The Guardian has a report on the fortnightly Essential Research poll, from which I assume we will get voting intention numbers later today. The fact that The Age has a Resolve Strategic state poll from Victoria suggests a federal poll from that outfit should be with us shortly. For now, I can relate that the Essential poll has Anthony Albanese at 53% approval (down two on a month ago) and 34% disapproval (up three). The poll also finds 69% believe the Reserve Bank has overreacted with its interest rate increases, and 71% believe the federal government is largely or partly culpable, though it’s unclear if the question specified the current government. An even 29% believe Labor or the Coalition would do a better job managing interest rates, with 42% opting for no difference. The poll was conducted Wednesday to Sunday from a sample of 1044.
In other news, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Milton Dick, announced yesterday that the Aston by-election will be held on the inauspicious date of April 1, which is one week after the New South Wales state election (and two after the Arafura by-election in the Northern Territory). Labor has announced that it will again field its candidate from last year’s federal election, Mary Doyle, a finance worker and former organiser for the National Tertiary Education Union, who was the only candidate to nominate. The Age reports the Liberals are taking the preselection out of the hands of their unreliable rank-and-file, which presumably shortens the odds on barrister Roshena Campbell and lengthens them on Emanuele Cicchiello, deputy prinicipal of Lighthouse Christian College.
“This neo-liberal anti Super campaign needs to be squashed, pronto!”
Howard won the war against super when he made it a tax dodging tool for the wealthy and stopped the increases in the rate for the poor.
It is in a terrible place and needs significant reform.
I don’t think ‘take all your money out’ is significant reform.
I do think taking money out of super and putting it into a residential premise (so long as rules can be developed to preserve the value of the house that is ‘super’ and therefore preserved until retirement age) is very sensible, it makes super much more real for struggling and lower incomes, and it reduces the wedge stolen by the scum in super and in banking.
Having a place to live, a means tested pension at a livable well above poverty rate, and super are all integral to a good retirement trying to suggest they are unrelated is one of the stupider ideas I’ve ever seen here.
This is quite unlike Poll Bludger to miss this, and I don’t have time to type it up / summarise it myself, but a new Resolve federal poll dropped this morning.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-s-honeymoon-period-is-over-but-dutton-still-trails-20230220-p5cm1h.html
Sceptic @ #151 Tuesday, February 21st, 2023 – 12:29 pm
Gobbledegook and obfuscation 101.
The Commissioner is just slapping down this gormless witness.
Perrottet walks out of media conference:
“11.56 AEDT
Dominic Perrottet refuses to answer questions on brother
Tamsin Rose
Tamsin Rose
The New South Wales premier, Dominic Perrottet, has walked out of a press conference after refusing to answer a question about his brother Jean-Claude Perrottet.
Asked why his brother, the secretary of the NSW Young Liberals, was refusing to appear before a parliamentary inquiry into Hills Shire council, Perrottet refused to answer and ended his media event.
The premier had previously demanded the media leave his family out of the press after Jean-Claude and another brother called Charles Perrottet were asked to front the probe.”
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2023/feb/21/australia-news-live-interest-rates-reserve-bank-poll-ndis-health-housing-economy-albanese-dutton-greens
The questioning of Perrottet’s brother is not a family matter. He is a secretary in the same political party and the matter is over alleged branch stacking. Perrottet cannot seriously expect to go an election campaign avoiding questions over that.
If Perrttet is going to keep avoiding press conferences for the next five weeks, he is a dead man walking.
Perhaps they could make a romantic comedy movie about Dominic Perrottet’s story, titled
“There Warrants and an Election” where the shy, awkward male lead tries to woo female voters?
I don’t think it will end as happily.
Commissioners head explodes… this is going around in circles that keep getting revisited time after time
c@t and boerwar
I think that Pearson has changed his stated policy position a fair bit in recent years.
