The fortnightly Essential Research poll is out and, perhaps unsurprisingly for what will surely be its last survey for the year, it does not break its post-election habit of not publishing numbers on voting intention. What it does have is the monthly leadership ratings, which record little change for Scott Morrison (approval steady at 45%, disappoval up two to 43%) and favourable movement for Anthony Albanese (up two on approval to 39%, down six on disapproval to 28%). There is no preferred prime minister rating, but we do get evaluations on how the leaders have performed since the election: 11% say Scott Morrison has exceeded expectations, 41% that he has met them and 47% that he has fallen short of them, with Albanese’s respective ratings being 8%, 48% and 44%.
Also:
• The regular end-of-year question on for whom this has and hasn’t been a good year suggests people leaned positive about their own circumstances, albeit less so than last year; that it was a much better year for the government, which is hard to argue with on a purely political level; that it was a bad yet still much better year for “Australian politics in general”, the improvement presumably relating to the lack of a prime ministerial leadership coup; and that things were unambiguously positive only for large companies and the Australian cricket team.
• After two years of legalised same-sex marriage, 47% say it has had a positive impact, 15% negative and 38% neither.
• There remains negative sentiment towards unions, whom 49% say have too much power compared with 37% who disagreed. Fully 68% thought union officials should be disqualified merely for breaching administrative laws, with only 18% in disagreement, while 51% thought unions should be disqualified for taking unprotected industrial election, with 32% disagreeing. However, 62% agreed the government was “more concerned about the actions of union officials than the CEO’s of banks and other corporations”.
• Thirty-five per cent thought Scott Morrison should have stood Angus Taylor down from cabinet with 17% supporting his position, while 48% conceded they had not been following the issue.
• There was overwhelming support for the establishment of a federal ICAC, at 75% with only 8% opposed.
The poll was conducted Thursday to Sunday from a sample of 1035 respondents drawn from an online panel.
‘Political Madness!’ Trump melts down over pending articles of impeachment release
President Donald Trump started off Tuesday morning in a frothy rage — hours before Democrats were scheduled to release two articles of impeachment.
Trump raged against the constitutional process that’s consuming his presidency.
“To Impeach a President who has proven through results, including producing perhaps the strongest economy in our country’s history, to have one of the most successful presidencies ever, and most importantly, who has done NOTHING wrong, is sheer Political Madness!#2020Election,” Trump tweeted.
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/12/political-madness-trump-melts-down-over-pending-articles-of-impeachment-release/
Putin’s ‘long game’ is to ‘destroy western democracies’ — and the GOP is helping him: Former CIA officer
Finley writes, Putin’s government is not only trying to undermine western liberal democracy in the United States, but also, in Italy, France, Germany and other countries that have long been U.S. allies.“Congressional Republicans have become pansies of Putin in a much larger game,” Finley warns. “This is not about one election or even two elections. Putin is playing a long game aimed at changing the international system in his favor, and Republicans are aiding and abetting him. Does the party of Ronald Reagan really want to be an accomplice to the destruction of the U.S.-led liberal world order?”
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/12/putins-long-game-is-to-destroy-western-democracies-and-the-gop-is-helping-him-former-cia-officer/
Sprocket in last thread, quoting Australian
The Oz’s opinion, of course, taken with a pinch of salt.
Well goodness gracious me, they must have been very bad at their job. I thought one of the problems was that the messages weren’t spun enough and failed to get through.
lizzie @ #688 Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 – 6:50 am
He’s perfectly correct, of course. Most Australians don’t give a crap about the rest of the world. Just like our disgraced cricketers, they somehow still believe Australia “leads the world” and therefore doesn’t have to play by the rules – when the truth is that our country is heading downhill according to nearly ever indicator – economic, environmental, political, social, intellectual …
Here is what Attenborough had to say back in July … before the current crisis …
We think we are immune from the consequences of our actions, but the rest of the world has started to take notice that we are refusing to pull our weight. We are well on our way to becoming a pariah state, as I predicted quite a few years ago that we would 🙁
Bernie drifting away…..
