Click here for full Aston by-election results updated live.
Sunday
7pm. More postal votes have been added, the later ones being weaker for the Liberals than the first, being only 1876-1839 to their advantage and leaving the Labor lead all but unchanged at 6342. The electronic assisted votes have also been added, of which there were a grand total of 22. That should leave us with about 4000 postals and a handful of provisionals, and there’s no reason to think either will change the size of Labor’s lead. I have now cleaned up the remaining bugs in my results, including the one that was preventing a swing on the preference flows from showing. Labor’s share has gone from 60% to 63.6%, reflecting the fact that the United Australia Party and One Nation were in the field last time. It may be noted that Pauline Hanson’s assertion that One Nation was sitting out the contest as a strategic move to harm Labor yielded no appreciable dividend.
11am. The first and biggest batch of postals have broken 3642-3065 to Liberal, and while this is a relatively modest swing of 1.0% to Labor, it only cuts the margin from 6466 to 6124.
Saturday
End of night. Election day and pre-poll booths ended up producing remarkably similar swings, at 6.3% and 6.5% on two-party preferred and barely less similar on the primary vote. We can seemingly still expect something approaching 20,000 postal votes, which will assuredly bite into the current margin of 6466, but not by nearly enough to overturn Labor’s remarkable win. The only other categories of outstanding vote are provisionals and electronic assisted votes, of which there will be barely more than a few hundred. It was a bit of a horror night for my election results page, partly because my system needs more work before it can handle two elections at the same time — work I haven’t had time to do over the past week. I’ve now patched it up to the extent that it’s more or less doing its job, providing booth results and swings neatly laid out in the table and on a map display you can view by clicking the link at the bottom of the page.
9.10pm. Three of the four pre-poll booths have reported their results in quick succession, and they have entirely dispelled the notion that the Liberals could hope for a late miracle.
8.40pm. All the ordinary booths have reported on both two-party and primary, which is pretty fast work. Presumably we’ll be getting big pre-poll results later in the evening. I notice that there aren’t raw two-candidate numbers on the AEC site, so perhaps it’s not just me. The “projections” shown on my results page are actually the raw results, and the zero swings shown for two-candidate preferred and preferences are fudges I’ve put in.
8.19pm. There are still a few issues with my display, notably the swings on the two-party preferred table, but after the insertion of a few fudges it’s mostly doing it’s job. So to finally comment on the actual numbers, what we have here is a grim night for the Liberal Party, who will need something extraordinary on pre-poll votes and postals to pull it out of the fire. It should be noted though that they just about did so in Wentworth after it was called for them quite early on the night, and that last week’s New South Wales election wasn’t as bad for them as it first appeared owing to a better dynamic for them on pre-polls.
8.11pm. I’ve finally ironed out the problem that was producing screwy primary vote swings and projections. Seemingly though there’s some other problem with the swings in the two-candidate preferred table.
7.32pm. It’s not a good night for my live results — bits of it are working but bits aren’t. Just use it for looking at booths results until I advise further.
7.15pm. My Boronia East two-party results aren’t adding up, but this was a booth where there appeared to be little swing on the primary vote.
7.11pm. The Wantirna South booth is now in, and it’s an intriguingly strong result for Labor, but there’s a 10% swing to Labor there, and the ABC TV coverage relates that Kos Samaras is hearing of consistent swings to Labor.
6.55pm. The first result is in from Rowville East, where both parties are up about 5% on the primary vote.
6pm. Polls have closed for the Aston by-election. Through the above link you will find live updated results, including full booth details in both tabular and map display and swing-based projections and probability estimates. This post will offer live commentary as the results come through, the first of which I imagine will be in about 45 minutes or so.
imacca @ #131 Sunday, April 2nd, 2023 – 11:27 am
Yes, this is what absolutely frightened me about the interview with Dutton this morning. David Speers confronted him head on with his lie about the SG’s Advice wrt the Voice, and what did Dutton do? Double down on the lie! How could you ever let anyone like that run the country?