He used to focus strongly on the idea that self-determination meant that Indigenous people were obliged to take responsibility for their communities and their individual lives and making a real effort to improve things, rather than simply looking to endless handouts from government. He even supported the Intervention!
This sort of stuff played well with the Libs and Nats and to the Murdoch press and Sky News After Dark audience where he was almost canonised for a while.
His cancer scare was perhaps a bit of a turning point for him, after which he has aligned himself more closely with the ALP and with the sort of “mainstream” policy positions espoused by the Dodsons, Langton et al.
I think the old, profoundly Protestant, Pearson is still there somewhere deep inside, and he peeped out occasionally during the recent Boyer Lectures. But I think that, for the moment, Pearson has made a tactical decision to align himself very closely to the referendum process, in the hope that – in the context of the Voice – he can carve out a position for himself as the go-to guy about education: which is a far less controversial policy area than issues such financial support for Indigenous communities, policing and etc.
I hope his health continues to hold up, as I reckon he’s still got a major contribution to make to the development of policy in relation to Indigenous people.
“The customer was assumed to have the information which would disprove the decision maker.”
And there’s your problem right there with all of it.
Did Paul Menzies McVey go to a Jesuit collage?
Lars Von Trier says:
Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 12:25 pm
Anybody feeling perky for Sunday nights newspoll?
—————————————————————————————-
I am, and downright confident too. But then I live in the real world, not the tiny unpersuasive land of Murdochracy.
But I think that, for the moment, Pearson has made a tactical decision to align himself very closely to the referendum process, in the hope that – in the context of the Voice – he can carve out a position for himself as the go-to guy about education: which is a far less controversial policy area than issues such financial support for Indigenous communities, policing and etc.
How do you know this for a fact about Noel Pearson, meher baba?
mb
Yeah. Nah.
Pearson simply did not get what his ‘special’ friends in the Coalition and in the Murdoch MSM were up to.
Wyatt seems finally to have woken up from the slumber space he inhabited as minister.
It remains to be seen whether Price eventually wakes up. Personally, I doubt it.
Mudine? The question does not even need asking.
“ The findings are part of a new survey that shows Albanese has maintained his strong lead as preferred prime minister, favoured by 55 per cent of voters, while Dutton has increased his support on this measure from 20 to 23 per cent over the past four weeks.”
Just further reasons for confidence.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-s-honeymoon-period-is-over-but-dutton-still-trails-20230220-p5cm1h.html
As my mum used to say to me: ‘You know what thought did? Thought wrong.’
The smirk has been well and truly wiped off his face.
“…he can carve out a position for himself as the go-to guy about education…”
Ooof, not sure how that will go after his efforts with a mob of American “direct instruction” zealots in FNQ.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-s-honeymoon-period-is-over-but-dutton-still-trails-20230220-p5cm1h.html
There’s always the horse race commentary that underpins headlines and commentary like this.
Smirk’s back.
Q: Who knew that the ACT Liberals have no policies to take to the next ACT election?
A: The Liberals themselves
Their website https://canberraliberals.org.au/our-policies clearly states “Our election policies will be published here during the election campaign.”
What the Liberals do have is a constant stream of complaints about how bad life is like under the ACT Labor-Greens government but not a peep about what they would do if elected after 24 continuous years in opposition.
In a Matthew Guy like move, they have said they would not build a rail line (light rail to Woden on the southside) but apart from this negative announcement, they have said nothing about what they would do to fix all the alleged problems of the current government.
Their complaints receive plenty of coverage in the local media but to date, have not been pressed to “show us your policies to fix all the things you complain about”. As usual, the media demand detailed policies from Labor but virtually nothing from the Liberals.
C@t
You need to refresh your memory about Pearson’s long standing near obsession with introducing ‘Direct Instruction’ in schools . Having done so you may not be so dismissive of meher baba’s postulation.
Albo selling the regional Cabinet very well.
