James J relates the latest fortnightly Newspoll has the Coalition’s lead at a relatively modest 54-46, compared with 56-44 a fortnight ago, from primary votes of 33% for Labor (up five), 45% for the Coalition (down one) and 10% for the Greens (down one). The spike in the “others” vote in the previous poll has not been repeated. On personal ratings, Julia Gillard is steady on approval at 29% and down three on disapproval to 59%, while Tony Abbott is up two on approval to 32% and down five on disapproval to 56%. Tony Abbott’s lead as preferred prime minister is down from 40-36 to 38-36.
Today’s Essential Research had the Coalition two-party lead up from 55-45 to 56-44, although nothing had changed on the primary vote: 33% for Labor, 49% for the Coalition and 10% for the Greens. Further questions related to the National Disability Insurance Scheme, party with the better policies for various groups of disadvantaged people (Labor comfortably ahead in each case), and the Olympic Games (among other things, 58% think $39 million of government spending per gold medal too much).
Also:
• The Australian reports that James McGrath, having failed in his bid to take on Mal Brough for the LNP preselection in Fisher, will now either return to his original plan and contest the neighbouring seat of Fairfax, or instead try for Senate preselection. The latter might transpire if Barnaby Joyce’s position becomes available, as it will if he succeeds in easing out Bruce Scott in Maranoa. However, both plans face obstacles: McGrath told preselectors in Fisher he would not use Fairfax as a fall-back option, and former Nationals expect that a Senate vacancy would be filled by one of their own.
• Imre Salusinszky of The Australian reports that a fast-track preselection process will secure Peter Garrett’s endorsement in Kingsford Smith. Hypothetical rivals included local resident Bob Carr, whose old state seat of Maroubra was located wholly within the electorate, and Ben Keneally, mayoral candidate for Botany and husband of the former Premier. The report also says Labor’s candidates for the Liberal marginals of Macquarie and Gilmore are likely to be Susan Templeman and Neil Riley.
• In an interview with local blog the Warragul Citizen, Russell Broadbent, the Liberal member for McMillan, says a mooted challenge to his preselection by conservative opponents failed to materialise as it had no prospect of success.
• The Sunshine Coast Daily reports Bill Gissane, a partner with the workplace health and safety consultancy the Enterprise Development Network, will be Labor’s candidate against Mal Brough in Fisher.
UDPATE: Roy Morgan‘s latest face-to-face result, from the previous two weekends of polling, is little changed on the previous fortnight: Labor and the Coalition both up half a point on the primary vote to 32% and 43.5%, with the Greens down half a point to 11.5%. The Coalition’s lead is 56-44 on respondent allocated preferences, down from 57-43, and 53.5-46.5 with preferences allocated as per the last election result, down from 54-46.
There is a material difference between saying we have 20,000 employees more than we can afford and saying we will have to sack 20,000 employees particularly when you are in the middle of negotiations about award wages and conditions. The LNP has also consistently said they can’t put a number on the staff reductions until the budget process is completed. We have to wait until the budget is relased in September.
There is a lot of spin around at present from all sides however here on PB criticism and emphasis only ever focuses on one side of that spin.
rua 3198 yeah sure 🙂
@PokieAct: Today Tonight video on violent crime in poker machine clubs.
Are club and Woolworths poker machine rooms really safe?
http://t.co/SWiLM9LN
Re Virgin asking a man to move away from 2 minors, the reservation software should not seat children next to single men. Alternately unaccompanied children should not be able to sit anywhere on the plane, they should be restricted to the last row or first row of seats
[ On the 2.30pm ABC News radio news, an article reported that Abbott has linked the Adelaide cracks to over use of the ships …. too many boats to be intercepted.]
Maybe Mr Abbott should investigate whether fire engines are cracking because they attend fires or ambulances are cracking because they are carrying patients.
