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.
DisplayName @ #1124 Sunday, July 18th, 2021 – 2:55 pm
I can only but imagine the frustration of those shackled up in the south west.
Yes, Boerwar and Rex, the situation in Sydney is frightening. The government seems to think that being tough on areas that mainly vote Labor or have high migrant numbers is all that is needed. Bondi? Nah, doesn’t matter. Madness.
‘BK says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 2:50 pm
Three weeks ago the Netherlands did what the UK is going to do tomorrow.
Covid infections increased by 500%.
_____
Boerwar
I have just sent a message to some friends both well into their eighties in the Netherlands to see how they are faring over there what with that and the floods.’
____________________________
FWIW, the floods are well to the south. Covid is everywhere.
The Dutch have had dykes on both sides of the main inland rivers for quite a long time. In line with Global Warming predictions, they have been shifting these dykes further from the rivers to allow for bigger peak floods during extreme rainfall events. The latest floods were at record flow levels and still did some damage. They only just managed to prevent a major dyke breakage which would have been big trouble.
I am reflecting on the NSW media conference this morning. Rex Douglas has raised an important point.
A person died yesterday with COVID19 – as reported by NSW Health media release. Is this the first time that the NSW Premier or anyone else at the media conference did not express condolences to friends and loved ones?
Why the change? I hope they rediscover empathy for the bereaved.
phR
Thanks for that background on the Monkey B virus.
Thanks for the Netherlands info Boerwar.
Griff
Have some sympathy Gladys has had a hard day too ya know.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-18/covid-live-updates-coronavirus-melbourne-lockdown-sydney-qld/100302266
This puts the lie to various pleas by growers for the need for a special ag worker visa:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/jul/18/i-was-desperate-the-fight-to-get-australias-fruit-pickers-a-fair-wage
‘Sohar says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 2:47 pm
Georgia Love@GeorgieALove
Bondi right now, where masks nor social distance seem to matter
#COVID19nsw
https://twitter.com/GeorgieALove/status/1416597156622782472?s=20‘
______________________________________
Where are all the cops?
EVERY.SINGLE.THING.
MP Llew O’Brien fractures skull in motorbike accident
https://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/politics/mp-llew-obrien-fractures-skull-in-motorbike-accident/news-story/2a06007525d75d9543d776a4d929e660
poroti,
I didn’t pick up that the NSW Premier said that. That explains the lack of empathy, as a result of what she is focussed on.
Herself.
”
ItzaDreamsays:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 11:17 am
No sign of the Health Minister on the weekend? Monday to Friday job?
”
UK Health Secretary tested positive to COVID two days before ‘Freedom day’ in UK ( Hello Credlin). Is NSW Health Minister keeping good health? Already one NSW Cabinet Minister ( who is in his 30s) tested positive to COVID at the start of this current outbreak as some sort of bad omen and in his own words suffered the ill effects of it.
Yeah empathy. Didn’t it ever occur to you that the family of the deceased may have asked that no mention of the deceased be made ?
Griff @ #1128 Sunday, July 18th, 2021 – 3:04 pm
It just screams out that they’re only interested in saving their own political lives.
Fauci: US might ‘still have polio’ if right-wing media back then opposed vaccines
Top US scientist Anthony Fauci on Saturday blasted commentators who sound an anti-vaccination theme, saying America might still be battling smallpox and polio if today’s kind of misinformation existed back then.
The comments from the country’s leading infectious disease expert reflected mounting frustration over the sharp slowdown in the Covid-19 vaccination rate in the United States, even as the disease has been surging in states with low rates.
Initial vaccine skepticism in many areas has increasingly evolved into outright hostility, a message magnified by baseless conspiracy theories regularly aired on Fox and other conservative networks.
Fauci was asked on CNN about T-shirts being sold by a political action group linked to Florida governor Ron DeSantis that say “Don’t Fauci My Florida.”
He appeared genuinely perplexed.
“Taking an individual who stands for public health, for truth… and to use my name in a derogatory way to prevent people from doing things that’s for the benefit of their own health, go figure that one out.
“That doesn’t make any sense at all,” he said, shaking his head.
https://www.rawstory.com/fauci-polio-disinformation/
How bad is the Rum Corp State ? Bad enough that professional bigoted trash is considered a “critical skill’ .
.
“These travel exemptions were approved based on support by the NSW Government as they met the critical skills category for inwards travel,” she said.
https://www.news.com.au/entertainment/tv/reality-tv/katie-hopkins-under-investigation-by-australian-border-force-after-possible-hotel-quarantine-breach/news-story/2f8ee572b333ee31fcd8e383463ff2b5
Jaala Pulford MP
@JaalaPulford
·
4m
This may be the most irresponsible thing the state opposition has said yet… (big call I know)
Ladies, mammogram services are open. Do not reschedule.
And please Victoria, please don’t let this person ever be your Health Minister.
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/E6aVfUWVUAEpk57?format=jpg&name=small
Lars
I misread one of Steve777’s comments.
Looking back now I realize I was wrong in comment and wish to take this opportunity to apologise to Steve 777.
Lars Von Trier says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 3:29 pm
Yeah empathy. Didn’t it ever occur to you that the family of the deceased may have asked that no mention of the deceased be made ?
—————-
NSW health already made it public
Jaala Pulford MP
@JaalaPulford
·
4m
This may be the most irresponsible thing the state opposition has said yet… (big call I know)
_________________
Personally I think Jaala Pulford is a bit wasted as roads minister. Andrews should give her a more prominent portfolio. I think she’s a star.
I wouldn’t be surprise if the majority of the Victorian Liberal party shadow ministers, may not return to parliament after the Victorian state election
Lars is concerned that people die from Covid.
It destroys his narrative that it will be sunshine, lollipops and rainbows at some yet to be determined moment in time.
The bottom line is that the public has right to know there are people passing due to Covid infections.
The fact that the NSW Government won’t talk about it tells you they are in denial about their totally botched approach to Covid.
Lars Von Triersays:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 3:29 pm
Yeah empathy. Didn’t it ever occur to you that the family of the deceased may have asked that no mention of the deceased be made?
.
You simply make stuff up for no reason other than contrarianism.
Lars Von Trier (Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 1:34 pm)
Will you be able to understand the documents you’ve linked by then?
Matt Canavan with foot in mouth again.
I support these truckies … end the lockdowns,” Senator Canavan said in the tweet, which was re-tweeted by former Senator David Leyonhjelm.
The Transport Workers Union responded by saying that if he supported truckies he should help ensure their businesses were supported, they had access to paid pandemic leave and there were more testing hubs to reduce queues.
Oliver = Arthur
Player One @ #1991 Sunday, July 18th, 2021 – 12:47 pm
No, they just wish to create that perception, after all the negative publicity.
Nothing has new has been added to what was already well known about her.
Recon @ #1146 Sunday, July 18th, 2021 – 3:41 pm
She’s as tough as they come given what she’s had to deal with in her life.
Lars Von Trier says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 4:03 pm
Oliver = Arthur
____________
I thought I detected his odiousness with that attack on my dear great grandfather.
Lars,
As Louie once said in Casablanca, “I’m socked there is sock puppetry going on”.
Rex Douglas says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 4:08 pm
She’s as tough as they come given what she’s had to deal with in her life.
_________
Yes, but also she’s believable, and that’s hard to find in a pollie. I don’t know what her administrative prowess is but in terms of pure communication skills, she’s terrific.
Yup.
Recon @ #1157 Sunday, July 18th, 2021 – 4:10 pm
She is Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy
Minister for Small Business.
She’s obviously very capable.
Funnily enough when ‘Oliver’ was going on about his ‘honor’ yesterday I responded with a great quote from Ralph Waldo Emerson:
The more he talked of his honor, the faster we counted our spoons,
It seems that old Waldo was right, as usual.
Zero…
Pointing out the inconsistencies/bias/slant of Western news media is one thing. Using this as some kind of argument that Chinese media is no different is a weak stance.
For all its faults – whether from government run or privately owned news services in the West – the media in the West is a hurly-burly of market driven news….
Chinese news is carefully crafted and shaped to reflect well of China……..both for domestic and foreign consumption.
Showing possible photoshopping from the BBC is one thing. On the other, Chinese media speaks only with one voice.
You are okay in China if you do not criticise anything the CCP says or does, and you are okay if you just get on with life and don’t cause a fuss.
As a weather vane…..When things between Oz and China were going well not so very long ago, the staff at the local Chinese consulate were friendly and helpful. More recently they are cold, un-cooperative and nit-picking.
China does not take kindly to little Oz calling China out…..and they make their displeasure apparent….
Once knelt at Jaala’s feet at Conference so that she could text her members which way I needed them to vote.
Rex Douglas says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 4:14 pm
She is Minister for Employment, Minister for Innovation, Medical Research and the Digital Economy
Minister for Small Business.
She’s obviously very capable.
____________
Oh ok. I had missed her getting that promotion. See, I was right about her needing to be promoted!
zoomster says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 4:17 pm
Once knelt at Jaala’s feet at Conference so that she could text her members which way I needed them to vote.
____
Any proof of that? A Citation from a superior commander?
Greensborough Growler @ #1464 Sunday, July 18th, 2021 – 3:33 pm
The Victorian Liberals not covering themselves in glory. Again.
Can they end up with even less seats at the next Victorian State election?
Cat,
Yep!
Staley’s their Treasury Spokesperson.
She’s as good as they have!
Jill Stark
@jillastark
I don’t understand the way Gladys reports the numbers. It’s not 27 cases who weren’t in isolation, it’s 34. Seven people being in the community for “part of their infectious period” means they were still out and about while infectious. Just like you can’t be a little bit pregnant
Spin spin & more spin… or obscufucatson
GG your family email is showing. 🙂
Tricot says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 4:17 pm
“Carefully crafted” but West is not ? lol.
Isn’t using “Carefully crafted” like how they did with Detention Centres, immigration matters, and the war on so called Terror ? Not to mention the big fat lie about WOMD in Iraq? So they left a handful of countries in total shithouse? With millions in less than 3rd word status?
C@T
The Liberals should pick up 4 to 6 seats but it wont be any endorsement of Michael O`Brien.
Greensborough Growler @ #1487 Sunday, July 18th, 2021 – 4:24 pm
I could see her hand in that mammogram reference.
Nath,
Thanks.
Mexicanbeemer @ #1491 Sunday, July 18th, 2021 – 4:28 pm
That’s an interesting proposition because the last election was held before Covid and the next one, you might think, would be an endorsement of how Dan Andrews has handled things and how poorly the Liberals have responded. I was tending to think that they needed to be busted back to WA levels.
Greensborough Growler says:
Sunday, July 18, 2021 at 4:31 pm
Nath,
Thanks.
_______
My pleasure. Family is everything after all. Oh, must ask my wife what’s for dinner.