Capping off the week with another New South Wales Liberal preselection tangle and three fresh poll results:
UPDATE (Resolve Strategic poll): Make that four, because it seems I missed the latest Resolve Strategic federal voting intention results from the Age/Herald, which are a stinker for the Coalition: Labor is up three to 42%, the Coalition down two to 28%, the Greens down one to 12% and One Nation up one to 6%. This puts Labor solidly north of 60% on two-party by my reckoning, and has caused an observable uptick for them on the BludgerTrack poll aggregate, as seen on the sidebar. Peter Dutton’s personal ratings take a particularly striking turn for the worse, with a six point drop in his combined very good and good rating to 26% and a ten point spike on poor and very poor to 54%, the latter encompassing an eleven point increase in very poor to 34%. Anthony Albanese’s lead as preferred prime minister is out from 51-22 to 55-21, and he’s up one on approval to 56% and down two on disapproval to 29%. The poll was conducted Wednesday to Sunday from a sample of 1609.
• The Liberals have opened nominations for a preselection to fill the party’s vacant New South Wales Senate seat following the death of Jim Molan in January, which will be held in late May. Max Maddison of The Australian reports moderates are dividing between state party president Maria Kovacic and former Bega MP and unsuccessful Gilmore candidate Andrew Constance. In the former’s favour is a view that the position should go to a woman, with Salesforce executive director Gisele Kapterian rated another moderate option if conservative opposition to Kovacic looks decisive. Factional lines are blurred to the extent that Kovacic has support from the centre right, while Constance is supported by Catholic Schools NSW chief executive Dallas McInerney, a conservative who was widely identified as the favourite for the position before he announced he would not run. Constance will reportedly establish an electorate office on the South Coast if successful as a springboard for another bid for Gilmore in 2025. A late potential contender is Katherine Deves, whose conservative positions on transgender issues made national headlines during her unsuccessful run for Warringah last year. However, Deves says she would stand aside if Warren Mundine, who along with Senator Jacinta Price has been the leading Aboriginal campaigner against the Indigenous Voice, responds to conservative entreaties to throw his hat into the ring.
• The Lowy Institute has published results from its third annual Being Chinese in Australia survey, conducted online from a sample of 1200 “Australian citizens, permanent residents or long-term visa holders who self-identified as having Chinese ancestry”, between September 27 to December 10. Among its findings were that 60% expressed confidence in Anthony Albanese to do the right thing in world affairs, compared with 29% for not much or none, while Peter Dutton respectively rated 25% and 56%. The sample was more favourable on this score towards Xi Jinping (42% confident, 47% not confident) and Vladimir Putin (29% and 58%) than the Australian public at large, and less favourable towards Joe Biden (34% and 55%) and Voldymyr Zelenskyy (32% and 51%). Asked the same question in relation to countries, the sample broke favourably by 75-25 for Australia, 61-40 for China, 54-46 for Taiwan, 53-47 for the United States and 51-49 for Japan.
Presumably reflecting the change of government, those rating Australia-China relations as a “critical threat to the vital interests of Australia in the next ten years” fell from 51% to 37%, while concern over military conflict between the United States and China was little changed at 36%. Only 15% professed themselves very concerned about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, compared with 69% for a similar question in another survey targeting the population at large. Twenty-seven per cent said AUKUS would make Australia more safe compared with 26% for less safe, and 52% and 7% respectively for the Australian population at large. Notable changes from last year’s results were an increase in agreement that “democracy is preferable to any other kind of government”, from 34% to 48%, and more favourable results on questions regarding whether Australia was a good place to live, or if respondents had personally been vilified because of their heritage. There was a drop in those saying Australian media reporting about China was too negative from 57% to 42%, with as many deeming if fair and balanced and 13% thinking it too positive.
• Roy Morgan has published results from an SMS survey conducted from 1181 respondents to Friday to Tuesday which found 46% saying they would vote yes to an Indigenous Voice with no at 39%, compared with 53% and 30% when it last conducted the exercise in December. The pollster’s weekly federal voting intention numbers have Labor’s two-party lead steady at 56-44, from primary votes of Labor 37%, Coalition 33% and Greens 12%.
Happy birthday BK.
My ongoing thanks for your remarkable efforts. As many others have also
said, your summary is my first port of call after I turn my computer on in the morning. Even before Wordle.
cheers, yabba
C@tmomma @ #15 Friday, April 21st, 2023 – 7:25 am
Yeah, that. About as absurd as calling the launch a success even though the flight was a total disaster. As if there’s a difference between those things.
