The pathology of leadership speculation

I use the word ‘pathology’ advisedly, meaning as it does ‘the study and diagnosis of disease’. For a ‘disease’ it is, a disease that afflicts politicians and commentators alike. While curiosity about leadership is understandable and ‘normal’, the contemporaneous obsessive preoccupation with leadership is pathological. In the same way as fear of spiders might be natural, morbid fear of them that governs and controls behaviour abnormally, is pathological.

Some will argue that leadership speculation is natural, that we saw it in the Hawke/Keating contest, and in the Howard/Costello one too, and that today’s speculation is no different. But can any reader document a more intense and persistent period of speculation than we have seen since Julia Gillard became Prime Minister? Some will argue that there are good reasons for that, a subject we shall explore.

Let’s leave aside past speculation, which led to the confrontation between Julia Gillard and Kevin Rudd in February that resulted in a 71/31 vote in her favour, and focus on the pathology of the speculation that has arisen in the last few weeks.

As with all natural phenomena, the factors that contribute to an outcome are complex. Simplistic explanations are almost always incomplete, and have unsatisfactory elucidatory value. So let’s try to tease out when and why this most recent outbreak of speculation occurred.

But let’s first acknowledge that it did not arise de novo. There has been a chronic history of speculation, speculation that was often just under the surface, but which erupted from time to time. Like a chronic abscess, it has festered, showing at times small amounts of ‘discharge’, and then settled, only to later erupt and discharge copious amounts of political pus. As every doctor knows, a deep seated abscess that has not been satisfactorily drained will continue accumulating purulent material, at times showing no external discharge, but from time to time erupting onto the surface as pressure builds to bursting point. This will go on indefinitely until the infected tissue and the infecting organisms are completely removed, sometimes surgically.

The leadership dissent pathogen has been present in the Labor body at least since dissatisfaction with Kevin Rudd began and markedly so from when he was removed and replaced by Julia Gillard. The extent of the pathology became starkly manifest at the time of the February confrontation, when many exasperated ministers made statements about Kevin Rudd for the first time, statements that underscored the extent of their dissatisfaction with his past and present performance, and the degree of the pathology that existed. The outcome was the lancing and evacuation of the abscess and the reaffirmation of Julia Gillard as the leader, the Prime Minister. That ought to have been the end of the matter. The abscess, having been drained, ought to have subsided and healed. But it didn’t. Some determined that they would continue to contaminate the Labor body, to keep infection dormant, but ready to flare up again.

These malcontents, intentionally or inadvertently, fed the rumour mill, into which the Canberra Press Gallery taps for its tidbits: the whispers, the scuttlebutt, the gossip. And always eager to seize upon any morsel that might make a story, they hover around the corridors ever hopeful of a scoop. They could of course ignore these tidbits, but the temptation is too great. They tick all the boxes: entertaining, sensational, loaded with conflict, involving people in high places, capable of inflicting damage, and for some columnists, if the damage is to Labor and the PM, so much the better.

When leadership speculation is categorized as ‘a media beat-up’, the faces of some journalists become suffused with anger and denial, insisting as they always do that their stories are based on actual happenings. How authentic these are is questionable; one gets the impression of a willingness by some journalists to make a highly speculative mountain out of a very tentative molehill.

Still there are some shadowy Labor figures that lurk in the corridors dropping hints and innuendo that journalists seize upon, and enlarge into ‘a federal case’. Who are they?

We don’t know because their identity is protected by their contacts. But on Q&A last week we saw one: Joel Fitzgibbon. This round of speculation seemed to flare up then. The chronic abscess began to discharge again.

We were astonished to see Joel so comprehensively ambushed by Tony Jones. Joel, you must have known that as Government minister and Whip, you were bound to be confronted by a question about leadership, and a Tony Jones attempt at a gotcha. He has an obsession with these and with ‘will you confirm’ or ‘will you deny’, and ‘will you guarantee’ questions. A brief work shopping of possible questions and your answers would soon have equipped you to give a non-controversial answer. Instead you were caught flat-footed and answered in a way that fed the media for the next week. Asked if you could guarantee that Julia Gillard would be in place at the next election, all you had to say was ‘Yes’ – no ifs or buts or qualifications or caveats. But as soon as you added those caveats, Jones jumped, and so did all the anti-Gillard columnists listening in. Michelle Grattan must have leapt for joy. Your equivocation, and your unnecessary reference to the Newcastle Knights, was manner from heaven for the anti-Gillard group. What we don’t know is whether your performance on Q&A, replete with your enigmatic smile, was intended to damage your leader, or was just an exhibition of your ineptitude. Nor do we know whether your appearance the next day on several TV and radio programs was an inept attempt to repair the damage, or to accentuate it. We do wish you would declare your hand, and if you are working behind the scenes to erode our PM’s stature, that you would come out and say so. We can’t work out where you do stand. And if you are against your leader, why do you continue as her numbers man. How do you think being anti-Gillard will advance Labor’s cause?

Let’s leave conjecture about Fitzgibbon aside and acknowledge that from the moment he uttered his words on Q&A the floodgates opened. The 11 pm news carried the item and it was a feature of the news for the next day, and beyond. It fuelled countless stories about Julia Gillard’s leadership, on radio, TV and in the press. Michelle Grattan was ecstatic; it gave her many column inches for several days. The whole leadership issue was tediously dissected and analysed. Every morsel of ‘confirmatory’ evidence of a threat to her leadership was blown up to spectacular proportions. New deadlines were set for her to reach a performance target.

And what was the target? That she pass this piece of legislation or that? That she reach an acceptable position on the asylum seeker issue; that she successfully rebut the spurious Abbott anti-carbon tax scaremongering; that she demonstrate the strength of the economy; that she protect jobs in manufacturing; that she perform well on the international stage? No, no, no, no, no, no – it was none of these ‘inconsequential’ tasks. What she was to be judged on was whether she could raise Labor’s primary vote to a specified level by a specified date!!! But the specifications varied! Can you believe it? Her detractors insisted that she raise the primary vote, not at the next election, or even in a by-election, but in the opinion polls!!! Opinion polls that this far from the next scheduled election have no predictive value. Can you believe it? Unfortunately we must.

Politicians and columnists have become pathologically obsessed with opinion polls of voting intention and focus groups. This is another pathogen that infects the chronic leadership speculation abscess.

And they are no ordinary politicians and columnists. Steve Bracks has joined the throng navel-gazing at the polls. So has the usually balanced Mike Carlton. Even the highly respected Laura Tingle seems inclined this way. All their dire prognostications are built on unreliable and non-predictive opinion polls of voting intention. How could they allow themselves to be so conned by the pollsters, who incidentally give much less credence to their polls than do the owners of the polls who use them as fodder for countless columns and predictive pieces. Imagine how much harder journalists would have to work without opinion polls. Leadership speculation would be muted without the data polls provide, and prediction of electoral outcomes would be sterile. Polls and focus groups are the lifeblood of political commentary. While it is understandable that this is so for political journalists, why is it so for the politicians themselves? How have they fallen for this grotesque confidence trick?

We can be thankful that we have Ross Gittins and Peter Martin still prepared to state things the way they are, untainted by poll gazing. We are grateful that sensible commentators like Andrew Catsaras remind us about the reality of polls and focus groups. In a piece in The Drum Opinion Take me to your follower: into the leadership void on 19 July, he says: “A major contributor to this problem [of leadership] is the gradual adoption of techniques by the profession of politics that were developed for the profession of marketing.

“Most responsible is the distorted application of two traditional marketing techniques: market research and public relations.

“From market research, politics has adopted one form of qualitative research, the much-vaunted focus group; from quantitative research, it has adopted opinion polls; while from public relations, it has adopted the most cynical component, spin.

“The political world has become addicted to these techniques without appearing to fully understand their uses, thereby contributing to this leadership demise.”


Later he says: “A poll-driven politician is hostage to public opinion, but unlike the marketer who becomes successful by following a market, a poll-driven politician lurches from fad to fad, crisis to crisis, media topic to media topic, talkback radio whim to talkback radio whim, without any clear understanding of what they are trying to achieve.”

And commentators do the same.

His article is worth a read from beginning to end.

Let’s recapitulate. We have both politicians and commentators building much of their edifice about politics and leadership on a pack of cards called opinion polls and focus groups, cards that could come tumbling down in the face of real data – actual election results.

And it’s even more sinister than that. Because of the publicity each opinion poll receives on radio, TV and in the press, each feeds into and contaminates the next. As we have at least one highly publicized poll every week, the cross contamination is gross. Can you imagine what might be the outcome if we suspended polls for six months to give respondents enough time to forget the last ones? Maybe the results would look quite different to what they do now. But we know that will never happen – the polls are too lucrative to the poll owners, too ready a source of column inches for journalists, and with them being poor for Labor at present, too good a resource for media owners, especially News Limited, to damage PM Gillard and her Government.

Returning to the chronic abscess analogy, journalists know that if they poke around a bit they can always get the leadership speculation abscess to discharge a bit more purulent material. Older folk will remember how long one could squeeze a bit more pus from a boil. This is what they do, especially when there is a slow news week, as there has been recently during the long Winter break and with Tony Abbott overseas. Leadership speculation can always help a news-starved journalist to meet a deadline. I have no doubt that even without the malcontents dropping cues for the journos to pick up, they can always extract a quote or two that enables them to fill a column. The process becomes self-perpetuating, chronic and, like most abscesses, toxic to the Labor organism. Yet, despite the cues they gather, journalists flounder trying to interpret leadership rumblings, as we saw this morning on the ABC’s Insiders, where desultory and inconclusive conversation filled much of the program. If you think I’m exaggerating, listen to the waffle we heard from our ‘insiders’ in this segment from Insiders.

Apart from these obvious reasons for poking the leadership abscess, in my view some journalists do so for other reasons. Some are working to a subtle editorial imperative to ‘get Julia Gillard and bring down her Government’, and can’t afford to miss an opportunity to do that. Patriciawa postulates there is also a fear factor, fear about losing their job in this uncertain media climate unless they toe the editorial line, fear that they will miss another leadership coup, as they did when Rudd was deposed, and fear that like the Carr appointment, they will miss something else of moment. After all, they are supposed to be the all-knowing insiders.

Leadership speculation is pathological. The journalist ‘doctors’ haven’t got a clue about the nature and extent of the pathology, or what can be done about it. All they know is how to exploit it to the advantage of their outlets, and for most, that is all they want.

It’s time we ignored all the talk we hear from the media about leadership, uninformed and puerile as it too often is. It is a waste of consumers’ time and energy.

For my part, I wish the chronic abscess of leadership speculation could be properly drained, dead tissue excised, contaminating organisms eliminated, and the cavity allowed to repair from the bottom, by second intention, as medical parlance would have it. Healing will almost always follow.


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2353

22/07/2012Oooh - I'm first! I agree wholeheartedly with your bolded comments AA - however the media is probably not as generous. I suspect there are two issues from the ALP's point of view. First - as Rudd was removed in somewhat unusual circumstances, all those who were around at the time probably have the occasional "I wonder if things would have been better if we didn't do it". Apart from the typical problems with unscrambling an egg - Gillard seems to much more inclusive that Rudd and I wonder (not being a member of a political party) if the Independents would have come to the same decision in 2010 assuming Rudd was the ALP leader and the election result was the same. Second - while the LNP claims to be "a broad church" where "people can speak their mind", Lyn & I recently linked to a Brisbane Times story where the LNP Queensland Executive sent an email to all members telling them to not comment to the media about "internal" issues. On top of that - an ex-Howard minister Gary Hardgrave was kicked out of the party for allegedly criticising the LNP on his 4BC talkback show (where one would suggest at least a modicum of "balance" would be a requirement so the station doesn't get into trouble with ACMA). Now unlike the LNP, there seems to be little if any "danger" for an ALP member to comment publicly on "internal" ALP matters. Regardless of the relative freedom that gives members (and it is a far more democratic meted of operation), it can be used to "demonstrate" dissatisfaction with the ALP leadership. GIven that the media in general are intensely navel gazing at the operations of the ALP (as it absolves them from reporting real news such as the Levison enquiry, the real story about Craig Thomson or Peter Slipper and so on), this apparent democratic ability to say what they "really" think gives the impression of a crisis of confidence in the ALP's parliamentary leadership - which sells a few more papers, creates a story for a few days and in some cases assists the publisher's public desire for a change of government.

2353

22/07/2012Here's the edits: 2nd para, line 3 - better if we didn't do it" moments. 4th para, line 3 - democratic methods of operation. I'm blaming the latest Mac Operating System that has the same annoying self correcting thing as iPhones etc. And I can't find out how to turn it off.

DoodlePoodle

22/07/2012AA Another interesting and well thought out article. We are in awe of the way you can expand any topic so logically and methodically. Pity the journalists who are paid to write couldn't do the same. Do you think that the general reading public fall for all of these leadership stories or is it like The Boy Who Called Wolf!! I think most people just switch off. It seems that -Empty vessels make most noise.

Eddie.

22/07/2012I'm thinking on the same lines too. "Patriciawa postulates there is also a fear factor, fear about losing their job in this uncertain media climate unless they toe the editorial line,"

archiearchive

22/07/2012Thank you. It needed to be said and the not-so-innocent cause of the boil needs to be ruddmoved!

Ad astra

22/07/20122353 You are very quick off the mark. I too have the same trouble with my Macs correcting words to what they thought I meant! It is a dilemma for political parties to decide how much ‘liberty’ to speak is given to individuals. Labor seems more ‘liberal’ but is considered undisciplined compared with the Coalition. Malcolm Turnbull seems to be the most outspoken in the Coalition frontbench, but gets himself into hot water with his colleagues. This I suspect is why he is so unpopular. While I’m in favour of party members being able to speak out, I wish some of them showed more discipline, and more loyalty.

Ad astra

22/07/2012DoodlePoodle Thank you for your very complimentary remarks. Like you, I hope that the majority of the electorate turn off when they hear more idle leadership speculation, but I fear for some it may just reinforce their existing prejudices. Eddie From the way some previously balanced writers have moved to the anti-Gillard camp, I suspect fear of not pleasing their masters, or even future employers, may be a factor in these uncertain times for journalists. archivearchie That a nice turn of phrase!

Truth Seeker

22/07/2012Aa, another clear and concise article, breaking down the relevant aspects of the leadership speculation circus. It is an easy and convenient pot to stir on a slow news week, and does not require any great journalistic prowess to formulate the conspiracy. On the other side of the political fence, it would be very interesting to be a fly on the wall for some of the "Private" discussions in regards to the LNP leadership, as I would be willing to bet that there are many in the party that are less than satisfied with the 'say and do anything, to win at all costs' mind set of the current (and I use the term loosely) "leadership" team. Also I think that the "Broad Church" referred to by the LNP, is the same "Broad Church" that George Pell belongs to. The one that closes ranks around the less than wholesome or righteous actions of some of their clergy, as opposed to the religious church.

TalkTurkey

22/07/2012http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jQ7SVMVrick Oh, better far to live and die Under the Workers' flag we fly, Than play a disingenuous part, With a RightWing head ~ and a Poo-Green heart! Away with the privileged world you know, Where well heeled Greens and Liberals go; But I’ll be true to our Party bold For Labor folk are never too old! We won a Labor win! We did! Hooray for our Labor win! For it is is, it is a glorious thing To win a Labor win! For ~ We won a Labor win! We did! Hooray for our Labor win, Hooray for our Labor win!

Ad astra

22/07/2012Truth Seeker Thank you for your kind remarks. I too would love to know what the Libs are saying about Tony Abbott. But I suspect they keep their mouths shut in public while they are enjoying the polls, even although some may be aghast at his behaviour. TT How appropriate that you should honour the sound Labor win in the Melbourne by-election. Much of the commentary focussed on what the Greens have accomplished, but they didn’t win! What a great memory of The Pirates of Penzance, one of the many Gilbert and Sullivan pieces we staged at school. Hoorah for our Pirate King!

Ad astra

22/07/2012Folks It's getting late. Time to call it a day.

Trevor

22/07/2012Another point worth mentioning is that before Kevin Rudd was replaced, a common criticism of him by the press is that he was "poll driven". This was used to paint him as shallow. Now we have media who breathlessly wait every newspoll or any other poll they can extrapolate into a govt in crisis story. Notwithstanding an election is not due for quite some time. I saw Pyne on the ABC news tonight prattling on about the Vic state election result, "if this swing is carried across the country Labour will lose nn seats". Why do they report this nonsense and give Pyne a free kick without being questioned? He was not even asked why the coalition did not run a candidate so weren't in the contest but he is first out of the blocks with commentary.

TalkTurkey

23/07/2012 In direct response to my needling the ABC (but not having a go at he who provided this info you understand) I'm advised by one who watches the Media to "Ask gaven Morris, head of @abcnews24 about why so much IPA." Erm [b]GAVEN, WHY SO MUCH IPA ON ABC?[/b]

janice

23/07/2012Good morning all. Excellent article, Ad astra. You are spot on using the word "pathology" with respect to leadership speculation. I am in full agreement with all you have written. I listened to Sunday Night Profile (radio) last night on Chris Bowen. Of course the leadership issue came up and Chris explained he supported Rudd in the ballot although he found it a very difficult choice because he was choosing between two excellent leaders. He was happy with the verdict of caucus and felt that the matter was settled and expected the party would unite behind a very capable and inclusive Prime Minister. He does not believe there will be a change of leader between now and the election. No doubt I am not the only one who has noticed that the media have ceased naming Chris Bowen as part of the destabilisers pushing for leadership change. They obviously found that a dead end road so have moved on to Fitzgibbon (the NSW Right faction) and the Unions as they desperately try to inject the pathogens into the old abscess wound.

