Election chat

So, what do we think? Is ScoMo on the way out?
Will Palmer win any seats even though he has p—-ed off tge whole of Australia?
More importantly: will you buy a sausage from the sausage sizzle when you cast your vote?
We are in a marginal Liberal seat that’s been targeted by Get Up so I will be glued to the ABC on election night to see good ole Anthony Green.
Alexander Downer’s daughter is staring a few burbs over, despite being beaten in a recent by election. It’s Dad’s old seat so they are obviously keen to bring it back the family fold.



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110 Comments

  1. My son is getting married on the 18th of May so guess I’d better show up there rather than sit glues to the TV like I do mst other election nights.

    • Good work!

      I have a cousin who’s getting sort-of married (she’s actually getting married, but they’re not having much of a thing, just a dinner at some fancy restaurant in the city) on May the 4th. International Star Wars day. I have to incorporate that into my outfit somehow, I know I do.

    • The one problem with that is that everybody hates Shorten *more* than they hate Morrison.

      I know if we wake up on the 19th and Dutton is the Prime Minister, I’ll be moving to Canada. If we wake up on the 19th and Fraser Anning is the Prime Minister? Let’s just sink Australia under the waves and be done with it.

      • I don’t hate Shorten, in fact I quite like him. I don’t hate ScoMo either, but I think he is not very bright.

        Fraser Anning as PM? Perish the thought; what a nightmare that would be.

      • Australiams need to grow up and vote on policy not personality, and realise that during the last 40 years Labor have left a better petforming economy on leaving office than they inherit. The COALition just swing a wrecking ball through everything.

        • The argument could be made that Howard/Costello squandered the mining boom but Rudd/Swan were no economic managers either. $900 to dead people…

          Why should anyone vote Labor when they flagrantly don’t believe in local representation? Victorian Greg Combet been parachuted into the NSW seat of Charlton and even then he couldn’t been arsed to buy/rent the token property in the actual seat. Greg Combet always looks soooooo embarrassed conversing with the natives…

          • Both sides leave a lot to be desired. However I can’t agree with your assertion about Rudd/Swan. The only country to get through the GFC relatively unscathed, Aus economy #1 under Gillard, now around 20th. LNP support wealthy mining & corporates, driven by Murdoch, no social conscience. The current PM has nothing to offer but empty slogans, still blaming Labor for everything after six years of ‘governing’ and we have seen the budget emergency disappear whilst net debt has doubled during this time.

  2. Palmer’s obviously trying to channel Trump (almost word for word, with his “Make Australia Great!” slogan), but he’s also tapping into One Nation’s low-key racism with his, “Beware of evil Chinese people!” ads. I still think it was fascinating how Palmer did all those ads, and then everybody got mad, so now he’s not in any of them anymore, just a bunch of ordinary, middle-class (and very good looking) voters. Most of them women, because I imagine, he polled very badly there. His own ego is the only voice in Australia telling him, “you should be the Prime Minister!” but I imagine he’ll pick up a few votes, just out of protest, which sadly will just feed his ego.

    As for the overall election, I think the problem is neither option is appealing, but that’s been the problem with all the elections I can ever remember. It’s nice that they’re paying attention to Queensland for once (they *must* be worried).

    As dire as the numbers are for the LNP, I still see them pulling off an unlikely victory, because the people of Australia just cannot stand Bill Shorten. He could volunteer to come around and wash everybody’s windows for the day, and I still think it wouldn’t make much of a difference. And you just know that within a month or so of a loss, Morrison’s getting knifed and someone else will take the LNP leadership.

    • I also have a sneaking feeling that the Liberals will win despite what the polls are predicting.. Actually not so much that they will win – more that Shorten will lose. I’m always a little more interested in seeing how the minor parties perform.Will this be the year that Pauline Hanson finally slides into obscurity?

    • I’ve a feeling that people are not so against Shorten as the polls show. My main reason for thinking that is that one big thing he has going for him is boring dependability. Because of the changes made by Rudd making it very hard to oust a Labor leader, people know that if they elect Shorten, he will be there until the next election. In this world of chaos, that will be very appealing to some people.

      (Disclaimer: I’m not particularly attached to either major party, or their leaders, so for once, my comments are probably more neutral than in any other election!)

