The latest fortnightly Essential Research poll has Labor’s two-party lead unchanged at 52-48, and The Guardian report provides full primary votes for a change: both major parties are up two, the Coalition to 40% and Labor to 37%, with the Greens steady on 11% and One Nation down one to 6%, with the “others” vote presumably well down. Also featured are Essential’s monthly leadership ratings, which tell a remarkably similar story to Newspoll: Malcolm Turnbull’s approval is up one to 43%, his best result since March 2016, and his disapproval is down two to 40%, his best since the eve of the July 2016 election; while Bill Shorten is respectively down two to 31% and up one to 47%. Turnbull’s lead as preferred prime minister is out to 42-25, compared with 41-27 last time.
The Essential poll also finds only 15% of respondents expect the government’s national energy guarantee will reduce power prices, compared with 22% for increasing them (down nine since the same question was asked last October) and 38% for making no difference (up seven). The government’s proposed tax cuts for big companies have 41% support, up four on a month or so ago, with 36% opposed, down one. Further on company tax cuts, The Australian has a comprehensive set of further results from the weekend’s Newspoll, which find respondents tending to be persuaded that the cuts will be good for employment (50% responded cuts would create more jobs versus 36% who said they would not, and 43% believed repealing them would put jobs at risk versus 37% saying they would not), yet 52% supported Bill Shorten saying cuts for businesses with $10 million to $50 million turnover would be repeated if won office, versus only 37% opposed.
UPDATE: Full report from Essential Research here.
Greensborough Growler @ #1598 Friday, July 6th, 2018 – 7:29 am
And Dickhead Dave Leyonhjelm wants to flood the country with more guns!?!
Karma!
https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/world/south-african-rhino-poachers-eaten-by-lions/ar-AAzDjQA?ocid=spartandhp
lizzie @ #1599 Friday, July 6th, 2018 – 7:35 am
Maybe he’s there as comedic relief? 😉
C@t:
Yes I read that article when it came out last year. From memory it was victoria who linked to it here, but I could be wrong.
It is truly illuminating. My view is that Trump is too arrogant to get that he has been well and truly played by Russia.
Mre scrutiny on litigation funders
Rick Wilson has been having fun predicting the Trumpist talking points in the months leading up to Pruitt’s resignation. No. 5 is what happens now he’s actually resigned. 😆
Morning all. Growth pressures in cities looms as one of the defining issues in the next election.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/suffocating-sydneysiders-rise-up-against-overdevelopment-20180704-p4zphi.html
Residents are right to complain. Beautiful medium density cu
Itiesall over the OECD achieve much higher density than AUstralian ones with barely a building above six stories. If polticians want votes out of planning this is what people like.
https://www.domain.com.au/living/according-to-study-these-are-the-key-features-a-happy-city-needs-20180705-h129sc-751055/?utm_campaign=strap-masthead&utm_source=brisbane-times&utm_medium=link&ref=pos1
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/200-sites-damaged-by-original-snowy-scheme-lie-neglected-scientists-say-20180628-p4zoa4.html
Good morning Dawn Patrollers.
The SMH editorial goes to the high cost of keeping WA happy.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/high-cost-of-keeping-wa-happy-20180705-p4zpm4.html
David Crowe tells us to forget tax cuts: for many, the election will be fought over health.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/forget-tax-cuts-for-many-the-election-will-be-fought-over-health-20180705-p4zpoa.html
Richo says, “A wing, a prayer and Hope simply is not going to cut it, Mr Morrison”.
https://outline.com/WxLKkm
Michelle Grattan describes it as the price of greasing squeaky wheels ahead of the election.
https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-the-price-of-greasing-squeaky-wheels-ahead-of-the-election-99467
Leaving interest rates too low for too long could lead to a surge in inflation that forces central banks into dramatic rate hikes, slamming the global economy into recession, warns an influential group of monetary policy experts headed by Australia’s Philip Lowe.
https://outline.com/WDRkat
And the borrowing capacity of Australian property investors has contracted 20 per cent over the past three years, leading UBS to forecast that major banks’ housing credit growth will fall to zero by 2019-20, in line with the further rationing of credit to come.
