Essential Research and Morgan: more coronavirus polling

Two new polls suggest support for the federal government’s handling of the coronavirus crisis is still on the rise.

I’ll be taking part in the Political Geekfest videocast through Zoom with Peter Lewis of Essential Research and Katharine Murphy of the Guardian Australia at 1pm AEST today, which you can register for here. The subject of discussion will be this:

• The Guardian reports on another Essential Research poll focusing mostly on coronavirus, which would appear to be a weekly thing at least for the time being. The latest poll finds 59% rating the government’s response as about right, up from 46% last week and 39% in the two previous weekly polls; 13% rating it an overreaction, continuing its downward trajectory from 33% to 18% to 17%; and 29% rating it an underreaction, which bounced around over the first three weeks from 28% to 43% to 37%. Respondents were also asked to rate their state governments’ reactions, though with sample sizes too small to be of that much use at the individual level: the combined responses for very good and quite good were at 56% for New South Wales, 76% for Victoria, 52% for Queensland, 79% for Western Australia and 72% for South Australia. The poll also records a surprisingly high level of general morale, producing an average 6.7 rating on a scale of one to ten, unchanged from May last year. The full report should be published later today. UPDATE: Full report here.

• Also apparently a weekly thing is Roy Morgan’s coronavirus polling, which is being conducted online and not by SMS as I previously assumed – indeed, I believe this is the first online polling Morgan has ever published. Last week’s tranche showed a sharp rise in approval of the government’s handling of the matter from a week previous, with 21% strongly agreeing the government was handling the matter well (up twelve), 44% less strongly agreeing (up ten), 23% disagreeing (down ten) and 6% strongly disagreeing (down ten). Respondents had also become more optimistic since the previous week (59% saying the worst was yet to come, down 26 points, 33% saying the situation would remain the same, up 22 points, and 8% expecting things to improve, up four), and, contra Essential, slightly more inclined to consider the threat was being exaggerated (up five points to 20%, with disagreement down six to 75%). The poll was conducted last weekend from a sample of 987.

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.

1,397 comments on “Essential Research and Morgan: more coronavirus polling”

Comments Page 16 of 28
1 … 15 16 17 … 28

  1. Apart from the obvious, the sooner a vaccine and/or treatment is found for C-19 the better. An election would assist:

    States and territories—Next election dates:

    NT

    22 August 2020 (fixed)

    ACT

    17 October 2020 (fixed)

    Qld

    31 October 2020 (fixed thereafter)

    WA

    13 March 2021 (fixed)

    Tas.

    Around mid-2022 (not fixed)

    SA

    19 March 2022 (fixed)

    Vic.

    26 November 2022 (fixed)

    NSW

    25 March 2023 (fixed)

  2. New Zeland’s election is due on in September and I think Jacinda Adern’s handling of C-19 will hold her in good stead:

    [‘New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern says the country appears to be over the worst of its coronavirus outbreak but it is no time to let up on strict lockdown measures.

    The country recorded just 17 new cases of the virus on Tuesday, bringing the total to 1,366. There were also four new deaths, the worst day yet on that measure, bringing the total number of deaths to nine.

    New Zealand lawmakers will decide early next week what will happen after an initial four-week lockdown ends on April 22.’]

  3. PB
    “Dio, the other day you quoted your reliable source about the outbreak in the staff in The Alfred.

    From what I recall, you mentioned they were not contaminated in the corona ward. Do you know if it had anything to do with the cancer treatments?”

    Yes it was on the oncology ward (not ICU or corona ward) so they weren’t wearing PPE. I don’t know if it was a patient or staff member who started the cluster but the immunosupressed patients would be particularly vulnerable.

  4. “Coronavirus: UK economy ‘could shrink by record 35%’ by June………OBR’s estimates said a three month lockdown would push up the UK’s borrowing bill to an estimated £273bn this financial year, or 14% of gross domestic product (GDP)…….this would represent the largest deficit as a share of GDP since World War Two”

    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-52279871
    ____________________________________________________________

    “Coronavirus: One in five deaths now linked to virus”
    https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-52278825

  7. Mavis if NZ continues to trend into the single digit new cases that will give me further joy.
    And yes I want to see Jacinda back 🙂

  8. Here is a nice summary of endgame scenarios and description of who is advocating for what:

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/apr/15/pros-and-cons-what-are-the-exit-strategies-for-australias-coronavirus-crisis

    Wise words from James McCaw. Elimination is very challenging. But it is not to say that it is impossible. Public goodwill is critical.

