Essential Research leadership ratings

Scott Morrison records a preferred prime minister lead for the first time this year, although his personal ratings remain in net negative territory.

Essential Research continues to disappoint on the voting intention front, but its latest fortnightly poll does include its monthly leadership ratings, which record a recovery in Scott Morrison’s personal standing after the battering it copped during the bsuhfires. Morrison now leads Anthony Albanese 40-35 as preferred prime minister after being tied 36-36 in the last poll, which his first lead out of the six sets of results published so far this year (three apiece from Essential and Newspoll). His approval rating is up two to 41% and disapproval down three to 49%, while Albanese is respectively steady on 41% and up two to 33%.

As related by The Guardian, the poll also finds 71% want investigations into sports rorts to continue, but I suspect that should actually say 51%, as 43% favoured the alternative option that the resignation of Sports Minister Bridget McKenzie should be the end of the matter. The poll also has the unsurprising finding that concern about coronavirus is growing, although we will have to wait for the publication of the full report later today to see by how much.

Other questions produce familiar findings on energy sources (71% favour further taxpayer research into renewables, compared with 57% for hydrogen, 50% for “clean coal” and 38% for nuclear energy) and economic management (the Coalition was rated better overall, but was also seen to favour big business whereas Labor was better at managing the economy to benefit workers). The poll was conducted from 1096 respondents from an online panel, no doubt from Thursday to Sunday.

UPDATE: Full report here. It turns out the poll doesn’t really find an increase in concern about coronavirus over the past month: there’s a two point increase in “very concerned” to 27%, but a five point drop in “quite concerned” to 36%, a two point rise in “not all that concerned” to 28% and a three point increase in “not at all concerned” to 9%. I’d have been interested to see breakdowns by party support on this – Democrats in the US are far more concerned than Republicans – but no such luck.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

3,649 comments on “Essential Research leadership ratings”

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  1. Great news for Bushfire Bill.

    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/app-will-bring-all-up-to-speed-on-coronavirus-outbreak/news-story/dbd3bff65cf750abd6161827f923576a

    Health Minister Greg Hunt has announced the development of a coronavirus app to give people the latest news on the disease outbreak and flagged that staff working on the COVID-19 hotline would be bolstered amid concern at call waiting times.

    Mr Hunt revealed his department was working on a one-stop shop for the latest updates and ­advice on how to self-isolate after Labor made its first significant ­policy intervention by calling for an app to be designed immediately.

    Anthony Albanese has been careful to keep in lock-step with Scott Morrison on the handling of the epidemic, only criticising his initial use of Christmas Island as a quarantine zone and engaging in a short political bout over disease ­response briefings.

    Perhaps a phone call to Centrelink would also be of assistance.

    Big prizes for the first 100 to correctly identify the forehead shown above.

  2. As related by The Guardian, the poll also finds 71% want investigations into sports rorts to continue,

    ——————
    By Morrison being the preferred PM, it it showing the public approves of Morrison being involved in corrupt like activities
    Its time for polling this to be stopped , not only does it make the essential poll look contradictory ,also make the Australian public look like idiots

  3. Socrates

    Feels like the same money being shifted around, doesn’t it? They’d probably prefer to spend on an advertising campaign than anything practical.

    I note that the media have put the kindest spin on Christian Porter’s very negative comments about casual workers.

  4. Colesworths
    Dettol Hand Sanitizer (Temporarily unavailable) 50 ml $3.50

    EBay
    Dettol Hand Sanitizer 50 ml $21.95

    I guess that a bird in the hand …………………….🦆

  5. Lovey says:
    Tuesday, March 10, 2020 at 11:00 pm
    All the information on Australian diagnosed cases can be seen at health.gov.au.
    ===========
    All that tells me is that there are so many cases in each state. Only in a few cases does it say where they re located. In the absence of the government providing any clear guidelines ad still allowing thousands of potentially infected people into the country, it would be helpful to know just how widely it has spread throughout the nation to date. If all the NSW cases are in Sydney, for example, say so, but if there are also cases in, eg Newcastle, Goulburn, Albury or the back of beyond, I’d prefer to know.

