1. ScoMo on skates
He’s certainly on something. Paddy Manning in The Monthly has an article ScoMo-tion demise: The accidental PM appears accident prone:
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As it limps towards the end of 2018, the Morrison government is gradually establishing its own grand narrative – one of staggering ineptitude as it lurches from one self-inflicted crisis to another. On decisions from Jerusalem to Foodbank, there is no overarching purpose here, there is no direction or strategy, there are only missteps and backdowns, seemingly born of the blinkered pursuit of base political advantage, which never materialises. For a PM schooled in marketing, these are textbook fails. For the federal Opposition, the coup against Malcolm Turnbull has proved the gift that keeps on giving.
Today we read, in a Fairfax Media report that has not been denied, that former trade minister Steve Ciobo has privately advised the Indonesian trade minister that there is only a 5 per cent chance that Australia will relocate its embassy in Israel to Jerusalem. It is hard to see how the prime minister could have made more of a mess of this: Australia will have managed to offend everybody concerned, to no end.
This week began with Newspoll which gave Labor a commanding 10-point lead over the Coalition. And Scott Morrison’s disapproval ratings jumps nine points in a month to 47%.
At the same time the Courier Mail made much of a Galaxy poll indicating the LNP 50-50 with Labor in in Queensland federally, hyping ScoMo’s competitiveness.
No-one mentioned that this five-point swing from the last election would likely cost the LNP eight seats.
Newspoll started polling immediately after Malcolm Turnbull tipped a bucket on Q&A.
Much has been made of the hair-brained idea to move our Israel embassy, following Trump and Guatemala. People are scratching their heads over this one, but it turns out to be simple. Phillip Coorey in the AFR:
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Soon after Scott Morrison became Prime Minister, he was presented with a policy wish list by Liberal senator Eric Abetz and other conservatives who had helped dynamite Malcolm Turnbull.
It included abandoning the Paris climate change commitments and moving Australia’s Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
ScoMo declined the demand to exit Paris. Such a stance would have mightily upset our Pacific neighbours. So ScoMo opted for lip service instead.
On the Israel embassy he has to give it a dinky di lookover before he says “no” as signalled by Steve Ciobo.
In another AFR article Andrew Tillett points out that graziers, grain growers and citrus orchardists are among the biggest losers if the free trade agreement with Indonesia is delayed.
Cutting foodbank and the subsequent backflip was just routine incompetence.
2. ABC: Good riddance to Guthrie and Milne
Good riddance to Guthrie and Milne. The ABC needs grown-ups in charge writes Margaret Simons after the Four Corners investigation Bitter End.
The ABC has become the story, and who could do a better job of investigating it than the ABC? Of course, ABC Online has made a story about the story, with multiple links to other stories.
I think Michelle Guthrie had little feel for the medium, was a poor advocate, communicator and manager.
Justine Milne, instead of protecting the ABC from political interference, clearly thought that he who pays the piper calls the tune.
This is a worry:
- Meanwhile the board, stacked by the government with too many political appointees, was incapable or unwilling to manage the growing conflagration.
Insiders tell me they are astonished at the naivety of some members of the board who, having accepted appointment despite knowing they were not recommended by the arm’s-length appointment process, are now horrified to find themselves in reputation-damaging dust-up.
I believe they are all going to be hauled to front the Greens inquiry into the ABC. Keep a couple for continuity and sack the rest, I think.
3. Why can’t we beat New Zealand?
Does anyone remember Australia You’re Standing In It with Tim and Debbie. They had a great song I Don’t Care As Long As We Beat New Zealand.
They seem to beat us in most things these days, the latest being their version of the NBN:
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New Zealanders will soon be getting internet speeds 20 times faster than those enjoyed by most Australians for just a few dollars more a month, further widening an already-huge gap between the two countries’ broadband networks.
Chorus, the ASX-listed company that operates New Zealand’s broadband network, revealed on Wednesday it would slash the wholesale price of its ultra-fast one-gigabit plan.
From the middle of next year, the price of the plan will go from $NZ65 ($61) to $NZ60 ($56.30) a month. Chorus will further reduce it to $NZ56 the following year.
Internet speeds of one gigabit per second (Gbps) are 20 times faster than the most popular speed available on Australia’s national broadband network of 50 megabits per second (Mbps), the plan almost half of NBN users are on.
Thankyou, Malcolm Turnbull!
4. We have an auto industry!
Back in March the news was that Queensland had won the $5 billion defence contract to build armoured vehicles.
