Flaunting, Extravagant Friday . . .

Fiona Uncategorized

(Image Credit: Vote1Julia – courtesy of Mrs Vote1Julia)
‘Now, everyone say “entitlements” . . .’

I’d been musing about this evening’s thread; then one of Vote1Julia’s brilliant pics turned up in the email (by the way, doesn’t the bridegroom look like a prize dork?). So that decided it: even though this saga has been around for three weeks, it ain’t going anywhere soon.

(Image Credit: Vote1Julia)
‘Choppergate – how it all began.’

The cartoons have been wonderful, some of the commentary insightful. For example, Andrew Elder:

Bishop, as with most politicians, knows that you have to put yourself about if you want to build and maintain your base. The reason why the rules on parliamentary entitlements are like that, and why they won’t change much, is because politicians from all parties agree that you have to travel a lot to maintain your base.

To most people, there is a clear delineation between work and social events. The social events that political parties stage as fundraising events are designed to be social for those contributing money. For the politically ambitious, they involve all the performance-indicator aspects of work with the addition of social skills like seeming pleasant, knowing who to chat to (and if they’re really important, how to chat to them) and not drinking as much as you might at a purely social event – particularly if you’re going to many such events in a day.

For most people, a golf course is unambiguously a social place, different from Bishop’s workplace in the green room under the hill in Canberra. Bishop regards her job as going where her job requires: Collaroy, Launceston, Ottawa, wherever. She has been in politics so much and for so long that she is genuinely astonished that turning up to a fundraiser might lie outside a reasonable definition of a politician’s “work”.

And Jennifer Wilson:

In case you are still in any doubt about what matters and what doesn’t to the Anglo-Saxon hegemony think on this: white Speaker of the House of Representatives and Prime Minister Tony Abbott’s personal pick Bronwyn Bishop remains in charge of the House, in spite of decades of financial abuse of taxpayer funds, the obscene details of which are unfolding daily before our disbelieving eyes. The only thing that keeps her in her job is Abbott’s support, because while the Prime Minister cannot actually sack a Speaker, there’s little doubt that if Abbott pressured her to get on her bike, she’d be mad not to obey.

. . .

Prime Minister Tony Abbott, normally a man with an opinion on everything no matter how irrelevant, remains conspicuously silent on both matters. Ms Bishop’s shenanigans with helicopters and luxury limos have left rotten egg splattered all over Tony’s face, an ungracious response on her part to the man who, when he won government, rewarded her with the prestigious job of Speaker. Getting rid of Bronwyn will cause Tony to lose egg-splattered face, as it will be an admission of his lack of judgement of a woman he’s known for decades, and indeed, has been heard to refer to as his “political mother.”

But as Freud would have it, an adult man must at some point cut ties with his mother, and this could be Tony’s moment to sever the umbilical cord.

Ever since Choppergate broke, this theme – with an obvious name change – has been an almost constant earworm for me:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P2DY4PpmN0s

As for dame kero’s “apology”

Too little too late.

As always in public life, it’s not the crime, it’s the cover up that does the damage.

(Image Credit: Vote1Julia)

A huge thank you to Vote1Julia for letting me use his pics!

Heigh ho, let’s have a flaunting extravagant Friday. Enjoy The Pub’s delightful ambiance, enjoy the comestibles, crank up the jukebox – and if anyone is curious about the origin of the title to this thread . . .

(Image Credit: Amazon)

226 thoughts on “Flaunting, Extravagant Friday . . .”

  1. Linked last Saturday by the inimitable BK, but well worth a re-run:

    In the twilight of her career Bronwyn Bishop is now in the eye of a hurricane. For 35 years her narrow conservatism, combined with her personal ambition, sense of privilege and capacity to polarise, have infuriated many of her colleagues, although obviously not her prime minister.

    Despite her considerable successes and, at one time, her almost rock-star appeal across the country, she has often seemed to ignore the old maxim about being nice to people on the way up because you’re going to meet them on the way down.

