The Guardian reports that Essential Research’s fortnight rolling average has Labor’s two-party preferred lead unchanged at 54-46, with the Coalition (37%), Labor (39%), the Greens (9%) and One Nation (8%) all unchanged on the primary vote. The poll also records 39% approval of the postal ballot on same-sex marriage with 47% opposed, just one week after the same question elicited respective results of 43% and 38%.
The survey also found that 33% considered the top marginal tax rate of 47% too high, compared with 12% for too low and 39% for about right. A suite of questions on the Turnbull government’s handling of various policy areas recorded negative results for “the implementation of the national broadband network, schools and universities funding, addressing climate change, funding health and hospitals, implementing a fair tax system and ensuring reliable and affordable energy”, with the only positive result apparently being for “protecting Australians from terrorism”. Only 15% reported satisfaction with the government’s policies and progress in implementing them, with a further 28% reckoning only that it hadn’t made enough progress, and 41% expressing disapproval for its policies and decisions.
Other questions related to respondents’ financial situations, with 53% reporting that their income had fallen behind the rising cost of living, 25% saying it had remained even, and only 15% saying it had improved.
Is that the senator who owns a zillion investment properties?
briefly @ #2045 Thursday, August 17th, 2017 – 5:52 pm
Now you are just being silly. The HC decision in Sykes was clearly in keeping with the original intent of the constitution. You can certainly object to the constitution, but stop pretending that Sykes changed it. It did not – it merely clarified and simplified its interpretation.
Barney that’s a brilliant article, not the least for the fact that is eloquently says something I keep trying to express
People deserve respect, not ideas. Bad ideas are still bad ideas even if earnestly held by nice people.
lizzie,
And isn’t it a great joke, just look at those idiots behind her. 🙁
It stops short of saying something else. That when ideas become laws and public policy, its not just a debate any more. Its a form of coercion of those who don’t share your ideas. I’ve been around long enough to see just how religious authority has constantly tried to harm gay people. To punish them. To emphasise they are lesser people. And marriage equality isn’t just about equality in law, its about ending the constant disrespect.
Barney
That was approximately the Twitter comment bellow the pic.
bemused
I did say I’m not sure whether we can get it to zero, but we can certainly do a lot better. I didn’t get any specific training in suicide prevention in my undergraduate degree. It wasn’t till many years later that specific training was developed and effort put into the whole public mental health work force being trained.
I was quite pessimistic when I retired about the public mental health system, as I think I’ve said to you before as I think it was reorganised into a schemozzle. I question how consistent training, particularly for new graduates can be provided in such a mess.
I guess I also wonder about being able to achieve zero because mental health clinicians are human and humans don’t always get it right .
I had only three people suicide over the course of my work over thirty years, for whom I was the primary clinician and I can assure you each of them affected me deeply. The chap with schizophrenia I described earlier was one of them, and he suffered so much I understood why he did it. Nothing we could do at the time could alleviate the misery he endured. There are still limits to knowledge and practice in mental health, though we have made progress.
(I just got home and am catching up on today’s events.)
That is the best photo of Pauline Hanson I have ever seen.
C@tmomma @ #1972 Thursday, August 17th, 2017 – 2:57 pm
briefly
If you are advocating a referendum go for it but I think that a proposition would be hard to get up.
Voters would consider that the requirement to only an Aust citizen as superior rather than discrimination.
No judgement by the HC will change what is written in the Constitution.
So what if someone is so insulted by Hanson’s little stunt that they commit some stupid terrorist act. This is just the type of incendiary stunt that can set of extremists so Hanson should be condemned as a security threat. The Libs are always banging on about it, get Dutton onto her.
briefly,
USA, you need to renounce any citizenship rights you hold to become a citizen and you can not become President.
Ever country has there own way of dealing with the issues for all your examples I’m sure there are examples where our form is favoured.
In the end it’s irrelevant what others do.
44i was clearly written to disqualify holders of multiple nationalities from the Commonwealth Parliament. The requirement (in section 34ii) that, until Parliament otherwise provided, being a Subject of the Queen was a requirement shows that the domestic nationality requirement was separate from the foreign nationality ban. It was obviously intended to keep non-British Empire nationals (and possibly even British Empire protectorate nationals) out of Parliament. This, at the time of drafting, meant Germans, Chinese, Japanese, Russians, Americans, Italians, Austro-Hungarians, etc. Non-British nationalities made up a much smaller proportion of Australia`s population than non-Australian nationalities or even non-Commonwealth nationalities do today.
Disclaimer, I am not a lawyer.
Looks like the ABS is taking the chance to experiment –
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-17/abs-confirms-paperless-option-same-sex-marriage-postal-survey/8817516
Re Hanson and her stunt today. Am I the only one who wishes QLD would secede and leave the rest of us alone ?
