Recent developments of note, none more so than a new federal by-election hot on the heels of the boilover result in Aston on April 1:
• The second federal by-election of the parliamentary term looms, not as anticipated in Scott Morrison’s seat of Cook (at least, not yet), but in the Gold Coast seat of Fadden, where Liberal-aligned Liberal National Party member Stuart Robert is calling it a day. Robert held the seat with a 10.6% margin at last year’s election after a 3.5% swing to Labor, making the seat a good deal safer than Aston with its 2.8% margin post-election and raising the question as to whether Labor will find making a contest of it worth its bother. Robert has held the seat since 2007 and became embroiled in the robodebt affair through his carriage of the human services portfolio, a distinction he coincidentally shared with the former member for Aston, Alan Tudge.
• On a related note, James Massola of the Age/Herald reported prior to Robert’s announcement that a “major British company in the defence sector” had sounded out Scott Morrison for a job opportunity, potentially resulting in a by-election in Cook as soon as July.
• The Australian reports John Howard has backed James Brown, chief executive of the Space Industry Association, former RSL president and veteran of Afghanistan and Iraq, to fill the New South Wales Liberal Senate vacancy arising from the death of Jim Molan in January. The report also relates that Brown is factionally unaligned, former husband of Malcolm Turnbull’s daughter Daisy Turnbull, and an opponent of the Indigenous Voice. The other confirmed starters are former state government minister and unsuccessful Gilmore candidate Andrew Constance and former state party president Maria Kovacic, but a number of other names have been mentioned as possibilities.
• The Australian had results of a YouGov poll on perceptions of the royal family, which found William and Catherine well ahead of the field with positive ratings in the mid-seventies, Charles up nine points since March 2021 on 52%, Harry down over the same period from 61% to 38% and Meghan down from 46% to 27%, with Andrew down seven from an already low base to 15%. Forty-three per cent of respondents professed themselves not at all interested in the coronation, with 24% a little bit interested, 19% fairly interested and 14% very interested.
Two matters at state level of note:
• As covered in the previous post, Tasmania held its annual Legislative Council elections yesterday in three of the chamber’s 15 seats, which gave Labor a rare spot of good news in the state with a resounding win for incumbent Sarah Lovell in the outer Hobart seat of Rumney. Lovell’s primary vote increased from 33.8% to 50.5% despite the fact that she faced a Liberal candidate this time and not last time (although more favourable boundaries may have helped). There were even more resounding wins for independent incumbents in the seats of Launceston and Murchison.
• Public suggestions have been published for the Western Australian state redistribution. Labor’s submission calls for the abolition of the regional seat of North West Central and the creation of a new seat in the metropolitan area, in line with ongoing population trends, proposing a rearrangement of the outer metropolitan area that would provide for new seats centred on the fast-growing urban centres of Ellenbrook and Byford. The Liberals would prefer that the commissioners stretch the elastic to maintain the status quo.
Mostly Interested:
I’d be up for a Parliamentary not Executive republic…..
Altho they are monarchies Norway and Sweden are not bad models – basically they have none of the mucking about with proroguation, Royal Assent, Councils of State, war powers or any of that malarkey.
Fixed term parliaments, Bills enacted on passage and ‘negative confidence’ – to lose confidence a majority of members of the House have to vote down the Government – the number of ayes or abstentions is irrelevant.
For all the honking about ‘constitutional monarchies’ Norway/Sweden are not really anything of the sort. The monarch has no power at all and is basically there to shake hands wearing a stupid hat.
BK
I dared not ask about the performance of the local club side this year but now they are at the begging of a long winning streak, I can do so with confidence.
. Forty-three per cent of respondents professed themselves not at all interested in the coronation, with 24% a little bit interested, 19% fairly interested and 14% very interested.
———————————
Wow. So the MSM is able/willing to indulge minorities in primetime.
Mostly Interested:
“I’d be up for a Parliamentary not Executive republic…..“
This is the model that works well in places like Rep of Ireland and Finland.
A Republic with an elected president as head of state who only has limited and defined powers to appoint or dismiss the government based on parliament’s recommendation, sign treaties, and call new elections. All exec power rests with PM and Cabinet.
‘yabba says:
Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 8:35 am
The things you learn on PB!
