Australian Politics General...

[sptrawler]

National Party kicks out Barnaby Joyce.

Just great. Maybe some integrity and intelligence at last.

David Littleproud elected new Nationals leader with Perin Davey as deputy

Barnaby Joyce has been defeated by the Queensland MP in a leadership spill

www.theguardian.com

I just hope the new Government move forward quickly to mitigate climate change, corruption and anything else that people are upset about.

Also I hope they have the same enthusiasm, to vent endlessly, if it doesn't happen. I love enthusiasm, but I hate when it has a bias.

I am hoping for great things from a new Government, but I have lived long enough, not to hold my breath.
Enthusiasm wanes with age and disappointment.

 

[mullokintyre]

I see Andrew Wilkie has put his hand up to become speaker in the new parliament.
Would be a good move to have an independent speaker, and Wilkie has been around parliament long enough to know the workings, the rules , protocols and of course "the conventions". Hates both sides of politics sufficiently to be non partisan.
Mick

 

[PZ99]

Scott Morrison's dismissal has been ruled as "fair" by the Fair Work Commission

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-06...ith-student-fairly-dismissed-appeal/101115184

 

[SirRumpole]

I see Andrew Wilkie has put his hand up to become speaker in the new parliament.
Would be a good move to have an independent speaker, and Wilkie has been around parliament long enough to know the workings, the rules , protocols and of course "the conventions". Hates both sides of politics sufficiently to be non partisan.
Mick

Wilke would be good, but now Labor has 77 seats they will probably appoint one of their own.

 

[mullokintyre]

Well, if they appoint one of their own, they only have a bare 1 seat majority.
As Morrison found out, a slim margin can turn into no margin if one of them cracks it like Kelly or George whathisname, or does something illegal/stupid like roberts or just gets shafted by the media (will have to be the murdoch press this time rather than the ABC/fairfax/Guardian alliance).
There are plenty of candidates in the new labour party members list to fit any of the scenarios.
By having an independaet speaker allows him to show is non partisan credentials, always good with the media.
The question then becomes "is Albo is a pragmatic bloke enough bloke to ignore the Labour apparatchiks seeking revenge for the partisan behaviour of the coalition apparatchiks ?"
Time will tell.
Mick

 

[SirRumpole]

As Morrison found out, a slim margin can turn into no margin if one of them cracks it like Kelly or George whathisname, or does something illegal/stupid like roberts or just gets shafted by the media (will have to be the murdoch press this time rather than the ABC/fairfax/Guardian alliance).

I wonder where Peter Slipper is now.

 

[mullokintyre]

I wonder where Peter Slipper is now.

Who cares?
Mick

 

[SirRumpole]

Who cares?
Mick

Well, if they lose 2 or more they might be forced to choose an Independant, but generally they want to stick with one of their own if they can.

 

[basilio]

I think Andrew Wilkie would make a very good Speaker. From a self interested Labour POV this could be seen as giving too much power/credence to an outsider. On the other hand I think it would show a genuine effort at having a quality independent Speaker. This would also act as a discipline on Labour as much as any other party.

In the end I believe Labour should be seeking to model good and fair governance. If that POV is accepted then the argument for an independent speaker of Andrew Wilkies experience and integrity should get up. We'll see.

 

[basilio]

There is an excellent analysis in The Guardian on the way Australians voted against the Coalition. Certainly suggests that if the Coalition doesn't accept the Labour,/Greens/Teal mandate for decisive action on CC they will have buckleys chance of getting back in power.

Five graphs that show how Australian voters turned on the Coalition

The primary vote for both major parties dropped dramatically, but in the Coalition’s case, it cost it 18 seats. Here’s how the numbers played out

www.theguardian.com

 

[sptrawler]

There is an excellent analysis in The Guardian on the way Australians voted against the Coalition. Certainly suggests that if the Coalition doesn't accept the Labour,/Greens/Teal mandate for decisive action on CC they will have buckleys chance of getting back in power.

Five graphs that show how Australian voters turned on the Coalition

The primary vote for both major parties dropped dramatically, but in the Coalition’s case, it cost it 18 seats. Here’s how the numbers played out

www.theguardian.com

My guess is the Labor/Greens/Teal's resolve will be tested over the next three years, as will the public's, when they have to make some extremely hard choices.
Just my opinion.

 

[SirRumpole]

My guess is the Labor/Greens/Teal's resolve will be tested over the next three years, as will the public's, when they have to make some extremely hard choices.
Just my opinion.

The Teals appear to some to be a bunch a group of yuppies who don't have to bear the brunt of inflation/ power price rises so if that difference can be pursued then they are vulnerable. If Labor goes too hard on emissions reduction without keeping prices down then they could be vulnerable too.

As you say, hard choices.

 

[wayneL]

And when we're sitting in cold homes around candles, and riding donkeys to the shop for the slim pickings available, while the rest of the world merrily burns our coal?

Our virtue signalling is going to cost us dearly.

 

[sptrawler]

And when we're sitting in cold homes around candles, and riding donkeys to the shop for the slim pickings available, while the rest of the world merrily burns our coal?

Our virtue signalling is going to cost us dearly.

As the election showed, the city elites are running the agenda at the moment and I personally think it is a good thing.
The renewables issue needs resolving, so bringing it to a head will clear the air once and for all, people need to decide how much they are prepared to pay to mitigate their carbon footprint.
Then we can move on, rather than going round and round in a media circle, now they can't blame this new Government, now the way forward has to be decided.
The previous Government was upgrading the HV transmission and installing more hydro storage in the Snowy and Tassie, to facilitate renewables.
The generation side they were leaving to the market to sort out, with the coal generators becoming less and less viable, the legacy companies were having to come to terms with losing market share to renewables, or having to change their generation to renewables.

