The latest fortnightly Essential Research survey includes the pollster’s monthly leadership ratings, which find Scott Morrison up three on approval to 66% and down two on approval to 25%, Anthony Albanese down four on approval to 40% and up four on disapproval to 39%, and Morrison holding a 53-24 lead as preferred prime minister, out from 50-25. There was also a six point increase in the government’s good rating on COVID-19 response to 67%, with the poor rating steady on 15%.
As it did a fortnight ago, the poll also asked about the mainland state premiers from the small sub-samples in the relevant states: Gladys Berejiklian was at 75% approval (up seven) and 17% disapproval (down four); Daniel Andrews at 65% approval (up four) and 28% disapproval (down five); Annastacia Palazczuk at 65% approval (steady) and 27% disapproval (up three); Mark McGowan at 87% (up nine) approval and 7% disapproval (down five); and Steven Marshall, who was not featured in last fortnight’s polling, at 60% approval and 21% disapproval. State government handling of COVID-19 was rated as good by 82% of respondents in Western Australia, 76% in South Australia, 75% in New South Wales, 71% in Queensland and 59% in Victoria.
Respondents were asked how much attention they had been paying to recent news stories, with 73% saying they had closely followed the easing of COVID-19 restrictions in Victoria, 68% the US presidential election, 36% the allegations of sexual misconduct raised by the ABC’s Four Corners, and 29% Joel Fitzgibbon’s resignation from the shadow cabinet. It also finds an easing in concern over COVID-19, with 27% rating themselves very concerned (down three), 44% quite concerned (down two), 23% not that concerned (up three) and 6% not at all concerned (up two). The peak of concern was in early August, when 50% were very concerned, 40% quite concerned, 7% not that concerned and 3% not at all concerned.
The poll was conducted Wednesday to Monday from a sample of 1010.
Rex the demand is already there in some corridors.
Newcastle to Wollongong and Brisbane to the Gold Coast. These are corridors where the result of NOT building HSR is we then spend tens of billions on new road pavement.
On top of that there is a good argument for Melbourne to Geelong and also an argument for a progressive upgrade to HSR standards in the Melbourne to Albury corridor.
You have no idea just how awful the Federal rail bureaucrats are. Let me elaborate for your enjoyment.
In 2017, the Federal government ran a Faster Rail Prospectus. This was joint funding towards 3 business cases for a rail project. Guess who they awarded $20 million dollars to?
1. CLARA from Melbourne to Northern Victoria. CLARA is a real estate scheme with absolutely no prospect of success. I can recall Nick Cleary (the guy responsible for CLARA) giving a talk to a UDIA meeting in Wollongong back in 2017. He got nailed by some hard headed developers on some very obvious holes in his business case. Yet, the Federal bureaucrats gave CLARA millions of dollars. All this money has quietly vanished.
2. TfNSW (despite being a government agency) got handed millions of dollars on a rehashed scheme to build a slightly faster route from Hornsby to Woy Woy. This is a rubbish project (I’m a witness to previous studies on this project). Subsequent to this, TfNSW hired an expert consultant (Professor Andrew McNaughton) to advise on faster rail routes out of Sydney. His work has been shelved. Meanwhile, TfNSW continues to stumble down the path of “faster” rail. The Federal millions? Disappeared.
3. North Coast Connect. A plan to upgrade the rail line north of Brisbane and extend to the Sunshine Coast – led by property developers. Perhaps the least insane project. But predictably its business case fell in a heap (and yes I talk to some of the consultants involved). More millions of Federal money down a hole.
What do these projects have in common? Close political contacts and in TfNSW’s case, there were direct discussions between state and Federal bureaucrats, contrary to normal rules of probity.
I’ve talked to these Federal bureaucrats Rex. They are not only clueless but they’re being told what to do by their corrupt political masters.
And I won’t even go into the shenanigans that was involved in the 2013 Phase 2 HSR Study. That would put Utopia to shame.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/commentisfree/2020/nov/22/tax-on-electric-vehicles-in-south-australia-and-victoria-would-slam-brakes-on-sales
Tim Pallas and co need to be managed out with knucklehead decisions like this.
Matt31
The radical reform agenda will happen. There are more progressive senators than blue dogs.
That’s if the 50/50 happens.
The fact is Trump has proved how much you can get done by executive orders.
That gridlock works both ways. The Dems got no legislation through. Neither did Trump except for Tax reform.
That’s what you will see legislatively. Executive orders will be more radical to compensate for lack of legislative power.
This applies no matter who controls the senate
SK,
Just addition to my previous.
Thunderstorms are a great way to demonstrate the different speeds of light and sound, by observing the lightning.
When she sees a flash of lightning have her start counting until she first hears the thunder.
