Today’s Guest Poster is the magnificent Puffy The Magic Dragon, who – as always – has come up with a topic guaranteed to put fire in the belly (and even out of the mouth). Thank you so much, Puffy.
Also, I apologise for my lack of activity for the past few weeks. I am sure you all understand.
Photo credit: Wikimedia Commons
Hats off to Mr Steve Georganas MP, Federal Member for Hindmarsh, House of Reps. ALP.
Steve Geoganas, a thoroughly good bloke, recently attached a questionaire to his newsletter, for people in his electorate, asking about issues and concerns they may have.
As well as keeping in touch with his electorate and proactively seeking their input, his survey finished with an interesting question that I have not seen before in such an exercise.
‘What would you do if you were Prime Minister for one day.’
What an intriguing thought. What would I do?
I would:
- Close Manus Island and Nauru camps and order repatriation to Australia of the people interned there.
- Establish royal commissions into the banks, and another into our involvement into the Iraq WMD war. And Children Overboard, and the rest of that can of maggots. Chuck one in for political donations too, while we are at it.
- Stop the Adani coalmine.
Because I will get to work early on my day, it will only be morning tea-time.
- I will have plenty of time to fix the NBN fiasco, and then after lunch with Indigenous people’s representatives to nut out a plan to really address inequities, roll my sleeves up for a late nighter.
There is so much more.
- Also, I would implement the ALP Animal Welfare plan, and designate theft of pets as an act of national harm, punishable by ten years of cleaning up doggy doo doo.
What would you do?
THE PUB 
That’s the temp one. There’s a real one going up afterwards.
That’s OUR house, you bastards!
I reckon Rowe has circumcised Trump’s nose! Look closely.
Looks punched.
Well of course it is, nothing to do with crap management
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/education/2017/06/07/british-universities-slip-world-rankings-experts-blame-pressure/
While over at the Torygraph a classic Torygraph headline.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2017/06/07/labour-best-brexit-not-corbyn/
Thought I’d pop this up here too, just in case anyone tries to tell you how vital it is to pay off the debt, or that a government budget should be run like a household budget, or that the government in not an ATM:
We know. When I spend the household money it’s for the existence / benefit of the members of the household.
When the government spends OUR money it should be for OUR benefit and not for the benefit of their mates ($65 billion, anyone?)
Someone tell Your Government.
https://www.thelocal.fr/20170608/actor-rehearsing-lines-in-tgv-train-toilet-mistaken-for-terrorist
OK. I’m watching Comey and I am drunk. You may want to check https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/live/2017/jun/08/james-comey-testimony-senate-hearing-trump-russia-fbi
First impression. Says yes or no and does not waffle.
Early signs not good for Trump.
The chair (R) spokes at length as the deputy chair (D). The D did so politics.
TGA will give you the good stuff. All I can give you is my impression.
“I thought he was trying to get something from me” Two dinners after he requested his doolally.
This blokes exudes honesty.
A senator now asking has a real command of English.
“People talking about it don’t really know what is going on”
About the NYT.
Aus Senate Estimates are good. This Senate is totally totally …
The witness is good. So good.
It will be impossible to dismiss his evidence.
“I thought POTUS asked us to drop the investigation. We weren’t to do that.”
The Senators are asking lots of questions which are going lots of rabbit holes. The rabbits coming out are not what they want.
Warren is getting stuck i9nto the leaks from the White House. A big ouch!
Pence just got a mention ..
Not in a good way.
Why did you make a diary entry about that conversation?
Because there was no one else there.
Yes, the Russians did try to influence the election. No doubt.
The Repugs are going nasty “How should we trust you?!”
The Repugs are going “why didn’t you?”
Shot down in flames.
Bit of humour. From the Senate and from the witness.
The witness is totally comfortable.
The odd Senator seems a bit not comfortable ..
The witness is so open.
The more the Repugs dip they or they get soiled.
]Funny thing truth.
I just LOVE this photo!