Charlemagne …. capitalized on his father’s good political relations with the Vatican, and in 800 was crowned the first Holy Roman Emperor by Pope Leo III in St Peter’s Basilica, an event so momentous that Charlemagne marked it by giving Leo one of the great medieval relics as a thank you—the Holy Prepuce, better known as Jesus’ foreskin.’
—————————–
Why the prepuce the prurient might muse.
It is not just a matter of ‘Because!’
Another mass shooting in Texas at a mall.
I guess Governor Abbott offering thoughts and prayers will do the trick yet again.
Angus Taylor on Insiders went straight to bad faith bullshit.
It worked for 9 years.
Why not now?
at the beginning of a long winning streak
————————
Reminds me of the chap complaining to his cricket captain ‘why do you always send me in to bat in the middle of a hat trick attempt’.
Not forgetting Texas has the most lax gun laws
Maybe Coalition spokespeople could save everyone a lot of time – interviewers, audiance and themselves – if they simply forwarded a list of party talking points.
The USA has become a Dystopian society
The leaders in the USA need to call this out for what it is.
Domestic terrorism.
Ahhhhh, but it was probably a gun that killed the shooter so ‘guns save lives’?
Simon Katich
I keep waiting for the moment that a mass shooting becomes a real bona fide inflection point in the USA.
Victoria @ #62 Sunday, May 7th, 2023 – 10:21 am
State sanctioned population control.
Rex Douglas
You mean the same people who have legislated to ban abortions are sanctioning population control.
I don’t think this is what is going on.
Dog’s Brunch @ #47 Sunday, May 7th, 2023 – 9:40 am
Unfortunately they have to in the interest of fairness,same as the Greens who only garner 10% of the vote.
If I was the Monarch I’d say off with their heads ,but yes as an ‘official’ opposition they are hopeless.Of course we know Taylor has to ask Dutton first whether he can say No straight off the bat.
Victoria @ #56 Sunday, May 7th, 2023 – 10:15 am
He didn’t even offer that last time. He simply bemoaned the fact that there was a shooting of an ‘illegal immigrant’!
”You mean the same people who have legislated to ban abortions are sanctioning population control.”
Only for people who have already been born.
In lieu of BK’s usual cartoon corner, I present “Classic Cartoon Corner”, with a selection of vintage political cartoons from around the time of federation:
zoomster
‘If you want to spend your cash on someone in a white coat telling you that you’re from a tribe of wandering Germanic topless warriors, or descended from Vikings, Saracens, Saxons, or Drogo of Metz, or even the Great Emperor Charlemagne, help yourself. I, or hundreds of geneticists around the world, will shrug and do it for free: You are.’
I want to be descended from the Roman emperors Trajan or Hadrian. But this is not likely. No progeny for either of them. Both were gayer than Christmas. (Before Christmas was invented.)
Good overview of the Reserve Bank, and the governments and interests it serves:
https://twitter.com/thejuicemedia/status/1654981110865223680?s=20
”
Socratessays:
Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 9:57 am
Asha
Indeed. Given the nature of the coronation event, we should have sent Morrison as our representative. He would have happily still pretended to be PM.
The ABC did cover the protestor arrests. I’m betting Channel Seven missed them.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-05-07/london-police-arrest-52-protesters-king-charles-coronation/102313948
”
Socrates
Although Morrison did not get the invite Julie Bishop got one to attend. Can someone clarify how and why?
Q: Although Morrison did not get the invite Julie Bishop got one to attend. Can someone clarify how and why?
She is the Head of the Princes Trust in Australia….a fact I learned last night that I didnt need to know!
Socrates @ #54 Sunday, May 7th, 2023 – 10:13 am
Oddly I think we’re further away from a republic today than we have been for years. It doesnt currently have majority support across the nation, I think (without evidence) that many Australians have been taking a wait and see moment for KC3. If he’d been a complete tool then I suspect we’d see an upswing in republicanism, but he’s been a steady as she goes kinda guy with a touch of environmentalist (billionaire green washing perhaps) about him. The coronation in some ways had the exact effect that they have always been for, reassure the masses that the 1000 year reich is still in place, even after a 1000 years.
So I feel that the steady state of the current form of Constitutional monarchy will be in place for a few years yet.
