No Newspoll this week, owing to The Australian’s enthusiasm for unleashing them at the start of parliamentary sitting weeks, requiring a three week break rather than the usual two. However, we do have a extensive new poll on the bushfire crisis from the Australian National University’s Centre for Social Research and Methods and the Social Research Centre. It finds that fully 78.6% of the population reports being affected by the fires in one way or another, 14.4% severely or directly. Half the sample of 3000 respondents was asked how Scott Morrison had handled the bushfires, of whom 64.5% disapproved; for the other half the question was framed in terms of the government, with 59.4% disapproving.
Beyond that, there’s the two state/territory by-election campaigns currently in progress:
• I have posted a guide to next Saturday’s by-election in the Northern Territory seat of Johnston, which has suddenly became of more than marginal interest owing to the Greens decision to put Labor last on their how-to-vote cards (albeit that local electoral laws prevent these being distributed within close proximity of polling booths). This has been done to protest the decision by Michael Gunner’s Labor government to lift a moratorium on gas fracking exploration. The party has not taken such a step in any jurisdiction since the Queensland state election of July 1995, when it sought to punish Wayne Goss’s government in the seat of Springwood over a planned motorway through a koala habitat. This made a minor contribution to its loss of the seat, and hence to its eventual removal from office after a by-election defeat the following February. There’s acres of useful information on all this on Antony Green’s new blog, which he is publishing independently due to the ABC’s cavalier treatment of the invaluable blog he had there in happier times. There will also be a piece by me on the Greens’ decision in Crikey today, God willing.
• The other by-election in progress at the moment is for the Queensland seat of Currumbin on March 28, for which my guide can be found guide can be found here. With the closure of nominations last week, only two candidates emerged additional to Laura Gerber of the Liberal National Party and Kaylee Campradt of Labor: Sally Spain of the Greens, a perennial candidate for the party in federal and state Gold Coast seats; and Nicholas Bettany of One Nation, about whom the only thing I can tell you is that he recently deleted his Twitter account (what’s preserved of it on the Google cache reveals nothing particularly outrageous).
“Michael Pascoe: Logic says Liberal campaign HQ ran regional grants scheme”
[Once you start counting rorted programs, it’s difficult to know where to stop.
I did at $1.1 billion in the past financial year simply because it’s a number that matches the ABC’s annual budget.
On that scale – and compared with the greater challenges facing Australia right now – the $102.5 million Adventures of Bridget McKenzie is small beer.]
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/02/18/michael-pascoe-regional-grants/?utm_source=Adestra&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Morning%20News%20-%2020200218
Buttigieg says Trump can ‘do chores’ if he’s unwilling to leave White House
Democratic presidential candidate Pete Buttigieg joked on Monday about what he would do if President Donald Trump is unwilling to leave the White House after a 2020 loss.
During a campaign event in Reno, a voter worried that Trump might call his loss a hoax if the election is close.
“I mean, if he won’t leave, I guess if he’s willing to do chores, we can work something out,” the candidate said to laughter and cheers.
Buttigieg argued that the best way to prevent Trump from “cheating” is to win by a significant margin.
**************************************************************************
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/02/buttigieg-says-trump-can-do-chores-if-hes-unwilling-to-leave-white-house/
lizzie
The cost of cash refunds as a result of franking credits (dividend imputation scheme) costs 5 billion p.a.!
Goll
I’m only quoting Pascoe.
I cannot forgive Tim Wilson for his successful campaign against franking credits changes, but I admit that it could have been sold better by Chris Bowen.