Actually it’s Rheinmetall. The German contractor will build 211 Boxer CRVs at Ipswich, with a future $15 billion deal also on the cards.
Now the first sod has been turned on the construction site. The intent is to establish a sovereign capability for military vehicle design and production in Australia.
Can only be good!
5. Theresa May in trouble
When I typed ‘will Theresa May’ into Google I was offered about 10 alternatives. When I typed ‘Will Therasa May last out the week?’ it suggested ‘weekend’ instead.
She and Britain are in an awful mess.
Tele readers apparently think she should get ahead of her enemies and resign.
May seems to think she can go on and on, but she’s running out of road. It will be a miracle if she lasts the week.
6. Out of town
We are heading west to see my sister on the weekend. We are due to reach the Darling Downs around the time they are predicting violent thunderstorms.
See you back here late on Monday, with a bit of luck!
Brian
Please avoid lightning. It has a very poor reputation.
I remember Tim and Debbie, one of the best of their era.
In breaking news, The Oz online has a headline:
Malcolm Turnbull declares the Liberal Party is not capable of dealing with climate change
??? Whowouldathunkit?
A recent poll in the UK says that there has been a strong swing against brexit and that a new referendum would reverse the result of the last referendum. The swing has been strongest in the counties that favored brexit in the first referendum. Maybe the working class racists have started to realize that Brexit would cost them dearly.
Why is Australia cow towing to the antisemitism of the Islamic Republic of Indonesia ?
Our relationship with Israel is none of their damned business. If they continue to threaten trade sanctions on us then we just stop gifting them $300 million a year.
The greens, that want a policed nanny state, complain about the policed nanny state.
Unbelievable if it weren’t true.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-17/police-bill-to-shut-down-music-festival/10505602
The civil rights Libertarians of Woodstock would be disgusted.
Jumpy: The embassy decision was a poor decision made for the wrong reasons without proper consulting. It should be withdrawn quickly.
Toughing out isn’t in anyone’s interest.
John, why would anyone but Jew haters give a shit about where our Embassy in Israel is located ?
Do you honestly think if a suggestion was made to consider moving the Australian Indonesian Embassy from Jakarta to Java that Israel would put up a stink ?
And there has been no decision, only an attempt to consider options open any civilised Nation.
Are we so fraidy cat of bigoted muslam backlash that we can’t even chat about the matter ?
Jumpy
I agree that Indonesia shouldn’t determine our position on Israel.
But the term is kowtowing and is likely Chinese in origin.
Cow towing is a very old farm practice here in back of Dargo. Youse get a strong rope, then grab the cow….. better not say any more or the d*mn RSPCA’ll send a spectre up from Bairnsdale and take notes.
There’s a spectre haunting farmers up here.
Keep it under yer hat, OK?
Wow. The President of the USA doesn’t understand shopping.
I think we can all agree it is far better if we kow-tow to the Americans.
Jumpy: I give a shit that the government is talking about using $200m of tax payers money to move an embassy to Jerusalem. Particularly since I can see no upsides from this decision now that Wentworth has decided which Jew the voters of Wentworth want.
I also give a shit when Morrison stupidity may make it harder for a moderate president of Indonesia to win the next election and strengthen the links between Aus and Indonesia.
All you are doing is trying to switch the issue to mindless macho posturing.
John, you haven’t even touched on the main point, why does Indonesia care where our Israeli Embassy is ?
There’s no link to trade, aid or our relationship with Indonesia if racism is removed.
There’s nothing “ macho posturing “ about it from the Australian perspective, looks more like Indonesian anti Semitic “ macho posturing “ with threats of trade ramifications.
I can’t abide with religious bigotry ultimatums but you seem willing to, that’s not very progressive.
I would like to remind Jumpy of the Comments Policy. To whit:
Ohh the humanity!!!
Won’t someone please think of the children !!
Why does the USA kowtow to Islamist terrorists?
Jumpy: The Israeli problem started when the European Christian countries salved their guilt for the way they had treated the Jews by giving the Jews land that was owned by the largely Muslim Palestinians. For some odd reason a lot of Muslims thought that this was unfair and was a reflection of Christian bias.
There has been a lot of bad blood both ways since then.
If Scott had consulted before talking about moving the embassy he would hopefully have had second thoughts and shut up.
Digging in doesn’t impress.
John
Not going to go anywhere near answering why it’s any of Indonesia’s business where we put our Embassy in Israel I see.
