The two-party preferred reading on the BludgerTrack poll aggregate has ticked 0.5% in Labor’s favour for the second week in the row, on the back of a solid improvement for them in the latest fortnightly Morgan result, and a smaller shift on the weekly Essential Research numbers. In fact, the outstanding feature of both polls was the best result in years for the Greens, such that both major parties are little changed on the primary vote, and Labor’s two-party preferred improvement is received second-hand as preferences. Labor is back in majority government territory on the seat projection, thanks to single-seat gains in New South Wales, Queensland, Western Australia and Tasmania.
There is also a new set of leadership ratings courtesy of last week’s small-sample Morgan phone poll, which I now see I neglected to link to, but you can read all about here and here. The BludgerTrack tables show how the results have changed since “last week”, but since the poll was conducted last Monday to Wednesday, it might be better understood as a revised reading of the previous result than a current state of play. In particular, if the Labor national conference made any change to Bill Shorten’s position for better or worse, this poll will not have captured it. In any case, the result adds incrementally to the headlong plunges of both leaders on net approval, but doesn’t make much difference to preferred prime minister.
Otherwise:
• Cameron Atfield of Fairfax reports that a preselection challenge against Teresa Gambaro, the LNP member for the federal seat of Brisbane, has been called off after the intervention of Tony Abbott – which would seem to be rather big of him, as Gambaro had been one of his most vocal critics. The putative challenger was Trevor Evans, chief executive of the National Retail Association and chief-of-staff and campaign director to Peter Dutton during 2010, who was said by an LNP source quoted by Atfield to have “had the numbers”. Not only has Evans been persuaded not to run, he will also serve as Gambaro’s campaign manager.
• The winner of a Tasmanian Greens vote to choose a Senate successor to Christine Milne will be announced today, and the Launceston Examiner for one deems that the party’s former state leader, Nick McKim, is “heavily favoured” to emerge the winner from a field of about ten. Milne has not yet set a date for her departure, but in the final week of the last parliamentary sitting she gave what she said was to be her final Senate speech, so presumably it will be soon. The Greens preselection process has been covered in very great detail by local observer Kevin Bonham.
• Two dubious claims of internal polling to relate, if only because I didn’t want the above items to look lonely. Speaking on Sky News earlier this month, Victorian Liberal Party state president Michael Kroger claimed that “current polling” had support for Jacqui Lambie in Tasmania in the low twenties. The CFMEU also claims polling it has conducted finds a “Nick Xenophon-backed candidate” in Christopher Pyne’s Adelaide seat of Sturt would poll 38% of the primary vote, compared with 30.8% for Pyne and 17.4% for Labor.
[739
TrueBlueAussie]
You try to excuse racism by both denying and extending it; by fanning truculence and spite.
The more you set out to impugn Goodes, the greater the numbers that will rally to him.
You should take your lies and eat them.
[739
TrueBlueAussie]
Of course, for you, Goodes is a mere diversion…a device to take attention away from the self-destruction of a lame, corrupt and divided Government…a Government in name only.
I don’t have a problem with a Prime Minister using an RAAF jet at taxpayer expense to attend today’s funeral, or to a party fund raiser, or to a football match, or a wedding, or to travel to a triathlon.
Here’s why. A Prime Minister, due to the nature of the job, needs to be accompanied by a number of other people, including bodyguards and public servants. I think it’s unreasonable to expect the individual or party to have to pay for all their travel as well. I think it’s just easier to have the Government pay for it (just as happens with the US President).
This applies for all Prime Ministers, regardless of the party. Note, this does not apply to Opposition Leaders, including our current PM when he was in the OL role.
[“You try to excuse racism by both denying and extending it; by fanning truculence and spite.”]
No it’s the left who constantly misuse and ABUSE the word racism.
Like claiming attacking Islam is racist. I mean if you attacked Scientology, is that racist? What about the Catholic Church, is that racist?
Stop misusing and abusing the word and playing victim all the time, it annoys people.
The many Indigenous footy players all around Australia are cheered and admired… there is just 1 individual… who just happens to be black… who people don’t like. That’s called NOT racism. It’s called they don’t like him.
BC
Totally agree.
Tony Abbott to tighten rules on travel allowances… uh oh… Labor won’t like this:
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/jul/31/tony-abbott-signals-further-tightening-of-parliamentary-entitlements-rules
” Sheesh. no wonder the marginal back benchers are poltting. Even Scott Morrision as PM and Turnbull as Treasurer would be better than this lot. ”
I don’t think Turnbull would use his popularity in the general electorate ( as opposed to the Liberal Party ) to prop up another right wing idiot.
Mal wants to be PM under his terms & gains nothing by supporting someone else.
Who’s Warwick Capper?
[Where were all you guys when Warrick Capper was being booed onfield?]
