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.
C@t
No he was not he was however an enabler, clearing the path for Dubya to commit his ‘war crime’ .
😆 😆 Did you not read what Sen. Durbin said re what they were hearing vs what the public was being told ? Even back then, time and time again the claims were debunked and bought to public attention. You were obviously asleep at the time. You can be 100% sure Biden knew just how much bullshit it was but he chose to be an enabler anyway.
The end of the World is nigh! 😆
Pence was out campaigning the other day. Someone should tell him “ITS OVER!!” Byeee!”
I lived just up the hill from the Kirribili and know what you mean.
The Adelaide Hills have been doing a good Sydney impression the last week or two. Thunderstorms a plenty.
Rex Douglas @ #1537 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 2:31 pm
You’d better hope not, or you may as well get used to Smirko being “PM for Life”.
This will be interesting if senior officers are implicated.
Wasn’t Andrew Hastie one of them?
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2020/nov/22/australian-war-crimes-allegations-defence-chief-says-commanders-will-be-held-accountable-case-by-case
Those people marching in the streets at the time, and there were plenty of us, were pretty unconvinced by the “evidence” for the existence of WMD. I wasn’t even all that politically engaged, but it was so obviously bullshit.
Smirko is “King of the Bullshitters” and the punters are behind him like lemmings jumping off a cliff.
“I expect at least half of that voting base will desert the GOP permanently”
I wouldn’t be so sure of that. I used to live in America a long time ago and still know a lot of people over there. When I ask my Conservative friends I speak to about why they don’t like the Democrats they tell me the same things over and over again.
1/ We had Obama for eight years and were promised Hope and Change and NOTHING which really mattered changed.
2/ They see the Democrats as crooks who have sold out the middle and working classes to Big Money interests in Silicon Valley, Hollywood, Wall Street and China. About half the Republican ads this election featured Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton and painted them as corrupt.
Biden is already filling his cabinet with Wall Street suits which means there will be no meaningful changes in the financial or economic systems. We’re likely to see a repeat of the Obama years. That is, a movement of wealth away from the middle and working classes and a skyrocketing stock market.
The only game in town atm is the economy and jobs. That is what labor should be concentrating on. Not getting their knickers in a knot over climate change.
By all means push the net zero by 2050 target but unless it is directly connected to a better economy and secure jobs all the talk of “ transition “ and “ jobs of the future” means jackshit.
poroti @ #1551 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 3:11 pm
And did you not comprehend what I wrote? let me put it in simple terms that you cannot deny.
The Iraqi people are happy that they have civilian government and the Husseins are gone. Despite how they got there.
That’s all there is to it really.
doyley @ #1560 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 3:40 pm
CFMEU propaganda.
Doyley
Jobs is all Scotty ever talks about.
doyley
Agreed. Labor can with if it abandons its small government streak and instead draws up a list of new industries and new jobs that it will, if necessary, directly invest in. So Albo can go to town hall meetings and not have to talk in generalities. He can actually name the jobs that people will get, and when.
Unfortunately, to do this in detail means a lot of hard slog working out very detailed policy. It means breaking out of the very tight inner circles that Labor has created and speaking widely (and openly) with experts an technologists all over the country. It can’t be left to the hacks and PR drones.
Spray @ #1557 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 3:28 pm
Essentially (and I marched with my children in BOTH Anti Iraq War Marches in Sydney), the WMD line was an artifice, cack-handedly cooked up by the American/British and Australian governments to facilitate their entry into Iraq with the UN approval necessary to liberate it from the Husseins and to release the Iraqi Oil into the open market…which American and other interests could have a stake in.
We know the truth about the WMDs and we always suspected it. However, from footage I have seen recently, the Iraqi people seem happy with the outcome. At the end of the day that’s what counts to me. They were liberated and the price they paid was access to their oil.
lizzie
And Scotty hasn’t a clue. But the way to show him up is to demonstrate what real jobs creation looks like. Detailed plans and specific, concrete projects.
Queensland labor was able to marry the two policy issues of job security and climate action / renewerables while still supporting the resource industry and the workers and communities that depend on it.
