@MAKS23 just need a majority in both chambers in the congress and he and hist lackeys are gone, keep on making people to leave #gop and become #independent or join #democrats

Day 26 cont

“#Kooyong MP #MoniqueRyan had just remarked that the national broadcaster’s annual budget was “about as much as we spend on keeping 100 refugees on #Nauru and #PNG” when a man’s voice suddenly bellowed from the back of the room.

“We’re just here to ask about immigration and crime,” he said.

…

A meeting of Kooyong candidates led to a heated confrontation between agitators and other attendees.
In a room at the #KewLibrary filled with #CivicMinded locals waiting to hear from the Kooyong candidates about the state of the media, the arrival of the three unexpected men disrupted the calm.

Leading them was a bald man with a #goatee, wearing a black T-shirt emblazoned with the logo of the “#AustralianWorkersAlliance” – a self-described nationalist organisation whose mission includes the “preservation of #WesternCulture and identity”. One of the other men wore a leather jacket and filmed the room with his #phone – a dead giveaway that the goal was to capture a viral “gotcha” moment. The third man, dressed in a grey hoodie and sneakers, loitered nearby with his hands in his pockets as back-up.”

The old LNP, Advance create scene, capture distribute trick.

#AusPol / #Independent / #Kooyong / #FarRight / #extremism / #Advance / #SandraBourke / #LNP / #Liberal / #Nationals <https://archive.md/V3knV> / <https://www.theage.au/politics/federal/victoria-s-hot-seats-live-updates-federal-election-2025-continues-muslim-lobby-group-rolls-out-attack-ads-against-labor-20250421-p5lt3t.html> (paywall)

Day 26

“Over five decades, here’s how voters have shifted away from the major parties”

#AusPol / #Labor / #LNP / #Nationals / #Liberal / #Coalition / #Greens / #Independent <https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-04-24/election-data-rise-independents-major-party-drift/105144918>

In an extraordinary declaration, #BillOwens —only the 3rd person to run the program in its 57-year history—told his staff in a memo that “over the past months, it has become clear that I would not be allowed to run the show as I have always run it, to make #independent decisions based on what was right for ‘#60Minutes,’ right for the audience.”

Day 24 cont

“Allegra Spender has denounced as “false, misleading, and offensive” a pamphlet targeting her that is being distributed anonymously in the #Sydney seat of Wentworth and which the Australian #Electoral #Commission is investigating.

On Monday the #AEC said it had received complaints about “the #distribution of an unauthorised #pamphlet opposing the member for Wentworth which is in breach” of electoral laws which require material to be authorised with the name and address of its source.”

A pretty clumsy move, highlighting motive and at considerable cost. Motive, means, opportunity.

Keep in mind foreign interference briefing by ASIO head earlier in the year.

#AusPol / #Wentworth / #LNP / #Liberal / #Coalition / #Independent / #Labor / #AllegraSpender (Ind) / #NickWard (Grn) / #JamesSternhell (1Nat) / #SavannaPeake (Lab) / #RoanneKnox (Lib) <https://archive.md/pmJKW> / <https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/aec-launches-probe-after-wentworth-flooded-with-anti-spender-pamphlets-20250421-p5lt7w> / <https://www.abc.net.au/dat/news/elections/federal/2025/guide/went.htm>

@enobacon hilariously, @mlanger, who describes herself as an "#independent #thinker" who "gets her kicks learning and doing new things" has, in fact, blocked me for some rather straightforward and polite (at least I'd like to think so) introductory explanation of urbanism. Ah well . Some people don't want to learn or be better people, I guess.

…#Trump does not have the authority to fire #JeromePowell, except for "cause," meaning some kind of bad behavior. #SCOTUS precedent supports that view. But the White House has signaled a willingness to test that standard, firing board members of other #independent #FederalAgencies.

Powell said on Wednesday that lawmakers from both parties have generally defended the #Fed's ability to set interest rate policy without interference.

#Trump's post came a day after #JeromePowell warned that the #tariffs from the Trump admin are likely to cause both higher prices & slower economic growth.

"Tariffs are highly likely to generate at least a temporary rise in #inflation," Powell told the Economic Club of Chicago, noting that Trump's import #taxes were higher than most forecasters had expected. "The inflationary effects could also be more persistent."

#Trump was evidently frustrated that the European Central Bank was preparing to lower interest rates for the 7th time, while the #FederalReserve is in a holding pattern. Of course, European leaders have not imposed triple-digit #tariffs which threaten to rekindle #inflation.