We elected a new government in May. The PM seems OK.
June 10, 2022 4:29 AM Subscribe
Australia went to the polls three weeks ago* and elected a new federal government. Now anthropomorphised cartoon animals are laughing again.
Our new Prime Minister has been busy. He’s been overseas already, twice. First to the QUAD meeting in Tokyo (pdf) where he caught up with Joe and the boys, then to Indonesia to ride bikes with Joko. Now Jacinda has popped in from across the ditch to smooth some troubles with an exchange of vinyl.
DJ Albo gave Jacinda and Clark a classic Powerderfinger, Midnight Oil’s latest, and the new Spiderbait celebration of Janet, their beloved bass player and singer. Jacinda in return shared some Aldous Harding, The Clean, Reb Fountain, and a compilation of 1970s New Zealand punk gems. The new PM's old mate Billy Bragg will probably also swap some vinyl when he visits in March.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, but call him Albo, is a career politician who was raised by a single mother in social housing in inner-suburban Sydney. He entered parliament in the 1996 election although his party lost government, and then spent ten years in opposition holding various shadow portfolios. With the Rudd election in 2007, the Labor Party began a tumultuous six years in government where Albo was a minister and briefly deputy prime minister. Then his fractured and weakened party imploded resulting in another eon in opposition. He knows how internal white-anting has destroyed the party before and his success today is the outcome of returning more power to the party's branch members a decade ago.
Of course, the election didn't go all Albo's way. While the hard-right-leaning conservative (blue) Liberal Party were kicked into the mud, a cluster of so-called 'teal' independents funded by a billionaire on a platform of climate action were elected in seats previously held by the Liberal Party, as the Greens took seats from Liberal and Labor and quadrupled their numbers in the House of Reps and doubled them in the Senate denying both Albo's Labor Party, and Mr Potato Head's Liberal Party a majority in the upper house.
But like First Dog says, Albo and the Greals is what this country got, and it might just be what this country needs. Wish us luck. And BTW, we desperately need nurses and teachers. Pay's not horrible, benefits are OK, and the politics has its moments. See Albo for details.
*Voting started six weeks ago (pre-poll), and finished three weeks ago (polling day) plus postal voting. The meta outcome is obvious and claimed but there is still postal voting to count before all seats are distributed.
Our new Prime Minister has been busy. He’s been overseas already, twice. First to the QUAD meeting in Tokyo (pdf) where he caught up with Joe and the boys, then to Indonesia to ride bikes with Joko. Now Jacinda has popped in from across the ditch to smooth some troubles with an exchange of vinyl.
DJ Albo gave Jacinda and Clark a classic Powerderfinger, Midnight Oil’s latest, and the new Spiderbait celebration of Janet, their beloved bass player and singer. Jacinda in return shared some Aldous Harding, The Clean, Reb Fountain, and a compilation of 1970s New Zealand punk gems. The new PM's old mate Billy Bragg will probably also swap some vinyl when he visits in March.
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, but call him Albo, is a career politician who was raised by a single mother in social housing in inner-suburban Sydney. He entered parliament in the 1996 election although his party lost government, and then spent ten years in opposition holding various shadow portfolios. With the Rudd election in 2007, the Labor Party began a tumultuous six years in government where Albo was a minister and briefly deputy prime minister. Then his fractured and weakened party imploded resulting in another eon in opposition. He knows how internal white-anting has destroyed the party before and his success today is the outcome of returning more power to the party's branch members a decade ago.
Of course, the election didn't go all Albo's way. While the hard-right-leaning conservative (blue) Liberal Party were kicked into the mud, a cluster of so-called 'teal' independents funded by a billionaire on a platform of climate action were elected in seats previously held by the Liberal Party, as the Greens took seats from Liberal and Labor and quadrupled their numbers in the House of Reps and doubled them in the Senate denying both Albo's Labor Party, and Mr Potato Head's Liberal Party a majority in the upper house.
But like First Dog says, Albo and the Greals is what this country got, and it might just be what this country needs. Wish us luck. And BTW, we desperately need nurses and teachers. Pay's not horrible, benefits are OK, and the politics has its moments. See Albo for details.
*Voting started six weeks ago (pre-poll), and finished three weeks ago (polling day) plus postal voting. The meta outcome is obvious and claimed but there is still postal voting to count before all seats are distributed.
On one hand, Jacinda Ardern gave him some quirky Flying Nun indie (though admittedly not their most out-there releases), and he gave her some middle-of-the-road 3-chord JJJ OzGrunge, though that was to be expected. Australia likes its PMs to (purport to) be broad-church populists, and while Albo is not Daggy Dad ScoMo, his role is to be the Newtown hipster as relatable to by suburban voters, i.e., he acknowledges alternative music that voters with Triple M stickers on their cars have heard of. Him talking about obscure indie bands from community radio would get him massacred by the press as an out-of-touch elitist inner-city hipster, like an indie-rock version of Paul Keating with his French antique clocks or something.
posted by acb at 5:57 AM on June 10, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by acb at 5:57 AM on June 10, 2022 [2 favorites]
Btw, First Dog's solution of the Greals becoming the permanent opposition and the tories withering away suggests a Labor Party completely captured by fossil interests and shifting to the centre-right, becoming essentially the LNP without the weird religious culture-war baggage.
posted by acb at 5:58 AM on June 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by acb at 5:58 AM on June 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have no idea what 90% of the references here mean and I still love this post.
posted by heatherlogan at 5:58 AM on June 10, 2022 [8 favorites]
posted by heatherlogan at 5:58 AM on June 10, 2022 [8 favorites]
The Nadesalingams went home to Biloela today.
