Today is the day of the federal by-election for the Queensland seat of Groom, which you can offer your thoughts on on this post in the apparently unlikely event that you have something specifically to say about it through the course of the day. This site will naturally be all over the count this evening, complete with a live results facility that is fully battle-tested so far as federal elections are concerned.
Other news of note:
• Roy Morgan had a result this week from the federal voting intention series it conducts regularly but publishes erratically. This one credited the Coalition with a slender two-party lead of 50.5-49.5, from primary votes of Coalition 42%, Labor 34%, Greens 12% and One Nation 4%. State breakdowns had the Coalition leading 53.5-46.5 in New South Wales, the reverse in Victoria, the Coalition leading 54.5-45.5 in Queensland, the Coalition leading 51-49 in Western Australia, and Labor leading 52.5-47.5 in South Australia. The poll was conducted online and by telephone over the two previous weekends from a sample of 2824.
• The Financial Review reports on JWS Research polling that shows 20% believe states should close borders to other states that have any active COVID-19 cases, “almost 60%” believe the same should happen if there are 25 active cases, and 75% say the same for 100 active cases. The report further relates that 60% of respondents rated the federal government’s handling of the virus positively, down six points from July, and that 87% of Western Australians, 82% of South Australians and 57% of Victorians (up seven since July) did likewise for their state goverments, with due caution for the small size of the relevant sub-samples. The poll was conducted from a sample of 1035 from last Friday to Sunday.
• John Ferguson of The Australian reports on Victorial Liberal Senate preselection contenders for the next election: Simon Frost, staffer to Josh Frydenberg and the party’s former state director (including at the time of its disastrous 2018 campaign); Roshena Campbell, a Melbourne lawyer; Greg Mirabella, Wangaratta farmer and husband of Sophie Mirabella; and Jess Wilson, policy director at the Business Council of Australia. This is likely to amount to a race for the second position on the ticket, with Sarah Henderson to be promoted to first and Scott Ryan not seeking another term. There is contention in the state branch over president Robert Clark’s reluctance to have preselections determined through party plebiscites, with critics accusing him of using COVID-19 to maintain control by the central administration, as it did before the last election. According to the report, “a statewide ballot would favour Mr Frost, while an administrative committee vote would favour those loyal to Mr Clark’s forces“.
C@t
I have been given a bottle of Mt Franklin Sparkling Spring Water (wouldn’t buy bottled water in a fit) and it has all the protein, carbs etc listed as 0, with at the bottom sodium 5 mg/100 ml. I suppose that’s the sparkling bit.
‘Trump endangered America’s democracy’: President’s delusion broken down in brutal WaPo analysis
President Donald Trump’s refusal to accept the fact that he lost the 2020 presidential election was the focus of a Washington Post deep-dive published online Saturday night…….titled, “20 days of fantasy and failure: Inside Trump’s quest to overturn the election.”
“The facts were indisputable: President Trump had lost. But Trump refused to see it that way,” the newspaper reported. “Sequestered in the White House and brooding out of public view after his election defeat, rageful and at times delirious in a torrent of private conversations, Trump was, in the telling of one close adviser, like ‘Mad King George, muttering, ‘I won. I won. I won.’’”
“Though Trump ultimately failed in his quest to steal the election, his weeks-long jeremiad succeeded in undermining faith in elections and the legitimacy of Biden’s victory.”
https://www.rawstory.com/2020/11/trump-endangered-americas-democracy-presidents-delusion-broken-down-in-brutal-wapo-analysis/
TPOF
The issue with Victoria was not that the bug escaped quarantine. Its the environment it escaped into. The original lockdown was working – in Victoria the numbers were trending to zero. In fact, Victoria saw days with zero cases before NSW.
Andrews also promised to keep schools closed until term 3. But after Scomo’s “early mark” this was backed down on. There were restriction easings occurring during May that were clearly premature. Indeed it seemed that Victoria had given into the “suppression” mantra. We all remember Scomo’s bullying regarding schools, but I do wonder what else went on behind the scenes.
Also, if you look back, rates of testing back in March/April (everywhere) were dismal. Only the lockdown saved our sorry asses. In early May when Victoria agreed to start easing restrictions, that also came with a promise to do a “testing blitz”. That testing blitz at its peak only got to around 16,000 tests per day. And then they dropped back to 6-9,000 in June. Its fairly obvious what was going on. A lot of the community simply weren’t testing and the virus had a reservoir. Even if there hadn’t been a leak from quarantine, the ongoing community transmission within segments of the community that weren’t testing enough, would guarantee a second wave.
