Election plus 11 days

Late counting, a disputed result, new research into voter attitudes, Senate vacancies, and the looming party members’ vote for the state Labor leadership in New South Wales.

Sundry updates and developments:

• As noted in the regularly updated late counting post, Labor has taken a 67 vote lead in Macquarie, after trailing 39 at the close of counting yesterday. However, there is no guarantee that this represents an ongoing trend to Labor, since most of the gain came from the counting of absents, which would now be just about done. Most of the outstanding votes are out-of-division pre-polls, which could go either way. The result will determine whether the Coalition governs with 77 or 78 seats out of 151, while Labor will have either 67 or 68.

• Labor is reportedly preparing to challenge the result in Chisholm under the “misleading or deceptive publications” provision of the Electoral Act, a much ploughed but largely unproductive tillage for litigants over the years. The Victorian authorities have been rather activist in upholding “misleading or deceptive publications” complaints, but this is in the lower stakes context of challenges to the registration of how-to-vote cards, rather than to the result of an election. At issue on this occasion is Liberal Party material circulated on Chinese language social media service WeChat, which instructed readers to fill out the ballot paper in the manner recommended “to avoid an informal vote”. I await for a court to find otherwise, but this strikes me as pretty thin gruel. The Chinese community is surely aware that Australian elections presume to present voters with a choice, so the words can only be understood as an address to those who have decided to vote Liberal. Labor also have a beef with Liberal material that looked like Australian Electoral Commission material, in Chisholm and elsewhere.

• Political science heavyweights Simon Jackman and Shaun Ratcliff of the University of Sydney’s United States Studies Centre has breakdowns from a big sample campaign survey in The Guardian, noting that only survey data can circumvent the ecological fallacy, a matter raised in my previous post. The survey was derived from 10,316 respondents from a YouGov online panel, and conducted from April 18 to May 12. The results suggest the Coalition won through their dominance of the high income cohort (taken here to mean an annual household income of over $208,000), particularly among the self-employed, for which their primary vote is recorded as approaching 80%. Among business and trust owners on incomes of over $200,000, the Coalition outpolled Labor 60% to 10%, with the Greens on next to nothing. However, for those in the high income bracket who didn’t own business or trusts, the Coalition was in the low forties, Labor the high thirties, and the Greens the low teens. While Ratcliff in The Guardian seeks to rebut the notion that “battlers” decided the election for the Coalition, the big picture impression for low-income earners is that Labor were less than overwhelmingly dominant.

• As reported in the Financial Review on Friday, post-election polling for JWS Research found Coalition voters tended to rate tax and economic management as the most important campaign issue, against climate change, health and education for Labor voters. Perhaps more interestingly, it found Coalition voters more than twice as likely to nominate “free-to-air” television as “ABC, SBS television” as their favoured election news source, whereas Labor voters plumped for both fairly evenly. Coalition voters were also significantly more likely to identify “major newspapers (print/online)”.

• Two impending resignations from Liberal Senators create openings for losing election candidates. The Financial Review reports Mitch Fifield’s Victorian vacancy looks set to be of interest not only to Sarah Henderson, outgoing Corangamite MP and presumed front-runner, but also to Indi candidate Steve Martin, Macnamara candidate Kate Ashmor and former state MP Inga Peulich.

• In New South Wales, Arthur Sinodinos’s Senate seat will fall vacant later this year, when he takes up the position of ambassador to the United States. The most widely invoked interested party to succeed him has been Jim Molan, who is publicly holding out hope that below-the-line votes will elect him to the third Coalition seat off fourth position on the ballot paper, although this is assuredly not going to happen. As canvassed in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Financial Review, other possible starters include Warren Mundine, freshly unsuccessful in his lower house bid for Gilmore; James Brown, chief executive of Catholic Schools NSW, state RSL president and the husband of Daisy Turnbull Brown, daughter of the former Prime Minister; Michael Hughes, state party treasurer and the brother of Lucy Turnbull; Kent Johns, the state party vice-president who appeared set to depose Craig Kelly for preselection in Hughes, but was prevailed on not to proceed; Richard Sheilds, chief lobbyist at the Insurance Council of Australia; Mary-Lou Jarvis, Woollahra councillor and unsuccessful preselection contender in Wentworth; and Michael Feneley, heart surgeon and twice-unsuccessful candidate for Kingsford Smith.

• Federal Labor may have evaded a party membership ballot through Anthony Albanese’s sole nomination, but a ballot is pending for the party’s new state leader in New South Wales, which will pit Kogarah MP Chris Minns against Strathfield MP Jodi McKay. The members’ ballot will be conducted over the next month, the parliamentary party will hold its vote on June 29, and the result will be announced the following day. Members’ ballots in leadership contests are now provided for federally and in most states (as best as I can tell, South Australia is an exception), but this is only the second time one has actually been conducted after the Shorten-Albanese bout that followed the 2013 election. As the Albanese experience demonstrates, the ballots can be circumvented if a candidate emerges unopposed, and the New South Wales branch, for one, has an exception if the vacancy arises six months before an election. Such was the case when Michael Daley succeeded Luke Foley in November, when he won a party room vote ahead of Chris Minns by 33 votes to 12.

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.

999 comments on “Election plus 11 days”

Comments Page 1 of 20
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  1. On the research reported in the AFR, I thought it was well know that LNP voters make up a substantial part of the ABC’s audience particularly in the well heeled suburbs and rural & regional Australia, I don’t know that many ALP supporters that watch much of the ABC, its mostly channel 7 or 9 or foxtel and streaming.

  2. In the Guardian article by Sarah Martin linked in previous thread, the potential disagreement between factions of the Labor Party is called a ‘brawl’. I feel this is in line with the derogatory attitude of some journos, and of course, the Libs, towards anyone connected with Unions. It lessons respect. Language matters.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/28/kristina-keneally-frontbench-position-set-to-spark-labor-factional-brawl

  3. Bizarre behaviour from Labor on Keneally. I really wonder if these factional turkeys care about their party and country sometimes.

  4. So, according to the above post-election study outline from Mr Bowe, it WAS Class Warfare, and their class is wot won it for the Coalition.

  5. Scott Morrison got the government re-elected on the back of a budget built on an illusion: that the economy was growing strongly and would go on doing so for a decade. The illusion allowed Morrison to boast about getting the budget back into surplus and keeping it there, despite promising the most expensive tax cuts we’ve seen.

    As Lowe never tires of explaining, it’s the weak growth in wages that does most to explain the weakening growth in consumer spending and, hence, the economy overall. Labor had plans to increase wages; Morrison’s plan is “be patient”.

    The promised budget surplus also sent a message to voters that the Coalition could manage the economy, Bourke reported.

    Oh dear. Bit early to be counting your chickens.

    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/morrison-s-new-economic-worry-reserve-bank-running-out-of-bullets-20190528-p51rty.html

  6. This, on the other hand, is good news:

    Jim Chalmers is being touted as a likely candidate for the high-profile shadow treasury portfolio, taking over from Chris Bowen who was the key architect of many of the party’s controversial economic policies.

  7. I didn’t hear this, perhaps just as well.

    grace pettigrew@broomstick33
    12m12 minutes ago

    #RNBreakfast good grief. Hamish interviews Warren Entsch, Minister for Plastic Straws That Come From Up North, about the greatest threat to the #GBR.. five minutes of tortured #CC denial, incredible.. how much public money is Morrison slinging Entsch for his “envoy” role #auspol

  8. Craig Hill
    ‏ 10h10 hours ago

    Today I learnt that serial killers like Ivan Milat can get medical treatment at the drop of a hat, but refugees on Manus and Nauru can’t.

    Why is no one in MSM highlighting this? Why no comment from govt?

  9. Lizzie,

    In the Guardian article by Sarah Martin linked in previous thread, the potential disagreement between factions of the Labor Party is called a ‘brawl’. I feel this is in line with the derogatory attitude of some journos, and of course, the Libs, towards anyone connected with Unions. It lessons respect. Language matters.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/28/kristina-keneally-frontbench-position-set-to-spark-labor-factional-brawl

    I read the article and thought exactly the same thing. I presume the Guardian needs to be on the drip-feed from Coalition sources to remain relevant, but I am a bit surprised at how enthusiastically they are putting out the red carpet for their new Coalition overlords.