Now the new Government appears that it will force the issue which will be interesting, because IMO the legacy companies will have to be somehow compensated if the Government is going to actively interfere in their operation.
As @SirRumpole said, it could very well end up another NBN, where instead of making the telco's pay to put in the fibre the tax payer did.
This time it could well be the Government having to buy the coal generators out and then pay them to run the plant and the taxpayer pick up the tab, while the generators use the money to install renewables.

Time will tell, but it may pan out very well for the legacy companies, not so well for the public.

 

[SirRumpole]

N

And when we're sitting in cold homes around candles, and riding donkeys to the shop for the slim pickings available, while the rest of the world merrily burns our coal?

Our virtue signalling is going to cost us dearly.

Not just "virtue signalling", but inaction and bungling by the former Federal government that has seen us still reliant on fossil fuels with little planning for switch-over to renewables.

 

[IFocus]

As the election showed, the city elites are running the agenda at the moment and I personally think it is a good thing.
The renewables issue needs resolving, so bringing it to a head will clear the air once and for all, people need to decide how much they are prepared to pay to mitigate their carbon footprint.
Then we can move on, rather than going round and round in a media circle, now they can't blame this new Government, now the way forward has to be decided.
The previous Government was upgrading the HV transmission and installing more hydro storage in the Snowy and Tassie, to facilitate renewables.
The generation side they were leaving to the market to sort out, with the coal generators becoming less and less viable, the legacy companies were having to come to terms with losing market share to renewables, or having to change their generation to renewables.

Now the new Government appears that it will force the issue which will be interesting, because IMO the legacy companies will have to be somehow compensated if the Government is going to actively interfere in their operation.
As @SirRumpole said, it could very well end up another NBN, where instead of making the telco's pay to put in the fibre the tax payer did.
This time it could well be the Government having to buy the coal generators out and then pay them to run the plant and the taxpayer pick up the tab, while the generators use the money to install renewables.

Time will tell, but it may pan out very well for the legacy companies, not so well for the public.

Isn't the problem that gas is required for transition and given the absurdity of pricing / availability (east coast) the whole thing is a mess.

Plus there is no mechanism to fix.

 

[sptrawler]

Isn't the problem that gas is required for transition and given the absurdity of pricing / availability (east coast) the whole thing is a mess.

Plus there is no mechanism to fix.

Well as renewables are ramping up we are in the perfect position to fix it, now we have a Government that is focused on a non fossil fueled generation future, I for one am watching with great interest.
There should be no reason not to ramp up the renewables and phase out the gas, as it is too costly and the Greens/Teals don't want it anyway.
Perfect opportunity to move to renewables, they actually couldn't ask for a better scenario, renewables are cheaper, cleaner, less workers, less failures, what's the issue?
By the way, I'm as Green as the best of them, just a realist after having worked in the industry and understanding the fundamentals.
People are getting way too emotional, about something that is very practical, recently I have bought an electricity supplier shares and a gas supplier shares not because I think they are long term winners, but short term?
I've never bought into either sectors before and I've been buying shares since 1988.
Just checked I bought AGL and Woodside in December, $6 and $22, I'm hoping for some interesting gains before xmas, but I've been wrong before.

 

[wayneL]

N

Not just "virtue signalling", but inaction and bungling by the former Federal government that has seen us still reliant on fossil fuels with little planning for switch-over to renewables.

Renewables just aren't going to do it.

Hence a third world lifestyle for anyone not taking matters into their own hands.

 

[sptrawler]

N

Not just "virtue signalling", but inaction and bungling by the former Federal government that has seen us still reliant on fossil fuels with little planning for switch-over to renewables.

Interesting comment.
Maybe you could expand on what you think should have been done, as you do have a grasp of the issues unlike some.
Or are we all trying to turn the narrative, in expectation of an immanent failure, of the current Govt and the renewable sunrise future?

 

[SirRumpole]

Interesting comment.
Maybe you could expand on what you think should have been done, as you do have a grasp of the issues unlike some.
Or are we all trying to turn the narrative, in expectation of an immanent failure, of the current Govt and the renewable sunrise future?

Sure. Given that I'm not an industry insider , if these ideas can be torn down on technical grounds then I'll take my lumps.

1. Instead of a gas 'trigger' we should have a permanent gas and coal reservation scheme like WA to shelter the economy from external factors.

2. We should put an export tax on coal, gas, iron ore, bauxite and all other non renewable minerals and use the proceeds to

* provide subsidies to local manufacturers and households to install solar cells , solar hot water and battery storage

* upgrade transmission infrastructure, connectors , wires etc to ensure efficient distribution.

* upgrade hydro facilities on existing dams where possible and investigate more potential hydro sites including coastal.

* restore the Clean Energy finance corporate to to provide loans for new large scale solar, battery and wind projects.

* consider installing more gas turbine peaking plants that can run on a variety of fuels including hydrogen and bio fuels

* fund more R&D in the fields of energy production including more efficient solar cells , hydrogen production and battery technology

I'm sure that there are a lot of other things that could be done, but if the above had been done by our former government then we would be years ahead of where we are now.

Smurf gave credit to Turnbull for Snowy Hydro and I agree, at least he was a pragmatist about what needed to be done in the future. He's right about another thing too, ideology has to go and be replaced by a technical and science driven policy.