GhostWhoVotes relates that a Galaxy poll, presumably to be published in the News Limited tabloids tomorrow, has Labor’s lead at 52-48, down from 53-47 at the last such poll. On the primary vote, the Coalition is up a point to 39%, Labor down one to 37%, the Greens up one to 11% and Palmer United down one to 7%.
Other questions posed by the pollsters elicited results that would be highly disappointing to the government under the circumstances. Bill Shorten leads Tony Abbott not only on “best at managing the economy”, by 43% to 36%, but also by 41% to 39% on “trust to stand up for Australia’s overseas interests”. Shorten also maintains a 41-35 lead as preferred prime minister.
UPDATE: Daily Telegraph graphic here, giving highest prominence to a question on “who has shown the most leadership after the MH17 disaster” out of Tony Abbott (48%), Barack Obama (17%) and David Cameron (7%), notwithstanding the doubts one might harbour about respondents’ capacity to provide a meaningful answer to such a question. Of more use is a question on whether the Prime Minister should ban Vladimir Putin from attending the G20 summit in Brisbane, which finds 45% in favour and 36% opposed, and a slightly stronger lean in favour among Coalition supporters.
UPDATE 2 (Roy Morgan): This week’s Roy Morgan multi-mode poll, combining the results of face-to-face and SMS surveying from 3296 respondents over the past two weekends, has the Coalition up four points to 38%, but Labor also up half a point to 39%. Palmer United is down from 7.5% to 5%, with the Greens also down a point to 10.5%. Labor is down two points on both respondent-allocated and previous election two-party preferred, its respective leads now at 54.5-45.5 and 54-46.
@cathywilcox1: I drew it up nicely for the paper. Scott Morrison’s experiment. http://t.co/Al6FMFEQv4
poroti @ 148
[Just part of the right wing commentariat trying to convince us Tony is some sort of Thatcher/Churchill reincarnation leading us all safely through the valley of death.]
I think Churchill is the closest fit to our Tony. Churchill and Gallipoli that is. Or maybe Churchill and Greece.
The 3aw news mentioned the Galaxy poll this morning. It began with the claim that the poll shows Tony Abbott has inspired Australians in his handling of the MH17 matter and then went on to say the government was still struggling in the polls at 52-48 and that Bill Shorten was still the PPM.
Talk about turd polishing. There was absolutely nothing in the poll IMO from which it could be inferred that Abbott has inspired the country. The word “inspired” was not even used in the questions asked. This was just part of the incessant turd polishing by the Murdoch mob. Fortunately it does appear to be working.
Last sentence should be – “Fortunately it does NOT appear to be working”.
Darn @ 153, it seems Abbott’s handling has inspired people to remain underwhelmed by him.
The dissonance between what is reported overseas and what is reported locally in relation to MH17 still continues to astound.
Currently on BBC World:
“MH17 military mission ‘unrealistic’……Sending an international military mission to secure the crash site of MH17 in eastern Ukraine is ‘unrealistic’, Dutch PM Mark Rutte says.
Currently on ABC on line: “Security fears force AFP officers to delay mission to MH17 crash site.”
The fact that the Dutch are leading the way in all of this and the fact that the number of 49 – including just 11 Oz officers – is the number who are touted to be the ‘team’ is played down by the conservatives as they beat up on Abbott about to invade Russia.
And the ABC keeps going on about the fact that the coppers are “unarmed” whereas this does not get a mention in the BBC offering.
What the hell are 150 plus quasi-military personnel doing over there other than to boost Abbott’s credentials at home?
Now if this were a Labor government…………..
“@PaulBongiorno: Are there more Muslim voters in marginal seats than Jewish voters. I’m told there is especially in Sydney. Hello Gaza.”
Daily Telecrap readers expect this kind of turd polishing, especially when lauding their Dear Leader Tony Abbott. The readers are after affirmation, not information.
“@ABCNews24: Watch LIVE: Greens Leader @senatormilne speaking on changes to rules for job seekers http://t.co/FlRWJArtyW #auspol”
Joe Hockey’s cigar gets mentioned again 😀
As far as I can ascertain the Galaxy poll has not been mentioned in early news in WA at all. Mind you, the same quite often applies to Newspoll.
I guess if there is a bit of a bump for Abbott due to all the glossing of his efforts, his improvement, if any, will be headline news.