    BK may have this article later on his amazing and wonderful Dawn Patrol compendium of course.

  9. Good morning BK

    I put you on the wrong tram yesterday. A thousand pardons.

    I have two Paywall Bypass extensions/addons installed and my already addled brain became more confused than ever.

    You already had “Bypass Paywalls” installed while I have that plus an earlier bypass extension as well – this is

    “Anti-Paywall” 0.92 which was around for quite a while prior to the other. This extension deals with the “Advertiser” among others.

    I posted a couple of items yesterday afternoon which I will repost in a few minutes.

    Kettle on. ☕ I am doing some plumbing with a leaking sink – couple of those little round washers that fit in grooves have perished. Naturally they are difficult to get at – particularly for an 80 year old.

  11. KayJay @ #499 Tuesday, April 14th, 2020 – 4:40 pm

    ” rel=”nofollow”>

    Eight hours later —–

    Anti-paywall accounts for many sites including 👇👇

    This extension currently supports the following websites:
    • adelaidenow.com.au
    • baltimoresun.com
    • barrons.com
    • chicagobusiness.com
    • chicagotribune.com

    Being of the Hard Way Jones persuasion I have arrived at the solution via the windmills of my mind and the circumlocution and circumnavigation of the pyramids of power. No, I dunno what all that means either.

    ” rel=”nofollow”>

    “The Advertiser” site
    is
    adelaidenow.com.au

    Covered by Anti-Paywall
    and not by
    Bypass Paywalls

    Therefor I am now up to (in the pardon me tally)
    One Thousand and ninety Eleven.

    See previous post for installation.

    Coming in a moment or two.

  12. KayJay @ #389 Tuesday, April 14th, 2020 – 2:26 pm

    BK @ #355 Tuesday, April 14th, 2020 – 1:30 pm

    KayJay
    Thanks for the Bypass Paywalls advice. I turned incognito on but cannot read the Advertiser. Some items are not pay-walled but most are.

    I also run “Anti-Paywall” in parallel with “Bypass Paywalls”.

    Downloadable from

    https://github.com/nextgens/anti-paywall

    With the usual process to Extract all and slide onto Chrome Extensions. Fix for incognito —

    ” rel=”nofollow”>

    Pain in the …. but I can read all of The Agoniser. Sometimes difficult to know which extension is effective.

    Back to my book – where mysterious creatures are trying to wipe out an entire town.

    Back to my plumbing. I have finished the book written more than twenty years ago and mentioned a virus in the wild. Quite sad that Mr. Trump doesn’t read.

  14. He’s probably become one of the recently retired medicos that have gone back to work in order to help out during the crisis.

    Are you ever going back to pharmacy, C@t? Your skills are being put to waste posting here as often as you do. Just think of all of the pent-up anger you could release by jabbing others coming in for their flu shots.

    At least I didn’t call people who contribute to this blog, ‘rats’ who ‘infest this blog’, simply because they didn’t agree with me that Bernie Sanders was the best thing going around the Democratic Primaries.

    Now THAT’S anger.

  16. C@tmomma @ #764 Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 – 6:59 am

    He’s probably become one of the recently retired medicos that have gone back to work in order to help out during the crisis.

    Are you ever going back to pharmacy, C@t? Your skills are being put to waste posting here as often as you do. Just think of all of the pent-up anger you could release by jabbing others coming in for their flu shots.

    At least I didn’t call people who contribute to this blog, ‘rats’ who ‘infest this blog’, simply because they didn’t agree with me that Bernie Sanders was the best thing going around the Democratic Primaries.

    Now THAT’S anger.

    Their previous latest take was that Biden did not have the endorsement of either Sanders or Obama, so therefore…………….