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Peter Hartcher points the finger at Beijing over the handling of the coronavirus issue.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/the-coronavirus-crisis-was-made-in-china-but-no-one-will-say-it-20200217-p541hk.html
Shane Wright discusses the horrible December retail sales figures released yesterday.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/fires-smoke-kept-shoppers-away-in-key-christmas-period-20200206-p53yaw.html
Sally White reports on a large survey conducted by the ANU in which Morrison and the Coalition have been severely punished.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6633904/bushfires-scorch-confidence-in-morrison-and-the-government/?cs=14350
Here’s Paul Karp’s take on the survey.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/18/coalitions-handling-of-bushfires-causes-substantial-decline-in-support-anu-poll-finds
Paul Bongiorno writes that the government has got itself into a position on climate change where little option for Morrison but to assert he’s doing more to keep Australians safe from climate change – when all he is doing more of is spin.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2020/02/17/government-assertion-climate-change/
Christopher Knaus tells us that Labor will ask for an investigation into how the Liberal party mistakenly disclosed a $165,000 donation from a key Scott Morrison ally and frontrunner for a $1bn government contract.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/18/labor-pursues-liberals-over-deleted-record-of-165000-donation-from-scott-morrison-ally
Morrison has declared Australians will be fuming after Holden allowed its business to “wither away” even as it pocketed $2 billion in taxpayer-funded subsidies. He and his boosters miss the point. The grants were to support PRODUCTION, not protect sales. Anyone in the know has foreseen Holden’s demise given the parlous state of its product offering of late.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/government-slams-holden-for-unacceptable-decision-to-axe-brand-20200217-p541lt.html
Joshua Dowling conducts an autopsy on Holdens.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/why-holden-died-global-forces-accelerated-model-failure-20200217-p541pb.html
And professor of marketing Gary Mortimer explains why Australians fell out of love with Holdens.
https://theconversation.com/why-australians-fell-out-of-love-with-holdens-131907
Bruce Newton outlines the slow, painful death of Australia’s most iconic car brand.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/consumer/2020/02/17/holden-slow-painful-death/
Simon Benson writes that Morrison is expected to adopt a technology investment target to avoid Australia signing up to an internationally imposed requirement for net zero emissions by 2050, with the new climate change plan to be presented at this year’s UN summit in Glasgow.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/business-council-of-australia-issues-climate-challenge-to-both-sides-of-politics/news-story/a1855423d4a19d62bb618bce717ec3a9
An unimpressed Michael Pascoe writes that logic says that if a $150 million program specifically budgeted for “regional development”, for stakeholders in “regional and remote communities”, overwhelmingly ends up being spent in cities, there’s something dodgy going on. He says the Liberal campaign HQ ran the regional grants scheme.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/02/18/michael-pascoe-regional-grants/
This article in The Conversation says that our trade talks with Europe and Britain are set to become climate talks.
https://theconversation.com/our-trade-talks-with-europe-and-britain-are-set-to-become-climate-talks-130544
The Canberra Time editorial declares that if the AFP raid on the ABC was legal the law is wrong.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6634752/if-afp-raids-were-legal-the-law-is-wrong/?cs=14258
Alan Austin writes that if we measure government competence by the number of its senior executives sacked over ethical failures, performance debacles or leadership fights, the current Coalition Government is the least competent in Australia’s history.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/coalition-ministerial-resignations-bust-40-setting-new-record,13602
David Crowe discusses the government’s consideration of the effect of the coronavirus on its budget.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/budget-surplus-under-threat-as-treasury-considers-coronavirus-wildcard-20200217-p541nf.html
Adrian Rollins reports that parliamentarians are pushing for a legal review to buttress the independence of the Auditor-General following an unprecedented exercise of powers by Christian Porter.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6632687/politicians-call-for-review-of-auditor-laws/?cs=14350
This will be interesting. Australia’s first group legal action for noise and health impacts from a wind farm has been lodged in the Victoria Supreme Court against the 106 megawatt Bald Hills project in Gippsland.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/neighbours-take-bald-hills-wind-farm-to-court-over-health-complaints/news-story/90133f79fccbe1fdda61c4ee4f754a61