      • To misquote Keal, “I can’t believe Nixon won. I don’t know anyone who voted for him.” In other words, the vibe on Shorten is dependent upon who you associate with. He is an opportunist and no one believes if elected that he will last the term. Too many steak knifes looking for a new home.

    • A discussion needs to be had on foreign interference (and how beholden the political parties are to foreign donations) as well as how much critical infrastructure is vulnerable.

      • Are you by chance watching the knee season of Veep, Maz? Your comments are also on point for its latest episode (such a good show!)

    • Media keep saying that no one likes Bill Shorten but on Twitter he has a lot of support. He’s been holding Town Hall meetings all over the country for years & people that go are always impressed, even non Labor voters. The media, especially Murdoch, demonise him every day & idiots that can’t think for themselves believe them.

      • I’m on Twitter and in the not-liking camp. I don’t get my views from the “Murdoch” press., and I am (mostly but not always) a Labour voter.
        It find blaming the media and stupidity a bit sweeping.
        I don’t like Bill Shorten because he swings in the breeze, and that’s based on comments straight out of his mouth. I have a memory.

  3. And for the record, working at Bunnings for 7 years really puts you off the smell of a sausage sizzle. I can’t deal with it at all. I always pass, although I’ll get a drink or a lamington if one’s on offer.

    I actually do love voting. It’s fun. I always take my time to enjoy it.

    • We have five family members (3 BILs, a niece and a nephew) all working at Bunnings. Never knew that you did too, Windsong.

      • My first job. I started when I was 16. And I lasted for 7 years before quitting. I found it a horrible job, I wouldn’t go back for all the money in the world.

    • I’ve never had a sausage sizzle at my polling booth all my voting life & I am 57. I moved house a year ago so hope my new polling booth has a sausage sizzle.

  4. I am also a below the line voter. You can’t trust the deals done on those How to Vote cards. Ricky Muir got in with 479 first preference votes but clever deals were done and I am sure voters were not happy with the outcome. Statistics, huh.
    And I know that Michaelia Cash got in with less votes than that but she was second on the list, so it was a slightly different story. At least it was out in the open and voters would be aware. She’s an odd fish, isn’t she?
    It’s the sneaky, sneaky that I don’t like and if I mark every box, then be it on my own head.

    • Me too.
      But at the NSW elections I was so torn on who to put last. Usually I’m solid with whatever Fred Nile is trying to hide under with a new party name. But this year there were a whole swathe of deeply unpleasant racists and not very well disguised white australia parties. It was TOUGH.

    • I have a list of pollies I don’t like, and Michaelia has moved to the top now that Pyne removed himself. I had to laugh a while ago when a list was published of pollies that the parties considered PMs in waiting, and these two were on the list.

    • My daughter met Christopher Phyne a couple of times in a work sense. He actually sounded like a nice fella, and reasonable and logical about issues. I think the fact that both sides of parliament were sad to see him go says something good about the way he does business.
      Plus, of course, he was vocal in his dislike about the way the far right took control of the Lib party.
      He was a moderate, “small l” liberal. They seem to be a dying breed.

  5. I thought last election was one where I just didn’t like or care for anyone in particular… each party is as bad as one another! For once instead of having to feel like they need to oppose whatever the other party says, I’d love for once an opposition to go… you know what.. that decision/law/whatever is actually really good and will benefit the country….. that’ll get my vote!

    I just hope whoever does win, is not all smug about it…as it’s got nothing to do with the people finding your opponents incompetent or even the voters liking you and your party… the winner will just be down to whatever the daily sentiment of the country is like on voting day.

  6. The election is going to be like “choose the prettiest” and it’s the MAFS line up.
    Too much make up. Fat bum. Too much lip filler. Too nasty. Too ugly. Too fake.

  7. I wish the budget hadn’t been so close to the election. I feel like everyone is focussing on “what’s in it for me” economically, and ignoring the moral issues, which are much more important for me. Our economy is really in the hands of the public servants and reserve bank, the government can only tinker around the edges. But they can really make a mess of the fabric of society with some bad decisions.

    • I read that, somewhere this week, and it kind of blew my mind a little. That the government really doesn’t affect the economy, it’s the Reserve Bank that keeps that thing ticking along. It’s probably a good thing.

      • Definitely a good thing, imo.There are some things that have to be above politicking, and the govt should not be able to make big decisions based on popular (usually ill-informed) opinions.

  8. My parents were always connected, politically, to local members of the LNP (state and federal levels). My father is growing increasingly political as he gets older (to the point where a lot of my cousins, and I, quietly “unfollowed” him on Facebook, ’cause it just too much to deal with). He’s all LNP, while one of my nerdy friends is the local ALP candidate for one of the regions on the Sunny Coast. I intend not to ever trap them in a room together, heh.

    Meanwhile today, Morrison was campaigning alongside someone who sided with Dutton in one of their many (many) leadership spills, while Clive’s suddenly found the hundred million bucks that he owes all those people in Townsville. How extraordinary. Possibly it was behind the couch? It’s always behind the couch.

    • Thanks for your concern , Fijane. I am in the grip of a crazy little thing called love, which at 61 is making me feel like I’m 16. In fact, it’s worse than being a teenager.This is not internet dating or dating shows, just someone I met at the dog park. An ordinary everyday conversation , face to face, just too rare.There’s been no intimacy. Never been married but not a virgin, see how much I’ve learned from these shows? Bit of chemistry maybe.I’m watching Bachelor In Paradise now. Cheers I’ll try to write more , if you see I try to write something for Bold and Beautiful if I’m not asleep.

      • Enjoy, Dave. It’s always good to meet and connect with new people, be it a potential love interest, or a friend.

      • Those darn dog parks. Maybe Bill from the Bachie franchise is onto something?

        Dave, are you Bill? Did you get a free holiday to Fiji earlier this year and didn’t tell us?

        • Not if you’re scared of dogs like I am. It’s my worst nightmare having all these dogs running around without leads.

      • Well that’s nice. I suppose those B&B pick-up lines didn’t go astray. Enjoy the butterflies. ⚘⚘⚘
        Don’t take anything from Paradise.

        PS, I hope she is into B&B. 💖💖💖 You can watch together while Iggy makes love to his cushion.

      • So glad you have been a bit quiet for a wonderful reason, and not a bad one!

        Funny how when you are ‘young’, you think that ‘older’ people are basically uninterested. The older I get, the more I realise that none of that goes away, and finding a new someone to share it with is even more special than in youth.

        • Yep. Youth is wasted on the young. GB Shaw. Thanks for the well wishes, all. Neither of us have ever been married.

          She doesn’t know I watch B&B but I confessed that I write a bit about rtv.. A dirty street pie should smooth that over.

          • She’s probably hiding her B&B mirky story from you.
            Go well young lovers. 💖💖💖 Whatever you watch.
            Hey, that would make a good song.

  9. I don’t like either of the two leaders: they seem smug.
    When Scomo was being asked questions on Julian Assange, he couldn’t get the grin off his face. Like it was funny.
    No matter your views on Julian, he’s still an Australian citizen and is deserving of protection from our government but that won’t happen. I have a feeling that Scomo’s dislike of him as a “journalist” may mean that Julian will be subjected to a perversion of justice metered out by the Americans. And before we talk about justice, just a reminder that the US has the largest prison population in the world. It is a thriving, growing, lucrative business.
    And I can’t forgive Shorten for being a flip-flopper on many issues. He seems an opportunist.
    I’m a fan of Penny Wong (what a shame she can’t be PM) and Tanya. And I miss Julie Bishop. Bring on the women. Oh wait, the Libs can’t.

    • Julie Bishop versus Penny Wong would be the best damn Parliament, like, ever. I legitimately wouldn’t know where to throw my vote, that’s being spoiled for choice.

      I can’t put my finger on it, but something about Shorten just, I don’t know. I don’t like it. And according to most polls, neither do 65% of the rest of us.

    • At a guess I think 10 million people think he’s slimy. If he sidled up to you in a pub, you’d txt your girlfriend to save you with a fake emergency.

  10. Oh, you have elections in May as well? We have the EU Parliament elections a week after you. And now the Brits take part as well. No Brexit yet… Let’s see if May survive this year, otherwise this might be a catastrophe if she doesn’t and an idiot like Jacob Rees-Mogg is making his promises true to block every decision made in the EU then. This is going to be a huge chaos.

    I hope you guys will not see a move to the right like it happened to many countries in the EU recently.

