There is a post below from Adrian Beaumont on the unfolding drama in British politics and another one here relating the last scraps of counting for House of Representatives seats. As for this post:
• Both sides now have their front benches in place, the announcement of the Albanese government’s front bench last Monday resulting in promotion to cabinet rank for Murray Watt and and Clare O’Neil, respective beneficiaries of Left and Right vacancies caused by the electoral defeats of Terri Butler and Kristina Keneally. Anne Aly of the Left and Anika Wells and Kristy McBain of the Right have been promoted to the outer ministry, filling vacancies created by the promotion of Watt and O’Neil and the relegation of Shayne Neumann to the back bench as his Left faction sought to achieve gender balance.
• Peter Dutton’s shadow ministry was unveiled yesterday. The Nationals’ relative electoral success resulted in them gaining a sixth position in cabinet, their new entrants being Susan McDonald in resources and northern Australia, Perin Davey in water and Kevin Hogan in trade and tourism. Seven Liberals won promotion to shadow cabinet: Jane Hume in finance and public service, Andrew Hastie in defence, Julian Leeser in attorney-general and indigenous Australians, Jonathan Duniam in environment, fisheries and forestry, Ted O’Brien in climate change and energy, Michael Sukkar in social services and NDIS and Sarah Henderson in communications. Angus Taylor was rewarded for his record of integrity with Treasury and Alan Tudge is definitely in education now. Stuart Robert (Liberal) and Andrew Gee (Nationals) have been demoted to the outer shadow ministry, Alex Hawke, Linda Reynolds and Melissa Price (Liberal) and Keith Pitt (Nationals) are relegated to the back bench, and Marise Payne is now shadow cabinet secretary after apparently having “asked not to be considered for a prominent role”. Others formerly present and now absent: Scott Morrison, Josh Frydenberg, Ken Wyatt and Greg Hunt.
• The Australian reports Scott Morrison is “expected to weigh up his future in the coming months, but is understood to be in no immediate rush to quit politics”.
UPDATE: A discussion of various matters relating to the election between me and Ben Raue of The Tally Room:
Bk
‘drew’. So sad.
Yes Boerwar. Never has past tense been more enjoyable!
BK at 5:53 pm
Ah, that will be it. A shit sandwich left by Josh for his successor while Bowen has been left a pile of shit from his.
It could even be Frydenberg in the sandwich.
https://wattsupwiththat.com/2022/06/06/bill-gates-to-elon-musk-my-climate-virtue-is-bigger-than-your-climate-virtue/
… it might be from a notorious site, I can’t stand embrace – extend – extinguish Gates, purveyors to Wall St drop out, much happier using stuff from Google and/ or Apple, worth a read though I reserve comment on the other for now.
Late Riser at 5.47
“poroti @ #741 Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 – 5:40 pm
Is that red wine labelled ‘Rat Poo’ ?
Best I can make out it’s
RAT(something)
OO(could be grapes)
ROUG(something)”
A few years ago I recorded a fabulous documentary called ‘Chateau Chunder’…
https://electricpictures.com.au/documentaries/chateau-chunder-a-wine-revolution/
…yes, decades ago, there was an Australian (Coonawarra, no less!) red wine marketed as ‘Kanga Rouge’. Today we’d call it Coonawarra Shiraz and regard it with respect – but not in the 70s! Last era of the Cultural Cringe! Howard tried hard to bring it back…
The story of the Australian wine industry’s successful invasion of the world is truly remarkable.
BK at 5.53
“poroti
Rowe always drew Frydenberg with a chequered headband.”
Doesn’t feel great to use the past tense wrt these people?!
I remember in one of Tom Clancy’s books, the sign that Jack Ryan was in need of help was when he started drinking Australian wine….
zoomster at 6.08
Tom Clancy really was a Right wing arsehole.
Greg Rudd
“Brisbane was almost 1500v DC in the 1950’s That is what the SX cars were developed for.”
Thanks, I never knew that.
Brisbane tram cars in the 1930s were among the most advanced in the world and ran on concrete slab track too. A huge waste when they closed that system down.
Greg Rudd says:
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 5:44 pm
Snappy Tom @ #724 Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 – 5:03 pm
Socrates re rail electrification…
Tragic that NSW & VIC electrified when/how they did – with British 1500v DC. 25kv 50HzAC only became the benchmark a couple of decades later.
