Monday miscellany (open thread)

Return of the vexed question of expelling elected members of parliament, an improbable set of state voting intention numbers from Victoria, and more.

I would guess that Newspoll will return on the eve of the resumption of the parliament, which is still three weeks away. This is an off week for Essential Research; there may be a Roy Morgan poll, or there may not. Until then:

• Kylea Tink, the newly elected teal independent member for North Sydney, says she believes a new federal integrity commission should have the power to sack parliamentarians for sufficiently serious breaches of a parliamentary code of conduct; David Pocock, newly independent Senator for the Australian Capital Territory, says he would have “real concerns about an unelected body being able to dismiss elected representatives”. The federal parliament denied itself of the power to expel representatives through legislation passed in 1987, such power only ever having been exercised in 1920, when Labor MP Hugh Mahon made “seditious and disloyal utterances” regarding British policy in Ireland. Mahon then re-contested his seat of Kalgoorlie but was narrowly defeated, which remains the only occasion of a government party winning a seat from the opposition at a by-election.

• If you can’t wait another three years for my 2025 federal election guide, Robin Visser offers an online geospatial tool for examining polling booth results at the recent federal election.

Victorian state news to go with that related in last week’s dedicated post on the subject:

• Roy Morgan has results of a “snap SMS poll” of state voting intention in Victoria, showing Labor with a rather inplausible two-party lead of 59.5-40.5 from primary votes of Labor 43.5%, Coalition 29.5%, Greens 12%, United Australia Party 2% and Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party 1%. The poll was conducted Thursday to Saturday from a sample of 1710. A similar poll in November produced the same two-party result.

• Morgan’s result is at odds with a detailed assessment of the state of play by pollster Kos Samaras, who expects Labor to struggle to maintain its majority in the face of four to five losses to the Liberals, two to the Greens and others yet to independents. However, it’s also “extremely difficult to see how the Coalition get anything north of 38 to 40 seats” in a chamber of 88.

• Jane Garrett, who held a seat in the Legislative Council for Eastern Victoria region, died on Saturday of breast cancer at the age of 49. Garrett moved to the chamber from the lower house seat of Brunswick at the 2018 election, which duly fell to the Greens. She resigned from cabinet in 2016 after a dispute with the United Firefighters Union in her capacity as Emergency Services Union brought her into conflict with Daniel Andrews. Garrett announced last December that she would retire at the election. Labor’s ticket in Eastern Victoria will be headed by incumbent Harriet Shing, who was last week promoted to cabinet, and Tom McIntosh, a former electrician and (at least as of 2019) electorate officer to federal Batman MP Ged Kearney, who is presumably well placed to fill Garrett’s casual vacancy in the interim.

Also:

• As detailed at length on my live commentary thread, South Australia’s Liberals copped a 6.0% swing in Saturday’s Bragg by-election to add to the 8.8% one they suffered at the March state election, leaving about 2% intact from a margin that was 17.4% after the 2018 election, and had never previously fallen below 12.8%. The next by-election off the rank is for the Western Australian state seat of North West Central, to be vacated with the retirement of Nationals member Vince Catania. The Nationals last week preselected Merome Beard, proprietor of Carnarvon’s Port Hotel, whose BLT comes strongly recommended. Labor is considered unlikely to field a candidate, but the Liberal state council voted last week to call for nominations.

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.

1,502 comments on “Monday miscellany (open thread)”

Comments Page 1 of 31
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  1. ‘David Pocock, newly independent Senator for the Australian Capital Territory, says he would have “real concerns about an unelected body being able to dismiss elected representatives”.’

    Hey, Dave: the High Court is “an unelected body”.

  2. Cronus says:
    Monday, July 4, 2022 at 5:56 am
    C@tmomma says:
    Sunday, July 3, 2022 at 10:23 pm
    “Oh dear, TaylorMade is going to go postal when he sees that Roy Morgan poll. ”

    I was thinking exactly the same thing, they’ll be apoplectic, after all, how could Victorians possibly get it so wrong? It’s the same thinking Lib supporters still have about the recent federal election, it’s the voter’s fault, they’ve just got it all wrong. I do wonder how Taylormade and Steelydan will explain this Victorian poll result.

  3. ‘Roy Morgan has results of a “snap SMS poll” of state voting intention in Victoria, showing Labor with a rather inplausible two-party lead of 59.5-40.5 …’

    Frydenberg, Freedom Boy and Mirabella had better update their CVs. They won’t be making a comeback in state politics any time soon.

