Anthony Abbott’s Anarchist Antics

As wreckers go, Anthony the Anarchist is so bad, he would make Dennis the Menace look like Bob the Builder. In fact, Paul Keating summed up his wretched wreckability quite well (see five minutes into the link below).



As it happens, the High Priest-cum-Chief Executioner, George “Brandy Balls” Brandis, had both the Witch, Gillard, and Craig “Would you credit it” Thomson, in a chaff bag ready to organise their stoning when Anthony and his fellow anarchist acolytes in the assembled mob jumped the gun and spoiled it, fatally for Brandy Balls especially. You see, Anthony claimed he saw John Howard’s trakky-daks peeking out from underneath Brandy Balls’ cassock and shouted, “Rat! Rat!” The ensuing fuselage of lumps of coal promptly ended the Rodent’s and Brandy Balls’ earthly existences and, contemporaneously, put paid to the theory that carbon is weightless.



So, having scored an enormous own-goal with the unfortunate deaths of Brandy Balls and the Rodent, Anthony the Anarchist sets off to make restitution by finding, for the Coalition, the Holy Grail of Australian politics, the keys to the kingdom of Canberra, which the Witch, Gillard, had cunningly concealed.

Now, Anthony’s quest takes him to Fremantle in Western Australia. Having congratulated the local squire, Sir Colin, on being able to raise great new big taxes in the form of stratospheric rises in water and electricity charges, whilst conning the local media into turning a blind eye, Anthony sets up camp on Fremantle wharf and makes plans to search the environs for the whereabouts of the illusive keys to the kingdom of Canberra. His foremost hunch is that they are hidden somewhere within the austere, forbidding walls of the 19th century convict-built Fremantle Prison, which is clearly visible on a height not far from his base-camp on the wharf.

However, his mental planning for his assault on the Prison is interrupted by the shrill cries of one of his sentries, Ban Morrison, who is jumping up and down on the spot, pointing out towards the ocean and screaming, “STOP THE BOATS!” at the top of his voice. The object of Ban’s manic attack is a large liner sailing into the harbour with some old bird standing at the bow waving to all and sundry. Anthony and his anarchist mates assume it is full of illegals, so arm themselves with lumps of coal purloined off a nearby barge and hurl them at the ship, quickly taking out the waving lady. However, they are duly set upon by a horde of handbag-wielding and Union Jack-waving old biddies from Peppermint Grove.

Old dears: You absolute bounders! You’ve brained Her Majesty, Queen Elizabeth...Don’t you fools know she was coming to Perth for the CHOGM meeting...You’re nothing but a rat-bag crowd of ne’er-do-well leftie commos – get them girls!

[Anthony quickly decides that discretion is the better part of valour, so falls back on another one of his infamous stunts. He leaves his fellow anarchists to fend off the vicious handbag-wielding amazons and, removing the mighty Shovel of Dobell that he had borrowed from Lady Kathy Jackson, from its scabbard, rushes headlong up the port towards the gates of Fremantle Prison, guessing that the Holy Grail, the keys to the kingdom of Canberra, can be found hidden therein. Unfortunately for Anthony, however, he doesn’t realise that, nowadays, Fremantle Prison isn’t any longer a redoubt to incarcerate hardened English footpads or mutinous Irish rebels. These days, you pay at the gate for a guided tour of the vacant cells, and to view the now-unused whipping frame and gruesome gallows. And, also, today there are a few conferences being held which, as an ardent anarchist, are of no value to Anthony. Now screaming his war-cry, with his fearsome shovel brandished high above his head, Anthony sprints towards the gates of the Prison.]



Ticket clerk: Good afternoon, sir...if you haven’t got a concession card for having a great big fat mortgage, that’ll be five dollars please...

[Anthony, shrieking like a banshee who, before heading out on a date with Frankenstein, discovers a zit on her nose, pummels the unfortunate ticket clerk with the Mighty Shovel of Dobell and races into the interior of the Prison, eyes darting hither and thither, trying to identify the probable location of the keys to The Lodge. He decides that one of the little cells on the top tier is the most likely resting place so, walloping any tourists and primary school students on educational visits, over the head with his formidable shovel, he fights his way up the stairs of the main prison block.

At the top of the first flight of stairs, Anthony notices that the authorities have removed the dividing walls between some of the tiny cells, to form some bigger areas that now function as conference rooms. Anthony storms into the first one and confronts its occupants, four old blokes in cardigans. He cleaves each of their skulls with his deadly Shovel of Dobell and moves on in search of the illusive keys. However, if he had taken time to question them first, he would have discovered that they were in fact on his side – they were the only four economists in Australia who think his Direct Action Plan isn’t worth jack-shit.

Anyhow, Anthony the Anarchist bursts into the next room and, again, sunders the occupants’ skulls from their shoulders with fearsome whacks from the mighty Shovel of Dobell. He then moves on down the corridor, wreaking havoc as he proceeds. However, he is abruptly stopped in his tracks by the fearsome figure of Wilson Tuckey standing in his way on the balcony. Ever since getting the heave-ho at the 2010 election, Iron Bar has been working at the Prison as a security guard.]

Iron Bar: You idiot! You’ve just be-headed Lord Monckton and the only three scientists in Australia who agree with you that global warming is a load of crap!

[For his troubles, Iron Bar gets sconed with Anthony’s shovel, who continues to battle his way through the ever-decreasing throng of tourists, day-trippers and school groups. Anthony is so blinded with frenzy, he even scythes through a table-full of fund-raisers who are trying to solicit donations for mesothelioma sufferers, slashing their banners depicting the face of Bernie Banton.

However, an intrepid group of schoolies pull out their pea-shooters and pepper Anthony so much, he beats a hasty retreat out of the Prison and back into the environs of the port city. By this stage, Anthony has come to the conclusion that the keys aren’t in fact in Western Australia after all, so he decides to hoof it along the Great Eastern Highway and see if the Witch Gillard has in fact hidden the keys to The Lodge somewhere in Adelaide instead.

A few days later, somewhere on the endless straight road that traverses the stark Nullarbor Plain, the weary Anthony looks up from his unforgiving and pitiless perambulation and spots, in the distance coming towards him, what looks like a convoy of trucks.]

Anthony (ecstatically): Yippee! It’s the Orange Convoy of No Confidence returning to Perth after its very successful Crusade against the Gillard infidels...

[Anthony, confidently and imperiously, stands in the middle of the road waving the convoy down. Unfortunately for him, however, it doesn’t stop. Nearby, two hungry crows notice the carnage and hop over to tuck in.]

Crow 1: Huh...don’t you just hate roadkill...It gets squished so much, there’s never much left to feed on...

Crow 2: Yeah...tell me about it...After those CT, MRRT and NBN road-trains finished with this guy, we’ll get more of a feed from the poor bastard’s shovel...sheesh...

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Current rating: 2.5 / 5 | Rated 2 times

lyn

2/09/2011Hi Acerbic Conehead Thankyou for another wonderful article, you are very very funny. Like this name George “Brandy Balls” Brandis, suitable, matches well. We needed you tonight after the dreadful source day today, the media have been talking to sources all day, all different sources, they have written millions of articles sourced from the sources. What you do is think up a rumour, write it down and fill it with source. Here is one as proof: James Massola tells us from a very reliable source, or MP, or Caucus member, or others, or a backbencher, but seems Mr Source is the most reliable source of information:- [i]Julia Gillard says she'll continue as leader, but Labor MPs are discussing a return to Kevin Rudd [/i]James, Massola, The Australian, September 02, 2011 2:45PM [b]MPs admitting [/b]discussions are underway over the possible resurrection of Kevin Rudd [b]Several[/b] MPs have told Others believe a leadership change one respected caucus figure said the source said. Another source said The backbencher said The source said Another caucus member said the source said The well-regarded backbencher said Another senior caucus figure the MP said The MP conceded One Liberal strategist told The source predicted Conehead I am giving you a link to the article, but you don't really need it, because I have copied the whole story above for you, actually I copied the article to save your valuable time. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/julia-gillard-versus-the-high-court-as-the-pm-takes-aim-at-chief-justice-robert-french/story-fn59niix-1226128214000 Cheers:):):):):):):):):)

Jaeger

3/09/2011James left out the bit where discussions concluded with the Labor caucus saying "no", so he asked various unattributed (i.e. non-Labor) sources for comment instead. Out them James! The public interest must be served!

Patricia WA

3/09/2011Thanks Lyn and Jaeger. Of course even intelligent people like bloggers at Larvatus Prodeo, once my favorite site, believed that story about Peter Beattie being recruited to run for a federal seat so he could save the day for Labor as their leader! http://larvatusprodeo.net/2011/09/02/peter-beattie-for-pm-labor-implodes AC - What a pity Anthony the Anarchist left Fremantle Prison before I knew he was within striking distance of me, as it were. Just two minutes and I could have been there, my sword to hand, Tacker by my side, both of us willing to strike a blow for democracy! You should have let me know!

Feral Skeleton

3/09/2011Why didn't anyone slam the door shut on Sir Liealot, of one of the cells in Fremantle Prison, and throw away the key!?! Then we could have had our own Aussie version of a prisoner locked up for life in the Tower of London. I know there's plenty of Crows/Ravens in WA who could guard the cell for us, and Australia would be much the better place for it.

Patricia WA

3/09/2011Good comment at http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/09/02/wont-someone-think-of-their-honours-lashing-the-high-court/#comment-156741 by [b]Jeebus[/b] I quote in part below. [quote]Australia’s economy is humming along fine, living standards are high, and the government has been addressing the most serious issues facing our country by putting in place long term solutions for our transition to a digital society, and a low carbon society. It is also taking steps to address the major imbalances in our economy through the mining tax. There is no crisis. So why does it feel like everything’s falling apart? [/quote]

Ad astra reply

3/09/2011Hi Lyn You are right. Acerbic Conehead’s choice of monikers is brilliant. George “Brandy Balls” Brandis fits the man well, all the more so after his appearance last night on [i]Lateline[/i] where were saw his usual smart-aleck smarmy performance. You delightful take on ‘sources’ has added spice to AC’s fine piece of satire. Thank you. As I mentioned yesterday, the faux leadership speculation has been generated from News Limited ‘sources’ who have countless unnamed ‘sources’, always ’reliable’ or ‘senior’ or ‘experienced’, who have many subsidiary ‘sources’ who have contacts that too are sources, and as Anthony Albanese ridiculed yesterday, these sources once knew someone who heard someone talking in a pub or sipping a latte at a Double Bay café, who thought that a leadership challenge might be on sometime. It’s a classical media beat up which might ordinarily be explained as an exercise to keep journalists busy and papers selling, were it not for News Limited’s campaign of ‘regime change’, into which this story fits so perniciously. Thank you AC for once again giving us something to get great pleasure from among the gloom that our media delights in spreading far and wide.

Ad astra reply

3/09/2011Patricia WA That Jeebus comment is spot on. Bernard Keane’s article is well worth reading.

lyn

3/09/2011 Hi Ad and Acerbic Conehead This is a good blog post be Steve, here is listed the source army. They want Julia Gillard to be replaced, with somebody, anybody, so then they can write about how:- whoever it is, "wasn't elected by the people". Bill at Billablog says: [quote]if the leader is replaced"[/quote] [quote]we have an "unelected" prime minister (no-one will spot the fact that we NEVER directly elect the prime minister[/quote] http://the-billablog.blogspot.com/2011/09/how-to-manufacture-leadership-crisis.html [i]Baying for Blood or Too Much Red Cordial? Steve Szetey, The fezzantcreakrambler[/i]. [quote]So let's move to the mighty Murdoch Empire, and its national flagship, The unAustralian[/quote] So let's move to the mighty Murdoch Empire, and its national flagship, The unAustralian. [quote]Sid Maher - Labor Leadership Ructions Loom Large Dennis Shanahan - In This Stench Who Would Want To Take On Leadership Peter Van Onselen - Respected Cleanskin Might Save The Furniture Tom Dusevic - Malaysia Solution Fiasco Leaves Gillard's Government All At Sea Jennifer Hewitt - MPs Getting Ready To Think Unthinkable Paul Kelly - Multiple Disasters for Julia Gillard[/quote] And if you read all of these articles there is more hope than anything else that Julia Gillard is replaced as Prime Minister. [quote]It's not too often that Murdoch press has to back down on an issue, and even less often when a grovelling apolgy is issued. This was one of those times. It is within this context that one should view the mild hysteria being displayed in today's The unAustralian. It also explains why this piece of crap was written today by Ewin Hannan - 8am Call That Put Julia Gillard's Old News On The Front Page.[/quote] http://fezzantcreakrambler.blogspot.com/2011/09/baying-for-blood-or-too-much-red.html Cheers:):):):):):):)

jj

3/09/2011AA, Unfortunately most of the sources have been cited as being Labor backbenchers and union leaders. You might want to swallow the Albo spin that the papers are basing these stories on nothing, but there are actual rumblings going on. You may want to create some sort of News ltd conspiracy surrounding this current leadership turmoil for the PM, but the truth of the matter is that both Fairfax and News ltd are running the same sort of headlines with the same sorts of editorials. This leadership speculation was kicked off after the High Court decision and reaction with all newspapers carrying damaging headlines for the PM. You can stick your head in the sand, but by the time you get yourself out you might find that there is a new leader at the helm. Bye bye ALP, i belive your days are numbered.

Patricia WA

3/09/2011Hi, lyn, I tried to comment at fezzantcreakrambler.blogspot.com/.../...h-red.html but as often happens I found my comment not accepted under any of the identities I tried, not even Open ID. I've had that happen before and usually give up. Any suggestions on what I might be doing wrong? Or does anyone else have that problem e.g at http://andrewelder.blogspot.com/ I wanted to tell [u]fezzantcreakrambler[/u] that I agree with him! As I often do with Andrew Elder.

Glorfindel

3/09/2011"There is no crisis. So why does it feel like everything’s falling apart? " Would the blithering ineptitude of the current government have anything to do with that. JJ I hope that Gillard's days are numbered, but not the ALP's

psyclaw

3/09/2011"with all newspapers carrying damaging headlines for the PM" This says it all about your nonsense JJ. For sure any moron who just read the headlines would think there's a deep crisis. But read below the headlines! For example the Telegraph yesterday (one of your leader's favourites)had the headline "M's Tirade". This was hyperbowl!! At it's most "tirade-ic"... the article then meekly stated that the PM had said that the CJ's judgement was inconsistent with his 2003 judgement in FCA that ..... "The form of the section suggests a legislative intention that the subject matter of the declaration is for ministerial judgment. It does NOT!!!!!! appear to provide a basis upon which a court could determine whether the standards to which it refers are met." So JG merely stated the bleedin obvious, and any objectors such as Brandis, Abbott, Morrison, and Murdoch et al are being mischievous and misleading, and objectors such as the Judges' Conference and the Law Commisssion are merely fulfilling their perceived responsibility to speak out against any criticism of the judiciary. So keep hopin. Like the CT matter, this too will pass. Judge her on past legislation, but especially on the newies coming very very soon!!! Then weep!

psyclaw

3/09/2011Sorry. Para 3 "PM's Tirade"

lyn

3/09/2011Hi Patricia, I am not sure what is going wrong for you, I have posted your comment there, to see if the comment box works ok. When you go there you need to In the comment box it says comment as - select your profile In the drop down box select name url Then put your name and your Polliepomes link Then you will be asked for recaptcha Click post comment. Good for you Patricia for commenting, gives them some inspiration Cheers :):):):):)

Jason

3/09/2011jj, It makes sense to me(not) that since the Indies have an agreement with "Gillard" these unnamed tossers in the papers would like a new leader so they can sit in opposition? Is this what you would have us believe? Paul Howes is moaning because there is no inquiry into manufacturing, perhaps if he had kept his eye on the present rather than complain about the yet to be introduced carbon tax he could be taken seriously! Dean Myghel Victorian ETU boss was putting his views about yesterday as though he had some say in the ALP! well he did before he quit and joined the Greens. Graham Richo a gun for hire!and one of the creators of all that's wrong with NSW ALP, his legacy reeks for itself. jj I'm glad the high court knocked Labor back on Wednesday! we can now get away from this ugly racist dog whistle politics your side have played since the Tampa,yet Abbott,Morrison et al all claim to be good christian men!If they were dead then they could make such claims.

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011Andrew Elder @ [b]Politically Homeless (The Kidney of the Nation)[/b] has posted something that has set my brain whirring. [i]I supported the Malaysian Solution. Go ahead, laugh. Not being a journalist or a politician I'm free to admit when I'm wrong.[/i] Stop, before you sharpen your fingers ready to run off at the keyboard this comment is not about 'the Malaysian Solution' per se. So ignore the first sentence and as for the second well I am not going to laugh at Elder either, his reasons for supporting it were well laid out and well argued as well as persuasive. It's the third sentence that stikes my chords today. Leave out journalists from this discussion cause well we all know that journalists are never wrong except [i]just maybe[/i] when they don't get it right. We as a society do not allow our politicians to make mistakes let alone forgive them if they admit they have made a mistake. We could pontificate at length on on why this is so but generally it is in our 'DNA'. Mistakes are a no-go zone, getting it right first time everytime is the only way. Failure is not an option. I've been reading another book by a 'bleedin' economist, [b]Adapt[/b] by Tim Harford, (http://timharford.com/books/adapt/) which is about failure. Consider this: [i]When faced with complex problems, we have all become accustomed to looking to our leaders to set out a grand vision, experts to draw up a detailed plan of action, or gurus who can provide us with some infallible solution.[/i] From bitter experience we would surely have to admit life doesn't actually work that way but still we look to our pollies to wave the magic wand and solve all our problems. And if pollies dare make the tiniest of mistakes some turn it into a catatrophe, a disater, or the situation du jour, [i]'crisis'.[/i] Harford discusses many examples of failure turned into success and ways and means for using failure and turning it to advantage. One key element is to set up systems (and organisations) so that when failure occurs it doesn't bring everything else down with it. One problem he highlights is what he calls 'tight coupling' where systems are such that everything is totally interconnected so if one small thing fails, everything fails. This brings me back to that decision the other day. Bleedin' heck, one small paragraph in amongst millions of words of black letter law has caused 'policy failure' and, according to some, (that wouldn't be journalists would it?), it is going to bring down the guvmint with it. We need to rethink the whole system, there has to be a better way to run a nation state but because we can't allow for failure we are unlikely to find success. Any way if you haven't read Elder's piece already go have a squiz, interesting, informative and maybe some solutions. [b]No Refuge[/b] http://andrewelder.blogspot.com/2011/09/no-refuge.html

Jason

3/09/2011jj, Tony Windsor’s words worth posting again. Despite all the talk of new paradigms this time last year, only Andrew Wilkie continues to meet Abbott during sitting weeks. Rob Oakeshott stopped his sessions months ago and Tony Windsor says his have trailed off in recent times. When you listen to him talk it's not hard to understand why. ''I don't think I can conceive of a situation where I would impose Tony Abbott on the Australian people - they might choose him and if they do then that's their choice, but I would never impose such a person,'' Windsor says. ''I have severe doubts about him as an alternative prime minister, always have had, but he's compounded that in my mind by his absolute negativity and dog whistling. He's encouraged that nasty edge with the Tea Party talkback people and it's quite dangerous in my view. He's making extraordinary claims in the climate debate … he's denigrated Parliament with a deliberate strategy to make it look dysfunctional when the reality is it is not.'' Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/national/pm-looks-wobbly-as-talk-turns-to-alternatives-20110902-1jq7e.html#ixzz1WqViuFrD

Jason

3/09/2011jj, FEDERAL opposition MP Peter Slipper has threatened to join the crossbenches if an internal vote today backs Howard government minister Mal Brough to head the branch of the Queensland Liberal National Party in his electorate of Fisher. The veteran MP and Deputy Speaker wrote yesterday to LNP members in his Sunshine Coast seat, warning that his position as a federal LNP MP would become "untenable" if Mr Brough were elected to chair the Fisher federal divisional council. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/lnp-mp-peter-slipper-threatens-revolt-as-win-looms-for-mal-brough/story-e6frgczx-1226128495557

NormanK

3/09/2011Acerbic Conehead This is a bit of cherry-picking, I know, but I needed something to cheer me up today - on top of your delightfully clever take on inedible road-kill. I console myself that at least these articles quote the primary protagonist and not un-named 'sources'. It is disconcerting that this involves one of the worst parliamentary representatives we currently have to endure - someone who deserves all that he gets if claims of his expense account rorts are true. [b]Slipper threatens to quit[/b] by Bill Hoffman [quote]PETER Slipper has threatened to quit the LNP if the party's Fisher branch today does not elect the executive he wants. In a letter to LNP members sent late yesterday, Mr Slipper warned that would not be helpful to the Coalition in a hung parliament. Mr Slipper is under threat of losing pre-selection for the seat with mounting pressure on the party at both state and federal level for it to distance itself from him because of his extravagant use of his MP expense account.[/quote] http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2011/09/03/mp-threatens-to-quit/ [b]Peter Slipper furore a blow for Tony Abbott[/b] by Simon Benson [quote]TONY Abbott this morning is facing his own potential political disaster with Queensland Liberal MP and Deputy Speaker Peter Slipper threatening to resign and sit on the cross benches for the next two years over a festering local branch dispute. Mr Slipper last night issued a statement threatening to resign from the Queensland Liberal National Party over a threatened challenge to the numbers in his Sunshine Coast seat of Fisher ............ His resignation from the party would give Labor a two-seat buffer over the Coalition. It would cruel any chances Mr Abbott had of trying to overturn the Gillard minority government before the next election. ************************************************************* "If the coup is successful my position as a parliamentary member of the LNP becomes untenable. "This would not be helpful for the Coalition in a hung Parliament, where every vote counts."[/quote] http://www.news.com.au/national/slipper-furore-a-blow-for-abbott/story-e6frfkvr-1226128535077

Gravel

3/09/2011Acerbic Conehead You are my Saturday anti-depression medication every week. I love the way you have with words and how you tie things together. Thank you. Patricia wa I love what you wrote yesterday, it tied in with every one else, like Churchill said, "we will fight them on the beaches......" I can't remember the rest, it was a bit before my time, but that is how I feel.

NormanK

3/09/2011D Mick Weir [quote]One problem he highlights is what he calls 'tight coupling' where systems are such that everything is totally interconnected so if one small thing fails, everything fails.[/quote] You mean like global financial markets that can take a dive because of an on-line rumour about one French bank? Or unemployment figures in the US causing flurries of activity on Asian share markets? What an absurd situation for the world to have placed itself in.

Feral Skeleton

3/09/2011If the media goaded Labor into replacing Julia Gillard with someone else, then they'd just be given licence to start a new demolition job on the new encumbant of the PM's chair from square 1. However, if Julia Gillard remains then they have probably used the poo shooter on her as much as they can and thus she should be able to soldier on in a way a new PM couldn't. As for Kevin Rudd returning. Don't. Make. Me. Laugh. He's already been done over once by the media. They'd think all the Xmases had come at once if he returned. Not to mention Tony Abbott, who well and truly had his measure. Unlike Julia Gillard who always beats Abbott hands down in parliament. Out on the stump, different matter.

Ad astra reply

3/09/2011Folks Now, now, we mustn’t be too hard on jj, our resident prophet of doom. What would we do without him to inform us that all is not going perfectly for the Gillard Government? With our heads persistently planted in the sand, we would never know unless he came along. He is our bell-ringer, like the bell ringers of old, ringing his phantom bell that foretells shipwrecks or the imminent political death of someone important. Remember, he has sources. Sources that portend disaster for PM Gillard and her Government: reliable sources, impeccable News Limited sources, pure as the driven snow, even Fairfax sources, and he has that deep inner intelligence that tells us what we are unable to see because of the sand. He rings his bell, not with the sombre respect that might be afforded the dying or the dead, but with a celebratory gusto that might accompany a longed-for happy event. How can we ignore such a reliable source, how can we set aside such discerning prophesy? He knows “there are actual rumblings going on”, but of course is not about to share with us their origin or their reliability. Why constrain a ‘rumbling’ with evidence? Rumblings are good enough for our jj. But, as Jason and NormanK have already pointed out, jj has somehow missed another ‘rumble’ this morning – that slippery Slipper, the Deputy Speaker of The House, threatened with missing out on pre-selection for the next election is himself threatening to retaliate and sit on the cross benches. [i]The Daily Telegraph[/i] carries a story by Simon Bensen: [i]Deputy Speaker Peter Slipper threatens to put the boot in to Tony Abbott[/i] that begins: “[i]TONY Abbott faces his own potential political disaster today with Liberal MP and Deputy Speaker Peter Slipper threatening to resign and sit on the cross benches for the next two years over a local branch dispute. “Mr Slipper last night issued a statement threatening to resign from the Queensland Liberal National Party over a threatened challenge to the numbers in his outer Brisbane seat of Fisher. “His resignation would give Labor a two-seat buffer over the Coalition and cruel any chances Mr Abbott had of trying to overturn the Gillard minority government before the next election.”[/i] Read more at: http://www.news.com.au/deputy-speaker-peter-slipper-threatens-to-put-the-boot-in-to-tony-abbott/story-e6freuzi-1226128507995 We know jj has been very busy digging the dirt on Labor, so don’t be cross with him for not mentioning Abbott’s “potential political disaster”. Yet it must be true because it’s in a News Limited paper. I’m sure he’ll be back with prophesies of doom for Abbott and the Coalition. We just have to be patient.

Casablanca

3/09/2011Malaysian Solution Post Mark II. By Legal Eagle September 2, 2011 – 8:32 am The post considers the judgment in detail, followed by a brief analysis of the criticisms of both the government and the Court, and canvasses some possibilities of what may happen now. skepticlawyer.com.au/.../

Jaeger

3/09/2011Is anyone else having trouble with the links on Lyn's Daily Links page recently? They seem to be truncated after the first three components of the server e.g. "http://a.b.c.d.e/f/g" is just "http://a.b.c".

Patricia WA

3/09/2011http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2011/09/03/mp-threatens-to-quit/ That would be poetic justice! [b]More Fun and Games in Canberra?[/b] Do you remember the state of play On our new Parliament’s first sitting day? Both sides were playing hard, ‘Hunt the Speaker,’ With Tony strong, Julia looking weaker. With her lead on votes whittled down to one He planned other moves to bring her undone. He’d had some setbacks in the days before When Somlyay might have improved her score. Then Peter Slipper was briefly lost And Tony thought he’d been double crossed. But Slipper reappeared, and on the day The Speaker’s game, it seemed, went Tony’s way. Then in the second round everything changed. Somehow secretly Julia had arranged To play her own game and strictly to rule She trumped poor Tony. Oh, did he look a fool! Her win this time, for which we thank heaven, Was not by one, but a majority of seven! That Deputy Speaker vote, what a ripper! Julia’s real good at playing games! Specially ‘Hunt the Slipper!’

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011NormanK @ 11:25 AM, that is the general drift of it. Harford discusses examples from the GFC, the rogue trader who bought down Barclays and even the massive oil spill in the US. Very interesting reading. [i]What an absurd situation for the world to have placed itself in.[/i] yes, well, what can I say. If we can understand at a personal level our own difficulties with learning from our mistakes and then magnify say, a millionfold, we might get some idea of the magnitude of the challenges that face those in who we entrust the the task of solving all our problems and whom we expect to come up with the [i]infallible solution[/i] Great expectations probably lead to great disappointments maybe?

Ad astra reply

3/09/2011Jaeger I've checked all of 1st September Lyn's Links and they work, except [i]Crikey[/i] where the site is down. Could you please repost your link to Skeptic Lawyer.

Casablanca

3/09/2011 Malaysian Solution Post Mark II. By Legal Eagle September 2, 2011 – 8:32 am The post considers the judgment in detail, followed by a brief analysis of the criticisms of both the government and the Court, and canvasses some possibilities of what may happen now. http://skepticlawyer.com.au/2011/09/02/malaysian-solution-post-mark-ii/

TalkTurkey

3/09/2011Ad astra jj a Bell Ringer? My fat aunt! Ring Beller more like it. S/he/it Bellers out s/he/its Ring! :) [u]Fun With Trolls[/u] Dog Allbitey my recaptcha is ringsLS zest Spooky.

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011Ad @ 11:51 AM my gast is flabbered, I know you to not be a person of cynical persuasion yet, and I must have misunderstood, but, did I detect just a faint hint of cynicism about my dear friend jj. How could any of us be cynical about jj. You are right we should remember that s/he has (reliable) sources that s/he is well informed. Did you mention that s/he is always balanced and even handed in the comments s/he makes? My dear friend jj, if you are still lurking in the background you might like to consider this: The end of the world has been forecast many times. It hasn't happened yet. When it does happen I will be sure to recall that you were one of those that forecast it.

Ad astra reply

3/09/2011Casablanca Apologies - it was you who posted the Skeptic Lawyer link - thank you for reposting it. It is great piece. DMW Me cynical, cynical about jj? As we might have said in days of yore - goodness gracious me, how could you think such a thing?

Jason

3/09/2011Bolt still doesn't get it!Now he seems to be in Alan Jones mode,and what has happend to Bolt for this outrage? I doubt many tears will be shed on this blog "The work being done to close down any scrutiny of Julia Gillard’s past relationship with a conman is downright sinister. The Prime Minister has made repeated and inappropriate calls to the head of News Ltd demanding the censorship of articles and guarantees not to mention their contents again. Fairfax Media has repeatedly banned broadcaster Michael Smith from discussing on air a statutory declaration about the conman and Gillard’s unwitting role. Smith has also been banned from interviewing on air the author of the stat dec, a former state president of the Australian Workers Union. Now, the ABC has sacked Glenn Milne from Insiders for allegedly not meeting its editorial standards. The trigger for that decision was Milne’s column in The Australian on Monday, now removed from the Internet, in which he detailed some of the material. Milne was meant to be on tomorrow’s Insiders. Now he is off the panel for good. This shutting down of debate is sinister and shameful. Had John Howard tried it, there would be a riot in the Left. There should be a riot about it now."

lyn

3/09/2011 Hi Ad I thought you might like to read this post from the Poll Bludger by Alan Shore, a very worthwhile comment, I enjoyed reading:- @AndrewCatsarasAndrew Catsaras This comment by Pollbludger poster Alan Shore (comment 8306) is worth a read: http://bit.ly/oZSWfO 6 minutes agovia web Alan Shore Posted Saturday, September 3, 2011 at 10:22 am | Permalink [quote]For the enjoyment of Bludgers my response to this morning’s nonsense from Andrew Bolt – Column – Gillard has less time than she thinks: You don’t find it odd that, according to you, some of Gillard’s biggest mistakes are ideas that you yourself have suggested and endorsed? What an astonishing record of failure you have Andrew. I could go on but your appalling hypocrisy is making me feel sick. How anyone with even a modicum of decency and half a brain could take you and your deluded utterances seriously is beyond comprehension. Feel free to ban me for offending you with the harsh truth. But at least have the courage to publish my comment uncensored you big brave defender of my free speech.[/quote] http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2011/08/29/galaxy-63-37-to-federal-coalition-in-queensland/comment-page-167/#comments Cheers:):):):):):):)

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011Ad @ 12:41 PM :P and :)

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011oops :$

lyn

3/09/2011Hi Jason Great minds think alike. I posted my stuff at the same time as you about the same subject. I think our readers are beginning to realize you and I have the same aversion to a particular writer, opinion pusher, in the MSM. Oh well he doesn't need sources he has one implanted in his head. Cheers:):):):):):):):):)

TalkTurkey

3/09/2011[u]A Tale of Two S#itties[/u] ;-) [Penultimate scene: As Peter Slipper (S#itty #1) rises from the Opposition benches and walks to the cross benches never more to support Abbortt, (S#itty #2)]. [i]It is a far, far better thing I do now, than I have ever done . . . It is to a far, far better place I go to, than I have ever been . . ! [/i] Travel allowance rorter he may be, and certainly King Rat to his "own side" - not that they have had any love for him, nor identifiable* policy with which he might identify* - but then we applaud Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott for doing likewise, and in so doing have ensured that their names will be carved with great pride in the history of this nation. Slipper might be less than an angel but he holds the power to do great good: hopefully he has, like those other two "Rats", seen through the empty rhetoric in which they once were steeped, and they now are really doing fine things for their country after all. Lost sheep returning to the fold isn't right, they were sheepish once but have grown to the nobility of proper insightful humanity, amidst great and genuine rejoicing. I love those guys. (K) Peter Slipper too has it in his power to do a great deal of good, so much indeed that his transgressions would recede to vanishing point. One of the immediate boons of his withholding his vote would be that it would give the nation "CERTAINTY",something the Coalons are always demanding. 'Boon' as in [i]Mills and [/i]Boon maybe, but . . . [i]Maybe not . . ! [/i] So Peter Slipper has the option of going into retirement with more honour than dishonour, (and I hope that all happens), or staying where he is, so scummy he's even the reviled scum on that scummy scum on that side of the House. His choice is, They hate him and we don't, or [i]everybody[/i] hates him! :) BTW he is not the only one on that side who is thinking very, very seriously about taking that tiny walk. Sources close to . . . Oh no I'd better not say. You'll all find out soon enough I daresay, remember TT told you first. ;-) *+*[ i]different[/i] *identify* eh!

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011I love Laura, Laura Tingle that is not Laura Norder :) That aside, in today's Fin Review Ms Tingle writes about the leadership 'crisis' and the interrelationship with the asylum seeker 'crisis' (here I must remind readers of that brilliant album by Supertramp [i]Crisis? What Crisis?[/i] I listened to it twice yesterday) In summary Ms Tingle says/asks [i]Has Julia Gillard been damaged by by the High Court's (decision) ...? Of Course Is getting rid of her the answer ...? No Is (it) being actively discussed? No ... The answer to Labor's problems is doing what governments must do - in both a political and policy sense - when confronted with problems: seize the problem and make it into an opportunity.[/i] Swordsfolk, I understand the inherent mistrust of journalists here (an ofthe that mistrust is rightly placed) but in this case I am trusting Ms Tingles assessment far more than I trust many others and in particular jj's and his/her 'informed sources'.

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011grrr mumble mumble I am sacking my proof reader. @ 1:38 PM In the last par I am positive, in fact iknow beyond doubt as I don't make mistakes :P, I wrote [i](and often that mistrust is rightly placed)[/i] and the gremlins or that damned proof reader just put in garbage. Also after rereading I must recant I don't actually love Laura but I am often impressed by her writings and thinkings.

TalkTurkey

3/09/2011Jason has posted a comment by Anal Jones which ends "There should be a riot about it now." (*it* being the sacking of Drunken Thug Glen Milne from Lopsiders) psyclaw? Isn't incitement to riot a criminal offence? This is not trivial. It is being cultured deliberately and one day it could become all too literal, and we must take on board the Filthy right would actually welcome that! It is a boil that needs lancing, and the lance to do it with is redhot at the moment, what with Anal Jones and BumBolt and [i]Merde[/i]och and their filthy ilk under unprecedented and highly-critical scrutiny for their behaviour already. *J*U*L*I*A* has more right and reason than anyone to take them on. Go Girl. Resolutely resist the Right Swordies. Shame the filth. You reckon we were critical in pressure to bring down Milne? I do. DYB DYB DYB.

jj

3/09/2011When times are tough for the ALP you all go back to your personal taunting. Slippery Pete will not resign, his party will pull him into line. Jason, Who cares what Windsor says... his credibility is about as intact as the leaders of our two major parties. During the negotiation process he claimed that he had warmed to BOTH leaders, and considered both to be worthy of the highest office in the land. Now of course he says that Abbott got on all fours and grovelled to be PM, and told Windsor that he would sell his arse... Just a change of thought? No, it is a convenient lie. Some other credibility issues of Windsor's include: he is anti mining and yet he sold his family farm to a mining company to be mined; he represents a conservative electorate that has consistently (in local polls) stated its objection to the ALP, carbon tax etc and yet he (as an independent) supports all such measures etc etc. The guy has gone mad, but he wont face up to the electorate when the next election comes around because he knows he is in for a flogging. As for all you others, You may want to blame everything that goes wrong for the Gillard government on a News ltd conspiracy theory, but when Laurie Oakes, Michelle Gratten, Barry Cassidy and Paul Kelly, all members of the press gallery that are respected as being the best in the field, state that Gillard and Labor cannot claw their way back from where they are, then i tend to take that seriously. Im sure you will just blurt back that they are biased, but hey, what do you base your absurd spin on? Albos rants and press conferences, left wing political blogs!?

NormanK

3/09/2011I wish this Labor government would just stop doing things for the least well-off in our community. :) [b]Pensioners Feeling The Pinch Set To Get A Boost[/b] by Jenny Macklin [quote]Australia’s 3.4 million pensioners will soon receive an increase in their payments to help them meet increases in their cost of living. From 20 September this year single people receiving the maximum rate of age, disability and carer pensions, as well as veterans’ income support recipients, will receive an extra $19.50 a fortnight. Pensioner couples combined on the maximum rate will receive an extra $29.60 a fortnight. As part of our historic pension reforms the Australian Government delivered an improved indexation system to ensure the pension keeps up with the cost of living. Pensions are now indexed twice a year to the higher increase of two measures: the Consumer Price Index or the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index. Pensions are then compared to the Male Total Average Weekly Earnings benchmark and are increased if necessary to meet the wages benchmark. Over the last two years, two of the four pension increases have been driven by the pensioner living cost index and the other two increases have been driven by the wages benchmark. This September the pension will be indexed to the rise in pensioners’ cost of living. In the six months to June 2011 the Pensioner and Beneficiary Living Cost Index rose by 2.7 per cent, compared to a 2.5 per cent rise in the Consumer Price Index and a wages benchmark increase of 2.1 per cent.[/quote] http://www.alp.org.au/federal-government/news/pensioners-feeling-the-pinch-set-to-get-a-boost/ Cynical observers will note that this is a 'normal' increase that happens twice a year but the important point to note is that this government has modified the indexation system so that, by opting for whichever is the higher of the two, pensioners should never again fall behind either wage growth or cost of living expenses. Thank-you ALP.

lyn

3/09/2011 Hi Ad Here is another one of Abbott's army, Greg Sheridan, there are no sources here on this article, but the word Abbott is mentioned 36 times, I think Sheridan likes that word. We know Mr Abbott likes guns because we saw him playing with one on TV. [i]The gospel according to Tony Abbott future Australian Leader, Antony Lowwenstein[/i] [i]The Liberal Opposition leader Tony Abbott is interviewed in today’s Murdoch Australian by Greg Sheridan, a man who never saw a war he didn’t love to watch (from a distance). [b]The message? Abbott loves America, Israel, the West, the “war on terror” and anything Washington asks. That’s not a foreign policy; its sycophancy[/b][/i]: But then he adds a perhaps surprising choice: “At least as a foreign policy prime minister, I also think Tony Blair made a very important and influential contribution.” [i]What Abbott likes about these leaders is that they didn’t apologise for Western civilisation and Western values. Apology is unlikely to be the dominant motif of Abbott’s foreign policy either[/i]. http://antonyloewenstein.com/2011/09/03/the-gospel-according-to-tony-abbott-future-australian-leader/ Cheers :):):):):)

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011My dear friend jj, welcome back. Have I mistaken something in that I am sure you have said in the past that you read the Fin Review? Laura Tingle, David Crowe, Geoff Kitney (and others) all, arguably [i]members of the press gallery that are respected as being the best in the field[/i] have published in today's edition that are at odds with the position you say is unanimous amongst all those that know best what is going on in the inside. jj, put your money where your mouth is on this and tell me how much you are willing to bet (and at what odds) that Julia Gillard will be ousted by her party by say, the end of September. To be fair I will even accept a wager on a later date if you care to name it.

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011NormanK @ 2:17 PM strike me down with a feather. The world has gone crazy. What guvmint in its' right mind would betray it's economically conservative principles and support pensioners of whatever stripe. Do not they understand that pensioners are a drain on the budget bottom line and only cause the economy to spiral ever downwards. And why haven't they told us where they are going to cut costs in other areas to pay for this profligate spending. They are only increasing the burden on us poor and always hard done by wage slaves who pay too much tax which gooes to those bludgers on the guvmint teat. It is downright bleedin' shameful.

NormanK

3/09/2011D Mick Weir Not to mention that according to popular understanding these teat-suckers never vote Labor anyway, so where is the pork-barrelling advantage? Labor - got it wrong again. Miners are where you should be putting your money, guys. Have you no compassion for [i]Harvey Norman[/i] (with its 9% profit [b]increase[/b], poor struggling corner shop) and [i]David Jones[/i] et al? What are pensioners going to spend their discretionary income on? Food?

lyn

3/09/2011Hi Ad Everybody should read this article, you will never read these details in the MSM. We all know these reasons by Nick Carson explains why there was so much frenzy over Craig Thomson, and now there is a frenzy about Julia Gillard. Abbott is running out of time to stop the Carbon Tax, and once people find out they will not be disadvantaged, "POOF" goes Abbott's up and up and up and up campaign. [i]The Liberal Party’s false dawn, Nick Carson, Independent Australia[/i] [quote]If the LP/NP coalition is unable to sell the idea that the carbon price will damage the nation, their entire campaign falls apart. This is a very risky and volatile position for them to have put themselves in and [b]could cause massive damage [/b]to the LP/NP coalition in future polls as the electorate inevitably starts to gather the facts on the carbon price. Rivalries within the Federal LP and between state parties have caused widespread fragmentation, from Queensland’s LNP to the WA Nationals, decreasing the party’s overall cohesion and effectiveness. Additionally,an ageing membership and rivalries between the Australian Liberal Student’s Federation and the Young Liberal movement – sagas like the Young Liberal’s “dob-in an academic” campaign – shows Australian youth has deep reservations about conservative politics and no patience for political squabbling, leaving the LP with very little hope of growth within the next generation.[/quote] http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/politics/the-liberal-partys-false-dawn/

Ad astra reply

3/09/2011Hi Lyn Greg Sheridan is another loyal News Limited foot soldier. His assessment of Tony Abbott’s foreign policy settings seems to be based on that one interview, as Sir Liealot has not made much in the way of foreign policy announcements since he became leader. If Sheridan’s view were to be given any credence, Abbott would be a nuanced foreign policy wonk. As Sheridan says: [i]“On the specifics, Abbott is more interesting, more individualistic and just a fraction more adventurous.”[/i] His account of Abbott leaves one breathlessly excited about the prospect of an Abbott prime ministership. Sheridan’s piece shows how adept he is at fashioning a silk purse out of a sow’s ear

jj

3/09/2011Lyn, Oh, the left wing blogger from the independent must be right! Now tell me how this would have worked: Abbott rang up the editors of all of the Nations major newspapers and told them that time was running out and he needs their help to get rid of the government. They all say 'sure Tones, we will do anything for you' and decide to go after Gillard and Thomson. Ill let you in on a little fact Lyn, the whole Thomson thing kicked off because of his own stupidity. A radio host was talking about the evidence already out in the public domain about Thomson, when Thomson himself rang up the station and said some of the most ridiculous things in a very doddery and unconvincing way. It was after this interview that the whole scandal kicked off. But i suppose for you it is far easier just to create another Murdoch empire conspiracy, or an 'its out of Abbott's personal desperation' conspiracy, but the fact of the matter is it was all of Thomson's own making. P.S. and anyway, why would Abbott be in a rush, wait a few more months and he may not have a government to fight against... he may open the Labor Party caucus room door to find a mass of bodies, each one with a knife in their back. The infighting has begun, and once it begins i doesnt stop until blood is drawn.

Ad astra reply

3/09/2011Hi Lyn Nick Carson’s piece is an interesting slant on the LNP. jj should read it, so that he could disabuse us of Carson’s assertions as easily as he did Peter Slipper’s threat to sit on the cross benches. “…his party will pull him into line” is jj’s simple answer, which no doubt he derived from one of his many reliable ‘sources’. Politics would be really simple if only we had jj’s prism through which to view it and perceive the pristine truth. Patricia WA Your Slipper pome is delightful. Jason Amongst the more sombre news, the removal of Glenn Milne from [i]Insiders[/i] is a ray of sunshine. With Bolt gone and now Milne, when will Akerman and Savva retreat?

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011From Geoff Kitney in the Weekend Fin: [i]Abbott said during the week that "minority government is experiment that has failed" ...[/i] Correct me if I am wrong but I can't see how it is an experiment, it is real life happening before our eyes. Minority Government is not something that some academic researher is experimenting with that come Friday that they can put in a drawer and forget about for the weekend. It is something we actually live with day in, day out.

TalkTurkey

3/09/2011Ad astra said "Sheridan’s piece shows how adept he is at fashioning a silk purse out of a sow’s ear." That wasn't the old girls' [i]ear[/i] Ad! :)

Ad astra reply

3/09/2011D Mick Weir In my view Laura Tingle is the best of the political journalists in the MSM. I suppose in jj’s eyes that makes her a latte-sipping, chardonnay imbibing, leftie elite living in a leafy harbour-side mansion, but with her head in the sand on the beach in front of her heated swimming pool, just like the rest of us. TT I’m not sure we bloggers brought Glenn Milne down. The man needs no help; he can manage to bring himself down unaided.

2353

3/09/2011Peter Slipper is reputed to be as dodgy as Michael Johnston (ex LNP member for Ryan) was found to be. Wouldn't it be ironic if the LNP faceless men in Queensland pulled some strings to keep him in the fold, some more of his alleged misdeeds came to light and he as well as whats her name from South Australia both left Parliament prior to Thompson not getting pre-selected next time around? I feel the cries from the LNP & NoNews will get shriller (if that's a word) for a while yet as they have a lot to lose if the CPRS beds down nicely - including the Ministerial Offices Abbott has been promising his troops for a while now.

2353

3/09/2011BTW - AA @ 11.51 - you do sarcasm very well

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011jj I am offended> I know Lyn is a lovely person and is great to type with but how come you are ignoring me? Was I rude to you, if so I am contrite but please jj, forgive me and answer my question how much are you willing to metaphorically wager on Ms Gillard being ousted by her party?

Ad astra reply

3/09/20112353 Thanks for the compliment; if only there was no need for sarcasm. Yes, it would be ironic if Slipper’s slipperiness slipped Abbott up, or if he slipped himself before Craig Thomson.

NormanK

3/09/2011[b]Slipper won't desert Opposition: LNP president[/b] [quote]Mr Brough was elected to the elected to the position today, but LNP President Bruce McIver says Mr Slipper will continue to support the Opposition despite the resignation threats.[/quote] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-03/slipper-lnp-resignation-threats/2869360

lyn

3/09/2011Hi Norman K You have another magnificent rose, I wish I could smell it, what a beautiful colour. All my pink begonias are out this week, they make a pretty show, no perfume though. Morning Noon and Night shrub takes a bow in my garden for perfume. Bulbs won't grow here . Thankyou for the link to Slipper, I don't believe them though, just the same as they don't believe anything the GOVERNMENT says. Labor in Government Liberals not, Oh! dear they hate opposition. Cheers :):):):):)

Patricia WA

3/09/2011Maybe they're making sure that Julia Gillard doesn't show her hand on Slipper. If the the dirt is bad enough it could bring him down and a by-election bring Mal Brough into Parliament this term. Abbott would find him very helpful on his front bench. He's certainly got lots of energy. Didn't he drive the Intervention? Changing the subject - Talk Turkey just had a very pleasant exchange with an admirer of J*U*L*I*A* sent me a link to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rb8pPiCgMV8&feature=related after reading my polliepome on Julia's genetic connection to Good Queen Bess and Boadicea. http://polliepomes.wordpress.com/2011/03/10/welsh-strains/

NormanK

3/09/2011Hi Lyn, Julia Rose is pretty isn't it? I had to put her up to cheer myself up. I keep promising myself that I will take a photo of 'Old Red' which is the pride and joy of the garden here and put it up as a Gravatar. It is over 55 years old, takes the form of the less regimented varieties in its blooms (they're not perfect) and has the most wonderful scent - nothing comes close to it. Unfortunately, no-one knows what it is because it was here before the house was inhabited by the Ks. I'm watching Slippery Pete with keen interest - if nothing else it will be fascinating to see who reports what in which media house.

jj

3/09/2011AA, See, Slipper isnt going to resign (re earlier post). I have respect for Laura Tingle also. However she is the odd one out when it comes to this matter, and i am saying that i think i will go with the majority opinion on this one. Who knows, you may be right! But im sure the government (and you AA) would much prefer the majority to be the other way around. Day by day, the list of journalists lining up to pay their respects to the decrepit casket in which the Labor Party's remains lie grows. Weir, Sure, i bet that the Gillard Government will be out of office by this time next year. My prediction is that the Thomson matter will end up in court, Gillard and the team will continue to linger along in the polls (averaging around 30-32% primary vote) and the Coalition will win the election with a two part preferred vote somewhere above what Howard achieved in 1996. Is that specific enough?

Ad astra reply

3/09/2011Patricia WA That YouTube clip is so apt. Onward and forward the ranger! Thank you. DMW It looks as if you have done your metaphorical dough. Clearly jj has ‘sources’ in the Queensland LNP and knows that despite electing Mal Brough as chair of the Federal Divisional Council in Fisher, Slippery Slipper will not put the boots into the Coalition, but will remain loyal to his idol Tony. After all, LNP President Bruce McIver says so, and we all know how reliable the Queensland NLP and its officers have been in the past. Can we ever again argue with jj, or worst still, challenge him to a wager?

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011Swordsfolk please note, The next federal election will be held on Saturday 1st September 2012. Julia Gillard will be leading the Labor Party and will be slaughtered by an unnamed leader of the opposition. Folks, this information comes not from me but the ever reliable and illustrious jj. I dips me lid jj you are a wonder to behold. jj, I am prepared to lay a hundred metaphorical big ones at odds of ten to one in your favour that there will not be a federal election on or by that date. and jj you upstart arrogant whippersnapper. How dare you address me by surname only. Your manners are contemptible and the lack of respect you show proves that [i]you ain't got no style and you ain't got no class baby[/i]

Feral Skeleton

3/09/2011OK, so what's Peter Slipper going to do now? [quote]@GrogsGamut: Mal Brough has won the LNP's preselection battle for Peter Slipper's seat of Fisher[/quote]

2353

3/09/2011^^^^^ Sit and fume (for the moment)!

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011Hi Ad, [i]Fortuna audaces iuvat[/i] I think that is the one that says fortune favours the bold. It is time for the government to be bold and in the belief they will be I reckon my 100 big ones are pretty safe. :)

Feral Skeleton

3/09/2011A very good article was written yesterday on the Asylum Seeker issue by a former DIAC staffer. I will reprint it in full here for those who do not subscribe to Crikey: Comment Counter 2. Asylum seekers ... just two long-term options available Jenny Norvick, a former DIAC staffer and voluntary refugee settlement worker, writes: ASYLUM SEEKERS, HIGH COURT, HIGH COURT MALAYSIA SOLUTION, MALAYSIA SOLUTION, NAURU SOLUTION Predictably all the media pundits are viewing the High Court decision through the prism of "politics of sport" and not taking pause to consider how the matter of continuing boat arrivals should be handled. It’s always been difficult to have any reasonable public discussion of options because the opposition and the former Howard government have been so successful in demonising boat-arriving asylum seekers and Labor, from Beazley onwards, have never had the courage to stand up to them and follow a humane rather than a punitive policy (although Rudd’s initial policy until he was panicked by Abbott wasn’t too bad). It seems to me that there are only really two long-term options for handling asylum seekers who arrive by boat: 1. Accept that they will continue to arrive by boat and treat them pretty much like those who arrive by air, i.e. let them live in the community until their claims are finalised. The difference would be that they should probably be detained initially for health, ID and some level of security checking. The current approach of detaining everyone until their claims are finalised is expensive, bad for the mental health of detainees and does not have any of the deterrent effect it is supposed to have. Nauru and TPVs are no alternative, despite Scott Morrison’s constant destructive and ill-informed rabbiting on about them. The Nauru solution may be ruled out by the High Court decision (so for those saying the Labor is incompetent in proposing the Malaysia solution should give pause for thought that this ruling may have made against the Nauru solution in the Howard era if a challenge had been mounted along these lines). Nauru was never a deterrent to boat arrivals and it had the same role in the scheme of things that Christmas Island does now. Whether it is a signatory to the UN Convention is irrelevant as the government of Nauru had no role, and would not have a role under a Coalition government in processing asylum seekers. It was/would be purely an Australian government operation, possible with the fig-leaf of IOM (International Office of Migration) administration. Nauru was never a deterrent to boat arrivals and the vast majority ended up in Australia anyway. TPVs are not a deterrent and they are inhumane. Because they only grant a three-year stay with no certainty of being extended, they do not allow holders of the visa to get on with their lives. The Howard government TPV also denied holders access to English classes but expected them to go and get a job and "pull their weight". They were punitive, bad for mental health but in the end no deterrent. TPVs also do not allow family reunion and in that regard they actually lead to greater numbers coming by boat. It is common practice for one male member of a family, a person who is considered able to travel relatively safely on their own (this includes those coming as minors) to come to Australia, obtain refugee status and then sponsor their family who follow them out by air with humanitarian visas issued offshore. When families are denied the option of safe family reunion, then they hop on boats as well. With the previous Nauru solution, there was the farcical and disgraceful situation that the families of men already living in Australia on refugee visas had to apply for refugee visas in their own right because the government was not prepared to acknowledge that they were coming to join a family member who already had the right to live in Australia. Coming to Australia by boat will continue people smuggler activity. But if it is accepted that people will continue to come that way, then the government needs to consider whether it is a good idea to continue to prosecute the hapless Indonesian fishermen who earn some much-needed income providing the ferry service. 2. The other solution is to attempt to process refugee applications before asylum seekers get on boats. The logical place to do this is Malaysia. Malaysia is the point of entry in south-east Asia for travel to Australia. Those seeking to coming to Australia can get into Malaysia quite easily. Anecdotally (because I don’t know for sure the extent of this) many asylum seekers spend quite a long time in Malaysia and I am aware that at least some of them work, possibly illegally. I assume that the government’s decision to return those who arrived by boat to Malaysia was an attempt to stop future boats arriving by sending the boat arrivals back whence they came and then increasing the number of refugees it takes from Malaysia. It has been pointed out elsewhere that there are refugees in Malaysia who have been waiting many years for a country to offer them resettlement and that is the nub of the issue really, the sheer numbers, the millions, of refugees and asylum seekers waiting in other countries hoping that a wealthy country will offer them a place to live. I assume that the rationale of the Malaysia policy was that the Australian government would work with the UNHCR in Malaysia to identify those in most in need of resettlement rather than those who, to use a Howard government term that I don’t like, "self-selected" and got on a boat. Possibly there is a place for a combination of both solutions, as John Menadue has argued elsewhere: deal with those who arrive by boat in a humane rather than punitive fashion, but work with countries in the region to work out ways of trying to stem the numbers, including through more offshore processing. And, as Andrew Elder suggested in his blog, maybe we could think about re-introducing Immigration Officers in countries of first refuge for Asylum Seekers in order to process their claims and seek to prevent them from moving on to other countries and then to find a boat in Indonesia to hop onto to come to Australia? Then we might be able to rationalise the number of Humanitarian places we offer genuine refugees. A large enough increase in this number might cause most Asylum Seekers to come on board ;-) our new system instead of paying heaps to a People Smuggler. We may even be able to continue to send them back to the first countries of refuge they came from if they continue to try and come here by boat and circumvent the new system. What do you think?

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011FS @ 6:31 PM In some ways I wish you hadn't asked what we think. :) I think it might be a good thing to go and download a copy of the Centre for Policy Development Report: http://cpd.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/CPD_Refugee_report_A-New-Approach-Web1.pdf Read with open mind and see where there are parallels take these and using a well worn phrase 'move forward' on this issue

Feral Skeleton

3/09/2011D Mick Weir, Looking at what jj has said from the other side of the fence, by stating categorically that 'There will be no electioin under the government Julia Gillard leads, until September 2012", doesn't that also mean that he thinks that Sir Liealot will not be able to get an election up before the CPRS and MRRT get through parliament? Which I thought was TAbbott's whole reason d'etre for at least the next few weeks? ;-) Anyway, if I was in the media, and one of the reported few who work in the Murdoch media but despise their bias toward's the Liealition, and knowing how Tony Abbott reacted to the Student Union election he lost at Sydney University(that is, he broke a plate glass door of the Student Union offices in anger, and which I will pre-emptively say to jj, don't gainsay the fact, as I was at Sydney University at the same time as Tony Abbott), well, it may pay to always have a camera at the ready once the legislation is passed and his legitimacy begins it's inevitable evaporation. :)

jj

3/09/2011Mr McDick, I think you may have got the terms of the bet wrong. I did not say that there would be an election on the 1st of September, but rather that there would be one before this time next year. Tony Abbott will be the opposition leader and i am not sure who the Labor leader will be. Maybe Simon Crean, Kevin07, Smith, Shorten, Emerson or maybe even Latham will come back and give a hand... he couldnt do any worse than Julia. AA, Bring it on! But be warned, predictability and the Labor party are no happy couple, that is partly why they are so stuffed in the general public's eyes.

Jason

3/09/2011jj, In Defence of Mr D M W how dare you! I suppose as an Abbott http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fluffer you seem to think it's ok not to even call him by his title? Call us what you like you will always be a fluffer!

jane

3/09/2011"......Slippery Slipper will not put the boots into the Coalition, but will remain loyal to his idol Tony." Lol, ad astra. Slippery's loyalty to Sir Liealot has never been in question. He would walk over damp cardboard for his hero.

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011In all fairness, I put the words (the naming of a date) into jj's mouth by picking the closest Saturday to today one year from now for the sake of a wager. (I might concede a 8 September election date to sh/im if I can forgive his/her rudeness in addressing me by surname :)) I supect jj thinks (desparately hopes?) it will be sooner. In reality there is little likliehood that an election could be held this year as the windows of opportunities are closing fast. It is still possible for a late November/early December election but with all the rigmarole involved it seems less than likely. Basically no election before 2012. Given that rambling it is most likely that legislation/s on mining, carbon and many others will be passed well before any election. Key question now becomes will there be an election before the due starting dates for the passed legislations. (July 1st 2012) Now some may think it crazy for me to mention it but given 2012 is an Olympic year you can almost garauntee no election in July/August and any way the oppositions best hope is to have it before probably late April/early May so that if they do win the can get parliament back and try and rescind the 'offending' legislation before it comes into effect. Easter is early April, 6th - 8th I think. Basically that leaves with an election in mid to late March. Cynical sidenote: I am not aware of any major sporting events reality show finals that would affect a March election. Hang on I forgot to throw the budget into the mix. That sort of lessens the chances for a March election. Now we throw into the mix that September is not a good month for elections what with the real politics of the country the footy codes winding up their seasons we are left with late October up to late November for an election if the Prime Minister (whoever it is then) were to ask for one and the Governor General to grant the wish. All that rambling goes to show why I reckon my hundred smackeroos are pretty safe. Basically that leaves Sir Liealot the two sitting weeks in September to pull this off which goes a long way to explaining all the hyperactivity around the credibility of the government and the prime minister etc. In someways it will be a sad spectacle watching Sir Liealot have all his dreams and desires evaporate before his eyes and it could make a very instructive and even rivetting doco to have the cameras on him 24/7 over that period.

NormanK

3/09/2011Feral Skeleton Thanks for reproducing that [i]Crikey[/i] article in full. :)

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011jj, I will not stoop to your level which seems to be lower than a snakes armpit and address you by any juvenile jerk names. You obviously did not read the terms of the proposed wager: [i]I am prepared to lay a hundred metaphorical big ones at odds of ten to one in your favour that there will not be a federal election [b]on or by[/b] that date.[/i] Given the detailed response to FS that I posted at 7:58 PM I will quite understand that you could get cold feet about putting 10 smackeroos up against my 100. My original request to you today was around you naming a date by which the Labor Party would oust Ms Gillard as leader. Go away and consult your learned and well informed sources come back name a date, state your odds and your level of commitment and I will consider seriously your offer if you are bold enough to make the prediction.

NormanK

3/09/2011Slippery Pete slips and slides! For the record, Oxford Dictionary has 'untenable' as: "not able to be maintained". So Mr Slipper's published threat was quite reasonably represented as a willingness to resign from the LNP if he didn't get his way. [quote]"If the coup is successful, my position as a parliamentary member of the LNP becomes untenable[/quote] (not able to be maintained)[quote]," Mr Slipper said in a statement released to the Courier-Mail.[/quote] But when push came to shove, he showed as much intestinal fortitude as his boss so frequently does. [b]Slipper denies quit threat over LNP row[/b] [quote]However, after Mr Brough was elected chairman of the division on Saturday, Mr Slipper said: "I would be prepared to put the past behind me and while the outcome of the meeting was not what I hoped for, I'm prepared to work with the elected FDC executive, including Mal Brough. "I would expect and trust that they would be prepared to do likewise. "I have never threatened to resign from the Liberal National Party."[/quote] http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8293873 More gutless posturing.

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011Jason, thanks for your support :) I wonder if all the fracking that is going on around near where jj apparently lives has affected the water s/he has been drinking? Then again it might just be that someone has stuffed up on the ingredients in the oppositions Kool-Aid Tonic.

D Mick Weir

3/09/2011NormanK @ 8:18 PM [i]More gutless (opposition) posturing[/i] Oxymoron? Anyway just plain moron methinks. (To stretch the metaphor too far :))

Ad astra reply

3/09/2011Folks Don’t you love our media – ABC News prefaced its report on Julia Gillard’s meeting with UN Secretary General Ban Ki Moon with the words that despite the fact that this is the first visit in a decade of a UN Secretary General to Australia, PM Gillard "could not escape questions about her prime ministership". Why was that? Because that was the first question some smart aleck in the media posed at the post-meeting press conference. Can you believe the infantile behaviour of our media pack – that when such an important international figure visits, instead of asking questions related to his international ambit, of which there are potentially hundreds, some bird-brain asks about domestic issues, and then the pack makes a story out of her being so asked? But it’s not just youthful bird-brains that do this – Michelle Grattan did the same to Kevin Rudd during more than one of his major international meetings. What infuriates me is that the press pack can create a derogatory story out of our PM being asked domestic questions in an international forum, when they are the very ones inappropriately asking the domestic questions! It defies rational explanation. I’m packing it in.

NormanK

3/09/2011Onya Sally Pearson!!! (Better known in this household as 'Didyaseeme? Didyaseeme?') Personal Best. New Australian record. New Oceania record. New Commonwealth record. New IAAF record. World champion!! [i]I forgive you for getting married and leaving me with a broken heart.[/i]

Feral Skeleton

3/09/2011NormanK, I've been in front of my new telly(bought with the proceeds of my hard slog aroung the traps for the Census), watching both Sally Pearson and Usain Bolt show what a class above their competitors on the WORLD stage they are. Absolutely amazing! I'm no racist but it was so good to see a white woman beat out the Amazonian negresses. :D

Feral Skeleton

3/09/2011Amazing, isn't it, how jj has been spending most of the night while I have been away performing the LNP sleight of hand trick that amounts to the 'facts' about the Gillard government that he states baldly as if they were the truth. When, in reality, all they are is recycled drivel from the dung heap of the Murdoch Coalition. Complete and utter bulldust that gets kicked up by the likes of the megaphonic media mafia and the junior jerk bullies-in-training, from their Agricultural Colleges and Private Schools, like jj. You know, if he impresses Barnaby, jj might just get the nod to lick his boots clean when Barnaby runs for the seat of New England.

Jason

3/09/2011D M W, If jj had the sense to attack your arguments that would be a different matter! but jj being the smart arse that it is! thinks calling you names is a good substitute for any sort of of logical argument. I however have no problem in living in the same gutter jj wants to inhabit.

Feral Skeleton

3/09/2011jj, Don't just take my word about the homophobic, sexist, aggressive Mr Abbott either: http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2004/07/17/1089694611874.html

Casablanca

4/09/2011Julia's mirror image at home with sending up PM John Mangan September 4, 2011 [quote]MAX GILLIES says he wishes he'd done it to John Howard years ago, Anthony Ackroyd says Kevin Rudd thoroughly deserved it, and Amanda Bishop can't believe her good fortune. They're all actors who've suited and wigged up to satirise the nation's leading politicians, and all revel in the idea of making a TV sitcom about the PM - whoever it might be.[/quote] Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/julias-mirror-image-at-home-with-sending-up-pm-20110903-1jrek.html#ixzz1Wtq6Q2l6 I can't help but wish that this show was not about to appear on our screens. I love political satire but....

Jason

4/09/20118:30am Sky News 601 - Australian Agenda On Sky News Australian Agenda the Minister for School Education, Early Childhood and Youth, Peter Garrett and Shadow Minister for Seniors, Bronwyn Bishop. Joining host Peter Van Onselen on the Panel, The Australian's Paul Kelly, and News Ltd's Steve Lewis. 8:38am Ch7 - Weekend Sunrise - The Riley Diary This week political editor Mark Riley takes takes a look at the Malaysia people swap deal sunk in the High Court and Labor seeks political asylum...as someone yells: "Gillard overboard!" 8:40am Ch9 - Today on Sunday - The Laurie Oakes Interview The weekly Laurie Oakes interview is in hibernation until further notice. 9:00am ABC1 & on ABC News 24 - Insiders On Insiders this Sunday, Barrie Cassidy interviews the Immigration Minister Chris Bowen. On the panel: ABC Online’s Annabel Crabb, the Sydney Morning Herald’s David Marr and The Australian’s Michael Stutchbury. And Mike Bowers talks pictures with the Chaser’s Julian Morrow. 10:00am ABC1 & on ABC News 24 repeated @ 5.30pm - Inside Business This week on Inside Business a feature interview with Financial Services Minister, Bill Shorten. Also, a look at reports that a fresh wave of big Chinese M&A activity is in the pipeline as the Chinese switch out of US paper assets. And, we’ll also have a look at the big investment themes out of the reporting season wash up. As well, the latest news from the markets and Alan Kohler’s incisive commentary. 10.00am Ch10 everywhere but Canberra at 4.30pm - The Bolt Report - Check local program guides for encore performance timings later in the day This week on The Bolt Report, former Prime Minister, John Howard. Joining Andrew on the Panel, Liberal Powerbroker Michael Kroger and Human Rights Lawyer and former ALP Candidate George Newhouse. 10.30am 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 by panellists; Fran Kelly, ABC Radio National Breakfast host and Mark Kenny, political editor of the Adelaide Advertiser. Together they interview Andrew Robb, Shadow Finance Minister, and author of his just released autobiography, Black Dog Daze: Public Life, Private Demons; and Professor Mary Crock, a refugee and immigration law expert, Professor of Public Law at Sydney University Law School.

nasking

4/09/2011Qld's Peter Beattie bein' seen as too old for federal parliament is hilarious. If he was there for 8-9 years he'd be sixty-six/seven at the end of his stint. Big deal. In this day & age that's not old at all. Not if most workers are now going on 'til their late 60s & 70s. Why not use such wise talent? I like the idea of Beattie coming in to parliament, always have. My wife too. Superb communicator, knows how to grab the public, and importantly, the media's attention...deftly reaches across the aisles...plenty of experience dealing w/ both business & unions. Tons of experience...has global reach. Well respected. Big hitter for the ALP. The government could use a few more big hitters, such as Beattie & Bracks. Would help solidify the centrist vote...give the PM some added pillars to rely on as big communicators...people skilled at governing. In such unique times...w/ such economic wobbles overseas...and uncertainty related to revolutions & conflicts & fledgling democracies springing up across the Arab territories & elsewhere...the PM could use a few more experienced hands to help guide the good ship Australia thru these troubling, yet exhilarating days. The Coalition are bringing back old guards such as Mal Brough. The government could use some more bloody good generals. Go for it Peter! N'

nasking

4/09/2011[quote]Anthony storms into the first one and confronts its occupants, four old blokes in cardigans. He cleaves each of their skulls with his deadly Shovel of Dobell and moves on in search of the illusive keys. However, if he had taken time to question them first, he would have discovered that they were in fact on his side – they were the only four economists in Australia who think his Direct Action Plan isn’t worth jack-shit. [/quote] LOL [quote]Like this name George “Brandy Balls” Brandis, suitable, matches well. [/quote] Agree. Nice one AC. N'

nasking

4/09/2011[quote]Despite all the talk of new paradigms this time last year, only Andrew Wilkie continues to meet Abbott during sitting weeks. Rob Oakeshott stopped his sessions months ago and Tony Windsor says his have trailed off in recent times. When you listen to him talk it's not hard to understand why. ''I don't think I can conceive of a situation where I would impose Tony Abbott on the Australian people - they might choose him and if they do then that's their choice, but I would never impose such a person,'' Windsor says. [/quote] Jason, be like handing the keys to the Lodge to a rabid dog in early stages of the virus. You can guess what's coming. Imagine the mess we'd have to clean up. Who'd get bitten in the meantime? Who'd have the courage to put it down? Who would it turn on in desperation? N'

nasking

4/09/2011From Politico via Huff Post: [quote]In his two weeks as a presidential candidate, Rick Perry has done something that neither Barack Obama nor Mitt Romney could do: wake up the left. Perry panic has spread from the conference rooms of Washington, D.C., to the coffee shops of Brooklyn, with the realization that the conservative Texan could conceivably become the 45th president of the United States, a wave of alarm centering around Perry’s drawling, small-town affect and stands on core cultural issues such as women’s rights, gun control, the death penalty, and the separation of church and state.[/quote] http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/09/02/2012-speculatron-weekly-roundup-sept-2_n_947222.html#s348404&title=Michele_Bachmann Got me thinkin' about Abbott. I reckon if the public here really knew his agenda & record & supporters they'd panic. N'

nasking

4/09/2011UN fears grow over military aspect to Iran's nuclear program September 4, 2011 http://www.smh.com.au/world/un-fears-grow-over-military-aspect-to-irans-nuclear-program-20110903-1jrbg.html Worrying. N'

jj

4/09/2011FS, Oh yes, it is all the rich people and rural peoples fault for the failings of this Government! You really are not all there up stairs. I mean, you get up right-wingers for the utter garbage and ridiculously stupid conspiracies they come up with, and yet here you are FS, trotting out the same sort of wacko crap. Why dont you just accept that Gillard is not an angel sent from God, and that she has made fundamental political and policy errors that have been compounded by the Thomson affair? Why cant you accept that it is not just the Murdoch press calling the end to the Gillard Government, but all sections of the media? I swear, if the Labor Party tomorrow announced they were to abolish public schools or public hospitals you would somehow find a way to justify your support! Your off your tree FS, and as the old saying goes, "with friends like these, who inside the Labor Party needs enemies."

Feral Skeleton

4/09/2011Nasking, Re: Peter Beattie-he's over it. I doubt if he'd have the stomach for the fight back to government from Opposition, if that were to be the outcome after the next election. I mean, just thinking about it all, you have to give it to the Coalition, they are superb Haters. They have absolutely mastered the art of getting electorates to despise governments working in the electorate's best interests, and to vote for a bunch of duplicitous hypocrites.

lyn

4/09/2011Hi Nasking How delightful to see you, nice and early with your brilliant informative comments, supported by interesting articles. I agree, I like Peter Beattie too, but not as Prime Minister, as they suggested yesterday. Ad Astra was disgusted last night, Jouralists asking questions of Julia Gillard about her Prime Ministership when she has an important visitor. Then brazenly reporting "PM can't escape questions about her leadership". [quote]marqoftheshireMarq James by Artspeakcentral How rude are News Ltd journos asking leadership questions of the PM at a press conference with the UN secretary. #auspol [/quote] I am getting a nice smile, I know it's old news, but still makes me smile:- [i]Right-wing radio falling on deaf ears in Melbourne , Michael Lallo , The Age[/i] IT LAUNCHED amid a blaze of publicity and a brash promise to be [b]''in[/b] [b]your face'' and ''right wing''.[/b] But after a year-and-a-half on air, MTR is facing the chop .http://www.smh.com.au Reports are the channel 10 show at 10 is failing as well. Cheers:):):):):):):)

jj

4/09/2011FS, I read that garbage you gave the link to about Abbott. A severely unbalanced piece of writing, with all those quoted either being members of the ALP, a union, or someone that ran against Abbott whilst at Sydney Uni on the political scene. There is no evidence he ever did anything wrong, nor that any of this actually even happened.

Feral Skeleton

4/09/2011You know what I reckon Insiders should do, to redress the shocking imbalance of having journalists conduct an hour long bitch session about the government every week, which the MPs don't get any correspondence entered into, is that whoever is the interviewee for the week, say, for example, Chris Bowen this week, well, they should have 10 minutes when they would be able to ask the couch potatoes questions, which they must answer, in a 'free-flowing, no-holds-barred Q&A. Now, hypothetically again, if Glenn Milne had still been on today's panel, Chris Bowen would thus have the rare opportunity to make him take some of his own medicine and could thus ask Milne a few questions about his spiteful spiked smear of the PM this week. Now that's what I call 'Balance'.

Feral Skeleton

4/09/2011Nasking, As far as bringing back 'Heavy Hitters' to the ranks of the parliamentary ALP, I think it would be better if they utilised the talent they already have there better. There are some really talented MPs in the ranks, especially in the Outer Cabinet, who could replace a few of the underperformers in Cabinet. No names, no pack drill, though. I just think it's time the PM 'refreshed' the Ministry, is all.

janice

4/09/2011FS, What a wonderful idea :) to put the so-called Insiders through a tiny bit of scrutiny and call them out on the drivel they spruik/write.

lyn

4/09/2011 Hi Ad Interesting article:- [i]Seven types of troll: a spotter's guide , The Telegraph[/i] [quote]I mean, it takes a [b]certain sort of mentality actively to seek out columnists with whom you disagree and lurk below their blog being spiteful and angry and disruptive[/b]. Maybe I’d respect them more if they weren’t cowering behind the mask of anonymity, or if ever for once in their sad, deficient lives they actually strove to engage with the arguments made. But they never do, for such is the nature of trolling.[/quote] If you were in any way healthy, you would prefer to hang out the blogs of people you agree with, [quote]rather than maliciously setting out to disrupt those of people you hate.[/quote] Stalker troll is the sickest of the lot. He becomes obsessed with every last detail of life of the person whose blog he infests, in the hope of gleaning titbits which he can use against his nemesis. http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/jamesdelingpole/100099194/seven-types-of-troll-a-spotters-guide/

Feral Skeleton

4/09/2011jj, You were there at the time to verify what happened with Tony 'Mad Tony' Abbott? I don't think I remember seeing you. So, how else can you prove it's not true? As for the sneering put down of evidence of anyone who isn't a dyed-in-the-wool member of the Liberal 'mob', that's just farcical as a defence, and, as your hero, John Howard was wont to say, "That's evidence that wouldn't stand up in the Old Bailey." It's absolutely circumstantial, and to dismiss evidence by attacking the character of the person giving it is just puerile. As are most of your comments. Anyway, knowing the resort to the law, when it suits them, that the Liberals love to employ to shut down criticism, let me just add that I don't remember 'Mad Tony' taking Kerry Ann Walsh and Candace Sutton to Court for Defamation. Can you?

Patricia WA

4/09/2011Casablanca, re [i]At Home With Julia [/i] I know how you feel. But apparenty the PM okayed the idea and is cooperating with the crew. And I don't think that was at a time of her peak popularity. She'd be well aware that satire can go both ways. Who knows? It could be just what the national mood needs, a circuit breaker. Laughing with, we hope. No laughing at?

Jason

4/09/2011 KATHY Jackson, the union leader at the centre of the controversy over Labor MP Craig Thomson, has had a breakdown and been admitted to the psychiatric unit of a Melbourne hospital. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/national/union-boss-in-thomson-probe-has-breakdown-20110903-1jrq3.html#ixzz1WwJ7g3un

jj

4/09/2011FS, You are missing my point. The piece written by Kerrie-Anne was not balanced. I am saying that it would be of no surprise for such people interviewed to want to paint Tony Abbott into a bad light. The piece would have been more powerful if she had of interviewed some of his so-called 'thug' friends from the time and see whether they viewed the period in the same way. Jason, I know, i read the article on Jackson this morning. This is what your party and union 'mates' do to you when you tell the truth. Workers united? Tell that to Jackson.

Jason

4/09/2011jj, I didn't see any evidence of "union mates" doing anything! a rather wild claim even by your low standards.

nasking

4/09/2011[quote]I agree, I like Peter Beattie too, but not as Prime Minister, as they suggested yesterday. [/quote] Hi Lyn, nice reading yer cheerful comments. I agree that Beattie should come in to parliament and play a significant role backing Gillard as PM. I like Julia up front...it's refreshing to see a woman PM in this country...it's been far too male-oriented over the years...and Peter Beattie is one of those great communicators who knows how to cut thru the bull & spin...get the message across...and he understands what great assets strong female leaders are...his positive treatment of premier Anna Bligh is testament to that. Feral, I reckon Beattie is full of energy...and if called upon would be a willing participant. The ALP has to strengthen itself at both federal & mayoral/council levels. My wife & I and some in our families are big Beattie supporters up here in QLD. He would inject further ideas, vigor & enthusiasm into the federal caucus. They've been very hard working and done some very useful stuff in many areas including education, health, aged pensions, NBN etc...but like all governments they've hit some rough patches...and had to deal w/ a great number of hurdles. An addition of fresh blood would do them some good. It would help their prospects in QLD too. You in NSW need to start listening to us up here too. Beattie is a top politician w/ superb & diverse skills. N'

Michael

4/09/2011Offshore processing not available to this or any other Federal Government? http://www.abc.net.au/news/2011-09-04/asylum-deal-bowen/2869666 If Julia Gillard and her Government really have the metaphorical cojones, now is the time to categorically draw a distinction between themselves and Abbott's Bashers. Cancel off-shore processing of asylum-seekers, do it all in Australia, and forever thereafter paint Abbott and knuckle-dragging company as the only party who wish to send children overbo... seas. Labor is already so on the nose with 'western Sydney' and all the other supposedly lost 'natural' Labor voters, it can't get any worse for them out there in lost-neurons zone. Do the Left thing, the Right will fall in line to be in with any sort of chance at all. Re-define Labor government as for the people, all the people who have an Australian passport, now or six months (years, decades) down the line, and stop this ulcerous debate that cripples this nation and all (ultimately, all) its citizenry.

nasking

4/09/2011[quote]No names, no pack drill, though. I just think it's time the PM 'refreshed' the Ministry, is all.[/quote] Feral, I agree that we should see a few changes. I'd shift Bowen out in a few weeks. And put Jenny Macklin in the immigration portfolio. I'd like to see Mark Dreyfus as Attorney-General, and Jason Clare & Richard Marles & Mark Butler w/ more prominent positions. And the lady who greeted Ban Ki-moon at the airport and comes on SKY sometimes. Forgotten her name, darn it. BTW, great job by Peter Garrett this morn on Agenda. Strong, confident delivery...didn't rush...didn't seem panicked...supported the PM...promoted achievements...is gettin' on w/ the job in education. BTW, Paul Kelly came across in his ever grave, doom-laden & predictable monologue as a pontificator & judgementalist of the worst kind... Kelly's as desperate as Bolt in his Murdoch cage but tries to give off this slightly pompous indifferent air until he focuses intensely on an issue trying to corner the interviewee, attempting to wedge them for future purposes, becoming abrupt...revealing the desperation that lies beneath. You sense that the clock is running out on the likes of Kelly, Bolt, Akerman, Chris Mitchell, Hartigan...the assassination of the PM must happen soon...must happen...must happen...the TICK TICK TICK is really a reflection of the fear News Ltd characters feel as their campaigns flounder...overreach...become more obvious each time...as their reputation sinks by the week...their futures looking bleaker...TICK TOCK TICK TOCK it's all quite pathetic really. Garrett dealt calmly & efficiently w/ Kelly on Agenda...handled him politely, respectfully - as you would a great warrior whose better days are behind him - but let Kelly no in no uncertain terms he disagreed w/ his negative analysis of the PM & the government. N'

Jason

4/09/2011Michael, For too long the labor party has pandered to the "red necks" of "Western Sydney",and in my opinion at a great cost to themselves. Now is the time for Labor to do as you suggest and do onshore processing, Abbott as you say will have no choice but to agree! even if he won the next election because the "Greens" in the senate wont let him change it anyway. This whole fear campaign started by "Howard" should no go the same way as it's creator, and that's to the political dust bin of history.

nasking

4/09/2011[quote]Reports are the channel 10 show at 10 is failing as well. [/quote] Lyn, I watched The Bolt Report for the first time today. If watching Insiders is like havin' a hard dry dump...Bolt's show is the "dump". It's an ALL SPIN ZONE. A non-stop dump on the government & supporters. Quite hilarious when not boring & predictable...somewhat irritating like a buzzing fly ya wanna swat. Bolt comes across as desperate...and gives a stilted, nervy performance...too eager to get rid of the government and the PM...I predict his show won't last. It's like watching a tone deaf individual sing the national anthem. Channel Ten to a degree has become another propaganda tentacle for the Murdoch empire via the son Lachlan & this overly-biased trosh...it's also too oft a Liberal party apologist. I reckon this will lose them audience in the long run. Bolt will probably pull up stakes at some point and head to SKY NEWS. Another home for Fox News wannabes. Pale imitations. My wife reckons Bolt looks on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Must be that clock eh? TICK TOCK TICK TOCK... I doubt I'll watch it again. Sunday morning viewers deserve better than just another hangover. BTW, enjoyed Crabbe & Marr on Insiders this morn...Crabbe seems to more at ease of late. N'

Gravel

4/09/2011Happy Fathers Day to all our Father's on here. Insiders wasn't too bad at all today. They could have done without Stuchbury (sp?), but can't have it all I guess. The stupid carry on about Julia being replaced has to be the biggest wank of all. I agree with you Ad Astra. It was an insult to a guest to Australia for the media to question the Prime Minister, and to be the very first question. I hope Julia remember who that reporter was and doesn't take any more questions from her.

Jason

4/09/2011N, Don't forget Gina is also on the ten board as well. It seems poor old Bolt can't take a trick in the media at the moment lol! In the latest ratings survey, MTR finished second-last, with just 2 per cent of Melbourne's audience. The station has been plagued by problems, including a weak signal and listeners' loyalty to the top-rating 3AW. http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/rightwing-radio-falling-on-deaf-ears-in-melbourne-20110903-1jrmn.html

2353

4/09/2011This should warm the cockles of most readers hearts: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/abc-dumps-milne-from-insiders-20110903-1jrsa.html The bit I really like is here [quote]Mr Sunderland said it was unlikely the ABC would "be calling on him in the future to participate in Insiders" as it was essential that participants could be relied upon not to compromise the ABC's editorial standards.[/quote]. There is also this on off-shore detention of refugees: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/report-rules-out-offshore-processing-bowen-20110904-1js1a.html Apparently Howard was lucky he got away with Nauru as well 9quote0"Indeed, it says the past declarations of Nauru under the Howard government would have in all likelihood been invalid," Mr Bowen said. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has repeatedly insisted Nauru is still a viable option despite the High Court's decision. But Mr Bowen says Mr Abbott needs to consider the advice and think again. "Mr Abbott needs to move beyond his Nauru dream world and simplistic solutions and admit that whichever way you cut it, offshore processing under the current law is no longer an easy option," Mr Bowen said. "Quite clearly under all the legal advice, if Mr Abbott wanted to go down the Nauru option he would need legislative change. He would need it on several bases."[/quote] And the final comment for the day - Beattie won't go to Canberra anytime soon.

jj

4/09/2011Jason, What, do you think Jackson put the shovel outside her home? Or that it just magically appeared there? Read the articles printed today and you will see that her partner believes that the breakdown was caused by all that has happened to her post doing the right thing by her union and the country.

