No Morgan poll this week. Here’s some of the other mail:
• The Launceston Examiner reports that Brigadier Andrew Nikolic, veteran of numerous overseas postings and until recently the Australian Defence Force’s director-general of public affairs, has “confirmed that he is interested” in Liberal preselection for the federal seat of Bass. Also said to have his eye on the preselection is Senator Guy Barnett, who will otherwise have to settle for the slighly less appealing prospect of number three on the Liberal ticket.
• Michelle Grattan reports on a “glowing reference” for Kooyong preselection aspirant Josh Frydenberg from John Howard. Another of Frydenberg’s backers is Andrew Peacock. His principal rival, industrial relations lawyer John Pesutto, is supported by Institute of Public Affairs executive director John Roskam, who was himself sniffing the breeze before deciding not to proceed. Former Liberal president and Fraser government minister Tony Staley has given his seal of approval to Peter Jonson, a 62-year-old former Reserve Bank official known to the web at large as Henry Thornton.
• The Townsville Bulletin reports there are rumours that prodigious McDonald’s franchiser George Colbran again hopes to run for Labor in Herbert, where he narrowly failed to unseat Peter Lindsay in 2007. Colbran reportedly says he “won’t commit either way”.
• David Rood of The Age reports that John Brumby has “cleared the way” for Keilor MP George Seitz to be dumped at the next election, amid the fallout from the Ombudsman’s recent report into Brimbank City Council. The party’s administrative committee will decide this evening whether to take preselections for western suburbs seats out of the hands of local branches, in which Seitz and others remain powerful. Also affected will be Kororoit MP Marlene Kairouz, whose preselection ahead of last year’s by-election formed the backdrop of much of the shenanigans investigated by the Ombudsman, and Derrimut MP Telmo Languiller. Labor sources quoted in the article wonder why both Languiller and Western Metropolitan MLC Theo Theophanous aren’t equally being targeted along with Seitz, so it evidently should not be taken for granted that either Languiller or Kairouz are endangered.
• Taking his cue from Manmohan Singh’s assumption of the Indian prime ministership from the upper house, Malcolm Mackerras argues for an end to the convention that Australia’s party leaders must sit in the lower house, which he relates to the anachronistic presumption that it is the more democratic chamber.
• Final score from the Fremantle by-election: Carles 10,664, Tagliaferri 9,100. Margin: 3.96 per cent. I expected Labor would rein it in a little on late counting, but no.
• With the whiff of a dying government in the air, talk of electoral reform is very much in vogue in London this season, just as was when the scandal-ridden Major government was breathing its last. Conservative leader David Cameron opposes proportional representation but promises to “look seriously” at fixed terms. Health Secretary Alan Johnson – “still the favourite to lead Labour if Gordon Brown is removed from the top job“ – has suggested the government at last look seriously at the “Alternative Vote Plus” model which has been floating around since the 1998 report of the Jenkins commission, which was set up when Tony Blair came to power. It proposes a slightly watered down version of German/NZ style MMP, combining constituency members with party list members to produce a proportional result. Unlike Germany and NZ however, there would be a cap on the number of party list members which might make results less than fully proportional. The “Alternative Vote” part of the title refers to Australian-style preferential voting for the constituency seats, which the Jenkins commission appeared to be taken with as it had just helped defeat Pauline Hanson. From the Jenkins commission report, a “note of reservation by Lord Alexander”:
My colleagues also think that AV will contribute to a less confrontational style of politics because candidates will be inhibited from attacking rivals too strongly as they wish to gain their second votes. I do not see it as particularly desirable that candidates from different parties, who are different precisely because they do not agree on all issues, should be pulling their punches in order to seek approval from voters who support other parties. In any event, from my observation of Australia, which is the only single large country to use AV, their politicians tend to be, if anything, more blunt and outspoken than our own.
So it’s ok for Green types and others to referr to the ALP as Hacks then ?
We let such terms go to the keeper, but your mob take it oh so personally.
Sort of like Sticks and Stones .
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ew7KAVMMASk
I’m still a Labor hack. I’ll always vote Labor over Liberal. I vote Green as a protest against Labor’s social conservatism, and would have voted Democrat back in the day.
Stop being delicate.
Believe it or not Frank, I don’t get particularly upset by silly jokes on the internet
I’m not sure what the offence is in “hack”, but I’ve not asked you to stop calling The Greens “cabbage patch kids” whatever your phrase of the day.
