Today is International Beer Day .

And as I am a world citizen I am fully embracing this celebration with a few lovely refreshing beers from my cellar

I bet our suck hole PM wishes he could hide in his cellar after his Pathetic call to Trump was released

If there is anymore evidence needed that the people on manus are just cattle the transcripts confirmed it all.

Have your favorite Tipple Peoples

It will all be over in a year or so
They’ve stopped being sneaking now they are openly gagging anyone that speaks against them.
Unbelievable!
I just saw a few minutes of PvO chatting with some pillock named Carson Scott.
This man –
http://www.skynews.com.au/connect/sky-news-team/carson-scott.html
Scott mentioned he didn’t vote. He said he didn’t have to because he doesn’t have an Australian passport. He’s a dual citizen, so he doesn’t have to vote. PvO, in shock, said wtte ‘But you’re an Australian citizen so you have to be on the electoral roll’. Scott disagreed.
How can you be a journalist who gets to report on political matters like the budget and yet not understand that all Australians,even dual citizens, are required to vote?
If he hasn’t then he should pay a fine, shouldn’t he? He was born here, he should know the rules.
And he was a lawyer. You’d expect a former lawyer to understand the duties of a citizen.
Last time I looked there were five “responsibilities” to be a citizen of Australia
1. Respecting the Law
2. Embracing Australians Values
3. Voting in Elections
4. Defending Australia
5. Serving on a jury
The only time I ever met someone who was not on the electoral roll as an adult was a Jehovah’s Witness family and they had jumped through the hoops of ‘religious belief’ to get off it. I also know that one can remain on the roll while not actually being shown on the roll for various safety reasons (e.g. witness protection programs)
I think it would be fair recompense for that individual on not taking up his responsibilities as a citizen, for him not to get his tax return. But then, it looks like he could be a ‘liberal’, so he’s probably practised in evading responsibility and taxes equally *cynical annoyance*
Yes Scott wasn’t clever he really destroyed his credibility as a public commentator on Australian politics.
Hopefully his contract to appear on Sky News is revoked
How about this miserable government gets their existing IT programs to work properly and safely before leaping into new ones.
What could possibly go wrong with this?
Australia’s digital health strategy gets the nod without data interoperability controls
The Council of Australian Governments Health Council has given the federal government the green light to automatically sign citizens up to an electronic health record, with a public consultation on draft interoperability standards to come by the end of next year.
http://www.zdnet.com/article/australias-digital-health-strategy-gets-the-nod-without-data-interoperability-controls/
Read all about it –
Launch of the National Digital Health Strategy Consultation
Your health. Your say.
https://www.digitalhealth.gov.au/news-and-events/news/launch-of-the-national-digital-health-strategy-consultation
So far it’s not looking good.
You know, this current government has really soured me on the word “liberal”.
How sad!
Something else that flew under the radar last month –
While the Queensland and federal governments do their very best to destroy the Great Barrier Reef and other natural Australian treasures our government is helping Indonesia develop tourist attractions.
Nuts, absolutely nuts.
Australia to provide funding to help Indonesia boost tourism, create 10 new Balis
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-07-18/australia-to-provide-funding-to-help-indonesia-boost-tourism/8717926
Has anything changed?
http://www.thedailystar.net/world/south-asia/cia-killed-first-pm-pakistan-1442917
That would be shocking if we did not already suspect such things happen. How ugly, a disgrace, arrogant and
pathetic. It is a sign of weakness to act like this.
An Art’s Blogs you may enjoy:
http://tomclarkblog.blogspot.com.au/2017/
Idle comment about this marriage equality thing, I think that most Liberals really, really want to release swarms of ACL drones to fill the airwaves with their taxpayer funded “no” campaign to tell the country how the LGBT community (or the “Gay Lobby” as their supporters spit on comment sections) are just a bunch of impure sex obsessed devil spawn that will damage and/or abuse everyone’s children or some crap like that.
I reckon you are right, curse those scum.
As people discovered in Eire where they had to vote (because needed a constitutional change) the plebiscite stirred up hatred and bigotry.
Every time ACL makes a comment I try to express the opinion that ACL doesn’t speak for me, and I don’t like their literal evangelical interpretation of “Christian”
They have stayed with the plebiscite.
It will be rejected by the senate again.
Don’t they have a real job to do?
Andrew Broad, in case you have NFI who he is.
looks like a mouth breather
Sure he’s breathing?
I reckon it’s someone’s pet rock.
The collar and tie are always a giveaway!
I think I’ve seen him on Little Britain.
Not a surprise
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-07/live-liberals-reach-decision-on-same-sex-marriage/8781894
They must have a collective death wish.