  4. ‘South Australia’s Liberals copped a 6.0% swing in Saturday’s Bragg by-election to add to the 8.8% one they suffered at the March state election …’

    It’s moments like this you need mentees …

    ‘… days before new abortion laws begin in South Australia, parliamentarians are set to “mentor” young people at an anti-abortion event. The Liberal leader, David Speirs – along with three others from his shadow ministry, the Labor minister Clare Scriven and other political leaders – will feature in a training day aimed at activating “a new generation to rise up and fight for the human rights of the unborn”.’

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/01/south-australian-liberal-leader-and-state-mps-to-mentor-young-people-at-anti-abortion-event

  5. Rumours aplenty on Reddit and Twitter that Keir Starmer has received a fine for ‘Beergate’ from Durham Police

    Media outlets have approached his office for comment and they are not responding

  6. Roy Morgan has results of a “snap SMS poll” of state voting intention in Victoria, showing Labor with a rather implausible two-party lead of 59.5-40.5 …

    The AGE and the Herald sun will be disappointed for sure! Perhaps it will lead to a reflection on the service they provide.

    Implausible, I don’t know. The Victorian state Liberals have not yet been punished for their continual harping during the pandemic. It is now generally accepted we have to go through an economic transition and there is no one in the Liberal party with the smarts to deal with that. They really have deteriorated into a collection of private school prats, with a solid sprinkling of religious nutters..

    This deterioration of the quality of politicians was discussed by Yanis Varoufakis in the attached video. His argument, politics is no longer where the power is. The video is 4 years old.

    The damage China has done to it’s reputation in the last 4 years is amazing.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGeevtdp1WQ&t=4562s

  7. Thank you, Dr Doolittle @ 11.46pm on the previous thread. Lots of food for thought. Which I will get around to reading today. 🙂

  8. Ray (UK) @ #6 Monday, July 4th, 2022 – 6:26 am

    Rumours aplenty on Reddit and Twitter that Keir Starmer has received a fine for ‘Beergate’ from Durham Police

    Media outlets have approached his office for comment and they are not responding

    It’s small beer in the scheme of things, really. Boom tish! 😀

    However, I know he said he’d resign if he were fined, but did Boris? No.

  9. Relief in sight.

    Although it’s set to be a soaking morning, the Bureau of Meteorology expects the heavy rainfall to begin to ease this afternoon and evening.

    This is because the East Coast Low has weakened into a trough over the Hunter District. Drier air will clear most of the rain hitting the Illawarra, Blue Mountains and Sydney by this evening.

    Overnight, the wind has already gradually eased and is no longer expected to be damaging.

    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/nsw-floods-live-updates-more-wild-weather-on-the-horizon-as-residents-told-to-evacuate-20220703-p5ayrc.html

  10. If he resigns who would be good to take over maybi Nandey cant find any where if albanese has a cabenit security comity will know whoe speaker is soon

  11. Loving that Morgan snap Vic poll. I suspect Kos Samaras’ assessment is closer to the mark, though my gut feel is that a smallish ALP majority is more likely than he seems to feel.

  12. Hi William,

    Regzrding Jane Garrett shouldn’t it be, ” in her capacity as Emergency Services Minister ”

    She resigned from cabinet in 2016 after a dispute with the United Firefighters Union in her capacity as Emergency Services Union brought her into conflict with Daniel Andrews.

