Preselection latest

As the Victorian Liberals get candidates in place for target Labor seats, a new vacancy opens in a marginal of their own.

Recent developments relevant to the looming federal election, mostly involving the Liberals in Victoria:

• House of Representatives Speaker Tony Smith announced this week he would retire from politics at the election, after holding the seat of Casey on Melbourne’s eastern fringe since 2001. Phillip Coorey of the Financial Review reports “leading contenders” for the Liberal preselection are David Lau, a manager with medical supplies company Ebos Group, and Aaron Violi, a manager with a company that provides online ordering services to restaurants. Both have form as political staffers, Lau with Senator Sarah Henderson and Violi with Senator James Patterson. The “controversial comments on Facebook related to abortion” that caused Lau to quit his job with Henderson appear not to have done him any harm with the party membership. Smith retained Casey by a margin of 4.6% in 2019, which has not changed with the redistribution.

• The Victorian Liberals have preselected former Geelong mayor Stephanie Asher for Corangamite, where Labor’s Libby Coker unseated Sarah Henderson in 2019, and lawyer and one-time Survivor contestant Sharn Coombes for Dunkley in Melbourne’s south-east, which Labor gained after a favourable redistribution in 2019. Brodie Cowburn of Bayside News reports other candidates for Dunkley included Chris Crewther, who held the seat for the Liberals from 2016 until his defeat in 2019, and Donna Hope, who as Donna Bauer held the marginal local state seat of Carrum for a term from 2010 to 2014.

• Queensland’s Liberal National party has preselected Colin Boyce, who has held the state seat of Callide since 2017, as its new candidate for the central Queensland seat of Flynn, held for the party on a margin of 8.7% and to be vacated at the election with the retirement of Ken O’Dowd. Matthew Killoran of the Courier-Mail reports Boyce “convincingly” won a local party ballot over Mitchell Brownlie, Ron English and Tracie Newitt.

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.

2,299 comments on “Preselection latest”

Comments Page 1 of 46
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  1. E. G. Theodore:

    Thursday, July 15, 2021 at 10:36 pm

    Apropos of your analysis let’s hope there are no “black swans” a la Popperian deductive logic.

    _________________________________

    poroti:

    Thursday, July 15, 2021 at 9:25 pm

    [‘Then ‘civilisation’ crept along the coast and along came @#@$#@ developers.’]

    I should admit that I’ve got skin in the game – a minority proprietary interest. It concerns me that although the buyer has said that he intends to keep it as a trailer park for some 5 years, there are no guarantees post-settlement. If it is developed, there will be quite a number of tenants who’ll have to find a new home, with only two months’ notice. There are now few residential trailer parks on the Goldie, one other selling to a developer last week, your example on the money, the buyer having a property portfolio of around $800m. I accordingly fear the worse but business is business – l guess?

  2. Three electorates, one woman nominated.

    The “controversial comments on Facebook related to abortion” that caused Lau to quit his job with Henderson appear not to have done him any harm with the party membership.

    Anyone wondering why it’s apparently so hard for women to be nominated for safe Liberal seats, here in part is the answer: the party membership.

  3. Perhaps with Smith’s impending resignation, we might see him less partial though he’s been reasonably fair compared to his immediate predecessor, Bishop, B.

  4. Thanks William for the preselection news. Casey is one of those seats that is on the verge of being marginal in a good Labor year but never quite gets there. I don’t think Labor has held it since the Whitlam era, and on very different boundaries. Even with the loss of Smith’s incumbency, the ALP is near high water mark in Victoria already. Maybe a COVID wild card and Victorian backlash about being ruled by the Government for NSW – the Canberra based one, rather than the Sydney based one – could bring it into play.

  5. Two political staffers ‘trained’ by Sarah H and J Paterson. Is this the new blood Tony Smith would like to see?

  6. Mavis @ #3 Friday, July 16th, 2021 – 6:01 am

    Perhaps with Smith’s impending resignation, we might see him less partial though he’s been reasonably fair compared to his immediate predecessor, Bishop, B.

    The bar couldn’t get any lower than BBishop. I’ve often thought Smith following her always made him look more reasonable as Speaker than he actually was.

