Drawing it out

The closure of nominations confirmed growing ballot papers for the House and shrinking ones for the Senate.

Ballot paper draws were conducted yesterday, and full candidate lists have been published by the Australian Electoral Commission and incorporated into my election guide. There are 1203 candidates for the House of Representatives, up from 1056 in 2019, an average of around eight per seat. The United Australia Party is again contesting every seat, and One Nation, which contested 15 seats in 2016 and 59 in 2019, is now contesting every seat but Kennedy and Higgins. Other parties making considerable efforts in the lower house are the Liberal Democrats with 100 candidates, the Australian Federation Party with 61 and Animal Justice with 48.

Conversely, the impact of the 2016 reforms continue to whittle away at the number of micro-parties running for the Senate: the number of columns on Senate ballot papers is down from 35 to 23 in New South Wales, 31 to 26 in Victoria, 26 to 25 in Queensland, 23 to 22 in Western Australia, 16 to 14 in Tasmania and nine to eight in the Northern Territory, though it’s up from 16 to 22 in South Australia and seven to 11 in the Australian Capital Territory.

Other news:

• With the announcement of nominations, it is confirmed that Liz Habermann, who came close to winning the safe Liberal seat of Flinders as an independent at last month’s South Australian state election, will run against Liberal member Rowan Ramsay in the corresponding seat of Grey.

• Shortly after the publication of candidate details, the Australian Electoral Commission issued a statement noting that Rodney Culleton, who leads the Senate ticket of the Great Australian Party in Western Australia, appeared to be an undischarged bankrupt, contrary to a declaration he signed when he nominated. It has referred the matter to the Australian Federal Police. Culleton was elected as One Nation’s Senator for Western Australia at the 2016 double dissolution, but was found to be ineligible the following February on the grounds that he was awaiting sentencing for a minor criminal conviction at the time of his nomination, which came two months after he was declared bankrupt.

Phillip Coorey of the Financial Review cites unspecified sources who rate that the strongest possibilities for teal independents are Wentworth, North Sydney and, “to a slightly lesser extent”, Goldstein. A Liberal source is quoted saying these independents would be less at risk of backing a Labor government than Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott proved to be after 2010, having “developed their own network of voters”.

Mark Riley of the Seven Network writes in The West Australian that Liberal internal polling “shows them coming back in Swan and Pearce, though still trailing Labor”. Similarly, Labor strategists cited by Tony Wright of the Age/Herald merely “hope” they can win Hasluck.

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.

1,487 comments on “Drawing it out”

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  1. Sprocket

    Bingo. Why would these white men and boys be concerned with the plight of womens sport.

    In fact, if this was indeed the type of people Morrison was trying go court, they already dont have much care factor about womens sport in any event.

  2. Victoria @ #51 Saturday, April 23rd, 2022 – 8:31 am

    Sprocket

    Bingo. Why would these white men and boys be concerned with the plight of womens sport.

    In fact, if this was indeed the type of people Morrison was trying go court, they already dont have much care factor about womens sport in any event.

    The Coalition is targetting women. It is women that are low on support for Morrison over Grace Tame, Brittany Higgins and other bullying matters

  3. The son of former Victorian Liberal Premier Ted Baillieu says the party has abandoned its small-l liberal values and that independents offer a vision for the future, not the past. Here’s his op-ed.
    ___________________ Tickets on himself. He will make an excellent lefty.

  4. Mind you DeSantis Florida governor has upped the ante with his dont say gay bill, and the pushback by Disney.
    The reality is that this actually hurts Floridians

    ——
    Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis on Friday signed into law a bill revoking the Walt Disney Company’s special district status in the state, just days after the legislation was first introduced on Tuesday.
    Disney has up to this point declined to comment on the legislation, but the dispute is likely to end up in court.
    Sunsetting the Reedy Creek Improvement District means that local counties will likely be left to foot the bill for potholes and emergency services at Disney World.

  5. Taylormade

    Have you found any more roads in Ukraine to tell Neil Mitchell and Matthew Guy about.
    Surely with all the destroyed roads there now, it should be so easy.

