What does Julia Gillard stand for?

Here we go again. It doesn’t seem all that long ago that the same question was being asked about Kevin Rudd. It seems this type of question occurs cyclically when the punditry becomes bored with the pace of political activity. But what does the question mean?

There are several journalists who enjoy asking this question, sometimes via a variant: ‘What is Julia Gillard’s (or Kevin Rudd’s, or Labor’s) ‘narrative’? Paul Kelly, who carries the not-to-complimentary nickname ‘Polonius’, is one who has sufficient gravitas to ask this question. Lesser lights from the News Limited stable such as Dennis Shanahan and Matthew Franklin try it on, but to slighter effect, and minions like Glenn Milne seem ridiculous doing so. Those who try though should at least have some idea of what the answer might be, and not just parrot what sounds like a tired political slogan. Lightweight journalists refer to it as ‘the vision thing’, for want of something more descriptive. Some insist on ‘an agenda’ or ‘a plan’. Crikey’s Bernard Keane asserts that Labor is ‘bereft of direction’ and facing ‘an identity crisis’. No supporting evidence is advanced – we are expected to take what he says for granted.

There’s been previous comment on The Political Sword on this subject: In Search of the Political Holy Grail on September 14, 2008, and in The Enigma of Leadership on August 15, 2010 in which an attempt was made to spell out what Labor appeared to stand for. 

I don’t recall anyone persistently demanding an answer to: ‘What is Tony Abbott’s narrative?’ or ‘What is his plan?’ or ‘What does Tony Abbott stand for?’ or ‘What does the Coalition stand for? But of course those in Opposition are excused such impertinent questions – after all they are not the Government. So let’s begin by searching for what the Coalition does stand for, what its narrative is.

All through the election campaign were heard from Tony Abbott little else than his three-word slogans: ‘end the waste’, ‘pay back debt’, ‘stop new taxes’ and ‘stop the boats’. Is this what he and the Coalition stand for; is this its ‘narrative’? The slogans were simple to understand, and no doubt appealed to many voters, by how well did they give them an idea of the alternative government’s vision? How many said ‘I’m voting Coalition because of its stunning vision, its powerful narrative that it will end the waste, pay back debt, stop new taxes and stop the boats’? Perhaps more than we like to think! In fairness to the Coalition, it has affirmed its advocacy of free markets, small government, personal enterprise, small business, self-sufficiency and reward for endeavour, although we heard little of this in its campaigning. So is this its vision, its narrative, what it stands for? I suppose it must be, even though it doesn’t make much of a feature of it. Commentators seem not to have latched onto it, or care much about it, despite the fact that the Coalition might have become the government at the time of the recent election.

What I’m getting at here is that despite recurrent pleas to politicians from the commentariat for a narrative, the ‘vision thing’, what they ‘stand for’, the response never seems to satisfy them, or even impinge on their consciousness. So what do they want?

Are they looking for Ben Chifley’s 1949 ‘Light on the Hill’ address to the Labour Conference? Read it here.  The relevant paragraphs read: “I try to think of the Labour movement, not as putting an extra sixpence into somebody’s pocket, or making somebody Prime Minister or Premier, but as a movement bringing something better to the people, better standards of living, greater happiness to the mass of the people. We have a great objective – the light on the hill – which we aim to reach by working for the betterment of mankind not only here but anywhere we may give a helping hand. If it were not for that, the Labour movement would not be worth fighting for. If the movement can make someone more comfortable, give to some father or mother a greater feeling of security for their children, a feeling that if a depression comes there will be work, that the government is striving its hardest to do its best, then the Labour movement will be completely justified.” Did that satisfy the journalists of that era? Would it have done so today?

So what has Julia Gillard given us in the way of vision? What is her narrative, what are her values, what is her ‘light on the hill’?

In her acceptance speech on first becoming PM back in June she said: “I grew up in a home of hardworking parents. They taught me the value of hard work. They taught me the value of respect. They taught me the value of doing your bit for the community.  And it is these values that will guide me as Australia’s Prime Minister.  I believe in a Government that rewards those who work the hardest, not those who complain the loudest. I believe in a Government that rewards those who, day in and day out, work in our factories and on our farms, in our mines and in our mills, in our classrooms and in our hospitals, that rewards that hard work, decency and effort. The people who play by the rules, set their alarms early, get their kids off to school, stand by their neighbours and love their country. And I also believe that ‘leadership’ is about the authority that grows from mutual respect shared by colleagues, from team work and from hard work, team work and spirit.”

Later in that speech she said: “And today I can assure every Australian that their Budget will be back in surplus in 2013.  So, having seen the global financial crisis and how our nation has responded, it has reinforced in me my belief that when this nation pulls together, we can do great things.  It is my intention to lead a Government that uses that spirit and that will to do even more to harness the talents of all of our people.  To do even more to make sure that every child gets a fair go in life and a great education.



“It is my intention to lead a Government that does more to harness the wind and the sun and the new emerging technologies.  I will do this because I believe in climate change. I believe human beings contribute to climate change. And it is as disappointing to me as it is to millions of Australians that we do not have a price on carbon.  And in the future we will need one. But first we will need to establish a community consensus for action. If elected as Prime Minister I will re-prosecute the case for a carbon price at home and abroad. I will do that as global economic conditions improve and as our economy continues to strengthen. 



“There is another question on which I will seek consensus and that is the proposed Resources Super Profits Tax. Australians are entitled to a fairer share of our inheritance, the mineral wealth that lies in our grounds. They are entitled to that fairer share. But to reach a consensus, we need do more than consult. We need to negotiate. And we must end this uncertainty, which is not good for this nation.”
  There was much more.

Does any of that resemble a narrative, a vision, what she stands for, her values? If not, what more do the pundits want?

Take a look at Gillard’s speech at her campaign launch?  Any sign of vision there, any semblance of narrative, any notion of what she stands for?

What did she say at her National Press Club address on July 15?  Among many other things she said: “Today, guided by my values, I want to share with you how I intend to move Australia forward to a stronger economy, with sustainable growth that delivers for hard-working Australians. I believe that prudent and disciplined economic management is the foundation of good government. The good-quality, essential services that Australians expect can only be sustained by a Government when our public finances are sound. That’s why I believe in strong budget surpluses. The Government I lead will return the budget to surplus in just three years’ time. As the Treasurer announced yesterday, we are now on track for a surplus of more than 3 billion dollars in 2013…

“I also believe that to maximise jobs today and tomorrow, governments must be a force for confidence and certainty in the economy. That is why I moved immediately to end the uncertainty in the mining industry and mining communities across Australia, and that’s why I can say with confidence that a re-elected Gillard Government will cut company tax, give small business an extra helping hand, invest in infrastructure and increase national savings and retirement incomes for hardworking Australians through our support for increased superannuation – more balanced economic development that is good for jobs right around the country and good for national savings…

“We must do the hard work of building an economy with higher productivity growth and higher workforce participation – the long-term drivers of future prosperity…

“I will make education central to my economic agenda because of the role it plays in developing the skills that lead to rewarding and satisfying work – and that can build a high-productivity, high-participation economy…

“The sectors which may need renewal and reform are often those that were relatively untouched by the Hawke-Keating reforms – sectors like health and education that meet essential public needs, delivered largely within the domestic economy. Hospitals, aged care facilities, childcare centres, schools, and employment services – all services with a diverse range of providers from the public, private and non-government sectors, and services where competition and value is often held back by jurisdictional red tape and the lack of seamless national markets.”

Can you detect any sign there of a vision, a narrative, an agenda, a plan?

Even as recently in Question Time this past week, in response to a question to her from Tony Abbott: "Does she agree with former Labor minister Graham Richardson that the Government has no agenda and no plan?” she answered: “I say in answer to the question from the Leader of the Opposition: would it not strike Australians as strange that, in a world where there are so many challenges – how do we keep our economy strong and how do we ready our economy for the future? How do we tackle climate change? How do we make sure that every child in this country gets a great quality education and how do we make sure we have the healthcare services that Australians deserve not only today but in 10, 20 and 30 years time as our society ages? How do we make sure that we have world-class infrastructure right around the country? How do we make sure that we have balanced growth in an economy where our resources sector is obviously going so strong but things like the high dollar are impacting on other industries and other parts of the country? How do we reconcile and improve the prospects and life expectancy of Indigenous Australians; how do we close the gap? How do we as a world deal with the challenges of food security, development and freer trade? In the face of all these challenges, that the Leader of the Opposition would come into this place and use the precious minutes of question time to yet again play politics – we do not expect anything more from a man whose entire philosophy can be reduced to a few three-word slogans.”

So how much more ‘vision’, ‘narrative’, ‘what she stands for’, ‘plans’, ‘agenda’ and ‘direction’ do journalists, commentators, pundits and sundry ‘experts’ want? In just a few months she has given more insight into her vision for this country, more sense of the direction in which she intends to lead us, than Tony Abbott and the Coalition have ever given us.

Yet on this week’s Insiders we saw another puerile ‘debate’ on this under the title: Gillard criticised for Government's direction, where Brian Toohey in his archetypical convoluted way insisted Gillard lacked direction, Andrew Bolt said she had no agenda and was ‘flailing around in the wind’, while Phil Coorey indicated that she was doing alright, and Barrie Cassidy queried the validity of the criticisms that she had no agenda, pointing out that what two of the panelists were saying, especially Toohey, was that they disapproved of some parts of her agenda, somewhat different from disapproving of her not having one. So here we had four ‘learned’ commentators arguing with each other about whether or not she has an agenda; some said yes, others, no. Take a look at the video and see how they themselves ‘flailed around’ trying to debate this issue. If this is the best we can get from ‘experts’ supposedly in the know, heaven help us. 

So let’s stop this claptrap about ‘the vision thing’. If the critics don’t know by now what Julia Gillard and Labor stand for by now, they haven’t been listening, or they haven’t understood, or they don’t want to understand. And that applies to you Richo and to you Paul Howes, as much as to Labor’s many opponents.

What do you think?

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Feral Skeleton

21/11/2010AA, Actually, and I can't remember exactly where it was I read it, but a journalist, when opining on the PM's so-called 'lack of vision', said that indeed she did not compare favourably with Ben Chifley, and had yet to give a 'Light On the Hill' quality speech. You just can't please some people. I think as good as it is going to get is the element of surprise commentary I heard today from correspondents in Lisbon with the PM, when they commented that many of the world's leaders, in town for the NATO Summit, had been very impressed with Julia Gillard's speech which she delivered to the summiteers. Of course, as we can all easily predict, if Tony Abbott had been there in her place, and the sycophantic News Ltd. journos had been covering his speech, high quality or not, it would have been praised to the heavens. Which is the almost insurmountable problem that Julia Gillard faces. No matter how well any objective observers mark her up, it will never be good enough for some in our media.

Bilko

21/11/2010Labors vision has been to keep the people in jobs and keep the country moving forward in spite of a hostile Senate and media over 3 years As FS says anything that Julia says will be disected and only negatives sprayed. SBS and the abc still not worth capitals, should be reporting on her NATO utterences but I will give them the benefit of the doubt as I have not watched much tv news or read our local CT in any depth to see if they have and abc24 is still a joke. The polls are depressing when a bunch of cant/wont do's anything can receive such high levels of perceived general approval.

CALLIGULA

21/11/2010Bilko – Like the hat. AA – Believe I’d mentioned the government cannot progress unless others in parliament begin acting in Australia’s interest instead of their own. Unless that happens sometime very soon it will be to our immense detriment. How? Just a few swings in geopolitics that the Australian press won’t mention. Why? I guess they’ve been told we don’t need to know. How can we stop this lack of information flow? Stop reacting and start investigating for yourself the erosion/collapse of nation states. Read up on the new top drawer defence threat scenarios about the corporate whiteanting of and low-level corporation financed warfare against nation states. That’s why Julia and Kev have been a bit busy lately. They won’t tell you ‘cos they don’t want to worry you. The really silly thing is that the opposition believe they could do better but don’t want to cooperate with the government we elected.

CALLIGULA

21/11/2010BTW – AA I’ve begun drafting an article at Calligula’s Horse titled “Political Sword or Dogmatic Cudgel” In its own way it could be considered a bit of a plug for your own blog. It’ll even have some cool pikkies of some swords which you can borrow for your logo if you like. More to the point though it’ll deal with the dissection of issues broad and narrow and the whys and wherefores of the organized suppression of lateral thinking through the ages. But that’s not the issue according to the narrow view. So AA said – “So let’s stop this claptrap about ‘the vision thing’. If the critics don’t know by now what Julia Gillard and Labor stand for by now, they haven’t been listening, or they haven’t understood, or they don’t want to understand. And that applies to you Richo and to you Paul Howes, as much as to Labor’s many opponents” I say - If we are expected to ‘look forward’ without a ‘vision’ provided then we should stop claptrap. The critics know nothing. They’re paid to criticize – the longer the better. Julia stands for that visionless future but can’t curb the Abbottoir? I haven’t understood because there’s been nothing to listen to except puerile pre-arranged parliamentary pap puked up by pusillanimous poseurs. (Yeah FS, I know, but I couldn’t get the alliteration going with ’Woos’) Who are “Richo and Howes”? Sports commentators?

lyn

21/11/2010Hi Ad Thankyou for writing another brilliant column for us, Julia Gillard would be very proud of you Ad, if she could get to read your words, and positive outlook. It is sad she gets very little if not nil credit in any media, in fact they are very mean and cruel to Julia, although Phillip Coorey was a kinda, kind this morning, when he said' Julia has not had much time since the election and they should give her at least 6 months. Time is vanishing now Ad, it will soon be Christmas. Parliament has only 4 days to go, they are away until early Feb. so you should take your well earned, and well deserved holidays as of next week. This is a worthwhile short video of Deb O'Neill, Hillbilly's electorate, she is very attractive and speaks very nice: VIDEO Deb O'Neill, member for Robertson http://alp.org.au/blogs/ALP-Blog/november-2010/from-the-house--deb-o-neill-on-higher-education/

Ad astra reply

21/11/2010FS, Bilko, CALLIGULA, Lyn Thank you for your comments, and Lyn for the link to the Deb O'Neill YouTube video. She seems a very sincere and competent member. We look forward to her contribution. I'm having diabolical trouble with my Next G service, with intermittent connection. I don't know from one minute to the next whether I'll remain connected. At present I'm working from an Ethernet cable, as the wireless connection won't work. So if I disappear unexpectedly for long periods, put it down to Telstra's Next G 'service'. I may have to replace my Next G Home Network Gateway, which from the country is not easy. I agree with Lyn that we need to take a rest from [i]TPS[/i] over the end-of-year break and that soon after parliament rises might be a good time. We all need a rest and I need time to repair and update the site. Also, as we're taking a break with our daughter and our son-in-law who helps me with [i]TPS[/i] in early December at a seaside spot on the NSW South Coast, that might be a good time too start the wind up. What do you think?

Feral Skeleton

21/11/2010lyn, Thank you for the link to Deb's vlog. :) It's amazing to think that I have known her for nearly 10 years! Anyway, Jason will be pleased that you have put up the link!

Feral Skeleton

21/11/2010AA, NextG=NoG! I wonder if this might help you? http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2372811,00.asp * Now, as for a wind-up date. As a couple of interesting political events will be occurring in early December, that is, the release of Wayne Swan's Bank package, and, so they say, the release of the NBN Business Plan, I believe that we should discuss both these major intitiatives by the government before we pack up our tents for the year.

Ad astra reply

21/11/2010FS Thanks for the link, which I have passed onto my son-in-law. If we keep going to cover the two releases you mention, I may have to rely on you to put up something relevant to them as I will be giving time to a family holiday in early December and won't have much time to prepare material. How does that sound to you?

Feral Skeleton

21/11/2010Ad, Sounds OK to me because I will probably go into withdrawals without the blog anyway, so the longer I can spin it out, the better. :) Though I am going to go to the beach more this summer. Well, that is the plan, until I put the swimsuit on. :(

Ad astra reply

21/11/2010FS OK, that's a deal. But I think Lyn deserves a break soon. Lyn, when would you like wind up Lyn's Daily Links for the year?

CALLIGULA

21/11/2010Jooles sez - In her acceptance speech on first becoming PM back in June she said: “I grew up in a home of hardworking parents. They taught me the value of hard work. They taught me the value of respect. They taught me the value of doing your bit for the community. And it is these values that will guide me as Australia’s Prime Minister. I believe in a Government that rewards those who work the hardest, not those who complain the loudest. I believe in a Government that rewards those who, day in and day out, work in our factories and on our farms, in our mines and in our mills, in our classrooms and in our hospitals, that rewards that hard work, decency and effort. The people who play by the rules, set their alarms early, get their kids off to school, stand by their neighbours and love their country. And I also believe that ‘leadership’ is about the authority that grows from mutual respect shared by colleagues, from team work and from hard work, team work and spirit.” And I choke on this liberale vomit. Why state the obvious. Why should she say the same guff as Howard? To begin with she can strike our some of that. I do know that there are a few “factories farms mills classrooms and hospitals” hanging on by the skin of their teeth – but population-wise, proportionally we go towards extinction. As for the rest – Ein Volk, Ein Reich, Ein Fuhrer – more kant-rophy and slant ever than Howard’s stilted efforts. “Mutual respect” – what, for those who disagree? What about those who were mug enough to fall for the same crap during Howard’s regime? What about us who are too crocked, damaged, broke and disheartened to believe this mindnumbing dross ever again? What “authority” do peasants have in a country that lacks a bill of rights. And for that matter who the hell is going to exercise” teamwork hard work and display spirit” when the parliament shows as much regard for the fact they’ve been elected as they’d display for winning an out-of-date chook in a pub raffle. Stap me, try it for yourself – send any one of ‘em a line. See how long it takes for a reply. Then see if the reply relates to your original communication. By god if it does you must have included some cash and sent it to their home address. If this is what you dudes call ‘intelligence’ – then JH is indeed a monkey’s uncle and some others are more closely related.

Ad astra reply

21/11/2010Folks I'm packing it in for the night after a frustrating day with Next G and hours spent on reconfiguration and repairs.

Ad astra reply

21/11/2010Calligula I've just read your acerbic appraisal of Julia's values, vision and plans. Like so many critics, criticism comes easily to you, but again like them you don't say what you would have preferred to hear from her. So here's a bedtime challenge: write briefly for us the 'speech' you would have hoped she would have given, the speech that would have laid out for all to see her values, her vision, her direction, her agenda, her plans for the rest of this term and beyond, the speech that would have had you applauding vigorously. I had a shot at this in [i]The enigma of leadership[/i]: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2010/08/15/The-enigma-of-leadership.aspx Let's see your effort.

CALLIGULA

21/11/2010AA – your – “Can you detect any sign there of a vision, a narrative, an agenda, a plan?” When I was much younger and Malcolm Fraser was dictator I decided to listen to him – to parse his statements. I can do the same these days with the upstarts but for some reason there last several years less and less information is espoused between their lines. Dear old Mal had a good speechwriter. Mal’s speeches were jam-packed with info. A bloke mightn’t have liked the info – but it was there. The actual words – something else; designed, I’m sure, to put peasants asleep. Funnily enough Mal says some things these days hinting that he was aware of the game. So if there is an agenda or plan perhaps the messenger is increasingly resorting to speaking in tongues – Or knows no other tongue than ‘Newspeak’ – or writes what they’ve been told to write. Because, whatever the dame said (above what I quoted here) none of it details the concerns of an extremely complex society. All it tells me is that she is a politician being advised by a bunch of trainee politicians. She hasn’t a clue of the makeup of 21st century society and neither do her advisors. I’m reasonably sure Mal spoke to his sheep more sensibly than Jooles speaks to Australians. A political leader needs to make contact with the individual grievances in society. They can send their specialists swanning about the world. Their job is here –Ha- talking with their sheep.

Feral Skeleton

21/11/2010Calligula, I have never, in all my life, heard a politician say something as banal as, "Life wasn't meant to be easy." Still, it appeals to 'the mob', which you appear to class yourself amongst, unsurprisingly. Btw, it's not only words that we should judge a politician by, but deeds. Some of the greatest orators have been the most abominable politicians, such as dear, old Howard. A way with words, but an A Grade rodent, to boot. Hence, within the narrow, inconsistent confines of your specious argument, you have failed miserably to prove your premise.

