As the Easter/Anzac Day suspension of hostilities begins, it may be instructive to look at where the leaders have travelled during the campaign’s preliminary phase. Featured over the fold is a display listing the electorates that have been targeted, as best as I can tell, and a very brief summary of what they were up to while they were there. Certain entries are in italics where it is seems clear that the area was not targeted for its electoral sensitivity, such as Bill Shorten’s visit to Melbourne’s West Gate Tunnel project to get some good vision presenting him as a champion of infrastructure, which happened to place him in the unloseable Labor seat of Gellibrand. There are also a few entries that clearly targeted more than one electorate, in which case the margin for the secondary elected is listed on a second line.
What stands out is that Scott Morrison has hit a number of Labor-held seats, consistent with the optimistic impression the Liberals are presenting about their prospects – an assessment which, on this evidence, does not look to be fully shared by Labor. The only activity of Shorten’s that had Labor territory as its primary target was his visit to the Northern Territory on Thursday. Of equal interest to Shorten’s pattern of travel is the clarity of Labor’s early campaign theme of health policy, in contrast of the grab bag of messages promoted by Scott Morrison.
Steve davis
Going on current polling long term trend. It looks like it. 🙂
“I see the ALP/Greens feud is continuing unabated. Sigh.”
We are all in desperate need of some nutty Liberals on PB so we can turn our attention to them instead lol. There’s just none here! Or if they are they’re being very very quiet. It’s hard to debate against Coalition supporters when there’s none to argue against.
Zoidlord @ #249 Saturday, April 20th, 2019 – 1:51 pm
Has Bill Shorten or Tony Burke commented on #watergate yet ?
Just now Liberals copied Labor’s policies on health.
https://www.liberal.org.au/our-plan-strengthening-australias-world-class-health-system
It is important, noone said it doesn’t matter, it just isn’t any more decisive than when Barnaby today says he did nothing wrong. It is important but it isn’t the start or end of the inquiry.
I’m not a single cause kinda of a person, other than single variable maths most of life if more complex than a single variable would allow, and much much more complex than a single binary variable.
The leadership change was disasterous. But the Gillard Govt, with support of the independents and the greens had just won an election. They had their own history to write and write it they did. It was incredibly unpopular. Support for action on carbon peaked in 2007 at greater than 85%, it fell through the floor. I’m surprised the greens, who are supposed to be the ones whose main focus is the environment, haven’t ever wondered or reflected on how that happened. In that period at no time did Labor oppose a carbon scheme, but Tony and the greens certainly did. Might it be possible that the opposition from Tony on the right and the greens on the left had some effect.
In no way is it a scientific sample but I know a number of people I would have previously considered to be in the Labor / Greens border areas, moving between the two, who have since, to this day adopted a combination of Liberal and Green talking points to have a mantra that goes something like ‘Unless the whole world goes 120% there is just no point” to support a ‘lets do nothing’ position.
Labor has had many many flaws in its policy design and implementation, and most of them are on the ‘not strong enough’ side, but at no time has it said ‘well doing nothing is better than this’ which the greens are saying they may well say again. Well just like last time, if the greens do say ‘well nothing is better than this’ again a majority of Australians may well agree with them.
@Rex
Labor should not comment on Liberal Scandals, simply focus on releasing policies, and going out to the different seats campaigning.
If Labor focuses on scandals, then they won’t focus on positive policies
‘Unfinished business’: what the parties offer Indigenous voters in the 2019 election
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/apr/20/unfinished-business-what-the-parties-offer-indigenous-voters-in-the-2019-election
Murdoch has got what he wanted over the years.A public totally disengaged with the truth of politics,so when it comes to the crunch for the short time of engagement and it comes to a vote he can manipulate them all over again with his scare campaign shit.This is what Labor is constantly up against.With Albo as leader it wont be any different assuming he is leader next time round IF the con job works again and Morrison gets over the line.
I try not to, but his willingness to give Barr, who seemed from before he was even nominated to the AG position to be a bad faith actor.
I accept 100% the ‘better than Trump might have chosen’ analysis, but to extend a presumption of good faith (as it ended up a very very poor call) long after it was clear he was acting in bad faith, must come from something other than objective analysis.
Interesting that Morrison is announcing his catch up health policies on Easter Saturday.
Not a good time for any real political bang for the buck.
“Firefox
Go through all the visuals in that vid, and in the upper left hand side of one of the takes there is clearly a drilling rig drawn onto the top of Uluru.”
I posted a photo, not a video. The rig is clearly in front of Uluru. The intent of it to defend Uluru and surrounding areas is also very clear. Once again you’ve shown your hatred for the Greens clouds all else. We and others are trying to protect Uluru. Full stop. To try and imply otherwise is disgraceful.
Zoid
Labor has a possitive policy to have an ICAC. Liberal scandals are clear demonstration that we need it.
Zoidlord @ #255 Saturday, April 20th, 2019 – 1:58 pm
Well, it looks like Shorten has called for a audit of the $80M water buyback and is seeking Morrisons assurances everything is above board. Well done Bill.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/federal-election-2019-campaign-day-ten-shorten-aims-to-reset-ledger/news-story/e829f4a982cc68b045e2d885f6e1b45f
It’s interesting how stories like Watergate now percolate up from social media. They gain a foothold there and eventually the MSM can’t ignore it.
There might have been a lot less ‘blame the greens’ if the greens hadn’t said ‘no action is better than Rudd’s CPRS’, because a lot of people decided they were right and effectively for all but a brief flicker over the last 12 years we have got exactly that ‘better with nothing’ the greens said was preferable.
Now I’m not saying a CPRS would have saved the GBR but how is doing nothing at all working for it?
WeWantPaul @ #254 Saturday, April 20th, 2019 – 1:58 pm
The Gillard-Milne-Indy progressive govt could still be in power if but for the internal treachery of the ALP.
The legislated clean energy package would have seen Australia leading the way in transitioning the workforce over to a clean energy powerhouse.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/time-to-get-off-the-election-campaign-bus-and-onto-a-motorbike-20190418-p51fc5.html
Morrison refusing to answer questions on #watergate #auspol #ausvotes
____
Then keep asking him.
Unrelentingly!
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/federal-election-2019-campaign-day-ten-shorten-aims-to-reset-ledger/news-story/e829f4a982cc68b045e2d885f6e1b45f
Good to see some co-operation between the Greens and Labor.
I’m sure though our Labor right partisans on PB will be upset.
‘Morrison refusing to answer questions on #watergate #auspol #ausvotes’
The media (including the Guardian and the ABC) will say ScoMo is just keeping himself above the fray. Nothing to see here.
Last thing before I go, in politics it is perfectly acceptable to say ‘we will do it properly our way or not at all’, but when you say that you have got to do it properly you turn your back on the good, in search of the perfect, go for it, deliver the perfect. What you can’t do is deliver nothing at all and then try to blame the those looking for the good you rejected in your failed quest.
That is your conclusion, one I find insufficiently grounded in reality and do not in anyway accept as an open or reasonable conclusion.
“It is important, noone said it doesn’t matter, it just isn’t any more decisive than when Barnaby today says he did nothing wrong. It is important but it isn’t the start or end of the inquiry.”
Lol we all know Barnaby can’t be trusted. He’s an absolute joke. The laughing stock of the nation. He even broke the trust of his own family. Vile disgrace.
Gillard herself explained in that quote I posted above what happened with the ETS and why support was lost for it. I think she’s in a better position than most to comment on that. It was a great policy that all Greens and Labor supporters should be proud of.
We’ll never know this for sure, but I strongly believe that Labor would still be in government today were it not for the civil war. All the other issues could be recovered from but not that. People had just had enough and wanted stability again. What did we all end up with instead? The Abbott/Turnbull/Morrison civil war of course! Unbelievable. It’s almost like the Coalition said “wait, hold our beers, Labor! We can screw ourselves over even worse than you just did! Ha!” Un-fricking-believable.
Paul Barratt
@phbarratt
Has
@billshortenmp
commented on #watergate? Why isn’t it getting more prominence in the campaign?
9:54 AM · Apr 20, 2019 · Twitter for iPhone
131
Retweets
313
Likes
Tony Burke
@Tony_Burke
·
3h
Replying to
@phbarratt
and
@billshortenmp
My media release went out immediately on Thursday night after the first story on
@theprojecttv
. We had an agreement on no partisan media for Easter and ANZAC Day. I’ll have a lot more to say in a few days.
Sohar @ #269 Saturday, April 20th, 2019 – 2:15 pm
Don’t think that will be enough. There is an awful stink here. The PM not dealing with it looks VERY bad.
Victoria @ #273 Saturday, April 20th, 2019 – 2:20 pm
Good. Very good.
antonbruckner11 @ #2924 Saturday, April 20th, 2019 – 2:05 pm
Like the original, #watergate has no brakes and will engulf the Murdorcs. That they have no comeback other than to deny and try to not talk about it says that their shit well is dry. They are as dead as a Menindee CARP(!).
WWP
Nothing is better than the bad worked.
Like it or not Climate Legislation was delivered.
The Greens had zero to do with the internal Labor division.
The Greens had nothing to do with the hard right taking over the LNP
WeWantPaul @ #271 Saturday, April 20th, 2019 – 2:19 pm
I understand you have alternative facts.
Paul Bongiorno
Verified account @PaulBongiorno
7h7 hours ago
Dutton serves as Labor’s Easter bunny https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2019/04/20/dutton-serves-labors-easter-bunny/15556824008005?utm_source=tsp_website&utm_campaign=social_mobile_twitter&utm_medium=social_share … Happy Easter
“Good to see some co-operation between the Greens and Labor.
I’m sure though our Labor right partisans on PB will be upset.”
Labor Right Faction’s response…
Its interesting that the Greens are using mythical race to comment on mythical sides.
rhwombat @ #276 Saturday, April 20th, 2019 – 2:22 pm
Yes, as the guardian says, nobody has been able to explain why they spent $80 million for this water. Unless they can, they are totally stuffed.
Just reading the Saturday Paper piece on GetUp by Seccombe and the only conclusion I get is that more and more Labor rank and file members will transition their membership over to GetUp due to the strangle hold of power within the ALP continuing to be kept by a few unions.
Surely anyone on penalty rates couldnt vote Liberal after today.
Hugh Riminton
@hughriminton
·
6h
Angus Taylor’s threats to sue those raising these issues is looking a little frantic.
Quote Tweet
Hamish Macdonald
@hamishNews
· 20h
Angus Taylor YESTERDAY: “has never had a direct or indirect financial interest in EAA or any assoc’d company.”
TODAY: He was also a consultant for EAA 09/10 “on normal commercial terms”.
TONIGHT: there’s a difference between ‘an interest’ & being paid as consultant. #auspol
Image
People can persuade themselves that black is white if it suits them. Tweep this morn argued that the floodwater was river flow and therefore Barnaby had done nothing wrong in buying it back.
What is he hiding?!
Hmmm
Alex Turnbull
@alexbhturnbull
Guys pour one out for
@AngusTaylorMP
and his career. The digital footprints on his wiki are the end of him. #auspol
What is he hiding?!
_____
Plenty by the look of it!
Lizzie
It can be above board. Barnaby Joyce and Angus Taylor can front up to the public and explain everything. Simple really
psyclaw @ #166 Saturday, April 20th, 2019 – 12:03 pm
Only minor criticism is I think it is a little too fast for most to take in.
Joyce has got the safest seat in the country.It wouldnt matter if he bankrupted everyone in New England,he would still be the greatest.
Quite right, Victoria. Both Barnaby and Taylor can clear this up with a simple media appearance.
Taylor was asked about all this the other day at a press conference, but he didn’t look very convincing.
By the way he talks, Di Natale seems to unaware of these “secret” deals:
Victoria
Good joke. 🙂
Hi Richard .. 🙂
His argument is “don’t vote for Labor, they’ll actually be effective”?
steve davis @ #2953 Saturday, April 20th, 2019 – 2:48 pm
This isn’t about New England – they are shackled to their dead carp, and will die with it. This is about the stench of Joyce contaminating every other member of the GReedy Arsholes & Spivs Party. Which it will.
‘Firefox says:
Saturday, April 20, 2019 at 2:01 pm
“Firefox
Go through all the visuals in that vid, and in the upper left hand side of one of the takes there is clearly a drilling rig drawn onto the top of Uluru.”
I posted a photo, not a video. The rig is clearly in front of Uluru. The intent of it to defend Uluru and surrounding areas is also very clear. Once again you’ve shown your hatred for the Greens clouds all else. We and others are trying to protect Uluru. Full stop. To try and imply otherwise is disgraceful.’
Try looking at it from the Indigenous point of view.
Do you don’t ‘protect’ Indigenous values by trashing them by drawing a (fake) rig on top of Uluru as depicted in the video you are defending?
Further, that fake picture of a rig within sight (and sound) of Uluru is not possible. The reasons are numerous that there would be enough litigation to keep everyone going until 2100: listed sacred sites under the Act; World Heritage legislation protections; protection under the National Parks regulations; protections by way of triggers for the EPBC Act, and, finally, commercial protections. The company that owns Yulara would sue the arse off any attempt to put a drilling rig on the sunset viewing location. The rest of the NT tourism industry would go apeshit.
The image of a drilling rig on top of Uluru is not only a lie, it is disrespectful to Indigenous values.
The image of a drilling rig in the vicinity of the sunset viewing area is also a lie because it is not possible.