The baggage the LNP have dragged from one year to the next has gotten heavier and heavier
Election Diary. 2022. No1. 5 January 2022. “The baggage the LNP have dragged from one year to the next has gotten heavier and heavier.”
I am starting my Election Diary early this time around. It would seem the pollies are off and running, so I thought I had better get my running shoes on. Yet again, Labor will start in front. Well, at least the polls say so.
The importance of this election cannot be understated. Australia is at the crossroads with a democracy that has been ripped asunder by an incompetent government, easily the worst in living memory.
My first diary entry gives an analysis of where the parties currently stand. Anyone is invited to correct my diary or just comment. Even a bit of debate wouldn’t go astray. We welcome it.
According to The Poll Bludger:
“… analysis Labor is leading substantially in each state with the distinct exception of Queensland: by 53-47 in New South Wales, out from 52-48 in the previous quarter, for a swing of about 5% compared with the 2019 election; 56-44 in Victoria, in from 58-42 last quarter, for a swing to Labor of about 3%; 55-45 in South Australia, a swing of about 3%; and, most remarkably, by 55-45 in Western Australia, out from 54-46 last quarter for a swing approaching 11%. The Coalition retains a lead of 54-46 in Queensland, in from 55-45 last quarter, which still amounts to a Labor swing of about 4.5%.”
The bookies (Sportsbet) have Labor on 1.65 and the LNP on 2.20.
Policies released by Labor so far
Labor has released some policies but will campaign chiefly on the following. High-speed rail, child care, climate change, the NBN, a plan to save Medicare, a National Anti-Corruption Body, aged care, repairing social housing, rewiring the nation, free TAFE, and university courses, protecting the ABC, fully funding schools, opposing the Indue Card, and repairing our Australian democracy.
The Liberals say they have a plan
(As described on the Liberal Party official web page.)
They don’t list policies but describe what they say is a plan for Australia’s future. It includes a recovery after Covid-19, a better broadband, tackling union lawlessness, backing outback Australia, strong border protection, a stronger defence force, stronger national security, lower power prices, protecting the environment, supporting Australian women, supporting senior Australians, supporting young Australians, better health and covid responses, support for families, delivering infrastructure, lower taxes, support for small business and implementing Australia’s economic recovery.
The luggage they carry
The Coalition still carry the leftover remnants of past years. The Indigenous Voice to Parliament remains voiceless. Allegations of corruption, Robodebt, lying, and rorting abound. Accusations of poor governance, their attitude toward women. Global warming will be a more significant issue in this election, but the Coalition has come up with a policy that the whole world has condemned as being lousy.
Trust and transparency, wages theft, a national anti-corruption policy are negative issues. Will the religious discrimination bill be introduced before the election?
Damaged relations with China and our region are such a hot topic that it will unavoidably find itself on the list.
Massive tax cuts for the wealthiest Australians and foreign corporations. More expensive university degrees. Attempts to undermine Medicare. Shrinking home ownership. The everyday cost of living is up and higher debt will cost future generations. A fence-sitter, is Rudd’s forced Senate inquiry into Rupert Murdoch’s political influence in Australia.
The pandemic and the economy have become intertwined, making it more challenging for conservatives.
Water theft will be forgotten unless there is a change in government. The Cashless Welfare Card will also take prominence this year. So too the issue of political donations won’t bury its head in the sand. A shake-up of political donation laws is well overdue, including real-time disclosures.
The Government will have to write down the value of the National Broadband Network, however.
Angus Taylor carries so much baggage that it’s hard to imagine him being off any list. I remind you that we don’t yet have formal energy or climate change policies. How about sports rorts?
The lack of funding for the NDIS will continue to be a thorn in the Government’s side, as will its failure with (suicides).
Jumping onto the list will be aged care, which the Morrison Government is responsible for. And, of course, the resulting deaths which I hadn’t included will also take a place on the list. Bush fires (unless more are forthcoming) might drop a rung or two but remain in the public eye because of Morrison’s inept handling of the 2020/21 fires.
Welfare for the poor and vulnerable will also feature.
You might conclude that a party carrying the weight of all this luggage would be unfavoured to win an election, but that is not the case. Many say they will still win.
As for Labor
They carry the burden of toppling a government that has been in power for three terms. “Incumbency is a powerful weapon“. It has behaved well in opposition, but you can be assured the Coalition will throw plenty of mud. (Scare campaigns)
When will it be?
The Coalition’s preferred option for an election date is in May of 2022 rather than March, unless the Government shows signs of winning early in the year. Of course, Morrison will go when he thinks he has the best chance of winning. My view is that given the next scandal is just around the corner, he should visit the Governor General ASAP. (What’s his name?)
Leadership
Labor has as its leader Anthony Albanese, a man of integrity and respect. He has a long history of service to the nation and the Parliament. Albo seems to be everything that Scomo isn’t.
The Liberal and National parties have Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce, respectively. One need say nothing more about Morrison other than he is a blatant liar. There is nothing to be said for Joyce.
The Morrison Government consists of some of the most corrupt, ill-disciplined and untrustworthy politicians ever assembled in Parliament.
In Scott Morrison’s Australia, everyday citizens are not supposed to protest those things we know to be unfair. The things we know to be wrong. We are not supposed to object when the Government doesn’t meet our expectations. Workers cannot strike for better conditions.
Free speech is in rapid decline. Nor are we supposed to protest our inability to see or obtain information about the workings of Government.
People who report government wrongdoing are ostracised, and worst of all, government propaganda is seeking to change the way we think.
The absence of empathy is being replaced with narcissistic self-importance. It must stop.
My thought for the day
We would be a much better society if we took the risk of thinking for ourselves unhindered by the unadulterated crap served up by the government, the media and self-interest groups.
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31 comments
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Jaq
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New England Cocky
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Kaye Lee
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Gus
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Kaye Lee
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corvusboreus
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corvusboreus
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Terence Mills
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HENRY RODRIGUES
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Phil Pryor
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wam
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corvusboreus
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James O'Neill
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leefe
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Frank Thelen
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RosemaryJ36
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corvusboreus
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Kaye Lee
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GL
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Terence Mills
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Michael Taylor
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Kaye Lee
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Kaye Lee
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paul walter
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Terence Mills
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paul walter
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Terence Mills
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Michael Taylor
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Fred
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Terence Mills
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Fred
Return to home pageIf people vote for these dangerous bastards again, there really is no hope for this country.
Happy New Year JL. Look at ”THE LIARBRAL PLAN”.
.
‘1) ‘They don’t list policies but describe what they say is a plan for Australia’s future. It includes a recovery after Covid-19, a better broadband, tackling union lawlessness, backing outback Australia, strong border protection, a stronger defence force, stronger national security, lower power prices, protecting the environment, supporting Australian women, supporting senior Australians, supporting young Australians, better health and covid responses, support for families, delivering infrastructure, lower taxes, support for small business and implementing Australia’s economic recovery.”
When has the Liarbral Nazional$ misgovernment ever cared about supporting anyone except their corporate donors & the rural socialists in the Nazional$? Why can’t we let farmers go broke as a result of natural disasters? Victims of the 2019-2020 Bushfires have yet to receive any government payouts, small businesses in country town die while farmers get low interest government loans & grants.
As for ”better broadband” this was a self-inflicted wound thanks to the Liarbral ”team” of Toxic Rabbott & Malevolent Turdball but profited Telstra and allegedly the Murdoch mediocrity ….. all at public taxpayer expense.
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2) ”The Liberal and National parties have Scott Morrison and Barnaby Joyce, respectively. One need say nothing more about Morrison other than he is a blatant liar. There is nothing to be said for Joyce.
The Morrison Government consists of some of the most corrupt, ill-disciplined and untrustworthy politicians ever assembled in Parliament.”
And the beneficiaries of this maladministered misgovernment are ….. [drum-roll]….. foreign owned multinational corporations especially the fossil fuel coal & gas industries and Australian international corporations misreporting their financial status for JobKeeper financial benefits ….. [drum-roll] ….. that do not have to be repaid when proven to have been fraudulently claimed.
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Truly ”There is nothing to be said for Joyce” except ask the questions ”Why do Tamworth women tolerate an adulterous, alcoholic, misogynist as the representative of the Nazional$ in New England?”
I looked at the Liberals Plan for a “Fast and efficient broadband”….
It begins “Under Labor, the NBN was a complete mess.”
Then it goes on to say NBNco are spending $4.5 billion to upgrade the network to FttP.
How typical of the Libs. Blow up Labor’s plan, spend money on something obsolete, then have to pay more to go back and do what Labor were doing in the first place.
As Tony Windsor said at the time, do it once and do it right.
But not the Libs who seem determined to keep us in the typewriter, bakelite phone era.
Concerned about Coalition/Labour polls is a waste of time.
Concerned about voting these parties out should be paramount.
A need to vote correctly to control preferences is absolutely paramount.
The masses will heel to the media spin so the minority vote is again paramount.
If we fail in this election then we may never get another peek at getting our power back.
Barnaby has a Plan to address water security….
Move the North Queensland Water Infrastructure Authority from Canberra to Bowen because that worked so well when he forcibly relocated the APVMA to Armidale.
“North Queensland is also where we will start on the long-term nation-building task of expanding irrigated agriculture by moving a portion of the abundant resource of water west,” Mr Joyce said.
Simples.
It’s just a happy coincidence that the dams and rail lines he wants to build will provide water and transport for the coal mines in the Bowen Basin. Or at least pot loads of money to his mates who are doing government-funded feasibility studies.
Gus,
I don’t ‘concern’ myself over political polls, but i glance at them when they’re published.
Polls help keep abreast of how much deviation is getting standardised.
But, as you say, practical electoral methods to obtain better betters should definitely be the priority focus.
KL,
So basically Barnaby’s idea of ‘agriculture’ is to irrigate coalfields.
Dear Barnaby,
Some sciencey stuff to help with your farming.
Coal is not a seed that sprouts when watered.
Also, you feed cattle by putting hay near their mouths, not throwing it on their backs.
Sez so in the scriptures 👍
There’s been a breakthrough in distributing free the RAT test kits.
Senior Liberal Ministers have suggested to the PM that they approach the problem on the tried & tested way the coalition has always done : distribute free RAT kits to marginal coalition seats.
Scummo declares in an aggrieved voice, that the government cannot afford to provide free RAT test kits to the Australians who want them.
But the government can deliver shooting ranges to selected coalition electorates, conservatoriums of music to the landed gentry, in selected coalition electorates, unasked for car parks for voters in selected coalition electorates, all costing millions of taxpayer dollars.
And the suckers that comprise the rest of the Australian voters, will applaud Scummo’s ‘civic minded’ gestures and generosity and vote for the bastard again. Even the crinkled old scroat and arse wipe Costello and rest of media slime, will stand back in awe at the sheer unashamed election pork barrelling.
Australia has become Un-Australia, the land of grabbing goats and bribery prone bastards who lay down for foreigners, the Un-Australian treacherous turd Murdoch, king media maggot, the miners and big banking intruders,for we do NOT own our banks, nor control them, we do NOT own our mining, nor our defence policy, nor weapons supply, parts, maintenance. The conservative grabbing turds are effectively foreign agents, doing bidding for others not us, Un-fair. Morrison is pure droppings in a skinful of excrement, lazy, slow, lying, backstabbing, double-crossing, saturated with fantasy, dreams, myths, magic, mystery and images, NONE of which exist or can be proven. A primitive savage, fairy floss of “intellect”, haunted by sicko drives, a non-achiever, a failure at his own choice of a career in lying advertising, the P M is a Putrid Mess.
Beauty, rossleigh,
I have long watched ‘Scrooge’ at xmas time but COVID replaced him last year. My favorite is Alec Guinness with a toothache bandage dragging chains and I have a giggle thought of Ming, the lying rodent in the same position.
ps
Kaye,
Remember O’Brien’s look of amazement when the rabbott knew f-all about peak down load? I’m no tech head but I suspect we pay top dollars for the pollies broad band (No cupric materials) and they are not in the loop for any effects of ‘peak download’, bandwidth, caps, shapes and throttles. I am cynical enough to accept these perks apply to the investment houses of spouses and the houses of pensioned pollies
Terrence,
The coalition will be providing vouchers for RATkits to chosen dealerships in marginal seats,
Labour will be releasing their RATkit-releasing policy closer to the next election (but reckon Scomo’s done a crappy job) ,
The Greens are cynically spoiling on points of principle in faithful wist for more pinpoint RATkits,
& PHON + the yellow UAP blimps are usng poly-media to forment mobs of angry anti-RATkit discontent.
Sensible politics around COVD as sit-norm for straya
You make only one brief mention of China and the Labor policy there is no better than the Libs. Labor is as much in hock to the USA as the Libs and the latest hair brained alliance with the UK and USA shows that we are continuing down the same dismal path as before.
Look at a map and our trade figures. Our future lies to the north, not in pursuing some dream world of continued US dominance.
No details but they … “have a cunning plan, M’lord”.
I just bet they do. And they don’t need to tell us what it is because we know it will be more of the same: lies; deceit; corruption; theft; demonising and penalising the most vulnerable; environmental destruction; more for them and theirs, less for the rest of us.
Aukus is not an election issue, but it should be, and here are a few reasons why:
1) Nuclear power plants will be stationed in our harbours.
2) China will make trade with Australia even more difficult than it already is.
3) Australia makes itself a bigger military target to China than it otherwise would be.
4) Other countries, not necessarily friendly ones, will use the same loopholes Aukus used to acquire nuclear powered submarines.
5) The return of a lunatic Trumpian style government in the US, resulting in the real possibility of the US becoming a right wing dictatorship, will leave Australia in a very difficult position. The US is not a stable country anymore.
6) US troupes would be stationed on our shores.
I am sure there are many more reasons, but these are the ones that spring to mind.
Australia used to be a generous country – even under Coalition governments.
Remember Malcolm Fraser and the Vietnam refugees?
John Howard was the beginning of the downhill slide – the cunning rat – and the one good move he made – the gun laws – is being slowly undone.
Labor must develop some cunning and prepare thoroughly to counter the lies which will be thrown at them.
Stop being nice but stick firmly to being honest. AVOID MAKING ANY CLAIMS WHICH ARE EVEN SLIGHTLY INACCURATE.
Pick the issues on which the Coalition have failed most badly, highlight the unfairness and incompetence of their policies – on Covid, on education, on NDIS, ROBODEBT (illegal), superannuation – there is an endless list, but concentrate on those adversely affecting most voters.
And include a realistic climate change policy!
Rosemary,
Agree, Labor should focus on spotlighting the worst deeds causing the most harm, and above all, stick to the facts.
Many people make comment lumping sportsrorts and robodebt together, and I believe that is a grave error.
Both showed contempt for competent accounting through transparent process, but robodebt was pushed through despite layer after layer of objection from the welfare industry about validity, legality and probable consequence.
The government continues to fight FOI requests concerning such correspondence.
Sportsrorts, although dished out with sloppy inequality, actually gave funds to community groups and can be waved away as ‘careless largesse’, whereas robodebt was nothing but headache and heartbreak (sometimes suicidally so) to everyone it touched.
Sportsrorts obviously breached proper proceedure, but stopped well short of actually breaking laws, whereas the highest court in the land deemed robodebt to be both illegitimately generated and illegally garnished.
The supreme court adjudged that the government broke the law’.
Dropping proceedural, ethical and legal considerations and cynically looking at efgicacy of intended effect: as a vote buying exercise, sportsrorts might have shifted a few ticks on a few ballots, but as a money-grabbing exercise robodebt ended up losing the commonwealth over $1,600,000,000.
Incompetence in malice.
Finally, Morrison was the minister in charge when robodebt was unleashed, so the ALP can directly target the PM as having personal responsibility for forcing public servants to discard their proffessional ethics, fiddle sums and break laws, all in order to wrongfully persecute swathes of citizenry and eventually lose the commonwealth a phuqtonne of money.
Morrison just can’t help himself.
Re Djokovic
Yesterday…..
“Well that is a matter for the Victorian government. They have provided him with an exemption to come to Australia, and so we then act in accordance with that decision. States provide exemptions for people to enter … and that’s been happening for the last two years. So there’s no change to that. The Victorian government made their decision on that. So I’d have to refer to the Victorian government about their reasons for doing so.”
Today…..
Spiteful, childish, “Nyah, nyah, nyah.” thumbing of the nose by Scummo to Dan. Would the result have been the same if it was in NSW?
The Shovel nails it :
“The Manus Island Open is thrilled to announce wild card entrant Novak Djokovic”
Almost 19,000 people have liked Morrison’s tweet. Please tell me they are Russian bots.
Strong on border security…..though it’s more like Pistol and Boo then Tampa
ScoMo just now: “On the issue of Mr Djokovic, rules are rules. And there are no special cases, rules are rules”
Unless you are an au pair with the wrong sort of visa but the right sort of connections.
someone earlier called them “dangerous”.
Quite apart from the political tin ear involved in the Novak Djokovic episode- not only did they stuff egregiously as far as waivers are concerned but have now revealed themselves to be mind-numbingly incompetent as to the forms the player was given to fill in and THEN world watches him unceremoniously tossed out of the country while it again stuffs up its coronavirus responses. let alone his application.
Anyone would think he was a Sri Lankan refugee, the cheek.
But Covid itself? What a monstrous display of callousness to state that Big Pharma should gouge instead of help when lives are at stake.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-01-06/nsw-records-34-994-covid-cases-and-six-deaths/100740744
This is yet another examples as Paraquat grizzles because numbers have skyrocketed in NSW, so they should do LESS tests, WTF??
If you remember, the Ruby Princess passengers who were allowed to disembark in Sydney was not a Border Force issue – they only look after baggage inspection, passports and visas but not sick passengers unless they happen to be livestock or Johnny Depp’s dogs.
So, we were led to understand that it was a failure of the NSW government that allowed COVID-19 into Australia.
Seems like we have a constitutional stand-off when it comes to who is actually responsible for allowing potential virus infected people into Australia and the circumstances under which they come.
Terence Mills you hit it on the head. Time and time again a thinking person goes back to the mysterious events concerning “Ruby Princess” and which people from where were meddling in the process and why.
Nothing changed after even the monumental disasters of the bushfires- Let alone other enviro disasters- you would have thought, “They’ll get it right this time”, given the cost and suffering.
From the beginning the same slovenly “she’ll be apples” outlook, error after error, then Andrews forced to carry the can after Covid crossed the border into Victoria.
Kaye Lee, Morrison does this repetitiously. Within days of the hero-shots of him releasing Novak from the grip of socialist killjoys, to play tennis in Melbourne just as Morrison’s disastrous loosenings of best practice coronavirus prevention delightfully anticipated Omicron, he magically comes the John Wayne/ Laura Norder trip and becomes the stern hero defending the nation against mug lair tennis players from overseas.
Mind you, it starts to emerge that Djokovic’s people did NOT offer the information officials needed as to to injuries rehab that keep him way. Was it accidental or deliberate? Surely the PM is the only one allowed to play hard and fast with the facts?
Btw, this:
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/jan/05/scott-morrisons-dereliction-of-duty-over-rapid-covid-tests-is-a-threat-to-australians-public-safety
Problem solved – Lawyers for Novak Djokovic have agreed with Australian Border Force that Djokovic will be allowed in on an au pair visa designed by Spudley Dutton.
It means that he will have to do a bit of housework , get the kids off to school and then play a little tennis in his off time.
Terry, Carol and I were involved in an argument on Twitter with a very nasty and abusive bloke from FNQ who didn’t see the sense in people in WA wearing masks because there weren’t many Covid cases over there.
It was beyond the grasp of his tiny IQ to stop and think that every state started out that way: very few cases.
Well, it wasn’t actually an argument. He appeared out of nowhere to attack Carol before he was promptly blocked after saying his piece.
Not sure how much the total taxable income the Attorney General receives (greater or less than 180K) however, if he or she accepted anonymous donations via a blind trust to cover “legal expenses” are the donations counted as income and taxed at 37c or 45c? If so, why do the standard rules requiring disclosure not apply to said minister? Seems there is additional “lack of ethics” and “unfulfilled promises” (no ICAC) baggage. Come to think of it the list is almost endless.
Fred
As a gift it is probably not taxable on the part of the recipient (Porter).
It seems that Porter has found a loophole and as Attorney General you can imagine that he received some top level advice.
What we are not hearing from either party is that anonymous gifts to politicians will be outlawed and that is a concern.
Terence… Thanks and yes it is a significant concern that none of the majors intend outlawing the practice.
Extrapolating on your feedback, so as to not bother with paying tax, all I need to do is volunteer my time to my employer and receive fortnightly “gifts” from an anonymous blind trust that may or may not have been set up by my employer. 🙂 Very sus.
NB: I believe in the equitable paying of tax by all, whether personal or company, to keep the country running. I happily do so PROVIDED the government spends it wisely to deliver the best outcome for all Australians. Unfortunately, recent governments have shown scant regard for their responsibilities to taxpayers … apart from the high income earners receiving inappropriate tax cuts. The largess, rorts, waste, irrelevant war toy spend, etc. etc. yet meanness to low/no income earners of the current govt is breath-taking. A bit more baggage to carry over.