It is possible to do both. Realistic and not idealistic policy measures are what is needed. Queensland labor achieved the sweet spot and that did them no harm at all.
Federal labor will continue to be held back by this issue until they adapt to the real world and adopt the Queensland template. Forget about the right wing ratbags and forget about the left wing zealots.
Some within federal labor appear incapable of this. Mark Butler needs to go. Pat Conroy and Pat Gorman , both of whom are from the left, offer a real opportunity for federal labor to embrace a realistic climate action policy that connects with the real concerns of real Australians.
guytaur
“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.”
You want to turn Labor into a ‘poison apple’: Red on the outside, Green at its core.
I agree with doyley that Labor has to focus on the economy and jobs. Simply acting as a conduit for pie-in-the-sky Greens policies on climate change isn’t going to cut it.
Cud,
Agreed.
That is why I strongly believe Mark Butler needs to go. He is incapable of producing policy that connects with voters and is either deaf to or hears and simply rejects the concerns of real people. He has has seven years and done nothing.
Unfortunately it looks as though someone has been attacked by a shark off Cable Beach in Broome….
I wonder how long before some idiots will be calling for a “shark cull” up there?
Have lived up that way in the distant past and sharks, crocs (salties), sea snakes, wild cattle, spiders, King Brown snakes and a number of other deadly creatures lived there as well……..Nowhere was really ‘safe’ though Cable Beach seemed not to be troubled by sharks but this might be because they had plenty to eat rather than attack humans.
lizzie,
Morrison goes on and on about jobs because that is what people are most concerned about.
They may get goose bumps when climate change is mentioned but dig down to the nitty gritty and it is not a major concern. Jobs, job security and the economy are the main games in town.
Cheers.
doyley @ #1567 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 3:56 pm
Many voters outside Qld understand that the false message of exporting mountains of thermal coal for decades to come does nothing to transition workers and their families to real sustainable jobs for future generations.
Mark Butler is clearly a danger to the fossil fuel unions ongoing business model.
Kakuru @ #1579 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 3:56 pm
Terraces in Inner City Sydney, where guytaur is fortunate to live, are going for $2 Million+. No wonder he cannot understand what it is like to have to worry about supporting a wife and kids and a mortgage. And losing the job that enables that to be done.
Labor needs to K.I.S.S. Adopt the Net Zero by 2050 policy and a Just Transition for Fossil Fuel Workers that acknowledges reality on the ground outside of the Inner City. Hopefully one day The Greens and their acolytes will understand that reality too. Then they will come to the table to talk about solutions that embrace compromise. Until then, Labor is best advised to do what they are doing now, ignore them.
Especially when The Greens are just as likely to do a deal with the devil at any upcoming election, such as they appear to have gotten a taste for at the NT By-election and the Queensland State election recently.
doyley
Which shows that libs have better research?
Andrews seems to have it almost right in Vic.
First member of the Republican Leadership Team peels away from Trump:
https://www.politico.com/news/2020/11/21/liz-cheney-trump-election-438997
C@tmomma @ #1565 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 3:52 pm
There was never UN approval of the Iraq invasion. The UN inspectors found NO evidence of the existence of WMD.
https://www.berkeley.edu/news/media/releases/2004/03/18_blix.shtml
“There were about 700 inspections, and in no case did we find weapons of mass destruction,” said Hans Blix, the Swedish diplomat called out of retirement to serve as the United Nations’ chief weapons inspector from 2000 to 2003.
Blix accused U.S. President George W. Bush and U.K. Prime Minister Tony Blair of acting not in bad faith, but with a severe lack of “critical thinking.” The United States and Britain failed to examine the sources of their primary intelligence – Iraqi defectors with their own agendas for encouraging regime change – with a skeptical eye, he alleged. In the buildup to the war, Saddam Hussein and the Iraqis were cooperating with U.N. inspections, and in February 2003 had provided Blix’s team with the names of hundreds of scientists to interview, individuals Saddam claimed had been involved in the destruction of banned weapons. Had the inspections been allowed to continue, Blix said, there would likely be a very different situation in Iraq today. As it was, America’s pre-emptive, unilateral actions “have bred more terrorism there and elsewhere.”
In other words, Cat, you are misremembering, and I would trust Blix’s memory and views above yours on this subject. Others can form their own view.
BOOKER Prize winning author Douglas Stuart has said he “owes Scotland everything” after receiving the prestigious award.
The 44-year-old was announced as the winner of the Man Booker this week for his debut novel Shuggie Bain, which is based on his own childhood.
……….
He said he credits the system with giving him a better life, adding “there was a social fabric, a social net” when he needed it as a teenager.
He explained he was grateful to have had access to education unlike older men in his life who were “tossed aside by the trades they had put their faith in”.
In a quick-fire interview with The Times today, Stuart also confirmed that he supports independence.
https://www.thenational.scot/news/18888673.booker-winner-douglas-stuart-backs-independence-says-owes-scotland-everything/
Patting coal and other energy workers on the head and saying “ there, there. Everything will be ok in the brave new world” and then walking away offering nothing more is absolute bullshit. That approach is simply the equivalent of the Hilary Clinton “ deplorables “ moment.
People in general and not just mining workers and their communities want real solutions to their real concerns around jobs, job security and the economy in general. They do not want or appreciate feel good vision statements full of hot air and nothing else.
doyley @ #1579 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 4:20 pm
100%.
Socrates
Thanks for adding some of the details I skipped. Let me give away something here.
Back in 2017 the Federal Government released its Faster Rail Prospectus. $20 million split three ways towards the business cases for three faster rail projects. My colleagues sat down over coffee and decided to form a consortium known by the rather unimaginative name Sydney Fastrail. There were over a dozen major companies involved – Tier 1 construction, architects, financial analysts, rail engineering and costing. Even an historian. One of the majors we took on actually specialised in road construction – such was the importance of the HSR versus road issue. Many person years of effort and a stack of documentation later, we submitted and then waited.
We came fourth. In the debriefing with the Federal bureaucrats it was revealed that one of the issues they had was that our approach of HSR directly competing with roads was a political hot potato. They could offer nothing substantially wrong with our proposal, its merits, its design or the organisational backup we offered. It simply didn’t stand a chance because the three winners were already known before the process began. As I said, two real estate ventures and a 20 year old scheme dragged out from the archives of TfNSW.
I can also tell you that I consulted with Andrew McNaughton in the lead up to his involvement with TfNSW on their four corridors study. I can’t tell you what I know in detail, but I can tell you that he is disappointed with the fact that they have ditched his proposal. Certain old timers within TfNSW who simply cannot give up on band aid solutions won the day.
Now, on the merits of HSR. We did a lot of basic analysis. The key points are as follows. Volume matters – its not an airline, its mass transit. The core of the network (bounded by CBD, Parramatta, Hornsby, Campbelltown) would actually go most of the way towards recouping its capital within 30 years – such is the volume of patronage. This also includes forms of value capture. The extended network (Newcastle, Central Coast, Wollongong) would comfortably pay opex and then some. Wider social and economic benefit alone would justify the capital.
And this is before you consider the avoided cost of extra motorways and the costs (societal and otherwise) from usage. If it were a choice between building more motorways (the plans are alreadyin the works) or building HSR, then HSR is a no-brainer.
Canberra wasn’t as exciting, but still worth it in the big picture. Previous proponents were thoroughly up themselves arguing for a railway paid from revenue. Aint gonna happen. Wider social/economic benefit does however have something to say. But getting the core of the network right and then justifying extensions on their own merits is the way to proceed.
I have a lot more to say on this if you’re curious.
Yes C@tmomma. “Greens” and “reality” rarely appear together in the same sentence.
Lizzie,
Andrews in Victoria. A.P. in Queensland. McGowan in WA. They all understand and embrace the real concerns of Australians. They are all successful.
Federal labor needs to adapt and embrace the template the three most successful Premiers in Australia have adopted.
