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Feral Skeleton

3/06/2011What an exquisite juxtaposition of imagery AcerbicC. I'm sure you had as much fun putting it together as I had reading it. You surely must be able to come up with your own Coalition (Im)Morality Play using that avatar-based story programme that you write your own script for and put it into the mouth of the characters that you have chosen. Darn I wish I could remember the name of it, but you may be ahead of me there. As that's where I see the mind meld occurring wrt your work. I hope so. It's the best political satire behind Clarke and Dawe these days, when polsat is pretty thin on the ground.

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3/06/2011AC Great satire. I can imagine how intimidated Tony will feel as the Turnbull axe hits its mark, as it surely will.

lyn

4/06/2011 [b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Open Letter to Ted Baillieu, Ash, Ash's Machiavellian Bloggery[/i] So Teddy old man, I really hope you got your law in place and you are prepared to have people sue the bejesus out of your state. Cause that is what will happen buddy. http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2011/06/04/open-letter-to-ted-baillieu/ [i]Morgan phone poll: 58-42 to Coalition, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i] This sounds an awful lot more like an attempt to disseminate propaganda than to meaningfully measure public opinion. Nor do I understand what value there is in asking the man on the Clapham ombnibus how high he expects sea levels to rise http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2011/06/03/morgan-phone-poll-58-42-to-coalition/ [i]War without blood: arm yourself with words, Malcolm Farnsworth, The Drum[/i] Senator David Bushby, a first-term Liberal Senator from Tasmania. His miaow to Finance Minister Senator Penny Wong was at once clumsy and juvenile, but also politically potent. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2744692.html [i]Giving up on the Murray Darling Basin, John Quiggin[/i] increasing recognition that Abbott is an opportunistic hack and that while preferring prejudice to science may make for good talkback radio, it is not a good basis for public policy. http://johnquiggin.com/2011/06/03/giving-up-on-the-murray-darling-basin/ [i]I spy 100Mbps, Stilgherrian, Technology Spectator[/i] One of the funniest things about the National Broadband Network debate is the persistent myth that no-one could conceivably use 100Mbps data speeds at home. That, and Malcolm Turnbull’s http://technologyspectator.com.au/nbn-buzz/i-spy-100mbps [i]Bob Brown and the media: ‘I’ll take them on … they’ve crossed the line’, John Keane, The Conversation[/i] doesn’t their defensiveness tell you something about their sense of collective anxiety, their fears about the rise of web-based news platforms like The Conversation, Crikey, New Matilda? Don’t they feel under siege? http://theconversation.edu.au/bob-brown-and-the-media-ill-take-them-on-theyve-crossed-the-line-1607?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=tweetbutton&utm_campaign=footer [i]Broadband and Beyond 2011, Driving Australia's Digital Productivity, Communications Alliance Industry Conference[/i] This two-day visionary conference will explore how broadband will optimise Australia's digital productivity, through delivery of services, powering cities, connecting environments http://www.broadbandandbeyond.com/ [i]Order! Order! The pommy blogger will resume his seat!, Jason Wilson, The Drum[/i] He questions the Opposition's Question Time tactics, such as its ten-to-three censure motions, claiming they're inconsistent with the Parliament's function of holding the Government to account. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/2743010.html [i]Media Monitors Index, Patrick Baume, Media Monitor[/i] Most of the media kept the focus for most of the week on the Opposition and its climate position, Abbott clearly leading the volume on television again this week – attacking a celebrity always helps http://www.mediamonitors.com.au/insights/blogs/categories/media-monitors-index/crikey-political-index-26-may-1-june-2011 [i]Never mind the downturn, look at the future - Parkinson, Peter Martin[/i] While mining was part of Australia’s economic transformation Dr Parkinson found the “whole discussion about the importance of mining quite bizarre”. http://www.petermartin.com.au/ [i]Climate clippings 29, Brian, Larvatus Prodeo[/i] There’s a link in that article to five scenarios of temperature change by Mark Lynas. The scenarios are derived from his book Six Degrees: Our Future on a Hotter Planet http://larvatusprodeo.net/2011/06/03/climate-clippings-29/ [i]I'm saying YES to pricing carbon pollution, Alex Schlotzer[/i] scare campaigns of the Liberals or those funded by Gina Rhinehart, Andrew Forrest, Lin Fox, or Clive Palmer. http://alexschlotzer.wordpress.com/2011/06/02/im-saying-yes-to-pricing-carbon-pollution/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AlexSchlotzer+%28Alex+Schlotzer%29 [i]How Does a Price on Pollution Work, Say Yes to Carbon Pollution[/i] the Government has stated it intends to use the money raised by the price on pollution to help families meet the cost of living pressures. Depending how the carbon tax is structured, many families may be better off thanks to tax breaks and direct assistance packages http://wwf.org.au/act/takeaction/say-yes-price-for-carbon-pollution/how-pop-works [i]Between despair and hope: it’s the end of the world, but I feel fine, Watching the Deniers[/i] Despite nearly thirty years of discussion, large segments of the Australian population, media, political and business elites still question the science of climate change. http://newanthropocene.wordpress.com/2011/06/03/between-despair-and-hope-its-the-end-of-the-world-but-i-feel-fine/

janice

4/06/2011http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/commentary/the-recessions-we-didnt-know-we-had/story-e6frgd0x-1226068903170 Good morning all. The above is a link to an interesting piece from George Megalogenis regarding recessions. Ascerbic, Great piece of smile material.

lyn

4/06/2011Hi Acerbic Conehead Thankyou very much for your hilarious, absolute work of art, article, you are a character aren't you. Wonder how much laughter goes on in your house while you are thinking all this funny stuff. Joe Hockey must have broke the clothes line, funny though imagine him swinging in the breeze. Thankyou for the wonderful tip, I have never tried kerosene as a makeup cleanser before, certainly would be cheaper than Dior. I will baulk at the Toner though, did you say an Angle Grinder. [quote]Bronny will be up in a minute – she’s just taking a kerosene bath, to get her make-up off... [/quote] [quote]angle grinder to remove the other layers[/quote] Cheers

Ad astra reply

4/06/2011LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

2353

4/06/2011Anyone else see this? http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/factory-output-left-behind-in-boom-20110603-1fl4q.html The woosh you heard was a lot of LNP talking points flying out the window! AC - sometimes I wonder how you mind works (in a good way!) Brilliant!

Feral Skeleton

4/06/20112353, What I also glean from that link you supplied is that the Talking Points that Abbott is mouthing, and the doom and gloom that he is ascribing to the Price on Carbon wrt Manufacturing Industry, is just a disingenuous con of the people in those industries and their families and the rest of the electorate who he is milking for sympathy because of it, because the true cause of their woes is the structural readjustment of the economy and the high Aus dollar? Bleedin' typical of that devious man.

janice

4/06/20112353, Here's Peter Hartcher's take on it. Factory output left behind in boom Peter Hartcher June 4, 2011 Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/factory-output-left-behind-in-boom-20110603-1fl4q.html#ixzz1OGRDZghY

