Spillover effects

Another Nationals leadership spill may be brewing, amid growing discontent with low-key incumbent Michael McCormack.

A big but not necessarily good weekend for former and current Nationals leaders:

• Moves to topple Michael McCormack as Nationals leader could come to a boil at today’s party room meeting, which The Australian reports could see a spill or no-confidence motion being moved against him. Barnaby Joyce, David Littleproud and Keith Pitt are all identified as potential successors, though presumably the latter is a long shot. The Australian reports Littleproud will not challenge McCormack directly, meaning he will only nominate if the motion passed is one of no confidence, which would exclude McCormack from contention. Samantha Maiden of News Corp says she “can count to ten votes” for Joyce, which is one fewer than he needs. A spill motion moved by Joyce’s backers in February last year was unsuccessful.

• Andrew Clennell of Sky News reports former Nationals leader John Anderson has failed in his bid to return to politics, having lost a preselection vote for the New South Wales Senate ticket to former state party director Ross Cadell by a margin of 42 to 39.

On the other side of the fence:

• Labor’s national executive has endorsed former state party secretary Sam Rae as its candidate for the new seat of Hawke on Melbourne’s north-western fringe, after a process which had been delayed by a Supreme Court injunction and may yet be overruled should the court strike down the national executive takeover of the state party’s preselection process. The Herald-Sun reports that Rae won 18 votes against three for rival candidate Sarah Carter, a former mayor of Maribyrnong.

• Labor’s leadership selection process in Tasmania, which was determined half by party members and half by state conference delegates, has been won by David O’Byrne, a powerful figure in the Left faction. Adam Langenberg of the ABC reports O’Byrne easily defeated rival candidate Shane Broad with 72% of the votes from the ballot of more than 1200 party members and 75% of the state conference votes. A similar process in New South Wales did not proceed after Michael Daley withdrew from contention, leaving Chris Minns to be elected unopposed.

Author: William Bowe

William Bowe is a Perth-based election analyst and occasional teacher of political science. His blog, The Poll Bludger, has existed in one form or another since 2004, and is one of the most heavily trafficked websites on Australian politics.

1,613 comments on “Spillover effects”

Comments Page 3 of 33
1 2 3 4 … 33

  1. Ben Roberts-Smith, in the middle of his defamation hearing over allegations of war crimes, has been placed into self-isolation after he visited a Covid hotspot.

    The Victoria Cross recipient, who has been in the witness box for six days and is being cross-examined over his actions in Afghanistan, visited a Covid hotspot in the Sydney CBD on Thursday evening. He was alerted to this by an email from the NSW department of health on Sunday.

    He was tested for Covid-19 Sunday evening, and is awaiting those results. His trial has been adjourned until he is cleared to return to court, likely sometime Monday.

  2. Remeikis

    So a grinning Michael McCormack, an unhappy Barnaby Joyce and an ambivalent David Littleproud walk into the Nationals party room.

    Leadership. That’s it. That’s the joke.

  3. Barnaby is a throwback to the Abbott/Brown phase. Few things could better advertise just how reactionary the Nationals are than to reelect the philanderer.

    Because the Nationals will want to emphasise their denialist credentials in QLD and NSW, they probably will choose him. The Nationals are political and financial extortionists. That’s their gig. They’re proud of it. It keeps them in business. They are to the Liberals as the Greens would like to be to Labor. The sooner the country is rid of them the better.

  5. BK @ #4 Monday, June 21st, 2021 – 6:45 am

    Nick O’Malley writes that, according to a complaint made to the government competition watchdog, to Major Australian energy generators are driving up electricity costs by not generating extra power when demand surges thereby creating price spikes. That’s a bit naughty!
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/claims-that-power-generators-are-behind-electricity-price-spikes-20210620-p582lx.html

    I keep trying to point out here that our National Energy Market is broken by design, resulting in some of the highest electricity prices in the world. It’s a classic case of self-regulation gone badly wrong (or right, depending on where your interests lie) 🙁

  6. GG

    You are correct. Andrews has become more popular with instituting Safe Schools. Not less.

    That wokeness is working. I think a lot of it has to do with showing a spine and not letting the LNP or the media push his government around. Another word for wokeness when used by the right seems to be competence.

  9. Victoria
    If you think i’m going to defend Morrison tells me how blindly partisan you are.

    Sutton is a disgrace and should go and Morrison should have gone at the last election.

  11. Fran Kelly is so easily fooled.
    PM can’t speak on #rnbreakfast “because he is in lockdown in The Lodge…” but apparently had time to speak to Ben Fordham.

  12. Beemer

    Kennett‘s funding cuts to health are a disgrace.

    Repeat on vaccine cents before dollars thinking by Morrison and Hunt.
    Now as I said back in March no vaccines available.

    This was a failure to plan.

  13. poroti @ #74 Monday, June 21st, 2021 – 9:52 am

    I just heard as bit of the Albo – Fran interview on the way to work. Someone must have zapped Albo with a cattle prod. He sounded wide awake and much sharper.A lot more like the Albo we thought we were getting.

    Someone should check the basement for an empty pod.

  16. Two polls with similar numbers and ALP strategist would have expected those kind of polling numbers at this stage of the electoral cycle and no serious political watcher would expect the ALP to maintain its 2018 election support when marginal seats turned safe or safe Liberal seats flipped or became marginal but that Herald Sun article is right about one thing because there is growing frustration with how this virus is being managed and the ALP will be wanting Andrews to stay on.

  18. ”
    C@tmommasays:
    Monday, June 21, 2021 at 10:43 am
    lizzie @ #101 Monday, June 21st, 2021 – 10:38 am

    Remeikis

    So a grinning Michael McCormack, an unhappy Barnaby Joyce and an ambivalent David Littleproud walk into the Nationals party room.

