Day 33 cont

“The #Coalition’s plan to raise $3.6bn by increasing #tax on #VAPES and making them MORE WIDELY AVAILABLE would lead to “serious short- and long-term harm” and is “exactly what #BigTobacco have been asking for”, according to public health experts.”

#AusPol / #Liberals / #PeterDutton / #LNP / #Nationals / #LiberalNationals <https://www.theguardian.com/society/2025/may/02/coalition-vape-tax-retail-stores-sales>

Day 33 cont

“Foreign Minister #PennyWong (#Labor) is telling voters on #Chinese #SocialMedia apps that the #Liberals are questioning their #loyalty as both sides seek to exploit perceived links to #Beijing while continuing to court the #diaspora vote.

Key marginal seats in #NSW and #Victoria will likely be decided on the Chinese Australian vote, including the north Sydney seat of #Bennelong, where a man who held a senior role in a Chinese government-linked influence association (#CCP) is leading a volunteer group for the Liberal candidate.

Both claims show the difficulty political parties face as they try to win over Chinese Australian voters with a wide array of priorities, manage Australia’s #ComplexRelationship with its largest trading partner, and attack the other side over #NationalSecurity.”

Diversity in action.

#AusPol / #LNP / #Coalition / #Nationals / #LiberalNationals <https://archive.md/bglBZ> / <https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/wong-weaponises-liberal-chinese-spies-gaffe-in-battle-for-vote-20250430-p5lvic.html> (paywall)

@smitjo
Yes, I think you are right there. I liked his observation that: “The Dutton opposition has failed to do the hard work. It might be that it is incapable. It might be that it has grown accustomed to having policy parcelled up and handed to it by vested interests. It has elevated nasty politics to an art form. It has coasted on the uncritical backing of the powerful right-wing media.’ That is spot on.

Whatever happens on Saturday night, I don’t think the #LNP has the talent within the membership of its parliamentary causus to reinvigorate the party and the way it works. The indolence of those members is systemic and uncorrectable. To make any difference the #LNP must bleed to death before it can rise again phoenix-like with something that resembles anything like #liberal #policies instead of the #RWNJs and wingnuts it currently comprises.

Day 33 cont

“A #Coalition government would divert more than 10% of annual government funding for #CreativeAustralia to a single cultural project and unspecified broadcasting programs if elected at Saturday’s federal election.

In the Coalition’s #PolicyCostings, released on Thursday, the “safe, sustainable and connected communities” section contained a pledge to “#redirect” $33.2m of Creative Australia’s annual #funding of $312m “to #MelbourneJewishArtsQuarter and supporting #broadcasting”.

The quarter is a planned new centre celebrating Jewish #arts, #culture, #food and #shopping in #Elsternwick in #Melbourne.”

Entitlement. Since the LNP has no policy, the funding could be more than the stated 10%.

#AusPol / #Liberal / #LNP / #LiberalNational / #ClaireChandler <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/02/coalition-arts-funding-election-costings-creative-australia-jewish-quarter-project-broadcasting-ntwnfb>

Day 33 cont

“He’s not a monster” — #KirillyDutton

#AusPol / #PeterDutton / #Liberal / #LNP / #LiberalNational / #Coalition / #JobInterview <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/may/02/australia-election-2025-live-last-day-campaign-anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-labor-coalition-poll-voting-ntwnfb?page=with%3Ablock-681459598f088213e42d7a19#block-681459598f088213e42d7a19>

Day 33 cont

A Lady Macbeth comes to mind.

“Hume says it’s too early to discuss replacing #PeterDutton Shadow finance minister #JaneHume was asked on #ABCNews (#HateNews) Breakfast a little earlier about whether she sees shadow treasurer #AngusTaylor as a future #leader of the party.

Hume says it’s “too early” to have those conversations.

You do not read the #entrails until you have #gutted the #chicken. We will be working for every vote up until 6 on election day.

(my emphasis, "Out, damned spot!”)

Asked whether she wants to keep her finance portfolio, Hume says: “I hope so … but that is entirely up to the leader.” She adds:

#DemocracySausages are my favourite meal. If I was on #DeathRow and they asked me what my #LastMeal would be? A sausage in bread with onion and #TomatoSauce.”

A Freudian slip (#parapraxis)?

#AusPol / #Liberals / #Nationals / #LiberalNational / #LNP / #MacBeth / #shakespeare <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2025/may/02/australia-election-2025-live-last-day-campaign-anthony-albanese-peter-dutton-labor-coalition-poll-voting-ntwnfb?filterKeyEvents=false&page=with%3Ablock-6814029c8f08ca89058036c7#block-6814029c8f08ca89058036c7>

Day 33 cont

“Support for #Australia’s ongoing ban on nuclear energy has risen sharply since #PeterDutton (Liberal) made the issue a central plank of #Coalition #EnergyPolicy, according to the country’s largest independent survey on #ClimateChange and #energy.

The survey also found fewer people thought any benefits of #NuclearPower outweighed the #risks compared with the previous year.

Even among #people intending to vote #Liberal, support for #nuclear power was not overwhelming, with only 53% in favour of the party’s intention to lift the #NationalBan if elected.”

#AusPol / #LNP / #LiberalNational / #ClimateEmergency <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/01/australians-support-for-nuclear-power-ban-rises-despite-duttons-best-efforts-to-sell-atomic-future-survey-finds>

Day 33 cont

“#ForeignFossilFuel and #IsraelLobbyists are flooding the 2025 election campaign with cash and smear ads against the #Greens, #Teals and #Labor. #auspol

We investigate the #shadowy players behind #AdvanceAustralia, #better Australia, and the so-called #MinorityImpactCoalition, revealing how these '#astroturfers' are sowing fear and lies, deploying #DarkMoney to rig the #conversation.

