Newspoll has conducted its usual fortnighly poll from a normal sample of 1151, but for some reason The Australian only provides results for preferred Labor leader. This offers yet more evidence that Julia Gillard is now less popular than Kevin Rudd, with the former favoured by 29 per cent against 36 per cent for the latter, with 10 per cent opting for Wayne Swan. The Australian’s report leads with the news that “only one in 10 voters back Wayne Swan as their preferred Labor leader”, which hardly comes as a surprise. Swan’s inclusion in the mix distinguishes the poll from previous Newspoll efforts six weeks ago and early last year, as does a six point hike in the undecided rating from 19 per cent to 25 per cent.
Today also saw the weekly Essential Research poll, which had Labor slipping another point on two-party preferred to trail 54-46. The Coalition is up a point on the primary vote to 47 per cent, with Labor and the Greens steady on 35 per cent and 11 per cent respectively. Contra Nielsen, the poll finds a slight increase in support for the carbon tax, with support up five points on a fortnight ago to 39 per cent and opposition down two to 49 per cent. If “the money paid by big polluting industries was used to compensate low and middle income earners and small businesses for increased prices”, support is 51 per cent (down three points) and opposition 33 per cent (up three points). Support for the National Broadband Network has increased since a dip in February, up six points to 54 per cent with opposition down three to 28 per cent. There are also two questions on Israel-Palestine which do not to my mind prove terribly illuminating.
So why hasn’t the oo published the rabbott’s poll results?
[The Australian’s report leads with the news that “only one in 10 voters back Wayne Swan as their preferred Labor leader”]
Swan is the deputy PM.
Bishop is the deputy opposition leader.
Neither will ever lead their party.
What’s there to discuss?
So far a non event from Newpoll’s weekend efforts.
I do feel for Martin O’Shannessy at Newspoll. The efforts of his team are handed over to the lousiest bunch of flea-bitten hacks like Franklin and Shanahan for interpretation.
Gee, the CT must be a worry to the people at BHP
[BHP Billiton plans to defy uncertainty over a carbon price and the imposition of a mining tax to pursue a $48 billion expansion of its iron ore operations.]
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/bhp-billitons-48bn-iron-expansion-defies-carbon-tax-uncertainty/story-fn59niix-1226041229019
Shows that News Corp has no interest whatsoever in fueling Gillard/Rudd divides in the public, no, none at all… 😉
Glenn Milne treats us to a dose of bilge: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/56878.html
deblonay,
[…”Because he is an exasperatingly stupid, obnoxious, immature jerk.” ]
Blimey, if the cap fits…………………………
Maybe it takes one to know one eh? 😉
after the Marrackville debate re Israel
____________________________
The debate on Marrickville and Israel policies reveaL that some of our politicians like the fatuous Emerson,think Israel cannot be challenged or criticised
They should examine the recent video of maltreatment of some of the large number of Palestinians held indefinately and without trial or charge in many Israel prisons(could we call them concentration camps…???) Prof Cole shows some new
video evidence perhaps Emerson and the PM should have a look …………..
http://www.juancole.com/
Nothing about the 2PP on line at the OO
Nothing about preferred leader of the opposition
Nothing about preferred PM Gillard v Abbott
____________
Hmmmmm?
Donald “I take the Oil” Trump must be a heaven sent to Obama. How lucky can one man get?
[WASHINGTON: The property billionaire Donald Trump is tormenting Republican contenders for the party’s 2012 presidential nomination, blitzing the airwaves with contentious statements and shots at rivals and Barack Obama.
With likely contenders conserving energy and funds, Mr Trump has topped recent polls after embracing the so-called “birther movement” that alleges Mr Obama was not born in Hawaii, and attacking him as a “weak president, that kisses everybody’s ass”.
On Sunday the frontman of TV’s The Apprentice came out with guns blazing, accusing the Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, China, South Korea and Saudi Arabia of “ripping off America”. He suggested the Arab League should simply have paid the US billions of dollars to get rid of the Libyan leader, Muammar Gaddafi, instead of expecting the US to fund a confused bombing mission]
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/world/trump-ramps-up-attacks-in-presidential-campaign-20110418-1dlij.html
comment #8
Deblonay
You miss the point totally. Israel is the only democracy in the middle east and you single it out of the whole world for boycott.
Mean while Hamas tries its hardest to kill as many “infidels” as possible.
Then Muslim countries around it are far more needing a boycott. Pull you head out of the sand and see the arab revolt in the Middle east against their own leaders.
Once militant Islam kills off the Jews in israel (I don’t doubt that is their aim) they will come after everyone else.
