Eden-Monaro opinion poll and other happenings

A poll by the Australia Institute finds next to nothing in it in Eden-Monaro. Also featured: still more coronavirus polling, and the status quo preserved in a Greens plebiscite on how the party leader should be chosen.

With regard to the American presidential horse race, Adrian Beaumont offers all the latest in the post below. Closer to hand:

• Tom McIlroy of the Financial Review ($) reports Labor is credited with a statistically insignificant lead in poll of Eden-Monaro conducted by the Australia Institute. Based on response options that listed only party names, the poll reportedly had Labor leading 51.1-48.8 based on preference flows from 2019. No primary votes are provided in the report, but I expect to have that and other detail for you later today. A question on the most importat issue drew modest responses for both coronavirus (7.3%) and bushfire recovery (8.6%), with the agenda dominated by the economy (28.9%), climate change (23.4%) and health (14.0%). UPDATE: After exclusion of the 9.0% undecided, the primary votes are Labor 39.8%, Liberal 34.3%, Nationals 7.3%, Greens 6.7% and One Nation 6.5%. The polling was conducted by uComms.

• The Lowy Institute has a poll on the strategic implications of coronavirus, which records a general expectation that the crisis will tilt the international balance to China (37% more powerful, 36% just as powerful, 27% less powerful) at the expense of the United States (6% more powerful, 41% just as powerful, 53% less powerful) and Europe (5%, 46% and 48%). Respondents were asked if Australia and various other countries had handled the crisis well and poorly, and with the qualification that the uncommitted responses seem implausibly low, Australians consider their own country’s response (43% good, 50% fairly good, 6% fairly bad, 1% very bad) to have been well superior even to that of Singapore (23%, 56%, 15% and 3%), never mind China (6%, 25%, 25% and 44%), the United Kingdom (3%, 27%, 49% and 21%), Italy (2%, 13%, 44% and 40%) or, God forbid, the United States (2%, 8%, 27% and 63%). Respondents were slightly less favourable to the concept of globalisation than they were in a similar survey a year ago, with 70% rating it mostly good for Australia (down two) and 29% mostly bad (up five). The survey was conducted online and by telephone from April 14 to 27, from a sample of 3036.

• The results of a Greens internal referendum on giving the party membership a way in electing party leaders landed in the awkward zone between clear majority support and the two-thirds super-majority required for change. Members were presented with three head-to-head questions between each combination of two out of three options: the status quo of decision by the party room; the “one member, one vote” approach of having the matter determined entirely by the membership; and a Labor-style model where members provided half the vote and the party room the other half. The two questions inclusive of the status quo produced very similar results, with 62.0% favouring one-member one vote (3721 to 2281) and 62.6% favouring the Labor model (3510 to 2101). The Labor model recorded a narrow 3014 (50.95%) to 2902 (49.05%) win over one-member one-vote, but this would only have been operative if the favoured model recorded two-thirds support in head-to-head comparison with the status quo. According to Rob Harris of the Age/Herald, the response rate was 46% out of the party’s 13,143 eligible members.

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.

1,345 comments on “Eden-Monaro opinion poll and other happenings”

Comments Page 19 of 27
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  3. This is a CV more akin to what Taylormade would approve of:

    Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament
    BCom (University of Melbourne).
    BA (University of Melbourne).
    Office of Senator M Fifield 2006-2010.
    Victorian Employer’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2010-11.
    Institute of Public Affairs from 2011 to 2016.

  5. sprocket_ @ #903 Saturday, May 16th, 2020 – 10:28 pm

    This is a CV more akin to what Taylormade would approve of:

    Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament
    BCom (University of Melbourne).
    BA (University of Melbourne).
    Office of Senator M Fifield 2006-2010.
    Victorian Employer’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry 2010-11.
    Institute of Public Affairs from 2011 to 2016.

