I’m afraid I won’t be able to treat you to the normal weekly BludgerTrack poll aggregate update this week, but given the ongoing stability of the polling situation generally, you’re probably not missing much. We do, however, have the first fortnightly rolling average result for the year from Essential Research, last week’s result having been drawn from a single week’s sample. The Coalition’s two-party lead is up from 51-49 to 52-48, but the primary votes are unchanged at 44% for the Coalition, 35% for Labor and 10% for the Greens.
Other results from Essential Research show little change in perceptions of the state of the economy on two such results last year, with 28% rating it as good (up two from September) and 31% poor (down one), while 30% rate the economy as heading in the right direction (down four) versus 38% for wrong direction (down one). Scott Morrison is favoured better to handle the economy by 26% (down one), versus 19% for Chris Bowen (up one). Eighteen per cent favour increasing Australia’s military involvement in Syria and Iraq, with 34% wanting it decreased and 32% favouring no change. Respondents took a favourable view of Australia Day, which 56% rated “a day of national pride” against 22% who opted for two disapproving choices: “a day of reflection on the impact on indigenous people” (14%) and “irrelevant in the 21st century” (8%).
davidwh
[Mind you I am pretty certain most here would give up on anyone the Libs elected leader.]
If you’re meaning from the current crop of Lib Federal Parliamentarians it’s hard to pick one that has shown any credentials to be a leader.
[Nonsense and excuse making tosh.
turnbull sold out under abbott and is selling out to retain the ‘glittering prize’ of PM – while doing nothing.
If this was Labor you would be making such points.
We do have a choice. Turnbull has the clear fundamental choice to discharge his responsibilities as PM or to rollover – which is what he is doing.
So are you it seems.
]
Nicely put dave.
victoria
Posted Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 5:37 pm | Permalink
[I actually like Jason Clare’s description of Turnbull. The wizard of oz!]
from Abbott the lizard of Oz to Turnbull the wizard of oz..
If Turnbull actually carried out his innovation and agility and
1. installed the real NBN (i.e. got it started)
2. stopped Greg Hunt’s little games with the environment and AGW
3. turned around cuts to education and health
then I would reluctantly have to admit that he’s a Good Liberal and although I wouldn’t vote for him, I’d not criticise.
If wishes were horses…
4. left penalty rates alone
5. didn’t introduce IR changes
[ davidwh
Posted Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 6:05 pm | Permalink
I am pretty certain most here would give up on anyone the Libs elected leader. ]
Thats a slie way of trying to bump the conversation off course.
We are talking specifics to turnbull >> not some hypothetical look over there.
[ I will not lead a party not as committed to addressing climate change as me ]
Plus there are other examples.
*The person who destroyed the NBN*
*The person who hides from making a decision on SSM*
*The person who runs from progressing the Republic*
etc
SUSC
Didn’t use the Turc farce in the election campaign.
Hey, we’re expecting too much. 🙁
lizzie
[
If Turnbull actually carried out his innovation and agility and…]
4: Abandoned the Climate Change is Crap’s Direct (IN)Action policy.
It certainly looks to me that Turnbull is beholden to the Tea Party types in the LNP, and that they are not going to hold back on rubbing his nose in it.
His supposedly urbane presentation doesn’t really hide his arrogance, for instance, poking his head round the door of the Nats meeting to skite he has more cattle than them. What does he imagine that’s going to do to his relationship with them?
I doubt he has the skills to keep the different factions from from tearing bits of him away at every opportunity to spite him.
Not to mention the incoming in the form of the Budget.
It may be wishful thinking on my part but I doubt Morrison has sufficient economic smarts to master Treasury, and he’s another one who’s estimation of his competence far exceeds the reality.
The only basis on which you could at this point determine that Turnbull is an adequate PM is on the opinion polls, and if that is the only evidence you have someone is a good PM, they aren’t.
They maybe in the future but they aren’t at this time.
With Turnbull’s lists of bad and weak decisions he is tipping the scales to appallingly bad, in the mould of the idiot he replaced.
Monica, he may well have more cattle than the Nationals.
He certainly has more bullshit to spare …
Monica Lynagh
[It may be wishful thinking on my part but I doubt Morrison has sufficient economic smarts to master Treasury,]
😆 Oh I think you have a very very safe bet there.
I am of the opinion that Labor should propose some amendments to the construction industry legislation that would include employers and stand firm on it, saying that they would agree to the commission if the amendment were passed.
