The latest Morgan face-to-face survey (the accompanying spiel says telephone, but I believe this is a mistake) was conducted over the previous two weekends, and it shows no change worth mentioning on two-party preferred, with Labor’s lead down from 58-42 to 57.5-42.5. Both major parties have gained on the primary vote, Labor up 1.5 per cent to 48 per cent and the Coalition up 2.5 per cent to 37.5 per cent. These gains are at the expense of the Greens, down from 11.5 per cent to 8 per cent. Other news:
• The numbers in Western Australia’s finely balanced Legislative Assembly have changed for the second time in as many months following North West MP Vince Catania’s shock defection from Labor to the Nationals. Labor now has 26 seats out of 59 after the double blow of the Catania defection and the Fremantle by-election, while the Nationals are up from four to five – the same as they had in the last parliament, before one-vote one-value was introduced (at which time they had one member in the upper house, compared with their current five). The Liberals remain on 24, with the Greens on one and three independents. The influence of the latter has accordingly diminished, as the governing parties are now only one short of a majority in their own right. Catania’s defection has inevitably been interpreted as a blow for Labor leader Eric Ripper and another triumph for all-conquering Nationals leader Brendon Grylls. Against the latter interpretation must be weighed the fact that the Nationals have chosen to associate themselves with a man responsible for one of the most grotesque acts of disloyalty in Australia’s recent political history.
• The big loser from the proposed Queensland federal electoral boundaries published yesterday is up-and-coming Liberal MP Peter Dutton, whose electorate of Dickson is set to exchange urban hinterland areas for a Labor-voting chunk of suburbia around Kallangur. Antony Green, who writes at length on the curse of Dickson, calculates that Dutton’s existing margin of 0.1 per cent has turned into a notional Labor margin of 1.3 per cent. Peter Lindsay’s Townsville-based seat of Herbert has also crossed the divide, from 0.2 per cent Liberal to 0.4 per cent Labor. The Courier-Mail reports that one early hopeful for the new Gold Coast hinterland seat slated to be called Wright (although AAP reports the name might suffer the same fate as it did the last time it was suggested) is Logan councillor Hajnal Ban, who attracted a fair bit of attention as the Nationals candidate for Forde in 2007 and now hopes to get the nod from the Liberal National Party. Ban was more recently in the news when it emerged she had undergone an alarming sounding surgical procedure to increase the length of her legs.
• Former Peter Costello staffer Kelly O’Dwyer now looks all but certain to replace her old boss as Liberal candidate for Higgins after the withdrawal of her main rival, Tim Wilson. Rick Wallace of The Australian reports that Wilson “is believed to have pulled out to maintain his focus on advocacy in free trade and climate change through the IPA”. Nominations close next week.
• Phillip Coorey of the Sydney Morning Herald reports Philip Ruddock is “almost certain to be challenged for preselection for his safe seat of Berowra”. His likely challenger is former Young Liberals president Noel McCoy, with the local numbers believed to be evenly poised. Another source quoted by Coorey says McCoy might challenge Bill Heffernan’s Senate position if unsuccessful in Berowra. The Herald’s Mark Davis reports Heffernan’s position is in jeopardy in any case as he has earned the displeasure of the leadership of the “religious right”.
• Phillip Coorey further provides a list of possible candidates to replace Brendan Nelson in Bradfield in addition to the oft-mentioned Arthur Sinodinos and Tom Switzer: Julian Leeser, Paul Fletcher and David Coleman.
• The West Australian reports that Tangney MP Dennis Jensen’s pleas to today’s Liberal Party state council meeting for his preselection defeat by Glenn Piggott to be overturned “will fall on deaf ears”, and that he is likely to run as an independent. UPDATE: The West Australian reports that the state council has in fact decided to hear submissions from each of the three candidates (which interestingly keeps Libby Lyons in the loop) over the coming weeks before reaching a final decision.