This is a Labor Government and not a Greens Government, so they only have a bridging visa rather than immediate full citizenship to compensate them for having been cruelly, arbitrarily, pointlessly, counterproductively fucked about for so long against the clearly expressed wishes of the community they'd made their home. But it's a start.
First Dog's point about the slow leak of laughter that afflicted this country for the decade that the Mad Monk and his ever more banal successors were in office is well made.
I was really hoping for a hung Parliament this time around but what we got is still a great improvement on what we had.
More from that billionaire. No, not that one.
posted by flabdablet at 6:18 AM on June 10, 2022 [8 favorites]
This is a Labor Government and not a Greens Government, so they only have a bridging visa rather than immediate full citizenship to compensate them for having been cruelly, arbitrarily, pointlessly, counterproductively fucked about for so long against the clearly expressed wishes of the community they'd made their home. But it's a start.
First Dog's point about the slow leak of laughter that afflicted this country for the decade that the Mad Monk and his ever more banal successors were in office is well made.
I was really hoping for a hung Parliament this time around but what we got is still a great improvement on what we had.
More from that billionaire. No, not that one.
posted by flabdablet at 6:18 AM on June 10, 2022 [8 favorites]
God I hope the Morrison govt's COVID response throws the coalition out of power for a generation. Murdoch press is going to be working overtime trying to launder Dutton's reputation.
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 6:37 AM on June 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by Your Childhood Pet Rock at 6:37 AM on June 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
I mean that's an... okay trio of albums, but c'mon man. If you're going to stay with fairly mainstream releases that people are likely to vaguely recognize, at least give her a copy of Internationalist with its ominous warnings of 'The Day You Come.' You're a Labor Prime Minister, so pick albums that reflect that sensibility. Little Cloud by The Whitlams, both for their namesake but because it includes both 'Year of the Rat' and '12 Hours', which bemoan the impacts of the Howard era. Footage Missing by The Fauves, because 'Right Wing Fags' hits the same notes about shared ideals being an important part of compatibility. And, I dunno - have a little fun with the idea that Australia coöpts the identity of New Zealand immigrants with any one of the first three Crowded House albums.
posted by MarchHare at 6:44 AM on June 10, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by MarchHare at 6:44 AM on June 10, 2022 [2 favorites]
And, I dunno - have a little fun with the idea that Australia coöpts the identity of New Zealand immigrants with any one of the first three Crowded House albums.
While it would have been funny to offer a Crowded House album, proclaiming them one of Australia's finest bands, we understand the Prime Minister's reluctance to start a war with one of our closest neighbours.posted by zamboni at 7:03 AM on June 10, 2022 [10 favorites]
It says something about Billy Bragg’s status and image that I was simultaneously surprised at the news that he was an old friend of the Australian prime minister, and also completely not surprised at all.
posted by Kattullus at 7:48 AM on June 10, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by Kattullus at 7:48 AM on June 10, 2022 [4 favorites]
Aldous Harding's debut album is a thing of wonder, possibly the most striking debut in decades, and it far outstrips her more recent 4AD work, I think. If you haven't listened to her before, do so now.
posted by mykescipark at 9:32 AM on June 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
posted by mykescipark at 9:32 AM on June 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
We brought a very expensive bottle back from WA to open when ScoMo was out of office and I was so delighted to get to open it. I am so happy for Australia and I am looking forward to better days ahead.
Although on keeping the Coalition down...everyone thought the Nationals in NZ were done for a generation after the tumult that led to Judith "Crusher" Collins and company having a disastrous election result, but they sure seem to be coming back.
posted by rednikki at 10:54 AM on June 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
Although on keeping the Coalition down...everyone thought the Nationals in NZ were done for a generation after the tumult that led to Judith "Crusher" Collins and company having a disastrous election result, but they sure seem to be coming back.
posted by rednikki at 10:54 AM on June 10, 2022 [1 favorite]
Has News Corp. or any similar operation got a foothold in New Zealand yet? Getting the local tories elected may be hard without an armoury of well-tested pig-launching apparatus.
OTOH, a Dutton-led Coalition in denial about the last election could require far more thrust to get airborne than even Murdoch, Stokes and Nine working together can provide, especially if Dutton keeps undermining attempts to humanise him.
posted by acb at 11:21 AM on June 10, 2022 [2 favorites]
OTOH, a Dutton-led Coalition in denial about the last election could require far more thrust to get airborne than even Murdoch, Stokes and Nine working together can provide, especially if Dutton keeps undermining attempts to humanise him.
posted by acb at 11:21 AM on June 10, 2022 [2 favorites]
We're - New Zealand - all very relieved the neighbours finally have a rational, and (probably) humanitarian government again . Hopefully enough of Australia realises never to vote fundamentalists (pentecostals) in again, what a nasty piece of work they are when in politics (& anywhere else ime). But we all need to keep a wary eye out for the dominionists in our midst.
acb I don't know much about news in NZ (I believe Murdoch has been kept out to some extent but I don't understand how) as it's all become very toxic, except for The Spinoff, and many smaller blogger journalists. Although that is becoming dangerous for instance Byron Clarke is currently under police protection having received death threats for calling out racism from toxic outfits such as The Taxpayers Union (a Covid-era US-funded division campaign).
Even Radio NZ (funded by government, but run through a commission) seems to have become subverted by increasingly more open racists, also they're openly interviewing Qanon / Covid-deniers etc for 'balance'
posted by unearthed at 1:18 PM on June 10, 2022 [6 favorites]
acb I don't know much about news in NZ (I believe Murdoch has been kept out to some extent but I don't understand how) as it's all become very toxic, except for The Spinoff, and many smaller blogger journalists. Although that is becoming dangerous for instance Byron Clarke is currently under police protection having received death threats for calling out racism from toxic outfits such as The Taxpayers Union (a Covid-era US-funded division campaign).
Even Radio NZ (funded by government, but run through a commission) seems to have become subverted by increasingly more open racists, also they're openly interviewing Qanon / Covid-deniers etc for 'balance'
posted by unearthed at 1:18 PM on June 10, 2022 [6 favorites]
True. And then there are all sorts of odious libertarian oligarchs buying NZ citizenships to set up their postapocalyptic survival compounds there. Them doing this without seeking to change the political climate to suit them (in the same way that methane-breathing aliens might attempt to veneriform Earth) sounds a bit optimistic.
posted by acb at 1:48 PM on June 10, 2022 [4 favorites]
posted by acb at 1:48 PM on June 10, 2022 [4 favorites]
"I believe Murdoch has been kept out to some extent but I don't understand how"
There is nothing keeping him out. Murdoch used to own a swathe of newspapers in New Zealand (the old INL, which eventually was bought by Fairfax, and most recently has become independent after a management buyout led by the editor). The Murdoch empire sold up simply because they wished to invest elsewhere. We're just too small to be interesting, I guess. Which leaves the horrifying prospect we could become interesting enough for them to return.
The Taxpayer's Union is older than the pandemic by several years and is helmed by the usual suspects from the hard economic right of the National Party (David Farrar, Jordan Williams) and are unfortunately too opaque about where their money comes from for us to be certain. Byron (an acquaintance and collaborator with friends of mine) is receiving threats from the fringe crowd associated with Counterspin, Action Zealandia and so on... the TPU is still interested in respectability.
I have been following Australian politics for some years now as my daughter has been living in Melbourne for a decade. FDOTM despair I have shared, albeit at a remove. Standouts were the extraordinary cruelty of maintaining offshore camps for asylum seekers, the climate denial and stalling, the careless federal response to COVID. I congratulate you, Australia, and meanwhile hope that between now and late next year, our own left-ish govt can get its shit together.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 2:11 PM on June 10, 2022 [5 favorites]
There is nothing keeping him out. Murdoch used to own a swathe of newspapers in New Zealand (the old INL, which eventually was bought by Fairfax, and most recently has become independent after a management buyout led by the editor). The Murdoch empire sold up simply because they wished to invest elsewhere. We're just too small to be interesting, I guess. Which leaves the horrifying prospect we could become interesting enough for them to return.
The Taxpayer's Union is older than the pandemic by several years and is helmed by the usual suspects from the hard economic right of the National Party (David Farrar, Jordan Williams) and are unfortunately too opaque about where their money comes from for us to be certain. Byron (an acquaintance and collaborator with friends of mine) is receiving threats from the fringe crowd associated with Counterspin, Action Zealandia and so on... the TPU is still interested in respectability.
I have been following Australian politics for some years now as my daughter has been living in Melbourne for a decade. FDOTM despair I have shared, albeit at a remove. Standouts were the extraordinary cruelty of maintaining offshore camps for asylum seekers, the climate denial and stalling, the careless federal response to COVID. I congratulate you, Australia, and meanwhile hope that between now and late next year, our own left-ish govt can get its shit together.
posted by i_am_joe's_spleen at 2:11 PM on June 10, 2022 [5 favorites]
On the Oz side: needs more wombats.
On the New Zealand side: Good Lord!
Today I learned that the only mammals present prior to the arrival of humans
were bats, whales, dolphins and seals. OhEmEffGee.
posted by y2karl at 2:23 PM on June 10, 2022
On the New Zealand side: Good Lord!
Today I learned that the only mammals present prior to the arrival of humans
were bats, whales, dolphins and seals. OhEmEffGee.
posted by y2karl at 2:23 PM on June 10, 2022
In many of the ecological niches occupied by mammals in most other places, NZ has flightless birds.
posted by flabdablet at 2:49 PM on June 10, 2022
posted by flabdablet at 2:49 PM on June 10, 2022
needs more wombats
Well, there was that one who thought he'd be our next PM.
posted by flabdablet at 2:53 PM on June 10, 2022
Well, there was that one who thought he'd be our next PM.
posted by flabdablet at 2:53 PM on June 10, 2022
oh gosh, mykescipark, you are right. I'd heard a song or two on the radio and I knew she was good but I'd never listened to the whole thing. I clicked your link - it's exquisite! I'm a Vashti Bunyan and Sibylle Baier fan, so it's right up my alley.