  7. Tony Smith is always very strong on precedent, assuring MPs that he has searched multiple pages of Hansard for examples to support his rulings. However this has apparently not prevented him from stopping the muzzling of Labor with “member should no longer be heard”, which is not in line with the original intention.

  8. Phillip Coorey of the Financial Review reports ≴;leading contenders” for the Liberal preselection are David Lau, a manager with medical supplies company Ebos Group
    —————-

    Is this the man who saved Australia ?

  11. I think this is important enough to bring forward from the previous thread:

    ‘E. G. Theodore @ #3023 Thursday, July 15th, 2021 – 11:30 pm

    Lars Von Trier (Thursday, July 15, 2021 at 8:20 pm):

    https://www.health.gov.au/sites/default/files/documents/2021/07/covid-19-vaccine-rollout-update-15-july-2021.pdf

    Good news!

    According to this update – we are ahead of the Kiwis on vaccination and about to overtake Canada!

    On 3 July, Canada was 67.9% at least one dose, and 35.9% fully vaccinated:
    – https://health-infobase.canada.ca/covid-19/vaccination-coverage/
    both as % of full population; higher for over 12s of course

    Clearly, Australia is nowhere near those levels, and the statement is ridiculous.

    So how was it that the famous free-thinkers Lars and Nath were deceived?

    Well, what Mr Morrison’s government has done is shifted the data as if the two vaccination programs had started at the same time, whereas in fact Mr Morrison’s program started about 100 days late. So what that chart actually telling us is where the rollout would have been if it had started when it should have started, which is several months before it actually did start.

    Government by retrospective fantasy – what a fantastic development.’

    This deserves repeating before the Liberal Gish Gallopers get on their high horses again today.

  13. So the Victorian Liberal Party is still being allowed to be overrun by Christian Conservatives so as to make the government even less representative of the people at large than it already is?

    I think Michelle Grattan, in her Grattan on Friday’ article, may be right. Scott Morrison won in 2019 because he was Mr Ordinary and a safe pair of hands. Now, in 2021/22, it’s Anthony Albanese who is looking like Mr Ordinary as Scott Morrison flounders.

  14. Confessions:

    Friday, July 16, 2021 at 6:23 am

    [‘Mavis @ #3 Friday, July 16th, 2021 – 6:01 am

    [‘The bar couldn’t get any lower than BBishop. I’ve often thought Smith following her always made him look more reasonable as Speaker than he actually was.’]

    Agree about Bishop, her speakership a low, non more partial. You could therefore reasonably argue that anyone would seem okay compared to her. Smith got a few brownie points when he publicly dressed down Morrison. He could leave the job with a bit more respect if he were to spend the rest of his time conducting his office with impartiality in accordance with Westminster
    traditions. I mean, unless he’s been promised a position after he leaves his current job he has nothing to lose.

  15. Interesting that the Liberals have chosen a former Reality TV contestant to be their candidate for Dunkley. From a show where being a two-faced liar is an advantageous quality.

  16. This far along the pandemic Morrison has decided that standardisation of compensation in lockdowns might be a good idea. WTH?

  17. Amy Siskind
    @Amy_Siskind

    Still lol’ing about the Kremlin’s assessment of Trump that he is a mentally unstable and unbalanced guy with an inferiority complex. Rolling on the floor laughing. I coulda supplied that assessment for free.

  18. Lizzie @ #17 Friday, July 16th, 2021 – 7:01 am

    This far along the pandemic Morrison has decided that standardisation of compensation in lockdowns might be a good idea. WTH?

    I think the thing we need to understand is that Scott Morrison conducts his politics in the eternal present. So every day is a new day and it comes with a rosy picture to suit today’s narrative. The past is catapulted down the memory hole, hopefully never to return to the consciousness of the electorate at election time.

  19. Mavis @ #14 Friday, July 16th, 2021 – 6:57 am

    Confessions:

    Friday, July 16, 2021 at 6:23 am

    [‘Mavis @ #3 Friday, July 16th, 2021 – 6:01 am

    [‘The bar couldn’t get any lower than BBishop. I’ve often thought Smith following her always made him look more reasonable as Speaker than he actually was.’]

    Agree about Bishop, her speakership a low, non more partial. You could therefore reasonably argue that anyone would seem okay compared to her. Smith got a few brownie points when he publicly dressed down Morrison. He could leave the job with a bit more respect if he were to spend the rest of his time conducting his office with impartiality in accordance with Westminster
    traditions. I mean, unless he’s been promised a position after he leaves his current job he has nothing to lose.

    Mavis, Smith having been elected in 2001 is eligible for the old superannuation scheme so he’ll be able to sit back and twiddle his thumbs. At least I think he is.

  20. Bert,
    And go on a few boards, that have their own tidy retainers. He said as much when he announced his resignation.

  22. Fault believed to be in the Power Control Unit (PCU) on the Science Instrument Command and Data Handling (SI C&DH) unit; they are switching to the backup side of the SI C&DH.

    Operations Underway to Restore Payload Computer on NASA’s Hubble Space Telescope

    July 15, 2021 – NASA Begins Switch to Backup Spacecraft Hardware
    Today, NASA began a switch to backup spacecraft hardware on Hubble in response to an ongoing problem with its payload computer. This will be a multi-day event. If successful, the next step will be for science instruments to be brought back into operation.

    https://www.nasa.gov/feature/goddard/2021/operations-underway-to-restore-payload-computer-on-nasas-hubble-space-telescope

  24. As the vaccination rates inexorably rise – there’ll be more screeching on here. Australia started 3 months after North America and europe . Why ?

    Because the vaccines were approved for emergency use because thousands of people were dying from COVID and Australia had the luxury of seeing any side effects – which we did with astra Zeneca.

    Anyway the govt figures are clear (unless you take the health figures are concocted fantasy line of some on here) – we are ahead of the kiwis and will soon overtake Canada (l.f.l)

    It’s quite likely we’ll be 20% fully vaccinated by the end of the month and go up 15% every month thereafter because of the pipeline of people already partially vaccinated.

    Best,

    Lars

  26. The epidemiologists and infection specialists are starting to hover like vultures over the carcase of Gladys’ refusal to make the tough decisions.

  27. Bert:

    Friday, July 16, 2021 at 7:11 am

    [‘Mavis, Smith having been elected in 2001 is eligible for the old superannuation scheme so he’ll be able to sit back and twiddle his thumbs. At least I think he is.’]

    Thanks. If that’s right he should be expected to do the right thing though Morrison might sack him if he’s seen to be too impartial, there being precedent. Labor Speaker Cope had no choice but to resign in Feb ’75 ‘after the Whitlam government refused to support him when he named Clyde Cameron, a government minister.’ Although he had an axe to grind I think Slipper was the best speaker in recent history.

  28. As the vaccination rates inexorably rise – there’ll be more screeching on here.

    And more fake perspectives from you.

  31. Mavissays: Friday, July 16, 2021 at 7:29 am

    Although he had an axe to grind I think Slipper was the best speaker in recent history

    *******************************************

    Totally agree with you Mavis :

    I’ve said it before but ……. in my opinion of all the speakers I have seen …….. the best by a country mile was Peter Slipper – he ran the tightest ship, called out bloviators and promptly dealt with anyone who tried it on ….. he soon established a no-nonsense reputation; during his first Question Time, he expelled four of his former Coalition colleagues without warning.

    Question time was all it SHOULD BE under Slippers time in the chair

    Just a real pity in Australian politics that Slipper was hounded out of parliament on what appeared to be petty drummed up charges

  34. phoenixRED:

    Friday, July 16, 2021 at 7:35 am

    Yes, Slipper set a standard that others should but won’t follow. The Commons’ Speaker also reflects how the job should be done but we’ve managed to stuff things up, no better example than the awful Bronnie Bishop who took special pride in being partial.

  35. Poor Britain with a leader like that. But we can’t laugh.

    I have “special sauce” on my announceables bingo card.

  36. Oh dear.

    Among the new cases in workers on Thursday were three delivery drivers supplying materials to the WestConnex Rozelle interchange site, as well as a cleaner at a western Sydney aged care home.

    The positive cases among WestConnex workers emerged only hours after Ms Berejiklian ruled out ceasing work on major state government projects, including the new motorway, in a bid to reduce mobility around the city.

    “Can I say the following in relation to that, and that is that we know that these [major infrastructure projects] that are continuing work are doing so in a COVID-safe way,” she said.

    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/westconnex-worksite-sydney-hospitals-affected-by-virus-exposures-20210715-p58a1g.html

  39. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    Michelle Grattan writes that, as the Delta strain escalated our COVID experience to a new stage of national disruption, Scott Morrison has been under a form of political house arrest, driven by circumstances and choice. Meanwhile, she says, Albanese has hit the road.
    https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-covid-boxes-morrison-in-while-albanese-hits-the-road-164583
    Since Scott Morrison pretty much governs in absentia, if he and his entire ministry disappeared, we would be unlikely to notice, writes Michelle Pini.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/leadership-liberal-style-is-pm-scott-morrison-still-here,15295
    The frontline of Sydney’s COVID-19 outbreak has widened from family homes to workplaces across the city, with potential clusters emerging at a major building site, two hospitals and an aged care facility.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/westconnex-worksite-sydney-hospitals-affected-by-virus-exposures-20210715-p58a1g.html
    Daniella White compares the Sydney and Melbourne lockdowns.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/bubbles-and-footy-how-do-the-sydney-and-melbourne-lockdowns-compare-20210715-p58a40.html
    A disenchanted John Dwyer writes about the NSW ‘lockdown’ that isn’t while putting business before people. It’s well worth reading.
    https://johnmenadue.com/the-nsw-lockdown-that-isnt/
    If Lockdown 5.0 is short, sharp and successful in Victoria, it will have the potential to redefine the national debate on the management of the virus, writes The Australian’s John Ferguson.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/the-great-daniel-andews-v-gladys-berejiklian-showdown/news-story/9895106ebed75a39f8dc3dbc6569b442
    David Crowe says that there is a new parochialism stifling Australia.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-new-parochialism-stifling-australia-20210715-p58a55.html
    Philosophy professor Adam Piovarchi explains the role of blame in public discourse.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/why-the-blame-game-is-an-important-social-tool-20210715-p58a2b.html
    Can you believe this? The Heral-sun declares, “Victorians have been here before. But there’s something different about this lockdown — it’s a chance to show our NSW neighbours how it’s done.”
    https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/susie-obrien/why-victorians-will-embrace-fifth-lockdown/news-story/272ac111c280489a50f0435991e2705f
    The editorial in the Canberra Times simply says that the PM can’t spin his way out of this vaccine mess. It concludes with, “Mr Morrison needs to up his game. This pandemic is not just about marketing and image. It is about hard decisions based on evidence; his hard decisions based on evidence.”
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7342074/the-pm-cant-spin-his-way-out-of-this-vaccine-mess/?cs=14258
    The editorial in The Canberra Times says The PM can’t spin his way out of this vaccine mess. It concludes with, “Mr Morrison needs to up his game. This pandemic is not just about marketing and image. It is about hard decisions based on evidence; his hard decisions based on evidence. Blaming underlings is low. We have no doubt voters will see it that way.”
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7342074/the-pm-cant-spin-his-way-out-of-this-vaccine-mess/?cs=14258
    A major hospital in the centre of Sydney’s coronavirus outbreak has been forced to postpone all non-urgent surgery after a patient tested positive to COVID-19.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-hospital-covid-scare-as-south-west-s-testing-systems-struggle-20210714-p589ot.html
    Professor Ian Ring begins his harsh assessment of federal government with, “The Commonwealth government’s performance with quarantine and vaccine purchase and delivery has been widely derided – and not without reason. And this is on top of its manifest failure to adequately regulate and fund the aged care sector. The states and territories, by contrast, have been left to do the heavy lifting, carrying out their own responsibilities for COVID-19 testing and contact tracing and, on top of that, have had to bail out the Commonwealth in terms of hotel quarantine and boosting vaccination for priority groups.” This is will worth a read.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7340727/training-the-aps-is-key-to-dealing-with-the-long-term-covid-threat/?cs=14258
