Dennis Shanahan of The Australian reckons “two basic assumptions are driving the economic and political debate in 2021”, and that one of these is that there will be an election late next year. The other is that COVID-19 restrictions will start to ease in the coming months; “neither is certain”. The government’s election window opens in the middle of the year, at which point the Senators given six-year terms after the 2016 double dissolution will enter the final year of the terms, the period in which the half-Senate election to replace them may be held.
That will do as a kick-off for a new open thread, which is needed because there are so many other posts flying around at the moment. For convenience, these include:
• Adrian Beaumont’s New Zealand live election count post, which will begin in earnest when polls close at 7pm New Zealand time and 5pm Australian eastern daylight time – to be followed an hour later by my own live commentary post on the Australian Territory election. And if you’re a Crikey subscriber, you can read my collective preview of the two here.
• Also from Adrian Beaumont, a review of the US situation.
• A post on a Newspoll result showing Labor leading 52-48 in Queensland.
• Another post on the Queensland campaigning detailing relevant recent developments.
• A post on a Ten News uComms poll from New South Wales showing strong support for Gladys Berejiklian.
The New York Post, not to be confused with the New York Times or the Washington Post, seems to be New York’s Daily Telegraph or Herald Sun.
I am NOT African!
Well, I guess we all are, I suppose. 😀
c/Guardian
[Over in home affairs estimates, Greens senator Nick McKim tried to ask a series of questions over last month’s federal court decision in a visa matter – but didn’t get very far.
In a scathing decision, Justice Geoffrey Flick warned the acting immigration minister, Alan Tudge, he “cannot place himself above the law”. The judgment included the following line:
“In the absence of explanation, the minister has engaged in conduct which can only be described as criminal.”
McKim’s questions were rebuffed by home affairs officials, who said it would be inappropriate to weigh in on the details because they were subject to appeal. Tudge has denied any suggestion of improper conduct in these proceedings.]
Talk about going back for your hat re the appeal.
The Full Federal Court could lay into the Minister big time. Through three proceedings in the Federal Court, the minister has not explained why he did not release someone in custody when there was an obligation to do so!
Steve
The New York Post is a Murdoch paper.
Murdoch bought it in 1993
Shellbell @ #953 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 7:40 am
Difficult to imagine a labor minister making it to the end of the day, let alone weeks.
If anyone needs an asymmetry example of Australian media and politics that even the weakest most biased mind should be able to understand it is this Trudge one.
Penny Wong got close to losing her shit trying to overcome a departmental stonewall over the $30m Badgerys Creek land deal. She will be back for a second serve no doubt.
BK @ #956 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 7:50 am
These public servants should just be jailed for contempt. I don’t care so much about Penny, she can look after herself, but that our Parliament is consistently treated so badly by public servants is one of the clearest indicators just how corrupt and dead our democracy is. It isn’t a leading indicator, this is a ‘it is already dead’ indicator.
I am NOT African!
Well, I guess we all are, I suppose.
Yeah, me neither, but my toes are by that image. My ginger beard, blue eyes and blonde eyebrows would suggest something else. I would comment on my hair but, ahem… of what remains, its original colour has gone missing, and that’s a fairly universal male thing.
DISGUSTING WHERE IS THE COUNCIL FOR THE MEDIA?
If you listened to the Liberal Opposition in Queensland, and some of the federal members or the Victorian Opposition, Michael O’Brien and others, you would have seen a complete opening up of border, a removal of restrictions – and have a look at what has happened in Europe.
For an “alternative Victoria” where there were minimal restrictions, look at Indiana, a US State with a population of 6.7 million, very close to that of Victoria. New Covid cases have been running at over 500 per day for 3 months. It is currently over 2,000 and rising sharply.
Or Tennessee (pop 6.8 million), where new cases have been running mostly between 1,000 and 2,000 per day since the end of June.
https://www.worldometers.info/coronavirus/usa/tennessee/
Surging Greens poised to push Canberra further left
Re-elected ACT Chief Minister Andrew Barr faces being pushed further to the left after the Greens gained seats and will continue to support a minority Labor government in the territory.
