First up, two privately conducted uComms seat polls to relate courtesy of the Australia Institute (you may care to note here the disclosure statement at the bottom of my sidebar, which is particularly relevant to the seats in question), both providing bad news for the Liberals and good news for the independent rebellion they face:
• In North Sydney, the poll shows Liberal member Trent Zimmerman trailing independent Kylea Tink 59-41 and Labor 58-42, suggesting he would lose to whichever of the two finished ahead at the second last count. When results for the two primary vote questions are combined as appropriate, the second being a forced-response follow-up for the initially undecided, Zimmerman is on 35.5%, Labor candidate Catherine Renshaw is on 23.1%, Tink is on 21.3%, and the Greens are on 11.3%.
• In Wentworth, Liberal member Dave Sharma likewise trails independent Allegra Spender by 56-44 and a to-be-determined Labor candidate by 55-45. In this case the primary votes are 37.6% for Sharma, 28.5% for Spender, 19.2% for Labor and 8.0% for the Greens.
The two automated phone polls were conducted on January 24, with samples of 850 in North Sydney and 853 in Wentworth. More detail, including responses on various questions relating to the ABC, is available through the Australia Institute link above. I would add the caution that seat polls do not have a particularly stellar record, perhaps especially so for the kind of inner metropolitan seat under consideration here.
On top of that and everything else, there is all too much news to relate about the New South Wales Liberal Party’s extraordinarily fraught federal preselection process. Its state executive met on Friday to consider a factional peace deal that would have concluded long-delayed preselections for a number of important seats, the catch being that party membership ballots would be bypassed in a number of cases. However, signing off on this required the support of fully 24 out of the executive’s 27 members, and reports indicate it didn’t come close. This raises the spectre of intervention by the federal branch, which in turn would be assured of triggering legal action.
• The stickiest sticking point would seem to be the southern Sydney seat of Hughes, which the Liberals need to wrest back from Craig Kelly after his move to Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party. The factional deal would have handed the preselection to PwC Australia management consultant Alex Dore, much to the displeasure of local branch members given he lives in Manly, was earlier weighing up a run in Warringah, and hadn’t even bothered to nominate. Michael Koziol of the Sydney Morning Herald also reports that Scott Morrison is less than enthusiastic about Dore, as he favoured the claim of state Holsworthy MP Melanie Gibbons. This was vehemently opposed by Dominic Perrottet and others who did not care for the prospect of a by-election in marginal Holsworthy, since the state government is already in minority and fears losing the Bega by-election on February 12. However, Koziol’s report suggests the by-election might happen anyway should Gibbons register her displeasure by resigning from parliament. Anne Davies of The Guardian reported last week that some in the party were of the view that Alex Dore for Hughes was so clearly a deal-breaker that it was no more than a ploy to bring on a federal intervention.
• The deal would have spared Sussan Ley a challenge from Christian Ellis, a public relations specialist who has made a name locally campaigning for water rights, in her regional seat of Farrer. Liberal branches in the electorate have reportedly been targeted by a conservative recruitment drive, putting Ley in grave peril despite her status as the Morrison government’s Environment Minister.
• Another incumbent who would have been spared a challenge is Alex Hawke in Mitchell, which is telling since Hawke’s machinations as the leading powerbroker of the centre right faction, and thus a key element of Scott Morrison’s power base, have been widely blamed for the endlessly protracted preselection process. Hawke would reportedly struggle to hold off Michael Abrahams, an army colonel with strong backing among conservatives.
• Another factional powerbroker, moderate Trent Zimmerman, would be rubber-stamped in North Sydney, where he faces challenges from Hamish Stitt and Jessica Collins, respectively aligned with the hard right and the centre right. However, Anne Davies of The Guardian suggests their prospects in a membership ballot would be less strong than those of Ley’s and Hawke’s challengers.
• The deal would have installed the preferred candidate of Scott Morrison, Pentecostal preacher Jemima Gleason, on the Central Coast seat of Dobell, where the Liberals have been hopeful of reeling in Labor’s 1.5% margin. However, Anne Davies of The Guardian reports that Gleason has now withdrawn, and that “another potential candidate – a well-known cricketer – has also cooled on the idea”. Presumably this refers to Nathan Bracken, as per reports last year. This just leaves conservative-aligned Michael Feneley, a cardiologist at St Vincent’s Hospital who has twice run unsuccessfully in the Sydney seat of Kingsford Smith.
• Reports last week indicated the deal would also secure top position on the Coalition Senate ticket for Marise Payne, but it appears Friday’s state executive meeting decided otherwise, since Aaron Patrick of the Financial Review reported on Monday that a process had commenced that would have both winnable Senate positions determined by the usual process involving party branch delegates. Patrick reports the moderate-aligned Payne is “probably safe”, which is just as well given her status as Foreign Minister. With the second position reserved to the Nationals, that leaves number three as a battle between Connie Fierravanti-Wells and Jim Molan. Three incumbents are chasing two seats as a legacy of Nationals Senator Fiona Nash’s Section 44 disqualification in 2017, which left the Liberals with all three of the six-year terms the Coalition won at the 2016 double dissolution. Fierravanti-Wells was elevated from a three-year to a six-year term and Molan, who had initially been unsuccessful at the election, took over her three-year term. Molan was reduced to the unwinnable fourth position in 2019, but was back later in the year when he filled Arthur Sinodinos’s vacancy in a six-year term. Liberal sources cited by Anne Davies of The Guardian suggest Molan’s popularity with the party membership makes him the likely winner.
• Then there were the three seats that were uncontentiously to proceed to a party ballot under the factional deal. Even here there is bad news for the Liberals, with the announcement by moderate-aligned barrister Jane Buncle, the presumed front-runner to take on Zali Steggall in Warringah, that she was withdrawing her nomination. That just leaves conservative-aligned Lincoln Parker, who according to Jim O’Rourke of the Daily Telegraph has “worked in defence research and technology development” and at consulates in the United States. He has also contributed columns to the Epoch Times, the newspaper of China’s suppressed Falun Gong movement, the enthusiasm of which for Donald Trump extended to passing off his tales about voter fraud as fact. As James Campbell noted in the Daily Telegraph, the heat had gone out of the Warringah preselection contest due to a growing sense that victory was beyond the party’s grasp. The other two seats designated for party ballots under the deal are Bennelong and Labor-held Parramatta, on which I have nothing new to relate.
Even the empty chair is out-polling Dave Sharma.
If ever I’ve seen a cynical political opportunist, it’s Dave Sharma. I’m sure the voters of Wentworth know all about his share transactions.
Could the two trump like clones go in the same year
Johnson and Morrison
David Crowe isn’t impressed:
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/why-pm-does-not-want-a-referendum-on-his-job-20220201-p59sqx.html
And those tacticians haven’t been looking at how he has been running the country (hint: badly), over the last 3 1/2 years?
I’m 69 pages into Sean Kelly’s The Game,a portrait of Scott Morrison and it’s strikingly simple regarding the PM.
Shame it’s not required reading before they allow you to vote.
Reading William’s summary the thing that sticks out for me is that it’s mostly men who are mentioned in the preselections as potential nominees. The women mentioned have either been defeated or withdrawn with only one still in semi-contention in Nth Sydney. That semi-contention seeming to be the very definition of semi-contention.
Talk about Blokesville.