Some interesting stuff by Saul Eslake.
https://twitter.com/sauleslake/status/1527434086629146624
Home ownership in Australia peaked in the early 60s at 72% with relatively stable prices despite a rapidly rising population and building material supply problems. The prosperity of the long boom and war service home loan scheme certainly helped but problems were appearing particularly in the 1960 credit squeeze.
Menzies promised to increase homeownership through the first direct intervention the Home Owner’s Grant Scheme: if you were under 36 and a married couple the Commonwealth would give you £ 1 for every £ 3 you had saved in a registered bank account upto a maximum of £ 250 for your first house.
As Eslake notes the home ownership rate has gone down ever since. Government intervention in the house market has not had a great history since the days of Menzies
BK @ #155 Tuesday, February 21st, 2023 – 12:37 pm
Like a cat with a mouse whose paw is on its tail.
One of the things that has appalled me from the time I first heard of robodebt was putting the onus on the income support recipient to prove they did not have a debt. It offends the central principle of civil and criminal law that “he who asserts must prove”. After all, nobody ever suggested that Centrelink should be required to prove that a claimant is not entitled to a benefit when the claimant provides little info.
This witness keeps going on about the inferences that could be drawn from the so-called failure of the “customer” to engage and the extent to which a debt could be raised on this inference. While the Commissioner has focussed on the legality of such an approach, the immorality of drawing such inferences still appals me.
And it amazes me to this time that almost no witness from officialdom actually gave a thought to the moral dimension. Only Cassandra Goldie from ACOSS has nailed it – whether legal or not it was just plain wrong.
“ Australians hoping to retire comfortably on the back of a single investment property are likely be disappointed, new research suggests.
At least two are required, according to investors surveyed by online marketplace LocalAgentFinder. However, factors such as superannuation also play a huge role. When asked how many properties people felt would allow them to retire comfortably, 17 per cent said one, while 44 per cent said they would like two or more, and 39 per cent said they did not invest in real estate. Almost 10 per cent of people believe four or more properties are necessary to retire comfortably, but finance specialists say the number varies widely depending on multiple factors and lifestyle choices.”
This is the information battle that needs to be fought.
Paywalled https://www.theaustralian.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=TAWEB_WRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.theaustralian.com.au%2Fbusiness%2Fwealth%2Fproperty-investment-one-is-never-enough-say-australian-landlords%2Fnews-story%2F79bc38cae77ae8e54dd9dbda100d6570&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=dynamic-groupb-control-noscore&V21spcbehaviour=append
Honestly it would be surprising if the government didn’t wear a bit of pain right now for the interest rate rises and cost of living issues. The government is keeping its powder dry for the budget and isn’t announcing much yet that moves the needle. Some will always lose patience at least temporarily.
poroti @ #171 Tuesday, February 21st, 2023 – 12:49 pm
I’m not concerned with that because that’s a matter of historical record. I was simply asking about the inference meher baba made that Noel Pearson was cosying up to Labor simply because he wants to be the one that provides all the services suggested by meher baba. I’d just like to see the evidence of that if meher baba is going to cast aspersions against his character.
Lars Von Trier says:
“Looks like stooge summer is coming to an end”
Enjoy your autumn break!
Please don’t cast aspersions at Noel Pearson while he is working with Labor. Of course it was fine to cast aspersions in the past when he appeared sympathetic to certain Liberal policies.
Another observation from Robodebt.
When you look at the assumptions and inferences about how income recipients live their lives, and how decisions are made on the basis of those assumptions, the need for a permanent Voice becomes even more urgent.
How many indigenous programs and policies over the last 50 years have been designed by people who made assumptions and inferences about the people affected by the programs? And even where “consultation” has occurred, how much of that consultation has been with select indigenous people who have told the non-indigenous decision-makers what they want to hear or what appealed to the values and beliefs of those decision-makers?
And I include Labor in that criticism too.
