The Guardian reports Essential Research’s latest weekly round of coronavirus polling includes the pollster’s monthly leadership ratings, which have Scott Morrison’s approval at 64%, gaining a further five points after his 18-point hike a month ago. Anthony Albanese is down two to 42% — we must await the full report later today to see their disapproval ratings. Morrison holds a 50-25 lead as preferred prime minister, out from 46-27 last time (UPDATE: Full report here; both are at 27% disapproval, which is a four point drop in Morrison’s case and a two point drop in Albanese’s).
The most interesting of the latest tranche of coronavirus questions relate to other countries’ handling of the crisis, with 79% rating New Zealand’s response very good or good, whereas (if I’m reading this correctly) the United States’ response is rated very poor or poor by 71%, and the United Kingdom is similarly rated by 48%. Another question finds 57% support for maintaining Newstart either at its current level “after the current crisis passes” or aligning it with the rate for single pensioners, with only 28% in favour of returning it to its earlier level.
The poll also finds growing appetite for easing restrictions, with 37% now saying it is too soon to do so, down from 49% a fortnight ago, and 36% wanting restrictions eased over the next month or two, but still only 10% wanting them gone as soon as possible. Respondents were also presented with a series of propositions about school closures, which found 45% sayig schools should reopen, “half” saying schools should teach students remotely until the outbreak passes, and 41% saying they would keep their children at home even if schools reopened.
The latest news on the by-election front is that NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro has announced he will not run in Eden-Monaro, and Senator Jim Molan has likewise withdrawn his intention to pursue Liberal preselection, with both allowing a clear run for Andrew Constance, NSW Transport Minister and member for the seat of Bega, most of which is within Eden-Monaro. The by-election now looms as a straightforward contest between Labor and Liberal, with the Nationals sure to be only a minor presence in Barilaro’s absence, if indeed they run at all.
Constance was the subject of sympathetic media attention after nearly losing his Malua Bay house in the summer bushfires, a particularly helpful asset given the federal goverment’s handling of the fires loomed as its main liability in the campaign. He revealed in March that he would be quitting politics when the bushfire recovery was complete, albeit without making clear when that might be. The by-election that will now be required in Bega will thus be less disruptive than one in Barilaro’s seat of Monaro would have been, and the seat is also at less risk of being lost by the government. No indication so far as I can see as to who might be in the running in Bega.
Pegasus @ #3247 Saturday, May 9th, 2020 – 3:31 pm
Not no one. But mixed messages from the Feds means that people will take the chance. How that works out in coming weeks is the mystery.
You seem to be doing the dance of victory over the Virus. I hope you don’t get it!
OC
You get no respect from me because you contribute nothing of substance. If you have something useful to contribute, do so. If you want to correct me on a point of fact, do so (I appreciate information). If you want to give me a free character assessment, here’s one for you. You are an opinionated, arrogant turd who has no compassion, no empathy. You sit here day after day and have nothing to say about solving the very real problems we face. Aloof, disinterested and cold.
If you are actually a human with some give-a-shit then contribute something useful. Even argue for it. I don’t care. Better than giving everyone the impression you’re on another planet.
D @ #3210 Saturday, May 9th, 2020 – 2:53 pm
Which is exactly what Morrison was hoping for 🙁
Be interesting to see how “Bob”s career ends.
All the General Secretaries since Peter Westerway in 1973 have come to a sticky end
OC
Troy Bramston, 15 October 2019
NSW Right endorses Bob Nanva for new Labor boss
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/nsw-right-endorses-new-labor-boss/news-story/2357db8e3b17b72221cbff57922717ec
“The NSW Labor Right faction has endorsed Bob Nanva to nominate for NSW Labor secretary, guaranteeing he will get the job, just a day after state Opposition Leader Jodi McKay said no one would be appointed until a review into the party office was completed.
:::
The Australian can reveal that the three-part motion was moved by outgoing assistant secretary Pat Garcia — who has quit to run Catholic Health Australia — and federal opposition health spokesman Chris Bowen, who skipped an opposition frontbench meeting in Canberra to attend.
:::
The Right faction has made it clear to Ms McKay and the federal Opposition Leader that it will continue to exercise its influence on the party, regardless of what the review recommends.