I too was hoping for a hung parliament, watching the seat counter on the Age website, paused for a week or two at 73, 74, 75 red, disappointed as it clicked up, but agree this is so much better than what we had. I don't much like Albo or the Labor Party or their politics, but as someone on the radio said, "It's nice seeing your PM on the international stage and not having to worry that they're going to fuck up the handshake." "Fucking up the handshake" being I guess a metaphor for many things.
Thanks Thella for sharing the First Dog cartoon. I couldn't bear to watch the election and when I woke up in the morning and heard the news, it was like a weight I'd been carrying so long I'd forgotten it wasn't a part of me dropped away. I hadn't realised other people felt that way.
posted by happyfrog at 3:22 PM on June 10, 2022 [6 favorites]
I too was hoping for a hung parliament, watching the seat counter on the Age website, paused for a week or two at 73, 74, 75 red, disappointed as it clicked up, but agree this is so much better than what we had. I don't much like Albo or the Labor Party or their politics, but as someone on the radio said, "It's nice seeing your PM on the international stage and not having to worry that they're going to fuck up the handshake." "Fucking up the handshake" being I guess a metaphor for many things.
Thanks Thella for sharing the First Dog cartoon. I couldn't bear to watch the election and when I woke up in the morning and heard the news, it was like a weight I'd been carrying so long I'd forgotten it wasn't a part of me dropped away. I hadn't realised other people felt that way.
posted by happyfrog at 3:22 PM on June 10, 2022 [6 favorites]
I too was hoping for a hung parliament
With a little bit of luck, Labor will last long enough and fuck up just enough things to lose at least two seats to independents or Greens in by-elections.
And yeah, that? That right there? That looks an awful lot like me feeling hope again.
It does indeed feel a bit unfamiliar after such a long time stuck in the reeking silt of of a Coalition government.
posted by flabdablet at 3:40 PM on June 10, 2022 [2 favorites]
With a little bit of luck, Labor will last long enough and fuck up just enough things to lose at least two seats to independents or Greens in by-elections.
And yeah, that? That right there? That looks an awful lot like me feeling hope again.
It does indeed feel a bit unfamiliar after such a long time stuck in the reeking silt of of a Coalition government.
posted by flabdablet at 3:40 PM on June 10, 2022 [2 favorites]
Pleased for our AU cuzzies. NZ breathes a sigh of relief.
A friend of mine lives in Melbourne and reckons the real story is the Teal candidates - essentially free-market Liberal supporting professional women that got fed up with the sexism, cronyism and ecocide of ScoMo. So they stood as independents (essentially Blue/Greens - hence Teal) and won. I'm sure theres a lot more to it than that but it goes to show that even neolibs could see the writing on the (crumbling) wall.
The musical trade did seem somewhat one sided - would have preferred the Cosmic Psychos (sure would still satisfy the pub-rock element in AU), Chats or Anita Lane / Birthday Party.
posted by phigmov at 5:02 PM on June 10, 2022 [5 favorites]
A friend of mine lives in Melbourne and reckons the real story is the Teal candidates - essentially free-market Liberal supporting professional women that got fed up with the sexism, cronyism and ecocide of ScoMo. So they stood as independents (essentially Blue/Greens - hence Teal) and won. I'm sure theres a lot more to it than that but it goes to show that even neolibs could see the writing on the (crumbling) wall.
The musical trade did seem somewhat one sided - would have preferred the Cosmic Psychos (sure would still satisfy the pub-rock element in AU), Chats or Anita Lane / Birthday Party.
posted by phigmov at 5:02 PM on June 10, 2022 [5 favorites]
Although an Australia. I would have loved to see Ardern give Albo a Beast Wars album. Truly a fine NZ band.
As for the Teals, they will end up selling working people down the River.
posted by awfurby at 1:04 AM on June 11, 2022
As for the Teals, they will end up selling working people down the River.
posted by awfurby at 1:04 AM on June 11, 2022
As for the Teals, they will end up selling working people down the River.
posted by awfurby
Yep. I believe they are genuine on climate change, corruption, and misogyny.
But beyond that they will stay true to their tribe.
posted by Pouteria at 1:54 AM on June 11, 2022 [2 favorites]
posted by awfurby
Yep. I believe they are genuine on climate change, corruption, and misogyny.
But beyond that they will stay true to their tribe.
posted by Pouteria at 1:54 AM on June 11, 2022 [2 favorites]
the joke that I have heard about socially liberal and economically conservative people is that they believe the problems are bad, but the causes, the causes are very good
I do not begrudge the teals because they are a consequence of the movement of the Overton window. It's going to be extremely hard to slide the Overton window any further right while they're successfully representing their electorates, in the same way that Indi has been aptly in indepenedent hands for over a decade now. Either the Liberals expunge their conservative elements, or they come back as the Conservative Party and find themselves permanently out of government (and, more damagingly, clearly not part of the quiet majority they need to believe they are). I'm willing to take having to patiently explain that funding services is good for the economy if it means trans people will be able to blossom safely and fascists can't get anywhere close to the levers of power.
