The latest weekly Essential Research survey shows no change on last week, bar a one point drop in the Greens vote to 10 per cent: the Coalition is on 49 per cent of the primary vote and Labor on 32 per cent, with the Coalition’s two-party lead at 56-44. Essential also found plenty of interesting questions to ask about the Labor leadership. Respondents were asked to evaluate the performance of various actors during the challenge, with Kevin Rudd coming out least badly (33 per cent good, 35 per cent poor), “Labor Party ministers” the worst (10 per cent and 52 per cent), the media also very poorly (14 per cent and 43 per cent), Julia Gillard not well at all (23 per cent and 49 per cent) and Tony Abbott hardly better even if it might be hard to recall what he did exactly (25 per cent and 40 per cent).
Sixty-two per cent of respondents said the leadership challenge was bad for the government and 47 per cent that it has made them less likely to vote Labor (64 per cent among Coalition supporters, obviously including many who wouldn’t vote Labor in a pink fit), against 13 per cent who said it was a good thing and another 13 per cent (or perhaps the same 13 per cent) who they were more likely to vote Labor. A question on Kevin Rudd’s future produces a miraculously even three-way split with 29 per cent saying he should stay in parliament and again challenge for the leadership, 28 per cent saying he should stay in parliament and not challenge for the leadership and 30 per cent saying he should resign from parliament.
Respondents were asked to indicate whether they supported the Australian system of leaders being elected by MPs (36 per cent), American-style presidential primaries (31 per cent) and British-style election by both MPs and party members (11 per cent). Fifty-six per cent believed MPs should be guided by public opinion in leadership contests against 30 per cent by who they believed was the best person. The poll also points to a slight increase in support for an early election since the end of January, up three to 44 per cent with support for a completed term down two to 46 per cent.
We have also had Newspoll publish results from last week’s polling on the most important political issues and the best party to handle them. Such figures are invariably very closely associated with voting intention, and since this was a 53-47 poll result, it finds Labor improving considerably since the question was last asked as part of the poll of October 7-9, which was a 57-43 result. Labor has recovered big leads on its traditional strong suits of health, education, industrial relations and climate change, and closed the gap on the economy, interest rates and national security. Full tables from GhostWhoVotes.
BK
[poroti
I didn’t know our Sophie was into acting!]
Acting ?
Mr Abbott has today announced a new type of policy.
‘An absolute signature policy.’
I await the first journalist to twig to the implications. Which policies are not ‘absolute signature policies?’ and ‘Why aren’t they ‘absolute signature policies’?
I am sure that the MSM plodders will get around to it, eventually.
lizzie @ 2483
The govt needs to put some real teeth into anti-discrimination legislation. I have made suggestions as to how this might be done.
Jonathon Holmes’ column on the Finklestein review highlights the appalling state of our country’s media.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-03-08/holmes-finkelstein-and-media-watch/3876360
[‘An absolute signature policy.’]
Would this mean that it it goes down so does he?
Just listening to Chris Smith interviewing Bill Shorten… does anyone else think Smith sound a bit precious?
He Doesn’t seem to get it… Shorten kept on saying “Fair Work Australia is independent Chris…”
(This is about FWA’s decision to withhold documents re. Thomson from the Victorian police)
Smith kept on at him. The reply was invariably, “I can’t comment, Chris. They’re independent.”
Smith came up with all kinds of wild ideas to get the documents to the Victorian Police. “It’s an independent body, Chris…”
The only time Shorten varied his response was when Smith asked why they were independent, and Shorten said he’d have to ask Tony Abbott that, as it was Abbott who set it up to be so.
Phoney Abbott ‘Signature Policies’ equal the same as ‘valuable’ cricket memorabilia pushed by Tony Greig.
Was that Cash for comment?
If anything can be considered an Abbott signature policy, it’s surely got to be ‘NO!’
BK
Cash was (I think) comparing the Coal program for parental leave “real money” with the Labor policy “welfare”.
It just sounded weird.
[It just sounded weird.]
lizzie
SHE is wierd!
wierd = weird
Is a “signature policy” the one that’s written down? On paper? And perhaps signed?
Surely some journo must ask Abbott what he precisely means by “signature policy”.
In glowing terms, The Power Index endorses the appointment of Jim Spigelman as chair of the ABC and concludes:
[But whether he is proactive or not, he will clearly be sympathetic to campaigning, investigative journalism, and he will be its powerful defender. The Power Index can’t see Spigelman bowing to political direction from Canberra, as long as journalists at the ABC get their facts right. Nor can we see him defending them to the hilt when they get those facts wrong.]
http://www.thepowerindex.com.au/power-move/jim-spigelman-will-be-no-government-lackey-on-abc-board/201203081131
He sounds like an exceptional human being.
