Category: LNP

LNP

Quotas are not pretty but they work – Liberal women should insist on them

From Prime Minister Scott Morrison down, Liberal Party men are pushing back against women pressing for cultural change within the party. They don’t want to share power for ideological reasons: conservative men like women to know their place, and that place is not in the House of Representatives or the Senate. This ethos is intensifying as fringe and evangelical Christians make ever deeper inroads into Liberal Party branches and preselection processes.

Respected Liberal women like former Liberal Party vice-president Tricia Worth and former Liberal senator Sue Boyce have poured scorn on the internal party mechanisms proposed so far to deal with the problem. They point out the implausibility, for example, of making a bullying complaint to Victorian Liberal Party president Michael Kroger who denies such bullying exists.

Read more: A ‘woman problem’? No, the Liberals have a ‘man problem’, and they need to fix it

Liberal Party women face an immediate choice. They can be cowed by the “quota girl” sledge of hostile male colleagues, and other unsupportive comments by these men’s female enablers such as NSW Liberal Senator Concetta Fierravanti-Wells.

via Quotas are not pretty but they work – Liberal women should insist on them

LNP

What is Melbourne’s population?

Victorian Planning Minister Richard Wynne said people were drawn to Melbourne due to its “booming economy and lots of jobs”.

“We’re building for growth with game-changing projects like the Metro Tunnel and the Melbourne Airport Rail Link, and we’re planning for the future with the Suburban Rail Loop, as well as pouring billions into hospital upgrades and new schools,” he said.

“The Liberals did nothing but cut crucial services for four years and Matthew Guy has promised to send a million extra people into the outer suburbs.”

via What is Melbourne’s population?

LNP

Taylor launches extraordinary and ill-informed attack against wind and solar | RenewEconomy

Energy Minister Taylot running in the footsteps of IPA, News Corp and Abbott (ODT)

New energy minister Angus Taylor has launched a new and extraordinary attack against wind and solar, saying they cause “de-industrialisation” and claiming that Labor’s 45 per cent emissions reduction target would send a “wrecking ball” through the Australian economy.

The comments came in an interview on Sky News on Sunday night, and little more than a week after Taylor told radio shock jock Alan Jones that there was already “too much” wind and solar in the grid.

The fact that the right-wingers Jones and Kenny hold such extreme and ill-informed views about climate and energy is well known, and not of great consequence.

But the fact that the country’s energy minister goes on to their programs and agrees with them, despite all the evidence to the contrary, is deeply troubling – for investors and consumers.

These are scare tactics reminiscent of the Abbott and Joyce attacks against the then carbon price – remember the ‘Whyalla will be a ghost town’ campaign, and the ‘$100 lamb roasts’? For a quick rebuttal of these South Australia energy myths, this might be useful.

via Taylor launches extraordinary and ill-informed attack against wind and solar | RenewEconomy

LNP, Uncategorized

Peter Dutton’s backers refused to leave Liberal Party members’ offices, demanded they reveal votes during spill – Politics – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Tight shot of Bishop looking stern. She's standing in front of an Australian flag.

When can bullies be seen flipping the argument and blaming the other side when they are ultra conservatives. Soon we’ll see them declaring that they are the victims. It’s not a strange practice and is a common ploy when backs are to the wall Corman is doing it here. He was a vote collector for Dutton and it wasn’t a last minute decision on his part as he tried to make out.  (ODT)

Cabinet Minister Mathias Cormann, who supported Mr Dutton, said Malcolm Turnbull’s unusual tactics ahead of the Liberal leadership spill added pressure to his colleagues.

“There’s nothing wrong with seeking to convince each other of the merits of our arguments, but it always ought to be done with courtesy and respect,” he told Sky News.

Some of Mr Dutton’s other backers, including young conservatives Andrew Hastie, Michael Sukkar, James Paterson, Zed Seselja, Tony Pasin and Jonathon Duniam, have denied any knowledge of, or involvement in, the alleged bullying.

via Peter Dutton’s backers refused to leave Liberal Party members’ offices, demanded they reveal votes during spill – Politics – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

LNP

Get Used To It Girls – » The Australian Independent Media Network

They witnessed ‘Ditch the Witch’ abuse hurled at Julia Gillard by Tony Abbott; they remember Alan Jones’ advice that she should be ‘tied in a chaff bag, taken to sea and dumped’. Liberal males have form in the bullying stakes.

So where are the Liberal women left?

It seems pretty obvious. There will be no apology, no compromise from their male counterparts, certainly no rapprochement.

All they can expect from macho Liberal males is: ‘Get used to it girls’.

via Get Used To It Girls – » The Australian Independent Media Network

LNP, Uncategorized

A chequered history: Matthew Guy’s most controversial decisions

Victorian opposition leader Matthew Guy has been caught up in a string of controversies involving Liberal party figures, donors or donations, notably in his time as planning minister in the Baillieu and Napthine governments between 2010 and 2014.

 A chequered history: Matthew Guy’s most controversial decisions

and

Matthew Guy paid out millions ‘to keep his job’

As planning minister, the Liberal Opposition Leader signed a multimillion-dollar settlement with taxpayers’ money to avoid a date in court.

  • by Royce Millar & Chris Vedelago

 

LNP, LNP Policy, Uncategorized

Dutton’s au pair drama shows hypocrisy of immigration policy

Has there been a MP like Dutton whose constantly shown himself up as a fool? Yes, Tony Abbott who became as popular as a fart in a crowded elevator and look what happened to him (ODT)

Is there some principle being applied consistently that accounts for both cases? Or can we now admit that this posturing of law and order, of national sovereignty, of the solemn duty to banish “unlawful arrivals” is just so much bullshit, conveniently dropped for the right kind of people?

I’m not saying this is the scandal of the decade. I suspect this will all soon pass without much cost to Dutton and that’s probably fair enough. But if it passes without a clear verdict of hypocrisy, not just on Dutton but on the way we frame our public discussion of immigration, it will only be because we’ve long since abandoned any approach to the subject that has anything to do with principles.

via Dutton’s au pair drama shows hypocrisy of immigration policy

Humour, LNP, Uncategorized

No Scott, we can’t just heal and move on – » The Australian Independent Media Network

“I’ve had Jones, Hadley, Bolt, Peta Credlin … insert name of right-wing commentator here … give me free character assessments basically for the past five years,” he said.

“And the last election campaign I think is the best example of what influence they actually have, if you are a shrewd marginal seat operator. It was an eight-week campaign where particularly Alan Jones would offer free character assessments that weren’t too complimentary on a daily basis. And when the state of NSW had a 5.1 per cent swing against (the Liberals) I had a 1.6 per cent to me.”

He said the broadcasters encouraged voters to contact him, with Mr Hadley publishing his official email address.

“I couldn’t thank him enough for that because what it does is it takes those fired-up people — a lot of times based on misinformation and that commentator’s personal opinion and a real personal dislike of me or Malcolm Turnbull — it makes that listener come to me,” Mr Laundy said. “I’ll ring them. I’ve done it thousands of times. And I read my own emails and reply, usually pretty quickly. And it shocks the living crap out of them,” he said.

I can personally confirm this. I emailed Mr Laundy asking him to back up claims he had made about convictions arising from the trade union royal commission. He responded with the details I had requested. And he was right – it shocked the living crap out of me to get a factual response, no obfuscation, from a Coalition MP.

There have been several Liberal party members suggesting that politics is no place for “snowflakes”, intimating that if you can’t cop intimidation then you aren’t up to the game.

Sadly, these people seem to think that being able to endure bullying is more important than being able to formulate, understand, and advocate for sensible policy direction. (Looking at you Craig Kelly for starters)

Political pundits will tell you that it has ever been thus.

Does that mean we should allow it to continue?

via No Scott, we can’t just heal and move on – » The Australian Independent Media Network

LNP, Uncategorized

Angus Taylor signals further taxpayer investment in existing coal and gas | Australia news | The Guardian

Why do Politicians ignore the experts and try to con the public? ( ODT)

But while there is evidence from market analysts and analysis from the government’s energy bodies that renewables has led the price drop because of a big increase in supply contracted into the market courtesy of the renewable energy target, Taylor attributed the recent reductions to the government’s intervention in the gas market, and regulatory reforms, including forcing retailers to be more transparent about their pricing.

While coal proponents in the Coalition declare new coal investment means lower prices, the Australian Energy Market Commission has predicted prices will fall over the next two years because of the entry of 5,300 MW of new generation capacity into the national electricity market – most of it renewable projects.

via Angus Taylor signals further taxpayer investment in existing coal and gas | Australia news | The Guardian

LNP

Tennant Creek and ‘African gangs’ expose the hypocrisy of white Australia | Jack Latimore | Opinion | The Guardian

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull meets local kids as he rides along in a Julalikari Youth Night Patrol convoy, at Tennant Creek, in the Northern Territory, Sunday, 22 July 2018

Peter Dutton’s comments following the tragic death of Laa Chol, a young woman of Sudanese descent, in Melbourne on Sunday morning were not only opportunistic and inaccurate, they also made a mockery of his leader’s tour of Tennant Creek by ultimately undermining the sincerity of the prime minister’s concern for the plight of vulnerable Aboriginal families.

Tennant Creek and ‘African gangs’ expose the hypocrisy of white Australia | Jack Latimore | Opinion | The Guardian

LNP

NBN write-down ‘appears inevitable’: S&P

When Governments are Experts they are wrong how can you expect them to do anything other than screw everything up. (ODT)

But Minister for Finance, Mathias Cormann rejected S&Ps analysis. He said in a statement that the government was not considering a write-down of the NBN and remained confident it would reach its take-up forecasts.

“We remain confident that the federal government’s equity contribution to NBN will continue to be treated as equity and not a grant,” he said.

NBN write-down ‘appears inevitable’: S&P

LNP

The party or the people: Turnbull’s ABC dilemma

Mr Turnbull immediately launched the government into damage control and onto the back foot of a potential Mediscare 2.0. The Labor Party was always going to take up arms against such an idea.

But the problem with his brushing off of the sale is that he’s alienating the people he’s claiming to represent. By saying the motion – which, it has to be said, is not binding on the Government – is not Government policy, he’s rejecting the wishes of the organisation for which he’s the parliamentary leader.

via The party or the people: Turnbull’s ABC dilemma

LNP, Uncategorized

The Turnbull Government: Those that would destroy the ABC

But what they really think is different. I have already outlined what Fifield really thinks. They are in effect already underfunding the ABC to keep it quiet and compliant and eventually sell it off.

You cannot trust the conservatives when it comes to the public broadcasters. Remember Tony Abbott the day before the 2013 election

He said there would be:

“no cuts to education, no cuts to health, no change to pensions, no change to the GST and no cuts to the ABC or SBS.”

All turned out to be lies. And speaking of SBS, the Liberal Council also voted for an “efficiency” review of SBS. Be afraid.

All of this gives Labor wonderful ammunition and they will make political capital out of it. They had already committed to restoring the $84 million in Turnbull Government funding cuts.

How then can we defend the ABC? The time for being meek and mild is over. Let’s organise protests across the country. Perhaps ABC workers could walk off the job until funding is restored and a new direction for the national broadcaster that more adequately reflects Australian society and its left-wing views begins? Otherwise, the Turnbull Government will strangle the ABC by stealth.

via The Turnbull Government: Those that would destroy the ABC

LNP

Howard backs Turnbull’s fortunes as Liberal party votes to privatise ABC | Australia news | The Guardian

Former Australian prime minister John Howard

Howard continued the theme of unity that has flowed through Liberal party leadership speeches at its 60th national council – which also voted overwhelmingly on Saturday to privatise the ABC as conservative anger at the public broadcaster continues to be a political flashpoint.In a non-binding motion put forward by the Young Liberal Movement, members called for the full privatisation of the ABC, “except for services into regional areas that are not commercially viable”.