If only we’d copied the Pennsylvania RR with their 11kv 25Hz AC…
The biggest tragedy with 1500 DC in NSW was that the Illawarra and Newcastle was done in the 70’s/80’s while a year after the Blue Mountains was completed (Based upon Woodhead in the UK) 25KV single phase AC became viable but the loco’s weren’t up to it, until silicon diode rectification was developed in the 1960’
________________________
Silcon rectifiers were still an issue in the 60s, witness the class 84s delivered with mercury rectifiers.
The early VR DC electrification followed standard practice at 12oov DC even with the Gippsland line, though powered by Yallorn Brown coal but was all out dated by about 1960. The suburban network was an early adopter and quite successful.
Woodhead was a bit of a tragedy, electrification at 1200v DC started pre war, by the time it was opened c1955 it was already well outdated when energised as the new standard was 25kv AC. Was closed due to the cost of conversion and the demise of Trans pennine traffic – mainly coal and now, 30 years on, a new HS2 is needed across the same places.
It should be noted that the bulk of the commuter, suburban lines still use DC, the Southern is all 600v DC third rail. Well suitable for suburban haulage but not the inter city.
Another fail was the extension of the electric network to Geelong, planned but never delivered.
Snappy Tom at 6:05 pm
I was wondering if it was ‘rough’ or ‘rouge’ but after seeing the ‘shit sandwich’ and ‘pile of shit’ being served perhaps they are being served ‘Rat Poo’ aka ‘Rat Shit’ to go with their meal.
Peter Hannam
The energy ministers’ meeting has run a bit over time.
Some reaction, though, from participants include, the vibe of the meeting was “very different”, and “very collegiate”, and “a huge change of tone”.
The comparison is with the previous very irregular and infrequent meetings when Angus Taylor was the energy minister (and for reducing emissions and industry).
ItzaDrean:
This bit jumped out at me:
Ch 7 (Riley) trying to claim that Labor’s renewable energy target is in tatters because fed/state ministers have agreed to ramp up coal fired production in the (short) term – because of a shortage in gas supplies.
Riley (naturally) doesn’t canvass why the gas shortage as that would presumably cause discomfort for the previous government and his boss Stokes would never do that.
Watermelon says:
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 3:12 pm
“If we’re going to fly spy jets around the South China Sea we should expect Chinese spy jets flying around the Tasman.”
We do, they do (ships/aircraft). What we don’t do is endanger their personnel or assets. As I say, China has a dangerous history with this type of particularly aggressive activity, read up on the Hainan Island incident 20yrs ago. As long as everyone is obeying international law there’s no problems.
“Some reaction, though, from participants include, the vibe of the meeting was “very different”, and “very collegiate”, and “a huge change of tone”.”
When LOTO Albanese was quoted as wanting to change how government operates, or words like that, I took it as a a value statement, that he was going to be less confrontational. It is only week 3 for his government, but everything I’ve seen from him and his team in interviews, twitter, or news reports shows a professional, thoughtful, considered, collegiate, respectful (I need to stop) attitude. It’s hard to describe the relief I feel at the improvement. (It’s too early to comment on their effectiveness, but the FPM’s “pass-through” government is the comparison.)
Government may have changed, but the LNP friendly media and Opposition are still aiming at feral…….
“The Opposition today………………..blah, blah……………..” as a response to a news item whereby the item from the government which generate the response is totally missing…thus sounding like just a single point of view….Just like the days of Abbott which went ……………”The Leader of the Opposition today, Mr Abbott…..blah, blah………………..”
The majority of the media are not, by and large, friends to Labor, either in opposition or government….
The ABC is now neutered and spineless after constant attack of nine years of LNP government….
Just as well, as most thinking people use old media as background noise, and in print form, to wrap up the rubbish for the bin……
A darker Rowe
LR
Some might say watching the PGA tour is just as immoral …?
Greg Norman once complained that one could not make friends on the golf circuit…
…so now he has some blood brothers.
RD
It is not part of the PGA Tour but a breakaway effort financed by Saudi Arabia.
Boerwar @ #774 Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 – 7:02 pm
Yes I know. It was a comparison.
More detail on the ABC cuts to archives:
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/jun/08/abc-to-abolish-58-librarian-and-archivist-jobs-with-journalists-to-do-archival-work
Think I want NSW to win the “four tackles, kick” game……Qld, after their election performance (reelecting Dutton etc) dont deserve my support.
