I don’t see many issues that the nationals and Labour align on the the greens or liberals don’t, maybe threading the needle on land access issues that satisfy farmers, in that they don’t hand land over to resources companies or lock it up in protected parks? But I don’t see that as significant enough to justify the split.

It just feels like all tactics and no strategy, at the meta level they have to be in coalition to form government in the medium term. I could see a liberal party moderate resurgence over a longer horizon by going it alone, but I just don’t think tjat their significant funders actually care or would tolerate that, they just want to maintain the current lasse faire regulatory system that allow them to rip cash out of the ground and pockets of Australian consumers in the short term.

Surely they will reunite, it’s political death for both parties if they don’t. It gets significantly more difficult once the shadow ministries are handed out. They have to do it now or face aninternal riot.

I’d like to see a comparison between labor and coalition governments, if 66% is the average across government and this one achieved 70% and the Gillard/Rudd one “similar levels” then I assume the Coalition ones statistically break more promises.

It would be good to see the actual results though, as it might show that both parties are in fact not the same after all.

I had a huge house party back in the late 90s when at uni. Filled the bathtub with ice, bought 4 cases of the cheapest beer I could get to make sure people didn’t go without even though it was byo. Party was huge. Band in backyard, cops coming, fence pailing going in the fire huge. About 3am we ran out of beer and so it wound down and everyone crashed out or went home.

Got up in the morning and there was at least two cases worth of this beer still in the tub. Went out back to pick up all the empties and almost every opened can of this beer was still almost full but had been abandoned.

This beer was so utterly bad that a bunch of rowdy drunk brike uni students wouldn’t even drink it!

That beer was Tasman Bitter.

The coalition literally does this every election. “Trust us, we’re better economic managers” is all they say. No specifics, then when they win they gut services used by people they don’t like, aka health, education and welfare services.

Never forget the 2014 liberal budget.

Classic Texas.

If you are in a position to be able to pay for Escape Collective they have a whole bunch of podcasts, as well as incredible high quality written articles mostly focused on road riding and racing, but have other stuff too.

Look up Iain Treloar he had done some amazing investigative journalism into all kinds of things, such a great writer.

I think this is really insightful analysis, great post. I often wonder why some of you key points around the headwinds that Labor faces (and progressive politics in general) don’t really get much of an airing.

It’s so obvious that LNP’s messages get boosted and the Labor ones get blunted when you pay attention to it. Sam happens when LNP are in Govt, so it’s not just a "going the opposite a voice- type thing.

Don’t even start on the amount of dark and dirty money, backroom influence and corporate interference.

Feels bleak sometimes, but sanity will prevail at some point. 🤞

As someone who grew up in NSW and moved to Vic after driving for a decade, I can say that in my experience a lot of people in NSW consistently drive at 15- 20 over on the freeway (especially Pacific hwy to Newcastle) and consistently 10 over on other roads. During double demerits they drop down in speed a bit.

In Victoria people seem to not drive at the same amount over the speed limit. More like 10 over on freeways and 5-10 over on other roads.

I always thought this was to a difference in policing. In NSW I never heard of anyone being booked for less than 10km over. In Victoria I have heard of people being done for as little as 4km over, and when I first moved here I got done for doing 6km over in an 80 zone (old habits died that day).

An additional observation, post COVID it feels like Victorians are driving faster, not to the same level as NSW but headed towards it.

Dickheads in cars on their phones that will run me over and kill me from behind one day. RIP me. But it’s been a hell of as ride until that point in the future.

Ooh, and freehub incompatibility and different “standards” fuck those.

Even better but a ZTTO HAG tool. Teach a person to fish and all that.

https://escapecollective.com/ztto-hag-5-derailleur-hanger-alignment-gauge-review/

Hmm, I missed that. Wow.

This Bloke has really broken Godwin’s law hasn’t he?

Dnt know anything about them. I assume they are all pretty good. The reason I went quadlock am was for the wireless car mag lock holder which is super convenient when driving. That and they seem pretty ubiquitous so I figure I can get replacement parts easily on trips etc.

Quadlock are head and shoulders above anything else I’ve seen. Well worth the cost, and lots of options.

Absolutely must watch TV!

I agree with you on almost all points, apart from the line about all the people that voted for HER, I saw something yesterday that showed that the overwhelming number of votes for her Senate run were above the line, which said that people were therefore voting for the party rather than her as an individual.

Interesting point and based on how people talk and vote around me it makes sense, I don’t think many people could actually tell you who their senators are.

But again, I agree that the party vote rule is terrible and should be removed.

Worse than that, it’s an intentional miss direction so that their billionaire benefactors can continue to squeeze the fossil fuel sponge well into the future. They want to get every last almost free drop out of our resources.

That wasn’t my question. What is Trump going to do to help Palestinian children?

Yeah but you’re forgetting that Biden beat him. That fact alone changes the equation massively I think. Trump will delight in pushing Biden into the mud face down.