Although I am assuming that paedophiles work individually and they don’t work in packs
Jackol,
I agree if an increased target was on offer then maybe you’d look to drop the floor as the quid pro quo, but otherwise I can’t see the benefit to the Government in even talking about it.
davidwh
What we can say for sure is 7,700 people have lost their jobs, and that the unemployment rate in Qld increased. A conservative estimate to the impact on GSP is $1.5 billion.
Well done LNP, new slogan the shrinking state.
For anyone worried about our medal tally, the New York Times has Australia at seventh position, based on total medals collected.
[
Medals
Total
1. USA 39 25 26 90
2. CHN 37 24 19 80
3. RUS 12 21 23 56
4. GBR 25 13 14 52
5. GER 10 16 11 37
6. JPN 5 14 14 33
7. FRA 8 9 12 29
7. AUS 6 13 10 29]
http://www.nytimes.com/
I think using the 20000 figure is incredibly reasonable and splitting hairs to say he never said it is very silly stuff.
Newman could always have the integrity and guts to be honest with the people of Queensland about what he is doing and we’d all know if it were 22,000 or 25000.
Now trying to hide him behind his own lack of courage is pathetic
[Latika Bourke @latikambourke 16m
Home Affairs Minister Jason Clare ‘the Liberals and Greens are as bad as each other – both of them have refused to compromise at all.’]
[Latika Bourke @latikambourke 14m
Home Affairs Jason Clare – people smugglers have all got the internet, – they know Parliament is meeting next week and could do something.]
In USA Big-Big Business funds both parties
__________________________
At the last election Obama raised $750 millions for his campaign…of which 80% came from major corporations and the Repugnants likewise…giving the corporations a regular access to the very top of the US Govt in the years following….so much for Govt of the people.etc
http://www.counterpunch.org/2012/08/09/the-swan-song-of-american-democracy/
hmmm……
[David Ramli @Davidramli 47m
Malcolm Turnbull just warned against Aus leaders travelling to China and lecturing it on issues. Was that a jab at Tony Abbott?]
This tripe is from the LNP election costings document. Note natural attrition – not sackings. Liar Newman.
Bernardi pushes the electricity price issue
_______________________
This surely is one of the most dangerous issues facing the Fed Govt…especially as people get their new bills for usage in a very cold winter period
Bernardi sees a really good issue to push
http://www.menzieshouse.com.au/
Bernadi asks why electricity in Canada is cheap. Could it be that 58% comes from hydro-electricity, Cory?
[Why is it that every time a newspaper prints a story that reflects badly on the coalition it becomes “left wing”.]
It’s not meant to be taken seriously. It’s just a standard political tactic: everytime you even consider reporting the truth, remember that you’ll be howled down and called a commie. Same tactic they’ve used with the ABC and with great effect.
victoria
[SK
I am not sure the msm have twigged at all. I sense it is the party that is redirecting the msm on Abbott]
Been thinking that, due to if a libspill, they would not want a Rudd type leadership accusation.
[There is a material difference between saying we have 20,000 employees more than we can afford and saying we will have to sack 20,000 employees particularly when you are in the middle of negotiations about award wages and conditions.]
So CanDoh is going to employ 10,000 more public servants than he can afford? 5,000 more than he can afford? 1? Or just the right amount that he can afford?
More BOATS BOATS BOATS, MOAR Big Tony Abbott SMILES SMILES SMILES
[ Latika Bourke @latikambourke 1m
Martin Ferguson on WA #Energy sector ‘In the absence of effective competition, prices have risen by 57 per cent or $520 per household.’]
View details ·
[ Latika Bourke @latikambourke 2m
Martin Ferguson ‘the biggest barrier to greater investment in Western Australia’s energy infrastructure is Government ownership.’ #energy]
View details ·
[Latika Bourke @latikambourke 5m
Cabinet Minister Martin Ferguson says the median rent in WA has increased by 76% since 2006.]
[Why is it that every time a newspaper prints a story that reflects badly on the coalition it becomes “left wing”.]
With the mad right in fairy land, facts tend to have a left wing bias.
