Another three things

A bluffers’ guide to Saturday’s elections in Queensland, plus further items of marginal interest.

No Newspoll this week it seems. News you can use:

• Queensland’s elections on the weekend are covered in extensive and ongoing detail here. To cut a long story short: the state by-elections of Bundamba and Currumbin resulted in victories for the incumbent parties, namely Labor and the Liberal National Party respectively; Adrian Schrinner of the LNP was re-elected as lord mayor of Brisbane; and the LNP have almost certainly retained a healthy majority on Brisbane City Council. In Bundamba, the LNP ran third behind One Nation (and probably shouldn’t have bothered to run), whose presence in the field also took a bite out of the Labor primary vote. Labor did manage to improve their primary vote at the LNP’s expense in Currumbin, where One Nation is a lot weaker, but the latter’s presence means they will get a lower share of the combined preferences and thus fail to bite into the LNP’s existing 3.3% margin. There has been no notional two-party count, but scrutineers’ figures cited by Antony Green suggest Labor received an uncommonly weak 71% share of Greens preferences.

• Roy Morgan’s promise that it would provide further detail on its half-way intriguing findings on trust in political and business leaders (see here and here) has borne disappointing fruit. Rather than provide the trust and distrust scores as most of us would have hoped, a follow-up release offers only blurry impressions as to the specific attributes that caused the various leaders to be trusted or distrusted, in which “honest/genuine” and “integrity/sincerity” were uselessly listed as distinct response options.

• The Tasmanian government has delayed the date for the periodical Legislative Council elections, which this year encompass the seats of Huon and Rosevears, but only from May 2 to May 30. The Tasmanian Electoral Commission says this will give it more time to “ensure electors have access to the voting process and to maintain the integrity of the 2020 Legislative Council elections during the COVID-19 pandemic”, which presumably means a greater emphasis on postal, pre-poll and maybe telephone voting.

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.

1,029 comments on “Another three things”

Comments Page 4 of 21
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  1. KayJay

    Confession time. My mower is a ride-on so once I manage to climb on, I can manage half an hour at a time. No way could I push anything without falling over.

  2. poroti
    says:
    Monday, March 30, 2020 at 9:35 am
    nath
    A bit like the tower fire in the UK. There was a lot of screaming about the menace of using panels. If you went to the company that made the sort used in the tower there were 3 grades and had clearly specified height limits for the buildings they were to be used on. The more expensive ones of course were for use up at higher levels. So greedy arse “business community” builders trying to make more money rather than crap ‘foreign’ panels that seemed to get a lot of blame.
    _____________________________
    Of course. It’s easier to blame a foreign actor than recognise the complicity of builders, regulations, politicians and even buyers who were happy with a cheaper price rather than a safe building. Ultimately it’s the regulators who are most to blame.

  3. It’s Time
    Did you watch the 4 Corners program because it outlined how the Chinese authorities behaved and i seriously doubt the Australian or American authorities would arrest doctors for trying to raise awareness.

  4. All round Australia wildlife is getting a break from the incessant hammerings meted out by humans.

    By the time access to trout waters becomes re-normalized, the trout will be nearly a kilo heavier on average.

  5. The suggestion of limit of only 1 extra person in homes will be counter productive. Having 2 people around for a coffee, talk or feed is clearly manageable and little more risk than 1. The social and personal disaster from not being able to have basic friendships maintained in a time of big shut down will have very wide repercussions. Mental health, adults losing the plot with each other and kids and parents losing the plot with each other just the start. At least have a limit at 2 extras.

  6. GoldenSmaug
    There are reports that it first appeared in November and the issue with China is their actions around alerting international health authorities. If there was a paper published in 2007 warning about the dangers of wet markets then that makes it worst for the Chinese authorities.

  7. ‘Spence says:
    Monday, March 30, 2020 at 9:42 am

    The suggestion of limit of only 1 extra person in homes will be counter productive. Having 2 people around for a coffee, talk or feed is clearly manageable and little more risk than 1. The social and personal disaster from not being able to have basic friendships maintained in a time of big shut down will have very wide repercussions. Mental health, adults losing the plot with each other and kids and parents losing the plot with each other just the start. At least have a limit at 2 extras.’

    It should be zero ‘extra persons’.

  8. Interestingly in the UK………

    Harry Cole
    @MrHarryCole
    ·
    Mar 29
    EXC: Plates shifting… No10’s Bew foreign policy review shelved amid internal pressure for major rethink about relations with China

    Mobile phoneCabinet calls for Huawei u-turn and diplomatic deep freeze with China until they reform

    Earth globe asia-australiaGrowing acceptance CV19 has blown up global politics

  9. Trump snaps at Black reporters calling them ‘you people’ during Rose Garden press conference

    During a Sunday press conference in the Rose Garden, Trump attacked Bloomberg and PBS reporters for their questions. In the case of the PBS reporter, who Trump has attacked multiple times, he referred to her and her Bloomberg colleague as “you people.”

