and their future and want to address my points made in some detail and with reasoned argument (as opposed to unsubstantiated negative one liners and smart alec comments), let me know.
ESJ
Many South Ossetians have Russian citizenship. They claim they are being “ethnically cleansed” by the Georgians, and so cite the Kosovar precedent. From here, I can’t see through the Fog of War.
They way i read kosovo shananigans was the after the yugoslavian colapse, the croations moved to expel all the Serbs from their claimed lands. The serbs went to do the same thing with Bosnians et al, and the west said you can’t do that. Russia was in no position to do anything but sat and frothed at the mouth on the side lines. Orthodox countries will always support each other, Russia, serbia, greece, Cyprus eg the eurovision voting. now we have revenge, and how well it was put after pocking the bear, the bear wakes up with a roooooar!
(Ron do you know how steroids work? Do you have a science background?)
ESJ @ 95
The facts are always different. I am not saying the Russians have morality on their side. Just trying to alert people to the fact that there is history and context here and that it is not just a matter of Russians and the Ossetians bad, Georgia and the west good.
Russian governance appears to be reverting to ‘type’. Tsar, dictator, strong man. These folk have historically, and perhaps now, tended to believe that extra-judicial murder is OK at a personal level and then again, the Russians have a bit of a mass murderous track record, most of it, fortunately in the first half of the last century and further back.
Are the Russians ‘right’ in Ossetia? I would say, on the whole, probably not. Are the Georgians ‘right’ in Ossetia? I would say, on the whole, probably not. They were dopey bastards giving Putin an in. Apart from that, bottom line, whenever you feel you have to start shelling your own citizens, you have a moral problem on your hands.
That said, how well is the west placed to cast the first stone at the Russians?
On the whole this century we have white-anted whatever moral base we had.
True, assassination of political opponents is still relatively rare and appears mostly to be done by deranged individuals rather than state or party organs.
Torture, extra-judicial murder of selected targets via rockets launched from drones, kidnap, setting up ‘special’ legal systems, systematic invasion of privacy, and systematic suppression of press freedom are now somewhat taken for granted. Of course there is some shillyshallying about whether waterboarding is torture, but really only amongst lawyers, politicians and such like. Ordinary people recognise it instantly for what it is. Remember when the only the bad guys did torture? The invasion of Iraq was not exactly a moral triumph, although western oil companies, surprise, surprise are doing quite nicely out of it.
Then again, the west, in particular the US Air Force, did stop genocide in Kosovo and congratulations to the West for this. This was a good outcome. And some of the bad guys are getting an international trial, which is also a good outcome.