Nate Silver
@NateSilver538
·
1m
538 National Polling average for Dec. 10 (with Quinnipiac and Monmouth polls)
Biden 26.1
Sanders 17.0
Warren 15.0
Buttigieg 9.5
Bloomberg 4.3
Yang 3.4
Klobuchar 2.3
Booker 1.6
Steyer 1.4
Gabbard 1.3
Castro 1.0
Patrick 0.6
Bennet 0.6
Delaney 0.5
Williamson 0.5
Rick Wilson: Democrats are biting Trump’s ‘bait’ by giving him a big trade win during impeachment
Conservative strategist Rick Wilson on Tuesday hammered House Democrats for giving President Donald Trump a major bipartisan win on trade at the same time that they are releasing articles of impeachment against him.
Wilson nukes Democrats for trying to show how reasonable and bipartisan they can be at a time when Trump is running roughshod over the Constitution.
“Sadly, there’s nothing more predictable and pathetic than Washington Democrats biting the bipartisan rube bait,” he writes. “They still believe we live in a world where bipartisan comity sells.”
“What flavor of dumbfuckery inside the Democratic consultant class thinks playing happy families and singing Kumbaya with a President who lacks every moral and political scruple works to motivate their base?” he writes.
https://www.rawstory.com/2019/12/rick-wilson-democrats-are-biting-trumps-bait-by-giving-him-a-big-trade-win-during-impeachment/
Good morning Dawn Patrollers.
Ross Gittins congratulates Morrison on his perfecting of the seal on his own personal Canberra bubble. Ross is far from impressed by the recently announced changes to the machinery of government.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/morrison-is-perfecting-the-seal-on-his-own-personal-canberra-bubble-20191210-p53ig5.html
Shane Wright tries to work out what has become of the tax refunds deposited in the bank accounts of millions of Australians since the start of the new financial year.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-mystery-of-the-missing-tax-refunds-20191209-p53i25.html
NSW Environment Minister Matt Kean says “no one can deny” that climate change is to blame for the smoke haze choking Sydney as bushfires burn across NSW. Is this a career limiting move for him in the Liberal Party?
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/this-is-not-normal-minister-urges-action-on-climate-change-20191210-p53ip1.html
Australia needs a national summit to address how the country should prepare for and resource bushfire emergencies in a changed climate, former emergency leaders say. But Morrison’s style is to double down.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/dec/11/former-fire-and-emergency-chiefs-push-for-national-bushfire-emergency-summit
Shane Wright examines the dire outlook for the farming sector. It’s not a good picture.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/drought-impact-tipped-to-be-worst-in-six-decades-as-sheep-numbers-tumble-20191210-p53iki.html
Don’t blame the Murray-Darling Basin Plan. It’s climate and economic change driving farmers out writes Professor in Water Economics Sarah Ann Wheeler.
https://theconversation.com/dont-blame-the-murray-darling-basin-plan-its-climate-and-economic-change-driving-farmers-out-128048
The water crisis has plunged the Nats into a world of pain. But they reap what they sow says researcher Daniel Connell.
https://theconversation.com/the-water-crisis-has-plunged-the-nats-into-a-world-of-pain-but-they-reap-what-they-sow-128238
At yesterday’s Smart Energy Summit Malcolm Turnbull urged Morrison and Taylor about using the accounting trick to achieve the Paris emission target.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/superhuman-turnbull-warns-against-morrison-plan-for-paris-climate-short-cut-20191210-p53iig.html
Meanwhile from Madrid Professor Frank Joitzo writes that Australia’s plan to use leftover Kyoto credits is seen as an attempt to conceal that the government is not trying to meet the Paris target. He says that we could do so much better and it is in our interest to lead by example, not to be seen as a recalcitrant.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/here-in-madrid-the-view-of-australia-s-tricky-tactics-is-not-pretty-20191206-p53hhi.html
Judith Ireland looks at the latest version of the new religious discrimination bill. What a crock of crap!
