The latest Morgan face-to-face poll shows Labor’s two-party lead at 56.5-43.5, down from the surprisingly strong 58.5-41.5 recorded a fortnight ago. Labor is down 1.5 per cent on the primary vote to 46 per cent and the Coalition are up 2.5 per cent to 38 per cent, with the Greens down 1.5 per cent to 8.5 per cent. Other news:
• Belinda Neal faces a preselection challenge in Robertson from Deborah O’Neill, education teacher at the University of Newcastle and narrowly unsuccessful state candidate for Gosford in 2003. According to Peter van Onselen of The Australian, O’Neill’s challenge has “the tacit approval of NSW Labor Right powerbrokers”, with Labor sources backing recent reports that party polling shows Neal headed for defeat. John Della Bosca, however, is feared to be ready to “pull out all stops to save his wife”. Members of Labor’s Ourimbah have passed a motion calling on Belinda Neal to bow out, but according to Neal, the branch consists of “approximately six members”. Interestingly, the Prime Minister has been making positive noises about Neal recently. The Daily Telegraph reports police officer Darren Jameson has as expected been preselected as Liberal candidate, despite earlier suggestions former member Jim Lloyd would seek to make a comeback.
• Labor’s member for the north Queensland seat of Dawson, James Bidgood, has announced he will bow out at the next election for health reasons. Bidgood gained the seat from Nationals member De-Anne Kelly in 2007 after picking up a 13.2 per cent swing, and has been chiefly noted since for offering the media pictures he had taken of a protester setting fire to himself in front of Parliament House, and saying the global financial crisis was a result of God “bringing judgement”. Labor’s margin after the election was 3.2 per cent, which the redistribution has reduced to 2.4 per cent.
• David Elliott, chief executive of the Civil Contractors Federation and one-time press secretary to Opposition Leader Peter Collins, has launched a preselection challenge against state upper house member and Right faction powerbroker David Clarke. Imre Salusinszky of The Australian reports Elliott previously had his eyes on the lower house seat of Riverstone. He unsuccessfully contested preselection for the federal seat of Mitchell against Clarke’s arch-rival of the Right, Alex Hawke. Clarke has the backing of Barry O’Farrell, and according to Salusinszky may find unlikely support from the Left. Nonetheless, Andrew Clennell of the Sydney Morning Herald reckons Clarke to be “at serious risk of losing” due to backing for Elliott from Nick Campbell, state party president and an ally of Hawke.
• The Nationals have preselected David Gillespie to run against independent Rob Oakeshott in Lyne.
• The Australian Electoral Commission has announced the timetable for the federal redistribution of Victoria, which Antony Green explains will definitely not be in effect before the next election.
William, it’s unclear from your post whether David Elliott is challenging Clarke or Hawke. Also you haven’t mentioned that Bidgood is retiring.
I think the last sentence of the second last story should say that CLARKE is at serious risk of losing, not Hawke.
There’s nothing like a fresh page, illuminated by further polling showing the Liberals will still get the rebuke they so richly deserve.
William, in the second dot point do you mean ” Andrew Clennell of the Sydney Morning Herald reckons Clarke to be “at serious risk of losing”” rather than Hawke?
Any chance of this being a “Troothy” free zone?
I see I am much too slow.
[Any chance of this being a “Troothy” free zone?]
I’m working on it.
and a dammed fine job your doing to ShowsOn
[ A News Limited poll of 539 South Australians on Wednesday night has revealed only 34 per cent trust Mike Rann, while 51 per cent trust Liberal leader Isobel Redmond.]
I see Labor MP for Dawson (Dee-Ann Kelly’s old seat) is not standing again.
http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/article/2010/02/05/113035_news.html
On Robertson
[police officer Darren Jameson has as expected been preselected as Liberal candidate,]
He’s also a local surf lifesaving official, but is not what one would call bright, charismatic or engaging. Maybe it was the Speedo connection that got him there.
[O’Neill’s challenge has “the tacit approval of NSW Labor Right powerbrokers”, with Labor sources backing recent reports that party polling shows Neal headed for defeat.]
The stoush between “NSW Labor Right powerbrokers” and Della Bosca should be a doozy, as they were one and the same until fairly recently. It won’t be so easy this time to shoe-horn his wife into a desired position, as he has managed to do so often in the past when she has failed.
The other point is, if head office really wants an electable ALP candidate, they should get Deborah O’Neill to change her surname by deed poll to something that doesn’t sound so much like ‘Neal”. 😆
According to Alexa, MyShool.edu.au is the 216th most popular Australian site on the internet: http://www.alexa.com/siteinfo/myschool.edu.au
ShowsOn
Popular, isn’t it? Instead of getting their misinformation from the bus drivers or the tuckshop ladies about their kids’ school, parents can instead be misled by that site. An example of technology generating rampant ignorance, on the pretence of informing.