Just try living is saudi of afghanistan as a non Muslim un cover your face if you are female and seen what life is like!
As for prisons have a look at Syria…. IRAN! etc….. what is that dead silence
Geez, how good would a Tony Abbott PM and Barnaby Joyce DPM be? It would be totally awesome.
My Letter to the PM
Dear Prime Minister,
I write to you in my role as CEO of the Lobbyist and Rentseekers Association of Australia (LRAA). The LRAA represent the 1000 peak lobby group, rent seekers and all-round whingers. The LRAA are deeply concerned that the sheer amount of reform you are undertaking is putting a strain on our industry. We are calling on the government to deliver a crisis assistance package immediately to ease the pressure on our groups. We cannot keep up with the amount of lobbying and noise-making required to squeal for yours and the publics attention. With the mining tax, the flood levy, the carbon tax, gambling reforms, tobacco reforms and Murray Darling Basin reforms we are struggling to meet the demand to staff the volume of campaigns that are required.
So we are calling on the government to provide an immediate skills and industry suport package including:
-An immediate boost to tertiary education places in Public Relations,
-Incentives for people to move from mining boom towns to downtown Canberra,
-Designated lobbyist lanes on the Hume Highway between Sydney and Canberra,
-Tax concessions for long liquid lunches with MPs
-Training in ‘how to conduct a Lindsay focus group’
This is the bare level of assistance our industry requires to survive this crunch time. If you do not respond to this correspondence then we will be obliged to undertake a lobbyists revolt.
Kind regards,
[I write to you in my role as CEO of the Lobbyist and Rentseekers Association of Australia (LRAA). The LRAA represent the 1000 peak lobby group, rent seekers and all-round whingers.
The LRAA are deeply concerned that the sheer amount of reform you are undertaking is putting a strain on our industry.
We are calling on the government to deliver a crisis assistance package immediately to ease the pressure on our groups. We cannot keep up with the amount of lobbying and noise-making required to squeal for yours and the publics attention. With the mining tax, the flood levy, the carbon tax, gambling reforms, tobacco reforms and Murray Darling Basin reforms we are struggling to meet the demand to staff the volume of campaigns that are required.]
Ooooops, just a reminder that only back in Nov2010:
[Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has spent much of the past fortnight attacking Ms Gillard for heading a “do nothing” Government, and this morning he accused her of heading a “bad Government which is getting worse”.
“When I read in the paper this morning about what she intended to do in the next 12 months it just looked like a prime ministerial bucket list – the kind of things that you kind of do before you face the kind of inevitable Caucus executioners who came gunning for Kevin Rudd,” he said.]
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/25/3076014.htm
Gee, one moment the Gillard govt was accused of doing nothing, the next it was doing too much. What’s a bunch of wanGkers.
Mal Washer is an unusual Lib and still my favorrite to cross the floor on a carbon tax.
[Heed science and plan ahead
07/Apr/2011
By Mal Washer, Federal MHR for Moore
Comments:
THE Federal Government is due to release a decision paper on marine parks at the end of April following two years of discussions with the fishing industry and other stakeholders.
There will be three months allowed for public comment.
Marine reserves are to protect threatened species and allow late sexually maturing fish to breed with the belief that spill-over of their species will help sustainability of recreational and commercial fishing.
Reserves cannot work without good scientific research, evidence and monitoring. It is essential that commercial fishing and recreational fishing are onside to police and monitor the benefits.
Although commercial and recreational fishers blame each other for the decline of stock, the reality is that both need to be excluded from protected areas to allow stocks to recover in crucial breeding grounds.
Reserves also need State Government backing and additional factors, such as catch and size limits outside the parks, and possible restricted time for demersal fishing.
There are other features such as artificial reefs that also need to be considered.
Most important of all is good public education to promote responsible fishing. Australia has always set high standards in this industry and needs to continue to do so, and explore new ideas in the future.
It is important to heed the science and plan ahead to avoid the risks that will occur without adequate protection.
– Dr Washer recently co-hosted a forum at Parliament House in Canberra with WA Labor backbencher Melissa Parke and Australian Greens Senator Rachel Siewert, with speakers Professor Jessica Meeuwig from UWA Oceans Institute and Professor Hugh Possingham from the University of Queensland.]
http://www.inmycommunity.com.au/news-and-views/comment-and-opinion/Heed-science-and-plan-ahead/7588001/
[Simon Birmingham Birmo SA secretary of AWU on #CarbonTax impact on industrial cities like Whyalla & Pt Pirie “Goodbye. They will be off the map” #auspol ]
With friends like these…
Well, 46/54 is better than 44/56, and both are a lot better than 62/38, which is what Newspoll racked up in 2007, as Howard was going down the gurgler. Only a fool (or the bloke in the fruit shop yesterday) would say Julia’s out for the count at this stage of the cycle. She’s got problems, but it’s only round 4 of a 15-round bout. The early knockout scenario is looking less and less likely, unless Labor gives itself an uppercut.
