There’s quite a bit going on in Bludgerdom at the moment, so before we proceed, some plugs for the posts below this one:
• First and foremost, the site’s thirty-seventh bi-monthly donation drive is in progress, so if you’ve ever felt this corner of cyberspace was deserving of support, there is no time like the present.
• There is a guest post from Adrian Beaumont covering today’s British local elections and various other items of news from what passes for the democratic world these days.
• I have a post up on tomorrow’s Tasmanian periodic Legislative Council elections (or to be precise, two periodic elections and one by-election), which aren’t always interesting but are this year, as the post seeks to explain.
• Still another new post looks at a New South Wales state poll that as far as I can tell has gone unreported by the paper that commissioned it.
On with the show:
• The weekly Roy Morgan poll has Labor with an unchanged two-party lead of 52-48, from primary votes of Labor 31.5% (up one), Coalition 36.5% (up one), Greens 14% (down two) and One Nation 5.5% (steady). The poll was conducted Monday to Sunday from a sample of 1719.
• As intimated by earlier reports, Labor has chosen Lisa Darmanin, public sector branch secretary of the Australian Services Union, to fill the Victorian Senate vacancy created by the death in February of Linda White, who shared Darmanian’s background in the union.
• The Canberra Times reports a Liberal preselection to choose its Australian Capital Territory Senate candidate was won by Jacob Vadakkedathu, director of a management consultancy. Vadakkedathu prevailed in the final round over Kasey Lam-Evans by 163 votes to 121, after former ministerial adviser Jerry Nockles and former territory parliamentarian Giulia Jones dropped out in earlier rounds.
• The Liberals have confirmed former Liberal member Nicolle Flint’s comeback bid in the Adelaide seat of Boothby, which she held from 2016 until she stood aside at the 2022 election, at which it was won for Labor by Louise Miller-Frost. Also confirmed as Liberal candidates are Amy Grantham in Adelaide, who also ran in 2022, and Tea Tree Gully councillor Irena Zagladov in Makin.
• In her weekly column for Nine Newspapers, Niki Savva reports a uComms poll conducted for Climate 200 in mid-March credited independent Nicolette Boele with a 53-47 lead over Liberal member Paul Fletcher in the northern Sydney seat of Bradfield. Boele came within 4.2% of winning the seat in 2022. However, the situation in this seat is likely to be substantially complicated by a looming redistribution that will cost New South Wales a seat, which will very likely result in the abolition if not of Bradfield then of one of its near neighbours.
Thanks BW re Carlton!
C@t, enjoy the good ole USA. I love visiting the place, despite the fact that there is so much weird there. I particularly love the intercity areas with a large African American population. Usually full of amazing jazz and blues bars.
P1
Climate deniers abound…
Homebush is notionally Souths home ground. The bulk of Souths supporters live nowhere near Homebush. It’s a pia to get to and from.
It’s an awful venue to watch any of the non AFL codes at because it was designed as an athletics field for the Olympics and then 2 other sports apparently said they’d use it. So it was also designed to accommodate Aussie rules and cricket.
That totally effed the joint for the 3 sports that play on rectangular fields.
And then of course those other 2 sports decided yeah, nah and stopped using it.
When the state government has solved all the other more needy areas then and only then should it lop off the 2 end stands and build new stands closer to the dead ball/ byline of the rectangular sports.
So it won’t or rather shouldn’t happen in what’s left of my lifetime.
Souths should move to the Gladys Memorial Football Stadium at Moore Park but Homebush are paying them to play there. $ first. Fans, who cares.
Rex Douglas @ #299 Saturday, May 4th, 2024 – 11:26 am
His warning is far too frightening for most people.
Just imagine how frightening the secret government report (which I assume Barrie has seen) must actually be.
Aqua, League died when they shutdown the Jets. Shame Rabbits, shame.
Team Katich @ #305 Saturday, May 4th, 2024 – 11:36 am
The Blue Bags were my second team.
I did athletics at Henson Park for a couple of years in younger days while they renovated Hensley Field at Pagewood.
@Integrity:
“ P1
Climate deniers abound…”
______
Many of these “deniers” are called “voters”, and most of their “denial” is not over threshold issues such as “climate change is real” or “something should be done” to address climate change.
Rather the real “denial” out there in voter land is “someone else should pay for it” (“it” being actual action to address climate change).
The only political outfit that is prepared to even TRY to bring these “deniers” inside the tent for actual action is … you guessed it … Labor. The very same political outfit that YOU … and P1 … and Liberal L’arse … and Irene … spend 24/7 – or 99.9% of your posts … gaslighting. You are not helping … (other than in assisting the political fortunes of Peter Dutton, naturally).
Speaking of Gladys…
Sydney’s Western Harbour Tunnel, Warringah Freeway could be ‘bloody disaster’ for traffic, inquiry told – ABC News https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-03/sydney-western-harbour-tunnel-warringah-freeway-traffic-disaster/103801818
How to spend shitfuls of money and make things worse.
‘Player One says:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 11:26 am
Andrew_Earlwood @ #298 Saturday, May 4th, 2024 – 11:24 am
You hate people. At least the ones unlikely to come visit for a good old fashioned fleecing at the eco-prepper resort that you hideout in.
Bore? Is that you?’
—————-
Petulant name-calling seems to feature in your repertoire.
To answer your question, No.
As I have posted before I am trying never to get into another plane.
I am also trying to do local, low impact tourism.
So far, both are working fine.
As noted above, I encourage people who are genuinely interested in the nexus between tourism and the environment to read Das’ latest book. It is a devastating expose of what the tourism industry is all about.
I encourage those who earn a living from the industry to form groups and to start leading the industry out of its supine approach to global warming before global warming destroys their industry.
‘Andrew_Earlwood says:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 11:40 am
@Integrity:
“ P1
Climate deniers abound…”
______
Many of these “deniers” are called “voters”, and most of their “denial” is not over threshold issues such as “climate change is real” or “something should be done” to address climate change.
Rather the real “denial” out there in voter land is “someone else should pay for it” (“it” being actual action to address climate change).
The only political outfit that is prepared to even TRY to bring these “deniers” inside the tent for actual action is … you guessed it … Labor. The very same political outfit that YOU … and P1 … and Liberal L’arse … and Irene … spend 24/7 – or 99.9% of your posts … gaslighting. You are not helping … (other than in assisting the political fortunes of Peter Dutton, naturally).’
========================
Nailed it. I’ve sometimes wondered whether we have a few fossil industry false flag operators on the Bludger boards.
Andrew_Earlwood @ #307 Saturday, May 4th, 2024 – 11:40 am
Seriously? “threshold issues”?
I think this tells us everything we need to know.
Boerwar @ #310 Saturday, May 4th, 2024 – 11:47 am
Finally, something we can agree on.
This seems to me to be a fair summary to date of the Hanson v Faruqi case.
FWIW, it has been recommended to me several times that I piss off back where I came from. It was part and parcel of how a few dinky di Oi Oi Oi Aussies resorted to dissing migrants and migrant kids.
I am not a person of colour so it could not have been racist in that sense. But it was certainly intended to suppress criticism of anything and everything to do with Australia.
So, I am intensely curious to see how his honour sorts his way through the evidence and the legal arguments.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/04/faruqi-v-hanson-how-the-racial-discrimination-case-started-and-what-will-determine-how-it-ends
P1 would be a prime candidate.
Silent on a tourism industry which is 100% supine on global warming. Tick.
100% attacks on Labor when it is the first government to generate practical climate outcomes in Australia ever. Tick.
Relatively silent on Dutton and Littleproud. Tick.
Resolutely against individuals taking climate action. Tick.
Boerwar @ #309 Saturday, May 4th, 2024 – 11:44 am
Once again you are confusing the tourist industry with the fossil fuel industry.
You have scored zero in your expert subject. You know what this means … Out!.
But don’t worry – you might still have a chance in “Hard Quiz : Battle of the Duds”.
“ P1 would be a prime candidate.”
_____
Nailed it.
On a calmer note.
I follow this guy on Facebook and love the opportunity to view some North American wildlife.
Warning: moose butts
Hopefully you’ll get to see some of these c@tmomma. But not too close
https://youtu.be/SztfMXLpr0w?si=ugLU7cBawnpltd5s
‘Aqualung says:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 12:11 pm
On a calmer note.
I follow this guy on Facebook and love the opportunity to view some North American wildlife.
Warning: moose butts
Hopefully you’ll get to see some of these c@tmomma. But not too close
https://youtu.be/SztfMXLpr0w?si=ugLU7cBawnpltd5s‘
—————————-
Some great footage there. Thanks. Interesting: No birds. No small mammals.
Andrew_Earlwood at 10.50 am, Boerwar at 10.58 am
Remember the Senators up for reelection in 2025 will be those elected in 2025. Malcolm Roberts could struggle to beat the third LNP and may poll behind the Green.
Lambie has only one vote now. Tyrrell may be more inclined to support Labor. Depending on what happens to the little Lambie Lib supporters in the Tassie parliament, it’s possible Lambie might not be reelected.
Apart from WA, the Labor Senate vote in 2022 was poor, but not nearly as poor as 2019.
‘Dr Doolittle says:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 12:23 pm
Andrew_Earlwood at 10.50 am, Boerwar at 10.58 am
Remember the Senators up for reelection in 2025 will be those elected in 2025. Malcolm Roberts could struggle to beat the third LNP and may poll behind the Green.
Lambie has only one vote now. Tyrrell may be more inclined to support Labor. Depending on what happens to the little Lambie Lib supporters in the Tassie parliament, it’s possible Lambie might not be reelected.
Apart from WA, the Labor Senate vote in 2022 was poor, but not nearly as poor as 2019.’
—————
Thanks, Dr D.
The worst outcome I can imagine would be one major + BOP minors in the House and the opposite major + opposite BOP minors in the Senate.
It seems to me that on major issues like climate change we hardly need more stasis.
The other risk is that the minors want to spend more and to be silent on more tax – leaving the majors to carry the can for stuff that is on the nose with the voters.
It worries me that the current small drift to the right could generate such an outcome. But your points are counter to that worry, IMO.
‘Boerwar says:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 12:19 pm
‘Aqualung says:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 12:11 pm
On a calmer note….’
—————
I have been asked by a mammal researcher to set up and monitor a trail camera. For one reason or another it is not possible for me to do this until going into spring this year when I will do so. I would love to see moose, wolf, lynx, wolverine and a couple of species of bears pop up in our footage!
….’casual passers by couldn’t identify the life-like painting’ of Jim Chalmers….
Christ people are fuking stupid.
Malcolm’s tunnel is going well.
Partial tunnel collapse at Snowy 2.0 construction site raises fresh safety concerns – ABC News https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-04/blasting-at-snowy-2-0-site-causes-partial-tunnel-collapse/103802994
Oliver Suttonsays:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 5:41 am
“It did look like someone whose conduct was called into serious question was exercising rights to avoid any scrutiny of their conduct.”
Hundreds of anti-vaxxers band together to invest tens of millions in buying farms in order to ‘grow food outside … a “corrupt” food system and provide a sanctuary in an emergency’.
What could possibly go wrong?
=====================================================
So is a “Sovereign Citizen” movement really all about tax minimization?. As the certainly seem to like SMSF’s.
“After the pandemic lockdowns, the idea was enthusiastically received. About 400 investors poured an estimated $22m into buying close to 500 hectares of land across at least three properties in two states, in many cases using self-managed super funds.”
I have been following the Trump trial. He is toast.
That this degenerate was ever No 45 is an embarrassment to the USA and a benchmark of how low the Rightwing will go.
That includes the Australian Right, who want to install uberpotato as our leader.
Taylormadesays:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 8:38 am
Victoriasays:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 8:14 am
Thanks BK
Lots to get through today!
_____________________
Make sure you have a good read of the Chip Le Grand article.
The WorkSafe investigation reminds me of the Vic Police ‘Go Slow’ fraud investigation into the Red Shirts affair.
=======================================================
Nobody takes any of “Large Fries” articles seriously on Covid, besides a few Cookers i guess. Not during the pandemic nor now.
2023 set the record for NRL crowds in both average and aggregate and were 16% above the previous record in 2010.
2024 on current trend will be about 5% higher.
https://afltables.com/rl/crowds/summary.html
However, the sooner the olympic stadium (however called) stops paying teams to play there the better for everyone. Christ, going to that hole from the inner city or the ‘Riff on a wet Thursday night to see the Rabbits must surely be a sign of madness.
BUT if you want a real fight in the Code Wars let’s talk TV ratings across all platforms.
In 2023:
Total views
NRL 174 Million
(not including NZ where ratings are confidential but RL is rapidly eclipsing rah-rah)
AFL 146 Million (nothing in NZ or the Pacific to add)
https://forums.leagueunlimited.com/threads/2023-tv-fox-streaming-ratings.488577/page-166#post-15944831
Farming without ‘chemicals’ would mean the death by starvation of half the world’ human population.