  6. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    Scott Morrison has pulled back in front of Anthony Albanese as preferred prime minister, and Morrison has recorded a slight improvement in his approval rating as the coronavirus has dominated the headlines, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll explains Katharine Murphy.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/11/essential-poll-scott-morrison-regains-lead-as-preferred-prime-minister-after-bushfire-backlash
    Andrew Probyn writes that Scott Morrison must avoid a coronavirus-caused recession and keeping jobs will be the measure of his success.
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-11/scott-morrison-coronavirus-recession-jobs-important-spending/12043288
    Rob Harris and Shane Wright tell us that Billions of dollars in cash handouts will likely form part of the Morrison government’s economic rescue package to be released tomorrow.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/multibillion-dollar-stimulus-will-attempt-to-stave-off-recession-20200310-p548n9.html
    GFC v Corona Crash. Michael West explains why it’s different this time.
    https://www.michaelwest.com.au/gfc-v-corona-crash-why-its-different-this-time/
    The coronavirus and climate emergency challenges may finally break the Coalition’s heroin-like-addiction to growth at all costs, and create much-needed economic reform, writes Dr David Shearman.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/coronavirus-and-climate-emergency-an-opportunity-for-the-coalition,13674
    Australia’s Chief Medical Officer Brendan Murphy identified Sydney as “the significant, biggest part of our outbreak”, as the number of confirmed cases in NSW jumped by 13 yesterday.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/how-covid-19-is-spreading-across-sydney-20200310-p548pb.html
    And he will consider reducing Australia’s 14-day quarantine period in the future following new scientific evidence that coronavirus symptoms appear roughly five days after infection.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/coronavirus-symptoms-emerge-after-five-days-20200310-p548i4.html
    Ross Gittins writes, “The coronavirus is deadly – it will end up killing quite a few oldies – but we (and the rest of the world) are making so much fuss about it mainly because it’s new. Thanks to that fuss, it’s likely to do more damage to the economy than it does to life and limb.”
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/it-will-take-time-and-pain-to-get-used-to-the-coronavirus-20200310-p548jx.html
    The Canberra Times wonders if the PM’s faith in big business will be justified.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6671921/will-big-business-justify-the-pms-faith/?cs=14258
    Australian hospitals are likely to be swamped by thousands of corona­virus cases within a month, experts say. The warning came as doctors called for dramatically stepped-up testing to determine how many cases are currently in the ­community.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/coronavirus-hospitals-to-be-swamped-within-weeks/news-story/45ca379b6632a5050c16e9b36e4dcd76
    Following on from yesterday’s story The Age reports that Melbourne printer Finsbury Green has suspended former Carlton skipper Stephen Kernahan and businessman Brett Chalmers following revelations of alleged corruption at World Vision.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/world-vision-fallout-kernahan-chalmers-suspended-from-printing-jobs-20200310-p548q6.html
    According to Rob Harris and Dana McCauley up to 100 pop-up respiratory clinics will be established around the nation to fight the spread of coronavirus under a $2.4 billion federal government plan that also includes subsidised video-link consultations and a targeted public health campaign.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/100-pop-up-clinics-to-be-set-up-under-2-4b-plan-to-fight-coronavirus-20200310-p548r8.html
    Phil Coorey writes that business leaders have urged the Morrison government to go further than short-term stimulus and embrace tax reform and other structural policy changes to strengthen the economy, amid warnings of a global recession caused by the coronavirus.
    https://www.afr.com/business-summit/short-term-stimulus-won-t-necessarily-work-ceos-20200310-p548gd
    Nick Bonyhady explains how an eminent legal expert believes the sports rorts program may have been administered unlawfully and suggests former sport minister Bridget McKenzie could be personally liable for funding decisions.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/someone-has-to-be-responsible-legal-doubts-over-sports-rorts-grants-20200310-p548og.html
    Meanwhile disenchanted pony club and cricket club volunteers have revealed their deep frustration at missing out on much-needed upgrades during the federal government’s infamous sports rorts program. The cricket club is the team I used to play for many years ago.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6670287/clubs-despair-missing-out-in-sports-rorts/?cs=14350
    Jennifer Hewett tells us about Morrison’s call to business leaders to join “Team Australia”. Sounds to me suspiciously like a market ng slogan.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/later-morrison-s-call-for-business-to-join-team-australia-20200310-p548ga
    In the absence of leadership when we most need it, it is not surprising that people are resorting to stockpiling toilet paper, writes Dr Jennifer Wilson.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/the-coronavirus-and-morrisons-trust-me-im-the-pm-approach,13673
    More from Bonyhady as he tells us that Christian Porter does not agree with claims casual workers would go to work while feeling sick or awaiting testing because they needed to earn their wages. What planet does Porter come from?
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/government-to-consider-support-for-coronavirus-affected-casual-workers-20200310-p548l0.html
    Professor George Morgan disagrees, saying that casual workers’ incomes are ‘evaporating overnight’ and they need help to ride out the pandemic.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/incomes-are-evaporating-overnight-why-casuals-need-help-to-ride-out-the-pandemic-20200310-p548kq.html
