Blackadder Bolt

In France, the First World War is at its height and the Australian ‘SG’ Regiment is doing as good a job as any in providing top-class cannon-fodder. General ‘Melchie’ Murdock (on loan from the American Army) and Capt ‘Blackadder’ Bolt are in command of the Aussie diggers.



Melchie: Right then, Blackadder...you’ll have to stop staring at that infernal telegram machine...a watched kettle and all that...

Blackadder: I know, sir...but, as you are aware, I’ve applied for an announcer’s position on the Forces’ network, ‘Rank Radio’, and I’m waiting on some news on the success of my application...

Melchie (muttering): Pfffftttt...a radio station would have to be rank for you to get a job on it – are you sure it wasn’t the ABC you applied to...ho...ho...

Blackadder: Sorry, sir – didn’t actually catch that...

Melchie: Oh, I was just saying, Blackadder, that the ranks will be well serviced by being given the opportunity to listen to your dulcet tones...Oh, and by the way, Blackadder, we’re...well, you’re...going over the top soon, so you’d better get out into the trench and ready the company for doing their duty...

[Blackadder skulks out of the bunker and, after a while, Melchie hears an unmerciful scream coming from the trench outside. He exits and comes across Blackadder, who is clutching a hand to one of his eyes, wincing with pain.]

Melchie: What the dickens happened, Blackadder?

Blackadder: Ouch!! I was surveying No Man’s Land through the periscope, sir, and the Hun sent up one of their new NBN (“Nifty Bullseye Nullifier”) weapons and it damaged my cornea...there’s no way I can lead the attack now, sir...

Melchie: An NBN weapon, Blackadder? That sounds ominous...but, never mind, the men will have to go over the top without you...

[Melchie orders the diggers of A Company of the ‘SG’ Regiment to attack. Understandably, they aren’t too pleased – in Blackadder, they can spot a pretender a mile off...As they advance, with the Hun machine guns firing at will, the outcome is inevitable.

Later on, Melchie starts to gee Blackadder up for another tilt at the Hun positions.]

Melchie: Righto, Blackadder...that eye of yours should be right as rain by now – it’s about time you mustered B Company to do their duty...

Blackadder: Yes, sir, I’ll see to it right away, sir...

[Again, after a short intermission, Melchie’s snooze in his bunker is disturbed by the loud wimpering of Blackadder in the trench outside.]

Melchie: Whatever happened, Blackadder? You sounded like you have been hit amidships by a Hockey Howitzer...

[Blackadder is busily placing the last of about a dozen band-aids on his face.]

Blackadder: Erm...it was even worse than a Hockey Howitzer, sir...I was out doing a recce in No Man’s Land when the Hun fired another one of their secret weapons at me...It was one of those new-fangled cluster-bombs, containing a deadly spray of carbon tacks...I got them all over my face, sir – hence the plethora of band-aids...So, there’s no way I can lead the attack, sir...

[Again, Melchie accepts Blackadder’s excuse that he is not fit enough to go over the top, so B Company has to go without him. Their fate is no different to that of A Company.

Later on, whilst the artillery “softening-up” of the enemy is under way, Melchie again orders Blackadder out into the trench, to prepare C Company for their inevitable doom. Melchie bungs on his ear-muffs, and lies down on his four-poster to catch some shut-eye. A few hours later, there is such a loud knocking at the door, even his ear-muffs can’t stifle the sound of the racket. Very annoyed, Melchie drags himself out of his bed, opens the door, and sees a very sorry-looking Blackadder standing there with one foot in a cast, and accompanied by a very stern-faced Military Police Officer.]

Melchie: W...w..why, Blackadder!! What’s going on, Captain – I thought you would have been well over the top with C Company by this stage...And, what happened to your foot, Blackadder?

Blackadder: Well, it’s a long story, sir, but I’ll make it as brief as possible...I was drumming up some support with our Russian allies further down the trench, when I came across a very belligerent bunch of Bolsheviks – the Revolting Peoples Army they called themselves – and one of them ran over my foot with his zimmer frame...so I decided to go and get some medical help...

MP: Huh, good one, mate! We arrested you jazzing it up in the front stalls at the Moulin Rouge in the capital – that’s a funny place, and a long way to go, to seek medical help!

Blackadder (cheekily): And where else, Sherlock, would a person go to get some plaster of Paris put on their leg...heh...heh...

[Melchie assures the MP that if Blackadder survives the next push into No Man’s Land, he will be summarily court-marshalled and shot at dawn anyway. Meanwhile, Blackadder pleads that he is unfit to go over the top. By this stage, however, Melchie is at the end of his tether with the pretender, Blackadder.]

Melchie: Right, you...I have just about had it up to here with your malingering...when I give the order to go over the top, your sorry ass will be at the head of the line...

[Suddenly, the telegram machine sparks into life. Blackadder throws his eyes to the heavens, hoping it is a message from General Gina at GHQ, announcing his appointment to Rank Radio. Melchie rips off the piece of paper and begins to read.]

Melchie: START OF COMMUNIQUE – tell that pretender, Blackadder, he can’t announce for nuts – hence, we have decided to give the job to Corporal Jones instead – END OF COMMUNIQUE...

[Melchie stares for a few seconds at the telegram and mutters under his breath.]

Melchie: Hmmmm...I hope those geniuses had a third applicant, cos yesterday I had enough of Jonesey parroting in my ear and sent him out for some rugby practice in the mine-field...heh...heh...

And so, Blackadder, you can postpone the inevitable no longer...you are going over the top with D Company whether you like it or not...

Blackadder (resignedly): Yeah, fair cop, guv...but, if the Huns win, and in the unlikely event I survive, we’ll have a few nice coldies after they release us from the POW camp...

Melchie: Nah, I don’t think so, Blackadder...If the Huns win, they’ll certainly send me packing on the first available ship back to the States...

[An awkward momentary silence ensues between the MP (whom the officers neglected to dismiss), Blackadder and Melchie. After a while, Blackadder breaks the ice.]

Blackadder: Oh, and by the way, sir, why do they call our chaps, the ‘SG’ Regiment – it’s often struck me as strange...

[Before Melchie can speak, the MP gets in first.]

MP: Why, it stands for the “Stolen Generation” Regiment, sir – I thought you would have worked out that true courage only comes from overcoming adversity...

Blackadder: You...you...you mean, all those chaps of ours are actually Aborigines!! Why, they are as white as I am!!

MP: Yes, they may look white, mate...but at least they aren’t lily-livered like some other people around here...

Rate This Post

Current rating: 0.2 / 5 | Rated 18 times

Lyn

15/04/2011Hi Acerbic Conehead, Thankyou for your very funny article, to delight us again. Love your summary:- [quote]MP: Yes, they may look white, mate...but at least they aren’t lily-livered like some other people around here... [/quote] Congratulations Conehead, on your good fortune in having met up with our wonderful, very special, CEO, Mr Ad Astra. I can imagine, the time you had to enjoy Ad's company, would have gone speeding past, leaving a beautiful, milestone in your life. Conehead did you read Patricia WA's comment on the previous thread?, where Patricia asked about you living in WA, I laughted out loud, Patricia said, she couldn't miss you in that hat. I really hope you don't wear that hat shopping, and it's got nothing to do with the colour either. Cheers

2353

15/04/2011If I was the first to rate this article (as a 5*) the second person rated as 1*. Are we being trolled?

2353

15/04/2011^^^^^To get the 3* rating that is currently being displayed^^^^^

Lyn

15/04/2011Hi 2353 Thanks for telling me, I got so enthused with posting my comment, I forgot to rate, so just did now. Ummm, interesting point you raised, oh, well we have proved we can cope with the trolls.

Feral Skeleton

15/04/2011Here's an Economist who has written a paper analysing the Australian Government's fiscal stimulus program which was implemented to attempt to avoid the GFC: http://www.wilsoncenter.org/events/docs/Australia%20and%20the%20Great%20Recession.pdf

Lyn

16/04/2011 [b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]Carbon price compo for business v households: not the same thing, Bernard Keane, Crikey[/i] Combet yesterday gave a couple of further clues as to why Labor’s preferred carbon price scheme will be the CPRS under another name http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/04/14/combet-is-wrong-on-carbon-price-business-compensation/ [i]Carbon price: what about renewable investment?, Alice Body, On Line Opinion[/i] It's easy enough to see how backward Tony Abbott's Coalition is on climate and energy. Yet while Labor continues to turn a blind eye to energy technology innovation, the current government can also be accused http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=11910 [i]A truce in the timber wars? ,Gary Sauer-Thompson , Public Opinion[/i] Gunns has made it plain that it will only give up its native wood entitlements if its plantation-only pulp mill gets the green light. http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2011/04/a-truce-in-the.php#more [i]Digging through politician's pasts to ensure we only get career politicians, Jeremy Sear, An Anonymous Lefty[/i] Should journalists go digging through the personal histories of each member of Parliament for anything of interest — rather than http://anonymouslefty.wordpress.com/ [i]Missing Link Friday - 15 th April 2011, Don Arthur, Club Troppo[/i] At Grog’s Gamut, Greg Jericho responds to headlines like ‘Julia Gillard declares war on the idle’ and ‘Pull your weight,PM tells jobless’: http://clubtroppo.com.au/2011/04/15/missing-link-friday-15-april-2011/#more-15396 [i]Shock! Hockey was right on taxing trusts, John Passant, The Conversation[/i] Discretionary trusts allow trustees to distribute income and gains to beneficiaries of their choice from year to year to produce the best tax outcome. Trusts also provide a degree of protection for keeping assets http://theconversation.edu.au/articles/shock-hockey-was-right-on-taxing-trusts-954 NBN: [i]Phil Burgess confirmed that Australia made the right NBN decision, Paul Budde, BuddeBlog[/i] Telstra, even with all that compensation, could have taken the money and then built a fibre-to-the-home network past the NBN (in cherry-picked areas) and strand 70% of that $15 billion investment on the side of the super highway. http://www.buddeblog.com.au/frompaulsdesk/phil-burgess-confirmed-that-australia-made-the-right-nbn-decision/ [i]You've seen it, now find out what the NBN Box does, Andrew Ramadge, Technology, News. Com[/i] Michael Wyres is an IT expert with 16 years of experience who has previously written about the nuts and bolts of the NBN Box on his blog. .http://www.news.com.au/technology/nbn-box-youve-seen-it-now-find-out-what-it-does/story-e6frfro0-1226039121050 [i]Cable issue delays Foxtel-Austar talks , Nabila Ahmed, News Com Business[/i] But the HFC will be decommissioned under the National Broadband Network, so, without Foxtel as a customer, that side of Telstra's business becomes obsolete. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/opinion/cable-issue-delays-foxtel-austar-talks/story-e6frg9if-1226039355343 READING: [i]Something called happiness,Jane Goodall discusses David Malouf's Quarterly Essay, Inside Story[/i] Given the nosedive in GDP experienced in so many European countries, “Are you happy?” may be looking like a better question or pollsters to ask than “Are you better off?” http://inside.org.au/something-called-happiness/ [i]HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH story …., Eyeball, EyeBall Opinion[/i] World Leaders become motivated when vested interests are concerned – i.e . Kuwait – Libia – Iraq – all oil based Nations – but when you say – Ivory Coast – Rwanda – Zimbabwe – and all the other African Nations already plundered of wealth resources by the West – why are they not just as important? http://bleyzie.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/human-rights-watch-story/ [i]Unexpected benefits of rural medical training, Melissa Sweet, Croakey[/i] Perhaps this is an example of how health services and organisations can influence the social determinants of health beyond the more obvious ways. They are major employers after all… http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/2011/04/15/unexpected-benefits-of-rural-medical-training/#more-4755 [i]The Twisted Psychology of Bloggers vs. Journalists: My Talk at South By Southwest, Jay Rosen, Press Think[/i] Journalists today are under stress. The stress has five sources. Bloggers put all five right into the face of professional journalism. http://pressthink.org/2011/03/the-psychology-of-bloggers-vs-journalists-my-talk-at-south-by-southwest/ [i]Traditional media’s refusal to enter the link economy, Anthony DeRosa, Reuters[/i] that they in fact have a policy to not credit blogs (or anyone else) if they can verify independently after they’ve been tipped off from the source they choose not to cite. [b]Other parts of News Corporation CEO Rupert Murdoch’s empire, which includes the Post, may have the same policy as well.[/b]http://blogs.reuters.com/anthony-derosa/2011/04/13/traditional-medias-refusal-to-enter-the-link-economy/

