The latest monthly ReachTEL automated phone poll of federal voting intention for the Seven Network ticks a point in Labor’s favour, putting their two-party lead bang on BludgerTrack at 53-47. The biggest mover on the primary vote is Palmer United, who have slumped from 5.1% to 3.1%, with Labor up 1.2% to 38.7%, the Coalition up 0.1% to 40.2% and the Greens down 0.4% to 11.1%. Also featured are leadership ratings and attitudinal results on the G20 and, entertainingly, whether Jacqui Lambie should leave the Palmer United Party (43.4% yes, 17.6% no).
193
KEVIN-ONE-SEVEN
Yes, he’s devalued his word to a quite remarkable extent. Even the LNP faithful discount most of what he says. Since politicians mostly rely on speech of various kinds to develop and sustain “affiliation” with voters, he’s really in big trouble. He has hit the “mute” button on his own voice.
Sorry if already posted but The Australian’s editorial is too good to risk not being posted. Nothing like seeing a tory lament in the morning…….or any time.
[The Abbott government is doomed without narrative
Mr Abbott and Joe Hockey have skulked off the stage. ….. Mr Abbott’s approach to messaging is a shambles of conception, strategy and execution……..While Mr Abbott is just as intelligent as his predecessors, he is languishing and looks flaky. ]
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/editorials/the-abbott-government-is-doomed-without-narrative/story-e6frg71x-1227131169889
[Is it time for Julie Bishop to stop dressing like she’s on the bridge of the USS Starship Enterprise.]
Oh me oh my that is my favorite bit of her … please don’t make her stop.
[By the way Kevin 17@ 190, you will get mush all over your face for your comments about Bishop the Jnr’s dress.]
And, obediently, I rise to deplore the sexism of the original remark.
Meanwhile briefly wrote this a bit back
[Of course, there’s also the summer itself – the heat, the fires, the extremes. These things will continue to confirm Abbott’s essential policy irrelevance.]
I’m hoping and sort of expecting, naively perhaps, that this summer will finally submerge the denialists in reality and a tipping point will be reached in public opinion regarding AGW.
2014 is, I believe, on track to be the hottest ever year recorded globally, likely to be hotter than 2005 and 2010 and we will be vey lucky here in Oz to escape major weather events exacerbated by climate change.
Surely the denialists will come to their senses?
*sigh* – probably not.
confessions@144
I agree. She must be a miracle worker considering the quality of the material she had to work with.
I said that the scope for productivity increases in service sectors such as education, health, aged care, and cultural and artistic industries is much more limited than it is in manufacturing because quality is quickly eroded when human involvement is cut back.
[103
cud chewer
I think Abbott is a borderline sociopath…]
borderline?
More like the archetypal textbook example of just how far these types can get before society wakes up to their game and stops them.
And to think we will be forced to pay this turd-of-calibre a handsome pension and benefits when we finally do get rid of him. If anything he should be sentenced to spend the remainder of his working life (to age 70, of course,) in community service, at the same pay level as the dole.
One of the very few benefits for the rest of us from all this is that Abbott may well take down Murdoch with him. Seems fitting, and one of the two wrecking jobs that I am happy to encourage Abbott in carrying out to the full, the other being on the hard reactionary right element in the conservative side of politics.
Credlin is clearly very smart and has worked very well. But it seems like she is being lined up by the Liberal heavies to be blamed for their malaise. Abbott just never really saw past winning an election – despite all his bluster in things like “Battlelines” he manifestly has no real vision for the future.
Has essentially been somewhat of a bully all his life – bullied his way into the Liberal leadership, with aid from his “stalking horse” Kevin Andrews. Bullied his way past Gillard-Rudd to the Prime Ministership. But who do you bully then? The Australian people? Hasn’t gone down too well.
Coal has such a big future, the QLD govt has to pay mining co’s to actually consider it: http://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2014/11/22/newman-government-courts-adani-galilee-basin-coal-deal/14165748001280
Face facts: new coal mines are uneconomic.
[202
poroti
Sorry if already posted but The Australian’s editorial is too good to risk not being posted. Nothing like seeing a tory lament in the morning…….or any time.]
