Courtesy of The Australian, Newspoll offers a repeat of an exercise conducted two months ago in which a large national sample is polled to produce state-level results on the popularity of premiers as well as the Prime Minister, both generally and in their dealings with the coronavirus. While the results are positive all round, they find Daniel Andrews falling from a top tier that continues to include Peter Gutwein, Mark McGowan and Steven Marshall, bringing him about level with Gladys Berejiklian but still clear of Annastacia Palaszczuk.
Andrews was down eight on approval to 67% and up ten on disapproval to 27%, while Berejiklian was down one to 68% and up three to 26%. Allowing for small sample sizes in the smaller states, Peter Gutwein took the lead (up six on approval to 90% and down three on disapproval to 8%) from Mark McGowan (down one to 88% and up three on 9%). Despite continuing to trail the pack, Palaszczuk recorded the best improvement with a four point increase in approval to 59% and a four point drop on disapproval to 35%.
However, Palaszczuk remains the only Premier with a weaker net approval rating in their state than Scott Morrison, who according to the poll has strengthened in Queensland (by five on approval to 72%, and down four on disapproval to 24%) but weakened everywhere else (approval down six to 61% and disapproval up five to 35% in New South Wales; down seven to 65% and up four to 30% in Victoria; down three to 67% and up two to 29% in South Australia; down three to 70% and up three to 26% in Western Australia; down four to 60% and up six to 37% in Tasmania).
Andrews’ deterioration on approval is more than matched on the question of handling of coronavirus, on which he now trails out of the Premiers with 72% for well (down 13 points) and 25% for badly (up 14). This pushes him behind Berejiklian (up two to 79% and down two to 16%), Palaszczuk (up four to 76% and down one to 22%) and Marshall (up five to 87% and down two to 9%). Still clear of the field are McGowan and Gutwein, who are tied at 93% well (down one for McGowan, up four for Gutwein) and 5% badly (up one and down three). Scott Morrison’s ratings on this score are little changed, and remarkably consistent from state to state — Queensland and South Australia are his best with 84% well and 14% poorly apiece, but his weakest result, in New South Wales, is still 79% well and 18% badly.
The poll was conducted from a national sample of 2949, ranging from 526 in Victoria to 309 in Tasmania.
Douglas and Milko @ #647 Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 – 11:18 am
Mundo thinks Wayne is on the money though 8 years is more likely than 10. Might just be wishful thinking on Mundo’s part.
In fact, most environmental concerns can be framed economically as propositions that there are long term, large scale, or collective costs that are being incorrectly accounted for and hence our current solutions are incomplete/suboptimal.
Of course, accepting those costs exist is inconvenient to some ideologically driven people (and besides they will all be incurred at a much later date or by some other poor saps) :-P.
Has Albo had a mention here this morning?
Mundo supposes it doesn’t really matter any more.
Alpha Zerosays:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 11:17 am
“Buce progress on defence spending is when ZERO is achieved…”
and unicorns dance down the street.
Have you defunded your Police yet? Why not?
“Peace in our time.” How’d that work out for you?
Peebee,
If you get a tungsten rod about a meter long and 8 inches wide and fire it from space into the ground at about 28km/s the energy it release is like a small nuclear bomb. Expect this technology to pop up in the next 20 years.
Buce,
On hardening the army, There’s some sunk cost / lost investments there that the army needs to walk away from. The current fleet of M113’s and the AS4’s they are vietnam vintage death traps.
Hopefully the army just rolls out more bushmasters and picks a good replacement for the lav’s.
It’d also make sense to merge mech infantry units and calvary units along the way.
But all of that would take about 20 years.
Best kind of cost is one you can foist off on someone else, preferrably after you’re long dead.
frednk says:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 11:13 am
“Morrison hounding Victoria to lift restriction is starting to look a bit old. Might be time for Morrison to zip it.”
Surprisingly he expected that the Victorian Government would have had a robust Quarantine system in place – how fucking stupid was he to assume that?