The AFR reports that tax reform architect Ken Henry warns economically damaging “stealth” tax rises on personal income and companies have left the nation’s revenue at breaking point.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/stealth-tax-rises-are-hurting-the-economy-20200214-p540yq
That paper’s editorial says that Morrison must partner with the states on tax reform.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/morrison-must-partner-with-the-states-on-tax-reform-20200217-p541i3
Global tech giants are lobbying Australian officials in secret talks in Geneva over a deal which could allow them to continue to operate without regulation, despite regulatory calls here to address Facebook and Google’s data abuse scandals; anti-competitive practices by Facebook, Google and Amazon, Apple’s tax avoidance, Uber classifying itself as a technological platform to avoid regulation and enable its exploitation of workers; and the human rights risks of facial recognition software. Sophie Hardefeldt reports.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/regulatory-chill-tech-giants-lobby-negotiators-at-secret-swiss-talks-to-subvert-national-regulators/
According to Jess Irvine Martin Parkinson, who helmed the federal bureaucracy, said voters needed one level of government to hold accountable for declining school results.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/federal-government-should-get-out-of-school-funding-says-former-top-bureaucrat-20200217-p541kz.html
Adam Carey looks at the aftermath of the exposure of the goings on at St Kevin’s College by 4 Corners.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/st-kevin-s-headmaster-expresses-regret-over-reference-for-convicted-coach-20200217-p541ob.html
Dana McCauley reports that employers who underpay workers could be forced to publicly name and shame themselves with signs admitting wage theft under potential reforms.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/employers-could-be-forced-to-name-and-shame-themselves-over-wage-theft-20200217-p541iz.html
Defence Minister Linda Reynolds has insisted the government is strongly committed to strengthening cyber resiliency across Australian business, following the crippling ransomware attack on logistics giant Toll Group.
https://www.afr.com/technology/toll-cyber-hack-puts-pressure-on-government-20200216-p541ak
Greg Jericho writes that first-home buyers are flexing their muscles as investors lose their oomph.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2020/feb/18/first-home-buyers-flex-their-muscles-as-investors-lose-their-oomph
The Australian Public Service Commissioner has called for ministerial advisers to be given clearer instruction on their role and how they relate to the public service. The call comes amid increased scrutiny on the accountability of political staffers following the Auditor-General’s sports rorts report.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6633467/aps-commissioner-says-ministerial-staff-need-guidance/?cs=14329
Finbar O’Mallon writes that experts are concerned that the Morrison government’s push to simplify the way welfare recipients report income may lead to another robo-debt “disaster”.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6633338/fears-of-robo-debt-disaster-repeat/?cs=14350
And now Luke Henriques-Gomes reports that the government has claimed it does not owe welfare recipients a duty of care over the robodebt scandal and has denied alleged debtors were placed under “duress”, despite admitting in court documents that some debts were based on “false” assumptions.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/18/coalition-says-it-has-no-duty-of-care-for-welfare-recipients-over-robodebt
Fergus Hunter examines the effects of Australia’s Huawei ban are having on our relationship with China.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/huawei-ban-a-thorny-issue-hurting-china-australia-relations-says-ambassador-20200217-p541ic.html
Meanwhile Huawei is organising a series of public forums it says is aimed at letting Australians form their own view of the controversial company.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/a-fair-go-huawei-plans-town-hall-meetings-to-win-over-public-20200217-p541jo.html#comments
Australia’s Chinese students are languishing in China due to the coronavirus travel ban and our universities, over-reliant on Chinese students, are feeling the financial strain, writes Dr Binoy Kampmark.
https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/coronavirus-chinese-students-and-the-university-cash-quagmire,13604
Indonesia’s minister of health has said Indonesians should keep praying to God to ensure the country remains free of coronavirus as he defended his country’s handling of the outbreak. Make up your own mind!
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/indonesian-minister-blames-budget-efficiency-for-low-coronavirus-test-rate-20200217-p541ma.html
Stan Grant doesn’t want his rights shackled to appeasing conservatives.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/i-don-t-want-my-rights-shackled-to-appeasing-conservatives-20200217-p541ho.html
Stephen Bartholomeusz looks at what might lie ahead foe trade relations between the EU and the US.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/the-us-might-be-getting-ready-to-play-nasty-in-trade-spat-with-europe-20200217-p541gy.html
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe
Alan Moir
Peter Broelman.
