With Labor’s win confirmed yesterday in Calwell, Labor can lay claim to 94 seats in the House of Representatives, shattering its previous record of 86 at the 1987 election. In seat terms, the only result that bears comparison for Labor is the wartime election of 1943, when Labor under John Curtin won 49 in what was them a chamber of 75 seats. As covered on the dedicated late counting thread, the only seat that remains seriously in doubt is Bradfield, where the Liberals hold a 14-vote lead over the independent in the early stages of a recount – a partial recount begins today in Goldstein, though something fairly extraordinary would have to turn up to overturn the 260-vote Liberal lead. If nothing changes from here, the Liberals will have 29 seats, the Nationals nine, independents nine, and the Greens, Katter’s Australian Party and the Centre Alliance one each.
Some further random points of note:
• JWS Research has produced a “post-federal election survey report” along the same lines of a similar effort after the 2022 election, but has been sparing with details thus far. The Financial Review reports it found 49% of Labor voters identified a favourable view of the party as the main motivation for their choice, followed by 23% for the leader, 18% for policies or issues and 7% for the local candidate. Among Coalition voters, 56% named the party, 20% policies or issues, 13% the local candidate and only 9% the leader. The pollster further relates a finding that 16% decided on the day they voted and another 39% during the campaign period, which didn’t differ greatly from the 2022 results. The poll was conducted Tuesday to Wednesday in the week after the election from a sample of 1000.
• Josh Dolega, an officer at the Australian Taxation Office in Burnie and organiser with the Left faction Community and Public Sector Union, has been preselected to fill the Labor Tasmanian Senate vacancy created by Anne Urquhart’s successful move to the lower house seat of Braddon. Sue Bailey of The Mercury reports the field also included Unions Tasmania secretary Jessica Munday, Meander Valley councillor Ben Dudman, former party state secretary Stuart Benson, Australian Education Union state president David Genford, and Burnie councillor and disabilities worker Chris Lynch. Dolega has a distinctly low profile, but had backing from Urquhart and her power base in the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union.
• By way of refuting suggestions that Labor’s low primary vote raised questions about Labor’s legitimacy or mandate, national secretary Paul Erickson noted in his National Press Club address last week that the party recorded a higher vote in the Senate than the House of Representatives, which he attributed to tactical voting in the lower house. While the distinction was fine – Labor recorded 34.6% of the vote in the House and 35.1% in the Senate – the last occasion I can identify where the two were matched at concurrent elections was in 1958.
• On the subject of Paul Erickson, Nine Newspapers reports on suggestions he could contest a by-election for the Melbourne seat of Isaacs should Mark Dreyfus react to his dumping as Attorney-General by quitting politics, the odds on which would seem rather short.
Alleged Liberal party pedophile Rory Amon accused Liberal party sex pest Gareth Ward to learn uncomfortable life lessons.
Charlotte Walker to Federal senate in triumphant ALP SA senate gain stomps SA cookers
Trump an ongoing disaster now openly mocked by ally Russia. Worlds biggest loser Musk returns to failing Tesla. Robotaxi & Humanoid robot bagholders assemble.
Vic libs a laughing stock set to lose unloseable election badly.
Thanks to C@t & HH for roundup
Scott Morrison is the godfather of the RW religious wingnuts faction in the Liberal Party.
joffaboy @ #48 Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 – 9:08 am
Exactly. And we have one of them here called Rex Douglas. I thought this Fiona Katauskas cartoon particularly pithy and apt to describe them:
”
Don’t let rich old men tell you the planned super tax is terribly bad. By Ross Gittins
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/don-t-let-rich-old-men-tell-you-the-planned-super-tax-is-terribly-bad-20250527-p5m2l1.html
”
I am telling Rex that “the planned super tax is not terribly bad.
Labor won’t let a member of the left faction stand in a seat currently occupied by a member of the right faction and Erickson is a member of the left so he will need to find another seat if he wishes to become an MHR.
The perfect candidate would be Jewish and right faction so as not to disturb the balances.
After all Isaacs is named after our first Ausralian born GG Sir Isaac Isaacs.
Impatiently waiting for the Vic senate results
C@tmomma @ #52 Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 – 8:41 am
Nah, the dodgy uncle.
Albo should impose a climate tax on the fossil fuel cartel with revenue to be directed to farmers who are victim to increased extreme weather.
”
Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert says his country is committing war crimes. Leader from 2006 to 2009 says Palestinian victims are at ‘monstrous proportions’ and Netanyahu heads a ‘criminal gang’
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/may/27/former-israeli-pm-ehud-olmert-says-his-country-is-committing-war-crimes
”
Is Former Israeli PM Ehud Olmert a self hating jew for saying that Israel is committing ‘war crimes’?