Acerbic Conehead 2

4/06/2011Hi FS, and thanks again for your encouragement. Yes, I get a lot of fun writing these things. [quote]Darn, I wish I could remember the name of it.[/quote] Sorry, I’m not with you on that one, so not being a tech-head (to coin a Tonyism), hopefully you can shed some light on that one for me. AA, Yes, to mangle metaphors, the Turnbull axe is the Sword of Damocles hanging over Tones. Meanwhile, all he can do is put forward ‘look over there’ distractions. I think it’s only a matter of time. Janice, Thanks for the link to MegaGeorge. He’s consistently a great read. And I’m always happy to provide some ‘smile material’. Lyn, Thanks again for some more of those linked treasures you provide for us. We must be the best-informed bloggers in the whole fifth estate. And Bronny swears by the kero baths and the angle grinder to get the make-up off before hitting the hay. She reckons it’s the next-best method to Barnaby Joyce accelerating into her dial with the bull bar of his four-wheel drive. Unfortunately, however, the latter method has gone to a watery grave. Oh, and by the way, you may have already included a link the other day to Ted Baillieu’s attempt to clean up the bad language scene in Victoria. In case you didn’t, I offer the following. :- ( http://www2.skynews.com.au/offbeat/article.aspx?id=619886&cId=Offbeat :- ( “Temperance Ted” is targeting bad language in Victoria but, inadvertently, has scored an own goal. Due to their proclivity to swear like troopers and use insulting expressions, the Abbott Gang, comprising of Tones himself, Christopher “Potty-Mouth” Pyne, and David “Bobcat” Bushby, is now on the run. Sing along with them to their plaintive and lonely version of Bob Dylan and Johnny Cash’s, “Wanted Man”, as they cycle their way across Victoria, bad-mouthing the populace, trying to keep one bicycle length ahead of the law. :- ( http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRfn5l5PvcY&feature=related :- ( Wanted men in Wangaratta, wanted men in Bendigo Wanted men in Melbourne City, wanted men in Omeo Wanted men in Maryborough, wanted men in old Horsham Wherever you might look tonight, you might see us wanted men. :- ( We might be in Leongatta, or Geelong by the sea Working for some man who may not know at all who we might be If you ever see us comin' and if you know who we are Don't you breathe it to nobody 'cause you know we’re outside the law :- ( Wanted men by Nic’la Roxon, wanted men by Penny Wong Wanted men by Jennie Macklin, wanted men in this next town Yeah, we have to plead guilty for our foul language oh so bad But if they stayed in the kitchen, we wouldn’t have to be such cads :- ( We got sidetracked in St Kilda, stopped to get ourselves a map Went the wrong way into Caulfield, our policy directions a load of crap Then we went to sleep in Cranbourne, woke up in Castlemaine Wonderin' why the hell we’re wanted at some town halfway between :- ( Wanted men in Korumburra, wanted men in Collingwood Wanted men in Yarrawonga, wanted men in Warrnambool And if the coppers get to grab us, anywhere that we might be The back-alley bitches deserved it, will be our lawyer’s plea :- ( Wanted men in Wangaratta, wanted men in Bendigo Wanted men in Melbourne City, wanted men in Omeo Wanted men in Maryborough, wanted men in old Horsham And if we get banged up tonight, shit happens for us wanted men

Feral Skeleton

4/06/2011It's very important that our friends in Queensland read this and spread the word about what the LNP have in their back pocket waiting for the gullible electors hoodwinked by 'Can Do' Campbell's dazzling smile and hot & heavy antics with his wife: http://thereferral.wordpress.com/2011/06/04/nswisconsin/#wpl-likebox

Jason

4/06/2011Good Morning All, From todays WTF files! http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/04/3235561.htm?section=justin Several of Australia's top climate change scientists at the Australian National University have been subjected to a campaign of death threats, forcing the university to tighten security. Vice-chancellor Professor Ian Young says the scientists have received large numbers of emails, including death threats and abusive phone calls, threatening to attack the academics in the street if they continue their research. He says it has been happening for the past six months and the situation has worsened significantly in recent weeks. "Obviously climate research is an emotive issue at the present time," he said. "These are issues where we should have a logical public debate and it's completely intolerable that people be subjected to this sort of abuse and to threats like this. "I think it is totally outrageous and the vast majority of Australians would think it is totally unacceptable for anybody in society to be subjected to this sort of behaviour." Professor Young says the scientists have been moved to a more secure building and police are investigating. "Academics and scientists are actually really not equipped to be treated in this way," he said. "The whole scientific process is one of open debate and discussion, but the concept that you would be threatened for your scientific views and work is something that is completely foreign to them."

Gravel

4/06/2011Acerbic Conehead Another wonderful and witty piece. A great way to start a weekend. Jason I wonder if this horrible stuff is being generated by the opposition? I wouldn't put it past them. They are losing the battle on asylum seekers and only have the climate change stuff now. If they can scare the scientists into not saying anything it might make it easier for them to win the climate war. If this Carbon Tax doesn't go through this time it will be a long time before people will accept the truth.

TalkTurkey

4/06/2011Folks, dat ToM da Typo . . . Fraudulent, really. It would appear that he would be pleased if another boat went down with lives lost . . . Something juicy to sneer and jeer about . . . At least that last boat wasn't known about until it was too late, not like SIV X (sp?) that Howard's lickspittles knew was unseaworthy but allowed it to sink with all aboard - My memory is hazy on that but that's because the news was oozed out so sleazily that I never got a full picture but I think what I said above is somewhere round the truth. Then there's Reith and the Children Overboard Affair. Lying scum. Let not the likes of sidewinders like ToM presume to hold any sort of moral high ground here! Of course Bowen will be working tirelessly to get good outcomes. How the ToMs would hate it if he managed to get a really good regional or even global arrangement! Australia might be able to start to take a lead and raise its head again instead of rightly being viewed as a pariah state, which is the state Howard - and Abbortt, of course - left us in, of refusing to take a fair share of genuine refugees even though we have a huge migrant intake. Which Gillard at least is not rushing to increase in rate. Unaccompanied minors sent to Malaysia has a bad look, but a second look will reveal the conditions that Bowen is going to insist on by way of their treatment. Beware of skindeeps. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now for a little parabowl (cf. hyperbowl) to bowl sideways at that sidewinder. [The old man in The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway is out alone in his boat, he's hooked onto a monstrous swordfish and night has set in. He knows he has to eat something to keep up his strength to fight the mighty fish. All he has is raw dolphin (fish not mammal) and a couple of raw flying fish. Now read on ] . . . <<Under the stars and with the night colder all the time he ate half of one of the dolphin fillets and one of the flying fish, gutted and with its head cut off. “What an excellent fish dolphin is to eat cooked,” he said. “And what a miserable fish raw. I will never go in a boat again without salt or limes.”>> The difference between, on the Right hand, treating the asylum-seekers as despicable crimanimals as under Howard, or on the other hand like stateless unfortunates who need caring for for Humanity's sake, and trying to find acceptable situations, is like the difference between dolphin raw or cooked. And notice, the old fellow would have been happy just to have had limes or salt. He didn't have to have everything perfect. Not like hypocrites like Morriscum. A little bit of kindness and goodwill and humane treatment and listening to would go a long way to making up for those sad people’s loss of everything. Not so much to ask. From such a rich and , erm, marvellously generous bunch of people like us Aussies. Of course Bowen will be doing his damndest to do the best he can. Merlin he isn't, but he's charming and persuasive and on the case, and he has made more headway to what, fingers crossed, might be a system of protocols vastly better organised throughout our region than the hateful situation the braying lying hypocrites like Reith left us. They used asylum seekers as chips in a cynical political game. Bowen has goodwill and humanity, and nous. That's why he'll get a decent deal. And the youngsters and everybody else will get looked after. Well that’s when Labor can straighten out Serco, a legacy of Howard unless I’m mistaken. Either way they seem, erm, pretty suss. Maybe this hopeful solution might circumvent them? But it is fair that the Government should make generous, proper handsome even, recompense to any foreign government that helps try to find best-possible courses of action wrt asylum seekers. And thus be able to insist on decent treatment for them. Sneerers and jeerers and crocodile-tear-ers notwithstanding, Bowen’s initiatives show the best hope yet of bringing rationality to a pretty chaotic situation based on intractable and uncertain circumstances, to which Abbortt can only say Stop the Boats. ToM can stick that up his nose. He is the one that should hang his head in shame. He’s made me cry now. Just that people like him treat this terrible global situation of lost stateless terrified destitute people like a political pointscoring game for him to jeer at people's misery. If it weren’t for people like him treating it so we could find ways that might work a whole lot better all round, but he’s just there to jeer isn’t it. And make it hard. People like him disgust me. There now. Footnote: I had written all that last paragraph + 7 words in the second person, i.e., directly to ToM, he got me so cross and sad. So I went back and put it into 3rd person, I am inclined not to address illwillians directly, they won’t have a listening for it anyway, and I don't want to talk to them.

