You're bang-on about the Teals being what a modern socially progressive, economically conservative party should look like. And you're right again about why those smart, accomplished, articulate women wouldn't want a bar of the Libs.
Can you imagine having to share a party with handmaidens like Hughes, Hume, and Mackenzie? Fuck me...
Yeah, it was certainly delightful watching Antony Green put each nail in Spud's coffin Saturday night. The Liberal hack on the panel consistently asking to "wait until the pre-polls come in" got a bit dreary, but added to the hilarity. Somehow though, I can't see this coalition learning anything from their evisceration given that it's largely the moderates who have gone and the drooling sociopaths who have stayed. As expected the denizens of Sky have blamed the voters for getting it wrong. Credlin feels that they weren't running enough culture war gambits. With that sort of thinking among the faithful, it'll be a long dark winter on the opposition benches... hopefully.
I didn't vote Labor for only the second time in my considerable voting life, but given I'm in one of the few remaining Qld safe LNP seats I just tried to give a small message and preferenced appropriately.
Funnily enough, the most human Dutton has ever appeared was in his concession speech. A bit late.
The second most entertaining element of the night was watching Jacinta Price throw a right tanty and point blame at everywhere and everyone but herself. A monumental inability to read the room. “It’s all the MSM’s fault because they looked at my Facebook page (!) and found a pic of me wearing a MAGA hat. Mudslinging! Oh…and Make Australia Great Again”.
Of the many things that sank Dutton and the LNP it was the rancid stank of Trump hovering overhead that had to be a contributing factor.
Was appalling how she called for the ABC to investigate voting practices in polling booths in the NT, as the AEC wasn't doing its job. That doesn't even count as a dog whistle, since everyone can clearly hear the whistle...
I did think it was telling that the ABC chose to swap Sarah Ferguson out of the interview with Price when it was getting heated. Jacinta did not appreciate being told to "Get Serious".
The Voice was not a disaster, it was an honorable defeat. Albo promised there would be a referendum, and he did it early, using real political capital. Holding a referendum on Indigenous rights in the middle of a cost of living crisis was "brave" in the best Yes Minister tradition.
Albo is not a brilliant campaigner, getting the numbers to change the Constitution is hard, and he failed. But at least he was prepared to lose some political skin to do what our First Nations people asked him to do. Maybe he earned some grudging respect. He kept his word when it was the right thing to do and there was a real cost in doing it. Not many politicians have done that.
The Right Media, Politicians and Pundits won the battle but lost the war. If the Liberals had any hope of regaining the votes that they lost in the 2022 election championing amd winning the anti-Voice referendum was not the way to go about it.
The libs are dead already. They just don’t know it. Dissolve the party. It’s already had its head cut off. Stuff some garlic in its mouth, stake through the heart and bury it in unconsecrated ground. Then let’s dance on the grave.
Can you have TOO MUCH schadenfreude? I don't know but I'm definitely willing to find out.
For me now, I have very high expectations of Albo and the rest of the ALP.
Having been handed this huge mandate I expect them to use it to get the hard stuff done. Climate change remediation, environmental protections, AYCE free education and healthcare, US-free national security, cost of living support, workplace and tax reforms. I really hope they don't disappoint.
As for the LNP, could it be we're seeing the beginning of their becoming irrelevant in the Australian political landscape?
Its clear they're incapable of recognising and changing to accommodate the country's new political and social environment and if you can't do that you die... Pass me the popcorn....it's gonna be interesting to watch.
Agree, but I think it behoves us to keep telling our Labor MPs what our expectations are, because it might be too easy for them to become complacent after this election landslide. Waiting to see the Senate results before I write my first email...
Some great insights JB. The coalition failure in metro seats is one of the more interesting outcomes. Theres basically zero Liberal Party presence in a majority of Australian cities now which can only accelerate progressive urban transformation and cement coalition policies around the interests of the rural minority.
The Greens suffering from a change in redistribution patterns is probably a fair analysis but also wonder how much their serial blocking of imperfect legislation hurt them.
The number of comments I've seen on Twitter suggesting some kind of Zionist conspiracy to trash the Greens because of their Gaza position ... No, that's a fundamental misunderstanding of most people's interest in the Gaza issue.
Greens and Liberals face a similar problem, too focussed on ideological purity tests. Governing is all about coalitions. It's about broadcasting, not narrowcasting.
Australians are mostly a pragmatic lot. We don't care which toilet people use, as long as they hurry up when we're busting.
There was a huge amount of dark money from Advance (Warren and Jacinta's anti- Voice funders) and other fossil fuel "grass roots" groups targeting the Greens. Guess who was Advance's major donor this year? Yep, the Liberal party.
Agree about the blocking of imperfect but better-than nothing-legislation. It made the Greens look like petulant, unreasonable children demanding they win every point in a footy match then when they couldn’t, they stopped play until they were promised ALL the goals.
I am perhaps excessively an optimist and maybe even a Pollyanna, but the outcome made me feel better about the electorate. Specifically, that the electorate didn't go with thoughtless grievance, punching down, and 'well, actually, the literal Nazis have a point so we are going to agree with them about welcome to country'.
I hope, though, that the ALP understands the possibility that it may not have had a huge amount to do with positive votes for Labor due to their policies (I hope we get a proper analysis, based on talking to actual voters, some time, instead of the usual 'they won/lost because they did/didn't do this one thing on which my individual votes hinges). Dutt's policies were sweepings from the floor but the Labor's weren't hugely better. In other words, I think there was an element of Bradbury in this one. I hope they don't rely on that again.
This is because I am actually one of those stupid people whom Friendly Jordies characterises as brain-damaged because I would like, eventually, there to be enough progressive independents(*) in the Parliament to make Labor actually, well, stand up for their values and be better than 'we are not fascists'.
But that's going to take a long time, if it ever happens. And in the meantime we have, as you say, a system that allows a second choice. So we will be relying on Labor for the time being.
And who knows, maybe Labor will be slightly braver this election. But, and now I am channeling Friendly Jordies, the people who are demanding that Labor nationalise the banks, kill all landlords, etc (**), are likely to be disappointed.
(*) not you, Greens. 'Look at me, look at me while I block progressive legislation' is not a progressive stance
(**) or maybe even, like, eg walk the walk instead of just talking the talk on LGBTQI+ issues
Interesting that you bring up Jordies, I'm one of his "brain-damaged progressives" too. I've followed him for a long time now, and pretty much every vid I'm nodding my head in furious agreement until about halfway through he starts re-writing history and making spurious claims to attack anyone and everyone on the progressive side of politics who isn't Labor.
His antipathy towards the Australia Institute shits me to tears because they do mostly excellent work, and his politics agrees with almost all of it, yet he twists himself in knots to attack them. He should sit down and actually talk with Richard Denniss, which I have done 3 times. He'd find him an excellent thinker and a principled fellow.
It's very frustrating how much hate he spews towards his natural allies. Sure, criticise them when they are wrong, but how about building a broad church for anyone and everyone who wants to act progressively on the crucial issues of our Age? And he's dead wrong that plurality doesn't make for better Parliaments - it is more broadly inclusive, usually leads to compromise for the better, and is far harder to corrupt than a duopoly.
Me too! Though I’m in bloody Monash surrounded by old retired farmers and business people. I’m an old farmer too but I’m not an ignorant, selfish, stupid one and neither is my old, farmer husband. We were yipping it up watching Albo and his red wave on Saturday night! Still hoping that by some miracle, Labor or the excellent teal Independent gets over the line in an incredibly close race!
Spot on thoughts, and the para about Malcolm "never elected yet somehow sneaks into Parliament House repeatedly" Roberts and Gerrard "is he Mal's clone?" Rennick made me spit my coffee!
I had the same thoughts re the Libs' future - won't be surprised if they are out-voted by One Nation or some other virulent RWNJ pox within a decade. They are being cannibalised to the right by the fasci microparties, to the left by the Teals and Shit-Lite, and the Boomers are aging out. Who will they represent in a decade? Basically no-one. Unfortunately though, what rises in their place may be much nastier (and they are nasty enough to begin with).
So happy to see Australia actually give a shit about policy and make the correct decision for once. Now it's up to Labor to get on with the hard work and make the electorate not regret it. Crack on with the electricity transition, get serious in partnership with other levels of govt about building more housing, and do some of the things you promised last time but didn't deliver, like an EPA.
PS Two things pissed me off though:
1. Labor buying votes with that anti-environment Salmon legislation was disgusting. How about standing up to the multi-nationals and cleaning up the industry by properly regulating it so it doesn't destroy coastal waterways and endangered species instead?
2. The Shit-Shitlite axis passing that anti-minor party election funding bill was ATROCIOUS. I was really hoping for a minority govt so the cross-bench could force a repeal of that one. Pity.
Albanese used the words "appropriate environmental laws" to "continue sustainable salmon farming", which to me is ambiguous pollie-speak, which sufficiently mollified the community dependent on salmon farming for incomes to enable re-election and turn Tassie red. Now's the time to pressure our newly-elected MPs to ensure the legislation really has environmental interests safe-guarded.
Yes, that's pretty much exactly what happened down here. Highly frustrating because the industry really is impacting the local environment badly, but it could be sustainable if properly regulated. That would impact profits though, and we can't do that say the neoliberals, even though the profits mostly flow overseas. Australia, the Fucky Country at its worst.
I really hope what was a joyful evening of extreme shadenfruede at the expense of the Tories, doesn't turn into "we gave them such a mandate they sat on their hands and did sweet FA", because that is a real possibility. Prove us wrong, Albo and Co!
Yeah, ashamed Boomer here even If I move further to the left every year and have no intention of rejoining the food chain. At least not until after we roll out the gilded guillotines for billionaires and CEOs. I'd have preferred a hung parliament with Albo forced into some actual progressive policies but at least he has the Senate to deal with. You have to wonder at the Libs who think the answer is to lurch further to the right. A very tenuous grip on reality?
And I saved that pic from the Saturday Paper too in case I could misuse it, or just laugh at it.
Agree with everything you said - except about boomers. As a Labor voter I come from a long line of Labor voters in Australia & the UK, and was taught to study the ‘form guide’ before voting. (Although I’m not sure about the bigamist grandfather on Mum’s side). In my electorate, with a very high proportion of boomers, we reelected Labor with an increased majority. Maybe, just maybe, being old DOESN’T automatically make you conservative. Maybe it makes you smart enough to care about other people, the country, the planet, and not just “what’s in it for me,” but “what’s in it for everyone.”?
Watching a retiring Antony Green telling us that the nuclear powered knobhead was going to lose his own seat will be the succulent Chinese meal clip of this decade.
Its been fantastic to see Australia as whole say "Yeah Nah".
Interesting you mention Rupert's business Model. I feel like the poor libs have become hooked on the same algorithm induced cool aid that fuels their cheer squads on Sky After Dark. Its a vicious circle.
I also loved Annabel Crabb dropping the paragraph on Sunday,
"In an election that turned out to be a cracker-box of explosive developments, one of the most ironic — surely — is the degree of work-life balance suddenly opening up to a large number of middle-aged Liberal men.
From Liberal leader Peter Dutton to shadow ministers like Michael Sukkar and David Coleman, through backbench stalwarts like Ross Vasta and Bert van Manen, an entire cohort of busy parliamentarians woke this morning to the immensely flexible prospect of not having to go to work anymore, at all."
Also liked Crabbs observation that the coalitions anti-work from home policy went particularly badly for their doorknockers who were summoning the wfh demographic all day.
You're bang-on about the Teals being what a modern socially progressive, economically conservative party should look like. And you're right again about why those smart, accomplished, articulate women wouldn't want a bar of the Libs.
Can you imagine having to share a party with handmaidens like Hughes, Hume, and Mackenzie? Fuck me...
Don't forget that lunatic Sussssssan Ley...
And the screeching cockatoo, Cash.
The Minister for Hairspray
You win the internet today 🤣🤣🤣
OMG! How could I have forgotten Cash?!! Also .."Screeching Cockatoo"...So stealing that!
Absolutely! 🤢🤢🤮🤮🤮. Completely nauseating and vomit inducing!
Yeah, it was certainly delightful watching Antony Green put each nail in Spud's coffin Saturday night. The Liberal hack on the panel consistently asking to "wait until the pre-polls come in" got a bit dreary, but added to the hilarity. Somehow though, I can't see this coalition learning anything from their evisceration given that it's largely the moderates who have gone and the drooling sociopaths who have stayed. As expected the denizens of Sky have blamed the voters for getting it wrong. Credlin feels that they weren't running enough culture war gambits. With that sort of thinking among the faithful, it'll be a long dark winter on the opposition benches... hopefully.
I didn't vote Labor for only the second time in my considerable voting life, but given I'm in one of the few remaining Qld safe LNP seats I just tried to give a small message and preferenced appropriately.
Funnily enough, the most human Dutton has ever appeared was in his concession speech. A bit late.
The second most entertaining element of the night was watching Jacinta Price throw a right tanty and point blame at everywhere and everyone but herself. A monumental inability to read the room. “It’s all the MSM’s fault because they looked at my Facebook page (!) and found a pic of me wearing a MAGA hat. Mudslinging! Oh…and Make Australia Great Again”.
Of the many things that sank Dutton and the LNP it was the rancid stank of Trump hovering overhead that had to be a contributing factor.
Yeah! How DARE they report what she actually said and actually did! How totally unreasonable! 🤣
With the Nuclear Hat Kid standing behind her looking glum. Real chucklefest over at Chez Price on Saturday night.
Was appalling how she called for the ABC to investigate voting practices in polling booths in the NT, as the AEC wasn't doing its job. That doesn't even count as a dog whistle, since everyone can clearly hear the whistle...
I did think it was telling that the ABC chose to swap Sarah Ferguson out of the interview with Price when it was getting heated. Jacinta did not appreciate being told to "Get Serious".
You mean Jacinta Namya Price (courtesy JB)
😂🤣😂🤣👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
Jacinta actually said
"Donald Trump doesn't own those four words."
As if...
😂😂😂
The Voice was not a disaster, it was an honorable defeat. Albo promised there would be a referendum, and he did it early, using real political capital. Holding a referendum on Indigenous rights in the middle of a cost of living crisis was "brave" in the best Yes Minister tradition.
Albo is not a brilliant campaigner, getting the numbers to change the Constitution is hard, and he failed. But at least he was prepared to lose some political skin to do what our First Nations people asked him to do. Maybe he earned some grudging respect. He kept his word when it was the right thing to do and there was a real cost in doing it. Not many politicians have done that.
Let alone having a hostile media to contend with.
Albo facing hostile media may have helped, at least at the election. Dutton probably spent too much time in the SkyNews echo chamber.
The Right Media, Politicians and Pundits won the battle but lost the war. If the Liberals had any hope of regaining the votes that they lost in the 2022 election championing amd winning the anti-Voice referendum was not the way to go about it.
The libs are dead already. They just don’t know it. Dissolve the party. It’s already had its head cut off. Stuff some garlic in its mouth, stake through the heart and bury it in unconsecrated ground. Then let’s dance on the grave.
Good one Hootsmon - let's ensure that unconsecrated ground is salted as well, as we don't want any fruit from that poisonous earth.
Can you have TOO MUCH schadenfreude? I don't know but I'm definitely willing to find out.
For me now, I have very high expectations of Albo and the rest of the ALP.
Having been handed this huge mandate I expect them to use it to get the hard stuff done. Climate change remediation, environmental protections, AYCE free education and healthcare, US-free national security, cost of living support, workplace and tax reforms. I really hope they don't disappoint.
As for the LNP, could it be we're seeing the beginning of their becoming irrelevant in the Australian political landscape?
Its clear they're incapable of recognising and changing to accommodate the country's new political and social environment and if you can't do that you die... Pass me the popcorn....it's gonna be interesting to watch.
Agree, but I think it behoves us to keep telling our Labor MPs what our expectations are, because it might be too easy for them to become complacent after this election landslide. Waiting to see the Senate results before I write my first email...
Yes me too
Some great insights JB. The coalition failure in metro seats is one of the more interesting outcomes. Theres basically zero Liberal Party presence in a majority of Australian cities now which can only accelerate progressive urban transformation and cement coalition policies around the interests of the rural minority.
The Greens suffering from a change in redistribution patterns is probably a fair analysis but also wonder how much their serial blocking of imperfect legislation hurt them.
As a committed Greens member, the party's commitment to ideological purity or nothing shits me to tears.
Yes they really need to learn the value of incrementalism.
The number of comments I've seen on Twitter suggesting some kind of Zionist conspiracy to trash the Greens because of their Gaza position ... No, that's a fundamental misunderstanding of most people's interest in the Gaza issue.