The Abbott government is doomed without narrative
They want blockbuster+sequel. Too bad. Government depends on more than fiction….and so does the Murdoch press.
I encourege the LNP to keep attackig Obama.
He’s far morepopular in Australia than our own government.
Keep at it – yeah, what he said was BAD!!1!
Its our reef and we can root it up etc
[206
Nicholas]
Yeah. But the argument doesn’t hold up.
206
Nicholas
You need to think about productivity improving as a result of changes in the ratio between human and technical inputs. Human inputs may not change in absolute terms, but decline relatively when compared to the use of other inputs…allowing system productivity to rise.
Rocket Rocket
Exactly.mi can’t help wondering about that drawer full of policies the Tories boasted of before the election.
Someone has lost the key to the drawer perhaps.
Most of their energy has been directed at dismantling the Rudd and Gillard legacy with precious few ideas of their own. Well certainly precious few ideas that have any chance of getting through the Senate.
You gotta laugh. Bolta and other Murdoch lackies are all in panic mode giving advice to the Abbott. And what fabulous advice it is! Lol!
Obeid facing charges one of which is approving a contract without a competitive tender process.
I wonder if the same “without a competitive tender process” would apply to the Aspen Ebola contract
FREDEX – After a lot of deep thought, I decided it would be sexist not to comment!
What’s happened to “Team Australia”? …ASADA investigation?
Just read that Australian editorial in full.
” Mr Abbott and Mr Hockey appear tongue-tied. They have no choice but to reboot their sales job.”
Boy do they miss the point – the real problem is the product and the salesmen, not the sales job!
Zoomster 129 – this was my favorite bit of your analysis
THE Australian Editroial – “Where is the intelligent Rhodes scholar who has an easy rapport with Australians in any setting?”
Zoomster – “I think Hawkie is currently living in a mansion on Sydney Harbor.”
I imagine that exchange as a riposte on some show like Insdiers or 730 Report – it would leave the “Editor” gobsmacked!
BRIEFLY – The best bit is “…Abbot is just as intelligent as his precedessors.”
Face it boys, he’s a moron.
Kevin bonham
If you are about. Thanks for linking your interview with ABC radio re Jacqui lambie. Found it interesting
Rocket rocket
The Oz editorial is hilarious.
As we all know ..words are the currency of politics. Abbott & his gang have devalued words so much that they can no longer even attempt the art of the possible..
More for the Aus Editorial
“Barack Obama stayed long enough to insult his host on climate change”
That line is so far from reality I wonder if the writer(s) are actually living on this same planet.
“Barack Obama stated the truth on climate change to someone who insults us all with his absurd views on the matter” would have summed it up nicely.
What i find curious is that the Vic state election is one week away. Why are the Murdoch press going into overdrive with the concerns with team Abbott. It is rather curious
[Boy do they miss the point – the real problem is the product and the salesmen, not the sales job!]
Yep. They’ve polished up a pristine P76, but strangely enough, it’s only a bunch of opinionated old men who are interested in it.
LNP took donations from coal seam gas companies, Senate inquiry told http://gu.com/p/43g4p/tw via
Queensland’s ruling party took tens of thousands of dollars in donations from coal seam gas companies despite one of its senators denying it received any contributions a federal inquiry has heard.
Donor records show the Liberal National party (LNP) had taken more than $65,000 from two companies in the coal seam gas (CSG) industry.
Barry O’Sullivan – one of four federal government senators leading the open sabotage of a federal inquiry into the Queensland government told a hearing in Brisbane on Friday that the Liberal National party had received “zero” contributions.
poroti@202
Hmmm, reading between the lines, it would seem that Peta might be in crosshairs. Given the criticism seems to be focused at the “sales job” and “the Coalition needs skillful media personnel” rather then there being any policy issue.
