BludgerTrack: 52.0-48.0 to Coalition

The poll aggregate moves in Labor’s favour for the fourth week in a row, this time rather sharply in the wake of Newspoll’s surprise result.

Newspoll’s surprise this week has caused a minor landslip in the BludgerTrack poll aggregate, which moves 0.8% to Labor on two-party preferred, while delivering only a modest gain of three on the seat projection (one each in New South Wales, Queensland and Western Australia). The leadership results from the poll have also caused Malcolm Turnbull’s net approval rating to continue its downward trajectory, and given a very slight impression of Bill Shorten pulling out of his slump. Also in the mix this week were results from Roy Morgan and Essential Research, neither of which recorded much movement, although the former found Labor hanging on to a big gain the previous fortnight.

In other news, the big story at the moment is obviously the introduction this week of Senate reform legislation to the Senate, for which there is a dedicated thread here for you to comment on, together with my paywalled contribution to Crikey on Tuesday. Then there’s preselection news:

• Nominations for the hotly contested Liberal preselection in Mackellar closed on Friday, with seven challengers coming forward to take on Bronwyn Bishop. Joe Kelly of The Australian reports the field includes the widely touted Walter Villatora and Jason Falinksi (see this earlier post for further detail), along with Bill Calcraft, a former Wallabies player described by the Sydney Morning Herald as having “returned to Australia after a long career in business in Europe”. For what it may be worth in well-heeled Mackellar, Calcraft has the support of talk radio broadcaster Alan Jones, who coached him when he played for Manly in the 1980s. The other candidates are Campbell Welsh, a stockbroker; Vicky McGahey, a school teacher; and Alan Clarke, founder of Street Mission.

• Sarah Martin of The Australian reports that while Craig Kelly no longer faces opposition from Sutherland Shire mayor Kent Johns in the Liberal preselection for Hughes, two other local party members have nominated against him: Jeffrey Clarke, a barrister, and Michael Medway, noted only as the candidate for Werriwa in 2004.

• The Liberal preselection to replace Andrew Robb in Goldstein, which was covered here in detail last week, looms as a contest between Georgina Downer and Tim Wilson, after another highly rated candidate, local software entrepreneur Marcus Bastiaan, ruled himself out. Christian Kerr of The Australian reports on a move by locals to throw their weight behind Denis Dragovic, a “former hostage negotiator, academic and global development worker”. Also expected to nominate by Kerr’s Liberal sources are Jeremy Samuel, chairman of the party’s Caulfield electorate committee, and John Osborn, director of economics and industry policy for the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

• The Liberal preselection to replace Bruce Billson in the outer south-eastern Melbourne seat of Dunkley has been won by Chris Crewther, a Frankston-based business consultant. Steve Lillebuen of Fairfax reports that Crewther won in the final round over Donna Bauer, who held the state seat of Carrum for the Liberals from 2010 to 2014. Crewther unsuccessfully attempted to win the rural seat of Mallee for the Liberals when Nationals member John Forrest retired in 2013, but was defeated by Nationals candidate Andrew Broad.

• The retirement of Warren Truss creates a preselection vacancy in the Nationals stronghold of Wide Bay in central Queensland. Among those to express interest are Jeff Seeney, who entered state politics in 1998 and served as Opposition Leader from March 2011 to March 2012, and as Deputy Premier through the period of Campbell Newman’s government from March 2012 to February 2015. Also said to be in the mix is Tim Langmead, a former adviser to Truss.

• Also vacant is Ian Macfarlane’s Toowoomba-based seat of Groom, where the state member for Toowoomba South, John McVeigh, has confirmed he will seek Liberal National Party preselection.

• Sally Cripps of the North Queensland Register reports four candidates have nominated for Liberal National Party preselection in Bob Katter’s seat of Kennedy: Michael Trout, who held the state seat of Barron River from 2012 to 2015; Shane Meteyard, grazier and owner of Milray Contracting; Jonathan Pavetto, economic advisor for the Alliance of Electricity Consumers; and Karina Samperi, a Cairns management consultant. The narrowly unsuccessful candidate from 2013, Noeline Ikin, has withdrawn after being diagnosed with cancer.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

3,221 comments on “BludgerTrack: 52.0-48.0 to Coalition”

Comments Page 57 of 65
1 … 56 57 58 … 65

  1. GG@2678

    [Boerwar,

    You are hardly the person to call out others for having their views tempered by their Catholicism. After all, it is you who insists that all Catholics are evil including the little old ladies, like my mum, who helped out in the St Vinnies Op shop.

