Election news:
• The Palaszczuk government faces what it may now think a fortuitously timed by-election tomorrow in the southern Brisbane seat of Stretton. The seat was vacated by the late Duncan Pegg, who retained it for Labor by a margin of 14.8% at the state election last October. The intimidating margin has not stopped Liberal National Party taking the field, together with the Greens, Animal Justice and the Informed Medical Options Party. My guide to the by-election can be found here; tune in tomorrow for live results, my page for which awaits the numbers here.
• Jack Morphet of the Sunday Mail reports Nick Xenophon is “seriously considering another tilt at federal politics”, ostensibly because the federal government has failed to protect the rights of Australian producers to market sheepskin boots as ugg boots, the name of which is trademarked by an American company.
• The Herald Sun reports Labor’s Victorian preselection process, which has been commandeered by the party’s national executive after a branch-stacking scandal, has confirmed candidates in four marginal Liberal seats. Gladys Liu will defend her negligible margin in Chisholm against Carina Garland, former assistant secretary at Victorian Trades Hall Council, who was chosen ahead of Monash mayor Rebecca Paterson. In Higgins, the once safe Liberal seat that is developing into a three-cornered contest between Liberal, Labor and the Greens, Katie Allen will face Michelle Ananda-Rajah, consultant physician in general medicine and infectious diseases at Alfred Health. In Casey, where the Liberals will defend a 4.6% margin in the absence of retiring incumbent Tony Smith, Labor has again chosen its candidate from 2019, engineer and small business owner Bill Brindle. In Deakin, which Michael Sukkar holds for the Liberals by 4.7%, the Labor candidate is Matthew Gregg, a teacher.
From the world of academia (Queensland chapter):
• In the Australian Journal of Politics and History, Paul Williams of Griffith University offers Queensland’s role in the 2019 Australian federal election: a case study of regional difference (paywalled, naturally). Williams argues the Coalition’s strong federal performance in Queensland can be understood in terms of its six diverse regions and five elements of its political culture. The former reflect the state’s decentralisation and reliance on primary industries, which show up demographically in low educational attainment, high religious observance and a paucity of migrants. The political culture elements are “a predilection for strong, masculine political leadership; a zealotry for state development; a disproportionate focus on regional and rural districts in budgetary allocations; a pragmatically flexible approach to policy-making” (the Humphrey Appleby-esque note struck by the latter would seem to be deliberate) and “a parochial chauvinism celebrating a Queensland difference, and drawing a moral superiority from it”.
• In the Australian Journal of Political Science, Graeme Orr of the University of Queensland and Tracey Arklay of Griffith University are rethinking voter identification: its rationale and impact. This includes an analysis of Queensland’s one-off experiment with a soft voter identification regime in 2015, which reaches the unsurprising conclusion that migrant and especially indigenous areas had the greatest number of voters needing to lodge provisional votes for want of acceptable identification on the day. For this reason, and despite the measure’s clearly modest impact on the voting returns, the paper concludes “there is no real case for voter ID in Australia”, which it deems “a solution in search of a problem”.
Psephological arcana:
• In keeping with its code of conduct obligations as a member of the recently launched Australian Polling Council, YouGov has published methodology statements for the last four Newspoll surveys. Among other things, these fully detail the questionnaires that were presented to the respondents.
• David Barry has developed a tool for exploring Senate preference flows at the 2019 election using the ballot paper data files, which is immensely nifty if you can work out how to use it.
• A Tasmanian Electoral Commission report into the recent state election, which unusually coupled a statewide lower house election with one of the state’s periodic upper house elections for two of the chamber’s 15 seats, finds over 6% of those who ought to have lodged an upper house vote did not do so because they attended a booth in the wrong part of the electorate, and a further 1% were not issued with a ballot due to staff error. It argues against the contention that this should invalidate the election, since the errors in the former case were committed by the voters rather than the commission, and the latter were too few in number to affect the results.
Are hair dressing salons still open in Sydney?
No.
If its all clear publish the NSW Health report BB. It reads more like you took them down for cash in a scam.
That money could have gone to combatting covid – not your personal enrichment.
Am I the only one struggling to comprehend what Lars is on about right now? Who is supposed to have scammed NSW Health?
Another Murdoch hack wants “freedom”
Asha,
BB has often bragged about his wife being on paid leave from NSW Health whilst completing house renovations.
He has consistently refused to publish the NSW Health report into the matter on here so we can judge for ourselves what went on.
Best,
Lars
Asha Leu:
Saturday, July 24, 2021 at 7:54 pm
[‘Am I the only one struggling to comprehend what Lars is on about right now? Who is supposed to have scammed NSW Health?’]
No, you’re not. BB has documented a long history of HI’s difficulties with NSW Health.
citizen @ #1550 Saturday, July 24th, 2021 – 7:56 pm
Freaking snowflake.
ATAGI advice is now
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-07-24/atagi-says-anyone-over-18-should-get-astrazeneca/100321056
Sam Kerr is a special player. Australia trailing Sweden 2-3 in Olympic football game. Kerr scored both goals for Australia.
