Save the date

Confusion surrounding the likely date of the New South Wales state by-elections, to add to that we already have about the federal election.

This coming Monday is the last date on which an election can be called for this year, specifically for the December 11 date spruiked recently by Anthony Albanese, which few if any still expect. The parlour game thus seems likely to move on now to the alternative scenarios of March and May. A complication in the former case is a South Australian state election set in the normal course of events for the third Saturday in March, i.e. March 19. If I understand the situation correctly, the South Australian government will have the discretion to delay the election by up to three weeks if a federal election is called before February 19 for a date in March.

Here’s what we do know:

• Max Maddison of The Australian reports grumbling within the New South Wales Liberal Party over its failure to have finalised candidates in the important seats of Dobell, Warringah and Gilmore. The report cites Liberal sources, no doubt with an interest in the matter, accusing Alex Hawke of using his clout on state executive to delay proceedings to the advantage of candidates of his centre right faction. “Other senior Liberal sources” contend the problem is “a lack of quality candidates and impending local government elections”. Prospective nominees for Dobell include former test cricketer Nathan Bracken, along with Michael Feneley, a cardiologist who has twice run unsuccessfully in Kingsford Smith, and Jemima Gleeson, owner of a chain of coffee shops.

• Further on Gilmore, the ever-readable Niki Savva reported in her Age/Herald column a fortnight ago that “speculation is rife” that Andrew Constance will not in fact proceed with his bid for preselection, just as he withdrew from contention Eden-Monaro ahead of last year’s by-election. If so, that would seemingly leave the path clear for Shoalhaven Heads lawyer Paul Ell, who is reckoned a formidable opponent to Constance in any case.

• Labor has not been breaking its back to get candidates in place in New South Wales either, with still no sign of progress in the crucial western Sydney fringe seat of Lindsay. However, candidates have recently been confirmed in two Liberal marginals: Zhi Soon, an education policy adviser and former diplomat, in Banks, and Sally Sitou, a University of Sydney doctoral candidate and one-time ministerial staffer, in Reid.

• In Victoria, Labor’s candidate in La Trobe will be Abhimanyu Kumar, owner of a local home building company.

• In an article by Jason Campbell of the Herald Sun, JWS Research says rising poll numbers for Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party are being driven by “skilled labourers and lower-end middle-management”, supplementing an existing support base that had largely been limited to people over 65. Maleness and low education remain common threads.

• An article on the voter identification laws by Graeme Orr of the University of Queensland in The Conversation makes a point I had not previously heard noted: that those who lodge a declaration vote in lieu of providing identification will have no way of knowing if their vote was ultimately admitted to the count. This stands in contrast to some American states, where those who cast the equivalent of postal or absent votes can track their progress online.

New South Wales by-election latest:

• It is now clear that the by-elections will not be held simultaneously with the December 4 local government elections as initially anticipated. The Guardian reports that the state’s electoral commissioner, John Schmidt, told a parliamentary committee hearing yesterday that “it wouldn’t be possible or sensible to try and aim earlier than the middle of February”, in part because the government’s “piecemeal funding” of his agency had left it with inadequate cybersecurity standards.

• Labor has announced it will field a candidate in Bega, making it the only one of the five looming by-elections in which the Coalition and Labor are both confirmed starters. James O’Doherty of the Daily Telegraph (who I hope got paid extra for pointing out that “Labor has chosen to contest the seat despite Leader Chris Minns last month criticising the looming by-election as expensive and unnecessary”) reports nominees for Liberal preselection will include Eurobodalla Shire mayor Liz Innes and, possibly, Bega Valley Shire councillor Mitchell Nadin.

• Anton Rose of Inner West Courier reports Liberal hopes in Jodi McKay’s seat of Strathfield are not high, particularly if Burwood mayor John Faker emerges as the Labor candidate, and that the party would “not be mounting a vigorous campaign”. One prospective Liberal nominee is said to be Natalie Baini, a sports administrator who was said earlier in the year to planning a preselection against Fiona Martin in the federal seat of Reid.

