As the campaign enters a lull over the Easter extended weekend, there is at least the following to report:
• The first leaders’ debate of the campaign will be held on Wednesday, to be hosted in Brisbane by Kieran Gilbert of Sky News and with the leaders to face questions from 100 undecided voters.
• Stephen Lunn of The Australian reports the Australian Electoral Commission will be operating 550 pre-poll booths at this election, up from 515 in 2019. The period for pre-poll voting has been reduced since the last election from three weeks to two.
• Liberal Ben Small has had to resign from his Western Australian Senate seat after becoming aware he was a dual citizen of New Zealand, where his father was born, which somehow escaped the notice of all concerned when he filled Mathias Cormann’s vacancy in November 2020. His term was shortly to expire in any case, and he will return if elected from third on the party’s Senate ticket at the election.
• Paul Starick of The Advertiser reports that Liz Habermann, who came close to winning the regional seat of Flinders from the Liberals at last month’s South Australian state election, will shortly announce her candidacy for the corresponding federal seat of Grey, held for the Liberals by Rowan Ramsey.
• The Age reports Zoe Daniel, the former ABC journalist challenging Liberal MP Tim Wilson as an independent in Goldstein, has apologised over an article she wrote in 2017 in which she said then US President Donald Trump was “satisfying his wealthy Jewish donors” when he declared Jerusalem to be the capital of Israel. The electorate’s 6.8% Jewish population as of the 2016 census was the third highest in the country, behind Wentworth and neighbouring Macnamara.
• A spokesperson for the Law Society of New South Wales told the Daily Telegraph that Sarah Richards, the Liberal candidate for the marginal Labor seat of Macquarie in outer Sydney, may have broken the law in describing herself as a qualified solicitor on her LinkedIn profile. Richards holds a law degree, but ceased to be a practising solicitor in 2007.
Commonwealth Fund, which does most of the comparative work on universal health funds is not quite as happy with the Canadian system. On grounds of access, equity and, unfortunately, outcomes
https://www.commonwealthfund.org/publications/fund-reports/2021/aug/mirror-mirror-2021-reflecting-poorly
Steelydan @ #1099 Sunday, April 17th, 2022 – 3:19 pm
We have a much more benign climate.
Morrison clearly saw a dorothy dixer from the press and forgot he wasn’t in parliament.
ajm: We have a much more benign climate.
We also killed off more of our indigenous people before we started counting them. You want to know where infant mortality overwhelmingly occurs in Canada? Like Australia, in their indigenous population. Ratio of indigenous people in both: Canada: 5%. Australia:3%
All that infant mortality statistics shows is how woefully badly we support indigenous people.
Albo’s claims about being a Hawke Government adviser was stupid and inauthentic. Too many people know the truth. If he had to say anything about that period it should have been ‘I was something of a radical in those days but am more conservative now…. which is why the Morrison Government’s explosion in debt concerns me, etc’.
Historyintime @ #1041 Sunday, April 17th, 2022 – 3:25 pm
How did the Govt find this out ? Dastyari ?
I think some of the discussion about the FICAC here misses an important point. Morrison’s equivocation on the FICAC is confirmation of other things that many voters suspect about him.
1. Morrison is a habitual liar.
2. Morrison is a master pork barreler.
3. The LNP government has been involved in a lot of self serving fishy behaviour.
4. The LNP government wastes taxpayer money.
Keeping this issue alive keeps the pressure on Morrison and helps to further define him in a negative light. Voters that habitually vote LNP have have already taken their vote away and are looking for anything elsewhere to vote. Many of these ex LNP votes will end up with labor directly or indirectly.
Morrison is defined by this issue this time as much as Shorten was defined by tax in 2019.
Labor has to keep concentrating on defining itself as a safe pair of hands to bring this election home.
Many 100s of people know about Albos history.
Oakeshott Country @ #1101 Sunday, April 17th, 2022 – 3:20 pm
Interesting paper.
Speaker: Order, Order. The leader of the Opposition has the call
Scomo: Well thank you Mr Speaker….
Speaker: The member for Cook will resume his seat on the back benches. The member for Kooyong has the call.
I suspect the ALP’s dark forces have been active for some time planning for the campaign Rex.
They escalate from here if Newspoll is bad for the ALP.
Meanwhile, the liberals are literally tearing themselves apart in NSW. And publicly.
Steelydan @ #1098 Sunday, April 17th, 2022 – 3:19 pm
Possibly both of those, if you adjust for climate.
Though those metrics may leave a lot to be desired. The US healthcare system is totally dysfunctional but they’re only slightly behind on those measures; 5.6 IMR and 79 yearaverage life expectancy.
Maternal Mortality is the real shocker:
Australia 6/10^5 compared to 10
and preventable deaths:
Australia 96/10^5 comared to 117
Lars Von Trier @ #1047 Sunday, April 17th, 2022 – 3:33 pm
Frankly I’m more interested in Morrison’s state of mental health.
3 times ..!!!
The campaign is not about Albo but the more the government says about him, more and more people will have a look at him and I suspect most people will like what they see.
