Cool courage trumps cringing cowardice

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,

Humpty Dumpty had a great fall.
All the king's horses and all the king's men

Couldn't put Humpty together again.


For many of the opinionistas, PM Gillard is Humpty Dumpty. They insist that she has had a great fall, indeed one fall after another, and no amount of effort by the king’s men can ever put her together again, no amount of effort can give her an election winning edge. This is certainly the view of the vitriolic Niki Savva and her ilk; the News Limited coterie: Paul Kelly, Dennis Shanahan, David Spears – you know them all; the Fairfax opinionistas: Peter Hartcher, and the ‘new’ Michelle Grattan, now at The Conversation, but writing exactly the same anti-Gillard spiel as before, now under a cloak of academic respectability; turncoat and Eddie Obeid friend Graham Richardson, valued by the anti-Gillard camp because of his prior Labor connections; and a vast array of Coalition has-beens: Peter Reith, Michael Kroger and Graeme Morris are just a few of these particularly venomous critics that pop up over and again. If I may borrow a Coalition phrase, ‘these people’ are the ones who paint our PM as Humpty Dumpty, who can never be put together again.

Distressing as that is to Labor supporters, it comes as no surprise because Labor people know that for at least two years News Limited has been hell-bent on destroying PM Gillard and her Government, and now it seems Fairfax has joined it.

What is most distressing to Labor supporters though is that some Labor politicians have joined in the anti-Gillard chorus. I don’t mean Graham Richardson – he long ago sold his soul to Rupert Murdoch. I do mean, for example, Alannah MacTiernan, an accomplished past Labor politician who is now the well-regarded Mayor of the City of Vincent in WA. Known for her strong views, she opined after the WA election that Labor could not win federally with Julia Gillard as PM, and urged her to step down. She stopped short of suggesting who might take her place. Current NT Labor MLA, Kon Vatskalis, soon joined her.

Others in Labor ranks have hinted similarly, and many opinionistas have strongly asserted the same. Most avoid suggesting who should replace her and how this should come about. Bill Shorten, Greg Combet, and even Simon Crean (the Napthine option) have been named. I do wonder what MacTiernan thought she might accomplish with her suggestion. She has certainly accomplished plenty of press coverage, all the more so I suppose because she is Labor, and many Labor politicians have been confronted by journalists with her statement and asked to respond. She had caused much discomfort in Labor circles, made all the more so because her advice lacks a credible mechanism for bringing about the PM’s resignation and installing a replacement. In a word, her unnecessary intervention is having a negative effect on her own party, and increasing the likelihood of a defeat in September. She, and other Labor figures that utter such unhelpful comments, are a menace even more threatening than the usual media suspects.

Let’s for a moment look at the alternatives to Julia Gillard who has shown herself to be across all portfolios, who has managed a minority government better than anyone thought possible, has a vast legislative agenda and has already had over 460 pieces of legislation passed against trenchant, and at times vitriolic opposition. Is anyone suggesting that Bill Shorten, who has done well in his portfolio, especially in addressing disability, is capable of addressing the full gamut of portfolios if he were to become PM? Who of you believe that Greg Combet, who has performed excellently in his climate change portfolio, could do as well across all areas of government? Do any of you really believe that Simon Crean, who was so cruelly ejected from leadership years ago, would risk his hand again?

If it’s not those men who might replace the PM, who is it? It would not be Wayne Swan who has been tarred with the same brush as the PM. And the possibility, let alone the appropriateness of a return to Kevin Rudd, seems to have been all but discarded by Rudd himself and rejected by a plethora of his caucus colleagues who don’t want him, a failed PM, back in that position under any circumstances. There are of course still pro-Rudd agitators in caucus who believe his return would enhance Labor’s electoral fortunes, and perhaps save their own seats, but that belief is based on opinion polls. How any rational politician could base his or her beliefs and take radical actions on such unreliable and evanescent data is beyond my comprehension. In my opinion, the disruption and chaos that a forced return to Rudd would occasion would quickly negate any imagined electoral advantage. In my view, the only way Rudd’s electoral appeal might be usefully harnessed would be for him to agree to unreservedly back PM Gillard publically, get out on the hustings where he is popular, and strongly advocate a return of the Gillard Government to counter the danger posed to this nation by an Abbott government. A reward that would give him the status he craves might be an inducement, as Mark Latham has suggested.

Because nothing is impossible in political circles, we have to work on probabilities. Get real Folks; how high would you realistically rate the possibility of a Gillard resignation in favour of any of the above-named? And more importantly, how high would you rate the probability that any change would result in a better outcome on September 14? Would you put any of your own money on either of those? What odds do you think you would get? Come on.

Yet the more Labor folk waver, the more they behave as if they need to ‘save the furniture’, the more they propel Labor towards the very outcome they fear.

Cringing cowardice will get Labor nowhere, except drive it backwards. What is needed by all who support Labor is what Julia Gillard exhibits every day of her political life: COOL COURAGE.

She puts to abject shame the doubting Thomases, the Rudd agitators, the marginal seat worry-warts, the timid Labor supporters who talk to their mates, hear adverse comments about our PM, give them predictive credence, and wring their hands in anguish. ALL Labor supporters need guts, stamina and resolve. Where it is lacking, recrimination and self-defeat looms.


The latest round of doubt and uncertainty has arisen from the WA State election, won convincingly by the Liberals and Nationals. Variously described by the commentariat as ‘dire’, a ‘landslide’, a ‘rout’, a ‘crushing defeat’, it has been attributed to ‘Federal Labor being on the nose’, ‘toxic’ even ‘lethal’ according to Peter van Onselen. Leigh Sales sees Labor’s electoral woes as a precursor to a ‘wipeout’ in September. Such extravagant words seem to be all that is necessary to ‘spark a new round of leadership speculation’, especially among the opinionistas. The facts are less important to them, but let’s look at those facts objectively.

Labor was defeated convincingly by Colin Barnett and his team, but why? Barnett himself said that the election was fought mainly on State issues. He credited good governance as the major factor. He made little of the suggestion that the result was an anti-Gillard protest; he even said it might have been a mistake to not have her involved in the campaign. He was not about to assign the major factor in his substantial success to any factor other than his government’s work. Do we believe what the winner has said, or the interpretation put upon the result by the antipathetic commentariat?

There has been much made of the swings to the Liberals and Nationals. In some electorates it was very large and Labor’s loss commensurate. But the State swings show a different picture. The State wide swing to the Liberals was 8.8%, and to the Nationals 1.1%, a total of 9.9%. Now one might reasonably expect that Labor would have borne the brunt of that swing, but that was not so. The swing against Labor was 2.3%, its primary vote falling from 35.9% at the last WA election to 33.6% this time (at the last count), a loss in percentage terms of 6.4% of its total primary vote since the last election that you will remember was close, delivering a ‘hung parliament’. Is that really a ‘rout’? Julie Bishop’s talk of a “12% swing, which would have been 15% had Julia Gillard taken part in the election campaign”, was just hogwash, as is so much of what she utters. It was the Greens who suffered much more, losing about a third of their primary vote: 11.9% to 8.0% (-3.9%), and the conservative Independents still more: 9.0% to 5.3% (-3.7). That is where the LNP garnered most of its swing.

Stephen’s Smith’s concession that Federal Labor had been ‘a drag on State Labor’ was broadcast endlessly, and had an element of truth to it, but if one can take Colin Barnett’s and Labor leader Mark McGowan’s assessment as valid, the ‘drag’ was small. They ought to be in a well-informed position. But to the commentariat the ‘drag’ was massive and predictive of electoral annihilation for Labor in September.

The effect on Federal Labor seats in WA is uncertain. Anthony Green has said that the three Federal Labor seats would likely be held, even in Perth, Stephen’s Smith’s seat, about which doubt has been expressed. Green said that based on ”state figures it [Perth] would be held by Labor…The state figures within Perth are Liberal 44.7%, Labor 42.2%, Green 10.1%, Christian Democrat 2.6%, Family First 0.3%, Socialist 0.2%.”

The most disappointing aspect of these last few days though has been the reaction of members of the Labor caucus, some of whom seem to suffer from chronic depressive illness with an overlay of obsessive behaviour, and others whose melancholy is given expression through agitation for a change to Kevin Rudd, white-anting of the PM, and the back-grounding of ever-eager journalists ready to make a meal of any tidbit that comes their way. These are Labor’s, and Julia Gillard’s, most dangerous enemies.

In my view, their reaction, and that of journalists hungry for sensational headlines, has been way over the top. What did they expect out of the WA election? They must have known that a well regarded first term government in a State that is prospering was not going to be kicked out. They must have expected loss of seats. How many would they have accepted as reasonable? It looks as if around nine seats will be lost. Would one or two, or perhaps three or four have been OK? What did they expect? What would have silenced the malcontents? Do we know? Do they know? Would any loss at all be enough to set the hares running?

Then came today’s Newspoll. Long before it appeared, the commentariat was out there pumping it up as being decisive in determining Julia Gillard’s future. They were salivating at the prospect of delivering a double whammy – the WA result followed within forty-eight hours with another disastrous poll, with Labor’s primary vote sinking even lower and PM Gillard’s popularity falling, as well as her PPM rating. They hoped that this would stir the Rudd agitators to action and whip up even more intense leadership speculation. They were hoping for more self-flagellation from the caucus malcontents, and were ready with tongues hanging out for another round of predicting Julia Gillard’s Prime Ministerial demise. Would she even see out the next fortnight of parliamentary sittings?

No rational person would have expected a vast change in a poll of voting intention from the last Newspoll or the earlier Nielsen poll, especially after all the mud the media has hurled at PM Gillard since then. Yet the commentariat was out there whipping up the ‘Gillard is doomed if the polls don’t improve’ scenario, in anticipation of just that result. The piranhas, thirsty for blood, for tearing every skerrick of flesh from the PM, circled in anticipation of a kill.

But surprisingly the Newspoll came in at a TPP of 52/48 for the Coalition, somewhat of an improvement from the 55/45 figures last time. And Julia Gillard has jumped above Tony Abbott in the PPM stakes: 42/38. Of course there was a morsel for the opinionistas to play with – the statistic that with Kevin Rudd as leader Labor’s primary vote would jump to an improbable 47% and the TPP to 56/44 in favour of Labor. It will be fascinating to see how they play with those statistics, but anyone who believes those figures would be even remotely approached at an election is delusional and ought to be on medication. Yet that is what the commentariat would have us believe, and what the Rudd agitators dream about.

To return to the theme of this piece, what ALL Labor politicians need, particularly the caucus malcontents, what ALL Labor supporters need, is COOL COURAGE in place of the cringing cowardice too many exhibit. They need to emulate our gutsy PM. They need to ignore the ups and downs of meaningless opinion polls, even when they move in Labor’s favour, and get behind her, get behind Labor, strain every fibre of their being to ensure that Tony Abbott never becomes PM of this country.

To return to our Humpty Dumpty Nursery Rhyme, to my mind the most plausible explanation of its origin is the story of the siege of Colchester.

As the story goes, according to Jennifer Wright, writing on Yahoo voices: ”during the English civil war, which took place from 1642 to 1649, there was a battle referred to as the Siege of Colchester, which was a walled city guarded heavily by the Royalists. Parliamentarians were the enemy and known as Roundheads because of their close cropped hair cuts. Inside the city walls stood a castle and a few churches. One church in particular, St. Mary's, stood right beside the wall.

“Humpty Dumpty was believed to be a large cannon that was placed on the wall next to the church…

“Story has it that the walls of the fortified city were shot at for 11 weeks before finally falling. The wall beneath Humpty Dumpty was destroyed and the cannon fell to the ground. Therefore "All the king's horses and all the king's men" tried to put Humpty back together again by attempting to place the cannon onto another part of the wall. Unfortunately Humpty Dumpty was too heavy and could not be replaced. This siege ended with Colchester being taken by the Parliamentarians.”


Here, it is the Coalition parliamentarians, reinforced by a compliant media, that has been shooting incessantly at the Labor fortifications and the Labor leader. They repeatedly proclaimed that the Labor cannon, which had been vigorously returning fire, was falling down, or about to have a great fall. The fall of the leader, who was firing the cannon to great effect, was predicted time and again, but she wouldn’t fall, or as the chief Roundhead said: "She won’t lie down and die."

Meanwhile many, but not all of the king’s men were supporting her and her cannon. Some were timid, afraid of defeat. They detracted from her cannon firing; they touted for another king. They are still to realize that instead of distracting, if all the king’s men secured Humpty Dumpty on the embattlements, the king could fire cannon balls uninterruptedly at the enemy, and win the war.

But that requires discarding their cringing cowardice, and in its place exhibiting cool courage, just like their king. The king’s men owe it to her and her many admiring supporters. Are they up to it?

What do you think?

If you decide to ‘Disseminate this post’ it will be sent to the following parliamentarians: Anthony Albanese, Chris Bowen, David Bradbury, Tony Burke, Mark Butler, Bob Carr, Jason Clare, Greg Combet, Stephen Conroy, Simon Crean, Chris Evans, Don Farrell, John Faulkner, Martin Ferguson, Joel Fitzgibbon, Peter Garrett, Julia Gillard, Ed Husic, Andrew Leigh, Robert McClelland, Brendan O'Connor, Bill Shorten, Tony Smith and Penny Wong.

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Ad astra

12/03/2013Folks I’ve posted this now rather than later in the evening as is my recent habit, as it is of contemporary relevance. However, I wouldn’t want you to miss today’s splendid contributions from Lyn and Janet. Lyn’s Links for today are available on ‘LYN’S DAILY LINKS’ in the left panel. Janet’s Twitterati, with its multiple links, was posted at 3.22 PM, and her long and informative comment at 2.11 PM on the previous post. Please don’t miss them. I hope you find informative my analysis of the weekend’s WA election and today’s [i]Newspoll[/i]. I would welcome your comments.

Tom of Melboune

12/03/2013The ALP doesn’t deserve to win, Gillard has proved to be dishonest (I won’t detail the evidence unless requested) and the ALP is run by a cartel of self-interested union hacks and factional warlords. It is a party that is a long way from deserving electoral support. Fortunately for the ALP it is up against an Abbott led opposition, which is similarly unappealing. The best option for the ALP is to off load Gillard, and return to Rudd. Rudd at least retains electoral credibility and even holds the possibility of a win. Decimation of the ALP is the worst outcome, and that’s where Gillard’s leadership is heading. Her legacy will be annihilation of the ALP, but those here will take comfort in their “blame the media” mantra.

Joe2

12/03/2013Good piece Ad Astra. Time for the in fighting to stop and get on with the job of winning the election. Julia Gillard deserves the fair go she has not received, by many cowardly males, who serve their own interests rather than the countries. It's surely not that difficult to show some loyalty when the stakes are so high. And I have no doubt the P.M. has Abbott's number if the constant back biting stops now.

Ad astra

12/03/2013Joe2 Thank you for your complimentary comment. I agree wholeheartedly with your proposition. Folks I'll be out at a family barbecue on the beach for a couple of hours. It should be cooler there.

Martin Spalding

12/03/2013Tom of M - I have a question, before you possibly reel off the list of points you have been routinely repeating on this blog re the PM's supposed dishonesty & lack of integrity (Wilkie, carbon tax ra ra ra): Do you honestly believe that the PM's record of statements and actions when in office compares unfavourably (in an honesty & ethics sense) to those of Tony Abbott and the Howard Govt generally? I won't reel off examples of the latter - they have been done to death on this blog. Also check out the 2006 Faulkner speech on 10 yrs of Howard Govt. This comparison is something you have conspicuously avoided when criticising the current PM from the 'high moral ground'.

Ausdavo

12/03/2013Yet another article "right on the money", Ad. You do an amazing job each week considering the combined utterings of some 100 MSM journos and TV commentators don't between them come close to covering the ground you do. How can anyone of a sane mind seriously endorse the garbage and blatent lies trotted out by Abbott, his cohort of opposition politicians of a similar ilk, and his "fellow travellers". By comparison, despite some errors by our Prime Minister, greatly over-amplified, I might say, this government is clearly representing the BEST interests of 90% of our population. A switch to Abbott would be a disaster both locally and on the world stage. Despite the evidence of Europe Abbott continues to espouse those same failed policies with vitually no questioning from the MSM. With a view to the end of the current parliament and the September election, I would suggest a final cabinet change. This would require a public reconciliation of the PM and K Rudd. To follow would be his elevation back into the cabinet as Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Communication. Treasurer W Swann should be only too happy to comply as it would save his seat for him. Most of all he was guilty of the most disgusting bucketing of K Rudd a year ago on public TV. Something that, at the time, I could not believe he was doing. That one act of disloyalty to the ALP brand has done much damage to the ALP vote in Queensland. The change I suggest would do a lot to right the wrong.

Bilko

12/03/2013Nice one AA you have done it again, TOM sounds like a stuck record the lies the lies needless to say ignoring any hiccups by his anointed one, still after he retires rejected by the awake OZpop in Sept maybe Pells position will become vacant. Ausdavo You must have a poor opinion of Wayne Swan and Stephen Conroy but then they vocally opposed Kevin prior to the last spill, so I can see where you are coming from. He failed Julia as Foreign Minister no way would she trust him again, once bitten twice shy. After the election Rudd will resign and Julia with a majority of 6+ can give him an ambassadorship to anywhere,

Jason

12/03/2013ToM, Why is it you're a "f**kwit. Dull"?

martha

12/03/2013what a great piece,, loved the humpty dumpty, i often look up nursery rhymes as a way of expressing things, the real meaning are facinating, i havent looked up 'three little pigs' but the three houses come to mind,, the first made of straw,, well they thought the minority gov, would fall, then the house of sticks all the scandals our there now we are to the house of bricks julia has now around her. i was wondering about the mark latham idea but after all mr rudd was fm i thought he would really be happy in that position but it seemed not. so best leave things as they are i think. i am amazed at pm and her knowledge of all portfolios and her ability to speak with out a script i know she has a screen prompter near by so i am told but notice she never looks at it. no there is no one who could replace our julia no one she must be good at her job or those that are , would not be wanitng her gone, mps are blind if they dont see that some one should explain it to them i am sure the majority who are loyal do. the list above now you put in front of me there is no one that is what the people who decided on 2010 must of thought also.

Sir Ian Crisp

12/03/2013[quote][i]What do you think? [/i][/quote] What do I think? An observation if I may. Ad Astra says in his anti-MSM piece: [quote][b]Distressing as that is to Labor supporters, it comes as no surprise because Labor people know that for at least two years News Limited has been hell-bent on destroying PM Gillard and her Government, and now it seems Fairfax has joined it. [/b][/quote] I disagree. In destroying herself and making the ALP the most toxic brand since Capone Inc, the bird of paradox needs no help from News Limited and Fairfax. She is doing a splendid job of that all by herself.

Tom of Melbourne

12/03/2013Martin Spalding – I regularly say that the public saw Howard as dishonest and deservedly so. He put his political and partisan interests in front of his public responsibilities. He lost in 2007 because he lost the confidence of the electorate. Gillard deserves a similar fate. I regularly post such comments here - http://thedailytrash.wordpress.com/ But here at TPS, it tends to polarise, with an overwhelming number of people who simply defend the indefensible in Gillard. I suppose you’ve noticed that it’s 5½ years since Howard was PM? -------- No Jason, that’s you. You’re the one who used thinly veiled homophobic comments rather than debate a point. It’s typical of you and very dull.

Janet (jan@j4gypsy)

12/03/2013 Yay Martha! :) And wow, Ad! I hadn’t expected you to ‘fulfil my wish’ and provide a ‘Don’t mention the leadership’ piece within the hour (or two). Thank you! :) (and I love the alliteration in the title). But seriously, thank you for such a fine and as always timely-to-the-moment piece. Like other TPS readers, I just don’t know how you produce such ‘in-depth’ work each week. You’ve thrown down the gauntlet to Labor MPs, once again, and it will be a privilege to ‘disseminate’ this piece to them. I think you also throw down the gauntlet to anyone reading on TPS. Do WE have the guts to go with Gillard, the juice to joust and joy for Julia, and stop our own endless white-anting? Like you, I don’t believe I’ve seen such courage in a pollie for a very long time, if ever. There is only one issue you raise that I have reservations about: my trust in Rudd behaving in such a way as not to white ant the PM and the Government. I have some experience in a close relationship of the syndrome variously and sometimes described by psychology/psychiatry as ‘narcissism’. We are duty/honour bound to watch the behaviours of politicians and make judgments accordingly. In as much as Abbott’s smirk and glance at the PM today tells us exactly who was responsible for the ‘stunt’ of hecklers in Question Time, Rudd’s behaviours are crystal clear. He has needs for centre stage that must be met, above all else. Given that, he is not ‘trustable’ as a politician. Like Abbott, his public face is a ‘construct', a shadow of the fearful real being, endeavouring to achieve something – recognition? adulation? power over? IF he can swing in behind the PM, and the Government and campaign to bring about a Labor Government in its own right until September, perhaps some kind of ‘reward’ as you say might be appropriate. But if so, I sincerely hope it is a diplomatic post as far from Australia as humanly possible. Frankly, I continue not to see why someone who has behaved in the extraordinarily destructive way Kevin Rudd has (or certainly seems to have behaved) for two years with no discernible break should be ‘rewarded’ in any way. But, for the record, Mr Astra, your latest post has really made my day :-).

bob macalba

12/03/2013Ad another fine read, thankyou and i believe said politicians on your list should have a chance to read it themselves, gonna send on a copy for them... cheers Mark Latham last night on paul murray http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l3SMVIn69RE

bob macalba

12/03/2013And Mark again http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vid07ax28w8 reids hilarious

Jason

12/03/2013ToM, Why are you crying MUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMYYYYYYYYYYYY? the nasty man says bad things.

Frank

12/03/2013Julia Gillard will go down in history as one of the most courageous fighters for the Labor cause. As George Megalogenis wrote in June 2011: "the tragedy Of Gillard is she is probably the best politician of her generation." Yet Abbott and the shock jocks have branded her a pathological liar when we know how loose they can be with the truth. Anyway, many of us have encountered situations where we've made a commitment but changed circumstances have forced us to defer what we would like to have, to change tack and find another way forward.

Ad astra

12/03/2013Ausdavo Thank you for your most complimentary remark. Like you, I too wonder how sane and sensible people can [i]“seriously endorse the garbage and blatant lies trotted out by Abbott, his cohort of opposition politicians of a similar ilk, and his "fellow travellers".[/i] The only explanations I can offer is that some do so out of self interest for power or money (the media fits in here), some because they don’t think things through, and some simply out of habit. Whatever the reasons, it is the electoral outcomes that flow that are so devastating. They could lead to the disaster of Abbott as PM! It would be satisfying if the talent of Kevin Rudd could be mobilized for Labor’s electoral benefit. How to do so is the challenge. Bilko Thank you for your kind comment. K Rudd may indeed appreciate an ambassadorship after the election. If he could help win it, that would be give him and Labor great satisfaction. Martha I’m so glad you enjoyed the Humpty Dumpty analogy. I believe you are right – they want Julia Gillard gone because she does her job so well. She is a daily threat to Tony Abbott, because her competence shows him up in such a bad light. Janet What a lovely compliment you pay me. Like you, I believe that true Labor supporters should try to emulate PM Gillard’s courage, strength and resilience. That would give even more strength to her arm. It is natural to have reservations about Kevin Rudd’s capacity to be truly supportive of PM Gillard and the Labor Party. It may be a pipe dream, but if his electoral appeal could be mobilized without having to pander unduly to his narcissistic needs, great outcomes are possible. bob macalba Wow – those YouTube clips are powerful. The bonus for me was Latham giving Reith a serve, indeed several. In full flight, Latham is formidable; the Libs don’t like it. Frank I believe that the reason Julia Gillard cops all the accusations of lying while the habitual liar Tony Abbott escapes, is that the Fourth Estate has decided that this is the way it will be. If the media reversed it position, Tony Abbott would be pilloried endlessly for lying, and Julia Gillard lauded for her courage and guts.

Patricia WA

13/03/2013AA, the media does not need to reverse its position. Out here in the world of people who talk to each other while patting and admiring each others' dogs on the street there is general distrust of Tony Abbott and great admiration for Julia Gillard's courage and guts. Admittedly this is Freo, a one-time port town full of union labourers, but we latter residents live in lovely (and not cheap!) old houses on historic streets and are mainly retirees and not, to my knowledge docker descendants. Where Alannah MacTiernan is meeting one time Labor voters who think the way she reports, God only knows.

Curi-Oz

13/03/2013PatriciaWA, I believe that Ms MacTiernan is Mayor of Vincent, one of Perth's "leafy green inner-city suburbs" that only fifty years ago would have been a Labor stronghold, but is now somewhat more gentrified ... That could be where she is meeting those allegedly 'ex-Labor' voters. Regards from a fellw Sandgroper,

lyn

13/03/2013Today’s Links The Politics Of Gridlock by @MikeSeccombe Now it is the Coalition, which has previously committed to expanding the 457 program, that is wedged. http://powerhouse.theglobalmail.org/the-politics-of-gridlock/ Nick Ross, the ABC and what lies beneath The Australian’s lies by @sortius Who will gain from a privatised ABC? As with most anti-NBN rhetoric, all roads lead to Rupert Murdoch. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/nick-ross-the-abc-and-what-lies-beneath-the- polls and leadership by Gary sauer-thompson They will drive their informed readership away in an attempt to stay relevant with their inflated junk commentary. http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2013/03/polls-and-leade.php#more Stephen Koukoulas on the subject of Tony Abbott as an economic forecaster by @no_filter_Yamba Si since June 2012, 53,400 jobs have been created, 30,000 of these full-time positions http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/stephen-koukoulas-on-l Swanny's budget just got $1 billion worse by @1petermartin The interest bill on the nation’s $267 billion gross debt, to be revealed http://www.petermartin.com.au/ Howard’s blueprint for Abbott to stifle dissent by @margokingston1 John Howard’s government systematically sought to stifle democratic dissent with the help of the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/howards-blueprint-for-abbott- Time for policymakers to address tax benefits from family trusts by Dale Boccabella even families with modest business or property assets (around $350,000) can gain a tax benefit from their use http://theconversation.edu.au/time-for-policymakers-to-address-tax-benefits-from-family- Local Hero by @madwixxy Coalition in Victoria has members facing corruption investigations http://wixxyleaks.com/2013/03/12/local-hero/ The Confused Drum by @archiearchive Government is paralysed because of internal disagreements http://archiearchive.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/the-confused-drum/ It’s A Brave New Vision Thing World! by @knarfnamduh A NO Coalition Government would, without question, be ‘doin fings’! http://deknarf.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/graphic-manipulations-25-its-a-brave-new-vision Home of Australia's BISONs by @Thefinnigans http://thefinnigans.blogspot.com.au/ Government’s media reform package plays it (very) safe by @BernardKeane For the first time, subscription television and online publications, if sufficiently large, will be captured by media ownership laws http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/03/12/governments-media-reform-package-plays When all else fails, blame the Government by @MigloMT cutting public service jobs. It has the same impact as any job losses http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/when-all-else-fails-blame-the-government/   When bias hangs in the balance by @btckr is made harder when “the other side” won’t talk to you. http://truthinmediaresourcecentre.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/when-bias-hangs- The real point about Tony Abbott’s relationship with his sister by @SimonCopland Abbott has been a roadblock on progressive queer policy many times, http://themoonbat.com/2013/03/12/the-real-point-about-tony-abbotts-relationship- Murdoch ups the dowry for News Corp’s publishing arm by Glenn Dyer extra cash will be needed because the company’s outlook is dimming http://www.leadingcompany.com.au/strategy/murdoch-ups-the-dowry-for-news-corps-pub Gillard's got a new carbon weapon by @_Rob_Burgess Western Australian election showed punters really thought most of the increase in power prices they've experienced was down to carbon pricing. Simply not true http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/3/12/politics/gillards-got-new- The Election is coming. Blow up your letter box or leave town now by @STWnextness Unfortunately, as of now, negatives are powerful. They work. http://nextness.com.au/ Turnbull slams Conroy's media reforms described the Government's media reform plans as a "half-baked" series of thought bubbles http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-12/conroy-outlines-media-reforms/4567648 Return of the King: Kevin Rudd re-joins the NBN campaign by @renailemay, it’s great to see Rudd once again taking the lead on these kinds of issues http://delimiter.com.au/2013/03/11/return-of-the-king-kevin-rudd-re-joins-the-nbn-campaign/ Coalition has three options for NBN: report by @alliecoyne Coalition would defer significant fibre-to-the-premise spending while it reviews the situation http://www.itnews.com.au/News/336221,coalition-has-three-options-for-nbn-report.aspx Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 13 March 2013 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

Bilko

13/03/2013Lyn From todays front pages item DT have missed off one despot from their list he is called Rupert Murdoch he must have slipped under their radar funny that. have a good day

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13/03/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

janice

13/03/2013Good morning Swordsters. Long time no see and I've spent a considerable amount of time reading through the threads. Agree with your "Opinionistas" post Ad astra - these people are simply out to deceive voters and plant seeds of discontent into the minds of the gullible. I've stopped listening/reading their drivel. I've been busy writing emails to various Labor people with loose lips who spew out their "concerns" to the media (the very people who are in lock step with Abbott). Strangely enough most of them are willing to argue their view with me and, even stranger, I find that some of them have no idea the part Murdoch is playing to aid Abbott's campaign to "get rid of Gillard" and waltz through the doors of the Lodge. I am also giving the small town of Denman NSW a helping hand to save it and the community from being strangled and surrounded with more open cut coal mines. There is a petition in the link below and I would appreciate if all, or some Swordsters, would sign it and perhaps those who twitter, would twit the link around. http://www.communityrun.org/petitions/keep-denman-coal-mine-free Thank you.

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13/03/2013Folks By now you will have noticed that [i]The Political Sword[/i] has been nominated in the [b][i]Australian Writers’ Centre Best Australian Blogs 2013 Competition[/b][/i]. Voting will be open from 5.30pm on Thursday 28 March. Then you will be able to cast your vote for [i]The Political Sword[/i]. I will keep you posted.

lyn

13/03/2013Hi Bilko, Ad Astra and all my TPS friends, Bilko cheers to you, I hope you have a good day, BTW love our original Bilko gravatar, especially love your posts . They have left off Murdoch but everyone knows who will be worse off, it’s Murdoch. Proof is in the hostile frenzy:- News Ltd slams proposed media rules, Australian Financial Review Rupert Murdoch’s News Ltd has the most to lose from the new rules because the Foxtel pay television business would be included in a public interest test administered by a Public Interest Media Advocate (PIMA), who would decide whether media acquisitions should be approved. Foxtel, which is a joint venture between News Ltd and Telstra, is currently exempt from rules restricting media ownership. http://www.afr.com/p/national/we_won_be_held_hostage_on_media_miChfcsdGO1CzfW4RfsQXO Senator Conroy's reckless and flawed media reforms , Editorial IN a better-run government, led by a prime minister who commanded authority and used cabinet to separate good ideas from bad, Stephen Conroy's plans to regulate the media would not have seen the light of day. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/editorials/senator-conroys-reckless-and-flawed-media-reforms/story-e6frg71x Growing anger at 'Soviet' media reforms CRITICS are lining up to reject the Government's media reform legislation, which has been likened to Soviet-style control of information. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/news-ltd-ceo-kim-williams-rejects-federal-governments-media-reform-package Prime-time politics leaves investors guessing over $4bn TV merger http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/prime-time-politics-leaves-investors-guessing-over-4bn-tv-merger/story-e6fr An aggressive attempt to silence your media THIS government will go down in history as the first Australian government outside of wartime to attack freedom of speech by seeking to introduce a regime which effectively institutes government sanctioned journalism. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/opinion/an-aggressive-attempt-to-silence-your-media/story- 'Soviet-style' media enforcer A GOVERNMENT appointed enforcer would oversee press standards and have power to apply sanctions which would stifle news reporting, under proposed draconian media changes http://www.ntnews.com.au/article/2013/03/13/318490_ntnews.html Anger, confusion at new media laws Mr Williams lashed out at the reforms announced by Federal Communications Minister, Stephen Conroy, which include the creation of a Public Interest Media Advocate to monitor activity in the sector http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=854081&vId=3856511 Media reforms irrelevant in a fast-paced digital world Stephen Conroy's media reforms are of little relevance to the modern digital world, writes Alan Kohler. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-13/kohler-media-reforms/4569210 :):):)

janice

13/03/2013Oh, I forgot. I wrote a piece on Open cut mines in the Upper Hunter for The Pub Blog: http://pbxmastragics.com/2013/03/11/open-cuts-tearing-the-heart-out-of-the-upper-hunter/comment-page-8/#comment-27697

Ausdavo

13/03/2013Bilko You're so right that the picture on the DT should be of Murdoch. On the SMH should be Rhinehart. They simply pursue their own nefarious ends without any pretence to decency. Last night you mentioned K Rudd "... failed Julia as Foreign Minister". I follow the news pretty well (being a Newsagent, but one who dislikes selling those rags) and I find it hard to understand that statement. Re Swan (and others) - what I disliked was his (and their) "disloyalty" to the ALP brand. They so publically stated their opinions with clear venom (ammunition for the enemy!). To me that's "beyond the pale", there is no excuse for such public utterances. In contrast I find it hard to evidence anything like this from K. Rudd. As an additional point, I have a similar dislike for the Greens and their constant carping at the Government. To me, the ALP and the Greens should behave similarly to the Libs and Nats. The sooner the Greens realise that defeating the enemy is the end game, the better. Unlike some others I'm not suggesting a spill to return to K. Rudd. I admire PM Gillard so much and think she is by far the best person the ALP has, for PM. I have a similar opinion to that of George Megalogenis mentioned by Frank last night. There is just one thing I espouse - STOP ABBOTT. To defeat him (and his MSM & Big business backers) all the progressives should work decisively together for the best possible solution to achieve it. The worst thing I see on progressive sites is some posters bagging Rudd and some bagging PM Gillard (not counting the trogs like "Tom" and "Crisp". Our country needs all progressives to pull together for the best end result.

Martin Spalding

13/03/2013ToM - my Q about dishonesty in govt was not a black and white Q. All govts I'm sure have made the odd slightly questionable decision. It's about the [i]degree[/i]. You say the Aust people lost confidence in Howard & voted him out in 2007...yeah, after rewarding him with 11.5 yrs in power, 11.5 yrs in which his Govt produced a litany of instances of questionable honesty/conduct. You say this is all more than 5 yrs ago. That is irrelevant. The choice is between parties led by Julia gillard and Tony Abbott. Tony Abbott was part of the Howard Govt. He holds the Howard Govt up as the template for how he would run his govt. My question to you is - in light of the history mentioned above, as well as Abbott's own record of statements while opp leader, do you believe the ethical lapses and level of dishonesty of the Gillard Govt match those of the Howard Govt, such that they deserve to be thrown out in half the time Howard spent in office? if so pls demonstrate exactly how

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13/03/2013Patricia WA It is good to read that the people out there on the streets of Freo have views about our PM contrary to those expressed in the Murdoch media. Maybe they see through the deception that is perpetrated daily by News Limited and now Fairfax. The dislike of Tony Abbott seems well entrenched. Distrust will likely increase as policy is debated and he is found to be not just negative, but hollow. janice It’s good to see you back and to read of your advocacy for our PM at a community level. That is where the voters are. They are amenable to reasoned discussion by sensible people. The more who realize that Murdoch is behind the anti-Gillard push, and is an Abbott advocate, the less they will trust media sources. Petition signed.

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13/03/2013Hi Lyn I’m about to read through your links, but have glanced through your 9.33 AM post with the headlines and opinion pieces about the proposed changes to media regulation. The extreme reaction, especially from the Murdoch media, shows how unwilling the media is to be scrutinized, and highlights the need for Stephen Conroy’s legislation. Malcolm Turnbull’s performance in arguing against the legislation this morning on ABC Melbourne 774 radio was pathetic – bumbling, stumbling and unconvincing.

TalkTurkey

13/03/2013Good Morning [i]Most[/i], And bob macalba Thank You for the Latham takes, I just watched them moments ago, my blood pressure peaking, willing Latham to snot the unspeakable Reith even though they were in different studios ... Imagine REITH on a moral high horse! I was longing for Latham just to mention Children Overboard ... and Phone Card Fraud ... Mark is too nice by far. You can imagine Reith going ballistic and the "compere" freaking out if he had. Well it's the Mark Latham approach that we need now, I have long said that the long-predicted "great unhinging" won't cut it, it will not happen of its own accord, we need to be like ants pulling a blowfly apart, active Dismemberment is the go. Which of course jives with All The King's Horses and Men - or rather, all our Queen's men and women, with the latter being the greater force. Women are key to this election, never before have the girls had a girl champion, a Warrior-Queen against whom the Abborttians have no effective weapon. The metaphor could be taken further but there's no need, just remember we need to be like ants all working in the same cause, ripping the legs and wings and head off the disgusting blowie that is the LNP. Ruddstoration is finally dead, it's too close now to even think of change, and I'm so-o-o-o glad! We are still only at Battle Speed though, Ramming Speed we have in reserve, and it's time to ramp up the attack. I can't wait. * Turdball with the gutsy Jon Faine on 774 ABC Melbourne talking about Labor wanting a Nanny State re media control - Did you see the Abborttians so shocked about Twitter comments about them, wanting it banned from making similar comments on Them that their sycophants make about Us on all their Media. Ha Ha Ha. * I'm sorry I can't keep up with replying to all our warriors here, but I must tell you-all I love you Comrades, it goes beyond just liking for the Fellowship of the Sword, you don't get misty from just affection, that's how I know. I LOVE to hear others taking up the Battle Cry of [i]VENCEREMOS![/i] because I know you feel it too, this fierce love of Comradeship here. All praise to You Ad astra, You Lyn, and all us other little ants, each bringing what we can to the fight. Summon Up the Blood, Double the Fist, Set the Jaw and Face the Foe with Brave Hearts Comrades, timidity and diffidence will nort win this fight. If you want to be a hero then just follow *J*U*L*I*A*! * Belatedly (but Nasking ever since your return I have been trying to find the words). Thank You Comrade for your kind comments about moi, though I can tell you for certain that I am far from the well-read head you imagine me. My relative facility with turning a phrase is not matched by my reading ability unfortunately, I would have been in the ADHD class had there been such a thing when I was at school long ago. But your words are beyond gratifying, because if I can help at all with lifting the spirits and firming the resolve of Comrades, I count every syllable worth my while. Nas I am so sorry about your optical problems, I know it is chronic but I forget - if ever I knew - the exact nature and name of your condition. The one thing I can suggest is that you learn the trick Ad astra taught us, to hold Ctrl down and tap + repeatedly to enlarge the size of your type face. And would you be so kind as to tell us what your eye condition is, be it Glaucoma or macular degeneration or whatever, help your friends here to sympathise knowledgably, so we don't say dumb stuff that's hurtful rather than helpful, iyswim. I am glad to see Nas that you have warmed towards *J*U*L*I*A*, you know I have never been internally conflicted about her, and I recognize that your position has always been sincere, even though I think it to have been misguided hitherto in support of Kevin Rudd ... Well I know you are not conflicted about which Party you want in power, but to get Humpty Dumpty back in firing position it will take all hands, and I'm persuaded that from now on you'll be on deck and behind the present leadership. It is infinitely important that we be unified. * So many new and old contributors here, wish I [i]were[/i] a better reader, I have trouble keeping up (and with Twitter too that naughty Tweety got me addicted to) but we are strong and resolute, and anyway Ad astra welcomes everybody here, even, mostly, those I think don't deserve it. Thank Dog for the Fighting 5th Estate! No wonder the Enemy hates the NBN so, they know that in that facility lies their demise. Roll On the Roll-Out! [i]Fie on Turdball![/i] [b]VENCEREMOS![/b] AND! CROWIES! REMEMBER FRIDAY THIS COMING SWORDLUNCH AT THE ADELAIDE CASINO AT NOOOOOON!

