With a fortnight ago before the resumption of parliament, and what I presume will be the return of Newspoll to accompany it, two items to kick off a new week:
• The Australian reports SEC Newgate’s monthly Mood of the Nation survey finds “nearly four out of every ten” respondents believe the new government has done an excellent or good job so far, with 31% choosing the middle option of “fair” and 26% going for poor or very poor. It also finds a sharp increase in expectations that the economy will get worse over the next three months, up from 36% a month ago to 57%, with only 8% expecting it to improve, down from 13%. Given a long list of potential contributors to rising electricity prices, 42% thought “Morrison government inaction” a “large contributor” compared with 30% for “Albanese government inaction”.
Forty-seven per cent felt the Reserve Bank’s 0.5% interest rate hike last month (as distinct from the second hike last week) appropriate, with 31% thinking it too high and 9% too low. Sixty per cent said they were positive about transitioning to renewables and 55% believed progress had been too slow, compared with only 19% for negative and 17% for too fast. Sixty-one percent rated the 5.2% minimum wage increase appropriate, with 29% thinking it too low and only 10% too high. Regular questions on issue salience recorded mounting concern over cost of living, now rated extremely important by 68% (up five on last month), moving ahead of health care (down three to 61%). Forty-two per cent rated Labor best to manage the issue, compared with 23% for the Coalition. The survey was conducted June 23 and 27 from a sample of 1201.
• Linda Silmalis of the Sunday Telegraph reports “fresh gossip in Canberra this week” that Andrew Constance, the former state government minister who narrowly failed in his bid for Gilmore at the May 21 federal election, could be a nominee to fill the New South Wales Senate vacancy that will be created if rumours of Marise Payne’s imminent retirement come to pass. Others who reportedly might be interested include Dave Sharma and Fiona Martin, also on the job market after their respective defeats in Wentworth and Reid.
zoomster @ #105 Monday, July 11th, 2022 – 12:03 pm
We were married in 1980 by OH’s Aunt who was a Uniting Church minister, and earlier a Deaconess.
I urge anyone who thinks MSM US media is “left” look up the current presidents/executives running the show. They chase money + viewership unlike Fox News which pursues ideology; which is why they are often mistaken for being “left”.
Their competition would be welcome in Australia if only because they would compete with our heavily LNP-biased media.
I watched the Ch7 Spotlight on Albanese.
I found some aspects of it unconvincing.
However, I’m convinced that Albanese is a decent and rational PM, despite the unconvincing attempts to appease certain factions and interest groups.
Australia is in much safer hands this time around.
Late Riser at 10.47
…Alternative (not mutually exclusive) interpretations are that China are clumsy at foreign relations or that they simply don’t care.
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I think I’ll go with ‘don’t care.’
In previous weeks there’s been discussion on this site about China’s demographics going forward. At least one expert predicts the second half of C21st could be dire for them – the ‘one child policy’ chickens really coming home to roost.
Like Russia, I don’t think China is as strong as some make out. I think both those countries are facing real challenges into the future. Both political systems have chosen oligarchy as the preferred method and ‘don’t care’ as a foreign policy setting. Both are in error.
Maybe I’ll live long enough to see the beginnings of karma in action…I’m ‘only’ 58, after all!
Steve777 at 11.06
Re Rakali @10:52.
Another common definition of baby boomers is those born between 1946 and 1961, with the “magical” event being the introduction of The Pill. Australian fertility rates peaked in 1961 at about 3.5, fell back to about 2.9 by 1970 then fell off a cliff from the early 70s to below 2, where they’ve remained since.
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/people/population/births-australia/latest-release
(Scroll down to fertility rates).
Something “magical” seems to have happened around 1971.
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Hmmm…what could’ve happened in 1971 to reduce birth rates…hmmm…Billy McMahon became PM!
Given that they view climate science as a Marxist plot to deindustrialise the capitalist west, I can’t begin to imagine what conspiracies RWNJs will see in the potential discovery of a 5th fundamental force of nature. And as for dark energy and dark matter – it’s right there in the name. Lord save us.
https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/ten-years-on-from-the-god-particle-we-may-have-found-a-fifth-force-of-nature-20220705-p5az5c.html
The pacifick islands made similar presure on morrison but the msm never claimed they were tests even whenthe morrison failed to do any thing to stop chinas solamons plan hadley and sky said it was labors fault desbite morrison still being in charge and nowdont understand whiy we can not make our own submarines now in stead of waiting foor out of date ships in 20 years time given that andrew shearer our top sby was a former advisor to howard abot and morrison maybi labor should get rid of him
NSW Government seems intent on questioning Jenny West’s capacity to perform the Trade Commissioner’s role.
Intermatting that had Pork Barellano sought the post when it was first advertised he would have been the preferred candidate.. if by that they mean being pork barreling corruption is was desirable the answer would be YES
Edit.. as always the conservatives seek to blame the victim
Barney in Cherating –
They all probably believe that the LNP were a large part of the problem with dealing with Australia, because of course the LNP were, but I don’t think they’ve explicitly said it – that’s the diplomatic no no.
Of course China saying that the LNP were the problem is not at all helpful to the Labor government – that might be unintentional, but is probably deliberate.
It was an outbreak on the ‘Ruby Princess’ that spawned the Covid disaster in 2020.
zoomster at 12.03
FWIW, my mother was a deaconess in the Uniting Church.
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In 1991, the Uniting Church ‘renewed’ its Ministry of Deacon. Deaconness could choose to retain that descriptor or change to ‘deacon.’
Uniting Church deacons are completely equal with our equivalent to the ministry of priest (incorrectly termed Minister of the Word.) They can preside at sacraments and lead a church. The only distinction is ‘focus’ or ‘location’: theoretically, Ministers of the Word (like me) are supposed to ‘turn church members out’ in service of the world around us; Deacons are supposed to be at work serving the needs of the world and calling the Church to follow in service.
The theory has proved to be more elegant than the practice…
I think the baby Boomer generation was up to 1964….not 1961…..I was always of the opinion that I was a boomer (b1964) and a quick glance at Wikipedia and Pew Research confirms this….happy to be contradicted by any other definition/argument
BeaglieBoy at 1.12
I think the baby Boomer generation was up to 1964….not 1961…..I was always of the opinion that I was a boomer (b1964) and a quick glance at Wikipedia and Pew Research confirms this….happy to be contradicted by any other definition/argument
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My reading of the Wikipedia page plus other stuff suggests wide variation in ‘baby boomer year of birth’ classifications. Most have an end point between 1960 & 65. There are also variations between countries.
I was born in 1963…and an only child, so, not helped!
I think there’s even discussion about ‘shoulders’ between ‘boomers’ and ‘gen Xers’ etc.
I suspect I am a shoulder.
…up until recent times (when she has become too frail) she has officiated at many funerals – including both my in-laws.
Don’t know where this ‘confusion’ re generations is coming from. Baby boomers have been from 1946 to 1964 inclusive since as long as I’ve known about it. Gen X 65-80. Millenial 81-95. Gen Z 96-2010.
I get there might be some fiddling around the edges in the later ones, but from boomers to millenials, I’ve always known them as those bands.
Today’s Albanese/Chalmers presser was impressive.
I had almost forgotten the breathless, incoherent, gish gallops of bullshit and aggression that had become standard media fare under the Morrison Government.
The answers answered the questions. They were short. They were clear.
The one attempt at rude behaviour by ‘Adam’ (Creighton?) was politely slapped down Chalmers.
The one attempt to assume the Chinese MSM as the basis for diplomatic discourse between Australian and China was also put down with a simple directness.
The references to third party states were respectful but direct.
The average quality of questions has gone up as well…
Same old same old?
It is not a matter of dates. It is a matter of quality.
Superb quality=Baby Boomer
Under the Labor Government Federal Parliament will not sit during school holidays.