[Latika Bourke @latikambourke 47s
#Energy White Paper will ‘call for scrapping the domestic gas reservation policy to encourage new investment.’]
View details ·
[Latika Bourke @latikambourke 1m
#Energy White Paper ‘will highlight the benefits of introducing flexible tariffs for time-of-use energy consumption.’]
View details ·
[Latika Bourke @latikambourke 2m
#Energy White Paper will ‘advocate the separation of policy-making, market regulation and operating functions’ and propose national laws.]
View details ·
[Latika Bourke @latikambourke 2m
Martin Ferguson says the #Energy White paper will ‘ urge all states to adopt more open market mechanisms and privistise state assets.’]
View details ·
davidwh @
I beg to differ about the CM. It pursued a campaign of hate and vilification against Anna Bligh, embellishing and exaggerating any story in order to fit their anti-Labor bile.
It may be a matter of personal bias. Newman is now on the same receiving end as Bligh. It’s just that it hurts more when you are in government.
In Opposition you can say anything.
SOF 3220 we will know when the budget comes out. I’d be surprised if most levels of government aren’t employing more public servants than we can afford at present. There aren’t too many governments who are running budget surplusses at present. With fiscal positions it’s always a matter of balancing needs against what is sustainable and affordable.
Matter of opinion Deblonay, but I think the government has anticipated people like Bernardi. Whenever electricity price rises are mentioned now people will be thinking about more than the carbon price impact.
The Libs would have run a scare on power bills anyway. At least the government has taken some air from their tyres, set Abbott up for lies so outrageous even some of his cheerleaders have called him on them and at the same time opened up a rift between frontbenchers.
feeney 3225 the C-M seems to have reporters that attack both sides and yes perceived bias if more often than not dependent on your own personal bias.
Mr Newman can subsidise goat races but he cannot support the NDIS.
Mr Newman can subsidise horse races but he cannot support a literature award or an art award.
Mr Newman can count to Spain but he cannot count how many people he is sacking.
Mr Newman can scrooge $10 lawn mowing subsidy from the elderly but he can’t do…
Mr Newman can cut Indigenous employment projects but he can’t do…
Mr Newman can root the last bit of tropical wildnerness left in Queensland but he can’t…
Where does the afford crap come from apart from Costello’s arske?
Sydney weather worse. See 702 twitter feed for listener pics.
Its Brrrrr as well. Like Tassy west coast winter day.
dwh
[I’d be surprised if most levels of government aren’t employing more public servants than we can afford at present.]
No need for faux suprise. We have the facts: we can’t afford any. The LNP in Queensland think that pubic service jobs are not ‘real’ jobs. And no-one can ‘afford’ fake jobs. Stands to reason.
Bring on the goats.
Why does the ABC pay
Latika Bourke @latikambourke
a salary? Surely the re-tweeting of politicians tweets can be automated? After all that is all that she does isn’t it?
[I’d be surprised if most levels of government aren’t employing more public servants than we can afford at present.]
That may well be so. But that’s a diversion from the subject at hand, which is if CanDoh is going to employ more public servants than Qld can afford. If he is constantly talking about balancing the books, and at the same bandying around the 20,000 figure, then there’s a natural assumption to make.
Still, you’re right, only time will tell. But if he doesn’t sack 20,000 Queenslanders, then there’s a simple question to be asked about why mr balanced budget is employing people he can’t afford. Luckily, every person in Ashgrove keeps telling him that he’s right.
[Lily D’Ambrosio MP @LilyDAmbrosioMP 32s
Great to see Andrew Giles endorsed as Labor’s candidate for Scullin. Strong Labor values, intellectual rigour and a heart to match!]
[Latika Bourke @latikambourke 41s
Here is John Hogg’s statement outlining his plans to retire as a Labor Senator at the next election]
http://www.scribd.com/doc/102516884/John-Hogg-Retirement-Announcement
Boerwar
If the Queensland LNP do not believe the public service are real jobs, they should sack themselves. That goes for Abbott and Co as well
Yesterday I got hold of Susan Mitchell’s book “Tony Abbott – A Man’s Man” from the library and have finished some 70 pages.
