The Age/Herald has results from Resolve Strategic on the Indigenous Voice (hopefully to be followed shortly by voting intention results) finding effectively no change since it last asked in late February and early March, with yes steady at 46%, no down one to 31% and undecided steady on 22% (the total falling short of 100% on this occasion due to rounding). Respondents were also given the question without an undecided option, with the sample breaking 58-42 in favour. The accompanying report says a “rolling track of surveys over the past two months, using a larger sample size to allow a state-by-state breakdown, shows a majority in favour of the Voice in each state as well as nationwide”. The poll was conducted Wednesday to Sunday from a sample of 1609.
A second result on the Indigenous Voice emerges from the latest fortnightly Essential Research poll, as reported in The Guardian, showing 60% in favour and 40% opposed. However, “hard no” was up three to 26% and “soft no” was down three to 14%, while hard yes was down one to 32% and soft yes was steady at 27%. Essential had hitherto been tracking traditional personal ratings only for Anthony Albanese (as distinct from a separate series in which respondents are invited to rate the leaders on a scale from zero to ten), but this time there are results for Peter Dutton, who records 36% approval and 44% disapproval. Anthony Albanese is down one on approval to 51% and up one on disapproval to 36%. The poll was conducted Wednesday to Sunday from a sample of 1136 – other results, including voting intention, should be available later today.
UPDATE: Essential’s voting intention numbers have both Labor and the Coalition up a point on the primary vote, to 34% and 31% respectively, with the Greens and One Nation steady on 14% and 6%, from numbers which include a 4% undecided component, down one. The pollster’s 2PP+ measure has Labor down one to 52%, the Coalition up one to 43% and undecided down one to 4%. Also featured was a series of questions in which respondents were asked to rate Labor and the Coalition according to eight attributes, which produced an effective tie for “trying to divide the country” but was otherwise consistently more favourable for Labor than the Coalition.
Overkill, it only has to last three days.
It would be nice if someone could explain the point of Anthony Abanese (not being Scomo is not an adequate answer).
“Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government will deliver budgets that would make Scott Morrison proud if it continues to absorb the cost of American submarines and tax breaks for the wealthy without spending to reduce poverty, his old political nemesis warns.”
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/2023/04/19/budget-missing-key-element-critics/
Sohar @ #902 Thursday, April 20th, 2023 – 9:39 am
Liberal policies without the smirk.
I see that the usuals are pushing a variation of the same old, same old meme. They do this by cherry picking.
Here we have a list of the POINT OF ALBANESE in just ONE policy space: indigenous affairs.
Number 1 goes straight to the question of WHAT IS THE POINT OF BLOCKER BANDT?
1. $1 billion Indigenous Housing Fund – currently blocked by those champions of Indigenous Affairs – Wrecker Dutton and Blocker Bandt.
2. Funding of $99 million on a justice package
3. Funding of $30 million to implement a national plan to tackle abuse and neglect of First Nations children. Measures include financial support for Indigenous communities and First Nationsl Community Controlled organisations to take the lead in family support services.
4. Prime Minister visits Alice Springs to meet with community leaders to tackle law and order crisis in Alice Springs. Alcohol restrictions to be introduced.
5. $120 million for 52 new health infrastructure projects at community controlled organisations.
6. $15 million funding under the Connected Beginnings Program to enable 3,500 Indigenous children to be better prepared for school.
7. Labor Government organizes first national Digital Inclusion Roundtable.
8. $44 million in ABA community grants to NT communities.
9. $99 million for First Nations Justice Package. Alice Springs identified as a priority site.
10. Grrote Eylandt Township lease transferred to the Anindilyakwa traditional owners.
11. Islander visual arts and crafts. Minister announces that this will feed into the National Cultural Policy.
12. Funding of $334 million for early years and education activities for 100,000 Indigenous children.
13. Strong public Albanese Government support for Far North Queensland native title settlement.
14. $80 million to establish an Aboriginal art gallery in Alice Springs
15. $100 million for housing and essential services in the Northern Territory.
16. $8 million to rebuild Mutitjulu Health Clinic.
17. Bill introduced to give Wreck Bay Community more say over its affairs.
18. Steps to expedite Ranger Uranium Mine rehabilitation.
19. Funding to support local communities and organisations to celebrate NAIDOC Week.
20. As part of $1.7 billion funding, the Albanese Government commits to the development of a standalone National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Plan to support First Nations women against domestic violence.
