The Albanese government

[Dona Ferentes]

a columnist writing today:
"
Yet Albanese jets off on Saturday for the second of four foreign trips within a handful of weeks, entrenching his growing reputation as a quintessential blob* man.

As he returns from each journey to deliver what have become regular cabinet travelogues – apparently they are starting to grate among some of the senior players – the danger for Albanese is that he remains aloof from the growing realisation among harder heads inside Labor that the government is motoring towards the rocks.

“People have got the shits,” a veteran Labor watcher said of the internal mood this week.

*The blob dates to Barack Obama’s days as president when his senior staff adopted the scornful term to capture the all-consuming embrace of the foreign policy and national security establishment.

 

[SirRumpole]

a columnist writing today:
"
Yet Albanese jets off on Saturday for the second of four foreign trips within a handful of weeks, entrenching his growing reputation as a quintessential blob* man.

As he returns from each journey to deliver what have become regular cabinet travelogues – apparently they are starting to grate among some of the senior players – the danger for Albanese is that he remains aloof from the growing realisation among harder heads inside Labor that the government is motoring towards the rocks.

“People have got the shits,” a veteran Labor watcher said of the internal mood this week.

*The blob dates to Barack Obama’s days as president when his senior staff adopted the scornful term to capture the all-consuming embrace of the foreign policy and national security establishment.

I wouldn't say the China trip is unimportant but he has to come back to earth sometime and take over the reins or he will sleepwalk into an electoral shock.

 

[Knobby22]

I wouldn't say the China trip is unimportant but he has to come back to earth sometime and take over the reins or he will sleepwalk into an electoral shock.

It's extremely important.
I would rather he do what is right by the Australian people rather than concentrate on politics in Australia.

 

[Dona Ferentes]

would rather he do what is right by the Australian people rather than concentrate on politics in Australia.

the two points are not mutually exclusive

 

[sptrawler]

It's extremely important.
I would rather he do what is right by the Australian people rather than concentrate on politics in Australia.

As was shown when Morrison cancelled the French subs in favour of the nukes and AUSKUS, it can be fatal to put Australia's interests in front of your political career, we are still getting the subs we still have AUSKUS. Yet everyone [in the media] was outraged.

A lot of political skin was lost, in doing the right thing and bushfire season is only just starting.

I agree with Sir R, after the voice Albo is going through a thin ice period, any trip up now could be fatal.
60% of Australians think he is a bit cagey, or a bit thick, one of the two.

 

[wayneL]

Labor deserves a @#$&ing shellacking at the next election, problem is that the coalition in no way deserves to be in government again yet.

So they are probably pretty safe, unfortunately.

 

[sptrawler]

Labor deserves a @#$&ing shellacking at the next election, problem is that the coalition in no way deserves to be in government again yet.

So they are probably pretty safe, unfortunately.

Agree completely, I expected better and there is still time to make a mark.
But it is running out and the coalition wont be a shambles forever.

 

[SirRumpole]

Labor deserves a @#$&ing shellacking at the next election, problem is that the coalition in no way deserves to be in government again yet.

So they are probably pretty safe, unfortunately.

Considering the Noalition had 3 terms and stuffed most things up, I think Labor deserves the same opportunity.

 

[sptrawler]

Considering the Noalition had 3 terms and stuffed most things up, I think Labor deserves the same opportunity.

Very true, but history isn't kind to Labor, they tend to go with a bang whereas the coalition tend to be very conservative in their approach.

The voice was polarising, the electorate will be on edge, housing up, rents up, immigration up, electricity up, cost of living up, soon unemployment up.
Interesting times.

 

[wayneL]

Considering the Noalition had 3 terms and stuffed most things up, I think Labor deserves the same opportunity.

I live in hope a viable new centrist party will emerge from the cesspit, the necrotic, malodorous and decaying sludge that is Australian politics.

Alas, we plebeians view this as more of a team sport than what is actually good for the country, without the courage to venture outside of the main parties.

 

[SirRumpole]

Very true, but history isn't kind to Labor, they tend to go with a bang whereas the coalition tend to be very conservative in their approach.

The voice was polarising, the electorate will be on edge, housing up, rents up, immigration up, electricity up, cost of living up, soon unemployment up.
Interesting times.

Yep, the electorate is basically conservative, and are more likely to tolerate inaction than ineptitude.

It takes a pretty good Labor government to stay in power a long time whereas ordinary Coalition governments have it easier

 

[sptrawler]

I live in hope a viable new centrist party will emerge from the cesspit, the necrotic, malodorous and decaying sludge that is Australian politics.

Alas, we plebeians view this as more of a team sport than what is actually good for the country, without the courage to venture outside of the main parties.

I can't see it happening, more likely a new wave of younger politicians and the old lifetime hacks move on, which may get rid of a lot of the backscratching that goes on.

 

[sptrawler]

Yep, the electorate is basically conservative, and are more likely to tolerate inaction than ineptitude.

It takes a pretty good Labor government to stay in power a long time whereas ordinary Coalition governments have it easier

Nailed it.
Until now all Labor has done is continue the Coalition projects and run the voice referendum, they really haven't gained any traction with renewables, electricity bill reduction, or introduced any new initiatives other than aboriginal recognition.

 

[SirRumpole]

Nailed it.
Until now all Labor has done is continue the Coalition projects and run the voice referendum, they really haven't gained any traction with renewables, electricity bill reduction, or introduced any new initiatives other than aboriginal recognition.

The Greens are a thorn in their side though. Cant bring in a decent energy policy with the Greens saying no to anything useful.

