Highlights of the latest fortnightly Essential Research poll, which is lacking the really interesting stuff (the monthly leadership ratings and quarterly dump of voting intention), but covers a fair bit of ground on the budget:
• Respondents were asked whether the budget would be good or bad for various groups and interests, results for which appear to be heavily influenced by general attitudes towards the party bringing down the budget. In this cases, the budget was reckoned to be most beneficial to “people who are well off” (51% good, 8% bad) and big businesses (49% and 7%), but scored net negative ratings for people on lower incomes (30% and 33%) and “you personally” (22% and 25%). However, the budget rated more strongly across the board than last year’s, with net ratings 23% higher for the economy overall, 15% higher for families, 12% higher for younger Australians and 11% higher for average working people.
• The budget has apparently impressed respondents as being good for women, particularly compared with last year’s. Thirty-four per cent rated that it put women’s interests ahead of men’s versus 19% for vice-versa and 47% who thought it balanced, compared with respective figures last year of 14%, 31% and 54%. It would also appear easy to persuade respondents that budgets put the interests of young people ahead of old: 32% thought so this year compared with 28% for vice-versa and 40% for balanced, albeit that this is quite a lot narrower than last year’s split of 45% to 21% with 34% for balanced. As usual with a Coalition budget, many more respondents felt it put the interests of businesses ahead of employees than vice-versa (49% versus 13% with 38% for balanced, compared with 14%, 42% and 45% for last year).
• A regular question on governments’ handling of COVID-19 gave the federal government what I believe to be its weakest good rating to date of 58%, down four on last month, with the poor rating up a point to 18%. For the state governments, good ratings are down five in New South Wales to 68%, up five for Victoria to 63% and down four for Queensland to 68%.
• As did last week’s Resolve Strategic poll, and no doubt most other polls that have ever been conducted on the subject, this one finds strong opposition to an early election: 61% agreed an election this year would “just be opportunism for the Prime Minister”, compared with 39% for the alternative proposition that an early election “will be good for Australia, because a lot has changed since the last election”.
The poll was conducted Wednesday to Sunday from a sample of 1100.
frendk
The sensible policy approach is to separate the issues, not conflate them.
Road use requires a road tax.
Transport energy use requires energy incentives and disincentives.
“lizziesays:
Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 9:17 am
Bruce Guthrie
@brucerguthrie
·
59s
Any medical reason why the tens of thousands of Victorians now turning up at #COVID19 testing centers couldn’t be offered a vaccination at the same time? I’m guessing they might be a little less ‘hesitant’ now.
”
I think you are only vaccinated when you are testing negative to a particular decease
boerwar @ #26 Wednesday, May 26th, 2021 – 8:00 am
“Free electricity” off the back of having invested in their own generation capacity, more like. And if you keep harassing them over it they’ll just go off-grid entirely, leaving poor renters even worse off. Be careful what you wish for.
What free ride off the poor? Roads are paid for out of the general fund. EV owners pay taxes and rego just like everybody else. If your presumption that EV owners are rich is true, then they pay more of the first thing than the poor, and a greater proportion of road maintenance costs.
Nope. Everyone benefits from roads regardless of what kind of vehicle they drive, and regardless of whether or not they drive at all. Roads don’t need a specific tax any more than public schools or national defense need a specific tax.
frednk @ #37 Wednesday, May 26th, 2021 – 8:32 am
In the sense that it’s a lot easier to establish a new tax now, when there are relatively few EV users around, than 10 years down the track when there are tons of them, perhaps.
In terms of public perception though, it mostly shows that Labor in Victoria is as desperate as Federal Labor to communicate that they hate climate action just as much as the Libs. Forward thinking parties in progressive nations don’t do this shit. In fact, they do the opposite.
re the CDC guidelines I just posted
para 1: The prospect that the immune response but not be timely enough is not a contraindication to getting vaccinated after exposure.
para 2: The risk that exposed people getting vaccinated exposes health workers to risk is invalid because these people are being called in to get tested (and expose themselves) regardless.
On balance, you’d have to think this captive cohort should be offered, and strongly encouraged, to get Pfizer.