  13. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    Rob Harris reports that Anthony Albanese has met face-to-face with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in a historic first trip by an Australian prime minister to the war-torn country, pledging to boost military aid to Kyiv and impose further sanctions on Russian gold and several oligarchs. We will give them 14 more armoured personnel carriers, 20 more Bushmaster vehicles and drones in a new $100 million assistance package.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/albanese-promises-zelensky-new-100-million-aid-package-during-kyiv-meeting-20220704-p5ayrj.html
    This contribution from Sean Kelly is a very good evaluation of where the Albanese government is, what it inherited and the rapid pace of change of circumstances it must manage.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/pace-of-change-emerges-as-a-key-challenge-for-albanese-20220703-p5aynq.html
    Simon Benson writes that Peter Dutton has described the transition to opposition after the May 21 election loss as a “brutal” process and warned against a prolonged postmortem that would see the Liberal Party drift off into the political wilderness.
    https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/peter-dutton-decides-not-to-wallow-starts-liberal-party-rebuild/news-story/17ff052777a15a4b992ee4031309c7e0
    Skills Minister Brendan O’Connor supports bringing in more overseas workers to help fill immediate vacancies, ahead of a longer-term local fix, reports Greg Brown.
    https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/quick-jobs-fix-import-more-skills-brendan-oconnor-says/news-story/e94321eb050869411be5bdea0f26f0ed
    Medicare fraud and billing errors by medical practitioners are costing taxpayers at least $7 billion a year, according to Dr Margaret Faux, a health regulation expert who has been administering Australian medical billing since Medicare began. Adele Ferguson tells us Faux says the level of leakage – taxpayer money lost through fraud, errors and abuse – was as much as 30 per cent of the total Medicare scheme’s costs.
    https://www.afr.com/companies/healthcare-and-fitness/medicare-fraud-errors-costing-billions-20220702-p5ayjy
    The SMH editorial argues why we shouldn’t raise the white flag on the fight against COVID.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/why-we-shouldn-t-raise-the-white-flag-on-the-fight-against-covid-20220703-p5aypj.html
    A frightened Alan Kohler writes, “On Thursday last week – June 30 – two documents were published here and in Washington DC that together present Australia with a horrible, very expensive problem. They were the Australian Energy Market Operator’s new Integrated System Plan and the US Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia versus the Environmental Protection Agency. In essence the two documents tell us that Australia will fork out hundreds of billions of dollars to transition the electricity system to near-100 per cent renewables to no avail, and we’ll end up paying even more to deal with the effects of global warming.”
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2022/07/04/alan-kohler-australia-climate-change/
    Mike Foley tells us that major renewable energy investors say Australia’s nascent offshore wind power industry has been overlooked in planning to date for the transition away from ageing coal-fired power stations and to replace jobs lost in the regions.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/offshore-wind-a-dark-horse-in-race-to-replace-coal-with-renewables-20220630-p5ay1d.html
    As fossil fuel corporations reap fabulous profits at the expense of Australian gas and electricity customers, the gas lobby is running a propaganda campaign calling for Australia to power the world, help Ukraine, let “the market” do its thing. The reality is there is no properly functioning market and this is all a PR distraction to combat the obvious solution to the crisis, that the government needs to earmark gas supply for East Coast customers. Callum Foote fact-checks the finance press. https://michaelwest.com.au/gas-lies-as-super-profits-ramp-up-so-too-does-the-fossil-fuel-propaganda-war/
    European countries have de-industrialised to cut emissions. Our competitive advantage means we can follow a different path in a net zero global economy, explains Tony Wood who says, “The new federal government has a once-in-a-century opportunity. Despite the very real challenges, the opportunity should be taken; the downside is too ugly to be contemplated, and the upside too great to be missed.”
    https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate/how-australia-can-be-a-clean-energy-industrial-success-20220630-p5ay45
    Australia’s mining and energy exports are expected to have hit a high of more than $400 billion as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine lifts fossil fuel prices, writes Nick Toscano.
    https://www.theage.com.au/business/the-economy/australia-s-resources-exports-break-records-amid-global-energy-crisis-20220703-p5ayok.html
    Labor has a big reputation to protect on defence reform. At historic turning points in Australia’s security, it was mostly Labor governments which turned up and delivered, writes Mike Gilligan who says it’s time for a top-down review.
    https://johnmenadue.com/its-time-for-a-top-down-review-of-defence/
    How can Australia navigate the tough and dangerous strategic environment in Asia today with America and China competing to be the leading regional power? The consensus in Canberra – on both sides of politics – is that we should stick as close as we can to America, in the hope it will win the contest, writes Hugh White.
    https://johnmenadue.com/is-australia-in-the-firing-line-of-a-new-chinese-campaign-against-the-us/
    Steve Evans writes that a recently retired principal chaplain of the Royal Australian Navy is pressing for far more non-religious pastoral carers instead. Collin Acton says lots of soldiers won’t take their fears and traumas to men of the cloth who may want to convert them to Christianity.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7801178/ex-chaplain-questions-ongoing-role-of-christianity-in-armed-forces/?cs=14329
    Billionaire philanthropist Nicola Forrest has challenged Anthony Albanese to take charge of an impending overhaul of Australia’s early education system to ensure the sweeping reforms stay on track.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/billionaire-philanthropist-nicola-forrest-challenges-anthony-albanese-to-take-charge-of-overhaul-of-early-education-20220628-p5axeq.html
    Alexander Downer writes that he is a huge fan of the United States. But there are aspects of its society that are divisive and violent, and we want to try to keep those aspects out of our own country. That will require very real leadership given the weight of American culture through the media, the arts and entertainment.
    https://www.afr.com/world/north-america/beware-importing-america-s-ugly-divisions-into-australia-20220630-p5ay44
    Josh Butler reports that federal police conducted 39 investigations under a special taskforce related to the federal election, with numerous politicians and political candidates the target of threats, menacing phone calls and social media harassment.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/04/safety-threats-to-politicians-spark-39-australian-federal-police-investigations-related-to-election
    Ben Smee tells us that current and former female police officers in Queensland have detailed widespread misogynistic behaviour, sexist comments and sexual harassment by male colleagues, in submissions to a state inquiry focusing on problems with police culture. It does not read well.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/04/is-this-a-real-female-officers-detail-misogynistic-culture-within-queensland-police
    The link between film and the military-industrial complex has never been more evident than in the ‘Top Gun’ movies— a relentless advertisement for the U.S. defence sector, writes Binoy Kampmark.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/top-gun-the-thinly-disguised-pentagon-recruitment-drive,16522
    It’s not just the far right that should worry us. It’s their ideas seeping into the mainstream, warns Kenan Malik.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/03/as-macron-does-quiet-deals-with-le-pen-the-far-right-has-france-in-its-grip
    Double Bay naturopath Savannah Daisley, known for her detox company Smart Cleanse, faced Waverley Local Court last week where she was charged with four counts of having sexual intercourse with a 14-year-old child. This earns her nomination for “Arsehole of the Week”.
    https://www.smh.com.au/culture/celebrity/ian-thorpe-hits-the-water-with-pals-aboard-packer-s-gigayacht-20220630-p5axz8.html