    This is a view you are quite entitled to have. However, it is important consideration when one reviews yet another one of your anti catholic missives. You can hardly say you come to the debate with a thirst for knowledge or to find any truths that may contradict your exaggerated world view of Catholics and Catholicism.

    My view for what it’s worth is that Pell handled himself pretty well today and that this is showing up in the tone of the reporting. Despite all the people who have their conclusion and are just looking for indications their blind prejudices are true, nothing has emerged today that shows anything more than what has been revealed before.

    Sure, some may be coming to the material for the first time today. However, all of what was questioned today is based on information that has been through many forums including the judicial system in the past.

    Basically people and perhaps the RC are trying to frame this differently. But, there was nothing new today and I suspect nothing new will emerge.

    But you can continue your campaign of prejudice. It doesn’t concern me at all.]

    I am coming late to this debate, cos work stuff.

    However, I would like to comment on your post, as reproduced above.

    I grew up in the wonderful glow of Vatican II, where the Catholic Church encouraged us to think for ourselves, and embrace the social gospel. It was a great, positive liberation. And I still remember all those great guitar tunes from the masses. I have recently been reminded of those times while I have been living and working in Chile, where the social gospel is still strong, and where going to Mass, (with the dogs), is a part of a social gospel community.

    Also, I am old enough to remember the Protestant /Catholic divide, where when the church was under attack, it was necessary to circle the wagons, and beat off all attackers.

    However, over and above circling the wagons, I fear that there is an unwillingness in some to admit the Church’s mistakes in Australia, to do a Mea Culpa, and move on. I really wonder why. Given how hard-line the Australian Catholic church has become (as in thinking Pio Nono was the apotheosis of Catholic dogma), I find it hard to understand why anyone commenting on Pollbludger would defend Pell and the Church against the allegations of systemic child abuse within the Church.

    If Pell was blind to what was happening under his jurisdiction, well, he was blind. But, he is guilty of the sin of omission – ignoring what was in front of his nose. Many of us do not see what is in front of our noses, but when we notice it, the scales fall from our eyes, and we then readjust our thinking – this does not mean throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

    I know that of which I speak, and will detail it here on Pollbludger.

    I grew up in the gentle social gospel Catholic faith of my father, who hated Bloody Old Bob Santmaria, and supported the Republican side in the Spanish civil war. My Catholic faith survives, but without the supernatural bits.

    So, as I was growing up, I had this great belief that the Catholic Church in Australia was a reformist Church, wanting very much the same as the Uniting Church does today: the social gospel.

    I am embarrassed to say that when I was only 18, an ex-seminarian told me how cynical and corrupt the church was, and why he left. My brain literally could not process this. The ex-seminarian was someone I had a lot of respect for, but I could not believe what he told me. So, I put it down to mental illness and illusion on his part.

    And so, down the years, the stories kept mounting up. The social gospel people left the church, except in Chile, where there is still hope (Graham Greene would be proud).

    I will bore you with some of the more sordid stories that happened right under my nose another time, but let me tell you about my Uncle’s funeral in Doveton, Victoria.

    My family is of Irish decent, so much so that I am a dual citizen. They are also very Catholic. My grandmother came to Australia on a visit, found herself pregnant, and stayed here. Her firstborn was Desmond, an accountant, who married Phyllis, a waif from a Catholic orphanage. Being good Catholics they had 5 kids, and back then you took what you could get, and they got a very nice Housing Commission place in Doveton, Victoria, two stories, and four bedrooms.

    The local parish was Holy Family, Doveton, where my cousins went to school, and where I went to mass many times.

    About 3 years ago my wonderful uncle Desmond succumbed to a stroke and died. Our large Irish/ Australian family came from near and far to be at the funeral, to celebrate the life of our 90 year old relative. Yes, we would have liked him to live a longer life, but given that he did not, celebrating his long life seemed like a good idea.

    So, we piled into the Holy Family Church in Doveton, greeting each other, and took our seats in the pews. The funeral was supposed to start at 10am, but, hey, we are Irish. So when the priest did not show at 10 am, we were not perturbed. So, as our voluble family (from Cork) tends to do, we caught up. Loudly, and with much merriment, and told many stories of the life of Desmond, whose coffin graced the aisle.

