To keep a general discussion post somewhere near the top of the page, I offer the following:
• Paul Osborne of AAP reports the Australian Electoral Commission has confirmed that the draft federal redistributions for Victoria and Western Australia will be published next Friday. The latter has been the subject of particular media attention over the past week, owing to the potential for Christian Porter’s seat of Pearce to be abolished.
• John Anderson, who served in the House of Representatives from 1989 to 2007 and as Nationals leader and Deputy Prime Minister from 1999 to 2005, has announced he will seek preselection for the Nationals-designated number two position on the New South Wales Senate ticket. The position is available as a hangover from the Section 44 debacle, which caused the party to lose a seat to the Liberals in the recount that followed Fiona Nash’s disqualification. It was reported last month that state Nationals leader John Barilaro might also seek the position, though this would seem to be rather optimistic of him.
• Kevin Bonham offers a long-range big-picture account of historical opinion polling, which concludes it would be highly unusual for a federal opposition polling only as well as Labor is right now to actually win an election.
Akon @ #146 Friday, March 12th, 2021 – 1:03 pm
Prior to the latest ministerial debacles, I thought the government would call an early election and romp home.
Now, it looks like the election may not be early because the government needs time to rebuild some credibility (e.g. with the Covid vaccination rollout), and Labor may have a chance to come out of this month’s party conference with some genuinely good policies and also the time needed to bed them down both inside and outside the party.
However, I won’t be holding my breath. Labor has a long and proud history of snatching defeat from the jaws of victory 🙁
If Dan can’t stand for long periods, How do you think our media would handle a premier giving a press conference from a chaise longue? A little bit too much like a Roman Emperor?
Here’s the first public statement made by James Hooke about the rape allegations against the AG.
______________
Very cryptic statement that will probably lead to an increased interest by the press into his recollections.
Quoll @ #144 Friday, March 12th, 2021 – 1:03 pm
Locked into a corporatocracy.
Joe Walsh@WalshFreedom
You know, when you really think about it, we had the absolute worst possible person in the White House when this once in a lifetime pandemic hit.
lizzie @ #148 Friday, March 12th, 2021 – 1:11 pm
“relevant discussions I had with Christian Porter from April 1992 in Perth and through the mid-1990s”
….. seems to contradict Porter’s account of no one ever raising the allegations with him.
(my bold)
Itza
He also strongly supports an enquiry and is willing to testify on oath.
ItzaDream @ #157 Friday, March 12th, 2021 – 1:18 pm
Yes, that struck me also. Is this apparently innocuous statement actually a real bombshell?
phoenixRED @ #156 Friday, March 12th, 2021 – 1:17 pm
Followed by the best possible? It looks to me a bit like needing to hit rock bottom as a wake up call.
Ex-boyfriend of Christian Porter’s accuser reveals new details about alleged rape case
A former boyfriend of the Adelaide woman who accused Attorney-General Christian Porter of an alleged rape has revealed for the first time that she made relevant disclosures to him in 1989, the year after the alleged incident, and is calling for an independent investigation into the matter.
https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/exboyfriend-of-christian-porters-accuser-reveals-new-details-about-alleged-rape-case/news-story/28106f04e81f33d1da74113c2ba69881
poroti @ #NaN Friday, March 12th, 2021 – 1:02 pm
I’d say you are probably correct, poroti. If his doctors have him up and about already there’s likely no chance of damage to the spinal cord itself from a break closer in than one of the transverse processes.
I know why Labor whines about the Greens.
Due to having a narrower political base the Greens don’t have to compromise on their messaging.
Thus the Greens can and do take credit for policies they support.
The problem is Labor Federally has forgotten how to appeal to voters.
My message to Labor. Learn from Kevin Rudd. Learn from Jacinda Ardern learn from Andrew Barr. All have different political Labor brands but can work with the Greens to their political advantage.
All are Labor leaders. Not Green leaders. You might just learn something about winning elections by maximising your voter base. In the case of Adern and Barr that has been forced on them by the voting system. It does not mean that’s invalid to learn from for Federal Labor.
This is important for Federal Labor to do so it can be politically on the same page as Biden and not the same page as the LNP being on the same page as Biden.
For starters. Brag about the success of the Carbon Price. The data is in. We know it was successful before the LNP destroyed it.