Campbell’s not likely to break 47% at this point. With a max of about 10,000 votes left, even if she nets 400 votes out of the late postals (unlikely given historical trends and the fact that not all requested kits will be returned, but not entirely impossible), that only takes her to a bit below 47% overall.
There’s an easy way to see who is lying about the Solicitor G’s advice re the Voice – release the advice.
Labor refuses to release that advice. Who’s hiding what here ?
I like how Albo had Marles there for the likely loss but then swooped in this morning for some quality tv time. He’s learning.
Lars Von Trier @ Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 11:31 am:
“Is it time for Enough Already to give his analysis of the Ukraine war…”
======================
Thanks for asking, Lars! (There may have been more to your post, but I stopped reading there.) Out of respect for the topic of this thread, though, I’ll post my response on the open thread.
“Federal Nationals leader David Littleproud says Peter Dutton is still the best leader for the Liberal Party after Labor’s Mary Doyle snatched the seat of Aston in a historic upset.”
____________________
Well he would say that, one Queensland LNP member to another. If things keep going how they are the Nationals will become the senior Coalition partner and Littleproud the Opposition Leader.
What do you think might have happened in the intervening years if Beazley had won the 1998 election?
What about if Latham had won the 2004 election?
I think that with the former, a lot of the damage that Howard did to this country rendering it a regressive cultural backwater might have been avoided.
As for a Latham prime ministership who knows.
Thanks for asking, Lars! (There may have been more to your post, but I stopped reading there.) Out of respect for the topic of this thread, though, I’ll post my response on the open thread.
Thanks Enough Already – I for one appreciate your Ukraine-based posts. I read them through to the end.
nath says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 11:49 am
I like how Albo had Marles there for the likely loss but then swooped in this morning for some quality tv time. He’s learning.
中华人民共和国
Albo was at the 120th anniversary function in Tasmania for the for the birth of the Australian Labor Party in that State. This had been pre booked before Tudge pulled the pin and dates set for the by-election. Albanese was however in Aston the morning of the election before moving to Tasmania.
Labor has a proud history and as I (and others more of note) have said, Labor makes the Political heros’ of our Nation and truly changes Australia for the better. Labor celebrated its birth, 130 years ago, in Queensland in 2021.
If I recall correctly, Bandt flew to Brisbane the day after the last Federal Election.
It seems fitting that as of now, the only place in Aston where there was a swing to the Liberals was the nursing homes. https://tallyroom.aec.gov.au/HouseDivisionPage-28791-197.htm
Lars Von Trier
I think its perfectly fine for Labor stooges to gloat over winning Aston. It’s one of those things that goes down as a trivia question in future – name the 2 by-elections where an Oppo has lost an election to the govt in the last 100 yrs.
No gloating from this Labor stooge. But it is good to see you are not bitter.
To emend your trivia question: The Aston by-election was the first time in the past 100 years that the Federal Government has a won a seat off the Opposition. It says so here (though in the absence of a sub-editor, I am not sure who ‘accepts responsibilty’ for proofreading ABC news content).
“Peter Dutton says he ‘accepts responsibilty’ for Aston by-election loss'”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-04-02/dutton-defends-aston-by-election-loss/102176908
Goodenough for PM!
About time Australia had an energetic, charismatic, non sectarian and extremely knowledgeable Federal leader from WA.
Labor stooges for Goodenough unite!
David Tanhsays:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 9:02 am
“The Liberals have an Asian problem and until they build relationships with the Chinese and Indian communities they are politically fried in Melbourne’s east.”
So they ran an Indian candidate — and got fried by a blonde put up by Labor. It’s possible that this safe Liberal seat of white tradies just wasn’t ready for a woman of Indian appearance and background.
———————————
No because that wasn’t the point i made. Melbourne’s eastern suburbs has a growing Asian and Indian population and the Liberals are struggling to win them over.