    About 10:20, a priest appeared. He stuck his head in and said “This is the house of God. I realise that you do not understand this, but those of us who respect the house of god do not speak here.” And then he buggered off. My cousins and I just looked at each other, wondering what the put down was about.

    So, eventually the priest deigns to come in and preside over the funeral service. Despite the enormous amount of voluntary work, including being the parish accountant, that my uncle has done, the priest has no idea who he is. At several stages through the service, he refers to my Uncle Desmond as “she”.

    We get through the funeral, and go to the graveside, where we have little extra ceremony, by the priest of Doveton parish. As the coffin is lowered into the ground, Phylis my 90 year old aunt is invited to throw some dirt on the coffin of her husband. The priest then approaches her, we assume to give some comfort, but he says “I am busy, I need to go”, and walks off abruptly.

    I now know that Holy Family in Doveton is a “hardship posting”, and that successive generations of pedophile priests have been posted there:
    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-08-20/call-for-investigation-into-27cluster27-of-paedophile-priests/5684644

    Was our experience as a family because the Holy Family parish was held in contempt by the Church? Did it not occur to the parish priest that some of us may have shaken off our “lowly-born tags”? Actually listen to this, it is great: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8JOi1q5ugs

    Anyway,as appalled as I was by the behavior of the Parish Priest, and as much as I was trying to distract the family from the behaviour of said arsehole Parish Priest, I could not help but notice some magazine – for $4 -in which the front page article had Pell explaining why climate change is not only crap, but that people who are talking about climate change are godless communists doing the devil’s work.

    We had a good Irish wake for my wonderful Uncle Desmond, but there was a lot of chatter, including from my former nun Cousin, about how we have lost any respect for the church.

  2. My guess with the essential poll is that while the latest fortnightly poll showed 52TPP for the Libnats, its two weekly components may have been notably different, ie 53 a fortnight ago vs 51TPP last week. Unless it has picked up a rogue sample this week it should shift at least a point to Labor. 51:49 probably the most likely.

    Last week I had one of my quarterly meetings with a small group of senior execs in Perth. Such meetings are often a reality check for me as they tend to be strong coalition supporters with a totally different take on politics to me. Judging from last week though the WA state government is viewed with nothing but contempt and there is despair and cynicism at the Turnbull government’s lack of economic and social direction. Just a bit of vox pop for what it is worth…

  4. Great post D&M

    I worked as a funeral director in northern Melbourne for some years and can clearly remember priests referring to the deceased by the wrong gender.

    My worst memory was at a Calabrian funeral where the priest in a very high pitched voice referred to the male deceased as a “she”. Any eye contact with my co-workers at that moment would have been fatal. I literally bloodied my lip I had to bite it so hard to avoid laughing. Afterwards our workers’ discussion was basically OMG. Reckon that stupid idiot cost me one of my nine lives that day.

    Many of the priests I encountered in that job were very strange. I think they need to get rid of the celibacy rule that was introduced in early medieval times. These days it acts to weed out many more normal people who might make much better priests. And no, I don’t believe in it.

  5. psyclaw said:
    gG

    The teaching staff I mentioned had had no special training.

    They could just recognise right and wrong when they saw it. They used common sense and their humanity.

    Years later Pell could not do the same thing.

    He has kept his eyes and ears shut for years. Or he lies. Or that he is an incredible dope.
    ———-

    I reckon both. Anyone who believes he/she has a direct line to the creator of the universe is able to overlook truth/facts in lieu of a cavalcade of lies, as well as being as bonkers as any witch doctor, homeopath or anti-vaccination seller of snake oil.

    I was born catholic in a long line of catholic ancestors. I I became an atheist when I left a christian brothers school against my parents wishes after year 10, in response to countless examples of physical abuse (but not sexual).
    I witnessed appalling and terrifying punishments for minor real or imagined transgressions which in hindsight were hateful, sadistic and profoundly damaging. Many of the students I saw being physically and mentally abused over multiple years subsequently emerged as damaged adults who fell through the cracks.
    I know of two currently serving time for sexual child abuse. I know another from my class who became a priest after years of drug addiction and selling himself to men in exchange for drug money. He was subsequently forced to quietly depart his priesthood due to his penchant for having sex with many wives within his parish. I once witnessed him at a wake for a teenager killed in a car crash. He was on a couch, surrounded by a bevy of drunk women, each taking turns to french kiss him.

    The damage from abuse by priests and christian brothers is something the victims never get over.