As it commands about two-thirds of the support of state conference and the administrative committee, its candidate is guaranteed appointment.”
Blobbit
I hear lots of anecdotes of people acting like everything is perfectly safe. Would be nice if there actually some kind of study, but there were probably isn’t. We need a bit of leadership.
“Zwaktyldsays:
Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 3:33 pm
I think Blobbit was hinting that those making the observations were as guilty as those observed”
Indeed
Oakeshott Country @ #3252 Saturday, May 9th, 2020 – 3:35 pm
Your interest is as to a vulture’s interest.
“Cud Chewersays:
Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 3:37 pm
Blobbit
I hear lots of anecdotes of people acting like everything is perfectly safe. ”
I don’t.
Blobbit I hope you’re right.
Most of the anecdotes I’m hearing come from family in Sydney.
A better point is that if the president and his hangers-on took the necessary precautions themselves then perhaps WH staff wouldn’t need constant testing.
CC
Like Itza I realised that trying to engage with you on your opinions presented as facts was a pointless exercise some time ago. Now I just get some amusement from the regular bloopers that you make.
Yep. Polygraphs are completely debunked nonsense. They are easy to beat and also easier to get false positives on. Of all the holes that appear in the Reade case, her unwillingness to attach herself to an expensive toy isn’t one of them.
GG
I have already posted that same opinion and …. Morrison is playing wedge politics, particularly in relation to Andrews.
Each leader, state and federal, is making a political calculus.
guytaur says:
Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 1:44 pm
sprocket
Nah the politicians wedged themselves.
The popular option as polling has shown is an elected head of state.
Arguing the evil of trusting voters was the best wedge of the Monarchists.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Polling may have shown that an elected head of state was the popular option, but like many popular options, if actually put to the vote it probably would have down by a heavier margin than was the case.
How so? For one, a deliberative polling exercise during the referendum campaign indicated that support for such an option dropped off quite sharply, once the pros and cons were explained.
I think people reflexively answer yes when asked if they favour popular election, because in a democracy that sounds superficially attractive.
It’s only when you drill down into the details that it sounds different. Such as, how do you ensure that popular election takes place without the big parties nominating candidates and how could the electoral victor then become a unifying figure, which is what the head of state should be.
How do you also ensure that an elected president wouldn’t literally interpret the constitution, a la John Kerr, and be just another politician?
It should also be remembered that the referendum failed, even though all of Labor and the Greens, and about half of the Liberal Party, were campaigning in favour of it.
If a direct election option had been proposed, it would have been opposed by the entire conservative politics and a good section of Labor politicians, such as Bob Carr.
It’s hard to say how that proposal would have been approved by an even larger number of electors.
I think the next proposal for a republic has to be thought through more carefully, with all republicans campaigning together.
That’s for another post.
Today’s New Rules is on the Tara Reade media storm.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ju1ZFuvjzYc
Yes I guess a vulture is only interested in dead things; pretty much sums up the NSW ALP in its present form
OC just fuck off
You lost all respect from me when you insulted me on an issue I have genuine expertise on.
After I went to some effort to honest and diligently answer what I thought were sincere questions.
So much for “social skills”. You were not the least bit interested in listening or engaging.
You have not apologised and I don’t expect an arrogant turd like you to do so.
OC
I empathise. He is not alone in this regard (no names will be forthcoming).
Whatever’s the matter with you all?
yabba says:
Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 2:42 pm
…..
The truly magic thing is that the ‘fingering’ would have to have been accomplished through pantyhose, which was absolutely ubiquitous amongst ‘properly dressed’ female persons at the time. Any person of an age group that has encountered pantyhose will know what to think of that. Credible? More like credulous
And if you break it down; the smearing sanders supporters are accusing Biden of being that socially inept that he thought a good pickup line was sticking his hands up a girls dress and “fingering her’. That is the story they are telling. It really is offensive.
Pegasus I don’t know if you were around but some weeks ago OC asked me some questions about HSR which I went to some effort to answering. Only for OC to demonstrate that he had no interest, was wasting my time, and was only in it to be aggressive and rude.
