The fortnightly Sky News Pulse poll by YouGov has Labor up three points to 30%, the Coalition up one to 21%, One Nation down three to 24% and the Greens steady on 14%. Labor’s two-party lead over the Coalition is unchanged at 54-46, but is much improved against One Nation at 57-43, out from 53-47. Anthony Albanese is up two on approval to 40% and down three on disapproval to 54%, while Angus Taylor is steady on 38% and down one to 42%. Albanese’s lead over Taylor on preferred prime minister is out from 44-39 to 45-36, and his lead over Pauline Hanson is out from 50-39 to 54-35. The poll was conducted last Tuesday to this Tuesday from a sample size unspecified in the report, which was likely around 1100 (UPDATE: It was actually 1500, as is typical for this series).
The weekly Roy Morgan poll has Labor steady at 29.5%, the Coalition up one-and-a-half to 24%, One Nation down one to 21.5% and the Greens down one to 13%. Labor’s lead on respondent-allocated preferences is unchanged at 54.5-45.5, while its lead on previous election preferences is in from 54-46 to 53-47. The poll was conducted Monday to Sunday from a sample of 1681.
Gangsters are governing the US.
We haven’t got our heads around that yet.
Stand over tactics, extortion, violence, thuggery et al…
The truly scary thing is our Govt looks away… BAU.
https://yapms.com/app?m=nhlam8kg3yaq0km
Here’s a map that I did of the House of Representatives based on who I think would be preferred Prime Minister between Albanese, Taylor, and Hanson in every single electorate based on polling data, seat projections, and the nowcast model on AEForecasts.
Clearly the overlapping issues around gas are a bit complicated for the media to follow.
For starts, in terms of ranking of “political bravery”, reservation is a bigger deal than taxation because it is denying the actual molecules from other countries.
Of course, the ABC fails at the first hurdle – the “announcement comes just weeks after the government killed off a campaign to increase taxes on gas giants” is not correct, the announcement was way back in November:
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-22/government-confirms-gas-reservation-plans/106170082
Ie, before the war stuffed everything up and made liquid fuel imports priority alpha 1.
Decarbonisation is nice, here are some examples:
https://thenightly.com.au/business/chemical-maker-qenos-sent-to-administrators-with-hundreds-of-jobs-in-limbo-c-14347752
https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2023-12-06/helium-production-ends-in-darwin-santos-gas-supply-exhausted/103186220
Here is how that is turning out:
https://www.news.com.au/finance/business/manufacturing/global-plastics-supply-chain-crisis-threatens-thousands-of-everyday-products/news-story/3a6242df06e4848d14d968e1576ef078
https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/hormuz-blockade-puts-asx-helium-stocks-in-the-spotlight-20260506-p5zuc9.html
So we will see what the actual reservation numbers are and estimates of price impacts.
Victoria, Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 10:36 am:
Victoria – first, I hope I assigned the correct blockquotes to the correct parts of your post. Apologies if that last paragraph was, in fact, yours.
Secondly, I completely agree with the premise of this post: that only by accepting that Trump is, in fact, a Russian agent, do his actions since January 2025 make any sense.
Thirdly, I completely agree with those last two sentences, in particular.
This Iran ‘war’ is about profiteering & insider trading.
While the rest of us go under financially.
It is happening in plain sight.
Maddening that it is not being stopped. Grrrrr
Newy boy
The only part of the post that is mine, is above the line.
All the rest is by the handle common sense.
I concur with its content.
It’s all happening before our very eyes.
Trump is being financially rewarded for his actions.
He is a Bona fide traitor.
Trump says Iran will be bombed at a ‘much higher level’ if it doesn’t agree to peace deal: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/05/06/us-iran-peace-deal-nuclear-moratorium.html
======================================
Problem for PP who already has them at wiped out. Once a so called ‘much higher level’ of bombing occurs what new status will PP assign them?
President Donald Trump’s abrupt reversal on his plan to help ships go through the Strait of Hormuz came after a key Gulf ally suspended the U.S. military’s ability to use its bases and airspace to carry out the operation, according to two U.S. officials.
Trump surprised Gulf allies by announcing “Project Freedom” on social media Sunday afternoon, the officials said, angering leadership in Saudi Arabia. In response, the Kingdom informed the U.S. it would not allow the U.S. military to fly aircraft from Prince Sultan Airbase southeast of Riyadh or fly through Saudi airspace to support the effort, the officials said.
https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/white-house/trumps-abrupt-u-turn-plan-re-open-strait-hormuz-came-backlash-allies-rcna343845
Problem for PP who already has them at wiped out. Once a so called ‘much higher level’ of bombing occurs what new status will PP assign them?
