For the third week in a row Roy Morgan has published results from a small-sample phone poll, which have had appropriately erratic results. All three have had the Coalition in front: by 56-44 on March 8-10, 51-49 on March 16-17 and now 54-46 on March 22-24 (as always, the caveat must be added that I am using the “preferences distributed by how electors voted at the 2010 election” figure, rather than “preferences distributed by how electors say they will vote” as highlighted by Morgan). The latest result has Labor’s primary vote down only a point to 34.5 per cent – not so different from Newspoll – but lower results for the non-major parties have pushed the Coalition from 42.5 per cent to 47 per cent. The Greens are down two to 10 per cent. The poll had a sample of 542 and a margin of error of a bit under 4.5 per cent.
Respondents were also asked the rather odd question of who out of Julia Gillard, Kevin Rudd, Tony Abbott and Malcolm Turnbull “would best represent Australia internationally”. Kevin Rudd led on 35 per cent, with Gillard on 21 per cent, Abbott on 19 per cent and Turnbull on 17 per cent. Curiously, the “good” poll for Labor last week had much fewer respondents thinking they would win the next election (30.5 per cent to 57 per cent for the Coalition) compared with the two worse results on either side (37-54 and 37-52.5).
[the ONLY way they’ll get that number if Andre Rieu to perform:]
*vomits*
[I can just see the MSM turning the insult issue into a quagmire to bail Abbott out and spread the blame.]
Which is probably what the coalition is hoping for with these deflection tactics. First they tried the ‘Tony didn’t know the placard was there’, now it’s ‘mean, deceitful Julia’. And as we see with his doorstops, he gets all these questions about nasty QT and offended Julia, and nothing about what the alternative is to a carbon tax. I mean, the obvious question is if he accepts the scientific reality of AGW, why doesn’t he think it’s worth doing anything to address it?
[Uhlmann’s article now has comments – can’t see BB’s there.]
It’s not. I’m starting to think there’s a universal black list that they share around.
Oh well, William still loves me, don’t you William?
[Chris Smith is predicting they’ll get a crowd of 20,000 for the Sydney Rally]
20,000 is predicted and 20,000 it will be.
In ShockJock World, whatever they say comes true.
If the next denialist rally is on a Saturday, I’d expect they’ll get many more people to that one than they did for the Canberra one.
[ Uhlmann’s article now has comments – can’t see BB’s there.
It’s not. I’m starting to think there’s a universal black list that they share around.]
I read it earlier BB (was back reading PB and checked it (maybe 4-430?)
Will check again now…
[confessions
Posted Friday, March 25, 2011 at 6:25 pm | Permalink
If the next denialist rally is on a Saturday, I’d expect they’ll get many more people to that one than they did for the Canberra one.
]
The first one was on a Saturday outside Julia’s Office – but the Getup Rally ioutnumbered the by quite a bit.
[Bushfire Bill:
25 Mar 2011 2:06:50pm
“The Bureau of Meteorology says, “Trends in tropical cyclone activity in the Australian region … show that the total number of cyclones has decreased in recent decades. However, the number of stronger cyclones (minimum central pressure less than 970 hPa) has not declined.”]
yep
[the ONLY way they’ll get that number if Andre Rieu to perform:]
Must admit I checked a couple of hours ago. Seems a long time to wait for a comment to appear.
So I guess this must mean there is no universal black list and that William doesn’t love me anymore… and maybe never did?
I need a drink to deal with it.
It’s all William’s fault (hope you’re happy about this WB).
“If anybody thinks they shouldn’t be saying this, they are there to kill”.
Another gem from barnaby. Does anybody know where to find a transcript of what he was asked about the defence personnel?
So Frank – how you doing? Feeling better?
Tweets suggest the CC community forum at Geelong is being conducted well and with great respect from all concerned.