The plebiscite will still be non-binding on MPs, so what is the point of it?
After seeing supporters of Trump, the UK Tories and the supporters of this crappy government, I don’t think they care about making good policy anymore. All they want to do is hurt their political and ideological opponents. The more we complain, the more they sneer and want to do worse.
I’ll admit that in Australia we haven’t gone quite as cultish as they have in the USA yet. Because what triggered the gag reflex of the majority of Australia for the first time in his government was Abbott’s knighthood saga. But it’s starting to head down that path, there’s a big enough rump of Aussie media ratbags to make an equivalent of a Fox News disinformation empire.
(Frankly over there, if Trump decided to bring in Knighthoods by declaring himself King of America for Life with Ivanka as his heir, his supporters would be okay with that.)
Ye gods, the Drum was just awful.
The discussion was “Isn’t the same sex marriage debate just awful?” then the Menzies bloke said “Of course it’s all Labor’s fault” and the gay Liberal candidate was like “Yes, it is, we had the chance and Labor let us down, now we won’t see SSM for a long time” and Annabelle Crabbe scoffed a little and the host provided minimum resistance before moving on.
I mean, 2012 was like a whole other era in the marriage equality debate. Gradually, state by state, the USA was slowly getting there, it was getting contentious and toxic with their own debates, then one day in 2014 the Supreme Court was like “screw that noise” and all at once made it legally recognized across the whole lot from Hicksville, Alabama to Los Pantalones del Diablo, California (which we might have done the same here had it not been for the efforts of that snivelling rodent Howard).
Labor changed its policy, pure and simple. It does not have the same leader it had in 2012. Political parties change policy according to the times, and with marriage equality the times have been changing rapidly.
Kirsdarke
Well said. Are you coping better now? You were a bit down a little while back.
Yeah, I’m a bit better now I’ve started uni. Thanks for asking ^^
Kirsdarke
As someone sang long before you were born but when I started school said……………..
The Liberal line is ‘we had to keep our election promise to hold a plebiscite’.
Every man, woman, child, dog, cat and wombat in Australia should be laughing their socks off at that lie. Since when has this government or the Abbott government before it ever cared about breaking promises?
Abbott’s blather today about politicians needing to keep their promises was beyond ludicrous, yet there wasn’t much mention of his hypocrisy in the MSM.
leonetwo
Check out this total lol headline from the Mad Monk the GG today, said with a straight face………….., both of them.
You don’t break promises’
TONY ABBOTT
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/bill-shortens-samesex-marriage-stance-is-hypocrisy-writ-large/news-story/bfdb30511ef2974283b1b7519c3b97b3
I did see that. What a load of garbage.
Well, another squib act by the Liberals, too afraid of their own shadows (and of their own voters) to act. What were the conservative voters going to do? Vote Labor as punishment?
Geez, the Libs must feel proud of themselves. After breaking nearly every promise they ever made, they pick THIS one – the one with the least merit of all – to keep.
We still bow to the Queen. We reject gay marriage. We dig up coal by the millions of tonnes. We wreck our national heritage. We castrate our internet with the National Bullshit Network. We allow our mates and party donors to steal our water, and then sell it back to their neighbours for twice what they (never) paid for it. We low-tow to Trump. We allow thugs like Ray Hadley to tell our governments what they are to do. We sell off everything.
And then we pat ourselves on the back and brag about “mateship”.
Just how long is Tony Abbott the wrecker going to be allowed to run rings around Turnbull? Abbot has never seen a good idea he didn’t want to destroy. And they keep letting him get his way.
Re-enactment of the Liberal party meeting (47 years in the past).
Kirsdarke
Alexander Downer won this LNP even 3 years on the trot.
So then, now I’m wondering what the procedural motions might be in regards to this waste of time.
Will the senate have the votes to be able to say “Bugger off with your stalling and let’s get this sorted” and bring forth a vote for the final “bugger off”? Or is this going to be stalled until next year because the monkey pod wants the status quo and is happy for Turnbull’s “3-stage idea” to remain at stage 1 for as long as possible?
Looks like the Senate will block it again. Labor isn’t going to budge, the Greens won’t budge, Xenophon says he’s not going to vote for a plebiscite, Hinch is against a plebiscite, so it will have the same result as last time, except there will be an extra ‘yes’ vote from the ever-so-‘Christian Lucy Gichuhi. Still not enough to win.
Here’s how the vote went last time, just as a reminder.
http://parlinfo.aph.gov.au/parlInfo/search/display/display.w3p;db=CHAMBER;id=chamber%2Fhansards%2F14eca006-5dd5-4af8-8f7f-800894cddcdc%2F0183;query=Id%3A%22chamber%2Fhansards%2F14eca006-5dd5-4af8-8f7f-800894cddcdc%2F0000%22
If the Senate throws this out again then the government says there will be a postal plebiscite because they believe they can do that without any enabling legislation. That will be challenged with legal action and the challenge will probably win. After that what happens? The next election.
DOUBLE DISSOLUTION NOW!
I think the government wants to keep marriage equality front and centre for as long as they possibly can. While the media are concentrating on this one issue no-one will be looking at the continuing failures of the Turnbull government, or at the nasty things they still have planned.
An example – Alan Tudge has announced that starting in March next year everyone on welfare and living in public housing will have their rent automatically deducted from their welfare payment before they receive it.. Tudge has been telling us that public housing tenants are all scum who won’t pay their rent. He blames them for the shortage of public housing. He says if everyone paid their rent governments would have more money to spend on public housing. What a load of tosh. We all know that funding cuts are behind the shortage of public housing.
All the states have agreed to this plan/plot.
This is just more welfare bashing.
If people are getting behind in their rent then it’s most likely because they just can’t cope with the cost of living on their meagre benefits. The answer could be an increase across the board in all payments rather than yet more bashing.
https://tenplay.com.au/news/national/august-2017/proposal-to-autodeduct-rent-from-welfare-payments
Some other news about housing –
This government is just faffing around with ‘agreements’ that won’t do anything for over a year, by which time the problem will be even worse and numbers will be far greater than they are now.
https://www.theguardian.com/society/2017/aug/07/australias-homelessness-crisis-number-of-older-women-forced-to-couchsurf-doubles
And here’s Doug Cameron, on homelessness.
Suspicion, moral panic, punishment: empathy for homeless people is a choice
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/07/suspicion-moral-panic-punishment-empathy-for-homeless-people-is-a-choice
Oh my god. What even are these monsters?
Can they do this crap without Senate approval? Or intervention by the High Court?
Done via the states, no legislation needed.
There’s just so many layers and subdivisions of misery with this government it just beggars belief sometimes.
Has anyone seen Malcolm?
He has made no comment on this afternoon’s meeting, he ust disappeared and left all the talking to Cormann. Very bad form to run away and hide. Totally gutless, and so very typical. His job is safe for now and that’s all that matters to him.
H
Has Truffles put out a message of condolences on the passing of Betty Cuthbert, or is she too much of a lefty (as I beleive she was) to deserve it?
I checked his Twitter Feed. Truffles has a tweet of condolences.
Probably done by his staff
leone
I agree.
So the Libs are squibbing on SSM? Well paint me blue and call me a cornflower, I am so surprised!
http://www.voltairenet.org/article197288.html
Oops!
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-08-08/vic-opposition-leader-dined-with-alleged-mafia-head-madafferi/8782824
Feel better now?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/07/usda-climate-change-language-censorship-emails
Has he been kicked out of the Labor Party yet?
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/08/minerals-council-lobbies-for-curbs-on-unions-powers-to-strike
Good morning Dawn Patrollers.
Matthew Guy has been sprung in a big way for dining with an alleged mobster boss.
http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/matthew-and-madafferi-opposition-leader-matthew-guy-dined-with-alleged-mobster-20170807-gxqsoc.html
Mark Kenny says that instead of progress however, it has achieved little, merely kicking the can down the road, while underlining Malcolm Turnbull’s authority deficit, and highlighting his well-recognised authenticity problem. The quintessential damp squib.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/samesex-marriage-same-problem-malcolm-turnbull-fails-to-resolve-crisis-20170807-gxr814.html
Michelle Grattan writes that having lit the match that fired same-sex marriage back onto the government’s immediate agenda, the five Liberal rebels have left Malcolm Turnbull with a dangerously smouldering issue that will burn on for months. And now they’re heading for a messy battle on energy policy she concludes.
https://theconversation.com/same-sex-marriage-reform-heads-for-the-snail-mail-82183
Peter FitzSimons asks how the Liberal Party got itself into such a mess . A really good read!
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/samesex-marriage-how-did-the-liberal-party-get-into-such-a-mess-20170807-gxqpji.html
Michael Koziol asks “What next” after yesterday’s SSM “emergency meeting”.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/turnbull-government-kills-samesex-marriage-conscience-vote-agrees-to-postal-plebiscite-20170807-gxqzam.html
The Australian Christian Lobby is threatening to take the unprecedented step of campaigning against a Coalition government, warning Liberal MPs that it could direct members to support minor ¬right-wing parties if a free vote on gay marriage is allowed in parliament. A good example of how dirty this dirty mob would behave leading up to a plebiscite. Google.
/national-affairs/australian-christian-lobby-threat-to-campaign-against-coalition/news-story/410e8a93d31f3311872003163f9c60b8
Dealing with homelessness by punitive means costs taxpayers far more than efforts to increase the supply of affordable housing and supported accommodation writes Senator Doug Cameron.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/07/suspicion-moral-panic-punishment-empathy-for-homeless-people-is-a-choice
Peter Hartcher draws parallels between Trump and Hanson from the responses in a recent focus group.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/the-time-bomb-in-the-australian-electorate-the-major-parties-cant-afford-to-ignore-20170807-gxqpqu.html
Tony Wright goes to the focus group too and says that Derryn Hinch is the politician most admired.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/fairfaxipsos-focus-groups-the-politician-who-voters-trust-the-most-20170807-gxqp4e.html
But Greg Jericho tells us that a Grattan Institute paper suggests those who attribute nationalist parties’ rise to regional inequality are over-egging the case.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2017/aug/08/why-economic-anxiety-doesnt-explain-one-nation-and-the-far-rights-return
The pressure is building within the CBA for some retributive action writes Clancy Yeates.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/cba-board-must-hold-executives-to-account-shareholders-20170807-gxr0pb.html
Section 2 . . .
Staff at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA) have been told to avoid using the term climate change in their work, with the officials instructed to reference “weather extremes” instead. How pathetic!
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/aug/07/usda-climate-change-language-censorship-emails
Tax lawyers, accountants and fin¬ancial planners have attacked the government’s changes to superannuation regulations, declaring it a “shemozzle” with widespread confusion about details affecting thousands of people. Google.
/national-affairs/treasury/tax-experts-blast-turnbull-government-for-rushing-super-changes/news-story/c15c48e2f8b3ac9c5186fdaa3414a0a9
Sarah Gill writes that Turnbull’s Trump call would be entertaining if it wasn’t such a tragedy.
http://www.theage.com.au/comment/malcolm-turnbulls-trump-call-would-be-entertaining-if-it-wasnt-such-a-tragedy-20170807-gxqp9v.html
Some rather disturbing information on the trajectory of the NRL.
http://www.smh.com.au/rugby-league/league-news/is-rugby-league-dying-the-numbers-that-should-concern-every-league-fan-20170807-gxr6uj.html
New research to be released today shows sleep deprivation cost the economy an estimated $66.3 billion in health bills, lost productivity and wellbeing.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/lack-of-sleep-is-costs-the-economy-more-than-66-million-20170807-gxqrew.html
The federal government’s plans to tighten requirements to become an Australian citizen have been slammed by business groups who say their members are worried migrant workers awaiting permanent residency may leave Australia, rather than wait for citizenship.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/business-groups-slam-planned-changes-to-citizenship-20170807-gxqt6r.html
Trump broke away from his summer vacation for a barrage of Twitter posts lashing out at the “Fake News” media and insisting that his political base was “getting stronger” despite investigations into possible collusion between Russia and his associates. Google.
/business/media-and-marketing/publishing/president-donald-trump-interrupted-his-holiday-for-another-rant-v-the-media-20170807-gxrbs7
Trump could be out of office within a year but the US’s problems could just be beginning!
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/aug/07/trump-out-in-year-usa-problems-just-beginning-paul-mason
Here we go! The Minerals Council of Australia will on Tuesday unveil its industrial reform blueprint including proposals to suppress industrial action, limit areas covered by enterprise bargaining and expand the freedom to use contract labour.
http://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace-relations/mining-industry-push-for-individual-work-agreements-20170807-gxqry2.html
Section 3 . . .
Mark Kenny says that Bill Shorten’s “inequality” pitch appeals to the neglected. vulnerable worker. He concludes that Shorten might not have all the answers but he’s doing a better job of hearing the question.
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/bill-shortens-inequality-pitch-appeals-to-the-neglected-vulnerable-worker-20170803-gxop58.html
Labor is opening a new battlefront on workplace relations with an ambitious plan to rewrite Fair Work laws to empower unions and strengthen the industrial umpire as a key plank of its fight against inequality. Google.
/opinion/columnists/troy-bramston/labor-commits-to-rebuild-workers-bargaining-power/news-story/6c597be365a69a7901b2fd3a4b6ad679
This solicitor working in the field explains how workers are so vulnerable.
http://www.smh.com.au/comment/workers-are-vulnerable-in-the-vitual-workplace-20170806-gxqjqj.html
Ben Eltham – “It’s the inequality, stupid”.
https://newmatilda.com/2017/08/07/its-the-inequality-stupid/
Susie O’Brien writes that the date for Australia Day should be changed so we can ALL celebrate. Google.