Acerbic Conehead

21/11/2010AA, another wonderful and incisive précis of the vision thing. But Tones has got his act together and composed his very own agenda anthem, which you can join in with below. It is to the combative choruses of Edwin Starr’s, “War – wtf’s it good for?”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I7EASUjP8Qs&feature=related :- ( Jooles! Huh! Yeah! What does she stand for? Absolutely nuthin! Say it again, y’all :- ( Jooles – I despise 'Cos she means destruction Of my fly-byes Jooles means buckleys To my chances of big trips When I can go to Hawaii To surf the biggest rips I said :- ( Jooles! Huh! Yeah! What does she stand for? Absolutely nuthin! Listen to me! :- ( Jooles - she ain't nothing but a pisstake Only a woman – for god’s sake! Jooles – she’s an enemy of all mankind The thought of her blows my mind Jooles has caused unrest within the entire Coalition Stop the boats, then stop the batts – sums up our vision :- ( Jooles! Huh! Yeah! What does she stand for? Absolutely nuthin! Listen to me! :- ( Jooles - she ain't nothing but a ballbreaker Hand down my budgies – she’s a soprano-maker Jooles has shattered My PM dreams Made me disabled, bitter, and mean Life is short and it's pointless spending time fighting Jooles these days Jooles gives me strife, in so many different ways :- ( Jooles! Huh! Good god, y’all!! What does she stand for? Absolutely nuthin! Listen to me! :- ( Jooles - she ain't nothing but a policy-faker Friend only to the bullshit-spruiker Debt, batts – no ‘Light on the Hill’ Looks more like a load of tripe from the ranga dill We say we must fight to keep our freedom And no better way than to bring back WorkChoices – that’ll bleed ‘em! :- ( Jooles! Huh! Yeah! What does she stand for? Absolutely nuthin! Say it again, y’all

CALLIGULA

22/11/2010Are you an ex-schoolteacher too AA? You’re setting me homework now. Sorry Chief. I’m reacting badly to what some carry on with on weblogs. I know that. Meanwhile I cannot pretend to write a speech for a lady who wouldn’t speak it anyway. But bugger it, I like a challenge, Before I do the washing-up let me entertain you with some dot points I’d rely on in my first speech as Fuhrer – 1 A bill/charter/of rights – an instrument of legislation – a huge risk, I know. 2 Legislative standards legislation that has it subsuming all Oz-legislation to International standards 3 A code of conduct for the elect having them subject to the criminal code (that’d have them doing something about freedom of speech licketty split) 4 Election of (qualified) judges (conditions, as they say, apply, stringent conditions) 5 Elected regional police (commissioned officer cadres) administering a national police force 6 Dissolution of the states 7 States replaced by regional parliaments (Cantons) 8 Restitution of a permanent public service (at least it would send the message out for permanent work for others) 9 Restitution of control of utilities to regional parliaments 10 A National bank linked with the treasury and controlled by policy. 11 Shock absorbers fitted to the floating dollar 12 Procurement deprivatised (if that’s a word) and taken well away from the corrupt 13 Law put into an affordable corner – disband legal-aid and make the bastards socially responsible, infinitely more law places at uni to whiteant their income capacity (after all they make bloody efficient used-car salesmen) 14 Educate Australians well enough so they can defend themselves from shysters and lawyers, both 15 Health – stop nagging people into ill health. Provide what is possible (the way we used to) from infancy onwards 16 self-determination – none of our jurisdictions even pretend to have pathways for people who have been subject to detriment caused by defective administration 17 Reintroduce the Code Duello – I never could fight my way out of a wet paper bag and at this stage in life I’m more useless – nonetheless, sometimes ----- 18 Courts (sorry, this should be behind item 13) if Civil Code Tenets are being progressively introduced – replacing Common Law – then the court’s procedures should reflect that by adopting Civil Code procedural compliance ( Do you have an inkling of what I mean?) 18 Tax only those who can afford tax 19 No cruel and unusual penalties for goddamned anyone (even FS) 20 Work for those who can work and who can accomplish work – (meaning no dole bludger stuff for those who can’t) 20 With regard to work – those who cannot work should be free to make income some way that suits their spirit (I DO NOT mean prostitution) 21 Life should be free of oppression whether in the cradle, creche, classroom, at work, or at home. (that comes from respect – not home invasions) 22 The pursuit of freedom and happiness goes along the same lines as “Do as Thou Willt” – which means there are strings attached requiring some reciprocity from all those involved 23 Some of us engage in awful activities that confuse others. Some of us should be left to left to progress our work without being subject to stupid interference from those who’ll never understand 24 Prejudice, vilification, discrimination – as one who has been subject to some of that I’d broaden the definitions to UNHCR standards, then some more 25 I’d make it illegal for idiots on some stupid blog to set me homework So there you go sunshine. I haven’t finished and they do need a spot of polish. I might include this on my own next offing at Calligula’s Horse. So why not tell me how my head is bolted on upside-down and I might include your comments there.

CALLIGULA

22/11/2010Basically FS, old girl - You seem to have a bit of a take against me lately. Hey. I didn’t steal your bones. I don't exactly know what your problem is but I'm beginning to believe you don't hack being upstaged. In fact I reckon you are becoming quite jealous. Now come on. A few checks ago you said I was beneath your dignity and now you want my attention again. Here you are back again at me but you won’t stay on thread and keep trying to impress me with your koalas, Quolls, stinkweed and coco grass. I remember girls like you at parties – all abuse, curled lips and vinegar. It was all so often a different story later when the lights dimmed – but some of us’re too old for that sort of reconciliation now. That’ll definitely have to be an intellectual effort on your part, I’m afraid. But hey, that’s cool so long as you insist I shall try to keep the thread straight by providing my reply to AA upon his request. Please read it above. I can do that too while titillating your – well, whatever the hell complex has you so burred up. I trust you might appreciate that some of us like me and sir Smith’s Crisps, poor old JJ and the like would really prefer to get back on topic if you’d just accept some of our distaff point of view. We do have elections to sort out that sort of thing Y’know. Y’know (learnt that off repetitive old Mal F.) sometimes might ain’t right – and recently you do become mightlily – subjective. BTW – Did you read Cosgrove’s put-down I sent along to AA the other day? AA DID say he liked them. The whole core of the issue is we do like reading TPS whether we agree or not. If you keep blasting down those who disagree you will inevitably become bored once they disappear. That would be a bad thing. You’ll hate what I’ve written above ‘cos it’ll remind you of your youth. Would that be such a bad thing? Why not accept the way of the world – Please FS.

lyn

22/11/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Greens strike deal on NBN sale, ABC[/i] The Government still needs to win the support of crossbench senators Nick Xenophon and Steve Fielding for the bill to pass. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/22/3072382.htm?section=justin [i]Turnbull holds $10m network conflict , Phillip Coorey, SMH[/i] Malcolm Turnbull, has a $10 million investment in an information technology company which, its managing director says, stands to reap ''new wealth'' from the Labor government's $43 billion national broadband network. Turnbull owns through two of his companies 5.4 million shares in Melbourne IT. [b]Mr Turnbull's wife, Lucy, is a director[/b]. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/turnbull-holds-10m-network-conflict-20101121-182mp.html [i]Cost Benefits and Cabinet Documents, Petermaus, View From the headland[/i] Cost-benefit analysis on large-scale government projects projected for operation decades ahead is about as useful as the trying to crochet a fishing net to catch whales: it’s simply not up to it as a tool. http://petermaus.wordpress.com/2010/11/22/cost-benefits-and-cabinet-documents/ [i]Tastings from the 2010 political buffet, DragOnista's Blog[/i] during the federal election, it was hard to distinguish a 7.30 Report interview from the latest instalment of Kath and Kim, such was the broadness of Aussie accent on display. http://dragonistasblog.com:80/2010/11/21/tastings-from-the-2010-political-buffet/ [i]The Sunday Sandwich (That's a Wrap), Tom Bridge,Aussie Pollies And Their Paradigms[/i] Be assured that it will be a fun-filled and at times frustrating week ahead in Australian politics, not just because I said it, but because it will be! http://newparadigmpollies.blogspot.com/ [i]Taken at face value, labor is in a lot of trouble, Dr Tad, Left Flank[/i] Was it to be a tell-all insider’s account delivering anecdotes that journalistic efforts would miss? Was it to be a re-evaluation of the problems http://left-flank.blogspot.com/ [i]Greening the Nation[/i][i] Dismay with Labor and the Coalition is not restricted to Greens voters [/i] Edited [b]extract from George Megalogenis’s Quarterly Essay[/b], titled Trivial Pursuit: Leadership and the end of the Reform Era, to be published by Black Inc on Monday http://www.ezcreditcard.net/6430/greening-of-the-nation/ [i]The strange conservatism of Senator Michael Ronaldson, Richard Farmer[/i] the Governor General no less. There’s always a tabloid journalists to beat up some information about wasteful spending http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/2010/11/21/the-strange-conservatism-of-senator-michael-ronaldson/ [i]Nielsen: 51-49 to Coalition, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i] GhostWhoVotes reports a federal Nielsen poll to be published in tomorrow’s Fairfax broadsheets will show the Coalition, unchanged on last month. More to follow http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2010/11/21/nielsen-51-49-to-coalition-2/ [i]Posts from the ‘Daily Fix’ Category, Australian Politics TV[/i] Video's http://australianpoliticstv.org/category/daily-fix/

Feral Skeleton

22/11/2010Calligula, Sorry, but I don't 'Move on' from sleights directed towards my gender by an obvious sexist. I know it's so 21st century to just have a group hug and forego the apology, however, I'm unwilling to do that, in a virtual sense, wrt your flagrantly misogynistic comments insofaras it relates to women and their control over their own bodies, especially as it pertains to termination of pregnancies, should they choose to have one. I gave you my reasons why I think their rights to this procedure supercede any 'Rights' of the unborn, as, to my mind, the foetus is an extension of the mother, until such time as she gives birth to a new human being that can live and breathe independant of her. It's a serious decision that a woman makes to have a pregnancy termination, in fact, probably the most serious decision a woman may ever make. It may surprise you to know this, but I'd say the majority of these decisions are made with the best interests of the unborn child at heart. If a mother doesn't believe that she is in the position to be a good mother, for a panoply of potential reasons, then this heartbreaking decision is best made in the interests of all concerned in the extant family. Ergo, if a difficult choice is made, for valid reasons, then that is her choice, and her choice alone, to make. If you have a different point of view, that's your entitlement in a free society to have. However, when you describe the process of termination of pregnancy in the graphic and demeaning way in which you did, then it leaves a lasting impression, which, like a stain on your character, will take a fair amount of rehabilitative comment which suggests an understanding of your error, before I will stop viewing your contributions with disdain. Should you wish to take your bat and ball and go home, in offence at my comments, that's your decision, and yours alone to make. However, as an adult, I would hope that you were man enough to realise how unbalanced and offensive your intial comments were, and apologise. No one wants you to decamp the blog. I'm sure I speak for most here when I say, all we want is an acknowledgement that you went way too far with those particular comments. You can disagree with abortion, however you don't have to employ the sort of derogatory language which you did in order to, and I use the term loosely, argue your case. Now do you understand?

Feral Skeleton

22/11/2010Here's a sober reflection on the NBN, containing some potentially uncomfortable truths, from Ross Gittins: http://www.smh.com.au/business/nbn-plan-has-the-signs-of-a-historic-stuffup-20101121-182ld.html Even though I don't agree with his argument about 'over-engineering' of the NBN.

Ad astra reply

22/11/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

Ad astra reply

22/11/2010CALLIGULA Thank you for making the effort to articulate your vision for this country. Your list is a mix of radical moves such as the replacement of the states by regional parliaments in which the punters would likely have but a passing interest, and aspects that are of interest to everyone, such as health, education and employment. It is how you would manage the next stage: translating these values and vision into practical and achievable action, that would be of interest to us. Lest you call me an idiot again, I won’t ask you to develop what journalists would likely categorize as a far-reaching but unachievable wish list into an action plan to achieve it. You are partly correct about my background – not a schoolteacher, but a medical academic for many years – but my intention was not schoolmasterly; instead rather an attempt to pin you down on what your values and vision were. Now we know – whether we agree with you matters little.

lyn

22/11/2010Hi Ad I am just having a great time this morning, loving every minute, of this Turnbull investment, absolutely incredible, I am trying to find out if the information was previously declared. Doesn't this just confirm the absolute, beyond doubt, hypocrisy of Abbott and the Lieaberels. Government To Attack Turnbull NBN Investment As Independents Call For Business Plan , David Richards, Smarthouse The government is likely to try and use the shareholding to embarrass Mr Turnbull in this final week of Parliament as it seeks to get through the Senate a crucial bill for the network that will allow for the structural separation of Telstra. http://smarthouse.com.au/Wireless_And_Networking/Broadband/L4V7N6L7 Turnbull to make a quid out of NBN - Swan , SMH [b]"Publicly Mr Turnbull says he wants to demolish the NBN and privately he wants to make a quid out of it[/b]," Mr Swan told Fairfax Radio Network on Monday. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/turnbull-to-make-a-quid-out-of-nbn--swan-20101122-182ww.html

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22/11/2010CALLIGULA I need add nothing to what FS has said in reply to your needling – she has said what needs to be said. As mediator of this blog may I suggest that we offer each other language that is moderate and courteous; otherwise the angst escalates quite unnecessarily. Good manners soothe, rudeness abrades.

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22/11/2010AC Thank you for yet another piece of delightful satire. How can we escape the conclusion? Jooles! Huh! Yeah! What does she stand for? Absolutely nuthin! Say it again, y’all May I add: Tones! Huh! Yeah! What does he stand for? Absolutely nuthin! Say it again, y’all Pollies all! Huh! Yeah! What do they stand for? Absolutely nuthin! Say it again, y’all There is no hope for any of us!!!!

Gravel

22/11/2010Ad Astra Thank you for another clear precise article. As a Labor voter I understood completely what Julia Gillard stands for. It is all the things I want for my children and grandchildren and in the next decade or so, great-grandchildren. With the "journalists", unless it is said by an opposition LNP, it isn't good enough, but the same "journalists", as quite rightly has been pointed out, don't care that "their" preferred political party have absolutely nothing to offer Australia and Australian people, they demand far more of the Labor party in every respect. I feel reasonably assured that this parliament will last for these next three years, and hope that Labor can achieve good stuff in this time. My hopes for a win at the next election are pretty low on any measurement, but we can worry about that then. Ad Astra, I bet with all your internet problems you'll be pleased when (I use when, and not if as I am sure it will happen) when the NBN is completed in eight years time. You won't be on your own on that score. HS I know people need to have a break over the holiday period and I appreciate you volunteering to write about the next two crucial policies when they happen, I for one will be here reading and devouring every word. Lyn Although we all hang out for your daily links, a good break for you over the holidays will seen you nice and refreshed for the political year. Fortunately not a lot happens in the internet world for at least a couple of weeks, so your job will be like an enforced holiday that I'm sure you will enjoy.

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22/11/2010Hi Lyn I'm glad you're enjoying your day. Let's see how Malcolm wriggles out of this one. Folks I'm closing down now as I'm on the road again until this evening.

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22/11/2010Gravel Thank you for your kind words of encouragement to FS, Lyn and me. I'll work out the end-of-year arrangements soon.

Jason

22/11/2010Lyn, FS was right thanks for the link to Ms Deb, the riggers pool was happy! although we thought the camera operator was a woman! it was better than nothing!

Feral Skeleton

22/11/2010Jason, If the boys in the Adelaide riggers pool would like it, I'll give Deb a Xmas kiss from you all when we have our annual dinner in December. :)

Feral Skeleton

22/11/2010Malcolm has already tried to wriggle out of his link to the family IT company in Victoria which made the $10 million investment in the NBN-related company which stands to benefit financially from its dealings with NBNCo. He has adopted the politician's caveat of, "Investment decisions by MelbourneIT are made at arm's length from me." Yeah right, MT. You have no idea, nor do you care where tens of millions of your dollars go. Leave it up to Lucy. Who never discusses her investment decisions with you, even if your name appears on the relevant investment documents. Hmmm. Can't wait for Question Time. Hope Grog slices and dices for our delectation. :)

Feral Skeleton

22/11/2010AcerbicC., If I could find a bejewelled Conehat, you would have it from me as your Xmas present, in much the same way that we have bequeathed lyn her bejewelled Tweety Bird. :)

Michael

22/11/2010Martin Bryant 'made' Howard's prime ministership. Think about it.

Feral Skeleton

22/11/2010I see the 'One Trick Pony' Opposition Treasury spokesman, Joe Hockey, has released his absolutely pointless 'Bank Price Signalling' Bill. Which will have zero to no effect on increasing competition, in order to put Interest Rate pressure on the banks to not raise their rates above the Reserve Bank increases, unless accompanied by more substantive measures, such as that being worked on by the Treasurer. Joe Blow is also trying to claim credit for the Treasurer's aim to make Credit Unions and Building Societies the 5th Pillar of the Banking Industry, saying that it was another of his points in his 9 Point Plan, so Wayne Swan nicked it off him. Which sort of is a bald-faced lie because it was Joe who sniffed the wind about a month ago, that this package was in the works(probably from another of the Coalition's Treasury/Finance moles), and quickly rushed out his rinky-tink 'Plan', in order to steal the government's thunder. However, do you think the media can put 2+2 together to =4? Nope. They're too busy buttering up the butterball. When they should be making him look like the Xmas Turkey. Sigh.

Feral Skeleton

22/11/2010Michael, Then Hoddle Street and Strathfield. Followed by 9/11 and Bali.

patriciawa

22/11/2010Talk Turkey - I beg to differ, you owe me one! So I've squared up and quoted your lovely lines on dear Rupert at http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2010/11/22/monday-madness-2/#comment-13448. Cheers.

Jason

22/11/2010AA, It's not just Gillard it's the party in general! both state and federal we have no Chifley's!What we seem to have are MP's who were once staffers who know bugger all about those they seek to represent! you could say that about the opposition as well,in short the gene pool is fairly shallow. We had Joe De bruyn head of the shoppies union wandering around last week somewhat surprised that the greens were going on about same sex marriage and other things the left of the Labor party used to say and do! Joe you and the catholic right of the Labor party are the reasons we lost Tanners seat and why we will lose more unless Gillard stands up to some of the rights old guard. Labor/Gillard have a choice start to be the party of progressives that we once were or watch the Greens and others start replacing us! PS although I'm a member of the party I don't belong to a faction? PPS FS yes a Kiss will have to do at Christmas lol!

Jason

22/11/2010FS, Friday 19th November 2010 A personal message from Ark Tribe Dear Supporter, This case is always on my mind. It's not been a comfortable few years. But I've always said I'll follow it right through to the end, so no one else has to. So my son doesn't have to, my mates sons, and even some of my mates grandsons don't have to go through what I've been through. My lawyer says that this is the first case of its nature that will test the laws of the ABCC. Most people are horrified when they find out there is no right to silence in the compulsory interviews, or that the ABCC can force you to answer questions about what happens in your workplace. I didn't set out to test these laws. I'm just an ordinary bloke who went to work one day on a construction site in Adelaide. I've been able to do this with the support from people like you all around the country. My family, mates, the blf social club, and the union have been incredible. Thank you for all your messages of support. I'll have them with me when the verdict is handed down on Wednesday 24 November. Ark Tribe PS You can send Ark a message of support here [http://www.rightsonsite.org.au/subscribe/index.php?customlist=arkmessage] [http://www.rightsonsite.org.au] © Australia's Construction Unions on behalf of Australia's Construction Unions rightsonsite campaign. Authorised by D. Noonan, CFMEU Construction and General Division Level 12, 276 Pitt Street, Sydney, NSW 2000

TalkTurkey

22/11/2010"Talk Turkey - I beg to differ, you owe me one! So I've squared up and quoted your lovely lines on dear Rupert at cafewhispers.wordpress.com/.../#comment-13448. Cheers. patriciawa" Patois I not understand, what one was last? if not the one of mine that you sent (ta) to cafe whispers? Then wouldn't that leave you owing me one? Women! But anyway you originateg that one, with a lot more of that ending, my bit was just an appendixx.But I still think you owe me one anyone. Something trivial. "However, do you think the media can put 2+2 together to =4? Nope. They're too busy buttering up the butterball. When they should be making him look like the Xmas Turkey. Sigh. Feral Skeleton" FS how could you say a thing like that at this time of year where Bruce could get to hear of it! Folks I'll write something properly on subject soon, right now I'm inside-house-painting. Gr'nh. But patriciaWA, I think you are a treasure too. I only needed to get a nod from all three of you women to make me feel reassured. That's so nice, thanks. "When shall yous three meet again?" Dunno, but anyway may you make great magic between you.

lyn

22/11/2010Hi Gravel Thankyou so much for your nice comments, you truly are a sweetie. I think my husband needs me to give him a break more than anything, no only joking he really loves me being interested in "The Political Sword" he supports me all the time, and even knows most of you guys names. We are flying to Sydney for a 3 week holiday, in December, staying at my daughters house,she has a full program planned, and I can be assured she will not leave me, three or so hours a day for computing. Carolyn has her own beauty salon, she is a laser technician and wants me to do the reception for her, while staff are on leave. I have noticed, that a lot of our blog writers have already started to wind down, most interesting reading links will be limited. Just as you said Gravel I will feel much happier pretending to myself, it's an enforced holiday, rather than one by my choice. "The Political Sword" is an addiction, and I will suffer withdrawal symptoms if I don't keep myself very busy, I suffered when my computer was down for one day, would you believe.

lyn

22/11/2010Hi Ad I was annoyed with the ABC today, because Malcolm Turnbul was claiming misrepresentation, I was dying to hear what he had to say, and they cut him off, to put Chris Uhlmann on. Dratts. This is a very interesting piece everyone will enjoy: [b]The convenient memories of the coalition[/b], Mark Rolfe, Unleashed Mark Rolfe is a lecturer in the School of Social Sciences & International Studies at the University of New South Wales. I didn't notice [b]Tony (Truthful one day, Imperfect the next[/b]) Abbott out there leading a public chorus of "Waddya want? Cost Benefit analysis! When do ya want it? Now!" against his mate John. the Productivity Commission didn't see it that way as all the deals under [b]SCIP were deemed commercial in confidence or secret cabinet documents and therefore they could not be scrutinised for the public [/b] benefit of giving taxpayers' dollars to business. So much for the much-touted 'mutual obligation' of the time. The ABC's Background Briefing in 2002 filled out more of the story. stories of [b]government waste by the Coalition[/b], then just look up the sagas surrounding the Navy's Seasprite helicopter [b]($1billion – ka-ching!) and the failures with IT outsourcing (over $1billion – ka-ching!).[/b] In a 1997 deal with an American firm, eleven 1960s helicopter frames were to be reconditioned but they could not meet aviation standards. That is, they were too dangerous to fly. Also in the late 1990s government IT was to be outsourced to private firms http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/41360.html

Feral Skeleton

22/11/2010Jason, Message to Ark sent! :) He looks a bit like Billy Connolly, don't you think?

Feral Skeleton

22/11/2010lyn, I don't remember seeing a CBA for 'The Ghan' Railway line that Halliburton wanted the Howard government to build for it with taxpayers' money so that they could use it to transport Uranium ore from SA to the NT and on to Asia. Masking its true intent with the passenger train, which lost money almost from Day 1, was a good little subterfuge. And, before jj can jump in, 'The Ghan' WAS a commercial enterprise, unlike the NBN, which is a mixture of commercial enterprise AND national infrastructure. Also, lyn, I think we should be grateful that we could see the House of Reps Question Time on ABC24. If it was like the old days, and we only had ABC1, we would have been looking at the Senate QT! Bor-ing! Btw, as the Opposition drone on with their 'the government has lost its way' mantra, if I was the government and devising QT tactics, I would be either adding as a prefix or suffix to every Dorothy Dixer that, 'the government is back on track and...', or, '...now that the government is back on track.'

2353

22/11/2010Up above somewhere there are some comments on things that kept Howard in power. I agree with them all and would like to add the Tampa and "children overboard". Some online news outlet today reported that Dr Haniff (accused of links to terrorism by Andrews et al in 2006/7) is coming back to Australia for a compensation hearing soon. Got me thinking, was Dr Haniff the first try at securing another three years of the "magnificence" of Howard & Co in a similar fashion to Bryant, 9/11, Tampa etc - only this time the Australian public wisely suggested they weren't interested?

Feral Skeleton

22/11/20102353, I'd say you're correct with your suspicion about the fix being in on Dr Haneef before the 2007 election. That slimy 'Christian', Kevin Andrews, was behind it with Howard. I'm sure he thought if he could get Howard back in with that little scam that he would be rewarded handsomely with a higher position on the Coalition Totem Pole as thanks. But it was a greasy pole and their scummy ways led them both to slide down and out instead. Sadly Kevin Andrews didn't suffer the same ignominious defeat at the ballot box that Howard did.

Jason

22/11/2010FS, Yes old Ark does look like Billy Connolly, just not as funny! But back to the CBA perhaps, I missed the GFC but most of the places going broke were banks, even here the tax payer gave to 4 of the twenty banks in the world with a triple A rating a guarantee what was the CBA there? the tax payer as always! As always the free marketers have one slogan privatise the profits socilaise the losses!

Ad astra reply

22/11/2010Folks Back again after a long day on the road. Thank you for your comments. Won't it be good when parliament rises for the end-of-year break - I just hope Nick Xenophon's idea of coming back in December is quietly rejected. We all need a break after a hectic year.

Acerbic Conehead

22/11/2010FS, lyn is far more deserving of her sparkling Tweety Bird than I am for a 'bejewelled conehat". However, if you want to send me some money instead...hee...hee... AA, thanks again for your kind encouragement. Yeah, pollies - what do they stand for? On that note, I hear Harry Jenkins didn't stand for much nonsense today during Question Time. So, I'm off now to read Grog's take on things. Have a great evening everyone.

lyn

22/11/2010Hi Ad Is Dennis being kind tonight, "the topic heading" sounds kind, or is it my imagination: [i]Julia Gillard and Labor improve standing: Newspoll , Dennis Shanahan, The Australian[/i]The latest Newspoll survey, conducted exclusively for The Australian last weekend, has reversed the standing of the government and opposition on a two-party-preferred basis with Labor in front 52 to 48 per cent. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/julia-gillard-and-labor-improve-standing-newspoll/story-fn59niix-1225958834857

Jason

23/11/2010Good god the man needs a manager rather than handling himself!! http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/abbott-calls-off-christmas/story-fn59niix-1225958854252

TalkTurkey

23/11/2010“What does Julia Gillard Stand For?” I said I’d get back on track. Julia Gillard first and foremost and forever stands for gender equivalence. The Rotten Right have great trouble distinguishing between the notions of Equivalence and Equality, but I’m not for their sake about to explain the difference to TPA readers. Suffice it to say that there is now manifestly nowhere that girls can’t go, but I think it has only here in Australia reached its first finest flowering in the person of Julia Gillard. She is the best of us at the moment. She is articulate, shrewd, determined, informed, energetic, clever, witty, focussed, insightful, conciliatory, confident, feisty, urbane, ordinary, pretty, imperious, effective, ruthless, driven, cool, methodical, prepared, oh choose your own, Julia Gillard is a very class act. She’s not perfect, no. She is not perfectly attuned to nuances in the Australian people’s opinion, I think of her bumpy ride with the Teachers’ Federation, many of whose members bitterly reject and resent the direction she is taking the ‘BER’. And she has made some errors of political judgment, like it didn’t help for her to use the term ‘lost its way’. But then, you know, she doesn’t have to be Wonder Woman, doesn’t have to be perfect, she’s already better than anybody else, her colleagues all know and acknowledge it, the Right all know it and rue it . . . Did you see her in QT today? Mistressful! She is already an icon, coined in gold on behalf of gender equivalence. And most importantly of all she has done or will ever do, is finally to have put a small but hard little fist up through any real or imagined glass ceiling against women. She has sacrificed, if that is the word, giving birth and reproducing her genes, but how that has put her on an even footing with men! She is an object lesson in the way that childbearing has always handicapped women, and without that burden, fellers, well we’ll just have to stand aside if we can’t cut the mustard. Julia’s good. Go Girl. She looks so confident in QT, so on top of her game, so across the issues and the info, so unstoppable by interruption, her answers so pertinent and uncompromising – and she is taking the confidence of her frontbench with her, gradually, difficultly, but they all have their shoulders to the wheel and they’re making altitude. Swan, how his delivery has improved since he first became Treasurer! He’s really effective now! Hell he has every right to be confident, he’s only running the most enviable economy on the planet! But ohhh, that Rotten Right . . ! . . Never give due credit . . . always deny . . . misrepresent . . . yet still Labor is up. Gradually the truth will dawn with enough people seeing the light, the Coalition’s darkness retreating before truth of Labor’s flawless steering of the economy through the straitest straits of modern times. Remember, this is a very ordinary person we’re talking about here, game Little Red Hen Julia (ooh I like that image) from Unley High, just up the road from here, lived until she became PM with her bloke in the most modest of little houses . . . only extraordinary now because of the focus and vision and work ethic she has applied to her life, until now she is #1 Australian, and she’ll lead the House herself. (You know that Little Red Hen tune? – goes - She’ll eat the corn herself - She’ll eat the corn herself They should have known that she alone would get to eat that corn!) Well she earnt it. Does anyone think there’s anyone who could have done even as well as she, let alone better, in negotiating with the IndependAnts? By her good sense and personal skills, her vision, the measured, credible, morally-decent offers that she had the nous to promise, as opposed to the profligate idiocy of pork-barrelling Abbott, she was the best possible person to convince what turned out to be 3 very sage and responsible blokes albeit of basically conservative background that Labor was in the end the option their consciences dictated. That’s some skill Julia, what a different path this nation would be on if you had failed with just one of the Three who came our way. All praise Julia, pull your heads in curmudgeons, no-one could have done better. Or needed to. This was a splendid desperate victory, snatched from the jaws of disaster by you Julia. I dunno about everybody else, but I honour you. Swordsfolk, you might wonder why I a bloke would be so pleased about a sheila being PM. Well it’s like this, it’s because I want the ALP to win elections, and I think women in key roles are more likely to get us up than men. Very good women in the ALP you know. Hubris, very little in our women. A big thing with men generally, though I must say the Federal Labor front-benchers are a wonderful group of talented and sincere people of both genders, too right. But it’s more than the sum of the women in the Labor Party, it’s the fact that they raise the bar, they focus the fellers, they do their job or they lose it. They only get Federal Labor preselection by dint of extraordinary work and abilities, and they have an assurance and air of purpose that I love to see. And Julia Gillard is their captain and leader. But see, it even applies at our humble level. Just think: All the above that relates to Julia Gillard, and the women on Labor’s side, and women’s undeniable role in society generally, relates equally specifically to three women on TPS, I don’t hardly even need to mention them, but without them I don’t believe there would be much of a happening here. Lyn, Professor Hillbilly Feral Skeleton, and PatriciaWA, whatever happens with the Sword over the imminent pretend-religious festival of conspicuous consumption (Bah! Humbug!) it is your siren songs that will lure us succour-seeking sailors of the seven cyber seas back to the Sword, though Hell and Christmas bar the way. I too will go into withdrawals; pity poor jj and Limpy, and CALLIGULA, not to mention his Horse! Whose name btw is Incitatus. A Little Parable Long ago I used to talk late into the night with others on the modern magic miracle of CB Radio. It was fun, you never knew who you would find yourself sharing ideas with, though a lot of the stuff people talked about was pretty repetitive. You could have a QSO going with up to a dozen people if everyone was being polite, some would talk rarely, some copiously, but there would in the best conversations be a female, sort of anchor, queen bee, moderator, exchange, switchboard, and she was always respected hugely, deferred to by the blokes, anybody who crossed her was roundly rebuked, and the other females ‘on the side’, of whom there were always a lot fewer than males - (babies would have had a lot to do with that I suspect)- would be friendly and comradely to Queenie, not at all competitive, some of those QSO’s were as good as anything on the Sword, quicker, just as open to all, but not very focussed as TPS is on politics. Certainly I talked politics though. Anyway the point is, I know how a woman in the captaincy can centralise, command respect, and challenge everybody to lift their game, merely by her own manner, at best, quite magically. And I think we have yet far to see the best of Julia Gillard. ******************************************************************* Terribly sad in New Zealand. Our deepest sympathy. ******************************************************************* ******************************************************************* These last few months have seen the unfolding of a most remarkable chapter in Australian political history, probably unprecedented in all Westminster systems anywhere, the teetering way it worked out. Some of yous might remember I set the whole saga into verse, it was worth it only because of the Jane v Dragon nature of the desperate fight, an amazing true-life drama, thank Dog we had TPS ! We have always known that our love affair with politics since Julia was too hot not to cool down, that for at least long lonely spaces of time there’s nothing dramatic happening, but the adrenalin has been running so high so long now that we might go into convulsions over the summer break. Before a deathly silence falls across TPS we better talk, isn’t it? I have that feeling, but I’m not sure what should be said. “Standing By” as we used to say on CB. Over

Ad astra reply

23/11/2010Folks I have to go out for a few hours so will get back to you later this afternoon. I'll post LYN's LINKS when I return.

lyn

23/11/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]The Death of Diversity, Mr Denmore, The Failed Estate[/i]. found it telling that in this debate Overington did not represent herself as a professional journalist but as a kind of PR spokeswoman for the Murdoch empire.) http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/ [i]Dashing through the snow, Ashghebranious, Ash's Machiavellian Bloggery[/i] Malcolm Turnbull made investments in preparations for the NBN. Some will say he is hedging his bets in case the NBN get through, but then why did he not pick up 10million TELSTRA shares in case the NBN did not get through. http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/ [i]Burnt out cultural warriors meet burnt out faction bosses, The Piping Shrike[/i]culture wars are back in vogue on the right, encouraged by the Abbott ascendancy and the June coup, and the old cultural warriors have saddled up once again and come riding out on their moral high horses to do battle. http://www.pipingshrike.com/ [i]On the QT: O tempora, O mores!, Greg Jericho, Grog's Gamut[/i] Joe Hockey dopily asked Gillard if she had read the business case and if so why can’t everyone else. She was far too dismissive in her response – http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/ [i]Nothing To See Here, Neil, The Bannerman[/i]. need for coalition politics to be seen to be doing something, so it opposes government at every turn. Opposition for the sake of opposition. In the case of NBNco, http://www.waddayano.org/blog/2010/11/nothing_to_see_here.php#more [i]Yesterday's news today, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i] The Age’s exposé is its appearance four days out from a state election, in terms that would give the casual reader cause to specifically impute the practice to one party rather than the other. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/ [i]Last Look at Labor & Greens Policies before the Victorian Election, Tristan Ewins, Left Focus[/i] And while Victoria can afford new debt so long as those debts are serviceable, dependence on debt-financing cannot go on forever. http://leftfocus.blogspot.com/2010_11_01_archive.html [i]Baillieu and the death of samll-L Liberalism, Robert Merkel, Larvatus Prodeo[/i]policies to solve the non-existent crime wave by getting rid of suspended sentences and home detention. http://larvatusprodeo.net/ [i]Terms of reference for an Inquiry into the Australian Financial System 2010/11,Bernard Keane, The Stump[/i] Joe Hockey today released a proposed ToR for an inquiry into financial regulation http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/ [i]The warp + weave of a digital economy,Gary Sauer-Thompson , Public Opinion[/i]Kohler's solution rejects both Murdoch's paywalls for transmission and the Guardian's free, open and collaborative journalism that loses money that Alan Rusbridger outlined in the 2010 Andrew Olle Media lecture http://www.sauer-thompson.com/ [i]Added value needed for online media survival, Alan Kohler, ABC[/i] Someone sitting at home can now read any press release, watch any press conference, or read its transcript, and examine any document anywhere in the world. http://www.abc.net.au:80/news/stories/2010/11/22/3072436.htm?WT.mc_id=newsmail [i]Smart Grid/Smart City and the NBN, Paul Budde[/i] The SGSC project will be a blueprint for the rollout of other smart grids and it is essential that the NBN be included in this. http://www.buddeblog.com.au/frompaulsdesk/smart-gridsmart-city-and-the-nbn/ [i]Greens strike deal to prevent NBN Co privatisation, Renai LeMay, Delimeter[/i] Telstra itself supported the legislation being passed. For it to pass the Senate, Labor will need to win the support of both Nick Xenophon and Family First Senator Steve Fielding, plus the Greens http://delimiter.com.au/2010/11/22/greens-strike-deal-to-prevent-nbn-co-privatisation/ [i]It's Pretty Much All About The NBN Mate, Aussie Pollies And Their Paradigms [/i]Australian Greens to support the passage of the legislation to separate Telstra. The attack being that the Government agenda is being dominated by the Greens http://newparadigmpollies.blogspot.com/ [i]Paper is so passé, Thomas Tudehope, The Drum[/i] Rupert Murdoch continues to reign over a global media empire that is the envy of all others. At 79, Murdoch remains at the top of his game. The iPad-only paper is revolutionary, a world first http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/41388.html [i]Swan: Turnbull set to benefit on NBN roll out despite his official posturing, Ricky Roxas, International Business Times[/i] In a Fairfax Radio interview, Mr Swan revealed that the opposition communications spokesman holds up to $10 million worth of shares in Melbourne IT, which he said is poised to benefit in the NBN project http://hken.ibtimes.com/articles/84172/20101122/swan-turnbull-set-to-benefit-on-nbn-roll-out-despite-his-official-posturing.htm [i]Turnbull holds $10m network conflict, Tone News[/i] Mr Turnbull hit back in advance yesterday, saying his critical approach to the network ”shows how uninfluenced I am by my personal holdings”. http://www.teluguone.com/news/2010/11/22/turnbull-holds-10m-network-conflict/

Gravel

23/11/2010TalkTurkey Wow that was great, that is how I feel about Julia too. I am one here who did lean towards you being female and enjoyed the sport you had with those that joined in. I'm not disappointed to find you a male, and like the majority of males here, very androgynous in your views. It is great to read participants that haven't got the awful traits of the 'right' in Australia. Lyn Hope you enjoy your three weeks, sounds like you'll knock off work to cart bricks. It may be a good chance to do a bit subtle propaganda for a good cause, if you know what I mean. Oh and I understand you frustration when the computer goes down, or the internet, even though there are times I don't get online, I like to know I can when I want to.

Feral Skeleton

23/11/2010Jason, I read that article you linked to. How bleedin' ridiculous is Abbott and his COS, Peta Credlin? 'Remain on early election alert'...over Christmas? To which I can only say, "Pull the other one, Peta, it plays Jingle Bells." :)

Feral Skeleton

23/11/2010Anyway, didn't Kevin Rudd, aka 'Kevin 24/7' get marked down by the punters for being as ubiquitous as 'Eddie Everywhere'? Which, if today's polls are any guide, they are coming to the same conclusion about Mr Rabbitt.

lyn

23/11/2010Hi Talk Turkey Thankyou for your brilliant piece of reading this morning, very enjoyable and very much appreciated. [quote]Before a deathly silence falls across TPS we better talk[/quote] Talk Turkey there will never be a deathly silence on "The Political Sword" we all have too much sitting in our brains to talk about. Feral Skeleton is going to write for us, she said, so there will be plenty to discuss. Be interesting if Abbott's Army have to return to Parliament to debate the NBN 400 page report, I guess that would be the last thing they would want to do, I say serves them right for being stupid, backed themselves into a corner again eh! See Mr Ute-Gate is horrified at Julia Gillards comments, about his 10 Million investment, what about the stinking remarks he has made, about the Government and our previous Prime Minister. Thankyou for the vote of confidence in us girls, girlies is it. My Father and Brother were coal truck drivers, so I have used the CB, they certainly were enjoyed by the truckies on their mundane trips, they were all such good loyal friends. Standing by for your next post. Cheers

Feral Skeleton

23/11/2010Aren't we lucky to have so many creative thinkers and bloggers contributing here? The future of TPS looks so bright, I gotta wear shades! :)

Jason

23/11/2010FS, As a woman what is your take on this bitchy article from that well known oil painting herself Niki Savva? http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/smarten-up-pm-and-do-not-wear-green/story-e6frg6zo-1225958810181

TalkTurkey

23/11/2010Tweety Bird Tweety Bird, the Kagey Bee back, Big 10-4 on that last over good buddy, I was just about to comment on Ute-man too: "Mr Turnbull hit back in advance yesterday, saying his critical approach to the network ”shows how uninfluenced I am by my personal holdings”." I hear an uncanny echo of Turnbull's promotion of the Republic in what was it 1999! I have always believed that he ran with the hares and hunted with the hounds on that. I reckon that by deliberate faint praise he killed the Republic. That's what I reckon. Now he's pretending to try to destroy the NBN when he knows it's more than just a lost cause, it's a nonsense, like refusing the tide . . . and meanwhile he's got, oh it's not much, only 10, on its future . . . Gravel, Thank you, I'm so glad that adventure all ended well. I feared I might end up looking a real jerk, which would've really made me feel awful, [Oh Dog, please don'tlet me be misunderstood! Isn't it the worst when your own lily-white intentions are misinterpreted! I hate that.] I really do like all these people who write in, well mostly anyway, they have the same sense of outrage as I do. The feeling that there's others interested in what we have to say keeps us writing, that can't be bad, we're not using forests with this medium.

BH

23/11/2010Relief, relief, Ad Astra. Somebody finally saying sensible things about the PM and her socalled lack of vision and agenda. I've been at a loss to understand the groupthink in the media about this, especially Bernard Keane, who I thought had more insight. The only thing lacking has been the sales pitch of the Government and, with that, they need responsible older and experienced political heads to advise them.

Feral Skeleton

23/11/2010BH, I think, despite his protestations to the contrary, Bernard Keane is slowly being captured by Press Gallery Groupthink about the Labor Party. He probably needs a holiday away from the media, as much as anyone, in order to regain a bit of perspective. I hope he gets it.

Feral Skeleton

23/11/2010Jason, Never read Nikki Savva. Don't want to have my brain sullied by her seductive scum. Anyone who was Peter Costello's Press Secretary has been too deep inside the Coalition Borg for me to take them seriously, especially when they profess to have changed their ways and turned over a new leaf now that they are no longer working for a Liberal Party MP. But, just for you, I will in this instance. Can't report back until after I come back from the Orthodentist with my son. TTFN. :)

Ad astra reply

23/11/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

patriciawa

23/11/2010I agreed with you a little earlier today about Bernard Keane, FS, and was going to write about that. But after today's Crikey newsletter which I just received I wonder if he's even living in the world of the Press Gallery who do at least seem alert to, though not overly excited about, the latest Newspoll showing Labor ahead on 2PP and our PM Gillard a clear favorite over Abbot. His 23 'headline' or featured newsletter topics make no mention at all of this. At the Crikey website I see The Poll Bludger just rates a mention about Labor 'creeping ahead' in Newspoll with equal prominence given to Shanahan's opinion in the Australian that this is 'just a blip!' I've written to him a few times now on his increasingly blinkered, nay biassed views, but I won't bother again. I certainly won't be renewing my long term subscription to Crikey this year.

