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.
[ William Bowe
Posted Monday, July 28, 2014 at 5:26 pm | Permalink
There is truth in Sunshine units claim… From WiKi
The page is badly in need of an edit. None of the three citations provided say anything about the Department of Defense. The one that attributes a source is the one I mentioned – the Atomic Energy Commission. It is perfectly clear that the true source of the claim as stated and widely propagated on the internet is this guy:
]
————————————————–
I clearly attributed the ‘quote’ as one by Carlin – an American comedian, writer, social critic. Carlin was noted for his black comedy as well as his thoughts on politics, the English language, psychology, religion, and various taboo subjects.
I think the part ‘Well, if crime fighters fight crime, and firefighters fight fires, what do freedom fighters fight?’ was meant to be a satirical response to the quote :
“one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter”
it was not meant to be ENCYCLOPEDICAL ….but as a bit of fun …. sorry it got passed the fun quotient …
Greg Combet on the drum
Fran @391: good post.
It seems Scott Morrison may have been a bit loose with the truth regarding India’s involvement in the 157 at Curtin.
The Indian Govt is saying they want consular access to any Indian citizens who may be detained. Just like Australia would if our nationals were in India.
India is saying they will repatriate nobody against their will, if indeed any of the 157 are Indian.
Morrison has stooped to wading kneck deep in shite over this, verballing the Indian Govt may not be a wise move. Thousands of Tamils are in detention camps in India – imagine if they were all given boats?
Fair enough Badcat, but there’s an undeniable irony in Carlin finding recourse in obvious nonsense to make his point about deceitful language.
Fran
For as long as Hamas continues firing rockets into Israel with the intent to kill, Israel will always have a pretext to do whatever it wishes in Gaza and every IDF apologist on the planet will have a ‘self-defence’ excuse ready made.
If Hamas and Islamic Jihad or whatever other theocratic outfit is all the rage there came to their senses, they would realise a policy of non-violent resistance would make it much, much, much harder for Israel to justify bombing them to bits or blockading them.
Hamas’ current violent ‘tactics’ – if we must call then that – are obviously self-defeating. Maybe they have a right to invite Israel’s wrath on them in such an egregious manner. I still think it’s profoundly stupid and that the blame for the Palestinians who have died as a result of Israel’s missiles is at least partly shared by Hamas.
Any reasonable person can see what happens if you’re foolhardy enough to fire rockets into Israel. If you do it anyway you bear the responsibility for at least some of what follows.
rua
Morrison is acting like a spoilt child!
After all he had stopped the boats hadn’t he and now someone has buggered up his plan.
Combet saying a DD should have been called over Climate Change
[ William Bowe
Posted Monday, July 28, 2014 at 5:55 pm | Permalink
Fair enough Badcat, but there’s an undeniable irony in Carlin finding recourse in obvious nonsense to make his point about deceitful language.
]
———————————————-
OK … I apologise for him for being George Carlin …. and for me for posting his quote ….
Twaddle
Israel bears responsibility for its actions. Pointing to Hamas actions does not excuse Israeli ones.
The Government’s latest thought bubble re work for the dole and 40 job applications a month just confirms my confidence that Abbott’s and the Government’s slight upward move in the polls will be very, very temporary.
This latest policy just continues to play in to the feeling that all this Government seems to be interested in is cutting and finding new groups of people to demonize and target. Politically, that might work for a while, but it’s pretty much all we’ve had from this Government. They have no positive agenda and most voters do actually understand that much. The irony is, the impression I am getting is that the very people who mostly voted for the Coalition on the promise that they would stop the boats and get rid of the carbon “tax” tend to be the most angry with the agenda being pushed by this Government. I am struggling to be sympathetic, but I may forgive if those same voters maintain the rage and toss this mob out at the next election. Such a defeat, because not only the Coalition but also the Murdoch media might have to swallow the harsh reality that Australia actually is not interested in going down the Thatcher/Reagan trickle down economics road.
[Mark Anning @1EarthMedia Jul 26
How #MartinFerguson sold Qld’s gas before environment studies done
#CSG #CMC #RoyalCommission #QldPol #AusPol #ICAC
http://www.coal-seam-gas.com/australia/queenslandfrack.htm … ]
Steve777 @ 392
[Maybe he’ll be kidnapped by the bad guys and held to ransom, like Richard the Lionheart. We coukd pay the separitists millions to keep him.]
Some of my distant relatives may have been involved in Richard’s enforced Austrian vacation so I may have some genetic expertise which I’m willing to put at the disposal of the Ruskies. However, I suspect the separatists will soon be demanding billions not millions to put up with him. Still cheap though, imho.
guytaur
“Israel bears responsibility for its actions. Pointing to Hamas actions does not excuse Israeli ones.”