Poll news:

• A Redbridge Group poll conducted for Simon Holmes a Court’s Climate 200 non-profit group records Treasurer Josh Frydenberg’s primary vote as having slumped from 49.4% in his blue-ribbon Melbourne seat of Kooyong to 38%. With the Greens on 15%, well short of the heights achieved with Julian Burnside as candidate in 2019, such a result would put Frydenberg under pressure from Labor on 31%. Around half of the balance is attributed to the United Australia Party, which seems doubtful in an electorate such as Kooyong. The objective of the poll was to test the waters for a Zali Steggall-like independent challenge, and responses to some rather leading questions indicated that such a candidate would indeed be competitive or better. The survey was conducted from October 16 to 18 by automated phone polling from a sample of 1017.

• Liberal-aligned think tank the Blueprint Institute has results from a YouGov poll on attitudes towards carbon emissions policy, conducted in nine regional electorates from September 28 to October 12 with samples of around 415 each. In spite of everything, these show large majorities in favour of both halving emissions by 2030 and net zero by 2050 even in such electorates as Hunter and Capricornia. Even among coal workers (sub-sample size unclear), the results are 63% and 64% respectively.

• The Australia Institute has published its annual Climate of the Nation survey, based on a poll of 2626 respondents conducted by YouGov in August.

• It took me a while to update BludgerTrack with last week’s Resolve Strategic and Roy Morgan results, but now that it’s done, I can exclusively reveal that they made very little difference. Labor is currently credited with a two-party lead of 53.8-46.2.

Also:

• Antony Green has published his analysis of the finalised Victorian state redistribution.

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.

2,799 comments on “Save the date”

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  1. sprocket_ says:
    Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 7:22 pm
    The Labor Party is a broad church, and honours it’s former leaders.
    _______________________________________
    Even the ones who become anti-party?

  2. A tricky path for Albo and co to tread, as Murdoch and his goons are extremely anti China. Probably to do with the comrades shafting Rupert over Star TV, and then fixing him up with a Ministry of State Security endorsed wife.

  3. Perhaps a Prime Minister Albanese could make PJK a Special Envoy to mend fences with China? Could appoint a posse with Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd in tow.

  4. Dutton might want to save those type of smears until he’s had a go at leading the country as PM, then we can compare.

    I remember reading a comment before the last federal election. Where someone was getting cocky suggesting when Labor wins they wanted to Dutton to hold his seat. I think their rationale was they wanted Peter Dutton to be opposition leader and be a disaster for the Liberals.

    I just want Dutton out of parliament period. And he would have if Kevin Rudd wasn’t such a bloody know it all and called a double disillusion when he was advised too.

    Oh yeah and as for Dutton neither thing happened. He retained his seat but the Morrison government won. And the cocky prediction went right into the dust and I don’t say that with great pleasure either.

  6. ”
    lizziesays:
    Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 4:40 pm
    How low can Katie Allen sink in her support of the PM?

    Katie Allen MP
    @KatieAllenMP
    · Nov 9
    How good is a Higgins haircut?
    Did you spot the Prime Minister in Malvern?

    PM @ScottMorrisonMP
    The Malvern Barber Shop #auspol
    ”

    Does Katie Allen think that Morrison is some sort of King of Australia? Shaking my head sideways. Seriously though this is getting more bizarre by the day.

  7. Love Keating today, did think of the sinophobes here with a laugh. Would suggest the sinophobes have a listen but I’m pretty the nuance and concepts are well beyond the grasp of your garden variety sinophobe.

  10. “ It had nothing to do with being enamored. It was all about charting a different course in foreign policy than just trotting along behind the United States.

    Both Keating and Turnbull recognised that Australia’s best interests lay in having the closest relationship possible with Indonesia. Australia pressuring Indonesia on East Timor would have had led to a strained relationship and not advanced East Timorese independence one iota. It had to be accepted by Indonesia firstly, which it ultimately was.”

    ____

    Stop talking sense, nath!

