The Australian has come good with a Newspoll just a fortnight after the last, quickening its usual three-weekly schedule. This actually has very slightly better numbers for the Coalition on the primary vote, up one to 40% with Labor down one to 38%, the Greens up one to 11% and One Nation down one to 2%, but with Labor’s two-party lead unchanged on 52-48.
However, Scott Morrison’s personal ratings have taken a hit: he’s down seven points on approval to 55% and up six on disapproval to 40%, comfortably his worst numbers since the onset of COVID-19. Anthony Albanese is up a point on approval to 43% and steady on disapproval at 41%, and his deficit on preferred prime minister has been cut from 56-30 to 52-32.
The poll was conducted Wednesday to Saturday from a sample of 1517.
See above.
Sacre bleu – gazumped by Mavis. I even selected the same text to copy.
Unlike Oakeshott Country I actually know senior people in the NSW branch of the HSU and before I open my mouth about what will happen to Gerard Hayes I will ask them.
Though it’s good to know that Oakeshott Country is rude in real life as well as on the internet, actually showing a weird sort of pride that he had an argument with Gerard Hayes in a public street.
why is it taking former leaders to do leaders jobs?
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/tipping-point-rudd-among-45-ex-leaders-calling-for-myanmar-intervention-20210330-p57fbt.html
citizen:
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 9:21 pm
Not to worry. Such a positive message deserves repeating.
Nick Feik
@NickFeik
Only 3.5 million vaccinations left to hit the government’s 4 million target by tomorrow.
Marieke Hardy
@mariekehardy
HE FUCKED UP THE VACCINE ROLLOUT AND NOW THE NURSES AND DOCTORS ARE CARRYING THE FUCKING THING OUT INTO COMMUNITIES AND CAUSING LOCKDOWNS, WHERE IS THE GODDAMNED ACCOUNTABILITY
Everything little thing he does is tragic, tragic, tragic.
”Opposition Leader Anthony Albanese has made a pitch for Labor to deliver a “sound, considered, honest” government, saying the party is ready to replace the Coalition after eight years in the political wilderness.”
After eight years of lies, no accountability, favours to mates, corruption and blithering incompetence.
Samantha Maiden
@samanthamaiden
To be a good journalist, in my opinion, you need to be a completely obsessive, detail person. I don’t know who did this but whoever they are they are a very good journalist.
Natasha Robinson
@NC_Robinson
Goodness me, the ABC has matched up the time the text message from Michael Johnsen offering $1000 to a sex worker to come to parliament was received, with the actual footage of him sending the text during question time.
😯
Good short read on the aptly names Archegos Capital Management:
https://www.theguardian.com/business/nils-pratley-on-finance/2021/mar/29/multi-billion-archegos-losses-will-prompt-banks-to-check-hedge-fund-exposures
I suspect you are about to tell us that Gerard Hayes is the reformer that NSW ALP need
I’ve never got why people put total faith in Hedge Fund managers!?!
Looks as though the BBC is suffering a similar fate to our ABC-
“ Seriously, what’s left? BBC News lost the plot even before Brexit. Radio 4 comedy is right wing panel shows. Streaming services offer far better TV drama and comedy. Podcasts over Radio 4 any day. I see nothing left for me. RIP BBC. Buried by Tories after a long illness.”- twitter
I didn’t really have it in 2019 but I’m starting to get the feeling that the Morrison Government is terminal, the electorate sick and tired of the scandals, the ineptness, the
corruption, the nastiness. Labor has slowly got its act together under Albanese, and he
doesn’t suffer the same skeletons that Shorton had to deal with – eg, his involvement in the R/G/R imbroglio, the ten-month investigation into an alleged rape, which, although he was cleared, some mud may have stuck. Labor has been remarkedly cohesive and disciplined, starting to peak.
Big call Mavis.
Call me in 6 months.
More on Labor’s National Conference:
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/03/30/labor-conference-2021/
https://www.pollbludger.net/2021/03/28/newspoll-52-48-to-labor-13/comment-page-27/#comment-3583864
The question is whether Morrison`s replacement, which is very likely unless the government recovers quickly from its current mess*, gets the Coalition over the line.
