Tag: Kaye Lee

Informed Comment

Is time up for Eric Abetz? – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Labor’s Helen Polley and Anne Urquhart should be returned in Tasmania as should Greens Senator Peter Whish-Wilson. After an unsuccessful tussle with his former staffer Jonathon Duniam, Eric Abetz has been relegated to third spot on the Liberal party ballot with Wendy Askew at #2. There is a slim chance Eric could be gone and Labor pick up a seat but unlikely. It’s a nice thought nevertheless. Putting all that together, the likely end composition of the Senate is 37 Coalition, 24 Labor, 12 Greens, and Jacquie Lambie, with Pauline Hanson and Malcolm Roberts as the deciding votes on legislation. I would suggest we all get very active about discussing the importance of the Senate vote with friends, family, neighbours, colleagues and anyone who will listen. A hung parliament is one thing but we don’t have time for a paralysed one at the mercy of PHON.

Source: Is time up for Eric Abetz? – » The Australian Independent Media Network

LNP, LNP Economic Management, LNP Government, LNP Policy

The atrocity of indefinite and arbitrary immigration detention must stop – support Andrew Wilkie’s Bill – » The Australian Independent Media Network

In February last year, Andrew Wilkie introduced a Private Members Bill, seconded by Zali Steggall, calling for an end to the immoral, illegal, and extremely expensive practice of indefinite and arbitrary immigration detention. In presenting the Bill, Wilkie drew attention to the staggering cost of this irrational cruelty. It costs approximately $346,000 to hold someone in immigration detention in Australia for one year but it costs only about $10,221 for a refugee or an asylum seeker to live in the community. In fact, the budget for our offshore detention is still running at about $1 billion per year. These figures are breathtaking and almost unbelievable.

Source: The atrocity of indefinite and arbitrary immigration detention must stop – support Andrew Wilkie’s Bill – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

After the seven hottest years on record, Labor lessens its climate ambition – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Whilst Labor’s policies are preferable to the Coalition’s, they fall far short of what must be done. We cannot afford the timidity shown by the two major parties who bow to pressure from vested interests and are paralysed by fear of reprisal from their colleagues as much as from the electorate. Nor can we afford the denial from Barnaby’s mob and the Pauline and Clive cults. When Labor form government, the necessity for action will only be greater and the voices demanding it even louder. I hope they are ready.

Source: After the seven hottest years on record, Labor lessens its climate ambition – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Barnaby thinks being in government is for looking after your mates. So does his mate Gina. – » The Australian Independent Media Network

When Barnaby Joyce regained the leadership of the Nationals in June last year, no-one could have been happier than his dear friend and supporter, Gina Rinehart. She immediately offered to host a party for him. Those VIPs lucky enough to secure an invitation to spend an evening with Barnaby and Gina at her palatial coastal hideaway in Noosa could secure their spot for a mere $10,000 a head. At a fundraiser for Wide Bay MP Llew O’Brien shortly after their soiree, Barnaby sang Gina’s praises, which Ms Rinehart has graciously shared with us on her website. Mr Joyce spoke of the LNP’s belief in the importance of the individual to be master of their own game as opposed to being controlled by the state. He praised the efforts of his long-time “mate”, mining magnate Gina Rinehart, who attended the event. “Gina is one of the most powerful women in the world,” he said. “If we had more Gina’s we’d have a more powerful nation,” he said.

Source: Barnaby thinks being in government is for looking after your mates. So does his mate Gina. – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Insight

Image is everything for the Messiah from the Shire – » The Australian Independent Media Network

When Scotty-from-Marketing became Prime Minister, he hired Adam Taylor, formerly of News Corp, as his official photographer – a job that has increased in prominence due to the pandemic and the wholesale sacking of media staff photographers.Taylor often has exclusive access to the PM and feeds his sanitised photos to the Murdoch media in an image-making exercise that smacks more of propaganda than recording history.Instagram has become not only a platform for Adam’s photos, but a place for him to accompany them with fawning homilies.Ronni Salt tweeted about “The messiah imagery – the powerful religious saviour symbolism of Scott Morrison as our saviour and leader complete with halos of light, crowns of thorns and birds of peace – none of this is an accident…Scott alone will save you.”She then included a collection of shots by Adam Taylor to illustrate her point.It’s kinda scary.

Source: Image is everything for the Messiah from the Shire – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

He just won’t listen – » The Australian Independent Media Network

The flooding of the media by the Djokovic case has tangentially drawn attention to Australia’s draconian border enforcement and the plight of the refugees who have been held hostage for nine years.When Morrison was told about the declining health and the neglect and abuse of children in detention, he denied it and accused advocates of promoting self-harm. When told that refugees are suffering torture, he claimed our strong borders make that necessary. Which makes his newfound concern about the mental health issues caused by state border closures sound very hollow.It really doesn’t matter what issue is facing the nation, risk assessment and expert advice are ignored in favour of tame consultants, ministerial decree, contracts without tender, grants without due process, and appointments without merit. We have panels and departments and commissions and reviews to make recommendations – all routinely ignored. To have such unerring confidence that you know better is foolhardy.Australia is paying a high price for Morrison’s hubris.

Source: He just won’t listen – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Teachers are not babysitters – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Health- medical frontline staff shortage, Education- Teaching Staff Shortage and  Morrison is yelling “Let it RIP”.

We all want our kids to be back at school, learning and playing and doing all the normal kid stuff. But these are not normal times and teachers are not easily replaceable babysitters.

Source: Teachers are not babysitters – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

While university jobs disappeared, Jobkeeper provided a windfall to wealthy private schools – » The Australian Independent Media Network

The resource advantage of private schools is set to continue for the rest of the decade under the terms of the Commonwealth-State bilateral funding agreements. Private schools will be funded at over 100 per cent of their Schooling Resource Standard (SRS) while public schools will be funded at less than 91 per cent of their SRS in all states except the ACT. As a result, public schools will remain massively under-funded. It points to the need for a comprehensive overhaul of school funding.

Source: While university jobs disappeared, Jobkeeper provided a windfall to wealthy private schools – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

How to solve the RAT supply dilemma – » The Australian Independent Media Network

The federal government could procure the needed supplies and provide them to pharmacies for free who could then distribute them for a set dispensing fee that covers their fixed costs – no mark-up, no GST, limited supply per person.Other businesses could buy them in bulk for workplace testing for cost price from the government who would act as the wholesaler.That’s why we have a universal healthcare system.Use some of the Medical Future Fund that Costello is hatching if you really need some cash to pay for it.Or stop spending billions on war toys we will never use.Priorities.It’s not rocket science, troops.

Source: How to solve the RAT supply dilemma – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Know your Premier – » The Australian Independent Media Network

As NSW records over 22,000 new cases of COVID and the number in hospital races towards a thousand, it’s worth getting to know the man who decided to “open up” just as the Omicron strain was taking off.At 39, Dominic Perrottet is our youngest premier. He is one of 12 children and is about to become a father for the 7th time.His younger brother gave an interesting defence to police when he faced allegations of rape in 2017. Mr Perrottet, who comes from a large family belonging to the conservative Catholic order Opus Dei, later told police there was no way they had sexual intercourse. “It’s against my religion,” he said.Dom was born in 1982 and was preselected in 2010 for the NSW seat of Castle Hill. Prior to that he had completed a commerce/law degree which takes 5 years. He apparently worked briefly for a law firm but it was purely a stepping stone as his political ambitions were clear, serving as the President of the NSW Young Liberals Movement in 2005 and on the NSW State Executive of the Liberal Party from 2008 to 2011.Perrottet is an electorate hopper, moving from Castle Hill to Hawkesbury to Epping, wherever he sees the cushiest path.