The West Australian newspaper has been furiously going into bat for both Bishop and Abbott for days now.
Woman of Steel no less for Bishop and Churchill Abbott for Tones.
I have not come across anyone as yet who have been “inspired” by Abbott yet. Though, I suspect, most will recognise he has done his job – though wildly over-egged in its praise by his conservative mates.
By the time the costs of all this are added up – together with the other search, the marginal improvement in Abbott’s figures – if in fact they do eventuate – will be a pretty penny.
“@ABCNews24: Christine Milne: Tony Abbott is wrong to say that seeking asylum is illegal. It is not illegal #asylumseekers #auspol”
Good on Senator Milne sticking up for people and telling media we need to stop demonising the unemployed.
lizzie @ 149
I wrote them an irate email cancelling my sub last night. Interested to know if this is more widespread.
I expect Labor and PUP and some Independents to be on a unity ticket on the 40 jobs search with Senator Milne.
May actually be stronger.
pritu
As someone else has said. Never a harsh word about the journo silly enough to leave her “device” behind.
guytaur
Has Milne tackled the problem of job search in a small town? I spose the Colaition will say “then move”, a la Turnbull.
lizzie
Yes she used Burnie as an example.
[Paul Bongiorno @PaulBongiorno 4m
Love the Tele’s headline today: Abbott leads world, but not the polls.]
Yuk! Yuk!
Ah, fun…a visit by the Jehovah’s.
I quote scripture at them, they quote scripture at me, I tell them St John was probably sleeping off a bottle of retsina when he dreamed up Revelations….
zoomster
When I was young you got a visit from the traveling “Rawleigh’s” man.
At least it was explicit that he was trying to sell you something.
Revelation (Apocalypse) was probably written by a first century Jewish Christian who had been driven mad with rage and grief at the destruction of the Temple. Romans, he said, you may be on top now but our Saviour’s soon returning to kick Roman backsides. No more Mr Nice Guy.
CTar1
I remember the Rawleigh’s van well as an eight year old.
I wonder how business will like the 300,000,000+ applications a year they’ll have to deal with next year ? Going on May vacancy numbers there will be about 180 applications for every job.
As for turd polishing —
nice to catch Uhlmann’s interview with the AFP rep this morning.
Uhlmann kept asking leading questions along the lines of “But surely you’d be safer with guns!’ and the AFP rep kept batting them so far out of the stadium that the batsmen are still strolling between the wickets…
Unbelievable. Just a total fairy tale…
[Tony Abbott strides large on stage after MH17 disaster
Obama is weak and Europe even weaker, dependent on Russia for a third of its oil and gas as well as billions in contracts, like ones France signed to supply amphibious assault ships.
That’s why Abbott’s moral clarity and plain speaking has been so electric.
European leaders cannot pretend it’s business as usual with Russia while Abbott is angrily demanding justice for the dead — and while Putin’s rebels have shown those dead such disrespect.
The public anger has forced European politicians to be angrier themselves, with German Chancellor Angela Merkel now pushing the European Union “to intensify the sanctions” this week.
And that brings Abbott closer to his third aim — to get Russia out of eastern Ukraine.
True, Abbott has for now stopped talking about that, to avoid goading Russia into blocking access to the crash site — something it’s already shown it can do if displeased.
The morning after MH17 was shot down, Abbott declared “the need for Russia to be told in no uncertain terms that what is happening in the Ukraine is wrong”, but last Saturday, he claimed this was not actually his concern.
“Others can get involved if they wish in the politics of Eastern Europe,” he said. “Our sole concern is to claim our dead and bring them home.”
That is untrue. When our dead are back, expect Abbott to fight what he from day one identified as the true cause of this disaster — nationalist Russia’s war to reconquer parts of Ukraine.
Abbott has seen such a film before, starring Czechoslovakia in 1938. This time an Australian leader plans to help change the ending.
http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/tony-abbott-strides-large-on-stage-after-mh17-disaster/story-fnj45fva-1227003327027 ]
So it seems Tony Abbott is cunningly fooling Putin into thinking he only wants the bodies back, and then he will strike hard, and strike decisively.
We are – the World is – truly lucky to have Tony Abbott as Our Prime Minister.