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/rules-for-doctors-pharmacists-tightened-in-new-religious-discrimination-bill-20191210-p53imo.html
Justice Peter McClellan has condemned Catholic church leaders for failing to recognise the sexual assault of children as a crime. Where do these frocked f***ups get off?
https://www.theage.com.au/national/i-cannot-comprehend-sex-abuse-royal-commissioner-slams-catholic-leaders-20191210-p53inr.html
A new psychiatric panel decision on former Melbourne school principal Malka Leifer’s mental fitness to stand an extradition trial to face charges of child abuse has been postponed to next year. Something really stinks over in Israel!
https://www.theage.com.au/world/middle-east/who-didn-t-get-the-memo-panel-no-show-forces-another-delay-in-malka-leifer-decision-20191210-p53iqj.html
The SMH editorial is concerned that a government trying to close a credibility gap with Indigenous people cannot afford to turn its back on those working far from the spotlight for some of the most vulnerable Australians.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/unacceptable-indigenous-funding-cuts-a-breach-of-faith-20191210-p53ip6.html
Motoring journalist Joshua Dowling writes that the axing of the Holden Commodore (and Astra) is news to everyone except those inside the car industry. The numbers don’t lie he says. The battle for Holden now has shifted from manufacturing cars to one of survival.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/let-s-face-it-no-one-buys-holden-commodores-anymore-20191210-p53ipe.html
Clancy Yeates exposes the hidden costs of free loyalty schemes.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/planning-and-budgeting/the-hidden-costs-of-free-loyalty-schemes-20191209-p53i2a.html
The Federal Government’s protection of “a few big interests” was on show last week when it voted against accountability proposals from the Royal Commission into Aged Care. Public health researcher, Dr Sarah Russell, reports.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/royal-attrition-government-caves-to-a-few-big-interests-ignores-aged-care-inquiry-reforms/
Adele Ferguson writes that after a series of meetings of franchisees and restaurant managers over the past few days, it seems Grill’d is doubling down. No apologies, no changes to its wages model, trainee program or its mistreatment of franchisee Elton Berrange.
https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/grill-d-doubles-down-as-food-safety-issues-simmer-20191210-p53iot.html
Facebook is forging ahead with encryption across all its services, which the Australian, UK and US governments have warned will hamper criminal investigations.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/facebook-refuses-to-compromise-on-privacy-firing-back-at-australia-us-and-uk-20191210-p53ik7.html
Judith Ireland explains how a review commissioned by the Council of Australian Governments has recommended the Morrison government commit to funding preschools in a five-year block to provide certainty to the sector, amid warnings any reduction in federal funds would trigger “immediate and longer-term consequences”.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/coag-review-calls-for-funding-certainty-for-preschool-education-20191210-p53ifl.html
Western Australia has become the third jurisdiction in the federation – and 19th in the world – to legalise euthanasia, with the McGowan government’s voluntary assisted dying law clearing its final parliamentary hurdle on Tuesday evening. I hope Kevin Andrews enjoys his breakfast!
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/western-australia/history-made-as-voluntary-assisted-dying-becomes-law-in-western-australia-20191209-p53ic8.html
Tuan Black tells us how Australia’s private rental market is failing to provide affordable homes to the bottom 40 per cent of income earners, forcing many to live out of cars, couch-surf with friends, or cram into overcrowded rooms. He looks at the terrible numbers surrounding affordable housing.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/property/2019/12/11/affordable-housing-shortage/
As expected, Attorney-General Christian Porter has reintroduced the freshly-defeated Ensuring Integrity Bill, doubling-down on the Government’s anti-worker, anti-union agenda in the guise of industrial relations reform policy.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/coalition-persists-with-dead-buried-and-exhumed-union-busting-bill,13396
Australia’s underperforming super funds are feeling the heat after regulator APRA released a controversial new rating system showing which funds are hot, and which are not.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/superannuation/2019/12/10/super-fund-heatmap-apra/
Private health premium increases might be the lowest in years, but that doesn’t mean they’re justified explains economist Nathan Kettlewell.
