Newspoll has Labor’s lead back at 53-47, after its first new poll for the year a fortnight ago had it down to 52-48. The Coalition is down two on the primary vote to 36%, with Labor steady on 37%, the Greens steady on 10%, and One Nation bouncing back three points after a recent slump to 8%. Malcolm Turnbull’s lead as preferred prime minister is down from 45-31 to 40-33. All we have in terms of leadership approval at this stage are that Malcolm Turnbull’s net rating has weakened from minus 13% to minus 18%. Also featured is a finding that 65% of respondents believe Barnaby Joyce should resign as leader of the Nationals, which breaks down into a lot of detail I’m finding hard to parse from Simon Benson’s report in The Australian. The poll was conducted Thursday to Sunday from a sample of 1632.
UPDATE: Malcolm Turnbull is down three on approval to 34% and up four on disapproval 54%; Bill Shorten is steady on 34% approval and up two on disapproval to 54%. Only 23% agreed that Barnaby Joyce should remain Nationals leader, with 29% favouring him resigning from the front bench, 15% bowing out at the next election, and 21% quitting parliament immediately. The poll also finds 64% support for a ban on sexual relations between politicians and their employees, with 25% opposed.
The Daily ToiletPaper is dusting off the Liberal Party Dirt Unit supplied file on Barnyard, more to come….
“JOYCE SLAMS NEW SEXUAL HARRASSMENT COMPLAINT AS
BARNABY Joyce says he has been made “indirectly aware” of a “spurious and defamatory” complaint made against him by a "very credible" woman in Western Australia.
Edwina StJohn @ #2350 Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 6:14 pm
This is for real. It’s not the Shawshank redemption for you, I am afraid.
Bring on the Hartsuyker/Canavan dream team!
____
Such an embarrassment of riches!
I see it’s dirty old perv hour with sprocket. Very exciting for him more Barnaby sex talk…
It would actually be quite pleasing to see Barnaby survive just to piss off the DT. Their vendetta against him has become almost pathological.
Well, he did give an exclusive to the SMH. Sin of all sins in Tele land.
I wouldn’t think Bridget Mackenzie will survive Canavan wanting to be ‘deputy leader’.
Well it wasn’t me if that’s what people are thinking! 😀
Diogenes @ #2355 Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 6:18 pm
Apparently, they have shit file that you can see from the moon. So, it’s not going to stop!
ESJ
So you are supportive of ‘the Red Octopus’ and his groping ways? Not surprised.
[a “very credible” woman in Western Australia]
The use of ‘credible’ means that Gina and the clothes horse are not in the spotlight.
Channel 7 News reporting another mass kidnap of school girls by ‘Boko Harum’ in northern Nigeria.
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/deputy-prime-minister-barnaby-joyce-slams-new-sexual-harrassment-complaint-as-spurious-and-defamatory/news-story/5f138733dd7b701c8d8b086dc49560ec
Lawrence O’Donnell spells out in detail the issues around arming teachers with guns to protect students as Trump wants to do:
http://www.msnbc.com/the-last-word
Absolute idiocy is the verdict
THE NATIONAL Party has received a sexual harassment complaint against embattled leader Barnaby Joyce by a West Australian woman.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the National Party leadership this week directly raised the allegations with Mr Joyce, who has confirmed he has been made “indirectly aware” of what he labelled a “spurious and defamatory” complaint.
However insiders said the party leadership was taking it “very seriously”.
And West Australian MPs have described the woman as “very credible”.
It’s also understood there is a letter detailing the complaint.
The Daily Telegraph can reveal the complaint was behind the shock call earlier this week by the Nationals Party in WA to demand Mr Joyce stand down as National Party leader.
A spokesman for Mr Joyce said he was aware of the new allegation.
“Mr Joyce said he had been made indirectly aware and described the claims as spurious and defamatory,” the spokesman said.
“He said allegations of wrongdoing should be immediately referred to police so that the veracity of any claim could be properly tested.”
Three National Party MPs in WA and a senior National WA source told The Daily Telegraph the allegation was behind leader Mia Davies’, who has not made the complaint, surprise press Tuesday conference where she revealed she had contacted Mr Joyce to “inform him he no longer has the support of the Parliamentary National Party of Western Australia as the Leader of the Federal National Party”.
The complaint is understood to have been made since The Daily Telegraph published details of Mr Joyce’s personal scandal in the past fortnight.
In response to questions about the complaint from The Daily Telegraph, a spokesman for Ms Davies said “Mia will not be making any comment at this time”.
Trump holding a cheat sheet of what to say when meeting victims of the Florida school massacre is ironic given many RWNJs accused students speaking out about gun reform to be paid actors and reading from leftwing scripts.
