A bumper week for federal polling, in which every player in the game has had their hand in, concludes with the three-weekly federal poll from YouGov. It finds Labor leading 51-49 on two-party preferred, in from 52-48 last time, from primary votes of Labor 32% (steady), Coalition 38% (up one), Greens 13% (down two) and One Nation 7% (up one). Anthony Albanese is down three on approval to 41% and up two on disapproval to 52%, Peter Dutton is down one to 38% and steady on 49%, and Albanese’s lead as preferred prime minister narrows from 48-34 to 46-34. The poll was conducted Friday to Wednesday from a sample of 1513.
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/28/business/china-goods-exports-trade/index.html
“A glut of cheap Chinese goods is flooding the world and stoking trade tensions”
Hypocrites. These big companies (and their toadies in government) were deliriously happy to offshore jobs when it suited them and their profit margins . Now, with Chinese companies controlling the chain and profits the Western powers start decrying globalisation and competition.
#weatheronPB
A washed clean, open sky,
wakes us from yesterday’s dreams,
and demands, “Look up!”
It was all too predictable to see the states kicking back against Shortens NDIS cost shifting.
At the end of the day there will be many NDIS recipients who will no longer be eligible and with the states unable to provide for them.
But hey, another budget surplus …!
So budget surpluses are Bad Things now. It’ll be funny in a “let’s go outside & watch Mt Vesuvius as she erupts” sort of way to watch this become the official theme of the media & coalition.
Fuck it all.
Daniel Plainview:
“Does anyone here have any new updates regarding the TAS election counting and negotiations? Could Labor still have a chance of forming a coalition or is that dead?.”
It’s dead as a Tasmanian tiger.
Taylormade says:
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 9:56 am
The Age 29/03
Labor backbenchers have raised fears within the party over the Albanese government’s rushed deportation laws as MPs on both sides of politics warn against overreach by banning entire nationalities from travelling to Australia.
Sources said several MPs had also raised concerns over the speed of the bill’s passage, with one describing the process as arrogant.
_____________________
If even Labor MP’s describe the process as arrogant then no wonder it failed to pass.
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Any comments on this https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/liberal-mp-warns-dutton-on-nuclear-energy-as-labor-steps-up-attacks-20240326-p5ff92.html
Liberal MP Bridget Archer has issued her colleagues a caution on the political risk of the party’s nuclear energy plans, which the backbencher claims have been catapulted into political debate partly to keep climate change doubters on board with the Coalition’s net zero emissions policy.
While there is widespread support within Peter Dutton’s opposition for a conversation on nuclear energy, several Coalition MPs speaking confidentially to detail private concerns said they were worried the opposition was moving too quickly and creating an easy target for Labor attacks.
Team Katich, it’s not just the big companies off-shoring production to China, it’s how many did it.
I don’t recall precise details but workers at the Bonds (makers of socks and jocks) factory arrived at work one Monday to be told their task was to pack up the factory machinery for relocation to China and once done they would be out of work.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/waiting-with-bated-breath-factories-sweat-on-albanese-s-1b-solar-splash-20240328-p5ffvg.html
This is what decades of intransigent coalition governments have achieved: importing innovation in clean energy improvements. And all because the coalition parties don’t accept the scientific reality of AGW, nor the economic necessity of transitioning our energy sources away from coal.
Exporting innovation. Not importing innovation.
Rex Douglas says:
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 11:00 am
It was all too predictable to see…
—————–
Rexy trolling Labor.
We’ve drifted into a dark place when Labor partisans are crowing about budget surpluses while people are living in poverty and can’t afford the rent or to eat.
@Rex Douglas
Some good news about a Labor surplus, and then you join in with Pied Piper pissing all over it. Its funny, but you didn’t seem so concerned about the poor. When you slammed Labor lifting the tax rate 0.5 per cent of individuals with superannuation accounts over $3 million. I also love your comment about ‘Labor partisans’ on here. While you are copying and pasting Teal/Greens tweets like a parrot.
‘Team Katich says:
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 10:51 am
https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/28/business/china-goods-exports-trade/index.html
“A glut of cheap Chinese goods is flooding the world and stoking trade tensions”
Hypocrites. These big companies (and their toadies in government) were deliriously happy to offshore jobs when it suited them and their profit margins . Now, with Chinese companies controlling the chain and profits the Western powers start decrying globalisation and competition.’
————————————–
There is that. Then there is China’s overt mercantilism and the smashing damage that can do to other economies. Then there is the very cheap prison Labor.
I think Labor should forget about having a budget at all and just print as much money as possible, as per MMT, then give everyone a UBI.