/news/opinion/susie-obrien/australia-day-should-be-moved-to-another-date-so-we-can-all-celebrate/news-story/5b998b119eaf51a707275165cdaa4ab7
The RSL NSW is voluntarily suspending all fundraising activities such as raffles, barbecues and cake sales after the new leadership discovered that that some of its processes are illegal under the state’s charity laws. What next?
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/nsw-rsl-suspends-all-fundraising-following-legality-concerns-20170807-gxr1bj.html
The beautiful Adelaide Hills food bowl is officially Australia’s most outstanding region. The coveted title was bestowed on the state’s treasured zone at the national delicious. Produce Awards on Monday night. Google.
/thesourcesa/adelaide-hills-wins-nations-most-outstanding-region-in-delicious-producers-awards/news-story/fb3ebee508cd96f38d211fa2ad12e53f
Interpol tracked Clive Palmer’s fugitive nephew Clive Mensink to Hong Kong in June, but Australian authorities have admitted their hands are tied until he chooses to return to Australia. Google.
/news/nation/interpol-track-clive-mensink-to-hong-kong-australian-authorities-sit-back-until-he-returns/news-story/118a3c4c4564444b3c80c516fcf1ac02
The public sector union and Labor have called a new social media guidance released by the Australian Public Service Commission on Monday “overreach”, warning government employees should be allowed to participate in normal democratic debate.
http://www.smh.com.au/national/public-service/new-public-service-social-media-policy-is-overreach-union-boss-nadine-flood-20170806-gxqjyq.html
Energy retailers were scrambling to find common ground on moves to help protect vulnerable customers from high electricity prices ahead of tomorrow’s meeting with Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull in Canberra. Google.
/news/politics/energy-retailers-look-for-common-ground-ahead-of-pms-energy-meeting-20170807-gxqows
Section 4 . . .
Turnbull may finally be realising that energy policy rather than renewables are to blame for soaring power costs but action is required,.
https://independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/is-turnbull-waking-up-to-the-political-reality-of-the-consumer-energy-rip-off,10585
IN SPITE of clear evidence to the contrary, Malcolm Turnbull (again in his conversation to Donald Trump), Tony Abbott, Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton have continued their spin about how they stopped the boats. They didn’t.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/turnbull-to-trump-weve-stopped-the-boats-another-lie-says-john-menadue/
Cartoon Corner
Matt Davidson on our disillusionment with mainstream politics.







A beautiful tribute to Betty Cuthbert from Mark Knight.
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/cae42377e74c7142e8ad0f04b697c0f6?width=1024
Some cynicism from Cathy Wilcox.
Broelman on the SSM emergency meeting.
A telling contribution from Paul Zanetti on Turnbull’s leadership.
Something similar from Pat Clement.
http://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/9441177849d256e2f9b966296618b28d
David Pope goes all the way in denouncing Dutton’s handling of the refugees on Manus Island.
http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/federal-politics/cartoons/david-pope-20120214-1t3j0
Matt Golding and a weather report from Canberra.
Sean Leahy reckons it’s all over for this government!
And Leahy is unimpressed with Turnbull and the refugee swap.
BK
Re
TLBD posted something earlier on that. Bloody $$%%^%^$#^!! Marn Fersun, what pond scum.
Is this traitor still a member of the Labor Party, or has he done what Latham did and just not paid his membership fees for years?
For years Latham lacked the guts to formally resign or even to mention his status. Labor announced a while ago, when Latham announced he was joining the Liberal Democrats, that he had not been a financial member for years. He could not be expelled from the party because he was no longer a member,so he was given a lifetime ban to make sure he can never rejoin.
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/inquirer/exlabor-leader-mark-latham-doesnt-fear-being-called-a-rat/news-story/9c081a93bcf251b1820f9aa3d5391717
If Marn is still a member of the party then he should be expelled and banned for life ASAP.
Abbott will savour reading these words from Dennis Shanana
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/dennis-shanahan/its-a-primary-vote-record-as-shorten-exploits-division/news-story/68760e2f55f81169861aa3e5f1bacf0a
Para 9 to 11. Wouldn’t want to give it too much prominence
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/aug/08/marriage-equality-voters-want-issue-settled-before-election-guardian-essential-poll#comments
I couldn’t imagine anything worse than a plebiscite on marriage equality held at the same time as the next election.
The media would ignore everything but that question and the conservative campaigns would be all about the evils of not being heterosexual. It would be horrendous.
A Possum point………