They didn’t see this coming? Well, maybe. But was Brett Sutton being listened to, or was the “expert advice” from the AHPPC taking precedence? Clearly they didn’t understand that no tracing system is of any use if there is a pool of hidden infection driven by low testing rates. This was part of my scepticism at the time. It reeked of hubris.
A moron has endangered SA:
1 man was in quarantine and tested negative so decided he didn’t have to complete quarantine
And went out and about and then tested positive.
C@t
Since we’re talking diet atm, I’m interested as to what “seeds and nuts” caused your painful foray into hospital, as I eat a very heavily seed-laden bread.
Mavis
As Pauline Hanson once said; “Where was I when they decided to get rid of White Australia
The obvious answer: ( I apologise for the misogyny): Up the back of the class doing your nails
C@t
It isn’t nearly as horrible as other sweeteners, but its by no means perfect. Erythritol is good if you hide it in stronger flavours. Stevia is ok in small quantities but does have a bitter aftertaste. “Miracle fruit” is also quite interesting. Again in small quantities.
hillbilly
That was guaranteed to happen.
Hmm… covid19data reported one local case in Queensland, but Queensland Health’s facebook log reports both cases in HQ.
Was Brett Sutton being listened to?
As i have posted before:
Find Kerry Chant in this
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/about/ministry/Pages/chart.aspx
Find Brett Sutton in this
https://www.dhhs.vic.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/202011/DHHS%20Org%20Chart%20-%20November%202020%20External.pdf
Major and long standing systemic dysfunction in Vic Health
Now is the time for all good men to come to the aid of the party.
ytrap eht fo dia eht ot emoc ot nem doog lla rof emit eht si won.
Edit with AR’s C+ 0.8.12
Excellent. ✔✔✔✔✔✔✔🐘🐘🐘🐘🐘⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Torchbearer
It might be that the various HQ breaches and the rate at which they occur are simply what one would expect if running Q in hotels with poor ventilation. This does not mean that HQ is a bad idea – it might be that is the best available approach when all things are considered. It would however mean that pretending that HQ can be (or is) better than realistically it can be is unwise and leads to complacency, incorrect analysis of failures and ineffective responses to faults.
Systems always exhibit faults; dependable systems operate on the assumption that faults will occur and are designed to tolerate that occurrence
suSHa’bogh vay’ ghu’ vIjatlh KayJay
#WeatheronPB. Hot, sunny and very windy in Sydney, 40.2° in the City.
Pauline Hanson was born in 1954. While the White Australia Policy was being dismantled (starting in 1967, completed by 1975) Pauline was too young to vote.
EGT
I don’t think that aerosol transmission is a primary cause of transmission, even in HQ. But its a risk and it should be minimised/avoided where possible. Besides different hotels are built differently. Some you can open the windows, some you can’t. Etc.
Also, there’s been no excuse for months now not to test everyone who works in HQ daily. That’s another example of the “risk management” mentality. If it can be done and it reduces risk, do it.
OC:
What an experienced engineer would take from that is either / both:
– Sutton and the Victorians did spectacularly well (and/or were spectacularly lucky) given the systems in which they were operating, or
– The pandemic is driven by the virus and population behaviour, and the systems imposed by states and individuals have very limited influence, and only at the margins
Historically is is almost always the latter – Ayn Rand might tell people that it’s up to them, but mostly it isn’t.
Cud Chewer @ #542 Sunday, November 29th, 2020 – 1:25 pm
Yep. I bought a Nexba (manufacturers of Kombucha), Passionfruit drink this week (they appear to be branching out). Didn’t taste bad at all. 🙂
It so aptly describes many things about this country – including its pandemic response.
I tried Kombucha – once.
Ewww..
Oh and while we’re at it, there was once, long ago, a aussie made brand of soft drink (can’t quite remember the brand). But it was based on carbonated apple juice. No added sugar. Added natural flavours (like orange juice). Their fizzy orange was brilliant and their cola was amazing (better than than coca-cola).
Edit: I think (not sure) that this brand originated from the Central Coast.
Bennelong Lurker @ #456 Sunday, November 29th, 2020 – 11:36 am
Not quite. This is what I wrote –
Written that way deliberately.
I hope the OECD see The Terminator for what he is. A fucking CC denier that has no interest in doing anything about it. Its a disgrace the money that is being spent on this charlatan.
I might postpone for a little bit putting up the inflatable Christmas decorations
Again the focus is on one person breaking a rule. I just don’t see the point – seems counter productive.
