Labor’s two-point gain in last fortnight’s Essential Research poll has proved to be an aberration, with the latest result snapping back to 52-48. This is matched by the primary votes, on which the Coalition is up two to 38% and Labor down two to 35% (we will have to wait for the full report later today to see how the minor parties have gone). According to The Guardian’s report, the poll also finds 50% favouring Labor’s tax policy over the Coalition, with the result for the latter not stated, except of course that it’s lower; 79% supporting the first stage of the government’s tax cuts, targeting lower and middle income earners, but only 37% for stage three, whereby the tax scales will be flattened to the advantage of higher income earners; support and opposition for company tax cuts tied at 39% apiece; support for higher finding for the ABC, though we will have to wait for hard data on which areas of the broadcaster’s activities were most favoured.
Other questions relate to international matters, with 35% responding that the North Korea summit would make the world safer, 8% less safe, and 41% no difference. On foreign leaders, Justin Trudeau (up nine on last year) and Jacinda Ardern (on debut) both scored 54% approval, and if I’m reading this correctly, Theresa May scored 42% (up nine) and Donald Trump 22% (up six) – I believe other leaders will have been canvassed as well, but further results will have to wait.
UPDATE: Full results from Essential here – the Greens are up one to 11%, and One Nation down one to 7%. Further international leadership approval ratings include a 43% for Angela Merkel, unchanged on last year, 42% for Emmanuel Macron, up one, 19% for Vladimir Putin, up three, and, if you could credit it, 9% for Kim Jong-Un. Fortuitously, this comes as the Lowy Institute publishes results of a survey of 1200 respondents on Australian attitudes to the world, which similarly finds high levels of confidence for Theresa May and Emmanuel Macron, and low ones for Donald Trump and Kim Jong-Un.
Also out today is further results from the Newspoll in The Australian, finding Malcolm Turnbull favoured by 47% as best leader to handle the asylum seeker issue (down five from December) and Bill Shorten on 30% (up two). It also finds 26% expecting Labor will “improve the policy”, 37% that it will “open the floodgates”, and 24% that it will make no difference.
Let’s not start revising history. A number of people contributed to the toxic discussion here over the past week or so. One of them was banned because when William took action, all the people who were being noxious complied, except that person.
Also, a comment from William:
Morning all. Thanks BK. I liked Albanese’s speech and no I do not want a change in (Labor) leadership, only a change in PM.
Albanese hit upon what has bothered the electorate and some on this blog – the country needs a vision. A desire to lower taxes is not a vision to lead the country, it is just an appeal for corporate donations. We do need to deal with fairness, not to mention climate change and many other issues.
As for an english test, yes it is a racist barrier. I wonder if all of cabinet would pass it? We should offer language teaching for new migrants instead.
Have a good day all.
It was not just Bemused I would not back down from. I was argueing with a number of defensive Bludgers. It is a social topic with the #notallmen hashtag doing the rounds. There is no way I was going to be silenced.
After all i was not discussing the best way to bake scones.
I do not ‘get off ‘ discussing the topic. I was emotionally exhausted afterwards. I won’t go there again. It is not worth the angst, and the bruises from banging my head against a wall built with the bricks of outraged denial.
And anyway, you all have scroll wheels.
LU not logged in @ #2800 Saturday, June 23rd, 2018 – 9:14 am
Agreed.
The behaviour of bemused overall, and particularly with William show that an enforced rest from this site would be beneficial for him as well as the rest of us.
Well, bugger me dead, as one of my exes would have said. Or, more politely, Surprise!
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jun/23/queensland-minister-accused-of-inflating-mining-job-numbers
No-one has been buried. A skinhead has been ex-communicated. Excellent. The skinhead passed at least the last 8 years contriving insults, slurs, sledging asides, fake arguments and rancid whinges directed against confessions, z, cat, puff and numerous others, almost on a minute-by-minute basis. A completely obtuse and frankly obnoxious and sexist belligerent has been excluded. I hope it’s permanent.
Mike Seccombe’s article (thanks BK) about how the Liberal party is eating itself reminds me of so many similar articles we’ve read over the last 10 – 12 years, all having amounted to nothing.
First the Liberal base was ageing and dying off. Then there was the purge of the moderates, forcing the party to the right, and making the party unelectable to a centrist electorate. Now it’s the religious take-over. Tomorrow it’ll be some other threat to their electoral or ongoing viability.
All the while the party has been elected from opposition once, and re-elected again, and continues to remain, polling-wise, relatively competitive in order to get re-elected again. So, yes the gap between the electorate and the party of govt may well be widening in terms of secularity, but so far anyway, this hasn’t shown itself to be a downer on their electoral prospects.
Barney in Go Dau @ #2829 Friday, June 22nd, 2018 – 11:48 pm
My theory: it has less to do with the games and how they promote them, and more to do with increased alcohol consumption by people watching the games, whether they’re at home or in bars.
Albanese is providing a good back up for Shorten. He is filling in areas that some people may feel Shorten is a bit light on.
