The recruitment of Peter Beattie to run for Labor in the crucial marginal seat of Forde was without question yesterday’s play of the day. However, Beattie will be far from the only Labor newcomer should his bid succeed, the weeks before the election announcement having seen an avalanche of preselection action as Labor scrambled to cover an exodus of senior figures in safe seats. In turn:
Kingsford Smith: Peter Garrett will be succeeded as Labor’s candidate by Senator Matt Thistlethwaite, who had a 136-105 victory in a local ballot held last month over Tony Bowen, Randwick mayor and son of Hawke-era deputy prime minister Lionel Bowen. Thistlethwaite first aspired to the seat when previous member Laurie Brereton retired at the 2004 election, at which time he was vice-president of the state branch of the Australian Workers Union. However, he was frozen out by then leader Mark Latham’s insistence that the seat go to Garrett. Thistlethwaite went on to serve as the party’s state secretary and convenor of the Right faction from 2008 until he was eased out of both roles with the promise of a Senate berth in 2010, having ruffled feathers by backing then Premier Nathan Rees in his determination to choose his own cabinet (which Rees used to dump Right potentate Joe Tripodi, together with the now notorious Mineral and Forest Resources Minister Ian Macdonald) and throwing his support behind Environment Minister Frank Sartor to replace Rees as Premier rather than Kristina Keneally. His Senate seat was secured in relatively bloodless fashion when incumbent Michael Forshaw chose not to contest the 2010 election, although this resulted in Graeme Wedderburn, who has been Bob Carr’s chief-of-staff both as Premier and Foreign Minister, being denied the seat promised him when he was lured from the private sector to serve as chief-of-staff to Rees.
New South Wales Senate: Matt Thistlethwaite’s Senate vacancy will now go to his successor as state secretary, Sam Dastyari, who today hands over the reins in that position to the erstwhile assistant state secretary, Jamie Clements.
Charlton: Greg Combet’s successor in the Hunter region seat is his deputy chief of staff, former Australian Metal Workers Union official Pat Conroy, who easily won a local preselection ballot with 57 out of 90 votes. Conroy’s path was smoothed by the late withdrawal of Daniel Wallace, a Lake Macquarie councillor and Australian Manufacturing Workers Union organiser said to have had strong support locally. Wallace reportedly faced pressure from factional leaders concerned about his two convictions for assault. An earlier withdrawal had been Sonia Hornery, member for the corresponding state seat of Wallsend. The three unsuccessful candidates who saw out the process were Joshua Brown, a Muswellbrook Council policy officer and former staffer to Combet’s predecessor Kelly Hoare; Marcus Mariani, assistant director at the Department of Defence; and Chris Osborne, a local party activities. Mark Coultan of The Australian reported rumours that “key factional players• wanted the local preselection process to be overridden to impose the party’s assistant national secretary, Nick Martin, a Left faction member who unsuccessfully sought preselection for the ACT seat of Fraser before the 2010 election.
Rankin: In a rebuff to Kevin Rudd, the preselection to replace Craig Emerson was won by Jim Chalmers, former chief-of-staff to Wayne Swan, ahead of his favoured candidate Brett Raguse, who held Forde for Labor from 2007 to 2010. A ballot of local branch members reportedly ended in a 74-74 tie, which rendered decisive a 36-14 majority for Chalmers among the electoral college of union delegates which determined 50% of the final result. The preselection caused a split between the two main right unions, the Australian Workers Union having supported Chalmers and the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association backing Raguse, and also within the Left, with the Electrical Trades Union backing Raguse but the rest supporting Chalmers.