Source: Know your Premier – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Strong points? I don’t think so – » The Australian Independent Media Network

I keep reading that the Coalition will play to their strong points in the upcoming campaign which, according to some, are national security, the economy, cost of living, and something that hovers around vaccine rollout/post-pandemic recovery/getouttamyface freedom.

Source: Strong points? I don’t think so – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Well-being and security for all or wealth and privilege for a few – Labor and the LNP are far from the same. – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Liberal/Nationals governments talk a lot about “the economy” and very little about society. “The economy” is about allowing rich people to get richer so they will then employ people who work to make them even more money. The lower the labour cost, the higher the profit. “The economy” is about the GDP – a number that is easily manipulated by including a big government program when it needs a boost. “The economy” is about the budget, an obscure set of figures which are ripe for cherry-picking – a guess based on convenient assumptions, which can decide to leave stuff out at will, which never ends up being accurate, where debt and deficit can be a disaster one year and a wise investment the next. The LNP would have us believe that they are very concerned for our mental health and well-being as a result of the pandemic. Prior to that, not so much. When, in February last year, Shadow Treasurer Jim Chalmers suggested Australia should consider adopting a wellbeing budget, Josh Frydenberg absolutely ridiculed him.

Source: Well-being and security for all or wealth and privilege for a few – Labor and the LNP are far from the same. – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Integrity means far more than just not engaging in criminal conduct – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Integrity means the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles. That sets the bar far higher than just not engaging in criminal conduct. How many of our politicians would pass a genuine integrity test?

Source: Integrity means far more than just not engaging in criminal conduct – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Tim Wilson is getting hysterical – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Wilson, is part of the past 30 years and a glimpse of the future of our most taxing government. Wilson thrashes about trying to convince us Labour is what the LNP has always been and Labor never was. Wilson was groomed by the very secretive IPA whose fake cover is that of an ” independent research think tank”. Which is meant to convey some intellectual prowess proves to be little more than an attention-seeking bully, government and public influencer. They’re the ideal Party thugs in the mold of Abbott, and Dutton. The new generation of clones that haven’t progressed a historic inch.

He goes on to tell us that “The media fundamentally got the last election wrong because they underestimated what issues move votes. They missed the nearly one million retirees who risked losing a third of their income overnight because of Labor’s retiree tax.” Seriously? Excess franking credit refunds are more important than action on climate change? Throughout his article – eight times in fact – Wilson uses the term so-called “independents”. He thrashes around trying everything he can to discredit and invalidate them. And then he finishes by saying they “will do far more damage to Labor and the Greens than Liberals at the ballot box.” So why are you so worried, Tim?

Source: Tim Wilson is getting hysterical – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

We deserve better – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Governments have not been fulfilling their responsibilities for many years but this lot have given up any pretence of being motivated by the best interests of the people – unless they are ‘their’ people. This is an excerpt from that original essay that should remind us all what we have a right to expect from our government:

Source: We deserve better – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Uncategorized

Angus Taylor makes no sense – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Righto. Angus is on the job. Except … Australia’s largest producer of urea, Incitec Pivot, told the stock exchange last month it plans to close its main urea plant in Brisbane’s Gibson Island by the end of next year. The facility had been unable to secure “an economically viable long-term gas supply.” Paradoxically, Australia’s Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources said in its Resources and Energy Quarterly released June 28 that the global LNG market is likely to be marked by a surplus of supply over the next couple of years, which will place downward pressure on prices. “Given the large-scale expansion of global LNG capacity in recent years, import demand is expected to remain short of export capacity throughout the outlook period,” the report said. Then I read in the New York Times … Tanker ships carrying liquefied natural gas from exporters like the United States, Qatar and Australia have been steaming toward China and Brazil, drawn by higher prices.

Source: Angus Taylor makes no sense – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

“Vote Labor you vote Greens” – Morrison’s not so scary scare campaign – » The Australian Independent Media Network

What they did agree to makes for very interesting reading today in light of Morrison’s attempts to spook the electorate.

The concessions secured by the Greens included:

  • the formation of a climate change committe 
  • a parliamentary debate on Afghanistan
  • a referendum on recognising Indigenous Australians
  • restrictions on political donations
  • legislation on truth in political advertising
  • the establishment of a Parliamentary Budget Committee
  • a parliamentary integrity commissioner
  • improved processes for release of documents in Parliament
  • a leaders debates Commission a move towards full three-year parliamentary terms
  • two-and-a-half hours of allocated debate for private members’ bills
  • access for Greens to various Treasury documents

An admirable list of requests, few of which appear to have come to fruition with the parliament, instead, paralysed by attacks on Julia Gillard’s decades old involvement with the AWU, the evisceration of Craig Thomson and Peter Slipper, and the constant demonising of asylum seekers.

Source: “Vote Labor you vote Greens” – Morrison’s not so scary scare campaign – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Undermining trust in institutions is a dangerous game to play – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Climate change deniers in parliament have eroded confidence in our scientific institutions like the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology. Their tireless efforts to present us with evidence are dismissed as alarmism or fake news. Their ongoing research into mitigation and adaptation is ignored in favour of support for pollution as usual. It seems the only people we can trust are ScoMo and Barnaby, backed up by the church, the police and Dutton’s army, any criticism of whom will be seen as unpatriotic heresy. That all of this is done for purely political purposes is quite legitimate apparently, though it does inevitably lead to humiliating backflips and apologies. The real worry is that, having let the dogs off the chain, this government is rapidly losing control of the pack.

Source: Undermining trust in institutions is a dangerous game to play – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Let’s be clear, Gladys Berejiklian is being investigated because SHE brought her personal life to work – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Let’s be clear here. It was Gladys that mixed work and play. It was Gladys that chose to keep the relationship secret rather than manage the conflict of interest transparently. It was Gladys that overruled departmental advice to, instead, award grant money to bolster her partner’s political standing. As Gladys so arrogantly said in her defence, “I don’t think it would be a surprise to anybody that we throw money at seats to keep them. At the end of the day, whether we like it or not, that’s democracy.” Pork barrelling is not illegal, but it certainly isn’t democracy either.

Source: Let’s be clear, Gladys Berejiklian is being investigated because SHE brought her personal life to work – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Scott Morrison’s #themtoo moment – » The Australian Independent Media Network

When women across the nation joined together in an outpouring of grief and anger to demand change, Scott Morrison refused to come out and face the March 4 Justice crowds, instead saying from the floor of parliament that it was a triumph of democracy that protesters were not “met with bullets”. This is not the time to point at someone else saying they do it too. It shouldn’t be necessary to form another committee to work out what to do either. It’s easy. Just stop it!

Source: Scott Morrison’s #themtoo moment – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

What privileged middle-aged white men call “woke identity politics” is what matters to everyone else – » The Australian Independent Media Network

If it wasn’t for the feminazis, the ABC lovers, the gays, the Aborigines, the refugees, the ecoterrorists, the inner-city latte sippers, the kids, the aged, the disabled, the homeless, the poor and all those other woke identity politics bleeding heart whingers – this government could get on with the serious business of wealth creation and post-politics employment planning.

Source: What privileged middle-aged white men call “woke identity politics” is what matters to everyone else – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Forget sports rorts and car park malarkey – misuse of public money in Defence is staggering – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Instead of investing in extremely expensive crewed platforms that take decades to design and manufacture and are potentially too valuable to lose, we should be making greater use of uncrewed and autonomous systems. Investing in cybersecurity and countering misinformation are far more relevant national security issues than buying bigger guns. Some say that having a few targeted long-range missiles would be a sufficient deterrent against aggression. It would certainly be cheaper than wasting money on submarines. Personally, I think respect given and earned, co-operation for mutual gain, and help in times of need or crisis, are far better defences than any weapon. The Coalition picked a bad time to cut Foreign Aid, ignore pleas to reduce emissions, and then act all offended when other suitors come calling. We need détente, not Dutton – a man who speaks very loudly and carries a tiny widdle stick.

Source: Forget sports rorts and car park malarkey – misuse of public money in Defence is staggering – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

ScottyfromMarketing won’t be distracted by political games – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Remember the days when the Coalition’s game plan was all about debt and deficit and how only they could manage money? Back in black next year?Well now that the debt is rapidly approaching $1 trillion, this bunch of financial wizards think it’s a great time to cut taxes for the wealthy, costing the budget more than $184 billion over the next decade.And since we don’t care about being in debt anymore, they are increasing military spending for the 9th straight year to over $122 million per day. The Defence Forces have so much money they can’t spend it even with the billions they are wasting on abandoned contracts.Must we really waste hundreds of billions of dollars just so the Coalition can say Labor taxes more and is weak on national security?If Scotty takes away the game-playing, what’s left?

Source: ScottyfromMarketing won’t be distracted by political games – » The Australian Independent Media Network

LNP, LNP Corruption, LNP Government, LNP Tactics

James McGrath’s crusade against the ABC – » The Australian Independent Media Network

How simple is simple. How easy to read between the lines. The UK’s BBC  holds up, with pride, their “misinformation department” the department Senator McGrath would label dangerous, biased and unnecessary because Murdoch and paid to comment media are sufficient. A “Misinformation Dept” in a public broadcaster would make him so transparent he’d simply disappear.

With a leader like ScaMo running the ship, the LNP’s biggest fear is the ABC installing “a misinformation department” before the next election and turning the lights on his efforts to diminish our democracy. The pillars of which are the universal franchisement of all citizens, their right to vote being interfered with by racing through new Voter ID laws to supress not free up voting. Their unexpressed dream to get rid of compulsory voting and the ABC the public’s auditor. McGrath and the LNP prefer to tear down the Aussie Democratic house rather than lose. However accepting loss is the linch pin the foundation of a Democracy. It’s the agreement made before  and on why we even have and elections.

When Queensland Senator James McGrath gave his first speech in parliament, he made his intentions very clear – this culture warrior was on a mission to destroy the ABC. “While the ABC continues to represent only inner-city leftist views, and funded by our taxes, it is in danger of losing its social licence to operate. I am calling for a review of the ABC’s charter. And if they fail to make inroads to restore balance, then the ABC should be sold and replaced by a regional and rural broadcasting service. In the meantime, Triple J, because of its demographic dominance and clear ability to stand on its own, should be immediately sold.”

“These are the people that are supposed to be the high-calibre Liberals. If this is the high-calibre Liberals I’d hate to go to a Liberal party branch in Queensland and see the low-lifes in operation.” (Doug Cameron)

Source: James McGrath’s crusade against the ABC – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Morrison’s belligerence backfires as he bounces around like a beach ball – » The Australian Independent Media Network

It’s not extremists that are causing Scott Morrison to bounce around like a beach ball. He’s a thin-skinned bag of hot air, totally dependent on the crowd to determine his direction.

Source: Morrison’s belligerence backfires as he bounces around like a beach ball – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Morrison’s priorities say it all – » The Australian Independent Media Network

We have Kevin Rudd and Malcolm Turnbull teaming up, John Hewson and Barry Jones, the Business Council and the National Farmers Federation and ACOSS, not to mention the state premiers and a growing group of pissed-off foreign leaders, all lining up together to tell Morrison’s government they are not doing their job adequately. Time to get rid of these dangerous, self-serving, talentless amateurs.