Robodebt Royal Commission has shown that policy makers in Canberra have never been counter staff dealing with Services Australia income support recipients
Counter staff are in the states and regions, nowadays they are supplied by labour hire on 3 month contracts
Policy makers believe or hope their ill-bought expensive IT systems will knit together and solve their problems, magically
There are 3 systems
1. SAP indexed database built on Chart of Accounts used by executive level
which interfaces poorly with
2. legacy IBM style indexed sequential database that it updated in overnight batch runs requiring trained operators to code the transactions correctly
3. I THINK it’s a customer relationship management system like salesforce – not sure why Services Australia blew their dough on that
Services Australia software procurement is as ill-conceived and wasteful as Defence procurement, the vulnerable feel its effects daily
I’ve just sent the following message to my local Federal MP, Dr Mike Freelander:
“Dear Mike, I am perturbed that Australia has not joined New Zealand, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the United States of America, Japan, South Korea, Greece, Italy, Poland and 24 other countries in signing the Statement on Russia’s War on Ukraine and International Sport, dated 20 February 2023. This statement expresses opposition to the IOC allowing Russian and Belarusian athletes to compete in the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. I hope this is a mistake and that we do indeed agree with that statement. I consider it unacceptable that Russia and Belarus be given a platform for domestic and global propaganda while they are cooperating in the violent dismemberment of Ukraine – a war which has killed dozens of Ukrainian athletes and considerably interrupted the athletic preparation of those who have survived. Please advise me whether Australia does in fact agree with the abovementioned statement. I look forward to hearing your response.”
I really do hope we are not on Russia’s side on this one. 😐
TPOF . . . . too true
This witness keeps going on about the inferences that could be drawn from the so-called failure of the “customer” to engage and the extent to which a debt could be raised on this inference. While the Commissioner has focussed on the legality of such an approach, the immorality of drawing such inferences still appalls me.
Exactly, TPOF. Plus he kept going on and on about the information required to disprove a debt raised being ‘readily available’ via Westpac bank statement. When I’m sure I recall, when my son received a Robodebt letter, that he had to provide payslips. Not to mention the simple fact that someone on a strictly limited income, such as a Centrelink payment, may not have been able to afford to pay for their bank statements to be retrieved from 7 or less years ago, as required. It’s not a cheap thing to do.
Also, this whole thing went back to times when not everyone was paid electronically, as is the case these days. So, how do you disprove the raising of the debt if you threw away your payslips because you didn’t believe you’d ever need them again?
Enough Already,
I’ll bring it up with my Local Member when I speak to him next as well. If things haven’t changed by then. 🙂
C@tmomma @ Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 1:01 pm:
“Enough Already,
I’ll bring it up with my Local Member when I speak to him next as well. If things haven’t changed by then. ”
=================
Thanks C@t, much appreciated. I hope it’s just something trivial like we missed a deadline to notify of our agreement.
Kerist, The Australian must think their readers are mugs
In the 1990s the boy friend was a builder who had invested in shares with a large cash amount in Pyramid Building Society. As he didn’t understand shares or trust building societies any more so he built a property portfolio of 3 properties he could manage, repair, maintain and live off rents.
At that time he could expect to lose 6 weeks rent a year per property
billie
SAP
Enough said!!!
Granny Anny says:
“Torchbearer, and has Morrison been near a Sharks game since the electors got rid of him?”
Scott Morrison tweet, 29 Sep 2012:
“Rugby
will always be my game …”
Farewell, fairweather friend.
Of course property boosterism starts with Channel 9 and News. Its an incestous spiral. Much of our polity is caught up in it. What chance the battler who cant even get secure public housing anymore.
C@tmomma at 12:53 pm
If he was prepared to make nice with Tones , The Rodent and even the Rupertariat in order to further his Direct Instruction dream them he’d sure as hell be willing to do the same with Albo’s crew.
c@t: “I’m not concerned with that because that’s a matter of historical record. I was simply asking about the inference meher baba made that Noel Pearson was cosying up to Labor simply because he wants to be the one that provides all the services suggested by meher baba. I’d just like to see the evidence of that if meher baba is going to cast aspersions against his character.”
