The latest fortnightly Newspoll has the two-party vote steady at 55-45, with Labor’s primary vote steady on 44 per cent and the Coalition’s up one to 39 per cent. Kevin Rudd’s approval rating is up three to 64 per cent, and his disapproval down three to 26 per cent. UPDATE: graphic here.
Essential Research has Labor’s lead up from 60-40 to 61-39. Respondents think Labor and Liberal have moved closer together in recent years, are unconcerned about Malcolm Turnbull’s possible past flirtations with the ALP, believe the government’s stimulus package to have averted recession, and are generally more impressed with the Labor Party than Liberal (“out of touch with ordinary people” up two points to 64 per cent). Their responses on religion suggest the sectarian divide to be alive and well.
#1643-1645 inclusive.
I second or third [whatever] your outrage and disbelief.
The proposal is institutional abuse.
Its disgraceful.
fredex, goes on all the time, I’m sorry to tell you. I wouldn’t go into what’s called a secure welfare unit in Victoria without an armed guard. I’d feel more secure going into the Thomas Embling Unit (adults considered too unwell to plead to a criminal charge, or they were too unwell). I think it was last year a social worker was killed by a group of youths in a small, less restrictive unit. They tied her up and tortured her to death. Maybe find out about these places, who’s in them how they behave and why, what the options are for dealing with them, before getting too excited.
TP we already know Swan is a goose he reminds us of that fact each and everytime he talks so we dont bother mention his name to waste William’s bandwidth.
1653 – One feels Glen you have just wasted some of William’s bandwidth with that inane comment.
1653
Swan is too right-wing.
HSO
“Maybe find out about these places, who’s in them how they behave and why, what the options are for dealing with them, before getting too excited.”
I’ve worked in 2 such places.
And worked in associated fields for donkey’s years.
Or to put it another way “been there done that.”
I’ve worked with more than one murderer who was a juvenile.
As Frank said about the proposal by the Child protection Minister [what incredible irony] “Exactly, this is parish pump shock jock reaction to a complex problem.”
Glen practices current Liberal policy – childish name-calling.
Grow up.
From the Perth Now article:
[This week the Minister revealed the full strategy to The Sunday Times, saying: “We don’t want kids in the juvenile justice system, we want to stop that.
“We want to put supports in place before it gets to that.
“If a child is running off the rails … the child is not going to school, the child is maybe stealing, the child is not being looked after at home, it’s on the streets.
“It may have drug issues, it may have alcohol issues.
“That child is placed in the secure centre and we work out what that child needs to survive, to go forward for the future.” ]
Somehow I predict the main group of people admitted will not be your anglo saxon type of brat – can anybody say Stolen Generation Mark 2 ? 🙁
[The Duke’s best dramatic role was in the Conqueror as Genghis Khan:]
He shouldn’t have taken the role.
Genghis Khan was shot downwind of an active nuclear test site. A disproportionately large number of the cast, including Wayne himself and the Director, Dick Powell, died from cancer, most likely attributed to exposure to the fallout from the test site.
[Dr. Robert Pendleton, professor of biology at the University of Utah, stated, “With these numbers, this case could qualify as an epidemic. The connection between fallout radiation and cancer in individual cases has been practically impossible to prove conclusively. But in a group this size you’d expect only 30 some cancers to develop…I think the tie-in to their exposure on the set of The Conqueror would hold up in a court of law.”]
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Conquerer
Socrates @ 1641, to my mind, the only possible explanation for Turnbull pushing individual contracts again is that they were popular in WA during the last election. It’s obvious that Turnbulls leadership is dependant upon the support of the WA libs (hence the incompetent J Bishop still being deputy dawg). I assume it’s some sort of deal in return for their support. I think all it does is show that J Bishop and co in WA must be trying to shore up their vote in WA at the expense of the party. How chivalrous of them.
Tom.
[A bunch of socialists and latte drinkers!]
Glen, you forgot to froth at the mouth after saying that.
Things must be crook if they feel they have to resurrect WorkChoices. Either that or Turnbull’s had a brain snap. What could he have been thinking?
A reality check for those arguing tax cuts provide greater benefit for householders:
…
And yet the tea-partiers and Fox News crew are protesting against change. Interesting.
May the coalition remain inept and unelectable for many years.
[THE federal Coalition may re-introduce individual workplace contracts should it win government, Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday.
Mr Turnbull said the Government’s new industrial relations regime – Fair Work Australia – is inflexible for employers and constrains productivity growth.
Individual contracts were the cornerstone of the Howard government’s Work Choices, which Prime Minister Kevin Rudd campaigned against during the last election campaign.]
http://www.smh.com.au/national/we-could-bring-back-awas-if-we-win-says-turnbull-20090912-flfr.html
I’m sure this has already been mentioned.
I find it vaguerly amusing that right wingers still throw the “socialist” tag at anyone to the left of Genghis Khan when they are in trouble. Never mind if they don’t actually support socialism. But socialism didn’t create the current world recession (or the 1930s depression). After the GFC I think the following tags are a lot more discreditable:
“deregulator”
“free-market advocate”
“financier”
“merchant banker”
“tax lawyer”
“conservative”
What is the opposition front bench filled with again?