(And Andrew Bolt to tell us all about him)
BUSHIRE – Say what you like about Bolt, but when he sticks his tongue in the furrow, he doesn’t miss one single dag.
I’d like to begin this with ‘Imagine if a Labor Prime Minister concentrated his efforts on foreign affairs…’ but actually, we’ve been there and done that.
I can’t imagine a young jobseeker, returning from a day spent slogging through acres of mud in the middle of nowhere to plant trees and sitting down to dash off the required number of job applications, saying to themselves, “Well, at least we got the Russians out of the Ukraine.” and drawing comfort from that..
Meanwhile over at the BCA, president Tess Livingstone is rerunning that old chestnut about how workers must be prepared to move to where the jobs are.
I suspect that Like her namesake David, Ms Livingstone has been lost in the coprporate world for too long and has no idea how real people live.
I would remind her that one of Australia’s most famous job seekers, J W Howard, was a FIFO worker.
And the benefits provided by his employer were far in excess of anything provided for a real worker. Not only did he get free accommodation where his work was and a private jet to fly him back and forth, he was provided with a rent free luxury harbour side mansion.
No moving costs, no stamp duty on the new home, relocating the kids for school and finding a job for the wife …
Some people in business have absolutely no idea.
I imagine quite a few Telegraph readers are scratching their heads and wondering how Czechoslovakian movies made in 1938 are relevant to MH17.
Labor should use something lke this
40 jobs applications a month. That is some red tape for business.
Yes, the glorification of Abbott is sickening, but the disappointing thing is that his disfunctional, reactionary government is only a point or so short of being re-elected – with still two more years of media eulogizing and electoral handouts to come.
The daily telegraph editorial writer must smoke some really good stuff.
I can picture the cabinet meeting, Abbott telling the ministers: I have run it by Rupert and he says remember Vietnam, Iraq, afghanistan … We must build on out sucesses, let’s get Russia out of Ukraine!
Why did they not see fit to have a comments section for Blot’s article ? How could they not open the door to let the nation express how much they agree with Blot ?
Bushfire Bill @ 176
[We are – the World is – truly lucky to have Tony Abbott as Our Prime Minister.]
I’m sure Putin has already taken to wearing incontinence pants as it dawns that Abbott will singlehandedly foil his dastardly plans for the Ukraine then pivot the AFP and SAS to march on Moscow.
He undoubtedly recognised that Abbott is made of sterner stuff than those pussies Napolean and Adolf by his stance and the way he wears hi-vis jackets.
BK
Eini mieni moe – the blue tin or the yellow to get rid of them! (Or my father would turn up and just tell him to ‘Rack off).
Bushfire
I suspect the 11 Aussies posing as AFP officers looking for bodies are some sort of advance party for the invasion. Perfect cover.
[And that brings Abbott closer to his third aim — to get Russia out of eastern Ukraine]
Given his love of calling everything “Operation” this or that may I suggest he call it Operation Barbarossa ?
Surely that Daily Telegraph editorial has to be satire! (serious point)
@FarrellPF: Asylum seeker court hearing set for this afternoon following transfer of asylum seekers to the mainland http://t.co/ga6BAWyDik
@FarrellPF: The high court has convened the hearing following the fairly rapid change in circumstances since the agreed case http://t.co/9kSVZhpLlN
Question – isn’t “work for the dole” a very short hop away from outright communism?
I.e. if the private sector is failing to produce good outcomes, the state steps in and pays people flat wages to work even if there is no demand for that work.
Sounds very un-Liberal to me.
Operation Save Abbott’s A#se?
It would be fitting if an Abbott PR stunt actually led to World War III.
From my own experience on the dole 10 yrs ago the online jobs network made it easy but depressingly futile to apply for large number of jobs I was unsuitable for. As part of my Mutual obligation I had agreed to relocate at my own expense to an area of greater employment and undertake intensive job searches. This agreement was instead of moving to work for the dole in my regional area. Intensive job search meant I was required to apply for 20 jobs per fortnight. I immediately upset my new Job Network provider as I refused to join their jobs for the dole program, pointing out that that was not the agreed mutual obligation. While Centrelink sided with me the provider decided to punish my attitude by requiring that I attend their office 2 days a week for 3 hrs and complete 20 job applications each time. This was achieved by just using the Job network site to send a template application with a template resume to any job with any tenuous link to my skills & experience. I knew I was wasting my time and the time of all the employers I was contacting but it was what I was required to do. For jobs I seriously considered myself a chance of getting I applied the old fashioned way of contacting the employer to ascertain the criteria they were selecting on and send a tailored resume to fit. This method got me my current job in 3 weeks of searching with no thanks to the so-called Job Network provider.
