Out of bounds on the full

Victoria, like many other independent bloggers, wrote last week about the failure of the mainstream media to understand the significance of Julia Gillard’s speech denouncing the sexism she has been subject to. As Victoria pointed out, for much of the media, it is apparently ‘just politics’. Gillard’s attack on Tony Abbott was followed up by the very same journalists with reports about sexist remarks directed at Abbott’s female chief of staff. Tit for tat. See? Both sides are as bad as each other.

This is part of the ‘politics is a dirty game’ convention. Working within this convention – as the mainstream media do – day-to-day politics is a game in which both sides seek advantage. Both sides play hard, both sides are dirty; therefore they are no different. It’s like reporting sport. One side kicks a goal, someone fumbles a pass, the ball is out on the full, and the scoreboard shows the result, courtesy of the fortnightly polls. It’s just a question of who is better at the game. Look at the scoreboard mate.

It’s easy for reporters and commentators to write as if the daily battle of tactics means that the two sides are just the same, and as bad as each other. Of course some journalists (guess which ones) don’t think the parties equally bad; they cheerfully reflect the anti-Labor bias of their employers. But others present themselves as ‘independent’: think Sales, Uhlmann, Hartcher, Crabb, Taylor, Grattan, Cassidy or Oakes. They claim that their ‘equally bad’ treatment shows ‘balance’, or evenhandedness. They routinely argue that after all, the opposition will do anything to get rid of the government now or at the next election, and the government will do anything to stay in power now or at the next election, and this constitutes the (equally bad) politics they report on.

Of course there’s a place for day-to-day political reporting. It’s not just that it’s the Canberra Press Gallery’s bread and butter. It’s not just that politics tragics couldn’t live without it. What happens on a short-term basis affects the morale and effectiveness of both sides and the view the electorate takes of the parties. And the particular circumstances of this parliament render day to day reporting compelling for anyone interested in politics. The hung parliament itself makes this reporting important, as theoretically the government could fall at any time. Tony Abbott’s single minded strategy of trying to force an election by making the parliament unworkable also captures day to day attention. The more or less precarious hold the leader of each party has on their position as leader also feeds the daily round.

However the mainstream media don’t do a very good job of this day-to-day reporting. This is partly because some journalists just report what politicians say, very often word for word – ‘the Leader of the Opposition said…’ Some reporters find it easier to write stories based on press handouts from politicians than to do any actual research themselves. (It’s also editors who want a particular spin, but that’s another matter.)

Yet even when they report accurately on the success or failure of the day to day tactics, they rarely question the political strategies that underlie them. Abbott’s strategy of making parliament a shouting match feeds cynicism in the electorate about politicians and politics. We’ll all pay for that in due course. But do any of the mainstream media call him on it? Does anyone even give a nod to the realities of minority government? The tit for tat reporting of the debate over Slipper’s disgusting text messages was allowed entirely to overshadow the issue of whether the Speaker was entitled to the presumption of innocence, and, indeed, the issue of the separation of powers. We laughed when Bjelke-Petersen didn’t know what that meant, but apparently journalists don’t know either, or don’t think it’s important enough to comment on. And then of course there’s the whole issue of the undeniable use of sexism, personal denigration and outright lies by the opposition leader. Which side is doing the damage to the national interest here? You wouldn’t know from reading the mainstream media.

But presenting politics as a rather sleazy sport creates an even more serious problem. Concentrating on the day to day tactics means that substance, or lack of it, goes unreported. Politics is more than just tactics, or even strategy. It is about how power and influence should be apportioned, and how wealth distributed in a society. The whole issue of the long-term outcomes of policy decisions is all but ignored by our mainstream media. There’s a theory about how he thinks the world should work behind Tony Abbott’s attack on the carbon tax. Which mainstream journalists explore it? They just report his hyperbole. And what about the constant talking-down of the economy by the Opposition? What sort of economy do they want? Who would benefit? And turning the boats around? What view of Australian society does that represent? We don’t know much about the Opposition’s plans for Australia should they win office. But even what we have been told goes unquestioned. Who is analysing the winners and losers from the direct action carbon reduction plan, and asking Greg Hunt about it? Who is looking at how paying the salaries of women on maternity leave is going to work out for poor women and asking Abbott about it? Journalists say that their job is to report impartially, not to comment in a partisan way – that is up to columnists. But surely this doesn’t mean taking whatever is said at face value? Is anyone interested in fact checking? Even if politics as a world view is too hard for them, couldn’t they manage a reality check on the bits of substance we have been given?

It’s interesting to speculate how the mainstream media would treat an Abbott government. Media outlets that already cheer-lead for him would continue to do so, which hardly comes as a surprise. And the self-appointed ‘independent’ journalist? My guess is that it would be business as usual. It’s just a game, after all.

We are being served up rubbish. Whatever you think of any of the parties seeking power in Australia, no one’s interest (except possibly lazy journalists’) is served by promoting the assumption that they are all the same. We need to know the differences in how they understand power and influence and the distribution of wealth, as revealed in what their members say and do. Certainly there are policy similarities, and these deserve discussion too. The argument that the major parties are as bad as each other, and by implication without any substance, is at best blind, and at worst self-serving. Far from making journalists neutral umpires, the ‘they are just the same and as bad as each other’ convention distorts reality, and turns the media into players. And guess which side that helps?

After I’d written this post, I saw Kevin Rudd on Lateline saying much the same thing, though his emphasis was on the politicians who treat politics as a game, rather than the media who report politics as a game. (He did take a swipe at the media as well for over-emphasising personal differences.) I also saw The Hamster Wheel’s ‘obituary’ of Rudd, which suggested that all of his actions are self-serving. Well perhaps that’s partly true, but in this case Rudd is right. Political debate should, as he says, be policy based, and we should be asking if political power is being used to benefit the few or the many. And did Tony Abbott really say, as Rudd alleges, he loves the smell of blood on the canvas?

If so, I rest my case.

Dr Kay Rollison, the author of this piece, has a PhD in History and has always been interested in politics – historically, in the present, and of course our future political battles.

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Patriciawa

20/10/2012Glad to see Victoria'a post here and I will bring my mind to it soon, but I feel we have moved on from your last thread prematurely, AA! We've only had it for two days and there are many juicy links from Lyn, and meaty comments from our regulars and visitors I am still following up on particularly this one from NormanK ..... .......[quote]When you provide a considered response to this, backed up by links to credible sources, you might be entitled to speak on Swan's credibility. @ February 19. 2012 07:28 PM www.thepoliticalsword.com/.../...of-your-lies.aspx [/quote] Because TPS has this sequential structure we can sometimes move on before a particular subject or thread is quite finished, a bit like having an interesting conversation brutally interrupted or terminated! Perhaps it's just me, finding it difficult to keep up. I do seem to have slowed down since I was mowed down! Gravel will have to show me how to bookmark. But that may have me panicking if I develop too big a backlog!

nasking

20/10/2012Victoria...good truth-telling. Top post. I've linked it to my Facebook site. Patricia, couldn't agree more. That is an excellent link by Norman. As for the thread moving on abruptly... also agree..I had some important things to say and now they've been lost. Put a big effort in...but seems that some would prefer the words weren't read. Anyway, beyond that...I have decided to no longer blog because I am finding it too time consuming. So many years. :D And I feel it will give more opportunity for others...including our lady contributors who have quality things to say. I would not like to drown them out considering my push for women's wholesale rights, equal pay and contribution in all spheres of society. I can be a bit TOURETTES...not surprising...as I have it. :D Thnx to Lyn and others for the great links and friendship. But I will continue to Facebook...occasionally: http://www.facebook.com/nick.king.1232760?ref=tn_tnmn Latest links on there. Keep well TPS. Battle on. N'

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20/10/2012Kay Thank you another incisive piece, exposing as it does the emptiness of most of what the MSM dishes up to us day after day. It is a pertinent follow-up to the piece: [i]Why is the mainstream media angry?[/i]. I thought your words about the reporting of our political journalists captured the situation: “[i]Yet even when they report accurately on the success or failure of the day to day tactics, they rarely question the political strategies that underlie them. Abbott’s strategy of making parliament a shouting match feeds cynicism in the electorate about politicians and politics. We’ll all pay for that in due course. But do any of the mainstream media call him on it? Does anyone even give a nod to the realities of minority government?[/i]” The answer is NO to both questions. I agree with your assertion: [i]”We are being served up rubbish.”[/i] Indeed we are, and we are hopping mad about it. The Fifth Estate will continue to call out our largely incompetent and malevolent media, as a well as calling out politicians. Our media spend most of its time calling out our PM or her ministers or her Government, but almost no time calling out the vacuous Opposition and its empty leader. We must fill the media void.

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20/10/2012Patriciawa, Nasking It is an unusual situation for me to have a surfeit of riches. Not only had Kay Rollison sent me her piece, but another new contributor to [i]TPS[/i], Marian Dalton, who runs the website [i]The Conscience Vote[/i] had also sent me a piece, which I will post on Monday afternoon. My posting of pieces within a couple of days of each other has concerned you, seemingly because the train of discussion on the previous post has been interrupted. Believe me, there was no thought in my mind of disrupting any discussion, or discounting anyone’s contribution. I am simply attempting to accommodate the splendid offerings of other writers for everyone’s benefit. I don’t know how often a new piece should be posted; it has been every three to five days in recent times, as that is about as fast as I can produce quality material myself. But when other writers offer quality material, the frequency increases. Perhaps you, and others who blog here, would like to suggest an optimal interval between posts. Politics is such a rapidly changing scene that it is hard to keep up, yet when we do post more often, it does not suit all our readers. Also please indicate at what time of day you prefer a new post to appear. To allow sufficient time for visitors to read Lyn’s Today’s Links and her Twitterverse and her afternoon Twitterati, I have been posting new pieces later in the day. Is that the most suitable time? [b]Your opinions would be welcome about these matters.[/i] Nasking, may I suggest that if you feel there in unfinished business arising from some of your comments on the last post, you repost them on this piece. I’ve suggested to Lyn that she repost this morning’s Twitterverse on this post so no one would miss the pleasure of reading it. I have no objection to anyone reposting a comment from a previous thread on the new thread. I will be interested to read your suggestions, as [i]TPS[/i] is for you.

Patriciawa

20/10/2012My apologies, Kay! There, you see, I wasn't focussed enough to read beyond the title to your name! Nasking, don't go! It doesn't have to be all or nothing! You'll be horribly missed. Just because we don't comment doesn't mean that your contributions aren't read. Besides, isn't a lot of the satisfaction in blogging in the writing itself, clarifying one's thoughts and then seeing them in print? For me even the occasional comment is a plus. Before blogging one had to wait weeks, sometimes months for acknowledgment or return of one's offerings! Seeing something in print over one's name was a rare joy - something we get instantaneously these days.

nasking

20/10/2012 Cheers Ad, I'm pleased yer receiving so many posts...fantastic... BTW, my leaving blogging is due to exhaustion...and a request by my wife Stacey who feels I'm spending too much time going back and forth from here to Facebook. She's right. I will repost tho: I meant to respond to you TT in the previous thread...apologies: [quote]But there's so much reading here anyway (Nasking!) that I'm sure yous can do without my bit of tripe for a day or so. [/quote] That's silly...you are a wonderful commentor and poet. Besides, my postings should never deter you from saying what you feel...if you ever felt i thought you overdoing things then put it down to the grumpy and hypocritical side of the Bear. Keep up those great postings. As for yer disappointment with me over Assange and Hicks...diff strokes for diff folks. I see them now as self-centred patriarchs, one who pushes his manhood by killing innocent animals, the other by using women as he sees fit...both obviously OCD on libertarian views and fighting what they believe are their enemies... both mistreated indeed... but ya take the risks ya have to pay the consequences. And if you decide to big note yerself...and attack our "fair-go" PM don't expect my...or others support. Frankly, I've had my fill of selfish Libertarians who think the world revolves around them...they USE the system...get hands up...but choose to conveniently ignore such...and babble on and gripe daily about paying taxes and 'big government'... whilst supporting some of the biggest corporate exploitive puppets and war-mongers...and highest taxing...politicians and govts in history. And whilst I'm on the topic of SELFISH people... Lance Armstrong and the other doped cyclists (makes ya wonder if Abbott did same)...are CHEATS AWFUL ROLE MODELS CORPORATE SUCKHOLES and anyone who thinks that just because these guys do some charity work (as tho they can't AFFORD IT...don't BENEFIT FROM IT) is blind and DUPED. When I think of all those cyclists and other sports figures who tried their hearts out clean of drugs...and were left by the wayside... called failures... left UNMOTIVATED... jeered... by a CORPORATE CHEATING ELITE... and GULLIBLE CROWDS and FANS... it fckn makes me irate. How many wonderful, passionate people were ROBBED...left to ponder WHY BOTHER? How many CHILDREN have been SUCKED into this CORPORATE CHEATS WORLD...??? Whilst sports became all about PRODUCT PLACEMENT...CORPORATE SPRUIKING... And CHEATS GOT RICH. And HOW MANY LOOKED THE OTHER WAY...just like the BUILDUP TO THE IRAQ WAR??? The same as MANY DID AS CHILDREN WERE ABUSED BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND CULTS Sad world...sad world. But at least some of US weren't fooled...again. FOCUSED on this GROTESQUENESS...including the CON that was the GFC...used deliberately by THE CORPORATE ARISTOCRACY to PULL THE THE CARPET OUT FROM UNDER THE PUBLIC SERVICE, PENSIONS, WAGES OF WORKERS...CONDITIONS... AND CLEANER ENERGY. So they could shift moneys, govt expenditure to THEIR INTERESTS...CREATE THEIR NEW ENERGY...KEEP YOU AS HARD WORKING...DEBT UP TO YER EYE BALLS...PAYING THEM FOR SERVICES AND TOLLWAYS...AND PRODUCTS... SERFS. WORKING...24-7 No longer eyes wide shut. Over...and out...it's up to YOU NOW. N'

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20/10/2012Nasking Like Patriciawa I don't want you to give up blogging here. We appreciate your contributions, enjoy reading them, and value your loyalty. Just comment at a pace that comfortable to you. You will always be welcome here.

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20/10/2012Nasking Thanks for reposting - I'll now delete my experimental re-posting of your 12.55 pm comment.

42 long

20/10/2012For many years now it has been the aim of the Murdoch empire to weaken or remove the influence of unions, academics, left wing thinkers and support a minority of ultra right, who are progressing to rabid right crazies tending on fascism. A Nasty Alliance when media control has such rewards available, and can exercise such power without being answerable to the society as a whole. Talk of a "FREE" press under these circumstances is adding insult to injury. Anyone who doubts this is asleep or profitting from the outcome. ( Vested interest) .Facts and things like honesty and integrity and fair principles don't apply. 60+ suspensions of standing orders by LOTO in Question time to get a priceless ( if you were to pay for it) chance to go on TV with a scripted tirade against the Government under parliamentary privilege, where basically anything goes, and if timed correctly the Gov't get no right of reply. Parliament usurping the role of the judiciary system to attempt to throw a government out of office mid term. Curiously we get the western right wing governments wanting to destroy unions, when they are being established in the 3rd world countries to lift standards of living. Will we meet them coming up as we go down to their current level. Does Tony want to destroy Unions? Is the Pope a Catholic?