Glen, your crown as the village idiot of PB is safe. So you dont have to keep on making those idiotic statements.
[THE federal Coalition may re-introduce individual workplace contracts should it win government, Opposition Leader Malcolm Turnbull said yesterday.]
Oh dear Glen, you got company. Turnbull is turning out to be the village idiot of the Australian politics.
[your crown as the village idiot of PB is safe]
And you wonder why more conservatives dont post on PB?? You are an idiot Finns.
And The Oz don’t think they’re biased…
[Font Size: Decrease Increase Print Page: Print Paul Kelly, Editor-at-large | September 12, 2009
Article from: The Australian
THIS week saw the start of a new historical war, with Australia’s economy performing so strongly in the global crisis that it has provoked an intense and ideological contest for the political credit and historical legacy.
It is no surprise that Kevin Rudd, an incumbent Prime Minister facing an election next year, has given a highly partisan account while John Howard and Peter Costello, contemplating their retirement, offer a broader historical overview.]
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,26060465-7583,00.html
[John Howard and Peter Costello, contemplating their retirement,…]
John Howard contemplating retirement?
The electors of Bennelong contemplated that for him, in 2007.
[It’s Time
Posted Saturday, September 12, 2009 at 11:51 pm | Permalink
Glen practices current Liberal policy – childish name-calling. ]
Pretty much sums it up; from Glen it doesn’t matter, from Tony Abbott, not a good look.
Looks like the government isn’t going to have trouble keeping work choices center stage at the nest election, Turnbull is doing their work for them.
[your crown as the village idiot of PB is safe]
Given this village – that’s a big call! 😀
Glen at 1653 I just dont get your comments. One minute you appear to recognise the reality of the opposition’s woes, the next youre back to childish and snide remarks about Swan. He has grown into his role and has helped Labor make up ground on economic management credentials. To say he is a waste of bandwidth is beneath you
Good to see Mark Riley on Sunrise continuing the recession theme, and insist that the opposition is breaking through on-wait for it-employment. Yeah Joe Hockey really broke through this week, saying interest rates more important than jobs. If you had any sense as a commentator you would acknowledge that the opposition and making no such breakthroughs, and if you wanted to choose something, as least choose what they are focussing on- interest rates.
Also think its interesting how the commentary suggests that interest rates rises will inevitably hurt the government. Didnt seem much of an issue for most commentators when it happened under Howard
[One minute you appear to recognise the reality of the opposition’s woes, the next youre back to childish and snide remarks about Swan. ]
Glen is more than one person.
It’s likely Glen and like-travellers are just embarrassed by how well Wayne Swan is actually doing.
1) Before the election they were (in usual scare campaign mode) warning “Labor will stuff our economy”.
2) Damn! Where did that depression go? The Australian economy is doing so well under the management of Wayne and Kevin that it’s the fastest-growing developed economy in the world, and the ONLY developed economy NOT to go into recession, with the second-lowest unemployment in the OECD and the smallest debt and deficit. Really demoralising results for the Liberals.
3) Their guiding light, Peter Costello, predicted the global maelstrom would originate in CHINA with the floating of their currency. Bzzzzzt, like the hollow warning that Labor would stuff “our” economy, another failed prophecy from the prophets of self-interest.
Any more good news on the economy, and Sloppy Joe and crew will be openly crying into their beers.
Glen
“TP we already know Swan is a goose he reminds us of that fact each and everytime he talks so we dont bother mention his name to waste William’s bandwidth.”
Well Glen, IF you think that about Swan, then what of that political moron sloppy joe hockey?
Swan outperforms, outguns and outclasses sloppy joe on every issue. As Treasurer he has in 18 months outshone his predecessor’s lacklustre efforts over 12 years.
A bit off-topic – saw a “high production values” ad last night on SBS, I think after midnight. Didn’t take much notice, but it started with an image of Philip Adams and then several people (didn’t recognise all of them) each made a brief general plea which I think was directing the viewer to where they would find the highest quality of information and fairness/seriousness of analysis.
When it was finally clear they were talking about the OO, my derisive reaction was loud enough to wake two sleeping cats, and possibly half the suburb!
I suppose book-ending it with Philip Adams was to suggest the OO is safe for lefties.
The ad might have been around for ages. Perhaps they realise they’ve got some serious re-imaging to do if they want to start charging for on-line access.
[Glen at 1653 I just dont get your comments. One minute you appear to recognise the reality of the opposition’s woes, the next youre back to childish and snide remarks about Swan. ]
Andrew, I may not agree with the latter, but I don’t see how they are contradictory.
However, that’s not to say I don’t hold any criticisms of Swan. He still remains the weakest link in the Rudd cabinet.
Reducing political dicussion to personalities really is the lowest form of wit. The reason Rudd, Swan and Gillard are killing Turnbull and Hockey is not because they are superior political talent (although in fact I think they are), but because they are RIGHT on the three big issues of the day: responding to the GFC, climate change and IR. Every issues-related poll since 2007 has shown this.
