Two things:
• At Antony Green’s prompting, the Northern Territory Electoral Commission has published breakdowns of the various candidates’ preferences flows at Saturday’s Johnston by-election, providing measures of the impact of highly unusual preferencing behaviour by the Greens and the Country Labor Party — remembering that the Northern Territory prohibits dissemination of how-to-vote cards is the immediate vicinity of polling booths. Having done the unthinkable and put Labor last, the Greens’ preferences split 56.9-43.1 between Labor and the Territory Alliance, compared with my own rule of thumb that Labor gets 80% of Greens preferences when they are so directed and 75% when no recommendation is made. Note that this is the Territory Alliance rather than the Country Liberal Party, and that Labor’s flow would presumably have been somewhat stronger had it been otherwise. The CLP no less unusually put Labor second, and their preferences went 52.9-47.1 in favour of the Territory Alliance.
• JWS Research has released its latest quarterly True Issues report, confirming the impression of other similar polling that the salience of the environment and climate chnage spiked over summer. Respondents were separately asked to name three issues off the tops of their heads and to pick the five most important issues out of a list of twenty, with confusingly different results – environment reigned supreme in the first case, but in the second it trailed cost of living (which ranked low when unprompted) and health (second in both cases). Perhaps the most revealing point is that environment increased in the prompted question from 33% a year ago to 42%, while immigration and border security fell from 36% to 25%. The federal government was reckoned to be performing well by 28% of respondents, down two since the November survey, and poorly by 35%, up two. The survey was conducted online from a sample of 1000 from February 20-24.
Well-heeled Asian, mostly Chinese, buyers are moving into many areas of Sydney, with the “Anglos” moving out. This situation is only controversial if uttered by NSW Labor opposition leaders, and other reality-based observers.
The source of the funds is irrelevant if it can be controlled by limiting or stopping the flow from overseas in general, or by reducing the incentives to buy land from o/s by taxing land here.
It’s one of the reason I periodically go on a pro-land tax rant here. Land tax paid by domestic residents is spent on domestic residents. Land tax paid by non- residents, or even non-domiciled residents, is also spent only on domestic residents.
The other is that land tax is also progressive: People who hold very valuable amounts of land are by definition wealthy, and should be incentivised to use that wealth for productive purposes or eat it; rather than hoard it in anticipation of capital growth, which is the very definition of speculation.
You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you nath?
Bushfire Bill
says:
Friday, March 6, 2020 at 1:24 pm
No doubt a Chinese or Indian family will also occupy your current abode before too long.
You’d know all about that, wouldn’t you nath?
______________________________
whinge about it from the grave sunshine.
Boerwar:
Friday, March 6, 2020 at 1:13 pm
“I’m licking this (religious relic) and I don’t care whatever happens.”
I’m not sure you counter this attitude.
Anyway, I’m off to do some painting.
Lovey, Dandy, Horsey, A R and Nath… give yourselves a group hug.
Time to get out the back-of-the-envelope.
There are around 1.2 million chinese australians and around 650,000 indian australians.
1, 850,000 peeps.
Divide by 2.7 for approx average house occupancy rates (making the dubious assumption that all dwellings occupied by chinese australians are occupied solely by chine australians and all dwellings occupied by indian australians) and you get around 685,000 australian dwellings occupied by c-a and i-a folk.
Australia has around 9 million dwellings.
So, around one in thirteen aussie dwellings are dwelt in by c-aussies or i-aussies.
Waves of migrants to Australia from different countries tend to settle next to each other or close to each other. c-a and i-a are following long-established patterns. Eventually these spatial associations tend to weaken or disappear entirely. Whether that will happen for c-a and/or i-a peeps remains to be seen.
SEA (less Australia prior to 1788) has long been a meeting place of indian and chinese influences so Australia is continuing and growing a massive cultural engagement meme that is probably something like two- three millenia old. Most Aussies would not frame indian/chinese engagement issue in this way at all but the challenges and resolutions will be a core element in Australia’s cultural, political, social and economic development over the next millenium.