    PS: Daisy, be prepared to only find a skeleton of the Notre Dame when you are coming. What a shitty last night we had. 🙁 I was on the verge of tears. Some of my French friends actually really cried. And are they angry at Trump for one if the most stupid things he has said so far this month. Waterbomb a 850 years old cathedral. Wahhhh!

    • “And are they angry at Trump for one if the most stupid things he has said so far this month.”

      Talk about a needle in a haystack.

    • It was heartbreaking to see the pictures this morning.
      You know, I would contribute to a GoFundMe. Some things transcend borders.

      • Thanks.
        Scomo is being an a*****le over the matter. Apparently the quote is, if the French want to rebuild it, they can pay for it themselves. I hope he has been “taken out of context” but, somehow, I doubt it.
        Clearly, not a man who plays well with others.

        • Actually, I think I agree with him, although maybe he could have used more gentle phrasing. I don’t think this is a matter for governments, but individuals. Like all causes, people should give according to their feeling of engagement.

          I am all for places that encourage people closer to spirituality, but I would prefer the government to abandon its plan to once again cut Australia’s aid budget, the seventh budget cut in a row. If there is a limited pool of money, then starving people should take priority, imo.

          • And PS, the politics of aid is really interesting. Generally people are not starving due to lack of availability of food.
            Too complicated for here.
            Not that that excuses the cutting of aid, btw. Just saying that, sadly, the world ills are not simply or easily fixed but there seems to be little political will to do difficult.
            I wonder if I am talking myself out of voting Lib. Not that I am really convinced that the other side is any better.

        • i am told that he wasn’t responding to a request for govt money, but responding to a request to set up a site so we, the great unwashed, can contribute.
          This is so open to fraud. I can almost guarantee that within weeks, money is going to be sent elsewhere. All those princes in Nigeria will be rubbing their hands in glee.

      • I have the view that tax payers money should not go overseas, only donationsl Taxes are meant to run and maintain your country. Donations, even perhaps collected by agreement through voluntary “donations tax” sits better with me, just because I don’t believe the govt has the right to take our money and then give it away (although it’s even worse when they spend it on themselves). People work hard for their money and the govt should treat it with great respect. Not that that will ever happen.
        I would/will donate toward Notre Dame because it is a global wonder. It’s remarkable in terms of art, craftsmanship and history.

        • Notre Dame is owned by the government. Church use it for religious ceremonies. Apparently it’s not insured, although reno contractors working on it have insurance. Interesting situation.

  11. Scomo’s good at lawn bowls, I just saw him on tv. That means a lot, doesn’t it? Maybe I’ll vote for him…..but it’s a boy’s club.

    I’m a bit of a True Believer but not sure about BS~ Bull Shittin.

    It’s a shit sandwich.

    • I have done it – it put me exactly where I would have thought. I am not sure why they included One Nation this time and none of the other small parties. I would have thought it should be either all of them or none. I don’t like them appearing to give ON legitimacy over the other small parties.

    • One Nation are included because they have four seats in the senate which, like them or hate them, makes them legit.
      But I thought they would at least have included the Shooters etc, given their performance in NSW.
      And there’s another small group that I can’t quite remember.
      Maybe they’re difficult to define based on policies. I don’t think “Just not one of the major parties” counts as a slogan.

        • I guffawed. That was the easiest question I’ve answered all day, about anything, anywhere.

          If you didn’t know her, you’d think she looks like a pleasant woman. Photoshop?

        • Well, she’s a competent racist. Give her an eleven for that.

          Suspect Photoshop turd polishing too, Windsong.

      • That’s what I was thinking of, that the Shooters etc got a few seats in NSW so they are being taken seriously (or scarily) now.On Vote Compass, they could group the smaller parties into broad categories maybe.

    • Those questions were loaded and too many inferences had to be made about definitions.

      End of the day, it doesn’t matter how we vote as the seat we reside in has never been held by the other party.

      Neither party can be bothered spending money on election material in this seat…so we have never experience the full festivities of an election marginal seat style.

      • You will have to enlighten me on how the questions are loaded. They looked pretty straightforward to me and exactly the same questions were asked about each party.
        I’ve always found this issue interesting. It’s like going to a painting class and seeing the different interpretations of the same subject and generally results in me saying, “Who would have thought?”

        • Okay, we will bite.

