Liberals by any other name

Electoral law changes rammed through parliament, New South Wales state boundaries finalised, and some by-election news.

Significant electoral developments of the past few days:

• The federal government’s package of four electoral bills, which were explained in this earlier post, whizzed through parliament this week with the support of Labor (UPDATE: It’s been pointed out to me that one of the four, dealing with the threshold for registering as a political campaigner, was in fact not considered). Most contentiously, this will give the Liberal Party exclusive rights to the word “liberal” in their registered party name, with the effect that the Liberal Democrats and the New Liberals will have to change names before the next election. It is unclear what the former plans to do, but Victor Kline, leader and registered officer of the New Liberals, says the party will simply identify itself as TNL.

• The new laws also mean that parties will need to have 1500 members to maintain their registration unless they have a sitting member of parliament, which by the reckoning of Kevin Bonham could affect as many of 24 out of the 45 currently registered parties. Those privy to the sitting member exemption include Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party, thanks to former Liberal MP Craig Kelly’s decision join, along with the Centre Alliance, Jacqui Lambie Network, Katter’s Australian Party and Rex Patrick Team.

• The state redistribution for New South Wales has been finalised, without much change to the draft boundaries that were published last November. Antony Green has a pendulum with estimated margins for the final boundaries.

Two minor by-elections coming up:

• For the Northern Territory parliament: a by-election will be held on September 11 for the Darwin hinterland seat of Daly, where Country Liberal Party member Ian Sloan has retired due to ill health a year after an election at which Labor was returned to power. Sloan held out against Labor by 1.2% at the election, at which he succeeded retiring CLP member Gary Higgins. The CLP’s candidate is Kris Civitarese, a Barkly councillor; Labor’s is Dheran Young, a former advisor to Chief Minister Michael Gunner.

• For the Tasmanian Legislative Council: a by-election will be required for a yet-to-be determined date early next year for the seat of Huon, encompassing the southern edge of Hobart and its hinterland, after Labor member Bastian Seidel announced he would quit parliament at the final sitting for the year in December. Seidel has complained of a “toxic environment” and “obvious problems” in the party, which would appear to refer to the sexual harassment allegations against David O’Byrne, who was compelled to resign as party leader in July after just three weeks in the job and is now facing calls from within the party, including leader Rebecca White, to quit parliament.

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.

1,527 comments on “Liberals by any other name”

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  1. This is an explainer about the group that launched the terror attack in Kabul:

    What is ISIS-K?
    ISIS-K is an offshoot of the Islamic State terrorists who established a sprawling caliphate in Iraq and Syria that was eventually destroyed by a US-led bombing campaign. The K stands for Khorasan, the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria’s affiliate in Pakistan and Afghanistan, where US-led forces have fought Taliban and Al-Qaeda militants since 2001. US officials have grown alarmed in recent years about the group’s growing strength, savagery and intent on attacking Western targets.

    ISIS-K considers the Taliban, noted for its brutality, to be insufficiently devout in its adherence to Islam. The two militant groups have engaged in attacks on each other.

    Of particular concern for military planners is the group’s focus on launching attacks in Kabul.

    https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/what-is-isis-k-the-terror-group-believed-to-be-behind-kabul-airport-explosions-20210827-p58mcw.html

    It’s all Russia and China’s problem now.

  2. Good Morning.

    In the doom and gloom there are some bright rays of light for progressives.
    The pandemic really has hammered the credibility of the right wing big time.

    Even the Canberra Press Gallery is finding it hard to boost the LNP.
    The facts are just too immediate and shred the attempts to use propaganda.
    Helped by Labor being smart in how it’s governing in it’s jurisdictions. Recognised as such by some Liberal states.

    The political fortunes for those wishing to act on climate change are getting stronger every day. In the US it’s coming down to crunch time. Will the nine senators bought and paid for by Exxon be enough to stop the reconciliation bill and crash the entire Democrat agenda? It’s not looking good for the fossil fuel companies and it’s lobby group the American Chamber of Commerce.

    Brexit chickens are coming home to roost and showing voters why following the UK is a bad idea.

    In Europe progressives seem to be gaining as the right retreats.

    Hopefully those rays of light herald a new dawn. 🙂

    Happy Wear it Purple day.

    Edit: @PrideDiversity tweets

    Today is @WearitPurple Day!

    Learn more here: ow.ly/uK8E50FncGa

    #WearItPurple #inclusion #Visibity #Awareness #Equality #LGBTQ #Community #Australia

  3. Shellbell

    The extra supply of vaccines made available by the feds this week has made a big difference to the level of vaccination here in Victoria.

    Lets hope more supply is forthcoming.