    There is something profoundly awry with people who take vows of chastity, deny themselves marriage and family in service of a belief for which there is no real evidence (faith). These people are wired for extreme delusion hidden behind a facade of medieval costumes, pompous arrogance and sleazy cover-ups.

    And these people claim to be doing god’s work??? They’re nutters of the worst kind: ignorant, fact denying, transgression hiders who rule their fiefdoms with an iron fist. To hell with the lot of them….

  6. [Moore and why is he so up himself, and should we even care?
    ]

    It is always a bit embarrassing come US election time when self-proclaimed experts from Australia start making predictions and try to school others on American presidential politics.

    Undergrad students from Adelaide giving advice on the US elections are best ignored! This is the same poster who said Governor Romney would put Maine “into play”. Obama won there 56% to 41% — real close!

  8. I don’t know if George Pell was medically fit enough to fly to Australia to give testimony to the RC or not.

    However, his giving of testimony via a video link from Rome in front of an audience has garnered world-wide Press attention.

    AJ English –

    This morning has given it around 5 minutes of ‘TV’ coverage and has this on its website –

    [Pell, 74, held up a Bible as he was sworn in to answer questions from Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse in front of victims in a Rome hotel room.

    Around 15 abuse victims and support staff travelled to Rome on the back of a crowd-funding campaign to see the Vatican’s treasurer give evidence after he said he was unable to travel to his native Australia because of heart problems.

    While strictly speaking an Australian affair concerning events decades ago, the hearing has taken on wider implications about accountability of Catholic leaders because of Pell’s high position in the Vatican, where he serves as finance minister.]

    http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/02/australia-george-pell-catholic-church-child-sex-abuse-160229001709159.html

    The BBC –

    [Cardinal Pell’s late night of tough questions]

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-35683790

    Reuters –

    [Top Vatican Cardinal says Church made enormous mistakes over sex abuse]

    http://www.reuters.com/article/us-pope-abuse-pell-idUSKCN0W10NV

  9. Darren

    [This is the same poster who said Governor Romney would put Maine “into play”. Obama won there 56% to 41% — real close!]

    And also, if I recall correctly, said us oldsters on PB wouldn’t understand ‘Gangnam Style’ because it was ‘sophomore humour’.

  11. I watched QandA right through last night (unusually).

    Karen Phelps, unfortunately seated next to Shelton, could hardly contain her anger.
    Shelton revealed himself as a closed-thinking Bernardi clone, and the audience showed their contempt.
    Anna Burke is a very strong lady. Don’t cross her!
    Billson should have been encouraged to stay by Turnbull. He could have been so useful as he has the ability to waffle under water. But he’s more open-minded than I knew, and acknowledged his very bright daughter very gracefully.

  16. Morning all! 🙂

    Out among the hoi polloi 😉 at SES Training last night (and don’t forget to look for me at the Mardi Gras on Saturday night, I’ll be the one waving madly 😀 ), I can report that whilst politics is not discussed, one word has made it’s way quickly into the vernacular.

    ‘Waffling’ 🙂

  17. Good morning Dawn Patrollers.

    Turnbull says the NBN is “meeting every target”. All I can say is that he’s being very selective with his targets.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbull-denies-leaked-report-says-nbn-rollout-is-meeting-every-target-20160229-gn6nly.html
    Hugh White says the defence white paper is a “fail”.
    http://www.theage.com.au/comment/defence-white-paper-gravely-underestimates-the-strategic-risks-we-face-in-the-asian-century-20160228-gn5zch.html
    Stan Grant hits back at Andre Bolt.
    http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/29/no-andrew-bolt-my-view-of-australia-is-not-too-black-and-white-i-speak-of-all-our-histories
    Dave Donovan writes on Malcolm and the people – home after the honeymoon.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/malcolm-and-the-people-home-after-the-honeymoon,8729
    John Oliver demolishes “serial liar” Donald Trump. He gave him the full treatment.
    http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/entry/donald-drumpf-john-oliver_us_56d40adee4b0bf0dab32a73c?section=australia&utm_hp_ref=australia
    Kerryn Phelps took on the odious ACL mouthpiece on Q&A.
    http://www.canberratimes.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/qa-lyle-shelton-and-kerryn-phelps-clash-on-samesex-marriage-and-safe-schools-program-20160229-gn6v7a.html
    Yesterday at the CA Royal Commission.
    http://www.smh.com.au/national/abuse-unseen-but-on-the-radar-cardinal-george-pell-tells-commission-20160229-gn65xm.html
    Here’s the SMH’s take on Pell’s testimony.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/placatory-pell-leaves-key-questions-hanging-20160228-gn60ac.html
    “View from the Street” on Tony Windsor’s chances and other topics.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/view-from-the-street/view-from-the-street-whos-printing-inflammatory-nonsense-about-gay-folks-now-20160229-gn6k2y.html
    The super debate is turning into a circus.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/comment-and-analysis/ad-hoc-changes-to-superannuation-are-damaging-20160229-gn6dsv.html