Acerbic Conehead 2

16/04/2011Lyn, Good morning and thanks again for the collection of articles for us to read. It is like room service at the Savoy, so keep spoiling us! And yes, I had a delightful afternoon with AA and his wife. We chewed the fat on a whole host of political issues and shared a few stories. It was great to see them enjoying themselves so much on their visit to the West. Patricia WA, Apologies for not getting back to you on HS’s blog regarding the red cone hat. I have been away, and have been trying to catch up on the backlog at work. The picture of the hat is actually of the missus wearing it. She came home with it one day, saying some fool had left it at the side of the road, in front of one of those GBNT’s (“Great New Big Trenches”). She said someone could have tripped over it, fallen into the hole and done themselves some damage. Very public-spirited, my missus. Anyway, she said it also took her fancy, as the red colour reminded her of my eyes. She likes wearing it when we are watching our box-set of The Simpsons. When she’s run out of ring donuts, she sends me to the scullery and I have to chuck her some more, which she normally catches very expertly on her cone hat. Yesterday, however, she missed them all, accusing me of deliberately not throwing them right, and making them land on the floor, so that I would have more than my fair share. Too fussy by half, my missus. And 2353, That would explain the 1 rating that you astutely pointed out. I saw her later on the computer, so it probably was her. But she’ll be okay later in the morning, after I go for my daily constitutional and bring her back some flowers. The next-door neighbour’s joint has featured in Better Homes and Gardens, so he won’t miss a few. Have a great weekend everyone!

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011An article about the 'All style, no substance' LNP, under Campbell Newman and Tony Abbott: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/lnp-leader-campbell-newman-has-dismissed-criticism-of-jeff-seeney-saying-the-party-is-strong-and-united/story-e6frgczx-1226039772657?from=public_rss

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011An interesting article about the Randy Right & their fascination with all things Rand: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/ayn-rands-hatred-of-humanity-drove-ideology-based-on-fiction-20110414-1dfut.html

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011Amusing sidelight to the Club's Anti Pokies Control Campaign: http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/04/15/star-of-the-clubs-campaign-is-a-strident-anti-pokies-campaigner/

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011Absolutely fascinating article about China's Great Green Leap Forward: http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/56670.html

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011GE's letter of support from businesses backing a Carbon Price: http://www.ge.com/au/business_leaders_unite_on_carbon_price.html

Patricia WA

16/04/2011AC - The [b]scullery[/b]no less! How long is it since I've seen that word! You have to be ex-pat Poms! Your reference to the Revolting Peoples' Army reminds us that we haven't heard much of them lately. Is it too much to hope that they've run out of steam already? Or are they in strategic retreat and planning a major operation soon? Maybe, remembering the heroic defence of Verdun, they could organise barricades around Crown Casinos in every state with banners waving........ [i]They Shall Not Pass This Legislation! Keep Pokies free of regulation! [/i]

Ad astra reply

16/04/2011LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

Acerbic Conehead 2

16/04/2011HS, Thanks for those links, and for giving me a few more excuses not to go out and weed the garden...heh...heh... Patricia WA, Just to get a rise out of mum, my dad still refers to it as the scullery. She thinks it is such an “old-fashioned” word, lol. But don’t discount the staying power of the Revolting Peoples’ Army (RPA). I heard that Andrew Bolt’s new show is going to have a studio audience format and he will stack it with RPA veterans, having bussed them up from the pokkies’ vault at the Casino. Anyway, here is Andrew in one of his more candid moments, taped by some renegade News of the World reporter, singing in the shower about his hopes for his upcoming show on Channel Ten on Sunday mornings. He is well aware, privately anyway, of his limitations, so here he is singing a version of Jackson Browne’s classic, “The Pretender”. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhp96VWLEqA&feature=related :- ) I’ve just gone and got myself a show In the shape of a free lunch I just ask questions of a Sunday morning Don’t care if I look a dunce :- ) And when the credits roll around They’ll all be about me, I’ll be bound And when the ratings figures come streaming in - better than Bazz’s have ever bin! Go Ten! Say it again Go Ten! :- ) I want to know what became of the changes They said CO2 would bring Here’s me sittin’ in the studio Hot under the collar, but still freezin’ :- ) I've been aware of the warmists’ half-truths They claim to have the monopoly on proofs But if they are gettin’ the upper hand The buggers will just get banned Go Ten! :- ) Caught between the reportin’ of facts And the struggle agin the leftie bludgers When the cameras roll, they’ll take their toll Give ‘em a good jolly roger :- ) When the greenies dream of a fight Will soon pull the plug on their gripes When they just sit there as useful As a lifeless todger :- ) Into the cool of the studio Will stroll the pretender Knowing that all my spin and schemes Begin and end there :- ) ‘Tis true I’m just a grumpy idiot Who’ll struggle and misremember When the ads come on, viewers’ll say, “thank god... ...someone should put this bloke out to tender” :- ) Don’t believe in any of my lies Like Fuku – a storm in a tea-bag Truth is never gonna be a contender Que sera Say a hurrah for the pretender Who started out twistin’ the truth On a porkie bender

NormanK

16/04/2011Acerbic Conehead Thanks for another great laugh. Putting Rowan Atkinson (arguably one of the funniest men alive today) in close proximity with Andrew Bolt (arguably one of the most unfunny men alive today) is very clever. Keep up the great work.

janice

16/04/2011HS, [quote]Here's an Economist who has written a paper analysing the Australian Government's fiscal stimulus program which was implemented to attempt to avoid the GFC: www.wilsoncenter.org/.../...0Great%20Recession.pdf[/quote] Thanks for that link - A good read and easily understood. Another paper that should be mandatory reading, especially by the likes of Hockey et al. Ascerbic, Another clever piece - thank you.

Grog

16/04/2011Great links Lyn - cheer. Some good reading there.

Ad astra reply

16/04/2011Grog Welcome back to [i]TPS[/i]. Thank you for your superb blog, which gives us so much insight and pleasure. We look forward to every post. Folks I'm packing up now to go to Perth airport for the flight back to Melbourne. I'll be back with you again this evening.

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011AcerbicC., Lulz. 'Carbon Tacks'; The Huns; and the 'SG Regiment' Funnier than The Chaser and twice as politically perceptive. :)

Lyn

16/04/2011Hi Grog Wow! I am delighted to see you this morning Grog. I know you are keeping very well, that's easy, by your absolutely, without doubt brilliant posts, you keep providing for our ultimate enjoyment. We couldn't manage without your fantastic reports, Grog, not only on Question time, but everything. I told you before, but will say again, one does not have decipher much of the news, when we have you to help us. Thankyou Grog. Cheers

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011AcerbicC., Of course they'll have Bolta's family crest as the backdrop for the set of his show on Big Gina's channel: Pig's Flying over a belching smokestack. :)

Lyn

16/04/2011Hi Ad and Everybody Sunday viewing for you, one day I will be happy with the panel perhaps: UPDATED Sunday morning TV - 17 April #auspol Your guide to this Sunday morning's political and business interviews Posted by sundaymorningtv to sundaymorningtv's posterous 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 Fran Kelly from ABC Radio National Breakfast and The West Australian's Nick Butterly. Together they interview Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Tasmanian Independent MP Andrew Wilkie. 8:30am Sky News 601 - Australian Agenda On Sky News Australian Agenda this week Treasurer Wayne Swan and Queensland Liberal National Party leader Campbell Newman. Host Peter Van Onselen is joined by the The Australian's Paul Kelly and Denis Shanahan. 8:38am Ch7 - Weekend Sunrise - The Riley Diary Political editor Mark Riley takes a look at climate change. Amid questions and more questions as everyone seeks answers the climate changes but, the debate remains the same. 8:40am Ch9 - Today on Sunday The weekly Laurie Oakes interview is no more. Laurie is next expected to return to your Sunday morning screen on Sunday 8 May for a pre-budget interview with Treasurer Wayne Swan. 9:00am ABC1 & on ABC News 24 - Insiders On Insiders this Sunday, Barrie Cassidy interviews the National Party’s Senate Leader, Barnaby Joyce. On the panel: SBS’s Karen Middleton, News.com.au Political Editor Malcolm Farr and The Australian’s Michael Stutchbury. And Mike Bowers talks pictures with Daily Telegraph cartoonist, Warren Brown. 10:00am ABC1 & on ABC News 24 @ 5.30pm - Inside Business This week on Inside Business a feature interview with Climate Change Minister, Greg Combet. Also ERA CEO Rob Atkinson talks about the on-going problems with the Ranger Uranium Mine outside Darwin. And a look at the risky business of the big contractors such as Leightons and Downer EDI Plus the regular update of the latest news from the markets and Alan Kohler’s incisive commentary

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011Here's a Peter Hartcher column of good sense and gravity: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/rising-passions-of-the-right-20110415-1dhtq.html

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011Buy this t-shirt and tell all your friends to buy one too! http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1662725924305&set=a.1653025201793.2077167.1121931507&type=1&theater

Jason

16/04/2011Here is a link to a facebook page!Local Labor members supporting the Faulkner/Bracks/Carr reforms http://www.facebook.com/home.php?sk=group_208092409216975&id=215411018485114

Crowey

16/04/2011Feral Skeleton An article about the 'All style, no substance' LNP, under Campbell Newman. FS, Newman has already brought out two new major policies, for when he wins???? the elections, their will be and end to water restrictions, and he will allow two-up to be played at all RSL clubs on Anzac Day, what he didn't know was that water restrictions ended in late 2010, and that two-up has been played for years in clubs on Anzac Day, under Can-Do supreme leadership???? I can see some exciting times ahead.

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011Ash's latest blog, and very good it is too, as per usual: http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/the-australian-tries-to-bring-back-conscription/#comment-631

Lyn

16/04/2011Hi Crowey I haven't met you before, Hi, welcome and thankyou for commenting on "The Political Sword, we hope to see you often. Campbell Newman is a strange affair happening, how can he be a leader of a Political Party, and he hasn't got a seat, hard to fathom. Seems like Labor are having Newman for dinner. I can see some messy times ahead, but guess, can do. can do. cheers

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011Crowey, But CanDo's newfound 'power' certainly is intoxicating for his wife. :) Actually, the thing I can't understand about this 'new paradigm' of Qld politics, and, who knows, it may become a template for all politics into the future, just pick a candidate who tests well and go with them despite their not having any substantial runs on the board above running a Local Council or business, is why the political parties think that the electorate no longer values a politician being tried and tested in the heat of parliamentary battle before they vote them in to lead the electorate? I thought that's what politics was all about, you get political runs on the board from time spent in Opposition earning your stripes, then you get given control of the political levers. Has some major political paradigm shift occurred when I wasn't looking that changed that equation? I must admit though, there is a sort of parallel in the ALP, where Bob Hawkw came out of the ACTU and straight into the leadership of the party. Others have added that if he didn't have Paul Keating as his lieutenant he wouldn't have been half as successful. Also that running the ACTU was approximately similar to running a government, particularly back when the Union movement was a more powerful entity. Finally, has anyone thought to tie what 'CanDo' has done in Brisbane Council, around his leg to hobble him? I heard he used to have a ring-around of Liberal Councillors on Brisbane City Council in order to decide which Labor Councillor he would eject from Council meetings, so as to destabilise them and reduce their numbers. Not to mention 500%!!! increases in apartment rates. And his Engineering fetish led him to go crazy building infrastructure which served Private interests rather than the Public interest. Doesn't sound like a very effective or inclusive politician to me.