While Mr Barr extended Labor’s grip on power to 23 years by the time of the next poll, the Greens looked to have won four seats and potentially could finish up with as many as six.
…
Mr Barr and Greens leader Shane Rattenbury confirmed they would begin negotiations this week on a new agreement, which could see the minor party gain additional ministers. Mr Rattenbury already serves in the cabinet.
In his speech to supporters on Saturday night, Mr Rattenbury flagged the need for a “reset” in the party’s relationship with Labor, despite the ACT’s reputation as the most progressive enclave in Australia.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/surging-greens-poised-to-push-canberra-further-left-20201018-p5664i
Labor scores its sixth ACT election victory in a row. But the big winners are the Greens
New Zealanders were not the only ones to go to the polls over the weekend. On Saturday, the Australian Capital Territory also voted, returning Labor for a sixth consecutive term after almost 20 years in office.
Andrew Barr, after almost six years as chief minister, has won a further four years in office.
The result confirms Canberra’s reputation as the most progressive jurisdiction in the Australia.
Labor’s vote remained steady, despite being the nation’s longest-serving government, albeit under different leaders.
The big winner on the night was Barr’s coalition partner, the Greens, led by Minister for Climate Change, Sustainability and Corrections, Shane Rattenbury.
The Greens earned a swing of 3.4%. It looks like the party will go from two to at least three seats, with the possibility of up to six in the 25-seat Legislative Assembly as counting is confirmed.
https://theconversation.com/labor-scores-its-sixth-act-election-victory-in-a-row-but-the-big-winners-are-the-greens-148259
Re Zerlo @10:55. (like button / upvote)
Actually, given that Andrew Bolt’s job is to spread right wing crap to further his master’s political and commercial agenda, some could argue that Bolt is good at his job.
Steve
Yes. Bolt is a feature not a bug
not sure if its been mentioned before, but heard a good Haloween description of Trump:
orange on the outside, hollow inside, and you throw him out in November.
I’m “out of Africa”. As my father’s genetics go back to the Middle East (according to Ancestry), I suppose that figures.
‘ACT gain a Greens power pointer’
Greens leader Adam Bandt says his party can hold the balance of power in both Queensland and federally after his party’s historic win in the Australian Capital Territory election.
With the ACT Greens set to win five to six seats in the ACT and a nearly 4 per cent vote swing to them, Mr Bandt is now focusing on winning three inner-Brisbane seats in Queensland.
The ACT Greens will likely return to a coalition government with Canberra’s Labor Party – which has controlled the national capital for nearly 20 years – and possibly gain more ministries with their increased representation.
Mr Bandt has set the target of winning three seats at the October 31 Queensland state election, where Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk may be forced to deal with the Greens to form a majority if they beat her inner-city MPs and she loses electorates elsewhere.
“We are hopeful of not just keeping the Queensland seat of Mawar, but gaining South Brisbane and McConnel,” he told The Australian on Sunday. “The Greens are winning votes off of both Labor and the Liberals, not just because of our focus on climate action but because we’re pushing more public investment in government schools and infrastructure.”
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/greens-look-north-after-act-win/news-story/9d210ad69ad80ee0b3fd87a82505eb25
ABC News 24
Prof Sharon Loyd (I think) from Victoria
She says that his is our only chance of getting this right and supports Dan Andrews being cautious because there is no chance of a further lockdown.
mundo @ #882 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 7:54 am
He did not; stop buying into her narrative! Pretty clear from ICAC that she knew what he was up to, and was happy to at least turn a blind eye to it.
With all the bashing by the Feds, I wonder how much anger Andrews will show today.
The Talleyroom with Ben Raue has dropped its post election podcast for the ACT election for any interested.
If anyone would like to read a sober reflection on what may happen if another ‘judicial selection’ for POTUS occurs after November 3, this is the place to read all about it:
https://www.ft.com/content/b159bce5-83e7-4f8e-ab0d-4123660ab539
a r @ #960 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 11:02 am
Exactly. Gladys has played mundo like a sucker.
