Week zero plus one

As the Liberal party room prepares to anoint Peter Dutton as Opposition Leader, the first poll of the new term suggests he has his work cut out for him, in Western Australia at least.

This is one of three new posts I have on offer, providing a thread for general discussion. The other two featured below deal with the ongoing counting for the House of Representatives, with Labor’s potential parliamentary majority remaining up in the air, and the race for the Senate, in which I expect Labor and the Greens to account for half the seats between them, but with a number of outcomes depending on complex flows of preferences.

Election results aside, the main item of news to relate is that the Liberal and Nationals party rooms will hold their first meetings to sort out party leadership positions. Peter Dutton and Sussan Ley will be confirmed as Liberal leader and deputy leader unopposed, but a contested vote looms for the Nationals, in which David Littleproud and Darren Chester will seek to depose Barnaby Joyce. In Joyce’s favour is the fact that the Nationals retained all their seats at the election; in Littleproud’s is the fact that Joyce had a lot to do with the Liberals losing so many of theirs, leaving the Nationals in opposition; Chester I’m guessing is a dark horse.

Thanks to The West Australian, Peter Dutton can be welcomed to the opposition leadership with the first published opinion poll of the new era, conducted on Thursday by Painted Dog Research from a sample of 1354 Western Australian respondents. It finds only 19% rating Peter Dutton a “suitable candidate” to lead the party, compared with 58% who registered a view to the contrary. Dutton’s positive ratings were 16% among women and 23% among men.

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.

3,139 comments on “Week zero plus one”

Comments Page 63 of 63
1 … 62 63

  1. leftieBrawler @ #3100 Thursday, June 2nd, 2022 – 10:22 pm

    p1 we were agonising over the limitations in offerings an old Dixon st establishment could offer potential guests like yourself and FF could enjoy if you decided to attend. I mean you could have the san choy bow and skip the mince or remove the meat from the special fried rice

    There is nothing I would enjoy better than catching up with my old mates here on PB. Reserve me a seat.

  3. Diogenes: “Can atheists swear an oath on any book? ”

    For me, yes.

    I am an atheist and also a confirmed catholic. It has to do with respect. I have not taken communion in front of my parents because I respect their beliefs. I don’t want them to think I will lie to them. Otherwise I would be a hypocrite. For what it is worth, it doesn’t matter. Obviously.

    But some pleb to fill out a form? pfft. whatever.

  4. Given the rarity of Labor governments in Australia you’d think the Greens would relent a little and take a more pragmatic stance. Recent electoral history shows the more the greens make it harder for the ALP to govern, the easier it is for the Libs and CNTS to get back in

  6. poroti says:
    Thursday, June 2, 2022 at 10:19 pm
    Player One at 10:13 pm
    Who do you think will pay the $10s billions in compensation/damages to the companies ? Perhaps this ‘pain’ will be a way to ensure it finally gets through to the voters and pollies who have for decades thought it unnecessary to do what WA has been doing since 1979 ?
    ———-
    Surely, a confident Government could persuade even the extreme profiteering spivs that it’s in their interests to give a few crumbs to the natives.

    Then, send a big bill to the Liberal Party for misfeasance.

  8. Socrates says Thursday, June 2, 2022 at 7:10 pm

    BK, bc
    Thanks and agreed re land transport.
    Following bc’s comments, the only field I can see hydrogen m
    aking sense as a transport fuel is long distance air travel. Batteries are too heavy.

    Dr Karl has advocated hydrogen for aircraft based, I think, on an Airbus study. However, I think he said that the lower half of the plane would be needed to store the hydrogen. I’m not sure if the planes would be burning the hydrogen or using a fuel cell. I’m assuming the former.

    I’m not yet convinced. There’s no way we can produce enough biofuels to replace our use of petrol, etc. in transport. Hence the move to electric vehicles. However, I think we can sustainably produce enough for aviation, and some long haul road transport.

  9. 0k, another birthday for me

    Also, I am thinking of doing an SA Chapter Knees Up again soon.suggestions of a venue from interested Bludgers and Pubsters are welcome.

  15. leftieBrawler @ #3104 Thursday, June 2nd, 2022 – 10:26 pm

    Given the rarity of Labor governments in Australia you’d think the Greens would relent a little and take a more pragmatic stance. Recent electoral history shows the more the greens make it harder for the ALP to govern, the easier it is for the Libs and CNTS to get back in

    The rubber will hit the road in the Senate for The Greens. They either vote with the Coalition, or Labor.

  17. ‘But, unlike Carr, Wran soon found the great power and benefits that the office of Premier aka the undisputed overload of the Sydney under world could wield.’

    I came a job into contact with Wran in later life in person over a couple of years. He was still pretty slick. I did wonder about the allegations of corruption and so forth. His Government was undoubtedly bent, even the Lefties. Wran didn’t do much, if anything, about this and he was far too smart and omnipresent to be ignorant. Conversely the 70s and early to mid 80s in Sydney were generally bent. Maybe he just tolerated the way things were and got on with what he saw as bigger things, including his own career. Couldn’t really reach a conclusion. Nothing much came out after his death so maybe he was clean.

  22. https://www.pollbludger.net/2022/05/30/week-zero-plus-one/comment-page-63/#comment-3932290

    If, hypothetically, the Greens switch to just being doormats who rubber stamp everything the ALP want, in return for no concessions from the ALP, what is the point of voting Green? The certainly seems to be what the ALP want on emissions targets legislation. The Greens have stated they are willing to negotiate on emissions targets, the ALP are (so far) publicly rejecting the road of pragmatism on emissions targets.