    These two academics tell us that when it comes to sick leave, we’re not much better prepared for coronavirus than the US.
    https://theconversation.com/when-it-comes-to-sick-leave-were-not-much-better-prepared-for-coronavirus-than-the-us-133231
    The full bench of the High Court has set aside two days to hear the case of George Pell. If his lawyers are correct, the guilt, reputation and legacy of Australia’s most influential living clergyman will turn on six minutes writes Chip Le Grand.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/george-pell-s-final-bid-for-freedom-rests-on-six-missing-minutes-20200310-p548pp.html
    Bevan Shields reports that witnesses in the MH17 trial face a “genuine threat” of being murdered by Russia’s intelligence service, prosecutors have warned amid new claims that Moscow may have hacked confidential Australian Federal Police forensics reports.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/secret-witnesses-in-mh17-trial-face-genuine-threat-of-being-murdered-by-russia-20200310-p548si.html
    Alexandra Smith writes that NSW Transport minister and Bega MP says he will quit politics once the bushfire recovery is completed.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/bega-mp-andrew-constance-says-he-will-quit-politics-after-bushfire-recovery-20200310-p548ir.html
    According to Domenic Powell retail magnate and Harvey Norman founder Gerry Harvey has proven the investment adage of ‘never try to catch a falling knife’ after losing $1.5 million trying to bag a suite of bargain shares on Friday. Is Harvey expecting anyone to feel sorry for him?
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/i-think-i-ve-made-a-mistake-gerry-harvey-loses-1-5m-trying-to-beat-plunging-market-20200310-p548ph.html
    Cara Waters reports that Salesforce’s World Tour conference in Sydney usually attracts more than 10,000 attendees but last week the only people who turned up were the speakers after the event was moved online. She explains how the shift to online is a massive blow to Australia’s $30 billion events and conference industry, but businesses which offer remote conference software are in demand.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/remote-conferences-just-the-ticket-as-coronavirus-causes-cancellations-20200310-p548ju.html
    While academics debate the diminishing popularity of both Labor and the Coalition, the truth is people just don’t like to be treated like idiots, writes Peter Wicks.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/talking-points-of-the-day-the-rise-of-populism,13672
    For a while, Mohammed bin Salman appeared to be living down his reputation for dangerous aggression. But his sudden cut to the price of oil changes that declares the New York Times.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/saudi-crown-prince-had-been-lying-low-thats-over-20200310-p548lh.html
    As Australians panic-buy various goods to protect themselves from perceived supply shortages, politicians and analysts have questioned the government’s strategy for boosting the nation’s fuel supplies writes Euan Black.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2020/03/10/oil-stockpile-virus/
    The Canadian federal government has introduced new legislation to criminalise LGBTQ conversion therapy, as Justin Trudeau’s Liberal government moves to fulfil one of its 2019 election promises.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/discredited-canada-seeks-to-ban-lgbtq-conversion-therapy-20200310-p548os.html
    Paul Kelly writes that America is deeply vulnerable. It has a dysfunctional health ­system. It has a President who initia­lly went missing in action on the coronavirus. It has a sharemarket whose collapse threatens Donald Trump’s biggest plus amid an election campaign plunged into unpredictability ­because of a pandemic.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/us-election-workingclasscrisis-threatens-donald-trump/news-story/ade6e88fb7542a9a8fa1fc1e0fccb870
    The Washington Post contends that Wall Street’s crash was coming even before coronavirus hit.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/wall-street-s-crash-was-coming-even-before-coronavirus-hit-20200310-p548fj.html
    Yesterday New York’s governor announced that he is sending the National Guard into a New York City suburb to help fight what is believed to be the nation’s biggest cluster of coronavirus cases – one of the most dramatic actions yet to control the outbreak in the US.
    https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/dramatic-action-national-guard-sent-into-new-york-suburb-to-control-virus-20200311-p548tt.html
    Trump has urged Americans to stay calm, as his effort to boost the economy appeared to run into opposition from Republican senators.
    https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/trump-s-fiscal-plan-delayed-cdc-says-containment-window-shut-20200311-p548th
    Trump’s efforts at denial and distraction may come back to haunt him as he faces a different kind of enemy writes David Smith from Washington. He says a tweet can’t knock off a pandemic.
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/09/donald-trump-coronavirus-response
    Far-right extremists still threaten New Zealand, a year on from the Christchurch attacks writes Professor Paul Spoonley.
    https://theconversation.com/far-right-extremists-still-threaten-new-zealand-a-year-on-from-the-christchurch-attacks-133050
    The One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts has told a parliamentary inquiry into Australia’s family law system that “many instances” of domestic violence allegations are made up by parents to gain custody of their children.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/mar/10/malcolm-roberts-criticised-after-claiming-many-domestic-violence-allegations-made-up
    Tom Cowie explains how George Calombaris’ food empire was unprofitable for more than three years, racking up losses of $20.7 million before its collapse last month. Looks pretty much like they were trading while insolvent.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/george-calombaris-food-empire-lost-more-than-20-million-before-going-under-20200310-p548q7.html