Jason

4/06/2011Gravel, It's not the opposition directly, but more so some of their loony supporters that hear the dog whistle from the right wing shock jocks and tabloid columnists and throw in some of the pentecostal church groups that preach "climate Change" is false yet the will tell you "God" exists,and should something ever happen these same groups will say wasn't me.

Feral Skeleton

4/06/2011Talk Turkey, I absolutely agree with everything you have said about the Asylum Seeker Solution that Chris Bowen is trying to find, with an humane an outcome as possible for all concerned. However, as I said in my last blog, and don't I just sit back and laugh when I see it all play out before my eyes, but with this issue we have the perfect example of opinion from the Right, "Well, Nauru is more humane than Malaysia", combined with an opportunistic Opposition scumbag, Scott Morrison, exhibiting all the worst characteristics of the Faux Christian fraternity(because the last thing that they are is truly christian; sanctimonious, intolerant religious bigots, yes, Christ-like, NO), weeping Crocodile Tears for the poor refugees and unaccompanied Minors. Combine that with Ms Sarah Hanson-Young providing the commentary from the so-called Humanitarian Left, which, funnily enough, couldn't give two hoots for the plight of refugees getting caned in Malaysia, oh, about from the time before the Gillard government announced its attempt to fix the problem of boat-borne Asylum Seekers once and for all, and what do you get? The perfect political hysteresis. All hysteria and fly-blown, overblown hyperbolic rhetoric, and no solutions from their own mouths, except an allusion to a Unicorns sliding down Rainbows, "Let 'Em All In" suggested policy from The Greens(and who would be the first to complain about the stress on the environment from the urban sprawl which would occur to accomodate them all?), or an "Our bastardry is less than their bastardry" policy from the Opposition, where going out of your mind on Nauru after spending 5 years there, in order to discourage further boat-borne Asylum Seekers, is therefore preferable to sending Asylum Seekers, who just might not end up coming if they think they'll be heading for Malaysia or New Guinea, or the Solomon Islands, or back to Indonesia? Places where the government are trying to work out the solutions to the problems which have been identified by the hand-wringers, before they announce the plan to finally put a stop to the Opposition's(and I include The Greens and the Coalition in that boat, ahem), exploitation of this issue. And, while I'm at it, why oh why aren't the Professional Bleeding Hearts complaining about the careless and reckless parents who are prepared to put their 'unaccompanied' children on boats to come to Australia to establish the beachead for the rest of the family to come to the country the easy way, via 'Family Reunion'? Where's the publically-expressed heartache for the cameras there, considering that these 'Suffer the Little Children' tools of the professionally-concerned might lose their lives on the open seas? Or, as the covert allusion is being generated by those same Concern Trolls, why aren't they worried that these same children might fall into prostitution in those countries that they pass through on their way to Australia, without their parents, before they get shipped off to Malaysia, where they might, as the New Puritans would have it, end up as prostitutes? Hmm. Hypocrisy knows no bounds as they say.

Feral Skeleton

4/06/2011Did you read this the other day, it's very good: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/role-reversal-as-liberals-belt-labor-with-class-war-rhetoric-20110601-1fgjv.html

Jason

4/06/2011FS, You left a line out of your post for the hypocrites, and where were they when this was said? "We will decide who comes into this country and the circumstances in which they come"

lmnop

4/06/2011FS, The hypocrisy and stupidity of the government on the issue of Assylum seekers is just amazing! You would have though that after the premature announcement of the East Timor solution they would have learned that it is always best to have the deal in the bag (signed sealed and delivered) before you announce the thing? Not this mob of media tarts! Gillard once again needed a fix for the problem (got some bad headlines a couple of weeks running about riots), the political problem that is, and so decided that she would have another stab at trying to announce a plan before it had been agreed to. Now thanks to Lateline, we know that what Bowen and Gillard told us from the outset was a lie (Gillard also lied in parliament when Abbott asked her whether it was true or not that the Malaysian Government had signaled to their Australian counterparts that they were to decide who they received, rather than the Australian Government. She answered no, now we now that she lied, again). Malaysia is two months out from an election and facing internal pressures from senior politicians to dump the whole idea. They have stated that they are not willing to sign the UN convention on refugees (something Gillard said was CRUCIAL to any decision!), nor any convention relating to the rights of children, nor guarantee proper human rights protection. This is a farce! But it gets worse. Bowen then announces that unaccompanied minors will be included in the quota to be sent back, going against every single thing Gillard stated about refugee policy whilst in opposition and in Government! This government is absolutely pathetic, and mark my words, this policy will fail just like its East Timorese brother. I find it amazing, that this government can do exactly what it promised not to do, time and time again, and yet you can continue to wholeheartedly support it! Cant you see that you have your heads in the sand! The rest of the voting public seem to see the fundamental contradictions and weaknesses of this terrible government (look at todays poll!)and yet you continue to pretend that the Labor party is somehow divine in nature, and can do no wrong. All i can say is, you have all got rocks in your heads... i am really glad that none of you have entered politics, and if you have, i can see why you didnt make it very far!

Feral Skeleton

4/06/2011jj aka 'lmnop', I see you have found, conveniently, your heart. Just like the Coalition. Hypocritically and conveniently. Just like the Coalition. I pay on results, not just spurious assertions out of the mouths of Scott Morrison and Tony Abbott. Next time you contribute here can you just link to the Coalition Press Release? Better still, don't bother. Just put your name down. The rest is entirely predictable. Btw, why didn't you have the 'intestinal fortitude' to put your regular blog name down? Or are you to have as many iterations as the Coalition does on the issues, with no core consistency, like your hero, Tony Abbott?

Jason

4/06/2011lmnop, Nothing like the "brave" who hide behind anonymity and lecture others! So take your confected outrage and stick it up your arsk!

lyn

4/06/2011Hey Jason My friend have you got time to go fetch tomorrow's TV for us please. A big thankyou in anticipation. Cheers

janice

4/06/2011FS, Will you be kind enough to do a poor old vision impaired person a favour? I hope you won't take this as a criticism but I am always very interested in what you write, and I find it so difficult to read your comments. It would help me immensely if you could leave a double space between paragraphs, even to the extent of making a paragraph where it possibly shouldn't be. I will love you forever if you will do that for me. :)

