Senate selections

Labor sorts out its Senate ticket for Queensland, while both parties in Tasmania appear loath to learn from the preselection lessons of 2016.

We seem to be going into an ill-timed poll drought, so to keep things ticking over, here’s a post focusing on Senate preselection news. Please note there’s a post below this one on this Saturday’s Wagga Wagga by-election, which is developing into a fairly interesting contest.

• Queensland Labor’s state conference determined its Senate preselection on the weekend, having been hurried along by a national executive concerned the Liberal leadership crisis might bring on an early election. In doing so it bypassed a vote that was granted to the party membership under rule changes in 2013. The top position has gone to Nita Green, a former staffer to Senator Murray Watt and the favoured candidate of the CFMMEU and United Voice. The position is reserved to the Left, and is being vacated with the retirement of Claire Moore.

Green’s ascendancy has been contentious because party rules reserve the position for a regional representative and she lives in Brisbane, though she says she will move if elected. Supporters of rival Left candidate Tania Major, a Cairns-based indigenous youth advocate and protege of Cape York leader Noel Pearson, have further complained of being ambushed by a process for the factional ballot in which a three-day nominations period was followed immediately by the start of voting.

The second place on the ticket, which is reserved to the dominant Labor Forum sub-faction of the Right, has been retained by incumbent Chris Ketter. The cancellation of the party membership vote saw off any threat from rival nominee Pat O’Neill, former army major and candidate for Brisbane in 2016, although he was reportedly unlikely to win in any case. Number three goes to Frank Gilbert, a former Mackay councillor and candidate for Dawson in 2016, and a member of the Old Guard sub-faction of the Right.

• Matthew Denholm of The Australian reports Tasmanian Labor’s union establishment has again lined up against Lisa Singh for Senate preselection, undeterred by the success of a below-the-line voting campaign in overturning her demotion at the 2016 election. Singh will presumably dominate the party member component of the vote, but is reportedly unlikely to do any better than the loseable third position. This is because the dominant Left wants places for an incumbent, Carol Brown, and John Short, the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union official for whom Singh was relegated in 2016, while the Right is defending incumbent Catryna Bilyk.

• Tasmania’s Liberals are also conducting their Senate preselection vote on Saturday, and there are suggestions they too may repeat unhappy history from 2016. Richard Colbeck is again under pressure from conservative forces associated with Senator Eric Abetz, despite having almost matched Lisa Singh’s feat after being dumped to number five in 2016. He found his way back in the recount that followed Stephen Parry’s disqualification in November, and was promoted last week to the outer ministry, making him the only Tasmanian at that level of seniority. Brett Worthington at the ABC reports conservatives want the top position to go to Brett Whiteley, veteran of three winning and three losing campaigns at both federal and state level in Braddon, or alternatively to a woman. Further demotion beyond that would be particularly remarkable for Colbeck, as he is the only one of the four Tasmanian Liberal Senators facing re-election, the others having scored six-year terms. The other nominees for the preselection were detailed in an earlier instalment.

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.

4,088 comments on “Senate selections”

Comments Page 4 of 82
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  1. Peter Stanton @ #139 Monday, September 3rd, 2018 – 10:56 am

    DaretoTread says: Monday, September 3, 2018 at 7:40 am

    It may interest you to know the Clare Moore was a union official prior to being elected to the Senate.

    Peter

    I think it is probably more significant that the three factions got together and just decided among themselves- no rank and file voting.

    Now Ketter Is a bit of a liability. I know at least three EXTREMELY angry branch members who care a great deal about the SSM issue. This is not ME because frankly while I support it it is not an issue I will die in a ditch over. However not so for many others.

  2. Over the last few days dtt has invoked negative stereotyping of Chinese, of unionists and of Labor members. They find ways to curry racism- really, in the case of Anning, to excuse quite naked racism – to defame unionists and to impugn Labor candidates, members and supporters. They do this while pretending to burn a Green lantern. They are imposters. They are neither Green nor Labor. They play the trolling game.

  3. briefly @ #152 Monday, September 3rd, 2018 – 11:32 am

    Over the last few days dtt has invoked negative stereotyping of Chinese, of unionists and of Labor members. They find ways to curry racism- really, in the case of Anning, to excuse quite naked racism – to defame unionists and to impugn Labor candidates, members and supporters. They do this while pretending to burn a Green lantern. They are imposters. They are neither Green nor Labor. They play the trolling game.

    The only things I can remember DTT ever being in favour of have been Ebola, Putin and Trump.