https://theconversation.com/private-health-premium-increases-might-be-the-lowest-in-years-but-that-doesnt-mean-theyre-justified-128311
Reserve Bank governor Philip Lowe has called out Australia’s major banks for consistently charging customers more for international money transfers than their non-bank rivals.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/banking/2019/12/10/banks-called-out-on-cost-of-money-transfer/
Matthew Knott reports that the Democrats have unveiled two articles of impeachment against Donald Trump, accusing him of abusing his presidential power and obstructing Congress’s attempts to investigate his dealings with Ukraine.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/democrats-unveil-articles-of-impeachment-against-donald-trump-20191211-p53iqx.html
Barrack Obama and Hillary Clinton have come out attacking progressive and independent-minded U.S. Democratic presidential candidates.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/hillary-and-obama-attack-bernie-and-other-progressive-candidates,13397
Zoe Williams contends that it could be costly for the Tories with their underestimation of the anger of young UK voters.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/10/tories-young-voters-anger
Cartoon Corner
A Christmas song from David Rowe.
And he introduces the second coming on the religious freedom bill.
Cathy Wilcox solves Albo’s coal problem.
Mark David has developed into a very good cartoonist.
John Shakespeare is less than happy!
Ouch! Alan Moir presents Angus Taylor in Madrid.
Andrew Dyson and what Morrison is doing to the APS.
From Matt Golding.
Fiona Katauskas and coal.
Sad stuff from Peter Broelman.
Zanetti on Albo’s coal expedition in Queensland.
From the US
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2019/dec/10/greenland-ice-sheet-melting-seven-times-faster-than-in-1990s
Meanwhile, here in Australia, we have morons who want to open more coal mines.
Just unbelievable, isn’t it?
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/trump-impeachment-live-updates/2019/12/10/7b3c093c-1b38-11ea-b4c1-fd0d91b60d9e_story.html
Tony Abbott might have been a bit of a token firefighter, but at least he had some understanding and some sense of community. Morrison is showing himself to be completely selfish and unfeeling.
It seems journalism is not dead yet. A lazy US$1,000,000,000,000 down the gurgler and bullshit all the way. I wonder why this was exposed now ? Prepping the US public for a withdrawal from Afghanistan
——————————————————————————-
THE AFGHANISTAN PAPERS A secret history of the war
AT WAR WITH THE TRUTH
U.S. officials constantly said they were making progress. They were not, and they knew it, an exclusive Post investigation found.
………………………………“We learned some very important lessons in Vietnam,” Bush replied confidently. “People often ask me, ‘How long will this last?’ This particular battlefront will last as long as it takes to bring al-Qaeda to justice. It may happen tomorrow, it may happen a month from now, it may take a year or two. But we will prevail.”
In those early days, other U.S. leaders mocked the notion that the nightmare of Vietnam might repeat itself in Afghanistan.
“All together now — quagmire!” Rumsfeld joked at a news conference on Nov. 27, 2001.
But throughout the Afghan war, documents show that U.S. military officials have resorted to an old tactic from Vietnam — manipulating public opinion.
“We were devoid of a fundamental understanding of Afghanistan — we didn’t know what we were doing,” Douglas Lute, a three-star Army general who served as the White House’s Afghan war czar during the Bush and Obama administrations, told government interviewers in 2015. He added: “What are we trying to do here? We didn’t have the foggiest notion of what we were undertaking.”
“If the American people knew the magnitude of this dysfunction .
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/afghanistan-papers/afghanistan-war-confidential-documents/
As I posted the other day, the Post recently won a lengthy legal battle (several years)to reveal the stories.
A startling trove of documents reveals the truth about Afghanistan
The Washington Post obtained 2,000 documents showing that over years, news of U.S. military deployment to Afghanistan was routinely and repeatedly manipulated to reflect a rosier picture than what was happening on the ground.
“A confidential trove of government documents obtained by The Washington Post reveals that senior U.S. officials failed to tell the truth about the war in Afghanistan throughout the 18-year campaign, making rosy pronouncements they knew to be false and hiding unmistakable evidence the war had become unwinnable,” says the Post, which spend three years seeking the document trove.
At war with the truth
U.S. officials constantly said they were making progress. They were not, and they knew it, an exclusive Post investigation found.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/investigations/afghanistan-papers/afghanistan-war-confidential-documents/
Confessions
Ah, so not leaked. They would have had one hell of a battle to be able to get this stuff out. Well done the Washington Post. The cost of lawyers would have been immense.
poroti:
I’m not sure about not leaked. In Part 1 which was published the other day, they said the reports were based on confidential interviews with public servants and officials who served in both the GWB and Obama governments, going back 17 or so years.