D Mick Weir

16/04/2011Ahem FS, [i]'... where Bob Hawkw[/i] (sic) [i]came out of the ACTU and straight into the leadership of the party.'[/i] From Wikipedia: [i]'... he was elected to the House of Representatives for the Melbourne seat of Wills at the 1980 election held on 18 October. Immediately upon his entry into Parliament, Hawke was appointed to the Opposition front bench, taking his place as Shadow Minister for Industrial Relations, Employment and Youth. With the opinion polls indicating that Hawke was 'a certain election winner', Hayden called a leadership ballot for 16 July 1982. Although Hayden defeated the ambitious Hawke, his five vote victory over the former President of the ACTU was not large enough to dispel doubts in caucus that he could lead the ALP to victory at the next election, due sometime in the forthcoming year.[/i] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bob_Hawke

macca

16/04/2011I feel it is more appropiate to call him Clive Palmers Can Do Campbell

D Mick Weir

16/04/2011And for the history buffs: Malcolm Fraser called the 1983 election believing he would be facing Bill Hayden as Opposition Leader. Little did he know that very time he was taking the drive to visit the GG Labor was meeting in Brisbane (I think) electing Hawke as leader. That gave rise to some great cartoons that I can't locate atm.

2353

16/04/2011AC2 - all I can say is "oh dear". Banish her to the scullery instead. Macca - the Brisbane Times has used the headline "Can't Do" Newman a few times this week. Clive Palmer obviously believes if you throw enough money at it, you get the result you want. Hasn't happened yet! DMW - would have been interesting if Bill Hayden did have a chance to maybe win "the drovers dog" election. From memory, Fraser was as much on the nose as the NSW State Govt leading into the recent election.

NormanK

16/04/2011FS Thanks for the link to Chris Barrett's analysis of the stimulus measures. What a great pity that it will be dismissed as being partisan because it was written by an insider. If another 'insider' had written something similar, discrediting the stimulus packages, no doubt the headlines would have written themselves. It's good to see that this type of retrospective analysis doesn't prevent [i]The Australian[/i] from maintaining their editorial line : [quote].... the result has been a structural weakening of the budget's underlying position, which has been [b]compounded by Labor's excessive and inefficient stimulus spending[/b].[/quote] http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/gillards-welfare-depends-on-clear-budget-strategy/story-e6frg71x-1226039911259 I wonder if someone can tell me why this poor chap seems so confused. [b]Gillard's shift to the right for jobs[/b] by Ross Peake http://www.canberratimes.com.au/news/opinion/editorial/general/gillards-shift-to-the-right-for-jobs/2136158.aspx?storypage=1 I thought at first it might be a battle between the author and his sub-editor where the headline doesn't quite match the main thrust of the story but on closer examination it almost looks as though he has had a change of heart while writing the piece. He starts out in bold aggressive tones which have become commonplace in the so-called debate over welfare reform where both parties are painted as being as bad as each other in yet another 'race to the bottom': [quote]Julia Gillard keeps moving inexorably to the right, chasing Tony Abbott's supporters for votes she will never get. Therefore, with the budget looming, she is signalling it will contain a huge dose of his ''tough love''. Programs will be slashed, ''dole-bludgers'' will be chased, disability pensions will be curtailed.[/quote] Having read transcripts of Gillard's recent speeches, I can't recall 'tough love', 'slashing', 'dole bludgers' or 'curtailing' of anything as having been spoken about but I guess we rely on commentators to read between the lines and tell us what she was really saying. And yet as the article unfolds, Peake drifts more and more into grudging agreement that what the PM is offering as possible reforms are not the same as Abbott's and just quietly might not actually be right wing. [quote]Gillard is trying to recast the debate about dole-bludgers, framing them as potential workers who have fallen through the cracks of the employment market, for whatever reasons. The Government is expected to emphasise the need for education and training to create pathways into employment and to lift its approach above Abbott's reliance on penalties, while still retaining measures that are tough enough to persuade more people into work or training. The Government may expand the intensive assistance for long-term unemployed people, building on the four assistance centres trialled in last year's budget.[/quote] The latter two-thirds of the article are quite reasonable with Peake offering his own insights and a bit of advice to the government, no harm done there. But why start in such an aggressive manner? Why put words in her mouth which she has never uttered on the subject (to the best of my knowledge)? Ross Peake is the Political Editor so it's not like he has to sneak it past his editor. A very curious article.

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011DMW, Or, should that be 'Mr Spelling Nazi'? ;) Well, yes the Silver Bodgie was in parliament for a relatively short amount of time before he launched his attack on poor old Mr Plod. However, allow me some journalistic licence enough to draw a long bow between Hawkie & Campbell? :)

D Mick Weir

16/04/2011NormanK, Love your striking new pose, oops, rose. What a beauty to behold. Haven't read Mr Peakes' article yet. As I have a hard copy of the CT this week I will read it the old fashioned way cos I get like that sometimes (old fashioned I mean) I have been having a chat with some people in the social welfare field and there are mixed feelings about what is going on in the lead up to the budget. Some are fearing the worst, others are seeing little rays of hope, albeit, very tiny bits of hope. One of the criticisms of the current administration of welfare is that it still overly beauracratic and hamstrung by the 'reforms' under Howard. One telling comment was that the Liberals still believe the rhetoric about 'dole bludgers' etc. that was really only ever run up the pole to appeal to the rednecks and the shjock audience. There is a lot of time spent (wasted?) making sure that no one is overpaid even by a dollar so much so that it appears to cost 'a thousand to save one'. There is a feeling of disappointment that Labor hasn't wound back any of this and is still pursuing this wasteful practice. One has said that they think there are some things going on 'in the background' that tend to indicate that there will be more 'carrots' than 'sticks'. We only have about three weeks to wait for the Swansong that is the budget.

D Mick Weir

16/04/20112353 Alternative History. I have read some bits and pieces on the subject somewhere on this interwebby thing and it looked like fun. Don't recall anything being written on the scenario of Hayden becoming PM. My bet is that it would have been very turbulent as the ego that is Bob Hawke would have been stalking Hayden all the way. Hmm, what an interesting Saturday night excercise, Hayden as PM doubt that Keating would have been Treasurer, whoa, my brain is starting to hurt already.

D Mick Weir

16/04/2011Hey FS, would prefer typo nazi if you don't mind :) I would hardly call from Oct 1980 to Feb 1983 'a relatively short time'. I will allow you the same 'journalistic licence' that you allow some such Hartcher, Milne, need I add more?

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011NormanK, I have read the article, and it seems to me that Mr Peake may have been concerned that no one would read it if he opened with anything other than the accepted line. Once into the guts of his article he softens the tone and attempts an actual explanation of what the PM really wants to do with the hard to employ. I found it interesting how he characterised the PM as 'risk averse', yet he was writing an article about her taking on the problem of the long-term unemployed. Sorta risk-averse? I dunno. :) I was especially impressed at how he didn't take the Coalition bait and give Tony Abbott yet another platform to muddy the waters of the debate with his 'One Line Wonder' summations of complex issues. Also it was good to see a journalist getting back to taws and actually delving into the subject he was writing about, even if it was just to simply go to the Centrelink website and report on the upcoming changes to the DSP and then link that into the subject of the piece. Thank you for bringing it to my attention.

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011DMW, 'shjock(sic) audience' ? :)

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011NormanK, [quote]'Labor's excessive and inefficient stimulus spending.'[/quote] Yada, yada, yada, rhubarb, rhubarb, waffle. :)

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011Here's an article from The Lowy Institute's Defence expert, James Brown, which neatly summarises the current Defence imbroglio: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/politics-rules-and-scandals-blow-up-in-public-but-defence-just-ignores-the-indefensible-20110415-1dhu0.html

D Mick Weir

16/04/2011Lyn, what a 'tweetie' you are. Some fantastic links today. I am still wading through them. I particularly enjoyed the link you provided to pressthink.org [i]The Twisted Psychology of Bloggers vs. Journalists: My Talk at South By Southwest[/i] I could sucumb to a bit of 'confirmation bias' toward my (silently) held belief that out there in the blogosphere there some that have delusions of granduer about being the 'fifth estate' by selectively quoting from the article. We here in the blogosphere a firmly part of the 'fourth estate'. Those that post articles are cousins of the pamphleteers of the nineteenth century not some new and wondorous manisfestation bought about by the interwebby thingo. Those of us that comment are writing 'letters to the editor'. One difference is that our letters more often than not get 'published'. The first commenter, Andrea Ludtke, really made sit back and think with this comment: [i]“I am occasionally surprised that when I silence my own voice for the voice of the story, that I am the one whose opinion is changed.”[/i] Now that is where I aspire to live.

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011Another well-researched article worth a read. This time on the attitudes of Australian Business to the Carbon Tax: http://www.smh.com.au/business/carbon-tax-belligerence-bluffs-and-poker-faces-20110415-1dhqg.html

D Mick Weir

16/04/2011FS, [i]'shjock'[/i] Yes, when I proof read that I had typed [i]sjock[/i] instead of [i]shock[/i]. I then added the 'h' to invent a new word. A bit of 'artistic' licence perhaps? :) and for recaptcha I have [i]effour Inverebr[/i] which I shall some day set out to prove is ancient form of 'inventor of words' :)

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011Depressing, sobering but essential reading: http://www.alternet.org/story/150548/progressive_media_suffer_losses_in_the_fight_against_the_right-wing_media_machine?page=entire

Lyn

16/04/2011Hi D Mick Wier I'm pleased you enjoyed The Twisted Psychology of Bloggers vs. Journalists: My Talk at South By Southwest, Jay Rosen, Press Think, from ( Mr Denmore's Reading Recommendations). I was engrossed in that story too, some stories are hard to fit in through the week, because there is getting more and more bloggers all the time. DM Weir, I have also enjoyed all your comments today, keep up the very welcome good work. Cheers

NormanK

16/04/2011DMW I'm glad you like the new (old) rose Gravatar - it is one of Lyn's favourites and you know we must all play our part in keeping Tweety happy.

Lyn

16/04/2011Norman K That is an adorable rose, I think it is Montizooma (not sure of the spelling), is it in your garden? NormanK your interesting comment above, is very enjoyable as well, thankyou. I must admit I won't bother reading any anti Government, articles much, especially the newspapers, there is too much other good constructive stuff, out there in the blogosphere, they keep me busy anyway. cheers

Lyn

16/04/2011Hi Ad Woops, sorry the comments box didn't clear again, it kept offering me another reCaptcha word. Telstra has me stuck on Low frequency all day today, so maybe that has got something to do with the slow loading and slow refreshing, maybe I should phone Mr Abbott, he did say the service is good enough. Would you delete the duplicates for me, please Ad.

