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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Part of ’structure’ I’d like to see is th proposed business plan , including ascending enegy output , retail cost to consumer , & distribution
Same info was just repeatd on lateline , with Green’s Milne politicising th anounsement ! how crass Its just been announced and she criticises Rudd for inaction and PROPOSES guaranteeing such projects profits for 20 years no less
Mayoferal,
1.When we run out of sunshine, it’s a permanent good night.
2. Coal is cheap because its true environmental cost is not factored into the economic equation. Anyone for ETS?
3. I’d like to see someone invent a use for all those CO2 gases in the air. If you could commercialise that then “Bob’s your Uncle, Sally’s your aunt and rover’s the dog”.
GG
1/ won’t happen ? , sun keeps coming up so far , and 2/ th cost will grow as th permits reduce against cap (thats when pointy end of political & econamic pressure may arise and colide , unless such projests as WorleyParsons hav capacity to replace required enegy needs
Still hope some govt oversight so consumers don’t get fleeced and enegy costs don’t make us uncompetitive
Ron,
1. I hope you are right.
Also on lateline tonite was Georgian ambasador saying they never expected Russian retaliation
Whilst they were naeve , a peace plan was debated earlier in year at Nato , with strategic efects to russia , turkey etc surely discussed Is Bush & Cheney completely asleep at 3 AM , or is this all amateur hour at th White House on inteligence and assessments , with Georgians paying ultimate price , and what were Eurpoeans thinking Putins bear had gone asleep
193 Just Me
Sorry, Miss O is the colour writer for the OO, Caroline Overington.
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/coverington/index.php
Caroline Overington
Ahh, of course. Thanks.
Caroline had made it clear she is not a fan of me , and I just can not understand why , I mean I tried to be civil when calling Mr Smirk th rodent’s own rodent
Ron,
I’ve noticed your chick magnet qualities with posters like Jen and Catrina as well.
I think a makeover is in order.
From now on you are Ron,………… James Ron!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ii1tc493bZM
am I allowed to add 007 , or would that be presuptous GG in attracting th cat and th Jen and th melanie and …well there ar so many
http://www.theage.com.au/national/fuelwatch-faces-fatal-blow-by-independent-20080812-3u67.html
INDEPENDENT senator Nick Xenophon has dealt an apparently fatal blow to the Government’s FuelWatch scheme.
Senator Xenophon said yesterday the current Senate inquiry into the scheme had strengthened his view that the plan would be illusory for competition and bad for consumers.
“I cannot support FuelWatch in its present form,” he said. He would only back it if there were considerable amendments.
Ron,
If you want to publicly present the number of your conquests, that is up to you. But, for me, far too much information you stud muffin.
I did stop at three , thats just three who saw no gentle side whatsoever despite best eforts Perhaps I missed using th secret code words “yes we can”
Well I did stop at three , thats three who saw no gentle side whatsoever , but perhaps th secret code words should hav been used “yes we…”
James Ron 00
211 James – the government still comes out smelling like roses on this one. “We tried but we were blocked in the Senate. Talk to the opposition parties.”
Agree Garry
But
“The scheme would require most service stations to register prices daily and would prohibit them changing the price for 24 hours.
In May FuelWatch was dealt a major setback when leaked cabinet documents revealed that four departments had warned it could push up petrol prices.
Senator Xenophon said evidence to the inquiry had been critical. It suggested FuelWatch would kill off independent operators.”
Therefore I would hav thought this extra info to consumers , and with prices fixed 24 hours in advance , would not dissavantage consumers at all , and more likely presure prices down , and can not uderstand th oposition to Scheme
Nick Xenophon in big Oil’s pockets already? If he thinks it illusory he thinks it will do no harm – so why block governments legislation?
One early failure by Xenophon in the role of independent. Wonder if he will get carried away with his own importance and start to make himself the government?
Which how it operates in WA and the sky hasn’t fallen in yet.