If anyone wants a real example of a problem requiring the wisdom of Solomon, try this: who gets the international Australia TV network now that the contract’s up for grabs?
Two bids: the malignant, phone-bugging News/Sky… or Their ABC, the incumbent.
The ABC has botched ABC-24 big time, showing that it couldn’t run a blow-up castle at a 3 year-old’s convention. A debacle by any measure (how I love to use that word back at them).
And News is just, well, News: vicious, dishonest, nasty, dirty bootstrappers. You wouldn’t piss in their throats if they were dying of thirst.
Both of them don’t seem to give a damn about “Australia” and what’s good for it. The ABC feeds off News for just about every story, and News just makes it all up in the first place. A classic example of the old maxim, “If it’s in the newspaper then it must be serious”. Barrie Cassidy falls for it every Sunday at 9am on the dot.
If Julia thinks that giving Murdoch the Australia TV franchise will convince him to call off the dogs, she’s got rocks in her head.
Better to strong-arm the ABC into some decent coverage than to not only encourage Murdoch to put the boot in, but to pay for the privilege as well.
The government has more leverage over the ABC, in a wider area, than it has over Murdoch. Julia should apply a stiletto heel to the neck of Mark Scott and tell him to play nice, or she’ll make him and his bunch of hacks, purveyors of canned British drama, Playschool and biased journalism, even more irrelevant than they are now.
http://www.theage.com.au/world/come-in-aussie-come-in-20110418-1dlg0.html
Deblonay,
I may not agree with some of Franks behaviour, but nor do I agree with you saying things like that when he can’t answer for himself. You can always go on Twitter and tell him to his virtual face.
I would love it if Noreen Hay went for dirty tricks.
[Hay faces challenge to Wollongong win
April 18, 2011 – 2:59PM
AAP
Wollongong independent candidate Gordon Bradbery is challenging Labor MP Noreen Hay’s narrow win at the NSW March election, with his lawyer saying “irregularities” may have cost his client victory.
The controversial Ms Hay won the south NSW seat by just 682 votes after suffering a 24.3 per cent swing, making her one of only 20 lower house Labor MPs to survive Barry O’Farrell’s landslide.
But Mr Bradbery is now challenging the result, alleging a win may have been foiled by fraudulent how-to-vote cards, misleading campaign posters and by some people casting more than one vote.
His lawyer David Swan on Monday filed a petition in the Supreme Court, with hopes the matter will be heard by the Court of Disputed Returns by July.
If irregularities are found the result could be declared null and void and a by-election called, or Ms Hay removed as the local member in favour of Mr Bradbery.
Mr Swan said 800 fraudulent Liberal Party how-to-vote cards were discovered at one booth which, despite the enmity between the two major parties, advocated voters preference Labor and Ms Hay.
Another concern was campaign posters in the area telling people to `Just Vote 1′, which Mr Swan claims gave the impression they were produced by the NSW Electoral Commission and not one of the political parties.
“One was branded by the Labor Party, the other one was not,” he told AAP.
“The intent of that was that they didn’t have to lodge a preferential vote.”
Mr Bradbery also believed some people may have voted more than once, and wanted to subpoena the Electoral Commission to test the correctness of the vote.
Ms Hay has been a divisive figure in the Illawarra since she was investigated by a 2008 corruption inquiry into Wollongong Council, despite being cleared of any wrongdoing.
The MP, who has held her seat since 2003, said she would not let the court case sidetrack her from representing the Wollongong electorate.
“People are free to pursue whatever legal actiont hey wish, I’m just getting on with the job or representing the electorate of Wollongong,” she told AAP on Monday.
“As far as I’m concerned we ran a legitimate campaign, and the Electoral Commission did a very careful and detailed count before declaring me elected.”]
http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/hay-faces-challenge-to-wollongong-win-20110418-1dl1a.html
Hey Bushfire, get a new record to play. The one you’re playing is irreparably repetitive.
BB
Great post, and I hope the government do not even consider giving that contract to News/sky. That malignant cancer should never be allowed anywhere near a government service.
