Upper house

• This evening, the world of travel gathered from all corners of the globe to celebrate each other's achievements at the announcement of The World's 50 Best Hotels 2023.
• The full list of The World's 50 Best Hotels 2023 is at the bottom of this press release.
• Passalacqua, the luxury boutique hotel on the shores of Lake Como – which opened in June 2022 – takes the top spot on The World's 50 Best Hotels list.
• The inaugural ranking of The World's 50 Best Hotels reveals that 21 of the winning properties are based in Europe.

• This evening, the world of travel gathered from all corners of the globe to celebrate each other's achievements at the announcement of The World's 50 Best Hotels 2023.
• The full list of The World's 50 Best Hotels 2023 is at the bottom of this press release.
• Passalacqua, the luxury boutique hotel on the shores of Lake Como – which opened in June 2022 – takes the top spot on The World's 50 Best Hotels list.
• The inaugural ranking of The World's 50 Best Hotels reveals that 21 of the winning properties are based in Europe.

• The election results announced on the 26 August are being disputed due to reports of delayed voting, voter intimidation and ballot paper irregularities.
• Another concern distinct to this election was the stark decline in the number of women candidates nominated by the main political parties for direct election.
• Zimbabwe’s political parties need to field more women for direct election, outside the confines of the quota, in order to reach gender parity.

Gender quota

• Zimbabwe’s constitution in 2013 introduced a gender quota to ensure the equitable representation of women in parliament.
• The quota requires that the lower house reserve 60 of its 270 seats (22%) for women representatives.
• The purpose of the quota is to push the country towards gender parity – 50/50 female/male representation – as directed by the 2003 Maputo Protocol and the Southern African Development Community’s 2008 Protocol on Gender and Development.
• However, women’s representation in Zimbabwe’s parliament has declined since 2013, in spite of the quota.
• The newly elected women MPs may have limited room for manoeuvre to promote gender equality in this political context.

Looking beyond the quota

• Data shows that 633 registered candidates contested 210 seats through direct election.
• Of these candidates only 68 were women.
• That is, only 11% of aspiring parliamentarians for direct election were women.

Gender bias within political parties

• The data above indicates a bias against woman candidates that permeates across political parties.
• Apart from the women nominated through the obligations of the quota, neither the CCC nor Zanu-PF fielded enough women to make gender parity a reality in the 2023 elections.
• These are informed by social, cultural and religious beliefs rooted in patriarchal values that view women as inherently weak and untrustworthy.

Gatekeeping

• This conceals the stark reality that neither the CCC nor Zanu-PF is committed to increasing women’s representation outside the confines of the quota.
• They determine the level of women’s inclusion in representative politics, outside the quota system.
• This will allow the country to move closer to the goals of gender parity, gender equality and democratic plurality.

• A federal Newspoll, conducted May 31 to June 3 from a sample of 1,549, gave Labor a 55-45 lead, unchanged from the last Newspoll, three weeks ago.
• Primary votes were 38% Labor (steady), 34% Coalition (steady), 12% Greens (up one), 6% One Nation (down one) and 10% for all Others (steady).
• Support for the Indigenous Voice to parliament slumped to a 46-43 lead for “yes” with 11% undecided, from a 53-39 lead in early April.

Essential poll: 52-43 to Labor including undecided

• In last week’s Essential poll, conducted May 24-28 from a sample of 1,138, Labor led by 52-43 including undecided (53-42 the previous fortnight).
• Primary votes were 34% Labor (down one), 31% Coalition (steady), 15% Greens (up one), 6% One Nation (up one), 2% UAP (up one), 7% for all Others (down one) and 5% undecided (steady).

Freshwater poll only gives Labor a 52-48 lead

• The Poll Bludger reported on May 22 that a Freshwater poll for The Financial Review, conducted May 15-17 from a sample of 1,005, gave Labor a 52-48 lead, a two-point gain for the Coalition since December.
• Primary votes were 37% Coalition (steady), 34% Labor (down three), 12% Greens (steady) and 17% for all Others (up three).
• An April Freshwater poll had given “yes” an overall 56-44 lead.
• A Painted Dog WA poll for The West Australian gave Albanese a net +23 approval while Dutton was at net -32.

Opposition to Voice drops in Morgan poll

• A Morgan SMS poll, conducted May 26-29 from a sample of 1,833, had support for an Indigenous Voice to parliament at 46% (steady since mid-April), opposition at 36% (down three) and 18% undecided (up three).
• Excluding undecided, “yes” led by 56-44, a two-point gain for “yes”.
• Morgan’s weekly voting intentions poll gave Labor a 55.5-44.5 lead last week, unchanged on the previous week but a 1.5-point gain for the Coalition since three weeks ago.

WA Premier Mark McGowan resigns

• Labor Western Australian Premier Mark McGowan announced his resignation as premier and member for Rockingham last Monday.
• At the March 2021 WA state election, McGowan led Labor to the biggest landslide win in Australian state or federal political history.
• They won 53 of the 59 lower house seats and 22 of the 36 upper house seats – the first WA Labor upper house majority.

US debt limit deal passes Congress

• I covered the passage of the US debt limit deal between President Joe Biden and Republican House Speaker Kevin McCarthy through Congress last week for The Poll Bludger.
• My tactical analysis of the deal was harsh on McCarthy, saying he was more like a pussycat than a tiger.

Morgan Victorian poll: 61.5-38.5 to Labor

• A Victorian SMS Morgan state poll, conducted May 17-22 from a sample of 2,095, gave Labor a 61.5-38.5 lead over the Coalition (55.0-45.0 at the November 2022 election).
• Primary votes were 42% Labor, 28.5% Coalition, 12.5% Greens and 17% for all Others.
• By 52.5-47.5 voters approved of Labor Premier Daniel Andrews’ performance (57.5-42.5 in a November Morgan poll).
• Respondents were asked why they approved or disapproved, with many who disapproved of Pesutto citing his handling of the Moira Deeming affair.

NSW Resolve poll: Labor honeymoon after election win

• Two party estimates are not generally provided by Resolve, but Labor is far ahead.
• Incumbent Chris Minns led new Liberal leader Mark Speakman as preferred premier by 42-12.

Tasmanian EMRS poll: Liberals slump but Labor doesn’t benefit

• A Tasmanian state EMRS poll, conducted May 15-19 from a sample of 1,000, gave the Liberals 36% of the vote (down six since February), Labor 31% (up one), the Greens 15% (up two) and all Others 18% (up three).
• Tasmania uses a proportional system for its lower house, so a two party estimate is not applicable.