Ad astra reply

16/04/2011Folks I get on a flight to Melbourne for a few hours and [i]TPS[/i] goes wild. I'll take much of tomorrow to catch up with your comments and the links, which look fascinating. I'm packing it in now to watch the end of the Sydney-Geelong match. Crowey Welcome to the [i]TPS[/i] family. Do come again.

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011Fyi, my Miniature Rose is flowering now, even though the weather is getting colder by the day. I wish it wouldn't, I feel for it being blown about in the wind and driving rain. I think I got the timing of the pruning and the fertilising wrong. Oh well, it is a beautiful distractiion from the bleak weather. :)

Lyn

16/04/2011Hi Hillbilly Is your miniature rose called Cecil Brunai, which is a very pale pink and very gorgeous, perfect petals, if so it will withstand anything, puning is June and fertilising all year except winter, the dormant months, so September to June is fine. Most roses are pretty hardy. Smell the roses, makes the day beautiful. cheers

Feral Skeleton

16/04/2011Hi lyn, I think it's a little red one. I'll check in the morning. I pruned it after it had finished flowering at the end of summer. I fertilised it last week.

Lyn

17/04/2011[b]TODAY'S LINKS[/b] [i]‘The Australian’ tries to bring back conscription, Ash, Ash's Machiavellian Bloggery[/i] The Australian is not a source of news so much any more as a source of slander, defamation, and gossip. http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2011/04/16/the-australian-tries-to-bring-back-conscription/ [i]Be afraid, John Spoehr, Australian Policy Online[/i] the Opposition’s campaign against Labor’s plan is likely to lose momentum, particularly if Tony Abbott continues to flirt with the more extreme climate change sceptics. There will be many in the Liberal Party who http://www.apo.org.au/commentary/be-afraid [i]Unions and the ALP: dysfunctional or recoverable? Trevor Cook[/i] the unions-ALP relationship using some of the research for my phd (due for submission in August). That paper is available here. http://trevorcook.typepad.com/weblog/ [i]OBAMA,is the RUDD deal on in the USA, Eyeball,Eyeball Opinion[/i]. How could someone with such promise and with the wave of elector support – and with control over both houses – when he first took office have done so poorly? http://bleyzie.wordpress.com/2011/04/15/obama-is-the-rudd-deal-on-in-the-usa/ [i]A product of the mixed economy, John Quiggin[/i] This essay is a description of the incredibly complex “family tree” of a simple pencil, making the point that the production of a pencil http://johnquiggin.com/ [i]The High Aussie shouldn't be hurting the budget, but it is. Peter Martin[/i] The gods are looking kindly on Wayne Swan.They’ve given him what he wanted. On May 10 his budget will wear the consequences http://www.petermartin.com.au/2011/04/high-aus-shouldnt-be-hurting-budget-but.html [i]Tough budget bollocks, Robert Merkel, Larvatus Prodeo[/i] Peter Martin (who really, really ought to know better) in The Age: http://larvatusprodeo.net/2011/04/16/tough-budget-bollocks/ [i]Down and out in Centrelink and NewStart, Malcolm farnsworth, The Drum[/i] But don’t tell me her speech this week or Abbott’s miserable effort last month demonstrate any understanding of people who are unemployed or how to get them back to work. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/56672.html [i]The truth behind sex, lies and Skype , Mike Carlton, National Times[/i] All control has been increasingly centred in the minister's office since that former Liberal grandee Peter Reith so deceitfully concocted the children overboard affair. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/society-and-culture/the-truth-behind-sex-lies-and-skype-20110415-1dhpx.html [i]Murdoch press finds humour in Jewish - free Sydney Suburb, Antony Loewenstein[/i] be accused of Jew hating and anti-Semitism by the Murdoch thugs. Sydney’s Marrickville council endorsed BDS as a principled and increasingly popular global movement. The Tele’s Joe Hilderbrand http://antonyloewenstein.com/2011/04/15/murdoch-press-finds-humour-in-jewish-free-sydney-suburb/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+antonyloewenstein%2Ffeed+%28Antony+Loewenstein%29 [i]Back-Room Lobbying Slows Climate Deal, Angela Dewan, New Matilda[/i] the use of a lobby group disguised as an arm of the US Tea Party movement that opposes government regulations and most environmental efforts, including even the existence of global climate change. http://newmatilda.com/2011/04/15/backroom-lobbying-slows-climate-deal [i]Columnist in court after questioning race of leading Aborigines, Kathy Marks, The Independent, UK[/i] Andrew Bolt is Australia's most notorious right-wing columnist. He rails against climate change scientists, asylum-seekers and welfare recipients. http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/columnist-in-court-after-questioning-race-of-leading-aborigines-2268645.html [b]Must Watch:[/b] Publishing sensation Paper Giants: The Birth of Cleo, ABC1, Sunday and Monday, 8.30pm. Small Time Gangster, Movie Extra, premiere double episode, Tuesday, 8.30pm. The series is bookended by Gough Whitlam's rise to power and his eventual controversial dismissal, the second part concluding with the ultimate triumph for Buttrose, Kerry Packer and their select band of young, female staff. When his father dies, his grip on the family empire established, Kerry selects the formidable Buttrose for greater things, his own destiny assured. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/arts/publishing-sensation/story-e6frg8n6-1226037102601

Ad astra reply

17/04/2011LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

Feral Skeleton

17/04/2011We see him here,we see him there,we see Tony Abbott & his scare campaign on a pushbike everywhere! :) Greg Combet just came out with the line of the week on Inside Business. [quote]"Tony Abbott is just a scare campaign on a pushbike,going everywhere scaring people about job losses and Cost of Living going through the roof." [/quote]

Feral Skeleton

17/04/2011Verry interesting: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/alp-orders-hacking-probe/story-fn7x8me2-1226040219362

Lyn

17/04/2011Hi Ad In case you missed "The Insiders" this morning, because of you must be busy having just arrived home last night. I will do my attentive, serious summary for you: Barnaby Joyce says the Carbon Tax debate is nauseating. Barrie Cassidy is very interested in Andrew Wilkie's memory, Barrie also spent quite some time discussing Shirley Mclaine's love for Andrew Peacock. Malcolm Farr says "full Credit to Tony Abbott, he is very skillful, something about a grassroots campaign, in other words a gold award performance from Mr Abbott. Karen Middleton says "Nobody has any information", then says they can't get the message out there. I wonder if it's because they don't have any information. Michael Stutchbury has great enjoyment with the Steel Industry. Also being very nice to Paul Howes, very captivated with a budget blowout. Mike Bowers and Warren Brown, delighted with Tony Abbott kissing Bronwyn Bishop, on his pushbike. Somebody said "Bowers and Brown, are almost as funny as they think they are". Bob Katter concerned with "Goody two Shoes", I think it's because they do excessive good, but I don't know who they are. So there you go Ad another useless Political show, like to know how "The Insiders" get their information out there".

D Mick Weir

17/04/2011Morning all, I think it was Phillip Adams who told this story and whether true or not it's a good yarn. A newly elected ALP member was assigned a seat next to Fred Daly and on the first sitting day said to Fred ' ... it's great to be here at last and facing off against the enemy ...' Fred is reputed to have replied; 'Son, what your looking at is the opposition, your enemies are behind you.' I recalled this story as I read a bit from Menzies House about Malcolm Turnbull that has a video of a BBC interview with MT embedded. [i]Mr. Turnbull is asked by the interviewer about his support for Mr. Rudd’s ETS. We all know the history; Mr. Turnbull crossed the floor in support of Mr. Rudd’s ETS. His political judgment was wrong back then and it appears from the video that it’s still wrong now.[/i] And just so you are clear on the opinion of the writer; Andy Semple; he goes on: [i]Had Mr. Turnbull told Mr. Rudd that he’d only have his full support for an ETS when the United States agreed to implement their Cap and Trade and not before, he’d probably be Prime Minister today or still be the opposition leader. It’s one thing to maintain a principled position on something, but is another thing to be sucked in by someone else’s timetable.[/i] http://www.menzieshouse.com.au/2011/04/malcolm-turnbull-mp-on-the-bbcs-hardtalk.html (Link only provided for attribution purposes. Health warnings apply if you follow link) They sure know how to hate and stick the boot in those Liberal Party people. I haven't had a chance to read the tea leaves yet (darned tea bags ruined that prognostic art) but with Avuncular Joe having been talked to behind the milking shed and the questioning of Turnbulls' political judgement I suspect that these are signs that some are attempting to quell rumblings about the current leadership.

Ad astra reply

17/04/2011Hi Lyn I did catch [i]Insiders[/i]; your summary is accurate. I thought to myself that what we were watching should be renamed [i]Opinionistas[/i], because it was almost entirely a recital of opinions of journalists, plus of course the opinion of Barnaby Joyce. Now there is nothing wrong about expressing opinions. Some are soundly based on facts and figures, while others are based on hunch, feelings, even bias, but all are entitled to be expressed. My question is: 'What makes the opinions of the selected panellists more legitimate than those of other close observers of the political scene?' Since it is likely that most who habitually watch [i]Insiders[/i] are well informed and have their own opinions, I wonder what value there is in feeding the audience with the opinions of those who happen to be on the program that day. The only value to me is seeing what ideas are exercising their journalistic minds that might explain how they come to write what they do. It exposes the background attitudes, biases and preferences that influence their writing, since most of it is now opinion rather than an objective statement and exposition of the facts. It is not presumptuous of those of us who follow politics closely to believe that our opinions are as legitimate and well founded as theirs, perhaps sometimes more so. It is disappointing that opinions expressed by panellists are seldom validated with supporting factual evidence or instances of similar occurrences. When Karen Middleton opined that she ‘was a little comfortable’ with how far Stephen Smith went in handling the recent ADF affair, and went on to say that ministers have to be careful how far they go and that it was ‘not a particularly smart move’ for Stephen Smith, I wondered what knowledge, wisdom and past experience she brought to that opinion. Did she have instances of previous such occurrences that turned out badly for the minister that might have supported her opinion? Or was it just a gut feeling? Gut feelings are legitimate, but we need to know whether that was all there was to Karen’s opinion, or was there something else? If it was just gut opinion, she might have said: ‘While I have no knowledge or experience of such an instance in the past, I must say I felt a little uncomfortable with what the minister said and wondered if he might have gone to far.’ Then we would have known it was just Karen’s gut feelings and worth no more than anyone else’s. Instead we got a statement that sounded authoritative, when it most likely wasn’t. I will probably write something on this subject, based on Edward de Bono’s Six Hats method of discussion. (For anyone who missed this segment of [i]Insiders[/i], it is here: http://www.abc.net.au/insiders/content/2011/s3193689.htm ) Frankly Lyn, I think [i]Insiders[/i] has become stereotyped and tired, and that a new format and approach is needed. Why can’t we have other than MSM journalists on the panel? Why not a blogger, an ‘average’ citizen, a member of the public with a special interest or expertise? When I get the time, I’ll put something together for visitors here to consider, so that jointly we can make suggestions to Barrie Cassidy about how he can revive his flagging program.

thenewjj

17/04/2011another great insiders this morning with a good solid panel. The consensus seems to be that Gillard is fighting too many battles without much info to back up her party's side of the argument, and with the budget coming, things are only going to get worse.

Ad astra reply

17/04/2011FS Thank you for the links to the Chris Barrett article that I look forward to reading. I see janice has enjoyed it; it must be good. Thank you too for the several other interesting links. The AlterNet piece is sobering. We can see the perversions of the media in the US infecting our own scene, where misinformation, incomplete information and downright lies are now stock in trade for too much of the media, a lot of it derived from Coalition propaganda machines and faithfully replicated. We must address this issue is a blog piece soon. AC Thank you again for delighting us with your artful satire and still more verse. Your audience has enjoyed it. Folks I’m still reading through all the comments. Thank you for them and the accompanying links. I’ll be out for a few hours now catching up with kids and grandchildren now that we’re back in Melbourne. I’ll be back here later this evening.

NormanK

17/04/2011**************EXTREME GREY NOMADS***************** Have we got a DEAL for you! Have you been dreaming of a chance to get away from it all (with a very real prospect of not getting back)? Struggling to come to terms with the euthanasia debate? North Queensland is the destination for you. - Six metre crocodiles! That's right! 6 metres! You could fish for barras off their backs. Or sail them to New Guinea. Or humanely get rid of that yapping little mutt you thought would make a great travelling companion. - Flash flooding! No matter where you camp for the night, there's a good chance you won't be in the same spot the next morning. Talk about roaming free! - Brown water rafting! Forget white water - we take you down the main streets of provincial towns. You can shop from your canoe! - Wind-surfing in Category Five Cyclonic Winds (Seasonal) (Some conditions apply). - Bob Katter! Never mind white-collared Campbell Newman*, Bob's the real deal! He'll talk your ear off about the need for more tariffs to keep out foreign gay milk-maids and crocs off the roof. *Campbell wouldn't even fill Bob's hat. - Road closures. Learn how to live off the land and drink the water from your radiator. No shower of rain too small that it won't cut some part of the highway and add to the thrill of your holiday. - Landslides! Yes, we've got landslides! - Four metre white pointers! Remember ladies, statistically Great Whites prefer male flesh. A small investment in goggles and flippers, a bit of encouragement and bingo! That superannuation is all yours. Not to mention not having to share that little bed in the RV (unless you want to, of course - the bloke at the bait shop is kinda cute). - For the very first time! Exclusive 5.2 magnitude earthquakes! Yes earthquakes! No more having to travel to strange lands. Imagine yourself chasing a feed of prawns on the Whitsunday Coast and you feel the earth move? How exciting would that be? (It has been a long time between drinks hasn't it?) We've got the adrenaline fix you've been craving. Have we mentioned the disease-carrying mozzies? The man-eating snakes and the drop-bears? Eight inch spiders? Feral pigs and buffalo? Skin cancer? Aah bountiful North Queensland! Beautiful one day - bloody dangerous the next! Sponsored by Tourism Queensland - we're 'opin' for business.

Ad astra reply

17/04/2011thenewjj Your comment about [i]Insiders[/i], juxtaposed with mine, shows how two people watching the same event can see it so differently. You seem to have accepted the opinions of the panel without question. Unsurprisingly, all you saw was doom and gloom for PM Gillard. Perhaps we can agree on one thing – that the panel was all the better for not having on it Andrew Bolt or Piers Ackerman. Can we agree on that?

Jason

17/04/2011AA, Middleton forgets that for reasons best known to both Labor and coalition defence has become a ministerial grave yard that needs to be cleaned up. I had an argument with a friend of mine who is in the army and he like a lot of his fellow grunts can't even see that what happened at Duntroon was even wrong! I tried the if it was your mother, sister, partner that fell on deaf ears, only to be asked if I had ever "served" as though that would make me understand to which I answered no,When I explained that like it or not the military has changed and if the woman at the center of this was taken a bit more seriously she wouldn't have needed to go to the media. However what is it with the younger generation that are far more computer savvy than me that continually put things on the net that are there for life? and is ADFA so bereft of applicants these seven are amongst our best and brightest! Discharge them for stupidity and send a message through defence we no longer condone this or any other inappropriate behaviour.

lyn

17/04/2011Hello Ad Welcome back to the right side of Australia, just being funny, when we lived in Western Australia, we used to say, Perth is a beautiful city, but on the wrong side of Australia, a biased statement of course. Thankyou Ad for your fantastic reply to my feeble report on "The Insiders", the show is incredibly shallow though, I think most would agree. What a smart idea of yours to have Bloggers on the show, think, Ad Astra, Grog, Ash, Mr Denmore, Andrew Elder, Hillbilly Skeleton, NormanK, Talk Turkey, DMWeir, 2353, Macca, Michael,Jason,Adam,Doug Evans, Acerbic Conehead, PatriciaWA,Casablanca, Janice, Gravel,BSA Bob, Augustus, Bilko, Miglo, Catching up, Adelaide Gurl, DebbieP, Kerry, Sawdust Mick,Joe, Jimbo. How's that for a start, a few years linup, and we have many more great posters here. Karen's opinion is very unconvincing, also her nightly reports on SBS are slipping. Have you noticed lately on ABC24, the Political reporters that they interview on the breakfast show, have been saying more than a often: "I guess", "I imagine", if you haven't noticed before you will now. Ad your idea of, maybe in the future: [quote]jointly we can make suggestions to Barrie Cassidy about how he can revive his flagging program.[/quote] I am sure that could turn out to be very interesting, and create a fair amount of input from our dear readers. Cheers

Jason

17/04/2011thenewjj, "and with the budget coming, things are only going to get worse." Really how? During the budget sittings the new senate will be in place,Fielding will be gone Xenophon will pretty much silenced Labor will have to deal with the greens to get it passed, or the Coalition could make the Greens irrelevant and help pass it!but not only the budget what can the Coalition block in the Senate after July Nothing!

Feral Skeleton

17/04/2011Jason, It's just wishful thinking by 'jj' before the dread realisation that, for the next 6 years, Labor+The Greens have the numbers. And, as jj's hero, Howard, said, "It's all about the arithmetic." :) Tony Abbott can spend the next 3 odd years on his campaign bike, leering at his daughters and thinking 'unclean' thoughts about them(and THAT'S what disgusted me the most about 'Insiders' today, hearing that sleazebag comment on how "hot" his daughters looked to him in their skin-tight lycra cycling suits. Ew!), because nothing will change the numbers in the Senate. He won't get a Double Dissolution out of Julia Gillard, where he might have had some hope of wangling a majority in the Senate. So, even if he does Con people at the next Half-Senate & House of Reps election, as Leader of the Con-servatives, he'll be as hamstrung as Kevin Rudd was between 2007 and 2010. All the One Line Wonder media statements in the world, all the fine-sounding parliamentary debates, all the running from fruit market to butcher to bread shop, will not even amount to a hill o' beans when it comes to legislative runs on the board. He'll end up with a duck. And he'll look like a goose.

Jason

17/04/2011FS, jj's quote about the budget is as silly as the NSW Premier claiming he has a mandate for the federal government to fund his election promises!

Feral Skeleton

17/04/2011Baby-faced killer of citizen's rights in the USA, reflecting what could come down the pike in Australia if we ever have a radical Conservative government led by Tony Abbott: http://blogs.forbes.com/rickungar/2011/04/16/gov-scott-walker-reportedly-planning-financial-martial-law-in-wisconsin/

thenewjj

17/04/2011Ad Astra, Yes i agree that their views are extreme, but if you wish to ban those of the far right from appearing on the show than journos such as David Marr should also be banned. I dont think that anyone from either of the extremes should be banned, but yes i agree they are extreme. Lyn, I noticed on your list of bloggers for your political show there was no mention of me. Now you say that the Insiders is biased towards the coalition, and balance is what you are looking for; well then, how is creating a show where everyone is in agreement over everything and all are either members or supporters of the ALP going to create a more balanced show? Isnt that what this blog is all about...providing a place for ALP supporters to complain about how poorly their party is treated? I would take Insiders over your show any day. Jason, So what if they have the senate to pass things, they still have to sell budget cuts and all of the means testing that they are going to implement to the public! They are fighting for: a mining tax, a carbon tax, poker machine reform as well as many other battles (health etc)

Miglo

17/04/2011It's interesting that in the USA some bloggers can actually get press passes these days, which were normally reserved for traditional media. It appears that the new media is now recognised as being a legitimate part of the media. I suspect that it'll take some time before our credibility catches on here. Lyn, you wouldn't want to see me on TV. My head and dress code are ideal for blogging.

Jason

17/04/2011thenewjj, As far as means testing goes the sooner shop keepers stop avoiding tax through family trusts and other measures the better. Pokie tax yes the public love the pokie barrons from the heart of their bottoms Mining Tax the Greens want it to go further Health Reform let those states that want it to sign up, those who's premiers don't such as yours Vic and WA fund it yourself and do it quietly. As for your so What? you like the coalition come July 1st will become nothing more than a side show, in need of political viagra to even remain interesting!

lyn

17/04/2011Hi Miglo I would love to see you on TV, you would just have to pull your mouth in a bit, your lips I mean, orange shoes size 20, might not look too good though, the beauty salon could deal with hair problem. Interesting what you said about the bloggers press passes in the USA. Well as I said, we have some talented citizen journalist's commenting on this blog and your one of them, also many other blogs . Ad says he is thinking of preparing an article, so there's something enjoyable to look forward to, as is all of Ad's work. Cheers

Acerbic Conehead 2

17/04/2011NormanK and Janice, Thank you for your supporting words. Grog, Yes, Lyn, as well as an interesting commentator in her own right, is our resident go-to person on useful articles and programs. Worth her weight in gold, she is! And keep up your great work on your blog. I always look forward to reading it. AA, Thanks again for your generosity and the opportunity to post on [i]The Political Sword[/i]. I hope you had a great break in the West and the settling back into Victoria is smooth sailing. FS, Thank you again for your kind support. Your words give me far more credit than I deserve. And your symbol for Andrew Bolt’s new show is very apt – pigs flying over a belching smokestack. Maybe he’ll take it up, but then again... Crowey, Welcome to [i]The Political Sword[/i]. Yes, it looks like Can-do still has his L-Plates on. D Mick Weir, Insightful comments as usual. Yes, too much retrospective analysis of what might have happened can bring about an experience of the Monty Python syndrome: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6UEehPf3h3g&feature=related thenewjj, “With the budget coming, things are only going to get worse”. Don’t worry, as it definitely could be worse. Can you imagine those two geniuses, Barnaby Joyce and Joe Hockey, in charge of a Budget? It would make the South Sea Bubble look like the seven years of plenty in Egypt. And NormanK again, Thanks for that enticing travel promotion of the delights of Queensland. Is it true that with Campbell in power, Queenslanders would really be in the soup? (boom, tish!) Jason, Thanks for your comments on the Defence issues. Yes, some people think the standards of human decency don’t apply in this area. Pig’s arse. 2353, “Banish her to the scullery instead”. I wouldn’t dare, or know, where to start. My missus makes Rumpole’s SWMBO look like a pussy cat. Yikes, here she comes, see you later....

Jason

17/04/2011thenewjj, Just imagine the government wheeling this crook out? One NSW millionaire, who hid his income, put out his hand over several years to receive $96,000 in age pension payments. http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/welfare-cheats-must-repay-9-million-that-was-spent-gambling-at-casinos/story-e6freon6-1226040226614

2353

17/04/2011Lyn, I like the idea of the spot on Insiders - while I'm not an oil painting, I'd have to look better that Ackerman or Laurie Oakes :) Abbott is on his last roll of the dice. In 75 days the LNP loses control of the Senate. Watch the negativity ramp up between now and then.

