The campaigns for Queensland’s local government elections and Currumbin and Bundamaba state by-elections next Saturday are proceeding in the most trying of circumstances. My guides to the by-elections can be found on the sidebar; I’ll find something to say about the Brisbane City Council elections, which I have thus far neglected entirely, later this week. Updates:
• The Electoral Commission of Queensland relates that 560,000 postal vote applications have been received for the statewide local government elections, which compares with 260,680 postal votes cast at the previous elections in 2016. However, not all applications will result in completed votes being returned – the conversion rate in Queensland at last year’s federal election was 86.0%. There have also been more than 500,000 pre-poll votes, exceeding the 435,828 cast in 2016 with a week left to go. To those understandably reluctant to turn out on so-called polling day next Saturday, the commission has been expanding opening hours at pre-poll booths. All of which will make the results that come in on Saturday night particularly hard to follow.
• A ban has been imposed on the dissemination of how-to-vote cards and canvassing for votes at polling booths. Booth supervisors may allow the material to be displayed at the booths “in a manner deemed appropriate”.
Elsewhere:
• An international poll by Ipsos on attitudes to coronavirus finds 34% of Australians strongly agree, and 35% somewhat agree, with closing borders until the virus “is proved to be contained”, which is about average among the twelve nations surveyed. The survey has been conducted over four waves going back to early February, in which time the number of respondents identifying a very high or high threat to them personally has risen from around 10% to 23%. However, Australians recorded among the highest response in favour of the proposition that the media was exaggerating about the virus, which actually increased over the past fortnight from the high forties to 58%. A notable outlier in respect of all questions is Italy, where only 29% now say the media is exaggerating the threat, slumping from around 80%.
• Tasmanian Attorney-General Elise Archer announced this week that May 2 elections for the Legislative Council seats of Huon and Rosevears are “safe to proceed”, with “significant measures being put in place to maintain public safety”.
• A Roy Morgan SMS poll of 974 respondents asked whether respondents trusted or distrusted a list of current and former politicians that included Jacinda Ardern, but was apparently otherwise entirely Australian. All we are given at this stage is a top ten list of the best net performers, which is headed by Jacinda Ardern and otherwise notable for not including a single male conservative. However, this is all pretty useless without hard numbers, which will apparently be forthcoming “in coming days”.
https://edition.cnn.com/2020/03/21/us/toilet-paper-calculator-coronavirus-trnd/index.html
Lars Von Trier @ #10 Sunday, March 22nd, 2020 – 7:50 am
I agree with most of the above.
Why we are so complacent comes down to a combination of:
1. Youthful bravado and a devil may care attitude amongst a culture that has prospered for the last 30 years. Selfishness is probably in their as well.
2. The stats show that the real danger for people being infected by the virus is post 70 years of age and/or those with pre-existing health problems that lower their immunity. Most people don’t believe they are in that category. So they are sceptical of the need for the restrictions.
3. Widespread belief that the media have exaggerated and over hyped the whole issue.
4. A belief that it’s only the flu and the flu is not deadly.
5. Government indifference and mixed messages about the true nature of the problem.
Maude Lynne @ #32 Sunday, March 22nd, 2020 – 7:21 am
That’s better news than the alternative.
Is it too soon for Labor to start talking about the ‘Coalitions’s debt’?
Just back from a Saturday night stroll through the village .. weird seeing the pubs and WMC closed 🙁
The two local chippys were queueing out the doors though, but for the first time during the current crisis the local supermarket had mucho empty shelves .. and I’m out of milk
One of the local pubs has today set up for takeaway food online and one of the national chains is hawking online ordering of bottled beer – I’m sat here thinking what a shame it is with all that real ale sat spoiling in the cellars 🙁
Mundo
Labor and the Greens need to start talking about social debt.
No more pretty names from economists to pretend the economy exists to provide increased profits for a few people instead of services for everyone.
Profit is a bonus not an essential part of the economy.
We know the Co operative as a business model works.
It’s ages old not new and only threatens the Greed is Everything approach to the economy.
Confessions
The maths in that diagram you posted looks correct.
Lizzie 8.46
Kouk is correct and exactly my earlier point – Morrison is falling back to his stock in trade, big announcements, rather than making big policy changes. We need the latter. If you are an unemployed casual with no hours or income, you cannot spend a big announcement. You need cash. Just as Trump needed convincing that the threat of Covid19 was real, I think that Morrison needs convincing that the need for a governmetn stimulus is real. He still lives in the Cronulla bubble. I fear we are headed for a deep recession.
Albo should not vote against any stimulus measures, but he should point out Labor would support doing more.
Ironically all those small business operators that faithfully vote Liberal are the very ones about to discover that Scomo has no idea how to save them. I pity their staff though.
Social distancing on Insiders:
Greensborough Growler @ #61 Sunday, March 22nd, 2020 – 8:58 am
GG
Third time lucky?
Interesting that the 30-39 age group has the highest number of confirmed infections and the highest rate of confirmed infections per capita. No deaths in this age group yet.
Are these the most likey to be in employment, have children and otherwise most physically mobile? Are they the most cynical about the seriousness of the disease? They’re surely less likely to be on cruise ships.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-03-17/coronavirus-cases-data-reveals-how-covid-19-spreads-in-australia/12060704
Mexicanbeemer
The “ordinary” workers in the tweet are a hell of a lot more useful than the Wall St. casino whales. You know, the pricks that gave us the GFC , the same pricks with their hands on the same levers today.
Youthful bravado and a devil may care attitude amongst a culture that has prospered for the last 30 years.
