A major campaign milestone is reached today with the commencement of early voting. The third of the campaign’s leaders’ debates will be conducted from 7:30pm this evening by the Nine Network, to be moderated by A Current Affair host Ally Langdon with questions posed by Charles Croucher of Nine, Deb Knight of 2GB and Phillip Coorey of the Financial Review. The Roy Morgan poll that normally comes out on Monday will presumably be along later today. Note that there is a new post below this one on a state poll for New South Wales.
Other than that:
• The Courier-Mail reports a DemosAU poll collectively targeting the Greens-held Brisbane seats of Brisbane, Griffith and Ryan has the Liberal National Party on 36% and the Greens and Labor on 29% each, compared with 35.7% for the LNP, 30.7% for the Greens and 26.2% for Labor at the 2022 election. Were the implied swings to occur uniformly across the three seats, the likely outcome would be Labor gaining Brisbane and the Greens retaining Ryan and Griffith. The poll was conducted “mid-April” from a sample of 1087. UPDATE: The poll further includes a finding of 56-44 two-party preferred between Labor and the LNP and 55-45 between the Greens and the LNP.
• The Financial Review reports a Nationals source as being “pessimistic about Cowper”, where Pat Conaghan is under pressure from teal independent Caz Heise, but believing the party to be ahead in Calare, where former Nationals member Andrew Gee seeks re-election as an independent and teal independent Kate Hook is again in the field after performing strongly in 2022. In the latter case, the source says “if only one independent had run, that independent would have won”.
• The News Corp papers report that One Nation is changing its how-to-vote cards in Hunter and Paterson to elevate the Coalition, having initially favoured right-wing minor parties and independents, and is reviewing the situation elsewhere. Hanson’s chief-of-staff, James Ashby, is quoted saying the party was “was restructuring its preferences in seats where the Trumpet of Patriots has put the chance of a conservative candidate’s success ‘at risk’” – though this is not in fact the case in Hunter or Paterson, where Palmer’s party has Labor last in keeping with its approach of directing against sitting members (in a related development, its candidate for Flinders is telling voters to put him last out of displeasure at his how-to-vote card favouring teal independent Ben Smith). The only seats I can think of where One Nation does not already have the Coalition ahead of everyone it could conceivably lose to are Kennedy, where Bob Katter is presumably safe, and Monash, where a second preference is recommended for Liberal-turned-independent Russell Broadbent, for whom Trumpet of Patriots has made an exception by placing him third behind another independent.
James Big Sky,
Love your work. 😀
BludgerTrack has Labor on 52.5 at the moment, with modest swings (1-2%) to Labor in every mainland State bar Victoria (where the swing to the Lib-Nats is 2.4%).
Kevin Bonham’s aggregator has Labor at 52.3.
Both BludgerTrack and KB have been updated for Sunday’s Newspoll.
If you follow these numbers, you would expect 2 to 4 Labor losses in Victoria, offset by some Labor gains elsewhere (eg, Moore and Canning in WA, Brisbane in Queensland, and Sturt in SA). The end result being very much a status quo outcome – maybe Labor on 77?
With another large cross bench looming, this means of course the Lib Nats have gone nowhere under Dutton.
What I really hope for is a swag of close results falling over the line in Labor’s favour and a final Labor seat tally in the low 80s, but it’s a bit early to wish for too much.
The Courier-Mail reports a DemosAU poll collectively targeting the Greens-held Brisbane seats of Brisbane, Griffith and Ryan has the Liberal National Party on 36% and the Greens and Labor on 29% each, compared with 35.7% for the LNP, 30.7% for the Greens and 26.2% for Labor at the 2022 election. Were the implied swings to occur uniformly across the three seats, the likely outcome would be Labor gaining Brisbane and the Greens retaining Ryan and Griffith. The poll was conducted “mid-April” from a sample of 1087.
I could live with this. As long as it shuts the Coalition out. The Member for Griffith is at least good for entertainment value. 😉
#weatheronPB
The glorious sun,
will take a while to clean up,
last night’s sodden mess.
Outsider
Yes I get the feeling that majority hangs on getting ‘lucky’ in the close seats (and you can almost never exactly predict which 5 seats will end up being the closest). Hopefully with prepoll voting starting with Labor on 52+ that means the first week of prepolling will be good for Labor.