https://outline.com/33gtfA
Phil Coorey marks this week as the one when Abbott went from being feared to being isolated.
https://www.afr.com/news/politics/the-week-abbott-went-from-feared-to-embarrassment-20180704-h1293p
Waleed Aly tells us why Leyonhjelm must offend and cannot apologise and how the clearest loser – yet again – will have been the standing of politics in this country.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/why-leyonhjelm-must-offend-and-cannot-apologise-20180705-p4zplu.html
Michael Pascoe accuses the media of working hard to get Leyonhjelm re-elected.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2018/07/04/leyonhjelm-re-election-profile/
Polly Dunning tells us we are missing the point with the childcare debate.
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/why-we-are-missing-the-point-in-the-childcare-debate-20180705-p4zpqc.html
Australia’s top commander says Beijing’s militarising of the South China Sea has cost it the trust of its neighbours.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/outgoing-defence-chief-china-has-breached-its-neighbours-trust-20180705-p4zpow.html
The government’s new childcare subsidy system has become the latest technology debacle, with both families and childcare providers struggling to access the system. This department has made cock-ups into an art form!
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/federal/latest-centrelink-computer-fail-new-childcare-system-faces-problems-20180705-p4zpoh.html
Lawyer John Wilson has a real dip here as he writes that the treatment of allegations against agency heads is at odds with the aggression experienced by other APS staff.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/federal/hypocrisy-abounds-when-leaders-face-scrutiny-20180627-p4zo49.html
Trump has tweeted that the US Environmental Protection Agency chief Scott Pruitt, one of the most scandal-plagued Cabinet officials in American history, is leaving the agency.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-s-embattled-epa-chief-scott-pruitt-resigns-amid-scandals-20180706-p4zpt7.html
Meanwhile Trump is preparing to slap tariffs on Chinese goods early Friday, the first shot in a trade war between the world’s two biggest economies.
https://outline.com/BehX8D
David Callahan tells us that American elections are a battle of billionaires and that we are merely spectators.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/05/american-elections-battle-billionaires-civic-inequality
Michaela Whitbourn reports on another bad day in court for the Obeid family.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/obeid-family-lose-legal-bid-to-shut-down-700-000-circular-quay-battle-20180705-p4zpn2.html
Michael Koziol reports that Hanson-Young gives Leyonhjelm one week to pay compensation or face lawsuit.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/hanson-young-gives-leyonhjelm-one-week-to-pay-compensation-or-face-lawsuit-20180705-p4zpmd.html
Dave Donovan writes that Australia’s two major political parties are run by men. One of these men is prone to doing backflips on key issues and is under threat by a sniping, undermining challenger. The other one is Bill Shorten.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/editorial-excerpt-backflips-beat-ups-and-balderdash,11663
Renewable energy generated nearly 19 per cent of national grid power in the year to June 30 and is on track to meet the Turnbull government’s emissions target without the National Energy Guarantee, a new report says.
https://outline.com/wRSP3w
And Swiss Re, the world’s second largest reinsurer, has pulled the plug on underwriting policies for companies with more than 30 per cent of thermal coal in their mining or power-generation portfolios. If followed by others it could be a blow to local pure or majority thermal coal companies such as Whitehaven Coal, as well as AGL Energy and EnergyAustralia
https://outline.com/7hkJyc
Joanne McCarthy writes on how several Catholic bishops are advising Wilson to resign.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/catholic-bishops-advise-archbishop-wilson-to-resign-20180705-p4zpqy.html
An amazing and courageous personal account from the impressive Amy Remeikis. “A man raped me, another tried to. They were not animals. They were men.”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/05/a-man-raped-me-another-tried-to-they-were-not-animals-they-were-men
Martin Hirst is please that the press gallery is boycotting the Nauru meeting. But he writes that it’s not a surprise that the pro-Nauru, pro-gulag Newscorp papers have announced they will be sending a team.
