The weekly Roy Morgan poll, which was published on Monday, maintained the seemingly remorseless trend of recent months in recording One Nation up two-and-a-half to yet another new high of 25%, with the Liberals down two to 18% and the Nationals steady on 2.5%. Labor’s primary vote was unchanged at 30.5%, while the Greens were down half a point to 12.5%. On the arguably redundant two-party preferred measure, which lines Labor up against a now defunct Coalition that is actually running third, Labor leads 56-44 on respondent-allocated preferences, in from 56.5-43.5 last week. The poll was conducted last Monday to Sunday from a sample of 1401. The accompanying release also includes accumulated monthly breakdowns on primary vote and two-party preferred by state, gender and age cohort.
I will also make note here that a Victorian by-election is on the way after Liberal MP Sam Groth announced he will resign next week as member for the Mornington Peninsula seat of Nepean, a month after quitting as deputy leader and announcing he would not contest the November election. Labor will surely have no interest in fielding a candidate, and the seat has never been strong for right-wing minor parties despite having the state’s oldest age profile. A One Nation candidacy would nonetheless be of obvious interest, and a Climate 200-backed candidate for the corresponding federal seat of Flinders cleared 20% at last year’s federal election, so stay tuned for further developments.
Entropysays:
Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 5:13 pm
The enmity ran deep. I recall a report that claimed Howard never once had Costello around for dinner!!
If we ever saw Costello preside over the private debt iceberg that he was steering Australia into perhaps people would have moved on from the better economic manager slop thats the Libs sold us every election.
The Downballot
@the-downballot.com
Follow
The GOP just had its best chance to finally flip a legislative seat in Trump 2.0. Democrats had other ideas.
Chasity Martinez just won a rural Trump+13 in the Louisiana House in a 24-point landslide—an overperformance of 37 points.
Our complete writeup on this remarkable outcome –>
https://bsky.app/profile/did:plc:alqdxbp33ceoyly2o46nvcrc/post/3mecxssrsfk2a?ref_src=embed&ref_url=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.dailykos.com%252Fstories%252F2026%252F2%252F7%252F2367718%252F-We-Could-ve-Lost-This-Louisiana-Special-Election-But-We-Won-it-Anyways
Surely there will be a Newspoll tonight!
”
davidwhsays:
Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 2:30 pm
Do we really need to call politicians disgusting nicknames? Surely people can be a little more creative than that.
”
davidwh
Can I say “God may save the King but there is nothing to be proud of Littleproud.
Some will know Benjamin Wittes from the Lawfare podcast which chronicles the trials and tribulations of Donald Trump – and now his administration.
He is also an Ukraine supporter, and is currently visiting there. He has posted these 2 photo essays:
Odessa https://www.dogshirtdaily.com/p/odesa-in-snow-a-photo-essay
And a more grim Kharkiv https://www.dogshirtdaily.com/p/kharkiv-at-war-a-photo-essay
Lest we forget what the Moscow regime has done.
Agree Nick
The enduring consequences are the tax system AND the elevation in house prices (“no one is complaining to me about the value of their homes increasing”) which transpires to a paltry by comparison home mortgage rate with a 5 in front of it causing the servicing distress the media continually promote (for a section only of people)
And they butchered the proceeds of the Mining Boom Phase 1 returning it to high income earners (so CGT concessions and Franking Credits) leading to the inequality issues we see today
Ahead of the GFC, the Cash Rate reduced as it was and remaining there until COVID when it was reduced to zero
And, quite frankly, if people did not use this post 2007 period until now to use the interest rate settings to reduce or repay their debt, well bad management them
We see misrepresentations of the circumstances of citizens – and the inept performance of Howard/Costello white washed
At least Get Up returns to put the spotlight on and to counter the misrepresentations we currently see
”
TPOFsays:
Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 12:08 pm
Bean says:
Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 11:46 am
I saw the Dural caravan bombing hoax called an antisemitc terror attack by the SMH a day after Bondi.
__________________________________________
1. The SMH is neither the police nor the State Premier.
2. The SMH, being Sydney centred, is not as big on events in WA.
3. Most importantly, I think a lot of players learnt from the missteps in dealing with the Dural caravan bombing hoax to be a hell of a lot more careful in announcing conclusions jumped to before they had the full story.