Source: Howard backs Turnbull’s fortunes as Liberal party votes to privatise ABC | Australia news | The Guardian

LNP

Court ruling a resounding defeat for the Liberal Party

Forget the spin, this was a resounding defeat for the Liberal Party and its president, Michael Kroger.

After launching adventurous legal action, the Liberal Party and Kroger had wanted to seize complete control of a $70 million investment fund, the Cormack Foundation.

via Court ruling a resounding defeat for the Liberal Party

LNP

The religious minority seizing power in the Liberal Party

This amounts to nearly 13 per cent of all those now in key positions within the Liberals’ organisational wing, compared to just 0.3 per cent of all Australians who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints

Combined with conservative Catholics, evangelical Christians from churches such as Victory Faith Centre and City Builders, the religious right-wing now has unprecedented sway in Liberal Party politics.
committee – is their most influential figure.

via The religious minority seizing power in the Liberal Party

LNP

‘Nasty, brutish and short’: Hobbes and the Coalition’s politics of exclusion

Why is this the case? The simple answer is that the Coalition governs for the one per cent, not the rest of us. The big policy announcement in the Budget was a tax cut for the wealthy, disproportionately bigger than that given to workers on the average wage. The policy upon which the Government is pinning its fortunes is massive company tax cuts justified with the now proven lie that employers will pass on the windfall in wage rises and job creation. The lies are now blatant. Turnbull and company don’t even bother with pretence any longer. Their capitulation to the Ayn Randian ideologues of the Institute of Public Affairs is complete, brazen and deadly for the rest of us.

The Coalition is now dominated by the hard right and the politics of exclusion dominates the policy agenda.

via ‘Nasty, brutish and short’: Hobbes and the Coalition’s politics of exclusion

LNP, Uncategorized

Bring Back Beatings and Ban Immigrants, demands NSW Liberal Party Branch President

The president of the hard-right wing Carlingford Branch, George Popowski, says he wants to “straighten out the law and order system” by pushing the state back to colonial times with measures described by others as “Sharia-law style punishment”.

via Bring Back Beatings and Ban Immigrants, demands NSW Liberal Party Branch President

LNP, Uncategorized

Construction and national net worth continue to decline under Turnbull

 

Infrastructure is rapidly collapsing in Australia. Not literally. Not yet. But that could happen if current trends continue.

Australia’s investment in infrastructure remains well and truly in the slump that began soon after the 2013 change of government.

This is proven by the latest quarterly construction data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), which shows private and government spending on engineering and building projects up to the end of last year.

This matters, not just because it is yet another outcome diametrically opposite to solemn Coalition promises, but because Australia’s national net worth is now declining disastrously.

via Construction and national net worth continue to decline under Turnbull

LNP

The Hypocrisy is Mind-Blowing – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Malcolm Turnbull admits 'political mistake' on bank royal commission

In trying to defend the indefensible, she struggled to cut through with anything that was remotely beneficial to her party’s credibility. If anything, it highlighted what a nasty piece of work they are.

Everything she said, stood in stark contrast to her party’s persistent opposition to it, for so long. Meanwhile, revelations during last week’s hearings that customers were given poor financial advice, were charged fees for no service, that a dead person was charged ongoing fees, that the corporate watchdog was deliberately misled for years, makes us salivate over what might be revealed when things resume next week.

Client theft, more compromised financial advice, financially ruining peoples’ lives; who knows what other surprises are in store.

This government’s actions in cutting funding to a multitude of community services shows us only too well, how concerned it is for the welfare of its constituents.

The Minister

 The Hypocrisy is Mind-Blowing – » The Australian Independent Media Network

 

LNP

Elderly, disabled, jobless or homeless? The Coalition is still blaming you

 

Despite the myriad of studies highlighting Australia’s growing inequality, the take-home message from the Turnbull Government is, if you’re poor, it’s your fault. Senior editor Michelle Pini reports.

