Two days in the campaign, and already much to relate:
• Labor’s audacious gambit of running former Fremantle MP Melissa Parke in Curtin has proved short-lived, after a controversy brewed over comments she had made critical of Israel. Parke announced her withdrawal after the Herald Sun presented the Labor campaign with claims she had told a meeting of WA Labor for Palestine that she could “remember vividly” – presumably not from first-hand experience – a pregnant refugee being ordered to drink bleach at a Gaza checkpoint. Parke is also said to have spoken of Israel’s “influence in our political system and foreign policy”, no doubt bringing to the party hierarchy’s mind the turmoil that has lately engulfed the British Labour Party in relation to such matters. In her statement last night, Parke said her views were “well known, but I don’t want them to be a running distraction from electing a Labor government”. James Campbell of the Herald Sun notes the forum was also attended by Parkes’ successor in Fremantle, Josh Wilson.
• Meanwhile, Liberal Party vetting processes have caused the withdrawal on Section 44 grounds of three candidates in who-cares seats in Melbourne. They are Cooper candidate Helen Jackson, who dug her heels in when told her no-chance candidacy required her to abandon her job at Australia Post, so that the integrity of executive-legislative relations might be preserved; Lalor candidate Kate Oski, who is in danger of being Polish; and Wills candidate Vaishali Ghosh, who was, as The Age put it in a report I hope no one from overseas reads, “forced to step aside over her Indian heritage”.
• Peter Dutton has been under fire for his rhetorical overreach against Ali France, the Labor candidate in his marginal seat of Dickson. Dutton accused France, who had her leg amputated after being hit by a car in 2011, of “using her disability as an excuse” for not moving into the electorate. France lives a short distance outside it, and points to the $100,000 of her compensation money she has spent making her existing home fully wheelchair accessible. Labor has taken the opportunity to point to Dutton’s failed attempt from 2009 to move to the safer seat of McPherson on the Gold Coast, where he owns a $2.3 million beachside holiday home, and by all accounts spends a great deal of his time. Dutton refused to apologise for the comments yesterday, while Scott Morrison baselessly asserted that they were taken out of context.
• Greg Brown of The Australian reports Robert Borsak, leader of Shooters Fishers and Farmers and one of the party’s state upper house MPs, concedes the party is struggling to recruit candidates, and will not repeat its state election feat of winning seats in the lower house. Nonetheless, it has Orange deputy mayor Sam Romano lined up as its candidate for Calare and plans to run in Eden-Monaro, Parkes and possibly New England. This follows suggestions the party might pose a threat to the Nationals in Parkes and Farrer, which largely correspond with the state seats of Barwon and Murray, which the party won at last month’s state election. Calare encompasses Orange, which Shooters have held since a November 2016 by-election.
• “I don’t trust our polling at all”, says “a senior federal Liberal MP” cited by John Ferguson in The Australian, apropos the party’s prospects in Victoria. It is not clear if the source was being optimistic or pessimistic, but the report identifies a range of opinion within the Liberal camp extending from only two or three losses in Victoria – likewise identified as a “worst case scenario” by Labor sources – to as many as seven.
Perhaps he wants to publish a book or something.
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/04/13/us/politics/presidential-candidates-2020.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage
jenauthor @ #828 Sunday, April 14th, 2019 – 10:47 am
I’d forgotten that. Quick search found some info.
https://outline.com/j55qFH
https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/queensland/labor-s-1-billion-hydrogen-plan-zeroes-in-on-queensland-20190122-p50sv1.html
https://alp.org.au/media/1520/190121-factsheet-hydrogen-plan.pdf
~12 weeks ago.
KJ
I’d agree that a Ringwood start to link would pick up the heavy vehicles from Gippsland and the Peninsula, needing no deviation through inner suburbs.
EGW @ #788 Sunday, April 14th, 2019 – 9:55 am
And an entirely predictable response from you, johnny-come-lately.
Do you honestly believe, EGW, that you hold a candle to the great man that you have nicked your PB name from? You certainly think so. Supporters of that proposition would fit with you inside the telephone box.
Rex – when I said ‘not sure’ it meant I hadn’t looked.