    Cartoon Corner

    David Rowe

    Peter Broelman

    Mark David

    Fiona Katauskas

    Glen Le Lievre

    Alan Moir

    Dionne Gain

    John Shakespeare

    Andrew Dyson

    Matt Golding




    Johannes Leak in Rome.
    https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/50adb58516f14faf2305ba7fcd62c25a?width=1024

    From the US














  7. Of course he backs the plan to keep him in power, he is a dictator after all and dictators can’t stand the idea of stepping down because the power is just so tempting and addictive. There is also the fact that he and his cronies haven’t finished bleeding the country dry of money yet. Gads, it sort of reminds you of a certain trainee authoritarian party in a country in the southern hemisphre.

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/10/vladimir-putin-amendment-power-russia-2024

  8. Both the ABC and Nine/Fairfax have much the same details about Morrison’s coronavirus spending spree. It’s very annoying when they say they “understand” what Morrison will be announcing, when we all know that the media were sent the same PR spiel by Morrison’s office.

    I’ll bet that some of the coronavirus money will be the unspent portion (80%?) of the $2 billion bushfire money.

    Morrison is also being very tricky by talking about the States matching Federal money dollar for dollar. How much consultation has there been with the States? If it’s like the bushfires then very little, more a case of do what you’re told.

  9. I noted this the other day about coronavirus: it isn’t hitting kids in the same way other influenza viruses do.

    In China, only 2.4 percent of reported cases were children and only 0.2 percent of reported cases were children who got critically ill, according to the World Health Organization. China has reported no case of a young child dying of the disease covid-19.

    Meanwhile, the new coronavirus has proved especially deadly on the other end of the age spectrum. The fatality rate in China for those over 80 is an estimated 21.9 percent, per the WHO. For ages 10 to 39, however, the fatality rate is roughly 0.2 percent, according to a separate study drawing on patient records of 44,672 confirmed cases. And fatalities and severe symptoms are almost nonexistent at even younger ages.

    That means the new coronavirus is behaving very differently from other viruses, like seasonal influenza, which are usually especially dangerous for the very young and very old.

    “With respiratory infections like this, we usually see a U-shaped curve on who gets hits hardest. Young children at one end of the U because their immune systems aren’t yet developed and old people at the other end because their immune systems grow weaker,” said Vineet Menachery, a virologist at the University of Texas Medical Branch. “With this virus, one side of the U is just completely missing.”

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/03/10/coronavirus-is-mysteriously-sparing-kids-killing-elderly-understanding-why-may-help-defeat-virus/

  10. I work even while I sleep.

    Nice to wake up and see that finally:

    ● PB is up to speed on the head-nodding, wannabee Health Secretary, Brendan Murphy, CMO. I pointed out 10 days ago he was a worry, and why.

    Handy Hint: no-one who’s not a reliable stooge gets to be a departmental Secretary under Morrison (or if they aren’t a noddy already, they soon become one: it’s a KPI). The Health Secretary that Murphy is replacing is the lady who shredded all her SportsRorts files… admittedly a hard act to follow.

