Last night’s Sky News People’s Forum, which can be viewed in full here, was deemed by 44 out of a hand-picked audience of 100 undecided voters to have been won by Anthony Albanese, with 35 favouring Peter Dutton and 21 undecided. I suspect though that to the extent that the broader public notices the low-rating event at all, what’s most likely to filter through is that Peter Dutton performed creditably immediately after learning that his father had suffered a heart attack. The event was conducted at Wentworthville Leagues Club in the electorate of Parramatta, a culturally diverse electorate notable particularly for its Indian population, which seemed suitably well represented.
The next debate, to be held from 8pm next Wednesday, will assuredly reach a larger audience by virtue of being broadcast free-to-air by the ABC. It too will be held in Parramatta, that being the location of the ABC’s new studios, though that’s of no great consequence as it will not follow the town hall format of the “People’s Forum”. Whether any further debates are held later in the game remains to be determined.
@Arky, thanks for the intel! Makes sense that the Liberals may have rounded up the troops for the event.
Just read The Guardian blog. Was good to see Burns’ full answer about the HTVC question:
“That is the biggest concern … I really like Benson. He’s a nice guy, but he’s not the person I’m worried about winning this seat. The only people who can win this seat are me or the Greens. Think about the people who make up this electorate, the young progressive people from Elwood, from St Kilda, from Windsor, from South Melbourne, from Southbank. We are a proud and large Jewish community, but we’re only 10% of the electorate of Macnamara.
And the preferences – regardless of what the Labor party says – are not going to the Liberal party from those young people. And they’re Labor-Greens voters who are ultimately decided … I’m asking you not just to keep out the Greens. I’m asking you to support me in this election.”
That’s sounding to me like he’s preparing them for the Labor HTVC to have the Greens above the Liberals like normal, by downplaying its significance and also framing it as “regardless of what the Labor party says” (making clear it’s not his choice).
Ominous segment from James O’Brien
https://youtu.be/cpDol0Tq6d0?feature=shared
Something went wrong there with that link but take your pick, some good ones there anyway.
Cheers.
https://edition.cnn.com/politics/live-news/trump-tariffs-cnn-town-hall-04-09-25/index.html?t=1744207634074
Fuck me US dollar is falling, CNN speculated that the US isn’t a real economy anymore:
“Another theory in the dollar is that the scale and manner of implementation of the tariffs have “shaken investor faith in the credibility of US policymaking and its institutions,” he said.
“If so, then the dollar is now behaving more like an emerging market currency,” Shearing wrote.”
US stocks all over the place this moring. AUD is currently rising, perhaps seen as a safe haven? Who knows by ASX opening.
Tens of thousands of future economic PHDs will be written dissecting this week.
[‘Washington: The US is “running up the score” by hitting Australia with tariffs despite already enjoying a trade surplus with the country, Donald Trump’s trade chief says, in comments likely to inflame tensions over the president’s decision to include close allies in his sweeping tariff program.
The comments came as Trump boasted other countries were ringing up and offering to “do anything” to escape the tariffs. “I’m telling you, these countries are calling us up, kissing my ass. They are. They’re dying to make a deal,” he told a Republican Party black tie dinner in Washington.
“Please, sir, make a deal,” he said in a tone mocking other world leaders. “I’ll do anything, I’ll do anything, sir.”
Trump also hit out at what he called “shrill voices” criticising his tariffs, labelling them “scoundrels and frauds” who did not care about the US losing manufacturing jobs due to globalisation. “I know what the hell I’m doing,” he said.
Earlier, US Trade Representative Jamieson Greer was grilled about Australia by Mark Warner, a Democratic senator from Virginia, who said the tariffs were insulting to Australia and undermined the AUKUS defence pact that was “terribly important” for both countries’ national security.
Warner asked why the US would “hit” Australia when it was one of the country’s strongest allies and one of the few industrialised nations to which the US sells more than it buys.’]
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-s-trade-chief-admits-us-running-up-the-score-with-tariffs-on-australia-20250409-p5lqap.html
I nearly vomit when seeing him arrive or depart a plane or chopper where a uniformed soldier or marine is required to salute him. I think the US armed services would not obey him if he ordered them to go onto the streets in the event of civil unrest. And most mid-ranking and senior officers would despise him other than those who were promoted to take the place of those he sacked.
