Federal election minus whatever

A new venue for general discussion of matters political, as the New South Wales election sucks the oxygen from the federal sphere.

Reflecting its confidence about its prospects in Victoria, Labor has traded in its existing prospect for the seat of Higgins, Josh Spiegel, for a higher profile model in the shape of barrister Fiona McLeod. That’s all I really have to relate at the moment, but a new federal politics and general discussion thread is required, and here it is. Note the new Brexit post from Adrian Beaumont below this one and, naturally, the latest New South Wales election post above.

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.

606 comments on “Federal election minus whatever”

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  5. I don’ think they would have actually Lizzie. There has definitely been a narrative shift in the ABC focus this week. Witness Karvelas asking the Deputy Labor leader yesterday about Daley’s “racist comments” yesterday and RN breakfast giving air to the Coalition favouring talking head about CGT this morning amidst deathly silence on Scomo’s faux denials on The Project last night.

    Call me cynical, but the Ita Buttrose ABC is going to be a very different (soft journalism) story.

  7. @lizzie it’s an interesting question. Maybe if he was still doing the evening drive slot on RN he would have got the green light.

  13. James Comey has an op-ed piece in the NY Times today on what he wants from the Mueller report.

    I do have one hope that I should confess. I hope that Mr. Trump is not impeached and removed from office before the end of his term. I don’t mean that Congress shouldn’t move ahead with the process of impeachment governed by our Constitution, if Congress thinks the provable facts are there. I just hope it doesn’t. Because if Mr. Trump were removed from office by Congress, a significant portion of this country would see this as a coup, and it would drive those people farther from the common center of American life, more deeply fracturing our country.

    Critics of Mr. Trump should hope for something much harder to distort, or to nurse as a grievance, than an impeachment. We need a resounding election result in 2020, where Americans of all stripes, divided as they may be about important policy issues — immigration, guns, abortion, climate change, regulation, taxes — take a moment from their busy lives to show that they are united by something even more important: the belief that the president of the United States cannot be a chronic liar who repeatedly attacks the rule of law.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21/opinion/james-comey-mueller-report.html

  14. (My post on today’s NSW thread)

    This DT ‘subscriber exclusive’ is a bit confusing reading the headline.

    Who is bracing for loss – Labor or the Coalition?

    Strange as it may sound, a Labor-Greens-SFF combo would not be unlike the current NZ government with Labour, Greens and NZ First.

    Presumably Murdoch is trying to frighten Sydney people into not voting Labor. Why?

    (p>BRACING FOR LOSS: LABOR, GREENS TARGET SHOOTERS DEAL
    EXCLUSIVE Michael Daley and the Greens are plotting an unholy alliance to form a bizarre minority government with the Shooters Fishers and Farmers party. The Daily Telegraph can reveal the government is bracing for the loss of another two lower house seats.

    I can’t copy the DT front page today – big headlines “GUN AND DUMBER Labor and Greens Target Shooters Deal”

  15. Milo Yiannopoulos used conservative mates Bolt, Jones in visa ban lobby.

    Milo Yiannopoulos and his touring manager attempted to use their network of powerful conservatives including Andrew Bolt and Alan Jones to lobby the Morrison government to overturn a decision to deny the notorious political commentator a visa. The concerted effort to influence Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton and others in the government allegedly included Liberal National MP George Christensen and One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.

    The revelations are contained in an explosive transcript of WhatsApp messages Mr Yiannopoulos intends to file today as part of a court action taken by celebrity agent Max Markson against former tour promoter Damien Costas.

    Mr Yiannopoulos has earned notoriety for anti-Semitic comments, Islamophobic rhetoric and controversial remarks about relationships between “younger boys and older men”.

    The Morrison government told Mr Yiannopoulos on March 6 that his application had been rejected, but it was personally approved by Immigration Minister David Coleman only days later.

    Mr Yiannopoulos had his visa again rejected on Sunday after he made a series of racist comments about Islam in the wake of the New Zealand mosque massacre in Christchurch.

    Mr Jones said he wrote to the government about the visa denial “because I am concerned about issues of freedom of speech”.

    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/milo-yiannopoulos-used-conservative-mates-bolt-jones-in-visa-ban-lobby-20190321-p516cu.html

    This is what the advocates of hate speech (under the guise of ‘freedom of speech’) get up to behind the scenes and Morrison does a Sgt Shultz I see nothing last night on The Project. Ughh.

  16. Kristina Keneally
    ‏@KKeneally
    2h2 hours ago

    Why is it relevant to identify Mr Aly by his religious faith, but not Mr Morrison?
    Remember, Mr Morrison himself has referred to his own Christian pastor and church community when speaking about the challenge of Islamic radicalisation.

  20. “BK is on previous thread…”
    Someone said there was no link to this thread from the previous one. PB now in two dimensions?

  23. One thing I took away from the Morrison v Waleed interview is that Morrison is a worse (more phony/transparent) liar than Shorten or Abbott. The say that in politics that the most important thing is sincerity – once you can fake that you have got it made, but ScuMO thinks he can fake it when he can’t. He is about as convincing as vegan bacon.

    I await the Waleed column where he rationally explains why he remains unconvinced and tells us about Morrison’s duplicity in implying on air that Waleed had off-air agreed with the PM that he’d never tried to incite hate for political advantage. I though Waleed was going to explode when Morrison did that and I felt he was containing his anger and disbelief throughout .

  24. “Milo Yiannopoulos used conservative mates Bolt, Jones in visa ban lobby.”

    Bolt’s support for pedophiles and supporters so long as they are RWNJs is disturbing.

    He is trying to spread the myth that the NZ gunman was a lefty and greenie – just as he likes to say nazis were socialists and environmentalists.