    I suppose they will now demand Bernie be exiled from the movement he leads for unsound endorsing. A bit like when WB was exiled from the US thread by the Gilligan Islanders all those years ago.

  17. @vanOnselenP
    ·
    4m
    The PM has made a plea for parents to start sending their kids to school again. Will he be doing that with his own kids and lead by example?

  18. @vanOnselenP
    ·
    1m
    So they want to copy the non-democracy Singapore and track Australian citizens on our phones but they don’t want schools closed like Singapore has done. Open schools bc that’s safe, sitting on park benches isn’t, nor are playgrounds, nor is visiting anyone else. Makes sense….

  19. Now, on to more relevant matters than the snark of an embittered Bernie Bro…

    A national election was conducted in South Korea on the 15th of April, the first of the Coronavirus era. They dealt with it in their typically efficient fashion, but fairly, so that everyone could still come out and vote:

    The virus has transformed the mechanics of voting for millions of South Koreans amid concern that polling stations could trigger a second wave of infections, just as the country appears to be bringing the outbreak under control.

    More than 3,500 polling stations have been disinfected and all voters are required to use hand sanitiser and wear a mask and gloves. Those who fail a temperature check are directed to special booths, while separate polling stations have been set up for more than 3,000 Covid-19 patients and 900 medical workers in Seoul and the city of Daegu, until recently the centre of South Korea’s infections. People in quarantine will be allowed to vote by mail from home.

    Many voters agreed that the elections should go ahead, even if it meant longer waits outside polling stations.

    “As long as people take all the necessary precautions, the elections should go ahead,” said Jeon Young-gyun, a 55-year-old resident of Suwon in Gyeonggi province. “Voting is the best way to protect democracy … it’s our right as citizens.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/14/south-korea-votes-in-first-national-election-of-coronavirus-era

  20. @vanOnselenP 4m
    The PM has made a plea for parents to start sending their kids to school again. Will he be doing that with his own kids and lead by example?

    I had to check this was real. It is.
    That will annoy the crap out of Morrison. Will he address it at the next presser? His normal ‘leave my kids out of it’ is wearing out its welcome.

  21. What karma looks like.

    You could almost hear the sound of thousands of Republican officials harrumphing and gnashing their teeth Monday night when the results of a key Wisconsin Supreme Court race came in. Republicans had gone to great lengths to suppress the vote, refusing to postpone the election despite the coronavirus pandemic and racing to the U.S. Supreme Court to block an extension of time for voters to return absentee ballots. This was the perfect example of Republicans’ go-to tactic: Make it hard to vote, hoping your own (whiter, older) voters will turn out but Democrats won’t. That strategy bombed in Wisconsin, suggesting Republican efforts to tamp down on voting by mail (or other means) may be self-destructive.

    The Post reports, “A liberal challenger easily defeated the conservative incumbent for a seat on the Wisconsin Supreme Court, a key race at the heart of Democratic accusations that Republicans risked voters’ health and safety by going forward with last week’s elections amid the coronavirus pandemic.” Voting by mail was a huge success with “nearly 1.1 million Wisconsinites cast[ing] ballots that way, nearly as many as total turnout in last year’s Supreme Court race — and more than the total turnout in the court races in each of the previous two years.”

    In the end, liberal Jill Karofsky crushed Daniel Kelly, the conservative incumbent. To make matters worse, Karofsky won comfortably in Kenosha County, the ultimate swing county, which President Trump won narrowly in 2016.

    https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/04/14/not-even-voter-suppression-works-republicans/

  24. This sounds like a brilliant idea.

    Hugh Laurie
    @hughlaurie
    · 5h
    Calls to UK Domestic Abuse Helplines have more than doubled since the lockdown. Victims should know that if they are in danger, they can dial 999, then press 55 and remain silent. Police will know that the caller is in danger and cannot speak. Spread this wide.

