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.
Centre
“I have always held the view that climate change is exaggerated for political and ideological reasons.”
——————————————————————-
I have always held the view that most Liberals are selfish, or scientifically ignorant or both.
Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story William!!
At 1.04 on sports bet Bowen is far from safe
I would love to start a conspiracy theory that Trump is actually an alien from outer space who was sent to earth years ago to orchestrate the demise of the human race.
Socrates says:
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 9:53 pm
….
Can we get that “strategic oil reserve” back from the USA now?
Or accelerate the electrification of our transport.
The bond market seems to be going crazy. Yields are increasing rapidly. This suggests that someone is selling a lot of US bonds – China? This looks like what happened during Liz Truss’ PMship.
B. S. Fairman:
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 9:46 pm
[‘Mavis – Navarro is far closer to Trump than Musk. Navarro was recruited by Trump because he was telling him exactly what he wanted to hear – He has always been an isolationist and spoke about Tariffs a decade ago.
Musk is a wannabe and he is more of a useful idiot who can be sacked when something DOGE does goes wrong.’]
I realise that but it’s Musk who’s got the moolah, and he’ll be taking a hit
with his Shanghai Gigafactory hence the moron description of Navarro.
If you want a read that will scrape you witless have a look at Paul Krugman’s substack
https://paulkrugman.substack.com/p/the-cost-of-chaos-this-is-getting?open=false
Aren’t you glad that grownups are in charge?
And here’s the thing: Lenders will be hurt if some borrowers are forced into default, even if others are doing well, because lenders don’t share in the upside. So even though stock prices are dominating the headlines, the real, scary action is in the bond market. The nightmare scenario, which we saw play out in 2008, is that falling asset prices cause a scramble for cash, which leads to fire sales that drive prices even lower, and the whole system implodes. Suddenly, that scenario doesn’t look impossible.
Maybe we’ll steer away from the edge of the abyss. But Trumponomics has already proved worse than even its harshest critics imagined, and the worst may be yet to come.
Paul takes a particular look at Teslas huge drop this year..
frednksays:
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 9:58 pm
Socrates says:
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 9:53 pm
….
Can we get that “strategic oil reserve” back from the USA now?
Or accelerate the electrification of our transport
_____________________________
That sounds woke
leftieBrawlersays:
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 9:56 pm
Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story William!!
At 1.04 on sports bet Bowen is far from safe
====================================================
News Corp wouldn’t report something unless it was accurate.
Premier Daniel Andrews is in danger of losing a slew of seats, including his own, and could be forced to form a minority government, according to new research.
https://www.skynews.com.au/australia-news/politics/daniel-andrews-in-danger-of-losing-majority-government-and-seat-of-mulgrave-new-research-claims-days-before-election/news-story/402eab7438ebd7d54b9a82b679caf1b5
The Age has reporting on the ‘Jewish Community Election Forum’ in Macnamara tonight, co-hosted by 5 Jewish organisations, which the Greens’ Sonya Semmens was not invited to.
The article states that Josh Burns was heckled, while Benson Saulo was widely applauded. Attendees said that while Josh Burns is a “friend of Israel”, his party is not.
When Josh Burns said that realistically only himself or the Greens can win because most Labor voters in the progressive inner-city suburbs like St Kilda, Elwood & South Melbourne will preference the Greens (which is very true regardless of HTVC) so only a vote for Labor will keep the Greens out, Benson Saulo responded that only voting Labor will elect the Greens because Labor voters preference them.
Benson’s comment of course makes zero sense, because the whole premise of Burns’ statement is that Labor must stay ahead of the Greens so their own preferences DON’T get distributed and help them. But, apparently Benson Saulo’s comment was met with a large applause and cheers.
If the reception at that community forum is at all reflective of the broader Jewish vote in Macnamara, then I’d say an ALP to LIB swing within the Jewish community could be on. Which is bad news for Burns and would be very encouraging for the Greens, because even if 20% of Jewish voters swing from ALP to LIB that’s only worth around 2% of the total vote, more than enough to hurt Labor in the 3CP but won’t make too much of a dent in the 2CP margin vs the Greens.