It isn’t a big stretch for this bloke to think it would be fine to go out after a negative test result. Do we know if he was told clearly and repeatedly (and why) he was to stay in self quarantine despite the result? Considering the inconvenience of isolation and the good news of receiving a negative test and the lack of oversight/controls for those self quarantining; you would hope so.
Hounding this guy and threatening police charges is not helping. The state needs people to want to get tested. It needs to create a climate of broad community good will. Not one where people feel the cops might be banging down the door if they slip up.
As cud said, what did they expect? That self quarantine would be failsafe?
I see carbon border taxes is another subject that Briefly feels he doesn’t actually need to read about before posting. Else he would realize that what he posted was pretty much complete Non-sense.
The point of a carbon border tax is to make sure that carbon is taxed SOMEWHERE along the supply chain. If a carbon tax has not been paid when you import stuff (because the country that exports it has no carbon tax regime), and you don’t tax it when when you use the stuff (because your own country has no carbon tax regime), then it will be taxed by your trading partners when you export stuff.
So, it is simply not true to say that by imposing a carbon border tax you are taxing yourself, or increasing your own costs. What you will most likely do is pass the tax that will be imposed on your exports back to the country that you imported the carbon from. It is either that, or you pay those costs yourself. Its main intent is to protect the industries in countries that have a carbon tax from competition from unscrupulous “laggard” countries that do not, but the end result is that one way or another, the carbon will be paid for.
For example, if China imports carbon from Australia (in the form of coking coal), and uses that coal in its manufacturing (e.g. making steel), then exports that steel to the US who impose a carbon border tax, then China has a choice:
1. It can allow the carbon border tax to be charged on its exports.
2. It can pay the carbon tax itself.
3. In can pass the carbon tax back to the country it imported the carbon from, by imposing its own carbon border tax on imports.
Of course it is more complex than this in reality, and there will be lots of calculations and tradeoffs involved where (for example) different countries tax carbon at different rates.
But the beauty of the scheme is that the carbon ends up being taxed, even if there are still some “laggard” countries in the supply chain. And the tendency (because it is the easiest course) will be to pass the costs back to those “laggard” countries. Like us.
Kombucha has come a long way since the ‘Ew!’ days. My favourite flavour is Rasberry Lemonade. 🙂
a r! How’s the new C+ Edit functionality bizzo going!?! 😆
40.6
Feels like 32.7
I. Don’t. Think. So. 😐
Cud. Margins?
… are for scribbling in?
Soft drink.
Closed down when I was a lad after Coca-Cola bought it out.
Margins were a big family name in the area. Lots of place names named after them.
Interesting result in The Supreme Court of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.
Yesterday the lower court put further certification of the electors on hold on the grounds that a 2019 act allowing mail voting for everyone was against the state constitution.
The majority decision was that the act was likely constitutional but if it wasn’t the time to object was before an election not after. Disenfranchising millions post ballot isn’t on.
The minority decision was that the act might be unconstitutional but if it is the time to object was before an election not after. Disenfranchising millions post ballot isn’t on.
The certification of electors is to go ahead
Another big loss for the Donald
Simon Katich @ #524 Sunday, November 29th, 2020 – 2:11 pm
I remember Andrews being set upon by the press gallery when he defended authorities for not fining people in certain instances of failure to comply with stay-at-home orders.
He was trying to explain that heavy-handed approaches weren’t necessarily the best course of action given the overriding need to get everyone onboard in co-operation.
This is where Premier Marshall needs to stand up and rally the people of SA to all stick together for the fight.
Something to cheer you guys up about the weather..
https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/travel/destinations/this-is-the-hottest-inhabited-place-in-the-world-and-its-breathtakingly-beautiful/as63095044.cms#:~:text=Hottest%20inhabited%20place%20in%20the,Ethiopia%20%7C%20Times%20of%20India%20Travel
Time for NZ to deport some cricketers..
https://www.odt.co.nz/news/national/behave-yourself-pakistani-speed-demon-blasts-nz-cricket-after-covid-breaches
Cud Chewer
Shoaib Akhtar has a rock solid lock on the NZ Arsehole of the Week award for that effort. He might be in for a wee bit of a rough time on tour. That is if they manage to avoid all being “returned to sender”. 🙂
Test.
The best that I can find on the issue those security guards in NSW HQ…
https://www.health.nsw.gov.au/news/Pages/20200822_01.aspx
Test
C+ update available for Firefox desktop/laptop and for Android.