Jason

4/06/2011Hi lyn, Sorry June 3, 2011 Sunday morning TV - 5 June #auspol Your guide to this Sunday morning's political and business interviewsFull program listing available at: http://sundaymorningtv.posterous.com/ 8:30am Sky News 601 - Australian Agenda On Sky News Australian Agenda this week NSW Premier Barry O'Farrell and the Gillard Government's climate change advister Ross Garnaut. Host Peter Van Onselen is joined by the The Australian's Paul Kelly, Michael Stutchbury and Imre Saluzinsky. 8:38am Ch7 - Weekend Sunrise - The Riley Diary Political editor Mark Riley looks at a week of fighting like cats and dogs...but mostly cats. Meet The Press has moved to a 10.30am time slot, unless you're in Canberra and surrounds when it's 4pm. 8:40am Ch9 - Today on Sunday - The Laurie Oakes Interview The weekly Laurie Oakes interview is no more. We'll let you know when Laurie is next expected to return to your Sunday morning screen. 9:00am ABC1 & on ABC News 24 - Insiders On Insiders this Sunday, Barrie Cassidy interviews the Families and Indigenous Affairs Minister, Jenny Macklin. On the panel: Lenore Taylor from the Sydney Morning Herald, Brian Toohey from The Financial Review and Chris Kenny from The Australian. And Mike Bowers talks pictures with freelance cartoonist, Fiona Katauskas. 10:00am ABC1 & on ABC News 24 @ 5.30pm - Inside Business This week on Inside Business .... awaiting confirmation of program line up. 10.00am on Ch10 everywhere but Canberra at 4.30pm - The Bolt Report - Check local program guides for encore performance timings later in the day Joining Andrew Bolt at the desk will be Shadow Immigration Minister Scott Morrison to chat about the Malaysia solution and the government's handling of refugees. Former Liberal MP Ross Cameron and Former Labor MP Belinda Neal will go head to head on the panel. And for something different, Andrew chats to film maker Mark Lewis about cane toads. 10.30am on Ch10 everywhere but Canberra at 4.00pm - Meet the Press - Check local program guides for encore performance timings later in the day Paul Bongiorno is joined on the Panel by The Australian's Lauren Wilson and political commentator Glenn Milne. Together they interview Shadow Climate Action Minister Greg Hunt and Independent Senator for South Australia Nick Xenephon

lyn

4/06/2011Hi Jason Thanks so much. Oh! dear but look: Former Labor MP Belinda Neal , Scratching around the rubbish dump, for heavens sake, is this what's going to happen for the next 2 and a half years. This is really OMG: [quote]And for something different, Andrew chats to film maker Mark Lewis about cane toads. [/quote]

lyn

4/06/2011Hi Janice I am so glad you said that about the lines, because I have trouble too. That's why I am still whinging and hinting about an IPad so I can space words and light up the screen. The other thing too, have you noticed a lot of books are being produced with small writing and squashed up paragraphs maybe to save paper. If the writing is small I won't buy them. Cheers

janice

4/06/2011Evening Lyn, This aging process sucks - it's a bit like Tony Abbott in that it marches on relentlessly causing as much mayhem and destruction as possible. My eyesight is deteriorating - I'm growing cataracts and also have vitreous floaters that don't help either. And yes, I can no longer cope with books with small print so look for the ones with large print.

NormanK

4/06/2011Acerbic Conehead Thanks for another great laugh. May the fruits of your brain remain forever abundant. janice What about the rest of us? You don't care that you can't read us, do you? :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( :'( ;-)

Feral Skeleton

4/06/2011OK OK OK :D

Feral Skeleton

4/06/2011NormanK, If you don't tell me how to do those other Smiley faces, via my keyboard, I will never smile in your general direction again. :)

Feral Skeleton

4/06/2011Jason, Thank you for letting me know that Belinda Neal will be joining the other political refuse on The Bolt Hole tomorrow. I will therefore be making an exception to my rule and will watch it very closely to see what she has to say about the ALP, as I would like nothing more than to have just cause to seek her ejection from the party if she badmouths it in any way.

janice

4/06/2011[quote]What about the rest of us? You don't care that you can't read us, do you? [/quote] NormanK. I do care and I don't have too big a problem if the text is split up in blocks of less than 15 lines :) I care most about FS posts because I feel I miss a lot of what she has to say because I often give up when it all becomes too blurry to read. I join with FS to ask you to let us in on the way to do the other smileys. Most of the html codes on my list don't work on this site.

NormanK

4/06/2011Feral Skeleton What's in it for me? :( You only want me for my emoticons. :'( Oh, that's right, you've got my back while I work on my new macho Abbottesque image. :$ Blog Engine recognises: Tongue out :P full colon capital P wink ;-) semi-colon dash close bracket gasp :-O full colon dash capital O cry :'( full colon apostrophe open bracket embarrassed :$ full colon dollar sign A few misspent hours avoiding all things political during a disgruntled patch.

Patricia WA

4/06/2011Thank you lyn and janice for your kind comments to FS about her page presentation. It's astonishing how much is gained with appropriate spacing. No matter how lucid and clear the prose something is lost when the page is cramped. And of course we care about the rest of you. We know you will all be taking our comments on board when you see how even more brilliantly FS comes across when her ideas, drive and panache are displayed to full advantage!

janice

5/06/2011Good morning all, Thank you for the emoticons NormanK. Much appreciated.

lyn

5/06/2011[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Tony Abbott Backs a Big Australian!, Patriciawa, Polliepomes,[/i] My sense is that we have only the narrowest of opportunities to save our country from falling into a deep chasm of self destruction, http://polliepomes.wordpress.com/2011/06/04/tony-abbott-backs-a-big-australian/ [i]Shades of the prison-house, David Horton, The Watermelon Blog[/i] There is a reason why the rule of law was arguably the most important element in creating civilised societies. And we were, all of us in the west, last time I looked, still civilised societies. http://davidhortonsblog.com/2011/06/04/shades-of-the-prison-house/#comments [i]Abbott saved Jenkins to save himself, Barry Everingham, Independent Australia [/i] Tony Abbott’s front bench is a collection of out of control hillbillies led, strangely enough, by the manager of opposition business, Christopher Pyne, who is marginally lispier than Flint himself. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/politics/abbott-saved-jenkins-to-save-himself/?utm_ [i]Mal-Function, Friday Mash[/i] Short of Godwin Grech making a miracle comeback there’s as much chance of you reclaiming the top Liberal gig as Tony Abbott becoming a swimwear model. http://www.fridaymash.com/au/weekly-mash/mal-function/ [i]No Marching In Streets For Me, Neil Cook, The Bannerman[/i] What the Murdoch-owned hate media have to say on the issue is entirely irrelevant, and it's opinion pages are NOT news or news-worthy. Australia has an obligation under the UNHCR convention to see to the well-being of asylum seekers, http://www.waddayano.org/blog/2011/06/no_marching_in_streets_for_me.php#more [i]What happens when the unscrupulous tell lies about Scientists? Tigtog, Hoyden about Town[/i] ToBecause the ignorant and anxious actually trust what they hear from Faux News and Alan Jones and Andrew Bolt and Lord Monckton and all the other people http://hoydenabouttown.com/20110604.10079/what-happens-when-the-unscrupulous-tell-lies-about-scientists/ [i]Australian and British attitudes to climate change: latest 2011 report, Clarence girl, North Coast Voices[/i] high levels of climate change concern, and strong belief on the part of over 70% of respondents in both countries that human activities are in part responsible for current global climate change. http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/ [i]No dodgy deals with Malaysia, Barry Everingham, Independent Australia[/i] Julia Gillard doesn’t have a constituency as disgusting as Howard’s — she has to find a humane solution to end the arrival of the boats carrying migrants. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/new-australians/no-dodgy-deals-with-malaysia/ [i]What Happened With The NBN This Week?, Gizmodo[/i] Councils in first and second release sites will be getting special NBN hubs to showcase the power of the network to people before they sign up. Great idea, made better only if they announce my exchange as a second release site… [Gizmodo] http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2011/06/what-happened-with-the-nbn-this-week-20/ [i]Malcolm on the Digital Economy Strategy , David Havyatt, Anything Goes[/i] finally can we get over his monstrous assertions that we are abandoning infrastructure based competition. We never had it. All the ADSL services are on Telstra's copper, Optus never opened its HFC to service providers, Optus stopped building HFC about 8 years ago. http://davidhavyatt.blogspot.com/2011/06/malcolm-on-digital-economy-strategy.html

Ad astra reply

5/06/2011LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011Good Morning NormanK, good morning janice, good morning lyn, good morning Ad Astra, good morning Gravel, good morning Jason, good morning jjlmnop, good morning 2353, and last, but not least, for making me smile when I put on the Little Big Planet clip, good morning Acerbic Conehead. :D Or, 'Aloha!' as ReCaptcha would have it today. :)

lyn

5/06/2011Good Morning Hillbilly What a beautiful greeting I found from you, when Scrolling to see who was in our TPS this morning. We need to watch out for this "Say Yes" rally today, hoping the attendance is massive. Good Morning to you Hillbilly, I hope you have a very happy Sunday. Cheers

lyn

5/06/2011Hi Ad and Everybody Here is the link: Say Yes Australia Today's the day that tens of thousands of Australians are coming together to say YES to climate action. Today's rally details: Sydney: Prince Alfred Park (near Central Station), 11 am Melbourne: Outside the State Library, 11 am Adelaide: Victoria Square, 11 am Brisbane: Riverstage, 1pm https://www.facebook.com/SayYesAustralia/posts/220888047940116 ... Death threats fail to shake climate scientists,ABC The latest response to the threats comes ahead of nationwide rallies across the country today in support of climate action and a price on pollution. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/06/05/3235810.htm

jj

5/06/2011FS, Good to see you have conveniently found your inhumane streak! As i said, you obviously have something a little larger than pebbles rolling around in your head to somehow justify the governments hypocrisy.