  4. Victoria @ #47 Friday, August 27th, 2021 – 8:26 am

    C@t

    Yay! No covid. But boo to the flu!

    I know right! 😆

    A doctor at our local hospital said they are being swamped with cases of the flu at the moment around here. Everyone thinks its Covid but they do a Rapid Antigen test to prove it isn’t and that calms them down.

    A problem he has identified though is that people who usually come into the ED for things such as strokes, heart attacks and leg thromboembolisms are no longer coming in as quickly as they used to because they think they will catch Covid in hospital! Therefore they are ending up sicker from what they do have. 🙁

  5. Joe Root has now scored 1,400 tests runs in the year in preparation for the Ashes. Australia has not played a test since Jan 19 and our only test pre-Ashes is against Afghanistan.

  6. C@t

    Interesting. Cos here in Melbourne there is no flu around. Hence why our CHO keeps repeating the message that if one has symptoms it is not likely to be the common cold or flu.

    Unfortunately I do understand people being concerned about contracting covid in hospital. But illnesses such as those described, require immediate hospital attention.

  7. C@t

    That would be a perfect solution to the nuttery.

    Here in Victoria, the police have put out a request for public help regarding last weeks anti lockdown protest.
    It has been intimated that many at the protest, represent far right extremists. Copying the stupid USA crowd…………
    Ah the internet is a wonderful resource.

    We are investigating a series of assaults on police officers and the release of flares following a rally in Melbourne’s CBD on Saturday.

    Anyone with information that may help identify these people contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000
    https://t.co/HKzGH3LSPF https://t.co/GBHBIHXg1l

  8. Holdenhillbillysays:
    Friday, August 27, 2021 at 8:26 am
    There are more than 860 exposure sites across the state, with new sites listed in northern Victoria at Echuca, Kyabram and Mooroopna.
    ________________
    New ones in Geelong as well
    Right in my neck of the woods.

  9. @pauldutton1968
    ·
    3h

    There’s no ventilators not one in Wilcannia Hospital and @GladysB has done nothing to ensure a remote field hospital setup could have been organised with military assistance to help protect the town.
    Now 10% of the entire population has #COVID19.
    Gladys is culpable.

    But Karen Andrews was given one as a gift.

  10. The situation on the ground in Kabul is moving quickly. This is what we know so far:

    A suicide bomber detonated their device outside Kabul airport, near Abbey Gate
    Gunfire was then reported – understood to have come from another attacker
    As people fled away from the scene, a second blast went off nearby at the Baron hotel
    At least 60 people, including children, are reported to have been killed, with 140 wounded, according to health officials
    Two US officials say 11 Marines and a Navy medic were killed. The Taliban say some of their guards were also killed

  11. @BernardKeane tweets

    Under CoalKeeper, Angus Taylor plans for force every household to hand fossil fuel companies up to $400 a year to keep pumping out greenhouse emissions. It’s a triumph for the Coalition’s fossil fuel donors.

    https://t.co/bNRt7mydPI

  12. The vic opposition have been the worst of the worst during this pandemic.
    And former Premier Jeff Kennett and current buffoon who is still President of Hawthorn (which is shitting me to no end), has been an absolute idiot.
    Example of his tweet last night

    ——
    You are on notice Trolls, the goodies the silent majority are riding over the hill and coming to rescue the State
    And they are not part of the Premiers social media team, paid for by us, but citizens tired of the abuse, of the loss of what Victoria was when the best State in Aus

  13. Sceptic

    “It only seems reasonable that the current 10day doubling time for cases will shorten rapidly. Sept 13 looks more like stage 5lockdown than happy picnic day”

    Yep. What will be interesting is the surrounding LGAs catching up with the “LGAs of concern”. To be consistent, Kerry will have to expand the number of LGAs. That only makes a mockery of the fact that we had this distinction in the first place.

    Also, most families will find themselves with members who are fully vaccinated and those who aren’t. So the picnic thingie will only highlight this rift. Politically stupid.

  14. I should explain that the doubling time in the LGAs that are “not of concern” is much shorter than in the “LGAs of concern”… so there will be a crossover in the next couple of weeks.

  15. Phil Coorey reckons Morrison’s grasp on power hangs on offering hope while Albanese hopes Morrison falls over.

    The thing is, Morrison has fallen over, having comprehensively failed in his prosecution of Federal responsibilities during the Pandemic, specifically quarantine and vaccine acquisition and rollout. In vaccination, we’re now playing catchup from a position several months behind where we should be. Morrison still stands because the mainstream media have mostly given him a free pass. A Labor Prime Minister would have been pilloried day in day out until hounded out of office.

  16. Cud chewer

    That is something that the stupid media are not even reporting on.

