I’ve been a bit slow with this newsletter, So much of the news is too depressing to say much about, but I will try. As regards the Voice, I can say “I told you so”, but that is cold comfort. A better strategy (legislate first, then entrench) might have worked, but it’s too late for that now. There is no easy way to repair the damage done to Australia and even more to First Nations people, by this defeat.
Yes, I agree that Albanese should retire immediately from all politics, and find a cave where he can work out what, if anything, he can do to be of any use to anybody.
Crikey! As a loyal (OK, rusted on) Labor Party member, I'm quite depressed by your assessment of the prospects of the Albanese Govt, but regrettably it concurs with my own reassessment over the last couple of days. We can't change anything from Opposition, so it's win at all costs. Time to dump woke positions?
Time to push for a better electoral system, the Nats get WAY more seats than they do votes, the Greens should have the same number. If they did we'd have better govt, the Libs/Nats would never win and Labor would need the Greens
Tim Dunlop's post-referendum newsletter includes the following astounding disclosure from Dr Mark Bahnisch (who I regard as knowledgeable on Queensland Labor matters):
"The ALP needs to take real responsibility for the Yes defeat. The media were told that the Labor Party and Unions would do election level engagement in the last few weeks. (The media have forgotten they reported this.) But while individual members and branches campaigned, I know for a fact there was zero support from Queensland head office, and that's deliberate. The ALP hierarchy chose to sit it out when it mattered and when at least the No majority could have been pulled back. So we see disproportionate No votes in Labor seats in SEQ. Only Moreton and Lilley were close.
"Blair, Oxley and Rankin (the Federal Treasurer's seat) - No landslide results.
I can remember, as a child, hearing about the plan to create a country - in the middle east! - for people of Jewish religion, and thinking "that will never work".
Countries and religions are very different entities, and should not be combined.
Threatening war in steps of one thousand is total lunacy!
I still think that any short term costs imposed on citizens to reduce long term concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere, costs which citizens should be willing to accept, should be in proportion to their emissions, their demand for CO2 generating fuels not their supply of CO2 generating fuels. IMO, environmentalists make a big mistake in focusing on the supply of CO2 generating fuels instead of the demand.
No. Coal for power is in competition with solar, wind and gas from day to day, and coal-fired power stations will close down more rapidly the higher is the price of coal. Blast-furnace steel competes with electric arc and DRI
And a tax on net emissions (easy enough with an excise on first sale in proportion to the carbon content)) would incentivize these substitutions across all net CO2 generating activities.
Incredibly incompetent "yes" campaign. Starting with initial winning marginal of 60:40 it ended up about the reverse of this 39:61. No discussion or compromises over wording, no explanation of how another Canberra group would help with grassroots issues and no clarity over constitutional issues associated with the right to make representations/Administrative Law/High Court obstacles to running a democracy. Dutton correctly criticised these issues and a compromise with him was essential. Another core difficulty was the racial/genealogical implications of having a separate means of representation - an issue where bipartisanship was probably impossible. Did Albanese think through the implications of creating the massive division between indigenous and non-indigenous. Was it just a gesture that Albanese knew would probably lose - "having a go" and bugger the consequences? A campaign based on hype about exaggerated "gaps" and poorly articulated goals. A disaster has ensued that has set back race relations.
Yes, I agree that Albanese should retire immediately from all politics, and find a cave where he can work out what, if anything, he can do to be of any use to anybody.
The right underestimated Albo in the last election campaign.. looks like you're repeating that mistake.
Well, I'm still waiting to see him do anything useful.
Crikey! As a loyal (OK, rusted on) Labor Party member, I'm quite depressed by your assessment of the prospects of the Albanese Govt, but regrettably it concurs with my own reassessment over the last couple of days. We can't change anything from Opposition, so it's win at all costs. Time to dump woke positions?
Time to push for a better electoral system, the Nats get WAY more seats than they do votes, the Greens should have the same number. If they did we'd have better govt, the Libs/Nats would never win and Labor would need the Greens
Tim Dunlop's post-referendum newsletter includes the following astounding disclosure from Dr Mark Bahnisch (who I regard as knowledgeable on Queensland Labor matters):
"The ALP needs to take real responsibility for the Yes defeat. The media were told that the Labor Party and Unions would do election level engagement in the last few weeks. (The media have forgotten they reported this.) But while individual members and branches campaigned, I know for a fact there was zero support from Queensland head office, and that's deliberate. The ALP hierarchy chose to sit it out when it mattered and when at least the No majority could have been pulled back. So we see disproportionate No votes in Labor seats in SEQ. Only Moreton and Lilley were close.
"Blair, Oxley and Rankin (the Federal Treasurer's seat) - No landslide results.
"They didn't bloody campaign!"
https://tdunlop.substack.com/p/race-and-class-and-race-and-yes-and?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=737974&post_id=137997558&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=18l510&utm_medium=email
I can remember, as a child, hearing about the plan to create a country - in the middle east! - for people of Jewish religion, and thinking "that will never work".
Countries and religions are very different entities, and should not be combined.
Threatening war in steps of one thousand is total lunacy!
I still think that any short term costs imposed on citizens to reduce long term concentrations of CO2 in the atmosphere, costs which citizens should be willing to accept, should be in proportion to their emissions, their demand for CO2 generating fuels not their supply of CO2 generating fuels. IMO, environmentalists make a big mistake in focusing on the supply of CO2 generating fuels instead of the demand.
Hi John,
Have a question on the ‘drug dealer defence’. Would not demand for coal, both for steel and power be reasonably fixed regardless of price?
No. Coal for power is in competition with solar, wind and gas from day to day, and coal-fired power stations will close down more rapidly the higher is the price of coal. Blast-furnace steel competes with electric arc and DRI
And a tax on net emissions (easy enough with an excise on first sale in proportion to the carbon content)) would incentivize these substitutions across all net CO2 generating activities.
Incredibly incompetent "yes" campaign. Starting with initial winning marginal of 60:40 it ended up about the reverse of this 39:61. No discussion or compromises over wording, no explanation of how another Canberra group would help with grassroots issues and no clarity over constitutional issues associated with the right to make representations/Administrative Law/High Court obstacles to running a democracy. Dutton correctly criticised these issues and a compromise with him was essential. Another core difficulty was the racial/genealogical implications of having a separate means of representation - an issue where bipartisanship was probably impossible. Did Albanese think through the implications of creating the massive division between indigenous and non-indigenous. Was it just a gesture that Albanese knew would probably lose - "having a go" and bugger the consequences? A campaign based on hype about exaggerated "gaps" and poorly articulated goals. A disaster has ensued that has set back race relations.
Expect more chatter about what it means "to be Australian"?