TalkTurkey

5/06/2011Obelix R U going to Say Yes at Victoria Square? C U there. Gobbelix

2353

5/06/2011Good morning FS - its a nice day (but a bit cool) in Brisvegas. I helped my brain by staying away from the Sunday morning TV and instead talking to a Canadian about our recent trip. Very quickly (and wildly off topic) - if you can, you gotta go there - it's magical.

macca

5/06/2011A head full of rocks whilst same head is buried in the sand. ....another clearly defined position bought to us by the right wing intelligentsia. Honestly..........don't you just love them!!

Patricia WA

5/06/2011So, FS, is giving me the cold shoulder now and lyn has written WA off the map of Australia for Today's Yes demos! [b]Perth: Perth Cultural centre - Wetlands stage, 11am[/b]

Ad astra reply

5/06/2011FS Thank you for your morning’s greetings. The sun is shining here and our builder son is finishing the replacement of the weatherboard cladding on the weather wall damaged by fifteen years of south westerly gales sweeping up the inlet. But the wind is cold and beanies and heavy coats are the order of the day. I see that Andrew Bolt has more than one ghost. Last week it was Glenn Milne on [i]Insiders[/i], this week Chris Kenny of [i]The Australian[/i] and [i]Fox News[/i]. He began with a moderate tone but it wasn’t long before his true colours showed. His anti-Gillard, anti-Government position became apparent with his words, but it was his facial expressions that showed how much relish he has in demeaning PM Gillard and her Government. The always-sensible Lenore Taylor, who took issue with Kenny on several matters, particularly on climate change, about which she is quite the best-informed journalist, saved the day. As she said, over the last couple of years she has made more calls to Ross Garnaut than her mother. There seems to be an endless supply of Bolters, and somehow they seem to get onto [i]Insiders[/i].

lyn

5/06/2011Hi Patricia Lovely That's awful I'm sorry, it was an accident. Timetable copied from facebook, I have messed up the highlight, not far enough when I copied, it seems. But Patricia did you see what happened to you, you are leading the way on "Today's Links". Congratulations on your last blog article it's wonderful. Cheers:):):):):D:D:D

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011PatriciaWA, And an ultra special unique Good Morning to you! :$

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011Amazing how Conservatives only find their humanity to their fellow man or Asylum Seeker when it is convenient for them to do so.

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011Good Morning macca, good morning John, good morning David. There, have I forgotten anyone? :)

Gravel

5/06/2011FS and everyone Good morning to you all. :-) Good luck to all who are able to go to the rallies. If any one here is going it would be good to have a bit of a report on it as I don't trust the MSM. :-O I hope there are thousands of people attend, I would love to but I live in the bush and can't travel at the moment. :'( Okay I've just had a bit of fun with NormanK's faces, hope they work. ;-O

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011Aaaarrrggghhh!!! Good Morning Michael and Good Morning Granny Anny. I think I better just stick to, 'Mornin' all'. :P

Crowey

5/06/2011Good morning FK.

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011Ad Astra, Insiders is still confusing the fact of having a contributor from the extreme of the political spectrum with 'Balance'. And you left out Niki Savva as one of the Bolt simulacra.

Gravel

5/06/2011Dash it all, (I live in Victoria and am too frightened to say damn it, in case I get fined). :P Now I feel :$ Gee small things amuse small minds in this house. Just feeling a bit down at the moment about the asylum seekers issue, and how the media and the HR activists are backing the opposition.

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011What I found particularly delicious to watch was Lenore Taylor's slicing and dicing of the Coalition's duplicitous mouthings wrt Climate Change debate. She basically said that they can't have it both ways, but they are trying to.

debbiep

5/06/2011 morning feral ;) sadly my husband and I were due to go to the Yes rally in sydney, needed to leave between 8 or 9 am from the southcoast to be there (as they dont go for long ) , and low and behold 'something came up'. we could go now..but 2 hour drive for starters , ugh ...

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011Here's another nice satirical piece from Tess Lawrence at Independant Australia: http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/politics/parliamentary-truants-are-failing-democracy/

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011The other thing I found interesting coming out of Insiders this morning was the fact that Lenore Taylor(again), has belled the cat on the fact that the Coalition, should they win government, will be making thier best efforts to walk away from their Direct Action plan after one term of government because they, via her interview with Barnaby Joyce, will only admit to funding for it for that long and no longer. So, Malcolm Turnbull was absolutely correct when he said on Lateline that it was a policy crafted to be able to walk away from it easily. Obviously the motor mouths in the Coalition think they can talk the country into walking away from action on Global Warming. Which makes them truly evil in my book.

lyn

5/06/2011Hi Ad Some comments on the say yes rally, Nothing on TV: ConservationSA Conservation SA by SayYesAustralia Wow there's so many people here to #sayyesaus in #Adelaide it's getting hard to manouvre through the crowd DanielKogoy Daniel kogoy by SayYesAustralia Great turnout at the #sayyesaus rally in Sydney #pricepollution http://yfrog.com/hsz8hytcj 9 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply talkingdingo Jill Scanlon by SayYesAustralia There in spirit RT@robtb: thousands here in Melbourne @SayYesAustralia: #sayyes @abcnews #abc24 #QandA http://t.co/USTOj9K 17 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply Tom_Swann Tom Swann by LyndsayFarlow Thousands pouring in to #sayyes at Prince Alfred Park in Sydney @SayYesAustralia @GetUp #sayyesaus yfrog.com/h457bwwj 31 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply akte Kate F by LyndsayFarlow Awesome turnout in Sydney #sayyes #sayyesaus http://t.co/WVJR7xT 31 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply robtb Robert Brodie by SayYesAustralia thousands here in Melbourne @SayYesAustralia: #sayyes @abcnews #abc24 #QandA http://t.co/sLEPlYQ 27 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply SayYesAustralia Say Yes Australia Tens of thousands of Australians already rallying around Australia with Canberra and Brisbane rallies still to come #sayyesaus 7 minutes ago Favorite Retweet Reply

Jason

5/06/2011FS, Have you noticed how the rabid right with all their new found compassion for the 800 who might end up in Malaysia, never mention the 4000 who under this deal will be granted asylum?