https://independentaustralia.net/business/business-display/canberra-press-gallery-black-bans-nauru-forum-coverage-except-for-news-corp,11664
Quentin Dempster writes that with freedom of the press ultimately at stake, it now appears that News Corp Australia – publisher of The Australian, The Daily Telegraph, The Herald Sun and others – is the opportunist, hypocritically happy to abandon this first principle.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2018/07/04/news-corp-nauru/
The Reserve Bank is carefully watching weakness in home prices in Sydney and Melbourne given the impact that could have on household wealth.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/rba-paying-close-attention-to-house-price-falls-20180705-p4zpp2.html
Stephen Koukoulas has prepared a research paper on issues associated with the economic and financial security for women. The report is being considered by the Minister for Women, Kelly O’Dwyer and will be part of a bi-partisan parliamentary discussion on the critical policy issues associated that can be developed to enhance the economic security for women.
https://thekouk.com/item/619-defining-the-concept-of-economic-security-for-all-women-policy-recommendations-to-boost-women-s-economic-security.html
Here we go again! Rich private schools earmarked for cuts through the landmark Gonski 2.0 funding deal have instead seen their proportion of taxpayer money increase this year, thanks to millions of dollars in bonus “transitional” funds set up by the federal government.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jul/06/private-schools-on-funding-hitlist-actually-increase-their-funding
From yesterday’s banking royal commission sitting.
https://outline.com/sPeXpx
Cara Waters gives us more on the very shady franchising industry.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/groomed-me-ex-rfg-boss-accused-of-using-franchisee-to-hide-loss-making-brumby-s-stores-20180705-p4zpn8.html
Up to 170,000 Toyotas on Australian roads including the top-selling HiLux utility have a design flaw that can force the engine to lose power without warning and life-saving safety systems to shut down. But Toyota Australia, which markets the HiLux as ‘unbreakable’, says the air inlet fault is not a safety issue and it won’t issue a recall.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/auto/2018/07/05/toyota-hilux-engine-problem/
About 200 national park sites damaged by the original Snowy Hydro scheme are yet to be repaired and feral horses trampling through the Australian Alps are limiting water available for hydro power as the federal government plans a massive expansion of the project, scientists and academics say. Nicole Hasham goes into the report.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/200-sites-damaged-by-original-snowy-scheme-lie-neglected-scientists-say-20180628-p4zoa4.html
The Australian Government has turned a patriotic ASIS agent – and his lawyer – into political prisoners, writes Dr Binoy Kampmark.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/punishing-the-patriots-australia-bugging-and-east-timor,11665
The karma bus claims some more victims.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/africa/rhino-poachers-eaten-by-lions-in-south-africa-20180706-p4zpt5.html
John McDuling explains how Cambridge Analytica is still holding Facebook back from moving on.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/facebook-tries-to-move-on-but-cambridge-analytica-won-t-go-away-20180704-p4zpic.html
All across Sydney people feel underserviced, overcrowded, dwarfed by high-rises, squished into train carriages and smothered by streets flooded with cars. They’ve had enough.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/suffocating-sydneysiders-rise-up-against-overdevelopment-20180704-p4zphi.html
ABC management have warned staff not to enter the political debate over the future of the national broadcaster.
https://outline.com/N2vCR7
Rachel Lane outlines three things we probably don’t know about aged care.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/three-things-aged-care-rachel-lane-20180704-p4zpfa.html
Tens of thousands of Australians who have given DNA samples to sites such as Ancestry.com could have their genetic data examined by police without their knowledge.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/beware-cops-can-use-dna-data-to-pick-bad-apples-from-your-family-tree-20180704-p4zpgj.html
An anti-ageing doctor caught up in the Essendon drugs saga found to have acted at the “highest end” of unprofessional conduct had been fined just $7000.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/essendon-saga-doctor-acted-at-highest-end-of-unprofessional-conduct-20180705-p4zpry.html
Western Bulldogs coach Luke Beveridge has warned against some major rule changes to football, particularly the proposed “starting positions” or zones, which would “ruin” the game at junior level, encouraging kids to play other codes.
https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/afl-in-the-danger-zone-says-luke-beveridge-20180705-p4zppj.html
Cartoon Corner
This classic from Peter Broelman will get under Dutton’s skin.
