Reflections on the Miracle of Democracy at Work in the Greatest Nation on Earth

Essential Research: 58-42

The latest weekly Essential Research has Labor’s lead at 58-42, down from 60-40 last week and 62-38 the week before. Also featured are yet more questions on the global financial crisis and one on the recent activities of Peter Costello, of which most respondents take a dim view. Also:

• The government’s second go at the Commonwealth Electoral Amendment (Political Donations and Other Measures) Bill passed the House of Representatives yesterday. Daryl Melham, Labor’s member for Banks and chair of the Joint Standing Committee on Electoral Matters, had some harsh words during the debate for Family First Senator Steve Fielding, who joined with the Coalition to reject the earlier version of the bill in the Senate last week.

• The redistribution of Tasmanian electorates (which uniquely applies to both federal and state elections) has been finalised, with only minor amendments to the boundaries as originally proposed. These have very slightly weakened Labor’s position in both Braddon and Franklin. More from Antony Green.

• The Electoral Commissioner has determined quotas for Queensland and New South Wales, the first stage in the redistributions that will give a new seat to the first at the expense of the second.

1,741 Comments

Pages: « 131 32 33 34 [35] Show All

  1. 1701
    ShowsOn
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:05 pm | Permalink

    Evan 14 if you need a breath of good clean Labor air you are most welcome to come for a visit

    This is not a swingers site. Do you want ACMA to add this site to the blocklist!?
    :D

  2. 1702
    evan14
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:05 pm | Permalink

    HA HA
    Bob Brown is really rubbing it in, you can tell how much the Libs hate Julia Gillard!

  3. 1703
    imacca
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:06 pm | Permalink

    Ok 1675, i need to get a life.

  4. 1704
    The Finnigans
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:06 pm | Permalink

    Bob Brown, all is forgiven. Please stay.

  5. 1705
    ShowsOn
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:07 pm | Permalink

    Labor-Greens will control the Senate after the next election. So the government will eventually get the 15 by head count if they can win the next election.

  6. 1706
    thewetmale
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:08 pm | Permalink

    I hope more legislation is to be drawn out through senate processes just so Bob Brown has more opportunities to lay into the opposition.

  7. 1707
    evan14
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:09 pm | Permalink

    Once again the Liberals deal themselves out of the debate through obstrunctionism and blind right wing ideology!
    Fielding is still a tool, but he’s slightly redeemed today.

  8. 1708
    BK
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:09 pm | Permalink

    Fielding has found his mojo and giving the Coalition a right serve

  9. 1709
    evan14
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:10 pm | Permalink

    Could this be a last minute help to QLD Labor tomorrow?
    The ALP gets credit for the end of Work Choices?

  10. 1710
    BK
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:11 pm | Permalink

    Mr X has just praised Julia G as the “comsumate professional”

  11. 1711
    ShowsOn
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:12 pm | Permalink

    Xenophon just said people are calling up talk back to say they are going to sack people so they can be below a 15 employee threshold.

    What absolute MORONS, what a stupid way to run a business.

  12. 1712
    vera
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:12 pm | Permalink

    So X stuck with the Libs then and Fielding had a few alchopops and saw the light?

  13. 1713
    evan14
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:14 pm | Permalink

    Methinks Fielding’s office is full of free alcopops LOL

  14. 1714
    The Finnigans
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:14 pm | Permalink

    Obviously, the Maxwell-Smart-i-only-need-one-vote trick has done the trick for the Govt.

    The Govt has out smarted the Oppositions in this case. Why it wasn’t tried before? Gillard for POTUS!!!!

  15. 1715
    ShowsOn
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:14 pm | Permalink

    So this vote will be tied, which finally kills off WorkChoices.

  16. 1716
    vera
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:15 pm | Permalink

    Showson those talkback callers would be young Libs reading out the script sent from Lib HQ lol

  17. 1717
    bob1234
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:18 pm | Permalink

    It’s actually a reality. When WorkChoices was introduced, my company sacked off half a dozen people to get under the 100 threshold.

    It’s going to happen no matter what number is set.

  18. 1718
    thewetmale
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:19 pm | Permalink

    Newsradio says X is voting with the coalition

  19. 1719
    ShowsOn
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:19 pm | Permalink

    Showson those talkback callers would be young Libs reading out the script sent from Lib HQ lol

    I mean seriously, if people think they need to be able to unfairly dismiss people so they can run their business properly, then their business is doomed to fail.

  20. 1720
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:20 pm | Permalink

    Work Choices is as dead as Costello’s PM chances.

    Both died together, unless he wants campaign to bring it back in. Now if they think it so good they should campaign to bring Workchoices back in.

  21. 1721
    Dario
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:22 pm | Permalink

    http://www.news.com.au/story/0,27574,25215678-2,00.html

    THE Government appears poised to get its proposed workplace relations laws through the parliament after striking a deal with two key crossbench senators.

    The deal centres on transitional arrangements relating to the definition of small business.

    Labor wanted a definition of fewer than 15 staff while independent Nick Xenophon and Family First's Steve Fielding were seeking to increase that number to 20.

    In a statement, Senator Fielding said the government had agreed to the definition of small business as 15 full-time workers with a review to be held in 2011.

    "Family First supports the Fair Work Bill as it strengthens protection and fairness for workers and small business," he said.

  22. 1722
    ShowsOn
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:23 pm | Permalink

    This is great, just in time for the 6 PM news nation-wide “WorkChoices: R.I.P.”

  23. 1723
    Diogenes
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:23 pm | Permalink

    Until 1 January 2011, 15 small time equivalents.
    After 1 January 2011, it will be 15 employees by a head count.

    I assume you mean “full time equivalents”, ShowsOn.

  24. 1724
    The Finnigans
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:23 pm | Permalink

    Did I hear right that Fielding was asking for a hug from Julie Gillard?

  25. 1725
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:25 pm | Permalink

    well the senate voted ‘not to insist on its amendments’ so it is done.

  26. 1726
    The Finnigans
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:25 pm | Permalink

    Until 1 January 2011, 15 small time equivalents.

    Diog, maybe it was meant for “15 small time crooks or equivalents”

  27. 1727
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:25 pm | Permalink

    And X? Still supporting Workchoices.

  28. 1728
    vera
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:26 pm | Permalink

    We all had a go at Fielding for voting down Alchopops so it’s only fair that Xenophon gets the same treatment for voting to keep Workchoices!

  29. 1729
    ShowsOn
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:28 pm | Permalink

    I note that the House didn’t adjourn, it just suspended its sitting (I guess in case a deal wasn’t struck):
    http://www.aph.gov.au/house/info/liveminutes/index.htm

    And X? Still supporting Workchoices.

    He put forward the stupid “Workers should have fewer rights during tough economic times” argument.

  30. 1730
    thewetmale
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:30 pm | Permalink

    I note that the House didn’t adjourn, it just suspended its sitting (I guess in case a deal wasn’t struck):

    Newsradio says this is because the house will need to meet for a short period tonight to confirm they agree with what was just decided in the Senate i.e. that the small number of amendments are not being insisted upon.

  31. 1731
    ShowsOn
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:33 pm | Permalink

    i.e. that the small number of amendments are not being insisted upon.

    But the House has already done that, and the Senate agreed to the House’s version of the bill. So the bill has passed both houses in identical form.

    I am pretty sure it is all over and done with now.

  32. 1732
    Andrew
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:33 pm | Permalink

    fielding has just got alcopop guilt. a leopard doesnt change his stripes

  33. 1733
    Diogenes
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:33 pm | Permalink

    Isn’t there something a bit weird that an equal vote for the final draft of alcopops means it dies but an equal vote for the IR laws gets it through?

  34. 1734
    Andrew
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:34 pm | Permalink

    opps, spots!!!

  35. 1735
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:34 pm | Permalink

    from dynamic red:

    5 Messages from the House of Representatives
    returning the Fair Work Bill 2008 and informing the Senate that the House has agreed to certain amendments, disagreed to others, and requesting the reconsideration of the bill in respect of the amendments disagreed to by the House
    Minister moved that the committee not insist on its amendments - the commitee divided: Ayes 29; Noes 29

    As the amendments do not have majority support, the result of the division is that the committee will not insist on its amendments

    http://www.aph.gov.au/Senate/DynamicRed/Index.html

  36. 1736
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:36 pm | Permalink

    from the Oz:

    Under the deal, announced in the Senate a few minutes ago, the Government will allow for transitional arrangements on the definition of a small business captured by the Government's unfair dismissal law.

    Workplace Relations Minister Julia Gillard had insisted on a definition of a small business as having a head count of 15 workers but Senator Fielding had argued for a small business definition of 15 full-time equivalent employees.

    The definition was crucial because it represented the cut off at which unfair dismissal laws applied for 12 months for new employees rather than the six month probation period for larger workplaces.

    Under the compromise, a small business will be defined as having 15 full-time equivalent workers until January 1, 2011. After that date the definition will revert to a
    simple head count of 15 workers.

    "This is an historic day as we rid the nation of Work Choices against the fierce opposition of the Coalition,” said the Government's leader of Government business Joe Ludwig.

    As Ms Gillard watched in the Senator chamber from the Government's advisor's box, Senator Ludwig said: ""This is a complete political humiliation of the Coalition,” he said.

    But the Opposition Leader of Business Senator Eric Abetz said: “It is regrettable some Senators have now allowed the deputy prime minister off the hook of her own arrogance.”

    http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,25215670-601,00.html

  37. 1737
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:37 pm | Permalink

    btw William has a new thread up:
    http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2009/03/20/morgan-57-43-2/

  38. 1738
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:37 pm | Permalink

    Irony is X will still win out of being a Workchoices supporter as the murdoch media will probably praise him no end. As Workchoices is dead there wont be any backlash. He is as sneaky as hell.

  39. 1739
    Diogenes
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:38 pm | Permalink

    So the main vote was last night when everyone except the Libs voted for the new laws, but requested amendments, which they chose today not to insist on.

  40. 1740
    ShowsOn
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:38 pm | Permalink

    fielding has just got alcopop guilt. a leopard doesnt change his stripes

    Seriously, I reckon he stands up says what he is going to do, then goes back to his office and flips a coin to determine if he should do what he said he would do, or change his mind.

  41. 1741
    Posted Friday, March 20, 2009 at 5:38 pm | Permalink

    New thread.

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