A little earlier this evening there was a short debate that seemed to have at its core the origins of the worst ever Australian politicians.
This is my contribution.
State and Territory rivalry when it comes to appalling politicians?
Nah, every, but every, bit of Oz has produced them.
Queensland? “Sir” Joh has to take the pumpkin scone,
but he may even have been excelled by Sir Russ Hinze,
not to mention Candont:
New South Wales? Ladies and gentleplums, I gives ya The Rum Corps in all its manifold manifestations up to the present day.
Especially Robert Robin Askin.
Victoria? Bolte goes without saying (pity he didn’t go without hanging someone else).
Kennett?
The so appropriately-named Sir Thomas Bent?
Mania? The prize pig at the moment is obviously Erica, but
Andrew Nikolic
and possibly Joe Lyons
should get a mention. Or a guernsey. Or a life.
South Oz? Laydees and Gemmum, I gives ya Corgi Bernardi.
Enuff said (but sure, there’s more – XXXXX).
Sandgropers? Brian Burke
Noel Crichton-Brown:
Ross Lightfoot (and light other things):
Don Randall:
. . . need I continue?
ACT? Kate Carnell,
Zed Seselja,
but in spite of everything I adored Gus Petersilka (yeah, well, once upon a time self-government seemed to be a good idea):
Northern Territory? Hard to know where to start, given the astonishing fluidity of politics there.
Of course my bias is showing. I would be delighted if you would share your own particular biases with The Pub!
Trying to pay some motorway tolls for a friend in order to avoide the “admin fee” by using my toll account to rack up his tolls (it’s OK, he’s given me the cash up front).
Christ!
There is NOTHING more frustrating than trying to pay an overdue toll notice off a tag account (thus saving over $1,000 in “admin fees”) than if your account is not with the particular toll company that you are trying to pay tolls to.
You’ve GOT the money.
They WANT the money.
But is there a way to just PAY the bloody thing?
Oh no, THAT’S complicated…
Why are so many simple things like this so complicated? The My-Gov website comes to mind. It might be Their-Gov, but I doubt that it’s mine and god only knows how people with english as a second language cope. The ATO portal is as about friendly as a hungry tiger. The Health Dept one no better. Just had similar experience with bank, with foreign money transfer for half the cost of a house – bank wanted to give me some exchange rate that wanted to convert Oz $ to some ludicrous low amount (yeah-yeah, white middle-class bloke problem). Well, as wise uncle Darryl Kerrigan would say, “tell ’em their dreamin Trev”.
I’ve mentioned this before. When it comes to road-tolls, parking, public transport, why can’t we have a national single pre-charged debit type card? No more “Opal”, “Action”, “MyKi” etc. Single Card. Recognised (including concessions etc) in every state/territory etc. “One Nation One people One Card”. Bloody federalism. Yes, I know some of you would see it as an intrusion – I’m willing to live with it. Is it any wonder it took nearly 150 years to unify rail gauge links between mainland capital cities.
Just look at the smirks on the faces of Abbott and hi Monkey pods!
QT this afternoon.
Some of Shorten, today.
Slightly longer version –
Thnaks!
tlbd
When I saw a tweet about Shorten, I went aph.gov.au and slide the white thing to about 15:15. Bill starts after abbotts rant. Although it probably won’t work if they’ve up and left.
No more 😦
Ned turned 8 today.
I am celebrating for him
Happy birthday Ned? Chicken neck in store?
Cheers, Ned!
Happy Birthday to Ned.
Trump and vote rigging.

Those little hands are getting smaller and smaller . . .
BK
Diced rump steak for starters, chicken wings then maybe a.duck tender to chew on.
Syd will of course get the same.
Lucky everybody!
Another one Malcolm Roberts’ “empirical evidence” mob
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-10-20/shooting-with-david-leyonhjelm/7950732
Let’s give everyone guns and let them enjoy themselves.
Good one from Bridie
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/20/having-sex-with-the-lights-off-its-the-thin-edge-of-the-donald-trump-wedge
No comments allowed on this article from Katharine. Afraid of blowback?
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/oct/20/turnbull-dutton-and-keenan-contradict-abbott-over-gun-deal-with-leyonhjelm
So how do we know who is lying? Turnbull, Dutton and Keenan. all habitual liars, or Abbott, another liar, or are all of them telling porkies?
And of course Dutton and Keenan would never, ever tell lies to back up Fizza, would they. Never ever.
Truffles will lose that battle. He’s a bastard but he’s a nouveau bastard compare to those of long bastardy.