Lyn

23/07/2012 TODAY’S LINKS The Latest BISONs - 21 July 2012, The Finnigans Australia's economy is now 10% bigger post GFC1 http://thefinnigans.blogspot.com.au/ Melbourne: Go Greens, Gary Sauer-Thompson, Public Opinion The end of Gillard Labor is written into the basic structure of the world is the Gallery's basic narrative, and every event that happens is fitted into this frame as they act to fan the flames. So what happens if the ALP narrowly wins the Melbourne by-election? http://www.sauer-thompson.com/archives/opinion/2012/07/melbourne-go-gr.php Canberra Times silently cuts its book pages, Independent Australia Now, here is the rub. We know about the outsourcing because the ABC and The Australian have told us. There has been no mention in the CT, none whatsoever. Not surprisingly, when people found out they wrote letters to the editor – I am personally aware of at least http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/art/literature/canberra-times-silently-cuts-its-book-pages/ #77 Hate and “crap” galore on Fox News Channelled down under, Uthers Say PVO who finds it as difficult to miss an opportunity to be hateful towards the Australian Prime Minister as he does to be petty takes another swipe at Julia Gillard claiming sarcastically that the selling the carbon tax in Queensland is a roaring success. (A course if she owned a multinational media conglomerate, and controlled every significant newspaper in Queensland, and had a Friday afternoon debating society cheering for her, http://utherssay.com/2012/07/21/77-hate-and-crap-galore-on-fox-news-channelled-down-under/ Budget Defence Cuts Are Catastrophic!, Archie, Archie Archives On his recent trip to the allegedly United States of America, our Leader (of the Opposition) apologised.For the defence cuts in our country’s budget for this year for which he had embarrassingly voted. Mr Abbott was speaking at conservative think tank, the Heritage Foundation. http://archiearchive.wordpress.com/2012/07/22/budget-defence-cuts-are-so-bad/ Graphical Manipulations #1: The Connoisseur Meets A Baby & Talks to Americans, Deknarf, The Australian Blog Sometimes you just can’t help yourself, and these are the results! http://deknarf.wordpress.com/2012/07/22/graphical-manipulations-1-the-connoisseur-meets-a-baby-talks-to-americans/ ABC (Australia): Stop the bias towards the Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) The ABC Has Gone To Hell Additional to the IPA's presence on The Drum television show, there is The Drum online where the Institute's Chris Berg churns out pieces on a weekly basis. Fellow stable mates Tim Wilson and James Paterson are published too. Independent Australia's Managing Editor, http://www.change.org/en-AU/petitions/abc-australia-stop-the-bias-towards-the-institute-of-public-affairs-ipa ALP claims victory in Melbourne, is it time to make nice with the Greens? ,Geoffrey Robinson, The Conversation But it is never clear from Greens spokespeople exactly what the long-term vision of the party is: is it to keep Labor honest or is it to supplant Labor on the political left? The Greens evade this choice using foggy rhetoric that emphasises voting Green as an expression of personal values and commitment: “This time I’m voting Green”. http://theconversation.edu.au/alp-claims-victory-in-melbourne-is-it-time-to-make-nice-with-the-greens-8373 DEFENCE SPENDING, Nic Stuart Tony Abbott relished the opportunity the question provided. “As a result of defence cuts in the recent budget”, he insisted, “Australia’s defence spending as a percentage of gross domestic product is now at the lowest level since - wait for it - 1938. So that is quite a concern.” High, high above, a pig soared gracefully in the Washington air. It prepared to loop-the-loop above the Heritage Foundation. http://nicstuart.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/defence-spending.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed:+NicStuart+(Nic+Stuart) Lost cause? The Convergence Review model for news media self-regulation,Mark Pearson, Journlaw Their News Media Council, proposed in their report of February 28, 2012, would take over from the existing Australian Press Council and Australian Communications and Media Authority with a streamlined news media ethics complaints system with teeth. Refusal to obey an order to correct or apologise could see a media outlet dealt with for co http://journlaw.com/2012/07/22/lost-cause-the-convergence-review-model-for-news-media-self-regulation/ China world leaders in alternative energy, yet Tony thinks Australia is “going it alone”, Turn Left 2013 How often have we heard from Tony Abbott that Australia should not, and must not take action to reduce pollution because “Australia would be going it alone”. http://turnleft2013.wordpress.com/2012/07/20/china-world-leaders-in-alternative-energy-yet-tony-thinks-australia-is-going-it-alone/ Standing up for Julia Gillard, Miglo, Café Whispers The cost for standing up for Julia Gillard? Sustained vicious, malicious, abusive, denigrating and threatening public attacks from the nastiest dregs in our society. They attack and threaten personally on blogs, Twitter or Facebook. http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2012/07/21/standing-up-for-julia-gillard/ Choosing the only option, Victoria Rollinson So far the only innovation that the mainstream media have come up with to protect their profits, and their journalists’ jobs, is the pay-wall, which is yet to be a proven business model. I still think that there are more options available apart from the pay-wall, such as more strategic advertising models http://victoriarollison.com/2012/07/22/choosing-the-only-option/ Unions needed to discuss Rudd return: ACTU, Australian Financial Review Leading union officials last week discussed the possibility of Mr Rudd reclaiming the top job with Transport Workers Union boss Tony Sheldon reportedly threatening to withdraw campaign funds if that eventuated. http://afr.com/p/national/politics/unions_very_firm_in_support_of_pm_Z7TTDOCbpsGGJgizpFL03M The Return of Rudd?, Robert Mann, The Monthly None the less the political situation facing caucus members is straightforward. With Julia Gillard as Prime Minister Labor will almost certainly be crushed at the next election. With Rudd, the party has, at least, a reasonable chance of minimising the electoral wreckage and even a remote chance of victory. Before parliament resumes in August, members of the Labor caucus have in essence to http://www.themonthly.com.au/blog-return-rudd-robert-manne-5779 Night Time Violence- Blame Alan Jones, Mamaenima Alan Jones, perhaps the most prominent of Australia's right-wing shock jocks, claims enormous influence despite his tiny audience; and one of the things he is influencing is a culture of violence. This is the man who helped incite the Cronulla riots with his endorsement of "Leb and Wog bashing day", http://www.mamaenima.com/2012/07/night-time-violence-blame-alan-jones.html Jonathan Green‏ Opinionista: Mr Denmore If you missed rnsundayextra this morning, herewith a batch of downloadable goodness. http://bit.ly/AAx1pA Phoney Tony! The No No Man!, Patricia wa, Polliepomes Will we hear from Tony Abbott from overseas about how this latest arrival with at least two children on board should should have been turned around and sent back to Indonesia? Will he decide at last to work with Angus Houston’s expert group http://polliepomes.wordpress.com/ Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 23 July 2012 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

Ad astra

23/07/2012LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

Ad astra

23/07/2012Trevor Christopher Pyne will prattle on about almost anything, and commenting on polls are grist to his mill. But his analysis of the Melbourne by-election is superficial. I’ll wait for the opinion of the experts, such as Anthony Green. As you say, Kevin Rudd was poll driven and look where that landed him. Fortunately Julia Gillard is not. janice Thank you for your kind remarks. It was reassuring to read that Chris Bowen may no longer be among the destabilisers of the Gillard leadership, since he was one who came out in defence of Joel Fitzgibbon’s remarks on [i]Q&A[/i]. Labour can do without any destabilisation at all.

janice

23/07/2012Ad astra, Chris Bowen was interesting to listen to and he came across as frank and honest. He did mention Fitzgibbon's QandA appearance but I can't remember exactly what he said except that he thought Joel was expressing a general view and not merely firing bullets. Chris also explained why he is still saddled with the difficult Immigration portfolio - said he always saw himself anywhere but, but the PM asked him to take it on because she said it was the government's most difficult and also a most important area for the government. I recommend you read the transcript when it appears.

2353

23/07/2012More lies from Newman. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/booklet-proves-states-not-a-basket-case-20120722-22hyg.html

jaycee

23/07/2012Of course the pathology of leadership debate will continue to infectwhen such small intellects as inhabit the ABC. will "maintain the pain" of Abbotts loss! The negative side of the nation is in good hands whenever Tony leaves town because of the stooges in command of the national broadcaster...He only has to say ; "crawl!" and they ask ; "How low?". While operatives like Gavern Morris and Mark Scott sit in the directors' chairs at OUR ABC.,they can get their "yes-men" to say and do as they direct. Slogan#1..."The ABC.journo's;..What a bunch of crawlers".

42 long

23/07/2012A few sayings that may have had/can have relevence. Howard era. "be Alert but not Alarmed." Abbott " Be Alarmed but not Informed" Greens.." Be NICE but always Naieve". Isn't it curious that Quilpie (in QLD) want money for their Dinosaur museum (Which I would support) while the National conference of the LNP want to take us back to the "dark ages" ,by not allowing evolution to be taught in schools, wanting "intelligent design" to be treated as a SCIENCE, ( which it could never be) and banning the teaching of Human effect on global warming. Someone has been out in the sun for too long.

Tom of Melbourne

23/07/2012[i]”Kevin Rudd was poll driven and look where that landed him. Fortunately Julia Gillard is not.”[/i] Yeah! What’s the use of Rudd? • Won an election convincingly. • Had the ALP 52-48 2PP at the time he was knifed. • Remains preferred leader by the electorate, over any other politician, of any political party, despite having about nil public profile for 6 months. Whereas Gillard- • Achieved the worst result of a first term PM in living memory. • Has the ALP so on the nose that a state by-election is regarded as a test of her leadership. • Only just scrape into a 30% primary vote. • Has repeatedly broken her word to the electorate and to other MPs • Relies on dubious political deals to retain her leadership. Yes, the comparison is interesting.

John H

23/07/2012Excellent article. Keep it up!

LadyInRed

23/07/2012Hi All I thought I would add this link on QLD. Seems Newman tells the Queenslander the statea finances are a 'basketcase' while sending a booklet around the world teling investers we are a strong economic situation with a far lower level of general government debt relative to operating revenue compared with its international peers. It's quite a deception. Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/booklet-proves-states-not-a-basket-case-20120722-22hyg.html#ixzz21OrrjzwX

Lyn

23/07/2012Good Morning Ad & Everybody Twitterverse for you: Mark ‏ Whatever U do today....DON'T miss this brilliant analysis of our miserable/suicidal media here: http://bit.ly/PCA9pO #auspol #BBill The geniuses at Fairfax are writing their own obituaries, and ours. It’s gloom and doom all the way down to the bottom of the cesspit. Governance is f**ked. Policy is an afterthought. Investment..? meh!. Nothing is as it seems. We may as well all just cut our throats and get it over with.They probably think they sound tough with all this whingeing. I think they sound like bloody fools, and wrong-headed, near traitorous ones at that. http://blogs.crikey.com.au/pollbludger/2012/07/21/seat-of-the-week-reid/comment-page-29/#comment-1351096 Stephen Koukoulas‏ The 2012-13 budget surplus seems assured - economy at least at strong as Budget time: My hunch is surplus will be double projection Possum Comitatus‏ BernardKeane: Congratulations to Access Economics - calling the end of the mining boom for a fantastic 8th straight "@Pollytics: Pretty funny - @MrDenmore Roberto Colanzi‏ ore highlighting Access Economics perpetual call on the mining boom <pic> http://yfrog.com/gyryktp" #asx TAWNBPM‏ " Deloitte Access Economics is Australia's leading private-sector budget forecaster, set up by former Treasury... http://fb.me/HqZbgOfN Paul Wiggins‏ : Liberal Mayor bows to demands to quit over fraud claims http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/mayor-bows-to-demands-to-quit-over-fraud-claims-20120722-22ibf.html via @smh #HillsShire #NSWgov walabytrack‏ Greens won't concede election defeat | http://smh.com.au - http://m.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/greens-wont-concede-election-defeat-20120722-22hty.html Jeremy de Korte‏ Solely solar: Victoria could get all its electricity from sun http://www.theage.com.au/environment/solely-solar-victoria-could-get-all-its-electricity-from-sun-20120722-22ib2.html via @theage It's a nice idea, but... #carbontax #AUSpol The West Australian‏@thewest_com_au Power company says electricity prices don't have to rise. http://yhoo.it/NMRdJQ #perthnews ManO'Steel(town)‏ Adam Bandt, acting #Greens leadr, sits in federal parliament thanks to Liberal Party preferences. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/same-old-political-garbage-20120722-22i1f.html #auspol #Melbourne Mike Stuchbery‏ Gemma Jones, Australia's Worst Journalist, does it again. - http://goo.gl/wE7uX #auspol TheFinnigans Gillard still queen of the jungle Phillip Coorey - http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/gillard-still-queen-of-the-jungle-20120722-22i6l.html - #MSMhack talks sense for a change - who would have thunk that Policing News AU‏@PoliceAU Carbon tax fingered in power plant closure - @NineMSN : http://tinyurl.com/7299hd5 TAWNBPM‏ (B1) Abbott, why did you lie? "As the weeks roll on after Doomsday (1 July 2012), the carbon price scheme is... http://fb.me/1dKIvoF8J Labor calms tremors over 'seismic shift' to the Greens http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/labor-calms-tremors-over-seismic-shift-to-the-greens-20120722-22i9q.html#ixzz21OrgJpwo Relief for Gillard as Labor claims byelection win http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/relief-for-gillard-as-labor-claims-byelection-win-20120722-22icu.html#ixzz21Os2l9TF :):):)

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23/07/2012John H Thank you. LadyinRed This is standard conservative practice. Extol Australia’s economy to overseas audiences to attract investment, but talk it down at home to scare the electorate and demean the Government. Abbott and Hockey have been doing this for some time and now Newman. They all sing from the same song sheet.

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23/07/2012jaycee The ABC claims to be balanced, but many see its news service as being an echo of News Limited. A study by Joshua Gans and Andrew Leigh: [i] How Partisan is the Press? Multiple Measures of Media Slant[/i] covering the period 1996 to 2007, the time the Coalition was in power, found that “[i]… the only media outlet that is significantly slanted is the ABC Channel 2 television station, which is significantly pro-Coalition during the period in question.[/i] If they repeated the study now, I suspect this finding would show even more Coalition bias. http://andrewleigh.org/pdf/MediaSlant.pdf 42 long I like your slogans. What the Qld NLP is proposing is straight out of the evangelical Christian songbook, and the Tea Party’s manifesto. It is alarming that such antediluvian thinking is being imported to this country.

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23/07/2012Hi Lyn Your links were interesting again and the BISONS fascinating reading. It seems we have parallel universes: one where all the data points to prosperity; the other where doom and gloom dominate, the latter perpetuated by the Coalition and the rent-seekers. We know which one is right – how come the doomsayers get the media coverage? I think we know the answer. Your Twitterverse has some noteworthy items. BB’s comment about the merchants of gloom is great reading. What possesses these doomsayers? Are they depressed? The item by Phil Coorey confirms what this piece is saying – leadership speculation is a pathological affliction of most political commentators. He turns an article about the Melbourne State by-election into yet another comment on Julia Gillard’s leadership. Despite the happy photo of Julia, and the title of the piece, despite his attempt to keep the leadership turmoil bubbling along, he reluctantly draws the conclusion: [i]”…the more you look at the mechanics of what is required this time to change leaders, there is an outside chance Labor will go to the next poll under Gillard.[/i] Can you believe this? An outside chance! Having given several paragraphs over to arguing that a Rudd comeback would be almost inconceivable, he concludes that Julia has an outside chance to lead Labor to the next election. Phil, like many others, is in a state of confusion about leadership speculation. It is getting to him. He needs a break. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/gillard-still-queen-of-the-jungle-20120722-22i6l.html#ixzz21P48CyAB Poor Michelle, no doubt wishing fervently for a Greens victory so that she could abrade Julia Gillard again, finds herself deprived of this ammunition. But never inclined to let go of this issue, she says: [i]”Julia Gillard has avoided a landmine, but knows the road ahead will be strewn with many others. The Rudd camp is looking to the opinion polls between now and Parliament's resumption, measured against the claim July 1 would be a ''game changer''. “Dangerously for the PM, some things will come out of the blue, like the leaking of last week's leadership discussion at the meeting of unions. There will be plenty of plants with a slant.”[/i] Michelle’s prayer: “Dear God, please give me more landmines, more things out of the blue, more ‘plants with a slant’, that I can use to grind down that awful Julia Gillard – my reputation as a senior political writer is on the line if she’s still around next October”. Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/after-melbourne-pm-lives-to-keep-on-struggling-20120722-22iaz.html#ixzz21P5VcLwl

Megpie71

23/07/2012I suspect the not-so-secret origin of a lot of the chronic speculation about Julia Gillard's leadership is basically thinly-veiled misogyny. There appear to be a lot of people out there in commentator-land who don't think Julia Gillard should be Prime Minister of Australia simply because she's female. (I'd put our honoured leader of the Opposition into this category; he appears to believe a dick is such a vital Prime-Ministerial quality that he's showing us his qualifications for the job by being one on a continual basis). The ALP has always been the party which supplies a lot of "leadership spill" rumours. I suspect this is mainly down to its factional nature. If the PM is, for example, a member of the Right faction, then there's bound to be people on the Left who are going to say their bloke could have done it better. This is pretty much human nature, and it's something to be expected. Where I think the current spill-itis is coming from is that instead of discarding these comments as "factional whinging" (as has more than likely happened previously), various journalists for various reasons (including thinly-veiled misogyny either on their own behalf, or on behalf of their outlet's editorial policy) are choosing to write them up as stories for publication. End result, Julia Gillard looks like a "shaky" leader in the press and the myth of her "shaky" leadership status grows and grows. Whether or not this is going to become a self-fulfilling prophecy remains to be seen. Oh, and one small comment about polls - unless you know which questions are being asked in the first place, it's hard to figure out whether the results being given are accurate and able to be generalised. Without being able to see the range of available answers, it's even harder. I'd also want to know the sample size, the types of sampling used, the methodology involved, and so on before I was willing to give credence to the results of the various polls out there.

jaycee

23/07/2012Now look!...I told you blokes to watch out for this ToM cat!...Gosh!..I placed him in your hands and you take your eyes off him for a minute, and there he goes, wandering all over the forums, coming back to the only "safe-house" he knows, all scrappy and smelling of spoor!...I'm telling yer,; it's no good giving him a free feed without slipping some bromide in his tucker!...if we are going to have a pet, you've gotta look after it.

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23/07/2012Megpie71 There is a lot of truth in what you say. Misogyny lives on in many places, even although denied. You are right about the polls. Even the answers to the subsidiary questions are governed by responses on voting intention. No one has got onto this, perhaps because it might expose the flakiness of much polling.

2353

23/07/2012jaycee - thank you for not rteporting us to the RSPCA. How about we give ourselves a good uppercut after speaking severely to ourselves.\?

jaycee

23/07/2012All this chatter about "leadership" is just silly chatter by idle fools in the MSM. who should know better. There was about 2000, people killed last month in the war in Syria, that sad man killed all those movie goers in Aurora, USA. and we've had more than a few shootings, stabbings and attacks here in Aussie just to keep the pot boiling and all the wanking MSM can focus upon is some idle rumours on "leadership" !!..I ask you..: do they have no dignity? I mean, if they are REALLY looking for a story...? Truly..I think we, as a nation, have got to the stage where we are a collective "spoilt-brat" electorate!

Marilyn

23/07/2012Why does every article have to carry a whine about asylum seekers? Everyone has the right to seek asylum from persecution in other countries and that is all we need to remember. Gillard has a pathological hatred though of asylum seekers that I am aware of from personal experience and not just what people think they are reading or seeing..Ever notice how her nostrils pinch and she gets cold and flinty when telling Tamils and Afghans to stay home and die or be shipped off to Malaysia in breach of the law? Well she means it, she hates them and her only policy has always been to make them stay away. Hence it is crueller now than ever, more deaths at sea because the authorities refuse to abide by the law of the sea, more suicides and suicide attempts and for the first time in history children brutalised in adult prisons and children held for life as security risks because one or other parent might have a connection with the now defunct LTTE or for some deluded reason might be a terrorist Rohingya muslim even though Myanmar is trying to expel almost 1 million of them. And with Pakistan about to expel 3 million Afghans by the end of the year we might actually have something to whinge about. I found the relevant article from the ICCPR that says we cannot hinder anyone from seeking asylum - Article 12(2). As for the leadership crap, I don't like Gillard and never have on a personal basis, I find her to be very cold and brutal, I will never get it out of my head her statement to a young Woomera lawyer that she would not intervene on behalf of a young homosexual Iranian who had received a death sentence by stoning in his absence. She said "as you are not a refugee under the convention, you can go home"" Her colleague senator Kirk finally got him released after 7 years in prison here and he is now schizoid and will never work even though he was healthy when he got here. She giggled like a girl with Jeremy Cordeaux on redneck radio about pushing boats away as if it was fun and it is her deranged policy that sees us paying over $250,000 per refugee to jail them and $300,000 each to charge and jail poor Indonesian fishermen. But this leadership crap drives me nuts, it's like the whole gallery group think thing has nothing to do. Perhaps an extended holiday in Kandahar for all of them.

Lyn

23/07/2012Hi Ad Thankyou for your awesome enjoyable article, you never get better you are just the best. Just Are. I have been lurking around the tweet building gathering tweets about the Slipper/Ashby case in court today. Here they are :- Louise Hall ‏ Hearing of Cth/Slipper's abuse of process appl. against James Ashby has kicked off in Fed Court. Follow me for today's proceedings Louise Hall ‏ SouthwoodEllie @tennewssydney I think there are more lawyers than journalists in here Louise Hall‏ Slipper tries to say Ashby's choice of lawyers - Harmers - shows he was out for publicity. But judge rejects evidence in support Hannah Low James Ashby chose Harmers Workplace Lawyers because they had a reputation for using the media to apply pressure in cases, #slipper argues Louise Hall ‏@LouiseCHall Aust govt solicitor Catherine Mann takes the stand Louise Hall ‏ Slipper abuse of process case suddenly interrupted - constitutional matter raised Louise Hall ‏ Slipper abuse of process hearing grinds to a halt - ashby raises a constitutional matter. That now has to be dealt with first. Louise Hall‏ Lawyer Michael Harmer says he is funding Ashby's case Louise Hall‏ The actual sexual harassment case wont be heard before 2015 at this rate #slipper #inmyopinion Michael Wyres‏ Well, Slipper is out of the chair until at least October now...well played, whoever is orchestrating this circus... Ashby lawyers publicity seekers, court hears, Louise Hall @ 1.28pm Ian Neil, SC, for Mr Slipper, said Mr Ashby engaged Harmers Workplace Lawyers, a firm "noted for the uninhibited way in which they use the media". http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/ashby-lawyers-publicity-seekers-court-hears-20120723-22jk1.html#ixzz21Q59G2vG Ashby chose 'blowtorch' lawyers: court http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/ashby-chose-blowtorch-lawyers-court-20120723-22jhn.html?utm_r Dick Smith takes 'high risk' swipe at Murdoch I wonder if you will instruct your reporters to come after me, just as News Ltd did to its critics in the United Kingdom? But I think it is time to stand up to your bias and bullying and put your claims of 'freedom of speech' to the test." http://www.smh.com.au/business/dick-smith-takes-high-risk-swipe-at-murdoch-20120723-22jqc.html#ixzz21Q2WmKs8 :):)

Jason

23/07/2012Marilyn, If you don't like the subject matter start your own blog and whinge bitch and moan to your hearts content!

Marilyn

23/07/2012I like the subject matter, I just don't know why every blog has to whinge about asylum seekers as a gratuitous swipe.

jaycee

23/07/2012I have grave concerns about the "legal' process in this country. There seems to be no hinderence in getting a charge of civil or criminal proceedings against a person..(recently..Abbott/ Pauline Hanson...criminal law/Lindy chamberlain..both did jail time even though innoccent!)The "legal fraternity" seem to have it "all sewn up" in regards accusing AND trying to prove inoccence!! Sure, there are certain legal technicalities to uphold, but by jeesus..we are talking about the Speaker in the Chamber here!...surely such delaying must be seen as vexatious tactics in themselves by "interested parties" and examined in that light? One merely wonders, with a laymans' knowledge, but with the experience of ages, just WHO is drinking down at "the old club" with WHOM?

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23/07/2012Hi Lyn Thank you for your always-encouraging remarks. It seems that the Ashby case continues to be the circus it has been from the beginning. If he’s so desirous of settling his sexual harassment claim, why the delaying tactics? The Dick Smith challenge to Rupert Murdoch is fascinating. The most pointed sentence in the article was [i]”Mr Smith said he found most journalists at News to be professional and fair-minded but that they censored themselves to please their boss.”[/i] How can a journalist be fair-minded, or professional for that matter, if they censor themselves to please their boss? I hope Dick succeeds. Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/business/dick-smith-takes-high-risk-swipe-at-murdoch-20120723-22jqc.html#ixzz21QVy8ZbQ

Marilyn

23/07/2012Ashby is a nutcase facing prison and Slipper can afford to keep the little twerp in court so why not.

Michael

23/07/2012If an Australian political journalist actually researched any article they wrote about this Federal government they would have to accept that at least 50% (allowing for which end of the political spectrum they start from) of the Gillard Government's policies have been beneficial to this nation. So, a relatively sensible thinker about politics would have to write from the base 50% approval rate, though what fell each side of the Right/Left divide in this safely bourgeois nation of ours might be quite distinct (or possibly not so much so in this safely bourgeois nation of ours) but... who'd read it? Whereas, leadership speculation about the government when there are no policies from its opposition beyond a certain 10 to 15% commitment to reintroduction of Howard-era policies, with some of the remaining 80% plus also about reintroduction except Abbott is determined to deny it, well, leadership speculation is the only game in town. Not because it IS the only game in town, but because mainstream journalists don't know how to take it up to Abbott and his recidivist deniers because they have no skill or will to dig. Certainly not to get in the faces and behind the masks of the men and women they've clearly decided they need to woo rather than confront and demand truthfulness from. Whatever journalist-training gave we the readers and viewers real break-through journalism in years past seems to have been lost. It's a cocktail circuit now, drinks after work, shared ciggies at the back fence, book contracts and biography-ghosting promises. But no underpinning ethos that news is hard work and more likely filled with arid days and nights of grind than Eureka-moments of discovery and world-twisting-about realisation. In the age of Twitter and twits, it seems journos are satisfied with emulating the pithy bon mots of Oscar Wilde (and never pulling the wit off), rather than the slog of uncovering what their cocktail party cohabitués are slyly laughing at them for never recognising beneath their own noses. They want the job, they want the byline, they don't want to do the work.

42 long

23/07/2012Dick Smith has always had his good points and his suggestion is right on, and is refreshing to see it being stated. Something particularly good was on ABC 24 last night "Future Forum"??. FACTS about climate change and spoiling our planet, by people who DO know what they are talking about. Have to give the ABC credit for that one. Could we have a link to it because it is well worth a listen and look.? It is hard to conceive why ANYBODY would want to cover up reality and seek to make profit from something that could cause the results that burning coal will. ( Though they do it with junk food and tobacco and poker machines). What good is money IF the world is not inhabitable. The 2 degree target is now viewed by many experts as being too much and too dangerous. People think "I will just put another airconditioner or such in", but the real threat is the energy stored in the warmer waters that feeds cyclones, floods and extreme weather events. A big cyclone has the energy of numerous atom bombs being let off constantly and while ever it remains over the ocean it can keep doing damage is it draws more water to it. The enormous amount of heat that drives it comes from the latent heat of water vapour changing to liquid water. Warm oceans provide much more water vapour, and a surprisingly small amount of extra temperature provides much more effect. I believe this is already happening and was predicted quite a while ago.

Miglo

23/07/2012Another good piece, Ad Astra. I love your work.

jaycee

23/07/2012Marilyn?....purely as a point of interest ; What is your age?(In decades rather than individual years will do)

Jason

23/07/2012Mr Denmore's latest offering is quite a good read! he has a shot at how Lazy the media were today with "Access Economics" predictions. http://thefailedestate.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/future-shockers.html

jaycee

23/07/2012Just watched in disbelief, Leigh Sales interview with Bill Shorten...Shorten was good and polite...Sales was a w*nker!..to be fair, perhaps it wasn't her that framed those questions. If so, one has to ask ; "What sort of BABBOON is writing the questions?"...This isn't the sort of ABC. I want OURS to be!

Tom of Melbourne

23/07/2012[i]” the chronic speculation about Julia Gillard's leadership is basically thinly-veiled misogyny”[/i] That just isn’t a fact. How easy it is to lapse into this nonsense than it is to accept that Gillard is unpopular because she has proven to be dishonest. -------------- jaycee, there’s nothing wrong with some needling, as your comment at 2.07 demonstrates.

jaycee

23/07/2012Good to see pussy's content...but listen,ToM,seriously, your "points of order" are childish..politically childish. That's why you'll only get treated as such till you can manage to frame some more savvy criticism. That or join us on the train that: "...am bound for glory, this train".

Tom of Melbourne

23/07/2012“Savvy criticism”??? Certainly I’ve yet to see anything other than a regurgitation of the latest government press release from you.

DMW

23/07/2012Going OS for a moment This has to be one of the best things written about the Aurora, Colorado shooting spree. http://www.twitlonger.com/show/if2nht Jason Alexander (George Costanza) I am tempted to say absolutely brilliant.

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23/07/2012Michael You make a good point about journalists, one consistent with what Mr Denmore says in his recent article, to which Jason has drawn attention. Too many are not prepared to do the investigative work required for sound journalism. Cutting and pasting from press releases, adorned with 'he said, she said' comments is a common pattern. Miglo Thank you for your kind remarks. You are a great supporter.

jaycee

23/07/2012...you see, ToM..The unsophisticated critic of the Prime Minister (any PM., but it is Gillard now!)by those who harp on about such childish expectations of "proven to be dishonest", do not seem to be able to distance themselves from some intense personal demand of a politician in the highest level of government, needing to address the wants and needs of at least twenty million people domestically AND those of our neighbours in the world. like "Marilyn", who feels one could solve the refugee problem in one day if only given the chance, like a parent reading a fairy story to their child and finishing with a dreamy;"...and they all lived happily ever after."..Forgetting that there is another story tomorrow night, like the refugees of the world have another war, another famine, tsunami,plague,war after war, year after year and there is no happy ever after and both of you declaring us here as nincompoops, hypocrites...dumb, bubble-headed-boobies I hate you all and don't you bast*rds know what love is!? Sigh!..even your responses are petulant...be creative, ToM...think of all the insults you have and can level at us..then dismiss them all and think outside the square!

Tom of Melbourne

23/07/2012[i]those who harp on about such childish expectations of "proven to be dishonest", do not seem to be able to distance themselves from some intense personal demand of a politician in the highest level of government, needing to address the wants and needs of at least twenty million people domestically AND those of our neighbours in the world”[/i] (ie “blah, blah, blah”) So that explains why she deceived Wilkie... and knifed Rudd... and that’s why she had “complete confidence in Thomson...

jaycee

23/07/2012There you go...and they call Melbourne the "Sophisticated Capital of Australia"...yet you are there..?

Tom of Melbourne

23/07/2012You appear to be proof that competence in obfuscation is no substitute for actually exercising good judgment.

jaycee

23/07/2012There!!...that's better....'knew you had it in you!"

jane

23/07/2012ToM @8.30pm, on that premise Liealot's ratings should be through the floor and in the sub-basement. On any measure, and links to evidence of his mendacity have been provided endlessly, the name Liealot bestowed on him by FS is well deserved. Please don't try the "carbon tax lie" meme, because that old flannel has been well exposed for the bullshit it always was. Saying that it doesn't matter if Lielaot's the greatest liar since Adam played full back for Jerusalem, because he's not in power, is patently ridiculous. It's evidence of a serious character flaw. Couple that with his appalling performance as LOTO and it's plain that he would be a complete disaster as PM. If mendacity, a complete lack of scruples, dishonesty, a propensity for brain farts, a total lack of policy initiatives and no interest or understanding of economics or how to frame a budget are what you consider the characteristics of a good PM, then Liealot's your man. Me, I like to see the complete opposite in a PM, which is why I like Gillard. Save the Rudd sob story; the caucus decided he should get the tap on the shoulder and now we all know why.

TalkTurkey

24/07/2012Greetings Comrades, Q&A I thought tonight was fair and just, fair because 50% Pyne and 50% everybody else (minus Wormtongue's 15% of course.) Just, because it was just as I expected. Folks I really cannot see how anyone of conscience who watched tonight's excellent 4Corners program can seriously feel comfortable with the way he has been, is being [i]and is likely to be treated[/i].It is one of the few public positions for which I have ever, here or elsewhere, vehemently criticised our Prime Minister and her Government, as regulars would know and acknowledge. I have also expressed my dismay the Assange has received such pitifully few and pale expressions of moral support from Yous-all, my Friends, in an area I would have thought you would be hotter than the Sun. Just shows eh. Please if try if you missed it to find and follow the Assange 4Corners. Surely it must open your eyes to what is so patently an FBI plot,[i] to intimidate the world to stop anyone telling awful truth if it seen as against US interests[/i]. You just don't seem to get it Swordsfolks, do you think I'm exaggerating? Here, Read this! http://justice4assange.com/Declaration-of-Abandonment.html?nocache