  25. https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/coronavirus-nothing-will-challenge-australias-precrisis-values/news-story/843114fd4e062caf01049a24664eb4b2

    Morrison has identified the principles that will guide the government. As with many principles, they contain contradictions to be resolved. Morrison sees national sovereignty as the essential theme from the crisis. He measures sovereignty in terms of capability and freedom — which means a broader concept of national security, with health, energy and investment dimensions and renewal, from the crisis, of our democratic freedoms. “We are not a coerced society,” he said. Today’s measures are temporary, by institutional agreement and for the public good.

    His sovereignty concept is an assertion of Australian traditionalism, values and success. It is “enabled by having a vibrant market economy” that secures “our standard of living”, and the Morrison philosophy “to have a go and get a go”. For Morrison, our pre-crisis values are being reaffirmed by the crisis and endure beyond it. “We will not surrender this,” he said.

    Comment —

  27. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    David Crowe tells us that Australians will be asked within weeks to sign up for a mobile app that can alert them to the risk of catching the coronavirus, using their movements to find out whether they have been close to someone already infected.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/mobile-tracing-is-next-step-in-virus-battle-in-bid-to-stop-outbreaks-20200414-p54jsd.html
    The “Great Lockdown” to fight COVID-19 will cost the world economy $US9 trillion and trigger a decline in global output 30 times greater than during the global financial crisis, according to International Monetary Fund predictions for the worst year since the Great Depression.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/economics/coronavirus-worst-year-since-great-depression-says-imf/news-story/0e9976bdbd46ebae16d19f8190241467
    But it does predict a V-shaped rebound of 6.1 per cent next year if the global pandemic peaks in the next three months and social distancing restrictions ease in the second half of this year.
    https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/imf-predicts-deep-recession-v-shaped-rebound-for-australia-20200414-p54jot
    Flattening the curve means that many will die. So the harsh lockdown must continue until infections are next to zero writes Stephen Duckett.
    https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/eliminating-the-pestilence-is-the-only-way-to-save-lives-20200414-p54jmk
    Shane Wright reports that the IMF predicts Australia will experience its biggest economic hit since 1930 and unemployment will remain high for at least two more years, with warnings the nation won’t fully recover until at least 2022.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/worst-since-great-depression-imf-warns-of-130b-hit-to-australia-20200414-p54jnc.html
    Clancy Yeates explains how the government’s attitude, and rhetoric, around unemployment has been forced to change because of the coronavirus shock.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/coronavirus-will-change-the-politics-of-unemployment-20200414-p54jna.html
    Gladys Berejiklian has established a special commission of inquiry into the Ruby Princess debacle after it emerged police and coronial investigations could take a year to finalise.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/no-stone-unturned-nsw-premier-orders-new-inquiry-on-ruby-princess-cruise-ship-20200414-p54jt1.html
    Want to know about the mathematics of the virus spread?
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6711341/the-mathematics-of-social-distancing/?cs=17318
    Here are some reports on Pell’s interview with BFF Andrew Bolt.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/online-threats-spark-police-visit-to-george-pell-at-sydney-seminary-20200414-p54jsz.html
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/apr/14/george-pell-tells-andrew-bolt-the-man-who-testified-against-him-may-have-been-used
    Elizabeth Knight says Virgin is racing against time and the government needs to act.
    https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/virgin-s-racing-against-time-and-the-government-needs-to-act-20200414-p54jqz.html
    Matthew Knott explains how Obama has come out swinging against the Republican Party in his endorsement of Biden. He didn’t mention Trump’s name but the inferences were unmissable.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/this-means-the-world-to-me-barack-obama-endorses-joe-biden-20200415-p54juj.html
    Donald Trump and leading US governors are clashing over who is in charge of reopening the country’s economy reports Matthew Knott.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/we-don-t-have-a-king-trump-governors-in-epic-power-struggle-20200414-p54jnb.html
    According to Dana McCauley Aged care providers are pleading for a $1.3 billion federal rescue package to keep the sector afloat as they shoulder the cost of keeping residents and home care recipients safe from COVID-19.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/aged-care-sector-pleads-for-1-3b-emergency-intervention-20200414-p54jpm.html
    The next hip-pocket pandemic challenge will be how to pay soaring power bills writes Thuy Linh Nguyen.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-next-hip-pocket-pandemic-challenge-will-be-how-to-pay-soaring-power-bills-20200414-p54jov.html
    Pressure is mounting on Scott Morrison to listen to economists, not epidemiologists, about when physical distancing rules should be lifted. Dr Martin Hirst reports.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/saving-the-economy-or-lives-the-new-neoliberal-debate,13794
    Morrison’s “daggy dad” narrative that won the Coalition the last election has evolved into the “heroic”, top-down action narrative many people long for in a time of fear and uncertainty, writes Dr Jennifer Wilson.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/the-bipartisan-scott-morrison,13789
    Stan Grant tells us how some Australian media are failing us on coronavirus.
    https://theconversation.com/how-some-australian-media-are-failing-us-on-coronavirus-135550
    Andrew Tate writes that gambling reform advocates says the coronavirus crisis provides a chance to break the poker machine industry’s hold on Australian society, but warn the shutdown also presents dangers through increased online wagering.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/04/15/poker-machines-offline-gamblers-coronavirus/
    We’re going to have to wait another month from today’s unemployment figures release to get a handle on how bad the level will be.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/full-hit-to-unemployment-unclear-for-at-least-a-month-20200414-p54jky.html
    Dana McCauley writes that aged care providers are pleading for a $1.3 billion federal rescue package to keep the sector afloat as they shoulder the cost of keeping residents and home care recipients safe from COVID-19.The call came as Deputy Chief Medical Officer Paul Kelly backed calls for casual workers – who make up the bulk of the aged care workforce – to be supported to stay home when sick.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/aged-care-sector-pleads-for-1-3b-emergency-intervention-20200414-p54jpm.html
    Should passengers return to cruise ships after the pandemic? The answer is “No”.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/14/cruise-ships-coronavirus-passengers-future
    This could be the end of the line for cruise ships writes tourism lecturer Freya Higgins-Desbiolles.
    https://theconversation.com/this-could-be-the-end-of-the-line-for-cruise-ships-135937
    Peter Hannam disturbingly reports that water temperatures in estuaries along the NSW coastline have warmed more than 2 degrees over the past 12 years.
    https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/estuaries-warming-and-acidifying-because-of-climate-change-study-finds-20200414-p54jl4.html
    Jennifer Duke explains how Australian exporters struggling to secure loans have been given a $500 million lifeline by the federal government to help re-establish markets and expand operations damaged by the coronavirus pandemic.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australian-exporters-given-500m-lifeline-20200414-p54jn6.html
    Mike Foley tells us that companies developing commercial-scale hydrogen energy projects can get access to $70 million worth of public money, but they must use renewable energy to power the “green hydrogen” trials.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/energy-minister-backs-renewables-to-drive-hydrogen-industry-20200414-p54jqu.html
    Plato Investments managing director Don Hamson has warned that older investors will be “hung out to dry” if the big four banks pull the plug on dividends.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/banks-cutting-dividends-a-cruel-prospect-for-retirees-20200414-p54jqc.html
    Mark Carnegie writes, “Australia needs a functioning economy for our children and to do that it needs a functional retirement savings industry. Before COVID-19 we had one that was the envy of the world. Let’s hope we can have that again by helping to put something in place that works to pay back the financial sacrifice our children have made and will continue to make for the next decade.”
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/we-ve-mortgaged-our-children-s-future-to-protect-health-of-ageing-parents-20200414-p54jny.html
    And Emma Koehn reports similar thinking on start-up investment from former Macquarie Private Bank boss Guy Hedley.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/global-plan-needed-for-aussie-venture-capital-carnage-atlas-chief-20200413-p54jbt.html
    Big increases in online orders of pharmaceuticals, alcohol and department store products during the coronavirus pandemic have fuelled delays to parcel delivery times across Australia particularly in rural and regional areas.
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/2020/apr/15/online-order-boom-and-flight-cutbacks-fuel-parcel-delivery-delays-across-australia
    Dozens of regional newspapers have suspended printing and regional broadcasters are planning to drop bulletins in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic as the federal government confirms it will announce a rescue package for the media industry this week.
    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/apr/14/dozens-of-australian-newspapers-stop-printing-as-coronavirus-crisis-hits-advertising
    There is a broad shift in how we are doing our banking, with experts and bankers believing customers’ money habits are likely to change for good because of the pandemic
    https://www.smh.com.au/money/banking/cash-atm-and-bank-branch-use-dips-as-virus-transforms-how-we-pay-20200413-p54jad.html
    Insurance giant QBE’s boss Pat Regan has said the coronavirus crisis could lead to “lasting change” in the way businesses are insured for business interruption, with talks already under way between governments and the industry to restructure exclusion clauses for pandemics.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/lasting-change-qbe-boss-says-pandemic-cover-for-businesses-back-on-the-table-20200414-p54jkr.html
    Physical distancing measures may need to be in place intermittently until 2022, scientists have warned in an analysis that suggests there could be resurgences of Covid-19 for years to come.
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/14/coronavirus-distancing-continue-until-2022-lockdown-pandemic
    After India’s Health Ministry repeatedly blamed an Islamic seminary for spreading the coronavirus — and governing party officials spoke of “human bombs” and “corona jihad”— a spree of anti-Muslim attacks has broken out across the country. Nice work!
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/virus-fuels-religious-hatred-in-india-20200413-p54jbw.html
    The Age’s editorial says that more will be needed from Biden than not being Trump.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/more-needed-from-biden-than-not-being-trump-20200414-p54jlm.html
    And the SMH says that the pandemic will shape this unusual race for the White House.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/biden-faces-unique-campaign-in-bid-to-dethrone-trump-20200414-p54jr6.html
    Donald Trump escalates stoush with states – but his coronavirus claims don’t stack up writes The New Daily’s Cait Kelly.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2020/04/15/trump-coronavirus-lies/
    Bloomberg’s Julian Hill explains why the US-Saudi-Russia oil peace won’t last.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/slippery-ground-why-the-us-saudi-russia-oil-peace-won-t-last-20200414-p54jis.html
    Trump is devoting precious resources to the most urgent task of all – rebutting the media laments Richard Wolffe.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/14/trump-white-house-press-briefing-coronavirus-media
    Trump can’t cancel the election – but he will try to stop people voting writes Arwa Mahdawi.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/apr/14/trump-cant-cancel-the-election-but-he-will-try-to-stop-people-voting
    Has Trump finally met his match? The female reporters are setting him straight writes Poppy Noor.
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/14/trump-paula-reid-coronavirus-briefing-female-reporters

    Cartoon Corner

    David Rowe

    Alan Moir

    Peter Broelman

    Cathy Wilcox

    Matt Golding






    Andrew Dyson

    Simon Letch

    Glen Le Lievre

    Johannes Leak
    https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/4a975336018af2e20937f81c04b92bae?width=1024

    From the US












  28. Britain, with the fastest-growing outbreak in western Europe, has understated the human and economic cost of the coronavirus, according to new information released on Tuesday.

    The government’s Office of National Statistics released figures indicating that deaths could be at least 10 percent higher than the official toll — 12,107 as of Tuesday — which does not take into account many people who die in nursing homes or at home.

    More than 2,000 nursing homes, about 13 percent of the country’s total, have had coronavirus cases, said Dr. Chris Whitty, the government’s chief medical adviser. Workers in many of the homes have complained of an acute shortage of protective gear.

    Care England, a charity representing independent care agencies, has estimated that nearly 1,000 Covid-19 deaths in nursing homes have gone uncounted. Two major home operators have reported 521 deaths in recent days, many of which are not yet included in official totals.

    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/world/coronavirus-news.html?action=click&module=LiveUpdates&pgtype=Homepage&action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage#link-129a8be6

  29. Scott Morrison is one of those , hmm, how can I say it diplomatically…slippery politicians, who thrust their kids into the spotlight when it suits them but then turns on a dime and snatches them away from the spotlight when it suits them as well.

    I’ll make a prediction. Morrison’s children won’t be going back to school. They go to a Private religious school.

    I was speaking to a good friend of mine whose daughter is doing Year 12 at the local Public High School this year but who has friends at all the local Private Schools. Well she told me that the Private Schools have used their government-funded production facilities to set themselves up to teach their students via the internet, at the very least for Term 2. The same would likely apply to Morrison’s kids.

    Of course the Public High School has nothing approaching that.

  31. “I’m so proud to endorse Joe Biden for president of the United States,” Mr. Obama said, his face shot in close-up. “I believe Joe has all the qualities we need in a president right now.”

    https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/14/us/politics/obama-biden-democratic-primary.html?action=click&module=Top%20Stories&pgtype=Homepage

    This article indicates that Obama and Biden have been working closely together to identify the best time to deploy Obama during the campaign.

  33. KayJay

    Thanks for the extract.

    His sovereignty concept is an assertion of Australian traditionalism, values and success. It is “enabled by having a vibrant market economy” that secures “our standard of living”, and the Morrison philosophy “to have a go and get a go”. For Morrison, our pre-crisis values are being reaffirmed by the crisis and endure beyond it. “We will not surrender this,” he said.

    I think “Oh Shit!” is a very mild version of my reaction. I have never imagined that Morrison would ever undergo any change in his thinking. He has no ability to imagine a kinder society. It’s not in his character.

  36. Scott Morrison is one of those , hmm, how can I say it diplomatically…slippery politicians, who thrust their kids into the spotlight when it suits them but then turns on a dime and snatches them away from the spotlight when it suits them as well.

    On the face of it, he has a good reason to not send his kids to school. Just like he did in taking them away from Sydney during the smoke. But saying so puts him in a difficult situation for many reasons. So he chooses the easier true to form path – the cranky protective dad accusing the journalist of picking on his children.

    This is different to the smoke hazard tho. He is telling (asking?) parents to do something many of them will be reluctant to do. PVO knows it is a fair enough to question what Morrison will be doing with his kids. He also knows the tweet will fly like a turd into the fan at the PMO.

  40. Trump has a list of ‘villains’ to blame for his criminal incompetence — but only his cult members are still listening

    Whenever you read about an obvious scam perpetrated by Donald Trump, it’s important to remember one thing: He’s lying to his own disciples more than anyone else.

    For example: Trump is engaged in his latest cover-his-own-ass maneuver, while parked in the midst of an historic breakdown of the federal government’s responsibilities during a cataclysmic pandemic.

    Step One: Blame China
    Step Two: Scapegoat the experts
    Step Three: It’s the governors’ fault the economy sucks

    Trump is deliriously grasping for anything that might extricate his incompetent presidency from a disaster he himself made worse He’s demanding credit when he deserves none, and he’s placing blame where little exists.

    https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/trump-has-a-list-of-villains-to-blame-for-his-criminal-incompetence-but-only-his-cult-members-are-still-listening/

  41. lizzie
    Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 – 7:32 am
    Comment #783

    A little more from the article in question —

    In short, Labor, unsurprisingly, is building a significant distinction between itself and government: it would spend far more, prolong the stimulus spending, launch an ­ambitious reconstruction phase (presumably at a higher cost) and plunge into part-nationalisation.

    Labor has no option but to develop a distinctive position while voting to support the government packages. It will promote this stance against the government, the question being — can it work?

    Whenever I hear or read about “Australian Values” I start thinking about the old —–

  42. Should passengers return to cruise ships after the pandemic? The answer is “No”.

    .

    This could be the end of the line for cruise ships writes tourism lecturer Freya Higgins-Desbiolles.

    Meanwhile on another planet, Planet ‘Mercan …………

    In the past 45 days – as multiple cruise ships had serious COVID-19 outbreaks onboard – the cruise booking site CruiseCompete.com saw a 40% increase in its bookings for 2021 over its 2019 bookings.

    In an analysis of the cruise industry, Swiss banking giant UBS wrote that cruise booking volume for 2021 was up 9% in the last 30 days compared with the same time last year.

    https://www.latimes.com/business/story/2020-04-09/despite-covid-19-pandemic-cruise-fans-are-booking-trips-for-next-year

  43. lizzie says:
    Wednesday, April 15, 2020 at 7:04 am
    @vanOnselenP
    ·
    4m
    The PM has made a plea for parents to start sending their kids to school again. Will he be doing that with his own kids and lead by example?

    Commercial radio news played an excerpt of Morrison’s speech. He was praising teachers while telling the States and territories to fully open (public) schools.

    Praising public school teachers is certainly a turnaround from the usual RW rhetoric about how bad they are, filling children’s minds with dangerous LW ideas. It is also at odds with his claim that the States and Territories are responsible for public schools when it comes to Commonwealth funding for education.

    Morrison’s instruction to State and Territory governments will generally fall on deaf ears in the short term. It seems most jurisdictions have opted for the majority of students to be educated online with schools open for those whose parents cannot keep them at home.

  44. Rick Wilson: Trump’s press conference meltdown was a ‘manic ragefest by America’s Worst President’

    According to conservative campaign consultant Rick Wilson, Donald Trump’s nearly two and half hour press conference on Monday, ostensibly about the coronavirus pandemic that has now claimed over the lives of over 23,000 Americans, was nothing less than rantings of a “failed man” lashing out at his perceived enemies.

    “If you watched President Donald Trump’s daily press briefing Monday, you know that even by his abysmal standards this was the loudest siren yet, a warning that the man occupying the Oval Office is more suited to a very long, involuntary stay in an inpatient mental-health facility than the presidency of the United States.”

    Pointing out that the press conference was a “meltdown sh*tshow on the top of the dumpster fire at the peak of Burning-Tire Mountain,” Wilson wrote of the president, “It was a manic, gibbering, squint-eyed ragefest by America’s Worst President, a petty display by a failed man who long ago passed the limits of his competence and knowledge. It left little to cling to for even his most fervent lackeys but the grunting media animus that replaced conservatism as the motivating force of the Republican Party.”

    “Burn this truth into your mind: The best-case scenario from Monday’s press conference is that Trump is out of his damn mind, wrong on the law, wrong on the Constitution, and wrong on the intent of the Founders as to the power of the chief executive. The best case will mean his insistence that he can ‘reopen the economy’ will be smothered by one crisis after the next, a victim of the pace of events and a staff that realizes he’s crazier than a sh*thouse rat,” he added before issuing a chilling warning.

    https://www.rawstory.com/2020/04/rick-wilson-trumps-press-conference-meltdown-was-a-manic-ragefest-by-americas-worst-president/

  45. But it is not the Border Forces responsibility to be involved in Health related matters…unless they are refugees of course….
    BUT Border Force ultimately decides who goes through the immigration turnstile- that is not the decision of State Health Depts. Health never makes that decision, but may make suggestions.

  46. ”Whenever I hear or read about “Australian Values” I start thinking about the old…”

    That’s always been my reaction to talk of ”Australian values” and showy patriotism in politicians.

  47. BK @ #788 Wednesday, April 15th, 2020 – 7:44 am

    KayJay
    I have installed the extension and it works!
    Thanks. You are a champ.

    Good-oh ❗

    I use “Firefox” and have a list of programs when setting up my main computer.
    I think I need a very big monitor (and better eyesight) to encompass all the windows I have open at various times. Chrome is setup but seldom used. The new “Edge” is based on Chrome and could develop to totally replace “Internet Explorer”. I am rambling —

    Back to my plumbing and vacuum cleaning. Toodles. 😵

  49. Tony Windsor
    @TonyHWindsor
    ·
    17m
    NSW Farmers were at the forefront of developing water trading so that water could be traded away from communities to “higher value uses”. I don’t think they envisaged high annual demand nut growers but that’s what the market has delivered. Now some of those communities call foul.

  50. Arizona!

    OHPI@OHPredictive
    ·
    5h
    Arizona Public Opinion Pulse (AZPOP) April results #thread
    Biden Extends Lead in Arizona, Trump’s Base Energized
    Trump v Biden, Head-to-head matchup

    Biden 52% (+9)
    Trump 43%
    Undecided 5%

    n=600, MoE +/-4%, AZ Likely Voters

Comments Page 16 of 28
1 … 15 16 17 … 28

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *