Squiz Today – Monday, 13 March

WA ELECTION – VICTORY FOR LABOR, CLUSTERF*CK FOR LIBS/ONE NATION

THE SQUIZ
We've got used to seeing tight elections in Australia, but this result was beyond doubt. To the victor of the lower house (WA has 59 seats), the spoils. Labor went into the election with 20 seats and has probably doubled that to 41 seats. That leaves the Liberal-Nationals with 19 seats, down from 39. They got smashed. The Nats’ overall vote held up pretty well, although it looks like their leader Brendon Grylls will lose his seat. And did One Nation bring the heat? Capital N, capital O. They didn't win a seat.

WHAT ARE WINNERS AND LOSERS SAYING ABOUT IT NOW?
Labor’s incoming Premier Mark McGowan said they won because of promised new transport initiatives and their opposition to selling off electricity assets (a Liberal policy). Outgoing Liberal Premier Colin Barnett said the state was tired of his government; they had been in power since 2008. PM Malcolm Turnbull predictably agreed. Equally unsurprisingly, federal Labor leader Bill Shorten said Turnbull’s unpopularity was a factor.  On top of that, many are now saying the preference deal between the Libs and One Nation damaged the outcome for both parties.

SO WHY DID ONE NATION GO DOWN LIKE A SACK OF SH*T?
And why are we swearing so much? That’s what elections do to us, sorry. This question will have the political strategists absorbed for the next few weeks/months. Just a few weeks ago, One Nation’s primary vote was polling at 13% but when it came time for electors to put pencil to ballot paper, they got 4.7% of the vote. Why was it a fizzer? Leader Pauline Hanson denies it, but a trifecta of missteps (think vaccination, Putin and treachery against Queensland) last week couldn’t have helped. Hanson says the deal with the Libs turned off potential voters. The theory is One Nation voters are cranky with the major parties, so the deal with the Libs turned them off. And for swinging Lib voters, maybe they weren’t comfortable cosying up to the controversial Hanson and her mob. Turnbull has been asked to rule out future deals with One Nation, which is a bit like asking you what you’re going to wear at Christmas lunch in two years time, who knows what the conditions will be. But let’s be positive – maybe this is a learning/growth opportunity for future elections for all concerned?

---

SQUIZ THE REST

NO CHILD CARE FOR UNVACCINATED KIDS
Yesterday, PM Turnbull announced the government would move to ban unvaccinated children from attending formal child care programs. The PM can't do this unilaterally; he needs the states and territories to agree as they are responsible for enforcing child care standards. He's written to them and put it on the next meeting’s agenda. And in government speak that’s some serious haul-arse. Again with the swearing, see note above.

BATTERY CHARGED TWITTER LOVE BETWEEN MUSK AND TURNBULL
South Australia’s electricity supply problems got momentarily glamorous last week when a couple of billionaire tech geeks, Elon Musk and Mike Cannon-Brookes, weighed in. Musk (CEO of Tesla/aspiring space conqueror) made an offer; he would provide a battery-based fix to the state’s energy problem, get it working in 100 days or it would be free. Cannon-Brookes (co-founder of software company Atlassian) asked Musk if he was serious and offered to help raise funds and sort out the politics. Last night there was lots of Twitter love back-and-forth between Turnbull and Musk following a phone conversation. But really, the whole thing sounds like pie in the sky stuff, do we dare to dream it’s possible? Guess 100 days after a contract is signed we’ll know.

SARA CONNOR TO LEARN HER FATE IN BALI COURT TONIGHT
It’s going to be a nervous day in Bali for Byron Bay mum Sara Connor. She will face court tonight to hear a verdict in the fatal assault case against her. Indonesian prosecutors are seeking an eight-year jail sentence for her role in the alleged murder of Bali policeman Wayan Sudarsa last year.  Connor and her British boyfriend David Taylor insist she had no role in the death. Taylor admits he fought with Sudarsa, including hitting him with a beer bottle, and that Connor's only role was trying to separate the men as they fought. Authorities took another view. The Australian government has been treading carefully because if they've learned anything from experience (think Bali 9), Indonesian officials don't like being patronised. It comes as Bali jailbird Schapelle Corby prepares to return to Australia in late May.

MELBOURNE CUP DATE CHANGE GOES DOWN LIKE ONE NATION IN A WA ELECTION
The idea was floated in the media yesterday but was dead in the water before you could say “Almadin wins by a head!” Some in the racing industry think Melbourne’s Spring racing carnival is too crowded since the AFL Grand Final was pushed into October. But hold your horses! Move the race the stops the nation? The powers that be quickly ruled it out.

A LITTLE BIT OF COLOUR SEEPS OUT OF THE WORLD
News on Friday of the death of revered cartoonist Bill Leak shocked those close to him and devastated his avid admirers. Leak was only 61yo and died of a suspected heart attack. Throughout an illustrious career, most recently penning political cartoons for The Australian, Leak won nine Walkley Awards. And while warriors against political correctness mourned the loss of Leak, yesterday brought news that cartoonist Murray Ball had died at 78yo. Ball was the creator of Footrot Flats, the quintessentially Kiwi story of farmer Wal and The Dog. In different ways, both men were examples of how great artists can uniquely capture the mood of a nation.

AND IN MORE SAD NEWS…
Sister Sledge singer Joni Sledge has died at 60yo.  Reports say the cause of her death is not known and she had not been ill.  If you've ever sung along to ‘We Are Family', you know her work. And following his death on Christmas Day, George Michael will finally be laid to rest in a private ceremony in London tomorrow. The long delay was due to an extensive investigation into his death. The coroner ruled just last week that the star had died of natural causes.

... BUT TO LIFT YOU UP A LITTLE
Cruft's dog show, the largest in the world, is poised to judge its Best In Show any moment now. In anticipation, here's a gallery of some show contestants. 

SQUIZ THE DAY

Labour Day - public holiday in Victoria

Eight Hours Day - public holiday in Tasmania

March Public Holiday - public holiday in South Australia

Canberra Day - public holiday in the ACT

Commonwealth Day - 52 member states celebrate under this year's theme: 'A Peace-Building Commonwealth'

Afternoon - Sara Connor's Bali trial verdict