The Essential Research poll series continues to chug along on its fortnightly schedule without offering anything on voting intention, with this week’s survey mainly relating to bushfires and climate change. Support for the proposition that Australia is not doing enough to address climate change have reached a new high of 60%, up nine since March, with “doing enough” down five to 22% and “doing too much” down three to 8%.
However, perceptions of climate change itself are little changed, with 61% attributing it to human activity (down one) and 28% opting for “a normal fluctuation in the earth’s climate”. On the debate as to whether it was appropriate to raise links between climate change and bushfires, opinion was evenly divided – out of those who considered such a link likely, 43% felt raising the matter appropriate compared with 17% for inappropriate, while another 30% rated the link as unlikely.
A further question related to the issue of medical evacuations for asylum seekers, and here the situation is murkier due to the need to provide respondents with some sort of explanation of what the issue is about. As the Essential survey put it, the relevant legislation allows “doctors, not politicians, more say in determining the appropriate medical
treatment offered to people in offshore detention”. Put like that, 62% were opposed to the government’s move to repeal it, including 25% who believed the legislation didn’t go far enough. That left only 22% in favour of the pro-government proposition that “legislation will weaken our borders and result in boats arriving”.
The poll was conducted Thursday to Sunday from a sample of 1083.
BW
The Tories are weaponising the antisemitism trope against Labour. They are taking genuine issues and making out it is greater than it is. As Steve puts it the noise machine is in full flight.
This is why.
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/nov/27/nicola-sturgeon-boris-johnson-is-dangerous-and-unfit-for-office-snp-manifesto
A reminder. For the first time on a US Presidential Debate Stage this November Senator Bernie Sanders said we must treat the Palestinians as the humans they are too.
Netanyahu is like Trump an alleged corrupt politician demonising the other with his right wing agenda for political advantage.
Edit: in case you have forgot. Dutton tried to emulate this attack here but Dreyfus called it out having been forewarned by seeing what was happening to UK Labour
JL
https://www.sbs.com.au/news/jacqui-lambie-will-vote-to-scrap-medevac-laws-on-one-condition
Senator Lambie said on Wednesday afternoon she recognised the government’s concerns about the laws which give doctors a much greater say in bringing refugees in from offshore detention to Australia for medical treatment.
::::
The Tasmanian senator said she supported the government’s strong border protection policies.
“I do not believe this position is undermined by the presence of medevac. But the government has made clear to me that it has concerns with the way that medevac is functioning. I recognise those concerns.”
:::
Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton has argued refugees and asylum seekers can exploit the laws to get to Australia.
While Mr Dutton has refused some medical transfers on national security grounds, he has argued the legislation has limited his powers to turn away transferees over criminal history and character concerns.
‘clem attlee says:
Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 8:44 pm
the enemies of real progressive politics (Boerwar et al) seek to weaponize accusations of anti antisemitism.’
Criticizing anti-semitism is not weaponizing it.
‘They even use it a stick to beat progressive with on here for do’s sake. Were Corbyn the leader of Australian Labor, Boer and his ilk would be going full hrottle on it, they are Tories in all but name.’
Implicit in this sentence is the same implicit construction in Nicholas’ several posts on the topic: that it is impossible to criticize Corbyn’s anti-semitism because, if you DO criticize him for anti-semitism you are weaponizing anti-semitism.
That said, I am 100% glad that Corbyn is not the leader of the Australian Labor Party. His vacillations on Brexit/Remain have almost certainly delivered a hard brexit by way of a Tory majority. He has taken the British Labour Party so far to the extreme Left that he has almost certainly ensured another four years of Tory bastardry.
As for the notion that I am a closet Tory, I call 100% bullshit. Labor is a broad church, pal and not some narrow extremist bunch of self-validating ultra left ideologues.
[Labor accused Mr Morrison of trying to influence the police findings about his minister after the Prime Minister told Parliament he had made the call to Mr Fuller to discuss the “substance” of the investigation.’]
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/scott-morrison-under-fire-over-phone-call-to-police-commissioner-20191127-p53epd.html
Fuller’s compromised himself and should accordingly stand aside until the matter’s resolved either way.
Morrison’s a different kettle of fish, he can’t be stood down, though an awful lot of political capital can be gained if Labor prosecutes the matter to the nth degree. It can start by establishing the personal relationship between him and Fuller.
https://www.nbcnews.com/think/opinion/netanyahu-s-indictment-hurts-trump-trump-s-impeachment-hurts-netanyahu-ncna1089911
Back from listening to what is concerning real people in the regions.
Angus Taylor is sticking out to them like dog’s balls.
People want to know why he can get away with obvious misdeeds when they are jumped on for matters which are a lot less serious? Iow, it’s not passing the pub test.
I predict he will be quietly dispatched over the holidays by Scott Morrison as he ‘refreshes’ his Ministry for the year ahead.
Good night all. I wish you all sweet dreams.
guytaur
Forget about harming Trump.Worry about what Bibi may be ruthless and desperate enough to do to arrange a ‘distraction’ from his current difficulties and what the Trump ‘regime’ may do to assist. They both after all could do with some distraction and by golly war is great for that.
Cat
It’s good to see Albanese belling the cat with Taylor.
By coincidence the Greens are doing the same.
The LNP hate it but Labor and the Greens are same same on this one. 🙂
(Of course so are a lot of independent and other party politicians)
Poroti.
Yes. I believe they made a movie about a President doing that. Hopefully no Wagging The Dog in real life.
Good evening bludgers,
I hope, to a person, that everyone hada a better day than me. I’m sitting here with what looks like a tampon strapped to my face collecting blood and other ooze from my nose after surgery, feeling zonked after the GA and pain-killer and in a mild degree of discomfort. The offending lump has been removed, along with a forest of polyps, and they are all off the the pathologists.
So tell me, should Angus stay or should he go?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BN1WwnEDWAM
DM
I hope you get the all clear with the tests. Fingers crossed.
Of course Taylor should go. However I expect Morrison to destroy democracy. Fits his record so far. As well as being in line with Morrison saying he shares Trump’s values.
A sentiment I think Morrison will regret having said.
How absurd, a full-back to captain the Wallabies, let alone his divisive character:
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/game-they-play-in-heaven-is-having-a-hell-of-a-week-20191127-p53eqy.html
Guytaur,
It’s not just other politicians who are calling out this whole affair.
The amazing thing is that Morrison clearly does not think he did anything wrong by calling Fuller. This was obvious during QT today. He is so used to doing or receiving favours with mates that he doesn’t get how wrong it is.
Link again (thanks Mavis): https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/scott-morrison-under-fire-over-phone-call-to-police-commissioner-20191127-p53epd.html
If Scott Morrison doesn’t realise that what Angus Taylor has been up to goes against Scott’s own carefully-cultivated image as the ultimate do-gooder, then Scott may as well pack up and go home.
People can see that all the ‘values’ that they send their kids to religious schools to get, and which they thought Scott Morrison represented, are not being enforced by Morrison or embodied by Taylor, and they are getting mighty pissed off about it.
The ‘Quiet Australians’ are becoming noisy enough to hear.
Dandy Murray @ #411 Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 – 9:13 pm
And on a lighter, kind of, note:
https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/style/how-drag-queens-have-snatched-the-political-spotlight-in-the-trump-era/2019/11/24/0e197464-0712-11ea-ac12-3325d49eacaa_story.html
ML and Cat
Agree with both of you of course.
It reinforces why Albanese is right to go hard on reforming NSW Labor.
Removing Labor and corruption as an association in voters minds is vital for Labor. Not just in NSW.
This is one area where I have only praise for Albanese in his stated aims.
Dandy Murray @ #411 Wednesday, November 27th, 2019 – 9:13 pm
Well, I guess I did … at least, after a fashion. After waiting over six months for a significant surgical procedure, I had to cancel today because of a bush fire threatening our property. I am now back on the waiting list to get back onto the waiting list. And if you don’t understand that last bit, you have likely never really experienced just how utterly appalling our once lauded public health system has really become 🙁
Still … I hope you feel better soon.
Queensland’s deputy premier Jackie Trad in the news again
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6515512/lnp-to-refer-trad-to-ccc-over-school-hire/?cs=14231
Queensland’s opposition party will refer the state’s deputy premier to the corruption watchdog over accusations she interfered with the search for a Brisbane school principal.
The Liberal National Party’s education spokesman Jarrod Bleijie says a candidate was selected for the position at the new Inner City South State Secondary College but didn’t get the job after meeting with Jackie Trad.
That school is being built in inner city Dutton Park, in Ms Trad’s seat, and will take students from 2021.
C@t,
I think this will be another step leading to his downfall.
The religious vote was a significant part of his success in May
“I hope, to a person, that everyone hada a better day than me.”
All good DM…i did, 🙂
Hope you are feeling better soon,
Ah, that is crap, P1. My commiserations, and I hope the wait isn’t too long.
I nearly missed mine today because my flight from Brisbane to Sydney yesterday was cancelled (as were many others), but I just managed to sneak the one of the last available flights with an alternative carrier. For a premium, of course.
But we can’t help the weather, can we…?
guytaursays:
Wednesday, November 27, 2019 at 8:47 pm
So, you and Sanders want the Palestinians to have a free run at suicide bombings and missile attacks on Israel. I’m sure the Israelis will take note.
Corbyn is likely to lead Labour to a very heavy defeat. For this, UK Jewry will be blamed. Those who spoke against anti-semitism will be blamed. This is sad indeed. Racism is not a monopoly product of the Right, though they do have a strong franchise. The Left are willing to allow a certain latitude to their own as well. How shameful that is.
Buce
Yeah saying we must treat Palestinian’s as the humans they are is sooooooooo giving a pass to the terrorists.
That’s just the idiotic type of thinking that gets in the way of peace. Got to keep up the demonising of them as the other.
Can’t think of them as human. We might get some empathy for the people.
https://www.improbable.com/airchives/classical/cat/cat.html
“So, you and Sanders want the Palestinians to have a free run at suicide bombings and missile attacks on Israel. I’m sure the Israelis will take note.”
Ye gaDs….manure speaks…again. 🙁
This is our Prime Minister. This is what he brings up to justify not standing aside Angus Taylor, trumped-up charges against Julia Gillard that hysterics forced the Victorian Police to investigate:
The Australian has reported that the comments Scott Morrison attributed to Victorian police detective Ross Mitchell about Julia Gillard being under investigation in 2013 in question time, were actually said by Sydney radio host Ben Fordham on 2GB:
From the 2013 story (the quotes Morrison attributed to Mitchell are in bold):
One answer the prime minister gave during a dogged tussle in her interview with Ben Fordham stood out. Mitchell knew it when he heard it. The other detectives knew it too.
Although seemingly innocuous to those not involved in the probe, Gillard’s answer was new and pivotal. It meant police in Melbourne would need a sworn statement from Fordham in Sydney, even though as a journalist he would be expected to subsequently disclose some key facts.
The actions that Mitchell and other police took in seeking further information from Fordham led to him stating in unequivocal terms on his radio show this week something that had been previously cryptically and very carefully inferred – the prime minister is under formal Victoria police investigation as a result of the 18-year-old Australian Workers’ Union fraud. Fordham has kept a pledge to police to not publicly reveal more than this.
He told his audience: “So, let me make this perfectly clear. The prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, is under investigation by police. This is fact. I hadn’t planned to add to what I said yesterday out of respect for the detectives on the case. But if the prime minister’s office wants to deny she’s being investigated, as has been reported last night and today, then I will once again correct that record. Now it needs to be pointed out that the prime minister and her office mightn’t know she’s being investigated. But I know it. And others do too. The detectives are investigating three individuals and one of them is Julia Gillard. Prime minister, you may not know this, but you are currently being investigated by the fraud and extortion squad of the Victoria police force.”
In question time, Morrison said:
I refer to March 2013, Ross Mitchell, a detective in Victoria’s police fraud squad, stated the prime minister Julia Gillard was under investigation over her role in the creation of an AWU slush fund – “Let me make it perfectly clear,” he said, “the prime minister of Australia, Julia Gillard is under investigation by police. This is fact.”
“I hadn’t planned to add to what I yesterday said out of respect for detectives of the case, that if the prime minister’s office wants to deny she’s been investigated as has been reported last night, then today I will once again correct that record.”
Morrison went on to say Gillard didn’t step aside, and he remembered the press conference. But just not who said what.
Scott Morrison will do and say anything to justify his behaviour.
‘Morrison went on to say Gillard didn’t step aside, and he remembered the press conference. But just not who said what.’
Even if his memory was crystal clear, even if it was eidetic, no Minister – let alone Prime Minister – should answer a question in Parliament without at least trying to ensure beforehand that anything he said was true.
We all have occasions where we find we’ve remembered something incorrectly.
And Prime Ministers have staff whose job it is to check their memories for them.
Zoomster
You don’t have to bother when you can say it was an “On Water Matter”
So now we have the PM and a Cabinet Minister misleading the House?
Tee ’em up!
Julia Gillard didn’t step aside because the allegations made against here were bullshit.
Anshel Pfeffer @ Haaretz
https://www.haaretz.com/us-news/.premium-bernie-sanders-cynically-self-serving-guide-to-fighting-anti-semitism-1.8128180
All of the following are possible (with constant demand for electricity from coal):
– by closing a current coal mine we can decrease the CO2 from coal burning, if the closed mine is of coal less “pure” than what remains open
– by closing a current coal mine we can increase the CO2 from coal burning, if the closed mine is of coal “purer” than what remains open
– by opening a new coal mine we can decrease the CO2 from coal burning, if the new mine is of coal “purer” than that which it replaces (it must replace not augment, since demand is constant as above)
– by opening a new coal mine we can increase the CO2 from coal burning, if the new mine is of coal less pure than that which it replaces (this case is quite unusual, of course, as the new miner would be taking a huge and essentially unmanageable risk)
– by closing a current coal mine we can have no effect (neither increase or decrease) on the CO2 from coal burning; if (for example) the coal from the mine is not currently being sold
It seems like it might be simpler to work on the demand side? Or indeed on technology replacement? Why do people want to be supply-side rentiers? What’s the attraction? Technology replacement seems more interesting to me, but I guess that means I’m not “serious”? However, technology replacement is 75%+ of growth, so I’ll back that.
Why is there a gap between 10,33 pm and 11.52 p.m. Are the bludgers all asleep?
They have been sent away for reeducation..
Empathy may not be what it’s made out to be:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/american-political-science-review/article/how-empathic-concern-fuels-political-polarization/8115DB5BDE548FF6AB04DA661F83785E
They found an association between higher empathy and higher partisanship.
The proposed explanation is that the empathy is biased towards one’s “in group”
It may be better (for some people) to be less empathic and more rational, if that leads to reduced bias overall.
EGT
Surely the point is that the demand for energy from coal is not constant. Energy can also be produced by renewables.
Increasing the supply of coal will tend to reduce the price of coal relative to renewables, which will make coal a more attractive option. That is not what the planet needs.
RIP Clive James. I enjoyed his tv show and books back in 80’s
https://www.theguardian.com/culture/2019/nov/27/clive-james-writer-broadcaster-and-tv-critic-dies-aged-80
***
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/why-is-blasphemy-still-a-crime-in-victoria-20191126-p53e9g.html
This was my thought too. Morrison dismisses every question as if it’s the questioner who is “not normal”. He’s refusing to allow the details of the call to be made public. That’s not normal, if there’s nothing to see.
lizzie @ #441 Thursday, November 28th, 2019 – 2:52 am
DAFUQ?!?!?!?!
I wonder what all those “freedom of speech” warriors will make of this.
Danama Papers
Has this bright idea of the Morrison camp really been thought through, when Australia is such a multi-religion society?
A further extract from Fiona Patten’s article in the Age:
***
Lizzie,
The thing I find passing strange is that the entire issue of religious freedom was never an actual issue before Same Sex Marriage became legal.
On another note, I hope all those promoting this idiocy realise they’re given carte blanche to certain sectors of the Muslim community to practice Sharia Law. I also hope they’re aware that freedom OF religion also means freedom FROM religion.
Anyway, it all sounds very unconstitutional to me.
lizzie @ #445 Thursday, November 28th, 2019 – 6:16 am
And we live in the Court of the God-Botherer King. 😐
Jacquie Lambie probably doesn’t even know what blasphemy means. 🙁
Anyway, blasphemy is predicated upon Belief. I just don’t Believe. So, off to the Re-education Camp for me?
Aqualung @ #440 Thursday, November 28th, 2019 – 4:40 am
References are made to other articles well worth reading.
https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2019/nov/27/jonathan-miller-writer-and-director-dies-aged-85