This particular handover, though, feels like it's going to keep the Liberals out of power for a long time. What's been coming out as ministers get sworn in and briefed is that it sounds like the previous government hadn't been doing their jobs for over a year, in some cases longer - no matter what your pet issue was, they'd just been ignoring it. (They lost on national security and the economy.) It feels to me like the end of the NSW Labor government back in 2011 - it was also a government that didn't deserve to be returned, spent the entire term obsessed with itself instead of doing its job, and it took years and a full refresh to make them seem even remotely electable.
So I'm extremely curious to see what happens to Labor when they're threatened on their left flank, the Overton window is locked on the right, the Liberals are irrelevant and their leader is committed to turning the heat down on Australian politics. Will we see some walking back of that cowardly echoing of the Liberals, safe in the knowledge that it won't be the thing that loses them the election? We'll see. After all, they've got three years to change their mind on delivering climate policies that match the problem rather than what they think won't hurt them at the polls.
posted by Merus at 4:49 AM on June 11, 2022 [9 favorites]
I do not begrudge the teals because they are a consequence of the movement of the Overton window. It's going to be extremely hard to slide the Overton window any further right while they're successfully representing their electorates, in the same way that Indi has been aptly in indepenedent hands for over a decade now. Either the Liberals expunge their conservative elements, or they come back as the Conservative Party and find themselves permanently out of government (and, more damagingly, clearly not part of the quiet majority they need to believe they are). I'm willing to take having to patiently explain that funding services is good for the economy if it means trans people will be able to blossom safely and fascists can't get anywhere close to the levers of power.
This particular handover, though, feels like it's going to keep the Liberals out of power for a long time. What's been coming out as ministers get sworn in and briefed is that it sounds like the previous government hadn't been doing their jobs for over a year, in some cases longer - no matter what your pet issue was, they'd just been ignoring it. (They lost on national security and the economy.) It feels to me like the end of the NSW Labor government back in 2011 - it was also a government that didn't deserve to be returned, spent the entire term obsessed with itself instead of doing its job, and it took years and a full refresh to make them seem even remotely electable.
So I'm extremely curious to see what happens to Labor when they're threatened on their left flank, the Overton window is locked on the right, the Liberals are irrelevant and their leader is committed to turning the heat down on Australian politics. Will we see some walking back of that cowardly echoing of the Liberals, safe in the knowledge that it won't be the thing that loses them the election? We'll see. After all, they've got three years to change their mind on delivering climate policies that match the problem rather than what they think won't hurt them at the polls.
posted by Merus at 4:49 AM on June 11, 2022 [9 favorites]
I’m glad we have Labor in. Not thrilled with the inevitable walk back on live trade promises. Too many former Labor leaders end up in the Meat & Livestock or adjacent organisations. Grrr.
It’s so important that Bill Shorten keeps up the election momentum with the NDIS and follows through, I have so many hopes for this scheme.
posted by honey-barbara at 6:17 AM on June 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
It’s so important that Bill Shorten keeps up the election momentum with the NDIS and follows through, I have so many hopes for this scheme.
posted by honey-barbara at 6:17 AM on June 12, 2022 [1 favorite]
From the first comic following the announcement:
I will never forget the tears of joy we wept at the mere possibility of compassion and the end of cruelty as a virtue.
Good riddance you jabbering ghouls.
History will remember you as the worst of us.
posted by BiggerJ at 3:21 AM on June 13, 2022
I will never forget the tears of joy we wept at the mere possibility of compassion and the end of cruelty as a virtue.
Good riddance you jabbering ghouls.
History will remember you as the worst of us.
posted by BiggerJ at 3:21 AM on June 13, 2022
This particular handover, though, feels like it's going to keep the Liberals out of power for a long time.
I feel a lot more confident now than I did immediately following the election. I had seen Albanese as the 'least bad' choice out of a pretty uninspiring group, but I've been impressed by the way he has stepped up so far (early days yet, of course). If nothing else, the gender balance in the cabinet is a sign he's at least listening to the electorate, which is rare enough in politicians.
I'm inclined to agree about the teals - time will tell, but I'd be surprised if they are still a distinct group in any observable way by the time the next election comes around.
posted by dg at 6:48 PM on June 13, 2022
I feel a lot more confident now than I did immediately following the election. I had seen Albanese as the 'least bad' choice out of a pretty uninspiring group, but I've been impressed by the way he has stepped up so far (early days yet, of course). If nothing else, the gender balance in the cabinet is a sign he's at least listening to the electorate, which is rare enough in politicians.
I'm inclined to agree about the teals - time will tell, but I'd be surprised if they are still a distinct group in any observable way by the time the next election comes around.
posted by dg at 6:48 PM on June 13, 2022
I prefer the term "minority government" to "hung parliament" - which is very much my preference in actuality. The connotation is that a "hung parliament", like a "hung jury", cannot reach a decision, whereas I find that minority governments often produce far superior outcomes as they consult more widely and allow non-consensus opinions to be included in decisions.
