The Coalition bouncing like a dead cat

It's not something that anyone with a beating heart and a love of politics in the 21st century does voluntarily, but when it is forced upon you, boy is it instructive.

What am I talking about?

Being abruptly disconnected from the Internet, and being flung back into the 'old paradigm' of the 20th century, when all you had was the TV, newspapers and the radio. No Internet means that you are unable to exchange views with others, you are unable to read other blogs, unable to read Twitter, etc. So, basically you are left to form your day-to-day opinions in 'splendid isolation'. Which has led me to make some pertinent conclusions.

Firstly, having my landline die, and not being able to get a technician out for almost a week to fix the problem, is the surest way to motivate you to do the most boring household chores.

Secondly, instead of your senses working overtime filtering the barrage of information that comes through the 'net’, you find, or at least I have found, that the doors of perception have been flung wide open. I now perceive things that I believe I would normally miss in my efforts to keep up with the madding crowd on the Internet. I have had time to reflect.

So, let me give you the benefit of my downtime observations.

As we start to settle into the early days of the Gillard government, I have detected an air of legitimacy descending over Ms Gillard. She is being transformed from contender to title-holder. She is beginning to assume the mantle of Prime Minister.

In fact, and I don't know if this is a result of the journos heeding Annabel Crabb's words to make the 'new paradigm' manifest, but the Press Conferences since the government became settled have become more thoughtful, considered and respectful affairs, in the main. In deference to her position, when journalists ask questions now, they are prefacing them with,'Prime Minister'...

That ‘pack of hyenas’ mentality, that was so pervasive during the election campaign, is abating. Or is it because the prime instigator of the journalistic insouciance, Latika Bourke, has been on holidays? Only time will tell there, upon her return.

Also, it seems to me that since The Australian has openly declared war on the government's legitimacy, and their Alliance with 'The Greens', their over-the-top hysteria has quickly caused embarrassment on their behalf amongst the rest of the Press Gallery. So instead of maintaining solidarity with their brethren from News Ltd by closing ranks around The Oz journos and editors and thus helping to reinforce The Oz's blatant barracking for anything the Coalition does and says, the rest of the Press Gallery have, for the most part, refused to join in the attack. Their questions to the PM have been focused on policy. Though, when they are not, they are getting short shrift from Julia Gillard.

On the other hand, as appears to be fast becoming par for the course, the ABC is still trying to find cause to sneer at the Gillard government, as if relentless negativity equates with in-depth analysis in some spurious way. Also they repeat the Opposition's Talking Points verbatim as news, often beginning news bulletins with, “The Opposition said today...”, thus allowing the Abbott Opposition free rein to say whatever is their latest daily confection, built from half-truths, speculation and supposition, as 'gospel'. Such that you'd never think, going by Chris Uhlmann's constant search for the denigrating angle, that his wife had just been elected to parliament for the ALP. I am guessing that it is an ingrained habit of his to do this that he is finding hard to break. Nevertheless, I do detect a glacial rate of change in attitude and perspective, mainly from the political commentators who do the regular ABC News.

Mix it all together, however, and, even considering the fact that they are aided and abetted by News Ltd Media, I can't help but feel that the Coalition are a dead cat bouncing at the moment.

Tony Abbott has his well-formulated daily diatribe, which he can usually be found delivering via a sympathetic media outlet like 2GB or MTR. However, somehow I am getting the impression that instead of the metaphorical prize fighter landing knockout blows on the government, he is seeming instead to be like a punch-drunk sailor, all incoherent, rheumy abuse-induced by brain damage, as a result of one too many blows to his head.

Which is not to say that Tony Abbott is suffering from some sort of functional deficit, far from it; I mean I imagine that he is the one who comes up with most of his lines each day. Also, they are not without their impact. No, rather than that, it is just seeming as though they are having the impact of a dead cat bouncing. Almost a case of: “Well, he would say that, wouldn't he?” As it is starting to seem as though Tony Abbott, and the Coalition that mirrors him, only know one path to power - deconstruct and denigrate. Whatever the government does is bad because... And nowhere was this more clearly demonstrated than in Tony Abbott's response to Marius Kloppers offering the Carbon peace pipe to Julia Gillard. He just seemed functionally unable to alter his oft-stated position in order to take account of the 'new paradigm' that had just manifest itself there, instead launching his now familiar attack on the prospect of a Carbon Tax, whilst ignoring the fact that the majority, and even Clive Palmer and Andrew Forrest, are saying that now is the time to price Carbon. Tony Abbott is also not explaining that there will be compensation for the electorate, all in order to prosecute his spurious argument about the impact of such a tax on the community. That word, 'compensation' has not passed his lips once.

However, what I did notice was that this time Tony Abbott's scare tactics bounced like the proverbial dead cat, whereas before the election the issue bounced in his favour like a cat on a hot tin roof. Could it be that we are starting to see from the electorate and the media a less frenetic and more sober assessment of the issues?

In fact, another instance of Tony Abbott's previous deft political touch escaping him occurred with his refusal to let any Coalition MP onto the parliamentary Climate Change Consultative Committee, unless that person could be a Climate Change Sceptic. Not only has he not been able to make that decision bounce his way, it has gone down like a kite with no wind beneath its wings, nose-diving straight into the ground. His actions, to objective observers, are being seen as petulant and overly-focused on political gamesmanship at the expense of the 'kinder, gentler polity' that he himself was touting only a couple of weeks ago.

Also the rest of the Shadow Ministry has not been faring much better. Greg Hunt was sounding frankly delusional on radio the other day when he stated, “That only the Coalition has a Direct Action Plan for Climate Change that will start on July 1, 2011.” Now, either the Coalition heroically believes that they will not be in Opposition for very long and in government very, very soon such that they will be able to get their 'Direct Action' legislation passed by the hung parliament and enacted in time for it to come into effect by that date. Or Greg Hunt has lost touch with reality. Or he is deliberately misrepresenting reality to create what he sees as a brick in the wall that the Opposition is building in order to give the electorate the impression of a government-in-exile. Which is mischievous to say the least.

Also, could it be that there are some amongst the number of the Coalition who are just mouthing the talking points given to them by an 'unhinged' leadership, that needs must compel them to say in order to keep their position on the Shadow Front Bench of an Abbott Opposition? An Opposition leadership unfamiliar with the concept of a post-election climb down, instead attempting to forge ahead with their new election campaign, which obviously has been identified by them as their new modus operandi. In fact, I'd go as far as to say that it has become Tony Abbott's modus vivendi; it appears he knows no other way to practise the art of politics but living and breathing competition.

However, the 'new paradigm' of 21st century politics, as being exhibited by many countries' 'blended' governments, where consensus and co-operation across the gamut of political interests, represented by a disparate collection of parties, is how electorates are telling their representatives that they want things to be now, is something that appears to have escaped the comprehension abilities of the Abbott-led Opposition. To my mind they are stuck in the 20th century of John Howard-era politics, where domination of the political discourse was the de facto position to adopt and impose on the political conversation. The Coalition are mouthing the words of the new political paradigm every day, so it's not as if they don't realise that how the political game is played has changed, it's just that their actions betray a predilection to go back to the successful, in their eyes, ways of Howard.

Take, for example, Tony Abbott's proclamation today that the Coalition is, “the party of new ideas” (we'll let go the fact that a Coalition is not 'a' party). More like the 'party' of No Idea.

In this way what we have seen put on the table is a commitment to bring legislation to the House, via a Private Members Bill, which will repeal the Queensland 'Wild Rivers' legislation. Superficially it is to facilitate the ability of the land to be handed back to its Indigenous owners.

Tony Abbott wants to take back the land from the people of Queensland generally, via their government, who wish to preserve the natural environment in Far North Queensland in perpetuity. Instead, Abbott is using the cover of the darkness of the claimant's skin as a blind to hide his real intentions behind. Which is that, in a very 20th century fashion, he sees the environment purely as an exploitable commodity, and the handmaiden of the economy. Also, what is never mentioned, in his championing of the cause of Indigenous Leader, Noel Pearson, is that Abbott is playing the 'new paradigm' splits in the Indigenous Australian community of the 21st century between Progressives and Conservatives, such as Pearson, off against one another. In a completely disingenuous act of seeming concern for the 'rights' of Indigenous Australians, Tony Abbott is instead continuing to advance his old-style, anti-environment thinking into the parliament.

So we see the Opposition, in a very 'old political paradigm' fashion getting out the wrecking ball as they scratch around in search of a new killer wedge and attack by which they hope to bring the new Green-Independent-Labor Coalition government down as soon as possible, and in order to have themselves installed as the 'natural party of government'. Which idea, thankfully, as with so many others of theirs at the moment, appears to have all the momentum of a dead cat bouncing around.

Instead of this, if the Coalition were smart, it would admit to itself that the political caravan has moved on, and there are now more votes to be harvested in forging a new Conservatism, as opposed to seeking to resurrect the now thoroughly discredited neo-conservatism.

As has been suggested elsewhere, would it not be better for the Coalition to become part of the solution, instead of the problem?

Which, of course, leads us to the problem of the Coalition's response to the NBN.

Any sober judge of the competing alternatives to provide Broadband into almost all homes in the country would say that the fibre plan is the thinking person's alternative. As Tony Windsor said, “You do it once, you do it right, you do it fibre.” It's almost future-proof, and follows my grandfather's dictum that, “The cheapest things always cost the most to buy.” Thus, even if the upfront investment may seem a bit rich, in the end it will pay for itself many times over by not only contributing to the Budget bottom line due to increased productivity flow-on benefits, but also by adding to the 'Triple Bottom Line' of the new economic paradigm, by increasing the quality of life of Rural and Regional Australians in so many ways. Not only that, but I have just recently heard about new technology which will enable you to use wireless technology to draw on your home's broadband quota in a portable fashion when you are outside the house, thus negating one of the Coalition's main arguments against fibre, that is that it is fixed and stationary, whereas their policy allows for maximum portability, using a hodgepodge of different modalities to bring the broadband signal to the electorate - a policy that has been demonstrated time and again to be hostage to some pretty serious limitations. I don't envy the task that Malcolm Turnbull has been given to try to sell the Coalition's dog of a Broadband policy. It's no wonder that he is concentrating on the business principles of the NBN, because the technological case for fibre, as opposed to Wireless+Satellite+Copper wires, is a no-brainer to the well informed. I can pretty confidently predict that Malcolm Turnbull can also hear the dead cat bouncing, but is choosing to ignore it.

Someone who blissfully chooses to ignore the dead cat bouncing around the room, fitfully, as it gets kicked by one Coalition MP or another, is Julie Bishop. I can't wait to see her up against the formidable opponent she now has in Foreign Affairs, Kevin Rudd, and the mercurial Dr Craig Emerson in Trade. To say that they will enjoy leaving her feeling like a bedraggled old moggie is not putting too fine a point on it.

In fact, the only ray of light for the Coalition at the moment appears to be coming from the 'loathsome' Scott Morrison (copyright, Bernard Keane of Crikey), who appears to have a mole in Immigration willing to keep feeding him documents to aid and abet his government destabilisation program around the Asylum Seeker issue. Pity the new political paradigm appears to have caught up with him too, as Julia Gillard placed one of the Labor government's best performers, Chris Bowen, up against him to do battle; who, going by the comments today by Sabra Lane of the ABC's Canberra Press Gallery, is winning by acting as a ‘refreshingly honest and direct’ breath of fresh political air.

Now, I may be wrong in my summation, and, with the resumption of parliamentary hostilities on the floor of the House next week, we may just go back to an adversarial battle between the two major parties. However, there's something in the air that tells me a different story.

So, basically, what I think is that the electorate has undergone a sea change with this last election, from the 'old paradigm' of Howardian self-interested politics of 'What's in it for me?', to the 'new paradigm' of 'let's get together and sort out our society's problems constructively'.

And that if the Opposition does not wake up and smell the Fair Trade Coffee, they are in danger of slipping into political irrelevancy. Especially after the new Senate takes its place next year.

Well, at least that's the impression that I got when I stepped outside the virtual political beltway for a week.

What do you think?

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George Pike

23/09/2010Sorry to go off message but this just had to aired! Lets see Tony Abbott wriggle out of this one...the Brit Libs are running an insulation program that will make Australia's pale into insignifigance... http://www.smh.com.au/environment/energy-smart/britain-to-set-up-insulation-program-20100922-15mzr.html

George Pike

23/09/2010Great post HS...fine tuned your rendition of the state of affairs to a tee! Tony Abbott has well and truly cooked his goose with the independents now...Bob Katter included I reckon. The strange thing is, no matter what the policy being put forward in the lower house, the normal pairing arrangements will still apply regardless of the speaker's ability to vote. What do you think?

HS

23/09/2010I hope that 'the fundamental breach of trust' that Tony Abbott has made today over the Parliamentary Reform Agreement, will haunt him until his demise.

Lyn

23/09/2010Hi Hillbilly Thankyou so much for your fantastic, genuine, well thought out piece, "The Coalition Bouncing like a Dead Cat", we are so lucky to have you on "The Political Sword". When you were cleaning the house and doing all those, have to do, mundane awful jobs, (while your computer was off the air), your minds eye should have been having an hilarious time, watching that mangy old, dead cat bounce around, one front bench face from ceiling to floor, another front bench face to splatting on the bench top, another face bouncing landing into the fan, the rabbit would have been frantic, thud, thud, thud.

HS

23/09/2010George, I'm not an expert in Parliamentary Practice, however I believe that if Tony Abbott and the Coalition are prepared to behave opportunistically and flout the spirit of the agreement signed between the Independants, Labor and his side of politics, then Labor can bend the rules a little bit too. Thus I am hopeful that the Speaker can have a deliberative vote and not only a casting vote. In that way the numbers will be maintained as they are now. On the other hand, I can also imagine that Tony Abbott will kick up a stink about it if Labor decides to do it that way. Total hypocrite that he is. As I alluded to in my post, I think it all depends on whether the media allow him to get away with his positively unparliamentary behaviour. As Ad Astra has said previously, up until now the media have treated Abbott like a naughty little boy, and one of them, so have often been his apologists and have circled their wagons around him. As I have said, I believe that now that he is in a position to be a heartbeat away from the Prime Ministership there are certain sections of the media that have decided to no longer allow Abbott as much leeway as he had before, and to put him under more scrutiny, day to day. I think that we will only know that the media are placing him under serious scrutiny when we start to see them being openly sceptical of his positions and pronouncements whenever he has a Press Conference. Also if we see them not parroting his lines as if they are 'gospel'. I have just finished listening to tonight's 7.30 Report analysis of today's proceedings in Canberra, and encouragingly, it was edited in such a way as to make Abbott's stated position on the pairing of the speaker and his walking away from the deal he signed with the Independants and Labor seem as shonky as it truly is. There's hope yet, therefore. I think the dead cat is still bouncing for Mr Abbott.

HS

23/09/2010lyn, Do you get the feeling that the media thinks the dead cat is on the nose? I mean, how do the Coalition expect to be taken seriously when they are relying on the legal opinion of someone from their own side of politics, who gamed the system when the Howard government were in power to have himself appointed an SC? That person being George Brandis, of course. If the media keep taking the Opposition seriously, then how can we take them seriously anymore?

HS

23/09/2010You just have to see this: http://www.keepandshare.com/userpics/w/a/z/n/aki/2010-09/sb/villageidiots-38547864.jpg

HS

23/09/2010This is what I am on about wrt Tony Abbott's attempts to split the Indigenous community: http://www.smh.com.au/national/indigenous-fight-over-wild-rivers-likely-to-turn-ugly-20100922-15n1a.html

Bilko

23/09/2010George Brandis was correct once "in the lying rodent comment" hastily refuted by a statdec and his integrity now is as low as as JWH's ministerial conduct limbo bar that only a snake could get under it. Turnbull is infamous regarding a cat kicking story is that the one you now see swinging in the breeze. The media has to lift its game and as you point out a glimmer of commonsense, a very short commodity at present is appearing. I do not think it can continue for another three years in the same vein. Joe public is already switching off and will not take kindly being regarding as still in a sleepwalk mode if Abbott keeps pushing for another election any time soon.

HS

23/09/2010Bilko, Thank you for reminding me about Turnbull's cat episode. If anyone knows how a dead cat bounces, he does! Also I think that the next round of polls will tell us what Joe Public is starting to think about Tony Abbott's self-serving behaviour. He may be able to frame his arguments well, but you'd think that more and more people every day are waking up to what a fraud of a politician Tony Abbott is.

D Mick Weir

23/09/2010Great Post HS, you have touched on some very intereting points that we can bat around for a while yet. I was particularly interested in you saying that : </i> ".. instead of your senses working overtime filtering the barrage of information that comes through the 'net’, you find, or at least I have found, that the doors of perception have been flung wide open" <i/> I have been pondering along those lines for the last few days and working up some thoughts on the barrage of information/news we take in and how it affects the game of politics. More on this later. re your comment @ September 23. 2010 07:46 PM s43 of the constitution (http://australianpolitics.com/articles/constitution/chapter-1-part-3-house-of-representatives) is pretty clear that the speaker only has a casting vote and I suggest it would be a pretty dumb move for any government to attempt accepting a deliberative vote from the speaker to pass any legislation. The bill would be struck down in the High Court in less time than it tkes a dead cat to bounce I, like you, am no expert (except in the sense of x being the unkown and a spurt being a drip under pressure) on the finer points of paliamentary procedures. However, there may be remedies that a strategic Manager of Government Business could use (sparingly I suspect). It is traditional that the government provides the speaker and the opposition provides the deputy. Hmmm now if I was Manager I would "arranging" for the speaker to be absent from the house at strategic times so that the Deputy was presiding. My reading of things (which may be totally wrong) is that whover is in the chair is deemed to be the speaker. Would love to see the uproar when that move is made.

D Mick Weir

23/09/2010pooh bear I really have to some lurnin 'bout this html stuff. I was trying to italicise your words ~:-)

D Mick Weir

23/09/2010and Pooh Bear I realy need to relearn proof reading - to used to auto spell/grammar checkers I guess edit: I would "arrange" for ... .. whoever is in the chair ... and apologies for any others I missed, I suspect it has something to do wth more haste, less speed!

HS

23/09/2010DMickWeir, Thank you for the kind felicitations. :) Might I also add that Tony Windsor made a fine point tonight when he said that obviously Tony Abbott hasn't thought this latest move through at all because if, as Abbott says, he wants to woo the Independants to his side, then if that becomes so then he will now be bound to give up one vote from his side if he takes governnment in that way. Now, as he has less seats than Julia Gillard, if you don't count Tony Crook, who has said he is an Independant, and all that that goes to constitutionally, then if Abbott loses a Liberal to become Speaker, unpaired, would he then no longer have the numbers on the floor of the Lower House, to maintain himself in government? Even before one vote was taken on any legislation. Which leads me to think that Abbott has just snookered himself and the Coalition.

Acerbic Conehead

23/09/2010HS, welcome back, its great to read your stuff again. When you said you were without the internet for a while, and were forced to commune with nature, I thought you were going to say you had joined the Hare Krishnas, lol. Yes, Tones is indeed like a punch-drunk sailor. In fact, he is so pumped up, he is all ready to go hammer and tongs during the first Question Time session in the 43rd Parliament. He is rallying the troops and it looks like there is going to be blood all over the walls. His book isn’t called Battlelines for nothing. So, sing along as he serves notice on the hapless illegitimate bunch of pretenders and wannabees who are squatting on the treasury benches. It owes a lot to Nickelback’s (VERY LOUD!) version of the Elton John classic, “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f9DJ5ilPzi0&feature=related :- ) It's getting late, have you seen my mates Not be long til the guys get here Clock’s tickin’ down for those latte clowns Gonna give ‘em a good kick up the rear :- ) It’s Question Time for the donkeys, those pinko monkeys We’re gonna let loose the mad dogs Jooles won’t know what hit her, when I unleash all my critters Specially Wyatt with his rattle, in lieu of Wilson’s iron bar :- ) Gonna give ‘em lots of aggravation Won’t wear their illegitimacy Question Time arvo’s alright for fighting Get some Real Action in Pynie’ll nip away at their ankles It’ll be on for young and old Cos Question Time arvo’s the scrap I like Question Time arvo’s alright alright alright :- ) Our guys are packed pretty tight in here this arvo Lookin’ for some good ol’ fashioned biffo We’ll use lots of muscle to get what we need With Julie’s claws and Bronny’s hair-pin, we’ll make the commos bleed :- ) One of the best sights I’d really like Would be seein’ Joe give Swannie a belly bounce Hittin’ Wayne so hard with his super-sized paunch He’d end up on the backbench, out for the count :- ) Gonna give ‘em lots of aggravation Won’t wear their illegitimacy Question Time arvo’s alright for fighting Get some Real Action in Pynie’ll nip away at their ankles It’ll be on for young and old Cos Question Time arvo’s the scrap I like Question Time arvo’s alright alright alright :- ) Question Time (x9)...arvo’s alright

tredlgt

24/09/2010Thanks HS for another entertaining read ,I pretty much agree with what you have written except to put any faith in the majority of the MSM is a bit premature .I would not be surprised if the buggers were just uninterested at the moment ,taking a break the poor dears from all the hard work they have done over the last few months . They will now pretend to be fair and balanced, cut back on trying to be centre of attention while things are relatively quite . Parliament starts soon then all the bullshit will start again,what will be the first story when the foreign minister returns . A fair analysis of his trip ? The poor bloke had better look pleased to see all his comrades or we will spend days reading about the disunity in the govt . I hope I am just being a cynic . BUT.

D Mick Weir

24/09/2010We must remember here that Mr Abbott is a very moral man and he is staking out the high moral ground. The constitution, like the bible, is sacrosanct and must be upheld at all cost. Also understand in both cases there is only one interpretation to be had of either document and that is the interpretation that most suits Mr Abbotts needs. No gentleman's agreement can overide those sacrosanct documents and although Mr Abbott is a gentleman that makes agreements he is bound by higher callings to break those agreements when he is shown that they are in violation of those sacrosanct documents. Such is the burden of a moralgentleman.

Patricia WA

24/09/2010Thanks for the optimism, Hillbilly! I was so steamed up today about Abbot's perfidy I wrote a 'pome' about it at [quote]Cafe Whispers[/quote] where Ben Tolputt has written an equally strong and interesting article on the [quote]New Tony Abbot.[/quote] Anyway I felt so cheered up after reading this just now that I've revised my pome. I'm sure you're right. Abbot's scare tactics are like the proverbial dead cat. [quote]Tony Abbot's New Policy Idea - Ill Will Hunting.[/quote] When Rob Oakeshott was goodwill hunting, There were nods, hugs, friendly gruntings And signings of agreement by both sides Across the political divide. Don't ask where now all that goodwill, Or if Abbot counts its value nil. Breaking faith on the Speaker’s Chair Was well thought out and done with care. That 'kinder, gentler polity' He's replaced with a new 'tough' policy! It's not goodwill he's looking for. He thinks cowed MPs will cross the floor And he'll win power with shock and awe!

2353

24/09/2010There are small signs of a kinder and gentler change - this for example on ABC Online this morning "Abbott can't be trusted: Windsor" http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/23/3020490.htm?section=justin AA made the comment the other day that he thought Abbott may have reached his nadir. This article which seems to be reasonably "straight reporting" is what should be "printed" on straight news reporting pages and sites rather than the "opinion" that has been held up as straight news for some time.

Lyn

24/09/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Grow a Pair, Andrew Elder, Politically Homeless[/i] Abbott will box clever and send the Liberal vote into freefall. I don't know what it is either, but there'll be no saving Abbott when it comes http://andrewelder.blogspot.com/2010/09/grow-pair-bastardry-is-one-thing-but.html [i]Fairly Unbalanced, Mr Denmore, The Failed Estate[/i] "Rupert Murdoch keeps me on air because I have proof that progressives want to control every aspect of your life. http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/ [i]Why is the mass media so Rotten?, Kate Jeffreys, Socialist Alternative [/i] The most obvious reason for the depressing, right-wing sameness of media coverage in Australia is the structure of the industry itself. Capitalist press is a mouthpiece not just for the media barons, but for the whole ruling class. http://sa.org.au/australian-politics/2920-why-is-the-mass-media-so-rotten [i]Coalition plays smart on speakership, Bernard Keane, Crikey[/i] Institutions such as Treasury, Finance and the Solicitor-General — all fine when the Coalition was in government — are no longer good enough for it. http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/09/23/coalition-is-playing-hard-smart-politics-on-the-speakership/ [i]Boosting the Speaker's power in the House of Representatives, Clarencegirl , North Coast Voices[/i] The Australian Constitution Part III s40 Voting in House of Representatives. http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/2010/09/boosting-speakers-power-in-house-of.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FUtodS+%28North+Coast+Voices%29 [i]Will Abbott govern from the shadows?, Rob Burgess, Business Spectator[/i] With today's decision Abbott has created a climate of maximum instability for the Gillard government, and has clearly judged the opprobrium he will suffer in coming weeks to be worth it. http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/tony-abbott-julia-gillard-speaker-Jenkins-Oakeshot-pd20100923-9KBN4?OpenDocument Drawing a Line, Mac, Moderately Left I made a comment to Joe Hockey last night on twitter effectively calling his party a bunch of Nazis http://moderatelyleft.blogspot.com/2010/09/drawing-line.html [i]Scapegoating - Villawood according to Scott Morrison, The Conscience Vote[/i] Morrison is dehumanising that Fijian man just as thoroughly as he is asylum seekers. http://consciencevote.wordpress.com/2010/09/23/scapegoating-villawood-according-to-scott-morrison/ [i]Tony Abbott Will Not Hurt Labor , Ty Buchanan, Adventure Australia.[/i] He is bound to insult the independents with a personal remark. http://adventure--australia.blogspot.com/2010/09/tony-abbott-will-not-hurt-labor.html [i]How would Treasury analyse the NBN, Peter Martin[/i] But listen up. As I have been saying, it's not all about financial outcomes. So relax. Okay? http://www.petermartin.com.au/ [i]The real cost of carbon pricing,John Daley and Tristan Edis, Inside Story[/i] Carbon pricing will mean real ,changes to parts of the Australian economy, but its impact on most industries will be small http://inside.org.au/the-real-cost-of-carbon-pricing/ [i]Laws of Motion or Pooping On Political Agreements, Ashghebranious, Ash's to Ashes Blog[/i]. Tony is trying making what any animal does in the life: he is trying to to do a mating dance. He is trying to gee up the fans at the wrestling contest and he is strutting his stuff. http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/

Jenauthor

24/09/2010You hit the nail on the head (or is that cat?). There comes a time when even the compliant mass media can no longer condone Abbott's nonsensical reactionary rants. I suspect yesterday's failure to adhere to the 'good faith' bargain over the new parliamentary reforms was the tipping point. It has also 'steeled' the Independents resolve in their pro Labor stance. More floppy dead cats for Abbott! Indeed Julia has become noticeably more Prime Ministerial. I suspect the negotiations with the Independents have transformed her just that little bit, while it is equally apparent Abbott has not learned any of the lessons this period of transition has afforded. His shadow ministry is glaring evidence of that if nothing else. I can't wait for the first week of QT ... to see how Abbott behaves. Will he continue to chest beat and pout like a recalcitrant child, or will he actually open his eyes to the reality of his situation and realise that the opposition bench is whee he put himself? And will his attempts to wreak havoc for the govt only further injure himself and his party?

Ad astra reply

24/09/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

calyptorhynchus

24/09/2010If Abbott does want to be Machiavellian and depose la Gillard any time soon his main option is to turn one of the independents. So how come he seems to doing his level best to annoy them? Doesn't seem like smart politics to me.

HS

24/09/2010AcerbicC, Today's effort is an absolute classic! You picked one of my favourite songs ever by one of my favourite artists ever. Thank you. :)

TalkTurkey

24/09/2010D Mick Weir, You are such a cynic! Good to see. As for the use of italics it's all a mystery to me too, but worse is like yesterday when I'd written a fair post to the good people who contribute to this forum (and jj . . . STOP PRESS WHO IS THIS FAT TOOTHY REPORTER SHEILA IN RED ON ABC 24 RIGHT NOW ?(8.14AM) OK, it's PHILLIPPA MCDONALD. She is AMAZING !!!!! BIGOT #1. WHAT DO YOUS THINK? As I was saying, all the good people, and jj (juvenile jerk?) too. (but please jj don't learn anything in these missives, we all need a fool like you or Senator Fielding in our lives. NOT.) DMW I was about to say, worse it is to write a pretty fair post for this forum as I did yesterday and touch something wrong on the keyboard and with not a fwttt or a wave it's gone . . . Bum. But let's move on. The political situation really is riveting eh, there's never been a time like this in history, and we are blessed to have TPS wherein to express our righteous dismay and cha(r?)denfreude. Both are at the max really, certainly nothing like this polit temp since Kerr's Coup anyway. OOOOHHH! We are all sharpening our verbal vorpal swords in anticipation of the First Sitting on Wednesday. Just imagine how Julia's pumped! Look out Abbott! She coming ta getcha. (Did anybody watch Jane and the Dragon? Jane is a flaming redhead too.) Abbott. His very name SOUNDS like a dead cat bounce. He's so punchy he's punching himself in the head. I wonder what he thinks would happen if he were to wrest power from Julia? Or put that in the present possible future tense: What WILL happen, if he DOES?! He wouldn't have the numbers himself unless TWO Govt members jumped, and both of the Govt Independents would rather jump on his head now. Who's he hoping for, Greens? But even if some did, heaven help us, what a situation that would make! Insurrection stuff. jj, i'd love to hear your opnion on this. Or sir whosit-thing? The really important thing though is not the circus, it's things like, Julia has the nous and decency not to rule out an open vote on Voluntary Euthanasia. Good on Brown, of course, but ALL who would vote Yes, thank you in anticipation. Catholics, Fundamentalists of all kinds, Holy Rollers, pull your heads in, suffer for years before dying of something terrible if YOU wish to, quit forcing the rest of humanity to do so. This has always been so, Good on you Phillip Nietschke (sp.?), you are a True Hero of Humane People. Yes, and let us remember, it's because of issues such as this that's why Julia is so important, Thank God she's an Atheist.

qier

24/09/2010The Independents hold the balance of power "We have always believed in creating a kinder, gentle polity" The independents side with Labor "this is an illegitimate government, and we shall do everything we can to destroy it" There's a narrative to be written about the Reactionary Right opposition here.

HS

24/09/2010PatriciaWA, I love poetry, and I especially love political poetry. :) I guess we have to reflect on the Iraq War 'Shock and Awe' campaign to see what the future might hold for Tony Abbott and the Coalition. That is, it was successful initially, but ultimately it saw its supporters and promulgators thoroughly discredited.

Lyn

24/09/2010Hi Talk Turkey Fantastic comment this morning, extremely enjoyable. [quote]PHILLIPPA MCDONALD. She is AMAZING !!!!! BIGOT[/quote], you said it all Talk Turkey. I can't wait for question time either, there will be trouble, sounds like dead cat bounce, but looks like it too, thumping chest gorilla like antics. Cheers

HS

24/09/20102353, Someone observed recently that although it was encouraging to see the appearance of more news stories on the ABC website which correctly portrayed the situation as it is, and without any opinionated slant, that those stories are generally shorter and locked to comments, as compared with the opinion pieces. I must say that it is disappointing to see ABC24 putting Hayden Cooper's report from last night which appears to support Tony Abbott's underhanded tactics to reduce the Labor government's numbers by 1 due to not supporting pairing of the Speaker. I get the impression that some in the political commentariat love nothing more than a gladiatorial battle to the political death, as opposed to co-operation and consensus on the floor of Parliament. Which is a shame. I guess we'll just have to wait and see who prevails in the parallel universe of political reporting in the battle between the supporters of the 'Rick Havoc' of Australian politics (TA) and those who believe in the 'new paradigm'. Sadly, over the last couple of days I have seen some reporters almost gleefully consigning the 'new paradigm' to the dustbin of history already.

Lyn

24/09/2010Hi calyptorhynchus A big welcome to "The Political Sword" thankyou for your comment we hope you keep coming back here for a long time. Rabbit has upset Tony Windsor, & Oakeshott, one to go. Cheers

Lyn

24/09/2010Hi qier A big welcome to you, thankyou so much for your comment on "The Political Sword" we all hope you keep coming back for a long time. Hillbilly and Ad Astra will be pleased to see you. The Independents are getting mighty upset already. Cheers

HS

24/09/2010Jenauthor, I'm going to be in Parliament House next Wednesday for the new member for Robertson's Maiden Speech and Question Time. I can't wait! So if you see someone scrambling over the seats and onto the floor of the Lower House to kick Tony Abbott, the Rick Havoc of Australian politics, in the shins, that will be me! :) Well, actually it would be what I would like to do but my kids have said I can't. :( Nevertheless, one thing I do know from my time in Parlt House before is that by being there you get the unadulterated truth, unfiltered by the media. I will thus be watching Mr Abbott and his new Chief Head Kicker, Warren Entsch, very, very closely. I will also be observing as much of the behind the scenes moves as possible too. All I can hope for from the Press Gallery is that they don't give succour to Tony Abbott and his poisonous ways. He really is poisoning the well of Australian politics, and the Press Gallery would be well advised not to aid and abet him, if they wish to retain any credibility, and not continue to cede the job of responsible reporting further to the 5th Estate.

George Pike

24/09/2010This country is so far behind it is embarrassing... http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2010/sep/23/thanet-windfarm-bright-future-green-industry My summary of recent events most foul! Abbott told Labor and the independents that he'd pair the speaker to try and get the independents on his side and to benefit his side should they have gone that way. It would have allowed him to form government with 75-74...as he wouldn't have had to worry about losing the speakers vote...he then furthered the deceit by saying he would like to see the Labor speaker retain the position if the Liberals won government (giving Libs 75-73 vote majority)...then he would have pulled the same stunt leaving Labor with one less vote in opposition as well. He would happily pair the speaker if it was in the Libs interest. He's a dirty lying deceiving thug..it's as simple as that..and yet the media pimps and spivs continue to back him to the hilt..shows what a pack of frauds liars and traitors those lowlifes are too hey!

HS

24/09/2010qier, Welcome to TPS! I think that the narrative about the Reactionary Right revolves around a mimicing of the Tea Party movement in American Politics. All bomb-throwing, huffing and puffing and blowing the House down! I notice today that the Republican Party in the US have released a Pledge/Action Plan, just like Tony Abbott did before our election. There are so many similarities between the 2 parties it's not funny.

HS

24/09/2010calyptorhyncus, Good to read your comment, welcome to TPS! I think it is instructive to reflect on Tony Windsor's comment from Lateline last night when he said that by not agreeing to pair the Speaker Tony Abbott has created a rod for his own back should he ever get his wish and form government, because the Labor Party would now be well within their rights to do likewise to him.

HS

24/09/2010DMickWeir, Mr Abbott should also reflect on this Biblical quote: 'As you sow, so shall you reap.'

HS

24/09/2010Talking Turkey, Get thee a Gravatar! There are so many great turkey images around you will surely be able to find a cracker. :) 'Abbott. His very name SOUNDS like a dead cat bounce.' He'll certainly be bouncing off the walls of Parliament House, that's for sure. I just hope that he falls as flat as a pancake. He deserves to. He is traducing the long-standing practices of parliament, all in his monomaniacal pursuit of power at all costs. Does he really think the electorate will be impressed by his antics?

HS

24/09/2010George Pike, Couldn't agree more. Tony Abbott, as an avid Papist would no doubt be more than happy to mirror the power structure of the Vatican/Catholic Church in Australia's Parliament. Issuing Encyclicals and telling us all how to live and how to think. THIS is why he must be stopped at all costs.

qier

24/09/2010HS, I've made the prediction that when the Labour Party in Britain eventually wins election a TEA party will form in Britain, just like the semi-sophiticated astroturfing action in Australia.

Rx

24/09/2010Gee, I enjoyed that! Thanks, Hillbilly. You write so lucidly and coherently.

NormanK

24/09/2010Hillbilly Skeleton Thanks for sharing your ruminations with us. Part of me wants to agree with your cautious optimism that Abbott & Co are on a self-destructive course with their obstructionism. However, recent events have left me more than a little gun-shy. Whatever else we may say about Abbott, he is not stupid. In fact he must have something significant going for him which is not tangible to a distant observer. Why else would Ms Gillard count him as a friend, why would Oakeshott concede he would have made a good Prime Minister ( okay, rhetoric perhaps ), and how could he have come so far without a good deal of s**thouse rat cunning? My concern is that I won't truly believe in his political demise until I see the body. Post-mortem photos would be reassuring as well. There are a great many more games to be played, of which this is one : [quote]The federal opposition is threatening to drop support for a long-standing convention that allows ministers to be absent from parliament without leaving the government short of votes.[/quote] http://www.smh.com.au/national/abbott-plays-hardball-on-pairing-tradition-20100924-15pdi.html Who knows what tricks can be played when the "niceties" of parliamentary conduct are abandoned. As an avid reader of old ( fifties//sixties ) science fiction which should really be renamed social fiction, my prediction for the next 20 to 30 years is that times will get much much harder and there will be a world-wide swing to ultra-conservatism the likes of which we are already beginning to see. The longer we can hold off this wave of hysterical, xenophobic, backward-looking zealots the better our society will be able to withstand their destructive philosophies. This last election was a tipping point from which we may have taken a very long time to recover if it had gone the other way. All I want for the next couple of birthdays and Christmases is for the moderates to regain control of the Conservatives. I hope you are right, Hillbilly and that before year's end we see Abbott's grey matter plastered across our TV screens. Ad astra I hope you don't mind if I list this short tutorial. Swordians With this blog engine square brackets are used for emphasis around i for italics, b for bold, u for underline, and quote for quotes, with a closing / i, b, u, or quote tag, again in square brackets. Examples : [i] comment [/i] ; [b] comment [/b] ; [u] comment [/u] ; [quote] comment [/quote] but you must leave out the space between the command and the comment ( e.g. [i]comment ) and the space between the comment and the command ( comment[/i] ). If you wish to post a link that you have found, copy the http address from the top of your browser and insert it into your post. It will look ordinary in draft form but if you wish to check it, click on "Preview" to see your post as it will appear on the forum. Your link should appear with an underline and a highlight colour. To return to editing your comment click on "Comment" above "Preview".

Lyn

24/09/2010Hi Everybody So now it's three upset Independents, keep going Mr Abbott: [i]Katter rounds on 'troublemaker' Abbott, ABC[/i] Posted 22 minutes ago Mr Katter says Mr Abbott's approach will undermine the Coalition cause. "I think he has established a most unfortunate reputation for himself," he said. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/24/3020914.htm?section=justin

NormanK

24/09/2010Bugger! Too clever by half. Square bracket, i, square bracket, comment, square bracket, backslash, i, square bracket.

Lyn

24/09/2010Hi Norman K Norman K thankyou so much , for taking the time to post those instructions, wonderful, very much appreciated. Dont forget if anyone is using biuquote, b, i,u, or quote highlight the text first.

HS

24/09/2010Rx, My pleasure! :)

Ad astra reply

24/09/2010Folks For italics or bold use square brackets.

HS

24/09/2010It sure is getting interesting now. Alex Somylay has seemingly indicated he would be open to being appointed Deputy Speaker of the House. This would blow Tony Abbott's malevolant Macchiavellian plan to reduce the Gillard government's numbers by 1 clean out of the water!

George Pike

24/09/2010Looks like Labor has convinced a Lib to run as deputy speaker and thereby they now have a pair for the speaker...Abbott was last seen running madly towards the surf...no board in hand!

Ad astra reply

24/09/2010calyptorhynchus Welcome to the [i]TPS[/i] family. Do come again. You're right - what Tony Abbott is doing, antagonizing the Country Independents as he is, seems unwise. Only time will tell if there is some well-designed Machiavellian plan behind his moves. qier Welcome to you too to the [i]TPS[/i] family. We hope you will come again. It just shows what we always knew - that Tony Abbott’s “kinder and gentler polity” was just a flimsy façade. A man whose politics is consistently pugilistic and who writes a book titled [i]Battlelines[/i] is unlikely to ever be ‘kinder and gentler’

Ad astra reply

24/09/2010NormanK Thanks for the tutorial to [i]TPS[/i] users on how to add emphasis - you are absolutely right. While most HTML uses angle brackets for tags, this blog uses square brackets. The links do look crazy, as you indicate, but most seem to work.

Ad astra reply

24/09/2010AC Thank you again. Another apt set of lyrics with an appropriately loud accompaniment – Is this what we will see from Tony Abbott in the first Question Time? I suspect he has decided to ‘go for broke’ with aggression and dirty play and hope it gets him somewhere. The people will soon tire of that, as the Country Independents already have. Patricia WA What lovely verses. You end so aptly with ‘shock and awe’, Donald Rumsfeld’s ill-fated slogan.

George Pike

24/09/2010Here's the report on the Lib putting his hand up for deputy speaker... http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/24/3021064.htm?section=justin

Ad astra reply

24/09/2010HS Thank you for your searching appraisal of the Coalition and its leader. I hope you are right about the change of approach you perceive in the media, although when I looked for headlines in [i]The Oz[/i] and the [i]ABC[/i] such as ‘Abbott reneges on deal with the Government and Independents’ I saw ones that pointed to the Government having one less vote. To the media that was what is important, not welshing on a deal, even one SIGNED by Abbott, subject to an eye to eye agreement, involving shaking of hands and even a group hug. It would be the most delicious irony if Alex Somlyay became Deputy Speaker and frustrated Abbott’s Machiavellian moves.