  6. Katherine Deves reminds me of a women I met on my way back from a conference in Europe. I was presenting a paper for a friend as one of the minor Authors. Up to that point I though a hatred for other groups of people required a lack of education. She had a PHD, she was blond and had amazing looks, a bright, good looking women. But her views; foul. I cut the conversation short and made sure we never crossed paths again.

    I don’t think trans kids is a big issue one way or the other, but to try and make them part of a political campaign is pretty foul behavior.

  7. Living in Parramatta, amongst religious/conservative voters that are being targeted by the dead cat of Deves, there is traction. The strategy targets the anti-SSM vote. The United Australia Party will also pick up the anti-tax/freedom vote which is also significant, albeit a large overlap. The UAP preference flows have the potential to make the difference in Parramatta.

    However, I maintain that this election is a battle for the soul of the Liberal Party. It isn’t just an election strategy. The parallels between Trump and the Republican party may be drawn. The penny has dropped for Middleton it seems. Murphy is still writing that it is about the election, intended or otherwise.

  8. This alone should disqualify this pathetic excuse of a govt.

    —-
    Dave Sharma says the 99yr lease of the Port of Darwin to a Beijing company “should not have happened” @SkyNewsAust

  9. From recollection Albo was asked about Deves at one of his pressers. His response was something to do with laws already in place.
    Anti discrimination act.

  10. Rossmore – from the previous thread re workplaces and the obsession with naming, I am still in the workplace and get your point.

  11. Morrison and Co are nothing if not vindictive and hateful. When Australia voted for SSM, they came up with the Religious Discrimination Bill as an act of revenge and to make Religions feel like the victims of some great injustice.

    I sense the anti-trans rhetoric is punishment for trans-rights scuppering the Religious Discrimination Bill. The trans community has to made to pay for embarrassing Morrison.

  12. Thanks BK. That was a monster effort this morning.

    Always nice to wake up on a Saturday morning after travelling interstate to see your side win* so that reading will go well.

    * Poor form from whoever runs the ground announcements that they didn’t play the Saints song at the ground after the final siren though.

  13. To Bludgers maintaining that the Deves dead cat is purely about transgender sports, it is not. You aren’t hearing the dogwhistle. It is all about my children. It is about LGBTQIA+ for a start. It even touches on who gets to teach my children i.e. the religious discrimination bill. And as I just said, UAP also have the children’s vaccination issue covered.

    It is potent.

  14. Griff says:
    Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 8:54 am
    It is potent.

    Maybe where you are. In inner Melbourne, it’s super toxic.

  15. Torchbearer @ Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 8:53 am

    I think that Morrison and his faction are attempting to harness voters with this mindset. I am more cynical, perhaps 😉

  16. Thanks for the roundup BK.

    The Solomon Islands is indeed a disaster for Australian foreign policy, born of ten years of Liberal governments failing to pay attention. Yet even so, I have rarely seen articles so critical of a Liberal government performance as those in the Australian (and elsewhere) by Sheridan discussing this issue. And there is nobody to credibly blame but Morrison, Payne, Seselja (and Abbott).

    This also almost completely eliminates the ability of Morrison to use defense as an issue to attack Labor, since it magnifies the significance of the Liberals to deliver improved defense capability.

    Never before have so few, wasted so much money on defense projects, with so little to show for it.

  17. Somethinglikethat

    Granted my children and nieces and nephews are all in their early thirties, twenties, and teens. But they are totally hating on Morrison and co for this.

  18. BK @ #28 Saturday, April 23rd, 2022 – 7:28 am

    Labor’s quiet move this week to exempt coal and gas projects from carbon emissions reduction rules has sparked condemnation from the Greens and left voters wondering if there is any significant difference between the major parties on climate action. Callum Foote reports on the latest favour for the coal sector and the policy differences between the Coalition and Labor.
    https://michaelwest.com.au/labor-edges-closer-to-coalition-on-coal-in-bid-to-woo-hunter-valley-queensland-voters/

    Disturbing. But not really surprising to anyone who has been paying attention to what Labor does rather than what it says.

