This week’s Essential Research result ticks back a point to the Coalition on two-party preferred, who now trail by 52-48, from primary votes of 39% for both the Coalition and Labor (respectively up one and down one), with the Greens and Palmer United steady on 9% and 6%. Other findings:
• Perceptions of the Senate balance of power have not changed since last year, with 32% thinking it best when the government has a majority (up one), 25% favouring independents and minor parties holding the balance of power (up one), 8% preferring the opposition holding the balance of power (down two), 7% saying it doesn’t matter, and 28% saying they don’t know.
• Perceptions of the present situation are likewise unchanged on immediately after the election, with 36% thinking the micro-parties good for democracy (steady), 28% bad (up two) and 15% opting for makes no difference (down two).
• Twenty-seven per cent would sooner the Greens hold the balance of power versus 22% for Palmer United, with 34% saying no difference.
Other inquiries relate to respondents’ retirement and superannuation arrangements. Another polling nugget to emerge yesterday was a ReachTEL result commissioned by the Electrical Trades Union showing Queensland Treasurer Tim Nicholls facing a 13% swing in his affluent Brisbane seat of Clayfield, but nonetheless leading 57-43 on two-party preferred.
UPDATE (ReachTEL): The Seven Network this evening brings us a ReachTEL automated phone poll of national voting intention, as it does one a month or so, conducted to gauge reaction to Tony Abbott’s handling of the MH17 disaster. The poll shows a slight tick to the Coalition, which now trails 52-48 from primary votes of 36% for the Liberals, apparently not including the Coalition (up one); 37% for Labor (down one); 10% for the Greens (steady); and 8% for Palmer United (up one). Abbott scores strong ratings for his handling of MH17, being rated very good or good by 51%, satisfactory by 26% and poor or very poor by 23%.
Case resumed this afternoon in high Court re as157
[Justice Hayne going through facts of the case #hc157]
RaaRaa
While it is a bit of a ‘who really knows’ scenario, some of those points are, IMHO, a bit rocky:
(1) there are natural causes for atmospheric methane.
(2) Many threatened species would disappear almost overnight as a result of removal of controls on predators, weeds and competitors because the species have entered genetic bottleneck territory which would have great difficulty coping with the massive booms and busts as a consequence of the removal of all human interventions. Whether ‘most’ threatened species would start to improve immediately is, IMHO, moot rather than definite.
(3) It seems to me that most wooden structures would disappear much sooner than by a century. For example, they would nearly all be burned down within a year or two in Australia as a result of summer lightning strikes.
(4) The North American prairie, like most grasslands, is an artefact of human anthropogenic burning practices. If humans went the Great Plains grasslands would mostly turn into either tall forests or woodlands. Where fire has been kept out of relict patches, trees have taken over.
Justice Hayne recapping last two weeks #hc157
[They are using a ($5-10k/day?) QC to prosecute Slipper over $900?]
It’s absolutely ridiculous. Plus that it’s taken 4 years for us to get to this point where the matter will see a resolution.
The shark has been well jumped by this journo. Abbott runs his mouth off early now counseling pollies to do what the adult pollies were doing in the first place and this journo says “He was right then and he is right now” .
[Having been firmer and sterner than all other leaders in his initial response to the MH17 catastrophe, Tony Abbott is now cautioning against ”facile optimism” in the difficult days ahead.
The man whose blunt language articulated the world’s initial shock, anger and outrage and set the tone for subsequent responses, now appears to be opting for a more measured and nuanced approach.
He was right then and he is right now.]
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/tony-abbotts-next-diplomatic-challenge-over-mh17-20140722-3cdq9.html#ixzz38Gccclqf
The EU is threatening sanctions against Putin and his Putinistas, but I suppose that Abbott’s Australia is open to business as usual.
After all, the Spivotariat does not really give a rat’s arse for a plane load of people.
Talking of the Spivotariat, the Russian Bourse has dropped a cool $100 billion since MH17, which would make the latter the most expensive plane crash in history.
Michael Lind (who is very good) takes an axe to the US
http://www.salon.com/2014/07/12/the_american_century_is_over_how_our_country_went_down_in_a_blaze_of_shame/
BOERWAR
Now that I have your attention , there is some exciting news from California about your Bark Beetle franchise. It’s going gangbusters.
[L.A. gently weeps as George Harrison tree is felled by beetles
A tree planted in memorial to late Beatles guitarist George Harrison following his death in Los Angeles in 2001 has been killed by bark beetles amid California’s epic drought, a local official said on Tuesday.]
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/07/22/us-usa-harrison-tree-idUSKBN0FR26P20140722
I hope someone sane has told Abbott that placing Australian troops somewhere in the eastern Ukraine without the full protection of squadrons of US fixed wing and rotary wing airpower is a lunatic notion.