Lyn

24/07/2012TODAY’S LINKS Future Shockers, Mr Denmore, The Failed Estate Yet day after day, we hear breathless headlines from under-trained, over-worked hacks who spend no time checking, no time researching and no time asking anyone questions that might yield something other than what is already contained in a self-serving press release. Is it any wonder the public is giving up on the mainstream media? https://twitter.com/MrDenmore Rules abandoned when sinking the Slipper POLITICS... with Mungo MacCallum Independent Brisbane the so-called quality press, have been utterly obsessed with the affair for what seems like forever. In one breath the editorials lament the lack of genuine policy debate in Australia; in the next they salivate over whatever new suggestion of low grade sleaze the muckrakers can conjure up .http://theindependentbrisbane.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/rules-abandoned-when-sinking-slipper.html How a planet is formed., Ash, Ash’s Machiavellian Bloggery So when I hear the argument that the Earth had higher level of carbon dioxide in its atmosphere as it first formed, then that is not really surprising. Over time, volcanic activity on the planet began to be reduced. It has never stopped, http://ashghebranious.wordpress.com/2012/07/23/how-a-planet-is-formed/ Greens and Labor slug it out over preferences in Melbourne by-election, Joe Coghlan, On Line Opinion The NSW Labor Party motion carried at its state conference the week before the Melbourne by-election that stated: "NSW Labor should not provide the Greens Party with automatic preferential treatment in any future preference negotiations", is at best a rear-guard action http://www.onlineopinion.com.au/view.asp?article=13893 Gillard's fate is unjust, unfair and undeniable, Mungo MacCallum, The Drum So, we are told through the usual anonymous sources who regularly leak to their media mates, Gillard has been given a deadline: before Parliament rises, improve Labor's primary vote to 38 per cent - which is where it was when she fought the 2010 election - or prepare for the tap on the shoulder. Note that no successor is named; the ultimatum is for Gillard alone. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4148210.html Slipper case on hold as staffer denies conspiracy, ABC The sexual harassment case against Speaker Peter Slipper has taken another twist, with staffer James Ashby now trying to use the constitution to defend his motives. The state and federal attorneys-general will now be invited to intervene http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-23/slipper-accuser-picked-media-savvy-lawyers3a-court/4147956 Down, down, prices are down, Stephen Koukoulas, Market Economics For example, if inflation is under 2% and wages and pensions are rising by 3 to 4%, you can buy most stuff (goods and services) with your fortnightly pay or welfare payment. Your living standards are rising in a low inflation environment. http://www.marketeconomics.com.au/2140-down-down-prices-are-down EcoFact. Your investment boom is about to end - Access, Peter Martin Mr Richardson was unable to say by how much he thought the budget would undershoot the government’s May forecast, saying it was still a “moving target” he was prepared to say the carbon tax would have little economic impact. “If is a far bigger issue politically than economically,” he told the Herald. http://www.petermartin.com.au/2012/07/ecofact-investment-boom-is-about-to-end.html Labor Still Has A Few Friends In Melbourne, Adam Bereton, New Matilda For the Greens — the longer they leave it before bowing out the more churlish they look — but also for the commentators. Even the most seasoned political observers and psephologists, like William Bowe, Crikey’s Poll Bludger, and the venerable Peter Brent of Mumble fame, were caught out by Labor’s victory over the weekend. http://newmatilda.com/2012/07/23/labor-still-has-few-friends-melbourne Victorian attacks on TAFE will suffocate state’s productivity , Alex Schlotzer It would seem that for all the supposed ability to manage an economy, the Baillieu government is failing abysmally. Yet the breathtaking stupidity of attacking TAFE is there for all to see Within days of the state government announcing wide-ranging cuts to the TAFE budget because of private sector blow-outs and largesse, http://alexschlotzer.wordpress.com/2012/07/23/victorian-attacks-on-tafe-will-suffocate-states-productivity/ GREEDY: Obscene HSU salaries approved in review by Kathy Jackson’s mate Beth Jensen, Vex News Fair Work Australia Vice-President Michael Lawler, a former Opus Dei member who had a spectacular mid-life crisis before hooking up with Kathy Jackson, who is paid $8,000 per week by taxpayers, is funding her litigation to appeal the Federal Court decision to terminate her http://www.vexnews.com/2012/07/greedy-obscene-hsu-salaries-approved-in-review-by-kathy-jacksons-mate-beth-jensen/ Who’s taking Tony’s job? Miglo, Café Whispers How could they possibly have faith in a leader who regularly embarrasses himself on the international stage? How could they have faith in a leader who they know won’t be able to keep the promises he is making? How can they have faith in a leader who lacks one progressive brain cell in his body? http://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2012/07/23/whos-taking-tonys-job/ WEASELS POP TOO SOON: Greens party lose despite perfect storm for Labor, 4% Stephen Mayne shamed once more, Vex News Mayne, despite being unemployed, spent thousands of dollars on blue T-shirts (attempting to create the false impression he was a Liberal when in fact he can best described as a psychiatrically-ill, politically confused Greens cheerleader) and printed material, including, in a first surely since student politics, a sh*t-sheet about himself. Mayne’s wife apparently picks up the bills for all this, even working three jobs http://www.vexnews.com/2012/07/weasels-pop-too-soon-greens-party-lose-despite-perfect-storm-for-labor-stephen-mayne-shamed-once-more/ Not everyone wants to ‘hangout’ with the PM, but e-chat here to stay, Matthew Knott, Crikey Social media is meant to be a two-way conversation, but for many politicians it’s just about talking,” he said. “Few do much listening. At the last election, 98% of Twitter use by politicians was just broadcasting. Only Malcolm Turnbull really engaged in http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/07/23/not-everyone-wants-to-hangout-with-the-pm-but-e-chat-here-to-stay/ Why we still need to talk about Kevin,Michael Gawenda, The Power Index Rudd is a singular figure, a one off politician, and the evidence suggests that Gillard and this Labor caucus are incapable of putting him to the political sword. One way or another Rudd will get his revenge on those who robbed his manifest destiny. Either he will be returned to his rightful place or he will http://www.thepowerindex.com.au/analysis/why-we-still-need-to-talk-about-kevin LNP Qld Government kicks off IT cuts, Renae LeMay, Delimeter After 20-odd years of Labor in power, it’s no surprise that the new LNQ Queensland Government is wielding the axe. I would say it’s a pretty bad time to be working in technology in the state government – unless you’re the sort of technologist who loves implementing programs to make things more efficient http://delimiter.com.au/2012/07/23/lnp-qld-government-kicks-off-it-cuts/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_ The ABC is not part of the ‘left wing’ groupthink on climate change, The ABC Has Gone To Hell The Australian on May 26th, Chris Kenny argued in “Groupthink takes over at national broadcaster” that the ABC is in the thralls of the “alarmists”. He highlighted the feud between The Australian and ABC’s Media Watch over the way threatening emails to climate scientists at the Australian National University had been reported http://abcgonetohell.net/2012/06/22/the-abc-is-not-part-of-the-left-wing-groupthink-on/ Temby report reveals depth of HSU East quagmire, ABC The report also says Kathy Jackson is the main source of the allegations against both Mr Thomson and Mr Williamson, It says there are "complex and shifting relationships between individuals and factions involved in union and ALP politics http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-23/temby-report-reveals-depth-of-hsu-east-quagmire/4148910?section=vic Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 24 July http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

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24/07/2012LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

Glorfindel

24/07/2012[quote]As you say, Kevin Rudd was poll driven and look where that landed him. Fortunately Julia Gillard is not. [/quote]\ Well I guess then we can finally stop the pretence that Gillard only rolled Rudd due to the poor internal polling. Most people recognise that when what you are doing isn't working you do something different. TPS seems to feel that when what you're doing isn't working you write wonderfully eloquent articles explaining how it's all somebody else's fault. The wicked media (boo) that dastardly Abbott (hiss) anywhere but the person allegedly in charge.

42 long

24/07/2012Talk Turkey I am 100% with you. I can't see why there is little support for Assange on the basis of failure of any due prcess alone. I can only think we are too stuck to the USA alliance. Do you remember how USA "bullied" that scary democratic country ( population the same as melbourne) NEW ZEALAND when it had an anti nuclear policy? New evidence confirms activity by the CIA in the Whitlam dismissal. America has litle time for anyone who gets in it's way, including the United Nations when it suits it. IF Romney gets in I will be worried about our arrangements with US forces in the northern territory. The republicans are becoming "Nutters" as is the LNP in Australia.( which imitates them) This lack of support for Assange, is one aspect of Gillards performance which ( like you) I find wanting. Assange has NEVER been accused of any crime and is NOT getting JUSTICE. Manning is in solitary confinement where the US is trying to "break " him and have him testify against Assange. Evidence obtained by torture cannot be acceptable any where surely? America is losing the moral high ground it assumes it has. It has to earn it. Numerous americans given air time making suggestion he be "taken Out" don't dispell the concept of the "lynch mob" form of american justice is dead. The Swedish situation so well documented by Kerry O' Briens 4 Corners was of the High standard he is becomming known for and shows vividly why we can't just sit and do nothing

LadyInRed

24/07/2012Glorfindel I want Julia as the PM because I believe she is doing a good job. End of Story. She has fortitude, grace and intelligence, she cares about Australians and she has vision. That people can't see it is because most people are so shallow they believe and swallow and rubbish that the shock jocks and the MSM throw around. Most of it is speculation, most of it is to satisfy the people who pull the strings. That's what I believe. If you want to see what a Liberal government will bring you read this: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/the-humiliation-of-being-a-public-service-deployee-20120723-22jhh.html And yes dastardly Abbott has to come up with more than he has. And the media are going to have to turn their attention to him and start asking him does he intend to cut public service like they have in QLD and if so how does he imagine the private sector are going to suck up all those people in a matter of a couple of months? He wont be able to. So that will mean a LOT of pain for very little gain. He will have to tell us exactly how he is going to balance the books. And the truth is he wont be able to and so he is going to have to lie, and you are going to have to fall for it. Finally the media can make or break anyone, they regulary do. The media didn't like Nelson (a leftie).....gone. The media boses didn't like Turnbull (a leftie).....gone. Abbott can go on the nose just as quickly - though not for being a leftie but for being a fool. Newman is on the nose - just look at the Brisbane Times - its been full of Newman and LNP haters. Time will tell.

Lyn

24/07/2012Hi Ad and Everybody Twitterverse for you:- Stephen Koukoulas‏ I have a feeling non-Newspoll polls show Labor around 31-34%. 28% looks outlier. Labor still flogged on these numbers, but Newspoll skewed Brigadier Slog‏ Even lower for women. RT @vexnews voter satisfaction with Lib Leader Tony Abbott sinks to personal worst of 30% #auspol http://bit.ly/LIRnjA 23m Stephen Tuck` ‏ lynlinking Check Media Watch report on this campaign http://tinyurl.com/7h99788 Fine print needs reading couriermail.com.au‏ Poor governance, nepotism in HSU: report http://goo.gl/fb/NB42Z Financial Review‏ Revealed: HSU officials pocket fat pay cheques [free] http://bit.ly/O0OP5W #auspol Financial Review‏ #ASX faces new foreign challenge [free] http://bit.ly/O0OKzd #ausbiz Financial Review‏ Tony Abbott indicates support for Chinese investment in Oz agricultural assets [free] http://bit.ly/O0NJY5 #auspol Yahoo!7 News‏ Damning #HSU report leaked http://yhoo.it/Qtpv9I #auspol Latika Bourke ‏ #Temby notes that Kathy Jackson is the 'main source of the allegations against both men [Craig Thomson and Michael Williamson.] #HSUEast Lyndsay Farlow‏ View the full Temby/Robertson #HSUEast report in four parts: Part 1 http://scr.bi/QeQLtO Parts 2, 3 & 4 avail from this site #weRus #Thomson Mr Denmore‏ Oh no! Now it's revealed that families are frittering away carbon tax compensation on.......groceries http://tinyurl.com/d7o8g7m Peter Black‏ another reason to use twitter: "Older People Who Use Twitter Are Less Likely To Be Depressed" http://pjblack.me/LFGhMo Timothy Stuart‏ #Newspoll 2 Party Preferred: ALP 44 LNP 56 #auspol > the #Melbourne#byelection was 55-45, ended up 49-51 #justsayin John Rolfe‏ dailytelegraph's People Power campaign delivers 16.5% electricity discount offer to ~70,000 in NSW: http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/united-voice-too-loud-to-be-ignored/story-e6freuy9-1226433380533 Louise Hall‏ Kathy Jackson says she knew there was corruption in HSUeast but didn't know the scale of it. Outside Fed Court The Daily Telegraph‏ Liberal candidates in a Sydney council election face accusations of embezzlement, a DUI offence and even posing... http://fb.me/1EzZkqajU Toastman‏ Support for Labor drops below 30pc http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/voter-support-for-labor-drops-below-30pc-20120723-22kzm.html via @smh Are people that stupid or have the polls been manipulated to give result? Janice Gill‏ The boom may be over, but it's not gone to bust http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/-22kfd.html Guido Tresoldi‏: ABC Radio National's "conservative" show Counterpoint dumped http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/abc-dumps-conservative-radio-program-counterpoint/story-e6frg996-1226433511193”. Not needed. All ABC gone conservative ;) Marion Groves‏ Dick Smith blasts Murdoch's News Limited, accusing it of censorship and biased & intimidating reporting. http://bit.ly/Qg8wsz

jaycee

24/07/2012The Assange scandal has taken the standard template in the inquisition by the 'establishment' against most radicals...: First the accusation(released through the MSM) of some heinous sex crime (refer Anwar Ibrahim etc.) then the imposition of unrealistic bail conditions (refer Aung Sung Su Ki )then when the bail conditions are inevitably broken, the "authorities" have an actual crime to arrest and convict and follow through with any other intent..after all, he has shown he can't be trusted with bail! The disturbing thing is, and I see some similarity with the Slipper affair and it's interminable delays, that there appears to be some "behind the scenes" soiree gatherings with the judicial/legal fraternity to create an acceptable public face to the shamefully hurried execution of orders. With Assange, there appears to be the most blatant stitch-up to disarm him and his organisation. With the Slipper affair, we have to acknowledge that Mr. Ashby has neither the wherewithall nor the nous to pull-off the latest political/legal stunt....it appears obvious to me that the fight has now become a standoff between the Govt' and the representatives of those implicated in the "conspiricy" emails, otherwise, why take a simple civil case way up to the dizzy heights of constitutional law?....I've never heard such a stunt being pulled in any previous sex harrasment case reported in the press!

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24/07/2012Hi Lyn I’ve just now finished reading all your links. As usual, Mr Denmore’s forensic analysis of the Access predictions was a delight to read. He demonstrated the value going back, via Google, to prior predictions, showing as he did that Chris Richardson has been making such predictions for years, but he’s been wrong every time so far. Why should he be right this time? Mungo MacCallum’s analysis of the Slipper saga is good reading, but in his other article I found his view of Labor’s chances at the next election disappointing. Why is he giving up when he, and everyone else, is relying only on opinion polls? Michael Gawenda too is gloomy. Do they want to avoid being the odd one out? Miglo’s piece about who will replace Tony Abbott was good reading and amusing to boot. I agree with his analysis. I haven’t seen any more headlines on your Front Pages about the dire effects of the dreaded carbon tax, but I did note that the [i]Daily Telegraph[/i] features its ‘One Big Switch’ campaign, which is boasting a 16.5% [b]reduction[/b] in power bills. That’s a pleasant change. Tony’s Toxic Tax campaign is quiescent. Can he resurrect it?

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24/07/2012Hi Lyn The Twitterverse is interesting reading. The [i]National Times[/i] editorial commenting on the Deloitte Access predictions starts: [i]”The Australian economy is not going to fall off a cliff in two years' time. That's the first thing to say about the latest forecast from the respected economic and budget forecaster Deloitte Access Economics, reported in the Herald yesterday.[/i] And ends: [i]” The Coalition is already crowing but if it can think of anything beyond winning next year's election, it should be a bit worried, too. It faces expectations from its business constituency that it will tend to lower income and company tax rates. Its leader is a believer in family-oriented welfare spending. But it has promised to abolish immediately the two new sources of revenue introduced by Labor, the mineral resource rental tax and the carbon tax. While the introduction of both taxes has been botched, taxing windfall profits from a state-owned resource and taxing things you want to discourage (such as carbon emissions) are preferable to taxing the things you seek to encourage (such as earning income and making profits from innovation and enterprise).[/i]” Is at least the Fairfax media waking up to Tony Abbott’s shallowness and disingenuousness? Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/editorial/the-boom-may-be-over-but-its-not-gone-to-bust-20120723-22kfd.html#ixzz21VEOX4l9 Stephen Koukoulas’ comment about [i]Newspoll[/i] being skewed is noteworthy. Moreover, with all the recent tumult about the asylum seeker issue, and all the leadership speculation over the last week, when [i]Newspoll[/i] was in the field, we ought not to be surprised at today’s figures, always remembering that polls measure past and present attitudes, not those in eighteen months time.

TalkTurkey

24/07/201242 long said [i]TalkTurkey I am 100% with you. I can't see why there is little support for Assange on the basis of failure of any due prcess alone.[/i] And Jaycee said [i]The Assange scandal has taken the standard template in the inquisition by the 'establishment' against most radicals...: First the accusation(released through the MSM) of some heinous sex crime (refer Anwar Ibrahim etc.) then the imposition of unrealistic bail conditions (refer Aung Sung Su Ki )then when the bail conditions are inevitably broken, the "authorities" have an actual crime to arrest and convict and follow through with any other intent..after all, he has shown he can't be trusted with bail! [/i] That's one of the best paragraphs I have ever read, insight and truth with undeniable perfect examples. Yep that's how it works. What a great M.O. A Kafkaesque Catch-22 for civilians. Thanks for the support JC & 42, thought I was talking to myself there. The article Lyn linked to this morning from VEXNEWS is brilliant, Don't miss it, WEASELS POP TOO SOON: Greens party lose despite perfect storm for Labor, 4% Stephen Mayne shamed once more, Vex News www.vexnews.com/.../ WEASELS POP TOO SOON: Greens party lose despite perfect storm for Labor, 4% Stephen Mayne shamed once more, Vex News Mayne, despite being unemployed, spent thousands of dollars on blue T-shirts (attempting to create the false impression he was a Liberal when in fact he can best described as a psychiatrically-ill, politically confused Greens cheerleader) and printed material, including, in a first surely since student politics, a sh*t-sheet about himself. Mayne’s wife apparently picks up the bills for all this, even working three jobs www.vexnews.com/.../

jaycee

24/07/2012In regards the "Slipper Affair"...if I was an investigating journalist,I'd be asking the question ; "Why has a civil case shifted in emphasis from sexual harrassment to a constitutional arguement about the release of emails? I tell you what...just for a lark, let's ask ourselves that very question! When this "scandal" first hit the MSM airwaves, it was those salatious emails that "incriminated" Mr. Slipper. They were duly released to the public gaze, played upon, preyed upon and politicised to the advantage of the LNP. So how come now, just when more such emails should surely round off the job, they are suddenly too hot to handle?...... Qui bono?.....for whose good? For whose benefit now are these emails being witheld? Not Mr. Slipper's, surely? Not Mr.Ashby's, surely? Not Mr. Lewis, surely? Not the interests of justice, surely?....So..not the plaintiff, the accused, the go-between, nor the court....that leaves only another party or parties...those mysteriously unmentioned in the witheld emails. Who are they?....I will not bother to draw this out...suffice to state the bleedin' obvious!...those who hoped to benefit politically from the Slipper downfall.....the LNP. So if these emails are from a source that could politically embarrass certain persons who, with the, perhaps, "conspired" parties tried to bring the govt' into disrepute and force an election, surely it is in the publics interest to have such emails see the light of day rather than add another layer of obfuscation to an already smudged attempt at sedition! Yes!..that's the question I would ask if I was an investigating journalist......who had the cojones!

Glorfindel

24/07/2012HI LadyInRed [i]I want Julia as the PM because I believe she is doing a good job. End of Story.[/i] Well it's nice that you believe it. Pity the majority of the voting public doesn't seem to. An Abbott government will be appalling, I think that's obvious to most people. (check out his approval ratings) And unless something changes an Abbott government will be what we get. And while I'll take a little comfort from my "don't blame me I voted Labor" bumper sticker I'd still rather avoid the prospect entirely. Which is something Gillard seems incapable of doing. Abbott seemed to manage to get through the last election campaign without those hard questions being an issue so why will the next one be any different? On the faint bright side it looks like we could be heading for an El Nino pattern. You never know it might end up being Gillard's "Tampa" heaven knows she needs something.

2353

24/07/2012jaycee, While they are investigating why the Ashby emails are now "too hot to handle", perhaps they can ask why Kathy Jackson seems to be getting her day in court plus a few. Glorfindel, I doubt the ALP would do the "don't blame me" stickers. They show very little common sense when marketing - and they could be making a lot of telling points in Queensland at the moment.

MWS

24/07/2012There is a new post by Peter Wicks: http://wixxy.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/dirty-old-town/

Michael

24/07/2012Channel Nine News giving kudos to Kathy Jackson as the HSU "whistleblower"???!!! Are they pig ignorant or what? (some of these reCaptcha codes are becoming impenetrably ridiculous - must be Christopher Pyne moonlighting making them)

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24/07/2012MWS Welcome to [i]The Political Sword[/i] family and thanks for the Peter Wicks link. Do come again. Michael The answer to your question is YES. Folks I'm calling it day.

