We’re not likely to see anything on the polling front this week, but there is other electoral news to relate following recent parliamentary vacancies and party defections:
• The Sydney Morning Herald reports preselection nominees to fill the late Jim Molan’s New South Wales Liberal Senate vacancy are likely to include Andrew Constance, former state minister and unsuccessful candidate for Gilmore, and Fiona Scott, who held the lower house seat of Lindsay from 2013 to 2016, together with reported front-runner Dallas McInerney, chief executive of Catholic Schools NSW. Constance and Scott are associated with the moderation faction, while McInerney is a conservative. Mary-Lou Jarvis, lawyer and Woollahra councillor, has also written to senior party figures staking her claim as a qualified woman and the third candidate on the ticket at last year’s election, while also criticising the party’s apparent intention to leave the position vacant until after the state election on March 25.
• The Australian reports the Liberal hierarchy’s hopes of fielding a female candidate for the Aston by-election stand to be complicated by the entry into the field of Emanuele Cicchiello, who is rated a strong chance by sources close to eastern suburbs conservative powerbroker and Deakin MP Michael Sukkar. However, other unidentified sources, “including some with strong Right faction allegiances”, rubbished the notion. Cicchiello is deputy prinicipal of Lighthouse Christian College, a former mayor of Knox and contestant for the seat of Bruce in 2013 and numerous preselections since. All other noted contenders have been women with the exception of Andrew Asten, a former staffer to Alan Tudge, who has since ruled himself out. Anthony Galloway of the Age/Herald reports the matter could be determined by a plebisicite of local members, which have lately proved resistant to female candidates, if the by-election is set for a date that allows sufficient time.
• Victorian Senator Lidia Thorpe’s resignation from the Greens last week marked the first change to party representation in parliament since the election, with the Senate numbers now at Coalition 32, Labor 26, Greens 11, One Nation two, Jacqui Lambie Network two, United Australia Party one and two independents, namely Thorpe and David Pocock. This leaves the government needing two extra votes when the Greens are on board and the Coalition are not, where formerly it needed only one. Thorpe was elected to a six-year term at the election last May, which will extend to the middle of 2028.
frednk says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 3:08 pm
The tankies will not like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um-SEQDQidM&t=809s
——————————————————————————————-
Although I only listened to a part of this, I concur broadly with Snyder’s assessment. At the risk of sounding overly critical of the US, notwithstanding their many strengths, they’re atrocious at reading and understanding other cultures (many cultures make this mistake) which they understandably see through their own prism because it’s the only prism they really understand and that makes sense to them.
Equally they assume that due to their best democratic intent that everyone else craves this same intent, after all, how could they not? Snyder also makes an important point noting that Russia, by design, needs an enemy and the US, no matter how good they are as a nation, will always make a convenient enemy (punching bag) to blame and no amount of education will change this perception in broader Russia. In many scenarios Russia cannot win but it can always successfully sow discord and confusion which is itself some measure of success.
This isn’t to disparage the US, it shows however that their best efforts will rarely be rewarded, at least in terms of spreading democratic values which of course has been further undermined by Trump (and Murdoch) who greatly devalued democracy more broadly. The US is damned if it does and damned if it doesn’t but it probably needs to become less hopeful that tyrants and their nations are ever truly predisposed towards change.
Mostly Interested – I wouldn’t trust either.
Kitching had a habit of writing these long letters “just in case” but that didn’t mean that they were true. The whole “bullying” claim was based on one of those long letters.
Reynolds might have been told that by Kitching that “something was up” but I doubt Reynolds recollection of events too.
More than likely they were both lying and telling half truths.
B.S. Fairman @ #2802 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 4:09 pm
Yep that’s my assessment too.
Mostly Intersted @ #2138 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 3:53 pm
Are you taking bets? 😀
For all the fus abbout kitching she achievedvery little in politics was never realy on the anti china campaign until her friend Bill shorten was replaced yes she was some international anti china group but the only time she realy came to national atention which suprised me the liberals were running with the pro kitching lynn is actualy somthing morison would not want to remember theshe lead the questioning of the Australia poast ceo which caused morrison problims when he called for her sacking the whole mean girls stuff was clearly a atempt buy murdock to undermine what they reguard as labors best performer penney wong forbeing the most effective performer at senate estimets andanoying the liberals and galligher who happin to be close backers of the pm
Mavis
“ It’s a very interesting article. As you’re probably aware, if you’re over 70 you’re eligible for a free shingles vaccination, which according to the article ‘seems to lessen their risk of developing Alzheimer’s.’ I would’ve had one by now but I’m on an immunosuppressive drug so it’s not recommended as it’s a live attenuated (herpes zoster) vaccine. If it is established that Alzheimer’s is linked to a bacterium or a virus, you’d think it would be easier to treat than with the new drug lecanemab, which is only marginally effective.”