I thought Capper was dead!
Charlie Edwards@736
I think what has enabled choppergate to achieve a life of its own and persistence in the public mind is the sheer bizarreness of it.
Who, in their right mind, would charter a helicopter from Melbourne to Geelong? It is just beyond comprehension.
I’m a long time Internet user (from the early 90s IIRC). One lesson I learned very early was to not feed the trolls. The more you argue with them, the stronger they get. Reasoning with them doesn’t work as they’re usually not that interested in the actual topic being discussed. They’re just setting out to provoke people. They’re basically sh*tstirrers.
Ignore them and they’ll get bored and go and search for amusement somewhere else.
FWIW
http://www.smh.com.au/business/adam-goodes-james-packer-slams-booing-joins-three-cheers-for-footballer-20150731-gioj71.html
I think the Libs need to take the front foot on the travel allowance thing… tighten the rules so much it makes the little Labor piggies squeel.
They won’t be happy to have their own travel rorts removed so it will make them the topic of discussion when they are divided on what to do and take the heat off the Government.
As I said… best idea is to outsource all bookings for hotels and flights to a new Government body, rather than the current free-for-all that is happening now.
“@SteveCannane: Tonight on #thedrum an all-indigenous panel @nyunggai @CharlieKing1057 @kirstiecongress explore issues of racism in Aust. 530pm @ABCTV”
Capper still lives.
[Stop misusing and abusing the word and playing victim all the time, it annoys people.]
It’s not playing the victim when you ARE the victim.
Even TrueBlueIdiot ought to see that.
Aboriginal man gets called all kinds of racist names and HE’S at fault?
[
BC
Totally agree.]
Mostly agree, think fundraisers should be just taboo if they taxpayer has flown you to Melbourne you should not do any fundraising there.
I also think exactly the same rules should apply to OL. Democracy is stronger when opposition is strong.
[754
TrueBlueAussie]
As I say…you attempt to excuse racial expressions by first denying them, then by pretending they are something else, and then by propagating malice.
You are degenerate.
bemused at 760
Yes, you are probably right, it so lacks commonsense that it is hard to believe that someone with her experience wozld think it is ok. There’s nothing like cheesing-off the populace across party lines.
@aussexparty: Whether it’s in the office, or the home, or on the sports field, bullying is not ok. We stand with @adamroy37 http://t.co/HRfpwKpmGn
CTar1@746
I’d say they have lost the tail rotor, and that only ends one way.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tail_rotor
B.C.
The PM should pay for their own travel if it is to private or party fundraising events. That is personal expenditure.
However no probs with taxpayers paying for all the extra people that have to travel with the PM because it is the PM . That is an expense due to their public office. After all it is the taxpayers “fault” for giving the PM the job 😉
[763
TrueBlueAussie]
lol
Go ahead. Do it. This will simply confirm what the entire electorate already believes to be the case – that the LNP cannot help themselves; that they’ve been caught stealing; that they are venal, corrupt and unwilling to accept the necessary penalty; that they will try to shift the blame for their own turpitude.
lol…lol…lol…effing Libs…they are debauched.
[Who, in their right mind, would charter a helicopter from Melbourne to Geelong? It is just beyond comprehension.]
It just shows crystal clear contempt. Everyone gets the sheer brazenness required to think you are so completely unaccountable that you thought you could get away with it. That’s the thing that’s beyond comprehension. People just don’t get how out of touch you have to be to think it’s a fair go. And as they do start to get how out of touch and downright venal it is they are repulsed by it. Labor are popping Champers every time someone from the Libs comes out to defend her.
[758
Steve777
Posted Friday, July 31, 2015 at 12:29 pm | PERMALINK
Who’s Warwick Capper?
]
Warwick Capper wore the shortest and tightest shorts ever seen on a football field. He progressed to be a soft porn star. Which made him the darling of Swans owner Dr Geoffrey Edelstein.
We laughed more than booed Warwick, and despite his shameless self promotion, he could play a bit.
If Bronnie turns up in the speaker’s chair for the next sitting week then Labor could run a ‘Matter of Public Importance’ motion once a week for each week and just keep it in the public mind. That way they would not seem to be rowdy but working within the norms of Parlaimentary process.
The only real solution is to give each MP a fixed allowance as part of their package. If they spend under they keep the difference, if they spend over it comes out of their pocket. Obviously some allowance needs to be made for say the FM, PM, Trade and other senior ministers for overseas travel, but general travel within Australia should be out of your allowance.
That would end the arguments and ensure pollies weren’t coming up with shonky meetings etc to get their snouts in the trough. If they need more dough to jet all over the country for fundraisers then let the function pay for it rather than having the ridiculous situation where the taxpayers are footing the bill for more in travel costs than the damn fundraisers are raising.