Because Michael Cohen Was A Hoarder The Government Has The Evidence To Bring Trump Down
Attorney Michael Avenatti has seen the evidence, and he says that Trump has a lot of problems coming because Michael Cohen was a hoarder who never threw anything away.
Avenatti said, “I am going to stand by what I have been saying for months. There is no doubt in my mind that Michael Cohen is going to be indicted and face some very, very serious charges. There is no doubt in my mind that’s going to try to trade or flip on this president. And you know, I told you before there were audio tapes and a whole lot of information that was seized in connection with these raids. Among other problems that Michael and the president have is that it appears that Michael Cohen basically was one of the world’s great hoarders as it related to keeping evidence and cell phones and the like. This guy never threw anything away which I’m sure the government is ecstatic about right now.”
https://www.politicususa.com/2018/06/22/michael-cohen-hoarder.html
a r
I agree. more alcohol =more violence.
And, I would add, whether disappointment or elation over the result is a significant contributing factor to violence.
Do more Queenslanders or New South Welshers get beaten up by their spouses if their team loses than when it wins?
phoenixRed:
I reckon Cohen would’ve been ‘hoarding’ in order to keep as much info as he could on various people. He really did want to be one of those who ‘knew where all the bodies were hidden’ as it were so he could pull in favours as necessary.
So mob-like!
Confessions @ #2809 Saturday, June 23rd, 2018 – 6:31 am
You neglect to mention Labor’s contribution to the Liberal’s current spell in power.
A strong and united Labor would expose what Seccombe is talking about.
A weak divided Labor leaves the voters looking for an alternative and at the moment the Liberals are it.
Abbott showed that the Liberal’s election was nothing to do with policies. 🙂
Lizzie
I agree with Doherty and Piketty. Current tax policy is neo-feudal, not neo-liberal.
On the other great national anguish, border security, this piece from the Transparency International newsletter puts it in perspective:
“According the UN Refugee Agency, the world is currently witnessing the highest levels of displaced people on record.
An unprecedented 68.5 million people around the world have been forced from home. Among them are nearly 25.4 million refugees, over half of whom are under the age of 18.
Although corruption alone doesn’t drive refugees to flee their countries, research shows it is often a top contributor to the overall violence and instability that forces people to run.
In fact, 57 per cent of refugees worldwide come from South Sudan, Afghanistan and Syria: 3 of the 5 most corrupt countries in the world, according to our CPI 2017.”
I agree with a lot of what you say, but I would not categorize current Labor as either being weak or divided.
Fulvio Sammut @ #2818 Saturday, June 23rd, 2018 – 6:44 am
If that is aimed at my comment, I agree.
I was mainly looking back at the conditions that allowed Abbott to be elected. 🙂
Barney:
I do not agree that Labor are weak or divided at present, and nor has the party been really since Shorten was elected leader.
The chaos and dysfunction is all on the coalition side, yet still the party remains competitive in the polls. The policy heft is happening on the opposition side, not the govt side.
Barney in Go Dau @ #2914 Saturday, June 23rd, 2018 – 9:50 am
I blame Rudd. Since being replaced by Gillard he’s consistently demonstrated that he’s happy to disrupt, undermine, and sabotage if he thinks doing so will get him 5 more minutes of fame.
Confessions says: Saturday, June 23, 2018 at 9:40 am
phoenixRed:
I reckon Cohen would’ve been ‘hoarding’ in order to keep as much info as he could on various people. He really did want to be one of those who ‘knew where all the bodies were hidden’ as it were so he could pull in favours as necessary.
So mob-like!
*********************************************
Agreed Confessions – hoarding stuff was also a form of ‘self-insurance’ in case someone tried to heavy him – “I’ve got you on tape, buddy ” ……. like you say mob like ….. and J Edgar Hoover did the same ….
…. Avenatti thinks it a real treasure trove to sink Trump ….
For space fans.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vOG-pQ4aJhE
a r @ #2821 Saturday, June 23rd, 2018 – 6:54 am
Blame is immaterial, division existed and that allowed Abbott. 🙂
Tom Arnold tweets picture with Michael Cohen, says he ‘has all the tapes’
Arnold is hunting for ‘incriminating’ tapes of Trump as part of a show for Vice.
President Donald Trump’s embattled personal attorney, Michael Cohen, retweeted a photo of himself with comedian Tom Arnold — who happens to be working on a show with Vice that features him hunting for unflattering video of Trump.
Arnold told NBC News early Friday that Cohen ― who is under investigation by federal prosecutors ― talked to him about the show, which is expected to air later this year.
“We’ve been on the other side of the table and now we’re on the same side,” said Arnold, an outspoken Trump critic.
“It’s on! I hope he [Trump] sees the picture of me and Michael Cohen and it haunts his dreams.”
https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/trump-lawyer-michael-cohen-mugs-trump-critic-tom-arnold-n885611
The Americanisation of Australian history, 3 recent examples:
1. A racist little speech by Teddy Roosevelt has Roosevelt’s name replaced with Edmund Barton and is spread on social media with the exhortation that “every computer in Australia should receive it”
https://www.hoax-slayer.net/immigration-quote-wrongly-attributed-to-sir-edmund-barton/
(It’s not as if Barton did not make enough racist speeches by himself)
2. A colleague going to a conference at the Rum Corps Resort, Windsor asked the taxi driver what the Rum Rebellion was about.
Apparently the people of early NSW objected to taxes being placed on Rum and when a ship bringing rum from England arrived they got on board and tossed it into the harbour
3. I’m having a weekend at the Quarantine Station Hotel, Manly. The bus driver correctly told the story of the discrimination against Chinese inmates but then said the government used to collect the Chinese pox-laden blankets and deliberately give them to Aborigines
Is the teaching of Australian history so poor that we have to borrow our myths from the U.S. or alternatively are people who become taxi/bus drivers and social media posters the same people who were up the back of the class doing their nails/reading Rugby league weekly.
lizzie @ #2804 Saturday, June 23rd, 2018 – 9:24 am
Exactly! This is why I would support an inheritance tax.
Player One @ #2827 Saturday, June 23rd, 2018 – 7:06 am
The problem with an inheritance tax is that it destroys one of the Governments “solutions” to inequality and housing issues;
Go get some rich parents!!!!!! 🙂
a r @ #2821 Saturday, June 23rd, 2018 – 9:54 am
20 minutes and no snark bombs. Peace in our time!
“Ms May just looks like an awkward spider. A slight bob would have been more dignified.”
Agreed. It looks ridiculous. I can’t make out Harry’s expression but he must find it awkward.
On the other hand, maybe Ms May saw a 5p coin, bent down to picked it up and needed help to get back up.
GG
Except this one :-P.
If Mrs. May had been wearing her tutu, it would have explained it all.
It’s blissful isn’t it? Finally able to mention the man’s name like adults without any vitriolic or immature backlash.
Tomorrow is the 8th anniversary of a certain leadership change.
And this one.
I
r
o
n
y
.
Some people believe that animals cannot lie. 😆
lizzie @ #2836 Saturday, June 23rd, 2018 – 7:21 am
She should have run for Parliament! 🙂
And the 15th September (should the incumbent last that long) will be the third anniversary of a certain other leadership change.
How far and in which direction do you want to go?
Respect for women is not the only preventative for rape/murder..
NSW government considers priests in more need of protection than children …
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-06-23/nsw-responds-to-royal-commission-recommendations/9899220
However, for ‘normal’ people, respect would be a good start.
William Bowe @ #2648 Saturday, June 23rd, 2018 – 7:24 am
Good information.
I, like most, get pissed off from time to time, often with myself.
Usually, in a day or so, I get over whatever has caused the ruction and smooth sailing resumes.
Mosly, I think others behave in a similar way and therefore I now assume that you will, over time, become less pissed off and Bemused will resume posting.
If this is so I would be pleased to have confirmation.
A couple of posters have mentioned the “toxic” nature of discussion which have possibly caused lurkers and posters to turn off PB, maybe never to return. Discussions, obviously involve more than one.
A good day to all.
☮ ✌ ☕
Psychologist is saying schools should not be teaching respect? 😮
Oakeshott Country @ #2502 Saturday, June 23rd, 2018 – 10:02 am
Oakshott
I suspect that there was a quite deliberate obfuscation of the Rum Rebellion in NSW school history, given that the descendants of the movers and shakers in that rebellion were still dominant forces in NSW society even until recent times. I remember my father commenting on this when I was at school and correcting some mis-perceptions as taught.
“She should have run for Parliament!” as a Liberal.
Gingery Harry Windsor and his new American wife are coming for the Invictus Games in October. Mostly Sydney I think. The Turnbulls will be beside themselves with grovelling.
I’m not going to refer to them as Royals anymore.
And away with titles intended to entrench specialness and false worth. Your Majesty, Your Highness, The Right Honourable, Your Holiness. Strong overtones of the great unwashed being Servile, Low, Dishonourable, and Sinful.
Puffy
Regardless of the issues involved, I admire you for your magnanimity in saying that.
My image of you has always been a positive one in regard to the skilful word craft in your posts, your determination to fight for what you believe in and the way you have thrown yourself into assisting the women whose cause you have taken up. But this will add another layer of respect that I will feel from now on.
In a way it reminds me of the AFL footballers these days who go out there each week and knock the living crap out of each other and then walk off shaking hands, smiling and chatting together. Not everyone can do that. But you obviously can.
Good Morning
I had to comment today because of a segment I just saw on ABC 24
I have a question for Labor. When does running the LNP talking points on tax uninterrupted become a campaign advertisement?
Puffy
Its good that bemused has been banned.
You are not at fault. As noted by William himself. You have not abused William in emails.
All you did was give the trigger for William to review the behaviour.
You have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about.
I have refrained from commenting on the ‘bemused’ issue, but since several people have now posting that they would be happy to see the ban eventually overturned, I will make just one post on the subject:
As one of those subjected to long term abuse, I am pleased that bemused has finally been banned. The blog is much better for it. Bemused has demonstrated in the past that temporary bans do not change his behaviour. I for one hope William makes it permanent.
Does this make me a lesser person that Puffy? Probably, but in the immortal words of Melania Trump … “I really don’t care. Do U?”