* However it looks like the government will be going through a rocky couple of months, with unemployment likely increasing from the end of Jobkeeper.
No one remembers the R/G/R imbroglio. Anyway, dumping two PM’s did the “Liberals” no harm.
This is the result of a misogynistic culture. Even the women in the party, who should know better, embrace the cultural values of the dominant. Just increasing the women on the front bench isn’t going to turn that ship around.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/i-would-kill-to-be-sexually-harassed-at-the-moment-liberal-teena-mcqueen-stuns-colleagues-in-closed-door-meeting-20210329-p57evv.html
Lars Von Trier:
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 10:15 pm
[‘Big call Mavis.
Call me in 6 months.’]
While it’s true to say that historically it’s been hard for Labor to win government from Opposition, it did do it in ’72, ’83 & ’07,
against Tory governments which were spent.
I way I see it is that McMahon, Fraser, and Howard were more competent than Morrison, far less corrupt and more sincere, though it could be argued that there’s nothing much separating Howard & Morrison in the sincerity stakes.
Confessions says:
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 10:12 pm
Quite similar to the HSU polling NSW for Government and Opposition.
Well AE, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and has webbed feet… Anyway, how about being a paid up National Civic Council member?
Steve777:
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 10:25 pm
[‘No one remembers the R/G/R imbroglio.’]
I think some may’ve in 2019.
Vaccine rollout in Countries who have managed covid well.
1) Australia – 597,523 up 55,762 today
2) Taiwan – 9,412
3) Vietnam – 44,000
4) Thailand – 102,050
5) NZ – 60,000 – don’t seem to want to give an exact number as embarrassed, and only update once a week. On these numbers Ardern should resign tomorrow if Morrison’s vaccine numbers are a disgrace.
McQueen is a regular on Sky News After Dark. She invariably over-eggs nearly every issue, and she and Murray get on very well.
Re Michael @10:46.
About 56,000 today. Getting near where we need to be (about 70-75,000 per day). Today was the highest daily figure so far. It’s been fluctuating – yesterday’s number was about 30,000.
So, 600,000 so far, 25,000,000 to go.
Steve why do you reckon it was only 30,000 yesterday. Because it was Sunday’s numbers. A lot of Doctors etc have a lighter load on the weekend.
What do you think of NZ’s vacinne rollout so far.
NZ aiming for 2 million vaccines in the next 3-4 months.
Promo promised 4 million by tomorrow.
One country is likely to meet their target…
New Zealand = 1.22%
Australia = 2.33%
America = 22.4%
Australia hardly going gangbusters. If I were Scott Morrison I’d think about resigning. 😐
Vogon Poet @ #1429 Tuesday, March 30th, 2021 – 11:06 pm
I wouldn’t get too worked up. It’s only nath Michael doing anti Labor mischief making. Even if he has to go to NZ to try and get a rise out of us.
Promo’s new women performing to expectation. The LNP don’t have a quota problem, tjhey’re all effed :
Greg Hunt
Repeated over and over.
Tricot @ #1266 Tuesday, March 30th, 2021 – 7:02 pm
Yep. My wife is in Phase 1b due to her occupation. Qld is currently on Phase 1b of the rollout (supposedly…though apparently there are still unvaccinated people from Phase 1a). She’s heard nothing from any official sources. No letter in the mail. No e-mail. No myGov notification. No SMS. Nothing. Took it upon herself to ring abount an appointment, and was given one straight away. That part’s about the only positive.
The messaging/communication around the vaccine rollout is a nonexistent shambles.
I think he over promised and under delivered on the under promising and over delivering.
Mavis @ #1414 Tuesday, March 30th, 2021 – 9:55 pm
I have to say, I saw both speeches, Albanese and Shorten, today and Bill Shorten came across as stilted, whereas Albanese was much more relaxed and comfortable giving his speech.
Virginia banned the death penalty on March, 26.
https://time.com/5937804/virginia-death-penalty-abolished/
Brian Mitchell MP
@BrianMitchellMP
In a nutshell, Tame sees through the bullshit. This is powerful, stuff.