Then to top it all off, Labor should give everyone free transport, dental care, child care, aged care, housing, health and unlimited education services.
Let’s fact it: anything less and Labor stands condemned for genocide of its own people.
The Coalition anti-renewables dogma, spurred on by Big Gina and Big Dirty, has put Australia back a decade.
Not only in our own contribution to emissions, but by wasting the incredible wealth of renewable resource this continent has.
Thankfully after a wasted decade, Albo and his excellent team are righting things.
Come now, Boerwar. You know what would happen were that to occur. The same naysayers and anti Labor numpties would still complain that it wasn’t good enough.
GA,
I am occasionally part of tenders that lose to larger city based firms who I know offshore drafting and data processing and even design to SE Asia. They don’t disclose this.
A recent one was for a local regional large town revitalisation project. It went to a fancy east coast city firm with lots of fancy dressed execs and seeming little in the way of actual staff. They do have an exec in a small SE Asian office tho.
They q is, why not just offshore the whole tender and skip the fancy dressed middlemen who spend more time in meetings and on planes than in production.
I would just like to point out to some of you out there that surpluses actually reduce poverty. Deficits mean more debt which means more tax money going to banks and bond investors via the interest payments. less debt means a bigger portion of tax revenue can go to social services.
‘Rebecca says:
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 10:49 am
Lordbain: I honestly think the only hope for dislodging the Liberals in Tasmania is for Labor and the Greens to sit down, in advance of the election, and practically work out outside the heat of an election campaign how they’d function with a Labor minority government with the Greens providing supply and confidence and no formal deal – not a secret deal, but more settling the question of “how do we get this done and not kill each other?”
….’
——————–
Classic Greens perspective in that one.
That is a 100% recipe for what the Greens do to Labor in the Fed Senate day in day out. Delays, screaming, obstruction, verballing, outrage and moral panic galore.
The election after that one? Labor gets slaughtered and the Greens make a bit more ground while they wait for Der Tag – another 35 years down the road.
Fear and loathing raising it head all over PB on a “good”Friday to boot!
‘jacobin says:
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 11:40 am
I would just like to point out to some of you out there that surpluses actually reduce poverty. Deficits mean more debt which means more tax money going to banks and bond investors via the interest payments. less debt means a bigger portion of tax revenue can go to social services.’
—————————-
$22 billion in interest payments this FY.
Not as bad as the national pets bill at $33 billion this FY.
‘Team Katich says:
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 11:36 am
GA,
I am occasionally part of tenders that lose to larger city based firms who I know offshore drafting and data processing and even design to SE Asia. They don’t disclose this.
A recent one was for a local regional large town revitalisation project. It went to a fancy east coast city firm with lots of fancy dressed execs and seeming little in the way of actual staff. They do have an exec in a small SE Asian office tho.
They q is, why not just offshore the whole tender and skip the fancy dressed middlemen who spend more time in meetings and on planes than in production.’
————————–
The great hollowing out of our economy continues apace.
There is an interesting article in the Guardian that says that vegetable nutrient levels are declining because of rising carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere.
goll @ #69 Friday, March 29th, 2024 – 11:43 am
Some are taking Jesus’s crucifixion personally.
I had no idea that NSW Housing Minister Rose Jackson is the daughter of former ABC journo Liz Jackson. I also didn’t know that Liz Jackson had died!
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/how-do-you-make-your-mark-when-your-parents-are-high-achievers-this-is-how-rose-jackson-is-doing-it-20240326-p5ffgb.html
Now here is something that the UN General Assembly can really sink its teeth into. Or perhaps even the Organization of Islamic Co-operation.
https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2024/mar/28/taliban-edict-to-resume-stoning-women-to-death-met-with-horror
Sir Otto Niemeyer enters the room disguised as Jacobin.
We must always live within our means because, as we all know, Australia was a much better place when Costello got rid of government debt.
Fear and loathing raising it head all over PB on a “good”Friday to boot!
——————
Good Friday is in early May.
Political Nightwatchman:
“When you [Rex] slammed Labor lifting the tax rate 0.5 per cent of individuals with superannuation accounts over $3 million. ”
Well that’s very intriguing…
Rex is a tricky one.
If progressive governance in this country is to have a long-term future, I can’t see how Labor and the Greens can avoid having some sort of sit-down arrangement about how to share power.
Tasmania with its Hare-Clark system is one thing. I think it’s also likely the Greens will continue to gain federal lower house seats in the future, enough to make hung parliaments more likely than not.
Of course, Labor would rather govern with a majority in its own right, as I would rather it do too.
But realities have to be faced. It is silly for progressive parties to see each other as the main enemy.