Source: Morrison’s priorities say it all – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Scott Morrison takes “don’t-do government” to a whole new level – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Morrison has been part of a didn’t -do government for 8 years . A government that simply rearranged the deckchairs on the SS LNP leadership over the past 8 years. During the LNP’s 8 year reign the only Australian lives to have improved are those with inherited wealth, corporations and a credit rating sufficient to take out investment loans. Money handed out by the LNP has been  largely to lage businesses and corporations and has poured back into the shares and and inflated housing merry go round. Tax minimisation and liquidation are now reflected in the booming accounting industry.  This nation was the 2nd best global economy during the GFC Australians had a soft landing when Abbott’s LNP was running around yelling the “sky was falling in”. They were elected out of fear and the nation sank from 2013 onwards. Health, Education Housing and Jobs casualised went down faster  nuclear subs, and haven’t risen again. ScaMo is leader and Australia’s image globally has gone from envy to Morrison’s new cry of “where the fuck are you “. A repeat of the historical bingle that saw him sacked from tourism. We have from good neighbour to a colony again that’s redefined and modernised “blackbirding” again. To importing really unwanted Pacific labor because no white OECD, EU immigrants are queuing to come to the new AUKUS military base in the Pacific..

Scotty’s don’t-do government hasn’t given a Voice to Indigenous people. It hasn’t given us a federal corruption watchdog. It hasn’t addressed housing affordability or the increasing number of Australians living in poverty. In fact, they are campaigning on being a government who is not going to legislate anything and are going to leave everything up to the market and consumers to make the right choices (with the obvious fossil fuel support carve-out). No wonder they keep spending hundreds of billions on war toys. They haven’t got anything else to do.ScaMo

Source: Scott Morrison takes “don’t-do government” to a whole new level – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Freedom from responsibility – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Freedom of Information has been met with a full suite of disabling tactics – defunding, excuses about national security and commercial in confidence, too time-consuming for staff, increasing delays in responding, appealing decisions, stacking the AAT, court action, redactions, and distractions. Scott doesn’t hold the hose and Gladys has always acted with integrity – and if anything went wrong it wasn’t their fault.

Source: Freedom from responsibility – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Dutton does defence – » The Australian Independent Media Network

In his maiden speech, Dutton said “I have seen the sickening behaviour displayed by people who, frankly, barely justify their existence in our sometimes over tolerant society.” Having watched Dutton enhance his personal fortune for twenty years, I have seen nothing to justify his existence in our parliament or the support of his over tolerant constituents and colleagues.

Source: Dutton does defence – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Farming is an industry based on science so why do they elect Luddites? – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Agriculture has a huge role to play in both the mitigation of, and adaptation to, climate change. It is in their best interests to lead the way to a sustainable future and there is enthusiasm to do so from this generation of farmers. So why do they keep electing Luddites?

Source: Farming is an industry based on science so why do they elect Luddites? – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Tim Wilson epitomises so many things that are wrong with the Morrison government – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Tim is the archetypal Liberal. No expertise other than self-promotion, jobs for the boys, rapid u-turns for political expediency, maximise your expense claims, deals for mates, feather your financial nest, and get your photo taken a lot. He will probably go far. And isn’t that … so disappointingly inadequate?

Source: Tim Wilson epitomises so many things that are wrong with the Morrison government – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Scott Morrison’s “promise to Australia” – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Scott Morrison’s 2019 election campaign speech: “To run a stronger economy requires a government that knows how to manage money. If you can’t manage money, you can’t run the country.

Source: Scott Morrison’s “promise to Australia” – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

The insane pinball game that masquerades as Coalition energy policy – » The Australian Independent Media Network

“The days of subsidies in energy are over, whether it is for coal, wind, solar, any of them,” the treasurer said. “That is the way I think you get the best functioning energy market with the lowest possible price for businesses and for households and that is what the national energy guarantee and our energy policies are designed to achieve.” Fast forward to this week when Keith Pitt, the minister for resources, water and northern Australia, blocked a loan for the Kaban green energy hub which had been approved by the Northern Australian Infrastructure Facility (Naif) in January. The blocked funding would have helped build a 157-megawatt windfarm and 100MW battery and included a 320km transmission line upgrade. Pitt’s reason for overruling the decision was that investment in “mature technologies” like wind and solar energy would be driven by the private sector whilst the government’s policy was to support dispatchable generation. I’m not sure what Mr Pitt thinks batteries are for.

