Australia General Discussion 4.0: It ain’t easy under Albanese

[CumbrianLefty]

The Greens national vote is only just above what they got at their peak in 2010.

So its actually their......highest vote ever?

[(no subject)]

The Greens national vote is only just above what they got at their peak in 2010.

So its actually their......highest vote ever?

As Charles Richardson of Crikey points out about this result, when the Greens national vote is still basically treading water, and has been electorally for over a decade, what *is* the meaning of "their highest vote ever"?

[AustralianSwingVoter]

The Greens national vote is only just above what they got at their peak in 2010.

So its actually their......highest vote ever?

As Charles Richardson of Crikey points out about this result, when the Greens national vote is still basically treading water, and has been electorally for over a decade, what *is* the meaning of "their highest vote ever"?

Their vote is far more effectively distributed so they elected 4 reps instead of one (on far weaker reference flows than 2010 too!)

[(no subject)]

Despite Bandt's propaganda, an Australian nuclear power plant would NOT be run under the Soviet or Japanese models of operating a nuclear power plant so Chernobyl and Fukashima have nothing to do with the debate we should be having here.

As for Hiroshima, I refer Bandt to the Japanese having started the war and thus being the *only* ones responsible for the deaths of their own people.

I also refer Bandt to the order to MURDER all Allied POWs in Japanese hands had Olympic and Coronet had to go ahead.

[Meclazine for Israel]

As for Hiroshima, I refer Bandt to the Japanese having started the war and thus being the *only* ones responsible for the deaths of their own people.

[(no subject)]

When you start a war of aggression you are responsible for all that follows. Japan is responsible for Japanese deaths in WWII.

[PSOL]

Another night on atlas, Sunriso? Hard on me too.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Possible byelection in Drummoyne with ICAC handing down a corrupt verdict against MP John Sidoti. Yet another problem for Perrottet. South of the Murray IBAC also handed down a very nasty report around Vic Labor. Dan Andrews is squirming as we speak.

[Talleyrand]

Possible byelection in Drummoyne with ICAC handing down a corrupt verdict against MP John Sidoti. Yet another problem for Perrottet. South of the Murray IBAC also handed down a very nasty report around Vic Labor. Dan Andrews is squirming as we speak.

Do you think a hung parliament is a real possibility this fall? The anecdotal evidence and popular narrative indicates that Andrews is seriously endangered, but the ALP still seems to be riding high in the opinion polls.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Possible byelection in Drummoyne with ICAC handing down a corrupt verdict against MP John Sidoti. Yet another problem for Perrottet. South of the Murray IBAC also handed down a very nasty report around Vic Labor. Dan Andrews is squirming as we speak.

Do you think a hung parliament is a real possibility this fall? The anecdotal evidence and popular narrative indicates that Andrews is seriously endangered, but the ALP still seems to be riding high in the opinion polls.

The disconnect between polling and anecdotal reports is unusual but not unheard of midterm. I expect ALP polling numbers to fall over the next few months in line with where it feels like they should be.
I'd always bet against a hung parliament, the voters have a knack of getting one side or the other across the line. A very narrow Labor majority still seems most likely to me. Something like 52% 2pp and 48 seats (loss of 9 vs notionals) at this stage. Vic Libs are a sh**tshow who aren't ready or able to seize office just yet.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

God knows why but the Opposition has decided the best attack on Albo is fear mongering about Foot and Mouth disease (not to be confused with Foot in Mouth which is already endemic in the Coalition). Dutto wants to shut down the border with Indonesia for reasons other than boats! Meanwhile Barnaby and other backbenchers are going insane on Facebook and Sky insisting this is the meat apocalypse. Wouldn’t be surprised if some wingnut starts arguing it’s a conspiracy by Albo and his green-left vegans to destroy our way of life.

[GoTfan]

God knows why but the Opposition has decided the best attack on Albo is fear mongering about Foot and Mouth disease (not to be confused with Foot in Mouth which is already endemic in the Coalition). Dutto wants to shut down the border with Indonesia for reasons other than boats! Meanwhile Barnaby and other backbenchers are going insane on Facebook and Sky insisting this is the meat apocalypse. Wouldn’t be surprised if some wingnut starts arguing it’s a conspiracy by Albo and his green-left vegans to destroy our way of life.

Well, Pauline Hanson was insisting on Paul Murray's show that CO2 is a gas, not a pollutant.

Slugg probably agrees with that though.

[GoTfan]

Bandt has agreed to back Labor's 43% emissions reduction, which means that the bill will pass the Senate after all, with votes from the Greens and David Pocock.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Meanwhile state Liberal parties have decided to copy federal shambles. Here in NSW Perrottet's cabinet has just lost two ministers, his Deputy Ayres to the interminable Barilaro saga and the trainwreck Petinos who's finally bullied too many people (her personal highlight is vomiting in Barilaro's lap after the state of origin. not allegedly either, as she paid for cleaning from her public expenses!). Oh and John Sidoti is still refusing to resign.

Meanwhile in Victoria the berk Matthew Guy, fresh off the opportunity of Labor's corruption findings has gotten himself embroiled in a very murky donations saga which is being referred to IBAC. And he's behaving like a very guilty man.

Oh and the thousand year factional war in South Australia rages on. And on.

[Pulaski]

Through being stuck at home with COVID I've managed to catch nearly every question time since the reopening of parliament. If this early period is anything to go by (and it probably isn't), we can forget about Dutton attempting to soften his image. Nearly every Oppo question has been around either the CFMEU (yawn), Foot and Mouth (yawn) or trying to nail the government on their election promise to lower energy prices. It may seem like the Opposition are struggling for any other material; probably they just feel like there's little else to work with so early on in this government and their attacks will broaden with time.

The government, meanwhile, have focused a lot of their questions on establishing the Voice to Parliament, which seems to be something they want to pursue early on in their term. I watched a lot of Jacinta Nampijinpa Price's first speech to the Senate, where she derided the proposed Voice to Parliament as paternalistic and symbolic. I don't agree with her at all but I admire her bravery in voicing an opinion that is likely unpopular within a community in which she's now a leader and I'm sure she speaks for some Indigenous Australians' opinions on the matter.

What she totally lost my respect for was her assertion that Pauline Hanson and people like her aren't racist. Pauline Hanson is a racist and I don't need anyone of any racial identity to tell me so. The fact that Hanson is now raising money on her website pledging to stand against racial division in Australia makes me more physically ill than COVID has this past week. She's a stain on the underpants of Australian society and should be back selling fish and chips where she belongs.

Unsurprisingly, questions from the Greens and crossbenchers have been well-constructed and about actual issues; climate change, housing, HECS and COVID, among others. Seems like parliament just got a whole new raft of quality MPs - maybe abolishing political parties is not such a bad idea?

[CumbrianLefty]

Yes, doing away with political parties *is* a bad idea.

(though I do appreciate you likely weren't being entirely serious)

The media is a bigger factor in the decline of our political discourse.

[Pulaski]

Yes, doing away with political parties *is* a bad idea.

(though I do appreciate you likely weren't being entirely serious)

The media is a bigger factor in the decline of our political discourse.

The problem with abolishing parties is that governments will still need to be formed, ministers still ned to be appointed, and people will still have ideological commonalities and divides, meaning coalitions will form that will gradually develop more structure, financial clout and rigidity. Parties are inevitable! As a perfect example, it'll be interesting to see just how long these teal independents last as theoretically separate entities - most of them already have a common donor pool.

Though I'm sure it's obvious to most here that mainstream parties across the western world are in dire straits and badly need major reform.

[MaxQue]

Yes, doing away with political parties *is* a bad idea.

(though I do appreciate you likely weren't being entirely serious)

The media is a bigger factor in the decline of our political discourse.

The problem with abolishing parties is that governments will still need to be formed, ministers still ned to be appointed, and people will still have ideological commonalities and divides, meaning coalitions will form that will gradually develop more structure, financial clout and rigidity. Parties are inevitable! As a perfect example, it'll be interesting to see just how long these teal independents last as theoretically separate entities - most of them already have a common donor pool.

Though I'm sure it's obvious to most here that mainstream parties across the western world are in dire straits and badly need major reform.

No party reform is going to be successful in the current media landscape.

[GoTfan]

Meanwhile state Liberal parties have decided to copy federal shambles. Here in NSW Perrottet's cabinet has just lost two ministers, his Deputy Ayres to the interminable Barilaro saga and the trainwreck Petinos who's finally bullied too many people (her personal highlight is vomiting in Barilaro's lap after the state of origin. not allegedly either, as she paid for cleaning from her public expenses!). Oh and John Sidoti is still refusing to resign.

Meanwhile in Victoria the berk Matthew Guy, fresh off the opportunity of Labor's corruption findings has gotten himself embroiled in a very murky donations saga which is being referred to IBAC. And he's behaving like a very guilty man.

Oh and the thousand year factional war in South Australia rages on. And on.

The Victorian Liberals in general just seem to be unable to get their act together.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

Meanwhile state Liberal parties have decided to copy federal shambles. Here in NSW Perrottet's cabinet has just lost two ministers, his Deputy Ayres to the interminable Barilaro saga and the trainwreck Petinos who's finally bullied too many people (her personal highlight is vomiting in Barilaro's lap after the state of origin. not allegedly either, as she paid for cleaning from her public expenses!). Oh and John Sidoti is still refusing to resign.

Meanwhile in Victoria the berk Matthew Guy, fresh off the opportunity of Labor's corruption findings has gotten himself embroiled in a very murky donations saga which is being referred to IBAC. And he's behaving like a very guilty man.

Oh and the thousand year factional war in South Australia rages on. And on.

The Victorian Liberals in general just seem to be unable to get their act together.

Jeff Kennett and it’s consequences have been a disaster for the Victorian Liberals.

[MaxQue]

Meanwhile state Liberal parties have decided to copy federal shambles. Here in NSW Perrottet's cabinet has just lost two ministers, his Deputy Ayres to the interminable Barilaro saga and the trainwreck Petinos who's finally bullied too many people (her personal highlight is vomiting in Barilaro's lap after the state of origin. not allegedly either, as she paid for cleaning from her public expenses!). Oh and John Sidoti is still refusing to resign.

Meanwhile in Victoria the berk Matthew Guy, fresh off the opportunity of Labor's corruption findings has gotten himself embroiled in a very murky donations saga which is being referred to IBAC. And he's behaving like a very guilty man.

Oh and the thousand year factional war in South Australia rages on. And on.

The Victorian Liberals in general just seem to be unable to get their act together.

Jeff Kennett and it’s consequences have been a disaster for the Victorian Liberals.

Wierd that he would be the cause instead of the Premiers of the early 10's.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

The Liberal deputy leadership race in NSW looks to have settled into a straight fight between Dave Elliott (centre-right) and Matt Kean (moderate). Kean is obviously the stronger choice with Elliott still reeling from the train strikes. But who knows what the factional powerbrokers will agree to.

[GoTfan]

Meanwhile state Liberal parties have decided to copy federal shambles. Here in NSW Perrottet's cabinet has just lost two ministers, his Deputy Ayres to the interminable Barilaro saga and the trainwreck Petinos who's finally bullied too many people (her personal highlight is vomiting in Barilaro's lap after the state of origin. not allegedly either, as she paid for cleaning from her public expenses!). Oh and John Sidoti is still refusing to resign.

Meanwhile in Victoria the berk Matthew Guy, fresh off the opportunity of Labor's corruption findings has gotten himself embroiled in a very murky donations saga which is being referred to IBAC. And he's behaving like a very guilty man.

Oh and the thousand year factional war in South Australia rages on. And on.

The Victorian Liberals in general just seem to be unable to get their act together.

Jeff Kennett and it’s consequences have been a disaster for the Victorian Liberals.

Wierd that he would be the cause instead of the Premiers of the early 10's.

Opinions on Kennett tend to vary wildly, but what can't be argued is that the man still wield a lot of influence in the party.

I personally think he should shut up and go away, but I'm just one of those whiny suburban lefties that the Coalition despises.

[Meclazine for Israel]

Jeff Kennett and it’s consequences have been a disaster for the Victorian Liberals.

As a Hawthorn fan, I concur. He caused Cyril Rioli to leave.

[AustralianSwingVoter]

The Liberal deputy leadership race in NSW looks to have settled into a straight fight between Dave Elliott (centre-right) and Matt Kean (moderate). Kean is obviously the stronger choice with Elliott still reeling from the train strikes. But who knows what the factional powerbrokers will agree to.

Matt Kean elected unopposed as Deputy after Elliott “dropped out” yesterday. The stitch-up tradition lives on.