@bc – “The Kochs have never been fans of Trump.
https://time.com/7018266/trump-republicans-koch-network-2024/”
And yet Koch money is all over the Supreme Court cases that have put Trump where he is, all over Justice Clarence Thomas, all over supporting the Republican majorities in the House and the Senate which frustrated any attempt to hold him to account or put a limit on his actions.
If the Kochs wanted to see Trump impeached and barred from running in favour of a Republican they liked more, they had more shot than anyone else of achieving that.
They are the last people who get to complain about Trump exceeding his power.
Guess this what happens when you elect a Estate Agent as president….
As China launched its latest trade play, US President Donald Trump took to his social media platform, Truth Social, to encourage businesses to move to America to avoid tariffs.
“This is a GREAT time to move your COMPANY into the United States of America,” Mr Trump said.
“ZERO TARIFFS, and almost immediate Electrical/Energy hook ups and approvals. No Environmental Delays. DON’T WAIT, DO IT NOW!”
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-09/china-announces-84-per-cent-tariff-on-us-goods/105158558
He sounds like he’s spruiking for demtel.
That well known leader of the third world, Donald Trump has become a textbook example of messiah economics.
Duplicity, dishonesty and doubt is a toxic mix.
The hangover not always pleasant.
Centre
“I have always held the view that climate change is exaggerated for political and ideological reasons.”
….there with declaring you’ve always been an idiot….
pied piper says:
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 10:41 pm
Risk-averse funds are fleeing equities and bonds (fear of recession and deflation) and the USD (flight to capital security/hedge against political insecurity in the US).
Trump has possibly started a contagion in the markets that he might not be able to defuse even if he wants to.
His fundamental ideological campaign is against the effects of globalisation. Liberal capital markets are the most conspicuous and self-mobilising expression of globalisation. In a sense, his campaign is against those markets too. They are sensing existential peril in advanced US-centric capitalism.
How strange that this threat should arise not from the left but from the right…from the moronic, racist, misogynist, religious, ideological nativist and Reactionary haters.
paul A says:
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 7:37 pm
Q. Why is Australia getting tariffs?
A. Rudd.
Nah. We get 10% because we’re neither Russia nor North Korea.
Trump is a complete imbecile, intent on chopping the economies of the US and it’s trading partners to pieces.
HWP
I think James Carville’s take that deep down Trump really hates America has merit. He seems to much prefer dictators and autocracies
Trump raises tariffs on China to 125%, but pauses othered for 90 days (not just a rumour this time!)
US Stock Markets jump on news.
Money talks!
New York Times
“ President Trump on Wednesday said he would pause his reciprocal tariffs for most countries for the next 90 days, backing down on his policy that had sent markets into a tailspin and threatened to upend global trade. But Mr. Trump said his break did not include China, announcing he would instead raise tariffs on its exports to 125 percent after Beijing announced a new round of retaliation.
Karoline Leavitt, the White House press secretary, said the tariff level would be brought down to a universal 10 percent — a significant reduction for many countries.”
Washington Post
“The announcement came after the 10-year U.S. Treasury bond sold off heavily. Those bonds are typically seen as a safe haven when markets are unsettled and rose sharply to more than 4.5 percent before retreating somewhat. Yields move inversely to prices, meaning investors are quickly selling U.S. bonds.
But the bond market’s woes raised fears that the United States may be in the early stages of financial turmoil that could prove difficult for the Federal Reserve or other agencies to resolve. Typically, investors flee to Treasuries during market panics because the U.S. government is viewed as among the safest investments in the world. But the rise in yields this time appears to scramble that story, suggesting at least some drop in confidence in the Treasury Department’s ability to repay its obligations.”
Australia is regarded as a nation of sports lovers.
After tonight’s “debate”, those that are into bloodsports would have luuuuved the “debate”.
Chalmers is a smart cookie, Taylor and his tag team give short planks a bad name.
I couldn’t resist having a little go at the Greens whilst I’m here.
Every political party plays politics, it’s only the Greens that deny doing so. They are really bad at it though.
Bandt was going on about negative gearing at the Press Club but the question must be, why didn’t they use negative gearing, or more precisely the Howard deformed tax arrangements as the prime negotiating tool over passing housing policy instead of the moronic, unconstitutional rent freeze/cap?
The smarmy Chandler-Mather answered that by admitting they were, in effect, prolonging the misery of renters and those seeking accommodation to get a few votes off the ALP but if the polls are correct, they got no dividend from that disgusting tactic; probably the reverse. It certainly helped Dutton for a while.
I reckon Labor would have loved to “cave into” the Greens on negative gearing early on in this term of Government because the ALP is still seething, at not being able to revert negative gearing back to what Hawke and Keating set it up as. Labor could have pointed out that they reversed their pledge “for the greater good to get urgently needed housing construction under way” and the Greens could have strutted around like peacocks for having won! The real winners would have been the Australian public.
Bandt trying to rehash negative gearing and behaving as if the Greens are a lay-down misère to be in a position to deliver the ALP Government because of a hung parliament, could well be delusional and smacks of desperation.
The seats of Watson-Brown, Bates and Chandler-Mather are looking very shaky. They are an educated lot in those seats and they know when they’ve been dudded.
Ryan will probably revert back to being LNPQ, Brisbane is interesting because Rachel Blackwood has joined the fray and if the ALP manage to run second to the LNPQ on the primary vote again and Bates loses a couple of percent, then the ALP could pick that seat up. My money would be on the LNPQ picking that one up though.
As for Griffith, I don’t think Chandler-Mather will hang on and a lot of the rejection will be because of his black T-shirt moment where he stood before a crowd of CMFEU supporters and gave his solemn support, to the crooks of the construction arm of the CFMEU. He was in essence, supporting the criminal element from not being scrutinised by the ACTU and the law of the land. People should not underestimate the damage it did to Chandler-Mather and to a lesser extent, the Greens in general.
Bandt is now reverting to Xenophon stunts with giant props. So much for the Greens being good at politics.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/live/2025/apr/09/stock-share-markets-us-china-trade-trump-tariffs-business-news-live-updates?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-67f6aebd8f08ecc65185a181#block-67f6aebd8f08ecc65185a181
The moron backs away from the precipice.
The roller coaster goes on. HTF can the markets now trust the word of the word of the US government?
HWP, BSF
That’s precisely why this crazy idea that companies will drop everything and build new manufacturing plants in the USA is absurd.
Companies want certainty – and most would assume that all these crazy tariffs could easily be reversed by the next administration in four years time, which would make any decisions to make such long term investments very risky.
And then this – a clown show – will make them run a mile. And maybe set up in China instead!
Playa Girón says:
Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 3:57 am.
I reckon Labor would have loved to “cave into” the Greens…
The correct way to handle the Greens is to give them nothing at all, ever. They play obstruction and one-upmanship. This is their standard tactic. They are the possible counter-party that can never say ‘Yes’. They not only play hard to get. They are always just teasing.
Rocket Rocket says:
Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 4:17 am
HWP, BSF
That’s precisely why this crazy idea that companies will drop everything and build new manufacturing plants in the USA is absurd.
Exactly. Maybe Trump will get the message. Maybe. In the meantime he still intends to tax the US economy into recession.
Rocket Rocket says:
Thursday, April 10, 2025 at 2:59 am
HWP
I think James Carville’s take that deep down Trump really hates America has merit. He seems to much prefer dictators and autocracies
He sure has no affection or respect for the values of democracy nor for the very great achievements of democratic countries. He is neurotic.
My father and his two brothers served in the navy during WW2. They would be absolutely outraged by Trump’s concessions to fascism. They would be totally mystified by his destructive economic measures. And they would be disgusted by his self-glorifying profanities.
New thread.
Entropy have you joined a branch in Melbourne ? If not happy to arrange an introduction for you with one of the VIC state corridor crawlers.
Potentially il be in Melbourne for a conference in late July. I went to the one last year and it was at this huge, dated corporate motel in Preston.
There was also an awesome pro-Labor dive bar in the surrounds that had all these awesome retro campaign posters from the 60s-70s like ‘liberal party poison’ , ‘it’s time’ , ‘swing to Labor’ etc.
For the three nights we frequented this bar the elderly gentleman owner was very kind to a visiting delegation of comrades north of the Norse and by the last might he insisted we not pay for a single more drink and also got us a free feed. Just wish I could remember the name of it. Someone should organise a PB melb meetup there.
Finally the penny drops…
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/10/donald-trump-ignites-insider-trading-accusations-after-global-tariffs-u-turn