D Mick Weir

17/04/2011AC thanks for that link it helped :) After I thought more about the alternative of a drovers' dog win I had to go outide and kneel facing macca and prostrate with my forehead bouncing many times on the concrete. It felt really good when I stopped :)

lyn

17/04/2011Hi 2353 I would like to see you on TV too, with Miglo. Hey you said Ackerman and Oakes, oh! dear what about Mr Bolt, 2353 I think you are very handsome. Thanks for telling me 75 days, I have been wondering today how long it is, I can't wait. Negativity has happened today. I heard Joe Hockey earlier, saying something stupid, about how mean the Government is to cut child care rebates, like who said they are cutting anything. Joe Hockey attacks the Government because of his own imagination, or guesswork. Call to spare families from budget cuts, SMH The Gillard government is [b]reportedly considering [/b]setting an income test for the 50 per cent childcare rebate, which is not currently means-tested but capped at $7500 a year. http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/call-to-spare-families-from-budget-cuts-20110417-1dji4.html Cheers

Ad astra reply

17/04/2011Hi Lyn, Jason, FS, Miglo, thenewjj, AC, 2353, D Mick Weir Thank you all for your comments which I’ve kept on eye on with the iPad while visiting the kids, but haven’t had time to respond. And tomorrow I’ll be tied up returning to the south coast. After that I’ll get back where response is needed.

lyn

18/04/2011[b]TODAY'S LINK'S[/b] [i]Howes the boss?, Ash, Ash's Machiavellian Bloggery.[/i] Howes and his asshole union chose the weekend before polling to announce their ‘crisis’ meeting. The effect was immediate. http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2011/04/18/howes-the-boss/ [i]Things Deadwood is less offensive than, Jeremy Sear, An Onymous lefty[/i] A major media organisation relying on lies, half truths and smears to attempt to “destroy” a political party supported by 1.5 million Australians; http://anonymouslefty.wordpress.com/ [i]But I’m sure Terry is good at something else, Jeremy Sear, Pure Poison[/i] It’s really the most embarrassingly flimsy attack the climate deniers have managed to devise. That some of them still think it’s got legs is highly amusing. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/purepoison/2011/04/17/but-im-sure-terry-is-good-at-something-else/ [i]Climate change 'scepticism' as a cultural issue, Clarencegirl, North Coast Voices[/i] Excerpts from The culture and discourse of climate scepticism by Andrew J. Hoffman* (2011) which looks at the American experience http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com/ [i]Don't let this Andrew Wilkie incident derail action on problem Gambling, Australian Politics[/i] The organisations - large corporations, clubs and small businesses - that make money off problem gamblers are revoltingly disgusting . http://australianpoliticsblog.blogspot.com/ [i]Centrelink high-rollers ordered to pay back millions, ABC[/i] the Government has found more than 500 people who gambled thousands of dollars while receiving benefits. http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/04/17/3193706.htm?WT.mc_id=newsmail [i]Bob Ellis in the line of fire , Dominic Knight[/i] Ellis’ view of the ADFA affair is similar to that held by Andrew Bolt, whose opinions are so apparently popular that they warrant him getting his own TV show. http://www.domknight.com/bob-ellis-in-the-line-of-fire/ [i]Should we be afraid of big budget lobbying campaigns?, Trevor Cook[/i] big budget political campaigns are most likely to work off the back of bad policies, poorly communicated.There's a lot more to it than deep pockets. http://trevorcook.typepad.com/weblog/2011/04/should-we-be-afraid-of-big-budget-lobbying-campaigns.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+trevorcook+%28Corporate+Engagement%29 [i]Penciling in some remarks, Joshua Gans, Core Economics[/i] Quiggin argues ‘hang on a moment. You can’t make a pencil without having some public infrastructure.’ There’s the trains, the nationalised forests and we could go on. http://economics.com.au/?p=6927&utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+com%2FJUlM+%28CoreEcon%29 [i]Australia - Minister claims OECD data shows necessity for the NBN , 3WAN.Net[/i] These OECD statistics are further evidence that Australia cannot afford to stand idly by with our ageing copper network and sub-standard broadband services," Senator Conroy said. http://sutherla.blogspot.com/2011/04/australia-minister-claims-oecd-data.html [i]Principal Turnbull: Teaching Conroy “Economics 101″, Renai LeMay, Delimeter[/i] under the NBN — who, he said, would likely be utilising their bandwidth to service their smartphones, casual gaming, video calling, online storage and IPTV activities,“presumably all at once to chew up that bandwidth”. http://delimiter.com.au/2011/04/17/principal-turnbull-teaching-conroy-economics-101/ [i]What Happened With The NBN This Week?, Nick Broughall, Gizmodo[/i] The NBN rollout is running about four months behind because the ACCC wanted more points of interconnect than the originally proposed 14. Honestly, this is a good thing, and worth any delays http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2011/04/what-happened-with-the-nbn-this-week-13/#more-448411 [i]Worrying times afer a Bolt from the blue, Mike Beckham, The Spy Report[/i] Could Rinehart's main interest in Ten be its news department, and the ability to dictate the stories that air and the personalities that deliver them: all to push her own interests? http://www.mediaspy.org/report/2011/04/15/comment-worrying-times-after-a-bolt-from-the-blue/ [i]THE AGE HACKING SCANDAL: Fairfax Editor and journalists implicated in illegal database hacking, Braemar Sefton, Vex News[/i] The Age newspaper, its editor Paul Ramadge and potential criminal defendants Royce Millar and Nick McKenzie face gravely serious allegations of illegally hacking the ALP’s computers during the last Victorian state election. http://www.vexnews.com/news/13040/the-age-hacking-scandal-fairfax-editor-and-journalists-implicated-in-illegal-database-hacking/ [i]Nielsen: 56-44 to Coalition,William Bowe, The Poll Bludger[/i] although there must always be the suspicion that such results are contaminated by mischief-making from supporters of the rival party. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2011/04/18/nielsen-56-44-to-coalition/ [b]READING:[/b] [i]Texas supreme court says identities of anonymous bloggers should not be disclosed, Evan Brown, Internet Cases[/i] The court ordered that a subpoena served on Google (who hosted the Blogger accounts in question) be quashed. http://blog.internetcases.com/2011/04/16/subpoena-isp-copyright-chicago-john-doe-anonymous-attorney-blogger/ [i]Barry Everingham bio, Independent Australia[/i] Everingham’s career took him to the ABC, Australian United press, Murdoch’s Australian papers, the News Limited bureaux in Canberra and London.He was a political commentator for Channel 10, Sydney’s Radio 2UE, Melbourne’s 3AW and 3UZ, he was Canberra “stringer” for UPI and the “Hindustan Times” of New Delhi. http://www.independentaustralia.net/about/ia-contributors/barry-everingham-bio/ [i]The poor superpower , Matt Wade, National Times[/i] It is possible to access fast wireless broadband in villages where children are dying of starvation and thanks to the explosive growth of mobiles, more Indians probably have access to phone calls than toilets. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/politics/the-poor-superpower-20110415-1dhja.html [i]Adam Smith, Galileo and the rise of science, Nicholas Gruen, Club Troppo[/i] Smith built his economics around a single human characteristic – our tendency to ‘truck, barter and exchange’. Economics has been built on very simple foundations since that time. http://clubtroppo.com.au/2011/04/17/adam-smith-galileo-and-the-rise-of-science/#more-15403

Feral Skeleton

18/04/2011Ash is right, and appears to be echoing the sentiments I have tried to outline thus far in my last blog. The ALP needs to put the Unions into a box marked '15% Control Only', and they have to start the hard slog of rebuilding their base, because, as Ash Ghebranious alludes to metaphorically, the Unions are weakening the foundations of the ALP. They may have been the foundations upon which the Labor Party was built, but that was then and this is now, and now those foundations are full of wood worm and rotting. It's time for the ALP house to be restumped with new timbers. Can't see it happening though.

thenewjj

18/04/2011Jason, Sure the Coalition wont have the same power that it once had, but that means that the Labor Party wont be able to blame the Coalition if things dont pass through the senate; plus they will look like they are getting closer and closer to the greens as deals will have to be done to get any of the big items passed. I am sure the coalition is, in a way rubbing its hands together, as if they block anything than the government to pass anything has to deal with the extreme greens.

Ad astra reply

18/04/2011LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

D Mick Weir

18/04/2011thenewjj @ April 18. 2011 08:21 AM You make a valid point maybe even two in your comment: [i]'... the Coalition wont have the same power that it once had, but that means that the Labor Party wont be able to blame the Coalition if things dont pass through the senate; ...'[/i] The numbers are such that both the Liberals AND the Greens would have to vote against a bill for it to 'not pass'. Heaven forbid that the Liberals and Greens get into bed together; would Menzies be doing so many rolls in his grave that he would pop out? [i]'... if they block anything than the government to pass anything has to deal with the extreme greens.'[/i] The government will also have to deal with the 'sensible' Greens. Adam Bandt is not in the Senate but I put him up as a sensible Green as, afterall, his girlfriend is (was?) a Labor Party staffer. That shows eminent sense!!!!!!

Feral Skeleton

18/04/2011jj, The Greens are not 'extreme'. Enough Australians trust them with their vote in the Senate, and one Lower House seat, to believe they deserve the Balance of Power in the federal government. Are you honestly trying to say that all those Australian voters are also 'extremists'? It's just a silly meme your are parrotting courtesy of the Parrott and the Conservatives, who wish to make their extreme Right Wing views the political currency of the nation. Hence trying to paint The Greens as 'extreme', as you are doing. You know, saying it doesn't make it so. Which is all you are doing, going down 'The Big Lie' road. Repeat a big lie often enough, and with the utmost conviction, and eventually people will fall for it. It's called brainwashing, and it's something the Shock Jocks are expert at. They've certainly washed all critical judgement out of your mind. You just repeat ad nauseum here everything they spew out in the rest of the media. You come to this blog, with your Gish Gallop and your tried and tested Coalition lines and lies, and think that your overbearing proclamations, backed up with a thin tissue of 'evidence' will convince us to see the light and change our ways and our core beliefs. To, in essence, become greedy, self-interested Coalition supporters who have lost sight of the bigger picture in favour of that greedy self-interest which motivates the 'I Generation'. It's just the same as the 'Me Generation', however it has expanded beyond just a concern with 'Me' to a concern with what 'I' want for my family and anyone and anything else that 'I' think worthwhile. Like the house 'I' want to build, inappropriate as it may be to have an energy inefficient profile which requires ever larger Electricity bills to be incurred to pay for the energy-hungry gew gaws like Air Conditioners and Plasma TVs. 'I' want it, and 'I' want it now! And as cheap as possible! And 'I' want it cheap because 'I' know that Australia has lots of dirty cheap energy-creating Coal sitting under the ground, and so 'I' don't want to be made to pay anymore for it than it is now because 'I' think we should do buggar all or less, like making a massive profit out of it, instead of doing something about the environmental damage that it creates. 'I' think that 'I' will be able to insulate myself and my family from the worst effects of Climate Change anyway, by buying ever bigger Air Conditioners, which 'I' want to only pay that cheap amount of money for the electricity for. Also, if the Murray-Darling River eventually dries up and dies, 'I' don't care, as long as 'I' can still afford Bottled Water and enough water to put in my pool and my spa, and the cost of water doesn't go up too much and effect the cost of my beer and wine, that 'I' drink in the spa with my mates as we fiddle with each other in a drunken stupour while the planet burns. jj, you can keep coming to The Political Sword until the cows come home, though I am increasingly sceptical about your self-ascribed, down-home country NSW roots, your arguments are too slick and obviously out of the Coalition sausage machine for my tastes, however, that aside, 'I', for one, will never be able to be tempted by the sort of innate greed and selfishness you keep peddling here as your argument against everything that a Labor government wants to do for this country, concerned citizen, greedy unconcerned citizen, and non-voting national and global environment all. Because 'I' have always cared about me and mine, and them and theirs, all over this fragile planet. And 'I' am prepared to sacrifice a little bit so that 'We' can share and share alike. It may not make me feel all smug and superior, or give me the feeling that 'I' have the God-given right to scoff, therefore, 'I' just feel better about myself because of it, and 'I' can go to bed at night, maybe a little less comfortable than those who always want to put themselves first above all else. But I can lie straight in that bed.