Well mavis, we should see the source material so we can judge for ourselves.
These are untested assertions without the primary documents.
Too blunt, too inflexible, if it’s not working, then unlock
Despite promises of ‘green shoots’ and silver linings, lockdown has been thoroughly unsuccessful in suppressing Delta in Sydney.
2 HOURS AGO By YONI BASHAN
_______
That’s because it wasn’t a lockdown!
ItzaDream @ #1554 Saturday, July 24th, 2021 – 7:59 pm
So…if the new ATAGI advice, apropos the Delta Variant, is to encourage anyone >18 to get the AZ vaccine, deadly side effects, for a miniscule but non zero minority, be damned…then wouldn’t you think it’s therefore not safe to open up to the virus?
Sam Kerr is a special player. Australia trailing Sweden 2-3 in Olympic football game. Kerr scored both goals for Australia.
. . . and just missed a penalty shot.
USA can spy on it’s allies but others cannot ?
BK @ #1557 Saturday, July 24th, 2021 – 8:01 pm
And the snowflake couldn’t even cope with that!
Lars:
Right. Silly me assumed you were talking about something you’d seen on the news, rather than boring us all the death once again by reigniting one of your many pointless feuds.
I really should have known better.
The truth is not divisible Asha. The silence from BB tells you everything on this score.
I find it best to stay out of other people’s feuds.
Lars, nobody gives a shit.
Nath Steptoe
Lars Steptoe
The rag and bone men
Great job!
“ Links between the organisers &groups behind anti-#lockdown protests are VERY interesting.
Project Veritas is a far-right political dirty tricks operation &disinformation group linked to ultraconservative Republicans, mercenary head Erik Prince, a former MI-6 spy, &is well funded.”- Peter Cronau
You’ve got to wonder what Murdoch hack publications’ editorial meetings are like?
I’m imagining that word comes down from on high that profit margins are taking a hit so it’s time to organise a public influence program to stop people being concerned about their health, money for the boss being the most important consideration. And off they go. Co-ordinate a ‘Freedom March’ wherever they can get away with it, link in with articles by so-called journalists who have long since sold their souls to Rupert, in exchange for the good life, create a political party even further to the Right of the government you support in order to carry forward your so-called ‘Libertarian’ ideals. Then hammer that nail into the empty heads of the sheeple…And keep on going until you get what you want.
It’s become too easy.
The right wing dirty tricks group #ProjectVeritas is cozy with Murdoch’s SkyNews:
“Isn’t it interesting how these revelations from Project Veritas are only being carried on Sky News Australia after dark and also in America on Fox News.”
https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/this-is-a-very-damaging-expose-by-project-veritas/video/219db7d501180a1a58da66e7d5d92572
Herald Sun 24/07
The three Sydney removalists who sparked Victoria’s fifth lockdown are unlikely to face any charges.
The Saturday Herald Sun can reveal that police are set to close the case without the removalists being penalised – except for potentially one fine for not wearing a mask.
Sources said the removalists are not believed to have breached the terms of their permit to deliver furniture from interstate on July 8.
Two days later COVID-19 response commander Jeroen Weimar said health authorities will “throw the book” at the three removalists.
________________
Not much of a book Jeroen.
What the hell was that all about ?
Antony Green calling Stretton by election..
#stretton – 41.2% of 2CP counted – ALP Predicted 2CP=63.2% -1.7% swing. Not a lot to see in this result, more at ab.co/3zx7XSF #qldpol
The ‘former MI-6 guy is an evil mofo. Just as bad as Erik Prince. I learned about him the other day.
And Project Veritas just got busted the other day, again, for infiltrating a couple of Conning Conservatives, into a Democrat Party Unit for the purpose of ‘Black Ops’, via giving them a large sum of money to donate to the Democrats in order to buy influence and entre. The scam eventually became unstuck when the couple disappeared (to go back and get riding orders from their handler) and there back story was checked out and it didn’t compute.
There is evil afoot in the world and at its epicentre is the Black Prince.
C@tmomma @ #1562 Saturday, July 24th, 2021 – 8:01 pm
Sorry, I’m not with you – who’s saying its safe to open up?
BK @ #1559 Saturday, July 24th, 2021 – 8:02 pm
Did you see the size of the Swedish team!?! Amazons!
Lars Von Trier:
Saturday, July 24, 2021 at 8:00 pm
[‘Well mavis, we should see the source material so we can judge for ourselves.’]
Would you do likewise had it been your spouse, partner?
Some just prefer offloading on what is essentially an anonymous site – it can be cathartic.
Also, amazing that Sam Kerr could score at all. Double teamed from the get go. A virtual wall of Swedes around her wherever she went.
I think the difference is mavis, I haven’t made any claims of this nature and repeatedly and wantonly attacked NSW Health.
Given BB’s repeated attacks mavis, i think its reasonable he puts up or shuts up.
The Swedish team lacks diversity.
ItzaDream @ #1572 Saturday, July 24th, 2021 – 8:15 pm
Sorry, Itza, I was linking this bit of the above:
because of the increasing risk of COVID-19 in the city
…with the hysterical calls today in The Australian and at the ‘Freedom Marches’, to open up…the city. One doesn’t jive with the other.