21. $50 million budgeted for the Voice referendum
22. Initial $6 million Budgeted for the Makarrata.
23. Promised to implement the Statement from the Heart during the election.
24. Voice referendum legislation introduced to Parliament.
”
There are drums beating in the policy jungle that the first days of May might finally see Australia commit to necessary economic reforms. Of course, says Michael Pascoe, it remains possible that a small target government might squib the hard stuff, but the longer it is delayed, the harder it will become, the more Australia’s potential will be unrealised, the more many Australians will suffer for it.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2023/04/19/michael-pascoe-may-reform-jim-chalmers/
”
It is easier to plough the field when it is wet and a bit more soft than when it is arid and hard as rock.
Maybe Boers list could be mailed out to the unemployed with their next dole payment?
They may find it comforting.
As it was stated quite succinctly last night at a forum I was at, at Trades Hall in Sydney, people on the Far Left can rail, rant and rave all they like against the Albanese federal government, but the Albanese federal government are going to continue governing for the 80% who aren’t on the Far Left or Far Right.
@ Socrates, 11.12pm last night:
“Some AUKUS news for submarine fans:
“ Based on the trilateral agreement announcement of March 2023, the [US] Navy anticipates building additional Virginia class SSNs in the 2030s as replacements for submarines sold to Australia,” according to the new plan, a copy of which was provided by the Navy to Breaking Defense while its top leaders testified to the Senate Armed Services Committee about its fiscal 2024 budget request.
https://breakingdefense.com/2023/04/navy-unveils-shipbuilding-plan-virginias-to-replace-subs-sold-to-aussies-but-impacts-of-aukus-unknown/
Three separate plans are being presented to Congress depending on funding levels, but all show more resources going into SSN construction, both for the USN and the RAN.”
_______
Only the third option – substantially increasing the Navy budget, year on year, for Administration after Administration, for the next 30 years – is consistent with a sustained ‘contain China’ doctrine. Yet it appears to be the least likely outcome.
All the hoopla surrounding the ‘announceables’ over increased production for AUKUS is pure illusion. As I detailed last week in some very long posts, even if the US shipbuilding industry ramps up to an output of three boats per year the USN will be substantially behind its force projection targets (66 SSNs, 14 SSBNs in service) for the next three decades (and even then it is likely that they will have to find a way to do life extension programs in the 2040s for Sea Wolf class and Block 1 & 2 Virginia Class boats).
The bottom line is that US shipbuilders have to prioritise the build of the Columbia Class SSBN over every other project that they have going. Even – it comes to it – triggering further delays, perhaps even a suspension of Virginia class boat building until they can get the first four Columbia boats in service by no later than 2033 and have the remaining 10 ticking of the production lines at one boat per year.
By that time, any further attempts to extend the service life of the remaining Los Angeles class boats must come to an end, and the USN will face an operational cliff regarding its SSN fleet.
This is all compounded by the fact that the Block V Virginia boats (still not in production as of today) mark a dramatic upscaling of that platform. While I have no doubt that the Americans will pull this off, it is more likely than not to encounter delays in bringing at least the first four Block Vs in to service.
In short, there is a better case to be made that a realistic forecast of production will see the Virginia class boat slow to one boat per year between 2025 and 2030 on account of these two factors. Given the baked in slow production of Virginia class SSNs since their introduction nearly 20 years ago, by the time america is supposed to hand over the first second hand block IV boat to us in 2033, it may well only have around 35 Virginia class boats in service (plus 3 sea wolves, plus perhaps a few remaining Los Angeles class boats rapidly heading into retirement).
And C@t – if you are reading – this forecast is based on an assumption that america will successfully get the third production line up and running by then and will be producing 3 boats per year by then as well. In other words, I’m actually being wildly optimistic.
I cant see America being able to hand over the first promised Virginia boat to us in a decade. If all goes smoothly, 2039 looks like a more realistic timeframe. Then one has to consider whether it is even worth it, given that between Britain and us, we really should be aiming to get the SSN-AUKUS subs running off the production line within 20 years. Surely. No?
Surely, if we really are looking at 20 years before we get more than one SSN in service – and perhaps 2050 before we get the first four – we should chose ONE of America and Britain and not BOTH – and crack on with this ASAP. In the meantime, perhaps we really should consider building SSKs in Osbourne and developing a world leading submersible autonomous vehicle industry instead?