It doesn’t add anything to your argument, but it makes you happy, so I don’t see the harm in it.
And as predicted, the Green Mafia has struck with a vengence whenever they get attacked, including Bob1234 who purportedly votes Labor – you either an ALP supporter or you’re a Swinging voter.
Might finally be putting an end to this one ….
Monday’s oral arguments before the Minnesota Supreme Court may finally bring an end to the state’s protracted Senate race, and both sides are proclaiming readiness.
Lawyers for former Sen. Norm Coleman (R) and Democrat Al Franken have prepped for the better part of a month and a half to ready their cases after Coleman appealed a three-judge panel’s decision in an election contest handing Franken a narrow victory in the race.
http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/coleman-franklin-prep-to-face-off-on-appeal-2009-05-30.html
]
“Nothing you say offends me” = “Struck with vengeance”.
Frank is confusing Pollbludger with Die Hard.
I vote Labor on two-party preferred. I wanted Rudd to win in 2007 and he did.
You’d be great in the Howard camp with your “you’re either with us or against us” attitude.
I’m not the one who goes on the offensive as soon as an ALP supporter shows up the Greens for a bunch of idealist wannabeesand who treat the tiniest of criticism as a virtual war crime.
I rest my case – Criticise the Vegetable Garden, and you go on the attack.
With ALP Supporters like you, who needs the opposition.
No, you just cry at being called an ALP hack.
Ahh, resorting to verballing now.
No, you criticised my voting/who I support.
I’m not crying – I’m pointing out the utter hypocricy ofthe Vegetable Patch.
If you really cannot accept that, and your constant attacks on a party you purportedly support, you sound more at homes in the Greens.
and in the same breath you criticise every other ALP poster.
Pot, meet Kettle.
I criticise them for supporting whatever Labor supports rather than making up their own minds.
Would you apply the same logic to our Green or Liberal Friends ? or does it only apply to the evil ALP ?
Your mock rage is amusing. The ALP isn’t evil, they just care more about power these days than implementing progressive policies. One-eyed party supporters that follow the party line on every issue deserve criticism, no matter which party they happen to come from.
At least Glen and GP are able to differentiate themselves from the Liberal Party sometimes. Pity the same can’t be said for Bree.
Uhm, mate, you are the ONLY one on the offensive on this topic. 😀
Others; i.e Gary Bruce, bob1234, Oz (or myself when you’ve made me mad enough) are only responding to you 🙄
We believe in Pragmatism – idealism ensures you remain in opposition for a LONG LONG Time – you obviously haven’t learnt a trhing between 1996-2007.
Bob and Frank should have a sitcom.
These things aren’t mutually exclusive, to implement progressive policies, you first need to get in power.
No, Gary Bruce is on MY side, as is Vera and Ruawake and Ozymandia and GG, Gusface, Phesphos and Fulvio.
You my dear are in the minority Vege patch 🙂
And not be in Government during a Global Recession, Progressive Policies are the first to go out out of the Window.
So why aren’t you applying the same standards to Oz, Rebecca ands Bird of Paradox and the other Greens here ?
Until you do, you will be exposed as the hypocrite you are.
…and that’s exactly the kind of comment that gets up my nose.
How can you judge whether or not our support for something is genuine or not?
I’ve certainly criticised the ALP on this blog but this hasn’t stopped suggestions that (in other cases) I’m only trotting out a party line.
zoomster: I met a range of MPs when I was in the Labor Party. Some of them were perfectly competent ministers and shadow ministers; they just didn’t have the influence, as members of the left, to push the ledger at all.
The two examples you cite are telling, in their own way. In terms of IVF, Stephen Conroy is a right-wing powerbroker who happened to be personally affected by an issue, and happened to be one of the few people in the party with the personal influence to get that passed. This is something that couldn’t even be said of most members of the ministry – and even for those who had, Labor wouldn’t have done crap if it hadn’t personally affected Conroy.
It’s a bit rich, also, to claim that Candy Broad changed the state’s abortion laws. There were at least two private member’s bills in the last parliament, and during the last election campaign, the state Liberals briefly threatened to out-left the ALP on the issue. The state right still tried hard to stonewall the thing, and adopted the worst model, but relying on the Menhennitt ruling was looking untenable well before Broad proposed the bill that eventually got up.