Also, statistically predictable outcome of trying to run 33 rocket engines all at once. The failure rate for space-capable rockets is around 7.5%. Lighting 33 of them in one go is pure desperation, in the “it’ll cost too much money to design a purpose-built solution to this problem, so let’s just duct-tape together a pile of engines that we already have and hope for the best” sense.
I see that Lachlan Murdoch has dropped his defamation action against Crikey.
Always was going to be a long shot that was going to go anywhere anyway.
”
Voice Endeavoursays:
Friday, April 21, 2023 at 10:10 am
Murdoch dropped the defamation suit against Crikey.
I have no comments on their reasoning that won’t get me or WB sued for defamation, so I will just post it without comment.
“Mr Murdoch remains confident that the court would ultimately find in his favour, however he does not wish to further enable Crikey’s use of the court to litigate a case from another jurisdiction that has already been settled and facilitate a marketing campaign designed to attract subscribers and boost their profits.”
”
Is it a coincidence that Murdoch dropped the defamation case after settlement with Dominion? I think not.
B.S. Fairman @ Friday, April 21, 2023 at 9:57 am:
“I see the Russians have now claim that they managed to bomb their own city of Belgorod. I guess it is better to admit that their own forces are incompetent than let people panic that the Ukrainians are able to start bombing their cities at will.”
===================
B.S. Fairman, I actually think the Russians are being honest here – astonishing, I know! Here is how Ukraine’s public broadcaster, Suspilne, is reporting it:
“The Ministry of Defense of the Russian Federation reported that the cause of the explosion in Belgorod was the “extraordinary release of ammunition” from the Russian Su-34 aircraft.
This is reported by RIA “Novosti”.
“On the evening of April 20, during the flight of the Su-34 VKS aircraft over the city of Bilhorod, an unmanned aerial munition went off. As a result, there was damage to residential buildings, there were no victims,” the report says.
An investigation is underway into this fact.
On the evening of April 20 , an explosion rang out in Belgorod, Russia , as a result of which a large crater was formed on the street, and windows in residential buildings were blown out by the blast wave. Several cars were also damaged. No casualties were reported.”
https://suspilne.media/452121-vibuh-u-belgorodi-rosijskij-su-34-vipadkovo-skinuv-boepripas-na-misto/
I think this account is much more likely than an alternative in which Ukraine launches a lone strike at a random street in Belgorod.
[#3 today]
Happy birthday BK!
None of Your Beeswax @ #99 Friday, April 21st, 2023 – 10:19 am
I know Elon Musk excels at rewriting history, but … first? …
Vostok? Mercury? Apollo? 🙁
Albo releases Solicitor-General’s advice … exposing Dutton’s bollocks.
Happy Birthday BK and thanks for the service you supply to all of us on PB. Hope you have a great day.
Poor Lachlan. No wonder daddy doesn’t want to hand over to him. He knows he’s just not that good at this whole business thing even given his great advantages. What an embarrassing week for the Murdoch’s.
”
None of Your Beeswaxsays:
Friday, April 21, 2023 at 10:19 am
C@t, I beg to differ….the Starship launch was a triumph and got further, and achieved more than I and experts expected. It had ignition, most ever engines ignited at once, most powerful rocket ever, it cleared the tower, it went supersonic, it got to Max Q, but failed at stage seperation and was deliberately aborted as the main engines began to cut off.
I agree with you on many many things, and applaud your passions and dedication to the Labor cause, but on this don’t let your hatred of Musk embitter you to what was a triumph for humanity, and a first , albeit ultimately unsuccessful first step toward a human future in space.
”
Do you know that rockets were successfully launched since late 50s. Or do Musk and supporters believe that Rocket launching only started after he got that idea?
I have a suspicion that Musk thinks that sending Rockets to Moon and Moon landing is fake news.
Lachlan Murdoch drops defamation proceedings against Crikey
https://www.watoday.com.au/national/lachlan-murdoch-drops-defamation-proceedings-against-crikey-20230421-p5d28q.html
Lachlan Murdoch drops defamation proceedings against independent Australian publisher Crikey
https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/apr/21/lachlan-murdoch-drops-defamation-proceedings-against-independent-australian-publisher-crikey
Government has released solicitor-general’s opinion on the voice: says the constitutional amendment lets govt decide legal weight of its representations. Should note – this is solicitor-general *opinion*, and dated 19 April – so not exactly the same *advice* (different type of document) that went to cabinet etc weeks ago.
https://t.co/Fu9s9qE8AY
“ Happy Birthday BK, but not sure how you missed the 2 articles in The Age on how the Andrews govt has tried to spin the IBAC report.
