On the cards

Liberal how-to-vote cards betray few scruples about dealing with the political right, though One Nation have gone against them in at least one place where it might matter.

With the first postal votes being sent out this week, crunch time is arriving for parties to determine their how-to-vote cards, a much overrated yet not entirely insignificant feature of Australian election campaigning. First out of the block are the Liberal Party, whose how-to-votes are featured on the candidate pages of its website. These are in most cases tokenistic, since the preferences of Liberal candidates are usually not distributed, but it’s interesting to note that teal independents have been put last in Warringah, Goldstein and Kooyong, and behind Labor in North Sydney and Curtin (though not Wentworth). More consequentially, though not unpredictably, the party’s how-to-vote cards have Labor ahead of competitive Greens candidates.

The Liberal Senate tickets have the United Australia Party among the six parties recommended for numbering in every state except (wait for it) Western Australia: Palmer’s party is placed second in Victoria and Tasmania, third behind the Liberal Democrats in New South Wales and third behind One Nation in Queensland (the taboo against preferencing that party being very much a thing of the past). Pressed about the matter by The West Australian last month, Scott Morrison said: “I don’t believe there will be a deal and that is certainly not my expectation and it is certainly not my request.” However, he conceded it was a “matter for the party organisation”, and certainly didn’t stake his authority on the matter.

The party’s Queensland ticket offers a useful boost to Pauline Hanson, placing her ahead of Clive Palmer at number three and Campbell Newman at number four. Nonetheless, One Nation is directing preferences to Labor ahead of the Liberal National Party in Longman, which helped swing the result Labor’s way when the party last won the seat in 2016. Conversely, preferences are being directed to Warren Entsch in Leichhardt, contrary to suggestions he would be among a number of Liberal moderates targeted in relation for a sixth placement on the Liberals’ Tasmanian ticket. Those have turned out to be Bridget Archer in Bass, James Stewart in Sturt, Tim Wilson in Goldstein and Trent Zimmerman in North Sydney, with only the former seeming like a seat where the party is likely to attract much support. It is not clear from media reports if the teal independents are ahead of the Liberals in Goldstein and North Sydney.

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.

870 comments on “On the cards”

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  1. Barney yes the ICAC alone will probably be enough, there’s no need to compete against much else when your opponent is a dud. There’s just not alot of evolutionary pressure in Aus politics.

  2. mj @ #851 Friday, April 29th, 2022 – 10:51 pm

    Barney yes the ICAC alone will probably be enough, there’s no need to compete against much else when your opponent is a dud. There’s not alot of evolutionary pressure in Aus politics.

    But Labor’s got more than just that.

    Starting appropriate action on climate change for a start.

    Maybe you need to actually look at the things being proposed.

  3. Barney, I hope they are more than that but Labor hasn’t offered much to suggest they are willing to do anything more than tinker a little at the edges. I’m thinking we’d be best off with a minority Labor government supported in confidence and supply by independent crossbenchers. We don’t have a representative parliament, it has been professionalised into a detached occupation by parties – I think we need to demand real local members if we want a responsive Parliament.

  4. mj says:
    Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 1:20 am
    Barney, I hope they are more than that but Labor hasn’t offered much to suggest they are willing to do anything more than tinker a little at the edges. I’m thinking we’d be best off with a minority Labor government supported in confidence and supply by independent crossbenchers. We don’t have a representative parliament, it has been professionalised into a detached occupation by parties – I think we need to demand real local members if we want a responsive Parliament.
    ===========
    Just like Bob Katter

  5. My grandfathers, one a cane cutter then Cairns wharfie dumping bags of sugar into ship holds in the tropical heat.

    The other a bulldozer/grader driver driving tracks through the FNQ/Cape York, losing fingers along the way.

    Both boxers in the Jimmy Sharman tents.

    What I want to say is that, both of them, were all ways Union and the Labor Party all the way.

    Both gone, long ago, but those men and my Nanas instilled me the strong belief in the Labor Party I have now.

    That’s me, sorry to burden you with that.

  6. wondering if i can say …. we are all doomed… or may i lean toward oh thank fuck in a few weeks….

    This government could be actually described as equal to covid in its basic shitfulness, and ought to be officially recognised as a significant chunk of current existential dread….

  7. The Courier Mail reports –

    Pauline Hanson’s One Nation will preference the LNP in every seat in Queensland, making it harder for Labor to win crucial seats needed for majority government.

    After spitting the dummy earlier in the week and threatening to preference against the Coalition in moderate Liberal held seats, Hanson said she would preference Labor in Leichardt, then said no she would do that in Longman and now she has made a preference deal with Coalition for Queensland.

    She gives the Coalition first preference ahead of Labor in the HOR in ALL Queensland seats and in return Hanson will also receive the LNP’s second preference in the Senate vote.