Jason

4/09/2011jj, I don't who put the shovel there!I suspect you don't either. However have you considered that her Husband a "fair work Australia" commissioner may have made an "adverse ruling" and that could be another explanation? But the Health Services Union isn't a hot bed of union militants. It just suits you theory that it has to be union members because the unions are bad!

lyn

4/09/2011Hi Nasking Your comment at 01:35 PM I agree Bolt does sound stilted, but I think that is the nature of the beast, certainly not suited for a TV commentator,bombastic and pedantic. [quote]Bolt comes across as desperate...and gives a stilted, nervy performance...too eager to get rid of the government and the PM...I predict his show won't last.[/quote] [i]Opposition to back Migration Act changes[/i] Channel 9 [quote]"If the government wants to put offshore processing beyond legal doubt by amending the Migration Act, the coalition's prepared to work with the government to bring that about," he told reporters in Sydney on Sunday. "We don't want the government to use the High Court's decision as an excuse to drop offshore processing."[/quote] http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8294069/opposition-to-back-migration-act-changes For you Nasking and other readers that may be interested: the Solicitor General's legal advice on offshore processing of asylum seeekers: http://bit.ly/pt1Pg3 I http://bit.ly/nF3tC0 [PDF] Implications of Migration ... - Minister for Immigration and Citizenship www.minister.immi.gov.au/.../SG21-implications-of-migration-decision.pdf File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat 3 days ago – IN THE MATTER OF THE IMPLICATIONS OF PLAINTIFF M70/2011 V. MINISTER FOR IMMIGRATION AND CITIZENSHIP FOR OFFSHORE ... PROCESSING OF ASYLUM SEEKERS UNDER THE MIGRATION ACT 1958 (CTH) Just a couple of tweets I agree with:- BillablogBill Front pages of the Hun this week,the message clearly is, "WE will decide who is prime minister and the circumstances under which they serve" MayneReportStephen Mayne Glenn Milne has finally been sacked by Insiders. Shame it was 5yrs too late but better late than never. Now, when will Ten axe Bolt Report? dfg77Dave Gaukroger If #LOLBolt is serious about Milne's right to say what he pleases he'll invite him on The Bolt Report to repeat his allegations in full Cheers:):):):):)

Feral Skeleton

4/09/2011Now, if Chris Bowen wastes this opportunity to put some humanity into the system of Offshore Processing of Asylum Seekers, using the Bali Process and Regional Hubs, and instead ends up dancing to the Opposition's tune of mental cruelty towards refugees for political gain, then he deserves to be sacked by the PM. As many have said, if the Labor Party attempts to take the low road, the Coalition will always find a sewer under that road to go lower through.

Feral Skeleton

4/09/2011Line of the day: 'The arrogance of ignorance is a terrifying thing in a politician' from an article in The Daily Beast about Michelle Bachmann. :)

Jason

4/09/2011FS, As has been proven time and again the coalition are only ever interested in "their" political interests, and while they keep calling for a fresh election, and despite the Solicitor General's advice that Nauru and Mannis Island doesn't cut it,we'll never see the opposition act in a bipartisan way.

Tom of Melbourne

4/09/2011When Feral Skeleton said here the Malaysian Solution “was clever politics that might work”, is she willing to say it is stupid politics that is getting everything it deserves?

nasking

4/09/2011Thnx Lyn, I'd like to see a conscience vote on this offshore detention stuff. Both ALP & Coalition. Are all the Coalition members willin' to go w/ this Nauru option? Sending some of the refugees that are fleeing the Taliban & war criminals in Sri Lanka to an isolated island to rot w/out media scrutiny? Including unaccompanied minors? Those who are...let's see them vote on it individually. Shouldn't individuals be held accountable for their decisions...particularly in the party that promotes "individualism"? Don't hide behind party votes. Have the courage of yer convictions. Pay the price for yer decisions. No free rides. N'

Jason

4/09/2011Tom, I can't remember you writing here or anywhere else at the time that the High Court would rule the way it did! But then again circle jerkers like you always have 20/20 vision in hindsight!

Feral Skeleton

4/09/2011Tom of Melbourne said: [quote]When Feral Skeleton said here the Malaysian Solution “was clever politics that might work”, is she willing to say it is stupid politics that is getting everything it deserves?[/quote] Feral Skeleton said: I never meant 'clever' as in the 'clever, clever' way you are trying to allude to ToM. However, I expect nothing less than for you to misconstrue what I have said, at a later date, in order to try and have a little win that will tickle your fancy. Sorry, can't let you get away with that one. By 'clever' I meant that the solution proffered by Minister Bowen, offered an elegant breaking of the Gordian Knot which seems to be strangling resolution of a very serious problem which the region has when it comes to Irregular Asylum Seeker Boat Arrivals. I thought it would be a good idea if Australia could encourage reluctant nations like Malaysia to get on board with a new way of treating their refugees, as it has been observed that the main reason they mistreat them is because they don't want to encourage more to come to their country, as they can't afford to accomodate the ones that are there already. However, as Australia was prepared to fund some new infrastructure in Malaysia, in return for Mlaysia agreeing to start a cessation of mistreatment of refugees in their country, possibly as the first step along the line to signing the Refugee Convention and treating their refugees humanely, even though, as of this moment, as the HIgh Court identified, they are not in that position, then I thus concluded that it was a clever way for Chris Bowen to go about trying to find a solution to that problem. So, ToM, take your pathetic attempts at a 'Gotcha!' back to The Gutter, where you belong. As per usual it was totally baseless and pointless.

nasking

4/09/2011[quote]Don't forget Gina is also on the ten board as well. [/quote] True Jason, Poor Andrew...torn between two guardians...the mining magnate cum shareholder Rinehart...and the Murdoch mob. Who will get custody in the end? :) N'

2353

4/09/2011Now is the time for the ALP to show some real leadership. Close to 60% of Australians support onshore processing of refugees - arrange for it to happen - pronto. Abbott won't know where to turn, CPRS, MRRT, Refugee Processing and so on - and no closer to an election. It would be a real change for a politician to point out that this Country's current refugee processing debate is really a case of a race to the bottom of the bigoted cess pit. P.S. Abbott's offer to help change the law demonstrates that Nauru and PNG "solutions" offered by the LNP are just as legal as the ALP's Malaysian "solution".

nasking

4/09/2011And to all those politicians who might be thinking of putting the panicked & oft bigoted will of the xenephobic masses before their principles...a reminder...history has a way of catching up w/ you: [quote]CIA worked with Libya in terror suspect renditions, documents show Documents found in the offices of former head of Libyan intelligence also reveal MI6 gave Gaddafi regime information on dissidents David Batty and agencies guardian.co.uk, Saturday 3 September 2011 Peter Bouckaert, the emergencies director of Human Rights Watch, called the ties between Washington and Gaddafi's regime "a very dark chapter in American intelligence history, and it remains a stain on the record of the American intelligence services that they cooperated with these very abusive intelligence services". Jennifer Youngblood, a CIA spokeswoman, declined to comment on any specific allegation related to the documents. She said: "It can't come as a surprise that the Central Intelligence Agency works with foreign governments to help protect our country from terrorism and other deadly threats. That is exactly what we are expected to do." The documents referring to MI6 contain communications between British and Libyan security services before the former prime minister Tony Blair's desert tent meeting with Gaddafi in 2004. British officials are said to have helped the Libyan dictator with his speechwriting. The foreign Secretary, William Hague, told Sky News the had no comment to make on intelligence matters.[/quote] History bites. Some sleep better than others. N'

Acerbic Conehead 2

4/09/2011G’day Swordians, Greetings one and all, and a very happy Father’s Day to all the dads, and I hope you have been spoiled rotten. [According to my missus, however, men are spoiled rotten every day. Sheesh!] Lyn, Thanks for summarising all those dodgy “sources” references. You’re right, I wouldn’t have looked up the article myself as I don’t have a strong enough stomach. I hereby award you the Legion d’honneur in recognition of your outstanding bravery. PatriciaWA, If Anthony the Anarchist is scraped off the Great Eastern Highway and survives the depredations of the hungry crows, I will certainly alert you and Tacker. I am assured that with the redoubtable Tacker snapping at his heels, Anthony will surely be scurrying across the Nullarbor as fast as his pegs can carry him. And thank you for your delightful, “Hunt the Slipper”, poem. Loved it. FS, Or, as an alternative to keeping Sir Liealot slammed up in the Freo chokey, we could build a metal cell for him in the Margaret River area and call him, “The Man in the Iron Cask”. Ad astra, As you say, we have been subjected to a media beat-up around this “faux leadership speculation”. And I agree it is motivated by more than a scramble after circulation figures and ratings. The media is playing the role of the Opposition, which is not in the interests of democracy. Also, loved your sarcastic piece on “our resident prophet of doom”, jj. LOL. D Mick Weir, [quote]And if pollies dare make the tiniest of mistakes some turn it into a catastrophe, a disaster, or the situation du jour, 'crisis'.[/quote] Couldn’t agree more. As Penny Wong said the other week about Tony Abbott, but which could also apply more broadly, “he’d rather wreck budgets than write them”. Also, like your theory that jj’s problem could be due to all the fracking that’s going on in that neck of the woods. NormanK, Yes, all this “faux leadership speculation” (AA) about the ALP leadership, and nowhere near the same emphasis put on the real divisions in the Liberal Party. Gravel, Thank you for your kind words. I hope you are having a great week-end. Jane, “Slippery Slipper...would walk over damp cardboard for his hero [Sir Liealot]”. ROTFL. Casablanca, I agree, satire can be like a two-edged sword, but “At Home with Julia” hopefully will encourage some to get past the “wooden” image of the PM created by some sections of the media. Here’s hoping, anyway! Jason, Thanks again for your heads-up on the TV political programs, and for your comments in general. Keep ‘em comin’. nasking, Great links and comments as usual. I hope your health is improving and you are getting stronger.

nasking

4/09/2011Sorry...link: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/sep/03/cia-libya-terror-suspect-renditions BTW, I always found it interestin' that the Tampa Affair occurred in August 2001...which led to: Late on the night of 29 August, the Prime Minister introduced an emergency bill entitled the "Border Protection Bill 2001". (Wikipedia) Was less than two weeks from the 9/11 attacks...PM Howard musta been able to see the future eh? Nah, just a coincidence I guess. Unless Australia was warned somethin' was coming. But if that's the case...then why weren't the Yanks ready for it? Then poor Howard had to watch the disaster unfold in America. Strange, tragic times. For many. N'

D Mick Weir

4/09/2011AC2 @ 7:32 PM dejavu all over again [i]According to my missus, however, men are spoiled rotten every day. Sheesh![/i] Are you married to my wife's sister? Cause I am sure I keep hearing something like that from SWMBO every other day and all the days in between those. In the end tho' you gotta love 'em cause, we all gotta love mothers don't we?

Ad astra reply

4/09/2011Folks With my large family, it has been a long and happy Father’s Day. I hope all other fathers have had a great day. I’ve been trying to keep up to date via the iPad while I was out and about. I have read all your pieces now –they make very interesting reading. Thank you. I have noticed that when jj and Tom of Melbourne join the fray, the tenor of discourse depreciates. If you two have nothing to contribute but negativity and nastiness, and I’m talking particularly to you Tom of Melbourne, please blog somewhere else. Your last comment ToM was unnecessary and nasty. I was inclined to delete it, but Jason had responded, and in any case by leaving it there, it serves to demonstrate to others what sort of person you seem to be. It beats me why you bother coming here at all when that is all you contribute – I can only presume it gives you some perverse pleasure. Lift your game or go away. And refrain from coming back with some nasty smart aleck response – I will delete it.

Ad astra reply

4/09/2011Folks After consultation with Jason, I have deleted Tom of Melbourne's last comment and Jason's response to it.

D Mick Weir

4/09/2011Swordsfolk, Being the day is that today is I have reflected a little on fatherhood and what it means. Personally I am a bit of a cynic and curmudgeon when it comes to fathers day, I am not not overly enamoured with the low rent commercial nature of what the day is for some. I will freely admit tho', the hypocrite in me freely and willing accepts the offerings of my progeny and delights in devouring the the chocolates, books and other goodies that are bestowed upon me. Ahhh! we old lefties are really suckers for the benefits of crass commercialism and revel in its' delights. However, in the spirit of celebrating fatherhood, and all the benefits that it creates, on behalf of all that visit this site friend or foe, commentor, or those that choose only to read (even journalists if you visit) to celebrate the achievements of a very important dad. This dad has created a wonderful and diverse family and along with it a home that many are free to enjoy. This dad's family are, it must be said are a rummin lot. They have been known to disagree with the dad and even take pot shots at him. They can often disagree amongst each other and even get involved in cat fights. This dad tho' often comes along with a soothing comment or some wise words of advice that set things gone awry onto a better path. His wit, wisdom and creativity are admired by many. Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, friend and foe alike, please be upstanding and join me as [i]I dips me lid to ...[/i] [b]BlogDadAd[/b] creator and erstwhile father of The Political Sword. A dad we love and respect and aspire to emulate. Well done Ad, and thanks for creating this family and the home we love to inhabit.

lyn

4/09/2011Hi Ad Ad Astra I agree with you. [quote]I have noticed that when jj and Tom of Melbourne join the fray, the tenor of discourse depreciates[/quote] [quote]Lift your game or go away. And refrain from coming back with some nasty smart aleck response – I will delete it[/quote]. Well said. I am so glad to hear you had a nice fathers day Ad with all your family, that is just lovely to hear. Hope you got some nice presents. Cheers :):):):)

Acerbic Conehead 2

4/09/2011Tom of Melbourne, Your remark would have been insensitive at the best of times, but today of all days! Lift your game or play somewhere else. D Mick Weir, You can call me AC - I add a "2" cos when I write the main thread, the blog won't accept any comments from me as "Acerbic Conehead". I put it down to a conspiracy by jj.

nasking

4/09/2011Useful article from Alexander Cockburn...he takes apart the more radical conspiracy theories related to 9/11...and shows it really came down to incompetence...and possibly the slow flow of intelligence: [quote]September 2, 2011 CounterPunch Diary The 9/11 Conspiracists: Vindicated After All These Years? Of course there are conspiracies. The allegations that Saddam Hussein had WMD amounted to just such a one. I think there is strong evidence that FDR did have knowledge that a Japanese naval force in the north Pacific was going to launch an attack on Pearl Harbor. It’s quite possible Roosevelt thought it would be a relatively mild assault and thought it would be the final green light to get the US into the war... It’s entirely plausible to assume that the FBI, US military intelligence, and the CIA, — as has just been rather convincingly claimed again in the latter instance — had penetrated the Al Qaeda team planning the 9/11 attacks; intelligence reports piled up in various Washington bureaucracies pointing to the impending onslaught and even the manner in which it might be carried out.
The history of intelligence operations is profuse with example of successful intelligence collection, but also fatal slowness to act on the intelligence, along with eagerness not to compromise the security and future usefulness of the informant, who has to prove his own credentials by even pressing for prompt action by the plotters. Sometime an undercover agent will actually propose an action, either to deflect efforts away from some graver threat, or to put the plotters in a position where they can be caught red-handed... What Barrett and Collins brilliantly showed are the actual corrupt conspiracies on Giuliani’s watch: the favoritism to Motorola which saddled the firemen with radios that didn’t work; the ability of the Port Authority to skimp on fire protection, the mayor’s catastrophic failure in the years before 9/11/2001 to organize an effective unified emergency command that would have meant that cops and firemen could have communicated; that many firemen wouldn’t have unnecessarily entered the Towers; that people in the Towers wouldn’t have been told by 911 emergency operators to stay in place; and that firemen could have heard the helicopter warnings and the final Mayday messages that prompted most of the NYPD men to flee the Towers. That’s the real political world, in which Giuliani and others have never been held accountable. The conspiracists disdained the real world because they wanted to promote Bush, Cheney and the Neo-Cons to an elevated status as the Arch Demons of American history, instead of being just one more team running the American empire, a team of more than usual stupidity and incompetence (characteristics I personally favor in imperial leaders). Actually, what Bush and Cheney never demonstrated was the slightest degree of competence to pull anything like this off. They couldn’t even manufacture weapons of mass destruction after US troops had invaded Iraq, and when any box labeled “WMD” would have been happily photographed by the embedded U.S. press as conclusive testimony. Arch-demon Cheney and his retinue of neo-cons couldn’t even contrive a provocation sufficient to justify his aim of waging war on Iran or giving Israel the green light to do so. Each day he gnashed his teeth as Bush, Condoleezza Rice and the Joint Chiefs of Staff foiled his machinations. At least what Obama may have done is remind the left – at least those not forever besotted — that Bush and Cheney are not that much different from the politicians and overlords of U.S. foreign policy who preceded them or followed them... 9/11 conspiracism, perhaps at last somewhat on the wane, penetrated deep into the American left. It has also been widespread on the libertarian and populist right, but that is scarcely surprising, since the American populist right instinctively mistrusts government to a far greater degree than the left, and matches conspiracies to its demon of preference, whether the Internal Revenue Service, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, Black Helicopters or the Jews and now Muslims. Yet some have discovered a silver lining in the 9/11 conspiracism. A politically sophisticated leftist in Washington, DC, wrote to me, agreeing with my ridiculing of the “inside job” scenarios, but adding, “To me the most interesting thing (in the US) is how many people are willing to believe that Bush either masterminded it [the 9/11 attacks] or knew in advance and let it happen. If that number or anything close to that is true, that’s a huge base of people that are more than deeply cynical about their elected officials. That would be the real news story that the media is missing, and it’s a big one.” “I’m not sure I see the silver lining about cynicism re government,” I answered. “People used to say the same thing about the JFK conspiracy buffs and disbelief in the Warren Commission. Actually, it seems to demobilize people from useful political activity. If the alleged perpetrators are so efficiently devilish in their plots, all resistance is futile. 9/11 conspiracism stemmed from despair and political infantilism. There’s no worthwhile energy to transfer from such kookery. It’s like saying some lunatic shouting to himself on a street corner has the capacity to be a great orator... There are plenty of real conspiracies in America. Why make up fake ones?[/quote] Much more here: http://www.counterpunch.org/2011/09/02/the-911-conspiracists-vindicated-after-all-these-years/ Thought provoking. I can remember my distrust of Bush/Cheney, anger over the Iraq FIASCO, heavy boozing & visitin' too many libertarian sites also got me writing, startin' to believe some of the nonsense. But as I dried out & did more research...and observed more goings on re: the American empire...the more I realised it came down to other factors than the ones posed by some more extreme conspiracies. And now, don't we have conspiracy theorists tellin' us that the Labor-led government, including The Greens is tryin' to pull off a carbon price as some part of a socialist conspiracy? Interesting that the Tea Party was pushed so much by the pro-libertarian Fox News. And Alan Jones' & Tony Abbott's & Barnaby Joyce's revolts have a Tea Party, libertarian, conspiracy-oriented flavour about them. N'

lyn

4/09/2011Hi DMick Weir What a lovely comment to Ad Astra, well done and a big thankyou, for your wonderful speech. So say all of us. [quote]This dad tho' often comes along with a soothing comment or some wise words of advice that set things gone awry onto a better path. His wit, wisdom and creativity are admired by many. Ladies and gentleman, boys and girls, friend and foe alike, please be upstanding and join me as I dips me lid to ...[/quote] Cheers:):):):):)