LadyInRed

13/03/2013Ad another good article thanks. If you want TAbbott to win then join the despair being peddled by the media. Myself I am out their pushing back. News Ltd in particular has a vested interest in seeing us get the worst possible broadband outcome. FTTN + copper. Is the equivalent to pelting down the autobarn and just when you have the destination in sight you hit a dirt road. For copper to not do the above it has to be very short pristine wire and preferrably insulated with paper. Our copper is 100+ years old and sits in pits that flood whenever a bit of bad weather strikes which in Qld is regular. Wireless stops working also when the weather deteriorates. FTTN + $3000 is unfair on so many levels. Renters? People who simply cannot afford, and an extra expense to businesses many can't afford - effectivley dividing business opportunities to the have and the have nots. And to Turnbull's coalition advantage while the country is gassbagging, getting bogged down, about speeds and costs and delivery times, the real story, the possibilities, the good news stories, ones I would argue that would get people on side don't get reported on. How very convenient.

LadyInRed

13/03/2013Article disseminated Ad astra. I hope it works.

lyn

13/03/2013Good Morning Ad, A big thankyou to you for another powerful brilliant article. As Janet said you made her day but you made mine too. In my haste I have messed with my gravatar picture again, seems the add comment doesn't like me entering AU after dot com. My fault though as error where I signed up, maybe I will go and see if they will accept both. I have found a much better certainly more professional Media Frenzy Wrap Up by Bernard Keane:- [b]Media wrap: papers unite against press reforms [/b] News Limited and Fairfax rallied their troops against Stephen Conroy’s media regulation reforms announced yesterday. Here’s a selection of the opinion … http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/03/13/media-wrap-papers-unite-against-press-reforms/ :):):)

Truth Seeker

13/03/2013Morning Ad, like you I was appalled at the pathetic effort that Turdball put in WRT the proposed media legislation. A classic example of Turdball defending the indefensible, ie The status quo. Have just posted my take on the situation with the polls "Abbott? when there's no barge pole, an opinion poll will do http://truthseekersmusings.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/abbott-when-theres-no-barge-pole-an-opinion-poll-will-do/ Cheers ::-) :-)

Michael

13/03/2013We saw the difference between Julia Gillard's "cool courage" yesterday in Question Time, and that other Question Time when a panicked Abbott hot-footed it for the door at the possibility of Craig Thomson's vote supporting the Coalition. "Cool courage" as a political 'signature' in Gillard. Panicky sprints and freezing before Mark Riley as the behavioural motifs of Shouldabeen.

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13/03/2013TT You are really stirred up, as indeed we need to be, to fight for the next six months. I wish I could be at your Café Junction SwordLunch on Friday. I have fond memories of the first one. LadyinRed Thank you for your comments and for disseminating this piece. Have you noticed how obsessively poll-driven the commentariat and indeed politicians have become. After all the ‘leadership’ talk following the WA election, when the [i]Newspoll[/i] came in favouring Labor, the media went silent. I have not heard one word today. Although journalists know full well that polls of voting preference six months before an election are not predictive, they are still given Nostradamus status. If the next poll is even just a little less favourable to Labor, as it might well be within the usual 3% margin of error, it will, to use the media’s favourite words, ‘spark another round of leadership speculation’. It is pathetic, but understandable – the media thrives on conflict; changing polls generate plenty of that, and what could be easier for a journalist than writing commentary on poll results? Malcolm Turnbull’s utterances on the NBN are unconvincing. He was asked by Abbott to do something he did not want to do – ‘demolish the NBN’. He knows he can’t do that, but is still tinkering so that it looks like he is doing something. That leads him to canvass all sorts of compromise alternatives that would give us a poorer service. Surely a tech head like Turnbull would want the very best NBN!

lyn

13/03/2013Hi Ad, About time someone reported on the culture of abuse Abbott has caused. [b]Abbott blamed for culture of political abuse[/b] "You've got Liberal Party members of Parliament out on the lawns whipping people up, you've got people out there in Liberal Party t-shirts who then come into the Parliament with the feeling that their views are sanctioned and their behaviour is sanctioned by the highest levels of the Liberal Party of Australia," she said. Inside the paper Senator Conroy is depicted dressed as Stalin - the Soviet dictator blamed for the deaths of millions of Russians. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-13/abbott-blamed-for-culture-of-political-abuse/4569660 :):)

nasking

13/03/2013 [b]I suppose you’ve noticed that it’s 5½ years since Howard was PM? [/b] YES TOM...AND AS A CONSUMER AND HOME OWNER I STILL RECALL THE PAIN CAUSED BY COSTELLO'S GST (AND WHAT A COCKUP INTRODUCTION IT WAS FOR STRUGGLING BUSINESSES),,, AND ALL THOSE INTEREST RATE RISES IN A ROW. NOT THE BEST MEMORIES. N'

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13/03/2013Hi Lyn Thank you for your complimentary comment, and thank you too for the [i]Crikey[/i] link which starkly illustrates the angst in media circles at the suggestion that it might be held to account, when all it wants is to be able to say what it likes, no matter if entirely false, no matter if simply a biased partisan opinion, and not be held to account for its actions. Tanya Plibersek is dead right – Abbott is resorting to his tried and tested strategy: FUD – spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt. He is a nasty vindictive man who will not, indeed cannot change. Truth Seeker For those who missed Turnbull’s bumbling efforts on ABC radio, they can hear them via this link (towards the bottom of the page): http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-13/abbott-blamed-for-culture-of-political-abuse/4569660 I enjoyed your piece on polls, the media’s main manipulative mechanism: http://truthseekersmusings.wordpress.com/2013/03/12/abbott-when-theres-no-barge-pole-an-opinion-poll-will-do/ Michael Julia Gillard embodies courage. Tony Abbott embodies the opposite, with nastiness thrown in for good measure.

42 long

13/03/2013Yes AD. turnBULL's efort with Faine was dismal. This guy is no intellect and he has no claim to ethical purity either. The MSM has surely shown how MANIC "IT" is today. Imagine what it would cost any organisation who would want to place adverts similar to what was run today. Pages of utter rubbish... Would cost millions of dollars to anyone else. TurnBULL wants us to believe that a monopolistic media can be neutered by not buying tha paper. The fact is that papers have INFLUENCE, or those buying the means of print (or trying to get a monoploy of other forms) do it for a reason and that reason is POWER and INFLUENCE and that gives a control over money. Murdoch is out in the open and serving HIS interests full force. Is he and overdoing it? If he isn't we have a "Dumbness" problem out there..

LadyInRed

13/03/2013Ad I used to think Turnbull was a progressive. He has given up the fight. He knows it will take years to rid his party of ultra conservatives, I can only think he is hoping for a landslide defeat for the coalition, or else he is just sitting on the front benches in order to gather a pension at the end. But for him to peddle the sorts of things he has on the NBN, and I will admit he does them convincingly (albeit with News Ltd help) is quite frankly a blot on his integrity as far as I am concerned. If Abbott wins I see no future in the coalition for a person like Turnbull unless he becomes someone of influence and in the current circumstances that is unikely to happen. TAbbott keeps him there to appeal to the small "l's". This nation is in the midst of a great struggle, people who are fearful and suspicious of change and people who embrace change. News Ltd peddles to the former, for obvious reasons. So, it is no wonder that News Ltd hits changes to education and the NBN so hard. It is harder to scare informed and educated people. Informed and educated people look elsewhere. A battle for hearts and minds, have we had one as vicious as this, with so much at stake? We can despair and think we can't win or we can get out there and fight. The front page of the Daily Terror says much more about them than it does about freedom of speech.

MWS

13/03/2013TT, further to your tip re changing the size of the text, another method is to hold down the CTRL key and move the scroll wheel of the mouse -forward to enlarge, backwards to reduce. If you have a mouse with a wheel, it's easier for your finger to find that then the "+" key on the keyboard.

MWS

13/03/2013I spent part of last Saturday's election in WA collecting signatures for a petition outside my local polling booth. I was gob-smacked by the number of people who didn't understand what different levels of government (local, state and federal) are responsible for. For example, one person thought that the local council were to blame for reduced police staffing! Another voter thought that the Council should be building shopping centres (although I bet she would complain if her rates went up as a consequence). I was appalled at the ignorance, and the consequent "decisions" made on such flimsy thinking. This confusion isn't helped by the local (Liberal) MHR claiming credit for State Government decisions (because he can't do anything federally except make an idiot of himself), and the MLA (also Liberal) sticking his nose into the Council (although he has been rapidly backpedalling as the Council descends into chaos.

nasking

13/03/2013 [b]It is natural to have reservations about Kevin Rudd’s capacity to be truly supportive of PM Gillard and the Labor Party. It may be a pipe dream, but if his electoral appeal could be mobilized without having to pander unduly to his narcissistic needs, great outcomes are possible. [/b] Ad, I don't agree that Rudd is narcissistic...I think he is justified in playing the role of a possible alternative because of the ongoing popularity he has with a significant part of the electorate...and the fact he has the ability to garner attention like our opponent Abbott...add to that his experience as a PM...who for right or wrong reasons was unceremoniously dumped. To refer to his supporters who are hoping to replace Gillard with him as "cowards" could be perceived as insulting and like waving a red flag at a bull...only contributing further to the animosity between the two camps. Let me make this clear...I do not support the damaging leaking of confidential internal party info by either side...particularly to news organisations that have demonstrated ongoing bias against the party and consistently distorted events, policy and outcomes. These are disgraceful and damaging acts...particularly during the final weeks of an election. But I do support the creation and ongoing promotion by way of community visits and policy push done in a responsible party and leader supporting way of viable alternative leaders...in case conditions arise that necessitate the present leader being replaced...if Hawke had not been constructed and promoted as an alternative leader ALP history would be very different indeed. Having said that, I do believe it essential that we Rudd supporters recognise there would be dramatic consequences if PM Gillard was to be replaced. Firstly, this would create a feast for the media, benefitting primarily the sensationalist tabloids and shit stirring shock jocks that profit from wolf pack attacks...blood-letting. Secondly, it is likely both media and the opposition would refer to this event as THE NSW DISEASE...further connecting the federal ALP to the problems of the past NSW Labour govt in the minds of many voters...considering the recent leadership events in Victoria that have demonstrated the Liberal party can be just as RUTHLESS and also have so called FACELESS MEN ASSASSINS...and factional disputes...it would undermine the political advantages caused by this Liberal strategic stuffup. Thirdly, we know that Kevin Rudd has connections to News Ltd and may decide to kowtow to the demands of News Ltd...this would be unfortunate considering the media reforms about to be passed. The Murdoch empire has enuff reach as it is...and any kowtowing would probably see further reach and media accumulation by a generally libertarian media empire hostile towards any political group or individual that opposes their desire for media dominance and continued expansion, corporate tax cuts...and anyone who resists the propaganda by News Ltd that has helped to undermine public belief in the effectiveness and legitimacy of government in people's lives...and the necessity of tax increases and certain regulation in the pursuit of the common good. Furthermore, it is possible that News Ltd and their clones would turn on PM Rudd again anyway, considering he would be the leader of a party that does not share their fanatical ideology...and in this time of struggling MSM might decide that having once effectively driven down his polls by way of hyperbolic attacks on certain schemes he helped design and implement...and in turn, using recorded verbal attacks on him by co-workers...it would be easy for them to create yet another firestorm and demolish the government once and for all...and in the process create enuff interest in their product to profit handsomely...and deliver govt into the hands of Abbott & Turnbull...so called defenders of FREE MEDIA. As in the MURDOCH EMPIRE and clones who will stifle the public broadcasters...and let the private companies run rampant. And as mentioned previously by DMW, a Rudd takeover would call for a number of resignations of key govt ministers who strongly criticised him previously...and this would cause mayhem...lasting thruout the election campaign...and probable leaks that would serve to do further damage. Finally, there would be a likely backlash from some female voters...and Victorians. We may as well stick with PM Gillard who has demonstrated courage under fire...an ability to get legislation passed...may demonstrate more flexibility when it comes to policies that could be refined to demonstrate more fairness and compassion...has shown herself to be a more useful and confident negotiator and diplomat overseas than some critics expected...has begun to GET why it's important to let your hair down and meet and greet the voters in their local area... And...is well acquainted with the present ALP policies and has obviously planned their promotion and timing of implementation, rollout of schemes and such...who better to explain to voters THE DIFFERENCE between the ALP's vision for the future...and Abbott's Liberals? Going thru all this in my mind the past few days thnx to discussion with other ALP supporters and even critics, I have consequently decided to support PM Gillard for the remainder of this election year. Cheers N'

bob macalba

13/03/2013Janice..petition signed, been living in the Hunter 30+years and remember it before the bloody great big holes and 'imported locals'. good luck Lyn.... the murdoch machine seem a tad annoyed,cranky even..hee hee love watching and listening to right whingers carry on when things dont their way..interesting times ahead...cheers LiR...'fight' we carry on fighting, last person standing wins and that would be Labor and the 'Fighting Fifth' Talk Turkey........'VENCEREMOS' To all at TPS maintain the rage, we have to continue educating the 'misinformed'. a big job but one that has to be done, keep spreading the word folks and all will be good, common sense will win out in the end. ....cheers all

Alcyone

13/03/2013Here is a great "The Real Alannah McTiernan" article from "Perth Now" http://www.perthnow.com.au/raising-the-bar/story-fn6o0xxk-1226346828172 Reading through it I see a lady of passion with a strong drive to stand up and fight for her team and a full appreciation of the make-or-break importance of loyal support. Why? Why? Why?

2353

13/03/2013I had a long day yesterday at work where I left home before sun up, spent a few hours on a plane and got home after dark. Strangely I didn't feel like reading much on the computer last night. A couple of observations. The news I saw yesterday (primarily papers and the car radio) didn't mention Newspoll, no one was discussing it and to most I spoke to had more immediate concerns. Neither was anyone talking about the proposed media laws (despite the protestations of NewsCorp or the male host of ABC Breakfast this morning).

MWS

13/03/2013Alcyone, Alannah McTiernan left State politics to challenge Don Randall in the Federal seat of Canning (my electorate) at the 2010 election. When she made the decision to run in Canning, Kevin Rudd was the PM. Perhaps she feels that the actions of Julia Gillard in calling the 2010 election deprived her of a career as a federal MP? McTiernan came very close, but the replacement of Rudd with Gillard just before the election probably cost McTeirnan a few votes (and she only needed a few votes). It's always good to know the motivations behind people's actions.

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13/03/2013nasking Thanks for your thoughtful comment, which I enjoyed reading. I take your points, even when I may not agree with all of them. You object to the use of ‘cowards’ and presumably also ‘cowardice’ when applied with Rudd supporters in caucus. To me, it is cowardice to background journalists against the PM under a cloak of anonymity. While we know by name some who support Rudd, what we do not know is whom it is that are leaking to journalists. Neither they, nor the journalists they brief, will come out in the open. It is this subterranean behaviour that I call cowardice. I shall never forget the irreparable damage done to Julia Gillard by the leak to Laurie Oakes during the 2010 election campaign, which ended up as a question to her at the NPC. Nobody knows who leaked; the suspects have never confirmed or denied their involvement. Whether one uses narcissistic or some similar term to describe Rudd’s public behaviour is not as important as the fact that to many observers he has an insatiable desire for public exposure and admiration, admittedly not a unique characteristic for a politician. Again, thank you for taking the time to write such a well-measured comment. Such contributions make [i]TPS[/i] what it has become.

janice

13/03/2013Alcyone, MWS, I've exchanged a number of emails with Alannah MacTiernan after I admonished her for helping the Murdoch LNP with their anti-Gillard/Labor campaign. She actually thought she was doing the 'right thing' in speaking her mind to the media. I came to believe that her heart is in the right place but she has swallowed the meme that 'everyone and his dog [b]hates[/b] the PM' and therefore she thinks (hopefully now 'thought')we should ditch Gillard and get a new leader. I did my best to instil more positive thoughts in her head and to get her to recognise Labor cannot win so much as a peanut unless the party pulls together behind the best PM this country has ever had. Since she will be a panelist on Q & A this week, we will see whether all the emails she was bombarded with have made a difference and made her more wary of trusting a journalist.

LadyInRed

13/03/2013Oh great so MacTiernan is going on Q&A. Janice I just sent her an email as well letting her know the PM has lots of support and she needs her party behind her not working against her. How she could see her media address as helpful is beyond me.

paul walter

13/03/2013Glory be! Wait long enough and they'll over-egg the cake, as happened with the Terror-graph today. We got a timely reminder of who the REAL enemy might be, Abbott is only the megalomaniac's meat puppet. On the issue just raised, no doubt Mac Tiernan is being well-compensated for the inconvenience.

janice

13/03/2013LadyinRed, Welcome to the 'email MacTiernan' club :) She must have been bombarded with emails and began sending the same explanatory emails out in bulk! I have a sneaking suspicion she didn't expect there were so many JG fans out in the electorates and so she immediately began backing off.

janice

13/03/2013Bob Macalba, Thank you for signing the petition - every bit of support is needed.

Jason

13/03/2013janice, I signed your petition as well. good luck

lyn

13/03/2013Hi Janice, I have signed and also tweeted the link for you. Cheers to you :):)

Pappinbarra Fox

13/03/2013My heart bleeds for the Hunter Valley. I was educated in the valley in primary school and had many a splendoured day at Glenborne Dam. Even then when adults talked about "not being able to stop progress" I always wondered why not.Now I know - it was not really progress but regress. And isn't that obvious. Instead of providing food to feed a nation the valley is providing what coal and gas that will be consumed in a very short time and leave pollution, increased enhanced greenhouse effect and great big holes. Humankind is just not ecologically rational.

KHTAGH

13/03/2013G'Day All AA Shared via FB & Twitter as your writings should see a greater readership. I have a question to pose to our readership, with the current blatantly biased reporting that is being seen in our MSM & the push for Ltd News to get its propaganda out there, running at a daily loss, giving the rag away at supermarkets. When it comes to the election proper, if the rich right wing controllers ie Murdoch, Gina, Singleton combine their efforts & money & influence (as they have been for the last 2 yrs) & simply refuse to run government election adds where does that leave us? What action would be open to Labor? They have the attitude that they are untouchable so what is stopping them? I love the commentary of TPS, although I have been engrossed in reading & just looked across to see my parrot Soloman(Sun Conure) with his head deep in my glass of red wine, soon to be a pissed parrot. It is so good to see so many new faces & old posting here again, TT thanks for the many retweets over the last while. For those not on Twitter it is truly addictive once you figure out what it is & how it all works. I find it very uplifting to see that ones own internal opinions are shared by other intelligent(aged) persons on TPS it is the must do pit stop everyday for a laborite battery recharge. Lyn's ♥♥ links are the cream filling to AA's cake, combined are a true feast of facts & enlightenment. Unfortunately I have noticed our successful method of starving our pet troll of attention by not feeding him has sent him onto other sites where he makes a constant pest of himself, I'm sure we are sorry for inflicting him onto other site through relevance starvation. Shoulder's to the wheel, we are fighters, we are winners, we will prevail.

nasking

13/03/2013 [quote]It is this subterranean behaviour that I call cowardice. [/quote] Ad, I prefer to describe it as IRRESPONSIBLE. An IRRESPONSIBLE AND BADLY-TIMED TACTIC that was partially motivated by grief and a sense of betrayal. Petty and self-centred...but feeling rejected, wronged, slighted, abandoned even the most mature of Humans can find themselves going beyond duty, self-sacrifice and altruism...and reacting in an emotionally unstable and nation damaging fashion. Fatigue may also have played a part. And being egged on by close family and associates. Anyway, I appreciate your supportive words and agree wholeheartedly that we need to UNITE now in a COMMON CAUSE... to ensure that Tony Abbott does not become Prime Minister of this good country... and continue to alert readers to the hyperbole, biases and sometimes outright abusive approach of some in the MSM towards PM Gillard and her team...something you and other contributors have done most effectively on this robust blog...in turn, promoting the value and quality content of the Fifth Estate... whilst examining the important differences between the various party's platforms and outlining the numerous Gillard government accomplishments... explore possible effects and impact of various policies... endeavour to identify patterns of behaviour of leaders and other influential characters who may gain power that might determine how they will govern... and remind readers of why voters rejected certain Liberal party policies in the past...and why they eventually dumped a government that had Tony Abbott and a number of his team in it playing significant roles. Thank you for the opportunity to air my views without being ridiculed or bullied. We may differ on certain topics, issues...our interpretations of events not always in synch... but I believe we essentially have in common the pursuit of the common good... and agree for our country to progress in a manner that is least damaging to the disadvantaged and provides more opportunities for THE MANY to create a better life for themselves in an environmentally responsible way... rather than a FEW being catered to who already have PRIVILEGES and FORTUNE beyond what could be considered morally, ecologically and socially responsible...creating imbalances that put this entire planet in jeopardy... it is imperative that Tony Abbott and his Coalition do not get their hands on the reins of power. N'

Jason

13/03/2013 The NT News 9 minutes ago. BREAKING NEWS: Adam Giles has lead a coup against Terry Mills and is the new Chief Minister. Dave Tollner to be deputy. More details to come.

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13/03/2013Folks Today’s QT was pretty tame, not this time interrupted by Abbott-fostered abuse directed at the PM from the gallery. To me, the Opposition seems to be running out of puff. Abbott asked just two questions, Julie Bishop none. Questions from the Opposition were largely negative and designed to embarrass. They included the old chestnuts: boat arrivals (Abbott) and Manus Island (Morrison), the national debt level, (Hockey), and not surprisingly, media regulation (Turnbull); GST allocation to Tasmania (Wilkie) and the Crime Commission investigation into sport. PMJG and her ministers batted away the questions with ease, and made their anti-Coalition points in the process. The positive questions came from the Government and were informative. Perhaps the most striking was directed to Simon Crean following up after his NPC address today on the arts with the launch of the first arts policy since the last Labor Government: [i]Creative Australia[/i] with $235 million of funding. I was surprised to hear that over half a million people are employed in the arts, 5% of the workforce. That is more than double the proportion employed in mining. This is a major initiative. There were Labor questions about education, NAPLAN, the MySchool website, higher wages for aged care workers, disability and the NDIS, water in coal seam gas mining, and Labor’s tax cuts for lower income workers were mentioned in Wayne Swan’s response that featured the Government’s ‘stronger, smarter, fairer’ policy for economic growth. It is noteworthy that today the Westpac-Melbourne Institute index of consumer sentiment rose by 2 per cent to 110.5 in March from 108.3 in February. The gauge, which is 15 per cent above the level a year ago, rose 7.7 per cent in February. "This is a strong result," said Bill Evans, global head of economics at Westpac. "In recent months we have seen the accumulation of the [interest rate] cuts appearing to be genuinely boosting confidence." 115 and over is considered high confidence. Since PMJG and Wayne Swan are held responsible for most things that affect the economy, perhaps they deserved the three cheers led by Joe Hockey and enthusiastically seconded by Tony Abbott.

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13/03/2013nasking I’m sure many who blog here would agree with you concluding words: [i]”I believe we essentially have in common the pursuit of the common good...
and agree for our country to progress in a manner that is least damaging to the disadvantaged and provides more opportunities for THE MANY to create a better life for themselves in an environmentally responsible way...
rather than a FEW being catered to who already have PRIVILEGES and FORTUNE beyond what could be considered morally, ecologically and socially responsible...creating imbalances that put this entire planet in jeopardy...
it is imperative that Tony Abbott and his Coalition do not get their hands on the reins of power.”[/i] Advantaging the MANY rather than the privileged FEW starkly distinguishes Labor from the Coalition. Jason Surely that can’t be right – turmoil and change of leaders in LNP ranks! Isn’t that supposed to be the ‘Labor disease’? It must be contagious – it has spread to Victoria and now to the NT. But of course Coalition changes of leader are ‘orderly’, not chaotic as they are with Labor. I trust the Federal Coalition has had immunization against the spread of the ‘Leadership Change Virus’ to the Opposition Party room.

Pikiranku

13/03/2013AusDavo I think the reason why some Cabinet members spoke out so openly during the last Rudd challenge was to give the public some idea why the change in leadership to Julia Gillard had occurred in the first place. Their silence in 2010 had left the field wide open to the "knifing" myth and the "evil witch Julia" advocates. I think those MPs who spoke out believed the public had a right to some understanding of what had happened and deserved something approaching the truth. It wasn't their fault that the truth wasn't pretty.

nasking

13/03/2013 [b]Inside the paper Senator Conroy is depicted dressed as Stalin - the Soviet dictator blamed for the deaths of millions of Russians.[/b] Lyn, Such an adolescent, hyperbolic yet predictable response from a news organisation that demonstrates hypocrisy by way of its own Stalinist and Stasi-like methods of investigating citizens... the use of phone hacking and other invasive techniques are forms of surveillance and privacy intrusion that would've been warmly accepted as useful methods of policing and protecting such authoritarian regimes. Some might aptly refer to News Limited's behaviour as CHUTZPAH. N'

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13/03/2013KHTAGH Thank you for spreading this piece elsewhere. And thank you for your kind words about the [i]TPS[/i] blogger group. If the main media outlets jacked up on Labor advertisements, that would be pretty noticeable, and what is more, could they afford to lose the revenue, would they?

Jason

13/03/2013Aa, It seems the former Chief Minister was in Japan while this was being voted on, so wasn't able to defend himself or look his assassins in the eye!

Pikiranku

13/03/2013LiR FTTN + $3000 is unfair on another level, too. We paupers, who haven't got $3000 to spare, won't be able to use it. But we're all going to pay for the FTTN component of it, through our taxes. So we'll be paying for a vast part of the construction of a system we can't ourselves use, subsidising the use of it by a wealthier minority. Just like health insurance rebates. Another instance of wealth being funnelled upwards. Typical LNP.

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13/03/2013Jason That's the LNP way!

Jason

13/03/2013“@RogueLabor: Black smoke = no pope White smoke = new pope Blue smoke = Libs knifing another state leader. #auspol”

nasking

13/03/2013 [b]It seems the former Chief Minister was in Japan while this was being voted on, so wasn't able to defend himself or look his assassins in the eye! [/b] JASON, SEEMS THE CONSERVATIVES ARE NOT ONLY RUTHLESS...BUT ALSO DAZED AND CONFUSED THESE DAYS... TONY ABBOTT AND THE FEDERAL TEAM MUST BE HAVING A PROFOUNDLY NEGATIVE EFFECT ON THEM...AND THE OPPORTUNISTIC MEDIA... FOR THEIR SEEMS TO BE A GREAT DEAL OF NEGATIVITY, BACK-BITING AND PLENTY OF POOR IDEAS PROMOTED... NOT TO MENTION HALF-BAKED, SUPERFICIAL AND MISGUIDED POLICIES THAT DO NOT SIT WELL WITH THE PUBLIC...AND CRUMBLE UNDER INTENSE SCRUTINY. THIS IS WHAT YOU GET WHEN POLITICIANS ARE PUSHED TO LET THE MARKETS RUN FREE...OR AT LEAST AS FREE AS SOME OF THEIR CORPORATE MASTERS DICTATE... WHEN PRIVATISATION IS EXERCISED OVER THE COMMON GOOD... AND MINING BARONS AND GAMBLING GROUPS AND MEDIA MOGULS AND PROPERTY DEVELOPERS USE STATE GOVERNMENTS LIKE CASH COWS AND PUPPETS. PRINCIPLES ARE ABANDONED...INTEGRITY IS LOST. AS IS PUBLIC TRUST. N'

nasking

13/03/2013 Make that: THERE SEEMS TO BE A GREAT DEAL OF NEGATIVITY, BACK-BITING AND PLENTY OF POOR IDEAS PROMOTED...

lyn

13/03/2013Hi Pikiranku, I have followed you on Twitter, just found you by accident yesterday, much to my delight. Nasking this is what else they did altered Stephen Conroy's face to look like Stalin, nice types aren't they. AdNews ‏@AdNews The Daily Telegraph digitally altered an image of Stephen Conroy to compare him Joseph Stalin #media http://bit.ly/14V18EG Will Abbott say this was an orderly transition like he did about Victoria:- Geoff Pearson ‏@GCobber99 NT Chief Minister Terry Mills dumped by phone, Adam Giles to be first indigenous leader | The Australian: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/nt-chief-minister-terry-mills-dumped-as-leader-by-phone-report/story-e6frgczx-1226596593915 News Limited CEO Mr Kim Williams AM's address to the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce THIS is the full speech that News Limited CEO Mr Kim Williams AM gave to the Australia-Israel Chamber of Commerce today. http://www.news.com.au/national-news/news-limited-ceo-mr-kim-williams-ams-address-to-the-australia-israel-chamber-of-commerce/story-fncynjr2-1226596591735#ixzz2NOgUh6Zy :):):)

Pikiranku

13/03/2013AA Now THAT'S the QT that I watched as well! I was beginning to wonder if there were two of them when I heard the start of the post-QT summary by that Binney person. "Question Time today centred around the question of asylum seekers and detention ..." he began. Centred around? I remembered 2-3 questions in total from Abbott and Morriscum (which Julia and Brendan O'Connor batted away with ease) and then everyone moved on to other things. A great variety of other things. Why does the ABC employ these people? We've just watched the program, for God's sake! We don't need to be told what we've just seen. They'd be totally redundant, these commentators, even if they got it right. But they can't even do that! It's pathetic.

Bilko

13/03/2013Jason You must have a pipeline to the NT well ahead of the MSM.Two coups in a week they say things happen in three's Three little ducks in a row could the next under performer be our beloved Tones.

2353

13/03/2013Bilko - the next one to go is Newman. He's lost a landslide lead in a year.

LadyInRed

13/03/2013Yes Pikiranku, I should have added that people who can't afford are actaully subsidising for the rich. Grossly unfair. But then most of what the Libs stand for now is unfairness. They can't wait to get their hands on the books in order to start to implement the mother of all privatisation programs. You can see it in the way that Abbott just doesn't answer anything about policy. Ultra conservatives believe in a user pays system. That's why they don't embrace Gonski its not in their DNA to give top quality education to people who can't afford it. They stand for governments providing the 'no-name-brand' services. That is, put in the least amount of ingredients you can so you can still call it education or medical services, for example. Anything better than that then pay for it yourself.

nasking

13/03/2013 TT, Apologies for my belated response...I'm still attempting to catch up on the many informative comments above...I have days where my brain functions far slower than the previous one...probably due to some chemical imbalance in my brain. C'est la vite! [b]My relative facility with turning a phrase is not matched by my reading ability unfortunately[/b] Then your reading ability must be off the scale. :D You seem more than proficient to me. Yes indeed, we must put aside any leadership quarrels for now and focus on supporting our PM in her quest to win another election and exile this caricature of a man, Abbott, to the Land of Political Oblivion. In regard to my eyes, I have early onset cataracts...one eye has less than 20% vision I'm told by the specialist...the other getting close to that. It is complicated by a tendency for me to get dizzy and lose focus due to an underlying physical, neurological problem I have had for years. I realise that persistent use of upper-case type must be irritating for some to read...unfortunately, there are times when it is easier for me to read my own writing when using capital letters...the comment I'm currently composing has been arduous work - even having zoomed in - so you have my sincerest apologies if occasionally I submit a comment in 100% upper-case text. Still, I shall persist in writing down my thoughts on here for as long as I am capable...and hopefully they shall contribute to the undermining of Tony Abbott's quest to transform his tortured view of the world into our living nightmare. “We are kept keen on the grindstone of pain and necessity.” ― H.G. Wells, The Time Machine :D N'

KHTAGH

13/03/2013AA I suppose that is the question I was asking, if they could afford to do as Murdoch is with the rags, give it away, also being each others own commercial opposition 7-9-10 if all took the same loss(subsidy)no market change, they are basically doing it now, why would it change?? How much pro Labor do you see on TV now? I'm not saying totally ignoring Labor adds, but giving the LNP such good rates (subsidise as liberal donation) compared to the government we get 4-5 liberal adds to 1 Labor add. Just look at the situation, 3 megalomaniacs in basic control of the media/propaganda Abbott's team Murdoch Gina Singleton as a whole, plus the ABC being dragged along in the slipstream,its the last throw of the dice (NBN comes in they lose money by the bucket load). I would not have thought in my wildest nightmares that I would see the control, BLATANT control(& arrogance to do it), the media is playing in this country. We have seen the total contempt that is being shown by those rich people in this country & the mindset of government at [b]any[/b] cost. Look at the control over Ashbygate, Jacksonville. Murdoch & phone taps UK etc. I have never seen such arrogance we see from the liberal party in politics these days their ability to Lie as they do, look at how Turnball got stuck into an ABC employee over the NBN. It is like the Lieberals have the mindset, even ignore judges 'Its in the bag'. One of my pet hates of the rodent in the last half of his reign was he would look down his nose at you when he talk in interviews. Most of the current LNP do it, just keep it in mind when they appear on the box. Abetz near goes horizontal. I suppose what I'm saying is like you say people would notice but who would stop them if they did? We just saw today what happens when you even try to ask the MSM to be truthful to the public. Is Aussie apathy being used against us? Mushroom syndrome. By the way I think QT was good for the Government today.

Ausdavo

13/03/2013Pikiranku Thank you for your view of their reasons. Being brought up to believe in loyalty I find what they did abhorrent. Worse still, it in no way helped change the mind of the general public. Many people in Hervey Bay were disgusted by the disloyalty. It certainly gave the MSM plenty of ammunition. In Rudd's time as leader I was greatly disappointed at his lack of loyalty in the dumping of Minister Garrett over the highly successful pink batts scheme (painted as a failure by the MSM). However he stuck steadfastly by Julia as Education Minister despite the MSM's blatently biased reporting of BER problems. Once Abbott became OL the MSM ramped up their attacks on Rudd and his government. Finally certain factions of the ALP allowed Murdoch and his minions to influence them to remove a first term sitting PM. Total disloyalty, again, by those responsible. You only have to look at the MSM's different reponse to Rudd's axing compared with the more recent Vic Premier's removal and now the NT Chief Minister. The ALP played right into the MSM's hands and have paid a hard price ever since. But we are where we are now. The vitriol displayed by some progressives makes me wonder "are they ostriches?". To stop Abbott we need the best people who can attract votes leading the ALP. They are, in my opinion, Julia Gillard as PM and Kevin Rudd as Deputy PM. More to the point, all who want Abbott stopped, should stop taking sides by claiming Rudd this or Gillard that. Support them both and thank them both for what they've done for Australia as we don't want to see it all undone by an Abbott government

Pikiranku

13/03/2013Lyn!!! I've been sprung! How did you do that! I have to confess that I just ventured onto Twitter a few days ago, pressed a few Follow buttons, but really have no idea what I'm doing. I was hoping to quietly broach the subject with an expert at the Adelaide Swordsters' lunch on Friday actually, and get a few quick tips. I've found it very interesting so far though. I spent 20 very enjoyable minutes this afternoon watch a YouTube clip which had been retweeted by Laura Tingle - it was a film, digitally repaired by the Film & Sound Archive, of the founding and naming of Canberra. Fascinating! All these extremely dressed-up people out in a bare, dusty paddock in the middle of nowhere with some unruly horses and a few stray dogs, laying foundation stones and making speeches. The optimism! The belief! The aplomb! It was just wonderful to see. I'm sure we've lost some of that.

lyn

13/03/2013Hi Pikiranku I found you in the Australian Labor's followers. You need to follow me back, then that will put you on my Twitter Stream, incredibly interesting reading with many informative tweets. You are going to love it. Also up to you, but you need to change your settings from private because no one can see your tweets, really not much use in that. On Friday Janet and Talk Turkey will be delighted to give you a few tips I am sure as they are both addicted. Cheers to you :):)

janice

13/03/2013I just love watching the media squealing like stuck pigs. Conroy surely provided an excellent circuit breaker to force the media to focus on policy instead of leadershit beat-ups. And, of course Gina is playing her part by playing the heavy power hand to force a journo to reveal her sources. It is just not done, Gina. Then we have the NT CLP coup to roll their leader. The Tories are always meaner, nastier and better at playing filthier than Labor on all fronts. The Rudd send-off pales into insignificance in comparison.

