Here is Guest Poster Thom Mitchell’s latest missive from COP21:
The Paris climate talks are staggering to a close, folks. An unwieldy and cumbersome beast by nature, the Ministers who jetted in this week will put her down over the course of the next day or two, or three. It’s not clear.
The French want a weekend – to have the text nailed down on Thursday, ready to be legalled Friday. We’ll see. As I wrote last night, there’s been little movement on the big overarching decisions that need to be taken, and when I went for a kip – on the couches off from the upstairs press pool, at 3.30am Central European Time – there were still closed negotiations dragging through the frosty Paris night.
I hope Julie Bishop was in one of them, eyeballs stinging. The ridiculous nature of Australia’s positions at the talks – called out, as I reported at the time, by a series of coordinated actions that stalled coal exports along the east coast of Australia – was stripped naked by her ridiculous comments a few days ago.
“Barring some technological breakthrough fossil fuels will remain critical to promoting prosperity, growing economies and alleviating hunger for years to come,” she told an event focused on transitioning to a low carbon economy.
The fact words like these are still coming out of senior frontbencher’s mouths is the saddest indictment, perhaps, of Malcolm Turnbull’s prettier-than-Abbott government. I mean, actually, Julie, what’s difficult to see is how, without some marvel of innovation, coal could be made tasty.
Curing hunger? Really? Have some coal, poor people! Delicious!
Feed them your greedy death stare, more like it.
But there’s been surprisingly little of that; everyone is playing nice, congratulating the French on the admittedly admirable job they’re doing of keeping the hissing, booing and jumping up and down private.
If the French are going to hit their deadline, though, countries will need to resolve the ultimate ‘guardrail’ of how much warming the world will allow; the ‘collective long term goal’ on emissions cuts that will allow us to get there; who will pay; and what role developing states will be expected to play on a range of fronts.
Most of the good stuff has survived the latest prune of the Paris agreement, though. It’s come down to a very manageable 29 pages long, but the nearly 200 countries involved must come to consensus, which is always a big ask. And a lot of the bad stuff is still there, too. Either or will have to face the chopping block.
I suspect that a lot of the nuts and bolts will be deferred to the next ‘Conference of the Parties’ in Morocco, next year, where there’ll be a bit more space to operationalise the deal before it comes into affect in 2020.
And as you might expect, as the negotiation draws towards the pointing and possibly stabbing end, the antics at the Le Bourget conference centre where this political showdown is being staged are getting more frayed.
Last night funny man Dan Ilic, an Australian, presented Bishop with the ‘Fossil of the Day Award’ for her attempt to cram coal down the throats of the poor. And on the Saturday after the Paris summit is slated to close a pretty serious line up of mass demonstrations and creative actions are planned.
But there’s been a surprising sense of calm-before-the-storm to the last few days, because the big questions have remained fairly stagnant. The fact it’s come so late, though, could simply invite a more ferocious storm. There might be some fireworks today.
Or one would hope so, particularly if we’re all going to get that weekend the French President of the conference, Laurent Fabius, is trying to bag. I for one bloody hope so. I feel like I’ve been hit by a non-renewables-fuelled truck. After many nights of three, four, or six AM sleeps, I’m hoping for some time alone with a few bottles of middle-of-the-road vin de rouge.
I did have one brief soiree two nights ago, though, on the generous hospitality of Climate Councillors Tim Flannery, Amanda McKenzie, and Prof Lesley Hughes: I heard an interesting story about a certain rat, from a certain mammalogist (not Flannery), in their somewhat salubrious apartment. You might be hearing more about it, at some point. Again, we’ll see.
And I hate to repackage the rat metaphor I used when I last wrote to you good folk, but we’ll see what rats if any crawl up and die in the text of the Paris agreement. It’s increasingly clear it’ll be no panacea, but that’s no surprise. I’m more and more of the view that actions like those of the brave folk who shut down the coal export ports in Newcastle, Brisbane and Port Kembla this week will be the real means of operationalising the fandangled circus here in Paris.
It rolls up every year, replete with the carbon footprint of shipping in thousands or tens of thousands of journalists, observers delegates and politicians, but it’s clearer than ever already that something’s got to make it give. And that that momentum, like the commitments to cut carbon themselves, must come from the national level and domestic level.
As the President of Kiribati told me in an interview a few days ago, overcoming the drug dealer’s defence we in Australia use to persist in profiting from the coal exports that are sinking his nation, “it is a job for you people in Australia”.
“If you don’t believe your government is doing the right thing,” he said, “then change your government”.