Get the road blocks out of the way in federal labor. Realistic Climate action and support for all workers in all industries are not mutually exclusive. Be loud and proud of our mining workers. Our energy workers. Our manufacturing workers. All workers across all sectors. Support them and their communities and show them what labor will do to protect the environment while supporting and protecting the jobs of all workers.
It is not that hard.
Cheers.
doyley
I don’t have a problem with Mark Butler. What he does he does well. What I have a problem with is the Labor organisation in general. Its too insular. It doesn’t go out and have a public conversation with experts and technologists. Real policy work means bringing together a lot of people and a lot of small ideas. Ultimately that’s Albo’s job.
If I’m going to single anyone out, its Chris Bowen for his “the surplus will always be bigger under Labor”. Its that attitude – that Labor needs to be seen as “sensible” that lost the election. No one cares about arcane economics. What people want is to be excited.
doyley @ #1560 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 3:40 pm
What bubble have you been living in for the past decade or so?
You can’t do “economy and jobs” without also addressing “climate change”. Once the fossil-fuel based economies begin to collapse, and trade sanctions are imposed against those countries too stupid to tax carbon themselves, this will become more apparent.
By which time, of course, it will be too late and your economy is pretty well doomed.
” C@tmommasays:
Sunday, November 22, 2020 at 3:45 pm
The Iraqi people are happy that they have civilian government and the Husseins are gone. Despite how they got there. ”
I think your right to say that most Iraqis are happy that Hussein has gone but I don’t think you’d find they are happy at all about what has happened to their country or the way it happened. Don’t forget ISIS got quite a bit of support in Iraq for some time. By the way Sadaam Hussein was a civilian. He had no military training and made himself a General. He appeared in public in either civilian or military garb depending on the propaganda needs at the time.
Cud,
Fair enough about Butler. We will hopefully just agree to disagree.
My main argument re Butler is that he has achieved nothing in seven years as shadow minister for climate. Two elections two losses and two rejections of labor climate policy.
After the loss last year Bowen fell on his sword. So did Catherine King and so did Shorten and Tanya. They all did the right thing. Yet Butler is still there.
In my view he is too idealistic. He needs to go and Albanese needs to get a new voice into the job. Someone who can relate to the real world concerns of Australians.
It was with considerable schadenfreude that I received the news of Liza Harvey’s capitulation this morning. Just when I thought it couldn’t get better, rumours of Liberal internal polling reached my ears.
Could one of the NSW Bludgers organise for Scottyfrommarketing to be urgently seconded to the campaign teams of the state members for Churchlands and Cottesloe?
Please let him know that the invitation he received to attend a fact finding mission at the bottom of the Marinara Trench from 27 January to 13 March was a Young Liberal joke that went too far.
doyley @ #1583 Sunday, November 22nd, 2020 – 4:27 pm
Clearly, it is. Labor has yet to work out how to tell people that many of the industries they currently work in will certainly be a mere shadow of their former selves – and may not exist at all – in as little as 10 years time. And with Covid-19, that list is getting larger, not smaller.
Labor tried fudging around this at the last election, and that simply didn’t work. People saw that even the Labor candidates didn’t really believe what they were being asked to say.
Perhaps just try the truth next time around?
”Clearly, it is. Labor has yet to work out how to tell people that many of the industries they currently work in will certainly be a mere shadow of their former selves – and may not exist at all – in as little as 10 years time.”
It’s not as if we haven’t had a chance to get used to it over the last few decades.
During the election campaign in Queensland A. P. was able to show mining communities that she had their back and supported mining in the state and that mining had a future. None of this lettuce leaf “ we do not oppose coal mining “ rhetoric but we actively support the sector, the jobs of coal miners and the communities they rely on the industry. She treated workers with respect. At the same time she was out and about opening and announcing new renewable energy projects across Queensland and promoting the jobs they would bring. She was able to marry the two very effectively.
Some within federal labor seem incapable of mouthing the words “ we support the mining sector and mining workers “. Half arse feel good rhetoric around the necessary transition away from coal and gas while ignoring workers in the mining, aluminium etc sectors does nothing to address their real concerns over their, job, job security and providing for their families.
