ABC

Playing devil’s advocate or becoming the antichrist — a quandary at the ABC

The ABC has recently accepted all the recommendations provided by the review of its complaints process. A major recommendation that they be directly responsible to the Board and bypass the ABC’s editorial staff. However, given the Board wasn’t selected on merit alone for the past decade, as required by statute, and the LNP government ensured it was biased in its favor the only option now is to sack it. Then reappoint a new one and to make the ABC complaints process really independent in accordance with the intentions of the Act. https://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/episodes/abc/13906138?jwsource=cl

Conspiracists see that as the long-term end-game in which many of those who built trust in the ABC have been recruited to destroy it. What can’t be explained is how they might have been persuaded to sacrifice their precious reputations to contribute to that end.

Source: Playing devil’s advocate or becoming the antichrist — a quandary at the ABC

Uncategorized

Australia’s gun lobby glosses over Texas school massacre, presses ahead with arms agenda – Michael West

SIFA, gun lobby

There’s one guarantee they don’t bother with the ALP, Greens, and Teals. So where does their money go? Politicians and parties that empathize with their more guns, and less control cause. But they, sure as hell do, cosy up to the increasingly extreme right to fire their bullet points. Barnaby Joyce unfortunately will not be in their sights as much as when he was the leader of the Nationals. Mass shootings well, they’re rare and in the above-pictured company not required to be talked about. Fired up: Shooters’ dollars on the rise, including political donations

The shooting at a Texas primary school which resulted in the death of 19 children demonstrates the power of the US firearms lobby. The same forces are at work in Australia, reports Callum Foote.

Source: Australia’s gun lobby glosses over Texas school massacre, presses ahead with arms agenda – Michael West

drugs

Canadian province to decriminalise cocaine, opioids and ecstasy

Cocaine, for personal use, will be temporarily decriminalised next year in British Columbia.

Vancouver, British Columbia: Canada’s government has announced it will allow the province of British Columbia to try a three-year experiment in decriminalising possession of small amounts of drugs, hoping it will ease the fear of arrest by those who need help and stem a record number of overdose deaths.

Source: Canadian province to decriminalise cocaine, opioids and ecstasy

America's Shame

Marjorie Taylor Greene Suggests Justin Trudeau’s Gun Laws Invite Russian Invasion

Would this political moron have been Morrison’s  LNP captain’s pick In Australia’s election 2022? Would Murdoch be running her gun campaign here?

In a chaotic, but absolutely riveting, Twitter rant Tuesday, Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene suggested that Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau’s proposed gun laws could result in a Russian invasion.

Source: Marjorie Taylor Greene Suggests Justin Trudeau’s Gun Laws Invite Russian Invasion

Truth in Humor

America introduces strict new background checks for buying doors | The Shovel

Cruz, who blamed last week’s shooting in Uvalde on the abundance of doors at the school, said the number of doors in the US had been allowed to increase unchecked.

Source: America introduces strict new background checks for buying doors | The Shovel

Fight against Fake News, Fighting Fake News

Old Dog Thought- Australia you showed the world how to defeat Murdoch, return a government for all Australians, and regain International respect

Fighting Fake News with REAL 1/6/22; Double 7s = 77 Majority; The New Ministry; The Shovel= Truth in Humour;

LNP

Peter Dutton pitches to forgotten Australians in the suburbs to rebuild Liberal vote

New Liberal leader Peter Dutton wants to target outer suburban voters.

How welcome will this sabre rattler be in those “outer suburbs” like Dandenong after his Hansonite attacks on the Lebanese Muslims Africans and Chinese? Dutton has always been the man from the Monkey Pod room driving the LNP to the bigoted right. The Queenslander who helped Howard steal Pauline Hanson’s space in Australian politics. Nothing has changed except he’ll now be competing with the Nationals in the regions and allowing those Liberals with independent and singular community concerns go. Dutton was always right of Abbott never left of the mad monk.

As soon as Defense Minister Dutton was gone from the government China announced it would drop its security plan for the Pacific region, and has specifically said it was prepared to work with Australia. But  it simply wasn’t prepared to work with any government prepared to simply use it them as a political tool for their domestic politics or one supported by Murdoch’s Sinophobic divisive Media.

Outer suburban voters and small business owners will be Peter Dutton’s target to rebuild the devastated Liberal vote as the Coalition shifts away from big business in a pitch to “forgotten people” and towards what it calls sensible action on climate change after years of division.

Source: Peter Dutton pitches to forgotten Australians in the suburbs to rebuild Liberal vote

Corporate Tax Evasion

Californian Fairytales: what Google, Facebook and Netflix told the Australian Tax Office – Michael West

Google Australia, Netflix Australia, Facebook Australia

It’s been a golden era for Google Australia, Netflix Australia and Facebook Australia. Bunkered in pandemic lockdowns, Australians spent record time on their screens. How then did the digital giants rake in so much cash but pay so little tax? Michael West looks at the tall tales the multinational tax dodgers tell the Australian Tax Office.

Source: Californian Fairytales: what Google, Facebook and Netflix told the Australian Tax Office – Michael West

Coal

AGL’s coal implosion shows what a disorderly transition to clean energy looks like | Australia news | The Guardian

AGL’s Loy Yang coal-fired power station in Victoria

The mess the LNP helped create and blamed others for.

What happens from here is unclear, but the company’s turmoil can’t be divorced from the Coalition’s policy failures

Source: AGL’s coal implosion shows what a disorderly transition to clean energy looks like | Australia news | The Guardian

Electricity

Focus on battery storage could be a cost-effective energy goal for Albanese government, report says | Energy | The Guardian

Anthony Albanese at a battery manufacturer during the election campaign

A “Easy” planned path to transition

With electricity bills soaring, a national Renewable Electricity Storage Target may be one way of achieving lower emissions – and lower prices

Source: Focus on battery storage could be a cost-effective energy goal for Albanese government, report says | Energy | The Guardian

Renewable energy

3 ways Australia can become a Renewable Energy Superpower – without Leaving anyone Behind

3 ways Australia could have been a Renewable Energy Super Power & 100 ways how Morrison’s LNP ignored it but for only 1 Reason “Power”

Australians will bear yet another blow to our cost of living in July when electricity prices will surge up to 18.3%, which amounts to over A$250 per year in some cases.

Source: 3 ways Australia can become a Renewable Energy Superpower – without Leaving anyone Behind

China

China dumps ambitious plan for Pacific Islands deal

Wang yi Images, Stock Photos & Vectors | Shutterstock

China has dumped an ambitious plan to sign a wide-ranging agreement with Pacific Island nations. The bombshell announcement came from China’s ambassador to Fiji, Zhang Ping, on Monday afternoon.

Source: China dumps ambitious plan for Pacific Islands deal

Media

How Morrison and the media lost Australia

Despite what the mainstream press might have you believe, Scott Morrison has no one but himself to blame for his election loss, writes Dr Victoria Fielding.

Source: How Morrison and the media lost Australia

Capitalism

Eugene V. Debs: Socialist Internationalism Versus Capitalist Nationalism

This Memorial Day, we should rededicate ourselves to fighting the horrors of war. So here’s a 1916 Eugene Debs piece, never before republished, about why internationalism is at the heart of socialist politics.

Source: Eugene V. Debs: Socialist Internationalism Versus Capitalist Nationalism

Murdoch Media

Watch how a Murdoch outlet in the founder’s native Australia supports gun control after mass shootings | Media Matters for America

screen grab

It’s the business of “Cash For Comment”. In Murdoch’s world  “Show Me Your Money” comes first, last , and is the determinator of the long term policy.

As the country reels from yet another horrific mass shooting, right-wing media outlets like Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News are doing all they can to halt any progress on reforming the country’s gun laws. But a totally different story is being told in Australia — the original home of the Murdoch family’s media empire — where Murdoch outlets have instead touted the importance of gun safety, and are now highlighting the dangerous conditions of gun proliferation in the United States.