IMO, so far we are doing pretty good at it.
‘Mavis says:
Friday, March 6, 2020 at 1:27 pm
Boerwar:
Friday, March 6, 2020 at 1:13 pm
“I’m licking this (religious relic) and I don’t care whatever happens.”
I’m not sure you counter this attitude.’
In 1956 we visited St Peter’s Basilica in Rome and kissed the big toe of a statue of St Peter. The statue was marble. So many lips had kissed the big toe that the big toe was approaching the size of the little toe.
At RC mass, the priest used to place the communion wafer directly onto the tongue of the faithful … several hundred tongues a mass. Nowadays the priest drops the wafer into cupped hands.
When the first nuclear weapon was detonated on Indian soil several Hindu leaders want to send samples of the sacred soil to all their followers.
Kissing feet, hands, cheeks, lips, made objects has a huge, varied and rich tradition in many cultures.
I wouldn’t suggest that solving these as health issues is all a matter of suck and see… but…
Re the virus, I’m trying to respond proportionally:
– built up a small stash of non-perishable food (or use-by dates at least 6 months away)
– avoid public transport – easy if you’re retired. These days I use it when I want to have a couple of beers – so don’t drink when out. Buses and trains are rolling microbiological incubators.
– avoid pubs, clubs and large / busy restaurants.
– generally avoid crowds – I do this anyway
– try to eat well, stay fit
– get flu vaccine when available
– ensure at least a fortnight’s worth of medication on hand
– hand washing. Picked up some hand gel at the Chemist the other day.
Haven’t yet figured out how to not shake hands with strangers without being rude, so I’m still doing this – have needed to deal with businesses, contractors, etc.
And not worry – these days I only worry about what I can be blamed for.
Australia should not allow non-residents to buy property here.
At the moment a rich migrant who can bring $8 million can fast track the migration queue. So you buy a house and a business that you run for the proscribed amount of time and there is your PR
Don’t blame the people who take advantage of these rules, blame the lax law makers
I am ever mindful that ScottyFromMarketing started as a property lobbyist, so he is going to implement policies that increase house prices, not implement policies to increase the stock of social housing or reduce the level of homelessness
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/06/cashless-welfare-card-loophole-enables-purchase-of-alcohol
Seems that dole bludgers have been rorting the social welfare system and buying a cheeky glass of chardonnay with their frittata and quinoa salad on the Indue card whilst lunching with the ladies.
But never fear, our brave government has a solution.
It is widely believed that this “solution” will involve banning single mother’s from eating food.
RI says:
Friday, March 6, 2020 at 11:59 am
While there’s a rational case to make for excluding/avoiding tourists from Wuhan or Iran or Korea or Italy or Germany…there is no rational case at all for ceasing the consumption of Chinese food. There’s a good case for avoiding restaurants in general. There’s no particular case for avoiding Chinese restaurants…or Italian or Korean or Persian.
—————————————–
If the government had implemented travel restrictions sooner than that would be right but a lot does depend on the hygiene standards of each restaurant because it is very easy for staff to breech exiting food handling standards and different cultures do see hygiene differently and there is nothing racist about acknowledging that because it is no different than saying different cultures have different greetings.
I wonder if Buddhists are still spinning prayer wheels?
Billie
It is the state government’s job to build public housing. They are responsible for planning and land management so the buck stops with them and they should be doing more than they are.
Don’t blame the people who take advantage of these rules, blame the lax law makers
Spot on.
The other day, I had to forcefully straighten out the reasoning of someone who was suggesting we “lock up” the Chinese student who did their time in Dubai and then came to UQ, only to come down sick a few days after arriving in Brisbane. He did it by the rules. In fact, there was a Australian govt website suggesting this course of action for students wanting to get here for this semester.
DM
Lock up Morrison.
Boerwar:
[I’m not sure you [can] counter this attitude.’]
