“Salt-of-the-earth National Party types . . .”

Guest Author Uncategorized

Good morning, Pubsters.

When I read Leone’s dissertation on Noel Pearson a few minutes ago, my instant reaction was “next thread-starter”. I hope Leone will forgive me for doing this.

I will repost BK’s and Gravel’s links very soon.

The link in the tweet should open this story, if not, just google the headline.

You are going to need a vomit bag. This should end any lingering ‘But Noel Pearson does some good work’ thoughts.

Pearson’sarticle contains this drivel.

Salt-of-the-earth National Party types — practical people with indigenous Australians in their electorates — are most open to honest discourse with their indigenous countrymen. Where the average inner-city liberal has met few indigenous Australians, let alone sought to understand their hopes and dreams, country people have lived and worked with them. Like indigenous people, these Australians share an intimate love of and connection to their country. As patriots, they usually understand that the indigenous heritage of this land is their heritage too.

Obviously Pearson has never been to Taree, or to Kempsey, or Port Macquarie, or any of the other National Party homeland towns in NSW that have indigenous communities. Racism is rife and flourishing in every one of them, and those Nats types are right into it. I’d say he, rather than “the average inner-city liberal” is the one who has met few indigenous Australians in these places, if he has met any at all. Being feted on an official visit and escorted around town by white VIPs and the occasional indigenous elder does not give anyone, especially an over-privileged, over-entitled coconut like Pearson an understanding of the way things are in National Party electorates.

I’ve lived in a few places in NSW, from the far north coast to the inland north-west and south-west and a few in between, and in every town, over almost 50 years, I have seen racism loud and clear. For example, I’ve seen the way indigenous tenants have been treated by local landlords and by retailers and the way some teachers discriminate against indigenous students. There’s no reason for this to still be going on after 200+ years. The only reason racism exists is because we teach our children to hate. Being a “salt-of-the-earth National Party type” is no protection from that inbred ignorance. Instead such people are more likely to be the perpetrators of racism.

I have not forgotten the comments that were made by these alleged “salt of the earth National Party types” when Rob Oakeshott, then a newly elected National politician, turned up to a party meeting with his indigenous girlfriend, now his wife.

Oakeshott’s bubbly wife, Sara-Jane, who works part-time for the Birpai Land Council in their home town of Port Macquarie, was his partner and “best friend” when he was elected in 1996 as a Nationals MP to NSW parliament.

At a party to celebrate his success, Oakeshott was stung by a racist remark that seemed to be a pointed reference to his girlfriend’s proud Aboriginal and South Sea Islander heritage.

An older Nationals stalwart was heard telling a group of people that he despaired for the future of the party now that “blacks” were joining its ranks. None of the cronies listening spoke up or challenged his view.

Speaking to The Australian this week, Sara-Jane said she learned of the comment only later

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/rob-oakeshott-put-off-by-racism-in-nationals/story-fn59niix-1225913033617

Comments like that flowed around this area during every one of Oakeshott’s election campaigns and are still out there. They came and still come from National Party stalwarts.

So there, in just a few minutes I’ve demolished Pearson’s argument about the alleged tolerance of white Australian country folks Now I’ll answer his question “Could Pauline Hanson actually help indigenous Australians?”

It’s a resounding “NO!” Not possible. Not when that creature spouts rubbish like this:

Pauline Hanson Says There Is ‘No Definition To An Aboriginal’

‘If you marry an Aboriginal you can be classified as an Aboriginal.’

http://www.huffingtonpost.com.au/2016/11/28/pauline-hanson-says-there-is-no-definition-to-an-aboriginal/

383 thoughts on ““Salt-of-the-earth National Party types . . .””

  1. Section 2 . . .

    Addie Obeid calls in a phalanx of maaattes in an attempt to avoid a custodial sentence.
    http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/eddie-obeid-enlists-55-character-witnesses-in-fight-to-avoid-jail-20161201-gt1yma.html
    Michaelia Cash – Turnbull’s pin-up girl.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/michaelia-cash-malcolm-turnbulls-secret-weapon-is-a-woman-on-the-rise-20161201-gt1oaj.html
    A parliamentary committee has found that after the three year “siege of attrition” by the government APS wages have fallen below average. It has found that the government has been using misleading information in its campaign.
    http://www.smh.com.au/national/public-service/senate-committee-says-coalition-has-used-misleading-claims-in-threeyear-public-service-wage-siege-20161130-gt1bnb.html
    Is there something here that will move us to more affordable housing?
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/treasurers-housing-summit-to-focus-on-cheaper-rentals-more-supply-20161201-gt1noj.html
    Can we stop pretending that Trump’s campaign was anything other than a con?
    http://www.theage.com.au/comment/can-we-stop-pretending-that-donald-trumps-campaign-was-anything-but-a-con-20161130-gt1dgb.html
    How we can resist the siege attack from pseudo-academics.
    https://independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/were-under-siege-from-a-new-breed-of-intellectual-the-pseudo-academic,9792
    How corporate America is responding to the backlash against Trumpism.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/dec/01/trumpism-corporate-america-donald-trump-businesses
    The summer outlook for Sydney is a bit of a worry.
    http://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/sydneys-sunniest-patch-since-1990-points-to-warm-start-in-a-summer-of-fires-and-heatwaves-20161130-gt1g0f.html
    Would Baird REALLY introduce voter ID legislation? It has been very contentious in the US.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/voter-id-the-bombshell-plan-that-brings-an-american-problem-to-nsw-20161130-gt1cc0.html
    It’s a sad day that heralds the shutting off of the parliamentary lawns from the public.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/keep-off-the-grass-parliament-house-fence-is-unfortunate-but-unfortunately-we-need-it-20161201-gt1l96.html

  2. Section 3 . . .

    Architects don’t like the idea of the fence.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/putting-a-fence-around-it-is-putting-a-noose-around-it-architects-slam-parliament-house-security-upgrade-20161201-gt1q3r.html
    This Harvard University academic says that Australia does not deserve a seat on the UN Human Rights Council.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/keep-off-the-grass-parliament-house-fence-is-unfortunate-but-unfortunately-we-need-it-20161201-gt1l96.html
    Farmers believe in climate change so why don’t the politicians who represent them believe in it?
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/farmers-believe-in-climate-change-so-why-dont-the-politicans-who-say-they-represent-them-20161130-gt1d9o.html
    The CEO of Levi (jeans) shows leadership and implores customers to leave their guns at home. To me the open carry situation in several US states is just so difficult to comprehend.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/levis-ceo-asks-shoppers-to-leave-their-guns-at-home-20161201-gt1ifg.html
    More on the city vs regions societal division in NSW that no doubt is mirrored in other states.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/sydney-v-the-regions-our-twospeed-state-20161201-gt1h4o.html
    Australians are living in fear of falling into an economic void and our government is acting to this obliviously.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/insecurity-is-the-new-economic-truth-20161129-gszv7z.html

  3. Section 4 . . . Cartoon Corner

    David Rowe takes us fruit picking with reference to Barnaby’s “plums”.

    Cathy Wilcox on the Greens’ backpacker tax dealings.

    Cathy couldn’t resist this opporunity!

    Warren Brown on the ABCC bill’s passage.

    David Pope really puts our security into perspective.

    Ron Tandberg with Queenslanders’ wakeup call on climate change.

    Alan Moir explains Trump’s “disengagement” from his businesses.

    Mark Knight’s view of the backpacker tax negotiations.
    http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/5131a7df1bc81dd02b1f67b4e61756fc?width=1024
    Bill Leak, in line with The Australian’s editorial approach, goes after Turnbull’s horse trading.
    http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/2d107a19d014dc1517d07d64354a1035?width=650

    • I wasn’t old enough for such an event to register, but I wistfully imagine what our society might have been like today, if we’d had 6 or 9 years of genuine progressive govt at a time in history when momentum for change was already there..

  14. A comment and reply from over the road which provides an excellent description of journos’ job description.

    Massola would have known the truth – he just wanted to confuse matters………………………………I guess that’s a good summary of the job description for journalists in a post-factual world – they still need to know the truth so that they don’t accidentally report it.’