Patricia WA

13/03/2013Hi Janice, I'm full of admiration for the work you're doing of late. Well done! Apologies for my slow response. I've read your post at the PUB and signed that petition. Like you, I've been having a go at Alannah MacTiernan. It would be great if our efforts encouraged her to think again before she appears on Q&A. if only to begin to understand what a strong following the Prime Minister has and the affection and esteem in which she is held. I'm cross with my slow pace these days, but as [b]Vote1Julia[/b] tells us at http://pbxmastragics.com/2013/03/13/making-a-difference-in-2013-your-part-in-abbotts-downfall/ every little helps to make a difference and we all have a part to play in bringing about Abbott's downfall

Bilko

13/03/2013Ausdavo We both agree that Abbott must not be elected in fact the coalition deserve at least another term in the wilderness at which time maybe the Despot in NY may be removed from this mortal coil(not something I normally say but with him I do). Running a news agency with paper declining sales, which you must be well aware of as it is your lively hood at stake. I trust you can diversify most small agencies I come across have an Auspost offshoot. Re your comment Last night you mentioned K Rudd "... failed Julia as Foreign Minister". and I find it hard to understand that statement. Julia rewarded Kevin with one of the best portfolio's commensurate with his abilities, pushing Stephen a loyal follower aside. He return the complement by a white ant policy against her or by his few supporters which he should have stepped on. Instead he should have thanked his lucky stars he was not doing a Costello warming a backbench seat. I was upset about Kevin's demise and thought what was Labor doing, but I warmed to Julia and what she has put up with from the opposition and its media hacks and is still standing amazes me. Kevin got rid of Howard and for that the country is eternally grateful but he was a micro manager and it was his way or the highway attitude that undid him plus dumping on Garrett and letting Abbott get away with "Industrial manslaughter slur". Kevin was never a team player it is a lonely task at the top but one needs one's team pulling with you, and his treatment of the cabinet was appalling. Cheers for now to all swordsters

Patricia WA

13/03/2013Hi lyn! Lovely to read you as you pop up throughout the day even after all that work compiling your links to get us all moving in the morning! Your energy amazes me! Cheers, Patricia

Michael

13/03/2013Two Coalition parties have dumped their leaders in the last week and a half. Good things come in threes...

bob macalba

13/03/2013Folks this is a WTF http://www.walchanewsonline.com.au/story/1360645/life-under-abbott-please-dont-panic/?cs=12 comedy gone wrong?

DMW

13/03/2013[Deep and Meaningless Warning On] As it often does Radio National's [b]Big Ideas[/b] offers some very thought provoking and belief altering propositions. Tonights topic: [b]What's wrong with our leaders? [i]Why do our democratic leaders so often disappoint us?[/b] Leadership by definition offenses against fundamental principles of democracy – John Kane and Haig Patapan discuss the unique character and always fragile legitimacy of democratic leadership in order to explain why we so frequently suspect our political leaders of being less than honest with us.[/i] http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bigideas/what27s-wrong-with-our-leaders3f/4525154 If you are prepared to take the fifty-three minutes or so it takes to listen to this episode while taking off your partisan earphones and be in the state of [i]inocent bystander [/i] or similar, you just might learn a great deal about why the current PM has [i]leadership problems [/i] and why it is not her problem alone. This is highly recommended for those into the [i]deep and meaningless of democracy and governance [/i] rather than partisan politics though, even partisan players may learn some things. [/Deep and Meaningless Warning Off]

jane

13/03/2013Well, well who's a msm cross patch today? roflmao. I especially love this gem by the Adelaide Advertiser. [quote}An aggressive attempt to silence your media{/quote] It must have the msm sweating bullets, but I think Conroy should have gone further by adding a Canadian style truth in news reporting section and including shock jocks. That would really set the cat amongst the pigeons. Can you imagine Anal's face. All we'd need would be a maitre de offering the fat slug a wafer thin slice of outrage and KABOOM!!!! Imagine the squeals. Nas' @3.44pm, that's another thing we need to keep pushing. People seem to forget (or ignore) that Liealot's already been around the block as a minister in the Howard government as have pretty well all of the losers in his shadow front bench. Great comment, btw. Blimey, Jason. The Liars seem to be playing musical Premiers! And they've only been in government 5 minutes. Will they last the distance without all of them being on life support? Love the idea of blue smoke, but the way they seem to be going, they'll run out of stuff to make the smoke blue. lol [quote]Yet Abbott and the shock jocks have branded her a pathological liar when we know how loose they can be with the truth.[/quote] Loose with the truth? They're falling to bits. :D [quote]So we'll be paying for a vast part of the construction of a system we can't ourselves use, subsidising the use of it by a wealthier minority.[/quote] Aahhh! The Liars way-warms the cockles of your wallet doesn't it? Fleece the poor to subsidise the wealthy.

Sir Ian Crisp

13/03/2013[quote][b]Ad Astra: But surprisingly the Newspoll came in at a TPP of 52/48 for the Coalition, somewhat of an improvement from the 55/45 figures last time. And Julia Gillard has jumped above Tony Abbott in the PPM stakes: 42/38. Of course there was a morsel for the opinionistas to play with – the statistic that with Kevin Rudd as leader Labor’s primary vote would jump to an improbable 47% and the TPP to 56/44 in favour of Labor. It will be fascinating to see how they play with those statistics, but anyone who believes those figures would be even remotely approached at an election is delusional and ought to be on medication. Yet that is what the commentariat would have us believe, and what the Rudd agitators dream about. [/b][/quote] Back when Rudd was crowd surfing you carried his picture around in your wallet. How quickly the Rudd backers turned on their former hero. Now, former Rudd backers – that includes you Ad Astra – are known as agitators. How fleeting is loyalty in the dysfunctional ALP camorra. [quote][b]The Rudd Report Card one year in Tuesday, 18 November 2008 18:39 by Ad astra [...] Rudd is doing a commendable job, is improving all the while, has a large agenda and reform programme, is thorough and careful in planning, can handle emergencies and act quickly, and to date has the majority of the people on side. His ministers are performing well, even those said to have on their training wheels early on. We’re in good hands. [/b][/quote] You now complain about the lack of loyalty offered to the bird of paradox by her ALP gangsters yet you yourself turned on your former hero Kevin Rudd in a display of disloyalty. The way you packaged up Rudd’s first year of miracles made me think he was on the verge of being beatified. Have you no shame? The spike regarding the popularity of the bird of paradox is evaporating already. [quote][b]Gary Morgan says: “Today’s Morgan Poll shows the L-NP (57.5%, up 3%) increasing their lead over the ALP (42.5%, down 3%) on a two-party preferred basis despite Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s week-long stay in Western Sydney — a key battleground for this September’s election. [/b][/quote]

nasking

13/03/2013 [b]Nasking this is what else they did altered Stephen Conroy's face to look like Stalin, nice types aren't they.[/b] Lyn, their cries of protest when accused of bias can no longer be taken seriously...this is a media empire used to getting its way... and like spoilt aristocrats who come up against effective resistance the Murdoch papers are more than willing to take off the mask of civility and throw mud and muck like the most self-centred of children...using any vicious means at their disposal to intimidate and bully politicians into serving their ends I take them less seriously as a news outlet than National Lampoon and Juggs Magazine. A joke. Give the emotionally stunted News Ltd a pacifier. N'

Ausdavo

13/03/2013Thanks for your comments Bilko. It's great to discuss and consider other points of view but of course much better when we're on the same side. Re my Newsagency: as I'm in a Shopping Centre which already has a Post Office that option isn't available. However I am diversifying and to be honest I wish I didn't have to sell the papers I do. I know full well it's the only slant on politics that some of my customers get (by their comments). I was previously a lecturer in Economics and know just how good the government's economic management has been for our country, small business and near full employment over the last 5 years. I see the huge improvements in facilities at the local school as I deliver their papers but despair at some of the parents who forget the improvements their children enjoy and are ready to vote LNP. They don't even think of the economic aspects past, present and future. Many trot out the MSM line "What Gillard did to Rudd". We have to counter it. That's why I strongly believe a reconciliation between the two is vital to electoral success (perhaps more in Queensland than other states!) I read about "white anting by Rudd" when it was supposed to have happened. I didn't see K Rudd do anything the way others portrayed it. I know he's different to many other politicians when being interviewed but I believe he's been misinterpreted and misrepresented on just about every occasion. The MSM are always out to help Abbott divide and conquer! I thought K Rudd was an excellent Foreign Minister and believe he was pushed into his challenge a year ago in similar circumstances to that which Julia was in mid 2010. There were certainly some in the caucus playing their tune for Murdoch et. al. on both occasions first against then PM Rudd and then against PM Gillard. The best thing that has come out of is that J Gillard PM is one of the best PM's in my lifetime (I started with Curtin though too young to know about him and Chiffley). I hold no animosity for either K Rudd or J Gillard and (as I've previously said) I believe that they jointly offer the ALP the best chance of victory. Every other option has a far lesser chance. Based on comments I hear every day, I strongly believe that the more of us who espouse the spirit of reconciliation between Julia and Kevin the better the chance of defeating the malevolent Abbott. Let's not forget we're not wanting to influence the 80% who never change their vote. It's the 20% made up of the undecided, the waverers and easily influenced who will most respond, either by vote or preference, by large numbers of us showing Murdoch, his trash journalists and garbage spewing current affairs commentators how wrong they are. Let's show a united front before it's too late.

nasking

13/03/2013 [b]People seem to forget (or ignore) that Liealot's already been around the block as a minister in the Howard government as have pretty well all of the losers in his shadow front bench.[/b] Jane, Voters will hopefully recognise that Tony Abbott under pressure and intense scrutiny has a habit of lashing out...or freezing up...or blurting out stupid and revealing comments... think Bernie Banton insult, behaviour towards Nicola Roxon when late for a debate, the head nodding episode...and so on... This is not a man made for pressure cooker moments...you can't just take off on your bike...or rant...or lash out...or stand paralysed when put under real pressure. Nor blab dopey comments. It's obvious the MSM have not done the Australian public justice by allowing Abbott to get away with mostly softball interviews and stunts. Is this to be like the GW Bush presidency where media are generally kept at bay unless they pass the administration's criteria? Didn't that turn out to be a debacle for democracy...and the country's finances as Bush was permitted to treat the nation like a rigged game controlled by a few privileged players? N'

orangefox

13/03/2013Hello Ad astra. I came across the political sword a couple of years back when I was looking for information on the native title issue and converting leasehold land to freehold land. I found some good information in the archives and a great piece by Bob Brown which I linked to another site. Ever since I have been reading many of the articles posted on this site and I think it's a fantastic site. I enjoy reading the comments as they usually add even more information to the article. This however is the first time I am commenting. I agree all Labor members need to show loyalty to Julia Gillard. I would like her to appear a bit more relaxed though. Something that would be quite hard at the moment though. You wanted to know who might be a good alternative. I was quite impressed with Craig Emerson when he was interviewer on last week. I think it might have been on The Business on ABC. He gave clear answers. Anyway, thanks for all your posts. I shall spread the word.

Ad astra

13/03/2013orangefox Welcome to [i]The Political Sword[/i] family, and thank you for your kind comments about the site. I am glad that after visiting for so long you have made a comment yourself. I hope you will comment again. I believe that if all caucus members were loyal to Julia Gillard, and instead of some subverting her efforts by leaking to the media, ALL got behind her solidly at every turn, Labor’s image would improve substantially. Craig Emerson is a very strong supporter of the PM, and speaks well when he is interviewed; he is one of the most positive and forthright ministers. I doubt if he would contemplate the top job though. He seems happy in his portfolio and performs well. Finally, I agree that we need to ‘spread the word’ continually. The media is unhelpful, and after today I can see News Limited behaving even more aggressively towards the PM and the Government. It’s hard to imagine that, but we ought not to be surprised if they try.

Crowey

14/03/20132353, Maybe you can tell me, when driving home yesterday arvo, I heard on the radio that 80 or so staff were made redundant at the Prince Charles Hospital, their was nothing on TV news or on the internet regarding these redundancies.

Michael

14/03/2013Goodbye National Disability Insurance Scheme. Hockey told us months ago it can only happen after a series of budget surpluses make it financially viable. That is, only years of no NDIS can build towards any NDIS. Here http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/strong-economy-vital-for-ndis-abbott-20130313-2g0wg.html?skin=text-only Abbott says the same thing in a different way. "Hello Coalition government", "bye bye NDIS". But you'd have to be deaf dumb and blind and put somewhere well out of view not to have figured that out for yourself already. Which is where a Coalition government will leave you, disabled in a corner while "the Market" pays 'the best and brightest' all the bonuses they have 'earned'.

lyn

14/03/2013Today’s Links Making a Difference in 2013 (Your Part in Abbott’s Downfall) by Vote1Julia @BushfireBill Use Twitter and Facebook to do so.One blog site, The Political Sword, comes to mind. TPS has developed a great resource called TPS M@il where one can quickly and easily email Federal politicians and political journos. http://pbxmastragics.com/2013/03/13/making-a-difference-in-2013-your-part-in-abbotts- The Real Despots by @MrDenmore editor Harold Evans eventually stepped in, accusing his former colleagues of cynicism and arrogance and declaring he was appalled by the deliberate misrepresentation of the report’s findings. http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com.au/ Consumers won't pay for news they don't trust by @timdunlop the Telegraph is attempting to bully (troll?) its audience with hyperbole and cheap photoshopping tricks that presents only one incredibly biased view of the matter http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4570170.html The New Growth Industry: Fact Creation by @MikeSeccombe usually-sensible Liberal communications spokesman, Malcolm Turnbull, asked a question, based on the Tele’s front page, so transparent in its “gotcha” intent as to be stupid. http://powerhouse.theglobalmail.org/the-new-growth-industry-fact-creation/ The Stalinist nightmare of the media regulating itself by @BernardKeane Williams has wrecked whatever remaining credibility he had on the issue of media regulation http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/03/13/the-stalinist-nightmare-of-the-media-regulating-itself/ It’s morning in Tony Abbott’s Australia @awelder Tony Abbott is unlikely to catch Julia Gillard off-guard. Like all good advocates, she is well-prepared http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/its-morning-in-abbotts-australia/ The MSM won’t report this, so here’s Gillard and Conroy on media reform by @geeksrulz Question Time House of Representatives March 13, 2013, Mr TURNBULL (Wentworth) (14:29): My question is to the Prime Minister http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/the-msm-wont-report-this-so-heres-gillard- Leaving Adelaide ‘as is’ by @Vic_Rollison & @KayRollison There is an in-joke in Adelaide that SA’s main exports are wine and university graduates http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/leaving-adelaide-as-is/ Has the carbon price worked- by Robert Merkel, @LarvatusProdeo Opposition, while still maintaining their intention to abolish the carbon price, have been pretty quiet http://larvatusprodeo.net/archives/2013/03/has-the-carbon-price-worked/ A Despotic Misogynist! by @archiearchive Macquarie Dictionary defines “Despot” simply as an “Absolute Ruler”. My printed Oxford adds the word “Tyrant http://archiearchive.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/a-despotic-misogynist/ 'Wealth creators' push materialism over social side by @1RossGittins opposition's latest criticism is that under Labor we're losing our "enterprise culture". What's an enterprise culture? http://www.rossgittins.com/2013/03/wealth-creators-push-materialism-over.html Drum Piece- Recessions ain’t all that technical by @GrogsGamut My Drum piece today got a bit econ nerdy and talked about whether or not Victoria is in a recession http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/drum-piece-recessions-aint-all-that.html THE NEWS CAPER: Stephen Conroy is the least of their problems by @vexnews biggest issue in the next ten years isn’t going to be regulating the fairness of news reporting but market failure within it that wipe much of it out. http://www.vexnews.com/2013/03/the-news-caper-stephen-conroy-is-the-least-of-their-problems/ media reform by Gary Sauer-Thompson incompetent journalism that rejects the very idea of a journalism that is well researched. They write crap and call it journalism. http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2013/03/media- This is so wrong by @MigloMT the mainstream media (MSM) displayed the gutter journalism and sensationalist crap that http://theaimn.com/2013/03/13/this-is-so-wrong/ She’s the PM, stoopid! by @gabriellechan Opposition Leader Tony Abbott looked up at Gillard with his trademark smirk. “There’s your people’s revolt Tone,” called Government Leader of the House, Anthony Albanese. http://gabriellechan.com/2013/03/13/shes-the-pm-stoopid/ REGULATING THE PRINT MEDIA – Hah! I’ve heard it all before by @boeufblogginon vitriolic personal pursuit of the Prime Minister while ignoring any meaningful coverage of the Opposition’s problems, http://boeufblogginon.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/regulating-the-print-media-hah-ive-heard-it-all-before/ Slam, bam and a bit of balance: The media fires back at Conroy @WenleiMa Stephen Conroy's proposed media reform has unleashed a storm of outrage from media companies who argue it's serious breach of freedom of press http://www.adnews.com.au/adnews/slam-bam-and-a-bit-of-balance-the-media- Regulate News by knighta1949 The Public Interest Test will ensure that diversity of voices is always considered when media organisations of national significance seek to merge,” Conroy said. http://alanknight.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/regulate-news/ Conroy's All Or Nothing Media Reforms by @Wendy_Bacon (Turnbull) One wonders what he would be saying if the Opposition was subject to a sustained campaign like the one the Labor government has experienced http://newmatilda.com/2013/03/13/conroys-all-or-nothing-media-reforms From ‘hate media’ to another fine mess: How media reform got derailed by @ethicalmartini it is a populist sound-bite that plays to the rusted-on conservatives and provides talking points for the groupthink chorus http://theconversation.edu.au/from-hate-media-to-another-fine-mess-how-media-reform- These people believe in controlling the news cycle… but where’d they get the idea from? by @mumbrella Godwin’s Law (the first side of an argument to compare the other to Hitler or Nazis automatically loses), http://mumbrella.com.au/these-people-believe-in-controlling-the-news-cycle-but-whered-they- Media despots, tsars and henchmen bury media reform by @YaThinkN OMG! Australian Media Reform means the sky falling in, freedom of the press under attack, the Government trying to gag the media. http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/media-despots-tsars-and-henchmen Stephen Conroy promises the Daily Telegraph will still be here tomorrow morning and we totally believe him by @jeremysear CRAZY assertion that Conroy’s announcement put him up there with the worst and bloodiest tyrants in history http://anonymouslefty.wordpress.com/ Turnbull faces questions on NBN journalist bullying by @renailemay Turnbull is trying to push shit uphill, to use a colloquial term http://delimiter.com.au/2013/03/13/turnbull-faces-questions-on-nbn-journalist-bullying/ So, What Do I Think of the ALP’s Price on Carbon @Mothincarnate the approach we currently have is sorely lacking. It is stuck within a political culture more akin to competing http://newanthropocene.wordpress.com/2013/03/13/so-what-do-i-think-of-the-alps-price-on-carbon/ Australian Government funding for schools http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id:%22library/prspub/2294795%22?utm_ Today’s Front pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 14 March 2013 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

Ad astra

14/03/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

Tom of Melboune

14/03/2013Ad Astra – [i]” Craig Emerson is a very strong supporter of the PM, and speaks well when he is interviewed; he is one of the most positive and forthright ministers.[/i] Particular when he sings. For a government minister to think this is the way to get a message across simply demonstrates that he is completely out of touch. So are the rest of them. This should be replayed endlessly as an example of how politicians should not behave. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hZboCxbTzHk

janice

14/03/2013Good morning Swordsters. There's movement in all directions: The Catholics have got a new pope, albeit an ultra conservative (so I heard) who is anti abortion and gay marriage. Guess he's also anti women priests and married priests. Then we have the CLP in the Territory keeping the media busy as they squeal and writhe to protect themselves from these 'draconian' media reforms Conroy has landed upon their heads. Patricia, Thank you for your kind words and for signing the petition. I feel you are not too happy with yourself at the moment? For what it is worth, I think you should 'go with the flow' in terms of your energy capacity. Look at it from the perspective that you have suffered a couple of traumas recently which, for old chooks like us, take a long time to recover from. Just between you and me, I've been down in a pit somewhere since last August. It has taken me all this time to track down the cause which turned out to be the BP medication. A drug called 'amlodipine'. I weaned myself off it over a couple of weeks and voila I have energy, I can see straight, the debilitating joint pains and headaches disappeared and I feel human again.

2353

14/03/2013Crowey - I hadn't heard about the staff from Prince Charles Hospital being pushed out on the ideological purge - but wouldn't be surprised. A contact in Queensland Health advised a month or so ago that the purge was continuing (including the closing of intensive care beds - which apparently isn't front line in Newmania!) Lyn - the links from "The Pub" and "Larvatus Prodeo" (and isn't it good to see them back) were especially wonderful this morning. You sure you're really a Tweety - you act like a Bloodhound!

TalkTurkey

14/03/2013Janice & Patricia I sort of bracket you two in my mind, you were both here when I first came and you are real stayers. Janice it's good to hear you Up, and Patricia, don't be Down, not anyway on the political front... Check the body language of the Government and Abborttians in Parliament, *J*U*L*I*A* glowing, her whole front bench firing and determined, nobody taking any nonsense from the disgraceful Popish cabal on the other side. These are the days of Dismemberment, the Government will be relentless in harrying Abbortt SnottyJoe POO~POOPyne Turdball and PoorOldAndrewRobb from now on, demanding policies and costings and ridiculing FFTN and Trillions of Trees and all their stupid BS. The Gillard Government has wrought stupendous achievements - [i]WE WILL NOT LET THEM UNDO THEM.[/i] [b]VENCEREMOS! [i]YES WE WILL![/i] [/b]

nasking

14/03/2013 [quote]I am also giving the small town of Denman NSW a helping hand to save it and the community from being strangled and surrounded with more open cut coal mines. There is a petition in the link below and I would appreciate if all, or some Swordsters, would sign it and perhaps those who twitter, would twit the link around. [/quote] www.communityrun.org/.../keep-denman-coal-mine-free Good stuff Janice. I have signed the petition and SHARED on Facebook. N'

nasking

14/03/2013 LYN, top links...MR DENMORE IS SPOT ON HERE: [b]Australians should be aware that this calculated misrepresentation of the government's recommendations mirrors closely what happened in the UK late last year after the release there of the report of the Leveson inquiry sparked by the phone-hacking scandal. Leveson recommended the appointment of an independent, self regulatory body for the press, and a system of arbitration that allows people who have been victims of media wrongdoing to seek redress without having to go through the courts. Just as in Australia, the release of the report unleashed a tide of ranting, hysteria from sections of the tabloid press with claims of impending totalitarianism and the ritual locking up of journalists. Ever the voice of reason, former Murdoch editor Harold Evans eventually stepped in, accusing his former colleagues of cynicism and arrogance and declaring he was appalled by the deliberate misrepresentation of the report's findings. Would only there such sane voices in Australia, where a poisonous media and political climate makes it virtually impossible to have a rational discussion about media regulation and when even the most modest proposal is met with 7-on-the-richter-scale OUTRAGE. Lost in the noise that a good deal of the media - the broadcasters - are already subject to statutory regulation, that we have independent courts and a dozens of statutory bodies that operate without government interference. ACMA is one. No-one is considering the possibility that the true despot is not the state, but a growing plutocracy that destroys the possibility of reform and poisons democracy. Newspapers are businesses like any other. Why are they special? And why should newspaper editors, as Leveson said, be allowed to mark their own homework? Why should they be able to get away with the twisting of facts and outright lies? Who polices them? How can we expect journalists to be true to their own code of ethics when a single employer controls 70% of the industry? If the media protects the public, who protects the public from the media? When I studied journalism 30 years ago, my lecturer told us two things that have stuck with me. As a journalist, you have a special responsibility to the public - to be fair, to be balanced, and, most of all, to be truthful. Without truth, there can be no trust. And without trust of the public, you cannot expect to maintain the privileges of a journalist. In that case, The Fourth Estate becomes The Failed Estate. Welcome to the Murdochcracy.[/b] http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com.au/ NEWS LTD DOTH PROTEST TOO MUCH. AND THE REST OF THE MSM TOO OFT TREMBLE WITH FEAR...TREADING FAR TOO CAREFULLY...OR JOINING IN LIKE HOWLING WOLVES... PREPARING FOR THE HUNT OF YET ANOTHER PM...GOVERNMENT...MINISTER... ANYTHING TO HAVE THE PRIVILEGE TO JOIN IN ON THE HUNT... TO AVOID THE SNARLS OF RUPERT AND HIS ATTACK MOB... NO COURAGE...NO INTEGRITY...NO PRINCIPLES LEFT... WHEN YER WETTING YERSELF OVER LOUD NOISES AND HOLLOW THREATS... FROM THE BEAST ABOUT TO KEEL OVER. THE PUBLIC WILL NOT FORGET. N'

nasking

14/03/2013 [b]Just between you and me, I've been down in a pit somewhere since last August. It has taken me all this time to track down the cause which turned out to be the BP medication. A drug called 'amlodipine'. I weaned myself off it over a couple of weeks and voila I have energy, I can see straight, the debilitating joint pains and headaches disappeared and I feel human again. [/b] Janice, exactly what I've been experiencing...joint and muscle pain oft excruciating. Didn't realise it might partly have something to do with blood pressure pills. Been moving around like a crook ninety-year old lately. Must get that checked. Might be why my vision is so blurred and I feel dizzy on top of the cataract fogginess problem. Thought it was my neurological issues. Cheers, N'

Jason

14/03/2013ToM, Unless you happen to be Peter Garrett who made his name by getting his message across by singing! Midnight Oil was probably to lowbrow for a social misfit like to appreciate anway!

nasking

14/03/2013 TIM DUNLOP GETS IT: [b]To suggest what the government is proposing is on an equal footing with what the murderous regimes of Mugabe and Mao and the others have done is not only childish hyperbole, it undermines the very claim the paper is trying to make about the importance of the work that they do. It actually provides ammunition for those who want more say in the quality of the journalism they produce. Yes, we need a free press unencumbered by government constraints, but we also need one that takes its readers seriously and provides them with information on important matters that they can trust. News Ltds CEO Kim Williams recently gave a speech in which he discussed the future of the media, and he said: To achieve success in this very complex delivery and invention world, to sustain and deliver a new future for journalism, we have to ensure the consumer is the central focus of all our efforts as never before. Fine words, but utterly contradicted by his company's coverage of media regulation. Their approach has made News Ltd their "central focus", not consumers. And if you want a really interesting comparison, consider how the Telegraph recently approached the issue of "trolling", the name they give to various forms of online abuse. No concerns here about the heavy-handed power of government; when it comes to controlling speech they don't happen to approve of, the Tele is more than happy to enlist state power: Today we launch a campaign to stand up to the faceless bullies and to urge Twitter to unmask them and turn them in to authorities so they can be prosecuted. [my emphasis] Freedom of speech for the multinational corporation to slant information in whatever way they see fit; prosecution for the pathetic individuals who say mean things on Twitter. There is a serious discussion to be had about media regulation. Pity that instead of having it, the Telegraph is attempting to bully (troll?) its audience with hyperbole and cheap photoshopping tricks that presents only one incredibly biased view of the matter. Ultimately, it becomes a matter of trust. Don't be surprised if consumers say, if they are willing to slant the discussion on this serious matter, why should we believe they're not doing it with other serious matters? And don't be surprised when consumers then ask themselves, why should I pay for this crap?[/b] http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4570170.html CRAP INDEED. TABLOID RAGS LOST IN MUCK. READERS SEARCHING FOR THE REAL DEAL. MURDOCH EMPIRE PLANS COME UNSTUCK. OVER-REACHING LEADS TO REAL MEAL. NOW SERVING...RUPERT. N'

TalkTurkey

14/03/2013 You naughty Tweety you! Guess I'm hooked. :) 22 secsTalkTurkey‏@TalkyTurkey Sound, Sound the Clarion! Fill the Fife! ~ O Hear How My Heart Beats! ~ In Less Than One Year Of My Life ~ I've Reached TEN THOUSAND TWEETS!

Ad astra

14/03/2013Folks More bad news for PM Gillard in [i]The Australian[/i] March 14, 2013 12:33PM [i][b]February notches best gain in total employment since 2000[/i][/b] By Adam Creighton [i]”The jobs market roared back to life in February, creating more than 70,000 new jobs and reducing the chance of a Reserve Bank of Australia rate cut next month to almost zero. “Full-time employment jumped almost 18,000 and part-time employed surged almost 54,000 between January and February, the biggest monthly gain in total employment in more than a decade. In the month from June to July 2000 total employment grew by almost 83,000. “The Australian dollar jumped more than half a US cent to $US1.036 on the news as traders pared back any hopes local interest rates would be cut soon. “The unemployment rate remained at 5.4 per cent, and the number of unemployed Australians stood still at 660,000 people. “Economists, who had expected the unemployment rate to increase to 5.5 per cent and only 10,000 new jobs to be created, will be heading back to the drawing board.”[/i] So the economists got it wrong again! But it’s all Julia’s fault. How dare she preside over a jobs market ‘roaring back into life’? This bad news will spark new leadership speculation and renewed calls for her to step down. She simply can’t get anything right!

nasking

14/03/2013 WONDER WHY SO MANY VOTERS ARE DUMBED-DOWN AND REPEAT INCORRECT INFO, CRAP, RUMOURS, DOPEY THINGS? IMAGINE WORKING ALL DAY...BEING UP LATE WITH THE BABY/KIDS...DEALING WITH AGING PARENT PROBLEMS...TRYING TO KEEP FIT AND DIET...DOING THE DOMESTIC DUTIES BUT HALF THE TIME RACING OFF FOR SUGAR HIT FAST FOOD...ADD PILLS...SOME GROG...EXTRA ACTIVITIES TO KEEP KIDS HAPPY AND TO SHOW YOU'VE PARTICIPATED IN THE LATEST HIP THING... YER BRAIN IS FATIGUED...YOU NEED EASY ANSWERS... AND IN THE MORNING YER SERVED CORPORATE TALKING HEAD SHOW... AND TABLOID FOR BREAKFAST...OR AT TRAIN STATION...OR AT YER WORKPLACE...OR AT SUPERMARKET... ADD SHOCK JOCK AS YER DRIVING...OR AGAIN AT WORKPLACE... HOME TO CURRENT AFFAIRS... YER STRESSED...YA WANNA BLOW OFF AT SOMETHING...SOMEONE... TABLOIDS, SHOCK JOCKS, CURRENT AFFAIRS POINT YOU IN DIRECTION OF PM...SO CALLED INCOMPETENT, TOXIC GOVERNMENT...MAKING YER LIFE MORE DIFFICULT... LITTLE BALANCED REPORTING...JUST FINGER-POINTING, HYPERBOLE, BLAME, NEGATIVITY, CHARACTER ASSASSINATION... LITTLE NUTRITION FOR THE BRAIN...TO ENLIGHTEN...PROVIDE FACTS THAT ASSIST THE MANY...SO MUCH DISTRACTION...AND ADS...AND INFOTAINMENT...AND SIGNS TO POINT YOU IN THE DIRECTION OF PRODUCTS AND SERVICES TO MAKE THE RICH RICHER... AND PLENTY OF STORIES TO LET YOU KNOW GOVERNMENT IS BROKEN...UNLESS IT FUNDS THE FOREVER WAR ON TERROR...OR WORKS FOR THE PRIVATE GOOD... ANYWAY...HERE'S PART OF MIKE SECCOMBE'S POST: [b]Measured by circulation, Murdoch papers, of which the Tele is one, had 65 per cent of total metropolitan and national daily papers. Fairfax had 25 percent of all metro/daily circulation, and WA Newspapers had 10. Australia was the only country where one owner controlled more than half of total circulation. “With a share of 86 per cent, Australia also ranks highest by a considerable margin when considering the share of the top two companies,” says the report. And, as is patently obvious to anyone who takes even a passing interest in the media, they all sing from the same song sheet. There is precious little diversity among the Murdoch publications. Right now, for example, they are all dedicated to getting rid of the current government. So let us ask again, which despot controls the media in Australia? Anyway, as you might imagine, the Tele’s hatchet job was the talk of federal parliament on the day. And in Question Time, the Liberals went in to bat for the media organisation that goes in to bat for them. The usually-sensible Liberal communications spokesman, Malcolm Turnbull, asked a question, based on the Tele’s front page, so transparent in its “gotcha” intent as to be stupid. He asked Prime Minister Julia Gillard if she considered the front page of the Tele would amount to a breach of standards under the proposed changes. She swatted it away, saying it was not the role of politicians to determine. Outside Parliament, Turnbull also went way over the top, saying the proposed changes presented a “threat to democracy”. Actually, the real threat to democracy is an uninformed electorate, as any number of thinkers from Thomas Jefferson to Winston Churchill to, I suspect, Malcolm Turnbull, have realised. And as that study referenced above clearly shows, an informed electorate comes through media diversity, something sadly lacking in Murdoch-dominated Australia. So, dear readers, the best media advice seems to be like the best dietary advice. Consume a wide variety of things. The odd Big Mac is okay, as is the odd bit of Murdoch. But too much of one will make you fat, and too much of the other will make you dumb[/b] http://powerhouse.theglobalmail.org/the-new-growth-industry-fact-creation/ WELCOME TO THE MACHINE. N'

nasking

14/03/2013 Ad, SKY NEWS immediately look for the negatives behind the unemployment figures: SOME ECONOMISTS SAY THESE GOOD NUMBERS COULD LEAD TO RATE HIKES...CONSIDERING THE ELECTION AT THE END OF THE YEAR COULD BE BAD FOR GOVERNMENT...BLAAAH BLAAAH BLAAAH. SLY NEWS...delivering you the Liberal propaganda most of the day...with enuff Greens and Independents criticising Labour to offset any pretence of balance. SLY NEWS...sly like a fox. :D N'

Ad astra

14/03/2013nasking As I said, Julia can't get anything right. If unemployment goes up that's bad and of course her fault. If the employment figures are good that's bad for interest rates. Again it's her fault. Hopeless!

nasking

14/03/2013 [b]I just signed the petition "Australian Press Council: Prosecute the "Daily Telegraph" " on Change.org. It's important. Will you sign it too? Here's the link:[/b] http://www.change.org/petitions/australian-press-council-prosecute-the-daily-telegraph Thanks! N'

Tom of Melboune

14/03/2013Isn’t it interesting that Gillard appears to be willing to test resolve on the media laws in the parliament. [b]But she was completely unwilling to test parliamentary commitment on her written agreement with Wilkie…[/b] (that’s the written agreement that allowed her to move into the Lodge). That’s why Gillard is legitimately regarded as shifty.

nasking

14/03/2013 ANOTHER TOP POST FROM PETER WICKS: [quote]The front page of this paper was so disgraceful that at least one agent selling papers felt the need to put a disclaimer below its display of the Telegraph that read “The management of this establishment does not condone the content of the “Daily Telegraph” or any other publications by the “News Ltd” group. We have the right to think for ourselves” In Australia we should expect news that is balanced from our newspapers, not opinion based news interpretation, that is what shock-jocks and blog sites like this are for... In Australia News Ltd have desperately tried to distance themselves from the scandal in many a fine display of mock outrage. However there was an Australian link in the phone-hacking scandal that was not often spoken about. Some of you may remember the hacked conversation that revealed Prince Charles fondness for sanitary products. Prince Charles was reported as telling Camilla Parker Bowles how he wished he was her tampon. Always the romantic apparently…. That story came from a hacked phone call that was allegedly organised by News International staff. So as not to draw attention to themselves, News International reportedly passed the details to News Ltd in Australia who broke the story in New Idea, once that happened News Internationals British press ran the story that apparently “broke in Australia”. We didn’t read much about that story despite the Australian connection to what was the worlds biggest news story at the time. I know of only a few articles in Fairfax, I guess that’s the beauty of the accused party owning 70% of the news sources in Australia. No wonder Conroy scares them.[/quote] More here: http://wixxyleaks.com/2013/03/14/yesterdays-papers/ AUSSIE NEWS LTD NOT SO CLEAN HANDS METHINKS IF YA LOOK IN MORE DEPTH. ATTACKS ON OVERLAND ETC...INSIDE INFO FROM POLICE POSSIBLY. N'

nasking

14/03/2013 IMPRESSED BY PM GILLARD LAST FEW DAYS...COMMUNICATING MORE EFFECTIVELY...SEEMS MORE CONFIDENT...LOVE THE WIT...AND CLEVER RETORTS...USE OF HAND GESTURES. PM GILLARD SEEMS MORE COMFORTABLE WITH HERSELF. THOUGHT SIMON CREAN DID A TOP JOB AT THE PRESS CLUB YESTERDAY ANNOUNCING ARTS FUNDING ETC. JOVIAL, ARTICULATE, PASSIONATE ABOUT HIS PORTFOLIO, AMIABLE, PUT AUDIENCE AT EASE...ALSO WITTY RETORTS EFFECTIVE...CERTAINLY GOT MY ATTENTION. MAGNETIC PERFORMANCE. BEST I'VE SEEN HIM. FEELING MORE POSITIVE ABOUT THE GOVERNMENT. N'

nasking

14/03/2013 GREAT NEWS: [b]The House of Representatives has passed legislation to set up the Government's National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). The bill, which will allow the scheme to be launched from July, passed with the support of all MPs. Disability Reform Minister Jenny Macklin broke down as she wound up her speech on the bill. Commonwealth funding includes: $342m over three years for individually funded packages for people with significant and permanent disability; $154m over three years to employ local area coordinators; $58m over three years to assess the needs of people with a disability in launch locations; and $240m over four years to build and operate an NDIS IT system "This bill is an enormous step in ensuring people with disability, their families and carers, receive peace of mind," she said. "It will bring an end to the tragedy of services denied or delayed and instead offer people with disability the care and support they need over their lifetimes. "It will end the cruel lottery that besets people today, where the care and support they receive depends on where they live or how they acquired their disability." Ms Macklin says the scheme will initially benefit about 26,000 people in launch sites in five states and territories. The legislation will now go before the Senate, where it is expected to pass with support from Labor, the Greens and the Opposition. [/b] http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-14/house-of-reps-passes-ndis-bill/4572824 GOOD ONYA JENNY MACKLIN AND ALL OTHERS INVOLVED. N'

Patricia WA

14/03/2013Janice and Talk Turkey, thank you old friends for your kind thoughts. It isn't a question of being down emotionally because I am in fact quite cheerful and recovering well physically. But I feel blocked, or even brain dead, with no ideas flowing and quite happy to read everyone's contributions with only a rare desire to butt in myself. Even then it's often with a re-run of an old pome with new relevance. No new inspiration! Which is a pity because I have just been invited to write something about my experiences of ageing and Labor's "Living Longer, Living Better" reform program. I'm doing a bit of on the ground research here, visiting a local retirement home and respite care centre. It seems to be a side effect of affluence and our welfare state with its health services that people are living living much longer, and though materially cared for many of them aren't enjoying their lives at all. [i]A propos[/i] of which, TT, I remember a very useful contribution on your part to a discussion rather more than a year ago about Alzheimers and research into medical uses of Cannabis. Feral Skeleton was here then and wrote about her participation in those experiments by taking it in pill form. I can't find those pages in Archives. Can you help? PS TT, I thought you'd appreciate my pleasure in having the Director of the Respite Care Centre inviting Tacker in with me, and how much joy he brought to one particular old lady with advanced dementia simply by sitting on her lap and being loved. I've promised we'll go back. Janice, I had noticed the very marked change in your input here and elsewhere and I'm interested to hear about the improvement in your health after dropping the blood pressure medication. Nasking, I hope you can get improvement there too. It must be wretched to be in chronic and debilitating pain. I'm blessed in always having enjoyed rude health, so yes, Janice those accidents are a bit of a set back, but once healed I required no medication. I do hope that after due rest etc. the old brain gets moving again! But I'm not on any drugs to drop! The closest thing I've taken to medication recently is to use a desensitising toothpaste, which I've found remarkably effective in reducing tooth and referred ear pain. Surely that's not causing side effects!