Alpha Zerosays:
Monday, October 19, 2020 at 10:03 am
Cat,
Susan Alberti is a businesswoman. Very vocal in her support of Michael Sukkar, former Vice President of the Western Bulldogs Football Club. Doesn’t get along with the president Peter Gordon for some reason. She is a turd of the highest order…
________________
Lovely. Am reminded again that no one hates like the left.
Morrison has forced other states to accept travellers. It seems that Andrews and the others are simply dealing with it.
The US Supreme Court has been broken since before it stopped the counting in Florida to steal an election for Bush. It is one of those institutions that has enjoyed much more credibility and support than it deserves. It is a broken partisan joke.
Taylormade @ #972 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 8:11 am
And how would you describe your slanted views?
Taylormade @ #974 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 8:11 am
They don’t hate anywhere near as well, or as much as the radical far right (the LNP, tories, republicans), but as in all other things are much more honest about it.
Media attacking like wolves on a carcaase.
lizzie @ #979 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 8:17 am
On the whole wolves are smarter and have higher ethical standards.
Headlines you won’t see:
Frydenberg accuses commonwealth government of ‘callous indifference’ to poorer people
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/victoria-records-four-new-cases-of-coronavirus-one-death-20201019-p566ak.html
WeWantPaul @ #974 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 8:14 am
I thought it was a flawed case.
IIRC they tried to cherry pick areas they thought would be advantages to them.
They should have been asking for a complete recount of Florida.
Barney in Tanjung Bunga @ #982 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 8:19 am
Agree completely, it was purely partisan, on partisan lines.
WeWantPaul @ #981 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 8:20 am
So how does that suggest the Court is broken.
Dan “There is a pattern here, and it’s not a pattern on behalf of the states.”
Zero local cases in NSW. Yet again, what looked like a couple of potentially dangerous clusters appear to have been contained. It’s clearly not just luck.
With Victoria winning the containment battle as well, and assuming this continues for a couple more weeks, I think there’s a strong case for easing all state border restrictions.
Dan has reached the stage of sighing at the arguments from the media (Credlin?)
Is this the argument?
AAT upholds appeal against refusal of visa (or cancellation of it) but the Dept, (as gaoler), says AAT then purported to issue (or reinstate) a visa but could not do so hence no obligation to release?
Frydenberg is not a leader, he’s a Liberal!!!
I am with Dr Norman Swan’s view.
Despite my personal view that the intervention to stop the spread of the virus could have been done more humanely with the same results at the public towers there’s no doubting results.
Victoria is a stand out at stopping a second wave.
Europeans and other jurisdictions are not looking so good.
Barney in Tanjung Bunga @ #984 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 8:21 am
A purely partisan court is problematic res ipsa loquitur, because they are pursuing a partisan objective rather than rule of law, that is very broken, if not pretty common. But to use that power to stop / reverse a democratic outcome, it tinpot dictatorship jurisprudence, it doesn’t come any more broken than that.
Shellbell @ #988 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 8:23 am
It is more like Trump, you just can’t scan what they are saying using normal filters.
Dan
“I could have played politics in the bushfires and I didn’t.”
The same broken court went on to declare ‘racism over’ in an effort to assist efforts to supercharge white supremacy, you don’t get much more broken than that.
WeWantPaul @ #989 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 8:28 am
😆
But they made a good decision.
It was the Democrats that had the flawed case.
What is broken is relying on a centuries old document in a country whose population diverges into two politically based tribes to the point that updating or changing the document or legislating around it has become near impossible.
WeWantPaul @ #945 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 10:25 am
What has Maxy done now?
Barney in Tanjung Bunga @ #995 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 8:31 am
That Gore had legitimately won the election was deeply flawed for the Supreme Court.
A non partisan and truly democratic United States would look like New Zealand. Not the mess it’s in now. Maybe even like Scandinavia.
True democracy restrains the power of corporations with regulation.
Spray @ #997 Monday, October 19th, 2020 – 8:32 am
Got out for a duck when his team needed a couple of runs. Useless. Although it is the first second super over outcome I’ve watched. Excluding a third batsperson that didn’t bat from the second super over is pretty harsh.