Fulvio Sammut says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 12:28 pm
Goodenough for PM!
About time Australia had an energetic, charismatic, non sectarian and extremely knowledgeable Federal leader from WA.
Labor stooges for Goodenough unite!
中华人民共和国
That’s Goodenough for me cobber!
Upnorth – Be Proud of your Pragmatism
Albo was at the 120th anniversary function in Tasmania for the for the birth of the Australian Labor Party in that State. This had been pre booked before Tudge pulled the pin and dates set for the by-election.
Oh no – Nath’s snide remark about Albo is much less funny now. That is unfortunate – it was one of Nath’s better efforts.
Upnorth – Be Proud of your Pragmatism says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 12:32 pm
Fulvio Sammut says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 12:28 pm
Goodenough for PM!
About time Australia had an energetic, charismatic, non sectarian and extremely knowledgeable Federal leader from WA.
Labor stooges for Goodenough unite!
中华人民共和国
That’s Goodenough for me cobber!
____________
Goodenough – is he?
Ssussan Ley will be oppossition leader by nexst Ssunday.
(ssarcassm – jusst in case you were ssusspiciouss – she is neither male nor balding. She is middle aged though).
Lars Von Trier says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 11:49 am
There’s an easy way to see who is lying about the Solicitor G’s advice re the Voice – release the advice.
Labor refuses to release that advice. Who’s hiding what here ?
Ya and then the Liberals move onto the next pile of nonsense.
Best to keep them at this heap, let them crap on and on and when the time is right, release the advice.
Maxxy says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 11:08 am
Blame Dutton all you like, but I honestly think he was irrelevant. The real killer for the Libs was winning the 2019 election which was one of the most damaging things that has happened to them. Unlike Labor (and particularly Albo), they completely misdiagnosed who the real ‘Quiet Australians’ are. (I’ll give them a hint- they are not the people who smash out thousands of tweets a year about bathrooms).
Also, had Labor won that election and had to deal with Covid all we would’ve heard about for years to come from the Libs would’ve been ‘debt and deficit’ and undoubtedly they would have been well and truly aided and abetted by the media.
________________
Spot on. Winning in 2019 was the biggest Pyrrhic victory since …. Pyrrhus himself. That was 279BC.
It left the libs and their allies dreadfully exposed.
Bill Shorten should be knighted for his services to Australian democracy. He has redefined taking one for the team.
It’s true that Menzies House is in a bit of disarray at the moment. The higher ups are mumbling that the party needs to go further right to recapture it’s base. Chris Kenny is consulting. Gina is sending Guns, Money and Lawyers. Meanwhile in the basement, the Pentecostals are trying to exterminate the Mormons. It’s messy atm.
——————————
Hee hee. Very good. Yes, I smell the napalm this morning too.
But to all those prophesies of the beginning of the end of the Liberals; Eeyore Katich says there are dark clouds around. the middle income tax break ends this year ($1500 out of peoples pocket) with inflation still biting, interest rates high and many peoples wages not keeping up and an RBA keen to push for a recession or higher unemployment. There is a lot of goodwill in the electorate towards Albanese for being a good leader and not being Morrison. That isn’t a fleeting honeymoon, it is solid political capital recognising and welcoming solid leadership. But cost of living pressures for low and low/middle income people in a society of significant wealth inequality is a difficult problem that does need to be addressed.
frednk says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 12:50 pm
Lars Von Trier says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 11:49 am
There’s an easy way to see who is lying about the Solicitor G’s advice re the Voice – release the advice.
Labor refuses to release that advice. Who’s hiding what here ?
Ya and then the Liberals move onto the next pile of nonsense.
Best to keep them at this heap, let them crap on and on and when the time is right, release the advice.
…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
98.6 says:
To paraphrase Paul Keating :
‘I want to do you slowly’
Lars Von Trier says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 11:49 am
There’s an easy way to see who is lying about the Solicitor G’s advice re the Voice – release the advice.