2353

20/10/2012Agree entirely Kay. I really won't be happy with the political media in this country until they present the policy of the Government and the Opposition on a particular subject, then give a rational and logical critique of both of them. They used to be able to do it - what happened? Good thread starter - thanks for that.

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20/10/2012Talk Turkey May I suggest you repost your last comprehensive comment on this thread. If you've lost it, I can repost it for you, but [i]sans[/i] Gravatar.

Marilyn

20/10/2012In one of the dumbest interviews about nothing Sabra Lane allowed that idiot Scott Morrison to claim that the governing body for refugees, the UNHCR, had hijacked the policy by demanding we obey the law. And she let the dimwit spout this without much questioning. What I don't get is the media obsession with a few thousand refugees asking for our help and why they never seriously question Bowen and Gillard about their racist lies. WE have a seat now on the UNSC but we have been head of the table of the UNHCR excom for decades and no media outlet in this country has ever bothered to find that out. Anne Summers today chides the media for focussing on Gillard's trip instead of the dreadful decision to sell uranium to India then devotes her whole column to shoes and who wears what sort. Dumb as posts and thick as bricks the lot of them. As for the media and Rudd - they take their lead from the braindead in the parliamentary ALP who cannot see that Rudd is smarter and more of a leader than the rest of them could ever be as they make more and more ridiculous decisions led by her. When I say led, I mean straight into the gutter.

Gravel

20/10/2012Kay Thanks for this piece. I heard Mr Denmore on radio talking about the narrowing of the media. They go on for weeks on a topic (my interpretation is that if it is bad for Labor), like Boats, Carbon Price, etc., and people are just sick of it all. 'The oppositions says....' without explaining what the governments position is, which makes it hard to follow whatever is supposed to be happening. Patriciawa I use Firefox and it has a bookmarks section at the top of the screen, I just right click on the link, a box appears and hit the bookmark section. I hope this helps. Maybe your browser has a scrapbook or something similar, it is really good, especially when busy and don't want to miss any of the good stuff that gets linked to here. And back I now go to my bookmarks, I read a couple still about a100 to go......:-)

nasking

20/10/2012 Cheers Ad & Patricia Thnx for yer kind words...you can probably see by my bite i'm a bit worn out. I will probably return oneday...but Stace really deserves more of my attention at present. It's been a traumatising time for her...and i really am stuffed...4mths this time non-stop almost. But ya know how much i luv it...so this probably won't be the end. ------ [b]TT's response: [/b] nasking [quote]thank you for the kind words, now for the other part, As for yer disappointment with me over Assange and Hicks...diff strokes for diff folks. The difficulty here is that the difference between my stroke and yours could be the difference between ordinary and extraordinary applications of Law, you must see that. I see them now as self-centred patriarchs, one who pushes his manhood by killing innocent animals, the other by using women as he sees fit...both obviously OCD on libertarian views and fighting what they believe are their enemies... OK but it isn't the way that you see them that is relevant here! both mistreated indeed... So you accept that . . ? but ya take the risks ya have to pay the consequences. But the consequences should be within the normal range, not "cruel and unusual" pursuit and punishment. And David Hicks' whole incarceration has at last been ruled unconstitutional, how do you maintain any opinion that he should have faced any consequences? Oh well . . . And if you decide to big note yerself...and attack our "fair-go" PM don't expect my...or others support. I thought you meant me at first, after all I have criticised *J*U*L*I*A* on her references to Assange as criminal - not attacked her though - after all it is your best friend who tells you you have egg on your face, or that your breath stinks. Everyone knows what I think of her in general of course. No I didn't like the way he or his mother talked of *J*U*L*I*A* either, but she said that 'criminal' bit first, which is patently untrue. After that, well I can hardly blame him for spitting it, that notion has been used - illegally in my opinion, in a neat reverse - to freeze his funds, and to queer the process. Anyway as I said I don't expect to change your views, only you might do that. I am sure of the propriety and logic of my own. Ad we are all glad when you are buoyant. We know then we are on the right track. And Yes We Are. [/quote] ---- Talk Turkey, thnx for the response...and understanding much of my view. I do believe that a certain aspect of yer strong opinion on this situation is coloured, understandably, by yer experiences during the Vietnam War... I too, as a teen, looked upon that war and conscription with disgust and distaste...but from the luxury of living in Canada...where fortunately, a number fleeing that damned war and birthday ballots escaped to. I doubt they could now with that CORPORATE FASCIST AND OIL SUCKHOLE HARPER. I applaud Assange and Wikileaks for their EXPOSING CORPORATE AND GOVT CRIMES AND MISDEEDS...PROPPING UP BAD REGIMES. And I detest the Howard and Bush govts for using Hicks to DISTRACT FROM THEIR OWN CRIMES...PROMOTE WAR ON TERRORISM...DETER...ATTEMPT TO UNDERMINE LAWS AND CIVIL RIGHTS FOR THEIR CORPORATE PROFITEERING WAR ON EVERYONE...ESPECIALLY MUSLIMS. But, my views outlined above don't change. NED KELLY IS A MYTH...and A FACT...AND A BRUTE AND KILLER. But a hero to far too many...or the BELOVED ANTI-HERO Why? complex...i know. SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES...HOLDING FLAGS, GUNS, FREE SPEECH BANNERS, RELIGIOUS ICONS, CONSTITUTIONS, PORTRAITS AND BOOKS AND IPADS FILLED WITH SITES OF MYTHS AND LEGENDS...PATRIARCHAL...PARANOID...CONSPIRACY FILLED...DISTRACTING...ALLURING...TEA CUPS...ONE NATION UNDER GOD...HEART OF THE NATION...CATTLE AND OIL LOVING... Don't get fooled again. Watch the Senate races. And elsewhere. N'

nasking

20/10/2012 Apologies also Kay. :) N'

jaycee

20/10/2012Thank you Kay. A lot of discussion has been offered up on the altar of reason..good discussion..much however, is preaching to the converted..Today I had chance, upon request by a neighbour, to explain my position on a point of history of our area...Pheww!...it can be long and complicated...I decided to give the abridged version, but by the time I was half way into it, I could see a glaze decending upon his eyes and it became apparent to me that the more excited I became with the telling of such a wonderful story, the more he fell into a sophoric state! The upshot of that is, I believe, the next election will not be fought on policy or personality, but rather on two distinct opposites..: Reason vs. Stupidity. I do not say that in jest nor flippancy...the sad but apparent truth, which, by the way, many here and elsewhere know, is that the influential voters that could make or break this govt' are meanly selfish (at best)...blindly pig-ignorant(at worst). Lock that in with the media manipulation that people want to hear and you have a recipe for disaster. Not silly were the Athenian ruling class when they called "democratic" elections at harvest season, knowing full well a vast majority would be too busy cutting crops to go to the city to vote, thereby securing the outcome for their own.

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20/10/2012Nasking What you describe in your reposted comment reflects the ugly reality of much of our politics. In the US election debate we see the stark contrast between the Romney/Republican/Tea Party philosophy and the Obama/Democrat philosophy. The former wants to support the rich with lower taxes and more perks, and to hell with the less well off, the serfs, from whom he will remove their only source of health care – Obamacare. There will always be the struggle between the wealthy and the powerful and the poor and the weak. Conservatives are for the former; progressives for the latter. There is no difference here. Remember how Howard fought Medicare, until public opinion overwhelmed him. Remember how Abbott removed money from health care when he was the responsible minister; reflect on how he prefers to support the miners over giving support to the workers in better super and tax benefits. It’s an ugly, unequal world and it will be uglier still if Abbott ever gets his hands on the levers of power.

nasking

20/10/2012 [b]Oh, and one last thing...some are willing to ally themselves with said Libertarians and fooled Independents and fooled ALPers...and fooled GREENS... and use their door knocking... and businesses... and media connections... and big families and networks... to spread their own extreme WORD... and in the process create a NEW WORLD CORPORATION on a mission from god(?) [b]The Mormon conquest Their most famous son is trying to win the White House, and now an army of young Mormon missionaries is criss-crossing Britain on a march to convert the faithless. Jerome Taylor on the religion no one can ignore[/b] http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/the-mormon-conquest-8218993.html Hmmm... Strange days indeed. Liberty fanatics allied with patriarchal wowsers. Ironic. To say the least. N'[/b]

Casablanca

20/10/2012Kay, Thank you for another stimulating article. A friend phoned a few minutes ago and asked me what I was up to. I replied that I was reading up on the 'Separation of Powers'. He was highly amused that anyone would be so engaged on a bright sunny Saturday afternoon. The interchange between Jelke-Joh and his interlocutor would be truly funny if the implications had not been so serious. http://www.fedcourt.gov.au/aboutct/judges_papers/speeches_moorej7.html Premier Joh's ignorance is obviously still used in judical circles with a continuing sense of dis-belief. Thanks for that link. The further link about blurring the separation of powers in Queensland is also interesting: Joh Bjelke-Petersen and Unicameral Parliament http://www.southsearepublic.org/story/2005/5/2/1631/08470 The debate and the media coverage on the LOTO's Motion to remove the Speaker indicates that the Opposition and the MSM are also either ignorant about the doctrine of the separation of powers or dismissive of this central tenet of our democracy. To hark back to the MSM's groupthink excuse that they provided 'context' - the context is that Tony Abbott is prepared to trash the doctrine entrenched in our Constitution that provides checks and balances on Executive power. Abbott, by his strategies and tactics in relation to Craig Thomson and Peter Slipper in particular, is not committed unequivocally to the doctrine of the Separation of Powers. He certainly duped the MSM yet again when he contrived to blur the lines between the Parliament and the judicial arm of Government by packaging his motion as an 'anti-sexism' and 'anti-misogyny' stance. Let's call it for what it was: a cynical attack on a doctrine that is central to any mature democracy. Abbott and the Opposition should be better than that. The MSM should be calling Abbott out on his outrageous behaviour.

lyn

20/10/2012Hello Kay Thankyou so much for your brilliant article. A bigger thankyou to you for donating your work to TPS and our readers. You are a bonzer beauty. I posted your article on Twitter and within minutes it was re-tweeted 9 times, who between them have over 6000 followers, so imagine how many other tweeters have re-tweeted. Here is the tweeters who loved your article so far:- Lyn Linking‏ Tony Abbotts single minded strategy trying to force an election by making parliament unworkable expt by Kay Rollinsonhttp://www.thepoliticalsword.com/ Sally Baxter‏ Very good read via @lynlinking re Tony Abbott's single minded strategy to force an election. By Kay Rollinsonhttp://www.thepoliticalsword.com/ Herman Koop‏ RT @lynlinking Tony Abbotts strategy try to force an election by making parliament unworkable expt by Kay Rollinson William Jones and 5 others retweeted you Geoff Pearson and 7 others retweeted you Tony Abbotts single minded strategy trying to force an election by making Mad/Bad Woman‏ @lynlinking has to win at all cost, no National Interest, just thrill of the fight - pugulist William Jones‏@william7424 @lynlinking "And did Tony Abbott really say, as Rudd alleges, he loves the smell of blood on the canvas? If so, I rest my case." A little piece of Twitterati for you:- HannahQuinn‏ Labor ahead as Canberrans head to the polls (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-20/labor-ahead-as-canberrans-head-to-the-polls/4324316 … Looks promising at this stage Politics Australia‏ ACT Election; Election too close to call, Gallagher : http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/election-too-close-to-call-gallagher-20121019-27xav.html … ALP (ACT Branch)‏@Canberra_ RT @turbulenttara: Giant lies sign just fell onto road, almost hit car. http://bit.ly/Pgw40J " so so dangerous #actvotes #Libfail Andrew Einspruch‏ For those saying Gillard "lied" about Carbon Tax, here's Bezos saying ppl who are right a lot change their minds. http://einspru.ch/WNbs0a :):):):):)

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20/10/2012Nasking With Romney will go Mormonism and Big Business. With Abbott will go Catholicism and Big Business. Every voter needs to know that.

NormanK

20/10/2012Kay, Thanks for this thoughtful article. Sadly, I find myself in complete agreement with all that you have said. I find it excusable that front-line reporters missed the feminist angle to Gillard's speech. They were correct to point out the context as they did but they were seriously in the wrong not to elaborate on the context of Abbott's actions and the precedent that a successful vote to remove the Speaker would have set. They have then lowered themselves even further in my estimation by taking a defensive position simply because they were criticised by their audience. There were a lot of balls in the air last Tuesday and for the most part senior commentators chose only to describe one of them. They could have corrected this over the ensuing days but instead poured their energy into defending themselves and basically heaping scorn on a large segment of their readership. Not a good marketing ploy.

nasking

20/10/2012 [b]With Romney will go Mormonism and Big Business. With Abbott will go Catholicism and Big Business. Every voter needs to know that.[/b] [b]In the US election debate we see the stark contrast between the Romney/Republican/Tea Party philosophy and the Obama/Democrat philosophy. The former wants to support the rich with lower taxes and more perks, and to hell with the less well off, the serfs, from whom he will remove their only source of health care – Obamacare. [/b] [b]There will always be the struggle between the wealthy and the powerful and the poor and the weak. Conservatives are for the former; progressives for the latter. There is no difference here. Remember how Howard fought Medicare, until public opinion overwhelmed him. Remember how Abbott removed money from health care when he was the responsible minister; reflect on how he prefers to support the rich miners over giving support to the workers in better super and tax benefits. It’s an ugly, unequal world and it will be uglier still if Abbott ever gets his hands on the levers of power. [/b] Ad, spot on. SPOT ON. [b]And no so called Australian party nor fake Libertarians nor MSM run by opportunist profiteer and dynast-maker Murdoch, nor MSM running scared and corporate baron bossed, nor CEO, nor ANZ bank, nor Channel Nine host, nor vile TEN morning show hosts, nor SLY NEWS, nor woman's mag, nor rich shock jock, nor private equity company, nor Boston, Bain and Deutsche and Morgan Stanley and Citigroup and Goldman types...and all their tentacles...etc etc can tell us any different. [/b] N'

Casablanca

20/10/2012[b]DOG BITES LIBERAL MAN[/b] A neighbour's dog bit a young Liberal campaigner yesterday. A discerning dog! I went to the man's aid but there was only a tincture of blood on his hand. I attended to the minor puncture and sent him on his way with the remark that he would be unlikely to find too many people at home during the day and that there were not many Liberal voters in my extended neighbour. John Howard once remarked that this city looks like Killara*, votes like Cessnock. Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/opinion/canberra-voters-are-out-of-step-again-20121019-27wzb.html#ixzz29oeI7zCW * Posh Nth Sydney suburb.

nasking

20/10/2012 BTW, this about Peter Hartcher: [b]Books and awards Hartcher's 1996 investigative series uncovering the secret negotiation of a security treaty between Australia and Indonesia won Australia's leading journalism award, the Gold Walkley. In 1998, Hartcher was the recipient of the Citibank Award for Excellence in Journalism. In the same year, published his first book, The Ministry, an exposé of the role played by Japan's Finance Ministry in that country's economic collapse and subsequent stagnation.[/b] Wikipedia I've always wondered if Hartcher was in the USA during the 9/11 attack...i know a number of Aussie journos were there. As was John Howard. Musta been something. [b]We heart Howard: both sides want to be like the Little Master[/b] Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/politics/we-heart-howard-both-sides-want-to-be-like-the-little-master-20121019-27wqu.html#ixzz29olHtYFm Interesting. N'

nasking

20/10/2012 Missed this about Peter Hartcher: On his return to Australia in 1988, Hartcher was made chief political correspondent, a position he held until 1991, when he accepted a job with the Australian Financial Review as Tokyo correspondent. [b]Between 1995 and 2000 he was the Australian Financial Review's Asia-Pacific Editor and then went to the US for three years where he was the Washington DC correspondent. [/b] In 2004, Hartcher rejoined the Sydney Morning Herald in his current capacity. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Hartcher The things he musta seen... N'

lyn

20/10/2012Hi Ad Thankyou for your lovely considerate post @ 3.15pm. How wonderful to have these girls writing articles for TPS, we are so lucky. ”train of discussion on the previous post has been interrupted. Believe me, there was no thought in my mind of disrupting any discussion, or discounting anyone’s contribution. I am simply attempting to accommodate the splendid offerings of other writers for everyone’s benefit.” Ad Astra, I feel it doesn’t matter when you decide to post a new article, unless of course it’s in the morning when all the “new” news for the day and discussions are taking place. Naturally whatever time you choose is going to interrupt someone or other at various times in the afternoon and night, and even the early hours of the morning. My thoughts are you should decide the time in the afternoon to suit your own “personal schedule”. I don’t know what’s involved for you but my guess is it’s not just “Plonkty” plonk, that’s it. There would be work involved for you. Also with regard to the amount of time one particular article should be left before another one is posted doesn’t matter either same applies we understand you have a normal life going on apart from your cyber one. All the other popular blogs post articles when it suits the Blog Master and I imagine it would never be according to the conversation. Examples would be Poll Bludger, I see William Bowe just posts “new thread everybody”. Independent Australia, Café Whispers probably heaps of others do the same. BTW I decided not to re-post the Twitterverse as old news now anyway, there will be a new Twitterchatyarti in the morning. Nasking your posts are always interesting, and as Patricia said (Just because we don't comment doesn't mean that your contributions aren't read) your work is appreciated very much. :):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

nasking

20/10/2012 [b]Chevalier College From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Chevalier College Location Bowral, NSW, Australia Information Type Independent co-educational secondary Motto Fortes in Fide 'Strong in Faith' Established 1946 Headmaster Mr. Chris McDermott Chaplain Fr Terry Herbert Colour(s) Blue & Maroon Affiliations Roman Catholic, Sacred Heart, ISA Chevalier College is a Catholic co-educational school in Bowral, New South Wales conducted by the priests and brothers of the international religious institute, the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart (M.S.C.). It is a member of the Independent Schools Association (ISA).[/b] Hmmm... I wonder if Hartcher is a Catholic? N'

nasking

20/10/2012 Thnx Lyn. [b]List of meetings between the President of the United States and the Pope[/b] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_meetings_between_the_President_of_the_United_States_and_the_Pope [b]George W Bush meets Pope amid claims he might convert to Catholicism George W Bush and Pope Benedict XVI have held an intimate meeting in Rome as rumours mounted in Italy that the president may follow in Tony Blair's footsteps and convert to Catholicism.[/b] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/2122733/George-W-Bush-meets-Pope-amid-claims-he-might-convert-to-Catholicism.html Curiouser and curiouser...notice BLAIR's name mentioned. N'

nasking

20/10/2012 [b]July 23, 2001 Castel Gandolfo, Italy George W. Bush Pope John Paul II [/b] N'

Victoria Rollison

20/10/2012Hi everyone I'm glad you're enjoying my mum's post. I'm very lucky to have a mum who shares and encourages my fascination with politics and the role of the media - and who teaches me a thing or two about writing amazing articles! Now to weigh into the debate about the regularity of posting. I have come to realise that the TPS community has so many amazing contributors, that the comments are just as enjoyable to read as the articles that are posted here. I agree that there should be some time to let these comments settle and be circulated, but it's also hard to slow down when things are changing so quickly. More so than many of the other blogs I visit, there is a great forum atmosphere on TPS so it's not going to be an easy quandary to solve. So I'm sorry but I'm going to be a fence sitter on this one (which is very out of character) as I don't know what the best way forward is. I am very grateful for the space Ad astra and Lyn provide to me, and my mum as we enjoy the feedback we get for our articles as much as we enjoy writing them. Cheers Victoria Rollison

Ad astra reply

20/10/2012Hi Lyn Thank you for your kind and reassuring words, and for addressing the question of how often to post, and when in the day. I will stick to afternoon posting of new pieces after folk have had time to read your Twitterverse. On Monday, I’ve promised to post Marian Dalton’s piece after lunch. I hope some others might express a view about their preferred interval between posts. I can’t imagine I’ll always have so many pieces to offer that the interval between them will reduce too much. I can’t wait to read your 'Twitterchatyarti' tomorrow! You are untiring in your devotion to [i]TPS[/i]. Thank you. Nasking Thanks for the Hartcher information. I was just writing about him. We must have a psychic connection!

NormanK

20/10/2012Ad astra On the posting of articles: What Lyn said.

Michael

20/10/2012I'm feeling just a tad 'passed over' with the switch to a new thread today, so I've brought forward my two orphans (with an intervening link posted by DMW). .......... Two things about Peter Hartcher's BS article about John Howard at the Sydney Morning Herald. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/we-heart-howard-both-sides-want-to-be-like-the-little-master-20121019-27wqu.html His own electorate threw him out. His own electorate and the nation threw him out because, given the chance, he embodied what unbridled Conservatives will do to impose their ideology if given the chance, the 'chance' he took with control over both houses of parliament, to impose the punitive social experiment of Workchoices. Howard came to power as the 'just get on with it and don't frighten us like Keating did' figure put into The Lodge by scared little people. So long as he kept the suburbs docile and consuming he was doing that job for those people. As soon as he got the chance to do what was really at the heart of his rancid worldview, he confused voters' docility and rampant consuming with affection and respect for him. Howard twisted the 'possibility' of Australia into the home of envy as aspiration, and made this nation small, mean and suppliant ("Deputy Sheriff"??? FFS!). He got what he deserved when his creatures turned on him. Labor has to draw Australia back to self respect that isn't jingoistic patriotism, confidence that isn't cocky dismissal, optimism not fueled by egotism, civil society not ruled by testosterone as the touchstone of 'leadership'. Howard's myopic take on this nation was cancerous. Then this portion from DMW's post: Online sensation exposes Abbott's gender card play to millions George Megalogenis THE power of that speech, a week and half after its delivery, is in its repetition. This link to Google may help you over the wall: http://goo.gl/It2b8 DMW Which after reading, I posted: This is the last phrase from the Megalogenis article that DMW's Google link above will take you to: "...the idea that Abbott can unify the nation if he wins the next election seems just that little bit harder to imagine." "Harder to imagine"?? "Unify the nation"??? Not even conceivable! Howard's myopic take on Australia was cancerous, but Abbott's grip on power over Australians will be sociecidal. Michael

nasking

20/10/2012 Nice one Ad. Great comment Kay. Interesting how much ubermensch...there is in the occasional behaviour these contradictory leaders like Abbott, Putin, Berlusconi...Armstrong... [b]Übermensch[/b] [b]The Übermensch (German for "Overman, Overhuman, Above-Human, Superman, Super-human"; German pronunciation: [ˈˀyːbɐmɛnʃ]) is a concept in the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche. Nietzsche posited the Übermensch as a goal for humanity to set for itself in his 1883 book Thus Spoke Zarathustra (German: Also Sprach Zarathustra).[/b] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Übermensch And thru luv their Homeland http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Heimat Hmmm...amazing what political opportunists will draw upon...and what they MUTATE into. ------ BTW, [b]Rabobank[/b] [b]Raffeisen's ideas and the creation of farmers banks[/b] [quote]The bank is rooted in the ideas of Friedrich Wilhelm Raiffeisen, the founder of the cooperative movement of credit unions who in 1864 created the first farmers' bank in Germany. Being a countryside mayor he was confronted with the abject poverty of the farmers and their families. He tried to alleviate this need through a variety of charitable activities. He soon realised, however, that self-reliance had more potential in the long run than charitable aid. He therefore converted his charitable foundations into a farmers' bank in 1864. In doing so he created the Darlehnskassen-Verein, it collected the savings of the countryside dwellers and provided the enterprising but needy farmers with loans. This model found a lot of interest in the Netherlands at the end of the 19th century. One of the first of Raiffeisen's followers was father Gerlacus van den Elsen who stood at the basis of a number of local farmers' banks in the south of the Netherlands. The model caught on being championed by the clergy and the countryside elites. The mission of the farmers' lending banks was an idealistic one but they always operated using strict business principles. Controversially, a founding principle of Rabobank's co-operative style was to co-operate in the interests of "warding off the Shylock". The cooperative bank model assured a tight bond between invested capital and the community. Early cooperation The bank's traditional headquarters are Utrecht and Eindhoven. In 1898 two cooperative bank conglomerates were formed: Coöperatieve Centrale Raiffeisen-Bank in Utrecht Coöperatieve Centrale Boerenleenbank in Eindhoven The first was formed as a cooperation of 6 local banks and the latter as a cooperation of 22 local banks. These two existed side by side for three quarters of a century despite their obvious similarities. The reasons for this owed in part to legal disagreements. The most important difference, however, was cultural. [b]The Eindhoven based Boerenleenbank had a decidedly Catholic signature while the Raiffeisen-Bank had a Protestant background. In the past the Netherlands underwent a process of pillarisation or verzuiling, which in practice meant that members of different religious congregations and political movements essentially lived side by side each other without contact between the two. The religious backgrounds found their way to the organisational structure as well; the Eindhoven organisation stressed a highly centralised structure while the Utrecht organisation promoted local autonomy. Becoming one organisation By 1940 the two organisations cooperated with each other, albeit on a limited scale. Three major developments caused a further tightening of the bonds between the two...[/b] Wikipedia[/quote] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rabobank ------ [b]Some Livestrong supporters want their money back[/b] By the CNN Wire Staff [b]But Dutch bank Rabobank was not awaiting any further review. It announced Friday that, after 17 years of sponsoring professional cycling teams, it would end its program at the end of the year. "It is with pain in our heart, but for the bank this is an inevitable decision," said Bert Bruggink of Rabobank's managing board. "We are no longer convinced that the international professional world of cycling can make this a clean and fair sport. We are not confident that this will change for the better in the foreseeable future." Rabobank said it had previously seen elite cycling as a good fit with the company, its clients and its employees. But that has changed since the USADA report alleging doping by Armstrong and others. Its decision drew a sharp response on Twitter from British cyclist David Millar, who rides for the Garmin-Sharp team: "Dear Rabobank, you were part of the problem. How dare you walk away from your young clean guys who are part of the solution. Sickening." The bank's decision was a blow to the Rabobank cycling team, according to its general manager, Harold Knebel. But other sponsors are sticking by the team, which will try to rebuild under a new name, he said. [/b] --------- Verry interesting. N'

lyn

20/10/2012Hi Ad Some Links for those who are interested in the Canberra Election: Live blog: ACT votes 2012 Updated 3 minutes ago http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-20/live-blog3a-act-votes-2012/4322714 Polls close in ACT election http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-20/act-election-polls-close/4324700 Darin Sullivan ☯❜‏@darinsullivan09 [Pollbludger] Australian Capital Territory election live: 6.25pm. And here’s the first result,... http://bit.ly/WOmGSm #Auspol #Ausmedia ACT Election – Canberra Times/Patterson Market Research Pollhttp://poliquant.com/ Jenna Clarke‏@jennamclarke Canberra has voted, now watch us live blog the result & decide who puts on the best party http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/blogs :):):):)

nasking

20/10/2012 How's this for weird: John Joseph Fahey, AC (born 10 January 1945) is a former Premier of New South Wales and Federal Minister for Finance in Australia. [b]John Fahey is currently the President of the World Anti-Doping Agency. [/b] [b]He was educated at Chevalier College, Bowral and the University of Sydney. [/b] [b]Fahey played a key role in the bidding process for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games and is also noted for his reaction when Sydney won, jumping up and down enthusiastically. A Roman Catholic, he is married to a former Anglican, Colleen, and stirred some controversy when he declared his opposition to both abortion and birth control. Career after politics On 17 October 2007, Fahey was confirmed as the next President of the World Anti-Doping Agency.[5] Fahey has also served as a Director of the Bradman Foundation since 2001. In 2010 Fahey gave the 12th annual Tom Brock Lecture. Honours Fahey was made a Companion in the Order of Australia in 2002 for service to the Australian and New South Wales Parliaments, particularly through landmark reform of industrial relations, facilitation of high technology and industry growth, and for raising the international profile of Australia as Chairman of the Bid for the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games.[/b] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Fahey_(politician) Freakin' small world. Same school as Peter Hartcher. N'

nasking

20/10/2012 I'm getting a bit sus about the so called "clean Sydney Olymic games" now. And the corporations that come with these games...and professional sports...including big pharma companies connections to them and other companies. And GAMBLING and MEDIA and BANKING connections. N'

nasking

20/10/2012 [b]Reality television is a television programming that presents purportedly unscripted melodramatic or "humorous" situations, documents actual events, and usually features ordinary people instead of professional actors, sometimes in a contest or other situation where a prize is awarded.[/b] The genre covers a wide range of television programming formats, from game show or quiz shows which resemble the frantic, Japanese variety shows produced in Japan in the 1980s and 1990s (such as Gaki no tsukai), [b]to surveillance- or voyeurism-focused productions such as Big Brother. Reality television frequently portrays a modified and highly influenced form of day-to-day life, at times utilizing sensationalism to attract audience viewers and increase advertising revenue.[/b] Participants are often placed in exotic locations or abnormal situations, [b]and are often persuaded to act in specific scripted ways by off-screen "story editors" or "segment television producers", with the portrayal of events and speech manipulated and contrived to create an illusion of reality through direction and post-production editing techniques.[/b] 2000s [b]Reality television saw an explosion of global popularity starting in the summer of 2000, with the successes of Big Brother and Survivor (in the US).[/b] [b]Sports Most of these programs create a sporting competition among athletes attempting to establish their name in that sport. The Club, in 2002, was one of the first shows to immerse sport with reality TV, based on a fabricated club competing against real clubs in the sport of Australian rules football; the audience helped select which players played each week by voting for their favorites. Golf Channel's The Big Break is a reality show in which aspiring golfers compete against one another and are eliminated. The Contender, a boxing show, unfortunately became the first American reality show in which a contestant committed suicide after being eliminated from the show; the show's winner was promised a shot at a boxing world championship. Sergio Mora, who won, indeed got his title shot and became a world champion boxer. In The Ultimate Fighter participants have voluntarily withdrawn or expressed the desire to withdraw from the show due to competitive pressure.[/b] [b]UNIONS[/b] Writers for reality television do not receive union pay-scale compensation and union representation, which significantly decreases expenditures for producers and broadcasters. Many of the actors in reality television are compensated for their appearances. [b]Product placement [/b] Product placement, whereby companies and corporations pay to have their products included in television programming for marketing purposes is highly prevalent in reality television.[41][42][43][44] The following is a list of television shows with the most instances of product placement (11/07–11/08; Nielsen Media Research)[citation needed]. Eight out of the ten are reality television shows. The Biggest Loser 1,026,248 American Idol, 504,636 Extreme Makeover: Home Edition', 13,371 America's Toughest Jobs, 12,807 Deal or No Deal, 2,292 America's Next Top Model, 12,241 Last Comic Standing, 1,993 Kitchen Nightmares 1,853 Hell's Kitchen, 1,807 [b]"Reality" as misnomer[/b] INSTANT CELEBRITY http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reality_television [b]HAS PROFESSIONAL SPORTS BECOME THE ULTIMATE REALITY SHOW?[/b] N'

nasking

20/10/2012 I wouldn't gamble on sports...nor pay for it...until I could be SURE it's not RIGGED. Not a REALITY SHOW... benefitting THE FEW... sucking money and hope from THE MANY N'