• Michael Owen of The Australian reports that Mia Handshin, Labor’s narrowly unsuccessful candidate for the Adelaide seat of Sturt at the 2007 federal election, is a shoo-in to contest the seat again if she wishes to do so, having locked in the support of Senator and Right faction powerbroker Don Farrell. Handshin says she is “still very carefully considering”. The front-runner for Labor preselection in Boothby is Annabel Digance, a former nurse and member of the SA Water Board.
• Labor’s member for Ivanhoe in Victoria, Craig Langdon, has been defeated for preselection by Anthony Carbines, Banyule councillor, chief-of-staff to Education Minister Bronwyn Pike and step-son of upper house MP Elaine Carbines. Langdon apparently finished one vote behind his Labor Unity colleague after the votes of the party’s Public Office Selection Committee were added to those from local branches, the latter of which I’m told favoured Langdon 71 votes to 46.
• Following the blunt dismissal of a rape charge against him in Melbourne Magistrates Court, it remains unclear if Victorian Labor MP Theo Theophanous will seek to retain preselection for his upper house region of Northern Metropolitan. Not surprisingly, The Age reports that “senior party figures – including supporters of Mr Theophanous – hope he decides to quit politics and give Mr Brumby ‘clear air’ in the lead-up to next year’s election”. Nonetheless, Theophanous has re-nominated for his position. Rick Wallace of The Australian reports that the fight to replace Theophanous is between “forces aligned with federal Communications Minister Stephen Conroy, who want Treasury official Vasko Nastevski, and those aligned with federal parliamentary secretary Bill Shorten, who want plumbers’ union official Nathan Murphy”.
• Wallace further reports that John Brumby is moving to protect Eastern Metropolitan MLC Shaun Leane from Electrical Trades Union assistant secretary Howard Worthing. Worthing’s challenge is said to be supported by ETU secretary Dean Mighell, who was expelled from the ALP after emerging as a political liability in the lead-up to the 2007 federal election, along with a “small pocket of the Right”.
• Imre Salusinszky of The Australian reports that federal Liberal Hume MP Alby Schultz has “lost the battle to convince his party to field a candidate in the southeast NSW state seat of Monaro”. This follows an agreement to avoid three-cornered contests which the Liberals’ state executive signed off on last Friday, which also gives the Nationals free rein in the independent-held seats of Tamworth and Dubbo and Labor-held Bathurst. For their part, the Liberals will contest Water Minister Phil Costa’s marginal outer Sydney seat of Wollondilly and get the ninth position on the upper house ticket, which looks highly winnable on current form. The decision by the party’s state council to refer the matter to the executive was behind Schultz’s party-room altercation with Aston MP Chris Pearce.
UPDATE: CityBlue in comments notes that Jane Garrett has won the Labor preselection in Brunswick, as expected, and that Christine Campbell fended off a challenge from Joe Italiano in Pascoe Vale.
The Dentist’s Union Boss says that our tooth system is just fine and dandy because 40% of people have no problem paying to see the dentist.
The American’s nightmare. The election of Obama has not made any difference to the distrust between the Blacks and the Whites. Especially after Obama put his foot in his mouth on this incident last week.
[Henry Louis Gates Jr. felt the hairs on the back of his neck stand up as he looked across the threshold of his home at Sgt. James Crowley. Looking back at Gates, Crowley worried about making it home safely to his wife and three children.
Fear was the only thing the white police officer and black scholar had in common. Soon their many differences would collide, exploding into a colossal misunderstanding.
How could things go so wrong? How could two by all accounts decent men start a fire that drew comparisons to the O.J. Simpson case and knocked President Barack Obama off his racial tightrope?]
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jHud4VBSlwHX-0MPU8m15Yh9lE8gD99MH3381
Surely any major health reform must include a small increase to the Medicare levy. Everyone is unhappy with the current system, there is no way to make the system better without putting more money into it. The only way to put more money into it in a way that is sustainable is to increase the Medicare levy so the money raises increases as incomes increase.
[Especially after Obama put his foot in his mouth on this incident last week.]