Polls close in the UK in about 10 minutes
Con 314
Lab 266
SNP 34
LD 14
hung parliament
Good morning Dawn Patrollers. The exit poll in the UK suggest 314 seats to 266 to May. But they need 326 for a majority,
Well James Comey didn’t disappoint!
http://www.smh.com.au/world/james-comey-testifies-before-us-senate-about-dealings-with-president-donald-trump-20170608-gwnpfd.html
And Richard Wolffe says that the Comey testimony shows that the impeachment machinery is warming up.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/jun/08/james-comey-testimony-impeachment-machine-trump
The ongoing investigation into Russia’s interference in the 2016 election and possible collusion by associates of President Donald Trump’s campaign took a dramatic turn last night.
http://www.canberratimes.com.au/world/trumprussia-james-comey-testimony-shifts-focus-to-donald-trump-20170608-gwnq8k.html
Why FBI Directors are forbidden from getting too cosy with US presidents.
https://theconversation.com/j-edgar-hoovers-oversteps-why-fbi-directors-are-forbidden-from-getting-cozy-with-presidents-78896
The Saudis showed a lack of empathy at the start of the soccer match last night. Apparently it’s a cultural thing.
http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/socceroos-vs-saudi-arabia-minute-of-silence-before-world-cup-qualifier-not-in-keeping-with-saudi-culture-20170608-gwnphs.html
John Hewson says that growth record disguises Coalition is kicking policy challenges down the road.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/growth-record-disguises-coalition-is-kicking-policy-challenges-down-the-road-20170608-gwmzdm.html
Michael Pascoe looks at the lack of liquidity of the housing market in Sydney.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/property/sydney-householders-sitting-very-tight–we-dont-want-to-sell-20170608-gwngje.html
This looks like a bit of a desperate move by CocaCola.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/goodbye-coke-zero-hello-cocacola-no-sugar-20170602-gwj3cx.html
Massola on whet he thinks Finkel will say today.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/finkel-climate-review-outlines-clean-energy-target-to-put-downward-pressure-on-prices-20170608-gwn1ql.html
Section 2 . . .
Steph Peatling wonders if Finkel could be the man to bring peace to Australia’s climate war. (A war that was started by a madman!).
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/alan-finkel-the-man-who-could-bring-peace-to-australias-climate-wars-20170608-gwn0cb.html
Phil Coorey says we’ve had ten wasted years on climate change action and now it’s time for catch-up. Google.
/news/ten-wasted-years-now-time-to-play-catchup-20170607-gwmv8g
But David Crowe in The Australian says that a clash over coal power threatens to wreck Malcolm Turnbull’s ¬energy reforms as a confidential review calls for a clean-energy ¬target that could curb the use of fossil fuels, deepening a Coalition dispute over the shift to renewable power. Google.
/national-affairs/climate/coalition-coal-clash-to-stymie-turnbulls-energy-plan/news-story/5ed72393970a4cd0e8d255250b12448b
Mark Kenny is unimpressed by Turnbull’s immediate politicisation of the Melbourne siege.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/not-even-terrorism-is-above-the-political-blamegame-20170608-gwn3fq.html
Michelle Grattan has a look at the footprint that terrorism has on Australian politics.
https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-terrorisms-footprint-on-our-politics-79138
Waleed Aly says that stridently declaring that “enough is enough” is to completely misunderstand terrorism.
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/saying-enough-is-enough-is-to-misunderstand-terrorism-completely-20170607-gwmwa3.html
The tragic loss of innocent lives to terrorist acts will not stop until we admit to the folly of current policies writes Dr Geoff Davies. We should get out of the Middle East he says.
https://independentaustralia.net/article-display/want-to-stop-terrorism-get-out-of-the-middle-east,10376
As a background to today’s COAG meeting the number of prisoners in Australian jails has surged by up to 40 per cent in the past five years, new figures have revealed, as the Turnbull government pushes state premiers to toughen up bail laws. More packing and stacking?
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australian-prisoner-numbers-surge-by-40-per-cent-as-coag-prepares-to-debate-tougher-bail-laws-20170608-gwn1dk.html
Race discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane has said calls from One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and others to detain all suspects, seemingly without charge or trial, “show an astounding ignorance of history” and would represent capitulation to terrorism.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/deeply-disturbing-human-rights-groups-condemn-pauline-hansons-internment-call-20170608-gwn2ce.html
Section 3 . . .
Centrelink”s controversial robo-debt program has been blamed for a huge surge in legal challenges by people facing the welfare agency’s demands for money. This is hardly surprising.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/public-service/appeals-against-centrelink-debts-soar-20170607-gwmvs4.html
The blame game within the ATO is going strong over the major IT outage in the last six months..
http://www.smh.com.au/national/public-service/ato-blames-hewlett-packard-for-unprecedented-outages-and-data-blackouts-20170608-gwn6bk.html
Dave Donovan writes that the British people are angry with their press, who are trying to steal away their democracy.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/the-british-and-australian-media-vs-jeremy-corbyn-and-the-people,10378
Sean Nicholls writes that it’s time to overhaul the rules pertaining to ministerial staff turned lobbyists.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-rules-need-to-change-for-ministerial-staff-turned-lobbyists-20170608-gwmywp.html
And it’s time to revisit the threshold in place with respect to the reporting of political donations.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/sisters-in-law/how-much-can-politicians-receive-before-they-must-declare-it-20170608-gwnkl2.html
And right on cue Simon Benson writes that a senior member of Malcolm Turnbull’s campaign team had ¬directly solicited a political ¬donation prior to last year’s election campaign from Chinese-born Australian billionaire Chau Chak Wing, who is now at the centre of a political storm over foreign -donations and political ¬influence. Google.
/national-affairs/donations-row-engulfs-turnbulls-team/news-story/870e21ad2c885cbaaa065e024129cf05
Laura Tingle writes on the dark influence of stakeholders and what we can expect from Finkel. Google.
/opinion/columnists/laura-tingle/donations-and-finkel-will-raise-canberras-temperature-20170608-gwmzgn
David Wroe is disgusted by Trump’s latest appalling utterings that partially excused terrorism. Once again Trump has diminished his country he says.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/in-two-short-sentences-trumps-white-house-just-partially-excused-terrorism-20170608-gwmxxq.html
Will the Aussie dollar go back down to USD$0,50?
http://www.theage.com.au/business/markets/cme-group-says-slowing-china-high-debt-pose-risks-for-the-australian-dollar-20170608-gwn79s.html
Section 4 . . .
Even in political commentary action and reaction are equal and opposite.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/is-melbourne-too-dangerous-for-conservatives-behind-the-leftwing-antifa-movement-that-attacked-andrew-bolt-20170608-gwnb6h.html
Supermarket giant Coles has admitted underpaying much of its workforce in cosy deals it struck with the conservative shop assistants union. For two years, it has tried to deflect from the findings of a Fairfax Media investigation that revealed massive underpayment at the supermarket.
http://www.theage.com.au/business/retail/coles-admits-much-of-its-workforce-underpaid-after-sda-deals-20170608-gwnfl4.html
Catholic schools have been ordered to stop hearing childrens’ confessions behind closed doors, as Melbourne Catholic Archbishop Denis Hart responds to new child safety rules. A tiny step out of the Dark Age?
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/priest-bucks-archbishops-order-to-hear-school-kids-confessions-out-of-the-box-20170607-gwm583.html
In a speech to be delivered today Chris Bowe will say that Labor will continue efforts to make Australia’s tax system more progressive but will not countenance adopting a universal basic income policy to address rising inequality.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/jun/09/chris-bowen-attacks-universal-basic-income-as-payments-to-millionaires
The personal fallout from the collapse of Careers Australia is huge. A bloody disgrace, in fact.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/lifeline-for-2800-careers-australia-students-but-12000-remain-in-limbo-20170608-gwmzsj.html
Authorities are being urged to investigate the connection between Islamic extremism and drug addiction, with Brighton gunman Yacqub Khayre just the latest in a series of terrorists with histories of substance abuse.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/brighton-connection-between-ice-use-and-islamic-extremism-should-be-investigated-20170607-gwmgyd.html
Meanwhile police in NSW will receive greater powers to shoot terrorists while riot squad officers will be armed with assault rifles under proposed changes announced yesterday.
http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/nsw-police-to-have-more-shooting-powers-to-fight-terrorism-20170608-gwn497.html
In the next instalment of “Can it get any worse for the CPA?” NSW threatens to deregister it! Google.
/business/accounting/nsw-threatens-to-end-cpas-legal-liability-protection-20170608-gwn07e
Tuesday’s announcement that Adani’s Board had made a new “investment decision” to proceed with the destructive Carmichael coal mine is nothing more than a farcical exercise in smoke and mirrors designed to attract a $1 billion concessional loan.
https://independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/adani-board-decision-a-con-why-the-carmichael-coal-mine-must-be-stopped,10377
Section 5 . . .
Stephen Koukoulas says, “Don’t celebrate, ScoMo: job ad stats mask the ugly truth about the labour market.”
https://thekouk.com/item/509-don-t-celebrate-scomo-job-ad-stats-mask-ugly-truth-about-the-labour-market.html
Fake news spread by those with a profit motive is leaving many people oblivious to the threat of climate change, says former head of the US space agency
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2017/jun/08/americans-under-siege-from-climate-disinformation-former-nasa-chief-scientist
Shades of “Yes Minister” here.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/the-queensland-school-with-zero-students-enrolled-20170608-gwna7h.html
This mother and PhD writes that it is inherently anti-social to not vaccinate children.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-decision-not-to-vaccinate-is-inherently-antisocial-20170608-gwn8j2.html
Pauline Hanson has gone to court to seek an injunction to stop the public airing of more recordings.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/pauline-hansons-one-nation-seeks-supreme-court-injunction-to-stop-abc-airing-material-20170608-gwn2yq.html
This SMH editorial takes Sydney Uni’s St Pauls College to task over its terrible misogyny.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/unacceptable-university-traditions-in-need-of-urgent-overhaul-20170608-gwn5g6.html
A new compensation scheme for victims of financial misconduct would help restore trust in the sector, the head of a financial review panel has said.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/compensation-scheme-for-financial-victims-will-restore-trust-ian-ramsay-20170608-gwn04p.html
Andrew Leigh ponders over the future of Canberra’s AIS.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/will-canberra-lose-the-shrinking-australian-institute-of-sport-for-good-20170608-gwmy8i.html
Section 6 . . . Cartoon Corner Part 1
Ron Tandberg and the AFP’s latest job.
Cathy Wilcox with Abbott and the last gasp of coal.
Cathy has a nice little dig at Robb.
A couple of good ones from Alan Moir.
David Rowe goes to a further extreme with Trump.
On the exit poll if you take into account sinn fein’s abstention policy then the Democratic Unionists and Ulster Unionists would get the tories over the line.
Section 7 . . . Cartoon Corner Part 2
Matt Davidson and the evolution of climate policy in Australia.
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/federal-politics/cartoons/illustrations-by-matthew-davidson-20090928-g8gc.html
Ron Tandberg gets down and dirty on coal.
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/federal-politics/cartoons/ron-tandberg-20090910-fixc.html
A classic from David Pope on climate policy. Have a look at the Abbottosaurus!
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/federal-politics/cartoons/david-pope-20120214-1t3j0
Mark Knight and the pugilistic Andrew Bolt.
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/8b7c6e8ba6dc9dac70488744bd999c9f?width=1024
Jon Kudelka previews Finkel’s report.
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/f8f10fbe1ec1a06dcd85bea811cf31d9
Let’s see it we can get the missing sections up.
Section 2a . . .
Steph Peatling wonders if Finkel could be the man to bring peace to Australia’s climate war. (A war that was started by a madman!).
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/alan-finkel-the-man-who-could-bring-peace-to-australias-climate-wars-20170608-gwn0cb.html
Phil Coorey says we’ve had ten wasted years on climate change action and now it’s time for catch-up. Google.
/news/ten-wasted-years-now-time-to-play-catchup-20170607-gwmv8g
But David Crowe in The Australian says that a clash over coal power threatens to wreck Malcolm Turnbull’s ¬energy reforms as a confidential review calls for a clean-energy ¬target that could curb the use of fossil fuels, deepening a Coalition dispute over the shift to renewable power. Google.
/national-affairs/climate/coalition-coal-clash-to-stymie-turnbulls-energy-plan/news-story/5ed72393970a4cd0e8d255250b12448b
Mark Kenny is unimpressed by Turnbull’s immediate politicisation of the Melbourne siege.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/not-even-terrorism-is-above-the-political-blamegame-20170608-gwn3fq.html
Michelle Grattan has a look at the footprint that terrorism has on Australian politics.
https://theconversation.com/grattan-on-friday-terrorisms-footprint-on-our-politics-79138
Section 2b . . .
Waleed Aly says that stridently declaring that “enough is enough” is to completely misunderstand terrorism.
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/saying-enough-is-enough-is-to-misunderstand-terrorism-completely-20170607-gwmwa3.html
The tragic loss of innocent lives to terrorist acts will not stop until we admit to the folly of current policies writes Dr Geoff Davies. We should get out of the Middle East he says.
https://independentaustralia.net/article-display/want-to-stop-terrorism-get-out-of-the-middle-east,10376
As a background to today’s COAG meeting the number of prisoners in Australian jails has surged by up to 40 per cent in the past five years, new figures have revealed, as the Turnbull government pushes state premiers to toughen up bail laws. More packing and stacking?
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/australian-prisoner-numbers-surge-by-40-per-cent-as-coag-prepares-to-debate-tougher-bail-laws-20170608-gwn1dk.html
Race discrimination commissioner Tim Soutphommasane has said calls from One Nation leader Pauline Hanson and others to detain all suspects, seemingly without charge or trial, “show an astounding ignorance of history” and would represent capitulation to terrorism.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/deeply-disturbing-human-rights-groups-condemn-pauline-hansons-internment-call-20170608-gwn2ce.html
Section 3a . . .
Centrelink’s controversial robo-debt program has been blamed for a huge surge in legal challenges by people facing the welfare agency’s demands for money. This is hardly surprising.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/public-service/appeals-against-centrelink-debts-soar-20170607-gwmvs4.html
The blame game within the ATO is going strong over the major IT outage in the last six months..
http://www.smh.com.au/national/public-service/ato-blames-hewlett-packard-for-unprecedented-outages-and-data-blackouts-20170608-gwn6bk.html
Dave Donovan writes that the British people are angry with their press, who are trying to steal away their democracy.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/the-british-and-australian-media-vs-jeremy-corbyn-and-the-people,10378
Sean Nicholls writes that it’s time to overhaul the rules pertaining to ministerial staff turned lobbyists.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-rules-need-to-change-for-ministerial-staff-turned-lobbyists-20170608-gwmywp.html
And it’s time to revisit the threshold in place with respect to the reporting of political donations.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/sisters-in-law/how-much-can-politicians-receive-before-they-must-declare-it-20170608-gwnkl2.html
Section 3b . . .
And right on cue Simon Benson writes that a senior member of Malcolm Turnbull’s campaign team had ¬directly solicited a political ¬donation prior to last year’s election campaign from Chinese-born Australian billionaire Chau Chak Wing, who is now at the centre of a political storm over foreign -donations and political ¬influence. Google.
/national-affairs/donations-row-engulfs-turnbulls-team/news-story/870e21ad2c885cbaaa065e024129cf05
Laura Tingle writes on the dark influence of stakeholders and what we can expect from Finkel. Google.
/opinion/columnists/laura-tingle/donations-and-finkel-will-raise-canberras-temperature-20170608-gwmzgn
David Wroe is disgusted by Trump’s latest appalling utterings that partially excused terrorism. Once again Trump has diminished his country he says.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/in-two-short-sentences-trumps-white-house-just-partially-excused-terrorism-20170608-gwmxxq.html
Will the Aussie dollar go back down to USD$0,50?
http://www.theage.com.au/business/markets/cme-group-says-slowing-china-high-debt-pose-risks-for-the-australian-dollar-20170608-gwn79s.html
Theresa May’s outfit for her post election speech.
Could this be Corbyn’s?
Both Labour and tory insiders disputing the accuracy of the exit poll according to the BBC
Sorry, my gentleman bird didn’t work.
Exit poll details
It looks like tories are poised to makes gains in Scotland and Wales and losses in England
further details
The tories look like gaining back their pre-97 stronghold seats in rural Scotland (aberdeenshire west and perth and north perthshire)
journo push & shove from when the polls opened
gigi – Does the image display demonstrate that Corbyn can be replaced by whoever you like?