Does Australia have an right to blackmail Indonesia on placements of their Embassies ?
Let’s see if that’s easier.
Jumpy: You asked:
Both Aus and Indonesia are democracies where there is no guarantee that the current governments will retain power at the next election. Both governments need to balance the needs of their internal politics and foreign relationships.
Both governments will make better decisions if they understand the internal pressures that the other is faced with even though sometimes competent governments will decide to do something even though they understand that a neighbor won’t be happy about it.
The quick answer to your question is a qualified yes, if the circumstances justify it.
Problem with the Jerusalem embassy proposal is that it was done without proper consultation and I have yet to see why spending $200m on it would be in Aus interests even if Indonesia had no objections.
The embassy saga just reinforces the growing perception that Scomo is a bumble foot with a defective political ear and a reluctance to follow due process.
John
I disagree and can’t imagie circumstances that would justify Australia interfering in Indonesian Embassy placements.
But I can imagine their response if we did.
As for the $200m, we spent more than double that on a new Embassy in Jakarta 2 years ago.
Who complained ?
Israel ?
( I do love it when greens pretend to want to reduce Government spending, there’s always something else behind it )
Jumpy:
The benefits of moving our embassy to Jerusalem are?
The benefits of the new embassy in Jakarta were?
I’d like to thank Jumpy for giving us the benefit of his years in the Diplomatic Corps. I have just one question.
If it is blackmail for Indonesia to threaten a trade deal when they don’t like what we do, isn’t it also blackmail if Australia threatens aid to Indonesia when we don’t like what they do?
Zoot: Your logic is not going to stand up in Jumpy world!
Diplomacy, compromise, influence, subtlety, attention to detail, sticking to principles, …..
these are a few of any government’s favourite things
Or should be.
Or used to be.
And there’s a useful German word, Jumpy, whose meaning and connotations it is well worth exploring:
realpolitik.
Take your time.
The next Australian Govt may reverse the decision (if in fact the present Govt makes one after all).
***
By the way, it seems the latest falling-out is between Josh and Chrissie. Are some voters in Adelaide pyning for an election?
To be fair, Mr PM Scott Scott Morrison Morrison didn’t promise to end the sniping within his own ranks.
Zoot
Simple answer, no.
The free trade agreement is a mutually beneficial pathway documented to allow mutually beneficial trade between the entities of Countries that sign on.
Foreign aid is a gift that Politicians give on behalf of Taxpayers of one country to the politicians of another.
It’s not blackmail to not give a gift if the potential recipient is trying to be a standover bully on issues that are none of their business.
To date the giving flow has been all one way without a word of thanks to the taxpayers of Australia.
No,no, it’s not blackmail.
The Indonesians may think the over $300m/year is just jizyah owed by their dhimmi.
OK Mr A, let’s have a look see.
Is anyone actually going to argue Indonesia is basing their objections to ScoMo’s Embassy move suggestion in Israel on realpolitik ?
Good luck with that.
Mr J
I didn’t say that.
Just saying…..
John D, you were right.
😀 😀 😀
PS: Not only is Jumpy an expert in foreign affairs, he is also a dab hand at moral philosophy. Is there no limit to this man’s talents?
Professor Quiggin has an interesting taxonomy of trolls.
Jumpy:
Some realpolitik possibilities:
Could be that Indonesia wants to avoid losing its influence in the Islamic world and that they see this as more important than avoiding a temporary hiccup with our LNP?
Could be that the Indonesian government wants to avoid upsetting Islamic groups in Indonesia that support their fellow Muslims in Palestine?
Is there any realpolitik behind Morrison’s decision to “consider” moving our embassy to Jerusalem?
John
On theoretical or ethnic grounds, yes.
On theoretical or ethnic grounds, yes.
You already said it was to win Wentworth so yes, if that’s actually was the case it failed.
Perhaps the review will present practical and material reasons so we’ll see.
Look, I don’t care where our Embassies are, I care that this Nation that I live in isn’t bullied by a larger populous Nation.
For realpolitik reasons.
Why the f**k is the left so cowardly in the face of religious bigotry nowadays?
When did that start happening?
Jumpy: The left has stood up to anti gay bullying by religious groups for a long time.
And what do you intend to do about it?
Hey, I’m back. Rained about 5 mm in Miles, and basically nothing here in Ashgrove, while they had torrents at the Gold Coast and Kilcoy, the Sunshine Coast hinterland, and areas in and around Gympie got smashed.
Amongst other things my sister and I had a good yak about things that happened growing up a long time ago, and I learnt quite a bit I didn’t know.
Jumpy, it really quite simple. President Joko Widodo is a good bloke and wishes Australia no harm. However, he has to deal with his own political realities, which include Islamic nasties.
He feels he is unable to do normal business with us if we go ahead with a stupid demand that comes from our own bigots represented by Eric Abetz and company.
He’s just letting us know, mainly through the back channels.
Ciobo is the back channel telling the Indonesians to just hang in there, we aren’t really going to do it.
So let’s leave the hysteria, there are more important things going on.
Morrison, if he is a responsible PM, has to consider all consequences of an action he might take. One of his problems is that his vision seems to fail beyond the end of his nose.
Craig Emerson has a good opinion piece in the AFR today.
The Israeli embassy review was essentially a self-wedge within the Liberal Party. Emerson thinks it might end in some kind of announcement that Australia will move its embassy to West Jerusalem, at which time we’ll move our Palestinian consulate to East Jerusalem.
This will please no-one.
It shows the world how beholden ScoMo is to the right wing nutters in his party, diminishes him and diminishes us.
Remember Turnbull was prepared to shaft the future of the planet to keep these dodos happy.
ScoMo’s announcement was on the same day a Palestinian delegation was visiting Djakarta, and ScoMo said it was all cool with Indonesia, when it wasn’t.
Also his announcement that we were reviewing our attitude to the Iran nuclear deal when we are not a party to the deal, shows we suck up to Trump and we seem not to like Muslims.
None of this was problematic until ScoMo stared digging a hole for himself.
Looks like Australia is being bullied by a hard right cabal in the Liberal party. They are blackmailing Morrison who is too weak to stand up to them.
Brian
We shall see how much of a good bloke you think he is when he’s tearing Shorten a new one over stopping the live animal trade in about 6 months.
That will happen, it’s inevitable.
Truth is the Muslims actually respect conservatives a little bit because they’re ultra conservative themselves.
They must laugh themselves silly seeing the side they want to crush first side with them at every opportunity.
Even the progressive ones!
List of Australian trading partners.
Exports
USA 4th.
Indonesia 12th
Imports
USA 2nd
Indonesia 11th
If “ realpolitik “ is the measure then ScoMo gets it right.
Huh, the link worked in the preview, ok.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_the_largest_trading_partners_of_Australia
In breaking news, a Federal politician is trying to cast doubt on the Victorian (Labor) Attorney-General, over the recent Islamist murder in Bourke Street.
From Fairfax online:
“We have excellent sharing arrangements between Victorian Police, the Australian Federal Police, ASIO, other agencies that are involved in the joint taskforce. They are readily swapping information. The fact that the Victorian Attorney-General wouldn’t know that really is quite incredulous,” Mr Dutton told reporters.
Off to the dictionary, Constable Dutton.
‘incredulous’ is not the same as ‘incredible’.
‘Credibility’ is not the same as ‘credulity’.
Ambigulous,
Gippsland Pedantry Association*
Acting chairman pro tem
affiliated to the Curmudgeonly Flatulent Missive Emendation Union [CFMEU]
Victorian Election
A couple of footnotes.
I) Voting opened (“pre-poll” voting) on Monday 12th November, with many voting booths available in suburbs and country towns. An election official estimated that as many as 50% of electors would vote before “Election Day” on Saturday 24th Nov.
II It seems to me that I) above most likely means that events or announcements this week (for example) are likely to have less influence on the results. But it’s harder for small parties and independents to roster for how-to-vote card handing-out when the voting spans 11 days.
III There are plenty of independents standing.
IV The Govt has funded all sorts of rail, road and buildings projects over the last few years (and shelled out about a billion $ to NOT build a road tunnel!)
V The Opposition Leader is not well known, I think.
VI A scandal (public funding of ALP election workers at the last State election) hangs over many Labor MPs; it is being investigated by Victoria Police
VII Following the Bourke Street murder (and attempted murders by gas explosion), there have been the conviction of 3 Islamists for planning a multiple-murder attack in the centre of Melbourne, and the arrest of 3 other suspects in Merlbourne this morning
VIII The Greens are likely to gain a small number of seats
IX The Liberal Opposition has a kind of “cash for clunkers” policy; they would assist low-income folk to replace less efficient fridges etc by more efficient, new models (hence lowering household electricity consumption).
X The Labor Govt has announced, and already begun issuing, loans for rooftop solar for low-income homeowners; and has a policy to encourage landlords/ladies to install rooftop solar on rental properties. [The latter gets a big tick from me.]
Cheerio
Apparently less than half of those eligible to vote bothered to cast a ballot in the recent US elections. It’s a bit of a stretch to call that the voice of the people.
This is heartening (but not for you, Jumpy).
Had an ordinary day. Have borrowed a ute from my brother-in-law as mine is still having the cracked head fixed. It was mostly parked in our carport on Monday, but the windscreen was hit in three places by flying pebbles or something. Can’t identify the source.
Jumpy, further up you told us trade with Indonesia was 12th. That’s why we were doing a trade deal. It has the 7th biggest economy in the world and will only get bigger.
If we worry what they think about us, I’m betting that mostly they don’t, which makes it important not to do stupid stuff which they will form their opinions by.
Brilliant.
🙂
Thanks Jumpy.
(We were listening to the original only an hour ago. )
🙂
Ta, Jumpy.
Turns out the pebble hits were there all the time, and it took me six days to see them.
, so predictable and constant.
Oops,
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-23/tidal-power-new-wave-renewable-energy-development-queensland/10544862
Tidal/current is interesting because of its predictability and because tide times change as you move around the coast or up rivers.
Tidal can also exceed its designed capacity too in tidal rivers after rain.
Unlike solar and wind it doesn’t suffer under adverse conditions but is totally reliable with spurts of extra generation.
But it is picky about location.
Unfortunately in Australia the best locations are Queensland central coast and WA northern half. About as far away from your typical inner city greens electorate as can be found.
Jumpy: Tidal may also be vulnerable to logs etc going down flooded rivers.
The power lines that move coal fired power from Central Qld to Brisbane and beyond could be used to move a lot of tidal power.
How much do tide times vary in the areas with high tides?
Tidal power has some applications, down to very small scales.*
Jumpy, what your the idea of using the power of sea currents to run an onboard generator and store energy in a battery, on a small boat is moored overnight in the Whitsundays?
Have you made progress with that?
* very predictable, and as John points out, timing varies along any coast and along any river; peak generation moves across the (solar) day as the lunar month progresses.
An early, larger scale project (Rance River estuary, France) had lower output than predicted because building the tidal power barrage, messed up some of the local “resonance effects” that were behind the higher tidal range in that location.
John
In Mackay between 2.5m and 6.5m for the average month.
I believe increasing as you move down to Shoalwater Bay where it peaks.
GBRMPA Map 14.
Mr A
That was an idea I think is good for boating, yes. In the discussion with BilB and our shared ocean ambitions. Those wind generators can make a tranquility ruining noise or not work at all.
No progress till the Taipan changes her attitude toward sea life, not very optimistic at this point 🙁
John if you look at GBRMPA Map 13, I’ve tried to motor flat out with a 20 hp Mercury in a 4m quintrex tinny, into the run, in some of the gutters between reefs and made no ground at all.
The volume of water going through there is mind blowing.
Almost 4 times a day, every day, without fail.
As far as floating debris, a couple of net buoys and the odd weather balloon.
Jumpy:
What I meant was something like. “If it is high tide at the mouth of the pioneer river how much sooner later is high tide at other locations?
BTW I noticed how fast the currents were around Nth Keppel Is when I was skindiving there years ago.
John
Well, today’s morning Townsville High was at 0853, Mackay at 1039 and Gladstone at 0903.
Picture the incoming tide above Shoalwater coming in and moving southward, and below moving in and northward.
With the fulcrum ( don’t know if that’s the correct term but it sounds as if it should be ) being Shoalwater Bay.
All the data is here.
That said, mid tide happens way earlier at the mouth of a tidal river than 5km inland.
All very reliably predictable given the exact spot with little trouble.
Wind can have a slight effect in a river like the Pioneer, a stiff easterly can boost the height a smidge.
Actually I could be wrong on Shoalwater Bay, Rosslyn Bay is right there but Hay Point looks to take the gold, Mackay silver.
https://www.msq.qld.gov.au/-/media/MSQInternet/MSQFiles/Home/Tides/King-tides/highest-tides-2018.pdf?la=en
On the Victorian election, it looks like Labor, but by how much?
Yet Antony Green is not willing to declare, and nor should he.
He reckons Victoria has been mainly Labor since Jeff Kennett bombed out in 1999. I think it has been four out of six.
