The big story in polling this week was no story at all, with Newspoll still yet to resume after its summer break. This has inevitably excited the attention of conspiracy theorists, but if Newspoll takes the field this weekend it will be acting just as it did after the 2010 election, when its first post-New Year poll was conducted in the first weekend in February. In an off week for the fortnightly Morgan series, that just leaves an Essential Research to add to the mix for BludgerTrack, which accordingly records next to no change on last week. Labor does at least reach a new high of 39.5% on the primary vote, putting it within a hair’s breadth of the Coalition. The seat projection is entirely unchanged, with nothing significant happening on the state breakdowns for voting intention. It should be noted that there is still no data from any of the big live-interview phone pollsters this year, all observations this year coming from Essential, Morgan and ReachTEL.
a
I understand that, under the Greens Party Policy, free DIY drug kits will be forced on every school child.
Shocking interviewer for Shorten on 24 now.
Yesiree Bob
Posted Monday, February 10, 2014 at 7:38 pm | Permalink
Can anybody inform just how long the Abbott Government been in office and how many jobs have been lost ?
am trying to keep a tally together, ta
================================================
Easier to count jobs created.
Zero
The Abbott quote:
[Tony Abbott, when he could say stuff like “any government which makes it harder to manufacture cars is making it harder for us to continue to be a first world economy because without cars, without steel, without aluminium, without cement, we don’t have these manufacturers in Australia, we are not really a sophisticated economy anymore”.]
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/feb/06/coalition-arbitrary-line-drawing-corporate-handouts-benefits-no-one
Ah. Shorten just (a) stopped the ABC interlocuter from interrupting him for the umpteenth time and (b) used the term ‘in the interests of the nation’.
My prediction is that we are going to be hearing that phrase quite often.
Rex D….Give us a break.
We get the message. You don’t think Shorten is much good and you don’t like him.
However, until such time as Labor (both members and caucus) decide otherwise, at least – if you are a Labor supporter – take a more open-minded position.
Oppositions, I am coming to accept a truism, do not win. Governments lose.
All the comments and emphasis should be on how poorly Abbott is doing rather than bag Shorten.
As a sour comment from Bill Hayden made patently obvious, when a government is doing poorly, a “drover’s dog” could lead and opposition to government.
My personal view is that Albanese is more a man of the people than Shorten appears to be, but those who voted did not think so.
And, no matter how good Tanya P might seem, I think it might be an election cycle or two before we see a female lead Labor.
I was a fan of PMJG.
zoomster:
Next the govt will be interfering in boardrooms by demanding that companies deliberately delay large scale infrastructure projects.
Oh wait, they already have done that!
mikehilliard
[
ru
It’s hard not to fell a little sorry for McFarlane.]
After his utter shafting over the carbon negotiations I did feel sorry for him. BUT since then he has been humiliated and shafted by the Minchinite Abbottabads a few more times. On each occasion he has eaten the shit sandwich and turned up in public with a smile. No matter how forced the smile that he keeps coming back for more suggests stoopid or gutless or both.
zoomster@2923
Yes, but not recently. I read enough to draw my conclusions.
I have worked with parents of users and mental health workers. I know their views.
poroti mh
It is high time the rural socialists migrated out of the Ayn Rand Party.
poroti
Someone here suggested McFarlane couldn’t care less as he has the Com car & fat salary. For a useless p-ck that’s probably good enough.
[ No matter how forced the smile that he keeps coming back for more suggests stoopid or gutless or both.]
What option does he have, go back to being a Toowoomba nobody?
zoomster
Posted Monday, February 10, 2014 at 7:43 pm | Permalink
Why would any company waste their time contacting MacFarlane – or indeed, anyone in the government? They’ve seen what happens when an industry requests assistance.
Abbott and co have told them the Age of Entitlement is over – what are they supposed to do, assume the government is lying?
————————————————-
Unless its a mining company…$2-4 billion in fuel subsidies and an extra couple of million when the MRRT is repealed.
Remember Abbott and his cronies yapping on about how little the MRRT collected. Strange, when its around a couple hundred million in revenue from their mining bed partners its a terribly large amount.
But to save jobs $25 million is too much.
[I’m pretty sure our politics differ enough for you to believe I’m cretinous. ]
I didn’t say you were cretinous. In fact I acknowledged that your posts are not usually as cretinous as that one was. This is high praise. You should learn to take compliments gracefully.
absolutetwaddle@2924
I also said to make things like heroine available legally to addicts.
That would stuff the market for the illegal supplies.
Did the artful electors of Griffith take a look at the last Bludgertrack setting and decide that that was good enough for them?
[jules
Posted Monday, February 10, 2014 at 7:14 pm | Permalink
YB @ 2862
..
The only sane – ie intelligent and compassionate – response to heroin addiction is to legalise it and make it, regulate it and make treatment for PTSD and other mental illness available to all users on demand.
]
It could be treated like tobacco and booze; taxed at a level that pays for the social costs. As it is, no return to cover the medical cost and further social cost from the forms of corruption that comes with illegal incomes.
absolutetwaddle@2935
Read what I said in full and don’t quote selectively.