    ● The app that I said a week ago should be written, is being written.

    It should be written because we cannot rely on news bulletins, which are, by definition, always hours out of date due to production technicalities and if missed may as well have not been broadcast.

    TV ads similarly cannot possibly contain more than rudimentary information.

    No-one reads newspapers.

    None of the above can send text messages.

    Ergo: an app is the only way.

    ● No-one with any sense is still calling social distancing policies the ravings of panic-stricken racist bogans.

    I’m glad we’ve gotten past that initial stage of grief, i.e. denial.

    ***************

    Not a bad effort for one of Dr Wombat’s “yammerers”.

  11. These stories will get more common. From The Age

    “ A mother whose baby was treated by a Melbourne GP later diagnosed with the coronavirus has lashed out at the state Health Department over delays the family faced in being tested for the disease.”

    No surprises the system falls over at the first hurdle. Imagine if it gets serious.

  12. “With this virus, one side of the U is just completely missing.”

    Mere speculation, of course, but I reckon that the aquired immunity that babies get from their mothers, in the womb, and the fact that their mothers are in a group largely unaffected by C-19, might be what is protecting them.

    Also, young kids, to a certain extent, need to get pickled to rev up their immune systems, not to the Anti Vaxxer extent but to coughs and colds and tummy bugs, so I’m thinking that C-19 might be doing that to them and having a perversely positive effect on them. I’d love to see some blood tests from them after the event.

    Just reiterating that this is all speculation on my part.

  13. Thank you, BK, as always. Aorta put you on the ‘National Living Treasure’ register.

    There was a bit of discussion in previous posts about relying on the Government for food supplies and food drops were we to be sent into isolation.

    Nationally, the rather stupid proxy for what were essentially public policy discussions about how best to prepare for the Pandemic was toilet paper. All sorts of silly behaviour was recorded and all sorts of pejoratives were hurled about.

    There was then, IMO, a naive view from some posters that (a) the government would want to supply TWIKS to everyone sent home, and (b) that the government could do so, even if it wanted to provide TWIKs through all foreseeable circumstances during the Pandemic. The view I expressed is that everyone who could set themselves up with a TWIK should do so, leaving government resources to support those who most need it.

    On the whole, it was not a good exemplar of a nation going about the business of getting ready for a Pandemic. China provided us with 6 six weeks to get ready and we wasted 4 weeks of that on potty humour. There are other indications of a lack of common sense and agility. Today we have around 9,000 people in isolation. Yesterday we had queues of hundreds of people in most states, milling about sharing viruses while waiting for tests that they almost certainly did not need. Today we have an announcement of 100 ‘pop up’ (cool?) fever clinics. We have an announcement of an information App. But we still lack information. Taken together, the two announcements and the toilet unicorn form a pattern in which there was a sad lack of national leadership on the Pandemic.

    Notice that 60 million people have been sent home and that food deliveries in Italy have been ‘suspended’.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-11/coronavirus-updates/12043876

  14. Thanks BK for the Dawn Patrol.

    Being in the old age cohort I was interested in this item

    From the BK Files —

    Ross Gittins writes, “The coronavirus is deadly – it will end up killing quite a few oldies – but we (and the rest of the world) are making so much fuss about it mainly because it’s new. Thanks to that fuss, it’s likely to do more damage to the economy than it does to life and limb.”
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/it-will-take-time-and-pain-to-get-used-to-the-coronavirus-20200310-p548jx.html

    It could be that road accidents cause more deaths – and certainly more injury – than the virus does this year. And seasonal flu carries off a lot of oldies every year without much fuss. In the end, Sydneysiders decided that the death and injury caused by late-night drinking wasn’t a good enough reason to limit the fun.

    Who is Mr. Ross Gittins ❓ Should I have him pride of place on my Christmas Card list ❓

    Even so, about 80 per cent of those who get it have mild to moderate illness and only 20 per cent have a severe to critical illness. Most people who aren’t elderly and don’t have underlying health conditions won’t become critically ill.

    So that’s all right then as we prepare for a re enactment of the race from that wonderful book and movie by Neville Shute “On The Beach”.

    Some ding a ling hit the wrong button. More to follow.

    .