Greens and Liberals face a similar problem, too focussed on ideological purity tests. Governing is all about coalitions. It's about broadcasting, not narrowcasting.
Australians are mostly a pragmatic lot. We don't care which toilet people use, as long as they hurry up when we're busting.
There was a huge amount of dark money from Advance (Warren and Jacinta's anti- Voice funders) and other fossil fuel "grass roots" groups targeting the Greens. Guess who was Advance's major donor this year? Yep, the Liberal party.
Being progressive literally means taking the small wins and ‘progressively’ improving outcomes. The Greens aren’t progressive by this definition.
Agree about the blocking of imperfect but better-than nothing-legislation. It made the Greens look like petulant, unreasonable children demanding they win every point in a footy match then when they couldn’t, they stopped play until they were promised ALL the goals.
I am perhaps excessively an optimist and maybe even a Pollyanna, but the outcome made me feel better about the electorate. Specifically, that the electorate didn't go with thoughtless grievance, punching down, and 'well, actually, the literal Nazis have a point so we are going to agree with them about welcome to country'.
I hope, though, that the ALP understands the possibility that it may not have had a huge amount to do with positive votes for Labor due to their policies (I hope we get a proper analysis, based on talking to actual voters, some time, instead of the usual 'they won/lost because they did/didn't do this one thing on which my individual votes hinges). Dutt's policies were sweepings from the floor but the Labor's weren't hugely better. In other words, I think there was an element of Bradbury in this one. I hope they don't rely on that again.
This is because I am actually one of those stupid people whom Friendly Jordies characterises as brain-damaged because I would like, eventually, there to be enough progressive independents(*) in the Parliament to make Labor actually, well, stand up for their values and be better than 'we are not fascists'.
But that's going to take a long time, if it ever happens. And in the meantime we have, as you say, a system that allows a second choice. So we will be relying on Labor for the time being.
And who knows, maybe Labor will be slightly braver this election. But, and now I am channeling Friendly Jordies, the people who are demanding that Labor nationalise the banks, kill all landlords, etc (**), are likely to be disappointed.
(*) not you, Greens. 'Look at me, look at me while I block progressive legislation' is not a progressive stance
(**) or maybe even, like, eg walk the walk instead of just talking the talk on LGBTQI+ issues
Interesting that you bring up Jordies, I'm one of his "brain-damaged progressives" too. I've followed him for a long time now, and pretty much every vid I'm nodding my head in furious agreement until about halfway through he starts re-writing history and making spurious claims to attack anyone and everyone on the progressive side of politics who isn't Labor.
His antipathy towards the Australia Institute shits me to tears because they do mostly excellent work, and his politics agrees with almost all of it, yet he twists himself in knots to attack them. He should sit down and actually talk with Richard Denniss, which I have done 3 times. He'd find him an excellent thinker and a principled fellow.
It's very frustrating how much hate he spews towards his natural allies. Sure, criticise them when they are wrong, but how about building a broad church for anyone and everyone who wants to act progressively on the crucial issues of our Age? And he's dead wrong that plurality doesn't make for better Parliaments - it is more broadly inclusive, usually leads to compromise for the better, and is far harder to corrupt than a duopoly.
Indeed. I was surprised to hear, for example, that TAI was behind the DLP (I only recently found and then departed from FJ).
Me too! Though I’m in bloody Monash surrounded by old retired farmers and business people. I’m an old farmer too but I’m not an ignorant, selfish, stupid one and neither is my old, farmer husband. We were yipping it up watching Albo and his red wave on Saturday night! Still hoping that by some miracle, Labor or the excellent teal Independent gets over the line in an incredibly close race!
Spot on thoughts, and the para about Malcolm "never elected yet somehow sneaks into Parliament House repeatedly" Roberts and Gerrard "is he Mal's clone?" Rennick made me spit my coffee!
I had the same thoughts re the Libs' future - won't be surprised if they are out-voted by One Nation or some other virulent RWNJ pox within a decade. They are being cannibalised to the right by the fasci microparties, to the left by the Teals and Shit-Lite, and the Boomers are aging out. Who will they represent in a decade? Basically no-one. Unfortunately though, what rises in their place may be much nastier (and they are nasty enough to begin with).
