Nielsen: 58-42 to Coalition
GhostWhoVotes reports the latest monthly Nielsen poll has the Coalition lead at 58-42, compared with 57-43 in the previous month’s poll. The primary votes are 28% for Labor (up two), 48% for the Coalition (steady) and 12% for the Greens (down two). That these shifts should send Labor backwards on two-party preferred can be put down to fortuitous rounding in Labor’s favour last time. Tony Abbott’s lead as preferred prime minister has widened, from 46-44 to 46-42, but personal ratings are little changed. Julia Gillard is down a point on approval to 35% and steady on disapproval at 60%, while Abbott is steady at 39% and down two to 55%.
Nielsen also has 88% of respondents wanting “the political parties to compromise to find a policy solution” on asylum seekers, not unreasonably (a more specific question regarding the arrangement which passed the House last week would perhaps have been more illuminating), with only 10% opposed. Labor (58%) fared worse than the Coalition (42%), the Greens (39%) and the independents (18%) when respondents were asked of each party in turn if they bore some responsibility for the impasse. The poll also has opposition to the carbon tax at 62%, up from 59% in October, while support is down from 37% to 33%. Only 5% believed they would be better off after carbon tax compensation, with 51% believing they would be worse off.
UPDATE: Essential Research has two-party preferred steady at 56-44, with the Labor primary vote down a point on last week to 32% and the Coalition and the Greens steady at 49% and 10%. Presented with the favoured policies of Labor (offshore processing in Malaysia), the Liberals (offshore processing in Nauru) and the Greens (onshore processing), respondents divided 18%, 35% and 14%. However, 57% favoured an option that the government should negotiate a solution over the alternative that it should adopt the Liberal policy. Further questions gauge use of newspapers and concern about their decline, culminating in a finding that 52% would approve of the government “taking action to maintain the publication of daily newspapers” against 27% who would disapprove.
We also have the quarterly Newspoll breakdowns by state, gender, age and capitals/non-capitals. The star attraction here is a collapse in Labor’s vote in Queensland, their primary vote down to 22% from 30% in the previous quarter and their two-party vote down from 42% to 35%. How much of this might be put down to static from the state election, and how much to the defeat of Kevin Rudd’s leadership challenge and the manner in which it was effected, is a subject for further discussion. I also note that the Greens primary vote appears to be down on the 2010 election result among men and voters under 35, but not among women and older people. The availability of state breakdowns from Nielsen allows us to combine their results, with due weight given to their respective sample sizes. This produces quarterly samples ranging from about 3300 in New South Wales to 1200 in South Australia/Northern Territory.
The Nielsen figures corroborate Newspoll’s result for Queensland (their last three monthly polls have had Labor’s two-party vote at 34%, 36% and 32%), and point to a Labor collapse there dragging the party down nationally. Queensland appears to have far surpassed Western Australia as Labor’s worst state, the latter having recorded only a 1% swing off the low base of 2010. The other states are recording swings of around 5% to 6%, off bases ranging from 48.8% in New South Wales to 55.3% in Victoria.
Preselection news:
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Categories: Federal Politics 2010-
@jayrosen_nyu: This Italian newspaper is all about investigative journalism. And it makes a profit. Without ads. http://t.co/Agonc1In Yes. via @vosdscott
by guytaur on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:06 am
Morning All
Read through some of yesterday’s posts and thought I’d gone to the wrong place – it seems more like a Liberal Party site, or talk back radio with calls of queue jumpers and giving Christmas Island to Indonesia
Lucky we’re not lurching to the right on asylum seekers – humanity exit stage door right
I’m not a religious person but the saying “there but for the grace of god” seems apt
To lighter matters – if anyone wants a laugh have a look at Clive on Lateline last night – my favourite bit is where he offers to help Tony by door knocking with him to help him win his seat
Last night was proof again why State of Origin is the best sporting contest of the year – what a ripper of a game. Well done Queensland – 7 series in a row
by womble on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:06 am
Leaving things to the elected representatives didn’t work out so well for the Boats policy.
It was easy to disparage that idea of Gillard, but we ought to be clear on the reason for it. It was aimed at trying to get a consensus for action. Of course, the left and Greens would claim it was a way of putting it off, which would have been one short-term effect.
But Gillard knew enough to understand that without a consensus, whoever proposed action would take a hit in a populist opposing campaign, which is exactly what happened. As it evolved, it was probably only the hung parliament and the minority government that forced the issue, or at least the urgency of it.
But let’s give her her due. She did not shirk it. She built together a consensus of Labor, Greens, two country and one metro independents – all more or less committed but with diverse priorities on it. And as far as possible she has consulted economists and industry leaders on the best and fairest methods of implementing a carbon price. All the while still delivering the BISONs.
She is right in her current campaigning. This will go down as one of the great reforms of our time. Whether the public has caught up with that view by October 2013 is the critical question.
But given the complete lack of credibility in the Abbott alternatives, there is every chance that the public, even if reluctantly, will support her.
by Gorgeous Dunny on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:07 am
Newman on the radio cost cutting continues with plenty of jobs to be removed, and not being added to the front line like he claims to be doing.
So rather than transfer the people from other area’s, he’s just going to fire them.
LNP hard at work.
I wish we just sack newman and his cronies for sitting on 150k a per year.
by zoidlord on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:08 am
I think this means you can expect Fairfax to go hard on Ashby
@saggiori: Fairfax blames News for Labor threat http://t.co/3JbKcPZC
by guytaur on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:08 am
I didn’t know about this but now that I do, I am confused as to why the alliance with the Greens was agreed to by Gillard in the first place. She should end it immediately
http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/mumble/index.php/theaustralian/comments/bandts_2010_campaign_pledge_to_support_alp/
by spur212 on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:09 am
Has SHY ever visited camps in Africa? Met with Somalian, Sudanese, Ethiopian or Chin refugees settled in Australia? If she’s done either of those things, it’s not been publicised.
The Greens seem to specialise in ‘niche’ portfolios (I notice their newest Senator is going to have “Tasmanian marine environment” as part of his) and it appears, when it comes to AS, that they have ‘niche’ refugees.
Which means, of course, that all their experience and expertise is confined to the subject of boat arrivals, and thus their policy is centred around these rather than AS in general.
So – just as they take stands on principle based on what they think 12% of the population wants, rather than considering the good of all Australians – their refugee policy serves the needs of what they themselves admit is a very small number of refugees, and ignores the 12 million others (and some sources give multiples of that figure), many of whom the UN itself sees as being in more desperate need.
As for the Rudd thing last night – notice that ‘the cult of Julia’ posters here are far more lenient towards Rudd than the Ruddstoration mob are when it comes to Julia. Apparently all first term PMs make mistakes, but Rudd’s are OK and Julia’s aren’t.
I could do a very long list of mistakes Rudd made and promises he didn’t keep, which would far outweigh the one for Julia. Which is, of course, one of the reasons she’s PM and he isn’t.
by zoomster on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:09 am
zoomster
See Womble’s post at 4251. Yeah the Greens are niche policy people. The Think Globally act Locally people.
by guytaur on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:13 am
Banker’s logic. Bob Diamond, ex boss of Barclays, knew other banks were manipulating LIBOR but he didnt know his bank was doing it
by The Finnigans on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:14 am
abbott will need to buy back the carbon permits already purchased by polluters if he wants to reverse the laws already in place.
The longer it takes him to do so the more it will cost. This is without taking into account the huge black holes in his budget so far.
by dave on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:16 am
dave
As posted earlier, Combet is talking to the Greens about bringing forward ETS to 2014 and changing the floor price
by victoria on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:19 am
Aguirre:
It’s also at worst conceivable that before the next election, the Murdoch-led media will fall into disrepute. Murdoch’s separation of “entertainment” (HUN: “stories start here”???) from “News” threatens to put titles like The Lolstralian ( a clear loss leader) at risk. Growing perceptions that the Murdoch press is co-ordinating actively with Liberals to subvert the government could further damage the Liberal product, which is currently coming out largely as rip and read through the Murdoch media, or in laundered form on #theirABC.
This ought to be a time for the ALP to insistently call into question the Murdoch media and its foot soldiers, challenging them to show their “editorial independence” from the baleful hand of jocks like Chris Mitchell. Were it my call, none of Murdoch’s titles would be getting Commonwealth advertising and I’d be pulling funding from Fairfax as well. You wouldn’t need to cite editorial partisanship. You could just say that on both economic and environmental grounds, the government regarded the dead tree press as a late 20th century technology for communicating with the public.
That move would prejudice the position of The Lolstralian quite a bit, as much of their revenue stream comes directly from the Feds and if people aren’t looking at it for Commonwealth notices and display ads, then some of the other non-Commonwealth advertising will go as well. That puts creatures like Blot at risk too.
The Opposition is playing in totally tribal mode and the Murdochracy is applauding them for it. Making tribalism the issue would help the ALP since they can start a plebsicite on whether people would prefer a tribal party linked to Murdoch or a party committed to serious public policy, linking this in with the lack of scrutiny of the Abbott-led Liberals. This would also wedge #theirABC which is adapting to the prospect of an Abbott-regime.
That’s why the ALP need to start this campaign early for it to work.
by Fran Barlow on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:19 am
@guytaur/4254
Interestingly, they have this in that article:
“An almost identical letter by the group was sent to Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, although this letter ended with the error: “We implore you and your [sic] government not to let this happen in Australia.”
“We have concerns about a public interest test,” Mr Hywood said. “But we will be having discussions with the government and we will be making an appropriate submission.””
by zoidlord on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:22 am
It’s pretty clear to me: Abbott believes that if he cuts Brough loose, then Brough will have nothing to lose in spilling his guts to the Federal Court.
Ergo: support Brough.
Pyne comes to mind as someone particularly vulnerable. He met with Ashby just a few days before Ashby started dealing with Brough. Ashby – on Pyne’s admission just a couple of days ago on Lateline – asked Pyne for a personal i.e. unofficial email address. Pyne dressed up his lack of one as being because he is “a technophobe” and laughed it off.
Too pat an answer, for my liking.
I was surprised Emma Alberici (or Emo, for that matter, who was on the same panel) didn’t take it further, because Pyne’s was surely a big admission: the plaintiff in a case that could have brought down the government, to the obvious benefit of the Opposition, was seeking the private email address of the Manager Of Opposition Business. Why? Lots of potentially embarrassing answers there.
By the by, Pyne sending Ashby an email saying “see… only APH address” doesn’t prove Pyne dones not have a private email address. All it proves is that he has an official one. So there may be a lot more to this story than Pyne has so far admitted.
Then there is Hockey’s involvement, Julie Bishop’s, Bruce McIver’s, Clive Palmer’s and Christ knows who else in the Liberal-National hierarchy.
Add in News Ltd – who no-one seems to have realised is sitting on a razor blade with this case, if Lewis can be made to fess up – and there is an awful lot for a whole bunch of people to lose.
I blame the Libs for the f**k up, squarely: they have an obsession with doing no work, with using back-door methods to achieve power instead of just formulating policies and letting the people decide in the approved manner… an election, at the proper, scheduled election time.
They have not changed their position since 2007, which is: “We are the only rightful party of government in Australia.” This attitude permeates every thing they say and do. And it nearly always beings them unstuck. Imagine how much worse things would have been if Murdoch had not been “on-side” with them.
This is another reason Lewis’ fate is so important to Abbott and his motley crew: because if Lewis goes, Murdoch – nostalgically hanging on to his cherished newspapers by waning indulgence of the hard-headed board of News Corp – goes too. The UK fiasco will feed off the Australian catastrophe, and vice versa.
Remember: Murdoch is making noises about getting the BSkyB bid back on the rails, by splitting the company into print and entertainment divisions. If the print division suffers another debacle of corruption, stitched-up stories and attemnpts to bring down elected governments, he can say goodbye to BSkyB… and Foxtel as well, here in Oz.
In effect, the newspaper division will be bringing down the entertainment division. The po-faced bizoids on the Board in New York will not take kindly to this, and will probably cut the shrivelled old malignant has-been and his no-talent family completely loose, even sooner than they had planned to.
A side benefit of this will be seeing creatures like Shanahan, Sheridan, Kelly, Lewis, Franklin, Benson and that smart arse who does the ABC-2 TV show about Muslims have to dust of their CVs and get real jobs, where they actually have to produce more than rote, stream-of-consciousness rubbish on behalf of their absent master
Pity about Malcolm Farr, though. I think he’s OK. And Megalogenis is gold… he’ll always prosper. But the Old Guard is history if Lewis takes News down with him. why else did Stutchbury and Massola jump ship? Because they wanted to go and work for the failing Fairfax? Or was it because, though Fairfax is failing, News might end up failing faster?
Writing? Wall?
Shit? Fan?
Paddle? Creek?
You have to understand this as not being about Brough beating Slipper, co-operating with Ashby to put the final nail in Slipper’s political coffin. Slipper’s ousting was already a given.
This was about currying favour with the Federal Liberals, giving them another chance to get into power without the messy inconvenience of an election.
In return for “favours” re. Ashby v. Slipper, Brough would “make his bones” with the Big Boy Libs, and maybe score a ministry when elected. He’d be back in favour. Can anyone doubt that? Can anyone say that Brough would have been sent to Coventry for getting Slipper, and indirectly for destroying the government? Fat chance.
Now that it looks like the plan might go pear-shaped, Brough has to be prevented from grassing on the Federal Libs. He knows where the Ashby bodies, and body parts, are buried.
As is the usual practice with such septic hierarchies, everyone wants to cut everyone else loose when the shit hits the fan. Ashby is already gone, as is Doane.
The task at hand is to stop the Commonwealth government and a revenge-motivated Slipper from rolling up the whole shebang, putting it into a chaff bag and dumping it far out to sea.
Brough’s only card is his willingness to keep quiet about the higher-ups’ involvement in the sordid Ashby Affair, to take the fall quietly, or (on the off-chance something can be salvaged from the coming train wreck) to be rewarded with Abbott’s patronage in the preselection.
If this was the real Mafia, they’d just wack Brough and be done with it, ensuring the silence of the grave. But as they don’t do actual hits on flaky members (yet), the next best thing for the Libs to do is to smooge Brough along.
Although there are many obvious similarities between this case and the Grech Business – same journo, same newspaper, similar Lib back-room types in on the scam, a corrupt Federal government employee pretending to be loyal – the one big difference is that Grech chucked a mental, and the case never got to court, but this case is already there.
It’s rather beautiful, because it was their idea to go to court, as well! It was actually The Plan to go to Court.
What bozos! They thought they could take on the Commonwealth government and not wind up with a fight on their hands! With a twit like Ashby as the patsy! And a clown like Brough running the show! And a creep like Lewis bragging to Hadley he’d been in contact with Ashby “for quite some time”!
This ineptitude alone disqualifies them from serious consideration as a would-be government. It’s only the media keeping them afloat. But one thing the media likes more than a baseball bat to bash Labor with is a juicy corruption scandal. I would think their feeding frenzy instincts may well override their devotion to the Coalition on this one.
Fairfax just hates News, too. Don’t forget that, either. An emasculated News would be a big financial fillip to Fairfax, just when they need one.
All it will take is one journo to start digging a little deeper than the pissweak spoon hole they’ve dug so far and it’s all over for Abbott and hopefully Murdoch.
Expect this case to be fought ferociously and to the death.
by Bushfire Bill on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:23 am
zoid
Yes. It appears subbies cutbacks is even affecting letters sent out. Interesting clue as to thinking as well.
by guytaur on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:25 am
The French are currently inventing some more stuff that the wealthy reckon belongs in the dummy -
http://globaleconomicanalysis.blogspot.com/2012/07/france-to-set-top-marginal-tax-rate-at.html
by dave on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:26 am
Good morning, Bludgers. Good morning, Dawn Patrol.
Facing a further day of enriching pathologists and owners of medical diagnostic machines; hopefully with a decent lunch in between.
Ah, how intriguing (literally) is this episode of MOAR!
I don’t know if one has to be a total IT idiot to make it in the Liberal Party; but it seems that way. What we now have is a cadre of cunning plotters making free with mobiles, texts, computers etc, despite all that’s known, been in papers, on TV news & CA, featured in court cases, discussed during Utegate, known to every school kid either complaining about or engaged in cyber-bullying – IT records are near impossible to delete.
If we PBers could sit at our keyboards and foretell exactly what would happen as soon as Slipper was apprised of Ashby’s claim – contact relevant Parliamentary authority + AFP (CabCharges automatically unleashed the Feds), who’d go straight for IT records, then follow EVERY contact trail to everyone involved (meaning they’d have those of Lewis, Abbott, Pyne, JBishop, all LNP/ L-NP people involved – landline & mobile phones (the latter with full records of conversations and SMSs), computer records via the ITP/s (again, full records), why didn’t people whose ambition is to run the nation? Surely they should be more aware than most of IT records permanency!
Big job? Hell NO! Most can be done with a few computer entries, then automated. How? Think of those big domino falls organised for the Guinness WR attempts: start with a plan; organise those who set up the dominos; set-up; then … Someone tips the first tile & the whole huge complex lay-out collapses predictably without anyone’s touching another tile. That’s the imagery you need to understand how IT record checking works.
IT experts design tracking programmes to follow every contact’s address book, download the lot, identify any & every specified key word access bank accounts, money transfers, transport bookings (eg flight, hire car & accommodation etc)… & so on: hence I understand there are thousands of texts. Yes, indeed! All automatically sorted, synthesised, indexed etc by key word programmes.
Hard to get one’s head around? Nope. It’s been a feature of all those forensic-cop TV programmes since way back when. Both NCIS programmes feature it almost every episode; Silent Witness & Body Farm feature it – far faster than in “real life”, granted, & probably with more cutting-edge technology than the Feds have; but still the same modus operandi, human input and outcomes. Want to see the “far faster than real life etc” process in action? Try Channel 10′s catch-up TV and watch (the most accessible, with resident geeks) NCIS & its IT geeks in action.
Despite all the above and how many people are sub/consciously aware of the above, more than a handful of conniving Liberal & National dumbclucks who want to run (even lead as PM & Ministers) our booming -and increasingly IT reliant- “2nd decade C21″ economy don’t have a bluddy clue about IT.
by OzPol Tragic on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:28 am
FB @4261
I couldn’t agree more. I can’t understand why the Australian, with its small readership, still carries so much Federal Government advertising.
by Jolyon Wagg on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:31 am
guytaur
Well, I’d like to see some evidence of them thinking globally.
The new Greens senator has some impressive credentials, but when you look at the reason for his activism, he’s a NIMBY.
That, unfortunately, seems to be a common thread with the Greens and why – for example – they are wimps when it comes to windfarms.
by zoomster on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:32 am
Quite so cat momma. Whenever I run up against some yobbo whining about having to pay taxes, I ask whether they’d like to live in a tax free paradise like Somalia, where they can do without the roads, schools, water, sewerage and hospitals too.
That pretty soon shuts them up.
by smithe on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:32 am
http://www.afr.com/p/national/aussie_dollar_next_in_line_for_yuan_gLZg6MKtqBdbhtJ5hBMvHI
free article
by Leroy on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:35 am
Thanks Vic,
Just skimming through trying to catch up mostly.
by dave on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:36 am
BB/OPT
Fabulous analysis from you both!
