The latest fortnightly Newspoll has the Coalition’s lead at 53-47 on two-party preferred, but this obscures a lot of movement on the primary vote: Labor down four after a curious aberration a fortnight ago to 31 per cent, the Coalition down two to 43 per cent (its lowest result in almost exactly a year), the Greens up one to 12 per cent and “others” on 14 per cent (“last that high in September 2006”, GhostWhoVotes advises). Julia Gillard has recovered a preferred prime minister lead she lost two surveys ago, now leading 39-37 after trailing 38-36 a fortnight ago, but this is very much a case of the lesser of two evils: she has recovered only two points from the slump on her approval rating in the previous poll, to now be at 28 per cent, with her disapproval also down two to 62 per cent. Tony Abbott is respectively up one to 32 per cent and up one to a new high of 58 per cent. The incurably spin-happy Australian is selling this as “Wayne Swan’s attacks on the nation’s billionaire mining magnates (having) failed to lift Labor’s electoral support”, despite the figures offering no basis of any kind for making such a claim.
Meanwhile, Essential Research advises: “Because of public holiday in Melbourne our data processing people weren’t working today so report will go out tomorrow. And it will be worth the wait.”
UPDATE: Essential Research continues to part company with the phone pollsters, with its Coalition lead out from 56-44 to 57-43. Labor is down a point on the primary vote to 31 per cent, and has dropped three points over the past four weeks, with the Coalition steady on 49 per cent (up two on four weeks ago) and the Greens steady on 10 per cent. As in Newspoll, the monthly measure of personal ratings has Julia Gillard taking a hit in the wake of the leadership spill, her approval down four points to 32 per cent and her disapproval up eight to 61 per cent. Tony Abbott’s figures are little changed at 36 per cent (up one) and 52 per cent (down one), and he has narrowed his deficit as preferred prime minister from 41-34 to 40-37. Approval of Bob Carr’s appointment to the Senate and foreign ministry is evenly divided at 37 per cent approval and 36 per cent approval, with strong disapproval (17 per cent) heavily outweighing strong approval (7 per cent) (which to my mind doesn’t reflect too well on the insight of the punters).
Other questions included an amusing experimental effort in which half the respondents were asked if they agreed with Wayne Swan that “Australia’s wealthiest individuals are using their wealth to try to influence public opinion and government policy to further their own commercial interests”, and the other half if they agreed with the statement without it being attributed to Wayne Swan. The results were extremely similar – 58 per cent agreed and 26 per cent disagreed when it was attributed to Wayne Swan, compared with 60 per cent and 24 per cent when it wasn’t – but it became so because strong partisan effects cancelled each other out, with Coalition voters especially far more inclined to reject the assertion (36 per cent agree, 51 per cent disagree) coming from Swan than when it was unattributed (55 per cent agree, 30 per cent agree). The poll also finds a decline in support for the mining tax since the question was last asked in February, with support down three points to 52 per cent and opposition up six to 34 per cent. Respondents were also asked to identify what constituted “middle income” ($60,000-$79,000 getting the highest response for individuals), “well off” and “wealthy” (with responses here very widely spread). Eighty-six per cent believed social class still existed in Australia against only 8 per cent who didn’t.
Crikey no I’m not Glen and I didn’t mean to be nasty and apologies if you took it that way. It was just a jest on the long post hence the smiley. So sorry.
Hi Crikey, DavidWH seems OK (for a tory, that is).
He’s not Glen. Glen now calls himself Gary something or other but doesn’t post here much any more.
myk
I was using poetic licence
😉
Scores
Ps and pps
Pollbludger lunch Saturday with BK, Puff and et al yet to be known.
Ventured into Facebook today, looking for one of my nieces, the weird thing started to load my contacts, and a pic of you and wife showed up.
Cute!
btw
talcum has issued a rebuttal to swannie
intellectual wankery par excellence
http://t.co/wSpL3Ara
gusface,
[scorps
gotta keep u on your toes ]
The old girl wants me in a different position than that.
Woops! Just got a tap on the shoulder.
Gotta run! 😉
DavidWH @ 2348
Time to repent comrade and turn away from the “Dark Side”.
gussie
I couldn’t read all of it, too turgid.
Twice the butt, I think gus.
Actually, they’re both pretty bad.