    Josh Frydenburg or Matthew Guy? 😀

  6. This laudable early career has seen this Liberal rise to a dizzy height..

    Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament
    BCom (University of Melbourne).
    BA(Hons) (University of Melbourne).
    Research Assistant, Institute of Public Affairs 1989-90.
    Media Adviser to the Hon. P Costello, MP 1990-98.
    Senior Political Adviser to the Treasurer, the Hon P Costello, MP 1998-2001.

  9. This fellow, also risen to high office, probably taught the others, along with David Kemp – at the Melbourne Uni/IPA production line..

    Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament
    B.A (Hons)(Melb.)
    Tutor, Dept of Political Science, University of Melbourne 1998-99
    Dept of Industry, Tourism and Resources 1999
    Office of the Leader of the Opposition (Vic.) 2000-02
    GlaxoSmithKline Australia 2002-07
    Consultant 2007-08
    Research Fellow, Institute of Public Affairs 2007-08

  10. What’s with the shade being thrown at Pat Conroy?

    It’s just the usual desperate suspects. It says more about them than it does about Pat Conroy that they are trying to piss on his parade.

  11. Ok, the final one – this gentleman knows how to pad out a CV..

    Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament
    GradCertEnergy&CarbonMgt (Murdoch University).
    DipBus (Victorian Qualifications Authority).
    MDip&Tde(IntTde) (Monash University).
    BA(Polcy St) (Monash University).
    Electorate Officer, Parliament of Victoria, 1999-2001.
    Vice President, Monash University Student Union Caulfield, 2001.
    President, Monash University Student Union Caulfield, 2002.
    President, Monash University Student Union Caulfield, 2003.
    Project Manager, Australian APEC Study Centre (Development), 2004-06.
    Trade Consultant, ITS Global, 2006.
    Senior Associate, SDA Strategic communication consulting, 2007-10.
    Policy director, Institute of Public Affairs, 2007-13.
    Principal consultant, Dynamic Sunrise Consulting, 2007-14.
    Contributor, Melbourne Talk Radio, 2011-12.
    Contributor and occasional host, 3AW 693 Talk Radio, 2012-13.
    Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner, 2014-16.
    Principal consultant, Dynamic Sunrise Consulting, 2016.

  12. For those playing at home, the 4 Liberal men with the IPA albatross on their CV are in order:

    Senator James Paterson
    Speaker Tony Smith
    President of the Senate Scott Ryan
    Freedom Boy Timmy Wilson

  14. Latest case of covid-19 in Vietnam is again an expat returning from overseas (and will be quarantined).
    http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/2020-05/15/c_139060176.htm

    Also..
    https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-52628283
    Many lessons to be learned here. Including the benefit of acting early (sorry, but Scomo and Brenan failed on this). Also their lockdown was never total, but they did instittute heavy localised lockdowns. Something that may sitll be needed here in Australia. Maybe even right now, in parts of Sydney…

    Now, one thing you’ll never every hear Scomo say..
    “How good is Vietnam!”

  15. sprocket_ @ #911 Saturday, May 16th, 2020 – 10:37 pm

    Ok, the final one – this gentleman knows how to pad out a CV..

    Qualifications and occupation before entering Federal Parliament
    GradCertEnergy&CarbonMgt (Murdoch University).
    DipBus (Victorian Qualifications Authority).
    MDip&Tde(IntTde) (Monash University).
    BA(Polcy St) (Monash University).
    Electorate Officer, Parliament of Victoria, 1999-2001.
    Vice President, Monash University Student Union Caulfield, 2001.
    President, Monash University Student Union Caulfield, 2002.
    President, Monash University Student Union Caulfield, 2003.
    Project Manager, Australian APEC Study Centre (Development), 2004-06.
    Trade Consultant, ITS Global, 2006.
    Senior Associate, SDA Strategic communication consulting, 2007-10.
    Policy director, Institute of Public Affairs, 2007-13.
    Principal consultant, Dynamic Sunrise Consulting, 2007-14.
    Contributor, Melbourne Talk Radio, 2011-12.
    Contributor and occasional host, 3AW 693 Talk Radio, 2012-13.
    Australia’s Human Rights Commissioner, 2014-16.
    Principal consultant, Dynamic Sunrise Consulting, 2016.