The only game in town now and always is all about jobs and job security and treating coal workers and their families as collateral damage will continue to negatively affect federal labor.
Commit to net zero by 2050 and then turn to the main game and concentrate on the main issues across the country around jobs, jobs security and the economy.
doyley
You are 100% correct, but there is another side to the coin. Coal is not going to last no matter how much the miners pretend otherwise. There is no future where you get $100,000 for driving a truck.
The Liberals are full of shit for pretending otherwise, the Greens are full of shit pretending that only they can destroy such jobs and the miners are delusional if they believe it will last forever.
Unfortunately we are in a situation where all that is on offer is bullshit. There can be no rational policy in such an environment.
The coal miners are going to have to work it out the hard way.
frednk,
Agreed. Sadly.
However, what this country needs is a labor government that is prepared to support affected workers and give action on climate change a real crack.
At this point if federal labor does not adapt its climate policies to real world concerns they will not have a chance and any real action will be left to state labor governments that have leaders who live in the real world.
Meanwhile the greens and climate purists on the left will scream and shout and achieve nothing.
“Fuck the workers. Purity or nothing.” That will be the everlasting millstone around their necks.
doyley
I do agree 100% with your assessment re A.P.
She is being honest, coal may be finished, why burn political capital stopping commercial entities losing money, it is their problem. The only stupid political action would be to underwrite the commercial stupidity, she has not done that. We have to build out our renewable infrastructure, makes absolute sense to do so.
Australia trying to hold back electric cars is not going to stop the rest of the world moving to electric cars.
Australia refusing to build out renewable infrastructure is not going to stop the rest of the world doing it.
doyley,
You’ve been on fire this arvo. I pretty much agree with all you’ve put forward.
There is absolutely no benefit to Federal Labor electorally in having overly directive policies about Climate Change front and centre. It creates fertile ground for negative attacks from our opponents both left and right. (one side says it’s too radical the other says it’s not enough). The public are well aware that Climate Change is happening. But, that doesn’t mean they want to vote for too much tumult and change. The caravan of Crackpots road trip scared the bejesus out of people in the regions who saw Labor too closely aligned with that group and voted accordingly.
Carbon neutrality by 2050 is about as deep as it needs to be. The States are already moving that way as is business, the Banks and international developments. So, like with the Covid response, the States and the community doesn’t need grandiose schemes propagated by a self chosen inner suburban elite to get on with the job. The Libs have won the lasst three elections without any menaingful climate change policy. So Labor should be talking only about jobs and opportunity. That’s what the Electorate wants.
doyley
The Greens have pretty much brought environmental action in Australia to a standstill and supporting the environment is supposed to be their main game.
GG,
I did not have any horses racing today with my hard earned on so had a few hours to spare.
Cheers.
Been reflecting on the SAS. In a war zone people died.
What about the people who died because of robodebt? There was no war.
What about the people who died because for our refuge policy? There was no war?
What about the soldiers that died because they were sent to far away lands for political purposes? There was no need for us to get involved in a war.
What about the Greens going same/same to try and reduce the opposition effectiveness while this was all happening? It added nothing to the political debate.
There are enough moral questions to go around.
NE Qld says:
Sunday, November 22, 2020 at 12:59 pm
Guytaur, you seem to be advocating a continuation of the war. Maybe I am unrealistic, but I am hoping for a kind of truce and reset from Biden. Take the heat out of Trumpist arguments.
The Republicans do not deal in peace with the Democratic Party. They subscribe to resistance at all times and in all places. If the Democrats were to move closer to the Republicans, the Republicans will simply move further away. The political strategies of intransigent hostility, rejection, refusal and denunciation are well rehearsed by the Right. They get it. This is the same strategy as used by Abbott and Bob Brown against Labor in this country. It was used against Obama. It will be used against Biden too. The Right simply do not accept and will seldom ever acknowledge that their opponents have any political legitimacy. They hope only for the destruction of their opponents. This is auto-phobia. It is cultural self-mutilation. This is the story in the early 21st century and it’s getting worse.
Doyley,
Pancho won the Kilmore Cup. Nice result for me.