Ad astra reply

18/04/2011Folks I'm getting on the road now for the south coast. I'll be back this evening.

D Mick Weir

18/04/2011Feral Skeleton @ April 18. 2011 10:03 AM Umm, and I thought I had provked you. Whew, that is certainly some solid rebuttal of the new kid on the block and makes my contribution seem feeble. [i]And, it was ever thus[/i] :)

D Mick Weir

18/04/2011I haven't come across cartoonist Matt Bissett-Johnson before. His take on the 'Dignity of Work' discussion is from my pov 'ouch' http://newmatilda.com/2011/04/18/dignity-work-0

Jason

18/04/2011D M W, thenewjj is no new kid on the block, it's the old jj in drag! Unfortunately for us thenewjj's grasp on the political process is a bit like Abbott's grasp on anything short on substance but long on rehtoric!

Jason

18/04/2011Perhaps Paul Howes could put his carbon tax job dismissals to one side and perhaps wait untill more detail is out, and get his mind back on the job on what will sack his members! "TONY Abbott faces renewed calls from within the Coalition to toughen his workplace relations policy, with an experienced Liberal MP calling for thousands of businesses to be made exempt from the unfair dismissal laws." http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/libs-push-tony-abbott-to-act-on-dismissal-laws/story-fn59niix-1226040604059

Feral Skeleton

18/04/2011DMW, I'm just peed off that smug complacency & naked self-interest has become a marketable political currency. As reflected in the polls. :) Also, that cartoon doesn't cut it for mine. It's just another example of the shallow Left pov, unable or unwilling to wait and see the type of carrot that the government may wish to offer the unemployed in the upcoming Budget. Instead they are the ones too willing to put the boot into Julia Gillard. I hope they're happy when they get the booby prize after the next election, as that's the way it's looking if you believe the polls. What is it they say about the impotence of purity? I can guarantee that Tony Abbott wouldn't be afraid to call a Double Dissolution election over some confected outrage, just to see off The Greens Balance of Power in the Senate, were he to be Prime Minister. Which, I might add, is all he is good at really, confecting outrage. As I have shown previously, he sure ain't good at policy. Though, that's for the minions to develop along his broad theological, er, ideological lines. :)

Ad astra reply

18/04/2011FS What a powerful statement you have made at 10.03. You are so right about the 'I' and the 'Me' generations. Self- centeredness reigns supreme. Gimme, gimme, gimme and to hell with anyone else, and planet for that matter. The prevailing attitude among so many seems to be: fix all the problems Julia, but don't expect me to pay anything for it; don't expect me to make any sacrifice; and while you are at it give me lots of benefits and compensation from the public purse; get those bludgers back to work, and let's keep Australia for us Aussies, not those people that invade in boats. I enjoy your writing so much when you're annoyed and frustrated by some of the comments posted here, and when the polls suggest that Tony Abbott's lies and scare tactics are having an impact, and in fact fostering the selfish attitude that we find so repugnant. We should note Nielsen pollster John Stirton's words that John Howard was in a worse position on TPP, and much worse than PM Gillard on popularity and yet won the next election. No, i'm not yet at the south coast - just sitting in a waiting room while reading your comments.

Ad astra reply

18/04/2011Jason We can be certain that if Tony Abbott were to ever get the keys to The Lodge, we would see a return of the draconian attitude to IR and to a whole lot of social issues - unemployment, disability, asylum seekers, workers and many more. His ideological commitment is unchanged despite his protestations about them being 'dead, buried and cremated'. He believes in the resurrection of any 'dead' ideas that suit his purpose. We should not underestimate his utter ruthlessness to achieve power and his ideological objectives. Anyone who does is either naive or complicit.

Ad astra reply

18/04/2011Thenewjj Regarding Insiders, it's not 'banning' some panelists that is being suggested, but rather inviting only those who are capable of making balanced statements - balanced people.  Bolt and Akerman seem incapable of making balanced statements.  Have you heard either of them make laudatory statements about PM Gillard, or condemnatory statements about Abbott or the Coalition?  Balance in discussion is achieved by engaging balanced people not by engaging the extremes who are incapable of making an evenhanded contribution. You would not have David Marr.  Although he is left-leaning, he makes condemnatory remarks about the Government as well as the Opposition, so is capable of balance.  But I know of no other journalist on Insiders that I regard as left-leaning.  Do you?

D Mick Weir

18/04/2011Jason @ April 18. 2011 10:54 AM suspect you are right, jj doesn't seem to have learnt anything while s/he was away. I used 'new kid on the block' as a bit of a dig at jj :) FS @ April 18. 2011 11:11 AM I sort of got that you were peed with jj and the like and I reckon your response was great. My only reservation/question with the comment is/was [i]'do you think jj would have had the attention span to read and absorb it? After all there were no three word slogans in it!!'[/i] :) re the cartoon: [i]'... shallow Left pov'[/i] not with what you mean by that. I didn't particularly think it was 'right' but it seems to be a fairly widespread pov that JG is 'laying the boot'; therefore a 'valid' comment. As I said above 'ouch'. As I mentioned earlier a couple of people in the social welfare area I have spoken to are fearing the worst and equally others see glimmers of hope. The one I respect the most is reasonably positve and suggests there will be more carrots than sticks. For me I will have to wait ubtil the 10th of May.

Feral Skeleton

18/04/2011DMW, By the cartoon expressing a 'Shallow Left pov', I meant that it reminded me of the Naysayers from the Left who so easily and summarily put the boot into the Gillard government themselves without a basis in fact. I'd be waiting to see what is proposed in the Budget before I drew that cartoon if I were that cartoonist. However, it's so easy to kick the Gillard government now that they are down, isn't it?

D Mick Weir

18/04/2011I am mostly over the debate around the NBN as an issue so I tend to 'breeze over' articles and discussions on the subject. If it doesn't capture me in the first couple of lines/pars I move on quick smart. This paragraph caught my attention: [i]'The struggle over the NBN is reminiscent of the development of the Snowy Mountains Scheme 60 years ago. At a cost of £400 million it represented about 4 per cent of GDP at the time — about the same as the NBN. It was developed by the Chifley Labor government and was vigorously opposed by the Menzies opposition. The government managed to establish the Snowy Mountains Authority only five months before the Menzies government was elected in late 1949, and in that period the government and the Authority went to extraordinary lengths to ensure that the project was irreversible.'[/i] Something I didn't know about; the struggle for the Chiffley govt to get it up and Menzies opposition. My dim, and childhood, memory of the scheme was of Menzies reaping praise for the vision and foresight of the project. [b] [b]Ian McAuley[/b] has posted [/b]The Seven Myths Of The NBN over at New Matilda http://newmatilda.com/2011/04/18/seven-myths-nbn and what an interesting read. McAuley takes through the seven myths he detected in the ABC Four Corners doco from last week and deals with each of them 'forensic skill'. Without being to much of a party-pooper this one really rounded out a good piece: [i]'The final myth is that the NBN represents some atavistic reversion to a Soviet model of central planning. ... The NBN will indeed be owned initially by the government, but in case it has missed some people’s attention, so too is almost all the road network. Like our roads, the NBN provides a platform for entrepreneurship and creativity, most of which will be private sector activity.'[/i] Makes me wonder; how many people/companies out there would invest in buying the whole road network and what would happen to it when it was privatised? Might just ask jj if s/he wants to buy a few roads :)

Feral Skeleton

18/04/2011Ad, Thanks for your reassuring words. :) Yes, it's a very different person who appears once I've had it up to pussy's bow with the rank opportunism of the Opposition, the craven self-interest of Australians, and the condescending smugness laced with incoherant Coalition Talking Points that commenters such as 'jj' espouse without a blush of embarassment here.

macca

18/04/2011What we are seeing at the moment is a Prime Minister and her Govt, with the backing of Independent members of parliament, facing the full and corrupt power of the neo-con philosphy. A philosophy that corrupts absolutely. Whether it be spiritual, ethical, moral and, especially, financial. The corruption is virulent. This fight has never been just about a carbon tax or an NBN. This a contest about the strength of humanity. The essential honesty of the individual. The collective morality and integrity of the tribe. The neo-cons believe that these can be bought with money and material gain. Much like a cheap, gaudy trinket. The left considers those ideals to be intrinsic to the wellbeing of the tribe and not for sale at any price. Do we leave the following generations a cheap cardboard box full off tacky, tarnished trinkets, or, do we leave them a vibrant, healthy,fair and sustainable society and homelands. Only time will tell.

2353

18/04/2011For the sake of my kids I hope its Option 2 macca.

thenewjj

18/04/2011Macca, yes thats it... neo-conservatism is destroying the world!

thenewjj

18/04/2011Ad Astra, The whole point of Insiders is to allow the broad range of opinions that we see spelt out in the political sections of Australia's newspaper to debate the political issues of the day. Now sure there are some who are obviously more biased than others (Bolt and Akerman, David marr and Lenore Taylor), but on the whole the viewer or responder gets to understand the broad range of views of those that are closest to the political action. What you propose is to replace this broad range of opinion with a panel that consists of ALP loving folk all sitting around agreeing with one another that Abbott is a tosser and Julia Gillard is awesome. You just dont seem to get it, this blog, you guys are no more balanced in your opinions than Akerman or Bolt. its just you are on the other end of the political spectrum. FS, Just as you would reject it if i said that you just repeat ALP talking points and lines, i totally reject what you have said about me. It may be news to you, but the ALP has the greatest spin machine of any of the political parties in Australia. Do you remember, 'moving forward' or 'the greens have never aspired to the values of family' or 'i believe the bible is the basis for our language and history' and 'i have always believed in tackling climate change (in response to a question on whether she has always supported an ETS- a nice non response because we all know that she hasnt)'. So give it a break feral!

Jason

18/04/2011thenewjj far be it for us to put words in your mouth but now that you mention it "yes thats it... neo-conservatism is destroying the world!" Who am I to disagree?

D Mick Weir

18/04/2011macca @ April 18. 2011 04:34 PM [i]Do we leave the following generations a cheap cardboard box full off tacky, tarnished trinkets, or, do we leave them a vibrant, healthy,fair and sustainable society and homelands.[/i] Good question, if I only there was a good answer. We have been under the thrall of the neo-cons to varying degrees from as far back as the Fraser govt. (Some suggest that the Whitlam govt. tariff cut was a neo-con move but I will leave that out). While it is hard to argue against the 'improvements' to our lot overall as a country there are certainly greater gaps between the haves and the have nots. It seems to me, and others (see John Quiggin as one http://johnquiggin.com) that our current government while mouthing the platitudes of 'the new Keynesian' are still acting like neo-cons. They 'talk the talk' but are yet to 'walk the walk'. The budget may tell us a different story and (hopefully) we will see some baby steps at least away from the neo-con path.

macca

18/04/2011The GFC, the Bophal poisonings, the Gulf oil spill, the Exxon Valdez, blood diamonds, miners trying to intimidate Aboriginal people in WA, much needed arable land in Qld rendered useless by coalminers and the list goes on. No, the newjj, neo-cons aren't ruining the world. They are corrupting and cheapening the vitality of the human spirit. They offer baubles for your compassion, currency for your ethics, born again religion for your morality. They degrade the human spirit by putting a price on it. They aren't ruining the world they just don't want one that has a soul.

D Mick Weir

18/04/2011thenewjj, @ April 18. 2011 05:06 PM perhaps you may think the near melt down of the worlds financial system was caused by the 'conspiratoral left' but the evidence is otherwise. The neo-conservative philosophy of 'The Market is King' (and is always right) has been proven to be a lie. Try this link: http://clubtroppo.com.au/2011/04/17/adam-smith-galileo-and-the-rise-of-science/ It may just inform you with a basic understanding of economics and show you that the neo-cons twisted and distorted the word of the father of economics, Adam Smith. I challenge you to give this post a good read and come back and tell us all how the noe-cons 'saved the world'. @ April 18. 2011 05:18 PM [i]' ... you guys are no more balanced in your opinions than Akerman or Bolt.[/i] I completely resemble that remark. I could never be accused of speaking against the current government. Oh except for maybe my comment above at April 18. 2011 05:43 PM. I could never be accused of calling into question the policies or ways of doing things; oh except for maybe my comment @ April 16. 2011 06:31 PM. I could never be accused of agreeing with you except maybe my comment @ April 18. 2011 09:53 AM. Ok so I had to correct you a little about how the numbers would work but it was intended in a fatherly and friendly way :) So dear new(?) jj, all is not as black and white (or red and blue) as you paint and not to put to finer point on it: [b]Bugger Off[/b] and don't come back until you have done a little bit of reading and research and you can add something more than the daily opposition talking points. Apologies Ad, just couldn't help myself. And my recaptcha bingo: sufficient asychn

COLEN

18/04/2011DMW or is it DH W. I have never seen or read such a lot of "Japanese Flotilla" in my life. If this blog can be called balanced a "Teeter Totter" would be more balanced. I reckon you guy's should all give your Social Security back to JG before she takes it a way from you or are you all a little Green on the inside and she will pay you off with her 50% of the ETS. I reckon you all need to get out into the real world to find out what's going on. Maybe AC you could write a play or two the really mean something. DON'T LIKE IT TOUGHSKI SHITSKI. I can hear the comments already. Come up with wiell researched arguments etc.etc. With this blog I don't need to you've interpreted it all your own way. CHEERS>

Jason

18/04/2011Colen, I see absence doesn't make the heart grow fonder!As you hate us so much why you bother has me stuffed! the only comment I have is F@CK OFF!

Feral Skeleton

18/04/2011jj, 'Moving Forward' was one of the lamest pieces of political spin for generations. Everyone acknowledges that. It's hardly masterful. Ditto, 'The Greens have never aspired to the values of family'. I cop it full bore in my earhole from one of my besties who is a Greens voter, and the best mum around my way. As for, 'I believe the Bible is the basis for our language and our history', that shocked more people of a Centre Left bent than it inspired. Now, as for 'I have always believed in tackling Climate Change', that is true. Now, to put that statement in context, Julia Gillard has always said that she advised Kevin Rudd to put off the ETS until after the 2010 election so as to hopefully have a more favourable Senate which would not block it like the current one. Politically pragmatic, as opposed to any sort of a misrepresentation of her position wrt acting on Climate Change. Also, I seem to vaguely remember you have accused me of spouting ALP talking points in the past. But, was that 'the new jj', or 'the old jj', and, if the old jj, I guess I'll have to let you off the hook, as we must do with the 'new Julia', surely? To be fair and reasonable. :)

D Mick Weir

18/04/2011Welcome Colen, If only I had some Social Security payments to give back to JG. I am a beneficiary of the Social Security that is offered by this country in that I am able to call on the police if required, I can visit a government provided hospital if I choose. I also travel along the roads that have been provided by governments since whenever. I also drink water sent to me along infrastructure provided by government and I can send my waste water back along infrastucture again provided by government. So yes Colen. I am a proud recipient of government Social Security largesse. And I am proud to say so. As to having a 'real life' well how would anyone here know. We could play a game of my life is more real than yours if you want but what would it prove? I guess the fifty or so people that I employ and the many customers I service don't give me a perspective on what is going on in the world so you are probably right that I [i]need to get out into the real world to find out what's going on.[/i]

lyn

18/04/2011Jason I think JJ is Colen, they both slammed the TPS door months ago, and they are both back together, pretty suspect to me. They won't get an argument at Menzies House, Right Pulse or at Mr Bolt's column, so they want to cause an argument here. Cheers

Jason

18/04/2011DMW, colen is the political sword's comet.It turns up on a yearly basis drops its bile and goes for another 6 to 12 months! never has anything clever to say, just insults!

COLEN

18/04/2011Hi Guy's, Well. well. Jason, I had a bet with myself as to who would be the first to respond and I did not lose it. I just love to stir you up. Get those corpuscles motoring around the body. Be careful we don't want any heart attacks on this watch. I do not hate the left nor do I love the Right. It is the injustices and corruption of systems that rile me. I dislike intensly people that abuse the rights and vulnerablities of others. Rich businessmen abusing their positions and the dole bludgers theirs. I cannot condone what Labour has done with their Philosophies particularly with the waste on building school halls when the decision on how to best spend the BER had nothing to do with education. I have seen money spent on undeserving schools while those that need it got zip. They have left nothing in the bank to get us through the bubble which is just about to burst. We all think we got away with the GFC well we are about to find out, particularly in the Eastern and Southern States. DMW if you think that you are a Social Security beneficiary, you of all people, should know better. You and, I would assume your company, are paying your fair share of taxes. I guess you must be happy to see it wasted. I am also sure you do your little bit of tax planning as well. You would be regarded as a fool not to. But why, if everyone did their bit, there would be no need.

Ad astra reply

18/04/2011thenewjj You say: [i]"You just don't seem to get it, this blog, you guys are no more balanced in your opinions than Akerman or Bolt. its just you are on the other end of the political spectrum."[/i] No, it's you that doesn't seem to get it. Our recent dialogue with you here has been about [i]INSIDERS[/i], which will work as is was intended only if balanced people are engaged - that is those who can express criticism and praise of BOTH parties, not just ONE, those who can show BALANCE. You say [i]"What you propose is to replace this broad range of opinion with a panel that consists of ALP loving folk all sitting around agreeing with one another that Abbott is a tosser and Julia Gillard is awesome."[/i] That is not right, and I defy you to find even one comment here where we asked that the [i]Insiders[/i] panel be solely pro-Labor. We are NOT asking for a pro-Labor panel and NEVER HAVE. We just want fairness and balance. I see you label Lenore Taylor as pro-Labor. I see her as one of the most balanced of all MSM journalists. I have seen her criticise Labor as trenchantly as the Coalition. If all were like her what a good discussion we would have. thenewjj, please get your facts right before accusing us. If you have supporting evidence, please quote it. Otherwise...

COLEN

18/04/2011AA, It bugs the hell out of me that if TA had come up with a policy to cut Social Security benefits this whole blog would be screaming about Right Wing mean mindedness. That is the balnce the new jj is talking about.

Ad astra reply

18/04/2011COLEN Read my last response to thenewjj - it was the question of balance on [i]Insiders[/i] following last Sunday's episode that started the debate about 'balance'. thenewjj now seems to want to broaden the debate, perhaps because the debate about balance on [i]Insiders[/i] is going against him. Now you are indulging in hypotheticals to characterise us. Good try, but we don't buy it.

Feral Skeleton

18/04/2011lyn, jj and Colen are not one and the same person. Their style of writing is very different. One observation I will make though is that I find it so very interesting how, when conservative-minded commenters find themselves here they always comment on how uniform are our beliefs, and they mock us for it. Never realising that they have a very big log in their own eyes. So equally uniform-sounding are they.

Feral Skeleton

18/04/2011Colen, [quote]They have left nothing in the bank to get us through the bubble which is just about to burst. We all think we got away with the GFC well we are about to find out, particularly in the Eastern and Southern States.'[/quote] 1) Howard and Costello shouldn't have spent the proceeds of the Mining Boom then. That was $350 Billion. 2) Howard & Costello shouldn't have left the economy in Structural Deficit. 3) Howard & Costello shouldn't have created the Housing and Investment Bubbles.

lyn

18/04/2011Hi Hillbilly I agree the style of writing is different between, Colen and JJ, but it's just acting, JJ acts a female and Colen acts male.

Feral Skeleton

18/04/2011Colen, Could you please point me to the quote where anyone from the Labor Party has suggested cutting Social Security benefits? As far as I can tell, the Prime Minister has decided to provide more training places and maybe employer-subsidised jobs for the unemployed. Which should see them making more money, not less in the end. As they will have a job. There are already schemes in place, in warehouses and the like, where long term unemployed have been trained with a government-subsidised wage. If and when they work out with the employer they are taken on full-time, and the government subsidy falls away. Yes, Colen, that is all we ask here at TPS, for you to get your facts right and to support your assertions with evidence.

lyn

18/04/2011Hi Hillbilly Yes and generous Howard, should have placed means testing on child care, means testing on Medicare, all Government assistance should be means tested. I would like to know when Julia Gillard said she was cutting any Government assistance,we have people on here arguing over their guesswork and their own imagination. Same old story don't let any facts get in the way, get on the push bike and peddle the lies up hill and down dale. How stupid, if Tony Abbott had off said this, or said that, straight out of Bolt's handbook. Cheers Hillbilly

debbiep

18/04/2011hi all ~ :0 Lyn ~ knew my ears were tingling yesterday @ 2.01PM for a reason. Feral ~ some of your comments today could easily come from my very own thoughts , and feelings. Colen ~ Your reference to the BER I thought the underlying result from it ,( which I also thought WAS its purpose), the building industry would have been in major trouble if it was not implement at the time it was. Everyone knows if the building industry sneezes, we all get a cold. For many aussies that means losing jobs, as the effects from it flow through the whole economy !

Ad astra reply

18/04/2011Folks I've just posted the second in HillbillySkeleton's trilogy: [i]Not quite joined at the hip but in the same ballpark.[/i] Enjoy the debate. http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2011/04/18/Not-quite-joined-at-the-hip-but-in-the-same-ballpark.aspx

Jason

18/04/2011colen, you wish I was about to have a heart attack! sadly for you at 43 I'm still healthy. So Labor wasted money on the BER and you know this because? you saw undeserving schools get money and you know this because? Were Gina and Twiggy right to use their positions to try and stop the mining tax? Who is we on the eastern and southern states about to feel the GFC bubble that is about to burst? So what is it 8 months since we last saw you? and the best you have come up with in that time is is this old tosh, I feel insulted I thought you would give us reason,facts, evidence but no a few talking points from 2GB!

Patricia WA

19/04/2011Macca - whatever the outcome in the short term I trust that Julia Gillard, her government and the Independens will give it their best shot. Whatever the Opposition, News Ltd, the media in general and big business throw at them over the next few months let's hope they can hang in there so that posterity will judge them well. Reformers of the future need to know where and how to start again. Integrity and a good heart always prevail now matter to whom the victory.

2353

19/04/2011Just a reminder folks that the BER (which is ongoing) has a approval rating of better than 95%. That's a huge failure. It has also kept a number of small to medium builders, architects, engineers and related firms in business. That's a huge failure. The stimilus cheques kept the retail sector and their suppliers (wholesalers, transport companies, import clearance agents and so on) in business. That is also a huge failure. The CPRS will create considerable jobs in industries servicing the demand for cleaner energy use. That also will be a huge failure (according to those that would prefer to still be living in the 50's when Bob Menzies looked after everything).
How many umbrellas are there if I have two in my hand but the wind then blows them away?