    The Labor RC into media bias and political collusion that I’d like to see should be extended to include investigate hate speech and propaganda.

  26. Reposting from the pipped thread:

    I know that I’m an incorrigible Polyanna WRT the upcoming Fed election (58/42 – yeah, right), but in the wake of Morrison’s seppuku last night, I’m going to speculate.

    If (when) Gladys loses tomorrow, the LNP will replace Morrison – probably with Frydenberg. They are looking at more than decimation – I think they will lose up to a third of their seats. Given the rolling disaster that is the LNP and their Owners, they may well go to the half Senate election before July (since they have no choice), and delay the HoR as long as possible (? November). This will end them as a viable party, but that never worried The Owners – they can always hire more willing stooges.

  28. Mike Carlton
    ‏
    “Muslim television host…”

    Really ??? What next ? “Catholic newspaper editor…Jewish columnist…”

    Or pentecostal PM?

  31. Frydenberg, since his elevation has looked like he is depressed or on anti depressants…he is one pitch, slow talking, confused, worried looking. He is in no condition to lead anything.

  32. Last night Morrison “couldn’t remember” how many rapists, murderers and child molesters would be sent to Australia under Medevac.

    The other night in the debate, Daley couldn’t remember some dollar figures. The MSM violently attacked Daley.

    Have the MSM violently attacked Morrison over his “memory lapse”?

  33. The political staffer accused of writing Fraser Anning’s infamous “final solution” speech and holding an obsession with Nazi Germany is employed by the federal government agency managing Australia’s immigration program, it has emerged.

    The staffer, Richard Howard, is on unpaid leave from the Department of Home Affairs and has left the door open to returning should Senator Anning fail to be re-elected in May.

    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/fraser-anning-staffer-and-alleged-nazi-enthusiast-employed-by-home-affairs-20190321-p51698.html

  34. The lobbying by Bolt and Jones explains the decision by the government 2 weeks ago to allow Milo to come. Now after Christchurch they are onto their third position on this.

  38. I don’t mean that Congress shouldn’t move ahead with the process of impeachment governed by our Constitution, if Congress thinks the provable facts are there. I just hope it doesn’t. Because if Mr. Trump were removed from office by Congress, a significant portion of this country would see this as a coup, and it would drive those people farther from the common center of American life, more deeply fracturing our country.

    So basically “subvert justice for Trump because the stupids/deplorables like him and will continue to like him even if he commits bloody murder on the streets of New York”. Piss weak commentary.

    Justice can’t care about the incorrect perceptions of Trump’s lackeys. Justice has to be above politics, and popularity can’t be a get-out-of-jail-free card..

  39. I’m pretty sure the morning fix that normally ends up on the main thread accidentally got posted to the NSW State thread this morning.

    Looking forward to the Feds after this week in NSW. Hopefully Shorten holds up better than Daley does, I can put up with Gladys, put Morrison is so painful Im not sure I’d cope with another three years.

  40. Now this is funny.

    Ronni Salt@MsVeruca

    I’ve discovered why Georgina Downer wasn’t wafting behind the PM in tonight’s Waleed chat.

    It seems the Auditor General has just announced an investigation into the Yankalilla Bowls Club $127,000 grant & Georgina’s been hysterically scrubbing her fingerprints off everything.

  41. ar
    The entire US has been on the Koolaid for years, this is what they get for not perusing criminal charges against Nixon…

  42. lizzie @ #33 Friday, March 22nd, 2019 – 9:15 am

    The political staffer accused of writing Fraser Anning’s infamous “final solution” speech and holding an obsession with Nazi Germany is employed by the federal government agency managing Australia’s immigration program, it has emerged.

    The staffer, Richard Howard, is on unpaid leave from the Department of Home Affairs and has left the door open to returning should Senator Anning fail to be re-elected in May.

    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/fraser-anning-staffer-and-alleged-nazi-enthusiast-employed-by-home-affairs-20190321-p51698.html

    Well, waddya know, another Howard. Probably not directly related but fruit from the same tree it seems.

  44. I don’t think the signs are good for Gladys in NSW. The media (Guardian, Nine papers/SMH) have gone quiet, apart from an editorial to say Gladys deserves a third term. The lack of opinion polls in Victoria was a sign that the media’s pro-tory narrative wasn’t working in the real world.

  45. Dan Conifer@DanConifer
    11m11 minutes ago

    One of Scott Morrison’s favourite singers, Tina Arena, has been appointed to the Australia Council board. #auspol @abcnews

  48. @rosieslewis @rosieslewis

    .@M_McCormackMP on One Nation preferences: I would in fact encourage people to put the Greens last. I think they’re much more of a danger than any other political party to our social fabric and to all the things that the National Party holds near and dear #auspol @australian

    Senator Penny Wong
    ‏@SenatorWong
    11h11 hours ago

    As opposed to a party led by a person who describes Islam as a disease, and who said we were in danger of being swamped by Asians. You really have no principles.

  49. FMD, this guy is the Governor.
    .
    .
    Bevin exposed his 9 kids to chickenpox, says vaccine not for everyone

    . Bevin and his wife, Glenna, have nine children, ages 5 to 16, according to his campaign website…………… Gov. Matt Bevin said in a radio interview Tuesday that he deliberately exposed all nine of his children to chickenpox so they would catch the disease and become immune.

    “Every single one of my kids had the chickenpox,” Bevin said in an interview with WKCT, a Bowling Green talk radio station. “They got the chickenpox on purpose..’

    https://www.courier-journal.com/story/news/politics/2019/03/20/matt-bevin-exposed-kids-chickenpox-instead-vaccine/3221848002/

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