[‘Kissing feet, hands, cheeks, lips, made objects has a huge, varied and rich tradition in many cultures.’]
That it does but it would be an ironic outcome if in doing so, many meet their maker prematurely. It’s rather like the sect in America where they test their devotion to God by hassling rattlesnakes:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7OcoUyXiuU0
It’s always the so-called conservatives.
https://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/ny-anti-gay-ex-congressman-aaron-schock-comes-out-as-gay-himself-20200306-ayrqxj2zarfhtavdd7h7horxsy-story.html
Dandy
Government seems to be struggling with what should be stock standard infection diseases controls.
I wonder if these are the same billions that were ‘earmarked’ for bushfire victims, and never actually delivered …
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-06/coronavirus-fight-could-cost-australia-one-billion-dollars/12033146
I’m fairly sure these very same billions will also be ‘earmarked’ for whatever crisis happens next.
Very handy, this ‘earmarking’ business. Much more economical than actually … you know … allocating it … or – heaven forbid! – actually spending it 🙁
Mex,
Doesn’t it! Mrs Murray sat on infection control boards at medium to very large hospitals here (Qld, NSW) and in the UK. I’m getting a rant from her twice a day. The most common themes are:
The community messaging is fucked.
Staff protections/defenses are fucked.
Equipment provision is fucked.
The testing regimes are fucked.
Sick leave arrangement are fucked.
If you run a health system down to it’s leanest operating model in the normal times, how the hell is it expected to operate when there is a huge spike in load? We haven’t even see a wave of acutely sick people yet, and the health system response is already fraying.
It’s a feature of superstition that its practitioners are immune to logic and experience.
During the middle ages, church bells would be rung during thunderstorms to ward off lightning strikes. Due to the church belfry usually being the tallest building in town, this led to a much reduced life expectancy among bell ringers. But just because it didn’t work for a few hundred years in a row was no reason to stop trying it.
How can you tell Smoko is lying? His lips move.
Steve777 I have no choice on using public transport 🙁
Donald Trump has admitted that the coronavirus “might have an impact” on the US economy but said it would pass, Reuters reports.
Oh do you think so?
The bloke is as thick as shit. DERRRRRRRR!!
From The Shovel:
Powerball Jackpots To 12-Pack Of 3-Ply Toilet Paper
http://www.theshovel.com.au/2020/03/05/powerball-jackpots-to-12-pack-of-3-ply-toilet-paper
😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆 😆
C@tmomma @ #1382 Friday, March 6th, 2020 – 11:48 am
And wealthy people from other countries doing it is OK?!
Indeed. Canadians, Americans, British, French, Maltese, Italian, Greek or any other no-Asian nationality really ..apparently that’s okay. Why single out the Chinese, Indians or any other Asian nationality? It’s not like the latter are breaking any laws.
Why 2022 will be Victoria’s ‘town planning’ election
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/why-2022-will-be-victoria-s-town-planning-election-20200306-p547ja.html
No shit, sherlock:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-06/coronavirus-mixed-messaging-driving-confusion-ama-warns/12027898
steve davis @ #1422 Friday, March 6th, 2020 – 1:21 pm
Yes, and like passing kidney stones, there will be much pain and anguish in the process.
Ben Raue on the Victorian political duopoly’s anti-democratic local government legislation:
Some thoughts on the single transferable vote: http://www.tallyroom.com.au/39340
Whether the Greens party exists or not the political duopoly will do what it must to preserve the status quo of the political duopoly.
Transparent, antidemocratic, political donations from powerful vested interests, governing for their mates and not in the interests of ordinary citizens.
It’s time!
Think of it the other way around – as being rude to shake hands. Make a joke of it.
There was a film crew here on Weds, about 30 people, for a burnt out landscape shoot. They are bunked down at the local hotel and nearby motels and if one of them is carrying it, then they all are by my reckoning. The first to offer to shake my hand was the unit nurse (!) and which I turned into a bum to bum rub followed by elbow pokes and any other assortment of non-contacting jingle jangles. Lots of giggles, but no handshakes.