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
The increasingly strained relationship between the NSW and federal Liberal governments has been further inflamed after explosive and damaging texts were revealed in which former premier Gladys Berejiklian purportedly labelled Prime Minister Scott Morrison a “horrible, horrible person”, writes Alexandra Smith.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/horrible-person-berejiklian-texts-reveal-antagonism-towards-pm-20220201-p59syy.html
Blame Omicron, not me. That is the distilled version of the message from Scott Morrison yesterday that was crafted to ask voters to give him the benefit of the doubt, says David Crowe.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/peter-van-onselen-named-in-reporter-s-bullying-action-against-network-10-20220131-p59sp1.html
Martin Luther King used the cadences, phrasing and devices of a Christian Baptist pastor to deliver soaring rhetoric; Scott Morrison took his sky pilot familiarity to the National Press Club on Tuesday for as platitudinous and dulling a sermon as you’re likely to hear, says Michael Pascoe in this scorching evaluation of the NPC appearance.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2022/02/02/michael-pascoe-scott-morrison-declares-war/
The election’s not over yet, but Morrison may need another miracle, suggests Chris Uhlmann in a reasonable contribution.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/election-s-not-over-yet-but-morrison-may-need-another-miracle-20220201-p59ssz.html
No matter how he has tried to escape responsibility, including blaming the states, the public has seen through Morrison’s bluster, writes Jack Waterford following on from yesterday’s article.
https://johnmenadue.com/out-of-touch-and-out-of-time-another-2019-looks-impossible-for-morrison/
When it comes to deflecting inconvenient questions, the prime minister has all the moves, writes Paul Karp who tells us about the five ways Morrison dodged questions at the NPC yesterday.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/01/were-all-terribly-sorry-five-ways-scott-morrison-dodged-questions-at-the-press-club-qa
Phil Coorey reckons Morrison has two months to make it all about the economy.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/morrison-has-two-months-to-make-it-all-about-the-economy-20220201-p59sz2
Management of the Omicron outbreak is primarily a national responsibility, writes NSW treasurer Matt Kean
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/31/nsw-businesses-need-federal-leadership-to-ensure-strong-economic-recovery
Ross Gittins writes that there is a long way to go for our economy to be less unequal.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/long-way-to-go-for-our-economy-to-be-less-unequal-20220201-p59suc.html
Covid becoming endemic doesn’t mean it will be mild – or that there won’t be new variants, warn Hassan Vally and Catherine Bennett.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/01/covid-becoming-endemic-doesnt-mean-it-will-be-mild-or-that-there-wont-be-new-variants
Aged care workers want respect, not loose change, writes Joseph Ibrahim. He says that if the government was truly interested in our aged care workers, more would have been done with the royal commission’s recommendations released 11 months ago.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/aged-care-workers-want-respect-not-loose-change-20220201-p59swq.html
Dana Daniels reports that unions and aged care providers say Scott Morrison’s bonus payments for about 230,000 workers aren’t enough to fix the sector’s staffing crisis as employees battle exhaustion and struggle to care for residents.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/aged-care-bonus-totally-inadequate-in-staffing-crisis-unions-providers-20220201-p59src.html
Queensland authorities abandoned their own contingency plans to protect vulnerable disability housing residents in the event of a Covid outbreak, instead telling accommodation providers to manage positive cases themselves and just “do what you reasonably can”. Emails obtained by Guardian Australia reveal the extent to which Queensland’s health system planning quickly became overburdened by the Omicron outbreak.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/02/do-what-you-reasonably-can-queensland-disability-homes-told-to-manage-covid-alone
I’ve worked in aged care for eight years – but now I want out, writes a South Australian aged care worker who says, “The bonus payment is not going to keep aged care workers in the game because it’s a temporary handout. It’s a Band-Aid – it’s not addressing the problem.”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/02/ive-worked-in-aged-care-for-eight-years-but-now-i-want-out
When aged care workers earn just $22 an hour, a one-off payment won’t fix the wage problem, say these contributors to The Conversation.
https://theconversation.com/when-aged-care-workers-earn-just-22-an-hour-a-one-off-payment-wont-fix-the-wage-problem-176136
Tom Burton writes that experts have warned that a new rapidly spreading omicron sub-variant is 13 per cent more infectious, threatening to prolong the current wave well into autumn, stymying business and government hopes for an early end to the shadow lockdown and an outbreak-free election period.
