ALBANESE AND DUTTON RATINGS FALL
One other week, one other lower than ideally suited Newspoll for Anthony Albanese. The Australian studies the prime minister’s approval ranking has dropped to its joint-lowest degree because the Might 2022 election. Labor and the Coalition stay locked in a 50-50 two-party-preferred contest, with a hung Parliament nonetheless the expected end result if the federal election have been held right this moment. The Coalition’s major vote dropped one level to 38% and Labor’s stayed at 32%, the paper mentioned.
The AAP writes the brand new survey confirmed disapproval for Albanese up 4 factors to 54%, whereas his approval ranking fell two factors to 41%, leading to a minus 13 ranking — which simply occurs to be the identical internet satisfaction ranking of Opposition Chief Peter Dutton, whose total ranking additionally dropped.
The survey comes after a bruising few weeks for the prime minister and his authorities, with the weekend’s information dominated by the census debacle. The ABC studies Albanese mentioned on Sunday the federal government had instructed the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) to cancel testing on new census questions on sexuality, gender identification and intersex standing as a result of they “weren’t acceptable”. On Friday, the prime minister introduced a brand new query on sexuality would be examined for the subsequent census (due in 2026) in a U-turn from the federal government’s resolution initially of the week to not add it.
The ABC mentioned it stays unclear what is going to occur to the questions on gender identification and variations of sexual traits that have been additionally being thought of. On Saturday, Albanese rejected the suggestion he was limiting the scope of knowledge assortment.
“No, there’s a variety of different questions, together with there’s already an identification query within the census. The ABS will work these items by means of, you’re speaking about 2026 and it’s 2024,” The Sydney Morning Herald quoted him as saying. “My authorities’s precedence has been working by means of value of residing measures, that’s been our focus, and we’ll work with the ABS on these points.”
The opposition has unsurprisingly continued its assaults over the confusion, with Liberal Senator Andrew Bragg telling ABC’s Insiders yesterday: “I feel the truth that the prime minister has tied himself in knots on this concern reveals an amazing weak spot in his personal management.”
One knot Albanese gained’t be tying simply but is his marriage to fiancee Jodie Haydon, with The Sydney Morning Herald reporting the couple plans to carry their wedding ceremony after the subsequent election. Citing “senior authorities sources” the paper mentioned the couple have been eager to keep away from the eye and would additionally wrestle to search out time within the PM’s schedule earlier than the nation goes to the polls.
ALL ABOUT HOUSING
Guardian Australia leads this morning on the most recent coverage announcement from the Greens, as soon as once more pushing for reform inside the housing sector. The celebration has mentioned it could create a Nationwide Renters Safety Authority (NRPA) to cope with tenancy disputes. The proposed authority would tackle implementing the nationwide minimal requirements beforehand urged by the Greens and its workers would in a position to concern fines of as much as $18,780 to actual property companies that breached the principles, in addition to on-the-spot fines of as much as $3,756.
In addition to moving into the census debate on Insiders, [opposition homeownership spokesman] Bragg was additionally requested on Sunday if the Coalition would dock GST distributions for states and territories that didn’t work laborious sufficient to extend housing provide. Whereas the opposition has not but confirmed its provide coverage, Bragg mentioned punishments have been “into account”, The West Australian studies. “We must be artistic and discover a solution to hit the states laborious the place it hurts, in any other case I concern we are going to drift right into a scenario the place the housing downside will worsen earlier than it will get higher,” Bragg mentioned.
The Western Australian mentioned Albanese, who was visiting WA along with his cupboard, replied: “Andrew Bragg has put Australians on discover that he’s coming after the GST and he’s coming after it laborious. Now we all know that WA is in danger … which means much less funds for training and well being and infrastructure. That is an instance of how irresponsible the Coalition authorities are and the way they don’t characterize a reputable different.”
In the meantime, the AAP factors out home costs have risen for a nineteenth consecutive month, with CoreLogic information revealing a nationwide development of 0.5% final month.
As the federal government continues to wrestle to get its personal housing insurance policies by means of the Senate, the AFR studies there is likely to be some motion on one other of its reforms which appeared to be very slow-moving — the playing promoting guidelines. The paper says a ban on playing advertisements on participant jerseys and sports activities grounds might be introduced “inside weeks”. It additionally claims the opposite proposals are set to be dragged out attributable to negotiations with the states.
Elsewhere, Guardian Australia highlights the closing arguments within the defamation case introduced in opposition to Brittany Higgins by Liberal Senator Linda Reynolds are anticipated to be heard right this moment.
ON A LIGHTER NOTE…
Final week we introduced you the story of the 4-year-old boy who by accident knocked over and smashed a uncommon 3,500-year-old jar whereas visiting a museum in Israel.
Properly, there’s been an replace.
Younger Ariel has gone again to Hecht Museum in Haifa to satisfy with the very forgiving workers who even gifted him a clay vase to take residence, The Guardian studies.
The paper says consultants are utilizing 3D know-how to revive the Bronze Age jar. The household has commented on how a lot Ariel’s older siblings loved studying about how the museum was restoring the artefact after they returned to the scene of the accident.
