Far from being the Christian that invited media into his church to film him praying and far from espousing the values of Christianity, our current Prime Minister thrives on division, spin and lies. This failed marketing man is a danger to all Australians — “divide and conquer” may be a well-worn cliché, but this is exactly what Scotty from Marketing does on a daily basis. A caring government is one that seeks to unite its citizens and work to build a better society for all, sadly we have a PM that seeks to feather his and his mates’ nests with his hideous politics of division.
Category: LNP Government
“They are trashing our democracy in the way they are dealing with this disgusting political cover-up,” Penny Wong [says] on Wednesday. “… This is all about protection of the prime minister, who is up to his neck in the sports rorts scandal. Well, I’ve got some news for the government: it’s too late. It’s too late for a cover-up when you’ve already been caught.”
Is it consternation or apoplectic rage? The shocked disbelief on Senator Erich Abetz’s typically saturnine features, Thursday, at a senate select committee on Administration of Sports Grants, or sports rorts sums up a disastrous fortnight for the Morrison-Gaetjens duumvirate that rules Australia when it’s not blaming the states, the COVID-19 Coronavirus, The Greens “creeping environmentalism” or Labor for its own failures.
via Trashing our democracy – » The Australian Independent Media Network
God Bless for the gift of the Corrupt Miracle (ODT)
It’s so easy to become complacent, so easy to accept the corruption, let alone the sheer incompetence of the Morrison government, so easy to let our preoccupation with the cricket or the football or the golf distract us from how our nation is being governed, how poorly our government is addressing the crucial issues of climate change, inequality, and a stuttering economy, and how incompetent, dishonest and corrupt our politicians have become. As the image that heads this piece highlights, money, and with it power and influence, is at the heart of all corruption, as the recent ‘sports rort’ saga so strikingly demonstrates.
If we let our leaders off the hook, we will have only ourselves to blame.
So this piece is a heartfelt call to be aware of the peril we face while the Morrison government is in charge, an earnest call for the courage to speak up loudly, a plea to call out its corruption, its self-serving behaviour, and its incompetence. Otherwise we are doomed. The corrupto-virus epidemic will continue unchecked. Unless we can bring about a change, our beloved country will wither, and we with it.
via Corrupto-virus threatens world governance – » The Australian Independent Media Network
via
Looking at The man who tried to market a miracle (ODT
Looking back over the last few years, I would sum it up like this:
We have a prime Minister who is not interested in honesty, does not seek the best for the Australian people, and has a single focus which is keeping his party – and himself – in power.
Integrity? MIA.
Transparency? MIA.
Suitability for office? Absolutely none!
Once more – this is my 2020 new Year Resolution:
“I will do everything in my power to enable Australia to be restored to responsible government.”
via The 3 Cs: Collusion, Corruption and the Coalition – » The Australian Independent Media Network
It goes to show just how American we have become. (ODT)
It doesn’t bear contemplating, now they’re gone, what they might have thought about a country that allowed its entire store of gas to be flogged off without first setting aside enough of the stuff to ensure the nation’s power grid continued humming and that consumers could afford to turn on a light switch.
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Most jurisdictions in Australia have an independent body that investigates apparent corruption in politics and government. The Federal Government doesn’t. Taylor has questions to answer over the water rights dealings noted above, as well as the apparent falsifying of data for political ends. McKenzie only ‘resigned’ once she became a political liability to Morrison.
In addition, it is currently being reported that Infrastructure Minister (and Deputy Prime Minister) McCormack awarded 94% of infrastructure grants to areas represented by the coalition political parties.
And they keep refusing to consider legislation for a ‘Federal ICAC’.
What do you think?
via Accountability in the Canberra bubble – » The Australian Independent Media Network
The massive Home Affairs Department, with a remit for “emergency management”, was entirely absent during the bushfire crisis and yet between 2016 and 2020, $9 billion of taxpayers’ money was spent on indefinite mandatory detention of men, women and children identified as refugees. Has a quarter or even a third of that amount been allocated as the Federal response package to the bushfire crisis?
Meanwhile, in the Coalition party room, even as nations around the world are committed to getting rid of the internal combustion engine – including Boris Johnson’s Britain – the commitment to coal has been reaffirmed. Like all regimes which place their own personal interests above all else, it is always the country, the nation, the majority of the people, the land, the water systems, the very air itself which are all weakened, polluted and made ill, often irretrievably.