  15. Very interesting

    JENNY HOCKING. The Palace Letters Case: ‘A Matter of our National History’
    Posted on 29/11/2016 by John Menadue

    Professor Jenny Hocking writes that the release of the palace letters will now be determined by an Australian Court and according to Australian Law – not by the Queen ‘a foreign monarch’ in the words of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull.
    http://johnmenadue.com/blog/?p=8471

  16. Geez – there’s so much wrong here I don’t know where to start. Conflicts of interest, association with shady types and hanging over it all the unasked question – how did a former Queensland copper get so much money in the first place.

    The burden of handling one of federal politics’ most controversial portfolios isn’t holding back Immigration Minister Peter Dutton from building his substantial personal wealth.

    The Member for Dixon is one of parliament’s less publicised multi-millionaires, having accumulated assets worth at least $10 million — perhaps as much as $20m — mainly through investment in residential real estate.

    While protesters this week were hijacking the parliament over the Turnbull government’s refugee policies, Dutton was ­disclosing that he had been on a real estate spending spree since May.

    He’s snapped up two new properties for his portfolio in his beloved Queensland — one in inner city Brisbane’s Spring Hill and another in far north Queensland’s Townsville.

    No wonder Dutton was one of the most strident critics of Labor shadow treasurer Chris Bowen’s proposal to end negative gearing on property.

    “Labor’s essentially said they want to lower house prices and they want to increase rents and I think that would be a disaster,” Dutton said of the proposal back in March.

    Going by these latest acquisitions, those fears have passed.

    With his Perth-born wife Kirilly, Dutton, 46, also has investment properties in Canberra’s Kingston, one on Moreton Island and a $2.4m beachfront pile he bought last year in Palm Beach. That home sits on “Millionaire’s Row” alongside one owned by surfing legend Kelly Slater, the former boyfriend of Baywatch’s Pamela Anderson.

    The Duttons live in an expansive 20,000sq m spread at Camp Mountain — which is just over a 30-minute drive northwest of Brisbane’s CBD.

    All up, that makes six residential properties in the Dutton portfolio.

    And the family also control childcare operations in Queensland.

    The former Queensland cop got the property bug early — buying his first property when he was 19, funded by a paper run as a teenager, work after school in a butcher and a strict avoidance of smashed avocado. On the side from his policing, he worked in the building business, Dutton Holdings, he founded with his father.

    The pair developed childcare businesses, which they eventually sold to ABC Learning’s Eddie Groves, who back in 2004 was a donor to Dutton’s election campaign.

    The now failed businessman gave Dutton $15,000 in two tranches in 2004. Considering their subsequent trajectories, Groves now might need that money back

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/margin-call/why-gearing-gets-a-hearing-from-peter-dutton/news-story/aad77ec30a10b55d1390e76bff138fa2

  17. I’m not sure how I missed this piece from the amazing Andrew P Street, but perhaps now is a better time to reflect on it.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2016/oct/22/ive-spent-the-last-five-years-writing-about-australian-politics-send-help

    It is as funny and as incisive as his regular Fairfax columns which I have long looked forward to. I bought his first book on The Brief and Excrutiatingly Embarrassing Reign of Captain Abbott . It was a great read. The tone is similar to his regular columns, but he does not duplicate them. It was compelling, albeit fairly demanding read, but held together by his wacky humor. Highly recommended.

    From Booktopia where I’d bought this, I recently purchased his follow-up The Curious Story of Malcolm Turnbull: The Incredible Shrinking Man in the Top Hat . I have not got very far with this one yet because of other distractions, but it promises to be just as good.

    His Guardian piece better explains where he was coming from.

    There’s nothing funny about the national broadband network turning into a cripplingly expensive white elephant. There’s nothing funny about the national disability insurance scheme becoming a political football or the Gonski education reforms being gutted.

    Andrew is at one with so many of us on this blog. We should be glad that he found the passion. For it is an outrage what has occurred and how it has damaged good governance. No matter how apathetic and ignorant we are, we deserve much better than what we have had.