Casablanca

20/10/2012Yikes! It has turned out to be a nail-biting ABC election count so far. Early surge for the Libs.

nasking

20/10/2012 Not surprising...Murdoch and Ailes in bunker together...attempting with other generals to push back: [b]Murdoch bid for Los Angeles Times and Chicago Tribune mooted Report says News Corp has made approaches about buying LA Times and its Chicago stablemate from Tribune Company[/b] [b]The Times said senior News sources confirmed executives had approached the two investment firms and a bank that hold Tribune's debt – the lenders will become its majority owners once it emerges from bankruptcy protection, possibly within months according to the LA Times. The paper said a deal might require a waiver of federal laws that block ownership of newspapers and TV stations in the same market. Murdoch's Fox network has stations in Los Angeles in Chicago. Tribune also has interests in television stations, some of which carry programming from News Corp's TV channels or operate as Fox affiliates. On Friday, News Corp announced Roger Ailes will remain in charge of the Fox News Channel for the next four years. The news ended a protracted period of speculation about his contract negotiations. The deal means Ailes will remain in control of Fox for the next presidential election season in 2016 and through the 20-year anniversary of Fox News, which Ailes has run since it was set up in 1996. The terms of the new contract were not released. Ailes is already one of the highest-paid executives in television; he has received a base salary of $5m and a bonus of $1.5m a year for the past several years, as well as millions in additional compensation based on the financial performance of Fox News, according to public filings by News Corp. In the fiscal year that ended in June, Ailes received $9m, paid in cash rather than stock, as a reward for Fox's record earnings, and $4m in stock awards tied to the performance of Fox Business which he also runs. His total compensation for the fiscal year was $21m, making him the third highest paid executive at New Corp behind Murdoch, who made $30m, and Chase Carey, the chief operating officer, who made nearly $25m.[/b] http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/2012/oct/20/murdoch-bid-los-angeles-times They sure reap the benefits eh? Whilst laying off how many others? A WAIVER OF FEDERAL LAWS eh? Whose palms will be greased? Promises made? Little black book come in handy? Investment banks eh? Also involved. MONEY MAKES THE WORLD GO AROUND AND PROPAGANDA TOO N'

nasking

20/10/2012 Making that kind of money...and considering both Gillard and Obama like NBN style systems...and no tax cuts for the rich...but rather see some contribute more to pay down debt after war costs etc... is it surprising that News Corp, News Ltd, Fox News, Sky News...are WORKING OVERTIME to knock off the PM and the President? SELF-INTEREST BEATS IDEOLOGY AND PRINCIPLES EVERYTIME IN SOME PEOPLE'S CASES GREEDY OPPORTUNISTS...TRYING TO HELP CONTROL DEMOCRACIES N'

nasking

20/10/2012 Slippery character this [b]Van Onselen[/b] character...I wouldn't trust him... he's getting WAY TOO MUCH ATTENTION AND PUSH BY MURDOCH EMPIRE TYPES... must be gettin' paid well... hidin' somethin' for sure under that PANCAKED FACE on SLY NEWS: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/kevin-rudd-the-unwitting-victim-of-misogyny-debate/story-fn53lw5p-1226498890234 BTW, I doubt Abbott will be there... he's a walking TIME BOMB. But it's fun watching the clock tick down...metaphorically. :D ABBOTT...AND MURDOCH...THE GIFTS THAT KEEP ON GIVING http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Invasion_of_Normandy Not long now. N'

nasking

20/10/2012 [b]Meegan Fitzharris[/b] http://www.meeganfitzharris.com/index Very IMPRESSIVE lady. N'

nasking

20/10/2012 Did that RUDE ARROGANT ZED just INTERRUPT The Greens lady's speech on the ABC etc? Bad behaviour. Just like Abbott. N'

nasking

20/10/2012 Why is that arrogant idiot ZED declaring victory? Won't there be enuff ALP and Green seats to form a GOVERNMENT? Hope so. N'

nasking

20/10/2012 LUV THAT BULLET TRAIN... and LIGHT RAIL N'

Casablanca

20/10/2012Nasking@October 20. 2012 09:55 PM Yes, Virginia H (oops can't spell her name) has just made the same call as you. Yes When Zed made his speech I thought, my gosh, have I missed some announcement about the Libs taking all before then. Zed has gone off half cocked.

Casablanca

20/10/2012Nasking, It is just you and me keeping vigil. Thank you

Casablanca

20/10/2012Just worked out the spelling of our ACT newsreader and the anchor for the ACT Election report on ABC2 and ABC24 tonight.

Casablanca

20/10/2012OOPS forgot to paste the name: it is Virginia Haussegger

Casablanca

20/10/2012Nasking and other tragics who have apparently gone to bed, Gary Humphries, Liberal Senator for the ACT is on the ABC's ACT election discussion panel with anchor Virginia Haussegger, and other commentators, Senator Kate Lundy (ACT Labor Senator & Minister for Sport) and Senator Sarah Hanson-Young,(Federal Green Senator). To labour the point, Tony Abbott is Gary's esteemed leader. Senator Humphries said: [b] [you have] got to play the cards that the electorate deals you.[/b] I hope that he mentions this point of view to Tony Abbott vis a vis the 2010 Federal Election. At end of coverage the Libs are 6.4% up on their last time low base; Labor is 1.6% up on last election's high and the ACT Greens are down 4.6%. Watch this space for about another week due to the peculiarities of the Hare-Clark electoral system.

2353

20/10/2012Casablanca, it seems that the ALP has the largest percentage of votes - but are trailing one seat behind the Liberals. However the ALP & Greens can form a one seat majority. ANd the Lineral Leader claims victory - hope he's a better negotiator than Abbott.

Ad astra reply

20/10/2012Casablana I have just finished watching ABC24, having witnessed the arrogance of Liberal leader Zed Seselja who predicted he would be First Minister, and the complete opposite from Labor leader Katy Gallagher who was the epitome of modesty. To me it bespoke the difference in ideology and attitude of the two parties. Both Labor and Liberal increased their votes; the Greens lost votes. It looks as if Liberals will have 8 seats, Labor 7, and Greens 2, and that the Labor Greens alliance is likely to continue to govern the ACT, notwithstanding the arrogance and bullying attitude of the Liberals. There are no surprises really. Goodnight all

nasking

20/10/2012 [b]anchor Virginia Haussegger[/b] Casablanca, an articulate anchor...but sooo Liberal going by her comments early in the nite. She got a surprise. GREAT to see Kate there...one of my FAVE pollies. Big job to do i imagine. Sarah is nice. Intelligent. Thoughtful. Matured alot over the years. Humphries went a bit flat later in the nite. Interesting LIFT in the ALP VOTE. UP UP UP Eh Tony? And Rupert?...the gifts that keep on giving. Some Croation song from the 90s came to mind...but i've FORGOTTEN it. This will do: http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=E-WEsJHXW4Q N'

nasking

20/10/2012 Another memory...TT might appreciate: http://m.youtube.com/watch?feature=relmfu&v=GgAmmbM4xUU N'

nasking

20/10/2012 [b]complete opposite from Labor leader Katy Gallagher who was the epitome of modesty[/b] Ad, Stace & I watched Katy Gallagher's speech... an AWESOME lady. Like a HURRICANE. On THUNDER road. N'

nasking

21/10/2012 More links and new cover photo and profile picture @ Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nick.king.1232760?ref=tn_tnmn N'

Frank

21/10/2012See also Anthony Albanese's speech in parliament on June 26 this year. He refers to the Godwen Grech and Peter Slipper affairs saing inter alia, "... people in the media need to recognise whether they are reporters or they're participants, whether they're observers or they're activists."

jaycee

21/10/2012The swing from the Greens to the Liberals reflects the dangers of applying a "Neo-Green" philosophy to saving the enviroment. Howard and Abbott with the LNP. promote the idea of using business models and market forces to "fix" the enviroment, this attracted many "green liberals" over to the Greens Party...but with a downturn in finances, they all fled back to home ground. This Neo-Green movement is awash with pragmatic/bottom-line "fixers" who stitch "riders" on contracts to replant or regenerate bushland...After all...it all must pay, you see?

Gravel

21/10/2012Casablanca and Nasking I woke up confused about the ACT election. Thanks for your comments. Ad Astra, from what you say it will be status quo for ACT. MSM will be upset.

TalkTurkey

21/10/2012 Ad astra you said Talk Turkey May I suggest you repost your last comprehensive comment on this thread. If you've lost it, I can repost it for you, but sans Gravatar. October 19. 2012 01:34 AM {I didn't know which of the 2 I posted on last thread you meant so I've posted both, the former was the more-'comprehensive' but the latter was the last. A lot of bulk I know, well I don't expect everyone to read all I say anyway but Thank You Ad, you make us all feel wanted. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ad astra said: What do you think? Esteemed Scribe, what I think is that all-up there is no-one on the Fighting 5th Estate who is as cogent sensible sober perspicacious focused and even at times amusing as your own good self. Every time I read one of your threads I feel that anew. Were it not for TPS with you at its head, and Lyn keeping us up with the best of everyone else, I could not have felt the strength of purpose and the optimism I have been able to maintain within, and I hope, beyond myself ever since I happened across this blog. It is because of your focus on exactly the same things I have always loved and hated - I nearly said hated alone, sign of the times! - that I felt instantly at home here, and when on that brief occasion we met, it was just like tasting wine after testing its nose (or is that one's own?) where the physical contact is mere confirmation of what had already been a more sublime experience. (I think it was Spike Milligan who used that metaphor sort-of in PUCKOON, but, well, he didn't use it as a metaphor, he was talking about the wine itself.) But yes, I felt that, just as we synchro-meshed then, so I felt with TPS from the first. I have never read a better effort than this of yours today Ad. Musing, aside: It is such a pity that we have so much to hate, that a mindset of optimistic cooperation does not reign instead. Must it always be so? Must there always be Abborttians? (Abbortt is but the worst and latest of a long line of his ilk, but he is the worst ever). And I fear that were he to be elected, he would cement forever a mindset of hatred into this once-hopeful leader amongst Free World nations. But why is that outcome being fomented so single-mindedly and universally by the MSM? Long ago on this site I said they remind me of the movie The Stepford Wives, in which all the feisty wives of rich successful men, brought to an American-idyllic town, quite suddenly become submissive and obedient, perfect wives to their Abbortt-like misogynistic husbands. How come? It is a constant source of dismay and amazement to me, one for which I can find no certain plausible answer except for one, really the Elephant in the House. Ad you canvass several possibilities. Before I posit my one more, let me quote your two paragraphs: Is their annoyance, apprehension and anger a product of their own political values and orientation? Maybe, but surely not for all of them! Is it the result of groupthink, which we know afflicts so many, making them unprepared to express opinions outside of the mainstream? Is it living in the Canberra ‘echo-chamber’, a term they like to use to describe the Fifth Estate, where the opinions of those in the next office, in the Press Gallery, at their drinking holes, in the parliamentary corridors, are the ones they embrace, rather than those of the electorate? Are they too influenced by opinion polls and focus groups, which are feeding them unreliable information and making unreliable predictions? Are they afraid to deviate from the position they have held for so long that the Coalition is a shoo-in at the next election? Are they apprehensive that the goodwill that they have built up with Tony Abbott and Coalition members that would ensure they are on their drip feed should the Coalition win government, might be for naught? Are they concerned about writing anything that might evoke the disapproval of Rupert Murdoch? Journalists who work for him would not dare to do so, and those who don’t, might need a job with him. Job insecurity is rife and must influence the behaviour of journalists. If you think this is fantasy, read what Dick Smith says in the SMH: “One ABC journalist said to me: ''Dick, I couldn't mention that your magazine was rejected by the Murdoch press because one day I might have to apply for a job with them.'' Well now, let's go back to that first one: '...their own political values and orientation.' You comment, 'surely not for all of them'. Surely? Hang on . . . Firstly, the employees of anything Murdoch are ALL, obviously, personally rusted-on hand-graded specifically-selected Rightards. Anything less than utter Stepfordwife obedience has for long been weeded-out, sidelined, anybody with the slightest hint of independent thought unpromoted. That is almost universal, though the odd clown like that little bunny fugger on Ch 10 is sometimes allowed to be a tad irreverent - as long as they are trivial with it. Real opposition is never permitted. The newspapers around Australia, and the commercial channels' panel-talk programs, could all be swapped around, and you'd hardly notice the difference. They are all of the same herd, and all wear the same brand. And even those of the other commercial media are equally in the thrall of equally cynical ownership - now failing dramatically it would seem, but that is beside the point, which is that they are all the same politically. Only when one reads a tiny truly independent newspaper like Broken Hill's Barrier Daily Truth does the bias of the mainstream newspapers dawn. As for parallel examples of televisionstations, they don't exist. So there's MOST of the media living happily in Stepford. Politically aligned like iron filings on a magnet. But what of the ABC? Taht is the amazing part. Well. Let's look at the personalities involved in the political programs. Uhlmann. Sales. Alberici. Iggulden. Karen Middleton. The breakfast trivialists, who do count too. Sabra Lane. Annabel Crabbe. They are all youngish. All post-Keating, that is, all Howard-era appointments. Sure there are a few dinosaurs like Cassidy on Lopsiders, like Fran Kelly on radio, but their political prejudices for one reason or another are plain anyway, and they are there to invite such ancient bigots as Reith and Grattan on to their shows. So why think the MSM is anything but politically of the same water? They have been appointed and more pointedly promoted under Mark Scott, - himself a Howard ex-staffer I understand - for their Stepford compatibility, and yes, at base of all the other reasons you posit Ad, is the fact that the bias was and is to be found in their selection and advancement. The ones most sympathetic to the Right are given the plum jobs, they are public face of the ABC, and that completes the Grand Slam of comment monopolisation in Australia. Mark Scott, the stalking horse for Howard, is at the root of it all. He has usurped the People's ABC, and now there is no credible voice for the Left, or even a rational Centre, left. Still we must fight with what we have, and Comrades, were it not for the enormity of our adversaries, the Fighting 5th Estate would have nothing like the power we are now finding in rising to the challenge of beating them. Fear not. With *J*U*L*I*A* at our head in Canberra, and our own wits, we will prevail. The stuck-pig squeals of the Hartchers and Bolts are proof positive. VENCEREMOS Comrades! NO PASARAN! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ October 20. 2012 03:15 AM Ad, I love the merry tenor of your post at 4.26, you sound confident and feisty paying out journalists as never so, enjoying the battling, as well you may: the Government has won a great tribute from the world today, Anal Jones -(sorry but the way these terrible people are has coarsened me in the last couple of years) - has received a smack on the nose to resound to shock jocks and haters everywhwere, and the writers on The Political Sword have never been better! Cripes that's all one sentence. *J*U*L*I*A* looks radiant these days too. Doesn't she eh! Taking every trick both at home and overseas, across every issue, never boastful, always attributing kudos and praising those who are helping the People's struggle . . . Justifying our confidence in her all along, I'm just proud of all those stars I always put in her name! Because I have always thought her special. The only time in two+ years - the only time - that the MSM have been right about anything (and We of the Fighting 5th wrong) was over the Rudd challenge in February - and why? - Because they MSM were being fed treacherous stuff from the Rudd camp and they KNEW stuff that we mostly just couldn't quite believe, we were never privy to the whiteants as they were. So even that one instance doesn't count. The writhing hate-spitting ridiculous sooking Mainstream Media have NO authority now, the authority is with the Left of the 5th Estate and may I say none are more deserving of the credit for that than this blogsite. You know what I think is the most special thing about our Prime Minister? It is her nontheism. With no allegiance to notions of sky-fairies she is free in the mind to be completely rational, and at the same time she can be truly moral, not with one eye to her salvation, but for simple humanity's sake. She doesn't spit the dummy ever so far, she negotiates superbly, her colleagues respect her more than ever, every day she grows. God-fearing Christians? Devout Moslems and Pious Jews? No thank you, we see their hypocrisy, we humanists are better than that. We are the ones who in the situation are the Good Samaritans, those despised as lowly non-Jew Gentiles in Jesus time, serving in humble ways without an eye always to reward but for the sake of simple humanity. And if anybody wants to see the face of naked evil, he need look no further than the child-abusing crow-garbed priests and penguin-habited nuns of the Holy Roman Empire, the murderous Taliban and the phosphorus-bombers of Israel. Oh yeah spreading the love and showing their superiority to those of other superstitious belief. That above all is why *J*U*L*I*A* is such a treasure. Should we lose her to ill winds of fortune, when comes such another? But Ad this rave started about your happy cheeky post. It makes us all feel good to see you so sanguine, you give us all strength. The Sword is a truly powerful weapon now, a great asset to the Government and a force for Good. Abbortt will not prevail, and we of the Fighting 5th Estate that will help make sure of that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ So many other great writers here, I feel greedy with the space I take up, but you Ad never complain, you just encourage everyone of goodwill. You do make us all feel special.