Rub the LNP noses into it. Do some bragging Labor. Just like Super and Medicare you have earned the bragging rights.
I know you still think the country has moved on. They haven’t really. They just don’t know. Do this and then voters will buy Labor is for jobs and the environment.
Labor has to have the same rhetoric as the US Democrats and will not get it without some bragging.
The comments on this article by Grog are rather enlightening and certainly not complementary to Morrison and Co
https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2021/mar/11/forcing-job-seekers-to-move-is-not-just-bad-policy-it-does-nothing-to-address-the-economys-real-problems
B.S. Fairman
He’ll be fine just so long as he does not turn up to the presser in….
You’ve got to wonder how the discussion with Christian Porter went?
And this is where I am in a quandary. If this discussion with Porter were had but nothing further eventuated for 30 years, why was that?
It seems the Herald Sun can’t resist attacking VicLabor.
Wow. I worked with James Hooke in 1994 and 1995
ItzaDreamsays:
“relevant discussions I had with Christian Porter from April 1992 in Perth and through the mid-1990s”
….. seems to contradict Porter’s account of no one ever raising the allegations with him.
_________________
Possibly, but surely if he believed the allegations he would not be ‘concerned for the well being of Christian Porter’?
The man has raised more questions and if this is an attempt to get the press off his back it’s a spectacular failure!
Player One @ #159 Friday, March 12th, 2021 – 1:21 pm
Is he the guy who was on the 4C promo, which segment didn’t get to air, while instead the programme looked padded out with stuff from the previous 4C?
I think the $1.2 billion gift to the aviation majors has a timing that would fit a last ditch attempt for an October 2021 election. However this latest ill-conceived bit of pork-barrelling seems to gone very badly almost immediately. Added to everything else this corrupt government touches, surely the late 2021 option is no longer on.
”the fuel industry has been granted the greatest market subsidy ever: the privilege to dump its waste products into the atmosphere at no charge.” When implicit subsidies are included like the health costs and environmental pollution damage…”
A review of Mike Mann’s “The New Climate Wars” mentioned above: https://yaleclimateconnections.org/2021/01/scientist-mike-manns-must-read-book-the-new-climate-war/
Hooke’s statement reads to this non-legal mind as an attempt not to pre-empt or prejudice the conclusions of a formal inquiry.
Here is an example of the Greens taking credit because Labor will not.
@Adam Bandt tweets.
If the Greens-Labor price on carbon had remained in place, looming carbon tariffs would advantage Australian exporters. Instead we’re potentially in strife, and it is all of the Coalition’s making.
video
https://twitter.com/i/status/1370174067664252928
ItzaDream @ #172 Friday, March 12th, 2021 – 1:29 pm
I don’t know. But if so, that would explain why he was pissed off enough to issue this press release.
I note that he is not accusing Porter. Perhaps Porter denied it vehemently when it was discussed, and this poor chap being (at the time) friends of both, didn’t know who to believe. Perhaps he even believed Porter.
But this is beside the point – it would appear sufficient to prove that Porter knew about the allegations, which he denied.
This alone is enough to make Porter’s position in the government untenable.
P1,
“One can only wish we lived in a country where such a discussion could actually be had. Sadly, we don’t seem to ”
Feck me: https://esb-post2025-market-design.aemc.gov.au/
guytaur @ #176 Friday, March 12th, 2021 – 1:34 pm
Logical conclusion.
Corporatocracy is clearly bad for Australia.
@samanthamaiden tweets
BREAKING @lindareynoldswa has settled defamation claim with an undisclosed damages payment that will be donated by @BrittHiggins_ to a Canberra based organisation assisting sexual assault survivors
Warrigal says:
Friday, March 12, 2021 at 12:52 pm
Samantha Maiden
@samanthamaiden
We are about to break a significant story on relevant disclosures that an Adelaide woman who accused
@cporterwa
of rape made on the anniversary of the alleged incident in 1989 and subsequently more on
@newscomauHQ
shortly
11:47 AM · Mar 12, 2021·Twitter for iPhone
As if you could not see this coming.
OC Like to pick a different Wednesday.
guytaur @ #181 Friday, March 12th, 2021 – 1:37 pm
Ms Higgins deserves much admiration for the way she’s dealt with this.
Rex
Yes.
Player Onesays:
Friday, March 12, 2021 at 1:35 pm
But this is beside the point – it would appear sufficient to prove that Porter knew about the allegations, which he denied.
______________
If that’s the case he’s finished as a politician.
P1 ItzaDream
Different year, possible a different women
One of my strongest memories of James Hooke was his systematic demolition of Ted Cruz in the semi-finals of the 1995 World University Debating Championships held at Princeton University in January.
Andrew_Earlwoodsays:
Friday, March 12, 2021 at 1:44 pm
One of my strongest memories of James Hooke was his systematic demolition of Ted Cruz in the semi-finals of the 1995 World University Debating Championships held at Princeton University in January.
______________
To quote Paul Keating: ‘all he had to be was dressed and on his feet’ to do that, surely.
lizzie @ #165 Friday, March 12th, 2021 – 1:23 pm
Gee, I wonder what Labor will do?
Ask Hewson to lead them?
Justin Gleeson
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/11/it-is-not-too-late-prime-minister-to-seek-the-advice-of-the-solicitor-general
Scotty’s dismissal of partisanship was unworthy of a decent PM. He seems to have no respect for the law, and pretends he is above it.
@Adam Bandt tweets.
If the Greens-Labor price on carbon had remained in place…
Lol. Now THAT’S what I call re-writing history! The Greens have now become the majority partner in a Coalition government with Labor. 😆
(The party with the most seats by convention is put first)
“Kate’s” express wish was for the investigation to be discontinued. This was explicitly given, by the NSW Police, as the immediate reason for their discontinuation of enquiries: their respect for the express wishes of the alleged victim. Also mentioned was the lack of admissible evidence, in that “Kate” had not sworn a statement at the time of her death.
I know a lot of people think they know “Kate’s” wishes with certainty: usually something along the lines of “giving up in despair” and then “suiciding because of inaction by the corrupt NSW Police”. But most if it is guesswork projected into “Kate’s” mind by those with an anti-Porter or a wider anti-government, even anti-male agenda.
The only thing we know with certainty about “Kate’s” final intentions and/or wishes at the end are the clues she left behind:
● she expressly wanted the investigation to stop forthwith, and informed the investigators of this in writing;
● she suicided next day, permanently preventing her from giving any more evidence, thus permanently closing off the criminal process.
Speculating as to why, isn’t it possible that her wishes were as straightforward as indicated by her final actions? That is: to be remembered as a good person, and an accomplished historian, rather than principally as a rape victim, with her name dragged through the gutter, the butt of tribal political chatter and scandal, in a case that, in the end, she knew could never be resolved.
Cat
You show why Labor is losing. Your whining proves my point.
This was a successful Labor policy. Time to start bragging not whining that the Greens are taking credit because Labor is obsessed with the Rudd CPRS.
Okay, mundo, seeing as you think you have all the answers, you tell me how Labor can bring up important matters in parliament when, over 200 times now, they have been shut down by the government as they tried to speak to an MPI?
Or be heard by the people through the media when the media is dead set against them for the most part?
guytaur @ #NaN Friday, March 12th, 2021 – 1:55 pm
😆 😆 😆
‘Whining’ 😆 😆 😆
Who’s a sensitive snowflake then when the truth is pointed out to them?
guytaur, your red herring won’t fly. I wasn’t criticising the policy, I was pointing out Bandt’s silly game.
Now, don’t bother with a back at me because I’m just not interested. I will continue to point out banality when I see it, okay?
Australia would be in a world-leading position on clean jobs and emissions reduction had the corrupt rats in Labors ranks not torn down the Gillard led Progressive Govt.
Cat
Your silly game comment is why Labor loses.
Claim the policy success. Forget the silly game stuff it’s just whining about political credit voters don’t care about.
Edit: thus letting the Greens take the policy credit because Labor won’t
But most of it is guesswork projected into “Kate’s” mind
Like this?
That is: to be remembered as a good person, and an accomplished historian, rather than principally as a rape victim, with her name dragged tnrough the gutter, the butt of tribal political chatter and scandal, in a case that, in the end, she knew could never be resolved.
😐
Whatevs, guytaur. Go pat yourself on the back for #winning
🙄
And, of course, it was never a “Greens-Labor” government. It was, at the very most, a ‘Labor – independents’ government.
It wasn’t even that – it was a minority Labor government, who worked with whoever it needed to on a case by case basis.
Guaranteeing supply does not make your party part of the government.