Either way it’s a massive effort more especially given the authorities took legal action to prevent the stories being published.
Sigh, what else do we expect from the religious nutters “in charge” of the country.
Morrison says Commonwealth puts $15 million a year into firefighting, and contributed additional $11m this year.
For perspective, it contributes approx. $63m each year for its school chaplaincy program ($247 over 4 years) #auspol
Good Morning
I am not surprised Clinton and Obama attacked progressives at this time.
Sanders in front in California has them spooked. That was supposed to the the home of the elites.
@mrgnarchr tweets
I wish @abcnews would use the current Sydney skyline as their backdrop.
@georgefwoods tweets
The bulk carrier “Leadership” making its inexorable way to the Newcastle coal export terminals through the smoke haze #ClimateCrisis #AustraliaBurns https://twitter.com/georgefwoods/status/1204265395177152512/photo/1
@Shoebridge… tweets
It’s time for immediate commitments to a net zero carbon economy by 2040, additional state and federal support for the firefighters on the front line and increased public health resources to address the health crisis from the fires.
Attenborough is a hypocrite.
Britain imports the CO2 emissions equivalent of 800 million tons a year.
Quite a bit of that would be by way of Chinese imports which have been manufactured by burning Australian coal. Nasty Chinese. Nasty Australians. Noble Brits!
And round and round we go.
Further, the UK relies on nutrients grown by other people. If it relied solely on its own efforts the Brits would start starving to death every September.
Britain would have to reduce its population by around 15 million people to become nutrient-neutral.
‘@Shoebridge… tweets
It’s time for immediate commitments to a net zero carbon economy by 2040, additional state and federal support for the firefighters on the front line and increased public health resources to address the health crisis from the fires.’
How did it get from Zero/2030 to Zero/2040? That is another 20 years of burning coal. There is a future for coal burning after all?
Oh look the Democrats Corporate candidate news organisation is calling out Australia’s major parties.
https://www.bloomberg.com/opinion/articles/2019-12-10/australia-burns-as-leaders-worry-about-coal-more-than-climate
phR
It is quite obvious that successive Australian governments have connived at maintaining the Big Lie for 18 years and that the MSM, essentially suborned by the ADF (embedded journalists anyone?), has been an essential part of the problem.
Further, the War Memorial too has been at pains to avoid telling the strategic truth about Afghanistan.
The emphasis has been on the human element of the deployment.
The War Memorial has achieved the corruption of the truth essentially by personalizing the Afghanistan War.
You can see why the (three year old!) war crimes investigation is so politically loaded.
I am sure that the Democrats will ban all coal, gas fracking and oil production, burning and exports in the US in order to achieve Zero/2030!
Pig’s Arse they will.
“Tony Abbott might have been a bit of a token firefighter” actually Abbott is more than token it appears. He was on duty with one of my upper Hunter RFS nephews last week. Don’t know which fire sorry.
BW
Oh dear your beloved mantra of its all the Greens fault is now destroyed by the Bloomberg Media organisation calling out the Same Same of the major parties on coal. How despicable of the evil Democrats.
Boerwar
Re Attenborough
You have very high moral standards. No one who lives in a country that is not perfect should criticise another country’s deficiencies. Straight from the Sermon on the Mount (translation) “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?”
phoenixRed:
Contrary to Rick Wilson, Max Boot thinks Democrats are showing they’re the adults by passing legislation while simultaneously impeaching the president. In actual fact it’s Moscow Mitch who is an impediment to congress doing its job, by failing to allow those bills passed by Democrats in the House to be debated in the Senate.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-do-something-democrats-show-they-can-legislate-even-while-they-impeach/2019/12/10/53e1593e-1b72-11ea-87f7-f2e91143c60d_story.html
Thanks BK for the Dawn Patrol.
Enough to depress the stoutest of heart ❗ But good news comes in many ways —
As news regarding Dark Energy comes to hand from Cern with a possible fifth type of force – so the science of quantum entanglement is solidified with the announcement that Bone Spurs may be projected over galactic distances and received by one who has been in contact with another who professes to be afflicted with that particular problem.