This proposal is just the same. A way of punishing people for being unemployed not a way of helping them. It comes with the added cost of wasting employers’ time & money. Typical LNP lose-lose policy.
guytaur@165
“The Opposition’s employment spokesman Brendan O’Connor says he supports working for the dole “but the activities have to be not a form of punishment, but increasing their capacity for jobseekers to find work”.” http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-07-28/job-services-overhaul-benefit-young-long-term-unemployed/5627660
…and then it turns out Hamas wasn’t even involved in the deaths of the three Israeli teens.
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2014/07/hamas-didnt-kidnap-the-israeli-teens-after-all.html
What a travesty.
[FURTHER UPDATE: Late yesterday, the Domestic Violence Service Management Inc manager Gillian Cohen who had never previously visited the refuge and had delivered the notice of redundancies by Skype last week, escorted June Wilson out of the refuge, one month before her redundancy date.
About an hour later the Samaritans, who were meant to do a handover with Wilson in the last week of August, arrived. A Samaritans Manager from Taree has taken over.
With their own manager out of the way, the staff were instructed to cooperate in the hand over of the refuge. They have been instructed not to speak about the refuge to the media.
According to Kempsey sources, an Aboriginal worker asked if there was to be a replacement Aboriginal worker, she was told ‘no’.
The women were accused of spreading misinformation about the Going Home Staying Home project and were told that they had been observed attending a ‘political’ rally organised by the Taree Women’s refuge which has also been taken over by the Samaritans.
The remaining workers have been instructed to teach the Samaritans how to run the refuge until August 29th and have to get pre-approval if they wish to look for work.
For the first time in quarter of a century, Kempsey refuge is currently empty. ]
https://newmatilda.com/2014/07/25/updated-gutting-and-gagging-feminist-womens-refuges
BK Thanks for linking this story. Forgive me if I get a bit longwinded but this is an example of how Lib Govts work.
I’ve had a lot to do with the Refuge in Taree. It made my job a little easier when a battered, scared woman turned up at our office (kids in tow) seeking help because the Police hadn’t listened to her earlier.
The Refuge was started by Marion Hosking OAM (highy regarded throughout NSW) and a group of dedicated women volunteers. They helped while we got AVOs for immediate protection. The Refuge ‘rescued’ thousands of women and children. They even helped men, where possible, to find safe accommodation.
The Refuge, along with Kempsey, was connned into forming a united tender to continue and receive Govt. funding. After tenders went in the rules changed and the tender was won by the Anglicans, which obviously was the Govt’s intention.
The meeting mentioned in the link was packed with men and women. Many speakers were emotional. Many more were angry (including me).
The Anglican Rector and wife turned up and he spoke. Mrs Rector sat with a look of disdain on her face all night while the Rector told us that the Churches were the best people to look after the unfortunate. The Anglicans will provide ‘services’ not ‘refuge’. The women are no longer ‘victims of domestic violence’ but are ‘homeless’.
‘Going Home and Staying Home’ is the mantra to be used. When there is more abuse or possible deaths what is this bloody pious rector going to do. I was so naive when I started working with domestic violence victims. Totally out of my secure comfort zone but I can’t now forget them.
I also never forget that some men, no matter how patient, are driven to despair by some women. This issue is too big to be left to religious organisations alone to sort out.
BTW – one emotional woman at the meeting was game enough to throw up the Royal Commission and the ‘fallen’ Anglican priests. Mr and Mrs Rector were not impressed with that.
William – apologies for all that space but this miserable, vengeful mob of allegedly Christian Liberal politicians have absolutely no idea what ‘real’ life can be for many. I despise their attitudes and every issue they turn back to the past should be made known.
How well I remember the last election – “Get rid of the carbon tax” “Get rid of the mining tax” “Stop the boats” and “Get Putin out of the Ukraine”…
Hayne J may be a little bit cranky with the Government reps.
His Honour’s crankiness is unpleasant.