Asha Leu @ 1522
Whilst Nick Champion wants the National Executive to bind all members to oppose a GST increase. I assume that would include Weatherill.
BK@1613
Yes BK.
Also withdraw ALL voluntary codes of conduct and apply legal criminal tests and penalties.
t
It would. But it is not going to happen, so you can relax.
poroti,
What I’m really hoping for is that this stint in gov’t, with Morrison’s performance as Treasurer as the cherry on the top of Mr. Eleventy, will put paid for all time, to the notion that the LNP are the better economic managers.
Fulvio,
I thought it an extraordinary thing to say to people with whom you are trying to form a working relationship. If I’d been in the room I would have been tempted to say, “Fine, rack off and impress the cows then”.
[His supposedly urbane presentation doesn’t really hide his arrogance, for instance, poking his head round the door of the Nats meeting to skite he has more cattle than them. What does he imagine that’s going to do to his relationship with them?]
It is not the sign of a sharp political operator, is it. Not a mistake Howard would have made.
Turnbull may yet turn out to have the same fundamental flaw as Abbott, a vastly over inflated self-assessment of their own competence.
[Turnbull may yet turn out to have the same fundamental flaw as Abbott, a vastly over inflated self-assessment of their own competence.]
He definitely has that, but the level of incompetence in Turnbull should be much higher than Abbott’s but he has so far operated lower than Abbott who did not lose faith in the things he believed (wrong as most of them were), whereas Turnbull has sold out almost everything he believes.
1614
taylormade
Posted Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 6:58 pm | PERMALINK
Asha Leu @ 1522
[Whilst Nick Champion wants the National Executive to bind all members to oppose a GST increase. I assume that would include Weatherill.]
Didn’t know about that. But then Nick Champion does has form when it comes to making incredibly stupid suggestions. This is the MP who wanted the ALP Opposition to vote with the Abbott Government to abolish the carbon tax, after all.
I’m generally pretty opposed to any sort of resolutions that bind members one way or the other, no matter how much I may agree with the policy in question. They already have cabinet solidarity and whips to ensure that MPs vote on party lines almost all the time – binding all members, whether state, federal, local or random rank-and-file, seems overkill in the extreme, and interferes with the ability of individual governments and oppositions to be pragmatic and flexible and react to events when needed.
Just Me,
Some one here has previously commented that Turnbull thinks like a barrister, i.e., here’s your brief, now go and find the arguments to support the case, which I think is probably close to the mark. It certainly doesn’t include the sort of mindset you need to bring people along with you.
He comes across, many times, despite the banner headline and photo in The Age yesterday of him sitting beside a homeless person having a chat, as ‘I am smarter than you, I am richer than you, I am more successful than you’.
And frankly, the visit to Barak Obama, looked excruciatingly awful. Don’t think he’s got a clue about Foreign Affairs either, but fancies himself.
Just Me,
Some one here has previously commented that Turnbull thinks like a barrister, i.e., here’s your brief, now go and find the arguments to support the case, which I think is probably close to the mark. It certainly doesn’t include the sort of mindset you need to bring people along with you.
He comes across, many times, despite the banner headline and photo in The Age yesterday of him sitting beside a homeless person having a chat, as ‘I am smarter than you, I am richer than you, I am more successful than you’.
And frankly, the visit to Barak Obama, looked excruciatingly awful. Don’t think he’s got a clue about Foreign Affairs either, but fancies himself.
WWP
[ … whereas Turnbull has sold out almost everything he believes. ]
If there is anything Turnbull has not sold out yet, it can only be because he is holding out for a higher price.
Whoops, sorry about the double post. The gerbils appear to operate with the logic of the Nats.
The Turnbulls are not going to live in the Lodge.
It is all spin bs.
Boerwar,
They’ll probably camp there when they have to do so.
Boerwar
Is that an assumption?
WWP #1610 the current opinion polls may simply reflect the people generally don’t see government and politics through the PB filter.
DAVIDWH – Turnbull is a slimy psychotically greedy merchant banker who has done nothing in his life except shuffle money and clip tickets. He is a leaner and a bludger. He has never made anything or built anything. He is the quintessential capitalist who lives off the labour of others. I find him (and all of his kind) truly repulsive. He is the last person I want as Prime Minister.
I would recognise any Liberal leader who was aware of the importance of the triple bottom line! There never has been one!
I find it hard to recall any Labor leader with that awareness either! Jim Cairns and Barry Jones get high marks!