Was the Federal Government meant to be doing Quality Control Audits of the Victorian Government?
The Australian Taxation Office’s website crashed within half an hour of the new financial year.
Users have reported the site suffered outages as early as 12.14am on July 1.
Within an hour into the new financial year which triggered the next round to grab another $10,000 from retirement savings as part of the early access scheme, the website froze due to high demand.
By 11am today, those seeking online services remained locked out after 2.4 million applied for the first instalment last financial year.
“We’re currently experiencing a high volume of traffic,” is currently displayed on the site.
“We understand significant numbers of people need to access our online services.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/australian-economy/rush-for-early-access-to-super-causes-ato-website-to-crash/news-story/b13789632770751eb1b0401e5852e6a2
PeeBee says:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 11:15 am
“Buce, I’m surprised you didn’t mention we get a nuclear capabilities.”
Definitely yes. We should have mine site to disposal and everything in between – processing, reprocessing, ships, subs, domestic, weapons – the lot. France, UK, Israel, Pakistan, India are able to do it – why not us?
Bucephalus
Rather spend on Health.
Why facts may not be enough.
…………………………………………………………………………………..
Coronavirus Responses Highlight How Humans Have Evolved to Dismiss Facts That Don’t Fit Their Worldview
Science denialism is not just a simple matter of logic or ignorance
“Motivated reasoning” is what social scientists call the process of deciding what evidence to accept based on the conclusion one prefers.
https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/coronavirus-responses-highlight-how-humans-have-evolved-to-dismiss-facts-that-dont-fit-their-worldview/
It’s all the fault of Dan in Victoria that the Right in Australia can’t bash Jacinda in New Zealand anymore.
What a wrecker.
Daniel Andrews is updating the Victorian situation. 73 cases
It’s the fifth highest day for Covid cases recorded in one day since the pandemic began.
Three from hotel quarantine, nine that are associated with known and contained outbreaks, 19 as a result of routine testing and 42 that remain under investigation by our public health team. We did 20,682 tests yesterday so I’ll take this opportunity to thank every single one of those going on for 21,000 people who presented for a test.
south says:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 11:28 am
“On hardening the army, There’s some sunk cost / lost investments there that the army needs to walk away from. The current fleet of M113’s and the AS4’s they are vietnam vintage death traps.”
Project Land 400 Phase 3 is already down to a choice of two vehicles.
“Hopefully the army just rolls out more bushmasters and picks a good replacement for the lav’s.
It’d also make sense to merge mech infantry units and calvary units along the way.”
The LAV Replacement is already under contract in Project Land 400 Phase 2 and the Boxer has been chosen.
Suggesting Mech Infantry and Cavalry merge demonstrates a lack of understanding of the very different roles. Why lower the Cavalry’s standards?
Zerlo says:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 11:35 am
“Rather spend on Health.”
Should have done that in the 1940’s so that we could be healthy workers for the Japanese. Would have saved a lot of combat casualties, hey.
Trump has turned us into the ‘United States of Idiocracy’ — and letting us die: conservative columnist
On Tuesday, writing for The Washington Post, conservative columnist Max Boot slammed President Donald Trump for turning America into the “United States of Idiocracy” amid a deadly global pandemic.
“In other wealthy democracies, coronavirus cases have been plummeting,” wrote Boot. “In the United States, they have risen 80 percent over the past 14 days. On Monday, the United States reported more than 40,000 new cases, while the European Union, which is more populous, had fewer than 6,000. The number of confirmed coronavirus deaths in the United States is approaching 130,000, more than twice as many as in any other country.”
Boot listed off the litany of Trump’s leadership failures, from suggesting Americans inject themselves with bleach, to holding a rally in Tulsa with no social distancing.