NormanK

5/06/2011May I say how relieved I am that there hasn't been a plethora of hair-tearing posts on TPS over the government's asylum seeker proposals (apart from the usual suspects). Gravel, I share your dismay but continue to be optimistic that a compromise can be struck. I reckon it is entirely safe to predict that one clause will state that those sent to Malaysia will not (must not) be regarded as 'illegal immigrants' which would otherwise leave them open to arbitrary imprisonment, fines and caning. If implemented it would also mean that they can be released into the community and allowed to work legally. As an indication of the coverage this topic is receiving, it took me ten minutes to re-find this quote from the head of the Washington office of the UNHCR: [quote]VINCENT COCHETEL: I think the UNHCR is ready to be flexible as long as the safeguards are effective, I think we'll be ready to assist the competent authorities in working out solutions that protect the interests for the people. CRAIG MCMURTRIE: The Immigration Minister has said that details are still evolving and the UNHCR says lines of communication are still open. VINCENT COCHETEL: I think it's not too late to have an addendum to it to have some operational guidelines developed around this agreement that would clarify exactly what would be the safeguards for the unaccompanied minors. [b]I don't think that's difficult[/b].[/quote] http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2011/s3235572.htm This is from yesterday morning and yet a Google search of even part of that quote shows that it has only been promulgated in Asian newspapers and one ABC article but otherwise ignored. Doesn't fit the narrative I suppose. It was always going to be the case that exceptions would be made to the blanket policy of sending every new arrival to Malaysia but it would have been the wrong message to send initially. A case by case approach is to be applauded. Unless I am very much mistaken, all of the commentary this weekend is still based on a series of leaked documents which are now over ten days' old and which all parties involved have described as out of date and no longer reflective of current negotiations. Hang tough Gillard and Bowen - if this pans out well we may even instigate change in South East Asia where irregular travellers are treated more humanely in every country in the region.

Patricia WA

5/06/2011I'm off to Freo Railway Station to get the train into Perth Central. I'll report back later. Meantime hello to everyone, even jj and friends. lyn, I did appreciate your leading link to my response to Mr. Denmore's earlier post. Because I start my day with your links that was already way back in my old memory cells by the time I took umbrage (not!) at the ommission of Perth from your list. I did try a smiley, but kept messing it up in my rush to get to Insiders. I thought Jenny Macklin did a pretty good job this morning and yes, FS, I loved Lenore Taylor, as always. She is always fair and sound. PS - just in case any of you offend me again at TPS, hhhm.... Norman can you do an emoticon for [i]umbrage[/i]? On second thoughts it's such a lovely word, don't bother!

janice

5/06/2011[quote]Hang tough Gillard and Bowen - if this pans out well we may even instigate change in South East Asia where irregular travellers are treated more humanely in every country in the region.[/quote] My sentiments exactly, NormanK. It is unfortunate that the idealists can't see the wood for the trees. I am of the opinion that if this works to stop the boats then Australia has a good chance of neutralising the political football the issue has become, and pave the way for rational debate which will result in better outcomes for refugees worldwide.

janice

5/06/2011[quote]Obviously the motor mouths in the Coalition think they can talk the country into walking away from action on Global Warming. Which makes them truly evil in my book.[/quote] Agree with you. Abbott and his motor mouths have created a climate of fear and trepidation out in the electorate on every issue including a perception that their government is incompetent. I didn't watch Insiders. Had intended to but got waylaid by other concerns this morning. I'm told that Chris Kenny is as bad as Bolt - what did you think of him?

Gravel

5/06/2011Patricia WA Hope you have a great time at the rally. They said on Sky news that there were approximately 10,000 which is great. Oh and I left a comment on your pollipomes site that Lyn linked too. Jason Yes, I noticed that too, even by the so called advocates for the asylum seekers.

Gravel

5/06/2011Ooops :$ That should have 10,000 people in Sydney.

Jason

5/06/2011janice, I didn't mind Chris Kenny, and although he did get the opposition talking points in, he didn't interupt and talk over the top of everyone in the same manner as Bolt! I guess if you had to choose between the two of them kenny would probably win.

Ad astra reply

5/06/2011Hi Lyn Thank you for the update on the Say Yes rallies. You always have your finger on the nation’s pulse – better than MSM journalists. The numbers sound impressive. I hope they get some play on TV this evening, but I’m not holding my breath.

Ad astra reply

5/06/2011Patricia WA I agree with you – Jenny Macklin did a great job on [i]Insiders[/i]. She speaks well and always from the heart. That is what makes her such a good minister in her difficult portfolio. I loved your pome on polliepomes this morning and share your sentiments. In that regard I have a surprise for you with my next piece.

Ad astra reply

5/06/2011NormanK, Janice I share your feelings about the Malaysian asylum seeker negotiations. Let’s wait to see what comes out at the end, and ignore the maliciously leaked and out-of-date drafts that were trumpeted by Tony Jones on [i]Lateline[/i] to put a spoke in the Government’s wheels. Of course there are those, like Chris Kenny this morning on [i]Insiders[/i] who deride the Government for announcing the Malaysian negotiations before the deal was signed. Do these people imagine that negotiations of this type could be kept under wraps until the deal was done? Already we have had leaks, and with journalists nosing around continually looking for anything the Government might be hiding, the possibility of keeping these negotiations secret until concluded was ZERO. If journalists don’t know that, and acknowledge it, they should get another job. If they do know, one can only conclude that their derision is simply to make a cheap political point. And can you imagine the furore that would be generated by the MSM if the Government were found to be secretly planning something as important as this? All hell would break loose and the image of Julia Gillard as a deceitful person would be on every media outlet, aided and abetted by the Coalition/Murdoch machine.

NormanK

5/06/2011Ad astra You're right on the money about how the MSM would have reacted if they had discovered 'back-room deals being done with Malaysia'. Tony Jones on [i]Lateline[/i] was miffed that: [quote].... you're talking about the future; I'm talking about there is a fundamental public interest in how the agreement is - how it evolves and what's actually in it. It's not being discussed, it's happening secretly. This is our first insight in a sense as to how it's evolving and what some of those [b]secrets[/b] are.[/quote] http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2011/s3234302.htm Perhaps Jones would prefer that negotiations be broadcast live on television so that he and his mates can knee-jerk to every single word that is uttered.

NormanK

5/06/2011Oops, I meant to put this up as well. I wonder if this will get the same amount of coverage as the earlier statements of reservations from the UNHCR. Somehow I doubt it. [b]UNHCR says Malaysia deal has changed[/b] [quote]"UNHCR's recent discussions on this issue relate to a specific and now superseded draft of the proposed MoU, details of which were released on Australian television last Thursday night," the organisation said in a statement. "Negotiations and discussions on the MoU have progressed significantly since then."[/quote] http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/unhcr-says-malaysia-deal-has-changed-20110605-1fmvy.html

Jason

5/06/2011Normank, I imagine it must be so frustrating for the likes of Tony Jones and the shock jocks as well as the callers to talk back radio! that there they are with all the answers and the solutions to every problem, and yet they just sit on the sidelines and throw stones.

janice

5/06/2011Jason, Thanks for your feedback re Chris Kenny. I was hoping he would not be quite as bad as Bolt but I've been reading very unflattering comments about him! Cheers

Ad astra reply

5/06/2011NormanK Thank you for drawing attention to Tony Jones’ words about the Malaysia negotiations being carried out in ‘secret’. Don’t journalists hate it when they are not privy to what’s going on? I’m hoping for a final deal with Malaysia that includes protection for those shipped there from Australia, that makes mention of how minors will be protected (even to the extent of them being accompanied by an Australian official on their way back to Malaysia where they would be seen into a suitable environment), assurance from the Malaysians that there would be no ill treatment, categorization of the returnees as ‘legal’, oversight of the environment into which they are placed by Australian officials (this does not imply control, simply oversight so that we know what is going on), and due emphasis on the acceptance into Australia of the 4000 persons already processed and classed as genuine refugees. If the arrangement that all who come by boat will be assessed in Malaysia has the effect it is planned to have, namely that the people smugglers will no longer be able to sell risky boat journeys to Australia, the boats ought to reduce (until the resolve of the Government to do what is says is tested) and then stop once that is the case. Once that happens the issue of how returnees are managed becomes less relevant as there would be no more returnees to add to those already there. Those who are now advocating a return to the Howard Pacific Solution and at the same time demeaning a new arrangement that is not yet finalized, should perhaps be viewed as dedicated advocates who are using every bit of political leverage they can muster in support of their clients. That is understandable and if they do persuade the Government to improve the conditions of returning people to Malaysia, they will have accomplished their mission.