Mr Dawe is talking to John
This is brilliant stuff from Alan Moir – and so true.

Not guilty for Gable Tostee
http://www.news.com.au/national/queensland/verdict-imminent-in-gable-tostee-trial/news-story/e01491d2bf70d19e792eabf1e2aa4240
The correct verdict in my opinion
No way to prove murder. It should never have gone to trial.
Did he do it? Will women want to date him, now?
Should it have gone to trial as murder? No.
Manslaughter? Yes.
Sundry lesser charges? Hell yes.
Enough said.
Almost.
Manslaughter is not 2nd prize in a murder trial – it’s a serious crime, and should be treated as such.
Any prosecutor that thinks “aim for murder, settle for manslaughter” needs a good kick up the arse.
Happy birthday Ned!
Their ABC news had Ooohmann commenting on Is there an Adler in the House?
Punch line? The NE took Labor to task.
Sitting in a waiting room today I started in on Ancient Rome on Five Denarii a Day.
A good read.
tlbd
Haven’t watched this but here is another link to Bill. Sorry you didn’t get to see the aph one. If it happens again I’ll try and post the link as soon as I find out.
Ned
Many happy happies for your 8th birthday, Hunter says Woof Woof.
Ned,
A very happy 8th birthday to you, young man!
Try not to eat all Sid’s dinner.
Geez, I can relate to this quote below. It was about 2004 that I came out of ‘don’t care about politics’ closet, and it was the Lying Rodent that did it.
I just saw Shorten’s MPI. Truly magnificent.
It kind of makes me wonder if Paul Keating was that entertaining in opposition. It gives me hope that in 3 years Shorten will be on the other side of the table and make the coalition wince in pain in such an entertaining way.
I watched most of last night’s ACA criticism of Four Corners, just to see if my suspicions would be confirmed. They were. Tracey Grimshaw whined about the ABC not asking to use ACA’s four month old (allegedly) footing taken for the whitewash program they did a few months ago on Nauru. She whinged because the ABC had not asked for her or ACA’s help. As if!
The report said the photos of the hospital and the school were old and things were just so much better now. They showed this photo of the new primary school, cleverly taken to make it seem much bigger than it really is.

They forget to mention this school opened only two weeks ago, and so was not operating when Four Corners were making their program. It wasn’t operating four months ago when ACA were there either, but they didn’t mention that embarrassing little fact.
I don’t see anything to admire in a school that has fifty kids per classroom.
ACA also had not noticed that the teachers speaking on Four Corners referred specifically to Nauru College, not Nauru primary school. The college is a high school. The filthy toilets shown on the Four Corners program were photos of the facilities at Nauru College.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2015/mar/31/asylum-seeker-children-start-campaign-to-save-their-nauru-school-from-closure
There was more whining about the way the hospital was shown. The ABC says the new wing of the hospital was not functioning when they made their program, parts of it are still not open.
ACA also had a brief interview with Baron Waka (the female presenter pronounced his name incorrectly, great research there, girls) which was more whitewash. Waka is as corrupt as they come. ACA did not mention Waka’s machinations to get rid of a troublesome opposition and his ousting of the Australians working as chief magistrate and chief justice in 2014.
Everything ACA said can easily be refuted. I don’t know why they persist in pushing put their rubbish. It must be aimed at people so braindead they can’t manage to hop online and find out the truth.
Alan Moir’s on fire tonight!

leonetwo
ACA ? THE only Current Affairs program I would ever watch. Is Frontline 🙂
I need a awwwwww moment:
Damn yanks – now they have discovered fairy bread, or should that be ‘fairy toast’. This is enough to make us throw away the ANZUS treaty. How could we possibly want to defend such barbarians?
American magazine gets Aussie fairy bread very wrong
http://thenewdaily.com.au/life/eat-drink/2016/10/20/american-magazine-fairy-bread/
The article itself, in all it’s ludicrous glory. Two tablespoons of butter per slice? Yuck!
Australia Invented the Original Rainbow Food
http://www.epicurious.com/expert-advice/what-is-fairy-bread-australian-snack-article
Is nothing safe?
This scary clown stuff is really getting out of hand.
Leone,
Sometimes – just sometimes – you are extremely norty.
Me? Norty?
A drunken bullfrog testing the theory that they can’t identify a slowly boiled pot until too late.
His “FlipOutBit” seems a bit loose to record properly. (“3229” – though that might be the sticker than came in the box.)
It’s time politicians were drug tested and breathalysed before they are allowed to speak.
What on earth has Dutton been smoking, or sniffing, or drinking?
He is just happily reminiscing about his days interrogating suspects when he was a Qld copper.
Particularly the ones he had to deal with in the Sexual Offences Squad. The victims, I mean.
‘Toldja’ he was one of these
Very nice indeed.
Brian,
Unfortunately, the coal miner is as thick as a couple of anthracitic bricks, so it won’t have altered his opinion/belief/certainty one iota.
Which just goes to show what it is to be the revealed suppository of all revealed truth.
just watched a recording of The Presidential Debate. Trump is a feral bush pig.
I’m just glad the debates are over and they didn’t go as far as I was fearing.
And I was fearing something occuring like Trump just snapping and physically attacking Clinton because of his unhinged thin-skinned temper.
If that happened, going by the depravity of his fans that I’ve encountered on the internet, many of them would have approved of.
He was probably medicated. He looked pretty drowsy to me.
I mentioned earlier what a forbearing Moderator was in charge of this one. In the reports today I discovered he was from Fox News.
Seems to be a very long tolerance of the lunatic fringe in MSM events. That said, he was almost impartial compared with some of their more famous suspects like O’Reilly and Hannity.
Kirsdarke,
While I understand and share your relief, I must point out that his fans’ depravity still means that anything – anything – could happen.
Before the election or after it? What would they care? Provided . . .
By co-incidence I am re-reading Ngaio Marsh’s brilliant last novel, Light Thickens.
And you do not sprinkle sprinkles on the Fairy Bread. you swipe a bit of butter or marg on a slice of white bread. Bog standard sliced white loaf. You then DIP the buttered slice in a plate of Hundreds and Thousands. Thus making sure there is a good coating of 100s&1000s. It is then cut into four neat triangles. Keep going until the platter is full. Sprinkles are allowed if you run out of 100s&1000s. Kiddies get to help make them.
These are not for breakfast or general snacking. These iconic Aussie treats are for reserved for that major celebration in a child’s life; the Birthday Party.
Puffy,
Early in the second-last decade of last century, I worked for the exploration arm of a certain Australian (now international) mining company.
My immediate superior was a man whose marriage was not going all that well.
We could always tell when there had been a falling-out the previous day. There would be an anguished cry of:
“S***, hundreds and thousands sandwiches again!
His spouse’s attitude was that if he was behaving like a child, he should be fed like one.
Fair enough, in my well-informed opinion.
What a smart woman!
Puffy,
Never met her, but I agree.
Dat’s Dame Ngaio Marsh.
.
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/biographies/4m42/marsh-edith-ngaio
What a Ngaio is

.
http://www.nznativeplants.co.nz/shop/Native+Trees/Myoporum+laetum.html
“Dame Boobialla” would never do.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Myoporum
I’m guessing that that Myoporum was dispersed from Australia to the Indian Ocean and Pacific islands by seabirds – sticky seeds?
The Hawai`ian endemic species (M. sandwicense) – naio – was obviously familiar to the Polynesians, but probably arrived before them.
But didn’t Our Divine, not to mention Fearless, Former and likely Future Leader tell us carbon dioxide is weightless?
Jaeger
http://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-37715202
Thanks! I heard that they lost had contact with the lander prior to landing, but not the details.
A history prof looks at Iraq+Vietnam.
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-bacevich-iraq-vietnam-quaqmire-20161006-snap-story.html
Good morning Dawn Patrollers.
Gasps from MPs as Turnbull comes off the top rope sat Abbott.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-turnbull-and-tony-abbott-trade-blows-in-dramatic-escalation-of-tensions-20161020-gs6rzs.html
Mark Kenny says that Turnbull chose the truth defence knowing that it meant war with Abbott.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/malcolm-turnbull-chooses-the-truth-defence-even-if-it-means-war-with-tony-abbott-20161020-gs70ta.html
Katherine Murphy reckons “gunslinger” Abbott has shot himself in the foot. Another article of Turnbull adoration from her.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/oct/20/gunslinger-tony-abbott-tries-another-ambush-but-shoots-himself-in-the-foot
Michelle Grattan writes that a game-changer gun has changed the game between Turnbull and Abbott. “To say Turnbull has had yet another bad week doesn’t tell half of it. It’s been little short of disastrous and there will be more fallout”. This is one of her better efforts.
https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-a-game-changer-gun-changes-turnbull-abbott-game-67403
The other front from the Abbott/Turnbull war. Google.
/news/politics/nsw-liberals-democratic-scrap-set-to-boilover-at-state-council-20161020-gs6k9t
Trump has modified his refusal by now saying he will accept the election result IH HE WINS. He’s barking mad and dangerous.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-election/donald-trump-i-will-totally-accept-the-election-result-if-i-win-20161020-gs79zf.html
Why Trump is a danger to America itself.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/voters-already-knew-all-they-need-to-know-about-dangerous-donald-trump-20161020-gs6vc3.html
The Trump abortion comments that had people reeling.
http://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/2016/10/20/donald-trump-abortion/
Trump again shows why he is unfit for office. Google.
/news/politics/nsw-liberals-democratic-scrap-set-to-boilover-at-state-council-20161020-gs6k9t
And yet another brave woman comes out about being sexually assaulted by Trump. And there’s still 19 days to go.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2016/oct/20/donald-trump-sexual-misconduct-tenth-woman-accuser
John Foot says that we have seen Donald Trump before. His name was Silvio Berlusconi.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/20/donald-trump-silvio-berlusconi-italy-prime-minister
Turnbull’s flawed plan for unpaid internships. The spivs will be the only winners.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/all-work-no-pay-turnbulls-flawed-plan-for-australias-intern-army-20161020-gs6kwz.html
Section 2 . . .
Jonathan Holmes writes that it’s Australia’s fault, not Nauru’s, and that 4 Corners is only doing its job.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/nauru-not-to-blame–australia-bears-the-responsibility-20161020-gs6phs.html
Matthew Knott homes in on the Australian National Audit Office’s report that says the Abbott government misled the public on advertising and may in fact have broken the law.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/abbott-government-misled-the-public-on-advertising-may-have-breached-the-law-auditor-20161019-gs6ayd.html
Now the Department of Human Resources is going after the pay and conditions of its thousands of part time workers. What is this country coming to?
http://www.smh.com.au/national/public-service/govt-cuts-lunch-of-thousands-of-public-servants-20161019-gs5p02.html
Full time work is collapsing as casualisation takes hold. It’s a terrible trajectory. Google.
/business/economics/fulltime-workforce-collapses-as-casual-jobs-reign/news-story/95c7cd6a662c5dc085199025d4daac1a
I don’t think King’s School will come out of the CA Royal Commission too well.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/alleged-abuse-victim-told-he-bore-some-blame-for-bullying-royal-commission-hears-20161019-gs6dy3.html
Meanwhile another Maris Brother goes down.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/exmarist-brother-gregory-joseph-sutton-to-plead-guilty-to-indecent-assault-20161020-gs6lwh.html
The public are already turning against Brexit. When will Theresa May listen?
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/20/public-turning-against-brexit-theresa-may-immigration
More on the raw deal that regional travellers are getting at Sydney Airport.
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/turnbull-government-considers-state-push-for-more-regional-flights-to-mascot-20161020-gs6mni.html
Just as Minister Porter puts up his “Double Dipping” bill this pops up. Not a good look fellas!
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/former-minister-philip-ruddock-double-dipping-with-envoy-pay-and-parliamentary-pension-20161020-gs716g.html
The debate section where it all turned bad for Trump.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-election/the-debate-section-that-silences-a-group-of-young-republicans-20161020-gs6vei.html
Trump’s clueless debate performance spawned some hilarious Twitter responses.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/10/20/donald-trumps-clueless-debate-answers-spawn-trumpbookreport-tw/?utm_hp_ref=au-homepage
Section 3 . . .
How Hillary flipped the script and became Trump’s tormentor.
http://www.smh.com.au/world/us-election/how-hillary-clinton-flipped-the-script-and-became-donald-trumps-tormenter-20161020-gs6wzo.html
Morgan Stanley has issued a dire warning that our housing construction bubble could burst affecting up to 200000 workers. Probably the CFMEU’s fault we’ll hear today.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/property/housing-boom-has-peaked-apartment-glut-to-rock-the-economy-morgan-stanley-20161020-gs6t5m.html
John Hewson writes that our leaders have forgotten how to deliver effective government.
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/our-leaders-have-forgotten-how-to-deliver-effective-government-20161019-gs6ejn.html
Tis disgraceful, exploitative behaviour must be stamped out. Come on Michaelia, do it!
http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/young-asian-workers-younger-cheaper-and-faster-than-locals-who-are-old-and-slow-20161020-gs6mag.html
Ha! The producer of the brilliant doco/movie :Spotlight” is planning to make a series on Roger Ailes.
http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/story-of-fox-chairman-ousted-amid-sexual-harassment-allegations-to-be-made-into-a-miniseries-20161020-gs72wv.html
The NSW government is looking at outsourcing school camps to religious organisations. Really?