    I think that some will see PJK as the crazy uncle you avoid at xmas. To mine, he’s largely right in his assessment of things. However, the wolverine faction wont be happy, nor is c@t – who clearly hasn’t worked out that she’s basically Peter Dutton on the central coast. Her attempts to verbalise PJK are just as pathetic. Driven by the same phobias no doubt.

    I suspect that Albo and and other will hose out some of Keating’s positions – if for nothing else to deprive scomo and Dutton of their Khaki election wedge. Good. However, if elected I hope that we pivot back to normalcy and Keating’s unfashionable views will once again become orthodox.

  12. You can’t disagree with this…he’s our PM, we pay him and this is what we get.

    Jo Dyer
    @instanterudite
    ·
    11h
    Call me old fashioned, but I prefer a Prime Minister who actually governs rather than gets haircuts and pretends to cook food on our time. #auspol

  13. Andrew_Earlwood says:
    Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 7:38 pm

    “ It had nothing to do with being enamored. It was all about charting a different course in foreign policy than just trotting along behind the United States.

    Both Keating and Turnbull recognised that Australia’s best interests lay in having the closest relationship possible with Indonesia.
    ….’
    ————————————
    Not so, the Coalition. By way of turning back the Indonesian fishing boats, Oz recently burnt three of them. Pictures of burning boat were thoughtfully made available to the MSM. We will decide who fishes in our waters. Indonesia has promptly issued a please explain and has ceased joint patrols.

  16. How many lies can the Shire Liar squeeze into 2 paragraph – from his speech this morning..

    ‘Launching a new fund for fledgling companies aiming to develop emerging low-emission technologies, Mr Morrison said the biggest change since the Paris agreement was struck in 2015 had been $100 trillion of private capital which was “pouring like a waterfall into climate technology solutions”.

    He said he believed climate change would ultimately be solved by “can-do capitalism; not don’t-do governments” who were “seeking to control people’s lives and tell them what to do” with interventionist regulation and taxes that would force up the cost of living and force businesses to close.

    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/scott-morrison-says-can-do-capitalism-will-solve-climate-change-20211110-p597pb.html

  17. Andrew_Earlwood says:
    However, if elected I hope that we pivot back to normalcy and Keating’s unfashionable views will once again become orthodox.
    _______________
    Lets hope so. However, these U.S subs lock us into conflict scenarios we don’t need to be in. I don’t know if they can walk it back.

  19. Morrison knows all about ‘don’t do’ governments.
    Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison have done bugger all on climate, buying submarines, stopping the Anthropocene Extinction, stopping the debt from reaching a trillion, putting in a decent NBN…
    EVERY.SINGLE.THING.

  21. Does Reachtel still do political polling? If so, I wouldn’t be too confident as to how they target their samples. I just got a call from them asking for my opinions on Hunter Water. Well, I’ve got an opinion on anything, so for shits and grins and notwithstanding the fact that I’m 170km from where most of their taps are, I went ahead. The usual questions about water quality and, at the end, they asked me if I was a customer. What pros!

  22. ”
    Rex Douglassays:
    Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 5:46 pm
    Daniel Andrews is the only Labor leader of the last 25 yrs that matches Keating for political talent.

    They both have/had the skill to articulate with confidence and crush their opponents confidence.
    ”

    Rex
    I don’t think Andrews has the gift of the gab of Keating. Andrews crushed his opponents because Victoria has Trumpist far-right opposition to deal with. Instead of being puppets in the hands of Sukkar and his fellow travellers like Credlin, if Libs had leaders like that defeated Hawthorne MP, i am certain Andrews will electoral difficulty next year. What I am saying is that if Libs clean their shit by next year, Andrews can be in deep shit.

    Steve Bracks was the best Labor leader Victoria has produced in IMO. Only leadership like his will have long lasting Labor government.

  23. “ However, these U.S subs lock us into conflict scenarios we don’t need to be in. I don’t know if they can walk it back.”

    My hope is that they will prove to be wunderwaffe. After all Huntington Inglis has a completely full order book for the US Navy as it is over the next 30 years.

    If Biden let’s it be known that that France is an OK supplier for AUKUS partners then behold! A proper inquiry will ‘discover’ that 6-8 boats of the Attack class is exactly what we need after all, perhaps with 4 French Suffren SSN class (with vertical launch mission modules as well) to supplement the fleet. Fingers crossed, because you are right: unless there are ‘options’ outside US armament supply we are basically boxed in to any American rush of blood that may happen (we may well be anyway, given the coalition’s historical forelock tugging, not to mention C@t’s beloved wolverine grouper faction).

  25. It is unregulated can-do capitalism that has all but locked in +2 degrees of global warming and if the pandemic has taught us nothing else it should have taught us can-do capitalism will profit and suckup the majority of Government support while leaving familes largely unprotected and bearing the emotional burden of the death count along with almost all the financial burden.

    If you think can-do capitalism cares more for you and your family before, during or after a disaster caused by climate than the 11 year old kids it gleefully incinerated while performing slave labor you’ve got rocks in your head.

  27. The property company in China currently receiving publicity is marshalling the required liquidity to meet obligations as and when due by selling assets – such as a portion of the equity it holds in a media Company sold on the Market (as but one example)

    The Company is a conglomerate

    It is basically a function of a rapidly growing economy, a growth predicated on improving the living standards of citizens and seeing a migration from rural settings and subsistence economies to the construction of cities housing upwards of 10 million people per city (to accommodate commerce and industry)

    So a massive market (population 1.4 billion and upwards) – and it would seem over trading on the Capital base (asset rich but cash poor as one outcome – and leading to a divestment of non core assets as the first response)

    It could be presented that the China government is comfortable with this need of this conglomerate – mirroring other actions within its economy to ensure there is not domination of market presence aka media and other Industries where there are restrictions on market presence (so attacks on the richest if you like – and there are examples of that)

    Never ever think that those in government in China are ever less than the most suitable to occupy those positions within government

    Simply they are the best and the brightest – educated to assume those positions

    And not just the President

    But at all levels of government

    China has embraced capitalism – including in media ownership (it has a Stock Exchange and the comment on the trade relationships with Taiwan is correct including real estate ownership – the issue being One China)

    Australians also own real estate in China (and there are reciprocal tax arrangements)

    In Australia we have seen media Companies fail, 10 assumed by a Trade Creditor converting a Current Liability to Capital and the failed 9 (again) and the failing Fairfax rising as a Phoenix Company, from the ashes

    Both Stokes and Murdoch are under pressure, the Balance Sheets and write offs confirmation (along with retrenchments – so the human cost of capitalism)

    Capitalism, hey?

    There are failures – and monumental failures

    I also note the 10 Year Bond Yield today is at 1.74%, down 33 Basis points over just 8 working days

    The movement in the AUD is noted

  28. sprocket_

    Perhaps a Prime Minister Albanese could make PJK a Special Envoy to mend fences with China? Could appoint a posse with Malcolm Turnbull and Kevin Rudd in tow.

    I always thought that Kevin Rudd missed a big opportunity in not appointing Malcolm Fraser to lead an enquiry about how best to accomodate the increasing number of refugees that land on Australia’s shores in 2008, mostly due to “push” factors.

    But maybe after 11 years of Howard and his racist bile, Malcolm Fraser would just have been painted a s a socialist class traitor.

  30. ”
    Lurkersays:
    Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 5:38 pm
    lizzie says:
    Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 5:04 pm

    I was never a great fan of Keating PM, as he was too far to the right for me. However, we do need more voices other than the parroted slogans of the current government.
    ______________________
    While Keating was of the Right and certainly proved this as Treasurer. Any objective analysis of his Prime Ministership would have to conclude that he pursued a Left Wing social and cultural agenda. And a more traditionally Leftist approach to Foreign policy.

    Native Title, The Republic, The Asian Century, Creative Nation, The Redfern Speech.

    We have not seen his like since. I’m hoping Albo will take some inspiration from
    ”

    Lurker
    Come-on let us have some discussion on this.
    Why do thing Australia has 13 years of ALP government during Hawke-Keating years. Because we had right-of-centre Labor government under the stewardship of Hawkefor first 8 years (who had faith in his ministers to perform their roles). He was great delegator and administrator. For the next 5 years Keating was PM. Why was he PM for 5 years? Because he won an election for “true believers”.

    Lurker: “his Prime Ministership would have to conclude that he pursued a Left Wing social and cultural agenda. And a more traditionally Leftist approach to Foreign policy.

    Native Title, The Republic, The Asian Century, Creative Nation, The Redfern Speech.”

    The agenda surely warms the cockles of ALP supporter or leftist activist in this country. But the agenda is reason why ALP had its worst defeat (seats wise)in 1996, which led to Howard years, which IMO was a disaster politically as it degraded our political institutions. We are facing the consequences of that degradation now.

  31. Cheers, Boerwar.

    _____________________________________

    I took out life insurance about 55 years ago. Somewhat later in the life of the policy, I was asked if I smoked. Pursuant to the doctrine of uberrima fides, I answered in the affirmative. I’ve given up about 50 times, and every time I did, I wrote informing the insurer accordingly. They go so sick of this that they advised me that I was no longer obligated to report my smoking status. For a measly $100k cover, my premium, due in December, is over $5k.
    But the great thing is that when I turn 100, they’ll pay it out, no questions asked.
    ______________________________________

    I didn’t get to view Keating’s appearance at the NPC today but have heard grabs of it and will say that anything he’s says about China has its genesis in Whitlam’s historic visit to China as the then LOTO. Those who’ve been knocking him need to take stock as he’s a sensible voice the current debate.
    ______________________________________

    I’m quite impressed with NSW Treasurer Matt Kean. He seems to get it, arguing variously re. the utility of EVs & the implausibility of CC & storage. He’s the first Tory I’ve heard to call it as it is, seemingly not captured by the vested interests of the fossil fuel lobby. I think he’s a future leader, it taking a lot of guts to go against the grain of his federal counterparts. Perhaps he knows they’re terminal?

  32. ”
    C@tmommasays:
    Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 5:48 pm
    poroti @ #2652 Wednesday, November 10th, 2021 – 5:23 pm
    I can definitely see it from that perspective too. I wasn’t trying to say Capitalism in the West was blemish-free. In that sense China is, I guess, a capitalist society. With special characteristics.
    ”

    I think that the Repugs in US and LNP are aiming for the ‘capitalism’ of China. Unfortunately that is not funny.

  33. “ Because we had right-of-centre Labor government under the stewardship of Hawkefor first 8 years ”

    Shenanigans. What centre right government of that era – or now – or ever for that matter:

    Implemented a universal health care system
    Closed down massive tax loopholes
    Introduced an anti poverty measure of the scope as Hawke’s Family Tax Benefits
    Doubled University placements, including establishing new universities in working class suburbs

    And so on.

  34. Political Nightwatchman,

    I remember reading a comment before the last federal election. Where someone was getting cocky suggesting when Labor wins they wanted to Dutton to hold his seat. I think their rationale was they wanted Peter Dutton to be opposition leader and be a disaster for the Liberals.

    I just want Dutton out of parliament period. And he would have if Kevin Rudd wasn’t such a bloody know it all and called a double disillusion when he was advised too.

    Whether Rudd would have won a double dissolution election to get the CPRS passed we will never know.

    I was pretty pissed off that he did not.

    But, with Australia’s fragmented polity at the time, would Rudd have won?

    I think he would have, but remember waking unto the 0700 ABC news* to hear a journalist for the ABC asking Bob Brown what he thought of Rudd calling a double dissolution to get the CPRS through.

    Brown’s answer was “I think that the Australian people will punish a government who goes to an early election when they have already elected the government they want.”

    I was chilled. I thought Bob Brown would be happy for Rudd to do the 1974 Whitlam gambit of calling a double dissolution to get Medibank legislation passed through both houses, to get the CPRS legislation passed.

    But Brown made it very clear that he would not support Rudd doing such a thing, and he expected that Labor would. be quite likely to lose such an election. and that he would in no way support Labor in the case of a double dissolution being called.

    I was surprised.

    * We now wake up to ABC Classic FM – I cannot stand “The government says …” news bulletins any longer. Although, I think I may have to go back to my old favourite, 2MBS FM, as even Classic FM has some pretty unpleasant government propaganda played in their news bulletins each hour.

  35. “ I’m quite impressed with NSW Treasurer Matt Kean”

    Get over yourself Mavis: he’s a marketing scam – the present ‘designated Bambi’ of the industrial scale swindling machine that is this NSW Liberal crime syndicate. Former designated Bambi’s were Gladys Berijiklian and before her Mike Baird.

    Remember the national party’s tantrum on Koala protection legislation last year? A joke within a joke. The legislation in question simply delegated all care to local governments. nearly all local government’s that have remnant koala populations in them are controlled by the national party, but because a few – around the far north coast and port stephens for example might have independent, greens or labor control that was far too much: even as Gladys was standing her ground, Kean was dealing under the table with the Nats to give them exactly everything they wanted. So, according to who every you are taking your news from Kean is some sort of environmental hero. In truth he’s a pirate, just like the rest of them: a bloke who had no hesitant action in voting FOR the most retrograde land clearing laws in recent history back in 2017.

    Youve been suckered into the latest iteration of Liberal party marketing 101.

  36. ”
    Shellbellsays:
    Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 5:54 pm
    Keating could sue Dutton
    ”
    That is the thing about previous generation political leaders. They don’t go out and sue people for political Slights. PJK was man enough to take criticism and give back in spades. As far as I know he did not have glass jaw.

  37. However Mavis, you are spot on re this:

    “ I didn’t get to view Keating’s appearance at the NPC today but have heard grabs of it and will say that anything he’s says about China has its genesis in Whitlam’s historic visit to China as the then LOTO. Those who’ve been knocking him need to take stock as he’s a sensible voice the current debate.”

  39. Mavis says:
    Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 8:39 pm
    It’s been said that Callas repeatedly listened to her recordings – how sad.
    ________________________
    The true artist knows when to leave the stage, ie before they tire of you and leave them remembering u at ur best.

  41. Just glancing

    But referencing media and “government says”

    The Liberal Party own a radio station – and the “news” on that station reflects the ownership

    And we talk about China

    At least the media outlets owned by government are known as owned by government

    The only time I access radio is when in the car

  42. Ven says:
    Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 8:20 pm

    The agenda surely warms the cockles of ALP supporter or leftist activist in this country. But the agenda is reason why ALP had its worst defeat (seats wise)in 1996, which led to Howard years, which IMO was a disaster politically as it degraded our political institutions. We are facing the consequences of that degradation now.
    _____________
    Well…Imagine the legacy of the Hawke/Keating government without this agenda.

    No Native Title Act, No Reconciliation Agenda. Really great for Indigenous/Non-Indigenous relations.

    No Attempt at an Independent foreign policy. No Engagement with Asia. Or push for a Republic finalizing Australian Independence.

    No Redfern Speech
    (In 2007, ABC Radio National listeners voted the speech as their third most unforgettable speech, behind Martin Luther King Jr.’s 1963 speech “I Have a Dream” (number one) and Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount (number two)

    No attempt to infuse Australian creative industries which saw a renaissance of Australian films in the 1990s.

    What a poorer nation we would have been without all that! But it seems you’d prefer it that way.

  43. Government’s are voted in, by democratic consensus, to act on issues that they argued, advocated and campaigned for. Political parties seek the confidence of the people, and the privilege to lead, on those issues. It is the people who decide, at elections, what action we want to take as a community, and which politicians have our confidence to coordinate and lead that action.