Tom of Melbourne

24/07/2012Here’s my view of Wicks post, but he’s another who has blocked my comment. He is afraid to allow open comment on his assertions. Wicks wets himself over this comment from FWA investigator Nassios – [i] “..it would not stand up to police scrutiny”[/i] Hardly unsurprising as the report wasn’t compiled to meet the criminal standard. It was to meet the standard required by FWA – the civil standard. It’s stuff like that that which proves Wicks has no idea. Then he has his HUGE RETREAT!! – [i]“There were those who said that my insinuation that Lawler and Nassios worked in the same building was misleading[/i]” He’s retreated from his original claim [i]”they shared an office[/i]” Wicks makes it up, and is too much of a coward to allow these matters to be raised on his site. It is all ill-informed, he admits he’s “throwing mud” at Jackson, it’s a distraction. His attack on Jackson meets all the criteria of “union bashing”. Wicks is discredited, out of his depth, and ill-informed.

42 long

24/07/2012Thanks for your interpretation of wixxy's poaition TfM, but most of us here are capable of assessing the situation with out your biased view. wixxy is a shining light in a sea of crap. At least a view worth thinking about. Thinking is something you don't do much of. But then you have a job to do don't you?

jaycee

24/07/2012Tom...you are a w*nker.

Bacchus

24/07/2012Sorry ToM - that "rebuttal" is pathetic. Sober up and try again hey "pet"?

Tom of Melbourne

24/07/2012Wicks has just made it up. Completely discredited, retreating from [i]"they shared an office"[/i], to [i]"they both work in a 12 story office building along with a few hundred others" [/i] He then tries to suggest that somehow this is reiterating his previous incorrect assertion. He complains that the report doesn’t meet the criminal standard- he should take this up with Bill Shorten, because FWA doesn’t do criminal investigations. He agrees he “throws mud” at Jackson, but gets all bothered when I asserted it was for political reasons. I wonder what other reasons he has… He blocks scrutiny of his claims… He’s the w*nker.

Bacchus

24/07/2012"[i]He’s the w*nker.[/i]" And you're not (even more so)?

Tom of Melbourne

24/07/2012Bacchus, true to form you needle without actually making a point. Please advise which of my comment is incorrect. Otherwise please accept the advice Miglo provided to reb, wiht my compliments.

Bacchus

24/07/2012Peter Wicks has put himself out there publicly with his investigations ToM. All you can come up with (anonymously) is a pathetic, "No he's wrong because I said so" crap. No wonder jaycee sees you as a "pet" here.

Tom of Melbourne

24/07/2012Just indicate where my commentary is incorrect. Otherwise you're just hanging around pointlessly, needling, not that there is anything unusual in that behaviour from you.

jaycee

24/07/2012ToM..you have no philosophy...you have no excuse to comment as you do save to annoy...you have no philosophy. go home and rest your anger, you have no sympathy here, only pity.

Tom of Melbourne

24/07/2012I just posted the facts. Bacchus just replies with insults to inconvenient facts. Though perhaps you can tell me – which part of my comment is factually incorrect?

Truth Seeker

24/07/2012Tom, you can make your pathetically spurious and puerile claims whilst poking your tongue out, blowing copious amounts of raspberries, sticking your thumbs in your ears and waggling your fingers furiously, all the while backed up by that incredibly moving soundtrack of Na na nana na, (which, BTW is the mental image that I get every time that I read one of your totally vacuous comments) , But all that is proved is that you will NEVER have 1% of the credibility, integrity or honesty of Wixxy. But by all means continue, as I do enjoy the mental imagery.

Bacchus

24/07/2012"[i]Just indicate where my commentary is incorrect.[/i]" Well we could start with your comment at 09:53 PM and then follow up with the comment at 10:26 PM - that about covers it for the recent past ;)

Psyclaw

24/07/2012 It appears that PWicks is a discerning person and applies some minimal standards of truth and honesty to those comments he accepts. Swordsters should not waste their time with baits like: [i]"Which part of my comment is factually incorrect?" "Just indicate where my commentary is incorrect." "Please advise which of my comment is incorrect." [/i] Replies to these pleads simply result in the goalposts and the subject being changed mid-discussion and without subtlety. The aim is not to discuss, it is to smear. Just sayin.

TalkTurkey

25/07/2012Spending too much time on Twitter (thanks Lyn!!!) but there is the opportunity there to needle media ppl and address politicians directly, and both Lyn and I do, she's always polite though! MWS thanks for the link to Peter Wicks' new foray into Jacksonville: All Swordsfolks I say, Do yourself a favour and check out the buried treasure he is unearthing! http://wixxy.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/dirty-old-town/ One of Peter Wicks' correspondents wrote the most colourful image I've heard all year. PW picked it out too. The writer described Kathy Jackson as "looking more nervous than a long-tailed dog in a room full of rocking chairs." :) Bacchus I'm no wino but yours is a great gravatar.

2353

25/07/2012Jackson is not innocent. At the very least she was the General Secretary of a organisation where the President is accused of nepotism, fraud and misuse of his position. If she, as the General Secretary did nothing for a considerable period of time, she is equally at fault. Yes I have read Wixxy's articles and suspect his accusations are correct as he has supplied copious evidence to support his view. She may be winning the media battle at the moment however these things come back to haunt the guilty. Its called karma.

Lyn

25/07/2012TODAY’S LINKS Jacksonville 16: Call me anytime, Independent Australia wonder what HSU business Jackson was discussing with Eric Abetz’s office, while Abetz was asking questions of FWA President Iain Ross, and later Terry Nassios, at the Senate hearings into the FWA investigations? Note: the phone number not only appeared in the dialled numbers list, but also in the SMS part of the bill. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/politics/jacksonville-16-call-me-anytime/ Dirty Old Town, Wixxy, Wixxy leaks Some of you may remember Kathy Jackson’s interview on the ABC’s 7 30. That was the one Kathy told us she didn’t deserve to be paid so highly, and had done all she could to have her pay reduced. http://wixxy.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/dirty-old-town/ THEIR GST MOMENT: Voting with the Liberals/Nationals on asylum seekers could be killing the Greens political party, Vex News Now, the Sex Party looms as a threat not so much from the left but from the racy edge of cool. The Sex Party is fun, their people look like porn-stars (they probably aren’t) or adult shop customers having a bit of a laugh. And fun is of course the enemy of the Green, the self-righteous sour-faced inner-city elite who – as so brilliantly described by possible future Senator Fiona P http://www.vexnews.com/2012/07/their-gst-moment-voting-with-the-liberalsnationals-on-asylum-seekers-could-be-killing-the-greens-political-party/ Abbott can't escape the spectre of WorkChoices, Peter Lewis, ABC We hate to use the word in all its full-cap glory, but this suggests that 53 per cent of voters (and 40 per cent of Coalition voters) think the Opposition Leader is a LIAR. More worrying for the people of the Municipality of the Coalition is that 46 per cent of voters would be concerned if WorkChoices were to be reintroduced. http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4150522.html?height=100&ratio=1x1&width=100 The Multiple Choice Hypothetical! Asylum Seekers In Boats., Deknarf So here’s a ‘put yourself in another’s shoes’ hypothetical which may explain why so much of the political puffery is just so much bullsh*t! Especially when you are dealing with other sovereign nations, and other competing interests http://deknarf.wordpress.com/2012/07/24/the-rant-12-the-multiple-choice-hypothetical-asylum-seekers-in-boats/ Our Nauru Amnesia, Wendy Bacon, New Matilda Nauru is back on the agenda. Have we already forgotten the Howard years? Wendy Bacon has delved into the archive to recover a blighted history. Part one of NM's Pacific Solution timeline today http://newmatilda.com/2012/07/24/our-nauru-amnesia No boom without bust: a cautionary note about mining and employment , Michael Barry, The Conversation While the nature of the discussion about the mining boom has been on whether expanding employment can be filled locally or with overseas workers, a key issue that has received less attention in this discussion is the associated benefits employers derive from http://theconversation.edu.au/no-boom-without-bust-a-cautionary-note-about-mining-and-employment-8390 Charges imminent for ex-Murdoch journos over phone hacking, Paul Barry, The Power Index Rupert is still going to be calling his editors every week to chew the fat, swap gossip and tell them where they’ve gone wrong. And whether he’s a director of News International or not he’ll still be the big boss at News Corp and he’s still be running the show. http://www.thepowerindex.com.au/follow-the-power/murdoch-braces-for-criminal-charges-over-phone-hacking The ATO’s big new target: tax havens, James Thomson, Crikey The Tax Justice Network argues that if the “debtor” countries whose citizens hold money offshore could bring some of this money back — and tax it, of course — then issues such as poverty and climate change could be addressed far more thoroughly. http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/07/24/the-atos-big-new-target-tax-havens/ Channel 7 – can they get any lower? Even Murdoch’s people wouldn’t go that low, Turn Left 2013 What you do not expect from journalists is the 12 stories that have been written about me in the Fairfax media without coming to me for a comment, without seeking my side at all. What you do not expect is for Channel 7 reporters to be hovering underneath the bathroom window http://turnleft2013.wordpress.com/2012/07/23/channel-7-can-they-get-any-lower-even-murdochs-people-wouldnt-go-that-low/ Temby report reveals depth of HSU East quagmire, Radio Australia Suspended Labor MP Craig Thomson's name is only mentioned a few times, and the report points out that "many see him as the protégé of Michael Williamson".The salaries of Kathy Jackson and the executive president are just - there's no other word for it, it's obscene money and it's way beyond what those people should have been getting paid," he said. http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/international/2012-07-23/temby-report-reveals-depth-of-hsu-east-quagmire/985076 Turnbull accuses ABC of NBN “propaganda”, Renai LeMay, Delimeter Well, Mr Turnbull, we have the evidence. The Coalition’s misstatements on the NBN have been painstakingly chronicled on Delimiter, especially over the past year, and I encourage you to read the articles linked above and ask yourself whether you and your Coalition colleagues have always been truthful about the project as a whole. http://delimiter.com.au/2012/07/24/turnbull-accuses-abc-of-nbn-propaganda/?utm_source=feedburne Union in crisis: HSU hearing expedited, Louis Hall, Canberra Times Ms Jackson, who says she is self-funding the appeal, has asked the court to appoint her preferred administrator, Jeffrey Phillips, SC, in place of Mr Moore. She wants her position to be reinstated as well as that of all Victorian-based officials, bar Stuart Miller, an HSU organiser expected to lead a reform team in the Victoria No.1 branch elections http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/union-in-crisis-hsu-hearing-expedited-20120724-22m7m.html#ixzz21VrbvYy8 Tony Abbott’s China Speech: Working Harder On A Complex Relationship, Australian Politics It would rarely be in Australia’s national interest to allow a foreign government or its agencies to control an Australian business Even in its watered-down version, the mining tax has adversely altered the profitability of investment in Australia.It’s wrong to single out one sector for differential tax treatment. It’s wrong to send the message that success is punished. http://australianpolitics.com/2012/07/24/abbott-auscham-china-speech.html Here’s what our web addiction looks like in 2016, Stacey Higginbotham, Gigaom With Cisco predicting average household web use reaching 150 GB per month globally in the unspecified future (beyond 2016 is as specific as the spokesperson could get), and given that U.S. residents are predicted to generate the most IP traffic of any country at 22 exabytes a month, Comcast’s 20 percent boost to its data cap this month had better be the first of many inflation- http://gigaom.com/broadband/heres-what-our-web-addiction-looks-like-in-2016/ Phone hacking: Brooks and Coulson to face charges, BBC Co UK Eight people will face a total of 19 charges relating to phone hacking, the Crown Prosecution Service has said.They include the former News International chief executive, Rebekah Brooks, and the PM's ex-head of communications Andy Coulson. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-18961228#TWEET177140 Fox News Banned From Canada – Law Forbids Lying On Broadcast News .Canada’s Radio Act requires that “a licenser may not broadcast … any false or misleading news.” The provision has kept Fox News and right-wing talk radio out of Canada and helped make Canada a model for liberal democracy and freedom. As a result of that law, Canadians enjoy high quality news coverage, including the kind of foreign affairs and investigative journalis http://www.skepticmoney.com/fox-news-banned-from-canada-law-forbids-lying-on-broadcast-news/ Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 25 July 2012 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

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25/07/2012LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

jaycee

25/07/2012Watching bloody Abbott on tele last night and just now reading parts of his speach in China, I was outraged...ropable..there was this stooge, this patsy for Murdoch, this , this bloody corkscrewed buffoon who has about as much right as Bobo the clown to make statements about Australian foreign policy shooting his sh*t for brains mouth off IN OUR NAME!!....NOT IN MY BLOODY NAME!! I tell you what, in light of these charges brought against the Murdoch lackeys in England, the aussie govt' ought to cut newslimedited off at the knees and bring down the entire LNP. with it!..We all know the LNP. cannot survive with out the gutter press and it's a*se-lickers propping it up!

janice

25/07/2012Good morning all. I see our Tweety Bird has had a make-over to herald the passing of our winter of discontent and the coming of spring. Great work you continue to do for us on this site, Lyn - can't thank you enough. For those who get depressed with the poll numbers, it may serve you better to reflect on the fact that when floodwaters rage across the plains the water is choc-a-block with debris that is as damaging as the fury of the waters. Peace and tranquility come when the waters recede and the debris has been washed away. Queenslanders may well have cause to rue their decision to give the LNP carte blanche over their state, especially Newman's stupidity in declaring the state "bankrupt" as he endeavours to blame the deficit on the Bligh Government without even a cursory acknowledgement that mother nature had a lot to do with the state's finances. Of course, the message to potential investors in Q'ld won't encourage them to invest when the Premier has likened his State to Greece and Spain.

Michael

25/07/2012Campbell Newman IN government looks and sounds more and more like what John Hewson was shaping to be as Prime Minister. Sensibly, Australian voters sussed out Hewson before he could win 'the unlosable election'. One term of Can Do and Queenslanders will recognise why they passed on Hewson all those years ago. Then it will be catch up on Can Do.

2353

25/07/2012Newman's jobs for the mates (as reported by the Courier Mail). http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland-jobs-rewarded-to-the-lnp-faithful/story-e6freon6-1226433329273 I suspect liars are starting to be called out by the media.

42 long

25/07/2012It is lovely to NOT have Abbott spreading his poisonous damaging negativity here,at the moment, but to let him off his lead in the international field may have even more frightening consequences. America MAY have an unsellable Republican candidate. We definately have an embarrassing, irresponsible person here who is not restrained by any normal conventions and protocols, and whose unpredictability has no limits. LNP, why are you doing this to our great country? Rein him in before it is too late.

Michael

25/07/2012Abbott sees himself as a Great Leader. Where better than China to assert his future 'first amongst ("sorry, guys, but you are slightly less than") equal' credentials? "You better listen, you better..." he says like the old song goes. Australians have heard that refrain. And heard it, and heard it, and heard... One thing we can be sure of, the Chinese leadership will be listening, and they will see him for precisely what he is - a puddle-splasher with muddy-shoe pretensions to be captain of a great vessel. Well, Shouldabeen, it's not even launched yet - you may well find yourself stuck in dry-dock after all these years as ineffectual 'leader of the opposition', spectator and expectorater of Australian governance.

Jason

25/07/2012Leigh Sales‏@leighsales Heading to Canberra - my guest on #abc730 tonight is the Prime Minister @juliagillard

LadyInRed

25/07/2012Thanks Lyn for the great links. Nice to see the ABC picking up on the NBN lies - I sent that Delimiter link to 7:30 but obviously they don't think the coalition telling porkies is of interest. What is Abbott doing? Does anyone know - [i]As Prime Minister I would...... [/i] He's giving election speeches to the Chinese, I guess in the hope that this will ingratiate him with the Chinese business people here and win votes. But is that following protocol? I thought protocol was you don't do politics when overseas? How was it received by the Chinese - does anyone have any links? Newman.....the belligerant little ....pain. We have roughly 3 more years of his totalitarian BS. I despair - will politiking win over policies?

Tom of Melbourne

25/07/2012[i] 1. ”Jackson is not innocent.” 2. “The aim is not to discuss, it is to smear.”[/i] 1. No one is saying Jackson is innocent, but the point has to be made that- • She is not in parliament, whereas Thomson is...and he is the saviour of the government. It is Thomson that should occupy political attention. • She is and has not been president of the ALP. Williamson is, and he’s far more entitled to close scrutiny. 2. There is no smear from me. Wicks has cast all sorts of smears towards Lawler, and without alleging some interference from him, the FWA report can only be called possibly deficient on the basis of competence. And even that’s very debatable. Without the Lawler smear Wicks has no connection between Jackson and FWA. Wicks chose to smear Lawler, and runs away when confronted with some inconvenient facts. [b]Wicks banned me from debating this matter with him on his own site, but started emailing me to continue the debate![/b] Bizarre from a political blogger.