    Yamiche Alcindor asked the president about his earlier accusations that masks were “going out the back door” and said that it was “worst than hoarding.” She specifically cited his comments on Sean Hannity where he attacked blue-state governors, saying that if they’re not nice to them he won’t return their calls.

    https://www.rawstory.com/2020/03/watch-trump-snaps-at-black-reporters-as-you-people-during-rose-garden-press-conference/

  10. Mexicanbeemer

    China stuffed up big time. Whether some on this blog acknowledge it or not.

    And Trump, being leader of the most powerful western country, stuffed up big time too.

    Failed leadership is why the world is going through this health and financial crisis.

    History does not need rewriting. We are living through it now.

  11. Did you watch the 4 Corners program because it outlined how the Chinese authorities behaved and i seriously doubt the Australian or American authorities would arrest doctors for trying to raise awareness.

    True, China did act against some Doctors and medical staff, they are, after all, a totalitarian government prone to brutality and mercilessly acting in what they perceive to be their own best political interests.
    But … certainly our government would never get away with doing what China does, therefore our Government works through proxies such as Newcorp to silence or marginalise political dissent (not to mention Naru and other wonderful places of internment), unless you are an Aboriginal, in which case our History and China’s have far too much in common.
    Keeping in mind Morrison was still telling people to go about their lives three weeks ago as in his mind the economy was far more important than a minor flu like illness which MIGHT come from China. This was the same attitude as the US and Europe until Italy demonstrated the real impacts.
    China was more brutal but the behaviour to deny the evidence is no different to how our governments behaved.

  12. Victoria @ #118 Monday, March 30th, 2020 – 6:17 am

    It’s high time we wake up to a lot of what is wrong with our current trading system.
    We still have to fix a monumental problem of dodgy panels in most of our newer high rise buildings.
    China doesn’t seem to think it has any responsibility for selling dodgy panels.

    We are now reaping what we have shown.

    Anyhoo that is the last I am going to say on these matters.

    Are you still going on about “dodgy” panels.

    There was nothing wrong with the panels.

    The problem is that builders in Australia chose to use them for a purpose that they were not suitable for because they were cheaper.

    i.e. The problem is all Australia’s making.

  13. Isn’t it a tragedy that USA doesn’t have a Governor-General who can take over and dismiss Trump in a crisis? Slight sarcasm, but Trump is such a disaster. Unfortunately the RWNJs with guns who might perhaps have been expected to fix the problem are all on Trump’s side.

  14. Boerwar – so if I know some people who are really struggling and need some social support I should rely on a phone call or nothing. Meanwhile most of the outside workforce and some of the inside workforce which adds up to a few million people are ok with following the distancing rules.

  15. GoldenSmaug
    I’ve been a broken record here for weeks but feels like months criticising Morrison’s failures to manage this virus despite this government claiming to be strong on borders which is now in tatters.

  16. Confessions @ #126 Monday, March 30th, 2020 – 9:21 am

    Mexican:

    Yes, but if the industry is shut down, then key workers aren’t available immediately, much less if they’ve been let go by their employer.

    This is one of the reasons why I argued that there are industries (like the construction industry) that should have a case by case approach applied to what is shut down and what isn’t.

    You can’t have 2 people working on a construction site at the one time. Unless it is a vewy, vewy small one. 😐

  17. Mexicanbeemer @ #172 Monday, March 30th, 2020 – 9:56 am

    GoldenSmaug
    I’ve been a broken record here for weeks but feels like months criticising Morrison’s failures to manage this virus despite this government claiming to be strong on borders which is now in tatters.

    Any of the cartoonists drawn a Coronavirus on a rickety boat breaching our borders yet? 🙂

  18. Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers

    The email came from the boss.

    We’re watching you, it told Axos Financial employees working from home. We’re capturing your keystrokes. We’re logging the websites you visit. Every 10 minutes or so, we’re taking a screen shot. So get to work – or face the consequences.

    With so many people working remotely because of the coronavirus, surveillance software is flying off the virtual shelves.

    “Companies have been scrambling,” said Brad Miller, CEO of surveillance-software maker InterGuard. “They’re trying to allow their employees to work from home, but trying to maintain a level of security and productivity.”

