JWS Research has published a post-federal election survey report along the same lines of a similar effort after the 2022 election, conducted May 6 to 8 from a sample of 1000. Key findings:
• Labor did distinctly better among those who voted early (encompassing postal as well as pre-poll voters), with 42% of those aged 65 and over but only 20% of those aged 18 to 34 reporting having voted more than a week out from election day, with a respective 25% and 47% voting on election day itself.
• Labor did much better among late deciders: 26% of Coalition voters said they always voted that way with only 10% saying they decided on the day they voted, whereas the respective figures for Labor voters were 17% and 16%. Of those who decided in the final week of the campaign, 39% voted Labor and 23% Coalition, compared with 38% and 30% in 2022.
• Forty-three per cent reported being at least party guided by how-to-vote cards (47% of Labor voters, 50% of Coalition and 32% of Greens), down from 49% in 2022, with 56% saying they made up their own mind (52% Coalition, 49% Labor and 65% Greens), up from 49%.
• Forty-nine per cent 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.
• Eighty-three per cent found it easy to fill the lower house ballot paper compared with 8% for difficult, while 61% rated Senate voting easy and 22% difficult.
• Sixty-three per cent reckoned the election campaign important, up from 56% in 2022, compared with 16% for not important, down from 15%.
• Labor’s campaign was rated more positively than the Coalition measure on 11 of 12 measures, the exception being “a source of false/misleading information”, for which both scored 30%. The two most emphatic results both related to Trumpet of Patriots, whose campaign was rated “annoying” by 57% and a source of false/misleading information by 40%.
The Lowy Institute has published the full report of its annual survey of attitudes to foreign policy, conducted from March 3 to 16 from a sample of 2117. A taster was provided early in the election campaign in the shape of a question on which leader would be more competent at handling foreign policy, on which Anthony Albanese led Peter Dutton 41% to 29%.
The survey finds trust in the United States to act responsibly in the world at 36%, down 20 points on last year and by far the worst result going back to 2006 (the previous low being 51% in the last year if the first Trump presidency). Eighty per cent nonetheless continue to hold that the US alliance is important to Australia’s security, down three on last year; 57% say Australia should remain close to the US rather than distance itself, down seven, and 63% hold that the US would come to Australia’s aid if it were attacked. Support for the AUKUS nuclear submarines plan was effectively unchanged on last year, with 67% in favour and 32% opposed. While an even 49% supported and opposed Trump’s demands that US allies spend more on defence, opinion of seven other keynote Trump policies was negative, with mass deportations of undocumented immigrants at the low end (42% support, 56% oppose) and tariffs (18% support, 81% oppose) and pressuring Denmark over Greenland (10% support, 89% oppose) rating worst.
A regular question on whether China should be viewed more as an economic partner than a security threat produced a net positive result for the first time since 2020, with respective results of 50% and 47%. Nonetheless, 69% believed China will become a military threat to Australia in the next 20 years, down two from last year, 56% believed it would be the most powerful country in ten, compared with 27% holding out for the United States. An even 45% considered Trump and Xi Jinping the “more reliable partner for Australia”. Japan scored highest out of eight major countries as trusted to act responsibly in the world, at 90%, with China on 20% and Russia 11%. A “confidence in world leaders” question had the leaders of Australia, New Zealand, France, Japan, the United Kingdom and Ukraine rated positively by between 59% and 63%; Peter Dutton doing a good deal worse at 41% and 52%; and only Xi Jinping, Vladimir Putin and Kim Jong-un rating worse than Donald Trump.
Forty-three per cent reported being at least party guided by how-to-vote cards (47% of Labor voters, 50% of Coalition and 32% of Greens), down from 49% in 2022, with 56% saying they made up their own mind (52% Coalition, 49% Labor and 65% Greens), up from 49%.
It seems as though a lot of Greens voters didn’t like that The Greens preferenced the Liberal candidate above Labor in some seats at least and made up their own minds.
First comment on a new post just someone making up wild nonsense about the Greens with less evidence to back up their claim than a TumeriX salesman
Bean @ #2 Tuesday, June 17th, 2025 – 6:43 am
Like you making up numbers about the Israeli diaspora? 😐
Also, I love how you just flat out deny something that absolutely angered a lot of Greens voters.
No, the numbers are what they are above. 65% of Greens voters didn’t follow The Greens HTV card. Although I think there may also be another reason, which I know to be true and that’s because a lot of Greens voters were angry with the last 3 years of Greens blocking in the Senate and voting with the Coalition to block Labor programs.
Denial is not a river in Egypt, Bean.
Trump is going full Capt. Black (Catch 22) it seems.
President Donald Trump is accelerating efforts to transform the federal workforce from a nonpartisan, merit-based civil service to a system that values loyalty to the president and to push policies that allow the administration to more easily dismiss career employees, according to federal workers, public service experts and employment attorneys.
https://www.reddit.com/r/fednews/comments/1lcpfjr/trump_overhauls_federal_hiring_to_reward_loyalty/
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-gets-g7-off-to-awkward-start-by-complaining-that-putin-is-not-there-20250617-p5m7xb.html
OMG he sounds like a whiny schoolboy! Clearly Trump needs someone to hold his hand.
Fess, Trump would love to do what Putin does, kill/maim a million of his own countrymen, disappear his internal enemies, invade neighbours at will etc, but he’s weak.
The whole MAGA is rabidly anti-weak but they replace that term with ‘woke’ because repeatedly using the word ‘weak’ would be signalling their unspoken inner fear, that they are weak, lazy, stupid and gullible.
Putin is maybe the father Trump would really have liked?
Not gonna get into it with someone who moves the goalposts two to three times within the same post.
Ye gods! Would you trust the Trumps not to abuse this?
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/16/trump-organization-gold-phone
https://trumpmobile.com/
Trump mobile. There will be plenty of gullible fools who rush to buy one.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2025/06/16/trump-organization-mobile-phone/
Yes, weak is definitely what they are.
Although for the sake of clarity and not being a massive racist, I got the numbers wrong about the Israeli population born in Israel because I did the maths myself. Goverbment sources are all hosted on websites that dont exist anymore so I crunched the numbers and stuffed it. Its 53 percent of Israelis jewish people born in Israel. Couldnt find anything about the countries of origin for the 21 percent Arabic population of Israel, if I had to guess it would be from the area.
To quote from L/Cpl Jones “They don’t like it up ’em!” when their product turns out to be nothing more than face paint it seems.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-06-17/choice-responds-to-sunscreen-testing-criticism/105424566
The worst performing product in Choice’s testing was an Ultra Violette product which came in with an SPF of just 4.
Bean: I did the maths myself.
There’s a surprise.
This is an elucidating and fascinating interview of Anne Applebaum by a British journalist about the Trump Administration:
https://youtu.be/zsRvCiXOXCs?si=1YR3eKH6IZK7ifPP
You’re telling me Pi. I like most of the political discussion here but I often dont have much to contribute because im younger and I dont want to expose my parents political activities. Maths wont be a future contribution im sure.
Turns out the Trump mobile won’t be made in the US. And now we have further context as to Trump relaxing tariffs on smartphones and computers.
Always the grift.
On that Lowy Institute Feelings Thermometer, I’m not surprised Japan scores so highly among us Australians. Most of my friends have either studied Japanese or travelled there (not me yet, though), and my best man even spent two years there as an exchange student and met his future wife there. I think the cultural and commercial exchanges between Australia and Japan since the 1950’s have been remarkably successful in repairing the rift opened up by WW2.
The mullahs of Iran love the third Holy site of Islam so much they are lobbing missiles at it.
Loud explosions echoed across Jerusalem early Monday as Iranian missiles targeted major Israeli cities, including Haifa, Tel Aviv, and Jerusalem.
Morning all. Looks like Iran v Israel is escalating again. Hard to see how attacking Iranian state media defends Israel from an existential threat.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/16/iran-israel-attack-state-television-irib
Obviously the risk of major damage to the world economy is growing. A sane President would dial back the military support to Israel to reign in Bibi. But no, not Trump.
@DrDoolittle and Socrates (re 4Corners and AUKUS), from last night on the old thread:
“ The Aus Navy chief, Mr Hammond, then said they are already at plan D.”
______
Somewhat overblown given that ‘son of Collins’ and Japanese build subs never got past the ‘ideas phase’.
In truth AUKUS PIllar 1 is ‘Plan B’ and Pillar 2 is ‘Plan C’.
The only viable (in terms of timeframes to cure the threat of the capability gap will will suffer at thge end of next decade) ‘Plan D’, is to go back to a revised ‘Plan A’ – the Attack class, with construction now split between France and Australia (modules initially being built only at Cherbourg but then at Adelaide once industrial capacity spools up at Osborne).
That will remove the problems with Pillar 1 from the board altogether and will significantly mitigate the looming delays with Pillar 2 (and also provide an opportunity to abandon that if the shit really hits the fan).
One more point: Ret. Admiral Briggs is right to point to the size of the AUKUS subs in relation to confined littoral waters work, but the bigger issue is heat recycling of those large HEU reactors. They are not permitted to operate in waters shallower than 80M, the cant loiter in such waters for long and their heat (as opposed to noise) emmisons are tremendous and not easy to hide.
That being said the Virginia Class does littoral warfare work from ‘stand off’ positions – using long range weapons and their tremendous speed to reposition to the the same job done as ‘slow and sneaky’ conventional subs. however, the nuclear powered suffern class can combine the best of both worlds, as its LEU reactor is designed to be spooled down to little more than ‘trickle charge’ output: it can sit on the sea bed for extended periods of time and penetrate very shallow waters ‘on mission’ just about as effectively as a conventional sub. Just saying …
William thanks for the lead in article on the Lowi polling and early voting stats.
The Lowi survey showing a dramatic fall in trust for USA is consistent with recent Pew Research survey results for multiple countries including Australia. Australia recorded one of the biggest falls in trust for USA.
https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/06/11/us-image-declines-in-many-nations-amid-low-confidence-in-trump/
AE
I fully agree with your technical comments on sub options and would add enormous cost, timing and workforce advantages for French and other sub options as well.
However I haven’t raised those factors much lately as it has become obvious that most people, even RAN officers, base their attitude to AUKUS solely on political factors and their personal nationalistic views rather than rational analysis of the situation.
Trump said it was Trudeau who kicked Russia out of the G7.
It was conservative PM Steve Harper
Trump is a bona fide embarrassment on every level
A traitorous piece of crapola
Again I repeat how did Trump barely get 8000 at the parade.
Whereas millions protested against him
So where have all the devoted supporters of Trump gone?
Something does not gel at all.
My concern is that Israel is planning a false flag to rope the USA into overtly supporting them against Iran
World News & Politics Patrol:
El Salvador President and Trump Ally Bukele Accused of Cutting Deals With MS-13 Gang Members Using U.S. Aid: https://www.latintimes.com/el-salvador-president-trump-ally-bukele-accused-cutting-deals-ms-13-gang-members-using-us-aid-584958
S. Korea Holds Emergency Meeting after US Imposes 50% Tariff on Appliances: https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?Seq_Code=193777&lang=e
Russia to demand Ukraine destroy Western weapons to end war, senior Kremlin official says: https://kyivindependent.com/russia-demands-ukraine-destroy-western-weapons-to-end-war/
Zelenskyy: Russia proposed exchanging POWs for deported Ukrainian children: https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2025/06/16/7517391/
Ukraine confirms US is now protecting Putin’s oil assets: https://kyivinsider.com/ukraine-confirms-us-is-now-protecting-putins-oil-assets/
U.S. tells allies it won’t join war unless Iran targets Americans: https://www.axios.com/2025/06/16/us-join-war-bomb-iran-target-americans
Iran sought US pressure on Israel for ceasefire via Gulf states: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/iran-asks-gulf-arab-states-have-trump-press-israel-immediate-ceasefire-sources-2025-06-16/
TEHRAN READY TO ABANDON ENRICHMENT BUT NEEDS A FACE-SAVING EXIT: https://iranwire.com/en/news/142210-exclusive-tehran-ready-to-abandon-enrichment-but-needs-a-face-saving-exit/
Netanyahu tells ABC he’s not ruling out taking out Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei: https://abcnews.go.com/Politics/netanyahu-tells-abc-ruling-taking-irans-supreme-leader/story?id=122868515
Iran’s Mossad paranoia grows, amid fears of Israeli spies wearing ‘masks, hats and sunglasses’: https://edition.cnn.com/2025/06/16/middleeast/iran-mossad-paranoia-israel-spies-intl-latam
Israel bombs Iran’s state TV after threatening it would ‘disappear: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/16/israel-bombs-irans-state-tv-after-threatening-it-would
‘Disgusting’ MAGA Influencer Laughs as Iranian Media Is Struck by Israeli Airstrike on Live TV: ‘Something Seriously Wrong With You’: https://www.latintimes.com/disgusting-maga-influencer-laughs-iranian-media-struck-israeli-airstrike-live-tv-something-585093
Joe Rogan Regular Apologizes for Supporting Trump, Calls for Impeachment: https://www.newsweek.com/joe-rogan-regular-apologizes-supporting-trump-calls-impeachment-2086316
Fox News Accused of Adding Fake Applause During Trump Parade Live Stream: ‘They Had to Help Him Out’: https://www.latintimes.com/fox-news-accused-adding-fake-applause-during-trump-parade-live-stream-they-had-help-him-out-585089
Trump Orders ICE Vengeance on ‘No Kings’ Protest Cities: https://www.thedailybeast.com/trump-orders-ice-vengeance-hit-on-cities-that-protest-against-him/
Trump Hasn’t Visited A Single Natural Disaster On His Watch As President: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/trump-ignoring-disasters_n_684c8b3de4b0897e37f9f7a6
ICE Is Already $1 Billion Overbudget And Could Run Out Of Cash Next Month: https://www.latintimes.com/ice-already-1-billion-overbudget-could-run-out-cash-next-month-585043
Trump Organization announces mobile plan, $499 smartphone: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/06/16/trump-mobile-phone-plan.html
Extremely disturbing and unethical’: new rules allow VA doctors to refuse to treat Democrats, unmarried veterans: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/16/va-doctors-refuse-treat-patients
Press group sues L.A., alleging police abuse of reporters at ICE rallies: https://www.npr.org/2025/06/16/nx-s1-5434279/lapd-immigration-protests-journalists-rubber-bullets
Cartoons
David Rowe
Cathy Wilcox
Matt Golding
Dionne Gain
Pat Hudson
The background to the Ando cartoon
Moving Tadao Ando’s MPavilion will destroy it, but the City of Melbourne is weighing up whether keeping the architecturally significant structure is a threat to public safety.
….
The MPavilion series is spearheaded by philanthropist and retail mogul Naomi Milgrom in partnership with the City of Melbourne.
Architects pitch their ideas, the winning design is built and open for a year before the structures are eventually dismantled and relocated to permanent homes across Melbourne and Victoria, such as Melbourne Zoo and universities
Ando’s pavilion is the 10th in the series and Milgrom has said it will be the last, with its stay already extended for a year longer than usual.
………
Agenda documents raise concerns that Ando’s pavilion is climbable, its blank external walls are susceptible to tagging and graffiti and “the design not being consistent with best-practice gender-equity place principles”.
The Naomi Milgrom Foundation has said if the five-year extension is granted, it would be responsible for all ongoing maintenance and security of the space at no cost to the council.
I have never followed anyone’s how to vote card, priding myself on my ability to count all the way up to 10 or even 20 on a good day.
I’m fairly sure that a third is a pretty good hit rate for the Greens. Perhaps they had more volunteers this year.
#weatheronPB
My ears have been cooled,
and my ardour has been slowed,
by the moody sky.
Israel will not trust this den of vipers to hold it’s word on anything, which is why they are shooting for regime change.
Japan is also highly affordable these days- just got out of an onsen overlooking a lake in Central Hokkaido, waiting for my 19 course breakfast….. 🙂
Cost wise would have been out of the question 30 years ago.
Israel makes the smart decision to close down Poison Inc.
Israel bombs Iran’s state TV after threatening it would ‘disappear: https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/6/16/israel-bombs-irans-state-tv-after-threatening-it-would
”
Socratessays:
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at 7:54 am
Morning all. Looks like Iran v Israel is escalating again. Hard to see how attacking Iranian state media defends Israel from an existential threat.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/16/iran-israel-attack-state-television-irib
Obviously the risk of major damage to the world economy is growing. A sane President would dial back the military support to Israel to reign in Bibi. But no, not Trump.
”
That people don’t realise how dangerous this war is to world is blowing my mind.
There is probably only one leader in the world whom both Israel and Iran will listen to in this current conflict. But that request needs to come from muslim world to that leader.
Saudi Arabia behaving as if Iran destruction is good for them based on their perception of Iran is dangerous for muslim world.
How can these people talk with a straight face. The hypocrisy is beyond the pale.
————-
Tucker Carlson says Fox is a propaganda network that manipulates their mostly elderly audience.
No one tells me how to vote ..!!
”
Socratessays:
Tuesday, June 17, 2025 at 7:59 am
William thanks for the lead in article on the Lowi polling and early voting stats.
The Lowi survey showing a dramatic fall in trust for USA is consistent with recent Pew Research survey results for multiple countries including Australia. Australia recorded one of the biggest falls in trust for USA.
https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2025/06/11/us-image-declines-in-many-nations-amid-low-confidence-in-trump/
”
Socrates
But almost 2/3 (63%) Australians still think USA will come to the rescue if Australia is attacked although ANZUS and AUKUS doesn’t say so. Are we seeing Cognitive dissonance in public thinking?
So, Milo it’s one evil government trying to cancel the other.
Just pick your side, as you obviously have.
Point made, that should do you for the day.
”
Extremely disturbing and unethical’: new rules allow VA doctors to refuse to treat Democrats, unmarried veterans: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jun/16/va-doctors-refuse-treat-patients
”
There is a sanskrit saying
“Yatha raja thatha praja” meaning the public behave like their king.
Is Milo PP?
At every opportunity Trump states his support for Putin.
He did it again at the G7.
How much more needs to be said .
He is a frickin traitor.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/jun/16/iran-threatens-to-leave-nuclear-weapons-treaty-as-israeli-bombing-enters-fourth-day
Talks? It’s way past the time for useless talks. They should dismantle the entire program, and then let in US, Israeli and IAEA inspectors to be free to roam the entire country to ensure the whole program is shut down.
Cartoons North America
Clay Jones
Clay Bennett
John Buss
Stiglich
Ramirez
Del Rosso
Kal
Matt Davies
Trump just posted on truth social that everyone needs to evacuate from Tehran immediately.
Agent orange posted this
——-
I gave Iran chance after chance to make a deal. I told them, in the strongest of words, to “just do it,” but no matter how hard they tried, no matter how close they got, they just couldn’t get it done. I told them it would be much worse than anything they know, anticipated, or were told, that the United States makes the best and most lethal military equipment anywhere in the World, BY FAR, and that Israel has a lot of it, with much more to come – And they know how to use it. Certain Iranian hardliner’s spoke bravely, but they didn’t know what was about to happen. They are all DEAD now, and it will only get worse! There has already been great death and destruction, but there is still time to make this slaughter, with the next already planned attacks being even more brutal, come to an end. Iran must make a deal, before there is nothing left, and save what was once known as the Iranian Empire. No more death, no more destruction, JUST DO IT, BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE. God Bless You All!
And this
———-
Iran should have signed the “deal” I told them to sign. What a shame, and waste of human life. Simply stated, IRAN CAN NOT HAVE A NUCLEAR WEAPON. I said it over and over again! Everyone should immediately evacuate Tehran!
UK and EU Cartoons
Andy Bunday
Martin Rowson
Morten Morland
Jonsey
Peter Brookes
Guy Venables [Several pythons loose in Lincolnshire]
Private Eye
Rebecca Hendin
Tjeerd Royaards
Ven
“ But almost 2/3 (63%) Australians still think USA will come to the rescue if Australia is attacked although ANZUS and AUKUS doesn’t say so. Are we seeing Cognitive dissonance in public thinking?”
Yes, that is what it is. Hence my comment to AE about AUKUS that most people are deciding the issue based on their historical background rather than the facts.
So about 2/3 Ausralians say they don’t trust US to act responsibly but the same number of people still trust US to think US will protect Australia if it is under attack.
Shaking my head emoji.
Fortunate son was the tune used when the US army was rising the middle finger to trump.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ADuYh4U7b1s
Canadian PM Mark Carney shuts Trump down. TACO wanted to lie more – Carney stuck a sock in it(watch video)
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2025/6/16/2328392/-Canadian-PM-Mark-Carney-shuts-Trump-down-TACO-wanted-to-lie-more-Carney-stuck-a-sock-in-it?pm_campaign=front_page&pm_source=trending&pm_medium=web
“Trump used the photo op to whine about immigrants in blue cities.
He offered his usual bullshit:
“[These countries] empty their jails out into the US. Most of those people are in the cities. All blue cities. All Democrat-run cities. And they think they are going to use them to vote. It’s not going to happen.”
But as he was about to hit his stride, Carney decided that was enough of that. He shut the blathering bloviator down. As Carney is a Canadian, he was polite and respectful. He turned to America’s wannabe fascist ruler and told him his intention to halt the careening press conference before it lept the rails. His firm demeanor forced Trump to smile his agreement to Carney stiff-arming the media.”
“He said:
Thank you. If you don’t mind, I’m going to exercise my role, if you will, as G7 chair since we have a few more minutes with the President and his team. And then we actually have to start the meeting to address some of these big issues.”