Hi Belly,

Some news this morning, as you can attest, I'm usually good for a bit of inside news around these times. A phone chat with a Labor mate down south this morning, he tells me in a couple of NSW marginals latest Labor polling has the party with a 4% lead in both.

Paul yes but first an explanation
In another thread I told of a very real, but local problem, have had one of life's great joys, twice
Told the upstart I was on to him, got everything I asked for, including the opportunity to use the same words on him I once used on a grub of a boss [my reason for resigning from my last job] he never made it past his one term
Figures are good to great, in a few, one unexpected seats
Too Liberals seem unlikely to win back Wentworth
Even better Abbott is in trouble Dutton gone,big money spent in Wentworth and Abbott's seat looks wasted
BUT it is not over every vote matters believe me it can turn the chook house looks insane

The latest Essential Research poll lists, in order of importance, voter concerns:

Health
National security and terrorism
Economy

Down at No. 8, climate change.

Too bad for the Greens and confused amateur 'independents’ naively betting on the third to last issue of importance.

Goodness me - climate change not a priority?

In the past year leading up to this election, this
country has experienced rolling climate emergencies -
we've been told that huge swathes of Eastern Australia
have endured the worst droughts in a century. We've
seen on television apocalyptic scenes along the Murray
Darling River System in which 1 million fish have died.

Queensland floods have wiped out half a million cattle and
bushfires have burned close to pristine rainforests.
In usually cold Southern Tassie more bush-fires have raged
across 190,000 hectares of land and devastated old-growth
forests.

Last year was Australia's hottest year on record and as winter
begins many of the country's major cities are staring
down the barrel of water restrictions with Sydney,
Melbourne, Darwin, and Brisbane all facing the prospect
of dams at just 50% capacity.

However, on the campaign trail through warming cities,
blackened bush and scorched outback the 2 contenders for
the office of Prime Minister are trumpeting starkly
different messages about what if anything should be done to
address this crisis.

Scott Morrison - representing the current government
of the conservative Liberal Party and the National
COALition - Morrison's stance can be summed up by his
address to Parliament in 2017 - while brandishing a lump
of coal.

Climate change and its effects has always been something to
be laughed up. And that's not hyperbole from the Left.

In 2015 from former PM Tony Abbott (who once called
climate change - crap) was caught on camera laughing
about rising sea level in the Pacific.

Whereas Bill Shorten promises significant action on
climate change. There's a big difference between the two
parties and their leaders.

A recent event - the tornado that hit the coastal town of
Warrnambool in Victoria destroying a caravan park, and the
huge red dust storms near Mildura - brought the realities
of climate change home to many residents. Farmers were
losing their top soil.

There's more on the following link:

http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/07/climate-change-takes-centre-stage-in-australias-election

Dear Foxy,

The preliminary Lowe Report was also enlightening.

"This year 61 per cent of voters said climate change was so serious and pressing we should address it now, even if was expensive. That is a 25 percentage point jump since 2012 and the highest number highest since 2006. But responses to that question showed stark differences between generations. Among Australians aged 18 to 29, 81 per cent thought we should take action on climate change, even if it was expensive. But less than half — 49 per cent — of those aged over 45 took the same view."
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-05-08/australians-think-climate-change-bigger-threat-than-terrorism/11091276

This seems to be by far the biggest difference between the parties in who the electorate feels will be most effective on this issue.

We also rank pretty highly internationally on the questions of concern about climate change.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/australians-more-worried-about-climate-change-than-most-other-nations-poll-20190505-p51kb5.html

The coalition are either asleep at the wheel or willfully ignoring the issue. Shorten would have been very happy to see Morrison waving around a lump of coal in parliament, he will never get past that whatever he spouts about Coalition policies.

In actual fact in purely relative terms actions by our State governments, particularly Vic and SA have helped curb our emission acceleration quite well. But that attitude of the LNP sets them up as fair game.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NDtKFbXoQ6Q

Dear Steele,

Thanks for the links.

Interestingly, I watched the program last night on
the ABC - "Prince, Son and Heir: Charles at 70."

I was amazed at how ahead of his time he was in his opinions
(and practices) on sustainability, and his views on
climate change. He can't understand how people can deny
the science. A truly amazing man - yet one who's been
described as a "nutter" by ignorant people.

According to The Australian's Newspoll - this election has
nothing to do with issues like border security which
Libs are pushing. Spending on services tops the election
priority list and climate change is not far behind.

As the saying goes - You'll lose if you snooze. The Libs
need to get their act together.

I'll be watching the debate at 7.30pm tonight. Hopefully
Shorten will do another Q&A style appearance - while
Morrison remains he's own aggressive, shouty, "charming" self.