Welcome to Australia’s own version of a new Easter Island story.
via Government failure has led to Australia becoming the new Easter Island
Peter Dutton pushes Fake News why is he allowed to get away with it? ODT)
Definition of Cognitive Dissonance
To put that into perspective below are a few companies to contrast the total number of jobs created:
Coles 112,000
Woolworths 100,000
McDonalds 90,000
KFC 34,000
Thermal coal industry 29,000But that isn’t what the Coalition is doing. Rather than offering a “Bush New Deal” to ensure its prosperity as it struggles to adapt to climate change and the drought, the Morrison Government is ensuring that Adani mine goes ahead, with a relative handful of jobs used as a justification.
via Dear ScoMo: KFC employs more Australians than thermal coal sector
The Coalition are the last party left standing against political donation reform, with Independent Senator Jacqui Lambie introducing a bill today that joins the reform pushes by the Greens, Labor, and Centre Alliance calling for greater transparency and disclosure of political donations.
via Dirty money is buying politics and party rooms – » The Australian Independent Media Network
While it is true, elimination of Australia’s 1.3% of global emissions won’t stop global climate change on its own, every little bit helps. Hugh Riminton points on the 10 Daily website
Our emissions, at less than two percent of global totals, will not be decisive in the fight. Therefore, it follows, we can change nothing. So let’s sprout new coal mines all over Queensland, and leave the issue to someone else.
And how gutless would that be?
In a nation that rightly reveres its ANZAC ideals, here’s a reminder: Australia has never beaten any deadly threat on our own.
We didn’t defeat Nazi Germany on our own.
But we did join the fight.
We didn’t defeat Japanese imperialism on our own.
But — by heaven — we were in the fight.
We did what we should be doing now. Seeking allies wherever we can find them, goading them into action, showing our willingness for the fight, and getting stuck in.
via Fiddling while Australia burns – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Liberal senator Jim Molan for his comments that he was “not relying on evidence” to form an opinion about climate change.
LNP Economic Management
In addition to some very serious problems with progress with the SEA 1000 program, there are some more fundamental questions to be addressed in the longer term. The first of these is whether the Attack class will embody the technologies required to be successful in its operations in the mid-2030s and beyond. In other words, will it be fit for purpose? An associated question is around the submarine’s cost effectiveness. The escalating cost of this acquisition means that the opportunity cost is also going up. With the submarines being designed mainly for joint operations with the US Navy, there are also significant risks in the future around whether a continuing US presence can be assumed.
via Scrap submarines project before it’s too late says former public service boss – Michael West
Another bet from a famous conservative caught my eye last week. The Times of London, owned by Rupert Murdoch, announced plans to launch a radio station. It seems likely that Murdoch, whose new station will “target those disenfranchised” by the BBC, is continuing to bet heavily on political polarisation as a major force in media.
It’s also a bet on radio and a prediction that the conservative government will not be kind to the national broadcaster. (It will be interesting to see if Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison follows British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on this, though the ABC’s coverage of the bushfires has made that harder.)
Any notion of power for the Common Good has been tossed. (ODT)
The cynical logic goes like this: it’s in the country’s interest that you stay in power, so any means to achieve that end is justified
LNP Management has increased surveillance in Australia X10 yet they are unable to collect taxes from Australia’s wealthiest and greatest avoiders. The smell of dead fish isn’t a stench coming from the Murray Darling alone it’s much closer to the ACT. (ODT)
Australia’s Shame…. ” Climate Change is Crap” Australia’s PM Tony Abbott (ODT)
Oh Tony Abbott will be disappointed!! He wanted us to be ever so British and an honarary member of NATO and a leading member of the global Coalition. The LNP wante to even be world Arms Dealer and not just a buyer. It seems his and the LNP thought bubble have been well and truley popped. (ODT)
As with climate policy, Australia’s leadership is too close to America, too close to Rupert Murdoch and too weak to secure the country from future military threats. This is the second in the “Second Rate Leadership”, series by former public service chief Jon Stanford.
“Does the minister agree that, whatever debate there may be concerning the principle of ministerial responsibility, the practice has almost invariably been that a minister resigns when his or her continued presence is causing damage and embarrassment to that government?” John Howard
While Australia bleeds, corporate multi-nationals are ripping us off blind, none more so than the major accounting firms.