  23. <I Diogenes says:
    Thursday, June 2, 2022 at 9:54 pm
    Can atheists swear an oath on any book? I’m not sure what I would choose. Darwin’s Origin of the Species? Dawkins Selfish Gene? Infinite Jest? The Brothers Karamazov? One Hundred Years of Solitude? Who decides what book makes the cut?

    I think I’d like to make my affirmations on a stack of Phantom Comics, or perhaps Modesty Blaze. Footrot Flats.

  25. Bludging @ #3123 Thursday, June 2nd, 2022 – 9:47 pm

    <I Diogenes says:
    Thursday, June 2, 2022 at 9:54 pm
    Can atheists swear an oath on any book? I’m not sure what I would choose. Darwin’s Origin of the Species? Dawkins Selfish Gene? Infinite Jest? The Brothers Karamazov? One Hundred Years of Solitude? Who decides what book makes the cut?

    I think I’d like to make my affirmations on a stack of Phantom Comics, or perhaps Modesty Blaze. Footrot Flats.

    I’d use Lord of the Rings and swear on my precious.

  27. Tom the first and best @ #3122 Thursday, June 2nd, 2022 – 9:32 pm

    https://www.pollbludger.net/2022/05/30/week-zero-plus-one/comment-page-63/#comment-3932290

    If, hypothetically, the Greens switch to just being doormats who rubber stamp everything the ALP want, in return for no concessions from the ALP, what is the point of voting Green? The certainly seems to be what the ALP want on emissions targets legislation. The Greens have stated they are willing to negotiate on emissions targets, the ALP are (so far) publicly rejecting the road of pragmatism on emissions targets.

    What’s the point of the Greens if they going oppose positive action on climate, resulting in less action?

  28. UK news

    ‘Angela Rayner calls for ethics commission and says Boris Johnson unfit to uphold standards in public life’

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2022/jun/02/boris-johnson-no-confidence-tories-partygate-uk-politics-latest?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-629899048f08c28a9854b1a4#block-629899048f08c28a9854b1a4
    ___________________________________________________________
    ‘Tory MP sparks Brexiter backlash with call to rejoin EU single market .. A Tory MP and arch critic of Boris Johnson has sparked a backlash from Brexiters after suggesting Britain rejoin the EU’s single market to help ease the cost of living crisis’

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2022/jun/02/boris-johnson-no-confidence-tories-partygate-uk-politics-latest?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with:block-6298b1ce8f084d9060b73707#block-6298b1ce8f084d9060b73707

  29. (Responding to a post upthread)

    People vote Green because they have determined that the Greens most closely align with their values and aspirations. They don’t think that personal wealth is the greatest possible good, so the “Liberals” would regard them as the worst possible heretics (rather than apostates).

    True, Greens in the House may not achieve a great deal, they don’t have a big party organisation behind them. But we continue with the polite fiction that we vote for a local member rather than a cypher for a party machine. But in the Senate they come into their own. That is the reality Labor will have to deal with for the foreseeable future. Name-calling won’t help.

    Maybe Green, Teal and minor party voters vote for the person who they believe best represents them. For a number of reasons I prefer Labor to the Greens. Given that I am in what is normally a blue-ribbon “Liberal” seat, I strategically voted Teal.

    Be all that as it may, I think that the constant attacks on the Greens by the other “Good Guys” here smacks of a certain authoritarianism. The “Liberals” have more than enough of that to go around.

  30. Steve777,
    The excitement I’m expecting is when the Teals figure out that the house isn’t where the action will be this term. it’ll be fun to see how they handle it when their electoral cache doesn’t travel from the green room to the red room..

    In addition to this, I also expect the greens to play poltics and take all credit for the eventual ALP realignment on the climate target.

    I would be surprised if the ALP didn’t use this moment in time to change the 40-whatever target upwards in light of the gas shock and the negotiations in the pacific region.

    It wins the left over on climate, and it stymies the right because it can be sold as a pragmatic anti china move.

  32. Is Labor planning to do anything about Jobactive? It’s a complete abomination and RGR never touched Howard’s monster.

  36. The monarchists have to ask themselves: Will they be happy when the Queen dies and
    (1) King Charles III doesn’t shut up about climate change
    (2) PM Albo doesn’t shut up about climate change
    (3) Adam Bandt doesn’t shut up about climate change
    (4) The Teals don’t shut up about climate change
    I think they will find it much preferable themselves if Australia becomes a republic: Just think If we are
    Republic and the Liberals are voted back in, No Leaders will be talking about climate change again 😆

  37. “leftieBrawlersays:
    Thursday, June 2, 2022 at 10:13 pm
    Sorry Barney corrected! I should have proof read!”
    ———-
    only reason i noticed is it’s my seat 🙂

  38. Thanks for organising the lunch C@tmomma.

    The King would like to attend. It will bring back some memories of working lunches with the Labor milieu around that precinct in years gone by.

    Who knows, we may even see Richo wearing his napkin tucked into his collar as he is tearing into a plate of crabs?

  39. The Greens would be fools to not quickly pass the government’s climate agenda. While demolishing the obstructionism furphy, it frees their hand to advocate upping ambition through the remainder of the term, and electioneering on the back of that.

    Equally, the ALP would be foolish to ignore or belittle the Greens achievement in Brisbane, picking up 3 seats. (In private at least)

Comments Page 63 of 63
1 … 62 63

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *