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
Smithe, King O’Malley had something to do with the name change.
by grey on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:47 pm
FS
Sorry, I didnt get where you were coming from. Too true
by victoria on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:47 pm
We have agreed twice today Glen…..this love in must cease forthwith
by david on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:48 pm
Oh it will be spun, grab the popcorn, sit down and watch.
by fredn on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:48 pm
Glen
When fighting terrorists it is best to leave them alive. They are the repository of information that can be mined to catch fellow terrorists and to help understand the phenomenum.
This chap has already been linked to right wing Christian extremist groups so the police will be wanting to know:
(1) Has he been urged his fellow citizens, his fellow christians, or politicians to ‘revolt’ against the Government?
(2) Was he part of any meetings in which politicians stood idly by while members of the meeting of which he was a part called for an armed uprising against the government?
(3) Did he listent to and/or was he urged on by right wing shock jocks who allowed death wishes to be broadcast on their show and made statements such as, ‘I want to put the prime minister into a chaff bag and throw her into the sea’.
(4) Was he motivated or excited to act in some by the individual who waved a noose at climate scientists?
I can see why some folk would prefer that he is silenced. But he has some questions to answer. I dare say some others will have some questions to answer as well.
Those in Australia playing with the same sort of fire might reconsider the direction in which they are dragging Australia.
Oslo and the island is where the insanity stopped. But it is not where the insanity started. Those in Australia intent on stoking what may well turn into murderous insanity might do well to pause and take stock.
by Boerwar on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:49 pm
spur212
Guns always find themselves in the hands of those who want them. I still maintain that Abbott and his radioshockjock friends had better get a grip.
by victoria on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:49 pm
Boerwar
Eloquently put as usual.
by victoria on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:50 pm
Such cordial interactions will contradict the meme that Tories and Lefties can’t get on
Hear Hear…
What the hell do people need M16s for I mean seriously…and somehow he got his hands on one.
by Glen on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:51 pm
The reason Labor is Labor is because of King O’Malley, an American (even though he said he was Canadian) Labor MP. During that time the U.S. was considered a beacon for enlightenment and progressive values (and in some ways it still is). THAT is the spirit and idea that the ALP wanted to evoke by adopting the Labor rather than Labour spelling. There are very good historical reasons; just as there are historical reasons for why the Liberal party isn’t the “Conservative party”.
If you don’t think this is true, how could the UK Labour Party be the primary inspiration of the ALP when it formed 9 years after the ALP?
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:51 pm
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/time-for-gillard-to-set-the-bulldog-on-the-bully-boy-20110722-1hsu9.html#ixzz1Su9kEoY0
this is the best option of course, i wonder if the pm was to ask greg combet to be her bull dog. i am sure he would be happy to be or Anthonly Albanese.
by my say on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:51 pm
Will the Norway shooters and bombers claim thay they are just taking their country back, Tea Party and 2GB wingnut style, by way of defence of the undefensible.
by gough1 on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:52 pm
Talking of love ins it appears The Lord Monkie of Mockim has fallen out with no brain Tony, so sad to see good love go bad hehe
geeksrulz Humble Geek (truly)
The Viscount Monckton of Brenchley challenges Tony Abbott over his claims, Direct Action policy accepts climate change science.
by david on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:54 pm
For the benefit of Shows, I will give it one last try:
If you want to learn about the history and inspiration of the founders of the great Australian Labor Party, please have a look at:
1. Labor’s own site:
http://www.alp.org.au/australian-labor/labor-history/
Or
2. The Wikipedia entry relating to the ALP:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Australian_Labor_Party
Neither contains any acknowledgement or refrence to the US labor movement as any kind of source or inspiration.
If anything, I think there is a reasonably srong agrument to support the proposition that the US labor movement (which organisationally started much later) found its inspiration in the already active and successful Labour movements of the UK and Australia.
by smithe on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:55 pm
It’s only an opinion, but, it would have been nicer if that came before the ‘Bullshit’.
by fredn on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:55 pm
Yes, that was the best thing Howard did as PM.
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:55 pm
BULLSHIT
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:55 pm
David
I have also renounced my faith in Lord Monkie because Showy showed me a youtube video of him blatantly fudging figures…
And of course he always starts out by saying ‘I’m not a climate scientist’…
by Glen on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Have to agree. Australia is a safer place without automatic weapons in a lot of loonies’ hands.
by Bushfire Bill on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:56 pm
david
Turnbull achieved one thing this week. Forcing Abbott to say he accepts climate science and 5% reduction in emissions. Therefore the govt should now compare and contrast policies.
by victoria on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:56 pm
Tsk, Tsk …
by Fulvio Sammut on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:57 pm
YAWN
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:57 pm
I do hope that the New South Wales Government will reconsider its policy of introducing shooting as school sport.
We don’t need it.
by Boerwar on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:57 pm
Well, shows might have been talking about the name.
I was talking about where the movement came from. And it wasn’t America.
by smithe on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Well this is good, but instead of spouting his figures, why didn’t you go and figure out that Monckton is a compulsive liar for yourself?
I hope you at the very least watched all the other videos I linked to last night.
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Battle lines being drawn?
Gillard hits new low with business
What a surprise, certain sections of big business, including some clearly identified with the Liberal party don’t like the government. Who would have thought?
A recitation of grievances, mostly imagined or ideological, including:
There is not and never has been a skills shortage in Australia. What there is, is a massive wastage of skills and talent and an unwillingness of industry to shoulder any burden to provide bridging training to fill any gap between the skills a worker holds and the precise requirements of a job.
The object of all of this is of course to bring in cheap labour on 457 or other visas and to drive down Australian pay and conditions.
University graduates have difficulty getting a job because they ‘don’t have experience’.
Experienced, well qualified workers have trouble getting a job because they are ‘not a perfect match’ (meaning it may take a day or so to fit into a new role).
14,000 applied for a few hundred jobs to build the desalination plant in Victoria.
Monash university is to lay off 800 staff including highly trained specialist tradesmen who work with scientists to make the apparatus needed for experiments….
I could go on and on… there is no skills shortage except in boardrooms and HR departments where mental midgets reign supreme.
by bemused on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Glen: Abbott would love to flirt with Monkton, especially because his friends at 2GB eulogise the so called Lord so much.
by evan14 on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Sorry smithe
from the labor web site.
Labor or Labour?
A common query from new members relates to the spelling of the word ‘Labor’. The records tell us that, in the early days, the ALP was known as both ‘Labor’ and ‘Labour’. The report of the party’s federal conference in 1902 was spelled ‘Labor’; in 1905 and 1908 ‘Labour’ and from 1912 ‘Labor’. This final change is thought to have reflected the influence of the then powerful United States labor movement, and especially the influence of Labor’s prominent American-born member King O’Malley. The change also happened to make it easier to distinguish references to the Party from the labour movement in general.
ShowsOn wins.
by fredn on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Shows…
You make ignorance seem like a virtue.
by smithe on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:58 pm
Seems it was the Labour Party Youth movement that was targeted, and aalmost all the victims belonged to the Labour Youth Movement.
I don’t know much about the Norwegian Labour party, but four days ago they declared that they would support the recognition of the Palestinian State at the UNGA in September.
A couple of Days ago the camp was on National TV when the Foreign Minister visited and was confronted with a demand that Norway recognise Palestinian Statehood.
http://politisk.tv2.no/nyheter/st%C3%B8re-om-israel-palestina-konflikten-%E2%80%93-okkupasjonen-ma-opph%C3%B8re-muren-ma-rives-og-det-ma-skje-na/
by JohD on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Of course I was talking about the name! That’s why I said it would be WRONG for the ALP to change its name to Australian Labour Party because it means ignoring an important source of inspiration for the ALP in its early years.
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 3:59 pm
Hallelujah Glen – and a koala stamp!
by george on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:00 pm
The US labor movement was in the crapper until FDR sent in the Army to bring Ford to heel.
Here, the movement had been forming Governments snce 1899.
Who inspired whom?
by smithe on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:00 pm
I’m not ignorant of things that I know are right.
This proves that you are wrong:
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:01 pm
New problem for Julia:
http://www.smh.com.au/national/gillard-hits-new-low-with-business-20110722-1ht0k.html
by evan14 on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:02 pm
NOW YOU ARE CHANGING THE QUESTION!
The question is why is the ALP spelt Labor instead of Labour, and that is because of the INSPIRATION of the U.S. Labor movement and more broadly U.S. progressive values, you know like the idea that people deserved representation even if they working class.
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:03 pm
[
Business critsising the Pm could be seen as plus by the ordinary folk, may be
by my say on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:03 pm
Well, you’re certainly one rude SOB, that’s for sure.
Got any friends left?
by smithe on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:03 pm
What’s that number after Evan’s name represent?
by Fulvio Sammut on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:04 pm
well isnt that funny i didnt see evans take on the business story i see it completley the other way around.
for example people say about the wages rises,
well business dont want the ordinary folk to have one, well we must need one then
i have heard discussions like these for many years.??????
even sees every thing as bad bad.
by my say on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:05 pm
His atomic number.
by smithe on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:05 pm
Why should we take advice from a big red dog! This is madness I tells you!
http://pbskids.org/clifford/index-brd-flash.html
by ShowsOn on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:05 pm
LOL @ ShowsOn
by Danny Lewis on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:07 pm
Mental age.
by Bushfire Bill on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:07 pm
One thing I am grateful to John Howard for: the introduction of the gun laws after the Port Arthur Massacre.
You’d never think of something so horrible occuring in Norway – what is the state of gun ownership requirements in that part of the world?
Bushfire Bill: that wasn’t very kind………I’d have expected you’d be above the nasty stuff that occurs on this forum.
by evan14 on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:11 pm
Now evan,
apart from a few pompous gits, it’s not too bad a place to hang. At least if you’re on the left side of politics.
by smithe on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:14 pm
More Right-Wing Projection …
by Cuppa on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:17 pm
Lovers of the vino weep….though I’m not sure about the winemakers name…Sparky Marquis
======================================
Australia: Forklift mishap destroys $1m of shiraz
Red wine
More than A$1m ($1.07m; £664,000) of wine has been destroyed in a forklift accident in Australia.
The 2010 Mollydooker Velvet Glove shiraz sells for A$185 a bottle ($199; £122), the AFP news agency said.
Winemaker Sparky Marquis told reporters he was “gut-wrenched” that 462 cases of wine had been smashed while being loaded for export to the United States.
“When they opened up the container they said it was like a murder scene,” he said. “But it smelled phenomenal.”
‘Massive loss’
Mr Marquis told the AAP news agency the shipment represented one-third of his McLaren Vale winery’s annual production.
“It’s a massive loss. We’re going through all of the 462 cases at the moment just to see what we can save out of it.”
The wine was, however, fully insured.
Agence France-Presse said Kerry Logistics, which was handling the shipment, moves more than 20,000 containers a year.
Spokesman Brett McCarthur said the company had never had a malfunction of that type before.
“It was very hard to make that call to Sparky,” he said.
by david on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:18 pm
The level of personal abuse here is getting worse and worse, and that’s a shame, because PB used to be a very friendly sort of place in which to talk psephology and exchange political views.
by evan14 on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:18 pm
As always with Abbott, the politics belong to him, the floods to someone else.
by Fulvio Sammut on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:20 pm
Pollytics Possum Comitatus
RT @mitchellgoff: TAB is now placing bets on TAbbott’s climate change policy for next week #carbonprice #NoOneLikesATory
2 minutes ago
by david on Jul 23, 2011 at 4:21 pm