After the campaign he should send them a card thanking them for greatly increasing his name recognition.
“Labor has to keep concentrating on defining itself as a safe pair of hands to bring this election home.”
I agree which is why the bad start is a c0ncern. Can’t afford too many more apologies/clarifications. If a mistake is made it is going to be better to stonewall.
Oakeshott Country @ #1114 Sunday, April 17th, 2022 – 3:36 pm
Higher indigenous population (infant mortality) and more of a “wild west” scene on the prairies and the north (preventable deaths)?
Historyintime: If a mistake is made…
Certainly Mr Speaker.
Amazing that a journalist can get sacked for posting historically accurate information about Anzac Day on her Twitter account and another one is allowed to keep her job despite slagging off one side of politics on her account.
Pisays:
Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 3:25 pm
ajm: We have a much more benign climate.
We also killed off more of our indigenous people before we started counting them. You want to know where infant mortality overwhelmingly occurs in Canada? Like Australia, in their indigenous population. Ratio of indigenous people in both: Canada: 5%. Australia:3%
All that infant mortality statistics shows is how woefully badly we support indigenous people.
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So you just made up the Canadian health system shits on Australia comment. Now your saying Canada’s system is not fit for purpose in indigenous health.
So again where does the Canadian health shit all over Australia’s health system.
steelydan: So you just made up the Canadian health system shits on Australia comment.
It does. I just sucks to be indigenous, and they have more indigenous people in their coutry, which is why their infant mortality statistics are higher. The statistics that YOU brought up.
steelydan: So again where does the Canadian health shit all over Australia’s health system.
For everyone else. Free. No gaps. Which you would know if you ever ventured out of your trailer park.
As the Commonwealth Fund stats show Canada comes 10th out of 11 for access and equity
BUT hey, privileged white folk haven’t put their hands in their pockets for 50 years so it must be good
ajm
“ Sky News actually has a strong incentive to be fairly even handed about running the debate. Given that Albo has a strong likelihood of being the PM in a few weeks, do they really want to antagonise the person who will be in charge of the regulation of media. Newspaper headlines and articles and pundits on after dark are one thing, but putting a potential PM under direct personal pressure is another.”
I can’t say I noticed any reticence whatsoever, from any media outlet far-less The Murdochracy to suggest concern about putting a potential PM under direct personal pressure. In fact, annihilation of Albo appeared to be their singular goal. I know he didn’t help himself on Monday but I sensed only a desire to destroy him all week.
‘Pi says:
Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 1:18 pm
The funny thing about Singapore is that it’s one of the most socialist countries in the world. 80%+ of the population lives in public housing.’
It is actually more complicated than that:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_housing_in_Singapore
Australia has two health, dental, and mental health systems.
One for the rich and one for the poor.
There should be two sets of statistics for Australia:
Rich stats.
Poor stats.
Cronus @ #1124 Sunday, April 17th, 2022 – 3:51 pm
Criticism is one thing. Putting someone at a disadvantage in a situation you totally control is another – that’s the line they may be reluctant to cross. But we will have to wait and see.
sprocket, a way back: “Albo never said he was ‘Hawke’s economic adviser’ – this particular lie by Labor rat Mark Latham is pounced on by Taylormade and Steely Dan. He said he was an ‘economic adviser to the Hawke government, to Cabinet Minister Tom Uren’.”
But as far as I can see he never an economic adviser to anyone. First of all, Uren was Minister for Local Government and Administrative Services: a portfolio that dished out grants to local governments for various purposes (a Federal Government function that now appears to be more or less defunct), and oversaw the support services for the public service as a whole (all mostly outsourced these days). Neither of those roles would have required an economic advisor.
Shari Markson claims that Albo was employed as an electorate officer. Whatever the official title of his position might have been, he was surely mainly functioning as a mover and shaker in internal party politics.
His claim to have been an economic adviser was therefore a bit silly, as was his waving around his university economic assignments. This is not the way he will convince anyone that he is a sound economic manager.
I’m with LVT on this: the best response when the issue of economic competency came up would have been for Albo to set forth his current thinking on economic policy. Which needed to be something like “I used to be more of a socialist, but now I favour fiscal conservatism and low taxes, but with the proviso that I have learned from my long period of working in the infrastructure area that we need Government to expand its role as a lead investor in areas of potential market failure: large-scale infrastructure, public housing, etc.”
This would sound convincing and would emphasise what is just about the only area of government policy in which he is widely acknowledged as having expertise.
Martin
“ Amazing that a journalist can get sacked for posting historically accurate information about Anzac Day on her Twitter account and another one is allowed to keep her job despite slagging off one side of politics on her account.”
And I’d say slagging off is a gentle assessment. Frankly, her behaviour is unacceptable and extraordinarily unprofessional. She has clearly belled the cat on her own beliefs and her current position is untenable because it’s indefensible. If those comments were made about Coalition members she simply would’ve been gone by now.
Just saw a suggestion on Twitter that Morrison may have got a heads up on the Newspoll and this might explain why he is particularly stressed today.