Barney not happy with the Royalties Deal:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/03/25/3174087.htm?section=justin
[Gos
Posted Friday, March 25, 2011 at 6:36 pm | Permalink
Tweets suggest the CC community forum at Geelong is being conducted well and with great respect from all concerned.
]
It’s live on ABC 12.
[myk42
Posted Friday, March 25, 2011 at 6:36 pm | Permalink
So Frank – how you doing? Feeling better?
]
Yeah, felling not too bad.
[Yeah, felling not too bad.]
[It’s live on ABC 12.]
good to hear 🙂
So it is…
DOH
Darren Laver @ 72
[He has poor written skills, a limited ability to research, undeveloped analytical skills, and no demonstrated ability to think critically. As a result, his work is rarely factual or supported by evidence, and usually laced with opinion, conjecture and, it must be said, gossip. He was also a failed extremist political candidate, which suggests he is more interested in being a political player rather than someone who has an interest in journaling Australian political developments.
The fact that their ABC saw to promote this consistent under-performer to its flagship current affairs program speaks volumes about its current direction and management structure.]
Spot on – your analysis of the shortcomings of the inept Uhlmann can be rolled out to nearly the entire ABC News and Current Affairs team, who are almost to a man and woman a pack of ill trained drones, virtual work experience duds or recycled Murdoch hacks.
Having been out of the country for a few months now, I have had the pleasant experience of watching some truly professional news and current affairs networks doing their jobs with objectivity diligence and genuine ability. BBC News, CNN, Russia Today and Al Jazeera are all light years ahead of our ABC, let alone the degenerate Murdoch pig sty.
From once being the wellspring of professionalism and objective integrity in Auatralian journalism and current affairs (think Andrew Ollie, Bill Peach, George Negus, Caroline Jones, Gerald Stone, et al) the debased and degraded ABC is now a faint echo of the Murdoch Circus, a parody of a news service, alone and palely loitering.
Sheet the debauched and lowly standards of the current crop of time serving charlatans in ABC current affairs and the whole debacle of ABC24 down to the failed and discredited Mark Scott, and his slide down the slippery slope of the tabloid ratings chase. He has brought to whole ABC house crashing down on his own head.
Sack him at once, and clean out the nest of Liberal stooges and right wing culture warriors from the ABC Board and the upper and middle management of the ABC before it is too late.
Bushfire Bill
Looks like I will be savoring the delights of Hornsby next wed. Lucky me.
[Much of the debate in the media is a ‘phoney’ debate.]
Geelong CC on ABC24
[116 The Big Ship
Posted Friday, March 25, 2011 at 6:42 pm | Permalink
\]]
i know i know i said i was giving you all up for lent.
but big ship why dont you send that about your overseas trip to Mr. Conroys office in Melbourne, a young lady there handles all these types of comments.
.
ring monday and just say that you dont want an official reply your just sending it as interest.
i thought this comment was to important to ignore.
Confessions @86
I wasn’t really disagreeing with you all that much. Just using your post as a springboard for a little rant. 🙂
Still think Gillard will have to take Abbott on a bit while doing the selling though. He doesn’t need to be given any clear air (so to speak) to conduct his attacks.
confessions @ 83
[Today’s Abbott doorstop transcript. Aside from the pressers getting shorter and shorter, note that not one question was put to Abbott about policy. The Juliar bitch placard stuff, nasty QT, ADF racism, Campbell Newman’s leadership, passage of the NBN through parliament, and the MPs ejected from a nightclub got up. Not one on policy.]
Absolutely typical and par for the course.
The majority of these alleged ‘journalists’ do not have the ability to even read the policies, let alone understand them, and those who do understand the policy detail are in thrall to the Murdoch Circus, and under implicit instructions from their far-off master to avoid the details (lest they expose the Leader of the Opposition for the policy illiterate he manifestly is) and concentrate instead on the ephemera of gossip and the ‘gotcha’ question.
These Press Gallery frauds are no longer journalists in the traditionally accepted sense of the term, but a pack of garbage can sifters and press handout recyclers, incapable of any independent analysis, or critical thought.