That’s your reading of my words, not what I meant to say. What I was trying to suggest was that Pearson – who is clearly a fully committed supporter of the Statement from the Heart and the Voice – is choosing to focus on areas where he is in full agreement with the mainstream Indigenous line rather than, as he sometimes used to do, emphasise his own iconoclastic views on some matters. And my point about him focusing on education was more about this being an area – notwithstanding the direct instruction stuff – he isn’t going to create as much controversy as some others.
In short, I think he is trying to be helpful to the cause.
The Age 21/02
Victoria’s Assistant Treasurer Danny Pearson has admitted to an “error of judgment” for not disclosing shares he held in the Commonwealth Bank when he announced a banking and financial services panel for the state.
Pearson on Tuesday apologised for what he described as a “potential for a perception of a conflict of interest,” but maintained he was not the decision maker in a 2021 process that awarded the bank a multi-million dollar contract.
_____________________
Yeah right.
Just another day in Victorian politics.
George Miller & The Man from Snowy River
https://aso.gov.au/titles/features/man-snowy-river/clip3/
Sequence without the beautiful Sigrid Thornton
A shame they felt they had to cast Kirk Douglass
https://www.theguardian.com/film/2023/feb/21/remembering-george-t-miller-the-man-from-snowy-river-alone-is-a-huge-contribution-to-australian-film
“billie
SAP
Enough said!!!”
I consistently find SAP bafflingly bad. I don’t understand how such a dominant tool that costs so much gives such a poor user experience and has such massive limitations.
We all know how Microsoft is consistently bad, but SAP makes Microsoft look flawless and have a perfect UI.
And again an idiot I expected SAP 4 Hana to be light years better but all I hear is that it is one of those tech upgrades where you go backwards.
I just can’t work it out, anyone know the ‘bad databases for business’ history?
This guy is shifty. The magnifying glass is getting hot. He does not strike me as the sort of tough council that a government like scomo’s would need.
There seems to be so many Good Germans in human services.
I consistently find SAP bafflingly bad. I don’t understand how such a dominant tool that costs so much gives such a poor user experience and has such massive limitations.
______
WeWantPaul
All too frequently enterprise systems like SAP are implemented in an operation vacuum, with the lead being taken typically by IT and Finance. This ALWAYS leads to grief once the system goes live. It is imperative that operational functions need to be fully involved in the configuration of these monster systems and that the chart of accounts should be subservient to the management and logistical needs of the company. This rarely happens.
The implied criticism in the words “has finally come on board” is unfair. Navalny is imprisoned under harsh conditions. The last time I checked his twitter posts (a few weeks ago) he had written of being allowed a few minutes access per day to pencil and paper in a cell with insufficient room to lie down, with constant loud music. He had developed severe back pain. A medical doctor (assumed) eventually checked on him and injected him with an unspecified drug. He has little contact with the outside world, mainly through infrequent visits by lawyers.
He is a remarkable man.
Yeah right.
Just another day in Victorian politics.
_______________________________
Yeah right.
Just more negativity from Taylormade.
Late Riser @ Tuesday, February 21, 2023 at 1:36 pm:
“The implied criticism in the words “has finally come on board” is unfair. Navalny is imprisoned under harsh conditions. The last time I checked his twitter posts (a few weeks ago) he had written of being allowed a few minutes access per day to pencil and paper in a cell with insufficient room to lie down, with constant loud music. He had developed severe back pain. A medical doctor (assumed) eventually checked on him and injected him with an unspecified drug. He has little contact with the outside world, mainly through infrequent visits by lawyers.
He is a remarkable man.”
=================
LR, I fully agree that he is, and always was, going to be great news for liberalism, democracy and the rule of law in Russia. Now, he promises a benign posture for Russia towards its neighbours as well. It is OK to think wonderfully well of a man, while still hoping for a repentance of some of his views. That day has now come, and I am very glad.