TalkTurkey

21/10/2012Now Sunday Morning. The ACT looks safe, imagine the Greens siding with the LNP there, who have apparently set new highs in low behaviour during the campaign, including bad-mouthing the Greens extremely, and last night that idiot LNP Senator, (the one who insisted the camera show off his Chook tie!) trying to browbeat SH-Y into supporting them ha ha harrrrr AS IF! BTW ASIF is my acronym for such events as the Beirut bombing, currently being pinned on Syria, but ASIF stands for [b]Always Suspect Israel First.[/b] I will be happy to refute any accusations of anti-Semitism: the people the Zionists treat to serves of white phosphorus and whose land they steal day by day are mostly Semites too. It is the fascistic fundamentalist Zionists who are fomenting world-wide strife.

TalkTurkey

21/10/2012Mein Gott! Lopsiders starting with expose of Abbortt's cowardly wimping-out with SBY, bouquets for *J*U*L*I*A* and brickbats for Abbortt. POSITIVE for Labor Vinegar-Tits Savva trying to salvage something from the wreck of LNP loss in ACT, I am delighted. Isn't *J*U*L*I*A* wonderful eh, little by little overtaking the crazy LNP, come on Aussies come on and wake up to the threat of these fools.

patriciawa

21/10/2012Thank you Kay. If only mainstream media were not themselves such partisan players in the game they are reporting on! Here in Australia our politicians struggle with the megalomaniac Murdoch who uses his media might to pursue his own ends. Is that what makes this last week so significant for our democracy? Popular feelings were expressed through 'new media' which flexed its electronic muscles and showed us just why Rupert Murdoch does not want Labor with its NBN Co to stay in power. All the printing presses, radio stations and TV news channels in the world are no match for humanity's sense of justice when roused and expressed so forcefully. I thought it interesting that Murdoch has now taken to trying to have his say on Twitter! Didn't it make Newscorp's widely expressed editorial line belittling our Security Council seat success somehow hollow when we saw it there as just one man's opinion?

patriciawa

21/10/2012Hey, Nasking! When I said don't go I don't think I meant to say don't change! You seemed about to do that when you talked about coping with Tourettes syndrome by focussing more on your Facebook page. Ad Astra urged you to stay and comment at a pace comfortable for you. But I can see how hard is the job of blogmasters to get their readers to respond at a pace that is comfortable for everyone. Shaping a blog like this so that it provides a forum for a lively exchange of varied opinions rather than a soapbox for a few surely has challenges! I apologise for my complaining because I was finding it so hard to keep up. We seem to have had this conversation before but it's the first time that I myself have felt quite so overwhelmed. Post traumatic stress disorder obviously manifests in a variety of ways. Look at us! Tourettes and PTSD! Is Ad Astra's medical background the reason he seems able to manage us all so well?

KHTAGH

21/10/2012I too would like to that you Kay for this article, it does raise ones heart to think that there might just be light at the end of the tunnel as most can see that the MSM are over playing their hand just a little, way too little reporting about crying wolf from LOTO. patriciawa [i]Is that what makes this last week so significant for our democracy? Popular feelings were expressed through 'new media' which flexed its electronic muscles and showed us just why Rupert Murdoch does not want Labor with its NBN Co to stay in power. [/i] You are so right, Murdoch can see his immense self appointed power vanishing by the day & he hates it so hence hates this great government in all & every way possible because of the NBN. I can't wait for that big blue cable to come wandering down my street. WE can win , we will win, we MUST win, or we will see the ruination of this country that we all love, just for 2 men's egos. 1/ self interest 2/ no interest except [wanting the keys to the lodge]

Ad astra reply

21/10/2012[b]Folks This is to give advance notice that I have promised a new author on [i]TPS[/i], Marian Dalton, that I will post her initial piece tomorrow (Monday) after lunch. It is titled: [i]The Punishment That Fits No Crime[/i], and deals with the offshore processing issue. Marian writes that she is, in no particular order, an editor, blogger, reader, writer, poet, mother, graduate student and sometime academic. She currently works as a freelance editor, citizen journalist and media advisor. Clients have included national political parties, lobby groups and community associations. Her blog, [i]The Conscience Vote[/i] http://consciencevote.com.au, provides accessible analysis of Australian political and social issues and aims to engage all people in public debate. We welcome Marian to the [i]TPS[/i] team.[/b]

Lyn

21/10/2012Good Morning Ad and Everybody, Here is Twitterchatyatti for you. I couldn’t find much this morning, a lot on the election last night. Everybody amazed at the Liberal Leader & his victory speech you will see:- Bushfire Bill Posted Sunday, October 21, 2012 at 8:28 am MAXINE McKew has appealed to the ALP to bring Kevin Rudd back ''My plea is this: at the end of what's been a pretty bumpy year for Labor, is that it's time for some kind of settlement, reconciliation, with Rudd,'' the former Bennelong MP said. : http://www.theage.com.au/national/bring-back-rudd-mckew-urges-alp-20121020-27yjm.html#ixzz29sQ18iph http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2012/10/20/seat-of-the-week-gilmore/?comment_page=14/#comment-1447570 Agnes Mack‏ #insiders What?!!! Nikki says UNSC seat is a good thing.... she didn't even say it through gritted teeth! Geraldine‏ Of course she doesnt RT @AgnessMack: #insiders Marr; Speech stands alone as a remarkable piece of oratory. NIkki doesn't agree 2013 Labor Gusface #insiders slippery savva & cranky kenny Denise‏ #insiders...So Niki if PM turns her back on Abbott its very very rude but if Abbott does it 2 JH as he's done 4 past 2 yrs it ok? V. biased david appleby‏ David Marr is the only one in the MSM that actually gets the point on the PM's misogyny speech. End of Insiders beginning of The Liberals Born to Rule attitude:- Treacherous heels the very height of misogyny, Anne Summers Wearing heels can be uncomfortable and make you vulnerable to tripping or sinking into wet grass; not wearing heels invites the fashion police to denounce you as frumpy. So, few women leaders will go flat-footed; most of them - like most other women - want to be stylish. But the choices for women today are not just between heels and flats; the height of the heel is the issue, and they have never been higher. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/treacherous-heels-the-very-height-of-misogyny-20121019-27wc9.html#ixzz29sqcGKJi ABC Elections‏ Katy Gallagher: We have responded to an incredibly deceitful, negative campaign from the Canberra Liberals. #actvot Seselja says Liberals ready to govern, Video ABC, Duration: 9min 53sec ACT Liberal leader Zed Seselja addresses the party faithful saying this election is a rejection of Labor and the Greens, and a rejection of their alliance http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-10-20/seselja-says-liberals-ready-to-govern/43249 Jacob Holman‏ Zed Seselja says the election was a rejection of the Greens... whose support he needs to form minority government. #actvotes Lauren Dubois‏ Zed Seselja has given a resounding victory speech, saying the Libs are now the biggest party in the ACT. (But it's v.unlikely he'll rule) David Pope‏ Are Zed and I working off the same results? I'm using the ones published by the people running the election: http://www.electionresults.act.gov.au Justin Barbour‏ Serious question, Twitter: Is Zed ... all there? #actvotes Judge Trickibee‏ So, I'm not fully across ACT politics, but this Zed guy seems two victorious comments away from certifiably delusional. #ACTvotes ABC Elections‏ Zed Seselja said "I look forward to the opportunity to become the first Tuggeranong residents to be Chief Minister of the ACT" #actvotes Chris Pycroft‏ Zed Seselja: 'Fours years ago I said we'd be back. We're not just back, we're the biggest party in the ACT legislative assembly' Cam Price‏ Zed Seselja claims he is the ACT's new Chief Minister, despite no clear result. #ACTelection2012 Greg Moran‏ poor @zedmla typical Lib, just make shit up & hopes it happens @davpope Asher Wolf‏ Watching the Liberals insult the Greens, then begging them to back them... #ACTvotes #Lulz Australian Newswire‏@AusNewsNetwork Labor on 38.9 per cent of the overall vote, Liberals 38.1 per cent, Greens 10.9 per cent. Seats won: 7/7/1. Likely result: 7/8/2 #actvotes Election night: October 20, 2012, Canberra Times 10.02pm: Zed has confirmed again that he is not inviting Greens to become members of the cabinet in negotiations. But still he is calling on them to support him to be Chief Minister http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/blogs/act-decides-2012/election-night-october-20-2012-20121020-27y0y.html Sky News Australia‏ Libs could win vote but not govt http://bit.ly/XBYpyj :):):)

Ad astra reply

21/10/2012Talk Turkey Thank you for reposting your comments of yesterday on the new thread. I'm reposting this one to correct an error: I called the 'Chief Minister', 'First Minister'. Apropos the ACT election, the most likely outcome on the figures we have is that although the Liberals have won their highest ever number of seats, 8, that will not be enough to form government if the Greens with 2 seats enter another alliance with Labor with 7 seats, which seems the most likely outcome. The arrogant Liberal leader, Zed Seselja, who exhibited typical ‘born-to-rule’ behaviour last night when he said he would be the first Chief Minister from Tuggeranong, overlooked that fact that in the ACT legislature the Legislative Assembly elects the Chief Minister. The chances of the two Greens voting with the Liberals to elect him seems improbable after all the insults he hurled at the Greens during the campaign. His arrogance in asserting that the electorate had rejected the Labor/Greens alliance and that therefore the Greens should side with him in government was breathtaking, especially as he had had no discussions with them, nor did he mention the need for such negotiations in his ‘victory’ speech. Even the Liberal leaning anchor Virginia Haussegger was astonished at his preemptive strike. Katy Gallagher, the Labor leader, spoke modestly about Labor’s achievements in the election – an increase in primary vote of 1.6% for a government of 11 years seeking a fourth term, retention of the same number of seats, and the highest primary vote ever, (which exceeded the Liberal primary vote). The implications for Federal politics seems to be minimal – the consensus is that this election has stemmed the tide turning against Labor at a State level, and that Labor should retain the seats it has at a Federal level. Spin it as they no doubt will, the Liberals in reality have gained very little. I thought [i]Insiders[/i] was reasonable with the three men giving balanced opinion, while Niki Savva mouthed nothing but Coalition catchphrases. Barrie Cassidy might just as well have invited a member of the Coalition to occupy her chair. ‘Balance’ is a word she understands differently from the rest of us. She needs to look at the Macquarie Dictionary. I thought that David Marr mocked her beautifully over the ‘misogynist’ tag. Looking objectively at the result, this election confirms that the tide is turning towards Labor, although the Coalition will see it as the opposite. Let them have their moment of satisfaction and enjoy their delusion

Ad astra reply

21/10/2012Hi Lyn Your Twitterchatyatti confirms the impression we gained last night that Zed Seselja is as arrogant as he is immature in claiming that he would be Chief Minister. How he expects to bludgeon the Greens into supporting his election to that position, then work with them to stay there, when their policies are so different from each other, defies rational thinking. The use of the word ‘delusional’ seems appropriate. If, as seems highly likely, Labor and the Greens form another alliance to govern, no doubt Seselja will cry foul, assert he was ‘robbed’, call the Labor alliance and the Government illegitimate, insist that the electorate hates ‘minority government’ (although it has just elected what looks like another one), and that there must be another election to install a legitimate government. We will see Abbott-speak all over again, but fortunately unlikely to assail us on the nightly news, as Abbott does every day. Maxine McKew’s book will no doubt stir up leadership talk, the MSM will see to that, but I suspect the people are over this. I think BB’s comment hits the mark: [i]”The best possible thing he could do is throw his unwavering, unconditional support behind the Gillard team, call off his dogs and knuckle under… and he can’t bring himself to do it. "It’s too late to make a comeback. It ain’t gonna happen now. He must have realised this. "Anything he does or doesn’t do to “come to the aid of the party” and its leadership is therefore destabilization and disloyalty. "Why would any party have him back as leader?”[/i]

jaycee

21/10/2012I find this patchy allegiance to the Greens interesting. The fact that so many votes have gone from the Greens to the LNP. demonstrates a lack of analytical understanding of both Green and Left politics. Otherwise one would expect a dissatisfied Greens voter to go Labor as first choice! What I talked about earlier of the Neo-Greens..show a Postmodern philosophic attitude to enviromental politics. The belief that by sculpturing or shaping an environmental outcome so that it can be capitalised on in both the input (infrastructure/seeding/promotion) revenue and the output (carbon credits/enviro-tourism/cash-cropping) profits, demonstrates an expectation for immediate results so that a bottom-line figure can be presented as evidence of success of a program..rather than the reality of a long time scale for thorough completion of a job well done. This hunger for immediacy is reflected in the voting patterns of a whole generation who will shift allegiance for little more than the possibility of personal gain. I put this fecklessness down to a lack of appreciation of history. We of the boomer generation were steeped in historical study, some of it dammed misguided, but the historical perspective was imperative to a linear comprehension of proceedure toward the possibility of the success of grand projects...ie. : Visualising..,planning..,costing..,structure..,completion. There is no room for quick-fix nor short-cuts in most areas of serious consideration, be it enviromental or social-political. This has been replaced by the quick-fix mantra chanting uncosted, unspecified, unrealistic promises that offer nothing more than personal reward, bling politics and minority demonising.....and THAT, it sadly appears, is all that is required!