————————————————–
More bigly wiped out?
Are Trump’s so called peace deals about trying to create peace or more about creating stock market trading opportunities?
Hence why English literature’s most charismatic bowl of petunias had this to say: “Oh no, not again”
This report makes a fair bit more sense than some of the reporting around the negotiations.
The one pager is to be an MOU which sets the agreed terms for a 30 day negotiating period.
Signs of good faith in the negotiating frame are mooted to include both sides lifting their respective blockades.
There are some promising things here, IMO. The first is that it mutually escalates the ceasefire into something more formal and which contains at least some progress towards mutual agreement.
Re-opening the SoH, even for a month, would be useful.
It enables Trump to declare victory and walk away with his honour intact.
There are reports that one sticking point may be that the Iran side is having difficulty reaching agreement within its ranks about the possible MOU outcomes.
Netanyahu, who is the key player, is not mentioned in any of the reporting about the negotiations. He will resume hostilities at any time that suits him and may well have bombed Beirut in order to disrupt the MOU negotiations.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/06/another-day-another-pivot-as-trump-flails-in-an-iran-trap-of-his-own-making
Wow!
I have never seen or heard of a more corrupt POTUS in my life. We are seeing corruption “like never before”
While some find inspiration from the writings of Sun Tzu. It is believed Trump’s inspiration for his current actions in SoH is from this piece of profound literature.
“Open shut them, open shut them
Give them one almighty whack
Open shut them, open shut them”
From the Playschool edition of the Art of War.
Just thinking this one through… trying to figure out why… follow the money… the Saudis are exporting through the Petroline something like two thirds the rate of what they were exporting on Feb 28.
But, in the real world, they are getting close to double the price… … in turn this depends on the Saudi’s competitors locked up in the Gulf…
So why tempt the Iranians to send a couple of ballistic missiles into Yanbu and destroy most of Saudi Arabia’s current oil income?
Ka-ching.
It actually suits the Saudis to maintain the status quo, financially. The Saudis may have sent a back channel signal to the Iranians that they would suspend US overflights if the Iranians agreed to leave Yanbu alone.
All guesses on my part…
I don’t understand this supposed action by Saudi Arabia. Can someone explain how “Project Freedom” is disadvantaging Saudi Arabia.
Isn’t it good that US war ships are escorting Tanker ships out SOH?
Ven, I don’t think the US is having much success escorting ships through the SoH. “A total of 10 vessels, including the two guided by the US military, passed through the Strait of Hormuz on Monday, according to S&P Global Commodities at Sea.”
The former normal average was about 130 per day.
https://edition.cnn.com/2026/05/06/business/strait-hormuz-shipping-escort
Wrt the Gas Reservation Scheme, last year’s Gas Market Review recommended that the current arrangements where the three exporters who control 90% of east coast 2P gas reserves are required to offer uncontracted gas to domestic buyers is replaced with an obligation to supply gas to the domestic market at an affordable price before export permits are granted.
There was no mention in the Review of a specific % that needs to be reserved. 15-25% was mentioned in the presser, I suspect as one of those shiny objects that are used to distract lazy journos. I expect the same tactic to be used later today.
Rex, I agree that Lily D’Ambrosio has done a good job with home electrification. There are federal programs that support industrial electrification, but they probably need some sort of outreach program to get the word out. It’s not really a fossil fuel cartel thing. For ~50y, Victoria has had cheap and convenient gas – most factory owners don’t know any other way.
Not much through the Strait at the moment. https://www.marinetraffic.com/en/ais/home/centerx:57.5/centery:26.4/zoom:8
Team Katichsays:
Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 11:03 am
Problem for PP who already has them at wiped out. Once a so called ‘much higher level’ of bombing occurs what new status will PP assign them?
————————————————–
More bigly wiped out?
====================================
“Flogging a dead donkey” is the term that comes to my mind.
pied pipersays:
Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 12:03 pm
Victorian taxpayers are paying tens of millions to remove gas and replace with electric and then today the state labor crazy government approved a large gas field….
==============================================
They are also running a budget surplus, get your back in black mugs from out the back of the carboard. Finally something real to celebrate with them, “we are back baby!”,”back in black!”
Disastrous trade figures just through from the Abs.
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/international-trade/international-trade-goods/latest-release
First deficit since 2017 Australia is sinking under labor.
They labor losers should have hooked us up to the fast growing free USA economy but no,they sold out democracy and trade and went with communist China.