‘If we must’ AUKUS perhaps we can pivot along the following lines:
1. Ditch ‘Global Britain’;
2. Contract to america for 4-6 SSNs (second hand Virginia class initially,but ultimately replaced with the same number of new SSNs in the 2060s);
3. Build extended range modern littoral water combat SSKs (ie. 4 to 6 Type 218 ERs equipped with lithium batteries and fuel cell AIPs); and
4. develop and produce hundreds of the very best autonomous submersibles possibles.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/20/labors-electric-vehicle-policy-drives-australia-forward-but-not-far
It’s all ‘go’ with this government, isn’t it? I mean, it’s not like there is any urgent need for this or anything.
”
Shane Wright says Jim Chalmers’ has a difficult choice – more deficit or higher taxes.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/chalmers-choice-more-deficit-or-higher-taxes-20230419-p5d1jr.html
”
Did you see what Shane Wright has done? He said that the budget choice is binary like ‘Lars’ bangs on this site.
First of all Federal budget is the book keeping of income and expenditure of Federal government.
It will affect the people who are dependent on federal government largesse.
The choice for Chalmers is not binary. Other choices included
1. He can have more deficit and higher taxes.
2. Shift expenditure from some/ lot of the LNP pork barrelling to areas of their interest.
To Wrecker Dutton and Blocker Bandt’s intense chagrin Labor finally broke the decades old climate wedge in the 2022 election.
To the stupefaction of the bad faith actors and their sleeve-tugging snarkers, Labor is implementing its 2022 election promises including its climate policies.
The polling since 2022 indicates clearly that Labor is implementing what the majority of Australians want.
Not factored in below is the perfect storm of investment in renewables, despite various Greens’ NIMBY attempts to block individual renewables developments.
1. State and Territory energy ministers endorse proposal to establish a Capacity Investment Scheme (CIS)
2. Albanese Government provides grant for the largest adoption of EV trucks for delivers in Western Sydney.
3. Albanese Government delivers first Annual Climate Change Statement to increase transparency.
4. Safeguard Mechanism Crediting Bill introduced to Parliament.
5. Albanese Government unlocks investment in $3 billion clean energy jobs project in regional Victoria.
6. Albanese Government improves accessibility of EVs under a new EV financing agreement between the Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC) and Taurus Motor Finance.
7. Albanese Government funds $500 million to the Powering Australian Technology Funds to help Australian businesses to progress innovative projects and technologies to reduce emissions.
8. Albanese Government appoints Australia’s first Ambassador for Climate Change.
9. Albanese Government commences public consultation on National Energy Performance Strategy.
10. Joint NSW government and Albanese funding deal of $7.8 billion to back eight critical transmission and REZ projects in NSW.
11. Albanese Government opens consultation on National Energy Objectives.
12. Albanese Government invests in giant Walla Walla Solar farm.
13. Albanese Government funds $176 in large scale battery funding to deliver more secure power.
14. Albanese Government commences the roll out of 400 batteries to rural and remote communities.
15. Albanese removes native wood waste from from the RET.
16. October 2022 Budget. $20 billion in low cost finance to upgrade and expand Australia’s electricity grid.
17. October 2022 Budget. $1.9 billion in Powering the Regions Fund to foster industries in order to deliver decarbonisation.
18. Albanese Government funds $5 million to research to reduce domestic stock methane emissions.
19. Albanese Government joins global methane pledge.
20. Albanese Government funds $45 million to renewable storage project in Broken Hill.
21. Albanese Government funds $500 million to Powering Australian Technology Fund to boost renewables.
22. Rewiring the Nation Plan will fast track renewables in Victoria. Funding includes $1.5 billion in concessional financing. Government investment is expected to attract $1.5 billion in private investment.
23. Albanese Government funds $10 million to assist in the measurement of soil carbon.
24. Albanese Government joins with global partners to launch the World’s first Net Zero Government Initiative at Cop 27.
25. Albanese Government joins alliance offshore wind industry.
26. Joint Tasmanian and Albanese Government funding support to fund over $1 billion boost for a suite of projects to shift to renewables and to reduce carbon. Includes the Marinus link. Funding is expected to trigger net market value of $4.5 billion.
