The addition of this week’s Newspoll to the BludgerTrack poll aggregate has prompted a solid increase in Labor’s already commanding lead, amounting to 0.6% on two-party preferred and three on the seat projection. The latter gains amount to one apiece in Victoria, Queensland and South Australia. Full results as always on the link below.
Holiday reading:
• Democracy 2025, a collaboration between the Museum of Australian Democracy, the University of Canberra and the Institute for Governance and Policy Analysis, has produced a report entitled Trust and Democracy in Australia, based on an online survey of 1000 respondents conducted by Ipsos in late July. It finds only 41% of respondents expressing satisfaction with the way democracy works in Australia, which presumably hasn’t improved any in the wake of Malcolm Turnbull’s demise. This is a remarkable 31% lower than in 2013, though not much different from when the previous result in 2016. The results were also fairly consistent across age cohorts, contrary to an expectation that it may have been driven by the young. Compared with the 2014 survey, respondents were a lot less likely to think the media had too much power, and more likely to complain that politicians didn’t deal with “the issues that really matter”. Presented with various reform options, far the most popular with campaign spending and donation caps.
• The Electoral Regulation Research Network has published a research paper on the implications of the dramatic increase of “convenience voting”, i.e. pre-poll and postal voting.
“The ‘we’ll have stronger surpluses’ is a clear sign the neo-libs in Labor are a growing force. It was straight out of the Howard-Costello playbook.”
Mate you only have a single hammer everything looks like a nail to you.
“It didn’t seem, and isn’t a very dangerous trap.”
All I meant was the confusion of ‘debt’ and ‘deficit’ – which seems to be the mainspring of both the conservatives (both always bad) and the far left (both always good).
One of the Adani protesters has been arrested for trespass, guess they weren’t a labor member GT.
I have been told I have access to nbn.
I currently have an ADSL which operates at 4.5 mps (?) thingies.
I have something coming called FTTC (what fibre to a transitive verb is, I have no idea) but that’s what it’s called (Fibre to the/a curb?).
I know, ignorance is to be celebrated these days.
They will connect it on 4 January next year. 🙂
“All I meant was the confusion of ‘debt’ and ‘deficit’ – which seems to be the mainspring of both the conservatives (both always bad) and the far left (both always good).”
I had got your excellent point, my apologies if it looked like I was blowing that off. I know a lot of lean liberal voters who may well vote labor this election, but many will find an excuse like ‘excessive spending’, or ‘high taxing’ to vote for the libs. But then again they are all in 40 – 60 age bracket so I think Nick is telling us he wants us all to vote for the libs anyway.
Gordon Samuels also fought in WWII
We currently get around 11Mbps download speed and around 1Mbps upload speed. I’ve not heard good things about the NBN and am concerned the speeds will decrease if I switch.
Vogon Poet @ #1650 Sunday, December 16th, 2018 – 1:22 pm
How petty of Labor to press charges.
The AFR editorial yesterday, presumably written by Stutchbury, has this error , when resuming its campaign against Labors negative gearing tax changes.
This already is unravelling as the bursting of the Sydney and Melbourne housing bubbles exposes Labor’s promised crackdown on negatively-geared housing investment
Negative gearing is a tax credit, if you reduce the credit through either tax changes or it reduces anyway due to market changes it is still a benefit to the government, less tax is written off and more is collected.
They really aren’t very good at economics or tax policy.
“How petty of Labor to press charges.”
You not only read too much AFR propaganda you must watch too much American TV as well. Hilariously stupid.
How gross and disgusting of the Greens to support his criminal behaviour.
Anyway, it’s the police that lay charges, not the victim of the crime.
“The AFR editorial yesterday, presumably written by Stutchbury”
You read the AFR, other than for laughs, you leave a little bit dumber every time.
The Galilee will remain undeveloped for financial reasons, reasons that are also informed by environmental factors. Debt is a whole lot cheaper than equity, meaning that projects with inherently low rates of return (even with public subsidies) cannot be financed with equity even if it were available. They need debt. But capital markets will not supply debt to coal projects. The risks are too great to lenders. Capital for energy projects is pouring into renewables, all of which will make projects like the Galilee less and less likely to be financially viable even if they were environmentally sustainable.
It is because the private capital market will not finance these kind of projects that the Dinosaur Party is proposing to commit public money to them. This would be socialism applied for ideological and political reasons.
But the Liblings and the LNP are not interested in these considerations. They have a token issue and they intend to use it against their common enemy, Labor. Fortunately for the environment and for public finance, Labor’s ranks are waxing and their antagonists are going to take pelting come the election.
WeWantPaul @ #1652 Sunday, December 16th, 2018 – 1:23 pm
The fact remains Daniel Andrews blew up the notion that debt/deficit scare tactics is still effective.
Bill Shorten should tell his neo-lib colleagues to get with the program.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/dec/16/labor-national-conference-day-one-politics-live
The bastardry of Bowen and his neo-libs seemingly continuing…
As far as I’m aware the Victorian budget has been in surplus every year of the Andrews Government.
“we’ll have stronger surpluses”, clever meaning less phrase, it doesn’t relate to size of surplus it could mean sustainable .
Anything but neo-liberal.
Green clutches at straw .. again
Shorten is just wedge averse
swamprat @ #1555 Sunday, December 16th, 2018 – 8:32 am
How can you write such rot . And written so emphatically.
Christianity was not a prescribed religion until the Council Of Nicea in 325 AD. Up until then it was an array of sects and cults.
It was not the “people” who appropriated the pagan festivals it was the institution you fucking nong.
That institution was not an institution until 325, almost 300 years after the alleged death of Jehoshuah. From 325 up to Martin Luther pinning a note of protest on the door of a church, that institution became the dominant power in Europe reserving for itself the right to appoint kings and queens.
It was during the church’s hegemony that all the pagan elements of Yule and Oestre were removed and the Christian legend superimposed on those festivals.
Confessions @ #1655 Sunday, December 16th, 2018 – 12:26 pm
We hear plenty of negative stories but very, very many are doing quite well.
I used to get 20mbps with ADSL2 and now get about 46 mbps down and about 20 mbps up.
Are there locals to talk to about their experiences?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/mounting-legal-threats-surround-trump-as-nearly-every-organization-he-has-led-is-under-investigation/2018/12/15/4cfb4482-ffbb-11e8-862a-b6a6f3ce8199_story.html?utm_term=.eceb28f4e8e2
kayjay:
This is mostly local feedback I’m basing my views on. That said, I don’t think any of my immediate neighbours have made the switch yet. I’ll ask next time I see them.
Sceptic @ #1580 Sunday, December 16th, 2018 – 8:59 am
You need to check your mathematics on that.
Exactly how does Australia produce 500 million tonnes per year out of a total world production of 7.5 million tonnes per year?
Also 60 million tonnes out of a total of 500 million tonnes equates to 12%, which is 15 times higher than 0.8%. It’s a substantial amount to come from just one mine. It’s more of an elephant than a pimple.
The use of the term “stronger” is a play on the “weakness” of the Liberals. Labor represent the stability the Liberals have voluntarily surrendered. There’s nothing the Liberals can do about this. Today Morrison announced the appointment a new “power” symbol, the next GG. In doing this, Morrison tried to associate himself with formal authority. It’s revealing in itself that Morrison seems to think he needs to do this. All he’s done is to associate himself with an archaic image of authority for opportunistic reasons. He’s paraded his obsolescence as well as his cynicism. These are the quintessential features of this Government. On the day when Labor exhibits its democracy, its modernity, its strength and its claim to govern, the Liberals confirm just how out of touch and shallow they are.
I changed over to Fraudband (fttn) a couple of months ago with Optus. It’s crap. The most I get ever (day or night) is less than 20mbs down. Just now I got 18.71/4.72.
I complained to Optus and got the usual back and forth. NBN sent a contract tech around who told me it was all crap due to the copper.
Anyway, I was rung a day later by Optus to tell me that this was as good as I can get at the moment, although they were going to upgrade very soon, but could not tell me what ‘very’ soon was. As I’ve now gotten rid of my landline, it’s still $14 cheaper per month and no worse than the ADSL that I had, although I did have to buy a new modem router as the one provided by Optus was absolutely shithouse.
As it works sufficiently for my immediate needs I’ll follow up in the new year when I have more free time to wait for hours to hear an explanation that’s bullshit.
The difference bettween Andrews and Shorten on debt and infrastructure spending is that Labor is in government in Victoria and not federally.
A factor in the 2016 result was higher short term deficits balanced out by a better long term result. The short term higher deficits were exploited by the government and its fellow travelers.
Rex:
“Adani protesters being dragged from the stage. They’ve made their point.”
Are they protesting against the Adani Solar Farm for Whyalla (non-wipeout)?
Do they know?
Briefly
Isn’t Adani planning to self finance?
E. G. Theodore @ #1674 Sunday, December 16th, 2018 – 1:54 pm
Are you saying that makes the coal mine ok ? Is that your logic ?
The best and only way to destroy the coal industry, currently, is to kill it with renewable infrastructure investment and it dies its own death in the very short term. Labor has already promised to do this.
Confessions @ #1602 Sunday, December 16th, 2018 – 9:19 am
One side of my street is getting FTTN, the other side is getting FTTC. No prizes for guessing which side of the street I live on.
It’s very gratifying to see that Bowen and the rest of the Labor leadership refuse to fall into the trap of trying to hum along to Libling jingles.
From the Guardian blog:
“Asked about the appointment of former chief of defence force David Hurley to the role of governor general, Bowen said that it was a “perfectly appropriate” appointment but let rip on the timing and lack of consultation before the announcement.
Bowen said:
I would’ve thought it’s appropriate, given he will begin his term after the next election, that the prime minister would have had the good grace to consult the leader of the opposition. I understand the leader of the opposition was informed this morning but was not consulted … Do we really believe that a governor general who will be taking up his post in the middle of next year had to be announced today while the leader of the opposition was making an important speech at the very same time? What a coincidence. The fact the prime minister feels that appropriate to pick the announcement of a viceregal important which coincides with the Labor national conference and the leader’s speech says more about Scott Morrison than anybody else.”
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Very well put. These ongoing tricks (like calling the Super Saturday by-elections when the National Conference was previously scheduled) do nothing more that demonstrate how distant from actual policy and how far immersed in the so-called ‘Canberra Bubble’ the Liberals are. Come the election nobody will give a shit. The single-issue obsessives who raided the stage at the Conference had a far more significant impact, and even then, it may have worked in Labor’s favour by demonstrating to some swinging voters that Labor are not a Greens front.
Cud Chewer says:
Sunday, December 16, 2018 at 1:56 pm
Briefly
Isn’t Adani planning to self finance?
Maybe by the use of MMT….magic money theory.
TPOF @ #1672 Sunday, December 16th, 2018 – 1:52 pm
Fraudband is massive scandal which has lacked proper opposition scrutiny and outrage.
To think it’s a low order issue at the coming election is an indictment on the parliamentary duopoly.
Bill Shorten is in the wrong and the protesters are in the right. There is no excuse in 2018 for sitting on the fence on whether a major new coal mine should go ahead. He should simply say, “This mine won’t go ahead because it’s important that millions of people don’t get killed by extreme weather events, failed food production, and the spread of diseases that will thrive in a changed climate. We have excellent job creating alternatives to this mine, and we will create those jobs and save lives instead of allowing a terribly misconceived and deadly project to go ahead.”
“Isn’t Adani planning to self finance?
Maybe by the use of MMT….magic money theory.”
Yeah the selfunding aspect makes it likely it stops, if it ever starts, pretty damn quickly. Although Qld may well have a very expensive cleanup, if they do get started with some half assed self funded stupidity.
briefly @ #1679 Sunday, December 16th, 2018 – 2:00 pm
Why won’t he give his support for a newstart increase ?
When my turn came for NBN A check was made on the line and was quoted 2 m below what I am getting. If it can happen to me why not others?. How would they do it? Yes they know how far from the node I am (1.1K) but the quality of the final wire must of come in to it
[Mr Shorten quipped: “I’ve waited as Opposition Leader for the next election for five years and two months, and if I’ve got to wait a couple of more minutes, I just will.”]
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/bill-shorten-s-labor-conference-address-derailed-by-protesters-20181216-p50mjy.html
TPOF….Quite right about the protestors illustrating that Labor is not a Libling front. Every time the Liblings insult Labor, they authorise past-Liberal voters to shift to Labor. It’s very good of both wings of the anti-Labor constituency – pop Left and the paleo Right – to campaign for Labor at the same time in the same election and on the same themes.
“Bill Shorten is in the wrong and the protesters are in the right.”
They are both right, but the ship has already sailed approvals wise.
Rex Douglas says:
Sunday, December 16, 2018 at 2:03 pm
briefly @ #1679 Sunday, December 16th, 2018 – 2:00 pm
It’s very gratifying to see that Bowen and the rest of the Labor leadership refuse to fall into the trap of trying to hum along to Libling jingles.
Why won’t he give his support for a newstart increase ?
So trolls like you have something to troll with.
To think it’s a low order issue at the coming election is an indictment on the parliamentary duopoly.
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No. It’s an indictment on the complexity of explaining the different forms of connection and what the implications are for different users. Even some people here don’t fully understand the differences between the various options. Only a naive doctrinaire halfwit who lives in a fantasy world who thinks that every ordinary person who has the same thought processes and values as them would think it can be easily explained.
Interestingly, I don’t think I’ve heard a single word about this from the Greens (nor any other minor political party to be fair) about the parlous implementation of broadband in Australia.
Supreme 100 for Kohli
I have had FTTN NBN since May. I have the most basic plan offered by iiNet which is said to give me 10mbs at night which is enough for me. Last time I checked that was happening.
Some people may want or need more and I guess you need to check carefully whether what you are being offered actually can be delivered. That is not unique to the NBN!
I also switched my home phone to them.
I now pay less a month for phone and net than I previously paid for a crappy ADSL2 and phone package.
Changeover was fairly smooth but my advice would be get onto it early.
briefly @ #1690 Sunday, December 16th, 2018 – 2:08 pm
I ask a policy related question – you reply with a personal attack.
Says more about you.
Nicholas says:
Sunday, December 16, 2018 at 2:02 pm
Labor will not be doing a cut-and-paste of Libling rhetoric…..count on it.
Nicholas 1:01
“So I wouldn’t want someone of your vintage as president of the United States.”
And he can prove it. After all he spent most of 2016 writing alternate universe analysis of why Americans should vote for Donald Trump.
Thank god he’s only writing on pollbludger and doesn’t have any real world impact.
Nicholas @ #1684 Sunday, December 16th, 2018 – 2:02 pm
It might encourage dancing too.