Green says the ALP have a majority, and might be a large majority. So looks like there might not be a minority government.

Will that give the ALP the balls to make some interesting decisions?

85 seats with only 41.4% counted. It is clear that Australians wanted Albanese again.

Will that give the ALP the balls to make some interesting decisions? — Banno

What do you expect from them now on?

In Bean, Jessie Price (Ind.) leads by an estimated 424 votes.

One of them was mine.

What do you expect from them now on? — javi2541997

I don't expect much but hope to be surprised. At least it's a sincere kick in the pants to Trumpian culture-war posturing.

:up: My guy, Greens Adam Bandt won by a much more slender margin this time (2027 votes).

Yes, the Green vote is as usual, interesting. The Senate results might mitigate the ALP landslide, but it doesn't look good.

Here's the provisional Quota distribution: https://tallyroom.aec.gov.au/SenateStateProvisionalQuota-31496.htm . At this stage it looks like the landslide continued there as well. 12 definite quotas for ALP, and perhaps six for the libs/nats/country.

Four for the Greens.

I think that gives the ALP an outright majority in the Senate.

David Pocock seems to be the only Independent, Jacqui Lambie only has half a quota.

Of course., preferences will swing this around considerably.

So it will be interesting to see how that plays out.

"Australians are not who Peter Dutton thought we were" (Samantha Maiden). Watching Insiders.

Was the election a step to the left or a step away from the right?


The ALP have the backing to set a bold agenda, but will probably keep to the unexciting policies that they have set out. Steady as she goes.

Which is a lost opportunity, from my point of view. But it is what it is.

Was the election a step to the left or a step away from the right? — Banno

I suspect it was a step away from a particular from of right-wing demagoguery voters felt Dutton was too enamoured by. It's a point in time. Dutton was unlikely to appeal widely outside of a specific demographic, particularly those over 55. There's plenty of room for a more sophisticated, dare we say, centrist Liberal party in the future - if they can move beyond the libertarian, culture-war rhetoric. They need a new leader with some of the old Petro Georgiou-style values. Glad that smarmy libertarian prick Tim Wilson is gone.

There's plenty of room for a more sophisticated, dare we say, centrist Liberal party in the future — Tom Storm

Yes.

But the Liberal pack has been decimated, the dearth of talent only increased. They may not be capable of such a big re-think.

In the ACT - which I happily admit is far from typical of the rest of Australia - the Liberals have not been in power for more than twenty years and now have no Senate representation. But instead of moving to a progressive liberal addenda the party here appears to be sticking to the unelectable ideological right. mad, but what has been described as preferring to support an ideology over being elected.

The Liberals are perhaps too wedded to a conservative agenda to adjust their place.

So if the Greens moved to the Right of the ALP, supporting small business and tradies... :chin:

The Liberals are perhaps too wedded to a conservative agenda to adjust their place. — Banno

Yes. Although for me, the term conservative is fraught. Some of the Liberals, like the aforementioned Wilson, actually promote radical, disruptive ideas steeped in a kind of Rand-style libertarianism. This is antithetical to any genuine conservative tradition. I suppose the only conservative posturing from the Liberals these days is lip service to "Western values" with a nominal Christianity and strong anti-trans, and First Nations skeptic positions. I guess we can talk about social conservatism versus economic radicalism, but in the end the latter always seems to undermine the former.

So if the Greens moved to the Right of the ALP, supporting small business and tradies... :chin: — Banno

Say some more on this.

Say some more on this. — Tom Storm

Well, it was just a random thought, but there is now a huge gap in between the socialist ALP and the conservative Libs. Who can fill it? Independents are, by the very fact that they are independent, incohesive. The Greens have a party process, chaotic as it is. There is nothing in the basic environmentalist approach that is against small business, tradies and professionals, but these votes are leaving the Libs for the independents. If the Greens moved towards the centre, they might be able to gain a considerable backing.

Still watching Insiders in the background. The point was made that the Green vote did not collapse, but that in a three-way contest (Brisbane seats) a drop in the Liberal vote with continuity in the Green vote means the preferences flow on to the ALP. The Green vote has been steady between 10% and 15% since forever.

Perhaps Pockock will start a new party.

:up:

Thanks for allowing me to take part in this thread. It was interesting to learn about Australian politics. I wish good luck to Albanese and all the best to you folks. I guess you would keep posting updates here, so I will be aware of everything that happens in the new government from now on.

Cheers. Thanks for taking an interest.