At 7am they are the top 2 articles on the Age website.”
Lols Taylormerde, BK was just treating himself on his birthday but skipping the lobotomy that is The Age on all things Dan Andrews.
Oliver Sutton
The countdown is on for some No advocate to declare the solictor general has been nobbled.
A stooge, along with the former high court judges, legal academics etc … only Greg Craven speaks the truth.
Enough Already – I think they are being honest. Admitting a mistake to avoid panic is wise. But it shows that either the Russian air forces equipment is failing or their staff are not up to the job.
Happy Birthday BK!
Many thanks for the Dawn Patrol over the years on the blogs. A very generous and committed cyber citizen!!
”
Victoriasays:
Friday, April 21, 2023 at 8:46 am
Ron De Santis is sinking like a stone. Exactly as I had expected.
He will not be president. And his governorship is looking shaky too. Lol!
”
Florida – Where freedom goes to die
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/20/2164817/-Florida-Where-freedom-goes-to-die
“The Florida Board of Education voted Wednesday to extend a ban on classroom teachings about sexual orientation and gender identity all the way through 12th grade, an action requested by Gov. Ron DeSantis. The rule expanded on the governor’s infamous “Don’t Say Gay” law enacted last year expressly prohibiting instruction on the topics for students in kindergarten through third grade.
The new amendment adopted by the state board bans any classroom instruction on sexual orientation and gender identity in pre-kindergarten through third grade. For fourth through 12th grades, instruction on the topics is prohibited unless the lessons are either “expressly required by state academic standards … or is part of a reproductive health course or health lesson for which a student’s parent has the option to have his or her student not attend,” according to the amendment.
Ven says,
What terrfies me about some of the ‘true believers ‘ is that they know Trump is a non- believer but want him to be in power because he can hasten apocalypse and rapture
It’s a sadly depressing view of the world and one that I fine inherently lazy.
Throw your hands in the air and blame it all on a mythical being that you use to try an influence everyone else to believe the same shit.
Any bad things that happen in the world are just part of confirmation bias and validate their ‘beliefs’.
Taylormade says:
Friday, April 21, 2023 at 7:12 am
Happy Birthday BK, but not sure how you missed the 2 articles in The Age on how the Andrews govt has tried to spin the IBAC report.
At 7am they are the top 2 articles on the Age website.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
How many articles commenting on your fractured inept LNP would you miss over a mere year?
Maybe spend less time fishing for leaches and yabbies down at your Waurn ponds and catch up more broadly.
“Brave Sir Lachlan ran away …”
Albo pulls Spud’s pants down…
The Commonwealth’s top legal adviser says the federal cabinet and public service would not be forced to consult with the Voice before making policy, in a legal opinion that counters concerns that enshrining the body in the Constitution will clog up the courts and hamstring governments.
In a written opinion submitted to the parliamentary inquiry into the referendum, Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue said the Voice would “enhance” Australia’s system of representative and responsible government, and not “will not fetter or impede” the powers of the parliament or executive.
His opinion comes amid a raging debate over the proposed power of the Voice to make representations to the executive government, which some constitutional conservatives and politicians have argued could result in a deluge of High Court litigation that would delay government decision-making.
SMH
Republican, who voted last week to oust Tennessee 3 , resigns in disgrace
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2023/4/20/2165009/-Tennessee-Republican-resigns-in-disgrace-Last-week-he-voted-to-oust-Tennessee-Three
“When Tennessee Republicans chose to expel two of three Democratic lawmakers from the state House for protesting House Republicans’ inability to pass gun safety legislation, the transparent racism of ousting the two Black representatives but not the white representative was simply the tip of the iceberg. And considering Tennessee Republicans’ very recent history, the obvious racism was not surprising.
On Thursday, News Channel 5 in Nashville got their hands on a story, and boy did it lay bare the abject wasteland that is the Republican Party’s integrity. It turns out that state Rep. Scotty Campbell, who voted to expel all three Democratic members, was recently found “guilty of sexually harassing at least one legislative intern, likely two, by an ethics subcommittee acting in secret.” Six hours after being confronted about it, Campbell resigned.”