https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/new-omicron-sub-variant-threatens-to-prolong-case-wave-20220201-p59syl
The Perrottet Government isn’t doing enough to ensure the safe return of kids to schools amid the Omicron wave, writes Karen Armstrong.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/perrottet-ignores-school-covid-safety,16001
The politically driven demise of well-run public institutions has had damaging consequences, with the COVID pandemic providing a wake-up call, writes Terry Moran who says the private sector is no place for essential services.
https://johnmenadue.com/delivery-failure-the-private-sector-is-no-place-for-essential-services/
Fossil fuel companies, the Big 4 accountants, billionaires and the usual suspects. The Coalition came out on top, with more than $15 million more payments given to them than Labor. Callum Foote and Stephanie Tran wrap up 2021’s political payments.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/quid-pro-quo-donations-data-shows-billionaires-and-corporations-fix-politicians-for-another-year/
Using gender-neutral language as an example, Julie Szego argues that progressive politics is going wrong.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/birth-givers-to-pride-jumpers-how-progressive-politics-is-going-wrong-20220201-p59ssu.html
Australia will pour more than $60 million into countering violent extremism amid an increase in conspiracy theories during the COVID-19 pandemic and concerns from MPs about their safety following last year’s murder of British MP Sir David Amess.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/zero-tolerance-more-than-60m-to-combat-violent-extremism-20220201-p59sw9.html
Federal moderate Liberal MPs will renew their push for fast-tracked protections for LGBTQ school students when Parliament returns next week, as Scott Morrison aims to deliver on his election promise to legislate to protect religious freedom. Fresh controversy over the federal government’s proposed religious discrimination bill was ignited yesterday after reports that Citipointe Christian College in Brisbane had issued contracts requiring students to agree to specific gender roles and denounce homosexuality.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/moderate-liberals-to-push-protections-for-gay-students-after-queensland-case-20220201-p59syu.html
Moved close to tears, Queensland’s Education Minister, Grace Grace, has promised a swift response to complaints about Citipointe Christian College requiring students to agree to specific gender roles and denounce homosexuality – a move she described as “unacceptable”.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/queensland/unacceptable-education-minister-promises-action-over-christian-college-contracts-20220201-p59sw4.html
Borrowers have long been accustomed to seeing their borrowing capacity expand as interest rates have fallen over the past 11 years to hit record lows. That trend now appears over, explains John Collett.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/borrowing/homebuyers-to-lose-significant-borrowing-capacity-20220131-p59sit.html
The Morrison government is actively supporting new coal mines and massive new gas developments that will overwhelm all other efforts to protect the Great Barrier Reef, writes Imogen Zethoven who says the biggest barrier is a political class in climate denial.
https://johnmenadue.com/biggest-barrier-to-saving-the-reef-is-a-political-class-in-climate-denial/
After blowing up 46,000-year-old archaeologically precious Indigenous rock caves in Western Australia Rio Tinto is dealing with the unearthing of a new culture catastrophe – endemic harassment, sexism, racism and gender discrimination. Elizabeth Knight tells us that, for the second time within a year, Rio’s chief executive Jakob Stausholm has issued an apology – this time to the mining giant’s victimised workforce.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/another-culture-catastrophe-rio-tinto-s-horror-report-card-20220201-p59svd.html
Miah Hammond-Errey explains how Big Data is changing our lives.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/you-re-being-watched-how-big-data-is-changing-our-lives-20220201-p59st0.html
Rob Harris tells us that Boris Johnson will turn to his longtime ally, Australian political strategist Lynton Crosby, to help save his leadership after vowing to get a grip on his government following a damning report into lockdown parties at Downing Street.