Beerme

24/09/2010I had a pleasent little fantasy today. In it, Malcolm Turnbull makes a little speech: "In the recent days, we have seen many promises broken by members of both parties. But by far the worst of them all is Mr Tony Abbott. This man has singlehandedly demolished the credibility of himself, again and again, to a much greater extent than our current Prime Minister. This was bad enough. But then he dragged the LNP with him when he orchestrated the events leading up to the breaking of the agreement between myself and the then Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd. Now, he is again dragging the venerable Liberal Party down - with his refusal to honour the agreements made between himself and the independents that he made on behalf of the Liberal Party. How can Australians trust such a man who now violates his written word? As a conscientious member of my party, I cannot idly stand by and allow this travesty to occur a second time. Thus, I will be nominating myself for position as the deputy speaker of the house. Regrettably, I must surrender my portfolio of Shadow Communications Minister. But I believe that this is for the the greater benefit of the Liberal Party, who is not responsible to one man, but to the Australian people. Thank you."

HS

24/09/2010Beerme, After seeing what Malcolm Turnbull did with Godwin Grech, and hearing his attempted 'demolition' of the admirable NBN, I don't think he has enough integrity to behave as you wish.

HS

24/09/2010AA, The change from the media that I am hoping for, and detecting slightly, will not happen overnight, and we should not imagine it will. I just hope that the 'Butterfly Wings Effect' will occur, and I am still detecting faint flickers of an approach that incorporates integrity from some journalists. I think one of my markers will be the interview that Barrie Cassidy will conduct with Julie Bishop on Insiders this Sunday. If he throws softballs at her we might as well say it's 'All over, Red Rover', the 'new political paradigm' was fun while it lasted. However, if he asks the sort of questions which we all know should be asked of her, then I will continue to be hopeful that the change to a more probing, ethical journalism is on. Anyway, I always remain positive, it's the only way you can ever hope to achieve anything for the common good. I did it with respect to getting rid of Belinda Neal, and I believe that in the land of the 'Fair Go' what is right and proper can still prevail.

Lyn

24/09/2010Hi Ad Speaker deal: Somlyay agrees to Speaker deal: Liberals Lenore Taylor VIDEO What a Liberal defection means Tim Lester explains why the acceptance of the Vice-Speaker's role by a Liberal MP would be explosive. http://www.smh.com.au/national/somlyay-agrees-to-speaker-deal-liberals-20100924-15pr0.html?autostart=1 Somlyay agrees to Speaker deal: Liberals Lenore Taylor September 24, 2010 - 12:49PM, SMH Senior Liberal sources believe Queensland Liberal MP Alex Somlyay has agreed to become Deputy Speaker and permanently "pair" his vote with that of Labor's speaker http://www.smh.com.au/national/somlyay-agrees-to-speaker-deal-liberals-20100924-15pr0.html Labor lures Liberal MP towards Speaker surprise, Katherine Murphy, The Age Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said he would not back such an arrangement, Mr Hockey said, ‘‘I don’t believe it will happen’’. http://www.theage.com.au/national/labor-lures-liberal-mp-towards-speaker-surprise-20100924-15pu6.html

Lyn

24/09/2010Hi Ad rel="nofollow">www.smh.com.au Here is the Tim Lester Video again: http://www.smh.com.au:80/national/somlyay-agrees-to-speaker-deal-liberals-20100924-15pr0.html?autostart=1

jj

24/09/2010Why do you waste such time writing factually baseless nonsense. "I detect an air of legitimacy"...hmmm yes. "One of Labors best performers, Chris Bowen"...hmmm yes (i wonder whether you saw him debate Andrew Robb on Lateline; talk about all slogans and no substance!). It is all just Labor spin, spin, spin. Coalition=evil; Labor=beautiful. Julia Gillard has declared that everything she promised before the election, now no longer applies...what an absolute farce of a government; "I rule out a carbon price being introduced in the next term of government, if re-elected", we cant believe a word that comes out of her mouth.

Lyn

24/09/2010Hi Ad Second Link as video as well, Lenore Taylor's piece:

jj

24/09/2010"the change from the media that I am hoping for, and detecting slightly", what sought of a change are you talking about; the turning of Australia into a communist dictatorship, where if you dare criticise the government you are charged with treason. The ABC keeps the government to account; so they must be biased! Fairfax papers hire journalists who have different ideas and values to that of the government; oh they are sooo biased! Someone has a different point of view on this blog; oh they are a Coalition staffer, because in the real world no one votes for the coalition! News Limited papers try and put the spotlight on one of the key parties, the greens; oh they are soo biased! Get over it! I didnt hear you complaining when the press had turned against Howard in 2007. Oh no, The Australian has changed since then. Dennis Shanahan got abducted by those coalition aliens causing him to adhere to their cause. You guys are truly ridiculous!

Lyn

24/09/2010Hi Ad More opinions on Speaker deal: [i]The other P-Word, Crikey[/i] Tony Abbott refuses to comply with the speaker deal that his party initially agreed to (though somebody forgot to tell Alex Somlyay, http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/09/24/crikey-says-the-other-p-word/ [i]Look, Kerry, even if I sign something you can’t rely on it, Jeremy Sear, An Onymous Lefty[/i] Tony is even less honest than your average politician – he will say anything, he will sign anything, and he will refuse to be in any way bound by it. http://anonymouslefty.wordpress.com/

Jason

24/09/2010jj, No you don't surprise me under the new rules private members business can be put to the house and voted on, thats if Abbott still sticks to that. So if Abbott wanted to overturn the Wild Rivers legislation he could and it has to be voted on. If the greens want same sex marriage,a carbon tax or anything else for that matter it has to be heard and voted on. This is what has changed since the election, but as usual such facts don't bother you. jj your cheap poll dancing ways are starting to become as tedious as the idiot who leads you.

jj

24/09/2010Jason, Seeing as you support a party that no longer stands for anything what so ever, that really doe not bother me. The Labor Party now supports mandatory off shore processing; running budget surpluses; being economically conservative; letting the free market do its thing; having more flexible workplace arrangements; continuing to support the mining industry. Why not go that one step further Jason, the only difference now really is that your party has no guts to stand up for its original values. Oh and on the issue of breaking promises. The coalition does not support a carbon tax, and last time i checked, if the government really didnt want a carbon tax then the coalition would be supportive...excuses, excuses; why did she accept to take up government if she is going to be ruled over by the greens and independents?

HS

24/09/2010Ash Ghebranious' new blog: http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2010/09/24/profit-and-loss/

Jason

24/09/2010jj, "why did she accept to take up government if she is going to be ruled over by the greens and independents?" Oh Abbott wouldn't have the same problems as Labor is that what your saying? So an Abbott led MINORITY government would just go on with business as usual despite the reforms he signed, is that right?

HS

24/09/2010The analysis of the accuracy of the polls compared with the election result is in, and the results are 'interesting': http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/winner-declared-in-pollsters-election-prediction-race-20100924-15poh.html

jj

24/09/2010Yes i am saying that because the three independents do not have massively different values or policy agendas to the coalition. Katter doesnt want a carbon tax or a mining tax. Windsor does not want a carbon price before the rest of the world has moved to do so; and Rob does not have all that different a attitude to most issues that go through the parliament than the coalition. Remember the Coalition has many rural members and also had specific agricultural and regional development programs which it took to the election, with real dollars behind them; not just some grand blanket policy dressed up to be specifically for regional Australia. The Coalition would not have to contend with a self loving MP (Wilkie) or the greens in the lower house to be able to pass legislation.

Jason

24/09/2010jj, "The Coalition would not have to contend with a self loving MP (Wilkie) or the greens in the lower house to be able to pass legislation" So after the senate changes next year it's either convince Labor on ALL legislation to pass the senate or go and start horse trading with the greens, I guess then it will depend on how badly the coalition want their agenda to go through and what could the greens want in order for them to vote with the coalition?

George Pike

24/09/2010They were just trying to get us all excited...the Liberal guy has backed out of the deputy speakers job...back to square one...maybe Katter will do the right thing and take it over...anyone would think it was 365 days a year and not thirty odd the way everyone's carrying on anyway..at least, I think that's all parliament sits for.

George Pike

24/09/2010Checked it out...it's 55 days this year altogether. The number of days they would need all people present would be less though I think? http://www.aph.gov.au/house/info/sittings/index.htm

D Mick Weir

24/09/2010jj, I totally support you for having a different point of view to others at The Political Sword. What a good blog can be about is the contest of ideas. However, I am rarely swayed by an argument that contains nothing but slogans and parroting words from the song sheet of others. Perhaps you could spend some time absorbing some of the considered writing of others who may have a similar view to yours and fashion your comments along those lines. I enjoyed reading a post by Ben Eltham [b]A ferocious Opposition is good for Australian democracy[/b] over at the Drum: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s3019684.htm Reading the article caused me to reconsider some of my thinking and I thank Ben for that. I am inclined to agree with Mr Abbott’s statement: [i]"A contest of ideas is more likely than anything else to produce the new insights that our country needs to keep its competitive edge."[/i] What I have a problem with at the moment is that, as I see it, the Liberal Party (and its’ coalition partner) seem to be bereft of ideas. It is either that or, if they do have any good ideas, they are not able to articulate or sell those ideas. Doubt and divisiveness are among the easiest commodities to sell and that is all I am hearing from Mr Abbott at the moment. Acting like a kid who has his lollies taken from him and continuing to run the slogans from the election campaign are not convincing me that he and his colleagues are ready to govern whereas before the election was called I was tending to believe that the ingredients were there it just needed a little more time to bake the cake. Since Election Day Mr Abbott, Joe Hockey, and Christopher Pyne in particular have convinced me otherwise. While I think that Ms Gillard and her team have a long way to go before they become a good government they are streets ahead of their opponents. So jj spend some time reflecting and reading some well considered commentary and come back with some adult conversation and I, for one, will welcome you with open ears. (And I promise not to propose a group hug). PS Thanks [b]NormanK[/b] you are a [b]"Legend in your own Lunch Time"[/b] I think from your teaching I have learnt something today

D Mick Weir

24/09/2010It seems I already owe you an apology jj. I wrote my comments after your comment @ September 24. 2010 02:03 PM before I was able to read your comment @ September 24. 2010 03:42 PM My only excuse is that: "My mind like my internet gets a bit slow at time" and I am going to stick to that excuse!!!! I totally misread the way the 3 independents ended up going as I was thinking along similar lines that you mentioned in that comment. The reality is now different and we all have to live with that and assist in keep all "the b@%&@&^% honest" I am reminded of something my dear old dad often said "Don't vote it only encourages them" but the he again he always lived by anoher maxim "Vote Early and Vote Often". We aficionados are strange creatures indeed!

jj

24/09/2010No worries D Mick Weir. I think it was silly for Abbott to say that he was going to ensure that the parliament was more consensus driven...it was never going to happen no matter whether it was Labor that went into opposition, or the Liberals. As for the agrrement he signed to do with the speaker, i believe that his decision to go against the will of the solicitor general was also a bit dumb, but once again i would of expected it to come from the Labor Party if they went into opposition. It was smart politics though. Katter says he still supports the Coalition, and therefor it will only take Windsor and Rob to be able to help the Coalition block/pass legislation. I can see some sticky situations ahead for the Independents, such as the mining tax and the eventual price on Carbon (Windsor especially). Windsor has already said that he thinks it would be damaging to implement a price on carbon before the rest of the world has, and so if there isnt any movement on the world stage and a carbon tax comes before the parliament, he will be in a very sticky situation. The Coalition will also push for a proper inquiry into the BER, insulation program; a business plan for the NBN, and a a cost benifit analysis for the Epping-Parramatta rail link, which could embarrass and destabilise the government, and make the indies role in propping up the government harder to justify. It is going to be tough to be in government during this period, and with Labor being pressured to please the greens on the one hand and 2 country, conservative MP's on the other, Gillard will have her work cut out for her. And dont forget that the Labor Party has to implement its election promises and make clearer to the Australian people what it is they stand for in 2010 and beyond.

Sir Ian Crisp

24/09/2010HS, I thought the Bird of Paradox told the GG she the numbers to form government? Didn't she indicate that she had the confidence of the H of R? Why didn't she reconcile the numbers before she had that cosy afternoon tea with the GG? I guess that's what makes her the Bird of Paradox. She has given Tony Um-Err-Ahh an out by saying that in such a tight parliament some of her policies will be reviewed. Has Tony Um-Err-Ahh used that to his advantage? It's a bit late for both sides to be worried about the Constitution and what it says. We can't take them seriously because if they were sticklers for the Constitution they would move on things like dual citizen MPs and they would also have removed Kirby from the High Court. The Constitution's main use by MPs is as a doorstop

jj

24/09/2010If Julia is a bird of paradox/Gold fish (cant remember what she promises), Kevin a chameleon, and Swan...well an ugly duckling; what animal best represents Arbib?

NormanK

24/09/2010Just in case anyone has forgotten. Here is the Coalitions' position just prior to signing the reform agreement with the Independents. [quote]"The coalition opposes proposed reforms to the speaker's role and the guaranteeing of "pairing" for votes."[/quote] http://www.smh.com.au/national/squabble-breaks-out-over-parliamentary-reform-20100905-14vtx.html?from=smh_sb Abbott had no intention of honouring this agreement from opposition but had to sign it to stay in the game. There is nothing "new" in Abbott's stance on this topic.

Jason

24/09/2010HS, Sky now saying Somlyay agrees http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=517517&articleID=

Lyn

24/09/2010Hi Jason Jason, thankyou so much for the Sky report. We had pay TV cut off in annoyance with their screwed up distorted reporting. I am with Ad, [quote]It would be the most delicious irony if Alex Somlyay became Deputy Speaker and frustrated Abbott’s Machiavellian moves. [/quote] I really hope this Sky report is true, Abbott will be in a frenzy. Somlyay agrees to back Labor Updated: 18:12, Friday September 24, 2010 Liberal MP Alex Somlyay has agreed to back Labor in return for the Deputy Speaker position, effectively ending the Parliamentary Speaker deadlock. [b]Mr Somlyay told Sky News that contrary to a statement issued by Tony Abbott's office, he is willing to back Labor on confidence motions and supply bills[/b]. MORE TO COME http://www.skynews.com.au/topstories/article.aspx?id=517517&articleID=

HS

24/09/2010lyn, I think Alex Somylay is having 2 bob each way. He will, as you say, back Labor in No Confidence and Money Bills, however he is not going the whole hog and agreeing to be paired in all votes with the Speaker. I guess that's the best Labor could hope for. Also, good on you, lyn, for excising the cancerous growth that is SkyTV from your life. I think that we can get all the 24/7 politics we need from ABC24 and the Internet, and the radio, and, if you want to watch particular SKY programs then they are being linked on The Australian website in many instances.

HS

24/09/2010NormanK, Are you trying to say that Tony Abbott should remain true to his word? Obviously you didn't see his pivotal 7.30 Report interview. ;) Obviously he has now decided to add to the list of situations where you can no longer trust him. If there ever were any that you could trust him in.

Lyn

24/09/2010Hi Hillbilly We have the best reliable source of information on our blog, "The Political Sword, you would agree. I can't name everyone now, but, we sure are getting some wonderful, quality, comments on here. Alex Somylay as you say is having 2 bob each way, never mind he is causing havoc for Mr Abbott. How lucky are you Hillbilly, going to attend Question time, we look forward to your birds eye view, report next week.

Lyn

24/09/2010Hi Ad Morgan Poll: Morgan face-to-face: 53.5-46.5 to Labor, William Bowe, The Poll Bludger http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/ ALP (54%, up 2%) increases lead on L-NP(46%, down 2%) If a Federal election were held now the ALP would retain Government according to the latest Face-to-Face Morgan Poll. The ALP primary vote is 40.5% (up 5%), just behind the L-NP 41% (down 1.5%). Support for the minor parties shows the Greens 13% (down 2%) and Others/ Independents 5.5% (down http://www.roymorgan.com/news/polls/2010/4584/

NormanK

24/09/2010HS I'm a redhead of Scottish heritage and get more than a little angry when people like Abbott are given free rein to make arguments like "oh, we only just realised the constitutional implications of this agreement". For people to then further have us believe that he is in some way showing integrity by taking his current stance is even more galling. That article shows he knew full well the constitutional situation at the time of signing and had no intention whatsoever of honouring the agreement if he found himself in opposition. As I have posted on other occasions, the public accept as par for the course that politicians fib and obfuscate and spin to their own advantage but this is yet another instance of where Abbott has lied through his teeth and continues to do so with a straight face and it drives me loopy. Oh how badly we need a Jon Stewart here in Australia to point out these flagrant inconsistencies. It might also give the MSM cause for a bit more introspection if there was a nightly show reminding them of what they have said on previous occasions and how it conflicts with what they are saying now. For example, why wasn't there a mainstream story today pointing out Abbott's treachery? Incidentally, how's Abbott's form? Issuing a press release in someone else's name and putting words in his mouth must go very close to being illegal. If Alex Somylay had not spoken up to contradict him, we might have been none the wiser. This man has no moral core. I hope he is squirming over Somylay's actions.

Lyn

24/09/2010Hi Ad and Everybody Sunday Morning Politics: Sunday morning TV - a guide to Sunday morning's political and business interviews for this Sunday morning, 26 September Full line up available at http://sundaymorningtv.posterous.com/ 8:00am Ch10 Meet the Press Paul Bongiorno is joined on the Panel by The Age's Michelle Grattan and New Limited's Steve Lewis, together they interview Prime Minister Julia Gillard. 8:30am Sky News 601 Sunday Agenda This week on Sunday Agenda, host Peter Van Onselen and a panel led by The Australian's editor-at-large Paul Kelly interview Shadow Finance Minister Andrew Robb. 8:35am Ch7 Weekend Sunrise - The Riley Diary Political editor Mark Riley looks at the role of the Speaker in the House of Representatives. But, who'll speak if there's no Speaker to speak first? And what song will they play? 8:38am Ch9 Today on Sunday - Laurie Oakes interview Laurie Oakes talks about the business of the House of Representatives with Manager of Government Business, Anthony Albanese, and Manager of Opposition Business, Christopher Pyne. 9:00am ABC1 Insiders On insiders this Sunday: Barrie Cassidy interviews the Deputy Opposition Leader, Julie Bishop. On the panel: the Daily Telegraph’s Malcolm Farr, SBS’s Karen Middleton and the Financial Review’s Brian Toohey.And Mike Bowers talks pictures with cartoonist for The Australian and the Hobart Mercury,Jon Kudelka. 10:00am ABC1 Inside Business This week on Inside Business Alan Kohler talks to Macarthur Coal Chairman Keith Delacy about the taxing time in mining with both the MRRT & Carbon taxes firmly on the agenda. We’ll also look at the re-energised uranium debate and the rise & rise of the aussie $. http://sundaymorningtv.posterous.com/

Michael

24/09/2010I wonder how many shadow ministers will be the last to find out that 'they' have just issued a Press Release? If Abbott had become PM, on this sort of behaviour, God only knows what Australia would have become. A laughing stock at the very least.

HS

24/09/2010NormanK, I think the country truly dodged a bullet when it came within a whisker of electing Tony Abbott and his crew of malcontents into government. To show you what the Progressive Social Democrat movement is up against, and with an 'Australian Tea Party' movement stirring from the bowels of the sewer of Australian politics, it would be instructive to read, as I have tonight, this New Yorker article about their spiritual and financial benefactors in America: http://www.newyorker.com/reporting/2010/08/30/100830fa_fact_mayer?currentPage=all * Then give this a read, substituting Liberal Party for Republican Party. You'll find it eerily similar to what we have just been dished up by Abbott and Co.: http://blogs.alternet.org/speakeasy/2010/09/23/gops-newly-unveiled-pledge-to-america-is-a-destructive-sham/

HS

24/09/2010Michael, I have always believed Tony Abbott would just be happy if we installed him as Prime Minister for Life. He probably secretly admires politicians like Robert Mugabe. Of course he worships that other man whose power is unquestioned, the Pope.

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24/09/2010Folks Have been away from my computer much of the day preparing for a road trip tomorrow to Cairns; apologies for the spam which I have now deleted. It’s good to see Alex Somlyay is the likely Deputy Speaker and that he has agreed not to block supply or support no confidence motions. Not as good as pairing but better than Tony Abbott would have wanted.

TalkTurkey

24/09/2010This quote from your earlier post, when directed to jj our tame juvenile jerk struck me as quintessentially oxymoronic: "the considered writing of others who may have a similar view to yours" jj you are the passionfruit cream topping on my overflowing cornucopia of chardenfreude. I gloat with globs of glee just to think of what must be your response to the evidently very principled defection of Somlyay from Abbott's perfidious reneging on the pairs agreement . . . I saw him moments ago on Lateline and he seemed soberly good-humoured, cogent, and with a very sensible attitude to helping to make things work for the common weal, as very very distinct from the Coalition. Somlyay will be hated by some on his side but there will be a good deal of sympathy for his stand by the more sensible of them. Sloppy Joe is really silly to be seen to be supporting Abbott's backslide. He doesn't look real happy in his pretty blue tie on lateline, but he is bravely fanning the air in Abbott's corner anyway. Robb and Deathstare and Turnbull are invisible. My feeling is that they would all like to distance themselves from him but they have all the spine of their dear departed darling Costello. Abbott's blown his cred now. "Don't believe anything I say unless it's holy writ and signed and if it is don't believe it." I reckon he's on the slippery slope. If he is unsuccessful in bringing down the Govt he's stuffed, he'll look forever and more and more like a petulant p(erson), and if he does bring it down he won't have the numbers himself, we'll have to go back to the polls and Australians will HATE that! and he'll be stuffed and roasted.

HS

25/09/2010Talk Turkey, Alex Somylay is no Mal Colston. There was a very grubby deal behind Mal Colston's defection, there is principle behind Alex Somylay's decision. And a little bit of the 'Revenge is a dish best served cold' aspect. That'll teach Tony Abbott for replacing Alex Somylay with the sleazy Warren Entsch, who is also one of the main characters behind Tony Abbott's push to overturn the Queensland government's 'Wild Rivers' legislation...so that Warren Entsch, and his 'White Shoe Brigade' mates in Far North Queensland can exploit the last pristine environments up there. Like he did to a lot of the Port Douglas, Mossman, Cairns area.

Lyn

25/09/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Liberal Politcalol Cats, Grog, Grog's Gamut[/i] though he is not going to be a pair on all pieces of legislation Somlyay’s decision is a big slap in the face to Abbott. http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/2010/09/liberal-politcalol-cats.html [i]Undercurrent Affairs, Mr. Denmore, The Failed Estate[/i] Kerry's verbal chess games with leading politicians, the 7.30 Report structure and content is dated and predictable - a longer version of the straight news report http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/ [i]Kerry Quits!, Reb, Gutter Trash[/i] “I have informed the ABC that I intend to leave the 7.30 Report in December after 15 very rewarding years as the program’s Editor and Presenter.” http://guttertrash.wordpress.com:80/2010/09/24/kerry-quits/ [i]All fibre, all the way! Jock Given, Inside Story[/i] along The Strip it’s fibre-to-the-home that’s generating the excitement. And Australia’s NBN is one of the stars, http://inside.org.au/all-fibre-all-the-way/ [i]Admit it: people don’t get the NBN, Bernard Keane, Crikey[/i] $25 million McKinsey implementation study for the network. As Alan Kohler has noted, those such as Malcolm Turnbull demanding an NBN CBA seem to have forgotten about the McKinsey document http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/09/24/lets-admit-it-people-actually-dont-get-the-nbn/ [i]From Contender to Pretender, Ashghebranious, Ash's to Ashes Blog.[/i] Now it appears not only does your word mean nothing, neither does your bond. http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com:80/2010/09/24/from-contender-to-pretender/ [i]An alternative public transport strategy to taking away pensioners' concession, Jeremy Sear, An Onymous Lefty[/i] We could take concession fares away from pensioners, you spectacularly principled and not in any way utterly selfish and monstrous philanthropists of the “Tourism and Transport Forum”. http://anonymouslefty.wordpress.com/

Ad astra reply

25/09/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

Ad astra reply

25/09/2010Folks I’m off this morning on a driving trip from Melbourne to North Queensland via Hay, Bourke, Charleville, Longreach, Charters Towers and Mission Beach to Port Douglas, returning after a few days for a medical conference in Cairns. We’ll come back to Melbourne via the Coast. While we’re away I hope we’ll be within reach of Next G wireless broadband most of the time and be able to use our laptop and iPad to access [i]The Political Sword[/i]. If spam comes in, please ignore it until I can delete it. If LYN’S DAILY LINKS come in before we get on the road each morning, I’ll post them to their special page; otherwise I’ll post them when I reach our next destination. I have a piece already prepared for posting, probably next Monday or Tuesday. It is titled [i] Are political labels useless?[/i], an analysis of the usefulness or otherwise of using terms such as ‘left’, ‘right’, ‘centre-left’, and so on, words being bandied around following the so-called ‘alliance’ between the Government and The Greens. It will argue for a better way of determining a politician’s or a political party’s orientation and policies. HillbillySkeleton is preparing a piece for later next week. Once I’m settled in Far North Queensland I’ll have more time for preparing material. I suspect many will be preoccupied with the football this weekend, and the machinations of federal politics and the parliamentary session all next week, so there should be plenty to comment about on [i]TPS[/i]. I’ll try to keep in touch with you all at each stopover, but will have limited opportunity to comment.

TalkTurkey

25/09/2010Yes HS, How could we forget Colston, the "Quisling Quasimodo from Queensland"! (Robert Ray's splenetic brilliant eternal jibe against the most disgusting traitor of all to Labor.) How different a bloke is Somlyay! I'm just watching Hockey on Colston and Somlyay NOW. Drowning in his own bile. And now, Robert Ray saying Q Q from Qld again! NOW! Wonderful stuff. Andrew Greene on the future of the Govt. "A rogue Coalition member" . . ? . . . So Somlyay's a rogue to rogues, and a Saint to Us Saints. You gotta wonder how an apparently principled bloke stayed with the Libs all this time. Anyway Alex Somlyay, welcome, may your very brave stand all work out well in reaffirming decency and justice in Australian politics and the wider community. We know you will be reviled by the vile in the Rotten Right, but you have actually shown that there is decency even if in disappearingly tiny proportion in your Party, and the best of your colleagues will applaud you - even if silently! No Quisling are you, but rather the inverse. In fact it is good to have Colston to contrast you with! And for Hockey to suggest that your character in any way parallels Colston's tells much more about Hockey than it does about you. [Speaking of saints, Go the Saints, but may the game be great. (Aussie Rules RULES! At its best it affirms the best in Australian virtues, beyond the realm of mere sport.) Remember, one of the Chappell brothers who conspired to bowl the Grubber to the Kiwis in '78 later ran for . . . well I'll let you, Perspicacious Reader, take a punt on WHICH Party he ran for! It's not just about sport, it's about decency. I always barrack AGAINST Australia in Cricket now. Thanks a lot Chappells. ] Speaking of Saints the subject on 24 is Saint-in-Waiting Mary Mckillop and her excommunication for actually exposing child sex crime by a priest . . . Now THAT is what I call a bloody miracle! Some bloke on 24 now saying if the positions were reversed and a Labor Member were to defect to THEM, the Left would be equally angry as cf the Right right now. Equally?! NO WAY! We would be LIVID, beyond anything the Right could hope to muster now, largely because Abbott has weaselled out on a SIGNED-ON done deal, and his own colleagues MUST be uneasy (to put it mildly) about that. How now ever to trust him at all? The Right's anger is now collapsing like a slow-leaking balloon, into internal recrimination and disappointment and confusion, and those who have any sense of decency at all know that it is Abbott and his ilk who have brought a never-great but once-powerful Party to an unprecedented level of pusillanimity and perfidy. Abbott must be apoplectic now. Right whack!

D Mick Weir

25/09/2010The Member for Fairfax may be even smarter than some think. The advice, yet to be tested is that " ... a [b]formal[/b] agreement" on pairing may be unconstitutional.