27. Albanese Government endorses Glasgow Breaklthrough Agenda on Agriculture.
28. Albanese Government joins International Mangrove Alliance for Climate Action.
29. Albanese Government joins COP 27 pledge to clean up the international shipping industry.
30. Albanese Government announces introduction of tighter emissions standards for vehicles.
31. Albanese Government funds $14 million to measure real-world fuel use by vehicles.
32. Albanese Government becomes a founding member of the Forests and Climate Leadership Partnership.
33. Commences public consultation on improved fuel quality standards.
34. Albanese Government welcomes AEMO’s decision to suspend the wholesale spot market.
35. Albanese Government commits to stronger action on climate change. This change in stance is welcomed world wide. It is also the signal for increased private sector in renewable.
36. Albanese Government funds $45 million to the Australian Centre for Advanced Photovoltaics.
37. Albanese puts out a consultation paper to finalize settings for emissions cap and encouraging EV take up.
A-E
We should be prioritizing 3 and 4 immediately.
They are doable.
They would cost vastly less and would thus probably happen.
We are capable of building and maintaining them.
They are real time.
They maximize sovereign control.
”
Fox News and Rupert Murdoch have been humiliated, but they won’t change their ways, says Jane Martinson.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/apr/19/fox-news-rupert-murdoch-defamation-settlement-electoral-fraud
”
This.
Suddenly How can malignant cancer become benign?
This is reason why LNP and Dutton behave the way they behave.
Sohar @ #902 Thursday, April 20th, 2023 – 9:39 am
It would be nice if someone could explain the point of Anthony Abanese (not being Scomo is not an adequate answer).
Liberal policies without the smirk.
@Player One
Everything you post has a Liberal smirk on it. Lets face it you are just a Labor basher. Nothing more, certainly not anything to do with the Left.
Boerwar @ #911 Thursday, April 20th, 2023 – 10:05 am
The majority of Australians want climate action. They thought they had voted for it. Silly old duffers!
WHAT IS THE POINT OF ALBANESE?
Here are some direct benefits for more than half of Australia’s population: Australia’s women.
Of course the snarkers would rather have you forget these achievements.
ONE ACHIEVEMENT not listed below is being stopped by the Blocker Twins: Dutton and Bandt: 4,000 houses for victims of domestic violence.
In the interim it is worth thinking about what IS THE POINT OF BANDT when various female Greens are resigning or getting kicked out because they are being cancelled for transphobia.
As for Dutton… he ensured a token female was picked by Aston and has just promoted Price to a shadow ministry. Can’t say better than that.
1. Labor appoints a woman, Kerry Schott, to conduct a review of the Inland Rail Project.
2. Labor appoints a woman, Deborah Brennan, to conduct an inquiry into the childcare system.
3. Labor appoints a woman, Lynelle Briggs, to conduct a jobs-for-the-boys inquiry into the Public Service Board appointments.
4. Labor’s $300 million boost to the arts will include measures to mandate fair pay and workplace safety in the arts industry.
5. Labor funds $1.1 billion to bring forward 180,000 free TAFE positions. The conditions include encouraging women male dominated industries including into construction jobs.
6. Labor fund aged care wages increase: $3.4 billion a year. The large majority of people in aged care are women. The large majority of aged care workers are women.
7. Labor appoints Christine Nixon to undertake an inquiry into sex trafficking.
8. Labor initiates a national policy discussion on policies to make dating apps more safe.
9. Eight out of ten senior diplomatic posts filled with female appointees.
10. First ever ambassador for gender equity appointed.
11. A woman (Susan Kenny) is appointed as acting president to clean out the AAT.
12. After eons of granting a large majority of grants to male researchers, the NHMRC is to award grants worth $923 million on a roughly fifty/fifty basis.
13. 14 women and 9 men in the Victorian Labor Government Cabinet.
14. Respect in the Workplace legislation.
15. Gender equity is a core objective of the new IR legislation.
16. Katy Gallagher: $5m over five years to boost the number of women in public office. The women in public office grant is designed to encourage – and prepare – more women to run for elections at all levels.
17. Making good on rescuing Australian women and children from hell hole camps in Syria.
18. Vic Labor supports the Diamonds, filling the ethical and financial hole left vacamt by a certain commercial interest.
19. The Government today announced the appointment of Adjunct Professor Debora Picone AO as Chair of the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) Review Reference Committee.