Neither Xenophon nor Darley will say why the latter quit but there has obviously been an internal bust up.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2017/aug/17/northern-australia-infrastructure-facility-naif-may-be-investigated-by-auditor-general
The ‘Drum’ … Oh, joy! Georgina Downer is on.
Senator Sinodinos, who was chief of staff to Mr Howard in 2001 when the then-prime minister issued the directive, said Senator Hanson’s party had “evolved” and was “a lot more sophisticated” now. – 12 February 2017
[sonar
Re Hanson and her stunt today. Am I the only one who wishes QLD would secede and leave the rest of us alone ?]
There must be some way to establish that she is part alien?
sonar @ #2117 Thursday, August 17th, 2017 – 6:28 pm
Steady down, Pauline Hanson may be from Queensland as I am; but for the record she doesn’t speak for me. There are bigots in every state. 🙂
CTar1
The ‘Drum’ … Oh, joy! Georgina Downer is on.
Yeah, my thoughts exactly.
MH
She’s got her very ‘concerned’ look on.
Must have been briefed well before leaving the IPA nest earlier.
bemused
BTW, if you respond to my last post, it may be a little while till I catch up as one of our little grand daughters has been admitted to hospital with pneumonia and we need to go and look after the other one.
Good evening all,
Another government senator may be in some trouble. The family construction company of LNP senator Barry O’ Sullivan is a sub contractor on a federal government funded Queensland project, the Toowoomba Bi pass and , as such the senator may be caught under s44 just as Bob Day found himself.
It will be interesting to see if this has legs and where it leads.
Cheers.
“Put it back on! Put it back on!”
Gareth
Arfur, if asked, would say he doesn’t recall saying that or that there’s more than one of them (‘evolved’) and he saw one of the new ones use a knife and fork (‘sophisticated’).
Like it or not this is a matter for the C’wlth Govt:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-17/act-chief-minister-pushes-publicly-funded-same-sex-yes-campaign/8816478
The ACT Govt should not be committing tax payer funds to campaign on this.
Tingle –
TallebudgeraLurker…..said with tongue fimly in cheek….!
According to polling she is going to have a very big say in who is the next QLD govt…..
Barry O’sullivan, Barry, oh Barry.
Your family comapnies have contracts with the Commonwealth? Too bad, so sad.
Ineligible to sit in the Senate.
I am entirely happy to have the government donate any or all of my tax dollars to the ‘Yes’ campaign.
But what happened with the court ruling about the governments doublesecret Libnats agreement?
Bannon’s ideas on ‘nationalism’ relate to “US First” and isolation from outside influence rather than race and the more usual ‘nationalism’ chant.
]
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40958329
Oh please tell me it’s true.
A R
According to the article, Labor MP has lost their bid to view secret documents concluding it didn’t have the power to allow Mr Fitzgibbon’s lawyers to inspect the agreement. Mr Fitzgibbon was denied access to the agreement in 2015 on the basis it was a private document, the court heard. However, the Tribunal will consider whether or not it is in fact an official document.
http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/labor-loses-an-appeal-over-coalition-deal/news-story/9108d5083ab92a52d63941f2af104e8b
[I am entirely happy to have the government donate any or all of my tax dollars to the ‘Yes’ campaign.
But what happened with the court ruling about the governments doublesecret Libnats agreement?]
Seems it stays secret for now.
http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/labor-loses-an-appeal-over-coalition-deal/news-story/9108d5083ab92a52d63941f2af104e8b
Senator Fiona Nash, Deputy Nationals Leader, referred to High Court
Nash is a dual citizen, just announced it to the Senate.
The entire Nationals leadership are foreigners!
sprocket,
Another! Barnaby, Canavan and Nash … are there any other prominent Nationals not under question?
Maybe they can just do in Canberra what happens sometimes with local government councils that go off the rails .. appoint an administrator for a year or two?
Nash in deep … a Brit because her Scottish father claimed on her behalf!
Fiona Nash come on down!
Isn’t it time for Malcolm to give everyone a fresh start by calling a new election?
What an absolutely rinky-dink party the Nationals are
[sprocket_
Nash is a dual citizen, just announced it to the Senate.
The entire Nationals leadership are foreigners!]
Help, we’ve been invaded by the lizard men!
Sloppy.
Is she resigning or refer to HC?
It must be a trait of the right to consider that laws are for “other people”. Lessers.
[Isn’t it time for Malcolm to give everyone a fresh start by calling a new election?]
I’m hoping the HC has the power to order another DD asap.
mikehilliard @ #2086 Thursday, August 17th, 2017 – 7:03 pm
This is a joint Commonwealth – State funded project being delivered by TMR. Contractor is Nexus Infrastructure Pty Ltd, a consortium of companies, none of whom is Newlands. Newlands would be a subcontractor. Nothing to get excited about.
ab
Maybe what unites them is that they are not good a reading what they are signing.
This was a feature of the JWH travel rorts caper.