And that meesage is even worse when delivered by the conservatives of the LNP

via Elderly, disabled, jobless or homeless? The Coalition is still blaming you

LNP, Sex

Guy under pressure to allow gay ‘conversion’ therapy for kids

Other motions to be debated at state council include:

Calls for the Commonwealth Sex Discrimination Act to re-insert “man” and “woman” in the place of “sexual orientation” and “gender identity”. The aim is that a person will define their gender as either male or female, according to their biological and reproductive function.
Calls to ban the Safe Schools program from Victorian schools and any other curriculum teaching a person’s gender may be different from their biological sex or that people can transition.

Guy under pressure to allow gay ‘conversion’ therapy for kids

LNP, Uncategorized

With Friends Like These, Australia Doesn’t Need Enemies – New Matilda

So let us consider some of Turnbull’s other friends. First, let’s take the case of Myanmar. Turnbull has dismissed accusations of human rights abuses in Cambodia and Myanmar as “sweeping generalisations”. Unlike Indonesian President Joko Widodo (Jokowi), who said he would confront Myanmar about its treatment of the Rohingyans. Turnbull notably refused to use the term Rohingya, the minority the Myanmar government persecutes (whilst also denying that they exist as a group).

via With Friends Like These, Australia Doesn’t Need Enemies – New Matilda

LNP, LNP Government, Uncategorized

Tony Abbott to quit in 2018, and other Malcolm Turnbull dreams

Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull enters 2018 in a strong position.

Also on Turnbull’s wish-list is the departure of Tony Abbott. While there is no material sign of this happening, there was a sense at year’s end, after his emphatic same-sex reversal – at the hands of the Australian people – and another reshuffle in which he was not even discussed, that his era had truly passed.

via Tony Abbott to quit in 2018, and other Malcolm Turnbull dreams

LNP, LNP Corruption, LNP Tactics

Lest We Forget The System Propped Up By Elites, Stacked Against Workers – New Matilda

workers-rights-fist-salute

These born-to-rule conservatives think nothing of using taxpayer millions to set up a supposedly independent watchdog and then immediately sicking it on their political enemies.

The matter the Registered Organisations Commission (ROC) is so hellbent on pursuing is a decade-old donation from the Australian Workers’ Union to GetUp!, which was never a secret in the first place.

The investigation revolves around whether the correct paperwork was created and kept. It is not remotely close to a criminal matter. In fact, even if the ROC’s very darkest theories are correct, it will mean the AWU will be liable of a maximum possible fine of $11,000.

However, the government thought this was deemed worthy of politicising the Australian Federal Police with a reality TV raid.

When outrage started to pour in about the use of police force to pursue such an obviously political target, Turnbull’s response was pure arrogance. Rather than provide a proper explanation he simply, accused Bill Shorten of having “questions to answer.”

Now, as we now know, the plot is even thicker.

via Lest We Forget The System Propped Up By Elites, Stacked Against Workers – New Matilda

LNP

Adani: DFAT facing questions over possible secret requests for foreign cash to fund controversial mine – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

“It is not the role of the Australian Government or its diplomatic missions to be involved as finance brokers for a very controversial project like this,” he said.”There needs to be an open and transparent process.”

Remember Kemlani and what happened to Whitlam (Old Dog) Loans affair – Wikipedia

Source: Adani: DFAT facing questions over possible secret requests for foreign cash to fund controversial mine – ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

LNP

Coalition’s night terrors play out in public as kill Bill missive backfires | Katharine Murphy | Australia news | The Guardian

The way the triple hit on the Labor leader, GetUp and the AWU turned from triumph to farce underscores why the warriors in the government bunker have sound reasons to be worried

(When you try to do an Abbott what else can you expect other than it blowing up in you face Malcolm. But worse still you lead Indigenous Australia on and then told them to “get f….d”) old dog

 

Source: Coalition’s night terrors play out in public as kill Bill missive backfires | Katharine Murphy | Australia news | The Guardian

LNP

Raids on AWU and attacks on GetUp should alarm citizens

Are the police acting independently, as our weak Prime Minister claims? Is this an attempt to silence one of the country’s most effective political advocacy groups – GetUp!? Are the Federal Police seeking to curry favour with an incumbent government by going after the Leader of the Opposition? Is it all of the above? Or is it simply Canberra’s latest bureaucratic SNAFU?