Labor will resist anything like a formal coalition with the Greens, giving them places in cabinet for example. In exchange for assuring a minority Labor government confidence and supply, Labor would find it easy to pass most Greens’ legislation, as there are no major political differences with that party.
Of course difficulties and disagreements would arise, but once such an arrangement becomes the new normal, Australia’s democracy will come to resemble many in Europe, where the messiness of parliamentary politics can still result in successful governance.
There is that. Then there is China’s overt mercantilism and the smashing damage that can do to other economies. Then there is the very cheap prison Labor.
———————————
(labour?)
You are describing how the West took over the global system.
Not necessarily prison labour, but not free labour either. Although, there is some recent research into Australia’s use of prison labour. ABC RN LNL did a bit on it.
SHP
Labor and the Greens party are worlds apart as long as Labor is in partnership with the fossil fuel industry.
Further to my last post, what happens to conservative governance in Australia if the teals become something like a permanent presence in Australian politics?
If teal MPs happen to hold the balance of power, would they risk the fate of Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott and support a minority Labor government? OTOH, the Liberal and National Parties have drifted so far right, could they or their constituents wear backing the Coalition?
One possible arrangement might include the teals (assuming they’d all agree with each other of course) guaranteeing confidence and supply to a minority Coalition governments, but reserving their right to block far right policies, such as repealing anti-racist legislation, cutting support for renewable energy or introducing nuclear power.
These moderate small-L liberals might even combine with Labor and Greens MPs to push progressive policy from the crossbench.
Interesting times ahead, should Australian politics develop along such lines.
Rex Douglas says:
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 12:14 pm
SHP
Labor and the Greens party are worlds apart as long as Labor is in partnership with the fossil fuel industry.
__________________________________________________________
Labor is not in partnership with the fossil fuels industry. Just yesterday, Albo announced a government-backed initiative to manufacture solar panels in Australia, on the site of a soon-to-be closed coal-fired plant.
The Labor government is also aiming for 82% of the grid to be powered by renewable energy by 2030, and is financing the installation of wind turbines across Australia’s east coast and the transmission lines to carry the extra power.
Peter Dutton is trying to kick up hysteria over such devices, claiming they will kill whales, while some farmers are organising demonstrations against the transmission lines.
There is vast room for improvement in Labor’s energy policy, but the government would not be doing what it is doing if it were in partnership with the fossil fuel industry.
The government is certainly concerned that fossil fuels could leave the grid before renewables can adequately replace them, leaving consumers, who are also voters, literally in the dark. To that end, yes, the Labor government is prepared to prop up fossil fuels.
But it should be obvious that Labor is closer to the Greens on energy policy and is not “worlds apart”.
Know your enemy, and, also know who is more likely to be your friend.
“Tasmania with its Hare-Clark system is one thing. I think it’s also likely the Greens will continue to gain federal lower house seats in the future, enough to make hung parliaments more likely than not.”
Perhaps.
What’s worth noting is that Greens strongholds are all Inner City Suburbs with ageing stand alone housing and stratopheric Land values.
B[risbane] CC Town Plan is that West End along the riverbank will be High Rise Housing up to 90 storeys.
Those homeowners will vote their economic interests and that will be the end of The Greens in The Gabba, South Brisbane and Griffith.
Basically, Greens voters cluster around Tertiary Education and Hospitals.
Once they’re priced out, they’ll have to relocate further ouit into the suburbs and their influence will dilute
Boerwarsays:
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 11:41 am
‘Rebecca says:
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 10:49 am
Lordbain: I honestly think the only hope for dislodging the Liberals in Tasmania is for Labor and the Greens to sit down, in advance of the election, and practically work out outside the heat of an election campaign how they’d function with a Labor minority government with the Greens providing supply and confidence and no formal deal – not a secret deal, but more settling the question of “how do we get this done and not kill each other?”
….’
——————–
Classic Greens perspective in that one.
That is a 100% recipe for what the Greens do to Labor in the Fed Senate day in day out. Delays, screaming, obstruction, verballing, outrage and moral panic galore.
The election after that one? Labor gets slaughtered and the Greens make a bit more ground while they wait for Der Tag – another 35 years down the road.
Cool; because the last few elections (where Labor went heavily against any and all consideration with working with the greens) showed a bounce back in Labors primary vote right? Right?
“If teal MPs happen to hold the balance of power, would they risk the fate of Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott and support a minority Labor government? OTOH, the Liberal and National Parties have drifted so far right, could they or their constituents wear backing the Coalition?”
It won’t matter if the Cost Of Living crisis continues to get worse.
When that happened in 1996, 1975 and 1949, Labor and the Indies were swept out.
