When will Tony Abbott fill the gaping void in his latest slogan: Hope. Reward. Opportunity?

The image of would-be Prime Minister Abbott as a hollow man, a lightweight on policy, and an economic dilettante would not have been diminished, let alone erased by his address in Canberra to the National Press Club of Australia: HOPE. REWARD. OPPORTUNITY. at the end of January. Here’s why.

‘Hope’, ‘reward’ and ‘opportunity’ are fine sounding words, embracing as they do laudable concepts, worthy aspirations that most citizens would applaud.

Regrettably, Abbott’s use of these admirable goals perpetuates his superficial three-word slogan approach to politics. He and his minders know that such short snappy cascades will be memorable, even if policy-poor. As were his other three word slogans: ‘Stop the Taxes’, ‘Repay the Debt’ and ‘Stop the Boats’. They stuck in people’s mind. So we ought not to be surprised at a reprise of such Coalition sloganeering.

Let’s see then if there is any substantive underpinning of these aspirations as we read through the rest of his address. Not all of it can be reproduced below, as that would make the piece too long, but the full text is available via a link at the end. There you can assess the whole address yourself.

It should be acknowledged at the outset that this address was presented as Abbott’s and the Coalition’s view of the past, and their vision of the future under a Coalition government. So it would be unrealistic to expect it to be redolent with detail. Nevertheless it is not unreasonable to expect some hint of how the vision would become reality and how much it would cost. Readers will be disappointed at their almost complete absence.

Abbott’s speech is in italics. My comments/questions are in bold.

”Here in Canberra, we must never forget that our task is to serve the Australian people. The political battles we have to fight are but a means to that end.

“Almost every day for the past two years, my colleagues and I have been listening to you, the Australian people.

“You’ve told us about your lives, your families and your hopes for the future.

“Since the last election, I’ve visited 215 businesses, I’ve held 43 community forums, and I’ve hosted 33 local morning teas.

“My senior colleagues have done many more.

“It’s clear to us what you, our fellow Australians, want:
- you want less pressure on your cost of living;
- you want more job security;
- you want our borders under control;
- you want stability and certainty returned to decision-making; and
- you want leaders you can trust.”


It would be hard to quibble with the first two 'wants' – they are motherhood statements. The last three will resonate with some, but they imply that our borders are not under control, that decision making now lacks certainty, and that trust in leaders is lacking – the first batch of Abbott’s barbs. He subtly introduces into his assessment of what the people want a condemnation of the present Government. So much for his stated intention to replace negativity with the positive Mr Abbott! He either can’t help himself, or his words are deliberate.

Let’s now take a look at the Abbott plans:

“Our plans for a better Australia are our response to you. The carbon tax will be gone – so power prices will fall.”

A promise easy to make, but problematic to implement. His theoretical assertion about falling prices will likely never eventuate. And of course he makes no mention of the negative effects on carbon pollution of removing the tax. Nor is there any mention of the removal of compensation.

”The mining tax will be gone – so investment and jobs will increase.”

Again, a confident pledge that may never come about, and another assertion not founded on fact. In fact, since the mining tax was introduced investment and jobs have already increased – why will they now increase when it is stopped? No rationale is offered.

”The boats will be stopped – because what’s been done before, can be done again”

Here again the assumption, one that the Coalition has made for ages, is that reintroduction of the Howard three-headed routine will have the same effect as it is believed it did a decade ago. No evidence is offered; we are expected simply to swallow this because of its superficial plausibility.

”And the budget will be back in the black – so government has the resources to deliver the services that are really needed.”

There it is: a confident assurance, without caveat, without qualification, without an explanation of how they will deliver their surpluses. Joe Hockey insists there will be a surplus in his first budget.

”Our vision for Australia is about you.

“Our ambition is for more empowered, more capable citizens – rather than bigger, more interfering government.

“This is the golden thread that runs through all our policy commitments.”


These are bland, motherhood statements that anyone could make. They are devoid of buttressing facts and reasoning. They are nothing more than hollow statements, empty aspirations. There is no hint of how a Coalition government might empower citizens.

”Lower taxes, less red tape, more opportunities for work and more responsive schools and hospitals reflect our trust in the Australian people to know what’s right for them.”

Make of that what you can, but don’t ask how taxes are to be lowered when all we have heard from Abbott is increased taxes, or how red tape will be lessened, or how more opportunities for work or more responsive schools and hospitals are to be had. We will have to wait patiently for that detail!

Government is important – my colleagues and I are in the parliament because it matters and because we care about our country – but, in a democracy, the people must come first.

“My colleagues and I want to reach out to all the decent people of our country to reassure you that government can have your best interests at heart – rather than just its own survival.

· We respect the commitment that working people bring to each job.
· We know Australian families’ struggle just to make ends meet.
· We honour the contribution that older people have made to our country’s strengths.
· We admire the way that small business people will mortgage a home to serve customers and employ staff.
· We understand that farmers are the original conservationists.
· And we are proud of the migrants who come here, from the four corners of the earth, not to change our way of life but to share it.


Look at the assumptions underlying these persuasive statements:

… best interests at heart – rather than just its own survival, implies that ‘survival’ is the only aim of the Gillard Government, and that it does not have the best interests of the people at heart.

“Families struggle just to make ends meet”.

Do all families? Why not “some families…”

As Australians, each of you has a right to elected leaders who are straight with you and who don’t waste your money.

Of course, but the implication is that the Gillard Government is not ‘straight’ and wastes your money. So he gives some well worn examples:

”Before the last election, the government promised that it would deliver a budget surplus but no carbon tax. In fact, it’s delivered a carbon tax but no budget surplus.

So my pledge to you is that I won’t say one thing before an election and do the opposite afterwards because fibbing your way into office is what’s brought our public life into disrepute.


Tony Abbott would never lie to the people, would he?

“Should the Liberal and National parties win the next election, we will restore the hope, reward and opportunity that ought to be every Australian’s birthright.

“It all starts with a strong economy. A more productive and more competitive economy means more prosperity for everyone to share.

“The Coalition understands that it’s the hard work of ordinary people, not government, that generates wealth.

“Government’s job is to make it easier, not harder, for business to be more productive.

“The Coalition understands that every dollar that government spends is a dollar taken from you in taxes today or two dollars taken from our children in a few years’ time when the debt has to be repaid.

“That’s why government has to be as careful with its spending as you are with yours – and why government has to be as keen to boost national income as you are to boost family income."


Here we have a repeat of the initial slogan and more motherhood statements, replete with thinly-disguised barbs. Then as night follows day, we have a set of negatives:

“For this government, though, the solution to every problem is more spending, more taxing and more borrowing – even though you can never cure too much debt and deficit with yet more debt and deficit. As every family knows, it can’t be Christmas forever. Eventually, February comes and the credit card has to be paid off.

“A stronger economy is not an end in itself – but it is the necessary foundation for the better services, stronger borders, cleaner environment and modern infrastructure that everyone wants.

“So Australia’s challenge is to realise our economic potential so that we can all enjoy the benefits that prosperity brings.

“Two budgets ago, the government promised to deliver half a million more jobs within two years.

“It’s achieved less than a third of that with just three months to go.

“Since 2007, GDP per person has grown at only one third of the rate achieved under the Howard government, which now seems like a lost golden age of prosperity.

“Australia’s multi-factor productivity has actually declined by three per cent over the last five years.

“People are saving at levels not seen in 20 years because no one trusts this government to save and few believe its claims that the economy is in good shape.

“In 2004-5, with unemployment at about five per cent, the Howard government delivered a surplus of one and half per cent of GDP despite terms of trade almost 40 per cent lower – yes, lower – than last year when the Gillard government delivered a deficit – a deficit – of three per cent of GDP.

“The Prime Minister was right when she said that “you can’t run this country if you can’t manage its budget”. So when the Treasurer finally admitted that his “come hell or high water” surplus wouldn’t happen, the government branded itself an economic failure."


Having slagged off the Government comprehensively, Abbott now indulges in self-adulation.

“Unlike this government, the Coalition can deliver a stronger economy because we understand that governments have to live within their means. It’s in our DNA – as the record shows.

“The Coalition’s last eleven budgets delivered ten surpluses.

“This year’s deficit will be Labor’s eleventh in a row.

“The Coalition can keep government spending in check because we’re not beholden to the Greens.

“And we can make the economy more productive because we’re not dependent on the unions.

“Let’s be clear. The coming election will be a referendum on the carbon tax. Above all, it will be a referendum on economic management because stronger economic growth is what government has to deliver."


Coalition strategists have these chunks of boilerplate that they drop into Abbott’s addresses ad nauseam. We have heard them all before, endlessly. What follows is Abbott’s preamble to his plan.

“Here at the Press Club 12 months ago, I outlined the Coalition’s plan for a stronger and more prosperous economy, and a safe and secure Australia… positive plans for a stronger economy, stronger communities, stronger borders, a cleaner environment and modern infrastructure.”

Here, would you believe, is ‘the plan’:

"So far, the Coalition has made literally dozens of big policy commitments:
- We’ll abolish the carbon tax – because it’s the quickest way to reduce power prices.
- We’ll abolish the mining tax – because it’s the quickest way to boost investment and jobs.
- And we’ll cut red tape costs by at least $1 billion a year – to give small business a much-needed break.
- By restoring the jobs growth of the Howard government, there’ll be two million more jobs over a decade.
- There’ll be border protection policies that have been proven to stop the boats.
- And there’ll be revitalised work for the dole.
- There’ll be a swift start on Melbourne’s East-West link, on Sydney’s WestConnex and on Brisbane’s Gateway motorway upgrade.
- And the Pacific Highway will finally be duplicated well within this decade.
- We’ll reduce emissions by planting more trees, delivering better soils and using smarter technology rather than a carbon tax that just sends our jobs overseas.
- There’ll be a one-stop-shop for faster environmental approvals.
- There’ll be a fully restored tough cop on the beat, the Australian Building and Construction Commission, to deliver $5 billion a year in productivity improvements.
- There’ll be the same penalties for union officials and company officers who commit the same offence.
- There’ll be schools and hospitals run by community leaders, not by distant bureaucrats, so they’re more responsive to the parents and patients they serve.
- There’ll be a new Colombo Plan that’s a two way street between Australia and our region sending our best and brightest to study in the region and bringing their best here.
- There’ll be a comprehensive review of childcare so it’s more responsive to the 24/7 needs of today’s working families.
- There will be no unexpected changes that are detrimental to people’s superannuation.
- There will be no further reductions in defence spending – that’s already fallen to the lowest level, as a percentage of GDP, since 1938.
- And we will protect spending on medical research where Australia’s talented scientists give us such a comparative advantage.

“These are all commitments that we’ve already made and that you can trust me to keep.”


On and on it goes – lots of grand promises, several using words we heard earlier in the speech, but nowhere any sign of how it will achieve any of them or what it will cost. Look through the list again. See if you can see anything but aspirations. See if you can see any genuine plans, see if you can detect any how, when, where, and at what cost.

“…The government thinks that by announcing September 14 as polling day, it can force the Coalition to announce all our policy detail now. The Coalition will release our costings after the government releases theirs – after the Budget and before polling day. It won’t be easy to find the savings to fund tax cuts without a carbon tax but we won’t shirk the hard decisions, such as being up front with people that the school kids’ bonus will go – because it’s a cash splash with borrowed money that has nothing to do with education. Between now and polling day, we will be constantly developing our policy commitments so that you know exactly what will happen should the government change.

“On broadband, I’ve often said that the Coalition will deliver higher speeds sooner and more affordably than Labor’s nationalised monopoly NBN. We’re committed to super high speed broadband that’s affordable for everyone and built sooner rather than later. But with so many competing priorities, the last thing Australians need is another $50 billion plus in borrowed money to deliver higher speeds – but only in a decade’s time and at about triple the current monthly price. We won’t throw good money after bad but we won’t dismantle what’s been built. Our fibre-to-the-node plan will deliver superfast broadband for a fraction of the price and in a fraction of the time required to deliver fibre to the front door.”


All empty promises and hollow rhetoric, with no detail, no plans, no costings, no outcome measures – just empty words, and a few nasties thrown in to scare the less well off.

Reproducing the whole Abbott speech would take too much space, but if you want to check whether my assertions of hollowness, of empty rhetoric, are accurate, read the rest of the speech here. In my opinion it gets no better – there is just more of the same. If you can stomach reading it, he offers still more negativity and wallows in sickening self-aggrandisement. He ends with a flourish:


We are a great country and a great people let down by a poor government.

“That’s what really has to change – and now the date has been set. I’m ready for the election.”


So is Julia Gillard. She has runs on the board with over 430 pieces of legislation already passed. She is doing, as well as promising, she plans and gets the job done; Abbott engages in hollow talk. And I suspect that this empty rhetoric will continue almost until polling day as Abbott hides, for fear that someone will discern his emptiness, probe his hollowness, and find holes in his costings, as usual.

Take your pick between an achiever who is getting things done, and a negator who knocks everything the Government does, promises wildly, but never reveals how he will deliver.

Compare the two National Press Club of Canberra speeches, given one day apart. Here is Julia Gillard’s address , and the video.

You will note a stark difference between her address and Tony Abbott’s. Her speech is loaded with facts and figures, plans and achievements. His is largely empty rhetoric, light on facts and plans, but redolent with high-sounding promises.

For another stark contrast with the Abbott address, look at what Barack Obama had to say on 13 February in his State of the Union address. Loaded with action plans, and should Congress fail to act, contingency plans to get things done. Action on climate change was a notable example of this.

While it might be argued that our Prime Minister’s address and President Obama’s address were delivered by serving leaders in power, and that it would be unreasonable to expect a would-be leader awaiting the reins of power to match the richness of the facts these leaders presented or the plans they offered and the financial backing they guaranteed, it IS reasonable to ask when the Leader of the Opposition, who will be begging us to elect him leader of the nation on 14 September, will give us more than motherhood statements and hollow talk, when he will reveal his detailed plans for delivering his many aspirations, and when he will account for how, when, where and at what cost he will deliver them.

He can’t keep fobbing us off indefinitely with more three word slogans, empty promises that have no substance, and walking away from the hard questions, while assuring us we will know all his plans and costings ‘in good time’ before the election, when we suspect from what he and Joe Hockey have said, that they will come out too late to digest.

We need to know, and it is up to our political media to prize this out of him very soon.


What do you think?

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Ad astra

17/02/2013Folks Despite the media’s preoccupation with political trivia, and its aversion to analyzing the policy options that the parties intend to present to the electorate in September, if the election is to be grounded validly, voters [i][b]will[/i][/b] need to consider which party has the best policies and which offers the best capacity to deliver them. This piece attempts to get behind the rhetoric of the Coalition and its leader, to get a grasp of the substance that underpins it. So far we have had Tony Abbott’s [i]Hope. Reward. Opportunity.[/i] address to the National Press Club of Australia at the end of January. Using this as a starting point, this piece dissects the address paragraph-by-paragraph, looking for meaning, action plans, and how they might be funded. Read the piece with this framework in mind, and respond by critiquing my assessment, and offering your own. The title of this piece reflects my view – that there is a gaping void in the Opposition Leader’s latest three-word slogan. What do you think?

Sir Ian Crisp

17/02/2013[quote][b]My concern is that despite the criticisms being heaped on the MSM and the likes of Michelle Grattan for the appalling journalism they inflict on us day after day, nothing will change, unless and until the commercial imperatives force journalists to better serve their readers. [...] Ad astra [/b][/quote] We look to Ad Astra to break the mould and lead by example. Does Ad Astra respond to the clarion call to better serve his readers? NO. He authors more pap with a recurring theme: Tony Abbott is bad; the bird of paradox is good. I recently returned from my yearly sabbatical. I visited Tierra del Fuego and while in that archipelago I was invited to the Universidad Nacional de Tierra del Fuego. Upon arrival at the university I was witness to students staging a sit-in and their braying was almost deafening. The students demanded Ad Astra expand on the article presented by Peter Martin which dealt with the three stooges and their meeting with mining barons. The article paints an unpleasant picture of just how dumb the bird of paradox, Wayne Swan, and Marn Ferguson really are. Ad Astra, you are known around the world for your fearless sleuthing, unafraid of reputations and sensibilities. Your legion of readers demand that you conduct a thoroughgoing forensic examination of the MRRT and dispel the damaging image of Gillard, Swan, and Ferguson as clowns trapped inside a burning circus tent, an image which seared our minds courtesy of a Sydney journo. You have even praised Peter Martin as a beacon of hope in the turbid world of journalism. You said: [quote][b]Journalists such as Mike Seccombe, Peter Martin and Ross Gittins give us hope that others may have an awakening and move to emulate them. Ad astra [/b][/quote] Here’s your lead-in: [quote][b][i]Mining tax: how Canberra got diddled Gathered on one side of the cabinet table were the newly-installed Prime Minister Julia Gillard, her Treasurer Wayne Swan and her Resources Minister Martin Ferguson. On the other were the heads of Australia's three big mining companies: BHP Billiton, Rio Tinto and Xstrata. Absent were the key people from the Treasury - the ones who really understood the tax being discussed. [...] Julia Gillard and her ministers brought peace on July 1, 2010, but at a heavy financial price. [/i][/b][/quote] It’s your turn Ad Astra, you tiger. Go get ‘em.

Catching up

17/02/2013Well the MRRT brought in 126 million more than we will get under Abbott. The first question to ask, is about the price on carbon emission, which Abbott says, by abolishing, will fix all our ills. Do we believe that the issues of carbon emissions should be addressed. If the answer is yes, does the GEFC meet this need. Is it the best way to do it. Will Abbott's Direct Action be better. Personally, I believe the CEFC is the way to go. To abolish it at this stage would be a pure waste of money. Yes, the question is not about whether the PM. It is whether the CEFC will do the job. It is time to compare policies, not personalities.

Catching up

17/02/2013At the most, the MRRT was projected to bring in 2 billion. What percentage would this have been of projected buffer revenues. Not a high percentage, I assume. Yes, it would have been nice to have had it, but will not bring the country to wreck and ruin. One needs to keep these things in context.

MWS

17/02/2013Pikiranku(from previous post), the WA Liberal Government was required to hand over 25%of ALL royalties to be spent in regional areas, as a condition of the Nationals agreeing to form a Coalition. As Tony Abbott wouldn't have told you today, the WA Liberals are in a minority Government, requiring support from the Nationals (who are an independent party, unlike the rest of Australia) AND a number of independents in order to govern. (As Barnett announced the date of the next election in 2009, then according to the sharp legal minds of Julie Bishop and George Brandis, the WA Government has been in "caretaker" mode since then. Unsurprisingly, the WA Liberals have been silent on this point) Cleverly, the Nationals have all rural (agricultural) seats, so the extra royalty money is spent mainly in their electorates - not in the mining regions where the royalties came from. I'm not sure how this is different from pork-barrelling. Colin Barnett slammed the previous Labor Government for some of their members engaging in some slightly shady activities (although nothing like Queensland and NSW are finding out about their MPs). Now he is courting the family of one discredited MLA who has since died, and relies on the vote of another MLA who was booted out the ALP but retained his seat as an independent. I hope Tony Abbott will speak out about the massive increase in State debt that the Barnett Government has produced. State debt was $3.9 billion in 2008, and will hit $20 billion soon. Surely a Liberal Government should be living within its means and not building unnecessary monuments to itself. Abbott won't miss an opportunity to tell a Government how they should be governing - will he?

James Adelaide

17/02/2013Sorry this is a bit off topic I have been worried as hell about the media bias and manipulation ever since Kevin Rudd’s much vaunted challenge. The newspapers had me convinced that Gillard was hopeless and Rudd’s return was inevitable. When it did not eventuate, I started to wonder why what the papers were describing was not happening. ‘Gold in the pool’ reinforced it. Then I found TPS, and realised that it was not me, and that the media really was behaving weirdly. I have read a number of new commenters to TPS and Independant Australia expressing the same relief. Other commenters have encouraged readers to get up from the computer and agitate. Propaganda has to be loud and frequent to obscure, or at least drown out the contradictions (there are always contradictions). Before I realised what was going on, I had a generalised feeling that something was wrong, but could not put my finger on it. I now use this cognitive dissonance between the world perceived through their own experience, and the world perceived and presented by the media. I talk to strangers everywhere (you can in Adelaide), trying to lead them to join the dots between things they’ve already noticed. I start with the question: ‘Can I ask your opinion of Federal Politics at the moment?’ I have only had one refusal. When they ask what I mean, searching my face for my intent, I reply “your opinion’ and let them talk. Many have turned off politics, some because of the media. I only intervene to ask questions which join dots which they themselves have mentioned, but have not seen the connection in . This is too slow and will never have the impact we need in time. I also write lots of comment (when I can) in Fairfax and Drum (http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed), but how much persuasive power do I have as a commenter? I was earbashing my mum about media bias, which she was not conceding, until I asked her ‘How many Federal Parliamentarians announced their retirement after the announcement of the upcoming federal Election? She said ‘Two’. ABC’s Anthony Green lists 11. http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2013/02/house-members-retiring-at-the-2013-election.html This stopped her in her tracks. I followed up with ‘They are not telling us the whole truth’ and left it at that. Same result with the mother in law. I plan to post this everywhere I can Start post How many Federal Parliamentarians announced their retirement after the announcement of the Upcoming Federal Election? Answer is here http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2013/02/house-members-retiring-at-the-2013-election.html If this is of interest to you, you may also find the web sites ‘The Political Sword’ and ‘Independent Australia’ useful. End post I plan to start on the 19th, when our internet quota resets. If others have bandwidth, and think this is worthwhile, they can start now. We need our media back, and I do not really care who has ownership of this idea. PS. I concede that I am in the minority on Nick Xenaphon

jane

18/02/2013Great post as always, Ad astra. I agree with your assessment of Liealot's speech 100%. It's just a regurgitation of every slogan and motherhood statement he and the Liars have ever made; a shopping list of bovine excrement. There is no substance to it, it's just the usual empty rhetoric with a few extra lies to pad it out. And the usual vacuous economic nonsense-nobody will pay any tax, everyone will get a puppy for Christmas and there will be a surplus in every wallet. A party of liars, deadbeats and intellectual pigmies.

jane

18/02/2013James Adelaide, your examples of your mother's and m-i-l's, lack of awareness of how they are being manipulated by the Murdoch propaganda machine is very telling. I'd be interested to know your opinion of Xenophon. Just another Liars wolf in Independent sheep's clothing, imo.

Lyn

18/02/2013TODAY’S LINKS The 2013 Federal election fix by @ngungun ham-fisted, whinging, abusive Tony Abbott wants http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/2013-federal-election-fix/ What Gillard is up against by @Vic_Rollison downright nasty Opposition that any Gov. has had http://theaimn.com/2013/02/16/what-gillard-is-up-against/ Making up the news by @MigloCW built around what an un-named person insists upon. http://theaimn.com/2013/02/17/making-up-the-news/ Are there any Lessons from the Wanguri By-election Result- by @AntonyGreenABC http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/ Australian election minor party guide by @johnhumphreys99 http://johnhumphreys.com.au/ Xenophon’s Malaysian adventure & two looming elections by Amrita Malhi, purpose was confined to “fact-finding” http://theconversation.edu.au/xenophons-malaysian-adventure-and-two-looming- Sticks & Stones May Break My Bones But Nuclear Bombs are Something Else! by @rattangreen peaceful world of cooperation is a wish http://rattangreen.aussieblogs.com.au/category/political/ The doctrines of the Australian Liberal and Labor parties: Part 2 by @DamienCWalker belief systems of the Australian Liberal Party http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/02/17/the-doctrines-of-the-australian-liberal-and-labor-parties-part-2/ What makes something discussed within the House of Representatives news worthy? by @davispg http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/02/17/what-makes-something-discussed-within-the-house-of Regional media in trouble on the NSW North Coast? by @no_filter_Yamba, lacklustre performance of APN http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/regional-media-in-trouble-on-nsw-north.html The Golden Rules of Twitter. by @geeksrulz misconstrued, misrepresented, distorted due to their obvious partisan blinkers. http://stopthestunts.wordpress.com/2013/02/16/what-is-the-loudest-megaphone-tweet-for-2013/ Why we need to bleed the patient by Gary Sauer-Thompson, We cannot tax “the job and wealth creators http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2013/02/why-we-need-to.php Looking for my Aunty by @nancycato1, Why have you abandoned your principles, http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/looking-for-my-aunty/ Political Overload and Media Lies by@wrb330 an overabundance of “opinion” pieces. http://wrb330.wordpress.com/2012/11/16/political-overload-and-media-lies/ Sunday Funnies – The Chaser Decides Election 2001 Ep 1 by @Dan_Gulberry http://thedailyderp.net/2013/02/17/sunday-funnies-the-chaser-decides-election-2001-ep-1/? The Aspirational Voter by Truth Seeker no real friends in the radical right http://truthseekersmusings.wordpress.com/2013/02/17/the-aspirational-voter/ Google Fiber shows what NBN is capable of by @renailemay , NBN will engender great things for Australia http://delimiter.com.au/2013/02/12/google-fiber-shows-what-the-nbn-is-capable-of/ Bernard Keane, John Hewson - Is The ABC Leftist? Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OI6d_MYZHPE Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 18 February 2013 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

Gravel

18/02/2013Ad Astra Thank you for all your time and effort on this article. I only read your responses to the rubbish he spouted. Unfortunately the rubbish is accepted by the MSM and not looked at, while at the same time, anything Julia says it rubbished to the maximum. James Adelaide says it all. It is the media reportage that everyone hears and sees. The disconnect between the reality and truth and what is being force fed to everyone is amazing. James, I understand what you are saying. When I first found blogs it was a huge relief to find I was not alone in my thinking about the then Howard Government. We need to do everything we can to get people to 'connect the dots'. I congratulate you on all your efforts.

denese

18/02/2013dear add astra i stumbled on a very old post for this site from 2012 where you say wtte. julia will win the election i know a lots happened in between, so i know i am off subject but feeling dispearing, do you still think so and i dont like polls but was this one to do with sport.

James Adelaide

18/02/2013Jane, my thoughts on Xenophon are in the previous thread http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2013/02/10/Why-does-the-Coalition-choose-to-live-in-an-imaginary-world.aspx The discussion starts with news reports of his arrest in malaysia. If you are familiar with this site, you will understand that conversations carry on through and between other posts. February 16. 2013 12:38 PM. is not the exact start, but will give you all the range of opinion that came up, I am in the minority, running at 3 to 1

Ad astra

18/02/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

Truth Seeker

18/02/2013Ad, another fine post, as usual :-), I heard all that I wanted to hear of his speech at the time, so I focused on your responses, and you are spot on. The man's (?) got nothin' except an extremely compliant MSM behind him, supporting his lies and spin. We cannot allow a government that is bought and paid for by the vested interests of a handful of billionaires, our country, our people and our democracy deserves better. Denese, I find it passing strange that the week that Abbott announces that he will sack at least 20,000 PS, doing a federal version of Newman, and withdraw the baby bonus, that his numbers go up in the polls. Now just maybe it's a reaction from those who are glad that he has withdrawn from his media exposure, but to me it seems more like a list of certain postcodes given by directive to the pollsters to make it appear that Abbott is a winner and Gillard is a loser, once again playing their mind games with the people. Now some might cry conspiracy theory, but what happens when there is a coup in a country? The first thing that they take over is the media! Just sayin' Cheers

Michael

18/02/2013Ad Astra, your interpolated commentary should, read widely and considered deeply, sink Abbott's 'speech' for the flummery it was. It won't. For the Age/Neilsen poll published this morning dovetails in with the "imaginary world" throughline of the previous thread. The Australian electorate is willingly living in an imaginary world in which they refuse to be informed of the depths of their delusion. Telling them won't do it. Living in Abbott's Australia might, but I doubt even that. People lived quite happily in John Howard's Mean Little Australia, reveled in its "oi oi oi" blubbery nonsense. It took WorkChoices biting their hip-pockets for self-interest to kick in. Broad democratic response in this country is driven by self-interest and sanctimony (two words that might well define Tony Abbott, which may well make him the 'perfect PM' for most Australians), and all recourse to facts, to reasoned argument, to rationale explanation, even to a broader 'self-interest' of a nation that looks after all its own through equally accessible healthcare, education, disability assistance, none of that counts when wide-boys like Abbott and his crew sidle up with a cheap meatplate or cut-price tickets to the Finals. 'Australia' is perfectly placed right now to be plucked up and smooched over by 'safe hands' Tony Abbott. Just ask the voters.

Ad astra

18/02/2013Hi Lyn Thank you for your comprehensive set of links that I will peruse after breakfast. jane Thank you for your complimentary remarks. The fact that Tony Abbott’s address has not been analysed, even superficially, by most of the MSM reinforces the view that it is unwilling to subject his policies, plans and costings to scrutiny, at least not now. The question is whether it ever will, or whether it will continue to try to shoehorn him into power without asking the hard questions? Surely as the election gets closer they must give him the same analytic scrutiny they give our PM and her Government every day. Gravel Thank you too. You are right. Most, but not all of the MSM swallow what Abbott says without question. Only an irresponsible media would continue in this vein, but we have seen for years that by and large it is irresponsible in this regard. It has got only months to change. Will it? denese It applies as much now as it has ever done: polls this far from the election are not predictive, no matter what juicy headlines the media generate. Julia Gillard sets an example for us all. She just gets on with the job and lets the polls wash over her. Truth Seeker Thank you too for your encouraging remarks. It is the compliant media that enables Abbott to get away with his disingenuous remarks. It is in their vested interests, and that of the wealthy and powerful, to have Abbott in power – and to hell with the common weal. Michael Thank you too for your reassuring remarks. It would be tragic if what you say becomes reality: [i]”The Australian electorate is willingly living in an imaginary world in which they refuse to be informed of the depths of their delusion.”[/i] Six months is not long, but in that time all sides of politics will have to front up with policies, plans and costings. If the MSM were to analyse them professionally rather that through partisan preference, the attitude of the electorate could be changed radically. The question is: will the MSM really try to fulfill its professional obligations to the public?

Tom of Melbourne

18/02/2013[b]WARNING- NON ALIGNED OPINION BELOW – DO NOT REPLY[/b] [i]“The newspapers had me convinced that Gillard was hopeless and Rudd’s return was inevitable.”[/i] Newspapers reported that Rudd was agitating for a return to the leadership. This was dismissed by many, many contributors where as “baseless speculation. Far from being baseless, it was a fact. Rudd was agitation and stirring. The media also said Rudd was leaking to the media during the campaign. This was also dismissed by most here. But now it has proven to be a fact. Rudd apparently continues to yearn for the leadership, and the press reports this. They use their contacts and networks, why is it not in the public interest to be aware to all the political shenanigans? [i]”The Australian electorate is willingly living in an imaginary world in which they refuse to be informed of the depths of their delusion.” “how they are being manipulated by the Murdoch propaganda”[/i] People here are just so much brighter than anyone else. Dumb voters don’t know what’s going on!! [i]”to me it seems more like a list of certain postcodes given by directive to the pollsters to make it appear that Abbott is a winner and Gillard is a loser”[/i] When in doubt about something to say, this one just makes up some nonsense without a shred of evidence.

2353

18/02/2013Well done AA - this (again) shows the emptiness of the slogans. LiR from the last thread is correct, attack the mentality not the person. In addition I would suggest that comparison to Howard is not the best - as Howard was half a decade ago. There is enough evidence in the probable method of operation of a LNP Federal Government by highlighting the current method of operation of the LNP Governments in Queensland, NSW, Victoria and WA. It is also useful to compare and contract the "musings" of the Tea Party in the USA as well as the Conservative Government in the UK. As DMW suggested last week, politics is personal - as in whats in it for me? However using personal attacks on political leaders only reinforces the image the political leader wants to portray (in a similar way to the slogans demolished by AA above).

bob macalba

18/02/2013A blitzkrieg of bullshit passed down from bullshit mountain, i dont pay any attention to polls, but it is a bit annoying that msm takes the general public for fools, how many votes would equate to the swing from last poll? are people really that fickle? i dont think so, so the answer lies on bullshit mountain. after Labor win the next election with Julia Gillard as our PM we should have a media 'pogrom' and flush the buggers out, at our fingertips we have the means to harass and annoy the crap out of the traitorous scum, the grattens the ackermans, the savvas, the kellys, and the bigger scum in the oz and our ABC, we should never allow the bastards to forget their scummy actions on the contrary they should be called on to account for their crap, letting the mongrels of the hook just doesnt sit well with me, pulling up now, to many swear words going through my head whilst picturing guillotines cheers

Ken

18/02/2013Ad Your post reinforces what I have said before about Abbott using slogan after slogan. It is pure marketing rather than genuine politics. Truth Seeker I share your questioning of the latest polls. While single polls can vary widely from one to another, I can see no obvious reason for such a big shift in such a short time. Will have to wait for the next polls to see whether this is an outlier or is reflecting a genuine change. If it is a serious change, it would be necessary to have more information as to what is driving it.

Ad astra

18/02/20132353, Ken Thank you for your comments. It is a sobering fact that the [b]marketing]/b] of political parties, and of course their ‘personalities’, has become the supreme political task, rather than the substance of their policies. Abbott has reduced substance to three word slogans, which ordinarily would be laughed out of town. But with an unquestioning media not willing to tease out meaning, Abbott has been able to get away with this strategy. The media is dumbing down, and dragging the public down with it. Imagine if schoolteachers marketed mathematics as “The square of the hypotenuse is equal to the sum of the squares of the other two sides of a right angled triangle”, or reduced English to ‘Avoid split infinitives’. We would be outraged. Yet Abbott does this to political debate every day. bob macalba ‘Bullshit Mountain’ is an apt description of the origin of poll results, results that are handed down from on high, propelled by an avalanche of commentary and prediction that dominates the news, almost obliterating policy announcements. The media has fed off this spurious process for years. It provides easy copy for print, radio and TV, and fills the news space that ought to be devoted to matters of substance.

Lyn

18/02/2013Good Morning Ad and all our friends, Thankyou for an award winning article Ad Astra, absolutely delightful. A funny thing happened to me on the way to the blogs. I was reading Blogotariat which I don’t use because they don’t link their articles to the owners. Anyway a came to an article by Admin, started reading one line or so and thought the is tops Wow! Who wrote this. So clicked frantically trying to find the author no luck. [b]Then read a bit more, the light dawned this belongs to Ad Astra[/b]. http://www.blogotariat.com/node/872427 James your post @ 11.34pm last night is extremely interesting and impressive. I admire your intended efforts, good on you. I have the same sentiments as you have written , “worried as hell about the media bias and manipulation” Ad Astra has written intensely on the MSM behaviour, if you get time to look in the Archives. What you describe is exactly what has happened to me over and over again, even with my own children. Voters are just not aware of the malicious manipulation that is being carried out by the MSM. I like you, before I found TPS, would purchase and read every Newspaper, even glued to Sky News. Sometimes it’s hard to believe how naïve & uniformed I was. Everyday I am grateful to Ad Astra for providing TPS. That is the main reason I get annoyed with certain posters who” use and abuse”, TPS attracting more of their ilk. Paul Howes was impressive on ABC breakfast this morning, Michael Rowlands was being mean and miserable. Here is some enlightening news for you:- [i]Unions adopt Obama-style campaign EXCLUSIVE: UNIONS are building a record $5 million-plus war-chest and will import successful [/i] US election techniques in a bid to defeat Tony Abbott. The 140,000-strong Australian Workers Union will professionally train "flying squads'' of members in a bid to woo swinging voters in key marginal seats at the September 14 poll. http://www.optuszoo.com.au/news/top/news-com-au/unions-adopt-obama-style-campaign/917892

42 long

18/02/2013On the abc (VIC), has Amanda Vanstone replaced Phillip Adams and where is Jon Faine? If the abc has (IS) going to hell is there someone who will start a poll?. I'm sick of seeing Peter Reith Does it have to mimic the MSM rags and the most "right" of stations to be OK by the supporters of Phoney. That copper should not have appeared with Abbott at Queenbeyan. What is going on? Be one of Brandis/Lawler's mates perhaps? The supporters of Phoney tend to be a nasty lot if one can judge them by the comments on the Sydney Telegraph. Seem to be whipping up hatred against any " lefty" concepts at all. Will we have a "purge" of them after the election, (Shades of McCarthyism in the good ole US). Far fetched... Think again..

LadyInRed

18/02/2013Thanks Ad astra Slogans has really got me thinking. Take Direct Action. What does that conjure up in our brain subliminally or otherwise? Direct = shortest route. To take charge. Action = to do something, something being done or accomplished. So this slogan implies that you will do something and you will take the shortest, quickest route to accomplish your aims. All very good messages. Carbon tax - carbon = Co2 power stations create a lot of it(that's the extent of some peoples ability to understand). Tax = bad, A burdensome or excessive demand; a strain, and also it is something you pass on because to keep it would be against your own interest (this is important). So this is being taken up as - a burdensome tax on industry that they will pass on because it is in their interst to do so. Ok, I agree that the lived experience has largley disproved that the average citizen is worse off. But the myth that we will be better off if indutry doesn't have to carry a burdensome tax, which they will pass on, has largely stuck. What Labor has failed to do is turn 'carbon tax' to mean something good. Perhaps what they should have done over the last 2 years is try to turn carbon tax into pollution tax or pollution levy. Pollution = smelly, To make unfit for or harmful to living things. To tax something that is "bad" for us is an easier message to pick up. One of our problems has always been that the conservatives can come up with two simple words that have huge meaning. And for us to make a counter claim can take hundreds & even then people just switch off, I saw that in spades when the PM was at those community meetings, she was giving facts and the audience just heard tax = bad, you pass on tax, we are the end of the line, so the tax will come to us (or something along those lines). We need a slogan that conjures up pollution = bad, so taxing polluters = good. And we haven't done that. Wyalla Wipeout was a very good try, when I think about it. Whenever you hear that you think a couple of things. Carbon tax = not the end of world. Tony = lies. I was thinking of writing a paper. A simple one that explains carbon pricing by using the words pollution and tax. One that simply states the case that direct action = tax on you and I. Carbon Pollution tax = tax on polluters. And then explain the benefits of taxing polluters.

Ad astra

18/02/2013Hi Lyn The first of your links reinforces the comments above – that the media, mainly the Murdoch media, is hell-bent on replacing the Gillard Government with an Abbott government. The twenty-four comments on [i]IA[/i] to date all agree with Rodney Lever’s statement: [i]”… I know exactly what the odious rats are up to in trying to rig Australia’s forthcoming September election.[/i] The articles on [i]The Australian Independent Media Network[/i] by Victoria Rollison and Miglo make great reading. For those Labor supporters who take opinion polls seriously enough to be disappointed at today’s Nielsen poll, a look at Anthony Green’s [i]Are there any Lessons from the Wanguri By-election Result?[/i] might be reassuring: [i]”On Saturday night the Northern Territory Country Liberal government took a pasting at a by-election in the northern Darwin seat of Wanguri…voters turned out and expressed their dislike of the actions in office of the six-month old Mills Country Liberal government. Voters have delivered a whopping 12.7% swing against the Country Liberals…It is the worst swing against a first term government in two decades…”[/i] The two AUSVOTES 2013 articles by Damien Walker are well worth a read. We won’t read such an analysis of political ideology in the MSM. Davispg’s analysis in the same blog of what got into the news from House of Representatives debate led to this conclusion: [i]”This finding leads me to ask, what makes something discussed within the HoR news worthy? The corollary, if something isn’t considered news worthy what are people missing out on if they depend primarily on the news for information?”[/i] This is consistent with other comments this morning about our media. On [i]Curiosity and Challenge[/i] ‘Brooksy’ criticizes the plethora of opinion pieces: [i]“Opinion pieces are the worst, always front and centre in mainstream publications but without being promoted or supported as official comment, and far too often they run muck campaigns quoting anonymous, or as I call them ‘imaginary’ sources.”[/i] So do we. Truth Seeker has another poignant poem: [i]The Aspirational Voter[/i]. The article about Google Fibre shows what the NBN can do. Altogether a great set of links. Thank you again.

MWS

18/02/2013Listening to ABC AM this morning, I was so frustrated to hear the reporter ask Paul Howes over and over about the "carbon tax", which he insisted was not a tax, but a fixed-price ETS, transitioning to a market mechanism after three years. The reporter ignored what he said, and was trying to get him to agree that it was a "carbon tax." The reporter (Samantha Hawley?) repeated the usual line of Julia Gillard "lying" over a carbon tax, so Paul Howes was trying to point out that it wasn't a tax at all. Why did the reporter continue the lie - because the full quote from the PM continues "... but let's be absolutely clear, I am determined to price carbon." And she has done exactly what she promised! http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-18/howes-says-theres-no-carbon-tax/4524158 Julia Gillard's full quote can be found here: http://donaitkin.com/why-do-politicians-lie/ The other quote from the PM on the eve of the 2010 election: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/julia-gillards-carbon-price-promise/story-fn59niix-1225907522983

bilko

18/02/2013AA I have a record by Peter Sellars called "the Best of Sellars" one of the tracks is called the Party Political Speech. It lasts a few minutes says nothing, naturally its a spoof what else from Peter, as it happens we went to the same school but he was before my time. However Tones speech at the NPC although not nearly as funny has the same outcome.

Catching up

18/02/2013I notice the polls have rewarded the MSM for their extreme efforts in supporting Abbott's for the last couple of months. It has to be that, as Abbott's performance has been dismal.

Ad astra

18/02/2013Hi Lyn Thank you for your lovely compliment. It’s interesting the [i]Blogotariat[/i] has reproduced the current piece word for word without acknowledging from whence it came. I don’t mind at all – it’s a great compliment when someone else values my writing so much that he/she would reproduce it like this. I wish though that whoever posted it had added some paragraph spaces. It looks overwhelming in one chunk!

LadyInRed

18/02/2013Agree 2353 Once again Howard is being used by the coalition to = good times. It doesn't matter if we believe it to be false or not, I intend not to go there, everytime you use his name you cannot be sure a positive message isn't being reinforced. We can spend thousand of words on a counter argument but the truth is Howard = good times is the message that is out there. Add to that, he is regarded as a retired elder statesman by many, he is looking increasingly frailer, he served this country for many many years. To stick it to him could be counter productive.

DMW

18/02/2013Leroy ‏@Leroy_Lynch Re Leadership change distraction. See this article? There would be far more like this (top link) http://goo.gl/Gd09l No honeymoon...

denese

18/02/2013thank ad astra some days one feels better than others. today you helped me to feel a lot better thank you

Ron Petticrew

18/02/2013Ad Astra An excellent analysis of his speech, it was as vacuous as anything that he has uttered. As was the fourth estates reportage. It would seen that our mainstream mafia/media is hellbent on its modern Australian remake of Triumph of the Will. The main character a cross between Lance Armstrong and Silvio Berlusconi. Ron P.

Catching up

18/02/2013They say we get the governments we deserve. I, for one believe that it's true. What I would like to ask, is it also true that we get the media we deserve. I suspect we do. This will remain true, until we drop our lazy ways, and question all we come across. Yes, question all, no matter where it is found. Another's truth, may not necessarily be ours.

42 long

18/02/2013If governments are powerless to take on the media what hope has any other group of individuals? Thanks to the momentum from Leveson there may be some inevitable consequences from the now very Tarnished reputation of R Murdoch, but they seem to be bluffing their way through. They are masters of manipulation and won't surrender power easily.

ian

18/02/2013cross posted from another blog; I am not about to get to excited over polls. I also am not going to get into the habit of accusing my fellow citizens as being brain dead, washed or manipulated. Honestly, if they are going to shoot themselves fair, square and with unerring aim in both feet they can AFAIC. Julia Gillards government is always going to have trouble getting out their message. The firewall, constructed by the msm is too big, too high and too strong. That we are believing this to truth is testament to its strength. However, as I’m sure the computer buffs on this site will tell you, any firewall can be hacked… .successfully and with devastating effect. Everything thing that nature has designed has a necessary inherent weakness. A plant struggles through soil, reaches for the sun, blooms and dies. The black widow spider mates and then eats her partner. The female kangaroo has a joey beside her, one in the pouch and a suspended foetus in her uterus. If she dies three die with her. Nature designed weakness to protect and strengthen the strong…….and it is no different from the msm firewall. It’s strength is its belief in its own strength, and, strangely, also its biggest weakness. I can virtually see the high fives, pats on the back, the good job nods from those above going on the nations newsrooms. They believe that the election is over, done, dusted and they bought about the change they were commissioned to produce. They’re celebrating their success. They have, however, forgotten one detail. The firewall they stand behind, fight and piss on the rest of us from, is built on foundations of corrupt thought, mendacious rhetoric and egos of shallow depth and brittle to the touch. That is the inherent weakness and none will convince me that Ms Gillard, her front bench and advisors don’t realise that. Personally, I don’t see much of a fightback, other than the normal day to day stuff , until the budget is released….and why would they? The Government is holding all the cards. They can set the agenda. The msm can scream, bleat, confect outrage and cry tears of angst into Mr Abbotts shandy as much as they wish. They are being held to an agenda of the Governments choosing and contempt. Brittle egos can’t handle that. Many journalistic blooms are reaching their end. When mother kangaroo Fairfax dies, or gets put out of her misery, the joeys will die with her. They will then start eating their own, and then their young, Just as nature intended.

TalkTurkey

18/02/2013 Old Man runs out to his Garbo waving a bag of trash. Garbo:[i]Where's ya bin? [/i]OM:[i]I's bin on holiday.[/i] G:[i]No I mean ya wheeliebin![/i] OM:Oh look I's weally bin in gaol but don't tell the whole street! [Oldie but a goodie I reckon.] ~~~ (Apropos I's bin on 3 days' holiday too! :-) Went with J**** to Yorke Peninsula in my 'Recreational Vehicle' and would've stayed longer but it has been so HOT! Spent one night at Corny Point, on top of the toe of YP, under the great red lighthouse light all night, coolest place on the whole Pinsula I reckon, but even with a sea breeze it was STILL hot. Glad to get back to Adelaide and a friendly eggnishner! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Arsepirational Politics: Abborttian Brainfarts That's all they are. Tony Abbortt Will Never Be Prime Minister. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Hold the Line Comrades. This polling sucks and blows at the same time but we will force the MSM to confront the terrible truth of the disaster that an Abbortt-led LNP Government would be for Australia and the whole world. Now is always the time to come to the aid of the Party! VENCEREMOS! Oh btw SportsBet has Labor out to $5.50 again - from a high of $7, down to $2.80, - Great odds again!

Patriciawa

18/02/2013Truth Seeker asks [quote].....will the MSM really try to fulfill its professional obligations to the public? [/quote] I doubt it! Legislative control of our MSM has been achieved step by step (70% ownership of all newspapers, national, state and community!) over many years with the help of our politicians even Labor PMs like Bob Hawke. I think it's been counterproductive though. Apart from the impact of the internet and other new technologies many people have stopped buying his mastheads. Working people have been the traditional market for daily papers. Who's going to pay to read stuff that seems against their interests? I understand Murdoch can't even even give his papers away these days. I doubt he'll throw in the towel yet though, the NBN has to be brought undone first. I hope the Guardian will be bringing some balance, but we need something very dramatic to occur very soon to really end News Ltd's influence on thinking here before the election.

Lyn

18/02/2013Hi Ad, Malcolm Farr is echoing your opinion: Abbott’s loose economic manifesto by Malcolm Farr Last week he promised “an instantaneous adrenaline charge in our economy” should the Coalition win on September 14. Certainly it is not yet solid enough for Mr Abbott to claim his election would produce an economic [b]performance enhancing adrenaline rush.[/b] http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abbotts-loose-economic-manifesto/ Hockey’s threat raises questions of performance by Christopher Joye http://www.afr.com/p/blogs/christopher_joye/hockey_threat_raises_questions_of_txIFobfomSqu7rePCkB9cI Ian thankyou so much for re-posting your opinion here, Very enjoyable read. We love your posts and appreciate your opinion very much. Hello Ron Petticrew @ 1.27pm thankyou for your comment and thankyou for coming on the Political Sword, hope you stay here. Hello to Denese too thankyou for your post. :):):)

Ad astra

18/02/2013Ron P Thank you for your complimentary remark. I think you have not been here before, so welcome to [i]The Political Sword[/i] family. Do come again. You are right, it is ‘the media in the middle’ that distorts the messages that politicians wish the public to hear – it amplifies any bad news or bad publicity for the Gillard Government, and buries or distorts good news; and does the opposite for its preferred party – the Coalition. denese I’m glad you are feeling better. You may be interested to know that today’s weekly [i]Essential Poll[/i] that aggregates two weeks of polling results, paints a different picture from Nielsen. Here is what [i]Crikey[/i] had to say about it: [i]”While a Nielsen poll out in Fairfax publications today points to a plunge in support for federal Labor -- down a disastrous five points to 30% on the primary vote, and trailing 44-56% on the two-party-preferred (2PP) -- Essential has a different result. Essential found Labor's support had actually lifted one percentage point on both the primary and the 2PP, putting Labor at a still-bleak 46-54 on the 2PP. Labor's primary vote was at 35% by Essential, significantly better than the Nielsen result. The difference is partly the result of a higher result for independents / Family First / other in the Nielsen poll. Nielsen is conducted less frequently than Essential.”[/i] The changes are within the plus or minus 2-3% margin of error.

Pikiranku

18/02/2013MWS Thank you for your informative follow-up post about WA this morning. Tony Abbott addressed the Liberal Party faithful in Perth on the weekend and stated unequivocally that if he gained power in September he would model his government on WA. It would make for a fascinating ALP campaign ad. wouldn't it -a clip from Tony's speech coupled with your information regarding the spiralling WA state government debt. Presumably yet another foot in mouth moment that the press will quietly allow to slide by unnoticed. Lyn "US election techniques in a bid to defeat Tony Abbott. The 140,000-strong Australian Workers Union will professionally train "flying squads" of members in a bid to woo swinging voters in key marginal seats at the September 14 poll. www.optuszoo.com.au/.../917892 This link was one of the most heartening things I've read in ages. Thank you, it gave me hope and made my day! It brought to mind the last SA state election where, in a very tight situation, cleverly targetted campaigning gave the Labor Party government.

Ad astra

18/02/2013Hi Lyn I have emailed [i]Blogotariat[/i] asking the administrator to add some paragraph spaces to make my piece easier to read on that site. It is doing quite well with 40 views to date. Thank you too for the additional links. I hope Malcolm Farr's questioning of Abbott's plans and costings is the beginning of a trend. But I'm not holding my breath.

Ad astra

18/02/2013Ian Thank you for your thoughtful contribution. I enjoyed your conclusion: "[i]Many journalistic blooms are reaching their end. When mother kangaroo Fairfax dies, or gets put out of her misery, the joeys will die with her. They will then start eating their own, and then their young, Just as nature intended."[/i]

LadyInRed

18/02/2013[i] Labor deserves no mercy (on MRRT). But the truth is Tony Abbott also played a part in lumbering the nation with a bad tax Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/abbott-must-share-the-blame-for-tax-stuffup-20130217-2el60.html#ixzz2LE2o8IaE[/i]

Pikiranku

18/02/2013Has anyone linked to this poster by The Finnegans: pic.twitter.com/RgytZQ2q Brilliant, says it all.

Pikiranku

18/02/2013Oops! My link didn't come up as something you can just click on. Help! ... Lyn! Can you fix it? It's worth it.

Political Animal

18/02/2013You are right about Abbott being the ultimate Hollow Man. To hide his hollowness he is avoiding even fluffy breakfast TV! He has to keep hiding his essential hollowness until 6pm Sep 14th but doubt he can do it.

James Adelaide

18/02/2013Lyn, Thank you for your kind words. Ian, I agree completely Re my posting: I boo booed. I left out the bit about it not being two, so no surprise I got no impact from the couple I did. I have redrafted it. Any suggestions as to better language, wording, layout etc, gratefully received. New post How many Federal Parliamentarians announced their retirement after the announcement of the Upcoming Federal Election? Answer is not 2 The answer is here http://blogs.abc.net.au/antonygreen/2013/02/house-members-retiring-at-the-2013-election.html If this is of interest to you, you may also find the web sites ‘The Political Sword’ and ‘Independent Australia’ useful. End post I started a course today, and being agitated about all this, asked a few of my classmates, each one on one. One, a Croatian with a Dutch accent* offered that he hated the (coded rude word for redhead). I jumped in fairly quickly with the question, which pulled him up and we began to explore the issues, he was worried that more libs were resigning than lab, but I stuck at the media bias angle, because cracking the conditioning is longer lasting than winning one argument. A 22 year old in our class walking by voiced support (something like ‘he’s right you know’). I asked ‘you read the internet?’ ‘yep’ was his reply. After the course I accosted a 50-70 (can't really tell at that age) woman at a shopping centre. She conceded media bias, but downplayed its influence. We talked for longer than she felt comfortable. A good conversation, but I did not persuade her. So today pretty much encapsulates Ad Astra’s and our problem. The internet group can see the media bias and the results, the old media consumers consist of two subgroups: those who are open to new propositions, and those of will not accept new information on this topic. I see our task as peeling off as many Intelligent, articulate, but brainwashed fellow citizens. They are not stupid. They are people whose lives centre on family, job, suburb. State and federal politics are done in broad emotional strokes. But, even as they spout this rubbish, their hearts are pure: they are just repeating what they were told and what everyone else around them affirmed was correct. We must not insult then. We must recruit them. The Croatian was worried that he had been told the wrong number, I’ll put him down as a hit, with possibilities. I am going to break Godwin’s law, because I truly believe that what we are suffering , and trying to find ways to fix, is frightening similar to 1930s Germany: media all talking the same story. Leading to contradictions, which, if picked at like a scab, can be used to break the conditioning. The statement ‘Jews are bad, but Abraham down the road is a nice bloke’, would give you a lead in this case. *It intrigued me how a Croatian acquired a Dutch accent, turns out the non-anglos (I think he said wogs) stuck together at school for self defence against the majority…. PS Please tell me if I am out of line, talking sh*t, or whatever. Please feedback.

KHTAGH

18/02/2013AA I'm glad to see your work has been reproduced on other sites, you deserve a greater audience. I only read your responses, because to read his prattle was a waste of my time. You only have to look at the response to it to see how good it is, well done. I do wonder if the LOTO is going to hard to early & will run out of slogans before long, like others I'd love to see Julia come out & just call the MSM for what it is. I wonder why Labor didn't just come out & answer the MRRT advertising by simply stating, "We think everyone in Australia should get their share of OUR minerals, not just the O/S miners & vested interests" end of Ad campaign in one foul swoop!

