Ipsos has published its latest Issues Monitor survey results, in which respondents are presented with 19 issues and asked to identify the three of greatest concern. This is conducted monthly but published haphazardly: the last set of results was published on the precipice of our new era back in January, but the accompanying chart in the latest release allows you to at least eyeball the results from February and March. The big news in January was an unprecedented concern about the environment in the wake of the bushfires, pushing that issue to the top of the pile for the first time. It has now been put into the shade by a massive surge of concern about three issues: health care, up since January from 31% to 55%; the economy, up from 25% to 47%; unemployment, for which the result went unpublished in January (it was at 18% in December) and is now at 39%. The environment is now equal fourth on 22%, down from 41%, where it ranks alongside cost of living, down from 31%.
The Ipsos release also features results on the best party to handle the five aforesaid issues, which are consistent with an improved standing for the Coalition since December, the last time comparable figures were published. Most striking is its improvement on its traditional weak spot of health care, on which it now leads Labor by 34% (up eight) to 29% (steady), with the caveat that 7% favoured the Greens and most of those would presumably have Labor as a second preference (a further 3% favoured another party). The Coalition has also widened its lead on the economy, up seven to 43% with Labor down to 22%, the Greens on 5% and others on 3%, and gained five on cost of living to 34%, with Labor steady on 29%, the Greens on 7% and others on 4%. It also holds a lead over Labor of 34% to 28% on unemployment, with the Greens on 6% and others on 3%, no figures from December being available for comparison in this case. On the environment, the Coalition is up four to 23%, Labor is down one to 17%, the Greens are on 28% and others are on 6%.
The poll was conducted online from a sample of 1000, and was presumably conducted over the previous fortnight, but all we are told is that the numbers are for April.
Further news:
• The count for the Brisbane City Council election is now all but complete, confirming a repeat of the 2016 result with the Liberal National Party winning 19 seats to Labor’s five and the Greens’ one, plus independent Nicole Johnston in Tennyson. The Greens came within an ace of taking Paddington off the LNP but no cigar, with LNP incumbent Peter Matic prevailing by 11,064 (50.7%) to 10,753 (49.3%) after preferences, a margin of 311 votes. Unlike at state elections, optional preferential voting prevails at Queensland’s local government elections, in this case to the advantage of the LNP since many preferences that might otherwise have flowed between Labor and the Greens instead exhausted. As Antony Green notes on Twitter, this certainly made the difference in Paddington, and might have saved the LNP from Labor in their three most marginal wards. LNP incumbent Adrian Schrinner’s winning margin over Labor’s Pat Condren for the Brisbane lord mayoralty was 286,297 (56.4%) to 221,309 (43.6%).
• Annastacia Palaszczuk has raised the prospect of Queensland’s October 31 state election being held entirely by post, as has been advocated by Opposition Leader Deb Frecklington. The ABC reports the next update of federal government modelling on the spread of the virus in around two weeks will guide a decision that is “expected in the next month”. However, it appears the Northern Territory election will proceed in a more-or-less normal fashion on August 22, with the Northern Territory News ($) reporting the local electoral commission does not consider a postal election an option because “postal services were still limited in many remote communities”. It is accordingly “looking to accommodate social distancing at the upcoming election by opening up more early voting centres, encouraging postal voting and extending early voting times”.
• The Greens are in the process of conducting a plebiscite of party members on how it will choose its leaders in future, the three options being the status quo of election by the party room, the “one member one vote” model of a straight ballot of party members, and Labor’s approach of a 50-50 model in which the result is evenly split between the two approaches. The party’s three former leaders, Bob Brown, Christine Milne and Richard Di Natale, jointly wrote a column in The Guardian that beseeched members to reject “one member one vote”, noting the disastrous consequences the model eventually had for the Australian Democrats, and gently suggested the status quo was to be preferred. A counter-argument was subsequently advanced in the same publication by five party luminaries, including current Senator Mehreen Faruqi and former Senator Scott Ludlam.
WA coronavirus update for today.
You may decline to treat a patient except in a life threatening emergency but if they have a serious condition you are obliged to direct them to someone else.
It would be great fun if my old colleague Peter Collignon posted here. 3 things about Peter:
1. His use of English is very elegant
2. He certainly doesn’t suffer fools gladly
3. He is on about the same level of the spectrum as some of those who attack him
BTW He has been in the game for nearly 40 years and even knows the problems of false negatives in PCR testing
Just for amusement..
NSW 2,957 cases, 1,356 recovered, 45.8% recovered
VIC 1,328 cases, 1,188 recovered, 89.4% recovered
QLD 1,019 cases, 738 recoveries, 72.4% recovered
WA 545 cases, 426 recoveries, 78.1% recovered
SA 434 cases, 354 recoveries, 81.5% recovered
TAS 191 cases, 68 recoveries, 35.6% recovered
ACT 103 cases, 89 recoveries, 86.4% recovered
NT 28 cases, 11 recoveries, 39.2% recovered
If anyone has a theory to explain the differences, I’d love to hear it.