I do feel the Coalition are going to lose a few more seats to independents – at least some of Wannon, Cowper and Bradfield at least.
And I struggle to see them winning back Teal seats at this election.
And if there is a 2-3% swing against Labor in Victoria, then a Nationwide Labor vote of 52 means they have to do better elsewhere and likely pick up seats.
Hopefully all the Pope stuff ‘freezes’ current voting intention for at least this week.
And then ANZAC Day Weekend, Canadian election, USA first quarter GDP (so funny that this comes out on 30th April, Trump’s 100th day in office – the traditional ‘first mile post’ on judging a Presidency)
For those with the stomach… SFA has changed with Dutton in 10 years …
https://minister.homeaffairs.gov.au/peterdutton/Pages/2015/royal-commissioner,-operation-fortitude,-cabinet-leaks.aspx
What is with Qld coppers? They never learn
Trump is going to attend the funeral of the Pope.
Cue saturation coverage crowding out our humble antipodean election..
Didn’t see this one coming…. 😉
Investors in Boeing are braced to learn the full impact of Donald Trump’s trade war, amid fears the US planemaker could be hit harder than first expected after jets intended for a Chinese airline were returned to the US.
A Boeing 737 Max 8 plane intended for use by a Chinese airline returned to the US on Monday from Boeing’s China finishing centre, according to flight data cited by Reuters. It followed the arrival in the US on Sunday of another 737 Max painted in the livery of China’s Xiamen Airlines at Boeing’s US production hub in Seattle.
Boeing could be the USs largest manufacturing export..
Re Rocket @6:47. ”And I struggle to see them winning back Teal seats at this election.”
The Coalition have done nothing to persuade Teal voters to return to the fold. Many Labor and Green voters in these seats will vote again tactically, perhaps in greater numbers now that they’ve seen it work. Voters in these seats are overall more educated, so unimpressed by Dutton’s dog-whistling and fear-mongering. Moreover, Teal voters are more engaged, so more likely to see through Liberal bullshit. Teal voters wanted climate action and the Coalition plan to go backwards.
I expect all the Teal seats to hold, with hopefully a few more Coalition MP’s ejected by Teals.
Sprocket – There is not going to much room for anything else in news until at least Thursday. Then ANZAC day will crowd everything out. Then the Funeral will be sometime next week and expect that to crowd everything out again.
As an aside, I do feel the AEC should install chimneys at the vote counting centres and have white smoke signal the election of an MP.
Pied Piper @ 4.13am
Really.
Remind me again, which party sold (leased) the Port of Darwin to the Chicommies?
I’ll give you a hint … the first two letters are Li.
Not sure if this got posted, but it turns out Liberal candidate for Greenway has form in terms of bailing before the authorities turn up.
Not kidding this is the google result for her facebook page
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/liberal-candidate-bailed-on-company-before-multimillion-dollar-gst-hit-20250415-p5lrye
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/us/politics/trump-birthrate-proposals.html
I see. DEI incentives for minorities like African Americans, women or Latinos are bad. DEI incentives for married women or women with children are okay.
Got it.
Seat polling is likely unreliable as usual but we’ll know soon enough where everything is going to land
I’m still hopeful the Greens will hold all 3 seats in Greensland and a swing against Labor in Victoria opens the door to 3 down there as well with MacNamara and Wills looking good
It’ll be tough for them to take Richmond but I’m not giving up on it either. Sturt is a fascinating multi-party race, our first in South Australia?
Never take anything for granted but we look home and hosed in all 6 state Senate races
Increasing our numbers in the reps and winning all 6 Senate races would be a successful election, even more so if Labor falls into minority
#25in25
Antony Green – elections
Pre-poll voting starts today. 36.9% pf votes were pre-poll in 2022. 14.3% Postal and only 45.1% cast in district on polling day.
“ Trump is going to attend the funeral of the Pope.”
He just has to be wondering how to get into the Conclave. I bet he gas seen the movie.
Minor seat of Franklin update.
There are more Marcus Vermey signs up, LNP candidate for state upper house seat of Nelson (the country’s most inconsequential chamber), than federal Franklin LNP candidate Josh Garvin, who is competing against the incumbent Labor’s Julie Collins .
Historical note, I was in the army reserve with Marcus in the 90s, really good bloke. He’s running against Meg Webb, Greens aligned independent who uses Labor red to brand herself. Meg is odds on favorite to win.