Janet (Jan @j4gypsy)

18/02/2013Hi Ad, Lyn and all (from Griffith NSW). (And what an 'all' you are: James Adelaide and ian - such meaty thought-provoking contributions in this last little while, along with all the usual, wonderful suspects :-)) Thank you Ad for another piece of analysis that contributes such sense; the clarity makes it so easy to raise with others and do the kind of on-the-ground warrior work LiR and James A have recently been talking about (apologies if I've missed others engaged in this recent persuasion strategy discussion). The nub for me with Abbott and conservatism as sold this time round (no, as sold always, actually) is in your statement '[i]There is no hint of how a Coalition government might empower citizens.[/i]' And until such time ... probably the twelfth of never ... Apologies for a longish break from Twitterstuff, but a bit now coming up. [b]Twitterati: and they’re sayin’ …[/b] [i]David Horton ‏@watermelon_man[/i] Tell you what @JuliaGillard, time you had @AlboMP running mongrel meda training classes for the rest of the caucus. [i]Wendy Bacon ‏@Wendy_Bacon[/i] @pieinsky322 @nikt50 I think the audience should be told when#Abbott refuses interviews. he has hardly been questioned. #auspol [i]Wendy Bacon ‏@Wendy_Bacon[/i] @nikt50 Because with huge help from News Ltd ( inc their campaign against the ABC), #Abbott is winning PR game, for now anyway. [i]RN Breakfast ‏@RNBreakfast[/i] @Wendy_Bacon Hi Wendy, we tried to get Abbott on every day during the last sitting fortnight. No success. [i]Mr Denmore ‏@MrDenmore[/i] Seems we're on track for a theocracy. Good luck with that folks. [i]ManO'Steel(town) ‏@berkeleyboy[/i] It's not that Tony Abbott is now popular. Rather, since going into hiding, he's now SLIGHTLY less unpopular than usual. #auspol#StillHated [i]Bridget O'Flynn ‏@BridgetOFlynn[/i] #gillardisgold because when she's in the company of kids they all light up. She likes them and they like her. [i]Bernhard Accola ‏@4ortvna[/i] This should be absolutely clear - with an Abbott Government; the tax free threshold goes back to 6k and the School kids bonus is gone. [i]Hon Bob Katter MP ‏@RealBobKatter[/i] Farmers of Oz been beaten, battered & bullied by supermarkets - now they have chance to tell their side of story with ACCC investigation [i]Johnno ‏@jleo45[/i] @HyperBrendan Poll is BS another try at getting rid of PM. If that happens Labor will suffer badly. Rudds finished. #auspol [i]Robert Oakeshott MP ‏@OakeyMP[/i] Community day this Sunday for the opening of Australia's longest bridge at Kempsey By-Pass Pacific Highway. $600 mill. 100% fed funding! [i]Tao de Haas ‏@TaodeHaas[/i] If the MSM/ABC would report accurately and scrutinise the LNP the same as they do the Gov I have little doubt most people would NOT vote LNP [i]Charlotte Butler ‏@Charlottelovesu[/i] @itonimichelle @bridgetoflynn @juliagillard she is a brilliant leader and a lovely genuine woman #gillardisgold [b]Twitterverse: and they're recommendin' …[/b] [i]Barry Tucker ‏@btckr[/i] Need to contact a news producer, editor, journo, outlet? Here you gohttp://bit.ly/WAVmXa Don't mention it :) [i]Barry Tucker ‏@btckr[/i] What did that MP say? http://www.openaustralia.org/ copies Hansard. Don't overlook Adjournment: statements r in there too. [i]TheFinnigans天地有道人无道 ‏@Thefinnigans[/i] Bwahahhahaha latest Essential has Labor PV at 35% Up 1% whereas Nielsen had Labor at 30% down 5 -http://essentialvision.com.au/category/essentialreport … [i]Recognise ‏@RecogniseAU[/i] @InsidersABC wraps up the passing of the Act of Recognition in this fantastic montage. http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/content/2012/s3692079.htm … #auspol #recognise [i]Lucy ‏@louinoosa[/i] Professor Lawrence Krauss on Q&A tonight:http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/02/05/physicist-lawrence-krauss-on-teaching-creationism-its-a-form-of-child-abuse/ … [i]newmatilda ‏@newmatilda[/i] Shouldn't Tony Abbott be happy the mining tax was a fizzer? Ian McAuley on the Coalition's hypocrite economics http://ow.ly/hNA0r #auspol [i]The Hoopla ‏@TheHoopla[/i] @gabriellechan: "Taking on the mining industry is a bit like picking a fight with the biggest bouncer in a nightclub" http://bit.ly/XGzuuG [i]Demelza01 ‏@Demelza01[/i] Reading Abbott’s loose economic manifestohttp://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/abbotts-loose-economic-manifesto/ … [i]Laura Tingle ‏@latingle[/i] Rudd's mining tax worse than Gillard's http://www.afr.com/p/national/rudd_mining_tax_worse_than_gillard_yn7rqNSw3pAOrXNqcUmxeK … [i]Manufacturing ‏@Australianm[/i] Gillard Government Lays Out ‘A Plan for Australian #ManufacturingJobs’ http://ow.ly/hNHzP [i]Tony Windsor ‏@TonyWindsorMP[/i] NSW needs to stop ignoring the demands of local communities for more scrutiny of CSG. Time to get serious. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/windsor-gets-tough-on-csg-20130205- [i]newmatilda ‏@newmatilda[/i] Conflicting definitions of ownership are at the heart of the conflict over James Price Point Gas Hub http://bit.ly/X55XJT #newmatilda #jpp [i]Peter Foster ‏@PeterFosterALP[/i] Gillard focuses on unfinished business in a long poll run | The Courier-Mail: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/gillard-focuses-on-unfinished-business-in-a-long-poll-run/story-e6frerc6-1226573891414?sv=e6d93e3ec168bc6b0f88afe802b90693#.USBfcbMAUdl.twitter … via @couriermail#auspol [i]margo kingston ‏@margokingston1[/i] Wonder who's the power behind the LNP? Extra gambling days ‘appalling’ | Sunshine Coast Daily http://bit.ly/WPMezK [i]Hillbillywatcher ‏@Hillbillywatch[/i] Job decimation day for Cairns Base Hospital arriveshttp://www.hillbillywatch.com/2013/02/job-decimation-day-for-cairns-base.html … [i]bluntshovels ‏@bluntshovels[/i] Hmmm…is this tactic going on in other suburbs too? Anyone else seen the same type of story? http://www.stmarysstar.com.au/story/1308527/local-mps-welcome-public-debates-against-their-liberal-opponents/?cs=1508 … [i]Matt Cowgill ‏@MattCowgill[/i] This post contains a decent rebuttal of the canard that ending negative gearing in 85-87 caused rents to soar:http://tunswblog.blogspot.com.au/2013/01/the-case-against-case-for-negative.html … [i]Geoff Pearson ‏@GCobber99[/i] Gina Rinehart appoints Prof Ian Plimer to two boards funding climate skeptics surprise surprise http://www.perthnow.com.au/business/local-business/rinehart-appoints-plimer-to-board-roles/story-e6frg2s3-1226259721980 …

Pikiranku

18/02/2013James Adelaide I totally agree that the Australian people re being brainwashed. What else can happen when every source of information is teling them the same thing? I also believe that a lot of people (sometimes unexpectedly, eg. Tim Dunlop) are in denial about this. It is a real and serious threat to our democracy. I wish you luck in your efforts to spread the truth. One of the problems is that not enough voters look at the big picture, at the wellbeing of the whole society. For most people their decisions seem to be determined by the answer to this question: "What's best for me?" or "What's in it for me? So probably LadyinRed's methods/tactics are the most effective - making things personal, bringing the issues right down into their own lives. As in the union campaign against Work Choices, for example. A very effective campaign.

Tom of Melbourne

18/02/2013[b]PLEASE SCROLL[/b] I find it remarkable that so many here are looking for the reason on the tone of press reporting on the government. The main reason is that Gillard has proven to be unreliable/dishonest during her political career, and before. People generally don’t believe her, she lacks credibility. Sensible people understand this. The blinkered look for other conspiracy theories and the like, those people are in fantasyland.

Ron Petticrew

18/02/2013Hi Ad astra and Lyn I have been dropping in to read the Sword for years now. Not one to comment and have been offline for some months now but it is a relief to be able to access intelligent writing again and great links. Talk Turkey had the great fortune to be in the Bright subbranch for some years. I have had the great pleasure of yarning with Gordon on the balcony at Marino. My sincere condolences to you, Sandy, all his family and friends on his passing last year. Ron P.

2353

18/02/2013Ross Gittens with a reasonably balanced piece on the "failure" of the MRRT. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/abbott-partly-to-blame-for-tax-debacle-20130217-2el8q.html

Ad astra

18/02/2013Ron P I’m glad you are enjoying [i]TPS[/i]. We are pleased to have you here. Janet Thanks for a great set of Twitterati/verse. Great reading. I would love to read Laura Tingle’s piece, but couldn’t get behind the paywall. Do you or anyone have the full text? 2353 Ross Gittins’ piece was up to his usual high standard.

Lyn

18/02/2013Hi Pikaranku Is this the pic:- TheFinnigans Question: wld the Liberal Party hv the gut to elect a childless & unmarried woman as its leader? Answer: NO like this pic.twitter.com/UW8DLy5q Cheers :):):)

Lyn

18/02/2013Umm looks like my link didn't work either Trying again: https://twitter.com/Thefinnigans/status/303363295782514688/photo/1 :):)

Janet (Jan @j4gypsy)

18/02/2013 Ad, apologies. I don't subscribe to the Fin Review. But usually a Swordster does, so included on that assumption. Can anyone help?

Ad astra

18/02/2013KHTAGH The current piece has had 45 views on Blogotariat so far, but the paragraph spaces are still missing, leaving the piece looking like a piece of granite! I suppose it’s a tribute that so many read it in that form. They would have been better coming to [i]TPS[/i] via the link.

42 long

18/02/2013Seems that everybody has written off the Labor party on the basis of the poll. A LieNP spokesperson is saying THEY are the UNDERDOG coming from behind. It does look bad but Gillard has never shouted out about poll results. No INTELLIGENT person would and there is a long time to go. The Hollow LieNP have a lot of hand grenades in their satchel that could explode. Perhaps they think they have a good hold on that with the complicit MSM, and a few other helpers Don't dare insult the believers by saying that is not important. In the battle for the hearts and minds the casualty has been truth, always the first casualty in a war. and where are the channels of left thought to balance the resources the right have? We accept the spending of 20=30 million on advertising by the miners as OK. Where is the balance. Is it oK for mining groups to have this much power over a government. Big tobacco and the poker machine equipped money factories Check who fund the liberals/nationals. With this country having all the numbers the best in the western world, how will we explain to the rest of the world, why we got rid of this government to replace it with a mob who haven't given any figures and facts just "slogans" and deal out tacky slander and smear.

LadyInRed

18/02/2013Keep the faith 42 long. In order for TAbbott to win an awful lot of the poor and middle class have to vote against their economic interest. Will they? That's the question.

James Adelaide

18/02/2013TPSers, I just left this on the Australian Guardian's feedback form http://www.theguardian.com.au/feedback/#form Dear Guardian. Welcome to Australia. I wish to offer a bit of context. We Australians are suffering under a media dominated by Mr Rupurt Murdoch, who is well-known to your newspaper. We seek an outlet which tells us the facts, which flags the spin, the lies and does the things which newspapers used to do. As Lord Beaverbrook said, news is what the powerful do not want us to hear. You newspaper is respected across the world. Your revelation of poor Millie Dowler changed the planet. Please come to Australia and do the same thing. Our media is not diverse. It should be. Please be careful recruiting journalists. Some produce essentially the same thing day after day. A short trawl through last year’s Fairfax web site will reveal that Ms Grattan, while an elder statewoman of the Canberra Press Gallery, is part of the problem. She has a thing against the Prime Minister, and almost every article mentions Kevin Rudd’s leadership ambitions. Ms Grattan is one of the reasons I have turned off Fairfax, Peter Harcher is another. No matter what he is reporting or opining about, he writes the same thing. You may wish to recruit from the Internet. Greg Jericho straddles both Mainstream Media and Internet. I respect his opinion because he lays out the data by which he creates his argument. I respect the following sites Independent Australia (David Donavan, Peter Wicks, etc) The Political Sword The Failed estate I offer these suggestions because I care, and I trust you not to take me at me word but investigate my allegations, like a journalist, and to reach your own conclusions. Thanking you in advance. Dr James Knight Glenalta, South Australia Mobile and landline given to Guardian

Bacchus

18/02/2013Try this link Pikiranku & Lyn ;-) http://twitter.com/Thefinnigans/status/303249740387213313/photo/1

Janet (Jan @j4gypsy)

18/02/2013 DMW put up the link to this earlier. I think it is such an important piece from - whoever would have guessed - the Oz, that I'm copying it here (there goes copyright law again :-)): [b]If Rudd is Pepsi, can we have a Coke?[/b] BY:CASSANDRA WILKINSON From: The Australian February 18, 2013 [i]SOME years ago, social researcher Malcolm Gladwell exposed how Pepsi managed to win it's famous "Pepsi challenge" over and over again without overtaking Coke as the world's favourite cola. Gladwell's research suggested that winning a first sip competition requires the extra caramel sugar taste that Pepsi does so well. But by the end of a whole glass, that extra sugar is cloying, overdone and ultimately not worth coming back for. Kevin Rudd keeps passing the Pepsi challenge without anyone asking if more than a sip might spoil everyone's appetite. And here's the really odd part: we took this challenge before. The whole country switched in 2007 on the basis of a quick, sweet taste of Kevin07, but one short year later the aftertaste was already too much. By mid-2009 the caucus was sick of Pepsi and by 2010, opinion polls suggested everyone else was too. The empty spectacle of the 2020 Summit, continual delays in the emissions trading scheme, the prospect of a national internet filter, empty threats to take over healthcare, poisonous relations with the states, pink batts and the unbecoming spectacle of the prime minister barking at a high-school girl on live television that she did in fact have the laptop computer she was pretty sure she didn't have. The possibility of a Rudd prime ministership isn't a hypothetical to test on focus groups; like the Nathan Rees premiership, it's already been tried, tested and rejected. This isn't like replacing the flat lemonade of Bill Hayden with the full-strength beer of Bob Hawke. We already did our sip test and most of us were left hungry for the Real Thing. The brief moments of satisfaction under Rudd were largely due to his deputy. It was Julia Gillard who delivered on Kevin07's pledge to replace Work Choices with Fair Work Australia, Gillard who introduced NAPLAN, taking on powerful vested interests on her own side to do it. And she took care of business on the astounding number of days Rudd preferred to be overseas. Labor used to draft women to take the wheel just as the cliff came into view. Carmen Lawrence, Joan Kirner and Kristina Keneally were all called on to sacrifice their substantial talents and bright futures to lost-cause governments. As one senior Labor woman remarked to me recently, if the federal caucus knifes Gillard before the coming election, the party will astoundingly have managed to go backwards from this dishonourable legacy. To toss the woman leader from the moving car on the way to the cliff would be a new low. Many members of the Labor caucus have daughters. Whatever their view on the coming election, they need to ask themselves if they would rather tell their girls they made a woman PM or that they tossed her from a moving car because the sugar went to their head.[/i]

Gravel

18/02/2013This is a great watch. Julie Collins and Tania P at a press conference. This is how all Labor pollies should answer these stupid journo's questions. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqek48WWpRk&feature=player_embedded

James Adelaide

18/02/2013Janet, yes, I used DMW's post to find it, but I thought it polite to provide it again, so that those interested do not have to scroll. Hope this is okay

Lyn

18/02/2013Hi Bacchus Thankyou . Pikiranku will be pleased. You are our reliability rock. Cheers to you BTW nice picture do you think:):) :):):)

Janet (Jan @j4gypsy)

18/02/2013Hi James Adelaide. My apologies. Had you already put the whole Wilkinson piece on Rudd up? Never mind if so. We are in sync :-)

Ad astra

18/02/2013Gravel Give us more of Julie and Tanya, politicians who put journalists in their place when they focus on polls instead of the people.

Ad astra

18/02/2013James Adelaide I hope [i]The Guardian[/i] heeds your advice. Thank you for the compliment you paid [i]The Political Sword[/i].

Pikiranku

18/02/2013Thanks Lyn and Bacchus Yes, Bacchus, that's the one! Great photo of Julia, don't you think? The address I typed in would take you to it but it didn't come up as a link that you could simply click on to. What should I have done?

DMW

18/02/2013Unfortunately too few in the 'real' world will get to see this: Schtang ‏@Schtang watch this- Julie Owens, Fed Member for Parramatta kicks this sleazy MSM journo to the gutter http://bit.ly/XjATEs #auspol LiR, I highly commend Julie Owens for a crankypants award :)

Bacchus

18/02/2013yes Lyn & Pikiranku - a great photo :) I just copied what you had posted into my browser's address bar Pikiranku, and then copied the URL that it came up with back into a post. I hope that makes sense... I assume you copied the address directly from twitter? If so, instead, click on the link which will open the photo in a new tab or window, then copy the address from the address bar of that window... I fear I'm not explaining this very well... :$

James Adelaide

18/02/2013Ad, Turns out Ieft my at the Swan HIll Guardian, not the real one: requesting a real link at wixxyleaks

James Adelaide

18/02/2013By the By, Marilyn S is South Australian, Pikiranku is South Australian, How many of us are South Australian AD Astra: hat state do you live in?

Lyn

18/02/2013Hi James I am Queensland. Ad Astra is Victoria Jane is Adelaide I think. Patricia is WA Cheers :):)

Hilde Rombout

18/02/2013Hi, i just found your site and am really pleased about that. Another voice of truth besides Independent Australia and Wixxyleaks. Thank you. I am from Victoria and my sentiments are very much in tune with most of the commentators here. I loved the referrals to other blogs and i feel quite heartened by finding like minded people. The prospect of a possible Abbott government gives me sleepless nights. One comment (i think from James Adelaide) stood out, doubting that the Nielsen pool might not be accurate for who in their right mind would vote against having the shool bonus taken away or having tax cuts for people earning less than $37.000 reneged - does not make sense to me at all, nor does the cut in pensions on revoking the (not) carboon tax. I am a pensioner so the school bonus and the tax conscession does not affect me as much but it will my children and grandchildren. Anyway, we can't let Murdoch, Gina or the Abbott win!

Hilde Rombout

18/02/2013Ohh i don't like the logo you have given my comment

Truth Seeker

18/02/2013Hilde, welcome to TPS, and for the most part this is a family of like minds. you can chose your own gravatar by going to the gravatar site and signing up using a photo or picture of some sort, the one that you currently have is chosen at random I believe :-) But the gravatar is secondary, to the fact that you have joined in the conversation and become a part of the fighting fifth, and the TPS family, so again I say welcome :-) Cheers :-) :-)

James Adelaide

18/02/2013Hilde Rombout, On behalf of myself (not of behalf of Ad Astra, who usually welcomes you personally), I welcome you to our TPS community. Thanks for the praise, it was totally undeserved, I did not write the post you refer to. It might have been Truth seeker, Michael, Ian, Janet or Lady in Red, all of whom raised the issue Oh, and Janet, I cannot take ownership of a ‘wilkinson piece on Rudd’. I did not write it and have failed to see it myself. You think it was me because I am clogging up this blog…Welcome to you also. Housework out of the way: On the amazingly athletic polls. About 6 months ago, I lucked on a story (which I cannot now find: Wow that sounds credible!), I think on a pollster’s website, which stated that 25% of the sample for that Federal Opinion poll was undecided. In support of the proposition that there are still a large number of undecided I offer the following evidence: *The polls jump around too much, compared with similar polls in years past. From my limited training in statistics, it looks likes the behaviour of an uncontrolled variable *The polling companies no longer release the questions (I remember when they did) *The amount of contextualising information that is offered is less. No, that is not true, there virtually no contextualising information. . For all these reasons I believe that the polls are unrepresentative, that they still contain a large portion of undecided. Given that the parliament is already hung, the prize of the next government goes to the most persuasive. As progressives, we all wish to see a progressive government. We all see that, at present, the most persuasive voice is the loudest. BUT The internet and modern communications liberated Algeria, Egypt (since lost) and Libya last year. Obama won because he used community and internet campaigns. We can win. AWU announced today that they will be using Obama’s techniques. We are using the internet technique, and by chewing off the ear off everyone I meet, I have turned into a parody of a 1960 agit prop-er. I believe that our task is the convince the 25%. I am optimistic (to quote J. Fraser).

James Adelaide

18/02/2013Oops, forgot to say thank Lyn for the info, I had started to see South Australians everywhere... It is re-asssuring that we are countrywide

Cuppa

19/02/2013Welcome Hilde, James Adelaide and other newcomers to TPS.

Lyn

19/02/2013TODAY’S LINKS Unpredictive opinion polls pointless except to sow discord by @ngungun, hysterical reaction of the Australian media http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/unpredictive-opinion-polls-pointless- Election 2013 by @uknowispeaksens conservatives. Their leader, who admits to lying http://uknowispeaksense.wordpress.com/election-2013/ A dreadful pall of predictability envelops the 2013 election by @tcookAU difficult to imagine a world in which Tony Abbott is prime minister http://trevorcook.typepad.com/weblog/2013/02/a-dreadful-pall-of-predictability-envelops- Who wants Abbott PM? by @JohnQuiggin, disaster of an Abbott-led coalition government http://johnquiggin.com/2013/02/18/who-wants-abbott-pm/ Tweeted Times Top Stories by @NannaHannah http://tweetedtimes.com/#!/NannaHannah The Coalition's Hypocrite Economics by Ian McAuley, Murdoch press need to start telling the truth about http://newmatilda.com/2013/02/18/coalitions-hypocrite-economics A Question of ABC Ethics @abcgonetohell, brazenness of the ABC’s Religion and Ethics http://abcgonetohell.net/2013/02/18/a-question-of-abc-ethics/ West End Girls @madwixxy, ladies of Sydney’s West absolutely love Tony Abbott http://wixxyleaks.com/2013/02/18/west-end-girls/ Media bias threatens democracy by @btckr Abbott does not care much for such principles http://truthinmediaresourcecentre.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/media-bias- There’s something odd about the Nielson Poll @MigloCW constant media hype of Rudd challenge http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/theres-something-odd-about-the- Bran Newstart Storify by @sloughly, http://storify.com/sloughly/bran-newstart# Mining tax message no bipartisanship no reform by @1RossGittins Abbott cared about none of that His response was utterly opportunistic http://www.rossgittins.com/2013/02/mining-tax-message-no-bipartisanship-no.html Good for most. Gillard's Robin Hood innovation plan by @1petermartin paint herself as a leader able to make tough choices http://www.petermartin.com.au/ The Coalition's Hypocrite Economics By Ian McAuley Or is it just journalists in mainstream media are too lazy http://newmatilda.com/2013/02/18/coalitions-hypocrite-economics Beware the Teaparty Down Under- Abbott is a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing by VegasJessie Tony Abbott has a rich history of chauvinistic bullying http://vegasjessie.com/2013/02/17/beware-the-teaparty-down-under-abbott-is-a-wolf- Chaos: Coalition a total shambles on NBN policy by @renailemay, not capable of organising that proverbial chook raffle http://delimiter.com.au/2013/02/18/chaos-coalition-a-total-shambles-on-nbn-policy/ Turnbull's HFC folly by Mark Gregory now he’s staring down a plan that could possibly see his government pay tenfold. http://www.technologyspectator.com.au/turnbulls-hfc-folly The '100 Dams' Proposal- So who do I believe - Abbott or Hogan- by @no_filter_Yamba Tony Abbott remains determined to dam Australia. http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/ Unfair, inefficient & expensive what went wrong with Australia’s superannuation system by Mike Steketee http://inside.org.au/unfair-inefficient-and-expensive-what-went-wrong-with-australias-superannuation-system/ “Retail suffers in election years” by Richard Chirgwin http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/02/18/retail-suffers-in-election-years/ Looking to past to prepare for future: Lessons of a Webdiary story by margokingston1 http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/02/18/looking-to-past-to-prepare-for- If Barnett wins poll, so will I, says Abbott @ The Hub, confident he can be elected prime minister http://darwinhub.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/if-barnett-wins-poll-so-will-i-says.html?utm_source=dlvr. Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 19 February 2013 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

Ad astra

19/02/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

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19/02/2013Hilde Rombout I join with the others who have welcomed you to [i]The Political Sword[/i] family. Thank you for your kind comment. I'm pleased you are enjoying this site. Do come again. I like your colourful Gravatar, but as Truth Seeker points out, you can change it by going to the Gravatar website: https://en.gravatar.com and chose another.

2353

19/02/2013James Adelaide, Lady in Red, NormanK, Nasking and I are also getting soaked in what our rego plates laughingly refer to as "Queensland - The Sunshine State"

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19/02/2013Victoria used to be the Garden State. Lack of rain has made it the "fiery" state. WA was the state of "excitement" often changed to something less palatable.

Truth Seeker

19/02/20132353, yes i checked the rain gauge this morning, and had at least 100mm of rain in the last 24 hours. Sunshine Coast? Between the weather and Newman, our number plates should read QLD the state of disaster, state of confusion, state of frustration or beautiful one day, desolate the next! Which will also apply nationally if the Abbott gets his/Murdochs/Rineharts way? Scary Cheers :-) :-)

Tom of Melbourne

19/02/2013[i]” AWU announced today that they will be using Obama’s techniques.[/i]” I’m sure all the voters will be really pleased to be reminded that Paul Howes who- • Is a proven hack • Announced the rolling of Rudd on Lateline before any of the MPs were aware …is now closely involved in the ALP campaign!

bob macalba

19/02/20132353 i think we have your weather down here in the sunny Hunter Valley[lower] Hilde..welcome James.. enjoying your comments, cheers Lyn.. as always lots of good info.. thankyou yee ha folks dont let the crapsters on bullshit mountain get you down in any way, to me this is a sign of desperation from them, their tactics are becoming more blatantly obvious-get rid of [PM] Gillard 'NOW', you can feel a bit of hysteria creeping in as they start to realise the crap being shoveled out so far hasnt worked as planned [no forced early election] so now its down to all they have left in their arsenal 'Plan A' times 10, bullshit on a grand scale, Labor can ride this assault out just by keeping a cool head and getting on with things as normal its seven months till the election and more and more honest confused folk will see through what has been really going on. im not one to bet money but the odds TT quoted here are pretty good to back Labor as i believe they are a sure thing, now imagine i was a rich bugger who wanted to manipulate the betting odds so as to appear to the general public that 'according to the bookies' Labor were favorites to win in the 'publics' mind, what would it take to bring those odds right down? surely a plunge of say $500 000 over several bets would bring the odds down, then if done again the following week they would have to come down again[a trend] how is that going to affect how punters think the elections heading? and whos to say its not already being done, bookies dont know who is going to win the election, they just adjust their odds to make profits, Singo, Packer, or Palmer could easily have every betting outlet showing the tories at the shortest price on record with a few large bets placed..'perception' to mug punter who proceeds to tell mates 'bookies have tories at shortest odds ever, Abbort must be going to win as the bookies are never wrong' rubbish betting its as easily to manipulate the 'perception' as dodgy polls do. TT your on a good win for sure cheers

LadyInRed

19/02/2013Hi Hilde welcome. DMW I do believe that Julie Owens does deserve a cranky-pants award. I was one cranky tweeter last night after 3 serves of ABC. The news, 7:30 & Lateline, & I note Hunt got a couple of non-truths out there on Q&A. Tanya tried to push back courageously. So, our gypsy Jan awarded me the cranky-pants award for an outstanding tweet. 'Hands off our PM'. Simple but to the point. So I sit here wearing the boganista blue singlet, with sparkles around the neck (I luv sparkles). Its very wet so no chunky neckless today. Its a bit cold so I am wearing my red checked flannel shirt over, please note not under the blue singlet because quite franky I don't want to look silly. I watched Business last night and I almost fell off my lounge chair, now I hope you are all seated......they showed the new $1billion Industry Plan, outlined the policy with pictures and all....really....and of course then they tried to get the CEO of Blue Scope Steel to bag it and he didn't. So, 11:30 at night when most people are tucked up in bed we got policy.

Cuppa

19/02/2013Abbott's poor judgement. Youtube video: http://t.co/JQ2iLUN4

LadyInRed

19/02/2013Truth Seeker Sunshine Coast is very wet on the Noosa river system. I have a property that gets very wet, the water backs up and I have a lovely tea tree coloured lake outside. If only the sun would come out and reflect all the trees it would be just beautiful, quite special. So currently our house has lake views. I like to call it our little Venice. Judging on the water level I would say 100mm is about right.

Lyn

19/02/2013Good Morning Ad and all our Friends, Bob, thankyou for your appreciation, but you are a pleasure. I love your posts and always look forward to reading what you have to say. Ad Astra did you notice there is a new blog this morning from America Jessie says she may want to move here one day. Beware the Teaparty Down Under- Abbott is a Wolf in Sheep’s Clothing by VegasJessie http://vegasjessie.com/2013/02/17/beware-the-teaparty-down-under-abbott-is-a-wolf-in-sheeps-clothing/ For those who haven't seen the video clip of Tanya telling the Media off: Julie Owens, with Tanya Plibersek, giving the press a more than spirited slapdown over their [b]obsession with polls [/b]rather than issues http://smellytongues.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/tongue-of-the-day-62/ The Telegraph with some factual reporting: Abbott super cuts 'hit women hardest' http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/national/abbott-super-cuts-hit-women-hardest/story-fncvk70o-1226580619028

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19/02/2013Hi Lyn Another great set of links. Anyone disheartened by yesterday’s poll should read the first link: http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/unpredictive-opinion-polls-pointless-except-to-sow-discord/ I hope you are not being deluged by rain again. bob macalba Nielsen had gone after the ABC squeezed every last drop of pain for Labor out of it, the usual media speculation about change of leadership took place, and Julia pressed on. If only her squeamish back-benchers could exhibit even half her guts and show some loyalty to her, and she could get on with governing the nation without distraction.

Gravel

19/02/2013Hilde Welcome, and you'll love Lyn's links, and most of the commenters here. The more people there are the more varying the views. :-) James I'm from Victoria, where the weather is very warm, hanging out for a cool change.

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19/02/2013Hi Lyn Isn’t it interesting that even in the US some regard Abbott as PM as a disaster? Abbott is a devotee of Tea Party tactics. Let’s hope there are more articles like the one in [i]The Tele[/i], that tell women what they are in for should Abbott become PM. We should have more Julie Owens type doorstops that reflect to journos how stupid and inappropriate their questions so often are. ‘Don’t ask crap’ should be a regular refrain, to match Julia’s ‘Don’t write crap’.

TalkTurkey

19/02/2013Good Morning All, Regulars, Occasionals and Newies, and Goodwilled Lurkers too! So glad Adelaide has cooled down at last! Very good to see the level of paranoia starting to rise among the Fighting 5th Estate, "Even paranoid people can have real enemies", and believe it, our enemies are real, and I fear if they ever gain power Australia will be changed irrevocably for the nastier, more superstitious, more homophobic and xenophobic, and more divided. Paranoia is Powerful, let us harness it and infect others, because it's preferable to be paranoid than permanently powerless.

MWS

19/02/2013Pikiranku Thanks for your comment. I have taken your advice and composed a tweet: WA state debt from $3.8b under Labor to $18.2b in 4 years under Liberals. Still want to be like WA, Tony Abbott? The 140 character limit is challenging! My twitter moniker (sic) is Monicas_WS, which is short for "Monica's wicked stepmother". "Monica" being the blue heeler in my gravatar. I've stopped my account being protected, because it stopped me interacting with other twitterheads.

Lyn

19/02/2013Hi MWs, Glad you changed from a protected account, you are right stops interaction, but also puts new followers off. Because they can't see any previous tweets. Checking what people are tweeting about is a new followers deciding factor no 1. Cheers to you :):):)

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19/02/2013Better listen to Swanny's talk on Mimicking the Tea Party. Is there any doubt? Bernardi gave the game away before he (and others) went to the US to investigate how they do things and apply the same principles HERE. How could Abbott DENY this.? Does he think things are SOME way because HE says so? Is he being coached by some evil psychologist from eastern europe/north korea in Projection.?

LadyInRed

19/02/2013Ad astra I'm not disheartened by yesterdays poll. I am however cranky at the savage way everyone in the media has been gunning for the PM. How desperate does the ABC have to get? To drag out Hawker on prime time TV in an effort to get him to join the kick the PM in the head story. Which thankfully he didn't really do, having said that the whole story was far from helpful and I believe would have reached its goal of keeping the ALP chaos theory going. If you ever needed proof that the media are in a concerted effort to try to influence the result of the next election yeaterday should have dispelled it for you. If nothing else next month when the PM is still there how much egg will they have to shrug off their weazely faces?

MWS

19/02/2013Lyn, I agree. I made my account "protected" at first because I wanted to dip a little toe in the water first, and that seemed the best way to do it. Now I'm a lot more comfortable - and I needed to DM (direct message for non-Tweeters) somebody but couldn't unless she followed me - but I couldn't contact her to ask her to follow me! Chicken-and-egg problem. Protected accounts stop anybody who isn't a follower from seeing your tweets. You as invisible to everybody else, but you can't contact anybody either.

Michael

19/02/2013First "Tony Goes Troppo" a week ago. Now pointing out lower-paid women workers will lose serious retirement money if Abbott hits superannuation the way he's said he will. Is "The Daily Telegraph" on a mission to tell voters about the real Tony Abbott? Does Murdoch not read this far from insignificant member of his media stable? Or is this his 'bet each way' option?

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19/02/2013LadyinRed The ABC certainly gave Nielsen a long run and are still doing so today. I thought Leigh Sales was pretty savage on [i]7.30[/i] and Emma Alberici was still on the case on [i]Lateline[/i]. I expect that after Christine Milne's acerbic, and at times quite nasty speech today at the NPC, there will be more anti-Labor talk and leadership speculation. Let's hope that after the media feeding frenzy of the last few days, with journalists behaving like piranhas, there may be some calmer waters ahead.

MWS

19/02/2013Wow - my latest tweet (see above) was re-tweeted seven times! From people I don't know! I didn't use any hashtags, so I don't even know how they saw it in the first place to re-tweet it. Anybody know how Twitter works?

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19/02/2013Given that the LieNP hate the green's guts and many labor people are somewhat OK with the greens views on many things does she have to go for broke and slag labor so much? All I can see is that they want to improve/hold their power in the senate. She feeds the Abbott camp with ammunition constantly. Do the greens have any political bones in their bodies?. They don't see that politics is the art of the achievable. You can't negotiate and not lose some points or you haven't negotiated, because it always involves some compromise. Any how I hope the "Invisible Abbott" hangs around to answer a few questions sometime. What an opportunity wasted IF he has a REAL message to get out. That is the point from all this? He won't be pinned down. the man has an answer for every group because it is a different one for each occasion. Fran Kelly said he had constantly refused every invitation to come on the ABC. Brave Tony Straw man. you are going to be shown for what you are one day. That's what happens to public figures PUBLIC Tony. The system you are in makes you exposed to scrutiny. You want everyone to look over Julia Gillard with a microscope, but YOU RUN from Questions. You won't make it Tony. You're not made of the right stuff..

LadyInRed

19/02/2013MWS - I'm Lucy I retweeted it once. Not that I'm an expert at tweeting. I have Lyn to thank for getting me started. Thanks tweety pie. Once it gets retweeted then everyone who sees it in my group of follwers (for example), they see the tweet like it and retweet. Then it goes to their list of followers etc. If a tweet is good it has a good chance of a retweet. It was a good tweet - it was succinct, relevant, poignant and I thought it was of interest and my followers. And, thats how you get followers too. Its a great rush to et lots of retweets.

Casablanca

19/02/2013[b]Final nail in PM's coffin [/b] http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/final-nail-in-pms-coffin-20130218-2end2.html#poll According to the blurb following the article, David Day is an honorary associate at La Trobe University and has written biographies of three Labor prime ministers. He is currently writing a biography of Paul Keating. I found Day's email on the La Trobe website - maybe some would like to send him some more balanced opinions. Dr David Day David.Day@latrobe.edu.au

Jason

19/02/2013Ad, It's not often you see this in a News LTD paper,but this bloke from 2353's state is a ripper. " MEMO to all readers who are not angry, self-righteous, middle-aged white people with deep wells of bile and resentment: It is probably advisable that you avoid the lawns of Parliament House in Canberra a few weeks from now. For on March 12, the malcontents and fringe-dwellers who brought us one of the great fizzers from 2011's political calendar, the Convoy of No Confidence (or No Consequence as Anthony Albanese dubbed it), are trying to get up an encore performance of sorts. Rather than the stage-managed cavalcade of crackpots of 18 months ago, this looks like being more of a trickle towards the national capital - a Convoy of Incontinence, if you like. This time around it is the "Rotten to the Core Rally", brought to you by the same bunch of climate-change deniers and ratbags who were bellowing about the carbon tax and waving "Ditch the Witch" and "Bob Brown's Bitch" placards The carbon pricing battle (what carbon tax?) having been lost, the focus has shifted to union corruption and, of course, the AWU. This is all proof positive - although nothing has been proven unless you channel your news from the likes of Larry Pickering or former shock jock Michael Smith - that our Government is corrupt and democracy in Australia is dead. Keynote speakers are to include Bob Kernohan, a former AWU Victorian vice-president. At the time of the alleged fraud in the early '90s he was at war with the left faction of the union as part of a protracted internal power struggle and has made various allegations about Prime Minister Julia Gillard that have not been substantiated in the course of nearly 20 years. No axes to grind there. Also on the soapbox list is David Flint, one time head of the Australian Broadcasting Authority, good mate of 2GB's Alan Jones and chair of Australians for a Constitutional Monarchy. In between keeping Australians who don't believe in an Australian head of state informed with febrile updates on what Old Liz's corgis are up to, his Flintiness also heads CANdo - a far right group created by Liberal Senator Cory Bernardi that wants to become an "Australian Tea Party" and believes gay marriage could lead to Muslim polygamy. He and the organisers of the Rotten rally, the grandly named Consumers and Taxpayers Association - with a whopping 461 Facebook "likes" (including one from yours truly, so I get the updates) - are clearly a meeting of minds. Both seem to think the furore over Jones' "died of shame" comment regarding the Prime Minister's father were an over-reaction. CATA spokesman Jacques Laxale maintained last year that poor, hard-done-by Alan was a victim of cyber-bullying. One of the principal organisers this time around appears to be one Anita Donlon, who writes: "This is our day to ALL gather in mass to show how we feel ... to turn the media around from being blinded by the truth ... we need the media around the globe to say 'CRIKEY!!!' there's an uprising in Australia against the government!!" Yadda, yadda, yadda ... "Love peace and mungbeans. See you in Canberra!" I've been in the media a long time and I can honestly say I have never been accused of being "blinded by the truth", mungbeans or no mungbeans, but never mind. Donlon's a bit of a favourite of 2GB afternoon shock jock Chris Smith, who will broadcast his show live from the Rotten rally next month in an effort to whip up even more divisiveness and hate than he can normally manage from his Sydney studio. The corrupt Prime Minister baloney aside, judging by the various web pages it is the usual shopping list of talk-back radio gripes that this Petri dish of intellects will be taking to Canberra for next month's world record whinge attempt. "Illegal" immigrants, foreign workers, foreign aid, foreign investment, foreign imports and Muslims just about covers the White Australia element. Poofters, dole bludgers, single mums, druggies, deliberately barren career women and lazy blackfellas ticks another box. Then there's taxes, big government, government spending, government waste, government interference, government ... And that's before we get to the real evils of corrupt union thugs and red raggin' commo greenie terrorists. And the United Nations. What we obviously need - as the likes of the CATA people feel the need to constantly remind me via email - is an ELECTION NOW, because one that doesn't install their preferred version of government is obviously undemocratic and illegitimate and we need to keep voting until we get it right. Email: paul.syvret@news.com.au http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/merchants-of-hate-rally-for-another-protest/story-e6frerc6-1226580596501?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+cmnews+%28The+Courier+Mail+

Lyn

19/02/2013 Hi Monica, From the re-tweets you received you should gain a few more followers, be sure and follow back. So the idea is, if you like what someone says or a link they tweet, re-tweet for them increases your followers & theirs. I have listed a few little tips for you, hope it helps. Now that you have taken the protection of, if you do a tweet without a name it will go into your followers stream and the people you follow. If you put a name first it will only go to their stream, whoever’s name you have used . Remember to use search if you are looking for something, for instance “Christine Milne. It is all minor skirmishes nothing visionary” or if it’s a newspaper headline key the lot in. copy and paste the whole sentence into search then you will see who said those words. Try it key Tony Abbott in you will get what they are saying about Abbott, Hockey or whoever. If you key a name into search you will get all the names on the side panel but all the tweets when you click on which name you want. eg. if I key in Monica then get all the tweets who have mentioned Monica. All twitter addresses by the name of Monica will be at the side. Did you know that you can upload a picture to Twitter by clicking on the little camera at the bottom of you Tweet. If you click on “other” at the bottom of your tweet you can Email that particular tweet to yourself for filing, or anyone you like. Monicas wckd stpmthr @Monicas_WS WA state debt from $3.8b under Labor to $18.2b in 4 years under Liberals. Still want to be like WA, Tony Abbott? Re-tweets: @JamieRoberts @nikt50 @Antonm1Anton @oldgrumpy2 @gypsymez @louinoosa this is our lovely lady in Red. @shesaid_aus :):):)

Catching up

19/02/2013jason, that article must be wrong. I heard Mr. Abbott, out Ramsgate way, put his hand over his heart and swear he does not believe in the politics of divide and rule, of negativity. No, no, it is Labor where one finds such tactics. That he does not import strategies from the likes of the tea party, overseas. No, all the ideas are his.

KHTAGH

19/02/2013MWS [quote]I've stopped my account being protected, because it stopped me interacting with other twitterheads[/quote] I wish Latika Bourke would do the same, she tweets anti Julia stuff all the time because she has the hots for Tones, then hides behind a protected account, gutless piece of crap she is. I'm sure someone here is smart enough to do this, but we should add up all the costs that are going to be foisted onto the lower paid people from Lieberal cuts into one annual sum, because the way it is going it will be in the many thousands/yr with pension cut backs, compensation cutbacks, direct action costs $1300/family/person/yr? super cutbacks etc. They are just the ones from today's links alone.

MWS

19/02/2013The Coalition speak with Australian accents - has Tony Abbott never listened to his Shadow Assistant Treasurer Matthias Cormann? If that's an "Australian" accent then I'll walk backwards to Canberra!

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19/02/2013The people who support abbott will get what they deserve if they are successfull. The ones who don't support him don't deserve what they will get. abbott the man for ALL australians. Cruel joke. The signs are there the money trails are there. You can see who supports the LieNP with contributions, They will get their reward.. at the expense of others. The recovery will be at the expense of opportunitees for the lower socio economic groups It always is. Loss of jobs doesn't boost the economy , it creates a recession hurting small business, but it's OK if it drives wages down.. Most family finances collapse when there is no income stream, within weeks. Should this predicament be foisted on people who have committed no crime, who are just trying to do what everyone else does. Tony refinanced a while ago with a 700K debt. I wonder how he would go if he was out of work?. He knows how to run this country though so I suppose there would be no problem at all. He could always get a job licking Gina's er boots I suppose.

KHTAGH

19/02/201342 long [quote]He won't be pinned down. the man has an answer for every group because it is a different one for each occasion.[/quote] You hit the nail on the head, he is building a conglomerate of voters by telling different people different thing (what he thinks they want to hear). To go on any national program & be questioned at length would let the cat out of the bag & expose him for the weather vain fake/stuntman his actually is.

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19/02/2013Jason That was really courageous piece by Paul Syvret. With Dennis Atkins too often giving balanced commentary, it seems that [i]The Courier Mai[/i] is not as radical a News Limited outlet as its Sydney and Melbourne tabloids. We should be thankful for that.

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19/02/2013KHTAGH That would be a good exercise for someone like Peter Martin.

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19/02/2013Snake oil salesman is the best title I can think of. Women now like this guy? That really Is sexist.

MWS

19/02/2013Thanks for all that information, Lyn. I should do some reading on how Twitter works, instead of learning from my mistakes - although that can be fun!

jane

19/02/2013Ad astra @8.51am 18/2, I very much doubt the msm will subject Liealot to even the most cursory scrutiny until he flops at the ballot box on 14/9 and even then it will more than likely concentrate its efforts on the duplicity of the (hopefully) re-elected Rob Oakeshott and Tony Windsor, rather than the duplicity of the Liars party and its paucity of talent and credible policy. Blimey, a positively Dickensian length sentence! I have a translation for the latest 3 worder, HOPE. OPPORTUNITY. REWARD. Liealot HOPES he'll get the OPPORTUNITY to REWARD the wealthiest by fleecing the poorest and denying them the OPPORTUNITY for a decent education, health care and wage justice. Jason @3.03pm, what a ripper indeed! Hope it prompts less superficial thinking and more examination of the facts. Hi James, I am another South Aussie, residing in the country, although I was born and bred in Adelaide. I am also very pleased that the temperature has dropped at least 20C in my neck of the woods and we've got our sou'westers back. Hi Lyn, Love MWS' tweet re WA state debt. This is certainly the sort of stuff that ought to be broadcast far and wide giving the lie to Liars Party superior economic management claims. It'd interesting to know if the situation in other Liars held states is similar.

KHTAGH

19/02/2013MSW There are a few YouTube vids on how it all works, I'm still not sure I have a full understanding of it all. Your right retweets are a good boost to knowing your doing something right. This weather is bloody crazy, we had 35 yesterday here & it bloody freezing now only 15.

KHTAGH

19/02/2013Jane [quote]HOPE. OPPORTUNITY. REWARD. Liealot HOPES he'll get the OPPORTUNITY to REWARD the wealthiest by fleecing the poorest and denying them the OPPORTUNITY for a decent education, health care and wage justice. [/quote] That was so good, I hope you dont mind I just turned it into a tweet.

MWS

19/02/2013Thanks everybody. I only wrote today's tweet because of the encouragement I received here. Sometimes I forget that tweets work both ways, usually I just read them.

Gravel

19/02/2013MWS I read your tweet and thought it was great. Well done. :-) Knee High Do you need a lend of a jumper? :-) And people wonder why they get colds and stuff, the weather can be so crazy. At least one thing it will hopefully keep the fires at bay. :-)

Pikiranku

19/02/2013KHTAGH Yes, you need to be able to tell people exactly what an Abbott victory will cost them because, as I said earlier, most people seem only to be concerned with how they personally will be affected. They're not too concerned with the wider picture. The reversion of the tax threshold from $18000 back to $6000 will put a lot of people back into the income taxation system too and significantly increase taxation for millions of lower income earners.

KHTAGH

19/02/2013Pikiranku It would be a very large sum & I'm sure it could sway a lot of people.

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19/02/2013Jason, I pondered on the weekend when I posted another Paul Syvret article how he kept his job.

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19/02/2013listened to Milne again with Walid Ali. Just a run for Senate Numbers and gain some "headlines" by bagging Gillard. Isn't it funny how women kick their own when they are down. Is this a "queenbee" or mother hen or just "catty" syndrome? I felt like sending her a saucer of milk. Brown had depth of knowledge of people Kristine has a lust for power. Her Green credentials are OK and worth listening to but like Tony she is prepared to do damage as long as at the end there is something to be had in the scrap(heap). Disappointing but reality. The other reality is that pensioners and people(like me) who have no real income stream will be "stuffed" under abbott's proposals. All you have to do on top of it is to expand the GST onto food etc and up the rate a bit and retiree's have no hope of any real existence. Until now I haven't felt that things could really get as bad as I now feel is inevitable. I'm not talking about a high on the hog existence it is any existence of any dignity at all. I put off for years going on the pension, because I felt guilty to take it. There are people worse off than me, and we have been giving to charities for years and now I have to say "Just can't afford it' which makes me feel terrible.. The guy down the road who drives a New Bentley and an Aston Martin must have a bit to spare. Some of Abbotts mates would have a bit to spare too, but for many of them it is only a numbers exercise whereas for many it is absolute essence of survival. Surely we don't have to go to the situation in the US. Labo(u)r has a soul. It grew out of the mines in england where a pit horse was more valuable than a miner, whose wife was kicked out of the little house the day her husband was killed.

Jason

19/02/20132353, I wondered as well, but I hope they keep him, as I think he's great. He got a fair old seeing too on his live blog today by the ones he had a crack at! They found him offensive lol.

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19/02/2013I don't recall many comments on Q&A from last night. I actually enjoyed about 80% of it . A record. Kevin wasn't mentioned. Gave me some hope for sanity. More like than TONY. The other stuff is CRAP.

KHTAGH

19/02/2013Well worth a read to keep the rage simmering. I cant remember if this was posted over the last week. If Abbott wins the next election (dog I hate even typing that)will this just vanish? It is an insight of how most of the liberals think, ignore anything that they don't like & it will just go away? Or will Qld police just do [u]nothing[/u]? http://marshallchambers.weebly.com/1/post/2013/02/criminal-law-mal-brough-and-ashbygate.html 42 long Yes I thought Q&A was good too Dr John Dickson a very clever scientist like Steven Hawkins I could listen to him all night, doesn't knowledge scare some religious people. From Hunts performance we can see that the Lieberals are going to play the electricity price angle all the way. I think the PM has to do another address about just what is what with the electricity pricing system. Its more of just repeating a total lie & somehow it becomes true. Worked for one super race(being sarcastic there)before! why wouldn't it suit their purposes to a tee. If the lie is not killed off fast it just grows.

KHTAGH

19/02/2013I think the title of the thesis says it all about how far out of his own beliefs Hunt is going to keep Abbott happy. http://www.scribd.com/doc/50162694/A-Tax-to-Make-the-Polluter-Pay

jane

19/02/2013[quote]He could always get a job licking Gina's er boots I suppose.[/quote] Doesn't he already do that? [quote]Snake oil salesman is the best title I can think of. Women now like this guy? That really Is sexist.[/quote] Not only sexist but quite unbelievable. that's why I can't take this poll seriously. KHTAGH @4.52pm, I feel very flattered that you used it for your tweet. Jason @7.09pm, I enjoyed Syvret article and the bile thrown at him by the barrackers. The old "carbon tax" meme was alive and well amongst barrackers who utterly refuse to acknowledge what doesn't fit their agenda. Of course not only are they wrong that such a tax exists, but it's an epic fail wrt comprehension, a characteristic that seems peculiar to the dingbat species.

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19/02/2013Folks With friends like Christine Milne, who needs enemies. The story is being met with cynical scepticism about Milne's motivation. Labor seems unfazed, even pleased, and the Coalition want the nexus to continue - Christopher Pyne said as much tonight. So life will go on as before. 42 long, KHTAGH Wasn't last night's Q&A an improvement on the usual partisan skirmishes. One of the very best. If only more were like it.

James Adelaide

19/02/2013Just watched a video clip of Jon Stewart show, talking about the Republican convention and Eastwood talking a chair. As John Stewart laid out his analysis of the speech, I had the weird experience of an American from August 30 2012 describing 2013 Australian politics to a tea (sp intentional) http://knowyourmeme.com/memes/events/clint-eastwoods-empty-chair-speech-eastwooding-invisible-obama The link is to a site ‘Know Your Meme’, Stewart is in a box two clicks down

Casablanca

20/02/2013Jane, Good one! HOPE. OPPORTUNITY. REWARD. Liealot HOPES he'll get the OPPORTUNITY to REWARD the wealthiest by fleecing the poorest and denying them the OPPORTUNITY for a decent education, health care and wage justice. But also: [b]HO[/b]pe Re[b]WARD[/b] [b]Opportunity.[/b] Tony looks at Australia's future through the rear vision mirror.

Truth Seeker

20/02/2013Ad, I have said it before, but I think that Milne will take the greens down the same road as Meg Lees took the Democrats, which IMHO is exactly what they deserve. They are playing at politics, expecting the ALP to accommodate their ideological stands, without being prepared to compromise, holding out for everything, rather than settling for something and ending up with nothing! Then they whinge about the outcome, after removing themselves from the process. At least Bob Brown had some idea, and if they think that they will get a sympathetic hearing from the LNP, then they are as delusional as the LNP trolls. I have posted "The 2013 Political Olympics " for some light relief from the hysteria of the last few days. :-) Cheers :-)

Lyn

20/02/2013Today’s Links The forthcoming assault on workers’ rights by @denniallen, Tony Abbott must not be allowed to become prime minister http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/the-forthcoming- The Canberra Derp Gallery, by @bernietb “most” or “senior” in this case. No names are offered. http://matthewhatton.id.au/?p=1126 Up The Opinion Poll by johnlord2013 this country where media believes its own unsubstantiated bullshit. http://theaimn.com/2013/02/19/up-the-opinion-poll/ When Polls Trump Policies by @beneltham, lead story on the ABC news yesterday was about the poll, not the policy. http://newmatilda.com/2013/02/19/when-polls-trump-policies Leadership long haul: can journos last three weeks? You bet by @BernardKeane it’s not political writing, it’s political typing. http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/02/19/leadership-long-haul-can-journos-last-three- Polls a Fake Story by @gabriellechan Monday splash every fortnight a news editor’s dream. No leg work required. http://thehoopla.com.au/polls-fake-story/ It’s More Of The Same From The Media & From Me! by @knarfnamduh ‘A Dead Woman Walking’. Charming http://deknarf.wordpress.com/ Weasel maths won't fix coalition's NBN case by @zyzzyvamedia, Labor's NBN — is just north of AU$9 billion http://www.zdnet.com/au/weasel-maths-wont-fix-coalitions-nbn-case-7000011421/ NBN hits a high note in Coffs Harbour with Opera Australia by @CoffsOutlook, NBN-enabled singing lesson using live video streaming http://coffsoutlook.com/nbn-news-nbn-hits-a-high-note-in-coffs-harbour-with- Greens and Labor – a trial separation? by @fakeedbutler Greens media unit, well played. http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/02/19/greens-and-labor-a-trial-separation/ It’s about the votes, folks by @DamienCWalker they’ll never govern in their own right http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/02/19/its-about-the-votes-folks/ Lib-Nats: ‘will never’ introduce emissions scheme By David Twomey, emissions come down by 8.6 per cent since Labor http://econews.com.au/news-to-sustain-our-world/lib-nats-will-never-introduce- CCA emissions review may come too late to embarrass Abbott by Giles Parkinson, can’t prevent the Coalition talking nonsense about climate policies http://reneweconomy.com.au/2013/cca-emissions-review-may-come-too-late-to-embarrass- Milne: Labor walked away from Greens but we will see this parliament through by Sunanda Creagh, Greens would continue to guarantee supply http://theconversation.edu.au/milne-labor-walked-away-from-greens-but-we-will-see- Greens drill the miner’s republic Milne also declared the power-sharing deal with Labor dead http://www.macrobusiness.com.au/2013/02/greens-drill-the-miners-republic/ The 2013 Political Olympics by Truth Seeker, One can assume that their motivation is to portray Abbott as a winner, http://truthseekersmusings.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/the-2013-political-olympics/ Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 20 February 2013 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

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20/02/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

Michael

20/02/2013Well, isn't the Sydney Morning Herald full of 'get Gillard' bile today? The text by Alan Stokes reads like a sociopathic kidnapper's ransom note, structured as a manic stream of demanding one-liners you just know he didn't type to send to the editor, but cut out letter by letter from the pages of yesterday's SMH with a pot of glue at hand and drool on his chin. The hate-piece by Mark Baker, who so significantly failed to 'ditch the witch' with his framing and reframing and reframing of the Slater and Gordon mythos, is hard-edged blocks of verbal excrement in twin to Stokes' thin, acidic diarrhoeic dribbles. Both are nasty, bileful, reek of testosterone frustration and schoolyard sandpit residue between the toes, because yes, both are written by males who clearly have never come anywhere near to being king of any castle, and so aim high to gob on someone who has. That stinky wet stuff in your eyes, you two fair dinkum blokes? It's your own spit. Stings, huh? PS I haven't put the weblinks to either story here because if you do want to 'read' them the Fairfax editor has made them prominently easy enough to find. It may take a little longer if you hold your nose while doing it (recommended), but a swift wave of one exposed nostril over the SMH site should lead you straight to both.

LadyInRed

20/02/2013So no real surprises in the mornings drivel that serves as news. One day after the PM gets the unions full support and they come out with fighting. The newspapers are awash with their chaos theory and Rudstoration tripe. They are so transparent its sickening to watch. Can they keep this up for 7 months? Julia was smart to call the election so early.

Michael

20/02/2013PPS In the above post, the paragraph referring to Mark Baker's article should actually read: "The hate-piece by Mark Baker, who so significantly failed to 'ditch the witch' with his framing and reframing and reframing of the Slater and Gordon mythos, is hard-edged blocks of sphincter-ripping, cheeks-bulging, face-reddening verbal excrement in twin to Stokes' thin, acidic diarrhoeic dribbles." In the interests of accuracy.

janice

20/02/2013Good morning all. Ad astra, [quote]With friends like Christine Milne, who needs enemies. The story is being met with cynical scepticism about Milne's motivation. Labor seems unfazed, even pleased[/quote] Indeed. No doubt Labor are as pleased as they seem - The Greens have been a millstone around their necks the whole term of this government. The coalition have exploited it and egged the Greens on to be obstructive and stupidly obstinate at every turn. And, if Christine Milne is stupid enough to do a Meg Lees and put even a modicum of trust in the Coalition, she will lose and disappear into oblivion, leaving her party to fragment and eventually join her. The Greens have been attacking Labor with impunity and have embarked on a tactic to take seats from Labor rather than attack those of the coalition. The Greens aspire to be "The Greens Labor Party" but the ALP hasn't survived through the years to allow a mob of holier than thou usurpers to take over.

bob macalba

20/02/2013Michael i read that story by stokes[i dont use capital letters on tossers] agree with EVERYTHING you said, i too felt the same as yourself and didnt want to repost it as a link, its just nasty bullshit, as for baker..you nailed it there too another tosser at work. LiR i would like to nominate Michael to the most prestigious of awards 'crankypants' i believe his effort fits the criteria beautifully cheers

Lyn

20/02/2013Hi Michael, Thankyou for your post alerting us of the two most disgusting articles I have ever read:- I feel the same as you Michael in refusing to link them. Both should hang their heads in shame, seeing they are so fond of the phrase. They should remove both articles and apologise not just to Julia Gillard but to the whole nation, "they should say Sorry to Australia". Here are some tweeters opinions:- Ben Eltham ‏ @jessradio @domknight I normally enjoy Stokes. I think he was told to write something like this- see Mark Baker's nearly identical piece James Couri ‏@JamesCouri @smh Alan stokes you're a bloody idiot do you even know who our PM is? and SMH editors what the hell are you doing printing this garbage? Daryl Noack ‏ I lied to myself when I said I would ignore reading anything from the media. Then I read Alan Stokes' piece. Now I will never read again. Gladstone Speaks ‏ @smh Who is this cretin A Stokes? Why are you letting your editor & certain journos destroy a once widely respected publication? Awful. RubyRainbow ‏ Mark Baker 'investigative reporter' so quick to smear the PM last year but no questions re #Ashby. No ethics, no standards, no journalist.

Ad astra

20/02/2013Hi Lyn Your links have a theme running through them – the media frenzy over just one poll. That journalists place so much store on this one result reflects the barrenness of their thinking, and exposes their basic intent, the removal of the Gillard Government. Their response is what we have come to expect, particularly from the Murdoch media; what is disappointing is that some Labor backbenchers have reacted so immaturely to the Nielsen poll. They ought to know more about polls, and brush them off, as Julia Gillard did. I haven’t seen the Stokes article – do you have a link? Michael What is happening in the media is entirely predictable. Having smelt some blood in the air, they are moving in, hoping they can quickly kill off PM Gillard. Why would anyone, other than a Gillard-hater, give any credence to anything Mark Baker writes about her? This, the man that pursued her so relentlessly, yet so unsuccessfully over the Slater and Gordon matter, is incapable of writing anything balanced about her. So why does Fairfax ask him to do so? To sell more papers? I suppose we have to endure the media speculation until the next poll comes along. And if it is better for the Government, what will the media say then? ‘Gillard bounces back’? Not likely. More likely: ‘Gillard continues to struggle’ or ‘Coalition still with election winning lead’. It is dead easy to write headlines that are bad for our PM, no matter what the facts really are. And that is what our MSM seems intent on doing. janice I agree with your assessment of the Greens, particularly since the acerbic Christine Milne has taken over. I suspect they fear that they may lose electoral support at the September election, and go the way of the Democrats. If she is stupid enough to do a Meg Lees and, to use her word, ‘cozies’ up to the Coalition, the Greens will slide inexorably.

Lyn

20/02/2013Good Morning Ad and all our friends, Independent Australia has already exposed those two Journalists:- [b]Fairfax’s anti-Government bias is as clear as Day [/b] [i]Fairfax media has ramped up its campaign against the Government — now abandoning any pretence of unbiased reporting. Alan Austin reports.[/i] http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/fairfaxs-anti-government-bias-is-as-clear-as-day/ :):):)

TalkTurkey

20/02/2013Anthony Abbortt, protege of Howard: Mentored in LYING & How To Be A Coward! Run Abbortt Run Abbortt Run Run Run! September 14 U R DONE DONE DONE! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ *J*U*L*I*A* answers everything! [i]She LIES LIES LIES![/i] Tony cuts and runs away: [i]How clever! He's so WISE![/i] Economy is AAA - [i]We're very nearly broke![/i] The Mining Tax is crippling mines - [i]but the revenue's a joke[/i]! The MSM maliciously turns good-news facts around - Twist them, warp, pervert them, till the Truth is upside-down! Fair is foul & foul is fair, black's white, & white is black - Comrades of the Fighting Fifth! Your Pen's your Sword! ATTACK!

ian

20/02/2013This may not help Ms Gillard....but it can't hurt either. Dear Prime Minister, I think even you must be appalled at the level of vitriol shown in the latest Murdoch, and others, inspired onslaught. I've never seen the like of it in my sixty two years of living. For at least fourty of them being interested in politics and Labor in particular. As your foes, accompanied by your supposed friends, try to bring you down they have only served to strengthen my resolve to support your strength, vision and courage. Attributes that those , bent on your political and, seemingly personal, destruction have no counter to. If only for the simple fact they have no concept of them in the first place. Pay them no heed and treat them with a richly deserved contempt. Let's face it. You have been insulting the CBG, very subtly, for nearly two and a half years and they still haven't caught on....and they never will. Such is the context of their substance. Fifty point two five percent of Australian voters supported the Julia Gillard led Australian Labor Party last election and will do so, with a couple more, in September. This, perhaps, sums up the why? " A strong woman is a woman determined to do something others are determined not be done. Marge Piercy " Like JFK, your answer has to be Why Not! Kind Regards Ian posted on the PUB as well. Maybe more of us should just send a simple message of support.

Lyn

20/02/2013Hi Ad, Sure is a theme there loud and clear. Both the outrageous articles are linked from Independent Australia. Pleased they linked instead of me both articles are poisonous . Graham Bannister ‏ Lodge complaint with ABC if you believe #ABC730 breached Code of Practice with reference to "toxic Labour government" http://about.abc.net.au/talk-to-the-abc/lodge-a-complaint/ … :):):):)

LadyInRed

20/02/2013My goodness Michael I think bob is right, even my eyes were smarting as I read it and I am not even Barker. I read the headline and that was enough for me. In fact I have never seen so many negative pieces of trash in my life. Myself, I am convinced it was in response to the unions coming out in support of JG an vowing to use people power to get the message out there. People power is what got Obama a seocnd term - conservatives are right to be fearful. But I digress. To the award ceremony........drum roll.......ta dah Michael You have won the prestigious and highly sort after 'cranky-pants' award. We at TPS are so glad that you had a platform for your crankiness because all that pent up anger can't be good for you. So, today, you are invited to wear the bogan blue singlet, any shade of blue you like, though myself I prefer a washed out dark blue, but don't let me try to impose my likes on you. Please feel free to wear any blue you like.....but I prefer washed out dark blue. ooooh sorry. Now you can dress up your singlet with badges, sparkles, stickers whatever you like......I like sparkles, but you don;t have to have sparkles its just I like them...look into my eyes.....sparkles. .....sorry again....Now if it's cold you can wear a checked flannel shirt over the blue singlet. With one caveat, the shirt must go over the blue singlet because as we all know to wear it under the singlet would quite frankly look ridiculous. Put your hands together and lets Congratulate Michael.

LadyInRed

20/02/2013And a very special farewell for Christine Milne http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rs3DZd8CaAk

Crowey

20/02/2013It doesn't matter how many bloggers write to the media regarding it bias reporting, it will be completely ignored, it is up to the government to do something about it, but for some unknown reason they will do nothing about it WHY???

MWS

20/02/2013Charles Richardson in Crikey: It’s less than a year since I quoted Brent’s wise words about opinion polling, but it’s worth doing it again: [quote]"If news items were given the emphasis they deserve, political polls would [be on] say, around page eight … But opinion polls cost a bomb to produce, so onto page one they must go. Then everyone must pretend that’s where they belong, adding several hundred words of interpretation — turning them over, looking for meaning, interpreting them as good or bad for someone or other, pretending you can identify why the numbers move over a fortnight. "Don’t get excited about a dramatic movement in any single opinion poll. "Each is just an imprecise dip in the ocean. Wait for another, and then another."[/quote] If you’re writing a front page story based on a single opinion poll, you’re doing it wrong. No matter how interesting it seems, no matter how much it agrees with your preconceived notions. And one more thing: the preferred prime minister numbers are still meaningless, no matter how many of them you’ve got. They were meaningless when Julia Gillard was ahead, and they’re meaningless now that Tony Abbott is ahead. Just ignore them. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/worldisnotenough/2013/02/19/ok-lets-talk-about-opinion-polls/

LadyInRed

20/02/2013MWS I am going one step further where I can I am even ignoring the positive articles about the polls. Its all feeding the beast. Labor and its supporters have to stop navel gazing. Labor has good strong values - we should be talking about those, and policies of course. But I do think we need to stop getting sucked into the vortex.

Ad astra

20/02/2013Hi Lyn Thanks for the [i]IA[/i] link. It’s a great piece, with an informative YouTube discussion. LadyinRed What a great farewell song for Christine! MWS I’ve bookmarked the [i]Crikey[/i] story to read when I get to Melbourne. I’m getting on the road soon – back this evening.

Pikiranku

20/02/2013LiR Loved that link to Gracie Fields! It's been a long time since I heard that song. It's much too good for Christine Milne, though, much better than she deserves.

Truth Seeker

20/02/2013TT, nice one :-) :-) :-) Cheers :-)

bob macalba

20/02/2013LiR Totally agree ignore both polls and trolls, all either do is take up space,and not much else. as for the poop thats being shoveled out en masse, as i said yesterday thats all they have left in their arsenal and they know that abborts only chance left is to get rid of [PM] Gillard now before the general public start to catch on to the crap being served up to them, i do believe they are in a bit of a panic brought on by the fact that after years of non stop negative attacks on a minority govt they have got nowhere, i think your right when you say that they cant keep this up for seven months hence the onslaught this week, they know that if abbort has to face [PM]Gillard in an election based on policies and already done deeds then abborts in trouble, Labor just has to hold their nerve get on with the job seven months is a long time for abbort to be ducking and weaving sooner or later he has to answer proper questions with proper answers then he's done for, a strawman exposed. cheers

LadyInRed

20/02/2013bob macalba - they suck the oxygen out of the air. The coalitions strategy is Chaos Theory.....you can see it playing out in the press. On a lighter note I see MG on The Conversation has managed to drag down the comments, there are a few brave soles trying to put up a fight, but overwhelmingly the calaba of the comments has dropped to The Age standards. So she will be happy. I didn't read the article, I didn't need to, from the comments I gleened it was her usual cherry-picking. Though she did get a few rapps over the knuckles for her distorting the facts.

Tom of Melboune

20/02/2013[i]” Labor has good strong values [/i]” Traditional Labor might have values, but it lost them about a decade ago. The ALP is just full of focus group driven hacks and power brokers, who have stripped any decency from it. There is no “good strong values” in a party that deliberately shunts innocent people to some hell hole. Or when it is led by someone of dubious character, who chooses to continue marginalisation of minority groups. The contemporary ALP is simply the plaything of careerists and a sinecure for union hacks.

Ad astra

20/02/2013Folks I’m now in Melbourne trying to assess the fallout from Christine Milne’s announcement. There has not been much on ABC radio; it has slipped well down the news. Labor figures are showing but passing interest, some relief. Tony Abbott seems to not know what to say – I think he would prefer the Labor/Green alliance to continue, so he could make political capital out of it. The only ones who have made a federal case out of it are journalists, who on cue have painted more dire predictions – doom, gloom, obliteration, decimation, wipeout, oblivion – pick your own word. To me, Milne’s grand announcement seems to be sinking like a stone in a deep limpid pool. I wonder whether she still thinks it was such a great idea. Nothing much has changed, and probably won’t. Even Lyndal Curtis could not extract much politically out of it. It will likely be forgotten by week’s end.

Catching up

20/02/2013Along with the poll figures and the imminent demise of the PM.

Lyn

20/02/2013Hi Ad, Glad to hear you got to Melbourne safely. Just want to tell you, Abbott is not quiet about the Greens as you thought. Making Political Capital 1000 miles a minute. He has been on at least 2 radio stations:- [b] Tony Abbott wants election now [/b]3AW Radio better for the country if an election were held now, rather than wait until September. "Just look what the Greens said about Gillard yesterday, that [b]they can't trust her.[/b] That turned out to be a fatal embrace for her. http://www.3aw.com.au/blogs/breaking-news-blog/tony-abbott-wants-election-no Tony Abbott wants an election now VIDEO 3AWRadiohttp://www.youtube.com/watch?v=orx5bOgUAas :):):)

bob macalba

20/02/2013Get up stand up...stand up for your rights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JuMlHdxiIZ8 Dont give up the fight

bob macalba

20/02/2013PM not to fussed over Greens split http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=847523

Pikiranku

20/02/2013Interesting snippet from Alan Austin's article on IA about Fairfax bias: "... the rate of ministerial sackings and resignations under Rudd/Gillard has been the lowest of any government in any Westminster nation since the 1820s." And yet the MSM persist with this chorus about a government in chaos (which btw I was very disappointed to hear Laura Tingle join in last Sunday). Do they seriously believe what they say? And don't they ever refer to the actual facts? I despair.

Sir Ian Crisp

20/02/2013How 'bout we all take a deep breath and add a big of banter to lighten the mood. Here is a bit of comedy by a TPS visitor. [quote][b] [...] For clarification of this and of poll results generally and a reality check of what they are saying, see Kevin Bonham's site or check out his comments on PB over the past 24 hours. He and other psephologists are suggesting that the state of play now is around the same proportions as at the 2010 election, and that since about July 1, the coalition 2PP support has dropped some 4 or 5 percent. I expect they’ll get worse for the Abbotteers as the year progresses. Cream for the emerging cake. Psyclaw. [/b][/quote]

bob macalba

20/02/2013Listeners we have a request from a mr ashby to a mr c.pyne...missing you, what do i do? why dont you call? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LZk_HnE-cdU

bob macalba

20/02/2013And while on subject http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qYS732zyYfU nudge nudge wink wink

jane

21/02/2013Pikiranku @9.51pm, the msm [b[never[/b] refers to the facts, they're far too inconvenient. Frankly, I think the government is much better off shot of the Greens-Liars Party Light, imo. Milne is a crackpot and far too full of herself and it wouldn't surprise me if she's not sucking up to Liealot. It also wouldn't surprise me if they're not being courted behind the scenes by the Liars. Liealot's protest that he doesn't do deals is just another lie afaic. I wonder if Milne will do a Lees, although I'd have thought even Milne would have a teeny weeny bit of taste and I'm not sure whether she'd be able to drag the others along that particular path. Bob Brown must be frothing at the mouth. Perhaps that's why there's all the baying for an election NOW if they think the Greens will deny supply. Shades of 1972? Or,(and this is my personal favourite and top of my wish list)there's a big fat Liars Party scandal about to erupt which even the msm won't be able to contain. With luck, it will put the mockers on Liealot, Prissy, Eleventy Joe, Brough and the rest of that rotten corrupt crew.

jane

21/02/2013bob macalba @8.08pm, I have to say I was amused at Liealot's statement that he wouldn't be selling out the Liars principles for a preference deal for Melbourne. it's a bit hard to sell what you haven't got, Liealot.

Crowey

21/02/2013Crowey much be another ToM, I am being completely ignored.

Lyn

21/02/2013Today’s Links Anonymice by @MrDenmore anonymous sources should be last resort in journalism http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com.au/ Political Polls by @SilkCharm Expecting 1400 people to represent 20 million is deranged http://laurelpapworth.com/ Much ado about nothing by Gary Sauer-Thompson, suffering from electoral damage by pretty much sticking to its agreement with The Greens. http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2013/02/much-ado-about.php#more Media bias threatens democracy by btckr victim of news media bias would be Peter Slipper http://theaimn.com/2013/02/20/media-bias-threatens-democracy/ Fairfax’s anti-Government bias is as clear as (David) Day by Alan Austin, @davrosz copied the Murdoch ploy http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/fairfaxs-anti-government-bias-is- Fairfax sheds more staff at Canberra Times by @callumdav recently reported sales declines of 14.5 per cent http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/business/media-2/fairfax-sheds-more-staff-at- Welcome to the war by @MigloCW The media war, that is. Against Julia Gillard. http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/welcome-to-the-war/ Learnt My Lesson Well by @madwixxy We hear the slogans like “Stop The Boats”, http://wixxyleaks.com/2013/02/20/learnt-my-lesson-well-2/ Government didn’t walk away from the Greens, but Milne needed to ditch Labor by Zareh Ghazarian it was too dangerous for the Greens to be too closely associated with Labor. http://theconversation.edu.au/government-didnt-walk-away-from-the-greens-but-milne- Australia ex-speaker’s scandal “elaborate plot” by @PressTV Donovan, along with several researchers, spent hundreds of hours http://www.presstv.ir/detail/2013/02/19/289834/australia-exspeakers-scandal-elaborate-plot/ Bernardi v Fairfax in possible defamation battle by @KnottMatthew Bernardi is fuming about a recent Fairfax article http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/02/20/bernardi-v-fairfax-in-possible-defamation-battle/ Why have a flat tax on super- by @MattCowgill How does Australia’s minimum wage compare? http://mattcowgill.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/why-have-a-flat-tax-on-super/ A Brief Theory of Why Rudd Might be Telling the Truth by samueljm The whisper has grown into a shout http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/02/20/a-brief-theory-of-why-rudd-might-be-telling-the-truth/ Climate Change demands a new Economic Model that will never happen under Abbott. by @YosefAlbric forces that have the agenda of pushing Tony Abbotts’ Tea Party http://yosefalbric.wordpress.com/2013/02/19/climate-change-demands-a-new-economic-model Nick Xenophon: He’s no xenophobe by @krauset http://gonzomeetsthepress.com/2013/02/20/nick-xenophon-hes-no-xenophobe/ AFR leaves crucial info out of NBN cost story by @renailemay, Government essentially ends up with a huge extra asset on its books http://delimiter.com.au/2013/02/20/afr-leaves-crucial-info-out-of-nbn-cost-story/ Nothing political about NBN rollout in marginal electorate, says Swann driven by sound engineering reasons http://www.technologyspectator.com.au/nothing-political-about-nbn-rollout-marginal- Turnbull supports user-pays fibre NBN by @joshgnosis pay to get their premise upgraded to fibre. http://www.zdnet.com/au/turnbull-supports-user-pays-fibre-nbn-7000011457/?s_cid=e551 User-pays NBN a 'cop out', analyst says by Stephanie McDonald Budde estimates costs could range from $1500 to $5000. http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/454204/user-pays_nbn_cop_analyst_says/?fp=16&fpid=1 Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 21 February 2013 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

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21/02/2013Crowey Who knows what influence we bloggers have on the thinking of MSM journalists? We know they read blogs and presumably take note, but they also know on which side their bread is buttered, and so what their editors or proprietors want from them. No doubt, this dominates their behavior more than what we bloggers want. The issue of Government regulation of what they offer in the media has been canvassed following the Finkelstein Report, but is in abeyance while the Government contemplates the fight it would have with the media and vested interests should it propose regulatory oversight, which to give one proposed element, would require an apology for misinformation to be published in the same place and with the same emphasis as the offending material. Imagine that!

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21/02/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

Lyn

21/02/2013Hi Crowey Promise I am not ignoring you. Read your post @ 10.54am re the media. I agree with you totally. Tell you what if I was the Government I'd give them something to write about good and proper. See this Tony Abbott slips up on Key Policy and then tried to Cover it up. He will ABOLISH THE Private Health Care Rebate http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/national/watch/d5459420-3758-358d-935b-1f3c15b68f8e/abbott-slips-up-on-key-policy/ :):):):) :):):):)

Pappinbarra Fox

21/02/2013to use LOTOs words: Shit happens but when it is Tony Abbott Bullshit happens

2353

21/02/2013So Shanahan has decided that The Prime Minsiter will not be challenged -> http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/a-hail-mary-plan-and-hoping-for-best/story-e6frg75f-1226582239720 so we all go back to wait for the next version. It's also interesting to note that there is some chatter on the Breakfast Shows that the "horrible" Nielsen Poll really wasn't that telling - the previous one being two months ago. Michael Rowland was actually being slapped down on ABC Breakfast by the person doing the newspaper analysis (another ABC employee from Radio national) for believing the "background briefing" stories. Is it a Newspoll weekend this weekend?

LadyInRed

21/02/2013Lyn I couldn't stand to watch 3AW interview. Can Abbott look more disingenuous when he talks these days? He is starting to look more sanctimonious every day. Its creepy. Go Bob - Stand up for you Rights! I needed that. Slipper [i]"When you have fully investigated Mal Brough's, James Ashby's and Karen Doane's involvement in the Ashbygate scandal, then I will consider answering definitively your question about the next election," he said. "It is clear to me that the community generally, the indigenous community in particular and Members of Parliament on both sides including senior shadow ministers do not want someone (Brough) who one described as 'the world's greatest ego' returned to the Australian Parliament. [/i] http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/peter-slipper-gears-up-for-poll-election-fisher/1764122/ Judgement TAbbot? He's an elitist, white religious nutter. Here he is again vouching for a catholic mate, come paedophile. http://www.tonyabbott.com.au/News/tabid/94/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/7058/RONALD-CONWAY-PHILOSOPHER-OF-HOPE-AND-TRUTH.aspx [i]Ronald Conway — the hands-on psychologist who helped the Catholic Church's trainee priests[/i] http://brokenrites.alphalink.com.au/nletter/page196-conway.html

Lyn

21/02/2013Hi Lady friend, Don't blame you, sickening to watch. Notice his hubris is consuming him at a rapid rate. Not a sound so far from ABC about the "Abolish the Medicare Rebate" Gaffe. Thankyou for the links above. BTW you were a pretty cluey newbie on Twitter, a pleasure for me. :):):)

Janet (Jan @j4gypsy)

21/02/2013Morning all. Will be back with some Twitterstuff later in the day, but here's a read that might cheers (and it beggars my belief that Fairfax can come up with rubbish on one day and reasoable 'expert' comment the next. Is there an internal ideological battle within the Age/SMH mastheads re political analysis and comment?) [b]Honourable election loss for Gillard better than a Rudd return[/b] Nick Dyrenfurth 'It's not a ramshackle government and there's no need for the PM to fall on her sword.' [i]It is in Labor's long-term interests for Gillard to prevail. Like the best Labor leaders - Andrew Fisher, John Curtin and Bob Hawke to name but a few - Gillard ''gets'' the labour movement. It would be far better that she led her party to an honourable loss than the party have to deal with the apocalyptic effects of a Rudd redux: ministers resigning en masse, unions disaffiliating or withholding campaign funds, the ultimate triumph of the revolving door leadership model, and several years of bitter recriminations... For its part Labor should focus on the bigger picture. Electoral recovery is not out of the question. Moreover, if it is to retain a modicum of self-respect in the eyes of voters and its membership, it must - and almost certainly will - ignore Rudd's siren song. Perhaps, too, Australia's happiest little Vegemite might care to mull over his place in Labor's illustrious 122-year history.[/i] http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/honourable-election-loss-for-gillard-better-than-a-rudd-return-20130220-2ermd.html#ixzz2LU380TzN

TalkTurkey

21/02/2013H'mmm. "[i]Crowey[/i]" eh? [i]Completely ignored [/i]eh? What for 3 lines of nothing? Why wouldn't it be? Real Crowies btw know how to spell [i]Crowie[/i]. I am a real Crowie, thrice. One, I am a Croweater. Two, GO the CROWS! Three: I feed a little bit of meat to 3 really real SA Crows nearly every day. They say more in their AAAAARRRRRK AAAAAAARRRRKK AAAAAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRKKK! than this "Crowey" has so far. And I don't ignore them. It could be that this "Crowey" meant he was being completely ignor[i]ant[/i]. Might have to agree there. Everybody of goodwill gets welcomed on this site, but our BS Detector is becoming highly tuned. Goodwillians earn responses, they don't beg abuse or whinge if sometimes their comments go unrequited. Let alone for 3 lines of nothing. Beware of Harpies masquerading as Crows. 'Course I could be wrong ... :)

LadyInRed

21/02/2013Jan I suspect the reason Fairfax printed it, or one of the conditions of print anything positive, is the headline has to contain something negative - and this one couldn't be worse in that it combines Gillard + loss + Rudd and the next sentence has 'ramshackle' & of all things 'fall on her sword' thank Grattan for that one. For what its worth I feel its feeding the narrative. Lot's of people only read the headline and a few sentences, which in this case sound desperate. So a big fail from me.

2353

21/02/2013Here's another Fairfax effort. Apparently the Rudd MRRT would have actually cost money this year. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/original-mining-tax-would-cost-billions-20130220-2erqk.html It begs the question did the usual person responsible for content have a few days off early this week? The entire tone is different yesterday and today.

LadyInRed

21/02/2013Lyn - Tony slips up http://au.news.yahoo.com/video/national/watch/d5459420-3758-358d-935b-1f3c15b68f8e/abbott-slips-up-on-key-policy/

Tom of Melboune

21/02/2013TPS email is such a handy facility, it will allow me to circulate my views to a range of people! [b]AN OPEN LETTER TO THE PRIME MINISTER[/b] Dear Prime Minister The ALP is likely to be decimated in the upcoming election, the parliamentary party may be reduced to a rump of time servers. A real leader accepts responsibility for poor outcomes, and all the relevant events and decisions that have caused this unhappy situation have been on your watch. Please step aside in favour of the man you knifed, who remains a respected and popular figure. Kevin Rudd may pull off an election victory, at worst he will not leave the parliamentary ALP decimated. It is in the public interest, and the political interests of the ALP, that you leave sooner rather than later. Yours sincerely Tom

Crowey

21/02/2013Talk Turkey I am a Labor voter, I have very little to say in regards to blogging, but I read up on TPS everyday. I am sorry that you think I am ignorant, so I will cease having a say on TPS.

bob macalba

21/02/2013TT Just read your pome? yesterday 10;42...nice one, ps..i think you might have upset someone cheers

Ad astra

21/02/2013Crowey You are part of the [i]TPS[/i] family. You come here regularly, and although you do not comment often, we enjoy seeing your eyecatching Gravatar from time to time. We would not want you to stop commenting. Your comments are welcome. Do come again.

DMW

21/02/2013A very popular form of words among those who believe Labor will lose the election big time is, [i]Labor will be [b]decimated[/b] [/i] to which is often added [i]reduced to a rump [/i]. Decimated is from Latin, I thinks. Darn that state school education where they didn't learn us useful things like Latin instead of Woodwork, Metalwork and other theoretically practical stuff. Anyway [i]decimated[/i] is from the Latin meaning something like reduce by one in ten. Hmm, Labor has a touch of seventy MHR's, so, if my state school math is correct, a loss of seven MHR's leaving, say, 64 or 65. That is hardly a rump. How big is a 'rump' anyway? I guess it comes down to the size of the bull you are carving it from and, well, there is a lot of big bull being sprouted by the all knowing crystal bull gazers at the moment.

LadyInRed

21/02/2013Crowey I would like to award you with an honorary bogan blue singlet award. Now believe me this is a prestigious award and it means you get to wear the bogan blue singlet for the day. You can pop some sparkles on it, or wahtever you like to make it more personal (I have an obession for sparkles it has to be said). And, if its cold you can wear a checked flannel shirt over the blue blogan singlet, and I am sure you will agree with the next rule, the shirt must be worn over the singlet not under because that would look....well silly. Congratulations Crowey. re your post 10:54 - we share your frustration on the media. Labor can't control what's being written, but they, and we, can keep getting the positive message out there.

Ad astra

21/02/2013DMW You are right. Some journalists seem to care little for the integrity of the English language. The damage they believe they can afflict with their words is all that counts. According to Wikipedia: [i]”Decimation (Latin: decimatio; decem = "ten") was a form of military discipline used by officers in the Roman Army to punish mutinous or cowardly soldiers. The word decimation is derived from Latin meaning "removal of a tenth". A unit selected for punishment by decimation was divided into groups of ten; each group drew lots (Sortition), and the soldier on whom the lot fell was executed by his nine comrades, often by stoning. The remaining soldiers were given rations of barley instead of wheat and forced to sleep outside the Roman encampment. Because the punishment fell by lot, all soldiers in the group were eligible for execution, regardless of the individual degree of fault, or rank and distinction. The leadership was usually executed independently of the one in ten deaths of the rank and file.”[/i] The best I could dredge from Google for ‘reduced to a rump’ was this: [i]“…a "rump" is a term meaning a "legislature having only a small part of its original membership and therefore being unrepresentative or lacking in authority." The OED goes one step further: "a small, unimportant, or contemptible remnant or remainder of a parliament of similar body." The expression is used almost exclusively in political contexts, for obvious reasons, although someone may tell you it refers to a rump roast, which often looks small and charred ... this popular etymology is not is in line with its original (and predominant) use.”[/i] Thus, ‘decimation’ and ‘reduced to a rump’ hardly align. But that doesn’t worry our intrepid journalists, for whom effect is more important by far than accuracy.

TalkTurkey

21/02/2013Crowey If I'm wrong thinking you were ToM in a new guise - as he is wont to assume I believe - then yes you bet You have my sincere retraction and er er harrumph er Sorry! If I was right in the first place what I said was intended to smoke you out. Either way I guess you'll let me know. Someone told me that you have been on TPS before and you are The Real Thing, in which case your WHY??? demands whatever answer we can provide. But we have no more answers than you. See what Ian said yesterday: [i]"I've never seen the like of it in my sixty two years of living."[/i] Neither have I, and I started earlier than you Ian! :) But then, [i]neither has any of us seen anything like the Fighting 5th Estate.[/i] Which brings me back to Crowey's plaint. Yes this is a desperate and lopsided fight. The enemy outguns us as the USA outguns Afghanistan. As Rinehart or Murdoch or the Catholic Church Conspiracy outgun any single individual - as they have done hitherto anyway - let alone all of them combined - as they are now! Yet it is we individual Davids, in coming together [i]via this very medium[/i], who have delivered body blows to these Colossi, Murdoch's Evil Empire and to the Holey Roman Church (which is NOT catholic, (which means [i]universal)[/i], but desperately wants to rule the world). The Internet was critical to the overthrow of Egyptian President Mubarak - for better, worse, or as it seems Meet the New Boss Same As The Old Boss. It is an incredibly powerful medium, but we must learn to use it unitingly and it is we who with it must deal with the Enemy We have all the information we need at our fingertips. We can refute the lies and shibboleths with evidence here as you say Crowey, easy, BUT we must take our Truth to the ignorant grandmas and the know-it-all youngsters, to the workates and neighbours [i]by word of mouth[/i], and we must have the fortitude to speak out everywhere we hear guffawing naysaying insulting ignorant putdowns of our PM and this amazing Government which has done so much with so little. That's the tough bit. But it will feel so-o-o-o good when it pays off, [i]we will be a far better society [/i]for the fight against misogyny, against privilege and injustice and inequality, and for the disabled, and for educational equity, and environment, and every social issue. against this frightening monster which is going all-out to swallow our nation whole. Australia would be fundamentally changed for the horribler if the RC bigot Abbortt were ever to seize power. We mustand we will not let that happen. I have a degree of trust that the Government has some stratagems planned to deal with the worst of the bias on the MSM well before the campaign proper. It is a difficult and fraught problem, but *J*U*L*I*A* flashed a signal long ago when she told the Media Don't Write Crap. A few journos are coming out of the jerkers' circle, and we must work with them and with what we have. This was never going to be a doddle. Anyway Crowey I've "abridged" your original query/comment which reads thus: [i]It doesn't matter how many bloggers write to the media regarding it bias reporting, it will be completely ignored, it is up to the government to do something about it, but for some unknown reason they will do nothing about it WHY??? [/i]~ ~~~ to less than 140 characters,for inclusion on [i]Twitter[/i], where it reads as follows: [No matter] HM bloggers write 2 media re biased reporting,[they'l] be IGNORED:up 2 Govt 2[act on] it, but they don't ~ WHY?..Crowey on TPS So we can see people's responses there! And BTW Crowey is a fine nicknomdeplume. (I knew that.) A [i]Crowie[/i] is a South Australian [i]Crowy[/i] is how we will feel on September 15 And [i]Crowey[/i] is a name. Yeah and if I had you wrong forgive me. S'il vous plait.

TalkTurkey

21/02/2013Crowey I wrote that post at 1.49 before I saw your unhappy post so you may be sure that my apology is sincere. Don't stop writing, I got you wrong, OK? I thought you were ToM being a smartarse mocking us.

LadyInRed

21/02/2013Nice stuff on the meaning of words DMW & Ad astra. Elitist is my word for the day. And here is an example: [i]“He also talked of “fibre on demand”, giving the example of BT in the UK asking subscribers to pay a $1000 premium to be connected direct to fibre.” [/i] http://delimiter.com.au/2013/02/19/turnbull-wants-user-pays-ftth-model/ You see Turnbull still thinks people buy an expensive house, that they own, and they stay put and so $3000 once in his world is not all that much. But if you are a renter, and you want to work from home, and you want FTTH, and you move even 5 times in your life to premises that most likely wont have FTTH you get the picture. Not only will it cost me $15,000 I'm helping to improve the property of the landlord. And then there are the not so wealthy with just as much right to hook up to FTTH as anybody else in this country, but its out of their reach. Elitism : [i]The belief that certain persons or members of certain classes or groups deserve favored treatment by virtue of their perceived superiority, as in intellect, social status, or financial resources[/i] Gosh if anyone fits that bill its Turnbull and TAbbott. Two peas.

Ad astra

21/02/2013Folks For those who have been dismayed by this week’s Nielsen poll and all the media speculation and dire predictions it evoked, you may be relieved to recall that this week is simply a reprise of what we read in the MSM around a year ago at the time of the leadership vote in Labor caucus. Do take the time to re-read [i]The Political Sword[/i] post on 1 March 2012: [i]We are being conned by the polls – the Tarot Cards of politics[/i]. http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2012/03/01/We-are-being-conned-by-the-polls-–-the-Tarot-Cards-of-politics.aspx You will see that nothing, nothing at all has changed in the media narrative about PM Gillard’s leadership. It’s the same old claptrap. You may also find interesting another piece: [i]How opinion polls poison politics[/i], written just over a year ago. http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2012/02/10/How-opinion-polls-poison-politics.aspx Again, you will see that nothing much has changed. The journos were out there going in for the kill, and here they are again. They have declared PM Gillard down and out, or dead and buried, or have been entreating her to ‘fall on her sword’, or have been predicting doom, gloom, disaster, and dismemberment of Labor, which will be ‘reduced to a rump’, presumably limbless and headless. [b]Yet she still soldiers on. The doubters, the timid, the easily depressed, the hand-wringers, ought to look at her – the target of all the media venom, all the journalistic malevolence, all the dire predictions of political disaster – and take a leaf out of her book of courage. Warriors don’t win by going to water.

Gravel

21/02/2013Ad Astra Yes, it was all done 12 months ago, and that is the problem. It is reinforcing a theme that many believed last time and this time it will probably cement the idea unfortunately.

LadyInRed

21/02/2013Ad astra claptrap was my word yesterday, I believe, or maybe it was Monday. What a beaut word that is: [i]Clap-trap : Absurd or nonsensical talk or ideas[/i] Another goody from Combet: men-da-cious Not telling the truth; lying: "mendacious propaganda". Synonyms lying - false - untrue - untruthful - double-tongued Love it.

Ad astra

21/02/2013Folks The above link to [i]We are being conned by the polls – the Tarot Cards of politics[/i] is broken. If you wish to read it, go to Archive on the top menu and ‘search’ for 2012-02-10.

Ad astra

21/02/2013Gravel It is only the facts that can overcome the entrenched prejudice. In the next six months, the facts that Julia Gillard presents can be compared with those that Abbott presents. The stark differences will be obvious.

MWS

21/02/2013My favourite word is "meretricious", meaning "apparently attractive but having no real value." It's derived from meretrix, which is Latin for a prostitute!

Pikiranku

21/02/2013There's the usual Lieberal swindle in that NBN policy of Turnball's, isn't there? As i understand it, the fibre to the node will be paid for by the taxpayer, about $16 billion, I think. Then if people are willing/able to pay the $3000 or whatever needed to connect it to their homes, they can do so. I'm sure everyone would love to have fibre into their homes, but the people who'll be able to afford it will be the relatively rich. The people who won't be able to afford it will be the poor. So the poor will be paying for the FTTN through their taxes, but unable to enjoy FTTH because they can't afford the additonal cost. They'll have paid to build the basics of a system they won't be fully able to use. There it is, the same old Lieberal swindle - pushing the money from the bottom upwards again. Just like all those taxpayers subsidising other people's private health insurance that they themselves can't afford. When will they ever learn?

Ad astra

21/02/2013Pikiranku No, they will never learn - advantaging the wealthy over the less-well-off is in the Coalition's DNA.

Ad astra

21/02/2013LadyinRed If you put your favourite words together - 'mendacious claptrap' - you have a good descriptor for many Coalition utterances.

Ad astra

21/02/2013DMW "meretricious" is a new word for me. It sounds apt as a descriptor for what few Coalition policies we have heard about - for example its Direct Action Plan.

Ad astra

21/02/2013Janet Nick Dyrenfurth is one of Fairfax’s better journalists. His was a good article, unfortunately just one amongst the dross.

KHTAGH

21/02/2013AA Has something changed in the coding of TPS? until today I could refresh the page to see new posts & it would come back to where I was reading, now it reverts to the start of the comments. No great drama, just curious. I learnt yesterday why they say turn off machinery before doing anything to it, I was using my new 18Hp shredder, stands taller than me but that not that hard to do. I went to clean away the chipped material from the exit, I couldn't see where the grate was & the tip of my glove went thru one of the holes & got grabbed by the rotating hammers & pulled my finger in BLOODY OUCH!!!!!! Ripped the tip of the finger open & dislocated the first joint. I'm not going to do that again I can tell you. This thing eats branches thinker than your wrist 3" or more, needless to say my finger didn't slow it down in the slightest.

bob macalba

21/02/2013MWS Meretricious.....luv it, how many different ways does it apply to the tory[B#$%@%DS] ?

KHTAGH

21/02/2013How long before there are now of these magnificent creatures left, jaw dropping experience. http://www.youtube.com/v/1eXS0o6r-Wk%26rel%3D0%26hl%3Den_US%26feature%3Dplayer_embedded%26version%3D3

Ad astra

21/02/2013KHTAGH I'll ask Web Monkey.

Ad astra

21/02/2013KHTAGH I hope your finger soon recovers - sounds like a nasty injury.

Ad astra

21/02/2013KHTAGH What beautiful creatures.

KHTAGH

21/02/2013Well its definitely not just us folks, a great read. Seriously, you want me to read this shit out on air, again...? http://yathink.com.au/article-display/seriously-you-want-me-to-read-this-shit-out-on-air-again,51

LadyInRed

21/02/2013This is a good read. [i]MSM crowd are dead right on one thing,it does not matter what Prime Minister Gillard says or does, it will be spun in a negative manner[/i] http://yathink.com.au/article-display/seriously-you-want-me-to-read-this-shit-out-on-air-again,51

KHTAGH

21/02/2013LIR "snap"

TalkTurkey

21/02/2013DMW You're right about decimation, it's mostly used incorrectly to mean 'nearly wiped out' but it truly means one in ten - exactly. (Latin decem, ten) It refers to the ancient Roman practice of spurring on the troops who hadn't shown enough enthusiasm for death in battle by lining them all up and then someone would go along the lines counting I II III IV V VI VII VIII IX [b][i]X[/i] ![/b] ... I II III IV V VI VII VII XI [b][i]X[/i][/b]!... and so on ... and every [b][i]X[/i][/b] [i]got the chop [/i]right there. The remaining troops were intensely stimulated to put a little more effort into subsequent encounters.

Janet (Jan @j4gypsy)

21/02/2013 Peeps: here is some Twitterstuff, none of which should be elitist, mendacious or meretricious. Hope 'better late than never'. :-) [b]Twitterati[/b] [i]David Donovan ‏@davrosz[/i] @Wendy_Bacon @nikt50 IMHO we need to be very pro-journalist and very anti the machine that is grinding our public discourse to pulp. [i]Tony Wright ‏@tonyowright[/i] Michael Gordon, aka @mgordon_theage to you, is the new political editor of The Age [i]Mark Whalan ‏@MWhalan[/i] #abc730 Great minds discuss ideas; average minds discuss events; small minds discuss people. Which of these does the Press Gallery do? [i]Tara Nipe ‏@TaraNipe[/i] I'm delighted the PM's restored Fed funding to Vic hospitals; now for the Premier to restore the $616M he's cut since 2010 #springst [i]Peter Fox ‏@Peter_Fox59[/i] Just finished an interview with Al Jazeera News who are planning a series of stories worldwide on Australian's child sex abuse inquiries. [i]David Horton ‏@watermelon_man[/i] I am determined to live long enough to see a major inquiry into the links between the ABC and IPA @abcmarkscott. [i]Bill ‏@Billablog[/i] Has anyone in our esteemed news media noticed yet that Colin Barnett destroyed Tony Abbott's entire economic argument last night? [i]Ross Gittins ‏@1RossGittins[/i] Geeks' joke (courtesy @TheEconomist): there are 10 kinds of people in the world: those who understand binary numbers and those who don't. [i]Denise ‏@SpudBenBean[/i] I love these #commcab nights. It's so refreshing to hear Govt message direct since the media will not report it + no 'slogans'. [i]Chester ‏@Bearpolitics[/i] I'm sticking with @JuliaGillard thank you very much media for your concern. And as for Rudd, you like him so much, you have him. [i]Marian Rumens ‏@mrumens[/i] So excited #PaulHowes has taken advice of American Unions on how to spread the word. It worked over there. It will work here #AWU [b]Twitterverse[/b] [i]Mr Denmore ‏@MrDenmore[/i] Journalism in the Digital Crossfire: Who Will Pay for the News? - Knowledge@Australian School of Business http://tiny.cc/buwtsw [i]margo kingston ‏@margokingston1[/i] David McKnight’s 'Rupert Murdoch: An Investigation of Power' The Politics of News | David Marr | http://www.themonthly.com.au/david-mcknight-s-rupert-murdoch-investigation-power-politics-news-david-marr-4515#.USWMRdN_J6M.twitter …via @themonthly [i]Zac Spitzer ‏@zackster[/i] The Failed Estate: Anonymicehttp://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/2013/02/anonymice.html?spref=tw … (at the risk of offending @Steph_Philbrick) [i]Sarah Macdonald ‏@sarahvmac[/i] In a blow to Republican and Australian Coalition rhetoric, China announces plan for a carbon tax http://grist.org/news/in-a-blow-to-republican-rhetoric-china-announces-plan-for-a-carbon-tax/#.USWYI-DszYQ.twitter … via@grist [i]chris murphy ‏@chrismurphys[/i] WOW! 'CHINA ANNOUNCES CARBON TAX'.(per @IH8SHOKJOKS 3 days after LNP Greg Hunt guaranteed they won't!) #auspolpic.twitter.com/GrXSRquLCM [i]Robyn Oyeniyi ‏@TeamOyeniyi[/i] The rise of the Radical Right http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/the-rise-of-the-radical-right/ … damn good article I need to read again. [i]KHTAGH ‏@khtagh[/i] Truth comes out in dribbles from Abbotts mouth http://fb.me/1yBu6aClg [i]Kanga ‏@KangaCourtt[/i] Read this @KRuddMP RT @BusinessSpec: The Greens have boosted Labor's chances writes @_Rob_Burgess http://bit.ly/W4pH3E [j4gypsy pick :-)] [i]andie ‏@bluemilk[/i] Probably the best analysis I've seen so far of the Greens & ALP fall-out, from @beneltham http://newmatilda.com/2013/02/21/when-greens-fell-out-love-labor … [i]John H ‏@knarfnamduh[/i] September will see a two party race! Greens are trying to salvage their irrelevance in 2014! http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-20/gillard-distances-herself-from-greens---cullen/4530216 … @abcnews TAWNBPM ‏@TAWNBPM Now we all know that Obama won the last election by almost a record margin...so.....have a look at the GALLUP...http://fb.me/1A1qvSWn2 [i]Brooksy ‏@wrb330[/i] I warn you "Labor Can Lose" -> http://wp.me/p1NYKc-nI <-@AustralianLabor @VicLaborWomen @VictorianLabor@CraigEmersonMP [i]Jeremy de Korte ‏@jdk_music[/i] There has been lots of leadership chatter around lately from various sources. #onetermted - half term Ted? #springsthttp://m.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/baillieu-at-risk-of-death-by-endless-chatter-20130220-2ermb.html … [i]Catherine King MP ‏@CatherineKingMP[/i] Fed Gov providing $2.86m to #Ballarat #Health, $112k to #HepburnHealth, $386k to Djerriwarrh Health. #CombatLibCutshttps://www.facebook.com/CatherineKingMP#!/photo.php?fbid=161313240685831&set=a.158512207632601.35487.158510000966155&type=1 … [i]Geoff Pearson ‏@GCobber99[/i] PM Julia Gillard says she will not allow state governments to play politics with healthcare policy http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-21/cut-out-the-politics-on-health-gillard/4532178 … [i]John H ‏@knarfnamduh[/i] Just do it Julia and stop messing about with the State Govt prats!http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-21/gillard-threatens-to-bypass-states-on-health-funding/4532420?WT.svl=news0 … @abcnews [i]grace pettigrew ‏@broomstick33[/i] The Great Divide: Equal Opportunity, Our National Mythhttp://nyti.ms/YnRzvE [i]Shaun Leane ‏@ShaunLeaneMP[/i] Its Depressing that the Baillieu Govt MPs in the East have dropped the ball so badly in our kids schools #springsthttp://www.theage.com.au/victoria/2000-school-buildings-unsafe-report-20130220-2eqqf.html … [i]Ex News Junkie Geek ‏@geeksrulz[/i] Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, says #NBN a ‘brilliant foundation’ http://is.gd/OKUnx9 #auspol [i]John Pratt ‏@Jackthelad1947[/i] Liberal plan to replace #NBN could cost each home $3,000. Don't risk it! #auspol http://www.computerworld.com.au/article/454205/people_pay_cable_libs_conroy/ … [i]John Symond ‏@john_symond[/i] #Coal's hidden costs make #solar a bargainhttp://www.climatespectator.com.au/commentary/coals-hidden-costs-make-solar-bargain#.USWPxi-7mik.twitter … @lynestel#energytransition @Jackthelad1947 #renewables #green [i]Leroy ‏@Leroy_Lynch[/i] Obama tipped to pick two veteran Washington policymakers to lead push on clean energy & air-pollution curbshttp://www.smh.com.au/business/carbon-economy/obama-tipped-to-pick-veterans-to-lead-climate-energy-push-20130221-2et4h.html … #climate [i]susan taylor ‏@suzlette333[/i] Queensland police investigation into Mal Broughhttp://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/queensland-police-investigation-into-mal-brough/ … [i]justanotweet ‏@justanotweet[/i] Geert Wilders Is a Lightning Rod For Racists -- http://tinyurl.com/bbjdn2c #newmatilda [i]Marcia Langton ‏@marcialangton[/i] A great ancient library found: Mongolia: Preservation Challenges Confront Trove of Buddhist Texts http://eurasianet.org/node/66551 via@eurasianet

NormanK

21/02/2013Ad astra & DMW Sadly, we may have to give in to the forces of progress when it comes to the definition of 'decimate'. Even the Oxford Dictionary has surrendered to the momentum of popular use and gives the following definition: [i]verb [with object] 1 - kill, destroy, or remove a large proportion of: the inhabitants of the country had been decimated drastically reduce the strength or effectiveness of (something): public transport has been decimated 2 - historical kill one in every ten of (a group of people, originally a mutinous Roman legion) as a punishment for the whole group: the man who is to determine whether it be necessary to decimate a large body of mutineers[/i] http://oxforddictionaries.com/definition/english/decimate Also, 'reduced to a rump' seems to have strayed from its earliest meaning where it was used to describe the remaining members of a parliament after a significant incident. From the ubiquitous [i]Wikipedia[/i]: [quote]"Rump" normally means the hind end of an animal; its use meaning "remnant" was first recorded in the above context. Since 1649, the term "rump parliament" has been used to refer to any parliament left over from the actual legitimate parliament.[/quote] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rump_Parliament As a consequence, if we take decimate to mean 'remove a large proportion of' and rump parliament to mean 'remnants' then the expression used is valid. Having said that, my hackles still stand up when I hear decimate used in the 'new' way. Don't get me started on 'understated' and 'overstated'.

Pikiranku

21/02/2013KHTAGH and LiR The comments below your linked article are well worth a read, too. They don't appear to be from people who are as committed to a cause as the general Swordster, just from your ordinary average punter. But their comments are all in full agreement with the article. I hope they're the tip of the iceberg.

Tom of Melboune

21/02/2013Thanks to the TPS email service, I’ll be able to deliver my letter far and wide. I suspect the recipients will know the meaning of “decimate” and “rump”, I’ll let you know if they request any clarification of definitions.

DMW

21/02/2013NK Thanks for the understated way you added to my re-edumification :P

MWS

21/02/2013Decimation was considered to be a severe punishment because while only one-in-ten soldiers was put to death, the other nine soldiers were required to kill the tenth soldier.

42 long

21/02/2013Don't talk about tha old version of decimate too much. Business may wish to motivate the workers in a similar way. Same logic in not having them feel sure that THEIR job will be there on monday. This sort of psychological manipulation has been a long time coming. It was there in it's formative years when I did psychology at UNSW ( Univ of technology) In the 60's. 90% of the course were business management types , The rest were Schoolteachers. The attitude of the busines types was revolting. Manipulate, cajole, threaten and bully. Psychology was a TOOL to be used AGAINST a group.

LadyInRed

21/02/2013Peter Martin on MRRT [i]“People are screaming that the revised tax is a disaster because it has hardly raised any money. But they would have been screaming more if we had the original tax - it would have cost the government money,” Mr Richardson said........ The minerals resource rent tax raised just $126 million in its first six months and is not expected to make anywhere near the $2 billion the government forecast, but Mr Richardson said the upturn in the iron ore price meant the government should make more in the second half of the financial year bringing the total earnings to around $700 million. [/i] http://www.petermartin.com.au/

bob macalba

21/02/2013more on words http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQyqx1K495U

42 long

21/02/2013It's supposed to be a "super profits' tax. The ore prices went down but have recovered somewhat, lately. It was also undermined deliberately by the states upping their tax on tons mined (ROYALTIES)which takes no account of profit.( ability to pay) and start up miners would be more penalised by than any othe tax, but a dead silence on the effect of that from the Abbott lot. The main effect though was to gut out the MRRT and make the tax look silly. The 30 million newspaper advertising onslaught showed that money could unseat A GOVERNMENT, WHEN IT WAS SPENT ON PROPAGANDA. GINA buys a swag of Fairfax on Monkton's advice to keep the SHOW going. The MRRT is still a good tax in principle and scared a lot of miners around the world because they didn't want it catching on. They want the ores for nothing and don't even want to fill in the holes, or rectify any damage. .

Libbyx33

21/02/2013Hey Swordsters :) Living in the Logan area, it's one of the most disadvantaged in the state of Qld, with high youth unemployment. So what's the deal with this? "In this respect, it is hard not to categorise the decision made by the Queensland Government to junk the Skilling Queenslanders for Work jobs program as a false economy writ large, particularly in light of an evaluation of the program conducted by Deloitte Access Economics." http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/opinion/cutting-the-skilling-queenslanders-for-work-jobs-program-doesnt-add-up/story-e6frerc6-1226452893593 Now, we have this little gem: "The Newman Government has abolished the primary school nurse service. The QNU is advised primary school nurses provide vital health screening and education programs for at least 50,000 children aged 5-12 across Bayside, Redlands, Beenleigh, Beaudesert, and Logan. As of Monday 25 February, children in this area will no longer receive free preventative health screening. 127 free hearing clinics—including screening with audiometry (checking level of hearing loss) and tympanometry (checking for middle ear conditions)—have been cancelled." http://www.qnu.org.au/news/campaigns/hands-off-our-jobs/latest/releases/school-nurse-abolished Why, when the following study has just been released, and is to be actioned? "Australian researchers have discovered a compelling link between language disorders and the likelihood that a child will end up in juvenile detention. It's a discovery both sad and hopeful, because it raises the prospect that if kids receive early treatment they may not go on to offend. The Victorian Government is now trialing a school inside a juvenile detention centre based on a ground-breaking initiative in the United States. Reporter Louise Milligan had exclusive access. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-02-20/going-to-school-in-a-juvenile-detention-centre/4530780?section=vic I have said here before that this fool Newman is “penny wise, pound FOOLISH”!

KHTAGH

21/02/2013Ladyinred That puts a different light on the matter doesn't it, now want to put a few $'s on it never sees the light of day in the MSM? Sorry for the slight detour I find it rather curios that everyone is Jumping up & down about CO2 & pretty well doing nothing about it, but totally ignore the even bigger elephant in the room that being CH4 methane. Its 4 times worse than CO2 & even worse it doesn't have a natural way to be reabsorbed(nothing like trees eats it). If they want to break it down the only way they have found is,:- http://arctic-news.blogspot.com.au/p/decomposing-atmospheric-methane.html & why has this not been all over the media? Who would pay for such things, we cant even get most manufactures to take CO2 pollution serious with without screaming blue murder. It should be on any emissions not just CO2, it is why I have always & still stand by my belief that dramatic CC going to happen a damn sight faster than what is being predicted. If you have 10 min's to spare. The Most Terrifying Video You'll Ever See:- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zORv8wwiadQ&feature=share

bob macalba

21/02/2013An interesting angle on the ebb and flow of refugees arriving from Sri Lanka http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2013/feb/21/australia-playing-dangerous-game-sri-lanka

bob macalba

21/02/2013Libbyx33 this ones dedicated to the halfwits who put newman into power http://www.metacafe.com/watch/2549920/bob_marley_and_the_wailers_time_will_tell_kaya_version/ dont let them forget....cheers

bob macalba

21/02/2013Living under an abbort and pell rule http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OfMwWLnpgGw banana republic....police and priests the liealots and gina are mentioned together

Ad astra

21/02/2013Janet I have just come home after dinner and have enjoyed reading your Twitterati and Twitterverse. Great stuff. Thank you.

TalkTurkey

21/02/2013Swordsfolks All, including Greetings and Welcome to those to whom I have not, and Humble Apologies to any and all I might have wrongfully offended over time! Sitting in my faux Vardo looking east across Adelaide Airport towards a city blanketed in smoke, one big fire I can see across the plain 20 Km away up inthe hills ... So much of what little is left of our woodlands burning ... So a touch of humour instead. One of NK's definitions for [i]decimate[/i] was [i]the man [/i]who is to determine whether it be necessary to decimate a large body of mutineers (so, a noun not a verb in this case. Suffix -ate as in legate, prelate, triumvirate etc) He was your [i]decimate[/i] all right. Get it? ... Deci? ~ Mate? OK OK I'm sorry. :) But I do so love it that people here care about words. Each one like an organ stop capable of its own unique nuance, and in English we have the greatest choice of them the world has ever known. And a thing of passing beauty right here,( to which words cannot do justice), with a backdrop of great aircraft taking off over my head,[i] in [/i]the car-sized concrete culvert encircling the airport, came streaking a bird I do so adore, the Australian Hobby, [i]falco longipennis[/i]: a true falcon, smallest of the diurnal Australian birds of prey, a hunter of small birds taken in flight, and swift itself as an arrow. Immaculate powdered-charcoal back, rich russet below, small neat head with recurved neb and huge eyes, and long narrow pointed wings like a big Swallow but with more power and purpose - and this one - a male as I judged by his small size and rich colouration, female raptors being bigger and duller than males btw - was out hunting in the gathering evening. Like a tiny stealth fighter-bomber he skimmed past me, keeping himself below ground level in the culvert, I could only see him because I was up in my van looking down. Grim and purposeful indeed he looked as he sped by, headed straight for a bank of trees on the airport perimeter some 33 meters away, and moments later I heard the cacophony of alarm calls of the little birds he had successfully surprised. I adore Hobbies too because they are the basic shape of my little flying papercraft models I call SKYTES, you may find a STEREO PAIR of photos of one on my actual Website OZZIGAMI.co.au at http://www.ozzigami.com.au/3d-pix.html KHTAGH Sorry about your finger Cobber but gee it sounds like you were *that close* to something much much worse! I know those munchers, they are terrifying. To all who write here, may I say, I find your breadth and depth of knowledge, and above all your passion, truly mistifying. Big aeroplane landing in the smoky air. Lovely evening but sad for all the burnt habitat.

jane

22/02/2013Pappinbarra Fox @8.08am, love it. :)

Libbyx33

22/02/2013OMG Ad, I’ve done it again – been SO fed up with the ABC, I’ve sent them YET ANOTHER verbal spew. And since I haven’t been getting any answers all this time, I’m actually going to “blog-shop” it, starting here at the TPS. Even though I rarely comment here, and have only ever commented on one other blog before. Maybe the night gives me bravado lol  Here goes, a copy of the ABC Complaint I registered (sorry if it’s long)… To the ABC, I refer you to my complaint C10145-13, to which I have not yet received a response, other then an automated one. I am beyond exasperated with your political bias. I am downright angry with your coverage of politics, and your stance on alleged “balance”. To the ABC, it seems, your “balance” concludes of having opposites of the absolute extremes. There is no “balance” when you have Labor politician vs some mouthpiece from the IPA, as is happening regularly lately. ( The same IPA that said on your own Q&A that public education is “middle-class welfare” – Tim Wilson) I suggest that in the sake of the ABC’s “balance”, say, in an interview panel on the Royal Commission into Child Sex Abuse, you have the Bravehearts child campaigner Hetty Johnson on the panel with a convicted paedophile priest! Now that’s balance, yes? HAH! I cannot call your “news” programs “news” any longer, as they are definitely not! They are current affairs shows, at best, and rate up there at the moment with the tosh on the commercial channels screening at 6.30pm. It really astounds me that you took so much mileage from the 7.30 Leigh Sales “GOTCHA” moment with Tony Abbott (incidentally about the last in-depth interview he’s given – you are letting him off scott-free, and it’s a disgrace) and haven’t done anything to shine a light on any of his policies or indiscretions since. Where is the investigating/reporting on the Ashby/Slipper/Brough affair? How about the fact that Tony Abbott supplied a character reference for a paedophile priest? How will the Opposition, in Government, find their “green army” to plant a gazillion trees to combat climate change (that he thinks is crap), and where will they be housed & fed? How much will they be paid? Is it really 5+ years until the trees are viable enough to take any carbon pollution from the atmosphere? Can the Opposition tell me why just 3 days ago, Greg Hunt (who DOES believe in climate change – and, by the way, also a carbon tax… he wrote his thesis on this subject!) said that China is doing nothing about their pollution, but today announced an ETS? And why is Malcom Turnball lying when he says FTTN is cheaper, and more cost effective than FTTH? He doesn’t believe a word he’s saying either, as he’s placed his money where his mouth is overseas- by investing in communications companies that are supplying Fibre To The Home. These are just a FRACTION of what I want answered before I decide whose policies I will vote for. One way to get Tony Abbott on to interview would be, at the end of every one of your “news” programs, to say: “And we requested the Leader of the Opposition, Tony Abbott, to be interviewed, but he declined.” And I mean every single time! He’ll be on your show within a week! Are you too stupid/biased/instructed to see this? The ABC, which MY tax dollars pay for, isn’t supposed to be your version of “balanced”, it’s supposed to be factual, unbiased, agenda-less, and comprehensive. What the ABC is giving their viewers at the moment is anything but. We, Australian citizens, are all the poorer for it, and I IMPLORE you to lift your game. NAME/ADDRESS/MOB SUPPLIED And to bob macalba, thank you, I’m sure it’s apt, but this ancient machine I’m typing on won’t give me any sound  so I have to wait until tomorrow. Cheers!

Libbyx33

22/02/2013My fellow Swordsters, I don't really belong to any blog (other than this one and the links they send me to, amd very rarely comment), and have found myself out of my depth & unable to post this anywhere else? Maybe my ancient 'puter? I'm not on Twitter or anything either. Could you please advise me on how to make this message "go viral"? Thanks!

KHTAGH

22/02/2013Sorry a slight understatement in my previous posy CH4 methane is 25 time worst than CO2.

Lyn

22/02/2013Today’s Links Fairfax follies by Alan Austin just how can government 'hose down' media hooha? Arrest the journalists? Ban the mastheads? http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=14715 Jacksonville 44: Scooping the bottom of the barrel by @madwixxy, More information has been leaked by police to intrepid reporter Steve Lewis http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/jacksonville-44-scooping-the-bottom-/ The rise of the Radical Right by Dr Geoff Davies, @independentaus radical Right’s policies have clearly failed, politically and economically http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/the-rise-of-the-radical-right/ Why this punter’s cheering for the underdog, despite her Labor colours by @YaThinkN an opposition leader say whatever the hell he likes & not be asked one bloody question http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/why-this-punters- The Coalition’s Demographic Challenge by @fakeedbutler conservatives are sniffing the demographic wind & realising that http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/02/21/the-coalitions-demographic-challenge/ Dollar starts drawing political currency by Bernard Keane & Glenn Dyer Hockey either completely misread Swan’s remarks or didn’t care http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/currency-war-australian-dollar-poli My letter to the Prime Minister by @MigloCW MSM who habitually distort & misrepresent http://theaimn.com/2013/02/21/my-letter-to-the-prime-minister/ Something Stupid by @madwixxy Federal Opposition appear to have the loudest voice in the media http://wixxyleaks.com/2013/02/21/something-stupid/ The Greens have boosted Labor's chances by Rob Burgess, Labor will take more moderate mining-haters Tony Abbott will take none. http://www.climatespectator.com.au/commentary/greens-have-boosted-labors-chances Colin Barnett and Reality by @archiearchive State’s greatest ever boom our deficit is highest in history. http://archiearchive.wordpress.com/2013/02/20/colin-barnett-and-reality/ I’m Not A Journalist but.... @Billablog Tony Abbott’s mantra that all debt is all bad all the time http://the-billablog.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/im-not-journalist-but.html Fairfax delays paywall, dismisses threat from The Guardian by @charispalmer It’s the third largest read online site in the world http://theconversation.edu.au/fairfax-delays-paywall-dismisses-threat-from Jane Cattermole, Twitlonger (@janecat60) Stokes reveals a bitchy whiney meanness that, on his behalf, is embarrassing to read http://twitlonger.com/show/l3l88j So low are miner's profits, under Swan's first tax he'd be handing them money by @1petermartin Much of the bad press about the revised tax has been overdone http://www.petermartin.com.au/ Greg Hunt's China frolic by @tcookAU, http://trevorcook.typepad.com/weblog/2013/02/greg-hunts-china-frolic.html Why I’m cancelling The Age by 1petermcc who think it’s their job to change Politics rather than report it http://1petermcc.wordpress.com/2013/02/21/why-im-cancelling-the-age/ VILLAINOUS: Bob Brown claims “Green is the new Labor” by @vexnews “Green is the new Labor, the party of social justice, as well as environmental well-being.” http://www.vexnews.com/2013/02/villainous-bob-brown-says-green-is-the-new-labor/ Turnbull's charm won't sell the Coalition NBN by Supratim Adhikari Coalition is yet to reveal the numbers http://www.technologyspectator.com.au/turnbulls-charm-wont-sell-coalition-nbn Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 22 February 2013 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

Ad astra

22/02/2013Libbyx33 That's a great letter you have written to the ABC. Please let us know when/if you get a response.

Ad astra

22/02/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

Michael

22/02/2013Writing of Labor having "lost the plot" here http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/politics/labor-has-lost-the-plot-and-the-narrative-20130221-2eua9.html Waleed Aly makes some salient points. However, his article is mirrored/countered by Ad Astra's as the seed of this thread. The Coalition is entirely reactive, its intentions simply to undo everything Labor has done. Their 'policies' are thrown willy-nilly to Australians without costings because they have already told us how they intend to govern - rescind Labor's legislation, and then, without any money to actually spend on governing since they will be slashing through the Budget in order to reach their promised "surplus every year", they'll just take their hands off the steering wheel of governance altogether. The Conservative wet-dream, after all. Australia will, of course, by this worldview, simply naturally correct and return to a Howardian Golden Age when 'The Market' saw everything to rights. Aly's article could have been written in any, and about every, Western democracy on the planet today. The great narratives, the overarching stories of Western political parties were part of the slowly-dragged out post-Victorian era of empires and hard and fast class lines. It's taken generations for certain verities about how people are, and what a nation is, and what a vote does, but in the second decade of the 21st Century the last decrepit threads of the whole cloth that was the myth of European world ascendancy as the model for 'how to be a democracy' have torn away. What we have now is what is always at the base of human behaviour. Me.

Tom of Melboune

22/02/2013[i] Waleed Aly[/i]…is obviously a “troll”, he’s manipulated by the media, he’s lost the plot, he doesn’t understand what the government is up against, he supports Abbott, he just doesn’t understand… They’re that standard responses (here) for any criticism of Our Government.

2353

22/02/2013Libbyx33 - great letter. All you really have to do to publish this wider is go to sites such as Cafe Whispers, Pollbludger and so on and follow the same process as you do here. Michael - the myth is that it is all about me. What is that poem that suggests that they came for the old and no one stopped them, then they came for the outcasts and no one stopped them, then they came for the children and no one stopped them and them they came for me - and there was no one to stop them. The Conservative Government in Queensland and NSW is a demonstration of the erosion of Government support and services. On a Federal Level, the Conservative Government from 1996 to 2007 left this country with a considerable change from what is good for the society to whats in it for me (while p***ing billions against the wall to buy votes through middle and high income welfare). Hopefully the Conservatives will suffer the same fate here as in the US - where the Tea Party was effectively sent packing (and the Conservatives still can't understand what happened).

TalkTurkey

22/02/2013Michael So it's YOU at the base of human behaviour! [b][i]You dirty rotten swine![/i][/b] [ :) !] Yes Machiavelli wins hands down nae doot aboot it. And the poor old Goddess of Democracy is wrinkled naked toothless and battered. She didn't ever take into account *Me*, She thought we were better. But she has a glint in her eye about the Ides of September. For that in Australia on that very day we will regale her with libations from the Fountain of Youth and she will wear garlands of roses in her lovely Titian hair.

Janet (Jan @j4gypsy)

22/02/2013 Morning. A response to Waleed Aly's piece that might interest: [b]It's not about good policy or effective government, it's about the "narrative"[/b] Matt da Silva (Happy Antipodean) [i]As if having "narrative" was what government is about. I thought it was about serving the public interest. Silly me. The thing that Aly points to is the media's decision to turn against Gillard because she doesn't give them what they need: a consistent story. Gillard's pragmatism and consensus-style method of governing is too messy, too much like work, too short on conflict, too ... real. What the journos want is biffo, and if they don't get it from the PM they'll manufacture it, so two ministers resigning just after Gillard announced the election date becomes part of a wider problem within the Labor caucus. Signs of internal disaffection. That fits the narrative, which is ... Leadership change![/i] http://happyantipodean.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/its-not-about-good-policy-or-effective.html

TalkTurkey

22/02/2013Time for Labor to stop being polite! Now's the time to turn and fight! Abbortt Hockey Brough Pyne Reith Bastards lying in their teeth! We will end their rotten game And we'll find just who's to blame: #Ashbygate's a Media Fail - SEND THE CULPRITS OFF TO GAOL!

bob macalba

22/02/2013Hypocrites http://www.theage.com.au/world/vatican-scandal-cited-in-pope-resignation-20130222-2ev0d.html cheers

TalkTurkey

22/02/2013What WILL win this election for us, oddly, is a FEAR CAMPAIGN. A stick~&~carrot exercise - Carrot: Here we are with a great economy envy of the World, BE PROUD Australians! Stick: Abbortt & Hockey talks the economy down, DON'T BELIEVE HIS LIES, The LNP will WRECK our wonderful economy! Why a Fear campaign? Because there is MUCH to fear! Catholicism's the core of the Coalition Cabal. Think I'll Tweet that last line. Speaking of which Good Morning Tweety ! Oh and Libbyx33 can you use TPS mail as designed by Ad astra and Web Monkey to proselytize your pov letter to Our ABC?

lyn

22/02/2013Good Morning Talk Turkey, :):):):)

bob macalba

22/02/2013TT This is a good read, fair dinkum, rotten to the core http://www.stuff.co.nz/world/europe/8339087/Vatican-feuds-fiefdoms-betrayals-await-next-pope and i agree with KHTAGH,..atheism a non prophet organisation

Michael

22/02/2013Yes, it's me. Well, actually, it's them. Who knows who it is, except unfortunately for us, most of them are being fooled into voting for him. (All names suppressed to protect the guilty.) But you know who.

shane

22/02/2013HOpe reWARD opportunity it's called neuro-linguistic programing

bob macalba

22/02/2013shane wow, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sm9PA-yAf4c you might be on to something, the evil bastards

KHTAGH

22/02/2013TT & AA Thanks mate, I'm still kicking myself around the house for being so bloody stupid, complacency will get you every time you just can't treat machines with contempt, metal trumps skin!

Bacchus

22/02/2013KHTAGH I think you'll find methane is covered in the CPRS. It, and other greenhouse gases have a CO2 equivalent value (CO2-e) - in the case of CH4, it is 21, meaning it's 21 times worse than CO2, which has a rating of 1. Refrigerant gases (HFCs) are also covered by this in the CPRS. This is the one that had some of the local councils up in arms - fugitive emissions of CH4 from landfill, for which they're liable to purchase carbon units. Other councils, rather than whinging, are using these emissions to generate electricity, saving themselves money and reducing their liability to the CPRS.

Ad astra

22/02/2013Michael I’ve read Waleed Ali’s article carefully, twice, and still come away not so much wondering what the point of his article is, as he seems to be returning to the old chestnut ‘narrative’, but mystified at the evidence he uses to support his contention that Labor has lost its narrative, as well as the ‘plot’, whatever that piece of slang means in this context. The reader can predict what’s coming from his opening lines: “[i]…political miscalculations such as the ham-fisted Nova Peris saga[/i]”. Note how opinionated these words are: ‘miscalculation’, ‘ham-fisted’, ‘saga’. As this is an opinion piece, he is entitled to his opinion. But that is all it is. Others hold an opposite opinion about Nova Peris’ selection. Who is right? Nobody knows. Time will tell. But it does reinforce in my mind what I see as the pointlessness of much of the political commentary we see today where people of opposing views are pitted against each other, and predictably interpret facts and events in a way that matches their predispositions. Ali goes onto catalogue what he regards as Labor’s and PM Gillard’s failures in decisions, in policy and about narrative, even dredging up the long past ‘citizen’s assembly’ on carbon pricing. Against the narrative that PM Gillard has established in my mind, I found his counter arguments a hotchpotch that I found difficult to unravel. To me, the overriding Labor narrative over recent years has been one of fairness, opportunity, and support for the less well off and the disadvantaged. Fairness and opportunity in education, fairness in access to healthcare, fairness in the workplace, fairness in the distribution of the nation’s wealth, opportunity for all to be the best they can be, to achieve the most they can, support for those without work, with disabilities, and for the aged. These aims are predicated on rewarding and satisfying jobs, and a secure retirement being available for all who can work, which in turn is predicated on the economy being strong, built on entrepreneurship and enterprise, particularly among small businesses, a narrative that the Labor has stressed for many years, and has supported with policies that assist business. Ali criticizes Labor for its asylum seeker policy, as many do, but also seems just as readily to dismiss the educational efforts it is making via Gonski. He goes onto say; “[i]Indeed, its only real response to date has been a bill it hailed as the most important of last year, but which had nothing in it at all.[/i] I can’t discern to what he is referring. Others may be able to help me out. He diminishes the importance of Labor’s introduction of a price on carbon, about which he says: [i]”…[it] merely symbolises the party's ideological malaise.”[/i] Yet, this move is lauded around the world. I couldn’t find reference to the NDIS. Have I somehow missed this in another guise? To me that is a widely acclaimed manifestation of Labor's fairness narrative. He hammers Labor over its target of a ‘surplus’, without acknowledging that economically this was prudent when it seemed entirely possible. It was also prudent to abandon it when achieving it would have jeopardized jobs and growth. Ali, like Coalition members, seems to be living in a world where nothing changes. In regard to the surplus, Ali writes; [i]”In short, Labor had bought wholly into the Coalition's narrative for no discernible reason. It conceded the philosophical debate, then lost the political fight. So now, when it has finally found a Labor story to tell, it sounds convenient and insincere. Labor has become a liberal party, so it isn't even convincing when it sounds like itself.”[/i] This convoluted statement seems to assume that having a surplus was a Coalition policy that Labor copied, as if intelligence in matters economic is limited to conservatives, an idea inconsistent with Labor’s performance economically during the GFC. I have listened to Ali on [i]Drive[/i] and in the [i]Agony Uncles[/i] series. Sometimes I find his line of argument hard to follow, as indeed I did in this piece. To me, the evidence he presents in this article, and his line of reasoning, are unconvincing. He rambles, as if he had prepared his piece hurriedly. Ali has a fine intellect – he can do better than this.

Curi-Oz

22/02/2013@Talk Turkey at 10:04am I would challenge that it is "Catholics" as a general term being at the core of the current LNP Cabal. I would suggest that it is is a particular type of person who is already fearful of the changes that have happened in the world around them, and belongs to the Roman Catholic church. (Mind you, they are also visible within the other religions of the world, eg Wahabi Islam?). I fear that the only way that type of fear has been reduced in the past is to make others more fearful - and so we are stuck on a Wheel of Fortune constantly circling through the same points in emotional time. I wish I could see another solution, but us humans are very stubborn when it comes to repeating things to see if there is a different outcome. Thanks AdAdstra, I've been lurking a while but TT has just dragged me out of the bushes. I appreciate being pointed in the direction of so many useful resources to refute some of the ignorance around me. Regards Curi-Oz

KHTAGH

22/02/2013Bacchus Thanks for the clarification most appreciated.

Tom of Melboune

22/02/2013Ad Astra – [i]” Sometimes I find his line of argument hard to follow”[/i] Nothing at all unusual in that. You generally refuse to accept any criticism of the government, such is your blinkered approach.

jane

22/02/2013KHTAG, hope the finger recovers well. Don't beat yourself up too much, for being too complacent where machinery is concerned. We all make mistakes. At least you don't make the terrible mistake of being sucked in by Noalition bullshit. Ad astra @11.45am, I haven't read the Ali article, but it seems from your comment it would have been a waste of time. It's a pity, because Ali has been one of the few left in the msm who hadn't bought into Liars Party propaganda. From your dissection it also seems that he may have been got at and that's why his piece is so unconvincing-he probably doesn't like writing fabricated nonsense. Curi-Oz @11.49am, I agree that it's not just Catholics who are terrified of change. Most religions seem to be. They don't like their dogma to be challenged and will fight tooth and nail to avoid change. Actually, I should amend that sentence. It's the hierarchy of most institutions which is terrified of change because it challenges their authority. And an institution which has been around for a couple of thousand years resists change even more stubbornly. And to be fair, we humans don't seem too comfortable with change. In general, we like things to be reassuringly the same. It's what we know and are comfortable with and more so the older we get. I guess that's why there was soo much angst about women's lib and why the pioneers were so vilified. They challenged the order of society and it made a lot of people very uncomfortable. And there's still a large proportion of society who are still unwilling to accept that change and I think they're ensconced in the Parliamentary Liars Party and the msm.

Ad astra

22/02/2013Curi-Oz Welcome to [i]The Political Sword[/i] family and for your comment. I’m glad that Talk Turkey brought you onto [i]TPS[/i]. Do come again.

Ad astra

22/02/2013jane Thank you for your comment. Should you decide to read Waleed Ali’s article, give yourself plenty of time to read and re-read it. And if you can make more sense of it than I did, please fill me in.

NormanK

22/02/2013Ad astra Waleed Aly (please note spelling) is referring to the Australian Education Bill which was introduced late last year. That it was [i]hailed as the most important of last year[/i] is not something that I recall any government representative claiming. He is correct in asserting that it was mostly a symbolic gesture to indicate that the government intended to implement serious education funding reform but in and of itself it carried no weight. He is correct in claiming that section 10 states that the [i]Act does not create legally enforceable obligations etc[/i]. http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;query=Id%3A%22legislation%2Fbills%2Fr4945_first-reps%2F0000%22;rec=0 His attack on the carbon pricing legislation indicates that he is also one of the great many commentators who just can't accept the concept of minority government. When you have to accommodate minor parties and independents in order to get legislation through the parliament, none of it is going to be ideologically pure or fit neatly into the jigsaw puzzle called the narrative. After two years of witnessing minority government, almost none of the prominent commentators seem able to grasp the idea of compromise and how this might, at times, result in superior decisions being taken. On the surplus question, in hindsight Labor probably hung on to the idea for about six months too long. All of the economic forecasts by Treasury suggested that with a bit of belt tightening and a less robust Australian Dollar, a surplus was entirely achievable. By the time of MYEFO it was becoming apparent that the forecasts were inaccurate and perhaps that would have been a better time to describe the projected surplus as 'unlikely'. However, the politics meant that labor had to hang on to the idea until it became obvious that the Dollar was not going to fall and receipts were going to fall short of forecasts. I don't know much about Aly but he has shown during his appearances on Q&A that he is a student of political history and yearns for a bygone era when the Left was the Left with aspirations for a socialist or communist state. Aly is one of the commentators who would assert that the two major parties are now very similar with little to distinguish them from each other. Historically speaking, he may be correct in that assertion but if the two major parties have drifted closer to the centre (Abbott may prove to be an aberration here) then surely that is understandable and acceptable. Extreme Left doctrines have been tried and mostly failed. Extreme Right doctrines have been tried and mostly failed. Aly is disappointed that Labor aren't telling the story that he would most like to hear.

Janet (Jan @j4gypsy)

22/02/2013 Just apropos of the discussion continuing on Waleed Aly's piece today, a three-part series of articles entitled 'The Rise and Failure of the Radical Right' began yesterday on Independent Australia at http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/the-rise-of-the-radical-right/ To quote the Introduction: [i]The radical Right’s policies have clearly failed, politically and economically. It remains powerful, but only through its entrenched cultural position and its alliances with the media, the wealthy and fearful reactionaries. Mainstream political commentary seems either to be approving of or oblivious to the major changes of the past six decades, and continues to use the same old Left-Right labels even though their meanings have changed dramatically. Today those labels are more about tribal identification, and their use is more of an epithet than a description. Such one-dimensional labelling is also constricting: there are at least three disparate attitudes within the Right, and there are far better options for Australia than the old and false dichotomy of socialism versus capitalism.[/i]

Ad astra

22/02/2013Folks I've misspelt Waleed Aly's name. It should have been 'Aly', not 'Ali'. Apologies.

Janet (Jan @j4gypsy)

22/02/2013And since we are on the subject of 'narratives', Bernard Keane has just produced this in Crikey at http://media.crikey.com.au/dm/newsletter/dailymail_1658736a442753a73565ec8f299d4efd.html#article_22793 . Since it may still be behind the paywall, reproduced here with emphasis added (and with a genuflection to the copyright gnomes). [b]Does the Labor narrative narrative stand up?[/b] [i]Bernard Keane[/i] [i]It's funny, but no one in Labor is laughing: the very week the Gillard government produces its most coherent economic and political statement of the entire time Labor has been in office, it gets accused yet again of lacking a "narrative". Waleed Aly, joining Fairfax's new "all leadership speculation, all the time" format, says governments "thrive on narrative" and Labor ain't got one. Ah, the irony -- Labor's actual narrative can't be heard over the clamour of leadership speculation and insistence it hasn't got a narrative. This is only the most recent of almost countless articles about Labor's lack of an overarching narrative -- many of which, I readily confess, I've authored myself. It's taken as an article of faith that governments need a central story around which to structure their communication with voters and to guide their governing priorities. Labor's peristent problem, we've all maintained, has been it lacks such a theme and that that is reflective of its lack of core values. Well perhaps it's time to reassess how much we rely on the "narrative" narrative. You see, this government isn't the only one about which, it's lamented, there's no narrative. The Obama presidency has been dogged by complaints he lacked a narrative, or (premature, as it turned out) declarations that he'd finally found one. One Washington Post writer in 2010 was already toting up the number of times Obama's loss or lack of narrative had featured in mainstream commentary. In the lead-up to the 2012 election, there were complaints Obama had lost his "narrative mojo" or allowed Republicans to impose their own narrative. A re-elected Obama had finally found "a strong narrative arc", another writer opined in December. His State of the Union address was seen as an attempt to replace an "austerity narrative" with a more progressive economic narrative. David Cameron hasn't fared any better. The Tories lack a clear message because Cameron doesn't have one, the New Statesman's political editor complained earlier this week. Cameron lacks a convincing narrative, a Guardian commentator noted at the end of last year. And it's not just the Left in the UK. "There is no leadership and no narrative. Kids are running Downing Street," an unnamed Tory MP was quoted as saying a fortnight ago. Cameron had allowed Labour's Ed Miliband to create a narrative of government incompetence, a senior Telegraph commentator explained in October. Sound familiar? Still, Gordon Brown had the same problem. There was no distinctive Labour narrative, the Independent's Peter Hain lamented in 2009. Or if it existed it was confusing, a Spectator columnist suggested. Brown allowed Cameron to paint him as incompetent, too. So what's going on -- do we have an entire generation of Anglophone politicians who have entirely lost the capacity to communicate narratives effectively, who can only stand idly by while their opponents portray them as incompetent? It seems unlikely -- does anyone seriously suggest Barack Obama is a poor communicator? Or is our concept of a "narrative" now flawed? Before we read the next article on Labor's failure of narrative, think about these points: **A constantly reinforced government message requires rigorous top-down control of ministers and MPs that the media complains about. Remember the media's incessant complaints about the Rudd office's control of messaging? The media says it prizes authenticity and politicians who resist spin in preference for talking about things realistically. But you don't convey a consistent message by offering nuance, detail and "calling it as you see it". **Narratives are made, not born. The Hawke government didn't come to office in March 1983 with an economic reform agenda; it was compelled to embrace one by economic circumstances and the wretched budget situation John Howard bequeathed it. And the agenda changed over time as economic circumstances changed. Governments have to operate in the real world, and the real world throws up problems to be dealt with. Labor has had to govern with a global financial crisis, a European depression, a mining boom and a bulletproof currency, and has maintained economic growth, low inflation and low unemployment, despite the apparent lack of a narrative. During the GFC the "narrative" was about protecting jobs. [b]The strong Australian dollar has now prompted Labor to put together a coherent economic policy based around jobs, productivity and innovation, within a strongly fiscally constrained environment. It is actually a narrative. It isn't the sort of narrative that gets the media excited, but it's the one we need.[/b] **It's easier to communicate a negative narrative than a positive one. Just ask Gordon Brown while David Cameron was painting him as incompetent, or David Cameron as Ed Miliband paints him as incompetent. Negative narratives are simple; positive narratives are complex and nuanced. It's easier for oppositions to communicate narratives than governments, because governments have to govern in the real world, with all its imperfections, while oppositions govern purely in rhetoric, where things are always easier and everything runs smoothly. **It's easy to communicate us-and-them narratives -- whether it's the Right targeting asylum seekers and Muslims or the Left targeting foreign workers. Inclusive narratives that seek to unite rather than divide are harder to sell because they're more complex. **Leaders with a long history in public life find it easier to communicate with voters because voters instinctively know what they stand for; politicians who are relatively recent arrivals have no values recognition to draw on in the electorate. No one ever asked what John Howard's "narrative" was, even as he shifted from a neo-liberal economic hardliner to a tax-and-spend big-government advocate of centralisation. **And, maybe most of all, in a fragmented media, and with people able to select their own media or select none at all, communicating to the whole electorate is becoming increasingly difficult. It's no longer the 1980s when there was a limited number of media outlets across TV, radio and newspapers and even tabloid current affairs programs ran prime ministerial interviews. Governments can have the most compelling narrative possible, but if a substantial chunk of the electorate simply refuses to pay attention to political coverage, it's irrelevant. All of which suggests that if Labor wants to meet our benchmark of successfully communicating a narrative, it should keep it simple, negative, divisive, artificial and relentlessly controlled. As if that would keep us happy.[/i]

Ad astra

22/02/2013Janet Happy Antipodean’s piece [i]It's not about good policy or effective government, it's about the "narrative"[/i] was good reading: http://happyantipodean.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/its-not-about-good-policy-or-effective.html Bernard Keane too seems to be dismayed by Waleed Aly’s piece this morning: [i]Labor has lost the plot, and the narrative[/i]. http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/politics/labor-has-lost-the-plot-and-the-narrative-20130221-2eua9.html This is what Keane wrote on [i]Crikey[/i]: [i]”It's funny, but no one in Labor is laughing: the very week the Gillard government produces its most coherent economic and political statement of the entire time Labor has been in office, it gets accused yet again of lacking a "narrative". Waleed Aly, joining Fairfax's new "all leadership speculation, all the time" format, says governments "thrive on narrative" and Labor ain't got one. “Ah, the irony -- Labor's actual narrative can't be heard over the clamour of leadership speculation and insistence it hasn't got a narrative. “This is only the most recent of almost countless articles about Labor's lack of an overarching narrative -- many of which, I readily confess, I've authored myself. It's taken as an article of faith that governments need a central story around which to structure their communication with voters and to guide their governing priorities. Labor's persistent problem, we've all maintained, has been it lacks such a theme and that that is reflective of its lack of core values. “Well perhaps it's time to reassess how much we rely on the "narrative" narrative. “You see, this government isn't the only one about which, it's lamented, there's no narrative. The Obama presidency has been dogged by complaints he lacked a narrative, or (premature, as it turned out) declarations that he'd finally found one. One Washington Post writer in 2010 was already toting up the number of times Obama's loss or lack of narrative had featured in mainstream commentary. In the lead-up to the 2012 election, there were complaints Obama had lost his "narrative mojo" or allowed Republicans to impose their own narrative. A re-elected Obama had finally found "a strong narrative arc", another writer opined in December. His State of the Union address was seen as an attempt to replace an "austerity narrative" with a more progressive economic narrative. “David Cameron hasn't fared any better. The Tories lack a clear message because Cameron doesn't have one, the New Statesman's political editor complained earlier this week. Cameron lacks a convincing narrative, a Guardian commentator noted at the end of last year. And it's not just the Left in the UK. "There is no leadership and no narrative. Kids are running Downing Street," an unnamed Tory MP was quoted as saying a fortnight ago. Cameron had allowed Labour's Ed Miliband to create a narrative of government incompetence, a senior Telegraph commentator explained in October. “Sound familiar? “Still, Gordon Brown had the same problem. There was no distinctive Labour narrative, the Independent's Peter Hain lamented in 2009. Or if it existed it was confusing, a Spectator columnist suggested. Brown allowed Cameron to paint him as incompetent, too. “So what's going on -- do we have an entire generation of Anglophone politicians who have entirely lost the capacity to communicate narratives effectively, who can only stand idly by while their opponents portray them as incompetent? It seems unlikely -- does anyone seriously suggest Barack Obama is a poor communicator? Or is our concept of a "narrative" now flawed? Before we read the next article on Labor's failure of narrative, think about these points: • “A constantly reinforced government message requires rigorous top-down control of ministers and MPs that the media complains about. Remember the media's incessant complaints about the Rudd office's control of messaging? The media says it prizes authenticity and politicians who resist spin in preference for talking about things realistically. But you don't convey a consistent message by offering nuance, detail and "calling it as you see it". • “Narratives are made, not born. The Hawke government didn't come to office in March 1983 with an economic reform agenda; it was compelled to embrace one by economic circumstances and the wretched budget situation John Howard bequeathed it. [b]And the agenda changed over time as economic circumstances changed. Governments have to operate in the real world, and the real world throws up problems to be dealt with. Labor has had to govern with a global financial crisis, a European depression, a mining boom and a bulletproof currency, and has maintained economic growth, low inflation and low unemployment, despite the apparent lack of a narrative. During the GFC the "narrative" was about protecting jobs. The strong Australian dollar has now prompted Labor to put together a coherent economic policy based around jobs, productivity and innovation, within a strongly fiscally constrained environment. It is actually a narrative. It isn't the sort of narrative that gets the media excited, but it's the one we need.[/b] (my emphasis). • “It's easier to communicate a negative narrative than a positive one. Just ask Gordon Brown while David Cameron was painting him as incompetent, or David Cameron as Ed Miliband paints him as incompetent. Negative narratives are simple; positive narratives are complex and nuanced. It's easier for oppositions to communicate narratives than governments, because governments have to govern in the real world, with all its imperfections, while oppositions govern purely in rhetoric, where things are always easier and everything runs smoothly. • “It's easy to communicate us-and-them narratives -- whether it's the Right targeting asylum seekers and Muslims or the Left targeting foreign workers. Inclusive narratives that seek to unite rather than divide are harder to sell because they're more complex. • “Leaders with a long history in public life find it easier to communicate with voters because voters instinctively know what they stand for; politicians who are relatively recent arrivals have no values recognition to draw on in the electorate. No one ever asked what John Howard's "narrative" was, even as he shifted from a neo-liberal economic hardliner to a tax-and-spend big-government advocate of centralisation. • “And, maybe most of all, in a fragmented media, and with people able to select their own media or select none at all, communicating to the whole electorate is becoming increasingly difficult. It's no longer the 1980s when there was a limited number of media outlets across TV, radio and newspapers and even tabloid current affairs programs ran prime ministerial interviews. Governments can have the most compelling narrative possible, but if a substantial chunk of the electorate simply refuses to pay attention to political coverage, it's irrelevant. “All of which suggests that if Labor wants to meet our benchmark of successfully communicating a narrative, it should keep it simple, negative, divisive, artificial and relentlessly controlled. As if that would keep us happy.”[/i] That sounds like a pretty sound response to Waleed Aly’s piece. Thank goodness someone in the media is calling it the way it is. What do you think?

Gravel

22/02/2013Ad Astra and Gypsy Well done, they do say great minds think alike and you have both just posted the same thing with the same emphasis. :-) And thank you, it maybe that BK is starting to wake up? Knee High I am so pleased that you weren't too damaged with your accident, would have been really upset if it had been worse. You can stop kicking yourself now, I think you have punished yourself enough. :-) libbyx33 I think LadyInRed will be along soon to award you the blue singlet with sequins on for you wonderful post, and the great letter to the abc, just don't hold your breath for the abc to answer, and if they do it will be very condescending.

Ad astra

22/02/2013Janet Apologies, I posted Bernard Keane's piece before I realised that you had done the same. It won't hurt to leave them both.

Ad astra

22/02/2013NormanK Thank you for your comment. Yes, I did misspell Aly’s surname. Thank you too for pointing me to what he was referring to as [i]”a bill it hailed as the most important of last year, but which had nothing in it at all.[/i] Like Happy Antipodean, you make the good point that politics is ‘messy’ that things change, that compromise is often needed, that the detail in any given ‘narrative’ does not always play out. Those who want a neat ‘narrative’ that always works out in practice do not live in the real world. That’s why narratives need to be broad and general. One of the most profound lessons I learned in education came from a world-renowned educator. It was [b][i]‘Teaching is messy’[/b][/i]. I can still see it on the whiteboard. Likewise [b][i]‘Politics is messy’[/b][/i]. Pity commentators can’t get used to that concept.

Ad astra

22/02/2013Gravel Thanks for your comment. I'll be out for a few hours.

Ad astra

22/02/2013Hi Lyn I've spent so much time writing this morning, I'm still to finish your links. I catch up later.

KHTAGH

22/02/2013To all Many thanks for your words of well being for my digit. A life lesson to pass on to the younger generations a KHTAGH original:- "A bleeding mistake is always remembered" TT What could have happened still makes my skin crawl.

Catching up

22/02/2013Tom, I am not being smart or funny. I keep hearing PM has dumped labor values. I have been hearing such claims since the days of Keating. What are those values. I do not mean, a tirade of what the PM has done wrong. We all have heard that repeatedly. No, I mean, Tom, can you give us an outline of what Labor values are, or in your opinion should be.

Michael

22/02/2013Bernard Keane more extensively explores the situations that have arisen as a result, I believe, of some of the ideas I put in my first post today, at 8:16AM. Politicians are in a whole new era of human interactivity. Humans are in a whole new era of (amongst everything!) political interactivity. Is it any surprise that in an age where no-one (except the ultra-Right fundamentalists of any stripe) are sure of anything, that people hanker for leaders who will embody verities that, ironically, don't exist anywhere else in our lives? If Abbott should become PM I can confidently predict that he will be reduced to blubbering wonder very quickly at how comprehensively those who voted him in have turned on him. He's not a man for delivering certainty, merely one for sowing chaos. He will reap, oh yeah, should he make it to The Lodge, he will REAP what he's sown.

Tom of Melboune

22/02/2013Labor values- honesty, compassion, progressive social policy. There is plenty to suggest that the ALP falls far short. But I can understand why several here just don’t get what Waleed Aly was saying – they’re conditioned to the untested pap here.

DMW

22/02/2013What is the point of Waleed Aly's short article this morning? There is a very simple answer in black and white in the article: [i]Labor is in crisis, but not principally for the reasons that occupy the commentariat.[/i] He then tells us some of the things the crisis is not and seem to occupy the minds and pens of many of the commentariat. And then ... [i]Labor's problem is ideological. It doesn't really mean anything any more, ...[/i] Given some of Aly's other writings: Quarterly Essay 37 - [b]What's Right? The Future of Conservatism in Australia[/b] http://www.quarterlyessay.com/issue/whats-right-future-conservatism-australia and his book: [b]People Like Us[/b] - http://goo.gl/WhWHl (Amazon Kindle) it suggests that Aly is looking a bit deeper than the day to day folly of politics and the various inane commentary on it. This paragraph tells a lot: [i]That's not about incompetent leadership; it is the flipside of the Hawke/Keating legacy. Once Labor embraced a deregulated, liberal economy, the political landscape was forever changed, leaving a diabolical question for subsequent Labor leaders: what exactly is the point of Labor politics? The compromise has been to talk about Labor's ''reforming tradition'', but [u]reform is an act, not an ideology.[/u] WorkChoices was a reform, too.[/i] (My underlining) If Labor does actually have a 'story' it is not being told well and more often than not it is offering a very mixed message by confusing processes and values. Even by going to the Labor Party website - http://www.alp.org.au/australian-labor/ there is no 'compelling story' being told or sold. People may poo-poo 'the vision thing', that simple statement that tells an organisation and the world why it exists, but strangely the worlds longest surviving companies and organisations have some form of a vision or reason for existence that informs it how and why it does what it does. At this stage in its' life The Australian Labor Party appears to have either forgotten its' reason for existence or is living at odds with it. That it is time for a re-invention may dawn on some of the heavyweights only after they stare oblivion in the face having ignored the likes of Aly and many of its' own members for far too long. PS The Quarterly Essay was an excellent read, People Like Us has been on my wish list for a while but I still have not gotten to it.

Catching up

22/02/2013Tom, those are motherhood statement. They tell me nothing. <i>Labor values- honesty, compassion, progressive social policy. </I> I believe the PM is extremely honest. She shows great compassion and definitely has progressive policies. What progressive policies would you like to see. The PM also has guts and stamina to withstand all that is hurled at her. Guts, to make hard decisions, even those that appear harsh the time. Guts to stand and fight.

bob macalba

22/02/2013Catching up thats all you will get from 'the one we choose to ignore' your wasting your time

Lyn

22/02/2013Hi Ad Will you destroy my first post please. I am scared of her and try to avoid her very time but got me again. wouldn't worry about a silly little spelling mistake with a name like aly anyway who would notice. Never have had much time for Waleed, he started out new with an objective point of view but soon changed. Don't worry if you miss the links one day because of limited time, you can rest assured there will be more the next day. Love Michael's description today: "blubbering wonder " Khtagh I am pleased your finger is ok, scary when you think what could have happened. :):)

lyn

22/02/2013Oh Dear Looks like another visit to Wordpress Gravatar for me. Testing 123 :):)

42 long

22/02/2013With the abc one doesn't know what is the view of the commentator. Clearly it is getting like Murdoch. You write what the "BOSS" would like you to. Listening to Vanstone today ratting on about the terrible tactic ot the climate "believers" using the future of "children" as part of the argument. anyhow the confusion between what some "believe" and what is known is the issue. Those who deliberately try to create confusion, to achieve the outcome they desire, are criminals. Nothing less. Bugger me. it's the condition of the whole planet on which all future inhabitants will live, we are talking about. What is more important in nature than the security of your offspring and their children ?.. We have no right whatsoever to hand down a destroyed planet to our descendants and everybody elses, just to enable a few to live high on the hog to the detriment of the majority. The fact that Monkton and Bolt etc smirk and sneer makes their actions more deplorable. Those who gamble should be able to afford to lose. How can these mere mortals be so sure of their stand ? They all read from the same book. Use the same proven lies over and over and ridicule and demean those who think differently. Why do we have Vanstone, Reith, Richardson and IPA dominating the abc?

2353

22/02/2013Michael said [quote]If Abbott should become PM I can confidently predict that he will be reduced to blubbering wonder very quickly at how comprehensively those who voted him in have turned on him. He's not a man for delivering certainty, merely one for sowing chaos.[/quote] You're right - there is a lot of Queenslanders that have turned on Newman very quickly - including the Courier Mail. He came to power on the "current government is useless" meme to an extent and it has really come back to bite him hard. Newman promised to be open and accountable, in under 12 months he's lost at least 2 ministers and one hand picked Director General because they allegedly displayed a lack of openness and accountability. So far he's beating the Prime Minister - and she's had three years. I hope the ALP has a team working on a positive narrative for teh election campaign. They need to be able to sell the good news story without getting into the gutter the LNP has been living in since "they wuz robbed (by their own Leader's lack of negotiation skills and ability to compromise)" in 2010.

Ausdavo

22/02/2013I have seen this comment many times ... "the minerals resource rent tax raised just $126 million in its first six months". However, I'm sure mention has been made of the States abilty to raise their royalties (through a loop-hole in the legislation) and hence allow the mining companies to claim the extra royalties paid as a deduction from the minerals resource rent tax they would otherwise pay. This means that (though the Federal Govt. doesn't get it all) the amount raised is $126 million plus the extra paid to the states. This still provides a larger amount for Federal and State Govts. to use for the Aussie people. It hasn't been a failure at all (although I'd rather the loop-hole was not there). I believe that the government is looking to close that loop-hole.

TalkTurkey

22/02/2013Our fave rave Grasshopper said "A bleeding mistake is always remembered" Norse boat-builders' saying: "A good job is not accomplished without blood." I'm always glad of [i]very little [/i]bits of blood on a job like what you are talking about. Now, Curi-Oz, Welcome, but I must defend my line [i]Catholicism's the core of the Coalition Cabal [/i] against your *challenge that it is "Catholics" as a general term being at the core of the current LNP Cabal.* [b]Cabal[/b]: [i]1. A small group of intriguers, esp one formed for political purposes 2. A secret plot, esp a political one; conspiracy, intrigue. 3. A secret or exclusive set of people; clique. [/i] On the LNP front bench - I don't know some but those I do know : Cast: [b]ToeRag Abbortt[/b] [b]Snotty Joe Hockey[/b] [b]POO-POO Pyne[/b] [b]HangDog Robb[/b] [b]Malcontent Turdball[/b] [b]Bananaby Joyce[/b] Plus in starring roles [b]Meddlin' Credlin[/b], Abbortt's Chief of Staff and on secondment from His Nazi Holiness Pope Benedict [b]Arsebigot Pell[/b], Abbortt's moral( !!! )compass There is the core of the popish plot being feverishly worked out in kafkaesque reality. This, with respect Curi-Oz, is a dyed-in-the-wool Catholic Cabal. Mesma Bishop is Angrycan, Vampirella is Orc Greasodox I think, as Sinodinos definitely is. Both sects are close enough to Catholicism. Dunno Dutton but he used to be a cop so he'll do as he's told. [Rudd I think is a recent convert to Catholicism or else he's High CofE or some such. Same diff.] I doubt whether there is one self-acknowledged nontheist in the whole LNP. There sure are a lot that pay lipservice to Sky-Fairy! And some btw are Happy-Clappers!

KHTAGH

22/02/201342 long Well said I completely agree. The deniers are making their place in digital history, they only live for the day & their own lives. Imagine a future documentary "Those that are to blame" in yrs to come. Those that are complicit in this act of world betrayal should reflect on how they will make their own descendants feel in reflection on their own place in history. That goes for the so called journalists in this country as well. It doesn't matter if it is Financially, or physically weather events or starvation, or geographically loss of land, Climate Change will not be ignored, as a species we can only shove our heads in the sand for so long. Trouble is the way we think at the moment it is becoming mob rule, I don't know when the acceptance of scientific fact became a majority rule, a democratic choice. If it had not been for the deniers we might have just got a handle on it, but I truly think after this last summer that we are pretty well stuffed now. One day & I lost 1/3-1/2 of my fruits & vegies cooked where they grew. How many yrs of such events as we saw this summer is it going to take before the penny drops? An entire states produce wiped out in a day or so, the entire east coast in a week, what? You tell me because stuffed if I know. Wait till we are in our next drought, full blown El Nino, how bad will that be? As Dr John Dickson said on Q&A "you guys complain about a few refuges now, wait till sea level rise kicks in" Yet a lot prefer to take their scientific facts from Monkton Vanstone & Gina's paid mob instead of one of the top science brains around the world. Then complain the local beach is washed away, but don't you dare try & say its anything to do with CC. Intelligent nation, you gotta to be joking.

jane

22/02/201342 long @6.34pm, the Liars make enough song and dance about the chilluns having to pay off [i]The Debt[/i[, but don't give a toss about whether the chilluns will have breathable air.

DMW

22/02/2013One positive thing the Waleed Aly article did today was to provoke a discussion and that is a good thing all on it's own as, without further discussion and commentary we will not learn and well, the royal 'we' all know [i]if we aren't learning we are dead[/i] One of the points Aly raised was about the Labor Parties' ideological dilemma, That [i](i)t doesn't really mean anything any more[/i]. A debatable point, but, where would you go to get some idea of what the party stands for? Where would you best find its' beliefs, its' vision, what its hopes for us as a nation are? The National Platform would have to be a good place to start. Surely there you would hope to find a simple and succinct summary of the parties' ideals and vision. You can read the five or so pages of the opening chapter of the ALP National Platform here: http://goo.gl/uCskd If you have the patience and a keen eye you may be able to distil from it the 'overarching narrative' that guides the party and the way it governs. This is the second paragraph: [i]Labor values are Australian values. Australia is a society enriched by its diversity. Our history is one of hard work, nation building and innovation, proudly welcoming new generations of migrants, respecting Indigenous Australians, weaving a resilient social fabric to support Australians throughout their lives. [u]We are a modern social democratic party[/u] which has made Australia better off, fairer and more sustainable. Universal health care, fairness in the workplace, and the age pension are Australian achievements, part of our tradition of working together for the common good and taking care of those with limited capacity to take of themselves.[/i] My underlining of [i]We are a modern social democratic party [/i] to illustrate a point. Let's now move to the Prime Ministers' speech at the 2013 AWU National Conference which you can access here: http://goo.gl/JWrjG [i]I come here to this union’s gathering as a Labor leader. I’m not the leader of a party called the progressive party. I’m not the leader of a party called the moderate party. I’m not the leader of a party even called the [u]socialist democratic party.[/u] I’m a leader of the party called the Labor Party deliberately because that is what we come from. That is what we believe in and that is who we are.[/i] Now for sure the Labor Party is not called the Australian Socialist Democratic Party yet it says it is a 'modern social democratic party'. No room for confusion in that is there? We are a 'modern social democratic party' but we are not we are THE Labor Party. Does the leader of the party in the federal parliament embody the values and ideals of the party and through her speeches and actions manifest those ideals? We don't have to dig too deeply to find a lack of congruence, inconsistencies between words and actions that cause angst among members and the wider public. An organisation that is out of alignment with its' own purpose, its' reason for being, is an organisation that is heading toward disaster if it doesn't realign and get in touch with its' basic values. The voters aren't mugs and although there would few that would express it terms of purpose, vision or ideals they can still sense when an organisation isn't being true to its' higher purpose and they will reject that organisation and stop dealing with it.

TalkTurkey

22/02/2013Folks you will remember (as I have far from forgotten) that Professor Peter van Onselen of [i]Contrarians[/i] fame :) agreed around New Year to accept my invitation to engage with TPS, albeit of course on his own terms. Since then I have asked him several times via Twitter if he still intends to do so, without reply to date. But tonight this by Professor van Onselen on Twitter caught my eye. (giggle) Feb 17Peter van Onselen‏@vanOnselenP My suspicion is Coalition "media experts" hide Tony Abbott from long form interviews bc they worry he might say what he really thinks... There were several replies most very solemn headnodders but being the joker that I am I said vanOnselenP [i]Well Der if I might say so! R U still agreed to engaging on Ad astra's site? http://www.thepoliticalsword[/i].com/post/2013/02/17/When-will-Tony-Abbott-fill-the-gaping-void-in-his-latest-slogan-Hope-Reward-Opportunity.aspx#comment … Repondez s'il vous plait! 9:52 p.m. - Feb 22, 2013 · Details So I'll keep asking him, remembering that there is an hilarious parallel between Tony and the Abborttians running from scrutiny by the Mainstream Media on the one hand, and on t'other Peter and the Mainstream Media's running from scrutiny by the Fighting Fifth Estate! Did you get that? Isn't that [i]funny![/i] See what I'm really saying is the 5th Estate is whupping the Old Media all around the town for reliability and responsibility in reportage. And even Lenore Taylor and Megalogenis and Waleed Aly seem unable to bring themselves to the decent honest position which we on this blog hold to the last goodwillian, that the Coalition is a bunch of empty-headed nasty frauds, and that Labor has done wonderfully by Australians by holding the line as far as possible on its core agenda. Compare that to the horde of unwavering Right-Wing sycophants infecting every major Media outlet, including our ABC ...! Not that it really needs saying, - but it's so obvious it could easily be overlooked - Ad astra showed ultimate wisdom in choosing to start a site with this one's particular orientation in the first place: remember the headline at the top of the page, [i]Putting politicians and commentators to the verbal sword[/i]. That's what we're here for: [i]that's what this site in special is all about.[/i] So I'm pretty interested in whether any MSM members are prepared to come here and talk with us. Especially the insightful Professor van Onselen, who did agree to, you know. Because there is no more respected political blog than our Political Sword, Thank you Ad astra Web Monkey Tweety Lyn and all who have helped make it so.

Casablanca

23/02/2013All Swordsters, [b]You are advised to double your blood pressure medication before reading Katherine Murphy's article [/b] [i]She gets knocked down[/i]. 'The battle between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd is the story that won't go away, writes Katharine Murphy'. Well guess what Katherine, it won't go away because MSM journalists like you keep serving up this drivel, complete with unattributed comments. Highfalutin titles like 'National Affairs Correspondent' dupe us into expecting some considered insights into policy and governance. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/she-gets-knocked-down-20130222-2ewyr.html#ixzz2Ldq8ppmW

Ad astra

23/02/2013Casablanca The Katharine Murphy story is space filler, another tedious analysis that comes to no conclusion, a non-story. And she gets paid for writing this drivel, perhaps even a bonus from Fairfax, which seems to have taken up the cudgels against our PM, joining News LImited in pursuit of our leader. As you say, the story will not go away because the MSM don't want it to. It is the 'story' that keeps on giving the media the conflict, sensation, intrigue and entertainment it craves to stall its ever-declining sales. It is a case of the dying clutching for anything it can reach to avoid the inevitability of death.

lyn

23/02/2013Today’s Links What Gillard is up against (continued …) by @KayRollison, Two pieces on the Drum on Thursday 21 February nicely illustrate a couple more of the sorts of attack that Gillard faces. http://theaimn.com/2013/02/22/what-gillard-is-up-against-continued/ The rise of the Radical Right (Part Two): False economics by Dr Geoff Davies Neoliberalism has fostered an addiction to materialism, http://www.independentaustralia.net/2013/politics/the-rise-of-the-radical-right- Two sides of the same coin by fairness4media Labor as incompetent and the Coalition as voter-friendly http://abcgonetohell.net/2013/02/22/two-sides-of-the-same-coin/ Media consumers have little to feed on by @MigloCW blame the government; when in doubt . . . blame the government http://theaimn.com/2013/02/22/media-consumers-have-little-to-feed-on/ Battling the bias by @btckr My own “journalism” is clearly anti-Liberal Party and more specifically anti the federal Opposition Leader http://truthinmediaresourcecentre.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/battling-the-bias/ Building bridges by @btckr http://truthinmediaresourcecentre.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/building-bridges/ Does the Labor narrative narrative stand up? by @BernardKeane Waleed Aly joining Fairfax’s new all leadership speculation http://www.crikey.com.au/2013/02/22/does-the-labor-narrative-narrative-stand-up/ Narratives: Gillard Labor and New Labour by @Nlentern Waleed Aly has kindly offered us a theory http://ausvotes2013.com/2013/02/22/narratives-gillard-labor-and-new-labour/ It's not about good policy or effective government, it's about the "narrative @mattdasilva , Waleed Aly thinks is important for political parties to http://happyantipodean.blogspot.com.au/2013/02/its-not-about-good-policy-or-effective.html THE GREATER FOOL Crikey’s errorist Bernard Keane blown up by his own madness & prejudice by @vexnews http://www.vexnews.com/2013/02/the-greater-fool-crikeys-errorist-bernard Fight for freedom like IPA: Brandis to Human Rights Commission By Greg Barns http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/fight-for-freedom-like-ipa Did News Ltd play Press Council? The photoshopped PM no-one will claim By Anne Tan http://australiansforhonestpolitics.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/did-news-ltd-play-fast-and-loose-with- A Fault Like Any Other Fault by @sortius, If Malcolm Turnbull thinks copper is good enough, he’s never used copper. http://sortius-is-a-geek.com/?p=2776 The vast differences between NBN & the Coalition's alternative by Nick Ross "Complete the current NBN cheaper and faster." This simply isn't true. http://www.abc.net.au/technology/articles/2013/02/21/3695094.htm A riposte to Nick Ross and slipshod NBN advocacy from the ABC by Grahame Lynch http://www.commsday.com/blog/a-riposte-to-nick-ross-and-slipshod-nbn Are Wetlands Worthless Because They Are Inedible? by @Mothincarnate http://newanthropocene.wordpress.com/2013/02/22/are-wetlands-worthless-because Fairfax unveils first look at compact Age and SMH by Nic Christensen “I wouldn’t buy into the hype about the imminent death of newspapers,” http://mumbrella.com.au/fairfax-unveils-details-of-compact-move-141443 Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 23 February 2013 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

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23/02/2013LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

ladyinred

23/02/2013Libbyx33 Lyn is right .....drum roll......the cranky pants award goes to you for your outstanding complaint to the ABC. Even under extreme crankiness you managed to spell out your disgust and supply several excellent examples to back your argument. So this award means you get to wear the blue boganista singlet. You can personalize your singlet by adding a jaunty scarf or a chunky neckless or even sparkles. It is well known I have a preference for sparkles. You can wear a checked flanny shirt if It's cold over not under the blue singlet. I have had a request for permission to add blingy thongs. I gave this considerable thought. I don't want award winners to look ridiculous, as you can imagine this could happen. But I think blingy thongs actually add that little extra something. Congratulations libbyx33

TalkTurkey

23/02/2013Lyn sorry to do this to your very fave rave song/clip! But at least you get to look at and listen to the original again. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EUyxCP5Rvco So, from the sublime to the gobblimey . . . re my assertion that there is a Popish Plot to take over Australia in the name of Voodoo beliefs ... How Many Roman Catholics can you find Round the Front Bench of the LNP? I'm telling you, a lot more than a few On the front bench of the LNP! Abbortt Hockey Pyne & Robb, Barney Joyce that Queenland yob, Turnbull, plus Credlin & Arsebigot Pell Now I don't hate all Micks Just these EVIL LYING PRICKS Round the Front Bench of the LNP!

Michael

23/02/2013Julia Gillard and the Labor Party will have to 'go negative' at the Federal election. It's the only way to win. Luckily for them, it's not their "negative" they have to go with. As the PM has pointed out there'll be "no Gonski" with a Coalition in government. Abbott's 'elect me' credo is "No" repeated over and over with explicit intentions to rescind and cancel all 'signature' Labor policies. So Labor electioneering, going negative all the way, merely needs point out to the voters that should they elect Abbott's mob, there'll be: NO Gonski NO NBN NO Murray Darling Basin Plan NO National Curriculum NO School Kids Bonus NO higher income tax entry point NO carbon pricing compensation payments NO effective action on climate change NO...[fill this space] Well, Abbott says it all, the Labor Party needs do no more than point it out: An Abbott-led Coalition government will be NO NO NO. Vote for "NO" as the vision of a nation's future? Explain that one to the children, Amanda Vanstone.

James Adelaide

23/02/2013 Took the week off, because I am studying. Having had a look at SMH this morning, I am slightly surprised that Gillard is still PM. In support of we progressives winning The following poll of readers in SMH suggests that people are changing their vote TO Labor, more than away. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/voter-support-for-gillard-and-labor-plunges-20130217-2ele0.html Poll” Has your vote changed since the election was called? Yes, more likely to vote Labor 28% Yes, more likely to vote Liberal, National 18% Yes, more likely to vote Greens, other 3% No, still voting Labor 10 No, still voting Liberal/ National 36% No, still voting green. 8% Okay, it adds up to 103%, but 49% of the sample claim to have changed their vote. 31% To progressive, 18% to conservative. Yes, the sample is self selected, and these polls are vulnerable to manipulation, but since the parliament is hung, a shift of a few percent could deliver government. Does this reflect that people really do not know where to put their vote?, or are people influenced by the last bit of bad news. Or, the final possibility: will the election result come as a surprise to all?

2353

23/02/2013Mike Carlton sums up why you should vote for the LNP on Sept 14. [quote]With Labor in turmoil and the smell of blood in the water, the opposition blithely carries on as a policy-free zone and gets away with it. Yet you know exactly what the Coalition will do if it wins government in September. First up there'll be the Gothic horror of a Labor budget "black hole" - even worse than expected, we'll be told. This will be the pretext for a savage round of expenditure "savings" and the sacking of thousands of public servants. That done, all the same-old, clapped-out Tory machinery will creak into place. Once again there'll be grovelling deference to the Americans in our defence and foreign policies. Billions will be wasted on bright and shiny military hardware, just as the Howard government did by buying 59 useless main battle tanks for the army, the navy's Seasprite helicopters that could fly only in daylight in fine weather, and the eye-watering extravagance of the struggling Joint Strike Fighter project for the air force. Domestically, Labor's reforms in healthcare and education will be scrapped, with money ripped out of the public sector to be shovelled back into private hospitals and private schools. Climate change will be crap again. WorkChoices will eventually re-emerge with a new name; there will be a swingeing ideological attack on the ABC, enforced by a whopping funding cut; the national broadband network will be gutted; social reforms like same-sex marriage will be further off than ever; and the gap between rich and poor will grow ever wider, as it does in the US.[/quote] http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/politics/a-tax-too-lax-kills-off-the-paris-option-20130222-2ewov.html#ixzz2LgC0Ikcz

bob macalba

23/02/2013Talk Turkey 100% correct,...as for crapstain, well he's just a sad F@#$, but i can feel his loneliness coming through in what he writes, i can feel his pain, sorry about all those demons running through your head crapstain, feeling inadequate is not an embarrassment there are people you can go and talk to..professional people who have helped people like yourself, as i say crapstain i feel your pain and i feel sad

TalkTurkey

23/02/2013South Aussie Swordsfolk (and there's quite a few of us) [b]Please Take Note! [/b] Us mob is going to have a MEET(ing) for our Traditional LUNCH AT THE CASINO! on a day yet to be fixed [i]between Monday 11th and Thursday 14th March[/i] inclusive or maybe the [b]Ides of March [/b]which is [b]Friday 15th[/b]. Heavily subsidised by gambling addicts, you may purchase a fair meal inc soft drink* for under $10. Well [i]somebody[/i] apart from Packer has to win! (*Booze is at booze prices.) Hey we expect several thousand Swordsfolk to take us up on this so let us know when's best for you. Or - Note - What about if it were [b]Sunday 10th?[/b] You all know where the Casino is? Right at Adelaide Railway Station? Anyway we'll mention it more as the time gets closer.

TalkTurkey

23/02/2013Dog bless you Bob (I do like caps for names pardon me), you are stauch and spot-on always. As for that ordure pigmentation producer to which you refer, I must tell you its squeals have caused me such [i]pain[/i], my face has [i]smile aches[/i] all over and I really truly actually did a LOLing the more tickled I got. You know my motto, "Have Fun With Trolls" well this time it was a bonus because so mellifluous, so loving and so spontaneous! I FEED on such outrage as Trolls do on our angry replies to them ... but I don't lose, I don't care about them except when I can play with them and get dummyspits like this classic one from PooeyPatch here. BTW I was trying to count the ways that yicky blot got me wrong but I lost count. :-)

Michael

23/02/2013NO NDIS either

bob macalba

23/02/2013Crapstain, while your at mass worshiping grown men wearing frocks http://www.theglobeandmail.com/commentary/columnists/the-real-reason-the-pope-is-punching-out/article8987654/ something to mull over while i mull up

bob macalba

23/02/2013Crapstain not a latte supping lefty, but closer to this.. a Bohemian lefty. come join us.. check out the fun you could have, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJLDjYRfx3g this is what its like bro

jane

23/02/2013[quote]With Labor in turmoil and the smell of blood in the water, the opposition blithely carries on as a policy-free zone and gets away with it.[/quote] 2353, I never thought Carlton would buy into the old Labor in turmoil meme, but he's spot on wrt the Liars Party being given a free ride by the msm and the untold damage they will do to this country if voters are silly enough to vote 1 Liars. We know that barrackers like Crapstain don't give a toss about either the country or the disadvantaged and vulnerable. No doubt Crapstain and his ilk are rubbing their hands together at the thought of robbing and pillaging the poor so he can buy the wife a diamond crucifix. Who knows, Liealot and Archbigot Pell might allow him to sacrifice a couple of grandies. Let's hope other s don't share that view and decide they're not interested in subsidising the incomes of the wealthy at the expense of those least able to afford that sort of assault on their pockets. bob, tempting as it is to buy into the theory that poor old Benedict is suffering from sex organ envy, I have to come down on the side of he's old and in ill health and just can't do the job anymore. Mind you, if they could get enough sea slug DNA for the entire preisthood, it could cut down on the pedophile scenario perhaps. And they wouldn't have to worry about falling numbers joining the priesthood; they could just make their own. Crapstain wouldn't have to worry about any of the grandies being alone with Father Fingerfeeler.

ian

23/02/2013This morning sitting at my favourite outdoor table, shady, warm, but not too oppressive, and indulging in my certified organic, rainforest friendly, morning latte a thought struck me. A thought so penetrating that it made me put down the little red book of thoughts that, until now, has sustained my daily life and especially the mornings. My thought?....How much easier must it be for a political party whose financial constituency consists solely of those who have never seen a dishonest dollar they didn't covet. Don't get me wrong they'll take an honest dollar as well. It's just when push comes to shove they'll forge ahead, down the low road if you will, and having spotted the high principled road seek to avoid it at all costs. The lower levels, those under the table accepting the kicks,crumbs and bare bones, really do believe they will be invited to the table one day. Such is the alluring power of the low road and a sad reflection on the character of those who wish to travel it. They'll take you out from under the table alright. You'll have a jesters uniform on, and, while, with daks dropped, bending over to touch your toes you'll be providing good sport to international shareholders. The real entertainment begins when those at the table stand, arms and legs akimbo, in front of you and you'll know exactly what they want and you'll fight each other to give it to them.....and you honestly believe your work and life have some meaning?

Ad astra

23/02/2013Folks I have just now posted: [i]Don't mention the polls[/i]. http://www.thepoliticalsword.com

bob macalba

23/02/2013Jane and Ian nice, yeah cheers

Robin Garden

23/02/2013Hello AA, Great post, thank you and very helpful. I've formulated some questions from your comments and forwarded them to all journalists on your emailing list, as well as to Abbott himself. Just so you know, Ross Gittins' email no longer works. Has he left Fairfax? I've had no bounceback from Lenore Taylor's address, but she is definitely leaving soon if she hasn't already. Julia Gillard's address in your list is no longer active. Correspondents are encouraged to go through the www.pm.gov.au website and click through 'Contact the Prime Minister'. Would it be possible to get some ABC journos added to your list too? There are a few of them who definitely need to be reminded of how to do their jobs.
How many Rabbits do I have if I have 3 Oranges?