The latest of Essential Research’s fortnightly polls, which continue to limit themselves to issue questions in the wake of the great pollster failure, focuses mostly on the Israel Folau controversy. Respondents registered high levels of recognition of the matter, with 22% saying they had been following it closely, 46% that they had “read or seen some news”, and another 17% saying they were at least “aware”.
Probing further, the poll records very strong support for what seem at first blush to be some rather illiberal propositions, including 64% agreement with the notion that people “should not be allowed to argue religious freedom to abuse others”. However, question wording would seem to be very important here, as other questions find an even split on whether Folau “has the right to voice his religious views, regardless of the hurt it could cause others” (34% agree, 36% disagree), and whether there should be “stronger laws to protect people who express their religious views in public” (38% agree, 38% disagree). Furthermore, 58% agreed that “employers should not have the right to dictate what their employees say outside work”, which would seem to encompass the Folau situation.
Respondents were also asked who would benefit and suffer from the federal government’s policies over the next three years, which, typically for a Coalition government, found large companies and corporations expected to do best (54% good, 11% bad). Other results were fairly evenly balanced, the most negative findings relating to the environment (26% good, 33% bad) and, funnily enough, “older Australians” (26% good, 38% bad). The economy came in at 33% good and 29% bad, and “Australia in general” at 36% good and 27% bad. The poll was conducted last Tuesday to Saturday from a sample of 1099.
Also of note:
• A referendum on indigenous recognition may be held before the next election, after Aboriginal Affairs Minister Ken Wyatt’s announcement on Wednesday that he would pursue a consensus option for a proposal to go before voters “during the current parliamentary term”. It is clear the government would not be willing to countenance anything that went further than recognition, contrary to the Uluru Statement from the Heart’s call for a “First Nations Voice enshrined in the Constitution” – a notion derided as a “third chamber of parliament” by critics, including Scott Morrison.
• A paper in the University of Western Australia Law Review keeps the Section 44 pot astir by suggesting 26 current members of federal parliament may fall foul by maintaining a “right of abode” in the United Kingdom – a status allowing “practically the same rights” as citizenship even where citizenship has been formally renounced. The status has only been available to British citizens since 1983, but is maintained by citizens of Commonwealth countries who held it before that time, which they could do through marriage or descent. This could potentially be interpreted as among “the rights or privileges of a subject or citizen of a foreign power”, as per the disqualifying clause in Section 44. Anyone concerned by this has until the end of the month to challenge an election result within the 40 day period that began with the return of the writs on June 21. Action beyond that point would require referral by the House of Representatives or the Senate, as appropriate.
I’m on a roll.
Actually, that statement by Dr Caldicott :
applies equally to how the Falou infraction cannot be dismissed simply because there is no hell (in the opinion of the non hell believer).
Thanks for forbearance. Off to clean up. The winds have been shocking, with wires down and power off for 24 hrs. That was literally 2 days after they clean the road verge to all but bare earth (cleaning debris was their brief they told me when I asked, trying to find out who slashed the phone lines, yes they did) but left overhanging branches, which I also pointed out, to everyone’s discomfort, especially mine, such was the unpleasant response. No names.
(Endeavour Energy)
Fess
The atmosphere on PB has deteriorated to the point where I don’t enjoy reading half the posts.
FFS
Pill testing is tantamount to open slather drug consumption and telling juvies they can sort out their drug taking for themselves.
Just say yes.
How many lives is that going to destroy?
https://voxeu.org/article/economic-policies-can-reduce-deaths-despair
Confessions @ #599 Saturday, July 13th, 2019 – 9:31 am
Yes, I agree. But it sat with me into the new day. The lack of concern for the vulnerable by those whose main claim to comment status is maturity, and therefore imo should know better, I couldn’t let pass with chiding in.
lizzie:
Same here.
Confessions says: Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 9:34 am
phoenixRed:
I hadn’t heard of him either, before this morning. But I’m getting very nervous that the top-ranking Dem candidates simply aren’t up to beating Trump. They are not appealing enough to swing voters, and I can imagine all those stumbles and gaffes are going to be played on high rotation by Team Trump. They’re giving him so much ammunition to work with
***************************************************************
……. and reading many US twitter sites – there seems an air of despondency that the Democrats – especially directed at Nancy Pelosi – is doing “nothing” to reign in Trump in terms of impeachment or dragging in people and questioning them under oath/penalty etc ……maybe she/they have some grand strategy but the lack of action even getting to such legal minds as Laurence Tribe etc
Laurence TribeVerified account @tribelaw
Yes! This has been my view for months now. Avoiding an #ImpeachmentInquiryNow will prove to have been an historic blunder: constitutional, moral, political, global. The price of learning all the wrong lessons from our past will be incalculable & lasting.
lizzie …….fair call
Boerwar @ #603 Saturday, July 13th, 2019 – 9:37 am
Bw, your ignorance on this matter is gobsmacking. I’ve adjusted my feelings toward you, and what you post, which is a bit sad, for me, but whatever.
Australia’s whistle-blower protection laws are anemic.
Australia’s defamation laws are highly solicitous about the reputations of wealthy people.
Those are probably the two most important impediments to freedom of speech in Australia.
Boerwar @ #603 Saturday, July 13th, 2019 – 9:37 am
You really do enjoy digging, don’t you Boerwar?
Confessions and PR
Did you see the C Span post. That happened overnight. Impeachment is “Under Consideration” is the strongest language Senator Nadler has used.
Not we are investigating and then starting impeachment
nath
And yet – especially compared with your stream of anti Shorten comments – I can’t remember a single snark about Morrison from you, not even a slight one.
The only reasonable conclusion is that you like Scotty more than Shorten and di Natale (you’ve made more criticisms of him than you have of Morrison).
phoenixRed:
I can kind of understand not pushing the impeachment thing. It would simply boost Trump and in the febrile current political environment would look like partisan playing of politics. I do however thing House Committee chairs should be calling for inquiries into all manner of things Trump-related, starting with his private profiteering off the office of Potus.
zoomster says:
Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 9:50 am
nath
And yet – especially compared with your stream of anti Shorten comments – I can’t remember a single snark about Morrison from you, not even a slight one.
The only reasonable conclusion is that you like Scotty more than Shorten and di Natale (you’ve made more criticisms of him than you have of Morrison).
_______________________________
I have referred to him several times as a buffoon, but it’s true I do like him more than Shorten, but that says more about Shorten than it does about Morrison. But there are others in the Liberal party room that just crawl under my skin, such as Hunt, Sukkar and Abbott.
Am I willing to ramp up faux hatred on Morrison to prove my progressive credentials? Not really.
As you know to see what Establishment Democrats are thinking see MSNBC.
To see what Progressive’s are thinking see The Young Turks on YouTube or https://majorityreportradio.com/
I think I might have to post my selfie with Mark Latham, which has pride of place on my desk.
Now there was a leader who knew how to treat the party faithful
Nancy Pelosi, Impeachment, and Places in History
Nancy Pelosi has been reluctant to impeach Donald Trump, but denying the reality of his transgressions will only perpetuate his narcissism and enable him politically
Pelosi, more surprisingly, is also ignoring the chief political lesson of the Nixon impeachment. The case against authorizing an impeachment inquiry rests in part on polling, which shows that the public over all remains unconvinced that an impeachment inquiry is warranted—though the number in favor keeps growing
The lesson is simple: on matters as serious as a Presidential impeachment, the opposition must lead, not follow, public opinion; it must examine and develop the evidence in plain view, and not permit the White House to persist in shaping perceptions through concealment and lies.
MORE : https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/nancy-pelosi-impeachment-and-places-in-history
nath
Your hatred of Shorten seems pretty faux, too. If it isn’t just a piece of political theatre, you really do have a problem. It is not normal to hate anyone that much.
OC
Did they do selfies in those days? I’m pretty sure that Latham would have refused them, too – I remember having to FORCE him to interact with the audience at State Conference.
Good morning
and
thanks BK for today’s news roundup.
I was particularly taken with this item 👇👇
Tanya Levin explains what Morrison’s faith means. I had difficulty coming to grips with this!
https://outline.com/LMrm2p
I cannot reconcile what appears to be perfect* bastardry by the Mr. Morrison led government with what I suspect ordinary people would consider Christian behaviour and charity.
I suspect that something else is in play – perhaps being pseudo Churchified as a mask for devious or malicious intentions and behaviour.
So as a balance I present the following ground breaking item from the bastion of ……….(insert favourite adjective to suit taste) The Australian.
Pause in activity as I continue to reinstall computer programs – to wit – Snagit. and Clipboard Manager.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/review/how-to-stand-en-point/news-story/5651d2f09cf57e0ee11625d1fe92ce4c
One should pay close attention to the delicate shade of pink of these shoes designed for the artiste of spirit and soul. The square end is oft said (by rough hewn backblocks yobs) to match the top of head of the jumped up arseholes what think they can piss on the plebs and mention rain and miracles in the same sentence; thereby supposedly fooling the aforementioned ning nong and ding bats of the various constituences.
In support of the above I now offer from The Daily Telegraph the following extraordinary item
https://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/the-scomo-effect-driving-the-housing-bounce/news-story/adcac909838f033535a78e1bdc1c2d48
Wherein veddy veddy noice photos of Mr. Morrison which give a modicum of credence to the opinion that he is standing on one leg, nicely poised on tippy, tippy toe, preparing for the graceful frou frou escapade across stage finishing in a Mikhail Baryshnikov high leap which will be accomplished devoid of safety net.
I now confess that I have no idea whatever as to the meaning of the above sentence and would be gratified if an explanation could be forthcoming (4 words or less).
* Perfect. Perhaps not accurate in the sense that an increase in activity could render the present appear innocuous or even benevolent.
Early elevenses with coffee au lait. ☕
zoomster says:
Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 10:03 am
nath
Your hatred of Shorten seems pretty faux, too. If it isn’t just a piece of political theatre, you really do have a problem. It is not normal to hate anyone that much.
_______________________________
I will let go of my animus for Shorten when you forgive Albo for being rude to you. Frankly, you seem to have a serious issue with him, possibly needing therapy. To use one bad interaction as an excuse to continually run down Albo is not very professional. I know that you were close to Conroy, and that the Shorten/Conroy alliance, i.e, the Shortcons might be dear to you heart, but you should really move on from that. Embrace Albo!
Mark Latham. Eddie Obeid. Two very good examples of why NSW politics is toxic for Labor.
…anyway, I’ve run campaigns, few of those here have, so I understand the protocols and what is considered normal behaviour. If you don’t have that understanding, then of course it’s harder for you to understand what the behaviour signifies.
zoomster says:
I’m pretty sure that Latham would have refused them, too – I remember having to FORCE him to interact with the audience at State Conference.
______________________
Albo just didn’t understand what a powerful force you were. He will pay dearly for that mistake in the days ahead.
Itza
As you once collected holy cards for your missal I Wonder if this is of relevance to the effect of Folau’s outburst.
Do you think that Folau’s views are news to any adolescent who believes in Hell?
From a Catholic point of view, you must know from very early adolescence that any wastage of the sacred sperm (even a quiet J.Arthur) is going to send you to eternal damnation. In the end we all have to make our life decisions and decide how relevant that message is to us as we grow.
I know it can be argued that Folau’s intervention may be more influential as he is a role model for the ever decreasing number of adolescents who follow ARU but what he is saying is nothing new for Hell believers.
I strongly believe he shouldn’t have attracted attention to his beliefs but he is now very much a pawn in the KulturKampf for which “Gay” is the shiboleth
nath
If you’re going to become obsessive about my relationship with Albo, it’s going to get boring. Well, it already is.
zoomster says:
Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 10:13 am
nath
If you’re going to become obsessive about my relationship with Albo, it’s going to get boring. Well, it already is.
__________________
Are you now or have you ever been a member of the grouping known as the Shortcons?
I think the consensus was that Latham was a superb communicator when he talked about himself. Get off that topic and he was a complete arsehole
When did pollie’s dress-ups begin? Was it with Tony Abbott? Before him, I only remember the odd hard hat.
lizzie says:
Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 9:35 am
Fess
The atmosphere on PB has deteriorated to the point where I don’t enjoy reading half the posts.
That many?
nath
No.
I decided right at the start never to join a faction and I never have. I have close friends across all factional groupings.
This has led to some interesting incidents – once I was asked to pick the executive of a committee by the faction which had the numbers. They wanted to include members from other factions, but didn’t know enough about them to know who they should appoint.
zoomster, perhaps Albo was not rude to you. Remember, not long ago you assumed that Albo was Lebanese and that he was somehow tainted by being knowledgeable about various activities undertaken by Lebanese members of the ALP. That all proved grossly incorrect. Perhaps it was you that was being rude, and that he was just returning the feeling. Something to think about.
lizzie
To be fair, you’re often told to dress up. There was a famous incident where Prince Phillip refused to wear the appropriate clothing when visiting a cheese factory, and they had to throw the entire day’s worth of production out as a result.
nath is being obsessive again.
nath says:
Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 9:57 am
Which says much about you and how you judge someone in their role as a politician.
How have the two contributed to make Australia a better place.
Shorten was instrumental in the NDIS becoming a reality, Morrison was instrumental in … … … …
persecution becoming a part of Australia’s make up.
I know I said “better,” but I can’t think of anything else, can you?
Perhaps you went into the meeting with Albo under the impression he was Lebanese and somehow responsible in some way for shenanigans undertaken by other Lebanese members of the ALP. Perhaps your false view of Albanese’s Lebanese heritage and its associations misinformed your attitude.
Pill testing at places where a lot of young people congregate is just good practice harm minimization.
It does not preclude other services at other places to help people end their drug dependence.
Real life usually isn’t a simple morality tale with goodies and baddies.
nath
I have never gone into a meeting with Albo.
Also, you’re being obsessive again.
zoomster
I suppose I was thinking specifically of pollies getting into military (or even space exploration!) gear. Covering up around food production is now compulsory and understandable, although pretending to help on production lines is risible. Perhaps some PR people need retraining!
I have been wrong as far as time lines are concerned re Trump. I believed he would be gone by now. He will not be running again in 2020.
lizzie
Yes, hard to know where the line is between wearing gear as a safety requirement and dressing up.
On the other hand, I once put an Akubra on John Brumby’s head during a street walk and he was furious with me, precisely because he thought it looked like a stunt (but it was the shot the TV used that night…)
attack on other posters is boring.
Zoomster move on I reckon that poster is not worth your energy, he is attacking what is close to you to make himself feel better. Quite sad.
LIzzie @10.17 am:
It is probably because of my aging eyesight, but I keep seeing a very strong likeness to Alexander Downer in Morrison’s face in that photo. it could be the tilt of the head, or the effect of the helmet straps, or the vacuous look or…. anyone else seeing it?
zoomster
It is much more interesting to read of your experiences “at the coalface” than to read the cheap shots by others.
Boerwar
What the kids get at the pill testing tent is not just the results of a pill test.
They also get a non-judgemental, non-threatening discussion with an expert about the nature of drug use. They get the true facts in an atmosphere which focusses on their own future decision making in the knowledge of the facts. It helps them make informed choices. When you think seriously about it, there are not many (if any) other opportunities for them to receive such an experience.
Of course they already have had many opportunities to receive drug advice from threatening and judgemental and non-expert sources, and clearly that did not work. The main reason it did not work is because when one receives info from a judgemental and threatening source, people know the con is on and being unable to work out what is true fact and what is bluff n bluster n crap, their default is to reject the whole lot, even the important bits. Especially young people.
The nath thing and the Folau thing have parallels. Both say something outrageous and irrational and the self appointed moral custodians of PB feel duty bound to respond in some way that they believe paints themself as politically correct.
Rinse and repeat……..
It seems to be a derivative of that well known phenomena of someone being wrong on the Internet and needing to be corrected.
There seems to be a dependency cycle in play. It’s hard to know who is the drug and who is the effect.
‘ItzaDream says:
Saturday, July 13, 2019 at 9:42 am
Boerwar @ #603 Saturday, July 13th, 2019 – 9:37 am
FFS
Pill testing is tantamount to open slather drug consumption and telling juvies they can sort out their drug taking for themselves.
Just say yes.
How many lives is that going to destroy?
Bw, your ignorance on this matter is gobsmacking. I’ve adjusted my feelings toward you, and what you post, which is a bit sad, for me, but whatever.’
What exactly is it about the adolescent brain that tells you it is ready to make choices about legalized drug ingestion?
Ice on toast?