So, Scott Morrison’s Grrl Power Ministers not getting off to a great start. 😐
QLD have received 106,000 doses and only vaccinated 65,000. A Doctor and nurse who caused the outbreak were not vaccinated and were treating covid patients. The commonwealth are holding all the stock of 2nd doses, and we now have certainty on supply with local CSL production. What is going on here. 41k of doses sitting in the fridge and the stupid QLD Health minister says they don’t have enough vaccine. She has back-tracked now and is using all the available supply. What a fuck-up.
C@tmomma:
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 11:13 pm
[‘I have to say, I saw both speeches, Albanese and Shorten, today and Bill Shorten came across as stilted, whereas Albanese was much more relaxed and comfortable giving his speech.’]
Yes. Albanese does seem more at ease now. It may have something to do with his changed domestic arrangements after he and Carmel amicably parted ways. He’s looking slimmer, more confident, and dresses well. I reckon if your home life is happy it has knock-on effects.
My parents got the vaccine at the Melb Exhibition Centre today. Heard about on the radio, just turned up and got lucky.
Trump’s new platform for his propaganda:
https://www.45office.com
zoomster @ #1261 Tuesday, March 30th, 2021 – 4:55 pm
It was interesting that when others pointed what they saw as flaws in the policy, none of the Green supporters even tried to defend the policy by making supporting arguments, they just seemed to whinge about some posters not being nice to them because they didn’t blindly accept the obvious brilliance of the policy.
Michael @ #1324 Tuesday, March 30th, 2021 – 7:46 pm
It would be interesting to see who the other countries have focused on vaccinating first.
It seems that 4 of the 5 countries understand that there is no need to rush into vaccinating more widely.
The other thing I notice is that in the other 4 countries their response was led by their national Government while ours was led by the individual States.
Barney in Tanjung Bunga
NZ first up did- ” Border and MIQ workers and the people they live with’ . Currently doing “High-risk frontline workers and people living in high-risk places” . General population scheduled from July. They have switched to 100% Pfizer so deliver of vaccines will set the pace.
Michael says:
Tuesday, March 30, 2021 at 11:24 pm
QLD have received 106,000 doses and only vaccinated 65,000. A Doctor and nurse who caused the outbreak were not vaccinated and were treating covid patients. The commonwealth are holding all the stock of 2nd doses, and we now have certainty on supply with local CSL production. What is going on here. 41k of doses sitting in the fridge and the stupid QLD Health minister says they don’t have enough vaccine. She has back-tracked now and is using all the available supply. What a fuck-up.
Would seem the states have little faith in the commonwealth.
The latest corona virus outbreaks should put another nail into Morrison and his cronies election chances.
The Victorian Libs/nats every day says Victoria must follow Gladys gold standards in NSW
Jodi McKay
@JodiMcKayMP
·
10h
Here’s what happened today
1. Lewd text messages involving the MP for Upper Hunter revealed
2. Day two of the ICAC hearing into the MP for Drummoyne
3. Ms Berejiklian referred to ICAC again for rorting grants and shredding documents
Welcome to NSW, folks.
New thread.
Morning all. This well researched piece on rape from the ABC certainly puts Teena McQueens appalling comments on sexual assault in their place. I think it also raises some serious issues for the way courts treat rape victims.