    Tim ‘Freedom Boy’ Wilson!

  17. Your advice is worthless, because it is based on a lack of understanding of both the current Centrelink processes and of our situation. You apparently have not had any significant dealings with Centrelink recently. We have – for bushfire relief and for Covid-19 relief for myself, my partner and our kids.

    We are in fact following to the letter the advice given to us by both our local MP and Centrelink themselves, who (after we explained our situation to them in detail) assured us that we should be able to claim either JobKeeper or JobSeeker, and that we should apply for both and let Centrelink sort out which one was most appropriate.

    You can lead a horse to water…

    Two possibilities:

    1. You really ARE ineligible, but just can’t bring yourself to admit it.
    If you really HAVE followed Centrelink’s advice, andvyou STILL don’t qualify, doesn’t that tell you something?

    Answer: you’re ineligible. Give up. Stop whingeing and blaming me and the world in general. Suck it up, like millions already have.

    2. You’re mistake is to trust Centrelink.
    I have had MANY, MANY dealings with Centrelink in the past couple of years since retiring, and ongoing.

    Get over it P1: you’re nothing special. You are no more deserving than those poor buggers up the road from you in Cobargo, for example, who lost everything, including their house, furniture, computers, cars, photos, tools of trade, family pets and all their assets. They can’t afford the time to be here half the day abusing people and finger-pointing, and moaning that they had a hard time with Centrelink.

    As I suggested: get over it. Heave that entitlement chip off your shoulder and get humble. Centrelink LOVE humble.

    I told you in the last post I addressed to you that: Centrelink will not tell you what you’ve done wrong. They expect you to have all the details at your fingertips, just like they do.

    You may THINK you know everything about you, and your own case. But you don’t. The truth is on Centrelink’s computers, even if it’s not really the truth. Dozens of bored assessors would have initialled your file. Some of them, if you’re lucky, would have paid attention to your particulars. Most of them didn’t. Don’t worry, that’s the case with everyone.

    Only when you stop going on about what your MP told you, and stop believing what Centrelink told you (probably so they can breach you for being gullible by believing them) then can you think smart, rather than dumb.

    Centrelink NEVER, EVER admit making a mistake. Get that into your head: NEVER. The consequence of this eternal truth is that quoting their own words against them will get you nowhere. especially if the words quoted are what some disinterested, untrained, lowly-paid call centre flunky told you verbally on the phone. The call centre people don’t even work for Centrelink, not like it was a proper job. They work for a Liberal party donor labor hire company, in it for the lurk. REAL Centrelink people, upon hearing that you’re certain you’re entitled may even out you down as “acting a bit precious”. Bad move (on your part). Centrelink? They don’t give a shit what YOU are certain of.

    Quoting what your MP said? About the worst thing you could say.

    When you walk into Centrelink, drop the attitude. It will harm your case. The only person whose opinion is worth more than two-bob is the person across the desk from you, the one you’re trying to convince that YOUR lifestyle is important enough to subsidize.

    If you quote MPs, Scott bloody Morrison (I hope you haven’t), your accountant, the Sydney Morning Herald, Uncle Tom Cobbly and all, or give the slightest hint that you are not actually on the bones of your arse (hint: the corporate structure, negatively geared B&B, professionally prepared accounts, and the attitude WON’T HELP!), or do not appear to be as desperate as the poor bastards up the street who really DID lose everything but the shirts off their backs, then don’t expect Centrelink to put you in the Job Seeker Express Queue.

    I know this sounds Kafkaesque, but it’s not really. YOU have to do their job for them. Clients who expect anything at all from Centrelink have to go through Re-Education Camp first.

  18. Here’s Joshie’s Resume:

    Frydenberg studied and earned honours degrees in both economics and law at Monash University which included presidency of the Law Students Society, before working at Mallesons Stephen Jaques, a large Australian commercial law firm. He subsequently attended University College, Oxford to study for the Master of International Relations degree in 1998 on a Commonwealth scholarship. Frydenberg has also attained a Master of Public Administration from the John F. Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

    Early career
    In 1999, Frydenberg worked as an assistant adviser to Attorney-General Daryl Williams before becoming an adviser to Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer, a post he held until 2003. From 2003 to 2005 he was a policy adviser to Prime Minister John Howard, specialising in domestic security issues, border protection, justice and industrial relations. In 2005 he took up a position as a Director of Global Banking with Deutsche Bank in the company’s Melbourne office.

    Straight from Uni into the Liberal creche at Mallesons, then further study, then political adviser, then into the banking creche at Deutsche Bank.

  21. OK, Player1. Have it your way. I gave you good advice.

    YOU.ARE.NOT.A.SPECIAL.CASE.

    If you won’t accept this, then good luck. You’re going to need it.

    P.S. I get on fine with Centrelink.

  22. poroti:

    Oh, good, all those donors and maaates getting looked after is just a coincidence after all. what a relief. Bonus, they are not ‘wealthy’ either.

    Political parties are more or less defined as a collection of people whose political interests coincide, so coincidence is what one would expect, and in fact it would be more alarming if there was an absence of coincidence.

    Keep fighting the man if it makes you feel better, expend all your energy doing so if you want. It doesn’t change votes, at least not in a favourable direction.

  23. C@tMomma:

    Bit of an inflated CV.

    Mr Frydenberg was an articled clerk at Mallesons; not really working as a lawyer, and not at all since.

    Daryl Williams mainly employed women lawyers—Dazza’s Dazzlers as they were called—I wonder what Mr Frydenberg’s role was? Mr Williams was an excellent piano player and apparently quite a charmer.

    A director at a bank? Surely a VP of something or other at least!

  24. Heard on ABC news earlier. The single case in QLD is someone from off a cruise ship.

    That means 0 cases of local transmission in every state but NSW/VIC again.

  25. https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/health/health-problems/coronavirus-donald-trumps-laughable-excuse-for-the-scale-of-us-outbreak/news-story/d6a498b539cab9897b667b83f1e4eecb

    I love the turn of phrase..

    This is a stupid statement. It is not “controversial” or “bizarre” or “unconventional”, or any of the other words we traditionally use to sanitise the absurd things that come out of Mr Trump’s mouth with such depressing regularity.

    It is just pure, weapons-grade stupid.

  27. https://www.covid19data.com.au/testing

    The uptick in Victorian testing is quite substantial. Victoria now exceeds NSW in terms of tests as a percentage of population – 4.89 percent versus 4.38 percent.

    That’s 1.72 percent of the Victorian population in a week.

    So, why is NSW lagging? Why is NSW not ramping up testing the way Victoria is? Serious question. What can be done about it?

  28. Cud Chewer @ #929 Sunday, May 17th, 2020 – 4:16 am

    https://www.covid19data.com.au/testing

    The uptick in Victorian testing is quite substantial. Victoria now exceeds NSW in terms of tests as a percentage of population – 4.89 percent versus 4.38 percent.

    That’s 1.72 percent of the Victorian population in a week.

    So, why is NSW lagging? Why is NSW not ramping up testing the way Victoria is? Serious question. What can be done about it?

    The first question should be what is the testing capacity?

  29. I meant to add, Victoria 1.72 percent of its population tested in the last week, versus 0.75 percent for the last week in NSW.

  30. “The first question should be what is the testing capacity?”

    That’s a good question. They’re not exactly making this information well known.
    Worse, they’re not revealing what their plans are to increase testing – including details of how they intend to get more non symptomatic people to come forward and get tested.

    I note that if Victoria were to manage an order of magnitude increase in testing they would be testing one person out of 6 every week. At that rate, the virus would have find it hard to escape the net – once you take into account contact tracing and further testing.

  31. Australian covid stats c/- Worldometers

    51st in number of cases
    97th in cases per million
    66th in deaths
    32nd in recoveries
    85th in number of active cases
    90th in new cases (yesterday)
    12th in number of tests
    31st in tests per million

    Crunch those numbers and we would be top 5 in effectiveness of response

  32. Insiders ABC@InsidersABC
    ·
    15 May
    On #Insiders this Sunday @David_Speers is joined by @Raf_Epstein @lanai_scarr and @farrm51 #auspol

  33. Sanity prevails.

    Justin Amash@justinamash
    ·
    3h
    After much reflection, I’ve concluded that circumstances don’t lend themselves to my success as a candidate for president this year, and therefore I will not be a candidate.

  34. The question is whether testing capacity meets demand.

    Been a while since I have heard someone say they missed out on a test when wanting one.

  35. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    David Crowe assesses the Morrison government one year on.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/one-year-on-how-the-morrison-government-has-performed-20200515-p54tdn.html
    Eryk Bagshaw goes to the questions an independent inquiry into the coronavirus must answer.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/the-questions-an-independent-inquiry-into-the-coronavirus-must-answer-20200514-p54t4e.html
    The editorial in The Age says we have been left with a tableau of Australian life in the Year 2020. Frozen in time. And we have a rare opportunity to stand back and study exactly how we are constituted, before time restarts and it all changes again.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/a-chance-to-rethink-immigration-20200516-p54tlb.html
    Hundreds of thousands of Sydneysiders will have to find other ways to get to work over the coming weeks as the government looks set to impose strict controls on the public transport network.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/carmageddon-thousands-of-sydneysiders-to-be-pushed-off-public-transport-20200515-p54tgi.html
    Despite the horror of Australia’s unemployment numbers, we haven’t reached the bottom yet declares Greg Jericho.
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/commentisfree/2020/may/17/despite-the-horror-of-australias-unemployment-numbers-we-havent-reached-the-bottom-yet
    Daniel Hurst writes that Australia has been quietly making its influence felt at the World Health Organisation, even as political leaders call for major changes to its operations. He says Australia is serving a three-year term on the WHO’s executive board and has used the position to push for global action on cervical cancer and reducing preventable blindness.
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/may/16/australia-making-its-presence-felt-at-who-while-backing-calls-for-major-reform
    Katharine Murphy reports that Jim Chalmers has said that if the Morrison government is serious about kickstarting the economy after the coronavirus, it will seek bipartisan agreement with Labor on a new energy policy, and end the decade long climate wars.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/16/labor-calls-for-end-to-decade-long-barney-on-climate-wars-in-post-pandemic-recovery
    The success of the National Cabinet’s operation during the pandemic could be a model for a better type of government, writes John Wren in his weekly roundup.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/wrens-week-national-cabinet-should-be-a-model-for-government-reform,13899
    Adelaide Oval’s new hotel could be the catalyst to secure the entire Test series against India in a move that would open up trade, education and tourism opportunities.
    https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/controversial-adelaide-oval-hotel-could-lure-india-test-series/news-story/0a106018a29d40738959df7ef6233366
    Was Australia right to shut down to slow coronavirus? The economists’ verdict is that the lockdown wins handsomely.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/may/17/was-australia-right-to-shut-down-to-slow-coronavirus-the-economists-verdict
    Cait Kelly writes that as states and territories begin the first stage of relaxing lockdown measures some Australians have chosen to flout the rules and head out to party.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2020/05/17/coronavirus-social-restrictions-australia/
    Farmers have been plunged into uncertainty by China’s foreign investment strategy as its hunger for Australian food wanes reports Mike Foley.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/farmer-turmoil-as-china-s-hunger-for-australia-wanes-20200515-p54tiq.html
    Dennis Atkins says that there too many inconvenient truths for Morrison to uncomfortably deny.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2020/05/16/coronavirus-sports-rorts/
    Jess Irvine tells us how much we’ve saved by not eating out or having holidays.
    https://www.smh.com.au/money/planning-and-budgeting/this-is-how-much-you-ve-saved-by-not-eating-out-or-having-holidays-20200515-p54tas.html
    Peter FitzSimons has a lovely story in his weekend column. And he gives The Parrot another serve.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/farewell-to-a-good-friend-taken-by-coronavirus-20200515-p54tho.html
    And John Lord sees off Alan Jones – a rat from the feral right.
    https://theaimn.com/alan-jones-a-rat-from-the-feral-right/
    Tim Richards has discovered some unexpected pleasures he has found during the lockdown. He intends to keep some going.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/life/wellbeing/2020/05/16/coronavirus-lockdown-life-lessons/
    The departure of two public figures who have made comments involving violence against women could be viewed as a time for advocates to rejoice, but it’s not, laments Wendy Touhy.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/maybe-mocking-violence-against-women-isn-t-so-acceptable-after-all-20200515-p54tgq.html
    Taxation expert Stephen Hamilton says that the scheme is flawed but JobKeeper promises need to be honoured. This quite an informative contribution,
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/scheme-is-flawed-but-jobkeeper-promises-need-to-be-honoured-20200515-p54tcd.html
    The US House of Representatives on Friday narrowly approved a $US3 trillion bill crafted by Democrats to provide more aid for battling the coronavirus and stimulating a faltering economy. But Trump doesn’t like it of course.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/coronavirus-pandemic-us-house-passes-3-trillion-heroes-act-aid-bill-opposed-by-trump-20200516-p54tki.html
    Inspectors-General are an endangered species in Trump’s America – especially if they are doing their job!
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/may/16/steve-linick-state-department-official-investigating-pompeo-is-fired