NormanK

23/11/2010Ad astra What an interesting couple of subjects you've chosen to wrap up your year. Having someone lie to my face (or down the barrel of a camera) is a great insult to me and brings me as close to physical retribution as I am likely to get. No lapses yet. I see "$43 billion of taxpayers' money" is still getting a walk around the park with Uncles Joe and Mal. Dog save us from this blatant lying. This insistence on vision and agenda is also galling when it comes from individuals who are not prepared to offer at least a definition of what they mean, much less an alternative to what is being proffered. If, for example, a learned academic were to say the current government has no agenda when viewed in the context of the last fifty years of Labor politics and went on to cite examples of high achievement and the current shortfall, then at least we would have something by which to judge the comment. Unfortunately, lightweights like Niki Savva have highjacked the idea and feel free to run with it without any substantiation. [quote]"She (Julia Gillard) has to stop hiding behind the 24-hour news cycle and start driving it, not use it as an excuse for not revealing an agenda she doesn't have."[/quote] Source : Jason's link above. It seems Savva believes a lack of agenda is a known fact and requires no further elucidation. Also, is she advocating 'spin' - "driving the news cycle" - the very thing so many journalists scolded Kevin Rudd for trying to do? Curiouser and curiouser. I'll leave it to the ladies to comment on the main thrust of that article. To me it just seems petty. Your reference to Brian Toohey and Andrew Bolt on Insiders was particularly telling since they both seemed inclined to go off onto criticism of Labor policies as a means of highlighting the fact that they have none. That they can't see the contradiction or hypocrisy is lamentable. What it does signify though is that folk like that want to hear enunciated their own version of good policy and agenda settings. Toohey is obvious in his desire to hear Labor/Gillard give voice to what he (Toohey) thinks would be the right way forward. Anything other than that is flawed and not worthy of his approval and therefore, presumably, doesn't exist. Although we can mostly agree that the Coalition are a policy-free zone at present, should they miraculously find themselves in government, within a month they would have an agenda of sorts. Would it be visionary? Almost certainly not but in the same way that Labor is getting on with achieving its objectives as beat it can in a minority government so too would Abbott & Co. Frankly, outside of academia, I don't understand the call for a narrative and have no problem ascribing one to the current government based on what's already been spelled out. The whole aim of these types of criticism (apart from Richo's which I don't understand) is to give the appearance of a government which is doing nothing when in fact the Public Service must be feeling the opposite if workload is any measure. Perhaps this will go some small way to countering the 'lack of direction' argument. Out of the Wilderness? [quote]The federal government has taken many by surprise with the speed of its efforts to undo the legislative blunders that led to the effective destruction of the voluntary carbon market in Australia. The tight deadline it has set for the implementation of one of its key election promises – the so-called Carbon Farming Initiative – has come as a great relief to many in the industry and suggests that it is serious, not only about talking about a carbon price, but about doing something, too.[/quote] http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/climate-change-carbon-farming-pd20101123-BG27J?opendocument&src=rss This is an interesting article which is mostly positive in its analysis of recent moves in this policy area. Of course The Australian had to find a negative slant, quoting no less of a luminary than Bob Katter who after all is the ultimate expert on all things rural and environmental. Carbon plan 'open to rorts' [quote]Independent MP Bob Katter said the initiative would enable farmers to make hundreds of thousands of dollars off carbon credits without an absolute measure of reduced emissions.[/quote] http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/carbon-plan-open-to-rorts/story-fn59niix-1225958837901 Thanks for a great six or seven months, Ad astra. I've learned a great deal and consider myself fortunate for the opportunity to interact with such interesting and knowledgable people - yourself in particular. May your break be all that you wish of it.

Jason

23/11/2010AA, Over at the poll bludger! BH Posted Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 4:00 pm | Permalink Morrison has met his match in Chris Bowen. Nice to see Morrison exiting through the door. So Uhlmann is still reciting Opposition slogans on ABC24 – don’t let anyone tell you that the MSM at the moment is not the worst for Labor because I’ve had it today from someone who really knows the media and politics that it is much harder for Labor now – the word is that Labor knows the MSM is more feral against them than ever before. BTW – Bernard Keane is getting my goat about the PM not having an agenda. Does anyone have an email address for him. He needs to read Ad Astra’s piece and answer it. http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2010/11/21/What-does-Julia-Gillard-stand-for.aspx

TalkTurkey

23/11/2010NormanK I have come to admire you, thanks over a not-quite-so-long period. You dig deeper than I, (you dig dig too eh). Wire in the blood, you. I do know that magic can happen, (never believe it's not so) and it would be nice to find a way to give it grunt in Australian and World affairs. With Ad astra and the Girls, and the Boys like You, (and don't leave out Me), and {jj & Limpy}, and CALLIGULA for Dog's sake, we have had a good work-out eh. Education, communication, information. There are so many other sincere concerned posters, remember Ten Thousand Whispering and Nobody Listening, was that Simon and Garfunkel? - anyway there are more reading us than are writing, I doffs me cap (I mostly wear a flat cap) to all yous on the side. Now - I forget - how do I get to vote for whatever this here blogging contest is called? Someone please explain? I don't want to look it up but I do know that TPS deserves a TrueSilver Sword Award, Thanks on behalf of all Ad astra. Anyway all yous should try to make the effort to vote, I will try but I'll probably fail, my record with all such stuff is pretty dismal. But in spirit yous-all already got my vote anyway. Btw anybody can write thoughts like these, why not. I think the dialogue or multilogue rather here is brilliant, and a path to the stars. "To the stars?" What's that in Latin? Oh one thing: (on the basis of one article) I think Niki Savva has a lot of savvy! Feminine wiles are legitimately a part of Julia, and vinegarish as this Niki might be, she has an acid edge of real political nous that Julia should listen to. You don't have to like her, but she's no mug.

TalkTurkey

23/11/2010Jason you are the Rock of Adelaide, and you do. AdelaideGirl, you make 3 of us Crowies, hello? You sound staunch too.

Ad astra reply

23/11/2010Hi Lyn I’m back at last to my computer after a hot and hectic day. Thank you for your link to Dennis Shanahan’s brief [i]Newspoll[/i] announcement last night. Anything that looks like a Shanahan epiphany will be an illusion. Yesterday’s heading at 10.10 pm [i]Julia Gillard and Labor improve standing: Newspoll[/i] by midnight morphed into [i]Good news but hardly start of a strategy[/i] http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/good-news-but-hardly-start-of-a-strategy/story-e6frg6zo-1225958848509 The charade which Shanahan perpetrates [i]Newspoll[/i] after [i]Newspoll[/i] is exposed on Ash's Machiavellian Bloggery in a pointed piece: [i]Shanahan's Shenanigans[/i] http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/shanahans-shenanigans/ It’s really worth a read.

Ad astra reply

23/11/2010Jason Tony Abbott would do well in movie production – as a stunt man. He has no more intention of working over Christmas to overthrow the Government than flying to the moon. He’ll be on his bike, or in his budgie smugglers, or in shorts and T-shirt like he was recently for a division in the House. Like FS, I advise against reading Niki Savva, unless you enjoy fictional politics from a parallel universe. Groupthink is powerful, so hard to recognize and resist, even by the usually balanced Bernard Keane. With all his mates echoing ‘the lack of vision thing’, even poor Barnard has succumbed. He does need a break from the echo chamber. The ABC is approaching the point of no return in its attempt to run a 24 hour news service – it can’t do it without News Limited – it might as well say so.

Ad astra reply

23/11/2010Talk Turkey Thank you for your delightful dissertation about Julia this morning. If only the MSM would write that way. Thank you too for your kind comments about [i]TPS[/i]. It will be missed over the end-of-year break, but we need respite from the constancy of political commentary and pressure of confronting the daily chicanery in MSM.

Ad astra reply

23/11/2010BH If Julia was the Archangel Gabriel descending from heaven with a dove on her shoulder with the Almighty declaring ‘Good and Faithful Servant’, News Limited would find a nasty angle and insist on her revealing forthwith her values, her agenda, her narrative, and ‘the vision thing’. The MSM is merciless, afflicted as it is with echo-chamber groupthink; even poor old Bernard has caught the malady.

Ad astra reply

23/11/2010FS If only Niki Savva would change her hair style, wear more suitable clothes, get a benign smile on her face, discard the burden and bias of the years she spent with Peter Costello where opinion masqueraded as truth, if only she could break out of the bubble in which she lives divorced from reality, if only she could understand that making things up, that forming opinion and breaking out into print is no substitute for the facts, if only her literacy was of a higher order. If only her book sales were sufficient for her to retire, we would be relieved of her outpourings. You see Niki how easy it is to make things up and publish them without any need for facts or reasoning, how easy it is to condemn someone without any justification. Try harder to approximate the truth, uses facts and reason instead of unsupported expressions of opinion, and someone may again read what you write.

Jason

23/11/2010AA, I guess the Savva article clearly makes your case! on this subject "what does Julia stand for" Doesn't matter? as it would seem, Julia needs to look and sound as though she's on the set of "The next top model" Even though I'm younger than you not even the "Iron Maiden" of our colony of the old dart ever looked good! God imagine Bronny or Mirrabella dressed as pole dancers? On second thoughts DON"T!

Ad astra reply

23/11/2010Patriciawa You are among the rising number who wonder what’s got into Bernard Keane. If [i]Crikey[/i] hopes to retain its readership it will need to revert to its independent status and not be just an echo of the Murdoch media. We’ve seen Mumble go Murdoch, and if the usually reliable William Bowe goes that way, it would leave us with the always-balanced Possum to give us poll analysis. He’s a country mile head of the others both in statistical competence and in drawing fair and reasonable conclusions from poll data, so if he’s all that is left, that will do me.

CALLIGULA

23/11/2010AA - yours “You are partly correct about my background – not a schoolteacher, but a medical academic for many years – but my intention was not schoolmasterly; instead rather an attempt to pin you down on what your values and vision were. Now we know – whether we agree with you matters little.” Mine – Strange; I could easily believe you wanted a Napoleon Solo to play up to your Alexander Waverly? You asked. I provided – a bunch of 25 points off the top of my head. You put it to me to provide answers to Oz’s grief – for homework in 20 minutes. I accepted then, gave you something to think about. It was not perfect nor was intended to be. Nor would the present mob countenance any of it when the first line says – 1 A bill/charter/of rights – an instrument of legislation – a huge risk, I know since, after all, a few peasants might benefit. Unlike you, I am fallible and unlike FS do not mind apologizing if I make a mistake but that first line was no mistake – nor those following. But since you mention medicine you raise another of my ‘values’. What I have come to ‘value’ is an understanding of the entrenched malfeasance or might that be the employer/peer enforced conservatism induced misconduct within certain professions. Now I understand your ‘rejection’. You suggest I’m some sort of rebel without a cause – I opine that you are acting as an elitist without scruples by actively avoiding a spot of comment you’ve solicited yourself.

Ad astra reply

23/11/2010NormanK Thank you for your kind remarks about [i]TPS[/i]. I’ve commented satirically about Niki Savva above. Like so many who have written a book, she leaves no stone unturned to promote it. I have come to realize that blatant lying is stock in trade for politicians. The Coalition tops the class. Truth is irrelevant; it is what it can get people to believe that counts, and we have to acknowledge that it has been successful in promoting untruths and erroneous perceptions. Then when the MSM echoes the lies and deception and OUR ABC runs with them, what hope is there for truth, fairness and decency? What a surprise and pleasure to read the positive article in [i]Business Spectator[/i]. Positivity is possible, but all too rare.

2353

23/11/2010Interesting and not exactly complimentary article I just found in "Eureka Street" about Abbott's morals. Written by a theologian no less. http://www.eurekastreet.com.au/article.aspx?aeid=23929

patriciawa

23/11/2010Hey, the Oz published my comment on Niki Savva! @ http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/smarten-up-pm-and-do-not-wear-green/story-e6frg6zo-1225958810181 Miracles never cease! They usually don't take anything of mine. I wonder why? Come to think of it that lead doesn't take you straight to my comment which is 51 out of 71. A lot of nonsense agreeing with her, but quite a few of my mind too. Anyway for what it's worth and if it'll save you a trip to News - here it is. [quote]What bitchy rubbish! Look at Gillard in any collection of overseas Heads of Government. She is a stand-out for style and self confidence. Her smile is genuine and eyecatching. Her lovely red hair is always well cut to suit her face and her clothes seem to be her to her own liking. I wouldn't have the courage for her startling white jackets, or her strongly defined suits, but she wears them with aplomb and they seem to work in terms of visibility, which seems to be the priority. No one complained about Bob Hawke's ocker accent and that was deliberately cultivated for political gain. Why should she change from her genuinely mother tongue to a studied upper class English? She is Australian, for God's sake! And she's a good PM. Great to see that most of us prefer her natural laid back style to Abbot's frantic but negative energy. Come on, Niki, where are the complaints about his rushing into Parliament in sweaty sports gear? Will all candidates for PM have to meet Niki Savva's style and dress requirements in future? Or only the females? [/quote]

Ad astra reply

23/11/2010CALLIGULA Come on, you can do better than to label me 'an elitist without scruples', while you dear Calligula represent yourself 'a rebel without a cause' that has suffered my 'rejection'. Oh dear! Give me a break.

Ad astra reply

23/11/2010Patriciawa What an apt response to the Savva article. Congratulations of getting published in [i]The Oz[/i].

Ad astra reply

23/11/20102353 Thank you for the link to the article about Tony Abbott’s moral code. It’s important reading.

patriciawa

23/11/2010AA - not sure it's an achievement to be 'published' by the Oz, but I do get riled up by the odd article I read on-line and just have to comment. Of course once it has to be paid for I won't be annoyed by them any more, will I? Then I can live calm and serene. It must be everyone winding down. I don't feel inspired to comment in verse right now. Exactly how many weeks will you be off air? Or do you have some kind of stand-in arrangement going? If the site is closing down completely I'll certainly miss you all.

Rx

23/11/2010This Niki Savva (or is that Nikki Sava) has been a regular writer for their ABC blog The Drum. Yawn. The formula anti-progressive rubbish their ABC prioritises these days.

Jason

23/11/2010RX, Yes one in the same but if the oz or she can't get her name right what hope do I? see exhibit A below "Smarten up, PM, and do not wear green Niki Savva From: The Australian November 23, 2010 12:00AM "

lyn

23/11/2010Hi Patricia WA Congratulations, on getting published, I love your comment to Niki Savva's article, thankyou for sharing with us. Niki is a miserable, and Patricia, Julia's taste in clothes suit her very nicely I think, as you say to her own taste. You are correct about Julia's speech, it is her. I don't go for the brown cow, rain in spain, pretend I'm not me. Malcolm Turnbull takes the cake, Bronwyn Bishop, Julie Bishop, Helen Coonan, there's a few others, they sound so forced, rolling O's around their mouths. Cheers

lyn

23/11/2010Hi Ad Jeremy has Niki sorted: [i]Politics in The Australian: "how you look is as important as what you say and how you say it" Jeremy Sear, Pure Poison[/i] And you know what? While Niki’s nasty little not-at-all-gendered attacks above are pretty damn pathetic, the saddest thing of all is that conclusion. And that, based on the quality of political reporting in this country, so many of Niki’s colleagues throughout the national media seem to believe it. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/

CALLIGULA

23/11/2010Sorry Mr. Waverly, That’s the same claptrap that Madame Bligh and Jooles dish out. We reject etc.. You may not have noticed but this is allegedly a public forum upon which you solicit comment. On the face of the record the supposed laborites here dish out cack from an endlessly repetitive supply at anyone with the slightest difference with what appears to be a pre-arranged private communications code. For the chosen, backslapping ain’t in it. You brook no argument though stating this place as a forum for that argument. If I were a conservative (which I’m not) I’d be wetting myself with laughter at the antics of alleged laborites here since anyone out there could readily see the bias. I’m coming to the view that you all have to be conservatives blackening the name of socialists. You’ve been running the same dissidents for a while now apparently stuck in the same old groove. A few words from them – then BLLUURRTT – out comes the invective from the pet ‘socialists’ which you pretend to ‘manage’. There has to be a term for this sort of activity in a supposedly rational world. Agent provocateur comes immediately to mind. I’m a bit out of touch these days but we winkled some of those out up here in Joh’s day. Back then they whiteanted meetings of community groups deemed a bit pinko. I suppose the net is quicker these days. You might prove otherwise by paying attention to the actual source of sniping on your pages, then addressing that. But then you seem to wear ethos sensitive glasses at this stage. Thank you for your time.

Ad astra reply

23/11/2010Patriciawa Last year [i]TPS[/i] was 'off the air' from mid December to February. I'll let you know soon what the arrangements are this year.

Ad astra reply

23/11/2010Folks I'm retiring for the evening.

Feral Skeleton

23/11/2010How can anyone take Nikki Savva's style advice seriously? Have you seen her hair? It's like a Greek Trojan helmet! And her face-like a wrinkled Linen shirt, on a body emaciated by a lifetime of anorexia/exercise, in order to conform to a Conservative's idea of bodily perfection. As me old mam used to say, "You get the face you deserve." Oh dear, Nikki.

Feral Skeleton

23/11/2010PatriciaWA, You go girl! I wonder if Nikki Savva is the one who actually reads the online contributions? Or, is it some poor, underpaid moderator, in a dark and cramped room in the bowels of Ltd News? While Ms Savva is off concocting her next bucket of bile. Btw, I'll still be here after AA takes a well-earned break. I'll probably be going at half-pace, because I'm going to try and get in a swim at the beach every morning during the holidays. I have finally decided to overcome my aversion to the tourists and go down to the lovely little beach down the road quite a lot this summer. Actually, as Tony Abbott has decided to keep his troops on full-alert over summer, to inject politics into the heat of our days, I have decided to shadow his shadowing of the government. As Ad Astra allows, of course. :) Thus, the only time when I will not be hereabouts is when he takes the blog down for a redesign, as he mentioned previously that he wanted to do.

Feral Skeleton

23/11/2010Good back and forth from PB, for anyone who can't be jiggered reading through it all: 'Dee @ 663 I put the journalistic suck up to the Coalition more about future career choices. Coalition & Rupes empire are joined at the hip. Who runs the media in Oz? Fairfax & Murdoch. A very narrow field for employment prospects for journalists. Spot on … and all the more reason and evidence that our political discourse is crying out for an unbiased and independent voice from our ABC …. and what do we get for our tax dollars? The bloated and costly boondoggle that is ABC 24, and the ever increasing encroachment of News Ltd hacks and Coalition spruikers infesting the corridors of ABC News and Current Affairs – one can’t throw a dart in the halls at the ABC in Ultimo without hitting an ex-News Ltd journo, or fully paid up Murdoch apparatchik. Witness the appalling Insiders, Q and A, or The Drum, crawling with Coalition-friendly frauds and right wing zealots masquarading as the voices of ‘fairness and balance,’ a policy annunciated by the Liberal-stacked ABC Board of Directors, and enforced by the Coalition 5th column in senior and middle management who have subverted and suborned the ABC in the last 10 years. Instead of our ABC being a robust and independent voice standing in contrast to the biased fear mongering of the News Ltd and Fairfax media (as was the case in decades gone past) we now have the ABC cowed and coerced from within, and oppressed and occluded from without, a pale and pathetic echo of the jaundiced Murdoch media, without form or content and now virtually irrelevant as a serious news reporting team. A sad end result for a once proud and professional news broadcasting service, and one that would have the likes of Andrew Olle spinning in his grave if he could see the sorry career denouement for old colleagues of his like Communist Kerry.'

Feral Skeleton

23/11/2010Calligula, You don't have to read what we write here at TPS. As you say, it's still a free world, with a free press in Australia(sort of), and you are not compelled to be here. If you want to comment on our blogs, fine. However, you have been contributing very personal invective directed towards both myself, and Ad Astra, based upon flimsy to no credible evidence at all for your assertions. Which you then follow up with crypto-anarchic posturing, for some strange reason, colouring us here as proto-conservatives, or conservative Trojan Horses, because we don't want to storm the barricades with you. Or something. As your contributions are usually so cryptic as to give The Times crossword a run for its money. Thats when you're not making flagrantly abhorrent comments about female sexuality and women's rights. You speak about 'Human Rights', but you are unwilling to practice what you preach, as you set about villifying a woman for standing up for a woman's 'Right to Choose'. I don't have to apologise to you for anything I have said to you, what's more. So just forget about that idea for a start. Also, you can get back to me about 'Human Rights', when you have organised a Regional Human Rights Conference, single-handedly, as I have. Until then, as you say, you have every 'Right' to keep commenting here for as long as you like. And we have every 'Right' to choose not to reply to you. Finally, I resent the slur you have placed upon this blog that we here are mere parrots of the ALP line, ad nauseum. I just don't get this criticism, from the Left of the ALP and, of course, from the Right, that anyone who expresses agreement with the ALP is somehow suspect and, de facto, a mindless moron. I think I speak for most here when I say that, generally, you could say that we are Australians that support the ethos that the Labor Party espouses, and, yes, their direction and their agenda. As they have a clearly defined set of principles, and an agenda that they are following to the letter, despite constant criticism from all sides. As with Hawke/Keating, Julia Gillard will plow on regardless, despite the constant naysaying, despite the constant carping from the likes of 'journalists', and I use the term advisedly, like old vinegar tits, Nikki Savva. And you, from Planet Crypto-Anarchist, or wherever the hell you rode into this blog from, on 'Calligula's Horse'.

