The latest edition of the Democratic Audit of Australia’s invaluable newsletter taught me the following things I (mostly) didn’t already know:
• Griffith University commissioned Newspoll to conduct two polls on “constitutional values”, in May 2008 and March 2010, and has handsomely published the full results in a comprehensive report. This finds the most pressing item on the public’s constitutional agenda to be “a referendum to decide which level of government is responsible for doing what”, which 54 per cent rate “very important”, followed by “what levels of government Australia should have” on 47 per cent, indigenous recognition on 43 per cent and a republic on 38 per cent. Support for recognition of local government is very high in Queensland (and, relatedly, among Nationals voters), but shaky everywhere else. However, the 2008 survey found the public would be highly favourable “if changes state there must always be a system of local government, set rules and standards of accountability, and guarantee a reasonable level of funding for local government”.
• The High Court has published its reasons for finding in favour of the GetUp!-backed plaintiffs who challenged the early closure of the electoral rolls introduced by the Howard government in 2006. The ruling restored the old regime under which new enrolments and changed details were accepted during the first week of the campaign, obliging the Australian Electoral Commission to accept over 100,000 applications that would otherwise have been frozen until after the election. There is a summary here and full judgement here. The court was finely poised on the issue, with Chief Justice Robert French and Justices William Gummow, Virginia Bell and Susan Crennan forming the majority, and Kenneth Hayne, Dyson Heydon and Susan Kiefel making dissenting judgements.
• Daniel Kreiss and Philip N. Howard probe the laxity of regulation surrounding political parties in the English-speaking world in “Political Parties and Voter Privacy: Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, and United States in Comparative Perspective”, published on the online journal First Monday.
• An Australian Parliamentary Library report tells us that a federal redistribution in South Australia should occur during the current parliament, with the seven-year time limit on the existing boundaries expiring this month. Other than the Victorian redistribution that has just been finalised, this is the only redistribution likely for the current term.
• The Queensland government has produced an 18-page paper entitled Reforming Queensland’s Electoral System, which canvasses “on political donations, caps on expenditure by candidates, parties and third parties, and automatic enrolment of eligible voters”.
• The Democratic Audit’s Joo-Cheong Tham has published a paper on regulation of NSW local government elections.
• The Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters has initiated its inquiry into the 2010 election, and will accept submissions until February 16.
[ru
If anyone thinks Anna Bligh is not being coached by psychologists, expert in disaster management, in what she is saying. Then they are muppets.]
are u saying crocodile tears were in use yesterday?
[GusfacePosted Friday, January 14, 2011 at 6:12 pm | PermalinkYes, and I am the King of the ALP and have all four of my limbs missing #dontreallycare
People in flood affected areas are the primary recipients of my sympathy right now.
pebbs I dont think mtbw warranted that reply
]
Gus,
I see you are defending the Anti Gillard Muppets – who are using this tragedy to advance their hatred of her in a most vile way imaginable.
Pebbles was right to put them in their box.
[pebbs I dont think mtbw warranted that reply]
You’re right. Sorry, MTBW. It has been a stressful week. I apologise.
[Pebbles was right to put them in their box.]
Nah, I resorted to a personal attack and I was wrong to do it.
[And maybe they might pass information on to somebody else and so on.]
blackdog – I think it was mysay who told us her experience of 1 message being passed on to dozens by word of mouth so that’s what I’m hoping for.
Time to get dinner or the message from my OH will be @X!x! … not really but the dog looks hungry too.
[And on a related note – Ch 7 last night had ac “Social Media Expert” warning people to be wary about information on the floods beibng posted on Twitter and Facebook, implyin g that the people posting it are lying and to trust the MSM]
Frank
Really? Maybe because from what channel 9 are saying, every time AB gives a presser there is a lot of praise for her.
They are stooping to even lower lows(if that’s possible).
[3303 To Speak of PebblesPosted Friday, January 14, 2011 at 6:15 pm | Permalinkpebbs I dont think mtbw warranted that reply
You’re right. Sorry, MTBW. It has been a stressful week. I apologise.
]
You don’t need to apologise – MTBW is living up to her name with her anti Gillard bile.
Nicely done Pebbs
frank
I think an gillard is wooden meme is being developed
but not here, more on the twittersphere and the shockjockracy
🙁
“Great minds want to know.”
And me as well.
ModLib could also answer the issue of the bias of media outlets rendering the leanings of ordinary reporters irrelevant. It is only the big names who get away with whatever they want and they are almost entirely Liberal sympathisers.
On the PM’s hand gestures, they are very distracting. The problem is that the same people bagging the PM for using them now will bag her if she stops – for reacting to their criticism!
Even so, she should stop them. They are appear to be an affectation and every trainee TV journo is told to keep their hands still.
That is why you so few Italians on TV 🙂
[I think an gillard is wooden meme is being developed]
Then let’s start up an “Abbott is a slug on steroids” meme.
[are u saying crocodile tears were in use yesterday?]
Not at all, but she is doing exactly what she should be doing, the tears of course were genuine.
86 towns or cities in your State get moderate to major floods and you have spent weeks before the media arrive dealing with stuff.
All I am saying is that she is taking the role of councellor and being advised by experts.
[To Speak of PebblesPosted Friday, January 14, 2011 at 6:16 pm | PermalinkPebbles was right to put them in their box.
Nah, I resorted to a personal attack and I was wrong to do it.
]
And her attack on Gillard wasn’t ??
Gimme a break,
You were justified in doing so and it wasn’t personal at all – it was well directed and factual.
Don’t let the Anti-Gillard Muppets here manipulate how you post.
[Even so, she should stop them. They are appear to be an affectation and every trainee TV journo is told to keep their hands still.]
You may notice how many young women TV news reporters hold the fingers of one hand with the other hand at belly button level.
I knew it wouldn’t take long. Just saw Tony Abbott on Nine News, sweeping mud from a driveway in a Brisbane street.
[You may notice how many young women TV news reporters hold the fingers of one hand with the other hand at belly button level.]
That’s cos they’ve got butterflies in the tummy.
“If anyone thinks Anna Bligh is not being coached by psychologists, expert in disaster management, in what she is saying. Then they are muppets.”
Absolute rubbish. You have obviously never been involved in a crisis management situation.
She is being given top class briefings by experts and using previous media training to deliver that information very professionally.
If you seriously think people in situatons like these have times for “coaching” sessions with “psychologists” then you are the one who should be pulling on the Kermit outfit.
I knew it wouldn’t take long. Just saw Tony Abbott on Nine News, sweeping mud from a driveway in a Brisbane street.]
I hope the driveway belonged to a Labor or Greens voter.
ruawake @ 3292,
[If anyone thinks Anna Bligh is not being coached by psychologists, expert in disaster management, in what she is saying. Then they are muppets.]
Of course she is the point is she’s coming across as a lot more human and less robotic than Gillard is.
New thread.