I agree Obama’s intervention was a mistake, but I think he made up for it by inviting both the cop and Gates to the White House.
Rua – is he serious? Heaps of people don’t go near a dentist because they know they can’t afford the treatment. So it’s OK with the head honcho Dentist that 60% can’t pay – crikey!!
Turnbull on ABC news pushing around a trolley of mandarins. Is that his quiet protest against the continued imprisonment of Stern Hu?
Or is it just more evidence that he has absolutely no idea how to be an opposition leader?
BH
It was a confusing interview, he did not like the idea, but dentists would make more money.
He liked the idea of an intern year for dentists, but said in 3 years there would be an over supply.
It was almost as if he did not want any change but could not state why not.
J-P Langbroek the LNP “leader” in Qld – an ex dentist was worried about the scheme because the UK system is stuffed.
BH, in Queensland dentists can charge whoever they like whatever they like. I’m not sure anyone is sure they can afford the treatment.
[Turnbull on ABC news pushing around a trolley of mandarins.]
He said he used to push around bananas at the markets so I guess mandarins are a step up for him !!
ShowsOn,
I think perhaps a mandarin costume would have been better.
Someone should demand Malcolm Turnbull and Peter Dutton to provide the actual quote where Kevin Rudd promised to “fix” the public health systems by 30/6/09 and then takeover immediately.
This is what was reported
[August 24, 2007 – KEVIN RUDD has raised the stakes in the debate over federal-state relations by pledging a federal takeover of the nation’s 750 public hospitals if the states do not improve the standard of health care.
Saying he was “sick and tired” of blame shifting between the Commonwealth and the states, Mr Rudd said yesterday that if elected he would give the states until mid-2009 to meet new benchmarks of performance in key areas of health care, including slashing waiting lists. He would give them an extra $2 billion in incentives to meet those benchmarks.
If they failed he would order a referendum alongside the 2010 federal election proposing a federal takeover.]
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/fix-hospitals-or-i-move-in-warns-rudd/2007/08/23/1187462441681.html
[He said he used to push around bananas at the markets so I guess mandarins are a step up for him !!]
Turnbull should fire his press secretary, sure he managed to get on the ABC TV news, but I have absolutely no idea why he was pushing around mandarins. Is he doing work experience for after he loses the next election?
[If they failed he would order a referendum alongside the 2010 federal election proposing a federal takeover.]
Wow, how convenient of Turnbull and Dutton to omit this part of Rudd’s proposal.
Oh geez. Kerry interviewing Abbott…. Abbott suggesting “any close reader of the book” He acutally think speople will read his book??? And read it closely???
Diogenes @ 549,
So those are two suggestions that could not only improve the health system’s functioning, but would likely pay for themselves over time through the gains in efficiency?
[Abbott suggesting “any close reader of the book” He acutally think speople will read his book??? And read it closely???]
I will, I managed to get through Costello’s book even though it was an ideas free zone, I can’t see how Abbott’s could be worse than that.
[He liked the idea of an intern year for dentists, but said in 3 years there would be an over supply.]
It’s been said that there’s going to be a huge under supply within a few years if more aren’t trained. Apparently not enough taking it up – it’s a hard job I reckon.
You can never please all of them – it’s called protection your own little patch of greenstuff.
I agree with Dio tho. Separating off the surgery stuff is a good idea and will give a much quicker result for reducing waiting lists.
This proves Kim Hames is Clueless.
[While the Commission did not back a takeover of the public hospital system, Mr Rudd left open the option of a referendum seeking approval for a Commonwealth takeover if States and territories did not agree to implement a reform plan.
Dr Hames said any move by the Federal Government to take over hospitals was unnecessary and the Government had put this on the cards during the previous election.
“I think it was a political ploy – we would fight it tooth and nail,” Dr Hames said.
“I don’t think the Commonwealth has the power under the Constitution to take them over without State Government support.”
Dr Hames said if there was any suggestion the Federal Government was to try to take hospitals over, he could end up in the High Court of Australia.