    Cartoon Corner

    Matt Golding




    Reg Lynch

    Jim Pavlidis

    Matt Davidson

    From the US




  36. Bushfire Bill @ #919 Saturday, May 16th, 2020 – 10:50 pm

    Where’s the tennis career?

    Frydenberg was a keen tennis player. He attempted, unsuccessfully, to drop out of high school to pursue a career in tennis. After graduating from high school, he took a gap year to play tennis full-time in Australia and Europe. Frydenberg played against Mark Philippoussis and Pat Rafter, and represented Australia at two World University Games. He and his father were present at the 1997 Maccabiah bridge collapse.

    Damned overachiever. 😀

  37. Obama takes thinly-veiled swipe at Trump during commencement address

    Former President Barack Obama was the featured speaker on Saturday at virtual commencement ceremonies for students graduating from 74 historically black colleges and universities.

    “You’re being asked to find your way in the world in the middle of a devastating pandemic and terrible recession. The timing is not ideal,” Obama said, as quoted by The Washington Post.

    “More than anything, this pandemic has fully, finally torn back the curtain on the idea that the folks in charge know what they’re doing,” Obama said. “A lot of them aren’t even pretending to be in charge. ”

    https://www.rawstory.com/2020/05/obama-takes-thinly-veiled-swipe-at-trump-during-commencement-address/

  38. ‘A national humiliation’: Steve Schmidt rips into ‘imbecile’ Trump for completely botching the COVID-19 crisis

    Appearing on MSNBC with guest host Joy Reid, former GOP campaign consultant Steve Schmidt tore into Donald Trump for his handling of the coronavirus pandemic that has let to over 85,000 f dead, 35 million unemployed and the economy reeling.

    Noting how other presidents have handled major disruptions, Schmidt said the damaged economy above all can be laid at Trump’s feet.

    “This is a moment of unparalleled national humiliation, of weakness when you listen to the president,” he continued. “There are the musing of an imbecile, an idiot. And I don’t use those words to name-call, I use them because they are the precise words in the English language to describe his behavior, his comportment, his actions. We’ve never seen a level of incompetence, a level of ineptitude so staggering on a daily basis from anybody on the history of the country.”

    https://www.rawstory.com/2020/05/a-national-humiliation-steve-schmidt-rips-into-imbecile-trump-for-completely-botching-the-covid-19-crisis/

  42. New Zealand

    129th in number of cases
    90th in cases per million
    101st in deaths
    140th in new cases (zero)
    27th in tests per million

    I think we have room for improvement…

  43. And Vietnam has reported no new cases of local transmission for 30 days.
    They also put Australia to shame in terms of cases per million.