 

[Knobby22]

As was shown when Morrison cancelled the French subs in favour of the nukes and AUSKUS, it can be fatal to put Australia's interests in front of your political career, we are still getting the subs we still have AUSKUS. Yet everyone [in the media] was outraged.

A lot of political skin was lost, in doing the right thing and bushfire season is only just starting.

I agree with Sir R, after the voice Albo is going through a thin ice period, any trip up now could be fatal.
60% of Australians think he is a bit cagey, or a bit thick, one of the two.

It wasn't the subs that lost him the election. It was probably his most popular policy and pretty much his biggest achievement.

 

[sptrawler]

It wasn't the subs that lost him the election. It was probably his most popular policy and pretty much his biggest achievement.

That is the perception that the media painted very successfully, but if it is looked at objectively with out the white noise, he was in for one term and in that time we had the biggest national disruption in nearly a century, which was navigated without a roadmap.
So really to fit in the AUKUS and subs deal in that period was pretty amazing IMO.

Maybe compare what was achieved in the last term of Government, with what has been achieved in this term of Government, which is heading toward one full term, what has been the biggest achievement so far?
As usual it is the media that drives the agenda and the narrative.

For example yesterday you laid the blame for the demise of the car industry at the feet of Joe Hockey and another member laid the blame for the gas crisis at the feet of Howard, both posts were very inaccurate but do show how history is re written by political bias and positive re enforcement of misleading media presentations of the time.

As I've said many times, that is why I try not to get too caught up in what the media is trying to push, they have an agenda same as everyone else.

A good example is in this presentation.

Clean Energy Report | Clean Energy Council

The Clean Energy Australia Report provides an annual snapshot of the Australian clean energy sector. View or download report.

www.cleanenergycouncil.org.au

The Clean Energy Australia report provides a comprehensive overview of the Australian clean energy sector.
The report gives a comprehensive snapshot of the Australian clean energy sector, its progress and achievements. In 2022, we saw significant progress for clean energy, albeit slower than 2021. Renewable energy accounted for 35.9 per cent of Australia's total electricity generation, up from 32.5 per cent in 2021. That figure has more than doubled since 2017, when renewable energy accounted for just 16.9 per cent of generation. For more commentary and statistics,


When read it sounds like WOW at last we are getting somewhere and many would take from that it is due to the new Government, but if taken objectively there are two statements that show that most of the improvement was due to the last Government.
Take the statements:

In 2022, we saw significant progress for clean energy, albeit slower than 2021.

And

Renewable energy accounted for 35.9 per cent of Australia's total electricity generation, up from 32.5 per cent in 2021. That figure has more than doubled since 2017, when renewable energy accounted for just 16.9 per cent of generation

It reads as though things have really picked up since the change of Government, until you break it down, the rate of deployment has actually slowed and the doubling of renewable generation from 2017 to 2022, was actually achieved under the previous Government, where it went from 16.9% to 32.5%.
It has only gone from 32.5% to 35.9% under the new Government and the rate of increase has slowed.

It's all about narrative and how something is presented.

 

[SirRumpole]

and the doubling of renewable generation from 2017 to 2022, was actually achieved under the previous Government.

Starting from a low base as was said.

 

[sptrawler]

Starting from a fairly low base I would say.

As you know from the energy thread, this is a work in progress, I'm just trying to present facts not feelings.
Way too much emotion these days, is being presented as facts, because of emotional bias.
The early stages are always the slowest, as they have to develop the equipment to integrate with the system, without blowing $hit up. As you know I think it has been going at a hell of a rate and in reality we are leading the World, but very little credit has been given, if indeed any at all.

Morrison was very unpopular with the press, which I can understand as a person he wasn't my cup of tea, but in reality a hell of a lot was achieved in the last term under a lot of duress. But having said that it was time for him to go, I think he was the right person at the right time when covid hit, but he isn't the right person to settle things down, somewhat like Churchill in the war was good then after the war he was useless.

But it is misleading for Knobby to say the subs was Morrisons most popular policy and biggest achievement, when in reality he was carved up by the press for doing it and Dutton was called a war monger, now the subs are the best thing since sliced bread and talk of war is o.k.
That's the media for you.
Now we have to see how Albo goes.

 

[IFocus]

So Albanese is hard at work fixing the mess left by 10 years of Coalition playing internal politics talking tough on China.

Jacinta meanwhile in London after fixing up all the Aboriginal issues is now doing important work concentrating on the Trans community which is a serious threat to all Australians..

 

[IFocus]

As you know from the energy thread, this is a work in progress, I'm just trying to present facts not feelings.
Way too much emotion these days, is being presented as facts, because of emotional bias.
The early stages are always the slowest, as they have to develop the equipment to integrate with the system, without blowing $hit up. As you know I think it has been going at a hell of a rate and in reality we are leading the World, but very little credit has been given, if indeed any at all.

Morrison was very unpopular with the press, which I can understand as a person he wasn't my cup of tea, but in reality a hell of a lot was achieved in the last term under a lot of duress. But having said that it was time for him to go, I think he was the right person at the right time when covid hit, but he isn't the right person to settle things down, somewhat like Churchill in the war was good then after the war he was useless.

But it is misleading for Knobby to say the subs was Morrisons most popular policy and biggest achievement, when in reality he was carved up by the press for doing it and Dutton was called a war monger, now the subs are the best thing since sliced bread and talk of war is o.k.
That's the media for you.
Now we have to see how Albo goes.

Morrison would be in competition with Abbott as Australias worst PM.

Utterly deceitful at every turn while doing very little.