—-
Thank you, as ever, for your generous support.
I’ll let you know how things pan out.
Cheers,
Thom.
jaeger
Those photos are funny and cute at the same time, thanks for that, needed a bit of relief from the horror financial stuff happening.
” Unfortunately for us Victorians they are sending the heat our way.”..You deserve it for what Bolte did to kybosh Dunstan’s Chowilla Dam project!
…and you used to steal our best footy players just to make the Vic’ competition look good!
2gravel –
Funny, cute and/or amusing – for sure!
Hilarious… = “Funnier than LOLcats”? Hmmm.
You can’t expect decent, rational behaviour in a country that has no leadership. We need more than a smirk and a lot of hot air to fix the blatant racism that flourishes in Australia.
Ballarat man says he is ‘in shock’ after unprovoked racial assault
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-16/ballarat-man-in-shock-after-unprovoked-racial-assault/7034700
St Malcolm has said not one word about Reclaim Australia, not a word about the racist rallies that have taken place sine he became PM, not a word about female refugees being raped and impregnated while in his care. Nothing. He just smiles and gives another effete wave, he just can’t be bothered. It’s all too hard for him. He, like Abbott, has what he wanted since childhood. He is PM. The rest of us can get stuffed, he doesn’t give a damn. He just wants to bask in the spotlight while he can.
As the rich, old, grey-haired man said to Australians –
Never a truer word was spoken!
Jaegar
thanks. i got a laugh out of those pix.
jaycee
Aw, you seem to be carry a grudge. 🙂 I’m off to bed to see if I can get some sleep before “your” heat wave hits.
o% is obviously what Truffles’ band of crooks consider “the right amount of tax”.
Kaffeeklatscher,
Heirs and successors of Kerry Packer’s way of thinking.
I have been told by someone who knows that in the City (of London, that is), the mere suggestion of a Swiss bank account is derided: they have facilities just as effective.
Entitlement and then entitlement.
I am not envious – I am disgusted.
Billie,
Exactly.
Wishing everyone a wonderful Christmas and a fabulous new year.
Ridgiesrule,
I am sure the Hounds of Herberton are not cherishing improper designs on that dear little birdie . . .
I hope you and yours have a wonderful Christmas, and a really good 2016.
Ridgiesrule.
Thank you for the beautiful card. Those hounds are adorable. The little birdie obviously trusts them. Have a great Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Fiona and Puffy – trust me, the little bird is safe.
The hounds are very sweet natured (also very well fed) and apart from that, it would require the expenditure of energy to do anything evil.
These days the most energy the hounds of Herberton expend involves climbing onto the couch or climbing off the couch and walking to the bed before climbing on that.
A recovery time of approximately 22 hours is required after doing this LOL
Ridgiesrule,
My immediate neighbourhood seems to be a hotbed of retired greyhounds. I quite often see them plodding after their pets, obviously wondering “When is this torture ending? When can I get back to couch?”
most homes would benefit from having a retired greyhound in the family.
fiona and ridgiesrule
lol
Goodbye Soundwave, hello boutique music festivals:
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-16/jones-goodbye-soundwave,-hello-boutique-music-festivals/7033172
In case you missed it, the Google doodle “Celebrating Ludwig van Beethoven’s 245th Year” is good fun:
https://www.google.com/doodles/celebrating-ludwig-van-beethovens-245th-year
I listened to a “mashup” of 24 pianists playing the 3rd movement of the Moonlight Sonata, and the standout (to my ear) was Valentina Lisitsa – surprisingly, not credited (lumped in with “and more”):
jaeger
I liked your funny photos. My preference went to the little mouse (?).
Good morning Dawn Patrollers.