    One other interesting observation I have is that he has demonstrably shown the value to clear thinking of majoring in philosophy. If more people, especially in the media, could see the wood from the trees, we would have a better grasp of our values and what is important. Certainly nothing the Liberals have done since 2010 (and probably earlier) has contributed to better public life.

    Please read it if like me you missed it when it first appeared. George Brandis did at least one useful thing when he used taxpayers funds to purchase Andrew Street’s book on Abbott. The story provided the link to Adnrew’s 22nd October article.

    • Thanks for letting us know this book is out there. I might ask my family if one of them can give it to me for christmas.

  18. The current thread is showing my post at 1.27pm (assume 2.27pm AEDST). Has everyone gone off to an early Christmas Party? Or has WordPress failed to reload?

    I’ve tried refreshing a couple of times, only to find my post the last one. It’s hard to believe nothing would happen for nearly 3 hours.

    Is anybody else out there?

  21. Daubing away and arguing with a parking inspector as to why he wouldn’t issue a ticket to the vehicle parked across my driveway, for most of the day

  23. Earlier this year I promised myself I would not buy any more books about Australian politics.

    I knew Andrew P Street’s latest book was out, and I’ve been trying not to buy it, but after D’s comments I think I might give in and get it. My excuse will be I usually buy myself a book for Christmas reading, so that will be the book.

  24. According to Channel “Gem”:

    “She’s the star of Love Child, who stole Australia’s heart, night after night…”

    This is someone called “Jessica Marais”.

    Should I be aware of this person’s importance to the nation?

    • I don’t know about her importance to the nation but the Yanks liked her in the now dead series ‘Magic City’. Her first appearance in that was a nude scene, which shocked her Aussie fans.

      She also played Carlotta in the ABC’s program of that name and was pretty good.

  25. I just roll my eyes and cringe whenever the TV show advertisers harp on about how some stupid thing has “Captured Australia’s heart” and “Has all of Australia talking” and “Something that Australians are spontaneously combusting as they await the clincher with excitement” or crap like that.

    I wish they wouldn’t, but who can stop them?

    You know, somehow 10 years ago I couldn’t have standed it if I couldn’t watch TV in my flat. But now, since the switch to Digital TV has occurred and has rendered my TV unable to receive any channel, I just haven’t felt the urge to have it repaired. Youtube, Netflix and DVD’s pretty much take up all the entertainment on that medium I need.

    • I’m getting a free one month Netflix subscription just so I can watch ‘The Crown’. It comes highly recommended by everyone i know who has seen it. I watches episode 1 on YouTube and then Netflix pulled the plug.

  28. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/age-editorinchief-mark-forbes-stood-down-after-sexual-harassment-allegation/news-story/9acd5255129772391e28397a00e9ca98 free article

    http://www.perthnow.com.au/news/western-australia/federal-government-threatens-to-revoke-citizenship-ceremonies-at-fremantle-over-australia-day-changes/news-story/3cc6726f7ac1e86593646e3a756432b7

    http://www.theage.com.au/national/investigations/major-supermarkets-selling-the-fruit-of-forbidden-labour-20161201-gt1w0l.html

    http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/exnewman-government-staffer-faked-email-to-steal-job-20161202-gt2tfd.html

  29. FRIDAY, SUGGESTIONS FOR A FRIDAY THREAD.

    Let’s help Fiona out with suggestions for today’s Friday thread.

    Mine is End of Parliament Year, the Best and Worst of 2016.

    The Report Card

    Insults, Zingers, Courage, Milestones.

    Brilliance, Clangers, and Gems

    Smiles, Frowns, Slip ups and Fall Downs’

    Wins Losses and Tossers

    How do you score our 2016 Parliament?

  30. PTMD

    Excellent suggestion. If people want an early night we can have instead the listing of “Coalition Successes 2016”

  31. Puffy,

    Thank you for the suggestions, but I am just too tired to assemble a thread this evening.

    I will try to have something up tomorrow.

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