The Age/Herald brings the monthly Resolve Strategic poll of federal voting intention, which has Labor down two on the primary vote to 40%, the Coalition up two to 31%, the Greens down one to 10% and One Nation down one to 5%. No two-party preferred is reported, but this would pan out to around 58-42 based on preference flows from last year, in from around 60-40 last time. Anthony Albanese’s approval rating (very good plus good) is down four on last month to 56%, with disapproval (very poor plus poor) up five to 30%; Peter Dutton is up one to 29% and down one to 45%; and Anthony Albanese’s lead over Peter Dutton as preferred prime minister is 55-23, in from 55-20. The poll was conducted Wednesday to Sunday from a sample of 1604. Further results published today including a finding that 50% expect economic conditions to worsen over the coming year, compared with 18% for improvement and 24% for staying the same.
The fortnightly Essential Research poll, which does not exclude undecided from its voting intention numbers, has Labor at 33% and the Coalition at 30% on the primary vote, both unchanged on a fortnight ago. The Greens are down three from an anomalous peak last time to 14% and One Nation are steady on 6%, with undecided at 8%. The 2PP+ measure had Labor down four to 51%, the Coalition up two to 42% and undecided up three to 8%. As noted in the previous post, Anthony Albanese’s approval is down two on a month ago to 53%, and his disapproval is up three to 34%. The full report, featuring questions on economic issues and interest rate rises, is here.
The Victorian Liberal Party’s administrative committee has as expected endorsed barrister Roshena Campbell as its candidate for the April 1 Aston by-election. Paul Sakkal of The Age reports Campbell received 13 votes, with former state upper house MP Cathrine Burnett-Wake and oncologist Ranjana Srivastava on three each.
“The Kremlin’s spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, has said that Russia is open to negotiations to end the conflict in Ukraine, but insisted Moscow would “never compromise” on what he described as new “territorial realities”.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/feb/28/russia-ukraine-war-live-news-russian-forces-bakhmut-china-us
So … what exactly will they negotiate on? Offering to stop striking civilians if Ukraine stops shooting at their soldiers and lets them occupy Ukrainian territory unchallenged? Very appealing bargain, that. 😐
‘Out Of This World’ Russian News Report Euphemisms # 456:
‘air training exercise’ …
“Russia’s Pulkovo airport in St Petersburg temporarily suspended all flights on Tuesday amid unconfirmed media reports of an unidentified object such as a drone being seen nearby. Some flights were diverted back to Moscow while the airport was shut for about an hour. Russia’s ministry of defence later announced there had been a training exercise between air defences and civilian aviation authorities.”
https://www.theguardian.com/world/live/2023/feb/28/russia-ukraine-war-live-news-russian-forces-bakhmut-china-us
A detailed look from the combatants’ perspective of the Russian offensive on Bakhmut:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/feb/28/world-war-one-relentless-battle-for-bakhmut-ukraine
An excerpt:
“[22-year-old volunteer soldier Serhii Hnezdilov] described the battle for Bakhmut as relentless and intense: the hottest and most dangerous place on a 600-mile long frontline. “It’s like the first world war … The Russians throw their people in so they can symbolically take the city. It’s terrible. And the place no longer exists.” It had become another Mariupol, the once flourishing city on the Sea of Azov, pulverised last spring by Russian bombs, he said.
Hnezdilov said the Russians were taking huge casualties every day. “It’s a meat grinder. Bodies are left where they fall. Their own people get injured and cry out. Nobody helps them,” he said. Did he feel any compassion for Russian conscripts, some of whom were reluctant to fight and who were clearly demoralised? “No. After what happened in Bucha it’s impossible. They behave like swine and destroy everything,” he replied.”
And all for empty symbolism. The town itself has nothing left taking. It is on low ground in the middle of a small valley which is a strategic dead end. A totally pointless waste by V. V. Putin.
sprocket_says:
Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 8:13 pm
Perhaps the Murdoch goons are pushing for ‘poofter bashing’ as balance?
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
Always was ‘poofter bashing’ and still is ‘poofter bashing’.
It is going to take another generation to completely eradicate this type of thinking.
Same Sex Marriage was the best thing that happened to the gay community but we need to see every gay person come out of the wardrobe and only then will we see the start of the end of ‘poofter bashing’.
Yes! That means the one in 20 people on earth who are born gay, some professionals say one in 10, need to speak up and show the world they are not ashamed of their birthright.
”
Enough Alreadysays:
Tuesday, February 28, 2023 at 11:10 pm
“ Kremlin complains of Scholz and Macron not contacting Putin at all lately”
“ Dmitry Peskov, press secretary of the Russian President, has stated that Vladimir Putin remains open to negotiations about Ukraine, but neither German Chancellor Olaf Scholz nor French President Emmanuel Macron, with whom the Kremlin wants to be in touch, are contacting Russia at the moment at all.”
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/02/28/7391319/
It seems unjustified aggression, war crimes and genocide makes you a pariah. Who knew?
”
But George Bush Jr ( you are with us or against us) and Dick Cheney (Iraq people will greet us liberators) did not became “pariah” after USA invaded Iraq. I wonder why.
Enough already
This is for you.
https://idrw.org/jaishankars-viral-europe-remark-echoes-at-munich-security-conference-in-german-chancellors-statement/
German Chancellor Scholz quoted Indian foreign minister statement:
Europe has to grow out of mindset that Europe problems are World’s problems but World’s problems are not Europe problems
In my previous post I forgot to say to those gay people who live in Bob Katter’s electorate of Kennedy in QLD, they will need permission from Bob to come out as gay.