    Cartoon Corner

    Peter Broelman

    Jim Pavlidis

    Badiucao

    Effing Leak

    From the US



  14. frednk,
    Very entertaining presentation by Yannis Varoufakis. It’s such a pity that individual iconoclasts don’t have the institutional weight to smash the system.

  15. ‘A frightened Alan Kohler writes, “On Thursday last week – June 30 – two documents were published here and in Washington DC that together present Australia with a horrible, very expensive problem. They were the Australian Energy Market Operator’s new Integrated System Plan and the US Supreme Court’s decision in West Virginia versus the Environmental Protection Agency. In essence the two documents tell us that Australia will fork out hundreds of billions of dollars to transition the electricity system to near-100 per cent renewables to no avail, and we’ll end up paying even more to deal with the effects of global warming.”
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2022/07/04/alan-kohler-australia-climate-change/
    ————————————————–
    Kohler is wRONg. The Greens have promised that their emissions policy will save the planet.

  16. The Age 03/07
    The opposition will ask the Victorian government to table a secret report on bullying and sexism in the state’s fire services as a tribute to Jane Garrett, who commissioned the review and wanted its contents made public.
    _____________________
    C’mon Dan, release the report.
    Do it for Jane.

  17. “Kylea Tink, the newly elected teal independent member for North Sydney, says she believes a new federal integrity commission should have the power to sack parliamentarians for sufficiently serious breaches of a parliamentary code of conduct…”

    Kylea Tink… think harder please!.. David Pocock is correct.

  18. “Roy Morgan has results of a “snap SMS poll” of state voting intention in Victoria, showing Labor with a rather implausible two-party lead of 59.5″….

    Yes, that result is not quite believable, but I agree that the ALP government will be returned in Victoria… The Lobsterwiththemobster Guy is going absolutely nowhere…. Will he retire from the Vic Parliament after yet another trashing?

  19. “C@tmommasays:
    Monday, July 4, 2022 at 7:41 am
    frednk,
    Very entertaining presentation by Yannis Varoufakis. It’s such a pity that individual iconoclasts don’t have the institutional weight to smash the system.”….

    Anyone can be an effective iconoclast…. very few can be effective builders. There is where Yannis usually tends to fail, unfortunately…. As we all know from our toddler years: smashing is easier than building.

  20. Albo handling himself well in Ukraine. I wasn’t expecting him to visit. Proud to have a leader willing to stand up on the international stage.


