Essential Research has Labor recovering a badly needed point on the two-party preferred vote, with the Coalition’s lead back to 56-44 after rising to 57-43 last week. On the primary vote, Labor is up one to 32 per cent, the Coalition down one to 48 per cent and the Greens up one to 11 per cent. The survey also finds opposition to Australian’s involvement in Afghanistan little changed since November at 64 per cent, with 21 per cent wanting the current presence to be maintained and 4 per cent wanting it increased. Forty-four per cent agreed women were not “respected and treated fairly” in the defence forces against 31 per cent who thought they were, with a strong gender gap recorded in the expected direction. A timely question on Wikileaks had 53 per cent supporting its release of material against 26 per cent opposed, with 36 per cent believing the government had failed to provide sufficient support to Julian Assange in his legal travails, 22 per cent believing he had received appropriate support and 41 per cent saying they didn’t know. The survey also found strong support for unions, with 48 per cent saying they had been good for workers against 17 per cent bad, and 56 per cent agreeing they remained important for working people against only 19 per cent who disagreed.
Plenty of further recent news to report, most of it involving preselections, and most of it involving the Liberals.
• Patrick Secker, who has held the rural South Australian seat of Barker for the Liberals since 1998, has been defeated for preselection by Mount Gambier lawyer Tony Pasin. Sarah Martin of The Australian reports Secker received only 78 votes in the local ballot, despite personal endorsement from Tony Abbott and moderate SA powerbroker Christopher Pyne, against 164 for Pasin and 40 for a third candidate, Millicent real estate agent and Wattle Range councillor Ben Treloar.
• No such difficulties for Boothby MP Andrew Southcott, who trounced former state party president Christopher Moriarty in a late February preselection ballot by 195 votes to 35, with also-ran Mark Nankivell gaining nine votes. Rebecca Puddy of The Australian reports that “much of the support for Mr Moriarty had disappeared after the federal Labor leadership challenge became apparent”. Like Patrick Secker, Southcott has come under fire within the party over his poor fundraising efforts.
• Krystyna Pollard of the Blue Mountains Gazette reports that Louise Markus, the Liberal member for Macquarie, had little trouble seeing off a challenge from Charles Wurf, state division chief executive of the Aged Care Association of Australia, at a ballot held on February 25.
• The Liberals have again preselected marketing executive Fiona Scott, who also ran in 2010, as their candidate for Lindsay. The ABC’s Mark Tobin related on Twitter that Scott won the ballot held last weekend with 62 votes to 42 for Robyn Preston, a Hills Shire councillor. Imre Salusinszky of The Australian reports that teacher Margaret Brand was also in the field.
• David Coleman, director of strategy and digital for Nine Entertainment, won a Liberal preselection ballot on the weekend for the Sydney seat of Banks, where Labor’s Daryl Melham had his margin cut from 10.4 per cent to 1.5 per cent in 2010. The Australian’s Media Diary describes Coleman as a factional moderate and “one of David Gyngell’s closest lieutenants”. Mark Tobin of the ABC announced on Twitter that Coleman won 60 votes at the local preselection ballot against 33 for Ron Delezio, a businessman who came to public attention after his daughter Sophie received horrific injuries in separate accidents in 2003 and 2006.
• Chris Paver of the Illawarra Mercury reports that five candidates have nominated to succeed the retiring Joanna Gash as Liberal candidate for the south coast NSW seat of Gilmore: Shoalhaven Deputy Mayor Andrew Guile, former Kiama councillor Ann Sudmalis, Ulladulla resident Grant Schultz, Nowra businessman Clive Brooks and Meroo Meadow marketing consultant Catherine Shields. Guile, a one-time staffer to Gash who has since fallen out with her, was rated as the front-runner in a report in the Mercury last October.
• Michael Burr, described by the Burnie Advocate as a “high-profile Devonport real estate business owner”, has won Liberal preselection for the Tasmanian seat of Braddon, which Sid Sidebottom holds for Labor on a margin of 7.5 per cent. Also in the field were Glynn Williams, a North Motton farmer and lawyer described by Chris Pippos of the Burnie Advocate as “ultra conservative”, and Jacqui Lambie, described in the local press only as a “Devonport woman”. Sean Ford of the Burnie Advocate reports that Burr’s backers included Senators Richard Colbeck and Stephen Parry and state MP Adam Brooks. It was thought that Brett Whiteley, who lost his state seat in Braddon at the 2010 election, might be another contender, but he announced in the week before the preselection ballot that he would instead focus on a return to state politics.
