Possible (or possibly not) federal by-election news:
• The Australian Electoral Commission has petitioned the Federal Court to reject challenges against the federal election results in Chisholm and Kooyong. The challenges relate to Chinese-language Liberal Party signage that appeared to mimic the AEC’s branding, and advised voters that giving a first preference to the Liberal candidates was “the correct voting method”. As reported by The Guardian, the AEC argues that “the petition fails to set out at all, let alone with sufficient particularity, any facts or matters on the basis of which it might be concluded that it was likely that on polling day, electors able to read Chinese characters, upon seeing and reading the corflute, cast their vote in a manner different from what they had previously intended”. This seems rather puzzling to my mind, unless it should be taken to mean that no individuals have been identified who are ready to confirm that they were indeed so deceived. Academic electoral law expert Graeme Orr argued on Twitter that the AEC had “no need to intervene on the substance of a case where partisan litigants are well represented”.
• Talk of a by-election elsewhere in Melbourne was stimulated by Monday’s column ($) from acerbic Financial Review columnist Joe Aston, which related “positively feverish speculation” that Labor’s Shadow Attorney-General, Mark Dreyfus, would shortly quit his Melbourne bayside seat of Isaacs with an eye to a position on Victoria’s Court of Appeal. Aston further reported that Dreyfus hoped to be succeeded by Fiona McLeod, the prominent barrister who gained a 6.1% swing as Labor’s candidate for Higgins in May. Dreyfus emphatically rejected such “ridiculous suggestions” in late August, saying he was “absolutely committed to serving out this term of parliament”, and again took to Twitter on Monday to say he would be “staying and fighting the next election”. Aston remains unconvinced, writing in Tuesday’s column ($) that the suggestions derived from “high-level discussions Dreyfus has held on Spring Street with everyone from Premier Daniel Andrews, former Attorney-General Martin Pakula, his successor Jill Hennessy and his caucus colleagues”, along with his “indiscreet utterances around the traps”.
Federal preselection news:
• Jim Molan has won the endorsement of both Scott Morrison and the conservative faction of the New South Wales Liberal Party to fill the Senate vacancy created by Arthur Sinodinos’s departure to become ambassador to the United States. However, the Sydney Morning Herald reports this is not dissuading rival nominee Richard Shields, former deputy state party director and Insurance Council of Australia manager, and the runner-up to Dave Sharma in last year’s keenly fought Wentworth preselection. Shields’ backers are said to include Helen Coonan, former Senator and Howard government minister, and Mark Neeham, a former state party director. Earlier reports suggested the moderate faction had been reconciled to Molan’s ascendancy by a pledge that he would only serve out the remainder of Sinodinos’s two-year term, and would not seek re-election in 2022.
• Rob Harris of The Age reports the Victorian Liberals are considering a plan to complete their preselections for the 2022 election much earlier than usual – and especially soon for Liberal-held seats. The idea in the latter case is for challengers to incumbents to declare their hands by January 15, with the matter to be wrapped up by late February or early March. This comes after the party’s administrative committee warded off threats to members ahead of the last election, most notably factional conservative Kevin Andrews in Menzies, by rubber-stamping the preselections of all incumbents, much to the displeasure of party members. Other preselections are to be held from April through to October. Also proposed is a toughening of candidate vetting procedures, after no fewer than seven candidates in Labor-held seats were disendorsed during the period of the campaign.
Self-promotion corner:
• I had a paywalled piece in Crikey yesterday which noted the stances adopted of late by James McGrath, ideological warror extraordinaire and scourge of the cockatoo, in his capacity as chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, which is presently conducting its broad-ranging inquiry into the May federal election. These include the end of proportional representation in the Senate, the notion that parliamentarians who quit their parties should be required to forfeit their seats, and — more plausibly — the need to curtail pre-poll voting.
As Lizzie and others said earlier,
This issue re Houston and Morrison is one worth pursuing.
It is certainly one that rattles Morrison, which makes it all the more interesting.
Just why it rattles him is the question.
Maude Lynne @ #1800 Monday, October 14th, 2019 – 10:07 pm
But, you just keep on trying to get through!
Confessions @ #1788 Monday, October 14th, 2019 – 6:38 pm
Just saw on the news that he’s only on a “one year deal”. That doesn’t sound like a great deal of commitment from him or Carlton.
Where does “The law is an ass” expression come from?
Friend came up against a magistrate last Friday who dismissed her case, brought by the Police, where an assault was reported. Even there was both a 000 call made at the time by an independent witness who saw the assault, with said witness being distressed enough to then go to police to make a statement shortly after.
Friend had to leave family home, leaving her and child’s possessions. Said assailant changed locks and refused to let her get her and child’s stuff. So she went through courts, asking for a “property order (?)”, complete with receipts for her and child’s stuff.
Case dismissed. Lucky Police brought charges rather than friend, or costs would have been awarded against her. So, she cannot redeem her property.
Because I am good @research, I did I quick check on magistrate. There are a whole string of articles in SMH about magistrate presiding, none of which I want to point my friend to.
Worst, to me, was case before said magistrate of driver who ran over and killed a person sleeping on a mattress on the street / footpath. 31 year old person. Dead.
Said magistrate found driver not guilty of “negligent driving” because the case just showed how Sydney had become infested with rubbish, and hence it was easy to run over rubbish and kill someone.
FFS – neg driving – what – 4 points off licence and a fine less that $500?
Try reading the second word as a verb.
Danama Papers @ #1803 Monday, October 14th, 2019 – 10:11 pm
He had a three year deal on offer from Gold Coast and came back home instead.
William Bowe @ #1805 Monday, October 14th, 2019 – 10:13 pm
What’s Freo done in the draft apart from fuck up?
Frank Houston founded Sydney Christian Life Centre, which would eventually come under the leadership of his son Pastor Brian Houston before merging into Hillsong Church.
Frank was a paedophile. Brian allegedly failed to investigate his actions.
Could be guilt by association, if not accessory after the fact.
Morrison is a close friend of Brian.
Just how much Morrison knows about this stuff is a good question.
Morrison has skeletons in the cupboard.
He was rattled today.
And I have not yet even answered my second friend who is also getting a raw deal from the law.
I would not have though I would be of a demographic that is regularly on the wrong side of the law.
Do I know too many middle-aged females who are vulnerable to be chucked out of their homes because partner has decided they are no longer needed, and who put too much into building a “partnership”?
Marriage does not seem to be the issue. Married or not, if you are female and partner with someone later in life, you seem to take all the caring role and risks, with no benefits whatsoever.
Grumble 🙁
Dan P:
He’s in the twilight of his career, so a one year deal isn’t unusual. As I said before, my view is that Betts should never have been let go in the first place.
D&M:
The rising face of homelessness in Australia is older women. Principally because of the reasons you’ve identified, but also insecure attachment to the labour market, lack of superannuation, and haphazard work history that doesn’t give them a ‘career’ as such, but casual or part-time employment.
Greensborough Growler @ #1807 Monday, October 14th, 2019 – 7:15 pm
3 years at Gold Coast is equal to 1 year at another club. That makes sense. Or, it might not actually be 3 years at GC – it just seems that long. 😀
Danama Papers @ #1813 Monday, October 14th, 2019 – 10:24 pm
You are struggling aren’t you!
Confessions @ #1810 Monday, October 14th, 2019 – 7:20 pm
That makes sense.
Doesn’t seem right D&M. I thought if an assault had been reported the assaulter would be removed by the police and an interim order faxed to a magistrate to protect your friend. That’s how it’s done in Victoria I believe.
They really needed to have the Foreign Affairs Minister on this Qanda. But true to form with this govt, they hide their ministers away from scrutiny.
Fess,
Very well stated. I was grumbling about particular things today, but all of the above factors lead to many women over the age of 50 living in poverty.
A family friend, of my parents generation, was a High Court judge, Mary Gaudron. She was definitely before her time, and when thought I was doing it tough, I used to remember her strength.
But I do remember her putting in a dissenting judgement as a panel of three hight court judges (from memory), about a disputed estate, saying that “A woman should not end up financially worse off than she was before she married”.
Said woman did end up worse off, and this is a bad week for me, as some of my friends as worse off now.
You would think that kids would be happy to see their older parents be happy with a partner, and not want to punish the partner for caring for their parent.
Once again, l grumble, grumble, grumble.
I thought one of the better Qandas- remarkable what an intelligent, non smart arse moderator can elicit
D&M:
Add in domestic and family violence, another issue that disproportionately impacts women and children, and as I understand it, the leading cause of homelessness here in my community, and there’s your tri-axis: older women, women with children escaping family violence, and young people couch surfing and utilising informal accommodation arrangements. The typical image of your rough sleeping older drunk man does not represent the predominant homeless person of today.
sprocket:
Yes whoever he was, he outshone Tony Jones and go-to stand in of Annabel Crabb.
nath,
That is what I thought. However, the assaulter’s previous partner owned the home, so my friend had to leave. Our sisterhood (friends network) got her looked after.
But, I still thought that some justice would be done. But no, the magistrate decided she had left of her own volition, showing that she was not scared or something.
But, I must say, the search on the magistrate in question brought up a large number of Fairfax articles on controversial judgements by said magistrate.
As I said to friend, trying to put on a positive spin, it pales in comparison to the judgement that a 31 year old person killed by driver while sleeping on a mattress on footpath / street was ‘just part of the rubbish problem overwhelming Sydney”, and the driver who ran them over was not even guilty of negligent driving: https://www.moreechampion.com.au/story/5986606/magistrate-admonishes-sydney-waste-problem/
Don’t forget what happened to me. I was a high-earning professional who stopped work to have 2 kids in quick succession. However, the second one was born with a severe congenital syndrome, so I had to stop work completely and become his Carer.
Long story short, add in my husband contracting Multiple Myeloma after we had moved the young family back from WA to NSW, renting because I had to sell my house to pay off the debts from my business, which we found we had been ripped off in a massive way in due to dodgy Goodwill and Stock Count assessments, which we only discovered when we went to sell it and move on, and I am in the position now where I have virtually nothing to my name. Definitely no Super and no other Fixed Assets. And the house I rent cheaply is finally for sale, so we may have to move to a more expensive place. Oh, and my son just lost his job.
So, if something goes wrong and no longer adds up, it’s into the cars we go. At least we will have 2 to live in.
Douglas and Milko
says:
As I said to friend, trying to put on a positive spin, it pales in comparison to the judgement that a 31 year old person killed by driver while sleeping on a mattress on footpath / street was ‘just part of the rubbish problem overwhelming Sydney.
____________________________
I have spent quite a few years now living outside the city mainly and I feel like I have lost touch with what is happening. I was in Melbourne recently was separately approached by two young women, both obviously homeless, with stains on their clothes. One asked for money, which I obliged. The other wanted me to buy her a meal. She looked very thin.
This is from today’s Womens Agenda:
https://womensagenda.com.au/latest/australia-should-brace-itself-for-a-tsunami-of-homeless-women-over-the-next-20-years/
Much as I liked many things that Hawke and Keating did, the superannuation system is not one of them.
It does nothing to protect most divorced or seperated women from poverty and homelessness.
Broken careers spent caring for children and others mean insufficient super accumulated to live on.
Hawke and Keating should instead have re-created the National Welfare Fund, which was legislated by Curtin and Chifley for the specific purpose of providing for a decent pension for older Australians.
It was funded by a 7.5% levy on Income, much like the medicare levy is today.
By 1950 the Fund was flush with 100 million pounds.
Menzies legislated to roll it all into Consolidated Revenue, but kept the levy as part of Income Tax.
It has never gone away, simply re-purposed to pay for pork barrels.
In the US, people are entitled (after 10 years of contributions) to Social Security Payments (including retirement, disability, dependant, survivor and death benefits) from a fund dedicated to that purpose. It is a seperate fund, that can’t be spirited away by politicians.
Our National Welfare Fund was meant to be the same.
If it still existed it would be paying a decent amount, enough to live on, to older women, instead of allowing them to live in poverty and homelessness as our unchristian gov’t does today.
A lot of the recent poverty created in Australia has to do with both Labor and the Coalition and their assault on the single parenting payment outlined in this excellent piece:
https://theconversation.com/its-not-just-newstart-single-parents-are-271-per-fortnight-worse-off-labor-needs-an-overarching-welfare-review-107521
Maude Lynne,
Australia was finally going to see the beginnings of a redress of the Superannuation system to take into account the ‘woman problem’ via a policy which I started work on when I was a Senate Intern for Labor. It was one of the happiest days of my life when Tanya Plibersek announced it before the election.
Sadly, greed for what people already had, won the day. 🙁
Seriously? That is awful C@t, what terrible news!
ML:
I will always be a supporter of compulsory superannuation. It isn’t perfect, as you’ve outlined, but it’s better than the Tory alternative of leaving the masses to the scrap heap of the aged pension or worse.
Confessions @ #1829 Monday, October 14th, 2019 – 11:13 pm
Yep, seriously. Worst case scenario, of course. We have friends in the community who would probably help us out, so they have said, fingers crossed. But you never know until they come good on their promise. The house hasn’t sold yet as well. So we’re okay for the moment.
A bit of history for those who want more information…….
1942-1943
As a Wartime measure, the Federal Government gained sole control over Australian Income Tax. Labor Prime Minister ( Ben Chifley ) introduced three bills to establish the National Welfare Fund, to be financed by a Compulsory Contribution (levy) of one and sixpence in the Pound (20/- ) (ie 7.5%) on all personal income.
1946
Opposition Leader ( Robert Menzies ) stated that the Compulsory Contribution (levy) should be kept completely separate. That it should be shown separately on the Taxation Assessment and paid straight into a “TRUST” account and not mixed with the General Revenue.
Menzies said “The stigma of charity should be removed from the Age Pension.” ”It should be an entitlement earned by the person’s personal contribution to the fund.”
Prime Minister Chifley agreed and established The National Welfare fund as at 1/1/1946. A “Trust” Fund with the Parliament as “Trustee.”
The Compulsory Contributions (levy) commenced as at 1st January 1946.
It was shown separately on the personal Tax Assessments for 1946, 1947, 1948, 1949 and 1950
and the compulsory levy was properly paid straight into the Special “Trust” fund
and Welfare claims were paid out of the fund.
The balance in the fund in 1950 was almost 100 Million Pounds.
1949 Robert Menzies became Prime Minister and he introduced Bills to amend the acts governing the National Welfare Funds.
The Compulsory Contributions (levy) was then grouped with the Taxation Assessment and appeared as one amount on the Taxation Assessments and was paid as one straight into the Consolidated Revenue Account.
1951-1985
The Compulsory levy of 7.5% now included in the tax continued to be collected and placed in the Consolidated Revenue Account treated as General Revenue and spent, until 1985.
1974-1975
Labor Prime Minister ( Gough Whitlam ) abolished income test for all persons 70 years of age and over and paid pensions to all people over that age.
1975
Liberal Prime Minister ( Malcolm Fraser ) cancelled the Withlam achievement of abolishing the test for all 70 years of age and over.
1977
Liberal Prime Minister ( Malcolm Fraser ) with Treasurer Philip Lynch ) transferred the balance in the Welfare Fund Account ( approximately $ 470.000.000 ) to Consolidated Revenue Account
And this is why older Australians get angry when our politicians try to rewrite history and declare that the Aged Pension is welfare.
It simply is not.
It is an entitlement to which ALL older Australian Citizens (who are entitled to Medicare) are entitled.
They paid the 7.5% levy for it during their working lives so that they, and their partners, could live comfortably in retirement.
Did I say Entitled? No Robodebt or other tortures.
No Assets test.
Anyway, I have to get going pretty early tomorrow morning to see my son’s boss and demand an Employment Separation Certificate from him. He’s been playing silly buggers and won’t give him one. And we can’t get Centrelink payments for him without it.
Life, huh? It gives you lemons sometimes.
Australia is just becoming like bloody America!
C@t:
Well hopefully the house doesn’t sell. Failing that, I hope you land in a good place.
Confessions,
yes, the aged pension now is completely inadequate for the task.
Plus the current Tory gov’t uses it, via CentreLink, as a way to harrass those least able to defend themselves.
It should not be this way.
If the Tories had their way they would make Medicare the same – a payment reserved for those who pass some onerous income and assets test.
A legislated fund, dedicated to the purpose of providing pensions (all types), medicare, and other services we call ‘welfare’ would be a better way.
No stigma should be the aim.
In some ways, worse.
In some US cities they can’t sell the apartment you are renting and kick you out.
NSW has very little protection for tenants.
I hope your luck improves, C@t.
Best wishes for you and your son.
Confessions @ #1834 Monday, October 14th, 2019 – 11:26 pm
Thanks, ‘fess. We’ve managed so far. So we hope our luck doesn’t run out and things work out. 🙂
Hmm
must be time for bed
Thanks, Maude Lynne. 🙂
Anyway, some light humour to go to bed with. And yes, it’s courtesy of a Pauline Hanson Senate stunt:
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2019/10/14/pauline-hanson-senate-vote/
Decent sentiments, but misguided. You can’t just apply special measures to one industry. It’s also what’s wrong with the ‘Big Stick’ legislation.
Would anyone miss her?
Sense seems to be reasserting itself in Labor.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/oct/14/labor-mps-condemn-suggestion-they-adopt-coalition-climate-change-policy
C@t,
That is shocking news ….am so sorry to hear that.
Your advocacy under these stressful circumstances is truly admirable!
Maude Lynne, thanks for the history lesson!
Thank you Maude Lynne
Jesus freaking christ! The people following Donald Trump are criminally insane!
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/2019/10/15/trump-fake-video/?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Morning%20News%20-%2020191015
😯
Morrison’s appeal for more prayer is just part of his almost unbelievable hypocrisy. With apologies for making anyone feel nauseous over breakfast, I’m posting this part of his maiden speech.
Mea culpa
Last night at 11:20pm I quoted, without attribution, from an article written by Wayne Glew (2008, source unknown) entitled “THE TRUTH ABOUT PENSIONS DEFIES THE LIES OF OUR LEADERS”, about the brief history of the National Welfare Fund. The History notes are his, not mine.
I have traced it to
http://www.bfcsa.com.au/index.php/entry/the-truth-about-pensions-and-the-lies-of-our-leaders
My apologies to Wayne and William.
https://fivethirtyeight.com/features/elizabeth-warren-rise-hasnt-come-at-joe-biden-expense/