I suppose there could be two ideas behind that:
1) a change in spin style might work
2) if it doesn’t, Tony is probably easier to remove with Peta running the show
Vale Jimmy Ruffin one of the greats from the Motown era. I’d have to say that “What becomes of the broken hearted” is one of my all time top ten favourite hits.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQywZYoGB1g
rossmcg 161
[abbott wouldn’t be the first king to decide a formerly trusted adviser was dispensable]
yes, but Abbott is more reliant on Credlin for many reasons.
I would imagine other candidates are already lining up behind other potential leaders. Rats tend not to jump onto a sinking ship.
Also, whatever you think of Credlin the person (ELO Evil Woman comes to mind) she managed to transform an unelectable douchbag into an electable douchbag (who can forget the debacle of the Roxon debate?). I doubt any new candidate will be as capable or be able to work as effectively with Abbott.
I am amazed the polls are still reasonably close, I think the LNP can thank Credlin for that – not Abbott.
Here’s one of the posters from the big ABC rally in Sydney.
https://twitter.com/GetUp/status/535979467500302337/photo/1
It is common to hear that a politician needs to get out from under their minders advice and be more themselves.
Abbott doing such a thing would scare the bejesus out of his backers.
GG – re ABC rally
i like one of the comments on your twitter link….
[Fortunately, one of Abbott’s natural strengths is reminding us what a hopeless, unreliable and deceptive government he runs]
victoria@215
Dark humor, but it’s fun to watch. I hope they take on-board all the advice from Bolt, Jones et alia, double down on their insane agenda and try to sell it even harder.
Simon Katich
I don’t disagree, but one thing I have observed with politics over the journey is that there is always someone who believes they can do it better than the incumbent.
One of abbott’s problems is that he surrounded himself with Howard relics. The troops on the bank bench will be getting restless and I would say The Australian editorial today is significant.
I don’t know much about members from other states but surely there are some who could be no worse than the likes of Dutton and and Andrews and the other minor ministers.
[Interesting that here in Sangropia the local West rarely mentions any poll results other than its on in-house one which happens to be ReachTel these days.]
Actually, I don’t believe The West has ever commissioned a ReachTEL poll (or run any kind of poll at all in several years, for that matter).
Of course Sir Tim Clark is a famous drunk, guzzling cheap wine as he runs the world’s biggest airline. And he doesn’t have a 1/10th of the experience, expertise and technical backup in commercial aviation matters that Boerwar has, so this has to be taken with a grain of salt.
After all, we all know that the pilot committed suicide by flying the plane for thousands of kilometres and ditching it in the middle of nowhere so that no-one would know why he did what he did. This was after, of course, disabling the aircraft’s positional reporting equipment and killing the crew, then turning it around 90 degrees and flying west.
Anyone who thinks differently must be a tin-foil-hatted conspiracy theorist, a sad case fit for the looney bin, and probably a drunkard.
Naturally the Malaysian military knew it was a friendly plane and did nothing to enquire further.
All this is a given, so Sir Tim’s questions are, naturally, moot… but interesting anyway…
[The head of the world’s largest international airline believes information about missing flight MH370 is being concealed, calling into question who was in control of the doomed aircraft and the role of the Malaysian military.
Emirates chief Sir Tim Clark said an unwillingness to share intelligence was obstructing the investigation into the fate of the plane, which vanished in March with 229 people on board.
Clark said his electronic engineers believe that even though the plane’s Aircraft Communications Addressing and Reporting System, known as ACARS, was disabled it would still send out weak signals and remain traceable.
To even disable the system, which allows the aircraft to communicate with the base through satellite, you would have to go through multiple steps including entering the avionics bay, he said.
…
“That requires you to leave the flight deck and go down through a trap door in the floor to do that. But somehow this thing was disabled so much so that the ground tracking capability was eliminated.”
…
Clark dismissed pilot suicide as a possible cause of the tragedy, saying the pilot would have ditched the plane in South China Sea rather than fly it for several more hours.
“So if he was on a suicide mission, he would have done it then. Who then took control of the aircraft? Who then knew how to disable ACARS and turn the transponder off? That is a huge challenge.”
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/flight-mh370-emirates-chief-sir-tim-clark-believes-information-is-being-concealed-20141121-11pue6.html#ixzz3JlLr5Ns1 ]
Simon Katich @ 232: Maybe we will get to see “the real Tony”.