    If you want real action on climate change, your best option is to vote Independent.

  19. somethinglikethat @ Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 8:55 am

    Agreed. It is abhorrent. Hence the write off of blue ribbon Liberal seats. Mainly moderate sitting members. This is why I maintain that there is a hidden agenda to change the very shape of the Liberal Party itself.

  20. I am really not interested in the bullshit elections so am avoiding the ABC’s seriously damaged coverage.

    Are we still getting images of male liberal politicians wedding rings and of these men playing with their wedding ring as if they have marriage issues and the women about to abandon them are on their mind?

  21. “Deves was picked to be the centrepiece of this strategy because she’s hot. The perfect White Angel. And don’t think none of this factors into Scott Morrison’s calculations. It most certainly would have.”

    Thanks Catmomma. I thought it was just me.

    I can’t help thinking about how well Abbott did in his budgie smugglers every time I see Deves. She just needs the bikini-in-the-surf photos in the Tele and she’s in like flynn.

  22. WA polling sounds a worry. My concern was always the election is 6 months too late to really capitalise on the anti Morrison/pro McGowan sentiment.

    Doesn’t help when the only daily paper is a walking LNP billboard every morning.

  23. Griff says:
    Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 9:00 am
    This is why I maintain that there is a hidden agenda to change the very shape of the Liberal Party itself.

    Much like the Republicans in the US.

  24. Martin says:
    Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 9:11 am
    Doesn’t help when the only daily paper is a walking LNP billboard every morning.

    The West has always been that way (apart from when Brendon Grylls crossed their mining mates and lost the Pilbara). And their stance certainly didn’t help the Libs or the Nats at the last state election.

  25. If your honest in 2019 the Liberals and the Greens ran a bullshit election and Labor tried to be serious and lost. A large part of the election campaign was about Labor policy.

    Labor have learnt their lesson, bullshit all round. Labor however does have a policy document you can read if you’re really interested in actual policy.

    Policy is not discussed, Labor are not throwing anything in the ring for the Liberals, Greens and journalists to rip to shreds. The Journalist interest is focused on foul tweets that have nothing to do with policy, the campaign is focused on old white men playing with wedding rings, and the Liberals are giving grants for things that state governments and local council should deal with.

    Pot holes, even though they are not a federal issue, have always been a hot ticket item.

    We have seen what the Liberals have done with their three years, a big fat stuff up. We are about to see what Labor will do. Hopefully their policy document represents the path they will take. The election campaign is a red hot nothing. The bullshit election.

  26. Here’s a quick wrap of each Australian jurisdiction’s latest COVID-19 statistics today — Saturday, April 23.

    Victoria :

    There have been another 13 COVID-19 deaths reported in Victoria.

    There are 449 cases in hospital and 35 of these in intensive care, with eight patients requiring ventilation.

    There were 8,120 new cases across the state reported today.

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    NSW :

    New South Wales has recorded 16 more COVID-19 deaths.

    There are 1,617 cases in hospital, 60 of those in intensive care.

    There were 12,633 new cases reported today.

  27. Rossmore

    “ It seems Fauziah is on ‘gardening leave’.

    Interesting, has anybody heard anything formal from the ABC re Fauziah in the past week?

  28. Truly excellent article by Independent Tony Windsor …

    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2022/04/23/rorters-rooters-and-the-countrys-lost-decade/165063600013751

    So what would be the result of doing politics differently? Perhaps there is a clue in the document our founding fathers put together. The Australian constitution makes no mention of political parties. It only mentions elected representatives from a diversity of electorates.

    Wouldn’t it be odd if we all voted in our electorates and the successful representatives went off to Canberra to run the country? It can be done. It’s up to us to vote for it. So take the chance; it can’t get any worse.

    “It’s up to us to vote for it. So take the chance; it can’t get any worse. ”

    The phrase of the year was coined by the independent candidate for Goldstein in Melbourne, Zoe Daniel, speaking about the need for climate action – although it could equally apply to the need for all of us to become involved in shaping our political world: “If not us, who? If not now, when?”

    “If not us, who? If not now, when?”

  29. I still don’t buy this was a grand plan. No one wanted to run in Warringah, a point lost here for some reason.

    The fact she’s a rampaging bigot who also happened to be objectively attractive didn’t hurt.

    I maintain it’s a fuck up they’re trying to make “the best” of – but it won’t work in the short term.

    Where I do agree is there’s a clear attempt to sideline urban moderates who used to be the base of the Liberal Party … the danger of having all these jumped up little whizz kids cutting their teeth on US campaigns is they end trying to bring back American ideas like “remaking the electorate” – so they can run as unabashed neo-fascists – without the egghead wets who keep holding them back.

    Compulsory voting will make it harder, but the long-term goal has been obvious for years. The branch stacking and shenanigans in VIC, NSW and WA has been part and parcel of this worrying trend.

  30. Cronus says:
    Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 9:20 am
    Interesting, has anybody heard anything formal from the ABC re Fauziah in the past week?

    Of course not. Much like when Leigh Sales went on a few weeks leave earlier this year, and Laura Tingle ended up hosting 730 for a whole lot longer than expected. Suddenly Sales returned with little fanfare. It’s the Ita-run ABC way – disappear for a while till the heat dies down, and then come back quietly.

  31. @somethinglikethat they tried to be anti McGowan and borders for a brief period in 2020 but then gave up when they realised how popular they were. 2021 state election was the only time I can remember them being pro labor.

  32. Just a brief comment on this red wall stuff.

    The heavy vote against marriage equality in strong Labor electorates was because these voters were asked what they thought about this issue and had clear views on it. It was not because it was a very high priority in their daily lives. As evidenced by their strong votes for Labor members who had been clearly in favour of marriage equality.

    My guess is that it won’t touch the needle in these electorates. As others have said, these voters will be mainly concerned about the issues that touch on their day-to-day living or, indeed, survival. Which are economic and not some sort of cultural identity touchstone.

  33. Put it this way, if Labor in the West can’t pick up 2 or 3 seats from the Libs, Morrison gets another term in parliament. Haven’t we been assured for months and months that Swan and Pearce are in the bag, and Ken Wyatt would be struggling in Hasluck?
    Take what Mark Riley said though with some scepticism, Liberal Party sources briefing him etc.

  34. Also re: internal polling. Remember the Libs talking about it in detail in 2019? Me either.

    The only bits I remember was vague hints about Shorten being hated in Northern Tas.

    I take reporting on internal polling with a solid dumping of salt – regardless of what it says.

  35. Hot? Nah. Not really. Superficially, yes, when scrubbed up and carefully photographed.

    Steggall is splendid.

    As for dog whistling. This is a dumb whistle. There are plenty of Pentecostals (and other conservative christians) who are not at all comfortable with dragging trans kids into an election campaign. The others would mostly have voted for Morrison anyway. So where are the votes this will win? Homophobic Ute driving ALP voting farmers and tradies? Honestly, I just don’t think gays and trans etc freak people out anymore. Morrisons own inner demons are infecting his tactics.

    I’d like to hear from the more socially conservative ALP PB posters on the merits of Morrison’s trans whistling. With The ALP playing a dead bat to it – who is Morrison hoping to win over?

  36. Victoriasays:
    Saturday, April 23, 2022 at 8:31 am
    Sprocket

    Bingo. Why would these white men and boys be concerned with the plight of womens sport.

    What plight? Women’s sport is flourishing all over Australia; and so it should be.

  37. The phrase of the year was coined by the independent candidate for Goldstein in Melbourne, Zoe Daniel, speaking about the need for climate action – although it could equally apply to the need for all of us to become involved in shaping our political world: “If not us, who? If not now, when?”

    __________________________________

    With all due respect to Mr Windsor, the phrase was not coined by Ms Daniel but has a very much older provenance, generally regarded as dating back 2000 years to a famous Jewish scholar called Hillel. Her use of this phrase may well have been chosen to resonate with the significant Jewish population in Goldstein.

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