Mark Kenny is op the opinion that Turnbull will resist the temptation of calling an early election.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/budget-woes-fuel-election-talk-but-turnbull-will-wait-20151216-glpcma.html
Michael Gordon on the impact of the big company taxation issue on Turnbull’s agenda.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/another-problem-lands-on-malcolm-turnbulls-tax-reform-table-20151217-glq6xu.html
And it won’t leave the notice of the electorate by sitting back and hoping it will just fade away.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/tax-transparency-coalition-urged-to-target-biggest-companies-for-billions-20151217-glq823.html
And it’s articles like this “View from the Street” contribution that drive this assertion home.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/view-from-the-street/view-from-the-street-so-which-of-the-governments-fave-companies-pay-no-tax-20151217-glq6gc.html
Sussan Ley and others in the government are coming under increasing fire over the stealthy cuts to health and what they will mean to patients.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/myefo-budget-update-government-denies-patients-will-bear-brunt-of-health-cuts-20151216-glp0xu.html
Laura Tingle says Abbott should just go away. She really has had enough of him and his antics. (Copy the following string into a Google search to get to the article)
/opinion/columnists/tony-abbott-bringing-a-whole-new-meaning-to-contribution-to-public-life-20151217-glq1qi
If this was initiated by Turnbull it may have been a little master stroke.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/liberal-divisions-after-asio-chief-duncan-lewis-intervenes-on-mps-islam-comments-20151217-glpp8x.html
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/asio-briefings-islam-debate-is-ensnared-in-liberal-leadership-battle-20151217-glq6fh.html
More temperature records set to tumble on the weekend.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/melbourne-weather-saturday-night-to-break-temperature-records-20151217-glq6rf.html
Sam Dastyari – movie maker. Watch the trailer.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2015/12/16/dastyari-spoof-greens_n_8824138.html?utm_hp_ref=australia
The UN ranks Australian life as second best in the world.
http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2015/12/17/un-ranks-australian-life-second-world/
Section 2 . . .
MYEFO – Abbott’s cuts repackaged.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/myefo-abbotts-cuts-repackaged1,8504
Adelaidians are really, really grumpy with this hot weather.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2015/12/18/adelaide-heatwave_n_8824536.html?utm_hp_ref=australia
Fairfax is less than impressed with the appointment of the new ABC head.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/the-tumultuous-news-corp-past-of-new-abc-boss-michelle-guthrie-20151217-glq4xf.html
I never liked this guy and his thuggish behaviour. Now he’s named as one of those rorting the private vocational education scheme.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/demetriou-company-acquire-learning-accused-of-unconscionable-conduct-20151217-glpu11.html
Q and A is not biased to the left says the independent report. But Tony Jones is a pain in the neck. Fair enough.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/qa-host-tony-jones-should-be-careful-not-to-overreach-in-comments-review-20151217-glpp9w.html
Ben Eltham on the political tide that swept Abbott away. A good, long read.
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/dec/17/kathy-jackson-loses-bid-to-appeal-14m-payment-order-to-health-services-union
The 13 Coalition MPs who broke the government in 2015. Another good read to savour.
https://newmatilda.com/2015/12/17/the-definitive-coalition-poop-list-13-mps-who-broke-the-government-in-2015/
Michelle Grattan’s Friday column.
https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-malcolm-turnbull-tells-others-to-take-risks-but-will-he-follow-his-own-advice-52495
These lovely upwardly mobile types have just had a big shock. And so they should have!
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/six-arrested-for-158-million-childcare-fraud-scheme-in-melbourne-suburbs-20151217-glpudh.html
Adele Ferguson takes aim at CBA on the release of a report commissioned by ASIC.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/it-was-more-than-just-a-few-rogue-planners-at-cba-review-finds-20151217-glq9nh.html
Section 3 . . . with Cartoon Corner
Why are so many Americans in thrall of conspiracy theorists?
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/why-are-so-many-americans-in-the-thrall-of-conspiracy-theorists-20151217-glpobg.html
I’m sure our collective heart bleeds for Kathy Jackson.
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/dec/17/kathy-jackson-loses-bid-to-appeal-14m-payment-order-to-health-services-union
Ron Tandberg and our non-existent revenue problem.
And Ron joins the fray over ASIO’s “little talks” with certain Coalition MPs.
Andrew Dyson on bulk billing.
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/federal-politics/cartoons/andrew-dyson-20090819-epqv.html
More from Ron Tandberg as Morrison takes his policies from one portfolio the next.
And Alan Moir with an old cartoonists’ theme.
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/federal-politics/cartoons/alan-moir-20150921-gjrcxr.html
Of course David Pope couldn’t resist taking a poke at the level of tax being extracted from big companies.
Mark Knight on the success of Uber taxis.
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/6717882ada540b1de68bc8c5e9c74c97?width=1024&api_key=zw4msefggf9wdvqswdfuqnr5
jaycee@jaycee @trulyjaycee 36s37 seconds ago Adelaide, South Australia
MSM. “Don’t pick on the tax avoider’s” rhyme:
“Baa baa black sheep
Have you any wool?
Yes sir, yes sir , go take your fill….1/2
jaycee@jaycee @trulyjaycee 26s27 seconds ago Adelaide, South Australia
Ten for the bosses,
That we’re not going to blame.