In Hockey’s favour I will say, however, that although he mightn’t be able to add-up, he does tend to behave himself in QT (limiting his abuse to loud guffaws) and rarely gets turfed.
Unlike Dutton, who seems to get thrown-out every second day for making a complete arsk of himself. Dutton and Sophie must be up there on the ‘most tossed of all time list’ by now.
crikey whitey,
[Scorpio
Ps and pps
Pollbludger lunch Saturday with BK, Puff and et al yet to be known.
Ventured into Facebook today, looking for one of my nieces, the weird thing started to load my contacts, and a pic of you and wife showed up. Cute! ]
Yeah, but she looks a bit different to when she lived on Broadway! 😉
I’m sure you will all have a great time Saturday.
puff
sped read it
talcum harkens to another era
when the boss was right and everyone else can get farqed
🙁
Hockey should be in a social portfolio. He would be ok there but is out of his depth in treasury.
crikey whitey @ 2345
DavidWH is not the least bit nasty.
But he has disappointed his good honest ALP voting mother by turning to the “Dark Side”. I am working to get him back and would appreciate your help.
He responds well to being called “comrade”. 😉
Goodnight all.
I’m off too so goodnight all.
davidwh
joe is in treasury asa sop
abbott has played him and talcum like old fiddles
[It probably wasn’t all Whitlam’s fault and I probably blamed him unfairly but it sort of got burned in my brain.]
Well, its the 21st century now and its probably time people sat up and started to do their sums on what it is they think they’ll get out of Abbott.
As far as Turnbull and the NBN goes, its just pure smokescreen and bookmark. Turnbull doesn’t really believe in the “alternative technology” he’s been plugging. And it shows in some recent remarks. All its about is having something plausible sounding to fool Liberal leaning voters into a false sense of security.
After the election, if Abbott wins, all you’ll get is the only thing they’ve actually seemed to promise – a study. This frees them to take whatever approach seems politically feasible at the time. Hence the bookmarking. They don’t really want to go to an election with a real concrete policy on broadband.
The scary bit for me is this. The Liberal’s are made up of the pragmatists and the ideologues. The pragmatists will soon realise there’s nothing to be gained from trying to wreck NBNco. The ideologues will put us back to the days when Telstra was blackmailing Coonan.
Who will win?
One thing that really pisses me about the Liberals is the illegitimate tactics they are now using. And their “its terrible cause its Labor” stance on the NBN is a perfect example of not giving a tinkers cuss about the nation but instead doing whatever nasty things will get them in.
Comrade DavidWH,
These associations can be stubborn. It is a bit like falling over a yellow step and from that developing an irrational aversion to the colour yellow. My colleague Mr Bemused is working very hard on your treatment. When he thinks you are strong enough, he may even show you a very small photo of Gough.
[One thing that really pisses me about the Liberals is the illegitimate tactics they are now using. And their “its terrible cause its Labor” stance on the NBN is a perfect example of not giving a tinkers cuss about the nation but instead doing whatever nasty things will get them in.]
Me too.
Under their present leadership you get the impression that the Tories really would favour some dreadful disaster striking us (like a terrorist attack or a collapse of world trade) if they thought they could turn it to their political advantage somehow.
Hell, they’ve been talking the economy down for so long now that maybe they’re hoping to trigger some sort of local fiscal crisis all by themselves (well, with the help of the Gerry Harveys and Clive Palmers amongst us, anyway).
CW
I did note your comments, and thanks for the good wishes. It’s certainly my experience that family and friends are delighted with the way my new apparatus eases communication for them as well as their being delighted for me.
As for your singer friend, I can only imagine how difficult problematic hearing would make her task, so the cochlear would be a wonderful gift for her. That said we can note that the mightiest composer of all was similarly afflicted, long before this technological solution became available.
Fell asleep in front of the telly, then woke up to dogs barking, hence the weird hour.
Costello has done it again. He’s put himself and his preening expectations at the centre of a divisive shit fight, spitting the dummy one more time over not getting a job he had decided was his by right.
Everywhere this bloke goes he causes trouble with his colleagues due to his implacable belief that he should be the boss.
His elevated view of himself as some kind of economic guru is belied by the fact that no-one in a proper financial institution has ever been prepared to offer him a fair dinkum job. They know Costello only too well. Give Peter an inkling that he might be promoted if he plays his cards right, and he reckons the job’s already his, no matter how much of a brat act he turns on in the meantime.