Pivoting to the theoretical ref for a repub, I cant see it working without a plan to give Australians 2 votes, the first for a yes/no, and if the yes gets up a vote on the model, with at least 3 models to be on the table. Maybe even a third vote to choose from the top two after the second vote.
”
Torchbearersays:
Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 10:51 am
Q: Although Morrison did not get the invite Julie Bishop got one to attend. Can someone clarify how and why?
She is the Head of the Princes Trust in Australia….a fact I learned last night that I didnt need to know!
”
So that is reason why LNP types become heads of made up Trusts.
No wonder these LNP types don’t want to tax “Trusts”.
Torchbearer @ #74 Sunday, May 7th, 2023 – 10:51 am
And looked a shocker I reckon -like she was trying out for the Ascot Scene in My Fair Lady – especially alongside Mesdames Macron and Biden.
https://static.ffx.io/images/$zoom_0.252%2C$multiply_1.3545%2C$ratio_1.5%2C$width_756%2C$x_0%2C$y_0/t_crop_custom/q_86%2Cf_auto/236003ce1cd6c8e09aa86ec3ab730e89bffc6aaa#image.jpeg
(smh)
I dared not ask about the performance of the local club side this year but now they are at the begging of a long winning streak, I can do so with confidence.
____________
shellbell
Thank you for that. This year we have recruited and selected newcomers with a strong emphasis on their type of character, their geographical proximity and their desire to be around for the longer haul. And, of course, their ability.
Given yesterday was only the second time they have played together, they are really forming into an effective team. We will be a competitive outfit.
Yes, I too though JBishop was off to the races, not to a coronation.
”For more than a decade, climate science deniers, rightwing politicians and sections of the Murdoch media have waged a campaign to undermine the legitimacy of the Bureau of Meteorology’s temperature records.”
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/may/07/climate-scientists-first-laughed-at-a-bizarre-campaign-against-the-bom-then-came-the-harassment
”
Mostly Interestedsays:
Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 11:01 am
Socrates @ #54 Sunday, May 7th, 2023 – 10:13 am
Mostly Interested:
“I’d be up for a Parliamentary not Executive republic…..“
This is the model that works well in places like Rep of Ireland and Finland.
A Republic with an elected president as head of state who only has limited and defined powers to appoint or dismiss the government based on parliament’s recommendation, sign treaties, and call new elections. All exec power rests with PM and Cabinet.
Oddly I think we’re further away from a republic today than we have been for years. It doesnt currently have majority support across the nation, I think (without evidence) that many Australians have been taking a wait and see moment for KC3. If he’d been a complete tool then I suspect we’d see an upswing in republicanism, but he’s been a steady as she goes kinda guy with a touch of environmentalist (billionaire green washing perhaps) about him. …………..
…..
”
I agree with your sentiment. When I migrated I was a staunch Republican. Voted ‘Yes’ in 1999 referendum.
But after watching the quality of our Politicians and GGs since 1999, I am in no hurry for a Republic. Mind you if there is ‘Republic’ referendum tomorrow, I would vote ‘Yes’for it.
There is this cartoon where they show evolution of humans from Monkeys to Humans and vice versa. There may be some truth in it. No wonder AI is the new rage now.
”
Steve777says:
Sunday, May 7, 2023 at 11:09 am
”For more than a decade, climate science deniers, rightwing politicians and sections of the Murdoch media have waged a campaign to undermine the legitimacy of the Bureau of Meteorology’s temperature records.”
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/may/07/climate-scientists-first-laughed-at-a-bizarre-campaign-against-the-bom-then-came-the-harassment
”
You discredit the source of your information and arguments and nobody will believe you or atleast there will not listen to you with open mind.
ItzaDream @ #77 Sunday, May 7th, 2023 – 11:04 am
Gawd Blimey!
Head of Princes Trust?
It continues to astound me how some of the well to do spend their time. Things like the Australian Future Leaders Program for example.
I have no doubt that most of these do good things. But… Are they an efficient use of time and money? Or are they more vessels for other purposes? The Princes Trust is not alone in its glossy brochures, fancy websites and extravagant gala events.