Leroy @ #110 Friday, April 21st, 2023 – 10:34 am
Thanks. From the Guardian article, “Guardian Australia understands Private Media was blindsided by the announcement and is likely to demand costs from Murdoch.” That was my first thought too. The “Murdoch Empire” forces a much smaller player to fight a battle and then abruptly calls off the whole thing. That could be interpreted as malicious. But I bet there’s more going on, coming so quickly after the settlement in the US. It’s interesting too, thinking about the Murdoch mindset that is exposed in the language used, “litigate a case from another jurisdiction” and “facilitate a marketing campaign“.
But reading between the be-wigged opinion, the Solicitor Generals *original* advice was not released, instead what he thinks of the eventual wording.
Cue whinging into the ether from the Duttster. Nobody is listening
Yeah it’s fresh advice to the committee not the original advice to govt( which they still refuse to release)
Very tricky on govts part – let’s see if it’s smart.
And in an early Friday ‘putting out the garbage’….
In breaking news, former NSW attorney-general Mark Speakman has been elected leader of the state’s Liberal Party.
Speakman, from the party’s dominant moderate faction, was elected over former planning minister Anthony Roberts during a party room ballot today.
”
sprocket_says:
Friday, April 21, 2023 at 10:49 am
Albo pulls Spud’s pants down…
The Commonwealth’s top legal adviser says the federal cabinet and public service would not be forced to consult with the Voice before making policy, in a legal opinion that counters concerns that enshrining the body in the Constitution will clog up the courts and hamstring governments.
In a written opinion submitted to the parliamentary inquiry into the referendum, Solicitor-General Stephen Donaghue said the Voice would “enhance” Australia’s system of representative and responsible government, and not “will not fetter or impede” the powers of the parliament or executive.
His opinion comes amid a raging debate over the proposed power of the Voice to make representations to the executive government, which some constitutional conservatives and politicians have argued could result in a deluge of High Court litigation that would delay government decision-making.
SMH
”
Calling LNP and its supporters as Conservatives is an insult to Conservatives. As Briefly posted they are far-right wing reactionaries.
When Albanese is getting plaudits from Conservatives in the media for what he is doing in government then we know who they think as a real Conservative.
Dr John @ #97 Friday, April 21st, 2023 – 10:17 am
Plus 1 from me
”
sprocket_says:
Friday, April 21, 2023 at 10:54 am
And in an early Friday ‘putting out the garbage’….
In breaking news, former NSW attorney-general Mark Speakman has been elected leader of the state’s Liberal Party.
Speakman, from the party’s dominant moderate faction, was elected over former planning minister Anthony Roberts during a party room ballot today
”
Does it mean Morrison is not resigning from Cook anytime soon and his offer fell through?
Welcome Mr Speakerman to the worst job in Australian politics- state Opposition leader…..you will be pretty much unknown, ignored and way down in the preferred premier polls for at least 3.5 years…..
”
Torchbearersays:
Friday, April 21, 2023 at 11:10 am
Welcome Mr Speakerman to the worst job in Australian politics- state Opposition leader…..you will be pretty much unknown, ignored and way down in the preferred premier polls for at least 3.5 years…..
”
Don’t count on that… i.e. being ignored because he is a Liberal. That is only applicable to ALP.
Haven’t you noticed the coverage federal Dutton and Federal LNP gets in the media when compared to Albanese ALP opposition? It is almost 50-50 .
If Crisafuli and Matt Guy can get equal coverage to Ana P and Andrews, Speakman is much more decent proposition.
Ven….please dont treat me like a fool….I resent that intensely….I know very well that there have been other rockets….I have spent some considerable time on this planet and have seen them….If you wish to be a musk hater and be blind to all achievements thats your choice, but please dont patronise me
So did a quick whip around newscorp sites just to see who had articles up already about the SG advice. The two that stand out like the proverbial is the Melbourne Herald Sun and Sydney Daily Telegraph that have nothing on it up yet.
The Australian, news.com, Courier Mail do though so it’s not an across the board Murdoch rule.
I didn’t open any of the newscorp articles just checked for their presence but was interested to see if they’d report a significant piece of news on the Voice. One can only assume they are chasing down from the opposition leader what their take on it needs to be!
Torchbearer – That caused me to look at how Dan Andrews polled between 2010 and 2014. He started off slowly and only towards the election was he getting close to being equal to Napthine.