Source: Raids on AWU and attacks on GetUp should alarm citizens

LNP

More stench of corruption in the air with Stuart Robert and his mates, Sunland

The stench of corruption is in the air as we learn more about Stuart Robert, his mates Sunland, and the shady players of Gold Coast politics, writes Judy Spence.

Source: More stench of corruption in the air with Stuart Robert and his mates, Sunland

LNP

Abbott & Turnbull – It’s on like Donkey Kong! – » The Australian Independent Media Network

I can imagine Abbott reading the latest dismal polling figures for Turnbull and dancing around reminiscent of his 2013 election victory screaming “The Leadership will change! The Leadership will change!” After today’s revelation; is it now on like Donkey Kong? Reports emerged this morning that Tony Abbott tells UK Tories he believes he can be PM again.  The…

Source: Abbott & Turnbull – It’s on like Donkey Kong! – » The Australian Independent Media Network

LNP

Pot, kettle – There’s no missing the government’s glaring hypocrisy – » The Australian Independent Media Network

The Coalition’s current explosion of self-righteous outrage is something to behold. Compared to the excesses of, say, Bronwyn Bishop, or the personal gifts bestowed on Foreign Minister Julie Bishop by Chinese companies, not to mention the hundreds of thousands donated to her branch of the WA Liberal party by Chinese who have business interests in that state,…

Source: Pot, kettle – There’s no missing the government’s glaring hypocrisy – » The Australian Independent Media Network

LNP

Malcolm Turnbull anniversary: One year on, another leadership tragedy could be unfolding

Malcolm Turnbull’s own backers fear they are witnessing the unfolding of a tragedy as epic as the one that destroyed Kevin Rudd and Julia Gillard.

Source: Malcolm Turnbull anniversary: One year on, another leadership tragedy could be unfolding

LNP

Tony Abbott left grinning as Malcolm Turnbull flounders

Tony Abbott’s grin said it all. When the former prime minister left Parliament House after Thursday’s embarrassing lower house debacle he looked perilously close to schadenfreude overdose.

Source: Tony Abbott left grinning as Malcolm Turnbull flounders

LNP

If Malcolm Turnbull can’t fix this mess, Tony Abbott is available | Kristina Keneally | Opinion | The Guardian

There’s only one way that Malcolm Turnbull can prevent a return of Tony Abbott to the Liberal party leadership – and that’s to go for broke

Source: If Malcolm Turnbull can’t fix this mess, Tony Abbott is available | Kristina Keneally | Opinion | The Guardian

LNP

The plan boss, the plan – » The Australian Independent Media Network

The Coalition have been assuring us for years that they have a plan for real solutions and that the plan will provide jobs and growth and reduce the deficit. Now I’m no expert, which makes me eminently qualified to discuss what the non-experts who occupy the government benches are doing. If those are your goals,…

Source: The plan boss, the plan – » The Australian Independent Media Network

LNP

Super reforms are good policy. The Coalition’s integrity is at stake if it rejects them | Ian Yates | Opinion | The Guardian

The notion that super tax breaks are some kind of reward for Liberal party supporters’ votes and donations is macabre and disturbing

Source: Super reforms are good policy. The Coalition’s integrity is at stake if it rejects them | Ian Yates | Opinion | The Guardian

LNP

The New Ministry – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Most people agree that if Malcolm Turnbull is returned with a reduced majority, he will be under threat from the right wing of his party.  He turns 62 this year and is wealthy enough to never have to worry about money even without his very generous parliamentary retirement allowances. Julie Bishop will turn 60 shortly. …

Source: The New Ministry – » The Australian Independent Media Network