Patricia WA

14/03/2013What is this underlining caused by? I have asked for any?

Pikiranku

14/03/2013Nasking Thanks for the link to the Daily Telegraph petition - which I've just signed. What a disgrace they are to our nation and to their profession. Will/can journalism sink any lower in this country? I, too, enjoyed Simon Crean's address to the NPC yesterday. He was relaxed, fluent and friendly but didn't pull any punches either when asked a couple of stupid questions - put Lyndal Curtis down very effectively, I thought, when she tossed out a gotcha. It's great to see an Arts policy back on the agenda again. I know the Arts need a healthy economy as much as any other sector, but sometimes I think there's too much obsessing in Australia about the economy at the expense of other things. A strong economy/material wealth should not become an end in itself but a means to other ends - fairness, equality, justice, opportunity, enabling citizens to enjoy culturally enriched and fulfilling lives. Once again Labor outshines the opposition. All the great initiatives in this area have been made by Labor governments - under Whitlam, Keating and now Julia Gillard.

Ad astra

14/03/2013Folks Today’s QT provided more evidence that the Coalition is running out of puff. All it could muster were more questions about the national debt and whether it would it exceed 300 billion (Abbott and Hockey), more about boats (Abbott), some about 457 visas (Ruddock and Julie Bishop), and media regulation (Turnbull). Government initiated questions covered today’s job figures 71,500 jobs created in February (best since 2000), 200,000 in the last year, 926,000 since Labor elected; changes to Fair Work Australia re penalty rates; 457 visa rorting; NDIS legislation passed today to be implemented in test areas on 1 July; the impact on the economy of the carbon price over the nine months since its introduction – 8.6% less emissions, economy growing, jobs increasing rapidly, tax relief for 7 million taxpayers and no tax for lowest paid 1 million; the policy of horizontal equalization of GST so poorer states are supported, and of course the contrast was drawn with the Coalition, which is threatening all these benefits; education and the ‘Safe Schools Framework’ to reduce bullying at schools. The stark contrast between the Coalition and the Government was striking – negative carping repetitive questions versus the many positive actions the Government is taking day after day.

Ad astra

14/03/2013nasking Petition signed.

Jason

14/03/2013nasking Petition signed.

bob macalba

14/03/2013nasking petition signed

lyn

14/03/2013Hi Nasking Petition signed by me Cheers to you:):)

2353

14/03/2013Nasking & Janice (way above). Petitions signed. I wonder if the Opposition has nothing left or if the next cunning stunt is being worked on in the Boiler Room? NewsCorp really doesn't like the idea of regulation either. They are however publishing some comments on their own articles seem to be against them - this one is really well done: [quote]Sorry but the media hasn't explained what these reforms are or why they are bad. I've hear a lot of superlatives, but not what or why. Please tell me so I can make up my own mind. Well, you know what I mean.[/quote] Unfortunately I didn't write it - and my comment asking for fair, balanced and equitable reporting submitted mid afternoon hasn't been published (surprise, surprise!)

Bloss

14/03/2013Petition signed:) Thanks for the link

42 long

14/03/2013petition signed. Wouldn't it be lovely to see a sudden drop in the daily Terrorgraph. circulation? How bloody childish. Hope they disappear you know where. Anyone connected to the Mad Abbott is bad news. His backers are "crackers".or crooks.

2353

14/03/2013Anyone want to take bets on this actually happening? [quote]The Coalition has declared that democracy is at stake with Labor's "draconian" media reforms, but it is declining an opportunity to crush the bill by refusing to accept the vote of crossbencher Craig Thomson. Earlier on Thursday it appeared that Labor's reform package was doomed to fail after Mr Thomson declared he would vote against the package and independent MPs Bob Katter, Rob Oakeshott and Andrew Wilkie expressing strong misgivings about the bill.[/quote] http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/coalition-to-reject-thomsons-vote-on-media-reforms-20130314-2g24b.html#ixzz2NVGFHQ6q

Sir Ian Crisp

14/03/2013[quote][b]Isn’t it interesting that Gillard appears to be willing to test resolve on the media laws in the parliament. But she was completely unwilling to test parliamentary commitment on her written agreement with Wilkie… (that’s the written agreement that allowed her to move into the Lodge). That’s why Gillard is legitimately regarded as shifty. Tom of Melboune [/b][/quote] Yes Tom, I am very worried about how the bird of paradox trashed her agreement with Wilkie. What is more disturbing is the news that Father Kevin refuses to hear her confession. That must be a first.

Sir Ian Crisp

14/03/2013[quote][b]“Full-time employment jumped almost 18,000 and part-time employed surged almost 54,000 between January and February, the biggest monthly gain in total employment in more than a decade. In the month from June to July 2000 total employment grew by almost 83,000. Ad astra [/b][/quote] So almost 54,000 people are working 1 hour per week. Let's declare a public holiday.

Jason

14/03/2013What's even sadder is ToM and SIC are in a continual circle jerk and fluffing each other, so much so if they don't stop it they'll go blind.

Sir Ian Crisp

14/03/2013Any 'regrettable' history with the new Holy Father Jason? Catharsis is good for character building so let's hear it.

Miglo

14/03/2013Nasking, about to sign.

TalkTurkey

14/03/2013Nasking Petition signed. Pretty good response! I thought your description of weary peeed-off people blaming the Government because it's there was compelling. How to make them feel good about their situation - which objectively is on average better than in any other polity! - is a mystery, but that feeling is of course fomented by shock jocks and irresponsible bastards like Snotty Joe. So we must take them head-on. Patricia, chill Girl, writer's block is every bit as real as broken wrist; few are immune, and there is no cure but a change in the whatever-causes-it, but it will come. I too recently felt my energy and inspiration levels drop a bit but I think the political situation will goad me, I'm not about to quit. It's harder to write biggish verse though if you're not inspired. But I find it's sort of cyclical, sometimes I draw, or sometimes invent, and sometimes I get nothing done at all. A break doing other things entirely is good. But Ad astra keeps going ALL the time, and I do find that inspiring. Hell if he can do it ... :)

Ad astra

14/03/2013Bloss I think this is your first time commenting here, so welcome to [i]The Political Sword[/i] family. Do come again.

Algernon

14/03/2013It will be interesting to see how long TA will keep his mouth shut and if he does open it will he able to talk for more than a minute without putting his foot in it. Or not answer questions at press conferences. Perhaps he could do radio gigs with someone other than the parrot. I won't hold my breath.

TalkTurkey

14/03/2013Croweaters! DON'T FORGET [b]Swordlunch tomorrow[/b] THE IDES OF MARCH JUNCTION CAFE Top floor SKYCITY CASINO at NOOOOON! Meal prices are subsidised for our enjoyment by deprived kids of contributing gamblers! Well why should Packer get the whole lot? Adelaide Girl, BSA Bob, and I know I'm missing some - We'd LOVE you to turn up !

sandra searle

14/03/2013Signed petition also Nasking. Good to see you back here at TPS.

Ad astra reply

15/03/2013Algernon Welcome to The Political Sword family. Do come again. It is a big ask for Abbott to utter meaningful and truthful statements for more than a few sentences. Talk Turkey I hope you have an exciting SwordLunch at Junction Cafe today. Please give all Swordsters my warm regards and thanks for their support for TPS and its objectives.

Pikiranku

15/03/2013See you tonight or tomorrow folks! I'm about to leave for lunch. (Yes, at 6.25 a.m.! You'd have to be keen!)

lyn

15/03/2013Today’s Links What is Abbott talking about? by @KayRollison At the Australian Council of Trade Unions job summit this morning, the Prime Minister announced that the Fair Work Act will be amended http://theaimn.com/2013/03/14/what-is-abbott-talking-about/ ABCthedrum rat-a-tat talk forgets substance by @MrDenmore empty echo chamber where old media hacks and Murdoch lapdogs repeat lines they have already churned out in their print editions. http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/abcthedrum-rat-a-tat-talk- Rupert Murdoch is basically Pinochet… by @fakeedbutler The response to this moderation? A full-on freak out by News Ltd. http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/03/14/rupert-murdoch-is-basically-pinochet/ Freedom of speech is not the freedom to oppress by Bob Ellis @independentaus The more media Murdoch owns, the less freedom of speech there is http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/freedom-of-speech-is-not-the-fre Time to die, Daily Telegraph by @lukeayresryan classified as a napkin, this dangerous, short-sighted, self-serving, blind, insensitive and hell, while we're at it, tiny bit racist front cover http://www.thevine.com.au/life/news/time-to-die-daily-telegraph/ Self-regulation oxymoron heralds the era of death by a thousand consent forms by Prof Mark Pearson @JournLaw http://journlaw.com/2013/03/14/self-regulation-oxymoron-heralds-the-era-of-death-by-a-thousand-consent-f Darwinian politics: it’s survival of the fittest for the top job in the Territory by Rolf Gerritsen like his colleague Baillieu in the south, Terry Mills had simply outstayed his welcome with a restless party, and lost the support of the public. http://theconversation.edu.au/darwinian-politics-its-survival-of-the-fittest-for-the-top-job-in- How Adam Giles (and his mates) seized power in the NT by @bgosford So how did Australia’s first Aboriginal political leader make it to the top? It wasn’t easy. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2013/03/14/how-adam-giles-and-his-mates-seized Yesterdays Papers by @madwixxy disgraceful display of propaganda yesterday on the front page of the Daily Telegraph http://wixxyleaks.com/2013/03/14/yesterdays-papers/ Abbott overrules Hockey on baby bonus cuts by Emma Griffiths Federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott insists the Coalition will oppose Government cuts to the baby bonus, http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-14/abbott-hockey-baby-bonus/4572962#. How soon before Malcolm Turnbull goes the full Tea Party? by @turnleft2013 Mocking someone because of their accent is childish http://turnleft2013.wordpress.com/2013/03/14/how-soon-before-malcolm-turnbull-goes-the-full/ Never had it so good by @TheKouk If the electorate focuses on the economy as it votes at the Federal election on September 14, the Labor Party should win http://www.melbournereview.com.au/commentary/article/never-had-it-so-good The good news by @JohnQuiggin2 drastic decline has happened with only modest policy measures, and without any obvious impact on living standards http://johnquiggin.com/ Ten hits out at media reform proposals, ‘It is now obvious to everyone that SCA plans to merge with Nine’ by @mumbrella boss Hamish McLennan has issued an angry statement in response to the government’s media reform proposals. http://mumbrella.com.au/ten-boss-hamish-mclennan-145579 Lay down misere by @watermelon_man it’s a tactic that relies totally on the acquiescence of the media to succeed http://davidhortonsblog.com/2013/03/14/lay-down-misere/ Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 15 March 2013 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

Ad astra

15/03/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

nasking

15/03/2013 Hi all, thnx to all those who signed the petition. Patricia, I doubt yer writing block will last long...probably a combination of heat fatigue (hasn't it been one crazy summer?...knocked me for six)...and the physical problems you've bravely had to cope with. I reckon yer muse will return soon enuff...cooler weather can be quite mentally invigorating for those of us who have spent quality time in the lands of ice and snow. :D Talk Turkey, How refreshing it has been to read so many positive comments related to the government...each time I turn on the major news shows I hear nought but negative attacks on the PM and parts of the govt...it's beyond the pale. I fail to see how ABC 24 and 7:30 can spend an inordinate amount of time bashing the PM on so called "Rubbery figures" at an historic time that saw a National Disability Insurance Scheme pass the Lower House....the MSM priorities are a bloody disgrace and demonstrate acute bias against the sitting PM. What a poor job the ABC has done since infected by the Howard agenda. And rather than shifting to the centre the past few years I feel it has gotten stuck in Moderate Liberal mode reflecting the views of Mark Scott and some of the main talking heads I imagine. It's becoming clearer by the day that many in the ABC are gunning for Malcolm Turnbull. They think that by bringing Rudd back it will change the polls and Abbott will be booted out at the last moment to make way for their messiah Turnbull. Turnbull has demonstrated himself of late to be a charlatan...nothing more than another unprincipled profiteer willing to kneel at the altar of Murdoch...anything to help his business associates benefit from the rollout of the NBN...and other communications-related policy. A stuffed suit...stuffed with straw. N'

Tom of Melboune

15/03/2013The government is well and truly on the “chase the redneck vote” bandwagon. It meets all the criteria- o More people shipped off to foreign hell holes than its predecessor o Successfully demonises people who arrive here and seek our protection o Locks up women and children o Is now using this line – “they come over here, and take all our jobs…” This government is a complete disgrace. It deserves to be thrown out.

nasking

15/03/2013 [b]It's great to see an Arts policy back on the agenda again. I know the Arts need a healthy economy as much as any other sector, but sometimes I think there's too much obsessing in Australia about the economy at the expense of other things. A strong economy/material wealth should not become an end in itself but a means to other ends - fairness, equality, justice, opportunity, enabling citizens to enjoy culturally enriched and fulfilling lives. [/b] Pikiranku, well said. It's essential that governments help fund and motivate various parts of the Arts community including the green shoots that are students in schools and community groups. Provide fecund soil and nutrients and these young people brimming with imagination and vitality will flower into multi-coloured splendour and pageants of glory and progress that will bring spiritual and creative fortune to every part of the globe...and enhance overseas visitors and audience's appreciation of Diverse Australia. N'

Patricia WA

15/03/2013Nasking, Thank you for those encouraging words. AA, Talk Turkey and Janice gave similar counsel. Solidarity amongst the swordsters indeed. Thanks again, guys! lyn, Thank you too, for as always giving structure to my reading as I try to get moving for the day. I was particularly cheered by your link to http://www.melbournereview.com.au/commentary/article/never-had-it-so-good @ The Kouk - an article we should be forwarding to to as many contacts as possible. Good news indeed!

Michael

15/03/2013Is there anyone in the Coalition ranks, federal or state, worth a pinch of...?

nasking

15/03/2013 SOMETHING DEFINITELY STINKS IN THE MURDOCHRACY...A REVEALING MUST READ BY MIGLO: [b]Just a year earlier, Justice Stephen Kaye in the Victorian Supreme Court slammed Murdoch executives for lying to the court. In the matter of Bruce Guthrie’s wrongful dismissal the judge said he “had reservations about a number of features” of the evidence of News Limited’s then chief executive John Hartigan. “In my view Hartigan was an unreliable witness …” Kaye was even more scathing of Herald and Weekly Times chief Peter Blunden. “The explanations given by Mr Blunden in evidence,” the judge said, “do not survive scrutiny”. In the matter of Eatock v Bolt, Justice Bromberg also rejected the testimony of Murdoch executives. The conclusion is inescapable: it is an organisation run by liars who employ lying editors to supervise lying reporters. The Australian Journalists Association has a 12-point code of ethics. All twelve are now routinely violated by Murdoch employees. In 2010 Herald Sun reporters lied about their identity to ensnare politicians in a British tabloid-like sting. They had the support of editors and executives – despite explicit condemnation in the code. Most Murdoch publications are now merely spruikers for conservative political causes which they advance with distortion and lies. The frequency and viciousness of these crusades increased markedly after Labor came to power in late 2007. In 2008 Glenn Milne in The Australian attacked PM Kevin Rudd over a risqué play in Gippsland which the local Labor candidate had promoted in his newsletter. Milne failed to disclose, however, that the tawdry theatrical event was actually approved and funded by the previous Howard Coalition Government. Glaring examples since then are the relentless campaigns against the economic stimulus packages during the GFC, against climate change, against the mining tax, against the carbon tax, against internet security, against changes to discrimination laws and against the National Broadband Scheme. Sydney’s Daily Telegraph was found by the Australian Press Council to have used false customer figures in a news story on the NBN. Other Telegraph articles were found misleading by serious omission. The Council expressed concern that “within a short period of time three articles on the same theme contained inaccurate or misleading assertions.” The Daily Telegraph ran a front-page story headed “Thousands of boat people to invade NSW”. The Australian Press Council found elements of the story to be “gravely inaccurate, unfair and offensive”. The Council condemned the newspaper for “an especially serious breach of its principles.”[/b] More here: http://theaimn.com/2013/03/15/news-limited-and-self-regulation/ IT'S TIME THE PEOPLE'S REPRESENTATIVES DID THE RIGHT THING... HERE, THE UK...AND THE USA... ENUFF OF THIS IRRESPONSIBLE AND BULLYING REPORTING DESIGNED TO UNDERMINE POLITICIANS AND GOVERNMENTS THAT RESIST THE MURDOCH EMPIRE AGENDA...USUALLY EXPANSION, CORPORATE TAX CUTS, CONTINUATION OF THEIR HOPED FOR FOREVER WAR ON TERROR (FOX NEWS AND PAPERS MAKE A MINT FROM WAR AND DESTRUCTION...LIVE)... IF IT TAKES SOME FAST NEGOTIATING AND COMPROMISE STEPHEN CONROY THEN DO IT...THE INDEPENDENTS AND OTHERS HAVE PUT THEIR ASSES ON THE LINE FOR THIS GOVT TIME AND TIME AGAIN...GIVE THEM THE COURTESY OF COMPROMISE. BUT THE PRIORITY REMAINS...GET MEDIA REFORM DONE ASAP. THE PEOPLE DESERVE IT. SCREW WHAT THE TALKING HEAD BULLY BOYS AND GALS AND THOSE BIG SOOK MEDIA BARONS HAVE TO SAY...THEY HAVE ENUFF MONEY TO SOAK THEMSELVES IN TOP CHAMPAGNE IF THEY'RE FEELING SORRY FOR THEMSELVES. THESE MULTI-MILLIONAIRES AND BILLIONAIRES THROW THEIR WEIGHT AROUND IN MOST ANTI-COMPETITIVE WAYS. LET THEM FIND OUT WHAT IT'S LIKE TO BE TOLD "ENUFF IS ENUFF...LET THE PEOPLE HEAR AND READ MORE VOICES THAN YOURS...YOUR SPLASHING MONEY AROUND HAS BECOME OBSCENE...AND DANGEROUS FOR DEMOCRACY". MEDIA NEED TO STOP ACTING LIKE MOBSTERS...AND CORPORATE PROPAGANDA MACHINES. LET DEMOCRACY BREATHE! N'

42 long

15/03/2013If there WAS they have been filtered out. The TEA PARTY influence is all pervading. Anyone who says both sides of politics are the same is missing just about every thing. Regardless of the difference of policy and it's direction and the ones who will benefit, there doesn't appear to be much TALENT in the LieNP ranks. Surely they could preselsct better so they could be more clever at being mean.

lyn

15/03/2013Good Morning Ad and Everybody, Your work is attracting some nice new followers Ad Astra. I join you in saying welcome to all. Makes me very happy to see your wonderful, factual, work well read. 2353 from yesterday. Yes it is wonderful to see Larvatus Prodeo operating , also the new blog “The Pub” & Miglo’s The Australian Independent Media Network. I am wishing all our TPS Crowie Adelaidians a lovely time today, like you Ad Astra I wish I was there too. Hi Sweet Patricia, we all care about you very much, makes me pleased when you enjoy the blog links. Chin up my dear, sometimes I think we just get sick of thinking. I did get readers bloc last year for a short time. Hello Nasking, you are doing good with your valuable input thankyou. Michael a great big NO to your question, they are juvenile ratbags. Poor Julia, just one media bombshell after another. Wonder who that Public Servant was, he probably has an axe to grind, trust ABC to find him in the rubble somewhere. A few headlines below:- Industry group counters Julia Gillard over 457 figures, Sid Maher http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/immigration/industry-group-counters-julia-gillard-over-457-- Gillard accused of vote mongering http://www.smh.com.au/it-pro/business-it/gillard-accused-of-vote-mongering-20130314-2g3ky.html PM 'nasty' on 457 health workers: adviser http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/pm-nasty-on-457-health-workers-adviser-20130314 Business lashes out at Labor http://www.afr.com/p/national/business_lashes_out_at_labor_JCpUiIQZ6ZHbdYVa3FrbbM :):):)

Pappinbarra Fox

15/03/2013I read all the letters in the Australian yesterday - all condemning that nice young chap Mr Conroy for kicking freedom of speech to the gutter. It was clear that not one of those letter writers knew what Conroy had actually proposed. The reporting was a disgrace as was the one sided response. No I don't buy the Australian - someone left it on the lunch table at work and I was bored so casually picked it up. My boredom was soon replaced with contempt for such a shoddy greasy rag. If LOTO wins the election in September it will be for one reason only - the relentless distortion of reality that the Murdochcracy has embarked on over the past few years. And then we will really be in trouble. Serious trouble. The great economic news story we currently have (yes it is actual news so won't appear in any News Limited outlets) will be completely trashed by the unthinking incompetence of LOTO and his cowardly cronies. May Frank pray for us then.

nasking

15/03/2013 Cheers Lyn, what an impressive and informative bunch of posts you have linked to...per usual. AWESOME EFFORT. The one from KayRollison really grabbed my attention: [b]WHAT IS ABBOTT TALKING ABOUT? [/b] [b]What I took from all this is that Abbott is scared to death of talking about industrial relations. He can’t say what he really means. The best he can do is: ‘The pay and conditions of the decent hard-working people of Australia will be safe under the Coalition.’ Yeah, right. He won’t debate this issue of casualization in the Australian workforce. One in five workers is a lot of casuals; you can read here about some of the problems they face. He won’t discuss the minimum wage. Is it too high? Too low? About right? What sort of submissions would a government he led make to whatever wage fixing body such a government came up with? What would be its legislative criteria? Does he want to increase the number of 457 visas? Under what conditions, and would these be more or less restrictive? How does he account for the 20% increase in 457 visas since 2012? What plans does he have for up-skilling Australian workers if there are significant skill gaps in the workforce? All these are legitimate questions, but we hear nothing about them from the Leader of the Opposition. Maybe Abbott really doesn’t have a grasp of industrial relations. Or maybe he just isn’t telling us. Not only do these questions go unanswered, they go unasked, at least by the mainstream media. Isn’t The World Today just the place for the ABC to question what the Leader of the Opposition means by ‘think border protection failure’? The word-for-word reporting of rubbish is not what the ABC ought to be doing. PS. While on this topic, I note that the ABC reported the Prime Minister’s announcement as a way of trying to buy union support – not as a response to a genuine issue in the Australian community. Why are we not surprised? [/b] More here: http://theaimn.com/2013/03/14/what-is-abbott-talking-about/ ABBOTT IS A SLY AND SNEAKY CHARACTER WHO IS MERELY A PUPPET FOR THE BIG-END-OF-TOWN... A PART OF HIM THINKS HE CAN DO A BOB SANTAMARIA ON SOCIETY... BUT HIS EGO WOULD NOT STAND UP TO THE BASHING THE BIG CORPS AND RICH DYNASTY LOVING CTHULHUS WOULD GIVE HIM. IN THE END HE'LL DANCE TO THEIR TUNE...LIKE A SHADOW PUPPET...A SHADOW OF A MAN... AND INTRODUCE DRACONIAN IR-RELATED LEGISLATION... INCREMENTALLY. WITH MORE THAN A LITTLE HELP FROM HIS FRIENDS...IN LNP STATE GOVERNMENTS. AND THE TOXIC MEDIA...SERFS OF THE CORPORATIONS...AND THEIR MASTERS. N'

Pappinbarra Fox

15/03/2013Hey N' Would you kindly stop shouting at us. It is very hard to read all caps. Please turn off your caps lock, there's a good chap. I am forced to scroll at shouters. :)

LadyInRed

15/03/2013Some balance on 457's. The hyperbowl is getting ridiculous. How utterly boring evrything now gets reported in histeria. [i]Explainer: 457 visas in Australia[/i] http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1746476 [i]Are 457 visa-holders being exploited?[/i] [b]Most important read the date on this article![/b] http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/1708121/Are-457-visa-holders-being-exploited

Tom of Melboune

15/03/2013It’s interesting that the ALP supporters are getting into a frenzy (only amongst themselves of course) about Workchoices!!! The interesting thing is that it is now almost 8 years since the Workchoices legislation was introduced!! This legislation probably should not have been a huge surprise- • It was similar to the policy Howard had advocated when he was shadow IR minister in the early 90s. • It was almost identical to the original legislation the Libs introduced following their election in 1996, which was significantly modified by the Democrats. • Once they got control of the senate, they would always revert to their original model. Workchoices had 3 elements- 1. Removal of past safety net 2. Employees easier to dismiss 3. Restriction on some unethical union activity I always argued against 1 & 2, there is no advantage in making your children (or anyone else) lose money and working conditions, and hands up all those who wish to be easier to dismiss from their employment. However there is a legitimate public interest in enforcing the law in industrial relations, and eliminating the bullying and harassment that occurs on many industrial sites. The Liberals would be wise to target union behaviour, and leave working conditions and job security as they are. But the barrackers will continue to prattle on about Workchoices, without even bothering to identify which element they’re talking about.

nasking

15/03/2013 Pappinbarra Fox, read my explanation above. No need to be pedantic. N'

nasking

15/03/2013 ANYWAY, I'VE SAID MOST OF WHAT I WANTED TO. A FAMILY MEMBER ARRIVES NEXT WEEK FROM AMERICA FOR A FORTNIGHT...SO MUST PREPARE FOR THEIR STAY. WILL THROW A FEW THINGS UP ON FACEBOOK...BUT THE NEXT FORTNIGHT I DOUBT I'LL HAVE TIME TO COMMENT MUCH. I'LL BE POPPING IN NOW AND THEN THO TO CHECK LYN'S FAB LINKS, AD'S POSTS...AND OTHER CONTRIBUTIONS. BEEN FUN. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK ALL. N'

nasking

15/03/2013 OH, DON'T FORGET TO PASS THE PETITION ON TO FRIENDS AND FAMILY THIS WEEKEND...IF POSSIBLE: http://www.change.org/petitions/australian-press-council-prosecute-the-daily-telegraph AT LEAST IT INFORMS PEOPLE OF THE CRAZED ANTICS OF A MAINSTREAM PAPER IN THIS COUNTRY THAT EXPECTS TO BE RESPECTED AND YET CAN'T BE BOTHERED MAKING SENSIBLE ANALOGIES... PREFERRING HYSTERICAL AND IRRESPONSIBLE COMPARISONS. MORE OF A LAMPOON RAG THAN AN ACCURATE REPORTER OF NEWS. N'

Ad astra

15/03/2013nasking Have a relaxing time with the family, and come back soon. PF nasking has eye problems so finds caps and bold easier to see.

nasking

15/03/2013 CHEERS AD...HAVE A TOP WEEKEND. ONE BEFORE I TURN OFF THE PAD AND GET CLEANING: GUY RUNDLE @ CRIKEY: [b]Coming from the Catholic Right tradition—which, via other tributaries, led to Pinochet and Franco—Abbott is happy to have a state that enforces the market, guards “traditional” values and does little for its victims—a disabling state. This gives Labor one advantage from the timelag—it can go in hard on the “big society” as WorkChoices by other means and a denial of the fair go. Some in the UK said the “big society” idea was a spin-exercise itself—unlikely, since it was received with bewilderment, which fortunately did not last, being replaced with derision. Most people considering switching their vote to the Tories simply wanted to know that Cameron wouldn’t do a full Maggie—when he announced that he would “ringfence” the NHS and pensions from cuts, he won the election. Those in work and dealing with long hours and declining services barely noticed the call to volunteerism. Those with little or no work saw it as a prevarication. Nevertheless, various initiatives went ahead, including a “big society” bank to make social investment loans and a community organiser training scheme. These were the genuinely positive proposals, and Cameron—a soft-handed man who probably reminds Baroness Thatcher of the huge vats of Mr Whippy she made up in her days as a food chemist—seemed to have a commitment to them. But there were other proposals that were contradictory at their root. The drive to “localism” and “empowerment” reduced complex planning laws to a dozen pages and “empowered” people to come up with community plans. However, it also vastly reduced the scope for objections to planning applications. Wanting to preserve your village rather than extend it wasn’t the big society. That was NIMBYism. Developers took free rein (though they are still sitting on millions of hectares of land, refusing to build), and many people felt cheated. Beyond that, of course, there were the pure con jobs—the “welfare to work” programs in which giants like Tesco got dole recipients for free grunt labour laughably labelled as “training programs”. “Any right-wing party that takes on a ‘big society’ concept based on co-operativeness and volunteering has conceded a great deal of ground to the Left.” By this time, Cameron’s coalition’s cuts were starting to hit local services such as libraries and hospitals, and the second and more visible part of the big society idea kicked in—that local state-provided services would be run by volunteers. This was what the public latched onto, as the move gave evidence to arguments by Labour and the unions the that “big society” was just a way of taking over services many would now regard as essential, using unpaid labour. By 2012, both the coalition and the press had stopped talking about it altogether, not because of anything new, but because the notion of any sort of dynamic or liberatory politics had been replaced by a grey, miserabilist slog-through, a cynicism and all-embracing governmentalism. The final, absurd touch was when the outsourcing of health services to vast combines—Devon had to choose between Virgin and Serco to provide children’s services—was chalked up as part of the “big society”. By that point Steve Hilton (or steveguruhilton as a fake Twitter account styles him) had been shipped off to a think-tank in, of course, California, while Philip Blond (unkindly and hilariously caricatured as a figure called “Mr Bollocks” by cartoonist Steve Bell in The Guardian, and accused of styling his hair with goosefat) disowned Cameron in 2012, saying he had abandoned a “one-nation” conservatism and “retoxified” his own party.[/b] http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/03/15/rundle-big-society-wont-work-in-the-uk-or-australia/ INDEED. N'

Pappinbarra Fox

15/03/2013[b][b]Apologies N' didn't pick up on the sight issue. I guess I can tolerate the caps for the sake of good communication.[/b][/b]

Miglo

15/03/2013Nas, enjoy your time with the visitors. It would have been nice if you let me know they were coming as you could have got them to bring me over some of those nice Bolivian cigars I can't get here. ;-) It's good to know you're reading my stuff at The AIMN. That gives me a boost. Cheers, Migs.

Gravel

15/03/2013Ad Astra Another excellent piece and a very strong generator of comments from old faces and new. I, like many here, are amazed at your output and relevancy on every topic you put up. One thing on the 'who preferred' in polls, Labor people prefer Julia, it's the other lot that prefer Rudd. Bilko It's great to see you have your gravatar back, and great to see you again. The media is sickening, surely now it can't get any worse. They are outright lying without a blush or murmur. I would dearly love to see it backfire on them.

Jason

15/03/2013Bushfire Bill at his best! bushfirebill March 15, 2013 at 9:32 am Yesterday was one of the most awful parliamentary days I can remember. It was a disgrace. The NDIS was passed. Unemployment stayed steady with a surge of permanent jobs. Yet all we heard about was leadership, and how leadership forced our brokenhearted media to reluctantly ignore these accomplishments and concentrate on the farce we saw where cameras were positioned outside Rudd’s office waiting for a challenge announcement. That the unbecoming panic was instigated by a couple of tweeting Liberal MPs up to mischief is, apparently, a subject of some merriment. “Fancy being tricked by one of Joe’s or Chrissy’s tweets!” they wrote, smacking their own thighs in laughter. They ignored the mechanics of these things – spills never occur without notice, and they are never organized on the last sitting day of the week – and the logic – nothing had happened, no crisis or terrible set of numbers (indeed, quite the contrary). But nevertheless, after getting that the joke was on them, the media wrote the incident up as somehow Julia Gillard’s fault for allowing all this leadership speculation to put everyone on such a hair trigger that they collectively went off at the slightest spark. After writing for three years about how the people’s Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd, had been cruelly deposed by a mean and rotten caucus, denying the voters their God-given franchise to pick the nation’s leader directly, Presidential-wize, they ignored caucus room coups in Victoria and the Northern Territory. Both were first term leaders. In fact, both had served less time than Rudd (one less than 12 months). Both were deposed with virtually no notice (one while overseas). Yet the media managed to treat these coups relatively calmly (once they had belatedly woken up to the fact they were happening), pointing out that party room votes were the normal way of pursuing orderly transitions at the top (apart from assassinating premiers, how else would you get rid of them?), that Westminster System leaders served only at the pleasure of their parliamentary colleagues and over here leaders are definitely not directly elected. After all, this isn’t America. We don’t elect dog catchers, or LOTOs, or premiers, or Chief Ministers. And we don’t elect Prime Ministers, either, but that connection was not explicitly made. In one week, the entire justification for the meme of the “Backstabbed Rudd” – the bogus concept of an “elected Prime Minister” – disappeared up its own bum with nary a whimper of introspection from those who had promoted that particular lie for so long. Gee, must have escaped the idiot savants of our esteemed 4th Estate. I wonder whether the public will notice that the only different detail between all three party room coups was that the two this week were Liberal party room coups. I wonder whether the public will notice that today marks the Ides Of March, the day nominated for Rudd to re-take command of the government, in time for the media to open their old dirt files on him and get going, bashing him, before the election? One vital aspect of being a Press Gallery member in 2013 seems to be that there is no yesterday, only an eternal today and an eternally speculative tomorrow. You are never held to account for your confident predictions of leadership crash-and-burns in last week’s paper. Instead you get to crow that next week it is sure to happen, and if it doesn’t, it’s their fault, not yours. The circus remains the same. It only moves on to the next gig to fleece a whole new town full of suckers (unless they believe all of the people are falling for all of their journalistic earthfill, all of the time?) Which brings me to the cases of two certifiable idiots, the dynamic duo: Mark Kenny and Peter Hartcher of Fairfax Media. Between them, these two have run a tag-team Leadership story line that has constant speculation from unidentified sources and rogue polls (as long as they are bad) as its bases, and which blames everything – from a sparrow farting in the morning, for example, to their own manifest incompetence to get anything right – on Julia Gillard. If they declined to report the passage of the NDIS yesterday, or made only passing mention of the spectacularly good employment figures, it was the Prime Minister’s fault for not following their advice and resigning in favour of their boy. Weekly of late, and now daily, they predict the demise of the Prime Minister. Weekly and daily she refuses to go. Indeed, her breezy countenance seems to belie that there is anything going on at all. Maybe it’s because there isn’t? Fairfax’s resident clowns don’t seem to have considered that possibility. I find it hard to believe that two stars of the Press Gallery such as Kenny and Hartcher could be so wrong, so often, so comprehensively and so regularly, and yet still get paid. Perhaps I’m too tough on Kenny. He is only a ring-in from News, brought in to Fairfax on a contract to plug gaps in the ranks, so perhaps there’s a shadow of an excuse for him. But Hartcher is a certified “Fairfax Brand”. He has nowhere to hide from the laughter and ridicule he so richly deserves. Someone with a penchant for pinstripe suits and a plummy “I went to Chevalier” speaking voice had better be pretty careful he balances those affectations with a modicum of authenticity elsewhere. In the past week, and particularly yesterday, the Media (whether it realises it or not) has gone collectively insane. Hartcher and Kenny were already constructively insane – just read any of their columns and try to find a glimmer of common sense in one of them – but now they have progressed from just ordinary insane to full batshit crazy. I won’t go into their columns. Anyone interested enough in their frequent bouts of self-harm will have already read them, as case studies in impotence, public humiliation and error. I also won’t go into why Fairfax has turned so feral against the government, either. I struggle with this, but could it be that Michelle Grattan, now languishing in the stocks at The Conversation having rotten fruit thrown at her by academics outraged at her bullshittery, was a calming influence? That she was not batshit crazy enough for Roger Corbett’s personal anti-Labor tastes? She is famous for her “On the one hand this, and on the other hand that…” waffle. Perhaps, for Roger, having two hands was to have one hand too many? We’ll never know. Grattan is as silent and Delphic-like at The Conversation as she ever was at The Age. The irony of her refusal to join in the conversation at the eponymously named web site that is now her home away from home, is rich. But what I do want to know is… why? Why does a newspaper organization going broke financially and shedding 1900 staff in the past year, losing circulation, riding a plummetting stock price, shrinking in every way – even in physical size – permit these two men to continue the idiocy we see from jointly and severally from them every single day? Instead of giving them bylines, Fairfax management should be calling security whenever Hartcher or Kenny are seen even loitering in the street nearby the editorial offices. Sack them. Sack them now, Fairfax. Salvage something from the ruination and ridicule that Hartcher and Kenny have visited and continue to visit upon you.

Patricia WA

15/03/2013Can anyone explain to me the irrelevant underlining which is appearing randomly all over the text here at the Political Sword site, both in my own and other peoples' copy and clearly not intended by the commenter. Not at all in Ad Astra's main article, by the way, only in comments. I'm pretty certain it's not for me alone here at home because it's not appearing on other sites.

nasking

15/03/2013 NO WORRIES Pappinbarra Fox. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK MIGS. I'LL SEE IF CAT APOLLO WILL PROVIDE YOU WITH SOME CUBANS. ;) JASON...WHAT A BRILL POST BY BUSHFIRE BILL...POSTED IT ON FACEBOOK. HARTCHER IS A SH*T STIRRER...BIG WOODEN SPOON IN HIS OFFICE MUST BE STARTING TO REEK. HE COULD TRADE IT IN FOR SOME INTEGRITY...BUT HE PROBABLY ENJOYS THE MONEY HE GETS FOR STIRRING THE DUNG POT SO AS TO BUY THOSE SLICK SUITS. HE'S SO DAPPER AND SLICK SOON WE MIGHT MISTAKE HIM FOR AN AVATAR. CHEERS N'

jane

15/03/2013Nas' enjoy the rellies' stay. It's been great to see your gravatar. I hope you'll return as often as possible; we miss you. I hope S' is in good health. Please pass on my regards to her. Jason, loved BB's comment. On fire and making absolute sense as to the general waste of oxygen Kenny and Hartcher represent. BB should cut Kenny no slack at all; a Howardista and complete wanker, he deserves our contempt and calumny.