[1628
davidwh
the current opinion polls may simply reflect the people generally don’t see government and politics through the PB filter.]
That may be true, but the public does not have unlimited faith in Turnbull. After all, Turnbull has Rudd-esque approval ratings, but the LNP can only manage 54-45 on the bludgertrack.
we may get a newspoll tonight
[victoria
Posted Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 7:34 pm | Permalink
Boerwar
Is that an assumption?]
No. Turnbull announced it shortly after he stabbed Abbott in the back.
WWP – I would love to know where people got the idea that Turnbull is “smart”. The mere fact that he has made a lot of money says nothing. That is easily explained by the fact, that he is, as he said in a moment of unintended candour, “…a fat greedy c…”. I know that he thinks he’s brilliant. But, I’ve never seen it. Most smart people don’t waffle like him while they hunt around for an idea.
[Monica Lynagh
Posted Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 7:32 pm | Permalink
Boerwar,
They’ll probably camp there when they have to do so.]
It is a useful venue for schmoozing.
Hoi poloi and eloi alike love being schmoozed in the Lodge.
Apart from the couth, the booze and the tucker are both first rate.
The Turnbull’s said they weren’t going to live at Kirribilly but always intended to live at the Lodge.
Boerwar
Ah. I obviously missed Turnbull saying. So
[Turnbull has sold out almost everything he believes.]
Not really. Turnbull (like Abbott) only ever had one real belief. That he should be PM.
Bw
[The Turnbulls are not going to live in the Lodge.
It is all spin bs.]
It won’t be hard to tell. A police car illegally parked very near will tell the story just as it did when JG lived very near to where Truffles apartment is now.
When you start burning down trees that a thousand years old you have problems.
http://www.theage.com.au/environment/like-losing-the-thylacine-fire-burns-tasmanian-wilderness-world-heritage-area-20160131-gmi2re.html
Kevin17 – to be fair, most of us have a fair idea of what Turnbull wants to do, he just knows people won’t tolerate his economic agenda, and so he and his media allies have to find the magic words and slogans that will suddenly make it palatable to voters.
Monica Lynagh and victoria in particular.
Diogenes posted a link to a story in the Adelaide which showed the disastrous consequences that can flow from severe mental illness.
The link didn’t work, but you can access it by googling all or part of the following:
Murder charge against Cy Walsh is another in Adelaide’s long history of heartbreaking mental illness cases
Interested in your comments after reading.
McCormack will challenge Barnaby for leadership when Truss resigns
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/michael-mccormack-signals-challenge-to-barnaby-joyce-for-nats-leadership-20160131-gmhzd0.html
If anyone has Sky, Chris Kenny’s tweeted that there will be a Newspoll preview on Viewpoint which starts at 8pm.
phylactella
And John Button
[davidwh
Posted Sunday, January 31, 2016 at 7:42 pm | Permalink
The Turnbull’s said they weren’t going to live at Kirribilly but always intended to live at the Lodge.
He was quite specific about staying in his own home. He has a grandson in the vicinity own home.
His own home is worth $25 million.
So he has Kirribili, the Lodge and a $25 million home.
His empathy and symphathy for the homeless probably knows no bounds.
Boerwar,
You’re not wRONg about the booze and the tucker. I was waiting – not with breath held I should add – for the front page bit in The Age to be accompanied by something about the Blessed Malcolm Who Stops To Speak To The Poor giving the bloke enough $ to actually get a place to rent. Probably wouldn’t cost him a cow.
But no.
Bit like the other bad apple.
Now I’ve gone and done it!
I’ll have to scroll for days and days.
davidwh@1628
The ‘so called’ filter (in this instance anyway) is fact based –
– Over four months as PM and next to nothing in meaningful policy outcomes.
– The least achievements of a new PM in living memory.
– A blatant determined refusal to tell voters what he stands for or what he proposes to do as PM.
– Two ministers sacked and in a sneaky and cynical manner.
– The judgment of turnbull reflected in appointing the two sacked ministers to the ministry in the first place. Brough was laughingly appointed to oversea Ministerial standards – which he was incapable of achieve himself.
– turnbull walking, nay running away from major policy positions he had pontificated about for most of his time in public life – in order to stay as PM.
– Sold out personally and in progress of selling out Australians.
No amount of hand waving can excuse these failure. These betrayals.
Being PM is apparently more important to him then achieving.
victoria, 1643
So either an insane candidate or a Liberal lackey, great!
“Big Show” Maxwell = “No Show”! Out for a globe first ball.