The latest federal poll from RedBridge Group has Labor with a two-party lead of 52-48, as compared with 51.2-48.8 at the last such poll in early February. The primary votes are Labor 33% (steady), Coalition 37% (down one), Greens 12% (down one) and One Nation 7% (not specified previously). The full release offers detailed demographic breakdowns and much else besides. Interestingly, both Labor and Coalition voters who report being in financial stress also report being less firm in their voting intention. Questions on immigration include a finding that 72% believe the current rate is making housing less affordable for young people, with only 16% disagreeing, and similar results for the proposition that “Australian cities are too crowded”. The poll was conducted April 12 to 21 from a sample of 1529.
The Courier-Mail also published a finding on Saturday from the YouGov Queensland poll that a preferred prime minister question showed Peter Dutton leading Anthony Albanese 45-37, comparing favourably with the 41-41 result from the January-to-March Newspoll breakdown.
Boerwar says:
Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 4:01 pm
Genocide is not a formal policy of the Government of Israel.
It is of Iran and Hamas.
Lordbain says:
Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 4:09 pm
Ah i see BW… as long as theres no genocidal vision statement, thats ok, actions be damned?
———————————————————————-
If leaders on both sides have made genocidal vision statements, how does the other side trust promises as being anything other than an interim step the eventual outcome sought?
Perhaps the very first step is for the Israeli and the Iran+ leadership to resile from their genocidal vision statements?
a r @ #1432 Thursday, May 2nd, 2024 – 3:52 pm
They can live off a reverse mortgage, which seems much fairer to me than living off the government.
‘FUBAR says:
Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 4:13 pm
Boerwar says:
Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 4:01 pm
Genocide is not a formal policy of the Government of Israel.
It is of Iran and Hamas.’
———————
Formal? Strawman.
As noted above significant leaders of the Israeli Government, including Netanyahu, and several of the more ultra minor government parties, have made genocidal vision statements.
The lack of control over the behaviour of the so-called ‘settlers’ in the West Bank and the lack of proportionality in the way the IDF has fought in the Gaza Strip and the food blockade are consistent with those statements. The various threats to expel that 20% of the Israeli population that is non-jewish is also entirely consistent with a genocidal vision.
The promise of elements of the HAMAS leadership to do October 7 again, on the road to ultimate success, needs no explication.
‘Oakeshott Country says:
…
They can live off a reverse mortgage, which seems much fairer to me than living off the government.’
——————————-
Exactemundo.
Boerwar 3:48PM
Interesting. I never knew about the Beeldenstorm.
Brought up strictly catholic, I first became shocked about religious induced destruction when I began to read about the crusades against the Albigenses and Cathars and the sacking of Constantinople. Religion can be a force for destruction as much as creation, depending on who wields it and why.
FUBAR, Israeli politicians have, on multiple occasions, called for the removal (and often killing) of all Palestinians. And then we have Netanyahu’s statement of “And therefore I clarify that in any other arrangement, in the future, the state of Israel has to control the entire area from the river to the sea.”.
Now, I thought “from the river to the sea…” was a call for Israeli genocide? So either it isnt, or when Israelis say it, they are calling for the genocide of the Palestinians.
Genocidal comments are coming from both sides, from multiple levels. Thats why its up to anyone actually after a long term solution to put their voice forward; if they wait for everyone calling for genocide to shut up, it will never happen.
I see Macquarie bank is going cashless.
And then we have Netanyahu’s statement of “And therefore I clarify that in any other arrangement, in the future, the state of Israel has to control the entire area from the river to the sea.”.????
There will be no solution until he is removed !
Rex Douglas @ #1458 Thursday, May 2nd, 2024 – 4:21 pm
Bonza beat them to it! 🙂
Soc
I was shocked by the Beeldenstorm as a catholic child until I started reading about how Spain exported the Inquisition to the Low Countries. It was horrific. I now understand the Beeldenstorm as being in part a sort of huge nascent national explosion of resentment against both Spain and the church authorities. It was part and parcel of the eventual emergence of the Netherlands.
I have been having a bit of fun tracking our ancestors back to 1010 lately. One lot of my ritter ancestors had a lot of trouble with the Abbotts of a certain Abbey… they knew how to fix knotty problems in those days…
The other interesting thing is going back and reading the controversies around Motley’s version and Fruin’s version of the same events. Motley, in particular, was part player and part historian. He loathed the catholics and the Spaniards with such venom that he made stuff up in what was otherwise a reasonable history at the time. It occurred to me that Motley was an American and he published in the mid 1890’s so might have been infused by the US frothing at Spanish America during the lead up to Cuba and the Philippines expropriations.
There is a church in Utrecht I think where you can run your hands over the remains of some statues – just the feet. You can touch history, just like that.
It is not Israeli Government Policy.
P1
indeed…
‘FUBAR says:
Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 4:30 pm
Lordbain says:
Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 4:20 pm
FUBAR, Israeli politicians have, on multiple occasions, called for the removal (and often killing) of all Palestinians.
It is not Israeli Government Policy.’
———————-
So what?
As noted above numerous Israeli leaders, including the Israeli Prime Minister, have expressed genocidal vision statements.
The lack of control over the behaviour of the so-called ‘settlers’ in the West Bank and the lack of proportionality in the way the IDF has fought in the Gaza Strip and the food blockade are consistent with those statements. The various threats to expel that 20% of the Israeli population that is non-jewish is also entirely consistent with a genocidal vision.
The promise of elements of the HAMAS leadership to do October 7 again, on the road to ultimate success, needs no explication.
I see FUBAR… so unless its “official policy”, its just a couple of silly ministers, cabinet members, and one very silly Prime Minister blowing of steam? Just talking nonsense aye?
Apart from BW’s posts there seems to be a view across this board that only one side in the Middle East conflict is genocidal (to use the now almost meaningless term). Whether it’s Israel or Palestine depends on the outlook of the commentator.
It’s a stupid pointless discussion that will do nothing but create more division in our own country.
Correct. And they can be held accountable by the Israeli voters in the same way that the….oh.
I imagine a lot of Macquarie Bank customers will come to regret that if the power and/or internet goes out.
TPOF
I think it is useful to discuss the situation calmly and as dispassionately as possible.
I disagree that ‘genocide’ is now almost a meaningless term.
IMHO, addressing this concept in a substantive way is the only true key to unlocking any prospects for long term peace in the Middle East.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/jan/16/domestic-violence-support-payment-rate-data-under-half-accepted
“Between July and September last year 57,041 applications were made for the escaping violence payment (EVP) but only 29,437 were found eligible, according to data released in response to a question on notice during Senate estimates.”
“A review of the program in May last year found there were difficulties in establishing eligibility for the payment because people did not have the right supporting documentation, such as a police or doctor’s report. Some clients struggled to demonstrate financial hardship because they did not have a bank account in their name, were not able to access bank statements or struggled to prove they wanted to move.”
I hope this is looked at ASAP
How many people on aged pensions own $20 million homes?
There are many anecodotal stories in the greek community about old people on aged pension owning multiple properties. Closer inspection often shows the properties are owned by relatives living in Greece
Remember that tax concessions for investors and self funded retirees annually outstrip aged pension payments every year
Although Linda Reynolds has mounted a defamation case I believe her aim is to bankrupt Brittany Higgins ==> Linda Reynolds is a wicked, wicked slug, and her defenders can join her in hell
The Palestinian population has grown from about 1 million in 1970 to over 5 million in 2024. They are one of the fastest growing populations in the world. How is that genocide?
The only reason we handle cash these days is if the grandparents are involved in a transaction.
My MIL has only just started using internet banking (you just can’t trust it!) in the last 12 months. She still pays her bills by Cheque but is aware that she’s got only a year or so of that to go.
None. They’d have sold it already.
FUBAR
The Israeli leaders who have made genocidal statements have been voted in by Israeli voters. As noted previously, it does not seem to matter whether the entities involved are theocracies, medieval monarchies, dictatorships or completely undemocratic groups of terrorists. They have all generated genocidal vision statements.
