Inside Story

• Analyst Kevin Bonham has plotted all the poll results, and the average Voice support is down from 65% in August 2022 to 57% now.
• Last week’s Morgan (a “yes” lead of just 54-46) was particularly concerning for Voice supporters, given the history of support for referendum proposals collapsing as the referendum draws near.

History of past referendums

• Since then, only one of 25 referendums proposed by Labor governments have succeeded.
• Conservative governments have had more success with six of 18 referendums proposed by non-Labor governments succeeding.
• But midterm referendums are the focus, and can become like a byelection, at which governments usually do badly.
• If the Voice is to defy the history of Labor-initiated referendums that were opposed by the Coalition, particularly at midterm referendums, the Albanese government will need to continue to poll at honeymoon levels until the referendum date.
• Labor’s history-making win at the federal Aston byelection gives the Voice some chance of passing, but history suggests it will be a struggle.

UK local elections and the US debt limit

• I wrote for The Poll Bludger last Thursday that UK local elections will be held this Thursday.
• The US is headed for a crisis over the debt limit later this year.

Victorian Resolve poll: Labor still way ahead

• A Victorian state Resolve poll for The Age, conducted with the federal March and April Resolve polls from a sample of 1,600, gave Labor 42% of the primary vote (up one since February), the Coalition 30% (steady), the Greens 10% (down three), independents 12% (down one) and others 5% (up one).
• Resolve does not provide two party estimates until close to elections, but Labor is clearly still far ahead.
• This poll was taken before the corruption watchdog’s report that criticised the Labor government.

• NEW YORK, Feb. 2, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- The Marshall Project and VICE World News today announced the launch of Inside Story, a weekly video series designed to inform people both inside and outside of prison walls.
• The partnership delivers the best of both worlds to reach incarcerated people: The Marshall Project's award-winning investigative criminal justice journalism and VICE News' Emmy-winning newsroom and approach to storytelling.
• Inside Story — premiering Feb. 2 — is co-created by The Marshall Project's Lawrence Bartley and Donald Washington Jr. , both of whom served time behind bars.
• "The biggest news desert in America is the one behind bars," said Susan Chira, editor-in-chief of The Marshall Project.

• "We're honored to represent such a sorely needed source of knowledge about inheritance, bound to open many eyes to a process often clouded with scams and serious breaches of understanding, especially when left in the hands of dishonest lawyers and unscrupulous administrators," said TransMedia Group CEO Tom Madden.
• "Richard, the creator of The Inheritance Channel, is not only learned and brilliant, but talented and imaginative in many areas," said TransMedia Group president Adrienne Mazzone.
• "Leave Everything To Me": The Inside Story of A Very English Inheritance Racket.
• Lawyer Scams: Frauds, Cons, Rackets, Hoaxes, Charades by Lawyers on Their Own Customers.

• The Company also announced that Weijian Shan, executive chairman of investment group PAG, was appointed as an independent director to the Companys board.
• Shans appointment as an independent director will be effective March 31, 2022, and he will serve on the boards audit committee.
• Brje Ekholm, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Ericsson Group, will retire from the Companys board on March 31, 2022.
• Ekholm has served as an independent director on the Companys board since June 2015.