    Leadership. That’s it. That’s the joke.

    Or, iow, Barnaby got to 10 but no further.
    ”

    Imagine how hard each side worked in the 11th vote. Whoever that is that person might have got a huge
    reward.

    In Rudd’s case they shouldn’t have done it in the first place. But once it was known to the press even if Gillard held off as Rudd requested the hyenas would have tore him down like it is happening to Mick Mac although with much less intensity because he belongs to LNP.

  19. NewsRadio is reporting the states are lobbying for vaccine and it’s the only item on the agenda for National Cabinet.

    With the ABC saying that expect an IPA style attack about bias any minute.

  20. Recon
    It may well be ‘It’s time’ for Kim il Carr . However, have they got someone with the talent/capability of replacing him ?

  21. Victoria
    I cannot believe you needed to ask that.

    Sutton puts the state into lock down then exempts himself. The guy forced the cancellation of funerals and weddings and has caused widespread disruption then goes and enjoys a trip on taxpayers money.

    Sutton has to go.

  22. I wonder how many LNP politicians are in this same position and thinking about leadership implications.

    @MehreenFaruqi tweets

    I haven’t seen my mum or daughter since 2019. Seeing Morrison gallivanting around the UK while he dodges responsibility for the vaccine rollout and refuses to safely open the borders makes the daily pain of not being able to see my family so much worse.

    ___________________

    @MurrayWatt

    When Australia was on fire, Scott Morrison ran off to Hawaii.

    When his vaccine rollout fell apart, Scott Morrison went sightseeing in Cornwall – something no other Australian can do.

    Scott Morrison is not on your side.

  23. Phillip Coorey
    @PhillipCoorey
    ·
    3m
    Sources tell me Matt Canavan has just moved a spill motion inside the party room #natspill

  24. Mexicanbeemer

    You do realise he had a permit to attend as it was work related.

    Surely you cant be that stupid.

    Sharon Lewin
    @ProfSharonLewin
    Thankyou Prof Brett Sutton
    @VictorianCHO
    for attending #nhmrc council and #nhmrcawards night showing your unwavering support for medical research – a critical part of our public health response! Clapping hands signClapping hands signto
    @ACTHealth
    for a very sensible policy on #covid19 and travel in Flag of Australia
    3:00 PM · Jun 19, 2021·Twitter for iPhone

  25. guytaur
    Mordor Media’s The Australian does it any way. They have a roster of orcs stepping up each day to boo the ABC. Today it is Stephen Rice’s turn.
    .
    “Conspiracy theorist at home with ABC” .

  30. BK
    Coorey would have a permanent Coalition i.v. drip installed so it looks like “It’s On !” . Elvis Big Mac vs The Barnyard Boofhead.

  32. Greensborough Growler says:
    Monday, June 21, 2021 at 10:29 am
    Vic,
    It is always thus and it doesn’t seem to matter much.
    Maybe the issues/deficiencies highlighted by the MSM aren’t the ones of particular importance to voters.

    The ACT Liberal opposition specialises in raising issues that are of little importance to voters. For example,

    The party of “lock ’em up and throw away the key” expresses great concern for the welfare of people in Canberra’s prison.

    The party of no concern for public housing federally is terribly worried about some older public housing not being up to current building standards.

    The party of disdain for public education is terribly worried about students in Canberra’s public schools.

    And so on.

    The Liberals have nine members in the ACT Assembly and it appears each one is trotted out in rotation to complain about something every few days.

  39. Poroti

    I hope the reporting I heard is the start of Buttrose showing spine.

    Ever since Abbott we have had Tea Party disregard for facts in the LNP as Turnbull found out every time he acted on expert advice and lost his job.

    Now Morrison is getting to Trump levels of dangerous as he associates with terrorists and takes the me mr me approach to politics

  42. Mexicanbeemer @ #121 Monday, June 21st, 2021 – 10:58 am

    Victoria
    I cannot believe you needed to ask that.

    Sutton puts the state into lock down then exempts himself. The guy forced the cancellation of funerals and weddings and has caused widespread disruption then goes and enjoys a trip on taxpayers money.

    Sutton has to go.

    On those principles ScoMo needs to go as well. Touring and family history while on a visit to the UK for G7, where he was only an observer. Sutton was working, 2 day meeting of NHMRC with an awards dinner. But of course HS etc ONLY mention the awards dinner

  45. “From Phil Coorey
    “Sources tell me Matt Canavan has just moved a spill motion inside the party room”
    ”

    Joyce and Canavan are an item aren’t they?

    Then why is Michael McCormack grinning, Barnaby Joyce is unhappy David Littleproud is ambivalent when they walk into the Nationals party room.?

  46. Rossmcg says:
    Monday, June 21, 2021 at 11:04 am
    Can Barnaby count?
    My dream would be for one member to vote informal and it be a tie.

    Problem is the fellow counting the votes only has ten fingers so nobody can receive more than ten votes. Unless he takes off his shoes and socks or unless he comes from Tasmania*.

    *runs and hides

  49. @AdamBandt tweets

    The government is tearing itself apart in a fight over who loves coal the most.

    These coal-huggers set the country’s climate policy. No matter who wins, farmers and the climate will lose.

    The Nationals are climate terrorists – and they’re holding us all to ransom.


  50. Mexicanbeemer says:
    Monday, June 21, 2021 at 10:58 am

    …

    Sutton puts the state into lock down then exempts himself. The guy forced the cancellation of funerals and weddings and has caused widespread disruption then goes and enjoys a trip on taxpayers money.

    Sutton has to go.

    Working to get the CMO sacked, is this where the state Liberals are at, or is this Qannon nonsense?

Comments Page 3 of 33
1 2 3 4 … 33

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *