The ugliness of political opportunism

While most politicians are political opportunists from time to time, as are some partisan journalists, some have made an art form of this form of political behaviour. This piece cites some examples and questions the place of opportunism in politics.

There are hundreds of examples of naked political opportunism from the past; this piece draws on recent examples.

First, take Tony Abbott’s comments about the NBN in the wake of the Queensland flood tragedy as expressed in an article in Business Spectator: Flood costs should drive NBN rethink: Abbott on January 7 that began: “The huge cost of responding to Queensland's flood crisis calls into question the wisdom of spending billions on a national broadband network (NBN), federal Opposition Leader Tony Abbott says.”  Here is my analysis of what was an interesting article that illustrated the multiple facets of political opportunism:

No doubt some would argue that Abbott is entitled to suggest that NBN money would be better spent helping flood restoration. In isolation, that would not be a reason for disgust. There are other reasons. First, as Hillbilly Skeleton pointed out at the time, he was playing on the raw emotions of those affected by the floods and of those who from afar empathized with them, when they were most vulnerable. At a time when everyone was distressed and wanting to help the flood victims and assist in restoring normality in the ravaged areas, the idea of diverting money from the NBN to flood restoration might have had superficial appeal to the unthinking. One could hear some saying – ‘that would be a better use of taxpayers’ money’. A time of high emotion is not the time to carry out complex discussions about such alternatives, or to jump to superficially plausible solutions. Abbott must have known this; if he didn’t, he has no right to be seeking prime ministership. But such considerations are irrelevant to him when an opportunity for wedge politics arises. To make such a suggestion shows once again that the NBN and all it will be able to do for our economy, for health and for education, is not valued by him. He seems unable to see its enormous potential; if he does and still seeks its ‘demolition’, again he is not fit for prime ministership.

Next, in order to reassure any doubters, he argued that: “…the scheme [the NBN] could be ‘perfectly well’ provided in most instances by private sector businesses…” He knows ‘perfectly well’ that is not so; the private sector has had a decade to provide fast broadband and it has not, nor will it, even if invited. The best we could expect would be cherry-picking the profitable parts and to hell with the rest, including most of rural Australia.

He then tried to advance his case by smearing the CEO of NBN Co. Mike Quigley, who was in the employ of Alcatel-Lucent at the time of a bribe scandal by saying: "Senior officials of the NBN were in charge at Alcatel when illegal bribes were paid" although the article itself stated: “Mike Quigley, head of NBN Co, the company responsible for rolling out the network, and his chief financial officer, Jean-Pascal Beaufret, were previously senior executives at Alcatel-Lucent, but played no part in the bribe investigation.” So there although was no association, Abbott still smeared these men with reckless abandon.

Finally, unable to resist any opportunity to smear the Government once again, he repeated his old mantra: “He said this was particularly the case given the government's ‘appalling record of mismanagement’ when it came to the stewardship of public money.”

So an opportunity for driving a wedge was exploited ruthlessly, and the wedge driven in with several well aimed blows.

Another recent example of opportunism, this time by journalists, occurred at the January 11 press conference about the flood crisis conducted by Julia Gillard in Canberra. Her focus was on the depth and tragic implications of this human and economic tragedy. Yet that did not stop a Canberra Press Gallery journalist (identity unknown) asking whether the cost of restoration after the flood would result in the Government revising its promise to restore the federal budget to surplus by 2012/13. No doubt the journalist was trawling for a gotcha statement had the PM said revision would now be necessary. The hoped-for headline ‘PM reneges on promise to bring budget into surplus’ was denied when she unequivocally said ‘no’. Yet he persisted with a variant of the question and got the same response. That she kept her cool and eschewed dealing out a rebuff is a tribute to her patience with such aggressive journalists. Another journalist later asked a question about the timing of the health reforms, implying they might not be able to occur as planned, possibly hoping too for a gotcha moment, and got the appropriate brief response that left the message that such a question was inappropriate on such a solemn occasion.

I was incensed by such insensitive and blatantly political questioning while many of our countrymen were lying dead in their inundated homes or cars, or drowned in flooded watercourses. It was surprising yet gratifying to hear talkback callers on ABC radio expressing similar annoyance. Several from Canberra called to express their solidarity with the people of Queensland, to apologize for the conduct of the Canberra Press Gallery journalists, and assure Queenslanders that the people of Canberra were not tarred with the same self-serving attitude as Canberra’s introspective journalists who seem to live in their own little inward-looking political bubble. It is heartening that the political opportunism of the journalists was so apparent to ABC listeners. Whether any of this filtered into the rarified atmosphere of editorial corridors in Canberra is unknown, but with the Twitter aficionados at large, it would be a pretty disconnected journalist that did not get the feedback.

On the Ashghebranious website, Ash drew attention to Tony Abbott’s utterances early in the flood crisis when Abbott said he would ensure that the Government lived up to his promises, something his supporters would no doubt applaud, in a piece titled Scrutinize.  

Ash said: “Okay I should be more specific. Mr. Abbott plans to scrutinise. He proposes that while a flood is happening and while people are in need and despair, he and the coalition will watch and make sure the government delivers help to the people. See. What I want to know is why he can’t roll up his sleeve, pitch a hand, and then scrutinise later.” We would all like to know.

The serious floods had hardly begun when Barnaby Joyce pontificated on the subject of dams, giving the impression that not enough had been built for flood mitigation, although there had been Coalition opposition to recently proposed dams.

Tony Abbott then appeared in the flooded areas, declared the floods a tragedy, and soon echoed Joyce with more talk about dams. It was not his intervention in the flood crisis, it was not his showing of concern for those affected by the floods that evoked criticism; it was his characteristically opportunistic approach. Had he said: “The Opposition is one with the Government in providing assistance and support for flood-ravaged communities”, he would have earned applause. Instead, with his comments about the need for Australia to overcome ‘its dam phobia’, and his thought bubble to form a Coalition committee headed by Andrew Robb to investigate the building of further dams, leading no doubt to another of his well-tried three-word slogans, such as ‘Build More Dams’, he opportunistically politicized the floods. Like all the other three-worders, it would sound plausible, indeed to the unthinking and uninformed it would seem an obvious solution; it would fit with the Coalition’s ‘Direct Action’ image that Abbott likes to portray, and would paint the Coalition and its ‘Action Man’ leader as on the ball, in contrast to his opponents whom he always portrays as not knowing what to do, and of dragging the chain.

His intervention suggested that Labor governments had got the issue of dams wrong, notwithstanding NLP opposition to recently proposed ones, and that Action Man could get it right, as usual. He knew full well that the existence of the Coalition committee would keep the matter in the public eye as long as he wanted, even if it concluded, as have most experts, that dam building is a complex issue, especially when the dams are somehow expected to store water for when it is needed, as they always have been, but able to catch flood water when that is what was needed. I suspect that the Coalition taskforce is more to give him an opportunity to spread misinformation and keep the blowtorch to the Government than it is about finding a solution to flood mitigation.

So if Abbott had stuck to showing solidarity with those affected by the floods we would have clapped our hands. If he had waited until the crisis was under control to voice his thoughts about the value of dams in flood mitigation, it would likely have been seen as a helpful addition to this vexed debate. It was his penchant for trying to opportunistically turn every event, no matter how devastating, no matter how contemporaneous, immediately to his political advantage, that was reprehensible.

If more examples of political opportunism were needed, this piece could have been many times longer. But these recent examples serve to illustrate its prevalence and to demonstrate its ugliness. It is a sad impediment to balanced dialogue about important national issues. Is there any remedy, or is this an incurable malady in our political system?

What do you think?

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Feral Skeleton

21/02/2011NormanK, It has been reported that a Senior journalist said recently,"It's not about the reality, it's about the perception."

Catching up

21/02/2011One hundred percent agreement. These ghost will come home to haunt him at a later date. Mr. Abbott is ignoring the fact that others can use the wedge as well. Not one question from the Coalition on the Middle East. I would have thought this was important.

lyn

21/02/2011Hi Ad Thankyou for your delicious, delectable column today, "The-ugliness-of-political-opportunism." Ad you just delight us all the time eveytime. We could never do without you. [quote]'it would fit with the Coalition’s ‘Direct Action’ image that Abbott likes to portray, and would paint the Coalition and its ‘Action Man’ leader as on the ball, in contrast to his opponents whom he always portrays as not knowing what to do, and of dragging the chain'. [/quote] All this action man stuff, it's like a television advertisement from a huge marketing company. Reminds me of Bryce Courtenay's last novel, The Fortune Cookie." They the Liberals run around using the term "it's not real", Abbott's the one who is not real. :)

Patricia WA

21/02/2011[b]Action Man Is For Real![/b] More than Tony’s wheels go spinning On his long rides for ‘charity’. Ideas for election winning Emerge for him with clarity. Easy to see how ‘Action Man’ Thinks, as he runs and rides the surf. How he conceived his ‘Action Plan,’ How to promote it with astroturf. Slogans seep out with Tony’s sweat, “Stop the waste!” That’s the people’s voice! Joe’ll keep repeating that, for all he’s wet! Gee, I wish we’d hung on to Barnaby Joyce. “Stop the Boats!” That unites the nation! But when they sink? Spilt milk! Oh dear! But in my funeral oration, I’ll show the ALP’s to blame! That's clear. I have a policy on water! Fighting floods or Labor’s drought, I’ll ask the farmers if we oughta Build more dams once Gillard’s out. Once that woman’s out of my hair I’ll do something for public health. Do I really mean that sentence there? I meant, encourage private wealth.

lyn

21/02/2011Hi Patricia WA You must have a wonderful time in your body. Patricia WA, we couldn't do without you either. Thankyou for your poem, a work of art. cheers

Ad astra reply

21/02/2011Folks It's been a hectic day: attending lectures all morning, a clinical symposium at lunchtime, judging at a clinico-pathological conference all afternoon, and another event this evening. So there's not time to fill you in today.  I'll do so tomorrow. Thank you for your comments, your kind words Lyn, and your clever poem Patricia WA.

D Mick Weir

21/02/2011I cried when I read this http://www.andrewleigh.com/blog/?p=575

Bring Back Maxine

22/02/2011Hi AA Another masterpiece and a timely one at that!! Latest Newspoll 50:50 Julia Gillard has opened a 53-31 lead over Tony Abbott as preferred prime minister. Her net satisfaction rating +11 vs -11 for Catatony Abbott. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2011/02/21/newspoll-50-50-6/comment-page-1/#comments It appears that Catatony is now paying the [b]Opportunity Cost[/b] for the political capital he has squandered by the opportunism as demonstrated by your article. BTW Congrats to both you & Mrs AA on winning your award!

TalkTurkey

22/02/2011PatriciaWA Abbortt is dead meat. Your pome is part of the quickening dance on his political grave. Stop press (Midnight QT) Julia just that moment said to him "... and you get on with your whinging because that's all you can do." Now the very beautiful Chris Evans is giving the De-Coalition a serve. He is the sort of person who is needed for this nation to blossom when we have scotched the poisonous worms on the Opposition. Not long now. They have wedged themselves so poetically. Right Whack! And Bill Shorten really enjoys QT. Very few of the Opposition do though! But Hockey was havin' a ball, ha ha hahhhhh! Now here's some gems from today's AGE. Boy ol' Michelle could spin straw out of gold. Sorry to have quoted such a lump but the sting is in the tail, the last line. (Scorpions in extremis sting themselves to death rather than let others kill them. Not that I'd intimate that Michelle is poisonous, not much anyway. Here Michelle is telling Abbortt what he must do.) I'll just intersperse a few comments thus: > like this 'One Nation writes Liberal policy' Michelle Grattan [Poll: Do you support the Liberal Party's renewed commitment to multiculturalism? > WHAT "renewed commitment" Michelle? > (Oh and WTF does the question mean anyway?) Yes 57% No 43% Total votes: 217. ..] "SENIOR frontbenchers have urged Tony Abbott to publicly reaffirm the opposition's commitment to a multicultural Australia and a non-discriminatory immigration policy, as Prime Minister Julia Gillard yesterday tried to tie the Coalition to the ''ugly spectre'' of One Nation. Malcolm Turnbull, Deputy Opposition Leader Julie Bishop and shadow attorney-general and leading moderate George Brandis said Mr Abbott should restate the policy. The call came at a shadow cabinet discussion at which Mr Abbott strongly condemned damaging leaks and tried to bring discipline to his divided ranks." > Did he Shelley? (Anybody seen her source?) "But a fresh rift opened over a motion moved in Parliament last night by immigration spokesman Scott Morrison, which calls on the government to give priority in Australia's refugee program to people applying offshore rather than arriving by boat. Liberal moderate Judi Moylan, the only other Liberal speaker, criticised the proposal, calling on ''the government and the opposition to stop the political tactics around asylum seekers''. In question time, Ms Gillard said recent politics had raised the ''spectre of One Nation''. ''One Nation through and through'' had been writing the opposition's economic, foreign and immigration policies, she said. In proposing cuts to finance floods reconstruction, the best Mr Abbott could do was ''to snatch a One Nation email and follow it home'' - a reference to a recent extensive One Nation-inspired campaign for foreign aid cuts. Ms Gillard praised Liberal prime ministers Menzies, Holt and Fraser over their attitudes on immigration, contrasting this with ''another path'' of channelling fear and resentment into political gain, which was seen with One Nation. This had been defeated by parties uniting against it, but now ''that grubby path is before us again [and] the principal task of this Parliament this week is to banish that spectre again''. To do this, Mr Abbott must remove Mr Morrison and his parliamentary secretary, Cory Bernardi." > Note that that last sentence was not in quotemarks. So Michelle herself is telling Toe-Rag he must ditch 'em. Beaudy 'Shell. You got your teeth sharpened is it? Sool 'im! Sool 'im Girl!

lyn

22/02/2011[i]TODAY'S LINKS[/i] [i]Newspoll 50-50 William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i] The Australian reports this fortnight’s Newspoll has it at 50-50, compared with 52-48 in the http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/ [i]Gillard gains as Abbott suffers , Dennus Shanahan, The Australian[/i] extended her lead over Tony Abbott as preferred Prime Minister to 22 points – 53 per cent to 31 per cent. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/gillard-support-soars/story-e6frg6n6-1226009704394 [i]On The QT: The Aspirational Class, Greg Jericho, Grog's Gamut [/i]Paul Sheehan in the SMH writing such garbage that apparently results in him getting paid (geez, I once used to think you had to have intelligence http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/ [i]How the Coalition lost their lead or ‘Scott Happens’, Ashghebranios, Ash's machiavellian Bloggery[/i] My advice Tony? Maybe Scott can get a sore throat and be unable to speak for say…. 15 months? http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com:80/2011/02/21/how-the-coalition-lost-their-lead-or-scott-happens [i]Tony Abbott owes $16,100.00, Peter Martin[/i] GetUp!'s Simon Sheikh says seven months on he is finding it hard to nail Tony Abbott down... http://www.petermartin.com.au/2011/02/tony-abbott-owes-16100.html [i]MY ABC putting MY Taxes to work,Neil Cook,The Bannerman[/i] The ABC is doing what the ABC does. Provide a platform for discussion and debate where both sides of any issue can meet on neutral ground. http://www.waddayano.org/blog/2011/02/my_abc_putting_my_taxes_to_wor.php#more [i]Coalition’s Dog Whistle Politics – “as low as you can go”, Reb, Gutter Trash[/i] the Coalition wouldn’t want the facts to get in the way of whipping up a bit of public resentment http://guttertrash.wordpress.com:80/2011/02/21/coalitions-dog-whistle-politics-as-low-as-you-can-go/ [i]The Nations Leaders and the Media – who is the ‘WHORE’ and who is the ‘JOHN’?, Bleyzie, The Eye-ball Opinion[/i] In all cases the Media are the WHORE – for the right price they will do anything to get the story http://bleyzie.wordpress.com:80/2011/02/21/the-nations-leaders-and-the-media-who-is-the-whore-and-who-is-the-john/ [i]And they wonder why Australians rebel, Jeremy Sear, An Onymous Lefty[/i] Unfortunately, then John Howard signed us up to the disastrously one-sided “Free Trade” Agreement with the US, http://anonymouslefty.wordpress.com/2011/02/21/and-they-wonder-why-australians-rebel/ [i]Documentaries to make you think, cringe, cry, or wonder.. 2 , Neil's Second Decade[/i] This documentary is a model of judicious presentation. I hope our ABC gives it the Four Corners treatment http://neil2decade.wordpress.com:80/2011/02/21/documentaries-to-make-you-think-cringe-cry-or-wonder-2 [i]Have the Australian Greens become Julia Gillard's 'Useful Idiots'? Dr Tad, Left Flank[/i] The levy debate is in reality a way of softening people up for austerity measures demanded by bosses and financial markets http://left-flank.blogspot.com/2011/02/have-australian-greens-become-julia.html#more [i]What will we learn from the Medicare Locals tender documents?, Melissa Sweet, Croakey[/i] Dr Harry Hemley, president of the Australian Medical Association Victoria, has some questions about how they will work, http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/2011/02/21/what-will-we-learn-from-the-medicare-locals-tender-documents/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+CrikeyBlogs%2Fcroakey+%28Croakey%29 [i]What effect has the internet had on journalism?, Aleks Krotski, Guardian UK[/i] If knowledge is power, the web is the greatest tool in the history of the world. http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2011/feb/20/what-effect-internet-on-journalism?commentpage=1#comment-9648664

Feral Skeleton

22/02/2011I don't know how many times I have written this recently, but here I go again. Just when you think that the Coalition can't sink any lower when it comes to their Immigration policy, they do. Last night, as Talk Turkey has outlined, Scott Morrison introduced the Coalition's new 'Boat People' policy. It seeks to put a cap on the number of Visas granted to refugees that arrive by boat. They then want to increase the number of Asylum Seekers that are allowed into Australia from the refugee camps around the world. Such cruel & inhumane determinism cannot be allowed to succeed in this country. Do we want to operate an Immigration policy wherein we start 'Turning Around the Boats' once some arbitrary number of Aslyum Seeker arrivals by boat per year has been exceeded?

lyn

22/02/2011Hi Hillbilly Looks like more trouble in the Liberals camp, result of Scott Morrison, as you and Talk Turkey have been telling us about: [i]Morrison speech provokes new Liberal infighting over asylum-seekers , Joe Kelly, The Australian[/i] Independent MP Tony Windsor said it was clear One Nation and Pauline Hanson still had a presence in the federal parliament and that Tony Abbott was preying on "the same nerve ends". "There's no doubt that One Nation's alive and well in the building," Mr Windsor told reporters. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/morrison-provokes-new-liberal-infighting-over-asylum-seekers/story-fn59niix-1226009887623 Ms Moylan's stand comes after Coalition [i]Coalition MP breaks ranks over refugee policy, ABC[/i] immigration spokesman Scott Morrison moved a motion in Parliament to cap the number of refugee visas that can be granted to people arriving by boat. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/22/3145016.htm

Feral Skeleton

22/02/2011I knew it! There was protocol and the law of the land in play in siting the funerals of the Asylum Seekers in Sydney last week: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/21/3144848.htm

Feral Skeleton

22/02/2011Hi lyn, I'll have you know your links have led me on a merry dance this morning all around the web, starting from TPS! Now to go and do some housework. :) (Not that I mind, of course).

Feral Skeleton

22/02/2011This is an interesting little aside wrt Scott Morrison's Bill tabling in parliament last night: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/morrison-provokes-new-liberal-infighting-over-asylum-seekers/story-fn59niix-1226009887623

Feral Skeleton

22/02/2011If you really must read Niki Savva's latest piece of recycled Liberal garbage, here it is: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/commentary/multicultural-revival-is-convenient/story-e6frgd0x-1226009657693?from=public_rss

Ad astra reply

22/02/2011Folks I'm off for another day at the conference - I will be back later. Newspoll is certainly a good turn around. May be people are waking up to Tony Abbott. Thank you BBM for your kind comments.

lyn

22/02/2011Hi Hillbilly [quote] I'll have you know your links have led me on a merry dance this morning all around the web[/quote], Hillbilly, that's what they do to me, aren't our blog, site owners just delightful. But you see, the crazy braves and you know who I mean, are the ones lighting up the web. I will be interested to see Mr Abbott's behaviour in Parliament Question time, this afternoon, he generally suffers 2 types, one subdued & snarely, one boisterious.

Feral Skeleton

22/02/2011lyn, I hope the government give the Opposition a good 'shellacking' today in Question Time. Sadly, I won't be there as I am going into my son's school for a meeting. I'm hoping there is a podcast or vodcast downloadable later, on the APH website, for my listening enjoyment later. :) It's my prediction that, as the Liberals hate losers and cut them off at the knees with a ruthless abandon, that the S.S.Abbott has started taking water and the call will soon go out, especially if the Coalition continue to have 'bad weeks' in the Lioness' den of parliament as the Press Gallery euphemistically write them off as, to 'Abandon Ship!'

2353

22/02/2011(Despite the 50 to 100mm of rain last night in a storm) Brisbane is slowly getting back to normal after the January floods. The task is however ongoing - for example the two Bunnings stores closest to my place are both closed due to flooding with signage suggesting they expect to open in late March. Both carparks are a sea of skips at the moment. A local "Good Guys" opened for the first time last week. After cleaning the streets, the Council has been cleaning out the stormwater system, closing and removing rubbish from the temporary dumps and so on. Haven't seen hide or hair of Abbott and his promised "scrutiny" of the clean up operations - however the three levels of Government seem to be doing a good job in his absence! I've also been to Cairns for work recently and while the city seemed to have got off pretty lightly post Cyclone Yasi, again the three levels of Government seemed to be acting appropriately without the "scrutiny" of Abbott and co. NormanK would probably agree from his vantage point in the Burdekin. As a matter of fact, the only "scrutiny" I can see is Abbott knocking an attempt by the Federal Government to fund the recovery. Depending on which report you read, the cost for repair of roads alone in Queensland is somewhere between $2 and $5 Billion (and according to Bligh, Queensland isn't the only jurisdiction that doesn't insure roads). John Howard was also a believer in Self Insurance for Australian Government assets apparently. Regular readers may remember I asked Joyce's Office if he still stood by his opposition to the proposed Traveson Dam on the Sunshine Coast given his call to build more dams. I was sent a "stock" email and am still waiting for the "peer reviewed articles" that I asked for to justify his claims. Joyce's calls for more dams and the LNP committee to establish more dams seems to have gone extremely quiet. The LNP seem to be looking for something that will gain traction quickly, rather than work on policy and a sustained discussion on why the LNP are different and better. So far this year they have tried dog whistling on natural disasters (and left that alone when roundly and justifiably howled down), the flood levy/tax (when it seems that the legislation will get up anyway) and now they are attempting another go at asylum seekers (and getting roundly criticised again). Abbott and co may be the exception that proves the rule that suggests that no one ever went broke underestimating the lowest common denominator. So far I haven't heard of anything they would do (except for opposing anything Gillard does do). Hopefully the Australian public can see through the pretence of the Leader of the Opposition bouncing from issue to issue like a pinball and are waiting for Abbott to be replaced by someone with morals, ethics and an idea of policy prior to the next election.