  18. Section 2 . . . with Cartoon Corner

    Is the end nigh for Slater and Gordon?
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/slater-and-gordons-survival-may-be-a-leap-too-far-after-mad-monday-20160229-gn68la.html
    Do we have our own Guantanamo Bay?
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/nauru-and-manus-island-are-australias-guantanamo-gay-20160228-gn5qtg.html
    A nice one from Alan Moir.

    Cathy Wilcox and plain speaking for the SSM plebiscite campaign,

    Ron Tandberg and budget priorities.

    David Pope goes mad and gives us “Mad Mal – Fury to the Node”.

    Mark Knight and Australian success at the Oscars.
    http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/945f49a5309585bf35c8ef5b16b91ec9?width=1024&api_key=zw4msefggf9wdvqswdfuqnr5
    Jon Kudleka finds “the table”.
    http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/3d079634afa862ec6f3e28cadd357e48
    David Rowe also uses a Mad Max theme. This time to pile upon the ineptitude of Scott Morrison.

  20. Tony Abbott attacks Safe Schools program as ‘social engineering’

    The former prime minister Tony Abbott has weighed into the debate over the schools program focused on same-sex issues, describing it as “social engineering”.

    “It’s not an anti-bullying program … its funding should be terminated,” Mr Abbott told the Australian.

    http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/mar/01/tony-abbott-attacks-safe-schools-program-as-social-engineering

  21. Go for it, Tony. Prove to us what a straight-jacketed thinker you are, so that we can all be thankful you are no longer in charge.

  24. So, like it’s really, really, really, really, really, really important to have Optional Preferential Voting Above the Line
    but not below it???

  25. Speaking of the housing bubble

    The negative gearing policy discussion needs to literally change gears. What needs to be said now is that being indebted to the hilt for overpriced housing is affecting the rest of the economy. Wages growth is stagnant. People are maxed out on credit. Where is the discretionary income to drive the economy going forward? All the eggs are in the housing mortgage basket. And the fact that Turnbull suggests that higher house values helps people borrow against it tells you everything you need to know about how dire it all is

  27. So Abbott is now daring Turnbull to scrap eafe schools program. It was bad enough Turnbull ordering a review of same. Honestly we need fo kick this feral mob out

  28. The Greens, whose support along with Nick Xenophon’s could see the voting changes passed in time for a July double-dissolution election, have indicated they will not push for the amendment, even though it is long-standing party policy.

    The Greens say one thing and do another? just like their policy on tax avoidance – also meant nothing. Whilst I accept that all parties are less than honourable to say the least, when are some of the more sanctimonious greens supporters going to get off of their soap box and stop preaching how holier than thou thay are?

    http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/feb/29/coalition-rules-out-changes-to-below-the-line-senate-voting

    Tom.

  29. Thanks for all the personal experiences from various posters re: Pell and the Church.

    IMO some of you should be thinking seriously about writing novels. Vivid. Real. Immediate.

    They reminded me of the differences between the movies I grew up with: Spencer Tracy in ‘Boys Town’ and ‘The Miracle of Our Lady of Fatima’ on the one hand, and ‘Spotlight’ on the other hand.

  30. Apparently this was said by guest on qanda

    [Geoff Pearson
    Geoff Pearson – ‏@GCobber99

    now even the women from Morgan telling us turnbull has won the election before its called is there anyone thats not a lib propaganda shit
    5:21 AM – 29 Feb 2016
    3 RETWEETS3 LIKES]

  32. I thought that Mr Shelton epitomised agility in moving on to his next talking point, in ignoring anything that did not fit his worldview, and innovation in presenting fresh angles and new material last night.

    I also admired his genuine human and religious concern for the victims of bullying.

    I can see why Bestiality Bernardi would be one of his soul mates.

    They care, they really do.

  33. I thought that Mr Shelton epitomised agility in moving on to his next talking point, in ignoring anything that did not fit his worldview, and innovation in presenting fresh angles and new material last night.

    I also admired his genuine human and religious concern for the victims of bullying.

    I can see why Bestiality Bernardi would be one of his soul mates.

    They care, they really do.

  34. I thought that Mr Shelton epitomised agility in moving on to his next talking point, in ignoring anything that did not fit his worldview, and innovation in presenting fresh angles and new material last night.

    I also admired his genuine human and religious concern for the victims of bullying.

    I can see why Bestiality Bernardi would be one of his soul mates.

    They care, they really do.

  36. [now even the women from Morgan telling us turnbull has won the election before its called is there anyone thats not a lib propaganda shit]

    She was also wringing her hands over Senate obstruction.

  38. OK, so I just heard Louise Yaxley’s report from ‘AM’ about the changes to the Senate Voting Rules and how it will enable an almost certain Double Dissolution election for July and guess what?

    Well like Turkeys voting for Christmas it does indeed seem as if one of the Double Dissolution Bills that the Coalition will use as their trigger and thus will vote on at the Joint Sitting of both Houses of Parliament is the abolition of the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.

    Good work gormless Greens!

  39. [Labor have sought to cleave the Greens from the Coalition by amending the bill to improve political donation laws, including by reducing the disclosure threshold to $1,000 and publishing donations records more quickly.

    Rhiannon said the Greens had a long-standing commitment to changing political donation laws but had not seen any amendments. “The party room will make a decision when we do,” she said.
    ]

    It’ll be interesting to see if the Greens support these amendments.

  41. Bw

    The American Embassy in Baghdad are talking about the Mosul Dam again.

    No particular reason given but something must have prompted them to do so.

    [US warns of Mosul dam collapse in northern Iraq

    The US embassy in Baghdad has warned the risk of the Mosul Dam collapsing is “serious and unprecedented” and has urged people to be ready to evacuate.
    …
    If the dam burst, floodwaters could kill 1.47 million Iraqis living along the River Tigris, the embassy said.]

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-35690616

  42. Does the MUA get someone to do a due diligence on the CFEMU? The CFEMU’s propensity to get involved in litigation which goes generally arse up could be a bit of a red light.

  43. Just turned on the Senate enquiry into the changes. Rhiannon has asked two questions – one was answered with “er, it’s what you’ve legislated’ and the other was about the Langer case – she is being politely told it has nothing to do with the legislation. Coming across as very bewildered (to put it politely).

  44. Player 1,
    Yes, I understand that Pell and others were more interested in defending the church. However, knowledge about how and why child sexual abuse occurs, and the impact of same has been an evolving territory.

    I recall my first placement as a student social worker where I witnessed a mother throwing her small toddler across the room with unbelievable force across the room to crash into the wall. We had no child protection laws in place at that time and all we could do, as it was a transient accom. joint, was have the child treated for injuries. Ghastly.

    Greensborough Growler,
    All I can say is that from my perspective, it’s been an incredible and unrelenting battle to try and change how significant sections of our society respond to cruelty.

    Catch you later.

  45. ..if Rhiannon doesn’t understand the changes, it’s going to be a tough job explaining them to the Australian people (although I’m forced to think they’re brighter than she is – she kept going with the Langer questions despite being told several times that they were irrelevant).

  46. victoria and TPOF

    The Morgan woman surprised me – well, a little. Didn’t really pretend to be objective. Doesn’t help their reputation IMO.

  48. Morning all.

    Thanks BK for today’s dawn patrol.

    Of course Abbott was going to speak out against the safer schools program, but I don’t remember his govt trying to abolish it either when he was PM.

  49. Zoomster

    john Oliver brilliant as usual. Thanks for posting. Daughter had downloaded it and I hadnt got around to watching it yet

  50. [CTar1

    Posted Tuesday, March 1, 2016 at 8:49 am | Permalink

    Bw

    The American Embassy in Baghdad are talking about the Mosul Dam again.

    No particular reason given but something must have prompted them to do so.

    US warns of Mosul dam collapse in northern Iraq]

    I imagine that ISIL planted some stuff there and may even have done a bit of white-anting. I was mildly surprised that they didn’t blow it when they were forced off it. But then again quite a few ISIS people were downstream at the time and not even ISIS are that bayatshit crazah… uh.

    The bottom line may be that the dam has probably had no maintenance for 15 years.

Comments Page 57 of 65
1 … 56 57 58 … 65

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *