The latest weekly reading of Essential Research’s fortnightly rolling average on federal voting intention has Labor’s two-party lead at 52-48, reverting to type after a blip to 53-47 last week. However, the only change on the primary vote is a one-point drop for the Greens to 10%, with the Coalition steady on 41% and Labor on 39%. Further questions find 22% perceiving the ABC as biased to the left (42% among Coalition voters, and 10% to 13% for the rest), 3% as biased to the right, 36% as biased in neither direction, and fully 40% responding with “don’t know”. Sixty-one per cent of respondents were opposed to Trans Pacific Partnership provisions allowing the government to be sued for policies that cost foreign companies money, with only 10% in support; and 69% thought it likely that same-sex marriage would be allowed in the next few years, compared with only 20% for unlikely. A series of responses on the government’s handling of issues finds it rating positively only on “supporting Australian businesses”, but its stocks have improved markedly since January on all measures except treatment of asylum seekers and environmental issues, with double-digit improvements on health, education and supporting Australian businesses.
@ Happiness, 1346
Let us hope that the High Court does the same to the whole putrid, reeking disgrace of offshore processing in the present case against it.
Then again, Abbott would probably pull a Brownback and threaten to defund the High Court if they did that.
@ mari, 1349
Gloves with no fingers are wonderful things.
1317
Nauru is very remote from anywhere else and is fairly small, so if malaria was ever on the island it was/is easy to remove.
[Where is our own courage in this? Where is our sense of our duty to ourselves, to those who came before us and to our patrimony?]
briefly @ 1190
And our sense of duty to the future – if we tolerate this our kids will be next.
Not just next to suffer, but next to cause suffering.
1351
That would be extreme, even fore Abbott.
Anyway, the High Court likely has the grounds to rule its own defunding as unconstitutional.
Happiness
[All those asking how the Catholic church and other institutions could have done so little when reports of child abuse surfaced can see how this happens with the inaction from either the LNP or ALP, and the tacit approval of its supporters here like Jolyon and zoomster.]
This from somebody that alternates between expressing concern on this issue and seeking to boost the LNP.
Both parties now have to deal with a large part of the electorate that has visceral negative reaction to people arriving on boats.
The LNP deserves the bulk of the blame for whipping up this sentiment in the electorate. Some examples that come to mind: Howard’s anti-asian immigration stance; the disgraceful children overboard lies and LNP suggestions that asylum seeker’s might be terrorists. They have done this because they know it is to their political advantage.
Perhaps the ALP deserves some blame for not pursuing a more humanitarian course. They tried this in government and were monstered by the Murdoch Press on behalf of the LNP.
@ Tom, 1355
Before Abbott, I would have thought calling the ABC traitors and a lefty lynch-mob was extreme for a Prime Minister.
Oh how naïve I was. Nothing surprises me anymore with this lot.
Arrnea Stormbringer 1352
Must be 🙂
ModLib
[It is about casting sufficient doubt so that doctors are frightened to tell people what they have seen.]
The people who seem to be doing that are the doctors.
If people want to create monsters under the bed and then believe in them, no one can stop them.
[I shout STOP……you do whatever seems right to you.]
Thank you, I will.
Shouting stop without an alternative which will actually work is a futile exercise…but I suppose it exercises your lungs.
[Name one other developed country with this policy. Australia is the only one doing what we are doing. ]
Not what I said. I said some form of mandatory detention – which means ‘detaining people for a certain period of time’ not ‘Nauru/Manus’ – exists in most countries dealing with refugees.
As I pointed out the other day, countries like Greece and Italy detain refugees for processing. It’s only meant to be for a couple of days, but in practice it takes months (if not years).
That’s mandatory detention.
As for ‘what we are doing now’ you know perfectly well that I have consistently objected to it. Indeed, you have praised me for this in the past.
[You are saying I know child abuse is happening in detention centres but we have no other choice but to let it happen.]
I have never said this. It is a lie and a slur. You should withdraw it.
[Highlighting your hypocrisy is not bullying]
Accusing me of having positions you know I do not support, on the flimsiest of excuses, is bullying. Playing the person and not the argument is bullying. You realised that perfectly well, so instead of apologising you changed tactic, so that you can now say —
[I have taken apart the individual points you are trying to make, and demonstrating how your accusation of slurs are false.]
…even though you have repeated the slurs, and justified them by taking things I’ve said out of context or making imputations which simply aren’t there.
As I’ve said before, you are either malicious or not quite as clever as you think you are…and I am kind enough to opt for the latter.
[Arrnea Stormbringer
…..Let us hope that the High Court does the same to the whole putrid, reeking disgrace of offshore processing in the present case against it.]
I thought the LNP and ALP had passed legislation in the dead of night that RETROSPECTIVELY enabled offshore processing centre funding to bypass the High Court?
[You underestimate humanity’s collective ability to say “stuff you, got mine”, I fear.]
AS People also respond to good leadership better than they respond to bad leadership. If you believe in the best of people and give them an opportunity to believe it too and then an opportunity to show it they will.
@ Jolyon Wagg, 1356
Absolutely. Howard is the progenitor of this shift to the rabid, reactionary Right on refugees – as an attempt to stop the exodus of voters to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation in the 90s. Abbott is merely that policy come to fruition.
However, the ALP deserves credit for simply not having the balls to tell Murdoch to get stuffed.
I don’t often say this, but I will probably be happy the day that old bastard carks it.
@ Happiness, 1360
The legislation passed by the LNP and ALP related to the ability of the Government to specifically fund the ongoing operations at Manus and Nauru.
Still standing to be heard is the overall challenge to the constitutionality of offshore processing as a whole.
@ jules, 1361
I don’t believe there’s anyone with both the power and the will to do that. The ones who have the will lack the power and the ones with the power lack the will.
zoomster
The Greens opposed the legislation see votes in Senate
Attacking the Greens does nothing to address the issues George Newhouse raised. After the parliament voted
[zoomster
….The people who seem to be doing that are the doctors.]
No, it is based on multiple sources of independent legal advice. I happen to know some of it privately, but there is plenty publicly available as well.
When the new Border Force Commissioner uses the word “unlikely” in relation to whether or not doctors and nurses would be charged it is pretty clear that the conners are justified.
If the government and the Border Force Commissioner felt that there was no implication for doctors and nurses why not just exempt them explicitly in the legislation?
[If people want to create monsters under the bed and then believe in them, no one can stop them.]
Haha 🙂 This says more about you and your panic to defend your party at all costs no matter the evidence.
[Shouting stop without an alternative which will actually work is a futile exercise…but I suppose it exercises your lungs.]
So the abuse of children continues, eh?
We can’t change that because if we close the centres it might mean more boats arrive. Are you saying that it is more important to you that there are fewer boats than fewer children abused?
Arrnea – for someone who has little faith in the population… you’re expecting a lot for politicians with balls to come along and stand up against established prejudices and conventions.
The two don’t exactly make for a long-term relationship.
@ guytaur, 1364
Zoom’s argument is that because the Greens didn’t raise objections in the committee, they’re even more at fault than the parties that voted for it (also having raised no objections).
It’s utterly mad, but then so is the person making the argument.
Jesus Christ: 30 pages of utterly boring argument on asylum seekers.
As I see it:
1. It’s the government’s legislation, so ask THEM about it.
2. Yes Labor voted for it, and approved it in committee. At least they have consistency on this. The Greens approved it in committee, and then reneged on it when it came to the vote.
3. Mandatory detention on Manus/Nauru has the OVERWHELMING support of the electorate. Labor is not about to die in a ditch and lose the possibility of winning government by contradicting this clear majority position. The Greens on the other hand have never been in government and have little chance of being in government in the forseeable future, so they have nothing to lose by opposing it. For Labor the stales are much higher. The Greens need to ask who they would rather have in power: Tony Abbott mad as a cut cnake – or the much more benign Labor PArty.
4. It is so easy for Greens to be purists on these issues and they only play a spoiler role. If they ever get near government (and it’s quite possible they will) let’s see how precious they are then.
5. But I don’t have my hopes high on a Green government, seeing as how easily they were swindled by Abbott – Australia’s greatest bullshit artist – on the pensions vote, in return for a promise to “consider” superannuation changes that was repudiated before even the day was out. What a bunch of losers!
@ J341983, 1366
I know, but someone has to do it. Someone with the power to make change has to grow a moral compass, or someone with the moral compass has to gain the power.
If neither of those things happen, nothing will change and we, as a nation, will have destroyed a generation of people once more.
Arrnea,
[I don’t often say this, but I will probably be happy the day that old bastard carks it.]
For me there is no “probably” about it. It will be a great day.
[Playing the person and not the argument is bullying.]
The person raising this argument has accused me of not being a doctor, not being a researcher, not being an educator, and has said that she hates me (oh wait….I keep forgetting it wasn’t “hate” it was “despise”) and then repeatedly made comments about my lack of intelligence and/or called me dumb/stupid.
Really takes gumption to then talk about “playing the person” without any reference to same.
I have explained what you have done and provided the exact words you used to justify said explanations.
That is pointing out your hypocrisy, not “playing the person”
@ BB, 1368
Nice job parroting the ALP line on the Greens pension deal, but the fact that Abbott won’t go after super isn’t a loss for the Greens, considering the policy put by the Government has been Greens policy ever since Howard changed the pension system in the first place.
As for being purists – on the issue of the abuse of children, you’re either a supporter or an opponent of the practice. I have no time for the practice’s supporters and would honestly like to see them all in prison – including Labor MPs.
And I say that as a Labor party member. Sue me.
sceptic
.
Though of course Fairfax radio news tonight spun this as Shorten having so many questions still yet to answer, his appearance may now need to be required on a third day. No suggestion this was because his bumbling inquisitor wasted so much time today desperately trawling through his files fruitlessly looking for the next gotcha…
If Labor needs to support child abuse in detention to have a hope of winning Government, it’s not worth the cost.
Wait whats this? http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/missing-liberal-donations-declared-four-years-later-20140505-zr515.html
[The Liberal Party of NSW last month declared a four-year-old donation of $25,000 from the Warringah Club, a fundraising entity associated with Prime Minister Tony Abbott, as well as amending its most recent returns to declare more than $100,000 in political donations including in-kind support to Joe Hockey’s Federal Electoral Committee]
Oh hang on thats not relevant to THA ROYLE COMISHUN INTO TEH LABOR PARTY!
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-08/china-stock-futures-plunge-amid-trading-halts-margin-debt-drop
[China’s benchmark stock index tumbled to a three-month low as another round of government support measures failed to allay concern that margin trades will keep unwinding at a record pace.
The Shanghai Composite Index slid 5.9 percent to 3,507.19 at the close. With at least 1,331 companies halted on mainland exchanges and another 747 falling by the 10 percent daily limit, sellers were locked out of 72 percent of the Chinese market. They turned to everything from government bonds to Hong Kong shares and commodity futures to raise cash, sending China’s one-year note yield up by the most on record and sparking a 5.8 percent loss in the Hang Seng Index.]
The deflationary cycle rolls on!
[zoomster
…I am kind enough to opt for the latter.]
Your “kindness” is partisan!
I am sure the kids in the detention centres you say are required are thankful of your kindness.
You say that lots of other countries have mandatory detention. True. Thats not the point. No other developed country does what we are doing. In the UK, the average length of detention of children is 5 days. In Australia it was 17 months the last I heard (might be longer now). Yet, you seek to imply moral equivalence between a UK centre (for example) of a few days detention with no reports of child sexual assault and media scrutiny with years in secret detention in remote places with no media scrutiny and literally hundreds of reports of harm to children in just over a year…..with the Department’s own independent report confirming the findings and saying that the reports were underestimates because people were too scared to talk.
Arrnea Stormbringer:
.
You’ll enjoy this then:https://vimeo.com/57263481
A Bit of Fry & Laurie- If Rupert Murdoch hadn’t been born
Happiness
Thanks for your tacit acceptance of the points made in my 1356. 🙂
It is a little rich of us, as a nation, to be going after the Church over not doing anything about child abuse reports when we, as a nation, are doing the exact same things when it comes to the abuse of children in immigration detention on Nauru and Manus Island.
@ Rabbithat, 1378
An oldie but a goodie. If only it were real!
If you havent gathered, I have ZERO RESPECT for the Kangaroo court taksed wth investigating Tony’s political enemies, otherwise known by pliable idiots as the ‘Royal Commission into Trade Unions’.
Its nothing but a formal monument to the gross species of undemocratic deadshit the LNP has become.
BTW, Happiness at least you can take heart from the many bold pronouncements of your hero Malcolm Tremble on asylum seeker issues.
1374
Arrnea Stormbringer
Somehow these sentiments have to be addressed to the LNP. They hold nearly all the cards in this contest; if change is to come, the greatest change will be demanded of the LNP. For Labor and the Greens, change cannot come soon enough but they are in no position to secure it. The LNP are the key-holders, for now at least.
Jolyon:
Are you kidding me?
When I read this I nearly fell off my chair
[Perhaps the ALP deserves some blame ]
If you can bring yourself to apportion SOME of the blame to the ALP in this issue I am more than satisfied with that response and wasn’t going to try my luck by responding to this admission in any way!
:devil:
Good on you!
Rabbithat
My recollection of Haydons closing comments were to do with a later appearance when Bill might return for cross examination, I also got the impression Bills council wasn’t going to buy it & would cross examine tomorrow thank you very much!
briefly
I agree. Labor I think at some point will stop the child and other abuses in detention centres. Despite the vote just made I do think they want to stop it.
I want it to be crystal clear. Anyone that supports the LNP in this turn back and long detention times of people especially children in detention centres should be condemned. They are voting a party in to set up what are basically gulags.
[Jolyon Wagg
…BTW, Happiness at least you can take heart from the many bold pronouncements of your hero Malcolm Tremble on asylum seeker issues.]
Turnbull hasn’t done anything of substance on this. However, he has said some things which show a ray of hope. When Abbott and his minions were going after Triggs with all guns blazing, Turnbull was on QandA saying the focus should be on the children and not on anything else.
That was the report that detailed hundreds of accounts of harm to children in just a 15 month period across the detention network (not just Nauru and Manus zoomster). Everyone ignored the data and just focused on the date of the report.
Few here seem to care about these reports or what is happening to the children. Perhaps Walid Ali was right- its because they are not little white christian children. Unfortunately, much of the christian compassion is only valid when it the victim is christian.
@ briefly, 1384
The only way the LNP will ever be the agents of constructive change in Australia is if they collectively resign and vow to leave the country forever.
@ Happiness, 1388
Waleed Aly was exactly right. I’d prefer him as PM to almost any of the knobheads in the House of Representatives now.
[briefly
….The LNP are the key-holders, for now at least.]
It takes:
1. The people
2. The moderate wing of the LNP
3. The left wing of the ALP
None of them is doing enough at the moment, but I have hope that this outrage won’t continue indefinitely…..perhaps wishful thinking, but as more reports of the reality of the situation emerge, the public will slowly stop tolerating it, as many here are tolerating it (or aggressively advocating for it).
Happiness
[Turnbull hasn’t done anything of substance on this. However, he has said some things which show a ray of hope. When Abbott and his minions were going after Triggs with all guns blazing, Turnbull was on QandA saying the focus should be on the children and not on anything else.]
As did the ALP 🙂
@SenWarren: .@SenJohnMcCain, @SenatorCantwell, @SenAngusKing & I reintroduced the 21st Century Glass Steagall Act. Watch: https://t.co/mqguGSjYAv
The corporates won’t like that.
@ Happiness, 1391
There’s only one non-independent member of the House that has impressed me on the issue of asylum seekers.
They are not a member of the Greens.
Happiness
[If you can bring yourself to apportion SOME of the blame to the ALP in this issue I am more than satisfied with that response and wasn’t going to try my luck by responding to this admission in any way!]
At least I don’t make endless posts supporting the party that has a manifestly worse record on these issues.
Rabbithat @ 1378: Hunter S. Thompson argued that Richard Nixon should have been buried at sea, on a sewage outfall. A similar fate would seem appropriate for Mr Murdoch.
Personally, I think a future ALP government should deny him a visa to visit Australia, on character grounds. Let the old rat die somewhere else.
“Endless points”?
I wouldn’t mind you showing me a single point I have made in support of the LNP on this issue!
@ pedant, 1396
Amen to that.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2015-07-08/eu-tells-tsipras-the-party-s-over-as-euro-exit-door-swings-open
[After five months of drama, false dawns and unpleasant surprises, Europe’s leaders are finally ready to show Alexis Tsipras the exit.
Behind the doors of the Justus Lipsius building in the heart of the political district in Brussels, the euro-region’s leaders rounded on the Greek prime minister for destabilizing the currency union before Germany’s Angela Merkel emerged to deliver an official ultimatum.
In a tense and at times emotional meeting, Tsipras’s European peers told him he’d failed to appreciate the efforts the continent’s voters and taxpayers had made to help the Greek people and blamed him for escalating tensions across the region. Six officials agreed to share their knowledge of the private talks while asking not to be named because of the sensitivity of the historical moment.
Europe’s leaders are finally ready to show Alexis Tsipras the exit
“Party time at the expense of others in Greece has come to an end,” Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite said. “Europe and the euro area are surely unprepared to pay for the irresponsible behavior of the new Greek government.”
Afterward in public comments, the leaders competed to find the harshest language to describe Tsipras’s approach and its likely consequences. Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte said a “miracle” would be needed to keep Greece in the euro-region, while Malta’s Joseph Muscat said the 40-year-old had created an “enormous trust-gap” with his European counterparts.
“We have a Grexit scenario prepared in detail,” European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker said, using the shorthand for expulsion from the now 19-nation currency area.]
Nearly curtains for Greece, it seems.
[Arrnea Stormbringer
…There’s only one non-independent member of the House that has impressed me on the issue of asylum seekers.]
Who?