Murdoch’s news channel in Australia has celebrated the country’s gun control laws — and expressed hope that the U.S. would adopt similar ones

Source: Watch how a Murdoch outlet in the founder’s native Australia supports gun control after mass shootings | Media Matters for America

White Nationalism

The White Right Thinks Guns Come From God, Really | Crooks and Liars

The White Right Thinks Guns Come From God, Really

Source: The White Right Thinks Guns Come From God, Really | Crooks and Liars

Fight against Fake News, Fighting Fake News

Old Dog Thought- The Liberals Reward Dutton but not the Nation the Nationals do far better and bounce Barnaby
Screenshot 2022-05-31 at 08-41-28 Latest & Breaking News Melbourne Victoria The Age

Fighting Fake News with REAL 31/5/22; ALP hit 76; Media’s 77% spread of Hate and Bigotry; World view of a Qld Cop;

Post Election 2022

Labor on the brink of learning if can govern without independents

ALBO HAS HIS MAJORITY IN THE LOWER HOUSE!!!

The long wait to learn if the Albanese government has the lower house numbers to govern without the support of independents could end as early as Monday.

There was no fresh counting in the three seats that remain in doubt after the election just over a week ago, according to respected ABC election analyst Anthony Green.

“Staff will be processing declaration envelopes to be ready for a big count on Monday. That should clarify the final result – unless the three seats remain ultra-close,” he tweeted on Sunday.

Source: Labor on the brink of learning if can govern without independents

Peter Dutton

Peter Dutton has the worldview of a Queensland cop. It’s in our interests to give him a go

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An effective opposition leader, one who can reframe his party around mainstream values, is good for us all.

His forays into racial stereotyping –saying in 2018 that Melburnians were afraid to go out to dinner because of “African gang violence”, and his 2016 comments on the “mistake” of resettling Lebanese Muslim immigrants in the 1970s – were deeply disappointing.

Dutton is also notorious for boycotting the apology to the Stolen Generations (something he later said he regretted), which will put him, and his party, in an interesting position when they formulate a response to a referendum on the Voice to parliament. Dutton, as a former Queensland cop, has seen Aboriginal disadvantage up close, and perhaps he believed the apology was tokenistic.

But symbols matter in politics, and the Uluru Statement from the Heart is not virtue-signalling from a white-woke minority. Besides, what the right-wing of the Liberal party calls “woke” is becoming increasingly mainstream, especially when these issues are framed for what many of them are – a request for fairness.

Source: Peter Dutton has the worldview of a Queensland cop. It’s in our interests to give him a go

Truth in Humor

“So Oskar Was Guilty Of Genocide: He Regrets It Now… ” – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Still the media have taken on board one thing. Throughout the campaign we were told that we didn’t know who Albanese was, even though he’s one of the longest serving politicians held a number of portfolios and spent some time in the position of Deputy PM. They must have done some soul-searching and realised that they couldn’t let that happen again, so there are lots of pieces on the new opposition leader, even before he’s elected, and they all seem to be telling us that the man we thought we knew is just a creature of fiction… No, not the one from the Harry Potter series because that’s making fun of his appearance and he can’t help that. No, the Peter Dutton that intervened agains department advice to allow a couple of au pair girls to enter the country now wants to be assured that the government is following department advice by letting a family with Australian born children stay here. I mean, imagine how the flood gates will be opened if all people have to do to get to stay is find another refugee to marry, have kids, make lots of friends in their local community, get dragged out of bed in the middle of the night, spend years in detention, have a child get dangerously ill and liv

Source: “So Oskar Was Guilty Of Genocide: He Regrets It Now… ” – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Post Election 2022

From ‘voter fraud’ to Albanese’s ‘invalid’ swearing in: election claims debunked | Australian election 2022 | The Guardian

People cast their ballots during early voting

Here are some of the key baseless claims made about the election, and how the AEC and other experts have responded.