What is hard to avoid is the two metre rule which can only practically be applied to known or suspected carriers.
Pegasus
“Transparent, antidemocratic, political donations from powerful vested interests, governing for their mates and not in the interests of ordinary citizens.”
Agreed.
Single-member wards are far less democratic than PR.
Vic Labor is to be condemned for this disgrace.
Dandy Murray @ #1427 Friday, March 6th, 2020 – 1:49 pm
Well someone has to say it.
Wont be long until the ASX is back below 6000.
Here’s a bit of a read about epidemics –
Medicines sans Frontiers gets the good wrap it well and truly deserves, and there’s other nice snippets like –
… and the success of the Haitian rebellion and Toussaint Louverture was determined, above all, by yellow fever. When Napoleon sent the great armada to restore slavery in Haiti, the slave rebellion succeeded because the slaves from Africa had immunity that white Europeans who were in Napoleon’s army didn’t have. It led to Haitian independence. Also, if one thinks from the American point of view, this was what led to Napoleon’s decision to abandon projecting French power in the New World and therefore to agree, with Thomas Jefferson, in 1803, to the Louisiana Purchase, which doubled the size of the United States.
https://www.newyorker.com/news/q-and-a/how-pandemics-change-history?source=EDT_NYR_EDIT_NEWSLETTER_0_imagenewsletter_Daily_ZZ&utm_campaign=aud-dev&utm_source=nl&utm_brand=tny&utm_mailing=TNY_Daily_030420&utm_medium=email&bxid=5be9dca124c17c6adf4378ea&cndid=50169544&esrc=&mbid=&utm_term=TNY_Daily
So Cormann has ruled out any stimulus of the effective kind. Unbelievable denial of reaility. Serious odds on a recession in Australia later this year now.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/06/cormann-rules-out-rudd-style-cash-splash-to-boost-australian-economy-as-coronavirus-bites
Unless they open the floodgates on immigration (which despite the ranting of One Nation, boosts the economy) we will likely see a short recession now. An upturn in immigration would solve the problem, but stuff our labour market for some.
‘steve davis says:
Friday, March 6, 2020 at 3:14 pm
Wont be long until the ASX is back below 6000.’
Buy the rumour. Sell the fact.
Our bullion purchases are doing rather well.
Boerwar @ #1436 Friday, March 6th, 2020 – 3:22 pm
bullion for you
Trump admits he’ll be ‘cutting’ Social Security — but here’s what he really revealed
During a Fox News town hall Thursday night, President Donald Trump finally admitted what many have long feared — that he plans to push for serious cuts to entitlements, which includes Social Security and Medicare.
Of course, Trump has already admitted this in his budgets, even though he promised not to cut Social Security, Medicare, or Medicaid. (Trump has entirely dropped any pretense about seeking to cut Medicaid, which provides health insurance to people with low incomes.)
Trump was explicit:
Trump: The economy is the best economy we’ve ever had; it’s nothing compared to what it’s going to be when the trade deals kick it.
Host: But if you don’t cut something in entitlements, you’ll never really deal with the debt.
Trump: Oh, we’ll be cutting, but we’ll also have growth like you’ve never had before.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/trump-admits-hell-be-cutting-social-security-but-heres-what-he-really-revealed/
Mexicanbeemer says:
Friday, March 6, 2020 at 1:47 pm
Billie
It is the state government’s job to build public housing. They are responsible for planning and land management so the buck stops with them and they should be doing more than they are.
I am aware that Housing is a state responsibility, now that the Commonwealth has exited Defense Housing.
The state governments rely on Commonwealth allocations for revenue. These allocations are ear-marked for specific purposes
If the ASX does drop below 6000, that will put it at its lowest since… err … about a year. And still nearly double what it was at the height of the GFC. Pardon me if I fail to slash my wrists.
Pegasus & Maude Lynn thanks for clarifying what the Greens are sqwarking about. Their great long emotional rambling rants in my email inbox were deleted
Such a shame the LNP & ALP have legislated to abolish Hare-Clark voting in council elections. Just as stupid as the Democrats
The ACT Government was pathetic with its recent bushfires comms and it is even more pathetic on C19.
Not a single message in any medium about C19 from the ACT Government has reached either myself or OH from the ACT Government.
The Aussie stock market was an asset bubble inflated by free money. The p/e ratio was ridiculous and, even with the major C19 retreats it is still well above long term p/e ratios.
Retirees chasing dividends did not help themselves by puffing it up further.
Had to happen.
The Greens don’t have any hesitation about their habitual deception, abuse and verballing when it comes to Labor.
Squawking for a hand up from Labor is dumb hypocrisy.
Yesterday PKarvelas was interviewing Minister Wyatt and the discussion turned to some distant indigenous communities wanting to isolate themselves to prevent infection. Considering their historical suffering from “imported diseases” and their known health susceptibilities this seems eminently sensible. Obviously they might also need a little support from the government.
PK sounded as if she disapproved of any special treatment. Maybe it was just her interviewing technique.
When it comes to non-residents buying residential properties in Australia, these are the criteria:
[‘Foreign non-residents cannot buy established dwellings, but they can buy new dwellings without being subject to any conditions. There are no limits on the number of new dwellings they can buy, although the Foreign Investment Review Board (FIRB) generally needs to give approval prior to each acquisition.
However, foreign non-residents are normally allowed to buy an established dwelling for redevelopment, provided the redevelopment genuinely increases the housing stock, the project is completed within four years of the date of approval, and the existing dwelling is not rented out prior to demolition and redevelopment.
Foreign non-residents can also buy vacant land for residential dwelling development, subject to the development being completed within four years of the date of approval and evidence of the project’s completion being submitted within 30 days of being received.’]
Thus it’s okay for, say, an overseas consortium, with an agent in Australia, to purchase an unlimited number of residential new dwellings in Australia, and vacant land for residential dwelling development. Let’s say there’s a block of fifty units being built in Sydney. The agent will let the overseas buyers know, then, as is quite often the case, the units will be bought off the plan. The agent deals directly with a conveyancer and has the power of attorney of the buyers to sign off on the paperwork. Settlement occurs and the units are leased, with the actual owners rarely occupying that which they’ve purchased. They receive rent and ultimately when sold, a capital gain. Yes, they have to pay an additional fee (eg, $5,000 for properties under $1M) and capital gains tax, but with property prices usually heading north, they normally do quite well out of their investment. The downside, however, is that values are driven up and first home buyers are driven out of the property market, despite the changes effected in 2015, not forgetting that FIRB approval is nothing much more than a rubber stamp.
Grattan
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-06/coronavirus-scott-morrison-handling-of-crisis-rudd-gfc-recession/12032326
Judge demands unredacted Mueller report, questions Barr’s ‘credibility’
A federal judge on Thursday ordered the Department of Justice (DOJ) to hand over to him a copy of the unredacted Mueller report and accused Attorney General William Barr of misrepresenting its findings in the days before it was submitted to Congress last year.
Judge Reggie B. Walton, a federal district court judge in Washington, said that he could not reconcile Barr’s public comments in April 2019 about the report with the actual findings that former special counsel Robert Muelleroutlined.
“The inconsistencies between Attorney General Barr’s statements, made at a time when the public did not have access to the redacted version of the Mueller Report to assess the veracity of his statements, and portions of the redacted version of the Mueller Report that conflict with those statements cause the Court to seriously question whether Attorney General Barr made a calculated attempt to influence public discourse about the Mueller Report in favor of President Trump despite certain findings in the redacted version of the Mueller Report to the contrary,” Walton wrote in his decision.
https://thehill.com/regulation/court-battles/486219-judge-orders-doj-to-hand-over-unredacted-mueller-report