Labor refuses to release that advice. Who’s hiding what here ?
——————————-
As as Speers rightly asked Dutton, was he in the room to hear the advice? He answered no.
For Speers to so ardently correct Dutton’s comment as misinformation to viewers was significant imo, most unusual for him to call this out.
“ Dutton is a “dead man walking” as opposition leader and will be replaced by Angus Taylor or Susan Ley before the next election.”
You know you are thoroughly farked when this is your talent ‘pool’ – more like talent thin-layer-0f-rancid-scum-at-the-bottom-of-the-dregs-barrel. The teals took out any hope of the libs having a leadership team that could bring the party back to the centre and give the impression that merit rather than an elite upbringing made you a contender for liberal leadership. I hope they go for gassy grassland ecocide Gus. The idiot son of the inbred squattocracy is what they need to appeal to urban progressives.
Liberals : it’s everybody else’s fault.
AAP article:
The LNP might want to close their eyes, take a deep breath and count to 100 before they consider Sussan Ley as leader of the federal opposition.
David Tanhsays:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 9:02 am
“The Liberals have an Asian problem and until they build relationships with the Chinese and Indian communities they are politically fried in Melbourne’s east.”
So they ran an Indian candidate — and got fried by a blonde put up by Labor. It’s possible that this safe Liberal seat of white tradies just wasn’t ready for a woman of Indian appearance and background.
———
see that’s the problem. she’s an Australian of Indian heritage – not Indian. This classification is at the heart of the LNP mindset – they’re Indians not Australians. no they’re Australians.
and I would have said Mary Doyle was a ranga
David Tanh says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 9:02 am
“The Liberals have an Asian problem and until they build relationships with the Chinese and Indian communities they are politically fried in Melbourne’s east.”
So they ran an Indian candidate — and got fried by a blonde put up by Labor. It’s possible that this safe Liberal seat of white tradies just wasn’t ready for a woman of Indian appearance and background.
————————————————————-
IMO the issue was neither race nor gender, it was party values.
Cronus @ #157 Sunday, April 2nd, 2023 – 1:30 pm
And as our EEL just exposed as the Liberal tactic, they will lie about the SG’s advice to the government so as to try and force Labor to release it, so that they can spend the rest of the time before the Voice Referendum picking holes in it.
Of course, they’re going to support the ‘No’ position eventually. As the panel concluded today on Insiders.
citizen says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 1:34 pm
Liberals : it’s everybody else’s fault.
AAP article:
Liberals back Dutton’s leadership after historic loss
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/8144521/liberals-back-duttons-leadership-after-historic-loss/?cs=14329 (not paywalled)
____________
John Pesutto (Vic Lib leader & moderate) will be blamed for the Aston loss (he raised the Deeming thing just before the by-election!) and punted.
You know it makes sense.
the other barney @ #161 Sunday, April 2nd, 2023 – 1:45 pm
As an Irish-Australian Colleen, yes. 🙂
While the Prime Minister has many strengths, having seen him in action for coming up to 40 years, his vulnerable points are that he is an average public communicator for a top level politician, and he is a bit policy light / big picture thematic (depending on your bias). As such, the best Liberal leader would be a Malcolm Turnbull type – very articulate and with the appearance of substance and intellectual heft. That sort of person would consistently win or at least equal the daily public interchanges. They don’t need a populist or a thug because the Prime Minister can handle those types pretty easily
Pity all they’ve got is. ….. what do they have? They all seem lightweight and characterless to me.
Liberal voters in Aston flipped to Labor because of whatsherface?
Lol – I swear to Dog – some people really live in a parallel universe
Also – it’s clear people realised they fundamentally like Albo. He’s not inspiring or particularly exciting, but he’s a decent guy who is seemingly getting on with the job.
No one cares who the Lib candidate is married to, no one really gives a toss what the media says.
The Libs only strategy is to bring Albo down personally and start leadershit. Which is why I think they’re not going to back the referendum. Bring it down to bring Albo down.