Australia has no AI to bail it out and its productivity under fed labor government is also a disaster.
Diversity in our economy labor hates it just loves human rights abusing China.
Losing!
pied pipersays:
Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 12:10 pm
Disastrous trade figures just through from the Abs.
https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/economy/international-trade/international-trade-goods/latest-release
First deficit since 2017 Australia is sinking under labor.
They labor losers should have hooked us up to the fast growing free USA
=================================================
The USA has the mother of all trade deficits though. They haven’t had a trade surplus since 1975.
More right wing loonery from PP at 12.10pm.
“They labor losers should have hooked us up to the fast growing free USA economy”.
How much of Gina’s iron ore would the yanks buy PP?
SAUDI has kicked the USA out and that was the end of project freedom.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OID64eeOoXI
Bizarre?
The only result of Ai is to have huge workforce cuts in the large tech firms but that that does not result in efficiencies?
https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2026/may/07/your-craft-is-obsolete-wisetech-staff-in-limbo-as-ai-touted-as-better-than-humans
The Saudis banned the US from using Saudi bases or Saudi air space for Project Freedom. I would guess that there are still dozens of US aircraft based in Saudi Arabia bases and which are still flying around in Saudi airspace.
Pied piper
Why dont you move to Trumpland? You would obviously be happier there.
SBS are advertising the broadcast of the soccer world cup.
If soccer interests you, that is the only safe way to see the World Cup. The Yankee Tourist Industry was all fired up to make a motza from international spectators and then that idiot Chump and his sycophants stuffed it up. Few spectators, like most other tourists, intend to visit Chumpistan. A few world class players have decided to boycott the event as well.
FIFA thought that playing to Chump’s ego with their once only peace prize would lead to a successful world cup, but sadly that will not happen.
As they say, everything Chump touches turns to crap.
Thanks for the tip, pp.
https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/king/media-releases/new-gas-production-and-acreage-supply-east-coast
This is a small field in the Otway Basin which will supply an underutilised* processing plant:
It’s not to going to supply a heap of gas but might help the lights and heaters stay on later this decade as the Gippsland Basin runs out.
* It’s currently processing 49TJ/day:
https://www.aemo.com.au/energy-systems/gas/gas-bulletin-board-gbb/data-gbb/interactive-map-gbb
GrannyAnnysays:
Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 12:13 pm
More right wing loonery from PP at 12.10pm.
=======================================
Does he feed us anything else, it appears to be his staple.
Also Australia will record a fairly large trade surplus in the March Quarter. It was only March that was slightly negative with both January and February easy cancelling that out with strong trade surpluses.
One African swallow does not a trade deficit make.
Russia spreads its spiteful threat to attack Kyiv if its propaganda parade is spoilt to other countries as well, via their embassies in Kyiv:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/07/ukraine-war-briefing-putin-threat-foreign-embassies-kyiv
Putin is behaving like an increasingly petulant bully. I wonder if his sapping of Russia’s strength is undermining his own power, in terms of what how much he can project beyond his own state’s borders.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2026/05/03/trump-approval-ratings-poll/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Whether Trump’s unfavourability will extend to the generic ballot at the midterms remains to be seen, though if they do, the House will fall to the Dems, though the Senate will be more difficult, made all the worse by Fetterman sitting on the fence, and who’s a regular guest on Fox News, though he did say this recently:
https://washingtonmonthly.com/2026/05/05/leave-john-fetterman-alone-senate-majority-democrats/?utm_source=chatgpt.com
Oz Update:
Well, to borrow a phrase from Mike Tyson: everyone has a plan until they get punched in the face. And that arrived on Thursday courtesy of the financial crimes watchdog which announced an investigation into Tabcorp’s crime-fighting controls. AUSTRAC says it has “a number of serious concerns with Tabcorp’s ability to identify, mitigate and manage money laundering and terrorism financing risks”.
McLachlan was said to be blindsided by news of the investigation on Wednesday night. Margin Call hears he cancelled all of his meetings on Thursday morning and called an emergency board meeting. He was also a late scratching from the Warrnambool Cup and will spend Thursday instead at Tabcorp HQ in Collins Street. “Tabcorp takes its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing obligations very seriously,” Chairman Brett Chenoweth insisted in a statement to the ASX.
One of the first things McLachlan did when he joined the ASX-listed betting giant in 2024 was launch a financial crime transformation strategy.