As the nation watches its environment undergo perhaps the worst hit to its resilience with ongoing water shortages, a bushfire catastrophe, accompanied by declines in our gross domestic product (GDP) through unprecedented losses to agriculture, tourism, business, biodiversity and timber resources, major accounting firms are reaping the benefit of our privatised public sector to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars.
via ‘Unaccountable’: Accounting firms secure lucrative government contracts
The Morrison Government has failed to release its own integrity commission legislation for consultation. They continue to stall. Revelations of $100 million of sports grants targeting marginal seats show why a Federal ICAC is needed, perhaps also a special prosecutor. Independent MP Zali Steggall has joined the many voices calling for a Federal ICAC. How many more are needed before those with entitlement respond?
Plato understood democracy but even he could not have foreseen the age of political entitlement. We need to return democracy to the voters.
Here we see the LNP Treasurer quoting Wayne Swan when the LNP tore into him for saying this same thing back in 2008 and saved us from the GFC. How hypocritical are these jerks claiming “saving the country” is ok for them when it wasn’t ok for the ALP. Back then The Australian and News Corp didn’t give the government support but just criticism. Andre (ODT)
“Let me make it very clear on the budget that we believe the budget in surplus is important because we believe it gives the nation the opportunity to respond to circumstances like these when they arise,” he said.
“And [while] we do believe that these are exceptional circumstances and why we would love to see the budget in surplus, we would not like to see it in surplus at the expense of these local communities.”
via Australia fires: Treasurer warns surplus at risk as economy hit
While LNP policy uncertainty is ensuring investment in the renewable’s boom is down by 56% in Australia and coal subsidies and promotion are up the tide of the free market is running in the opposite direction. The LNP is openly conducting a market manipulation scam the equivalent of an insider trading rort. If Scotty from marketing were the CEO it’s time he got the sack and /or was charged. (ODT)
BlackRock, the world’s biggest fund, is quitting thermal coal. The move by the $10 trillion fund has stunned financial markets. Climate change and coal: while the people protest in the streets, progressive analysts such as IEEFA’s Buckley protest to global finance bosses. Tim Buckley, who had lobbied hard for the BlackRock exit, reports on the revolution in big money.
via Pull out or perish: behind Blackrock’s grand exit from coal – Michael West
McKenzie is now Agriculture Minister and Deputy Leader of the National Party and her comments today fall into the categories of ;
that’s the way we always do things in the coalition. Otherwise how would we win ?
My career is going quite nicely, thank you. So please don’t rock the boat.We should sack the National Office of Audit as they are clearly all Lefties
You all need to take a cold shower because we won the election : so there !
Are you from the ABC ?
So far, the Prime Minister hasn’t commented but in true Westminster fashion it is fully expected that he will sack McKenzie before the week is out … or perhaps not.
The Coalition Government’s failures are twofold;
1) globally, by failing to take appropriate action on climate change, ranking 57 out of 57 countries on climate change policy, yet still defending Australia’s policies as acceptable, and
2) nationally, by failing to provide and implement national, long-term strategies for prevention, preparation, management and recovery for the growing incidence and severity of natural disasters linked to climate change.The Government’s own reports, briefings and reports demonstrate it knew about the risks posed by lack of appropriate action to mitigate the consequences of climate change, and yet it did nothing tangible at all. The Morrison Government’s multiple failures, which have arguably contributed to the loss of life, homes, communities, wildlife and over 10 million hectares, must be seen as a gross act of negligence.
The Case against the Government (ODT)
via BushFire Victims v the Australian Government – » The Australian Independent Media Network
The Coalition continued to ignore warnings about the results of climate change and now must bear responsibility for our bushfire catastrophe, writes John Wren.
This is a greater cost than the ALP’s Pink Bats add this to the NBN and let’s talk LNP Management and Scott Morrison’s future. (ODT)
We knew this was coming as far back as the last century (ODT)
The Coalition’s toxic denial of climate change is destroying us
Let’s call it pollution, unprecedented CO2 pollution which has been increasing at an unprecedented rate and the warming of the planet. Like smoking causes cancer the statistical evidence and correlations are in. Australia has seen and is experiencing the effects of that warming with 9 of 10 record-breaking years this century and a fire season like no other predicted last century and scoffed at. The most significant voice heard in recent times was PM Tony Abbott declaring the science of global warming was “crap”. It cost him his seat of Warringah. Yet the LNP have still been treating the current unprecedented fires accordingly. To Morrison, Craig Kelly, Taylor and others it still is a purely “natural event” with policies in place capable of addressing it. and still claiming we will reach our global emission obligations in a “canter”. “It’s Time isn’t it?” as we are today the worlds biggest polluter with a leadership ethically and morally in total denial. (ODT)
Australia fires: coal industry causes long-term damage as bushfires cost businesses billions
The power of Education vs the Misogynist and None (ODT)
“My first reaction was that it couldn’t be further from the truth, because I am so qualified and the reality is that it’s the complete opposite,” Tobin said.