Shogun @ #148 Sunday, April 2nd, 2023 – 12:35 pm
It’s a low bar. 😐
Historyintime says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 1:50 pm
While the Prime Minister has many strengths, having seen him in action for coming up to 40 years, his vulnerable points are that he is an average public communicator for a top level politician, and he is a bit policy light / big picture thematic (depending on your bias). As such, the best Liberal leader would be a Malcolm Turnbull type – very articulate and with the appearance of substance and intellectual heft. That sort of person would consistently win or at least equal the daily public interchanges. They don’t need a populist or a thug because the Prime Minister can handle those types pretty easily
Pity all they’ve got is. ….. what do they have? They all seem lightweight and characterless to me.
____________
The ALP had a leader who is “…very articulate and with the appearance of substance and intellectual heft…”
His name is Kevin, he’s from Qld and he’s here to help.
Melbourne Mammothsays:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 12:03 pm
What do you think might have happened in the intervening years if Beazley had won the 1998 election?
What about if Latham had won the 2004 election?
I think that with the former, a lot of the damage that Howard did to this country rendering it a regressive cultural backwater might have been avoided.
As for a Latham prime ministership who knows.
________________________________________________________
I agree with your counterfactual analysis of a Beazley prime ministership, if Labor had won in 1998 or 2001.
I reckon that if Latham had led Labor to victory in 2004, as polls earlier in the year were predicting, he, instead of Kevin Rudd, would have been the first prime minister to be rolled by his party within his first term.
We now know just how combustible a personality Latham has and it is difficult to see how he would have coped with the challenges and responsibilities of government.
Of course Albo had to be at the 120th anniversary of the Tasmanian ALP. And if that wasn’t available it would have been the 75th anniversary of the North Queensland Cane Toad Stompers Association. I’m not having a go at him, no PM wants to be associated with losing, and once the win was certain, in he swoops to do some celebrating. I endorse his tactics.
Team Katich says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 1:16 pm
It’s true that Menzies House is in a bit of disarray at the moment. The higher ups are mumbling that the party needs to go further right to recapture it’s base. Chris Kenny is consulting. Gina is sending Guns, Money and Lawyers. Meanwhile in the basement, the Pentecostals are trying to exterminate the Mormons. It’s messy atm.
——————————
Hee hee. Very good. Yes, I smell the napalm this morning too.
But to all those prophesies of the beginning of the end of the Liberals; Eeyore Katich says there are dark clouds around. the middle income tax break ends this year ($1500 out of peoples pocket) with inflation still biting, interest rates high and many peoples wages not keeping up and an RBA keen to push for a recession or higher unemployment. There is a lot of goodwill in the electorate towards Albanese for being a good leader and not being Morrison. That isn’t a fleeting honeymoon, it is solid political capital recognising and welcoming solid leadership. But cost of living pressures for low and low/middle income people in a society of significant wealth inequality is a difficult problem that does need to be addressed.
………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
98.6 says :
I love your first paragraph, especially re Gina sending guns etc.
Your opening line in the second paragraph, ‘the beginning of the end of the Liberals’ is usually found after such a devastating loss for a party coming so soon after a similar loss 10 months ago.
I’ve seen and heard this many times in the last 50 years, some times for the Liberals, Nationals and Labor parties.
I would normally say ‘NO’ that won’t happen and I have been proven right every time.
BUT this could be different.
Now we have two new generations of voters who don’t read newspapers let alone take advice from them on who they should vote for.
They also don’t watch TV, certainly not the likes of Sky or for that matter the ABC.
Now we have a new and fresh “Party” in the Teals who are made up of women, a second coming of suffragettes, almost all of whom are deserters from the Liberals.
Even if the VOICE is defeated this year, that will not help the liberals one iota, it will just show them up as opposing everything. The younger ones are smarter than that.
With only 13 Coalition MPs in government anywhere in the country it doesn’t look promising that the liberals will survive long term and are only another by-election loss or state or federal election loss away from their armageddon.