(If I recollect correctly, there may be a point 4 that the announcement re Dural was not at the time the caravan was discovered but later when the information got leaked and created a political panic. )
To be honest, I am far more shocked by the comparatively limited outrage when the nazis attacked Camp Sovereignty in Melbourne last year than the response in Perth which, in my view, was textbook to ensure that the most effective criminal case could be made against the perpetrator.
”
Were you not shocked when Nazis stood in front of NSW Legislative assembly?
The Board of Peace is having its first substantive meeting in Washington on February 19th. This is to coincide with Netanyahu’s audience with Trump (Bibi couldn’t make the Davos signing ceremony due to pesky arrest warrants in Switzerland).
What’s on the agenda? Fund raising…
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-plans-board-of-peace-meeting-on-feb-19-to-fundraise-for-gaza-rebuild/
Sprocket
No goss on reunification of Ley and Littleproud when they insisted for reunification following should happen?
1. Ley insisted on not revoking the 6 months suspension of 3 Nats Senate frontbenchers from coalition frontbench
2. Littleproud insisting that he will join coalition if Ley is the leader.
How can you ever believe Ley and Littleproud again?
Herzog will visit Sydney tomorrow
Mesh fences and road closures in Sydney CBD, where Herzog will be residing in a hotel from tomorrow.
The stupid vandalism aimed at the Midsumma Festival (https://archive.is/20260208015525/https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/graffiti-attack-sours-end-of-melbourne-s-annual-midsumma-festival-20260208-p5o0g1.html)
Reminds me of seeing Michael Kirby today saying:
“One of the problems is gay people who are only concerned about gay rights, or women who are only concerned about women’s rights, or people of colour who are only concerned about discrimination against black people or Indigenous people. The big lesson is everybody should make judgments based on the individual facts and the particular features of the persons who are involved and not just on presuppositions or expectations. We’ve changed a few things in Australia, but there’s still prejudice and there’s still discrimination. ”
There’s a definite issue with people who only want to fight against one prejudice while happily displaying others. If not as bad as the far right types who fight against no prejudice at all while trying to reinforce a bunch of them, it’s still not helpful.
Ven certainly by all means.
”
Luigi Smithsays:
Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 12:13 pm
“if one throws a bomb into a crowd and fortunately it did not detonate, isn’t it still a terrorist act?”
————–
If a tree falls in the forest ……..
”
Luigi
Because you and I did not see the tree fall in a forrest it doesn’t mean it did not make a noise.
Ask anyone in a city who saw a tree falling. They would say it made big noise. The same applies to a tree falling in a forrest because a thing called science. 🙂
Looks like the Intercontinental.
The rump Liberals have aligned themselves more or less completely with the direction taken by the Nationals/No Notion. In doing so they have made themselves almost irretrievably unelectable in urban seats. Their dissolution cannot be far off.
Excellent. They richly serve the oblivion they’ve worked so hard to reach.
It won’t be long before rural communities figure out there is no point at all in voting for parties that can never have a voice in government.
Perhaps, Ven. It’s all about perceptions.
I suspect that there was not much publicity of the bomb being thrown because it was not seen by any media cameras at the time. Only after the event was footage found of the little item hitting the ground.
Which gets us back to the perception of an action.
”
sprocket_says:
Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 5:58 pm
The Board of Peace is having its first substantive meeting in Washington on February 19th. This is to coincide with Netanyahu’s audience with Trump (Bibi couldn’t make the Davos signing ceremony due to pesky arrest warrants in Switzerland).
What’s on the agenda? Fund raising…
https://www.timesofisrael.com/us-plans-board-of-peace-meeting-on-feb-19-to-fundraise-for-gaza-rebuild/
”
Sprocket
Does that mean that the deadline to accept Trump invitation and for Trump to approve the acceptance has passed? 🙂
The Munz
They were never on speaking terms – they avoided being in the same room as each other if at all possible, the animosity was on display for all to see (then the influence of Howard’s wife who Costello also detested with a passion)
I think Costello was jealous that his reputation as Australia’s most disastrous treasurer was line ball with Howard as treasurer
And it is a line ball call
Re the bomb thrown at the Invasion Day rally, there was wide spread coverage at the time but it just wasn’t ongoing. Coverage was similar to those pipe bombs found in Canberra.
The “Equity Mateeeee” ad campaign and it’s consequences have been disastrous for the Australian people.
Hack they received their orders and fell in line. Useless.
”
Luigi Smithsays:
Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 6:21 pm
Perhaps, Ven. It’s all about perceptions.