Because the damaged items have been from an entire jar, the repairs could be “pretty easy”, The Guardian quotes restoration knowledgeable Roee Shafir as saying, with the suggestion the jar might be again on show this week.
Little doubt a reduction for all concerned.
Say What?
We’ve grown up collectively. Properly, I’ve grown up with him, and we’ve performed many instances. I’m anticipating an absolute battle.
Alex de Minaur
De Minaur, the tenth seed, mentioned he was trying ahead to his US Open fourth-round tie in opposition to fellow Australian Jordan Thompson on Monday.
CRIKEY RECAP
Census debacle reveals Labor has made Dutton a de facto member of cupboard
However Labor wasn’t motivated by such difficult questions. It was merely fearful what Dutton would do. It speaks of a timid authorities that second-guesses itself continually, that governs with one eye on what its political opponents will make of its bulletins. There’s governing from the centre and minimising political dangers, after which there’s permitting your opponents to find out the way you govern, and this was very a lot the latter. Dutton has Labor badly rattled.
A extra assured authorities would have let the method run, accepted a brand new query and identified how bizarre it was that Dutton opposed it. However this definitely isn’t a assured authorities. If you happen to don’t wish to do issues as a result of they is likely to be labelled “divisive”, you shouldn’t be within the enterprise of politics. In any case, prime minister, Labor did win the final election.
Foxtel investigating ‘improper use’ of a number of social media accounts linked to government
Foxtel is investigating the “alleged improper use” of a number of social media accounts after Crikey revealed that an organization government was behind a secret abusive burner X account.
After first declining to touch upon the case, a Foxtel spokesperson mentioned on Friday morning that the corporate had launched a probe.
“Foxtel has commenced an investigation into the alleged improper use of social media accounts,” they mentioned in an emailed assertion.
This investigation comes after Crikey contacted Foxtel and the corporate’s Fox Cricket normal supervisor on Thursday with a brand new set of social media posts on X, previously Twitter, from @RealRagingBull and @YeshowgoodWeiss, a public account beneath the identify of Matthew Weiss.
Locking up 10-year-olds is racist by design and in impact
Properly, I assumed the Victorian authorities reneging on its dedication to extend the minimal age of legal accountability to 14 was the low level. However I didn’t reckon with simply how far down the Coalition events have been ready to go.
Enter the brand new Nation Liberal Celebration authorities of the Northern Territory and incoming Chief Minister Lia Finocchiaro, who has made the post-election promise to take the NT’s minimal age of legal accountability down to 10. Proof-based that is decidedly not; the age was solely elevated from 10 to 12 in August 2023, and youth crime statistics haven’t seen a spike in that 12 months.
The symbiotic relationship between the general public’s concern of crime (universally overestimated), political opportunism/populism, and the media’s everlasting love for blood-soaked reportage makes it not possible to find out trigger and impact. All of us have a accountability to not irrationally overreact, however lawmakers carry this most critically. Within the Peter Dutton period, nevertheless, all bets are off.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
Far-right German celebration to win first state vote since WWII (Deutsche Welle)
Pope Francis to set off on difficult 12-day Asia-Pacific tour (The Guardian)
Melbourne, Sydney, Tasmania climate: Thousands and thousands of Aussies urged to remain residence as wild climate batters a number of states (Every day Mail)
Trump and Harris gear up for marketing campaign’s remaining stretch (The New York Occasions)
The teenage armless archer who captured the world’s consideration (The Sydney Morning Herald)
THE COMMENTARIAT
Labor’s weird census backflip reveals nice information about this weak authorities — Michael Koziol (The Sydney Morning Herald): It’s humorous the way it’s all the time LGBTQ points that need to be sacrificed to keep up the peace. However taken collectively, these choices inform us quite a bit about the place Albanese and his authorities really feel they sit within the nationwide dialog. It tells us they’re hyper-sensitive to any criticism that they don’t seem to be singularly centered on the price of residing, and don’t consider they’ll stroll and chew gum on the identical time. It tells us Labor is afraid of Peter Dutton, and doesn’t assume it may well win the argument for its personal insurance policies.
And it tells us this can be a authorities that’s essentially working from a place of weak spot somewhat than energy.
The election will likely be held earlier than Might. A authorities that’s frightened some folks would possibly object to a census query two years from now’s a authorities that should be scared of its personal shadow.
Labor’s spectacular census personal aim fingers Dutton a double victory — Karen Middleton (Guardian Australia): Irony could also be an overused phrase however there are a number of in the place the entire schemozzle wound up.
Having been unwilling to proceed and prosecute the argument in favour of what they’d promised, the federal government opted to retreat as a substitute to keep away from a harmful debate, and generated precisely that.
Additionally they gave Dutton twin victories. In response to the reversal of the reversal, Dutton mentioned Australia had a “weak prime minister who doesn’t know what he believes in”.
Simply to rub it in, he added that if the federal government needed LGBTQ+ folks counted within the census, he was “advantageous with that”. Divisive? Actually not. Not less than not when acquiescence hurts the opposite mob extra.