I can’t see Ms Credlin getting the flick; she knows too much, including where every body is buried.
gg 229 – music has an amazing ability to transcend time.
Just turned on SBS TV and found Paul Simon playing at Webster Hall, NY in 2011. Was sort of following it until he sang “Crazy Love” from Graceland. All the songs from Graceland just remind me of driving up Loddon Valley Highway early in the morning or late at night more than 25 years ago. A great time – young family, well-entrenched Labor governments State and Federal. But hearing the song brought tears to my eyes – I think what the Portuguese call “Saudade” – sort of longing. Must get out the old cassette and fire it up in the one car we have that has cassette player.
Also reminded me of voting at State election in 85 or 88 at my non-Labor spouse family’s very small rural booth. Cast an absentee vote for Labor – possibly one of the only Labor votes there that day! Happy times!
wtr 234 – yes I want them to front up to the next budget trying to pass all the same crap they couldn’t last time!
Oh, the Pyne #abccuts Petition has some corker comments!
https://www.change.org/p/chairman-james-spigelman-ac-qc-and-the-board-of-the-australian-broadcasting-corporation-abc-the-abc-must-not-close-its-production-house-in-adelaide …
Oh really?
[Fairfax Media understands that ABC news will be hit by the cuts. Sources have confirmed that the state-based editions of 7.30 will be scrapped and Lateline will be pared back to focus less on news reporting and more on a discussion format.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/abc-cuts-tipped-to-hit-news-services-including-730-and-lateline-20141121-11rj92.html#ixzz3JlPekuWz ]
“Discussion” format? With Alberici in the chair?
Will they be supplying plates, a la grec?
William@236
Well, I read the words “A Reachtel poll for Seven West Media confirms…..(on page 12) and I read of this in one of my files…..
“From 22 April 2011, West Australian Newspaper Holdings Ltd (WAN), changed its name to to Seven West Media Limited (SWM) to reflect its transformation from a state based newspaper business, to the leading national multi-platform media business in Australia.”
So, while the by-line is Nick Butterly from Canberra, are you suggesting two separate entities here?
While I do not know the ins and outs of how newspapers own or recognise various opinion polls, the words and connections seem pretty clear to me.
Indonesia says Australia’s decision to reject refugees creates bilateral tension http://gu.com/p/43gqb/tw via
Hartcher just can’t get Leadershit out of his addled brain.
This time its Bishop v. Plibersek.
When will someone quietly escort Hartcher to the door and gently tell him his guru days are over?
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/bishop-and-plibersek-mighty-duo-scale-the-tallest-structures-20141121-11rlar.html
It’s going to make for an interesting MYEFO.
[Lateline will be pared back to focus less on news reporting and more on a discussion format.]
Great, just what TV land needs: another program with journalists talking to journalists and politicians talking to politicians!
rossmcg
I agree the Australian editorial is significant (although I wont read it as I have vowed never to read that rag again).
I also agree that a reshuffle bringing in a new generation of LNP senior ministers will work to some extent (is that what you refer to?) and some in that new generation will make good LNP leaders some day.
I just feel that in this election cycle Abbott needs Credlin. There may be some willing wizbang advisor out there that can make a successful Abbott V3.0. But I doubt it.
[I agree the Australian editorial is significant (although I wont read it as I have vowed never to read that rag again).]
You can read it in full at The Loon Pond, where you get not only the entire editorial, but entertaining commentary, as only the pond can provide.
It’s a hoot (and the pond’s stuff is funny too).
The funny thing about The Australian’s editorial is the “What you mean ‘we’, Paleface?” aspect to the whole thing.
Everything that the Murdoch media has been bragging about and celebrating in Abbott – policy-free oppositionism, 3-word slogans, relentless negativity – is pooh-poohed as being soooo, ahem, crass and insufficient for government.
And as for Christ Risen, one Joseph Hockey, there is nary a kind word.
And then there’s the way they lay into Credlin.
Truly a joy to read, from start to finish.