  15. Scott @ #2 Wednesday, March 11th, 2020 – 7:19 am

    As related by The Guardian, the poll also finds 71% want investigations into sports rorts to continue,

    ——————
    By Morrison being the preferred PM, it it showing the public approves of Morrison being involved in corrupt like activities
    Its time for polling this to be stopped , not only does it make the essential poll look contradictory ,also make the Australian public look like idiots

    Well, they did just vote them back in last May. 😐

  16. Notice that 60 million people have been sent home and that food deliveries in Italy have been ‘suspended’.

    Because you either fully quarantine EVERYONE, or you don’t.

  17. Josh
    @joshamcf

    If it’s so easy for casual workers to plan ahead for a pandemic
    @cporterwa
    why can’t your government deliver a surplus?

    😀

  18. I read a twitter thread yesterday from a medico in Italy that said, the health system is overstretched, Lombardi is a well resourced system. All doctors are on hand to assist patients in respiratory difficulty. The poorer your chances of survival the more likely your doctor is an orthopedist, pathologist, ophthalmologist Ie patients over 65 or younger patients with cancer, diabetes or other chronic disease

    We know there are insufficient test kits and PPE

    Will Melbourne become the next infection hot spot in 21 days? after the Ferrari team play on Lygon St, Carlton next to RMIT & Melb Uni

    Re casuals going to work when sick. I remember first day of semester 2 1997, there was a tram strike, I had a very heavy cold – I took 2 hours to walk to work

  19. Kay Jay I quite like reading Ross Gittins, and I can assure you that he is over 70. He is one of those oldies who will be triaged to the back of the queue if he gets into respiratory difficulty So for his sake I hope he works from home.

  20. Now – where was I

    Oh yes – the race from the movie “On The Beach”

    The re enactment to take place on Sunday next courtesy of F1

    Random notes –

    Nice review. The use of Waltzing Matilda is remarkable.
    As an aside Melbourne hasn’t changed much. And famously Ava Gardener said of that city : ‘ we came to make a movie about the end of the world. This is the right place ‘

    So there you have it. All is well – check in at your nearest fever clinic a couple of hundred clicks away and get your all clear voucher – good for a large toilet roll pack at a Colesworths of your choice. 🚽🧻

    P.S. Somebody made a remake of “On The Beach”. Prolly a “must miss” movie although I stand to be corrected.

  21. Morning all

    Thanks BK for today’s reports.

    I would agree with some of the observations by the financial people, that the stock market crash isn’t just about the pandemic.
    It has been overvalued for a very long time, being propped up by the US treasury. So the virus has come along to help prick the balloon.

    Apart from toilet paper and tissues, my local supermarket was stocked up with the usual goodies
    GrocerywatchPB#

  22. I have rather nervously booked my car in for a much needed service on Monday. Anyone got any hints as to how I might protect myself from a possible germ ridden mechanic who went to the GP at the weekend?

  23. I am not sure whether Mr Gittins says so explicitly but recessions also kill people.
    The dynamic is that recessions create more poverty and poverty kills.

  24. lizzie @ #28 Wednesday, March 11th, 2020 – 5:47 am

    I have rather nervously booked my car in for a much needed service on Monday. Anyone got any hints as to how I might protect myself from a possible germ ridden mechanic who went to the GP at the weekend?

    Stay outside of 6 feet from him/her.
    Do not touch him/her.
    Wash your hands before you touch your face.
    Wash your hands when you get home and before you touch other surfaces inside the home.

  25. From speaking to people in my sphere, apart from the concern of contracting the virus, it is the economic fallout. Most people do not have funds in reserve to cover them if they are forced to stop working for a period of time.

    My parents who are immigrants. Always had the view of having a nest egg in reserve for a rainy day. The rule of thumb, was at the very least, 6 months wages.
    Good luck with that concept I say.

  26. Fess

    I am assuming that said mechanic will have handled the keys, steering wheel etc, sat on the seat, and breeeeethed.
    I’m not really paranoid, just part of the vulnerable cohort. 🙁

  27. Victoria:

    Our workplace has been having management meetings to plan for what happens if coronavirus strikes our workforce. One consideration is what to do if staff in payroll get taken out by self-isolation: who will process the pays so people keep getting paid?

  28. Good Morning

    I am so happy that there is an up side to the virus.

    We should be moving faster. We would be much better placed with FTTP for virtual diagnosis.

    With Murdoch’s science denial such a big issue now I am hoping this is the straw that will break Murdoch’s hold in the US and that the Democrats indeed flip the Senate and gain the House.

