Matters related thereto
Roy Morgan has spared the government a new set of poll results this week, presumably holding over last weekend’s face-to-face results for a combined two weeks’ result to be published next week. So here’s some stuff that has accumulated during my recent period of indolence:
• The federal parliament’s Joint Standing Committee of Electoral Matters brought down its report into the 2010 federal election a fortnight ago. One noteworthy innovation is a less pompous report title, “The 2010 Federal Election: Report on the conduct of the election and related matters” replacing the traditional formulation of “Report on the conduct of the (insert year) federal election and matters related thereto”. Antony Green summarises its recommendations here; now that my holidays are over I’ll shortly get around to reviewing it and will have more to say after I’ve fully absorbed it.
• One of the majority report’s recommendations was that the federal government follow the example of New South Wales and Victoria in allowing government records such as drivers licences, vehicle registration and Year 12 school enrolments to be used to automatically update the electoral roll. However, this is opposed in the dissenting JSCEM report from the committee’s Coalition members, for reasons I do not find persuasive. Antony Green has reviewed the impact of such measures in New South Wales since their introduction last year, observing that only 12 per cent of the 70,000 people whose enrolments have been added or updated have taken the trouble to enrol the old-fashioned way for the federal electoral roll. His conclusion: “On the evidence so far, by the time of the next commonwealth election in the second half of 2013, there could be as many as 200,000 voters enrolled for NSW elections and eligible to vote at commonwealth elections who will be missing from the commonwealth roll or be enrolled at the wrong address.”
• Draft electoral redistribution boundaries have recently been published for both our nation’s territory parliaments. Antony Green surveys the results for the Northern Territory here and the Australian Capital Territory here. An ACT redistribution would normally be of minor interest, as the territory is only divided into three electorates for purposes of a regionally based system of proportional representation, but Antony asserts that in this case the changes are radical enough to be of substantial interest, and in particular to put at risk the fourth seat the Greens won at the 2008 election. For the Northern Territory, Antony has calculated new margins for each of the 25 seats, with the caveat that the enormous sitting member factors which result from pocket-sized electorates of 4000 to 5000 voters make party-based margins less reliable than usual.
• There has been much talk lately about the possibility of an incoming Coalition government calling an early double dissolution election should it meet Senate resistance from its efforts to abolish a carbon tax. Tony Abbott’s argument to those concerned about the resulting uncertainty and expense is that opposing its repeal in the Senate would be politically suicidal for a defeated Labor Party, a case pursued by Queensland legal academic James Allan in The Australian.
There was a fair bit of material I had been compiling on Western Australian matters to coincide with a looming quarterly state Newspoll, but I was caught on the hop when it was published a month earlier than I’d anticipated.
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Categories: Federal Politics 2010-, Western Australian Politics
Hal Holbrook played a brilliant bad guy in Capricorn One!
Plus O.J gets machine gunned = top film!
by Glen on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:13 am
Now Contador…
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:13 am
Stop showing the bloody yellow jersey ffs
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:14 am
Come on Cadel, just dump Andy on go for it
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:14 am
Bomb in Norway. Big car bomb outside main Govt buildings. Lots of damage but only 1 confirmed death. Bugger.
by imacca on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:15 am
One of my favourite films is The Star Chamber (1983) with Michael Douglas and Hal Holbrook!
by Glen on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:16 am
I thought Contador was a drug cheat. Was he banned for a while?
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:17 am
Glen@364
No doubt.
by dave on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:17 am
Guess that’s Frank out of the equation. Looking better for Cadel now.
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:17 am
Norway bombing
http://www.aftenposten.no/nyheter/iriks/article4180673.ece
by Puff, the Magic Dragon. on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:18 am
Can’t they keep those idiots off the road?
by It’s Time on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:19 am
Looks interesting.
IMDB says it is being remade!
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0481387/combined
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:19 am
I like the archive footage from the tours de France from the 1950s and 1960s where some of the riders are smoking.
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:21 am
It is quite controversial. He tested positive some time ago but got the hearing delayed till after the Tour. He could still be disqualified.
by Socrates on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:23 am
+1
by Glen on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:24 am
[It is quite controversial. He tested positive some time ago but got the hearing delayed till after the Tour. He could still be disqualified.][
Ridiculous really. He shouldn't be in the race.
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:25 am
[I like the archive footage from the tours de France from the 1950s and 1960s where some of the riders are smoking.
They still drink champagne on the final stage into Paris these days
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:26 am
Can’t let Contador get too much further ahead…
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:27 am
Agree Dario. If he was confident he would win the doping case why would he delay it?
by Socrates on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:28 am
After all the panic yesterday about huge NBN prices, whaddayaknow?
Og course it’s not a lovingly presented as yesterdays six or seven hundred words. This one’s only a couple of hundred. A bit of an afterthought, actually.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/discounts-begin-entrylevel-option-drops-below-40-20110722-1hsst.html#ixzz1Sqegtcav
And amusingly, Phil Coorey describes the OO Business Gillard Bash as a “business lunch”.
How coy of Phillip.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/gillard-hits-new-low-with-business-20110722-1ht0k.html
by Bushfire Bill on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:29 am
Cadel and the Schlecks are all ahead of Voeckler now.
by Socrates on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:30 am
The tour de france would be better if it was mandatory for all the riders to use spokie dokies and were given time bonuses for the most creative designs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrzJSYW7xrU
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:30 am
As exciting as the Tour final stages are I am finding the idiots running next to the riders thoroughly annoying. Maybe the riders could have scythe blades fitted on their bike wheels Ben-Hur chariot race style?
by Socrates on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:33 am
This is good, there should be competition. However, Simon Hackett from Internode seems to raise some issues about how NBN Co is pricing access to the network. This is frankly too technical for me to understand, but I hope Conroy at least talks to Internode so they can put their argument across:
http://blog.internode.on.net/2011/07/21/nbn-retail-pricing-pressure-points/
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:33 am
What about if they had spokie dokies?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrzJSYW7xrU
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:34 am
Cadel is looking well.
by This little black duck on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:34 am
Not quite the same effect ShowsOn but its a nice thought
by Socrates on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:36 am
Agree 110%
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:36 am
But Joe Hockey said this couldn’t happen. I’m so confused?
by Socrates on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:36 am
Fans on Dutch corner calling Voeckler a c**t as he cycles by
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:37 am
At least, no ads now.
by This little black duck on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:37 am
Cadel still really looking good. Contador gap is not increasing. He has gained 1 minute but was 3 1/2 behind at the start.
by Socrates on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:38 am
OK, thank you for considering it though.
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:38 am
spectator got a belt in the mouth from a rider, shoulda hit him twice!
by Puff, the Magic Dragon. on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:38 am
I’m just surprised none have knocked them off their bikes…
I throw my bike at a joker for knocking me off and costing me the Tour De France!
by Glen on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:39 am
All we need is for one of the riders to crash into one of the idiot spectators.
by It’s Time on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:39 am
Cycling up an 11.5% slope as fast as I could jog. Amazing.
by Socrates on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:39 am
Now Andy wants Cadel to work. F*** YOU ANDY!
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:40 am
Time for a glass of red.
by This little black duck on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:40 am
[I’m just surprised none have knocked them off their bikes…
Happened to Lance Armstrong some years ago but he managed to recover and win the stage
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:41 am
How about a bottle!
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:41 am
+1
by Glen on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:41 am
Grant Burge Merlot 2006. Go Cadel!
by This little black duck on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:42 am
Contador cracked?
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:42 am
Good to see Cadel give Andy the finger.
by This little black duck on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:43 am
+2 re Andy’s request.
by Socrates on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:43 am
Alberto is in a world of pain.
by This little black duck on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:43 am
Nice call little black duck. One of my favorite Aussie Merlots. I love the Filsell shiraz too.
by Socrates on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:44 am
Man, what a stage
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:45 am
Dirty Sanchez!
by Dario on Jul 23, 2011 at 1:46 am