What’s next

Not much to report, except that a star is born in Tasmania (maybe), and Northern Territory’s election is looming ever closer.

A new thread is wanted, but for all that’s happening in the world right now, there is not a lot of Australian electoral news for me to hang one on right now – there are no polls this week, and there is nothing to report on the preselection front. However:

• Following former newsreader Jo Palmer’s apparent success in gaining the Launceston region state upper house seat of Rosevears (corresponding with the western end of Bass) for the Liberals at Saturday’s elections, The Mercury reports “political watchers in Canberra are now tracking Ms Palmer’s campaign with interest, with some considering how they could lure their likely new star MP to Canberra”. Both of the elections on Saturday appear to have resulted in seats passing from independents to the major parties, with Palmer taking a vacant seat and Labor’s Bastian Seidel unseating Robert Armstrong in Huon at the southern edge of Hobart (part of the federal and state lower house division of Franklin). This would leave the chamber with five Labor members, three Liberals and seven independents – the first time in its history that the chamber has not had an independent majority.

• I have had too little to say about the Northern Territory election, which will be held in three Saturdays’ time. This will come to an end when I publish my comprehensive guide to the election, which I will hopefully do later today.

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.

2,664 comments on “What’s next”

Comments Page 49 of 54
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  1. phoenixRED: “According to the ABC, the state has detected 394 new infections, making it the lowest daily case increase since July 29.”

    Well that’s great news IMO.

  2. Good to know. For the record (as continually stated here) I am very much against the actions of the NSW government, especially the reluctance to shut down pubs and clubs for a while. At the same time I am in awe of the job being done by NSW Health, given those policy settings.

    But I cheer the numbers down every day in every state. Just want to be rid of the bloody thing, want to visit my kids in Melbourne and Perth. Let the political cards fall as they will.

  3. meher babasays: Sunday, August 9, 2020 at 11:45 am

    phoenixRED: “According to the ABC, the state has detected 394 new infections, making it the lowest daily case increase since July 29.”

    Well that’s great news IMO.

    *****************************************

    Sadly however – Victoria has recorded its deadliest day of the pandemic, with 17 more fatalities across the state

    The previous highest daily death toll was 15 fatalities on August 5.

    The deaths include two men in their 50s, four men in their 70s, four women and two men in their 80s and two women and three men in their 90s.

    Ten of the 17 deaths have been linked to outbreaks in aged care.

  4. ‘Cry me a river’: Victorian MPs told to stop complaining

    Victorian MPs who are complaining about having to self-isolate for 14 days before returning to parliament have been told to stop “whingeing”.

    Network Ten’s political editor Peter van Onselen said there were some MPs who weren’t too impressed with the new rule.

    “Can I say this – cry me a river to all of the Victorian MPs who have to self-isolate. I have never heard so much whingeing. Text messages and phone calls. There’s only 12 of them out of 50 MPs. I’m not saying that I’d want to do it,” he told ABC’s Insiders program.

    “Health workers are doing it. They expect the rest of the country to do it. And I have never heard so much bitching and moaning about having to do what they expect everybody else to do, when they’re going to be paid to do it.”

  5. lizzie @ #2241 Sunday, August 9th, 2020 – 8:06 am

    The Australian government has generously donated $2 million to Lebanon. Meanwhile they’ve spent over $80 million locking up a family on Christmas Island.
    Very Scott Morrison.

    Imagine if that $80m was given to the Biloela community and have the community look after the family. How good would that be?

  6. Of course I want NSW andVic numbers to come down. How offensive to suggest I could be that selfish. If they drop significantly enough I might be able to travel to NZ to taste wine, beer, hike and bike through the mountains and enjoy the company of old friends and their even older whiskies.

  7. I hope Nath comes back when he has finished sulking.

    Shorten-watch was an honourable endeavour as was Nath’s critical stance towards the Victorian Government.

    It gets bloody boring having Morrison blamed for everything.

  8. Victoria,

    I dont see Nath as a troll. But even so, I don’t mind a bit of invective and cheap-shotery so long as it is not mean or personally abusive. Otherwise, things can get a bit boring

  9. Historyintime, No it is not just Morrison, you also have Hunt and Dutton at least who have been shown to be wanting in their roles. And not to mention the minister for aged care who makes the elderly wish for the old days of bronnie.

  10. So it turns out morrison wanted community isolation and andrews wanted hotel isolation. We now know why morrisom/dutton were missing in action. The judicial enquiry results are going to be interestong.

  11. Don’t care one way or the other that Nath stays or goes…..Stopped reading his stuff ages ago because he seemed to have an obsession way beyond normal when it came to Shorten. Now whether this was a contrivance on his behalf or a real belief I do not know, but it sure was boring beyond sufferance. His admission to being a fake – or speaking out of both sides of his mouth at the same time – has now destroyed any credibility he thought he had….Good luck those who will miss him…………not this little black duck……………………

  12. Insiders would indicate liberals have failed in their attemps to blame the states for the failed suppression strategy.
    Dutton is responsible for international borders, failed.
    Morrison’s failed attempt to open borders would have been a national disaster. Morrion failure.
    Age care federal irresponsibility, big fail.

  13. @ExC__Gale
    · 22h
    Replying to @theage
    The bloke in the picture claiming his business has been saved by JobKeeper, Matt Lannigan, is a good pal of Tim Smith MP. He is a real estate developer, not a humble cafe owner as he would like you to believe. Do your homework @noeltowell @michaelfowler08 . @RonniSalt FYI.

    It seems to be a characteristic of Liberals that truth is expendable when in pursuit of a political advantage.

  14. I think there is a difference between stirring the pot and trolling.

    Using multiple accounts probably decided that in the mind of the moderator.

  15. Historyintime
    I don’t mind a bit of invective and cheap-shotery so long as it is not mean or personally abusive. Otherwise, things can get a bit boring?

    No doubt you enjoy Facebook!.

  16. Annika Smethurst
    @annikasmethurst
    ·
    18m
    And some news from me…next month I’ll be stepping down as politics editor at the Sunday Tele/Herald Sun.

    It’s been a tough 12 months. Looking forward to taking a short break from the newsroom & spending more time with my friends & family who have been a tremendous support

  17. Thx Victoria. Must admit, didn’t take much interest in his (Michael) posts.

    I often wondered if Nath was employed by the LNP to reduce the value of this blog. Paid or not, I am sure his contributions have helped some decent posters leave.

  18. Four states are set for a tug-of-war over the legacy of Labor’s longest serving prime minister Bob Hawke as Australia’s election umpire prepares to name a federal electorate in his honour.

    Mr Hawke, who died in May last year, was born in South Australia, raised and educated in Perth, elected as a Victorian MP and lived the last 30 years of his life in Sydney.

    One opinion: This story is ridiculous. Hawke should obviously be in Victoria. He represented Victoria in parliament, and they’re the only one of these states gaining seats.

    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/states-fight-it-out-for-seat-named-in-honour-of-bob-hawke-20200807-p55jn0.html

  19. Jenny Mikakos is being attacked by some who didn’t understand the point of her classical reference.

    @jmcmahonlawyer
    · 4h
    Replying to @JennyMikakos
    We read in Thucydides that Pericles, whose idea of leading was to serve the State, was attacked by those who loved the roar of the crowd, the populists- men who despised experts, whose policy was to get approval, and whose dumb populist decisions lost Athens its empire.

  20. Why wouldn’t people prefer to wait for the Govt and it’s departments to be forthcoming of the truth through a judicial inquiry ..?

    Why so many in a rush ..??

  21. lizzie @ #2431 Sunday, August 9th, 2020 – 12:45 pm

    Four states are set for a tug-of-war over the legacy of Labor’s longest serving prime minister Bob Hawke as Australia’s election umpire prepares to name a federal electorate in his honour.

    Mr Hawke, who died in May last year, was born in South Australia, raised and educated in Perth, elected as a Victorian MP and lived the last 30 years of his life in Sydney.

    One opinion: This story is ridiculous. Hawke should obviously be in Victoria. He represented Victoria in parliament, and they’re the only one of these states gaining seats.

    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/states-fight-it-out-for-seat-named-in-honour-of-bob-hawke-20200807-p55jn0.html

    I don’t think it’s ridiculous Lizzie. WA would seem to have a pretty good claim as well. Raised and educated there, and active in student politics at UWA.
    And as much as he loved his golf at Bonnie Doon, I don’t think NSW has a strong case in this one.

  22. Anyhoo as per ronni salts thread, and aligns with my observation. Andrews s no fool.
    He knows what he is dealing with, but as mentioned earlier, the feds control the purse strings insofar as funds for jobkeeper and other resources required to manage this pandemic.
    Hence why Andrews always says that Morrison gives him anything he asks for.

    Tweet
    RonniSalt
    @RonniSalt
    ·
    1h
    Scott Morrison was distant during his pre-selection as others attacked his rival

    He was distant during the PM leadership crisis as others plotted against Turnbull

    He is distant now as his colleagues plot against Andrews

    Never seems to know anything. Anybody see a pattern here?
    RonniSalt
    @RonniSalt
    ·
    1h
    Scott Morrison also appeared before Senate estimates committees back in the day & denied knowledge of any untoward behaviour in awarding of contracts & also denied knowledge of any wrongdoing at his tenure at Tourism New Zealand.

    So much plotting.

  23. Rafael Epstein
    @Raf_Epstein
    @MartinFoleyMP
    Crying face

    “year-on-year.. to end of July..

    9.5% increase for presentations for self-harm in ED across all age groups…

    under 18.. 33% increase in presentations for.. self-harm in EDs.

    23.3% inc .. people presenting in acute settings with a mental illness”

    Unacceptable.

  24. If I were a Green, I’d be arguing that it’s definitely time to limit donations to political parties, so that Gladys isn’t swayed by the support of the Hotels Lobby into making decisions dangerous to the health of NSW.

  25. Victoria @ #2437 Sunday, August 9th, 2020 – 12:53 pm

    Anyhoo as per ronni salts thread, and aligns with my observation. Andrews s no fool.
    He knows what he is dealing with, but as mentioned earlier, the feds control the purse strings insofar as funds for jobkeeper and other resources required to manage this pandemic.
    Hence why Andrews always says that Morrison gives him anything he asks for.

    Tweet
    RonniSalt
    @RonniSalt
    ·
    1h
    Scott Morrison was distant during his pre-selection as others attacked his rival

    He was distant during the PM leadership crisis as others plotted against Turnbull

    He is distant now as his colleagues plot against Andrews

    Never seems to know anything. Anybody see a pattern here?
    RonniSalt
    @RonniSalt
    ·
    1h
    Scott Morrison also appeared before Senate estimates committees back in the day & denied knowledge of any untoward behaviour in awarding of contracts & also denied knowledge of any wrongdoing at his tenure at Tourism New Zealand.

    So much plotting.

    So much winning.

  26. lizzie @ #2417 Sunday, August 9th, 2020 – 12:17 pm

    Why is it virtuous to make up lies “just to keep the thread from becoming boring”?

    Not only lies but alternative personas. And one person’s idea of ‘boring’ is another person’s idea of constructive debate. Jeez, all I can say is some people have very short attention spans and low thesholds of boredom these days.

  27. Jim Penman from Jim’s Mowing etc has sent an open letter to the Premier Dan Andrews demanding his resignation if sole traders cannot keep working during Stage 4.

    The Premier’s response including the statement along the lines: would you prefer perhaps a six month hard lockdown rather than six weeks if everyone was allowed to go back to work now.

    (via ABC news app)

  28. Victoria @ #2439 Sunday, August 9th, 2020 – 12:53 pm

    Anyhoo as per ronni salts thread, and aligns with my observation. Andrews s no fool.
    He knows what he is dealing with, but as mentioned earlier, the feds control the purse strings insofar as funds for jobkeeper and other resources required to manage this pandemic.
    Hence why Andrews always says that Morrison gives him anything he asks for.

    Tweet
    RonniSalt
    @RonniSalt
    ·
    1h
    Scott Morrison was distant during his pre-selection as others attacked his rival

    He was distant during the PM leadership crisis as others plotted against Turnbull

    He is distant now as his colleagues plot against Andrews

    Never seems to know anything. Anybody see a pattern here?
    RonniSalt
    @RonniSalt
    ·
    1h
    Scott Morrison also appeared before Senate estimates committees back in the day & denied knowledge of any untoward behaviour in awarding of contracts & also denied knowledge of any wrongdoing at his tenure at Tourism New Zealand.

    So much plotting.

    Scott Morrison be like:

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