    The Age’s editorial says that, as Melbourne begins lockdown 5.0, it has suffered more than most in Australia. But when you look abroad, you realise we still have much to be grateful for.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/locked-down-again-but-still-better-off-than-so-many-places-20210715-p589we.html
    The political betting has to be on Daniel Andrews getting traction on federal aid because Scott Morrison is too vulnerable to risk another brawl with the Victorian Premier, says Jennifer Hewett.
    https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/morrison-can-t-risk-another-brawl-with-andrews-20210715-p58a4g
    Phil Coorey writes that the worm keeps turning on the best laid reopening plans.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/worm-keeps-turning-on-best-laid-reopening-plans-20210714-p589jj
    The government has quietly scaled down projections of how many AstraZeneca doses will be available in Australia in the coming weeks, while downplaying a huge gap between the amount being locally produced and original Covid-19 vaccine supply targets.
    https://www.theguardian.com/society/2021/jul/15/australian-government-scales-back-supply-projections-for-astrazeneca-covid-19-vaccine
    Jacqui Maley wonders if Australia has bungled the pandemic response.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/armed-patrols-complacency-and-covid-19-has-australia-bungled-the-pandemic-20210715-p589zo.html
    After five months of Australia’s COVID vaccination program, it’s unclear exactly how many people in the highest priority have received a vaccination and the federal government is only able to confirm fewer than half of aged care and disability workers are immunised, reports Josh Butler.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/07/16/disability-workers-vaccinated/
    Businesses were trying to encourage employees back into the office before the latest lockdowns but the shift to flexible working from home looks permanent, opines the editorial in the SMH.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/lockdowns-will-change-office-life-forever-and-for-the-better-20210715-p58a1u.html
    Michael Pascoe reckons that, in a round-a-bout way, our closed borders have revealed a wages home truth. He says they have demonstrated that the way our migration system has been run, particularly our temporary migration system, may well have been one of the factors suppressing wages growth.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2021/07/16/migration-wages-growth-labour/
    RBA Governor’s wages-immigration bomb and how he got it wrong, explains Abul Rizvi.
    https://johnmenadue.com/rba-governors-wages-immigration-bomb/
    Nick O’Malley writes that Europe’s controversial carbon plan could be a global game-changer.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/europe-s-controversial-carbon-plan-could-be-a-global-game-changer-20210715-p589zh.html
    The European Union has announced the world’s most ambitious response to climate change, and the US and China are not far behind, explains Stephen Bartholomeusz.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/europe-is-provoking-the-world-with-its-controversial-plan-to-fight-climate-change-20210715-p589yr.html
    Nick Bonyhady tells us that chefs will be allowed to trade away their penalty rates, overtime and allowances in return for a flat rate of at least $82,400 for up to 57 hours of work a week in an attempt by the industrial commission to tackle widespread wage underpayment at fine dining establishments.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/revolutionary-new-restaurant-pay-rules-aim-to-combat-underpayment-20210715-p58a1r.html
    At the last census, nearly a third of Australians marked “no religion” but it’s likely this is a significant under-reporting of the true numbers of non-religious people in Australia, argues Heidi Nicholl.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/census-time-to-mark-no-religion-20210715-p58a0w.html
    The Australian sarcastically says that the scintillating personality and evident charisma of interim Aussie Post chief Rodney Boys and his chair Lucio Di Bartolomeo – on show over recent months at Senate estimates – has apparently been insufficient to prevent a mass exodus of executives from the troubled national postal service.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/margin-call/auspost-execs-follow-christine-holgate-out-the-door/news-story/d29b05f1e77700f07c7a977e42f936e5
    John Frew writes about “The Drum” showing a continued right-wing bias in its panellist selections.
    https://johnmenadue.com/the-drum-shows-continued-right-wing-bias-in-its-panelist-selections/
    In the wake allegations of sexism and lack of support for a student who was groomed by a sex offender coach, St Kevin’s College has examined its culture and vowed to do better, explains Wendy Touhy.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/st-kevin-s-tackles-sexism-and-misogyny-that-still-occur-in-school-20210715-p58a1h.html