[
SA secretary of AWU on #CarbonTax impact on industrial cities like Whyalla & Pt Pirie “Goodbye. They will be off the map”
]
There was an article yesterday saying the state secretaries of the AWU had ordered Howes to attack the Carbon Tax.
Is that Gullible Prat?
Someone’s been at the cheap plonk again, and it doesn’t take much to addle a tiny brain.
[Hey Bushfire, get a new record to play. The one you’re playing is irreparably repetitive.]
Hey GP, you’re up early. Must have been the food last nite, eh? Gives me the sh*ts just looking at it.
Some pre budget speculation from the Tele
[
Wayne Swan retreats on child care
A BUDGET proposal to means test the 50 per cent childcare rebate for families was rejected by Treasurer Wayne Swan’s razor gang after a marathon session yesterday.
Government sources revealed Mr Swan ruled out the measure, in which families would be means tested for the first time for generous childcare help of up to $7500 a year.
Sources confirmed the Treasury and Departmental wish list of Budget cuts put at the meeting in Canberra included means testing of the 50 per cent rebate for families on incomes above $150,000.
“If you live in western Sydney with a family and you earn $150,000 combined, you wouldn’t exactly be going around saying you are well off,” a Government source said yesterday.
It has been confirmed the proposal was put to a meeting of the expenditure review committee in a “rule in rule out” session of savings measures to be ticked off between key ministers and Treasury and departmental officials, ahead of the May 10 budget.
The razor gang also rejected another proposal to slash funding to the National Health and Medical Research Council which would have saved more than $300 million.
]
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/wayne-swan-retreats-on-child-care/story-e6freuzr-1226041196496
[“If you live in western Sydney with a family and you earn $150,000 combined, you wouldn’t exactly be going around saying you are well off,” a Government source said yesterday.]
Booooo!
[The razor gang also rejected another proposal to slash funding to the National Health and Medical Research Council which would have saved more than $300 million. ]
Yay!!!!
I reckon they will cut other sciences instead though.
ABC radio is reporting that the gov’t has decided not to cut health research funding or the childcare rebate in the budget. If it is true, and the gov’t considered cutting the ccr then dropped it after testing the waters, it means that middle class welfare will be here to stay. No-one will touch it.
Pink Batts get a run in the Tele also
[
Training falls off roof in insulation batts fiasco
BRICKLAYERS, carpenters and truck drivers have been hired to inspect potentially dangerous roofs under the Federal Government’s clean up of the $2.4 billion pink batts fiasco.
And many have received just five days’ training in a classroom that does not involve stepping into the roof cavity of a real house before they start work.
The Government promised to inspect 200,000 homes for unsafe or poorly installed insulation after being forced to shut down its rebate scheme linked to the deaths of four installers and 100 house fires.
]
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/training-falls-off-roof-in-insulation-batts-fiasco/story-e6freuzr-1226041194643
The annoying thing about the ccr is that by funding people who do not need government subsidies, kids with other needs miss out on help. I am sure there are a lot of kids with disabilities whose mothers need respite and the kids need intervention programs which they could get if the money spent on child-minding for tennis lessons was cut. Putting the money into that type of childcare is more socially just.
Puff
The aim of the Childcare rebate was always to encourage females back to the workforce after pregnancy, and to give support to people with children. It was never about middle class welfare
[dovif
Posted Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 8:14 am | Permalink
Puff
The aim of the Childcare rebate was always to encourage females back to the workforce after pregnancy, and to give support to people with children. It was never about middle class welfare]
Of all the places to encourage participation and productivity, I think this is the worst. You just dont get those years with your kidlets back.
Oooh I think I have just come over all social conservative. I knew I had it in me,
Dovif,
It was blatant vote buying, and to increase the profits of the private childcare industry, when many of your conservative rat heroes had fingers in that pie.
In other news, Fran has said ‘nego-s-iate’ at least twice this morning. It’s not that uncommon.
And the English-teacher contestant on last evening’s Letters & Numbers on SBS was not sure how to spell innate.
Morning Bludgers!
It’s a beautiful autumn morning here and I’m seriously thinking of giving Agenda the flick and going outside.
In fact, I WILL go outside.
Puff from earlier thread
[Puff, the Magic Dragon.
Posted Monday, April 18, 2011 at 10:07 pm | Permalink
Gus,
I was young but the world changed in 1975. And not for the better. 😥 ]
Sadly true. As BK mentioned there was in the late 60s to the late 70s something of a renaissance in the media. ‘The Australian’ had a genuine go at independent news coverage and analysis. It shook up the establishment broadsheets, forcing them to a broader focus. Then came ‘Nation Review’, which for those of us brought up on the inertia of the 50s, was almost revolutionary. ‘The National Times’ quickly followed and was a bit closer to mainstream while still being very liberal-analytical. The AFR covered more of politics than it had and it was quality analysis.