Hard Being Greensays:
Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 7:38 am
“dare to dream”
It’s a good thing, dreaming.
There’s a lot going round all over the world for a squillion reasons.
It’s also worth remembering that wishing less favour on Labor is at odds with the overall defeat of the “baddies”.
The Greens are a “difficult friend”, a “dodgy acquaintance” and an “unreliable alliance”.
And often an asset to the baddies!
https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/nx-s1-5371312/trump-white-house-pete-hegseth-defense-department
Mostly Interested @ #12 Tuesday, April 22nd, 2025 – 7:38 am
What’s with the Liberals,they just don’t seem to give a truck.
This latest Hegseth stuff is a hoot. As well as having a Signal group of important folk who had security clearances – plus one journo – he also had a group of friends and family – likely none of whom had clearances. That second group were told details of F18 bombing missions against the Houthis.
This guy is a turkey.
Potential next pope candidates. Purely on name intrigue I’m down for the first.
Pierbattista Pizzaballa
Pietro Parolin
Fridolin Ambongo
Luis Antonio Tagle
Matteo Zuppi
Peter Erdo
Anders Arborelius
https://www.nytimes.com/2025/04/21/world/europe/next-pope-francis-candidates.html
Goll the best possible outcome is minority government imo
As Adam has been saying, do everything possible to keep Dutton away from the Lodge and push Labor to do better
Labor don’t deserve majority although the LNP campaign has been such a disaster they might get it anyway. I hope not
#25in25
We could see a rash of LNP placard trucks crashing into things this week. They get better media coverage out of that than anything else they do.
No such thing as bad publicity.
World News & Politics:
The White House is looking to replace Pete Hegseth as defense secretary: https://www.npr.org/2025/04/21/nx-s1-5371312/trump-white-house-pete-hegseth-defense-department
Hegseth Melts Down in Front of Own Kids in Rant to Save Job: https://www.thedailybeast.com/hegseth-melts-down-in-front-of-own-kids-in-rant-to-save-job/
Marjorie Taylor Greene Says ‘Evil Being Defeated’ After Pope Francis Death: https://www.newsweek.com/marjorie-taylor-greene-says-evil-being-defeated-after-pope-francis-death-2062157
Trans pilot falsely blamed in D.C. plane crash sues conservative influencer: https://www.nbcnews.com/nbc-out/out-news/trans-pilot-falsely-blamed-potomac-plane-crash-sues-conservative-influ-rcna200474
Stocks tumble and dollar hits three-year low as Trump bashes Powell again: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/04/21/investing/us-stock-market/index.html
Kremlin satisfied with US statements that Ukraine will not join NATO: https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/04/21/7508502/
Algeria drops French, adopts English as university language: https://www.universityworldnews.com/post.php?story=20250415221857998
China to sanction US Congress members and others who ‘acted egregiously’ on Hong Kong: https://www.scmp.com/news/china/diplomacy/article/3307291/china-sanctions-us-congress-members-officials-and-others-who-behaved-badly-hong-kong
Japan keeps asking the US what it wants in trade talks and can’t get an answer: https://www.forexlive.com/news/japan-keeps-asking-the-us-what-it-wants-in-trade-talks-and-cant-get-an-answer-20250421/
What you get when you put a weekend TV host in charge of the US military.
Hard Being Green says:
Tuesday, April 22, 2025 at 8:09 am
Goll the best possible outcome is minority government imo
As Adam has been saying, do everything possible to keep Dutton away from the Lodge…’
==========================
My guess is that you are a Liberal bot operating off an extremely limited set of instructions.
The Greens are, in fact, helping Dutton by enabling him to claim that the Greens will force Labor to get rid of negative gearing. Dutton is helpfully (for Dutton) endlessly repeating the same message.
Albo and Dutton suspending their campaigns today out of respect for the Pope’s death – fair enough, but this suits Albo far more than Dutton at this stage.
Pre Poll voting starts today, and it is just up the road from where I live in the seat of Berowra, so I will vote early this week.
Good Morning! Here’s Your Week 4 of the Election Campaign News and Views Roundup.