Keep doing this for other flashes, if the count gets larger the storm is moving away from you, conversely a smaller count means it’s getting closer.
If she counts, “one, and, two, and, three, and, …” the number she counts to will be pretty close to the number seconds that have elapsed and you can roughly work out how far the lightning is away from you, using the fact that sound travels about 1km every 3 seconds. So, 12 seconds, 4km.
I don’t doubt that.
Zoomster
I once read something similar where a farmer near Bathurst developed a relationship with the local tribal group then later on there was some violence and the same local tribal group made a point of not attacking that farmer.
I think the problem with Aboriginal policy has long been that it doesn’t seem to be about bringing people together but about pandering to the extremes.
All together now…1…2…3…aaawww…
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/us-judge-dismisses-trump-campaign-lawsuit-in-pa/2020/11/21/cc097fbe-2c50-11eb-9b14-ad872157ebc9_story.html
You can just imagine Biden as president in 6 months time in the White House, and Trump still filing lawsuits that he won the election.He will be potless if not now,he will be by then.
Steve Davis
At most Trump will be a Rush Limbaugh with a voting base.
It’s going to be a very interesting civil war in the GOP.
Especially with the State Attorney Generals already having criminal investigations into Trump for actions before and during his Presidency.
A neutral instead of hostile justice department will ensure a lot of that voting base is going to have problems when their illusion is shattered.
I expect at least half of that voting base will desert the GOP permanently
Edit: Especially the Latin American voters who fled dictatorships
Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force Afghanistan Inquiry Report:
https://www.theage.com.au/interactive/2020/misc/IGADF-Afghanistan-Inquiry-Public-Release-Version.pdf
Clinton and Obama didn’t do enough to address inequality – that’s how Trumpism/QAnon gained a grip.
It’s the lesson Biden and Harris have to learn from if they are to maintain and grow their voter base.
WA Opposition Leader Lisa Harvey has announced she is resigning as OL.
Rex
Yes. The Democrats cannot be the “Karen” liberal chastising a black man birdwatching for politely asking for a change in behaviour
They have to be real not fake.
Rex
The biggest mistake Obama made was after bailing out the banks he should have ordered a stop on all mortgage foreclosures but he allowed them to continue.
guytaur @ #1513 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 1:52 pm
It’s not rocket science – govern for the many, not the few.
BC
Wont make no difference.McGowan too popular for any state Liberal to be elected there. They still love Smoko there thats the problem.
bc @ #1512 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 1:52 pm
She hasn’t been leader that long has she ..?
Rex Douglas @ #1513 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 12:49 pm
Yes, because Trump and QAnon are both doing so much to address inequality. Or actually, no.
What you put would be plausible if the consequence was “that’s how they lost the Bernie Bros in 2016”. But you can’t put Trump and QAnon down to that. If anything those are down to the way everybody allows the constant, blatant lies to pass without consequences. Or even the threat of consequences.
bc @ #1512 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 10:52 am
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-11-22/wa-opposition-leader-liza-harvey-quits-as-party-leader/12908696
Of course one huge difference of the US system , compared to our own, is that on losing, Trump doesn’t become opposition leader… he effectively becomes a nothing – a private citizen. And as he was outside the Republican Party, he is a nothing with no party, no structure, no personnel, no presence in the Congress etc…
People in the Party, in Congress, in their bureaucracy and various positions will carry on in their jobs…..Trump will be like the ex-employee who visits and hangs around after being sacked.
Ar
Inequality was the gateway drug. Not for all of Trumps base.
Just like inequality is the gatewAy drug for One Nation supporters.
Those voters accept extremism because they feel left behind or their existing quality of life is under threat.
I don’t agree with the conclusions of Andrew Earlwood and FredNK about how to tackle that problem regarding coal in FNQ and the Hunter. Or even Joel Fitzgibbon.
They have however correctly diagnosed the problem.
steve davis @ #39 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 1:57 pm
68% of punters everywhere love Scrooter, that’s the problem.
Any chance of Ned Flanders having another crack at the WA Liberal leadership?
Mundo
Deluded fools.
Spray @ #1523 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 2:06 pm
Jokes aside, assuming the WA Liberal leader will be Perth-based, who do they have to choose from? It must be a very small and unimpressive field.
This is gonna be a bloodbath.
The WA Libs will be going around in a minibus after the next state election.
a r @ #1518 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 2:00 pm
Trump and QAnon gained their grip on the narrative that the Dems weren’t authentically for the worker or the battler or the young idealist and were only for their corporate mates. Yes, absolute projection, but it worked – and a lot of it was true.
Of those who fell for it and flipped to Trump, yes many of them are perhaps now lost souls who’ve given in to the unreal mindset.
It’s going to take basic meat and veggie politics from Biden and Harris to maybe win them back.
Addressing inequality and environment is a must if Biden-Harris want to survive for a second term.
mundo @ #1522 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 2:05 pm
You mean 32% prefer “Empty Chair” Albanese?
I suppose there is still hope.
Cripes. Besides Harvey, and the retiring McGrath and Nahan, there’s only six to choose from.
Probably easiest just to organise a game of paper, scissors, rock. Or going back to my childhood days, one potato, two potato….
Player One @ #1528 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 2:16 pm
Albanese might be an electoral genius with his Howard-esque cash bribe to the outer urbs (childcare)
“Howard-esque cash bribe to the outer urbs (childcare)”.
Hope you’ve got this string assigned to a hot key. Would save you a lot of time.
Rex
“Why the campaign for expensive Interstate HSR when we have many good and improving highways soon to be filled with electric vehicles ?”
I see CudChewer has already responded to this, but I’d like to add to it.
First most of the HSR proposals being talked about by people who understand the technology in Australia are inter-regional, not interstate. Brisbane to Sydney HSR is a long-term pipe-dream. Newcastle to Sydney HSR is a good idea.
Second the highways do not do the job, in fact not even for ten years. They stimulate more subdivision and more driving per person. Studies show that road capacity increases fill up within ten years or less. Rail capacity fills up too, but the capacity is much higher so it takes much longer before it becomes outdated. The difference is dramatic: a four lane highway can move 40,000 vehicles per day. A twin track (1 each way) heavy rail line can move 40,000 people per hour. Once a city gets big enough to justify heavy rail lines (or even LRT) it should give up on freeway capacity expansions.
Third the freeways are MORE expensive. Sydney NW Metro was $8 billion for 36km = $230 million per km. Stage 1 of Sydney WestConnex is costing $16.8 billion for 33km = $509 million per km. So the lower capacity asset costs twice as much to build.
I agree with you on electric cars – their time has come and we are behind in their uptake. But that does not justify more freeway construction in most Australian capital cities.
Rex Douglas @ #1530 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 2:20 pm
Bribery is not going to win the next election. Even Albanese would know that. The Tories have thrown fiscal responsibility under the bus. If Morrison feels at all threatened, he will just offer a bigger bribe (then not deliver it, but by that time it will not matter).
Barney. Yeah…. little by little. She already knows about the time difference – she wants to know why there is a time difference and how something can behave like a wave (and what is a wave?) and an object…. depending. That all takes time to work through. And she gets irate with not getting an answer quickly. She is still peeved at me telling her she needs to study for years and get a deep understanding of maths before trying to answer what might have existed outside the Big Bang and what existed before the Big Bang.
Whispering wall sounds awesome. Will do that soon.
The Howard-esque cash bribe to the outer urbs (childcare) is the only thing Albo’s got going at the moment.
He should be out there doing pressers every day around the country smashing it into peoples psyche.
Rex Douglas @ #1530 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 11:20 am
Doesn’t that come down to core beliefs and your motivation?
“Bribery is not going to win the next election”
Oh yes it will.
The LNP have gone so far right wing that Labor can run on Whitlam’s platform again.
Substitute Sewerage for the NBN is about all the tweaks to modernise you need. Especially putting real money into Health and Education.
It’s the progressive we are part of Asia v the repressive right wing we are still part of a right wing UK all over again.
We even have the yellow peril and White Australia policy back.
There are and always have been real concerns about authoritarian rule in China claiming to be a democracy versus the demonisation of that overturned by Whitlam to Australia’s great economic advantage.
Labor can run on It’s Time again. Labor can embrace not reject the left again. Yes that includes real climate policies. It’s Time Labor it’s time.
And Barney, is thunder a sound wave?
Isn’t it an acoustic shock wave? And wouldn’t that make it faster than sound?
In the wake of Harvey’s resignation I thought I’d report that I was doorknocked yesterday by Dr Jags (full name Jagadish Krishnan), Labor’s candidate for Nahan’s old seat of Riverton.
I was able to tell Dr Jags his visit was a good omen. The only previous time I have been visited by a candidate in 34 years living here was in 2001 when Tony McRae told me he was quietly confident he could knock off Liberal Minister Graham Keirath. He duly did.
The seat Riverton has changed a bit since then, moving west into more affluent areas and Nahan won fairly comfortably last time.
But with a disfunctional opposition and a new candidate and the McGowan glow maybe Dr Jags can give it a nudge.
Rex
Give the punters a tax cut. Bought and sold for $1000 last 2 times around.
poroti @ #1452 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 12:05 pm
I’m sorry but do you know what a total pissant you look like!?! Your relitigating of history as it pertains to the next President of the United States of America, who has apologised for his past behaviour which you keep getting your knickers in a twist about, while at one and the same time maintaining a position of blissful and studied ignorance, struck absolutely dumb you are, about the over a quarter of a million dead Americans, and counting that Donald Trump is presiding over, right now!