They were RIGHT to launch a massive couinter-cyclical stimulus plan in response to the GFC, and the public can see the benefits that has brought, and they don’t care whether Woop Woop State School has two new libraries for three students or whatever.
They are RIGHT to bring in an ETS in reponse to climate change, and the public support it and want it passed – and the coming killer summer will raise the temperature both literally and politically on this issue.
They were RIGHT to scrap WorkChoices, and the public supports this and doesn’t want AWAs back in any way shape or form.
Until the Libs accept these three facts, and say so publically, they will remain in the political doghouse.
Looking back, there are plenty of analogies for this situation. Labor had to give up its opposition to the GST. The Libs had to give their opposition to Medicare. Labor had to accept state aid to private schools. The Libs had to accept multiculturalism. And so on. In a democracy, vox populi vox dei, and parties which continue to defy settled public opinion on big issues like these doom themselves to long-term opposition.
Maybe the coalition’s strategy is this. They are addicted to extremist-right positions such as WorkChoices, so rather than win government in half the time and get legislation in that they aren’t satisfied with, they’d rather win government in double the time and get legislation in that they are satisfied with.
[Reducing political dicussion to personalities]
Well it has dominated Australian election campaigns for the past 40 years 😛
[Well it has dominated Australian election campaigns for the past 40 years ]
Personalities matter up to a point. The voters weren’t going to have Latham regardless of the issues. But it’s also true that public perceptions of personalities are changed by changing issues. The voters rejected Howard as a dreary little dweeb for years, but warmed to him when he effectively articulated their discontent over Keating’s “big picture” policies.
As long a Swan is 1) prepared to follow best available advise and heed treasury warnings and 2) doesn’t amuse himself by gambling and losing billions on the foreign currency market, he will always be well ahead of the previous treasurer.
So we’re agreed?
No matter how “flexible”, how wonderful, how business-and-employee-friendly WorkChoices is or was, until Turnbull and the rest of the party fully and convincingly repudiate it and promise convincingly never to try it on again, they’re political toast?
And then, when they have done that, Labor can trot out how Howard promised to “never, ever” introduce a GST.
I can see an Indian summer of election wins for Labor, stretching over at least the next decade on the back of Turnbull’s little gaffe yesterday. Turnbull, of course, won’t be around to see any of it.
Turnbull’s “gaffe” was sloppy and unnecessary. It he means pre-WorkChoices AWAs, he should have just said that
[I can see an Indian summer of election wins for Labor, stretching over at least the next decade on the back of Turnbull’s little gaffe yesterday. Turnbull, of course, won’t be around to see any of it.]
BB, like i said, the Liberals’ next leader is called John Connor. They better start searching for Sarah and protect her.
Psephos, you make great points. In the discussion about legacies, surely the most damning indictment of the Howard years is the state he has left the party in
[They were RIGHT to launch a massive couinter-cyclical stimulus plan in response to the GFC, and the public can see the benefits that has brought,]
Joe Hockey did a good job summing up what is wrong with the Liberal party last week:
[“How much money needs to be spent to keep people in work?” Hockey asked.
A journalist queried: “You’re saying it’s more important to keep interest rates low than spend money to keep people in work?”
“Yes,” Hockey replied. “Yes.”]
http://www.news.com.au/perthnow/story/0,21598,26065201-5005374,00.html
The Liberal party is in favour of higher unemployment. Australians won’t elect a government that is promising higher unemployment.
[BB, like i said, the Liberals’ next leader is called John Connor.]
I recently asked a former Liberal state MP who he thought the next Liberal Premier of Victoria would be. He said “The next Liberal Premier of Victoria is currently doing Year 10 at Scotch.”
Too right Andrew a big mistake it wasnt managed well (what is Lucy Turnbull doing???)
I still think the media and the ALP would be arguing he’s wanting to bring back Workchoices but at least he could say that is not what he said.
Adam I would say ‘Prep’ at Scotch is closer to the mark.
1691
What year was that?
Someone can ask/look up whether the next Liberal Premier was in that year at that school that year if/when the next Liberal Premier is in office.
I hope Pies Akerman is under constant monitoring. With all the good news about on Labor’s economic performance, and their ongoing polling ascendancy, we wouldn’t want him self-harming!
Hockeys comments show that he is just not up to the job. He is all over the place, there is no coherent message. Did the stimulus work, or didnt it? What would have happened without the second stimulus he opposed?
If he is the next leader, then he’ll preside over the golden years of opposition.
Wannon is up for grabs today with its preselection process underway as we speak.
Did you put your name in, Glen?
No but I hope we get a decent candidate that seat is a peach 😀
How long is Danby going to stay in Melbourne Ports, going to have a crack after he retires????
Andrew (#1696)
I would add that seeing Mr Hockey on the front bench hunched over, presumably tweetering/twittering away, is not a good look and shows an inappropriate lack of respect for the institution of Parliament