Apparently only 12% of Chinese industrial production lands in the US so, while the crazy tariffs will be difficult, they are unlikely to be crippling.
Rocket Rocket at 7.55 pm
Why is 3 May too long for you to wait?
Did you see Shorten and C. Pyne on 7.30? They were lame but better than the spurious Sky fairy’s fake debate.
Pyne was ever the Lib salesman. His memory is dodgy. He recalled Gillard as saying “no carbon tax” in 2013. It was really 2010.
Otherwise, two of his comments were significant, one as delusional and the other as a basic observation.
The observation was to agree that the huge global uncertainty prompted by Trump favours the incumbent a lot.
This was the key point. It is obvious.
Clearly the trade conflict between Trump and China will worsen in the next 3 weeks. This will help Labor.
In particular, Chinese Australians (and perhaps Indian Australians) will favour keeping Albo in government.
Second, Pyne (speaking from the US) claimed there was a month left in the campaign, repeating Dutton’s error.
The Norwegian peace researcher Johan Galtung once considered a study of Australian hedonism. He had more important topics but it should be obvious that holidays are superior to election campaigns for marginal voters, and for all but the real nerds.
After this week there is one ordinary weekend followed by two successive long weekends. The weather may facilitate trips away from the TV. Even the political ads might be consumed with less regularity than previously.
Albo has no reason to worry re 3 May. It’s only one standard weekend away. Meanwhile Trump raises the spectre of recession = falling petrol prices.
Who is this ‘aussies elect’ wasting YouTube bandwidth with his uploads of seat by seat predictions.
He sounds like he’s still to sit his yr 10 school certificate exams and a level of insight and credibility to match.
His seat by seat predictions are dispatched in one line sound bites based on a cognitive capacity that suggests a parity of sorts with the chip in my 2006 commodore dog wagon key
News Ltd can’t help but Streissand Effecting the leaders’ debate last night.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/news-corp-queries-audience-independence-after-albanese-declared-debate-winner-20250409-p5lqcx.html
https://fremantleshippingnews.com.au/2025/04/09/kates-just-an-aussie/
Kate Hulett, who nearly won the state seat of Freo last month, has dealt with her Section 44 problem. The federal version of Freo just got interesting (well, less uninteresting). Labor are still obviously favourites, but it’s not quite a slam-dunk for them now.
Re the Great Debate – everyone thinks their side won.
My apologies, Tricot. It probably was Ross who referred to the boats. I’m glad you liked the mess at Leeuwin. I spent three years in the West & loved it. In ’66 Navy won the inter-service tennis competition for the first time, I was in the team. We played on East Fremantle grass courts. I have a nephew serving at Stirling, and much to the chagrin of his family, he wants to stay put.
Sit back relax & watch the show….
NYT..
Delta Air Lines said it could no longer give investors an estimate of how much money it will make this year. “Given the lack of economic clarity, it is premature at this time to provide an updated full-year outlook,” Ed Bastian, the airline’s chief executive, said in a statement, adding: “With broad economic uncertainty around global trade, growth has largely stalled.” He said Delta would not increase its capacity to fly passengers in the second half of the year compared to the same period in 2024….
The Chinese government announced that it was putting an additional 50 percent tariff on imports from the United States, matching the extra 50 percent that Trump had imposed to retaliate for an earlier move by China.
It’s no longer just about tariffs. China are having a crack at the heart of US finance. Shit getting serious. USD falling v Europe and Japan.
If there is a run to cash – all best are off. Just hold on.
I reckon this lawsuit has legs
——-
A conservative advocacy organization funded in part by billionaire Republican mega-donor Charles Koch is representing a Florida company that is suing President Donald Trump for imposing tariffs on all imports from China, describing Trump’s move as an unlawful power grab.
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/04/08/new-civil-liberties-alliance-lawsuit-trump-tariffs-china/82996118007/#
Boerwar at 5.12 pm
Glad Bluey knows the tropical waters near Cairns. Labor will win Leichhardt.
Only one week + Easter till pre-poll.
No cat mama just been sarcastic I don’t support centers whatever they on
Mavis at 10.21 pm
Do nephew’s family realise that WA has the best beaches in the country?
Hope you have been discharged home.
Bird of paradox @ #665 Wednesday, April 9th, 2025 – 10:19 pm
Well okay then, guess we’ll just have to see how it goes there.
The federal division of Fremantle roughly covers the WA state districts of Fremantle, Bibra Lake, Cockburn and Jandakot. WA Labor managed to hold on to all of them, albeit with big dents in the primary vote, so this is a chance to see how that plays out federally 2 months later.
Well, I discovered I’m black yesterday.
I did one of those Ancestry.com DNA tests and it came back with 6% of my DNA coming from one or more of the West African slave states.
I had always suspected a black ancestry in my paternal line, as I have several physical traits that black Africans commonly have (not skin color, however), and family history indicates the posdibility. Our paternal family ancestors came to Australia from British Guiana, via Canada, in 1835, one year after slavery was banned in the British Empire (including the Caribbean). Being merchants, they would almost certainly have been slave owners.
6% is about 1/16 of my DNA which – if a reliable number – would indicate that there was a black person in my ancestry four, or perhaps five generations ago: ie. one of my great-great, or great-great-great grandparents. My own grandfather was born in 1889. So it’s quite possible that his grandfather was the one who came to Australia from Guiana.
We have an unusual surname, so it’s fairly easy to look up others with the same name who live in America. Almost every one of these people ultimately comes from British Guyana, and they are just about all full-blooded African.
I feel quite chuffed about the news, although I admit that’s a completely emotional response.
Chinese stocks being removed from us exchange?
Fixed income market is deleveraging it will calm down says Bessent.
Bessent on Fox News has ripped China to pieces just now refuses to rule out any type of retribution.
Says China are losing.
Re- DNA sites hope you do not mind your dna result being viewed by police etc.
Dow Jones industrial futures down 2.36% with 20 minutes to for trade opening
Socrates, there will be no need to get our strategic oil reserve from the US.
When the US citizens are all using Flintstone style cars or horse and buggy, fully manufactured in the US obviously, there will be plenty of spare oil on the global market to go around…
And the hungriest sharks.
”
pied pipersays:
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 10:41 pm
Chinese stocks being removed from us exchange?
Bessent on Fox News has ripped China to pieces just now refuses to rule out any type of retribution.
Says China are losing.
Re- DNA sites hope you do not mind your dna result being viewed by police etc
”
This is serious shit PP . Stop trying to own the libs with each and everyone of your posts.
Australians Superannuation and Allocated pension funds and other hard earned savings of everyday Australians are evaporating into thin air because of this stupid and horrible trade war between US and China.
We all know it has nothing to with Albanese government and repercussions could be severe
Kirsdarke: the chance for Hulett is if the Libs come third. At the state election, that happened in both Fremantle (behind Hulett) and Bibra Lake (behind the Greens), so if WA repeats its 55-45 result from last time there’s a decent chance of that happening.
Howard Lutnick says robots will be doing the actual manufacturing. But there will still be jobs for humans, doing maintenance on the robots.
He really did say that.
I.Kid.Youse.Not
The herald Sun says if Albo loses 3 or more seats in Vic then Labor powerbrokers down there will knife Jacinta.
Re- DNA sites hope you do not mind your dna result being viewed by police etc
I’m not sure the cops can do that here, but nevertheless I have nothing to hide. So… not worried.
Shits getting serious. China/US is not backing down and “weeks” of trade war are escalating daily.
Angus flagging “cuts” at a time when we are probably heading to stimulus. Bandt promising capital controls and massive tax hikes right when macro policy stability is most needed.
Chalmers ot Bullock need to come out with the Draghi “will do whatever it takes” bit. Really sad the media ran Phil Lowe out of town as he would get it.
Hmmm Trump mentioned Australia today selling coal when he announced USA doing same.
Albanese gov abuse of Trump is front and centre.Trump is ego driven obvious.
Calling someone a traitor and then leaving that person as ambassador to deal with Trump is arrogance and disrespectful Trump knows it and also labor jumped back into trade bigtime with China exposing Australia now.
Oh yes they can ! Being done around the world regarding DNA being accessed by cops.Including the company you mentioned and West aust police access two dna companies dna database as well.Abc reports .
Should be private.
Scott says Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 7:08 pm
He also has a Bachelor of Business from Queensland University of Technology.
Bird of paradox @ #681 Wednesday, April 9th, 2025 – 10:51 pm
Yeah, that is a possibility. Fremantle’s federal results in 2022 was 44% Labor, 24% Liberal, 18% Greens.
If Hulett and the Greens candidate direct preferences toward each other and the Liberal candidate falls below 2nd place, that could be something to watch out for.
@Trent – as won’t surprise people here, I know people who were in the audience at that forum and it sounded like the Libs got out the troops to come along and cheer their man. The Guardian liveblog of the forum was very accurate from the sounds of it.
People who showed up intending to not be convinced and just cheer or heckle for one side or other will not have had their minds changed; some people probably did show up wanting to hear the candidates speak for themselves, and only they will know what they are thinking.
The hardcore all the way with Israel part of the Jewish community in Macnamara already voted Liberal every election. The Libs are not getting close to a 12.2% swing to them out of pro Israel vibes and are more likely to lose votes. As Burns himself said, the only people who can win Macnamara are Labor and the Greens.
@Victoria – the Kochs getting mad at Trump for an illegal power grab after helping fund and support all his other illegal power grab stuff is the single most hilarious outcome of the whole thing, even funnier than Musk getting shat off with Peter Navarro because frankly Elon Musk crashouts are a dime a dozen, but the Kochs lawsuiting Trump, that’s fresh meat.
Some of the US Supreme Court conservatives may soon have a crisis of faith over who is their true conservative master.
“JayC says:
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 10:43 pm
Socrates, there will be no need to get our strategic oil reserve from the US.
When the US citizens are all using Flintstone style cars or horse and buggy, fully manufactured in the US obviously, there will be plenty of spare oil on the global market to go around…”
The Amish must be feeling quite comfortable at the moment, being largely self sufficient with their 19th century lifestyle.
@michael “The herald Sun says”
The herald sun said cookers were going to beat Daniel Andrews in Mulgrave and Victoria was going to have a hung parliament. Do you have any more credible source, such as a social media post from a newly created account with no followers at all?
Ominous image I saw on the LGM blog.
michaelsays:
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 10:53 pm
The herald Sun says if Albo loses 3 or more seats in Vic then Labor powerbrokers down there will knife Jacinta.
=================================================
So it appears you are still interested in that bridge i’m selling.
Arky says Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 11:05 pm
The Kochs have never been fans of Trump.
https://time.com/7018266/trump-republicans-koch-network-2024/
EU approved 20 billion in tariffs against USA just now.
bc @ #695 Wednesday, April 9th, 2025 – 11:21 pm
The one remaining Koch brother had probably best watch out because if Trump establishes that he can overrule the judiciary, he could just make him disappear as effectively as Stalin disappeared people who were problems to him once he got that level of power in the 1930’s.
Now you know why you have always been comfortable with the lay of the land Bushfire!
Welcome brother!
Dr Doolittle:
Wednesday, April 9, 2025 at 10:32 pm
[‘Mavis at 10.21 pm
Do nephew’s family realise that WA has the best beaches in the country?
Hope you have been discharged home.’]
No, Doc, they’ve never been to WA & are unlikely to go there. I’m trying to convince them to visit him but they prefer not to travel to any place other than Nerang & Robina Town Centre.
Yes, I got home at 3 pm. The doctor wrote a script but the pharmacist couldn’t read it. It took five hours to sort it out, which is kind of funny as the information
booklet states that you must leave by 9 am. I’m back Friday for further tests.
Just wandering around and found this classic.
Still good after all these years
Sorry if off topic, but sometimes we need to lighten up.
https://duckduckgo.com/?q=ill+never+find+another+you&atb=v314-1&ia=videos&iax=videos&iai=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3DkKySE1Ukupg
Goodnight all!