Source: The insane pinball game that masquerades as Coalition energy policy – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

The drums of hairy chest beating – » The Australian Independent Media Network

It is a given that a Coalition government will, rightly or wrongly, promote their credentials on national security. Who could forget Tony Abbott’s ludicrous promise to shirtfront Vladimir Putin. The tough talk might appeal to some but this political posturing has real-life consequences for people.

Source: The drums of hairy chest beating – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Blue carbon sounds nice… again – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Our current Environment Minister, Sussan Ley (number four to try the job), has just reannounced, for the umpteenth time, our commitment to capturing blue carbon greenhouse gases in mangroves, marshes and seagrasses. It’s a worthwhile endeavour, as it was when Julie Bishop made the same announcement in 2017. These systems are not just valuable because of the carbon they capture, they are valuable for a whole multitude of reasons around fisheries, around coastal protection, around supporting our marine biodiversity. But they are under threat. Since European settlement in Australia, we’ve lost about 25% of our sea grasses, 50% of our tidal marshes, somewhere between 50% and 70% of our mangroves, and that loss is continuing.

Source: Blue carbon sounds nice… again – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

Hubris and hypocrisy – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Scott Morrison is getting worse. The hubris and hypocrisy is flowing at every turn. Our Prime Minister believes he was given “a sign” by God in the shape of a picture of an eagle which he read as divine endorsement for his elevation to the top job. Being the “chosen one” confers some sort of infallibility to one’s decision-making. It implies motives are pure. Morality is unquestioned. Outcomes are ordained.

Source: Hubris and hypocrisy – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Fight against Fake News, Fighting Fake News

Old Dog Thought- White Supremacy was born out theft,the barrel of a gun, boats and the ability to kill at a distance. History told is power

Fighting Fake News with REAL, 1/5/21; Kaye Lee; Cartoons; The Shovel; Gender Discrimination Political Gain, Identity Politics;

Informed Comment

Taking out the trash – » The Australian Independent Media Network

I was prompted to start writing about politics when the spectre of the highly inadequate Tony Abbott as Prime Minister was first being seriously considered.

Having known Tony at university, it was completely unfathomable to me. We had always dismissed him as an inconsequential bovver boy, an overconfident loudmouth who spouted his indoctrinated views, a young man with anachronistic opinions and an overinflated sense of his own ability – a ‘second-grade footballer, third-rate academic and fourth-class politician.’

When the unthinkable happened, it didn’t take the country, or his own party, long to realise they had given the job to a man who wasn’t up to it, and Tony was disempowered. The people of Warringah then completed the disengagement.

Sadly, for all his high and mighty words, both before and after, Malcolm Turnbull turned out to be a Fizza, unable to lead a party that always viewed him with suspicion.

Source: Taking out the trash – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

No amount of “official” photography can hide the man beneath the baseball cap – » The Australian Independent Media Network

No amount of photo shoots and image massaging or efforts to silence dissent and exhortations to all row together along the Kakoda Trail (or some such inane analogy) can hide the man beneath the baseball cap.

How good is Scott?

Not very.

Source: No amount of “official” photography can hide the man beneath the baseball cap – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment

“This isn’t an outcome-oriented workplace” – » The Australian Independent Media Network

It’s kind of disheartening when the people who make our laws and have complete control of our commonwealth admit that their only goal is to get rid of the other side.

When The Sun-Herald and The Sunday Age invited federal MPs to attend a one-hour Zoom demonstration of what an empathy training course entails, five agreed – and their responses demonstrate exactly why we must change, not only our government but our whole system of governance.