More interestingly, the polling showed a honey moon period where the LNP was polling 48% on the primary vote (57% on TPP)…. oh how the mighty have fallen….
Also what was interesting was Baillieu was not getting very stratification ratings within 15 months so the honeymoon didn’t last long.
“….If you wish to be a musk hater and be blind to all achievements thats your choice, but please dont patronise me”
Patronising people is unacceptable so let me show you by patronizing you and everyone who isn’t a Musk koolaid drinking fanboi fool.
Opps I did it too.
BK, Happy Birthday old mate and thanks too for your daily summary of news articles that you kindly give us every morning.
The Solicitor General just blew up Dutton’s arguments against a no vote, it must surely be time for Birmo and Fletch to exit that joke of a shadow cabinet.
Not wanting to get bogged down in new Musk wars all I can say is his twitter purchase and behaviour since has given and great insight into his personality and abilities and political views.
Maybe Spud and the libs are just experiencing a ‘rapid unscheduled disassembly’ as per Elon’s rocket?
B.S. Fairman @ Friday, April 21, 2023 at 11:20 am:
=================
2010-11 was a grim time for the centre-left in polls across much of the English-speaking world, IIRC. Tea Party wave in the US; David Cameron became PM in the UK; Tony Abbott on an obstructionist rampage here; Barry O’Farrell in a landslide in NSW. (Even my own electorate of Campbelltown elected a, thankfully one-term, Liberal.) I still shudder when I think of that period…
WWP: Is attempting to be a smart arse, but in my long observartion of his work, he is neither smart enough, agile minded enough nor eloquent enough to pull off….
”
None of Your Beeswaxsays:
Friday, April 21, 2023 at 11:17 am
Ven….please dont treat me like a fool….I resent that intensely….I know very well that there have been other rockets….I have spent some considerable time on this planet and have seen them….If you wish to be a musk hater and be blind to all achievements thats your choice, but please dont patronise me
”
No, I didn’t/don’t patronise you. I gave that reply because you appear to take a lot of us for fools for categorising Musk Rocket launch explosion as a success.
Did BK give us an arsehole of the day?
Late entry here
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/police-seek-woman-after-visually-impaired-man-robbed-in-sydney-s-west-20230421-p5d26e.html
“WWP: Is attempting to be a smart arse, but in my long observartion of his work, he is neither smart enough, agile minded enough nor eloquent enough to pull off….”
I’m definitely slow and stupid, and lacking in eloquence thanks for your insight.
I’d ask for your eloquence tips for my writing but based on your insight I might just stick with ‘Elements of Eloquence’ by Mark Forsyth, it is a fantastic book, I highly recommend it.
But based on your valuable feedback I’ll shell out for his Etymologican and his Horologicon as well.
Evan @ #135 Friday, April 21st, 2023 – 11:24 am
You’d think. If they had any shame. Which they don’t. So, they’ll just soldier on according to their plan to destroy the Voice, and Indigenous advancement, for a generation or more. Probably encouraged by today’s Morgan Snap poll results that they are on the right track.
”I see that Lachlan Murdoch has dropped his defamation action against Crikey.
Always was going to be a long shot that was going to go anywhere anyway.”
It was meant to intimidate but had the opposite effect. Great precedent.
Lol Lachy. 😀
Happy Birthday BK , and many more to come ,
because who else would trawl through the slime for the rest of us as you do .
Although Cat does get down in it in your absence .
Former NSW attorney-general Mark Speakman has been elected as the new leader of the NSW Liberal Party.
Speakman was elected 22 votes to 13 over former planning minister Anthony Roberts during a ballot on Friday morning.
Damien Tudehope will return as leader of the upper house while former roads minister Natalie Ward will be the deputy leader in the upper house.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/mark-speakman-elected-new-nsw-liberal-leader-20230421-p5d26t.html
Kelta @ #146 Friday, April 21st, 2023 – 11:54 am
I draw the line at Gary Varvel cartoons though! 😀
I would draw the line at Leak.
Dog’s Brunch
Did BK give us an arsehole of the day?
Late entry here
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/police-seek-woman-after-visually-impaired-man-robbed-in-sydney-s-west-20230421-p5d26e.html
She looks very photogenic – even has a spring in her step after the robbery. Based on the quality of the photos, she should be very easy to identify. I doubt she will look as great in the upcoming mug shots.