Otherwise you are living up to your name.
RE Ayn Rand
I never did finish reading The Fountainhead. Being a working architect probably had a lot to do with it.
Psephos@2936
But you left out Maoists and ex-Maoists!
WHY!!!! 👿
On the question of heroin and marijuana …
If one were focused on harm minimisation rather than punishment of taboo, one could make both preparations available as patches or sprays, supplied through licensed outlets with the dosages of the relevant narcotic or psychoactive agent made explicit. There would be virtually zero scope for these sources to be duplicated illegally, and one could absolutely track the supply chain. Stolen supplies would be simple to trace if people were found in possession of them.
In one swoop, the hazards associated with smoking or injecting would vanish, and the place of these agents in criminal enterprise would be reduced to zero. Those with substance abuse problems would be identifiable and the proceeds could be used in part to see they got the treatment they needed.
Equally, the indirect costs — the costs in law enforcement and prosecution and sentencing would vanish. Prisons would begin to empty and people locked up could get jobs and pay taxes instead. It’s quite likely that petty crime would also decline, since much of this is related to raising the funds needed to buy the drugs that enrich the major criminals currently involved.
It’s also quite likely that many people would substitute marijuana for alcohol, with a consequent lessening of the harms caused by over-indulgence of alcohol.
I also rather suspect that a liberal regime on recreational drug use would spur the tourist industry bringing hard currency to Australia from the rest of the world. Plainly, we could grow both opium poppies and marijuana here so there would be some excellent money to be made there too.
Finally, with the passing of fears over ‘reefer madness’ we might finally be able to have a plain old hemp industry, which while having nothing to do with THC, is a crop from which one can make paper and useful textiles.
mikehilliard@2952
Agree. Come back Leigh Sales, all is forgiven.
Who is that bimbo?
Having spent 32 years working in prisons I adopted the view that heroin should be legalized, available on a script from a chemist.
Other drugs including cannabis should be illegal.
Psephos
I’ll put it another way , given your politics I would take being called a cretin by you as pretty high praise. I am a little disappointed.
Once again I hope you consider how your views on the matter could be represented thus. A government that deliberately violates a neighbours borders should be condemned, a government that gives away life boats should be condemned; can’t be done if the Labor party actually believed Australians as a majority; want the most inhumane response possible; which is how I interpret your posts.
Perhaps I am stupid and have missinterpeted your views; happy for you to tell my so.
don
[What a supercilious condescending person you are, and for no good reason. Pretensions of grandeur.
You remind me of the poodle. All the bitchiness but none of the charm and wit.]
I’m thinking we should hold an intervention with Psephos on account of his obnoxiousness.
Joyce&Co must be anxiously scanning the skies hoping that all the predicted rain does not break the drought before they have skimmed $7 billion off the Australian taxpayer.
[Joyce&Co must be anxiously scanning the skies …]
Wasn’t Joke Joyce supposed to be putting his rescue package to Cabinet today? Guess they came over Unions and had a nap.
[I’m thinking we should hold an intervention with Psephos on account of his obnoxiousness.]
I will try harder to emulate your grace and charm.
You’re all deeply horrible people.
[AussieAchmed
Posted Monday, February 10, 2014 at 8:06 pm | Permalink
Having spent 32 years working in prisons I adopted the view that heroin should be legalized, available on a script from a chemist.
Other drugs including cannabis should be illegal.
]
My own view illegality should be directly proportional to the aggression of the taker. I’m interested in why you feel cannabis should be illegal.
That’s the first time for quite a while that I have watched 7:30.
What a rude, opinionated sourpuss is Sales’ replacement!
Fair Go Country @geeksrulz 2h
Ford, Holden and Toyota survived the GFC. But nothing and no one can survive The Abbott Kiss Of Death. #auspol pic.twitter.com/aODhGi71Px
[I put up with quite a lot here, from people who seem to hate the Labor Right more than they hate fascists, stalinists, racists or any other species of political vermin,]
Well of course, so many of the Labor Right used to be said vermin. Zealots are zealots. It does not matter what they believe in just as long as they can be zealots. See the Neocons and how many were uber leftys. It’s the jihad that matters to them , not the cause.
George W. Bludger @GeorgeBludger 2h
bawhaha “@RobedSinners: BREAKING: Toyota to start making chocolate.”
Interesting article on the VEET Energy Saving Initiative, and it’s impact on household electricity costs.
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2014/2/10/smart-energy/efficiency-bite-out-vics-peak-demand?utm_source=exact&utm_medium=email&utm_content=578832&utm_campaign=cs_daily&modapt=
Whether marijuana is technically legal or not makes zero difference to the vast majority of users and dealers. Not only is it an unjustifiable prohibition, it’s also got to be amongst the most pissweak attempts at banning a plant ever.
If you really think not only the law should stay but the police ought to dedicate MORE resources to crack down on South Park-watching stoners you are officially more fucked in the head than they are.
Luckily this is a minority position. People seem to be okay with the ‘it’s illegal but not really’ status quo.
Gosh I hate it when autocorrect chooses “it’s” by default.
[its impact …]
[2897
ruawake
Posted Monday, February 10, 2014 at 7:09 pm | PERMALINK
Oh Dear
Abbott has chosen one of his to head his Star Chamber.
Heydon is known to be a conservative judge and has spoken out against judges who assume a law making role. His publicly expressed views, made while a New South Wales judge, were described by contemporaneous commentators as a “job application” for appointment to the High Court by the government of Prime Minister John Howard
Dyson will do a fine job for Tony.]
The contemporaneous commentators reference was just Richard Ackland shit stirring in Justinian (a light sardonic journal for lawyers) in response to Heydon’s criticisms of the romancing of the record of the High Court under Sir Anthony Mason and Sir William Deane both of who would be regarded as conservative appointments to the High Court who opened up things a bit.
The assigning nowadays of titles to judges as conservative or progressive is misplaced.
Heydon is counter-suggestible, resolute and difficult. His most scathing judgments on the court targeted slack thinkers, slack courts and the James Hardie directors.
Abbott and Brandis would not appreciate who they have appointed.
On the topic of marajuana.
I heard a story once about a guy who skippered large yachts around the world. Part of the job involved taking the yacht from Majorca to the Cayman Islands. On route they encountered a large garbage trail, apparently these huge floating garbage tracks are in the middle of the ocean & make for very good fishing. So, whilst trawling along one of these junk yards they noticed a number of square black plastic wrapped bails floating in the ocean. Out of interest they gaffed one of these bails & hauled it on board. Inside the bail were were hundreds of bags of marijuana. Being a young crew all decided to partake but such was the strength of the herb it soon became apparent the normal life could not continue with this drug around & it was summarily turfed back overboard.
From then on it was referred to as “the square groper”.
Antony Green should be grateful he doesn’t do election night commentary in Madagascar. Here’s a typical set of candidate names:
AMPARAFARAVOLA (2 seats)
====================================================================
Enrolled voters: 114,401
Votes cast: 58,790 51.4
Invalid votes: 2,756 04.7
Valid votes: 56,034 95.3
——————————————————————–
Candidate Party Votes %
——————————————————————–
Solofo RABEKIJANA MR 6,349 11.3
José Rakotoniaina 3,505 06.3
Eugène Rafitoarisoa MPAR 5,785 10.3
Emiline RAKOTOBE 12,318 22.0
Mahefarimiandra Rabezanahary FFF 4,400 07.9
Guy Ramarosandratana VPM MMM 1,917 03.4
Randriamanohisoa 4,177 07.5
Rafaralahifotsy Rakotovao-Andriamboahangy AIM 2,709 04.8
Ratsirefesina AMHM 295 00.5
Harison Andriarinivomanana 3,752 06.7
14 others 10,827 19.3
——————————————————————–
Total 56,034
——————————————————————–
Don’t use autocorrect.
Psephos
Something fishy with those numbers? How do they get .3 of a vote?
As if Mining companies don’t have the room on Earth to mine, now NASA is looking at Mining companies to mine the moon.
http://www.theverge.com/2014/2/9/5395684/nasa-begins-hunt-for-private-companies-to-mine-the-moon-catalyst
Sales’ replacement on 7.30 is Sarah Ferguson, notably of 4 corners fame. Ferguson is clearly adept at scripted pieces-to-camera, but did really struggle with the live-ish format of 7.30.
It was her first night, so some latitude should probably be extended.
But yes, her style interviewing Shorten was abominable. I think the “style” now being pursued at the ABC basically is a reaction to the LNP attacks on it – to demonstrate impartiality they have to have equal numbers of government and opposition interviews, and to treat all interviewees equally they have to show the appropriate amount of aggression/opposition to whomever they are interviewing.
Although interviews with LNP figures do seem remarkably tame in comparison with the “don’t bother listening, interrupt as soon as possible” style they adopt with ALP figures.
Maybe they get to vote for multiple candidates?
Oh dear
[‘‘This decision will see thousands of jobs exit Australia – not only at Toyota directly but all the way down the supply chain,’’ Mr Smith said. ‘‘The magnitude of this decision in the community cannot be underestimated. We are looking at a potential recession all along the south-eastern seaboard.’’]
I suspect Dave Smith meant to say overestimated. Hopefully the paper didn’t misquote him.
http://www.pm.gov.au/media/2014-02-10/royal-commission-trade-union-governance-and-corruption
The Terms of Reference for the Union Witch Hunt Royal Commission are the broadest ever, and designed to run forever.
About half way down the link above, especially 8 thru 10 are gems of legal construction, with the hand of Lord Brandis evident.
It’s just good old formatting problems.
I bet on Pseph’s Excel sheet it appears properly as 6,349 votes, 11.3%
[The Terms of Reference for the Union Witch Hunt Royal Commission are the broadest ever, and designed to run forever.]
2016 election?
How surprising
[A report into the $100m a year ethanol subsidy program says a large part of the excise benefit is not being passed on to consumers via the E10 discount.]
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-02-10/ethanol-industry-subsidies/5249520
The subsidy was to mate Dick Honan and his donations you fools at the ABC. Manildra rules.