As a new financial year dawns, it’s all happening on Poll Bludger — in addition to this post, there is:
• A new post by Adrian Beaumont on Britain’s Batley and Spen by-election, French regional elections and the New York City mayoral election;
• A post on the new draft state redistribution for Victoria, including my calculations of party vote shares for the new boundaries;
• A post on the federal redistribution for Victoria, which has now been finalised, and which likewise comes with an accounting of party vote shares under the new boundaries, and some analysis of how the changes affects the Greens prospects in Macnamara and Higgins; and
• The regular bi-monthly donation drive.
Further developments:
• The Northern Territory Country Liberal Party has preselected Jacinta Price as its Senate candidate at the expense of incumbent Sam McMahon, who came to the position at the 2019 election. Price is the deputy mayor of Alice Springs Council and head of indigenous research at conservative think thank the Centre for Independent Studies, and ran unsuccessfully for the CLP in Lingiari at the 2019 election. McMahon was in the news last week after her unsteadiness while in the Senate chamber prompted allegations she was drunk, although she insisted she had in fact been suffering symptoms of severe hypertension.
• The mayor of Alice Springs, Damien Ryan, has been preselected by the CLP as its new candidate for Lingiari, which will be vacated with the retirement of Labor veteran Warren Snowdon. Labor’s new candidate is Marion Scrymgour, former Deputy Chief Minister and current chief executive of the Northern Land Council.
• Federal parliament’s Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters has published the report from its inquiry on the future conduct of elections operating during times of emergency situations. After considering the recent experiences of Queensland council elections, the Eden-Monaro by-election and general elections in Tasmania and the Northern Territory, it offers fairly modest recommendations: to give the Electoral Commissioner the power to extend pre-polling periods and allow for no-excuse postal and pre-poll voting (which exists de facto in any case) should the circumstances demand it, and to change the Electoral Act to change the date of an election in an emergency, giving better effect to a power that already exists under the Constitution.
• July 24 has been set as the date for Queensland’s Stretton by-election, which will fill the vacancy created by Labor member Duncan Pegg’s resignation after a terminal cancer diagnosis in May, followed weeks later by his death. The by-election will be contested for Labor by James Martin, a former electorate officer to Pegg, and for the Liberal National Party by Jim Bellos, a police officer and former Queenslander of the Year. Labor’s margin in the seat is 14.8%; I’ll be publishing a guide to the by-election soon-ish.
BW
I have specifically talked about the return of US soft power and how that’s a defence of sovereignty. I even had acknowledgment from you over the shift in the Philippines attitude as a result.
That’s positive talk about good international relations.
ItzaDream @ #2137 Sunday, July 4th, 2021 – 10:41 am
I like it. Not just “apes” but “apes with egos”. That’s a fairly good description of the human race.
I did find I had to play the video at 2x speed to get through it. I got that idea from the comments, which also called it the “battle of the monotones” 🙂
A swan embraces the Vet who saved her life.
I should say, not even merely philosophically :P.
We see hundreds of posts on global warming. How many, mine excepted, address China’s contribution?
Lizzie:
Are you sure that swan isn’t an Olympic god is disguise? And up to no good?
lizzie
Is the vet’s name ‘Leda?’
I see we have a pair of classical students here. 😆
DisplayName @ #661 Sunday, July 4th, 2021 – 12:09 pm
1. They are an Anglophone democracy like us.
2. Because they are good at it. Also, see 1, above. Also because they have a wide variety of news media that expurgates common themes.
3. See 1. above. We are invested in the drift towards Populist Nationalist Authoritarianism and we are interested in how the foremost democracy in the world fought back against it. The only one that has been able to do it at the ballot box (we haven’t had our federal election yet), in recent times.I’d also put France in that basket (and I was very invested in that result too).
Don’t forget. Businesses staying open in NSW is a result of financial pressure to remain open. Restricting the ability of the NSW government to get them to shut.
JobKeeper would alleviate this.
boerwar
The rot of their democracy gave us Trump. They are now rated a “flawed democracy” and arguably moving into oligarchy.Should they continue down that path the next Trump will likely be far worse. So let us pretend all is rosy and wonderful and cheer enthusiastically for their awesomeness as they trash the brand of ‘Western Democracy’ and take us all down with them.
Edit: classic, not classical.
boerwar, most of those posts are regarding what Australia can do, in conversation with fellow Australians, which at least has some chance it might change what Australia is doing.