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/sport-and-recreation-centres-nsw-government-explores-privatisation-20161020-gs717m.html
There is a question begging to be asked of James Packer by Baird – what if he opens a big casino in Sydney and nobody came?
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-question-mike-baird-could-soon-be-asking-james-packer-20161019-gs6clc.html
Conservatives and The Australian are not happy with the “activist”ABC for showing a voluntary euthanasia death. Google.
/business/media/broadcast/row-over-activist-abc-and-euthanasia-footage/news-story/99cb8f2ccd8c157b8f853d62bc04d4c9
Some seismic activity has been detected within the ACT Liberal Party.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/act-election-2016/jeremy-hanson-denies-split-in-liberal-party-after-menzies-group-pens-scathing-letter-20161019-gs6e6o.html
The plebiscite bill gets through the lower house. Now for the Senate. I wonder if the government will go for the gag.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/bill-with-tortured-past-passes-the-house-with-scarcely-a-hug-or-a-handshake-20161020-gs6n5p.html
Quite a quiet backdown from the government over the gag order on doctors from detention centres. I’m sure it had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that it was due to file its defence to the High Court shortly.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/a-huge-win-for-doctors-turnbull-government-backs-down-on-gag-laws-for-doctors-on-nauru-and-manus-20161019-gs6ecs.html
Section 4 . . .
Woolworths’ CEO is changing focus from prices to stores. Google.
/business/retail/woolworths-ceo-shifts-focus-from-prices-to-stores-20161019-gs5otc
Australian nurses who spread anti-vaccination messages are facing prosecution.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/oct/20/australian-nurses-who-spread-anti-vaccination-messages-face-prosecution
There’s a war of words between Bob Day and Tom Koutsantonis in SA. Google.
news/south-australia/ex-senator-bob-day-takes-swipe-at-treasurer-tom-koutsantonis-after-trail-of-destruction-comment/news-story/4cd2f4017a2d8a9351bf6a4f688720ba
It seems areas with the highest concentration of poker machines have high levels of domestic violence. I can’t say that the statistical evidence is overwhelming though.
https://theconversation.com/areas-with-more-poker-machines-have-higher-rates-of-domestic-violence-66982
The shocking number of illegal guns in Australia.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/as-many-as-600000-illegal-guns-in-australia-20161020-gs74ay.html
It’s been a massive mistake to have allowed gambling to become part of everyday life.
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/weve-allowed-gambling-to-become-part-of-everyday-life-its-been-a-massive-mistake-20161020-gs6ns7.html
I certainly agree with the thrust of this article on the demise of our auto industry. i have often described the auto industry as Australia’s de facto University of Manufacturing.
https://theconversation.com/collapse-of-australian-car-manufacturing-will-harm-randd-in-other-sectors-study-66984
Section 5 . . . Cartoon Corner
Ron Tandberg on yesterday’s great Adler debate.



David Rowe gets into the car with Donald and Melania on the way home from the third debate.
Andrew Dyson on avocados’ bad rep.
Alan Moir on Turnbull’s continued brilliant career.
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/federal-politics/cartoons/alan-moir-20150921-gjrcxr.html
David Pope just LOVES balloons after the appearance of the Sky Whale. This time we have a Trump dirigible.
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/act-news/david-pope-20120214-1t3j0
Matt Davidson with the difficulties facing the RBA.
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/federal-politics/cartoons/illustrations-by-matthew-davidson-20090928-g8gc.html
Mark Knight and Trump’s comment on accepting the result of the election.
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/8b997c9191e4513b4594019145b953b4?width=1024
Bill Leak must be on right wing piece rates.
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/ef53031d15fbbb838c9e3f61d9b0b587
First Dog on the Moon on Adlers and avocados.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/oct/20/when-i-hear-the-words-smashed-avocado-i-reach-for-my-adler-110
kk
Yep.
The civilian public treat the the military (and the State and Defense Departments) as a separate state.
‘9/11’ came as a big shock to many – “Are there people out there who hate us this much?”
The idea that there are some with a reason to retaliate doesn’t seen to have sunk in.
The ignorance encapsulated by Dubya’s “They hate us for our freedoms” bulldust.
A very entertaining review of the presidential debate from The Young Turks.