The Australian reports that Newspoll has produced its second successive result of 57-43 in Labor’s favour. The Prime Minister’s approval rating is up two points to 68 per cent, while Brendan Nelson’s preferred leader rating is down two points to 12 per cent. More to follow.
We also have the weekly Essential Research survey showing Labor’s lead steady on 58-42. Also featured are questions on issues deemed important in determining vote choice, economic conditions, interest rates and China’s human rights record. The first of these provides at least some good news for the Coalition if you know where to look: Labor’s core strengths of health and education are found to have fallen in importance since January, while economic management and taxation are up (though so is environment). There is also an echo of the Gippsland by-election in the substantial increase on “Australian jobs and the protection of local industries”.
UPDATE: Newspoll graphic here. Brendan Nelson’s disapproval rating up from 42 per cent to 48 per cent.
969 Comments
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Ronster
It’s nice to see that some of the MSM in the US have been able to catch up with what Aussie bludgers have been saying for a few days.
I wouldn’t get too hopeful that Ruddski and Smith are going to weight in too heavily. According to the Russian ambassador, he thinks our response has been “very balanced”.
Ambassador defends Russia’s call to arms
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/local/news/general/ambassador-defends-russias-call-to-arms/1243936.aspx
Geez, the guys on Insiders spent an inordinate amount of time talking about JWH and not stepping down last year. So much for current evetns.
Amigo Ronnie, Russia signed a ceasefire deal with Georgia, good, but also said she will leave at her chosen speed, bad. in fact, the ‘deal” is no deal at all. This is a real slap in the face for Sarkozy and Dubya. Where is Sarkozy now after the initial huffing and puffing. Safe in the warm embrace of Carla Bruni I suppose.
Whereas Dubya after accusing Russian of being a “bully”. What did he do? Sent in Condi to do her own version of huffing and puffing. And as you correctly pointed out: [‘truce agreement ‘ has been further amended and gallingly delivered by Condi Rice herself to th Georgians , which has REMOVED a reference to Russian recognition of Georgia’s territorial integrity !! It simply generally uses words independence & sovereignty , two words which split by themselves mean zero].
The truth of the matter is that the Georgians have been sold down the the Volga River. The Russians will do whatever they please and working slowly but surely to a “regime change”. They can always find a colonel or two in the Georgian Army who will “save” Georgia from chaos and a “friend” to the Russian.
BTW: Where are the free Tibet activists now. Should they not start a “Free Georgia” campaign? I said it before and I will say it again, China is an easy pick and they do look different. And what about the 2014 Winter Olympics in Russia. There is plenty of time to start a boycott.
Here’s another MSM journalist declaring the Rudd honeymoon over.
http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/a-cooling-economy-feeds-john-howards-inner-glow-20080816-3wpk.html
GG thanks for the link….what tosh:
“Secondly, right now is a lousy time to be prime minister. Howard knows it. So, too, does Kevin Rudd. And it’s all about the economy. Nine months ago, Rudd won power in a climate of economic optimism that was underpinned by strong growth and consumer confidence. He implied that he could do more than Howard to combat spiralling petrol and grocery prices.”
Journos love “implied” it means they can ignore what is actually said; so now politicans are not only accountable to what they say but what journos decide they think you really said but didn’t actually say.
It’s always a good time to be PM - in fact the harder things are the more the best really want the job.
Grog,GG
wonder if ant of these “journos’ would have the intellectual capability to debate on this site.
the lack of participation by theses journos reinforces their cocooned view of the peoples true thoughts.
as bb etc have stated it is their WISHFUL thinking -not current analys that they prattle on about.
though I view insisders as effectively the fibs squawk box it is good for a chuckle now and again
gusface I think Insiders struggled today mostly becasue they couldn’t think of anything to talk about due to the Olympics. Also Swan was pretty good in the interview.
Same old guff about Costello being a great parliamentary performer got a run - and as ever neglecting the fact that he only got good once he had been in govt for a while and the speaker was completely compliant.
They also ignore that his book will just be an absolute treasure trove for the government. If it criticises Howard on things such as budget spending or climate change they can get into him for being weak; if he doesn’t criticise JWh for those things they can get into him for not understanding the problems.
There will be copies in every Minister’s office with highlighted passages and post it notes stucks to the pages. (and Tony Abbott is also writing one as well!!!)
Tony’s will be a pearler im sure.
some highlights must surely include (in no particular order)
1.championing worstchoices and then complaining of not being able to survive on a backbenchers salary.
2.championing catholic values and then being part of allowing children to suffer-be they in dentention or suffering from clerical abuse.