    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2015/07/25/bronwyn-bishops-lifelong-gambits/14377464002167

  2. The pursuit of bright white teeth is ridiculous. People in the USA are searching for ever brighter teeth while others cannot even get rotten teeth fixed.

    Mind you, we are heading that way here. If the dentists had not screamed blue murder at the time, dental services may have been included in the original Medicare.

  6. http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/opinion/tony-abbott-must-cut-liability-speaker-of-the-house-bronwyn-bishop-loose/story-fni0cwl5-1227466040264 the story it mentions, obviously being carried in multiple NewsCorp tabloids tomorrow (see the Perth front page), isn’t up yet. But this editorial is.

    Looks like Fairfax will have a similar story tomorrow as well.

  7. In her first year, in 1960, she failed all four subjects and was required to repeat the year. She then passed the next three years before stumbling once more in 1964 when she failed all four subjects again. In 1965 she repeated those same four subjects but ended up failing three of them.

    What happened to the woman (I use the term loosely) in 1964? Bad hair year?

  8. What happened to the woman (I use the term loosely) in 1964? Bad hair year?

    Too busy travelling?

  9. Compare and contrast:

    But there she was in the house of representatives in the late autumn of 1994 – seven years after becoming the first Liberal Party woman from NSW to be elected to the senate, nine years after becoming the first female president of the NSW party, 13 years after being elected the first female chairman of the state convention. It was a stunning testament to her undoubted intelligence, self-belief and tenacity.

    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2015/07/25/bronwyn-bishops-lifelong-gambits/14377464002167

    “Bishop failed a total of 11 subjects over six years. In her first year, in 1960, she failed all four subjects and was required to repeat the year. She then passed the next three years before stumbling once more in 1964 when she failed all four subjects again. In 1965 she repeated those same four subjects but ended up failing three of them. The university had a rule at the time that a student had to show cause why he or she should be allowed to repeat for a third time. Bronwyn Setright was deemed ineligible to continue.”

    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2015/08/01/gadfly-law-student-unto-herself/14383512002185

    Hmm. Same edition.

    Academic intelligence? No way.

    Rat cunning? You bet.

    The more I think about it, the more I realise how appropriate this post’s title is.

  15. Ducky,

    My darling mother was an early adopter – perhaps not such a good thing, as I suspect her early use of the Pill (not to mention the naughty way she used it), plus heavy smoking, plus a decade of HRT may well have contributed to her breast cancer.

  18. Bronwyn Bishop spent $1,071 on chauffeured trips same day she went to ‘freebie’ opening night of Yes, Prime Minister

    http://www.news.com.au/national/bronwyn-bishop-spent-1071-on-chauffeured-trips-same-day-she-went-to-freebie-opening-night-of-yes-prime-minister/story-e6frfkp9-1227466315876

    Bronwyn Bishop’s initial refusal to step down will leave the government reeling even if she resigns now

    http://www.news.com.au/national/bronwyn-bishops-initial-refusal-to-step-down-will-leave-the-government-reeling-even-if-she-resigns-now/story-e6frfkp9-1227466203751

  20. Ducky,

    I am thankful I was only on the pill for about three years, and I only smoked (in my mid thirties) for 6 weeks. As for HRT, no way!

  23. Will the aged ms bishop ever accept that she’s a laughing stock, and resign?

    My bet: never.

  24. On further consideration, dame kero will never realise she is a laughing stock.

    I am not taking any position regarding her resignation.

    And so, goodnight.

  25. Dear Bronnie,
    Please don’t go, we love you Yes we do. Really we do.

    You are a Speaker like no other that I have ever seen, and nothing will make me happier than seeing you in The Chair on August 10. I will be watching and look forward to your display.

    You are valued and appreciated in ways you cannot imagine.

    Regards
    A Labor Voter

  26. Dear Liberal Party of Australia,

    Please do not let a few unpleasant polls rock you. You know you are the natural party of government and after the public gets over its hissy fit, they will acknowledge that fact too.

    Support Mrs Speaker Bishop and PM Abbott, they are the embodiment of the LPA’s values, a stirling example of all things Liberal.

    If you allow a few malcontents to rattle your cage, what next? Having to preselect candidates based on so-called merit? Or having the seething masses tell you what to do?

    You know we need your strength of purpose, and allowing these two fine people to be cut down in their prime would be a humiliating capitulation to the masses who do not have the capacity to understand the complexities of governing this vast country, especially the need for unfettered travel.

    PM Abbott and Speaker Bishop are valued and needed. Stand behind them.

    regards
    A Labor Voter.

  27. Dear Bill,

    Gawd, life could not be sweeter if it rained jelly beans. We are looking forward to August 10.

    Don’t worry about blood on the carpets, the Parliament House cleaners will mop up for free.

    Regards,
    A Labor Voter.

  29. Couples in the outback back then did not get much in on keeping the population down from the local GPs. The more babies the more business they got, I suppose.

  31. Jolie, who is a special envoy for the U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees, is on a four-day visit to the Southeast Asian nation.
    During her meeting with the factory workers, on the outskirts of an industrial zone in Myanmar’s largest city, Yangon. Jolie and Suu Kyi witnessed first hand the conditions the women live in, mostly low cost hostels. Jolie also toured inside the factory.

    http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/burmamyanmar/11777874/Angelina-Jolie-joins-Aung-San-Suu-Kyi-to-visit-Myanmar-female-factory-workers.html

  32. Good morning Dawn Patrollers.

    Bishop grounded. She’s on the skids?
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/bishop-grounded-speaker-cancels-overseas-trip-as-expenses-scandal-rages-on-20150801-gipbxy.html
    The Herald-Sun editorial has a simple message for Bronny – It’s time to go!
    http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/its-time-to-go-bronwyn-bishop/story-fni0ffsx-1227466263309
    And the Murdock rag in Adelaide says how front benchers have told Abbott that Bronny must go.
    http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/national/bronwyn-bishop-must-go-frontbenchers-tell-prime-minister-tony-abbott/story-fnu4vqrf-1227466421648
    Andrew Wilkie ups the ante and asks for a fraud examination of Bronny’s travel activities and representations.
    http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/aug/01/bronwyn-bishop-reportedly-claimed-6000-for-160km-trip-by-private-plane
    Tanya Plibersek asks “Where’s Tony?” over the Bishop saga.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/bronwyn-bishop-expenses-row-plibersek-says-tony-abbott-has-gone-missing-20150731-gioxca.html
    A reasonable article from Annabel Crabbe on the subject of apology.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/demands-for-apologies-usually-loud-but-sometimes-unjust-20150731-gioopx.html
    The New Daily’s Political Weekly.
    http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2015/07/31/political-weekly-bishop-survives-alp-thrives/
    Abbott the dragon slayer – how he makes mountains out of molehills.
    http://theaimn.com/abbott-the-dragon-slayer-the-art-of-making-scary-mountains-out-of-molehills/
    Peter FitzSimons’ weekly column is well worth reading.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-fitz-files-rumours-i-want-to-be-head-of-state-are-greatly-exaggerated-20150731-giogdu.html
    How your workplace affects your weekend.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/why-a-lousy-job-makes–you-happier-on-the-weekend-20150731-gip1uf.html

  40. I have to say I’m amazed that the msm is still keeping the Choppergate thing going. It will be interesting, after this all sorts itself out, to find out the real reason.

  42. Methinks Rupert has sniffed the wind and it smells too much like a LNP. wipe-out in 2016..so he is hedging his bets.
    “Bill!…Maaaaate!”

  43. Hi jaycee
    I went down to have a look at the dam this morning and it’s half full!! Hooray!

  49. I think we on the left ought to start preparing some ground work for the investigating into organisations like the IPA. and it’s political influence, the Canberra Press Gallery and it’s “lobbying” rather than reporting and also the political interference of individuals like Gina and Twiggy into political policy making and newscorp journos on Boards and places of influence etc…..There are many that need to be looked into.

    Perhaps some people could start writing articles calling for such an investigation.

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