Feral Skeleton

23/11/2010Sorry, lyn, but I can't resist posting Grog tonight: http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/2010/11/on-qt-if-australian-publishes-such-crap.html

Feral Skeleton

23/11/2010The cynicism about politics that we hear so much about is manifesting itself in many and varied ways. This again from Poll Bludger tonight: sisyphus Posted Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 9:57 pm | Permalink I would like to express my heartfelt thanks to all the PB’ers for the sanity you bring to my world. Last Friday I had an unnerving experience at dinner with some neighbours. The subject of boat people came up and all five of them thought the boats should be turned back and too bad if the occupants were drowned – queue jumpers – bomb the boats (I think they meant with the refugees on board) – “unfortunately” we are a signatory to the UNHCR. I questioned them as to why they were so upset about 5000 (approx) boat people, told them that 70% of the Nauru Island refugees were found to be genuine refugees and asked the neighbour who does readings at the local Anglican Church whether she felt her position was consistent with her Christian faith. No coherent answer. On paid parental leave, most of them did not believe that PPL should exist, that if women want to have children they should not expect to have a career with equal pay to men. I then had to listen to a particularly infantile joke about Julia Gillard and Ronald MacDonald, and a snide comment about the size of her backside. I thought it was preferable not to refer to Tony Abbotts simian qualities as I would just be dropping down to their level. So, if there is any question as to why THE BOATS continue to be yelled out by the opposition, here, in a horrible little corner of the Mornington Peninsula, is your answer. Because it resonates. These people included retired phys-ed teachers and a retired solicitor. Once I had discussed this unpleasant evening with my sister who has worked in the Refugee Centre and has an Afghan “son”(William Angliss course graduate and now a working chef) AND a soothing visit to PB, I felt much better. To The Big Ship, I have saved your post re Uhlmann for my sister’s delight when she visits on the weekend. And don’t get me started on her bridge club mates. That is another story – I feed her information mainly gleaned through PB to rebut the crap that she has to listen to over the bridge table… Thanks to you all' * Cuppa Posted Tuesday, November 23, 2010 at 10:10 pm | Permalink 'These people included retired phys-ed teachers and a retired solicitor.' Sorry to say it. But if these are ‘educated’ people’ then we’ve got a problem. 'I suspect Australia has near a critical mass of rednecked political hillbillies. The country will probably end up with a quasi-fascist government, a massive Goebellian-type propaganda apparatus, and all the rest of the crap that comes with a ‘guided’ democracy. We’re only a step or two from that scenario right now and pawing the ground impatiently. “We” get the government we deserve.'

Jason

23/11/2010FS, As I asked last week about Que jumpers? who has private health because they can't wait in the so called normal Que?

Jason

23/11/2010FS, But I mean that in the nicest way! Abbott goes on about "people smugglers and the product they sell" or it could be said come by boat your taking a load off the camps!

CALLIGULA

23/11/2010FS – your - “Finally, I resent the slur you have placed upon this blog that we here are mere parrots of the ALP line, ad nauseum.” Mine – See, I said you seem unable to read. You’ve wasted all that time at the keyboards when I opined that based on the face of the record certain things said here are counterproductive to labor. I shouldn’t need to recite The Rights of Man to remind you. If I was employed by labor, by now I’d be wanting to ask what the problem is. Can’t you see that the abuse is not incoming your way but out-going from TPS. The last several articles are full of it in the public forum – for myself, since about when I set up my own page and suggested that some people stopped pecking away at JJ and Crispie. Anyway, some don’t stick to topic but deny me the chance to answer AA after he asked me a specific question. Strange that. Strikes me as the same tactics being used against JJ and Crispie – doesn’t give them a chance to put ideas together and must fairly put them off. Unless, that is, they are the fall guys in the play? That is becoming an interesting concept – that they play the fall guys and supposed staunch laborites/socialists abuse ‘em rigid. If so, that public display of apparent intolerance would be to the detriment of socialism. Gets even stranger. Why would a socialist do that? Just because you don’t approve of the exact wording of some answer doesn’t mean you have to carry on like that, surely? Unless there is an agenda? Tell you what. I do these classes up this way. Short lectures of about an hour with questions afterwards. We do ethics on Tuesday nights. Macchiavelli - Wednesdays Would you like a free ticket? Pls let me know which one.

NormanK

24/11/2010If we needed a further reminder that we dodged a bullet when the independents chose Labor, have a think about who would be better at handling Australia's input into the new Korean flare-up. Kevin Rudd was just on Lateline up here and he looked very worried. I can't begin to imagine Julie "do you want to know a secret" Bishop placed in the same position acting in a way that would instill confidence. We should each of us pray to our Gods and Dogs that this is resolved quickly and peacefully. I have a very bad feeling about this. FS Curious that you should put up the PB story of the dinner party. A couple of days ago I foolishly engaged in a conversation with a neighbour (a good Christian of recent migrant descent) who said he would literally sink the boats of asylum seekers because they might bring foot and mouth disease into the country and anyway they are all economic refugees who should be back home fighting for the freedom of their own country and not over here trying to take over our government. All Muslims are a threat to our way of life. Also climate change is crap because he was a farmer for fifty years and he can't see any noticeable change. I lost the plot. Suffice to say, now he's not talking to me.

CALLIGULA

24/11/2010HS – what level? – Your - “I thought it was preferable not to refer to Tony Abbotts simian qualities as I would just be dropping down to their level.” I happen to have been arguing in support of some matters with Bartlett. Since you don’t read I’ll not provide the URL. I don’t care about buttsize. I care about human dignity. You stick to your topic and let me make some useful statements for a change. You said you’d stop sniping my way so please desist while I try to lend some support to minorities and deserving refugees. Other readers, I’d appreciate you write to Andrew Bartlett at - http://andrewbartlett.com/?p=7696#comments - and lend some help.

CALLIGULA

24/11/2010NormanK I cannot blame the farmer. Meanwhile if N Korea erupts you and FS can tell our defence force to put away those nasty guns. Good to see some deep and disinterested thinking on these pages

lyn

24/11/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]On the QT: If the Australian publishes such crap, how can the Government build the NBN? Greg Jericho, Grog's Gamut[/i] But no, none of these even comes close in the race for the prize of most arse-hat level stupidity as that achieved today by Niki Savva. http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/ [i]Shanahan’s Shenanigans Ashghebranious , Ash's Machiavellian Bloggery[/i] The coalition is back! You can almost see Dennis and other political editors at THE AUSTRALIAN dancing a jig with Rupert Murdoch via satellite can’t you? http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/shanahans-shenanigans/ [i]Politics in The Australian: "how you look is as important as what you say and how you say it" Jeremy Sear, Pure Poison[/i] And you know what? While Niki’s nasty little not-at-all-gendered attacks above are pretty damn pathetic, the saddest thing of all is that conclusion. And that, based on the quality of political reporting in this country, so many of Niki’s colleagues throughout the national media seem to believe it. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/ [i]Yes,PM needs to smarten up - and it's not too difficult to do!, Dr Lincoln's Blog[/i] While the issues raised by Savva are interesting, they are issues of secondary or even lower orders as compared to real policies. http://mrlincolns.blogspot.com/2010/11/yes-pm-needs-to-smarten-up.html [i]Hurt by the dollar? Don't expect support. Henry, Peter Martin[/i] He says it will remain high for years. And the best thing to do for the firms that will suffer is nothing http://www.petermartin.com.au/ [i]JWS Research: Victorian Labor to lose seven to 10 seats, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i] On the worst of these scenarios for Labor they would hold a bare majority of 45 seats out of 88; on the best, that would go up to 48. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/ [i]Some mining royalty realism, Richard farmer, The Stump [/i] person doing the attacking is Western Australian Premier Colin Barnett who has accused Mr Henry of overstepping the mark by threatening the states with financial penalties over mining royalties. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/2010/11/23/some-mining-royalty-realism/ [i]Murdoch backs Bligh, John Quiggin.[/i] Michael Stutchbury’s piece a while back supporting the QR asset sale (my critique, his response) turns out to have been the first of many as the Murdoch press tries desperately to talk this flop up http://johnquiggin.com/ [i]Murdoch: a threat to democracy, Part 2: The US, LMathison, Political Tarot[/i]Murdoch’s political influence in the US cannot be overestimated But, despite the political power he wields in the US, and his new online paper, Murdoch is not done yet. [b]Just wait until we get to Australia…[/b] http://politicaltarot.com/2010/11/test/#more-1722 [i]The Australian: more blah on the NBN ,Gary Sauer-Thompson , Public opinion[/i] Well the hard decisions have been made--Telstra's structural separation which the Liberals failed to do when they privatised Telstra---in order to ensure competition in the marketplace. http://www.sauer-thompson.com/ [i]Australia;s 2nd tier telcos at the NBN crossroad, Paul Budde Blog[/i] The telecommunications market in Australia is dominated by three firms, Telstra, SingTel Optus and VHA (Vodafone); http://www.buddeblog.com.au/ [i]Bubble, Bubble, Toll and Trouble, Tim Conley, Big P Political Economy[/i] The recent disclosure through a freedom of information request by The Australian on Treasury warnings about the risks of a housing market collapse have stirred the pot on house prices once again http://tomjconley.blogspot.com/ BLOGGERS WAR HERE: [i]Lefty says ‘An Onymous Lefty’ is just “a bigot” and “a troll”, Iain Hall' Sandpit[/i] It looks like everyone has had enough of the Internet’s greatest expert on everything, barrister Jeremy Sear, [b]who calls himself – without a hint of irony - ‘An Onymous Lefty’.[/b]http://iainhall.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/lefty-says-an-onymous-lefty-is-just-a-bigot-and-a-troll/ [i]Pro-Greens Party Blogger, Jeremy Sear excuses Greens preferencing anti-Muslim anti-Choice candidate in Essendon, Alex White[/i] think it is now clear that [b]Jeremy Sear is not in any way left-wing. He has become one of the lowest forms of Internet life – a troll – whose sole purpose is to incite loathing and bile on as many forums as he can[/b]. Edit I’m pretty cheesed off that Jeremy not only appears to have edited my comments over at his Crikey blog http://alexwhite.org/2010/11/pro-greens-party-blogger-jeremy-sear-excuses-greens-preferencing-anti-muslim-anti-choice-candidate-in- Lefty says ‘An Onymous Lefty’ is just “a bigot” and “a troll”, Iain Hall' Sandpit It looks like everyone has had enough of the Internet’s greatest expert on everything, barrister Jeremy Sear, who calls himself – without a hint of irony - ‘An Onymous Lefty’. http://iainhall.wordpress.com/2010/11/23/lefty-says-an-onymous-lefty-is-just-a-bigot-and-a-troll/

lyn

24/11/2010Hi Ad Sorry Ad, I have posted Iain Hall's (Iain Hall' Sandpit blog) twice. Would be be delete it for me, thankyou Ad

Ad astra reply

24/11/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx Hi Lyn I deleted the duplicate post when I copied your links to your special page, but this blog engine does not allow editing of posts once they have been posted. I'm sure nobody will be concerned about the duplication.

TalkTurkey

24/11/2010"He has become one of the lowest forms of Internet life – a troll – whose sole purpose is to incite loathing and bile on as many forums as he can." (Iain Hall re Jeremy Sear, "An Onymous Lefty") When I was talking about CB radio being so good if everyone was being polite, I didn't want to spoil the flavour of my tribute to Julia and to the magical quality of 'incentivation' (!) that the best female leaders can bring to a team. What I didn't say then was that all too often, in the end towards 100% of the time, QSO's i.e. conversations were spoiled by bucketmouths - the exact-same type as trolls, but worse, you can't ignore them because they can come over the top of you. They were mindless and profane. The Fraser Gummint took our money for the despised and resented CB Licences, but did absolutely zip to discourage bucketmouthing - gave it its imprimatur, really. (The Coalition didn't like people talking freely among themselves, sound familiar?) Seems that type of * is always with us. Ignore where possible, but enjoy propulsively evacuating your metabolic wastes in their direction if you are going to respond at all. BTW I'm not judging Jeremy Sear, insufficient info, but rather dumping on trolls. Easy. They're below humans, under grotty bridges littered with unfortunate victims' remains. No mercy! Splat!

Gravel

24/11/2010HS (at 9.44pm) You spoke for me in that comment, thank you. Although it has been a long year for us politically wise, and we are all looking forward to a break, I sense many of us are going to be desolate without The Political Sword. Let us hope our time away goes well and very very quickly until we can all converse again in the new year.

Ad astra reply

24/11/2010Folks I’ve enjoyed reading your overnight comments. I wonder does Niki Savva ever visit [i]TPS[/i] or for that matter the Fifth Estate at all? If she did, she may be dismayed to read the comments that her piece in [i]The Oz[/i] evoked on several blogs. It would be an unusually brazen person who could shrug off the caustic comment that has been directed to her article. But I suppose anyone who could write such vitriolic nasty material would have to be brazen anyway. I’ll be away from my computer much of the day, but will be back this evening. I’m in the process of working out the end-of-year arrangements for [i]TPS[/i]; as soon as they are completed I will let you know.

Feral Skeleton

24/11/2010Gravel, I try to remain civil but assertive, and protective of my values, at all times. :)

Feral Skeleton

24/11/2010I knew it! Proof has been gained of a polling organisation's bias towards Conservative political parties due to the nature of their polling methods. This proof was assertained by a polling organisation of gravitas and staure in the polling world, and hence its results can be taken seriously. (Just substitute 'Liberal Party' for 'Republican Party') http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/11/pew-study-finds-republican-bias-in-landline-only-polls.php

Feral Skeleton

24/11/2010Talk Turkey, Just back from scrubbing down after doing battle with 'Bruce'. In 'Claw to Rake Combat' it appears we have both taken as our motto, 'Never Surrender!'. He with his desire to spread leaf litter as far and as wide around his 'Baby Bump'/Mound, and I, determined to rake up all leaf litter not directly pertaining to his natural needs. Every morning I spend the hours between 5.30am and 9.30am getting the kids off to school, having breakfast and watching ABC News Breakfast(for my sins!); after which I then peer out the kitchen window as I wash up the breakfast dishes to see that, after an early morning roll in the leaf litter on his mound with his lady friends, 'Bruce' has proceeded to locate a new truckload of leaf litter from somewhere in the Native Remnant Sub-Tropical Forrest, which is about 10M away from my back door, and proceeded to repopulate the interveening open space between my back door and the trees beyond, with a new load of crunchy-underfoot forrest droppings! Not only that, but he has managed to locate a long-buried treasure trove of broken beer bottles, the property of an alcoholic former resident from before my time in the house, from where they had been silently bothering no one underneath a large native fern and covered with the dirt of ages, and decided that they needed to be spread far and wide around my backyard! Which was the genesis of my ongoing battle with him. It has only taken me 3 weeks to clean it all up(well, mostly all, because he keeps finding bits and pieces that I still come across daily), and I'm damned if I am going to let him spread whatever's left of it, plus whatever new leaf litter he can dredge up, back across the yard. Hence the 'Claw to Rake Battle'. :)

Feral Skeleton

24/11/2010Jason, Huzzah! Ark Tribe has been acquitted! :) Bet there'll be some partying in old Adelaide town today/tonight! Btw, was that kid walking beside him, who looked like Corey Worthington from Narre Warren fame, in the white plastic sunnies, Ark's son?

TalkTurkey

24/11/2010FHS My Dog! You should see (no, for Dog's sake no don't) my place while I'm painting inside! Us Turkeys are really messy. Well of course I'm actually a Liar Bird, but I'm imitating a Turkey. Bruce the bird on which you so dote, he's a Scrub Turkey, blackish with big red bits? (wattles?) not the Lowan, eh? Which? Interested. Sounds like a two-timing male chauvinist, nice work if a bloke can get it.

Senexx

24/11/2010What do I think? I think actions speak louder than words. I haven't seen any action. I've seen a change in rhetoric but the Rudd model is still being followed. So why was Rudd deposed/abdicated again? So the "attack dogs" of parliament Gillard and Abbott could be elevated to first chair (main character) status. These two are the Adam Baldwins (not to be confused with the Baldwin brothers) of the political world. They just don't work as a main character but are great as second order characters.

TalkTurkey

24/11/2010Ark Tribe acquitted, congratulations Cobber. SA anti-bikie laws rolled, damn right too. Rann is weird. Ramrod up his * ?! Those laws were crazy, coulda told him that, reckon he'd'a listened?

Feral Skeleton

24/11/2010Senexx, As Dennis Glover opined in an Op Ed this week(that is, the Dennis Glover who used to write speeches for Kevin Rudd, not the Courier Mail journo), the job description for a good leader entails being able to rouse and rally the troops, especially by giving fine speeches. Which Kevin, who shook his sauce bottle but failed to produce any sauce, singularly was unable to do. In fact, his efforts were so bad that he actually told the electorate that he, at the end of the day, didn't stand for what they thought he did, and for what they still believed in. Hence his support leached away rapidly. And, as support is the lifeblood of any political party, it was decided for him that he should be replaced by someone who could better articulate what the party stood for. Same with the Opposition. Malcolm Turnbull showed the electorate that he stood for nothing and was essentially unprincipled as a result of the Godwin Grech imbroglio. He certainly didn't stand for personal or ethical standards. Thus he was replaced with another one of those Liberal 'Conviction Politicians', who are just better at disguising that they too spin with the wind, in the vein of a 'Weathervane', and hence are more popular with the electorate.

Feral Skeleton

24/11/2010Oh dear. Looks like I have some reading to do if I am to fulfill my promise to write a blog after the release of the NBN Business case. Well, at least the Executive Summary thereof. Which will do for me I think. :) Here it is for anyone else who's interested: http://www.scribd.com/doc/43832896/NBN-Co-Business-Case-Summary

jj

24/11/2010AA and the others, Can you tell me what was so horrible about Niki Savva's piece in the OZ today? She was telling the truth...and if Gillard took some of her advice i am sure it would do her the world of good. It is true that what she wears makes her look quite large. It is true that she has put on a fair bit of weight in the past few years, and as she says, a healthy mind allows for a healthy body. It is true that her hair often looks quite awful, and that she should probably get someone other than her partner to do it. It is true that Gillard must do something to stop the rise of the greens, and not just leave it to the Liberals to help them out (because hell if you arent going to help yourself then why wouldnt anyone want to help you?) It is true that her genre of comedy is that of personal slanders and bitchy comments which do not at all sound prime ministerial...at least Keating's taunts had wit, Gillard's just sound like the cackles of a witch. It is true that she needs to get some major runs on the board after he failures in the areas of immigration, climate change, NBN, the mining tax and just looking plain and weak. Sure you may not agree with it, and i am sure that Nikki wouldnt want to read any of the baseless and vile comments people on these left wing blogs post. Just as you critisise Abbott for riding his bike, wearing speedos, wearing Lycra, umming and arring; it is also right for us to make observations about this PM.

Jason

24/11/2010FS, Another great day! Ark found not guilty, haven't the courts been busy striking down all of Howard's shoddy legislation? Yes that was his son! name escapes me a long innings at the bar today! Which brings me to comrade jj, The sooner limited news goes behind a pay wall the better fancy Savva talking about the way someone looks! she should stick to what she knows best house haunting! RIP Pike River miners

Ad astra reply

24/11/2010jj If nothing else, you are predictable.

Feral Skeleton

24/11/2010Jason, On a day tinged with sadness, and especially so for me, as I have a son who can't wait to walk out of the school gates and onto a minesite(tho an open-cut mine in WA, or Argyle), I am here to report some more good news to you. As a result of Ark's courageous victory, and because you guys in the Rigging pool can't get enough of her, I have received permission to send to you all for Xmas, a limited edition(as in there's only a few boxes left!), Deb O'Neill 2010 campaign t-shirt! Send me an e-mail, via AA, and I'll get an address to send it to you. :)

Feral Skeleton

24/11/2010jj, It is true, that supporters of the Coalition are shallow and spiteful individuals.

Feral Skeleton

24/11/2010Talk Turkey, 'Bruce' is indeed a Scrub/Brush Turkey.