Nothing we say here will affect China and so noting China’s contribution once is more than enough.
In other words you’ve posted a lot of useless stuff of no value that hasn’t added anything to the discussion. Sorry.
poroti
Where’s your balance?
Edit again: classics. I need lunch!
Sorry, coming to this discussion late as I have just helped my son wash his car for the facebook Marketplace & Gumtree photos (mine got a wash too). 🙂
China won’t listen to us?
Why do we have separate tests for China and for the West, US and Australia?
poroti @ #672 Sunday, July 4th, 2021 – 12:17 pm
Or you could be concerned about it and take an interest in it.
I await an assertion that if only Xi would take up the Greens’ peace studies all will be well.
boerwar
Xi doesn’t listen to me. Does he listen to you? Does he know we exist?
China might listen to the Australian state. That makes Australians working within Australia to strengthen our own state’s hand more important than whinging day after day about China.
boerwar
It would be well. I volunteer you to go over and convince him :P.
Isn’t it self evident that tedious bore and other partisans here just make shit up all the time to support their position, as they perceive it today? You’re right DN about having some substantive evidence for big claims about everyone else on PB. Though it seems fastly held opinion on the basis of some magical personal insight without any acknowledgement of bias is kind of how the most prolific bludgers roll.
Also the reason why bothering to engage in any discussion with those fixated minds seems like a waste time. Has any of the perennial bludgers ever changed their or anyone else’s mind on anything? Seems few are genuinely interested to listen to any thing other than their own opinion, over and over again.
One wonders whether we might eventually see something like this reported about Australia …
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-04/bolsonaro-protests-brazil-covid-vaccine-corruption/100266358
The ties between AstraZeneca, CSL and the Liberal Party might bear deeper scrutiny.
I, too, have criticized Trump.
I, too, have expressed serious concerns about the state of US democracy.
After all, the US is our main security partner. It matters vitally.
OTOH, China is our main economic partner.
How it matters is just as important, if not more important to Australia than the US.
Why ignore the state of democracy and liberal democratic values in China?
Fear of being described as racist?
Lefties so sort of alright?
We were bad to them in the past so who are we to talk?
Whatever set of spurious reasons offered or suffered in silence, Bludger was almost largely silent on China for years at the same time as it was being vociferous about the US.
Isn’t it self evident that tedious bore and other partisans here just make shit up all the time to support their position, as they perceive it today?
You mean like you, Quoll? 🙂
BW
I don’t feel a need to point out the flaws in China’s greenhouse emissions strategy, you do great.
However I will point out China can force change that means they don’t need to keep popular support and can impose hardship on their citizens to achieve their goals.
Working cooperatively with China on this is good for two reasons.
It’s good for the planet. It’s good to have a working basis to talk to the Chinese.
You might just get past the nationalism.
I have praised the US approach because it’s realistic without the beating of war drums under Biden.
I want to see Australia have a similar approach.
‘Quoll says:
Sunday, July 4, 2021 at 12:22 pm
Isn’t it self evident that tedious bore and other partisans here just make shit up all the time to support their position, as they perceive it today?
…’
__________________________________________
1. Greens personal abuse. 2. Greens Deflection
Before taking any Greens poster seriously on matters of Australian security it is wise to listen to what the Greens say and to read what the Greens propose in their security policies.
In public discourse, the Greens have never supported a single defence acquisition. Not one in 30 eyars. They have criticized every defence acquisition. The sobering lesson is, that left to the Greens, Australia would be like Australia was when the Japanese were sweeping south: no tanks, no subs, no modern fighters and pathetic AA, pathetic artillery.
We can get the gist of the Greens security policy that they are trying to get Xi to take part in their ‘peace studies’. Hello?
Yeah that’s rich coming from u c@t.
As many have said self awareness is not ur strong suit.
BW
I have not seen the Greens argue Australia should have no military.
This is one of your made up smears.
I mean, boerwar even bashes the Greens even though their most recent four leaders (and one state leader) have publicly criticised China (and Xi) even when it wasn’t the popular thing to do (e.g. with a trade deal in the offing).
*shrug*
Some people see what they want to see.
What I’d like to see is the NSW ALP policy on China?
Does any Labor partisan know when we will see this policy?
g
Why call reporting the truth as a ‘smear’?
Name a single item of defence equipment purchase that the Greens have supported in the past 30 years. Just one.
Name a single instance in which a single Greens public figure has supported specific defence allocations in the Budget. Just the once.
Display name
Is there any use criticising China’s military aggression if all you are offering up in return is criticisms of the ANZUS alliance, criticisms of military acquisitions, criticisms of military elements in the Budget, and a recommendation that these be replaced with peace studies?
War is such a ridiculous concept.
BW
The defence force is notorious for lack of accountability in procurement.
By the way. Biden’s Democratic Party has a similar criticism of defence procurement. It hasn’t stopped them spending big on the military
Rex Douglas @ #1065 Sunday, July 4th, 2021 – 11:38 am
Because the opposition and the media can’t put enough pressure on to force him out.
How many lives and how much money did it take to lose the 20yr war in Afghanistan …?
‘g
guytaur says:
Sunday, July 4, 2021 at 12:40 pm
BW
The defence force is notorious for lack of accountability in procurement. ‘
_________________________________________
So, you can’t name as single item supported by the Greens. You can’t name a single instance in which the Greens have supported the defence element of the Budget.
Now, you might support these Greens policies. Many do. But what you can’t do is ignore the fact of their existence.
Quoll
‘Has any of the perennial bludgers ever changed their or anyone else’s mind on anything?’
Yep, numerous times. I do tend to hold back sometimes on expressing an opinion on an issue until I’ve sorted it out, so it might not always be obvious, but I know that discussions here have changed my mind over issues in the past.
I’ve also referred to other posters as shifting their position – which to me is not an insult, because that’s something we all should do.
So my observation is that yes, I’ve shifted my position on issues because of the discussions here and I certainly know that other posters have, too.
Of course, what shifts positions is not invective, and labelling everyone who disagrees with you as a partisan hack or whatever. It’s using evidence to back up assertions and treating others with at least a degree of respect, even when you think you disagree with them.
BW
I don’t make the conclusion you keep implying that the Greens oppose having a military.
That’s your smear.
Ven @ #1028 Sunday, July 4th, 2021 – 10:57 am
‘You just can’t trust the Libs with taxpayers money.’
An absolute rortfest the like of which we’ve never seen before.
Albo needs to give the vaccine a bit of rest and turn the heat up on the rorting of public money. Don’t let the scent trail go cold.
Politically this is a gift to Labor.
All they have to do is find the stanley knife and get the package open.
Batteries not included.
With respect to choice open to Chinese people, it is fallacy to believe that Chinese people, in China, have ‘little or no choice’….This is patently untrue. Currently, anyone with time, money and purpose can travel by plane or train anywhere in China – which is more than we can do….
I have no wish at all for the Chinese to export their brand of government (either by soft or hard power) to anywhere else in the world just as I am wary about US ideals in establishing “democracy” in places like Iraq, Chile, Afghanistan and elsewhere by overt and covert support….
And, as for ‘choice’, was it some US President (FDR?) said something like “Yep, the people are entitled to be heard, but no necessarily paid attention to”……?
Our representative democracy is the best we can come up with, and preferable to any autocracy, but the degree of real choice is not as free-wheeling as some would have us believe…..
It seems an obvious strategy Mundo.
But Labor tactics committee has decided vaccine scare campaigns are a better bet – when it’s pretty obv there’s a huge increase in vaccine numbers in the pipeline.
Go figure!
boerwar from earlier on….
You are on a hiding to nothing with some here with your China pitch…..mainly from the “China all bad” brigade…………
Right, so now you have to criticise China in the right way or it doesn’t count.
You can’t win.
It’s fairly obvious that the target of boerwar’s posts is not really China, but those he perceives to be his political enemies at home.
But now I’m repeating myself, so that’s the last from me for today :P.
The dangers of too much sex and batting without a helmet.
https://www.aljazeera.com/amp/news/2021/7/2/pakistan-imran-khan-china-uighurs?__twitter_impression=true
Gladys is certainly nervous about the politics of lockdown. What is she doing to that mask?
https://twitter.com/i/broadcasts/1eaKbnnAyMrKX
This is personal. Time for the Swans to smite the Wegales wherever the poor bastards are playing in Victoria.
Don’t know if this has already been posted but I think most of you will like it.
https://twitter.com/nathleigh/status/1410547744117166082?s=27