  8. In the OZ today we have another crack at khaki election memes from non other than Josh Frythemall

    “Josh Frydenberg has given voters a blunt warning that Australia faces “a clear and present danger” with an assertive China in the Asia-Pacific”

    That’s right, China is planning to invade Australia, maybe next week. This inflammatory language is nothing more than desperation hype from the Liberal HQ – don’t look at the RBA announcement on interest rates next week, look for a Chinaman under your bed. Pathetic.

  9. KICK THE BULLY LIBERALS OUT THEY DON’T CARE. IF THE MEDIA DID NOT REPORT THE CORRUPTION SUFFICIENTLY?, WILL IT SUCCEED TO COVER UP AGAIN FOR THE BULLIES THIS ELECTION? MURDOCK? STOKES? COSTELLO? AND THE GOVT. BROKEN ABC?

  10. @ frednk, C@t

    I hate to blow Aaron Newton’s cover (potentially), but I suspect the grammar is a ruse… my money is an insider creating a smokescreen…

    Just something does not line up. The posts always read perfectly if you correct the typos, and there are odd inconsistencies (e.g. in last post, “kooyong” is spelt correctly followed by the comparatively simpler “higens”, “CCP” by “A F p”).

    Aaron, I do apologise if this is not the case – what I’m really getting at is I enjoy your dispatches for their insight and content!!

  11. Morrison only ever won with manufactured consent. He can only win this time with extreme manufactured consent. That is why his face explains gaslighting in the urban dictionary.

  12. For sure Morrison is a purely manufactured image. Intellect and foresight is clearly not required. Your average random person on the street would make a better PM mostly.

  13. mj says Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 12:32 am

    I’m in Swan and have received letters from both the Liberal and Labor candidates today. Clearly trying to influence voters as postal votes start being received. The Liberals included a how to vote suggestion attached to their letter, Labor didn’t provide a how to vote.

    I’m in Swan too. I received Zaneta Mascarenhas’s letter and was interested to see that she’s originally a Goldfields girl. I grew up in the Goldfields too, although I’m not sure she was even born when I left.

  14. Been There says:
    Saturday, April 30, 2022 at 1:27 am
    My grandfathers, one a cane cutter then Cairns wharfie dumping bags of sugar into ship holds in the tropical heat.

    The other a bulldozer/grader driver driving tracks through the FNQ/Cape York, losing fingers along the way.

    Both boxers in the Jimmy Sharman tents.

    What I want to say is that, both of them, were all ways Union and the Labor Party all the way.

    Both gone, long ago, but those men and my Nanas instilled me the strong belief in the Labor Party I have now.

    That’s me, sorry to burden you with that.
    ================
    No burden and a delight mate. Really appreciate it. Old timers from North and Far North Queensland did it tough.

    The heat and hard work and Jimmy Sharmans tent. Saw it as a kid.

    My uncle lost 3 fingers at the Sugar Mill (the middle ones) but could still tie a fishing hook.

    Grandad and Nana worked the small family holding growing Tobacco, goats and turkeys. A tough existence but supplemented with plenty of crabs and fish. After the war Grandad got a job at the sugar mill driving steam then diesel locos.

    They were tough people. Especially Nana who ruled the roost. But always in the Union. Joh haters and Labor. And that’s hard coming from such a Tory small town.

    Good on you Been There. You and your family history. It’s important to never forget. Labor is from the bush – it’s in our DNA. Just like jobs, health, education and looking after the battlers.

    We have hero’s in the Labor Party. Like Curtain or Whitlam or Hawke and Goss.

    But also people like your grandparents and mine. People like C@t on PB who is running a booth. The True Believers.

    Our hero’s stretch back 131 years and I hope Albo will be the next.

    Good on you mate.

  15. To all the Bludgers speculating whether booth workers et el are paid. Usually, if they are members or supporters of a specific political organisation they are volunteers.
    However, it has been strongly rumoured that “paid” nasty party volunteers have been bused into Robertson (Central Coast – temporarily, Nasty Party) during recent elections.
    They are usually recognised by being young, student types, who when spoken to have little knowledge of the electorate. Sometimes they are older Tories from the North Shore. However, this cohort may be required closer to home in 2022.
    Where I usually vote, at one of the Terrigal polling stations, they are often gone after lunch – particularly if it is a mild, warm sunny day. They just piss off down to the beach leaving that booth understaffed.
    I always attempt to engage nasty party members in lengthy conversation, particularly if they are standing as a pair or in a small, diverting them from delivering nasty party propaganda to other voters.

  16. @Upnorth
    I got some questions for you.
    1. Why do you have Joh Bjekle Peterson as your PFP
    2. How often do you get these insider polling peeks?
    3. Would this fortunately mean that this weeks Newspoll would see Labor’s PV go up and their TPP lead stay the same (or even better, go up to 54-46)?

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