Great question FUBAR; I am sure it was asked with all good intent 🙂
Maybe, just maybe, because if Israel (or any country) was to engage in active genocide, then it becomes alot harder for even their staunchest allies to support them, not to mention the effect it would have on Israels attempts to normalise relations in the region.
See, theres this other things you can do which takes longer, but its less explicit; you can force people to move away. This can be done in a range of ways, but it comes done to making it way to horrible to keep living there (through implicit or explicit threats, through acts of violence, through entrenched laws etc).
So the fact that a population is growing simply means the current system isnt working. And given the gloves of approach the IDF has undertaken in gaza, the escalation in settler violence in the west bank (supported by the Israeli government), and the constant push to have gazans just leave (with no promise they will be let back into gaza)… I wonder if theres a word to describe the … cleansing… of an area based on ethnicity…
It isn’t just me saying it. AUKUS Pier 1 (SSNs) is in trouble according to this US writer.
https://www.aspistrategist.org.au/start-thinking-now-about-alternatives-to-aukus-pillar-1/
“Why has this situation arisen? First, the prospective program costs are enormous and have been badly underestimated. Second, industrial capacity is inadequate for the tasks of building and supporting a nuclear fleet. Third, the program lacks a powerful leader and an effective management plan to drive it forward.”
Where I disagree with this writer is his view that AUKUS Pillar 2 (technology exchange) is the good bit that should be kept and expanded. Sure if you are US weapons exporter! You get a guaranteed customer who is locked out of buying from anyone else. Australian researchers (including universities) are constrained in who they can work with. Meanwhile progress on USA granting access to its market is slow:
“However, matters of intellectual property, classification and trust are critical. Once these other issues are resolved…”
My question to AUKUS fans is this: if progress on AUKUS is this slow under Biden, how will we go under Trump?
PS the writer thinks the defence solution for Australia might be nuclear weapons. I wonder where we will store those?
1,934Pc says:
Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 4:27 pm
And then we have Netanyahu’s statement of “And therefore I clarify that in any other arrangement, in the future, the state of Israel has to control the entire area from the river to the sea.”.????
There will be no solution until he is removed !
If Palestinians have equal rights in the state of Israel then it is a solution.
As things stand it is no different than South Africa and the Bantustan territories and will likely meet the same fate.
I see that Dutton crawled out from under his rock today.
‘FUBAR says:
Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 4:41 pm
The Palestinian population has grown from about 1 million in 1970 to over 5 million in 2024. They are one of the fastest growing populations in the world. How is that genocide?’
———————————–
How?
As noted above numerous Israeli leaders, including the Israeli Prime Minister, have expressed genocidal vision statements.
The lack of control over the behaviour of the so-called ‘settlers’ in the West Bank and the lack of proportionality in the way the IDF has fought in the Gaza Strip and the food blockade are consistent with those statements. The various threats to expel that 20% of the Israeli population that is non-jewish is also entirely consistent with a genocidal vision.
The promise of elements of the HAMAS leadership to do October 7 again, on the road to ultimate success, needs no explication.
Very few Macquarie Bank customers use Macquarie for their day to day banking because Macquarie Bank had 1 branch in each capital city and arrangements with NAB to accept deposits on its behalf
In WA in 1983 Westpac had more branches than Bankwest
How do I know? I counted them as I coded BSB on all National Party membership subscriptions
davidwh says:
Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 3:55 pm
How could any Jewish person support a genocidal outcome for any ethnic group?
Read the bible, the first testament god was really into it.
davidwh @ #1434 Thursday, May 2nd, 2024 – 3:55 pm
Itamar Ben-Gvir (Hebrew: אִיתָמָר בֶּן גְּבִיר; born 6 May 1976), the Israeli far-right politician and lawyer who has been the Minister of National Security since 2022 has quoted the following passage in speeches several times, including since he was appointed a Minister. He has built a house on the West Bank.
Torah: JPS (Jewish Publication Society) Tanakh – gender sensitive edition(!).