The Australian Electoral Commission has only declared 80 of the 151 seats, so the majority is not locked in. And the hissy fits from the Liberals will mean quite a few recounts.
My personal favourite moment was Tanya Plibersek (Labor) retracting her description of Peter Dutton and the unanimous public consensus being that, of course, he is "he who must not be named" as he has a predilection for libel and defamation litigation.
posted by Barbara Spitzer at 11:16 PM on June 13, 2022 [3 favorites]
The Australian Electoral Commission has only declared 80 of the 151 seats, so the majority is not locked in. And the hissy fits from the Liberals will mean quite a few recounts.
My personal favourite moment was Tanya Plibersek (Labor) retracting her description of Peter Dutton and the unanimous public consensus being that, of course, he is "he who must not be named" as he has a predilection for libel and defamation litigation.
posted by Barbara Spitzer at 11:16 PM on June 13, 2022 [3 favorites]
Technically a hung parliament is a state of play that exists between an election that doesn't yield a majority for any party or existing coalition, and the formation of a new government - which might then be a minority government like the Gillard Government, or a majority one born of a new formal coalition agreement.
I am a huge fan of minority governments if the majority of the crossbench is Greens or sane independents and there are not enough bugfuck insane independents like Hanson and Katter to get any given bill over the line without the rest of the crossbench supporting it as well.
I also don't mind the teal independents being teal, because teal is a definite improvement on the blue we would have had in all of those electorates otherwise. Simple fact is that many of the teals' constituents are, as well as being progressive on "social" issues that don't actually cost them anything, not anywhere near as economically dry as the Coalition party line has become since the desiccated little coconut started running it. And since pretty much all of the teals will be working from the Indi playbook, they'll be consulting their constituents on policy decisions to a much greater extent than the Liberals they've displaced ever did.
I'm expecting the combined effect of those two tendencies to end up allowing some pleasingly wet economic policy to manifest as legislation.
he who must not be named
Au contraire: he shall be named, and that name shall be Adolf Kipfler. I don't care if that's childish. Make it so.
posted by flabdablet at 4:58 AM on June 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I am a huge fan of minority governments if the majority of the crossbench is Greens or sane independents and there are not enough bugfuck insane independents like Hanson and Katter to get any given bill over the line without the rest of the crossbench supporting it as well.
I also don't mind the teal independents being teal, because teal is a definite improvement on the blue we would have had in all of those electorates otherwise. Simple fact is that many of the teals' constituents are, as well as being progressive on "social" issues that don't actually cost them anything, not anywhere near as economically dry as the Coalition party line has become since the desiccated little coconut started running it. And since pretty much all of the teals will be working from the Indi playbook, they'll be consulting their constituents on policy decisions to a much greater extent than the Liberals they've displaced ever did.
I'm expecting the combined effect of those two tendencies to end up allowing some pleasingly wet economic policy to manifest as legislation.
he who must not be named
Au contraire: he shall be named, and that name shall be Adolf Kipfler. I don't care if that's childish. Make it so.
posted by flabdablet at 4:58 AM on June 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I am a huge fan of minority governments if the majority of the crossbench is Greens
I have long had considerable sympathy with much of Greens' policy, in principle and intent if not always in practical detail.
But holy fuck can they be a textbook example of letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. The Oz Greens' great failing is that they are shit at actual politics, at making the compromises needed to get stuff done, at the art of the possible.
There is a reason the Greens have trouble consistently getting above around 10% primary vote, and it isn't Labor or the voters.
posted by Pouteria at 11:41 PM on June 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I have long had considerable sympathy with much of Greens' policy, in principle and intent if not always in practical detail.
But holy fuck can they be a textbook example of letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. The Oz Greens' great failing is that they are shit at actual politics, at making the compromises needed to get stuff done, at the art of the possible.
There is a reason the Greens have trouble consistently getting above around 10% primary vote, and it isn't Labor or the voters.
posted by Pouteria at 11:41 PM on June 14, 2022 [1 favorite]
I am a huge fan of minority governments if the majority of the crossbench is Greens
I'm not particularly a fan of minority government as a principle - if action is needed for change (and it is), a minority government can never really achieve much of that, because everything has to be watered down to get through the political maze that is a minority government. Where a government has a clear majority, they can forge ahead with change and to hell with what the opposition thinks, because they're irrelevant when it comes to votes. Of course, that's something of a two-edged sword, because whether that swathe of changes is good or bad depends on which side of the chamber you follow.
So, a minority government has the advantage of less risk of making things worse, I guess. But it's a largely stagnant process and we could just shut parliament house for three years and save some money. if they weren't on the telly every second day, nobody would notice.
I do think the best situation is when everyone has a bit of a turn - the majority from one side in the lower house and from the other in the upper. This allows a government to have a decent go at getting their change agenda up, but requires a fair bit of horse-trading to do so, limiting the worst of their foolishness to some extent. I may be a minority of one here, but I thought the democrats* played a neat role of, in their own words 'keeping the bastards honest' along the same lines. I'd really love to see the Greens take up this role but, as much as I'm on their side, they always seem to end up being the little engine that couldn't quite (for the reasons Pouteria outlined).