NormanK

22/02/2011Ad astra Political opportunism is not incurable. It can be kept in remission if it is called for what it is every time someone seeks to exploit it at inappropriate times. Of course it will always exist, it is part of the political arsenal but as with so may things, context and timing are the best ways by which to measure its legitimacy. As long as political opponents and some sections of the media point out when it is in poor taste or irrelevant to the national debate, we stand a chance of putting it back into its box. It is good to see the Labor Government meeting it head-on because the voracious media will eventually follow them and the public will become disenchanted with a party which continues to employ such tactics. As for opportunism in the media, we may just have to learn to live with it and highlight it on forums such as this to make other people aware of its existence. The payoff for journalists far outweighs the risks and with their attitude of believing in a perpetual present, they will never admit to being wrong or unethical.

lyn

22/02/2011Hi Everybody Liberals try to withdraw Scott Morrison's motion, prensented 9 pm last night. I notice Ben Packman writes, Motion can only be removed without fuss, if LABOR agrees, not the Government, Oh! don't say Government that's recognition and respect. Libs tried to prevent Scott Morrison speech on boatpeople which has sparked new infighting , Ben packman. The Australian The Australian Online has learned that opposition whip Warren Entsch asked Labor whip Joel Fitzgibbon yesterday if the motion could be quietly removed from the day's running sheet. The motion could only have been removed without fuss with the [b]agreement of Labor[/b] http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/morrison-provokes-new-liberal-infighting-over-asylum-seekers/story-fn59niix-1226009887623

NormanK

22/02/2011FS I missed your comment yesterday - I couldn't work out where everyone had racked off to. If a journalist has suggested that perceptions matter more than reality, I would have to ask what the context was for the comment. If he/she was making a descriptive remark then probably I could agree with it but if instead it was a "prescriptive" statement then I would be seriously dismayed. Yes, I would agree that many of our decisions and opinions are based on perceptions but this does not mean that the only thing our reporters need to feed us are perceptions or opinions. Our perceptions are based on the facts presented to us and it is incumbent on the media to give us the most factual account of events that they reasonably can. This is why I have come to loathe programmes like Insiders - I tune in for their insights and the knowledge they may have which others do not but all that we get is opinion. I've had a gutful of opinion as news. The Sydney funerals are a case in point. Why did we have to wait for Senate Estimates to reveal the legalities of where the Christmas Island victims could be buried? I ask again why no journalist has offered a facts-based interpretation of Bowen's actions with regard to Seena and others? 2353 may be on the money in suggesting that the Canberra Gallery no longer know how to do independent research. I may have to live with the public perception, endlessly repeated in the media, that Bowen was heartless in sending them back to CI but I live in hope that the full circumstances and constraints will come to light sooner rather than later. Based on not much more than the Minister's demeanour, I don't think this was on off-hand decision and nor was it hard-hearted. 2353 I forgot that you were sitting under those storms last night - I hope all is well. And yes, the relevant authorities are doing a wonderful job in the Burdekin despite the lack of oversight by Mr Abbott who is looking more and more as though he has had far too much red cordial.

D Mick Weir

22/02/2011Bill Leak: http://newmatilda.com/2011/02/22/trying-stop-boats-0

TalkTurkey

22/02/2011Our hearts go out yet again with even more sorrow to fellow humans suffering from an unpredictable natural disaster. This time the people are Kiwis, our closest bosom friends. Let the horror of it bring home to the hard-hearted amongst us just how fragile we all are and that any day we may be the very individuals under the rubble or in the burning house or being washed away, or storm-tossed on the high seas fleeing from intolerable tyranny, and serve to soften those hard hearts towards our fellow beings of every description. Julia Gillard should be silently honoured for having last week so assured New Zealanders of the special place they have for Australians. This will help to comfort the Kiwis, and our help they will indeed need. This terrible event, and the eerily-prescient wisdom and humanity of our Prime Minister, will in the long run bring our nations closer still. Let the quibbling about levies and boat people and other divisive issues in Australia now cease. Let us remember who we are and what we want of this society, and think about how as a united and consistent people we can go about ameliorating the injustices which have always been perpetuated by those whose attitudes have been the antithesis of 'christian' values. I think first of all of our indigenous peoples. Poor Dear Kiwis. Very much needs fixing in our two nations now, and it will cost us all a little, but let us remind ourselves how fortunate we are to be living in countries having infrastructure and resources and strong economies - unlike many of the places in the world where for no fault of their own (and often due to actions of Westerners) the people have almost no recourse to help. In parts both of Australia and New Zealand there is now almost a post-war situation. Let us in the process of reconstruction as Julia is saying as I write, "It is time to put the politics aside." Took the words right out of my mind. Chin up Kiwis. We love you well, and you are special to us. Though proper Australians respect equally all peoples and nations, you are the first among those equals, and I am confident that our Government has the decency to offer our help in any way we can.

Patricia WA

22/02/2011Loved the Leak cartoon, DMW. As one does, I browsed through the others on offer. I particularly liked this one: http://newmatilda.com/2010/11/23/just-no-pleasing-some-people-0.

Ad astra reply

22/02/2011TT What a terrible tragedy our kiwi friends have suffered. I trust our PM, who made such an impression in NZ, will offer our heartfelt support and sympathy.

Patricia WA

22/02/2011Sorry, TT, bad timing there with the cartoon, interrupting your sombre note. I must remember always to hit that refresh button before submitting a response to a recent comment. Back to your fitting remarks. Yes indeed, our Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, did say it was time to put politics aside. Our Honourable Leader of the Opposition agreed with her. Could it be that this time he too understands [quote]how fragile we all are and that any day we may be the very individuals under the rubble or in the burning house or being washed away, or storm-tossed on the high seas fleeing from intolerable tyranny.[/quote] With all that turmoil in the Middle East there are going to be a lot more desperate people seeking refuge on the high seas.

Ad astra reply

22/02/2011NormanK Thank you for your comment. Opportunism may not be curable, but aversion therapy is worth a go, and the Liberals seem to be self-medicating. At least some have an aversion to the recent Scott Morrison opportunism, and feel they have had enough. You are right, we need to expose opportunism relentlessly, until, maybe, even journalists develop an aversion to it and start to call it for what it is, rather than trying to excuse or overlook it, as they one do too often.

NormanK

22/02/2011Very well said, TT. Out hearts go out to all involved.

Ad astra reply

22/02/2011Folks I promised to get back to you with a brief account of the conference I'm attending - there may be some tidbits that will be of interest. At the opening of each conference of the Asia Pacific Region of the World Organization of Family Doctors, there is an oration named in my honour that is given by a distinguished family doctor.  This time the orator was a longstanding colleague and dear friend who once practiced across the mountain from me in rural Victoria, and who gravitated to the same university department as I did.  He became an author of several medical books and has recently produced the fifth edition of the most widely read book on general practice in the world, now published in eleven languages. He drew on that book to describe the diagnostic processes used in family practice, ones he has been teaching for years, but now with some additions of contemporary relevance.  One that struck me was the emphasis now being placed on environmental issues, and the term 'green prescription', was used to indicate where the family doctor includes in the consultation with the patient discussion on how we might reduce our carbon footprint.  Some doctors' surgeries now take a deliberate 'green' approach.  It gave me great joy to present him with the orator's gold medal. Although it might have seemed coincidental, the two following speakers, one a previous director of the prestigious London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, the other a family doctor from Paraguay, both emphasized the need for doctors to be environmentally attuned, and to have a population perspective as well as a personal relationship with the patient. The first spoke of the health effects of adverse weather events, such as the heat wave that killed so many elderly in Paris a couple of years ago, the Pakistan floods more recently, and the effects of gradual inundation in Bangladesh which brought increased salination and lower crop yields.  Although each event is not directly attributable to global warming, the frequency of severe adverse weather events certainly points to carbon dioxide as the culprit. The speaker warned of the dire consequences that might occur should these warning signs be ignored.  He insisted that a carbon tax could be revenue- neutral. The speaker from Uruguay told about the destruction of rain forests to create farming land, the large carbon footprint of beef cattle compared with vegetable crops, and the carbon-dilemma created by developing such a large cattle industry on which so many now depend. The lesson was that a diet rich in fruit and vegetables and less so in meat would lower carbon emissions. Again the environmental message for family doctors was loud and clear. In the afternoon I was judge in a contest between residents from five family medicine training programs in the Philippines who were given a case history of a young boy who had cerebral malaria to analyze and discuss.  What struck me as most interesting was the focus on the physical aspects of the case over other aspects, in this case the area from which the boy came, one where malaria is endemic.  Again, the environmental aspects were of great importance in this instance, and prevention of such diseases as important as how to treat them. In this morning's lectures once more population and environmental issues were to the fore. Some of you may question whether environmental and population issues ought to occupy the time of family doctors.  Well it is just not possible to properly assess a patient's problems unless the family, work and physical environment are taken into account, as so often the answers lie out there.  The family doctor must be able figuratively to use a zoom lens, sometimes seeing the patient throughout a normal lens, sometimes looking through a telephoto lens at fine details via imaging and laboratory tests, but always using a wide angle lens to view the patient against the family, work, community and physical environment, and occasionally against the political environment, especially when health inequities exist. Family medicine is multiple-dimensional and therefore requires an approach that ranges from examining fine detail to taking into account the broadest considerations.  Population and environmental issues are of critical importance and with climate change and severe weather events occurring more frequently, doctors not only have to be aware of them and their impact, but ought to be advocates for action, lest neglect and indolence jeopardize our planet and the people on it.  That is the message I carry from this conference.

D Mick Weir

22/02/2011NormanK I would like to pick up on your point about 'perception' and your comment [i]'Our perceptions are based on the facts presented to us and it is incumbent on the media to give us the most factual account of events that they reasonably can'[/i]. Our perceptions may also colour the way we see the news presented. All of us are the sum of our biases and experiences and it can take some effort to step aside from our biases to see things from another angle. As to the duty of the media give factual account I couldn't agree more, however, it seems that expectations of the 'great unwashed' in how news is presented seem to have changed. Before I go on I must make a declaration of interest. Many moons ago I worked in the 'meeja' and also at parliament house (the old one in Canberra). I was not a journalist or a 'frontline' personality but did sometimes play a part in spreading the news. I was also at times able to engineer the timing of the release of news and helped with a leak or two. Oh and sometimes I even made the news but that is another story!!! I also point out that no defence is intended in any of the following words. Things have changed since I was part of it. The speed with which the news can be spread is beyond whatever any of us could have imagined back then. Laurie Oakes in the introduction to his recent book (which I can't recall the title of) highlights this as he relates the story of an event during the 1969 election in Perth when he asked Whitlam to comment on something that Gorton (i think) had said about him in Sydney. Gough declined to comment until he had heard the exact words and understood the context in which they were spoken. It took 24 hours or so to get a tape to Oakes so he could follow up on the story. Today that would be unthinkable and maybe 'ridiculous'. The audio would be in the hands of minders within minutes of the words being spoken. Another very important and little understood change is the physical environment in which the game of politics is played. The move to the current parliament house changed dramatically the way we are governed and the interactions between the press and the pollies. In the old house ministers, backbenchers, staff and the press walked and stalked the same corridors. Many of the facilities were also shared. Many a leak occurred because of some injudicious words being spoken while taking one. Backbenchers and journalists alike could corner a minister in a corridor (or the facilities) and get answers before he could get to his office. Another change has been about how information is released. There is tighter control on the release and although FOI has helped it can be at times like getting blood out of a stone. Add in the the media monitoring and manipulation that occurs on both sides has made life more difficult for journalists. Many have not been able to cope with the changes. Re: [i]‘2353 may be on the money in suggesting that the Canberra Gallery no longer know how to do independent research.’[/i] That is one 'perception' that may have merit but condsider this: These days there would be a lot more 'interdependent' research going on as we live in an age of collaboration that has been spawned by the internet. Certainly the use of the internet as a ‘resource’ for reporters has increased. I suspect the opportunities for ‘independent research’ may have decreased. Even Laurie Oakes has trouble getting ‘inside information’ dropped into his letterbox as it is probably kept under surveillance! Having said that, I think that the natural competition between the various media outlets and journalists to get ‘the big one’ ensures that there is a lot of 'sniffing, snooping and plying' going on. I suggest that the breaking of the story of the 'big spill' last year is one example of 'sniffing and snooping'. None of the above excuses some of the poor reporting we now get and I bow to Mr Denmores wise words on the subject. I only offer them up so that there may be 'another understanding and perception' on why we are where we are with 'the game'.

Feral Skeleton

22/02/2011lyn, Brilliant crystallisationn of the salient point: [quote]I notice Ben Packman writes, Motion can only be removed without fuss, if LABOR agrees, not the Government, Oh! don't say Government that's recognition and respect. [/quote]

Feral Skeleton

22/02/2011Hello! Back from doing lots of real world things today. :) Actually, I'm quite worried about a friend of mine who comes from Christchurch. He rang me last week and said he might pop over home this week to visit his mum. I left him a message on facebook and he hasn't got back to me yet. I hope he's OK. :(

Feral Skeleton

22/02/2011D Mick Weir, Your words about the media 'game' in Canberra have brought to the front of my mind scenes from the period I myself spent in Parliament House, not as an MP's Press factotum, but as an Intern in one of the Senator's offices. So I know what you mean about the difficulty the Press Gallery may have in being able to buttonhole an MP, or source, compared with the bygone days at old Parliament House. The new building is such a cavernous place, that it's easier to lose an MP than to find one. However, I might just provide a perspective at variance with yours wrt new Parliament House's inability to allow the ducks and drakes games of politics that insiders love so much and which greases the wheels of government, opposition and media reporting, to still occur. For it was my experience of watching how the issues around legislation developed, as it is legislation which is the coin of the realm of parliament, that led me to an appreciation of how the 'new' nooks and crannies of new Parliament House were being used when negotiations were going on over votes(in the Senate in my instance). I loved just going for a wander around the labyrinthine corridors of power, and would often see one Senator or another scurrying from the office of the PM, or another Senator's office, and back to their own office, not by the corridors which were traversed by most others, but via one of the lesser known courtyards, so as not to be seen by the hoi polloi. And, especially not by the Press Gallery journalists. Then there was the Press Gallery itself. Situated all along a corridor on the Upper Floor of Parliament House between the House of Reps and the Senate, it certainly had a hive-like atmosphere. And, not a little incestuous! No wonder the senior journalists there, especially, lose a sense of connection with the real world. They just spend so much of their lives living and breathing politics and all its machinations and contortions. A 'real life' is as foreign to them, if not more so than it is to the politicians there, because they never seem to leave until they retire. Of course they have families and all that entails out of parliament, but often not. Often they are married to each other and their children are even ending up following in their footsteps. So, basically, it leaves one with little expectation that the intrigue, the focus on the minutiae of 'the game', and the lack of a worldly perpective, will be resolved in our parliament anytime soon. DMW, humans are very adaptive beasts, as you know, and they have indeed found new ways to get up to the old tricks that you observed over many years in Old Parliament House.

Feral Skeleton

22/02/2011Patricia WA, [quote]With all that turmoil in the Middle East there are going to be a lot more desperate people seeking refuge on the high seas. [/quote] That's exactly what I was thinking myself over the last few days. Especially since Scott Morrison's latest Bill was tabled, attempting to wedge the government over Asylum Seekers, yet again. I thought to myself, well, say he gets his cap on Boat Arrivals, what about if the next boat after the cap is reached has come our way from Bahrain, or Lybia, or Yemen? Would he, as Immigration Minister, and Tony Abbott, as PM(heaven forbid), send out the order to the Navy to turn their boat around and send them back out to sea, or take them in but only on a Temporary Protection Visa for the rest of their lives, in limbo and unable to settle here with their families? Just think how it would feel to not know whether tomorrow there would be a knock at the door and an officer from Immigration would have come to tell you that, in their opinion, they had assessed that it was now OK for you and your family to return 'home'. I can only begin to imagine how gut-wrenching that experience would be. I can still remember the worst aspects of Howard's Immigration policy, where people who had been here for most of their lives, some since they were babes-in-arms, were deported from this country by Howard, Andrews and Ruddock simply because they had not applied for the citizenship they could have and had a criminal record. I'll never forget that disgraceful situation where they dumped a guy in Serbia, onto the street, who couldn't even speak the language, simply because he had gotten into drugs and ended up in jail for a couple of Armed Robberies. Talk about Zero Tolerance! It was sickening. And I don't doubt that it would start happening all over again with Abbott and Morrisson in charge. All I know is that I never want to feel as ashamed to be Australian as I did during that period of Howard's 'reign'. It's entirely possible, of course, if we don't keep fighting the good fight. :)

Feral Skeleton

22/02/2011Talk Turkey, [quote]the antithesis of 'christian' values[/quote] =Anti Christ-ian values.

D Mick Weir

22/02/2011Thanks for that HS, my experience of the current house is mostly limited to its' construction phase. As I wandered the various bare concrete corridors I was able to ponder then how it would affect the 'machinations' of the game. I suspected that there would be some use of the extensive basement corridors for some 'underground workings'. I thought that the courtyards would be too 'open'. Just goes to show there are always things we can't forsee! Yep 'the house in the hill' is its' own little world that has inhabitants that forget that the world doesn't end at a bar in Kingston. Oh well all is not lost though there are some 'real people' even on 'teh other side'!

Acerbic Conehead

23/02/2011AA, your admonishment about political opportunism is very timely, as Tony Abbott has just arrived in Egypt to take advantage of the unrest there. Unfortunately he hasn’t brought along his dust-pan to help clean up the square, but instead has organised a sponsored walk to raise funds for his Bury the Levy Appeal. The local version of Triple-J has released the following song to “commemorate” the occasion of Tones’ idiosyncratic perambulating gait along the banks of the River Nile. It is loosely based on The Bangles hit, “Walk Like An Egyptian” http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yVrNV_5LhNE&feature=related :- ( Opportunists gather at the tombs Lookin’ for photo-ops, don'cha know? They move oh so quick (Oh-Way-Oh) Can hardly wait for Mubarek to go :- ( At the front is Tones by the Nile Hairy chest, budgies right up tight Starters orders (Oh-Way-Oh) Tones will show he’s more than Howard-lite :- ( Onlookers with their hookah pipes say: Way-oh-way-oh-way-ooo-aaa-ooo... He walks like an eejit-ian :- ( Mummies join up from their tombs Tones can’t believe creatures so out-dated, Like WorkChoices, (Oh-Way-Oh) Aren’t dead, buried and cremated :- ( All the school kids stare out the window Hopin’ he doesn’t mistake them for… Indonesians! (Oh-Way-Oh) He’s walking like an eejit-ian :- ( All the kids in the marketplace say: Way-oh-way-oh-way-ooo-aaa-ooo... He walks like an eejit-ian. :- ( Havin’ stepped into camel dung Tones just mutters, “tres bon” And, surrounded by flies, (Oh-Way-Oh) Just says, “shit happens”, and carries on :- A shock-jock from local radio Questioned Tones on his levy plan And found out he not only walks (Oh-Way-Oh) But also nods like an eejit-ian

Lyn

23/02/2011[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]I'm Gonna turn this car around,Greg Jericho, Grog's Gamut[/i] Pyne didn’t get the hint, and like the annoying little brother who keeps putting his hand over his big sister’s side of the back seat, http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/2011/02/on-qt-im-gonna-turn-this-car-around.html [i]Of Lies, Whores and Badminton, Neil Cook, The Bannerman[/i] Niki Savva's perceptions of politics in the real world would appear to revolve around make-up and presentation http://www.waddayano.org/blog/2011/02/of_lies_whores_and_badminton.php#more [i]17 minutes for a speech is nothing for a eight month election campaign.,Ashghebranious, Ash's Machiavellian Bloggery[/i] The coalition that had been running at full power began to splutter and backfire. http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/17-minutes-for-a-speech-is-nothing-for-a-eight-month-election-campaign/ [i] Any Excuse, Jeremy Sear, Pure Poison earthquake near Christchurch, some News Ltd readers decide it’s worth trying to make a political point closer to home.[/i] http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/2011/02/22/any-excuse/ [i]The Political Love Child, Creatures of the Deep[/i] In the 1990s, Tony Abbott once jokingly described himself as the political love child of John Howard and Bronwyn Bishop. And Like a lot of good jokes, we laugh because it's funny and we laugh because it's true. http://electionfiveo.blogspot.com/ [i]Coalition in Crises, Reb, Gutter Trash[/i] Newspoll results spell disaster for Tony Abbott! Party split over “One Nation” ant-immigration policies! http://guttertrash.wordpress.com/ [i]The Labor Party's review, Kim, Larvatus Prodeo[/i] why is it always bad that Ministers disagree in public, I wonder?)… http://larvatusprodeo.net/2011/02/22/the-labor-partys-review/ [i]Constraining-infrastructure-boondoggles, Ken Parish, Club Troppo[/i] Mark Textor’s highly successful four part 2010 campaign theme for Tony Abbott: stop the boats, no big new taxes, end the deficit, stop the waste. http://clubtroppo.com.au/2011/02/22/constraining-infrastructure-boondoggles/ [i]Junk Economics , Gary Sauer-Thompson, Public Opinion[/i] on and so on--its always the same neo-liberal catechism from The Australian http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2011/02/junk-economics.php#more [i]Bias at the national broadcaster is as easy as ABC, Mark Hendridck, On Line Opinion[/i] questioning the credibility and objectivity of ABC's environmental reporting, along with the independence andefficacy of ABC's system of self-regulation. http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=11658 [i]The right of the Coalition needs to be doused, Fotis Kapetopoulos, On Line Opinion[/i] the callousness and racism of Morrison and Abbott were reminiscent of the Howard Government's darker moments http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=11660

Feral Skeleton

23/02/2011Re: AshGhebraneous' observation in his latest blog that Tony Abbott is still in campaign mode 8 months after the election. Did anyone else see him this last week before parliament went back doing one of those election-style photo op set-ups at a garment factory, where he commandeered someones hard work on an item of clothing and sat down at a sewing machine pretending to sew up the garment whilst making some inane comment for the collected media? Groan. It seems as though One Trick Tony has got it into his mind that as he did so well in the election last year, if he keeps on doing it until the next election, whenever that may be, and, he hopes, sooner rather than later, then he will build on his success from the last election and storm over the line to victory. However, as he has in real life, where his over-exertion in the physical realm has led to his doing a Hammy, so it will be in the political realm, as his lack of policy hamstrings his real chances of victory.

Rx

23/02/2011[i]... one of those election-style photo op set-ups at a garment factory, where he commandeered someones hard work on an item of clothing and sat down at a sewing machine pretending to sew up the garment whilst making some inane comment for the collected media?[/i] I wonder what was going through his "mind" at the time. Sure it would have been something like: [i]Please God, please let me hit these factory employees with WorkChoices.[/i]

Patricia WA

23/02/2011[b]Qs and Ps for Refugees.[/b] We, in Mr. Rabbit’s Coalition, Have it as our worthy mission, All refugees should understand When fleeing to Downunderland, There are some very simple rules, The kind they teach in primary schools. And if you will these rules obey, Then you’ll be settled here – one day. First you must learn to stand and queue. Think of others ahead of you. Have to hand passport and papers Proving you aren’t thieves or rapers. Try to adopt a mode of dress That doesn’t cause our men distress. Don’t wear those burquas! Show more skin. That’s sure to have you welcomed in. Another rule we should include Is not to fuss about your food. Once meat is fried, sautéed or grilled Don’t worry how its blood was spilled. Halal rites are much too gory Says Shadow Secretary, Cori. He’s our expert in resettlement, His family being immigrant. He knows that if you’re Islamist You’re probably a bigamist, And also practice Shariah Law. So for you he’ll shut the door. Don’t try then to come by boat, ‘Cos if you fail to stay afloat And later require burial, He’ll shrug and say, “It’s your funeral.” Then he’ll work damned hard to find a way To make sure that you, or your ‘rellies,’ pay!