You don’t know how bad. My son showed me a Tik Tok video of an Influencer who was licking a variety of surfaces to prove she was immunie to catching COVID-19 and it was nothing for everyone else to worry about!
Yes, it’s about Millennials getting a dose of reality, I reckon.
Just getting concerned that the Coles website is still down.
As I have used their service for years and I have a credit to be used up, I am reluctant to register with Woolies at this point.
Is it just me – can anyone else get Coles Online up?
laughtong @ #67 Sunday, March 22nd, 2020 – 8:10 am
out for maintenance
laughtong @ #67 Sunday, March 22nd, 2020 – 8:10 am
I’m sure you can be signed up with both companies simultaneously. See which one is able to deliver first.
poroti says:
Sunday, March 22, 2020 at 9:08 am
Mexicanbeemer
The “ordinary” workers in the tweet are a hell of a lot more useful than the Wall St. casino whales. You know, the pricks that gave us the GFC , the same pricks with their hands on the same levers today
———————————–
The GFC had many fathers from government, regulators, rating agencies, central banks and the banks but this situation is entirely different.
Amazing to hear journalists on Insiders scolding media coverage of coronavirus for being sensationalist, lacking in fact and hyper.
This is the same media and journalists that have sensationalised, hyped and lacked facts for as long as I can remember.
As predicted the spivs are going to use the Virus to destroy compulsory Super.
Boerwar:
Yep.
laughtong @ #67 Sunday, March 22nd, 2020 – 9:10 am
The website is down
I registered with Woolworths years ago but have never used the service.
You can apply for deliveries as a PCC – Elderly – Disabled – person. I have done so and am told that a reply will be forthcoming in 48 hours (or so).
I would sooner go with Coles and expect a similar arrangement “real soon now.”
Allowing people to access their super is the most short sighted economically irresponsibly stupid policy i have ever seen.
Confessions @ #71 Sunday, March 22nd, 2020 – 8:14 am
Take their criticisms seriously when they actually name and shame their own colleagues, editors and employers. Until then it is always them over there who is the bad uns.
The Guardian
Meanwhile, Guardian Australia’s political editor Katharine Murphy is on the virtual Insiders couch this morning, and just made this very good point about the way the media ought to cover the coronavirus crisis.
At all times, and particularly now, we need to get our facts right. We need to get the information correct. We also need to counter, wherever we can, misinformation, which is ubiquitous in relation to this issue.
There are rumours pounding through social media: there are outright deceptions. Fraudulent information is circulating. Whenever and wherever possible, the mainstream media needs to try to counter that misinformation and disinformation.
The other thing we really need to do is to continue to ask questions, which is our job. Now, we can’t be stunned into some sort of silence or timidity because the times are very serious… But what we need to very much desist from, in my view, is gratuitous reporting, grandstanding, and also seeking contention for its own sake.
There’s a lot of the 24-7 media cycle now where contention is baked into the business. Contention is basically the drum beat of modern news coverage. Now, we need to ask question, but we don’t need to contention shop, for want of a better word.
Chalmers coming into his own now…..
Chalmers could’ve said the reason Albo should be part of the national cabinet is because Labor has a proven successful track record of delivering effective stimulus during a time of crisis.
Labor does not support early withdrawal of Super. Good.
Lenore Taylor – The coronavirus story is unfathomably large. We must get the reporting right
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/mar/22/the-coronavirus-story-is-unfathomably-large-we-must-get-the-reporting-right
lizzie @ #80 Sunday, March 22nd, 2020 – 9:27 am
I agree. But I’ll raid what little I have.
‘Flatten the curve’: why predicting coronavirus infections and deaths is so tricky
Experts warn epidemic modelling is extremely complex and some homemade graphs on social media are causing a lot of anxiety
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/mar/22/flatten-the-curve-why-predicting-coronavirus-infections-and-deaths-is-so-tricky
Speers making the excuses for Scrot already putting Labor on notice.
Morrison is achieving the double.
He is flattening the economic curve.
He is steepening the Virus curve.
Speers not interrup—– sorry, spoke to soon.
Chalmers should have said:
“We’re not Tony Abbott”
So even this evangelist doesn’t believe in prayer alone. Just cash!
My family including my own siblings etc have taken covid19 seriously and this was before the Italian tragedy was unfolding.
And I was certain , when Trump said it was a hoax and played it down.
It was reported that the intelligence services had been briefing him on the seriousness of the matter since early January.
When I saw one of his early pressers saying that they had it under control and only a few people had it, and the virus was going to disappear. I knew the USA were stuffed and by extension everywhere else.
It resulted in my family member cancelling trip to the USA.
Chalmers points out there is an emergency withdrawal provision in Super and that should be left as it is.
Yes, Speers returning to habit.
Chalmers is good. If he survives the Virus he will be an Australian prime minister one day.
Chalmers is one of Labor’s best communicators. Which is why I wanted him to be leader, not Albo.
Confessions @ #79 Sunday, March 22nd, 2020 – 9:24 am
Exactly.
Labor has a poor record of selling it’s achievements.
They still haven’t worked out if they don’t no one else will.
Confessions @ #93 Sunday, March 22nd, 2020 – 9:33 am
Me too.
The reason Speers has not been interrupting Chalmers is because Chalmers is answering Speer’s questions.
Call to protect asylum seeker detainees from coronavirus
https://croakey.org/call-to-protect-asylum-seeker-detainees-from-coronavirus/
Chalmers handling some silly petty questions from Speers with impressive calm and balance.