I recall Dutton stating this morning that the Federal Libs have had difficulties and been losing seats consistently for over 20 years in Victoria. One might think that they’d know and address the cause after such a long time. A failure to understand the cause is surely proof of incompetence on a grand scale. Or it’s because the cause is beyond addressing and what we’re observing are the dying embers.
If Latham had won in 2004 I think it would have been a Campbell Newman type scenario. Within six months it would be obvious that someone manifestly personally unsuited to be a head of government was in charge. However, he did have some internal support at the time, unlike Rudd, so he might have survived through to a big defeat in 2007; or split the party.
nath says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 2:06 pm
Of course Albo had to be at the 120th anniversary of the Tasmanian ALP. And if that wasn’t available it would have been the 75th anniversary of North Queensland Cane Toad Stompers Association. I’m not having a go at him, no PM wants to be associated with losing, and once the win was certain, in he swoops to do some celebrating. I endorse his tactics.
中华人民共和国
Cane Toads were released in 1935 and stomping on Cane Toads usually doesn’t work – they flatten down and hop away. Plus there is the chance the poison which secretes in glands on their skin can squirt into ones eyes or mouth.
No, as kids we were taught the use of old gold clubs, cricket bats and before being banned “Tom Thumb” crackers flicked into the front of the said Toad to be gobbled up like a Cane Beetle on Guy Fawkes night.
However as attitudes change even the euthanasia of Cane Toads has changed. Bagged and Frozen is the humane way to go. My mum however won’t let them anywhere near her freezer – no matter how many times they are bagged.
Snappy Tom:
“(I have heard that Qld LNP members are, for party room purposes (like handing out portfolios) “classified” as either Nat or Lib, but I don’t know how to find out about this.)”
Queensland LNP MPs are like Schrodinger’s cats: you don’t know if they’re Liberal or National until they enter Parliament House and head for one or the other of the party rooms.
For official parliamentary purposes (such as their online bios, and party affiliation search terms), they remain ‘LNP’.
The only place I’ve found to break the code is the Nationals website, which offers a rogues gallery of their MPs, including those elected in Queensland under the ‘LNP’ false flag.
Cronus says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 2:19 pm
I recall Dutton stating this morning that the Federal Libs have had difficulties and been losing seats consistently for over 20 years in Victoria. One might think that they’d know and address the cause after such a long time. A failure to understand the cause is surely proof of incompetence on a grand scale. Or it’s because the cause is beyond addressing and what we’re observing are the dying embers.
____________
Isn’t Alcoholics Anonymous’ first step acknowledging you have a problem?
The Libs don’t.
Getting rid of Moderates/Moderate Influences is a SOLUTION (apparently)!
Historic parallel: Nazi mass murder efforts INCREASED after they lost the disastrous battle of Stalingrad in early 1943. Transporting Jewish (& other targeted) people to death camps took rail transport AT THE EXPENSE OF supplies to the front-lines. For the Nazis, eliminating racial enemies was integral to final victory.
For the Liberals, apparently, eliminating internal ideological impurity is integral to future electoral success.
https://insidestory.org.au/battle-lost-now-for-the-war/
How many times do they need to be told this, yet it still doesn’t sink in?
Historyintime says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 1:50 pm
……………….. the best Liberal leader would be a Malcolm Turnbull type – very articulate and with the appearance of substance and intellectual heft. That sort of person would consistently win or at least equal the daily public interchanges.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….
98.6 says :
I agree that Turnbull did have the appearance of substance and intellectual heft BUT I always found him hard to follow when he spoke, especially when answering questions as he tried to explain by going around in circles and rarely delivering an appropriate answer.
I gave him all the benefit of the doubt as I saw him as Labor’s de facto PM but although I did find him articulate in his words and sentences his reasoning got lost in translation.