Ad astra reply

23/02/2011AC, Patricia WA Thank you for your verse, so pointed, so relevant. Thank you Lyn for your links that enable me to keep in touch with politics in Oz - there is not much reference to it here in Cebu. The Morrison/Abbott/Bernardi saga seems still to be rocking the Coalition. Thank you to all who have made such interesting comments. I'm off now for another day at the conference. I'll be back later.

NormanK

23/02/2011D Mick Weir Thanks for your response. It's nice to know that posts aren't just floating off into the ether. :) And thanks to FS for further background material. As already stated, I'm a bit pedantic about using the right word for the right purpose so if I may be allowed to substitute "preconceptions" for "perceptions" in your remark : [quote]Our perceptions may also colour the way we see the news presented.[/quote] - then I believe we can find ourselves in complete agreement. However, as interesting as anecdotes of former methods of acquiring information may be, the change does not excuse the current paucity of worthwhile knowledge flowing from the Press Gallery. I would have thought that new technology would have facilitated much larger data bases (in place of filing cabinets) and an infinitely greater ability to cross-refernce material. With Immigration being such a hot topic on the federal scene over the last ten years, why is it that senior journalists don't appear to have a huge compendium of reference material and carefully cultivated sources within the department? A very high percentage of forms, protocols and standard operating procedures would not be considered sensitive and any journalist worth their salt would have built up an exhaustive list of them over the years. How is it that none of these venerable "insiders" knew that the bodies of victims of the Christmas Island tragedy became the responsibility of the West Australian legal system? Why was it left to be revealed by Senate Estimates and not done by one of our magi? How is it that none of our gurus have got a handle on the complex relationship between the Australian Federal Police, the Department of Immigration and (in this case) WA Police when it comes to these fatalities? I certainly wasn't suggesting that Malcolm Farr bail someone up in the dunny but he could have placed a judicious phone call or sprung for a cup of coffee to get the good oil on the constraints under which Chris Bowen is attempting to operate. Or he could have consulted his database for suitable material. Or Heather Ewart could have put her competitive spirit aside for a moment and (dare I suggest it?) asked Bowen what procedures needed to be undertaken before Seena could be released. Of course, this would have been seen as a soft question and not in keeping with Ewart's preconception that the only reason Bowen could have for returning the funeral goers to Christmas Island was because he was being hard-hearted and trying to be tougher than the Coalition in dealing with refugees. Just as the only reason for their early release was the result of a "backdown" brought about by public opinion (see media pressure). Yes Heather, score one up for you and your mates. I'm a newcomer to some of the terminology involved in political discussions on-line and so, while I might be able to intellectually understand what is being referred to when people speak of "groupthink", I am reluctant to over-apply it. To date, this is the only explanation that seems to apply to the information in front of me. The Canberra Press Gallery have decided that both major parties are in a race to the bottom on asylum seeker policy and so it is in keeping with this premise that Bowen [b]must[/b] have been applying "tough" policy or at least retreating from accusations of being soft if he had allowed Seena to stay. No doubt his multiculturalism speech caught them all on the back foot. The narrow vision of the press does them no favours in my eyes. Surely if some enterprising reporter got a reputation for supplying the facts behind a story they could carve out a niche for themselves in what must be one of the most competitive of occupations. This particular event probably doesn't warrant the number of words that I have dedicated to it but the press response is indicative of so many of its shortcomings that I fume every time I see this unfounded opinion stated as fact. Make no mistake, I am not giving Bowen a blank cheque or defending his actions to the death but I am highly critical of those who's job it is to keep us informed of relevant facts. They are failing miserably at their jobs.

nasking

23/02/2011Well said Ad astra. [quote]If more examples of political opportunism were needed, this piece could have been many times longer.[/quote] You & I are on the same page...profiteering plays a large role too...and religious-motivated madness: The Courageous, The Compassionate & The Deranged http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/the-courageous-the-compassionate-the-deranged/ [quote]Regardless of the threat of aftershocks and falling masonry & glass, these courageous individuals work collectively to free their fellow men & women. Joined, and eventually replaced, by brave professional rescue teams, they didn’t discriminate…they didn’t hesitate in their efforts to stupidly ask the race, religion, sexual orientation, political leanings of those laying beneath the debris…they just did what most rational, sane humans do…help anyone in distress.[/quote] Cheers N'

Lyn

23/02/2011 Hi Ad Thankyou so much for checking in again from your, sounds like, delightful schedule. You have given us all some wonderful information and a brief insight into your activities. The Morrison/Abbott/Bernadi saga is definately not finished yet, you know how stubborn Abbott can be he hates saying sorry, or realizing any defeat on anything. I am so pleased the links are good for you, our wonderful commenters have been supplying some very interesting link / reading as well, which I appreciate very much and am sure you do too. Trouble now with the Independents, or so it seems: Rob Oakshott Dumps The Coalition, Reb Gutter Trash Rob Oakshott dumps The Coalition Blames ongoing “personal attacks” Joe Hockey carrying on like “a jilted lover http://guttertrash.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/rob-oakshott-dumps-the-coalition/ Our best wishes are with you and your lovely wife, everyday PS Ad I have been trying to post a comment since 10.30am, the ReCaptcha is not working on XP, but looks like it's ok on VISTA. I was wondering if anyone else is having the same problem Have a nice day Ad :):):):)

2353

23/02/2011Maybe the Menzies House writers were right. Wheel out Joe Hockey and then pick up the collateral damage. Still annoying Oakeshott (and you would imagine Windsor and Wilke as well) is an interesting way to get them to change to the blue team prior to an election. Hopefully Hockey has annoyed enough people in Oakeshott's electorate to return him next time with a larger majority.

joe2

23/02/2011How appropriate: "The ugliness of political opportunism". Tony has not let us down. Read his comments below, from today, and be very scared of this nasty, xenophobic, piece of work that might be P.M., if we are not vigilant. "As the Prime MInister has said, New Zealanders are family. They are not foreigners and that's why this disaster has especially touched the hearts of every Australian," he said. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/23/3146580.htm?section=justin

Feral Skeleton

23/02/2011joe2, New Zealanders are OK. They're White. Except for the ones sent there in 2001 from the Tampa. :) You know what really worries me is that politicians of the seniority of the Leader of the Opposition, when they say things such as Tony Abbott did today, bringing back that word 'foreigners', give the rest of the populace the imprimatur to take on the same attitudinal bias. It stinks. Btw, my ReCaptcha word was Hanson. :)

Feral Skeleton

23/02/2011lyn, Just my 2cents worth. I have only got Windows XP on my computer and I haven't had any problem with ReCaptcha today.

Feral Skeleton

23/02/2011Did anyone else see the footage on TV of Berlusconi and Ghadaffi warmly embracing one another? 2 mad peas in a pod. Mad as cut snakes, that is.

Feral Skeleton

23/02/20112353, I read what Joe Hockey had to say about Rob Oakeshott in North Sydney the other night, and it wasn't pretty. You'd think that for someone with aspirations to be Liberal Leader(which is every 2nd person in the Liberal Party these days it seems), Joe Hockey would have considered the consequences of bagging out the Member for Lyne in a public forum. A public forum, I might add, that would have had at least one person in the room with a grudging admiration for the principled stands that Rob Oakeshott has taken, and a dim view of the behaviour of the Coalition recently; and so would have been willing to leak that information to the Press.

joe2

23/02/2011Feral, indeedy. Just note the way he draws Gillard into his exclusive notion of "family" with the misleading use of "As the Prime minister has said" to implicate her. He is putting every manipulative trick he used as a journo to good use, we might presume.

D Mick Weir

23/02/2011NormanK, as a trainee pedant I will bow to your wiseness!!! [i]so if I may be allowed to substitute "preconceptions" for "perceptions"[/i] Not only do I give you permission I will admit the moment I read it I said (to my inner critic) "I wish I had wriiten it that way" [i]This particular event probably doesn't warrant the number of words that I have dedicated to it ...[/i] Here I will disagree with you. You have summed it up very well and while I am sure some sub editor would have 'hacked' the words into another shape your points are spot on. Keep asking 'why?' as in the end it is the most important question.

Feral Skeleton

23/02/2011Sorry, that was the Member for North Sydney, who was in the Member for Lyne's seat, shooting his mouth off. Also, I might add, that if the Independants had sided with the Coalition after the election, would Alan Jones have said, derisively, "A vote for an Independant is a vote for the Liberal Party". Of course not. He would have praised it, cynically, to the high heavens. Anyway, this story also makes clear that, as if we didn't already know it, Alan Jones is a Liberal Party shill. He's certainly no Independant Broadcaster.

Ad astra reply

23/02/2011D Mick Weir, NormanK, Nasking, Lyn, 2353, joe2, FS Thank you to all of you for your comments, so very interesting.  Tony Abbott and his henchmen seem to have entered a phase of self harm, which to date is unremitting. It's good spectator sport. Hi Lyn Thank you for you comments about the conference I'm attending and your good wishes.  Today has been another great day with its focus on medical education.  The theme was: think globally, act locally. In clinical practice and in medical education, while attention needs to be given to the immediate problem, the need to think more globally came up again and again. This afternoon I was a speaker at a forum on international collaboration between academic bodies in medical education and assessment.  It was heartwarming to see the rich dividends that followed selfless collaboration. It made me reflect on how much more our political system could do for our nation if parties collaborated instead of tearing each other apart. I thought too how much better decision making might be if politicians spent less time looking through the telephoto lens at tedious detail and more time viewing issues through the wide angle lens taking into account the effect of their decisions on the wider community, the nation and other nations.  How different the 'boat people' issue might be if all parties thought globally.  Pity that's a faint hope. The quote I liked best was from Margaret Mead: "A small group of thoughtful people could change the world. Indeed, it's the only thing that ever has."  That's us. All of tomorrow will be occupied returning to Singapore, a five hour flight, so I probably won't be back until the day after.

D Mick Weir

24/02/2011A trick question for you all to ponder: Which web site would open a post with this?: [i]There was a fair bit of contraversy last week when Q&A, a popular political show on the ABC, included as one of their panallists Ian Nelson, the Queensland State Director for One Nation. Should the taxpayer funded ABC be providing a forum for people like this?[/i] It is not the question that interests me in this case but something else. I will probably quite late dropping in tomorrow (today?) and will be interested in feedback

Lyn

24/02/2011 TODAY'S LINKS [i]Dead, buried and cremated, but still kicking, Ashghebranious, Ash's Machiavellian Bloggery[/i] For the last 5 months, the Opposition has been franticall trying to disenfranchise the governmentin the eyes of the independents http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/ [i]One Poor Correspondent, Andrew Elder, Politically Homeless[/i] press gallery journalists have to ramp up to a party they had ignored. The NSW Coalition should be a known quantity and challenged by the media http://andrewelder.blogspot.com/ [i]Freddy's Mob, Neil Cook, The Bannerman[/i] Mitchell is correct. Gillard & her government are dining out on this incompetence & disunity displayed by Abbott et al. http://www.waddayano.org/blog/2011/02/freddys_mob.php#more [i]Can Multiculturalism Work For Labor?, Ben Eltham, New Matilda[/i] Bernardi and 3MTR may have some legal and regulatory issues down the track. obvious irony of a practising Catholic lecturing listeners http://newmatilda.com/2011/02/23/can-multiculturalism-work-for-labor [i]A crack in the wall of xenophobia , Ross Gittins, National Times [/i] Another factor was the advent of talkback radio, which gave greater currency to the disaffection of individuals, and then the rise of shock jocks who, in their pursuit of ratings http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/a-crack-in-the-wall-of-xenophobia-20110222-1b41v.html [i]Not foreigners, Jeremy Sear, An Onymous Lefty[/i] ie, ethnically similar to Tony Abbott – then things would, it seems, be quite different. http://anonymouslefty.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/not-foreigners/ [i]With Liberal Patrty anti-sentiment off the reservation, the hate emails are again doing the rounds, Clarencegirl, North Coast Voices[/i]Abbott, Bernardi, Morrison, Bolt, Jones et al should be very careful about blowing those anti-Islam dog whistles, as it takes very little http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/2011/02/with-liberal-party-anti-muslim.html [i]Scott Morrison just keeps on keeping on,Jennifer Wilson, No Place for Sheep[/i] The stupidity of this man is astounding. He either has no grasp at all of the principles of refugee assessment, or he knows very well, and has seized another opportunity to misinform and misguide the Australian public http://noplaceforsheep.com:80/2011/02/23/scott-morrison-just-keeps-on-keeping-on/ T[i]ackling the racists by giving them what they want, Jeremy Sear, Pure Poison[/i] Andrew Bolt apparently accepts the contention that almost half of Australians are racist http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/ [i]The Courageous, The Compassionate & The Deranged, Nasking, Cafe Whispers[/i] Sadly, here in Australia, we have similarly deranged characters who try to project their hate & fear onto others…whilst profiting grandly from their distasteful efforts. http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/the-courageous-the-compassionate-the-deranged/ [i]Ross Gittins on refugees as a political issue , HarrangueMan[/i]I've been listening to the audio-book of Scott McClellan's time in the white house, What Happened. McClellan was press secretary for Bush http://harrangueman.blogspot.com/ [i]Libya and "Liberal intervention" , Kim. Larvatus Prodeo[/i] Ali Moore on Lateline that there were provisions in international law to deal with these sorts of events, http://larvatusprodeo.net/2011/02/23/libya-and-liberal-interventionism/ [i]twaddling self-importance..., Gus, Your Democracy[/i] It's a case of fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me." http://yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/11767 [i]Paul Keating’s Redfern Speech: Indigenous recognition begins, Admin, Independent Australia[/i] Australia plans for a referendum on Indigenous recognition in the Australian Constitution in 2013 http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/indigenous-australia/paul-keatings-redfern-speech-indigenous-recognition-begins/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=paul-keatings-redfern-speech-indigenous-recognition-begins [i]Disasters, John Quiggin[/i] the Gaddafi regime, which is clearly guilty of crimes against humanity. http://johnquiggin.com/ [i]Rob Oakshott Dumps The Coalition, Reb Gutter Trash[/i] Rob Oakshott dumps The Coalition ,Blames ongoing “personal attacks” ,Joe Hockey carrying on like “a jilted lover http://guttertrash.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/rob-oakshott-dumps-the-coalition/ [i]Lachlan Murdoch appointed acting Ten CEO, Michael Janda, ABC[/i] Mr Murdoch will remain in the position while the company undertakes an executive search for a new CEO http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/23/3146785.htm?section=justin [i]The growing cost of the gift to TV networks, Bernard Keane, Crikey[/i] Tony Abbott had a secret meeting with Rupert Murdoch. The Coalition ended up backing the rebate. http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/02/23/the-growing-cost-to-taxpayers-of-the-gift-to-tv-networks/

Feral Skeleton

24/02/2011D Mick Weir, Hmm,interesting question. Now, I'm not sure whether you were meaning to lead us to the conclusion that, with its atrocious spelling, we are meant to conclude that the exerpt came from a harried News Ltd sub-editor who has recently been corralled in one of the new gulags where it is all about throughput and KPI's, hence the not so close focus on spelling in their rush to get the stories out into the marketplace, or, when it comes to the subject matter we are supposed to conclude that it may seem like it came from one place, say, Fairfax media(well,the newspapers end), but instead was on a News Ltd site which you would conclude would be favourably disposed to One Nation as opposed to suggesting the ABC were wrong to have had the troglodyte from One Notion on Q&A. Or, it could have just been News Ltd finding a new way to have a go at the ABC. :)

NormanK

24/02/2011D Mick Weir This is a QI question, isn't it? The urge to cheat is almost overwhelming so before I succumb I'll nominate that it is a Liberal Party website attempting to distance the party from One Nation. Menzies House is my best guess although the poor spelling causes me to question my punt.

D Mick Weir

24/02/2011Hi HS & NormanK HS yep, the spelling was the thing that 'got to me' NormanK, spot on Menzies House it was. A think tank that tanks at spelling or maybe doesn't think about such things!!!! Obligatory Warning: the following could contaminate you and/or your computer http://www.menzieshouse.com.au/2011/02/queensland-politics-one-nation-on-qanda.html This line has me a bit puzzled: [i]'Personally, I find One Nation and their far-left economic policies rather odious, ...'[/i]

Lyn

24/02/2011Hi Ad and Everybody Wow! I just got "ReCaptch" back on XP. Did anyone watch Lateline last night, Malcolm Turnbull. Well! George Brandis speaks eloquent, says Mr Turnbull (powerful use of language), and guess what, Tony Abbott does too,interesting word to use for Abbott, Sh#t Happens speak. [i]Wireless will be very competitive: Turnbull[/i] Video and transcript MALCOLM TURNBULL: Well, I'm sure Tony shares my views or the views that I've expressed entirely. I don't think he'd dissent from any of it. But it's up to him to - you know, he writes his own material and he delivers it very eloquently when he does. http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/content/2011/s3147162.htm

Jason

24/02/2011Bushfire Bill posted this over on poll bludger Bushfire Bill Posted Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 11:53 am | Permalink Island paradise awaits Gaddafi victims: Morrison By Caroline Botherington additional reporting by Australian Associated Pissants, The Ozwegian The Foreign Minister of Nauru, Mr.Jesaulenko Dowiyogo, and Alternative Minister For Immigration In Waiting, Scott Morrison have flown to Italy today to offer the services of the Nauru Asylum Seekers Camp No. 1 to Silvio Berlusconi. While waiting for the Air Nauru 737 to be repaired after one of its wheels had fallen off, Mr. Morrison said, “Nauru’s a charming place. Camp No. 1 is fully functional and ready to go. It lies in a disused guano pit just five hundred metres from the shoreline, well protected from the frequent cyclones that traverse the island paradise from time to time.” Although only built to house 1,400 asylum seekers, the camp “could easily” be expanded to accommodate the potential 300,000 Libyan asylum seekers expected to flee the Gaddafi regime, said Mr. Dowiyogo. “These are the right circumstances in the right place at the right time for Camp No. 1 to be reinstated to full operational capability. The Libyans will hardly notice the difference between one hell-hole and the other.” When pressed on the capacity issue, Mr. Morrison said that if 100,000 people could be crammed into the MCG on Grand Final Day, then 300,000 people could be made to fit into Nauru. He pointed out that not many people realised Nauru has eight times the area of the MCG. Mr. Morrison declared that the Australian people owed Nauru a “big favour” after they had disappointed the tiny island nation by voting Labor into office. “This is the Gillard government’s opportunity to apologize to Nauru for their insulting behaviour in winning the election. It is the Australian people’s chance to say ‘Thank you’ to Nauru for all the efforts they made to undermine the Gillard push for power during the campaign by joining in unauthorised, highly publicised but completely improper ‘negotiations’ with the Coalition,” he said. “The government of Nauru bought the detention centre in good faith that one day a Coalition government would need our services again. Until that day, Libyans will do, as long as they leave our women alone,” commented Mr. Dowiyogo. The Alternative Government is believed to be considering offering the services of an Australian amphibious supply ship to ferry the Libyans to their new home in the Pacific, although the fact that none of the supply ships are seaworthy was a problem, according to Mr. Morrison. “These ships were working perfectly until the day the Rudd-Gillard government was elected. Then magically they stopped functioning. It is a signal disgrace that Stephen Smith has allowed these fine landing craft to languish in disrepair. However, asylum seekers are used to leaky boats and I’m sure we can cobble something together in time for the expected onrush. This is a challenge that must be met in the interests of humanity.” Mr. Morrison and Mr. Dowiyogo said that Mr. Berlusconi had a crammed schedule but that he had been able to fit them into his timetable by suggesting they attend a banga-banga party with him, where it was expected that Mr. Gaddafi, attending to make sure the tri-partite arrangements went smoothly, would hire 100 prostitutes solely for the purpose of lecturing them against their immoral ways, as reported in this paper earlier this week. “It’s a tough gig, but someone’s got to do it,” commented Mr. Morrison as he climbed up a rope ladder onto the plane. Joe Hockey, reading a statement by Alan Jones, congratulated the Nauruan government’s “spirit of free enterprise” and on behalf of the entire 2GB on-air community wished the the Alternative Shadow Minister of a real country and the Real Minister of an Alternative Shadow Country, “Bon voyage”.

TalkTurkey

24/02/2011PatriciaWA I can see you been sharpening that pen of yours to a scalpel-point, your last few pomes have been brilliant. And Acerbic Conehead, writing like yours is part of what will make Abbortt go A-Way-Oh-Way-Oh. TPS and our friendly ilk blogs are doing to THEM what the MSM have failed to do. And don’t think for a moment it isn’t osmoting throughout the community via the blogosphere. You can feel it. Like the time It’s Time united us in ’72, now there is a feeling abroad that we are achieving change, and gleeful little ditties and such help others to want what we’re having. Fun. Nothing succeeds like success. (Joke: Q. What is it that just has to succeed? A. A parrot with no teeth! Too bad it doesn’t work in writing!) But Damn, so many things to have on one's mind. Libya/The Middle East. New Zealand's earthquakes, Queensland floods and cyclones. The wars we continue to perpetrate on poor countries for indefensible excuses. Bradley Manning's and Julian Assange's persecutions. Our shameful relegation of our indigines to conditions which would horrify governments in the poorest third world countries. Murdochracy. Galloping overpopulation. Religious hatreds. Habitat destruction, species extinctions, our desecration of all things sacred on Planet Earth. And not a damn thing I can do about any of them, except, like so many decent bloggers, to write the best I can, to try to stop the Rotten Right from gaining power in Australia, because if anything at all can be done to save us from ourselves it can only be done by enlightened national government. So I'm going to put from my mind the multiple awfulnesses besetting the world, and just stay with the pleasure one gets from seeing one's most contemptible foes copping a serve of the old cold steel. Because atm even gloating about Abbortt and his problems is very very efficacious in bringing about his demise. Nothing fails ya like failure. As you know I've been predicting Toe-rag Abbortt's downfall since about the day after the Indies jumped, and not just in hope but with a very fair measure of reason. I thought actually he would begin to fall in the last ten days before the election, but I reckoned without the sycophancy of the spitlicking media. Instead of pricking holes all over him, they inflated him almost without respite. But he was always empty of everything but flatus, his and theirs, and I was sure that given a tilt at him at all, Julia Gillard would show him up for the gasbag he is. And so she is doing, at last, but having had in the meantime to deal with a nightmare run of issues and the still-continuing complicity of the yellow media. So I had my reasons for thinking he would soon fall, but as it turns out, it is the Coalition's own wedges and cold chisels that are really doing the damage to him and to his troupe of talentless clowns and creeps. It wouldn’t matter how good Gillard’s deliveries were, the media is always there to pad Abbortt and to spin Labor’s position any way they want. But they can’t help the Coalition when it is punching itself, and however they might feel about it they can’t resist reporting on bloody infighting between their grubby leadership. It’s just too gossip-worthy, and gossip is the MSM’s fave rave fruit. I’m chortling (with rage and chadenfreude and feelings of vindication, ntm vindictiveness) as I look at the Coalition front bench and take bets with myself as to Who It Will Be Next. Dead meat don’t rise twice, Abbortt is done for even if it takes a little while (any bets?) and then we got a Melbourne Cup field all of also-rans. What a bunch of no-hopers, all with serious flaws, none commanding anything like majority support – confused and directionless, like a swarm of bees without a queen, a sad rump, not that I’m sad for them, just contemptuous. I’ve abandoned any belief that Morriscum can hope to lead now, he’s poisoned his own chalice with his own malice. Bernasty never was a chance but I can’t resist mentioning the creep, anything to rub saltpetre into their suppurating sores . . . Julie Bishop has Bronwyn Bishop’s chance of leading, but I’d be really pleased if she did make it, I’d love to watch Julia julienne Julie day by day, bwahahahaaaa. (And of course the Coalition would hate a girl leading them anyway.) Snotty Joe is hated by the RightRight. Turdball too, slavishly stupidly wrongfootedly toeing Abbortt’s idiot line on the NBN and forever haunted with the spectre of Goblin Grech . . . and most deliciously of all, all of them hate each other. Who else? Someone say Poor Old Robb? Bring him on! The lugubrious Whatsisname Dutton, d-uhhh as mutton? All LOSERS, to Labor’s many winners. Australians are gradually seeing the substance of Labor and the emptiness of the Coalition. Toe-rag Abbortt is now helping the People to focus on that as he inexorably brings his ratpack down with him. Beaudy. Come on Swordies, place your bets. Abbortt remember got in by ONE VOTE, where two of his party didn’t make it to the vote at all. Who can they find now to get a majority at all? Ohhh, I’m listening to Parliament as I write, can you believe these Coalition fools? How can they NOT support the levy? – Well we know why. Urgghh. Labor will win this vote, though it needs Crook on side, that’s OK, and if Xenophon opposes it he will be deservedly despised. I don’t think he will dare, but I don’t mean to tempt fate either. The interests of the nation are at stake, and he knows it. Sorry this is so long, and it’s not even all I want to say. Lyn’s Links take up lots of time! Catch yous on the flip. They're having a division on the levy bill as I sign off. Cheers.

Lyn

24/02/2011Hi Talk Turkey Delightful an enjoyable read, you can't have Norman K's halo, but you can have a giant,huge, thankyou you have a look of interesting points Talk Turkey . I agree with everything you say, and I am trying to help you barrack for the impending downfall and destruction of the Miserables. :):):)

Feral Skeleton

24/02/2011Talk Turkey, Please keep delighting us with your peripatetic insights. I'm so damned busy atm that I can't contribute as much as I would like to. Except at night after a day's chores have finally been put to bed(as you may have noticed). :) Honestly, when I read the output of such prolific bloggers as Grog and Andrew Elder, so erudite, and seemingly employed full-time as well, I despair at my own paltry output. :(

Lyn

24/02/2011Hi Jason LOOK WHAT HAS HAPPENED: Jason your comment 12.04pm: [quote]February 24. 2011 12:04 PM [quote]Bushfire Bill posted this over on poll bludger: [/quote] [quote]Bushfire Bill Posted Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 11:53 am | Permalink Island paradise awaits Gaddafi victims: Morrison By Caroline Botherington [/quote]additional reporting by Australian Associated Pissants, The Ozwegian[/quote] [b]The Australian has asked Crikey to remove the comment[/b]. Bushfire Bill as written a defense: [i]A step-by-step guide to manufacturing a story, c/o The Oz by Sophie Black, Crikey[/i] [quote]Overington’s story stems from an email that was sent to our boss@crikey.com.au yesterday from Matthew Franklin — chief political correspondent for The Australian.[/quote] http://www.crikey.com.au:80/2011/02/24/a-step-by-step-guide-to-manufacturing-a-story-co-the-oz/ [i]BUSHFIRE BILL posted Thursday 24th Feb, 2011 at 3.24pm [/i] [b]Allow me to defend my post: From the Crikey article :[/b] These people - the Coalition and their media enablers - want to have their cake and eat it too. They feel OK writing up every stupid piece of gossip or scuttlebutt into a game-changing scandal http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/02/24/a-step-by-step-guide-to-manufacturing-a-story-co-the-oz/ [i]Creating a story at the #LOLstralian, Dave Gaukroger, Pure Poison[/i] a[b] comment at Poll Bludger, that has since been removed, is being described by the Oz as an ‘article’ which Crikey had to remove. An interesting take considering some of the comments at News Ltd online properties.[/b] http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/2011/02/24/creating-a-story-at-the-lolstralian/

Feral Skeleton

24/02/2011What rank political opportunists the Liberals are. Especially Barry O'Farrell in NSW. The Prime Minister takes the literally, courageous, decision to put a price on Carbon in order to send a price signal to us all that we must start modifying our behaviour if we want to save our planet's climate, and ultimately, hopefully enable our species survival, and what does the Liberal political class decide to do? Tony Abbott attempts to foment an insurrection against it, or, as he put it, "A People's Revolt". That's constructive, isn't it? Then, in full election grandstanding mode, we have had Barry O'Farrell, the NSW potential Premier, coming out wioth the economically irresponsible, and just plain reckless, suggestion that the federal government should compensate everyone for their increased Electricity costs which will result from the Carbon Price. The action to be taken in the future to manipulate Carbon Dioxide emissions via a Price Signal, is supposed to alter people's behaviour by making it more expensive to purchase things which lead to carbon Pollution. Not just take money as a carbon Tax with one hand, and give it back to all of the populace to keep up business as usual. Sheesh! However, now we will see the battle play out between people's greedy nonchalance about Climate Change, and our better angels who are telling us that our salad days are over, and it's time to pay the Piper before Mother Nature makes the decisions for us.

Lyn

24/02/2011Hi Hillbilly Have you read my comment to Jason?????, just above your last comment. "The Political Sword" have a copy of the comment posted, which Crikey were asked by The Australian to remove this afternoon. Cheers :))))))))))

Acerbic Conehead 2

24/02/2011AA, it appears that Tony Abbott tried to take a few opportunities today in Parliament, but got a bit of a slapping instead. In fact, Julia Gillard is so cock of the walk, she’s just triumphantly released a cover version of the old Tommy James and the Shondelles hit, “Mony Mony”. Is it a true king-hit or is it hubris? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jVig64dyD-8&feature=related :- ) Here he comes now, say, Moany Tony Well shoot 'em down, circus clown, come on Moany He rabbots on like a broken record, now Couldn’t give a toss ‘bout anyone but himself, now As long as he’s alright I say Yeah (Yeah) Yeah (Yeah) ......... :- ) Everything’s a G (Moany Tony) N (Moany Tony) B (Moany Tony) T (Moany Tony) Global (Moany Tony) Warming (Moany Tony) Is crap (Moany Tony) But shit happens! Yeah (yeah) yeah (yeah) .... :- ) Tongue-tied, jet-lagged, Moany Tony Policy-free, aren’t we, Moany Don't stop cookin', how’s the black hole lookin’, yeah Don't stop now Hey, come on! Moany, Come on Moany Yeah! (Yeah) Yeah (Yeah) Yeah :- ) When’s it comin’ back (Moany Tony) W (Moany Tony) O (Moany Tony) R (Moany Tony) KC (Mony, Mony) HO (Moany Tony) IC (Moany Tony) ES (Moany Tony) WORKCHOICES!!! :- ) Ooh we love you Moany, Mo, Mo, Moany ..... Yeah ...... Come on, .....

Feral Skeleton

24/02/2011lyn, Thank you for alerting us to the contretemps which Bushfire Bill's post at Poll Bludger(should've been TPS so that we could own the furore), has caused. They are a bunch of big sillies at The Austrollian, aren't they? As they have gone to all the trouble of demanding Crikey take down BB's post, but we have still got a copy here for the world to see. :) Viva! Bushfire Bill! Viva! The Political Sword! Actually, I have been having quite a good time recently reading all of BB's faux 'The Australian' stories, as each new issue in the media came up. So, it seems has Jason been doing the same. I wonder, therefore, whether the delicate perals at Ltd News will force Crikey to remove every last one of Bushfire Bill's Faux News stories? If so, then that simply amounts to censorship.

Feral Skeleton

24/02/2011lyn, I sure did read it! You are a gem for going above and beyond the call of duty to bring it to our attention tonight. :) I think Ad Astra, when he gets back from Cebu, should commission Bushfire Bill to write another blof for us, don't you think? I think it would be a doozy!

Feral Skeleton

24/02/2011Sorry, that should read, 'blog', but I had a biscuit in my hand while I was typing. :)

Feral Skeleton

24/02/2011Did anyone else notice the tired, old hack, Heather Ewart, on the 7.30 report tonight trying out a new word that she and Barry must have cooked up over pillow talk last night to throw at the PM when she was to be interviewed tonight? I counted 3 deliberate instances of Ms Ewart clearly enunciating the word 'Baulk' in a question or interjection wrt her hypothesis that the PM would again turn to water once Tony Abbott puts the weights on over the Carbon Price. Well, attempts to 'put the weights on', I should say, because if his Censure Motion performance in Parliament today, and his subsequent News Conference, are any guide, then it's going to be more a case of telegraphing his punches to Julia Gillard with a megaphone, haymakers that will ultimately land like damp squibs on the carpet, or earn him a 'Razzie' for worst acting performance by a politician in 2011. As for the Heather and Barrie show, bring on Leigh Sales and Chris Uhlmann. They can't be worse than those two obvious old hacks.

Feral Skeleton

24/02/2011AcerbicC, If only The Chaser boys hadn't disappeared up their own fundamental apertures, they could surely make a hit series out of bringing your toons to life on the little screen. Careful now, though, if you cut too close to the bone Uncle Rupert will sick his media and legal lapdogs onto you. :)

NormanK

24/02/2011Have I got the wrong end of the stick or are we looking at two different comments/stories from BB? The one Jason copied over to TPS is based around the use of Nauru for Libyan asylum seekers and the Australian furore is over a New Zealand earthquake story. Big cheer for Julia Gillard and the ALP - they seem to have abandoned knee-jerk focus group nonsense and are talking plainly to the public and to hell with the consequences. Great press conference today.

Jason

24/02/2011FS, on the censure motion today, why would you even launch one when two of your number Bronny and Don Randall had been tossed? so couldn't vote and Windsor and Oakeshott was at the climate change presser. Abbott knows most of the Indies are with Gillard and come July the greens have the balance of power, Abbott will have very little to do! except look for a new job!

Jason

24/02/2011Normank, your right! The "offensive" one BB posted has been deleted. Smarter people than me might be able to find it on the net and if they can it's comment 502 on "News Poll 50-50"

Lyn

24/02/2011Hi Jason This is copy of Caroline Overingtons twitt to Bushfire Bill: overingtonc @BushfireBill go away, rude person who pretends to be a cockatoo. 39 minutes ago via Twitter for iPad in reply to BushfireBill

D Mick Weir

24/02/2011[b]Tim Dunlop[/b], as is often the case, has an interesting take on the relationship between journalists and thier audience. [b]How to argue with a journalist[/b] http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/44422.html I suspect he has read a few of NormanKs' recent comments!!!!

Lyn

24/02/2011Hi Jason So it looks like, it's me that got the comment wrong, I thought your copy was the offensive one. Oh! well the moral of the story is all correct, newspaper journalists, ready blog comments. Cheers :):):)

Jason

24/02/2011Hi Lyn, Thanks for that! First they got stuck into Grog now Bushfire Bill!Look out AA,FS and Normank it's only a matter of time before the boot strappers at limited news make examples of you fine writers as well.

TalkTurkey

24/02/2011Earlier today I posted: "Labor will win this vote . . ." Very shortly thereafter Julia said in Parliament: "We will have this debate and we will win . . ." Proof positive the Pollies read Us! Time for just a soupcon of hubris for Labor I think. Gillard the Warrior Queen finally has Abbortt at the point of her rapier. He has been effete ever since his excremental exclamation, he can't control his Deputy Death Stare when she cracks a sensible fruity about his stupid intention to slash foreign aid, can't control his financial fool Snotty Joe when Joe has a moral relapse, can't control Malcontent Turdball's fulminating resentment and ambition and superior abilities, has no ticker when it comes to refuting the racist positions of his human trash baggage in Bernasty and Morriscum, either way he jumps on the race issue he'll alienate half his "coalition". Oh and his faux display of outrage today, promising to oppose the Carbon Tax "every second, every minute, every hour, every week, every month" was puerile, derisible. Poor Toe-rag, it's Not Fair, he's so much stronger than that mere slip of a girl, oh why oh why is he not allowed to punch her lights out, he is imploding with the urge to explode, so potent yet so impotent, that's why he is punching himself in the face, 'cos he can't land nothin no more on her. Game On, Round Three. Go Julia, Go Labor. Place your bets Swordies as I said earlier today about Who's Next Leader. I'm going for Julie Bishop now, only because I want to watch Julia julienne Julie as I said earlier too. ********************************************** Lyn, like NormanK I can't find BB's cheeky "article", can you please post it again? I know it has caused delight amongst those on Poll Bludger but I can't find it there neither.

Lyn

24/02/2011Hi Talk Turkey I thought Jason's copy on his post at 12.04pm today was the offensive comment, but Jason said it was comment 502 on Poll Bludger 50 - 50 but it has been deleted by Crikey because The Australian asked them too. Did you read above link to Crikey, here it is again. If you go to Poll Bludger 50 -50 the commenters there are still talking about Ovrington. A step-by-step guide to manufacturing a story, c/o The Oz by Sophie Black, Crikey http://www.crikey.com.au:80/2011/02/24/a-step-by-step-guide-to-manufacturing-a-story-co-the-oz/ Here is another comment by Bushfire Bill: [quote]Bushfire Bill Posted Thursday, February 24, 2011 at 7:46 pm | Permalink given the entry has been deleted by the moderators I would not be going back for my hat with a justification along the lines that you did not really appreciate the gravity of the situation in Christchurch. Your posts at 423 and 424 do not support that observation nor do those which follow including the Foreign Minsiter’s comments at the NPC which were reported on before your post. Shellbell, I didn’t know you cared (enough to go back through hundreds of posts and figure out the timing of mine two days ago). Seeing as this was your first (and most likely your last) post, I congratulate you for your diligence, Matt (or is it Caroline?). Nevertheless, I do admit I felt a little sheepish when things in Christchurch developed badly, but was somewhat vindicated when Abbott tried on his “they’re not foreigners” line. Hey, we’ve all made mistakes and faux pas, but at least I admit to them. Matt Franklin and Caroline Overington have never admitted to that in their professional lives. They work for the National Daily, however useless a paragraph in the CV that might be when the Old Malignant One shuffles off. Seeing as Caroline has recently become famous for trivializing the onslaught of cyclone Yasi, I find it passing strange she should get her knickers in a knot over my unworthy blog comment. I would not like to meet her in a dark alley either, as she is apparently prone to decking males who have not pleased her, or her patrons, sufficiently. Live and let live, I say. You write shit… and we’ll continue to lampoon it. [/quote]

Acerbic Conehead 2

24/02/2011TT, Tones is like a cat with nine lives. Anyone else would have been a goner long ago. Maybe he wont go "A-Way-Oh-Way" any time soon. On a positive note, at least he provides lots of copy for us to work on. Keep up the great work, love your stuff. Lyn, thanks again for all the links you provide. It saves us heaps of time trawling for interesting articles. FS, thank you also for your kind words of encouragement. Don't worry, if I go down, I'm going to plead that you made me do it, lol. And AA, I hear that Kev is looking over his shoulder at you. He thought he was the only Australian who was in the running for the big UN position, lol.

nasking

25/02/2011"Tony Abbott attempts to foment an insurrection against it, or, as he put it, "A People's Revolt"." Lyn, the Coalition have been trying to build a “people’s movement” ala Tea Party/One Nation for some time now under the leadership of Tony Abbott: The Ugly Australian October 22, 2010 http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2010/10/22/the-ugly-australian/ I hope the likes of Turnbull can live w/ themselves if this ugly creature is brought back to life in Australia w/ a tea cup on its head & a gun in hand American style. Cheers N'

nasking

25/02/2011[quote]Then, in full election grandstanding mode, we have had Barry O'Farrell, the NSW potential Premier, coming out wioth the economically irresponsible, and just plain reckless, suggestion that the federal government should compensate everyone for their increased Electricity costs which will result from the Carbon Price.[/quote] It's populist stuff at its worst...defeats part of the purpose of the carbon price. NSW Liberals are not to be trusted...they will put the religious right and chosen corporates/businesses before the public & climate good. I reckon more is coming tho Lyn...from America via the Murdoch empire think tank & general sewage system: [quote]Naomi Klein, author of “The Shock Doctrine” and “No Logo,” sees the Wisconsin events as a supporting example of her thesis regarding disaster capitalism. According to Klein, the Republican governor has exaggerated the Wisconsin budget situation to be a crisis and stating that the only solution is to quickly implement the governor’s policies without deliberation or negotiation. The point is to scare people about the situation so they put greater trust in their leaders, who can exploit the crisis for policy gains. But the people of Wisconsin’s unions did not fall for the tactics and instead are attempting to find alternatives to the governor’s proposal, which Klein proposes as the solution to disaster capitalism in The Shock Doctrine.[/quote] http://www.collegian.psu.edu/archive/2011/02/22/conservatives_claim_unions_are_extremist.aspx I reckon Klein is onto something there. Expect the same kinda crap from Coalition states in Australia…coming to a neighborhood near you. Rather than dealing w/ the NZ earthquake Fox News has been hammering the unions day & night like frenzied zombies. Reminds me of how Ruddy was treated by News Ltd. Rupert’s other tentacle. N’

nasking

25/02/2011Last but not least: Carbon Price: The Government Uses Its Momentum To Deal With Climate Change http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/carbon-price-the-government-uses-its-momentum-to-deal-with-climate-change/ You might find some of the comments & articles put up interesting. [quote]The price of electricity will rise anyway. Best we attract new investment into renewable energy…diversify our energy generating systems. Particularly with all the instability in the Arab & Persian state(s) at present. It’s time to get off the fossil fuel rollercoaster.[/quote] Cheers N'

Lyn

25/02/2011[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]On the QT: Abbott sings the song of angry men; Gillard's the Master of the House, Greg Jericho, Grog's Gamut[/i] It seems Abbott has been watching Fox News in the US and fancies himself the head of a Tea Party movement http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com/ [i]Carbon vectigalia ite domus!! (its latin, translate it), Ashghebranious, Ash's Machiavellian Bloggery.[/i] Tony claims that there would be an Egypt like revolution in the streets http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/carbon-vectigalia-ite-domus-its-latin-translate-it/ [i]That's Entertainment?, Mr Denmore, The Failed Estate[/i]Channel Seven, meanwhile, the story wasn’t about the earthquake, the story was about ‘Kochie’ at the earthquake. http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com/ [i]Malcolm is back niggardly online..., Gus, Your Democracy[/i]Even "Mr Google" approves of the NBN, and he should know... "He" holds on tight to "his" secret algorithms that have bamboozled the world... http://yourdemocracy.net.au/drupal/node/11793 [i]A step-by-step guide to manufacturing a story, c/o The Oz, Sophie Black, Crikey[/i] This headline appears on page 9 of The Australian today: “Crikey forced to remove fake Abbott story”. http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/02/24/a-step-by-step-guide-to-manufacturing-a-story-co-the-oz/ [i]Creating a story at the #LOLstralian, Dave Gaukroger, Pure Poison [/i] a comment at Poll Bludger, that has since been removed, is being described by the Oz as an ‘article’ which Crikey had to remove. blogs.crikey.com.au/.../ [i]Under pressure, Andrew Elder, Politically Homeless[/i] The swaggering, the insensitive brain-farts followed by quasi-apologies, the Mark Riley encounter all lead to an impression that Abbott's a bully http://andrewelder.blogspot.com/2011/02/under-pressure-tony-abbott-has-never.html [i]Carbon Price: The Government Uses Its Momentum To Deal With Climate Change,Nasking, Cafe Whispers[/i] Abbott will go full steam ahead with a scare campaign about a Big New Tax but http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/ [i]Malcom Turnbull pawns himself, Massivespray, Spray of the Day[/i] yet another feeble attempt to damage the brand of the NBN, Malcolm Turnbull has let loose http://sprayoftheday.wordpress.com/ [i]Ruperts War on truth, Ken Parish, Club Troppo[/i] JQ’s current worthy obsessions is the utter untrustworthiness of Murdoch’s flagship newspaper The Australian (see here, here and here): KP: Update - News Ltd online is currently reporting Julia Gillard’s announcement about a carbon price under the headline “Gillard’s carbon price a betrayal – Abbott“. http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://clubtroppo.com.au/&ct=ga&cad=CAQQARgBIAIoBzADOANA9-KX6wRIAVAAWABiBWVuLVVT&cd=rXaeNb8-yLs&usg=AFQjCNEkpeZGt9DThiSArr6a_wcuT0C_4A [i]How to argue with a journalist, Tim Dunlop, ABC[/i]journalists are not just reporting events and arguments neutrally. They are selecting and parsing and packaging information http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/44422.html [i]Conroy's fibre claims "absolute tripe", says Turnbull, Renai LeMay, Delimiter[/i] fibre-optic cable “nonsense” and “absolute tripe”, in a fiery interview in which he highlighted the strengths of rival wireless technologies http://delimiter.com.au/2011/02/23/conroys-fibre-claims-absolute-tripe-says-turnbull/ [i]The flood levy debate: pointless partisan politics, Admin, Independent Australia[/i] Labor as poor economic managers has, of course, continued under Abbott – with the Murdoch media as willing publicists http://www.independentaustralia.net/ [i]Banning mortgage exit fees, Sam Wylie, Core Economics[/i] Bravo to Wayne Swan for sticking to his position of a full ban on mortgage exit fees. http://economics.com.au/?p=6744&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+com%2FJUlM+%28CoreEcon%29 [i]It's Great! It's Big, It's New!, Reb, Gutter Trash[/i] The Prime Minister and the Greens have held a joint press conference today to announce the introduction of a price on carbon http://guttertrash.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/its-great-its-big-its-new/ [i]Revolting: the Nihilism of Tony Abbott, dk,au, Larvatus prodeo[/i] Why chose the term ‘people’s revolt’ in the midst of a once in a generation flowering of democracy in the middle east? http://larvatusprodeo.net/2011/02/24/revolting-the-nihilism-of-tony-abbott/ [i]Chess without pieces, Bruce Haigh, On Line Opinion[/i] Abbott is devoid of vision and policy, his claim to be Prime Minister rests on his ability to attack http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=11663 [i]Bailiff, Remove That Man!!, Neil Cook, The Bannerman[/i] Reith is being deliberately disruptive, disingenuous and unrepresentative of genuine Liberalism. http://www.waddayano.org/blog/2011/02/bailiff_remove_that_man.php#more [i]The economics of insanity, Dave, Daves Archives[/i] I learnt a new phrase today - "lexicographic preference" - courtesy of economics professor J. Bradford DeLong. Before I tell you what it means, let me show you http://davec.org/ [i]Middle East: Qaddafi's end ,Gary Sauer-Thompson , Public Opinion[/i] The West reconciled themselves to Qaddafi because they need Libya's oil to run their economy. http://www.sauer-thompson.com/ [i]Climate Change Compromised , John, True Politik[/i] all parties wanted an ETS, except the Coalition which chose not to have members on the Committee. However, none could agree on the form of the ETS. Hence, a compromise, fixed-price on carbon, http://truepolitik.blogspot.com/2011/02/climate-change-compromised.html [i]CLIMATE CHANGE FRAMEWORK ANNOUNCED, Peter Martin[/i] The Prime Minister Julia Gillard today outlined the Government’s plan to cut pollution http://www.petermartin.com.au/2011/02/future-starts-in-july-2012-agreement-on.html [i]Will Australia’s satellite TV head Skywards?, Rodney Tiffen, On Line Opinion[/i] [b]The conclusion is inescapable: for the government to hand its international broadcasting contract to a Murdoch-owned company would be to make Australia an international laughing stock[/b]. http://inside.org.au/will-australia-satellite-tv-head-sky-wards/ Happy reading everybody. :):):):):):):):):):):)

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011Nasking, Thanks for the Naomi Klein article. You may also be interested in reading these pieces, when you have a day or two :) http://www.nytimes.com/2011/02/21/opinion/21krugman.html?_r=2&src=me&ref=general http://www.alternet.org/story/149986/the_uprising_that_began_in_wisconsin_is_going_nationwide_--_follow_the_latest_developments_here?page=entire http://www.politicususa.com/en/scott-walker-trick-democrats The point, as I think you realise, is that we need to keep an eye on developments in this situation in the US because, as we have seen this past couple of weeks with newspaper articles by Jamie Briggs, one of the architects of WorkChoices in Howard's office, and Peter Reith, who we are all well aware of his attitude towards workers simply hoping to earn a fair day's pay for a fair day's work, if the Coalition ever get their backsides on the Treasury Benches in this country again, it will be going on here too.