Pi:
Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 3:48 pm
if you ever ventured out of your trailer park.’]
My second best friend lives in a trailer park. I find your comment elitist.
____________________________________________
Observer:
I admire both your form & substance.
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Back to building a chook pen.
BW: “Australia has two health, dental, and mental health systems.
One for the rich and one for the poor.
There should be two sets of statistics for Australia:
Rich stats.
Poor stats.”
I agree with this re dental.
I can tell you on the basis of my own experiences with family members, that the private mental health system is not much better (and in some ways worse) than the public one.
@ajm – it would be VERY strange for Newspoll to be in the field over Easter. In 2019, the first Newspoll was the weekend after it was called, then a fortnight later. For those two reasons, I’d be surprised if there was a poll this weekend…
It’s also not the only kind of polling info SfM would be stressing over.
Pisays:
Sunday, April 17, 2022 at 3:48 pm
steelydan: So you just made up the Canadian health system shits on Australia comment.
It does. I just sucks to be indigenous, and they have more indigenous people in their coutry, which is why their infant mortality statistics are higher. The statistics that YOU brought up.
steelydan: So again where does the Canadian health shit all over Australia’s health system.
For everyone else. Free. No gaps. Which you would know if you ever ventured out of your trailer park.
_________________________________________________________
Oh, a full loon. Most are glad they vote Labor but beg they shut up.
ajm: “Just saw a suggestion on Twitter that Morrison may have got a heads up on the Newspoll and this might explain why he is particularly stressed today.”
Seems unlikely, unless there has actually been a significant swing towards Labor.
The Libs are banking on a late surge: they surely wouldn’t be panicking about how things stand one week into the campaign.
@MB – nor should anyone else, yet… here we are.
I doubt there would be a Newspoll during the Easter Weekend, especially with there having been one the last two weeks.
More likely Scomo was just on autopilot during the press conference and reciting talking points he’s used during Question Time.
BW of course the figures reflect the total picture
but Medicare reform certainly should reduce the difference between private and public.
Many on PB would suggest destroying the private system but bringing the private into the public system is a more efficient solution. This is done through a purchaser/provider split, which Canada and most European systems did years ago.
This was the basis of both Medicare Gold and Medicare Select suggested by the Bennett Commission to Rudd. Unfortunately getting even minor reform into the system is politically fraught (I blame Littlefinger and the state governments)
Absolutely spot on Cronus. As a former employment lawyer I’ve dealt with many cases involving dismissal for social media commentary and this one is absolutely sackable. If it was slagging off the LNP she’d have been packing her desk already.
Can definitely recall Howard making a Mr Speaker reference during his final election campaign.
“So again where does the Canadian health shit all over Australia’s health system.”
They didn’t have Howard help them create a whole second publicly funded health system but private. The duplicative cost and subsidy it costing us a fortune and one of many many idiotic things Howard did that has echoed very negatively from the time he opened his shallow selfinterested lying mouth.
meher baba
I think the Coalition would be extremely disappointed if they haven’t made inroads in the polling this week. I’d be very surprised too if they haven’t made inroads because if not now after a pretty ordinary start (to put it mildly) by Albo on Monday then when? My sense is that any failure to have made an impression would be considered as a failure by the Coalition in their minds and the minds of those of us who are politically engaged.
They didn’t have Howard help them create a whole second publicly funded health system but private. The duplicative cost and subsidy it costing us a fortune and one of many many idiotic things Howard did that has echoed very negatively from the time he opened his shallow selfinterested lying mouth.
Um … are you saying Howard created the private hospital system?
seriously?
Why dont you post the tweet ajm?
Labor shouldn’t legitimize Sky News at any point. It is a propaganda outfit pure and simple.
Sky have Labor people on there as punching bags and to be set up as a Fool. For some reason there are those that will still go on.
For me, the message will be that no matter how often Sky put shit on Labor, they will always turn up to eat it.
jt1983 @ #239 Sunday, April 17th, 2022 – 4:06 pm
Probably correct. Perhaps their tracking polls are showing they are tanking. As I said earlier, drawing attention to Albo may not be all that smart from their point of view.
Oakeshott Country @ #1040 Sunday, April 17th, 2022 – 4:17 pm
No. Seriously. They were saying that Howard put it on life support and then steroids. Mainly to benefit his good friend Paul Ramsay(among others). If you can’t admit that then you are being willfully obtuse.
Martin,
I think it’s a missed opportunity for the ALP to treat the ABC like their current masters and demand her firing.
I’d say that most likely Mr Morrison is tired, as anyone would be that was leading a campaign.
Does the leader always know how the tracking polls are going? I seem to recall mention that Keating wasn’t given the tracking polls in the 96 campaign.
meher baba @ #1128 Sunday, April 17th, 2022 – 4:00 pm
No. A big fat No to the word “socialist”. Don’t ever mention the word that you don’t want to be associated with, especially when it is already embedded, emotionally, in someone’s mind.
It’s the same using the “pain” word when talking to patients. The negative placebo effect is very significant.