“Socratessays:
Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 7:05 am
Morning all. Victorian Labor passed the EV tax bill last night, becoming the first jurisdiction in the world to have a tax that discriminates against electric vehicles. Acting Premier James Merlino today unveiled Victoria’s new approach to net zero emission transport, promising a new dawn of modernity in Victoria.
”
May be you thank Labor later when roads are flooded with EV cars and fossil fuel car are no longer available for taxation and LNP is cutting taxes and reducing revenue like they do now at every opportunity (and run huge deficits)
Labor in Victoria used to hold a swathe of ‘coal seats’ in the LaTrobe Valley. They don’t any more.
They don’t seem to be suffering.
Morrison doesn’t need to worry about any financial support Labor receives from unions and GetUp for the next election. He can just contact Clive and arrange for another $80 million. Of course Clive would never ask for any favours in return.
“a rsays:
Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 9:28 am
Forward thinking parties in progressive nations don’t do this shit. In fact, they do the opposite.”
Hmm, don’t count on that. Are you sure Europe and UK are not having a similar tax on EVs?
Ven @ #49 Wednesday, May 26th, 2021 – 9:25 am
Variables in spread rate would be:
strain virulence
viral load of the carrier
nature of exposure – aerosol, droplets, formite
extent of exposure – time, proximity
extent of prophylaxis on both sides – nil, hand washing, mask, mask type, gloves, PPE
Cold climate you’d expect would aggravate prolonged close contact.
Although having to refer to Taber, an interesting discussion last night on the rectum, particularly that meds can be administered via it for those who have trouble swallowing or can’t stomach NSAIDs.
It appears the Covid case that attended the Port v Collingwood game sat in the Port Adelaide supporters bay.
And I just found out that I am now eligible for a vaccine as I live in a “regional” area. Yet… it is still about as clear as mud…
After some fluffing around it looks like my regional clinic has Pfizer which is useful as I am not eligible for AZ.
A few things for those Labor partisans who think mixed messages are the way to go, or that there are “no votes in climate change” ** to consider …
First, Labor themselves analyze the Hunter result …
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/nsw-labor-followed-the-joel-fitzgibbon-playbook-in-the-hunter-and-look-what-happened-20210525-p57v0c.html
In other words, whatever Labor thought they were going to gain on the swings they would inevitably have lost on the roundabouts. And a reminder – this is a Labor analysis of the outcome.
If you want to know why things have changed so dramatically, and why Labor is being left looking so out of touch, then it may be worth considering this …
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/may/26/seven-in-10-australians-want-government-to-take-more-action-on-climate-survey-finds
Like our greenhouse gas emissions, these numbers just keep going up. People are indeed looking for a party willing to be “on their side”. But at present, there simply isn’t a credible one. Certainly not Labor, as long as they continue to run pro-coal candidates in pro-coal seats, and no-coal candidates elsewhere 🙁
** Interestingly, some Labor partisans appear to believe both of these, depending on what best suits their argument on the day.
Michael Rowland
@mjrowland68
Yes, Melbourne’s on the COVID precipice and Queensland has a power crisis, but this, for me, is still the most truly disturbing story this morning.
19 allegations of sex crimes and misconduct involving fed MPs & their staff referred to the AFP.
19.
https://t.co/6hOn0g7amr?amp=1
_____________________
Can anyone get behind the Paywall for the text?
It appears the Covid case that attended the Port v Collingwood game sat in the Port Adelaide supporters bay.
SK
I know one of them – he called from a line of50 cars waiting for a test.
Recently, Sydney had only 2 COVID cases with missing link not found (which according to an epidemiologist is very fortunate) but Melbourne already has 9 cases with missing link apparently found and one of the infected went to footy( these cases are miniscule when compared to other countries).
Like ‘Billy the kid’ brought fortune to US as leader Gladys is bringing lucky charm to NSW.
further to Player One’s post at 9:47. -a.v.
https://theconversation.com/majority-of-australians-in-favour-of-banning-new-coal-mines-lowy-poll-161513
Back briefly. I see a lot of conflating going on to defend the indefensible with the Victorian road use charge. Also lots of straw men like “wealthy EV buyers”. Prove that all EV buyers are wealthy, or that all ICE vehicle buyers are poor. They are not. The average tradie in a (petrol or diesel) ute is on well above average income. As I said, class warfare is used as an excuse for bad policy.