Diagnosticians advice that a particular tell tale is when an attempt to make sudden long distance trips is undertaken for spurious reasons. This is, of course, similar to the well known “geographical cure” attempted by various addicts (Refer Alcoholics Anonymous).
Only when rock bottom is reached will a cure be possible. This would come in the form of giving all one’s wealth to the poor, the distressed, those on newstart, volunteers (fire fighters) and thence living in a cave repenting one’s previous evil existence.
Here endeth the lesson. Peace Brothers and Sisters – ☮☕
Ex-Republican strategist Steve Schmidt is coming under fire for this interview he gave re Elizabeth Warren and her inadequacies as a candidate if she is the Democratic nominee against Trump.
https://twitter.com/bobcesca_go/status/1204449065838284802
I have some sympathy for his views as I believe she won’t win those states the Democrats need to win to win the presidency. I also think it’s a stretch people criticising him for enabling Trump adverts. Those adverts are going to run anyways if she wins the nomination. Trump wants to run against Warren (or Bernie), which is why his team has invested so much time, effort and money into bringing Biden down.
Instead of Albanese responding to the shrill demands from greens and others to take the government on and start a useless name calling political argument over climate change and the bush fire response from Morrison it is good to see labor sticking to its own tactics. Albanese and labor will state their case in a measured and calculated process over the next few days as they prosecute the case for a national bipartisan response involving all stakeholders coming together at the same table.
What would Albanese achieve by screaming and shouting and “ taking the government “ on at this point ? Everyone knows the country is burning. Everyone in NSW knows that air quality is up to shit. They are living it every day. What they need is solutions and coordinated responses. Not screaming and shouting and political point scoring. Leave that for the greens and others. The MSM would lap it up but it would achieve nothing. People have the shits with politics and politicians because they believe politics and politicians offer nothing tangible and real. They offer no solutions. Starting up a slanging match and throwing ascusations at each other would just turn Australians off even more.
Albanese will make his case in his own way and labor will make its case in its own way.
What the hysterical key board warriors and others demanding labor do this and that fail to accept is that Albanese is not the PM and labor is not the government.
Morrison is the PM. It should be all about him and his lack of response yet for some stupid reason Albanese and labor are being blamed for “ doing nothing “.
What the fuck can they do. Leave the hysterical “ everyone is a arsonist” calls to the greens. It will achieve nothing.
Confessions
I still think the Democrats are going to unite behind Warren unless Sanders being in front in California is matched enough in other states.
The main problem for Biden is the complaining about attacks on him. Precisely because as you point out Trump is not going to hold back. We already know the lengths he has gone to label Biden corrupt.
doyley
The Americans are not the Greens party. Pointing out same same on coal by them of Labor and the LNP is not political tactics but stating facts.
Spin spin spin from Labor to hide the big cave.
The world sees you.
doyley @ #32 Wednesday, December 11th, 2019 – 6:01 am
Christ almighty. Bipartisan from Scomo’s mob means capitulating to their demands. No middle ground. No pragmatism. Do what we say or else.
@guytaur
I can see Warren being a compromise candidate, either to fend off Biden or Sanders.
Stationary energy at about 85% renewables by 2040 is technically plausible, and very desirable.
Transport is harder, but commuter transport could flip very quickly if battery and electronics costs, or hydrogen production costs, come down a bit further. E.g. think 90% electric vehicle sales by 2025. This would be a big outcome. For freight, it’s less obvious how the transition will play out.
We also need to think hard about how to get carbon out of the atmosphere. Trees and soil enrichment/sequestration seem like obvious candidates to me.
And then off to the Senate where this will be one of the only matters, if not the only matter Moscow Mitch will allow to be put to the floor of the Senate for debate this year.
In regards to Albanese’s recent remarks concerning coal exports, might I ask what is going to happen if the demand for coal collapses? This question is apt given quite a large proportion of export revenue comes from coal exports.
Doyley,
Agree that Albo is making all the right moves atm.