via Australia fires: Laura Tobin responds to Craig Kelly’s ‘weather girl’ insult
Moreover Morrison could have done a lot more to reduce the magnitude and impact of this disaster. These fires were not impossible to predict. They actually HAVE BEEN PREDICTED by climate scientists with uncanny accuracy in previous years. Even if he wanted to remain dogmatically against renewable energy, the Prime Minister could still have listened to warnings he has been receiving, by providing greater funding and resources to the fire services (as Bill Shorten would have). But he didn’t because he didn’t like the optics. Declaring a national emergency (which seemed a no-brainer at the time), increasing funding for firefighting services or appealing for international aid might have given greater ammunition to critics of his government’s climate policy at home and abroad. So he did nothing. He is such an empty PR-driven fraud that he is more concerned about the damage these fires can do to him politically than about the damage they are doing to real people’s lives.
And that is the true measure of him. Empty. Fraudulent. Useless.
Ladies and gentlemen, this is your Prime Minister and the party he leads.
via Bushfires and blame – » The Australian Independent Media Network
As studies have shown, this is a mirage of statistical deception, ignoring the obvious point that Australian emissions should count not merely those it produces directly, but those produced by fossil fuel exports that are subsequently used. Arms manufacturers are no less culpable ethically, or tangibly, if their weapons are used by citizens of one country or the other. Such a method is pure Morrison: keep up appearances before the incineration and hope that memories weaken in time.
How the Coalition Government has been ineffective in dealing with our fire crisis
Key points:
Small business lobby COSBOA warned many businesses “will close and not reopen” as a result of the fires and loss of summer trade
COSBOA chief executive Peter Strong said climate change deniers in the Federal Government should “shut-up” and “go and sit at the backbench where they belong”
The lobby is urging governments to assist fire-affected regions to put on events once the fires are over to lure visitors back to those areas
Australia, a juniour partner in the Coalition of the Killing, wants senior status it seems. While Trump has declared he’s putting the fight against ISIS on hold in order to deal with IRAN Theresa Payne wants to take over that war on Daesh. Remember when Trump declared that war was won. He relocated troops in Syria to grab the oil and betrayed the Kurds in the process. Now the USA are mercenary force for Exxon It’s always been questioned why we are in Iraq? Why John Howard joined the illegal invasion of a Sovereign State that doesn’t want us there? Now we are ready to partake in yet another escallated war with Iran who signed a peace treaty before Trump came on the scene. A treaty we are now supporting the total shredding of. Payne is proof we are Puppets lapdogs to American politics for profit and its grab for Middle Eastern oil which when said and done we will buy from the US at their price.
More to the point the LNP ready to see the escalation of violence and another unwinnable war offering up Australian lives as we have done time again since WW2. What we are doing is boosting Trump’s desperate efforts in domestic American politics. (ODT)
Foreign Minister Marise Payne will on Tuesday publicly plead for the Iraqi government to let Australian and international partners remain in the country.
“We urge the Iraqi government to ensure the coalition is able to continue its vital work with Iraq’s security forces in countering the shared threat of Daesh,” she said.
“We understand the resolution passed by Iraq’s parliament is non-binding, absent formal approval by the government in Baghdad.”
Morrison is hell bent on cutting the budget of Public Media to the equivalent of 1984. (ODT)
There have been 670 emergency broadcasting events for the 2019-20 financial year so far, an ABC spokesman said, compared to 371 for the full 2018-19 financial year. In 2017-18 there were 256 events, a figure that had been surpassed by mid-September 2019.
via ABC under ‘growing’ cost pressure as bushfire emergency broadcasts surge
via 
Morrison throws respect overboard a view from outside Australia.(ODT)
olddogthoughts 
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