We know he is an idiot warmonger desperate for a war to revive his rubbish prime ministership but surely he isn’t that mad?
Boerwar
That it is in the middle of an active war zone is mere detail.
The No shit Sherlock award for the day goes to our very own PM
[The message from the Prime Minister’s latest briefing is that we simply don’t yet know many of the answers.]
poroti
Before anyone jumpst to conclusions, the California Branch of the International Bark Beetle Collective would like to point out that:
(a) that if any bark beetles were involved, they probably came from Colorado
(b) that some Russisan bark beetles were also believed to have been in the vicinity
(c) that the site was cleaned up before an independent investigation could work out whether it was the drought or the beetles or something else
(d) that Harrison was a foreigner
(e) that Deblonay will provide a link before nightfall proving conclusively that it WAS NOT Putin who killed that tree but the great great grandson of George Washington.
BREAKING Full bench hearing #hc157 5/08 for two days @abcnews
BREAKING #hc157 case to be heard by full bench of the High Court in Canberra 5/08 1015AEST @abcnews #auspol
p
That said, it looks increasingly like there is a step change going on in very, very large areas of US forests which appear to be reverting to permanent shrubland in some cases and reverting to vast swathes of young-growth forest in others. In many cases the bark beetles (various spp) appear to be speeding the transition.
It is a largish experiment.
The the prisoners on Scott Morrisons prison ship have to endure a further 2 weeks on the high seas.
Appalling situation.
Boerwar @ 506
[The EU is threatening sanctions against Putin and his Putinistas, but I suppose that Abbott’s Australia is open to business as usual.]
I understand there are 30,000 breeder cattle due to leave for Russia in the next few weeks, one of a number of such shipments this year. Will the Abbott government be banning these shipments? No, I thought not.
Pig Iron Bob
Fat Cow Tony
Raaraa
The other thing that would happen if humans went is that the gods would go as well.
Boerwar
My theory is separatist pro Colorado bark beetles in California mistakenly attacked the tree after misreading Beatle as Beetle.
Since we’ve been on the topic a bit today I should point out that today I saw an attempt by a male echidna to mate with a female echidna. He was, literally, sniffing around and making various attempts to flip her over, the missionary position for perfectly good reasons being preferred over doggy style by male echidnas.
Anyhoo she was not interested. Every time he tried to shove his snout under her to try for a flip she lowered a forest of sharp bits in his face.
p
I am sure that the International Bark Beetle Security Council Fully Independent Investigation Committee will consider that theory and find that the perps are already well on their way across Siberia with new identities.
My guess is EU sanctions against Russia will be symbolic, they need gas as winter approaches.
Interesting that Australia imports crude oil from Russia and exports Beef (live and dead). Thats about it.
ruawake
One trade item that may be affected are kangaroo products . The Russians have cut it off a number of times. Not sure on current status.Russians for some reason have a real soft spot for kangaroos and their treatment.
When Crimea kicked off the no.2 story for a couple of days in their local papers was several kangaroos being killed when wild dogs got in to an animal sanctuary.
Boerwar @ 515
[We know he is an idiot warmonger desperate for a war to revive his rubbish prime ministership but surely he isn’t that mad?]
It is 100 years and 26 days since the terrorist attack which killed 2 people died immediately and another ~20 million in the following 4 years.
Never underestimate how crazy even sane politicians can act, especially when desperate and Abbott isn’t the most stable PM we’ve ever had, IMHO.
poroti and boerwar
😀 😀 very witty exchange.
k17
[Michael Lind (who is very good) takes an axe to the US …
“For their part, neoconservatives are in complete denial about the limits to American power illustrated by the debacles in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and, earlier, Vietnam. (To be sure, we did defeat Grenada and Panama).]
He missed the bit that immediately after WWII they could only score a ‘draw’ in Korea as well.
[@MichaelCoombes: Is @theqldpremier running on empty in Ashgrove? Exclusive @ReachTEL poll in #7NewsQ at 6pm http://t.co/xmN5U3jXsG%5D
[Michael Coombes @MichaelCoombes 20m
Is @theqldpremier running on empty in Ashgrove? Exclusive @ReachTEL poll in #7NewsQ at 6pm ]
I guess Can’t Do Anything Right, because nobody trusts him, will blame it on a union push poll.
[One trade item that may be affected are kangaroo products . The Russians have cut it off a number of times. Not sure on current status.Russians for some reason have a real soft spot for kangaroos and their treatment.]
Maybe they can substitute NZ possums
Tweet is a little imprecise but does suggest that the HC might have a different perspective on all of this and will bypass the arguments of those on the boat/commonwealth.