So long as you tax the hell
Of the little people
Who can’t “play the game.”…2/2
An interesting piece on the rise of Trump,at least within the Republican Party side
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/comment/why-are-so-many-americans-in-the-thrall-of-conspiracy-theorists-20151217-glpobg.html
My son-in-law’s family are die-hard Republicans, a little incongruous to me since they are originally of Italian working-class Pennsylvanian stock. Perhaps, in days past when politics was more representative, they’d received settling-in help from a decent enterprising Republican politician. Gratitude and loyalty can often shape the political view and then be sustained over several generations. During our visit to their place in Colorado, I was under instructions from Sim not to get political to preserve harmony. I complied.
Actually, I got along famously with him during our stay. He is a very loving parent and husband and an excellent host to Sim and me, He talked freely about conditions in Colorado, where he was well-informed as a shire civil engineer. I let him lead most conversations and he proved quite enlightened on attitudes to climate change and public resources and infrastructure. His love of nature and knowledge of it was better than mine. He enjoyed American and most other sports and patiently explained some of the intricacies of football and baseball to me.
He subscribed to Fox only for the sports channels, where coverage was extensive. The only time he alluded to it at all (perhaps he’d had similar warnings from Sim’s daughter) was on the coming Presidential nominations. He said that he was thinking of supporting Trump. His reasoning was unusual. It was that since Trump had amassed his own wealth, he was not beholding to big business or banking. I didn’t take the bait, just observing. He offered no comment at all at Trumps racism, paranoia and outrageous assertions, but it’s hard to imagine he’d believe in any of that. Perhaps he saw him as a Dick Smith type of figure, but I’d put Trump closer to Berlusconi.
Throughout my stay in the US I found a dissonance between the warmth and kindness of the people and the hatred shown in the politics and the media. Perhaps Fear and Loathing takes on a life of its own, just as here in Australia we seem incapable of breaking the deadlock on inhumane treatment of asylum seekers.
GD,
” It was that since Trump had amassed his own wealth, he was not beholding to big business or banking.”
I heard people who gave their support to Clive Palmer express that same view. And, I suspect there are many dumb bums who’d think the same of mighty malcayman as well! Is it any wonder why so many lose their life’s savings when a slimy conman shows his wares?
I’m sick of writers, bloggers and alleged journalists writing piece after piece about why/how Abbott was seen off. It’s over, Abbott has gone, we all know why and how it happened.
Instead of repeating the same old ‘look what happened to Abbott’ stuff over and over again let’s focus on Turnbull. There is enough dirt in his past to fill libraries of books, but we are not hearing about any of it.
The MSM refuse to mention the start St Malcayman was given by his wealthy father, instead they lie and tell us he dragged himself up from nothing. They refuse to mention the many scandals in his past, especially not the HIH scandal, which centred on Turnbull and saw many innocent people lose money. They are never critical of his slience on every big issue. The latest? He has said not one word about MYEFO or the tax dodging revelations. Instead he flew off to Japan in what I believe was a carefully timed trip to avoid the local media.
Turnbull is a fraud, a con-man, but we are told only that he is a self-made man whose business skills made him a multi millionaire. All lies. And of course, they don’t mention his wife’s huge inherited fortune either, which contributed more to the Turnbull millions that any of The Sainted One’s dodgy business deals and good luck with eastern suburbs real estate.
If you need an interesting example of Turnbull’s slimy con-man operations then there is his dodgy claim to be part Jewish, an a sickening attempt to pander to the very large Jewish population in his electorate. His mother and father are dead, there is no way to prove or disprove his claim.
https://newmatilda.com/2015/09/19/rise-malcolm-turnbull-staggering-wealth-surprising-aggression-substantial-intellect/
*kvell – verb (used without object), Slang. To be extraordinarily pleased; especially, to be bursting with pride, as over one’s family.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/kvelling
Wixxyleaks – Crime Of The Century – Craig Thomson’s Verdict and Kathy Jackson’s Appeal Tossed
http://wixxyleaks.com/crime-of-the-century-craig-thomsons-verdict-and-kathy-jacksons-appeal-tossed/
After 14 months of construction, NBN has 1,000 FttN customers
Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield has proudly announced that in 51 days, 1,000 customers have signed up to FttN services, far below the current activation run rate of around 8,000 a week on fibre.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/after-14-months-of-construction-nbn-has-1000-fttn-customers/
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-san-bernardino-marquez-20151217-story.html worth a read, much more detail in this story (its the local paper) than in the various ones on Australian sites
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-17/leigh-says-liberals-never-wanted-public-to-see-tax-data/7037958
http://www.theguardian.com/media/2015/dec/17/the-weekly-beast-chris-dore-opens-his-door-at-daily-tele-and-anothers-closes worth a read, note the anecdote from Amanda as the end
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-35107702
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-18/sydney-councils-to-be-forced-to-merge-by-nsw-government/7039326
http://insidestory.org.au/for-better-or-worse contains an audio link, a very good listen
http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/dec/18/abbot-point-coal-port-expansion-faces-hurdle-over-secret-tugboat-harbour
One law for the rich …
A manager at Macquarie Bank who defrauded the company of $1.2 million has avoided jail.