Interesting comment by William in the intro:
David Elliott, chief executive of the Civil Contractors Federation and one-time press secretary to Opposition Leader Peter Collins,
Now I know politics is pretty incestuous, and its mates that really count when push comes to shove but drawing a few lines here:
a. Peter Collins recently had a gushy piece in one of the papers/magazines about his post political career and his promotion to a certain rank in the Reserves (I think it was Navy).
b. Elliot, the bloke who Collins employed, and set to beat Clarke, is backed by the Libs party president.
c. Collins has recently joined the staff of a lobby/PR group (need to do research to dig out its name) which is the Liberal equivalent of Hawker Britton. It was reported Collins got the job in expectation the group would become the “go to” firm, if as expected O’Farrell wins the 2011 election.
I believe psephos is Australia’s most popular website containing lots and lots of election statistics.
This result is still a 2% drop over the previous Morgan 58.5/41.5 poll of 21 January. However that poll was itself up 2% over previous Morgan polls. So isn’t this just consistent with the 54/46 to 56/44 range we have been seeing for the past two years?
Are we about to see another incompletely reported Newspoll? 😉
[a. Peter Collins recently had a gushy piece in one of the papers/magazines about his post political career and his promotion to a certain rank in the Reserves (I think it was Navy).
b. Elliot, the bloke who Collins employed, and set to beat Clarke, is backed by the Libs party president.
c. Collins has recently joined the staff of a lobby/PR group (need to do research to dig out its name) which is the Liberal equivalent of Hawker Britton. It was reported Collins got the job in expectation the group would become the “go to” firm, if as expected O’Farrell wins the 2011 election.]
People reckon the NSW ALP is corrupt.
Warren Buffett loses AAA rating. Mnmm. Makes you wonder….
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-02-04/buffett-loses-last-aaa-rating-as-s-p-cuts-berkshire-update1-.html
jv,
Why has the move on Neal been left so late, do you reckon? Was it all a factional stalemate?
A new candidate wouldn’t have much time. Although, I suppose all O’Neill would have to do is announce in a loud clear voice “I am not Belinda Neal!” (cue wild cheering). It could be her campaign slogan…
Adam@15:
[I believe psephos is Australia’s most popular website containing lots and lots of election statistics.]
On the string on google
election statistics australia
The Psephos site is number 22. Antony Green’s site is ahead at number 15.
“According to Alexa, MyShool.edu.au is the 216th most popular Australian site on the internet”
What are the other 215? Porn? 😉
Thanks for those who have pointed out my Clarke-Hawke error, and alerted me to the fact of James Bidgood’s retirement. The post has been amended.
re: Popularity of websites
One website which may, or may not be popular, is the democracy4sale website.
http://www.democracy4sale.org/
A lot of hard work has gone into the site over many years. It provides a one stop shop for community members to search for details of political donations – by search under various criteria.
It is the Greens gift to the community which keeps on giving, providing information which the average person would not have the time, and in some cases nor the ability, to search out for themselves from original sources. This website is meeting a community need, and is something the 2 big parties have never done – one suspects because they wouldn’t want this information so easily available.
On Alexa, your traffic rank is, within Australia,
54,621
PY, when it comes to incestuous, that’s only scratching the surface where Peter Collins is concerned. Remember the antics regarding his wife. Not a mark against him… but it was an ‘icky’ saga.
As a leader though, Collins was a dud. He almost makes O’Farrell look good.
Kersebleptes
[Why has the move on Neal been left so late]
I think pre-selections were originally scheduled for later, but have been brought forward in case there is a DD. The time period they are open has also been reduced to 9 days (from 15 I think). The Robertson one opened today – as I assume did the others.
[David Elliott, chief executive of the Civil Contractors Federation]
Does this mean he has a lot of friends in the construction business. Jockeying for positions on the NSW Government gravy train. Only to help their poor mates who have suffered so much under the NSW ALP Government. 🙂
K@21:
[“According to Alexa, MyShool.edu.au is the 216th most popular Australian site on the internet”
What are the other 215? Porn? 😉 ]
The top 20 sites in Australia are:
1.
Google Australia
google.com.au
2.
Facebook
3.
Google
google.com
4.
YouTube – Broadcast yourself
youtube.com
5.
Yahoo!
yahoo.com
6.
Windows Live
live.com
Search engine from Microsoft.
7.
eBay.com.au
8.
Wikipedia
9.
Ninemsn
10.
Blogger.com
11.
News.com.au
12.
Twitter
13.