20. National Plan to End Violence against Women and Children 2022–2032
21. Extension of paid parental leave in the 2022 Budget at a cost of $532 million.
22. Ms Robyn Kruk AO to lead an independent review of the regulatory settings relating to health practitioner registration and qualification recognition for overseas trained health professionals and international students who have studied in Australia
23. Moves afoot to rescue 20 Australian women and around 40 children from a Turkish internment camp.
24. Jayne Jagot appointed to Australia’s High Court, creating first majority-female bench.
25. Ms Falkingham will be the first permanent female Chief Executive of the NDIA.
26. Federal Labor has appointed three eminently well qualified women to the Climate Council. This offsets the undue representation of businessmen on the Council.
27. Federal Indigenous Affairs Minister Burney supports the development of a separate National Strategy to Address Violence against Indigenous Women. The latter will be heavily involved in the design of the Strategy.
28. The Victorian government on Sunday announced it would spend $270 million to recruit and train thousands of new nurses and midwives under the scheme.
29. Labor has more female MPs than male MPs. (The Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments were not within a bull’s roar of this achievement.)
30. Labor is fully committed to implementing all of the Jenkins Report recommendations. (The Morrison Government implemented a view recommendations but basically sat on the vast majority of the Report’s recommendations.)
31. High levels of women in the ministry. (Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments had far, far fewer women in the ministry).
32. Labor gave a direction to the Fair Work Commission to specifically take into account the gender pay gap along with power to make gender specific determinations to close the gap. (The Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison governments had one universal ambitions: to damp down any real wage growth and showed zero interest in closing the gender pay gap.)
33. Labor intervened directly in the minimum wage decision which disproportionately benefits the lowest paid workers: women. (Abbott, Turnbull and Morrison did not do this.)
34. In recent departmental secretary appointments: Labor appointed three out of the four women. (Morrison’s last five secretarial appointments in 2019 involved a net loss of three women.)
35. Labor is setting the tone by promising to make boards, such as the Reserve Bank Board more representative.
36. Three Labor women ministers to lead aspects of the skills and jobs summit that relate to women’s participation, women upskilling and closing the wages gap.
37. Labor has avoided school holidays for sitting days.
38. Labor has instituted humane sitting hours on sitting days.
39. Morrison Government sat on the Report on the National Stakeholder Consultation for a Ten Year Domestic Violence Plan. Labor has released the Report with expedition.
40. Labor introduces paid domestic violence leave legislation
41. Ten days domestic violence leave for casual workers.
42. Submission to the Fair Work Commission on pay in the Aged Care industry. Four out of five workers in that industry are women.
43. Moves to legislate on coercive control.Not one of those eleven were in place in the past nine years.
44. Removes the ban on military and public service staff from engaging in certain “woke” charity, cultural and diversity events, imposed by former minister Peter Dutton last year.
45. Catherine Holmes is appointed Royal Commissioner for the Robodebt Royal Commission.
Albanese not being Morrison is a very adequate answer.
Everything else is gravy 🙂
Politcal Nightwatchman @ #914 Thursday, April 20th, 2023 – 10:08 am
Is being a Liberal a step up from being a Green? And is being Left a step up from that, or down?
With Labor partisans, one is never quite sure these days.
Boerwar @ #893 Thursday, April 20th, 2023 – 9:16 am
It might, but only after the costs are adjusted to include a carbon price. At the moment, carbon is free and costs are being distorted.
Menadue:
“The US maintains 800 military bases or sites around the world, including in Australia. The US has in our region a massive deployment of hardware and troops in Japan, the Republic of Korea and Guam. China has one off shore naval base in Djibouti in the Horn of Africa
Just think of the US frenzy if China had a string of similar bases in the Caribbean or their ships patrolled the Florida Keys.
Since its founding in 1776, the US has been at war 93 per cent of the time. These wars have extended from its own hemisphere to the Pacific, to Europe and most recently to the Middle East. The US has launched 201 out of 248 armed conflicts since the end of World War II. In recent decades most of these wars have been unsuccessful. “
Is being a Liberal a step up from being a Green? And is being Left a step up from that, or down?
With Labor partisans, one is never quite sure these days.
@Player One
Nah, Player One lets face it you have just harped on with the same couple of cherry picked issues. Labor lifting tax rate on superannuation balances over $3m, creating a federal ICAC, or cleaning out the stacking the of the AAT boards from Liberals has never got an acknowledgement from you on this blog. Its just the same cherry picked issues and you just playing the usual tweedledee and tweedledum argument. And then you just rinse and repeat.
I posted a lengthy paragraph the challenges of changing the third stage tax cuts for Labor. Instead of engaging the issue. You just replied with one sentence with the usual tweedledee and tweedledum rhetoric.