Michael Roth was charged in 2013 with defrauding Macquarie Bank’s commercial leasing arm over almost a decade.
He pleaded guilty to the charges in the New South Wales District Court and was today sentenced to two years in prison, but he will serve it under strict supervision in the community under an intensive correction order.
The court heard Roth stole the money to finance a gambling and alcohol addiction and that he had sought treatment for having bipolar disorder and has good prospects of rehabilitation.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-18/macquarie-bank-manager-escapes-jail-for-1.2m-fraud/7040796
Co-payments for pathology is getting more and more flak
http://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/dec/18/pathology-industry-seeks-meeting-with-ministers-over-plan-to-cut-rebates
Another former minister quits after being demoted by Turnbull.
Liberal Michael Ronaldson quits after being dumped from frontbench
http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/liberal-michael-ronaldson-quits-months-after-being-dumped-from-frontbench-20151218-glqmhq.html
Where are all the ‘Government in Chaos’ and ‘Rats desert sinking ship’ headlines?
Leonetwo
I think there is some good in ( a little) reminding people about Abbott. It will remind some voters of believing in what the meeja told them about ‘marvellous’ Abbott and it turning out to be all bullshit. The less slow on the uptake will be a bit more sceptical and less believing when they hear the same bullshit being rolled out by the msm about how marvellous Truffles is.
kk
Maybe, but all we seem to be getting is pages and pages and pages about Abbott, and a lot of it seems to be ‘but he was such a good bloke’ stuff. We need to focus on what is happening now, not what happened three months, or a year, or two years ago,
The MSM were so facinated by Abbott’s latest daily outburst that theybarely mentioned Turnbull’s quick trip to Japan or wondered why he had organised it to happen so soon after MYEFO was released, when he should have been out selling his government’s financial arrangements. No-one mentioned his total lack of comment on MYEFO, his abandonment of Scrott and Boxhead, leaving them to deal with the media by themselves and none of them linked that silence to the way he distances himself from every big issue. I hope to see some comment on Turnbull’s tactic of smiling and saying absolutely nothing, but I’ll be waiting a very long time I think.
Hello from Adelaide. I am posting from the third shelf of the kitchen fridge. I may be here for some time.
leone
You’d think they’re wizards. Have they ever done anything positive, I wonder.
I don’t think Julia Gillard was mentioned much by the MSM after her demise. Even now they prefer not to talk about her.
Still looking for that special gift for that special someone? Look no futher –
When a government-ordered review does not deliver the results that government wanted, what does a minister do? He chucks a wobbly.
Erica is NOT HAPPY with the review of Q&A. Note his comment on what he expects of the incoming Managing Director.
http://www.crikey.com.au/2015/12/18/media-briefs-erica-in-a-snit-whats-going-on-with-apn-no-nudes-at-coles/
France votes for plain cigarette packaging from 2016
http://www.theguardian.com/society/2015/dec/18/france-votes-for-plain-cigarette-packaging-from-2016?CMP=share_btn_tw
And –
Australian government wins plain packaging case against Philip Morris Asia
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australian-government-wins-plain-packaging-case-against-philip-morris-20151218-glqo8s.html#ixzz3udGp1HWb
leonetwo
Yes that nice guy Tony is sick making. What those sad journos don’t realise it shows just how susceptible to flattery they are. But then narcissists are supposed to do flattery oh so well.
I’m with you on Truffles though. There is a mountain of stuff that screams SHONK and SHYSTER before and after he was in parliament and yet it all remains “crickets” . Truffles is being allowed to waft about waffling empty nothings while events occur that not so long ago would have seen a chorus of ,media reptiles loudly demanding “answers”, setting “tests” , tut tutting about government “turmoil” , chaos” “tensions” or “division” . Not to mention endless rounds of “leadershit” speculation.
His carrying on with Abbott’s crap policies , selling out his own supposed beliefs is apparently quite OK. Nothing to see here.
I’ve never seen Waffles have grasp of any picture, large or small.
Can anyone tell me what he has achieved except by luck and a fair breeze?