His appointment bodes well for democracy.
bemused
Yes, I agree it’s all connected with anti-discrimination really. Very hard to prove, it’s so subtle.
Bushfire Bill. after just listening to chris smith precious, is the last adjective i would use to decribe that person. What did you think about alan jones opinion of Wayne Swan and the caller named stephanie that followed the Bill Shorten Interview?.
testing
2515 – Pegasus – Having sat through a number of Jim The Gaoler’s speeches at Law Term Opening dinners, I can assure you he agrees with you whole heartedly.
Who is Abbott’s Shadow Defence Minister? Does he agree with Abbott’s attitude?
Articles relating to vested interests, lobbying and the failure of the both Labor and the Coalition to make reforms to improve accountability and transparency…..
1. Greens Senator, Lee Rhiannon: http://newmatilda.com/2012/03/08/canberra-revolving-door
[This week Federal Treasurer Wayne Swan railed against the power of a “wildly irresponsible few” mining magnates who lobbied against the mining tax. The shallowness and hypocrisy of Swan’s attack is underlined by his government’s failure to seize the opportunity presented by a recent Senate inquiry to tighten the regulation of lobbyists.
While Canada and the US have quite rightly legislated to ensure that the way that lobbyists seek to influence politicians is made public, Labor and the Coalition have baulked at following the lead of these countries.
When the Senate inquiry brought down its report Labor and the Coalition made not one recommendation for reform.
….This conveniently overlooks one of the stated objectives in introducing the scheme: the right of “the public to know who stands to benefit from the efforts of lobbyists”, as John Faulkner put it in 2008.]
2.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/swan-stuck-on-a-solution-to-activism-20120307-1ukln.html
[WAYNE Swan has unloaded on voluble billionaires such as Clive Palmer and Gina Rinehart for pushing their interests in public policy debates but is cool on measures to mute their megaphones.
The Treasurer said yesterday a cap on spending by ”third party” interests, such as big miners or licensed clubs, would more than likely breach the constitution’s implied freedom of political communication. Mr Swan said a cap to keep external activism in proportion with messaging from democratically elected politicians was a ”great idea” in theory. But ”they’ve never been able to come up with a constitutional way to do it. That’s the problem,” Mr Swan said. But his political party is more optimistic. The ALP last year expressed support for a cap on third-party expenditure during election campaigns.]
Another instance when theLabor Parliamentary Party is at odds with the Labor political party.
Boerwar
[Mr Abbott has today announced a new type of policy.
‘An absolute signature policy.’]
Can’t see what an absolute signature policy is .Maybe he actually said an Absolut Signature Policy. Try an Absolut Signature cocktail here.
http://www.brides.com/blogs/aisle-say/2012/01/good-wedding-cocktail-ideas-absolut-miami.html
[Who is Abbott’s Shadow Defence Minister? Does he agree with Abbott’s attitude?]
David Johnston.
I’ve previously written to him after the Skype thing first came out stating my disappointment that he seemed to be excusing the abuses and bullying at ADFA. A staffer wrote back clarifying his position.
Pretty weak though.
Thanks Fess.
That must have been the voice I heard this morning demanding that Smith back down, apologise, whatever, whatever…
http://www.economist.com/blogs/graphicdetail/2012/03/daily-chart-4?fsrc=scn/tw/te/dc/talkingabouttheweather
[THE number of severe floods, droughts and storms has increased worldwide over the past three decades]
Just as climate scientists have been predicting….
According to Malcolm Farr Defence has chosen an issue they think they can win, rather than the one on amphibious craft :
[The row over the Skype sex affair last year followed an internal showdown when Mr Smith found no amphibious craft were available to help cyclone rescue work in north Queensland.
The tensions from that clash exploded in the ADFA controversy, Defence sources today told news.com.au.]
Read more: http://www.news.com.au/national/opposition-wants-defence-minister-stephen-smith-to-apologise-for-skype-sex-comments-against-adfa-chief-bruce-kafer/story-e6frfkvr-1226293397310#ixzz1oUZ4PmP7
As predicted by yrs truly before Christmas, Mr Abbott has changed his spin strategy for 2012.
(1) He is announcing a string of very minor but symbolically significant policies. These include, lately, (a) changes to the public broadcasting laws to allow comments of the sort Mr Bolt was found guilty of making under the current laws and (b), moving 1000 women at risk of abuse to the head of the asylum seeker queue. The latter is so important that it has been raised to the status of ‘absolute signature policy’.
(2) His subordinates are doing more of his attack dog activities, in and out of parliament.
(3) Just picked another little signal – for his media op call for Mr Smith to resign, Mr Abbott was flanked by Ms O’Dwyer and one other woman, whom I didn’t recognise. I believe that we can expect more and more of the new, woman-friendly, sensitive, caring and policy-rich Mr Abbott.
I recall members of the MSM slavering over the notion of the ‘real’ Julia. We were daily regaled with thousands of column inches on the topic. Clothes, ear lobes, speech etc etc, were analysed to ridiculous levels of extraneous detail.
Well, we now have the ‘real’ Julia.
She is the one who has triumphed over the MSM in the leadership struggle with Mr Rudd. She was the one who was rated highly on management by people who really care about that sort of stuff. She is the one who received an outstanding endorsement from her colleagues in the ultimate test – a Caucus leadership ballot. She is the one who has managed a humungous reform and legislative program through the medium of an extraordinarily difficult minority government context. She is the one who is leading Australia through extraordinarily difficult global economic times.
That is the real Julia. While most of the MSM has yet to get this balance right, we are at least being spared these days thousands of column inches of journalistic crap about hair and clothes.
Now that Mr Abbott is changing his spots so obviously and so consistently, is it time for the MSM to have a bit of a pack attack on the topic of, ‘Who is the real Mr Abbott?’ and ‘What, really, are the Coalition’s policies?’ and ‘Do the policies add up in any way, shape or form in terms of budget management?’
In all that policy, budgetary and political Coalition mess, will the real Mr Abbott stand up? Will the MSM seek him here, seek him there, seek him everywhere?
[‘An absolute signature policy.’]
As opposed to the forgeries of policies and audits the Coalition has been engaging in?
Michaelia Cash means that welfare is for poor women who take PPL and ‘real money’ is for those on huge incomes who also take PPL. Poor women will have to be happy with a tiny payment because that’s all they are used to anyway. Rich women will get ‘real money’ courtesy of the taxpayers of Australia who, it seems, will be delighted to provide them with a hundred thousand dollars or so (via a Great Big New Tax) while they loll around at home for 6 months. The money should pay for a whole stack of nannies and cooks and tennis coaches and hairdressers. So thoughtful of Margie and the girls to come up with this idea.
An excellent article pointing out just how the brazillionaires are fully “self made” and so why they should give more.
[Elizabeth Warren (former chairwoman of the US congressional oversight panel for the Troubled Asset Relief Program and current Massachusetts Senate candidate)…. argued “there is nobody in this country who got rich on his own”.
Warren’s argument is compelling: “You built a factory out there? Good for you. But … you moved your goods to market on the roads the rest of us paid for. You hired workers the rest of us paid to educate. You were safe in your factory because of police forces and fire forces that the rest of us paid for.”
.
(Bill)Gates believes, yes, “you earned it,” but “you earned it with the indispensable help of your government”]
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/hey-rich-list-its-payback-time-20120307-1ukeq.html#ixzz1oUZzdZEB
Bugger !!
[the brazillionaires are NOT fully “self made”]
[ I didn’t know our Sophie was into acting! ]
Ta, poroti. Love informative documentaries.
Boerwar:
An excellent summary.
c
thank you
‘It’s an independent body’ – says Shorten.
What the hell has that got to do with whether FWA cooperates with the police over Thomson??? If they are restricted, (which I think is crap) in what they can tell third parties then clearly the law must change ASAP.
Would any government agency get away with refusing to cooperate with the police over say, a pedophilia investigation?
Why is the government going to such lengths to pervert the course of justice over Thomson?
An obsevation: by someone else!. includes us Federally
Phillip Tullio
It really amazes me, NO dumfounds me, that people have just forgotten that , not only did we survive and prosper, through the worst economic disaster the world has seen in a 2 generations, our state, Queensland , has endured MAJOR flooding and total destruction of communities state wide, for 3 consecutive years, with 2 majors in one year and we are whinging that we can’t get ahead? Sometimes I wish that perhaps we did get run over by the GFC and then maybe the blind morons might see what a great job these governments have done.
Desert Fox
[If they are restricted, (which I think is crap) in what they can tell third parties then clearly the law must change ASAP.]
Feel free to investigate the law and get back to us.
On Steve Smith, I’ve been involved in a few cases of someone being suspended who is eventually exonerated by an independent review.
I can’t recall any time when the person who did the suspending was sacked or apologised. They certainly get beaten up a bit and there is quite a bit of payback though (sometimes monetary) .
DF
[‘It’s an independent body’ – says Shorten.]