It was even more dramatic in 1931, the worst year of The Great Depression.
The Teals are Labor Hostages.
If Labor resets and goes to an Election in November, some of them might survive.
If he waits until May 2025, the way the Government is tracking, the Teal Seats will be the first to fall.
Bottom line:
When the Economy gets bad enough, the Electorate swings hard to the Right.
Cost of living crisis getting worse?
CPI increase continues to fall from its peak 15 months ago: https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/price-indexes-and-inflation/monthly-consumer-price-index-indicator/feb-2024
CPI only 0.4% outside the RBAs target range.
gympie says:
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 12:41 pm
“If teal MPs happen to hold the balance of power, would they risk the fate of Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott and support a minority Labor government? OTOH, the Liberal and National Parties have drifted so far right, could they or their constituents wear backing the Coalition?”
It won’t matter if the Cost Of Living crisis continues to get worse.
When that happened in 1996, 1975 and 1949, Labor and the Indies were swept out.
It was even more dramatic in 1931, the worst year of The Great Depression.
The Teals are Labor Hostages.
If Labor resets and goes to an Election in November, some of them might survive.
If he waits until May 2025, the way the Government is tracking, the Teal Seats will be the first to fall.
Bottom line:
When the Economy gets bad enough, the Electorate swings hard to the Right.
___________________________________________________________
Much as you might like the economy to deteriorate gympie, most economists are optimistic that by the end of the year, inflation will be easing and we might have an interest rate cut or two. Wages are also on the rise for the first time in years, thanks largely to the Labor government enabling trade unions to have more bargaining power and advocating wage rises before the Fair Work Commission.
Unemployment may be marginally higher, but hopefully by not more than historical averages.
It’s a pity that Tories have nothing to offer the people except fear campaigns while hoping for the economy to collapse.
Nostradamus is also from Qld !
Who’d of thought!
The MSM want Labor to fail at everything just so it keeps their agenda alive. If it had been Morrison in charge he would have been made a hero for having 2 surpluses in a row and the cost of living comments would have been dumbed down to virtually nothing.
“CPI increase continues to fall from its peak 15 months ago:”
Leaving aside Rent/ Mortgages, Petrol has moved quite a bit higher in the last 18 months and Vegetables, Beef and Lamb have gotten dearer.
These are the Goods that matter most, not cheaper Ocean Cruises and Mink Coats.
I would implore anyone complaining about the whinging millenials to give this excellent ABC article a read:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-03-28/data-on-30-year-old-australians-shows-financial-hardship/103528726
If the substantial reductions in wholesale electricity was matched by retail price drops come EOFY, we would see inflation drop further and costs of living pressures ease.
But that doesn’t seem to be how it works. The money they pay for your solar feed-in will continue to drop to near zip, your bill will barely change, and the system will chug along making the usual and entrenched suspects fatter.
Sir Henry Parkes:
“It’s a pity that Tories have nothing to offer the people except fear campaigns while hoping for the economy to collapse.”
And the Tories are also hoping desperately for more illegal boat arrivals.
LNP to Labor: “Stop the boats!”
LNP to people smugglers: “Send the boats!”
The CPI is based on a basket of goods that the average Aussie buys.
The PBLCI which is used by Centrelink for pensioners is a basket of goods that retired people purchase.
You cannot pick and choose which products are used based on your own preferences (e.g. that you are vegan or not).
So how long does this cost of living crisis go on for? Until the Libs get elected?
I miss Nostradamus. I didn’t always agree with his views, but most of his predictions do come to pass.
‘Lordbain says:
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 12:37 pm
Boerwarsays:
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 11:41 am
‘Rebecca says:
Friday, March 29, 2024 at 10:49 am
Lordbain: I honestly think the only hope for dislodging the Liberals in Tasmania is for Labor and the Greens to sit down, in advance of the election, and practically work out outside the heat of an election campaign how they’d function with a Labor minority government with the Greens providing supply and confidence and no formal deal – not a secret deal, but more settling the question of “how do we get this done and not kill each other?”
….’
——————–
Classic Greens perspective in that one.
That is a 100% recipe for what the Greens do to Labor in the Fed Senate day in day out. Delays, screaming, obstruction, verballing, outrage and moral panic galore.
The election after that one? Labor gets slaughtered and the Greens make a bit more ground while they wait for Der Tag – another 35 years down the road.
Cool; because the last few elections (where Labor went heavily against any and all consideration with working with the greens) showed a bounce back in Labors primary vote right? Right?’
——————————
Labor is in majority government.
The Coalition destroys.
The Greens block.
Labor builds.
Sir Henry Parkes:
Well said!