Dionne Gain
Matt Golding
John Shakespeare
Mark David
Glen Le Lievre
Paul Dorin
Johannes Leak FWIW.
https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/161b1f7f25e70ff30157db9beb0bc659?width=1024
From the US
Undoing the Howard/Costello largesse and the display of lickspittle subservience towards taxation accounting by the Abbott/Turnbull/ Morrison governments will require a monetary event.
Its now beyond a combination of Labor, their Green nemesis and the other purile assortment of bits and pieces to change the direction of government in Australia for a fairer Australia.
The beneficiaries of vote buying largesse will not willingly forego their financial advantages even though they profess the existing inequality is not ideal. They will not vote to disadvanrage themselves.
Labor didn’t lose the last election, financial advantage was always in front and stayed their despite the acknowledgement of the most obvious of rorting and
corruption involving taxation, fraudulent financial reporting, water theft or nepotism to name a few.
Thanks again for the links BK 🙂
Thanks, BK.
Last night had St Kevin’s and Q&A nicely lined up on the question of trust.
It seemed to me quite clear that the school officially says it backs abuse victims but instead it backs itself.
At one level, if that school wishes to rebuild trust it could sack the principal and the dean (FFS!) of sport.
At another level, most of the old boys and most of the parents (and they are everywhere) are sticking to the official line like shit sticks to a blanket.
The reality seems clear: the wrecked kids are pariahs. Apart from the bullshit spin, not a lot has changed.
Only too true! A laugh, but real truth!
Existential Comics on the contribution of philosophy to the real world.
http://existentialcomics.com/comic/329
biddle discusses the anu poll in some detail at “the conversation” :- https://theconversation.com/nearly-80-of-australians-affected-in-some-way-by-the-bushfires-new-survey-shows-131672 -a.v.
Tony Abbott is a slimy snake who speaks with a forked tongue!
I just saw a clip of him speaking to Chris Kenny and he said, ‘I do not support an Emissions Reduction scheme that drives Australian Manufacturing Industry offshore!’
Said with the same straight face he always has when he is lying and as the guy who drove any highly-unionised manufacturing industry, like the car industry, offshore.
alfred venison,
If you want to edit your comment on a phone, all you have to do is spread the comment box with your fingers and make it big enough to see.
From BK’s list.
They’ll do anything to avoid signing up, won’t they? Anything to avoid admitting they’re wrong.
And Chris Kenny, slimier snake that he is, said that Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd, by highlighting the contribution Global Warming and Climate Change has made to Australia and the Bushfires, ‘were guilty of denigrating Australia on the world stage’.
😯 !!!
I wonder if Scomo had been warned about the drop in his popularity when he spent half an hour gaslighting us yesterday on his successes. It was an almost hysterical performance.
The stench of corruption is palpable. Does anyone really believe the donation wasn’t made?
Abbott: ‘We shouldn’t be in the business of gestures if it doesn’t make any significant difference to the environment. We could reduce our emissions to zero and make less than no difference to global emissions and it was no less a person than the Chief Scientist who said if we reduced our emissions to zero we would make virtually no difference, quote, unquote.’ (Um, that’s not the point, Tony. Um, Australian Armed Forces contributions to overseas wars much?)
He decided on 26% and took it to Paris because ‘It didn’t impose any new costs on businesses, any new taxes or any costs on the taxpayer.’
‘If we can minimise costs by reducing power use, all to the good. If we can minimise fuel use, all to the good. Our Emissions Intensity has reduced by about 50% over the last couple of decades. And we never get credit for that.’