Fritz Haber developed a method of fixing nitrogen to be used as an agricultural fertilizer and it is estimated that this one discovery and application allowed a further 4 billion people to exist.
On the down-side he did kill a few extra people as he improved ‘gas’ for gas warfare.
A demand a stop to all farm chemical use is like a demand for an immediate stop to fossil fuel production/use. The consequences of both would be disastrous for the worlds population.
Oakeshott Countrysays:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 1:24 pm
2023 set the record for NRL
=================================================
I do note you are using 2023 figure. Which from the 20th of July to 20th of August. I suspect the Womens FIFA World Cup held in Australia and NZ. Probably easily eclipsed both codes mentioned as far as ratings go.
Rebecca alluded to this:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/04/queensland-mp-claims-she-was-drugged-and-sexually-assaulted
Leader @ #328 Saturday, May 4th, 2024 – 1:34 pm
Did he ever do anything that had a good outcome?
Oakshott Country, the only times I’ve been to Stadium Australia was to watch the double header after the Olympics and later the Manchester United v All Stars match.
For the double header we were in the eastern stand on a fairly warm day looking into the setting sun.
The view was ok but from memory the athletics track hadn’t been removed at that stage.
The Man U game we were in the very last row at ground level behind and slightly to the right of the goals. The view was appalling. I reckon we were half the length of the field behind the closest goal.
I watched most of the game on the big screen at the other end of the field. The only saving grace was being gifted the tickets.
It’s a shit venue.
It absolutely did – if you read further in that thread, Sports Industry points out that the Women’s FIFA World Cup was easily the greatest rated sports event in Australian history.
Wookie (Sports Industry) complains of being attacked by partisans on both League Unlimited and Big Footy (the AFL equivalent) who have difficulty accepting this.
Boerwar at 11.55 am and 12.36 pm
What I meant to say in the 12.23 post was Senators up in 2025 will be those elected in 2019, hence more LNP third tier senate candidates are likely to be at risk than Labor ones.
D. Pocock is the exception, having to test fate at every election. His Lib challenger seems like a non-entity.
Re your experience, I once spoke with a Dutch lady then living in Majors Creek several years ago. Her family migrated to NW Tassie when she was a school child. She reported intense bigotry from children there toward her and her sister some time soon after the war.
There will be no double dissolution because Labor will not sacrifice the 3rd Senate spot it won in WA in 2022. Palmer might be restrained by new laws. Legalise Cannabis might be the only surprise bolter.
Senate horse trading has been part of Oz politics for yonks. When Howard escaped it in 2005 hubris flourished and his downfall became more likely, including losing his seat.
The situation is rather different in NZ, where Luxon is afraid to criticise his old Winston show pony, lest a big tantrum ensues.
Aqualung
Yes I have only been to a GF (Panffers 2003) and got a ticket behind and to the side of the posts. At least I can say I was there but missed seeing most things including Sattler’s “tackle of the century”.
https://youtu.be/mQsNWo5p3fo?si=WHcPwnF1a0RlWfJg
It was worse than being on the hill of Leichhardt Oval.
BUT Gladys should be thanked for the new SFS – best stadium for watching RL
Oakeshott Countrysays:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 1:46 pm
It absolutely did – if you read further in that thread, Sports Industry points out that the Women’s FIFA World Cup was easily the greatest rated sports event in Australian history.
Wookie (Sports Industry) complains of being attacked by partisans on both League Unlimited and Big Footy (the AFL equivalent) who have difficulty accepting this.
====================================================
Sorry i didn’t read the linked threads. I often don’t when i have no reason to doubt the veracity of the figures posted. I’m unsure what effect the Women’s World Cup had on NRL and AFL rating figures in 2023. Though i doubt it was positive for them.
Though out of interest how do the NRL and AFL television figures compare. When instead of measuring as number of viewers. It is measured on how much it earns for both franchises?.
Wow, I mean iv seen some dumb comments (thanks FUBAR) but the idea that people like Player 1 etc are… false flag operatives supporting delayed action because… and I wanna check im right here… one of them says that while tourism generates emissions, it doesn’t generate anything like the levels of the big players (which is a fact) and (and this one had me in hysterics) because… they don’t have members of the fossil fuel groups in the party for discussion? Jesus what’s next; tobacco lobbyists involved in health policy? Like that’s the explicit working example of state capture…
I haven’t been to Stadium Gladys yet OC. Given that the Land Titles Office was sold to fund it, it would want to be good.