“We can and should hold our leaders responsible, but ultimately, we have no one but ourselves to blame,” concluded Boot. “Nobody forced so many Americans to act so recklessly — first by placing their faith in a president who doesn’t deserve it, and now in ignoring widely publicized scientific findings. We are living — and now dying — in an idiocracy of our own creation.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/06/30/welcome-united-states-idiocracy/
Bucephalus @ #666 Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 – 11:48 am
The U.S. would have ended the war the same way in either scenario.
Why in dogs name would anyone refuse a free Corona Virus Test? Why? FFS.
If they aren’t legally mandatory when directed by Health Authorities then they should be.
a rsays:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 11:50 am
“The U.S. would have ended the war the same way in either scenario.”
And at what point before Pearl Harbour was bombed did you know that?
lizzie @ #663 Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 – 11:37 am
I’ve been following the Nick Kyrgios COVID-19 story and it just seems like a classic Jocks vs Nerds play. Nick, preternaturally-talented tennis player and intelligent guy took COVID-19 seriously, whereas the jocks, led by world #1, Novak Djokovic, thought they were bullet-proof due to how physically fit they were. So The Djoker got a crew together to play at a tournament he organised, and went even further and encouraged a hot and sweaty night out at a crowded nightclub afterwards.
Guess what? Most of them got sick.
Nick, on the other hand, who took it all seriously, is still fit and healthy.
Gosh, what a great big surprise; a federal gubmint department giving the federal gubmint the go-ahead for a project whose budget is screwed even before it starts (this is an LNP idea after all so cost blow outs are a foregone conclusion).
“The project is expected to be completed in 2027.” Sure it will…
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/green-light-for-snowy-2-0-pumped-hydro-and-new-wave-of-jobs-20200630-p557n6.html
Holdenhillbilly @ #659 Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 – 9:32 am
The ATO is a terribly inept organisation with a confused incompatible goals (work cooperately with business and be seen to be a smart commercial organisation, and seem tough on tax evasion, because it is uncool to be seen as soft on it), with two incompatible cultures (old ATO and KPMG refugees, although at the top levels pretty much the old ATO has been excluded) for years I thought they did so badly at almost everything they did because they were under-resourced, but it is pretty apparent they just have terrible people running the joint.
What they are not at all good at, in large part because they don’t try, is being a straight up and down the line consistent and diligent administrator of the law.
Bucephalus @ #670 Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 – 11:52 am
Cultural sensitivities may have played a part. Muslim women and children will only allow a female to touch them and their husbands would prevent a male worker doing the test. So, hopefully, male and female teams were sent out.
Also, there would be the crazies who would fervently believe that the workers, on behalf of Bill Gates’ World Government, would be inserting a microchip into their brains when they performed the ‘test’.
I’m sure there are other reasons as well.
Bucephalus @ #670 Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 – 11:53 am
Approximately the same point where you knew that if Australia had spent more on health Japan would have enslaved everyone?
Kronomex says:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 11:56 am
“Gosh, what a great big surprise; a federal gubmint department giving the federal gubmint the go-ahead for a project whose budget is screwed even before it starts (this is an LNP idea after all so cost blow outs are a foregone conclusion).
“The project is expected to be completed in 2027.” Sure it will…
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/green-light-for-snowy-2-0-pumped-hydro-and-new-wave-of-jobs-20200630-p557n6.html”
Confused now – pumped hydro is supposed to be the reliability factor for unreliable wind and solar but now you’re telling me it’s no good?
Bucephalus ,
When i was in 5RAR we deployed a lot, 2Cav were our drivers with their LAVs. We didn’t take buckets anywhere.
We had the odd spare 1st armored crewie but I see no difference between mech infantry and cav. We won’t be engaging in conflicts where those two don’t role out together. It’s sensible to bring those two areas closer.
Give it 25 years. They’ll get there in their thinking. It only took 20-ish years for the British idea of a ‘brick’ to make it’s way from North Ireland to the Australian Army
a rsays:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 12:03 pm
“Approximately the same point where you knew that if Australia had spent more on health Japan would have enslaved everyone?”
I bet you think Neville Chamberlain is hard done by. No?
C@tmommasays:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 11:59 am
“Cultural sensitivities may have played a part. Muslim women and children will only allow a female to touch them and their husbands would prevent a male worker doing the test. So, hopefully, male and female teams were sent out.”
Welcome to Australia – that shit doesn’t cut it in the first world. End of story.
South
I can’t see how this works at all for energy generation. To accelerate the tungsten rod to a given speed will takes as much energy as you would eventually retrieve.
southsays:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 12:05 pm
I’ve got no problem with 2 Cav acting as APC’s when directed to do so – that’s flexibility but it’s not their bread and butter. I hope you didn’t nick too much of their stuff.
If you were at 5RAR you would know that your Battalion had a Support Company that included a Reconnaissance Platoon (I might be wrong but I’m pretty sure they remain a standard part of a Battalion Structure). There’s a reason that a Battalion has its own integral Reconnaissance Platoon – because they do a very different job to a normal Infantry Platoon. The same applies to a Brigade – it needs a Reconnaissance Squadron to do Reconnaissance jobs while the Infantry does Infantry jobs. Yes, there’s some crossover but a well used Reconnaissance organisation is worth its weight in gold and blood (and I say that through gritted teeth as an out and out Tankie).
Bu
“Why in dogs name would anyone refuse a free Corona Virus Test? Why? FFS”
Good question. Either because you’re a conspiracy theorist and think the authorities are hiding something. Or you yourself have something to hide. So either a kook or a crook.
The other important thing to remember about the ATO is that it is in their interest to say corporate taxpayers are paying the tax they should (and get onboard the ridiculous comparison that business likes where the estimate of the individual and small business tax gap is bigger than the corporate tax gap) and it is very much in business interest given the free ride they currently get to say the ATO is well resourced and they are all paying their taxes, it is just some of this ATO administrative stuff needs to go.
That tie looks a bit weird. 😉
Jolyon Wagg says:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 12:12 pm
South
“If you get a tungsten rod about a meter long and 8 inches wide and fire it from space into the ground at about 28km/s the energy it release is like a small nuclear bomb. Expect this technology to pop up in the next 20 years.
I can’t see how this works at all for energy generation. To accelerate the tungsten rod to a given speed will takes as much energy as you would eventually retrieve.”
On the Physics side – isn’t there a terminal velocity thing? or is that only for falling objects as opposed to accelerated objects? And at those speeds what would the friction from the atmosphere do to the rod?
There’s also The Outer Space Treaty that prohibits weapons in space but when has international law actually stopped a country doing something that they really want to do?
“States shall not place nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction in orbit or on celestial bodies or station them in outer space in any other manner”
United States :
Coronavirus Cases:
2,727,853
Deaths:
130,122
– 46,042 new cases and 764 new deaths in the United States
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/country/us/
WARREN: “How many COVID-19 deaths and infections should America expect before this is all over?”
FAUCI: “I can’t make an accurate prediction, but it is going to be very disturbing. I will guarantee you that… I’m very concerned because it could get very bad.”
FAUCI: “If you look at what’s going on and look at some of the film clips that you’ve seen of people congregating often without masks, being in crowds and jumping over and avoiding and not paying attention to the guidelines… We are going to continue to be in a lot of trouble.”
FAUCI: “We’re going in the wrong direction if you look at the curves of the new cases. So we’ve really got to do something about that, and we need to do it quickly. Short answer to your question, is that, clearly, we are not in total control right now.”
Bucephalus says: Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 12:05 pm
“Confused now – pumped hydro is supposed to be the reliability factor for unreliable wind and solar but now you’re telling me it’s no good?”
How did you come that conclusion when it has nothing nothing at all to do with reliability but costs of construction.
“…giving the federal gubmint the go-ahead for a project whose budget is screwed even before it starts (this is an LNP idea after all so cost blow outs are a foregone conclusion).”
The Australian Taxation Office (ATO) system has encountered any unexpected error while processing your request.
Try again.
or kinetic bombardment.
The problem is you’ve got to get them up there in the first place along with a system to accelerate them without the other side being aware.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinetic_bombardment
Jw ‘I can’t see how this works at all for energy generation. To accelerate the tungsten rod to a given speed will takes as much energy as you would eventually retrieve.’
Not quiet.
There is the potential energy provided by the mass accelerating under gravity (ie converting the potential energy the rod has in space to ke ethic energy). The Kenetic energy is reduced by friction with the atmosphere (which may cause the rod to burn up).
There is also energy loss through pushing aside air and creating a bow wave as it travels through the atmosphere.
Both frictional loss and pushing aside air will cause the rod to reach a terminal velocity.
There is energy loss through a sonic boom as it reaches Mach 1.
Finally, if the rod hasn’t burnt up in the atmosphere, there will be thermal energy produced through the combustion of the rod and any burn able material it might hit.
I can’t see it reaching megatons of yield though.
Kronomex says:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 12:33 pm
“How did you come that conclusion when it has nothing nothing at all to do with reliability but costs of construction.”
Aren’t costs of construction included in the price of power and in this case “renewable” power or even better “firmed renewable” power?
If we can’t make the Snowy Hydro pumped hydro renewables firming power work economically then how are we going to make pumped hydro work anywhere?
Don’t tell me we have been bullshitted to again about renewables being either free or cheap?
If you’ve been watching “The Expanse” series (warning Spoiler coming) or have read the books then Kinetic Bombardment becomes a very real threat if we ever come up with interplanetary travel within the solar system.
What proportion of people coming into Australia are dual citizens who were quite happy to live and work in their home countries until it became preferable to ‘return’ to Australia during the Covid health and economic crisis?
Are the rest of us being gamed?
boerwar says:
Wednesday, July 1, 2020 at 12:40 pm
“What proportion of people coming into Australia are dual citizens who were quite happy to live and work in their home countries until it became preferable to ‘return’ to Australia during the Covid health and economic crisis?
Are the rest of us being gamed?”
Yes, we are being gamed. Our Citizenship laws should be binary – either you are an Australian Citizen and have renounced citizenship of other countries or you aren’t an Australian Citizen.
Don’t tell me Buce is bullshitting us again on the externalized costs of fossil fuels?
lizzie @ #697 Wednesday, July 1st, 2020 – 10:47 am
To the extent this is true, then waving and highlighting all that money wasted on a defense that would be completely overwhelmed in about 10 minutes is particularly stupid, like putting a pretty girl in a bikini in some of the most beautiful places on earth and still making it a very bad ad.
The Koalition Karma bus is busy smashing a distant acquaintance. Has voted Coalition for the last 30 years. A lifter. One of those. Not a leaner. Not one of those.
Always ready with a yarn about how bloody terrible Labor is and how wonderful the Coalition is.
But… got financially smashed by the Covid close down.
Hard luck. But hard luck happens, right?
Applied for Jobkeeper. Got told, wtte, Fuck off but this took many, many interactions to do.
Applied for a job. Any job. Competing with dozens. Competing with hundreds. No job.
Applied for Jobseeker… in March. Clearly eligible, financially on the ropes – fuck all capital, fuck all liquidity – , but does not realize that Centrelink is there to fuck over leaners. Still nothing. Now desperate. What to do?
When I explain that this is just a variation of being bastardized by Robocop, being demonized for being a lazy lifter, and getting fucked over by an ever-growing mountain of rules… there is this dawning realization: she is now a worthless, useless, counterproductive, lazy leaner and will be punished by Centrelink, the institution which has been designed to do just that.
WWP
Under current circumstances China could not completely overwhelm Australia in 10 minutes.
It is rank defeatism to make this absurd claim.
I suppose that you would instead deploy peace studies?