Lyn

25/07/2012Hi Ad and Everybody There is a book being released today. It stinks so I can't tell you the title, you will need to search through the Tweets to find out, that is if you don't already know. Their ABC is providing free advertising for the publishers & authors. Twitterverse for you:- Not Rupert Murdoch RupertMurdoch's Australian, Herald Sun and Daily Telegraph newspapers have all demanded PM @JuliaGillard step down. #Murdocracy in action. Mr Denmore‏ "Awkward, angry and socially conservative, Abbott would be completely unelectable in Britain": Bagehot, @TheEconomist http://tiny.cc/f76yhw The Australian‏ Labor 'protection racket' for Thomson: THE federal government was yesterday accused of continuing to run a "prot... http://bit.ly/PEleiu PW Dorling‏ Abbott warns Chinese investment may be restricted http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-24/abbott-warns-about-chinese-investment/4151560 For Labor's approach see http://www.theage.com.au/national/labors-secret-curb-on-china-20110302-1bex9.html & http://www.theage.com.au/national/asio-watch-on-chinese-money-20120120-1qaed.html Latika Bourke ‏ Without seeing Tony Abbott's comments in #China, Premier Campbell Newman says he welcomes and encourages Foreign investment in QLD. Tony Wright‏ The Marmalade Files: who's who? http://www.nationaltimes.com.au/opinion/political-news/the-marmalade-files-culture-jamming-the-corridors-of-power-20120725-22oxg.html via Uhlmann and News Ltd's national political correspondent, the hard-boiled Steve Lewis - known for his involvement in the Godwin Gretch ''Ute-gate'' scandal and the recent pursuit of Speaker Peter Slipper - have written the book together. Brisbane Times‏ Campbell Newman says states & territories are close to a deal with Canberra on NDIS http://ow.ly/ctyeM Favorited Anti-Tory Dan‏ LOL! RT @FinancialReview Fears dramality show The Shire could harm #property prices in the southern Sydney area [free] http://bit.ly/MGhn1p Anti-Tory Dan‏ lewiss50 CUhlmann Harper Collins - a wholly owned subsidiary of, you guessed it, #Newscorp #disgusting Séan‏ BreakfastNews running a thinly veiled prolonged advert for Lewis & Uhlmann's novel. Words fail me. Michael Wyres‏@mwyres : Why Won't You Answer The Question Malcolm? - http://mwyr.es/NNSyCT - #auspol #NBN vexnews‏ Craig Thomson's wife stands strong #auspol http://bit.ly/PFXzOu Matthew Ross ‏ frankscan65 how is this article Wright wrote related to press conference I m sorry #auspol EXPLAIN http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/deadly-jackman-quip-puts-gillard-to-the-sword-20120724-22mks.html” AnyoneButAbbott‏ chrismurphys Anyone But Abbott campaign hits the front page of the Manly Daily http://manly-daily.whereilive.com.au/news/story/mission-to-oust-tony-abbott/ #auspol #anyonebutabbott Jake Saulwick‏ Great article by @1RossGittins on why taxi drivers and passengers are getting screwed http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/time-for-taxis-to-get-on-road-less-travelled-20120724-22nb6.html :):):):)

Jason

25/07/2012ToM, You seem to be under some misapprehension we give a damm about your plight!

Michael

25/07/2012How desperately jejune "The Marmalade Files" sounds. How remarkably unsurprising considering its authors. Really, a female PM nicknamed "Attila the Hen"??? Do these two believe no-one else in Australia has either a memory of or an interest in politics beyond our Shire-y shores. Why do the likes of Uhlmann and Lewis, who clearly consider themselves both hardheaded political insiders AND sophisticated satirists, constantly prove themselves both unutterably provincial and mindlessly derivative when attempting to manifest these hollow credentials? Cranny-scraping smirkers. Like their hero, Shouldabeen.

Glorfindel

25/07/2012Hey 2353 re the ALP [i]they could be making a lot of telling points in Queensland at the moment.[/i] Head on over the the queensland labor website you can see that they are trying their hearts out. BUT it's part of the problem with having only 7 seats in parliament - you don't have many resources, which makes attacking even the Newman Government difficult. It's part of the problem of having an unpopular leader, who's perceived as dishonest, lead an election campaign and get a walloping. In other words exactly what federal labor has to look forward to. The only glimmer in Qld is that the Courier Mail does give Newman a run for his money now and then.

2353

25/07/2012Glorfidel, "The Watcher" articles in the Brisbane Times are also a good read. Like millions of other Queenslanders, I tend not to look at political party websites - so they have to do better than that. I've maintained here and elsewhere for a while that if the message isn't cutting through - pay for it and advertise. No media outlet will refuse the dollars provided it meets the standards. Once they get the public talking, the media will probably start publicising the message for free because of perceived popularity - look at the Workchoices or Mining Community ads.

jaycee

25/07/2012Not one article on the ABC. about Abbott shooting his mouth off in China...Total whitewash on the LNP./Jackson/Lawler connections..Total whitewash on the Ashby/LNP. connections..it seems obvious that there is "bubble-wrap" media protection being given to the LNP. by the powers that be. Given Abbotts' foot-in-mouth stupidity, the LNP."silence-of-the-lambs" media lock-out, the soft-soaping of judicial comment toward what must be blatant seditious ambition, we have to expect Abbott and Co. are being groomed for an expected fascist takeover of the nation.

Min

25/07/2012I hope that you don't mind me intruding, but I now have a new blog. I hope to continue with the aspiration that this will be a place where all points of view are welcome, but in an atmosphere free from putdowns and other forms of personal abuse. http://returntoblogocracy.wordpress.com/

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25/07/2012MIn Congratulations on the advent of [i]Return to Blogocracy[/i]. We wish it every success. I enjoyed your piece on our PM, Julia Gillard. I'm finishing something on her now.

Tom of Melbourne

25/07/2012...and let me wish my old sparring partner Min the best of luck with her new blog. [b]I sincerely hope people from TPS will pop in and provide plenty of encouragement.[/b] (but I’ll let her get well and truly established before I bother her)

Michael

25/07/2012Very 'nice' to see that the Coalition-governed States have stiffed their disabled citizens. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-25/leaders-finish-disability-scheme-talks/4154318 Nothing this mob won't sink to in trying to drag down Federal Labor and Prime Minister Gillard and her team.

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25/07/2012Hi Lyn What an interesting collection of links and Twitterverse. Thank you. Do you have links to the Murdoch papers’ attack on Julia Gillard, insisting she stand down? I’m astonished that at this time when many are hoping HE will stand down, and indeed he has stood down from some/all of his newspaper boards, that he is aiming to upend this nation’s PM. We know that’s what he wants, but his audacity in saying so shows how arrogant a person he is. It sounds like the act of a desperate man, and a desperate media empire in this country. Regarding the Uhlmann/Lewis book, whatever its merits or otherwise, it tells us that the two are buddies and that will preclude Uhlmann ever criticizing Lewis during his TV appearances. I thought the Tony Wright piece about the Julia Gillard/Hugh Jackman encounter was an extreme example of the extent some journos will beat up any story to Julia’s disadvantage. Or was he being ‘tongue-in-cheek? Ross Gittins is an outstanding journalist, who leaves most others in the shade. Can you imagine how much better the Fourth Estate would be if Ross Gittens look-a-likes populated it? The assessment of Tony Abbott in [i]The Economist[/i] is deadly accurate. How come no paper here will print such an appraisal?

jaycee

25/07/2012For those who are interested I read the Lyn's Links Abbott article on the ABC. but when U went direct to the ABC. news site I could no longer find it!...I looked through the listings but could not see it...perhaps I missed it...does anybody else have the problem?

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25/07/2012Folks I have just sent this email to Senator Mark Bishop: Dear Senator Bishop I caught the TV clip of you last night on ABC TV and heard that you had said that yesterday's [i]“disastrous Newspoll should be a "clarion call" to the party to make dramatic changes or face a decade in the political wilderness,”[/i] that it was [i]“a very, very poor result”[/i], that [i]“Labor must get its house in order and be responsive to the now-firmly established views of the Australian community”[/i], and further [i]“that the pattern is now established. It won't change.” [/i] As a Labor supporter I write to say how disappointing it was to hear your gloomy prognostications. And, having gone that far, having left people wondering what action you were advocating, you refused to elaborate to the press throng. I know you are a Rudd supporter and probably believe his return to prime ministership will move the polls in Labor’s favour. If that is so, where is your evidence? May I make a couple of points. First, I am astonished that you, along with other politicians, and of course the mainstream media, give such credence to polls of voting attention more than a year from the next scheduled election. You should know that this far out, they have NO predictive value. Yet you and others dwell on each Newspoll and fret when the boost you seek does not eventuate. Did you really expect a rapid boost once the carbon tax was initiated? You should know that voters do not react that way. It will take six to twelve months before householders realize that Tony Abbott has conned them into believing that life as we know it will cease with the ‘carbon tax’. I strongly recommend you desist from looking at opinion polls until next year. When you come back to them, you may see some change. I hope your colleagues will do the same. It is difficult enough for Labor supporters to cope with the running commentary the mainstream media runs about every poll, and how they use poll results to demean PM Gillard and her Government, of which you are a member, and even urge her to fall on her sword, without us having to listen to the negativity of Labor members of parliament, such as yourself. Julia Gillard is not going to fall on her sword. She has guts and determination. She will go on governing in the splendid way she has done since becoming PM, despite all the brickbats from outside and even from within. She must despair of colleagues like you, as we Labor supporters do, when she is white-anted by public statements such as you made yesterday. I hope you get other letters like this one inviting you to support your leader instead making her life more difficulty. It’s called loyalty. Try it. Yours faithfully Senator Bishop's email address is: senator.bishop@aph.gov.au

jaycee

25/07/2012Done!

Gravel

25/07/2012Ad Astra Well done, another very good post. I am over the leadership stuff. I used to get uptight and angry. No more. I refused to let the propaganda get to me. NormanK on 22July at 1.04pm. I agree with what you have said about Julia and the SSM, and marriage in general. I always had the impression that she isn't interested in having a piece of paper to prove that she loves and is loved. I am actually disgusted with the Liberal State Governments and their refusal to go with the NDIS. I watched the three lots of news so far and barely a mention, let alone any outrage at the way they are playing politics with such an important issue. Will Australians be aware of the Liberals tactics? Probably not

Lyn

25/07/2012Hi Ad and Everybody Hi Janice, I'm so pleased you liked my new dress this morning, I wasn’t supposed to have that colour on though so had to take it off. You are such an appreciative person Janice ,thankyou for enjoying my work. Lady in Red :):):):) Talk Turkey glad you are enjoying Twitter, but you know I did warn you to practice time management all these things are addictive. Have fun. Jaycee, was it the Peter Lewis Article you were having trouble with, if so here is another link for you http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4150522.html Ad Astra here are a couple of the bad wishes being sent to the Prime Minister, I won’t tell you the authors so it will be a surprise for you he he he You will see a link below to The Campaign called Anyone But Abbott, the article first appeared in the Manly Daily and later in would you believe News Com. I want everyone to know this Anyone but Abbott campaign is being run by a Bunch of Liberals. Below is some Twitterati: Unlike with Howard, this time it's easy to write it's time for PM to go http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/unlike-with-howard-this-time-its-easy-to-write-its-time-for-pm-to-go/story-e6frg7bo-1226434215826 Gillard stands fast despite poll woes http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/gillard-stands-fast-despite-poll-woes-20120724-22nlf.html Poor Newspoll shows it's time Labor heeded voters' call for change: Senator Mark Bishop http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/poor-newspoll-shows-its-time-labor-heeded-voters-call-for-change-senator-mark-bishop/story-fn59niix-1226433738200 Latika Bourke ‏ Federal Opposition savaging today's #COAG result on #NDIS as a 'farce' of a 'half baked trial' for 'Labor mates'. Leroy‏ PM Gillard now has the #NDIS as a 2013 election issue and a point of differentiation based on sound policy and LNP tightwaddedness. #auspol David J Woollams ‏@absnsw Amazing to watch NSW's pathetic excuse for a premier at the #NDIS pretending that he actually cares about the scheme. #nswpol Grassroots campaign looks for leader to replace Tony Abbott http://www.news.com.au/national/grassroots-campaign-looks-for-leader-to-replace-tony-abbott/story-fndo4eg9-1226434876842?sv= The Gillard government has accused Tony Abbott of raising Australia's sovereign risk status and jeopardising jobs by proclaiming investments by Chinese state-owned enterprises would be rarely approved under a Coalition government. http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/government-hits-out-at-abbott-on-china-20120725-22pux.html#ixzz21cLlKAuA

TalkTurkey

25/07/2012Ad astra I don't know where some of the Labor MHRs and Senators learnt or rather failed to learn the principles of campaign strategy, let alone the meaning of Party loyalty and solidarity, but such as Senator Bishop take my breath away. Rats in the ranks. Rats to us all. Rats who spoil whole barrels of salted sprats deliberately by shitting in them. In wartime there's not a problem in dealing with them. In any ordinary parliament too. Only in this desperately tenuous situation can these traitorous damners-with-faint-praise rats sneak around doing vast damage to all the Left's interests. We shall prevail nonetheless. But it's awful that there are such people in our own midst. Greg Jericho on ABC24 The Drum. He says he's got a Down's Syndrome daughter and he's "just a tiny bit angry" at the LNP States refusing to NDIS. FFS GROG! "A tiny bit angry"? WTF will make you #*cking [i]FURIOUS?[/i] [i]I'm[/i] #*cking furious and I haven't even anybody disabled to worry about, What, Have they [i]Stepford Wived[/i] you? What wet talk is this, "a tiny bit angry"? There are many on this blog who hoped for something more pungent from you! Baillieu Neuman and O'Farrell are a bloody disgrace, why don't you say so?

2353

25/07/2012Good letter AA - I'd send a similar one to a Queensland Senator if the occasion arose. I doubt sending one to Rudd would do much good - I'm not in his electorate any more.

Lyn

25/07/2012Hi Min Congratulations on your new blog, thankyou for letting us know. I am sure you will be successful considering all the experience you have tucked up your sleeve. Best wishes to you. ::):):)

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25/07/2012Folks I thought Julia Gillard was superb on [i]7.30[/i] tonight, despite some pointed questioning by Leigh Sales. Strong, resolute, determined, gutsy, visionary and articulate. She's not going anywhere. Pity she has some lily-livered colleagues who do not have her resolve.

jaycee

25/07/2012Nothing wrong with THAT interview....The Prime Minister looked good, sounded very good and came over every inch a leader....AND....a sensitive leader. Agree, AA..she's not going anywhere but back to The Lodge.

Lyn

25/07/2012Hi Ad Thankyou for sharing email to Senator Mark Bishop. This is what the Liberal Paty have tweeted, don't be too horrified: Liberal Party @LiberalAus Hope. Reward. Opportunity. Liberal Party of Australia. Authorised by Brian Loughnane, Liberal Party of Australia, Cnr Blackall & Macquarie Sts, Barton ACT 2600 Australia · http://www.liberal.org.au/ Tweeted @ 6pm Liberal Party‏ NDIS - Only mates need apply http://bit.ly/MVTLEA #auspol #MyLiberal Greg Moran‏ Oh dear what a pathetic @LiberalAus tweet Workchoices 2. Because all we really care about is playing politics RT @LiberalAus NDIS - Only mates need apply http://bit.ly/MVTLEA #auspol #MyLiberal ABC News‏ breaking Federal Court releases more than 800 pages of evidence in the Peter Slipper case brought by James Ashby 7.30pm report :- Concera Vota‏ JuliaGillard PM Julia Gillard was magnificent & inspirational @abc730 tonight. Neil Adolphson‏ To anyone who watched #abc730 tonight who still prefers Tony Abbott to the Prime Minister, you've got rocks in your head! #leadership jane power‏ abc730 @leighsales very deliberate strategic interview. But @JuliaGillard was amazing. Listen to her @fitzhunter krONik‏ Did you see @JuliaGillard on the #730Report too? #awesome #winner #AUSpol RT @aninoritse: My girl done good!!! Irate Citizen JuliaGillard I have never been more Proud to call u PM Zac Spitzer‏ JuliaGillard strong interview, I love our Power Fox PM Brisbane Coalition MP quizzed in Federal Police probe Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/brisbane-coalition-mp-quizzed-in-federal-police-probe-20120725-22qfl.html#ixzz21d1Mm9zM

Michael

25/07/2012You wonder why Leigh Sales wanted to become a journalist when, after listening to Julia Gillard explain precisely why she entered politics, that this was the arena for her, this was the career that called her to contribute and strive to excel, all Sales could ask was whether that's how she'd express herself over drinks with friends? If Leigh Sales didn't have the fire in her belly to work and strive to excel and prove herself THE person to come to when the big chair at The 7.30 Report became vacant, then perhaps she COULD ask as dim a question as 'the mates having a drink' line. Or did she just prove that by framing such a question? Prove that she was just standing in the right doorway when someone span the bottle to find a new host for the re-badged 7.30? Presumably high-profile journalists know how hard they've worked and what's driven them to reach the heights in their career that they have, and have the vocabulary to lucidly explain what's got them there... so why on Earth can't Leigh Sales listen to just such a lucid explanation from the Prime Minister without suggesting it can't be truly comprehensible unless it's expressed as barroom chatter? Oh... Perhaps she feels Australians won't comprehend lucidly expressed motivation and career-shaping decisions and actions such as our Prime Minister did express, and I expect Ms Sales could do about herself if asked, because, because... It couldn't be because she thinks Aussies are only capable of understanding alcohol-fueled monosyllabic backyard barbecue chatter? Could it? The host of 7.30? Nah, that would be condescending. Patronising. Indicating belief that her own audience is just a little dim, just a little... parochial? Never.

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25/07/2012Hi Lyn, jaycee, Michael It seems others thought Julia was superb too. Her answers dwarfed Leigh Sales' questions, and Leigh herself. Leigh ought to go home and strive to be as good as Julia.

jane

25/07/2012ToM, how does being an MP make Craig Thomson's alleged crime worse than Jackson's? If she's embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from the union she headed, it's no less inexcusable than what you and the Liars Party have accused him of doing. Williamson has been president of the ALP. So what? Jackson was head of HSUeast, the union she's ripped off to the tune of $270,000/year and has done bugger all for the members and that somehow makes her less culpable? I call bullshit. Ditto, wixxy. He's done the research and it's there for all to see on his site and IA. Just because you don't like what he says, doesn't make it wrong.

Truth Seeker

25/07/2012Michael, in regards to your earlier post on King Camp bell, the writing was on the wall from the outset, when he employed P Costello to audit the QLD books. When the report was released, it was reported that (from memory) QLD "COULD BE"in debt by as much as $100 Billion by 2016. And we all know that that figure was arrived at according to his own creative accounting methods. Then the first time that the illustrious QLD treasurer (good old whats his name) held a press conference, he stated that QLD "WAS" $100 Billion in debt, completely ignoring the "COULD BE" and the fact that even Costello said by 2016. They get botched figures to justify their backflips, and they still feel the need to further embellish, no that should read LIE. I wonder how those swinging voters in Ashgrove are feeling now.

jaycee

25/07/2012This is the Email I sent to Senator Bishop....bloody right-wingers in the Labor Party!!?? Dear Senator Bishop. When I saw your smirking face last night on the ABC. I thought; "there's a man hungry for attention"....but in reality, you were just shooting your clumsy mouth off! As a diehard Labor supporter, I would remind you that there are many millions who have more to lose than yourself if sfb.Abbott gains power. Please, for the sake of those millions, if you want to stick your oar in, do it in unison with your colleagues and in the correct direction! Support your leader, after all, if those of the LNP. don't find it too dirty supporting a tu*d, surely you can keep your hands clean supporting a saint! Regards....Joe Carli.