    Axos spokesman Gregory Frost said in a statement that “the enhanced monitoring of at-home employees we implemented will ensure that those members of our workforce who work from home will continue” to meet quality and productivity standards that are expected from all workers.

    https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/bosses-panic-buy-spy-software-to-keep-tabs-on-remote-workers-20200330-p54f5g

  19. C@tmomma @ #175 Monday, March 30th, 2020 – 6:57 am

    Confessions @ #126 Monday, March 30th, 2020 – 9:21 am

    Mexican:

    Yes, but if the industry is shut down, then key workers aren’t available immediately, much less if they’ve been let go by their employer.

    This is one of the reasons why I argued that there are industries (like the construction industry) that should have a case by case approach applied to what is shut down and what isn’t.

    You can’t have 2 people working on a construction site at the one time. Unless it is a vewy, vewy small one. 😐

    Workplaces are exempt from the 2 person rule.

  20. I have just made a Banana Cake and done some weeding in the light drizzle outside. You have to leaven the loaf with stuff like that every now and again. And tonight we are making Margherita Pizza!

  21. dave
    The odd thing with that story is many computer programs might already allow for employers to monitor productivity.

  22. Confessions @ #176 Monday, March 30th, 2020 – 9:59 am

    C@tmomma @ #175 Monday, March 30th, 2020 – 6:57 am

    Confessions @ #126 Monday, March 30th, 2020 – 9:21 am

    Mexican:

    Yes, but if the industry is shut down, then key workers aren’t available immediately, much less if they’ve been let go by their employer.

    This is one of the reasons why I argued that there are industries (like the construction industry) that should have a case by case approach applied to what is shut down and what isn’t.

    You can’t have 2 people working on a construction site at the one time. Unless it is a vewy, vewy small one. 😐

    Workplaces are exempt from the 2 person rule.

    Unwise, to say the least. Can’t see it lasting. Some people will just refuse to turn up, I reckon. I would. Though, if you need the money…desperate men do desperate things.

  23. dave @ #175 Monday, March 30th, 2020 – 6:58 am

    Bosses panic-buy spy software to keep tabs on remote workers

    The email came from the boss.

    We’re watching you, it told Axos Financial employees working from home. We’re capturing your keystrokes. We’re logging the websites you visit. Every 10 minutes or so, we’re taking a screen shot. So get to work – or face the consequences.

    With so many people working remotely because of the coronavirus, surveillance software is flying off the virtual shelves.

    “Companies have been scrambling,” said Brad Miller, CEO of surveillance-software maker InterGuard. “They’re trying to allow their employees to work from home, but trying to maintain a level of security and productivity.”

    Axos spokesman Gregory Frost said in a statement that “the enhanced monitoring of at-home employees we implemented will ensure that those members of our workforce who work from home will continue” to meet quality and productivity standards that are expected from all workers.

    https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/bosses-panic-buy-spy-software-to-keep-tabs-on-remote-workers-20200330-p54f5g

    Who didn’t see that coming?

  24. Victoria,
    I have some sympathy for those trying to return.
    We had one hell of a job of booking replacement return flights and we were lucky to be staying in great hotels who tipped us off about border closures and helped us find our way to the airport.
    Normally we stay in cheaper hotels and Airbnb , and if that had been the case, we may have still been in Portugal, waiting for a response from the airlines .
    The other issue is that airfares were cancelled ( and not just once) and not everyone has the money to pay for exorbitant one way fares on top of their original. It could be that others wasted a lot of time trying to get refunds so that they could afford those fares.
    Am sure that there are those who are slack but listening to fellow returnees during our 22hr stopover in Doha, so many had awful experiences and I saw at least two women sobbing.
    The sense of helplessness of those on stand-by in Lisbon was palpable.
    Would like some serious investigation of both the appalling lack of duty of care by airlines and the spineless Australian Consular responses.

  25. The ABC’s Dr Norman Swan, a physician and health journalist of Coronacast fame is going to be tested for coronavirus, after developing symptoms.

    Speaking on Robbie Buck and Wendy Harmer’s ABC Radio Sydney breakfast show, Dr Swan said he was at home in isolation because he had symptoms and was about to go get tested.

  26. Danama Papers

    I wonder how long before the “work from home” people will have to fit breathalyzers to their computer 😆

  27. Oh dear, what’s he been up to? Visiting the ABC????

    Dr Swan said he was at home in isolation because he had symptoms and was about to go get tested.

  28. “FWIW my own view is that we’re about 2 weeks behind the eastern states. We still have cruise ships docking in Perth for goodness sakes.”

    The obvious difference now is that those people are going straight into quarantine. That’s a pretty major difference.

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