Jason

5/06/2011AA, Dan Gulberry Posted Sunday, June 5, 2011 at 2:23 pm | Permalink Australia wide update: SayYesAustralia Say Yes Australia almost 45000 turned out to say eyes to a price on pollution today. Australia - you well and truly said yes!!

NormanK

5/06/2011Jason This is why I'm already annoyed in advance (what a luxury!) about the stories that will flow on all week from this leak. We are going to see 'backflips'. 'softening their stance', 'bowing to public pressure', 'heeding media calls', 'giving in to .....', 'inability to maintain stance on ....', 'pandering to ...' and all the other nonsense they can think of simply because they grabbed a work in progress and give no credit to the fact that it was going to change anyway through the normal course of negotiations. This is why I don't subscribe to the overall tenets of [i]WikiLeaks[/i]. By publishing unfinished documents they will in the first instance compromise sensitive discussions and then go on to trivialise every subsequent alteration that is made. Imagine a big multi-national issuing a press release halfway through nutting out a take-over deal - not going to happen. Heaven help us if there is a leak from the MPCCC showing the ambit claims of one party or other. The whole process will be undermined and the media will spend weeks second-guessing what's going to happen next. It's not about the public interest or need to know, it's about [i]Lateline[/i] getting a mention every time there is a news item that features the leak. And it's about generating twenty follow-up stories which would not otherwise have existed.

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011Wouldn't it be nice if, as a result of the negotiatiions between Malaysia, Australia, and the UNHCR, that a new era would dawn wrt the treatment of refugees in this region? Bringing Malaysia into the tent of humane countries would be a coup for Chris Bowen and he would deserve some sort of Humanitarian Award for doing so and it would be all worth it to see the egg on the faces of the Coalition and their bedfellows in the Refugee Movement. Self-interested parties all. Btw, you did hear that there is an election in Malaysia in a couple of weeks and so this is feeding into the bleating from self-interested parties in Malaysia who will be wishing to harm the government politically by beating this issue up over there. I imagine they would also be the ones feeding the disinformation to the self-interested parties over here. Like the caning footage I imagine would have come from them to here, or to ABC journalists over there in Malaysia. One final thing I would also like to say I have noticed is that the ABC has taken to editing their stories about this issue in an entirely self-serving manner, as opposed to reporting all the details in a dispassionate way. I just wish the government would seal the deal, I'm having kittens! :D

Michael

5/06/2011Today's Bad Abbott: 'Tour Guide Tony' trying to tell the Prime Minister where she should go on her upcoming visit to the Northern Territory and elsewhere to observe the living conditions of indigenous Australians. Places he's been, of course, and places that TRULY benefited from his concern, interest and attendance, when he was a minister in the Howard government. "TRULY" NOT. The man is sanctimony writ incrementally. (Substitute "ex" for "in" in the sentence above for a truer take on Toxic Tony.)

lyn

5/06/2011Hi Ad This is an important link to Club Troppo: [i]The Missing Link, Don Arthur, Club Troppo[/i] At the Political Sword, HillbillySkeleton is basking in praise for her recent post ‘Post-Truth Politics.’ "Terrific Hillbilly, just terrific", writes commenter David Horton. Hillbilly’s reply is all modesty: Thank you so much for your warm compliments. I am truly flattered. I can still see faults with what I have written, but I guess that’s always the case. I’d like to start my paragraphs with better words but just can’t seem to find them. Some of Hillbilly’s post is very well written. As is this piece by David Roberts at Grist that Lenore Taylor cites in a recent opinion piece. http://clubtroppo.com.au/2011/06/04/the-missing-link/ Cheers

Ad astra reply

5/06/2011Jason Thank you for that exciting information. 45,000 is a lot of people.

Ad astra reply

5/06/2011Hi Lyn Thank you for the Club Troppo link. I'll read it when I get to Melbourne. We're about to get on the road. Back this evening.

Tom of Melbourne

5/06/2011There are a range of irksome issues around the politics of asylum seekers. But one of the big ones is that the ALP embarked on a political strategy to take the moral high ground. It claimed the principled position and appealed to those interested in the UNHRC. It won support. But in government the ALP has been expedient and duplicitous, and its supporters don’t test them, don’t criticise them. ALP supporters endorse in this government what they condemned in the Howard government. ----------------- So are there still “push” factors and “pull”? Now the government is on about “stopping the smugglers from getting a product to sell” and “making sure their business model isn’t available”. That’s all “pull”, which is a huge about face in the government narrative and their barrackers. But if there are still “push” factors, then the government should also be condemned. Because this means there are asylum seekers arriving, seeking our protection, and we don’t provide protection. The government says it will send legitimate asylum seekers to a country that flogs dissidents. “The Political Custard” is always making excuses for the government. You change your principles. Your principles are determined by who happens to be in government. There are plenty like you though.

Jason

5/06/2011Tom, And if we don't change our thinking what do you plan to do about it? SFA I think! Tom so what about the 4000 that have the chance under this deal to be released? I guess with your thinking they should be stuck there! Also it wouldn't matter what this government said or done to you it would be wrong, you're a complainer who if the truth were known would complain about having sex on your wedding night.

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011It's amazing, isn't it, how quickly good ideas travel around the Internet? It is the essence of viral.I read that piece by David Roberts at Grist and was inspired to translate its sentiments to the Australian context as I felt that it was such an important concept that we could not let it sink into the obscurity of the ever-swirling morass of words and ideas that is our daily dose of ideas and sentiment. As they say in the Classics, 'It was truly inspirational!'. So much so that I just woke up the day after reading it, and wrote and wrote and wrote and wrote. It occurred to me that Tony Abbott had mastered the art of 'Post-Truth Politics', and it was high time we made it known to all who care about what is happening to politics in this country that we know what he is up to. If it turns out that many more people than just us here get to know about it and learn about what 'Post-Truth Politics' is, then we will have achieved something important. If the realisation of what it is percolates through the electorate then maybe a more sceptical eye can thus be engendered when it comes to assessing just what these politicians are up to. We live in hope. :)

NormanK

5/06/2011 [quote]There are plenty like you though.[/quote] I certainly hope you're right, ToM. Do you even read the replies that are put up? Or do you just cut and paste a comment that you've made elsewhere, whack on a couple of insults, a bit of name-calling (oh Great Hater of Labels) and drop it like a grenade on TPS and rack off? You wonder why you're called a troll or at least troll-like. I have replied to you by name at least four times and yet the 'great debater' deems not to respond. If you've read what has been written here over the last few days you would know that in all likelihood those sent to Malaysia will not be flogged or imprisoned because they won't be 'illegal immigrants' (as they are understood to be under Malaysian law). You would also note that the Washington office of the UNHCR thinks that: [quote]it's not too late to have an addendum to it to have some operational guidelines developed around this agreement that would clarify exactly what would be the safeguards for the unaccompanied minors. [b]I don't think that's difficult[/b].[/quote] http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2011/s3235572.htm You would also be aware that this same UNHCR office has altered its stance to offer qualified support for the latest draft of the agreement. [b]UNHCR says Malaysia deal has changed[/b] http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/unhcr-says-malaysia-deal-has-changed-20110605-1fmvy.html The only difference between your attitude and our's is that we believe it will be possible to find a humane solution and you choose to believe that it's not possible. Getting on a boat to come to Australia is mostly about 'push' and to a lesser degree about 'pull'. What evidence do you have that those asylum seekers who arrive here by some means other than boat are not being provided protection? Like a modern day Mary Whitehouse, you [b]want[/b] to be outraged and so you are, regardless of evidence to the contrary. Believe me, if this deal does not spell out robust mechanisms for the protection of human rights for all concerned but particularly the vulnerable, this site will roundly condemn all concerned. We have faith and patience - two attributes that you seem to be lacking. I won't hold my breath waiting for a specific reply but I guess I should expect more generic abuse.