‘a r says:
Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 10:19 am
Boerwar @ #893 Thursday, April 20th, 2023 – 9:16 am
Uhhh… country people are already badly affected by global warming. If you live in the city you get rewards and costs. If you live in the country you get rewards and costs.
Individual choice should sort that out.
It might, but only after the costs are adjusted to include a carbon price. At the moment, carbon is free and costs are being distorted.’
——————————
True.
Geez.
Some people just love the Coalition wrecking, the Greens blocking and Labor building*.
Some people fear and loathe the lists of Labor achievements.
The whole point of their existence is to ignore any and all achievements while they take pot shots at Labor.
How disappointment for them that Labor is delivering what it promised to deliver in good faith and that the electorate has responded positively to this!
*Labor would build affordable housing for 60,000 people including thousands of homes for women and children fleeing domestic violence but Wrecker Dutton and Blocker Bandt have put a stop to that. How GOOD is the Xbench?
Putting paid to the bone-headed stupidity of Price and Mundine:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/apr/19/nonsensical-indigenous-leaders-say-no-point-in-regional-voices-without-national-body
Taylormade @ #68 Thursday, April 20th, 2023 – 9:13 am
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/matthew-guy-s-integrity-scandal-has-echoes-of-his-last-election-campaign-20220803-p5b6zh.html
“Matthew Guy’s integrity scandal has echoes of his last election campaign
Colleen Lewis
Honorary Professor at the Australian Studies Institute, ANU
August 3, 2022 — 7.36pm
Integrity matters in public life, for without it there is little if any trust between the people and those they elect to represent them. Why then does the evidence show that integrity does not appear to be a priority for many MPs and political parties?
The latest scandal to embroil a Victorian MP involves the two-time leader of the Liberal Party, Matthew Guy, and his now former chief of staff, Mitch Catlin. Catlin resigned from the role on Tuesday following revelations about him in The Age the same day.
Victorian Liberal leader Matthew Guy has denied involvement in requesting payments from a Liberal donor.
Victorian Liberal leader Matthew Guy has denied involvement in requesting payments from a Liberal donor.Credit: Wayne Taylor
Catlin, who was appointed in September 2021, purportedly proposed to a wealthy Liberal Party donor that they enter into a contract that would result in Catlin’s private company, Catchy Media Marketing and Management, receiving more than $100,000 to be paid in instalments of $8333 per month until the end of 2022. Should the Liberal Party lose the November election, an additional payment was to be paid monthly to Catchy Media until April 2023.”
LOL TailoredMerde! Are you Catchy Media? April 2023!
A easy mistake to make – running and being a car passenger is almost the same.
Politcal Nightwatchman @ #921 Thursday, April 20th, 2023 – 10:32 am
So, we have to put up with what even many fair-minded Labor people readily acknowledge are bad policies – why? Because it is too difficult to change them? Really?
Or could it be that Labor is unwilling to admit they adopted bad policies only to win the election? Or perhaps they don’t want to admit they could not come up with any better policies of their own? Or perhaps they think they don’t need to change them because the electorate either won’t notice or won’t care? Or perhaps they are just too lazy to change them?
None of these are good enough reasons to support bad policies. I think the real reason is actually worse – Labor keep their COALition policies because that is what they now believe in.
So much for ‘progressive’ government.
Politcal Nightwatchman
Its just the same cherry picked issues and you just playing the usual tweedledee and tweedledum argument.
Agreed. The tweedledee/tweedledum same/same bullshit is getting tiresome.
Anthony Albanese is not a Tory. Keir Starmer is not a Tory. But nor are they Adam Bandt or Jeremy Corbyn. Get over it.
The Revolution is NOT coming. Labor (in Australia) and Labour (in the UK) will govern from the center. That is what the majority of voters want of their governments.
cit
Poor judgement – only 4km!
Griff
“Albanese not being Morrison is a very adequate answer.
Everything else is gravy ”
Chalmers has already cut over $10 billion in funding for schemes that were identified as rorts.
I expect there has been a drop in the crime rate in parliament too. And once a proper ICAC with secure witness reporting is in place I look forward to lots more dirt emerging on the Morrison years.