His ego caused no end of trouble when he was in government. Howard was able to swat him like a fly, however, because Tip has no spine for a fight and Howard knew that. At the first sign of trouble Costello’s back turns to jelly.
If there is someone weaker than himself within range, Costello starts kicking heads. If there is someone stronger nearby, he starts licking arse. Lick up, kick down: Costello in a nutshell, one of this world’s natural born bullies.
Last night on 7.30 he used weasel words to say that he had no confidence in the man appointed to be his boss: David Gonski. Oh, he loved the guy, thinks he’s terrific, great businessman, but the process of his appointment rendered his position forever tainted etc. etc. Costello kept that up for a while, but at the end of the interview let this slip:
[The reason I came on here was to talk about something that’s lasted and it’s the Future Fund and I don’t want to see it disappear.]
Costello seems to believe that David Gonski’s appointment will make the Future Fund “disappear”.
Tip has two choices: stay, or resign.
If he stays, the words he has uttered tonight will forever taint his relations with the new Chairman and the Future Fund, which he believes is in the process of “disappearing”. That’ll get the punters listening to 2GB confident in the institution, won’t it? So much for the Fund being “well respected”.
Peter Costello has told the viewers in plain terms that Gonski was part of a hopelessly flawed process that saw Gonski first gain the confidence of the board, only to rat them out later on by taking the job himself. In Costello’s view, this is a process that can destroy the worth of the Future Fund: make it “disappear”. What a delightful person to have on the Board, with an attitude like that.
Once again he has pitched for a top job that is not available to him, which never was available to him, and never will be.
He has made the classic mistake typical of all egotists: he feels like he owns the Future Fund. It wasn’t taxpayers’ money he put into it. The way he described it, it was tantamount to Costello’s personal money that set it up. He has no concept of the hard fact that the government of which he was a senior member lost office, and lost it badly, in large part due to his constant white-anting of his own boss, John Howard, along with the interminable ructions and media gossip this caused, year after year.
Later, when offered the job as LOTO, he declined, thinking the job was beneath him (and especially so as Howard had finally handed it over, too late). Costello then ran true to form, setting out to white-ant two more leaders who were prepared to take it on. Well, at least Nelson and Turnbull had a go, something Costello never was able to do. Even Rudd eventually stood up for himself. Costello just lay back in the hammock and cried how unfair it all was.
Once again, Costello has spat out the dummy and is in full whinge mode, blaming others for his own inadequacies. A sycophantic TV interviewer, the odious Uhlmann, is Costello’s new “Glenn Milne”, hanging off his every word. If, as expected, Costello reacts to the “injustice” or “impropriety” of Gonski’s appointment in his customary way, he will commence smirking his way through meetings, and will again white-ant his boss and those who appointed him in the media, all the time denying he is doing any such thing.
Who does he think he’s kidding?
Every piece he writes for the Fairfax rags will be pored over by journalists for hidden clues as to Costello’s real position. This analysis will always come out as Costello being negative towards the government and snarky against his boss. It’ll be the same old Peter, repeating his mistake and exhibiting his fatal personality flaw, updated to 2012.
It is this flaw that has made him just about unemployable. No-one wants to give such a monumental egotist a subordinate job, because as sure as eggs he’ll be after yours eventually, blaming you for everything that goes wrong, taking credit for everything that goes right, feeding the media with oracular, ambivalent malevolence until you give up and hand the job over.
Or at least that’s the way it’s supposed to happen, in Costello’s own mind.
But what smart people know about him is that if it ever comes to a real fight, Costello always chokes. Howard knew this instinctively and played Costello for a public fool, humiliating him repeatedly in front of the nation, only finally giving him the job he had craved for all along when it had become a worthless trinket.
Which brings us to the other option: resignation. If Costello, of his own accord, doesn’t resign in disgrace then Gonski should demand a letter of resignation from him to be placed on his desk next Monday morning.
If this towering, self-absorbed clown, Costello, refuses to do that, the process of termination should be started. I don’t know what it involves, but I assume it may need a parliamentary vote behind it. The government should do it. They can’t have their appointed Chairman, running a $90 billion fund of public money subjected to a reprise of the disloyal, sullen, pouting Costello treatment.