Lots of transport policy experts advocate road use charges, that is not the issue. The issue is that Vic and SA put it on one class of vehicles, EVs, rather than all, as the experts recommend. The fact a Liberal governmetn is pursuing the same policy highlights how little this has ot do with social equity.
The fuel excise levy does NOT pay for roads, either in theory or practice. In fact, it is not sufficient to pay for the climate or health costs oil based emissions cause. Australia has the third cheapest fuel in the OECD. All it has done is lead to people buying larger, less efficient cars. The EV tax is simply one bad policy (non-indexation of fuel excise, stopped by Howard in 2000) leading to a new bad policy. The Victorian EV tax is a cash grab, nothing more.
If we were to seriously practice social equity in transport policy, we would make developers pay for new roads (they used to and no, it doesn’t increase house prices), use rego fees pay for maintenance (they do), build more public transport than roads (we don’t), and make petrol excise pay for pollution and deter excessive use (it doesn’t). Instead we tax a new technology that reduces community harm, because governments lack the moral courage to tell voters they should buy more fuel efficient cars.
For a thorough and honest discussion of transport charging and policy to achieve required equity and emission outcomes, read these, rather than the drivel Labor is using to justify a short-sighted decision.
https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/FactSheet-Transport.pdf
and
https://www.ipcc.ch/site/assets/uploads/2018/02/ipcc_wg3_ar5_chapter8.pdf
Ignorant reporters asking ignorant questions gets on your nerve after a while. Turned the Victorian press conference off
Fuel excise is a federal tax. The Victoria. Road usage tax must be a State impost. I doubt the Commonwealth has the power to levy road use.
I can see why tax bureaucrats would want to tax anything that requires a road. This is an indirect way of taxing the economy in general. However, it is absolutely idiotic to tax EVs in a discriminatory fashion.
Roads are a public good and are paid for from the public wallets. This respect they’re like airports, ports, railways, the telecoms networks and publicly owned utilities. Those who use them should pay for their usage in the same way that users of trains also pay for their usage. Road usage charges are analogous to train tickets. They should be applied in the same way…according to use….time, distance, frequency and so on.
Yet another detailed poll telling us, once again that people believe that CC is real and want action taken to mitigate its effects.
Only problem with this sort of polling is that people keep returning a Federal Government that is openly hostile to taking any action whatsoever.
So, no doubt, we’ll see acres of commentary here on PB and in the broader media of what must be done. But, history seems to show that it’s all make believe as a meaningful political issue.
Ven @ #65 Wednesday, May 26th, 2021 – 10:05 am
I hadn’t heard that they’d linked these cases to the source, when was that announced? I know Rexx asserted it on here yesterday, but you know, Rexx…
Greensborough Growler @ #71 Wednesday, May 26th, 2021 – 10:30 am
I knew you would be one of those unable to resist … “Nothing to see here” … “Move along” … “Everything is Fine”.
No wonder you people lose.
BK @ #64 Wednesday, May 26th, 2021 – 9:29 am
Local ABC radio all over it. The suggestion seems to be that they and the Port Supporters group are doing SAHealths job for them.
Global Cartoons. Huge haul for you all!
UK:
Canada:
Ireland:
India:
South Africa:
Helen Zille and John Steenhuisen MP are in the band.
New Zealand:
Malaysia:
Netherlands:
Switzerland:
France:
Belgium:
I have been led to the Cagle Post – A Cartoon treasure chest @CaglePost – This is the past 24 hours on their feed!
Sometimes things change. Sometimes it takes time. It would be a shame for the ALP to go quiet on an issue that becomes an election winner.
Anywhose. It matters little what the ALP say. The eggs are in the basket anyway. Everyone knows the ALP are the only party that is serious about climate change. I just dont want them to be seen as inconsistent on the issue. People, regions, businesses, the markets all need consistency, certainty, forewarning.