NormanK

25/09/2010Ad astra Have a safe journey. You are headed towards paradise ( well, one of them anyway ) and I can only hope that the weather is kind to you during your stay. I trust you packed plenty of mozzie repellent.

HS

25/09/2010To AA and Mrs AA, Happy Trails! I hope you don't come across too many from the White Shoe Brigade whilst you are in Queensland, they can tend to trample all over the delicate sensibilities of, well, anyone who is sensible really. :)

Jason

25/09/2010HS, Julie B at the grand final breakfast she sounds like her leader "unhinged" http://www.3aw.com.au/displayPopUpPlayerAction.action?&url=http://media.mytalk.com.au/3AW/AUDIO/250910_Julie_Bishop.mp3

Acerbic Conehead

25/09/2010HS, I'm glad you enjoyed the song. Have a great weekend. Lyn, thanks again for your links, they are invaluable. And AA, have a safe and enjoyable trip. If you have a chance to check your emails, I've sent you one.

TalkTurkey

25/09/2010Yep I just saw her too! "unhinged" is true! her lower jaw looked all twisted, like physically! Trying to get her mouth around the impossible? Can't win, can't withdraw, can't apologise to Julia, can't comprehend, I almost feel sorry for DeathStare. NOT. How can anyone think of shaking hands with Abbott now? Remember I told yous all a week ago my predilection to expectoration should he ever want to shake my hand, well that was BEFORE this latest reversal on the pairings issue. Now, I think that the only way to behave towards him is to COAT him, i.e., turn your back to him wherever he appears. It is the last way to express ultimate condemnation of despicable behaviour - treachery, fraud, cruelty, duplicity - where no other action is possible. It is amazingly effective when lots of people start doing it. Tony Abbott should be coated. TURN YOUR COATS! TURN YOUR COATS! Come on Liberals of any decency at all. Kick him out! He has led you not to a near-victory, but to a new moral low. He was a media-made phenomenon, like Pauline Pantsdown, and now at last his time is past. Liberals,(Ha! "liberal"? NOT!)), your problem is with finding anyone who might ever have anything to offer anyone, and your whole front bench is pathetic. Turnbull stands way above anyone else, but he is a damaged brand and he seems politically inept. More than anyone else HE ought to take a jump to the Left of course, but he'd not have the spine either. After Turnbull though, WHO? Don't forget with ABBOTT : TURN YOUR COATS! TURN YOUR COATS!

TalkTurkey

25/09/2010Colston, the "Quisling Quasimodo from Queensland"! Robert Ray's livid splenetic brilliant eternal jibe against the most disgusting traitor of all to Labor. How different a fellow is Somlyay! I'm just watching Hockey on Colston NOW. There, Robert Ray saying it again! NOW! Andrew Greene on the future of the Govt. "A rogue Coalition member" . . ? . . . So Somlyay's a rogue to rogues, and a Saint to Us Saints. You gotta wonder how an apparently principled bloke stayed with the Libs all this time. Anyway Alex, welcome, may it all work out well in reaffirming decency and justice in Australian politics and the wider community. We know you will be reviled by the vile in the Rotten Right, but you [Speaking of which, Go the Saints, but may the game be great. (Aussie Rules RULES!)] Speaking of which the subject on 24 is Saint-in-Waiting Mary Mckillop and her excommunication for actually exposing child sex crime by a priest . . . Now THAT is what I call a bloody miracle!

D Mick Weir

25/09/2010Hi TT I am a bit puzzled with you saying that what I had said to jj was "quintessentially oxymoronic". I lay no claims to being quintessential however, at times, I can (grudgingly) admit to being moronic. On todays' most important topic I am with you. I have been waiting 44 long years and still remember the last one: GO SAINTS nail those CollyWobbles.

Jason

25/09/2010D Mick Wier, Although a Cat supporter I'm with you today! I don't care even if it's by one point again! don't let Collingwood win. Saints by 15 Reiwoldt norm smith

Lyn

25/09/2010Hi Ad and Lovely Wife, So you and your wife are setting off, please go careful and be safe. I am sure you will enjoy yourselves, so many pretty towns to see. The weather is absolutely gorgeous in Queensland, it's spring, flowers everywhere, and plenty of sunshine. If you can get 3G you could give us running commentary about all the sights you will see. We will all guard "The Political Sword" for you so don't worry. With regards to the spam, we won't complain, very easy to jump over. Have fun, Big Cheers to you both, see you soon.

D Mick Weir

25/09/2010Jason like manothers you are a teat fan of the ABC ANYONE BUT COLLINGWOOD

TalkTurkey

25/09/2010D Mick Weir Ummmm . . . Oxymorons are nothing to do with morons . . . They are figures of speech with apparent or actual internal contradictions . . . E.g. US military intelligence! Funny word but good. So when you say to jj, what was it, "the considered writing of those who may have a similar opinion", well the point is, who the hell after due consideration would possibly have opinions similar to juvenile jerk? Happy now?

D Mick Weir

25/09/2010touche TT, I 'angs me head in shame ~; -(

HS

25/09/2010Well, I don't want to pop anyone's bubble, but all I'll say is that St Kilda better turn on one of those massive comebacks after Half Time, or else they are gawn! :(

D Mick Weir

25/09/2010HS I am worried and hoarse but still holding out hope :-)

D Mick Weir

25/09/2010What a stunner how are we going to survive a whole week waiting for a result. It's eerily like an recent election!!!!!

George Pike

25/09/2010won't the bookies be giggling hey..a draw must be the biggest payout they could possibly have dreamed of...

TalkTurkey

25/09/2010WHAT A GREAT GAME!!! How weird is that eh, Julia saying at the AFL brekky, (paraphrasing), just for pity's sake give us a RESULT! Ohhh, what a time of teetering it all is! And now ol' Alex has scarpered back into the loving arms of the Coalition, is that the latest? Whacko, I wonder about the carrots and the sticks that came his way from THEM.

HS

25/09/2010Talking Turkey, Alex Somlyay must really have had the frighteners put on him by the Coalition. I bet Heffernan and Joyce were let off their leashes. Let me tell you, I have had run-ins with Liberal Party heavies, and they wrote the book on playing dirty, mean and nasty politics.

HS

25/09/2010George Pike, I heard someone say they actually bet on a Draw, and, I think, for $10 they got $410 back!

HS

25/09/2010DMickWeir, They should call in Bob Katter, Tony Windsor and Rob Oakeshott to decide the winner of the AFL Grand Final!

George Pike

25/09/2010That was a great investment hey HS! I can hear the bookies laughing from here hey!

HS

25/09/2010George Pike, But who would have actually thought that the game would end in a draw?

Patricia WA

25/09/2010Hillbilly I imagine the PM and her team will be reasonably consoled by the manner of their losing Alex Somlyay and all that lovely adverse publicity for Abbot and Co. After watching the news tonight I had fun re-writing a bit of nonsense I did earlier at [quote]Cafe Whispers.[/quote] Ta-ra-ra-BOOM-deay We had Somlyay today! Once a loyal Liberal he Got really very mad, you see They’ve gave his job to Ench So he came looking for revenge. He promised on his word, As all Australia heard On TV not through a leaker, He'd deputise the Speaker. Ta-ra-ra-BOOM-deay Then he had an awful day! He called to let us know that he Had been put through the third degree. He was very clearly told If he was keen on growing old By every mate and crony Of that rotten bully Tony "Just forget the Speaker scheme, Get back and suffer with the team!" Ta-ra-ra-BOOM-deay Julia's had a lovely day!

Ad astra

26/09/2010Lyn Thank you for your kind message. We are in Hay and will be in Bourke tonight. I will then post your links to your special page.

Lyn

26/09/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Bella Counihan is an idiot, Andrew Elder, Politically Homeless[/i] Controversial? Not when you read columns like this. Counihan writes Tony Wright's column when he's too tired-and-emotional to regale us with anecdotes from 1985. http://andrewelder.blogspot.com/2010/09/bella-counihan-is-idiot-controversial.html [i]A tale of two majorities, Possum Comitatus, Pollytics[/i] Now Somlyay has backed out of the deal as of Saturday lunch time. now he has backflipped to a no deal position and he is not nominating for the position. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollytics/2010/09/25/a-tale-of-two-majorities/ [i]Fairfax pollie goes to water , Bill Hoffman, Sunshine Coast Daily[/i] It is clear now that any divergence from Mr Abbott's strategy to drive the parliament back to the polls as quickly as possible will not be tolerated by the Liberal Party. http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/story/2010/09/26/fairfax-pollie-alex-somlay-federal-parliament [i]NBN opposition not pointless, says Turnbull, Renai LeMay, Delimiter[/i] Malcolm Turnbull yesterday denied his party was attempting to “wreck” Labor’s National Broadband Network project, Video: Malcollm Turnbull http://delimiter.com.au/2010/09/25/nbn-opposition-not-pointless-says-turnbull/ [i]It's not just the Red book. Now the Coalition's got hold of the Blue Book, Peter Martin[/i] ...and handed it to us. Thank you Joe. http://www.petermartin.com.au/ [i]Abbott, Dave's Archives.[/i] as the alternative Prime Minister? His deceptions are manifold to the point that his word is essentially meaningless. http://davec.org/2010/09/abbott/ [i]Hey, it's good to be monarch , Tony Wright, National Times[/i] ''Off with his head!'' if the Fourth Estate starts getting too pesky after Parliament returns. http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/politics/hey-its-good-to-be-monarch-20100924-15qid.html

Lyn

26/09/2010Good Morning to you and your wife Ad I just got a big surprise to see you smiling gravatar so early this morning. The links are scant on this morning,the bloggers are all having a rest it seems, not surprising it's been a long election and keeps on lingering. Now you are going to the back of Bourke, you know the old saying way out the back of Bourke. Have fun, be safe Cheers

HS

26/09/2010Good Morning AA, lyn, Patricia and all others! lyn, if you don't mind I'll add this link from Crikey, it says a lot without having to say a word: http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/07/06/boat-people-this-is-what-you-are-anxious-about/

TalkTurkey

26/09/2010"HUNG" Parliament and AFL Premiership both! How bizzzzzaaaaarrrrrghhhhh! Someone (male I think) said a draw is like dancing with your sister. What a week of reckoning is in store! What will we do when both issues settle down? I'm hooked on adrenalin now! Abbott will go insane. What am I saying!? He is crazy already! Nobody I have read has speculated on what would/will happen if he really did/does bring the Government down. Everybody seems to be mesmerized by his present flailings, but how do yous think we/he would/will go? Seems to me he's done his dash, even though the media still aren't really giving him the terminal thrashing he so richly deserves. They are starting to respect Julia though, not in a positive sense but they know she always gives better than she gets and she doesn't hesitate in sussing and paying out snide queentrap questioners. So they HAVE to pull their heads in. But now Somlyay has mouseholed, (pity, he seemed at least to want to make things work), Abbott will be ever more teeth-grittedly bent on destruction of the Government, and he just might still be able to do it. But as I've said before, he won't be able to rule in his own right, barring an antimiracle, and he'll surely not be able to win a future election . . . Surely? Seems that Uhlmann is to be credited with destroying Somlyay's accord with the Government. What goes on with that man?

TalkTurkey

26/09/2010 Daily Lyn, thanks for your unfailing posts, this particular one is excellent: Abbott, Dave's Archives. as the alternative Prime Minister? His deceptions are manifold to the point that his word is essentially meaningless. http://davec.org/2010/09/abbott/ Thanks to Dave too.

Lyn

26/09/2010Hi Talk Turkey Glad you enjoyed Dave. I am having a great time enjoying your comments, thankyou so much. Uhlmann, ugh, big head, ego trip.

George Pike

26/09/2010Notice how the liberal loving hacks at the ABC word this article...they highlight "conflicted" as if to promote a lack of commitment....then start their spiel with "refuses to state her position"...drivelers won't even give her the democratic right to have a private point of view on such a complex issue. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/26/3022122.htm?section=justin

HS

26/09/2010lyn, Thought you might like to read this one, if you haven't already, from your neck of the woods: http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/leaked-document-leaves-langbroek-red-faced-over-tasers-for-teachers-idea/story-e6freon6-1225929384215 What I think it illustrates more broadly as far as the LNP/Coalition zeitgeist is is that they are cruel and heartless elitists with a gallows sense of humour towards those less fortunate in our society, for, as the first commenter pointed out, I imagine they would not be applying the same policy to children in Private Schools, believing as they do that only students in Public Schools need Tasering. I could also pretty well guarantee that Tony Abbott would approve. ;)

HS

26/09/2010George Pike, Yes, it is a shame that the adversarial nature of reports about the government, where they try and paint a picture of less than noble intent to be ascribed to anything the Labor government or PM says, before they put the post up on the ABC website, appears to have not diminished since the election. I'm sorry, but when I imagine who the copywriters are that craft these stories for the website, I get a picture in my mind of snooty Communications/Journalism graduates that have come to the ABC via the millieu of the Private School. No one does sneer, condescension and parsimonious and derogatory parsing of words better than the elitists that that world spawns.

HS

26/09/2010Talk Turkey, I have no doubt that Alex Somlyay was got at by his own party. I mean, if Bill 'The Devil' Heffernan was prepared to have a go at Rob Oakeshott for daring to consider siding with the Labor Party, one can only imagine what members of the Liberal Party would do and say to their own to get them to toe the line. I only have to cast my mind back to the underhanded efforts of Tony Abbott himself to undermine and politically kneecap Pauline Hanson, which saw her end up in jail, to have no doubt what he and his consigliores would do in order to achieve their aim to blow up the government. He's a nasty piece of work, and would no doubt subscribe to the George W.Bush dictum of, "Dictatorship is easier".

HS

26/09/2010I must also sadly note that the journalists on Insiders this morning seemed to have given the Kiss of Death to the 'new political paradigm' and just kissed it goodbye without a bye or leave, as if it was just so yesterday, and seemed to relish the thought of getting back to business as usual politics.