I honestly am failing to fathom how any one, by dint of some supposed appeal to better angels and with a condemnation of one particular person only, can be so studiously willing to ignore that fact!?!
Not to mention, if we are going to talk about war dead, that the President of the United States is responsible for, that the number of American citizens who have died from COVID-19 under Donald Trump’s watch, is greater than the number of American citizens who have died in all the wars that America has participated in overseas, combined.
Look, poroti, I know your specialty is snark from a self-serving left wing perspective, but what I don’t know is why you haven’t figured out that it proves nothing to no one every time you bring up Joe Biden’s role in the Senate when it came to authorising the Iraq War? Firstly, he wasn’t the President THEN. Secondly, although we subsequently found out that the evidence was cooked, most people believed the intelligence about WMDs in Iraq. Finally, you never acknowledge that wars are messy things and innocent people always die. More than anyone in their right mind wants. And the history of the Middle East suggests that it has ever been thus.
Honestly, I’m glad that Saddam, Uday and Qusay Hussein are dead and long gone. So, it seems to me, are most of the remaining Iraqi population. They now have a civilian government, if somewhat imperfect everyone seems to be getting along. They seem happy. They no longer are subject to the reign of terror of the Husseins.
I call that a win, if a somewhat messy win. For democracy. Which Joe Biden has stepped up to the plate to save in America as well. Right about now.
So you can continue with your tiresome little jihad against Biden. But I, for one, ain’t buying what you’re trying to sell. I’m ridin’ with Biden. I understand that the world isn’t perfect. But I support the ultimate benefits of doing what is right. Ask any Iraqi. No doubt they would agree.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_-pLjQOx8Y
For the many, not the few.
C@tmomma @ #1542 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 2:46 pm
Mr Speaker, she’s going troppo…
Matt31 @ #1499 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 1:27 pm
The same goes for Republicans too. There are already some that are reaching out to Biden knowing they are shot of Trump.
Overall progress has continued despite the rise and fall of nations, and the incompetence and short sighted greed of politicians, because for more than two thousand years there has always been a safe haven, somewhere in the world for people of learning to flee the violence and barbarism of failed states and tyrants.
If the world’s nations embrace the Great Reset all this could change. If nations commit to marching in lockstep, there will no longer be an independent safe refuge, because all nations will make the same mistakes at the same time. The next fall could be global. A global fall which affects every nation simultaneously could take down everything.
Matt
“However the Georgia run offs go, Biden is going to be treading a fine line. The best the Democrats can hope for is 50-50 in the Senate. ”
A Senate result of 50-50 + Harris’s VP vote is a win for the Democrats in the US Senate system, especially since the Republicans have effectively killed off the old filibuster rule by ignoring it multiple times in recent years. So Georgia is crucial.
The party solidarity breaks down on some issues (e.g. gun control) but holds on many others (e.g. taxes). Also there will be some Republican Senators (e.g. Collins) Biden could negotiate with.
C@tmommasays: Sunday, November 22, 2020 at 2:53 pm
The same goes for Republicans too. There are already some that are reaching out to Biden knowing they are shot of Trump.
************************************************************
Pennsylvania’s GOP senator admits Biden won: ‘Trump has exhausted all plausible legal options’
Pennsylvania’s Republican senator, Pat Toomey, congratulated President-elect Joe Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on Saturday night.
“With today’s decision by Judge Matthew Brann, a longtime conservative Republican whom I know to be a fair and unbiased jurist, to dismiss the Trump campaign’s lawsuit President Trump has exhausted all plausible legal options to challenge the result of the presidential race in Pennsylvania,” Toomey said in a statement.
“I congratulate President-elect Biden and Vice President-elect Kamala Harris on their victory. They are both dedicated public servants and I will be praying for them and for our country,” Toomey wrote.
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/11/pennsylvanias-gop-senator-admits-biden-won-trump-has-exhausted-all-plausible-legal-options/
Looks like Trump is being deserted by the GOP. They need to ban him for having anything to do with them in the future.
Simon Katich @ #1534 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 11:28 am
Simple answer to before the Big Bang, we don’t know! It’s like what happens if you were able to go faster than the speed of light, our scientific knowledge breaks down and we have no explanation yet.
Simon Katich @ #1541 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 11:38 am
The energy dissipates with an inverse square relationship, so it doesn’t take long for it to assume normal acoustic properties.
Of course if the lightning occurs very close to your location, the shock wave is very evident. I remember being in the Kirribilli Hotel when we were greeted by a huge crack of thunder followed by a chorus of car alarms in the street outside. 🙂