Ven @ #58 Wednesday, May 26th, 2021 – 9:37 am
I’m sure the UK is not currently (or recently) a forward thinking, progressive nation. 🙂
The EU’s plan appears to be:
– AU$17b per year over two years for government purchasing of EV’s
– AU$80b to establish a Clean Investment Fund
– EV’s to be exempt from VAT
Road taxes are a matter for individual EU members to decide, though at the moment it doesn’t seem like any member has distance-based charges for EVs (or any other vehicle). Most seem based off of the rated (not actual) CO2 emissions of the vehicle. Some use the rated fuel efficiency instead. In either case, an EV rates something nonzero (but small) due to floors on the minimum possible rated value.
It would be awesome if Australia (or Vic) did something similar.
Looks like it was fortunate for Australia that the wind was blowing, as it almost always is doing somewhere.
Even luckier that we had so much wind generators to keep the grid going when the coaler exploded
Last 24 hrs on the east coast grid at OpenNEM, wind and hydro never went below 25%, keeping the lights on, some might say
boerwar
It is a reprise of rooftop solar panels. Wealthy middle class homeowners have been getting free or heavily subsidized electricity at the cost of poor renters.
The notion that wealthy EV car buyers should get a free ride off the poor is same, same.
——————————–
This is a prime example of where the word wealthy is out of date in modern Australia not because its wrong but because by an large Australians are middle class. This is why the ALP has difficulty running on labels like the rich and top end of town because whilst there is a real wealthy elite but a large percentage of Australians get caught up in the left’s labels of rich and wealthy.
The Melbourne cases have been linked to a SA medihotel. I have only skimmed this – I dont think they have all the chain linked up yet – only the source.
https://indaily.com.au/news/2021/05/25/sa-health-promises-transparency-on-covid-leak-linked-to-vic-outbreak/
For the past ten years we have paid almost no energy bills at all. In fact, for most of that period, we had credits sitting in our account. I hereby thank the rest of the population for subsidizing our energy use.
We intend to be early EV adopters and feel we should be rewarded for our nobility. Any way in which the rest of the population subsidizes it should be mandatory.
In case people are wondering what freebies (to us, at somebody else’s cost) we would like, I suggest the following:
1. no sales tax
2. no road use tax
3. no registration tax
4. no third party tax
5. free servicing for the first 100,000km.
6. bonus write off for early ditching our perfectly serviceable fossil fuel car which is good for another 100,000km.
7. tax break for interest costs.
8. no GST on servicing costs.
9. free battery replacement.
‘Mexicanbeemer says:
Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 10:47 am
boerwar
It is a reprise of rooftop solar panels. Wealthy middle class homeowners have been getting free or heavily subsidized electricity at the cost of poor renters.
The notion that wealthy EV car buyers should get a free ride off the poor is same, same.
——————————–
This is a prime example of where the word wealthy is out of date in modern Australia not because its wrong but because by an large Australians are middle class. This is why the ALP has difficulty running on labels like the rich and top end of town because whilst there is a real wealthy elite but a large percentage of Australians get caught up in the left’s labels of rich and wealthy.’
——————————————————————
An interesting perspective, IMO.
Quoll, last I looked there is a lot of QLD wind farms in the pipeline.
Not many more coming in SA. A couple.
So…. where are all the EVs going to get their power? Surely now is the time to seriously consider SMRs – considering the lead time. At least 2 or 3 just to get the knowhow in the country.
What servicing? You said it’s an EV.
And serious question; if a farmer grows food, eats some of it, and sells the rest, is your position that society is being unjustly forced to subsidize his
cheap“free” meals?BW,
10. Free Beer.
The reason governments of all stripes subsidise relatively wealthy people to be early adopters of renewable energy and EV cars is because governments arent allowed to build stuff anymore. They get smashed by a media looking for gotchas. HA! You went over budget! etc etc etc etc. And business whinge about interference in the market – which is code for ‘damn, what about our cream and gravy’.
Yes, the money should have been spent on utility scale public owned infrastructure. But the world is a dumb place.
FWIW, there are gov schemes designed to help poor and renters get solar panels. No idea how well that is going or how it could be used for EVs. I will note that EV subsidies in SA certainly, initially, drove up the price of Tesla batteries.