David Rowe also goes into the cave.
Zanetti hits the spot with this one.
A cracker from David Pope.
An Independence Day contribution from Glen Le Lievre.
Jon Kudelka is unconvinced by Morrison.
https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/50af641c6281584d1b84615452acf979
More in here.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/best-of-fairfax-cartoons-july-6-2018-20180705-h12aig.html
He-he-heh!
https://www.afr.com/news/world/europe/mayor-to-allow-protest-balloon-of-donald-trump-to-fly-over-london-for-his-visit-20180705-h12bn6?&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nc&eid=socialn:twi-14omn0055-optim-nnn:nonpaid-27/06/2014-social_traffic-all-organicpost-nnn-afr-o&campaign_code=nocode&promote_channel=social_twitter
Confessions @ #1604 Friday, July 6th, 2018 – 7:49 am
It takes me a while to get around to reading my bookmarks but I get there eventually. 🙂
You’d have to say that, going by that outline, that Dana Rohrabacher is a Russian asset as well. Though I think it’s all of a piece with the Authoritarian Project to rule the world. Interesting also how Russia focused on Africa. I always wondered how those despotic rulers there came to power and held it so effectively. They had outside help it seems.
Jenny Macklin has put out a statement saying she will not contest the next election.
Thanks BK. Waleed Aly seems to be missing the point with this:
Isn’t SHY married? In which case the defamation isn’t that she’s promiscuous so much as having repeated affairs with men not her husband. I can understand her feeling defamed that a Senator went on national TV and stated that her reputation was known around the traps – how would her husband and her family feel hearing that?
C@t:
Rohrabacher’s links to Russia have been well documented.
EPA employees ‘openly celebrated’ in the halls upon hearing news of Scott Pruitt resignation: report
According to Robin Bravender, Climatewire deputy editor at E&E News, one career staffer revealed, “It was very openly celebratory” in the halls of EPA today.
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/epa-employees-openly-celebrated-halls-news-scott-pruitt-resignation-report/
Ex-GOP strategist Steve Schmidt destroys ‘stone cold crazy’ Pruitt’s resignation letter: Ravings of a ‘theocratic nut ball’
Scott Pruitt died as he lived.
The former EPA boss, who resigned in disgrace today, did so with a letter that was worshipful toward his ex-boss and described his tenure as the result of “God’s providence.” It also uses the phrase “serve you” eight times.
It was a little too much for ex-Republican Steve Schmidt, who was a key campaign strategist for John McCain’s 2008 presidential campaign.
Schmidt described the letter as “stone cold crazy.”
“Unbelievable,” Schmidt tweeted. “This is the type of guy who watches the “ Handmaid’s Tale” and says “ WOW! Wouldn’t That be Great.” He can believe what he likes in America, but we probably don’t need a theocratic nut ball in the Congress.”
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/ex-gop-strategist-steve-schmidt-destroys-stone-cold-crazy-pruitts-resignation-letter-ravings-theocratic-nut-ball/
The first thing I thought when I read the Pruitt resignation letter was ‘under his eye’, so Schmidt isn’t the only one making that link!
Confessions @ #1616 Friday, July 6th, 2018 – 8:26 am
But it’s only just dawning on many Americans how pervasive it is.
phoenixRED @ #1615 Friday, July 6th, 2018 – 8:26 am
As Trump usually collects all artistic likenesses of himself, I wonder if he will ask to take this one back to the US? 🙂
Trump has a replacement for Scott Pruitt already, and he may be worse!
https://www.rawstory.com/2018/07/6-horrifying-things-need-know-new-epa-head-andrew-wheeler/
Who will be first to describe Macklin’s going as a blow for Shorten?
Edit. I mean in the sense that it is a sign of internal strife, factions at war etc
Pruitt’s environmental record was crap so it’d take some doing to do worse!
‘I do wonder how – as a matter of political messaging – someone railing against “slut-shaming” can run a case that necessarily argues that being described as sexually promiscuous is to be accused of something terrible.’
Doesn’t intent come into it? And the perception of others?