  44. When the Federal Court last week dismissed an attempt to stop Parks Victoria from culling feral horses in the Alpine National Park, it put the spotlight back on a long and bitter fight in the high country between brumby lovers and environmental scientists.

    The fight is far from over. The biggest herds of wild horses are across the border in NSW’s Kosciuszko National Park. And thanks to NSW Nationals leader John Barilaro, wild horses enjoy heritage protection in the state.

    But the horses in the Australian Alps – an astonishing 25,000 of them at last count – respect no border and continually drift into Victoria.
    …
    The visual beauty of the horses grazing free in the mountains has won them a legal status in NSW denied to all other feral creatures of the high country. Deer and pigs are shot. Wild dogs are trapped. Foxes are poisoned and rabbits have their warrens dug out.
    …
    Ironically, the scientists who want large-scale culling might have had an ally in Banjo Paterson, author of the stirring “Man From Snowy River”. In a speech in 1930, Paterson spoke of how “in the early days, the wild horses got to be as big a plague as the wallabies and rabbits were in later times”.

    “It seems a terrible thing to us nowadays to think of shooting horses wholesale … but it had to be done,” said Paterson.

    https://www.theage.com.au/environment/conservation/all-the-pretty-horses-and-all-the-damage-done-20200511-p54rte.html

  46. “The question is whether testing capacity meets demand.”

    That just begs other questions.
    Why is demand for testing (apparently) lower in NSW than in Victoria?
    What can be done to get those with no symptoms to front up for testing in large numbers?

  47. Great Dawn Patrol. – thanks BK.

    I think I have found the cause of my continuing headaches

    Good morning all. Cool day in Newcastle about 12 ℃ presently.

  49. Thanks BK for link..

    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/carmageddon-thousands-of-sydneysiders-to-be-pushed-off-public-transport-20200515-p54tgi.html

    Hundreds of thousands of Sydneysiders will have to change their commuting habits over the coming weeks as the state government looks to impose strict controls on the public transport network that may result in traffic havoc on the roads.

    The number of Sydney commuters using public transport dropped from more than 2 million per day to around 400,000 during the two months of the coronavirus lockdown, the lowest in a century.

    But as thousands of people begin trickling back onto trains, buses and ferries amid easing restrictions, NSW Premier Gladys Berejiklian has warned that the system is nearing capacity for safe social distancing measures.

    Transport experts have warned Sydney’s road network is unlikely to cope if everyone swaps their bus or train commute for a car.

    “We are looking at basically ‘carmageddon’, where all the roads are full with the people that were on buses and trains [but are now] in cars,” University of Technology transport expert Mathew Hounsell said.

    “You’re going to have the underlying problem that the road system cannot support all of the people that will need to come off public transport.”

    and…

    Analysis of the city’s train system by the opposition suggested Sydney Trains would need to add an extra 230 services per hour during the peak to maintain 40 per cent capacity under pre-coronavirus crowding levels.

    Ok, so the reporting of this issue is edging towards actually saying the problem is insoluble. But so far has avoided saying so. Why?

    That last comment was hilarious. You can’t run more trains per hour on the critical tracks. Even if you were to extend a peak hour service all day you cannot maintain social distancing. And you can’t do so anyhwo thanks to operational reasons like, not having enough drivers.

    This is where the rubber hits the road. Either:

    1. We accept that the Sydney CBD cannot function as normal and as such the economy will be crippled.
    2. We give up on social distancing and see thousands of people infected, quickly.
    3. We continue to eliminate the virus.

    When is Gladys going to figure this out?

  50. How Climate Change Is Contributing to Skyrocketing Rates of Infectious Disease

    https://www.propublica.org/article/climate-infectious-diseases

    The scientists who study how diseases emerge in a changing environment knew this moment was coming. Climate change is making outbreaks of disease more common and more dangerous.

    Over the past few decades, the number of emerging infectious diseases that spread to people — especially coronaviruses and other respiratory illnesses believed to have come from bats and birds — has skyrocketed. A new emerging disease surfaces five times a year. One study estimates that more than 3,200 strains of coronaviruses already exist among bats, awaiting an opportunity to jump to people.

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