Cracker of a song John Reidy
John Reidy – wish I could be there! Am working this morning so couldn’t get to Burwood
Socrates
The NE Link does seem over-engineered (20 lanes near the Bulleen interchange with the Eastern Freeway?). I feel some of the problem comes from this choice – because you are essentially ‘doubling up’ all the traffic between the tunnels at Ringwood and that interchange. Had they chosen to use the corridor from just east of the tunnels to the end of the current ring road in Greensborough (most of which is a government land corridor of powerlines) this problem would have been avoided, and any traffic wanting to travel between the Ring Road and Eastlink would not overburden that section of the Eastern Freeway between the tunnels and Bulleen.
KJ and Rex
My point was not that a link was needed, and I note KJs point that the alignment getting the most toll revenue was chosen (maximising vehicle kilometres travelled so a poor economic and environmental outcome). The point is they are building way too big a road. Demand management is not even on their radar screen. We are blowing billions this way. Never mind the toll revenue – what if the correctly scoped project would have only cost half the $15 billion? Most of these large projects are run by managerial construction types with no professional experience in road planning.
Why are you lot still doing toll roads, WA has precisely the correct number of toll roads.
Johnny-come-lately?
Nope, think again: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sockpuppet_(Internet)
Seven?
Socrates
These large public-private road developments make me feel so helpless as profit is the motive.
lizzie says:
Soooooo Mr B.Knight esq. is a Dutton backer
?w=600
lizzie @ #853 Sunday, April 14th, 2019 – 11:10 am
An entry / exit at the top end of Springvale Rd would be useful too with some further development of that part of Springvale Rd.
WeWantPaul
Twice as many ! See what you an do when you haven’t got pokies in every nook and cranny 🙂
lizzie @ #866 Sunday, April 14th, 2019 – 11:17 am
Toll roads should be funded and built by the state and tolled by the state.
C@tmomma @ #854 Sunday, April 14th, 2019 – 11:11 am
Q.E.D.
EGW. I forgot to mention Pallas owning shares in Transurban. Surely that one is the Federal governments fault as well.
Sam Crosby candidate for Reid is the MC. Doing well
lizzie @ #863 Sunday, April 14th, 2019 – 11:17 am
I am aghast that any Labor Government will get involved in them.
They are a scam.
Confessions @ #794 Sunday, April 14th, 2019 – 8:01 am
There is a bit more to it than that.
Mr Christensen, who has denied any wrongdoing, has been spending his time in a part of the Philippines where it is alleged that widespread criminal behavour occurs, specifically related to illicit drugs and prostitution.
AUSTRAC detected some payments that Mr Christensen made to the area and he was subsequently interviewed by the AFP. Mr Christensen claimed that the payments were charitable donations yet refused to allow the AFP to view his WhatsApp messages which may have been relevant to the matter. Mr Christensen claims that his reasons for visiting the area are to visit family and do charity work.
Mr Christensen claimed that the AFP has cleared him. The AFP said they did not have any evidence of wrongdoing by Mr Christenson.
Again, Mr Christensen denies any wrongdoing.
taylormade @ #869 Sunday, April 14th, 2019 – 11:22 am
I don’t think he should. But it is as simple as you portray. IIRC he does not own them directly.
Just thought that Insiders missed a golden opportunity (maybe purposely?) to follow up Cash’s spray over EVs and the ‘they’re coming for your utes’ spray with the perfect rebuttal from KK showing all the pics of Libs promoting/driving EVs.
grimace:
Well whatever is going on his constituents are entitled to ask why he is spending so much time there rather than in his electorate.
Tanya Plibersek speaking very articulately
The accused usually does.
The convicted usually does, too, for that matter.
Surely it’s not common practice for legitimate charities to communicate via WhatsApp? Though also, I shudder at the thought of what might be in Christensen’s WhatsApp messages. Can’t blame the AFP for not pressing the matter.
lizzie @ #844 Sunday, April 14th, 2019 – 11:01 am
I like it – a lot.
Bill Shorten volunteer launch in Reid, live stream..
https://www.pscp.tv/w/b4KFCzFlV0t5TUR3bHhaS0F8MXluSk9SUWJrWlZHUkuo6qkQmN2YC930ht8zaoFgHKEHzKiDWrqhV0TiFTnP?t=16m46s
pica @ #654 Saturday, April 13th, 2019 – 10:51 pm
—
Seconded
Lizzie
“These large public-private road developments make me feel so helpless as profit is the motive.“
I think there are a few different motives that cause this outcome:
PS managers – career advancement
PS workers – job security
Road Industry – another juicy construction contract to bid for
Car industry – more people driving = more cars being bought
Treasury – short term activity = low unemployment, toll pays for it
Politicians – lots of people with money lobbying for it to happen
Read the book “Megaprojects and Risk” by Bent Flyvbjerg for a good discuion of how these big projects get out of control. Rule number one – never establish a separate authority to deliver them. It guarantees normal checks are sidestepped.
@Socrates. 6- lanes is fine, if it was the best alignment. The problem is the alignment, in my opinion is wrong as it induces traffic that has other options.
The better alignment would induce traffic from local roads. This is actually a good outcome.
NELink at 6 lanes in the right corridor also marries up well with the suburban rail loop.
I just saw one of the Bill Shorten ads…. he tries to list too much….it was almost Clive Palmer-ish. I do hope other ads the ALP are better.
Di Natalie reduces the effectiveness of his message by bagging Labor?.
Lost my vote in the Senate!.
I have no time for Mr Christensen, but I’m also more than a little uneasy about the role of the AFP in this. A bit too J Edgar Hoover-ish for my liking.
TPOF @ #849 Sunday, April 14th, 2019 – 11:02 am
Bill kicks off his volunteer rally with respect to the “owners of the land on which we meet “. Class BILL, class. Stick that in your pipe and smoke it Nath- I am yet to hear Scomo say that.
1934pc @ #884 Sunday, April 14th, 2019 – 11:38 am
—
He needs a new script; he looked jaded and under-whelmed with his party on Insiders today.
One line from Bill “you don’t have to be a brain surgeon to know better hospitals improve patient care….
However it does happen that our candidate for Bennelong is a brain surgeon.”
https://twitter.com/RichardDiNatale/status/1117217994369720320
Let these words sink in…
Fess
Yes I did catch up with Real Time. Thanks.
Seth Abramson has been following and investigating the Trump saga to an inch within its life. If anyone will know every twist and turn, it will be him.
Also re Eric Swalwell, I really like him. But I believe selling gun control despite everything, is still a big ask in the US. Not confident as to how it will play out.
Stacking the system:
https://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/in-the-dark-times
I suspect we have lost the USA as a safe home for representative democracy.
Time to slowly draw away and forge our own path & future; otherwise being ‘joined at the hip’ with them will definitely distort our social democracy too.
Shorten was big on indigenous affairs, then health, and now tax
The franking credit refund is a ‘gift’. How many minutes of the money spent on it would pay for a health treatment.
Rex. The problem with just banning coal is that Australian coal is higher quality than Indian coal and coal for many other countries.
Also, there is no current replacement in Australia except for gas. Renewables are not up to the task.
If you actually want to benefit the environment, the Greens would get behind science and support nuclear. Unfortunately, the greens, just like the LNP and Labor, don’t care for science if it doesn’t suit them.
“Perhaps he wants to publish a book or something.”
At this stage in the primary it’s about raising profiles. The presidential run may be pointless, but it creates an organisation and base which can be of use in lesser campaigns.
It’s also a way of injecting a particular policy into the race, such as gun control. If there is a groundswell of support from the base, the other candidates will fall into line behind your position. It’s what substitutes for policy debate in the US.
Kj @ #897 Sunday, April 14th, 2019 – 12:01 pm
How big is your back yard ? …big enough for a nuclear power plant ?
Shorten live on ABC TV.
No folks, this isn’t Koko the Clown. This is your PM.
@Rex
Science, look at the facts and not just people that tell Fukushima or Chernobyl.
But yes, I’d be very happy to live in a town with a nuclear power plant. Would you ever visit Middlesborough? Heck, even London is an hour away from a nuclear plant.
Would you be happy to work on wind farms (higher death rate) or happy for someone to put solar on your roof (also higher death rate).
More Bill “The election isn’t between him and me, it’s about the people of Australia. “.
No names mentioned though.
Now about the McCran “end of the world article”.
Shorten said he confidentially rules this out as a policy.