Confessions says:
Sunday, April 2, 2023 at 2:34 pm
As I noted on Friday, we can’t really know what motivated voters on Saturday. National opinion polls suggest a much more modest 2 or 3 per cent swing to the government. But the folks on Sky after Dark, taking up their usual theme, are convinced that Aston shows the Liberals aren’t right-wing enough. Peta Credlin even believes Liberal voters stayed at home.
The general theme elsewhere is the opposite: that the Liberals desperately need to move to the centre. This is obviously closer to the truth, but I prefer a more modest version: this and last year’s Victorian result show that conservative culture wars are not the secret to electoral success.
Being hung up about climate change was not the formula for the federal Coalition’s rule 2013 to 2022, and it’s not the formula now. Opposition leader Peter Dutton is a huge hit with a tiny proportion of the voting population, largely due to his forays into John Howard–inspired race-tinged divisiveness, but has never been a great fit for the general electorate. Voters are not repressed cultural warriors, agitating to break free and join the battle against wokeness.
https://insidestory.org.au/battle-lost-now-for-the-war/
How many times do they need to be told this, yet it still doesn’t sink in?
_____________
I think they know it, but they value Right wing control of the Party over electoral success.
Never seen this in the Liberals until recent years.
Still can’t believe it.
Out of curiosity, why have some bludgers chosen Labor as their team? A commitment to socialism? Unionism? Personality? A niche singular issue rather than broad ideology?
ST:
And they’ve added anti-trans obsessions to their ideological battles. It’s just bizarre.
Up north-a Labor Stooge :says
Cane Toads were released in 1935 and stomping on Cane Toads usually doesn’t work – they flatten down and hop away. Plus there is the chance the poison which secretes in glands on their skin can squirt into ones eyes or mouth.
No, as kids we were taught the use of old gold clubs, cricket bats and before being banned “Tom Thumb” crackers flicked into the front of the said Toad to be gobbled up like a Cane Beetle on Guy Fawkes night.
However as attitudes change even the euthanasia of Cane Toads has changed. Bagged and Frozen is the humane way to go. My mum however won’t let them anywhere near her freezer – no matter how many times they are bagged.
……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..
I live in suburbia and come across several cane toads every year.
I don’t have a problem with them but I have dogs and if the dogs attack the toads and get the secretions in their mouth it has cost me hundreds of dollars to visit the vet emergency department, usually at night.
In the past I’ve hit them with spades several times as they ‘Die Hard’ (as in the movie, which I gave 5 stars out of 5 back in the day). Not a very pleasant thing to do so Ms 98.6 invented a long stick with a 6 inch nail screwed to the bottom of it to pierce just behind the toad’s head. Still they don’t die.
So now I can’t stand the cruelty anymore and I capture them and relocate them elsewhere just like they do with snakes and possums etc.
I don’t like to think of them freezing to death in my freezer as a nice thing to do either.
Whoever said that was humane, has never been frozen to death.
Wranslide, social justice.
‘I agree that Turnbull did have the appearance of substance and intellectual heft BUT I always found him hard to follow when he spoke, especially when answering questions as he tried to explain by going around in circles and rarely delivering an appropriate answer.’
That’s interesting. I guess he can’t have been that good of a public communicator or he wouldn’t have done so badly in 2016 and thereafter being removed. The best I have seen in Australia have been Brian Burke, Carmen Lawrence, Neville Wran, Bob Hawke, Paul Keating, Peter Beattie and Bob Carr. Plus John Howard and Peter Costello. Have to say Kevin Rudd too although I don’t want to. The Liberals seem to struggle to find them. Abbot was obviously good on a single track of being negative and ScoMo had a few slippery years. I agree that the really good communicators can make things seem simple and compelling common sense; but also smash their opponents on a regular basis.
I’d like to see the Prime Minister loosen up and I think it would go down well publicly. There was a glimpse in his off-the-cuff response to the Palmer/Porter court case – ‘and what an iconic duo you have there’. He can obviously be quite witty and engaging and that just makes the Libs look even worse.