https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/false-rape-allegations-myths/13281852
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Rob Harris outlines Anthony Albanese’s pitch to be “the PM for every Australian”.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/we-need-a-seismic-cultural-shift-albanese-s-pitch-to-be-pm-for-every-australian-20210330-p57fdv.html
Katina Curtis explains how some of the women on Scott Morrison’s new ministerial taskforce have a mixed history of standing up for gender equality.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/mixed-history-for-some-female-ministers-now-promoting-gender-equality-20210330-p57fb9.html
Paul Kelly says that promoting women in the Liberal Party isn’t enough, because the heart of the problem is its culture.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/pressure-on-coalition-women-to-set-the-pace/news-story/33b5ce8dffe370bba9b9479006018d57
Scott Morrison’s dirt unit – the one that briefs the Prime Minister on gossip about press gallery bureaux but apparently not about alleged rape in a minister’s office down the hall – is worse than it seemed last week, writes Michael Pascoe.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/2021/03/30/michael-pascoe-scott-morrison-mud-throwing/
According to Paul Bongiorno, shuffling deck chairs can’t save a sinking ship.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/03/30/paul-bongiorno-ministerial-reshuffle/
Anne Ruston’s new job is a rebranding of her old job, but the time for political tricks is over, argues Anne Summers.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/anne-ruston-s-new-job-is-a-rebranding-of-her-old-job-but-the-time-for-political-tricks-is-over-20210330-p57f73.html
Cait Kelly writes that not even empathy trainers think courses will fix the culture in Parliament.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/03/30/empathy-training-parliament/
The Australian tells us that a senior Liberal adviser has taken stress leave from Karen Andrews’ office after claiming the new Home Affairs Minister bullied, humiliated and victimised her over a six-month period.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/home-affairs-minister-karen-andrews-promoted-after-she-made-my-life-hell-says-female-staffer/news-story/b244816cdd17a297990df590af6a6b9f
Peter Martin explains why the true cost of the government’s changes to JobSeeker is incalculable. He says the government does not learn from its mistakes.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7189489/the-incalculable-cost-of-ignorance/?cs=14258
In quite a hit job on Morrison, Sean Carney reckons leadership is about more than being able to hold on to power.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/leadership-is-about-more-than-being-able-to-hold-on-to-power-20210330-p57fb4.html
Daniel McCulloch and Matt Coughlan say that Scott Morrison’s attempts to drag his government out of crisis over the treatment of women have been obliterated by the disturbing behaviour of disgraced backbencher Andrew Laming.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7186571/coalition-torn-on-disgraced-andrew-laming/?cs=14350
Local tech leaders are dismayed at Christian Porter’s appointment to the Industry, Science and Technology role, saying it shows how little importance the Coalition attaches to the portfolio.
https://www.afr.com/technology/porter-appointment-to-tech-ministry-shows-portfolio-is-a-parking-lot-20210330-p57f7w
Ben Butler writes that experts are saying at least 5,000 Australian companies will go broke in the next three months due to the jobkeeper wage subsidy ending and other factors including insolvency rules returning to pre-Covid settings.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/31/more-than-5000-australian-businesses-to-collapse-in-next-three-months-experts-say
Only 22 per cent of Australians believe politicians act in the public interest, and just 27 per cent believe they prioritise voters over donors, highlighting a dangerous disconnect between electors and their representatives, writes Ronald Mizen. He is referring to the annual Next25 Navigator Public Interest Index showed Australians, on the whole, are deeply unhappy with their public institutions.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/clear-fail-for-the-political-class-faith-in-institutions-crumbles-20210330-p57f88
The AFR thinks Brisbane is looking at an Easter lockdown extension.
https://www.afr.com/companies/tourism/brisbane-faces-extended-lockdown-20210330-p57f5m
Kate Aubusson refers to a world-first Australian report that says one in three Australian COVID-19 patients still has symptoms eight months after being infected, and neither age nor a mild bout of the virus is protective.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/sick-for-the-long-haul-one-third-of-covid-19-patients-have-symptoms-for-eight-months-20210330-p57fbl.html
Australia has administered nearly 600,000 doses of the Covid vaccine, which is 3.4m shots short of a 4m dose target set by the prime minister, Scott Morrison, for the end of March, reports Naaman Zhou.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/31/missed-it-by-that-much-australia-falls-34m-doses-short-of-4m-vaccination-target-by-end-of-march
Matthew Knott reports that the Morrison government has joined 13 other countries, including the Biden administration in the US, to express their “shared concerns” about the World Health Organisation’s report into the origins of the coronavirus pandemic.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/australia-us-express-shared-concerns-about-who-coronavirus-origins-report-20210331-p57ffv.html
Ross Gittins writing about the Hayne and Aged Care Royal Commissions says, “With Scott Morrison hit by a seemingly unending series of headline-making problems, his standard techniques for dealing with them are getting easier to detect. He sees them not so much as policy deficiencies to be rectified as political embarrassments to be “managed” away.”