She very well lays out the multi-faceted “mongrelisms” that the man has. I detest the man even more now.
BK
It is a Good read.
v
Good idea. After all, fish rot from the arse up.
It’s not about how many public servants you an afford FFS. Its About how many you need to run the government and achieve the policy outcomes. Government can levy taxes but for some reason politicians can’t bring themselves to admit they need to do so. Queensland had a 4.5% radio of public servants, which, given the nature of Qld was about right. Newman is basically guaranteeing a disaster by reducing that number to a percentage incapable of meeting the needs of a distributed regional population.
Victoria,
Nothing written about Abbott can be a good read. A bizarre read perhaps, maybe disturbing but by no means good.
Guytaur:
[Sydney weather worse. See 702 twitter feed for listener pics. Its Brrrrr as well. Like Tassy west coast winter day.]
Playground duty was fun. Not only was it distinctly chilly, but a large tree was shedding all manner of tiny particulate into everyone’s eyes. Someone threw a tennis ball acorss the playground and it curled through about 30 degrees before I stuck out a hand and caught it, a foot or so shy from some child managing a hot soup in a cup.
By the period after lunch it was mizzling, the wind howling and our “mixed ability” groups were struggling to maintain composure. Well truthfully — they weren’t struggling that much. Wind + Friday afternoon is a perfect storm.
I had year 7 and it was time for us to do five minutes of quiet meditation while playing something soothing over the room speakers from Bach and Handel, before getting out the coloured pencils to shade and mark up outline maps or the Asia Pacific region, marking in latitude and longitude and the bodies of water, sticking on pictures I’d copied of capital cities with a line on whether they were tropical or temperate.
It kind of worked, thankfully.
Smaug
Good point
FB@3242
Lovely post.
BK,
Everytime I go to the Library, there are always two copies of Battlelines. I look at them, debate whether I should read them, and always decide to walk away thinking it best I not do my own head in!
[davidwh
Posted Friday, August 10, 2012 at 3:48 pm | Permalink
SOF 3220 we will know when the budget comes out. I’d be surprised if most levels of government aren’t employing more public servants than we can afford at present. There aren’t too many governments who are running budget surplusses at present. With fiscal positions it’s always a matter of balancing needs against what is sustainable and affordable.]
Can’t afford railways, roads, communication, police schools and a whole lot of shit, I think best thing to do is go back and live in caves.
When Abbott is losing the policy debates on the BISONs, MRRT, Carbon Pricing, NBN. Always go back to the old faithful STOP THE BOATS
Kidette
I have no desire whatsoever to turn a single page of Abbott’s book.
[She very well lays out the multi-faceted “mongrelisms” that the man has. I detest the man even more now.]
BK,
[TONY Abbott is a bully who hates women, and his outdated social views are a threat to national cohesion and plurality, according to a polemical new book.
In Tony Abbott: A Man’s Man, academic and writer Susan Mitchell attempts to deconstruct the Opposition Leader’s beliefs and character so that Australians “think again” about the man who came within a whisker of forming government after last year’s general election.
Although Mr Abbott has surpassed Julia Gillard as preferred prime minister in the published polls since then, Dr Mitchell argues he is a sore loser, has a sense of entitlement and is driven by rage.
“He is extremely dangerous because he is a man of the past,” Dr Mitchell told The Weekend Australian yesterday.
“I can’t believe we could end up having a prime minister who doesn’t believe a woman should have control over her own body.”]
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/book-tackles-dangerous-bullying-abbott/story-fn59niix-1226154470110
Finns
The BOATS broke the Patrol Boats stuff is funny. Scoot reckons all the BOATS work is the cause. What would he have our Patrol Boats do? Sit in dry dock?
New Abbott policy for Dock Boats?