Ad astra

15/03/2013Patricia WA I can't see any underlining on my computer, which uses Safari. I can't explain why you are seeing it - what Internet browser do you use?

Ad astra

15/03/2013Jason Thanks for posting BB's delightful comment. He is spot on about Hartcher, Kenny and Grattan - useless has-beens.

Ad astra

15/03/2013Gravel Thank you for your very kind comment. You are right - it is mainly the Liberals that want Rudd back; because they have a barrel load of stuff to shoot at him should he return. He would be dead meat in a few weeks.

nasking

15/03/2013 GRACIAS JANE AND SANDRA. I WILL PASS ON YER COMMENT TO STACE...BEST TO YER HUBBY AND FAMILY TOO JANE. KEEP ROCKING THE CONSERVATIVE WORLD LADIES. N'

nasking

15/03/2013 STACE ON HER WAY HOME SO I PROMISE THIS IS MY LAST COMMENT FOR AWHILE...A JOKE FROM ASH'S MACHIAVELLIAN BLOGGERY: [b]What political fundamentals are shared by both David Cameron and Tony Abbott? Rupert Murdoch. [/b] OH YEAAAA... :D HE RIGHT HE RIGHT. N'

Janet (jan@j4gypsy)

15/03/2013 Evening all. Some Twittertalk from the last couple of days below. But first, Ad, congratulations on TPS’s nomination for the Australian Writers’ Centre Best Australian Blogs 2013 Competition. (Has the blog been nominated in previous years?) Nasking: petition signed. Good one. :) Janice – petition signed and had read earlier your terrific piece on Hunter Valley coal mines. Just to note, when not gypsy-ing am based at Stockton. To get there, as you will know, one drives through the coal piled high … and pouring onto the big ships. Also know Denman and often camp there. Returning to the Hunter after 30 years, and doing some regional ‘outreach’ work for the Uni in 2011/12, found myself aghast and saddened at the savaged landscape. And yes, since you’ve all been longing to know, the Crowie lunch so kindly organised by TT went splendidly today :-). Soooo nice to meet and play with 3 other Js and two Bs! [b]Twitterati[/b] [i]Rhys Muldoon ‏@rhysam[/i] New Pope doesn't support gay marriage. World in shock. [i]Cranky Frog ‏@FrogCranky[/i] You can say what you like about Rose Hancock/Porteous, but she gave Gina a run for (Lang's) money :-/ [i]Harry Larsen ‏@berkeleyboy[/i] Gillard drives the week's political debate with policies. Opposition Leader, Rupert Murdoch counters with Media Reform smokescreen [i]secco ‏@MikeSeccombe[/i] What's Labor got to lose by picking a media fight? The Murdoch myrmidons could hardly get any nastier... [i]No Fibs Geek ‏@geeksrulz[/i] Faine identified the crux of the 457 Visa issue. Govt & Employers fail to train as 457 is cheaper. Major Skills & Training crisis. #auspol [i]Noely ‏@YaThinkN[/i] @DavidWhalan @BreakfastNews One IT firm I know of in Brisbane slowly got rid of all bar project manager, kept the five 457's on low wage :( [i]Chester ‏@Bearpolitics[/i] Reliable source now known as unreliable source johnmangos Reliable source tells me JG is about to appoint Shorten as treasurer. More to come [i]Steve Thompson ‏@stevethompson49[/i] I’m sure that if our journalists started gossiping about @TonyAbbottMHR rather than @JuliaGillard, they could bring on #LibSpill next week. [i]Ray Mason ‏@mullewalad[/i] What does @TurnbullMalcolm have to say about Gina Rinehardt dragging Journos into court? Threat to Democracy Malcolm? [i]Simon Birmingham ‏@Birmo[/i] Labor just used numbers on Senate inquiry to force hearings into #medialaws next Mon & Tues, with interim report Wed. #freemedia #auspol [i]Cranky Frog ‏@FrogCranky[/i] #TomWaterhouse & all he stands for is a good reason for gov to look at changes 2 gambling&TV sport Th grub has become a regularTVpersonality [i]Brendan Brooks ‏@HyperBrendan[/i] Waterhouse has so much Vaseline on his teeth, he physically can't close his mouth, his lips slide off his teeth #nrlparcby [b]Twitterverse[/b] [i]Stephen ‏@TheAviator1992[/i] The awkward moment when you realise that even Pope Francis is more progressive than Tony Abbott #auspol https://twitter.com/TheAviator1992/status/312165590146117633/photo/1 ASRC ‏@ASRC1 The Queue is a myth. If all the worlds #refugees could queue the wait would be up to 135 years #asylum #auspol https://twitter.com/ASRC1/status/312332177838850048/photo/1 [i]Isabel McIntosh ‏@greens_bel[/i] Have a fracking laugh! First Dog on the Moon Locks the Gate. #CSG http://twitpic.com/cb6ken [i]Matt Cowgill ‏@MattCowgill[/i] Industrial disputes soared in December! Oh wait no they didn't https://twitter.com/MattCowgill/status/312017225064251392/photo/1 [i]Alan Moir ‏@moir_alan[/i] MOIR CARTOON afternoon...WHO WANTS TO BE A SQUIDRILLIONAIRE..? ...Giii..na http://www.moir.com.au [i]Angela ‏@sallie6youtube[/i] Well done Michelle Grattan! you only mentioned Rudd boy 3 times in this article...time to attack Abbott more! http://theconversation.edu.au/grattan-on-friday-fall-of-liberal-leaders-carries-warning-for-abbott-12817 … [i]Ken ‏@KoenjiEikaiwa[/i] "the gulf of mistrust between the mainstream media and its consumers was wide, and growing wider" http://bit.ly/XxoOkY [i]Sarah Joseph ‏@profsarahj[/i] Nice article from @bernardkeane on Kim Williams' self parody: http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/03/13/the-stalinist-nightmare-of-the-media-regulating-itself/ … [i]Whit Goughlam ‏@leftocentre[/i] Barrie Cassidy on Kim Williams: Lock Stock and Two Smoking Barrels - Onya Bazza! http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-14/barrie-cassidy-speaks-to-abc-news-breakfast/4571994 … #auspol [i]Harry Larsen ‏@berkeleyboy[/i] ABC Drum's rat a tat talk forgets substance http://wp.me/p2WWGt-Ci via @NoFibs [i]Wendy Bacon ‏@Wendy_Bacon[/i] Liberals continue to attack #freespeech for NGOs. It's only for Big Biz. http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/costellos-free-speech-record/aliansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/cos… … [i]Aussie Oskar ‏@AussieOskar[/i] Julia Gillard delivers again with the best Job's data in 12 years. Once again we hear negativity in reply from Tony http://www.theage.com.au/business/job-data-sparks-aboutturn-in-rate-debate-20130314-2g3gu.html … [i]Stephen Tuck` ‏@Imagine4756[/i] Australia doesn’t need the #NBN, says Abbott http://delimiter.com.au/2012/07/06/australia-doesnt-need-the-nbn-says-abbott/ … via @delimiterau Yes we do!! Oz is not #DowntonAbbey era Tones #auspol [i]Geoff Pearson ‏@GCobber99[/i] Napthine gets rid of long-time FOI official in premier's office http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/napthine-gets-rid-of-longtime-foi-official-in-premiers-office-20130314-2g36u.html … via @theage [i]Geoff Pearson ‏@GCobber99[/i] NT coup ends with 'spoilt brat' on top http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/nt-coup-ends-with-spoilt-brat-on-top-20130313-2g0sk.html … via @NationalTimesAU [i]david ewart ‏@davidbewart[/i] Labor attacks Sinodinos over company ties http://news.com.au/breaking-news/national/labor-attacks-sinodinos-over-company-ties/story-e6frfku9-1226596512908 … [i]Edward Cox ‏@Ed_co33[/i] Combet lashes Berejiklian over claim tax will drive up fares http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/combet-lashes-berejiklian-over-claim-tax-will-drive-up-fares-20130313-2g160.html … via @smh - Greg makes sense!! [i]David Marler ‏@Qldaah[/i] @denniallen speaking on ABC 612 in a few mins about Ndis: live link http://ht.ly/iUqI0 [i]Major Major ‏@defenseAU[/i] The Defence taskforce's investigation has been extended from 12 to 18 months. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/defence-abuse-claims-on-the-rise-says-smith-20130314-2g1x5.html#ixzz2NV4wIkiJ …

2353

15/03/2013AA - I get the random underlining when viewing this site at work (Windows XP using Firefox) but not at home (Mac Mountain Lion using Safari). The ALP should take heed of the theory that you never let your opponents choose the battle. By the same token the ALP should also take Rudd into the tent and give him a formal responsibility. The man does have an intellect - use it.

Ad astra

15/03/2013Janet I'm glad the Cafe Junction meeting was enjoyable. I expect TT will give us a full account. Thanks for your Twitterati - fascinating reading. 2353 There's no gainsaying the vagaries of the Internet.

bob macalba

15/03/2013A big pat on the back for Labor,and how to run an economy properly http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4572936.html Janet.... lots of great twittery stuff.. cheers

TalkTurkey

16/03/2013[b]TODAY AT THE CASINO[/b] (Tune: [i]The Day We Went To Bangor[/i]) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMNrrLBdhuM Didn't we have a loverly time today at the Casino! A beautiful place, we had plenty of space, And lunch was subsidised you know By kids with bare feet, and no bread to eat Because their parents have spent it, Hoping to get a win on roulette as the wheels go round! Jonet and me got there early you see, and waited for the Swordsfolks: Pikiranku was coming we knew, and she was bringing her husband too, They came to meet us, a long way by bus, 250K from Yorketown, And when I saw Bob's hat, just like mine, round and flat, there were grins all round! Then j4Gypsy Janet came too, Boy that Gal's true to label! She just loves to roam, WinneVardo's her home, and she goes everywhere she wants, And this trip she made for WOMADelaide, today was her last day here: Tomorrow she's planned to be off in her van as the wheels roll round! And finally Jason Obelix came, and he was the life of the party! I bought him a beer I've owed him for a year, and he made us all laugh, ha haa, Then we got our meal, everybody had veal, 'cos that sounded like a good deal, But we all had to laugh, since that calf was a calf, been a long time round! The time went so fast, three hours had passed before we hardly noticed: We joked and we spoke of that Onselen bloke, (to whom I'm writing an open note!) We parted best friends: hope we all meet again, upstairs in our Casino: It's gonna be fun 'cos by then we'll have won when a year's rolled round! So: [i]Didn't we have a loverly time today at the Casino! A beautiful place, we had plenty of space, And lunch was subsidised you know By kids with bare feet, and no bread to eat Because their folks have spent it, Hoping to get a win on roulette as the wheels go round! [/i] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Original Lyrics (Stealers Wheel) THE DAY WE WENT TO BANGOR http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMNrrLBdhuM CHO: Didn't we have a lovely time the day we went to Bangor A beautiful day we had lunch on the way And all for under a pound you know Then on the way back I cuddled with Jack And we opened a bottle of cider Singing a few of our favourite songs as the wheels went round Do you recall the thrill of it all as we walked along the sea front Then on the sand we heard a brass band that played De Diddle De Bum Ta Ra Ra Elsie and me had some cups of tea then we took a peddler boat out Splashing away as we toured round the bay as the wheels went round Wasn't it nice eating chocolate ice as we strolled around the funfair Then we ate eels on the big Ferris wheel we sailed above the ground but then We had to be quick because Elsie felt sick and we had to find somewhere to take her I said to her lad "what made her feel bad" 'twas the wheel going round Elsie and me we finished our tea, and we said goodbye to the sea side Back on the bus Flo says to us oh isn't it a shame to go Wouldn't it be grand to have cash on demand, and to live like this for always Oh it makes me feel ill when I think of the Mill and the wheels going round

TalkTurkey

16/03/2013NOT Stealers Wheel! - FIDDLER'S DRAM!

lyn

16/03/2013Today’s Links Julia Gillard – gone by next Wednesday by @bgosford Crikey has it from solid Labor sources that Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been tapped on the shoulder today and will leave office next Wednesday, March 20. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2013/03/15/julia-gillard-gone-by-next-wednesday/ The Public Servant by Janice Public servants are those workers Tory governments love to sack. http://janicewritings.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/the-public-servant News Limited and self-regulation by Alan Austin, @MigloMT The conclusion is inescapable: it is an organisation run by liars who employ lying editors to supervise lying reporters. http://theaimn.com/2013/03/15/news-limited-and-self-regulation/ Market Democracy by Gary Sauer- Thompson Australian media's very hostile reaction to the Gillard Government's mild reform to beef up self-regulation is the notion that democracies must conform to markets. http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2013/03/market-democrac.php#more The day The Australian’s reporters stopped writing lies by @boeufblogginon, @independentaus Rupert Murdoch’s brazen intervention in the 1975 Federal election campaign led to http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/the-day-the-australians-reporters-stop Sane analysis and comment on media reform by @margokingston1 Abbott is a puppet of Murdoch. Be afraid. http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/sane-analysis-and-comment-on-media-reform- Citizen journos unite! by @margokingston1 Margo looks at what’s been making news through Twitter over the last week http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/citizen-journos-unite/ Freedom of speech at risk? How Conroy’s advocate could hurt by @KnottMatthew http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/03/15/freedom-of-speech-at-risk-how-conroys-advocate-could-hurt/ Do you want the truth? by @MigloMT manipulative, dishonest, sensationalist, gutless, unfair and unbalanced media in this country. http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/do-you-want-the-truth/ Occupy the Media by @SimonCopland concerns about the quality of content now on offer in Australia’s major media outlets – a so called “crisis in journalism”. http://themoonbat.com/2013/03/15/occupy-the-media/ The most important vote in a lifetime by @btckr the news media has criticised the federal Labor government almost to the point of death, while virtually ignoring the reckless negative, lie/fear/smear campaign of Opposition Leader Tony Abbott http://thesnipertakesaim.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/the-most-important-vote-in-a-lifetime/ Liberal Endless Mantra Of No or LEMONs by @otiose94 The following list, while not complete, is an attempt to provide voters with the TRUTH http://otiose94.wordpress.com/ Industrial Disputes- Unions forget they’re suppose to be on the warpath by @GrogsGamut http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/industrial-disputes-unions-forget.html News Limited to close The Punch by @mumbrella The Punch was founded by former editor of The Daily Telegraph David Penberthy in 2009. At the time Penberthy described it as experiment designed to “celebrate journalism”. http://mumbrella.com.au/news-limited-to-close-the-punch-145823 Public interest and the media reforms @MarkBahnisch Furious response to Conroy”. Is fury the marker of a mature and responsible press? http://larvatusprodeo.net/archives/2013/03/public-interest-and-the-media-reforms/ ABC News goes multi-media by @hongmedia The Australian Broadcasting Corporation plans to launch a seamless, new multi media News process. http://alanknight.wordpress.com/2013/03/15/abc-news-goes-multi-media/ Reforming the mining tax: is it possible? by John Freebairn Introduced in July 2012, the MRRT is effectively an additional special tax on iron ore and coal mining levied by the Commonwealth government http://theconversation.edu.au/reforming-the-mining-tax-is-it-possible-12509 Sydney house prices now higher than 2010 peak say all four major indices - by Australian Property Forum all four major indices (RPData, Residex, APM and the ABS) all have Sydney prices at a higher level than the previous peak in 2010. http://australianpropertyforum.com/topic/9842664/1/ The danger in going cheap on your solar system by Nigel Morris Making a solar panel is a bit like making a cake; there is a recipe of materials http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/3/15/solar-energy/danger-going-cheap-your-solar Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 16 March 2013 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

Ad astra

16/03/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

janice

16/03/2013Good morning all. Thank you to all who have signed the petition to save Denman from being squeezed to death by coal open-cuts. Lyn, You are so sneaky :) Thank you for including my piece in your links...much apreciated.

2353

16/03/2013Don't know if this has made the news "down south" - but even the Courier Mail is suggesting it's ethically questionable - and it's a Journalism course! [quote]A Brisbane university has defended challenging its advertising students to create an election campaign for the LNP candidate running against Kevin Rudd in the seat of Griffith. One second-year Queensland University of Technology student, who wished to remain anonymous, said he thought the Media Planning assignment was a hypothetical until Dr Bill Glasson personally came to a class on Thursday. “It just seemed like we were too close to the campaign,” he told Fairfax Media. “At the end of his speech, the lecturer mentioned that assignments she thought were the best would be passed onto the client, which seemed quite fishy to me.”]/quote] http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/brisbane-uni-backs-assignment-to-help-lnp-bring-down-rudd-20130315-2g5d1.html#ixzz2Neqlt08e

jane

16/03/2013TT, sounds like you all had a great time. I just hope I can make it to the next get together! Loved your adaptation of [i]The Day We Went To Bangor[/i] 2353 @11.27am, takes your breath away, doesn't it? They were just talking casually, were they and thought it might be an interesting exercise in what? Liars Party lack of principles, morals, ethics and honesty? As for the lecturer, she should be chucked out on her fat @rse for trying to dupe her students into providing party political advertising for a political party to which it seems obvious she has very strong ties. If it was a genuine exercise, why not extend the same invitation to Kevin Rudd and have the students create an advertising campaign for him, with the pick of the bunch handed to his office to use? The Liars Party-devoid of principles, morals, ethics and decency.

Michael

16/03/2013Bad Abbott Two faced like Janus, take out the PM's first initial, hee--eeres Tony! OK, wordplay aside... No, wordplay can't be put aside, because once again Tony Abbott has shown two-faces and both of them are taking Australian voters for mugs. The 'caring, concerned Tony' tells us all Aboriginal people are so central to our nation's cultural and social well-being that Aboriginal affairs and their husbandry will be moved into the PM's office... if he is that PM. And then out of the other face (the real Tony???), he tells us Aboriginal families with kids who wag school can expect to get a knock on their door by truant officers with their hands out to fine parents. Wagging school is an Australia-wide/all skin tones problem, and every educational authority in the country has instituted programs to counter it. But to pick out Aboriginal school-waggers as a group to throw the ersatz prime ministerial spotlight on demonstrates again that for all his time spent (one week a year, isn't it?) in Aboriginal communities (well, one, Noel Pearson's sanctioned 'mission' up North), Tony Abbott has little idea of what is happening 'out there'. To anyone. And by "out there" I mean anywhere one metre further away from his manifest preconceptions about how the world actually works. Messily. Humanly. And not containable in any PM's office.

Jason

16/03/2013 Insiders Stephen Conroy The panel Karen Middleton Malcom Farr Piers Akerman

TalkTurkey

16/03/2013Can't wait for Q&A - What a line-up! David Feeney - Parliamentary Secretary for Defence Should I hope he will mount arguments in defence of Labor? Barnaby Joyce - Queensland Nationals Senator Enough said. Viv Benjamin - Anti-Poverty Campaigner & Youth Activist Never heard of her. Presumably a padding cipher. Alannah MacTiernan - Former WA Labor Minister What a great choice. The enemy within. Jeremy Cordeaux - Adelaide Broadcaster and Commentator Adelaide's own shock jock. Yes we have a tradition of it here too.

Michael

16/03/2013Does NOBODY but all the old hacks want to be on Insiders these days!? Q&A's line-up indicates there are some other faces and voices out there. Insiders has become so repetitious, Savva-Henderson-Akerman in rotational-Right sequence, and none of them add anything but bile and dismissal. For Pete's sake, I'd even sit through Lartika Bourke in 'the chair', Mark Kenny, PvO... surely the list goes on, or are there actually no "insiders" at all, just supposed 'professionals' Gillard has gazzumped from the Rudd-removal onwards?

nasking

16/03/2013 [b]The panel Karen Middleton Malcom Farr Piers Akerman[/b] A DEATH SQUAD I TAKE IT? GO BARRY!...YOU CAN'T IMAGINE HOW MUCH WE APPRECIATE YOU USING THE PEOPLE'S BROADCASTER TO PROVIDE TWO MORE NEWS LTD TYPES WITH THE CHANCE TO PUSH THE SLY MURDOCH VIEW OF POLITICS. LISTENING TO PIERS IS AKIN TO PUTTING UP WITH YER VISITING CANTANKEROUS OLD UNCLE WHO SITS IN TIGHT SHORTS KEEPING TIME FLATULENCE-WISE WITH THE ANCIENT DOG IN THE CORNER, BLOWHARDING ABOUT HIS TEAM...AND SERVING UP UNRELENTING CRITICISM OF OPPONENTS...SNIDE REMARKS FILL THE ROOM LIKE THE STENCH OF GARLIC BREATH...INTERMITTENT ATTEMPTS AT HUMOUR ARE THROWN INTO THE PREACHING GIVING THE ALREADY UNCOMFORTABLE MOOD NO MORE REPRIEVE THAN WOULD FINDING A COCKROACH IN YOUR FONDUE...BY THE TIME THE "I TOLD YOU SO" SERMON HAS ENDED YOU HAVE THIS DISTINCT URGE TO SEND UNCLE PIERS TO A GERMAN VILLAGE WHERE HE CAN LIVE OUT THE REST OF HIS LIFE EATING BRATWURST, SUCKING DRY STEINS WHILST WEARING LEDERHOSEN AND CALLING OUT OBNOXIOUS GREETINGS TO PASSING BARMAIDS. MENTALLY STIMULATING. WAY TO GO ABC! N'

Jason

16/03/2013NASKING, I DON'T KNOW WHY INSIDERS JUST DON'T HAVE NIKKI SAVVA, GERARD HENDERSON AND PIERS AKERMAN ON ONE WEEK AND JUST BE DONE WITH IT!

Casablanca

16/03/2013TT @ 5.41pm You wrote: [i]Viv Benjamin - Anti-Poverty Campaigner & Youth Activist Never heard of her. Presumably a padding cipher.[/i] Naughty TT!! That put-down was unworthy of you. Mr Google speaks rather highly of Viv Benjamin and the organisation of which she is the CEO, The Oaktree Foundation. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Oaktree_Foundation The following biographical notes are posted at: http://www.abc.net.au/tv/qanda/coming_up.htm From what I see there, Ms Benjamin is neither a padding cipher nor, it appears, a padded cipher. Viv Benjamin Viv Benjamin is the CEO of the Oaktree Foundation, an organisation run entirely by passionate young volunteers under the age of 26. Viv's work with Oaktree over the years is nothing short of inspiring. In 2007, she was the National Director of the Make Poverty History Zero Seven Road Trip. It was at this event that Kevin Rudd made the historic commitment to increase aid to 0.5% of national income, which became both Labor and Liberal bipartisan policy for years to come. At 19 years old, Viv founded and directed End Child Slavery, a national initiative which lobbied major chocolate companies to certify their products as Fairtrade and slave-free. In 2010 she was National Director of the Make Poverty History Road Trip, one of the largest youth anti-poverty campaigns in Australian history with one thousand young people from every Federal Electorate joining the cause. Since 2006, Viv has sat on the core decision-making group of the Make Poverty History coalition. Since 2008, Viv has been a Director on the Boards of the Oaktree Foundation and Mustard Leadership Australia. She is completing a double degree in Law and International Politics at Monash University.

TalkTurkey

16/03/2013LiR She may be all right. I never said she wasn't. I said I'd never heard of her, and on the basis of many previous Q&A's I said, [i]presumably[/i] a padding cipher. I am quite prepared to pay her attention on the show. I do know infinitely more about her than I did before as a result of your info, but I've said nothing amiss about her afa I'm concerned. Acknowledged presumption on my part is not prejudgment. It was no put-down.

Catching up

16/03/2013Some say the PM deserves a fair go. Maybe it is us, the people that also deserve a fair go. We do not deserve the media we have at this time.

TalkTurkey

16/03/2013Yes not LiR but Casablanca. Understandable mistake, you both have beautiful actresses as your gravatars. Sorry.

Jason

16/03/2013Aa, I know you are retired, however a new job vacancy has come about! It could be asked why such a position never existed in the past, but better late than never. ABC News is establishing a network research and fact checking unit, and is looking for a key editorial leader to develop and drive the project. The unit will scrutinise the factual accuracy of claims made by politicians, business, unions and special interest groups, to produce compelling content across all ABC News platforms and programs. http://www.seek.com.au/job/24179339?tracking=JMC-000038

DMW

16/03/2013Canberra is a wonderful place ... ... pity is you blighters keep electing bloody polticians and sending them here to bu@@er the place up and give it a bad name. ... end rant, as you were :P

DMW

16/03/2013What are you lot out there reading? How come nobody linked to this small piece of excellent writing/commentary? [b]Virtual world all sound and fury, no substance[/b] Tony Wright SMAge/NationalTimes [i]This week in Parliament House, Canberra, hardened hacks and politicians of all stripe reacted as if a bolt of lightning had fried their brains simultaneously. Somewhere within the great house's warren of offices, a merry prankster, mischievous mole or poorly informed activist had set a rumour aflame that Prime Minister Julia Gillard was about to be given the heave-ho by forces unspecified.[/i] http://www.theage.com.au/national/virtual-world-all-sound-and-fury-no-substance-20130315-2g5zd.html Gees, [*shakes head*] blowed if I know, how come this one got missed? :P

Alan

16/03/2013Thank you for your items. Have our Labor people forgotten how the relentless the attack was on Kevin Rudd, by the media, when he was Prime Minister? The media, with the great assistance from their staunch supporters, the Liberal/NP, never let up on him mainly about the "pink bats" ceiling insulations. They never gave the Labor the still undying credit for saving Australia from the GFC. There was no way Labor would have been elected if Kevin Rudd had not resigned when he did. The media did their very best to get the Liberal/NP over the line at Julia Gillard's first election. They succeeded in nearly getting a 'hung' parliament. The media have been relentless ever since to make sure Abbott and his crew get the vote from the people. True Labor voters will never change and neither will true Liberal Voters. I just want to see Julia Gillard get out amongst the people at these massed meetings and get the Labor message across to the 'swinging voters' that Labor is the only party that will stand up for the working class and the disadvantaged. I just can't fathom how our working class can ever vote for a conservative government. One only has to listen to the likes of these big company chiefs like Allan Joyce of qantas, Gina Rhinhardt, Rio Tinto, Onesteel ad nauseum--they would have kids back in the mine pits if they had their way--pay the workers just a little so that "WE" can reap their benefits and live like kings--No thanks--give me a Labor government all the time.

DMW

16/03/2013OK, ok, I admit it, I am slow. It was this what done it wasn't it? [i]March 16. 2013 07:43 AM Today’s Links Julia Gillard – gone by next Wednesday by @bgosford Crikey has it from solid Labor sources that Prime Minister Julia Gillard has been tapped on the shoulder today and will leave office next Wednesday, March 20. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2013/03/15/julia-gillard-gone-by-next-wednesday/[/i] That first link today has just left everybody gobsmacked and bewildered hasn't it? Maybe there is a subtle hint in this reCaptcha [i]smoky ededBp[/i] ... where there is smoke there is fire?

jane

16/03/2013Jason, I couldn't see Ad astra lasting 5 minutes, because he would actually do the job, rather than a snow job for the Liars Party. DMW, loved the link.

Casablanca

17/03/2013TT, I am willing to believe that you are 'pure of heart', to coin a phrase, but with about 2 clicks you could have found her bio and thus would not have had to presume anything. Cipher was a pretty strong word in the context and easily interpreted as a put-down. After all, the meaning of cipher is [i]'a person of no importance, especially one who does the bidding of others and seems to have no will of their own.'[/i](OED). Perhaps you were just using a more poetic word. If, with the benefit of having watched him recently on Q&A, you wished to call Ruslan Kogan a 'padding cipher' I would agree wholeheartedly. I shall pass your compliment on to Ingrid!

jane

17/03/2013So what happens if this twat is right and the entire cabinet walks out because they won't work with Rudd? I think it's just another journo having a wet dream. Rudd has said he won't be having another crack and imo he means it. In any case, I think he's smart enough to know that now is completely the wrong time to make such a move. The time would be after the election if Labor isn't returned. And IF there's any substance to this story, the treacherous gits backgrounding the msm, need to have their lazy @rses booted and told to get out into their electorates and sell all the good stuff this government has done for people instead of hatching idiotic plots. Anyway, why am I even writing this crap? It's another Liars "Look over there!" to take the focus off the infighting in the Liars Party and the back stabbing scandals in Victoria & the NT.

jane

17/03/2013I should have known. Wednesday is the 1,000th day of Julia Gillard's PMship. It all falls into place. A childish and pathetic attempt to ruin the day. Nice try but no cigar, msm.

Casablanca

17/03/2013 DMW @ 11.04pm. You wrote: [i] What are you lot out there reading?[/i] I'm glad that you asked and that you also provided the link to the Tony Wright article [b] Virtual world all sound and fury, no substance.[/b] http://www.theage.com.au/national/virtual-world-all-sound-and-fury-no-substance-20130315-2g5zd.html Lyn's first link for Saturday was to the Bob Gosford article, [b] 'Julia Gillard – gone by next Wednesday' [/b] which I went to with a feeling of trepidation. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/northern/2013/03/15/julia-gillard-gone-by-next-wednesday/ After that shock, I went in search of MSM articles and ABC24 pronouncements and found nothing about a tap on the shoulder having occurred. Earlier on Saturday the PM opened The Bully Free Australia Foundation in Melbourne. In her speech (not yet on her website) Ms Gillard noted that the ubiquitous smart phones and other cyber tools made it difficult for school kids, apprentices and workers to escape from the reach of the bullies. It was no longer possible, she said, to disappear into the safety of home. It is somewhat ironic that Tony Wright (cited above) spoke in similar terms to account for how the rumour that Ms Gillard had been tapped on the shoulder on Friday had spread: [i] Within a nanosecond the twittersphere was sparking, mobile phones were buzzing and trilling, email servers were in near meltdown... The rumour took wing far beyond Parliament House, for the electronic world knows no boundaries. [/i] http://www.theage.com.au/national/virtual-world-all-sound-and-fury-no-substance-20130315-2g5zd.html#ixzz2Ni22MG2z Relieved to find that no coup had taken place I turned to articles about the matter that has sparked the latest outburst of anti-Gillard sentiment, the proposed media legislation. I spent much of the afternoon reading about attempts in the UK to implement the Leveson Report recommendations which mirror the attempts here to implement the Convergence Review & Finkelstein recommendations. I commenced with another of Lyn’s links [b] Market Democracy. [/b] [i]One implication of the Australian media's very hostile reaction to the Gillard Government's mild reform to beef up self-regulation is the notion that democracies must conform to markets. This market democracy, which is contrasted with political democracy in which the economy is fundamentally subject to democratic authority, has become increasingly ingrained amongst right wing politicians and the media. The further implication is that capitalistic” institutions are the best way not only to respect political and economic liberties, but also to achieve a just society. [/i] http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2013/03/market-democrac.php#more [b]A richer Murdoch stands on the cusp of two big wins. [/b] Glenn Dyer and Bernard Keane. [i] Murdoch and his local representatives like News Limited CEO Kim Williams know perfectly well Conroy’s self-regulation proposals for journalistic standards pose no threat to their newspapers; their real concern is the public interest test proposal, which would stymie News Ltd from offsetting its dying newspaper business with expansion into growth assets like the other half of Foxtel. [/i] Their final sentence should send a chill through the wavering cross-benchers and back-benchers: [i] And if Cameron and Gillard are both gone by later in the year, there’ll be a clear message to politicians everywhere: stay in Rupert’s good books at all costs.[/i] http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/03/15/a-richer-murdoch-stands-on-the-cusp-of-two-big-wins/ This is eerily similar to what actor Hugh Grant said to the Leveson Inquiry. [b]Hugh Grant's witness statement to the Leveson inquiry - full text. [/b] In a lengthy but fascinating statement Grant lists a number of Myths which he then bebunks [i] Myth 5: That current privacy law under the Human Rights Act muzzles the press Why do popular papers' lawyers so seldom even bother to turn up to argue a public interest defence in front of the judge when one of their stories has been injuncted at the eleventh hour? Or indeed in the cold light of next day? Is it because there IS no public interest defence? 63. And if that is so, why do their editorials rail so loudly against so called abuses of these injunctions? Misnaming them as "super-injunctions" when they are merely anonymised to fulfil their purpose? Calling them "undemocratic", "backdoor" or "muzzling"? Is it perhaps not about press freedom or public interest at all? Are these editorials merely about protecting a business model? A lucrative racket? 64. Who would we rather decide what was in the public interest and what was merely interesting to the public? Judges? Or the editor of the paper standing to profit from the article in question? [/i] http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2011/nov/23/hugh-grant-leveson-inquiry-statement SOME RESPONSES FROM CURRENT & FORMER EDITORS Paul Dacre, the current editor of the British newspaper the Daily Mail vehemently defends the status quo. He was a member of the Press Complaints Commission (PCC) from 1999 to 2008. He left the PCC in order to become chairman of the PCC's Editors' Code of Practice Committee from April 2008. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paul_Dacre [b] Sir Harold Evans accuses press of cynicism over Leveson report[/b] Ex-Times editor uses Cudlipp lecture to criticise some editors' misrepresentation of proposal on statutory underpinning. [i] Ex-Times editor Harold Evans described the British press as "unduly restricted" when investigating serious matters in the public interest and suggested that statutory underpinning would have assisted the Sunday Times during his editorship in its long campaign covering the thalidomide scandal in 1972. [/i] [i] In all, the Leveson reforms showed a way to "protect privacy and encourage high standards while enlarging, not diminishing, the freedom of the press," Evans said. [/i] http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/jan/29/harold-evans-accuses-press-cynicism-leveson [b] Why I, as a journalist and ex-editor, believe it is time to regulate the press. [/b] Will Hutton. [i] The Leveson report is a much-needed opportunity for newspapers to abandon the excesses of the past. The brutal truth is that British newspapers have become far too careless about the boundaries between news and comment, too ready to use innuendo to prove a point, too fast to phone-hack/pay for information to stand up hunches that have little or no public interest defence but which serve the political and cultural interests of proprietors. Yes, freedom of speech is the great Enlightenment gift that comes with the freedom to dare to know and to challenge. But it is not a charter for systematic character assassination by powerful media organisations that offer no right of reply, nor redress for mistakes. The precious freedom of speech of an individual is different from the freedom of speech of a media corporation with its capacity to manipulate the opinions of millions, which is why it must take place within the law and within a framework of accountability. Freedom is not only menaced by the state; it is also menaced by private media barons and their servants, a reality that those doughty, self-anointed champions of freedom, Michael Gove and Boris Johnson, never address. [/i] http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/nov/25/will-hutton-leveson-report-regulate-press RESPONSES FROM ACADEMICS [b]Low-key Conroy proposals are media reform lite.[/b] Prof. Terry Flew. http://theconversation.edu.au/low-key-conroy-proposals-are-media-reform-lite-12778 [b]Media reform: hysterical attacks on weak Conroy suggestions tell the real story. [/b] Prof. Susan Forde. http://theconversation.edu.au/media-reform-hysterical-attacks-on-weak-conroy-suggestions-tell-the-real-story-12770 So DMW that’s what I read. I hope that others may also find in the above some arguments that help to crystallise why we do need to have the legislation passed, even if it falls short of the ideal. The cross-benchers need to take the best opportunity that they are likely to have to bring about some reform to the media.

Alcyone

17/03/2013Thank you, Janice. I’ve thought it through and I know what bugs me most about Alannah McTiernan’s behaviour. We live in a fire “hot-spot”, in a community of people a fair number of whom share the same cultural and religious background as Alannah. Every summer we all sit in the same boat, sweating it out and on a regular basis we are put to the test and together we are all forced to face our fears. Why do I stay here? Because I have seen passion, loyalty and support save a community – our community - from obliteration by fire. Good faith, good will and trustworthiness save lives and make you proud to be Australian. What bugs me about Alannah McTiernan is this; somehow, something has led her to believe that passion, loyalty and support are just words; that you can twist them and use them as weapons of hostility, misrule and destruction and that will get you wins. Wherever that idea is coming from, it is a life-warping lie.

TalkTurkey

17/03/2013Good Morning Swordsfolks, Just watched Lopsiders with Barrie Crassidy Panel members Karen Middleton Mal Farcom and Pigs Akerman. Crassidy interrupted virtually everything Conroy started to say, including telling him that he ought to be trying to [i]negotiate[/i] with those who object to media self-regulation, when the Govt has made it perfectly clear [i]it[/i] [i]will not[/i], for good reasons of its own. It is a perfect example of Media thinking they are players in the political process. Middleton defending 457 visas on the basis that the recipients are highly-paid skilled workers filling skills vacancies - blissfully insensible to the irony that implies, that we are failing our own young people in upskilling them, and with Abborttian State Govts dismantling TAFEs! Her hair looks like she done it with sump oil. It's a disgrace to appear on people's nice clean TVs looking like she does. Even Pigs looks cleaner. Pigs went hysterico~ballistic over the issues of media self-regulation and 457 visas, his personal unhingement helps our cause no end, even KM $ Mal, & even BARRIE, ridiculed his foam-flying tirade! Female commentator on Talking Pictures very happy with Daily Terrorgraph front page. Mmmm ... I will be too when they do similar front pages for Rindlard and Abbortt and Merdeoch. BTW did you know we had a new Pope? Reckon those old fisherman's shoes are pretty smelly these day.

NormanK

17/03/2013Casablanca @ 3.51 AM Excellent post. Thank-you very much.

Ad astra

17/03/2013Folks I’ve enjoyed reading your comments of yesterday and this morning. Thank you. I’ll be out and about all day, and will be back this evening.

Catching up

17/03/2013I wonder what would happen if Conroy had bough in, and left this legalisation to lie around for weeks, not putting a strict time frame on it. It would allow the media to get a head up of stream in their attacks, as occurred with the miners, and those against a market base scheme for carbon emissions. Look at what they have achieved in less than a week. Conroy is correct, there is little to be gained, by not voting as soon as possible.

42 long

17/03/2013It's all about perception. Trying to make Conroy look stupid by selected editing . The money for Rupert is the aim. The tTerrorgraph is outrageous but it's ok if it is used against the labor party. What if it was used against the Abbott Mob? Don't worry , it just won't happen will it Malcolm.? thats why you don't want any reform. You are the beneficiary of all this bias. ( and it doesn't matter if it gets even worse in the future. Very concvenient for you but the principle is still wrong. No-one elects Merde rock. he just has too much control. Piers Uckerman, sticking exactly to the lines . (put is that OK Rupert? after all he says.) Murdoch wants the dough involved with the NBN. What left leaning parties are up against was well in evidence this week. It is almost a miracle when they are elected. Missed out with Romney though didn't he? Bet that upset him.

Casablanca

17/03/2013NormanK Thank you for your acknowledgement. The arguments put by Will Hutton were particularly well expressed and I have been back to re-read his article which was published just before the Leveson Report was published. [i]..our press passionately protests its fealty to principles it then abuses. Leveson [read Convergence Review & Finkelstein] is a once in a generation to put that right. The chance must not be missed.[/i] http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/nov/25/will-hutton-leveson-report-regulate-press

ian

17/03/2013My take on the media laws....crossposted from The Pub After reading the interesting feedback I watched the Insiders. Though, I personally, find Mr Ackerman repellant, Ms Middleton is not much better and found the unhinging quite refreshing. There really should be more of it. What interested me the most is that they then proceeded to ask why the Govt was picking a fight with the media and News Ltd in particular? I would have thought that Mr Ackermans spittle flecked histrionics, in conjunction with his CEOs’ bleatings and ridiculous front pages would have answered that question. Before it needed to be asked. Essentially, imo, JGPM and Senator Conroy are challenging the power of News Ltd. They are calling their bluff. Can they unseat a Labor Govt they don’t agree with? They’ve been trying to remove JGPM since 2010, and haven’t done so. The front pages we are seeing, the Ackerman type vitriol, the unhinging Bolt, the thunderous, empty of fact, but full of rhetoric editorials will seen for what they are…..censorship of a political debate and party that around 50% of Australians support and vote for. Mr Ackerman has, this morning, done more for the cause of Labor than any reasoned debate could. He, with his blind and open hatred, will cut through the complacency of many. Some will look at the print media bias anew and make their own judgements. That is all the Government needs them to do. That is News Ltd greatest fear. As they say in Queensland…is that true?, or did you read it in the Courier Mail? Well played, Ms Gillard and Mr Conroy.

Marilyn

17/03/2013But Gillard is a coward, a racist and a dingbat. What the fuck is wrong with rusted on ALP voters who refuse to see how vile she is.

Casablanca

17/03/2013Jane @ 2.13am That was a neat observation by you that this latest frenzy of 'shoulder-tapping' speculation coincides with the milestone 1,000th day of Julia Gillard's incumbency this week. Julia has now eclipsed Rudd's term by 61 days. The next milestone comes at the end of May when PM Gillard will leap-frog the great Gough. His incumbency lasted for 2 years and 342 days. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Australia

nasking

17/03/2013 [b] I DON'T KNOW WHY INSIDERS JUST DON'T HAVE NIKKI SAVVA, GERARD HENDERSON AND PIERS AKERMAN ON ONE WEEK AND JUST BE DONE WITH IT![/b] JASON, IT'S LIKE SLOWLY ROASTING YER AUDIENCE ON A SPIT. CASSIDY IS PROBABLY TRYING TO SAVE HIS JOB IN CASE THE GOVT CHANGES. HE'S PREPARING THE COUNTRY TO BE FED TO MURDOCH AND ALLIES. THIS RIGHT-WING CATHOLIC BUNCH HAVE A PLAN...SEEMS TO ME THEY'RE BEING USED TO PUT IN PLACE POLICIES WITH MISSIONARY ZEAL...ESTABLISHING AUSTRALIA AS A KEY SUPPLIER OF RESOURCES AND MAJOR LAUNCHING PAD FOR A COMING WAR. I DON'T TRUST ABBOTT'S MOTIVES WHEN IT COMES TO HIS RELATIONSHIP WITH THE INDIGINEOUS PEOPLE...I CAN'T HELP BUT FEEL THIS IS ABOUT GETTING ACCESS TO LAND FOR VARIOUS PURPOSES...AND USING ABORIGINES FOR MILITARY, TRANSPORT, MINING AND FOOD PRODUCING PURPOSES IN RELATION TO THIS UPCOMING CONFLICT. THEY WILL MAKE IT APPEAR LIKE A COMPASSIONATE DRIVE TO HEAL AND TRANSFORM INDIGINEOUS INTO EFFECTIVE CAPITALISTS. THIS IS A RUSE. YOU ONLY HAVE TO WATCH AND LISTEN TO THE LIKES OF HENDERSON, BOLT, THE RECENT NEWS LTD CEO KIM WILLIAMS, AKERMAN...AND MANY OTHERS ATTACKING THE GOVT TO KNOW THIS HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH USING ZIONISM...BUT I'M NOT SURE THEIR MOTIVES ARE PURE...THAT IT REALLY IS ABOUT HELPING PROTECT ISRAEL...I SUSPECT THIS IS ANOTHER CONJOB...NOR THAT ALL OF THEM KNOW THE PLAN IN DETAIL. BUT I'M FAIRLY CERTAIN THE FIRST STAGE BEGAN AROUND 95/96...BASED ON EXPERIENCES AND IDEAS OF THOSE INVOLVED IN THE VIETNAM WAR, COVERT WARS AGAINST USSR AND SPREAD OF COMMUNISM...INCLUDING IN AFGHANISTAN, STH AND CENTRAL AMERICA, THE NIXON, FORD AND REAGAN ADMINS...AND RECURRENT VISITS TO SAUDI ARABIA BY OFFICIALS AND CORPORATES FROM A NUMBER OF COUNTRIES...AND THE EVOLUTION OF SATELLITE IMAGERY SEARCHING FOR MINERALS AND WATER...SADLY THE LABOUR PARTY IN THE UK WAS INFILTRATED EFFECTIVELY...AS HAS BEEN THE TORIES AND LIB DEMS. THE VATICAN ARE IN DEEP. BEING USED TO HELP PAVE THE WAY. PART OF THIS PLAN WAS PROBABLY DEVELOPED INSIDE THE BOWELS OF THE VATICAN...AS IT WAS IN VIRGINIAN, TEXAN, NY, TEL AVIV, JORDANIAN,,TURKISH ETC THINK TANKS...AND PLACES DESIGNATED BY THE LIKES OF RUPERT MURDOCH. BRAINWASHING SOFTWARE WILL BE INTRODUCED INTO SCHOOL AFTER SCHOOL...ALREADY HAS BEGUN...UNDER THE GUISE OF DIRECT INSTRUCTION. PROBABLY THE BRAINWASHING IS ALREADY GOING ON VIA COMPUTER GAMES, CERTAIN YOUTH-ORIENTED SHOWS, MUSIC, NOVELS, SPORTS, ADS ETC. PROBLEM IS I THINK JUST ABOUT ANY INDIVIDUAL AND COMMUNITY AND BUSINESS IS EXPENDABLE...THAT INCLUDES PRIME MINISTERS...AS WE'RE BEGINNING TO REALISE. I'D LIKE TO KNOW WHO IS DRIVING MURDOCH...APART FROM HIS SAUDI PRINCE ALLY...??? AND HOW MUCH URANIUM, OTHER RADIOACTIVE CHEMICAL ELEMENTS AND RARE EARTH MINERALS AREINVOLVED...??? AND SPACE TECHNOLOGY??? N'

Ad astra

17/03/2013Ian I agree with your assessment of [i]Insiders[/i]. Have you seen anyone nearer to apoplexy that Akerman this morning (his grossest behaviour yet) and Kim Williams a couple of days ago. They looked like explosive devices near detonation. There must be within their minds a sense of terrible threat and foreboding, and all this from what is a benign piece of legislation. Yet it is hard to believe that they could so misunderstand the nature of the legislation as to be threatened by it. An alternative explanation of their behaviour is that it is simply theatrical. They want to squeeze the last drop of political advantage out of the legislation to further demean, diminish and demolish PM Gillard and her Government, and drive another big nail into her coffin, already overcrowded with nails. Jason What an exciting job it would be to be a fact checker. I’m not about to volunteer, but my advice to anyone who might be contemplating that role would be to take it on only if the ABC absolutely guaranteed that the truth would be exposed so that all could see where the facts were wrong (or right), who made false statements, and how the falsities were to be announced. There would be no point in posting a correction to a falsehood in some obscure place in an ABC broadcast. The correction would need to be given as much prominence as the original falsehood, which incidentally is what the Government wants the Press Council to insist upon when the media wrongly accuses or defames someone.

Catching up

17/03/2013Maybe Insiders should be divided into two halves one with Savva, Akkerman and their ilk. The other with the likes of Marr. Etc. Just a thought.

Catching up

17/03/2013Jane forgets the huge legacy that Whitlam left was achieved in those small number of days. Also an election in the middle.

ian

17/03/2013But Gillard is a coward, a racist and a dingbat. As long as she cleans up the 457 rorts and makes sure no ILLEGALS PROFIT FROM PAYING PEOPLE SMUGGLERS I don't care.

jane

17/03/2013Thanks Casablanca. It was actually posted by Mobius Echo at CW. I knew there was a milestone, but couldn't remember what it was and had to trawl. The joys of advancing age. I imagine the Liars are aware of the significance and had to do their best to spoil it. Hopefully, the milestone for September will be re-election. Something that's been floating around in my head for a while. Does anyone think the government will have another crack at the Malaysia solution, now that Manus Island and Nauru have been proved such a comprehensive failure? I think it would now be easier for the government to reintroduce the legislation, having shown what a massive fail the Liars way is.

Pikiranku

17/03/2013Phew! Just catching up after 2.5 full days out and about. Great lunch in Adelaide on Friday, cementing the TPS bonds. Loved the Poem, TT - you're a phenomenon! So I missed all the fun this morning on the Insiders. Surely all these over-the-top reactions to the new media laws are doing the press/Murdoch/LNP cause more harm than good. I just can't see too many Australians responding favorably to that sort of extremism even if they don't really know what's going on. And anyone who's actually read the laws knows that they're really only requiring that the press actually comply with standards that they've already agreed to anyway. No big deal at all and certainly not unreasonable. Ian, I saw a photo of a car-sticker on Twitter - "Is that the truth? Or did Alan Jones tell you?" It's spreading!

Casablanca

17/03/2013It has just occurred to me after reading Annabel Crabb that the real [b]FACELESS MEN (& WOMEN)[/b] these days are the respondents to Newspoll, Nielson & the other polling companies. It is they who are responsible more than politicians and officials for bringing about the contagion of the revolving door syndrome. Annabel though not using the term is really calling the pollsters the 'faceless men' and that fits well too. Annabel Crabb has written her best article for ages: [b]Habemus PM: Latin works when an incumbent goes up in a puff of smoke[/b]* [i]Increasingly, I wonder why the proponents of direct election bother. After all, the parties take Newspoll and Fairfax/Nielsen so seriously that direct election, to all practical intents and purposes, is already a reality. Polling on the virtues of various leaders piles a hypothetical on a hypothetical, which opinion polling, of course, is: ''What do you want for dinner in September? And would you feel more or less like eating it, if it was served by Malcolm Turnbull in a tutu?'' And yet they hang on it; Julia Gillard's fortunes ebb and flow every second Tuesday, when the caucus wakes as jumpy as a greyhound in a firework factory. Why go to all the trouble and expense of installing a large-scale ballot system in your own party, when Mr Newspoll will do it for free? [/i] Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/comment/habemus-pm-latin-works-when-an-incumbent-goes-up-in-a-puff-of-smoke-20130316-2g7lh.html#ixzz2Nm5cmx1s * This article is also published as [b]Latin rite could lend us a bit of gravitas[/b] http://www.smh.com.au/comment/latin-rite-could-lend-us-a-bit-of-gravitas-20130316-2g7ab.html#ixzz2NmBLJYqd I notice that Judith Ireland also has an article published today under two different headings. What's going on? Ireland has written her usual rubbish BTW on leadership volatility & bells tolling for Gillard.

jane

17/03/2013[quote]Ireland has written her usual rubbish BTW on leadership volatility & bells tolling for Gillard.[/quote] She wishes.

ian

17/03/2013AA, I have always maintained the view that Julia Gillard, by design, not fortune, is determined to change the way politics are practised in Australia. The incredible focus on the development and delivery of policy into working systems. The speech that awoke the world. The unremitting courage to stand up to the vested interests and to brush aside the vitriolic, the poisonous, the back stabbing and the white anting. Should the media legislation pass both houses it wont be an attack on free speech. That really is a silly argument. What it will be though, is the first proof positive that the power, both real and supposed, held by News Corp can be blunted. A power used so effectively to beat down any opposition to their corporate agenda. I just hope News Corp and those they employ to push the editorial line keep on doing what they are doing. It seems to me that those the Government are targeting, the quiet thinking voter who has yet to decide, are no longer believing or relying on the msm. Circulation and ratings figures are proving that. What News and other media corporations don't want anyone to know is, just exactly how weak the inside of the citadel is. Not so much financial in News Corps. instance but definately in Fairfax. But the absence of ethics and morality in both will tell. The walls are crumbling....and so is the power. What better time than now to prod them with a sharp stick? Commentators bleat about Julia Gillard continuing to get the politics wrong. She hasn't. They've showed up to the wrong game and it isn't the one Ms. Gillard is playing.

jane

17/03/2013[quote]Commentators bleat about Julia Gillard continuing to get the politics wrong. She hasn't. They've showed up to the wrong game and it isn't the one Ms. Gillard is playing.[/quote] Spot on, Ian. I wonder if they've woken up to that fact yet? It's hard to tell whether they've realised that the PM is holding a party and given them the wrong address.

Ad astra

17/03/2013Ian Again, you are on the money. PMJG is intent on doing what is right for the country, whether or not it suits News Limited. Casablanca A nice piece of satire by Annabel Crabb. Her paragraphs about polls are so accurate, but newspaper proprietors are not listening.

Sir Ian Crisp

17/03/2013[quote][b]But Gillard is a coward, a racist and a dingbat. What the fuck is wrong with rusted on ALP voters who refuse to see how vile she is. Marilyn [/b][/quote] Hello Ad Astra. Has anyone seen or heard from Ad Astra?

Jason

17/03/2013Sir Ian, Marilyn does sound a little frustrated perhaps a good seeing to by you might cure her!:)

DMW

18/03/2013Hi Casablanca, great comment way back in the early hours of this morning and it was most informative to read your synopsis - thanks. Re your question about the same article having two different headlines it is because of the whole SMH/Age/NationalTimes spaghetti web thing. The subbies for the Age & SMH will often have a different headline for the same article and then the National Times 'coagulates' them along with articles from the Canberra Times and their other online 'papers'. Sometimes when you read the articles you will also find there are minor differences in the content. Sometimes the sub-editor at each paper will 'put the pen' through different parts to 'trim' the article.

Casablanca

18/03/2013Morning DMW What you say about [i]the whole SMH/Age/NationalTimes spaghetti web thing[/i]seems a likely explanation. However, what appeared to me to be different is that the Annabel Crabb piece was published in the SMH under both titles and with the same date. I did a word count and the one with the title [i]Habemus PM: Latin works when an incumbent goes up in a puff of smoke[/i] has 814 words whereas [i]Latin rite could lend us a bit of gravitas[/i] has 806 words - a difference of 8 words. I'll keep an eye on this curious trend. I mentioned that Judith Ireland had what appeared to be exactly the same article, published under two different titles and I found the same with a Laurie Oakes article. In the Oakes case they were published in The Daily Terror and The Australian and probably also in the Herald Sun. I say this only on the basis that his by-line in the one published in The Australian included the words 'Herald Sun'. I guess that the Editor forgot to make the necessary change. Syndication is one thing but reading the almost identical article with different headings is tedious in the extreme. It gives a whole new meaning to the notion of increasing the diversity in the media. With editors a dwindling resource it makes it even more curious.

Casablanca

18/03/2013Yeah Julia! [b]If I haven't flinched yet, why would I flinch now?''[/b] The feisty Julia was interviewed by Michael Gordon, [b]Got to be a hard bastard[/b] On the PM's political strategy: [i]...Gillard is unabashed. ''One, I think there has been a lot of re-interpreting of history,'' she says. ''I don't recall Paul Keating in the 1993 campaign, in the fight of his life against the GST, looking for the consensus moment. Two, government in my view isn't about looking at the powerful stake-holders and saying, 'How many can I get in my corner?' Government is about serving the national interest and doing what the nation requires.'' On 457 visas: ...Gillard is unbowed. ''I'm a Labor prime minister talking about jobs, and the truth is, as everybody knows, we have always calibrated our immigration settings against our best understanding of the economy and our needs - and I won't be deterred by third-party critiques about this.[/i] Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/got-to-be-a-hard-bastard-20130317-2g8r2.html#ixzz2NoHn38kQ [b]The media must embrace reform to survive.[/b] Katherine Murphy. Murphy has written a half decent article which reads a bit like a death warrant in places. I was not surprised when she signed off with the comment that it was her final weekly article for The Age. Writing about the Media Bills she makes the courageous call for journalists to re-assess their role and responsibilities: [quote]The principles in this package are, in fact, the challenges the mainstream media must meet in order to survive the transition currently upon us. We in the media must renew our mandate with audiences by innovating and moving beyond the strictures of the old masthead and network models, and by being accurate and reliable. We can pretend the only player here with an existential trust problem is the Gillard government, and wilfully ignore our own parallel universe: the evidence that audiences don't trust us either. We can comfort ourselves in self-delusion, and strut and fret. Or we can spend less time swaggering and railing against our enemies and more time renewing the mission of contemporary journalism. We are tellers of truths, news breakers, curators and contextualisers; and at our best and bravest, we are people who write things that someone, somewhere, does not want written. The only people who can save or destroy journalism are journalists. And we will save it only if we exhibit courage and humility, not manufactured conflict.[/quote] Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/the-media-must-embrace-reform-to-survive-20130317-2g8lz.html#ixzz2NoLIcUj1 Amen to that. Hopefully Katherine will take this new found courage and clarity with her to The Guardian.

Casablanca

18/03/2013OOPs! That's Kath[u]a[/u]rine

lyn

18/03/2013Today’s Links Unfairfax and the tame toothless tiger @davrosz the only avenue available is Australian Press Council a totally inadequate http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/business/media-2/unfairfax-and-the-tame- Last chance to rein in Murdoch @margokingston1 Labor must get this done quickly or bleed to death from Murdoch media’s relentless attacks. http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/last-chance-to-rein-in-murdoch/ Conroy`s Media Reforms Met with Embrace, Assault and Disappointment by @Artspeakcentral News LTD makes no secret of supporting the Liberal-National Coalition http://artspeakcentral.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/conroys-media-reforms-met-with-embrace-assa If you want to see government control of journalism, try this: @BernardKeane Stephen Conroy is compared to worst mass murderers of history by News Ltd, while the Coalition claims it’s the worst attack on a free press since WW2. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/2013/03/16/if-you-want-to-see-government-control-of-jou So What does the Media Consider a Natural Right by @CraigEmersonMP https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B0ctB3LVda7hTnVuSWdtSktkNkk/edit?pli=1 Oh my god! by @btckr In a nutshell, News Limited has become its own worst enemy. http://truthinmediaresourcecentre.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/oh-my-god/ “Though I disagree with what you say, I’ll defend to the death my right to fire you if I own the paper!” by rossleighbrisbane @MigloMT “Well, they’ve been saying that Gillard won’t last the month since 2010.” http://theaimn.com/2013/03/17/though-i-disagree-with-what-you-say-ill-defend-to-the-death-my-right-to- Digital Apartheid by @AshGhebranious How can Abbott say he will never divide Australians on any issue and keep a straight face? http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/digital-apartheid/ Why I vote Labor by @MigloMT I will always vote for a party that puts Australians first and there is only one party http://theaimn.com/2013/03/17/why-i-vote-labor-2/ Tim Wilson and the Institute of Public Affairs Demonstrate Why Their Message Cannot Work by @Mothincarnate It’s all done, as the IPA website waxes lyrically about, in the name of liberty, freedom and the rights of the individual http://newanthropocene.wordpress.com/ Zombie Australoclypse by @archiearchive Our Prime Minister, although she may not know it, is protecting us all from the COALITION ZOMBIES. http://archiearchive.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/zombie-australoclypse/ Week in Review by @JohnCookAdviser Cabinet reshuffles in Victoria and the Northern Territory http://johncookadviser.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/week-in-review-26/ News Media (Self-regulation) Bill 2013 Parliament of Australia http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/R Leveson: Ed Miliband tells MPs to do their duty for victims of the press by Daniel Boffey Labour leader says that for too long politicians have been scared of acting against the powerful media http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/mar/16/leveson-ed-miliband-victims-press-intrusion Welcome to our grassroots campaign … Vote4Julia … by @markjs1 To get Julia Gillard …and thus this great ALP Govt re-elected …is the SOLE AIM OF THIS CAMPAIGN http://vote4julia2013.wordpress.com/tag/votejuliatweets/ Piers Akerman attacks 'totalitarian' Conroy Daily Telegraph columnist Piers Akerman launched a passionate attack on Communications Minister Stephen Conroy during Insiders on ABC television. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hiQVjYMSTn8&feature=youtu.be Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 18 March 2013 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

nasking

18/03/2013 WOW! EVEN THE SO CALLED 'REASONABLE MAN' TURNBULL IS SOUNDING MORE LIKE THE HYSTERICAL MURDOCH PAPERS AND THE NEGABORE ABBOTT BY THE HOUR. HE SURE COMES ACROSS LIKE A NEWS LTD LACKEY NOW...OVER-THE-TOP CRITICISMS OF CONROY AND THE GOVERNMENT...DAMNING ASSESSMENTS OF THE CURRENT NBN ROLLOUT... THE GUY HAS 'DESPERATION' WRIT ACROSS HIS FOREHEAD. AND THIS CONSTANT FARTING ON ABOUT POLLS IS BEGINNING TO MORE ME SHITLESS... THE ABC ARE OVER THE TOP LATELY PUSHING THE ANTI-GILLARD STUFF TOO. IT'S OBSESSIVE. I DON'T TRUST MANY ON THE ABC NOW...INCLUDING MICHAEL ROWLAND. IT'S LIKE THEY'VE ALL BEEN INFECTED WITH SOME VIRUS THAT MAKES THEM FEAR PM GILLARD AND HER TEAM. PROBABLY HAS TO DO WITH PRESSURE COMING FROM LIBERAL MARK SCOTT...THE BULLYING MEDIA BARONS WHO ARE FLIPPIN' OUT OVER MEDIA REFORM AND THE KNOWLEDGE AUDIENCES AND READERS ARE STARTING TO WANDER FROM THEIR CRAP...AND THIS FANATICAL OBSESSION SOME HAVE SINCE 9/11...WHICH SEEMS TO RUN PARALLEL TO PARANOIA ABOUT COMMUNISM. ANYWAY, I'M FINDING THIS LATEST GILLARD BASH AS INTENSE AND INAPPROPRIATE AS MANY OF YOU HAVE BEEN WRITING ABOUT ON HERE... THERE IS SUCH A DESPERATION AND PROPAGANDA-LIKE ELEMENT TO IT I HAVE BEGUN TO SUSPECT PM GILLARD MUST BE DOING SOMETHING RIGHT FOR SO MANY ARSEHOLES TO BE GOING AFTER HER. I HAVE DRIFTED FURTHER AND FURTHER AWAY THE LAST FEW DAYS FROM WANTING ANY LEADERSHIP CHANGE. AND MORE AND MORE DESIRING OF MEDIA REFORM ASAP. KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK. N'

nasking

18/03/2013 SHOULD BE: AND THIS CONSTANT FARTING ON ABOUT POLLS IS BEGINNING TO BORE ME SHITLESS... - sorry eyes bad today.

Ad astra

18/03/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

nasking

18/03/2013 IF RUDD MOVES NOW IT WILL LOOK LIKE HE IS KOWTOWING TO THE MURDOCH EMPIRE...ATTEMPTING TO UNDERMINE MEDIA REFORM. N'

2353

18/03/2013I suspect NewsCorp has overcooked it. Apparently a few weeks ago, there was a talkfest involving something like 30 of the "best" talking heads (separate events for males and females) in Canberra. By reports this morning, everyone had a nice day and went back to ripping each other apart on the electronic media the next day. The male talking head on ABC Breakfast this morning takes a swipe at the "Daily Telegraph" this morning for reprinting a photo from the event, claiming it was more recent and they met to discuss the Government's disgusting media rule changes. He made it perfectly clear that despite the report in the paper, the gathering and his involvement had nothing to do with what it was claimed to be. Furthermore there are apparently a number of tweets from other "media" are also protesting at being had. So the "media" isn't happy about NewsCorp's duplicity - Conroy is talking about some modification to the legislation. This might actually get up in the end. P.S. Nas - the polls are annoying me too. Turned on ABC Breakfast and flashing across the bottom of the screen was Rudd preferred over Gillard - Neilsen. My immediate though was if that was all they could find that was negative - the actual result was same old same old. Besides 56-44 against is close enough 6 months out from an election.

Gravel

18/03/2013So, after two years of Leadership change, should someone be looking at the other side. Turnbull everywhere over the weekend, getting positive stuff for him............ Talk Turkey So glad your 'get together' with other Swordsters went well.

Michael

18/03/2013A few months back I was gazzumped when someone here came up with the phrase "Abbott in Armani" to pithily describe Malcolm Turnbull, who regular readers here will know I believe to be as hollow a man as has ever tramped the floor of Parliament... or anywhere he thrusts himself forward to trumpet his thesauric grasp on the English language, and its propensity to provide obfuscators with meal. In short, he's full of it. And anyone close enough to his newest suit will get a confirming whiff. He most certainly shares Shouldabeen's vicious capacity for spinning "eyeglazingly" twisted lines, and in his head, with those ears pinned so tightly against his skull in contradistinction to the well known flappers that adorn Abbott's skull, there is his own marching-drum beating as loud and as in isolation as Abbott's - each has a hollowed chamber to echo in. And both bear feet of clay that stretch substantially to the very tips of their thinning scalps. "Abbott in Armani"! God, that made me jealous. Between gusts of galing laughter.

42 long

18/03/2013Why is it that TurnBULL is "turning me off" like never before? I used to have some time for this guy and he is turning out to be as full of substance as the shallow Richardson of "whatever it takes" fame. You know you read his book and there is NOTHING there mate. ( except a slight talent for doing numbers) TO get an honest comment from TurnBULL surely you would have to lift him from his present function/environment, but there is where he has chosen to be. He doesn't need the money and why would he enjoy the company? How would he fulfill his ambition and he must have one to be there at all. It wouldn't be just to be a minister in T Abbotts cretinous front bench surely? How is A Sinadinos shaping up lately? That rising star has gone a bit quiet lately.

bob macalba

18/03/2013Let the hysterics begin, lies lies and dodgy polls, situation normal, its monday, i dont even bother with the msm crap in the mornings until after reading Lyns terrific links[thanks Lyn] only then do i compare what im hearing from mendacious bullshit artists to what i have already learned from decent honorable folk who have more journalistic integrity in one finger than the whole of msm combined, the contrast is staggering,..dishonest mendacious propaganda vs truthful thought out opinion laced with facts, not to hard a choice really but im one of the lucky ones who know where to go for 'truth' so my purpose over the coming months is to recruit as many truth seekers[sorry TS borrowing your moniker] as possible and to point the way to great sites such as this so as to 'educate' in the truth, just been lurking lately[bloody work] but fair dinkum ALL you guys and gals are on fire, if i was starting a newspaper you would all have jobs, gotta go and earn a bob or two so cheers all VENCEREMOS

nasking

18/03/2013 2353, YES...SIX MONTHS IS A BLOODY LONG TIME THNX TO THE DIVERSITY AND VITALITY OF SOCIAL MEDIA THESE DAYS...BLOGS...THE ENTIRE FIFTH ESTATE... WE NO LONGER HAVE TO JUST RELY ON THE STRAW PEOPLE IN CORPORATE SUITS THAT GAVE US THE IRAQ WAR... THE PUBLIC ARE FINALLY GETTING TO KNOW ABOUT THE LIBERAL PARTY CONNECTIONS...SUCH AS: [b]Tim Wilson and the Institute of Public Affairs[/b] Demonstrate Why Their Message Cannot Work by @Mothincarnate [b]Returning home from field work yesterday, I was listening to Triple J’s Hack program. To round off the week, they were debating the balance of power in Australia with Tim Wilson from the Institute of Public Affairs Australia and Sam McLean from GetUp (listen the podcast here). Firstly, Tim referred to himself as “central right” in much the same way Chris Monckton does. These ideologies of the far right have been, for some time now, trying to reposition themselves onto the central stage in an attempt to make their principles sound reasonable. However, just like any group in deep left or right territory, they are easily exposed for what they are when one looks into just how much faith is required and how much contrary evidence must be ignored to align oneself with such beliefs. But I’m getting ahead of myself. Tim gave us something that the IPA trumpet to no end, which on the surface of it sounds noble; people power. They want small government and to provide the individual with as much power as can be achieved. It’s all done, as the IPA website waxes lyrically about, in the name of liberty, freedom and the rights of the individual. Sounds great, huh? But this is exactly where Tim and the IPA in fact undo their argument themselves. The IPA is all about the neo-liberal free market. Equally, with their paying for Donna Laframboise to gloss over her irrational book to their eager audience, with their promoting Gina Rineharts book or bringing in Rupert Murdoch for their 70yr anniversary, it is clear that they take a “sceptical” position in regards to climate change. This is contrary to, well, reality. To hold such a position, the IPA, and presumably Tim Wilson, need to reject the findings of such analyses as the Limits to Growth and the entire body of climate research and physical chemistry.[/b] -------- THNX LYN FOR THE VALUABLE LINKS...AND OTHER CONTRIBUTORS. THIS FROM WIKIPEDIA: [b]The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) is a public policy think tank based in Melbourne, Australia. It advocates free market economic policies such as privatisation and deregulation of state-owned enterprises, trade liberalisation and deregulated workplaces, climate change skepticism (through its environmental subsidiary the Australian Environment Foundation), and the accountability of non-government organisations (NGOs)[/b] [b]History The IPA was founded in the early 1940s, partly in response to the collapse of Australia's main conservative party, the United Australia Party. The IPA was one of a number of groups which came together to form the Liberal Party of Australia, and became an important fund raising body for the Liberal Party in Victoria. The IPA returned to prominence as a thinktank in the 1990s, following a merger with the Australian Institute of Public Policy, headed by John Hyde who became Executive Director. Funding The IPA funded by its membership which include both private individuals and businesses. Among these businesses are ExxonMobil, Telstra, WMC Resources, BHP Billiton, Phillip Morris, Murray Irrigation Limited, and Visy Industries. IPA donors have also included Clough Engineering, Caltex, Shell and Esso. Other donors were electricity and mining companies, as well as British American Tobacco (BAT). In 2003, the Australian Government paid $50,000 to the Institute of Public Affairs to review the accountability of NGOs. The Institute has close ideological and political affinities with the Liberal Party in Australia. John Roskam, the IPA's Executive Director, worked on the Liberal Party's 2001 election campaign. He has also run for Liberal Party preselection. Prime Minister John Howard (Liberal Party) delivered the 60th C D Kemp lecture to the Institute in 2004, titled Iraq: The Importance of Seeing it Through.[/b] FREE TO DO WHAT I WANT...LIKE OUTSOURCING YER JOB...PRIVATISING YOUR SERVICES...ANY OLD TIME... WHEN ABBOTT AND LNP STATES ARE WORKING TOGETHER...FREE TO DO WHAT I WANT...ANY OLD TIME... N'

Pikiranku

18/03/2013Anyone been watching the presser with Julia and the President of Myanmar? Julia has pledged further aid, an opening up of trade and investment in response to the move towards democracy in Myanmar. The President pledged further progress toward democratic government there. The President was on a strict timetable, having other engagements, so they committed to just two questions each from the foreign press and the Australian press. The foreign press were on topic but what did the two Australian press questions relate to? This important change in the nature of Australia's engagement with a near neighbour? The progress toward democracy in Myanmar? The future treatment of minority groups there? Oh no, none of that! They wanted to know some crap about the media reform laws! Honestly, they should all be relegated to the social pages and/or gossip columns. It's all they're up for. Add 'The patience of a saint' to Julia's list of qualities.

Tom of Melboune

18/03/2013…and speaking of “cringing cowardice”… is there a more disreputable action by a blog owner than identifying the names of people who choose to blog anonymously? Congratulations to AIMN.

2353

18/03/2013Wots wrong Troll of Melbourne? Annoyed because you haven't been banned there yet? Someone else got there before you? Poor diddums!

TalkTurkey

18/03/2013Good Morrow Brave Comrades! Great writing just in the last day! Michael, bob, 2353, 42 long, Ian, DMW, Jane, Pikiranku, and especially YOU Nasking! You are on fire, gee I'm sorry your eyes are not well. Alan: Welcome, I don't know if you have been here before, sorry if you have & I've forgotten you. You'll just have to write more often! Jason That suggestion to 2 unquiet presences was a hoot! I agree with nearly everything everybody's said on this thread lately! (Deliberate exceptions excepted and ignoramuses ignored of course.) :) for you Gravel, Thanks for yours, Hope this finds you well. Just Catching up with Catching up: Small point but ... You said [i]Jane forgets the huge legacy that Whitlam left was achieved in those small number of days. Also an election in the middle[/i]. Personally I very much doubt that! I would think that no people old enough to forget those tremendous days ever would! (Am I right Jane? You DID'NT forget it, DID you?! :) ) Ad astra and Lyn, You know I never forget YOU! Thanks always both. Now, CASABLANCA! You're right, I could've looked up the CV of the aforementioned Viv Benjamin, but I didn't. Instead I announced my presumption that she would be there as padding, on the basis that I would be making up my own mind anyway come tonight on Q&A. I can only agree that the word *cipher* is "strong" if you will agree that an unadorned 0 (zero) is, it is as bland as a word can be, it'd be white flour if it was made food! So anyway, yes it seems my presumption has considerably underestimated her abilities and record, but that's OK isn't it? I'll be in a better position to evaluate her tonight eh. I even venture the notion that perhaps you yourself were a bit presumptuous about my presumed presumptuousness, because I really wasn't being pre-judgemental, - how could I be, she was completely unknown to me, all that I had to go on, - and about which I took a punt - was Q&A's proud record of putting someone on the panel who is a complete irrelevancy. It was the show, not the person, about whom I made an informed evaluation. I hope they have [i]not[/i] followed that tradition tonight. But here's a thought, and I make it in all seriousness, and i men it complimenarily too: [i]it strikes me that you of all people on this blog might be best suited to the position of Fact Checker for the MSM ! [/i]- as once I tried to lobby Ad astra himself to apply for a vacancy on the ABC Board. (As if he didn't have enough on his plate always! I failed then, I wish I hadn't, the ABC HAS gone to hell without Ad!) Here's what Ad said in reply to Jason's intelligence* about this new position: [i]Jason What an exciting job it would be to be a fact checker. I’m not about to volunteer, but my advice to anyone who might be contemplating that role would be to take it on only if the ABC absolutely guaranteed that the truth would be exposed so that all could see where the facts were wrong (or right), who made false statements, and how the falsities were to be announced.[/i] I ask you to think about it. You seem to be across detail and we need someone with an appetite for intrigue. [i]Casablanca![/i] *No suggestion of that being an oxymoron ... :) Love yous all. Nearly.