          1. How many restrictions should there be on coal seam gas exploration in Australia? (This question assumes that respondents have some degree of familiarisation with current regulations and what exactly is CSG)
          2.Transgender awareness should be taught in primary schools (Curriculums ultimately come down to the state. An issue not likely to swing a Federal election)
          3. How much should wealthier people pay in taxes? (Define wealthy?)
          4. How much should Australia spend on foreign aid? (In what form does this foreign aid take and what is its objective? In what part of the globe is it directed?)
          5. How much tax should large corporations pay? (Define large, What is the effective as to opposed nominal corporate tax rate)
          6. How accessible should abortion services be in Australia? (This is regulated by the States & Territories. )

          • They are talking about the immigration question on ABC Bfast now. Just highlights how vague the questions are, and how the results can be presented in any way desired. “Immigration” is a hugely complex issue, so you could say yes to more immigrants but be particular about where those immigrants come from, or the circumstances of their situation. Yep, too complex for such a simple tool.

      • I didn’t find the questions loaded, but I thought the choice of answers was odd. What does “somewhat disagree” mean – 10% or 42% of me disagrees? If I feel 51% disagreed, does that mean I strongly disagree? I’m probably overthinking it.

        For the record, in any survey, I do not like being asked my age or gender.

      • Part of the problem is that two people can vote or answer the question the same way, but for very different reasons. I think that means that VC is really just a bit of ‘fun’, all the results have to be taken as inconclusive and vague. I suppose it is also the reason that polls are rarely right. Nobody in this house ever agrees to a phone survey, so they have to be inaccurate because only a certain type of person participates. That’s the beauty of compulsory voting (or turning up to vote) – it captures the view of the disengaged sector as well as the engaged.

  12. According to the website, the answers are weighted based on age, gender, education and postcode.
    Von, I share your distaste for being asked my gender. Unless it’s about putting a woman in charge, which some people are notoriously against, it should have no bearing on how my answer is viewed, and maybe not even then. I mean, just because I am short, doesn’t mean that I am wrong in thinking that tall people have an unfair advantage in life.
    But I do think that age matters. I am horrified at the suggestion that 16 year olds should be allowed to vote. Good god, can you imagine?
    I remember sitting on a bus listening to some pretty young things talking about how they would not vote Labour because Kim Beazley was too fat.
    And another who wanted shift me to the country because she felt she had a right to my inner city home and my job, mainly because at 45 I was over the hill and should get out of her way. She had plans. Btw, she had neither the qualifications or the experience to make major decisions on behalf of other people but she had zero self doubt.
    Young people, ffs. 🤣🤣
    My friends and I are much less conservative than our children but, you know, stereotypes.

    • So agree with you, Bobi. I have recently heard quite a few young people (those who are interested) talking about how they feel unheard because they can’t vote yet. Somehow, our society has lost the basic truth that a person needs some experience in the world to have a chance at gaining wisdom. Schoolkids really only gain their ‘wisdom’ from two places – home and teachers. In essence they are just parrots. They have not been exposed to a broader range of views, nor had the opportunity to test the views they hear with wide reading or research.

      Of course, there are many, many adults who don’t bother to widen their knowledge, but at least being out in a job or study, they are forced into contact with people from different backgrounds.

      I have a houseful of teens/young adults and I have to keep reminding them to even vote, let alone interest them in the local candidates or political views.

      Yes, the future belongs to the kids, but they can’t handle it until they grow up a bit.

      • It’s the “entitlement factor”. You see it when parents allow their small children to touch things in a shop. I heard one lady reason once, “Well we’re allowed to I suppose, so why shouldn’t they?”, and the voice in my brain replied, ” Because they don’t drive a car and pay the bills”.

        I notice my grand daughters are a lot less mature than I was at their age, and was talking with Woolif about it. I think it might be because we had more responsibility and independence early in life. We had to make our own beds, clean our rooms, do dishes, sweep the kitchen floor from about 8 years. Mum often sent me to the shops on my bike, to bring back some items, and she never gave me a list, but I would get into trouble if I got the wrong things. Must be why I don’t have Alzheimer’s yet. On the plus side, I think we had the best years and to this day I still dearly love my siblings. We fought in the trenches together. 😂😂😂😂
        Mum wasn’t all bad. She did make good lunches and dinners and buy us nice things. But she didn’t hesitate with a slap.

