Australian Politics: The Albanese Times

[Sideroxylon]

Loving Penny Wong’s work in listening to our Pacific neighbours instead of dictating and railroading.

[arthwollipot]

Originally Posted by Sideroxylon

Loving Penny Wong’s work in listening to our Pacific neighbours instead of dictating and railroading.

And I notice that she hasn't once used the phrase "our backyard".

[arthwollipot]

In case you missed it...

Tamil asylum seeker family cleared to return home to Biloela on bridging visas, Acting Home Affairs Minister says

Quote:

Acting Home Affairs Minister Jim Chalmers has announced that Tamil asylum seekers, the Nadesalingam family, will be allowed to return to the central Queensland town of Biloela.

The family, also known as the Murugappans, will be able to return and live in the community on bridging visas while they await their case to be resolved in court.

Nades, Priya and their two daughters, Kopika and Tharnicaa have been in detention for the past four years after immigration officials detained them in 2018.

The family were held on Christmas Island for two years before their youngest daughter was medically evacuated to Perth, where they have been in community detention since June 2021.

It comes after Labor promised during the campaign that if it won the election, the Nadesalingam family would be allowed to return home to Biloela.

And so a shameful period in Australian history starts to come to a close.

[Orphia Nay]

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

In case you missed it...

Tamil asylum seeker family cleared to return home to Biloela on bridging visas, Acting Home Affairs Minister says

And so a shameful period in Australian history starts to come to a close.

Finally!

[Susheel]

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

...
And so a shameful period in Australian history starts to come to a close.

Some might claim that you are impinging on people's rights to ensure the purity of "national identities". (/s)

[a_unique_person]

Morrison complains because Teals were mean to him.

[Norman Alexander]

Originally Posted by a_unique_person

Morrison complains because Teals were mean to him.

Not just the Teals, it was just about everyone but News Ltd.

[Sideroxylon]

Oh this is such a simple but powerful insight.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-05-...oice/101102836

[dudalb]

Originally Posted by Sideroxylon

I have been listening to Albanese’s post trip interviews. It’s very refreshing to have a smart leader with sincerity and vision instead of a clever leader with agendas talking out the side of his mouth.

I have no horse in this race, but seems to me that the second can often pass himself off as the first......

[dudalb]

From all I have read, if I was an AUssie, I would have been a moderate Liberal who ended p voting Labor because I could not stomach a Alpha Hotel like Morrison any longer.

[dudalb]

It will be fun to see Rupert's reaction to this......

[Sideroxylon]

Originally Posted by dudalb

I have no horse in this race, but seems to me that the second can often pass himself off as the first......

Context matters and here are some crib notes. Imagine for yourself the high degree of clever gymnastics it takes to pander to climate denialists and the fossil fuel industry, doing as little as possible towards climate action while your country variously burns and floods to record levels. In 2017 this dickhead took a lump of coal supplied by the Minerals Council (Industry lobby group) into Australian Parliament and mockingly said, “Don’t be scared.” In 2020 as horrendous bushfires burn towns and forrest habitats he ***** off too Hawaii on a family holiday, and forces victims to shake his hand on return. Imagine the mealy mouth crap coming from him on climate while the international community damned our inaction. They even had the balls to insult public intelligence and sell their climate action record during the campaign.

Compare that to a bloke who sees climate as an existential threat. Imagine the ease of sincerity that he can talk on that subject while the other guy was bull ********. Climate was a major issue here and it also had flow on to national security. You familiar with US and Australian concerns about the Soloman Islands agreement with China? The last band of arrogant dickheads were caught on a hot mike laughing about Pacific island countries going under water and blocked a statement on climate at the last conference. Our brand new foreign minister has been visiting, listening and assuring that we take this issue seriously.

The ease in sincerity indeed.

[Sideroxylon]

Originally Posted by dudalb

From all I have read, if I was an AUssie, I would have been a moderate Liberal who ended p voting Labor because I could not stomach a Alpha Hotel like Morrison any longer.

I hear some of the more rabid lefties voted for the Greens for the first time ever. That’s reflected in their best performance ever and it is a message that Labor.

[Sideroxylon]

Originally Posted by Orphia Nay

Finally!

This is such good news but there are many others.

[Wildy]

So how long until we hear that Dutto is a top bloke who should be our next PM instead of that Labour guy with a foreign name?

[The Atheist]

I'd just like to offer Albo Kiwi congrats for winning the 2025 election.

With Dutton as his opposition, he's a dead cert.

Well played, Libs!

[Wildy]

Don't count the power of News Ltd out yet.

[Orphia Nay]

Reading reports that Albanese swore an affirmation, not a religious oath when sworn in as PM. Good sign.

And good fodder for Murdoch.

[Wildy]

There are already cries that his swearing in was illegitimate because he didn't say the stuff about the Queen that Morrison did.

[Norman Alexander]

Originally Posted by Wildy

There are already cries that his swearing in was illegitimate because he didn't say the stuff about the Queen that Morrison did.

From where? Nah, I think I can guess...

NB. The incoming PM sets the form of the oath he takes when being sworn in by the GG. The whingers mistook that for the oath incoming senators take when taking their seats in parliament for the first time, which does have an official wording and does include some Queeny bits.

[Wildy]

Just providing a source for the thing I said now that I'm at a PC. It's the bunch of crazies I think you were expecting them to be.

[lionking]

Labor now has a majority, having now won Macnamara.

I now abjectly apologise to Albo, who I always thought was decent but had the charisma, as I have said more than once, of a “small town mayor”. I certainly don’t mind being wrong.

I don’t think he will ascend to the pantheon of great Labor PMs, but he will get two terms now, has not put a foot wrong so far and has a great united team. ******* fantastic.

[catsmate]

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

I'm gonna say no.

Awwww. That's terrible, you're missing one of the most fun parts of the process.

And I see that votes are still being counted? Isn't this just a tad slow? Or are you having multiple recounts?

Originally Posted by Norman Alexander

Hmmm, they sound like what we might call "scrutineers"? Although for Australia, scrutineers are usually party-affiliated watchdogs.

In any case, the AEC staff do the counting, and this is overseen extensively by all parties and the media to ensure scrupulous fairness. Because we have all paper ballots, counting is always going to be slower than electronic tallying. And if there's a challenge, they can be recounted.

Scrutineers seem to be count monitors rather than people tallying the vote count and predicting the result.
Here the tallymen do not touch the ballots, they observe from a distance and are fenced from the votes and counters.
We did look at electronic voting; it did not go well.

[Wildy]

If they manage to pick up Gilmore they'll have a nicer majority.

[rjh01]

Originally Posted by lionking

Labor now has a majority, having now won Macnamara.
<snip>

Labor could get 77 seats if it wins Gilmore. But it has only a slightly better than 50% chance of doing so. Otherwise Labor could lose its majority if a Labor MP ceases to be a Labor MP and is not replaced with another Labor MP.

Edit. More info on Gilmore here https://www.abc.net.au/news/election...022/guide/gilm

[arthwollipot]

Albo is announcing his cabinet right now. I'm on the liveblog, so post dump incoming.

[arthwollipot]

Okay, so that speech didn't include cabinet appointments.

[lionking]

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

Okay, so that speech didn't include cabinet appointments.

As I understand it, Albo chooses the cabinet, the party decides portfolios. I could have that the wrong way around, but the party definitely has a role.

[arthwollipot]

Originally Posted by lionking

As I understand it, Albo chooses the cabinet, the party decides portfolios. I could have that the wrong way around, but the party definitely has a role.

Yeah what I was reacting to was Albo's first speech to the Labor caucus.

It's been a while since those people have been in that room.

[arthwollipot]

The summary of the speech:

Anthony Albanese promises to lead more inclusive government in first speech to caucus

Quote:

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has used his first speech in front of his parliamentary colleagues to pledge that his government will do politics in a different, less divisive, way.

Mr Albanese was welcomed by the Labor caucus — which is the meeting of the Labor members of parliament — with cheers and applause, and choked back tears as he finished his speech by thanking his team for the "incredible honour" of being Prime Minister, saying it was "a big deal".

His speech also canvassed the success of the party's campaign, his vision for the next three years and his hope for re-election after that, but he did not reveal who would take what role in his ministry.

The government's frontbench will be officially sworn in on Wednesday morning.

[arthwollipot]

Originally Posted by catsmate

And I see that votes are still being counted? Isn't this just a tad slow? Or are you having multiple recounts?

The votes that are still being counted are postal and absentee votes. There were a LOT of those this time around.

[arthwollipot]

Oh, and in case you missed it, Barnaby's out. David Littleproud is leader of the Nationals.

[arthwollipot]

BREAKING: 77.

[psionl0]

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

BREAKING: 77.

I think I will wait for a better source than twitter before celebrating.

[Sideroxylon]

Nm

[arthwollipot]

Originally Posted by psionl0

I think I will wait for a better source than twitter before celebrating.

The source is the political editor for The Guardian. You're mistrusting the medium.

[psionl0]

Originally Posted by arthwollipot

The source is the political editor for The Guardian. You're mistrusting the medium.

The ABC isn't reporting a Gilmore win yet.

[lionking]

Originally Posted by psionl0

The ABC isn't reporting a Gilmore win yet.

No, but they are reporting Labor ahead with very few votes to count.

[arthwollipot]

Originally Posted by psionl0

The ABC isn't reporting a Gilmore win yet.

The Guardian is.

Quote:

Josh Butler
Labor has claimed the seat of Gilmore, with incumbent MP Fiona Phillips currently ahead by 222 votes on the official Electoral Commission count.
The Labor caucus gathered in Canberra today, for their first meeting after the election, with returning and new MPs meeting in Parliament House. A large number of a few dozen Labor caucus members gathered at the famous Aussie’s cafe for lunch and coffee, and they exploded in cheer as the news of the Gilmore result filtered through.
“Hello 77!” one MP yelled as they hugged Phillips, referring to Labor’s 77th seat in government.
A lot of back-slapping and handshakes followed.

[lionking]

Anyway it wouldn’t be the end of the world if it was 76. I know Labor wants one of its own as Speaker, but the Speaker is meant to be apolitical (they almost never are) and an Independent could have the House running as it should.