Mr X ’s excuse was non tabling of modelling and some Dept’s saying prices wouold rise
Looks like he’s out of his depth , because commonsense says info to consumers can not do harm (and more likely benefit) , yet confusingly he says it will hav no impact , and politicaly he could hav used it as well as a plus
On such a relatively minor issue compared to issues he will hav a potentially desiding vote on , its appears not a good sign
Xenophon is danger of getting carried away with his balance of power and thinking himself the rightful lawmaker and ignoring a few million voters. Yes, on such a trivial thing that has basically little downside and the possibility of good, it is a bad sign.
Is he so easily manipulated by the LNP or Oil? Or is he looking to make himself look important. Will have to wait and see.
The media misinformation run these last months is having effect in some areas. I heard one person today say that they heard others (whom she tended to agree with) that Rudd promised a lot but doesn’t seem to have done much.
Doesn’t mean people will turn away from Labor, just that the expected more. They should be making it very clear that it is the LNP and even Xen blocking initiatives.
But if the media wont report what the government of the day is doing truthfully then not much they can do about it.
If Xenophon is going to be the Senate fool (obviously too early to tell) then Labor will either have to make deals with him or DD. If Rudd ever won control of the Senate I wonder how quickly media ownership laws would change.
“It is understood that Senator Fielding, while supporting FuelWatch’s aims, has growing concerns about the scheme. The Greens are unconvinced FuelWatch would lead to a reduction in petrol prices”
LOL!, you mean as opposed to doing nothing?
… and on, and on, and on… talk about a broken record!
“We didn’t think anyone would get upset if we invaded South Ossetia and started bombing villages, shooting people and blowing things up. We’re a democracy after all.”
Does Jones have the hots for her?
On another subject, retail organisations claimed Grocery Choice is useless. If it’s so useless why not let it run and prove what fools the government are?
Same with Fuel Watch. Since when are motorists supposed to give a damn about fuel retailers, since they haven’t given a damn about us in, oh, the last several decades?
In the annals of Australian Hypocrisy And Greed, the attitude of the Coalition and grocery and petrol lobbyists is right up there with Tony Abbot’s “Don’t trust a politician to appoint a Governor-General. Trust a politician instead. I should know because I’m a politician.”
Of course the buggers don’t like Fuel Watch and Grocery Choice. Because they cover fuel and groceries which, combined together, have turned into a nice little earner for Coles and Woolies, whose grocery prices just happen to be about the same, as long as you don’t count Aldi, who are 25% cheaper than either of them. Franklins comes in a coupla dollars more than the majors, but Franklins don’t have fuel to extract the last few cents of “value” from the credit card.
But if the mug punters fell for Abbot’s scam, they’ll fall for this one. I mean, why be informed about the cost of fuel in your area, when it’s so much easier to just pull in to the servo and be price-gouged by the “Fuel Cycle”. We shouldn’t be too hard on petrol station owners. They have feelings too.
I expect the usual limp lettuce leaf response from the government on this. Happie Chappie Kevin Rudd keeps the Labor attack dogs on a muzzle leash. He’s got one of those little plastic bags and a pooper-scooper too, to make sure no-one gets offended if rover drops an oopsie on the neighbour’s front lawn. And no peeing up against those nice Liberal people’s tyres, or scaring that sweet old pensioner lady’s cat up a tree. Naughty dog! Stop humping that lobbyist!
Meanwhile the Coalition and their mates let the rottweilers run free, slathering over every juicy morsel that the nice Mr. Rudd – he’s the one with the halo – offers them, munching Shi-tzu’s and Labra-doodles as if they were chicken Schmackos. The theory is, I suppose, that if the Libs see how pleasant life can be when you control your mutt and play to the rules, they’re sure to learn by example and stop being so anti-social. The Devil’s in the details, y’know. Well… blow me down… there goes another Maltese! Down the hatch. Didn’t even touch the sides.
I don’t care about the polls. I voted for Rudd to fight for what he told us he was going to fight for. And, just as importantly, to look like he was fighting for it. If the public don’t know there’s even been a battle, then they don’t know there’s been a winner.