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/banks-bad-guys-one-minute-put-upon-credit-providers-the-next-20210330-p57f6t.html
Timn Jacks reports on a Victorian anti-corruption inquiry hearing that subcontractors working for a cleaning company that stands accused of bribing senior transport bureaucrats may have been “shell companies” that were headed by “dummy directors”.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/ibac-hearing-rail-cleaning-subcontractors-accused-of-being-shell-companies-20210330-p57f83.html
Angus Thompson writes about a report finding that a $252 million grants fund handled by the Berejiklian government was deliberately devised to accommodate pork-barrelling, punish councils who objected to forced amalgamations, and win seats ahead of the 2019 state election.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/252-million-fund-designed-to-win-seats-and-punish-councils-inquiry-finds-20210330-p57f8p.html
Alexandra Smith tells us that the Nationals and the Shooters, Fishers and Farmers are scouting for candidates as they brace for a byelection in the Upper Hunter after it emerged the sitting MP offered a sex worker $1000 for sex in NSW Parliament House.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nationals-shooters-scouting-for-candidates-as-they-brace-for-nsw-byelection-20210330-p57fcl.html
According to Mike Foley, Labor looks set to avoid internal controversy over its energy policy when its national policy platform is debated on Wednesday as it lays the ground for a battle with the federal government over environmental laws.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-heads-off-internal-energy-battle-builds-platform-for-environmental-attack-on-government-20210330-p57fal.html
Anthony Albanese is promising to cut the prices of electric cars in Australia if Labor wins the next federal election.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/make-electric-cars-cheaper-labor-promises-tax-breaks-for-evs-battery-storage-20210330-p57f8y.html
The Guardian has a more detailed look at this.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/mar/31/labor-unveils-first-electric-vehicle-policy-since-coalition-said-party-was-waging-war-on-the-weekend
Resurrecting Australia’s car industry, a path back to ‘full employment’, and a vastly more generous paid parental leave would be headline reforms under a Labor government, with the opposition saying the nation “can’t go back” to pre-pandemic rules, reports Josh Butler.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/03/30/labor-conference-2021/
Chris Uhlmann has written a piece that lost me not too far in. See if you can make it to the end.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/an-australia-at-war-with-itself-is-ill-prepared-for-these-dangerous-times-20210330-p57f6j.html
Australia will gain the capacity to make its own guided missiles in a $1 billion federal plan to build a new weapons facility with a global arms manufacturer, preparing for greater tensions in the region, writes David Crowe.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australia-to-build-its-own-missiles-with-1bn-guided-weapons-facility-20210330-p57fdm.html
ANZ’s retail boss, Mark Hand, says restrictions on home lending are not on the regulatory radar but could be an option to slow down sky-rocketing property prices.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/anz-s-retail-boss-says-lending-curbs-not-imminent-20210330-p57f7e.html
In a very clear explanation, Rachel Lane tells us that one of the biggest myths in aged care is that you need to sell your home to stump up the cash for an often-hefty Refundable Accommodation Deposit when moving into a residential care home.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/you-don-t-need-to-sell-your-house-to-fund-residential-aged-care-20210329-p57f0w.html
How many anti-vaxxers does it take to misinform the world? Just twelve, writes Arwa Mahdawi.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/mar/30/how-many-anti-vaxxers-does-it-take-to-misinform-the-world-just-twelve
These scientists tell us how seriously ugly Australia will look if the world heats by 3℃ this century.
https://theconversation.com/seriously-ugly-heres-how-australia-will-look-if-the-world-heats-by-3-this-century-157875
Chris Barrett writes that Kevin Rudd has joined with 45 former country leaders and foreign ministers from around the world in calling on the United Nations to intervene to stop the bloodbath in Myanmar, saying “we don’t have any other card left to play”.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/tipping-point-rudd-among-45-ex-leaders-calling-for-myanmar-intervention-20210330-p57fbt.html
Cartoon Corner
David Pope
David Rowe
Fiona Katauskas
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Exr9NNiU8AIfgEm.pg
Peter Broelman
Cathy Wilcox
Mark Knight
John Spooner
From the US