• ABC Television reported last night that Joe Bullock, the powerful state secretary of the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association, is eyeing off Mark Bishop’s position at the top of Labor’s WA Senate ticket. Bishop, who was a number-counter for Kevin Rudd in his recent leadership challenge, says he is still considering whether to seek another term. The other Labor Senator up for re-election is Louise Pratt; there have been suggestions that Labor’s position in Western Australia is so parlous it might only return one Senator, which would be an Australian electoral first.
• John Ferguson of The Australian reports that a complex factional realignment in the Victorian ALP might yet save the career of Senator David Feeney, who at present is stuck with the highly precarious third position on the Senate ticket and is up for re-election next year. Feeney has been adrift of the dominant Bill Shorten-Stephen Conroy grouping in the Victorian Right since early 2009, when the former established a “stability alliance” which excluded Right unions the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association, the National Union of Workers and the Health Services Union. However, a deal was reached last month which brought the SDA back into the fold and allowed one of its members in the state parliament, James Merlino, to succeed the outgoing Rob Hulls as deputy leader. Sources quoted by Ferguson say that another aspect of the agreement was that if Feeney “failed to gain a winnable seat at the election, he would be accommodated after the poll, probably via a by-election”.
• The federal redistribution of South Australia’s electoral boundaries has been finalised with no amendment to the draft boundaries proposed in August, which were summarised thus by Antony Green.
• The NSW government will introduce legislation to prohibit members of parliament from also serving as councillors, which if passed would require independent Clover Moore to choose between her gigs as lord mayor of Sydney and state member for the Sydney electorate. The move would take effect when local government elections, including the election for the lord mayoralty, are held in September. Newly elected members would be obliged to relinquish council positions within 18 months. The legislation is supported by the Shooters Party but opposed by the Greens, leaving the swing votes in the upper house in the hands of the two Christian Democratic Party members. The Daily Telegraph reports the government is waiting on Fred Nile to be discharged from hospital before pursuing the matter with them, as it presumably does not have high hopes for his party colleague Paul Green, who is also the mayor of Shoalhaven. The Sydney Morning Herald relates that 29 current members of parliament would be affected by the change, among them 17 Liberals, four Greens, four Labor, two independents and one each from the Nationals and the Christian Democrats, although few doubt that a desire to target Moore has been high on the government’s list of motivations. While it is true that the move will, as Barry O’Farrell says, bring the state into line with Victoria, Western Australia, South Australia and Queensland, it is altogether unclear to me why it should not be left to voters to decide if they want a member of parliament serving them on council. Moore has indicated she would abandon her seat in parliament if forced to make a choice. She held off a strong challenge from Liberal candidate Adrian Bartels at last year’s election (which was mostly down to the huge swing from Labor to Liberal), surviving by 3.1 per cent after preferences. When asked by the Wentworth Courier, neither Bartels nor Liberal councillor and lord mayoralty candidate Shayne Mallard ruled out seeking preselection in the event of a by-election for Sydney.
GG
No but I assume Windsor for, Wilkie, Bandt and Crook against, so he needs Katter, I think.
Oakeshott has taken out some of the nasty stuff in the Govt bill like the denial of natural justice as a complaint against a ministerial decision but whether that convinces anyone, I dunno.
Just listened to PM on ABC radio and heard the PM Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull paying tribute to Margaret Whitlam. Very touching comments and during his comments Turnbull’s voice broke – she was a much loved lady of true substance and presence.
Yes! At last someone calls out the “Malcolm is moderate/centrist/better than Abbott/acceptable face of Libs” line for the total bullsh!t that it is.
http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/3897900.html
[19 MARCH 2012
Malcolm is not so in the middle
ELIZABETH HUMPHRYS
Australian politics has a strange ‘centre’ at the moment, and the dial seems increasingly to fall at the feet of Malcolm Turnbull.
His presence on shows like Q&A results in both calls for him to reassume the Liberal Party leadership, and the suggestion he is an ALP member in disguise. Analogies are drawn with Don Chipp and he is urged to create a new party of the centre. While some celebrate his staring down of Abbott on climate change, others seem seduced by his status as the likable one inside elite circles.
Yet far from a ‘good sort’ member of the 1 per cent, his celebrated small ‘l’ liberalism is little other than a continuation of the right-wing economic radicalism of the neoliberal era. Turnbull is committed to privatisation of the public sector, radical industrial relations policy, and solving serious social problems (such as climate change) by leaving them to market mechanisms. He has even gone so far as to call building the National Broadband Network ‘the telecommunications version of Cuba’.]
More in the article.
Are we really back?
Lyne Lady
Posted Monday, March 19, 2012 at 6:11 pm | Permalink
mari
great news about your friend. it all sounds good. first week in may fine with me – we can meet here – then we can be as rowdy as we like!
Will be in contact with you when I finally send my visitors off, they are coming now (different ones) until middle of April, but will speak to you before then
William
I suppose you may be aware of this but just for the record when I try to refresh the page I get this:
“The website encountered an error while retrieving http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2012/03/19/essential-research-56-44-to-coalition-5/comment-page-2/#comments. It may be down for maintenance or configured incorrectly.
Here are some suggestions:
Reload this webpage later.
HTTP Error 500 (Internal Server Error): An unexpected condition was encountered while the server was attempting to fulfill the request.”
I am using Chrome and when I reload it does come back.
[MTBW
Posted Monday, March 19, 2012 at 6:39 pm | Permalink
William
I suppose you may be aware of this but just for the record when I try to refresh the page I get this:]
Yes I am on Chrome too and I am getting same message but on reloading comes back
Same here on Firefox – I keep having to reload.
Still knackered
[Joel Fitzgibbon @fitzhunter
Craig Thomson has submitted a letter from a Gastroenterologist confirming he is unfit to attend Parliament for the rest of the week.
6:49 PM – 19 Mar 12]
[Craig Thomson has submitted a letter from a Gastroenterologist confirming he is unfit to attend Parliament for the rest of the week.]
Based on their performance over this matter, there are several members on the Opposition benches that are unfit to attend Parliament – no medical certificate required.
500 Internal Server Error
Crikey should patent it. 😆
[500 Internal Server Error]
Ru, Crikey cant afford the loyalty as Finns & Boerwar Fukushima Inc has got it patented while Crikey is out cold 👿
i just love it when you got a preview button that doesnt work, SNAFU
[Are we really back?]
In cyberspace no one can hear you scream.
CO
I hope you enjoy your stay in Port. Please drop in to Rob’s office, I’m sure the staff would love to hear of your support.
Lyne Lady’s comments about the locals are, sadly, spot on. I can add that we have been getting a lot of immigrants from the big city, keen to get away from what they call the ‘ethnics’ (with a few adjectives added that a lady cannit repeat here) in the big smoke. They have brought their nasty, racist, Pauilne Hanson-loving attitudes with them. Guess who they vote for.
Notice how the MSM isn’t running very much with Dr Washer telling his fellow Coalition MPs to accept the certificate
Yahoo! Were Back! And just in time for the MRRT to get passed??
Sit and spin Gina!! 🙂
anyone been watching the debate?
Is it just my aged ears not hearing properly or is there a definite trend among the oh-so-expensively-educated Coalition MPs (and yes, Mr Hockey, I’m talking about you) to say ‘gummnt’ instead of ‘government’. I’ve noticed it a lot over the last few days. It’s almost as bad as hearing ‘Straya’ or even worse ‘Strayn’. My dad was very fussy about correct pronunciation, he would be horrified to hear the members of his preferred party speaking in such a sloppy manner.
What a wonderful lucky-dip this blog is, now!
My error messages keep telling me to find a new guru or something. I didn’t know my present guru was so bad!
One way commenters might be able to help with the difficulties we’re having is to avoid placing unnecessary strain on the system by repeatedly stating the obvious about it.
leone – and they say ‘gunna’ …
Leroy Re#80
Whats the bet that there will be those on the Fiberal side of the house that will now see fit to question a gastroenterologists opinion ?
MTBW
[Just listened to PM on ABC radio and heard the PM Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull paying tribute to Margaret Whitlam. Very touching comments and during his comments Turnbull’s voice broke ]
Meanwhile parliament’s resident oik introduced poltics into his effort .Grrrr
[”There was a lot wrong with the Whitlam government but nevertheless, it was a very significant episode in our history ,” ]
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbott-accused-of-scoring-cheap-points-in-his-tribute-20120318-1vdou.html#ixzz1pY4eULmK
[One way commenters might be able to help with the difficulties we’re having is to avoid placing unnecessary strain on the system by repeatedly stating the obvious about it.]
Bilbo, implement my previous suggestion – max 30 posts per day per user and impose max number of characters per post. That will allow the IT guys to do proper capacity & bandwidth planning.
Lyne Lady,
[scorpio
you can tweet pete at @PeterSlipperMP ]
Unfortunately, or fortunately, I am not on twitter. Maybe some kind soul who is, could let the Slipper know that QT will be graced by one of PB’s leading lights tomorrow.
Maybe the camera person could note that BK will be wearing a striped shirt also so that we can get a close-up for the archives! 😉
http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/republic/an-abc-qanda-case-study/
[An ABC QandA case study
Posted On Monday, 19 Mar 2012
In a follow-up to last week’s investigation into ABC Q&A, managing editor David Donovan presents a case study on how the show selects its panellists, based on his own firsthand experience. He also reviews tonight’s show and looks at the public reaction to his original research.
Adventures in autocracy part 3: an ABC Q&A case study
Independent Australia’s study into the selection of guests and range of views presented on ABC’s Q&A program was easily our most popular story last week. Clearly, our findings – that the ABC present a limited Sydney-centric range of views and personalities – have hit a chord. You can find the general feeling by looking at some of the Twitter comments.
It even spawned an interesting discussion on ABC Victoria between charming weekday morning presenter Fiona Parker and RMIT journalism school lecturer Dr Vincent O’Donnell (a former filmmaker) last Thursday.]
plenty more in the link
Gussie
Ohs Noes
[Helium stocks run low – and party balloons are to blame]
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/mar/18/helium-party-balloons-squandered
On Insiders on Sunday the fact that the Coalition has declined to appear over the last 7 weeks was clearly stated.
I wondered why The insiders had been a Coalition-free zone since it resumed this year. Abbott has done me a favour. The absence of that lot means I actually stay and watch the whole thing. Before Abbott’s ban I used to tune in, find out who was going to be Barry’s victim and if it was someone from the Coalition I’d go away – for the good of my TV set, mostly. In the rare event I’d want to know what one of Abbott’s front benchers had said there’s always an online version.
The medical certificate issue is a new low for the grubs of the oppposition. There is nothing they will not stoop to. And our MSM are just as appalling for not calling them on it. Disgraceful
poroti
I have a contingency plan
I haz a lotta balloons
🙂
The Opposition has accepted the Gastroenterologist certificate for pairing this week. Next week, they’ll insist on a Death Certificate.
I’m too scared to post….
[And our MSM are just as appalling for not calling them on it. Disgraceful.]
Grattan and Coorey did.
[The Opposition has accepted the Gastroenterologist certificate for pairing this week. Next week, they’ll insist on a Death Certificate.]
Who would be chosen as the Opposition pair?
Mick Collins #73:
The LOTO algorithm:
The LOTO knows more about the experience of asbestos victims than asbestos victims
The LOTO knows more than economists about economics
The LOTO knows more than climate scientists about climate science
The LOTO knows more than gastroenterologists about gastroenterology
And so on. And on . And on.
The LOTO knows more about [subject XYZ] than [people with direct experience of or high levels of expertise in subject XYZ]
My fear is that this is not just a matter of the considerable vanity and insecurity of the LOTO. It is being deployed in a very nasty “anti expert elites” campaign that students of 19th or 20th century Russian history would be very familiar with …
bushfire
🙂
For those who did not see Coorey on “Dr” Entch.
[The chief opposition whip, Warren Entsch, presumably acting on orders from the manager of opposition business in the lower house, Christopher Pyne, and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, refused to take the doctor’s certificate at face value.
After all, stomach pain could just be constipation, Entsch, a crocodile farmer, diagnosed on national radio this morning]
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/playing-doctor-sets-a-dangerous-and-bizarre-precedent-20120319-1vegg.html#ixzz1pYDgOvRW
[Who would be chosen as the Opposition pair?]
Scarp, that should be easy, as there are so many dead-woods in the Opposition
The Climate Institute has released its Global Climate Leadership Review 2012. The Review positions Australian climate policy in a global context and aims to elaborate on the implications of global climate diplomacy and domestic actions for Australia.
The Review identifies which nations are currently leading the low carbon economy, who is leading the international negotiations and provides an annual case study of where Australia can show leadership.
http://www.climateinstitute.org.au/media-contacts/media-releases/914-australia-alone-in-low-carbon-competitiveness-slide
[Australia is the only G20 country that has gone backwards on its low-carbon competitiveness since 1995 according to the Global Climate Leadership Review 2012 released today by The Climate Institute.
In an innovative index from The Climate Institute and GE that measures a country’s ability to prosper in the emerging global low carbon economy, Australia rates the worst of any advanced economy. Ranked 16th among the G20 nations, Australia is the only country which has a current score lower than it had in 1995.
Other key findings in The Climate Institute/GE carbon competitiveness index include:
1. Ranked 16th among the G20 nations, Australia is the only developed country whose rankings have not improved since the first Index in 2009.
2. France, Japan, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Germany lead the index.
3. Australia is amongst those countries facing the biggest challenge in remaining competitive in a low-carbon future, ranked lower than Russia, Argentina, South Africa, the USA and Saudi Arabia in large part due to the emissions intensive structure of the economy.
The Global Climate Leadership Review also finds that far from acting alone on climate legislation, Australia is now among more than 100 nations that have climate policies targeting pollution limits and clean energy. Other countries including UK, Norway and Switzerland have or are implementing higher carbon prices.]
[Who would be chosen as the Opposition pair?]
They’d have to grow one first. Right, Labor supporters?
I tried to post an email to Entsch via his website this arvo after hearing his constipation diagnosis but it didn’t appear to send.
Of all the stunts and, this has to be the lowest they’ve sunk yet.
The Finnigans
[Scarp, that should be easy, as there are so many dead-woods in the Opposition]
Fortunately they have found an ideal use for such “dead-woods”.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=huzevJi7T4o
[They’d have to grow one first. Right, Labor supporters?]
Liberal supporters have boot-strapping, Labor supporters have jock-strapping.
[The Climate Institute has released its Global Climate Leadership Review 2012. The Review positions Australian climate policy in a global context and aims to elaborate on the implications of global climate diplomacy and domestic actions for Australia.]
Please try harder. Bolt has already dismissed the entire report.
Good to see Slipper following convention and voting for the status quo in the event of a tied vote. A long history of this practice by speakers or chairs, dating back to Speaker Denison of the House of Commons.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Speaker_Denison%27s_rule
[Renewable Energy (Electricity) Amendment Regulations 2011 (No. 5), as contained in the Select Legislative Instrument 2011 No. 222 Motion for disallowance
Resumption of debate on the motion of Mr Oakeshott (see item No. 18) Div No. 269, 5:41:52 PM to 5:52:57 PM, Ayes 72, Noes 72
The numbers for the Ayes and the Noes being equal, the Speaker gave his casting vote with the Noes noting that he did so in accordance with the principle that decisions should not be taken except by a majority and the principle that legislation should be left in its original form.
And so it was resolved in the negatived.]
Good evening all, and good to be back at PB.
I don’t know whether there are comments being admitted on the Julia vs Julian thread, but I for one would welcome an Assange tilt at the Senate. His candidacy would appeal ostensibly to Greens voters, and leave the two competing for the same space.
I loved this email! 🙂
AUSTRALIAN WAY
Judy Rudd, an amateur genealogy researcher in south east Queensland, was doing some personal work on her own family tree. She discovered that ex-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd’s great-great uncle, Remus Rudd, was hanged for horse stealing and train robbery in Melbourne in 1889. Both Judy and Kevin Rudd share this common ancestor.
On the back of the picture Judy obtained during her research is this inscription:
‘Remus Rudd horse thief, sent to Melbourne Gaol 1885, escaped 1887, robbed the Melbourne-Geelong train six times. Caught by Victoria Police Force, convicted and hanged in 1889.’
Judy recently e-mailed former Prime Minister Rudd requesting more information about their great-great uncle.
Believe it or not, Kevin Rudd’s staff sent back the following biographical sketch for her genealogy research:
“Remus Rudd was famous in Victoria during the mid to late 1800s. His business empire grew to include acquisition of valuable equestrian assets and intimate dealings with the Melbourne-Geelong Railway.
Beginning in 1883, he devoted several years of his life to government service, finally taking leave to resume his dealings with the Railway.
In 1887, he was a key player in a vital investigation run by the Victoria Police Force. In 1889, Remus passed away during an important civic function held in his honour when the platform upon which he was standing collapsed..”
NOW That’s how it’s done!
Dee,
Now that is spin to be admired!