Source: “This isn’t an outcome-oriented workplace” – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Informed Comment, Uncategorized

Spare me your tears – » The Australian Independent Media Network

A ‘tearful’ Scott Morrison took to the stage this morning to tell us how his daughters, his wife, and his mother are the centre of his life. Yeah, we know. That’s how he began his election campaign – “Aren’t they fantastic? How good is Mum? How good is Jenny?” So, aside from the fact that he has female relatives, why was Scotty upset?

Spare me your tears – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Informed Comment

How good is Gerry! – » The Australian Independent Media Network
No Robodebt for Gerry

The retailer said it would pay dividends totalling $249m, of which Gerry Harvey is set to receive $78m due to his 31.4% shareholding in the company. Despite this, they declined to pay back the estimated $22 million they somehow collected for JobKeeper, a payment they should never have qualified to receive. But that’s all fine and dandy with the Treasurer apparently who won’t be asking for the money back from any of the companies who claimed the payment despite making higher profits. As Secretary of the ACTU Sally McManus pointed out, “They have no qualms about requesting and forcing people to pay back Centrelink payments – no problem with that whatsoever. Somehow we’re all supposed to sit back and say ‘oh well that’s OK, that’s just the rules that apply to big business in this country’.

How good is Gerry! – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Informed Comment

Nicolle Flint’s “non-political” attack on Labor – » The Australian Independent Media Network
The Face of LNP Politics

Nicolle Flint seemed to be trying for a Julia Gillard moment yesterday when she attacked Anthony Albanese. “I say to the leader of the opposition: I will not be lectured by you. I will not be lectured by your side of politics about the treatment of women in this place.” Ms Flint, after saying that “the safety of women in this place should be above politics,” went on to get very political: “What I say to the Labor party today is that they may not have held the spray can to vandalise my office with sexist slurs and they may not have held the camera pointed at me by the stalker or called me evil in GetUp’s phone calls, but they did create the environment in which hate could flourish.” Oh come on, Nicolle.

Nicolle Flint’s “non-political” attack on Labor – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Informed Comment

The trouble with being privileged is that you cannot fathom what it is like for those who are not – » The Australian Independent Media Network

When Linda Reynolds and Christian Porter shed public tears, it was not for a young employee who had allegedly been raped in your workplace by another hand-picked employee, it was not for a friend from years ago who had tragically taken her own life. Oh no, those tears were solely about the possible political consequences for the Ministers involved.

The trouble with being privileged is that you cannot fathom what it is like for those who are not – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Informed Comment

Wednesday was a weird day – » The Australian Independent Media Network

Angus Campbell isn’t a bad man. The vast majority of Australian men aren’t ‘bad’ men. But they still seem to think it is a woman’s fault if she gets raped. Don’t be out after midnight. Don’t drink. Don’t be alone. Don’t look attractive. Or you risk becoming ‘prey’? Do men feel that way? If a man goes out with his mates and gets pissed, does that make him a likely target for anal rape?

Wednesday was a weird day – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Informed Comment, LNP

The only jobs the Nats are concerned about are their own – » The Australian Independent Media Network

When you have a leader whose most memorable contribution has been a rather tragic Elvis impersonation, I guess it’s understandable that the natives might get restless. But in the last few weeks, the Nats have gone so far off reservation they seem to be occupying a totally different universe.

The only jobs the Nats are concerned about are their own – » The Australian Independent Media Network
Informed Comment

The daggy dad’s empathy vacuum – » The Australian Independent Media Network

It was no surprise to hear that Morrison’s government paid $190,000 of taxpayer money to an empathy consultant on how best to show drought-stricken farmers they care about them. Scotty doesn’t do empathy unless the focus groups suggest he should pretend to care and someone else explains to him what that looks like.

The daggy dad’s empathy vacuum – » The Australian Independent Media Network