DMW

25/07/2012[b]From lukewarm to wedge issue: how Labor could use Gonski at the next election[/b] Nick Economou @TheConversation [i]... there is an increasing political imperative to re-visit education. With Labor doing so poorly in the polls (particularly in the light of the way it handled the climate change policy debate), there is an urgent need for the Gillard government to push a policy issue to which it might be able to get a positive reaction.[/i] http://theconversation.edu.au/from-lukewarm-to-wedge-issue-how-labor-could-use-gonski-at-the-next-election-8392 Given the response of the four Liberal/National Premiers to the NDIS it would be big ask to have them stump up money for a better education system, but, done well (and that is a tall order) it could just wedge the opposition and be the corner that needs turning.

Lyn

26/07/2012TODAY’S LINKS The masters of propaganda, Independent Australia In an act of propaganda brilliance, they have lately made sure that the word ‘boss’ applies only to union leaders, not the captains of industry or those in charge of gigantic money-trading corporations, who bear the much softer-sounding title — CEO. http://www.independentaustralia.net/2012/philosophy/economics-2/the-masters-of-propaganda/ Jesus Christ Pose, Wixxy, Wixxy leaks The truly sad thing is both the Labor Party and the Greens need each other, it is unfortunate but true. We need all the help we can to fight the Coalition, even the English and French managed to work together, somewhat, to beat the Nazi’s, not that I’m making the same comparison http://wixxy.wordpress.com/2012/07/25/jesus-christ-pose/ The Truth about Rudd, Robert Gottliebsen, The Power Index It's time to tell the truth about Kevin Rudd. He is one of the most talented people in the federal parliament and he is an excellent campaigner but he has a fatal flaw. To be prime minister you must be able to run a cabinet. Kevin simply does not have that talent so governments under his prime ministership are chaotic affairs http://www.thepowerindex.com.au/analysis/the-truth-about-kevin-rudd Ruddstoration mania, Massive Spray, Spray of The Day The ALP need to stay the course with Gillard and push back hard. Now is the time to get stuck in. Any time some media arse-clown throws specious bullshit at you return it back with a healthy serve of contempt and derision. Don’t award them the respect they don’t have…if the MSM is not playing fair don’t play their game. Get some decent media people on board and use the new http://sprayoftheday.wordpress.com/2012/07/25/ruddstoration-mania/ Many Questions for an ABC News limited host inside a News Ltd bubble, Uthers Say In all your speculation about the possible return of Kevin Rudd as Labor leader, do you ever conceive that you, the News Ltd press and the news limited ABC have kept that speculation going through times when there has been little substance to the stories, little support for Kevin Rudd (even before, during and after the February media frenzy that led to the vote) http://utherssay.com/ Sterner Stuff, Sal Piracha, Only The Depth Varies Introduced the Mining Tax, Deployed NBN, Increased Super Contributions to 12%, Unemployment half the world average, Lowest interest rates in 60 years, Lowest Government debt of all, Triple A rated economies, Introduced National Disability Insurance Scheme, 63 new regional cancer centres ,New medical funding programme, Public Dental Health Scheme, http://onlythedepthvaries.blogspot.com.au/ The Three Waves Of Nauru Anguish, Wendy Bacon, New Matilda As people pop champagne corks at the end of 2003, 35 asylum seekers, 18 of whom are in hospital, remain on hunger strike on Nauru. The Howard government is taking a hard line. Labor’s Immigration spokesperson Stephen Smith urges the government to talk to NZ which is reported to be prepared to take more asylum seekers. http://newmatilda.com/2012/07/25/three-waves-nauru-anguish Why the carbon-tax ‘python’ won’t squeeze the economy , Alan Pears, The Conversation So we are already emitting less carbon per unit of economic activity as we work smarter and the structure of economy changes. The cost of a given carbon price per unit of economic activity is already on the decline. So the carbon price may increase, but its impact on overall costs for Australians won’t increase https://theconversation.edu.au/why-the-carbon-tax-python-wont-squeeze-the-economy-8375 Experts: carbon price debate ‘confuses’ response. Eco News Climate change experts say relentless political debate over the carbon price has confused the public and slowed Australia’s response to global warming. Climate Commission member Gerry Hueston says the heated argument over carbon pricing is baffling http://econews.com.au/news-to-sustain-our-world/experts-carbon-price-debate-confuses-response/ RBA governor Glenn Stevens says economy on track – three reasons he wants us to be cheerful, Smart Company Amid all the reports of a possible crash in housing prices and a break-up in Europe causing financial catastrophe, Stevens said in a speech yesterday the economy is still performing extremely well, and that overall, the country’s performance has been “remarkably good” http://www.smartcompany.com.au/economy/050881-rba-governor-glenn-stevens-says-economy-on-track-three-reasons-he-wants-us-to-be-cheerful.html Vulture Journalism, Mike Seccombe, The Global Mail Some focussed on the social-media blunder when Seven News removed the anguished Facebook comment of a bereaved mother who’d been harrassed by their TV reporter. But the odious culture of the “death knock” is as old as journalism itself. It’s just getting worse. http://www.theglobalmail.org/feature/vulture-journalism/315/ THE GREEN JUGGERNAUT-, Nic Stuart asked if the Greens had attempted negotiating separately with the Liberals to achieve a better outcome for the environment. It was a mistake. We continued talking, but it was no longer a real conversation. Eye contact stopped. My question had unintentionally revealed I was an outsider. To me, the suggestion that the Greens might be prepared to http://nicstuart.blogspot.com.au/2012/07/the-green-juggernaut.html Gillard called to stop making 'private' deals with media owners, Ad News It was reported yesterday in The Australian that Gillard had written to the chief executives of seven media companies, saying that she was willing to compromise on the issue of media regulation. The letter indicated the Labor Government might be open to discussing stronger forms of self-regulation, rather than imposing a new regulatory body, as suggested by the Finkelstein inquiry http://www.adnews.com.au/adnews/gillard-called-to-stop-making-private-deals-with-media-owners Rundle: the nightmare of the fatally weak at News’ top, Guy Rundle, Crikey His aged mother can build all the concert halls she likes, he can tweet all his mad thoughts daily when Wendi lets him have the phone, but News Limited is a palace built on shit and blood, and that is where many of his erstwhile inner circle will be living for years to come. http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/07/25/rundle-the-nightmare-of-the-fatally-weak-at-news-top/ Malcolm’s Myths, NBN Myths Given his tasking by opposition leader Tony Abbott to “demolish the NBN“, it should come as no surprise that Malcolm Turnbull is one of the largest sources of mistruth and FUD relating to the network. So much so, that he has now earned a dedicated page on this blog http://nbnmyths.wordpress.com/malcolms-myths/ Record levels of online shopping in Australia, NBN Co More than half of Australia now shops online, and total spend is growing annually at 14.1 per cent. PwC forecasts that Australians will spend $26.9 billion online each year by 2016 Online shopping from stores overseas has jumped 20 per cent in the last year, and represents 45 per cent of Australia's online shopping http://nbnco.com.au/blog/record-levels-online-shopping-australia.html IGA: Keep serving the community, say no to profits from pokies, Getup It's been reported today that Metcash, the grocery wholesaler that operates grocery chain IGA, is on the brink of making a deal that would see it buying up pubs and profiting from dangerous and addictive poker machine revenue http://www.getup.org.au/campaigns/pokies-reform/iga/iga-keep-serving-the-community-say-no-to-profits-from-pokies?t=dXNlcmlkPTc0NjcxNixlbWFpbGlkPTg5Mg%3D%3D Coalition Premiers Opt Out Of NDIS Trial; COAG Fractures, Australian Politics today as the four coalition premiers refused to sign up to a trial of the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS http://australianpolitics.com/2012/07/25/coalition-premiers-opt-out-of-trial-of-national-disabilities-scheme.htmlhe political pressure on Prime Minister Julia Gillard stepped up a notch Today’s Front Pages Australia Newspaper Front Pages for 26 July 2012 http://www.frontpagestoday.co.uk/index.cfm?PaperCountry=Australia

TalkTurkey

26/07/2012[b]GO *J*U*L*I*A*![/b] With that little lower lip of yours set at [i]"I'll Do It Anyway!"[/i],I love you for the great good you and our Government, undaunted by the razor's-edge majority, have achieved for Australians in face of the most egregious multi-faceted hate campaign I have ever seen. I have never seen you lose your focus, much less your temper. Even when being manhandled (ostensibly for your own protection) by a squad of Gorillas at breakneck pace down stone steps (and off-balance because of them at that) you still had the decency and the presence of mind to check that Tony Abbortt was safe! You are AMAZING! Me, I would have been hoping that he DID get his neck broken, erm 'accidentally', by the Gorillas. (In reversed positions I know what Abbortt would have been praying for your pretty neck too,[i]as if.)[/i] Last night with Leigh Sales you were flawless. It never matters with you what gotchas interviewers try,(and they try EVERY time), you quickstep to your own message and you say it as it needs to be said. *Don't Write Crap* is legend. May you still be our Prime Minister in 2020.

Ad astra

26/07/2012LYN'S DAILY LINKS updated: http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/page/LYNS-DAILY-LINKS.aspx

TalkTurkey

26/07/2012From Lyn's Links today Sterner Stuff, Sal Piracha, Only The Depth Varies Introduced the Mining Tax, Deployed NBN, Increased Super Contributions to 12%, Unemployment half the world average, Lowest interest rates in 60 years, Lowest Government debt of all, Triple A rated economies, Introduced National Disability Insurance Scheme, 63 new regional cancer centres ,New medical funding programme, Public Dental Health Scheme, http://onlythedepthvaries.blogspot.com.au/ [b]Yeah but think how much better this could all have been under a good wise competent Abbortt-led Government . . ! [/b]

Ad astra

26/07/2012Folks As the power will be off for most of the day, I'm turning off my iMac. I'll be back later in the day.

jaycee

26/07/2012What is one to make of those three cream-puff Liberal Premiers rejecting the disability trial scheme?..."Are we deadbeats?..You betcha!" "Are we crawlers for T. Abbott?..You betcha!".."Are we heartless basta*ds who couldn't REALLY give a flying fig for crippled kids?...You bloody betcha."..."...think how much better this country would be under a LNP. government."

Ian

26/07/2012I can't get TPS to fill the page. There is a 2 inch margin on either side. Any ideas?

Michael

26/07/2012July 26. 2012 08:32 AM Jaycee's comment. Will anyone out there actually see this? Realise just what crass depths the Coalition will sink to in order to paint Labor as 'bad'? The electorate swallow(ed) the rest of their s**t.

LadyInRed

26/07/2012Julia was magnificent last night. I was so proud to have her as our PM. She is able to dissociate from the leadership tripe to pursue what may be her one chance to really make a difference. So, take notice all you speculators and weaklings in the NSW right faction and Howes and you union nobody wanabees.... the lot of you who want power for powers sake. The PM [b]uses[/b]her current power for the betterment of this nation and that is afterall what it [b]should be about.[/b] I think Sales knew she was in the presence of someone who is driven not by populism but by outcomes. To be fair to Sales I think she gave the PM more time to answer than Uhlmann would have done and for that I think she did a good job. I think Sales tried to get to get a bit closer by asking Julia what it is like to have the unpopularity, but the PM has learnt how to dissociate herself from the media. There is not a trap they can set for her that she will fall into. And who can blame her after the way one thing said without thought gets magnified and magnified then villified and bent out of all proportion.

Lyn

26/07/2012Hi Ian Good Question been worrying me for ages. The page won't move. I have the print on 150% here and have 3 inch cream wall on left of white page and 3 inch of black wall on either side. My computer is a 26 inch screen but reading width of TPS only about 8 inches wide, full width cannot be used on TPS. Maybe when Ad Adtra gets re-connected to the power he will know what to do. :):):)

DMW

26/07/2012Ian @ 10:03 AM If using Windows hold down the Ctrl key and press the + (plus) key two or three times and the screen image will get bigger. Use the scroll bar at the bottom of the screen to centre the page. If the image is to big you can use Ctrl and the - (minus) key to reduce it. On Macs, instead of the Ctrl key you use the key with that funny symbol that looks like the # with circles rounding off the ends that I can't recall the name of :)

LadyInRed

26/07/2012I am on a laptop. I have a 2" chocolate band on left, followed by a 2" grey band, about 6" of TPS, then another 2" of chocolate band. TPS has never been any different. Sometimes I have trouble loading at all - like last week I kept getting incompatability messages. Yesterday I had lots of trouble with the reCAPTCHA software. But its better today.

2353

26/07/2012[quote]I can't get TPS to fill the page. There is a 2 inch margin on either side. Any ideas?[/quote] It's the Carbon Tax!

DMW

26/07/20122353, [i]It's the Carbon Tax[/i] As you are in CanDoQld suspect it is more likely to be the lack of disability insurance :P

2353

26/07/2012DMW - you could be right - either way it's the Gummits fault :D :D. They should protect us from this, while reducing taxation, increasing services, not invading my privacy and stopping whatever they need to stop today to appease LOTO! At the same time they need to find money to avoid us becoming like Spain, employ a few mates on great salaries while sacking hundreds of non-political staff and being applauded for going back on every inducement they muttered to gain office. Seriously. . . The media is starting to read the emails between Ashby, Brough and Lewis. There are some interesting snippets on the Fairfax News sites which I'm sure will be added to and amended during the day.

42 long

26/07/2012On a slightly different note( but topical), is it appropriate for Chris Uhlman to co-author a book with a prominent News Ltd reporter, whilst working an the capacity he does, with the ABC? Why is it that those who champion the need for unfettled free speech,( when ever bias is suggested) are employed by the monopoly owner of the media, where being able to read the corporate mind is a pre requisite for continued employment. Murdoch's vehemant attack on the BBC, as " biggest threat to FREE speech" gives insight to how he views the ABC. The ABC's integrity is under threat right now. This is why we should look closely on all aspects of it's ( the ABC's)management and function, as an independent (free of financial/business, government influence. "Auntie" watchers feel that it is gone already. this shouldn't be happening, so keep up the fight, and be aware. The goings on in tne UK have great ramifications for the Murdock "Image", world wide. Australia is not isolated from the ideology and aims of the same organisation, by being on the other side of the world.

Psyclaw

26/07/2012 I notice that someone put this up yesterday: [i]She is and has not been president of the ALP. Williamson is, and he’s far more entitled to close scrutiny. [/i] In reply, just a little bit of history is needed. A former president of the Liberals was found not guilty of a major fraud (rob Elders IXL of $8million) on a technicality ..... the police's crucial phone tap evidence in which he admitted the crime was deemed inadmissable ..... fool police didn't get a warrant to tap the phone. This brazen egotistical person is still on the hustings as though butter wouldn't melt in his mouth (eg QANDA) giving arrogant advice to anyone fool enough to trust him.

LadyInRed

26/07/2012DMW That worked! Thanks.

jaycee

26/07/2012Has anybody else noticed how quiet the LNP. ministers have gone?...I'm gravely suspicious..a rule of thumb I use is ; "if they're not whinging or screamin', they sure to be schemin'" Even Brandis, with a mouth that would take the hydraulic rams of Blanchetown Lock 1 to keep shut is in a vow of silence...like a novice nun! The only one who is vocal is Pyne..but hey! :forever the dry-bearing squeeky shopper-trolly wheel!...AND a bit wobbly!...AND; always pulls to the right! Seriously though, be on your guard...they are a scheming bunch of filth and they have the example of Rupert's morality to guide them...:NONE!

Michael

26/07/2012Re Jaycee's observation that LNP shadow ministers are all silent at the moment. Could it be that dyed in the wool, deep in the bone control freak Peta Credlin has issued a threat-of-disendorsement "say nothing" edict while she and Abbott are overseas? Smells like that to me - if any comment can't be filtered through 'head office' while 'head office' is overseas and incommunicado, then there won't be ANY comment. Marries in well with the reported paranoia and siege mentality that the Credlin-crush-all-enemies Abbott office controls things with while he's here. As to why Pyne is still chattering... has anyone ever shut him up? On the other hand, and this is sheer fairytale stuff, could it be that even LNP types heave a huge sigh of relief when the attack dog is not baying in their ears, and actually give the vitriol a rest? Yeah, fairytale stuff.

LadyInRed

26/07/2012 jaycee I suspect they are missing daddy. The scepticism in this country doesn't equate to reality. This is an interesting read: [i]The good economic news keeps rolling in and still Labor struggles to claim credit for it. Ben Eltham on why Wayne Swan won't get the thanks he deserves[/i] http://newmatilda.com/2012/07/26/different-ends-economic-universe What to do? You rarely see on the ABC any real positive reporting on the economy without it being dragged down by comments from the opposing point of view. That leaves the viewers with very little option but to choose sides. That's not balance, when the opposing view is not based on facts. How about some scrutiny of the opposing side to help people make an informed choice? I despair. Then there is this. Is it really naval gazing that is puuling Labor down?: [i]Labor's navel-gazing, moreover, obscures the fact that very little policy has been generated on the other side of politics in the 4½ years since the Coalition lost office. Conservative politics is arguably experiencing a crisis of personnel, policy development and ideological torpor every bit as severe as Labor's.[/i] http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/no-is-never-a-policy-20120725-22qps.html

42 long

26/07/2012I think it is "don't say ANYTHING till the Messiah returns" and we can then get our new instructions for the next part of the plot that will deliver US government. Trust me I have it from DOG.