    As global Covid vaccine passports become a reality, we have to make sure they’re fair, argues Laura Spinney.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/jul/15/covid-vaccine-passports-fair-who-guidelines
    The AIMN’s Rossleigh writes about Josh Frydenberg who excels in telling us why everything Is Labor’s fault but the Liberals are just victims of circumstance.
    https://theaimn.com/josh-frydenberg-why-everything-is-labors-fault-but-liberals-are-just-victims-of-circumstance/-
    Amy Remeikis writes about what appears to be a “tick and flick”, half-hearted exercise with respect to a planned one-hour voluntary training exercise for Australian MPs and sexual harassment.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/15/one-hour-optional-sexual-harassment-training-for-australian-mps-a-tick-and-flick-exercise-union-says
    Anthony Galloway reports that Anthony Albanese has slammed a Labor motion backed by former NSW premier Bob Carr calling for a boycott of Israel over its treatment of Palestinians, saying it is counterproductive and is not supported by anyone in his party room.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-slams-counterproductive-labor-motion-calling-for-boycott-of-israel-20210715-p589zv.html
    Australia is facing growing pressure over its climate policies as the US edges closer to following the European Union in imposing new charges on imports of emissions-intensive products, write Daniel Hurst and Adam Morton who say that not engaging is not the answer.
    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/16/not-engaging-isnt-the-answer-australia-under-pressure-as-us-follows-eu-lead-on-carbon-tariffs
    Deals between the Liberal and National parties could further imperil water policy and spell a dark future for the climate and sustainability efforts, writes Dr David Shearman.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/the-coalition-is-sinking-in-the-uncharted-waters-of-the-murray-darling,15292
    Graham Readfearn writes that coral and ocean scientists have described statements on coral bleaching from the government’s reef envoy, Warren Entsch, as “far-fetched” and “ill-informed” on the day he accompanied more than a dozen ambassadors on a snorkelling trip to the Great Barrier Reef.
    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/jul/16/scientists-dismiss-warren-entschs-claim-warm-water-from-northern-hemisphere-is-damaging-reef
    Beware recycled plastics. They often contain virgin plastics; the antithesis of the recycling promise. Luke Stacey investigates the green vanguard and their recycling claims and finds, while they do good work in raising public awareness, they could certainly be more transparent.
    https://www.michaelwest.com.au/ocean-waste-how-plastic-recyclers-downplay-their-use-of-new-plastics/
    The Guardian tells us that Vladimir Putin personally authorised a secret spy agency operation to support a “mentally unstable” Donald Trump in the 2016 US presidential election during a closed session of Russia’s national security council, according to what are assessed to be leaked Kremlin documents.
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/15/kremlin-papers-appear-to-show-putins-plot-to-put-trump-in-white-house
    Western Europe is experiencing record-breaking floods.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/scores-dead-dozens-missing-as-floods-sweep-through-western-europe-20210716-p58a7e.html
    After a year of leading the global economy out of the pandemic slump, China’s growth is now starting to level off, as the world tries to digest whether the country’s recovery will continue or peter out.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/china-s-growth-slows-as-pandemic-fears-persist-20210715-p58a1t.html
    Oil is on the road to oblivion, but it can still shock the global economy, lays out Jeremy Warner.
    https://www.theage.com.au/business/the-economy/oil-is-on-the-road-to-oblivion-but-can-still-shock-the-global-economy-20210714-p589gf.html
    The Amazon basin is beginning to release more carbon-dioxide to the atmosphere than it absorbs as deforestation and fires spread, potentially accelerating global warming.
    https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/cascade-effect-amazon-basin-switches-from-carbon-sink-to-co2-source-20210715-p58a26.html
    A man accused of hoarding guns and keeping a woman as a sex slave says charging him with more than 400 crimes is unfair – because it means he will pay $100,000 in court levies. You’ve gotta laugh!
    https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/adelaide-hills-man-accused-of-keeping-sex-slave-says-charging-him-with-427-firearms-counts-is-unfair-and-too-expensive/news-story/7f38f68a894be293fd4ba87963b7d5b8