Hotham: Simon Crean will be succeeded as Labor candidate in Hotham by Geoff Lake, a Minter Ellison lawyer and former Municipal Association of Victoria president who shares Crean’s association with the National Union Workers. Lake won the preselection ahead of Rosemary Barker, a disability worker with the Office of the Public Advocate, winning firstly the local party ballot 252-117 and then the public office selection committee vote 41-22 (with each accounting for 50% of the final total). Lake’s win was partly down to a split between Right potentates Bill Shorten and Stephen Conroy, who had long been the pillars of a “stability pact” with the Socialist Left from which the NUW had been frozen out. Tensions between Shorten and Conroy emerged during the preselection to replace Nicola Roxon in Gellibrand, in which Conroy failed to support the Shorten-backed Kimberley Kitching, and inflamed considerably when Shorten decisively defected to the Kevin Rudd camp. The Left pleaded that the split made adherence to the stability pact a practical impossibility and abstained from the vote. John Ferguson of The Australian reports that a further layer of complexity was added by the fact that Lake and Barker had respectively had success in courting support from the local Cambodian and Vietnamese communities, in the former case with help from state Clayton MP Hong Lim.
Lalor: The candidate Julia Gillard backed to succeed her in her western Melbourne electorate, Moonee Ponds Primary School principal Joanne Ryan, emerged an easy winner after her stronger opponents fell by the wayside prior to the vote. The Australian reported that factional and gender balance considerations meant the seat was always likely to go to a woman from the Right, early contenders in that mould including Kimberley Kitching and Lisa Clutterham, who respectively had the support of erstwhile allies Bill Shorten and Stephen Conroy. Clutterham withdrew after a disastrous radio interview with the ABC’s Jon Faine, in which she appeared stumped as to how to finesse her obvious lack of connection to the electorate, while Kitching pulled out and threw her support behind Ryan. Kitching had reportedly won support to seek the number three position on the Senate ticket instead, but here too she ended up falling short (more on which below). Yet another withdrawal was Sandra Willis, the daughter of Keating government Treasurer Ralph Willis. Facing only low-key opposition from two local party members, Andrew Crook of Crikey reported that Ryan ended up securing 74 votes out of 88 in the local party ballot and all but one of the 100 votes from the public office seleection committee.
Victorian Senate: The number three candidate on Labor’s Victorian Senate ticket will be Mehmet Tillem, Turkish-born electorate officer to Senator Stephen Conroy, who won 37 votes from the public office selection committee to 25 for the aforementioned Kimberley Kitching, a former Melbourne City councillor, current Health Services Union No. 1 branch acting general manager, and the wife of controversial former VexNews blogger Andrew Landeryou. The result was another rebuff for Kitching and her backer Bill Shorten following unsuccessful tilts at the Gellibrand and Lalor preselections. As had been the case in Hotham, the Socialist Left abstained from the vote on the grounds that the Shorten-Conroy split meant the Right had failed to fill its end of the “stability pact” bargain. Tillem will at the very least serve out the remainder of Feeney’s Senate term, which expires in the middle of next year, although his prospects for extending his tenure beyond that by winning a third Senate seat for Labor at the election appear slim (hence Feeney’s determination to abandon the spot for a move to the lower house).
This is the media’s panel for the debate on sunday night
Lyndal Curtis
Simon Benson
Peter Hartcher
ooops forgot the link
The Worm has been released.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/159088767/leaders-debate-rules-pdf
No interrupting Mr Abbott.
i dont think this is a good idea
Camera close ups shall be restricted to the Leaders, the moderator and the panellists
lol ruawake beat me
[Lyndal Curtis
Simon Benson
Peter Hartcher]
All Journos named as being on the Rudd distribution list. Dennis Shanahan must be mortified.
MB – of greater concern ABC are handling the live feed.
The ABC’s “VoteCompass” is interesting, and well explained by Antony Green. There have been half a million responses.
[Leading the list is the economy, rated as most important by 28 per cent of respondents. Asylum seekers was nominated by 13 per cent, followed by the other issues shown in the graph.
Focusing on the economy, the graph below shows that there is a clear partisan difference in perceptions of its importance as the key issue.
Nearly half of respondents intending to vote for the Coalition rated the economy as the most important issue, much higher than the 17 per cent for Labor voters and 6 per cent for intended Green voters.]
Interesting points to me:
– if coalition voters think it so importnat, who do they vote for Tony Abbott, the man who has admitted he doesn’t understand it?
– how many people really believe Australia’s economy is going badly? We are 3rd richest country on earth per capita, richest of all based on median income.
– there is an opportunity here for Labor, but also a need for action, both to change perceptions, and to demonstrate competence.
– what has been the role of media in persuading the citizens of the country with the highest median wealth on earth, that they are struggling?
– Rudd’s response to teh last GFC is an oppourtnity – the message was clear: cut when times are good, spend when times are bad. promise that Rudd will “do what it takes” if needed again. Abbott will not.
Have a good weekend all.
/permalink.php?story_fbid=10151810545380797&id=274330505796
clever and funny
socrates@607 – some good points, the perception of a struggling economy is a mystery to me especially having spent some time in Spain recently, economy definitely not so good there.
The Murdoch/Williams story makes it to top of the list on Yahoo news (US edition). Rudd was right to go in hard. Julie Bishop may now be regretting calling Rudd insane on Wednesday’s Lateline.
[CANBERRA (Reuters) – Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp (NSQ:NWSA) appointed a new chief executive to its Australian arm on Friday, a move Prime Minister Kevin Rudd linked to mounting attacks on his government by Murdoch’s local newspapers during a divisive election campaign.
Murdoch named former newspaper executive Julian Clarke to run News Corp Australia, the country’s dominant newspaper publisher, replacing former pay TV boss Kim Williams, who announced his retirement after less than two years in the job.
Rudd told reporters the shakeout came after Murdoch sent key lieutenant Col Allan from New York to Australia to increase attacks on his government and its A$38 billion ($35 billion) high speed broadband plan ahead of the September 7 elections.
“The message delivered very clearly to them was ‘go hard on Rudd. Start from Sunday and don’t back off’,” Rudd said on Friday.
News Corp did not respond to requests for comment on Rudd’s allegations. Some media analysts said the change of executives was more likely linked to the split of News Corp into its entertainment and publishing arms earlier this year, rather than politics and the heated election campaign.
But there is no question that the Murdoch press in Australia wants Rudd defeated come September’s election.
Melbourne University media analyst Margaret Simons said News Corp had long been against the Labour government under both Rudd and his predecessor, prime minister Julia Gillard.
“Col Allan’s arrival was crucial. I’m hearing Col Allan was sent to report back on how Kim Williams was leading the local operation. When I heard he was arriving, it was clear it couldn’t possibly be good for Kim.”]
http://finance.yahoo.com/news/murdochs-australia-head-departs-election-053849399.html
mike
RE ABC LIVE FEED
yes we must tweet them and scott let them know we suspect
their technology is not that good they lose
feeds
just saying
if they know we know but it must be a lot of people tweeting
Brian Loughnane has objected to the use of the audience worm. He said Abbott would be more comfortable with a grub.
Who is to be armed with worms ?
I tweeted mr rudd told him how we support him
and how good a job he is doing
reading between the lines I hope I got what I meant
take the fight up the evil ones I say,
karma to the lot of them
TELL YOUR friends about the coffee shop in Brisbane
hope many follow
I left a link of the coffee shop hear I do hope people have tweeted them or even rang
hear/here
I want be watching I cannot look at abbott
SO Abbott has now backflipped and WILL refer to the PEFO figures to which will be added and subtracted the costs and savings of his policies.
Therefore his deficit will = PEFO deficit + his costs – his savings.
This will obviously, from what we have seen so far result in a largish deficit thereby leading to valid questions aske about when and how he can eventiually return to surplus faster than Labor.
And with what social effect.
Apart from exploiting the families of victims of industrial accidents, the Liberals also urge journalists to ask Mr Rudd about the “stage-managed” nature of his campaign, his reported request for $2 million from the Queensland branch’s investment arm, deputy Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s recent beer with former Labor MP Craig Thomson and the manoeuvring behind former Queensland Premier Peter Beattie’s bid for a federal seat.
So they have their priorities right. Must think the economy and everything else is going OK under Labor that they think that these are the big issues of the day.
BC
IF YOU CAN go to the alp twitter it there I think
there was one that the liberals complained about
so not sure what happened
Mike
[especially having spent some time in Spain recently]
Southern France and northern Italy seem to be better now but that maybe just the tourist season.
People seem a little more optimistic.
So has anyone seen that ALP ad that has Abbott saying how you can’t believe what he says unless it’s carefully scripted, written down and signed by him?
It’s a killer ad.
Oh…..wait..they haven’t made it yet.
Or the one that has Howard saying interest rates will always be lower under a coalition government and then the big red stamp comes down kathump that says WRONG and then the voice over that says you just can’t trust the Liberals.
I’m sure the ALP want to win.
Turnbull doing BS on 24 with Curtis
‘there is an opportunity here for Labor, but also a need for action, both to change perceptions, and to demonstrate competence.’
An opportunity that will almost certainly go begging.
‘Turnbull (doing)getting away with BS on 24 with Curtis’
As usual.
I just got my letter from NBN Co for my investment property.
I’m ready to go!
Na Na Na Tony and Mal! Eat my dust.
CTari – yes south of France was much better. On the surface Spain seemed OK as well apart from some areas where things like roads & public services looked run down. Most of the comments on the economy came to me from friends whom we stayed with in Sitges who told me a lot of people are struggling.
poroti@564
Of course I do. 😉
Talc is, like the rest of us getting older: but he seems to be doing it quickly.
So has anyone seen that ALP ad that has Abbott saying how you can’t believe what he says unless it’s carefully scripted, written down and signed by him?
It’s a killer ad.
Oh…..wait..they haven’t made it yet.
Or the one that has Howard saying interest rates will always be lower under a coalition government and then the big red stamp comes down kathump that says WRONG and then the voice over that says you just can’t trust the Liberals.
I’m sure the ALP want to win.
Rosemour? Cheerful?
Someone hacked the account? 😉
What a difference the NBN makes
Professor Kevin Dutton from Oxford University lists the professions most favoured by sociopaths . It includes “Journalist” ,tick for Tones but where are the pollies ? Oh look it includes “surgeon” .Hello Diogenes 😉
•CEO
•Lawyer
•Media professional
•Salesperson
•Surgeon
•Journalist
•Policeman
•Clergyman
•Chef
•Civil servant
: http://www.smh.com.au/small-business/blogs/work-in-progress/inside-the-mind-of-a-workplace-sociopath-20130808-2rkz8.html#ixzz2bSBIl1Ri
mike – Real estate in Menton and Genoa is on the move again.
And the US also is showing signs of better times.
Anyone who whinges about things in Australia at the moment is deluded.
NOW THIS TWEET MAY SEEM insignificant
but take a look who is following this person
ha @laqishamercedes 38m
I want to twitter about politics more but who cares what a 22 yo alp card-carrying hack has to say about anything
Followed by Tony Abbott and 1 other
Collapse Reply
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11:34 PM – 8 Aug 13 · Details
Tweet
we suppose its the real tony abbott
“@strom_m: God Speaks to Tony
@ConnorJolley: Check out this msg to @TonyAbbottMHR from Anglican Parish of Gosford http://t.co/e2bdSv6EE6
One more thing for Adelaide bludgers – Sturt candidate Professor Rick Sarre (good candidate and decent bloke) will be at a local shopping centre tommorow.
Rudd the Dudd and Tony Burke: “Our boatpeople policies are working… HONEST!”
http://news.customs.gov.au/
7 August 2013
[Border Protection Command assists vessel
Initial reporting suggests there are 65 passengers and two crew on board. ]
8 August 2013
[Border Protection Command assists vessel
Initial reporting suggests there are 111 passengers and three crew on board. ]
9 August 2013
[Border Protection Command intercepts vessel
Initial reporting suggests there are 59 passengers and five crew on board. ]
9 August 2013
[Border Protection Command intercepts vessel
Initial reporting suggests there are 56 passengers and four crew on board. ]
2 Boats with 115 Illegal arrivals today, how many illegals will we have tomorrow under Labor?
Whats a media professional? An oxymoron. 😀
[One more thing for Adelaide bludgers – Sturt candidate Professor Rick Sarre (good candidate and decent bloke) will be at a local shopping centre tommorow.]
He is a great candidate and, while the conditions in this state aren’t right at the moment, I sincerely believe he has a shot in Sturt at the next election.
mike – Just while talking about the Med did you see that 9 people were drowned in separate incidents around Montpellier between Thursday and Sunday last week.
They’re fearless but the buggers can’t swim!
Who is this awful blonde woman on SkyNews Conrarians?
The GST talk is terrific. The king of the scare campaign now has one against him. Unless they can show a drastic way to find that $70b, a GST hike would appear a good way to do so.
very pleased to see Rudd take on Murdoch directly.
About bloody time.
Even Rosemour would be pleased. Thats if Rosemour was capable of being pleased.
[The GST talk is terrific. The king of the scare campaign now has one against him. Unless they can show a drastic way to find that $70b, a GST hike would appear a good way to do so.]
Wait for the polls, you Labor hacks are in for a shock.
The GST desperation by Labor will cost them votes.
CTari – no, but if it’s still very hot they maybe went a bit mad.
Andrew – I think I can recall Rosemour saying on more than one occasion that even his partner thinks he’s a pessimist.
Andrew see Rosemour @ 624
In true LNP style, they eat their own.
[This is what the truly bizarre newspaper splashes that Murdoch’s most trusted editor, Col Allan, has produced for the Daily Telegraph in Sydney really show.
News Corporation has a deep commercial interest in defeating the government and subverting the National Broadband Network but the anti-Labor campaign is driven by far more visceral impulses. News Corp Australia is locked in a bitter struggle, not with the age-old enemy Fairfax Media, but with itself.
And the election coverage is merely an extension of that – each headline becomes a way of securing Rupert’s approval.
Allan’s Thursday front page, photoshopping a scene from Hogan’s Heroes from 1971, might be unintelligible to most of the Tele’s audience, but it scores with the only demographic that matters – Rupert Murdoch.
In the old empire there were checks to Rupert’s tendency to do something wacky. But all of his consiglieres are gone, and Rupert himself at 82 is adopting many of the social mannerisms of his mother, the late Dame Elisabeth. He repeats established truisms like holy writ.
The contrast between the two halves of Murdoch’s split empire could not be sharper. When 21st Century Fox, the $US75 billion video arm of the old News Corp, released its results on Wednesday in New York, the production was slick, focused, professional, upbeat.
Compare this with the new News Corp. We know it is going to write down more than $1.2 billion, mostly on its Australian newspapers, but it hasn’t said when it will get around to reporting, and fund managers are reduced to asking execs at 21st Century Fox what is going on at News.
Since the new News Corp listed on June 28 the only media reports have been that Rupert Murdoch wants to change the government, and in the process has destabilised the management structure.]
http://m.afr.com/p/national/murdoch_news_corp_empire_turns_on_Vyddrdflv120QLxLBkXG8H
no fact checker at the debate ?
[Unless they can show a drastic way to find that $70b, a GST hike would appear a good way to do so.]
That’s why the Labor scare campaign makes sense, because if you have a big hole in your budget ($70bn, perhaps), and if you’re a party that likes to make lower-income people pay for middle and upper class welfare (like, say, the Liberals), then upping the GST is the obvious way to do it. Yay, free cars for the rich, more expensive food for the pensioners. It’s the Liberal way, and people know it.
CTar1
Nobody but nobody can compete with the crazy Ivans.
[Heat Wave and Vodka A Deadly Russian Mix; Hundreds Drown
A vicious heat wave in Russia has people there flocking to the nearest bodies of water in search of relief. But the scorching temperatures, combined with many Russians’ infamous drinking habits, have resulted in the drowning deaths of hundreds of people every week.
Last week, 233 Russians, some of them children, died in drowning accidents according to the Emergencies Ministry. Over 1,200 died in the month of June.
“The majority of those drowned were drunk,” ministry official Vadim Seryogin said on Wednesday. “The children died because adults simply did not look after them.”]
http://abcnews.go.com/International/russia-heat-wave-vodka-deadly-mix-drowning/story?id=11170454