  6. Zoidlord @ #158 Monday, September 3rd, 2018 – 8:35 am

    ” rel=”nofollow”>

    What an ignorant comment!!!! 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁

    force /fɔs/ /fɔrs/ noun GROUP

    8. [ C ] a group of people organized and trained, especially for military, police or a stated purpose
    the security forces
    the work force
    He joined the police force straight after school.

    Cambridge Dictionary

  10. Barney in Go Dau @ #158 Monday, September 3rd, 2018 – 11:39 am

    What an ignorant comment!!!! 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁

    force /fɔs/ /fɔrs/ noun GROUP

    8. [ C ] a group of people organized and trained, especially for military, police or a stated purpose
    the security forces
    the work force
    He joined the police force straight after school.

    Cambridge Dictionary

    I don’t think that’s the definition he was going for.

    The only thing the LNP has to campaign on is fear.

  11. Barney in Go Dau @ #156 Monday, September 3rd, 2018 – 11:39 am

    Zoidlord @ #158 Monday, September 3rd, 2018 – 8:35 am

    <a href="” rel=”nofollow”>” rel=”nofollow”>

    What an ignorant comment!!!! 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁

    force /fɔs/ /fɔrs/ noun GROUP

    8. [ C ] a group of people organized and trained, especially for military, police or a stated purpose
    the security forces
    the work force
    He joined the police force straight after school.

    Cambridge Dictionary

    Does every new recruit get a phone book?

  15. Don

    I can find worse examples than that one. I actually understood most of what was being said. I have seen some southern people with far stronger accents than that.

    Does not change my point. Grass roots is how the language changes. However that same guy with his accent understands the Hollywood movie accent and English that is also the preserve of Silicon Valley.

    Thats the international English that is taking over. Variations on the theme will always occur. I never claimed the Scottish accent was going to disappear tomorrow.

  18. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-03/liberal-party-statesman-calls-for-political-donations-reform/10193180

    Liberal Party statesman calls for political donations reform as report highlights millions gifted anonymously

    Michael Yabsley, who founded the party’s fundraising organisation, The Millennium Forum, said the current system is open to abuse.

    Open to abuse. Somebody should do summat about it.

    ****************************************************

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-03/richard-hammond-robbery-why-celebs-claim-gassing-in-france/10193960

    Richard Hammond robbery: Why celebrities think they’re being gassed by French burglars

    Check your calendars folks, could be April 1 again.

    *************************************************

    I am quite happy with these and other important announcements such as the moronic statements courtesy of Mr. Morrison Esq and his friend Mr. A. Jones.

    The reason for my comfort is that just yesterday my great grandson Arthur Percy (aged 21 months) visited accompanied by his entourage consisting of his Mother, Grandmother, Uncle and 2 Cousins.

    What a wonderful child he is – and that’s just his opinion.

    I have just now finished clearing the wreckage. I have suggested to his mother that perhaps Arthur could be equipped with a helmet to protect him and others as he dashes hither, thither, over and under etc.

    Bannon – what’s a Bannon ❓

    Peace friends. ☮ 😱

  23. BW:

    You chump. Your vote ultimately went to either of two certifiable maniacs – Rudd or Abbott.

    Actually, his vote went to the ALP*, not the then party leader who both had little to no chance of winning and stayed on in his positions for all of three hours after polls closed.

    Meanwhile, you spent the 2013 election campaign trying to convince the members of a predominantly Labor-voting blog to cast the most impotent and ineffectual of protest votes, the informal vote, at a time when the continued existence of a presently active emissions trading scheme was dependant on Labor and the Greens holding a blocking majority in the Senate, something they missed out on by just a few seats.

    And, hey, that would have been fair enough, if you really saw no difference between Labor and the Coalition, or weren’t concerned about action been taken against climate change. But somehow I don’t think that’s actually the case.

    * I mean, I’m assuming he preferenced Labor over the Coalition, but that seems a pretty solid assumption to make.

  24. ‘guytaur says:
    Monday, September 3, 2018 at 10:27 am

    BW

    Yeah I am a chump…’

    There is no need to agree with me, you know. Even if it is true. Your vote ultimately went to a certifiable maniac. Whether Rudd or Abbott makes no difference at all.

  27. C@tmomma @ #161 Monday, September 3rd, 2018 – 11:43 am

    Barney in Go Dau @ #156 Monday, September 3rd, 2018 – 11:39 am

    Zoidlord @ #158 Monday, September 3rd, 2018 – 8:35 am

    <a href="<a href="” rel=”nofollow”>” rel=”nofollow”>” rel=”nofollow”>

    What an ignorant comment!!!! 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁 🙁

    force /fɔs/ /fɔrs/ noun GROUP

    8. [ C ] a group of people organized and trained, especially for military, police or a stated purpose
    the security forces
    the work force
    He joined the police force straight after school.