Everyone is trying to get feet in doors – especially charities and various not for profits with limited means fighting for limited grants and fundraising opportunities. I am just glad for Julie Bishop who gets to fly to NY for a gala event in pursuit of good deeds in Australia.
The Shane Warne charity news story was a good opportunity to critically and fairly (he was unfairly singled out for doing what so many do) examine these practices and increase transparency of value for money vs perks and tax exemptions.
New York jury will have wide latitude to decide claims against Trump in E. Jean Carroll lawsuit
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/6/2167885/-New-York-jury-will-have-wide-latitude-to-decide-claims-against-Trump-in-E-Jean-Carroll-lawsuit
From the article: The jury hearing an advice columnist’s claims that she was raped by Donald Trump could begin deliberations as soon as Tuesday, and it will have wide latitude in deciding the truthfulness of the allegations against the former president.
The writer E. Jean Carroll, 79, testified that Trump raped her in 1996 inside a dressing room at the luxury Bergdorf Goodman store in Manhattan after they had a chance encounter and shopped together for lingerie.
“But I am not comfortable with an elected president, or even an appointed one. Why do we need a head of state, cant the executive power reside in the parliament, what’s wrong with that model?”
I don’t see any reason we can’t have a model which merely swaps out the appointed Governor-General for an elected President with the same powers as the current GG.
The model selection for the referendum was fucked up (as Howard intended), which is to be expected when Malcolm “no political instincts” Turnbull is involved.
A Parliament-appointed President is not going to fly, and a US style President is not going to fly. The Arky model will succeed.
Though inevitably some bright spark on the monarchist side will try to compare such an elected but limited President to the Chancellor in Weimar Germany…
Those two holes in the ground are where the goalposts for ‘success’ in the Battle of Bakhmut used to be:
“Ahead of their previously announced withdrawal from the city of Bakhmut after many months of trying to capture it, Yevgeny Prigozhin, leader of the Wagner Group fighters, has said that the city has no strategic significance for the Russian Federation, and claimed that capturing it was not the main goal of “Operation Bakhmut Meat-grinder”. …
… “It should be noted that Operation Bakhmut Meat-grinder was mainly designed not to capture the settlement of Bakhmut, but to grind down the units of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and provide respite for the Russian army to restore combat capability. The Bakhmut meat grinder has accomplished its task in full.” …
…The mercenary leader claims that the joint “operation” with Surovikin was supposed to last for six months, until 8 April 2023.
Prigozhin also said that after leaving Bakhmut, the Wagner Group “will go to training camps to restore combat capability and retrain units, and will stay there until the threat to Russia and Russian citizens disappears as part of this military operation”.
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/05/7/7401012/
That last sentence is the kicker: Wagner has ceased to be a military force engaged against Ukraine in this fight. AFU 1, WPMC 0.
I suspect Prigozhin knows what’s about to befall Russia’s lines in occupied Ukraine, and has decided to dissociate himself from the military reverses to come, to preserve what he can of his battered military ‘reputation’.
Слава Україні! Героям слава!Слава нації! Смерть ворогам!
Mostly Interested @ #75 Sunday, May 7th, 2023 – 11:01 am
I’m leaning the other way, mindful that the Albo interview with Piers Morgan saw Albo state his thoughts that a shift toward a republic was “not imminent” and needed a groundswell from the people to drive it forward, not to be imposed top down.
That said, I thought the coronation, as seen in close up with the mystery and fantasy peeled away by today’s immediate and unedited technology, was exposed as the ludicrous anachronism I think it is. Whereas 1953 saw a young mother as a clean slate upon which Britain, a not so Great Britain still in the smouldering ashes of the War, could project its trust, recovery and relevance, today there is a too well known aged baby boomer, a meddlesome adulterer whose yet only unresolved desire it seems is to be a tampon, barely able to muster the slightest hint of gravitas, while his consort queen gave (me, at least) the impression that the whole shebang was not much more than a bit of a hoot, fun for all the family.
I mark the whole panto as Republic 1 / Monarchy 0.
(edit: few typos)
So taylor on insiders next week the treasurernsw parliament back on tuesday and no nsw shadow cabenit
Grime @ #83 Sunday, May 7th, 2023 – 11:16 am
The puffy dress …?
Fess
Yes Governor Abbott is odious.
The citizenry really need to step up. Banning assault rifles is a no brainer.
Ah the world according to Angus.
Asked twice about what the coalition would do different to Labor about inflation, Angus reply was “commit David”. Just to be sure he answered a third time with “commit”.
Like a shit footy coach with no plan saying “give me effort boys”, Angus showed how far out of his depth he is. He’s out of his depth as a shadow, God help Australia if he ever becomes Treasurer.
Trump wrecks himself in E. Jean Carroll video deposition
https://m.dailykos.com/stories/2023/5/5/2167660/-Trump-wrecks-himself-in-E-Jean-Carroll-video-deposition
From the article:
One of the most satisfying portions of the deposition came when Kaplan asked Trump about the 2005 “Access Hollywood” tape that emerged late in the 2016 contest, only to get lost in the thicket of news the very same day about the Kremlin hacking the DNC, including a massive dump of emails from Hillary Clinton’s campaign manager, John Podesta.
“When you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything. Grab ’em by the pussy. You can do anything,” Trump said in the leaked audio published by The Washington Post on Oct. 7, 2016, just one month before Election Day. He was never held accountable.
When Kaplan played the tape for him, Trump responded, “Well, historically that’s true with stars.”
Seizing on the statement, Kaplan asked whether he stood by it.
“Well, I guess if you look over the last million years, that’s been largely true — not always true, but largely true, unfortunately or fortunately,” Trump responded.
“And you consider yourself to be a star?” Kaplan pressed.
“I think so, yeah,” Trump said.
Okay. Taken to its logical conclusion, Trump thinks he can “do anything”—grab ’em, kiss ’em, force himself on ’em. After all, he’s a ‘star.’”
Next came the exchange in which Trump accidentally admitted that Carroll is indeed his exact type—as in, marriage material—despite his protestations to the contrary.
Julie Bishop looks like she’s just come from a liberal party party room meeting.
On yesterday’s car bombing in Nizhny Novgorod (400km east of Moscow) of Russian writer and Ukrainophobic propagandist Zakhar Prilepin, which injured him and killed another, we see some serious ‘cognitive dissonance’ from Russian officials:
1. “Governor of Nizhny Novgorod Oblast Hleb Nikitin … said that doctors from Nizhny Novgorod performed an “operation on Priliepin, primarily to fix fractures.”
“The operation was successful; after the surgery, Zakhar regained consciousness, and now he has been placed in an induced coma to recover faster,” he said.
Earlier, the governor stated that Prilepin “has minor fractures, but there is no threat to his health.”
2. “At the same time, a source of Interfax reported before the operation that Prilepin’s condition was considered severe.
“The Consilium has decided not to transport him to Moscow, but to perform the operation in Nizhny Novgorod. His condition is assessed as serious,” said the agency’s interlocutor.”
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/05/6/7400998/
These Russians clearly have no concept of the virtue of requiring your words about facts on the ground to actually match those facts on the ground. These contradictory accounts are the obvious result of inhabiting a society which sets no value on adherence to the truth. Massive popularity for a brazen liar like Putin is another. (Americans, especially in red states, should take note.)
I completely agree! It seems many of my Facebook friends who watched the circus thought the best thing about the coronation was the music and choral performances.
And I’ve read this morning that the coronation cost $100M pounds! Is the coronation even necessary? Charles was already King after all.
Vic:
He’s a thoroughly risible individual. Just like De Santis.
More on the car bombing of pro-war Russian propagandist Zakhar Prilepin, this time from the Security Service of Ukraine (SSU):
“Quote from the SSU: “We cannot officially confirm or deny the SSU’s involvement in this or any other explosion that beset the occupiers and their collaborators.
However, as SSU head Vasyl Maliuk said on numerous occasions, explosions are now besetting and will beset the Russians who bring war, death, and violence to our land. Death is the only prospect we can offer the occupiers.
But we will only be able to discuss who is behind this or that incident after our victory. Which will definitely come soon.”
https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2023/05/6/7400999/
Слава Україні! Героям слава!Слава нації! Смерть ворогам!
Fess
There are so many despicable characters within the Republican Party.
It is a feature not a bug.
Somehow, somebody being called Queen Camilla brings to mind Monty Python’s Princess Mitzi Gaynor (with the plywood teeth).