There are posts above on state politics in New South Wales and below on the slow motion demise of Boris Johnson. This one covers local electoral news relevant to (mostly) the federal tier:
• In an article for The Monthly by George Megalogenis, Shaun Ratcliff of the University of Sydney relates research suggesting home owners were nearly twice as likely to vote Coalition than non-home owners after controlling for income. However, there was a marked exception for those under 35, who were twice as likely to vote Labor and Greens than the Coalition, which played a major role in the latter’s disastrous showing in the big cities. The Coalition had just 16% support among renters, compared with 38% for Labor and 35% for the Greens. Home owners were only half as likely to vote for the Greens as renters, while distinctions among Labor were more modest. This was based on the Australian Cooperative Election Survey, conducted during the campaign from a sample of around 5800 by YouGov and various universities, which we will be hearing a lot more from in future.
• The Guardian reports Senator Andrew Bragg is pushing for changes to the New South Wales Liberal Party’s rules at its annual general meeting later this month to allow preselections to proceed without the involvement of the leader’s representative in the nomination review process. This seemingly arcane point lay at the centre of the long-running logjam in its preselection process before the federal election, when Scott Morrison’s centre right faction ally Alex Hawke persistently failed to show at meetings to move the process forward. Factional rivals said this was a deliberate effort to force the national executive to intervene to protect centre right incumbents from preselection defeats. Bragg’s proposal has been criticised by Hollie Hughes, Liberal Senator and centre right member, who instead blames reforms championed by Tony Abbott that required the concurrence of 90% of state executive members to certify factional deals that would have broken the deadlock.
• Matthew Knott of the Sydney Morning Herald reports members of Labor’s Cabramatta branch have reacted to Kristina Keneally’s parachute malfunction in Fowler by calling for those who “white-anted” her to be disciplined. This included passage of a motion calling on the party administration to consider expelling Tu Le, whose own aspirations for the seat were thwarted by the Keneally manoeuvre. Local sources cited by Knott said members were “peeved by the presumption Le would have won a rank-and-file ballot given she had only moved to the electorate a year earlier herself and was not well-known in the area”.
• Poll Bludger regular Adrian Beaumont has a piece in The Conversation on the performance of the polls at the federal election, which I mean to get around covering myself in depth eventually.
• Matt Martino of the ABC drew upon my supposed expertise in a fact check on claims made by Barnaby Joyce about the federal election result. I rated him no pinocchios, but told him to watch it anyway.
• Late counting has shown the Liberals’ performance in Saturday’s Bragg state by-election in South Australia to have been a bit less bad than it appeared on the night. There has actually been a 2.8% swing in their favour on postals and pre-polls, compared with a 6.0% swing on the election day votes that were all we had to go on on Saturday. This leaves the Liberal margin at 5.5%, down from 8.2% at the March election (and 16.8% at the election before).
zoomster @ #91 Friday, July 8th, 2022 – 10:02 am
Really? That’s fascinating. My 70’s were tertiary years, closeted in trying to survive in Medicine. I think nath (the naive should be cautious when thinking for nath, but I’ll push on) is talking mainly about tertiary education, not schools, and then especially the 60s. But as I said, I’m closeted.
BK @ #95 Friday, July 8th, 2022 – 10:13 am
Thanks again. I’ve forwarded it far and wide.
BK
I have long lamented that we can’t find a Crace for Australia.
Nobody skewers politicians quite like he does.
Soharsays:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 10:12 am
Well they kind of have a point.
With the absence of an obvious replacement and the qualities of some being named as possibilities, it’s difficult to see them finding someone better.
A pretty sad reflection on the Tories.
ItzaDream @ #101 Friday, July 8th, 2022 – 10:33 am
Erratum: the 70s were post tertiary for me, the 60s were tertiary, and Madame Lash notwithstanding, closeted. And now I’m old and getting decades mixed up.
Hi guys
Can anyone tell me how to transfer a video from WhatsApp to PB using smartphone?
”
Barney in Cheratingsays:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 10:38 am
Soharsays:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 10:12 am
The Daily Mail is not coping very well.
Well they kind of have a point.
With the absence of an obvious replacement and the qualities of some being named as possibilities, it’s difficult to see them finding someone better.
A pretty sad reflection on the Tories.
”
It is suicide mission gone wrong. 🙂
Barney in Cherating @ #104 Friday, July 8th, 2022 – 10:38 am
I believe Tony Abbott is available. And he’s already on the payroll.
Player Onesays:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 10:42 am
Barilaro is at a loose end.