    Cambridge Dictionary

    Does every new recruit get a phone book?

    The Newman government talked about changing the name of the Queensland Police Service (renamed as such in 1990) to Queensland Police Force. Abandoned after considerable public push back.

  29. G, AL

    For whatever reason Labor and Liberal both offered certifiable maniacs as prime ministerial candidates.
    The correct decision was not to reward this perversion of democracy.

    Keating was 100% right. Give me the job or I’ll wreck the joint. In the upshot, they each got the job and STILL wrecked the joint. Both were turfed out.
    And they are BOTH still trying to wreck the joint.

  33. “Australia’s retail sales stalled in July, defying expectations for another modest monthly increase.”

    “There were falls in Western Australia (-0.6%), Victoria (-0.2%), South Australia (-0.3%), the Northern Territory (-1.6%), the Australian Capital Territory (-0.6%), and Tasmania (-0.3%),” James said.

    “New South Wales was relatively unchanged while Queensland rose 0.8%.”

  35. BW

    Yeah thats going to help your argument. If your argument stood up you would just say so.

    You have been going on for months and months how anyone who votes Greens is a betrayer of progressives.

    Yet when the crunch was on exactly as AL pointed out you did not trust the Labor Party to fix its own mess.

  36. Barney

    The reason for my comfort is that just yesterday my great grandson Arthur Percy (aged 21 months) visited accompanied by his entourage consisting of his Mother, Grandmother, Uncle and 2 Cousins.

    Usually a security detail that size is to protect the target, but sounds like you needed all of them to protect the public from the target!

  37. Barney in Go Dau (Block)
    Monday, September 3rd, 2018 – 11:57 am
    Comment #175

    As reported by C@tmomma, Phone Books still exist. The print is so small that only those with exception vision plus the finest of optical enhancement devices can use them.

    If you are thinking of the old device of interspersing a phone book twixt a skull and a truncheon then I am not current with approved modern practice.

    Good luck with your search for the truth. I am told that it’s (the truth) out there – its certainly not to be found care of what we have been assured is communication media.

    Peace. ☮ 😵

  40. BW

    Stop trying to dodge the fact that you showed appalling judgement in arguing for informal voting at such an important time for progressives.

    Labor did sort out its mess despite your advice very similar to Bananon and Trump’s message of blow up the joint.

  41. Rocket Rocket @ #190 Monday, September 3rd, 2018 – 9:07 am

    Barney

    <i.The reason for my comfort is that just yesterday my great grandson Arthur Percy (aged 21 months) visited accompanied by his entourage consisting of his Mother, Grandmother, Uncle and 2 Cousins.

    Usually a security detail that size is to protect the target, but sounds like you needed all them to protect the public from the target!

    Since I started teaching Kindergarten kids, I’ve become adept at a small 1/8 twist just before impact so they hit my leg. 🙂

  46. G
    Stop trying to dodge the fact that you deliberately chose to vote for one or the other maniac and trying desperately to deflect with all sorts of irrelevant rubbish.

  47. BB

    I am hoping Sarah Ferguson is merely being enthusiastic about Bannon in order to spruik the show tonight.
    Otherwise I will have to rethink her judgement

  49. Love is in the air 🙂

    ‘Go back to New Zealand’
    SEPTEMBER 02, 2018
    One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has told Derryn Hinch to “go back to New Zealand” in an explosive live television appearance.

    Ms Hanson and independent Senator Hinch exchanged barbs on Channel 7’s Sunrise program this morning.
    The discussion became outright aggressive with Ms Hanson claiming Mr Hinch is “half asleep most of the damn time” and telling him to “get on the next flight out of the country.”

    https://outline.com/tKtYuz

  50. BW:

    Whether Rudd or Abbott makes no difference at all.

    Rex will be so proud.

    For whatever reason Labor and Liberal both offered certifiable maniacs as prime ministerial candidates.
    The correct decision was not to reward this perversion of democracy.

    Hey, I get it. You couldn’t abide either of the major parties at the time. I don’t particularly agree with your reasoning – in my opinion a party of mostly decent and competent people led by a maniac is always a better option than a party of climate deniers and homophobes (plus a downtrodden, impotent scattering of decent people) led by a maniac, particularly when there are also minor parties and independents to park your vote with, and considerations like the senate – but I certainly don’t object to you holding those views or advocating them in a public space. Your vote, your choice

    What I do object to, however, is your hypocrisy towards others who don’t give a major party their first preference for similar reasons – complete with accusations that they are helping the climate deniers and the homophobes, even when their preferences ultimately led back to your favoured party – simply because you now approve of one of the major party leaders.

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