Prime Minister Pedro Sánchez congratulated Albanese and the Labor Party on social media stating that Australia and Spain would continue working together for social justice and the defense of common values.

Australia y España seguiremos trabajando juntos por la justicia social y en defensa de nuestros valores comunes.

We are the only Spanish-speaking country that congratulated "Albo" and the Labour Party, but I don't know if that's really relevant.

Trump said this morning (Australia time) that he congratulated Albanese whom he regards as 'a friend' - which vindicates Albanese's scrupulous attempt to avoid ever saying anything that could be interpreted as hostile to Trump (who has an planet-sized ego and a tissue-thin hide.) Media criticized Albanese when, during the second debate, he said he trusted the US president 100% - but if he'd demurred or qualified it in any way, you can bet it would have been heard. (Oh, and Trump said he didn't even know the name of who Albanese was running against, another great morale boost for the vanquished.)

It could be said that Labor has a better recent history of use to abuse ratio as far as the application of diplomacy to foreign affairs than the Coalition. Maybe Labor applied a little bit of this attribute to internal affairs in their election run up? While the others took their usual Bjelke-Petersen approach of "Don't you worry about that!/ Believe me, I know what's best for you!" to a more discerning 21st Century Australian public.

just a happy smile tinged with apprehension for the next 3 yrsish

What is a worry in world affairs is, at this point in time/history, Labor will be dealing with the Trumpian Effect throughout their term. Getting ahead on that will be like discerning the future by inspecting the contents of capital cities sewage plants.... Moonie Ponds??? (apologies to residents of aforementioned suburb, but just had to...)
Have the Trumpettes won any seat yet? Sick of their youtube ads!

After an "attempted" objective rereading of these two comments, whoever wrote them could be called "a whining little bleater", in times gone past!

concerned smile

(Oh, and Trump said he didn't even know the name of who Albanese was running against, another great morale boost for the vanquished.) — Wayfarer

Probably would have said the same to Dutton in the same situation.
Bet he didn't interrupt a game of golf to make the phone call.

cynical smile

probably right on both counts.

...can he tell Australia from Austria?

.can he tell Australia from Austria? — Banno

No better that the highly acclaimed US POST.
There is still a parcel addressed to Benalla Vic. Australia in the US POSTAL loop between Alabama USA and Austria, 4years later. True story.

faintly amused smile

Wondering if so much of the world's problems can be sheeted home to the "US education system",if that's not an oxymoron itself. No offence intended... with Spellcheck claiming "offence" is incorrectly spelt.
Just a speculative query.

head shaking smile

With 50 different controlling states, educational standards would struggle to be standard. Our own 7+ systems are bad enough.
Another area of reform for Labor? They're moving to standardize road rules,maybe nationally standardized education could be sold as a productivity improver? ( "improver" is a non word according to Spellcheck. Oh, the irony in this US related context!)

more head shaking smile

Wondering if the National Polling companies will pay bonuses this year for getting it close to right?

stirring smile

An area I had something to do with a while back... well, twenty years ago. SA and ACT had the progressive ideas and wanted to implement them. NSW and Victoria had already developed their own curriculum and didn't want any changes. NT was too busy just surviving to think about curriculum, QLD and WA would only do anything if the Commonwealth paid for it and Tasmania didn't do edufocationing.

I think WA is more progressive now.

Jaquie Lambie only has a half a quota so far. She might be out.

I think WA is more progressive now. — Banno

Agreed. Qld once had a progressive rep....death penalty, etc. Then SA....drugs, sexuality.
But, having some exposure (13 yrs) to Vic, NSW and Qld education systems... well, 50 yrs ago, moving around the country, did not make the getting of an education easy. Had to be keen, to get to higher ed with no money behind you, until Gough.
But your round up describes what it was still like 30 yrs later.... unchanged seats, just different occupants when the music stops.

smile

Jaquie Lambie only has a half a quota so far. She might be out. — Banno

Felt she performed well this election too.... in some reasonably important areas. Can speak straight sense when all around are mealy mouthing. May not agree with her always,but she put some of the common back into common sense politics... at times, using her trademark "common language".
Brought back memories of radio archives of the Chifley era and the hustings or whatever that whistle stop imprompture speaking was called when there was a wider and more noticeable variance in pollies' accents.

retiring for the day smile

Interesting that in Albo’s courtyard media address today, he singled her out as the kind of independent he would call, when he had a question about veteran’s affairs. She’s a rough diamond, but in the vernacular, also fair dinkum.

I think she is honest, empathic and diligent. And very direct. It would be a shame to lose her.