LABOR RACE HEATS UP
Anthony Albanese is within striking distance of the Labor leadership following shadow treasurer Chris Bowen’s withdrawal from the race yesterday. His remaining right-leaning rival, “rising star” Jim Chalmers, has reportedly been told to clear the way for Albanese or face factional payback, leaving some Victorian MPs “fuming” at the stitch up.
Chalmers is still considering his options following the offer of a fig leaf in the form of the deputy-leader spot.
Elsewhere, Penny Wong issued a warning to Bill Shorten to stay out of it — Albanese has been waiting a long time and key backers are now openly tweeting their support. Party secretary Noah Carroll, meanwhile, is “dead as a dodo”, with calls for him to step down before he is pushed for Labor’s loss.
ADANI SPEEDS UP
Moves are speeding up to approve Adani’s Carmichael coal mine, The Age reports, after the issue proved both divisive and decisive in the Coalition’s Queensland sweep.
Labor Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk, who has been facing pressure from inside and outside the party, said that everyone’s “had a gutful” of the issue, and is expected to fast track approvals by Friday, appointing her coordinator-general to oversee the process. The mine next to Adani, meanwhile, has been quietly put on hold, leaving thousands of promised jobs in doubt.
The Greens have warned Labor against a drift to the right ($) on climate change and the mine, The Australian reports, with deputy leader Adam Bandt warning of a “brutal” campaign in key inner-city seats if they do — including Anthony Albanese’s seat of Grayndler.
ONE SMALL WIN
Labor has had one small win in the federal election, with Liberal incumbent Sarah Henderson last night conceding Corangamite, and congratulating Labor’s Libby Coker on her victory. Coker is only the second Labor MP to hold the ultra-marginal south-west Victorian seat since 1931, the Geelong Advertiser notes. Henderson was reportedly expected to receive a front bench position in the re-elected Morrison government, but a 2018 boundary redistribution cut her winning margin of 3.1% to a notional 0.03%.
The Coalition was keen to hang on to Corangamite, with an infograph from The Age showing it was the most heavily pork-barrelled seat in the state.
[free_worm]
THEY REALLY SAID THAT?
It was a tactic, and so she had to take some skin along the way.
Melissa Price supporter
Supporters of the probably-soon-to-be-former environment minister told The Guardian that she was gagged during the election for “tactical” reasons.
READ ALL ABOUT IT
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Labor weighed shift to capping franking credits
‘Vanity project’: critics round on ACTU’s $25m campaign after Labor’s election loss
Australia’s new parliament is no more multicultural than the last one
Labor pushes for cap on political expenditure after Clive Palmer’s $60 million election spend
‘Zombie’ reforms see public servants face 40pc super fee hike ($)
Sydney told to expect water restrictions ‘soon’ as dam levels dive
‘She’s extra proud’: One Nation hails surprise result but no new seats
‘Swastika cupcakes’: private chats of neo-Nazis who stacked Young Nationals
CRIKEY QUICKIE: THE BEST OF YESTERDAY
Is it illegal to lie to voters in political ads?
“The High Court hasn’t looked at this law [the Commonwealth Electoral Act] since 1981. In considering whether some misleading advertising during an election offended the predecessor to s329, the court set down a clear principle, which the lower courts have been applying ever since. Essentially, it said it is not illegal to tell lies in an election campaign, provided those lies are directed only at influencing a voter’s choice of who they will vote for. It is, however, illegal to tell lies that might cause that voter, having made his or her choice, to mistakenly record their vote for someone else (or invalidly).”
Business moves to fill Morrison’s empty agenda
“What’s also changed is a swapping of the reluctant tone of accepting that the community loathes them for its more traditional tone of hectoring and demanding that the government give them what they want. That is, business wants neoliberal business-as-usual.”
Stopping Adani won’t stop climate change
“Global greenhouse gas emissions will be largely unchanged whether Adani proceeds or doesn’t. The world consumes around 5.5 trillion tonnes of coal each year to burn in power stations and make electricity. Coal use is declining in developed economies and growing in developing. The Work Bank has been funding coal-fired power stations in a number of developing countries for a while now. It’s likely the last users of coal will be the world’s poorer nations.”
THE COMMENTARIAT
The election’s ultimate lesson is about mainstream Australian values – Dominic Perrottet (The Sydney Morning Herald): “Ultimately this election showed that Australian mainstream values are centre-right, not left. While Labor is learning that lesson the hard way, Liberals should take note too. Liberal or Labor, the siren song of the self-appointed “progressive” elite will always beckon, and the temptation to tailor policy to their whims will always be powerful. But working, aspirational Australia is where elections continue to be won and lost. With Scott Morrison at the helm, that’s where the Liberals are today, and that’s exactly where we need to stay.”
Australia needs to understand Queensland, not shun it ($) – Michael Madigan (The Daily Telegraph): “Who were these silent Australians who defied all predictions and voted in a Coalition Government when the whole world — including The New York Times (May 15 edition: “Bill Shorten, the frontrunner in the race to be Australia’s next prime minister’’) — thought Labor was a shoo-in? Why didn’t they let us know what they were thinking? Why didn’t they raise their voice and dominate social media, make a ruckus in the streets and take to the highways chanting their demands?”
A retort to my friend who wrote: ‘I’m young and I voted Liberal’ – M Gibson (The Sydney Morning Herald): “Her cheering for the Liberal Party reminded me of how sports fans rally to their teams. And like a sports fan reliving long-past glories, Griffiths reaches back into history and cherry-picks details of reforms introduced by the conservative side of politics over the decades – to suggest the Liberals are a socially progressive force.”
HOLD THE FRONT PAGE
WHAT’S ON TODAY
Canberra
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The Nationals will hold a party room meeting to reconfirm their leadership, with Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack expected to be returned as leader with Bridget McKenzie as his deputy.
Melbourne
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Essendon Football Club and The Long Walk will host The Long Lunch, in recognition of the role Michael Long played in the creation of the AFL’s Racial and Religious Vilification policy, ahead of the AFL’s indigenous round. Long will give the keynote address.
Hobart
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The Tasmanian budget will be handed down in parliament.
Western Australia’s Kimberley region
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The Federal Court will make three significant native title determinations.
Sydney
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The Stockbrokers And Financial Advisers Association will host its stockbrokers conference, with ASIC Executive Director of Markets Greg Yanco discussing ASIC’s role post-royal commission.
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