Thanks for this be to the octogenerian Rupert Murdoch, the perverter and destroyer of democracy wherever his palsied grasp can reach.
Geez, The whole lot are usless hacks? Let’s not get too carried away. It is friday arvo 🙂
More from Roy Morgan: “78% of Australians support UN Intervention in Libya
But majority (55.5%) don’t want Australian Involvement”.
The career path for most Press Gallery “Journalists” is to eventually become media advisers or press secretaries to a politician. Burning bridges is not a good career move.
So they play the game.
The Big Ship: I think that is why so many of us where so shocked (and delighted!) by Lateline the other night, in which we were able to witness “old-fashioned” investigative journalist skills.
I must say it was so long since I last saw it, I momentarily thought I was watching a repeat of a much, much older episode.
[GrogsGamut Greg Jericho
So I guess the important part of the anti-tax rallies this week is that @CUhlmann is a really unbiased journalist http://bit.ly/h7MEfr%5D
Good spot by Grog, as ever. This is a recurring theme for the ABC these days where “journalists” seem to think their opinions and impressions of the issues actually matter more than the issues themselves. Annabel Crabb is another obvious example.
Has anyone heard any reports about Australia being rated as No 1 for fiscal responsibility? Have any ALP MP’s been spruiking during interviews? Did Richo mention it?
Rua, that is true to an extent but there are some fairly hard-nosed people around who are way beyond that now.
I am surprised that someone like Oakes or Negus is not putting Abbott on the spot over his constant evasion of proper interviews.
Uhlmann is a pit precious in his drum bit. Sure there have been revolting demos by all sides of the political spectrum. The issue is at how many did a LOTO address the gathering. This is the mistake Abbott made, yet Uhlmann ignores it.
On the coverage on Wednesday night I noticed that the 2 guys who did hold up the sign with ‘the earth is flat’ was shown on 7:30Report, but not them holding the sign… they were just 2 people in the crowd (only a quick flash), so it left the impression that were actually supporting the revolting rally.
Anyone else notice?
According to the Canberra Times,the PM had a clash with JBishop after question time on Wednesday
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/national/national/general/pms-loud-and-ugly-clash-with-bishop/2113986.aspx
[I wasn’t really disagreeing with you all that much]
No worries Aguirre. 🙂
The other factor working against Gillard getting personal is the inherent misogyny that is apparent in our msm more generally. It seems to me the standard wisdom of Latham being a bully towards the PM working against him doesn’t seem to translate to Abbott in the eyes of many of our journos, or even voters.
So while Latham wasn’t able to get away with stand-over tactics and rough-handling with the PM, Abbott is given a free pass to be as personally denigrating and offensive as he likes, and is not portrayed as Latham was. I wonder if it’s residual Rudd Removal stuff colouring people’s view – they still see Gillard as the knife-wielding, backstabbing harpy and so figure she can look after herself/has it coming/whatever. Weird.
If they stop ignoring the various character traits that would make Abbott a highly unsuitable PM, then some people might ask why it has taken so long.
These guys have to play along now. The careers of the ABC24 “personalities” and some of the new media journos are inextricably linked with Abbott’s fortunes.
[Rua, that is true to an extent but there are some fairly hard-nosed people around who are way beyond that now.]
Not many, there are very few senior political reporter jobs, maybe a dozen? Plus you need to wait for an incumbent to retire to get a slim chance of promotion.
ruawake
Uhlmann is conveniently ignoring it.
Richo said today that Abbott should have sent someone from the B team out to the rally. He personally should have kept away. As the PM said, Abbott has poor judgement.
Danny Lewsi @ 125
[I think that is why so many of us where so shocked (and delighted!) by Lateline the other night, in which we were able to witness “old-fashioned” investigative journalist skills.
I must say it was so long since I last saw it, I momentarily thought I was watching a repeat of a much, much older episode.]
Indeed, yes, Steve Cannane was a breath of fresh air on Lateline after the stale and turgid performances of the likes of Uhlmann, Fran Kelly and Tony Jones in recent times, or the even more light weight powder puff pieces done by Leigh Sales, who seems to have not the first clue of any policy details.
Cannane has come up through the ranks from inside Triple J, so perhaps he has been shielded to some extent from the more egregious effects of the failed and discredited Howard Years. His tenure as presenter of ‘Hack,’ the daily afternoon wrap of news and current affairs, has been a fruitful one, and he seems to know his craft and be across his brief, which is much more than can be said for most of his inept ABC colleagues.
I wish Steve well in his continuing journalistic career, but I fear that he is not destined for promotion within the current debased ABC, where mediocrity is rewarded and ability is bypassed in favour of tabloid sleaze and time serving inertia.
What I find absolutely astounding is the ability of ‘everyone’ to forget what a damn stinking liar Rabbott is.
Toolman draws comparisons of rallies, claiming hypocrisy. What about Rabbott’s hypocrisy? How can he, a self confessed compulsive liar get mileage from slagging off at others like he is as pure as the driven snow, and quoting the bible FFS.
ruawake
Got my fuel bill today. Wasn’t pretty and will get worse by the looks. I hope my compo covers it when it is announced.
Good grief. If Labor in NSW only won ten seats, it would not even be recognised as a party apparently. Hopefully they will win the 14 seats as predicted.
/
The Big Ship
and Mr Cannane is handsome to boot 🙂
[THEBURGERMAN | 2 minutes ago
You can watch a replay of the climate commission I mentioned earlier now on #SkyNews Multiview – press ‘red’ on your remote control.]
Looks like senate may be sitting over weekend
Govt accused of NBN chaos.
http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/govt-accused-of-nbn-chaos-20110325-1c9zk.html
[Got my fuel bill today. Wasn’t pretty and will get worse by the looks. I hope my compo covers it when it is announced.]
Get used to it Joe, you fuel bill will rise carbon tax or no. Remember we are running out of the stuff, and scarcity tends to increase the value of it. Time to adjust your business plan.
[His tenure as presenter of ‘Hack,’ the daily afternoon wrap of news and current affairs, has been a fruitful one, and he seems to know his craft and be across his brief]
He might have come from JJJ, but he’s a Walkley Award winner.
Personally I think talent like his should be nurtured by giving him a prime time spot. Ditch Uhlmann and get Canane up there instead.
[What I find absolutely astounding is the ability of ‘everyone’ to forget what a damn stinking liar Rabbott is.]
exactly he spouts on about Gilliard as liar with richard nixon comparisons etc when he is the man of rock solid iron clad guarantee and the I did not meet with George Pell fame. he is a liar from central casting.
Ru
Btw. How are you feeling intertubies skills up to scratch?:)
Joe6pack @ 122
[Geez, The whole lot are usless hacks? Let’s not get too carried away. It is friday arvo]
Name one of the current Canberra Press Gallery who is doing an effective and objective job of analysing policy from either side of politics, as opposed to the examples of the questions asked of Abbott in his press conference this afternoon?
[Name one of the current Canberra Press Gallery who is doing an effective and objective job of analysing policy from either side of politics, as opposed to the examples of the questions asked of Abbott in his press conference this afternoon?]
Laura Tingle is probably the only one IMO
Oh dear.
One of Ballieu’s promises was at least two transport officers on every station after dark.
Problem: half of Victoria’s stations don’t have toilets or eating facilities.
Solution: police will come around in a divvy van to take transport officers to toilets.
The police are not impressed.
Laura Tingle has an excellent piece in the Friday Fin called Canberra Observed. The last para sums it up,
‘Not only is the government locked into a politically monstrous reform, it is locked into an expensive reform which it is not clear it has the money to buy.’
Well worth a read, if you can get hold of it.