Patriciawa

21/10/2012[i]I thought that David Marr mocked her beautifully over the ‘misogynist’ tag.[/i] I agree with you, AA, but why on earth did no one on that panel point out that that it was Abbott who first used the word [i]'misogynist'[/i]to describe Peter Slipper and so gave the PM good cause to turn it back on himself? To say nothing of his reference to her government [i]dying of shame[/i]with which he had clearly hoped to trap her into some sort of verbal excess. He should surely know her well enough by now to have avoided her response? He deserved every word of it because of the facts of his behaviour and character she had at her fingers, and because of his lack of political know-how, finesse and simple human decency. He was using it correctly for meaning, if not accurately about Peter Slipper since the Oxford English Dictionary has long been defining misogyny as [i]"hatred or dislike or prejudice against women"[/i] and gives examples dating back to the 19th century.

2353

21/10/2012Has anyone thought that Greens votes went to the ALP and ALP votes went to the Liberals in the ACT? It just doesn't make sense that people who supported the Greens (the political left of the ALP) would go directly to the right of the ALP. I see Minchin claims the UNSC seat was a disgusting waste of money as "it's not permanent". Typical small minded thinking be a retired has been. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/minchin-says-un-seat-win-disgusting-20121021-27z4u.html

2353

21/10/2012D'oh - "Typical small minded thinking by a retired "has-been". I'm blaming the laptop's keyboard - I'm not used to it.

42 long

21/10/2012Minchin is so far right Hitler could have taken lessons from him. These people hate the UN and see it as a barrier to their ambitions, a world government to resist, and someone they would ignore most times. ( as baby Bush did with Iraq). \ invariably the idea of getting a seat at the UN is Bi-partisan in this country. It is an indication of how much they resemble the Tea Party that this situation is happening, where they essentially see it as a waste of time. Minchin is a climate change denier who believes the whole thing is a plot to transfer money from the rich countries to the poor ones. Incidently the last comment I heard from Tony's lips on this subject was . "It is COOLING, actually", relating to the current situation with the world's climate, as far as Tone is concerned. Scientists are not the ones to heed. Who else would you take your Cues from? Gina Rienhart, the coal mining and gas and Oil lobby? and those in their pay. There is a huge amount of effort and money being put up in the US to convince their people, the "Climate Change " thing is past. Cheap fuel is the big deal over there, nationally. Indivuals and groups and even some states think otherwise but in the current election scene it doesn't rate a mention.

Marilyn

21/10/2012Kevin Rudd is not doing anything but if he was he was a far better PM than the moron Gillard. He would not have sold refugees into hell on Nauru and Manus Island, he begged them not to do it. The hysteria over the use of the word misogyny also is driving me nuts because "Slipper did nothing remotely hateful towards women. And Abbott has treated Slipper and Thomson way worse than he treats Gillard. And Rudd was treated way worse because he is a smart and decent human being and the rest are cowards.

jane

21/10/2012Apparently the people who had to work with Kevin Rudd don't agree with your assessment, Marilyn, or he'd still be PM. Judging by the number of front benchers who said they'd walk out if he was reinstalled, I think you're backing the wrong horse. And I suspect the plebs who copped a dose of his temper wouldn't agree with you either. Perhaps you might also canvas Peter Garrett as well after he was hung out to dry by Kevin Rudd, following the gutless accusations of "industrial murder" by the Liars. Did he defend his Minister? Not a chance. Kicked him in the guts and walked off. Not the act of a good leader or a decent human being, I would have thought, despite Maxine McKew's plea. However, I am very disappointed with the legislation punishing single parents, most of whom are women. In the long run, the ones who will suffer most and end up as the most disadvantaged in our community, will be the children. If we're to see equity for children from single parent families, we have to make the extra effort to see that they get the support they need. These people aren't expendable, they will be participants in the future of this country, we should make sure their participation is positive. And until there is consensus wrt asylum seekers arriving by boat, we'll be stuck in this particular holding pattern. Nobody wins.

42 long

21/10/2012Pretty right there Jane. Achieving a (small) surplus is not esssential except politically the LieNP would have a bit of a field day,( as an extension ofthe idea they perpetuate that they are the best and only managers of money even though Howard bought an election instead of keeping money for the future). I can't help thinking that much of the "public" sackings in Qld are designed to hit the federal deficit for a "six". ie less tax contributed to the revenue base, and more paid out in relief. The actions of the LNP in bagging the place incessantly doesn't do anything for confidence either. Their dire statements about $100 sunday roasts and Whyalla disappearing off the map etc and scaring old people about power bills are proving a big fizzer. Talk about Thomson misleading Parliament. ( That went nowhere either) Has anyone ever made more exaggerated statements than LOTO in the Parliament. Despite Labor accepting the recommendations of most of the assylum seeker processes and reasonably expecting a more bipartisan approach, ( wasn't that the deal?),THAT won't happen. We will be back to a pointscoring race to the bottom of the nastiness bin, because this is about all they have left to work on, now that the carbon price has run out of steam. The generating companies will realise the Tony won't/can't get rid of it. The lack of certainty that he has fostered recklessly has set the industry back heaps, because certainty is what they needed most, to PLAN their investments.

NormanK

21/10/2012Wow! Just ………. wow! The following article is listed under 'News' at [i]news.com[/i]. Not editorial. Not opinion. It rates as a piece of evidence for the prosecution with regards to Ad astra's contention that members of the media are angry. The tone of the piece is certainly that. [b]Labor shuffling numbers for political survival[/b] by Staff Writer news.com [quote]THIS week the Gillard Government is going to unveil a "mini-horror mini-budget".[/quote] Quotation marks normally denote attribution but in this case no attribution is forthcoming so I assume it is sarcasm. [quote]Whether it's asylum seekers, the carbon tax or the budget, the Government doesn't do anything considered or substantive. It just keeps kicking the can down the road.[/quote] So the carbon pricing legislation is not substantive, it's just 'kicking the can down the road'. One of the most fundamental changes to our economy in decades is just a stop-gap, presumably in order to hang on to power until the next election. just what the next kick of the can will involve is not canvassed during this rant. [quote]So at last year's mid-year budget update, they fiddled the numbers to get a tiny surplus for the 2012-13 year. Sorry, to pretend to promise a surplus for this year. Then they had to do it all again in May. They are in the process of doing it again now. They will have to fiddle again in May next year. And when the real figures for the 2012-13 budget surface in August, they will almost certainly show a deficit.[/quote] "To pretend to promise a surplus" - what does that even mean? That the author believes Labor are going to renege on the promise? For an anonymous staff writer to declare that the budget "will almost certainly show a deficit" is a bit rich. We are supposed to take their word for it while they hide behind anonymity? [quote]We have a prime minister who has made manana her governance centrepiece.[/quote] Over 400 pieces of legislation passed, many of them are routine government business but a substantive portion of them are huge reforms and they are complete. This statement is beyond belief. The Prime Minister has never used language like 'when we can afford it' or 'aspirational' and yet this author tries to portray her as procrastinating. [quote]We are getting it this week so Treasury can still base it on relatively optimistic - and outdated - numbers for the economy.[/quote] Any figures are going to be outdated from the moment they are written down. Recent reports of $4 billion off this year's budget and as much as $21 billion off the forward estimates are "optimistic"? I guess the author is well-qualified to make this observation. [quote]Incredibly, the head of Treasury's forecasting on which the budget numbers are based, David Gruen, said last week there was no need to wait. That Treasury's forecasts essentially hadn't changed since May.[/quote] "Incredibly", the head of Treasury is less well-informed than the author. Not content with pouring scorn on the government and the Treasurer, the author discredits the advice of a Treasury official while hiding behind anonymity. [quote]The wake-up call is that the world continues to teeter on a series of cliff edges. What we need is a government that will put governing ahead of politics and a competent Treasury to advise it. We have neither.[/quote] http://www.news.com.au/news/labor-shuffling-numbers-for-political-survival/story-fnepjpfm-1226500192888 I've never seen anything like this outside of a blog. The author hides behind anonymity which means we have no way of judging their qualifications and hence their credibility. And this is 'News'? Is it any wonder that readers are departing in droves when this sort of thing is offered up as serious analysis?

paul walter

21/10/2012No critiques? The "fumbles" need to be analysed honestly to demonstrate their significance and the press gallery just may be too busy chasing its own hidden agendas, directed from above, to consider the actual significance of Abbott's repeated Freudian slips as to "shame" and the accurate counter attack from Julia Gillard. An honest columnist would have pointed to inadequacies in coalition policy, if such policies exist at all, as a potential source for the understanding the constant ad-hominems of the Abbott directed at the PM. From that point we could ponder at why no alternative vision TO the ALP is offered by the coalition. Is it because the coalition's prospective policies are likely to be less people friendly than the government's, and needs be must be obscured for now? In this light, the galleries inaccurate portrayal of the PM as someone playing the sexism card becomes less convincing. We are left to ponder the forgotten possible conditionality of the press galleries "objectivity". Plausible hirthoe unconsidered or forgotten factors that may impinge on this "objectivity" emerge and we may be impelled to offer a silent prayer that the PM did, indeed, launch her bold and positive interception of the coalition's bodgy strategy and tactics.

Ad astra reply

21/10/2012NormanK Your analysis of the grossly arrogant piece by the Herald Staff Writer is spot on. It is a classic example of the incompetent and malevolent journalism we have to endure day after day from News Limited. I have today completed a piece that highlights this awful journalism, which not only fails to properly inform the people, but actively deceives them. It is doubly bad - deliberately inaccurate and intentionally deceptive. We are poorly served and actively hoodwinked by the MSM. paul walter You too point to the sheer ineptitude and malign intent of the MSM. It is serious and seemingly intractable. I’m calling it a day.

nasking

21/10/2012 [b]I also saw The Hamster Wheel’s ‘obituary’ of Rudd, which suggested that all of his actions are self-serving.[/b] Kay, looking more like that to me and my wife by the day. Roman Catholic Maxine seems to be doing more party SABOTAGE work for Rudd... as was done by disgracefully leaking during the election. Ya fcked up Kevin...get over it!!! My wife and I have LOST SO MUCH RESPECT for Rudd the last few mths...the more we see this SABOTAGE going on. Not sure I even want him running for Premier of QLD now...if he was thinking of it. I was always worried about his sucking up to NEWS LTD cronies and RUPERT MURDOCH. The whole Chris Mitchell GODFATHER bit like PHONEY TONY BLAIR worried me... and Rudd's CATERING TO VATICAN AND POPE PROPAGANDA AS THEY CAME TO ABSORB THE CHILDREN OF AUSTRALIA. And the decision by Rudd to OFFER THE ABC AUSTRALIA NETWORK TO SLY/SKY NEWS...PARTLY OWNED AND FULLY RUN BY MURDOCH EMPIRE really pissed me off. I'm beginning to think we should run another candidate in RUDD's area...take the risk...he's obviously a small "l" Liberal and religious propagandist whose wife made heaps off the govt under HOWARD...who INFILTRATED THE ALP... and may well have deliberately tried to fck it up. Interesting that I got to KNOW by email another so called ALPer who is now A LIMELIGHT CRITIC...and they were also into PHONEY TONY APPROVED RELIGIOUS INSTITUTION CLAPTRAP and farting on about WAR ON TERROR. Interesting when I think back...reflect. Seems some aren't what they PURPORT TO BE. GO JULIA!!! N'

nasking

21/10/2012 Yer welcome Gravel. Patricia, I hear ya. :D N'

nasking

21/10/2012 And BTW, wasn't it Maxine who started farting on about teacher performance pay when she doing the child care portfolio? I thought WTF!!! Nice enuff lady...but a bit POSH for my taste... Good she beat that lying sod Howard...but she's doin' the govt no favours now. Might as well be workin' for Abbott and News Ltd. Same goes for some Fairfax staff. Must be SOMETHIN' SPECIAL ABOUT PM JULIA for so many WHINERS and MANIPULATORS to WORK OVERTIME BOMBING HER... remind me of the LUFTWAFFE. N'

TalkTurkey

21/10/2012A few of my 4000+ tweets! (I'm hooked) Don't forget, only 140 characters, must abbr afa poss. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Latika: "Macquarie Dict. 2 SOFTEN meaning of 'misogyny' after PM Gillard accused OL Tony Abbott of exhibiting it daily." BLATANT BIARSE LEAKY! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ On the meaningof MISOGYNY From Barnaby Joyce: [i]How wonderfully convenient, Macquarie Dictionary changes definition "misogyny" to suit PM Gillard's misuse of term.[/i] My reply: @Barnaby_Joyce You are a PAEDOPHILE I assume? The word means "LOVER of children." So if you don't admit words change meaning, YOU'RE IT! Which I followed with: @Barnaby_Joyce: Not MISOGYNIST, he don't HATE women, no, but yes he IS a PAEDOPHILE, 'cos he LOVES CHILDREN SO! Philia<Gk philos=LOVING :) And then from Chris Uhlmann [i]Is the Macquarie Dictionary also going to change the definition of misandry? Noun the hatred of males. Compare misogyny. [Greek mīsandria][/i] To which I replied @CUhlmann So you're gonna quote Greek? So U R another PAEDOPHILE like Barnaby Joyce? Paedophilia=LOVE of children<Gk Philos = loving ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ And today (re Abbortt squibbing talking to SBY re towing back boats: (I like this limerick! :)) ABBORTT is a SQUIB! ~ TYPICAL #*CKING LIB! ~ He SPITS the DUMMY ~ ?! ~ OH LOOK! - He's GUMMY! ~ And there's SPEW all down his BIB! :) Twitter is a great place to needle the enemy!