    That will be bad news for right wing governments around the world.
    It will be bad news for Russia and the right wing dominance in Israel.

    I wanted Sanders to win and still do because I do see him as America’s Whitlam. However be in no doubt Biden is a left wing radical government compared to Obama’s administration.

    This will have big effects worldwide as the US moves left. That includes all those institutions that Sanders has called out.
    Their interest is in supporting the Democrats to restore their normality. This puts the Democrats and thus Labor and Labour in a dominant position.

    I see the Ardern government being the blueprint for the world’s governments.

    In Australia that means Labor be more ACT than Queensland in government by the time of the next election. Thanks to the virus health alone will see Labor win.

    The fear of losing loved ones and it’s connection to the economy is a searing memory that we have not seen since 1918 with the Spanish flu.
    It’s a black swan event politically that is changing the fundamentals of political calculation.

    We are faced with the absolute certainty there is a society. There is a common good. There are very very good reasons for public ownership and government funded essential services.

    Senator Doug Cameron will be seen as mainstream Labor not a “leftie on the fringe”

    It’s that big a shake up of the political world.
    Starting with US voters watching Fox News less.

    A good indication. Sanders held a Town Hall at the Fox network. The audience booed the Fox hosts for their questions.

  29. lizzie:

    I always give mechanics the spare car key, only because the main keys have house keys attached.

    You probably can’t do anything about the seats etc which is why it’s advisable to wash hands when you get home and before touching any surfaces in the home. You can wipe down the hard surfaces in the car I guess. But these could potentially become infected just from being out and about doing shopping etc and getting back into your car to drive home.

  30. P.S. Somebody made a remake of “On The Beach”. Prolly a “must miss” movie although I stand to be corrected.

    I didn’t mind it. It was a 2 or 3-part miniseries starring Armand Assante as the sub Captain.

    The earlier B&W version was fantastic, EXCEPT that it gave the impression that the only song Australians sing, and the only music they play, is Waltzing Matilda.

    Both versions did a good job of filling you with dread.

  31. Jack Snape
    @jacksongs
    ·
    7m
    A couple of half interesting FOI decisions from the Prime Minister’s Office. Cronulla Sharks communications are not “official” documents. And dates of Cabinet decisions are considered Cabinet documents. What do you reckon… grounds for appeal?

    ***

    Josh Taylor
    @joshgnosis
    ·
    6m
    We got a similar decision for something else. Seems to be a new tactic.

  32. Gosh, wasn’t it only a few days ago that the Labor partisans here were crowing about how Albo was effectively bulletproof because he was winning as “Preferred PM”?

    There are none so blind … 🙁

  33. Oh yes I do think the Democrats are going to beat Trump now so my last comment was based on that premise.

    Sorry I should have said it up front.

  34. So now a date is “Cabinet in Confidence”, and a Cabinet Committee can consist of Scomo alone (ref. Senate estimates). How much more secretive can this administration become?

  35. Lizzie
    In addition to above recommendations, use this concoction liberally on all surfaces he touched.
    Virus can stay active on hard surfaces for 48 hours or more
    https://www.who.int/gpsc/5may/Guide_to_Local_Production.pdf

    I made up some of this WHO recipe.

    You can ignore the requirement for distilled or boiled water. That’s just for African villages and the like that have water purity problems.

    There are two options: one using Isopropyl Alcohol (99% solution) and the other using Ethanol (96% solution).

    Isopropyl Alcohol is hard to get, even in Bunnings lately.

    “Ethanol” is really just methylated spirits (metho). Bunning and just about everywhere else stocks it readily. The Diggers brand sold in Bunnings is a 95% solution, so perfect for the WHO recipe.

    Glycerol (aka “glycerine”) can be purchased in pharmacies, as can the hydrogen peroxide 3% solution.

    The WHO site gives a recipe for 10 litres. Assuming you don’t want that much, just use the WHO proportions of 60 parts metho, 3 parts hydrogen peroxide, and 1 part glycerine, if you want to be exact.

    A shorthand way of putting this is 20 parts metho, to 1 part hydrogen peroxide, with a small squirt of glycerine.

    Really though, the metho is the active ingredient. The rest is just to either keep the bottles clean or make it feel nice.

    Just splashing metho on your hands and rubbing will do the job in a pinch.

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