3.having the intellectual capabilty of a gnat and yet appearing to revel in said knowledge.
4.verbally abusing women and in particular opposition MPs ,unless they could kick his arse like julia does,weak as piss tony!
and finally
5.kissing das pappa’ ring, Oh and meeting the pope!
Finns
Spot on. Those Tibetans are much cuter with those saffron robes, harmless feel-good religion and pretty scenery. It’s like the animal rights activists. It’s pretty easy to go in to bat for a koala or a panda, but there aren’t too many brochures complaining about endangered slugs.
Grog @ 856
Interesting how different viewers can see the same event.
I would agree that Swannie had reasonable answers to all the questions. But, in terms of a good job, I thought that Swannie on Insiders was decent, dull, slightly nervous, and defensive. Why does he repeat the line ‘we are not apologising for anything’? It is defensive, it has some nasty rodent echoes and, if it persuades anybody about anything, it is that he might actually have something to apologise about.
His presentation of ‘bring Costello on’ was as flat as a tack. He should just have cracked a derisive joke about Tiptoe being a problem for the opposition, not the Government.
Has there been some sort of announcement that Abbott is his writing story?
Finns @ 852 and Diogenes @ 852
Concerning the brutal Russian neo-colonialists, history not dead after all, and time for some others to get off the footpaths and into the streets for a just cause?
Amigo
History is full of critical ‘turning points’ and we ar at one now
Stephen Smith Foreign Affairs Minister says :
“The military action taken by Russia has been disproportionate and has resulted in widespread damage and heavy casualties.” Stephen Smith laid NO blame on Georgia
Smithfurther said “Australia calls on Russia to honour the terms of the ceasefire, respect the territorial integrity of Georgia And also withdraw its troops to ceasefire positions
Stephen Smith unambigously supports Georgia’s territorial integrity , so much for Russian ambassador to oz spin that ‘oz’ has been balanced Smoth has put responsibility where it bvelongs , to Russia
Foreign Affairs Minister Stephen Smith has also announced $1 million humanitarian aid (medical supplies etc) , plus will send technical experts to help restore water and sanitation to affected areas
Stephen Smith said Australia has rejected a request for MILITARY assistance , that means USA/EU got asked as well , and said NO , Shame
HISTORY is in th making here , this is a “reverse pulling down th Berlin Wall” moment in time We believe in democratic countries , well here’s onse Georgia being raped , and potentialy may end up being a ‘sattellite’ of despotic Russian ‘control’
‘oz’ has had courage to say its piece & to pressure EU , but problem is Sarkozy was appeasement interpreter , Condi was shameful appeasement ‘messenger’ , and USA/EU Leaders & primarily appeasement king ‘Chamberlain” Bush ar fully responsible
Time to decisively act has almost closed , but not quiet Ultimately it must come from USA and Bush but not unless pressured IF one looks at my #518 post of McCain & Obama , I find it embarrassing that ‘right’ Billy McMahon McCain is only ‘leader’ with correct responsible answer , whereas oiliness Dolly Downer Obama was first silent , then equally blaming both sides & now supports bush’s weak approach UK’s Gordon Brown ? perhaps too distracted with his own failing popularity but just maybe Brown could take up McCain’s approach & pressure Bush , THEN RUDD’s concurrent diplomatic pressure may be a plus I do not like th Billy McMahon McCain , but this time he’s absolutely correct Always believed you judge a Politican’s ‘ticker’ and commonsense decency when under pressure , not when he’s got time to get a speachwriter & advisor to tell him what to do Alot of pollies around World failed test
Kevin07 and Stephen Smith no doubt will be pressing diplomatic channells hard , becaue that’s th underlying ‘message’ of Smith’ sstatement , but they must be shaking there heads in disbelief that Georgia may be start of rebulding Berlin Wall , and dustbining a Democratic Georgia by first incompetence and then insultingly by appeasement We can only hope a Leader with ‘ticker’ and decency combined will prevent this moment from being a first step backwards to Iron curtains , rather than last of those steps backwards
meant refer to post #848 , not #518
More fush & Chups anyone?
http://www.stuff.co.nz/4659143a1823.html
Since Australia is 8-9-11 on the medal tally and our cuz is only 2-1-2. If the Wallabies dont beat the Springboks next week by at least 50-0. then we should ask for a swap.
Gary Bruce on other thread, and moving to this one thread, talking about Swannie
I like Swan. I think he is a decent, thoughtful person and parliament would be a lot better place if there were a few more people like him.
The issues I had were about the self-defeating elements of his presentation. They are mostly fixable, and it is frustrating to see that they are not being fixed.
Per capita, I suspect that means NZ ahead of us, and may even be winning overall.
865 Boerwar - fair enough.
No, I am wrong. Australia is leading in gold medals per capita. Australia has one gold medal per 0.4 million people. New Zealand, Mongolia and Jamaica have one per 0.5 million.
AIC - The Mongolians did conquer the World, including Russia & Georgia
That would be about 2.5 gold medals per million, at, say, 21 millions would mean that we have a bit over 50 gold medals for Aus?
I bet we spend more per capita on the Olympics than any other country. Why don’t they pay HECS? The AIS is basically a University.
Ronster
As the risk of being roundly abused for suggesting this, would it be such a bad thing if we went into another Cold War? The Cold War was also known as the Long Peace. The world has been much more unstable since the breakup of the Soviet Empire.
Um, yes, maths was never my subject. 21 million by 8 medals is one per 2.6 million. NZ is 4 million by 2 medals is one per 2 million, so I was right the first time.
I’m happy to have a new Cold War provided it ends the same way as the first one. But of course Russia’s current bellicosity is based on the oil price bubble. As soon as that busts Russia will go back to being a bankrupt slum. Their population is still dropping at 700,000 a year. That is not how one becomes a great power.
Diogenes @ 871
Ah, yes, the long peace, but perhaps, not intuitively a good argument for the cold war?
Korea, Vietnam, Vietnam v Cambodia, China v Vietnam, Indonesia v the rest, Indonesia v Holland, Iraq v Iran, Israel v various individual and combinations of arab states: a half dozen times, Turks v part of the cypriots, Somalia v itself, several India v Pakistan several times, Afghanistan v Russia, Russia v Chechans, Afghanistan v the West, and and an almost endless series of invasions, proxy wars, insurgencies, wars of liberation/colonial wars, revolutions, violent coups, and the like in Africa, Asia and the Americas.
Adam @ 873
LOL, you really do admire the Russians! I would add their little problem with wodka as a serious national debilitant. Decreasing by 700,000 per annum is like a national death wish.
Armenia are winning the medals per capita count. We are second and NZ third.
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/olympics_blog/2008/08/tasman-sea-chan.html
Diogenes @ 871
Yep. HECS would only be fair.
It works like this:
1. The taxpayer pays a fortune so that a minute percent of the population can jump and swim faster and so on.
2. Of that minute proportion, an even minuter proportion ever succeed at the top level. The rest become labourers and so forth.
3. There is a huge bureaucracy for each of the sports. these folk naturally need trips to places like Beijing and so on in a ratio of at least one bureaucrat to each one sports person.
4. the minute proportion of the minute proportion make quite a bit of money which, because most of it is earned o/s, is virtually inaccessible to the taxgatherer. Socialized costs and privatized profits.
5. There is a downside for the successful ones because they are pestered by pollies
6. Folk wanting to sell anything from cars to TVs don’t mind. It is a vehicle.
7. It is quite funny watching the olympics when you are o/s. The mighty nation Australia hardly cracks a mention. Who cares?
OK I will leave calculations to others and stick to geopolitics. Go Armenia!
And in medals corrected for GDP, we are getting thumped at 25th.
1. North Korea
2. Zimbabwe
3. Mongolia
4. Georgia
http://www.billmitchell.org/sport/medal_tally_2008
Actually, using a 3, 2, 1 weighting for gold, silver and bronze we are top of the per capita table. The Armenians have won five bronze.
I wonder how many of those Georgian medals will be counted in the Russian count in four years…
Corrected for not being an evil tyrrany, Mongolia is winning. Not bad for a country with more yaks than people.
For ‘oz’ , oil prices inevitably will rise in future from Georgia fiasco because of non free market pressures that will gradually apply to Central Asian oil and gas prices
EU and USA hav been trying to lessen itself from energy dependence on Moscow , which supplies EU with a quarter of its OIL and half of its natural GAS , by developing routes for Central Asian resources that bypass Russia
Georgia was an alternative route for Caspian oil AND gas by bypassing Russia from energy-rich Central Asian nations like Azerbaijan , Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan
These oil and gas supplies pipelines and Central Asian suppliers (planned to increase in future years) were to allow Western countries to to circumvent Russia.AND also diminsh progressively relience on oil M/E Despots and OPEC
THREE main pipelines
1/ Th Baku-Tblisi Erzurum GAS pipeline connects Azerbaijan to Turkey through Georgia , then on to Euroope Annual GAS shipments ar over 6.5 billion cubic metres with it planned to triple when (if now) line was expanded
2/ Baku Tbilisi-Ceyhan line supplies one million barrels of Caspian crude to Europe & USA , independent not only of Russia but also OPEC (projected to increase dramticaly in future (till Georgia ‘war’)
3/ Lesser oil amounts flow through the Baku-Supsa line , which ends on th Blak Sea
ALL of these Oil and Gas upplies were intended to grow significantly ex these non Russian Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan , th sorce suppliers
And Georgian ports on the Black Sea are a main shipping point of Caspian crude as well
The above prospects of th West’s hopes of diversifying its supply sources now stand in ruins of there appeasement So issue principally is of standing up for a soveregn democratic State , but a sie loss is Geo Political plus econamic ie. continued 100% dependence on Russia (Europe mainly) , and EU/ USA via ‘now controlled’Cental Asian oil and gas pipelines , and USA/EU via M/E
All up , well , neither humane , supportative of democratic sovereign Countrys democratic , and nor politicaly or econamicly clever So ultimately we all may may through hip pocket as well as conscience
Adam
I chose not to post the other measure I saw which was medals corrected for human rights record. But you have forced me to list it:
1. US
2. Australia
3. Germany
How much does the US get discounted for Abu Ghraib?
Surely if you correct for population AND human rights record, Australia must win, unless Luxembourg or Tuvalu wins a gold medal.
Here’s a nice article on how much a gold medal “costs” to win. It looks like about $40M per gold for Australia. I saw a figure somewhere that for China it is $100M per gold. In the US, the government doesn’t help the athletes much and the athlete’s families tend to pay with sponsorship. Kate Ellis has a bet with her British counterpart that Oz will win more gold than the UK.
What price for an Olympic Gold? How much would you pay?
http://www.sportsscientists.com/2008/08/beijing-olympic-medal-price.html
Goanna - in the Lyne election it’s a competition between Rob Drew trying to save his political career, Rob Oakeshott trying to advance his political career, the Greens who don’t give a cow’s carbon emission about farmers and country folk, and the DLP who are the real labo[u]r party because the fake one isn’t bothering to try to win the hearts of either workers, farmers, families or any one else, because the little mans vote counts too little. It didn’t realise the DLP existed until last November. Check out dlp.org.au. I did and joined up.
I preferred the Cold War to the Gold War.
Dale Higgins,
I joined in 1970 and left in 1978 when it closed down, but good luck to you.
Diogenes Says:
August 17th, 2008 at 4:17 pm
“the athlete’s families tend to pay with sponsorship. ”
The article said “privatized”, rest assured that doesn’t mean what you wrote.
Dale Higgins
#886
“the DLP who are the real labo[u]r party”
It didn’t realise the DLP existed until last November.”
Credibility of your first Statement is measured by DLP at 2007 electon getting 6,018 votes out of 12,930,814 total votes
or when it was at its strength , it prefernced Liberal Party , and Menzies , Holt , Gorton , and McMahon , and later Fraser
.
Yep , ALL of those Liberal PM’s looked after working folk…think not
And last year they STILL preferenced Howard, despite his being responsible for the most serious attack on workers’ rights in Australian history. The current DLP is a sect of anti-abortion fanatics. Most of the real labour people who were in the old DLP have returned to the ALP.
charles
I may well be wrong but I read another article that said sponsorship and family were the main sources of US sports money for Olympic events. Do they have a few institutes for cycling (for eg) which compete for government funding and Olympic places?
Does it work like competitive grant funding for medical research?
Diogenes, link below gives a reasonable rundown.
link
charles @ 894, the link gives a reasonable rundown but does it mention the role of drugs?
It looks as though we’ll have the interest rates being cut in the near future. I can hear the Libs now - that bloody Swan, he’s been talking them down. NOT.
“What price for an Olympic Gold? How much would you pay?”
This was highlighted when the Rooshians played Georgia in the womens volleyball.
The Ruskis cried foul because the Georgian team was made up of two Brazilians, (actually from Brazil, not because they had to have a wax job because of the teenie bikinis they have to wear whilst the men wear board shorts). But one of the Brazilian Georgians said whilst she had only been to Georgia twice she felt Georgian because the Georgian President had confered citizenship on her himself.
Two visits, one to pick up the cheque, one to get the citizenship.
does gwb know that georgia has at least 2 brazillion people
why they are way bigger than china
How many people make a brazillion?
gwb thinks it is way more a billion
(cant find link to the reference)
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