While many of the Albanese initiatives in the first 11 months have been useful and necessary, particularly in the area of Aboriginal affairs, too much of the overall agenda has been superficial and window dressing – a feel-good government, if you like. Essentially it is just a continuum of Howard through to Morrison. Many critics of Albanese on the left are disappointed in this government, but Victorian critics, such as myself, are generally supportive of Daniel Andrews Labor at the same time. The latter’s sincerity, compassion and sense of purpose could be the answer – something I haven’t seen federally.
So, we have to put up with what even many fair-minded Labor people readily acknowledge are bad policies – why? Because it is too difficult to change them? Really?
Or could it be that Labor is unwilling to admit they adopted bad policies only to win the election? Or perhaps they don’t want to admit they could not come up with any better policies of their own? Or perhaps they think they don’t need to change them because the electorate either won’t notice or won’t care? Or perhaps they are just too lazy to change them?
None of these are good enough reasons to support bad policies. I think the real reason is actually worse – Labor keep their COALition policies because that is what they now believe in.
So much for ‘progressive’ government.
@Player One
You just admitted that it’s better for Labor to stay in opposition then go with small target and win government. There would be even Greens voters that would have resistance to that approach. Let’s face it Labor did oppose the third stage tax cuts and removing negative gearing in 2019. They lost the election. And what did we hear from the Labor bashers? “Labor lost the election because they stand for nothing. It was because they didn’t take a hard enough approach on Adani. etc”
Your post didn’t acknowledge any of the changes I outlined that Labor have brought in. And it’s just the usual tweedledee and tweedledum crap we can expect from you.
“cit
Poor judgement – only 4km!”
_______
Actually, the poor judgment happened after the race. In the race itself she’d done the right thing and had withdrawn, before continuing as a non competitor. I’ve done the same thing myself in triathlons (irreparable bike mechanicals, completed the run course after getting a lift back to the transition area). The onus is on you to advise the race officials and follow their directions. And, if your name bobs up in the results sheet, its up to you to again advise the race officials so that you receive the obligatory DQ.
In most local triathlons this is ok, but in races that double up as championships or qualifying races the officials don’t like non finishers out on the course because cock ups can happen and this mucks up the results.
Anthony Albanese is not a Tory. Keir Starmer is not a Tory. But nor are they Adam Bandt or Jeremy Corbyn. Get over it.
I’ve never said Adam Bandt is a Tory. In fact I’m happy to praise him for atleast for trying to find a solution or offering amendments. Rather then just constant blocking of legislation. After what happened with the CPRS and then Tony Abbott able gain traction with the uncertainty. I think it’s neither in Labor or the Greens interests to go down that path again. Bandt has taken some heat from his own side for this approach as well (Lidia Thorpe etc).
”
Griffsays:
Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 8:40 am
NB: – the second story in one of the links BK provided provides an update on the Victorian Greens transphobia affair. See:
https://www.theage.com.au/national/revealed-who-was-on-team-thorpe-during-strip-club-fracas-20230419-p5d1rz.html
”
The company you keep shows who you are.
Andrew Earlwood
I don’t disagree with your comments on the reality of SSN construction.
My reason for posting that link to the USN program last night, and my concern, is that once other countries start modifying their SSN construction program to fit you in, they will not look kindly on Australia backing out. Therefore IMO, regardless of what you and I may feel to be better options, I think the RAN and Australian taxpayers are stuck with AUKUS SSNs as announced.
In that case I think the most important thing now is to establish the project office with adequate powers and suitably skilled people ASAP. NO more sinecures for retiring Admirals. They need to both run the RAN program and monitor how UK and USA are going with their end of the deal ASAP. Further, since the Virginias are Plan B, they need a Plan C…
The United States is a democracy. China is not.
The one thing you can guarantee about the posts of Anger_Overload as they pertain to the submarines, they will still be coming in favour of the French, long after the first Virginia Class sub has been delivered to the RAN. And probably long after the first AUKUS Class sub too! 😆
“Therefore IMO, regardless of what you and I may feel to be better options, I think the RAN and Australian taxpayers are stuck with AUKUS SSNs as announced.”
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Global Britain shirty with Australia?
Good. Good. Good.
I see no downsides at all to cancelling the SSN-AUKUS class and sticking with American SSNs (if we must).
However, I also think we would be doing everyone a favour – especially the American navy – if we ditched the Virginia class interim option and insisted that the Brits sell us HMS Agincourt (delivered into RAN service before 2030) and two other ‘evolved’ Astutes to be delivered in the 2030s prior to SSN-AUKUS starting production concurrently in booth countries. The only downside to that is … we would be stuck with ‘Global Britain’ and a nuclear submarine industry which is simply not up to scratch.