Deuteronomy 20 16:17
The zionist version of the ‘Abrahamic’ christian/jewish/muslim deity (sky fairy) commands annihilation of all of the other inhabitants of the chosen lands.
Itamar Ben-Gvir says so. Without his tiny Otzma Yehudit party’s, and other similar ratbags’ support, Netanyahu does not have a majority.
Wow, I didn’t realise this blog was such a nest of “Israeli experts!”
I was in Israel in September 2023. Previously, I was there January-March of 2020, spent three months in the West Bank doing research. I have many friends who also (still) live around Tiberius.
When were you last there?
The beautiful dinners I had with Jews, Christians, Muslims, Jew Arabs, Christian Arabs, Muslim Arabs etc.. is just such a wonderful memory! To be honest, you have no real right to talk about a place to which you’ve never been, never breathed in the actual atmosphere, never been on a cobbled road in Jerusalem at 1am in the morning to see full families out for walks with grandparents and kids in toe. Not a single drunk, druggie or king punching people on the streets like you would in Northbridge. No smell of a person’s urine on a street corner.
I’m not saying that the State of Israel is spotless but they **do** “genocide” in a very weird way.
Why has the Palestinian population increased exponentially since the 1960’s? Why have Arab MPs or judges? Why give Arabs voting rights at all? Why give your most sacred site (that of Abraham’s altar/King David’s throne) over to Islamic Administration? Why is it that Arabs don’t have to do military service (but even Hasidic jews have to now)? Why allow Arabs to run most of the shops and stalls across all quarters of Jerusalem? Why is Palestine still on the map? Why isn’t it glowing in the dark? Why go to Camp David with Clinton and Arafat and offer the Palestinian people 99% of what they want? Why not put genocide into your founding documents like Hamas has?
Soc
The last Trump presidency was tempered by residual adults in the room. The military persuaded him not to attack Iran, for example.
Trump, and those around him, are not going to let that happen in Trump II. They are right now training thousands of MAGANs to occupy appointments.
On top of his existing lack of personal control, theere can be no doubt that Trump occasionally displays symptoms of dementia. In the normal course of events these will increase markedly over the next five years.
I doubt we can count on anything at all from the US during a Trump presidency.
Forget AUKUS. We need a full Plan B.
On the 1st of April Reynolds had a meeting with Higgins in her office. The site of Higgins rape the week before. Reynolds denies she had any knowledge of the sexual assault or even that she had awoken to find a man on top of her at that time. As it would been highly insensitive to Higgins feeling had she knowingly held the meeting there knowing that.
Now, does Reynolds claim. Which she made under oath at the ACT Supreme court actually hold weight?. Lets look at the chronology of events that occurred before the 1st of April.
28th of March: Fiona Brown chief of staff to Reynolds is told of rape allegations. According to her testimony in the Lehrmann defamation case:
“Ms Brown told the court that Ms Higgins made no allegation of rape in their meeting on Tuesday, March 26.
However she said that at a subsequent meeting two days later, that Ms Higgins disclosed the allegation to her.
“She pivoited, she was quite casual, she just said out of the blue ‘I remember him on top of me’,” Ms Brown said.
“I was shocked by that.”
https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/courts-law/bruce-lehrmann-defamation-trial-enters-final-week/news-story/2dac207a3f69fbcf6678b7c16feacaf4
29th of March: Reynolds and Brown had meeting in which they discussed Higgins. The AFP have transcripts of one topic that was discussed in that meeting according to Brown’s testimony to the AFP officer. Which was revealed in data released in the Lehrmann defamation trial.