Ven says:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 8:00 am
”
The recent outcry from independents about the Albanese government’s decision not to give them each four extra staff at advisor level in addition to their four electorate staff tells us a lot. They chose to put a spotlight on their entitled self-indulgent attitude which was not particularly edifying, says Amanda Vanstone.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7809586/threats-and-tantrums-from-independents-over-staffing-shows-self-indulgent-attitudes/?cs=14258
”
The curious and at the same time funny thing about this Albanese decision is that support for this decision is coming Liberal party people like Credlin Sheridan and Vanstone
Naturally, the Lying Reactionaries do not want the Insurrection to be provided with public resources. Albo would probably be thinking they are sufficiently strong now that they will prevent the Reactionaries from winning any elections for a while to come, but would not be wanting their reach to spread into Labor territories.
So, a wise call by Albo. The Parliamentary Library is going to have extra resources. The Lite can and will pool their research.
So, what’s next for Boris Johnson?
Apparently he still has a 500,000 pound deal to write a book about William Shakespeare. The main theme of the book is apparently how Shakespeare may well have been a literary genius, but he was not as good as Boris.
https://www.theguardian.com/books/2021/jul/02/boris-johnson-offered-to-pay-for-help-writing-shakespeare-biography-says-scholar
ItzaDream @ #105 Friday, July 8th, 2022 – 10:38 am
I worked as a seamstress for Madame Lash when I was at Uni. Also knitting jumpers. 🙂
ItzaDream says:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 10:33
—————-
Itza – not sure which element of nath’s (or might have been zoomster’s?) post you were commenting on, but I can confirm from personal experience that in Victoria in the 70s at least there were lots of school teachers (ie as opposed to uni staff) brought in from the US owing to a teacher shortage at the time. I don’t know anything about how innovative or otherwise they were in their teaching methods.
Boerwar says at 9:25 am
Fishnets would probably be up to his neck in it. Lexy one of the chaps in a UK Intel Firm called Hakluyt. A jolly cosy little venture started by ex MI6 people, including the then recently retired MI6 boss cocky Sir Dearlove. I believe Lexy was still in our government’s employ when he was part of it. Any way apart from being fall guy, patsy or some such why would a bunch of pirates like Hakluyt bring a Downer on board* ?
While with Hakluyt Lexy also just happened to get asked to meet and have a private meeting and drink with George Papadopoulos and voila ! it became “The drink that started the Mueller investigation”.
* Hakluyt is referred to by some as a ‘retirement home’ for MI6 chaps. I read an article about Lexy’s dad etc and it seems he was well connected in London, all the right clubs. So perhaps that helped Downer get an ‘invite’ and be considered one of the chaps.
Gareth @ #99 Friday, July 8th, 2022 – 10:26 am
And it thus becomes obvious that she had zero contact with the Public Schools she is denigrating.
Player One says:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 10:48 am
So, what’s next for Boris Johnson?
Apparently he still has a 500,000 pound deal to write a book about William Shakespeare. The main theme of the book is apparently how Shakespeare may well have been a literary genius, but he was not as good as
————
Plus he has a wedding to celebrate at a government owned property as a perk of his office before he exits as PM
As someone who was at school in the Public System in the 1970s I can confidently say that the closest one of my teachers got to being a Marxist was having a fondness for Pink Floyd and American Folk Music.
Snappy Tom
“…To me its a no brainer to dump the frigates, build more AWDs instead, and build the UK subs.
_____________
I agree re AWDs, but I’d pick the French subs. Declaration: I’m half-British, so entitled to have a go at the place of my father’s birth!”
I would prefer that too but I noted from Marle’s comments that AUKUS was (only) looking at UK and US SSN options. Of those I would prefer UK/BAE, since they are here and its a lot cheaper.
But my point was that if BAE get the SSN sub contract, they should not have the frigate contract as well. I question whether they have the resources in Australia to deliver both. Hence if they are given the sub deal they should lose the frigate deal IMO. They are running late on frigates anyway. We took the sub contract away from the French for that reason so…
yabba says:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 9:08 am
Guardian:
Another highly senior Tory source who has been with Johnson over the past 48 hours said his behaviour meant it was dangerous for the country for him to stay. The source said:
“His behaviour in the last 48 hrs and been reckless and erratic. He cannot be trusted to lead the country until the autumn. God knows what he will do.”
Now that’s not exactly an endorsement or character assessment that you’d seek.
I studied philosophy back when we had one lecturer who was (from a philosophical viewpoint) a communist and lectured us on Marxism in political philosophy.
However we also got a rundown on capitalist theory from Adam Smith to John Stuart Mill in the same subject, so it was hardly indoctrination. I think the influence of actual Marxists in education, as opposed to merely people with a socialist/leftist interpretation of capitalism, is grossly exaggerated.