*not to further confuse things, these are not the US Democrats, but a wholly different bunch.
posted by dg at 2:06 AM on June 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
I'm not particularly a fan of minority government as a principle - if action is needed for change (and it is), a minority government can never really achieve much of that, because everything has to be watered down to get through the political maze that is a minority government. Where a government has a clear majority, they can forge ahead with change and to hell with what the opposition thinks, because they're irrelevant when it comes to votes. Of course, that's something of a two-edged sword, because whether that swathe of changes is good or bad depends on which side of the chamber you follow.
So, a minority government has the advantage of less risk of making things worse, I guess. But it's a largely stagnant process and we could just shut parliament house for three years and save some money. if they weren't on the telly every second day, nobody would notice.
I do think the best situation is when everyone has a bit of a turn - the majority from one side in the lower house and from the other in the upper. This allows a government to have a decent go at getting their change agenda up, but requires a fair bit of horse-trading to do so, limiting the worst of their foolishness to some extent. I may be a minority of one here, but I thought the democrats* played a neat role of, in their own words 'keeping the bastards honest' along the same lines. I'd really love to see the Greens take up this role but, as much as I'm on their side, they always seem to end up being the little engine that couldn't quite (for the reasons Pouteria outlined).
*not to further confuse things, these are not the US Democrats, but a wholly different bunch.
posted by dg at 2:06 AM on June 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
There is a reason the Greens have trouble consistently getting above around 10% primary vote, and it isn't Labor or the voters.
It's been over 10% for a good few elections now when you dig into the results and this year will be 14% or more. The Nationals only get 4%.
But holy fuck can they be a textbook example of letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. The Oz Greens' great failing is that they are shit at actual politics, at making the compromises needed to get stuff done, at the art of the possible.
You are factually wrong here in detail, but your comment reflects the media message generated by Labor after the Greens didn't back the costly and useless CPRS in 2009. I'll grant you that they have not read the room sometimes, but that is a function of aspirational social policies on things like drug law reform. With new blood, particularly First Nations, they they seem to have found internal compromise between the two arms of the party; one focused on social justice with origins in the inner-urban socialist left, and the other group arising directly from the birth of green politics in the early 1970s in the tree-hugging wilds of Tasmania. Peace is reigning and the party is highly functional with many experienced federal, state and local council members. Once elected, a Green rarely loses their seat.
The Greens have demonstrated the art of compromise multitudes of times when holding the balance of power after the 1989 Tasmanian election and particularly in the Senate during Gillard's highly productive minority government. Remember, unless you are reading Hansard, you won't find out about a lot of the good work done by the cross bench on committees and on the floor, and as electorate representatives. Media time in politics is not awarded on merit.
a minority government can never really achieve much of that, because everything has to be watered down to get through the political maze that is a minority government.
Yeah nah. Our most recent minority government (Gillard) was the most productive in history in terms of passing legislation. Reason being is that a lot more consultation takes place, more stakeholders have ownership of outcomes, and passage through the lower and upper Houses is nutted out before the vote.
The claim that minority governments don't work, is based on the premise that constituent members don't want them to work.
posted by Thella at 3:11 AM on June 16, 2022 [5 favorites]
It's been over 10% for a good few elections now when you dig into the results and this year will be 14% or more. The Nationals only get 4%.
But holy fuck can they be a textbook example of letting the perfect be the enemy of the good. The Oz Greens' great failing is that they are shit at actual politics, at making the compromises needed to get stuff done, at the art of the possible.
You are factually wrong here in detail, but your comment reflects the media message generated by Labor after the Greens didn't back the costly and useless CPRS in 2009. I'll grant you that they have not read the room sometimes, but that is a function of aspirational social policies on things like drug law reform. With new blood, particularly First Nations, they they seem to have found internal compromise between the two arms of the party; one focused on social justice with origins in the inner-urban socialist left, and the other group arising directly from the birth of green politics in the early 1970s in the tree-hugging wilds of Tasmania. Peace is reigning and the party is highly functional with many experienced federal, state and local council members. Once elected, a Green rarely loses their seat.
The Greens have demonstrated the art of compromise multitudes of times when holding the balance of power after the 1989 Tasmanian election and particularly in the Senate during Gillard's highly productive minority government. Remember, unless you are reading Hansard, you won't find out about a lot of the good work done by the cross bench on committees and on the floor, and as electorate representatives. Media time in politics is not awarded on merit.
a minority government can never really achieve much of that, because everything has to be watered down to get through the political maze that is a minority government.
Yeah nah. Our most recent minority government (Gillard) was the most productive in history in terms of passing legislation. Reason being is that a lot more consultation takes place, more stakeholders have ownership of outcomes, and passage through the lower and upper Houses is nutted out before the vote.
The claim that minority governments don't work, is based on the premise that constituent members don't want them to work.
posted by Thella at 3:11 AM on June 16, 2022 [5 favorites]
Where a government has a clear majority, they can forge ahead with change and to hell with what the opposition thinks, because they're irrelevant when it comes to votes
...which is exactly why I like minority governments so much better. The more potentially consequential any given piece of legislation is, the more scrutiny I would like it to get by everybody whose lives it's going to affect, and if it's being rammed through the Parliament on the basis of Party ideology and/or wedge politics and/or culture-war horseshit then it typically won't get much scrutiny at all.