——————————————————————————————-
Agreed, I’m edging towards considering a shingles vaccination (sorry for your situation) and I too imagine that bacterium would be easier to treat and much earlier. There’s still a lot of water to flow under the bridge and guaranteed prevention might be a bit late for the both of us but there is at least some promise rather than just ploughing on the same path of failure as has been the case for the past 40 years. I fear Alzheimers more than cancer or CVD but that’s purely a personal opinion. The former removes all dignity, potentially for years whereas the latter diseases at least allow the retention of lucidity (I lost parents to both cancer and CVD).
Cronus,
Russia can be as tyranty as it wants. Just leave other sovereign nations out of it.
plyus the letter complaining abbout the senaters to marles was also factional as marles is shortins factional rival and took over the right faction making a dweal with Andrews left faction and the shoppies union to shut out shortins awu power basenelly all of shortins allies in victorian state parliament lost there preselections before state elections kitching did little work on national security about as relivant as the forgottin anthony byrne who desbite being spokin of as this national security exbert made practicly no contrabution but waisted 20 years on the back bench funny how byrne faded in to obscurity after he retired if he was any good he would be have been highered buy the anti china groups like aspi
what happind to the anti chinas faverite uselis mp Byrne desbite being deputy chair of the weak national security commity which has no real power desbite the nonsence of mckenzey after he retired at the last election what happind to themost educated man on nat security acording toe the anti china mckinzey and murdock he disapeared after the election with no security role
Themunzsays:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 2:54 pm
98.6says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 2:25 pm
I saw the same thing 50 years ago during Whitlam era, landed imported cost marked up dramatically “to stay ahead of the game”.
Considered smart business practice.
,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
Not quite sure about that.
My mother worked in a shoe factory at the time and lost her job to foreign imports. In her case the best thing that happened to her. She was getting too old and tired to stand on her feet all day and work for unfair women’s wages.
But I digress. Australia was swamped by foreign shoes, mainly Chinese, but they were and still are less expensive but just as well made as anything we produced here.
It’s almost impossible to buy shoes from any other country.
As an aside, I’ve got a pair of Louis Vuitton look alikes from China and believe me you would have to be a forensic scientist to tell the difference between them and the real thing.
Maybe a case in point where a particular country can make shoes for the whole world’s population. Similar to Australia providing wool or coal, iron ore etc to the rest of the world.
HELLO!
So what the Tory Opposition are saying is that there should be no contributions to superannuation across your working life
Instead you should be able to spend your income on buying a house or buying anything else you want – and government should get out of people’s lives including by removing the SG legislation
And that owning a house is the goal in retirement – noting what happened to home mortgage debt and house prices on their watch from 2000 until 2008 (and the GFC)
But the rich can contribute to superannuation – and take advantage of the tax concessions
The Tories targeted superannuation with their so called Banking Royal Commission – also targeting industry funds
That backfired spectacularly
Now their real game is exposed
Compulsory superannuation was an ALP initiative – also opposed for that very reason
As a fully self funded retiree, unknown to government, I can attest to the effectiveness of contributing to superannuation across a working life, contributions, time and compounding delivering
The government legislates what you are required to take (of your money) as an Allocated Pension
And it legislates at what age you can access that Allocated Pension
Those 2 instruments of legislation define the purpose of compulsory superannuation
To allow withdrawals as the Tories propose (and promoted and allowed) defeats the purpose and absolutely defeats the purpose
That went with their other disastrous responses such as JOBkeeper to the Balance Sheet of Companies and allowing insolvent companies to continue to trade (just for starters)
Ms Lees seems somewhat competent so far, from what I can see.
C@tmomma says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 4:19 pm
Cronus,
Russia can be as tyranty as it wants. Just leave other sovereign nations out of it.
—————————————————————————————
C@T, we wish. Snyder made another interesting point when he noted that Russia’s entire perspective on foreign policy was diametrically opposed to that which we are used to. Rather than seek to improve external relations, Russia uses it to sow discord with neighbours thereby allowing him to point to their perceived problems and more easily control his own nation. It further proves the point too that it’s very difficult for us to understand the minds of tyrants, probably for the best, but it also limits our ability to prevent seemingly illogical actions on their part.
Robodebt RC seems to be trying to pinpoint what Morrison knew when (timing of briefs, early 2015).
Minister Payne’s CoS being grilled.
Greggery seems to have misplaced his doccos.
frednk says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 3:08 pm
The tankies will not like this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um-SEQDQidM&t=809s
——————————————————————————————-
Cronus
“Although I only listened to a part of this, I concur broadly with Snyder’s assessment. At the risk of sounding overly critical of the US, notwithstanding their many strengths, they’re atrocious at reading and understanding other cultures (many cultures make this mistake) which they understandably see through their own prism because it’s the only prism they really understand and that makes sense to them.”
I just finished listening to the whole thing. It is good. Later on Tim Snyder is refreshingly honest about mistakes the US made in understanding Putin, judging him by US values, not his own. He points out specific mistakes Obama and Bush both made with Putin, and how Trump was a “gift” to Putin.
whiy is news corp waisting there time on publisizing Renyolds she is a corear staffer who does not appear to have achieved much in the army and did not do much when in cabenit now she is on the back bench all maiden is doing is premoting renyolds who hopefuly the liberals will dump from the senate at the next election but hopefuly she will retire soon as her presents in the senate proves whiy female voters turned against the party how is the trashing of higgins to triy to distroy her help iva murdock or the liberals this is the same tacdicks his pappers used in the uk which he protendid he was sorry foor but he clearly was not as evry body envolved in the scandle still work for murdock and he clearly did not care about hacking
Megan Lees (Payne’s former COS) seems to be across the detail.
It amazes me the number of documents the RC is turning up.
Greggery said this morning an extra 100,000 had been provided since the January hearings.
I think there’s been a previous reference to half a million being provided.
Someone is doing a lot of reading outside the hearing.
Ms Lees has mentioned several time how meticulous Payne was about grammar and language.
Pity her focus didn’t extend beyond that to the question of legalities.
Not her job apparently
Cat/Mostly Interested
That News article is here:
https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/late-senator-refuted-linda-reynolds-higgins-claim-in-letter-before-her-death/news-story/15f2ef2639c5e11adf2b14332613cd8d
Is Newscorp now cutting Linda Reynolds loose? Her safe Senate spot must be desired by many unemploy(able) Liberal ex MPs and staffers.
I posted this comment yesterday @2.20 pm when there was some discussion re Reynolds.
I have been wondering whether the current move is an attempt to preempt evidence that could/might be given by certain parties at the defamation case Lehrmann is bringing against Ch 10 and News Corp.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/bruce-lehrmann-files-defamation-proceedings-against-ten-news-corp-20230207-p5cipo.html
https://www.9news.com.au/national/brittany-higgins-willing-to-appear-bruce-lehrmann-defamation-case-media-companies-rape-allegations/363f732c-60b0-4bd3-b9bf-a9d30cdb23f3
Happy to be told if I am barking up the wrong tree re Reynolds and NewsCorp.
Socrates
Maiden and albrechtson may both work for Murdoch but have vastly different agendas.
Albrechtson is in full on conspiracy mode trying to link Higgins to a Labor plot.
Maiden is being sued by Lehrmann.
Reynolds has her own agenda, trying to rehabilitate herself. But she should be smarter than get involved with Albrechtson.
When defamation writs are flying you don’t want to find yourself a witness. The rules there are different.
3000 days in …still just getting on with the job…
Soc,
Yes I imagine that there’s going to be quite the fight over the spoils of defeat in the WA Liberal Party. You could start the list of with all the former WA members of the AAT. 😀
Ms Lees is excused and I expect she’ll be happy that she won’t need to front the commission again.
Cronus
…
Although I only listened to a part of this, I concur broadly with Snyder’s assessment. At the risk of sounding overly critical of the US, notwithstanding their many strengths, they’re atrocious at reading and understanding other cultures (many cultures make this mistake) which they understandably see through their own prism because it’s the only prism they really understand and that makes sense to them.
…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=um-SEQDQidM&t=809s
I think the best of it was when he started discussing the success of Russian propaganda towards the middle.
You really have to consider where Murdoch has been coming from. Did Murdoch profit from the work he put into undermining the USA system. What is the Western system to do about a bad actor like Murdoch?
Charles Wann, CoS to Scomo as DSS Minister, is his doppelgänger
The munzsays:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 2:54 pm
98.6says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 2:25 pm
I saw the same thing 50 years ago during Whitlam era, landed imported cost marked up dramatically “to stay ahead of the game”.
Considered smart business practice.
::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::
Not quite sure about that either.
Gough also temporarily reduced tariffs on imported goods from 27.5% to 2.5%. Then raised them by 2.5% per month till they were back at 27.5%.
I remember it well because I bought a brand new 1974 Celica for $3,900 in the first month of the reduced tariff.
When I traded it in 18 months later I got $4,400 trade in on another new car and I later saw it in the used car yard for $4600.
Yes indeed, Gough got things going.
I love telling that story
Perhaps Murdoch is going to have his day in court.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ER28-Kv-nUE&ab_channel=CNN
Megan Lees used to work in Mal Boughs office in about 2007.
98.6: “I love telling that story”
lol. It’s a cracker of a story.
And where is he now?
Wann appears to be Chief Operating Officer at the Department of Health.
And he has notebooks!