nasking

21/10/2012 [b]Marian Dalton, that I will post her initial piece tomorrow (Monday) after lunch. It is titled: The Punishment That Fits No Crime, and deals with the offshore processing issue. [/b] Good one Ad... [b]Her blog, The Conscience Vote http://consciencevote.com.au, provides accessible analysis of Australian political and social issues and aims to engage all people in public debate. [/b] I really dig that blog. BTW, Kay's post is brill timing and so apt: [b]Yet even when they report accurately on the success or failure of the day to day tactics, they rarely question the political strategies that underlie them. Abbott’s strategy of making parliament a shouting match feeds cynicism in the electorate about politicians and politics. We’ll all pay for that in due course. But do any of the mainstream media call him on it? Does anyone even give a nod to the realities of minority government? The tit for tat reporting of the debate over Slipper’s disgusting text messages was allowed entirely to overshadow the issue of whether the Speaker was entitled to the presumption of innocence, and, indeed, the issue of the separation of powers. We laughed when Bjelke-Petersen didn’t know what that meant, but apparently journalists don’t know either, or don’t think it’s important enough to comment on. And then of course there’s the whole issue of the undeniable use of sexism, personal denigration and outright lies by the opposition leader. Which side is doing the damage to the national interest here? You wouldn’t know from reading the mainstream media. [/b] SPOT ON. [b]But presenting politics as a rather sleazy sport creates an even more serious problem. Concentrating on the day to day tactics means that substance, or lack of it, goes unreported. Politics is more than just tactics, or even strategy. It is about how power and influence should be apportioned, and how wealth distributed in a society. The whole issue of the long-term outcomes of policy decisions is all but ignored by our mainstream media. There’s a theory about how he thinks the world should work behind Tony Abbott’s attack on the carbon tax. Which mainstream journalists explore it? They just report his hyperbole. And what about the constant talking-down of the economy by the Opposition? What sort of economy do they want? Who would benefit? And turning the boats around? What view of Australian society does that represent? We don’t know much about the Opposition’s plans for Australia should they win office. But even what we have been told goes unquestioned. Who is analysing the winners and losers from the direct action carbon reduction plan, and asking Greg Hunt about it? Who is looking at how paying the salaries of women on maternity leave is going to work out for poor women and asking Abbott about it? Journalists say that their job is to report impartially, not to comment in a partisan way – that is up to columnists. But surely this doesn’t mean taking whatever is said at face value? Is anyone interested in fact checking? Even if politics as a world view is too hard for them, couldn’t they manage a reality check on the bits of substance we have been given? [/b] SPOT ON. [b]It’s interesting to speculate how the mainstream media would treat an Abbott government. Media outlets that already cheer-lead for him would continue to do so, which hardly comes as a surprise. And the self-appointed ‘independent’ journalist? My guess is that it would be business as usual. It’s just a game, after all. We are being served up rubbish. Whatever you think of any of the parties seeking power in Australia, no one’s interest (except possibly lazy journalists’) is served by promoting the assumption that they are all the same. We need to know the differences in how they understand power and influence and the distribution of wealth, as revealed in what their members say and do. Certainly there are policy similarities, and these deserve discussion too. The argument that the major parties are as bad as each other, and by implication without any substance, is at best blind, and at worst self-serving. Far from making journalists neutral umpires, the ‘they are just the same and as bad as each other’ convention distorts reality, and turns the media into players. And guess which side that helps? [/b] EXCELLENT ASSESSMENT...POSING USEFUL QUESTIONS. WELL SAID KAY DESERVES THINKING ABOUT. WE NEED OUR MSM TO WORK HARDER...ALTER THEIR APPROACH...OR THEY WILL BE REPLACED BY THOSE ASKING THE RIGHT QUESTIONS... AND EXAMINING POLICY... AND SHOWING IN DETAIL THE DIFFERENCES IN POLICY AND IDEOLOGY...AND WHAT THEY MEAN FOR AUSTRALIA... NOT GIVING TONY ABBOTT A FREE RIDE N'

NormanK

21/10/2012Nielsen Poll TPP: 52-48 (Previously 53-47) PPM: Gillard 50 (+3) Abbott 40 (-4) Gillard: Approve 47 (+5) Disapprove 48 (-5) Abbott: Approve 37 (+1) Disapprove 60 (+1) The 'context' of Ms Gillard's speech may have been brought home to some journalists.

nasking

21/10/2012 Norman, interesting timing by Rudd camp... MYEFO and POLLS INDIAN VISIT SUCCESS and SECURING SECURITY COUNCIL SEAT http://m.youtube.com/watch?v=eUk8OuF1C-A Tho whole biz by Rudd camp reminds me of DUMMY SPIT. N'

NormanK

21/10/2012nasking I've given up trying to figure out what Rudd is up to, not in my skill-set. I gather he gave the media a bit of a serve this morning during a press conference. Might see if I can find a transcript. I'd love to see him get on board - what I think of him doesn't matter, he could do a lot of good if he put his mind to it.

TalkTurkey

22/10/2012Paul Sheehan says: [i]Tony Abbott is a hack. A dog. An aggressive, carping, bitter, mindless, deceptive, dodgy, mendacious, rancid, negative, nasty, muck-raking, untruthful, obstructionist, opportunistic, sexist, political Neanderthal. He is unfit for high office. He cannot control his temper. No trick is too low for him. No stunt is too wild. He is a bully. A thug. A snake oil salesman. A poster child for vile bully-boy values. He has repulsive double standards. He hates women. He stands for nothing. He has unhealthy obsessions. He is nuts. Abbott behaves like Jack the Ripper. He is Gina Rinehart's butler. He is Nancy Reagan without the astrology. He is a douchebag. [/i] Seems sheehan has got the message at last!

Patriciawa

22/10/2012Hi Nasking - I should have mentioned that I too was once very hyper, though perhaps not clinically diagnosed. Anyway I was pouring out pomes left right and centre, and often feeling unappreciated, because people just don't have the time to read [u]and[/u] comment on everything. I finally took Miglo's advice and set up my own site at polliepomes.wordpress.com and then prompted by Lyn I did many more NOTES or backgrounding which she seemed to think worth promoting as much as the verse. That actually absorbed me intellectually and gave focus to what I was trying to achieve. It's more satisfying than the lots of smaller comments I used to do. It occurred to me that you might be able to get that sort of satisfaction from your Facebook page. The great thing is that I get to do as many re-writes as I want and illustrate them with photos and cartoons, entering into nice collaborations with artists like Alan Moir. e.g. I have just written up my http://polliepomes.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/women-near-and-far-are-calling-julia/ women near and far pome with explanatory notes and links as well as a photograph. Also some changes to the verse for Miglo's post at Cafe Whispers. I see that you have been a prolific poster there too. [b]Misogyny Downunder?[/b] We are women! From near and far We are calling Julia, To let you know we’re with you to the end! We raise you a loud hurrah, Cos though PM and super-star You’ve been insulted once too often to pretend. Who’s this Abbott, the boy wonder, The misogynist Downunder? Making light of feminism Could prove his biggest blunder. We can hear you as you thunder Out his crimes of chauvinism. He called you liar, tried to frame you, Tried in many ways to shame you, But instead roused so much anger That once he had inflamed you Women everywhere acclaimed you! Another mighty Aussie ranga! We are women, how we’ve grown, Not always going it alone. There are men who know what’s fair and right. But for some it’s still a battle zone To keep the world their own. For that they’re ready any time to fight. In spite of them you have come far, You’re number one now, Julia! And thanks to Mr. Anal Jones, The whole world knows who you are! Women and men have hit the phones Saying, [i]“Misogynists Downunder, Au revoir!”[/i]

nasking

22/10/2012 Interesting that corporates News Ltd and Fairfax are both there as is Rudd and Abbott at the Chinese Australian function today. They appear to want either to win the next election...with chosen Chinese Australians approval...but they sure don't want Julia Gillard to win. Pretty sus. I reckon the Murdoch empire is worried Gillard will win...and is in the process of abandoning Abbott...and are putting their money on Rudd. What does that say about Rudd? And Maxine's win over Howard? We know that Murdoch had INSIDERS in both mainstream political parties in UK...and police departments... not good. N'

nasking

22/10/2012 [b]It occurred to me that you might be able to get that sort of satisfaction from your Facebook page[/b] :D Ya obviously haven't visited my page Patricia...been doin' that for mths. Good poem. N'

nasking

22/10/2012 My Facebook is: http://www.facebook.com/nick.king.1232760?ref=tn_tnmn Links and comments on various topics and issues...and John Bolton critic of Obama via Fox News earlier. Have a good day. N'

nasking

22/10/2012 BTW Patricia...not hyper. Vigilant...and hard working. N'

Lyn

22/10/2012TODAY’S LINKS Failure to plan means planning to fail, Andrew Elder, Politically Homeless In terms of this election cycle the Coalition are finished, the Abbott experiment is over, and with it the happy little Minchinite dream of coasting into office thanks to a self-sabotaging Labor government. Labor is run by people who win votes, Minchin et al only lose them: that's political context for ya. Let the polls catch up when they will http://andrewelder.blogspot.com.au/ The Republican Roxon,Barry Everingham, Independent Australia I guess Alan Jones, Cory Bernardi, the Opposition’s crone in residence, Bronwyn Bishop, and the fruity-tongued member for Indi, Sophie Mirabella, amongst others, have been whispering in David’s ear. For an organisation under Flint’s total and absolute control, and which he claims is not in any way political, he sure makes people wonder. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/australian-identity/republic/the-republican-roxon/ The News Ltd journalist does not hate women- Part 1 (Mar-April 2011), Uthers Say The Contrarians on Sky News is the focus of this example of how the group think media promotes and covers for Tony Abbott and denigrates and denies any credit to the government and the Prime Minister in particular. The program’s name of The Contrarians is very curious, perhaps Orwellian as it sings so harmoniously from the news limited song sheet – unless it refers to being contrarians to everything favourable to the government, contrarians to everything positive about the Prime Minister, and contrarians to any criticism of Tony Abbott. http://utherssay.com/ The Jackson Five, Peter Wicks, Wixxy Leaks It is important when voting that this is taken into consideration, as if the person you are considering voting for is part of the Jackson 5, then you may just be voting for someone backed by a Liberal Party stooge. http://wixxyleaks.com/2012/10/22/the-jackson-five/ There Are No Right Wing Double Standards, Archie, Archie Archives The Liberal Party, founded by the venerable Sir Robert Gordon Menzies was never able to win enough seats in its own right to hold Government. It always relied on the Country Socialist Party National Party seats, gained from around 5% of the electorate, to hold power. http://archiearchive.wordpress.com/2012/10/20/there-are-no-right-wing-double-standards/ PM gives thanks as Australia win temporary seat on UN Security Council, Turn Left 2013 A resounding win for a government that has achieved so much for this country.Despite prominent “Lib-tweeters” implying there was a scandal because the Prime Minister did not thank Kevin Rudd, who has started this process, PM Gillard did thank Mr Rudd. http://turnleft2013.wordpress.com/2012/10/19/pm-gives-thanks-as-australia-win-temporary-seat-on-un-security-council/ The AFR's sexist ideology , Gary Sauer-Thompson, Public Opinion The argument is that Individual freedom pushes gender power relations into a background context, rather than act as a constraint that bounds individual freedom to cause inequality between men and women. What we can infer is that the AFR is defending prejudice against social science. http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2012/10/the-afrs-sexist.php#more Stuck in the 20th century at #Ozfail, John Quiggin Today’s paper runs a front page story claiming “Temperatures were higher 2000 years ago“. The story is based on a study published in Global and Planetary Change, which uses tree ring records to estimate (with lots of caveats about uncertainty) that Northern Hemisphere (presumably land) temperatures were warmer in the 1st Century AD than in the 20th. More precisely, http://johnquiggin.com/ Anne Summers: Australia's Leader Meets Sexist Attacks Head On, Yubanet. Com A number of commentators have suggested that my speech may well have emboldened Julia Gillard to finally declare "enough is enough" and to make her electrifying speech. If I helped give her the strength, I am glad, but no one could have done what she did without the grit and courage that exemplifies her as a leader. http://yubanet.com/opinions/Anne-Summers-Australia-39-s-Leader-Meets-Sexist-Attacks-Head-On.php Setting the record straight on Australia's UN bid, Tom Woodroofe, On Line Opinion However, the elevation of Tony Abbott to the Liberal leadership and Julie Bishop's assumption of the foreign affairs portfolio reversed this position linking the campaign neatly to a broader mantra around the government's fiscal largesse and Kevin Rudd's ego, who they suggested was impossibly positioning for a tilt as UN Secretary General http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=14248 Conservatives' narrow agenda shows lack of imagination , Matthew da Silva, Happy Antipodean Tony Abbott's reflexive negativity vis-a-vis the Security Council seat shows that the conservatives never learn. It's in their interests to cultivate the dim and the unimaginative. They are the electoral base the Liberal Party relies on to help it push through legislation designed to improve the quality of life of the wealthy minority it actually represents. http://happyantipodean.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/conservatives-narrow-agenda-shows-lack.html “Wanted: 2GB Fact-Checker”. Can you pass Alan Jones’s recruitment quiz?, The Shovel Broadcaster Alan Jones has started the search for an employee to check the accuracy of his on-air statements after yesterday’s ruling by the Australian Communications & Media Authority that ordered 2GB to use a fact-checker. Mr Jones today released a quiz that prospective candidates for the role will be asked to complete http://theshovel.com.au/2012/10/18/wanted-2gb-fact-checker-alan-jones-recruitment-quiz/ WITH FRIENDS LIKE THESE: Disgraced Liberal ex-MP Andrew Olexander still going for the Green, Vex News Notorious former Liberal MP Andrew Olexander continues to give his love to the Greensparty, this week pledging to support their candidates in City of Melbourne council elections despite being on a $60,000 parliamentary pension for life courtesy of his tumultuous service for the Libs in the Victorian Parliament where he: http://www.vexnews.com/2012/10/with-friends-like-these-disgraced-liberal-ex-mp-andrew-olexander-still-going-for-the-green/ NOT JUST ANY OLD WIN, The Hoopla Australia’s stint will begin on January 1 and will last for two years. During that time, we may elect a new Prime Minister in Tony Abbott, who has been critical of the $24 million spent over five years on the campaign to secure a seat on the Council.Mr Abbott previously said he would dump the bid if he were elected Prime Minister, but he’s backflipped on that now. http://thehoopla.com.au/not-just-any-old-win-security-council/ Politician’s – Ya Gotta Luv Em!, Deknarf, The Australian Blog Saw Tony Abbott’s appearance on ABC TV last night preparing the way for more carping negativity had Australia’s bid for a seat on the UN Security Council failed. Would have been followed by the: ‘pointless exercise, wasted money, frivolous, government unworthy, can’t even get a UN seat, etc, etc, predictably etc’! What a shame the effort was in vain Tony. Never mind. You’ll surely think of other things to be negative about. http://deknarf.wordpress.com/2012/10/19/graphical-manipulations-9-politicians-ya-gotta-luv-em/ Climate Denialist Aussie Radio Host Must Take Fact-Checking Course, Says Authority, Graham Readfern, Desmogblog Among the measures, Jone's daily monologues that are a centrepiece of the show will have to be fact-checked first by his producer. Any documents used in fact checking will have to be retained. Jones and the rest of the current affairs staff at the station will also have to undergo training "concerning factual accuracy and significant viewpoints". www.desmogblog.com/2012/10/18/climate-sceptic-aussie-radio-host-must-take-fact-checking-course-says-authority Australia wins seat on United Nations Security Council: what next? Flagpost The 15-member UNSC is the principal organ under the UN Charter responsible for maintaining international peace and security. It is the primary mediation body during major international crises and is responsible for overseeing UN peacekeeping operations. Its powers also include authorising the use of force and binding sanctions, proscribing http://parliamentflagpost.blogspot.com.au/2012/10/australia-wins-seat-on-united-nations.html#more Women near and far are calling Julia!, Patriciawa, Polliepomes it was Abbott himself who first used the term ‘misogynist’ to describe Peter Slipper and so gave the PM the opportunity to turn it back on himself. To say nothing of his use of the “dying of shame” phrase with which he had clearly hoped to taunt her into some sort of verbal explosion or emotional crack-up. http://polliepomes.wordpress.com/2012/10/21/women-near-and-far-are-calling-julia/ Abbott contradicts Turnbull on NBN costs, Renai LeMay, Delimeter we are talking about a massive, $37 billion infrastructure project. It’s important to get these things right, and Abbott continues to appear to get them fundamentally wrong. This fact is concerning for the future of telecommunications policy development and implementation in Australia. http://delimiter.com.au/2012/10/21/abbott-contradicts-turnbull-on-nbn-costs/ Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 22 October 2012 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

pappinbarra fox

22/10/2012Might I suggest that whenever the PM is asked about LOTO she reply with something like: "I am not going to comment on anything that Mr Abbott says. We are here to discuss policy and our policy is ...." If she repeats this often enough and other Ministers do the same it will cut off the oxygen supply to the LOTO. What he says is really irrelevant to the better running of the country so he should be ignored - If we ran that experimenrt for 2-3 weeks what would happen in the MSM I wonder? But more importantly what would the people think?