Source: From ‘voter fraud’ to Albanese’s ‘invalid’ swearing in: election claims debunked | Australian election 2022 | The Guardian

UK

The Britain Project Is the Latest Incarnation of Zombie Blairism

 

For two years, Tony Blair has backed Keir Starmer’s war to expel socialists from Labour. Now the Blairites are launching the Britain Project — the latest bid to create an über-neoliberal force to destroy any trace of social democracy.

Source: The Britain Project Is the Latest Incarnation of Zombie Blairism

Israel, Israel Crimes

Lawmakers Scrutinize Israeli Rules Limiting West Bank Travel

A dozen members of Congress have asked top officials in the Biden administration to address a new Israeli policy that severely restricts the ability of foreigners, including U.S. citizens, to travel to the occupied West Bank.

Source: Lawmakers Scrutinize Israeli Rules Limiting West Bank Travel

Media

Yes, Muslims are portrayed negatively in American Media – 2 Political Scientists reviewed over 250,000 Articles to find conclusive Evidence

In Australia, we saw how it drive Yassmin Abdel Magied out of the country. It was amplified by News Corp against Waleed Aly and his wife. It showed up as Andrew Bolt as the advocate of free speech and recruiter of hate and bigotry around the country. Currently, the LNP and the LNP have voted Peter Dutton in as their leader whose history proves him to be a grandmaster of both Islamophobia, Racism, and ethnic hatred and the Murdoch media are supporting him from the get-go.

We believe acknowledging and addressing the systemic negativity in media coverage of Muslims and Islam is vital for countering widespread stigmatization. This may, in turn, create opportunities for more humane policies that are fair to everyone regardless of their faith.The Conversation

Source: Yes, Muslims are portrayed negatively in American Media – 2 Political Scientists reviewed over 250,000 Articles to find conclusive Evidence

Murdoch Media

Franz Kafka predicted Fox News — but even he might have been shocked | Salon.com

Tucker Carlson and Sean Hannity's images displayed on the side of the Fox News building in midtown Manhattan. (Getty Images)

Paranoia sells, and Rupert Murdoch’s Fox News enterprise likes to scare the hell out of its viewers for fun and profit if there’s good money to be made — especially when it’s got skin in the game. But this time the political stakes are much higher than usual: America’s future as a democracy is on the line.

Source: Franz Kafka predicted Fox News — but even he might have been shocked | Salon.com

Peter Dutton

Christian Nationalism On The Rise In Some GOP Campaigns | HuffPost Latest News

State Sen. Doug Mastriano, R-Franklin, a Republican candidate for Governor of Pennsylvania, speaks at a primary night election gathering in Chambersburg.

John Howard opened the door and  Morrison the Evangelist walked in followed by the current right-wing American Republican dream. However, in 2022 America the right isn’t following Morrison out the door .

Compulsory voting saved Australia from Right-Wing Christian Evangelistic Nationalist push trying to take over our political system! However, Murdoch and the Right-Wing faction of the LNP want to strengthen it by 2025. While Dutton is certainly a Right-Wing, White, Nationalist he’s not Christian enough even though he does speak in tongues. He said he ” was here to clean up the ALP mess”???

Source: Christian Nationalism On The Rise In Some GOP Campaigns | HuffPost Latest News

American Dream

So Where Were the “Good Guys With Guns”? Standing Around Doing Jack Shit, As Usual | The Smirking Chimp

The “good guys” have the guns to “stand by” and “be ready” as Trump always pointed out and Texas Senator Cancun Cruz is echoing. However, there is one major problem they are about as organized as ANTIFA. Unfortunately, the guys with most of the guns in America aren’t good. Meanwhile, NRA and the GOP advocate guns need be a compulsory accessory for all Americans in exchange for the financial support of the manufacturers?

Maybe this year Wayne will explain to us that the reason we’ve had all these school shootings and mass killings is because we don’t have enough good guys with guns. More good guys! More guns! That’ll show these mass murderers! Next time one of them shoots up a school, we’ll have even more people standing around outside picking their camo-clad asses as the bodies of the dead lie there inside submitting to the ministrations of the crime scene investigators.

Source: So Where Were the “Good Guys With Guns”? Standing Around Doing Jack Shit, As Usual | The Smirking Chimp

NRA USA

Uvalde slaughter casts a pall over NRA’s Houston convention as entertainers, members skip the event – Washington Times

The National Rifle Association annual meeting over the holiday weekend drew a smaller than expected crowd, according to attendees and exhibitors, adding to the sense that the preeminent gun lobby was on the ropes. Some speculated that the horrific school massacre in Uvalde, Texas, just days before the convention and the ensuing cascade of cancelations by scheduled speakers and entertainers helped deter the crowds. (Kerry Picket/The Washington Times)

The National Rifle Association annual meeting over the holiday weekend drew a smaller-than-expected crowd, according to attendees and exhibitors, adding to the sense that the preeminent gun lobby was on the ropes.

Source: Uvalde slaughter casts a pall over NRA’s Houston convention as entertainers, members skip the event – Washington Times

Fight against Fake News, Fighting Fake News

Old Dog Thought- Dutton gives the Albo a 6 year start

Fighting Fake News with REAL; 30/5/22; Peter Dutton; Barnaby Joyce; Anthony Albanese, NRA

Peter Dutton

Project ‘Make Peter Dutton Seem Like A Chill Guy’ Has Officially Begun

How is it the LNP always choose the worst of the worst? Abbott, Morrison, Dutton, Maybe because they have no “best”

All of these things may be true, and his muscular conservatism during his time in parliament and cabinet might have been red meat for the base rather than an accurate reflection of his true puppy dog personality. But if that was a performance, then so is this. Dutton isn’t an idiot-he knows that the least risky path to victory is in convincing the traditional Liberal base that he is less objectionable than Scott Morrison, and that means moderating his public image. That project has officially begun.

Source: Project ‘Make Peter Dutton Seem Like A Chill Guy’ Has Officially Begun

Truth in Humor

Dutton Blasts Albanese: ‘How Dare You Do What You Said You Would Do!’ – » The Australian Independent Media Network

SATIRE

Incoming Opposition Leader Peter Dutton has blasted Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for doing what he said he would do, as well as going back on an LNP policy.

‘How dare you do what you said you would do? That’s not what a government does’ he said.

‘That’s not what a government does’ he said.

‘He also reversed our policy, a very galling decision on his part. Mr Albanese is very entitled, isn’t he? He seems to think being ‘in government’ allows him and his fellow lefties to ‘make decisions’. The man is delusional’.

Source: Dutton Blasts Albanese: ‘How Dare You Do What You Said You Would Do!’ – » The Australian Independent Media Network

LNP, LNP Corruption, LNP Government, LNP Tactics

Kill off the AAT, it’s stacked with Morrison’s Liberal mates, no longer credible – Michael West

AAT, Administrative Appeals Tribunal

Australia’s Shame – AG Michaela Cash took lessons from the Steve Bannon playbook. Control the Bureaucracy. Wasn’t that Lenin’s playbook?

Just before ousted Prime Minister Scott Morrison called the election, his Attorney-General Michaelia Cash stacked the Administrative Appeals Tribunal with a host of Liberal Party mates. Political appointments are out of control and the AAT needs to be killed off, writes Greg Barns SC.

Source: Kill off the AAT, it’s stacked with Morrison’s Liberal mates, no longer credible – Michael West

LNP, LNP Corruption, LNP Economic Management, LNP Government

Student visas: Little more than unsponsored work permits

What we inherited from the LNP

The current high approval rate for offshore VET sector student applications from Nepal could raise more risk of colleges focused on selling “work visas” rather than education, writes Dr Abul Rizvi.

MOST AUSTRALIANS would be surprised that over the last two months, Nepal was Australia’s leading source of overseas students, overtaking both China and India.