    On several fronts this guy lands today’s nomination for “Arsehole of the Week”.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/meat-industry-labour-king-pursued-to-high-court-over-multimillion-dollar-tax-debt-20210714-p589nn.html
    Jamil Hopoate also gets a gong!
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/former-nrl-player-jamil-hopoate-back-in-court-on-domestic-violence-and-drug-charges-20210715-p589wu.html

    Cartoon Corner. Morrison gets a real pasting today!

    David Pope!!!!

    David Rowe

    Simon Letch

    Andrew Dyson

    John Shakespeare

    Jim Pavlidis

    Mark David


    Matt Golding




    Cathy Wilcox

    Glen Le Lievre

    Johannes Leak excels himself today.

    From the US










  40. Bill Bowtell AO
    @billbowtell

    Melbourne: community and govt solidarity around clear strategy, time-limited target, definition of essential work, fairness = end in sight Sydney: govt split, no time-limited target, no definition of essential work, unfairness = no end in sight.
    @Politics_SMHAGE

    @TheTodayShow

  41. Just a real pity in Australian politics that Slipper was hounded out of parliament on what appeared to be petty drummed up charges

    Based upon stolen documents

  44. Remember when there were suggestions SMSFs were a rort, and draining the tax base? Nothing was done, and some have done very nicely..

    Michael Roddan
    Michael Roddan
    Senior companies reporter
    Jul 16, 2021 – 5.00am

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    Twenty-seven of Australia’s biggest self-managed super funds held more than $100 million each in concessionally taxed savings in the 2019 financial year, including one mega-SMSF that has hoarded $544 million.

    https://www.afr.com/policy/tax-and-super/australia-s-biggest-smsf-is-worth-544m-20210714-p589l1

  45. A video that will strongly resonate with Victorians when it comes to Covid outbreaks, their State, NSW, and Gladys. Contains some warranted ‘swear bearing’.

    Reclaim the News

    Seeing it from Down South – Victorians are watching in horror at the NSW Covid Crisis July 2021

    These words from our friend Damo in Victoria will resonate with many many Victorians.
    Thank you Damo.

    Don’t watch if you’re more offended by curse words than governments who put economy over health and wellbeing.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiLZpMj0RKQ&t=61s

  46. https://www.pollbludger.net/2021/07/16/preselection-latest/#comment-3653559

    Rather than first of all do no harm, it would seem governance (forget data because of beliefs, besides the pull of the merchant kings/ warlords’ system) has gone out of its way to making the old normal worse, rather than move to the next normal, advance Australia, fair.

    Instilling confidence through urban assault instead of serve and protect,
    https://catallaxyfiles.com/2021/07/15/australian-civilians-are-unarmed/ ?
    Easier than sorting quarantine, vax, app?

    The fed gov’s environment minister (courtier/ acolyte) is even fighting duty of care notions in the courts. Well, you just wait till there is a federal ICAC/ CIC, campaign finance reform, useful FoI, mandatory and binding referendums … Washminster-style repressive democracy in Versailles on Lake Bloody Griffin, Gladystan, Mexico ain’t working, for the serfs.
    Be it flooding, fires, extreme weather, Wuflu, societal inequality/ inequity, powershift …

    It is way past time for motions of no confidence, protests, civil disobedience, elections, … because revos and diplomacy by other means tend to suck even more for the serfs.

  47. This is a very, very, very important point and one that Liberal apologist, Lars von Trier, consistently elides in his Panglossian analysis of the vaccination statistics for Australia:

    After five months of Australia’s COVID vaccination program, it’s unclear exactly how many people in the highest priority have received a vaccination and the federal government is only able to confirm fewer than half of aged care and disability workers are immunised, reports Josh Butler.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/07/16/disability-workers-vaccinated/

    I would also imagine that New Zealand would have a vastly higher rate of vaccination in these cohorts than Australia does. If you actually compare apples with apples.

  48. I don’t know why Lars is so desperate to defend the Coalition, when just the other day they said if you’re an independent thinker they expect you to think “Labor-Coalition, bad-bad” (nevermind the irony in that expectation). Surely halfway there is better than nothing? 😛

  49. So now it’s what c@t “imagines “ the vaccination rates to be ?

    I’m more interested in who has the better post covid plan for the country display name.

  50. Morning all and thanks BK.

    I am curious what Victorian bludgers think about Tony Smith’s retirement? His seat has a 4% margin. Is it winnable without him? Recent MSW covid management and Scomo refusing to give Victorians assistance will do Victorian Libs few favours.

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