Renewable energy developers are pressing Opposition Leader Peter Dutton to reveal how much more wind and solar would be allowed to join the electricity grid under his plan to embrace nuclear reactors, amid intensifying doubts about what technology mix the Coalition is targeting.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/renewable-energy-investors-demand-answers-on-coalition-nuclear-plan-20250418-p5lsr4.html
Analysis: Netherlands a ‘cautionary tale’ for Coalition’s mortgage deduction scheme, expert warns
Cody Hochstenbach says the scheme in his country has driven up home prices and weighs heavily on taxpayers. By Jonathan Barrett Business editor
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/22/netherlands-a-cautionary-tale-for-coalition-mortgage-deduction-scheme-expert-warns
The Coalition has seized on community concerns about crime to launch an extraordinary claim about the rising threat of violence, suggesting that many Victorians were scared to go to the shops because of the risk to their safety.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/victorians-afraid-to-go-to-the-shops-because-of-rising-crime-dutton-20250421-p5lt6u.html
Opposition leader Peter Dutton has been accused of a “cynical move” after claiming that Victorians are too scared to go to the shops because of rising crime.
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/federal-election-2025/2025/04/22/election-crime-dutton
‘Propaganda’: Albanese mocks Russia’s ‘you have no cards’ warning to Australia
Incendiary letter by Moscow’s envoy says Australians should be more concerned about US bases on their soil than a Russian base in Indonesia
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/21/propaganda-albanese-mocks-russias-you-have-no-cards-warning-to-australia
Newspoll has Labor further ahead but Albanese says election is anyone’s to win. By Brett Worthington
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-21/election-albanese-dutton-newspoll-defence/105196652
Andrew Hastie is a rising Liberal star. Where is he in the election campaign?
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/andrew-hastie-is-a-rising-liberal-star-where-is-he-in-the-election-campaign-20250421-p5lt67.html
Peter Dutton makes campaign’s 12th stop at petrol station.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/apr/21/coalition-sex-offender-register-peter-dutton-labor-early-voting-election-easter-monday-ntwnfb
The Greens want to be election kingmakers – but they are fighting on two fronts.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/21/the-greens-want-to-be-election-kingmakers-but-they-are-fighting-on-two-fronts
How an independent or minor party flips a safe seat in federal election.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-20/safe-seat-disruptors-changing-political-landscape/105191762
‘Misleading and offensive’: Allegra Spender denounces unauthorised pamphlet as AEC launches investigation. More than 47,000 anonymous pamphlets distributed in Wentworth area, which includes Bondi Beach, Darling Point, Double Bay and Rose Bay
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/21/misleading-and-offensive-allegra-spender-denounces-unauthorised-pamphlet-as-aec-launches-investigation
A flood of fake social media profiles inundating political discussion and reaching millions of Australians during an election campaign has sparked warnings of a growing threat.
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/federal-election-2025/2025/04/21/election-social-media-bots
News editors must choose between majority or own selfish interests. By Alan Austin
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/news-editors-must-choose-between-majority-or-own-selfish-interests,19648
Andrew Fraser. Trump versus a young man on a mission. Meet James Senanayake, 27, a senior economist with the federal government, who has most recently been analysing international impacts on Australia’s economy.
https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/04/trump-versus-a-young-man-on-a-mission/
Ross Gittins Home truths: Housing policies are for show, but one side at least gets the problem
https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/04/home-truths-housing-policies-are-for-show-but-one-side-at-least-gets-the-problem/
Explainer: Coalition says a national sex offender register would be a ‘powerful deterrent’. How would it work, and why now?
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/21/coalition-peter-dutton-national-sex-offender-register-trial-how-would-it-work-and-why-now-ntwnfb
Western Sydney has added more than 200,000 voters aged under 45 since the last election making Millennials and Gen Z voters the dominant voting bloc in that key electoral battleground for the first time.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/gang-of-youths-the-election-battleground-where-millennials-and-gen-z-hold-sway-20250410-p5lqq3.html
The northern Tasmania shop owner: ‘Don’t let the supermarkets get away with it’
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/22/the-northern-tasmania-shop-owner-dont-let-the-supermarkets-get-away-with-it
Energy has emerged as a key policy battleground in South West WA leading up to the federal election.