Commonwealth Bank of Australia
14.
The Sydney Morning Herald
smh.com.au
15.
Real Estate Australia
realestate.com.au
16.
Myspace
myspace.com
17.
WordPress.com
18.
Australian Bureau of Meteorology
bom.gov.au
19.
Amazon.com
20.
SEEK
I was just kidding Don. Well, half-kidding.
Wow – Fran Kelly has a very fair article about Abbott on The Drum today and she is spot on. I give her some brickbats so she deserves the opposite for this.
Abbott is being portrayed by many as ‘honest’ but she’s confirmed he’s not. Thanks Fran for pointing out what the OO will never say. He’s also making a lot out of Barnyard’s ‘honesty’. Phew – the bloke lies like a pig in mud when he speaks of Labor’s debt and deficit.
[ People reckon the NSW ALP is corrupt. ]
They do. And it is corrupt in the sense that decisions are which favour mates, rather than being based on merits. However, there is no proof at a state level (c.f a council level) that it is corrupt in a financial sense.
: Popularity of websites
Porn doesn’t come in the top 20.
However, some porn sites would be up there – I reckon in the top 250.
dave 18
That is interesting. It is probably a fair assessment of the BH borrowings but I still find the whole idea that anyone gets their interest premiums determined by anything that S&P or Moody’s thinks outrageous. If any part of the financial system should have been aboilished after the GFC it should have been their role in credit markets. They were neither competent nor ethical.
[ Does this mean he has a lot of friends in the construction business. Jockeying for positions on the NSW Government gravy train. Only to help their poor mates who have suffered so much under the NSW ALP Government.]
More than likely it does if O’Farrell is taking a leaf out of Rudd’s book (imitating Howard) and is intending to imitate the Labor administration.
Thanks, jv.
As we speak!
Their ABC makes a serious allegation via a headline, with NO ATTRIBUTION.
PM ‘misled’ Parliament on workplace laws
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/02/05/2811606.htm
That’s the sort of heading I’d expect to find on the Liberal Party’s website.
[Warren Buffett loses AAA rating. Mnmm. Makes you wonder…. ]
So Berkshire Hathaway is a riskier investment than the subprime mortgages were? LOL
Why haven’t the rating agencies been shut down and their principals banged up for fraud/incompetence/both? And why are our state governments still sucking up to these clowns and paying them for the privilege?
i will take his money , and you can hav his rating
Hey Ron I’ve got under Peter’s skin. He thinks you’re great. I win.
[Mr Rudd made the comments this morning in response to the case of six teenagers in Victoria who have been sacked because the new national awards do not allow them to work shifts less than three hours long.]
Will the kids get back pay for the half hour a day they were ripped off by their employer for in one case at least 3 years?
While there is plenty of anxiety in financial markets at the moment, but the RBA is more optimistic. Economic sunshine….political rewards for Rudd and co….
[RBA Says Economy to Accelerate Even as Rates Increase (Update2)
Feb. 5 (Bloomberg) — Australia’s central bank said economic growth will continue to accelerate this year even if policy makers are forced to raise the benchmark interest rate by another three quarters of a percentage point.
The economy will be growing at an annual pace of 3.25 percent in the three months through December 2010, up from 2 percent last quarter….]
ary Bruce
Posted Friday, February 5, 2010 at 4:51 pm | Permalink
“Hey Ron I’ve got under Peter’s skin. He thinks you’re great. I win.”
j
ust back
Your blatant unmitagated sabotage of my once poor integrity reputaton knows no bounds
you hav no shames
cuppa
it now has emma rodgers as the tag
You’re just going to have to try harder Ron. Bob and Peter just hate me. Gee, it doesn’t get more satisfying than that.
Can someone please ban ShowsOn for being an obnoxious twit.
[Can someone please ban ShowsOn for being an obnoxious twit.]
LOL. I’ll just get out the kettle. Now where’s that pot?
[cuppa
it now has emma rodgers as the tag]
Gus, I don’t mean a byline (ie who the story is filed/written by …). I’m referring to who SAID Rudd has ‘misled’ Parliament.
I believe that when a news organisation publishes an allegation in a headline (especially a serious allegation such as this), they should include in the headline just who is MAKING the allegation.
Otherwise it reads like a ‘fact’ with the only qualification being a couple of small punctuation marks.
Just heard Tone on ABC radio news saying a labor deal with the greens, on the ETS, will be disaster for the economy.
Maybe Penny and Christine are getting to him. 😉
Shows
troothy wants you to join his band
“the obnoxious twit”
He forgot that it is a solo act
😉
It shows to me the deal is on, just like you said ru. Your fly seems mighty reliable. It’s the last thing Abbott would want.