Source: Student visas: Little more than unsponsored work permits

Australia's Shame, Informed Comment

Scott Morrison appointed former Labor MP and Woodside executive Gary Gray as Ambassador to Ireland to cover up the East Timor bugging scandal – Kangaroo Court of Australia

There is a prima facie case to charge former Labor Party MP, and current Ambassador to Ireland, Gary Gray with criminal offences for his role in the bugging of the East Timor (now Timor-Leste) government which started in 2004 and conspiring to have whistleblowers Witness K and Bernard Collaery falsely charged.

Scott Morrison appointed Gary Gray as Ambassador to Ireland in June 2020 to cover up the East Timor bugging scandal to protect Liberal Party cronies such as Alexander Downer and possibly former Prime Minister John Howard.

Source: Scott Morrison appointed former Labor MP and Woodside executive Gary Gray as Ambassador to Ireland to cover up the East Timor bugging scandal – Kangaroo Court of Australia

Russia

Ukraine begs for help as Russian forces pound eastern cities

Meanwhile, the media attention to the Russian/Ukraine war seems to be in retreat. If that’s the case is the world surrendering to Putin?

Russia says it is waging a “special military operation” to demilitarise Ukraine and rid it of nationalists threatening Russian-speakers there. Kyiv and Western countries say Russia’s claims are a false pretext for war. Thousands of people, including many civilians, have been killed and several million have fled their homes, either for safer parts of Ukraine or to other countries.

Source: Ukraine begs for help as Russian forces pound eastern cities

Israel

Al Jazeera says it will go to ICC over killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during Israeli raid in the West Bank – ABC News

Students wave their national flags and carry pictures of slain Al Jazeera journalist Shireen Abu Akleh.

The Al Jazeera news network says it will submit a case file to the International Criminal Court on the killing of its reporter, Shireen Abu Akleh, adding to an earlier case that includes the bombing of their offices in Gaza.

Source: Al Jazeera says it will go to ICC over killing of journalist Shireen Abu Akleh during Israeli raid in the West Bank – ABC News

Israel

The other Gun Problem: Israeli Squatter-Settlers in Palestinian West Bank have Killed, Injured Dozens of Palestinians with Assault Weapons

Practically speaking, Israelis can only be settled on Palestinian land by stealing that land from its Palestinian owners. Various legal fictions are used, including the exercise of eminent domain by the Israeli state, though that state is prohibited by international law from usurping Palestinian property. The Palestinians have suffered billions of dollars in losses as a result of Israeli expropriation.

Source: The other Gun Problem: Israeli Squatter-Settlers in Palestinian West Bank have Killed, Injured Dozens of Palestinians with Assault Weapons

Gun Deaths USA

6 Charts show key role Firearms Corporations play in America’s Gun Culture

This overall picture suggests that a marketing change fueled an increased demand for more lethal weapons. This, in turn, appears to have fostered a change in gun culture, which has shifted away from an appreciation of the use of guns for hunting, sport and recreation and toward a view that guns are a necessity to protect oneself from criminals.

Source: 6 Charts show key role Firearms Corporations play in America’s Gun Culture

Fight against Fake News, Fighting Fake News

Old Dog Thought- Fox News & NRA demand the right to buy guns. They even supply the atmosphere of hate to use them, against each other. How many shooter manifestos like Christchurch NZ, Buffalo, or hate crimes does it take?

Fighting Fake News with REAL; 29/5/22; Guns, Trump, and the NRA,

Australian Government

Need for alternate foreign policy as U.S-Australia alliance questioned

 

WHILST successive Australian governments have claimed unwavering public support for the alliance with the United States, the undercurrents of concern about it are strong enough to have sparked two public inquiries into attitudes to the alliance in the last year.

Source: Need for alternate foreign policy as U.S-Australia alliance questioned

Murdoch Media

‘Resistance’: Sky News alternate reality signals Coalition push to the right

Sky News

Imagine, all those Sky After Dark urban cowboys have now turned to a National-Liberal coalition with Barnaby their hero? No! Peter Dutton has to be the leader of the new N-LP and go regional, according to  Murray, Credlin, Bolt, and Dean who have got on their imaginary horses turned red-faced, and become country/city Nationals.

Their claim the “moderates lost the election even though not One Nation, UAP candidate won a seat and the Greens even made history in country Qld. In fact, while the Right went backward not forward everywhere the bozos at Sky now claim the road to recovery is back to Climate denial. Rowan Dean was even seen on The Outsiders trying to show us how the planet was really “cooling” and has been since 2015. None of these idiots would ever dare be seen telling farmers that Climate Change is just an urban hoax. Andrew Bolt keeps telling me he has raised in country Australia and fell out of a tree and has never climbed back up to where he belongs.

Its cast of “after dark” shock jocks, fresh from supporting Scott Morrison, have quickly turned carnivorous as the Coalition’s post-election bloodletting hits fever pitch.

Moderates such as NSW Treasurer Matt Kean and Senator Andrew Bragg – a “fool” in the view of host Andrew Bolt – are now nightly targets for derision as a stream of conservative leaders and party apparatchiks appear on the channel for polling post-mortems.

In the world curated by these Fox-News inspired talk shows, last week’s election drubbing (the worst result for the Liberals in 70 years) wasn’t a sign that the Coalition must finally get serious about climate policies.

Rather, despite being thrown out of every seat with a view of Sydney Harbour, conservatives like Mr Bolt, Peta Credlin and Paul Murray argue the Coalition must actually swing to the right and chase regional voters.

ABC kills the Commercials

Slow and steady wins election ratings

The ABC’s election coverage has emerged triumphant, winning the competitive Saturday night race against the commercials by a huge margin as well as getting a significant bump in audience on Sunday and Monday as audiences looked to Aunty for post-election news and analysis.

Antony Green, who is a large part of the ABC’s election appeal, has admitted he was a bit cautious to call the result on the night as a result of the complexity of vote.

The ABC’s election analyst told the Age: “We probably should have said earlier on the night that the government couldn’t win.”

Source: ‘Resistance’: Sky News alternate reality signals Coalition push to the right

Uncategorized

Another one for the shame file of scare campaigns – Michael West

Stop the Boats

Scott Morrison is rightly being flayed for the last ignominious act of his campaign. On Saturday he announced that an asylum seeker boat had been intercepted on its way to Australia from Sri Lanka.

The Liberal Party followed this up with a text message mailout. Unforgivably, the Operation Sovereign Borders Commander was dragged into a political campaign. Alas such shenanigans have happened before and will happen again. Australian campaigns are littered with last-minute scare campaigns that went wrong. Generally sprung by the flailing side in the last few days, they are the Aussie equivalent of the ”October Surprise” of US presidential campaign

Source: Another one for the shame file of scare campaigns – Michael West

Informed Comment

Where to now for a defeated and chaotic rabble – » The Australian Independent Media Network

My thought for the day We all incur a cost for the upkeep of our health. Why then should we not be liable for the price of a healthy planet? ( John Lord )

Source: Where to now for a defeated and chaotic rabble – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Truth in Humor

So long, and thanks for all the pish – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Here’s your hat. What’s your hurry?

And so we bid farewell to inarguably Australia’s worst ever Prime Minister.

Source: So long, and thanks for all the pish – » The Australian Independent Media Network

ALP Government,

Address the mess Albo – fossil super profits and soaring energy bills – now may be your only time – Michael West

Anthony Albanese

The new Labor government of Anthony Albanese has a unique political opportunity, a one-off perhaps, to reform. The Tory government has slapped a super profits tax on multinational gas giants in the UK. Can Labor go in to bat for the people of Australia over its fossil fuel donors? Michael West reports.