But it doesn’t take a genius to work out where AUSTRAC’s focus might lie. Unlike other betting companies, Tabcorp has the major advantage of its retail offering, where customers can use cash through its betting terminals anonymously. After years of decline in cash revenue, mirroring its declining use in the rest of society, Tabcorp has experienced a recent uptick in its cash revenue in its retail venues.
The share price plunged over 20 per cent in early trading.
How we know Putin’s ‘requests’ for a ‘ceasefire’ strictly to protect his own propaganda parade, as well as his framing of any subsequent attacks he makes upon Ukraine as ‘retaliation’, are pure BS:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/07/ukraine-war-briefing-putin-threat-foreign-embassies-kyiv
GrannyAnnysays:
Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 12:13 pm
More right wing loonery from PP at 12.10pm.
“They labor losers should have hooked us up to the fast growing free USA economy”.
How much of Gina’s iron ore would the yanks buy PP?
=================================================
PP’s beloved PHON is pretty much funded by Gina’s exports to China. Export to USA not China will stop those rivers of iron ore money flowing to Gina and onwards from there to Pauline. It would be a total disaster for PHON, as Gina would find it hard to even afford buying them a kids model plane in those circumstances.
Serves those Russians cultural propagandists – and those useful idiots running the Venice Biennale – right:
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2026/may/07/ukraine-war-briefing-putin-threat-foreign-embassies-kyiv
Rex Douglassays:
Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 10:13 am
Victorian budget winners and losers according to the ABC.
_______________________
We are all losers under this Govt.
VIC woke gov multiculturalism right here….
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_MRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heraldsun.com.au%2Ftruecrimeaustralia%2Fpolice-courts-victoria%2Fcanadian-man-stabbed-in-random-attack-in-melbournes-north%2Fnews-story%2F309da0b03324d8aa77e98feb1b19d9c7&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=ULTRALOW-Segment-1-SCORE
Meanwhile tobacco wars are so yesterday international crime gangs are now…
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/subscribe/news/1/?sourceCode=HSWEB_MRE170_a&dest=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.heraldsun.com.au%2Ftruecrimeaustralia%2Fpolice-courts-victoria%2Fmelbourne-bar-wars-hospitality-operator-says-the-city-is-like-chicago-during-prohibition-these-gangsters-are-just-running-amok%2Fnews-story%2F4467987359ee8a4e5724c1cf086d3f0e&memtype=anonymous&mode=premium&v21=ULTRALOW-Segment-1-SCORE
pied piper:
Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 12:50 pm
It’s not helpful when you post links that can’t be opened. Stop being a skinflint and pay for a subscription to your
newspaper of record.
Tabcorp shareholders class action coming up.
Mavis says:
Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 1:00 pm
PP doesn’t read the actual articles attached to the links he’s all about making uninformed and inane comments based on the headlines alone.
Taylormadesays:
Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 12:45 pm
Rex Douglassays:
Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 10:13 am
Victorian budget winners and losers according to the ABC.
_______________________
We are all losers under this Govt.
=====================================
Speak for yourself, while I agree you are a loser. I’m certainly not.
Adrian Beaumont post on Scottish and Welsh elections:
https://www.pollbludger.net/2026/05/07/welsh-and-scottish-elections-live/
There being no indication in the report as to the identity of the perpetrator (unless his beef is with Canadian crime victims), Pied Piper can’t even pretend this comment isn’t racist, and has been dealt with accordingly.
A highly amusing short clip, contemplating Trump’s future…
https://youtube.com/shorts/RqLa1U3IW2c?si=Fcti94BlMOf9yCgK
Bushfire Billsays:
Thursday, May 7, 2026 at 1:18 pm
========================================
Welcome back
Has BB been subbed in for PP?
If so I’ld say that is a Winning! change.
Further to Entropy at 12.39pm.
Fear not, there are plenty of right wing loons in Australia but not enough to elect a Hanson disaster, and if they did, there is no way Gina would allow Hanson to interfere with her massive income from selling stuff to China.
Although there won’t be a ON Government, ever, if there was, all the right wing loons would soon regret it. Gina reckons miners are only worth $2 a day and the ON Senators have voted against every initiative that aids the low paid.
Yo, BB, good to see you’re back.
Pied piper
You are obviously not up to speed
The tobacco wars were also being run by an international Iraqi crime syndicate
_____
Exiled Kingpin: Kazem Hamad, an Iraqi citizen, was deported from Australia in 2023 but is accused of continuing to control a major illicit tobacco, vape, and drug syndicate from Iraq.
______
As soon as the feds got on top of the tobacco crap, the crime syndicate have turned their sights on alcohol
I always thought our federal police were substandard, but there you go