“That’s where matters of the Constitution are decided,” he said.]
http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=77&ContentID=158339
What is People Skills auditioning for?
[You can never please all of them – it’s called protection your own little patch of greenstuff.]
To true BH
We will see every “expert” from every health care lobby throwing around “opinions” ranging from sensible to insane. 🙁
People skills Abbott telling KO how the Libs plan to hang on to Workchoices. “People will be Readier than at the last election”.
[What is People Skills auditioning for?]
He wants to be the PM that re-introduces serfchoices.
[Wow, how convenient of Turnbull and Dutton to omit this part of Rudd’s proposal.]
Well Turnbull and referendum isn’t really a winning combo, so no wonder he doesn’t want to bring it up…
[What is People Skills auditioning for?]
A cynical person may say all the recent comments and statements were a way of getting himself in the media to keep himself in the public eye for his book.
All free publicity, a cynical person may also decry a perceived inherent conflict in an elected official using his office this way.
As I am not a cynical person I would disagree with the above and just suggest it is a midlife crisis magnified by the election loss and a need to feel wanted and noticed.
Maybe Turnbull misheard his advisors when they opined he should talk Mandarin like Rudd and thought they said he should talk to some mandarines.
Easy mistake to make.
Turnbull has a whole party room full of fruit loops. 😉
#574
I am a cynical person, I say he is spruiking for his book and his five pieces of silver.
steve,
This was Abbott just before the last election.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/abbott-admits-workchoices-failures-in-leaked-video/2007/11/16/1194766907240.html
Anyone can push a trolley of mandarins lets see him push a wallnut with his nose.
[Easy mistake to make.]
Yep a real trap for young players. 🙂
On VH1 they’re now playing “Don’t You (Forget About Me)” Could be Abbott’s theme song. Unfortunately his chances of becomming PM are about the same as Simple Minds winning JJJs Hottest 100 this year…
So where was the real substance in the Red Kerry – Abbott interview?
It was the fact that Abbott wants to raise the retirement age even further and reintroduce workchoices. So effectively Abbott wants you to work FOR longer FOR less.
At least you can’t say Mad Monk is not a true conservative that’s for sure. Way out of (the deranged) right field!
LOL! That guy on The 7:30 Report who had a go at the $2 billion a year Australians spend on vitamins “that go straight down the toilet” was great.
Kersebleptes
[So those are two suggestions that could not only improve the health system’s functioning, but would likely pay for themselves over time through the gains in efficiency?]
The hospitals solely for elective surgery would pay for themselves easily. In SA, we would make the QEH and Modbury elective hospitals and buy or build a day surgery unit. I tried to get that happening just for my own surgical specialty (while I was young and keen) and it died a horrible death.
The 15% extra beds would cost an absolute fortune, most of which would not be recouped. We wouldn’t have to build the beds though because they are already there in closed wards but staffing them would be the main issue. It wouldn’t really need many medical staff extra but it would need lots more nurses and ancillary staff which would be a big problem.
The report had this dippy idea of having a nurse in each primary school to encourage better eating and exercise. I have no idea where he thinks all those nurses will come from, why on earth a nurse would be the best person for that job and why he wouldn’t use a nurses skills more effectively.
That was the worst thing I saw in the Report but there’s plenty of time yet…
[Maybe Turnbull misheard his advisors when they opined he should talk Mandarin like Rudd and thought they said he should talk to some mandarines.]
Luv it GG – and now Vera is going to send him a bag of walnuts.
Dio – there are heaps of Nurse Consultants wasting away in Community Health Offices. They would be ideal to do the rounds of the schools.
Don’t private schools have a nurse on hand – they used to when I was a kid. My private school mates hated having to go to the nurse for a dose of something awful when they had colds or somesuch.
We public school kids got to go home to suffer.
[I tried to get that happening just for my own surgical specialty (while I was young and keen) and it died a horrible death.]
You’re not suggesting you’re now old and stagnate are you Dio??? 🙂
[I have no idea where he thinks all those nurses will come from…]
SHE! 😀
GG & Vera,
I don’t suppose you can get conkers in Australia?