        • So true. Your childhood sounds pretty normal to my generation as well.

          We are pretty tough on our kids (they say, in comparison to their friends) and being a large family, we require everyone to do their part.

          And as a relatively engaged parent, politically, I make sure to explain things to my kids re the world, Australia and their local area. Yet, it is a little scary how much influence the school and teachers have regarding social issues. A lot of it is not overt, but permeates every assessment and module by stealth. I quite enjoy pointing out these to my kids, and teaching them to look beneath the assumptions. Now with a Uni student, we have deep discussions about how to look critically at all views and how to test them in several ways.

          I think you are correct about the sense of entitlement. I suppose all stems from the rising self-centredness of society – “I want full say in society, but I won’t consider anyone else’s viewpoint except my own”. Dangerous.

    • I’ve been tempted to steal a Clive Palmer poster just to liven up the lounge room and give it the “wow” factor for a few weeks. That yellow really pops.

    • They specialise around here, in placing them precisely to obstruct the view of traffic at roundabouts, enhanced by the fact that about one hundred are placed together.

      Ironic that the local member who sold out our waterfront to developers and vested govt departments, has chosen to plaster her face within view of the area she has desecrated.

  13. I’m in Stuart Robert’s electorate & despite the scandal with his exorbitant internet bill last year, he will probably get elected again because people are stupid on the Gold Coast & keep voting for the Libs. I’m looking forward to a Labor Govt & think Bill will be a good PM & surprise a lot of people who write him off. I hope I never see Morriscum, Dutton or Abbott on my TV ever again after the election.

  14. I could never vote for a party that bolstered its Budget from the “underspend” of funding allocated to the NDIS. Pfft. It’s not an underspend, you fools; it’s a sign of a convoluted system not being managed properly and therefore not reaching those who most need help.

    And can I just say, this is probably the only site in Australia where people can not only calmly debate the pros and cons of hair tattoos and soapie plots, post pix of their baking creations AND discuss politics lol

    • I’d think that extends to more than Australian sites, Juz. We are tolerant of other views, even when we disagree with the commenter., whether it be about politics or MKR scores. Simple courtesy is underrated these days.

      This is one of only a few sites that I have stayed with for years, specifically because of that.

      • We are, Bobi. Do you know what that blue thing is?

        I watched the interview with Christopher Pyne on The Project tonight. It was amusing. Pyne seemed very relaxed, and only twice went into polly mode with non answers to questions. I’ll miss him – a little.

        • I caught parts of that interview as well. Christopher Pyne is a character, all right.

          And, as he said, for all the crap he took from his political opponents … he outlasted quite a lot of them.

      • Isn’t the blue one aniseed? I just remember it being more squishy and jellylike.
        My favourite was always the bottom one; I used to pull them apart and eat them layer by layer.

        • I have no idea. I always think of aniseed as black, e.g., licorice. That blue ring looks like driveway gravel. It’s probably not, though :).

          • Honestly? I’ve never much cared for licorice either. I don’t know, it’s too sweet for me.

            But I don’t like caramel, either. That one really limits my options, confectionery-wise. Please don’t judge me!

          • I love my lollies & am not a fan of licorice either, unless it’s in a dark chocolate bullet. Mainly love soft fruity jubes. I found blueberry flavoured ones last year & tried to get some recently but they don’t seem to sell them any more. Then I was going through my pantry & found a packet there. I thought I had eaten them all so it was a nice surprise. I will savour them now since I can’t get them any more.

        • That’s what I thought Bobi. Softer than usual licorice, and stronger, and coated with blue hundreds and thousands. I haven’t seen one for years.

          Love your comment, Juz. We truly are a “broad church”, in the best sense of the phrase. I find that the respect shown on this site, makes me think properly before posting, and it encourages me to be more tolerant. Good thing.

  15. So Shorten’s been caught out saying two entirely contradictory things. I think this is one of the things that count against him, he seems to change his mind about things, depending on who he’s currently standing in front of, and a lot of viewers are smart enough to see it for just vote-grabbing.

    It’s why I said, I think the LNP is entirely capable of an unlikely victory, because of Shorten. I can’t imagine that Shorten will still be the leader of the ALP afterwards. If they lose the election? He’ll be gone in a week, maybe less.

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