Lyn

25/02/2011Hi Everybody Sorry about Club Troppo, the link is messed up, I thought it was a funny looking link, here it is again: [i]Ruperts War on truth, Ken Parish, Club Troppo [/i] JQ’s current worthy obsessions is the utter untrustworthiness of Murdoch’s flagship newspaper The Australian (see here, here and here): KP: Update - News Ltd online is currently reporting Julia Gillard’s announcement about a carbon price under the headline “Gillard’s carbon price a betrayal – Abbott“. http://clubtroppo.com.au/

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011Yay! Julia! She has countered One Trick Tony's scare campaign already. He's going around saying she said there would never be a Carbon Tax, before the election. She has countered that she did say there needed to be a Price on Carbon. Therefore, his argument is just a mean and tricky one based around a misconstruing of what she meant by what she said.

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011lyn, Have I ever told you what a gem you are? Of course I have, but it remains the case again today. :)

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011A quote to keep in mind when listening to the Coalition: "The trouble with the world is that the stupid are cocksure and the intelligent are full of doubt." - Bertrand Russell

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011"Don’t argue with idiots. They drag you down to their level and beat you with experience." - Greg King

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011Julia Gillard has pointed out today that Tony Abbott himself once agreed with a Carbon Tax. So, who's betraying their earlier position?

nasking

25/02/2011Cheers Feral & Lyn, I'll check those links out. Here are some of the people in America who are to be affected by the Tea Party-backed Republican slash & burn policies...this is what Abbott & his cronies would do to us: We The People Wisconsin http://www.youtube.com/wethepeoplewisconsin NOW: [quote]Liberal backing for Reith on call for new fight on industrial relations ECONOMIC conservatives on the Liberal backbench have welcomed a call to arms by Peter Reith for a new fight with Labor on industrial relations. South Australian Liberal Jamie Briggs, who helped design John Howard’s Work Choices policy, said the party should not be afraid to talk about workplace reform. “Peter Reith has been there, he’s done this stuff before. He is absolutely spot on the money,” Mr Briggs said.[/quote] More here: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/industrial-relations/liberal-backing-for-reith-on-call-for-new-fight-on-industrial-relations/story-fn59noo3-1226011227105 Headkicker Reith eh? Is that his mobile phone I can hear ringing. Has the taxpayer’s tune to it. Like Barnaby’s written off car. N’

nasking

25/02/2011"Julia Gillard has pointed out today that Tony Abbott himself once agreed with a Carbon Tax. So, who's betraying their earlier position?" Feral, PM Gillard got stuck into Abbott brilliantly yesterday in parliament during her reply to his loopy rant. Yet, I noticed most of the coverage showed his speech...but not hers...the finale was brill when she used Turnbull's words to stick a knofe in Abbott...demonstrating what a contortionist he's been when it comes to the ETS/carbon price. Too much useless media in this country. N'

Patricia WA

25/02/2011[b]Tony Abbott is Revolting.[/b] I heard him telling Andrew Bolt. Good to hear what he had to say. He’s organising a great big revolt. Every month, every week, every day. They’re going to march on Canberra. They want us all to join with them To fight the war on tax and terror And make Mr Abbott our P.M. Yeah, Tony’ll come to lead us all, Right out front with his dog called Spot, We’ll overnight in local school halls. Those new ones, at last, 'll be just the shot. There'll be a levy for 'extra' details, Like one last supper, or a portaloo. We'll follow him over hill and dales. But where’s this placed called Waterloo?

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011If anyone wants to hear the feisty Ms Julia Gillard, Prime Minister of Australia completely own Alan Jones this morning, here's the link: http://podcasts.mrn.com.au.s3.amazonaws.com/alanjones/20110225-aj2-juliagillard.mp3

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011Patricia WA, Did you hear that everyone in Tony Abbott's 'Peoples Revolt' must wear Red Budgie Smugglers? :)

Lyn

25/02/2011Good Morning Hillbilly Oh! that's such a nice thing to say, you guys all make my day, thankyou so much. Mr Abbott sure keeps everybody busy, especially now, "there is going to be a peoples revolt". What did Ash say, people in Australia don't revolt, honestly how much more stupidity can come out of Abbott's mouth, it's astounding. There's another astounding statement before Christmas, when Mr Abbott accused Julia Gillard of " Machiavellian Bastardry" [quote]Tony claims that there would be an Egypt like revolution in the streets. What Tony doesn’t realise is that revolution was done by foreigners. Australians tend to prefer to go to see a game of football.[/quote] http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/carbon-vectigalia-ite-domus-its-latin-translate-it

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011I know, I know, this is an Editorial from The Australian, but they actually agree with the PM on the issue of putting a Price on Carbon! http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/labors-poll-omission-sparks-mps-emissions/story-e6frg71x-1226011590973

Jason

25/02/2011FS, I know it will make your ears bleed! but she was in fine form with him this morning telling him things were untrue he was misleading his listeners. http://www.2gb.com/index2.php?option=com_newsmanager&task=view&id=8186

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011There he goes again. Just when you think Tony Abbott couldn't go any lower than the sewers, he surprises us and makes his way to the S-Bend of politics: [quote] "TAbbott says if JG wants to make 'politically speaking, an honest woman of herself'...”[/quote] BECAUSE SHE'S NOT MARRIED. Subtle! Not!

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011Jason, Keep your eye on the Peter Reith/Jamie Briggs campaign to bring back WorkChoices,by another name. Seems suspicously timed with the assault on Unions by the Repugs in the US.

Patricia WA

25/02/2011Wow! FS - let's make sure that anyone and everyone we can reach gets to hear that! She's magnificent! And him? [i]]"You're the PM. You're intitled to be heard. Meanwhile, [b]Julia Gillard[/b] let [b]me[/b] have a word......." [/i] How about it TT, AC, BB, NormanK?

Jason

25/02/2011FS, I reckon after the last workchoice campaign of which Briggs was Howard's Industrial relations adviser,no one would be so stupid to listen to him again! I bet Howard now wishes he never listened to him. Most of what Howard bought in is still there except for the nasty elements! just need to get rid of the ABCC. That said Abbott has bigger problems now trying to keep to coalition united against the carbon tax! Julia seen off Jones this morning and I don't think any scare campaign the coalition and their supporters mount will work! even Hadley said come the first of July the greens will have the balance of power for the next 6 years so it will go through no matter what!

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011Jason, Ray Hadley musn't have the delusions of omnipotence that Alan Jones has. :)

Jason

25/02/2011Firebrand Liberal Senator Bill Heffernan has called the Irish-born head of Qantas, Alan Joyce, "an old Irish bomb maker".The comments were made as Mr Joyce appeared in front of a Senate estimates hearing in Canberra today. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/25/3148810.htm?section=justin

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011Kerryn Goldsworthy,telling it like it is wrt Abbott's Carbon Tax Armageddon Scare Campaign: http://consciencevote.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/carbon-tax-armageddon/

nasking

25/02/2011Last comment for the next two days as I'm about to head off and prepare for my wife's b'day...great job all on here...keep spreading the info: Speaking of fossil fool greedsters backing aggressive conservatives: [quote]Koch Industry billionaires David and Charles Koch fund the conservative advocacy group Americans for Prosperity, which has launched an ad across Wisconsin as part of a "Stand with Walker" campaign. Critics of Walker point to a provision before the legislation that would allow for no-bid sale of Wisconsin state energy assets. They allege that Koch Industries would benefit from the legislation, but a spokesperson for Koch Industries told Politico that the company doesn't have any financial interest in the political battle now taking place in Wisconsin. Bloomberg reported that Koch Industries, and its employees and subsidiaries, contributed $1.2 million in the midterm election to Republican governors who now favor curtailing the bargaining rights of state workers. Koch Industries was a major contributor to Walker's gubernatorial election campaign. Murphy, presenting himself as David Koch, called Walker's receptionist and was directed to call back a few hours later, when he would be put through to the governor. In the 20-minute call that resulted, Walker discusses plans for layoff notices and the strategies he is considering to punish Democratic lawmakers who have fled the state in protest of his budget proposal. [/quote] http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20035426-503544.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody AND: [quote]Yesterday, the Hotsheet reported on the support Walker has received from conservative groups like the Tea Party and the Koch-backed Americans for Prosperity. The debate in Wisconsin has become a proxy for the larger national debate taking place over government spending and deficits. Koch-backed group, Tea Party mobilize in Wisconsin Wis. Gov. Scott Walker pranked by journalist posing as David Koch Walker said this week he communicates regularly with Republican Govs. John Kasich of Ohio and Brian Sandoval of Nevada, suggesting he isn't the only governor willing to take on public unions. "There's a lot of us new governors that got elected to do something big," Walker said this week. "This is our moment." Similar protests over anti-union bills have erupted in Ohio, Indiana and elsewhere, but not all Republican governors are following Walker's lead. Yesterday, Indiana Republicans dropped their controversial bill after Republican Gov. Mitch Daniels said it wasn't worth pursuing at this point.[/quote] http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20035934-503544.html Goes to show who is behind the Abbott negabores & climate change sceptics. Big oil. Big coal. Big fossils. N'

Ad astra reply

25/02/2011Folks We are now in Singapore at the home of friends.  They have fibre to the home and then via a router all over the house.  It is magic. Very fast access to the Internet, no buffering AC on your YouTube piece  Tommy James and the Shondelles: Mony Mony, or FS on your Alan Jones interview with Julia.  Why anyone could believe that wireless broadband could be competitive with fibre to the premises, as Malcolm Turnbull would have us believe, is beyond me.  Compared with what speeds I get with Next G, even in the centre of Melbourne, fibre is vastly superior, and we know that load will not slow fibre as it does wireless. In New York the load on wireless is so high that mobile users are suffering frequent dropouts and failure to connect.  Do we want that here, as the Opposition insists, or do we want the NBN?  There is no contest.

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011Happy Birthday to the little lady, Nas. Have fun. :)

Ad astra reply

25/02/2011AC Your choice of WorkChoices as the coda for your piece is apt, with Reith and Biggs stirring the pot, taking the Coalition further down the path of self-destruction. If WC killed them once, it will do it again. Folks Let's applaud BB for his efforts on PB. While there seems some confusion about what stirred The Oz so much, it is exciting that he did to the extent that it pressured Crikey to remove what ever it was.  So The Oz does monitor blog sites - GOOD.

Ad astra reply

25/02/2011FS Thank you for the link to the Alan Jones interview with Julia, which I played, all 22 excruciating minutes of it. I never listen to him, but this was worthwhile, because it exposed the arrogance, aggression and insolence of the man, and the callous disrespect he has for this nation's leader, that so starkly contrasts with the fawning obsequiousness he shows to the alternative PM.  His attack on her for being late to her interview with him - imagine being late for an interview with the nation's top shock jock - set the tone for the interview, which was predictably aggressive. That is the most appalling interview of a leader of this nation I have ever heard.  From a man who believes what he has to say is more important than what the PM has to say.  His countless rude interruptions were a disgrace and set a lamentable example for junior journalists.  This little man attracts a relatively small but sycophantic audience that hangs on his every biassed word, but his outsized ego leads him to believe that the electorate at large really want to hear what he has to say. A clinical psychologist could be excused for diagnosing delusions of grandeur, an affliction often seen in inconsequential individuals.  The man in the street would probably prefer the simpler diagnosis of unseemly bullying behaviour. I shall file that interview as a classic example of biassed and insolent interviewing, countered by a determined PM who was not prepared to let him get the better of her.  Always fight bullies - they end up looking just what they are, and retreat.

nasking

25/02/2011Cheers Feral...I'll relay yer b'day wish. BTW, couldn't help myself: Abbott’s Drivel Continues http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/abbotts-drivel-continues/ [quote]“We will fight this every second of every minute of every hour of every day of every week of every month,” (When not doing Churchill impressions for the mirror…fighting on the beaches…and cycling like a manic on steroids) ”…I think there will be a people’s revolt.” (Now he’s Robespierre…Turnbull readies the guillotine)[/quote] Was fun. :) Cheers N'

Ad astra reply

25/02/2011FS What a turn up. The Australian has editorialized in favor of a carbon tax!  It concedes, after taking the expected sideswipes at Julia Gillard: "But on the policy itself The Australian believes Ms Gillard and her Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet, are on their way to striking a sensible balance." And concludes: "Broken promise or not, Ms Gillard is finally underway on a major reform. She has much detail to bed down, particularly on the issue of compensation, which is crucial for business and for Labor's constituents, and which the Greens will resist. The political fight will be intense, as the Coalition opposes the tax, yet promises to meet the same targets by spending tax dollars. Four years on, very little is predictable about the politics or the outcome, but it is clear the Australian economy craves certainty." As kids we would say to Tony Abbott: "Put that in your pipe and smoke it." That will do for now.

Ad astra reply

25/02/2011Nasking Enjoy your wife's birthday - give her our good wishes. And thank you for your frequent visits to TPS and your always-relevant comment.

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011From Julia Gillard's Twitter account(I think she liked her tussle with Alan Jones this morning): [quote]@JuliaGillard "if he pulls a knife, you pull a gun. If he puts on of your men in the hospital - you put one of his in the morgue"[/quote]

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011What if Tony Abbott staged a 'People's Revolt', and nobody came?

Ad astra reply

25/02/2011FS Thank you for the link to Kerryn Goldsworthy's: Abbott's Carbon Tax Armageddon Scare Campaign. Her account of Tony Abbott's latest diatribes raises the question of whether this man's obsession with power, coupled with desperation as the change in the Senate approaches, has left him unhinged.  Like a boxer seeing the fight slipping away from him, he is indulging in the dirtiest of tactics, even more soiled than usual. Such tactics seldom succeed.

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011Remember this? Mr Turnbull speaking frankly, before he was muffled on the Shadow Front Bench: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/07/2763656.htm

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011Another Tony Abbott Carbon Tax hypocrisy ping from Andrew Watson: http://www.tweetdeck.com/twitter/Andy_Downunda/~aLtcq

TalkTurkey

25/02/2011Arrgghhhh Gee Swordsfolks, I listened to that "interview" between the dignified and controlled Right Honourable the Prime Minister of Australia, Julia Gillard, and the most despicable (words, even the most obscene, fail me here) nastiest thing I have ever heard, in the person of Anal Jones. I hope everybody else has too, or, DO! Julia, Ohhh Julia, Good on ya Girl! In a nutshell, for 20 minutes, PM Gillard smeared his verbal excrement right back in his obscene lying mouth, as with a long-handled mop, never dirtying her hands, never losing her cool, never allowing him to derail her answers, right on and on and on however he tried to interrupt, sleaze that he is. Oh it was poetry. THAT's why I have always admired Ms Gillard, because she is uniquely able to keep on track, stump-jumping stumbling blocks and rude red herrings, where most educated people, confronted with repeated interruption, are likely to defer repeatedly, it's a big problem for Us-likes. Julia Gillard is #1, The Best I've ever heard, Dog bless her. She fought AJ to a dumbfounded silence in the end, she had her swordpoint at his throat, he gave up trying to interrupt, he knew she was impregnable! No pun intended. (He'd gladly literally use that adjective against her I've no doubt, and she'd gladly metaphorically emasculate him if he did! If he had anything to be metaphorically or physically emasculated anyway.) There is no-one can fence with Julia Gillard. Bing! Bing! Bing! She has her arguments and examples all ready, her moves planned, she stays so in-control it's almost beyond belief. Anybody else would've blown their top, not her, she just stays with her argument and makes her point, never while the interruptor is making noise but, you just watch, she has an uncanny knack of just managing to put in the kicker in a pause in the noise. Oh she's good. You don't have to like her. She'll go through you if she needs to. Can't wait till she goes through Pyne, that's his own term, note. Fun is back in Parliament. Jules Rules. [PatriciaWA, you asked TT for a response to that ( * )'s boorishness (a word that should do, but it's way too weak for Anal Jones). Well after I (LiarBird) heard that 'interview' I was so angry and so exhilarated I wrote a stanza that is SO-O-O-O over the top about Toe-rag Abbortt and Anal Jones, and their relationship, and what they get up to with each other, metaphorically at least, that a) it would easily win out of all my own Rudeness Challenges but b) Even TalkTurkey refused to put his name to it. And I LiarBird sure aren't going to. Confused? Sure, me too. But my pome sets a new high in Lows, as AJ and TA deserve, but I think it would lower the TPS tone. No pun intended. LB.] Go Julia Boodica. No mercy for these creeps. [Who am I telling?]

Ad astra reply

25/02/2011Hi Lyn What a fantastic set of links you have given us once again.  In the relative tranquility of Singapore after a hectic conference, it is so good to catch up with the twists and turns of Aussie politics.  Thank you so much. And it's so fast up here - no waiting interminably for items to load - they are just there, like a flash.  You would love it.  Send Malcolm here for a dose of really fast broadband.

Ad astra reply

25/02/2011Folks I'll be out for a couple of hours - back later.

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011Get out the popcorn, Sunday morning politcal TV should be a cracker: http://sundaymorningtv.posterous.com/sunday-morning-tv-27-february-auspol

Feral Skeleton

25/02/2011Ok, OK, Barrie Cassidy had something reasonable to say today wrt the Alan Jones interview with the PM: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/25/3149267.htm

NormanK

25/02/2011Home for the Aged - Sydney, Australia AJ : [i]The Prime minister Julia Gillard is in the studio in Canberra. Prime Minister, good morning.[/i] Mavis : Hssssss. Witch! Witch! Bernd : Sshh. AJ : [i].... your people rang here ....[/i] Shaja : Welsh I think. Mavis : What? Shaja : Her people. Welsh I think. Bernd : He means her staff. Sshh. AJ : [i].... can understand you may not want to come on or you can't come on ....[/i] Maria : Too scared more like. Barry: Are there any more of those hard lollies? No no no, I don't want a green one. Bernd : Sshh, I'm trying to listen. JG : [i]- I'm also a very busy person and -[/i] AJ : [i]- We're all busy -[/i] Kathleen : You tell her Alan. We're all busy you witch. Mavis : Witch! Witch! JG : [i]Well, Alan I am happy to apologise to you for ...[/i] Mavis : Too late, witch! Bernd : Oh shush Mavis! Barry : I want a blue one. How come they don't put enough blue ones in? AJ : [i].... white hot anger out there and ....[/i] Barry : Why do they put so many black ones in these packets? Everyone knows no-one likes black ones. JG : [i]In the last election campaign I talked consistently about how ....[/i] Walter : Can't shut her up, that's the problem. Bernd : Sshh. Mavis : Witch! Welsh witch! Burn her! JG : [i].... and that's what I announced yesterday -[/i] AJ : [i]- No, no,Julia,you didn't say that -[/i] Shaja : He's always so polite. It must be nice to know the Prime Minister on a first name basis. Maria : He's a very famous man. He knows lots of people. JG : [i]I know that you speak to Tony Abbott regularly on this show and you listen to what he has to say -[/i] Beryl : He's a nice man. Barry : I am not sucking on a black one. I don't care who gave it to you. Mavis : Who? Beryl : Mr Abbott. He always speaks so nicely. AJ : [i]People are now saying your name is not 'Julia' but 'Ju-liar' and they are .....[/i] Mavis : Ju-liar, Ju-liar! Witch! Witch! Barry : How come there isn't a white one? AJ : [i]..... and this is what Brad said :[/i] Audio Clip : [i]I felt sick in the stomach. I felt ......[/i] Barry : I get that all the time. Shaja : It's all those bloody lollies. Mavis : I blame the food. Audio Clip : [i].... every day. I've been up since 3.00 this morning trying ....[/i] Barry, Beryl, Mavis, Shaja, Maria : [b]Me too! Me too![/b] Audio Clip : [i].... but these clowns, they pee it up against the wall, Alan. I've .......[/i] Shaja : Ooh that's not good. Mavis : As soon as you feel like you've got to go then you should ..... Beryl : Against the wall? That's disgusting. JG : [i]And I can also say to people like Brad ......[/i] Mavis : She's always got something to say. Shut up and give someone else a go you witch! AJ : [i]No, you did not.[/i] JG : [i]Yes, I did Alan -[/i] AJ : [i]Julia, you gave a policy speech -[/i] JG : [i]Get all of the statements out, Alan, and you will see -[/i] AJ : [i]- Julia, people -[/i] JG : [i]- During the election campaign .......[/i] Beryl : She is just so rude, interrupting all the time. AJ : [i]- Julia -[/i] JG : [i]- that pricing carbon -[/i] AJ : [i]- PM -[/i] JG : -[i] is the most efficient way to do it -[/i] AJ : [i]- PM -[/i] JG : [i]- that is what happened during the election campaign.[/i] AJ : [i]PM, PM, this is untruthful.[/i] CLICK Bernd : Hey I was TRYING to listen to that. Mavis : Well, I've heard enough! That witch wasn't letting Alan get a word in edgewise. Beryl : Not like that nice Mr Abbott. He always sits politely and listens when Alan is trying to teach him something. Barry : (suck) We got the gist of it anyway. (suck, suck) Because they're letting all these terrorists into the country (suck), the price of carbon is going up. (suck) Maria : Again! Shaja : Who cares. Who uses pencils any more anyway?

jane

25/02/2011<blockquote>The LNP seem to be looking for something that will gain traction quickly, rather than work on policy and a sustained discussion on why the LNP are different and better.</blockquote> So situation normal in Dingbat HQ, 2353? <blockquote>Once that woman’s out of my hair I’ll do something for public health. Do I really mean that sentence there? I meant, encourage private wealth.</blockquote> Patricia WA, loved that last stanza of your poem. Absolutely spot on. Peter Reith, hey? Better lock up your phones!

2353

25/02/2011Unfortunately I don't have the time (or I suspect the stomach) to listen to Jones vs Gillard but wonder if a better plan would be to ignore the shockjock and their decreasing audience share? Interestingly enough, the conversation at work today had nothing to do with the proposed Carbon Tax, more to do with what's happening on the weekend, gossip about management in the workplace and when people are taking holidays. Another non-political forum I frequest had a thread on it but the only comments on the original post I saw last night were from a Moderator suggesting partisan comments weren't welcome and someone suggesting the Libs introduced the GST after specifically ruling it out. Given that a few of my colleagues would be more than happy to claim they pay too much tax etc already, Abbott seems to have a bit of an uphill battle to achieve his "people's Revolution" (regardless of the tackiness of the comment in the first place). Recaptcha words included "semantics" - is that there for a reason?

nasking

25/02/2011"What if Tony Abbott staged a 'People's Revolt', and nobody came?" LOL. Luv it! Ad astra, many thnx...I've passed on yer best wishes. S' thnx you. Glad yer Singapore broadband experience is so good. Time for us to catchup. [quote]Barry : (suck) We got the gist of it anyway. (suck, suck) Because they're letting all these terrorists into the country (suck), the price of carbon is going up. (suck) Maria : Again! Shaja : Who cares. Who uses pencils any more anyway? [/quote] Norman...ROFL N'

Feral Skeleton

25/02/20112353, Good to hear busy people who don't have much time to follow politics, except for the overarching theme of the day, haven't gotten up in arms about the Carbon Pricing Mechanism Julia Gillard wants to introduce. Hopefully sanity will continue to prevail throughout the storm of disinformation that Cyclone Antony will unleash.

Patricia WA

26/02/2011Well done, NormanK. Your dialogue is great, threaded into Jonesy doing his best to stop the PM from saying anything and being very nicely put in his place by Ms Gillard. Except that he refused to stay there. I can imagine his impact out there in Boganland I wonder if they had the switchboard light up with complaints about his rudeness? It made me gasp when I heard the rudeness of his greeting when a she tad late. What arrogance.

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011Something to keep in mind when Rabbott rabbits on about Julia Gillard holding parliament and the people in contempt, or somesuch silly verbiage, about her promise not to introduce a Carbon Tax before the election. Of course, we all know that she did not say she wouldn't introduce a Price on Carbon, nor that she didn't believe we needed to do anything about Climate Change in the next parliament. She did. She's doing it, and we need to keep the bastards honest(the Liberal bastards,that is), so that she can get her policy implemented.

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011Ooops, forgot the link :) http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/gallery-e6frg6n6-1226011992172?page=5

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011Now, a very important article to read, and keep in mind when next you go around the forums on the web: http://www.alternet.org/story/150049/corporate-funded_online_%27astroturfing%27_is_more_advanced_and_more_automated_than_you_might_think?page=entire

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011Patricia WA, You have my heartfelt sympathy for your state of mind which must be being sorely tested as you go wearingly through the heat wave over there in WA. Also my sympathy extends to your beautiful puppy dog, who must not be able to go on his beloved walks atm because that heat would surely burn the pads on his feet as he walks along the footpath in Freo, not to mention it must be an effort of major proportions to just get around the streets in a fur coat! However, I must say that despite all of that your contributions recently have been exceptional! :)

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011The Australian admits its online polls are dodgy: http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/02/18/online-reader-polls-on-life-support-at-holt-street-2-0/ Now, if that link doesn't work because you are not subscribed to Crikey(some do, some don't), here's the body of the article: [quote]Online reader polls may be a thing of the past for The Australian after the Holt Street 2.0 heavies conceded it was likely the results of two recent polls run on its website were hacked. Eyebrows were raised when a poll on The Oz website suggested on Wednesday there had been 70,000 votes (more than 97% of respondents) against the use of taxpayer funds to fly relatives to Sydney for an asylum seeker funeral. By Thursday morning, the poll had been updated to record more than 100,000 votes against the decision. And they pointed to another poll run on the website which recorded more than 263,000 people (99.17% in the affirmative) voting on Julie Bishop’s position as deputy leader of the Coalition. The average amount of votes to be recorded on Australian polls over the last week (excluding the asylum seeker funerals and Bishop outliers) was 5627. Nic Hopkins, online editor of The Australian, concedes it’s likely the two lopsided polls have been manipulated. “We removed the polls from the homepage when we became aware of the results and are in the process of removing them from the system altogether,” he told Crikey. ”It isn’t the first time this has happened and shows how easily they can be distorted.” Editor-in-chief Chris Mitchell was also miffed by the results, warning Crikey not to read too much into them: ”These are not scientific polls like Newspoll. I would just as soon we never ran them online and I pay them no attention.”[/quote]

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011Combine the above story with the Monbiot article and the information about how corporate America is seeking to take over the political system by supporting Astroturfing groups, as I have outlined previously, and you can easily conclude that war has been declared, an online war, on progressive thought being promulgated in any media that exists which they can use as a battleground to fight us on. By their actions so shall you know them: http://www.alternet.org/story/150047/rupert_murdoch_and_david_koch_collude_against_wisconsin_workers?page=entire Also, having Tony Abbott in his pocket, Rupert Murdoch has the ideal stalking horse into the Australian Parliament.

Lyn

26/02/2011[b]TODAY'S LINKS [/b] [i]Carbon tax armageddon!, The Conscience Vote[/i] is John Howard’s much-quoted ‘never ever’ statement – as in, ‘There’s no way a GST will ever be part of our policy http://consciencevote.wordpress.com/ [i]It's Getting Hot In Here, Ben Eltham, New Matilda[/i]In Question Time, Tony Abbott predictably went berserk, quoting from Macbeth and turning all of his considerable attack skills against a Prime Minister http://newmatilda.com/2011/02/25/its-getting-hot-here [i]The media and disasters, Dave Gaukroger, Pure Poison[/i] Tammi Jonas takes a look at the performance of the media in the wake of the Christchurch earthquake: http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/2011/02/25/the-media-and-disasters/#more-9102 [i]Politically Inconvenient Uncertainty For Some, Neil Cook, The Bannerman[/i] Abbott’s world view, war is okay, but addressing human induced climate change is ‘absolute crap’. http://www.waddayano.org/blog/2011/02/politically_inconvenient_uncer.php#more [i]Abbott’s Drivel Continues, Nasking, Cafe Whispers[/i]a liability for a Coalition that have been severely divided by his fear-mongering, dog whistling, say NO to everything, http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/abbotts-drivel-continues/ [i]ALP bites the bullet on climate change?, Gary Sauer Thompson, Public Opinion[/i] the fight will be about politics — not policy, not evidence, and not science. The Coalition, the big polluters, mining industry and conservative media will fight this policy to the death. http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2011/02/alp-bites-the-b.php#more [i]Alan Jones is not The Prime Minister of Australia, Reb, Gutter Trash[/i] Shock jock and rampant Coalition apologist Alan Jones has dished up an extraordinary serve to Australia’s Prime Minister http://guttertrash.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/alan-jones-is-not-the-prime-minister-of-australia/ [i]The Turnbull Assult, David Havyatt, Anything Goes[/i] In a twin assault he has appeared on Lateline and contributed a column to today's SMH. http://davidhavyatt.blogspot.com/2011/02/turnbull-assault.html [i]The trends for February’s ends,Possum Comitatus,Pollytics[/i] we have a complete set of polls making up a single polling cycle for the first time this year. http://www.crikey.com.au/ [i]To Price but not to tax, Nicholas Gruen, Club Troppo[/i] if John Howard was in her shoes right now he’d be arguing that it’s not really a tax, http://clubtroppo.com.au/ [i]A carbon rod for Labor’s back,Crikey[/i] [b]ABC doing some very tight editing of Gillard saying the dreaded words, spliced to Tony Abbott’s song and dance in parliament. [/b] http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/02/25/a-carbon-rod-for-labors-back/ [i]Henry Quits as we're getting ahead, Peter Martin[/i] best-known public servant took good news and bad news to his final Senate hearing. http://www.petermartin.com.au/ [i]Some thoughts about Egypt & social Media, Alex White[/i]Under a dictatorship, civil society is stunted and deformed: http://alexwhite.org/ [i]Will the price be right?, Fergus Green, Inside Story[/i]Australia looks set, finally, to establish that most elusive of prizes in Australian climate politics: a carbon price http://inside.org.au/will-the-price-be-right/ [b][u][quote]Jones, acts as the Liberal Party's godfather[/quote]:[/u][/b]. [i]Julia and the Carbon Tax, Jane Why[/i] If Alan Jones or Neil MItchell spoke to me like they spoke to our Prime Minister this morning, I wouldn’t answer http://janewhy.com/2011/02/25/julia-and-the-carbon-tax/ [i]News you can use - The carbon tax is coming! The carbon tax is cominnnnnnnnnng! , Lukeryan, The Vine[/i Is he doing that? Calling upon the imagery of citizens fighting against brutal http://www.thevine.com.au/news/current-affairs/news-you-can-use-_-the-carbon-tax-is-coming!-the-carbon-tax-is-cominnnnnnnnnng!20110225.aspx [i]Alan Jones & Julia Gillard go head to head on 2GB, Don't believe the Lies, Critically Analyze![/i] shock jock calling the leader "Ju-liar". Jones accused Ms Gillard of being "untruthful" http://kurtrudder.blogspot.com/2011/02/alan-jones-julie-gillard-go-head-to.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+kurtrudder+%28Don%27t+believe+the+lies%2C+critically+analyze%21%29 [i]Julia Gillard vs. Alan Jones: a complaint to , 2GB, Laura Mathison, Political Tarot[/i] Jones’s blustering self-importance in chastising the Prime Minster for being late and his constant interruptions http://politicaltarot.com/2011/02/a-complaint-to-2gb/ [i]Gillard Passes Fiery Trial of Alan Jones Interview, Bob Car, Thoughtlines with Bob Car[/i] toughest media for a politician, especially when 2GB’s Alan Jones is energised and angry. He will be savage with Labor leaders http://bobcarrblog.wordpress.com/2011/02/25/gillard-passes-fiery-trial-of-alan-jones-interview/ [i]Liar, liar, shock jocks on fire, Barrie Cassidy, ABC[/i]The Prime Minister ran late for an appointment with the most important person in the country. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/25/3149267.htm [i]PM must prove her credibility, Laurie Oakes, Herald Sun [/i] She acquitted herself well, particularly in the toe-to-toe with Jones, who increasingly acts as the Liberal Party's godfather. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/ipad/pm-must-prove-her-credibility/story-fn6bn88w-1226012249788 [i]Bad manners , Strewth, The Australian[/i] AJ snapped, and fair enough; we always get the impression he's sort of running the country, too http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/bad-manners/story-e6frgdk6-1226012254118 [i]Tony Abbott tells Julia Gillard to 'make an honest woman of herself' on carbon tax, Malcolm Farr, Herald Sun[/i] The Opposition Leader joined in a day of bitter, personal and strident attacks on the Prime Minister [b]Alan Jones: PM chided, 12 minutes late [/b] http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/national/tony-abbott-tells-julia-gillard-to-make-an-honest-womanof-herself-on-carbon-tax/story-e6frf7l6-1226012034629 [i]Prime Minister Julia Gillard Told Off By Alan Jones For Running 10 Minutes Late! , Triple M[/i] The phones at Triple M's The Hot Breakfast melted down when we played audio of 2GB Sydney's Alan Jones taking the Prime Minister Julia Gillard to task for running 10 minutes late. http://www.triplem.com.au/melbourne/shows/hot-breakfast-eddie-mcguire/blog/prime-minister-julia-gillard-told-off-by-alan-jones-for-running-10-minutes-late/20110225-bir3.html [i]Who does Alan Jones think he is to speak to the Prime Minister like that?, Kate Carruthers, Aide-Memoire[/i] hypothesise that misogyny drove his behaviour, misogyny coupled with a deep hatred of non-conservative politicians. http://katecarruthers.com/blog/2011/02/who-does-alan-jones-think-he-is-to-speak-to-the-prime-minister-like-that/

Rx

26/02/2011Further to Feral Skeleton's clip from Crikey about the rigging of online polls. Barrie Cassidy, ABC, 25 February 2011: [i]... Alan Jones' website today was running a poll : Do you want a carbon tax? It was running at 98.7% against. Do you think that represents a cross section of the country?[/i] http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/02/25/3149267.htm The propaganda zombies sure are being kept busy!

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011Rx, The propaganda zombies have been smote by our Political Swords at TPS! :)

Lyn

26/02/2011Hi Ad Sunday morning TV: [b]Sunday morning TV - 27 February #auspol [/b] Your guide to this Sunday morning's political and business interviews Full program listing available at: http://sundaymorningtv.posterous.com/ 8.00am Ch10 - Meet the Press Paul Bongiorno is joined on the Panel by AAP's Paul Osborne and Eleanor Hall, presenter of ABC Radio's The World Today program. Together they interview Green's Leaders and Senator for Tasmania, Senator Bob Brown, and the Human Rights Commissioner,the Hon Catherine Branson QC. 8:30am Sky News 601 - Australian Agenda On Sky News Australian Agenda this week, the MInister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy is interviewed by Peter Van Onselen and panel Paul Kelly and Jennifer Hewitt from The Australian. Also, the Manager of Opposition Business Christopher Pyne. 8:35am Ch7 - Weekend Sunrise - The Riley Diary Political editor Mark Riley takes a look at the past week in federal politics as the political climate changes into a shakespearean tragedy. 8:38am Ch9 - Today on Sunday - Laurie Oakes interview This week Laurie Oakes talks to Prime Minister Julia Gillard. 9:00am ABC1 & on ABC News 24 - Insiders On Insiders this Sunday, Barrie Cassidy interviews the Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet. On the panel: the Financial Review’s Laura Tingle and political writers Kerry-Anne Walsh and Niki Savva. And Mike Bowers talks pictures with blogger for The Australian, Jack the Insider. 10:00am ABC1 & on ABC News 24 @ 5.30pm - Inside Business This week on Inside Business: Bluescope Steel CEO Paul O’Malley talking about the proposed Carbon Tax and why he thinks it could kill off Australian manufacting; Woolworths CEO Mike Luscombe talks about his results and the tussle with a resurgent Coles; and a look at Kerry Stokes’ cunning plan to merge WAN & SEV and what it means for the small investor. And the usual update on the latest news from the markets and Alan Kohler’s incisive commentary.

TalkTurkey

26/02/2011Sorry about the waste of space in my last post. Actually it's Toe-rag Abbortt there, waste of space, nothing to contribute, just a mistake.

Ad astra reply

26/02/2011Hi Lyn Another fantastic set of links this morning. Thank you so much. It's just after 8 am here in Singapore, so we are about to take a breakfast walk in the beautiful botanical gardens. I look forward to reading them all on my return.

Lyn

26/02/2011Good Morning Ad to you and lovely wife, Ummm, a breakfast walk in the botanical gardens, sure must be nice to be holidays in Singapore. Thankyou for popping in to talk to us Ad, amid your busy schedule, we appreciate it very much. Have a nice day. :):):):)

Lyn

26/02/2011Hi Hillbilly Seeing you have the keys to TPS castle, could you if possible, fix up Talk Turkey's comment posted at 9.56am. It's OK, but could be a problem for new readers scrolling down and not realizing, we don't want anyone to go away. I have done that to my posts heaps of times, Ad Astra fixes it for me, just copies, deletes, I think, then posts my comment again. Cheers

Lyn

26/02/2011Hi Everybody I am going to type a tip for all my friends, Norman K might be able to expand the information for me: Open "The Political Sword" click on Comments at the bottom of the post, "Right click" on arrow down, bottom of the page, right side just above your task bar, click on scroll here that will take you to the last comment in a flash. Sure beats scrolling down all the comments. :):):):):):):)

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011lyn, Sorry, have been doing yard work and pruning those dagnabbit trees that keep growing over the driveway. Will try and fix Talk Turkey's extra long pause at the end of his post. :)

Talk Turkey

26/02/2011Professor skeleton said: "Of course, we all know that she did not say she wouldn't introduce a Price on Carbon, nor that she didn't believe we needed to do anything about Climate Change in the next parliament. She did. She's doing it . . . " Erm . . . I'm not quite sure I didn't fail to misunderstand that . . . Anyway exactly what did she say then? I sure as shootin' agree there needs to be a price on carbon but as for what she declared well that's something else. The Lying Rodent Howard said there'd never ever be a GST . . . H'mmm, how's this spin, Maybe Gillard can tell the electorate, like, 'Well look if even I, your JULIA, am prepared to renege on an election promise made back then in order to hang on to power, (but with which at core I have always disagreed), how the hell would you ever trust ABBORTT not to renege on Work Choices if ever he got in?!' What a tangled web . . . Aa I am in awe of your peregrinacity. You are a wizard. What a dope Turdball is to have allowed himself to be wedged by Abbortt, of all people, into opposing the NBN. He sounds about as convincing, and as convinced, as I would proselytizing Wimpball aka Soccer, when I know Aussie Rules OK! I sense a tremor through the MSM atm, a bit of a chill through Crassidy and Crappe and them, as they start to realize that they're being called on their cosy smarmy lickspittle game. Gillard's determination, and the good sense of all the Rudd and Gillard Govts have done in the last few years, and I reckon the pressure of our contempt for the MSM's crap reporting from the blogosphere too in some modest degree, are getting through I think . . . Anal Jones went down even in many of his listeners' opinions yesterday, so bloody rude! JG so obviously flattened him time and again, called him out for the pathetic lying ( * ) he is, those are the tactics that the barrackers want to hear, (and those who didn't lose respect for him are so sweated-on and so urrrgghh they wouldn't ever shift anyway, and who cares, as long as we have the power to keep them in strait-jackets where they belong.) I want to hear JG take on Bum-Bolt and Pus Ackerman too. She sent a message to all of them yesterday, all the sycophants in the ABC included, she'll take them on and whip them at their own game, down'n'dirty, attagirl.

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011lyn, Done! :)

Lyn

26/02/2011Hi Hillbilly Thankyou,Hillbilly, you're worth your weight in gold. Now you can go back to your yard work, big job, I know, but makes you feel good when done. Careful of that Turkey though. Have a great day. Cheers :):):)

Acerbic Conehead

26/02/2011Nasking: “What if Tony Abbott staged a 'People's Revolt', and nobody came?" However, the seeds of the Peoples’ Revolt against “Gaddafi” Gillard have been sown. Tony “Trotsky” Abbott has sent out the message on the boatphone for the revolutionaries to assemble in Canberra. Trotsky turns up at the appointed hour but is dismayed by the low turnout of rebels. Only Bronny “Boudica” Bishop, Dennis “Spartacus” Shanahan, and Andrew “Robespierre” Robb are there. Trotsky: Welcome tovariches...it is good to see you here...But at the same time, I am very disappointed that others did not heed the revolutionary call of my trusty boatphone... Spartacus: Maybe your batteries are a bit duff, great leader? Robber (muttering): Huh...maybe if he didn’t have to fork out for all those instalments on his great new big mortgage, he could afford to buy some new ones...tee...hee... Boudica: Great leader...I am very excited by the prospect of overthrowing the tyrant Gillard – do I get the chance to chuck any petrol-bombs? Trotsky: Hmmm...I think we’ll keep you well away from the petrol, Boudica... [in true Pythonesque fashion, the discussion swings quicker than Trotsky’s weathervane] Spartacus: Great leader...what name are we going to call ourselves – I propose the “Coalition Peoples’ Revolt”... Trotsky: F*** OFF!!! Spartacus: Beg yours!! You’re not talking to Nicola Roxon now y’know... Robber: What about “People Behind the Coalition Revolt”? Trotsky: Nah...One Nation has patented that one already... Boudica: I know! What about the “Revolting Coalition Peoples”... [at Boudica’s idiotic suggestion, the craniums of Trotsky Tony and the other revolutionaries start to nod in a hypnotic metronomic fashion. She is saved from a certain death-by-nodding-stare by the sudden arrival of Alan “Stonewall Jackson” Jones and Barnaby “Braveheart” Joyce. Interestingly, they are both dripping wet] Trotsky: Hail comrades...it is great to see you both...But we need to maintain our revolting discipline – you buggers are ten minutes late ffs!! Stonewall: Huh...if it’s good enough for Ju-liar to turn up late for my show, its good enough for me... Braveheart: Great leader...I will have to take ownership for our delay in mustering for our revolutionary intifada...Y’see, I was giving a lift to Stonewall here in my four-wheel drive and I was driving too fast...I came round a bend and drove straight into a flooded creek...So we had to walk the last bit and that is why we’re late... Boudica: Huh...driving too fast...Instead of Braveheart they should call him Breakneck...hee...hee... [suddenly, away on the horizon, the revolutionaries spot a number of horse-riders galloping in their direction] Spartacus: Why...I...think...that...might...be...our...revolting...Kiwi...cousins – it’s hard to make them out from this distance... Trotsky: Huh...they better be Kiwis – I don’t want any foreigners joining our insurrection... [as the riders draw nearer, the silhouettes of their cast-iron pail-shaped helmets are a dead give-away. If Fidel Castro and his mates take the revolutionary biscuit, these guys eat the tin and all. It is none-other than Ned Kelly and his Indo Gang, comprising of Rob O’Hotshot, Tony McWindsor, and Bob “I’ll Take You Home Again, Kathleen” Katter. Ned and his gang pull up their horses right in front of the cowering, fear-stricken rabble formerly known as the Revolting Coalition Peoples] Ned: Top o’ the mornin’ to ye, one an’ all...Seen any rebels around here...cos I got a message on me NBN – Ned’s Brilliant Network – that there were some of the low-lifes in the vicinity...You mob look so petrified, you surely must have been accosted by the blackguards... Trotsky: No...no...no...we haven’t seen any rebels, Mr Kelly sir...and if we did, you would be the first to know... Ned: Huh...if you’re goin’ to use that old dilapidated boatphone you’ve got there, I’ll probably be the LAST to know...haw...haw... Troksky: Yeah, shit happens after all, Mr Kelly... Ned: Begorrah...it smells like it has already – by Jesus and His Holy Mother, I tink you lot should go home and change your underwear...to be sure... Trotsky: But...but...but...of course Mr Kelly sir – we will retreat there quicker than you or your Irish friends can spin a good yarn...and it’s a high-point of before noon to you and your lovely friends as well, Mr Kelly sir... [as the sorry bunch that used to be known as the Revolting Coalition Peoples despondently shuffle off into the distance, Ned mutters to himself] Ned: Bejaysus! Peoples’ Revolt me arse...I haven’t seen anyting loike it since the surrender of Singapore...tisk...tisk...

NormanK

26/02/2011AC Thank-you once again for a rollickin' good yarn. Today's gem, to be tucked away in my saddlebags, will be the concept of "Abbott's Intifada". How dearly I would love to see that as a headline in a major newspaper.

Lyn

26/02/2011Hi Ad [u][b]Look at this proof Julia Gillard is not lying[/b]:[/u] This blog should be sent to Alan Jones and, the Liberal Head Office and, Mr Murdoch and, all the MSM, and, all over twitter, and, all over facebook, and Alan Jones and I mean all those ands. When you think about Mr Abbott in Parliament, his crazy, dancing around and fury, then Alan Jones's attitude, it really does make me mad. Congratulations to Clarencegirl "North Coast Voices" for an excellent, magnificant, research job: What Julia Gillard really ssid about pricing carbon, Clarencegirl, North Coast Voices http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/2011/02/what-julia-gillard-really-said-about.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+blogspot%2FUtodS+%28North+Coast+Voices%29 [quote]then hearing knuckle-dragging radio ‘personality’ Alan Jones’ near hysterical rant on the same subject (full transcript here) one could be forgiven for thinking that Ms. Gillard had never let the Australian electorate know her thinking before the last federal election held on 21 August 2010. [/quote] [b]Both of these gentleman forget the enduring convenience of Google when it comes to checking if one’s memory is correct or not.[/b] [b]In June 2010 The Australian reported:[/b] Julia Gillard will pursue a carbon price if she wins the next election… [b]In July 2010 The Herald Sun also reported the Prime Minister’s position[/b]: "We will have that price on carbon when we have a deep community consensus." [b]The Business Spectator in July 2010:[/b] The federal government has agreed new policies on climate change, including a commitment to set an interim price on carbon, the Australian Financial Review reports. [b]On the day before we all went to the polls Gillard was reported at news.com.au: [/b] Julia Gillard says she is prepared to legislate a carbon price in the next term as part of a bold series of reforms [b]In The Australian on the same day[/b]: In an election-eve interview with The Australian, the Prime Minister revealed she [b]would view victory tomorrow as a mandate for a carbon price, provided the community was ready for this step[/b] [b]Tony Abbott was aware of Gillard’s commitment to pricing carbon. His own website contained this post almost[/b] [b]two months before the last federal election:[/b] [i]Tony Abbott Doorstop - Julia Gillard’s great big new tax on mining; carbon tax; insulation; federal election Posted on Tuesday, 29 June 2010[/i] [b]Subjects: Julia Gillard’s great big new tax on mining; carbon tax; insulation; federal election.[/b] She was given today an opportunity to actually make something happen. [b]Bob Brown said that he was prepared to negotiate with her now about putting a price on carbon[/b]. If she is serious about putting a price on carbon she shouldn’t wait until after the election, she should sit down with Bob Brown now, come up with something, tell us now what she’s going to do rather than just fudge this until after the election. But it’s typical of the new Prime Minister that she wants to get credit for wanting to do something without getting the blame for actually doing something and this is a Prime Minister who will tell people what she thinks they want to hear but she won’t then put the policies in place to deliver on that. http://www.tonyabbott.com.au/News/tabid/94/articleType/ArticleView/articleId/7456/Tony-Abbott-Doorstop--Julia-Gillards-great-big-new-tax-on-mining-carbon-tax-insulation-federal-election.aspx

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011AcerbicC., Excellent job! Also,good to see you found your hat. :) Minor point of proprietorial demarkation, the line quoted by you at the beginning of your tour de Tony farce, 'What if Tony Abbott staged a 'People's Revolt', and nobody came?', was, ahem, mine, not Nas'.

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011lyn, What a good woman Clarencegirl is. Also how magnificent is Google? What did we ever do before it came along? It's easy to see why Rupert Murdoch has declared War on Google. He wants to lock incriminating information away in internet black boxes, only accessible by those in the know that have the keys to the box, not the hoipolloi, such as the plebian masses. That way people can't do the searches which can lead to players in his power games, like Tony Abbott, being found out to be the liars that they are.

TalkTurkey

26/02/2011AC Sorry, but Bronny Bishop can't have “Boudica” JULIA's Boodica (see TT's post yesty, and in The Lass of Yarraluma, back in October) Jeanne D'Arc? . . . Hippolyte? . . . Medea, even! . . . But Boadicea by any variation is Julia's, by force of being first and feisty and fiery-furred. And Gaelic! Tx Prof Skeleton for clearing that big backyard on my previous post. As Lyn says, careful of that Turkey. Lyn btw we NEVER take you for granted, your Links are so important. It's like you keep pointing out rich informational goldfields and all we have to do is pan a little. Even if we had no other posts, tons of sensible people (and even some journos and pollies) would still keep referring to your Links. Just letting you know . . .

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011If anyone else is interested in listening to the Mr Hyde facet of Alan Jones personality, then have a listen to JJJ's collection of some of his off-air rants(warning the air goes blue!): http://web.archive.org/web/20071019015031/abc.net.au/triplej/hack/jones/

2353

26/02/2011And FS, more importantly older stories in the newspaper or online can be hidden in the archives - not "muddying the waters" of the current thoughts of the Chairman by being produced at an inopportune moment.

Patricia WA

26/02/2011The idea of Ned's Brilliant Network bringing about the scattering of the Revolting Coalition Peoples is remarkably prescient of you, AC. I'm sorry they dispersed before the appearance of Madame Julie Guillotine with her Tumbrill. She will surely not forgive Tony Trotsky for upstaging her with his nodding death stare. FS, thanks for your kind thoughts. It certainly is unrelentingly hot here. I bless our local pool as I'm sure do the parents flocking there with their kids. Up till now I've relied on my old brick and tile, roof insulated house with a well treed garden to keep me reasonably comfortable during the heat of the day. I haven't liked the air conditioners of the past - noisy and pumping out not really clean air, using a lot of power. The past fortnight, however, my old fashioned ceiling fans and opening wide to evening sea breezes and cool morning air before battening down indoors just haven't been enough. I've been sweating like the proverbial and very uncomfortable. I'm now seriously considering reverse cycle air conditioning at least in one part of the house where I sit at my desk looking out onto the garden. Even at this late stage of the summer the heat doesn't seem likely to let up. As well, during winter I do use a fair amount of power on space heaters in this area. Having newly installed solar panels makes me feel less concerned about power use. Have you or others at TPS any advice to offer before I embark on this installation? PS Thanks specially for thinking of Tacker, poor darling. He's off his food and, thank goodness, doesn't want to jump on my bed. We walk early in the morning, which is delightful, and at dusk. At nights he sleeps on the wooden floor. His friend Sheba, doesn't come in at all at nights. She prefers to sleep [i]en plein air.[/i]

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011Hey guys! Look what's going around the web today: http://www.petitionbuzz.com/petitions/carbontaxyes If you would like to show your support for putting a price on Carbon pollution, then sign the petition and pass it on to your friends. :)

Acerbic Conehead

26/02/2011NormanK, I've just got around to reading your skit in the senior citizens' home. What a cracker! Thank god there are people like Bernd living there - a voice of reason. I think you might get a series out of this one, lol. FS, I am down on bended knee in supplication for that dreadful error of ascribing to Nasking a quote from you. I notice he hasn't corrected the record, the cheeky bugger, lol. And TT, I agree wholeheartedly that Bronny has gone beyond the Pale in referring to herself as Boudica. She has definitely gone above her station this time. However, we should have seen the signs - just look at her bee-hive.

Lyn

26/02/2011Hi Patricia WA We had 12 x 2 kilowatt solar panels installed on our roof, they cost $4,000.00 that is, with the Government rebate taken off. We have just received a full quarter electricity bill and guess what it was, only $67.00 for 3 months. We have reverse cycle airconditioners in every room, the lounge has a big one, we use the bedroom one every night all night, have for the past 3 months, the lounge probably around 30 hours a week. We do not worry about power, if it's needed we use it. My husband being the incredibly, careful, measured planner that he is, did weeks and weeks of research and enquiries before the panels were decided upon. Patricia, I can highly recommend the solar panels, also we use the airconditioners in the winter for heating. When you buy your airconditioner, you need one with an inverter, much cheaper on power useage. Oh! also the installers do all the Government grant stuff, you don't need to do anything, just ask for a quote with your rebate taken off. The other part is you get credits for any unused power, that the panels generate back to the power station grid. So if you go away on holidays the credits build up, the people next door had nothing to pay and $70.00 credit. I am sorry Tacker is not well. Cheers

Acerbic Conehead

26/02/2011Patricia WA, STOP THE TUMBRILLS!!!! I hope it cools down enough later for you to take Tacker for a walk. However, the forecast for Perth is, I believe, for much more of the same. My solution is to open the fridge a bit more often and extract a couple of those amber-coloured bottles. However, I'm obviously a lot more uncouth than you, lol. I hope you find a cool spot and have a great weekend.

Lyn

26/02/2011Hi Talk Turkey Thankyou for your words. I can't get over the evidence that Clarencegirl, North Coast Voices ,has dug up, of the past reports on Carbon pricing. The amazing audacity of them all is, thump your forehead stuff. :))))))))))

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011PatriciaWA, Having lived in WA myself for 15 years when Carmen Lawrence(and the dreadful Brian Burke) were Labor Premiers, I know just how hot a Perth Summer can get. Luckily, for some of the time I lived at City Beach, where the only problem was the heat of the sand. However, I ascribed to the maxim that, 'Only Mad Dogs and Englishmen go out in the Midday sun', so I tended to leave my bathing until the early morning, after a hot night, or the late afternoon, after a hot day of Easterly winds, or both! Also, as you probably know only too well, there is nothing as soothing after a hot summer's day in Perth then to go down to the beach and watch the sun go down. I would also just like to add a couple of things. 1. I have had a Solar Hot Water Heater installed recently after the old electric one died, as they do, as regular as clockwork. It is not linked to Solar Panels on the roof but has a mechanism whereby it extracts the heat to increase the temperature of the water in the storage tank from out of the air. Almost as if by magic! I have had it through a complete Winter, and can safely say that it manages to extract enough heat from the Solar-warmed air even during that season to keep a regular supply of the hot stuff coming through our hot water taps. Which means that one of the other major costs for your electricity is virtually eliminated, as it does need to have its extraction fan powered, but in comparison to heating water it is nothing. As you can only get one rebate from the government for a Renewable Energy home installation, I'd look at which one is the most expensive and get a rebate for it but purchase the other one as well so as to contribute to a cleaner, greener Australia. :) Secondly, do Tacker and Sheba like ice blocks?(btw I used to have a dog called Sheba as well. She was a Doberman/Kelpie cross, and I loved her very much).

Lyn

26/02/2011 Hi Acerbic Conehead You are amazing, thankyou for your, as Norman K says a darn good Yarn, most enjoyable. [quote]HiNed: Bejaysus! Peoples’ Revolt me arse...I haven’t seen anyting loike it since the surrender of Singapore...tisk...tisk... [/quote] BY Acerbic Conehead

NormanK

26/02/2011Patricia WA See what happens when you ask an opinionated bunch like us what we think of something? I would reinforce Feral's recommendation of the Airoheat hot water system. One brother and two nephews are electricians and they swear by them and have a collective low opinion of solar panels because they feel that they are high maintenance for dust and corrosion. So if you live in a dust-prone area or are likely to experience sea-breezes, you may wish to have a look at these. http://www.dux.com.au/products/1 One nephew has one and he reckons he's knocked two-thirds off his water heating bill in a two adult, two children household. They work on the same principles as a refrigerator but in reverse. As FS says, it seems magical but it pulls heat out of the air and puts it into your water. Solar panels have the advantage of generating power/income when you are not exploiting it but if you want maximum return, they need to be cleaned regularly.

Ad astra reply

26/02/2011After a delightful stroll through the botanical gardens and a leisurely brunch with friends, I settled to read your links.  There was so much to absorb - a great collection, and a stunning array on the Alan Jones/Julia Gillard encounter, much of it adverse to the shock jock.  I wonder if Jones might have done his dash; even Barrie Cassidy pilloried him. I thought Mark Day's: "Redneck radio may be on the way out, at least in the US" in The Australian today said a lot about Jones' influence: "Sydney radio market is just short of four million people; the top-rated station, 2GB, manages a weekly cumulative audience (people who listen for more than 15 minutes a week) of 620,000. Therefore, 86 per cent of the total available audience does not listen. "Alan Jones, the top-rated and most influential of 2GB's broadcasters has less than 5 per cent of the audience under 40, and fewer than one in 10 between 40 and 54. He blitzes his rivals in the 55-plus brackets, pulling 30 per cent of the 65-plus. But that's still 70 per cent of oldies who don't listen to him." So maybe we should just forget this inconsequential Coalition mouthpiece. Thank you to all of you who have made such interesting comments and left links - all great reading. I will be out with our friends for several hours one.  I'll be back tomorrow.

Ad astra reply

26/02/2011Hi Lyn Somehow the 'Hi Lyn' went missing from my last comment. Anyway it was for you.

Lyn

26/02/2011Hi Ad Thankyou for telling us how you are going, botanical gardens, leisurely brunch, sounds just wonderful. A lot has happened, with the Abbott grenades still being hurled. Seems Abbott is insinuating, today, the Carbon price did not get taken to the people at the last election. You watch, tomorrow or soon, Abbott will say there should be another election, Talk Turkey would have sniffed those smells out, already I am sure. I just hope Julia Gillard and the Government MP's refuse to go on Alan Jones's show in the future, as you say the audience is inconsequential, going by those percentages. On most of those links to Alan Jones blogs a lot of the commenters were disgusted with AJ's behaviour. You and your wife enjoy the rest of your stay Ad, best wishes from us all. Cheers

2353

26/02/2011PatriciaWA, The "hot water from thin air" Hot Water Systems are known as heat pumps. They work in the same way as reverse cycle air conditioners are are very energy efficient. New "inverter" reverse cycle air conditioners are relatively energy efficient as well - just make sure you get a reputable brand (in no particular order - Panasonic, Fujitsu, Dakin or Mitsubishi). Dakin should only be considered if the prices are conquerable with the others. My little bit of knowledge in this area comes from close to two decades helping to maintain some of Brisbane's iconic buildings. Sorry everyone else for being completely off topic.

Lyn

26/02/2011Hi Everybody This is Abbott's election call, for those who haven't seen it already: Abbott’s Election Call, Video, 10 News Abbott won't admit to scrapping Carbon Tax if he becomes PM http://australianpoliticstv.org/2011/02/26/abbotts-election-call/

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011Just to let you know we are not on our Pat Malone here in appreciating Julia Gillard. The quote below is from an online article about the rude way Alan Jones spoke to the PM: [quote]julia, thank you we are so so proud of you, i am 62 and i care about my children and childrens future where pollution is concerned, its not the job of our generation to stop this happening the tax on pollutters is for the benefit of our children and grandchildren to leave a better earth for them god bless you you are such a fine young woman[/quote]

Feral Skeleton

26/02/2011Sorry, I just wanted to record this comment for posterity because it's the best one I have read about the so-called 'lie': [quote]Well JJ, the Australian People voted and did NOT elect a majority government. The people who WERE elected have determined a government of compromise. In my view not a bad thing. No-one knew this was going to happen during the campaign and the reality is the Prime Minister HAS to negotiate in order to govern. Sound bites in a campaign are interesting, getting on with the job at hand is imperative. I also listend in FULL to his interview. He started by LECTURING the Prime Minister for being 10 minutes late. It's a bloody talk back radio show that can't accommodate the Prime Minister for being 10 minutes late? RUBBISH. He then went on to ask his questions (fair enough), but as answers were being given to interrupt, interject, talk over and bully. That was disgraceful. His personal politics are open for all to see and I have no issue with that, but HOW DARE HE talk to Australia's Prime Minister in such a way? That was OVER THE LINE.[/quote]

Patricia WA

27/02/2011Thanks everyone. I've copied all your notes for reference when I have someone come to the house next week. I will act. And 2353, what constitutes off topic? We let off steam here about all sorts of things on the current thread, whatever the topic. And somehow it all seems relevant to our body politic. Anyway our pro-tem blog master set us all off with her kind enquiry about our well-being over here in the heat! [i]A propos[/i] of which I watch "Bed of Roses" on Saturdays - good light relef. This week with bushfires its theme, it had a serious point to make about the media. I thought the villain, ie. the careless, callous reporter whose mania for a story almost caused the death of the hero and his fire truck crew showed how many people view the media these days. That community did not like the camera-men and the journos feeding on their distress. I think the script writers tapped into a real unease out here in the real world about the media and how they exploit events and people. We are as cynical about media opportunism as we are about politicians. The PM's interviews with Jones and Mitchell will surely help strengthen our resistance to being manipulated. She sure got lots of exposure there. And most of it was sympathetic, with a general appreciation of her calm courtesy contrasted by their boorishness. I don't think that was what they had in mind.

TalkTurkey

27/02/2011Lyn said "You watch, tomorrow or soon, Abbott will say there should be another election, Talk Turkey would have sniffed those smells out, already I am sure." 53 minutes later (08:35 PM) she posted "Abbott’s Election Call, Video, 10 News Abbott won't admit to scrapping Carbon Tax if he becomes PM australianpoliticstv.org/.../ " Seems to me Tweetie Bird taw dat puddie tat before da gobbler ever sniffed it . . . except of course dat bad ol' puddie tat has never stopped stinking since the election really, olfactory fatigue is total. Toe-rag Abbortt is a sick excuse for a clown, and now he is not at all right in the head. He has forever defined himself by his alliance to this Anal Jones, surely the lowest form of life Australians have ever had the misfortune to have had to endure. Jones' "interview" with Prime Minister Gillard yesterday will come back to haunt Abbortt, be sure. Someone called on bloggers to keep repeating and spreading the recording around, and that's right on. Do it with dedication. Polluted water is filtered by a process of forced osmosis. The higher the pressure the faster the process. We need to filter from this nation the filth that is at the core of the Coalition, the Internet is the only filter we have at our disposal and bloggers are the ones that have to apply the pressure. The more we can spread Jones' shaming at the PM's hands, and all such events, the more decent the public must become. Because when all is said and done, decent people know indecency when they see it, even if it needs forcible pointing-out. That's why I, and I'm sure most of us, write on TPS &/or other political blogs, knowing that osmosis is a powerful force on this medium, and with the solemn intention of trying to improve the state of our State. Unfortunately we spend most of our time countering filth rather than making flowers grow, but at least we can join voices and so join forces. But we need to realize our power, and spread such episodes beyond our own mob if and where we can. Most people are not impressed with excremental exclamations a la Abbortt, nor downright boorish behaviour from the likes of Jones to an honoured guest on his program. But we gotta tell 'em good. Venceremos! No pasaran!

Lyn

27/02/2011[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Opposition to a carbon price is against our best interests, Admin, Independent Australia[/i] The Australian propagate this senseless rhetoric and people who don’t fully understand the issue buy into it. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2011/politics/opposition-to-a-carbon-price-is-against-our-best-interests/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=opposition-to-a-carbon-price-is-against-our-best-interests [i]The climate change moment has passed , The Piping Shrike[/i] The media are making this into a major drama, but it may not be, at least in the way they say. Abbott may not have the impact he did last time, http://www.pipingshrike.com/ [i]News Limited’s Tabloids Blog guru Andrew Bolt in bed with Menzies House ! ,Saynotony, Trevs political rants[/i] Andrew Bolt is News Limited’s version of Alan Jones a mouth piece for the hard right Liberal Conservatives under Abbott and his followers http://trevspoliticalrants.com/2011/02/26/news-limiteds-tabloids-blog-guru-andrew-bolt-in-bed-with-menzies-house/ [i]Abbott and the RIGHT on climate change , Saynotony, Trev's political Rants.[/i] Tony Abbott disputes that humans are responsible for climate change http://trevspoliticalrants.com/2011/02/26/abbott-and-the-right-on-climate-change/ [i]Tony Abbott – Backflips on Work Choices , Saynotony, Trev's Political Rants[/i] The political debate will portray Reith as an anti-worker industrial relations warrior. http://trevspoliticalrants.com/2011/02/26/tony-abbott-backflips-on-work-choices/ [i]Kia kaha, Andrew Elder, Politically Homeless[/i] http://andrewelder.blogspot.com/ [i] Epic News Corp Fail, John Quiggin[/i] who engineers Fox News coverage to advance Republicans and damage Democrats, something Fox has long denied. http://johnquiggin.com/ [b][u]SUNDAY READING AND WATCHING[/u][/b] [i]Ten things you need to know. To blog your way to success [/i] [b]Written by Grog's Gamut ,25 February 2011 The Walkley Foundation[/b]. Get a theme and make sure it’s clear. Readers need to know what they are likely to get when they read your blog. Don’t be too broad (readers will lose the thread); don’t be too narrow (you’ll lose the desire). http://www.walkleys.com/features/1230/ [i]The growing cost of the gift to TV networks, Benard Keane, Crikey[/i] Kerry Stokes’s Seven Group, currently aiming to merge with another arm of Stokes’s media and construction empire, newspaper and radio group WAN, predicted an earnings increase of 20% for 2010-11, driven mainly by television advertising. http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/02/23/the-growing-cost-to-taxpayers-of-the-gift-to-tv-networks/ [i]Posts from the ‘Daily Fix’ Category, Australian Politics TV[/i] http://australianpoliticstv.org/category/daily-fix/ [i]Rupert Murdoch and David Koch Collude Against Wisconsin Workers, Alternet[/i] Like Koch, Murdoch has no use for unions, having famously broken the unions of the newspapers he runs in the U.K. Like Koch, Murdoch gave $1 million to the Republican Governors Association least year http://www.alternet.org/story/150047/rupert_murdoch_and_david_koch_collude_against_wisconsin_workers?akid=6577.279112.lTGksT&rd=1&t=2 [b][u]NEWSPAPERS:[/[/u]b] [i]The day Alan forgot his place in the system , Peter van Onselen, Sunday Telegraph[/i] [b]I am just impressed that she didn't tell Jones where to stick it and walk out of the interview[/b]. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/the-day-alan-forgot-his-place-in-the-system/story-fn6bmfwf-1226012475888

Feral Skeleton

27/02/2011If Peter Van Onselen is trying to put Alan Jones back in his box, I don't think he'll fit, his ego has grown so large. :)

Feral Skeleton

27/02/2011Good Morning Swordsters! Julia Gillard and Greg Combet came through this morning with flying colours, despite the best efforts of Laurie Oakes, Barrie Cassidy, Julie Bishop and Ol' Helmet Head, Niki Savva. I always watch the Sunday morning political talk shows, and then wait for the news grabs following them to see how the scriptwriters for the various news outlets have spun the words spoken, and which exerpts they have taken out of the whole conversation, and thus I was pleased to see that it was Julie Bishop receiving the smackdown as a result of this morning's contretemps, and not Julia Gillard or Greg Combet. Also that Bill Shorten's publicity campaign has come to nought because none of the opinionistas gave his claim to fame campaign the time of day. I mean, who's to say that Blinky Bill didn't put a motza on himself at Sportsbet to get his odds down? :) Also, I'd just like to add that Julia acquitted herself very well against Lozza's thinly-veiled attempt to ensnare her, albeit a bit more cleverly than others have done, in the semantic word trap around her promise that there would be no Carbon Tax under a government that she led. Quite rightly she made the point that she is not leading a majority government, and so cannot thus be prescriptive about what she would do given those druthers, she is, on the other hand, effectively hamstrung and forced into a position of compromise as a result of the government that the electorate delivered her. Now, if politics post-election was set in aspic pre-election the carpers in the media would have a point, however it isn't. An election makes all things fluid and puts the parliament through a blender and what comes out of the process is what you have to cook with when you formulate the policy pie. So, if anyone from the media stops by The Political Sword, can they just put their grownups hat on and stop playing these silly little games where you try and sound holier than thou and sanctimonious about a perceived slight on the electorate as a result of a statement made by the Prime Minister and which you then gleefully take out of context and attempt to play a game of 'Gotcha!' with? Herin endeth the lecture. :)

Per Ardua

27/02/2011Any lesson of yours FS is good, as any moron knows that JG's "no CO2 price" election statement was implicitly referring to a Labor majority government. But I suggest that it is an argument that cannot be won within the MSM. There are none so blind as those who refuse to see, so this will be a dead-end point to argue with shock jocks, Bolt types, and those inflexibles who simply can't comprehend nuanced situations. The fact is, a majority Labor government was not elected, and so the CO2 legislation AND all other legislation too will be the composite, negotiated view of Labor and those non Labor members who together hold the House majority. Now this point is very arguable, since it is an ongoing and indisputable fact of life till the next election. It is the essence of the government JG was able to negotiate in contrast to TA's inability to negotiate and compromise. Particularly liked Greg Combet’s comment re Bob Hawkes reference - “a few red wines involved” (Or words to that effect)

Feral Skeleton

27/02/2011Interesting blog by Grog in The Walkley Foundation online magazine. Having read it I can safely say that we here at The Political Sword fulfill 9 out of 10 of his credoes. The one we don't? Regularity and punctuality that peeps can rely upon when they come here to view our wares. Sorry about that. My only defence is that Ad Astra and I have lives which intrude upon our blogmeistering, and, well, I can safely say, speaking for myself, I am not so organised with my work that I can fulfill a timetable with it, nor produce on de3mand to a deadline. I like my blogs to be given birth to, so to speak, after a suitable period of gestation in my brain and after a period of time wherein I read and reflect upon my topic. I then start painting my word canvas in my little note book, by hand, and work it up to the point where I can be proud to let others read it. Whether, in their opinion it's worth reading is their call. Also, it can safely be concluded that, when I have to produce to deadline, as occurred recently, my work suffers. I would muh rather my work was of a sufficient standard to pass muster, therefore, than just keep pumping it out for visitors to the blog to reliably have something to read. Also, when I started writing for this blog I was under the, as it turned out, mistaken apprehension that Bushfire Bill would be the third prong to our Political Fork/Sword. Thus I had calculated that I would have the time to produce blogs to a certain timeline which would fit into my private life. That has not turned out to be the case as Bushfire Bill has turned his literary attentions elsewhere, in the main, and it has thus fallen simply to Ad Astra and I, ably assisted at times By Acerbic Conehaed and the beautiful satiric wit of NormanK and PatriciaWA, plus the peripatetic musings of Talk Turkey, to pad the content out. And thank goodnes for that, otherwise it may have become a very thin gruel here at TPS without them. And yes, I know Bushfire Bill contributed one blog a little while back but that was after much arm-twisting from us here at TPS behind the scenes, only to see him drop off the radar again and go back to where he came from. Not that I can tell him what to do, of course, I'm just outlining why I am unable to live up to Grog's high blog standards. And, I'm just not as good as Grog. I just hope you understand and thus tolerate my imperfections therefore. :)

Feral Skeleton

27/02/2011Lol. Next word up on ReCaptcha: 'frazzled' :)

Feral Skeleton

27/02/2011Per Ardua, How right you are. Thus the only alternative that the Prime Minister has is to go on the front foot about it, make clear the ramifications of the election result, and get on with clearly outlining to the Australian people what is the actuality of the situation she has in mind. As she said today, she will be out in the media every step of the way as the fine details are negotiated, letting the public know what it is that she has agreed to with the Multi Party Climate Change Committee, which the recalcitrant Opposition under the 'leadership' of Tony Abbott, refuse to be a part of. Also, you raise another interesting point about the media, and this is where people of good will, like Ad Astra, Grog, and the rest of us in Blogland, have a role to play in highlighting the inadequacies of the Mainstream media and taking the time to shine the light where they will not go. This is, as the word is starting to get around that the MSM may be sidelined by us, starting to manifest itself in the MSM lifting its game of late. That can only be a good thing for the country.

Lyn

27/02/2011Hi Ad & Everybody Extra, extra, watch, see, hear, tune in breaking news: ABC 24 have just announced, Tony Abbott will be appearing at a petrol station shortly. Sprouting to everyone how much petrol will be rising, of course it is not important that a price has not been put on Carbon yet, but Mr Abbott knows exactly which commondities will be affected. Well, he said he is going to fight every second of the day, every hour, every month, every year.

Lyn

27/02/2011Hi Per Ardua I haven't got my master copy at the moment, but I think you are a new commenter to "The Political Sword", if so a very big welcome to you and thankyou for your comment. I agree with all you say, and also yes, Greg Combet is very cool isn't he, very straight and very basic. Cheers :):):)

NormanK

27/02/2011Feral Skeleton I'm not sure what has prompted your post @ 12.00 PM but you can be assured by this reader that I would much rather that the headline pieces were written because the author wanted to rather than felt compelled to do so. This is an amateur blog not a professional set-up where regular new posts are required to generate income. Also TPS seems to have evolved into its own hybrid form where, although the main post is the driving force, Lyn's Links and the comments section play an important role in keeping the ball rolling. Unless I'm mistaken (Ad astra correct me if I'm wrong) this form is to the satisfaction of the owner and the participants. The only thing that I would say is that if the desire is for TPS to grow then more individuals need to drop in a comment on a regular basis. So lurkers, pop your head up and let TPS know what you think about what's happening out in the world of politics and the media. The more varied the comments are here, the more interesting the site becomes and it costs very little to give voice to your thoughts. The down-side is that if you're looking to make a factual point you need to show your sources and if you're seeking to offer opinion then you should make that clear and be prepared to defend it if contradicted. The degree of civility which prevails here means that points of contention usually make for an interesting debate rather than a confrontational argument. It might only be that you've read something interesting and wish to share it - good, that's more grist to the mill. Also, don't be dismayed if you don't get a response every time, it doesn't mean that you haven't been read and appreciated. So FS, rest assured this fella ain't on your back to produce like a chicken. :) Thanks to all for the great links of late. Lyn, you know I always appreciate your efforts. Ta.

Ad astra reply

27/02/2011Folks Thank you for your comments this morning and your assessment of the morning's political shows. I've yet to read Grog's piece, but will do so this afternoon. I'll be out for a few hours. Hi Lyn I suppose the TV tonight will be full of Tony Abbott's visits to petrol stations. He's behaving like a pugulist that sees the fight slipping away from him, and so he's throwing punches wildly, every second of every day!

Feral Skeleton

27/02/2011Ad Astra, Tony Abbott is behaving like a boxer who has had one too many clouts to the head. He's not really thinking straight about what is the best way to win his bout with the Prime Minister. She seems to be able to pre-empt every move he is making in this contest. It's all a bit pathetic, really. Like watching a boxer past his prime trying to relive past glories. Thinking, he still has the moves to wrongfoot his opponent, when his opponent, like Muhammad Ali, is floating like a butterfly, and stinging like a bee. :)

Feral Skeleton

27/02/2011NormanK, I was emoting @12.00pm post reading Grog's article that lyn put up the link for this morning on, 'The 10 Ways to Blog to Success'. It made me feel a little inadequate, and not up to par wrt Grog's standards. Which I freely admit are impossibly high ones to match. :) I just thought if the passive observer read that link and got out the measuring stick it might have been the case that we compared unfavourably, so I thought I'd get ahead of that curve and explain why it is that I failed wrt one of his criteria for a successful blog.

Lyn

27/02/2011Hi Norman K and Hillbilly I been sitting in my lounge chair reflecting on Hillbilly's 12pm comment. I have got a strong opinion on the subject of blogg owners and the topics they blogg about. But you see what happened, you have come along and said it all for me, thankyou NormanK. All the bloggs I read are different, they are different in the type of commenters they attract,they are different in the style of writing, subjects, also very, very, different in whether they want to reply to, or even thank their commenters, even if they have been asked a question. Our blog "The Political Sword" is unique in that, Ad astra is very interested in what our readers have to say, Ad is very proud of TPS and takes his hobby very seriously. Also there has been some discussion out there this week about blogg comments, one example for you: A reminder : LP Comments Policy, LP Administrator, Larvatus Prodeo [quote]Please pay special attention to: the section on Unacceptable Content that includes our stance on comments that are too frequent or too lengthy, as they disrupt the flow of general discussion.[/quote] http://larvatusprodeo.net/ To me those rules of Larvatus Prodeo sound mean. With regards to Bushfire Bill, his writing is to be admired with the greatest of respect. I for one, would be very grateful if Bushfire continues to write for "The Political Sword" and like you, I would appreciate, his words if they were written because he feels so inclined. With regards to Grog, like Bushfire Bill, Grog writes a brilliant blog, there is no doubt about that. But Grog's Gamut is maintained, constructed, and managed, in a very different way to any other that I know off, in other words Grog's blogg is different, in the same way ours is different. There is another blogg site, in presentation, second to none, "The Daily Bludge", but, the Posts are so sparse and infrequent, I would suggest, commenters get sick of visiting. I love the different opinions, the characters, the talent, of our commenters on "The Political Sword", I love the caring, Community feeling, I love the careful, considerate, well mannered, approach of Ad Astra. Therefore "The Political Sword" is a blogg second to none in everyway, every second, every day, every month, every year, aren't we lucky. Cheers :):):):)

Jason

27/02/2011One of the comments on the 2GB web site after the jones interview on Friday “Why on earth would a prime minister give the time of day to a ranting old queen such as Alan Jones? There is no benefit in her going on his program. Most of his listeners are at death’s door anyway, looking for something to occupy the drab hours in God’s waiting room.” Al Johnston http://www.2gb.com/index.php?option=com_yoursay&task=view&id=1125&limitstart=40&Itemid=173#comment

2353

27/02/2011FS, I really enjoy Gorg's blog and I really enjoy this one (I also enjoy some other forums that are not politically based). The how to do a blog piece was up to Grog's usual high standard. His blog is usually he gives an opinion and some comment on it - TPS is more like a conversation between those of a similar outlook. In short, they're nothing alike and while Grog's blog formula is successful, merely copying the recipe is not going to achieve anything. Crikey and Menzies House also appear to be successful but I really can't see advertising or articles suggesting Joe Hockey is not right wing enough working on TPS - can you?

Patricia Lorimer

27/02/2011Hi All I totally agree that the MSM need to adopt a responsible role now that the Climate Change debate is finally out there again. It is too serious an issue to be treated in the superficial way that they have to date, simply debating if the public has been lied to. Britain has a minority government. They have had to cobble a coalition together to govern. Many of the policies that were offered by both parties have had to be compromised. These compromises are not treated as lies. The media in Australia demonstrates how unprofessional and inept they are with their pursuit of trivia apart from being so partisan. I am reliably advised that Tony Abbott's carbon reduction scheme requires a price to be set on carbon. Why has the MSM not pursued him to tell the public what this is?? He says their scheme is well developed and will achieve targets. What is the carbon price? Lets have a real debate. How I love TPS family.

Lyn

27/02/2011Hi Hillbilly You said: [quote]I'm just outlining why I am unable to live up to Grog's high blog standards. And, I'm just not as good as Grog. [/quote] [quote]'The 10 Ways to Blog to Success'. It made me feel a little inadequate, and not up to par wrt Grog's standards. Which I freely admit are impossibly high ones to match.[/quote] Now Hillbilly, you have perceived Grog's standards way to high, what he wrote is how he sees it, not evident in how he maintains, presents, and conducts his own blog. A little of what he wrote: [quote]Read other bloggs: [/quote] you do [quote]Get some recognition[/quote]: you have on TPS, you have admired & respected, recognition from all of us. Also delightful, tireless points of view. [quote]Get a theme, make sure it's clear: [/quote] you have a strong theme, evident everyday. [quote]Decide if the point is comments or posts:[/quote] Our, Multi skilled Hillbilly can do both, to everybody's enjoyment. [quote]You should be writing because you love to write[/quote]: You do write because you love to write, we know, we see the proof everyday. So you see Hillbilly, you have nothing to worry about. Your standards are as high as Grog's are perceived, and from a females point of view, higher, much higher. What I love is, Hillbilly being Hillbilly, definately not being a Grog. :):):)

NormanK

27/02/2011Jason I know it's not your question, but I reckon (opinion alert) going on Jones' and Mitchell's programmes was a stroke of brilliance. Making a direct assault on the misinformation that the PM knew that they were going to peddle, facing criticism of betraying the public head-on and with the added bonus of making them look foolish to the wider public outside of their normal audience are all good reasons for doing those shows. If Ms Gillard had stayed away from Jones, for example, he would have had a clean run at spinning his nonsense and for her to then go on the programme two or three days later would have looked defensive. I am very very impressed by Labor's new approach as best exemplified by the PM taking no prisoners and showing no fear of words like tax and price rises. I've only just listened to Mitchell's interview and it's obvious that he has yet to catch up with the new rules of the game. He thinks he can still bluff them by calling them out on semantics. Not any more, buddy.

Feral Skeleton

27/02/2011Tony Abbott was just a little pathetic obviously turning up at a petrol station today spruiking his line before any Carbon Price has even been set.

Feral Skeleton

27/02/2011Hmm, thank you all for your supportive words. Of course I shall go on, however I have always suffered from performance anxiety and that was why I never considered seriously a career in politics until it was too late. Nevertheless it was good for my ego to know that, even at my advanced age I was considered good enough for an internship in the Senate one year. That little thing motivated me to keep on expressing my opinion in blogs, which sees me where I am today. Doing it but being unsure whether I am doing OK. :) Anyway, we'll see when my next blog gets put up. Heh. Heh.

Feral Skeleton

27/02/2011Patricia Lorimer, On behalf of all the gang at TPS, Welcome Aboard!

Feral Skeleton

27/02/2011NormanK, Do you think the PM did a job on Laurie Oakes this morning? I do. He tried every which way but loose to entrap her in a semantic hall of smoke and mirrors, and failed utterly. I think it's down to the fact that a lot of them are actually listening to the questiions asked by the journos and learning how to do a quick analysis in their heads, like they have had an internal BS Meter installed, and then coming back with a "No, that's not quite the way it is, X" rejoinder. Then they correct the misinformation with the correct information. It seems to be working a treat, I reckon.

NormanK

27/02/2011FS I'll have to wait for the Oakes' interview to be put up somewhere - Sunday morning and politics don't mix all that well for me unless it is a crucial interview. [quote]learning how to do a quick analysis in their heads[/quote] I'd go out on more of a limb and attest that the ALP have put their focus groups into their proper perspective i.e. indicators of public mood but not the ultimate deciders of how an MP should behave or in fact warning them off certain words and phrases. We have been calling for it for a long time and it seems we are getting our wish of plain speaking direct to the public ear and a bit of courageousness. More power to 'em. By the way, I like The Political Fork.:) Patricia Lorimer Wouldn't it be refreshing to see a serious debate on this topic in the MSM? Even if we didn't agree with the suppositions put forward by some of the commentators, surely that would be better than this shallow trivialisation of such an important issue. I sometimes wonder do people have such a lack of imagination that they can't see that global warming is going to take centuries to fix and that the situation is going to get worse before it gets better. The last two or three centuries will be looked back on as salad days by future generations. Also wasteful and selfish.

Jason

27/02/2011Normank, I can't find the video of today's Oakes interview with the PM but here is the transcript! http://today.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=8217021

Patricia WA

27/02/2011What interests me about the four or five sites that I surf between, is the sense one has of a certain focus, ethos or style over and above the broad church (forgive me TT!) which embraces them all i.e. a left of centre perspective. That 'personality' or 'character' is, naturally enough, the hallmark of the blog master/owner, which is as it should be. The painstaking spelling out of comments policy at LP reflects Mark's desire to be stringent (not really mean, Lyn, tho' it is sometimes constraining!) with his site since he seems to want it to have an academic credibility beyond the political views of contributors and visitors. Which makes it seem a less welcoming environment than here or the Cafe. Not that The Sword lacks credibility or depth in its postings or firmness in its insistence on good manners, which one gets too at the Cafe for all the genial good humour over there, which is a tad more irreverent than here. But both TPS and CW welcome and embrace constructive comment from all quarters. Which is why so many of us are frequent visitors to both. Its a bit like having a circle of good friends who basically share one's attitude to how the world should be, but all have different characters and hobby horses. I do think Greg Jericho is one of a kind, however much he may seem our kind. He has a capacity to be particularly himself even if it means disagreeing with friends. He can do that without alienating them or losing respect. And yes, he sets high standard for himself and his readers.

NormanK

27/02/2011Cheers Jason. Let's see how much of this paragraph makes it to the commercial news tonight and tomorrow. [quote]What my vision was was to be elected as Prime Minister and to introduce an emissions trading scheme, which is not a carbon tax - a carbon tax is where you fix price. An emissions trading scheme is where you fix quantity and allow the market to sort out price. That is what I wanted to. Do but we have the parliament, the Australian people, voted for. I had a choice between throwing my hands up in the air and saying, "I can't get anything done now." Or saying, "I'm for action, I’m tackling climate change. I will work with this parliament, that will require some compromises along the way, and I've agreed that there will be a fixed-price period, effectively a tax for the first few years."[/quote] FS I can concede that the semanticists have half an argument that they can make but for mine the above paragraph answers that succinctly.

Jason

27/02/2011Normank,FS, What the PM has done by confronting Jones, Mitchell and Oakes has put the message out for others in the media pack is! well yes I said a lot of things during the election campaign and we ended up with a hung parliament because we squibbed it during the last term, and although we tried the coalition and the greens blocked it three times, and we lost the stomach to fight for what we believe. People want something done on climate change and we aren't about to let the people down again. Yes the opposition will bleat as will some in the media but like the NBN,this is about the future and I should add that the mining tax should also be back in it's former glory! I glad the government has said it's time to govern and face it's detractors head on and start doing whats needed for the future. If anyone wants to see what Abbotts vision of the future is, it's in Victoria http://www.sovereignhill.com.au/ rant written and authorised by jason 24 steen crescent pooraka sa 5095

Feral Skeleton

27/02/2011I must say, that the vision of Tony Abbott doing some pump priming of his argument at the petrol station today, seemed to suggest that he knew he was already beaten by someone who has metaphorically told everyone the punchline to his joke, so no one's laughing. :) Of course, not everyone in the community is as sophistimicated as us here at TPS(she says with tongue planted firmly in cheek), and so his simplistic arguments will not fall on deaf ears and may indeed gain currency over the coming minutes, hours, days, weeks, months, aaarrrggghhh!!! or, the Prime Minister might gain the upper hand. I'm not saying that a few feisty performances from the PM over the last few days have given her the upper hand but she's definitely not behind the 8 Ball from the get-go, either. We live in hope that she will go from strength to strength.

Jason

27/02/2011FS, Talking to mother the other day who listens to Jones and Hadley, and the message has already got through. She warns of armageddon if Gillard isn't thrown out of office and soon! she says power bills will go up $300 a quarter! no doubt Abbott's stunt today will only enforce this view! I said to her that since we had our electricity generators privatised here in SA I pay an average of about $900-$1200 a quarter more in summer because they put an extra tariff on it.Our gas will soon be going up because they need to build more infrastructure to sell it to the eastern states, another state asset that was sold off. Said to mother and would say to anyone else that if the carbon tax makes other means of power generation viable and I'm not held to ransom like I am now! not as though I can go anywhere else, well bring it on.

Ad astra reply

27/02/2011Folks What a pleasant time I have had reading your comments.  The debate about Grog's 'Ten things your need to know...' is revealing about what people expect, particularly of TPS.  Of course Grog's blog is different from TPS. His advice is sound. I note his and your comments about regularity of posts.  Two a week is about our average - three is difficult to sustain.  What I have found however is that when interest in the theme/thread wanes, the conversation between bloggers about contemporary events takes over and keeps the blog lively.  I scarcely need to be there, as has been evident during my time overseas. So unless we can muster more authors so as to be able to post three pieces a week, we will settle for two, and rely on you good folk to keep the blog active. There will be another piece tomorrow.

Feral Skeleton

27/02/2011Jason, Your mother sounds like my mother. Without rhyme or reason she gets her opinions from self-interested no marks like Jones & Hadley, as if they are the font of all wisdom. They are both ex Rugby League & Union personalities! What would they know, really? Actually, that Drama Queen Ray Hadley made me laugh with derision the other day when he had his response to a Court case against him filmed for the evening news! Of course, in the manner of a Glen Beck clown, he summoned up a few tears for the punters watching. I mean, as if a crazy bankrupt guy would get an AVO granted against Ray Hadley. You could see Hadley was milking it for all it was worth, probably fully cognisant of the facts which would see the case go down. In fact, if he had thought that there was even a skerrick of a chance that the case against him would be proven, then he wouldn't have had any cameras in the studio at all. Anyway, as Mark Day said last week, if you analyse Jones and Hadley's figures, you'll see that their demographic skews heavily to the occupants of God's Waiting Room, ie the 65+ demographic. So why they are sucked up to so much baffles many. And yes, I agree with you, bring on the alternative sources of electricity generation so that are charges will start going down for a change. Though I imagine that the vested interests, that Jones is supporting with his opposition to the plan to price Carbon pollution, are happy to see him try to take the CPRS apart so that they can keep charging you more for your power forevermore.

Jason

27/02/2011FS, I'm sort of glad in a way that I live in Adelaide and mum lives in Junee just out of Wagga Wagga, or I think I go mad with her saying Jones said this or Hadley said this. She used to think for herself once, but now I try to avoid any coversation that contains either of their names! because I'm always wrong and have been brain washed and just follow what ever the ALP tell me to!

Ad astra reply

27/02/2011Folks This morning I attended St. Andrew's Cathedral in the centre of Singapore, a beautiful edifice that dates back to the early eighteen hundreds. The preacher took as his subject the battle between the Amalekites and the Israelites seeking safe passage to the Promised Land.  He took as his theme - leadership, and talked about what he called the 'three in one ministry'.  I thought as I listened that what he said applied to politics. He said that like Moses, a leader should stand the top of the mountain, with arms upraised, staff in hand, and spell out: this is my vision, my mission and what I purpose to achieve.  While his arms were raised, the Israelites prevailed, but when Moses became tired and let his arms fall, the Amalekites prevailed.  So Moses needed supporters, and Aaron and Hur filled this role, sitting Moses on a rock so his arms remained upraised.  The supporters needed to be loyal, devoted and vigilant. The third part of the ministry was to have loyal strategists in the field who could win battles, as did Joshua, following Moses' orders. I thought Julia Gillard needed to stand on the top of the mountain, arms upraised and proclaiming her vision, her mission and what she purposes to do.  In recent days she seems to be doing this.  But she needs strong loyal supporters to help her keep her arms raised.  She has these but they do not always seem to be standing beside her, except at joint press announcements.  She needs more visible support so that they can protect her from the slings and arrows that leaders standing on the top of the mountain attract. And she needs field strategists that can get the job done. A salutary example would be Greg Combet in his climate change role. So I hope that Julia will continue to stand on the top of the mountain and tell us, in no uncertain terms, all she is planning to do.  I hope she will get more visible support from her followers, and I hope she will instruct and trust her strategists to get the job done.  That is the road to success.

TalkTurkey

27/02/2011Julian Assange & Wikileaks doco on SBS atm. Too late to tell Eastern States, but Sand-Gropers can still catch it all.

NormanK

28/02/2011Perhaps someone should remind Mr Abbott of the maxim he quotes when devising [i]visionary[/i] plans. "Sometimes it’s better to ask forgiveness rather than permission."

Patricia WA

28/02/2011Better still, NormanK, someone should remind the PM that Tony Abbott said that and suggest she use it as a guiding principle in the Carbon Price debate. I am sure she can put exactly the right right note into her grave quoting of it and produce that wicked smile of hers when she gives due credit to him for first saying it.
I have two politicians and add 17 clowns and 14 chimpanzees; how many clowns are there?