So why aren’t you applying the same standards to Oz, Rebecca ands Bird of Paradox and the other Greens here ?
Frank, there’s only one person here who supports a party line at all costs, and that’s you. I support the Greens, but I criticise them when they screw up.
Actually I aint taking sides as such
What is most intriguing to me is the dynamic displayed here and the utter irrelevance to contemporary political debate of the liberal party
whether you are a die hard or floater is perhaps a side issue, the main game is HOW relevant are the greens NOT how irrelevant they are.
The Greens will always be more pinko under Labor
As is my right and obligation for being a Perty Member.
To quote:
http://www.alp.org.au/platform/chapter_17.php#17membership_and_organisation
Which would equally apply if such decisions eventually form part of any Government Legislation.
Hey Frank, I’m a Labor hack AND LOVING IT!! as Max would say. You the man Frank, it takes a pack of greenies to get up the courage to gang up and call you names 😀
keep up the good work!
Because (and I’m not necessarily talking about you) I’ve seen many very loudly support Rudd when his policy is A but as soon as it changes to B, they swing right behind that as well, jettisoning any previous arguments condemning B.
Yep, they’re Hungry Like The Wolf in their attacks.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oOg5VxrRTi0
Wow, so you actually have to support whatever the party says? Quite Stalinist.
Oh no, I’m calling you names again.
It’s callled getting behind your leader – and you are aware that not doing so results in disunity which doesn’t win you Government. But thenagain the Greens don’t believe in one leader, they prefer to share it on a time share agreement.
I wouldn’t advise Obama to attend too many theatre performances, Broadway or otherwise.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8075618.stm
It is fascinating how the left wing ministers are dominant in this administration. Gillard and Tanner are members of the gang of 4 that run the Cabinet (Rudd and Swan of course being the non left wingers). Macklin, Albanese and Carr are strong public performers. Chris Evans is also in command of matters. (Are we sure he is left-wing?) Wong does not communicate well in public but is influential. Faulkner hates the press but is also influential.
Some of the non left wingers are doing well including Simon Crean (Is he still right?!!), but the left wing is dominant. It would be interesting to be a fly on the wall to see what impact this is having on the policy debates in the Cabinet. Although it is true that policy has become less of a difference between the factions in recent years, there are still real differences which must impact on the debates.
Case in point, Zoomster.
So do the Laborites support taking preselections out of the hands of the grassroots branch members, and riding roughshod over the views of those at the national conference, inspire them? Or do they just turn a blind eye? Power at all costs sort of thing?
It depends on the circumstances.
We Hacks love it when you call us names 🙂
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xc_WJFp6fRs
And that is a BAD Thing ? But I see yourself and Rebecca won’t allow a bad word be said about Bob Brown either and you are defending him to the death.
Another case of do as I do, not as I say from the morally pure Greens ?
I heard Hilary is organising some theatre tickets in Dallas for obama
whoever said she was a vindictive heartless opportunist
😉
There’s now 303 confirmed swine flu cases in Australia:
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25564339-5018988,00.html
That’s nearly 100 more than on Friday.
So that would be a yes?
Shows
Stop telling Porkies!
Aristotle. I tend to agree with you. The Government hasn’t handled the message of the deficit that well. I think being a new government without there being much recent experience around has made them overly cautious and worrying too much. They should be coming out bold and confident and owning the whole of the economic package including deficit in all its glory and put it on Turnbull and Co to match them with something.
They have tended to be too coy and evasive on plain facts. I put it down to being a first term government. I guess they will learn that the population will support you if what you do is for good reason (and doesn’t hurt them too much).
They started all this well with the stimulus packages, narrative, fighting in the Senate and so forth and had/have the population behind them, all the way. The message is pretty clear. Wear a deficit to protect the country and jobs or if you want to actually balance the budget and have no deficit at all…sack hundreds of thousands.
Also I always thought that before the election that Labor let themselves be too self conscious on the Keating/Hawke legacy and allowed themselves to get beat up on it too often. They should have been out there boldly with that as well – owning the reforms.
Rudd could learn a lot from Tanner’s approach and presentation.
Gus, is that at the John Wilkes Booth Memorial Centre?
I think the only thing I’ve said about Bob Brown in months is that he has an image of being a nice guy.
As I said, it all depends on ensuring you get a reasonable chance of winning the seat, sometimes locally based pre-selection of a local hack can be just as damaging as parachuting someone externally.