Define recovered
Historyintime says:
Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 7:50 pm
You know not all relevant experts are medicos, public health academics and epidimeologists.
In fact, the Covid19 strategy could be 100% correct from a health perspective but wrong more generally.
There may be a god.
The earth maybe flat.
We may live on an elephants back.
But believing this sort of stuff when the evidence points to alternate explanation does not get you very far.
When it comes to health, Death is a focusing condition.
Are you volunteering to raise the infection rate at a infection clinic near you?
Recovered according to the definitions applied by each state, apparently.
I wouldn’t be surprised if Morrison did propose FTTH and large and small scale renewable energy projects as part of infrastructure recovery. As Sheridan said this morning, Morrison does not really have a political ideology that couldn’t be changed according to the circumstances.
There’s your answer
Just looking again at the site I was using. No recoveries in NSW for a week.
That probably explains a bit. Whether that’s NSW not posting info or the site not keeping track I haven’t checked.
“I wouldn’t be surprised if Morrison did propose FTTH and large and small scale renewable energy projects as part of infrastructure recovery. As Sheridan said this morning, Morrison does not really have a political ideology that couldn’t be changed according to the circumstances.”
He might not but his party certainly does and scrapping FTTN would admit they were wr-r-r-rong.
“As Sheridan said this morning, Morrison does not really have a political ideology that couldn’t be changed according to the circumstances.”
You know, that isn’t necessarily a bad thing.
Cud, I am not sure that testing of recovering cases in their homes are occurring regularly in some states. QLD was lagging behind until the last week.
OC – “3. He is on about the same level of the spectrum as some of those who attack him”
Dare I ask which spectrum…. you’re making me think of a Doc Martin like character.
~~~~~
It would be great fun if my old colleague Peter Collignon posted here. …
2. He certainly doesn’t suffer fools gladly
~~~~~
He ain’t welcome. Bugger off to smarty pantsville.
he would be a most unglad fellow if he did pop in.
The Broad Church…
“Christian Ellis — a former Turnbull government adviser from the conservative bloc of the state executive — has asked for an extraordinary general meeting to vote on Turnbull’s expulsion within weeks.
Ellis was scathing in his email rebuke, focusing on the former Liberal leader’s scorched-earth book A Bigger Picture, published on Monday.
“Malcolm Turnbull has shown in the last few weeks how he is not a servant of the Liberal Party, but himself,” Ellis wrote.
“I intend to move for the immediate expulsion of Malcolm Turnbull from the Liberal Party. On top of this, as he may no longer be a member, I will move for a lifetime ban to be imposed on him.”
“Whilst productive commentary from former leaders ought to be encouraged, to use this time to talk about oneself and attack Ministers of the Government is not on.”
Ellis continued: While choosing to attack the ‘wreckers’, he takes aim at Minister Hunt, the current Health minister, working tirelessly during a global pandemic, Minister Dutton, the current Minister monitoring any threat entering Australia, and Scott Morrison, who won an election against all odds and proves everyday how he is able to perform as a leader in times of crisis.”
“This is not a motion of vengeance or spite. His membership needs to be terminated because if he continues to keep attacking the party as a member, or connected in anyway, he damages the party brand.”
So much for the notion it’s better for disgruntled members to be inside the tent pissing out, than outside the tent pissing in!
Ellis told his state executive colleagues that it’s “important” they remain consistent on decisions, citing the expulsion of former federal MP Ross Cameron for his “less egregious comments”.
He concluded: “We need members contributing to a policy debate and the support of our Party through this crisis, and as such I intend to do that by reprimanding a man who isn’t”.
From the SmearStralian
Cud Chewer @ #2610 Sunday, April 19th, 2020 – 8:46 pm
I think NSW is only updating recoveries weekly.
NE Qld
Me neither..
Can you see the Qld LNP, Nats and AGW denialists like Craig Kelly agreeing to that?
Then again perhaps it could be something the states do, with federal funding.
Its Time
Looks that way. Thanks
PuffyTMD:
Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 7:37 pm
[I am presently in a Remote Community in WA. It is beautiful, if hot and humid, up here.’]
Good on you. I got a distinct feeling that my great-nephew would prefer to be back on the GC. I think he’s missing his partner, his extended family. He will, though, get brownie points.
England. We are the lucky lucky country
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/apr/19/bbcs-covid-19-reporters-i-wanted-to-show-the-reality-but-was-deeply-troubled-by-what-i-saw
sprocket_ says:
Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 8:51 pm
The Broad Church…
“Christian Ellis — a former Turnbull government adviser from the conservative bloc of the state executive — has asked for an extraordinary general meeting to vote on Turnbull’s expulsion within weeks.