Feral Skeleton

24/11/2010Hmmm. It seems that now that the NBN usiness case has come in so positively, and cheaper than previously expected, Coalition blog trolls like jj, who has been in high dudgeon over the non-release of the NBN Business case, will have to bang their blockheads together and come up with a new meme. In place of the policy they don't appear to be able to come up with to any substantial degree.

Jason

24/11/2010FS, jj and the coalition can send the NBN business case off to the accounting firm that done all of their costings during the last election! Facts who needs them anyway?

Feral Skeleton

24/11/2010Nope. The Slopposition are still saying, "The $43 billion dollar National Broadband Network". Even after the Executive Summary of the Business case has been released, and numerous news reports all afternoon have mentioned the revised figure of $36 billion.

Jason

24/11/2010FS, Someone in the senate finally brings up the NBN and social inclusion. The nbn has the possibility of transforming the lives of people with disabilities. will find link in hansard tomorrow!

Acerbic Conehead

24/11/2010jj: "Just as you critisise Abbott for riding his bike, wearing speedos, wearing Lycra...". Tones is criticised, not for these per se, but for using a compliant media to substitute them for proper policy discourse. In other words, he's all piss and wind.

Feral Skeleton

24/11/2010This is a must-read, and further confirmation for my stance of never buying Apple products: http://www.alternet.org/story/148955/steve_jobs_and_apple_cut_deal_with_murdoch%2C_showing_contempt_for_core_users%27_liberal_orientation?page=entire

NormanK

24/11/2010Damn you, Feral One, damn you! My beautiful Mac feels sullied (but I'm sure I'll get over it). For other Mac users who feel the urge to contact Steve Jobs to register your disgust you could try the following method as posted by Bob G on answers.yahoo.com : [quote]On midnight during a full moon, take a brand new PC, flawless in every way, an iPod nano, and a macbook pro Rub the PC in an erotic manner while whispering Computer related love poetry into it's largest cluster of USB ports Then put the nano in the PC's disk drive, continue to utter the poetry After that get the mac book pro and turn on the webcam, make sure it has an internet connection Repeat the above, except after you have put the nano in, repeat the following phrase immediately: "retteb si s'wodniw,emal si cam" Steve Jobs should then appear to steal your soul, so he can make AI out of it.[/quote]

Jason

24/11/2010One of the most beautiful of the opposition's front bench (god I'm sick) has been told this Bronwyn Bishop had her dates wrong by a month. Long-serving Federal Liberal MP Bronwyn Bishop has complained about Parliament's schedule for next year, saying it is due to sit until Christmas Eve. But Ms Bishop has her dates wrong by a month. Parliament has today approved next year's sitting schedule, which shows the final sitting day of next year would be November 24. The Leader of the House, Anthony Albanese, told Parliament it is time for Ms Bishop to retire. "When you cannot look at a sitting schedule that you have had for days and you think we're sitting up to December 24, well let me tell you, that was one of the most extraordinary performances from someone who time has just forgot," Mr Albanese said. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/24/3075670.htm?section=justin

Jason

24/11/2010RIP Pike River Miners http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E-EiwiiAh68

Feral Skeleton

25/11/2010NormanK, Don't shoot the messenger! Save your ire for the decrepit one...Murdoch! I tells ya, give that man an inch. I mean, what could Rupert Murdoch have that Steve Jobs wants? Like the article said, 'old Family Guy episodes'? The Simpsons? Bleedin' plutocracy. :(

lyn

25/11/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]On the QT: Lift and Separate (structurally) Greg Jericho, Grog's Gamut[/i] Gillard this week does not care what you or Turnbull are saying: she only cares what Xenophon is saying, because he had the vote. She did enough to have him coming out and praising her: http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/ [i]The Negotiator, Ashghebranious, Ash's Machiavellian Bloggery[/i] in a minority government situation, it seems the right man for the job of Prime Minister is a woman and her name is Julia. http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2010/11/25/the-negotiator/ [i]How long will Greens passion last?, Mungo MacCallum, The Echo[/i] Tony Abbott has a new mantra: Labor is in government, but the Greens are in power! fact that they have rather more influence than they are used to is entirely the Liberals’ fault; http://www.echo.net.au/opinion-piece/how-long-will-greens-passion-last [i]Fielding backs Telstra bill, clearing way for NBN,ABC[/i] The Opposition has indicated it may try to delay a vote, but the Government has the numbers to cut debate and pass the bill tomorrow before Parliament rises for the year. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/24/3075646.htm X[i]enophon deal secures NBN business plan summary, Delimiter[/i] “There’s no point them wasting their time reading it, because they won’t care what it says,” she said. “We would have been willing to work with the Opposition, but they made it clear they wanted to demolish the NBN. http://delimiter.com.au/ [i]The NBN Business Case, Peter Martin[/i] Office of The Hon. Malcolm Turnbull MP Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband It is a curiously inadequate document http://www.petermartin.com.au/ [i]Death of Idealism, Neil Cook, The Bannerman[/i] the electorate’s fear of what the coalition stands for. Nothing. ' Nada. Nil. Zero. Zip. No policies, no imagination, no prayer, no invention. Only memory of the way things were and a willingness to take the country backward http://www.waddayano.org/blog/2010/11/death_of_idealism.php#more [i]When the Press work for Tony, Petermcc[/i] Tony’s aim is to be PM or more accurately put, his aim is not to have a Labor PM. Where some folk want the PM’s job to do a better job, Tony’s outlook is much narrower. http://1petermcc.wordpress.com/ [i]Early onset dementia, Massivespray, Spray of the Day[/i] If he wasn’t continuous backed by Rupert’s toadies in Limited News and their poorer cousin the ABC, he’d only be a footnote in the rolls of Coalition losers. http://sprayoftheday.wordpress.com/ [i]Our flawed Australian democracy,admin, Independent Australia[/i] our system of party politics is aggressive, obstructionist and undemocratic, and leads to poor standards of governance. This piece will give some background http://www.independentaustralia.net/2010/democracy/our-flawed-australian-democracy/#more-2783 [i]Vic Libs smart anti-Greens preference strategy, Graham Young, On Line Opinion[/i] Most political commentators were struggling to understand why the Liberals have decided against preferencing the Greens. http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=11278 [i]So it's not pretty much all about the NBN mate (except if you're the Government today) . Aussie Pollies And Their Paradigms [/i] Multiple Opposition frontbenchers were warned today due to rowdy interjections across the House. http://newparadigmpollies.blogspot.com/ [i][b]Wonkley Awards - voting now open!, The Conscience Vote[/i] The voting is now open![/b]I’d really like to thank those who nominated me. I’ve been running this blog publicly for a pretty short time – only about six months – and it’s an amazing and wonderful thing to know that readers think so highly of it http://consciencevote.wordpress.com/

TalkTurkey

25/11/2010Fielding! What a . . . well what word could encompass that Dogless bag of nonsense? But - Hallelujah! Now he done gone and SUPPORTED the NBN! Like Bob Dylan's Jack of Hearts - Can't find the lyrics but there's a line, "she was trying to do one good thing before she died" Fancy Fielding doing something helpful! It almost seems dreamlike! ly Nothing short of full frontal public propulsive vomiting on Fielding in the stocks would really express my feelings about this repulsive cuckoo whose hatching was as much down to Labor's cupidity as to the Holy Rollers' stupidity. I think of the nicest things eh. That the affairs of the nation have been in the hands of such as he and Xenophon (who ain't no lily-white golden Greek Dog neither IMO) is so disgusting, so infuriating, how do we sleep nights? It's an obscene situation, it is a terminal indictment of our whole system that it can come down to the vote of one complete ninny, of all people Fielding, on the back of one complete populist -(yes, pejoratively)- or even to three genuinely responsible and sensible blokes in the Reps. [Which they are - I think they turned out to be very decent indeed, no wonder the 2 Qlders couldn't stay in the Nats, likewise no wonder Wilkie had to turn whistleblower, these men have nous and conscience], and Thank Dog we have won the election, Praise Dog and Julia, and also got this NBN win, but needing Fielding to do anything makes me sick at heart. What can be done to avoid this sort of thing becoming normal? Nothing? One thing: I don't feature Labor ever again own-petardically hoisting itself as it did with Fielding. [TRUE: In the middle of the mid-north SA town of Peterborough is a little park, with a location map on a public notice board. Amongst the features of the town is a swimming pool, which used to be labelled:- Swimming Pool but some wag has carefully erased the 2nd m, and the g, and the l, so now it reads, beautifully spaced and cased, Swim in Poo Getting rid of Fielding in July will feel like having a long hot sudsy shower after a swim in poo. fanc

Ad astra reply

25/11/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

lyn

25/11/2010Hi Ad This another exciting day for me & everyone, there is so much information out there about the NBN, makes my fingers shake & quiver on the keyboard. What a marvellous achievement for Julia Gillard and the Government, there are still the knockers, but the win is tremendous, the reports coming in on the benefits for Australia are astronomical, it's fantastic. A little taste of one excellent report: [i]Billions in NBN benefits await, John Stanton, John Stanton, Business Spectator[/i]Students have their own personalised avatar that adjusts to the ways in which the individual student learns most effectively, then feeds this back to teachers who use the data to improve their teaching approach. http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/NBN-Co-Stephen-Conroy-Julia-Gillard-broadband-pd20101123-BG3GK?OpenDocument

TalkTurkey

25/11/2010Kiwis we feel your pain. Can't help feeling (along with many of those who have lost loved ones) that volunteers should have been allowed to go down there straight away . . . Dog knows there were plenty that would have if they'd been permitted . . . Gutlessness by firefighting chiefs has resulted in deaths by burning, gutlessness in police standoffs has resulted in deaths by shooting, gutlessness by a few soldiers resulted in those kids being blown to bits in Afghanistan, and gutlessness in rescue attempts may have caused a lot of deaths here. There is never a lack of volunteers, it's the "Authorities" who always stop them "for safety's sake" and I don't think they should have the right. Sure there was a risk, but why whould not a voluteer have the right to put his/her life on the line in extreme situations like this? Now those bereaved will never know what might have been if just someone had gone down. Jeez I would've, if I'd had a close one down there, and I don't mean to say I'm a hero, au contraire, I couldn't have lived with myself for NOT having the bottle to do it while I could. That Dad must feel so awful, beside himself with incurable bitterness. "Authorities", ugh. Firemen, Police, and Armed Services personnel are PAID to take risks, it's not something above and beyond what's expected, it IS expected of Emergency Services that they put thier lives on the line when circumstances make that needful, that's what they sign up for and expect to be allowed to do, then they're prevented by the "Authorities". This feels a bit like a shock jock rant but I've seen a bushfire get away hugely because those who would gladly have snuffed it early were prevented from doing so by the Chief. Huge loss of native scrub and wildlife.

patriciawa

25/11/2010Hi Lyn, just been to your first link and read Grog after waking up wanting to round this off which I started late last night for Cafe Whispers. Thanks for moving me forward, as they say. Or perhaps I should thank Grog! Now, there's a line for Talk Turkey! [quote]In the Nick of Time! [/quote] Hear that? Just in the nick of time The Red Queen has again stepped in, Saved the day with skill sublime. Causing Mr. Rabbit much chagrin. Seems that National Broadband Network Will proceed not much amended. But greater cause for her to smirk Is something she had not intended. The good Senator Zenophon Has lost his head to the Red Queen! Which is an odd phenomenon. She’s no star of the silver screen! Well that’s what all the papers say. Her ear lobes dangle much too low. Her hair is dyed to hide the gray. She lacks that special inner glow. Is that where Mr. Rabbit wins? His body is so bronzed and lean, Always front foot with growls and grins, The fittest pollie ever seen. Downunderland will make the choice. Who’s best for PM, has the tools? Fighter, the sloganeering voice, Or diplomat who’ll get things done, like Jules.

TalkTurkey

25/11/2010Ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh Patricia! You really done it this time! This is the best you ever rhyme! Political delicia! I dips me lid.

Ad astra reply

25/11/2010Hi Lyn What an exciting article by John Stanton. Why haven’t we heard more of this earlier, and more about why the patchwork offering of the Coalition will be unable to deliver the killer apps that the NBN will? Patriciawa, you’ve done it again. I love your conclusion: [i]Who’s best for PM, has the tools? 
 Fighter, the sloganeering voice, 
 Or diplomat who’ll get things done, like Jules.[/i]

lyn

25/11/2010Hi Patricia Love it, love it, couldn't be more pertinent to Ad's topic heading, and so very clever, thankyou Patricia. [i]Hear that? Just in the nick of time The Red Queen has again stepped in, Saved the day with skill sublime. Causing Mr. Rabbit much chagrin.[/i] Chagrin, mortified, eh! Mr Rabbit must be feeling [b]goofy[/b], he will be angry in Parliament this afternoon, and he has only got today. Acerbic Conehead might write a song, to the tune of "Feeling Groovy" Titled "Feeling Goofy". Cheers

lyn

25/11/2010Hi Ad Three more links for everyone: [i]Gillard, in her prime, pulls a career-defining rabbit out of the hat PETER HARTCHER , National Times[/i] She won the first landmark legislative accomplishment of her prime ministership yesterday. http://www.smh.com.au:80/opinion/politics/gillard-in-her-prime-pulls-a-careerdefining-rabbit-out-of-the-hat-20101124-187ic.html [i]Xenophon extracts NBN plan from govt, Crikey[/i] The 37 page document details the changes in law necessary to split up wholesale and retail components of Telstra in order to pave the way for the NBN. The total cost has been lowered from $43 billion to $35.7 billion. http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/11/25/xenophon-extracts-nbn-plan-from-grnvt/ This is the day, this is the parliament and this is the time , James Massola, The Australian JULIA GILLARD got her mojo back. She won the first landmark legislative accomplishment of her prime ministership yesterday. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/capital-circle/this-is-the-day-this-is-the-parliament-and-this-is-the-time/story-fn59nqgy-1225960579499?referrer=email

Gravel

25/11/2010Lyn Thank you again for your great links, I couldn't help myself when I read Ash's blog, I just had to respond, especially since he has only been following politics since August. That is now three blogs I have put my squeak into, and can I say "I blame you" for putting such enticing stuff up for us to read. :-)

lyn

25/11/2010Hi Gravel Thankyou so much for your delightful comment. Yes, Ash, Grog, Mr Denmore, Notion Factory, The Concience Vote, to name a few, but mostly Ad Astra, are all addictive aren't they. Ad from his Doctor's point of view, is concerned, he is causing so much addiction, I say keep on keeping on, if that's the only addiction we are afflicted with, we are going along gleefully well and happy. See Mr Goofy wants to delay the NBN vote until tomorrow, he is only trying to be seen as relevant, yet again. Cheers Gravel

TalkTurkey

25/11/2010 Sorry Lyn and AC, I couldn’t resist the challenge and opportunity of jumping into this claim! (parodising Feelin’ Groovy by Simon and Garfunkel ) (As sung by Tony Abbott) : - Ranga Girl, she go too fast! I can't accept I came in last! - Just kickin' cans and throwin' stones, Feelin' like crap and Feeling goofy Hello Rupert, got some bullshit? You're so good at pull-the-wool-shit . .! . . Ain't you got no slime for me? Wanna throw Doo-doo! Feelin' goofy! There's no deeds I'll do, No promises I'll keep, I'm loopy and pissed off and ready to weep! Let the Heavenly Father drown Julia in pee! Jules I hate you! I feel GOOOOOOOOOFFFFFFFFFEEEEEEEEEEE !

lyn

25/11/2010Hi Talk Turkey Thankyou so much, just absolutely perfect, and I can sing feeling Goofy really well to the "feeling Groovy tune". Wow! Talk Turkey you really are magic, love it: [i]can't accept I came in last! - Just kickin' cans and throwin' stones, Feelin' like crap and Feeling goofy [/i]

Acerbic Conehead

25/11/2010We’re well-versed (boom…tish!) today by PatriciaWA and TalkTurkey. Well done, guys. In rising to lyn’s challenge and to keep the mood going, I’ve added the following. Jooles is giving Tones some advice; do you think she’s wasting her breath? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwQHKpiAtvg&feature=related :- ) Slow down, you’re going to gag Give yourself terrible jet-lag Jus’ opposin’ for its own sake Lookin' the clown and Actin’ goofy :- ) Hello ‘tech-head’ Whatcha knowin? Less than nought, your ignorance showin’ Ain'tcha got more than baby-talk “Doo Bee Doo Doo” Actin’ goofy :- ) Too long on your bike Not enough at your desk You’re dappled and drowsy and lackin’ in zest Let your Question Time antics wash all over me Tones, you’re a drongo and… All is groovy

TalkTurkey

25/11/2010See the video showing Obama "pardoning" a Turkey from being beheaded - yes, BEHEADED! - for Thanksgiving?! What did the Turkey ever do that needed pardoning? What about all the other innocent Turkeys that didn't get the Presidential Pardon? Eh? The privileged Turkey was pure white, I notice. It was also male. Ho Hum. Same old story. Rest of us poor Turkeys, we're always the ones to get it in the neck. Even us gobblers, all but one.

patriciawa

25/11/2010Agreed lyn, [quote]Feeling Goofy's[/quote] brilliant! Well done, TT! I was hoping though, that you'd have rushed into rhyme for me on my "By Grog!" challenge. I need help with mine for that. I have given it a go, but I'm unhappy with the last line where I was trying to find a rhyming word that was a synonym for 'two faced' and making a glancing reference, as it were to a two edged sword, or double-entendre. A lot to hope for in a bit of doggerel, I guess. [quote]Swearing On The Political Sword?[/quote] The Tony Abbot sort of 'God' Switched me off, a punishing rod. When my last day on this earth's trod, I'll return content to its good sod. Having seen how 'believers' flog The poor, the weak, the underdog, It's good to find at this great blog Another soul who swears 'By Dog!' I too use the 'Canon Canine' - Others might prefer the 'Feline' Which some judge not at all divine. Dog's always decent, generous, fine. But in discussions analytical, On any point in Oz political, Here at 'the Sword' it can't be hypocritical To swear, "By Grog!" Or is that too equivocal?

lyn

25/11/2010Hi Conehead Thankyou very much Conehead, delectable,delightful, you are magic too. Love the tech head verse: [quote]Hello ‘tech-head’ Whatcha knowin? Less than nought, your ignorance showin’ Ain'tcha got more than baby-talk “Doo Bee Doo Doo” Actin’ goofy [/quote] I can easily sing this with the Feeling Groovy tune, I really enjoy singing the word Goofy. Big Cheers

colen

26/11/2010just visiting for a short while and the invective against any one with a liberal point of view is just as insane as usual. Talk Turkey if you were so incensed about the firechief and police and rescue crew not going into the mine in New Zealand maybe you should have lead the charge in all your stupidity. Good luck.