Lyn

26/07/2012Hi Ad and Everybody Twitterverse: 'Mal Brough and James Ashby in league on Peter Slipper', say court documents http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/mal-brough-and-james-ashby-in-league-on-peter-slipper-say-court-documents/story-fn59niix-1226435234064 Brough and Ashby contact revealed: papers http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/brough-and-ashby-contact-revealed-papers-20120726-22sz8.html?utm_sourcr Ashby asked for trip with Slipper According to the government, documents released by the Federal Court raise fresh questions about the involvement of senior Liberal Joe Hockey in the sexual harassment case against Mr Slipper. ‘‘Each day we see more and more information that is suggesting there were multiple members of the coalition ... that were in this up to their eyeballs,’’ Assistant Treasurer David Bradbury told Sky News. http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/ashby-asked-for-trip-with-slipper-20120725-22rf1.html ManO'Steel(town)‏ #Slippergate Fed Court docs dynamite! http://www.fedcourt.gov.au/courtdocuments/ashby_cth.html - NB vol-1, pt-1 & who arranged James Ashby's $1 legal costs #LNP #qldpol #auspol Ashby asked for trip with Slipper http://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/ashby-asked-for-trip-with-slipper-20120725-22rf1.html Slipper staffer contacted Brough before suing Overnight the Federal Court released two volumes of hundreds of pages of documents, including extracts from Mr Slipper's diary which Mr Ashby sent to Mr Brough. http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-07-26/slipper-staffer-contacted-brough-before-suing/4155354 LNP appointees don't need the money: Newman Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has dismissed nepotism claims, saying many of the highly paid people appointed by his government don't need the money and see their work as civic duty One controversial appointment was former Northern Territory chief minister Shane Stone, reportedly added as chair of government-owned corporation Energex, for $77,000 a year. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/lnp-appointees-dont-need-the-money-newman-20120726-22t7h.html#ixzz21h4iD4od Company admits it misled over gas price rise COMPANY that makes gas for fridges has been forced to admit it misled its customers by blaming a 300 per cent price rise on the carbon tax http://m.theage.com.au/national/company-admits-it-misled-over-gas-price-rise-20120725-22r1m.html Political bipartisanship is essential for an NDIS http://m.theaustralian.com.au/news/opinion/political-bipartisanship-is-essential-for-an-ndis/story-e6frg71x-1226435149662 ArtsAccessAustralia‏ Michelle Grattan writes the Liberal Premiers should feel shame for refusing extra dollars for #NDIS trial: http://latika.me/N3oKhd Coalition to dump Gonski reforms: Pyne THE federal Coalition has revealed it will repeal any legislation passed to introduce the Gonski reforms to the school funding system if elected to government next year http://m.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/coalition-to-dump-gonski-reforms-pyne-20120725-22qy6.html Abbott's visit like a bull in a China shop, Steve Price anyone who refuses to admit there is a deep niggling doubt about Tony Abbott is delusional. His first visit to China as Opposition Leader will have alarm bells ringing in the shadow cabinet and it nudges the door ajar for Labor. Whether you think the message will play well at home or not, it's not a good idea on your first trip there to start lecturing the Chinese Communist Party about the structure of their political system. Imagine sitting in that audience as a Chinese businessman and hearing Tony Abbott lecture you that he didn't like Chinese state-owned organisations coming to Australia and buying up Aussie assets He would have to be dragged kicking and screaming but defence minister Tony Abbott has a nice ring to it. http://www.heraldsun.com.au/opinion/abbotts-visit-like-a-bull-in-a-china-shop/story-e6frfhqf-1226435188689 Financial Review‏ The inventor of banks that are too big to fail, Sandy Weill, says it's time to break up Wall Street's giants [free] http://bit.ly/MHfCop Jewel Topsfield‏ Coalition reveals it will repeal any legislation to introduce #Gonski reforms if elected to government http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/coalition-to-dump-gonski-reforms-pyne-20120725-22qy6.html #ozed Sky News Australia‏ Gillard rejects changes to the GST http://bit.ly/Po1EGs Brisbane Times‏ Know the latest on changes to government jobs and services with our Queensland Public Service Watch http://ow.ly/cv14t TAWNBPM‏ Abbott's relentless fear campaign is shown to be the narcissistic nonsense all thinking people knew it to be ...... http://fb.me/2dxbIlBp8 Popi‏ Unions call for action plan | http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/story/2012/07/25/unions-call-for-action-plan-rockhampton/The last time the LNP was in power in Qld,Rockhampton suffered ,Qld in Chaos. TAWNBPM‏ Looks like NSW and VIC are getting cold feet about blocking the NDIS. Let's hope that the partisan wall of the... http://fb.me/2dk4wlOvz Ken Sekiya‏ abcnews: #Breaking: Caltex says carbon tax had no material impact on its decision cc @JoeHockey @howespaul Elliot Giakalis‏ Just when you thought Newman couldn’t sink any lower: QLD gov scraps wheelchair passenger bonus for cab drivers http://couriermail.com.au/news/queensland-government-scraps-650-wheelchair-passenger-bonus-for-taxi-drivers/story-e6freon6-1226435504571 #qldpol

LadyInRed

26/07/2012Have a look at this photo of Abbott with a Chinese official. Body language says it all. Abbott the aggressor coming into the personal space of another and that person having to lean away to make room for the gorilla. Its all about me, just me, swinging in the breeze.... its all about me? http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/opinion/politics/abbotts-chinese-dance-20120724-22mrm.html

42 long

26/07/2012I don't think Labour are particularly navel gazing. All political parties should constantly review their policies and their relevence. The labour party wears this process on it's sleeve a bit as it is fairly open. The stirring media and political press are the incestuous ones who feed on themselves and their own professed significance that only exists in their minds, because there is nothing DECENT or substantial out there to fill the vaccuum if they write nothing.. Wixxy's discussion with a few Greens supporters today has been enlightening as to the green sentiment. I side mostly with wixxyt's sanguine view of their relevence. The real politics are done by doing the achievable, not pontificating how "pure" you motives are, and patting yourself on the back. Greens HAVE to accept the results of THEIR actions. For Adam Bandt to argue primary vote being the essence and ignoring the fact that He is only there by preferences is very SELECTIVE thinking.

Gravel

26/07/201242 long Thank you for all your great posts, I enjoy reading your point of view. I am just wondering why you spell Labor as Labour? I have been meaning to ask you this for ages. Julia was again brilliant on the 7.30 report. I haven't watched it for ages but when I heard she was on I did and it was well worth it. I even listened to her on 774 this morning, Faine was being his usual sarcky self but she just continued on as if he was a mosquito drone in the background. Bailleau got a blasting on the test messages and most of the phone calls.

jaycee

26/07/2012here's something to think about...: Over at Wixxyleaks, there is an article covering the Labor/Green divide. As here, there is this distinction drawn between the two parties claiming the Greens are the Left-Wing Labor used to be! That the Greens display(mark that; "display")left-wing tendencies, I have given some thought to and have concluded that sure, some of their social policies certainly are left-wing, but some of their economic policies go off the radar...could this be because while the "old-school" left apply time honoured Marxist/rationalist theory to reach policy, this new generation are more "post-modernist" left-wing? The Greens certainly have strict and honourable ideology, but are somewhat hamstrung by the (sometimes ghastly) Realpolitik of a situation. This seems to box them into a corner and allows no room to move on some issues. What do youse think?

42 long

26/07/2012Grovel I will try harder. Labor labor labor. It doesn't look right. perhaps I'm thinking of hard labour. Thanx for your comments

Jason

26/07/201242 long, It's Gravel!

LadyInRed

26/07/2012[i]Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has dismissed nepotism claims, saying many of the highly paid people appointed by his government don't need the money and see their work as civic duty [/i] Here's an idea since they are so civic minded and don't need the money and Qld hasn't got any anyway - they can work for $1. Thanks yet again for the great links Lyn - you save me soooo much time keeping abreast of everything.

LadyInRed

26/07/201242 long Not so sure about the naval gazing. At least some who seem to haunt the corridors of power briefing journo's are naval gazing. I take naval gazing to mean seeing how Labor is traveling in the opinion polls rather than focusing on the policy outcomes and making sure they get the good news out there. While the focus is on yourself (internal) you cannot be doing the selling (outward) as well. KRudd is a naval gazer and he does have his supporters who no doubt look at each others navals, as well as there own while looking at Labor's, and Kev's all the time. That's a lot of naval gazing. While that's happening they leave Julia to steer the good ship. Get on with the job all you naval gazers, stop worrying about what might never happen, I say.

2353

26/07/2012Isn't it funny when I make a comment like this on this blog [quote]Over at Wixxyleaks, there is an article covering the Labor/Green divide. As here, there is this distinction drawn between the two parties claiming the Greens are the Left-Wing Labor used to be! [/quote], I'm shouted down. When Peter Wicks makes it, it's worth repeating on this blog. Sometimes some people here need to stop the ideology and actually think.

Lyn

26/07/2012Hi Gravel Ad Astra will tell you about Labor and Labour. There is an historic story, I think it goes years and years and years ago one of the Prime Ministers spelt it Labor by mistake then the party adopted Labor. Funny that always a reason for everything. Somebody said the LNP or Coalition are quiet except for Pyne, well I think they are busy reading the 800 pages of documents released by the Courts on the Slipper Ashby case. Anyway if they are not they should be, there is some pretty damning evidence there. Cheers:):)

jaycee

26/07/20122353....Peter Wicks didn't make that comment, I did....and I'm not quite sure what you are getting at! Please explain?

2353

26/07/2012Sorry jaycee - I thought Peter Wicks made the comment. When I made a similar observation (that the Greens were "recruiting" the ALP left while the ALP was going to the right) a couple of months ago, there was an amount of vitriol in my direction by certain regular posters. Someone else makes a similar comment and seemingly it sails through to the keeper. It wasn't a complaint at you post by any means. I agree with you, a lot of the more progressive voters in Australia now got e for the Greens rather than the ALP as election results consistently show.

Psyclaw

26/07/2012Regardless of who said what first about the Greens/Labor here are the facts. 1) The Greens are a mob of high principled??? sit-on-hands, handwringing, crying, do nothing, talk focussed, short sighted, impotent, inward reflecters. 2) Their behaviour re the CPRS kept the AGW issue alive for Minchin the denier to have Abbott installed when the in-faith agreement was struck. 3) Had the Greens passed the CPRS, it would now be part of settled history. Turnbull would still be LOTO and Abbott would certainly not have been elevated. Make no mistake, the Greens inflicted Abbott on Australia. They gave us the polarisation, vitriol, pugilism, take-no-prisoners climate that we now all suffer. 4) The Greens' reason (that the CPRS locked in property rights which would make any further changes to the scheme impossible is crap) ..... it's an excuse which is now their mantra. (s51, ss xxxi shows the reality that property rights can always be taken over by the C'w). 5) At present, the obstructionist Greens by taking the moral high ground (in their warped view) about ASs and reform of the Migration Act, the Greens are now taking definite steps to have Abbott elevated to PM. They are blindly repeating their silly conduct regarding the CPRS. With both the CPRS and ASs, the Greens have done /are doing just what Credlin wants them to do ..... keep particular issues which Abbott can make mileage out of, alive. If the Greens had half a brain they would realise that Step 1 must be to see Abbott off ..... an Abbottesque government is miles further from their philosophy than Labor. Step 2 would then be to pressure a Labor government to the best of their efforts. Funny how the Greens don't know that when faced with two evils, the lesser evil is the best option. Incidentally, there are many many aspects of Greens policy I wholeheartedly support. What I condemn is their self attributed "principles" which result in so much of what they believe in never seeing the light of day as legislation, and the way their inaction and obstructionism empowers Abbott.

jaycee

26/07/2012Yes, 2353...it is an interesting subject...worth debating if only to ascertain the possible directions either party is heading and if there can be a uniting force to get them to work together. So..; Modernism vs. Postmodernism. As an aside, I remember reading an essay by Thorsten Veblen (circa 1912) where he mentions "Post-Modernism" (note the hyphen!).

42 long

26/07/2012LEFT used to be the full Monty. workers of the world unite abolish capitalism and end wars. Classless egalitarian society, every body equal. women could work... work for the betterment of all. Stop religeon corrupting thought, and churches owning property. Josef Stalin was a good bloke. ( Always found that one a bit hard to believe.) Ending wars (well that seems like a good idea. we don't seem to have got far down that road) Not a very deep treatise on the subject, but you get the drift. Today if you want to give the underdog a fair go at being educated , fund state schools properly. have a universal medical scheme, train australians for australian jobs, allow rights of workers collective representaion etc, care for the planet beieve in the EPA, don't let rampant exploitation of the environment ruin the world etc You are a dirty, rotten, lefty, pinky, bludger, wouldn't work in a tub of yeast, union supporting GOD denying, duped by science instead of church dogma, worthless piece of excrement, & "why don't you let the market FIX everything" you cretin? and anyhow GOD hates "LOSERS" ( which you obviously are. The FINAL ignominy). Where do the greens fit in all of this? They are certainly not lefties in any historical sense. They are NOT all the same of course and I have thought( briefly) of joining them but I can't understand their structure and how they arrive at their policies. I think they are the natural repository of disenchanted somewhat idealistic people who do want to make the world a better place. They do have some weird policies and they can DO that because they will not have to put their policies to the test of governing a country in their own right. When and IF that time ever comes AND they don't adopt a different view, the country will come a big gutser.( Like Greece) By then their policies will have morphed into something else and a "new whacky" greens party will set up and take some of the members away and history will repeat itself as it always does. Remember when the Democrats bloomed and faded, having a consistency that nobody could keep happy, based on a "Keep the Bastards Honest" thought bubble. The POWERFUL in a society will always have the obvious advantages by definition but they don't have the numbers and can not assume to have the moral authority either. The "born to Rule" concept has passed it's use by date.

Ad astra

26/07/2012Folks I have just posted [i]Abbott and the Goebbels Factor[/i]. Enjoy. http://www.thepoliticalsword.com/post/2012/07/26/Abbott-and-the-Goebbels-Factor.aspx

DMW

26/07/20122353 @ 5:26 PM A song popped into my head as I read your comment [i]To dream the impossible dream ...[/i]

jaycee

26/07/2012I have some agreement in what you say, Psyclaw. I remember I could've banged my head against the wall when they kyboshed the cprs scheme. I do believe the mistake they are making is in the type of left-wing philosophy they are adopting...the postmodernist style of methodology cannot deliver solid, long-term results because of its' shifting base. such a shifting of values as the situation requires may suffice in opinion, but does not work in realpolitik....and THAT is where they are making the wrong decisions!

42 long

26/07/2012Jason... a play on words. I was grovel (ling) having Laboured under a miconception of the spelling of Labor, which looked a bit too "americanised" for me. Hence an explanation of my error. I do these things occasionally, lacking much obvious talent in other areas. One has to resort to such tactics to get noticed. I also specialise in "freudian slips" often. I used to say that I was incredibly humorous, but that only very intelligent people were able to pick it up, because of the distinct nature of it. That didn't work either. thank for replying. Keep the faith.

DMW

26/07/2012Psyclaw @ 6:06 PM [i]Make no mistake, the Greens inflicted Abbott on Australia.[/i] Interesting supposition. An alternative view would be that Rudd and his ill thought through political ploy of attempting to divide the opposition over the CPRS was a major factor. Mr Rudd's not even talking to the Greens was dumb, trying to play off one lot of Libs against another lot dumber and failing to call the bluff even dumber still. In an alternate history if Rudd had have called an election over the issue he would have seen off Abbott and would most likely still be in the chair.

Psyclaw

26/07/2012 [b]42 Long[/b] [quote]I think they are the natural repository of disenchanted somewhat idealistic people who do want to make the world a better place.[/quote] I quite agree with this quote and also your surmisal that the Greens have many good policy stances. But I think that their disenchantment comes from their failure to realise that it's not a perfect world, and that there are other opinions, some quite close to their own. This failure results in them being blind to compromise and pragmatism. Such people rarely get the joy of experiencing "a winner". One does not have to sacrifice all principle to be a pragmatic compromiser ...... all of our principles are a collection of some major ones set in concrete, and other's which are not 100% essential to our personal integrity. The Greens give equal status to all their principles, and this is unrealistic. Regarding the CPRS, I would have thought that a rational Green approach would be made up of a major, immutable principle such as "we must reduce carbon emissions" and lesser "principles" about how it should be done. Simply put, IMHO [i]something of what I want is better than nothing of what I want.[/i] Especially if the [i]nothing[/i] is exactly what the enemy wants. Having said that, quite strangely Ms Milne's negotiating, compromising and pragmatic role in the MCCC was first class. As I said above, if they could only realise that the first must-do task is to see off Abbott. After that they can engage with Labor or even a Coalition government (moderately led) to their hearts content. [b]DMW[/b] Yep, Rudd ignored the Greens ..... his mistake ....he suffered the consequences. But Rudd is not responsible for implementing Greens' policy. The Greens argued their spurious case in the Senate and voted accordingly ....... and shot themselves in the foot. They set up the scene for a double dissolution or a continuing hi profile, contentious debate about AGW. This spawned Abbott, per favour of Minchin and others. Watch and weep as they negligently do all they can to elevate Abbott to PM, by ensuring the AS matter is kept alive and well. [b]Jaycee[/b] Thanks for your thoughts.

DMW

26/07/2012Psyclaw, [i]Rudd is not responsible for implementing Greens' policy.[/i] Well knock me over with a feather Rudd was responsible for implementing his policy and he failed big time with [i]the great moral challenge[/i] If he had gone for policy and not politics he would have most likely succeeded and Abbott would have been left flat footed and most likely would have been out of the LotO job in short time. Rudd more than the Greens was (and still is) more responsible for Abbott's success and his continuing incumbency. [i](The Greens) set up the scene for a double dissolution ...[/i] and Rudd squibbed it.

jane

26/07/2012LIR @2.19pm, yet not a word of complaint by the compliant msm. Remember all the hoo ha wrt Latham's handshake with the Rodent? Hysteria writ large. Yet Liealot not only tries to bully the Chinese verbally, but also physically and he's hailed as a "tough talker" instead of a complete idiot. And @4.36pm, fat chance of that. Greedy and Grasping are their middle names.
T-w-o take away o-n-e equals?