    Also,First Dog on the Moon is a cartoonist who I have enjoyed very much over the years – I actually subscribed to Crikey in the first place for his cartoons – but after he said on twitter that he will now treat Anthony Albanese with the same disdain he treated Bulb Stooten in his cartoons, I actually am starting to wonder the Guardian is just another rag sneering at the working class and unions.

    Anyway, I paid my subscription for the next year recently, and so will reassess my feeling towards the Guardian in a years time.

    I will also not be renewing my Crikey subscription. Our Lord and Master William aside, a lot of the Crikey regular columnists seems to being enjoying quite a bit of schadenfreude that Labor have lost this election. I know Labor are not perfect, far from it, but I feel very strongly that I would prefer the ALP to be in government now rather than the Coalition.

    Anyway,I decided about 2 years ago to give the money I was paying for my Crikey subscription to William, and then did not cancel the Crikey sub. So, now time cancel the Crikey sub.

  10. lizzie @ #2 Wednesday, May 29th, 2019 – 6:35 am

    In the Guardian article by Sarah Martin linked in previous thread, the potential disagreement between factions of the Labor Party is called a ‘brawl’. I feel this is in line with the derogatory attitude of some journos, and of course, the Libs, towards anyone connected with Unions. It lessons respect. Language matters.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/28/kristina-keneally-frontbench-position-set-to-spark-labor-factional-brawl

    Likewise it is always union ‘bosses’, but business ‘leaders’.

    Language does indeed matter.

  11. D&M

    I think it’s Sarah Martin’s background that is influencing her.

    Sarah is an award-winning journalist based in the parliamentary press gallery in Canberra. Prior to joining The West, she worked for The Australian as a federal political reporter and as South Australian political correspondent.

    Like you, I am no longer supporting Crikey.

  12. Itep,

    Bizarre behaviour from Labor on Keneally. I really wonder if these factional turkeys care about their party and country sometimes.

    Are you sure that the Guardian actually knows this? From knowing several the protagonists, I would say that negotiations to form a team are being taken out of context.

    And you know what, the stuff happens in not only all political parties, but in business management and all endeavours where humans need to work n a team. If you think about it, I am sure you have been privy to such negotiations.

  13. @observationpt
    26m26 minutes ago

    Right up until the election, the media relentlessly attacked Labor, mostly for recognising genuine problems and having the audacity to offer solutions.
    Ever since the election, the media has… relentlessly attacked Labor for losing.
    If only we had a govt they could focus on.

  14. Good morning Dawn Patrollers.

    Ross Gittins says it’s a bit of a worry for Morrison as the RBA is running out of bullets. Gittins busts the economic illusion that Morrison spruiked before the election.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/morrison-s-new-economic-worry-reserve-bank-running-out-of-bullets-20190528-p51rty.html
    Latika Bourke looks at how Albanese might set up his shadow ministry.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/bill-shorten-being-considered-for-disability-portfolio-as-kristina-keneally-s-ambitions-thwarted-20190528-p51ryp.html
    And Sarah Martin writes that a factional brawl is set to erupt within the Labor party over concerns the party’s right faction may block Kristina Keneally’s elevation to the frontbench.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/28/kristina-keneally-frontbench-position-set-to-spark-labor-factional-brawl
    Jody Fassina explains why the Hanson threat is now to Labor as opposed to the Coalition.
    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/labor-has-a-problem-and-it-s-name-is-pauline-20190528-p51ry5.html
    Simon Benson reports that the government is set to rol out it’s “big stick” on energy pricing. (Google).

    coalitions-big-stick-for-energy-firms-at-the-ready/news-story/68c4f2ffceda195ae6cbe6b9ca5ab10a

    Michael Koziol writes about Dutton’s new protegé Jason Wood defending his “ African gangs” election effort.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/no-regrets-new-multicultural-affairs-minister-proud-of-campaign-against-african-gangs-20190528-p51s0c.html
    The Conversation takes a closer look at Scott Morrison’s new ministry.
    https://theconversation.com/a-closer-look-at-scott-morrisons-new-ministry-117909
    David Crowe reports that Canavan has claimed a mandate for coal-fired power and backed a new power station proposal. We are going to hear that spurious term “mandate” quite a lot!
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/resources-minister-backs-new-coal-plant-as-labor-reconsiders-climate-policy-20190528-p51s31.html
    The Commonwealth Bank’s incoming home loan applications jumped to a 10-month high in the week following the Coalition’s surprise election win.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/strong-rebound-cba-home-loan-applications-hit-10-month-high-post-election-20190528-p51s2i.html
    The SMH editorial calls for John Setka to stand down from his CFMMEU role given his criminal guilty plea.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/union-boss-needs-to-step-down-from-role-after-guilty-plea-20190528-p51s36.html
    The AFR says that political infighting and a high turnover of leaders has left Australia with waning diplomatic influence across Asia.
    https://www.outline.com/C8Lb2v
    If you are not of Morrison’s faith, your Prime Minister believes you will endure eternal damnation in a lake of fire and brimstone. This is a literal belief — it is not a metaphor, writes Dr Jennifer Wilson.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/getting-a-go-pentecostal-prime-minister-style,12747
    ‘Egg boy’ Will Connolly is donating the crowd-funded $100,000 to help the Christchurch mosque attack survivors.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/oceania/egg-boy-will-connolly-donates-100-000-to-help-mosque-attack-survivors-20190529-p51s5y.html
    According to James Hulme Sydney has to get serious about water recycling.
    https://www.smh.com.au/environment/sustainability/sydney-has-to-get-serious-about-water-recycling-20190528-p51s0h.html
    Elizabeth Knight outlines CBA’s ambitious plans to bring in new customers.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/how-cba-s-comyn-plans-to-spend-5-billion-to-lure-customers-20190528-p51rzx.html
    The fix is in! Defying all odds, prospects for Adani’s coal mine in the Galilee Basin have never looked better. This is a risk for Australia, and the world. Energy expert Tim Buckley reports on the world’s most controversial mining project, Carmichael.
    https://www.michaelwest.com.au/the-fix-is-in-adani-hooks-indias-poor-and-australias-taxpayers/
    Clay Lucas reports that the Victorian government will tackle the state’s flammable cladding crisis – but only where it is the owner of the building.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/government-to-act-on-cladding-crisis-but-only-for-buildings-it-owns-20190527-p51rpr.html
    Malaysia has warned of showing “no mercy” in its war on waste as it prepares to send containers of stinking rubbish back to Australia.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2019/05/29/malaysia-rubbish-australia/
    Australia is on track to achieve 50% renewable electricity by 2030 even without new federal energy policies, according to modelling by the energy analysts RepuTex.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/29/australia-to-achieve-50-renewables-by-2030-without-government-intervention-analysis-finds
    Analysts believe the post-election bounce will not last and are encouraging investors to look outside Australian equities.
    https://www.outline.com/PhT4XX
    The huge pools of capital around the world have pushed valuations towards a peak not seen since before the global financial crisis, says the founder of private equity firm BGH, Ben Gray.
    https://www.outline.com/JxZ96s
    Australia’s public psychiatric system is in slow and painful decline, with “profoundly disillusioned” psychiatrists leaving for private practice, senior specialists warn.
    https://www.smh.com.au/healthcare/overburdened-psychiatrists-abandon-broken-public-system-20190528-p51s3j.html
    The quality of corporate audits by the big four firms in Australia has been questioned by ASIC, a parliamentary committee and the government’s independent adviser on the financial reporting framework and audit quality and there are calls to reveal audit quality data.
    https://www.outline.com/kbYDkx
    The European Union will not renegotiate the Brexit deal that Prime Minister Theresa May agreed, Commission president Jean-Claude Juncker said on Tuesday, as concerns grew that a successor to May could trigger a confrontation with the bloc.
    https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/eu-tells-britain-there-will-be-no-renegotiation-of-brexit-deal-20190529-p51s5e.html

    Cartoon Corner

    David Rowe and the pests Albo might find in Queensland.

    Cathy Wilcox goes to Manus Island.

    John Shakespeare and the Mount Everest issue.

    From Matt Golding.





    David Pope sends Arfur off o Washington.

    Fiona Katauskas is not happy about the treatment of refugees.

    Zanetti sets Albo off for his Queensland tour.

    Sean Leahy and Albo’s Master Voice.

    Jon Kudelka pokes a stick at Morrison’s humility.
    https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/a6d546d72f5e26a4a98b214c6fcc7c0d?width=1024

    From the US.


  15. And come in spinner,

    From this mornings Crikey Early Worm newsletter:

    IT BEGINS

    A “factional brawl” is set to break out over Labor’s senate leadership, with Kristina Keneally of the NSW Right being blocked in her bid for deputy by her own faction, The Guardian reports. South Australian power broker Don Farrell, the current senate deputy, has the backing of the Right, which allegedly sees Keneally as a self-promoter rather than a team player, The Age and SMH report.

    The party will meet on Thursday to confirm its leadership, with sources saying Keneally is gauging support to run anyway, in a move that could cause “deep ructions within the party“. There is currently only one woman — senate leader Penny Wong — in Labor’s leadership team.

    The Age adds that Bill Shorten will likely receive the disability portfolio, and potentially still harbours leadership ambitions.

    The circular new cycle – of course Crikey is just reporting what the other news outlets are saying.

    On the other hand, Crikey has tweaked it business model to appeal to well-heeled small “l” liberals. A smart business decision I suspect, because these people have money, but people like me, who are worried about social justice and equality are pretty openly mocked by the contributors.

  16. Mexicanbeemer @ #1 Wednesday, May 29th, 2019 – 6:06 am

    On the research reported in the AFR, I thought it was well know that LNP voters make up a substantial part of the ABC’s audience particularly in the well heeled suburbs and rural & regional Australia, I don’t know that many ALP supporters that watch much of the ABC, its mostly channel 7 or 9 or foxtel and streaming.

    I’m sure that lots of ALP MEMBERS watch the ABC. ALP VOTERS not so much. Perhaps at least some of ALP members’ obsession about the ABC is a bit of a waste of time.

  17. I don’t recall religious freedom ever being mentioned as an issue during the campaign. Was it even raised during the leaders debates?

    Mr Porter, who is also continuing as Attorney General, said one of the first acts of a re-elected Morrison Government would be putting a religious freedom Bill to Parliament.

    “There was enormous concern in religious Australia,” he said about what Labor would do in government to religious freedoms. “From schools to churches to groups any way involved in organised religion. They were concerned and we saw it become a key issue during the election.”

    Mr Porter said the legislation in response to the Ruddock Expert Panel on Religious Freedom report would be put to Parliament when it returned, likely in July.

    https://thewest.com.au/news/religion-and-belief/religious-freedom-on-top-of-governments-agenda-christian-porter-ng-b881213102z

  18. Albo rebuttle towards Campell Newman:

    Thanks for the advice mate but you went from 78 seats to 42 in one term including losing your own seat and @QLDLabor went from 7 into Govt #JustSaying

  19. Fess

    Religious freedom didn’t need to be in the leaders’ debates if it was being spread throughout social mdia networks. it has been bubbling along since the SSM vote. 🙁

  20. Lenore Taylor: Australia to achieve 50% renewables by 2030 without government intervention, analysis finds.

    ScoMo: How good are we, to achieve Labor’s silly goals without changing our policies?

  21. C@tmomma says:

    So, according to the above post-election study outline from Mr Bowe, it WAS Class Warfare, and their class is wot won it for the Coalition.

    Nah not class, note the voting pattern WB pointed out ) see below). Pretty close to the national results.

    However, for those in the high income bracket who didn’t own business or trusts, the Coalition was in the low forties, Labor the high thirties, and the Greens the low teens.

    It’s the high income lot who benefit from tax lurks, low wages etc etc who vote overwhelmingly for the Spivs.

  22. I really find it hard to extract a para that sums up this article. Possibly, Albo must stop being ‘progressive’.

    Under Mr Shorten, Labor pitched steadily toward the left, with the class-envy rhetoric, the redistributionist tax policies and the mantra that this was the “climate change election”. After campaigning so hard on these issues and falling so dismally, it’s time to retreat.

    To set Labor free from its shackles, Albanese would need to dispel the perception that Labor is a paler shade of the Australian Greens.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-29/anthony-albanese-must-win-labor-base-government-from-coalition/11157474

  23. I have been reading some comments lately mentioning “Gaslighting”.

    Therefore in search of sensible information I downloaded the latest applicable movie (picture) from my regular supplier – ssshh – Pirate Bay.

    https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*yHRDTB_GGsqFYiUySDtb2w.jpeg

    May Whitty as Miss Bessie Thwaites gave a fabulous performance. Mr. Boyer was nasty in a subdued manner and Angela Lansbury was gorgeous and bitchy in her role as the maid. I particularly enjoyed the performance of Heather Thatcher as Lady Mildred Dalroy and Ingrid Bergman as Paula Alquist Anton posted another well deserved Man of the Match performance. Bravo ❗

    So – gaslighting – false information to gullible victim to force desired conclusion or attitude.

    Practical application –

    Practitioner would face subject/victim twirling and spinning his gold fob watch and gesturing hypnotically (à la Mandrake the Magician) and at the same time urinating down the aforementioned victims leg – simultaneously uttering the magic words —

    “It’s raining ❗

    So – children don’t forget to eat your crusts and be kind to mummy.

  24. Zoidlord

    Re China and the rare earths. Could end up giving Australia another big mining boom. The Olympic Dam ore body has huge amounts of rare earths. BHP looked at rare earth extraction there but put it on hold back around the time of the GFC. An increase in price and or supply insecurity could well put it back on the agenda. Back then the numbers bandied about were something like US $1-2 Trillion.

  25. Are there any of Morrison’s Ministers who act in line with their position?

    The new Special Envoy for the Great Barrier Reef has declared the World Heritage site doesn’t need “saving”, while taking a swipe at climate change activists for “indoctrinating” school students who protest the issue in Australia.

    Queensland MP Warren Entsch, who was appointed to the new role on Sunday, acknowledged climate change was a challenge for the reef, but said his priority is to reduce plastic in Australia’s oceans.

    But Mr Entsch said he was unmoved by student climate protesters who frequently targeted his electorate office, saying he had witnessed adults “coaching” some of the young people involved ahead of visiting his office.

    “They’re frightening the living hell out of kids. It’s like child abuse and I think they should be held accountable,” he told SBS News on Tuesday.

    https://www.sbs.com.au/news/new-reef-envoy-warren-entsch-takes-aim-at-coaching-of-kids-over-climate-change?cid=news:socialshare:twitter

  26. poroti @ #30 Wednesday, May 29th, 2019 – 6:24 am

    Zoidlord

    Re China and the rare earths. Could end up giving Australia another big mining boom. The Olympic Dam ore body has huge amounts of rare earths. BHP looked at rare earth extraction there but put it on hold back around the time of the GFC. An increase in price and or supply insecurity could well put it back on the agenda. Back then the numbers bandied about were something like US $1-2 Trillion.

    But, but, but, … we were told by the Bankster’s friend on here that Olympic Dam could never survive as a an ongoing thing if it stopped mining uranium!

  27. Coorey’s speculation.
    Morrison seizes the momentum? He’s appointed a Ministry. What a leader!

    Caucus will meet Thursday to select the new frontbench. In the days afterwards, Mr Albanese will allocate portfolios.

    Former leader Bill Shorten has expressed interest in becoming shadow health minister so he can pursue his Medicare vision, including a boosted cancer program, while sources said it was likely shadow finance minister Jim Chalmers will replace Chris Bowen as shadow treasurer.

    Deputy Leader Richard Marles, who can choose his own portfolio, may keep trade or switch to foreign affairs, taking that from Penny Wong.

    I have also read that Shorten would like NDIS, which would be sensible since he developed it, and would set him against Stuart Robert.

    Marles take Foreign Affairs? Penny, being of Asian extraction as well as streets more capable, would be much better.

    https://www.afr.com/news/politics/national/morrison-seizes-the-momentum-as-labor-tries-to-rebuild-20190528-p51rt4?&utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=nc&eid=socialn:twi-14omn0055-optim-nnn:nonpaid-27/06/2014-social_traffic-all-organicpost-nnn-afr-o&campaign_code=nocode&promote_channel=social_twitter

  28. Douglas and Milko @ #12 Wednesday, May 29th, 2019 – 7:12 am

    Lizzie,

    In the Guardian article by Sarah Martin linked in previous thread, the potential disagreement between factions of the Labor Party is called a ‘brawl’. I feel this is in line with the derogatory attitude of some journos, and of course, the Libs, towards anyone connected with Unions. It lessons respect. Language matters.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/28/kristina-keneally-frontbench-position-set-to-spark-labor-factional-brawl

    I read the article and thought exactly the same thing. I presume the Guardian needs to be on the drip-feed from Coalition sources to remain relevant, but I am a bit surprised at how enthusiastically they are putting out the red carpet for their new Coalition overlords.

    Also,First Dog on the Moon is a cartoonist who I have enjoyed very much over the years – I actually subscribed to Crikey in the first place for his cartoons – but after he said on twitter that he will now treat Anthony Albanese with the same disdain he treated Bulb Stooten in his cartoons, I actually am starting to wonder the Guardian is just another rag sneering at the working class and unions.

    Anyway, I paid my subscription for the next year recently, and so will reassess my feeling towards the Guardian in a years time.

    I will also not be renewing my Crikey subscription. Our Lord and Master William aside, a lot of the Crikey regular columnists seems to being enjoying quite a bit of schadenfreude that Labor have lost this election. I know Labor are not perfect, far from it, but I feel very strongly that I would prefer the ALP to be in government now rather than the Coalition.

    Anyway,I decided about 2 years ago to give the money I was paying for my Crikey subscription to William, and then did not cancel the Crikey sub. So, now time cancel the Crikey sub.

    I’m going to cancel my Crikey sub too. I’m sick to death of Guy Rundle and Bernard Keane constantly sneering at Labor like they were some kind of political herpes.

  29. Winning, by Bob Brown….

    The Lib-kin set out to Green-ant Labor in Queensland. They succeed. Labor’s PV collapses. The protest vote goes to the Far Right Party of Persecution, ON. The worst Lib-Lib government in history returns to power and promptly decides to fund the Galilee railway and build a new coal-fired power plant. The Lib-kin score a memorable Pyrrhic victory and will forever blame Labor for their triumph.

  30. Doesn’t this just say everything about our new insect overlords:

    Goldman Sachs’ CEO picks New York’s best new restaurants

  31. Those Hughes Turnbulls have got a grip on things.

    In New South Wales, Arthur Sinodinos’s Senate seat will fall vacant later this year, when he takes up the position of ambassador to the United States. The most widely invoked interested party to succeed him has been Jim Molan, who is publicly holding out hope that below-the-line votes will elect him to the third Coalition seat off fourth position on the ballot paper, although this is assuredly not going to happen. As canvassed in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Financial Review, other possible starters include Warren Mundine, freshly unsuccessful in his lower house bid for Gilmore; James Brown, chief executive of Catholic Schools NSW, state RSL president and the husband of Daisy Turnbull Brown, daughter of the former Prime Minister; Michael Hughes, state party treasurer and the brother of Lucy Turnbull; Kent Johns, the state party vice-president who appeared set to depose Craig Kelly for preselection in Hughes, but was prevailed on not to proceed; Richard Sheilds, chief lobbyist at the Insurance Council of Australia; Mary-Lou Jarvis, Woollahra councillor and unsuccessful preselection contender in Wentworth; and Michael Feneley, heart surgeon and twice-unsuccessful candidate for Kingsford Smith.

    (Pedant alert – W B, Michael Feneley is a cardiologist as in physician, not a surgeon.)

  32. If Labor’s vote collapses in 2022 and the Greens soars, Labor will only have itself to blame. Because if that result happens, they would have been seen as ‘sitting on the fence’ on the issue of Climate Change.

  33. Poor ALbo, imagine having Shorten behind you. There will be leaks, undermining, the whole game. Shorten will do anything to get back as leader.

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