Australia Votes 2019: Part 5 – Tasmania and the Territories

Fiona Uncategorized

Gippsland Laborite’s final summation for Federal Election 2019 – the smallest (but, of course, most important) regions. You have the admiration of many (I hope all) Pubsters for your extraordinary efforts, GL. Again, many many thanks!


https://pbxmastragics.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/tasmania-5.pdf

Click to access act-4.pdf

Click to access nt-4.pdf

145 thoughts on “Australia Votes 2019: Part 5 – Tasmania and the Territories”

  1. Just a short note for those using Facebook. Don’t know if it’s your thing, but it certainly makes my experience there much more pleasurable. There’s an application available called Fluff Busting Purity. You can find it just by looking in the search bar on Facebook, they’ve got a page. Once you install it, it will get rid of all the ads, the annoying Facebook notifications, anything else you find annoying, and it’ll rearrange your news feed the way you like. Standard Facebook protocol is to arrange it with what they deem to be the ‘most important’ posts firsts. With Fluff Busting you can have it back to a chronological feed.

    Some of you would probably already know about it. If you don’t, I can highly recommend it. There’s zero chance I’m going to see anything like those Death Tax posts on my feed.

  2. It works so well I tend to forget I have it. No 1 Son put me onto it a while ago, when I was having a whinge about all the useless “sponsored” ads I was suddenly getting.

    Definitely highly recommended.

  4. No agreement at US-China trade talks as positions harden

    Talks between US and Chinese trade negotiators in Washington broke up yesterday without any agreement following the imposition of additional tariffs by the Trump administration on $200 billion worth of Chinese goods. No date has been set for further discussions…

    The Financial Times, citing a “person familiar with the talks,” said China had failed to give much meaningful ground on key sticking points, but both sides “felt the need to manage market expectations and avoid the perception of a full breakdown.”

    The rhetoric is also being stepped up in Beijing. While Lui and even Xi, to some extent, may be prepared to make concessions to the US, there are powerful forces in the Chinse regime opposed to what they regard as any capitulation to the US.

    These were on display at a forum held this week in Beijing, reported on by the Financial Times, involving representatives of state-owned military companies.

    Dai Xu, a retired air force colonel and now a professor at China’s National Defence University said: “I very much hope that the negotiations will break down.”

    In a mirror image of Trump’s outbursts, he continued: “Once the negotiations are over, the United States will be finished, for sure … we kick out all the American companies and bring all of ours back.”

    Dai said he was opposed to traditional concepts that “no matter how much others have hurt China, we are educated to forget …what’s the meaning of remembering the history without the hatred? It’s meaningless.”

    History was very much to the fore in the remarks of Wu Qiang, a commentator and former politics lecturer at Tsinghua University. “Xi is very concerned about his authority, as he doesn’t want to be seen like Yuan Shikai,” he said.

    Yuan was president of China during World War 1 when Japan, after seizing a German enclave, issued a series of 21 demands for extra-territorial rights and other sweeping concessions. Yuan’s eventual agreement to most of the demands provoked a groundswell of opposition to his government.

    Tan Yungang, an air force colonel, told the forum: “The US openly sees us as their biggest enemy. The United States will block China more than they did the former Soviet Union.”

    Washington has been carrying out a series of “technological blockades” against China to maintain its own dominance, he said.

    Official Chinese policy is still to continue negotiations, holding out the prospect of a win-win deal. But there are clear indications that the continued and deepening belligerence of the Trump administration is producing a backlash in ruling circles.

    An article published on the blog Taoran Notes, which appears to enjoy semi-official backing, was headlined, “If you want to talk, we can talk, if you want to fight, we will fight as well.”

    https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/11/usch-m11.html

  6. With B-52s, carrier battle group in place, US war against Iran on a hair trigger

    The USS Abraham Lincoln carrier strike group made its way through the Suez Canal on Thursday entering the Red Sea and the heart of the Middle East, while a US bomber task force consisting of four nuclear-capable B-52s landed on the same day at a US airbase in Qatar. The two military deployments have placed the threat of a major and catastrophic new war in the region on a hair trigger.

    The deployments come in the midst of a new round of bellicose threats from Washington. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo issued a statement on Thursday warning that the US is prepared to take “swift and decisive” military action against Iran.

    With the Pentagon bringing its most destructive and powerful weapons to Iran’s shores, Pompeo justified the US military buildup by claiming that Iran had “engaged in an escalating series of threatening actions and statements in recent weeks.” He did not bother to provide any example of such actions and statements.

    “The regime in Tehran should understand that any attacks by them or their proxies of any identity against US interests or citizens will be answered with a swift and decisive US response,” Pompeo said. “Our restraint to this point should not be mistaken by Iran for a lack of resolve. To date, the regime’s default option has been violence, and we appeal to those in Tehran who see a path to a prosperous future through de-escalation to modify the regime’s behavior.”

    The talk of US “restraint” as opposed to a supposed Iranian “default option” of violence beggars belief. Pompeo speaks for a government that has been engaged in unending wars in the Persian Gulf region for the last 25 years, wars that have claimed well over one million lives and left entire societies in ruin.

    As always, US imperialism is attempting to cast itself as the victim of aggression, mobilizing its unmatched military might only as an act of defense.

    https://www.wsws.org/en/articles/2019/05/11/thre-m11.html

  7. rone War Victims Deserve US Accountability, German Court Rules

    German court has taken the unprecedented step of ordering its government to ensure US drone strikes comply with international law, citing evidence the US “regularly” kills civilians using an air base located on German soil.

    But the most important legal victory to date in the global opposition to America’s targeted-killing program, announced on March 19, has not generated a single article in the US mainstream media.

    Ruling in favor of Yemeni drone attack survivors — who say they are still in danger — the court acknowledged their “right to life,” noting that US drone operations in Yemen “at least in some cases violate international law.”

    Jennifer Gibson, a lawyer with the human-rights group Reprieve supporting the plaintiffs, told WhoWhatWhy she considers it “remarkable in its very clear statement that the [US drone] program is likely illegal.”

    But the Higher Administrative Court rejected the demand to actually prohibit the use of Ramstein, America’s largest base outside of the US, for the transfer of data to US drone pilots.

    For years, Germany’s government has claimed with ever less credibility to have no knowledge of Ramstein’s role. The revelations of former drone operator Brandon Bryant and the “Drone Papers” — secret military documents leaked by an anonymous source to the Intercept — show Germany is America’s closest and most important ally in its global drone wars.

    Because there have been “civilian casualties on a regular basis” in Yemen, the court decision calls for an independent investigation. According to the Associated Press, at least a third of those killed in 2018 were civilians.

    https://whowhatwhy.org/2019/05/09/drone-war-victims-deserve-us-accountability-german-court-rules/

    • Which is it: an anvil or blades? It can’t be both.

      Occam’s Razor says that this “secret, non-exploding weapon” is what is usually referred to as a “dud”.

  13. Good morning Dawn Patrollers and I hope all you mothers out there have a great Mothers Day!

    Ireland and Wroe write about the Coalition’s problem with women voters.
    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/a-silent-majority-women-look-to-exercise-power-as-parties-chase-their-vote-20190509-p51lpt.html
    Bevan Shields looks at the prized seat of Higgins ton hat is a knife-edge as the Liberal vote heads south.
    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/the-mood-has-turned-prized-seat-of-higgins-on-a-knife-edge-as-liberal-vote-heads-south-20190511-p51ma9.html
    Jacqui Maley says that some on the ALP side relish the thought of the Coalition losing the election but Abbott holding his seat – to ensure a divided Liberal Party in opposition.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/why-do-some-labor-types-hope-tony-abbott-wins-warringah-20190510-p51m4z.html
    In quite a good article Peter Martin says Labor’s costings broadly check out and the days of black holes are thankfully behind us.
    https://theconversation.com/labors-costings-broadly-check-out-the-days-of-black-holes-are-behind-us-thankfully-116904
    Dave Donovan shares ten good reasons why the LNP needs to be voted out.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/ten-good-reasons-why-the-lnp-has-to-go,12662
    Jordan Baker writes about Jenny Morrison, the ‘unrecognisable’ woman behind the PM.
    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/meet-jenny-morrison-the-unrecognisable-woman-behind-the-pm-20190509-p51lui.html
    Caitlin Fitzsimmons bemoans the low key reaction to the United Nations report of extinctions last week.
    https://www.smh.com.au/environment/conservation/the-un-says-we-re-destroying-the-world-this-should-change-everything-20190510-p51m11.html
    The Victorian Minister for Women writes on how unscrupulous clinics can take advantage of vulnerable women who are longing for a child and that IVF should be affordable fore everyone, not just the rich.
    https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/ivf-should-be-affordable-for-everyone-not-just-the-rich-20190509-p51lr1.html
    More questions have been raised in the Watergate scandal as Jommy Tee and Ronni Salt uncover the partnership between Angus Taylor and Tony Reid in an Independent Australia exclusive.
    https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/angus-taylor-and-tony-reid-joined-at-the-business-hip,12663
    But the Canberra Tines reports that Morrison is standing by his Liberal colleague Angus Taylor after the energy minister admitted to failing to disclose a company he was involved in when he entered parliament.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6118622/no-conflict-of-interest-by-taylor-pm/?cs=14231
    The Labor party has pledged an extra $60m to the ABC and SBS should it win government next week, to boost the production of Australian content.
    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2019/may/11/labor-pledges-extra-60m-for-abc-and-sbs
    Mums returning to work will have up to 20 per cent of tax sliced off picking up an extra day of work under Labor’s $4 billion childcare policy, reports Eryk Bagshaw.
    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/labor-s-plan-slashes-20pc-off-tax-bill-for-primary-carers-new-analysis-shows-20190508-p51lfd.html
    In a week full of environmental issues Lisa Cox asks where in the hell Melissa Price is.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/11/missing-in-action-hunt-goes-on-for-coalitions-invisible-environment-minister
    And the Morrison Government’s quiet approval of a controversial uranium mine in Western Australia the day before the Federal Election was called is evidence that our national environment laws are broken and too often subverted for political purposes.
    https://independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/adani-yeelirrie-and-mining-our-environmental-laws-are-broken,12664
    With populists in control of the world’s most populous democracies, not least the United States, a question on the mind of many is what effect populism might have on this month’s Australian federal elections.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/may/11/populism-and-the-australian-election-what-could-fringe-voters-deliver-to-our-parliament
    In an open letter to Israel Falau Paul Cully tells him exactly where he went wrong and why he should be sacked. And it’s got nothing to do with religious persecution.
    https://www.smh.com.au/sport/rugby-union/i-know-where-you-re-coming-from-izzy-it-s-where-we-go-that-differs-20190511-p51mb1.html
    It seeks some AFL supporters just can’t help themselves. This time there were multiple fights at the Collingwood-Carlton game.
    https://www.theage.com.au/sport/afl/multiple-fights-break-out-at-mcg-during-collingwood-carlton-game-20190511-p51mcv.html
    Kate McClymont nominates this slime bag for “Arsehole of the Week”.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/convicted-conman-matt-simons-up-to-his-old-tricks-20190510-p51lyc.html

    Cartoon Corner

    From Matt Golding.




    Nice work from Reg Lynch.

    Zanetti enters the home straight for News Corp.

    From the US




  14. Happy mothers day to all the mum’s out there in PUB land. Regarding insiders this morning. I usually visit over the road and observe the comments before I watch it, this morning I did the opposite. In my very humble view Mr Shortens interview was the best of those I’ve seen over the whole campaign. He answered every question factually and concisely without rambling on about a completely unrelated subject as other’s have had a want to do. He along with the rest of the Labor team will form a great government.
    When it comes to the actual election results, I’m hoping for a solid Labor majority, not a massive one but enough to cover for the inevitable fekup’s and the unknowns in the HOR and close to but not quite a majority in the Senate. You may ask why not an absolute majority in the Senate? Good question but remember what happened the last time a government had one of those? I’d prefer a Senate where the Labor government has multiple paths to gain a majority for legislation. I.E Joe Bloggs won’t support this but Mary will, as long as it doesn’t involve the RWFWNJ elements. In the end it’s the result that matters if it’s all to the betterment of the country.

  15. I’m not watching the Liberal launch, there isn’t enough Betadine in the world to cleanse my eyes if I was stupid enough to try.

    But – I am following on Twitter and I’m reading the running commentary from Amy.

    It sounds dismal.

    It looks even more dismal.There isn’t much of an audience. And it’s all about Labor, as we predicted.

  16. While the Lib launch is going on Bill Shorten is also in Melbourne, rallying the troops at a very Victoria-centred meeting.

    Bill is in top form. There are some excellent zingers around the 26 minute mark aimed at soon to be former ministers. The mood is extremely positive. The Welcome to Country is delightful

    • Wonderful stage craft on display when the Labor team is presented.
      So different to the Liberal launch

  18. I’ve been looking over the postal vote applications for the elections this year and a few seats stand out over how the result will likely take a while to be processed.

    http://election.rossleedham.com/election-2019/postals/

    Close seats of note include Macnamara with 18,821 applications, then Bonner, Deakin, Boothby, La Trobe, Brisbane, Casey, Chisholm, Dickson, Dunkley, Forde, Corangamite, Petrie, Flinders, Flynn, Wentworth, Mayo, Pearce, Longman and Stirling, all with over 10,000 applications.

    Also the Melbourne Liberal-held seats of Kooyong, Goldstein, Higgins, Menzies and Aston have a large amount of postal votes, so I’m not going to get excited about those falling on the night until they’re 100% sure, given how postal votes usually favour the Coalition.

    • great work, I hadn’t realised the were such a high number of postal votes

    • Oh, I didn’t make that chart myself by the way, just in case it looks like I’m taking credit for it.

  22. Thanks Aguirre
    Thats the one I was looking for.
    What a grab bag of assorted loonies some of them are.

    • 20 separate parties I cannot bring myself to put a number against under any circumstances. Either racist, anti-vax, climate change deniers or generally evil and stupid.

  23. Hi pubsters

    Driving to work this week along Sulwood dr (Canb deep south) where there are a row of Zed signs (next to a row of the ALP will tax you to death signs – co-incidence much?) saw a guy encouraging his large dog to pee on the Zed signs LOLLOL. Made my day!

    Pre-polled at MOAD – old parl house – yesterday.. approaching the steps was acosted by a young Zed T shirt “are you voting today?”, dodging the how to vote paper I politely replied “yes, & I’m putting Zed last where he belongs” – no response from T shirt.

    Took the ALP & greens papers then saw KatyG on the steps, said hello & that couldn’t wait to have her back in the Senate. She’s so genuine & down to earth, hope Bill gives her a good ministerial job.

    Voted at MOAD last time as well – its a great atmosphere & I like seeing the old corridors where I used to do the parliamentary courier deliveries back in ’86-87, also you get to keep a souvenir pencil with “I voted at MOAD”!

    I think its silly to want Tony to stay in parliament to keep the libs divided – there are other far right nutters to keep the moderates busy. I’m down the coast next weekend – If Tony loses I will be dancing a jig around my beach cabin. If Dutton & Zed lose also then it will be a Riverdance revival! Lol

    Re Canb electorate, local chatter has the Greens gainging ground, ALP will probably hold, but wouldn’t be suprised if it became marginal. Its now focused on inner city/old Canberra where we have as many greenie latte sippers as Syd or Melb. Also, now we have a third electorate, & ALP seem a sure bet, green leaning labor voters may feel its safe to switch vote to send a message about the environment & not to assume ACT will always be a Labor town.

    • Also noticed on my out that ALP, Greens, left/centrist & indies were conversing politely & joking around – good to see, but Zed’s people were looking grumpy. Did not see any of the loony right people.

      Whenever I walk out of old parl house, I can’t help pausing on the steps – spectacular view to AWM – & recite in my head “Well may we say…” chortle chortle!😁
      Given the obvious panic at newscorp & despair at the Lib launch, nothing will save Scomo!

  24. I agree with the sentiment that it’s better for everyone if Tony’s voted out. Him becoming leader in 2009 was thought of as a good thing for Labor because he was so much of an unelectable clown, but the effect of that was that he brought all of Australian politics into the gutter for the next decade.

    The parliament will be a much better place if Abbott and Dutton are not there. Hopefully we’ll also be rid of other odious figures like Sukkar, Christensen, Hastie and Hunt.

  25. On Senate voting –

    I’ve already voted. I voted below the line, as I always do, but the large number of nutters in NSW left me unable to vote for more than about 30 candidates. The rest were awful! No way would I want any of them anywhere near the Senate. I could not bring myself to number every candidate, no way was I going to give any of them a vote, not even last place.

    I don’t think I’ve ever seen so many RWNJs running for the Senate before.

  26. any one else notice a major difference between the Liberal launch and the Labor launch last Sunday (and the Marybinong launch today was that

    Scott Morrison was on the stage by himself

    At the ALP launch last week the Labor members were on stage behind the podium

    At the Marybinong launch today the women Labor members and candidates were behind the curtain with Bill as he was introduced

    I only voted for 14 candidates out of 84 because “Once bitten twice shy” in the Victorian state election which returned Sustainable Australia in our region when the Greens were just shy of a quota on 13.5% – instead of 15%. the micro party received less than 1% of the vote. I am very keen for my vote to exhaust rather than accidentally preferencing Nazis. I have scrutineered at enough elections to know that it is very easy to stuff up a senate vote and the large number of electors who accidentally vote informally in the Senate.

  29. Went to Kalimna for mother’s day lunch. Lovely. Grandsons gave their Mum a card and chocolates. Their Mum said, ‘where’s the envelope’, youngest said ‘we’re not that rich Mum’. I am still laughing. Oh, and he’s 14, but has a very quick wit.

  30. Andrew, owner of the famous Glenrowan Inn in Victoria, received an unusual delivery in his mail last week — a letter addressed to one Edward Kelly, from the Australian Electoral Commission.

    The only problem is, no Edward Kelly lives at the Glenrowan Inn. There hasn’t been one at that pub for nearly 140 years, since Edward Kelly — better known as Ned — made his last stand there, in the storied face-off with police that birthed the legend of the bushranger and his metal armour.

    https://10daily.com.au/news/politics/a190512pzsre/an-election-ballot-was-sent-to-ned-kelly-at-the-glenrowan-inn-20190512

    • I’d love to know what the security question and answer might be.

      To find out someone would have to open the letter, then read the question and guess the answer.

      For them what has never used a postal vote – when you apply you are asked to choose a question from this list and provide an answer –
      A: In what town/city were you born?
      B:What company did you first work for?
      C: What was the last school you attended?
      D: What was the make/model of your first car?
      E: What is the middle name of your oldest child?
      When your postal voting papers arrive the question is printed on the envelope you have to sign and have witnessed. you have to supply the correct answer to validate your vote.

      Ned Kelly’s answers could be interesting.

  33. And I thought Amy was the Minister for Sass and Snark!

    Campaign launches always deliver clues about how election contests are travelling, so let’s take a look at Sunday.

    Scott Morrison’s set-piece event was held in Melbourne, the Liberal party’s weakest link. (Hello Victoria. How we love you.) The second clue was electing to have Sarah Henderson, the Liberal incumbent in the Victorian seat of Corangamite, as the support act to open Sunday’s proceedings.

    Why Henderson? Liberals hope she’s got what it takes to survive an anti-government swing in Australia’s most progressive state. Henderson’s role in the campaign drama of 2019 is supposed to be a small talisman holding back the tide.

    The Liberals have been sandbagging Corangamite like there’s no tomorrow, hoping she might be one of those “good local members” that Australian voters sometimes choose to save against trend.

    As well as playing talisman, Henderson had to set the terms of Sunday’s proceedings. She wanted the assembled party faithful and the voters watching on at home to know that Sunday’s campaign launch was “about the future”, which was handy, because it couldn’t be about the past, could it?

    The past is no help to anyone.

    Not to Sarah. Not to Morrison.

    Not to the volunteers sitting in the Melbourne convention centre watching proceedings on Sunday, the people in the blue T-shirts soaking up the animosity from voters when they go out door knocking. Best, all things considered, to stick with the future.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/12/liberal-campaign-launch-a-slow-leak-of-air-from-a-balloon-a-hiss-presaging-deflation#comments

    • “Back now to Morrison’s lulling exercise, as that was what Sunday principally was. It was so effective in the room that you could actually feel the energy of the occasion draining in real time.”

      Yep.

      The young chap up the back is actually yawning. He’s easy to spot in the sea of geriatrics.

      Even what’s left of FauxMo’s ministry struggled to stay wake.

  39. Good morning Dawn Patrollers. (Harry and Meghan have released a photo of their baby. You’ll have to go looking for it yourself.)

    Tony Wright says “The PM promised a campaign launch free of hoopla, and by crikey, he delivered.”
    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/the-pm-promised-a-campaign-launch-free-of-hoopla-and-by-crikey-he-delivered-20190512-p51mir.html
    And he’s unimpressed by what was in the tiny amount of new policy announced at it.
    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/a-federal-election-is-just-six-days-away-apparently-policy-purity-will-have-to-come-later-20190512-p51mii.html
    The Grattan Institute’s Brendan Coates explains Coalition’s why plan won’t spark home ownership recovery among the young.
    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/coalition-s-plan-won-t-spark-home-ownership-recovery-among-young-20190512-p51mhu.html
    Sam Maiden tells us what Morrison’s big pitch to first-home buyers means.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/election-2019/2019/05/12/first-home-buyers-scott-morrison/
    David Crowe says Scott Morrison will intensify his warnings of a hit to property prices from a Labor election victory.
    https://www.theage.com.au/federal-election-2019/morrison-to-ramp-up-warnings-over-home-values-as-labor-seeks-to-neutralise-pm-s-policy-shift-20190512-p51mkg.html
    Sean Kelly tells us why Morrison had to make a last-minute policy push.
    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/why-scott-morrison-had-to-make-a-last-minute-policy-push-20190511-p51mc6.html
    Michelle Grattan tells us how, quick on the draw, Labor matched Morrison’s first home owners scheme.
    https://theconversation.com/view-from-the-hill-quick-on-the-draw-labor-matches-morrisons-first-home-owners-scheme-116969
    Michael Pascoe come out swinging, accusing Morrison of either lying or being ignorant about the RBA’s forecasts.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/money/finance-news/2019/05/12/scott-morrison-ignores-rba-downgrades/
    An AFR editorial says the Liberals’ narrative is sadly lacking a credible growth agenda.
    https://www.outline.com/h4xG7X
    David Crowe examines where the election looks likely to be won and lost.
    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/as-the-final-week-begins-here-s-where-the-election-looks-likely-to-be-won-and-lost-20190512-p51mko.html
    According to Phil Coorey an austere PM is banking on the silent majority.
    https://www.outline.com/7cdPtd
    And you’d have to say Katharine Murphy was quite underwhelmed by the Morrison Party launch yesterday.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/12/liberal-campaign-launch-a-slow-leak-of-air-from-a-balloon-a-hiss-presaging-deflation
    Peter Hatcher hints that, given he was the only heavyweight on stage at yesterday’s Liberal party launch, Frydenberg is sitting right on Morrison’s shoulder waiting for the opportunity to pounce.
    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/presence-of-a-capable-future-leader-hints-at-a-possible-revival-for-an-exhausted-party-20190512-p51mji.html
    John Wren discusses the leaders’ debates, Labor’s chances of electoral success and the newest low that the Murdoch media has sunk to.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/wrens-week-the-federal-election-shortens-mum-and-the-murdoch-press,12665
    Deborah Snow has penned a long contribution about Shorten and his long path to probably being our next OM.
    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/bill-shorten-s-final-dash-in-the-long-road-to-the-top-20190509-p51lpo.html
    Woodside says Australia needs to end its climate policy wars as a matter of priority after Saturday’s federal election.
    https://www.outline.com/GJ9msp
    Alex Turnbull is still in the news.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/alex-turnbull-defends-deleted-tweet-about-the-murdoch-family-20190512-p51mhr.html
    A new poll in the Victorian seat of Kooyong puts the Liberals ahead, but the Greens within striking distance of taking the blue-ribbon seat from Josh Frydenberg.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/13/greens-within-striking-distance-in-josh-frydenbergs-seat-of-kooyong-poll-finds
    Alexandra Smith says that in the next four years, the Coalition in NSW will need five of the 11 crossbenchers to pass legislation. There are five right-wing members, and Latham is positioning himself as the bloc’s unofficial leader.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/kingmaker-nile-swept-aside-as-motley-crew-sends-signal-to-berejiklian-20190509-p51ls1.html
    Electricity reform will be first cab off the rank in a sweeping rewrite of energy and environmental laws under a Labor government, shadow minister Mark Butler has said.
    https://www.outline.com/qGmdjJ
    Bill Shorten has signalled a review expected to increase the rate of Newstart will look more broadly at support for the unemployed.
    https://www.outline.com/uhtv4h
    In need of a morning purgative? Then read this from Amanda Vanstone who writes that that if Shorten is elected we are all losers, big time.
    https://www.smh.com.au/federal-election-2019/for-me-the-choice-next-saturday-is-clear-20190510-p51m0r.html
    Coles is adding 75 new products to its existing range – including smashed avocado and toast – and refurbishing 100 supermarkets to stock more ready-to-eat food and semi-prepared meals.
    https://www.outline.com/haBfX5
    Democrats are reluctant to impeach Donald Trump but he may provoke such a move by continuing to obstruct congressional efforts to oversee his administration, a senior lawmaker said yesterday.
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2019/may/12/trump-impeachment-investigations-schiff

    Cartoon Corner – rather scratchy today, I’m afraid.

    A Liberal election poster from David Rowe.

    David Pope with an alternative to the democracy sausage.

    From Matt Golding.

    Zanetti’s a bit angry lately.

    A big spit at Labor’s support of the ABC from Johannes Leak.
    https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/a58d130a75314a269b41d7e77a333e3f?width=1024

    From the US

  41. Well my goodness! This has to be a first.

    The ABC has cut away from a FauxMo presser!

    Who would ever have imagined such a thing!
    .

    Scott Morrison is continuing that press conference, but the ABC has moved away from it. Will take me a while to transcribe it, so I will get it to you as soon as I can

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2019/may/13/federal-campaign-2019-labor-liberal-shorten-morrison-politics-live

    Don’t bother with the transcribing, Amy. No-one cares what he says now.

    FauxMo was somewhere in Lindsay, trying to drum up enough votes to win the seat from Labor by telling the usual lies, talking up yesterday’s campaign launch promise of a new first home buyers scheme (which Labor immediately said it would match) and promising doom and gloom, hellfire and damnation if the good voters did not return to the one true party. According to seat polling last week he should have saved himself a trip to the Western Suburbs, it’s staying in Labor’s hands.

    • But but but nobody likes Shorten………………..it’s in all the papers……………………….printed by Murdoch .

    • It’s in all the papers NOT printed by Murdoch too, and all over the ABC.

      Surely all those journalists could not have got it wrong!

      Who would ever have thought!

    • I get the feeling that he’s very much liked. I remember that awful woman asking Julia Gillard: “Why did you lie?” to the pleasure of the vultures.

  45. Mungo MacCallum. Those who work for Murdoch know exactly what is expected of them.

    …… given the now open warfare between Shorten and Murdoch, there are now two head-to-head contests to be decided on Saturday. And if ScoMo goes down, whatever remaining credibility and influence News Corps retained will also be shredded.

    Which will not be good news for the hired guns. It might have been smarter to strike while the iron was still hot; Murdoch has no time for losers

    https://johnmenadue.com/mungo-maccallum-those-who-work-for-murdoch-know-exactly-what-is-expected-of-them/

  46. Shouldn’t Barnaby be campaigning in his own electorate?

    I cannot see him making a good impression over here on the coast. Maybe the local Nats candidate should tell him to go back to where he came from.

  47. I drove past the pre-polling place on Glenferrie Road in Malvern about an hour ago. It’s like polling day there. Couldn’t get a parking spot if I wanted to, and people everywhere.

    • there is parking next to the library on High St & further down at the park – an uphill walk to the booth

    • Thanks, Billie. I was just driving past though, not intending to vote. I probably won’t pre-poll this time around. I intended to at first, but when I found out how few (and far away) all the pre-poll places were from where I live, and then when I heard how busy they all were, the advantage of doing it didn’t seem enticing enough. I’d only pre-poll to avoid parking and queue issues completely, walk in, walk out. Otherwise I might as well vote on the day. No difference, really. And at least on the day there’ll be a polling place near my home.

    • polling booths are sparse in the borscht belt on election day (OK our community house isn’t used)

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