ItzaDream says:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 10:02 am
Steve777 @ #37 Friday, July 8th, 2022 – 8:51 am
Re Late Riser @8:24. For once your weather’s like ours.
More birds though down here : Magpies, Wattle Birds, Kookaburras, Rosellas, and the much missed Eastern Spine Bill, now the Grevilleas are in flower.
——————————————-
As a matter of interest do Bludgers see Wedge-tail Eagles in the wild anymore?
I guess Zoomster would but I have not spotted an eagle in 30+ years and have done a lot of trips to regional Victoria.
Once Boris Johnson leaves office there will be – for the first time in British history – 6 living former Prime Ministers
Snappy Tom
I’m with you on Coorey. He has resorted to repeatedly defending the indefensible and seeking failure where there is as yet only success. He’s just sounding ridiculous and petulant.
Gareth says:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 9:41 am
“Hughes is a member of what they call the centre right faction.
Unfortunately the Liberal Party has moved so far right that this distinction is meaningless. I’ll quote her reason for losing the youth vote, “one of the issues … [is] we’ve got an education system that’s basically run by Marxists”.
So moderate.”
Another situation in which I say to Hollie Hughes, if the education system is run by Marxists as she claims, the Coalition was in government for nine years so what did they do about it? That was such a stupid comment by her and she simply further detracted from her already diminished standing.
Ven at 10.33
https://twitter.com/jujuadl71/status/1545191624099393536?s=20&t=1aKeZOlHGnN5hA5mt4NWag
____________
Delicious.
BK @ #95 Friday, July 8th, 2022 – 10:13 am
An excellent read with a very nice cherry on top at the end. The name of the Benny Hill tune. Never knew it had one.
Dr John
There were a couple of massive kill offs of wedgies in the area – over 300 at Tumut and at least 70 near Euroa.
Spotting wedgies has gone from a weekly occurrence to An Event – the sort of thing I race home to tell the family.
That said, on a recent trip to Melbourne, I was astonished at the number of raptors in general I saw along the way.
Ven
“ Like USA is going to suffer the consequences of ‘the great big lie’ that 2020 Presidential election is stolen?”
Exactly, and again the similarities are striking.
Dr John @ #121 Friday, July 8th, 2022 – 11:03 am
We see them regularly here on the south coast. One took one of our chickens, and another tried to make off with our dog!
ItzaDream @ #78 Friday, July 8th, 2022 – 9:41 am
I saw it. Manchin has been the D’s “enemy of my enemy” for a long time. It’s tempting to think he may be on his last term, ending in 2024. If we can play the name-calling game for a minute, federally, a DINO (Manchin) might be replaced with a RINO in 2024, or even a Trumpian. Either way, I think federally the D strategy has to be to make Manchin irrelevant. Right now he’s in his sweet spot with 50 R Senators.
Jonathan Pie gives Boris a joyous farewell.
https://twitter.com/SarkySage/status/1545049694786596867
Socrates says:
I think the influence of actual Marxists in education, as opposed to merely people with a socialist/leftist interpretation of capitalism, is grossly exaggerated.
_______________
I am talking about the Marxist approach to Education, which dominated the socialist/left approach to education in the 60s and 70s. You don’t have to believe in the political theory of Marxism to have been a Marxist in the sense of your approach to education. Of course this was a label which was appropriate for the time when it was challenging the authoritarian approach to education.
nath says:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 9:46 am
“I’m waiting for the next conservative politician to tell me about how teaching a man to fish can replace the entire welfare system. After all these decades, can’t they admit that fishing is not going to solve poverty, and that even if it could, an extensive network of fishing schools will be needed nationwide.”
Quite good. And furthermore, Alvey has just gone out of business and our oceans denuded of stock.
”
Cronussays:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 11:06 am
Snappy Tom
I’m with you on Coorey. He has resorted to repeatedly defending the indefensible and seeking failure where there is as yet only success. He’s just sounding ridiculous and petulant.
”
It appears he is not on government drip feed. Maybe that is the reason he is ‘ridiculous and petulant’.
In eaglier times…
Dr John @ #121 Friday, July 8th, 2022 – 11:03 am
The birds were hiding this morning. Sadly. We get a maggies, kookaburras, butcher birds, crows, pheasant coucals, various parrot species, noisy minors, blue faced honey eaters, doves, ducks (various), occasional pelicans even, and way way up high things that just hang there and drift around (and I can never resolve). This morning though the birds were strangely absent.
Aussie birds are the best.