[Justice Hayne will take a stated case to the high court. He’s now running through what that case will be]
lizzie
Agree, I do enjoy it when Boewar is on good form.
[ CTar1
Posted Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at 4:23 pm | Permalink
k17
Michael Lind (who is very good) takes an axe to the US …
“For their part, neoconservatives are in complete denial about the limits to American power illustrated by the debacles in Iraq, Afghanistan, Libya and, earlier, Vietnam. (To be sure, we did defeat Grenada and Panama).
He missed the bit that immediately after WWII they could only score a ‘draw’ in Korea as well.
]
—————————————————–
Devoid of historical knowledge, Americans substitute myths like exceptionalism — a belief that dates back to John Winthrop’s 1630 declaration that the new colony will be a “city upon a hill” for all the world to follow.
Exceptionalism underlay embrace of “manifest destiny.” Woodrow Wilson stated it most directly when he gushed after the Paris Peace conference, “At last the world knows America as the savior of the world!”
Secretary of State Madeleine Albright had the temerity to declare, “If we have to use force, it is because we are America; we are the indispensable nation.”
Tried to watch Abbott’s presser, but I had to vomit.
[Michael Best @michaelbesty 6m
More bad poll news for the Premier. Are Queenslanders buying his policy backdowns? @9NewsBrisbane at 6. #9NEWS]
When will Abbott have to admit the obvious – we may never find every body. 🙁
ru
Was he being all emo?
Is it possible that both Qld LNP and ALP will knife their leaders ?
Transcript of HC hearing into Tamils on a ship
https://jade.barnet.com.au/Jade.html#article=338969
A clever way to make the point
“@johnb78: “I see dead people bolstering my poll numbers” – Abbott’s Sixth Sense”
Boer
I am terribly offended – words fail me, in fact, when I try and express the depths of my outrage – at your foul insinuation that echidnas have —- you know, that thing.
In polite society, one does not refer to – um, stuff — and maintains that echidnas, like all God’s creatures, spontaneously generate on sunny days, powered by the prayers of the just.
Your reference to such activities proves you are unfit for public office. Indeed, your very presence sullies this blog. Childen might be reading!!
And your comment was also obviously (something)-ist. If the female echidna had (for whatever perverted reason) been approaching the male for – um – and been rejected, I highly doubt you would have shown any interest in the subject at all.
I will continue to monitor your posts keenly so that I can be offended again in the future.
[Treasurer Joe Hockey believes the May federal budget, which triggered a backlash against the government, was not tough enough and he held Prime Minister Tony Abbott responsible]
Why say so?
Why not just state that the government felt a tougher budget was needed(we know that’s bullshit) but what was presented was satisfactory for the moment?
Why, after experiencing such a back lash would you come out and impale yourself to the benefit of Rabbott?
@MsCastan: Transcript from High Court hearing, Tuesday 22/7/14 #highcourt157 (157 asylum seekers held at sea) https://t.co/kICd4oqwBa #auslaw
zoomster
It must be a tricky business for echidnas. It is not as if the male’s outfit stand like dog’s ba… whoops, nearly muffed it there. And how a male echinda can figure out whether a female echidna has a nice pair of ti… whoa… or, say, a nice arse under all those pricky bits…
Your post does raise the central existential question of Australian politics, ‘Which came first: the echnidna or the egg?’
[ Boerwar
Posted Wednesday, July 23, 2014 at 5:06 pm | Permalink
zoomster
It must be a tricky business for echidnas. It is not as if the male’s outfit stand like dog’s ba… whoops, nearly muffed it there. And how a male echinda can figure out whether a female echidna has a nice pair of ti… whoa… or, say, a nice arse under all those pricky bits…
Your post does raise the central existential question of Australian politics, ‘Which came first: the echnidna or the egg?’
]
————————————————-
Must be some job to sort out all the pricks involved ??
Reading those transcripts reminds me of doing construction law at uni. For some reason the choice of words & sentence construction just baffles me. Suppose it has to be that way though, you can’t just come out & say we think holding 150+ people on a boat somewhere for an indefinite period & with no indication of where they can be taken is, on our opinion your honour, f*cking inhumane.
zoomster
Birds do it, bees do it, even educated fleas do it…
An old song but 😉
bc
Echnidas get really upset about the one about being as useful as a spare prick at a wedding.
They reckon that joke is speciesist.
Boerwar:
It is not an existential question to ask which came first since, whichever be the case, existence itself is presumed. More of a logical conundrum.
Which is not to dispute that it may not be the “central existential question of Australian politics” given the other possible candidates, such as how hirsute might a Pup senator be before you can call her a bitch?
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/12yearolds-pararoos-plea-nets-a-form-response-from-tony-abbott-20140723-zvw6m.html
Abbott really does have class!