WA Nats are no fans of Barnaby’s.
Yes, America’s in fine hands!
https://twitter.com/krassenstein/status/966443666289041408
Player One @ #774 Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 6:03 pm
Depends if you mean ‘efficient’ from a societal point of view
I hope Tony Windsor is prepared to run in the upcoming New England by-election
Confessions @ #801 Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 6:31 pm
This alone proves his unworthiness of any form of public office.
CTar1
Sorry to hear that. I had wondered why you were acquainted with it.
From Sharri Markson..
National Party Federal President Larry Anthony said: “The Federal Party can confirm a formal complaint has been received. All complaints are taken seriously and treated with strict confidentiality and given due process.”
grimace @ #2272 Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 4:03 pm
Yes, a diff. I demand a diff!
Apparently the Senate does not sit next week so all the upper house Nats would have to pay out of their own pocket to travel to Canberra. What are the odds?
Tom
Windsor will announce he is not running but not at the earliest opportunity.
He should run for the Senate.
Pegasus @ #2283 Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 5:15 pm
Ya gotta laff …
Four “randomly selected” people who can apparently be cowed simply by the threat of legal action? What kind of “conflict resolution” process is that?
No wonder the Greens are such an undisciplined rabble!
Due process can only mean referring the matter to the police in WA
If the alleged conduct from Barnaby happened some time ago why wasn’t it reported at the time ?
Rex Douglas @ #2369 Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 6:33 pm
How about you explain what you mean? Because I don’t think you have the faintest clue what you’re talking about.
It demonstrates an empathy deficit. You should’ve seen the blank face when a father of one of those killed was addressing him. It was like he was removed and mentally somewhere else. Probably thinking about how soon he could get out of there and hit his golf course.
It’s such a shame that the continuing Joyce saga looks like taking attention away from Trumble’s triumphant return to the US.
P1:
I reckon Barnaby’s baby should be named ‘Jeremy Lee’ in honour of the two warring toddlers in the NSW Greens!
Alberici’s article is back up on website after she brought in her lawyers claiming that ABC had thrown her under a bus
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2018/02/22/emma-alberici-tax-abc/?utm_source=Responsys&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20180222_PM_Update
An interesting question that will be posed next week!
https://twitter.com/kimbakit/status/966235472505683969
Confessions @ #816 Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 6:42 pm
Yes it would have been a very different experience from the way of life he’s accustomed to in his bubble. Fish out of water.
All 21 National Members And Senators will be in Parliament House on Monday, on the taxpayer dime.
Members sitting in the Reps Chamber, Senators in Senate Estimates. All of them, plotting, counting…
Eh tu,
I have a feeling that Kimberley Kitching and Kristina Keneally will make their marks in this round of Senate Estimates ably assisted by Murray Watt.
The Sloan threw Barnaby under the bus on the Drum tonight. WTTE would be glad to see the back of him because of his sh*thouse policies. Hard to disagree, even if it is Judith.
bakunin @ #2340 Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 6:06 pm
Do you ever feel like the uncool kids at school trying to get noticed? 🙂
Shellbell @ #2378 Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 3:39 pm
That really depends on the nature of the complaint.
There is a big difference between arsehole behaviour which allegedly breaches organisational policies & procedures and behaviour which is allegedly criminal.
poroti – The experience was ‘strange’.
My father a vet. Joined the AIF early in 1940.
I think my siblings and I were gently made aware that everyone doesn’t come back.
All the Senate Nats will have committee business next week so they won’t be paying their own fares to Canberra.
.@samanthamaiden: ‘Cabinet ministers accuse @Barnaby_Joyce of being a hypocrite. When the fate of @sussanley was being considered, Barnaby was ruthless; calling for her head’
Surely this bloodletting and negative navel gazing by the Lib-Nats has to end soon?
Someone has to walk the plank, for the good of the team of course.
Palaly Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 6:45 pm Comment #2384
As PvO says ‘Wow”.
Confessions @ #2381 Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 6:43 pm
😀
sprocket_ @ #2360 Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 6:23 pm
ESJ probably wishes the Beetrooter would drop by her place. 😉
Confessions @ #2383 Thursday, February 22nd, 2018 – 6:43 pm
🙂
Does anyone beside me find it amusing that Buckingham sang “Rhiannon”?
Rossmcg
It’ll be interesting to see what excuses HoR members come up with to be in Canberra. After all they are the ‘players’ in this.
Broad and some others could just drive I guess. Fraser always drove to Canberra for various reasons.
Wow, Beazley was great on the arming US teachers issue. Wish I could link his rant.