Leave the neverending hyperbole, abuse and hysteria to the key board warriors. They don’t represent more than than themselves.
It was terrific to see Albo out in the regions re-engaging with coal mining communities and re-inforcing that Labor won’t be advocating the destruction of their livelihoods and communities.
Danama Papers
Reading the bit you quoted gave me Sir Humphrey flash backs 🙂
Boer
Careful, the animal welfare devotees!
It is quite obvious that there are two ways of consuming CO2 emissions. The first is in country. The second is by importing it from outside the country.
Both need to be counted in order to get a rational picture of a country’s emissions behaviour.
Finger pointing which ignores either of these elements is basically political blame-shifting.
We all know that cattle and sheep produce massive amounts of CO2 equivalent greenhouse gases and that Australia’s 26 million cattle and 74 million sheep will have to go in order to deliver Zero/2030 or Zero/2040 or whatever. They are part of a global herd of 1 billion cattle and a global flock of 1 billion sheep.
Attenborough’s British contribution? Not only the British national cattle and sheep numbers (10 million and 15 million respectively). But also that Britain imports around 300,000t of beef and sheep meat.
My view, FWIW, is that each country has to own the CO2 emissions equivalent that it consumes – whether it emits it at home or whether it imports it from abroad.
Further, because Britain is overpopulated, its total emissions are not all that dissimilar from Australia.
Being ‘Big’ has its environmental consequences, no? I mention this in passing because no major Australian political Party has a population management policy. The only party with a sensible population policy is PHON and that is clearly not motivated by management of environmental consequences, unfortunately. The Greens are same old same old the majors on this one.
GG
No matter how you agree with doyley being called out on the facts by an American News organisation just shows how hollow Labor party values have become.
This is the precise moment when Labor should be standing up for the carbon price and highlighting big time the Nero of Australia Fiddling While Australia burns.
Not joining him.
Dandy Murray
That has previously been looked at and there is one BIG problem. Where the trees need to be planted to make a significant difference just happens to be in our prime agricultural regions. So food or trees ? The studies were from 10-12 years ago so things may have changed. I have a feeling for the worse.
guytaur,
Instead Di Natalie and others in the greens jumping up and down ranting and name calling and coming up with smart arse names for Albanese perhaps they could engage in a practical debate about how best to plan and coordinate responses to the ongoing and growing threats from bushfires.
Bushfire seasons are getting longer. Fires are getting more intense. What is the best way to prepare and respond to this “ new normal “ on a national level ? What is the best way to manage and coordinate our firefighting resources ? What resources do we actually need ? How do we better train, prepare and coordinate our firefighters both volunteer and professional units ? How can be better look after our volunteers as bush fire seasons become longer ? The list goes on and on yet the greens are too busy trying to score political points and come up with childish nick names to even contribute.
Not once have I heard Di Natalie or the greens offer practical solutions or even articulate a plan on how to manage the new normal of bush fire seasons in Australia. That is what Australians want. They want solutions. They want to hear what government at all levels intends to do to better prepare for the new normal. How can Australia better coordinate its resources. They want a coordinated politics free response. Not childish name calling. Not greens style political point scoring and “ look at me look at me “ university politics.
Albanese and labor are up for the challenge. How about the greens ? Where is Di Natalie ?
‘Tristo says:
Wednesday, December 11, 2019 at 9:23 am
In regards to Albanese’s recent remarks concerning coal exports, might I ask what is going to happen if the demand for coal collapses? This question is apt given quite a large proportion of export revenue comes from coal exports.’
An excellent question!
The net loss to Australian exports from the total suite of Greens bans and prohibitions on various export commodities runs to between $65 an $75 billion a year. Over to you guys to explain how that is going to be ‘fixed’.
Murray Watt doubles down on Labor’s support for coal exports
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/breakfast/murray-watt-doubles-down-on-labors-support-for-coal-exports/11787494
Guest: Murray Watt, Queensland senator and Shadow Minister for Northern Australia, Natural Disaster and Emergency Management
Doyley
Good luck with Albanese’s approach.
Can’t but wonder if Shorten’s political good luck has held him back from a terrible time to be an incoming Labor leader.