When things just happen everyone takes the credit. The Libs are getting far too much air-time and oxygen, not just because the media are that way inclined, but because it’s being ceded to them by Mr. Nice Guy. How in the hell did BHP manage to get away with announcing the solar power station without Martin Ferguson sticking to them like $hit to a blanket, waving “Me too”? In fact, how did they manage to get away with it without making the explicit connection that it had been in direct response to government policy and that they wouldn’t have done it otherwise? That’s the government’s job, but nobody’s home.
The mugs can only assume, “Things just happen”. Like the Prius factory (it was going to happen anyway), the solar network might end up being passed off as BHP and Rio Tinto being “good corporate citizens” without a mention that if there’d been no head kicking it would have been built in a million, increasingly hotter summers.
And now they’re running the line that the less we know about prices of fuel and groceries the better off we are. Unless a few more heads are kicked, that’ll stick too.
I’m all for everybody being nice to everybody else, but every now and again you have to let your dog crap on the neighbour’s lawn and hope they tread in it.
I can recommend the practice. It makes you feel like you’ve achieved something.
Dare say the government would be breathing a sigh of relief that Fuelwatch went down in the Senate. Saved by an independent from a bad policy decision. Chris Bowen would be hoping the whole silly idea is quickly forgotten.
Seems to me to be a political error for the Opposition to reject FuelWatch.
They’d have been better off abstaining or something. “We don’t think it will work but we’re willing to let the Government try it”. It’s not as if the scheme could ever be a big deal one way or the other in the real world.
GG, James Ron,
Go the chick magnet.
On policy questions as opposed to chick questions I am always prepared to take on board outcomes to adjust my views.
I have to say in the case of the Ronnettes privatisation it is proof that not all privatisations work.
9 months in power and not a lot to show for it todate Dyno. Setting up 2 websites is about the sum total.
One would believe that the Petrol Garages may as well close from Wednesday to Monday as every one fills their car on “cheap Tuesday”or is it “cheap Wednesday”. That is what the Oil firms, the Coalition and those opposed to Fuel Watch would have us believe.
228 ESJ – oh bollocks, that comment is so trite it is scarcely worth rebutting. Rudd did more in the first month than Howard did his first term. Kyoto, the Apology, yes and several website, and a whole lot more.
Twit.
ESJ – The Howard Party was in power for nearly 12 years and all it has to show for it is the GST (a straight steal of Hewson’s blueprint); high inflation and the least affordable housing outlook for first home buyers in our history; an independent Timor-Leste, though the Indonesians deserve most of the credit and our modest contribution was despite Downer’s best efforts to f*ck it all up; the soon to be gutted Slave Choices; an illegal war; and a number of decaying concentration/torture camps spread out across the Pacific.
228 “9 months in power and not a lot to show for it todate”
Unlike the brilliant opposition who are not sure who they want as Opposition Leader but have narrowed it down to anyone but Turnbull. Haven’t quite worked out what date the ETS should come in as long as it is after the actual date of implementation. Now they have given the go ahead for the religious right to run the Shadow Cabinet in Queensland. All this while rocketing to 43% 2PP.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,24172458-5006786,00.html
Well lets examine the facts shall we:
Aboriginal affairs – where is the evidence or more importantly the money to show that Australia (ie our government) has spent anything or done anything extra to address Aboriginal disadvantage: ANSWER NIL
Kyoto – the government courageously signed a piece of paper for a target which we were already meeting. Other than that a discussion paper about what we might do.
WorkChoices – listen to the ACTU, the government aint planning on changing a whole lot.
BOTTOM LINE: It does add up to about 2 websites and some press releases.
ESJ on the other side we have had nine months of an anyone but Turnbull candidate fighting to hold his position against an as yet undecided anyone but Turnbull candidate and the fight goes on over the spoils of defeat.
What about an increase in pensions and the way the increase is assessed. A stop to an interest rate increase and soon to a decrease. A responsible Budget. Continued review of the Taxation, Pensions and other Government departments.
Defeat of Fuel Watch in the Senate would be excellent for the Gubbies:
1. It would probably only make a marginal difference to the price of fuel anyway but the marginal difference would have been a difference in favour of the motorists. Motorists will feel that they may have missed out on something good.
2. If it stops petrol prices from going down, even marginally, it contributes to a coherent pricing signal on greenhouse emissions.
3. It would show Mr X that his bluff will be called from time to time.
4. It demonstrates that the opposition is good at opposing something, anything.
5. It sets up a DD trigger which will make the next set of senate deal making marginally more easy for the Gubbies. It also provides them with more options over timing of the next election.
6. It provides the Government with a reasonable response to the narrative that they are doing bugger all.
Article on Mr Ruddock in the antiGG today stating that he sort of regretted incarcerating the kiddies. The human face of Howard/Costello.
BTW are kiddies still being incarcerated? Is this one that can be added to the websites only list?
Come on – this government should be renamed the Gunners as in we are gunna do this and were gunna do that…
Yep – but as the Liberals will soon find out detailed policy deevlopment is very hard withouth the Public Service to do it for you…
Hence, a number of ALP policies lacked the detailed implementation plans necessary. However, once the Public service figures out hte nuts and bolts I think we’ll see a fair bit of movement.
ETS is a classic example. Not Shock and Awe, but we’re actually getting very close to full on implementation.
ESJ the opposition should be renamed the Gladiatears – always glad to tear each other apart.
Grocery watch will be good according to Peter Martin. To really turn the screws on the grocery duopoly the website should include things like the Adelaide Central Market and Farmers Markets.
How anyone could buy meat, fruit & veg from supermarkets is beyond me {shudder}
Local butcher 2 doors down reckons the “‘Fresh’ Food People” keep meat for years at times and they no longer sell Jonathan apples which cannot be stored!
The first item of news is about the view of our Defence Minister on proportional representation (favourable).
http://fairvotecanada.org/en/
So, ESJ what would you have Labor do in the first 9 months of office? List the achievements they could have done without proper planning.
ESJ, what are the changes Labor is making to Workchoices? You’re the one saying it is minimal well let us know how minimal.
A huge budget surplus based on $7Bn savings not a bad start. Lots of little things done as has been reported by ‘Bludgers. An ETS to be planned for, already bearing fruit in the announcement of:
From ABC website:
“Aust firm unveils plans to build ‘world’s biggest solar plant’
“An Australian engineering firm has announced plans to build what it says would be the world’s biggest solar plant in Australia within three years.
“Worley Parsons has launched a study into finding possible sites to host the $1 billion plant.
“”The study is backed by nine Australian companies including miners BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto.
“The Managing Director of the Worley Parson’s sustainability arm, Peter Meurs, says the project is ambitious.
“It could provide power for 300,000 homes – each power station – and our vision is that Australia’s a suitable place for this and we could build up to 34 of these power stations by 2020,” he said.”
Not bad for 9 months
Ronster
I’d be a bit worried about how much of a “chick magnet” you really are if Caroline is not enamoured by your charms. She strikes me as kind of desperate. I’m looking forward to hearing her views on how Ruddski has destroyed the World’s Greatest Treasurers legacy in nine months.
ESJ
If you were trout fishing you would be doing pretty well with your current lure, plenty of strikes, plenty of hookups, you are reeling a few in, and you are avoiding getting your feet wet. Lures are about deception and the nice thing about your lure is the excellent faux narrative *grin*.
247 Boerwar – I agree with that. I asked those questions of ESJ to show just that. I’m not really expecting to receive detailed answers to them. Of course I could be wrong but I doubt it. I’m expecting one liners and a personal attack on my views, that’s how the game is played I guess.
Don’t have a link yet, but apparently, new consumer confidence data has just be released and it’s climbed by around 9%, which, from memory, means it’s higher than when the Messiah was last swinging in the Treasury hammock.
So much for all the Howard Party’s recession blatherings.
Beorwar,
If you are looking for friendly, intelligent debate on the “end of the empire”.
please try US Pollbludger site:-
SNIP: Link to bogus “Pollbludger” site deleted.
Trying to get any sense out of rusted on party paid hacks can be very futile,
although very informative and revealing.
enjoy
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