If I have a nutjob survivalist next door with a long history of homicidal outbursts against anyone who throws rocks into his property but do it anyway, knowing exactly what he’s likely to do in response, I am partially responsible for the outcome.
While we’re discussing such matters, I’m having occasion to revisit The Australian’s reporting of the tax cut promise John Howard and Peter Costello announced at the start of the 2007 election campaign. It really is quite funny.
[JOHN Howard has seized the election campaign initiative and caught Kevin Rudd flat-footed by offering a $34 billion election tax sweetener — the biggest in the nation’s history.
The Prime Minister, ridiculed by Labor as stale and bereft of plans for the future, swept into stride for the November 24 poll yesterday, vowing to slash Australia’s top tax rate from 45 per cent to 40 per cent within five years.
Mr Howard and Peter Costello promised a tax cut for all, including by $26 a week by 2011 for workers earning $60,000 a year, as they revealed the Government’s Mid-Year Economic and Fiscal Outlook. The update showed economic growth for 2007-08 on target for 4.25 per cent — up from 3.75 per cent forecast in the May budget.
The Coalition’s campaign blow came as the Opposition Leader toured a hospital in Ipswich, west of Brisbane, only to have his media event shut down by doctors needing space to treat an emergency case.
It left Labor on the back foot, with Treasury spokesman Wayne Swan calling for more time to absorb the economic figures, despite Labor having spent the past month demanding Mr Howard bring on the election campaign.]
Twaddle
Specious analogy. You did not mention extending onto the neighbour’s land to accomodate your growing family or the wall you built blocking that neighbours access to the world.
Israel is responsible for its actions. Israel bombing hospitals and UN refuges are Israel warcrimes. Not Hamas ones.
[“@newscomauHQ: Former speaker Peter Slipper has been found guilty of three counts of dishonesty for using cab charges to visit wineries.”
Is the AFP going to go after wedding expenses now?]
Doubt it since that rests on interpretation of the rules whereas Slipper’s case rested on the knowing making of false claims using false documents falsified by Slipper.
He avoided giving evidence and instead call character evidence from churchmen – a kind of reverse Abbott scenario.
guytaur
I’m not excusing war crimes here. I’m talking about the reality of the situation and how Hamas’ tactics are self-defeating.
If this stupid conflict ever ends will it be because of the rockets Hamas has shot into Israel or in spite of it? Looking at Hamas propaganda recently they seem to operate under the delusion that Israel is quivering in its boots at these attacks and that any day now they’ll just dissolve their state and head over to New York.
Obviously this isn’t the case. While Hamas is celebrating their utterly ineffective attacks as some kind of victory, so are the hard right of Israeli politics who see each and every intercepted rocket as a green light to continue business as normal and demonise the Palestrina populace as a bunch if masked, ululating, death-worshipping Jihadis.
I see no point in excusing Hamas’ tactics as legitimate when all they’re doing is aggravating the situation and leading to more pointless death.
[It really is quite funny.]
I’m thinking Shanahan? But I know it was Matty Franklin trying to please.
twaddle
Israels actions are self defeating. They have attacked Gaza before and no change.
Israel has no moral high ground.
Re Matt31 @411: …Australia actually is not interested in going down the Thatcher/Reagan trickle down economics road.
But the Coalition, their big backers in business and about 90% of the money is. That’s why the Coalition had to hide their true agenda before thr election, whipping up moral panic about ‘boats’ and the ‘carbon tax’ to attract enough votes to get them over the line.
It was indeed Franklin. Though I sometimes wonder if the likes of “ridiculed by Labor as stale and bereft of plans for the future”, “swept into stride” and “Labor on the back foot” aren’t there at the initiative of the editors.
guytaur
If you see Israel’s goal is the continued existence and defence of the settlements, their tactics are not self-defeating by any definition. They’ve expanded.
Rex
Hi Rex
You can call it less hated or more loved. Either way Shorten’s ahead of Abbott and if Abbott was half good, as a new PM he’d be well above 50%.
Shorten is playing the long game, slow n steady and keeping out of shite.
Just like Tanya who got up Blot’s nose yesterday by astutely refraining from lauding Abbott re MH17.
Slow and steady ……… etc etc
But if an election happened to be suddenly called, Shorten would shoot to >50% easy peasy.
If you started to laud him just a bit, that might mean an extra %. 🙂
ICAC reconvenes next week with a parade of Liberal Party members, property developers and assorted spivs
[Monday 28 July 2014
The NSW Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)’s Operation Spicer public inquiry will resume on Wednesday 6 August 2014 at 10:00 am.
This segment of the public inquiry will focus on corruption allegations involving the circumstances in which the 2011 state election campaign for the seat of Newcastle was funded by the Liberal Party, and whether funds were solicited and received from prohibited donors, including Buildev Pty Ltd, Nathan Tinkler, Jeff McCloy, Hilton Grugeon and other persons and companies associated with them.
This segment will also examine whether members of Parliament (MPs), including Mr Hartcher and Michael Gallacher MLC, solicited and received donations from prohibited donors for use in the Liberal Party 2011 state election campaign, including in the seat of Newcastle, and whether parties and persons, including Buildev Pty Lyd, Mr Tinkler, Darren Williams, David Sharpe, Mr McCloy and Mr Grugeon improperly sought to influence certain members of Parliament by making donations during the 2011 state election campaign.]
http://www.icac.nsw.gov.au/investigations/current-investigations/article/4627
twaddle
You just showed you don’t get it. You are as blind as Netanahyu
Rumming from Resource Industry Network:
[@ABCNews24 10m
Rumming: We live here, none of us want to see the Barrier Reef impacted. But there’s got to be a balance between mining & the environment.
Rumming: How do we say to those millions of people in India, they shouldn’t be able to access reasonably costed electricity?]
Funny how the ‘balance’ always favours development and profit.
Lizzie
Great story about Newman getting the flick from that committee.
Looks like the wind farm company is prepared to stand up to the Tory bully boys .
More power to them.
Twaddle,
You also forget that Hamas have been busily building tunnels to infiltrate in to Israel and murder whomever they might come upon.
There’s also the fact that they hide their weapons dumps in highly populated civilian areas. Of course, their brave militia hide themselves amonsgst the general populace.
There will never be a solutuion in this region until the Palestinians accept Israel’s right to exist and continue to actively seek the final solution of pushing the Israelis in to the sea.
Critics can rail against the Israelis to their hearts content. But, this is an existential battle.
lizzie
It’s the balance of convenience.
William,
Every journo at the Australian has an anti Labor cliche generator presented as part of their initiation.
[Israel’s military superiority should be coupled with moral superiority. A nation that has experienced the horrors of Holocaust must be able to balance its vow of “never again” with the suffering inflicted on others, and measure existential threats against the true capabilities of those who profess such dangers.]
GG
See the death toll. Says everything. Israel is committing warcrimes.
Of course Joe Tripodi as well whose activities extended (allegedly) to undermining ALP candidates for reward.
“@MikeCarlton01: Golly. I think I’ve been emailed by half the Jews in Australia today. The racism and bigotry of some of them is quite startling.”
guytaur,
You love your exaggerations, don’t you?
Guytaur
What did Mike Carlton do to receive such a response?
GG
Bombing hospitals and schools and having a civilian death rate of 60% are warcrimes.
Dee
His column today
guytauer,
Moree balh blah blah from you. It’s all you’ve got.
Here’s the Carlton column.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/israels-rank-and-rotten-fruit-is-being-called-fascism-20140724-zwd2t.html
GG
😆 back to abuse as you cannot refute facts. I see.
Richard Chirgwin @R_Chirgwin 4m
Sure, spend $500 moving to Bumblefuck, for a job that comes with free corporal punishment, and cop a six-month dole ban when you quit.
And then wait 3 months + to get Newstart again, lost money, and it all ads up while Coalition Party Mps chewing our tax dollars like no tomorrow.
No sense of the real world.
Thanks BK! 🙂
Mike Carlton demeans himself by trawling for controversial reaction. He’s no different, in this case, to all the other shock jock journos from Sydney.
BK
What really gets me is the way the ‘developers’ take on such a high moral tone, wtte We really don’t like ruining the Barrier Reef but we have to for the poor Indians. Some of the Coalition talk the same way.
What about solar for India?
guytaur,
Write another letter to William explaining that blah is a form of abuse.
He’ll be laughing more than me.
Lizzie @427: you are far too cynical. I have no doubt that there have been many hours of discussion in the Adani boordroom over concerns that the peopke of India have enough power to keep their lights without impacting the integrity of the environment if the Great Barrier Reef.
For Shelbell
It appears Joe Tripodi fell in with some dodgy characters 🙂
[Other allegations include whether MPs, including Mr Tripodi, used or attempted to use their power and influence either to improperly confer benefits, or attempt to improperly confer benefits, upon certain parties and persons, including Buildev Pty Ltd, Mr Tinkler, Mr Williams and Mr Sharpe, in respect of proposed coal terminal development at the Port of Newcastle.
]
[This mindset, of creeping dehumanisation, was also evident in the scenes of ordinary Israelis gathered on a hilltop, cheering, clapping and eating popcorn during the bombardment of Gaza. It was evident in the remarks of an Israeli scholar of Arabic literature at Bar-Ilan University, who stated that raping the wives and sisters of Palestinian fighters would deter attacks. And it was evident, of course, in that refrain of the mobs – “Mavet La’aravim” (“Death to the Arabs”) – in Jaffa, Jerusalem and elsewhere.]