The Genius Of Josh Frydenberg And The Art Of Shake And Bake…
When Scott Morrison first talked about “shaking and baking” the economy, I just ignored it as one of those things that just slip out when a person does a lot of public appearances. I mean, as someone who’s spent a lot of years in front of a classroom full of students it’s easy every now and then to accidentally say something which – on reflection – you would have phrased better. While you meant to encourage poor Freddy for improving his handwriting skills, you didn’t really mean to say: “This is great, Freddy, now I can actually read your work and give you feedback on all the ways that you’ve stuffed up and not just hand it back to you with my usual comment of suggesting you concentrate on your science subjects because you have the handwriting of a doctor!”
Obviously, I thought, Scomo was up late watching “Talladega Nights” and the phrase just stuck in his head. Completely forgivable.
However, it seems that Morrison repeated it, suggesting that it was something that he – or someone in his marketing team actually worked on… By the way, does anyone else wonder about car model names? I mean, does someone have the actual job of deciding that we’ll call one Hyundai a Tucson but we’ll call the bigger one Santa Fe and let’s call one of the smaller ones an Accent and the other an i30? Or do they just grab some passerby and say, “Quick, first thing that comes into your head1”?
So, we’re “shaking and baking” the economy. I guess it does rhyme and it’s probably better as a slogan than rootin’ and lootin’ even if the latter best describes their performances over the past few years.
Of course, it did make me wonder exactly what the PM meant by “shaking and baking” so I looked up the meaning of the phrase. Among its many meanings were: improvised, unprofessionally done, a simple crude action and a process in the production of crystal meth.
I trust some intrepid journalist will follow up and ask Scotty which of the meanings he was applying to the economy.
And speaking of the economy, isn’t it great to have the economy in the hands of someone like Josh Frydenberg, who has to be the best treasurer since… well, I’m almost tempted to say Scott Morrison but that’s terribly unfair to both of them. Neither of them deserve to be compared to the other.
Before explaining Josh’s latest genius move, I’d just like to mention the North Shropshire by-election. This UK electorate had been in Conservative hands since its creation in 1832, but a recent by-election elected a Liberal Democrat with a 34% swing. Someone was suggesting that this was brought about by Labour voters deciding that they had no hope of unseating the Tories, so rather than splitting the vote they voted for the Liberal Democrat candidate. UK elections use a simple majority so if you have too many left leaning or too many right leaning candidates on the ballot, it can have the effect of splitting the vote and a candidate that sixty percent of the electorate find objectionable gets elected.
Of course, in Australia, we have a preferential system which means that a voter can vote for one candidate who’s not likely to get elected without wasting their vote because their preferences will counted if nobody has more than fifty percent of the vote.
Now, I’m not wishing to make a case for either system here. I just want to point out that there’s only one way that the “Voices Of” candidates are likely to be elected and that’s if they can stay ahead of the Labor candidate until he or she is eliminated. If the Independent gets eliminated before Labor, I suspect that their preferences will leak more strongly to the Liberal candidate but Labor are likely to direct their preferences to the Independent ahead of the Liberal.
I’ve seen a number of people suggesting that these Independents were more closet Liberals and that voting for them would just be the same as voting for the government.
Which brings me to North Shropshire and Josh Frydenberg. The most likely way for the “Voices of” candidates to be elected is if enough voters vote for them ahead of Labor, which dyed in the wool Labor voters are unlikely to do.
Yet, Mr Frydenberg seemed ecstatic to discover that his potential nemesis, Dr. Monique Ryan was once a Labor member. While it might be true that this might scare some of the more conservative voters off voting for her, I suspect that there are more likely to be people who would have voted Labor in the seat who may go, “Oh, she must be ok then. I’ll vote for her.”
And like I said, unless there’s a North Shropshire situation where traditional Labo(u)r voters decide that it’s more important to sink the conservative candidate than vote for their actual party of choice. then most of the Independents in the various seats will have little chance of succeeding. But if any of them are actually still in the race after Labor and The Greens are eliminated, then they’ll probably get a strong preference flow from those two parties.
But thanks, Josh, you may have actually sent enough votes Dr Ryan’s way to give her a realistic chance of toppling you. I suspect you’ll still limp over the line, but, if you don’t, well, at least you gave it a real shake and bake!
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12 comments
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David Stakes
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John Lord
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Terence Mills
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Kate Ahearne
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Michael Taylor
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Rossleigh
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Michael Taylor
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New England Cocky
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margcal
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Caz
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wam
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Trevor
Return to home pageMy cake shake and bake is chuck everything in together, no measuring. And mix. If too dry add Milk water or any thing wet until correct consistency. Works everytime. My Gran taught me well. Calls it Lump cake mix
I thought the words Shake and Bake in Australian political terns meant telling a lie (shake) and telling another (bake) on top of it was an attempt to make it seem reasonable.
If you remember, it was Josh Frydenberg who energetically promoted and supported the National Energy Guarantee (NEG) designed to deal with rising energy prices in Australia and lack of clarity for energy companies to invest in new energy infrastructure. A policy that was proposed by the coalition and supported by Labor.
But as soon as the Morrison government came into office the NEG was scrapped and Frydenberg enthusiastically dumped his unqualified support for a NEG with no explanation as to how a common sense bit of national energy policy should no longer see the light of day.
The Labor party has since announced that it will adopt the NEG as part of its energy policy.
I don’t trust Frydenberg, he runs hot and cold !
Thanks, Rossleigh. Lovely, as usual.
Love the bit about Freddy! And .rootin’ and lootin’
Rossleigh, try adding a photo again. I’ve done some more tweaking.
Take two…
It worked! 😳
Gosh, I’m getting good at this. 😁
Oh dear Rossleigh, I guess we can forgive your lack of detailed knowledge of New England politics seeing that you live elsewhere in this wonderful country.
In the 1999 NSW elections in the Northern Tablelands electorate INDEPENDENT Richard Torbay won the election with A 29% SWING AGAINST A SITTING NAZIONAL$ MINISTER! BY the time of his retirement from the Obeid LABOR government he had a 87% vote and one of the safest seats in NSW.
In the 2000 Tony Windsor (INDEPENDENT) won the New England electorate with 62% of the first preference count, following ten (10) years as the very popular NSW Member for Tamworth THAT WAS PART OF THE FERAL ELECTORATE. John Anderson former Nazional$ ”leader” was not happy and gave federal funding for the Tamworth ALEC Centre only on condition that Windsor DID NOT receive any credit for his work towards the project.
MERRY CHRISTMAS & A VERY PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR TO YOU ALL.
Frydenberg has but one principle – Whatever it takes to become PM.
He will back-flip, somersault, swear purple is green, whatever reaction to the moment that will put him in favour with whoever is on top.
I’ve always wondered/marvelled/puzzled why no one picked up that Frydenberg was not to be seen during the episode that in the end saw Turnbull shafted by Morrison. Josh didn’t know who was going to win so absented himself completely.
As a Kooyong voter, I expect he’ll get back in. I despair. I’ll be voting Independent but fear the vote splitting between Independent, Labor and Greens will see Frydenberg back with a greater rather than reduced majority. Mind you, he shouldn’t be using those Chinese language signs outside polling booths as he did last time. But since the AEC didn’t give a rat’s about that, maybe he will.
When will Labor and the Greens learn to co-operate? We are doomed until they do.
Standing in the queue to vote, it’s unbelievable and unbearable to listen to Lib voters talking, how absolutely brain-dead the rusted on are. It is still the old school tie and social circles that count, nothing else.
Obviously Josh has some very serious support that points him in the direction of the Prime Ministership. For what it is worth I refer to him as Josh the Simpleton. He seems to be parroting a script written for him especially, or reading from a teleprompter. Either way, I cannot take him seriously.
Good one rossleigh,
Glad to see someone understands the preference system that allows the l……. Member to be elected in Melbourne and the X’s hope will win more.
First past the post would give the libs a massive majority, with the bandit and Katter?
ps
Margcal
Their reasons for rejecting labor are not completely through the slogan ‘labor and the greens’ but the source of fear of labor is highlighted by the reporting of extremist views in the media. The spin gives the lies a truth and faith sets in making the stories true enough to pass from generation to generation.
Faith is almost impossible to ‘re-truth’ but Albo must allay the fears of labor people about the extremists. Scummo knows the power of fear and will expect the media to help him use such a potential miracle.
Thank you Ross and a merry Christmas 2021…..
Rooting and looting.
Perfect descripter for the LNP economics team.
When does Friedbrain have his high court hearing regards dual nationality illegal MP or has Joshies anti semetic brigade anulled the Hungarian MP day ofreckoning?