Boerwar @ #736 Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 – 3:35 pm
Pure bullshit.
The status of those islands were under dispute.
No one had recognised ownership.
ItzaDream @ #777 Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 – 7:06 pm
Hmm. Robo-check?
FWIW, I love watching the PGA Tour and other tours.
I look forward to watching the LIV Tour.
I think Russian athletes should be able to compete at Wimbledon and anywhere else.
In essence, I’m not a fan of letting politics influence sport.
Rex Douglas @ #779 Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 – 5:11 pm
While politicians are willing to politicise sport and sportspeople, I think it’s a perfectly reasonable response.
Peter Malinauskas”Congratulations to lawyer and mother of 3 Alice Rolls who has been preselected as Labor’s candidate for the upcoming Bragg by-election.
Bragg is a safe Liberal seat but Labor wants to offer the people of Bragg a real choice and is proud a strong candidate has put her hand up.”
We’re shooting all of them into the sun?
a r @ #782 Wednesday, June 8th, 2022 – 5:19 pm
😆 😆 :lol 😆
I feel a little for Greg Norman. We’ve all had friends who were great to you, would give you anything, were convivial and great company. Often you also know that in other situations they have committed heinous atrocities in business.
That would really be sinking the boot in if Labor could win Bragg….unlikely, but….
Come on Labor, save OUR ABC
Sack Ita.
Those ABC “journalists “ researching their own stories would be a new experience for most of them.
I… I don’t even…
When does Leigh Sales leave 730? I thought she was finishing at the end of May, but she’s still on the show.
Asha
Yep, it’s really hard to get your head around. Auto standards…..
I see the ABC is running a fundraiser early on with its announcement about librarian services. It’s clearly a try on to see how soft the new government is with the cash.
The Treasury Secretary today basically nominated 3 areas for budget repair:
NDIS spending quality
Aged care spending quality
Tax expenditures – deductions around super and the like, Non PAYG income earners minimising tax
Will be interesting if Labor grasps the challenge or not.
Energy Minister Chris Bowen says regulators will be given greater power to procure and store gas after crisis talks with state and territory energy ministers.
Mr Bowen said Australia’s energy ministers agreed on Wednesday night to take 11 actions but conceded there was no “silver bullet” or “magic answers”.
“We also agreed that we would work to enhance the powers of the regulators to ensure that they’d have full transparency, particularly the gas market, of what is occurring and to ensure that all behaviour is in the best interest of the market and consumers at all times,” he told reporters after the meeting.
Ministers also agreed to give the Australian Energy Market Operator powers to properly procure and store gas as a supply.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/money/costs/energy-ministers-called-to-crisis-meeting-as-coal-gas-shortages-prompt-power-price-surge/news-story/3b5a5e30e370373a80d60b6c04ab6383
Does the ABC still have typists and stenographers or are journalists now required to type their stuff up themselves? In the olden days the switchboard operator would connect interstate/STD calls, I guess people are now expected to do that themselves. And there were Tea Ladies, all gone.
Lars Von Trier says:
Wednesday, June 8, 2022 at 7:48 pm
I see the ABC is running a fundraiser early on with its announcement about librarian services. It’s clearly a try on to see how soft the new government is with the cash.
_______________
I can’t see how the government can intervene on some redundancies. If they do this they might as well take the whole thing over and run it from the Department of Communications.
Lars
What a wank.
John In Highgate – I dont think anybody has TeaLadies anymore, not just the ABC.
John in Highgate 6003:
When I started in the Public Service in 1980 there was a tea lady who went up and down the 18 stories of the building. Alternated starting on ground floor and floor 18 each day.
We got paid in cash each Thursday fortnight and the payers did the same. 1200 people being paid so there was a lot of cash.
True dat nath.
The ABC tried this on last year too – said they were abolishing the 8am news bulletin on radio because of funding cuts. Of course its still there.
The next RBA board meeting is 05/07/22. I don’t expect good news.
The inflation figure for the next quarter is due on 27/07/22.
The US releases an updated inflation figure on Saturday morning and hopefully it eases as expected from 8.3% because if it goes the other way, we are in a slight bit of trouble.
Ian McFarlane says inflation is going to settle at 5% and interest rates will need to be higher. If thats true (and he’s a former RBA governor) it means home loan rates are likely to be circa 8% next year.
really a full blown crisis to test the mettle of the new government.