    ScoMo’s statements raise questions about what his own government does. He can only get away with such nonsense if he, and journalists, ignore the fact that we’re a democracy, and if journalists only put question to Labor in ScoMo’s loaded frame, while giving the Coalition a free pass.

    Have any journalists asked Morrison whether they can skip out on paying taxes? And skip out on being pursued by the tax office after skipping out on paying taxes? Heck, with the GST, every business acts as a tax collector. Can they skip out on that too? How about robodebt or the indue card? How about coal subsidies? Funding for CCS? How about national security laws? How about vaccines? What about voter id? Why did the Coalition chastise investors for pulling out of coal? Why is Alan Tudge interfering with the history curriculum? All these things involve the government “telling people what to do”, and according to ScoMo, we, the people, won’t be told.

    (or is it that we won’t be told only on things that ScoMo tells us we won’t be told on :P)

    Any competent interviewer would be able to pursue the Coalition down the rabbit hole they’ve dug for themselves.

  44. Anyway, I am going to sign off for the night. One of those nasty bugs that get people who go from the inner city to the Blue Mountains to help look after Grandkids for a few days get.

    Little Li Li, 7 months old is as cute as a button. I took her for a big walk around Wentworth Falls for about an hour, in her pram. They still do not have footpaths there! (Note: this is where I grew up, and we did not expect footpaths – but now, in 2021?)

    But anyway, Li Li does not take bottles or dummies, preferring to get all her sustenance from my lovely DIL. But, it was a warm day, and I took her (baby) bottle of water with me. After a while, I offered her the (baby) bottle of water.

    She did not like the teat or something, but as I stopped to sup from my own water bottle, her eyes lit us and she held out her hands. I helped her drink a few drops of water from my water bottle. She was very impressed, and immediately decided this water stuff was good, and started sucking on the teat of her baby water bottle.

    I, of course, continued to drink from my water bottle, even while thinking – her brother goes to preschool, my immunity is crap because this is the first time I have ventured outside my house in a while – I will come down with a bug, but as a grandmother, I still kept drinking from my water bottle while she drank from hers, to teach her how to drink water.

    Sure enough – three days later I have a the sniffles and a tummy bug. But teaching the little ones – this is how the somewhat smart apes we call the human race are genetically programmed to do.

  45. Does anyone have a source for covid cases on the Central Coast?

    Evidently Central Coast Health can’t be assed posting the info any more.

  46. Andrew_Earlwood:

    Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 8:35 pm

    “ I’m quite impressed with NSW Treasurer Matt Kean”

    [‘Get over yourself Mavis: he’s a marketing scam…’]

    Perhaps he is though with the advent of the ‘marketing scam’ of
    Morrison, I think Kean has plugged into the national pulse.

  48. ”I remember reading a comment before the last federal election. Where someone was getting cocky suggesting when Labor wins they wanted to Dutton to hold his seat.”

    I don’t want any Liberal / National / LNP’er to hold their seat, the fewer that do so the better. They are corrupt, reactionary and incompetent, many are racist, they despise large tranches of the people they govern. They have nothing useful to contribute. A WA style result, Qld 2012 in reverse or, even better, Canada 1993, would be fantastic.

    We know that should they lose the Coalition will with their allies start plotting their return by fair means or (preferably) foul the Sunday after the election. They will regard the result as illegitimate. They need to lose so badly that the party falls apart. Don’t worry about democracy, the business community will quickly put together a new Centre-right party that would be competitive after a few years, hopefully one that isn’t as reactionary as today’s Liberals. Meanwhile, Labor gets a term of clear air then most likely another. And hopefully another couple after that.

    We can dream…

  50. Lars Von Trier:

    Wednesday, November 10, 2021 at 8:42

    [‘The true artist knows when to leave the stage, ie before they tire of you and leave them remembering u at ur best.’]

    I’m thinking of Puccini when attempting to avoid responsibility
    for his dear wife:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NLR3lSrqlww

    I’m also thinking of Bellini doing the same thing, both reprehensible? – though he died too young to know whether he was Marther or Arthur.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tJ_OrkeRsmQ

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