  21. Holdenhillbilly says:
    Monday, July 4, 2022 at 7:57 am

    Is there time for the Libs to sack Guy?

    The problems go a lot deeper than Guy.

  22. “Holdenhillbilly says:
    Monday, July 4, 2022 at 7:57 am
    Is there time for the Libs to sack Guy?”…

    There is time aplenty…. It’s will, guts and “cojones” that are in very short supply.

  23. Taylormade

    Do you really think the CFA is a political issue, one way or the other? Your comment just underlines how out of touch the Victorian Liberals are. You guys really have to grow up.

  24. @ Boerwar
    Sorry. Are you referring to the weather or the Liberal supporters on this blog? Just.asking.

  25. It’s a common mistake to think that being in Opposition means you should oppose everything the government’s doing, but it’s a mistake that Victorian Liberals keep making. It appears Dutton is going down the same path.

    Regarding themselves as the ‘alternate government’ and responding to issues in that light would be a better approach.

  26. Many thanks BK , Hollie Hugh’s is branching out into vaudeville in this clip from ABC Insiders (YouTube) where she doubles down on the Marxist Teachers theme so beloved of her leader Der Spud. Is she trying to become the Oz version of Marjorie Taylor Green?

    https://youtu.be/Q_QjgLIrEnc

  27. There is a fault in Kohler’s logic:

    It is one of a string of cases around the country being brought by Republican state attorneys general, supported by the fossil fuel industry, to give the power to decide climate change issues to Congress.

    But Congress is powerless on this issue as well. The key part of President Biden’s climate action plan – new laws to replace coal and gas power stations with solar, wind and nuclear energy – had to be deleted from Biden’s big landmark policy bill last year because Senator Joe Manchin, a Democrat from West Virginia, said he’d vote against it.

    President Biden said last week’s Supreme Court ruling was “another devastating decision that aims to take our country backwards”.

    Yes, he’s correct that Congress is where the laws are enacted. However, he’s stating that there’s no hope for the future based upon the make up of the current Congress and his prognostication that Congress after the Mid Terms will be run by the Republicans (I’m assuming).

    However, after the cataclysmic upheaval that the SCOTUS has just wrought, I am of the opinion that Congress may well stay in the hands of the Democrats, both the House and the Senate, and not only that but I think the Senate will have a workable majority for the Democrats, that will enable them to sideliner Manchin and Sinema.

    Not to mention an alliance of State Governors and Attorneys General, of the most populous states, who will create and pass laws that go against the rulings of the Supreme Court. As they have already signalled they are doing wrt abortion.

    So, all hope is not lost and Australia should keep going in the Renewables direction.

    I mean, isn’t that what the SCOTUS has flagged? For states to be the masters of their own destinies? 😉

  28. Morning all. Thanks for the roundup BK. Albo once again is getting positive coverage of his Ukraine visit.

    Oliver Sutton
    “ It’s moments like this you need mentees …

    ‘… days before new abortion laws begin in South Australia, parliamentarians are set to “mentor” young people at an anti-abortion event. The Liberal leader, David Speirs – along with three others from his shadow ministry, the Labor minister Clare Scriven and other political leaders – will feature in a training day aimed at activating “a new generation to rise up and fight for the human rights of the unborn”.’

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/jul/01/south-australian-liberal-leader-and-state-mps-to-mentor-young-people-at-anti-abortion-event

    Indeed. I tried to contact SA Liberal Bragg candidate Jack Batty before the weekend bi-election to ask where he stood on legal abortion rights but got no reply.

    In SA Liberals now the crazies faction (dominated by RW pentecostalist Paradise church) now seems to be in the majority. You have to conclude this is one of the reasons the former Bragg MP Vicky Chapman resigned; she had introduced the legal abortion bill.

    Labor and the Greens should highlight the parts of the Liberal party wanting to take Australia down a US Republican style assault on individual rights. Such a battle would be bad for Australian society.

    Happily, with Teals and Greens now taking inner urbanLiberal seats, I think this is electoral suicide for the Liberals. Christian baptists and pentecostalists are 20% of the US population; they are less than 2% of the Australian population.

  29. Alpo @ #27 Monday, July 4th, 2022 – 8:09 am

    “C@tmommasays:
    Monday, July 4, 2022 at 7:41 am
    frednk,
    Very entertaining presentation by Yannis Varoufakis. It’s such a pity that individual iconoclasts don’t have the institutional weight to smash the system.”….