Does he really think Turnbull will care. Fraser resigned, the shit show was too much for him.
They Coalition will throw in a few dams and a Bradfield scheme to appease them…
“ “Malcolm Turnbull has shown in the last few weeks how he is not a servant of the Liberal Party, but himself,” Ellis wrote.”
So #modernliberal. I can’t see the grounds for expulsion. At all.
Cud.
Have Victorias figures been independently verified. The Andrews govt spend a fortune on spin doctors and state Labor have been known to fudge official figures in the past. Can remember when they got caught fudging the crime stats a few years ago by pressuring Overland.
“Malcolm Turnbull has shown in the last few weeks how he is not a servant of the Liberal Party, but himself,” Ellis wrote.“
—————
This is an Esher conundrum……. to be a supporter of the Liberal Party one must laud the virtue of private personal greed, i.e. serving oneself above society/others.
Yet this Ellis nobody says that people who “serve oneself” cannot be Liberal Party members!!
So people who hold Liberal Party values cannot be members of the Liberal Party!!
This is Trumpian in its profundity.
SK
Gee a poster on PB who asserts his opinion as the only possible answer – that would be unusual. Although in this case he would be highly qualified and experienced.
Blobbit
Not quite Doc Martin but much more eloquent in his use of put downs. 30 years since I knew him quite well but I suspect he hasn’t mellowed with age
Rakali
Looks like Godel’s Incompleteness Theorem doesn’t it…
Puffy, any chance tourists will be allowed back into places like the Kimberly any time soon? Like… um.. September… for peeps from, oh, let’s say South Australia?
frednk
“ England. We are the lucky lucky country
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/apr/19/bbcs-covid-19-reporters-i-wanted-to-show-the-reality-but-was-deeply-troubled-by-what-i-saw”
———
The two leading disaster countries from this plague will be the two greatest neo-liberal dystopias: USofA and the UK.
Australia the other me-too neo-liberal outpost has been saved by bloody luck and the State Premiers.
Simon
So long as you’ve been suitably investigated, probed, examined…
Simon Katich @ #2631 Sunday, April 19th, 2020 – 7:04 pm
McGowan has said our borders are closed for 6 months at least.
Oakeshott Country:
[‘2. He certainly doesn’t suffer fools gladly.’]
The pomposity of the medical profession sometimes equals that of legal practitioners. Please come down from your high perch.
Cud Chewer
“ Looks like Godel’s Incompleteness Theorem doesn’t it…”
———-
Oh dear, i have no idea what you are talking about!!
So, they want to expel Turnbull for basically the same reasons they made him leader. 🙂
Rakali says:
Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 9:05 pm
frednk
“ England. We are the lucky lucky country
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2020/apr/19/bbcs-covid-19-reporters-i-wanted-to-show-the-reality-but-was-deeply-troubled-by-what-i-saw”
———
The two leading disaster countries from this plague will be the two greatest neo-liberal dystopias: USofA and the UK.
Australia the other me-too neo-liberal outpost has been saved by bloody luck and the State Premiers.
Sweden is up there:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/apr/19/anger-in-sweden-as-elderly-pay-price-for-coronavirus-strategy
Mavis
WTF?
Rakali worth googling.. however its something like that famous quote..
“I refuse to join any club that would have me as a member” – Groucho Marx
It’s a wonder John Hewson hasn’t been expelled from the Liberal party given his criticism of the government in recent years.
(I’m assuming he is still a member.)
frednk
“Sweden is up there”
—————-
Ok yes, Sweden seems to have had a fit of madness too, a bit like Japan, refusing to “lockdown “.
I was in Sweden in 2003 and again in 2012. The depredations of neoliberalism were starting to show. My friends there tell me the country is turning to shit.
Barney in Tanjung Bunga @ #2638 Sunday, April 19th, 2020 – 7:09 pm
The moderate Liberal is well and truly extinct.
Oakeshott Country:
Sunday, April 19, 2020 at 9:11 pm
[‘WTF?’]
I’ll keep it simple: a professional who doesn’t ‘suffer fools easily’ is not professional in any sense.
——McGowan has said our borders are closed for 6 months at least.——
What if the South Australian peeps had family up there?
And does McGowan know how frigging cold and miserable the Adelaide Hills gets through winter? He is depriving people of warm liberties.
There’s always Xmas Island.. I’m told the weather there is nice 🙂
Can I drive there?
SK:
Sorry, you’ll have to try Qld instead 😀
What you said was “ The pomposity of the medical profession sometimes equals that of legal practitioners. Please come down from your high perch.”
Which implies all the profession is pompous and I in particular had to change my ways.