So happy to see Australia actually give a shit about policy and make the correct decision for once. Now it's up to Labor to get on with the hard work and make the electorate not regret it. Crack on with the electricity transition, get serious in partnership with other levels of govt about building more housing, and do some of the things you promised last time but didn't deliver, like an EPA.
PS Two things pissed me off though:
1. Labor buying votes with that anti-environment Salmon legislation was disgusting. How about standing up to the multi-nationals and cleaning up the industry by properly regulating it so it doesn't destroy coastal waterways and endangered species instead?
2. The Shit-Shitlite axis passing that anti-minor party election funding bill was ATROCIOUS. I was really hoping for a minority govt so the cross-bench could force a repeal of that one. Pity.
Yeah, that staring-eyed lunatic Roberts is a mystery surpassing all understanding. The Giftzwerg that keeps on giftzwerging.
'Giftzwerg' - I love it 😆
Albanese used the words "appropriate environmental laws" to "continue sustainable salmon farming", which to me is ambiguous pollie-speak, which sufficiently mollified the community dependent on salmon farming for incomes to enable re-election and turn Tassie red. Now's the time to pressure our newly-elected MPs to ensure the legislation really has environmental interests safe-guarded.
Yes, that's pretty much exactly what happened down here. Highly frustrating because the industry really is impacting the local environment badly, but it could be sustainable if properly regulated. That would impact profits though, and we can't do that say the neoliberals, even though the profits mostly flow overseas. Australia, the Fucky Country at its worst.
I really hope what was a joyful evening of extreme shadenfruede at the expense of the Tories, doesn't turn into "we gave them such a mandate they sat on their hands and did sweet FA", because that is a real possibility. Prove us wrong, Albo and Co!
PS 2. Me too or Mee thooo (new korean dish made from rancid spam i checked spam receipes Asian)
Yeah, ashamed Boomer here even If I move further to the left every year and have no intention of rejoining the food chain. At least not until after we roll out the gilded guillotines for billionaires and CEOs. I'd have preferred a hung parliament with Albo forced into some actual progressive policies but at least he has the Senate to deal with. You have to wonder at the Libs who think the answer is to lurch further to the right. A very tenuous grip on reality?
And I saved that pic from the Saturday Paper too in case I could misuse it, or just laugh at it.
Agree with everything you said - except about boomers. As a Labor voter I come from a long line of Labor voters in Australia & the UK, and was taught to study the ‘form guide’ before voting. (Although I’m not sure about the bigamist grandfather on Mum’s side). In my electorate, with a very high proportion of boomers, we reelected Labor with an increased majority. Maybe, just maybe, being old DOESN’T automatically make you conservative. Maybe it makes you smart enough to care about other people, the country, the planet, and not just “what’s in it for me,” but “what’s in it for everyone.”?
Graffito spotted on the M1 couple of weeks ago: "PETER DUTTON HAS NO EYEBROWS". Tempted to go back and add "AND NO JOB".
Brilliant analysis of the weekend’s events. And by far the funniest.
Boy, do I love the smell of roasted spuds early in the morning...
Watching a retiring Antony Green telling us that the nuclear powered knobhead was going to lose his own seat will be the succulent Chinese meal clip of this decade.
Its been fantastic to see Australia as whole say "Yeah Nah".
Interesting you mention Rupert's business Model. I feel like the poor libs have become hooked on the same algorithm induced cool aid that fuels their cheer squads on Sky After Dark. Its a vicious circle.
I also loved Annabel Crabb dropping the paragraph on Sunday,
"In an election that turned out to be a cracker-box of explosive developments, one of the most ironic — surely — is the degree of work-life balance suddenly opening up to a large number of middle-aged Liberal men.
From Liberal leader Peter Dutton to shadow ministers like Michael Sukkar and David Coleman, through backbench stalwarts like Ross Vasta and Bert van Manen, an entire cohort of busy parliamentarians woke this morning to the immensely flexible prospect of not having to go to work anymore, at all."
Also liked Crabbs observation that the coalitions anti-work from home policy went particularly badly for their doorknockers who were summoning the wfh demographic all day.
Is there maybe a job for Spud in the Rhinehart empire?
He’s already minted. Although the news corpse stable must be batting away new applicants with gusto!
Shouldn’t that read ‘Sky In The Dark’?