It means the GOVERNMENT is NOT going to interfere.
Because YOU want them to for your own political purposes!.
lizzie @ 2516
I believe the answer lies in transparency and possibly reversal of the burden of proof. Make the employer show that there was no discrimination involved.
It would also be useful to do age profiling of large employers and ask questions if they deviate from industry norms and the profile of the workforce.
[ Michaelia Cash ]
I have ABC24 on, muted, during the day, just in case aliens land. I’d never heard of the above woman. It was a NPC broadcast. Who is that? I pondered.
I turned the sound on. It was an unpleasant experience. Quite unnerving. I hit the mute.
Why are Liberal ladies such harridans?
But, in the interest of balance, Ms J. Macklin has a voice that could cut concrete. A degree of modulation might be in order.
[What the hell has that got to do with whether FWA cooperates with the police over Thomson??? If they are restricted, (which I think is crap) in what they can tell third parties then clearly the law must change ASAP.
Would any government agency get away with refusing to cooperate with the police over say, a pedophilia investigation?
Why is the government going to such lengths to pervert the course of justice over Thomson?]
That’s the whole point – it has NOTHING to do with the government.
[‘It’s an independent body’ – says Shorten.
Why is the government going to such lengths to pervert the course of justice over Thomson?]
Um …
[‘It’s an independent body’ – says Shorten.]
SkyNews have been running hard all day so far with the ‘Smith must apologise’ line, endlessly showing Abbott’s smarmy door stop flanked by his two newest female ornamental MPs designed to portray him as a caring and sensitive New Age fascist, followed closely by a veritable phalanx of old defence fogeys harrumphing and spluttering whilst wrapping themselves in the flag …. where’s the dearly departed Bruce Ruxton when you need him?
Shanahan frothing and gibbering about the Defence Minister being unfit to serve and worthy of getting the sack is not remotely surprising, as he has to produce something today to justify his bloated paycheck, and if no real story exists, just make one up, then cobble together a few fatuous and fallacious sentences and submit this farrago of fiction before the deadline.
It’s only a matter of time today before some media clown starts waffling about ‘KaferGate,’ as the Murdoch Circus revs into high gear to try to create something from nothing for the commencement of Newspoll fieldwork this evening.
Desert Fox FWA is probably restricted by privacy law however I find it hard to believe the police are unable to source the information from other means.
DavidWH @ 2545
I am pretty sure if the police wanted anything from FWA then they would make a request get it.
But that is up to the police and FWA, not the government.
The police can probably get a court order for FWA to hand over its documentation. Often statutory bodies won’t cough up without one, as the info provided to them is provided under premise that it won’t be disclosed without an order.
[But that is up to the police and FWA, not the government.]
Nor the opposition, Nor G Brandis (whatever C he is supposed to be). It is quite ridiculous how the opps continually call for interference with independent bodies,
The Big Ship
[Abbott’s smarmy door stop flanked by his two newest female ornamental MPs designed to portray him as a caring and sensitive New Age fascist]
Doing a Ghadaffi ?
The UK Telegraph is waking up to the fact that the right wing parties no longer represent the values of the working families they claim to represent.
In the US, the UK and in Australia this is the problem facing common decent conservatives.
http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100142080/cameron-and-osborne-are-giving-public-schoolboys-a-bad-name/
[“The problem is that policy is being run by two public school boys who don’t know what it’s like to go to the supermarket and have to put things back on the shelves because they can’t afford it for their children’s lunchboxes. What’s worse, they don’t care either.”
If this quote came from Vince Cable it could safely be dismissed as the peevish mutterings of a typical Lib Dem malcontent doing his damnedest to tar the Conservatives as a party for the spoiled, remote, arrogant rich.
But it doesn’t come Cable, it comes from truest of blue Tory backbenchers Nadine Dorries. And Dorries is absolutely right: under Cameron, Osborne (and with able assistance from yet another millionaire ex-public schoolboy Nick Clegg) the Conservatives really have become the party of the spoiled, remote, arrogant rich. So much so that it makes you wonder why anyone on an income of less than £200,000 a year would even consider voting for them.]
Change Cameron and Osborne for Abbott and Hockey and you have the current Tory dilemma,they will not reveal their policies because they know only the rusted on and the terminally gullible turkeys will will support them.
[The Conservative party is traditionally associated with economic competence and with middle class aspiration. Between them David Cameron and George Osborne are destroying this tradition. When the core membership finally wakes up to what’s going on it’s not going to be happy. Indeed I think the damage these two remote, arrogant public schoolboys have done is already so great that they may well have destroyed the cause of conservatism in Britain.
Good show, chaps! Not.]