Ad astra reply

22/10/2012LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

TalkTurkey

22/10/2012 See how this translates. Original is about US politics, [b][My Bold insertions to show similarities in Australia][/b] Sunday, October 21, 2012 » 06:14am Comment on this article below Watch LIVE News 24/7 US President Obama [b][Australian Prime Minister Gillard][/b] accused Mitt Romney [b][Tony Abbortt][/b] of 'Romnesia' [b]['Abbnesia'][/b] as they campaign ahead of their final debate. One night earlier, both men [b][leaders][/b] had traded light-hearted banter at a charity dinner but on Friday the barbs turned nasty, with the Democratic [b][Labor][/b] incumbent taunting Romney's [b][Abbortt's][/b] efforts to tack to the centre as polling day looms. 'Mr Severely Conservative wants you to think he was severely kidding about everything he said over the last year,' Obama [b][Gillard][/b] said at a rally attended by about 9,000 [b][3 million :)][/b] people at a university campus outside Washington[b].[Canberra][/b] With the pair's last head-to-head debate set for Monday [b][never][/b] and less than three weeks [b][just on a year][/b] until election day on November 6, [b][by November 2013][/b] the Obama [b][Gillard][/b] campaign has returned to its tried and tested formula of branding Romney [b][Abbortt][/b] an untrustworthy flip-flopper. 'I mean, he's changing up so much and backtracking and sidestepping, we've got to name this condition that he's going through. I think it's called 'Romnesia.'[b]['Abbnesia'][/b] That's what it's called,' Obama [b][Gillard][/b] told the crowd. Romney's [b][Abbortt's][/b] camp dismissed the taunt as a 'new gimmick for the day'. (The following in italics does not apply because NOT ONE newspaper of any significance endorses the Government.) [i]One newspaper that does not back the multimillionaire private equity baron is The Salt Lake Tribune, the local paper in the home city of Romney's Mormon faith, albeit a liberal one that endorsed Obama in 2008. In an editorial, the paper lavished praise on Romney for saving the city's 2002 Winter Olympics, but said[/i] his subsequent courting of the right-wing Tea Party movement and refusal to detail his tax plan should rule him out. 'Romney [b][Gillard][/b] has raised the most frequently asked question of the campaign: 'Who is this guy, really, and what in the world does he truly believe?' it [b][she][/b] said. 'Politicians routinely tailor their words to suit an audience. Romney, [b][Abbortt][/b] though, is shameless, lavishing vastly diverse audiences with words, any words, they would trade their votes to hear,' it [b][she][/b] declared. [i]'Therefore, our endorsement must go to the incumbent...[/i] The president [b][Prime Minister][/b] has earned a second term.' Obama [b][Gillard][/b] has come in for Republican [b][Coalition][/b] criticism for failing to lay out what he [b][she][/b] would do in the next four [b][three][/b] years to improve the struggling economy. Romney [b][Abbortt][/b] has a five-point plan [b][no plan whatsoever],[/b] but [b][and][/b] Democrats [b][Laborites][/b] contend he has been light [b][as weightless as CO2][/b] on specifics. [i]On Monday night, both men will be in Florida's Boca Raton for a televised debate focused on foreign affairs.[/i] (No parallel possible here, sentence must be re-written):- [b][On Monday night the Prime Minister would be happy to debate the Opposition Leader on Q&A on any policy matter, but Abbortt is too gutless of course.][/b] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ (The original article, which includes more info, is on my news poster list this morning, sorry no link, forgot accreditation, too bad, sorry.)

paul walter

22/10/2012Not much of the Xtian "live and letlive" with kRudd is there, Nasking. I wish he and talking head McKew would grow up.

Lyn

22/10/2012Good Morning Ad and Everybody Something might be happening because I just heard Julia Gillard say to the Journalists "I will take questions on this subject only". pappinbarra fox @ 8.20am I think they have read your comment Wow! to you. Twitterverse for you all :- Bushfire Bill Posted Monday, October 22, 2012 at 8:17 am It has been an egregious performance from the Coalition and from the supportive media. There are still some – Michelle Grattan this morning is a case in point – who are running the line that this 52:48 result means the Coalition is still in line for a win, just maybe not the landslide they’d all so confidently predicted. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2012/10/21/nielsen-52-48-to-coalition-2/?comment_page=9/#comment-1448700 timdunlop‏ Peter Hartcher runs a masterclass in reframing his own incorrect conclusions about "the speech". http://bit.ly/Sd37PM James Massola‏ Gillard surges to 10-point lead over Abbott as preferred PM in Nielsen as Coalition’s 2pp lead narrows to 52-48 (free) http://bit.ly/Scw7Jb Chris Ogilvie ‏ Mainstream media in damage control following PM's lift in polls just listening to MSM journalists apologising for the results is telling Chris Ogilvie ‏ sunriseon7 in damage control over PM's poll bounce after all their attempts to misinform their viewers using anti Labor commentators failed Gillard gains on gender, carbon tax: poll, Laura Tingle, AFR While the AFR/Nielsen poll contains happy news for Ms Gillard and supporters, it is much grimmer for Mr Abbott. The Opposition Leader’s personal approval rating is up one point to 37 per cent, but his disapproval rate is also up one point to 60 per cent, a new personal record high. His net approval is steady at minus 23 per cent, equalling his personal record low. http://www.afr.com/p/national/gillard_gains_on_gender_carbon_tax_2TbBhWNWOB6ZTHfbLeTDiK Sexism tirade shifts dynamics of bitter contest, Michael Gordon It won't change a vote at the next election, which voters still expect the Coalition to win, but it has shifted the dynamics of the contest, enhancing Gillard's confidence and standing with voters and hurting Tony Abbott's. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/sexism-tirade-shifts-dynamics-of-bitter-contest-20121021-27zma.html#ixzz29yIITkRE Wendy Bacon‏ Want news not propaganda? Labor topped ACT poll. Labor/Greens combined nearly 50% of vote compared to Libs with 38% http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/ Gillard puts Abbott to shame, Phillip Coorey her attack on Tony Abbott as a sexist but the Coalition would still win an election if it were held now, despite Labor slowly closing the gap. Despite Mr Abbott being vastly more unpopular than Ms Gillard, the Coalition would win an election today with a two-party swing of 2 points. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/data-point/gillard-puts-abbott-to-shame-20121021-27zks.html#ixzz29yDBHVnL Bernard Keane‏ @tcookAU yes but no one expects rigour or balance from The Oz, which is now just a right-wing blog. smh.com.au‏ Latest Fairfax/Nielsen poll shows @JuliaGillard's personal standing is up, but Coalition would still win an election http://ow.ly/eEd6s GhostWhoVotes‏ The #Nielsen Poll tables: http://bit.ly/ROPUf3 #auspol Australian News‏ ACT leaders to woo Greens: The major parties in the ACT will begin negotiations with the Greens... http://bit.ly/Sd6Hcw #ausnews #uavaus Mike Kelly MP‏ Now @tonyabbottmhr calls for a Liberal - Greens alliance: http://tiny.cc/cnrjmw . Just proves what Tony Windsor said ABC gone to hell‏ Abbott, who pillories the Labor/Greens alliance federally, advocates for a Liberal/Greens one in the ACT. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbott-calls-for-liberal-and-green-coalition-in-the-act-20121021-27zbs.html … #auspol TheQldPublicServant‏ Qld coastal protections wiped out overnight by Newman Govt in sneaky unannounced gazettal #qldpol http://www.wwf.org.au/news_resources/media_centre/?5220/Coastal-protections-wiped-out-by-Queensland-Government#.UIRal1wTJrY.twitter … Ross Gittins‏ Why payroll tax is a good tax - my column http://bit.ly/OUzEw0 #ausecon #auspol National Times Join Katharine Murphy for a pop up edition of #thepulselive for coverage of the Mid Year Economic Forecasts http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/politics/blogs/the-pulse/economic-forecasts-live-october-22-2012-20121022-2805j.html … Latika Bourke ‏ Not sure where this is going at the end but interesting question - is there too much political opinion out there? http://latika.me/Pkjgq4 :):):):)

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22/10/2012Folks Explain to me why the ABC has so far failed to include the [i]Nielsen Poll[/i] in any of its news bulletins on 774 Melbourne radio, mentioning it only in passing in [i]AM[/i], while the result has been know since late last night, and the top headline in [i]The Age[/i] reads: [i]Gillard’s stocks continue to rise[/i] with the results graphically displayed, and the headline in the [i]SMH[/i] is [i]Gillard puts Abbott to shame[/i] together with graphics. [i]The Australian[/i] features a Galaxy poll on its front page that shows Kevin Rudd as leader would give Labor a win. What is going on here? It looks like the Melbourne paper’s headline has not moved the ABC’s Melbourne news writer on jot.

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22/10/2012Good Morning Lyn What a fantastic collection of Twitterverse. BB’s comment was of his usual brilliance. Everyone should read it at http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2012/10/21/nielsen-52-48-to-coalition-2/?comment_page=9/#comment-1448700 We have several Fairfax journalists writing about the Neilsen Poll, just about the easiest job in journalism. Any grade 10 student could do it as well. They simply tell us what the poll showed. What is intriguing is the personal spin they put on the results. Peter Hartcher, no doubt choking on PM Gillard’s improved standing, heads his piece: [i]Misogyny card helps, but Labor's hand still weak[/i]. I’ve bolded his negative remarks below. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/misogyny-card-helps-but-labors-hand-still-weak-20121021-27zhz.html#ixzz29z5k3HYV He begins: “[i]Today’s poll gives us the first hard evidence to judge the electoral effect of Julia Gillard's famous ''sexist and misogynist'' speech to Parliament last week. And the verdict seems to be that it has had a positive effect for the Prime Minister, [b]but a limited one[/b]. “It is a case of what ''seems'' rather than what ''is,'' because it would be ''a bit of a stretch'' to attribute the poll movement to any single cause, as the Herald's pollster, Nielsen's John Stirton, points out. But it seems to be positive for Gillard because her approval rating is up by 5 percentage points since the previous Herald-Nielsen poll a month earlier. ''That's a big jump,'' Stirton says, ''but it's part of a trend that's been happening for four months now, and it's not the biggest jump she's had.'' [b]And it is limited because it had zero effect on Labor's primary vote, which was unchanged at an election-losing 34 per cent.[/b] ''The most we can safely say is that it doesn't seem to have done her any harm,'' Stirton says. [b]This will disappoint the Labor partisans, activists and social-media proselytisers who thought the burst of online enthusiasm for Gillard's speech was representative of the wider electorate.[/b][/i] He ends: [i][b]”She will need every percentage point. Her government faces looming problems in making the budget balance over the year ahead, as well as the persistent scandals dogging Labor.”[/i][/b] He cannot keep his anti-Gillard bias out of his commentary; he seems incapable of, or unwilling to give us a balanced appraisal. It’s interesting that despite Hartcher’s opinion, 58% of around 8000 voters in an online poll (which we know always have sampling errors) voted ‘Yes’ for the option: [i]Did Julia Gillard's speech attacking Tony Abbott improve your opinion of her?[/i] Herein lies the gap between public opinion and ‘learned’ ‘inside’ opinion, something I address in my next piece later in the week: [i]The MSM is dangerously shortchanging us[/i]. Phil Coorey takes a different approach. His headline is [i]Gillard puts Abbott to shame[/i]. He begins: [i] Julia Gillard’s personal standing among men and women has soared since her attack on Tony Abbott as a sexist but the Coalition would still win an election if it were held now, despite Labor slowly closing the gap.[/i] Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/data-point/gillard-puts-abbott-to-shame-20121021-27zks.html#ixzz29z8zCiIC These two examples illustrate how two journalists from the same Fairfax stable allow their personal attitudes and orientation to influence what ought to be fact-based, reasoned analysis. Contrast that with what was in the [i]AFR[/i], much of it penned by Laura Tingle in an upbeat piece” [i]Gillard gains on gender, carbon tax: poll[/i]. http://www.afr.com/p/national/gillard_gains_on_gender_carbon_tax_2TbBhWNWOB6ZTHfbLeTDiK I see Tony Abbott is back to his ‘do anything’ approach to gain power by suggesting the LIbs should form an alliance with the Greens. Hypocrisy writ large, but does he care? No, but the electorate is watching him. After lunch, I’ll be posting Marian Dalton’s first piece on [i]TPS: The Punishment that Fits no Crime[/i].

MWS

22/10/2012Why do all the commentators who are reporting on opinion polls fail to mention the margin of error? These polls have a 95% confidence interval that the opinion of the whole population (ie something that can only be determined by a general election) will be within plus or minus 3% of the opinion of the sample polled. To talk about approval ratings changing by 1 or 2% (which is well within the margin of error) is a waste of time, because the change may well be due to sampling error. On top of that, approximately one in 20 polls will be an outlier (95% confidence intervals mean that 19 out of 20 polls will be accurate within plus or minus 3%, and 1 in 20 won't be accurate at all). Trends are far more important than individual polls, because then outliers can be recognised and eliminated. But I suppose saying that an opinion has changed by 1%, which is within the margin of error and so means nothing, doesn't make great reading. Certainty is preferred over reality. To write an opinion piece based on a single sample is to be wilfully ignorant of how the poll is conducted and reported. This is in addition to known biases in sampling, for example polling people with fixed phone lines means that all those without a fixed phone line are not represented, so the sample is skewed. Polling those with an internet connection leaves out the technologically challenged.

nasking

22/10/2012 [b]Explain to me why the ABC has so far failed to include the Nielsen Poll in any of its news bulletins on 774 Melbourne radio, mentioning it only in passing in AM, while the result has been know since late last night, and the top headline in The Age reads: Gillard’s stocks continue to rise with the results graphically displayed, and the headline in the SMH is Gillard puts Abbott to shame together with graphics. [/b] Sus... some obviously believe that Rupert Murdoch's Newspoll is the only way to go. The Australian is nought but a propaganda rag these days. Everything Murdoch touches turns to puss. N'

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22/10/2012[b]Folks [i]The Political Sword[/i] welcomes a new author, Marian Dalton. I have just now posted her first piece: [i]The Punishment That Fits No Crime[/i]. It is on an important subject; I’m sure you will enjoy it.[/b] http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2012/10/22/The-Punishment-That-Fits-No-Crime.aspx [b]Marian says that she is, in no particular order, an editor, blogger, reader, writer, poet, mother, graduate student and sometime academic. She currently works as a freelance editor, citizen journalist and media advisor. Clients have included national political parties, lobby groups and community associations. Her blog, [i]The Conscience Vote[/i]: http://consciencevote.com.au, provides accessible analysis of Australian political and social issues and aims to engage all people in public debate.[/b] I will leave this thread open until tomorrow.

NormanK

22/10/2012For what it is worth: Morgan Face to Face Poll Labor 50.5 LNP 49.5 (respondent allocated preferences) Labor 52.5 LNP 47.5 (2010 election preferences)

2353

22/10/2012NormanK - bet youdon't see that one reported widely :D
How many umbrellas are there if I have two in my hand but the wind then blows them away?