Lyn

26/09/2010Hi Hillbilly Thankyou for the link to the Courier Mail, typical LNP in Queensland their a bunch of nut cases. I'm glad I don't buy the Courier Mail, it's a supplement of the Australian. [quote]QUEENSLAND teachers would be given Taser stun guns to control unruly students under a leaked State Opposition draft policy.[/quote] Cheers

George Pike

26/09/2010I just posted your reply to Talk Turkey above on FBook HS...it is a great observation of the state of affairs regarding King Rat and all his minions...

Lyn

26/09/2010George You are valuable, thankyou for putting comments posted on "The Political Sword" on Face Book. Cheers

Rx

26/09/2010Hillbilly, Re: the policy draft from the office of Queensland's LNP leader suggesting Tasers be used on students. What disturbed me (besides the story itself) was the number of commenters who appeared [i]to approve[/i] of the proposal. Cries of "Great idea" and "About time!" were disturbingly abudnant. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/leaked-document-leaves-langbroek-red-faced-over-tasers-for-teachers-idea/story-e6freon6-1225929384215 This from the state that gave the nation its biggest swing to the Abbott far right in the recent election. Any time the Deep North wants to secede from the civilised remainder of the country is fine by me. No offence meant to the decent Queenslanders out there of course.

Rx

26/09/2010I also wonder if, given the surprising proportion of comments which rush to defend what one would think was indefensible, the troops have been rallied to circle the wagons. (If you'll pardon the clumsy mixed metaphors). I'm reminded of this story of goings-on in SA: [b][i]Liberal staffers defy Hamilton-Smith by stacking online polls[/b][/i] Directions from Opposition Leader Martin Hamilton-Smith not to stack media polls - including those on AdelaideNow - are apparently being ignored by Liberal staffers. http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/in-depth/liberal-staffers-defy-hamilton-smith-by-stacking-online-polls/story-fn2sdwup-1225735969829

George Pike

26/09/2010You should have heard a guy on the ABC's Macca show this morning Rx! (I think Macca was reading a letter he'd sent in) He was from Toowoomba and he said that he and all his mates were quite happy with their dial-up internet access and that it was going to cost $700 to connect the NBN cable to everyone's home (it's actually free)and then it would cost another $1,000 per year for the broadband access (it is less than half that in Tassie at the moment)...and to top it all off he said "and God help us all when they bring in a carbon tax!!!" Can you believe the garbage some people dribble! The Macca guy made no attempt to correct the record either...shows what a worthless pack of frauds the media drivel mongers really are as well...

HS

26/09/2010George Pike, I'm glad you thought my little contribution worthy of wider dissemination. :) As for the NBN, have you read that the reason that only 50% of Tasmanians have taken it up, while it is still free, is because they have swallowed the Liberal propaganda, hook, line and sinker about it going to cost them $7000 each? Talk about gullible fools, and they vote! No wonder the Liberals and Nationals spend so much time crafting their messages for maximum impact. Whether they reflect the truth or not is immaterial to them, so long as they win votes. Not to mention the added 'Bang for their buck' that they get from their echo chamber in the media. Like these guys: http://www.tnr.com/article/politics/77868/the-tea-party-just-big-scam

NormanK

26/09/2010Rx [quote]"Any time the Deep North wants to secede from the civilised remainder of the country is fine by me. No offence meant to the decent Queenslanders out there of course."[/quote] Some offence taken.

HS

26/09/2010Rx, I could tell you some stories about how the conservative Right in America are using the anonymity of the 'net and social media/Web 2.0 to devastating effect, but then you probably know that already. In Australia they just mimic them, and also they try out their latest political tricks, in an off-Broadway fashion, before they are unleashed on America, as you will have seen the Republicans release their 'Contract With America', just like Tony Abbott had his 12 Point Action Plan. Lots of 'Talkin' Loud, Sayin' Nothing' stuff. One thing you may not have heard about is the number of former Fox News employees and News Anchors that are running for elected office in the US. It's about 6-8. Now you know what that signifies? Rupert Murdoch is seamlessly blending his empire with politics. Be afraid, be very afraid, is what I think.

TalkTurkey

26/09/2010NormanK Didn't you read (or was it beyond your brain?) that Rx was actually not talking to you, he was talking to DECENT Qlanders, and considering he politely and specifically excepted them, and you took offence anyway, that pretty well self-categorises you, yep. Sag rapes? What I love to hear.

Mr Denmore

26/09/2010See my latest post on why we're seeing so much more attitude in the media these days: http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/2010/09/news-with-attitude.html

NormanK

26/09/2010Talk Turkey Who made you da big sheriff of da house? Considering that you have been here at TPS for five minutes, you may wish to temper your comments until you better understand the dynamics of this blog. There are relationships here which predate your joining us. Rx will, I'm sure, understand that my response was half in jest - just as I understand that his comment was half in jest. I did not launch into a rant (unlike you). I did not indulge in a personal attack (unlike you). This blog conducts itself with a certain amount of decorum which is one of the things which make it so attractive. You may wish to contribute to that decorum and just let Rx speak for himself instead of nominating yourself as the bully boy.

Lyn

26/09/2010Hi Mr Denmore Thankyou so much posting the link to your blog "The Failed Estate" Everybody should read your blog each day. Congratulations on your extremely worthwhile pieces, very enjoyable. I love your writings, everybody should take the time to visit "The Failed Estate" daily. Have you noticed you have been taking the lead on "Today's Links". [i]News with Attitude, Mr Denmore, The Failed Estate[/i] the ABC is starting to put a little more "attitude" into its own news. This can be seen in the increasing use of loaded terminology in leads and scripts (the insulation 'debacle') http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/2010/09/news-with-attitude.html

George Pike

26/09/2010The prediction for the NBN uptake was only 40% in the outlying towns HS...so the 50% was better than expected. The government is going to make it an "opt out" choice rather the current "opt in" shortly, as that will ensure that people will make themselves better informed as to the consequences of NOT taking it up as it rolls past their door. Those consequences will be considerable, as the copper wires are going to be ripped up eventually and then the houses that didn't opt in will have to fork out $700 to get connected or they will have to put with wireless broadband and mobile phones. As it is going to be the highway of the future every house should be connected anyway...not having it will ultimately be akin to having a highway running past a house without it having a driveway to access it. The reason far more Tasmanians didn't take it up was the lack of info that the NBN co put into the public domain..I have not seen ONE SINGLE AD giving people the info they need for reassurance that it is the way of the future and that it is indeed free to connect in the initial rollout stage. The quandry posed by having a two party system of government is highlighted by initiatives such as the NBN. The totally worthless opposition to something that would be rolled out in China as a matter of urgency once it was known how important it will be for the future economy makes it clear to me that the Chinese system of government is eminently more superior to ours. That country is leaving the rest of the world behind in leaps and bounds in every single area of social and economic importance. We should have a democratically elected government that has no opposition..just individuals who have proven their value and who offer the best hope for the future..currently our governance is a sham of woeful proportions.

Mr Denmore

26/09/2010Thanks for the feedback Lynn. Best regards.

Ad astra

26/09/2010Folks Now in Bourke.. Great drive through wide open countryside from Hay lush after the rain. Wildflowers everywhere - white daisies, tall purple flowered bushes, golden broome and wattle, lush green grass and native grasses glistening in the sun by the roadside, a vast wide country with few people. Lyn I'll upload the links in the morning, Next G permitting.

Lyn

26/09/2010Hi Ad and your lovely wife Good to hear from you tonight. Sounds like you have had a very scenic drive from Hay to Bourke. The flowers sound absolutely lovely, must be very peaceful and pretty.

TalkTurkey

26/09/2010The Now Fully-offended NormanK . . . Talk Turkey Who made you da big sheriff of da house? Considering that you have been here at TPS for five minutes, you may wish to temper your comments until you better understand the dynamics of this blog. >Mmmm, but I've been around the political block for a good while . . . Long enough to remember Holy Jo and how he brought down the Whitlam Government . . . So I have a severely limited supply of sense of humour about Australia's destinies being distorted by idiot FNQ rednecks. There are relationships here which predate your joining us. Rx will, I'm sure, understand that my response was half in jest - just as I understand that his comment was half in jest. >Which half? What about the other half? "Some offence taken", sounds pretty offended and offensive to me. Silly old me, I thought you were sincere! I did not launch into a rant (unlike you). I did not indulge in a personal attack (unlike you). >Call that a rant Cobber? MA-A-A-A-TE! But pardon me, your missive actually IS a rant! This blog conducts itself with a certain amount of decorum which is one of the things which make it so attractive. >Oh I'd never think of saying anything indecorous. Decorum before dialectics I always say. You may wish to contribute to that decorum and just let Rx speak for himself instead of nominating yourself as the bully boy. >If you really were in jest I'm truly sorry. (That is a genuine apology, but it is conditional, as worded.) True you might have long-standing understandings with others that I don't, but then your words are going to everyone, even moi. But see, I've had it with boors and creeps, from jj through Bolt to Pell, and there was nothing in your three words to suggest humour. I did rather suspect that Rx was more than half in jest when he gave his imprimatur to Queensland's putative secession, but I suspected no such motivation in your terse vignette. No sag rapes after all? In that case, (since it turns out that we are on the same side), it should be group hugs all round. But if you are genuinely and still offended, well, tra la la. >As for "let Rx speak for himself", how do you suppose I'm currently suppressing him?

Lyn

26/09/2010Hi Norman K It must be nearly time for another enjoyable piece, from you to be published on "The Political Sword", what do you think. As Gravel said on your post "it's a long time since I had such a good belly laugh". Phudget 2010, Norman K, 11th July, 2010 You surprise me Mal. This is Grade Eight Home Economics. If you don’t spend money then it’s a saving. Simple as that. We were going to have to borrow twenty-eight thousand dollars to get the project started and now that we’re not building it, I wanted to put that money in the budget but Tony and Andrew thought we should save it for a rainy day. http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2010/07/11/Phudget-2010.aspx

Rx

26/09/2010Lighten up guys. I didn't mean anything serious by it - except my disappointment with the swing to the idiot right in Queensland. By some of the voters. About that I wasn't joking. Sorry for the distraction. Now, back to the show. :D

Lyn

27/09/2010[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] Everybody, please read our friend Grog this morning, thankyou Grog, for your incredibly interesting, story we are with you. [i]Spartacus no more, Grog, Grog's Gamut[/i] The ‘big’ secret is now out. Is this the end for me as a blogger and as a public servant? I hope not. I like my job, do it diligently, do it well (in my opinion), and I don’t believe I have contravened the APS code of conduct – if I did I wouldn't have started the blog in the first place. http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/2010/09/spartacus-no-more.html [i]News with Attitude, Mr Denmore, The Failed Estate[/i] the ABC is starting to put a little more "attitude" into its own news. This can be seen in the increasing use of loaded terminology in leads and scripts (the insulation 'debacle') http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/2010/09/news-with-attitude.html [i]Same Old Faces, Grog,Grog's Gamut[/i] Do we learn anything from hearing Pyne go against Albanese today on Laurie Oakes? Sure http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/2010/09/same-old-faces.html [i]Desperately seeking Authority, Left Flank[/i] Not only did the Coalition suffer percentage swings against them in Victoria, SA and Tasmania, the 1.5 percent national swing also hides a raw increase in votes of just 134,500. http://left-flank.blogspot.com/2010/09/desperately-seeking-authority.html [i]Politicians behaving badly, Paul Barratt, Australian Observer[/i] expect the Division bells to be working overtime. Motions are normally carried on the voices, but any member is entitled to demand a division, and it is a classic tactic for disrupting Parliament. http://aussieobserver.blogspot.com/2010/09/politicians-behaving-badly.html [i]A Tale of two Labor post-mortoems, kim , Larvatus Prodeo[/i] It’s interesting to contrast reports of two ALP reflections on the election result – one in Crikey on the thoughts of Victorian MP Martin Foley, and one in The Drum on a meeting of the NSW Right, penned by Glenn Milne, http://larvatusprodeo.net/2010/09/26/a-tale-of-two-labor-post-mortems/ [i]Life for LobbyLens?, Nicholas Gruen, Club Troppo[/i] For the last few weeks in Canberra it’s been a lobbyfest, and things don’t look like changing any time soon. Rob Oakeshott has remarked that he has been deluged by thousands of emails a day. http://clubtroppo.com.au/2010/09/26/life-for-lobbylens/#more-12619

Lyn

27/09/2010Hi Ad [i]Controversial political blogger unmasked as a federal public servant , James Massola, The Australian[/i] The identity of Mr Jericho, who shot to prominence after making some sharp observations about media coverage of the 2010 election and subsequently has written for the ABC's The Drum website, has triggered much speculation in recent weeks on Twitter. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/controversial-political-blogger-unmasked-as-a-federal-public-servant/story-e6frg996-1225929679443

Ad astra reply

27/09/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS for Sunday and Monday updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx Good Next G wireless reception here in Bourke. Tonight in Charleville, Next G permitting, I'll up upload the next piece: [i]Are political labels useless?[/i].

Lyn

27/09/2010Hi Ad and Everybody [i]The Grog’s Gamut outing: In whose interest? September 27, 2010 – 8:22 am, by Tobias Ziegler, Pure Poison, Crikey [/i] So, I think any implication that Grog’s (alleged) partisan personal views compromise the integrity of his professional work is unfounded – and Grog himself has offered a sound defence with reference to the public service’s guidelines. So why out him?, http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/2010/09/27/the-grogs-gamut-outing-in-whose-interest/

TalkTurkey

27/09/2010AA & Ms Charleville . . . You could go and see the Bilby Brothers' efforts eh. I've written lots of verse written by Brucie Bilby who wants to educate teachers and school children in how to influence local authorities and pollies about saving native wildlife species . . . My other passion apart from Oz politics. Well it's all the same thing really, voluntary euthansia, just taxation, humane foreign affairs policy, etc etc, but the species we are losing day by day will never return. Enjoy your trip AA & Ms.

George Pike

27/09/2010I think the Godwin Grech-Malcolm Turnbull-News Ltd conspiracy to try and bring down the government with the Oz Car affair was far far and away more dangerous than any public servant offering insights via a blog could ever be! News Ltd journalists and executives are in the main, callous worthless thugs who do not posess even the slightest trace of moral or ethical integrity. I would dearly wish to see a powerful group of progressives enlist the services of a reputable security agency to follow every one of the main players in the News Ltd stable to glean every tiny little misdemeanour and every scurrilous activity that they engage in and have them publicised for all to see. I would say that News Ltd would have to be wound up following even a short period of such scrutiny...then the scrutiny can be turned towards Channel Nine, the radio shock jocks, the ABC and SBS and whatever other organisations that are displaying a blatant bias towards the corporate sector and thier Coalition puppets. That scrutiny could even be applied by the nation's secret services as it would be very much in the national interest to end the destructive and obstructive activites of those organisations.

HS

27/09/2010Glad to see that lyn has been keeping everyone informed of The Australian's latest job lot of scumbag journalism in outing Grog/Greg. To say that I am not surprised in the least is an understatement. Especially taking into account The Australian's open admission that their aim is to destroy The Greens. Also, that their more sotto voce aim is to aid and abet Tony Abbott in destroying the Gillard government. I actually think it is a good thing in a way that they have been exposed openly to be blatantly trying to destroy one of the 5th Estate's finest bloggers(if only I could come within a bull's roar of being as articulate and perceptive as Grog, and Ad Astra, I would be a happy girl). I say that because I believe that we here in the 5th Estate should take this opportunity to go in as hard against the forces of darkness which are gathering around Tony Abbott(god that man reminds me of the Archangel Gabriel before he got chucked out of heaven and into the depths of Hell), and thus, this is the place, here in the 5th Estate virtual world, and now is the time, just before Federal Parliament battle resumes, wherein Tony Abbott will be seeking to wreck our fragile democracy in order to install himself as our demagogic, autocratic ruler. And I use the term 'Ruler' specifically, because I have no doubt that that man is dangerous and would rent the carefully crafted egalitarian and secular social fabric of Australia asunder in his ideological zeal to fulfil the Jesuitical mission he has been on all his adult life to meld the theological with the political. I'm afraid, very afraid. Anyway, whilever we have a free, uncensored Internet, I'll be out there in solidarity with Grog, Ad Astra and the rest of the 5th Estate prosecuting the case for 'Truth' Justice and the Australian Way!' :)

Bilko

27/09/2010Grog has hit a nerve with the MSM and if only like the ABC, worth caps today, the other media lift their game, not that I expect the Murdoch media to, then he has by his comments raised not only standards but the profile of the 5th estate. He deserves a medal and I am hanging on waiting with baited breath for his first QT report of the new parliament this week. Keep on blogging Grog we are all firmly support you.

HS

27/09/2010This is what I wrote on Grog's blog today: Hillbilly Skeleton said... You're supposed to pull your head in because you are a Public Servant who has ALP leanings, but Godwin Grech is allowed to feed information about the Rudd government direct to The Australian and the Liberal Party so as to attempt to help bring a legitimate government down? As if. Just more hypocrisy and double standards from the Ltd News plutochratic empire. Ignore their feeble attempts to silence you, Grog. In fact, use your newfound notoriety to expand your reach into the hearts and minds of more and still more Australians. Maybe this incident is the watershed that the 5th Estate has been waiting for in order to finally establish our bona fides in competition with the 'traditional' media sources of information and opinion? So I say to you, Grog, brush off the attacks now that you have been forced to come out of the closet. You may be temporarily bloodied, but remain unbowed. Let me tell you, from one who has copped the full brunt of an attack from the Coalition trolls on the News Ltd.'s blogs on many occasions, due to my particular circumstances which are similar to yours, being that I also am an intelligent & articulate blogger from the Left of Centre with a particular focus on issues which affect the Disabled and Carers, because I, too have a Disabled child and am his Carer at home, I say keep the blogging going full bore. The only difference between us has been that I took my assault on News Ltd.'s values directly to their blogs from Day 1, and have thus freely put myself out there to cop the sort of abuse that you have only had directed your way now, simply in order to expose it to those that read the Oz's Jack the Insider blog, as you probably already are well aware of, seeing how you used to comment there yourself in the beginning. So onwards and upwards, Grog. This kerfuffle can only increase the amount of traffic to your blog. Which is a good thing.

George Pike

27/09/2010A great post exposing Penberthy's racist leanings... http://loonpond.blogspot.com/2010/09/david-penberthy-and-quiet-stroll.html

jj

27/09/2010"I have no doubt that Alex Somlyay was got at by his own party. I mean, if Bill 'The Devil' Heffernan was prepared to have a go at Rob Oakeshott for daring to consider siding with the Labor Party" So What! Wouldnt the Labor Party try and do the same thing if it was the Liberal party in Government trying to snatch one of your folk? Oh and someone ought to tell Julia that she needs to at least look as though she has taken some 'what not to do' tips from Krudd: answer the question, and if you dont know the answer, dont just waste time...oh and rest the whole breaking promises thing.

Jason

27/09/2010jj, What? Abbott says you cant believe a word he says and signs and you have a go at others? Spare me getting desperate now jj!

HS

27/09/2010George Pike, You do know that Penberthy is half-Indian?

Lyn

27/09/2010Hi Everybody Latest news on Grog : [i]Twittersphere hit by storm over whether political blogger had a right to anonymity , Updated James Massola, The Australian[/i] Editor of the ABC's The Drum website, Jonathan Green, who has previously published Mr Jericho, wrote: “So you go away for a weekend and ... dear me. Massola, you goose”. He added of Media editor Geoff Elliott's editorial on the issue: “For mine the Oz argument is spurious and unutterably pompous.” http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/twittersphere-hit-by-storm-over-whether-political-blogger-had-a-right-to-anonymity/story-e6frg996-1225929874704 [i]Why the Grog’s Gamut outing harms The Australian, Tim Burrowes, Mumbrella[/i] This is, I think the biggest Twitter backlash to a journalist I’ve seen in Australia. That seems to be going on here. The Australian has outed the author of the Grog’s Gamut politics blog, and the Twitter community is rallying around one of its own. http://mumbrella.com.au/why-the-grogs-gamut-outing-harms-the-australian-33789 [i]Privacy is not a gift for journalists to bestow or withdraw, Tim Dunlop, B Sides This is laughable.[/i] There is no public interest in knowing Grogs' real name. Grogs did nothing wrong blogging as he did, violated no rules. The idea that someone "influencing the public debate" is not entitled to privacy can't be justified. I notice journalists Laura Tingle on Twitter this morning defending Grogs: @GrogsGamut I think you are supposed to start trembling and crawl terrified into a hole at this point. I hope you don't. http://tjd.posterous.com/privacy-is-not-a-gift-for-journalists-to-best [i]The Australian launches attack on Independent Blogger Grog’s Gamut, Reb, Gutter trash[/i] The Australia, in justifying its “expose” claims that “the prolific blogger shows a strong preference for the ALP, despite the Public Service code of conduct stating that “the APS is apolitical, performing its functions in an impartial and professional manner.” this move is represents a significant attack from News Limited on what it must see as a growing threat against its own diminishing relevance. http://guttertrash.wordpress.com:80/2010/09/27/the-australian-launches-attack-on-independent-blogger-grog’s-gamut/ [i]Grog's great anonymity gamble, Dominic Knight, ABC[/i] Massola has received a deluge of abuse, and his detractors have replaced their own pictures with Grog's avatar - which might explain why many people in your feed have confusingly transformed into Ralph Fiennes. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/stories/s3022696.htm [i]Grog's Gamut outed by The Australian , kim, Larvatus Prodeo[/i] In considering that, it’s worth noting that the probable outcome of this disclosure is that Grog will stop blogging. http://larvatusprodeo.net/2010/09/27/grogs-gamut-outed-by-the-australian/ [i]Twitter Trackbacks for Grog's Gamut[/i] “Who is Grog’s Gamut?!”. In response a handful of people stood up and announced “I’m Grog’s Gamut!” “No, I’m Grog’s Gamut!”. It was a response that... Read more I had been organised in advance by a some friends (including Wilson) as a bit of a joke because throughout the day the name “Grog’s Gamut” had been mentioned a few times – to the point where Osman Faruqi was tweeting that he had been having a drink every time it was mentioned and that he was pretty well on his ear. View page http://topsy.com/grogsgamut.blogspot.com/2010/09/spartacus-no-more.html [i]MSM Arrogance, Catallaxy Files[/i] Get the message – you can only be anonymous if the mainstream media grants you that privilege. Mr Jericho, who was the subject of intrigue at the Media 140 conference in Canberra last Thursday as an “embedded” but anonymous blogger, wore a nametag that gave his first name but not his last http://catallaxyfiles.com/2010/09/27/msm-arrogance/

jj

27/09/2010Oh i love all of this up in arms stuff about this guy. If he didnt think that his blog was going to affect the way people perceived his performance in the public service, then why didnt he use his full name from the start? He shouldn't be sacked, but he should be more honest.

Jason

27/09/2010jj, Why didn't he use his full name? why isn't he more honest? I think while ever we just see jj who are you to question anyone?????

TalkTurkey

27/09/2010Rupert is a frontline fighter for freedom of the Press. His Press. Freedom to intimidate, distort, misrepresent, cover up, incriminate by innuendo, whatever. He is worse by far than Bush, Howard or Abbott. They have all been his lickspittles. Grog On! Venceremos!

jimbo

27/09/2010You JJ are a bloody joke.That man you are running down with your utter hypocrisy has more sense in one of the pores on his skin than you have in your whole miserable body.You talk about honesty, compared to grog you egotistical old has been, you wouldnt know honesty even if it came up and hit you in the face.Anything you think you know comes straight from the libs blogsites ,abbott the wingnutt and his media hack pack that arent worth the money spent on them to buy ink let alone what they laughingly call reporting and you jj are just another one of these bilious blobs.Heres something novel JJ try doing some thinking and investigating of your own before you try writing your shite on this blogsite.I can only hope you read this blog grog and i say good onya grog keep up the good work and keep sticking it up them,they very much deserve it.As for you JJ either buck up or piss off you wont be missed you jumped up pissant.

Michael

27/09/2010Now, Jimbo, don't be harsh. Just because JJ is trying to attract enough attention to pick up Glenn Milne's old spot at The Oz...

jimbo

27/09/2010No worries Michael i just had to let off a little steam i dont know Grog but i have been reading his blogs for some time now and find his blogs to be honest,evenhanded and well thought out so when a jumped up little upstart like JJ thinks he is Gods gift to the blogosphere and Mr Rightous i get a little peeved.Really i am hoping that all like minded bloggers insulted by the msm over what they have done concerning Grog get angry and start telling everyone they can through blogs,twitter,facebook, any form of media that they are not going to put up with it and they are standing right beside Grog of Grogs Gamut.As for JJ and Glenn Milne they deserve each other.

George Pike

27/09/2010Looks like Slipper might slip the boot into the Liberals yet... http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/27/3023088.htm?section=justin

Jason

27/09/2010jj, The call has come if I could defend it I would, but this seems to be much better suited to your talents go get em! http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/09/27/3023063.htm?site=thedrum#comments

HS

27/09/2010George Pike, I just hope that the Liberals don't sink the slipper into Slipper overnight the way they did to Alex Somylay. You could tell by Somylay's body language when he was intervbiewed outside his house the other day that he had well and truly had the frighteners put right up him. Poor guy. Anyway, tomorrow is the day when we will find out just who is doing what. I can't wait! Then it's off to Canberra on Wednesday for the first Question Time and our new Member's Maiden Speech. Whacko! All the gory detail later in the week. :)

Ad astra reply

27/09/2010Grog I’ve just arrived in Charleville from Bourke and have just caught up with the furore over your ‘outing’ by [i]The Oz[/i]. I suppose [i]The Oz[/i] and James Massola thinks that’s a coup. Pathetic! Be reassured by one other blogger that your contributions are deeply respected, irrespective of what name you use, and we look forward to many, many more fine pieces from you that tells it the way it is, not like so many at [i]The Oz[/i], who tell it the way they would like it to be. Grog, do keep blogging, just like you have in the past. We need you,

HS

27/09/2010Here's another blog on #groggate: http://randomblackheartglittermoments.blogspot.com/2010/09/on-groggate.html

Ad astra reply

27/09/2010LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated with news about Grog. http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/Lyns-Daily-Links.aspx

Min

27/09/2010Ad astra, we've also been talking about this at: http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/come-monday-and-the-conspiracy-is-rekindled/#comment-9759 Special thanks goes to Joni who alerted the blogosphere to this story early this morning.

bilgedigger

27/09/2010Grog has upset The Australian which has proved it can't stand any criticism or even any opinion that doesn't agree with their vindictive appraisal of what constitute's "news". The paranoia has increased since they didn't get their own way at the election resulting in their herculean attempts to upset the umpire's verdict ever since. The Australian is a great user of "anonymous sources" even when it's blindingly obvious that there is no "source" at all and that "source"=their own agenda. As they say, we live in interesting times. Some time ago The Political Sword published a comment by someone which gave a detailed account of how people posting comments on blogs could protect their privacy. It seems to me to be a very appropriate time for this piece to be repeated.

HS

27/09/2010Don't worry biledigger, lyn or AA will dig out that reference you ask for, I can pretty well guarantee that. :)

HS

27/09/2010Here's another blog of support for Grog: http://consciencevote.wordpress.com/2010/09/27/who-has-the-right-to-speak/

Jason

27/09/2010HS, Katter is unstable I know, but for all his talk before siding with the coalition and with Pyne and Entch threatening not to give automatic pairs unless it's in the "national Interest" Katter says this today http://news.theage.com.au/breaking-news-national/katter-i-will-miss-votes-20100927-15ty1.html

Ad astra reply

27/09/2010Folks I have just posted [i]Are political labels useless?[/i] http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2010/09/27/Are-political-labels-useless.aspx It's somewhat philosophical, but touches on the important issue of how we select our politicians, something rendered more important than ever after the 2010 election.
How many umbrellas are there if I have two in my hand but the wind then blows them away?