Netanyahu and his government doesn’t care what others say. He apparently wants ethnic cleansing in Gaza. The pressure has to come from inside Israel. Otherwise, they are complicit to Israeli government actions.
That was one of the main arguments of Western countries during WW2 for mercilessly bombing Germany and keeping Germany divided for 43 years. Even then leaders like Margaret Thatcher opposed Germany unification because she was of the opinion that united posed danger to the world.
Israeli government has completely lost the plot.
If Western democracies keep quiet even now, then the other parts of the world will come to the conclusion (not that they have already done) Western democracies only care for white people.
Trump posted this on truth social. He basically admits that he has been protecting Russia. Which is a surprise to absolutely no one.
—————
What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD. He’s playing with fire!
40mm yesterday and a little this morning to bed it in.
Very late start to the wet season. But it is a start at least.
Integrity should put forth his policy proposals to his own party, the LNP, and report on results. I mean, if they’re so popular…
“By way of refuting suggestions that Labor’s low primary vote raised questions about Labor’s legitimacy or mandate, national secretary Paul Erickson noted in his National Press Club address last week that the party recorded a higher vote in the Senate than the House of Representatives, which he attributed to tactical voting in the lower house. While the distinction was fine – Labor recorded 34.6% of the vote in the House and 35.1% in the Senate – the last occasion I can identify where the two were matched at concurrent elections was in 1958.”
This downplays the amount of tactical labor voters. In most Labor seats, Labor’s senate vote is lower than its house vote. In the main Teal seats it is at least double. In NSW, where the Teal presence is strongest, the senate vote is 2.5% higher than the house vote.
This clip has the most accurate prediction of the pre-election period. Can you spot it?
https://youtu.be/Qm_qnH8bCyU?si=vM3Y8fj1VmrSDdst
Dr Bonham on Victorian Senate button press…
RESULT: 3 Labor 2 Liberal 1 Green. Ananda-Rajah has landed on her feet, winning what must have seemed like just a consolation prize run after Higgins was abolished. Margins later.
This is an absolutely fascinating interview of Ruth Ben-Ghiat by an American who works for Al Jazeera English wrt the Trump brand of Authoritarianism:
https://youtu.be/-y6Byx77qxM?si=Ah3lRlc3sEjcGK3f
sprocket_ @ #64 Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 – 10:06 am
Looks like the predictions of nadia88 wrt Victoria have been absolutely and thoroughly repudiated.
Watch King Charles take a swing at Trump’s attacks on Canada
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/27/2324598/-Watch-King-Charles-take-a-swing-at-Trump-s-attacks-on-Canada?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_4&pm_medium=web
This Aussie economics professor at the University of Michigan is great to watch. He regularly appears on CNN and MSNBC. Here he is on the Times Radio’s Trump Report talking about the tariff idiocy.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WUBRMYIdTaw&t=13s
Pi he says he’s fighting the good fight to stop this place becoming a ‘Labor echo chamber’, but I think it’s just his way of coping with this generationally crippling Liberal loss 😆
And here is Wolfers being more outspoken on MSNBC a couple of days ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfmebGDqaNg
42m ago
WA premier wants NW shelf decision to be ‘legally safe’
Courtney Gould profile image
By Courtney Gould
West Australian Premier Roger Cook doesn’t want the federal government to make a rushed decision on approval of an extension to Woodside’s North West Shelf gas development.
The proposal to extend the life of its gas facility in Karratha from 2030 to 2070 has been under assessment for six years.
Cook’s government approved the project last December. But it still needs the sign-off from the federal government to proceed…
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-05-28/federal-politics-live-may-28/105344638#live-blog-post-184532
_____________________
Roger Cook should come over and speak to some of our farmers about more extreme weather
”
BKsays:
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 10:12 am
And here is Wolfers being more outspoken on MSNBC a couple of days ago.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CfmebGDqaNg
”
For example,
Trump brags about backing down on European tariffs
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/27/2324542/-Trump-brags-about-backing-down-on-European-tariffs?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_7&pm_medium=web
“President Donald Trump is retreating from a tariff threat—and bragging about it.
Last Friday, Trump threatened to impose 50% tariffs against the European Union starting on June 1, claiming that the bloc of 27 nations “has been very difficult to deal with” and that talks “are going nowhere.” But on Sunday, he backed off following a “very nice” discussion with Ursula von der Leyen, president of the European Commission.
But on Tuesday, he boasted that his unwarranted threat was a successful negotiation tactic to speed up the process.
“I have just been informed that the E.U. has called to quickly establish meeting dates. This is a positive event, and I hope that they will, FINALLY, like my same demand to China, open up the European Nations for Trade with the United States of America,” Trump said in a post on his Truth Social platform. “They will BOTH be very happy, and successful, if they do!!!”
Victoria @ #59 Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 – 9:54 am
Vladimir Putin is displaying the impotence of Donald Trump to the world.
He better watch out though. Vainglorious narcissistic psychopaths like Trump have access to some very dangerous weapons that Putin wouldn’t like to see aimed in his direction if he continues to humiliate Trump on the global stage.
Ven @ #72 Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 – 10:13 am
Because, as a demagogue, he never loses, he simply redefines the loss as a new victory.
Wolahan has an impressive CV:
He continued studying at Monash University, completing a Bachelor of Law (Honours).
He was awarded the Sir Charles Lowe Moot Prize.
Wolahan began his career in law with the national firm, Mallesons Stephen Jacques where he specialised in mergers and acquisitions.
In 2010 he became a barrister,
specialising in commercial and consumer trials.
In 2013, Wolahan graduated from University of Cambridge with a master’s degree in International Relations.
’] – wiki
He also served in the Army as a commando officer, completing three tours to Afghanistan.
He has now returned to the Victorian Bar after losing the seat of Menzies.
Omar Comin’ @ #69 Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 – 10:11 am
I think a 94 seat win gives us the right, if only a little bit, to be a Labor powerhouse blog. FTW! 😀
Rex Douglas @ #57 Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 – 9:48 am
Stupid idea.
So no Patten.
Well that’s something I suppose.
Trump admits to treating Putin with kid gloves
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/5/27/2324556/-Trump-admits-to-treating-Putin-with-kid-gloves?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=top_news_slot_8&pm_medium=web
“President Donald Trump admitted that he goes easy on murderous Russian dictator Vladimir Putin, saying that if Trump wasn’t in office Russia would be facing more consequences for the violent war the country is waging on Ukraine.
“What Vladimir Putin doesn’t realize is that if it weren’t for me, lots of really bad things would have already happened to Russia, and I mean REALLY BAD,” Trump wrote in a social media post on Tuesday. “He’s playing with fire!”
“
Robert Lynch,
I think Albo currently has enough power to make that happen if he really wanted it.
The Right would be content with a promise for another seat somewhere.
BS Fairman,
You seem to be the go to guy for these things in Victoria. So, I have just formulated a theory. Basically, it turns around whether Michelle Ananda-Rajah is a member of the Right? If so, do you think that her elevation to the Senate might assuage the Right’s desire to hang onto Isaacs so that Paul Erickson can take that spot? Or do you think they are more likely to put Jewish-Australian, Nick Dyrenfurth in instead?
Mavissays:
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 10:15 am
Wolahan has an impressive CV:
_____________________
Bit of a change from the Law/Arts degree, Union official, staffer which is the ALP’s favoured CV.
Been watching the French Mavis ? Sinner a bit rusty after his doping ban ? Alcaraz for me.
”
Omar Comin’says:
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 10:11 am
Pi he says he’s fighting the good fight to stop this place becoming a ‘Labor echo chamber’, but I think it’s just his way of coping with this generationally crippling Liberal loss
”
Do you mean P1 not Pi because Pi is in the “Labor echo chamber” already? 🙂
Still want to be a fly on the wall of the next joint party room
“Libs, Nats strike deal to get Coalition back together
Rhiannon Down
The Liberals and the Nationals have reformed a Coalition, after leaders Sussan Ley and David Littleproud reached an agreement.
The two parties are reported to have struck an agreement, after the Nationals walked away from the Coalition last week.
The two parties later agreed to a pause on the separation.”
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/politics-latest-labor-landslide-sweeps-21yearold-charlotte-walker-into-upper-house/live-coverage/507944b1ab0ad21dade7799ebaade154?amp
Taylormade
Labor’s newest Senator has a stronger CV that Wolahan.. we don’t need more lawyers in Parliament
Ananda-Rajah achieved her bachelor’s degree in medicine and surgery (MBBS) in 1997 and her PhD in 2014 from the University of Sydney.
Ananda-Rajah worked as a clinician-researcher and physician in infectious diseases and general medicine at Alfred Health for 13 years.
She is a graduate of USyd with honours and underwent speciality training in Victoria. In 2019, she was awarded a prestigious TRIP (Translating Research Into Practice) fellowship by the Medical Research Future Fund and appointed to JAMA Network Open as a statistical and methods reviewer.
Ananda-Rajah has published over 50 scientific papers and held several editorial roles in medical journals.
Ananda-Rajah is the co-founder of Healthcare Workers Australia,
a grass roots advocacy group which has campaigned since August 2020 for improved respiratory protection.
Ananda-Rajah was preselected as the Labor candidate for Higgins in July 2021, ahead of the 2022 Australian federal election.
She trailed Liberal incumbent Katie Allen for most of the night. However, on the seventh count, the Green candidate’s preferences flowed overwhelmingly to Ananda-Rajah. This gave Ananda-Rajah a 2.4% swing in primary vote and a 4.6% swing in two party preferred vote, to win the seat with a two party preferred vote of 52%, or a little under 4,000 votes. By winning, Ananda-Rajah became the first Labor member for Higgins in the seat’s 73-year history.
Ananda-Rajah is the co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Electric Vehicles alongside Member for Kooyong Monique Ryan, and co-chair of the Parliamentary Friends of Men’s Health alongside Member for Nicholls Sam Birrell.
Ananda-Rajah serves on the Procedure Committee, the Health, Aged Care and Sport Committee, and the Public Accounts and Audit Committee.
Since becoming elected, Ananda-Rajah has driven efforts within the Albanese Government to prioritise indoor air quality and clean air in combatting infectious disease and other adverse health impacts.
On 30 March 2023, Ananda-Rajah co-chaired a Clean Air Forum featuring Australian Chief Health Officer Professor Paul Kelly and former Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michelle_Ananda-Rajah
sprocket_says:
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 10:37 am
Taylormade
On 30 March 2023, Ananda-Rajah co-chaired a Clean Air Forum featuring Australian Chief Health Officer Professor Paul Kelly and former Victorian Chief Health Officer Brett Sutton.
_____________________
Co-chairing with Sutton. That’s nothing to crow about. I would be removing that from her CV.
C@tmomma @ #76 Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 – 10:16 am
Oh hell yeah!
From Confessions, Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 7:44 am:
I urge all political parties to work together to close off this obscene fire hose pumping taxpayer dollars into the already-bloated troughs of uber-rich sprogs.
I urge all voters to punish any political party which stands in the way of redressing this manifest inequity in our tax and super systems.
Ven @ #83 Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 – 10:30 am
Sorry Ven I was replying to the earlier comment by Pi.
In future I’ll remember to address & quote properly so that it is clear.
Edit: I’m also going to make an effort to use more full stops and paragraphs.
“The pollster further relates a finding that 16% decided on the day they voted and another 39% during the campaign period,”
My takeaway from that is ALWAYS campaign, right up to polls close, and NEVER take an indicated result for granted. Lots saying how the ALP is good for two terms with this result. Likley, but …. never …. ever complacency in the campaigns at seat level.
The Coalition divorce was barely a week old, what was the point of splitting if you’re just going to get back together shortly after?
”The pollster further relates a finding that 16% decided on the day they voted and another 39% during the campaign period”
While that many may have thought about it, I suspect that most decided on the day to vote the way they always do. If 54% were genuinely undecided at the start of the campaign and 16% on the day they voted, we’d see much bigger swings.
Even so, campaigning is important as Imacca @10:56 says. Most elections are decided by small numbers at the margins. Changing the minds of a percentage point or two in key seats is crucial. It can make the difference between a win or a loss, or a comfortable win and a landslide.
Just on taxing at a higher rate the income of super balances over $3m, the bed wetting hysteria of some in the media is absurd.
Australian Financial Review by far the worst.
SmearStralian and other Murdoch outlets like SkyFoxNews a close second.
The world as we know it will end if these 80,000 tax rorters (Rex excluded of course) have to move their excess into other vehicles like Trusts.
The Guardian:
Taylormade:
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 10:29 am
Mavissay:
Wednesday, May 28, 2025 at 10:15 am
Wolahan has an impressive CV:
_____________________
Wolahan has a very varied CV, unlike any I’ve seen for an MP. I think he’ll stand again for Menzies as he only narrowly lost it, and he’s considered leadership material.
Only the highlights. I get more interested in the second week. Alcaraz for me, too.
If any other leader in the world and any other federal government in the world did/do/does anything even close(say 30%) to what Trump and Israeli government did/does/’do in future’, then the whole Western world will be like a rash on that leader and country, impose sanctions, go to war and what not.
The only reason Trump and Netanyahu Israeli government are doing what they are doing on daily basis is because
1. Republican party has provided permission structure to Trump
2. Western democracies have provided permission structure to Israeli government.
Tesla dominating in California///
Tesla Model Y & 3 Crush California: #1 & #3 Best-Sellers in 2025!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4P6fHO0CzwE
Gutless Europe should fight Russia!
Bludgeoned Westie @ #92 Wednesday, May 28th, 2025 – 11:06 am
To take The Nationals down a peg or two. And it’s worked. 😐