BB
Are the bakbench plotters only from NSW?
booleanbach,
I doubt they’d even wait a week. Labor would simply move dissent in every decision she makes from the chair. Pyne could always move the member not be heard, but even that takes time and it just keeps the issue on the boil every single day. It would be a motion of no confidence every time she opened her mouth. Day after day the Libs would be forced to say up yours to the public and the media clearly have decided she has to go so there’ll be no love there for them.
I can’t see that situation lasting long.
[ That would end the arguments and ensure pollies weren’t coming up with shonky meetings etc to get their snouts in the trough. ]
They might even ‘discover’ use of the telephone.
Roll on Newspoll from Galaxy early next week.
I think Labor will turn their backs on BBish in the HoR when VNC fails.
She will then probably chuck them all out.
Great post from an Age reader quoting a Gareth Evans line “Why do people instantly dislike Bronwyn Bishop? It saves time!!” Boom, boom.
[I think Labor will turn their backs on BBish in the HoR when VNC fails.
She will then probably chuck them all out.]
Labor will pop champagne corks for every 94a.
[“Warwick Capper wore the shortest and tightest shorts ever seen on a football field. He progressed to be a soft porn star. Which made him the darling of Swans owner Dr Geoffrey Edelstein.”]
He also got his junk out on Celebrity Big Brother in the 2000’s and was the first Celebrity Big Brother contestant to ever be kicked off the show.
I encourage Labor to act like 6 Year Olds in Parliament… it will reinforce the view that Labor is made up of kiddies who pretend to be adult politicians.
Australian voters on the other hand will not be impressed by Labors school yard antics.
Ratsak
100% agree. Fixed allowance and all this nonsense goes.
You would need to consider travel to electorates ie cost by plane and possible for SOME in remote seats the occasional charter is needed, if you cannot get home or to a function any other way. This could be built into the allowance. Travel for one staff member is also built into the allowance – not for all meetings but for a selected number -eg an electorate officer might travel with the member say twice a week on average and a research officer may travel to Canberra.
[She’s paid back the money.]
She’s paid back part of the money, actually. Only the helicopter ride – not the airfares, other transport or accommodation costs associated with her 3 day jaunt from one Liberal Party fundraiser to another.
The media are going to love this. ITS WAR!!
“@annajhenderson: Labor’s @Tony_Burke says if Bronwyn Bishop is still Speaker “Any level of cooperation that the government ordinarily relies on is gone””
Has anyone yet speculated what would happen if BBishop resigns the speakership and goes to the backbench and gets investigated?
Will Abbott run out of the house when she votes with the government?
dtt,
Obviously a little thought would need to go into the exact setting of the allowance, but we have an independent remuneration tribunal for that. Simply give them the directive to set the various levels as per the requirements of different electorates and positions.
They’re pretty generous so you’d probably find it would work out a win-win with the pollies who manage their travel efficiently pocketing a little extra, and the taxpayers winning with the total amount being reduced because there is no more incentive to just take any old trip and charge the people after shonking up a secret meeting with an anonymous person.
Been caught stealing
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jrwjiO1MCVs
poroti
[The PM should pay for their own travel if it is to private or party fundraising events. That is personal expenditure.
However no probs with taxpayers paying for all the extra people that have to travel with the PM because it is the PM . ]
Cost splitting of govt expenditure is standard practice.
Part of the reason for this kerfuffle is the current mob’s lack of respect for our processes, institutions and the Australian people (especially those people they don’t represent). Labor need to be careful that their actions in pursuing BB specifically won’t be generalised to convey the same.
The only one acting like a 6 y.o. will be Bronnie if she starts having a tanty and chucking opposition members. Labor will be delighted at her leading the way on adult government.
Worry about allowances after there is a new Speaker. Andrew Wilkie makes the point talking about allowances now is just a way for Abbott to say Bishop has not done anything too unusual or bad.
[BB
Are the bakbench plotters only from NSW?]
The only ones I know of, and who are singing like canaries, are from NSW.
[She’s paid back the money.]
Yes, a tacit admission of guilt. She should also pay the penalty that other pilferers pay – she should be forfeit her position. She is by her own admission untrustworthy.
BB
Interesting. Back in February, the backbenchers who initiated the last leadership imbroglio were primarily from WA
[785
TrueBlueAussie
Australian voters on the other hand will not be impressed by…]
Abbott’s capitulation to Bishop…by his feeble reluctance to sack a petty thief from one of the more prestigious positions in his gift.
Display Name
On Capital Hill just now they tried that on with Burke. The expense involving his mother that has been in the media.
He paid it back as it was a mistake of the travel agent charging the government not his credit card.
Then Mr Burke makes it crystal clear. How do you mistake getting in a helicopter to go to a fundraiser?
Its this clarity why this has legs and will only go away with Bishop resignimg