I am referring to Neo-Marxism when I refer to the Marxist influence on education in the 60s and 70s.
”
Snappy Tomsays:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 11:10 am
Ven at 10.33
https://twitter.com/jujuadl71/status/1545191624099393536?s=20&t=1aKeZOlHGnN5hA5mt4NWag
____________
Delicious.
”
I was slapping my thigh and LOL.
Late Riser
Have you read the Tim Low book?
We have all the best birds because basically they evolved here (well, the songbirds at least…)
Socrates at 10.59
But my point was that if BAE get the SSN sub contract, they should not have the frigate contract as well. I question whether they have the resources in Australia to deliver both. Hence if they are given the sub deal they should lose the frigate deal IMO. They are running late on frigates anyway. We took the sub contract away from the French for that reason so…
____________
BAE’s “progress” on the Frigates does not fill me with confidence re SSNs. That being said, I note your previous comments about us wanting fairly enormous modifications to the Type 45 Frigate, resulting in enormous costs at the very beginning. Looks like we’re trying to acquire more AWDs, just not working with the Spanish!
Also, some moons ago, I think you posted that one factor in the Attack subs’ cost problems was our mob asking for 8 torpedo tubes, not 4!
If we wanted 8 tubes, we should’ve partnered with the Germans: they regularly design and build subs with 6+ tubes. They’ve built subs for Israel with 6x533mm plus 4x650mm tubes.
For many decades, the French have exclusively gone for 4 tubes.
Perhaps, if our people were honest, they’d say, “We’d like a diesel sub with most of the capability of an Ohio class nuclear missile sub, please!”
Makes one wonder why we just don’t buy the odd Ohio (only joking – they’re very old)!
Dr John, I haven’t been there since COVID arrived but eagles are numerous in the north of WA.
New Zealanders living and working in Australia could soon be given the right to vote in elections, Anthony Albanese has revealed.
The Australian Prime Minister made the major announcement standing beside his New Zealand counterpart Jacinda Ardern in Sydney on Friday.
Mr Albanese said he would ask a parliamentary committee to consider the change, as part of the “normal review process” that occurs after a federal election in Australia.
Snappy Tom
Agreed. Increasing the torpedo tubes from 4 to 8 on the Attack Class was nuts. It would completely change the centre of buoyancy of the sub, and require heaps of redesign.
I also agree on the Defence changes to (Type 26) frigates to give them more AA capability. As you say, they should have just built more AWDs, which is precisely Navantia’s offer.
The AWDs could start construction almost immediately and also have a Towed Array Sonar, which Anzacs lacked, so their ASW capability is quite good. We should build 9 more AWDs for a total of 12 AWDs and stop messing about with lots of small orders for lots of different ships.
If I was a cynic I might point out that so far both the Sub and Frigate projects have literally employed more people in Canberra than in Adelaide. Mission accomplished for Defence bureaucrats?
Dreaded supermarket product limits have returned as Covid and the flu wreak havoc on the health of Australians.
Stock levels of products popular among people battling illness have been dwindling for weeks, leaving Coles and Woolworths with no choice but to reintroduce strict buying caps.
Coles customers across the country have been limited to two packs of facial tissues per person, with a two pack limit also being placed on Woolworths tissue products nationwide.
Ven says:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 10:33 am
”
Soharsays:
Friday, July 8, 2022 at 10:01 am
Jonathon Pie on Boris:
https://twitter.com/jujuadl71/status/1545191624099393536?s=20&t=1aKeZOlHGnN5hA5mt4NWag
”
“BK, Cronus, Ray, BW Clematlee, Snappy Tom others who were critical of BOJO will love this video. Brandis, Downer, Abbott, Morrison will hate this.
It is absolutely hilarious.”
Absolutely hilarious and the most accurate summary I’ve heard yet.
Indeed it was, Cronus!
The Poms don’t seem to know how to ditch a PM properly. Is Tony Abbott still over there giving advice? The Rwanda Solution sounds like one of his ideas. They should ask Tony how a proper leadership coup is organised, and get it over and done with.
zoomster @ #139 Friday, July 8th, 2022 – 11:22 am
I haven’t read the book, but I have read similar and listened to others who are passionate on the topic. The variety and intelligence of Aussie birds is wonderful.
This neo Marxist teaching conspiracy seems to have produced a cohort that disproportionately skews right and far far right, with strong respect for oppressive law and order.
They should apologise for the most failed strategy ever.
I have been fascinated the last couple of years down at nearby beach by watching large inventive sea birds picking up shell fish and ascending about 10 metres and then releasing the shell to smash on the exposed rocks below and then consumed.