    Anyone can be an effective iconoclast…. very few can be effective builders. There is where Yannis usually tends to fail, unfortunately…. As we all know from our toddler years: smashing is easier than building.

    Good point… to the extent that he doesn’t seem to have a method of untying the Gordian Knot that links the peasantry to financial institutions and government. Other than to state that they deserve to have more of a nation’s capital. Yes, but how do you achieve that outcome?

  30. “BiltongCinematicU says:
    Monday, July 4, 2022 at 8:09 am
    Albo handling himself well in Ukraine. I wasn’t expecting him to visit. Proud to have a leader willing to stand up on the international stage.”

    In 9 years the Libs only produced one leader who felt comfortable (and wasn’t an embarrassment) on the international stage (Turnbull). I am glad that the return of the ALP to government is marked by a period when international relations are going exceptionally well from day one (Albo, Wong and even Marles are quite impressive).

  31. Oliver Sutton @ #1 Monday, July 4th, 2022 – 5:51 am

    ‘David Pocock, newly independent Senator for the Australian Capital Territory, says he would have “real concerns about an unelected body being able to dismiss elected representatives”.’

    Hey, Dave: the High Court is “an unelected body”.

    Bit like the GG, Queenie, and the meddlesome adulterous prince.

  32. Frednk says:
    Monday, July 4, 2022 at 8:12 am
    Taylormade

    Do you really think the CFA is a political issue, one way or the other? Your comment just underlines how out of touch the Victorian Liberals are. You guys really have to grow up.
    —————————————————

    The Victorian Lib/nats like the other state/territory and federal still think the corrupt media will get them into government

  33. Where does the ABC get these people? Why do they use them?

    ‘Allan Qi did not plan on becoming a property investor.

    The 32-year-old bought an apartment in Sydney’s western suburbs six years ago to live in, but when he moved to Melbourne, he became a landlord.’

    Just totally by accident, without any thought at all…

    ‘The apartment is negatively geared, so the rent he receives does not cover the mortgage repayments.’

    Um….negative gearing isn’t something imposed upon you.

    ‘With a household income of about $90,000 a year, technology and design teacher Allan and his wife Juan are already struggling to keep up with their expenses.’

    So sell the apartment in Sydney, then.

    ‘Their investment loan is currently fixed but when that ends, Allan says they will have to raise the rent or sell.’

    Um. Yeah.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-07-04/what-the-interest-rate-rise-means-for-renters/101201332

  34. Cat

    Re US Democrats, I love your optimism, and hope you are right, but everything I read says the trend is the opposite of what you are assuming.

    The fact that two democrats (Manchin and Sinema) are being seen to block most of Biden’s promised reforms means Biden is perceived as a “lame duck” POTUS. This is highly likely to suppress Democrat turnout in the mid-terms with disastrous consequences.

    If you follow polling on the fivethiryeight site, it is not looking good.
    https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/2022-election-forecast/

  35. Thanks BK. A frightened Alan Kohler is an interesting development. I think people are increasingly frightened. They sense omens.

    I like Paul Daley’s stuff, so I’ll add this into the mix.

    Since rediscovering the calm of a quieter state, I’m learning to reconnect and embrace the sounds of my life

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jul/03/unplugging-from-the-mind-trap-of-online-noise-made-me-realise-tuning-out-is-the-only-way-to-truly-tune-in

  36. On Albo and his stature as a leader on the world stage, the praise is well deserved. Albo, Wong and Marles have all worked tirelessly since being elected.

    It is not as though the LOTS (Leader Of The Sulkers) has made life easy. Even today I see “#Where’sAlbo” trending on Twitter. The answer is “Ukraine”.

    Can you think of one Liberal PM in the past 20 years that would not have squeezed in a side visit to watch tennis at Wimbeldon if he were visiting Europe right now?

  37. Lysychansk has fallen. Putin must not be reading all the Western commentary that he does not have any soldiers left, that they are clueless conscripts, that Russian officers are useless or dead, that he is running out of artillery shells and tanks, that heavy weapons are useless in the face of drones, and so on and so forth.

    Intelligent people change their views when faced with new information. Inter alia, the Greens must surely now be revisiting the following policies:

    1. Halving the ADF and turning it into a light mobile force.
    2. Not sending military aid to Ukraine.

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