I still cant get my head around the stupidity of leaving an IT trail. I understand they are stupid, but even my ten year old nephew understands this concept. Did the Libs really think no one would check it out?
by victoria on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:38 am
dave
I am always skimming through in between tasks!! Luckily I am self employed, and run to my own timetable!!
by victoria on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:40 am
Clive Palmer said:
A quick reference to the calculator including all of 1969 and all of 2012 (so as to be generous to Palmer) shows that Palmer, if telling the truth, must have knocked on at least 191 doors every day of every year since that time. Allowing roughly 2 minutes per door …
Palmer must have spent more than 6 hours of every day for 43 years knocking on doors and chatting to random people. That’s a very impressive commitment. You might wonder how he managed that while keeping his impressive waistline or establishing any businesses at all. Imagine him tottering up and down the steps of apartment blocks or slippery garden paths to freestanding dwellings.
I suppose he might have knocked on some doors on multiple occasions, but AIUI there are about 8 million households in Australia, so if he’d only knocked on each door once he’d have canvassed 37.5% of the population personally.
Astonishing. It’s a hitherto untold story of committed political activism; either that or unadulterated bullsh|t.
by Fran Barlow on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:40 am
zoomster
You misrepresent the Greens. You know full well they are the party that thinks globally. Even on just AS the Greens have been thinking regionally. You may disagree with their on shore processing policy that Labor has abandoned recently to join the Libs rabbit hole policy. However it does not change facts.
Using Peter Wish Wilson’s opposition to a Pulp Mill that will poison the seas and atmosphere as NIMBY’ism only is just so petty. Next you will be saying those opposing contamination of water supplies to the point they can set fire to water because of Coal Seam Gas is Nimbyism too.
A clean environment free from poisons and other contaminants is not Nimbyism. However if you still contend that it is. Then all I will say is bring it on. There should be more of it.
Remember real environmental opposition has to be based in real science. Not a scare campaign to make the ignorant oppose something. As we have seen regarding wind farms.
by guytaur on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:41 am
FB
clive palmer is talking out of his proverbial!
by victoria on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:41 am
Finns this FT article yesterday nails “didn’t know”.
http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Barclays-banks-Diamond-Libor-rates-resignation-pd20120704-VUTT5?OpenDocument&src=sph&src=rot
by dave on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:42 am
Daniel Andrews – Labor Leader in Victoria – on the Greens:
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/labor-fighting-for-very-life-on-two-fronts-20120704-21hdv.html#ixzz1zhUX8VJh
by zoomster on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:43 am
Indeed BB. There are a number of long running story lines that I feel are going to converge in the coming months – ashby, thommo, HSU, News Ltd, Gina v Fairfax, editorial independence, Liberal party, media review, Leveson, Steve Lewis….
its all there… and its all about to collide.
With Fairfax trying to beat off Gina… whose help would they like to ensure that editorial independence is paramount?? perhaps the same people that would like a light shone on Ashby and Jackson…
by middle man on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:46 am
zoomster@4278
Mr Andrews is wrong. Already the Greens have one Minister in a Government. Tasmania.
Taking responsibility for governing.
The same will happen Federally when the Greens get a large enough vote to be in Government.
Until then the Greens do the best they can given the circumstances.
Just as you would expect anyone to do.
by guytaur on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:47 am
Interesting development considering local experience.
@washingtonpost: Editorial: If Military Can’t Stop Sex Attacks in Its Ranks, Get Civilians to Enforce It – http://t.co/vHHq4PAI
by guytaur on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:49 am
As I mentioned yesterday, son participated in Trades Union rally yesterday in Melbourne. Huge turnout.
Yesterday was to send Ballieu a message, that pay and conditions fought for by them is here to stay.
The Unions are envisaging a Fed Lib govt with a healthy majority. The Unions know workchoices mark 2 is high on the agenda.
by victoria on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:49 am
guytaur
Um, thinking regionally is not thinking globally. Refugees occur all around the world, not just in the Asia Pacific.
The Greens are reacting to headlines in Australian papers, not looking at the overall situation and working out what Australia’s role should be.
Actually, it isn’t. PWW opposes a pulp mill which produces paper. I’m sure he uses paper, and will continue to use paper. But he won’t have to live near a pulp mill – one will simply be built elsewhere, quite likely overseas (i.e. another part of the globe), most probably in a country where the regulations aren’t as strict.
So he’s solved his local (NIMBY) problem without any environmental gain, and quite possibly by making the environment (globally) worse.
Depends what the alternative is. If CSG is still used, but simply from elsewhere, then, yes, it’s NIMBYism. If their actions mean that another source of energy – which is cleaner and greener – is used, then it isn’t.
If they’re content simply to oppose CSG in their area, regardless of the consequences, then it’s NIMBYism.
Yep. So why don’t the Greens actively support windfarms, then?
Bob Brown said he would oppose windfarms in Tasmania.
When Ted Ballieu made it almost impossible to build new windfarms in Victoria, where were the Greens?
by zoomster on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:51 am
Was never in doubt in the House. Melbourne is a nominally safe Labor seat. Bandt was committed to supporting Labor, which was how he campaigned. The Senate was another matter and that was needed to get any substantial reforms through.
I think they were right, even though it has created other problems like being identified too closely with them. The Boats issue was good for differentiating, albeit they’ll be hoping that some face-saving compromise can be reached.
It all depends on whether the Greens believe in the possible.
by Gorgeous Dunny on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:52 am
The Government is wasting no time in bedding down the carbon pricing regime and is looking to bring forward the date of a full emissions trading regime (ETS) to allow industry to take advantage of trading carbon permits internationally.
Perhaps surprisingly, this story is in the Australian (full article via Google search).
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/carbon-tax/carbon-dealing-not-over-for-labor-as-floor-price-put-on-the-table/story-fndttws1-1226417322929
This, combined with the story in today’s Age that an ANU survey finds companies believing carbon pricing is here to stay, illustrates the reality that industry would resist abolishing the “carbon tax”.
by citizen on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:55 am
citizen
Thanks for linking article. Basically confirms what I heard on radio this morning.
by victoria on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:57 am
zoomster
Greens thinking Regionally on AS was doing more than Labor and Coaliton. They have been talking globally too. Even if the media has not mentioned it much. The Greens have pointed out frequently the best way to stop refugee flows is to stop the cause. As well as this to increase funding to the UNHCR as that assists refugees globally. Just that as we can have more bang for the buck in our region so the funding should reflect that.
On Windfarms. In Tasmania Bob Brown is right to oppose them. Tasmania has gone through massive disruption to its environment and has a good source of renewable power as a result. It is called Hydro Power. Installed by a Labor government. As for LNP governments well surprise they do things not friendly to the environment. Yet you blame the Greens.
by guytaur on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:57 am
oops … Apparently Palmer has upped the bid on his doorknocking activism:
I suppose “more than 4 million” isn’t inconsistent with “more than 3 million”, so it’s not strictly inconsistent with what he claimed on July 4 2012.
So upping the daily doorknock by 25% he’s now claiming to have knocked on about 240 doors per day since 1969, to have spent at least 7.5 hours per day doing it and to have done the equivalent of contacting half the population. Even allowing that every door he knocked on was knocked on by him on 10 separate occasions, it means he must have knocked on about 160,000 distinct doors.
Talk about knuckling down!
by Fran Barlow on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:58 am
Btw is it a misprint? Thousands of texts seems a lot to me
http://www.pressdisplay.com/pressdisplay/iphone/homepage.aspx#_articlef8bd9b24-0d4f-4289-92b5-1bdfa3b07be5
by victoria on Jul 5, 2012 at 9:59 am
I did not see LL last night, but judging from comments here, it appears the ABC reports the Clive Palmer interview differently
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-05/palmer-eyes-kennedy-and-fairfax/4110880
by victoria on Jul 5, 2012 at 10:01 am
One suspects that they thought this would all be over before it got to court.