Pi says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 4:59 pm
98.6: “I love telling that story”
lol. It’s a cracker of a story.
中华人民共和国
I reckon 98.6 gets prize of the day for that one. Top yarn cobber.
Superannuation Man! https://twitter.com/roweafr/status/1627550495299756032/photo/1
Wann seems to be being deceptive compared to previous witness.
Scomoitis seems to be contagious.
“It further proves the point too that it’s very difficult for us to understand the minds of tyrants, probably for the best, but it also limits our ability to prevent seemingly illogical actions on their part.”
To the extent the ‘decline’ of Russia prompts action, that decline seems consistent with the strategic direction the USA and Europe would have wanted.
Other than that brief window where there was perhaps too much ‘help’ from free unregulated MacKinsey types out of the USA, which was a key ingredient to creating the oligarchs and thus Putin, there hasn’t been a lot of opportunity for us to help stem Russian decline.
The decline has been to fast. There are still people very much alive who grew up and graduated into a super power expecting the careers and opportunities a super power offers, but who found themselves in a failed state, with a failed implementation of capitalism, and Putin. They’ve had none of the benefits of being a super power and all the downsides of unregulated capitalism, without most of the freedoms of democracy.
In many ways Ukraine pre second invasion was too successful. A lovely little democracy succeeding. A hurtful insult if you are over the border. A target for invasion that both gives the peasants something to do and reduces the attraction of the neighbour.
What do you?
ScoMo’s former CoS seems to have his ex boss’s resting smirk face.
His lack of confidence in my opinion is not due to appearing before the commission but that which would perhaps apply to a fiction writer composing on the fly.
Cronus @ #2156 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 4:26 pm
Having now finished listening to the Perun overview that was posted earlier today,
https://youtu.be/94bqk8cB9iQ
it becomes clear that the war is necessary for both Putin and the Russian citizenry to enable them to maintain the pretense that Russia is still a major global power, to the extent that defeat will presage a collapse and a crisis of confidence in Russia. So Putin has to/will keep the war going, no matter the scale of the defeats he is suffering (not personally). In this he is supported, in a co-dependent way, by his people, or at least those who haven’t fled the country already.
So, not only is his motivation, over and above survival, political zealotry, but also a kind of force projection to the global community to take Russia seriously going forward. In the way of North Korea now, which is saying to the world, fear me, for I have big missiles that I can threaten to use against you, in that kind of Wizard of Oz behind the curtain way. However, in the assessment of Perun, Schumpeter’s creative destruction HAS worked for Russia in the past, where it has gone to war but survived to thrive, as a result of its natural endowments, but this time, with the global community moving against Russia so that it won’t be able to resurrect itself, it will come out of this war eventually, severely diminished.
Holdenhillbilly @ #2177 Monday, February 20th, 2023 – 5:08 pm
Wann might regret finding his notebooks
None of his answers to what his notes refer to give the impression he’s here to tell what he knows
timbosays:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 5:11 pm
Wann seems to be being deceptive compared to previous witness.
Scomoitis seems to be contagious.
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>.
SCOMOITIS, I love it.
OS
I don’t know about Wann’s “resting face” but a quick glimplse of Holmes’ “resting face” suggests she is not muchly impressed with the gentleman.
Scomoitis seems to involve looking away from those questioning him and into the middle distance. Coincidentally this trait also is seen in amateur liars.
Upnorthsays:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 5:02 pm
Pi says:
Monday, February 20, 2023 at 4:59 pm
98.6: “I love telling that story”
lol. It’s a cracker of a story.
中华人民共和国
I reckon 98.6 gets prize of the day for that one. Top yarn cobber.
“””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””””‘
Coming from two of the best bloggers on PB, I consider it an honour and a privilege in accepting the prize of the day.
how can nsw treasurer and deputy leader matt keans power be so weak that his closist suporter peter poulos can be dumped after leaks over preston now kean is backing munro
the top two liberal spots on upper house ticket are to centre right members of allex hawkes factionheading the ticket is the liittle known minister netasher mclaron jones ggiven the faction is reportidly the smallist faction how can all of hawkes people with the acseption of elliott be saved after the federal preselection mes if he is the smallist faction how come he got his people up including perottit rival ray williams who is not even a minister would getting rid of williams desbite his lack of tallint and being dumped after two years in cabenit would he damage more perrottit allies apart from hills cowncil if he was dumped
how can nsw treasurer and deputy leader matt keans power be so weak that his closist suporter peter poulos can be dumped after leaks over preston now kean is backing munro williams has been critical of many government desitions andsemingly attacked perottits brothers yet the liberal party are alowing him to stay what does this have to say abbout hawkes power
It will be ok Aaron . Promise!
I wont say Wann is punchable but he looks like he could be improved by a quick clip over the ears.