In through the out door

Sarah Henderson returns to parliament via a Senate vacancy and a hotly contested preselection, as Coalition MPs blow bubbles on electoral “reform”.

Two brief news items to relate on Australian matters, as well as which we have the latest of Adrian Beaumont’s increasingly regular updates on the constitutional mess that is Brexit.

Sarah Henderson, who held the seat of Corangamite for the Liberals from 2013 until her defeat in May, will return to parliament today after winning preselection to fill Mitch Fifield’s Victorian Senate vacancy. This follows her 234-197 win in a party vote held on Saturday over Greg Mirabella, a Wangaratta farmer and the husband of former Indi MP Sophie Mirabella. After initial expectations that Henderson was all but assured of the spot, Mirabella’s campaign reportedly gathered steam in the lead-up to Saturday’s vote, resulting in a late flurry of public backing for Henderson from Scott Morrison, Josh Frydenberg, Jeff Kennett, Michael Kroger and Michael Sukkar.

Also, The Australian reports Queensland Liberal Senator James McGrath will push for the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, of which he is the chair, to consider abolishing proportional representation in the Senate and replacing it with a system in which each state is broken down into six provinces, each returning a single member at each half-Senate election – very much like the systems that prevailed in the state upper houses of Victoria, Western Australia and South Australia in the bad old days before the advent of proportional representation.

Ostensibly motivated by a desire to better represent the regions, such a system would result in a Senate dominated as much as the House of Representatives by the major parties, at a time of ongoing erosion in public support for them. The Australian’s report further quotes Nationals Senator Perin Davey advocating the equally appalling idea of rural vote weighting for the House. The kindest thing that can be said about both proposals is that they are not going to happen, although the latter would at least give the High Court an opportunity to take a stand for democracy by striking it down.

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.

2,838 comments on “In through the out door”

Comments Page 31 of 57
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  1. Senior Liberals say they were told the intelligence community warned the party against preselecting Gladys Liu for the seat of Chisholm before this year’s federal election.

    Two state Liberal MPs and a former senior staffer have confirmed to the Herald Sun they were told in 2018 that “men in grey suits” had warned a senior party official there were concerns about Ms Liu’s links to the Chinese Communist Party and that it would not be wise for the Liberal Party to preselect her.

    https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/liberal-party-told-of-security-concerns-over-liberal-mps-links-to-the-chinese-communist-party/news-story/e972a5da7fa8d3f4fa16cdc6a7cee3a7

  2. I love how some of the Islander players fall on their knees and pray after a game where they have tried their best to remove the heads of their opponents

  3. Wally Lewis doing a bit of understatement

    [Broncos set for ‘uncomfortable return home’

    By Wally Lewis17:41
    Brisbane’s worries continue as Moera crosses over for the Eels’ eighth, followed by a ninth from Moses moments later.

    A 46-point deficit now ensuring a very uncomfortable return flight home for the Broncos.]

    Siebold will get the punt

  4. Oakeshott Country (AnonBlock)
    Sunday, September 15th, 2019 – 3:03 pm
    Comment #1510

    A massive anti-abortion rally in Hyde Park addressed by…. the Hon. Tony Abbott

    What just him and Craig Kelly?

  5. Boerwar
    says:
    Sunday, September 15, 2019 at 5:58 pm
    … maybe change her name to something like: ‘Gladys In Lieu’
    _________________________________
    Listen mate. There was only one Oscar Wilde. GG and you seem to be competing for who has the sharpest wit. Is it witty to say that is reality you are competing for the title of the biggest fuckwit?

  6. SMH since Nine Media is awful: real estate spruiks, The Block, STAN, Reality TV, celebrity gossip, Karl Stefanovich’s latest adventure, and some news in the cracks between.

    It’s slow to refresh, confusing to use, and absolutely chews up bandwidth with its constant pop up ads changing all the time.

    Just dreadful.

  7. Greensborough Growler
    says:
    Sunday, September 15, 2019 at 6:00 pm
    Boerwar @ #1507 Sunday, September 15th, 2019 – 5:56 pm
    GG
    Maybe she should change her name again?
    Perhaps Sum Ting Wong?
    __________________________
    I’m sure Penny Wong would be so grateful to have an ALP member such as yourself.

  8. Bushfire Bill @ #1522 Sunday, September 15th, 2019 – 4:35 pm

    SMH since Nine Media is awful: real estate spruiks, The Block, STAN, Reality TV, celebrity gossip, Karl Stefanovich’s latest adventure, and some news in the cracks between.

    It’s slow to refresh, confusing to use, and absolutely chews up bandwidth with its constant pop up ads changing all the time.

    Just dreadful.

    Ever since they started putting auto play videos in their articles I’ve shied away from SMH/Age, only opening those which I’m really, REALLY interested in reading.

  9. nath:

    [‘Listen mate. There was only one Oscar Wilde. GG and you seem to be competing for who has the sharpest wit. Is it witty to say that is the reality you are competing for the title of the biggest fuckwit?’

    Wilde was indeed a wit, which few could match.

  10. I reckon my SpellChecker is on the money, always changes:

    Gladys Liu to Gladys IOU

    As they say, who pays the piper chooses the tune..

  11. Apparently Gladys Liu’s Herculean efforts from her anti Labor operation in Box Hill also helped Michael Sukkar survive his near death experience, plus aiding Alan Tudge and Josh Frydenburg. No wonder the Liberals are hanging onto her for dear life.

    Also, don’t forget, as well as the big turnaround in Queensland and WA, there was a 12% swing away from Labor between the State election and the federal election in Victoria.

    There is also this to consider:


    MsRebeccaRobins
    @MsRebeccaRobins

    #insiders Shorten was just 3999 votes from Government 1090 of those votes were from Chisholm 60% of those votes came 5 booths mainly Nursing homes with a high degree of Chinese living in them who filled out their ballots ? AEC anyone home ?

  12. C@t @ 3:50PM.
    “Compare the pair:
    a. How many Americans are killed in skateboard accidents.
    b. How many Americans are killed in mass murder incidents involving AR-15 and AK-47 guns. “

    Also:
    c. How many crimes have been committed with skateboards?
    d. How many skateboarders have deliberately set out to kill people?
    e. How many mass casualty incidents have been caused by people using skateboards?

  13. Mavis Davis @ #1526 Sunday, September 15th, 2019 – 6:45 pm

    nath:

    [‘Listen mate. There was only one Oscar Wilde. GG and you seem to be competing for who has the sharpest wit. Is it witty to say that is the reality you are competing for the title of the biggest fuckwit?’

    Wilde was indeed a wit, which few could match.

    I always forgive my enemies. Nothing annoys them so much.

  14. KayJay:

    Thanks again for your technical advice. I think I’ve worked it out but, on reflection, I’ve come to the conclusion that to block another is counterproductive – it’s often entertaining.

  15. #insiders Shorten was just 3999 votes from Government 1090 of those votes were from Chisholm 60% of those votes came 5 booths mainly Nursing homes with a high degree of Chinese living in them who filled out their ballots ? AEC anyone home ?
    ______________________________
    Yeah cos all non-Chinese nursing homes strongly vote ALP!

  16. Shorten was just 3999 votes from Government
    possibly ranks among the most delusional things I have read since Billy (Used Condom) Sneddon said We didn’t lose the election, we just didn’t get enough votes on May 18 1974

  17. There are so many “hard times” stories currently on TV news regarding the drought. It only looks like getting harder for the farmers.

    Yet they keep voting for the Nationals, who sell their water to rich agri-business party donors, then turn around and tell small farmers that all they can do is pray for rain.

    You can’t help but think they asked for it.

  18. spreading santorum (san-TOR-um) n.
    1. The frothy mixture of lube and fecal matter
    that is sometimes the by-product of anal sex.
    ______________________________
    I think its time I shared the spreading sprocket definition for the edification of the PB community.

  19. Oakeshott Country says:
    Sunday, September 15, 2019 at 7:20 pm
    Shorten was just 3999 votes from Government
    possibly ranks among the most delusional things I have read since Billy (Used Condom) Sneddon said We didn’t lose the election, we just didn’t get enough votes on May 18 1974
    _____________________________
    Sounds like a classic Gollism to me!

  20. Oakeshott Country @ #1540 Sunday, September 15th, 2019 – 7:20 pm

    Shorten was just 3999 votes from Government
    possibly ranks among the most delusional things I have read since Billy (Used Condom) Sneddon said <We didn’t lose the election, we just didn’t get enough votes on May 18 1974

    Votes are like free kicks at the football. It doesn’t really matter how many you get. It’s where you get them and when you get them!

  21. GG:

    Lars, nath, Edwina are attempting to make their mark, where one can be so easily dissuaded, with just a mere sample of your wit – give them a chance. I’m sure you’re not so hard?

  22. ‘Bushfire Bill says:
    Sunday, September 15, 2019 at 7:22 pm

    There are so many “hard times” stories currently on TV news regarding the drought. It only looks like getting harder for the farmers.

    Yet they keep voting for the Nationals, who sell their water to rich agri-business party donors, then turn around and tell small farmers that all they can do is pray for rain.

    You can’t help but think they asked for it.’

    There is something like a growing north/side divide operating here, IMO. Upstream v downstream. It is one of the reasons why the Shooters and Fishers have done well against the Nats in the southern half of the MDB, IMO.

  23. spreading sprocket (sprock-et)n.
    1. Repetitive re-posting of material in a catty and spiteful way in the hope of creating an impression of misconduct or dishonesty against a target.

  24. Rex Douglas says:
    Sunday, September 15, 2019 at 7:19 pm
    C’mon guys give me something positive re your party… anything …?
    ________________________________________
    Very good at raising cash from dubious sources?

    Being against Adani before being for Adani?

    Starving out the single mothers on a benefit?

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