Feral Skeleton

26/11/2010colen, I, a Centre Left supporter, agree that the Firey's and Mine Rescue Worker's lives should not have been put at risk in order to send them on, what seems at the end of the day to be a fool's errand, to try and retrieve what would probably have been the dead bodies of the trapped mine workers. You really shouldn't generalise about us 'Progressives'. We are capable of independant thought. That's what distinguishes us from the Groupthinkers and conservatives. :)

lyn

26/11/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]On the QT: And now the end is...near, Greg Jericho,Grog's Gamut[/i] It is Lindsay Tanner interviewing George Megalogenis on the impact of polls and the 24 hours media cycle on politics. it is great viewing. http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/ [i]The NBN's historic home straight, Paul Budde, Business Spectator[/i] anybody who is following our technology-savvy teenagers will fully understand what that means; [b]full marks for the Minister who has been the key driver behind the project. [/b] http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/NBN-Co-Stephen-Conroy-broadband-pd20101125-BJ68S?opendocument&src=rss [i]THE DISTILLERY: Telstra turkeys, Glenn Dyer, Business Spectator[/i] Did you hear the turkeys crying overnight. No, not Thanksgiving's victims in America, but Telstra shareholders' blubbering tears of joy, wondering about the sharp price rise in recent days http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Telstra-NBN-Future-Fund-David-Murray-economy-RBA-pd20101126-BJQRY?opendocument&src=rss [i]'Vigorous' Journalism?, Mr Denmore, The Failed Estate[/i] Quotes are routinely manufactured, stories are beaten up to within an inch of their lives and reporters will misrepresent themselves at the drop of a hat http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/ [i]The Changing Television Landscape, The Notion Factory[/i] the ability to broadcast more sports on the digital only channels will be seen as a blow to Pay TV providers who would prefer such broadcasting be opened to them http://notionfactory.net/2010/11/25/the-changing-television-landscape/#more-1364 [i]Won’t somebody think of the Universal Service Guarantee!?!, Dave Gaukroger, Pure Poison[/i] The Australian is in National Broadband Network induced meltdown today. Dennis has declared that Prime Minister Gillard’s deal to get Senator Xenaphon’s vote is humiliating, the editorial thunders that the NBN should be scrapped on the spot, and astonishingly, a Liberal Party MP who used to run Optus doesn’t like the plan either. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/2010/11/25/wont-somebody-think-of-the-universal-service-guarantee/ [i]We Don't Swim In Your Toilet...Neil Cook, The Bannerman[/i] NBN is an investment in my grandchildren’s futures and political game-playing over fringe claims and counter-claims stands in the way of that future. http://www.waddayano.org/blog/2010/11/we_dont_swim_in_your_toilet.php#more [i]Labor stacking NBN committee, Opposition says, ABC[/i] the Opposition was furious because it wanted a final vote delayed until next year.A vote is now expected in the Senate later today and the House of Representatives is due to return to vote on it next Monday. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/26/3076951.htm?section=justin [i]Abbott cans Gillard's 'bucket list', Emma Rodgers, ABC[/i] speech to the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, she said she wanted the next 10 years to be a "decade of infrastructure" featuring the rollout of the National Broadband Network (NBN). http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/25/3076014.htm [i]Conroy adjusts anti-siphoning to reflect reality,Bernard Keane,The Stump[/i] The new anti-siphoning list is here; other documents about the changes are here. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/thestump/ [i]Messing Around in Boats, Friday Mash[/i] ‘Change of plan’ said Kris ‘the Queen Mary should be able to dock at Nauru. I’ll tell Bob Brown to get stuffed and send a campaign contribution to Tony Abbott’ http://www.fridaymash.com/weekly-mash/fly-on-the-wall/messing-around-in-boats [i]Sarah Palin:"... my north Korea...", Tim Dunlop, BSides[/i] Forget the fact that she seems to think North Korea is a US ally; this entire thing is simply incoherent. http://tjd.posterous.com/ [i]The Golden Age for Australian journalism, Mark Scott, ABC[/i] yes, the ABC should be a town hall, a commons, a place for connecting not just with content but connecting with each other. To be entertained, to learn from and to be informed by each other. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/25/3075798.htm?site=thedrum I suppose this will mean nothing, turn into nothing: [i]NT seeks probe into Abbott bribery claim , Larine Statham, News Com[/i] A spokesman for Tony Abbott provided AAP with a written response: " ... the allegation in relation to Tony Abbott is completely false". Read more: http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/nt-seeks-probe-into-abbott-bribery-claim/story-e6frfku0-1225961071651#ixzz16Kag5iNY http://www.news.com.au/breaking-news/nt-seeks-probe-into-abbott-bribery-claim/story-e6frfku0-1225961071651

TalkTurkey

26/11/2010Colen That should be Colon in your case. What you talk out of. You haven't a liberal point of view, you have a Liberal point of view. Exactly the opposite. A person with a liberal point of view would have permitted VOLUNTEERS (did you read my first sentence or was that a bit much for your attention span?) to go down the mine? It didn't need to be cops, Stupid, in fact that would have been as silly as you, it could have best been volunteers among other miners of whom there were many, sons brothers fathers and friends of those lost. They knew the mine, and they knew the risks, were prepared to take them, were prevented by those as stupid and authoritarian and ILL-liberal as yourself. An authoritarian denial of personal liberty. Now their poor dear ones will regret and resent forever that they never had the chance to make sure there was no-one alive after the first blast, because of thinking, if that's the word, by such as you. Fascist pig. Who you think you are to get in the road of those braver and better than yourself? You may decide to go solo sailing around the world, (yeah why don't you?), then if you get into strife the whole bloody senior service is put into helping you, with attendant risks and huge cost. Would you see any inconsistency? Probly not, you're a Liberal. And you talk out of your blog name. Which you misspelt.

lyn

26/11/2010Hi Talk Turkey Don't let Colen offend you, because that is what he/she is trying to do. Colen has walked out of TPS and slammed the door numerous times, but he/she keeps coming back, and what's more with the same attitude. Andrew Bolt would love him/her, there is a million people with the same attitude as Colen live there, and they even support the Abbott, Coalition and vote for them, wow! how good for Colen's comfort.

Ad astra reply

26/11/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

Gravel

26/11/2010I love all the words you have provided to the "Feeling Groovy" tune, I am now reading everything with that tune in my head. Sorry patriciawa even your last poem was read with the tune....I had to re read it again, and as it is up to your usual great standard. Anyone else waiting on the verdict from the Senate? I don't understand how they can go through all this rubbish as the Greens and Independants are all back labor, it should just pass.

Ad astra reply

26/11/2010Folks I'll be away from my computer most of the day. Back this evening.

lyn

26/11/2010Hi Ad More on the extremely interesting reports: Tony a Briber, Ken Parish, Club Troppo Federal [b]Opposition Leader Tony Abbott [/b]and his NT counterpart tried to bribe a candidate not to run in the 2010 federal election The possibility that these yokel machinations might even [b]inadvertently pull down Tony Abbott as collateral road kill should not be discounted[/b]. Some may remember that former NSW Liberal [b]Premier Nick Greiner lost his job in not dissimilar circumstances in 1992[/b], though corruption charges against him were later dismissed http://clubtroppo.com.au/2010/11/26/tony-a-briber/ [i]NT seeks probe into Abbott bribery claim, Larine Statham, SMH[/i] lead to the resignation of a premier in NSW, Nick Greiner, that this weak and hopeless [b]leader of the opposition is hiding from the media," she said. [/b]http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/nt-seeks-probe-into-abbott-bribery-claim-20101125-188m9.html

TalkTurkey

26/11/2010Lyn Bring 'em on. Ever known the Turkey not to give better'n he got? Hubris yeah but they got no answers because they're empty of decency and logic. But no, don't you worry about me. It looks like a pig, walks and smells and talks like a pig, and tastes like a pig, and its name is Colon, you know what I reckon its "posts" consist of? Lyn, don't you think I enjoy this insulting biz? I really don't like these Things who masquerade as Humans, and it makes me feel GOOOOOD to call them out. They aren't as good at insults as we are and it's lovely to think of them fuming and trying to overmatch our wit. But it isn't w-it that comes out of Colons. BTW his/her? No, its!

Senexx

26/11/2010Feral Skeleton, if you are referring to the politicians as the troops being rallied, I say they're a predictable lot regardless of whom their figurehead is. If you are referring to the political base of voters, I have not seen anyone rallied yet.

Sir Ian Crisp

26/11/2010Soon enough the cut and thrust at TPS will give way to the holiday season — a time of relaxation and quiet contemplation. At various cricket ovals around Australia wickets will be falling and solid pieces of willow will dispatch bad balls to the boundary fence. It is to be hoped that during this quiescent period AA turns his thoughts to changing the TPS banner: The Political Sword for putting politicians and commentators to the verbal sword There is a reluctance to find fault with anything associated with the Gillard/Brown government. It is also glaringly obvious that commentators who criticise the Gillard/Brown government are put to the sword and so too the newspaper that prints their comment pieces. However, those same newspapers and in some cases those same scribes who write anything containing glowing praise of the Gillard/Brown government are offered as proof that we are well governed and that Gillard and Brown represent a wellspring of intelligence. Perhaps a more apt banner might be: The Gillard/Brown Praetorian Guard for putting anti-Gillard/Brown government politicians and commentators to the sword.

nasking

26/11/2010Julia stands for the boot that's lodged up the right-wing butt of late. :) Good post Ad astra. A music thread for any interested: [quote]There’s new & newish too (and even old is new again)[/quote] http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2010/11/26/theres-new-newish-too-and-even-old-is-new-again/ Cheers N'

Feral Skeleton

26/11/2010Sir Ian Crisp, We can't help it if we wear our hearts on our sleeve, just like the Boltards do at Andy's blog. :) However, when the alternative to the Gillard government(no Brown involved, a misconception on your part as a result of not completely understanding the nature of Minority government, nor the numbers on the floor of the House of Reps), presents itself as maladroit as the Coalition, it's not hard at all to like Julia and her government openly. Also the principles they stand for. I'm sorry, but I've never been able to understand the de facto posture that avowed Conservatives, such as yourself, take which suggests that one must automatically love your side, and to not do so is heresy. Please explain? ;)

Feral Skeleton

26/11/2010This might be interesting to some, especially wrt the aggressive stance taken by Chris Mitchell, Editor-In-Chief of The Australian' : http://blogs.theaustralian.news.com.au/mediadiary/index.php/australianmedia/comments/australias_first_twitter_defamation_case/

jj

26/11/2010Plenty of good news for the coalition this arvo: Coalition in Victoria looking like pulling off a fantastic win: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/victorian-election-2010/mistakes-have-been-made-but-well-do-better-if-labor-is-re-elected-john-brumby/story-fn6wlyrv-1225961346707 Glenn Stevens, When asked about the NBN, told a parliamentary committee the public sector could use its larger balance sheet to fund a major project if the private sector was unable to take on the risks involved. But there ought to be "a proper cost-benefit analysis of that case in those instances," he said. So i suppose he must be a backward, conservative back to the future man as well! http://www.theaustralian.com.au/australian-it/rba-governor-glenn-stevens-backs-calls-for-nbn-cost-benefit-analysis/story-e6frgakx-1225961568913 The government must do a cost benefit analysis. They are willing to get the productivity commission to look at the possible effects of the privatisation of the network in the future using assumptions and models, so why cant the government do he same for the whole network? Wouldnt it be prudent? And for gods sake if it is so good then what is the big issue! As Turnbull has said, the government is getting the means and the end mixed up. Why build a network with the hope that they will come, why not build a network that innovates and changes with the needs of the community? Oh that is right, Labor knows best. Labor knows what we want to use and how much of it. It really does contradict their stance however that a market based emissions trading scheme is better than government fixing the problem! Oh but that is Labor these days, all over the place on everything!

lyn

26/11/2010Hi Nasking Gee it's good to see you, thankyou for posting link to music at Cafe Whispers we need some good music today,to go with the NBN good news, I like old is new again. My crash hot 89 dollars a month 3G wireless broadband connection, hasn't got enough power to open Cafe Whispers,let alone play the songs, when any blogs have got more than 3 videos on them, wireless broadband can't cope, even though Malcolm Turnbull and Mr Abbott said that wireless Broadband is adequate. cheers

Feral Skeleton

26/11/2010lyn, But jj says Malcolm Turnbull and the Coalition have all the answers about Broadband, and their solution, Wireless Broadband, is superior to the NBN!

jj

26/11/2010Lyn, You have just shown how exremely silly your argument is in favour of the NBN. We dont need 100mb per second to every household for you to be able to download videos or web pages. We just need government to set incentives for the private sector to improve services, with the minimum standard being 12mb per second which i dare say would do pretty well everything you would want to do at home. Do you understand that the NBN has the same minimum target as the Coalitions broadband proposal? Do you understand that for you to get 100mb per second you will have to pay a hell of a lot more than the standard service? And if you do get 100mb per second, can you tell me what you will use it for? None of your arguments make sense, everyone agrees that the broadband services at the moment are poor, but that does not mean that we have to spend $50 billion plus to build a government owned, competition stymieing network that connects to every single house in metropolitan and regional Australia.

Jason

26/11/2010jj, Links? your an impostor!this isn't the real jj! although you could be the real jj, as you have provided links to "The Australian" which these days is Australia's equivalent of America's "National Enquirer"!

Jason

26/11/2010jj, "And if you do get 100mb per second, can you tell me what you will use it for?" I'll be able to get rid of Foxtel to start with as other providers will be able to fill the void!

jj

26/11/2010Jason, Last time i checked your friend Lyn also provides links to The Australian's website when there are articles that suit the purpose of this blog. I dont see you abusing The Australian when they write something nice about the Labor Party. As for the foxtel thing, you really think it is worth spending $40-50 billion on a network that will allow people to drop foxtel because other companies will step up to compete? I think you may also need to look into what is the required speed to be able to do what it is that you want to be done.

lyn

26/11/2010JJ Who do you think you are, Mrs Judge and Jury you call people silly, willy nilly, you're the one who is silly. I want to read the Blog "Cafe Whispers", it would be nice for $89 per month to actually be able to read the text and play the video's, which our friends have provided for their readers enjoyment. And what's more, have you noticed, the Murdoch Newspapers put video's on their pages, they even post video's of Dennis Shanahan shouting cheers for the Coalition. Hundreds of blogs post video's, they even post video's of Mr Abbott uuming, and ahhing, feeling goofy. even videos of Joe Hockey's press conferences are posted, even the Liberal Parties web site has video's, of them telling us how inept and fragile the Government is, and how they are waiting for the baton to be passed, even that imagine. Oh! and you know what, they even post advertisement video's on the newspaper pages, sometimes three or four, and lots of animations, too, dam things, the pictures use up signal strength, funny that. The teenagers mobile phones make me share my signal with them, everytime school comes out, so then I can't even read text, because the page won't open. Whatsmore my broadband connection is TELSTRA. Poor JJ, you have just got confused, I know, it was because Mr Abbott, got mixed up and made a comment about his daughters downloading movies and music. That's right, I forgot, that was when he said " he is "no tech head", you see he thought downloading video's and music were highly technical, and that is all people needed to download, I'm sorry he confused you JJ. I would like to be able to read the web pages for $89 per month, and I don't think that is silly, if so there is a few million silly people out there. Anyway the NBN bill was passed this afternoon and final polish up on Monday, so Mr Abbott and Mr Turnbull will not be able to demolish the NBN because 25% of the population will be connected before the next election. All the Political scientist's have told us that the next election will be won on the NBN, poor "not tech heads" will be left in the past, oh dear! too bad, so sad.

Jason

26/11/2010jj, when I say get out of the country I mean get out of the country! The fight is over noone cares about your inflated prices or any other bull opposition shrills have to say! the battle was won in the senate today, and off to the house on Monday where the indi's there also support it! As for Lyn and her links, Lyn has no stake in them! unlike your shadow minister Turnbull who has 10 million worth of shares in a company who will do quite well out of the NBN!

jj

26/11/2010Lyn, my point is that i dont think you need to spend $50 billion plus to get internet speeds up to a level around Australia (12mb would be more than enough to do what you want to do). We all agree that our current broadband speeds are bad, that is EVERYONE; however the telco sector and the opposition have claimed that much of the improvement could be made just by changing the regulatory framework, plus some government investment to build the backbone would help fix all issues faced by members of the community. You cant claim that the NBN is the only way to go and the best way to go because the government has refused to do an analysis to find the best means of delivering universal and affordable broadband with a minimum speed of 12mb. You may want to shut down the debate about the most expensive piece of infrastructure that the Australian government has ever embarked upon but i like most Australians wants to make sure that this government does not waste billions more. With people such as Glenn Stevens and the Alliance for Affordable broadband asking for a cost benefit analysis to be done before we start down the path of a government monopoly, i believe there is still a hell of a lot more to be said. Jason, Why dont you just go away? You have never, never, never ever said anything at all constructive. I hear angry mans anonymous has got some spare spots in Adelaide!

Sir Ian Crisp

26/11/2010FS/HS, I have no problems with rusted on ALP supporters wearing their hearts on their sleeves. What does rob TPS of credibility is the notion conveyed in the banner: The Political Sword for putting politicians and commentators to the verbal sword See how the title conveys the message that no matter who it is, TPS will name and shame them. As we know, that is not the case. The pressure is on AA to come up with a banner that reflects the theme of TPS. I don't mind if it something like ALP...our aim is to mangonise the Australian people. Just so long as AA stops hiding behind a carapace of impartiality. I do know how parliament operates and I know how numbers work. I am also aware of a compact between Gillard and Brown. For the umpteenth time, I am not a conservative. I am a pragmatist. My goal would be to load ALL Australian politicians onto a barge, tow that barge out to sea and let the Navy use the barge and its cargo of pure detritus as target practice.

lyn

26/11/2010JJ You are in the past, the debate is over, the CBA is old hat, the Abbott, Turnbull demolishing policy is defunk, the enemy is defeated on this issue. Five years in the making, a long time, just because the Coalition decided to wake up in October 2010,and pay some attention to Broadband, the only thing they could think of was "Oh! we need a CBA". The Government has won, sorry JJ, don't be upset, you will just have to face the facts now, the debate is over, realize it's over. [b][u][i]The Debate is Over - THE NBN WILL BE BUILT[/i][/u] Paul Budde[/b] [quote]The BuddeComm publications provide strategic telecommunications industry business information on the telecommunications and digital economy markets covering 190 countries, 500 telecoms companies and 200 technologies and applications.[/quote] [b]At a conference in 2005 in Adelaide the then Shadow Minister for Communications Stephen Conroy listened to a presentation about the broad potential of telecommunications infrastructure and the [/b] widespread social and [b]economic benefits that high-speed broadband could bring to the community.[/b]From that moment on Minister Conroy has been on a mission and it is absolutely remarkable that, despite the many hurdles, [b]Australia will now be the first country in the world to start building national digital economy infrastructure for the next generation of Australians.[/b][b] Full marks to the Minister – he has been the key driver of the process.[/b] http://www.buddeblog.com.au/

Jason

26/11/2010jj, "Jason, Why dont you just go away? You have never, never, never ever said anything at all constructive. I hear angry mans anonymous has got some spare spots in Adelaide! " really? Just call me Tony Abbott! that's what I and a lot of people around the country hear each day, from your side nothing constructive just NO!

Feral Skeleton

26/11/2010Ah, conservative Coalition supporters, so gormless in their arrogance and insouciance. Telling us to go away from our own blog, so they can colonise it. LOL.

Feral Skeleton

26/11/2010Sir Ian Crisp, Those bleedin' politicians, eh? They're just a waste of space, huh? Tow 'em all out to sea and throw 'em the tow rope to row back with, yeh? Never achieve anything worthwhile, do they? SIC, I didn't know you were so foolish, narrow-minded and short-sighted. But keep saying it as you continue to contribute here, on your increasingly-fast broadband.

Jason

26/11/2010FS, "The left united we'll never be defeated"

Ad astra reply

26/11/2010Lyn, Jason, FS Thank you for responding to the comments of Colen, jj and Sir Ian and thereby saving me the effort. After a long and tiring week of moving an ill relative into a nursing home, the last thing I need is to sit down late at night to try to counter their taunts. You have done that more than adequately. I’m off now to relax watching TV. I started on my last piece for the year this morning, which I hope to complete tomorrow and post over the weekend.

Feral Skeleton

26/11/2010lyn, Didn't you know, jj is more knowledgeable about broadband internet than Paul Budde? She/he gets all their information from that reliable source, Malcolm Turnbull, who, the last time I looked, was a lawyer by trade and a businessman. As opposed to that know-nothing, Paul Budde;) And, would you believe it, the New Zealanders know not what they do, either: 'The NZ Government introduced the Telecommunications Amendment Bill in November 2006 to force TelecomNZ to open its network to competitors. The bill officially split Telecom into three business units from 31 March 2008, with network access separated from the wholesale and retail units.'

Feral Skeleton

26/11/2010Oh, and I haven't heard of any mass insurrection from TelecomNZ customers in New Zealand since it happened, either.