“The master chronology records on March 29, 2019, that Fiona Brown claimed that “Linda called – directed me to go to AFP and report the incident on her behalf, I refused. We discussed, she insisted, I refused. I said ‘you can’t, it is morally and ethically wrong. It is up to the person/victim, disempowering etc’. Heated.”
https://www.news.com.au/national/nsw-act/courts-law/brittany-higgins-raises-the-question-of-whether-she-was-drugged-on-night-of-alleged-rape/news-story/bed943b3a8bc9cae1491a879515bf39c
So seriously does anyone believe Reynolds claim that on the 1st of April she knew nothing of any form of sexual assault allegations at the time of that meeting?. A statement she made under oath. To believe that you would need to believe that Fiona Brown, who knew of sexual assault allegation on the 28th of March, told Reynolds nothing about them in their meeting on the 29th of March. You would also have to believe Fiona Brown’s testimony to the AFP, on what was discussed by her and Reynolds in their 29th of March meeting. Was about Higgins going to the police to report something that wasn’t a sexual assault or rape. Which begs the question what would it be instead?. As you certainly wouldn’t need Higgins consent to report a security breach. So what would need Higgins consent to report to the police but wasn’t a sexual assault or rape in this incident, that Reynolds and Brown argued over in the above transcript?.
Overall Reynolds statement in the ACT supreme court doesn’t stand up to scrutiny. I look forward to some clarity on it during her defamation trial though.
Ah geez…
We keep getting told that Israel are occupiers (and I agree that they are). Therefore, the occupied areas are not a part of the State of Israel. The Palestinians in the occupied territories are not Israeli Citizens in Israel and therefore do not get equal rights with Israelis. If they stopped trying to kill Israelis all the time, then they wouldn’t be treated like terrorists.
Moving on from the reality to the Palestinian State – if that exists then they also are not Israelis in Israel and their rights will be different – eg try being a female or gay or trans in the Palestinian state and see how life treats you.
As much as I usually disagree with anything BW says, he is 100 percent on target considering Trump v2. The implications of what a Trump led government could drag Australia into (ala early 2000s) is horrifying
MarysFarm
What people are asking is why bomb Palestine back to the stone age?
Israel has changed. Likud is not Labor.
We’re fcked either way.
Housing
There is a shortage of housing in our major cities that can be addressed by
1. heavy land taxes for land banking
2. heavy land taxes for empty residential property
3. government directly build affordable housing
4. alleviate building supply shortages by restricting dwelling size
May need to alter the mindset of the Domain readers who drool over the luxury property pages because luxury real estate raises consumer expectations and consumes lots of building supplies and tradesmen
MarysFarmsays:
Thursday, May 2, 2024 at 4:56 pm
I’m not saying that the State of Israel is spotless but they **do** “genocide” in a very weird way.
================================================
Read the Torah. Some of the original standard type genocides are documented there. Also the standard motives for genocide in there too. Such as we are superior to you and chosen by God. Who says you all should be killed.
He has sobered a bit since then though. Now when he wants to curse a nation. He makes Morrison PM instead.
God gave us Morrison because he was all out of locusts.
WTF? That’s just class warfare/envy. Prestige real estate has nothing to do with the solution for the lack of first home buyer entry level housing or rental stock for entry level renters.
Read the Torah?
Read the Koran. Read the bible. There’s all sorts of ugly in those books.
“Funny” that you sidestepped all of the questions I asked of this “genocidal” Nation…
MarysFarm
I have never been to Israel but my Irish Catholic friend was smuggled out of Bethlehem on October 14th after Bethlehem registered vehicles were banned from travelling into Jerusalem & Tel Aviv
I heard prominent Israeli politicians say they will exterminate these human animals as they cut cut off water, electricity and food into Gaza
I used to be a supporter of Israel
I hope no one starts reading the Koran because that’s not going to put Islam in a good light, either.
Snap!
MarysFarm
Religious texts were used to justify Israel.
Socrates @ #1477 Thursday, May 2nd, 2024 – 4:49 pm
Agree entirely. AUKUS is a complete dud of a policy that Labor should never have endorsed, and should back away from ASAP.
They won’t, of course.
Too embarrassing.
Instead, they will continue to throw money at it until they lose office.
Then they will blame the COALition when it all finally goes pear-shaped.
SOP 🙁
“The nation’s university chancellors have refused to directly condemn anti-semitism on Australian campuses”
This is my stunned goat pose.