He’s made numerous efforts (some thinly veiled, some not so) to be a bully since.
GG
As George Constanza said “It’s not a lie if YOU believe it.”
I learnt a long time ago that when you drop the F bomb you have lost the argument
Blobbit @ #3258 Saturday, May 9th, 2020 – 3:39 pm
Go down to your local supermarket!
If you are only going to believe your own fucking eyes, then that’s probably the bes t way to sort out whether it is true.
GG
I can’t take that sort of risk. But yeah, don’t disagree.
CC
I don’t know the ins and outs of the to-ing and fro-ing between you and OC on this matter so therefore can not make a judgement. Nor am I interested in doing so.
Vale, Ted Mack. Now there was a politician with integrity. Whenever people say politicians are all the same , I quote Ted Mack, Peter Andren and John Hatton as exceptions.
We are the poorer for the loss of the former two men.
There is validity to that. If you start convincing yourself a lie is true, then your memory can be altered to affirm. Our memories are actually very fickle and unreliable for this reason. There’s a good chance every one of us have earlier memories we can recall vividly that never actually happened or happened radically different to how we recall.
And you’re no longer lying when what you’re saying is what you believe to be true. You may be incorrect but not dishonest.
(I am not necessarily saying the above applies to Reade just FYI)
Diogenes @ #3272 Saturday, May 9th, 2020 – 3:51 pm
It’s like someone who is still a virgin in Europe but not Australia.
‘It’s not a lie if you believe it’ is taking over politics
https://www.washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/its-not-a-lie-if-you-believe-it-is-taking-over-politics
USA, UK, Australia……
Good to see the SDA being traduced again today. Hey, its successful on its own terms of protecting permanent shop and distributive workers. Some of its social policies are obviously more conservative than its member base but I think you could say the reverse for some Left unions. In fact, Setka said not entirely jokingly that most of his members prefer the LNP other than on industrial matters.
Most importantly, the so called DLP wing is actually an essential part of Labors voting bloc. If you want them gone you will have an ALP that struggles to get to 30% unless you pick up votes elsewhere.
And say what you will about Don Farrell but he has a track record of success as has the SA ALP since the Right took over.
Isn’t the ALP struggling to get 30% even while hiding these remnants of the DLP?
Oakeshott Country @ #3265 Saturday, May 9th, 2020 – 3:45 pm
Good to know you agree with the apportioned characterisation of yourself. 🙂
Though, to be specific, vultures hang around waiting for things to die. They haven’t got the guts to kill things themselves. Suffice to say, I think you’ll be waiting there on your denuded branch of a tree in the politcal desert for a while. 🙂
From the Guardian Blog today. Albo getting some words in.
Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has accused the federal government of lacking an economic plan to go with its road map to lift coronavirus-related restrictions.
AAP reports:
“We have said there needs to be a full release of the budget outlook, something the government is ducking at this stage,” Mr Albanese told reporters in Queanbeyan on Saturday, campaigning in the Eden-Monaro electorate ahead of the by-election.
He said the government’s promise of a “snap back” in the economy once the crisis has passed is nothing more than “a marketing slogan from the prime minister who doesn’t have economic plan”.
“We will be calling for the government to outline its economic plan.”
Albanese said there is a “big threat” to the economy if people suddenly get cut off from their jobkeeper and jobseeker payments on some arbitrary date.
Prime minister Scott Morrison and state and territory leaders agreed on Friday to a three-step plan to restart business and community activities.
However, the states and territories are set to move through the three stages at different speeds, depending on their health situation and local conditions.
Treasury says it is possible to restore 851,000 jobs in coming months if things go to plan.
The Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry said regional and interstate travel restrictions need to be lifted as soon as is practicable to breathe life back into regional and urban economies.
“Australian businesses depend on operating as seamlessly as possible between states and territories, as many supply services and source goods interstate,” ACCI CEO, James Pearson, said in a statement.
“We recognise state and territory-specific timetables for the three-stage plan will be based on the current pandemic impact trend and will be subject to any change in health outcomes and ongoing reviews. We hope there are no significant detours or U-turns on the road to recovery.
The Business Council of Australia has set up a series of expert working groups, headed by some of the country’s top executives, to identify practical and achievable solutions to create jobs and boost the economy.