https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/boris-johnson-to-reunite-with-veteran-australian-political-strategist-to-save-job-20220201-p59svp.html
Never mind wine fridges, the Tory party is drunk on Kool-Aid, writes Marina Hyde,
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/feb/01/wine-fridges-tory-party-kool-aid
Some of the White House records turned over to the House committee investigating the January 6 attack were ripped up by Donald Trump, the National Archives has said.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/feb/01/trump-tore-up-records-turned-over-house-capitol-attack-committee
Cartoon Corner
David Pope
David Rowe
Matt Golding
Cathy Wilcox
John Shakespeare
Fiona Katauskas
Some gifs from Glen Le Lievre
https://twitter.com/i/status/1488412211748143104
https://twitter.com/i/status/1488350404844740612
Mark Knight
Alan Moir
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/FKdmjbgacAAweso?format=jpg&name=900×900
Simon Letch
Spooner
From the US
The federal government happily castigates WA for supposedly not following the national plan, yet willingly abrogates its responsibilities when it suits. Just look at aged care.
The online memes based on Dave Sharma/Katie Allen/any other supposed “Lib progressive” votes the same as Barnaby Joyce/George Christensen may be working better than expected. I’m seeing them widely shared on social media.
PK interviewing SRoberts.
“The SM promise was budget repair would begin when unemployment has a 4 in front of it and that means cuts.”
Answer: some programs will self extinguish.
When even Chris Uhlmann is clear that the coalition is solely responsible for the Djokovic stuff up, and how it’s symptomatic of the dysfunction of this government generally, you’d better believe it:
“The fact that the planet’s most prominent anti-vaxxer got into the country is not something that can be duck-shoved to Tennis Australia or the Victorian Government. As John Howard made crystal clear so many years ago, the federal government decides who gets to come to Australia and the manner in which they come.
The manner in which Djokovic came and left was a national embarrassment. It drew a circle around all the post-it-note failings Labor wants to stick on the government: an inability to recognise a problem; a delay in acting; a congenital disorder in accepting responsibility; followed by an agonising retreat. Most damaging, it again raised questions about the government’s competence.”
OK Campers. Rise and shine and don’t forget to put your booties on because it’s cold outside!
Thanks BK for todays reports!
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/01/were-all-terribly-sorry-five-ways-scott-morrison-dodged-questions-at-the-press-club-qa
Isn’t this part of media training that (I presume) all pollies would have, especially ministers?
Indi might – might – be a win for the Libs.
They have preselected a guy called Ross Lyman.
I know very little about him – never heard of him, in fact – but he doesn’t seem to be a loony Christian (their last pick) and he’s not Sophie Mirabella (the two previous picks).
The Libs finished 3% ahead of Haines on primaries last time and finished up less than 3000 votes behind.
Add: UAP is now saying it will direct preferences against the sitting member (they polled nearly 4000 votes at the last election).
Lyman also seems to be the type the Nats would support (Mirabella said that if Nat voters had followed the HtV she would have won).
I certainly wouldn’t – as most pollsters seem to be doing – assume that it’s a shoe in for Haines.
“Phil Coorey reckons Morrison has two months to make it all about the economy.”
Which essentially means Team Morrison has told Australia’s thinnest skin hack that they are going to spend two months trying to make it about the economy.
Also I know they have that thing where contrary to all the evidence a large group of idiots consider them just better on the economy, but as the highest taxing, most corrupt amd most wasteful govt in Australian history, can Morrison craft a story so those economic votes tell him where the bloody hell they are?
The Liar is reverting to type….
1. Find excuses which can (and probably will) be contradicted
2. Blame someone else (in this case the ‘health advice’)
Asked why rapid antigen tests took so long to arrive in Australia, and remain in short supply, Scott Morrison said they were only approved for home use in early November:
Right throughout this pandemic it’s been put to me over and over again, are you following the health advice? Are you listening to the health advice? Health advice was that the TGA would need to approve … and I am not criticising them at all, because rapid antigen tests are not as good as PCR tests. Because PCR tests are reliable and the Delta phase of the variants, the Delta phase, PCR tests was the best thing to do. Omicron changed all of that and no country in the world could avoid Omicron.
Guardian blog
Add: UAP is now saying it will direct preferences against the sitting member (they polled nearly 4000 votes at the last election).
—————-
The UAP is the biggest political donation to the Liberal Party. They cant win this election, and possibly future elections without it.
What is the kickback?
Scott Morrison is delusional! (And that’s being moderate in my response due to consideration for our Moderator). He’s getting around today boasting (!) about having ‘saved’ 44000 Australian lives. Who does he think he is, our Lord and Saviour!?! Certainly sounds like it.
No mention, of course, about the lives lost due to his incompetence. That’s someone else’s fault of course. 🙄
That’s the truest thing he’s ever said. Pale and white with no food value.
NSW records 27 deaths and 11,807 new cases
There are 2,662 people with the virus in hospital, of which 170 are in ICU.
There were 11,807 new cases in the reporting period, of which 6,314 were from rapid-antigen tests and 5,493 were from PCR swabs.
Lizzie
Did the Liar just tell the truth and say that he’s toast?
Victoria records 25 deaths and 14,553 new cases
There are 768 people in hospital, with 99 in ICU.
Oh William good luck with your gig with the Climate 200 guys!
Heard him on RN. Man, these journos need to earn their pay by working a bit harder on their trade. Better prep, more practice on how to address his tactics. They just seem to get overwhelmed with his wordstorms.
Having said that – he is very good at talking endlessly all over and around a topic, sounding knowledgeable and across the brief, without addressing the issue. He doesnt seem to take a breath. He gets away with it but…. it does have a force, a belligerence to the delivery that may not play well to many audiences.
So we have seen where this is going. The sycophant journos will back him to the hilt. The others will continue to struggle to pin him on anything. And Morrison will rerun 2019 – more belligerent BS of “I didnt do it” and “Albanese will ruin us aussies”.
Zali Steggall winning (or a near miss) would really be an achievement and maybe the most impressive story of the election. I think harder as an incumbent than as the protest candidate.
It’s such an Establishment seat, not just Liberal heartland but media and social and capital heartland.
It’s like getting the royal family to vote republican.
Could be an interesting interview!
Coorey’s unsure if it was a Fed or NSW minister who leaked the “psycho” reference. If it were a Fed, it would obviously be more serious for Morrison’s longevity. And if talkback radio’s an accurate reflection, the $800 to be paid to aged-care workers hasn’t gone down well, with the full amount only to be
paid to full-time workers; part-timers will receive a pro-rata sum. It’s no accident that the second sum will be paid in May.
“Coorey’s unsure if it was a Fed or NSW minister who leaked the “psycho” reference.”
Perhaps Nath is Coorey.
C@t @ 9.00am
“He’s getting around today boasting (!) about having ‘saved’ 44000 Australian lives”
The 4000 is probably for GST so Morrison doesn’t get caught out(again) for being a dumbarse.
@Luke – Not really – that area has a strong history of voting for good local indies (albeit not at a Fed level).
This is a part of the world I grew up in and know well. Warringah now, while very typical of blue ribbon Liberal seats in terms of education and income – is not the same as Bradfield or even Mackellar.
Warringah is overalll younger, has more commuters and a stronger local green (note the lack of capitalisation) movement.
It is very much one of those very educated and wealthy seats where it is more anti-Labor than hardcore pro-Liberal.
North Sydney is normally kind of the same (indie voting) and if that seat polling is even kind of true … their anti-Labor bent might be coming off, especially if there is a swing and the sitting Lib is either a problem, or hasn’t distanced themselves sufficiently (noting even against Labor in 2019, thanks to his tanked primary, Abbott would only have beaten Labor 52-48).
Mavis @ #NaN Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022 – 9:13 am
As someone in the David Crowe comments just said, Robodebt repayments have just magically turned up now, after people have been waiting over a year for them. Coincidence? I think not.
WeWantPaul @ #NaN Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022 – 9:14 am
Well the PvO comment has been fact-checked, it was a ‘Senior Federal Minister’. Coorey would have known that too but is attempting to muddy the waters for his patron.
Presumably related to the NSW Liberals’ internal warfare?
“Well the PvO comment has been fact-checked, it was a ‘Senior Federal Minister’. Coorey would have known that too but is attempting to muddy the waters for his patron.”
I agree and i think it was exactly what Nath was doing too.
WeWantPaul @ #NaN Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022 – 9:30 am
And nath would have known it too, as you say, because we fact-checked it last night.
I mean, is there any greater indication, despite his well-worn protestations to the contrary, that nath is a Liberal, than his attempts today to follow the Liberal line about this? It’s too easy to pretend you’re a Green online and if you are good at the job of faking it, like Scott Morrison, you’ll convince most of the people, most of the time. However, also like Scott Morrison, eventually you’ll expose your true self.
What will Phil Coorey and Simon Benson do after the election, when presumably their entire source of material will evaporate to the now-powerless opposition bench?
citizen @ #NaN Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022 – 9:29 am
You know, if I was that Senior Minister, I WOULD resign and cause Scott Morrison’s house of cards to collapse. 😀
Was this after the Pres Club?
lizzie @ #20 Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022 – 9:03 am
Good for toast though, which fittingly he is.
Confessions @ #27 Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022 – 9:12 am
I caught the end of it – was interesting from what I heard.
Simon Katichsays:
Wednesday, February 2, 2022 at 9:07 am
The Liar is reverting to type….
“So we have seen where this is going. The sycophant journos will back him to the hilt. The others will continue to struggle to pin him on anything. And Morrison will rerun 2019 – more belligerent BS of “I didnt do it” and “Albanese will ruin us aussies”.”
————————————————
I have stopped referring to them as journalists. I think stenographer better describes what they do. They take down whatever the pollie tells them and accurately transcribe it.
Marina Hyde, the Guardian commentator, has a striking analogy for Scummo’s UK avatar:
If you ever wondered what Jim Jones’s corpse would have looked like if it had spent three weeks getting bleached and bloated by a Guyana river, it floated up to the House of Commons dispatch box yesterday at 3.30pm.
William – where do the Liberal vs Labor 2PP results come from in Wentworth and North Sydney? The TAI website doesn’t provide a true 2PP – only a (mislabelled) 2CP of Liberals vs IND.
If that is the best that Australia’s cartoonists can do today then we are in dire need of some fresh talent. Only the Shakespeare one was half decent. Surprised at how weak David Pope’s one was (usually a big talent).
“Peter Van Onselen, speaking on Listnr radio, confirms the reported texts between Gladys Berejiklian and an unnamed “Liberal minister” are from a *federal* cabinet minister
There’s 23 people in cabinet besides Morrison, narrowing the field of “suspects” somewhat”.
WeWantPaul @ #16 Wednesday, February 2nd, 2022 – 5:38 am
Or he listened to the PM’s speech.
It isnt easy to blast through a good conmans bluster. Howard had most of them struggling back in his day and I dont reckon he is half the conman Morrison is.
But Howard did things. He had some accomplishments. Morrison is a fraud. And the journos need to up their game. Even Frontlines Mike Moore managed it once when he put his mind to it.
The other problem is Morrison will focus on the easy interviews like Sunrise. F me. white bread. FFS.
“Peter Van Onselen, speaking on Listnr radio, confirms the reported texts between Gladys Berejiklian and an unnamed “Liberal minister” are from a *federal* cabinet minister
There’s 23 people in cabinet besides Morrison, narrowing the field of “suspects” somewhat”.
Rohan Smith
@Ro_Smith
· 1h
Peter Van Onselen tells Virginia Trioli on Gladys texts to PM this morning: “I can’t say (who the minister is) because the minister is the source.” Says he’s got all the screenshots, minister is current, and the “deal” was he wouldn’t out senior liberal for the leak.
Show this thread
GG:
It’d have to be someone from NSW. I can’t imagine a federal minister from another state having texts from Gladys.