D Mick Weir

4/09/2011AC, I think my error in the way I addressed you has something to do with my split personality (disorder?) :) I have a deep and meaningless understanding of having to adjust one's name to suit circumstances as I divulged to TT on the previous post. Now who was I? oh yeah that's right that [i]Damn[/i] Mick Weir. :P

Ad astra reply

4/09/2011D Mick Weir Thank you for your very kind compliment. I guess I’m old enough to be a father many times over and a grandfather and great grandfather. But your suggestion that I am father of the [i]TPS[/i] family is particularly appealing. I feel that way, but for you to see it that way is heart-warming and has really made my Father’s Day 2011. Thank you. Thank you too Lyn for your always-supportive words. BlogDadAd is going to bed. Goodnight all.

Feral Skeleton

4/09/2011Good Night Ad. We live to draw our swords anew tomorrow. :) Btw, my beautiful boys said 'Happy Mathers Day!' to me because they lost their father 2 years ago to Leukaemia, and since that time I have been both Mother and Father to them. Gaw Bless their little cotton socks(even though both of them are over 6' tall and dwarf me). :$

D Mick Weir

4/09/2011I've had time and cause to reflect on a lot of things today amongst them the asylum seeker/refugee situation we now have. I can't recall when I first heard of this, who said it and with respect to what (it was possibly a journalist or opinionista :() any way it has always stuck with me. [i]Legislation for political purposes will eventually come back to bite you in the bum[/i] Think of Costello's so called [i]Charter of Budget Honesty[/i]. Dishonesty may have fitted better but in the end it came back to bite Abbott, Hockey etc. in the bum in 2010. There are other examples and I have heard suggestions that the electoral reforms Howard introduced may have had an effect on the 2010 election whereby a reasonable chunk of people who may have for the Libs were disenfranchised by the changes. That one probably stretches credulity and would be impossible to prove anyway. Nice story but. Anyway for me if the current government learns only one thing from the current situation (and I do hope it learns many lessons) it is that policy and/or legislation for political purposes is just plain dumb. Short term gain for long time pain. No matter what you think of what was attempted with the 'solution' a cold hard look reveals that it was driven more by political purposes than policy 'purity'. There is a time and place for politics but it is not in the construction and implementation of policy. Please note: I was about to save this comment when I read the bs from a troll so I held off. I do not condone or support what was stated by the troll. This comment is not a swipe at anyone here and in no way supports the trolls contentions. It is a plea to our government to do whatever it is you need to do and to take care and do it based on sound principles not on political expediency.

lyn

5/09/2011 [b]TODAY’S LINKS[/b] [i]The dog from Up, Groupthink[/i] All week, Gillard’s leadership has been “under threat”. From who? Doesn’t matter. The media is now itself-perpetuating-story mode. The media is reporting on the media’s speculation about the media comments that Gillard’s leadership http://www.groupthink.com. [i]The statements of fact in Ewin Hannan's report about Gillard, Hartigan and Mitchell , Jon Seymour,A stumble through the left-side of the web[/i] ABC's dropping of Glenn Milne from this week's "The Insiders" was evidence of a conspiracy to "protect Gillard".. He also stated in that articlethat this conspiracy was so "sinister and shameful" that there "should be a riot". To which I say: #nochaffbags. http://orwelliantremors.blogspot.com/ [i]The Australian unfaltering support for Mr. Abbott., Catching Up, Café Whispers[/i] There are at least nine opinion pieces and news items, all saying that the PM is finished. This is for the Australian alone. Not a bad effort. Not one positive news or opinion article. I am sure I would find more if I looked harder. http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com [i]Tony and his golden Slipper, The Body Politic-Australia[/i] Mr Brough was elected to the elected to the position today, but LNP President Bruce McIver has reassured that Mr Slipper will continue to support the Opposition despite the resignation threats. http://bodypoliticaus.wordpress.com [i]Been wondering why Tony Abbott appears to be enthusiastically treading the Republican Tea Party, Petering Time, North Coast voices[/i] not-so-honourable Tony Abbott MHR has obviously caught sight of a Tea Party aktion cheat sheet and for months has been happily whipping up angry wingnuts wherever he can find them.Perhaps his decision to turn political debate http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com [i]After Gillard, John Quiggin[/i] Stephen Smith seems like the natural choice for deputy, and it would be sensible to find a ministerial spot for Gillard, all of which would permit a reshuffle.No one can tell for sure, but I think the return of Rudd would put the spotlight http://johnquiggin.com [i]Pensioners Feeling The Pinch Set To Get A Boost, Jenny Macklin[/i] From 20 September this year single people receiving the maximum rate of age, disability and carer pensions, as well as veterans’ income support recipients, will receive an extra $19.50 a fortnight. Pensioner couples combined on the maximum rate will receive an extra $29.60 a fortnight. http://www.alp.org.au [i]Can the Coalition win Control of the Senate through a Half-Senate Election?,Antony Green, ABC[/i] One of the reasons Tony Abbott is not Prime Minister today is that while he did well in New South Wales and Queensland in 2010, the Coalition polled dreadfully in Victoria and Tasmania. The results were just as bad in both states in the Senate http://blogs.abc.net.au-win-com [i]Sydney’s most shocking shock jock-Chris Smith | #2gb #Ausmedia, Darin Sullivan, My {R} Evoluion[/i] You may find it hard to believe that a man who has admitted to forgery, groping female colleagues and exposing his genitals in a boardroom meeting has kept his job as a morals-crusading radio star. http://darinsullivan.wordpress.com [i]La Gillard enchaîné,Derek Barry, Woolly Days[/i] Gillard should survive to the next election. That will give the electorate enough time to look carefully at achievements as well as promises. By 2013, the carbon tax and the NBN will be realities too hard for Abbott to overturn and this week’s High Court result may actually make http://nebuchadnezzarwoollyd.blogspot.com/ [i]Opposition open to migration law talks,ABC[/i] Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says if the Government wants to amend the MigrationAct he is ready to cooperate."We don't want the Government to use the High Court's decision and the solicitor-general's opinion, to drop offshore http://www.abc.net.au [i].Gillard entitled to be wrong and to criticise the High Court, Graham, Ambit Gambit[/i] The relationship between the courts and the legislature is in fact quite complex change so as to alter the effect of the legislation and circumvent the court ruling http://www.ambitgambit.com [i]Greg Weeks: Attacking the High Court: a comment on the Malaysian Solution Case and its aftermath.UK Constitutional Law Group[/i] At least one respected political commentator has pointed out that “rambling incompetence” on issues of immigration is scarcely the soledomain of the Gillard Government, and yet one suspects that it will pay a very high political price for yesterday’s High Court loss. http://ukconstitutionallaw.org [i]No Regrets, Peter Browne, Inside Story[/i] With the government hanging by a thread, the relentless “no boats” campaign led by Mr Abbott and his ambitious shadow immigration minister, Scott Morrison, is feeding very effectively into the Coalition’s portrayal of a government in disarray. http://inside.org.au/no-regrets/ [i]Murdoch Columnist Shuts Down Murdoch Critic , You tube [/i] This clip is from ABC Australia TV show 'Q & A' screened August 1, 2011. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JeojJkxcdtI [i]Movie star Hugh Grant set to upstage David Cameron at Tory party conference ,Nigel Nelson, People Co. UK[/i] “Hugh will speak about his own experiences and give his personal views.”Grant wants to curb the power media proprietors have over politicians.But his presence at the conferences will ­overshadow major speeches by the PM, Deputy PM Nick Clegg and Labour’s Ed Miliband. http://www.people.co.vie-star-hugh [i]Amazon Kindle: Quarterly Essay 43: Bad News, Robert Manne[/i] Jericho had attended, had been organised by a former ABC journalist and now university lecturer, Julie Posetti. She had invited Jericho to the conference. Posetti was one of Massola’s fiercest critics. https://kindle.amazon.com/post/4TSPNR3HPKJ9 [i] Why We Will #OccupyWallStreet - A Secretive Banking Elite Rules Trading in Derivatives, AnonOps Communications [/i] The men share a common goal: to protect the interests of big banks in the vast market for derivatives, one of the most profitable — and controversial — fields in finance. They also share a common secret: The details of their meetings, even their identities, have been strictly confidential http://anonops.blogspot.com/ [i]NBN switched on in Townsville,Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy[/i] "Townsville will continue into a trial phase, which is due to run until October. After that, residents and businesses connected to the NBN will be able to sign up with their preferred retail service provider," he said. http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au [i]Exclusive: Inside Telstra's South Brisbane fibre rollout, Jame Hutchinson, IT News[/i] "We're still finding [the metal] lead that's pre-World War II," Telstra team manager Dave Kincaid said on an exclusive tour of the rollout inthe suburb of Highgate Hill. http://www.itnews.com.

lyn

5/09/2011Good Morning Ad The first link to Groupthink is broken. Here it is again:- http://www.groupthink.com.au/ Cheers:):)

Michael

5/09/2011If the Gillard Government accepts Shoudlabeen's offer to tinker with the Migration Act together and make Nauru 'acceptable', they may as well hand over the keys to the Lodge right now. What political party could go to an election with their opponents able to say 'they only get policy right when they adopt our policies'? Every Labor policy would thereafter be seen through the prism of the Coalition 'saving the day' if the PM accepts Abbott's cynical, ugly, and unhumanitarian 'offer'.

Ad astra reply

5/09/2011LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx Hi Lyn I've fixed the Groupthink link.

lyn

5/09/2011Hi Michael They won't , have faith. Alister Drysdale agrees with you, Alister agrees with me about the source fabricated stories too. Murdoch and his hacks can't make them have an election, so with 185 pieces of legislation through the Parliament, ignore the lot them. [i]Gillard should go for broke, Alister Drysdale, Business Spectator[/i] [i]The media was playing its part with gusto. Rupert Murdoch’s organisation was, and remains, hell-bent on regime change – whatever the cost. His tabloids are not reporting news. They concoct fear and demand and promote loathing. Mostly the talk is [b]confined to unnamed sources[/b], although the notoriously self-centred and shallow former ALP power broker Graham Richardson went on record to predict her demise within months. What is certain is that politics will continue to be dominated by [b]opinion, not news[/b], with the Murdoch organisation setting the agenda. His tabloids run [b]meaningless online polls [/b]on whether Gillard should quit now, and concoct 'Here They Come' front-page stories on boat arrivals. The photographers have a field day [b]trying to capture the strain on Gillard’s face – the drawn expression, the tired eyes or the clenched fist.[/b] There is a Pacific Island on the map that could easily process and welcome asylum seekers – it’s a decent-sized place, [b]and it’s called Australia[/b]. No need for a High Court decision, solicitor-general’s opinion or an agreement with a foreign government.[/i] http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Gillard-government-asylum-seekers-High-Court-Austr-pd20110905-LDRQZ?OpenDocument&src=mp Cheer up :):):):):):):):):):):) I will try to find some more good articles or decent reporting.

Feral Skeleton

5/09/2011Keep this in mind whenever you hear self-interested parties saying a return to WorkChoices IR policies, such as Individual Contracts, are the solution to declining Productivity in Australia: http://yfrog.com/mmoj7yj Don't forget also that if you sign a contract as an employee that contract, and your employment, can be terminated by the employer.

Feral Skeleton

5/09/2011Here's one article by Phil Coorey that basically says that other former powerbrokers in the ALP are telling Graham Richardson to put a sock in it: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/fork-in-the-road-to-labors-home-base-20110904-1js8m.html

psyclaw

5/09/2011Good Morning FS As you probably also heard, Heather Ridout will be calling for a return to workplace contracts in a speech later today, claiming that productivity is very much stifled by collective bargaining. But Saul Easlake has already shot her down saying that there is no evidence of this, and that productivity has been falling for several years, including during the Work Choices period. Nevertheless I'm happy HR is putting it on the agenda.... it will ultimately wedge Abbott and force him to fess up to what his views are (other than the cremation mantra). IR is arguably one of the safer areas for the Government, and a bit of focus on that might be a respite. As for Richardson, I saw him on TV earlier still bagging the government in extreme terms. That grub has no shame and his loyalty to the Labor cause generally (if ever?)is very suspect. He's merely a big end of town critic and I suspect any reference by him which appears supportive of the Labor cause is accidental. Destructive 100%. Constructive 0%. On an unrelated matter FS, how does one get italicised text onto TPS? Any help will be gratefully received, Thanks.

lyn

5/09/2011Hi Ad Tonights Q@A: [i]On Q&A: Climate Change Minister Greg Combet, Liberal MP [b]Sophie[/b] [b]Mirabella[/b], Mining magnate [b]Clive Palmer[/b], Union leader Paul Howes and Economics writer Jessica Irvine[/i] Cheers:):):)

Gravel

5/09/2011DMickWeir That was an absolutely beautiful tribute to Ad Astra. Thank you for saying what many of us here think of AA.

lyn

5/09/2011Hi psyclaw I agree, it is good if IR comes back in the debate, Abbott is all over the place on IR. [i]how does one get italicised text onto TPS? Any help will be gratefully received, Thanks.[/i] Highlight your text, line or word, whatever. Just go to biuquote up above the word comment at the top of the comment box. Click on i for italic b for bold u for underline and quote for quote Hows that, like everything on the computer easy when someone tells you, hard when we don't know, like the battery in my keyboard, unbelievable. Cheers:):):):)

D Mick Weir

5/09/2011psyclaw, NormanK is the go to man for simple and easy to understand how to's. While he is off smelling the roses I will do me best To [i]italicise[/i] Highlight the words you want in italics by holding your left mouse button down and drag the mouse across the words. You should see a blue highlight with the words in white. Above the comment box under the Country dropdown are four buttons: [u]b[/u] (bold), [u]i[/u] (italics), [u]u[/u] (underline), & [u]quote[/u] Press the [u]i[/u] button and you are done. If you look at the teext in the comments box you will the letter i with square brackets [ ] around it just before the words that will be italicised and at the end of the words those square brackets again with a forward slash followed by the letter i. If you like to just type instead of using the mouse you can do it this way Example: Type opening square bracket [, then the letter i (with no space in between), then closing square bracket ], NormanK is a cool Dude, then opening square bracket [, then the forward slash /, then the letter i, then closing square bracket ], (with no space in between) and you will get [i]NormanK is a cool Dude[/i] (and so say all of us) The other tip is you can see two words that follow dot points: Comment & Preview When you have finished typing your comment press the Preview word and you will see what it will look like when you save the comment. If you need to make corrections press the comment word and do what you need to do You can switch between the two as often as you need/like. Another Tip: Type your comments in something like notepad and copy and paste them into the comments box. That way if the gremlins munch your comment you don't have to start all over again.