I might not be offended by something said to me; I might accept it has an element of truth. Does that mean it isn’t damaging to my reputation or doesn’t have an adverse effect on the chances of my re election?
@Confessions
I think the point that Waleed is missing is that just because it is OK for a person to be sexually promiscuous, it does not logically follow that it is OK for that information to be broadcast without the knowledge or implicit consent of that person.
To take another example, it is OK to suffer from depression or bipolar, but that does not make it OK to make it public knowledge that an individual suffers from depression or bipolar if they want that information to be private.
Is everything controlled by algorithms invented by a hard-hearted manager?
Scott Ludlam:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jul/06/byelections-are-a-chance-to-overturn-some-furniture
Something to watch for:
According to an April 5 report in Bloomberg Government, DHS was searching for a contractor to help it monitor more than 290,000 global news sources in over 100 languages, including Arabic, Chinese and Russian, all of which will be translated to English in real time. These outlets would include newspapers and magazines, television and radio, podcasts and social media.
If the project sounds like a First Amendment violation waiting to happen, that’s because it is. While DHS insists that the database will “protect and enhance the resilience of the nation’s physical and cyberinfrastructure,” perhaps against foreign interference in future elections, the potential for censorship and other abuses of power is virtually limitless.
https://www.truthdig.com/articles/trumps-ever-more-powerful-weapons-against-journalism/
As I recall, the Electoral Act requires the there be at least a five weeks between the issuing of the writs and polling day.
Confessions@7:56am
Pruitt resigned!!!!!
YEAH. Thank god for small mercies. One of most corrupt persons on Drumpf regime.
You may say even worse person may be recruited because even half decent people are avoiding this regime. Quite possible because pooh attracts only pigs.
NathanA:
Yes, much better articulated than my clumsy attempt. 🙂
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/labor-legend-jenny-macklin-to-retire-at-the-next-federal-election-20180706-p4zptr.html
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/lnp-accuses-labor-of-lies-in-crucial-longman-byelection-20180705-p4zpqf.html
zoomster @ #1613 Friday, July 6th, 2018 – 5:20 am
Thanks zoom,
I saw the post earlier that said she had “resigned” and thought that was strange.
Not contesting makes much more sense.
Interestingly she has been a member of the Cabinet or Shadow Cabinet her whole time in Parliament.
Not many would have such a record.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jenny_Macklin
I remember jenny macklin being a target for the hacks in the media:
https://www.news.com.au/national/number-facing-disability-pension-payment-reviews-8216cut-in-half8217/news-story/8a3f108aab30bf1aec82b181224f8f68
It will be interesting to know how the Pennant Hills shooter got the gun in the first place.
Scott Pruitt resignation letter. Fox reported it.
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/1778267
Scott Pruitt’s successor is not a nut job but is even more focussed on gutting the agency, so no relief in sight at all really.
Not every one was happy with Macklin.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/i-could-live-on-newstart-macklin-20130101-2c485.html
https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/5-horrifying-things-about-scott-pruitts-epa-replacement
Pegg- 9:00am
Please spare us the bloviating Ludlam. Weve just had breakfast.
Confessions @ #1614 Friday, July 6th, 2018 – 8:23 am
Aly doesn’t get it. Not for the first time.
@Pegasus
You can blame media hacks and LNP for this one, I remember it well.
As I was actively at the time protesting on these issues.
I liked this clear explanation of GST.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/money/finance-news/2018/07/05/wa-gst-campaign-paid-off/?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Morning%20News%2020180706
https://www.alternet.org/news-amp-politics/watch-white-georgia-woman-calls-cops-black-woman-smoking-cigarette-her-own-parking
One way to fix this growing tendency would be to fine the caller the cost of the call-out if it is deemed frivolous- police time @$500 per hour would work.
More people unhappy with Macklin:
https://probonoaustralia.com.au/news/2011/11/government-slammed-over-bill-to-expand-welfare-quarantining/
https://www.opednews.com/articles/As-our-democracy-is-disman-by-Michael-Payne-Freedoms_Investigation_Nationalism_Polls-180705-915.html
The same is happening to our Social Democracy in Australia, just not at such a frantic and obvious pace .