    The emphasis has been that somehow the strategy of being strict on the LGAs of concern is right and just

    Sheesh

  17. Coorey is in damage control. He backed the LNP propaganda by being on the drip.
    As was inevitable he has come a cropper. Only time will tell how much his credibility will survive. His career may depend on the LNP winning the election.

  18. Victoria @ #74 Friday, August 27th, 2021 – 8:55 am

    The vic opposition have been the worst of the worst during this pandemic.
    And former Premier and current buffoon who is still President of Hawthorn (which is shitting me to no end), has been an absolute idiot.
    Example of his tweet last night

    ——
    You are on notice Trolls, the goodies the silent majority are riding over the hill and coming to rescue the State
    And they are not part of the Premiers social media team, paid for by us, but citizens tired of the abuse, of the loss of what Victoria was when the best State in Aus

    Because he wants Victoria to end up like NSW!?! ‘Free’ to get the Delta Variant!?!

    I think it’s smarter to try and bend the curve so that less people get Delta after they become ‘Free’.

  19. Here are the NSW numbers for the current outbreak up until yesterday on a logarithmic scale. The rise is still nearly a straight line – exponential, doubling about once every 10 days:

  20. concatenate
    /kənˈkatɪneɪt/
    Learn to pronounce
    verbFORMAL•TECHNICAL
    verb: concatenate; 3rd person present: concatenates; past tense: concatenated; past participle: concatenated; gerund or present participle: concatenating
    link (things) together in a chain or series.
    “some words may be concatenated, such that certain sounds are omitted…”

    Concatonation??? Spelling???

  21. UK Cartoons:
    Martin Rowson on the rebellion #BorisJohnson faces over Treasury spending #RishiSunack #SteveBaker

    Brian Adcock on #PritiPatel #TalibanTakeover #AfghanRefugees #pullout #Afghanistan

    Andy Davey on #BrexitShortages

    Andy Davey: Guess this needs no explanation on the #Kabul situation #Johnson #Biden #Taliban

    Christian Adams on #BrexitPromises #FoodShortages

    PAUL THOMAS on #CharlieWatts #RollingStones the death of a rock icon

    Morten Morland on #DominicRaab #Taliban #AfghanTaliban #AfghanLivesMatter #thedarkcurtain

  22. Steve777 @ #71 Friday, August 27th, 2021 – 9:00 am

    Phil Coorey reckons Morrison’s grasp on power hangs on offering hope while Albanese hopes Morrison falls over.

    The thing is, Morrison has fallen over, having comprehensively failed in his prosecution of Federal responsibilities during the Pandemic, specifically quarantine and vaccine acquisition and rollout. In vaccination, we’re now playing catchup from a position several months behind where we should be. Morrison still stands because the mainstream media have mostly given him a free pass. A Labor Prime Minister would have been pilloried day in day out until hounded out of office.

    Which is why Scotty is a safe bet to win the next election. (bookmark this)

  23. Coorey is clearly cheerleading for Morrison and the Liberal Party, as is the editor of the AFR Mike Stutchbury.

    But nothing like the doe eyed adulation emanating from the SmearStralian… where Simon Benson takes time away from partner LNP Senator Annie Oakley-McKenzie to pen this ‘fair and balanced’ piece.

  24. Steve

    The nearly straight line on the logarithmic graph shows you that as restrictions increase something else is getting worse – and that’s the contact tracing falling over.

  25. “I don’t even watch Gladys’s pressers anymore, they’re just not informative.” nor do I. The NSW Health and Hunter New England Health facebook pages are uploaded with all the relevent info as the presser/bullshit starts.

  26. sprocket_ @ #84 Friday, August 27th, 2021 – 9:14 am

    Coorey is clearly cheerleading for Morrison and the Liberal Party, as is the editor of the AFR Mike Stutchbury.

    But nothing like the doe eyed adulation emanating from the SmearStralian… where Simon Benson takes time away from partner LNP Senator Annie Oakley-McKenzie to pen this ‘fair and balanced’ piece.

    As I said last week, this is just the beginning of the media’s re-elect Scotty push.

  27. Shellbell at 8:58 am

    Maybe the Taliban and the US will share intelligence to mount a revenge attack on Isis K

    Very likely, they are already sharing intelligence. Apparently it was the Taliban were the ones who several days ago tipped of the Allies that an attack was imminent. Even before the Taliban took over it was not uncommon for the US to act as the “Taliban Airforce” in clashes with IS.
    .
    Our secret Taliban air force
    Inside the clandestine U.S. campaign to help our longtime enemy defeat ISIS
    https://www.washingtonpost.com/outlook/2020/10/22/taliban-isis-drones-afghanistan/

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