I can’t find update for Chrome but it may depend on other factors.
poroti
Monty Python summed it up for me..
The South Australian Premier is being grossly irresponsible by threatening harsh punishment for the man who was a precariously employed private security officer with a second equally precarious job in food services.
The real problem is the precariousness that millions of Australians face. That is a macroeconomic problem that is easily fixed by the federal government. We need strong workers’ rights and a full employment economy – an economy in which the number of job vacancies is several times greater than the number of job-seekers.
It is a good thing that this man got voluntarily tested for Covid. We need to make it as easy as possible for people to do that. Secure and stable employment and paid leave for Covid-related testing and self-isolation or quarantine are absolutely necessary.
The South Australian Premier is trying to deflect public scrutiny of the fact that his government probably over-reacted in this instance.
Martin Williams – Parliament Ltd
Audiobook Narrated by: Esther Wane, Luke Thompson
Length: 9 hrs and 23 mins
A journey to the dark heart of British politics
If you want to understand why politics isn’t working, the first place to look is in the bank accounts of our politicians. From secret second jobs to suspicious tax avoidance schemes, British politicians continue to rake in money and consistently mislead Parliament with conflicts of interest.
And years after the expenses scandal, politicians are now claiming more expenses than ever before.
In Parliament Ltd, investigative journalist Martin Williams reveals the true extent of greed and corruption in Westminster. Containing explosive new revelations about the activities of those at the top, this is a shocking untold tale that goes to the rotten heart of British politics.
http://www.mediafire.com/file/h4x1v0bwsgxgwwj/Martin+Williams+-+NF+-+Parliament+Ltd.mp3/file
Here we go again:
It’s been a challenging few days for firefighters across NSW, with 100+ fires from border to border in the past 48 hours. Firefighters were flown to a fire on the Qld border, while grass and crop fires near Berrigan kept crews busy. Hot weather continues today.
I like Ian Chappell on the ABC radio with Andrew Moore who is the best anchor they have had for sports commentary for ages.
I expect Ian Chappell will reminisce every now and then.
President Trump railed against Fox News on Twitter on Saturday, calling the network’s daytime programming “virtually unwatchable, especially during the weekends” just a day before he was scheduled to appear for a daytime weekend interview. “@FoxNews daytime is virtually unwatchable, especially during the weekends. Watch @OANN, @newsmax, or almost anything else. You won’t have to suffer through endless interviews with Democrats, and even worse!” Trump tweeted. While the president has for weeks now used his Twitter account to urge millions of followers to ditch Fox News in favor of the even-more-fringe One America News Network and Newsmax, it was unclear why a ratings fanatic like himself would steer viewers away from Fox News ahead of his own interview. The live telephone interview on Sunday Morning Futures with Maria Bartiromo will be his first one-on-one interview since Election Day.
lizzie @ #500 Sunday, November 29th, 2020 – 10:12 am
A certain level of salts are an important component of water, otherwise it would be dangerous to drink.
Some “interesting” comments! 😆
http://isciencemag.co.uk/features/fact-of-the-day-1/
Trump is history.
Barney
I think I’ve read that before somewhere.
The “Spring Water” must surely contain some other minerals – unless it’s been purified to within an inch of sterility, of course.
So. Is tonight Newspoll night? I think we can take it as given that the Morrison PPM will be in the high sixties. Maybe higher. The problem is not whether he deserves it (he doesn’t) but where Albanese fits in. Do we go deep state and accuse Newspoll of massaging Albanese’s figures to keep him in the game so that Morrison can massacre him in the early election he’s eyeing off? Or, if they are as bad as I think they will be, do the knives come out with a replacement to be found with a maximum of eighteen months to make an impression on Morrison and his media Vermacht?
I don’t care what anyone says. Albanese has had a horrible week in a horrible month in a horrible year. In the case of the Cormann affair (as with other issues) he is effectively batting for the other side and still getting ducks. I don’t know whether it’s his marriage breakup, or if he has lost interest, or the fire in the belly or whatever. It doesn’t matter. He’s hopeless. It started in the early days of Covid when he could have made headway against Morrison and his ludicrous decision to “go to the footy”. But not Albanese. He was literally within one hour of saying he was going as well. To the same game, for Chissakes. And he is virtually agreeing with Morrison on everything since. It’s like there is no opposition at all. The 2PP is so close that it would seem that the great unwashed ARE looking for someone to rid them of Morrison. But they aren’t buying Albanese in any way, shape or form.
It’s time he left the island. And take Fitzgibbon with him.