Elections and Other Political Events

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After several days of shifts on prepolls and work on election day itself, the results came in for the Victorian 2022 election with a convincing return of the Labor Party to the government benches for a third term and with results pretty close to what the betting agencies and opinion polls were actually saying (but the media would have had us believe otherwise). True, there were some big swings against the government in their traditional northern and western suburbs, which they will have to work on. But in the south and eastern marginal seats which the Liberals had to win, there was no swing and in some cases a swing to the government. The problem for the Liberal Party, now as an extreme conservative party of happy-clappers and cookers, is that "quiet Victorians" want nothing to do with them.

As one would expect, I went to the post-election party for the Albert Park and Prahran campaigns, although not before attending Andrew D., 40th birthday celebrations beforehand for a couple of hours. Both events were, of course, quite interested in the election result and with the similar sort of assessments we've seen over the past few days. Two days afterward, I had a few old political (and musical) friends over for lunch for a long discussion about such matters, including the quite famous psephologist Billy Bowe of the Pollbludger; I do wish he'd kept his old subheading: "Reflections on the miracle of democracy at work in the greatest nation on Earth". Another matter that is getting attention is the censure of former Prime Minister Scott Morrison who assigned himself multiple ministeries without telling relevant people - or the Australian people. I'm not sure there ever has been such a blatant secret power grab and, incredibly, he is showing no contrition. Finally, for what it's worth, the Isocracy Network is hosting a forum on Universal Basic Income with speaker Michale Haines this coming Saturday at the Kensington Town Hall.

Comments

Universal Basic Income

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Now there's a file I want to see finally addressed here in Canada. After the first year and a half of the Pandemic-in-Progress with first the Canada Emergency Response Benefit and then the extended (un)employment insurance benefits, I am convinced we have the evidence we need to finally institute such a thing here in Canada. It will improve economic and political stability here.

Re: Universal Basic Income

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There is a topic of some debate on how to achieve UBI and how much it should be implemented, and if there are preferred choices. For example, there is a good argument to have a job guarantee in preference (porque no los dos?).

Advocates of MMT will point out that a national government can fund a UBI regardless (because they control the money supply). Others (myself included) want it tied to a LVT, to ensure productivity and stop inflationary effects.