This is a simple move that will have quite profound impact on MPs who have parenting responsibilities and on their children.
Yet another small way that shows the Labor Party has internalized human values and will act accordingly where it is practical and sensible so to do.
Same old same old?
We will know that Australia’s rump of the Roman Catholic Church has truly reformed when women are ordained as priests and bishops. We will know the reforms have taken hold when there are female archbishops, cardinals and popes.
Sacredotal (real) power is vested in priests and Bishops.
Anything less and you are nothing much more than a glorified altar boy/girl or cannon fodder in the schools system.
I was born in the first year of the boomers. If I had been born a year earlier would I now be a decrepit old timer?
Boerwar says:
Monday, July 11, 2022 at 1:56 pm
Under the Labor Government Federal Parliament will not sit during school holidays.
This is a simple move that will have quite profound impact on MPs who have parenting responsibilities and on their children.
____________
I’m sure the Australian public will be ecstatic that pollies can now enjoy School Holidays with their children without the bother of actually working. This opens up all sorts of possibilities for holidaying. Hawaii, for sure.
nath
You think pollies only work when Parliament sits?
If that’s the case, then they can spend most of the year in Hawaii.
How does the timing of the NY trade role work?
Previously it was reported that the job offer to Jenny West was withdrawn in September – which predates Berejiklian and Barilaro resigning in October.
Even if it was decided in mid-October it is a very fast turnaround…
zoomster @ #122 Monday, July 11th, 2022 – 2:13 pm
Too many of them don’t work much even then.
https://www.pollbludger.net/2022/07/11/sec-newgate-issues-poll-and-senate-vacancy-scuttlebutt-open-thread/comment-page-3/#comment-3951342
… and how many sitting days did parliament have this year before the election in May?
Boerwar
We will know the reforms have taken hold when there are female archbishops, cardinals and popes.
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The Pope could change current Canon Law to allow for women cardinals without the challenge of priest/deacon. A Cardinal does not necessarily have to be ordained.
Also, the Pope has announced his intention to appoint two women to the Dicastery of Bishops, who will therefore be involved in the process of choosing new bishops.
do not understand with how bad the nsw government is with ceruption barilarows jobthe trains mismanagement whiy nsw opposition leader chris minns is invizable apart from toles he does not seem to be putting up much of a fight warely appears on nightly news and when he does about toles it seems 2gb and murdock wanted to get rid of mckay who i did not like to negative and seemed to get angry when questiond to much the leter was a mistake but at least she wantedto be premierisnsw labor sort of like victoria where the government unpopular but the opposition arnt much of a aulturnativve
Not sitting during school holidays misses the point, and passes up an opportunity to actually address the issue.
MPs should dispense with the fantasy that they represent their local community.
MPs exist for two reasons:
* To give the speaker something physical to count, when deciding whether the vote goes to the Government whip or the Opposition whip.
* If they are a Minister, to provide broad policy direction to, and be informed by, Public Servants to enable public servants to do the real job of governing.
Both of these roles of an MP are easier to achieve if the MP relocates to Canberra.
If you want to fix work life balance for MPs, remove the ‘second home’ allowance and remove the free flights home. Give them a couple of grand moving allowance for new MPs to permanently relocate to Canberra.
There, politicians now can live in the same city as their family, and be where they need to be to do their job.
Enabling, nay even encouraging MPs to shirk their responsibilities by leaving Canberra is the root cause of the problem.
[penney sharpe nsw labor upper house leader seems to be leading oppisition atttack on barilarow and puting presure on them must be very effective because ray hadley said minns should get rid of her over a motion on aboirignal rights moohkey was good in mckay era but has gone quiet as shadow treasurer
MPs are people and have lives. If we want a diversity of MPs we need to break down the barriers to everyone apart from the career politicians – and personally while I think there is a place for career politicians, I think parliament shouldn’t be dominated by them.
Part of that is making it so that getting into parliament isn’t a complete dislocation of you and your family’s lives – juggling sitting periods around school holidays seems like a very sensible move in that direction.
”
BeaglieBoysays:
Monday, July 11, 2022 at 1:12 pm
I think the baby Boomer generation was up to 1964….not 1961…..I was always of the opinion that I was a boomer (b1964) and a quick glance at Wikipedia and Pew Research confirms this….happy to be contradicted by any other definition/argument
”
Federal government considered Boomer generation was up to 30th June, 1961. Hence, they formulated the age of withdrawal of Superannuation based on that. if people are born on or before 30th, June, 1961, they can withdraw their Superannuation without any restrictions once they turned 55 years of age. However, after that for every corresponding year, the Superannuation age of withdrawal increases by 1 year. For example, the age of withdrawal is 56 years until 30th June, 1962, so on and so forth.
So for people who are born on or before 30th, June, 1964, the Superannuation age of withdrawal is 58 years.
Has anyone viewed this video interview with Jeremy Griffiths.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q-TK6_aWqGU
At the end he is very critical of progressive politics!
”
Pisays:
Monday, July 11, 2022 at 1:46 pm
Don’t know where this ‘confusion’ re generations is coming from. Baby boomers have been from 1946 to 1964 inclusive since as long as I’ve known about it. Gen X 65-80. Millenial 81-95. Gen Z 96-2010.
I get there might be some fiddling around the edges in the later ones, but from boomers to millenials, I’ve always known them as those bands.
”
Pi
Look at my post @2:58pm
No compelling reason for night sittings of Parliament either – its a hangover from the days of the more wealthy running a business etc during the day and ‘attending’ parliament during afternoon & into the night.
9 am- 5 pm sittings might also breakdown the booze ‘culture’.
Very few workplaces around these days where booze is so front and centre.
Voice Endeavour says:
Monday, July 11, 2022 at 2:46 pm
Not sitting during school holidays misses the point, and passes up an opportunity to actually address the issue.
…’
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Classic Greens response. Nothing is ever good enough. I do hope that they try to block this reform and ensure that sitting days happen ONLY during school holidays from now on.
‘Voice Endeavour says:
Monday, July 11, 2022 at 2:46 pm
Not sitting during school holidays misses the point, and passes up an opportunity to actually address the issue.
MPs should dispense with the fantasy that they represent their local community.
…’
——————————–
I see that the Greens and the Teals are diametrically opposed on this little matter of the function of MPs.
I also note the authoritarian streak in the Greens – they represent nobody but themselves.
They certainly don’t represent the Australian people.
Now they don’t even represent their electorates.
The blocker hubris is never far from the surface.
Much of a federal mp’s parliamentary work – including voting – can be done remotely from their electorates.
A progressive Govt should reform this area of operations.
‘dave says:
Monday, July 11, 2022 at 3:08 pm
No compelling reason for night sittings of Parliament either – its a hangover from the days of the more wealthy running a business etc during the day and ‘attending’ parliament during afternoon & into the night.
9 am- 5 pm sittings might also breakdown the booze ‘culture’.
Very few workplaces around these days where booze is so front and centre.’
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The main driver for night sittings are the Standing Orders and their abuse with a view to delaying inevitable outcomes. I am certain the Greens will not be using this ruthlessly political and pointless tactic in the new, collaborative, constructive and friendly parliament.
Most work by MPs is already done remotely.
This quite often involves public servants having to travel around Australia to cover ministerial briefings, the development of legislation and regulations, and policy papers.
Very few policy areas are entirely self-sufficient. The vast majority need input by various departments and hence by various ministers. While some of this can be done remotely, some inevitably involves ministerial toing and fro-ing.
There are efficiencies in ministers meeting national representative bodies in the Canberra.
Ministers have a second office – either in their state capital city or in their home town. MPs have electorate offices.
It is in the nature of policy work that groups of people MUST from time to time sit around a table and thrash things through.
Parliamentary committees of enquiry quite often travel around the states for input but are headquartered in the House for logistical reasons.
@Boerwar – you misunderstood me.
I didn’t say that MPs shouldn’t represent their electorates. I said that MPs don’t represent their electorates.
And I was being polite. What I really meant was that Labor, National and Liberal MPs don’t represent their electorates.
And that is why their vote share is plummeting.
But, having accepted that the major parties have given up on any pretence of representing their local electorates, I see no reason why the taxpayer should fund MPs travelling back to locations that they don’t even attempt to represent.
If major party MPs just vote with the whip all the time, why bother going back to their electorate to pretend to listen?
RBT before votes in both chambers.
VE
How often do the Greens break ranks on a vote?
VE
It was heartening to see and hear a decent, courteous and principled Prime Minister represent ALL Australians and all electorates this morning.
Ten years worth of the ‘same old same old’ lie being defenestrated before our eyes.
You guys are going to have to goebbels up some new Big Lie.
BTW, why is Shoebridge spreading the intellectually corrupt line that current governments can constrain future governments. He is experienced enough to KNOW that this cannot be done.
And do the Greens really want to increase the ICAC remit to all corruption anywhere at any level, public and private, in the whole of Australia? Do the Greens have even the faintest inkling of the logistical consequences of this, let alone the conflicts with existing investigation and enforcement agencies?
Why is that the Greens want a non-elected ICAC to be unanswerable and unaccountable to the taxpayer for its budget allocation? This can only happen through parliament. The notion of an ‘independent’ budget is yet another Greens furphy.
You guys are good at stunting but you seem to be deficient when it comes to understanding the real world policy consequences of your grandstanding.
I don’t think Greens members should use their MPs as a guide to the work ethics of others.
@Barney – the Greens have only ever had 1 MP in Federal politics, so, you’ve got me, it’s never happened that the Greens MPs have split and voted based on each MPs individual constituent’s needs rather than on party lines…
Even in the current parliament, where they have multiple, the Greens seats are pretty similar in terms of demographic profiles and what their constituents want, so I can’t really see it coming up that voters in different Greens seats want radically different policies.
I should draw a pretty big distinction between “vote for policy based on the interests of your constituents” and “shamelessly pork barrel your own electorate”. MPs should do the former, but not the latter.
By contrast, Labor and the Liberals have a much broader range of seats, and the individual constituents in those seats want very different things. But Labor and Liberal MPs all just vote on party lines anyway regardless of their constituents.
And the Nats basically have two different types of seats – farming seats, and mining seats. But the Nats MPs from farming seats vote based on their mining donor’s anyway.
Good question Barney.
It is true that Bandt has never managed to split his own vote but the Greens have had multiple senators for over a decade.
Themunz @ #132 Monday, July 11th, 2022 – 2:59 pm
I tried watching it. Didn’t last more than a few minutes. Complete wacko.
Here is a statistic… of sorts
https://www.theguardian.com/business/2022/jul/11/qantas-baggage-handler-says-theres-not-enough-of-us-there-to-get-to-all-the-bags
Player One at 3:40 pm
Alan Jones and Richo thinks he is wunderbar 🙂
@BW and barney, the Senate’s a different beast for a couple of reasons.
Firstly, as senate electorates are larger, you don’t get such diversity of electorates. The difference between an average NSW and Victorian voter are pretty small, when looking at any demographic factors or stated opinions on any particular issue. There are some differences, but pretty minor when compared to, say the difference between Hunter and Higgins.
Secondly, I’d question whether there really is an expectation that a senator is expected to represent every elector in their state. People can find one of many Senators to represent them in their state, and I’d really think of it more like each senator represents the sorts of voters that got them to a quota. So, the voters that got the Greens elected in Tassie, are demographically very similar to the voters that got the Greens elected in NSW.
Thirdly, or maybe this is linked in with the secondly part, people don’t vote for candidates in the senate. They vote above the line for parties. If an MP dies, there’s a by election. If a Senator dies, they find someone else from the same party. Because the party is what was voted for, not the Senator.