janice

5/06/2011Well said, NormanK. Just so you don't have to hold your breqth ;-)

debbiep

5/06/2011 Hi all ~good to see the outcome of numbers at today's rallies, woo hoo. To add to the assylum seeker debate I feel many people would be happy to see no boats crossing dangerous waters in the conditons that they do. I get the impression that this is what the gillard government is trying to stop also . Along with the fact that The Government could possibly be in a' no win situation' whatever they do regarding asylem seekers. I can see there could be problems with onshore processing after hearing a few people talking the other day addressing their concerns for asylum seekers whilst not wantin Australia to give the 'open doors' impression. So, I wonder if many people are thinking like that? Imagine the media and opposition outcry if a flood of more boats came after processing on sure was a practice policy ? The media in itself have a lot to answered for on this issue alone, as we here know. I have called many times for media to be answerable and accountable to their negative spin and misleading headlines , on different forums- such as ABC2 Breakfast . And have suggested to shows like Insight SBS to do a show on the [b]Influence of the Media in Politics , Policy and Polls[/b].

debbiep

5/06/2011 *on sure = onshore [i]sorry[/i]

janice

5/06/2011[quote]We live in hope[/quote] Hope springs eternal, FS - at least I think that is the phrase. btw, thank you so much for the double spacings.

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011The moral equivalence of commenters like Tom of Melbourne truly amazes me. I'd have more respect for what he had to say if he had been complaining about the 'flogging of dissidents'(which is not the case anyway-the Caning of 'illegal immigrants' appears to occur at the hands of a quasi-official citizens militia who have taken on the job of flushing out the 'illegal immigrants' because they do not approve of them being in their country), well-before it came to Australian residents' attention courtesy of the recent media focus on Malaysia's treatment of these 'illegal immigrants'. Then, if ToM had brought this matter to our attention earlier because, in principle, it concerned and troubled him ToM may have had some moral authority to persuade us with his point of view. As it is he just seems to have taken on the latest anti-Gillard government cause celebre to flog THEM with. One would have thought that, as someone who seems so concerned about the fate of these people, that the fact that 4000 of them will be taken away from the potential of a 'flogging' would have caused him no end of happiness. As it stands though, it seems to me, he'd rather they were left there in Malaysia, in perpetuity, to be flogged, because 800 MAY come to Australia on boats, but then again may not if word goes out that if they do they are just going to end up in Malaysia, or Papua New Guinea, or back in Indonesia. I'm finding it hard to understand just what would make ToM happy in all this. I think he is one of the 'Hire the Queen Mary and have it on high rotation to bring all the refugees in the world to Australia' types. Which, as I have said before, is not a very smart solution when you analyse it closely, beyond the feel-good factor that gives the sort of people that propose it a warm fuzzy feeling inside until the subsequent over-crowding gives them something new to complain about. Which, of course, will be the Gillard government's fault.

TalkTurkey

5/06/2011Swordsfolks I went to Victoria Park Say Yes demo and it was pretty good, pretty friendly but really low key . . . Between 2000 and 3000 people by my best attentive guess, reported as 'hundreds' on one TV channel, forget which. What gets me about demos, and I've been demoing for nearly 400 years now, is that you go along, mill around, they have an opening speaker and then a boring speaker and then another speaker who's never spoken before and you can't hear properly, and then a dull speaker who embarrassingly tries to gee the crowd up and nearly entirely fails, and then, instead of passing around collection buckets and having signings-up tables and forms and commitments written down, nobody's thought of that and we all just go away. And the MSM gives us a grudging little underestimate, not that we can do much about that bit anyway. It all seems just a way of letting the electrical pressure down without using any of it. It happened on November 12th 1975 and in every city just before Bush II's invasion of Iraq, and it seems a pity not to seize the time at the flood. So to speak. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Anyway I think Abbortt has just about my chance of being LOTO when the next election rolls around. He's stymied anyway. And even if he is still Leader he has about my chance of winning the poll. *J*U*L*I*A* has outplayed him by hard work and great ability, and he carries the whiff of incipient putrescence. Even if I didn't think so I'd say so anyway. But I do think so :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The NBN looks like it is all Go now. As soon as there are a few people with cable around the place many will start clamouring. They do it with every innovation, from telegraph to now, and I don't blame them. Turnbull will gain a lot of support from his natural base if he cuts and runs with full fanfare, making a virtue of repenting of having been wrong and in the process stabbing Abbortt to the heart. OOOOHHHHH! (Figuratively speaking of course, but I don't know whether even with that disclaimer that such a metaphor is allowed these days. Reowrr sure isn't eh!) I don't think Turnbull either has my chance of ever taking leadership again, and even if he did he wouldn't win an election, but he has the ability really to spike the Coalons' guns and he might well feel that he is closer to Labor now than Liberals, or anyway that he really objects to some pivotal points in the Coalition policy. I think he is quite likely to do something nice for us. This little 1-verse ditty rocks to the tune of How ya gonna keep 'em down on the farm Now that they've seen Pareeeee? Or its clone Who do you think you're kidding Mr Hitler If you think old England's done? (Theme tune of Dad's Army) How ya gonna keep 'em on copper Mr Abbortt When they see some cables done? Mr Turnbull's saying it's too pricy and won't work But Stephen Conroy's creaming him and proving he's a jerk So how you gonna keep 'em on copper Mr Abbortt When they see that cable's fun!

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011janice, I can do double spacings between lines if you want, as opposed to only between paragraphs. :)

NormanK

5/06/2011This is well worth a look on the Carbon Farming Initiative. Watch the video if you can. [i]Landline[/i] [b]Carbon's Bill[/b] http://www.abc.net.au/landline/content/2010/s3235922.htm

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011Well, I subjected myself to 'The Bolt Hole' today(I refuse to call it 'The Bolt Report' because Andrew Bolt doesn't report he declaims, and 'The Bolt Declamation', or should that be, 'The Bolt Declaration', is not as appropriate anyway as 'The Bolt Hole'). But I digress. I watched it because, as I said, Belinda Neal didn't have far to travel to join Bolt in the gutter, and I wanted to hear and see exactly what was her modus operandi for going there. Would she join the Mark Latham ALP Haters Club? The Conservatives love nothing more than a jaundiced turncoat to rub back into the face of the Labor Party. And, the desperate and dateless ALP Fallen, such as Mark Latham, or Michael Costa, or Belinda Neal, are shameless enough to just be able to ignore the vitriol that people such as Bolt have spat at them over the years, just so that they can turn around and pour bile all over the party that gave them succour until they could do so no longer to the point where they got sidelined, a result of the reprehensible behaviour that they all engaged in. Oh well, I guess they are drawn to the Dark Side because that's the direction they were heading in.

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011Nah, it looks weird with spacing between the lines as well. :(

Feral Skeleton

5/06/2011Thank you, NormanK, for bringing that Landline story to my attention. It was good to see that not all 'Men on the Land' are ignorant National Party supporters and some want to actually do something about capturing, recycling, and generating energy from emissions and waste that they produce, also that they are willing to plant trees on their lands as Carbon Sinks. Not only that but Mr Archer thought that the Price on Carbon that the government sets should be higher than what they have so far talked about!

Ad astra reply

5/06/2011Folks I have just posted: [i]What have we done to deserve an Opposition Leader like Tony Abbott[/i] http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2011/06/05/What-have-we-done-to-deserve-an-Opposition-Leader-like-Tony-Abbott.aspx Patricia WA I read your pome on polliepomes and found myself in agreement with your statements and feelings. So this piece is dedicated to you.