The groups will not only look at how to restart business and industry but put in place structural reforms to drive growth and higher wages.
Peg I’ve largely ignored his provocations because as I said, he’s had very little to contribute on anything of importance lately so he’s just another scroll-wheel-flick to me.
C@t
🙂
Outside of the effects of the Playmander and the dip in the 1990s-early 2000s following the State Bank collapse, SA Labor has always had a pretty decent run, due to the state’s higher working class population. To say that things only picked up after Farrell took over is a long bow to draw. In fact, you could argue some of its worse years were under his “guidance”
Unfortunately Cat, I have come to the opinion that I will not see another Labor (at least in its present form) government in NSW.
Nothing that Tara Reade has alleged would, at the moment, stand up in a court of law.
How likely, on the balance of probabilities, is her allegation? Well, she has taken almost 25 years to spell it out. I know that sexual assault victims can often remain silent for decades, but given that she supposedly confided in some people at the time and some years later, it makes it just a little harder to believe.
Also, why did she not break her silence when Joe Biden was running as vice president back in 2008? In fact his candidacy was strongly vetted at the time, because Obama’s campaign obviously did not want a scandal to surface just before the election. Despite such investigations, not a whisper was heard of Tara Reade or even of any unnamed victim.
Why did she not break her silence when Biden announced his run for the presidency this year?
Instead she waits until he is the last candidate standing; the Democrats’ presumptive nominee.
I don’t know for sure whether Tara Reade is telling the truth or if she is misremembering some traumatic incidents.
But the timing sounds a bit suss and without some genuine evidence to back her claims, Biden should be left to get on with running for president.
HistoryinTime,
Your contribution is a worthy one, cognisant of the SDA as it is today and Don Farrell’s effectiveness in service of the Labor Party, as we saw just today with his discovery of emails between Morrison’s office, Coalition Campaign Headquarters and Bridget McKenzie.
Say what you want about his social conservatism, and it’s certainly not my cup of tea, however he never followed the Abbott’s of the Catholic World over to the Liberal Party and he has never abandoned the cause of the worker.
Historyintime says:
Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 4:02 pm
Most importantly, the so called DLP wing is actually an essential part of Labors voting bloc. If you want them gone you will have an ALP that struggles to get to 30% unless you pick up votes elsewhere.
_______________
The Catholic voting bloc does not exist anymore. Not since it’s congregations evaporated after untold numbers of their children were abused.
All that remains is a cadre of Catholic zealots, rotating through the SDA, Catholic Education and Health and into Parliament if they can. More of a self renewing gang than a Movement.
The citty mapper public transport index shows a slow ramping up. Nothing too drastic yet but the trend is there.
https://citymapper.com/cmi/sydney
Oakeshott Country @ #3287 Saturday, May 9th, 2020 – 4:10 pm
Even though I am a Labor supporter, given the appalling and corrupt shambles that is NSW Labor, this is probably a good thing 🙁
RL
I wonder the same about lots of those historical allegations. I don’t know how anybody can sort out the truth 25 years later.
10 new C19 cases in Victoria following the testing blitz. That’s very encouraging.
The testing blitz has been a great assistance and the results give more comfort that we Victorians are truly on top of this plague.
Can other states be as confident ..?
Player One @ #2983 Saturday, May 9th, 2020 – 4:14 pm
They need to restructure and rebrand the organisation.
The name ‘NSW Labor’ is electoral poison.
The DLP-aligned unions were re-admitted into Labor in 1984.
Labor is yet to match, let alone exceed, the primary or two-party-preferred results that were achieved at the 1983 election.
Oakeshott Country @ #3287 Saturday, May 9th, 2020 – 4:10 pm
Well, good for you.
*golfclap*
I bet you said the same thing about federal government after 2004.
itsthevibe says:
Saturday, May 9, 2020 at 4:16 pm
The DLP-aligned unions were re-admitted into Labor in 1984.
Labor is yet to match, let alone exceed, the primary or two-party-preferred results that were achieved at the 1983 election.
______________
Exactly. All it did was drive elements of the Left out of the party as the DLP gained power within it.