Imagine if a Coalition government had taken over. Their instructions to the Solicitor-General would likely have been to cave in, or drop the case, pay Ashby his damages and move on.
Of course, the Solicitor-General might have thought this was an objectionable path to take as, even on its merits, Ashby’s case is pissweak. He’s essentially trying to set up the Commonwealth so that hurt feelings and a bit of intra-office sexy talk is a cause for workplace compensation.
More evidence that they didn’t think this thing through. It’s been amateur hour right the way along.
This makes me think that perhaps it was Brough making the running. He’s such a klutz at the best of times… Brough and a few LNP locals on the Sunny Coast in way above their pay grade.
But it would have looked enticing to Brough. He started bragging about it, getting people excited, even the Feds. If it came off he could have delivered a turnkey scandal right into Abbott’s lap. My feeling is that the federal Coalition only got involved after the scheme was cooked up. But when they saw the potential, maybe they introduced Lewis into the picture.
From there it has gone feral, or maybe viral. Whatever, it’s pear-shaped now.
by Bushfire Bill on Jul 5, 2012 at 10:01 am
oops …
Mea Culpa … should be 33%
by Fran Barlow on Jul 5, 2012 at 10:02 am
zoomster
Lastly. PWW and Greens in general do not oppose Pulp Mills and the making of paper in particular. Its called realism. What they oppose is the environmental effects. If the Pulp Mill does not damage the environment then there is no opposition. The fact that the processes were subverted in Tasmania to get the Mill passed the environmental regulations is a scandal that cost the government dearly in votes and increased Green votes at Labor expense. Now of course we know other issues have come up regarding governance of the company involved.
by guytaur on Jul 5, 2012 at 10:03 am
BB
Fair point. From my own perspective, even though I did not know much about Slipper, I was confident that he was not going to let this ride. Surely Brough and those other imbeciles in the LNP had some understanding of Slipper’s persona?
by victoria on Jul 5, 2012 at 10:04 am
If you’d ever seen my Bogan, almost illiterate son-in-law send and receive forty texts in two hours while everyone else is watching a movie, you’d believe “thousands”, Victoria.
What they can find to talk about in 20 send/replies per hour is beyond me, but it’s the new way of human interaction.
Sometimes I’m glad I’m an old(ish) fart.
by Bushfire Bill on Jul 5, 2012 at 10:05 am
guytaur
Nonsense. Labor has being working on regional solutions for years.
Fine. Show me the media release or policy statement on their website. Even if the media haven’t run with them, they’ll be there.
World peace is a lovely idea but scarcely a practical policy.
So someone’s proposing to build windfarms where they’re not needed? A peculiar business decision.
No. I’m asking why the Greens aren’t out there actively criticising the Liberal government for these changes. But they’re silent, just as they were silent under Brumby when community groups attacked windfarms.
The reason is that the Greens consensus approach to policy means they can’t come up with a position on windfarms which satisfies both their NIMBY supporters and those promoting clean energy.
by zoomster on Jul 5, 2012 at 10:05 am
FB
I believe Clive can and does say whatever he likes. He does not care to be challenged.
by victoria on Jul 5, 2012 at 10:05 am
BB
I get your point, but thousands still seems a heck of a lot from one person in a relatively short period of time. Hundreds I get. Thousands not so much
by victoria on Jul 5, 2012 at 10:06 am
Joylon Wagg@4267 – I presume because various govt edicts and policies require notification nationally, and the ad-thin Oz is probably a cheap way to do this.
G.Dunny@4284 and others – invert your presumption that the Greens can only win safe Labor seats and therefore their support in forming government is taken for granted. Precisely the conservatives feeling about the rural independents. How much legitimacy would people here, if not Labor leaders, have given a Coalition govt if the Greens supported it?
(If you reply ‘that’s fanciful’, think of the ‘permanent interests, not alliances’ motto, and think about how smart it is for some in Labor to be declaring those-don’t-like-setting-an-alarm Greens as the enemy).
by Graeme on Jul 5, 2012 at 10:06 am