Who #funds them? Why now? And why is the #AEC doing nothing?”

MichaelWest from the “West Report” (Chanel Youtube ) talks about the #ForeignInfluenceOperation being conducted during the current elections.

#AusPol / #LNP / #Liberal / #Nationals / #LiberalNationals / #Coalition / #propaganda / #espionage <https://youtube.com/watch?v=pR1vEPh8-BY>

Day 33 cont

“If #PeterDutton (#Liberal) were to form government, safety could come to the fore again because it would need to overturn the #FederalBan on #NuclearEnergy, implemented in 1999 by #JohnHoward (ex PM, Liberal) in a deal with #TheGreens.

Despite the dangers being dismissed by Labor (AUKUS) and the Coalition , Caldicott remains concerned about #NuclearWaste being improperly stored in #Australia and contaminating water supplies – or even a #Chernobyl-like #reactor meltdown.

“It’s not being discussed at all, which is amazing to me”, Caldicott says. “People are very ignorant.”” — #HelenCaldicott MD

Q Where is the hottest Nuclear waste in Australia right now? (hint 1950s Nuclear tests exploding #Plutonium above ground)

#AusPol / #LiberalNational / #LNP / #Nationals <https://archive.md/dTKcZ> / <https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/australians-once-feared-the-health-impacts-of-nuclear-now-nobody-s-talking-about-it-20250324-p5lm2k.html> (paywall)

Day 33

“A #Liberal-aligned #ThinkTank running last-minute #AntiGreens #advertisements targeting young voters received more than $600,000 from the #coal industry during last year’s #Queensland election, disclosures show.

On Monday evening, the #AustralianInstituteForProgress released a “Can you afford the Greens?” video advertisement pushing claims, based on its own commissioned research, that the Greens’ housing policies would lead to increased #rents.

Emails to supporters from the #AIP executive director, former Queensland Liberal vice-president #GrahamYoung, seeking #donations to push anti-Greens advertisements show the #campaign is specifically aimed at helping elect #LiberalNational party #candidates #TrevorEvans and #MaggieForrest in the seats of #Brisbane and #Ryan.”

This is why I use the term #LNPCrimeGang.

#AusPol / #Liberal / #Nationals / #LNP / #ThinkTanks / #democracy / #MaxChandlerMather / #ClimateEmergency / #HousingEmergency <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/02/australian-institute-for-progress-anti-greens-election-ads-coal-australia-donations-ntwnfb>

Day 32

Things are coming in thick and fast today, so I’ll try to summarise the major themes.

No Policies of the #Liberal, #LNP and #Coalition.

#AngusTaylor (Opposition Treasurer, Liberal) hands in his #Economics homework late, it’s got problems.

A derivative that is toxic

“A Coalition government would drive the #budget deeper into #deficit over the coming two years, as the shadow finance minister, #JaneHume, insisted her party’s plan to save $17.2bn by #slashing the number of #Canberra-based #PublicServants by 41,000 through “natural attrition” was achievable.”

If returned to power, the Coalition would gut a long list of environment and clean energy programs, including #scrapping the #NetZero #Economy #Agency, reversing Labor’s #TaxBreaks for #ElectricVehicles, and redirecting money slated for the #HomeBatteries program.

#Reversing tax incentives for green hydrogen would save $1.5bn over four years, and not proceeding with Labor’s critical mineral production tax credits would save $1.2bn, the Coalition’s election policy costings show.”

#AusPol / #treasury / #costings / #economy / #future <https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/may/01/coalition-costings-federal-election-promises-larger-deficit-cut-foreign-aid-environment-clean-energy>

Day 31 cont ️

“The #Coalition has been desperate to talk about #TheVoice, and it's little wonder why — the #referendum not only marked a devastating result for many #FirstNations people but also a turning point in the government's fortunes.

The Coalition's numbers started to surge in the #polls, and now that those numbers have fallen behind #Labor, it's been searching for the way back.”

The public denigration of Australia’s first nations people by the LNP and its followers makes me physically sick.

#AusPol / #LNP / #Nationals / #AdvanceAustralia / #extremism / #RightWing / #Destabilisation <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-30/penny-wong-voice-press-club-trump-call-clive-palmer/105233988>

Day 31 cont

The LNP has a candidate problem cont:

“The #LiberalParty plans to take the #BoroondaraCityCouncil to court to stop it from removing the signs of #Kooyong candidate #AmeliaHamer, the second sign-related squabble to erupt in the affluent Melbourne seat.

The #escalation comes after a #worker from the council, which the #Liberals say is friendly to #independent MP #MoniqueRyan, was filmed confiscating a Liberals sign reading "Monique, please DO NOT take this sign!".”

#AusPol / #LNP / #Liberal / #Nationals / #extremism <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-30/kooyong-monique-ryan-amelia-hamer-sign-injunction/105233842>

Day 31 cont

“#Nationals senator #BridgetMackenzie joined Afternoon Briefing and defended the #Coalition's decision to accept #OneNation preferences.”

#AusPol / #Liberal / #LNP / #Coalition / #RightWing / #extremism <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-30/federal-election-2025-live-albanese-dutton-campaign-/105231912?utm_campaign=abc_news_web&utm_content=link&utm_medium=content_shared&utm_source=abc_news_web>