Not willing to declare?
Back here in the Victorian era, we mark our ballots with pencils (if they provided pens some scallywags might pocket them), and in due course the officials count the votes carefully and systematically, under the watchful eyes of scrutineers, and then there are the postal and absentee votes to wait for.
Meanwhile, we have horses to water, crops to scythe by hand, lamps to refill with oil, and if it gets warmer the Coolgardie safes need to be topped up. Youse may think it’s a bit slow, but we like to be thorough and we are rarely fangled by the new.
That’s how we like it. But what we like, is of far less importance than this self-evident fact: that is how things ought to be done!
We’re still very sad that Prince Albert has passed away.
Cheerio
Thanks for the Premiers link, Brian.
Four out of six?
Depends whether you count governments rather than Premiers.
Analogy: there was an Abbott/Turnbull govt for a term, because Mr A was dumped when Mr T took over.
In Victoria, Ted Baillieu was dumped during his first term and Mr Napthine served for the rest of that government’s four year term.
Likewise, John Cain Jr resigned during his third term, and Joan Kirner held the poisoned chalice until Labor was swept out at the scheduled next election.
Cain Junior was a good Premier: calm, soft-spoken, modest. Ultimately undone by union leaders’ antics. What a humiliation for a Govt to have trams parked on city streets for weeks by striking tram drivers, a dispute that had State Cabinet deadlocked. Mr Cain went on holiday, then resigned several months later.
For John D
Yes, of course the trams are horse-drawn.
This is Melbourne we are talking about.
Ambi: Lived in Melbourne for a year but we managed to have a fridge instead of a Coolgardie safe. Definitely a different world that the NT we had lived in before that.
Cultural shock moving from a place where calling someone Mr…….. was a way of indicating contempt or at least taking the mickey out of.
In Melbourne my wife commented that the only people who used your given name were real estate agents.
Then there was the obsession with which school you went to. You riders of high drays couldn’t come to terms with the idea that my wife had studied French, Latin and German in a NSW country government school.
Ambi, I meant four out of six elections. Mark pointed out that in Qld where we are often seen as conservative Labor has won or been able to form government in the last nine out of 10 state elections. There is a case to say that Labor is the natural party of government now in Victoria and Qld, perhaps will become so again in NSW.
Victorians, he says, are the most liberal of states. Here it’s more complicated, but city folk, who are still a small minority in Qld, don’t like being governed by farmers, so go for Labor rather than farmer-dominated LNP.
Yeah, here’s the 2017 Queensland electoral map.
That little red speck that is Mackay has been red for 103 years.
Try counting up to 48 red ones.
What are there, 6 outside Brisbane?
Looks more like 13 to me, depending on what the black lines actually represent – e.g. are there really three electorates centered on Townsville?
Yeah, out of 93.
Better to rename it the QLD S.E. Election.
Brisbane dictate, no Senate.
Looks like a Labor win in Queen Victoria’s State.
Poor bugger Scott Morrison.
Zoot:
Actually four – Townsville, Thuringowa, Mundingburra and Burdekin
There are 173,000 people in Townsville, and some seats, eg Burdekin, have a slice of Townsville plus adjacent areas.
Jumpy, cows and sheep don’t vote. SEQ is where people live, and if you want to separate off, be my guest, apart from RL State of Origin time.
Thanks Brian.
Brian,
Noticeable last night on ABC-TV coverage of Victoria’s election: when they showed the colour coded State lower house seats map, before and after this election, not much change in colouring was apparent…..
because Eastern Melbourne suburbs are tiny, on a State map, but are inhabited by thousands of voters. Also in Victoria sheep, cows, dray horses and koalas don’t vote.
Cheerio
Capital cities is where the growth occurs. This is because the government decision makers are concentrated in capital cities, companies want their head offices to be close to these decision makers and then service providers need to live near the capital to support all these offices etc. If we want to spread the Australian population out more we need more states so we get more capital cities.
Also like the idea of state boundaries along lines that are equi distant from capital cities. (With minor deviations to take account of natural boundaries like rivers. This would avoid situations where large parts of the population from parasite states like NSW go to adjacent capital cities such as Brisbane for serious hospital treatment. The logical NSW/Qld border is south of Coffs harbor.
Even Jumpy might be happier if Qld had a new coastal capital city around about Cairns or Townsville. (Then again, perhaps not.)
Sorting out the disruption would create a lot of jobs.