Now there’s a game that Malcolm could excel in…
How many years before the Liberal Party is the best friend Denticare ever had? I reckon 15 years after its introduction, tops!
Kersebleptes,
I think “bonkers” is the game the whole Liberal Party room can play.
Hmmm, no mention of any Chinese businesswoman here. While we are doing China bashing here by the MSM and the Coalitions, the Yanks are swimming down the Lazy Yangtze River with the Comrades of the CCP.
[Hillary and Geithner: cross the river with China – The high-level dialogue with China will “help build the trust and relationships” between the two big countries to “tackle the most vexing global challenges”, said Hillary Clinton, the US Secretary of State, and Timothy Geithner, the US Treasury Secretary, in their article on Wall Street Journal on July 27 right before the first US-China Strategic and Economic Dialogue to be held in Washington.
Ms. Clinton and Mr. Geithner will lead the US team to talk with the Chinese delegation led by Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Vice Premier Wang Qishan in the high profile new mechanism on July 27 and 28.
Neither the US nor China is able to solve global problems alone; cooperation between China and the US is indispensable to solve global problems, they claimed in the article.
They said that the new high-level dialogue, which will be joined by many high ranking officials from the two sides, will “develop a new framework for US-China relations”. ]
http://english.people.com.cn/90001/90778/90857/90862/6711405.html
How hilarious it is for Abbott to say prosperity during the Howard was years was thanks to business owners being able to manage “the productivity of their workforce”.
Workplace productivity during the Howard years was less than half than during the Hawke / Keating years!
Diogenes,
Decent pay and conditions for a decent number of nurses.
Discussions about Australia’s health systems come back to this point constantly.
I also remember a statement (was it Mrs D?) about big problems with the current University nurse training system. Perhaps they could sit around in schools…
ShowsOn,
Got a link?
Psephos
If you are not flying, I suspect the easiest way to get out of Bangkok to whatever is the next place is by train.
Oh dear, just as 4Corners is exposing the dirty little secret:
[Sydney college goes bust, July 27, 2009 – 8:34PM
Students have been dealt a major blow after a Sydney college went into administration on Monday night.
Dire financial problems forced Sterling College, which runs several campuses in the city’s CBD, to close.
More than 500 students have had their courses halted and face the loss of thousands of dollars in fees. All 35 college staff have been sacked.]
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/sydney-college-goes-bust-20090727-dyow.html
Grog
[You’re not suggesting you’re now old and stagnate are you Dio??? 🙂 ]
When I was very young, I had some horrendous battles with my superiors over ethical matters when I saw things I disagreed with. We’re talking lawyers, whistle-blower’s acts, various outside bodies, investigations, police etc. I actually won them all (at much cost to my psyche) and found that nothing changed.
I then decided to be more constructive and got quite a few things up and running, like a program which has someone who tries to work to reduce the number of indigenous burns and to improve their care, and a clinic run by nurses doing what was traditionally a doctors job. Both worked really well and won numerous awards for the people who actually did the work (I never did the work).
But you just get sick of banging your head on a brick wall with bureaucrats who are so stupid, short-sighted and obsessed with their own career that you just lose interest. I can’t be bothered making the effort anymore. I figure that if the Government wants to run a crap hospital system, that’s their decision.
The easiest way to avoid disappointment is to lower your expectations.
Kersebleptes
[I also remember a statement (was it Mrs D?) about big problems with the current University nurse training system.]
Mrs D loves University training.
I asked her about Denticare. She asked what the dentists thought about it. I told her they were against it.
She answered that if the dentists were against it that it must be good for patients so she was for it. 👿
Diogenes,
That sounds right.
Pass on apologies about incorrectly attributing disparaging comments. Capital crime…
[Promo for 7 News on the other hand (while I was watching Deal or no Deal) said new health report had pensioners in fear of losing their homes.]
What the hell?
(edited to keep Mr Bowe happy)