Heart of the nation

Clive Palmer set to try again, plus stuff you’d probably already figured about election timing and the mood of voters in Melbourne.

Three items to get the ball rolling on a new week, all of which happen to be from The Australian:

• The paper reported on Friday that yet another election campaign looks set to be blighted by a Clive Palmer advertising blitz. However, whereas his efforts before the 2019 federal election were directed entirely at Labor, this time Palmer also hopes to settle scores with Peter Dutton in the campaign for his seat of Dickson, after Dutton last week spearheaded a purge of Palmer allies at the top level of the Liberal National Party organisation.

• Plans for a November federal election have been “shelved to get the government’s vaccine rollout back on track”, with the government now “actively considering whether to repeat the 2019 strategy and hold an April budget in the run-up to an electoral showdown with Labor”.

• Also today, focus group research of voters in outer Melbourne by Redbridge has detected a “perceived bias towards NSW” on the part of the Morrison government, together with “a rejuvenation of Victorian Premier Daniel Andrews’ standing”. Redbridge has also detected “voter hesitancy about the Prime Minister” in western Sydney.

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.

1,207 comments on “Heart of the nation”

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  2. C@t:

    Yes, I’m hoping history repeats in that respect. My worry is that those who join up with Clive are able to convince him to keep his face and name away from whatever new party the UAP rebrands as. I guess it depends on whether what wins out, narcissism or pragmatism.

  3. Victoria’s daily coronavirus numbers are in.
    The state has recorded two new, locally acquired cases of COVID-19. The Department of Health says both are linked to existing outbreaks and were in isolation for their entire infectious period.

    Is the consistent 100% in isolation the entire time due to excellent contact tracing getting ahead of the virus & a manageable case load.. as opposed to out of control Sydney.

    Gladys literally relying on the virus burning out in lockdown LGAs

  5. phoenixRED @ #28 Monday, August 2nd, 2021 – 8:24 am

    Victoria records two new local COVID cases, tracking ‘really well’ to ease restrictions

    Victoria has recorded two new locally acquired COVID-19 cases, both of which are linked to the current outbreak and were quarantined while infectious.

    The cases were detected from among 21,417 test results processed yesterday.

    On Sunday, Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton said the state was “tracking really well” for the anticipated easing of restrictions next Wednesday.

    Professor Sutton also highlighted that recent cases who were fully vaccinated experienced mild symptoms at worst, underscoring the protection offered by both AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-08-02/victoria-new-covid-cases-delta-outbreak/100341804

    Seriously, how good is Sutton ..! 🙂

  6. Only 21k tests, but looking good for further easing of restrictions and donut days soon 🙂

    I think the worry at the moment is QLD. I hope they can run their outbreak to ground ASAP. I have almost given up on NSW…

  10. Rex:

    I’m sure I sound like a broken record at this point, but it has to be repeated: attitudes like yours are one of the big reasons the left has so much trouble in regional Queensland. (Murdoch’s near monopoly on news media in most of the state being another.)

  13. Asha @ #60 Monday, August 2nd, 2021 – 9:14 am

    Rex:

    I’m sure I sound like a broken record at this point, but it has to be repeated: attitudes like yours are one of the big reasons the left has so much trouble in regional Queensland. (Murdoch’s near monopoly on news media in most of the state being another.)

    Well, it’s the truth.

    About time the ‘good people’ of Qld get to work and extinguish the stupids up there.

  14. Rex Douglassays:
    Monday, August 2, 2021 at 9:18 am

    About time the ‘good people’ of Qld get to work and extinguish the stupids up there.
    ____________________
    I think people should avoid terms like ‘extinguish’ their political opponents. Sure, Queensland has a surplus of stupidity, but let’s celebrate their weirdness with gentle mocking.

  15. “The virus doesn’t care what your political views are, Scott Morrison says.

    wRONg !!! The virus cares very much about political views. See the death toll from Covid-19 caused by people’s political views which meant elected a Bolsonaro,Trump or BoJo .

  16. CPalmer has a coal mine up for environmental approval, probably this week. Quite the dilemma with conflicting requirements of COP26, the GBR, Queensland votes, not to mention the effect it might have on votes in Warringarh.

  20. Recon @ #64 Monday, August 2nd, 2021 – 9:21 am

    Rex Douglassays:
    Monday, August 2, 2021 at 9:18 am

    About time the ‘good people’ of Qld get to work and extinguish the stupids up there.
    ____________________
    I think people should avoid terms like ‘extinguish’ their political opponents. Sure, Queensland has a surplus of stupidity, but let’s celebrate their weirdness with gentle mocking.

    I’ve just had a gutful of these crooks and crackpots up there holding the country back.

    They seem to be able to run around spreading their poisonous agenda at will.

  23. Just putting this up to piss off the Liberals again. 😀

    And no, bird of paradox, I didn’t put it up for the reason of promoting a return to the Labor leadership of Bill Shorten. Merely to prove that Labor, as a party, does not seek to slur these fine young Australians and give them the generalised epithet of ‘African Gangs’, so as to appeal to the White Racist vote. We respect and value them.

  24. This coatsworth guy does talk a lot of baloney.
    Melbourne was supported? By whom?
    We were treated by all and sundry as the pariahs. It was dreadful…….

    Dr. Nick Coatsworth
    @nick_coatsworth
    · 20h
    There is something deeply discordant about seeing our Olympic team strive for this country and then having the politics of #covid19aus divide #auspol. Our young athletes are showing us what teamwork means. Support Sydney, as we supported Melbourne last year and unite not divide

  27. Hard to disagree with this analysis …

    https://johnmenadue.com/what-does-labor-offer-part-1/

    Going forward, Morrison is trying to paper over the cracks in his Coalition parties by refusing to be more specific than repeating an aspiration to get to zero net carbon emissions by 2050. Despite the international pressure to do more, the Morrison Government refuses (at least so far) to fall into line with other countries and commit to a realistic intermediate target for carbon reduction by 2030.

    And what is equally disappointing is that frankly Labor is no better. Albanese’s strategy seems to be to minimise any difference between Labor and the Government’s policies on climate change so that Labor can’t be wedged.

    Nevertheless, despite this failure of our political system to develop the necessary policy response to limit climate change, many of us lived in hope that Labor would do better in responding to the other challenges facing Australia.

    But this week Labor announced that it will adopt all the Government’s tax policies, including those that Labor has repudiated in the past, covering the planned Stage 3 income tax cuts, and its policies covering capital gains and negative gearing.

    The conclusion is that Labor now offers little or no differentiation on the “big ticket” items that would once have been the main reason you would vote for a Labor government. Perhaps there will be some better news in tomorrow’s article, which will be about whether Labor will even be able to address the basic service failures you should expect a Labor government to be interested in fixing. If the answer to that is “no”, then Labor has a real problem.

  31. C@t

    Yep.

    I dont appreciate being gaslighted by him of all people.
    Victorians know what they experienced.
    He doesnt get to rewrite history.

    Grrrrrr

  33. Fire the gun:

    “CovidBase
    @covidbaseau
    ·
    33m

    1️⃣Syringe 40.77%
    2️⃣Syringe 19.04%

    80% fully vaccinated at current rate:

    NSW: 100 days – 10/11/2021
    VIC: 134 – 14/12/2021
    QLD: 161 – 10/01/2022
    WA: 138 – 18/12/2021
    SA: 128 – 08/12/2021
    TAS: 123 – 03/12/2021
    ACT: 82 – 23/10/2021
    NT: 86 – 27/10/2021”

  35. Scott says:
    Monday, August 2, 2021 at 8:34 am
    Ven says:
    Monday, August 2, 2021 at 8:24 am

    How much difference did it make by just defeating Abbott in 2019?
    —————-

    Not much at all , the government did not change

    Australia is no better

    Abbott was the worst PM this country has had by several miles. We’re very fortunate he was dumped and then later lost his seat. Abbott is a crackpot. A Royalist. A reactionary. A climate dinosaur. An ideologue. A religious militant. A wanna-be war-maker.

  36. ”
    Greensborough Growlersays:
    Monday, August 2, 2021 at 9:10 am
    Do you reckon News Ltd believes in the science?


    ”
    Is Larse getting instructions from Murdoch hack James Morrow? :+)

  37. Well, that’s interesting. I could not find a google link to that, supposed, article from The Daily Telegraph! Only one in The Australian, from 25th of January, 2021, that mentions ‘Covid Chicken Littles’ in a story about WA’s Mark McGowan.

    I also checked James Morrow’s by-line and cross-referenced it with that headline. Nothing.

    Curiouser and curiouser.

  39. C@tmomma @ #87 Monday, August 2nd, 2021 – 9:46 am

    Well, that’s interesting. I could not find a google link to that, supposed, article from The Daily Telegraph! Only one in The Australian, from 25th of January, 2021, that mentions ‘Covid Chicken Littles’ in a story about WA’s Mark McGowan.

    I also checked James Morrow’s by-line and cross-referenced it with that headline. Nothing.

    Curiouser and curiouser.

    https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/coronavirus/the-doomsayers-the-prophets-of-doom-and-the-harbingers-of-gloom/news-story/2e900c8055cf31b675bec1bea7b7baf6

  40. Excellent Gish galloping in that Tele article. The necessary rebuttals would be far far beyond the attention capacity of the standard Tele reader.

  41. GG

    Do you reckon News Ltd believes in the science?

    Basically no, they do not believe in science, and especially not facts.

    I will write a bit more about that when I have time – but I think many of the purveyors of this propaganda believe the science, but whether global warming or COVID, they are pretty sure they can buy their way out of its effects.

    But, make no mistake, this is the beginning of a campaign to show us how well Morrison has handled COVID, and how there was not really anything to fear in the first place.

    Like the GFC that never really happened – Rudd spending all that money when there was no problem.

    And the climate change that is not an problem at all – look at the great snow season we had this winter!

  42. Player One @ #89 Monday, August 2nd, 2021 – 9:49 am

    C@tmomma @ #87 Monday, August 2nd, 2021 – 9:46 am

    Well, that’s interesting. I could not find a google link to that, supposed, article from The Daily Telegraph! Only one in The Australian, from 25th of January, 2021, that mentions ‘Covid Chicken Littles’ in a story about WA’s Mark McGowan.

    I also checked James Morrow’s by-line and cross-referenced it with that headline. Nothing.

    Curiouser and curiouser.

    https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/coronavirus/the-doomsayers-the-prophets-of-doom-and-the-harbingers-of-gloom/news-story/2e900c8055cf31b675bec1bea7b7baf6

    I am amazed Brett Sutton is not listed in that article – Herald Sun still hates him despite the achievements

  48. Rex Douglas @ #93 Monday, August 2nd, 2021 – 9:55 am

    The London Telegraph has done a great job of representing your risk when considering the AstraZeneca vaccine. Needless to say, it’s a lot less risky that death by drinking half a litre of wine in a bubble bath. pic.twitter.com/EN4LzrcImC— Tom Loomes (@thomasloomes) August 1, 2021

    I love the unit of measurement … “micromorts”! However, that’s the metric measurement. The imperial measure is “voldemorts”, but I can’t remember the conversion factor 🙂

  49. This is more like it…

    Venues NSW chairman wants vaccinated sporting crowds only
    By Sarah McPhee
    The chairman of Venues NSW, which has a portfolio of venues including the Sydney Cricket Ground, Bankwest Stadium and McDonald Jones Stadium, says people who don’t want to get a COVID-19 vaccine can watch sporting events on TV.

    “My preference would be get vaccinated and come to the game, so you’d have everybody on the field vaccinated and everybody off the field vaccinated. I think the risk level then is very low and quite acceptable,” Tony Shepherd told radio station 2GB this morning.

  50. @MartySilk
    @MartySilkHack
    ·
    2m
    NEW: Queensland has recorded 13 new locally-acquired COVID-19 cases.

    This is after 21,806 tests overnight.

    All new cases are linked to the west Brisbane cluster, which is now 31 cases.
    Show this thread

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