Greensborough Growler @ #85 Wednesday, May 26th, 2021 – 10:24 am
Craft beer?
“Spraysays:
Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 10:36 am
I hadn’t heard that they’d linked these cases to the source, when was that announced? I know Rexx asserted it on here yesterday, but you know, Rexx…
”
It has nothing to do with Rexx…
I saw it yesterday on TV Victorian CMO mentioning that. He appeared pretty sure although not 100%.
‘a r says:
Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 10:50 am
5. free servicing for the first 100,000km.
What servicing? You said it’s an EV.
And serious question; if a farmer grows food, eats some of it, and sells the rest, is your position that society is being unjustly forced to subsidize his cheap “free” meals?’
—————————————————-
I happen to know something about the false way you have framed this crap analogy. You and I are getting some of the best quality and cheapest farm produce in the world off the back of exploited rural labour. There’s your subsidy right there.
Good Morning.
@BernardKeane tweets
Phew. After learning yesterday of the ongoing cover-up of the Brittany Higgins scandal, the torrent of sex abuse in politics and the lack of any budget process around the Kurri Kurri gas plant, I’m relieved to learn from newspapers today that the problems are all on Labor’s side.
GG
I knew I shouldn’t have stopped at 9!
Labor in Victoria used to hold a swathe of ‘coal seats’ in the LaTrobe Valley. They don’t any more.
They don’t seem to be suffering.
——————————
Labor historically held the State seat of Morwell most of the time, and Narracan, which partly covered the Latrobe Valley, for a relatively short period during the Bracks era. I can’t think of any other. The loss of Morwell has been more than made up for by explosive population growth in the north and west of the Melbourne metro area, and to some extent in the SE, and the creation of new Labor friendly electorates in those places. Coal dependent communities are much less politically influential in Victoria than in some other States (without suggesting that focussing particularly on the needs of coal dependent communities should be an imperative for the ALP’s electoral prospects).
Last 24 hrs on the east coast grid at OpenNEM, wind and hydro never went below 25%, keeping the lights on, some might say
Only a matter of time before the COALition argue … but what if the wind stopped blowing at the same time the Coal power station caught fire
Spray,
You can be an unnecessarily spiteful person at times.
Anyone who thinks EVs never need to be serviced does not understand EVs.
They don’t have to be serviced nearly much but they still have to be serviced.
As an EV adopter I demand that everyone acknowledge my climate virtue for paying all my service costs.
SK,
Political Parties focus on issues perceived to be of importance to the voters that elect them to office.
Labor should be focussed on issues like health, education and employment because they are proven drivers of voting behaviour.
Environmental issues are part of the mix. But, as can be demonstrated in many Elections, it’s not a game changer when people make their voting decisions.
‘Simon Katich says:
Wednesday, May 26, 2021 at 10:56 am
The reason governments of all stripes subsidise relatively wealthy people to be early adopters of renewable energy and EV cars is because governments arent allowed to build stuff anymore. They get smashed by a media looking for gotchas. HA! You went over budget! etc etc etc etc. And business whinge about interference in the market – which is code for ‘damn, what about our cream and gravy’.
Yes, the money should have been spent on utility scale public owned infrastructure. But the world is a dumb place.
FWIW, there are gov schemes designed to help poor and renters get solar panels. No idea how well that is going or how it could be used for EVs. I will note that EV subsidies in SA certainly, initially, drove up the price of Tesla batteries.’
————————————–
Good post, IMO, but could you please lay off until I get all my EV subsidized freebies?
On EV’s
Labor in Victoria made a mistake. It’s the first government in the world to tax electric vehicles.
The Victorian government is streets ahead of the LNP on climate change issues but be in no doubt that was a mistake.
C@tmomma @ #94 Wednesday, May 26th, 2021 – 11:01 am
Example?
I just read this in another context (if there’s ever another context) and it resonated strongly:
“the deep addiction to comfort of the Australian was of life”
and it took me straight back to what I think GG is saying about Australians knowing about CC vs doing something about it.
(don’t wish to put words in mouths … fire away)