Ad astra

18/03/2013Hi Lyn You are a genius at finding these new websites. I am taken by [i]Vote4JuliaGroup – We will do all in our power to get Julia Gillard re-elected Prime Minister of Australia[/i]. It states its aim clearly and plans to go for it unequivocally. [i]TPS[/i] users will find it of interest. http://vote4julia2013.wordpress.com/tag/votejuliatweets/ Your links are, as always, absorbing. Thank you. nasking You are not alone in your exasperation at the way in which opinion polls are given a prominence they do not warrant, and used by a malevolent media to bash the PM and Labor. They are simply malignant tools of the media. Polls are entirely a construct of media organizations that use them for easy copy for their news and current affairs bulletins, despite them being meaningless and not predictive at this stage in the electoral cycle. It is dishonesty writ large. If the media was genuinely interested in intelligent discussion of electoral prospects, or even just opinion polls, why does it not draw attention to the fact that just a week ago [i]Newspoll[/i] showed such a different result from today’s [i]Nielsen[/i]. Do journalists really believe public opinion has changed so markedly in just one week? If they do, they are fools. More likely they know that to make that comparison would cast grave doubt about the predictive validity of individual polls, which is the last thing they would want. Instead, each pollster and poll sponsor wants to portray his or her own poll as the ultimate truth. They have a vested interest in sustaining belief in their own poll. By giving the flick to the latest poll and all the consequent discussion about leadership, PM Gillard shows how gutsy and resilient she is. It’s a pity some of her caucus don’t have the same guts.

nasking

18/03/2013 HOW CAN YOU TRUST ABBOTT WHEN YOU CAN'T TRUST HIS BIG SUPPORTERS?...THE ONES PULLING THE STRINGS: [b]Murdoch pillories the truth on Page One of today's Financial Times. "Murdoch denies Beijing kowtow as Dow Jones rhetoric hots up" gives the News Corp. mogul a forum to rebut allegations that he would be a poor steward for the Dow Jones-owned Wall Street Journal because of his history of licking Chinese boots. Anti-Murdoch critics always cite his 1994 decision to pull BBC News from his Star TV satellite channel in China. They say the move was designed to placate the Chinese, who disliked the BBC's critical news and documentary broadcasts. Murdoch maintains in today's Financial Times that ditching the BBC was just a business decision, saying: Star was losing $100m per year; we had to pay $10m per year to the BBC. I said "Let them pay it themselves", and they did. We also cancelled two other third-party channels—MTV and Prime Sports. At that stage we never ever had any request from anybody in China. Indeed, there was no discourse at all. But that wasn't Murdoch's position 13 years ago. A few months after the channel was axed and after much hemming and hawing by his company, Murdoch finally confessed in an interview with his biographer, journalist William Shawcross. The June 14, 1994, Financial Times cited the interview in an article titled "Murdoch cut BBC to please China." Its lede reads: Mr Rupert Murdoch, chairman of News Corporation, has finally admitted that he kicked BBC World Service Television off his Star TV system in Asia to please the Chinese government and help establish the satellite service there. Murdoch defended pulling the BBC plug, telling Shawcross that the Chinese leaders "hate the BBC." Speaking of his critics, Murdoch continued, "They say it's a cowardly way, but we said in order to get in there and get accepted, we'll cut the BBC out."[/b] http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/press_box/2007/05/murdoch_lies_to_the_financial_times.html STOP THE ROT N'

nasking

18/03/2013 GOOD STUFF TT. N'

Tom of Melboune

18/03/2013No 2352, of course I’ve been banned. Anyone who doesn’t fall into the specific requirements of that site gets banned. But the most contemptible action is naming people who you have previously befriended. Is there a more illegitimate use of confidential information by a blog owner? Maybe blogs deserve some of the regulation and scrutiny the media is getting.

nasking

18/03/2013 HARRY POTTER AUTHOR NOT HAPPY DAVID: [b]The author JK Rowling pleaded on Sunday with Labour and the Liberal Democrats to vote for statutory underpinning: "I believed David Cameron when he said that he would implement Leveson's recommendations 'unless they were bonkers'. I did not see how he could back away, with honour, from words so bold and unequivocal. Well, he has backed away, and I am one among many who feel they have been hung out to dry. "Monday's vote will make history one way or another; I am merely one among many turning their eyes towards Ed Miliband and Nick Clegg and hoping that they have the courage to do what Cameron promised, but which he failed to deliver."[/b] http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2013/mar/17/newspaper-threaten-boycott-press-regulator NO MAGIC INVOLVED IN PHONE HACKING OF VICTIMS AND SUFFERING FAMILIES... JUST CRUDE, RUDE INTRUSION OF PRIVACY IN ORDER TO PROFIT. THE MEDIA BARONS LIE IN THE BED OF THEIR OWN MAKING. N'

nasking

18/03/2013 LYN, DIG THE POST FROM MARGO KINGSTON...PER USUAL: [quote]Here’s a history lesson on the long road to media dominance by Rupert Murdoch, aided by both big parties, via two chapters in my book. The Liberals said yes to Murdoch under Howard, and will keep saying yes. They are partners, or rather, Abbott is Murdoch’s puppet. I also tell the story of how I lobbied minor parties to stop Murdoch’s law in the Senate in 2003, and describe Fairfax journalists’ long struggle to preserve our values of fearless independent journalism. Murdoch papers’ incendiary reaction to Conroy’s reforms – led by Murdoch’s top executive in Australia Kim Williams – means Murdoch’s empire has something to lose. Two things, actually – less chance of even further dominating Australia’s MSM, and more chance of its journalism being just a little bit accountable to the ethics of journalism. [b]There is no chance the media reforms, weak as they are, will pass without strong action by citizens. Wilkie, Oakshott, Katter, Windsor and Thomson need to be convinced to negotiate with Labor to agree to a reform package they can sign up to and vote for quickly. They must understand that Labor has been crazy-brave to put up even this minimalist reform package, and that Labor must get this done quickly or bleed to death from Murdoch media’s relentless attacks. Over to you. Apart from anything else, your NBN needs you[/b].[/quote] http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/03/16/last-chance-to-rein-in-murdoch/ WE CAN BE HEROES...JUST FOR ONE DAY... OR MORE. N'

jane

18/03/2013Casablanca @2.37am, wow Murphy sure gives her colleagues in the msm a bit of a touch up. Not before time, imo. Their faux rage wrt Conroy's bill is so contrived it's laughable. This link from Ricky (Tory Torcher) at CW is brilliant. Alberici scorching Mark Kenny & that git Mark Textor. She puzzles me; at times you'd think she was a paid Liars sttoge, then she comes up with this. Go figure. http://bit.ly/ZiDAJk TT @12.29pm, rest assured I will never forget Gough's legacy and achievements in that short window of time. He's one of my Labor heroes. I actually met the great man and Margaret at a restaurant on The Parade one night. We spoke to them. Both very gracious at having their meal interrupted. Wasn't quite game to ask for autographs. lol Actually, I can't find the comment that prompted CU's remark, but rest assured CU forgetting Gough's legacy to this country is not in my DNA. I have to do some work, bugger it, so will savour the rest of the comments and Lyn's & Janet's hard work later.

nasking

18/03/2013 DEAR OH DEAR: [b]Officers believe they have discovered evidence of a widespread but previously unknown conspiracy centred on the News of the World features desk, indicating that phone-hacking was deeply ingrained throughout Rupert Murdoch's tabloid empire. The alleged scale of a further conspiracy, that could yet prove to match the £300m hacking has so far cost the Murdoch-owned company, is already affecting the schedule for the criminal trials that were due to begin this September. Lawyers in the High Court representing victims and the Metropolitan Police are understood to have already requested that the criminal trials be postponed until November. Some lawyers believe the spring of 2014 is more realistic. The supergrass's decision to turn Queen's Evidence and co-operate with the Weeting probe began in 2011, The Independent understands. Computer equipment and a mobile phone belonging to the writer which the Met examined is alleged to have contained information which raised suspicions that phone hacking was not confined to news desk and the private detective which NOTW news executives regularly employed to oversee hacking.[/b] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/supergrass-identifies-800-potential-new-victims-of-phonehacking-8538285.html THE ROT...THE ROT... TIME FOR A CHANGE N'

TalkTurkey

18/03/2013So have I got this right? - Craig Thomson telegraphs his intention to vote AGAINST the Media Self-Regulation Bill - and ABBORTT and PYNE will run from the Parliament? ! Net +1 vote for Labor? If that is what is going to happen it's going to be HILARIOUS! But if Labor [i]doesn't[/i] win the vote - We have ALREADY won a great PR victory, with Pigs Ackerman's apoplectic poop all over the hysterical hype of the stupid fell-into-Govt's-trap MSM! Many Aussies are sceptical of them where they never were before, and that is splendid. There is a staunchness setting in to Labor now, I love it. [b]VENCEREMOS![/b]

Ad astra

18/03/2013nasking I wonder how much publicity the media will give to today’s Essential Poll, as described by [i]Crikey's[/i]Bernard Keane: [b][i]Essential: government strikes a nerve on 457 visas[/b] “After a fortnight of debate on immigration following the Prime Minister's western Sydney campaign, there is strong support for a crackdown on 457 visas, polling from Essential Research finds. More than half -- 58% -- of voters support moves to reduce the number of foreign workers coming to Australia on 457 visas, Essential found, with 24% opposed. There was only minimal difference across voters: 64% of Labor voters support cutting back on 457 visas, and 58% of Liberal voters and 49% of Greens voters agree -- despite the fact that the Greens are the strongest opponents of 457 visas. While the government struggled to prosecute its case for curbing 457 visas, clearly there is strong community sentiment on the issue that Labor tacticians are seeking to tap into. Labor's primary vote has lifted a point to 35%, following its rise of two points last week, taking it back to 35%; the Coalition's vote fell a point to 47%; the Greens remained steady on 9%, for a 2PP outcome of 54-46% in the Coalition's favour. Support for the NBN has also increased, despite publicity about roll-out delays. Seventy three per cent of voters support the NBN, up from 69% in November last year. However, support for the mining tax (the MRRT) has fallen in the wake of controversy over the level of revenue it is generating, with support down to 57% from 63%. And there is once again more opposition than support for the government's carbon pricing scheme, although the result (44% support it and 46% oppose it) is an exact reversal of the outcome in November. But voters' view that the Liberals will return to WorkChoices appears to have diminished a little since September, with 48% of voters believing it is likely the Coalition will restore WorkChoices compared to 28% who think it's unlikely, down from September's result of 51%-25%. Essential also asked its semi-regular question on trust in major Australian institutions. The High Court, the ABC, the Reserve Bank and Federal Parliament all recorded substantial rises in trust, with the High Court trusted by 74% of voters, the ABC by 70% and the Reserve Bank trusted by 64%. The least trusted organisations are political parties (12%), trade unions (25%), business groups (26%), online news media (27%) and newspapers, TV news and state parliaments (30%).”[/i]

TalkTurkey

18/03/2013 Dam our PM is a DELIGHT! https://twitter.com/JuliaGillard/status/313507012489117697/photo/1

KHTAGH

18/03/2013TT Bloody beautiful. Night entertainment:- Our night sky in Tassie last night. fb.me/2jWsINrn1 copy & paste to browser

jane

18/03/2013Ad astra @12.33pm, good luck getting the Merdeochracy to display anything remotely like common sense and ethics. they're really in a big tizz because of Conroy's bill, and becoming more frenzied and irrational by the hour. I was very pleasantly surprised by Emma Alberici's stout performance during her twitter stoush with Liars apologists and propaganists the two Marks Kenny & Textor, I linked to above. Nas' @12.50pm, bouquets to J K Rowling, brickbats to the Cameron government. A great link to Margo Kingston's piece. I am really surprised that Windsor, Oakeshott and Thomson aren't on board with Conroy's bill and in fact urging for it to be stronger, considering the msm's monstrous and sustained smear campaigns against the three. And @1.44pm, with this latest scandal, how can Ltd News and their Liars clients keep squawking about Conroy's bill? TT great pic of JGPM. Grace under pressure.

lyn

18/03/2013Hi Ad Thankyou for your lovely compliment and kind works but more importantly your support. The bloggers are keeping us busy and as Bob Macalba said no need to read the rotten newspapers. Bob didn't say rotten but thought it fits well there. Are you watching the senate with Williams, Stokes and co, if not don’t bother they are only a miserable bunch of hypocrites. Something funny happened on the way to Question Time, Phony Tony forgot his new personality ha ha. Thankyou for enjoying the links. Mark will be very pleased with your feedback on his new blog:- http://vote4julia2013.wordpress.com/tag/votejuliatweets/ Hoorays & waves to you Nasking. Bob Macalba, tell you a secret, I think you are very special. ♥♥♥ Thankyou Jane glad you enjoy, we all enjoy your posts very very much. Talk Turkey you just go without saying but here’s a heart for you ♥ Khtagh taught me how to post those hearts. Pikiranku I see you have 10 followers now, some TPS tweeple you might like to follow Ad Astra @Adastra5 , lady in Red @louinoosa , Khtagh @khtagh, Gravel @lynsan talk turkey @TalkyTurkey, Miglo at Café Whispers @MigloMT . Have fun. couple of tweets and links for you:- Margaret ‏ Thumbs on belt #qt RT @ellinghausen: LOTO @TonyAbbottMHR resumes his seat after moving to suspend standing orders #qt pic.twitter.com/Duh0M35UAI David Donovan ‏ Tony Abbott speech was surely written by Daily Telegraph. #qt No Thanks Tony ‏ @TonyAbbottMHR Mr Abbott - please read this: http://www.beaudeserttimes.com.au/beaudesert/215-carbon-tax-turnaround … Then, please have the decency to admit you got it all wrong on CP. Herald Sun ‏ Media laws under fire at parly hearings http://hsun.info/WvTstl :):):):):)

Casablanca

18/03/2013TT Thanks for the link. I've passed it on to my knitter friends with a different caption, namely, 'Knitters of the world unite, you have nothing to lose but your stitches'. Both Steiner and Montessori highlight a connection between Knitting and Intellectual Development: [i]Knitting has recently become remarkably popular among college students and celebrities — but it has been a pillar of the Waldorf school curriculum for ninety years. We examine the many ways in which knitting and other handwork activities stimulate intellectual development and instil a sense of achievement in the child.[/i] http://millennialchild.wordpress.com/article/discover-waldorf-education-knitting-and-110mw7eus832b-7/

Ad astra

18/03/2013Folks I have just now sent this email to Graham Perrett: Dear Mr Perrett I am writing after hearing your comment, broadcast now several times on ABC radio, that PM Gillard “is in more strife than Indiana Jones”. As I understand it, you are a supporter of Julia Gillard, and when I have heard you speak in the past, you seem to have been loyal to her. So I was astonished to hear you uttering those words. Perhaps you added that despite the strife Indiana Jones gets into, he always comes out on top. If you did, they did not report that. Your words were certainly damaging to your leader and to Labor. I presume the ‘strife’ to which you referred arose out of this morning’s Nielsen poll. If that is so, do I have to remind you that polls of voting intention six months out from an election are meaningless? You must know that they are not predictive of the September 14 outcome. Yet the Nervous Nellies in the Labor caucus place so much store on them that every time they look poor they clamour for Kevin Rudd or some one else to replace Julia Gillard, who in my opinion is the strongest, most resilient, the toughest, the most accomplished politician in Australia today. They seem to labour under the belief that a return to Kevin Rudd would bring about a reversal in the polls and electoral triumph. In my view, that belief is delusional. Should Labor ever make the mistake of returning to a Rudd Prime Ministership, the media would soon tear him to shreds, as they did in the past. News Limited is determined to unseat Labor, as Fairfax too now seems to be, and will stop at nothing to achieve that. To believe otherwise is fanciful. In my view, the most assured way of returning Labor to the Treasury benches is to back PM Gillard energetically, abandon any thought of replacing her, mobilize Kevin Rudd’s considerable electoral appeal by having him publicly back PM Gillard unequivocally, and then have him enthusiastically campaign for Labor around the country over the next six months. Those of us who support Labor are incensed by the behaviour of the return-to-Rudd advocates that infect caucus. How different Labor’s prospects would be if these malcontents were to show as much guts as the PM and get behind her, not to stab her in the back, but to lift her onto their shoulders in a display of strength, loyalty and courage. Please pass onto them these strong feelings from one Labor supporter. I am sure these feelings are shared by countless others. Yours sincerely

2353

18/03/2013AA - the thing about Indiana Jones is that he always wins out in the end. Hopefully the metaphor used by my local MP has the same intent. Perrett is the one that suggested at some point he would resign if Rudd came back and he is classed as marginal, so I'd be wondering if the full quote was broadcast. I'd be interested if you get a reply.

Tom of Melbourne

18/03/2013No, if the ALP gave Gillard the same treatment they gave Rudd (ie a knifing), they would have a chance of winning an election. Rudd would be under no obligation to wait until 14 September, he could go to an election quickly and take advantage of the immediate bounce in popularity. So it depends on what the ALP wants – defeat under Gillard or the possibility of victory under Rudd.

Catching up

18/03/2013Jane, cannot remember, but I think you said something about how much this PM has achieved in a short time. Just felt, we need to know, that it is not the length of time, one is PM, but what they achieve while they hold the position. My other point is, that we have had Whitlam, Keating, Rudd and now Gillard trashed and demonised by the media and coalition of the day. All have been hated by the community. History has written them up as achieving much. Tom, it was my details that were released first. I have no trouble with that. Why not give up, and stop trying to create a blog war. Not important enough. I am sure no one here is that interested.

Jason

18/03/2013Rudd would be under no obligation to wait until 14 September, he could go to an election quickly and take advantage of the immediate bounce in popularity. Then he could have a half senate election when?

Tom of Melbourne

18/03/2013So Jason, you’d prefer to retain syncronisation of the parliament than have a chance of winning? You obviously don’t fear an Abbott government too much if that’s the main motivation. --------- Catching Up - doubt whether Ad Astra would publish the personal details of contributors that he acquired here. I think it is reasonable that people understand the behaviour of some blog owners when they fall out with their blog friends, contributors should ensure that they don’t unknowingly fall into having their personal details published. In any event, you have already posted under your own name, sometimes including your own email address, and used to use a photograph of yourself, so I don’t imagine you’re too bothered about having your name posted.

nasking

18/03/2013 AD, LYN, JANE AND OTHERS...A FINE EXAMPLE OF HOW MUCH THE MURDOCH EMPIRE OWN...AND HOW INCESTUOUS OUR MEDIA HAS BECOME: [b]According to a letter to staff, Mr Kohler's media upstart Australian Independent Business Media had received an offer ''it couldn't refuse''. AIBM - publisher of business site Business Spectator and investment publication Eureka Report - will be sold to News Limited for $30 million cash. Launched in 2007 just before the financial crisis, Business Spectator had 480,000 unique browsers last month. Eureka Report, founded by Mr Kohler seven years ago, has 15,500 subscribers and generated the bulk of last year's reported $8.84 million revenue. ''It's been fantastic to have built a business that's valuable and it's valued by its readers and its clients; it's really satisfying,'' Mr Kohler said. Mr Kohler will retain his ABC job and continue as editor-in-chief of Business Spectator and Eureka Report under a four-year contract with News. Columnists and shareholders Stephen Bartholomeusz, Robert Gottliebsen and James Kirby will also join News. Beyond Mr Kohler's 28 per cent stake, other AIBM shareholders include Eric Beecher, chairman of media company Private Media (with an estimated 16 per cent), and businessmen Mark Carnegie and John Wylie (about 36 per cent). Mr Kohler said it was not yet clear how Business Spectator would fit into News. Paywalls could be on the cards. Mr Kohler said the deal would not lead to a change in editorial direction, particularly at its smaller Climate Spectator site.[/b] Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/media-and-marketing/news-buys-business-spectator-owner-for-30m-20120620-20ohe.html#ixzz2NsPIiYar CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP GOES RUPERT. IMAGINE HOW MANY MEDIA SITES AND COMPANIES AND NETWORKS WOULD BE BOUGHT BY RUPERT MURDOCH'S LOT IF SYCOPHANT ABBOTT GETS HIS HANDS ON PMship? CHOMP CHOMP CHOMP...COMPETITION MURDOCH STYLE. DID ROWAN DEAN OR THE PRESENTER OF THE DRUM MENTION TODAY THAT THE COMPANY DEAN WRITES FOR, BUSINESS SPECTATOR, IS NOW PART OF NEWS LTD? AND THAT DEAN HAS WRITTEN FOR THE AUSTRALIAN? N'

Jason

18/03/2013ToM, Yes I do prefer the status quo! why win if all you end up with is a hostile senate at a half senate election at a later date? there is no guarantee that if Rudd was PM again that he wouldn't fall back into his old bad habbits and remind people again why he was sacked in the first place.

Miglo

18/03/2013Jason, it bemuses me that people say Rudd was was knifed. He was tapped on the shoulder and resigned. A bit different than being knifed.

Miglo

18/03/2013PS - it's difficult to give any credibility to those that keep pushing the same old lies.

Catching up

18/03/2013Tom, not too impressed how and why it happened. Getting even is not something that one expects. Please Tom, let it go. I do like visiting here, And I believe one should act like a guest.

Sir Ian Crisp

18/03/2013Just when we thought the horrible news had petered out we get another serving. Following the shocking news delivered via the Morgan poll comes more bad news. Just to recap the Morgan Poll... [quote][b]“Today’s Morgan Poll shows the L-NP (57.5%, up 3%) increasing their lead over the ALP (42.5%, down 3%) on a two-party preferred basis despite Prime Minister Julia Gillard’s week-long stay in Western Sydney — a key battleground for this September’s election.[/b][/quote] Now for more bad news.... [quote][b]The latest Nielsen poll offers little hope for Ms Gillard and her government, with Labor's primary vote at 31 per cent. The Tony Abbott-led coalition remains steady on 47 per cent, less than six months out from the September 14 election. The two-party preferred split has the government on 44 per cent and the opposition at 56 per cent - a six per cent swing to the coalition from the 50-50 result in 2010 and a landslide victory if carried through to election day. The telephone survey of 1400 people taken last week shows Opposition Leader Tony Abbott is now preferred prime minister by 49 per cent of voters against Ms Gillard's 43 per cent - down two points. Voters also prefer a Kevin Rudd-led Labor Party by two to one, with 62 per cent opting for Mr Rudd against Ms Gillard's 31 per cent. http://www.news.com.au/national-news/pm-facing-landslide-loss-in-new-poll/story-fncynjr2-1226599417855 [/b][/quote] The bird of paradox has been placed on suicide watch. May I say I know a couple of bookies who said they were quite chuffed about the prospect of relieving a few TPS mug punters of some cash. The bookies are still laughing.

Catching up

18/03/2013Migs, it is OK to fall on one's sword, when one has been tapped on the shoulder. Does not matter that is by people outside the parliamentary party. Must he, as that is what happened recently in Victoria. As for the NT.it seems, you are just told, you are finished.

Ad astra

18/03/2013nasking Rowan Dean is simply an echo of News Limited rhetoric. Isn't it astonishing how much groupthink governs the behaviour of antagonists to the Government's proposed media changes. And their vehemence is similar - something has really stirred them - perhaps it is the requirement to tell the truth and that when they misrepresent they need to retract. Oh dear - that ain't fair! I'm off now to watch tonight's ABC TV. I'll post another piece late tomorrow.

Jason

18/03/2013Aa, As Mr Denmore tweeted tonight! Mr Denmore‏@MrDenmore Australia - land of mining and media barons and their parliamentary servants. What a pathetic backwater.

Catching up

18/03/2013Another poll. Business Confidence in Australia continues steady improvement in February 2013 http://www.roymorgan.com/news/press-releases/2013/2011/ TV weak as streaming goes mainstream http://www.roymorgan.com/news/press-releases/2013/2008/

Truth Seeker

18/03/2013Another reason for tougher media regulation, the last story on media watch tonight. http://www.abc.net.au/iview/?WT.srch=1&WT.mc_id=Corp_TV-iview#/view/31868 Hope the link works Cheers :-)

jane

18/03/2013[quote]How is A Sinadinos shaping up lately? That rising star has gone a bit quiet lately.[/quote] Somebody chucked a bucket of water over the rising star, methinks. Hi Lyn, love the carbon price link, particularly the positive attitude of the business owner. Proves that with the right attitude big polluters can reduce their emissions while also reducing their energy use and costs. It's a win-win situation for the government, the company, their customers and the planet. But I don't think we should bother holding our breath for a positive reaction from the Noalition. "Abbott in Armani". Love it Michael. Nearly as good as "funnel web in a frock". We have some very witty people here. Trunchbull lost me when he stood for the Liars during the Rodentochracy. The icing on the cake was utegate and the Grech affair, when the emperor lost his clothes and was exposed as the shallow, arrogant, talentless hack he really is; the perfect Liars MP, but not leadership material. It seems that some people have rehabilitated him lately and are eager for him to wrest the Liars leadership from Liealot. They fondly imagine that all the Tea Party wannabes in the Liars would suddenly renounce their nasty right wing beliefs, move to the centre and they'd all live happily ever after. TT, have located the comment CU was referring to wrt Gough. I have been racking my brain trying to recall what I may have written. I commented that this Wednesday is JGPM's 1,000th day of incumbency. Casablanca did some ferreting and found out that she has overtaken Kevin Rudd by 61 days and at the end of May she will have overtaken the mighty Gough.

Catching up

18/03/2013Jane, just saying Labor does not have to be in for decades to get much reform through.

Catching up

18/03/2013Wonder why Sinodinos has not been taken before the privileges committee.

Catching up

18/03/2013jane, Rudd did not do too bad in his time, until he hit that brick wall,that seemed to paralyse him. I think Mr. Windsor just gave those in Labor that are undermining the PM, they better get their act together, or there could be an election before Sept 14. Was only half listening. If he said this, he could be right. Lateline

TalkTurkey

18/03/2013Does anybody really know what day it is tomorrow? I do, so I'll wait for someone else to point it out. And I don't mean *J*U*L*I*A*s 1000th day in power. Much more notable. And I do mean tomorrow the 19th, *J*U*L*I*A*s 1000-day is the 20th. So think. :)

jane

18/03/2013Nas' @1.44pm, your link to The Independent is dynamite. It's not all that surprising that there's still more corruption being discovered in the Meredochracy. I wonder how much more will be exposed. All the more reason for Conroy's bill to be passed and a steamroller run through Ltd News.

nasking

19/03/2013 TONY WINDSOR IS PARLIAMENT'S YODA...I DIG HIM: [b]TONY WINDSOR: Well there's six bills in relation to this and they all deal with different parts of media law or media reform. I think the Coalition, from what I'm hearing, would support part of it, where the licence rebate, the television licence fee issue is being addressed through a bill. I think the Parliament would probably support it. So that's one-sixth of the reform package. EMMA ALBERICI: Now that's the issue that the licence fee - 50 per cent would be rebated if they joined the Press Council and agreed to keep the funding going. TONY WINDSOR: Yeah. Yeah. So I think that's - I think there wouldn't be a problem there. I'd think there may well be a feeling that the numbers are there to do something in relation to the diversity, so that there's concern that one or two players will actually take over most of the media within Australia and I think there's probably a view within the crossbench that the numbers would support the Government in relation to that. But ... ...TONY WINDSOR: Well I think another week where you could actually sit with some of the players - and I got to talk to some of the media people today. Not everybody's of the Kim Williams view of the world. ...The Labor Party's got to have a good look at itself, though. At the start of this process, Rob Oakeshott and I particularly looked at whether there was either Tony Abbott or Julia Gillard were in a stable position to actually administer a hung parliament. Very difficult thing to do. If the Labor Party itself at this time in the parliamentary cycle can't agree who's stable enough to run the place, they don't deserve to have the longevity of our support. And they want to make up their mind whether they want one leader or the other, and if they do, well and good, but they can't expect, in my case at least, that that's a transferrable document. And if they continue with this election mode and this whole business about who the leader is, well they might get to an election quicker than September 14th.[/b] http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2013/s3718475.htm INDEED. N'

TalkTurkey

19/03/2013 41mDavid Donovan‏@davrosz BREAKING: Supreme Court action to be launched against Tony Abbott over 'Australians for Honest Politics' Affair. More details shortly. David Donovan‏@davrosz @greensincebirth Yep, here's the media release: http://www.independentaustralia.net/Wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/TONY-ABBOTT-MEDIA-RELEASE.pdf … To which I tweeted (and several people retweeted! :) ) Yum Yum! Can't wait! Abbortt's bum On a plate!

nasking

19/03/2013 JANE, IF WE DON'T GET MEDIA REFORM WE ARE IGNORING A PATTERN OF BEHAVIOUR AT OUR OWN PERIL: [b]MARY GEARIN, EUROPE CORRESPONDENT, LATELINE: Well, The Independent newspaper has reported that almost 800 new victims have been identified and that details about this will come out in the next few hours in the High Court in a special case over the current civil actions against News International. Now, what the reports are saying is that this came from the testimony of a supergrass, a former employer at News of the World, and it implicates not just News of the World former employees, but also four current and former News executives from the Trinity Mirror titles. And what this does is it vastly expands the range of phone hacking cases that could come to light and that there could be a fresh flow of new claims about this. As you say, it's extraordinary timing with the debate over regulation and developments there, but also in the last few minutes, even more extraordinarily, we've had an admission from The Sun newspaper about something that happened late last year. The Sun now admits to accessing information from a stolen mobile phone belonging to a female Labour MP. The Sun says it didn't steal the phone, but it has admitted to accessing the voicemail messages of this MP. And this happens just as The Sun itself is one of the papers to talk about, to quote Winston Churchill here, as you can see, to put a clarion call out out against strong media regulation in Britain.[/b] http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2013/s3718477.htm CONSIDERING THE ALP AND UK LABOUR PARTIES PARTIALLY HELPED GIVE THIS MORALLY BANKRUPT MEDIA BARON AND HIS IRRESPONSIBLE SCOUNDRELS MORE OPPORTUNITIES TO REIGN SUPREME AND ACT AS TYRANTS...THEY HAVE A RESPONSIBILITY TO TAME THE BEAST...AND PROVIDE FOR MORE MEDIA DIVERSITY. NOT TO DO SO WILL LOOK AS BAD AS KNIFING A PM IN ORDER TO APPEASE BIG MINING CORPORATIONS. HAVE THE COURAGE NOW...OR BE DAMNED. YOU TOOK ON BIG TOBACCO...I APPLAUD YOU...AND YOU WILL SAVE LIVES. YOU CREATED A ROYAL COMMISSION INTO CHILD ABUSE...WHICH LOOKS INTO ABUSE FAR AND WIDE. YOU BROUGHT ABOUT A NATIONAL DISABILITY SCHEME BECAUSE HOWARD NEGLECTED TO OVER HIS NIGH ON TWELVE YEARS IN GOVT...ABBOTT HIS HEALTH MINISTER. YOU ROLLOUT THE NBN...A HUGE AND IMPORTANT INFRASTRUCTURE, COMMUNICATION CHANGE. YOU BROUGHT ABOUT IR REFORM AND KILLED THE POISONOUS HYDRA THAT WAS WORKCHOICES... DON'T LET THE PEOPLE DOWN NOW...DON'T GIVE IN TO BULLYING... HOLD STEADY... BEACAUSE... IF THE ALP CHANGE LEADERS NOW THEY WILL LOOK LIKE A RABBLE... [b]NEWS LTD WILL GET A BREAK BY BEING ABLE TO SHIFT THE FOCUS ON LEADERSHIP... AND BE ABLE TO SAY: WE TOLD YOU SO. THE GOVERNMENT WILL LOOK LIKE THEY BROKE UNDER PRESSURE. WEAK. AND ALL WILL BE WASTED. ALL THE BRAVE EFFORT. AND GREAT POLICIES. [/b] [b]GONE. LIKE DUST IN THE WIND.[/b] N'

jane

19/03/2013CU @11.07pm, of course Labor can, and has, pushed through plenty of reforms in a short time and that it doesn't need to be in power for decades to effect change. However, my comment about Wednesday's significance was nothing to do with Labor's legacy, but why the Liars and their enablers in the msm had stirred up leadershit speculation again in order to spoil the PM's landmark 1,000 days as PM. TT, tomorrow is 19 March. I have been ferreting and have dug up this gem, although I don't think you are referring to it: 1943 – Frank Nitti, the Chicago Outfit Boss after Al Capone, commits suicide at the Chicago Central Railyard. I was gobsmacked! As an avid [i]The Untouchables[/i] fan and liked Bruce Gordon's menacing Nitti. then there's this: 2003 – United States President George W. Bush orders the start of war against Iraq

Catching up

19/03/2013About time

nasking

19/03/2013 ARWA DAMON OF CNN...DAMN GOOD REPORT AS SHE RETURNS TO IRAQ. SHE KNOWS THE PEOPLE...GETS OUT ON THE STREETS...SEE THE CONSEQUENCES OF POOR POLITICAL AND MEDIA JUDGEMENT... DOESN'T JUST SIT ON A GINA RINEHART AND MURDOCH APPROVED/FUNDED SHOW LIKE SOME NARCISSISTIC FREAK FEAR-MONGERING AND EGGING ON. SHE'S A GUTSY, THOUGHTFUL WOMAN...MAKES SOME OF OUR PROMOTING WAR ON TERROR FROM THE SIDELINES JOURNOS AND COMMENTATORS LOOK LIKE HACKS. N'

jane

19/03/2013CU, I have just now read your comment @6.54pm and have copied and pasted the comment you refer to. As you can see, I made no reference to any achievement other than Wednesday is the PM's 1,000th day as PM and that the msm and the Liars have attempted to ruin the day. [quote]I should have known. Wednesday is the 1,000th day of Julia Gillard's PMship. It all falls into place. A childish and pathetic attempt to ruin the day. Nice try but no cigar, msm.[/quote] I hope it resolves the issue. Ad astra, backbenchers like Graham Perrett need a good bollocking and sent to stand in the corner wearing a dunce's hat, imo. I think he should be bombarded with emails berating him for his treachery and stupidity. I intend to send him one and may accuse him of being a Liars mole. I'll think abo0ut that, but the idea is growing on me. [quote]The bird of paradox has been placed on suicide watch.[/quote] You wish, SIC.

Casablanca

19/03/2013News Media(Self-regulation)Bill 2013 The Bill is available here: http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/download/legislation/bills/r4994_first-reps/toc_pdf/13057b01.pdf;fileType=application%2Fpdf Public Interest Media Advocate Act 2013 Explanatory Memorandum http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fems%2Fr4993_ems_6d4ee109-01c1-4188-af1e-b4c94895190a%22

Casablanca

19/03/2013Jane, you said: [i]Casablanca did some ferreting and found out that she has overtaken Kevin Rudd by 61 days and at the end of May she will have overtaken the mighty Gough.[/i] You said that you got the original comment about PM Gillard's 1,000th day occurring this Wednesday from CW. By my calculations based on the Table at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prime_Minister_of_Australia, the actual milestone will occur on Friday of this week. Which ever day it is, I'm sure that we will find glowing articles in the MSM congratulating her and writing about her legislative achievements.

jane

19/03/2013Nas' @1.12am couldn't agree more. They have to stand firm and start to correct their past error in allowing Rupert's tentacles to get a strangle hold on media in this country. And changing leaders now would really make them deservedly look like a rabble. Instead of whining, they should be out pounding the streets telling people about the achievements of the government. I stand corrected in the face of your superior ferreting, Casablanca. :D And like you, I'm certain the PM's most fervent fans in the msm are even now pounding away on their keyboards acknowledging her achievements.

Casablanca

19/03/2013TT, What great news! Supreme Court action to be launched against Tony Abbott over 'Australians for Honest Politics' Affair. I've printed off a copy to savour the list of claims: ‘My claims in the Brisbane Supreme Court will include that Mr Abbott and his Trust donors acted unlawfully and that amongst other things, 1. Committed the offence of [b]maintenance [/b] 2. [b] Perverted the course of Justice [/b] by assisting and financing court litigation of an allegation that wasn’t an offence under the Electoral Act (An obvious fact that escaped the notice of his lawyers at the time). 3. Committed other offences against the Electoral Act Qld 1994. 4. Committed offences against the Qld Crimes Act. 5. That Mr Abbott committed the offence of [b]Misfeasance in Public Office. [/b] 6. Mr Abbott used Federal Government stationery for all of his related correspondence and in so doing [b]made his unlawful activity official Government business. [/b] 7. Mr Abbott may have also funded his multiple trips to Queensland in that period while committing the offence of [b]misusing public funds. [/b]The current Government needs to investigate that possibility. 8. It also remains possible that[b] Mr Abbott acted with some immunity[/b] against consequences and prosecution from the Howard Government at the time and that his vigilante style behaviour was overlooked for the political advantage it provided to the Liberal Party. The Liberals were the biggest vote losers following the success of the One Nation Party in the June 1998 Qld State Election. (One Nation 439,121 votes, Liberals 311,514 votes)The Liberals stood to face a similar loss in the 1998 Federal Election. It goes to motive’ Mr Ettridge added. 9. Mr Abbott’s attempts to destroy a lawfully registered political opponent were an act that showed [b]contempt for the democratic process[/b] and the Electoral Laws that exist to guarantee Australians their right to have voter choice. Most of these allegations are very serious breaches of Australian law’ Mr Ettridge claimed.

Casablanca

19/03/2013Jane, that was a query, not a correction! TT, I give in, what day is it today?