Costello seems to believe you can write a column every week in the paper snarking off at the government which appointed you, white-anting and second-guessing their choices, going on national TV to deny you have an agenda (thereby setting out that agenda exactly) and still be eligible for whatever job you have decided you should have, as a matter of right.
Costello’s trouble is that his incredible arrogance oozes from every pore. That is why no-one has ever given him a proper job. He is not worth the trouble he brings to every workplace he occupies. He is the baddest of bad news and should either resign or be sacked, no matter what it takes, for the good of the nation.
If the government is worried about a possible backlash, they should do no more than take heart from Howard and all the rest who worked Costello out in the past. Costello will fold, will run away, too scared to fight, with only enough courage to make faces when he thinks they’re not looking. Costello will always be a coward, and will always be whinger, full of an estimation of his own importance, way in excess of his capabilities.
They wrote a book about types like him. It’s called The Peter Principle. Different “Peter”, same walking, talking disaster: perennially incompetent and too destructively dopey to realise it.
Well said BB.
As good a portrait of the hammock dweller we all know and love as I can recall reading.
Costello complains Gonski appointment is undermining the confidence in FF. His dummy spit is undermining himself. He should go from the FF
If you recall, Dolly came back with Cabinet’s view they want Cossie to replace Howie.
Howie simply ignored that. Nothing has changed. Cossie is still a wimp, coward and expects the job he wants to be handed to him on a plate.
Good morning Dawn Patrollers.
What a wonderful spectacle of Coalition unhingement yesterday and last night!
A masterful article from Laura Tingle on Costello and the Liberal dummy spit.
http://www.afr.com/p/opinion/this_job_can_be_one_for_the_boys_eUuPkRGTHq3wFVBVpTza9L
And they reckon the CFMEU are mongrels!
http://www.smh.com.au/national/health/drug-drought-looms-as-pharmacies-run-down-stock-in-subsidy-fight-20120315-1v8d4.html
Is unhingement now progressing to fracturement?
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/barnaby-joyce-breaks-ranks-over-foreign-ownership-of-farmland-20120315-1v8db.html
Hmm. La Stupenda has a dig at Abbott’s economic credibility.
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/abbotts-economic-challenge-20120315-1v87x.html
Andrew Dyson is not too kind to Abbott and Hockey here.
Ron Tandberg serves it up to Bob Katter.
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/opinion/cartoons/ron-tandberg-20090910-fixc.html
MUST SEE!! David Rowe captures Clive Palmer perfectly.
http://www.afr.com/p/home/cartoon_gallery_david_rowe_1g8WHy9urgOIQrWQ0IrkdO
Costello’s *ranting* last night on 730 certainly won’t endear him to many prospective employers, but in reality he will just wait for the return of the coalition to power *to be looked after*.
Similarly howard’s future appointment as GG and Bronny Bishop’s appointment as shudder, Speaker.
Post early today before crikey falls over again 🙁
BK, what a savage beating on the Tories this fine morning
Obama is coming out a little more strongly lately. Note the similarity of the Republican stance to our own conservatives’ stance.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/obama-compares-republicans-to-flat-earth-society-for-stance-on-green-energy/2012/03/15/gIQAf9tJES_print.html
[BK, what a savage beating on the Tories this fine morning]
Yes Finns, my heart is bleeding!
BTW BK, a very misty morning here at Bradfield. Very unusual but nice to the trees among the mist
A tremendous spray from the Young Turks on some crazy proposed legislation in Arizona.
What on earth is going on over there?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/101716667
BB @ 2371
[ If this towering, self-absorbed clown, Costello, refuses to do that, the process of termination should be started. I don’t know what it involves, but I assume it may need a parliamentary vote behind it. The government should do it. They can’t have their appointed Chairman, running a $90 billion fund of public money subjected to a reprise of the disloyal, sullen, pouting Costello treatment.
Costello seems to believe you can write a column every week in the paper snarking off at the government which appointed you, white-anting and second-guessing their choices, going on national TV to deny you have an agenda (thereby setting out that agenda exactly) and still be eligible for whatever job you have decided you should have, as a matter of right. ]
Agree 100% this clown must be removed whatever it takes. Compare his behaviour with that of Nelson. Even though I didn’t agree with his appointment as far as I am aware he has conducted himself in an appropriate bi-partisan manner even when the MSM has attempted to get him to criticise the Government.
Also heard reference last night that Minchin has said Costello should be ruled ineligible for the Chairman’s position. Wonder how much coverage this will receive.
[His elevated view of himself as some kind of economic guru is belied by the fact that no-one in a proper financial institution has ever been prepared to offer him a fair dinkum job.]
Yes, yes, but the government is “on the back foot”. I know that because their ABC told me.
BB
Touche
Too kind really. Could you tell us what you really think….dont spare his feelings!
Indeed – what is happening? Criticism of the Libs ?
[Then consider what Gonski actually told the Finance Department. He reported that four out of the seven board members said the new chairman should be one of them.
“There is not unanimity that the candidate for chairman is on the board, however, a substantial majority believe that there are definitely one, and potentially three, candidates on the board who could do the job,” Gonski reported.
In other words, several of the board members acknowledged that Costello was definitely a candidate for the job but also told Gonski that they should also be considered.
What a happy ship.
The best skill that Gonski might bring to the Future Fund is some undoubted personnel skills. He may also consider a large roll of gaffer tape – useful for both bringing the board together and shutting it up.]
http://www.afr.com/p/opinion/this_job_can_be_one_for_the_boys_eUuPkRGTHq3wFVBVpTza9L
Three board members wanted the job, does that include Costello who stated that he did not know he was put forward.
Why doesn’t a journo interview the other board members and ask them who they thought should be chair and who they put forward to be chair.
The hypocrisy of the GOP has no bounds.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/15/amy-koch-affair-michael-brodkorb_n_1348773.html
[His elevated view of himself as some kind of economic guru ]
Do you think that this view of himself got on the nerves of the other board members, was he constantly telling them,
you know I set up this fund
I put the $50 billion in to set it up
There would be a fund without me
You have your job because of me because
I set up this fund
Maybe they put his name forward as a bit of mischief, knowing he would not be seriously considered but knowing how he would react to the rejection.
[Three board members wanted the job, does that include Costello who stated that he did not know he was put forward.
Why doesn’t a journo interview the other board members and ask them who they thought should be chair and who they put forward to be chair.]
Two thoughts, one there is no point at all hoping for journalists to do basic research so they can report facts, gossip and fiction is all they are good for.
Secondly Costello has a long track record of informally seeking the top job, but seems his lack of fortitude witnessed by us all for so many years is still the dominant factor, along with his ongoing lack of ability to actually get the top job.
Although he has a terrible record as treasurer why would he make a good chairman?
[Is unhingement now progressing to fracturement?
http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/barnaby-joyce-breaks-ranks-over-foreign-ownership-of-farmland-20120315-1v8db.html%5D
Funny BK how Barnaby is going spare over a foreign company owning $20 million of farm land yet he has no problem with foreign companies owning the trillions of mining land and sending billions of profits overseas.
Before we lose the servers again, the hard parliament junkies will be pleased to know that we have a bonus today with the Senate sitting from 9.00 to 2.40 (so probably all MRRT debate and no QT).
morning all
BB
Fabulous analysis on Cossie. He should resign immediately.
Bk there u go gain. I will inform u a pharacy is al so a busi ess, tese days with very close margins. There is no wealtby pharmactits in this generation,,, my boys ( one son in law) open te pharmacy 8 every morning, yes 7 days a week. The owners of course pay good wages. Look after their staff,
Both our sons are highly thought of in the lcal communities, and if u read the article, you willsee its not a big deal. Really
e
And u just called our boys mongrels want even except an apology. . There margi s are very low, any young man that goes i to a pharmacy these days, has a huge payments re mortgage, there is fit outs , costs, insurance like u woeld not believe, . The married one works most weekends, to save the business expenses. Our daughter, does a lot of book work. He stays behi d on sunday afternoon, todo this, while or daughter with two sick children, is a stay ar ho e mum, they built a nice home before the children , yes in 20 years when all mortages are paid, , they will have extra. But for now its survival of small busi ess. Its not a charity, i sipposr u would prefer, to see pharmacies in suppermarkets, owned by supermarkets,
There is a ripper of an ad “Fair Go for Billionaires” I just saw. It has Abbott’s visage superimposed on various servile people tending to the excesses of rich miners.
It’s on! Billionaires vs The People.