Labor’s offshore wind farm and the Liberals’ proposed nuclear reactor have turned some previously loyal voters against them.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-21/energy-projects-south-west-wa-federal-election-labor-liberals/105152524
Cost of living, housing among key concerns in SA marginal seat of Boothby
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-21/boothby-cost-of-living-federal-election-2025/105190262
Early voting opens in the federal election – but it brings some problems for voters and parties
https://theconversation.com/early-voting-opens-in-the-federal-election-but-it-brings-some-problems-for-voters-and-parties-254172
Less than 2% of Labor’s promised $1bn mental health funding would be spent next financial year
Advocates voice concern package will roll out too slowly and will not be targeted at services patients need
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/apr/22/just-16-million-labor-mental-health-package-spent-next-financial-year
Three big disability issues the next government needs to address.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-22/federal-election-2025-disability-issues/105165312
The great election silence. Australian elections are often marked less by what is promised or talked about, and more by absences. There’s much about tax cuts, but little or nothing about tax rorts, such as negative gearing. Policy area after policy area has such absences.
https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/04/the-great-election-silence/
Victoria’s hot seats LIVE updates: Ryan accuses Libs of pork-barrelling in Kooyong with $14m in pledges; Muslim lobbyists post attack ads against Labor
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/victoria-s-hot-seats-live-updates-federal-election-2025-continues-muslim-lobby-group-rolls-out-attack-ads-against-labor-20250421-p5lt3t.html
A key energy project that will connect regional Queensland to the national power grid has suffered another cost blowout, ballooning to more than double the original estimate. But the Queensland government remains committed to delivering the transmission line despite the toll on the bottom line.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/queensland/critical-queensland-energy-project-price-balloons-again-20250408-p5lq0a.html
Alfred Deakin’s descendants push for public acquisition of former PM’s seaside home in Victoria.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/victoria/alfred-deakin-s-descendants-push-for-public-acquisition-of-former-pm-s-seaside-home-20250421-p5lt2e.html
Interactive: See how many properties your MP owns – and their other financial interests
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/interactive-see-how-many-properties-your-mp-owns-and-their-other-financial-interests-20241226-p5l0q4.html
Regulators warned the US bond market was vulnerable. Trump is proving them right. A fascinating dissection by Stephen Bartholomeusz
https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/regulators-warned-the-us-bond-market-was-vulnerable-trump-is-proving-them-right-20250421-p5lt3q.html
Australian prime minister pays emotional tribute to Pope Francis as a ‘devoted champion’.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/21/australian-prime-minister-pays-emotional-tribute-to-pope-francis-as-a-devoted-champion
Who will be the next Pope? By Rob Harris
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/who-will-be-the-next-pope-20250108-p5l2pj.html
Explainer: Who will be the next pope? Some potential candidates to succeed Francis
A ‘continuity’ pick, the possible first Asian pope or first black pontiff in centuries are among likely contenders
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/21/who-next-pope-francis-potential-candidates-succeed
What qualities are now required of a pontiff in the world of Donald Trump?
https://www.smh.com.au/national/what-qualities-are-now-required-of-a-pontiff-in-the-world-of-donald-trump-20250226-p5lf8m.html
President Donald Trump said he will attend the funeral of Pope Francis in what would be the president’s first foreign trip in his second administration.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/21/trump-to-attend-pope-franciss-funeral-00301655
Trump stands by defiant Hegseth, blames ‘fake news’ for Signalgate 2.0
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-stands-by-defiant-hegseth-blames-fake-news-for-signalgate-2-0-20250422-p5lt9t.html
‘An amateur person’: GOP Rep. Bacon says Hegseth should go. The Nebraska lawmaker is the first House Republican to recommend the president fire the secretary of Defense.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/21/don-bacon-recommends-firing-hegseth-00301057
Hegseth could ‘implode on his own’ even as Trump sticks by him
Trump dismisses Pentagon controversies, but there are growing doubts about how long this can last.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/21/trump-hegseth-leadership-00301052
Trump’s peacemaker charade has failed. Ukraine and the West will pay a price. Peter Hartcher
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/trump-s-peacemaker-charade-has-failed-ukraine-and-the-west-will-pay-a-price-20250421-p5lt4k.html
World Bank climate message shifts amid Trump era uncertainty. The bank’s messaging on climate represents a delicate balancing act between the institution and the U.S., its largest shareholder.
https://www.politico.com/news/2025/04/20/with-trump-in-power-world-bank-walks-a-tightrope-on-climate-work-00299653
China warns countries against striking trade deals with US at its expense.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/china-warns-countries-against-striking-trade-deals-with-us-at-its-expense-20250421-p5lt62.html
MPs and peers oppose Donald Trump address to parliament during UK visit. Concerns raised address would be inappropriate because of president’s comments about UK, Nato and Ukraine
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/apr/21/donald-trump-address-to-parliament-during-uk-visit-opposed-by-mps-and-peers
Could Canada join the EU? Unlikely … but not impossible. EU scholars say Canada has the right vibe for Brussels — but there would be some major hurdles blocking a membership bid.
https://www.politico.eu/article/canada-join-eu-unlikely-not-impossible/
Venezuela accuses El Salvador of human trafficking as prisoners caught in row between authoritarians
Nayib Bukele offered to exchange 252 Venezuelan migrants deported to El Salvador for 252 prisoners in Venezuela
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/apr/21/venezuela-el-salvador-bukele-maduro-prisoners
Trump may get a nuclear deal — on Iran’s terms. Given Tehran’s weakened state and Washington’s eagerness for a deal, success is possible. However, it’s more likely to resemble the 2015 one Trump abandoned.
https://www.politico.eu/article/trump-may-get-a-nuclear-deal-on-irans-terms/
There is a way to turn Trump’s chaos into an opportunity. Here is what European leaders must do
Paul Taylor
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/apr/21/trump-chaos-opportunity-eu-european-leaders-usa
Harry Armstrong-Thawley Baseload power is functionally extinct. Much has been made of the notion that “renewables can’t supply baseload power”. This line suggests we need to replace Australia’s ageing coal fleet with new coal or nuclear. The fact of the matter is that, already, “baseload” is an outdated concept and baseload generators face extinction.
https://johnmenadue.com/post/2025/04/baseload-power-is-functionally-extinct/
Cartoon Time!
Matt Golding
Alan Moir
Cathy Wilcox
Dionne Gain
Pete Songi on Rachel Reeves’s trip to the US
From the Internet!
Republicans Against Trumpism @rpsagainsttrump.bsky.social
BREAKING: $1.4 trillion was wiped from the stock market today.
The market is on pace for its worst April since 1932!
Are you tired of winning yet?
Enjoy!
Early voting begins today. Get up to speed with all major election promises from Labor, the Coalition and Greens.
Read in SBS News: https://apple.news/AuNOa4_krTs2Fv0RIGiBVwg
Shared from Apple News
Albanese has to be careful with the death of the Pope, he over does it he risks alienation from voters.More interested in Overseas events than domestic events.
Q; Albanese has to be careful with the death of the Pope, he over does it he risks alienation from voters.More interested in Overseas events than domestic events.
And todays top story (SMH and ABC) is Dutton calling for suspension of campaigning due to Popes death…
crispy wedges
nice try at the nasty liberal attack line…
The reality?
There are five million catholics in Australia.
Including Albanese.
Therfore, of intense domestic interest.
As for Dutton.. he is mired in his sicko psycho sexual fantasy world. He just can’t seem to shake it.
That first Golding cartoon sums up the libs problem. Classic.
A pause in campaigning makes some sense. There is little chance that anything announced gets reported before 15 minutes into the news bulletins.
I hope the Australia Cardinal is not getting his advice from this right-wing Catholic ratbag:
Francis had such a philosophy, for sure. But it was almost entirely congruous with fashionable progressive liberalism. It was not necessarily the right one for the Church.
Take his views on migrants, for instance, expounded at length in his recent autobiography. Francis saw migrants as victims, both of poverty and war. He urged Catholics to embrace them and to resist the efforts of governments that demonised them. But such a position was simplistic. It ignored human nature, which is to seek to look after our own first. American vice president J.D. Vance said as much in his now notorious pontifications on the ordo amoris.
……………………
Vance’s position has a long and respectable history in Catholic political thought and theology. Yet Francis dismissed it in a letter to Catholic bishops. In dismissing it, he failed to respect, or even acknowledge, Catholic tradition’s intellectual complexity. One man’s refugee can be another’s invader.
This is a subject on which many people hold complex, contradictory views and even values. A simple message will not resolve them. The faithful needed more rigorous and structured guidance that also engaged opposing arguments. Could Francis have done that? **It would have enhanced his credibility with those who found him putting their faith and their politics into conflict** (emphasis added).
https://www.smh.com.au/national/what-qualities-are-now-required-of-a-pontiff-in-the-world-of-donald-trump-20250226-p5lf8m.html
This is certainly what the male Catholic hierarchy in Australia seems to think, but that is way out of step with most Catholic parishioners these days. And these views are possibly why Boy George, thankfully, has not made Cardinal.
Boothby voter “You see all the quick fixes, of dropping fuel prices or a quick boost of cash, and it’s like … that’s all well and good to do, but it’s not something long-term that will fix the problem,” he said.
It’s almost as if the voters aren’t stupid.
Chinese state-backed funds are cutting off new investment in US private equity, according to several people familiar with the situation, in the latest salvo against President Donald Trump’s trade war.
State-backed funds have been pulling back from investing in the funds of US-headquartered private capital firms in recent weeks, according to seven private equity executives with knowledge of the matter. The moves come in response to pressure from the Chinese government, three of the people said.
Some of the Chinese funds are also seeking to be excluded from private equity investments in US companies, even if those investments are made by buyout groups based elsewhere, some of the executives added.
https://www.ft.com/content/478c1c64-8923-4ec2-858d-670b30ae44f9
D&M:
On the subject of ordo amoris Francis was blunt and to the point (from that letter to US bishops):
https://www.vatican.va/content/francesco/en/letters/2025/documents/20250210-lettera-vescovi-usa.html
Yep about to pop up to the infant Jesus polling booth this morning hope it’s open today due to Pope snuffing it.
Sniff Sniff!
I smell a big swing in the next week or so back to coalition.
China is dragging its economy down and dragging the Failed Albanese government economy with it due to labor being in bed with communists economically.
Liberals fuel policy excellent.
Liberals crime policy excellent
Liberals tax policy excellent
Liberals economic growth policies excellent
Liberals Aboriginal policy excellent
Liberals anti woke policies excellent.
Liberals health and education policies excellent
And lots more other lib policies great!
The Funeral of Pope Francis looks likely to be on Sunday evening. So Channel Seven’s debate might be off or need to be moved.
Holding the debate during the day might be an option.
Thanks, PP. You’re like a double shot of wide awake this early in the morning.
Hh
Interesting.
They are desperate to get capital out of China. And foreign investment in China has almost totally collapsed.
If not China or the US, where?
Will Australia get a boost in foreign investment?
Morning all. Thanks Cat and HH for the roundups. On yesterday’s Dutton rant:
“ Opposition leader Peter Dutton has been accused of a “cynical move” after claiming that Victorians are too scared to go to the shops because of rising crime.”
https://www.thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/federal-election-2025/2025/04/22/election-crime-dutton
This will not work as a scare campaign because it has nothing to resonate with. Trying to blame Labor for the cost of living crisis might work because prices are going up. But if nobody is scared of going shopping there is nobody to blame for it.
The fact of the matter is that Victorian crime rates are up significantly.
Dutton is seeking to gain electoral advantage from this.
Few voters are going to care whether crime is a federal or state matter.
But there is a crime problem.
https://www.crimestatistics.vic.gov.au/crime-statistics/latest-victorian-crime-data/recorded-offences-2
Boerwar
There is horrible crime taking place in other states too.
Just this past few days. Two particularly heinous crimes.
Sydney
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/didn-t-deserve-this-tributes-flow-for-sydney-woman-kidnapped-and-found-dead-in-car-20250421-p5lt74.html
Sunshine Coast QLD
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-21/woman-dead-and-man-shot-in-bruce-highway-alleged-carjackings/105197286
And as previously illustrated, the tobacco wars has been the big criming in Victoria, stemming from federal policy. And the AFP being useless as always.
They have only recently stepped up their act in this space in seizing illegal tobacco imports
Victoria
I haven’t checked the crime statistics for other states.
My point is that Dutton has something real to work with in Victoria.
More importantly, no Day no HOKball?
This occurred a month ago. The big wigs in the tobacco wars reside offshore. They get their young underlings to do their dirty work.
https://www.9news.com.au/national/melbourne-news-police-charge-eight-people-with-extortion-over-tobacco-wars/769e8414-bc35-446e-b3c5-f5d285e79fd7
Boerwar
Yes. The Hawks aren’t the same without Will Day.
He is being sorely missed.
Other half and son went to game yesterday. Despite playing badly, they could have won the game.