The business case for the sale and stadium was bs but it’s all done and dusted now.
They’re now another bus driver down so I may have time to attend if there is ever anything of interest to me.
Forgotten about that tackle. Excellent.
Dr D
Thanks for the election cycle discussion. I would be very surprised if Pocock does not get up next election.
Your point about Howard’s hubris is spot on, IMO.
In terms of my Gaggle politics thesis you do point out an essential feature of Australian elections: there is a disjunct in terms of the timeliness of outcomes in the House and the Senate because of the Senate split cycle.
Entropy
A very interesting question.
Wookie is the expert on this but still says he is only guessing.
While NRL gets more average viewers, AFL games are longer and have more advertising breaks (quarters rather than halves). For this reason the AFL deals are significantly bigger.
To emphasise this, as the next deal approaches, 7 network have established a new metric “reach”, which is related to eyes x minutes.
A historical anecdote- the great Super League war of the 90s was precipitated by a very silly NSWRL administrator selling cable rights for 10 years to Uncle Kerry Packer for $1 Million. He thought he got a marvellous deal but apparently didn’t quite know what cable TV was. When Murdoch set up foxtel, radical action was required.
OC
It would be interesting to know how social media and websites ‘work’ in terms of commercial value.
Finally, I suggest that a massive commercial value multiplier is as a gambling focus.
Aqualungsays:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 12:47 pm
Malcolm’s tunnel is going well.
Partial tunnel collapse at Snowy 2.0 construction site raises fresh safety concerns – ABC News https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-05-04/blasting-at-snowy-2-0-site-causes-partial-tunnel-collapse/103802994
===============================================
Wait till they start building Nuclear reactors as FUD loving Dutton wants to do. How much over budget and completion time will those end up being?. Without even considering the safety aspects of them. Considering a collapse would effectively be a melt down. If it happened while operating.
I see the link to the article in the Guardian about the rally shemozzle has been posted. I wrote and deleted a few posts about it when it occurred. I couldnt get the tone right and every which way I looked at the drafts I wrote I saw that my position on the matter would have been perceived as victim blaming.
Clearly there was a power imbalance, PM and a young victim survivor. And also very clearly the PM had put himself in a precarious position with someone that was an unknown entity. And he shouldn’t have referenced whether he’d tried to organise earlier a speaking position. That was dumb.
And now the bit I couldn’t write in a way that others wouldn’t declare was victim blaming, Sarah Williams set the PM up. Not in a premeditated manner, but through her own inexperience in handling the type of event that this was, with the highest elected office in the country in attendance. Her own statements and confused approach let to a situation whereby no one won.
Middletons article says it well, and I’ve been waiting for this to be set straight.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/article/2024/may/04/anthony-albanese-was-determined-to-show-solidarity-with-women-instead-he-made-himself-the-story
Indeed Entropy
MI
I thought it was an excellent article.
Good Guardian interactive on UK local elections .. comparing Labour now to local election scene during the Blair years pre-1997
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/ng-interactive/2024/may/03/local-elections-key-charts-showing-tories-slump-to-worst-performance-since-1998
Oakeshott Countrysays:
Saturday, May 4, 2024 at 2:14 pm
Entropy
==============================================
Some good points. Though i was also wondering if the NRL was giving TV rights to Pacific nations (not including NZ). For next to nothing. So more to grow the game and keep it strong there. Then to generate revenue. As the Pacific nations are very important in supplying many of the actual players.
Good comment by mostly interested about a good article by Karen Middleton. I would take exception to the title though, Albo didn’t make it about himself, others did.
I came across this article only today, although a fortnight old – so apologies if it has been raised before and I missed it.
Anyhow, the Albanese Government will apparently deliver a sovereign, autonomous undersea capability, through something called the Ghost Shark Program.
Ghost Shark will provide Navy with a stealthy, long-range autonomous undersea warfare capability that can conduct persistent intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance and strike. It will also enhance Navy’s ability to operate with allies and partners.
Some suggestions are this provides a “stop gap” measure while we await the Nuke subs.
https://www.minister.defence.gov.au/media-releases/2024-04-18/first-autonomous-undersea-vehicle-ghost-shark-prototype-ready
It’s exactly what I alluded to the other day about the colac hospital shenanigans.
All the snickering that somehow the Vic health minister was clueless to the ruse. Rather than looking at a serious breach which was quite obvious that the libs were up to their necks in it
I’m looking at you
Taylormade
What do you say now?