On TV, ‘This Day Tonight’ set new standards in reporting, albeit there was still room for older-style in-depth shows like Four Corners. Radio brought in AM, PM and The World Today’.
Sadly the press today had reverted to the 50s style inertia, minus the professionalism that at least existed then. ABC radio and TV, with a few exceptions like Radio National seems to have collapsed to the tabloid superficiality of the commercial stations.
1975 was the turning point. Budget extravagance was used to rationalise those disgraceful events of stacking the Senate and sacking the government, and neither party has been the same. Labor governments nationwide have put budget obsessions first, and the public has generally bought it during good times. Perhaps because of what happened, too, there has been a tendency to adopt the NSW Right type of populism as the safest way to go. That was never what Whitlam, Dunstan or Murphy were about. Even Wran, though he played to that, was concerned with the greater good, but the message got diluted over time.
Gorgeous Dunny
A very good summary of what it was like then. Politics was ALIVE!
In the sixties and seventies I had Hansards posted free of charge to me. They were heady days indeed.
BK
With views like that, you could never make it into a Lindsay focus group.
so is there is there going to be a newspoll.
what if it was better than neilson and they gave it a miss
Apparently there was a loud noise from the sky over SW Victoria last night. This is the article.
http://www.standard.net.au/news/local/news/general/the-southwests-big-bang-the-truth-is-out-there/2134806.aspx
Some of the comments are hilarious.
bg
Frankly I’m sick to death of constant references to western Sydney.
[Puff, the Magic Dragon.
Posted Monday, April 18, 2011 at 10:07 pm | Permalink
Gus,
I was young but the world changed in 1975. And not for the better]
I remember when it was really the in thing to buy the Australian,
problem is some people cannot break the habbit and you still see them sitting on the side of the road at some coffee shop the cars going by the petrol fumes ect.
people in their 50s who dont know now its not cool ( as they say )
did murdoch land alwasy own it.
i listen or use to listen to Rph print radio they now start their day with readings from the aust. so i dont listen any more
BK
I am intrigued that you get could get HANSARD mailed to you. And that you were interested.
What was your politcal involvement at the time?
BK
I didn’t even know there was a Western Sydney until the last Federal election.
was better than neilson and they gave it a miss
39 Bushfire Bill
Posted Tuesday, April 19, 2011 at 8:30 am | Permalink
[]]Apparently there was a loud noise from the sky over SW Victoria last night. This is the article.
http://www.standard.net.au/news/local/news/general/the-southwests-big-bang-the-truth-is-out-there/2134806.aspx
Some of the comments are hilarious]
Now tell us BB which one did you vote for, to upset the locals, i thought the alien one was a good bet lol
any way where is this place
One thing I do not understand, if Western Sydney is so bad, why don’t people just move?
i think western Sydney and western aust should succeed
ABC
The Editorial Policies have been radically revised and shortened. As of last Monday, 150 pages have become 22. Reams of detailed rules have become 13 sets of Principles and Standards that apply across the whole of the ABC output, backed up by some non-binding Guidance Notes.
At the same time, the complaints procedure has been simplified. The ICRP has gone. So has the ABC’s own Complaints Review Executive. Complaints that are accepted for investigation (and many won’t be) will now be dealt with, once, by the ABC’s Audience and Consumer Affairs division. Complainants dissatisfied with the response they receive can go to the ACMA. That’s it.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/14/3191431.htm
morning
I thought we would have had news poll by now?
[BK
I am intrigued that you get could get HANSARD mailed to you. And that you were interested.
What was your politcal involvement at the time?]
bg
Yes, Hansard was available free to anyone in the country.
As for political involvement I have never been a member of any political party of have have been directly involved in any way.
It’s just that there was so much going on at the time. As a nineteen year old at the time of the Libs talking about conscription for the Vietnam war, the fawning Monarchism of the Coaltition, the presence of the DLP, Bob Santamaria, Archbishop Mannix, etc. there was much to be interested about. There was an abundance of nascent change in the air.
As a matter of interest I was in the first draft ballot in which 51% of the 183 birthdays were selected, so effectively the Army could take its pick. After a couple of years of deferral for study completion I failed the medical. It was an unnerving experience – but nowhere near as bad as the poor sods who went over there and then treated like shit when they got back.
It wasn’t long before the Whitlam years came, and we all know how vibrant they were.
Anyway, bg, I have maintained the keen interest in politics ever since.