Truth Seeker

19/03/2013Casablanca, Just reposted your comment on Abbotts slush fund case on my site and at CW :-) Thanks for the info :-) Cheers :-) :-)

Michael

19/03/2013He got the front page headline... and he gets a C-minus. Peter Hartcher's speculative essay here: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/ministers-turn-on-pm-20130318-2gb8r.html is a high school English failure that might only scrapes a pass for good spelling and correct paragraph indenting. Read it, and you'll read assertions and claims that have 'become' facts a few paragraphs later. This is a childish trick, 'it's been said, it's on record, it must be true'. I read both this story and another by Hartcher in today's Sydney Morning Herald as effective suicide notes. They are so flimsy, so artificial, so plainly jejune, no newspaper publisher could willingly keep paying an employee who delivered them. If Hartcher is still in a job this week, then this is absolute concrete locked-in confirmation that Fairfax has joined News Ltd in the pursuit of regime change at any cost to their own reputation, their espoused roles as purveyors of truth, their function in society as a respected counterbalance to propaganda or media-manipulation by any and all other powerful institutions. C-minus, Master Hartcher, and that only because you handed in your assignment.

lyn

19/03/2013Today’s Links Free Media VS Free Market by @MrDenmore real issue is not freedom of the press, but the ability of profit-making enterprises to use the privileges of the Fourth Estate to continue to dominate markets (and dictate public policy http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com.au/ The red planet by @awelder The Senate is a vastly different beast to the House, with different rules http://www.kingstribune.com/index.php/weekly-email/item/1759-the-red-planet Has Chairman Rupert entirely lost his marbles? by @ngungun Doesn’t he realise that the internet is taking over from everything, daily news, music, advertising, and even including movies and TV? http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/business/media-2/has-chairman-rupert-entirely-lost-his-marbles/ Tony Abbott: Australia’s most effective Opposition Leader? by @kjob85 exaggerated claims about his effectiveness are little more than hyperbole at this stage. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/tony-abbott-australias-most-effective-opposition-leader/ As the softer, gentler Tony campaign is clearly not working by @no_filter_Yamba Opposition’s true nature and the top to toe makeover he has been given for the 2013 federal election campaign. http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/ A sneak preview of the savage cuts to come by @JEChalmers Tony Abbott, Joe Hockey and Andrew Robb have plans for you and you won't like them. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4579558.html Kerry Stokes, free speech defender? Spare me by @margokingston1 If Stokes appears, I hope his bullshit bluster will be called http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/kerry-stokes-free-speech-defender- Poll piles more pressure on Gillard By Conversation one-sided coverage in the Murdoch press (reaching beyond ludicrous in The Daily Telegraph) and the apparent reluctance http://coffsoutlook.com/%ef%bb%bf-poll-piles-more-pressure-on-gillard/ Press Regulation: a do-or-die battle by Gary Sauer-Thompson consistently bad behaviour --- misinformation and misrepresentation--- instead of reporting fairly and accurately as they profess to do. http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2013/03/press-regulatio.php Campaign for Freedom of the Press by @btckr 70% of newspapers alone) and boss Rupert Murdoch wants more. http://thesnipertakesaim.wordpress.com/2013/03/18/campaign-for-freedom-of-the-press/ Mug punters: the people & their relationship with politics & the media by Brian McNair We’ll be constructing a “map” of all the media outlets and formats in which politics is reported, http://theconversation.edu.au/mug-punters-the-people-and-their-relationship-with-politics-and- Punters are the Biggest Loser in the Game of Government by @YaThinkN We the vast unwashed no longer see Government as a ‘serious’ entity, it has become a reality TV show http://yathink.com.au/ by @fakeedbutler Mr Abbott is on a PR blitzkrieg heading into the election means http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/03/18/once-you-get-to-know-them/ Deciphering the Coalition's NBN playbook by Steve Jenkin has highlighted Turnbull’s deft touch as a barrister - attack the dissenting voices while ignoring inconvenient but essential questions http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/3/18/technology/deciphering-coalitions-nbn-playbo Abbott on the first people- just muddling through (@guyberes offers himself up in the speech as a self-anointed “Prime Minister for Aboriginal Affairs” – as if this doesn’t befuddle the lines of responsibility http://larvatusprodeo.net/archives/2013/03/abbott-on-the-first-people-just-muddling-through/ The men of TV and a media regulation stitch-up by @mjrowland68 Other journalists involved have also moved to distance themselves from the manufactured story http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-18/rowland-media-regulation-stitch-up/4578648 Tax facts contradict voters’ perceptions by @1RossGittins some taxes haven't fully recovered from the GFC, the second half of the resources boom hasn't been as lucrative http://www.rossgittins.com/2013/03/tax-facts-contradict-voters-perceptions.html If you are a pensioner we'll give you $35.80, but if you're unemployed... by @1petermartin From Wednesday the take-home pay for single pensioners will jump by an extraordinary $35.80 per fortnight.Couples will get an extra $54.00 http://www.petermartin.com.au/2013/03/an-extra-3580-if-you-are-pensioner-but.html?m=1 Abbott's Coalition - not a pretty picture by @TownsvilleLabor http://www.townsvillelabor.org/1/post/2013/03/abbotts-coalition-not-a-pretty-picture.html Going Backwards by @Wolfie_Rankin Tony has been, as is often the case with right wing governments, a bit cosy with New Limited, and it’s leader Rupert Murdoch http://wolfiesworld.wordpress.com/ How Bandt Blocked Marriage Equality by Neil Pharaoh the Greens care more about a headline than they do about real http://newmatilda.com/2013/03/18/how-bandt-blocked-marriage-equality The Abbott’s Cheer Squad by Truth Seeker It’s about winning at all costs.It’s about personal ambition http://truthseekersmusings.wordpress.com/2013/03/17/the-abbotts-cheer-squad/ Fixing The Numbers by Bob Ellis This suggests that Nielsen is now crooked too. They want only to put up figures that damage Labor, as Newspoll do. http://www.ellistabletalk.com/2013/03/18/fixing-the-numbers/ No more loud ads by @mumbrella New regulations mean we may have seen the end to shouty ads says Marcus Casey http://mumbrella.com.au/no-more-loud-ads-145735 Climate change will dampen Abbott's northern Australia plans by Wade Freeman Abbott's new vision - and most others to date - has not taken into account is the predicted impact of climate http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=14807&page=0 Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 19 March 2013 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

Ad astra

19/03/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

janice

19/03/2013Good morning all. Ad astra, So pleased to read your email to Perrett - I hope many more people take the trouble to do the same. I don't know if anyone watched Q & A last night. Having done so, I now know why I don't watch the programme! Last night's programme was, of course, all set up to have Alannah MacTiernan do a repeat of her media interviews she gave after the WA Election. The odious, pompous Tony Jones, lost no time in setting the ball rolling and, I was pleased to see, was somewhat gobsmacked to find Alannah back-tracked a long way and admitted she'd been hounded by many labor women. So, bombarding big mouthed, thoughtless labor people when they front up to vent their spleens to the media does work. Nasking, Sorry you are having so much difficulty with your eye sight. However, it hasn't stopped you from submitting good posts and that is good :) TT, Yes, tomorrow (Wednesday) is JG's 1000th day as PM and the day her enemies are predicting her demise - you know, "Anne of a Thousand Days" and the coalition and media are after a beheading to mark the occasion. Such lovely people who're conspiring to grab the reins of power.

TalkTurkey

19/03/2013[b]IT'S AD ASTRA'S BIRTHDAY![/b] THAT's what today 19th March is! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pov2sK_C3sY [i]Happy Day Dear Man![/i]

Michael

19/03/2013One of Lyn's links up above to an article by Steve Jenkins at The Business Spectator, for one reason or another, lands on an Error page. This link http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/2/27/national-affairs/technology-spectator-ready-nbn-referendum?OpenDocument=&emcontent_nbn= will take you to an article by Jenkins about why an Abbott government will trash Labor's NBN model. In doing so, it also makes clear why, marrying in with Abbott's "golden age", "back to Howard" rhetoric, anyone who believes anything introduced by this Labor government, anything!, will not be tossed aside by an Abbott administration is deluding themselves. Should the Coalition win government, Australia will be in for a period of erasure, government by negation, government by eradication, government, essentially, by punitive reprisal. It will be ugly.

42 long

19/03/2013Surely an analysis of Gillards "progress" for 1,000 days would have to conclude that the survival in the most unforseen adverse circumstances has been somewhat magnificent. The greatest authority. "SHE won't lie down and DIE, abbott" hes acknowledged it by his statement. Obviously she was expected to and implicitly what had been dished out to her would have succeeded with most others. The "temporary" prime minister has survived. and achieved many worthwhile aims that others had failed to do with the "obstructionists" mocking and thwarting her at every move even damaging the reputation and the economy of our country to do it. Confidence is a big part of people spending and behaving normally. Abbott loses everytime something good happens to the figures and gains when another boat arrives. GFC effect avoided here by accident or just didn't happen. Lies exaggerations abound.No FACTS to be found here. 60+ movements already of suspension of standing orders by the NOalition to get free publicity and no opportunity of a response at QT. Yesterday it prevented the usual welcoming of distinguished visitors by the speaker( in this case the Myanmar Leader) but don't worry , the pathetic pantomime of the Abbott show must go on.

Tom of Melboune

19/03/2013The government’s media reforms show yet another example of misjudgement and poor planning. Gillard and Conroy wanted a brief period of his high intensity, pressure on the independents to pass the bills. Now, whatever the outcome, the process will deservedly be seen as a debacle. To put the parliament (and the public) under such pressure over such an important issue is a disgrace. We’re talking about 6 pieces of legislation, and Conroy and Gillard think a week of public debate is sufficient. Gillard has stuffed this up, and whatever the merits of the legislation, the process is disgraceful. This one is a prime example of – • her inclination to put politics in front of good public policy, • her poor judgement, • poor policy execution and • fundamental dishonesty. Gillard does not deserve to hold high office. Let’s hope the ALP caucus has the courage to acknowledge their error of 1000 days ago, and give Gillard exactly the same treatment they gave Rudd.

nasking

19/03/2013 HOW CAN WE OPPOSE MEDIA REFORMS WHEN YOU READ THINGS LIKE THIS?: [b]Campbell wrote that on 11 March 2003, a week before the Commons vote in which MPs voted to deploy British troops to Iraq, Murdoch intervened to try to persuade Blair to move more quickly towards war. "[Tony Blair] took a call from Murdoch who was pressing on timings, saying how News International would support us, etc," Campbell wrote. "Both TB and I felt it was prompted by Washington, and another example of their over-crude diplomacy. Murdoch was pushing all the Republican buttons, how the longer we waited the harder it got." The following day, 12 March, he wrote: "TB felt the Murdoch call was odd, not very clever."[/b] http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/jun/15/rupert-murdoch-tony-blair-iraq-alastair-campbell DOWN WITH THE MURDOCHRACY!!! N'

nasking

19/03/2013 POWERFUL SPEECH BY THE GUTSY WATSON: [b]Tom Watson has welcomed moves to impose new regulation on the press after years of "screaming terror" felt by MPs who feared newspapers would turn their fire on them. Watson, who pursued a long campaign against News International over phone hacking, told the Commons on Monday that the cross-party agreement to introduce a new royal charter to oversee newspapers in the wake of the Leveson Inquiry was an "euphoric" moment. "We have learnt some pretty dark things about ourselves," he said. "They did not all perhaps appreciate the scale of what went on, but everybody knew that a crucial part of our nation’s body politic was rotten." "We did not know that they were hacking Milly Dowler’s phone, but we knew that that was the kind of thing they did. We knew that there were virtually no limits to the kind of things they did, and we did nothing." Watson added: "We joined in with what they did to other people because it made it less likely—we thought—that they would do it to us. "At the root of all this was fear: an abject, dark-hours-of-the-morning screaming terror that they would turn the lights of hatred on us, destroy us and humiliate us—with pure lies or half truth, it did not matter which—deliberately and viciously, for no reason other than because they can, it makes money and it is just what they do." Watson took aim at Rupert Murdoch and accused David Cameron of still living in fear of News Corporation newspapers. "He still sits at the head of the most powerful media conglomerate the world has ever seen and he still has politicians in his pocket," Watson said. "They still will not change the media ownership rules because they are frightened of him and they curry his favour. "Amid it all, the prime minister looks over his shoulder as Murdoch’s people start to replace the current generation of leaders with the next. "It is most naked on the Conservative Benches, but let us not avert our eyes again and pretend that it is not happening on the Labour and Liberal Democrat Benches, too. "As we reflect on the terrible cost of failures today, let us not leave the lessons half learned. Our children will not thank us for leaving the hydra with one head."[/b] http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/03/18/tom-watson-mps-leveson_n_2902324.html?utm_hp_ref=uk-politics "[b]Education never ends, Watson. It is a series of lessons, with the greatest for the last[/b]." [b]The Adventure of The Red Circle[/b] INDEED. N'

lyn

19/03/2013Hi Michael Thankyou for posting another link to Deciphering Coalitions NBN Playbook. http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/3/18/technology/deciphering-coalitions-nbn-playbook Takes me up to 3 hours to collect "Today's Links" during that time and overnight sometimes the blogs move their articles around, in so doing change their URL. Cheers to you :)

bob macalba

19/03/2013Lyn, right back at ya your so kind thankyou [i blushed but thats between you and me,i dont want to lose my hard man status remember i've got 2 cranky pants awards] encouragement and to encourage others, i believe you have an all seeing eye, cheers and xxx

lyn

19/03/2013Good Morning Ad, Happy Birthday to you. Many Happy Returns of The Day. ♥ ♥ ♥ Hope you get some presents. Here is a link to Paul Syvret's column this morning, funny they published his article:- Swamped by politics of dishonesty TONY Abbott's Liberal Party is attempting to lie its way into government, nothing more nothing less. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/swamped-by-politics-of-dishonesty/story-e6frerc6-1226600078631

Ad astra

19/03/2013Talk Turkey Many, many thanks for your birthday greetings, and the Beatles ‘Happy Birthday’ song. It’s a lovely day here – blue skies, shimmering water, swans feeding on the sea grass, a hopeful fisherman right in front of our home in a well know ‘fishing hole’, and no wind. We plan to have lunch at an old fashioned eatery in a beautiful rural setting. Calls from family are already coming in. It promises to be a great day. The year ahead looks exciting!

LadyInRed

19/03/2013Janice I sent an email to Allanah. She insisted she was just trying to help. After an exchange or two I suggested that she not put herself in the position of exploitation - but there she was on Q&A being exploited by none other than Tony Jones. You have to wonder at someone who would not realise when they are being exploited. Q&A last night was an absolute joke.

Ad astra

19/03/2013Hi Lyn Thank you for your lovely birthday greetings. A welcome present for me would be for the media to give up on its fruitless attempt to unseat our PM with unfounded speculation, such as we saw in the Fairfax press today. It was good to read Paul Syvret’s piece spelling out what an inveterate liar Abbott is and how he hopes to lie his way into government. A nice birthday gift! I hope there will be many more such articles exposing this man and the threat he would pose to this nation as PM. I’m working my way through your links while finishing off a piece for later in the day: [i]How to vote – examine first your values[/i], and fitting in birthday celebrations too.

2353

19/03/2013Happy Birthday AA - have a wonderful day. Lyn - damn you beat me to post Paul Syvret's article - but I should be used to that ;) However here are some others that show the morals, ethics and business practices of the LNP in Queensland (and possibly nationally). [quote]ALMOST 9000 permanent, temporary and casual public servants left the Queensland Government workforce in the last three months of 2012 but the number of highly-paid contractors remained virtually unchanged. [/quote] http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/queensland-public-service-shrinks-further-but-well-paid-contracters-sitting-pretty/story-e6freoof-1226600166235 [quote]A LIBERAL National Party MP has been using his electorate office as a secret base to direct the operations of an industry lobby group that has been paying his wife's company $350,000 a year for management services. Redcliffe MP Scott Driscoll installed dedicated phone lines and computer equipment in his electorate office last year that staff used to conduct the business of the Queensland Retail Traders and Shopkeepers Association[/quote] http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/redcliffe-lnp-mp-scott-driscolls-office-was-secret-base-for-lobby-group-as-wifes-company-paid-350000-per-year/story-e6freoof-1226600192327

nasking

19/03/2013 [b]HAPPY B'DAY! TO ANOTHER GUTSY INDIVIDUAL...AD. KEEP ON KEEPING ON.[/b] :D N'

TalkTurkey

19/03/2013[b]*J*U*L*I*A* has been PM for 999 days![/b] [i]Anne of the Thousand Days [/i]came to a sticky end But [u]NOT[/u] [i][b]Scheherezade![/b][/i] She of the 1001 Arabian Nights ! She survived to become Queen by being the BEST! [i]The callous King Shahryar had issued an edict that any woman who shahred his bed - virgins only need apply, of course - would have one delightful night and then be beheaded next day. BUT that should he (in obvious contradiction to the above) ever spend a thousand nights with any woman, she would become his wife and Queen. According to the story, there was no lack of eager one-off groupies. They came, and they went next morning, day after day. ((I suppose it was a way of evening out the numbers of sheilas when half the blokes went off to war and didn't come back ... Social engineering, quite humane really.) Scheherezade had ideas of her own ... Now read on ... [/i] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1EHpQ1PdmeU The music and graphics are quite lovely too. [i]Congratulations in confident anticipation of your survival Prime Minister![/i] TalkTurkey

Michael

19/03/2013Lyn, hi. Your links are an invaluable resource for my start of every day searching of internet news. Sometimes, however, I suspect that articles you have discovered are whipped from public view by 'anti-Lyns' within various media outlets tasked to keep contrary opinions that somehow get past their first line of defence well and truly 'lost'. The Jenkins article seemed a perfect example of this (possible) strategy. Between us all at TPS we can (must!) ensure that if a link you place here is somehow evaporated it can be found again and re-placed for all of us 'Lyn's Links' lovers! Which is to say, those of us who value a future for this country governed FOR the nation, not one supervised with fear and fatuity from a Coalition PM's office.

nasking

19/03/2013 LYN, TOP LINKS...GREAT WORK!: SPOT ON POST BY MR. DENMORE...A MUST READ: [b]The Australian people need to understand that this Randian vision of a free press being synonymous with unfettered free markets has been pushed by News Corp across a range of constituencies, most hilariously by Glenn Beck (who showed the way in comparing Obama to Mao and Stalin). In the UK, following the report of the Leveson inquiry into press corruption, bullying and bribery, hyperbolic claims by the Murdoch media and others about the consequence of more effective regulation has had the predictable effect of politicians turning to water. For a media trumpeting the public interest and acting in self-interest, it is easy to make mischief by conflating attempts to improve press accountability with a threat to free market capitalism. But they are two different things, a point made by philosopher Gary Sauer-Thompson: "One implication of the Australian media's very hostile reaction...is the notion that democracies must conform to markets," Sauer-Thompson writes. "This market democracy, which is contrasted with political democracy in which the economy is fundamentally subject to democratic authority, has become increasingly ingrained amongst right wing politicians and the media. The further implication is that capitalistic institutions are the best way not only to respect political and economic liberties, but also to achieve a just society." Thus, the idea of "freedom" has been co-opted by the Right as inseparable from the free market. No freedom can exist, by this definition, within the social institutions of democracy - because governments and regulation on this view of the world are anathema to freedom. It is the language of the unhinged Tea Party Right and it is now firm established as a middle-of-the-road view here. What's striking to this writer, as a former journalist, is how younger colleagues in the media industry have begun to assume this correlation. They no longer work for the public, they work for the media institutions that employ them. And their primary role, as they see it, is not to reveal the truth, but to package a version of events in such a way as to help their employers maximise profit. So their job is serving up what "the public" (in actuality, "the market") demands. And accountability is achieved by and through the market. This is the "if-you-don't-like it-don't-buy-it" defence of lousy journalism. "The language we use has conflated free markets and free media," writes Dr Cherian George, a research associate of the Asia Research Centre at Murdoch University. "The 'marketplace' analogy has had a powerful influence, encouraging us to equate the sharing of human ideas and experiences with the commercial transaction of goods and services for profit. When we forget that it is a mere metaphor, it is a short step to believing that any obstacle to the profit motive is a violation of the god-given right to free expression." This gets to the underlying truth of the media's exaggerated reactions to the Conroy reform bill. The real issue is not freedom of the press, but the ability of profit-making enterprises to use the privileges of the Fourth Estate to continue to dominate markets (and dictate public policy). In the case of News Corporation, it is clear it's main focus is not on the defence of the dying technology of print media of today, but on the potential to monetise and dominate the broadband future. Anything, or anyone, that stands in its way risks being demonised as a relic of the Cold War.[/b] http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com.au/ MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND.... N'

Truth Seeker

19/03/2013Ad, MANY HAPPY RETURNS :-) :-) :-) hope you have a great day :-) Nas, great to see you in fine form, despite you difficulties :-) I check out your posts every day mate, and it's so good to see you back :-) Lyn, thanks for including my post in your fine set of links, you do an amazing job keeping us all informed, so a special CHEERS to you :-) Cheers :-) :-) :-)

lyn

19/03/2013Hi my 2353 friend, Hey! you can post Paul Syvret's article again, doesn't matter if our important links are re-posted, it's good making sure no-one missed the good stuff. Michaels suspicions are absolutely correct, in fact some stories have been confiscated due to their honesty. Thankyou Michael for your support. Nasking thankyou. Bob Macalba ♥ Lady in Red, I couldn't watch Q&A last night, they make me sick. I think Allanah is just looking after Allanah, being self centred & of course ABC would want to cash in giving her star treatment centre stage. :):):)

nasking

19/03/2013 JANICE, THANKS FOR YER MOST KIND AND SUPPORTIVE WORDS. I TOO WAS DISAPPOINTED WITH Q&A...TONY JONES AND HIS TEAM ARE EXTREMELY ADEPT AT FINDING WAYS TO DUMP ON THE GOVERNMENT... IT HAS BECOME BORINGLY PREDICTABLE. NO QUERYING OF BARNABY JOYCE ON HIS HYPOCRITICAL CRITICISMS OF MEDIA REFORM CONSIDERING HIS PAST STANCE AND CONCERNS ABOUT MEDIA CONCENTRATION. I FIND THE NATIONAL PARTY ARE JUST FLIP-FLOPPERS...OPPORTUNISTS... AND I FIND IT VERY INTERESTING THAT MANY IN THE MSM QUESTIONED THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ALP AND THE GREENS...OFT IGNORING THE REAL DIFFERENCES...CONVENIENTLY... UNLESS IT WAS USEFUL TO TAKE GREENS' VIEWS AND BASH THE GOVT...THINK TONY JONES AND SKY NEWS...FOR STARTERS... YET FEW JOURNOS AND COMMENTATORS EXAMINE THIS MORE THAN SNUG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE NATS AND LIBERALS. FRANKLY, I BELIEVE THE LIBERALS WOULD SELL OUT SMALL FARMERS TO BIG BUSINESS ANY CHANCE THEY GOT. AND...HOW LIBERAL IS A LIBERAL PARTY THAT ALLOWS ITSELF TO BE DICTATED TO BY A FEW BARONS AND RELIGIOUS GROUPS? BIG CHURCH INDEED. N'

Casablanca

19/03/2013Truth Seeker It was TT @1.10am who broke the news here about the Supreme Court action to be launched against Tony Abbott over 'Australians for Honest Politics' Affair. The full Press Release, which is a must read is at: http://www.independentaustralia.net/Wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2013/03/TONY-ABBOTT-MEDIA-RELEASE.pdf Given that David Ettridge's Press Release was dated 18 March why have the MSM apparently missed it?

TalkTurkey

19/03/2013This week will mark the end of RuddPuddlers because it'll be TOO LATE - their puddle has all but dried up and they can squirm in the mud or they can get properly on board or drop dead I don't care, the important thing is that *J*U*L*I*A* will at last have clear air. Bastard Media beatups. Bloody LIARS about Bob Carr! This is major mischief. Surely Rob Oakeshott can see that! Nasking the speech you quoted at 10.10 AM from Tom Watson is indeed gutsy, Swordies should be sure to read it. Casablanca yon Viv wasn't a cipher exactly, but what a hollow farce that whole show was last night. She didn't exactly shine either imo, but there wasn't much light to show her to advantage anyway. She was possibly the least worst. Feeney was pretty pathetic and the rest were awful! With Adelaide's own Jeremy Cordeaux, he of the polythene head rug, an out-and-out RW megaphone. And Bananaby interrupting ALL the time, never brought to book, and always the cameras turn [i]instantly[/i] on him doing it, I hafta admire their speed! And the stupid Alannah, give me strength! I really meant that about you Casablanca going for it as a Fact Checker ... What do you think? I'm sure we'd all help you and be proud of you if you took it on ... A real chance to strike a blow!

Truth Seeker

19/03/2013Casablanca, yes I knew that TT posted the original reveal, but it was your info that I reposted and that's why I gave the credit to you :-) TT, I'm with you, QandA was an absolute joke, and a bad one at that. I also agree, Casablanca would be great in the job of fact checker :-) Cheers :-) :-)

NormanK

19/03/2013Ad astra Happy birthday! May you have many more of them. I see Jonathan Holmes has been reading [i]TPS[/i] :D: [quote]Now as we all know, nothing fuels a tabloid news story like moral indignation.[/quote] http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s3718348.htm

nasking

19/03/2013 [b]Nasking the speech you quoted at 10.10 AM from Tom Watson is indeed gutsy, Swordies should be sure to read it. [/b] TT, I COULDN'T AGREE MORE. ALSO, I THOUGHT THAT FRONT PAGE USING BOB CARR WAS DESPICABLE. I HAVE CONSIDERED BOYCOTTING FAIRFAX IF THIS CRAP CONTINUES. IT'S SO OVER-THE-TOP IT COMES ACROSS LIKE ABUSE. OUR FEMALE PM BEING ABUSED BY THE MSM...DAY IN AND DAY OUT. I HAVE NO PROBS WITH VALID CRITICISMS...AND ANALYSIS...BUT I SEE SO MUCH POLICY BEING RELEASED NOW...AND SOOO MUCH GILLARD BASHING AND LEADERSHIP TALK BY THE MSM IN ORDER TO BURY THE POLICIES...THE ACCOMPLISHMENTS...TO BURY THIS GILLARD GOVT. ABUSE. AND NOT IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST. ALL THIS HYPER-VENTILATING. CHEERS N'

Ad astra

19/03/20132353, nasking, Truth Seeker Many thanks for your birthday greetings. We are off now for a birthday lunch.

nasking

19/03/2013 WHAT A USEFUL DOORSTOP BY ALPer DEBORAH O'NEILL...SHE DEALT WELL WITH THE PRESS...AND GOT THE POINTS ACROSS EFFECTIVELY. I HAD SKY NEWS SITTING ON THE DIGITAL MULTIVIEW POLITICS BOX FOR AN HOUR WHILST READING, WRITING AND CLEANING...AND AS SHE SPOKE I LOOKED UP AND LISTENED. http://www.alp.org.au/federal-government/labor-people/deborah-oneil/ N'

nasking

19/03/2013 BTW, SKY/SLY NEWS IS USING SPECULATION ABOUT RICHARD MARLES TO KEEP THE LEADERSHIP CRAP BUBBLING. N'

Bloss

19/03/2013Hi Nasking ( I hope you can read this) Yes I managed to get a couple of comments posted about Mr Hartcher and his beat ups. He really is a disgrace. There was nothing of substance in his article. I just heard Simon Crean on ABC 24 launch into a forthright broadside against the leadership rubbish that hijacks the news nearly every day. It was a relief that at least someone from Caucus got to tell it more like it is, for once. Cool courage, everyone!

nasking

19/03/2013 RAY FINKELSTEIN SPEAKING AT SENATE MEDIA REFORM COMMITTEE.

nasking

19/03/2013 [b] I just heard Simon Crean on ABC 24 launch into a forthright broadside against the leadership rubbish that hijacks the news nearly every day. [/b] Bloss, GOOD STUFF! I HOPE ABC 24 REPEATS THE CREAN BLAST...WOULD LUV TO SEE IT. THNX FOR THE INFO. N'

Casablanca

19/03/2013TT, Re Fact Checking I completely missed your post at March 18. 2013 12:29 PM despite your going to the extra trouble of putting my name in upper case. What does that say about my eye for detail!! I am very pleased to see that the ABC is establishing a research and fact checking unit. This is a very positive response to the increasing level of criticism of their coverage of politics. Thank you for your complimentary remarks about my fact checking abilities. I will have a closer look at the job description and selection criteria out of general interest. I guess that the ABC still have a retirement age of 65: I will be 66 in a few weeks time. Re:Q&A I agree that it was a debacle. Tony Jones lost control of the discussion from the get go. Bananaby was totally out of control and hysterical. Viv shone brightly in that forum, I thought. There was youthful enthusiasm, passion and self-poise as well as an ability to frame an argument. I was impressed by her defence of 'young' people and her persuasive statement about how they engage with the world. I will take your other point about cipher on notice as I have to rush off to an appointment.

TalkTurkey

19/03/2013GO CRAIG THOMSON! SMASH ABBORTT! YAY LABOR!

Pikiranku

19/03/2013Many, many happy returns, AA! I hope you're having a great day and the year brings you everything that you wish for. (I'm being very selfish here, of course, because what you most wish for is what I also wish for. Go Julia!) Lyn & Michael That's interesting about the links disappearing, because I've been wondering why I've been so often having trouble following links lately and getting error messages. Is there a conspiracy afoot? It's only started happening quite recently, though if I hunt around the site, go back to Home and look there, I can usually find what I'm looking for. That Paul Syvet is a treat, isn't he? How does he survive?

Pikiranku

19/03/2013Nasking Thanks for the Tom Watson speech. What a wonderful, courageous and determined man. How badly we need someone of his stature and integrity here.

Pikiranku

19/03/2013Nasking And his tenacity. I forgot his extraordinary tenacity!

Bilko

19/03/2013happy birthday AA same goes for Bob Hogg Senate pres and Trish Crossen's daughter(picked up on Senate QT)a moment ago a must watch program at least in this household.

nasking

19/03/2013 LOVED THE PMs RESPONSE TO TURNBULL IN PARLIAMENT. TURNBULL IS SOUNDING LIKE A REAL WANKER NOW HE'S BACKING THE MURDOCH EMPIRE. WAS BAD ENUFF HE WANTS TO SCREW WITH THE NBN...AND STUFFED UP THE GRETCH ACCUSATIONS. PM WAS RIGHT TO BRING UP THE LATEST UK MEDIA REFORM. IT MAKES THE ABBOTT COALITION LOOK LIKE A BUNCH OF MURDOCH PUPPETS WITH THEIR HEADS STUCK IN THE SAND... OR UP A CERTAIN MEDIA BARON'S DERRIÈRE. N

nasking

19/03/2013 [b]Thanks for the Tom Watson speech. What a wonderful, courageous and determined man. How badly we need someone of his stature and integrity here. And his tenacity. I forgot his extraordinary tenacity![/b] Pikiranku, WE CERTAINLY COULD USE A TOM WATSON...UNFORTUNATELY, MOST POLITICIANS WERE TOO SLOW OFF THE MARK ON THIS MEDIA REFORM ISSUE... THO, BOB BROWN HAD SOME COURAGE TO SPEAK UP. AND SENATOR CAMERON. I HAD HIGH HOPES FOR TURNBULL BUT HE TURNED OUT TO BE FLACCID ON THIS ISSUE. N'

nasking

19/03/2013 LUV IT! IN PARLIAMENT JULIA GILLARD REPLIED TO THE INSOLENT ABBOTT: [b]IT WILL BE A CONTEST COUNTER INTUITIVE TO THOSE BELIEVING IN GENDER STEROTYPES BUT A CONTEST BETWEEN A STRONG FEISTY WOMAN AND A POLICY WEAK MAN...AND I'LL WIN IT![/b] PYNE HAD A HISSY FIT. GO JULIA!!! [b]RESPECT[/b] LUV A GOOD SLAPDOWN. PARTICULARLY OF AN ARROGANT [b]EGOJOCK[/b] LIKE ABBOTT. :D N'

nasking

19/03/2013 LOL...THE SPEAKER SENT OUT MEMBER FOR MAYO JAMIE BRIGGS... BILL SHORTEN: [b]UP GOES THE IQ OF THE CHAMBER[/b] :D N'

Ad astra

19/03/2013Pikiranku, Bilko, Thank you for your birthday greetings. We had a pleasant lunch outdoors in a delightful garden setting. Now I must complete the next piece: [i]How to vote – first examine your values[/i].

Patriciawa

19/03/2013Happy Birthday, Ad Astra! Many Happy Returns, for you and yours and for Swordsters too!

nasking

19/03/2013 BLOSS, DID THE ABC CUT OUT HEAPS OF CREAN'S WORDS? ALL THEY'VE FOCUSED ON IS HIM CRITICISING "PROCESS"... NOT A VERY SUPPORTIVE LOOK GOING BY THE ARTICLE...NOR THE CLIP THEY'VE BEEN PUTTING UP: http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-03-19/crean-criticises-approach-to-media-law-reforms/4582044 I'VE DECIDED TO TURN ABC 24 OFF. SICK OF THE FOCUS. THEY'D MUCH RATHER SH*T STIR THAN INFORM. NO BETTER THAN SLY/SKY NEWS. N'

42 long

19/03/2013Hope someone got a Picture of red faced Pyne. Wonder what his blood pressure was? Apart from the spectacle this is all pretty poor form for respect of process. What a great role model for the up and coming youth of the country. Rabbot got it good... Mister..Madam chair. Both inappropriate as Burke has requested simply "chair" Small point but not an opportunity missed to show disrespect. Abuse of points of order process, continually and mocking laughter. Most 6th graders would be better behaved. We really are not getting value for money from the LOTO and CO.

jane

19/03/2013Casablanca @11.46am, dynamite! I hope Ettridge succeeds. Won't that throw a spanner into the Liars works. A bloody great shifting spanner, please. WRT fact checking position, as a world class ferreter, you would be a shoo-in as the ABC Fact Checker. Just lie about your age. :D Also wrt the 1,000 day thang, I assumed that you were right because you are a ferreter extrordinaire. I still dips me lid to your ability to ferret out the facts and the truth. Happy Birthday, Ad astra and many more. NAS' I DEFINITELY AGREE THAT THE LIARS HAVE THEIR HEAD'S FIRMLY WEDGED IN RUPERT'S BACKSIDE. THE PM WAS RIGHT TO REFER TO THE LATEST UK MEREDOCHRACY HACKING SCANDAL. IT MAKES THE LIARS OPPOSITION TO CONROY'S BILL LOOK MORE AND MORE OPPORTUNISTIC. WRITING THIS IN UPPER CASE TO SO IT'S EASIER FOR YOU TO READ.

TalkTurkey

19/03/2013Pikiranku looks just like her Gravatar. NOT! :) Ad astra, don't obsess on your birthday!

LadyInRed

19/03/2013Lyn I forced myself to watch and even then I switched off halfway through. When it got to the carbon price and the furfies they let Joyce get away with. Sitting there with that sour snarly look on his face. Can't string two proper sentences together, leave alone truthful ones - why have him on. And the joker on the left forgetable name, looked like he had a rug on his head. The PM slapping down Tony today was priceless. A contest between a strong fiesty woman and a policy weak man.....perfect! You could see something was brewing. Turnbull starts the ball rolling with a question on media reform, Julie Bishop comes in to try to stick a few knives in (Turnbull sensible enough to leave real dirty work to others after utegate), and then Tony pops up with the 'vote of no confidence' jibe.....and whack JG smacks him in the head.

Casablanca

19/03/2013Hello Ad Astra [b]Hippo birdee to ewe.[/b] I'm sure that you have been showered with love and attention by your nearest and dearest. I just wanted to add my voice to the many Swordsters who admire and appreciate you for your devotion to putting politicians and commentators to the verbal sword, and for your rational approach to important topics.

nasking

19/03/2013 THNX JANE...VERY KIND. EYES VERY TIRED NOW...BUSIER COUPLE OF DAYS THAN I EXPECTED. I SURE HOPE MEDIA REFORM GOES THRU...SEEMS CRAZY TO ME THAT THE CROSS-BENCHERS AND GOVT CAN'T NEGOTIATE A DEAL. SADLY, I THINK AUSSIE POLITICIANS HAVE LESS COURAGE THAN THE BRITS...OBVIOUSLY SCARED OF NEWS LTD. TOO MANY YEARS OF KOWTOWING. KUDOS TO DAVID CAMERON, ED MILLIBAND AND OTHERS FOR TAKING THAT DAMNED EMPIRE ON VIA THE LEVESON INQUIRY...AND THE LATEST AGREEMENT. AS I HAVE MY AMERICAN STEPMOM ARRIVING TOMORROW I'LL BE PRETTY BUSY... HAVE DECIDED TO STOP COMMENTING UNTIL WE GET A MEDIA REFORM DECISION. SEEMS LIKE A BLOODY WASTE OF TIME...AGAIN. THE BULLY BARONS OFT GET THEIR WAY IN THIS COUNTRY. SO MUCH FOR IT BEING FULL OF STRONG REBELLIOUS IDEAS AND LEADERS. GET THE BILLS RIGHT...AND NEGOTIATE AN AGREEMENT. NUFF YEARS SPENT ON THIS. DON'T LET THE LIKES OF MURDOCH AND HARTCHER WIN. N'

Michael

19/03/2013A piece at The Conversation well worth reading. http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2013/03/12/Cool-courage-trumps-cringing-cowardice.aspx#comment (I'm not sure, reading what I've read here elsewhere, to recommend Amlodipine for Christopher Pyne... or is he already on it?)

Michael

19/03/2013Another great article at The Conversation http://theconversation.edu.au/despite-bumps-in-the-rollout-households-show-strong-support-for-the-nbn-12893 which indicates that the NBN could (should) be a great election winner for Labor. The alternative being Turnbull's tin-cans and string.

Casablanca

19/03/2013Jane @ March 19. 2013 04:34 PM Too kind!

KHTAGH

19/03/2013AA Many happy returns to you for your B/day today. We all hope to see many more of them. One thing is for sure after watching Q&A last night, Barnaby is just the class clown, he just can't help himself, he thinks people are laughing with him. No they are laughing at you Barnaby. Trying to make everything into a joke just shows his lack of political ability. Has anyone ever heard him make a serious argument without trying to make a joke out of it? Like Tony Windsor said last election 'Barnaby your a fool'.

LadyInRed

19/03/2013Michael I agree the NBN has the potential to decide this election. The proposition put forward by Turnbull, a policy you can see even he doesn't really believe in, just doesn't pass the credibility test. This is about a policy for the future that puts Australia up there with the best versus as you say a "tin-can's and string" approach. FTTN would need between 50,000 to 70,000 nodes. Within 300 meters of the node you might get 100mb/s 1.5km from the node it drops to 50mb/s. Places like Goulbourn apparently would need a node per house to get the speeds, so they can forget it. The copper is an issue. Also, bear in mind the electicity consumption involved in cooling these boxes. As you say 'tin-can and string'. [i] After a decade Transact’s Fibre-to-the-Node (FTTN) network failed commercially, it was written down 75 per cent and sold to iiNet last year.[/i] Read more: http://www.businessspectator.com.au/article/2013/3/18/technology/deciphering-coalitions-nbn-playbook#ixzz2NxpyfevJ

Miglo

19/03/2013Happy birthday Aa. Part hard.

Miglo

19/03/2013Party hard. Oops.

Ad astra

19/03/2013Patricia WA, Casablanca, KHTAGH, Miglo Thank you for your kind words.

Janet (jan@j4gypsy)

19/03/2013Happy Birthday Ad. And I wish you many many more. What an inspiration you have been to me and so many others, in word and, indeed, in word :-). Hope dinner with whomever proves as delightful as the birthday lunch sounded. Here is a tiny present for you: [i]@BushfireBill[/i] Call Fairfax Security if this man found wandering the streets. Disgrace to journalism. Disgrace to #Auspol . pic.twitter.com/jsj87xnSwc

LadyInRed

19/03/2013Happy birthday Ad. Have a lovely evening.

Ad astra

19/03/2013Janet, LadyinRed Thank you.

Ad astra

19/03/2013Folks I have just posted [i]How to vote: first examine your values[/i] http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2013/03/19/How-to-vote-first-examine-your-values.aspx

Janet (jan@j4gypsy)

19/03/2013 Apologies Ad. Your 'birthday present' is found at: https://twitter.com/BushfireBill/status/313897825241026560/photo/1

Jason

19/03/2013Happy Birthday Ad hope you had a great day

Ad astra

19/03/2013Jason Thank you. I did, and still am. Janet Nice birthday present!

42 long

19/03/2013love the Hartcher tribute. Happy Bd A a Don't they come quick?.

Ad astra

19/03/201342 long Thank you. How right you are!

jane

19/03/2013LIR, most of the anti-NBN commenters claim that it's a waste of money because people will "only" use it to download movies etc very fast. I say "So what!" I couldn't give a toss if people "only" use it to download movies; that's their prerogative. The dills that are so against it can sign up for wireless, satellite or dial up. Turnbull is also trying to push that idea, along with a lot of stupid arguments that just don't hold water.
How many umbrellas are there if I have two in my hand but the wind then blows them away?