Australian Politics

By Leith van Onselen The Morrison Government could potentially have 35 seats in the new Senate, which means it would require the support of only four crossbenchers to pass legislation in the upper house.

Via The Australian comes Albo, new Labor leader in waiting: “The language used was terrible … unions and employers have a common interest.

From the New Daily: Anthony Albanese is set to be elected unopposed as Labor leader with Queenslander Jim Chalmers as his deputy as Chris Bowen prepares to pull out of the ballot.

Here is the untold story of how Australia saved ANZUS, via Reuters: In early 2018, in a complex of low-rise buildings in the Australian capital, a team of government hackers was engaging in a destructive digital war game.

Oh no, at the NYT: The Trump administration is considering limits to a Chinese video surveillance giant’s ability to buy American technology, people familiar with the matter said, the latest attempt to counter Beijing’s global economic ambitions.

Chris Bowen via Domain today: “We need to remind ourselves how to talk to the base, which is not inner city,” Bowen says in an interview.

Via the AFR: Scott Morrison’s shock win in the federal election may have been delivered by the “battlers” – non-university educated voters in lower income brackets – and Christians.

Via the Communist Party of China foghorn: The surprise victory of Australia’s Liberal National coalition on Saturday gives Prime Minister Scott Morrison’s Liberal Party a third term in government.

Via the AFR: Prime Minister Scott Morrison, who spent the day bunkered in meetings and planning his new cabinet, shot down suggestions that he should adopt policy beyond what he took to the election, including in the energy sector.

Shadow Treasurer Chris Bowen has just thrown his hat into the ring to contest Labor’s leadership, turning it into a three horse race between him, Anthony Albanese and Jim Chalmers.

Via The Australian comes Steve Bannon: Donald Trump’s former chief strategist Steve Bannon says Labor’s Bill Shorten “snatched ­defeat from the jaws of victory” ­because he pandered to inner-city elites at the expense of ordinary Australian families.

The media drivel about the election is as widespread as it is wrong.

Cross-posted from Patreon: I’m sure like most of you – you are scratching your head to explain what happened last night, and how Bill Shorten lost the Federal Election (when only months ago most people thought he would romp it home in a landslide).

Got give credit where it’s due, via Chris Joye: During the week I advised my investors, media colleagues and friends that it would not be surprising if Scott Morrison won the election comfortably.

My day job is a mix of quantitative and fundamental investment analysis.

Day one and it is reading the tea leaves all wrong at The Guardian: Anthony Albanese is making a concerted play for the Labor leadership, declaring the party’s policy direction needs to change but signalling he would promote progressive values, as the count continues after Saturday night’s election.

Good news, via The Australian: The election result will not improve Australia’s relations with Beijing, says editor-in-chief of ­nationalist tabloid The Global Times, Hu Xijin, as analysts speculate that China is trying to pressure a new Morrison government to shift its position on issues such as Huawei.

From The ABC: The ABC election computer is predicting the Coalition has secured majority government with at least 77 seats, as the Liberals appear set to secure Bass, Chisholm, Boothby and Wentworth.

Leith and I are relieved.

Via the ABC: Scott Morrison has earnt a permanent place as a Liberal Party legend — returning the Government in what was meant to be an unwinnable election for the Coalition.

By Leith van Onselen Many of us were hoping in vain that a Shorten-led Labor Government would follow the will of the electorate and lower Australia’s immigration intake back to sensible historical levels: Sadly, the opposite is true.

Via William Bowe: Federal opinion poll aggregate and seat prediction model, drawing on polling by Newspoll, Galaxy, Ipsos, YouGov, Essential Research and ReachTEL.

Via the AFR’s official muckraker: Is there genuinely no bow too long for our sibling mastheads TheSydney Morning Herald and The Age to draw in their advancement mission for former Liberal deputy Julie Bishop?

Good job ABC’s The Business: The incoming Labor Government must immediately toughen the Australian Domestic Gas Security Mechanism (ADGSM) with a $6Gj price cap or export net back that includes LNG plant capital costs, whichever is lower.