It’s grows and grows and grows. Via The Guardian:
Malcolm Turnbull’s approval rating is down five points in a month, and his disapproval up six points, but he remains clearly ahead of Bill Shorten as preferred prime minister, according to the latest Guardian Essential poll.
Labor retains a thumping lead over the Coalition in the latest survey, ahead on the two-party-preferred measure 54% to 46%, meaning the opposition would comfortably win any federal election held today.
But the Guardian Essential poll has Turnbull clearly ahead as preferred prime minister. He’s on 40% (down 2% in a month) compared with Shorten’s 28%, with 33% of the sample of 1,815 voters undecided.
At The Australian the message is clear:
The focus on Malcolm Turnbull’s famous Newspoll declaration — that losing 30 in a row was enough to finish a prime minister — disguises the real Newspoll threat to his leadership before Christmas.
The fatal Newspoll figure is the “preferred prime minister” score when it shows the PM of the day has lost a clear lead or trails the opposition leader.
In recent history, it’s not the two-party-preferred figure in Newspoll, dissatisfaction with the leader’s performance or even the primary vote that have triggered leadership challenges — it is the moment when dominance as preferred prime minister is lost.
The past three times a prime minister has been removed by their own party, the trigger has been the PM losing a clear lead or trailing the opposition leader as preferred prime minister.
Laura Tingle is sucked into the black hole:
And so the descent into true madness takes a firm grip in Canberra.
The Senate resumed sitting and the extraordinary mayhem of recent weeks was reflected in the fact that the first order of business was swearing in three new senators and a new Senate President.
One of those new senators, Fraser Anning – who managed to get just 19 votes of his own in the federal election – had to be escorted into the chamber by other cross benchers because he had just announced he was leaving the party on whose ticket he had got into the upper house – Pauline Hanson’s One Nation.
In the Senate, there were bitter exchanges over Manus Island, on ministers misleading parliament over the Senate presidency and over a raid on a union office.
But even that was not enough. There was talk that yet another senator – Jacqui Lambie – might be disqualified because of her parentage.
David Crowe is selling the mother of all bad ideas:
The government will be vulnerable for the fortnight when parliament resumes on November 27, lacking not only Mr Alexander but also former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce, given concerns it could take several days for him to return to parliament if he wins the December 2 by-election in the seat of New England.
…a special Newspoll conducted exclusively for The Australian shows more voters favour changing the constitutional ban on dual citizenship than keeping the existing rules.
Another dodgy referendum is not what the government needs. It’s last half-arsed effort is about to engulf it:
Malcolm Turnbull is facing demands from conservative Coalition MPs and the No campaign to provide acceptable religious and freedom-of-speech protections or be punished for supporting a same-sex marriage bill backed by Labor and the Greens.
Senior conservative ministers and MPs yesterday told The Australian that the government must support strict protections outlined in a rival bill to Liberal MP Dean Smith’s, or face the prospect of an electoral and partyroom backlash.
Cabinet minister Matt Canavan and Turnbull ministers Zed Seselja, Angus Taylor and Michael Sukkar, as well as former prime minister Tony Abbott, have issued effective support for a bill put forward by Victorian senator James Paterson.
The result of the government’s postal survey will be released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics tomorrow at 10am.
“I don’t believe the Smith bill adequately protects human rights,” Senator Canavan told The Australian.
And the parallel leader won’t shut up, from Tony Abbott:
Whichever way it goes, the supporters of marriage between a man and a woman can be proud of their campaign. With polls showing support for same-sex marriage as high as 70 per cent just two months ago, the No campaign has done a fine job reminding people of the importance of keeping faith with values and institutions that have stood the test of time. Change is part of life but change for the better is invariably evolutionary, not revolutionary, and builds on our best traditions and historical strengths.
Two months ago, there were all sorts of hysterical claims about the bigotry and homophobia that the plebiscite would supposedly unleash. There have indeed been nasty social media posts on both sides of the argument but there’s been no bullying, intimidation, or prejudice from the No campaign. Yet again, the Australian people have shown that they’re more than capable of respecting views they don’t necessarily agree with and the Abbott government’s decision to resolve this matter by popular vote has been vindicated.
…The same-sex marriage plebiscite is really the first time the public has been asked their view on an important values question. With no big political party leader on their side and with many church leaders dithering and divided, the ability of the No case to mobilise more than 5000 volunteer doorknockers and phone canvassers and to raise more than $6 million from 20,000-plus individual donors shows the latent power of respect for tradition, if only the case is made for it. The challenge will be to keep the faith and stay the course for the even more important struggles ahead.
Others smell blood:
Independent MP Bob Katter has sided with Labor in the dual citizenship row and decided against referring opposition members to the High Court, in a key move to maximise the pressure on the government over a banking royal commission.
The member for Kennedy is also waiting until former deputy prime minister Barnaby Joyce faces the voters on December 2 before putting a royal commission motion to the House of Representatives in the hope Nationals MP George Christensen will support him.
The Australian understands Mr Christensen could cross the floor and vote against the government on such a motion once Mr Joyce’s by-election in the seat of New England is held.
“After December 2, it’s game on,” Mr Katter said.
“It’s my understanding of George’s position that he will do nothing to adversely affect Joyce’s election chances. While they’re electioneering he won’t cross the floor. By implication, when electioneering is finished he will vote (to set up a banking royal commission).”
It’s complete chaos now as the entire nation is sucked into the bosom of its hollow suit leader.
Expect Newpolls to worsen.