“I’m Christian but still fond of Hinduism” said Supreme Court judge KM Joseph.
https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/supreme-court-judge-km-joseph-i-am-christian-but-still-fond-of-hinduism-3819538/amp/1#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16775916127896&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com
BW posted that whenever the topic is Ukraine some bloggers of this bring up USA’s Iraq war2.
You know why BW?
It is because USA changed the rules of engagement with Iraq war2.
Just like Putin is a war criminal, George Bush Jr, Dick Cheney and Tony Blair were/are war criminals.
wranslide
After all the help India provided since COVID advent if you think India is not a reliable partner especially after USA hoarded Covid vaccines under Biden Administration, then there is nothing more to say to you.
Who is the Railway buff on PB. This is for them. Anybody, who is bemoaning about fast Train from Newcastle to Canberra or Sydney to Canberra, Melbourne to Canberra may be interested in below Tweets:
https://twitter.com/FinFloww/status/1630195372231647233?t=Yg5aZPT6_yltquYhO_spnQ&s=08
it’s not the bullet train — it’s RRTS
RRTS will enable people from tier 2 cities to work & earn in Delhi without having to live in Delhi
How? By reducing the travel time from 3 hrs to just 55 mins
Here’s how RRTS is reshaping NCR:
Global leader approval rating. Albanese is third most popular leader of a country in the world.
Italian leader Meloni is sixth popular leader of a country in the world. She has net positive approval rating.
https://morningconsult.com/global-leader-approval/
Look at the popularities of leaders of UK, UK, France and Germany. Their net approval rating is in the negative.
Defaulting Pakistan puts China in a difficult situation
https://m.timesofindia.com/world/china/defaulting-pakistan-takes-the-steam-out-of-cpec/articleshow/98294745.cms
ISLAMABAD: The China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) project that was commenced a decade ago was held as a harbinger of prosperity for Pakistan.
However, seven years later, many projects under the CPEC still remain non-starters while some of those being operational have become liabilities and are incurring losses.
China’s ambitious CPEC project launched in 2013 was flawed from the beginning when it was assumed that it would be able to generate jobs and growth in Pakistan.
While China had its own agenda of resolving its energy needs through the CPEC project by bypassing the existing route from the Straits of Malacca between Malaysia and Indonesia, Pakistan was constantly grappling with its internal horrors like blasphemy-related lynching and over-expressive “jihadi” groups.
Ever since the CPEC project came into existence few local groups started opposing it and the project itself faced a lack of a “skilled” workforce.
The education system of Pakistan is in shambles and it offered low-grade human capital. Corruption has been a bedrock of CPEC dealings in PakistanOfficials and companies involved received kickbacks and everything was overlooked in the name of national security with no opacity.
The constant face-offs between the locals and the Chinese workers get highlighted in the media on a daily basis. A special force of 10,000 has been deployed to protect Chinese workers in Pakistan, while the locals live in fear.
Pakistan declared itself bankrupt and this has totally taken the steam out of the CPEC project.China is aware that Pakistan is going Sri Lanka’s way and anytime the public can explode due to the volatile conditions.
Petrol, cooking gas, and even basic amenities like wheat have become elusive to the common man in Pakistan. The infamous ‘wheat crisis of Pakistan’ has been mostly the result of Ukraine-Russia war, poor distribution, and the smuggling of wheat to Afghanistan.
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has revealed that China holds roughly $30 billion of Pakistan’s $126 billion in total external foreign debt, which is thrice the amount of IMF’s debt ($ 7.8 billion) and exceeds it borrowings from the World Bank and Asian Development Bank combined.
When Islamabad urged Beijing to forgive its debt liabilities worth $3 billion owed by it to China-funded energy projects established under the CPEC the clear response was a no.
Steven Seagal given friendship award by Putin.
https://www-ndtv-com.cdn.ampproject.org/v/s/www.ndtv.com/feature/steven-seagal-given-friendship-award-by-russian-president-vladimir-putin-3820965/amp/1?amp_gsa=1&_js_v=a9&usqp=mq331AQIKAGwASCAAgM%3D#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16776053697257&csi=0&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ndtv.com%2Ffeature%2Fsteven-seagal-given-friendship-award-by-russian-president-vladimir-putin-3820965
Query : Will Seagal be arrested for joining hands with the enemy and prosecuted for that? If not why not?
And then suddenly, just like magic, another Teal sprang forth… 😆
“Liberal forces planning to dump Bridget Archer before next election,
veteran party adviser warns”
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/01/liberal-forces-planning-to-dump-bridget-archer-before-next-election-veteran-party-adviser-warns
demented potato dutton is purging all the moderates, that’ll get the punters flocking back 😆
New thread.
Re: Superannuation Changes.
Can’t wait until Question Time resumes, next week.
Angus (with a silent G) will have to change his shrieking from, “It’s your money!” to “It’s my money the government is coming for!”
I think this article may be the best I have read in a while. On the face of it, a counter to Jordan Petersens philosophy (although I think calling his schtick a philosophy gives him credit he doesn’t deserve); deeper, it is a general discussion about universities and more still the dichotomy of the individual in the collective.
I note that Peterson recently told the Pope that he was mistaken and that Christianity should have nothing to do with social justice. Not sure what Jesus would say to that.
https://hipporeads.com/jordan-peterson-destroyed/