I suspect that there was not much publicity of the bomb being thrown because it was not seen by any media cameras at the time. Only after the event was footage found of the little item hitting the ground.
Which gets us back to the perception of an action.
”
Luigi
Even after video footage was found
1. There was no outrage from either Federal and State opposition
2. Federal opposition and media did not blame Albanese for the bomb throwing.
3. Media did not say Albanese days are numbered
4. Sussan Ley did not demand a Federal RC regarding that incident to root out racism against Aboriginal people.
5. Sussan Ley did not demand changes to federal terrorist act (whatever that is) even though parliament is in session
6. As far as I know, No politician belonging ALP, Libs, ON, Nats visited the traumatised WA Aboriginal community to console them.
7. 100 articles were not written regarding that incident and condemning Albanese.
For crying out loud, Aboriginal people are original inhabitants of this country.
”
Dingbatsays:
Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 6:19 pm
Ven says:
Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 6:03 pm
Looks like the Intercontinental.
”
Dingbat
Looks like NSW government and police made Sydney CBD and the area extending upto Bondi including Bondi beach area fortress and are under strict restrictions.
Luigi
Even after video footage was found
1. There was no outrage from either Federal and State opposition
2. Federal opposition and media did not blame Albanese for the bomb throwing.
3. Media did not say Albanese days are numbered
4. Sussan Ley did not demand a Federal RC regarding that incident to root out racism against Aboriginal people.
5. Sussan Ley did not demand changes to federal terrorist act (whatever that is) even though parliament is in session
6. As far as I know, No politician belonging ALP, Libs, ON, Nats visited the traumatised WA Aboriginal community to console them.
7. 100 articles were not written regarding that incident and condemning Albanese.
For crying out loud, Aboriginal people are original inhabitants of this country.
…………………..
The incident stands alone and doesn’t need to be referenced to any other incident for equivalency.
The point still stands the level of the reporting wasn’t commensurate with the gravity of the incident.
Ven I don’t think the TV even did one measly week of “why would Albo do this” over what I’m now calling the forgotten terrorism scandal.
When you’ve lost James Massola…
Sussan Ley and David Littleproud are now 100 per cent united and Anthony Albanese, leading the worst government since Australian federation, should be quaking in his RM Williams.
That was the message from the two Coalition party leaders on Sunday as they announced they were reuniting, yet again, to hold the prime minister to account. They insist he has no mandate to govern even though he won a record 94 seats less than 12 months ago.
These are not serious people.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/does-anyone-believe-that-sussan-ley-and-david-littleproud-are-besties-again-20260208-p5o0h4.html
The logical reason why all those things didn’t happen after the bomb incident is because there hadn’t been a series of anti-indigenous attacks for a couple of years leading up to the incident and no deaths happened as a result of the incident. Unlike the Bondi attack which did happen after a series of antisemitism attacks over time and which resulted in 15 deaths.
”
C@tmommasays:
Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 12:27 pm
Has Jacinta Nampijinpa Price commented on the Invasion Day terrorist incident yet?
”
As far as I know, not a single Coalition figure has commented on “Invasion Day protesters terrorist incident” other than Ley statement in parliament as LOTO
davidwh, fair point, actual death is a stronger basis for the failing boomer media to attempt to divide and harm our society in the futile pursuit of a measurable ratings improvement for their ghoul owners and advertisers.
Omar such has been the way media has operated throughout the world for a very long time.
B. S. Fairmansays:
Saturday, February 7, 2026 at 8:46 pm
I suspect that the Queen knew that Andrew was a sexual deviant but choose to ignore it.
I think Charles knew to some extent but was powerless until recently. He has never like his little brother much either and he would happily get rid of him if he could.
=====================================================
If I were Randy Andy I would avoid driving through any French tunnels at this stage.
just sayin’.
Sprocket
How quickly things change. Not so many weeks ago Massola and his mates at Nine newspapers were praising Ley to the heavens and writing Albanese’s political epitaph.
I doubt he’d like to be reminded of that, or any of his misjudgments as a cheerleader for the Liberals over the years.
He has the cheek to highlight the u-turns by Ley and Littleproud in their statements over the last little while.
Not serious people? He needs to look in the mirror.
davidwh in the olden days we had many papers and journalism was a more common profession. Now only the Nimbin Good Times stands between us and tyranny.
”
davidwhsays:
Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 6:58 pm
The logical reason why all those things didn’t happen after the bomb incident is because there hadn’t been a series of anti-indigenous attacks for a couple of years leading up to the incident and no deaths happened as a result of the incident. Unlike the Bondi attack which did happen after a series of antisemitism attacks over time and which resulted in 15 deaths.
”
davidwh
Using the same logic by people (for example, Australian peak Jewish body) before the Bondi terror incident where they said that anti-Semitism is on the rise and Albanese government needs to do something about it and blaming Albanese after the Bondi terrorist attack for not listening to them, why is nobody demanding Albanese to do something about Aboriginal terrorist attack or do we have to wait until a terrorist attack on Aboriginal people leads to casualties of Aboriginal people?
Or
is nobody saying anything because a middle eastern appearance person won’t be the perpetrator(s) in such attack?
Roger Cook, WA Premier, has been more engaged with the Perth terror incident. He certainly has been in touch with various local indigenous groups. But their opposition leader, Basil Zempilas, struggled in the early days with the issue.
The fact that WA gets so little coverage in the East is probably a factor in the lack of outrage.
I’m sure they have a high standard of journalism at the Nimbin Good Times 🙂
”
Omar Comin’says:
Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 7:07 pm
davidwh in the olden days we had many papers and journalism was a more common profession. Now only the Nimbin Good Times stands between us and tyranny.
”
Omar
Is it possible that we are having some sort of tyranny in Sydney CBD and area upto and including Bondi beach because ‘Nimbin Good Times’ has no readership in Sydney? 🙂
SL I can tell you they were into renewable energy well before it was cool 🙂
Malarndirri McCarthy seems to have been fairly active in responding to the Perth Invasion Day bombing attempt.
”
B. S. Fairmansays:
Sunday, February 8, 2026 at 7:10 pm
Roger Cook, WA Premier, has been more engaged with the Perth terror incident. He certainly has been in touch with various local indigenous groups. But their opposition leader, Basil Zempilas, struggled in the early days with the issue.
The fact that WA gets so little coverage in the East is probably a factor in the lack of outrage.
”
I don’t agree with that. Isn’t Australian media reporting terrorist attacks all over Western democracies?
And Western Australia is part of Australia.
Ven I’ve often thought about that. How can our state’s, nay, our nation’s most important journal of record have such limited readership!? I will speak to them.
The West Australian on 27 January
I (vaguely) remember docos about these guys from decades ago:
https://rpc.com.au/
Love their address:
1 Alternative Way
Nimbin NSW 2480 Australia
You’d have to think the Liberal “mods” will be furious about this.
The hilarious outcome will be if Ley, after suffering the indignity of letting the country cousins back in after they wrecked the place, still gets booted.
If anything, if The Coalition is back in place, Ley is even more vulnerable, since Taylor won’t have to go through all the work.
Ley has got her orders from the billionaires that own the Coalition. Fix it so Angus has clean air when we replace you with him.
Coalition MP’s aren’t any different to workers on minimum wage to the capitalists. Things to be exploited, ordered around and discarded when it’s deemed more profitable to get rid of them.
Barnaby Joyce’s defection to One Nation is complete, with the former deputy prime minister urging migrants who don’t like Australia to go back to the “sh*tholes” they came from.
Speaking on Karl Stefanovic’s new podcast, Mr Joyce has also questioned unemployed people having babies and reminisced about a former PM who got so drunk on a plane he threw up in front of an air hostess.
In a wild marathon interview where both men wore Akubras, Mr Joyce delivered a blunt warning on immigration, insisting Australia should only accept migrants it can actually absorb.
https://www.news.com.au/finance/culture/inside-parliament/barnaby-joyces-blunt-shthole-message-to-migrants-in-candid-interview/news-story/0c4b791086beee34f49b058274ec6f96
Ven
Roger Cook was good after the attack.
Jordan Steele-John was there and said a lot.
Basil Z, pretty much nothing.
Australia wide media… Meh
Isn’t Newspoll normally quarterly? I would be looking forward to the Roy Morgan polls as well because they’re weekly. Redbridge is normally monthly, and Essential polls while they’re not as accurate when it comes to voting intention, they are really good when it comes to leadership rankings, and the preferred Prime Minister margin as well.
Do England and NZ count as a shithole post-Brexit and post-tossing out Labour?
They’re the #1 and #4 country of birth for migrants to Australia.
#3 is China which by pretty much every measure isn’t a “shit-hole”.