Feral Skeleton

26/11/2010Jason, If we don't stand together, they'll pick us off. That's what WorkChoices was all about.

lyn

27/11/2010 Hi Ad Sunday morning TV program for everybody: UPDATED Sunday morning TV 28 Nov - a guide to Sunday morning's political and business interviews Full program listing available at: http://sundaymorningtv.posterous.com/ Ch10's Meet the Press has wrapped up for season 2010 - scheduled return 6 Feb 2011 8:30am Sky News 601 Australian Agenda On Sky News Australian Agenda this week, Shadow Immigration Minister Scott Morrison is interviewed by Peter Van Onselen and panel Paul Kelly, Malcolm Farr and Piers Akerman. 8:35am Ch7 Weekend Sunrise - The Riley Diary Political editor Mark Riley takes a look at RBA Governor Glenn Stevenson - the man who will catch no flies in his mouth - and his performance before the House Economics Committee this week. Also, the much awaited NBN business plan finally comes out of the cone silence, to be shared with at least a few, allowing structural separation of Telstra to proceed. 8:38am Ch9 Today on Sunday - Laurie Oakes interview In his final interview for the 2010 political season Laurie Oakes talks to Foreign Minister Kevin Rudd. We expect to see Laurie back on your TV screens in February 2011. 9:00am ABC1 Insiders On Insiders this week, Barrie Cassidy interviews the Leader of the House, Anthony Albanese. On the panel: ABC Online’s Annabel Crabb, the Australian’s George Megalogenis and the Herald Sun’s Andrew Bolt. And Mike Bowers talks pictures with cartoonist for the Australian, Bill Leak. 10:00am ABC1 Inside Business & on ABC News 24 @ 5.30pm This week on Inside Business a feature interview with NBN Co CEO Mike Quigley, plus Qantas CEO Alan Joyce, and a look at Fairfax’s new hopes to make money from its on-line business. And an update of the latest news from the markets and Alan Kohler’s incisive commentary. http://sundaymorningtv.posterous.com/updated-sunday-morning-tv-28-nov-a-guide-to-s

lyn

27/11/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Journalism at the Movies: Great Scenes, Mr Denmore, The Failed Estate[/i] Arthur Jensen (Ned Beatty), who delivers a biblical tirade about the true nature of democracy and the role of the media....and this was nearly 35 years ago.... http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/ [i]Galaxy:60 - 40 to LNP in Queensland, William Bowe,The Poll Bludger[/i]: 52-48 to Coalition Neilsen: in Victoria; Newspoll: 51.1 - 48.9 http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/ [i]Victorian policies, side by side, The Conscience Vote[/i] The Labor Party is all about waste; the Coalition will destroy the public service; the Greens will make you take cold showers! http://consciencevote.wordpress.com/ [i]The rich, the powerful and media ownership, Tim Dunlop, Unleashed[/i] You only have to read Andrew Bolt’s pants-wetting post on the topic of Rinehart to realise that, for some, media is all about influence http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/41510.html [i]The NBN Can Happen Now Mate , Ausssie Pollies and Their Paradigms[/i]. After next week it will be up to the Opposition to call the Government to account when issues arise with the project and praise it if it works and is cost-effective. http://newparadigmpollies.blogspot.com/2010/11/nbn-can-happen-now-mate.html [i]Gillard + Co: an uphill struggle , Gary Sauer-Thompson , Public Opinion[/i], Despite all the pressure applied by the conservatives (ie., the Murdoch Press and Coalition) on the national broadband network no splinters and cracks have appeared and a digital economy is now emerging. http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2010/11/gillard-co-an-u.php [i]Telco reform bill passes Senate, Renai Lemay, Delimiter[/i] The bill — first introduced into parliament in 2009 — provides for the long-awaited structural separation of Telstra’s retail arm from the rest of the company, http://delimiter.com.au/ [i]Telco NBN bill passes Senate,what now?,Spanda'a Lui & David Ramli, ARN Net[/i] “[The bill] is a step in the process but even without NBN Co, the structural separation of Telstra has benefits for the telco industry,” Chirgwin said. “So it doesn’t make the NBN irreversible but the bill makes the network harder to eliminate.” http://www.arnnet.com.au/article/369380/telco_nbn_bill_passes_senate_what_now_/?fp=4&fpid=319049444 [i]Under "Abbott" in the 'Nothing Would Suprise Me' File, Petering Time, North Coast Voices[/i] as far as I can tell the story hasn’t yet registered with the Canberra Press Gallery so Abbott hasn’t been questioned. http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/2010/11/under-abbott-in-nothing-would-surprise.html [i]Cheap Shots And No New Ideas, Ben Eltham, New Matilda[/i]. And the coming term holds many pitfalls for Tony Abbott. In modern politics, no leader can survive a sustained run of bad polls. The man to lead the Opposition to the 2013 election could easily be Malcolm Turnbull — or Scott Morrison. http://newmatilda.com/2010/11/26/slogans-not-policies-0 [i]Reform Agenda, David Horton, The Watermelon Blog.[/i] The drivers of all policy” you see. Or, as Rupert Murdoch said in a speech more recently, the only role for government was to “get out of the way of business”. http://davidhortonsblog.com/2010/11/26/reform-agenda/ [i]The Australian's War on Science 51: The Chris Mitchell effect, Tim Lambert, Deltoid[/i] Chris Mitchell apparently felt that these remarks needed more publicity, so the Australian reports: http://scienceblogs.com/deltoid/2010/11/the_australians_war_on_science_52.php [i]The ‘torture’ of writing about climate change at The Oz, Andrew Dodd, Crikey[/i] The Australian confirms that Mitchell will sue Julie Posetti for defamation. The paper reports that Posetti could not be reached for comment. http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/11/26/the-torture-of-writing-about-climate-change-at-the-oz-one-journos-story/ [i]News Ltd writer fatuously compares Koori Court with "Apartheid", Jeremy Sear, Pure Poison[/i] you know, “apartheid”, the Afrikaans word for the white South African policy involving the oppression of black people including through violence and murder). http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/ [i]Reserve Bank Governor's Statement to House of Reps Economics Committee, AustralianPolitics.Com[/i] This is the text of the opening statement to the House of Representatives Standing Committee on Economics by Glenn Stevens, Governor of the Reserve Bank. http://australianpolitics.com/ This is a good read for anyone interested in the Eureka Stockade: [i]The Eureka Stockade and the Australian Republic, Admin, The Independent Australia[/i] The Eureka Stockade brought the issue of republicanism and revolution dramatically into the public spotlight. http://www.independentaustralia.net/

TalkTurkey

27/11/2010Doggammit, the polls in Victoria! Are too many Aussies terminally stupid, do you think? You'd think they knew what was good for them. False consciousness - the artificially-cultivated belief that you're one of the better type of people, better off, cleverer, a winner, cleaner, an exploiter rather the reverse - false consciousness is where the Rotten Right gets its vote. Makes me sick. Can you imagine though, Victorians ending up with THEM, just when the Gillard Government is hitting its straps! C'mon Vics, can the home of Aussie Rules (this, from a Croweater!) really want to go back to THAT? Dog, Murdoch must be laughing with delight at the way Australian governments jiggle when he jerks their strings. Which is ALL THE TIME. Any win by the Right, and any win by the Left when he wants it, is his win. A voluntary non-Aussie. Makes me sick. Makes me sick. But Gillard's Government IS hitting its straps, Dog they've got so much talent, they're a wonderful team really, the Labor Party has much to be pproud of in the quality of Feds who get preselected. That is down to the good sense and decency of US leftish types, you know. Yes Limpy and jj and Colon we're basically staunch Lefties around the Sword mostly, doesn't mean we can't tell a good argument when we hear it from other points of view, it's just that your mob of creeps and drongoes haven't the nous or education or decency to come up with arguments or ideas that cut any ice with people with proper scepticism and goodwill. Imagine in face of all the good that the Gillard Goverment is doing and will do, that the Vics mught oust Brumby today! Hopefully not but the very thought of the possibility makes me sick. *********************************************************************** This silly Dog thing makes me realize how much people say G . . . . G . . . . guh gurgh gruh grnh . . . .I can't bear to say the word . . . but how often they/we refer to a delusory Being they/we don't even mostly believe in, or if they (not we, I don't) do, they're bloody insane at root, cos BELIEF IN MIRACLES IS just bloody INSANE! Dog I wonder about religious people. Thinking back, I reckon just about all the political crazies are also religiomanes. What about we redeploy the Crisp Final Sanction for politicians instead for fundamentalists and "load ALL Australian religious fundamentalists onto a barge, tow that barge out to sea and let the Navy use the barge and its cargo of pure detritus as target practice." Yeah right Limpy. About your standard of solution. Why don't lefties think much of your thinking? Can't think.

Ad astra reply

27/11/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

jj

27/11/2010Victoria looks like a hung parliament at the very least, a coalition Victory looks now the second most likely outcome. Good on the Victorians for considering chucking out a government headed by an arrogant self-righteous Premier. As for the NBN we now have the governor of the RBA, the head of the Future Fund, the head of AAPT, the head of the Alliance for Affordable Broadband amongst many, many other industry experts all calling for a proper cost-benefit analysis to be done. So no the debate is not over. A cost benefit analysis can be done whilst the network is still being built, and it will not be too late if the Productivity commission is able to report back in a years time to be able to halt the scheme. And for those that say that a cost-benefit analysis is not needed, and involves too many assumptions, last time i checked that was what both the business case and the analysis used as the basis for their reports (as do all other companies when deciding on where they should spend their money to get the greatest gains). Have any of you ever heard of opportunity cost before? That was what Glenn Stevens was talking about when he appeared before the parliamentary committee yesterday. But i suppose Glenn Stevens is a right wing Liberal lover so what he says i suppose doesnt stack up with someone like one of your left wing blog mates say about the NBN.

lyn

27/11/2010Hi Ad This is good news for the NBN, work is commencing in lots of places: [i]NBN Co chief hails key milestone, Clancy yeates, SMH [/i] On the south coast, for instance, NBN Co is digging some of its own trenches and ducts instead of using Telstra's infrastructure. After yesterday's vote, NBN Co can formalise a $13.8 billion deal with Telstra, allowing the network to use infrastructure owned by the telco giant. http://www.smh.com.au/business/nbn-co-chief-hails-key-milestone-20101126-18at4.html

Sir Ian Crisp

27/11/2010TT, it's 3:12pm on Saturday so it's a little early to be calling the result of the Victorian election. Who knows, maybe after the horrendous death toll as a result of those terrible bushfires Victorians are ready to punish a government that didn't manage the estate. And who can forget the Brumby wildlife b-b-q which saw thousands of animals perish in the bushfires. Maybe Victorians have had enough. At about 8pm tonight we might know the answer.

Acerbic Conehead

27/11/2010Im gonna...

Acerbic Conehead

27/11/2010...hit the...

Acerbic Conehead

27/11/2010...double...

Acerbic Conehead

27/11/2010...ton... YEAH!!!!

lyn

27/11/2010BIG HOORAY FOR ACERBIC CONEHEAD Congratulations you are number 200, couldn't have happened to a nicer person, clap, clap, clap, hooray, hooray. You get a lovely bunch of coconuts, that is the prize today. Conehead can we have "feeling groovy" goofy, coconuts

Jason

27/11/2010Not only did the Labor party cause the deaths of four workers caused countless house fires under the insulation scheme, Greg Hunt et al never mentioned that more than a quater of these companies underpaid their workers! http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/11/27/3078117.htm?section=justin

TalkTurkey

27/11/2010Dog, imagine going through life with a mind, if that's the word, like that of Limpy Crisp. I had a look at a few of your earlier posts Limpy old cock, you don't get no better eh. But in your last helpful over you raise the issue of the Victorian bushfires(or those in SA NSW and Tassie for that matter.) Good man Limpy, a donkey might stumble across a gold nugget it's true. Because I've always wondered, (hey this is no way in any sense on subject but blame Limpy), why the hell are not the Armed Forces deployed to fight fires? Does anyone know? What's this Department of Defence all about? I'd really like an explanation. Does anybody think that in China the Army would stay uninvolved in national emergencies? Are Our Boys, oh and Girls of course, too good to deploy in such mundane pursuits as saving homes and lives within our own boundaries? Crisp Almighty, we got submarines and jet fighters, heavy-lift helicopters and big planes, tens of thousands of able-bodied combat-ready people in uniform, sappers and experts in all fields, yet the bushfires rage on and on and all that those people ever do is polish those hyperexpensive machines and their nice smart boots. Wonder what Colon's take on this might be. Crisp Almighty, ha ha. You been elevated to my own status Crispy. Remember Bruce Almighty? Me.

Sir Ian Crisp

27/11/2010Settle down gobble. The people of Victoria pay state taxes so that the leader, a person known as the Premier, can equip and train people to deal with fires. Of course that means that a controlled burn off might be needed from time to time. Maybe if the person known as Premier spent more time managing his state and less time flying those dangerous fact-finding-missions overseas the air would not be filled with the smell of b-b-qued wildlife. Gee gobble, fancy a polly actually doing his or her job properly. It will never happen.

TalkTurkey

27/11/2010Lyn, AC Cheated! Looking forward to your jumping into #1 spot asap. You're already #1 in other ways. Only you give us too much homework! Dog, your list this morning is webildering! BTW All, I don't know how this will go down, I know what construction some might put on it, [sad, (honi soit qui mal y pense, *'s!)], but if anyone of Yous wants to write to me during the Blackout (which I'm not sure about the details of or if) then you know my site, and you got my email address. Anyone who does, and that includes jj and Limpy, if you let me know your postal address I'll send you, GRATIS (CALLIGULA that means FREE), a copy of my pretty little bookie of verse, Brucie the Bilby, which is good for human brains and Aussie wildlife. Clicking on TalkTurkey below seems to get me too. I didn't realize that until recently. H'mmm. Surprise!

Bilko

27/11/2010AA when are you doing a piece on what does Abbott stand for? on second thoughts belay that he stands for anything that will get him elected

TalkTurkey

27/11/2010Victoria's election results now coming in. Not real good. Just gotta wait now. Ad astra, it seems to me that You have hosted quite a remarkable event this year. Never having blogged in this sense before, and only having come into the picture since about the onset of Julia's accession, and acknowledging that many have been posting their thoughts for much longer, and given that the year has been so amazing politically, that the Sword has been so magnetic, the contributors so original if in some cases so strange, all that, isn't it that We(/You!) should put together a Big Wrap of the Year, an Archival Cyber-Capsule for Posterity . . ? . . Either as a collective effort, or otherwise contrived . . . It seems to me to be a history well worth a reflective summary, especially with the wealth of writers comprising this odd community. Looks like Brumby's horse has bolted. No pun on Bolte, but let it stand. Humour, bah! Damn. Can't be helped. Labor will soldier on, whatever. Thank Dog we got Julia. But for Victoria? (Turkey shakes head and gobbles sadly.) So the year is going to end on an Up for the Feds but a Down for Victoria, and a Down for Labor generally. Crisp Almighty, how many States are we going to hold in a year's time? People all eating out of Murdoch's hand, feeding the Packer money-gobblers voluntarily against all logic . . . Seems like, what is the use eh. Never mind Comrades! Venceremos! Damn though. Damn. Gloat now jj, Limpy, Colon, all you *'s, we in the Left understand very well the adage, In Defeat, Malice - In Victory, Revenge! So have your gloat while you can. Labor will always be back. Back to what I was saying, sadder now. Ad, what do You think? It's up to You really. Others might have opinions too? 'Reflections in the Sword?' Before 2010's sun sets?

jj

27/11/2010Looks pretty well assured now that the Coalition will be the governing party of Victoria tomorrow...next one to go is NSW. As Antony green said, if this is what has happened to a pretty competent Labor government than by god will Labor be get a flogging in March. I predict that the Labor party will be able to count its members on two hands after the State election is over.

Acerbic Conehead

27/11/2010Hey, TT, there’s only the quick or the dead around here...heh...heh... And lyn, funny you should award me a lovely bunch of coconuts, cos the Pommie cricket captain, Andrew Strauss, is so worried about the Aussie bowlers, he’s made an unusual request to Peter Siddle (who took six Pommie wickets): instead of bowling the usual balls, and hoping this will give them a bit of a chance, he’s asking Pete to chuck down some coconuts instead. Sing along with “Waltzer” Strauss as he delivers his cricketing bomb-SHELL (boom...tish!). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-1AE9mwEwM4 :- ( Down at the Gabba fair, yesterday I was there When I begged Pete Siddle, our batmens’ lives to spare – :- ( “Just bowl that lovely bunch of coconuts There they are all standing in a row Big ones, small ones, some as big as your head Give them a twist, a flick of the wrist Couldn’t hit a ball if we were paid :- ( Just bowl that lovely bunch of coconuts Every one you throw, will get us outta the ditch Standing at the crease, my nerves all a-piece Singing: roll a bowl a husk a penny a pitch :- ( Roll a bowl a husk a penny a pitch Roll a bowl a husk a penny a pitch Roll a bowl a husk, roll a bowl a husk Singing roll a bowl a husk a penny a pitch”

Ad astra reply

27/11/2010Folks I see the inevitable gloating has begun. AC It's comforting that at least at the Gabba there was some joy today.

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27/11/2010Folks I've just posted [i]Is Australia becoming ungovernable?[/i] http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2010/11/27/Is-Australia-becoming-ungovernable.aspx

patriciawa

28/11/2010Talk Turkey - sorry but one doesn't get to you via your sign-off. Nor do all of us have your site and email address. I would particularly like to see your book of verse. So can you refer us to where your info appeared or with AA's kind permission repeat it for us? I'm a very new chum here at TPS and had not realised that you were not a much longer term contributor. Seeing your reference to 'Honi Soit Qui Mal y Pense" reminds me of a 'pome' I did for Larvatus Prodeo when Malcolm resigned after the 'defeat' and which passed uncommented on. Had it been here in your time I'm sure you would have appreciated it. I hope AA will forgive my taking advantage of this opportunity for a second airing! [quote]Malcolm Calls It Quits[/quote] However Liberals tell the tale, with whatever a nuance, Their knives of treachery still killed their last and only chance. So Malcolm Turnbull’s leaving now, tired of the dance. See how they rush to praise him as a man of excellence. Lean and hungry Abbott, new leader well ensconced, Graciously describes him as a man of the Renaissance. Malcolm says his ‘au revoir’ and waves with nonchalance, ‘Noblesse oblige’ personified! ‘Honi soit qui mal y pense.’ PS I am still waiting for your response to[quote]Swearing on the Political Sword[/quote]which I wrote specially for you anticipating your immediate and usual witty reply. I know you were pre-occupied [quote]actin' goofy[/quote]and then undergoing [quote]colonic irrigation[/quote]but I do hope you're over all of that and can think about articles of faith, swearing and the like.

patriciawa

28/11/2010Bruce! Just woke up remembering! Of course you told us only this week about your site. I did follow up but my server couldn't take me any further than the home page of Ozzigami! I also resolved to change my server and forgot to do it! How could I have forgotten your name after all the fun of its revelation? Obviously very easily! That is a symptom of this aging brain! Thank goodness writing leaves a record through which one can retrace one's steps. Now let's hope I can get back to sleep! I normally sleep like a log, so something is ticking along there in the old grey matter trying to keep me on track!

patriciawa

28/11/2010PS Re-reading the Malcolm 'pome' now with the perspective of time I can see why it didn't get much attention! And of course L.P. is not a site with many likely to sympathise with Malcolm. In the context of AA's new thread and my sense that he's right that the 'ungovernableness' of Oz is about the abandoning of old standards, particularly on the right, Turnbull would be a happier man today had he not changed his mind. A lot of us who had admired his work for the Republic even at LP have gone sour on him, of course. Still, I’ve loved watching Malcolm’s efforts to climb the slippery pole of political ambition. So when he decided a couple of months later to stay and to contest the election I did a comeback version for him. And later when he accepted a position in Abbott's shadow cabinet I did a third episode! [quote]Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense (2)[/quote] So Malcolm Turnbull has decided to rejoin the dance. Tony Abbott as leader now is not so well ensconced. He’s seen as too mercurial for more than just the nonce. Does he regret describing Mal in terms of excellence? And that ironic compliment, 'man of the renaissance?' ‘Cos there he stands indeed ‘reborn’ and full of nonchalance. However Mal explains himself, in whatever a nuance, Which one of them will be the Liberals’ last and only chance? [quote]Honi Soit Qui Mal Y Pense (3)[/quote] So Malcolm Turnbull has decided to seek another chance From Tony Abbott, now as leader clearly well ensconced. Yes, he’s the man for PM almost half the country wants, Who once had ousted Malcolm, ‘man of the renaissance.’ So what will Tony offer him Mal won't look at askance? Why not the N.B.N. and Labor’s extravagance? Commentators shake their heads on hearing his response. Surely, success with that will his rival’s power enhance With little gain for him and his own career advance. Oh why had he not heeded old friends and Republicans Who warned, “The price of being Liberal is infernal vigilance!’ Now it looks like Malcolm could 'get another chance.' and I’m itching to do one in which someone delivers to Abbott that final blow ‘with a sword’s edge sliding glance’ or however he ‘manages Tony Abbott’s final comeuppance!’ Good night! No good morning - it's almost three thirty here! Even the cat has got up and gone outside!

patriciawa

28/11/2010lyn, you're too kind! Middle of the night stuff there. But you have given me an idea; perhaps I can tidy those three into a sequential post with some dates and brief notes on the events around each, so far and when there is another challenge or Malcolm finally bows out it could be ready to go and with a Version (4) ready to roll. Or maybe while AA is away Feral Skelton could use it. I would also love to see what Acerbic Conehead or TT and others here would come up with in response. I always love their stuff. I started doing these 'pomes' as I call them in January this year in what I guess was the 'silly season' for LP when they ran a political satire verse competition. My very first effot was a shameless parody on a Shakespearean sonnet on Malcolm who had just been ousted by Abbott. It seems light years ago now, but less than 10 months, and he was with Lucy in South America visiting Machu Pichu at the time. That, in view of your encouragement, I will reprint now for a Sunday morning giggle. [quote]Malcolm’s Musings[/quote] (With apologies to W.S.) . When in disgrace with polls and Party eyes, I all alone beweep my outcast state, Troubling Machu Pichu with my bootless cries, And Lucy cannot comfort me, sweet mate. Wishing me like to Tony, rich in hope, Could surf like him, like him with pecs possess’d, Resenting Howard’s part, and Minchin’s role, When that great wealth I have now helps me least: Yet in these thoughts myself almost despairing, Julie, I think on thee, and Joe’s great weight, With Coalition friends like Barnaby rejoicing, Bronwyn, Wilson, all confident of late, Your joint capacity such comfort brings I smile to know you’ll make a mess of things.

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28/11/2010TT Sorry I missed your comment last night - I was preoccupied with writing [i]Is Australia becoming ungovernable/[/i]. In fact I saw this piece as my swan song for 2010, focussing as it does on how possible it is govern a country when there are so many conflicting forces that fight against each other, and that frustrate any reform that has the possibility of inconveniencing anyone. Feral Skeleton will have a piece this coming week. I won't be in a position to summarize the year as I'm off on a short break this coming week, but it may be useful to give bloggers here the opportunity to reflect on the year with [i]TPS[/i]. I'll think about that. I'm pleased that you have enjoyed your time with us.
How many Rabbits do I have if I have 3 Oranges?