If what we have is essentially Tweedledum and Tweedledee switching places every ten years, then tremendous amounts of Parliamentary time just get wasted on tit-for-tat destruction of the measures put in place by "the other side" instead of being devoted to reaching any kind of informed consensus on what the needs of the nation actually are.
posted by flabdablet at 5:27 AM on June 16, 2022 [2 favorites]
...which is exactly why I like minority governments so much better. The more potentially consequential any given piece of legislation is, the more scrutiny I would like it to get by everybody whose lives it's going to affect, and if it's being rammed through the Parliament on the basis of Party ideology and/or wedge politics and/or culture-war horseshit then it typically won't get much scrutiny at all.
If what we have is essentially Tweedledum and Tweedledee switching places every ten years, then tremendous amounts of Parliamentary time just get wasted on tit-for-tat destruction of the measures put in place by "the other side" instead of being devoted to reaching any kind of informed consensus on what the needs of the nation actually are.
posted by flabdablet at 5:27 AM on June 16, 2022 [2 favorites]
The more potentially consequential any given piece of legislation is, the more scrutiny I would like it to get by everybody whose lives it's going to affect, and if it's being rammed through the Parliament on the basis of Party ideology and/or wedge politics and/or culture-war horseshit then it typically won't get much scrutiny at all.
My point was that, in an environment where change is needed, it's hard to do much of that when political horse-trading means incremental small changes is the best they can do (which is better than nothing and definitely minimises how much harm a government can do). Yes, obviously more scrutiny is better. But if you think that the process of considering new legislation involves scrutiny by more than a tiny handful of those whose lives it will affect, you haven't seen the process at work.
I have this weird idea that we should somehow ban political parties altogether and politicians should actually vote on the basis of how legislation would impact their constituents. You know, actually do what they were elected to do (represent the people of their electorate in parliament, in case we've all forgotten).
posted by dg at 3:49 PM on June 16, 2022
My point was that, in an environment where change is needed, it's hard to do much of that when political horse-trading means incremental small changes is the best they can do (which is better than nothing and definitely minimises how much harm a government can do). Yes, obviously more scrutiny is better. But if you think that the process of considering new legislation involves scrutiny by more than a tiny handful of those whose lives it will affect, you haven't seen the process at work.
I have this weird idea that we should somehow ban political parties altogether and politicians should actually vote on the basis of how legislation would impact their constituents. You know, actually do what they were elected to do (represent the people of their electorate in parliament, in case we've all forgotten).
posted by dg at 3:49 PM on June 16, 2022
I do agree there is a lot of history of governments spending plenty of energy merely undoing what their predecessors did out of pure party ideology (ie spite).
posted by dg at 3:51 PM on June 16, 2022
posted by dg at 3:51 PM on June 16, 2022
politicians should actually vote on the basis of how legislation would impact their constituents. You know, actually do what they were elected to do
This is pretty much exactly the Cathy McGowan model, and is most likely why Indi voted in another independent after she retired.
The Indi experience also got quite wide and fair reportage and that, on top of the fact that so much of McGowan's approach to running an election campaign also got replicated elsewhere, is likely to have had a lot to do with the notable successes of independent candidates this time around.
posted by flabdablet at 5:51 PM on June 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
This is pretty much exactly the Cathy McGowan model, and is most likely why Indi voted in another independent after she retired.
The Indi experience also got quite wide and fair reportage and that, on top of the fact that so much of McGowan's approach to running an election campaign also got replicated elsewhere, is likely to have had a lot to do with the notable successes of independent candidates this time around.
posted by flabdablet at 5:51 PM on June 16, 2022 [1 favorite]
This is pretty much exactly the Cathy McGowan model, and is most likely why Indi voted in another independent after she retired.
The three Green lower house wins in Queensland similarly came from a strategy of direct engagement with constituents. Commentators have suggested that the Greens only won because there were no teal-ish independents. What they mean is that if the green-leaning climate-concerned vote had been split between two candidates, then one of the major parties would have taken the seat on two-party preferences. I suspect that there will be 'blind-trust' funded candidates at the next election to do just that against the Greens.
I'm looking forward to July 1. I wonder what 12 Greens in the Senate can achieve; and how Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Jacqui Lambie will get along.
posted by Thella at 10:24 PM on June 17, 2022
The three Green lower house wins in Queensland similarly came from a strategy of direct engagement with constituents. Commentators have suggested that the Greens only won because there were no teal-ish independents. What they mean is that if the green-leaning climate-concerned vote had been split between two candidates, then one of the major parties would have taken the seat on two-party preferences. I suspect that there will be 'blind-trust' funded candidates at the next election to do just that against the Greens.
I'm looking forward to July 1. I wonder what 12 Greens in the Senate can achieve; and how Jacinta Nampijinpa Price and Jacqui Lambie will get along.
posted by Thella at 10:24 PM on June 17, 2022
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May we all get PMs that are relatively OK.
posted by Too-Ticky at 5:38 AM on June 10, 2022 [5 favorites]