Ad astra reply

5/09/2011Hi Lyn Thank you for the Q&A team tonight. With Sophie Mirabella starring it should be entertaining, even if unedifying. Gravel Thank you for your kind words. They are much appreciated. psyclaw Lyn has given you the easy way to italicize, bold or underline. There is another way to achieve this effect if you prepare your comments offline, as I do, and want to place text in italics there. As this blog engine uses square brackets (instead of angle brackets) around tags, you can add them manually: for example, for italics, use an opening square bracket then lower case i then the closing square bracket at the beginning of the text to be italicised, and opening square bracket then lower case /i then the closing square bracket at the end. For bolding or underlining use b or u inside square brackets instead of i. You can always check the effect by clicking 'Preview' above the Comments box, and if you are not satisfied, click 'Comment' and make any adjustments you wish. If you are satisfied, click 'Save comment' to load it.

Ad astra reply

5/09/2011Tom of Melbourne If you continue to make insensitive remarks about FS, I will continue to delete them. If you don’t know why some of your remarks were considered by us to be insensitive, particularly on Father’s Day as AC pointed out, read FS’s comments at 10.51 pm last night. Your comment this morning was polite but still insensitive. Drop reference to long past matters and your posts will be accepted so long as they meet our standards.

lyn

5/09/2011Hi Ad Here is John Quiggin's view on troll censorship: Trolls, John Quiggin [quote]Anyone who would like to whine about censorship is welcome to do so, but not here. There are many services offering free, and easily established, blogs where your complaints about being silenced can be published. [b[u]]This is my blog, and I publish what I feel like publishing.[/u] [/b] [b]I do the work to produce this blog and it comes with my biases). [/b]I’ve given such people lots of warnings, but in most cases it hasn’t worked.[/quote] http://johnquiggin.com/2008/04/15/trolls/ Cheers:):):):):)

Feral Skeleton

5/09/2011Did I miss something while I was out in the glorious Sydney Spring sunshine doing a bit of weeding? ;-)

TalkTurkey

5/09/2011Acerbic Conehead, So that last scene was in SA, yeah? No wonder the Crows were disgusted: We're proud CrowEaters, it's our habit: Roadkill Bandicoot, we'll grab it! Lizard, Kangaroo or Rabbit - But we draw the line at tuckerfruct [i]Abbott![/i] :) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ D Mick Weir said "BlogDadAd creator and erstwhile father of The Political Sword. A dad we love and respect and aspire to emulate. Well done Ad, and thanks for creating this family and the home we love to inhabit." You said it so well DMW, for me too, and I know for so many others as well. I hope those who decide the Wonkleys this year read yesterday's comments! You all know by now I guess that both Ad astra and The Political Sword are already shortlisted for their relevant categories in this year's Wonkley Awards, and it would be the very best thing that could happen for our power to influence issues that are central to our common ambitions for the nature of Australian society and our standing in the world. And so right for the way we feel about The Political Sword itself. BTW as far as I'm concerned Ad, our bridge-dwellers [i]help[/i] us! Be not fussed, they make us stronger! They should be proud! They get their rocks off, demonstrate eternally just how nasty, shallow and ill-willed their side of politics is, meanwhile giving Jason and Feral Skeleton and others the impetus to exercise their invective and reasoning skills; and where there may be any truth to what they say (as if! :) ) they make us think things through I guess. They do that very rarely, because our side, from anyone left of Turnbull, has usually tried to think things through first anyway. What we can't think through is a way to bring fairness and honesty to the MSM and to the horrible nature of a thoroughly destructive Opposition who have no respect for the truth nor decency and who are prepared to trash the Parliament and the whole society in order to impose the hateful regime which is indeed their aim. and the Trolls, well we can take them to task or just scroll past, they cannot harm us! Let us dedicate ourselves to winning Ad those Wonkley Awards, it will be the crowning achievement of his fatherhood of TPS Folks! A Wonkley Award Winner is a Working Class Hero, and we all know what a Working Class Hero is! http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&source=video&cd=4&ved=0CEEQtwIwAw&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.youtube.com%2Fwatch%3Fv%3D4lKwXwU5iWs&ei=QyJkTv3kEq3ymAWbteWnCg&usg=AFQjCNE1DBhnsyqIz7HvOdtKrT3rgxusiw Write like avenging angels, Swordsfolks (dam, ;-) write as well as [i]Ad[/i] if you can!) because in so doing we increase our power to help keep Abbortt and Them from getting any. QUEUEUEUE EEEEE DEEEEE !!! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OOOOH yes, and yesterday at the very direct invitation of a noted and genuinely wonderfully-notorious friend of mine who has been a key mover and indeed shaker in the affairs of the Grunt Club (Vietnam Veterans), I became a tiny member of the RSL! Who'd'a thunk it, me who bitterly resented that war, me what got arrested on the day of a big Moratorium demo in the streets of Adelaide, not that I got arrested there, I got arrested at Norwood Oval at the demo against the deliberately-provocative racist Bjelke-Petersen-inspired Springboks Rugby Tour that followed on the same day! (I was at both!:), - little ranga radical with a big loud mouth, what chance did I got! :) ) Oh I'm so proud of that memory and even prouder now to be seen as Friend to the Grunts, where those who sent them there (who are essentially of the same skin as today's trolls and Abbortt’s hordes themselves) turned their backs when the lads came back from that doomed deluded and divisive war. Because of course it was never [i]the lads themselves[/i] that I opposed. The kind of people I opposed then are the very same sort of creeps that I despise today. Now, the Grunts are a lot more aware of what their real friends look like than when they were ‘Only Nineteen’! Moi, I am just a tiny bit of litmus paper, and I’ve never changed colour. Faded yes. But honoured to be officially a friend now to Grunts.

D Mick Weir

5/09/2011FS @ 11:24 AM There was nothing to miss unless botty burps from posterior like persons count.

Feral Skeleton

5/09/2011psyclaw, You may have missed this but with the hubris that comes from being the frontrunner who suffers no scrutiny, Tony Abbott is feeling comfortable and confident enough to let the world know about his true agenda: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/opposition-leader-tony-abbotts-plan-to-deregulate-the-economy/story-e6frea8c-1226124655911 Andrew Robb has also confirmed the $70 Billion worth of cuts to public programmes in order to slice the Public Sector into tiny little pieces barely alive.

D Mick Weir

5/09/2011FS, there are couple of thoughts to hold while you read the tripe [i]If they are throwing crap at me at least that takes up time that they could be spending throwing it at someone else[/i] And [i]My comments must be having some effect if if they are throwing crap at me[/i] No need for me to get all deep and meaningless about it but there are many ways to look at it and in the end if the argument is based on name calling and abuse then there can't be much of an argument.

Patricia WA

5/09/2011I hope this speaks for itself. http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-z3BV0CnMw9Q/TmDUaUNm2LI/AAAAAAAADfM/T9uflDfQ6Po/s1600/gillard.jpg

NormanK

5/09/2011A middle-ground suggestion for the asylum seeker issue. If the government is convinced that having a Regional Processing Hub in South East Asia would assist with the ever-expanding problem of irregular migration, find somewhere (like Malaysia) to establish just such a facility. Preferrably three or four of them. Ones to which asylum seekers can 'come' of their own volition or the government of the country in which it is established could 'redirect' those found to be working illegally but claiming to be a refugee. We don't send anyone there. Australia agrees to, and makes it widely known that we would, look favourably upon anyone who uses the hub and subsequently applies for a humanitarian visa in order to be reunited with family members. An important proviso would be that the family member already in Australia must have arrived before 1st September 2011 (or whatever date is deemed appropriate to avoid a last minute rush to get one of the family here) if they came by an illegal entry vehicle. Make it abundantly clear that Australia will not look favourably on applications seeking to reunite family members if the first members come by illegal entry vehicle after the nominated date. I imagine that most other avenues for reuniting families from other countries or who arrived by some other means are already covered in our humanitarian programme. Beef up our support of NGO's in the region and agree to [b]help[/b] provide any ancillary facilities required to make accredited refugees lives a bit easier e.g. health and education. Do whatever we can to assist in establishing a stronger UN presence in the region. Increase our intake from the region. In order to pay for this we should process our own irregular arrivals on-shore with a maximum detention period of 60 days, with the important caveat that the Minister retains discretionary powers to hold individuals for longer periods if ASIO has serious concerns about the security clearance of someone whose background is proving difficult to establish. This is one of the fundamental flaws in the Greens' policy - surely someone who's background is difficult to verify from a security point of view is the last one we should be releasing into the community as a default position simply because an arbitrary length of time has passed. Those whose security clearances haven't been finalised due to procedural log-jams, but about whom ASIO is not seriously concerned, could then be released into the community. All efforts should be made to have children (definition required - under 14, under 13?) and their primary carers removed from detention in the shortest possible time. Spend money to strengthen the bodies that are currently offering support to asylum seekers and refugees in order to facilitate a smoother transition and a greater number of places to which they can be assigned. ************************************************* On a completely different subject, why would a polling company ask these questions? [quote]The poll found that when given five options, 79 per cent of voters approved cuts in interest rates, 61 per cent approved both individual and personal tax cuts, and the Government's plan to cut tax on low income earners ..............[/quote] Source: FS's link above. I will resist the temptation to post a link to my previous satirical take on polling but I must say I imagine that the vast majority of Australians would opt for no rain on weekends (and only at night on week-days), obligatory free ice-cream after every second meal, no queues at the supermarket check-out, lower interest rates and paying less income tax.

D Mick Weir

5/09/2011NormanK @ 12:40 PM intersting propositions you are putting I will ponder further. I am guessing (hoping?) that you would have read the CPD report as I know like to get lots of info. Are there any proposals in that that have merit and could be weaved in with some of what you are suggesting that might make an even better proposition?

D Mick Weir

5/09/2011Dear ToM and Reb, On those occaisions that I have visited the site you link to with your names I have not found a lot to be impressed by. Lot's of sniping, carping and recycling of rubbish as published by a lazy media machine. Before you throw any more stones take some time to go back over your own insightful and obviously accurate pontifications. In amongst them you will most likely find stuff that contradicts what you are writing now and stuff that you knew to be absolutely true then that is now complete and utter gutter trash.

nasking

5/09/2011I would like to see Feral retract her homophobic comment, it was unnecessary. I have many a gay friend Feral & did find that offensive. I do understand that Tom has been harrassing you to a degree which should stop...but I would prefer if you retracted the statement. I'm sure you're not a homophobic but rather said something in the heat of the moment you probably regret. Then, I would like to see Reb retract his comment: [quote]Gee, what a homophobic little crowd we have here...[/quote] As a contributor I find this statement out of order & tarring all w/ same brush...Reb well knows my views, not homophobic in the least. Reb should keep to his own blog if he can't do anything but stir. I request that Tom of Melbourne keep away from this blog if he feels the need to antagonise Feral. He made his point. I've found this blog to be generally welcoming, polite and offering up a variety of informative views. Ad astra, Lyn & AC2 in particular put in a great deal of work...and create an atmosphere less vitriolic and bitter than some blogs I've contributed to. Let's keep it that way. N'

Ad astra reply

5/09/2011Hi Lyn Thank you for the link to John Quiggin’s piece on trolls, with which I agree. TT Thank you for your appreciative words. It is a happy family here, but we have to endure just a few who enjoy spreading nastiness. I don’t understand why, when it is so easy to be pleasant.

Ad astra reply

5/09/2011For those who come here to criticise [i]TPS[/i] bloggers, and those who blog here in a nasty fashion, please take your venom elsewhere. And before criticising those who react strongly to your venom, ask yourself how you would react if others were to initiate such criticism against you. Do unto others… To put an end to this discussion I will soon be posting a new piece [i]The media, the polls and the Labor brand[/i].

nasking

5/09/2011[quote]To put an end to this discussion I will soon be posting a new piece The media, the polls and the Labor brand.[/quote] Look forward to it Ad. N'

lyn

5/09/2011Hi Ad The ABC are doing online voting , so far it's 79% onshore [quote]In looking for new policy options in dealing with asylum seekers, the Government should opt to process boat arrivals[/quote]: http://www.abc.net.au/news/thedrum/polls/ Cheers:):):):):):)

Ad astra reply

5/09/2011Folks I have just posted [i]The media, the polls and the Labor brand[/i] http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2011/09/05/The-media-the-polls-and-the-Labor-brand.aspx

D Mick Weir

5/09/2011Oh dear, I should have known better. It is difficult countering arguments with people that know the absolute truth and that they are the only one's that can see it. People who know everything there is to know about me. It seems that these people know even more about me than I know myself. I think I will wear as a badge of honour, for the moment, that I am a homophobic, sniping, carping, recycler of rubbish with a superior intellect. Can anybody help me find my cap that fits that description of me so I can wear it with pride?

Ad astra reply

5/09/2011NormanK Thank you for our thoughtful suggestions about how the asylum seeker issue might be ameliorated. As Lyn has pointed out, there seems to be swelling support among the public for onshore processing, if the polls are to be given credence. Whether that holds in Qld, WA and the western suburbs of Sydney is unknown. As whatever the Government does is condemned, it may have nothing much now to lose by reverting to Labor party policy and to process all arrivals onshore. In my view that will likely not stop the boat arrivals; indeed it may accelerate them. But the Nauru option may similarly have no effect on the boat arrivals, as history shows that most of those sent there ended up in Australia (or NZ) if they were deemed to be genuine refugees. The Coalition has always maintained that John Howard’s Pacific Solution, which included TPVs, ‘stopped the boats’. Whether that would still hold if Nauru were reopened cannot be known, although the Coalition insists that this would be so. The best option for the Government now might be to go with the onshore processing option and let the devil take the reactions in the states and suburbs where it is said to be ‘electoral poison’.

NormanK

5/09/2011D Mick Weir Yes, I read the CPD document from cover to cover when you first linked to it. I didn't see any point hypothesising further when the current proposition was before the High Court. I gave it one and a half demerit points and eight and a half positive points. Demerit: [quote]Discourages dangerous journeys, but treats fairly those who have made those journeys[/quote] Page 5 No mention that I can see further in the document of concrete means by which dangerous journeys can be discouraged. Weak. [quote]Together with UNHCR support the development of a state or regional asylum process, through partnering arrangements, secondments between countries, developing a common protection training and mentoring program for the region, and in establishing an asylum processing infrastructure. Commitment to resettlement and alternative migration pathways such as in-country programs It is in this context that the current agreement with Malaysia needs to be considered. [b]While the current Government may see it as the “solution”[/b], it needs to be viewed from a broader regional perspective – it is not a solution on its own. Viewed through a regional lens it can become a catalyst to start the process of building a durable protection system in the region and delivering protection dividends for all asylum seekers. Malaysia as a transit country is a key player in delivering a long term solution - indeed UNHCR in its recently released Global Report noted that while there are problems “constructive dialogue with national authorities has resulted in an improvement of the situation”. If this can be achieved we can dare to hope that - just as ASEAN is developing a regional Human Rights Instrument - we can look forward in the future to a Regional Protection Instrument.[/quote] Page 23 This got a very cranky half-point mark-down because I have never once heard the Minister, the Prime Minister or any senior Labor figure refer to the deal with Malaysia as 'the solution" - this is a media confection to keep the narrative going that any off-shore processing proposal must be compared with the so-called Pacific Solution. Everything that I have read of the government's intentions (up until last Wednesday) suggested to me that they did indeed recognise the broader regional perspective. I missed one very important point in my earlier proposal: [quote]De-linking the offshore and onshore numbers will also go some way towards nullifying concerns that asylum seekers (especially those who arrive by boat) ‘jump the queue’ and deny resettlement for a person in a camp. When the Howard Government linked the offshore humanitarian intake to the onshore asylum numbers, ostensibly to “improve program management”, its consequence was to punish all asylum seekers and refugees by substantially reducing the number which Australia resettles. Far from asylum seekers’ taking the place of genuine refugees, it was this shift in public policy which made those places in Australia disappear. It is time to reinstate them.[/quote] Page 29 I won't rehash all of the rest of the document. There are some very sound suggestions and, in truth, my little effort above is based in large part on what they had to say. On top of that, I think I have added: A stick and carrot approach to the re-uniting of families might discourage dangerous boat journeys and encourage the use of a hub or hubs. Establishing that a 'child' is more vulnerable than a 'minor' might discourage the use of late teenage youths as the point-runner for families and get real kids out of detention. Sixty days as the cap on detention since thirty days seems to me to be an unreasonably short period for security checks. Credit to the CPD for suggesting that the Minister have discretionary powers in this area. None of this properly addresses the drownings but it would seem that very few commentators and commenters feel that this has a high priority. I guess we are just supposed to live with the images of parents burying their children and (for some reason, more heart-wrenching for me) children burying their parents.

Feral Skeleton

5/09/2011Nasking, Redacted and retracted the whole messy episode. Sorry, didn't mean to be homophobic.

jane

6/09/2011quote]Andrew Robb has also confirmed the $70 Billion worth of cuts to public programmes in order to slice the Public Sector into tiny little pieces barely alive./quote] And [a hrefhttp://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/tony-abbott-and-andrew-robb-differ-on-coalition-spending-cuts/story-fn7x8me2-1226129281582]Liealot[/a] denies that he ever said it. Just can't help himself.
T-w-o take away o-n-e equals?