That is, you can’t have ATAGI advising young people to go with AZ, despite the risks, but on the other hand you have people saying it’s safe to open up and all this abundance of caution stuff and health orders, is just overblown nanny statism and an overreaction.
shellbell @ #1577 Saturday, July 24th, 2021 – 8:23 pm
One of the Subs has dark skin and dark hair. 🙂
ATAGI look like sock puppets for ScoMo.
Diogenes @ #1581 Saturday, July 24th, 2021 – 8:25 pm
Since the leadership changed this week.
I turned on the Olympics to see the swimming, and all there is the best Swedish team since Charles XII conquered half of Europe..
Sprocket
Further to your observations re todays protests and the directives in place by GlacysB and co.
Do you anticipate a change of strategy by Gladys and co anytime soon?
shellbell @ – 8:23 pm
Well brace yourself for the team from Zambia then .
It’s been unsuccessful because they never bothered to properly lock down. What reality do these commentators think they live in?
Victoria
There has not been one presser in the last 2 weeks where a new rule or strategy hasn’t been mounted by Gladys. So incrementalism is the mantra for a while yet IMHO…
Well that’s Australia out then, because they needed at least a draw against Sweden. In the next round Sweden play NZ, which they should win and Australia play the US which they should lose.
The more unvaccinated – the ratbags calling for opening up, the young and frightened,
C@tmomma @ #1583 Saturday, July 24th, 2021 – 8:23 pm
But that’s where we are, for all the obvious reasons. (The Sam Harris podcast is good for a listen, at least the early bits; it gets a bit rambling)
ATAGI is responding to the shifting risk/benefit balance in greater Sydney with the Delta escape, the way it is being dealt with, and a direct appeal from the AMA (I linked to that earlier), at the least. They are only talking about greater Sydney as I read it.
Lars Von Trier:
Saturday, July 24, 2021 at 8:19 pm
[‘I think the difference is mavis, I haven’t made any claims of this nature and repeatedly and wantonly attacked NSW Health.’]
One’s at liberty to critisice a government department but you’re at risk if you identify, either expressly or impliedly, the one who has allegedly done you wrong. I can’t recall BB doing this.
[‘Given BB’s repeated attacks mavis, i think its reasonable he puts up or shuts up.’]
One either accepts or rejects his insinuations, based on, at least for my part, his history.
Lars is referring to my wife being suspended on full pay and entitlements pending “investigation” by NSW Health from January 2016 to November 2017 – a period of 22 months – for “clerical performance related” issues.
When you are on paid suspension from the NSW Public Service you can do whatever you like with your time, subject to being available for any face to face meetings or to answer correspondence within 48 hours.
It is all set out in NSW policy directive PD2014_042 (as amended).
NSW Health did not follow their own directive. Additionally they forged documents, tampered with evidence, destroyed evidence, counterfeited evidence, abrogated formal written assurances, violated confidentiality, committed defamation of character (public service investigations are not subject to judicial privilege), and admitted to prejudice in the proceedings.
We simply pointed all this out, which confused this bunch of second rate dumb fucks no end. The usual process is to monster the employee so badly that they pack up and leave in order to preserve their sanity. We chose to fight. NSW Health folded… but it took them twenty-two months to admit defeat.
In the second of those two years we renovated our house, funded with HI’s suspension salary, plus we dipped into our superannuation to bridge the gap.
Every single NSW Health manager, from HR, to Admin, to Corporate (including 4 Chief Executives or Acting Chief Executives), that we dealt with in that 22 months either was fired, retired, resigned or was transferred to lesser duties in that period.
My wife, on the other hand, was reinstated without any adverse findings (ie. not nominated to the infamous NSW Health Service Check Register) and retired with grace, dignity and full entitlements (including Long Service leave and 5 weeks of ADOs) after three months further employment. After that, we moved up here to Snoozeville in February 2017.
No scam. No fraud involved. Just a vindictive boss who picked the wrong fight (and ended up getting sacked herself for “financial irregularities” a full year before HI retired).
That’s the story. Any report that was made was shredded, to protect the fuckwits that tried to offer it as evidence of anything but their own maladministration.
Michelle Grattan puts her finger on the ATAGI-Morrison relationship:
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/pm-has-dealt-with-the-sorry-question-it-might-be-harder-to-put-the-atagi-questions-to-rest-20210723-p58c7s.html
Sprocket
I am hoping a clear and concise strategy is on its way. They dont have a moment to lose.
Especially after the covidiots today potentially enabling a superspreading event.
C@t
I don’t think Atagi was to blame for hesitancy. Hesitancy was pretty strong well before the Scotty+ Atagi news circus. I’m looking at how Hunt and Morrison handled the issue of clots when they first gained public attention. They failed to address it and then told us all would be well because we will be getting a bazillion Pfizer vaccine doses in a few months. Game over.
If the Australian women’s soccer team has some young central defenders, it might time to deploy them.
Claire Polkinghorne looked like she had played her 130 games for Australia in the last few weeks.