I have included this conversation here so that we can keep track of the group within the Coalition that uses these arguments to fight against substantial action to deal with Anthropogenic Global Heating.
biddle’s whole shebang is here :- https://csrm.cass.anu.edu.au/sites/default/files/docs/2020/2/Exposure_and_impact_on_attitudes_of_the_2019-20_Australian_Bushfires.pdf
-a.v.
Confessions @ #16 Tuesday, February 18th, 2020 – 8:02 am
They’ll get Gaetjens to ‘investigate’ it and declare, ‘Nothing to see here. Move along.’
To put it very bluntly; Scotty from Marketing and cronies to those who have been hit by robbemdebt and any chance of receiving compensation, by way of Mel Brooks, “Fuck the poor!”
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/feb/18/coalition-says-it-has-no-duty-of-care-for-welfare-recipients-over-robodebt
lizzie @ #15 Tuesday, February 18th, 2020 – 7:57 am
He obviously thinks, like the former leader of Venezuela, Hugo Chavez, that if he speaks for hours on end people will ‘learn’ to love him again. 😆
Or bury it in parliamentary reports next year sometime.
https://www.bbc.com/news/av/world-australia-51527332/sacking-row-over-firefighter-s-outburst-at-pm
Confessions @ #22 Tuesday, February 18th, 2020 – 8:12 am
They know ALL the tricks and smooth moves. 😐
Morning all. Thanks BK. A few days ago ABC Factcheck said the Greens claim there were more barrista jobs than coal jobs was incorrect. Economist John Quiggin looks at the statistics to point out that only a very inconsistent set of definitions by Factcheck allowed this conclusion. There are more jobs for barristas than coal miners.
https://johnquiggin.com/2020/02/14/baristas-and-coal-miners-apples-and-oranges/
thank you C@tmomma for that hint. i do that for line editing, but it still doesn’t bring the whole comment into view, top to bottom. i’ve scoured the small print to no avail, is there a guide somewhere? and how does one effect a block quote of a person’s comment? -cheers, a.v.
Cat
“ Tony Abbott is a slimy snake who speaks with a forked tongue!
I just saw a clip of him speaking to Chris Kenny and he said, ‘I do not support an Emissions Reduction scheme that drives Australian Manufacturing Industry offshore!’”
Yes the hypocrisy is breathtaking! And given car manufacturing has already departed, partly under high power prices caused by bad LNP energy policy, there are some pure lies buried in this statement. Confirms why I never watch Fox.
Thanks again BK for the Dawn Patrol.
From the BK Files ⏬⏬
This will be interesting. Australia’s first group legal action for noise and health impacts from a wind farm has been lodged in the Victoria Supreme Court against the 106 megawatt Bald Hills project in Gippsland.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/mining-energy/neighbours-take-bald-hills-wind-farm-to-court-over-health-complaints/news-story/90133f79fccbe1fdda61c4ee4f754a61
Extremely interesting.
https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/article/can-wind-turbines-make-you-sick/
The article is worth reading – another sample ⏬ ⏬
Quite irrelevant comment from me, as I have no car-devotion, but I learned to drive in an FB Holden sedan with the gear change on the steering wheel.
Perhaps he was embarrassed that it was insufficiently outrageous for a credible One Nation candidate.
Soc,
I see it as a public service to expose what master disinformationalists like Tony Abbott are saying. We are fighting a war with them!
https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/healthreport/wind-turbine-syndrome-a-communicated-disease-simon-chapman/9396452
RFS Commissioner Shane Fitzsimmons says this bushfire season has been emotionally draining. I’m sure it did not help him that he was having to stand up to Morrison’s bullying over “facts”.
alfred venison @ #26 Tuesday, February 18th, 2020 – 8:21 am
Would you please advise the device you are using and the browser –
for the blockquote – the following image shows the style
Good luck.
Misty morning in Newcastle 20℃ projected to temperature 31℃
Time for fresh coffee –☕
I must’ve missed something but why is the voting intention/party membership of that RFS firey an issue or something worth commenting on?