Source: Address the mess Albo – fossil super profits and soaring energy bills – now may be your only time – Michael West

LNP, LNP Economic Management

Barnaby Joyce’s dam water set to cost 100 times more than market rates | Water | The Guardian

Dungowan Creek, Tamworth, on which the current dam is sited and the new dam will be sited.

Sky News is prompting that the Liberals need to move even further right than the nationals to create an identity distinct from Labor. That alone tells us their only attention is to themselves and not the nation or the common good.  Some among them even seem to regard Neo Nazis as too left-wing. We’ve seen how Angus Taylor knows how to strike water deals with Barnaby, haven’t we? It’s all in-house and with taxpayer money.

Project backed by the National party is expected to top $162,000 per megalitre if cost recovery is pursued

Source: Barnaby Joyce’s dam water set to cost 100 times more than market rates | Water | The Guardian

Murdoch Media

Tucker Carlson Has a New Baffling Conspiracy Theory About the Uvalde School Massacre and It Somehow Involves COVID Lockdowns | The Smirking Chimp

May be a cartoon of text that says 'WHY DIDN'T GOD STOP THE SHOOTING? BECAUSE GOD DOESN'T EXIST. ENGAGE WITH REALITY AND FIX YOUR FUCKING GUN LAWS. ENE Ta Laa'

Looking for blame in all the wrong places is looking to distract from reality and it’s Murdoch and Carlson intent

“Oh, so the lockdowns dramatically increase the incidence of mental illness among young people and in 10 days, we’ve seen two mass shootings by mentally ill young people. Could there be a connection?” he asked. “Now, that’s not finger-pointing. It’s not to blame [Dr. Anthony] Fauci for yesterday’s shooting. We’re not that low. We’re not Joe Biden. But if people are becoming mentally ill because they’re disconnected from others, what can we do to connect them to others and thereby reduce the incidence of mental illness? That’s a real conversation.”

Source: Tucker Carlson Has a New Baffling Conspiracy Theory About the Uvalde School Massacre and It Somehow Involves COVID Lockdowns | The Smirking Chimp

Fox News

Johnson: School Shooting Due To CRT, Wokeness | Crooks and Liars

Murdoch Media focuses on promoting crap and attention away from America’s disastrous gun laws. Simply showing the difference between the UK Canada and Australia would bring reality into relief.

“The solution lies in stronger families, more supportive communities, I would argue renewed faith,” he said. “We’ve lost that. We stopped teaching values in so many of our schools. Now we’re teaching wokeness. We’re indoctrinating our children with things like CRT, telling, you know, some children they’re not equal to others and they’re the cause of other people’s problems.”

Source: Johnson: School Shooting Due To CRT, Wokeness | Crooks and Liars

America, America's Shame, American Hypocrisy, American Politics

Why gun control laws don’t pass Congress, despite majority public support and repeated outrage over mass shootings

Mass killings are becoming more frequent. Yet there has been no significant gun legislation passed in response to these and other mass shootings. Why?

Source: Why gun control laws don’t pass Congress, despite majority public support and repeated outrage over mass shootings

America's Shame

Gunmaker Profits Soar as Bloody Massacres Proliferate | The Smirking Chimp

 

May be a cartoon of text that says 'WHY DIDN'T GOD STOP THE SHOOTING? BECAUSE GOD DOESN'T EXIST. ENGAGE WITH REALITY AND FIX YOUR FUCKING GUN LAWS. ENE Ta Laa'

Thoughts and prayers are of little value unless we accept the fact that our laws reducing access to weapons need to be greatly strengthened, not loosened. Gun supporters and expedient politicians who take NRA, firearms industry and other military/industrial complex big donor money while expressing heartfelt prayers, thoughts and condolences for dead children, grieving parents and disrupted communities are disingenuous, disgusting, and deserving of maximum shame for their preposterous and irresponsible scapegoating of the mentally ill while letting politicians, devotees of loose access laws and the profiteering gun industry itself continue to squirm out of any responsibility.

Source: Gunmaker Profits Soar as Bloody Massacres Proliferate | The Smirking Chimp