“The one thing you can guarantee about the posts of Anger_Overload as they pertain to the submarines, they will still be coming in favour of the French, long after the first Virginia Class sub has been delivered to the RAN. And probably long after the first AUKUS Class sub too! ”
What’s not to love about getting a product for a trillion dollars when you could have a superior one for a quarter of the price and a decade earlier.
I can see your point. This is truly a LOL moment. The joke is on us, of course.
But keep on forelock tugging W@rC@t as we embark on the ‘China paradox’ (ie. we don’t actually face much of a risk from China, save for our entanglement with America, and further entanglement engenders further risk). Glorious!
The same/same schtick from the Greens/Indies support crew is about as useful as the Noalition approach – but it is much more disingenuous.
At least the Coalition are honest in their desire to block and oppose.
“The United States is a democracy. China is not.”
One of those sentences is correct.
C@tmomma says:
Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 11:47 am
The United States is a democracy. China is not.
Correct ..sort of.. the US ranks #36.. below Israel on #35..Israel will rank 150 next year, the US #151 after Trump next wins
I know there would be almost universal approval here if the government dumped the stage 3 tax cuts, but imagine the reaction of taxpayers earning 40K-100K per year missing out on a tax cut in a period of high inflation.
As for the Albanese Govt, they will never be radical enough for the Greens and the Labor left, but it isn’t the hard left that Albo needs to retain power in 2025, occupying the centre ground while Dutton takes the Liberals to the loony right, that is the strategy for Albo and Chalmers and co
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Soharsays:
Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 9:39 am
It would be nice if someone could explain the point of Anthony Abanese (not being Scomo is not an adequate answer).
“Prime Minister Anthony Albanese’s government will deliver budgets that would make Scott Morrison proud if it continues to absorb the cost of American submarines and tax breaks for the wealthy without spending to reduce poverty, his old political nemesis warns.”
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/2023/04/19/budget-missing-key-element-critics/
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Sohar
You are missing the point.
Albanese ALP opposition pledged to implement S3 tax cuts and AUKUS deal when in government and took the pledge to election and won the election.
As we have discussed Albanese government has to implement them because they promised to implement them.
Don’t you how Morrison has wedged Albanese ALP? This is the atomic wedgie and most expensive wedgie by LNP on ALP.
Morrison and ‘Lars’ ROFLing thinking about these wedgies.
P.S. The atomic wedgie entails hoisting the waistband of the receiver’s underpants up and over their head.
Interesting contribution by Katy Gallagher to the Auditor General’s conference – on the role of NACC and findings from RoboDebt.
https://www.themandarin.com.au/217944-nacc-set-to-be-primed-by-audit-office-says-katy-gallagher/?utm_campaign=TheJuice&utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter
But I’m sure we would have got exactly the same approach from a re-elected Morrison government. Same/same after all.
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Player Onesays:
Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 9:45 am
Sohar @ #902 Thursday, April 20th, 2023 – 9:39 am
It would be nice if someone could explain the point of Anthony Abanese (not being Scomo is not an adequate answer).
Liberal policies without the smirk.
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No Albanese is experiencing atomic wedgie. 🙂
Also of interest to policy wonks, would be the demographic breakdown by age and gender of the 920,640 people receiving Jobseeker. One cohort stands out..
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Lars Von Triersays:
Thursday, April 20, 2023 at 9:52 am
Maybe Boers list could be mailed out to the unemployed with their next dole payment?
They may find it comforting.
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Are you ROFLing at the atomic wedgie Morrison gave to Albanese with S3 tax cuts and AUKUS deal?
I know you may say Albanese should not have gone anywhere near the wedgie. But that shows you mind set that you want Morrison to win the election which may further destroy the nation.
Have we heard anything from Jacinta Price since Dutton made her shadow minister for Indigenous Affairs? She was very vocal previously but now seems to have gone quiet.
Presumably the nine minute advertisement released today by the far-right Advance Australia was filmed before she became shadow minister. It is ironic that AA is opposing an Indigenous voice to parliament while it itself has unfettered access to a high profile member of parliament and influence in the LNP.
Now that Price has aligned herself to AA by taking part in their video and “no” campaign, she may find that it has the reverse effect on how people vote in the referendum. AA certainly discovered the hard way that trying to smear David Pocock resulted in him sensationally beating their candidate Zed Seselja.