Truth be told I’d completely forgotten all about him.
The transcript from that interview. This is about half. I don’t think they’ll mind..
alfred venison @ #26 Tuesday, February 18th, 2020 – 8:21 am
The best thing you can do if you want to blockquote, is to install ‘PB Comments Plug In’ C+. It is available from the google play app store or the Apple app store. It is specific for PB and allows you to just press the square bracket on your keyboard to open a blockquote and the right hand square bracket to close it. You can make other modifications to the blog as a result of using it as well.
As for the comment box issue, I found that opening the box with whole comment as big as possible, then pressing on the area I wanted to modify, usually allowed me to edit it successfully.
Hope that helps. 🙂
Morrison may have lost some popularity in the last eight months but the “some” is disproportionate to the complete “stuff-ups” Morrison regularly inflicts upon his constituents.
The reality is enough voters will not vote against their financial best interests
Pbers are politically engaged. We are not normal.
Prior to 1972 the voters were in the streets. Prior to 2018 voters remained “anywhere that doesn’t involve politics and me not having more money”
The irony of people donating to the bushfire appeals, and the money ending up anywhere and the money collected as taxation ending up specifically in the pockets of the recipients of largesse and corruption is not lost on the political aware but hardly registers as anything other than an annoyance to the mass of disengaged.
Most are in the reality jungle beyond the ‘real’ jungle.
lizzie @ #13 Tuesday, February 18th, 2020 – 7:54 am
You could consider a HELE Coal-Fired Power Station ‘technology to reduce emissions’ for freaks sake! Except it only reduces emissions compared with old-fashioned coal-fired power stations. But that’s ‘reducing emissions’ to those dangerous fools.
Why doesn’t the media put the coal fired fools on the spot and ask them if they would be happy to build a coal fired power station with carbon capture and sequestration as part of the design.
lizzie:
You might feel at home in a Tesla then – no gears, but the drive selector (Drive/Reverse/Neutral/Park) is on the steering wheel 🙂
And that’s another thing too. If Labor were to adjust its messaging and say “we won’t oppose a new coal fired power station if its environmental approvals specify carbon capture and sequestration” it would change the conversation.
Then the media would be asking of the coal fools “So do you also think this new power station should feature CCS to lower its emissions?”
Seems appropriate 😆
caf I miss my Holden Commodore (80 something model) that I used to bash around the farm. The kind of shit job that these things deserved 🙂
av
Thanks for your response on last thread. I agree with what you said about the treatment of the NSW Greens and Lee Rhiannon.
I don’t use plug-in. Vanilla version of PB is fine by me. As KJ just advised I use bookending blockquote…./blockquote
You might feel at home in a Tesla then – no gears, but the drive selector (Drive/Reverse/Neutral/Park) is on the steering wheel
_______
And for all intents and purposes there is essentially only one foot pedal for accelerate decelerate! There is a brake pedal nut it need only be used sparingly.
This requires no comment from me. I couldn’t find the words anyway.
Google, Facebook users face lawsuits over defamatory reviews
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-02-18/facebook-google-defamatory-posts-legal-action-freedom-of-speech/11973040
I wonder what a casual reader of “The Australian” would make of the following couple of items ⏬⏬⏬
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/business-and-politics-put-scott-morrison-in-a-carbon-wedge/news-story/1cd81e6655b3c0cfd334f2f658d8a33d
and
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/business-council-of-australia-issues-climate-challenge-to-both-sides-of-politics/news-story/a1855423d4a19d62bb618bce717ec3a9
I guess that most would ignore that and read what’s happening with Holden or better still
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/cricket/india-to-play-daynight-test-in-australia-as-push-for-fivematch-series-grows/news-story/e7ccd3ec1f949a89b3839e16ca4b129c
Cud:
We have a windfarm here and I’ve never heard of any locals complaining of windfarm syndrome. I’ve often wondered if it isn’t just something people convince themselves they have because they are opposed to the actual windfarm.