Nearly There, Santa

Guest Author Uncategorized

Here is another great threadstarter from Puffy. Thank you so much, Empress of the Dragons.

Only days  8, 7, 8, 5, 4,, 3, 2, 1, until it’s Boxing Day.

So in the spirit of Xmas 2017 how about pressies for our Pollies and Notable (for various reasons) Others!

To Former PM Julia Gillard.

A Gold Echidna With Bar for having the courage to set up this:

FPM Julia Gillard, The Pub is honoured to present to you:

and a big Thank You on behalf of a grateful nation.

To Bill Shorten, Leader of the Opposition.

So he can kick some more L/NP butts to the kerb in 2018. (Tones, where are you now?)

The Red Vollies. The ALP volunteers whose ground campaign is second to none.

For Joe6Pack, Fiona, Bushfire Bill and all other PUB helpers, esp BK for the Dawn Patrol

For our MSM and Canberra Press Gallery. in honour of your 2017 performance. (Note. Not all of you will fit).

For Peter Dutton MP, so he can find his heart and get the Asylum Seekers out of detention for Christmas. Put some real meaning into Xmas for all of us, Dutton. (yeah, nah, he says.)

For Pride and Perseverance, wedding bells soonest.

For Ned and Syd, who guard The PUB gates from trolls.

Whom have I forgotten? I am sure Pubsters can assist me!.

If Xmas gets you down, there is help.

And so say all of us.

283 thoughts on “Nearly There, Santa”

  1. Section 3 . . .

    What on earth is going on with the futures turbocharged Bitcoin frenzy? How long before there are people jumping out of windows?
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/bankruptcy-hackers-booms-and-busts-crypto-frenzy-turns-into-tsunami-20171219-p4yxwi.html
    The AFR describes Bitcoin as the greatest bubble of all time Google.
    /markets/equity-markets/bitcoin-is-now-the-greatest-bubble-of-all-time-20171219-h07om1
    Shares in franchise operator RFG plunged another 18% yesterday. You’d have to say it’s on the nose.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/retail-food-group-s-debt-level-comes-into-focus-as-shares-fall-further-20171220-p4yxxd.html
    The annual refrain that Christmas is being destroyed is a right-wing cultural tactic to create the impression of a conspiracy out there to change society as we know it, writes Stephen Keim. The war on Christmas continues in the tabloids.
    https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/the-war-on-christmas-and-other–myths-returning-to-a-tabloid-near-you,11047
    Almost 8000 customers who paid for national broadband network plans with TPG Telecom will be compensated after being misled about the maximum speed they could achieve. Some interesting words from the ACCC too.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/tpg-to-compensate-8000-customers-misled-about-nbn-speeds-20171219-p4yxwl.html
    The Turnbull government’s year that was.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/politics-2017-finale-the-bin-fire-edition,11046
    2017’s best and worst people in Australia.
    http://www.executivestyle.com.au/these-are-australias-biggest-heroes-and-villians-of-2017-h07k6d?benref=smh

  2. Section 4 . . . Cartoon Corner

    Matt Golding on Chester’s reaction.

    John Shakespeare reckons Barnaby’s calling the shots.

    David Pope’s contribution contains today’s word of the day – Vitruvian.

    Shakespeare and the Christmas grinch, Erica.

    A Christmas carol from Mark David.

    What in the f**k is Zanetti on about here?

    Golding installs Dutton in his new job.

    Glen Le Lievre on university funding.

    Mark Knight nicely portrays Barnaby.

    And he has a triumphant Turnbull carol singing.

    Jon Kudelka has Barnaby seeing Chester off.
    https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/69c1a1c9c751e7ec9f035f20eb3dff5c

  3. I’m not flat out doing Christmas stuff. I’ve never been the sort who gets into a frantic flap about Christmas, it has always been very casual here.

    I get your point Leone, but you also have to account for others getting in a flap and impeding your progress.

    We had two cars to register, two property exchanges to sort out, a retirement to organize,letters to write to head honchos (in time for a response) … all in a week, because Christmas puts everything in meltdown.

    Sometimes I think you need the Christmas break in order to recover from preparations for taking it.

  4. Snowy 2.0 –

    Well, of course the feasibility study ordered by Turnbull said exactly what Turnbull wanted it to say. His precious pipe dream is the only idea he’s had in over two years as PM, he’s now going ahead with this incredibly stupid idea no matter what it ends up costing us.

    The study did not include the $6 billion (or more) Turnbull will spend on buying the shares of NSW and Victoria in Snowy Hydro. Big mistake, selling those. The Fizza government will flog it all off to an overseas company, probably Chinese, faster than you can say ‘rort’, to pay for this nonsense idea, but I’m not a state premier, so what would I know. The location is suspect, there are better places to build a pumped hydro scheme, places that do not need 20 km of expensive tunnelling. The study doesn’t include the cost of transmission – the poles and wires. That will be paid for by whoever owns the NSW, Victorian and SA power grids, so we all know what that means for us mug consumers – higher power prices to pay for them.

    This, written before the release of Turnbull’s study, explains all the problems and the likely real costs, including the blowout during the feasibility study from Turnbull’s $2 billion to a probable $4 billion.

    Malcolm Turnbull’s Snowy 2.0 project could cost $7b
    http://www.afr.com/news/malcolm-turnbulls-snowy-20-project-could-cost-7b-20171213-h04646

    • I know I am somewhat aged and my mind doesn’t tick over as well as it did in my youth, but it seems to this ancient scientist that it’s a no-brainer that the batteries of today and tomorrow attached to the plenitude of renewable energy sources in this country is a far better path than Fizza’s Snowy 2.0.

  5. Not getting a mention in the big media – Christian Porter wants to kill off the Human Rights Commission.

    Incoming Attorney-General SLAMS Human Rights Commission for ‘deficiencies’ and vows to overhaul it
    Attorney-General Christian Porter wants Humans Rights Commission overhaul
    George Brandis’ replacement as chief law officers says body has ‘deficiencies’
    Mr Porter slammed the Human Rights Commission’s handling of 2013 race case
    http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5193701/New-attorney-general-says-Human-Rights-Commission-go.html

    • I just love Mark David’s work, boldly tells it like it is.

      Also who is this Andre Welder guy everyone references?

  18. Good morning Dawn Patrollers. This service has the potential to be a bit scratchy over the next week as we have been descended upon by my son and his young family from Canberra. Anyway, I’ll do my best!

    Morrison takes vows to fight back against discrimination and mockery of Christians and other religious groups in 2018 and play a leading part in the protection of religious “freedoms”. Precious happy clapper that he is. How dare we laugh at his crowd’s speaking in tongues.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/im-not-going-to-put-up-with-it-anymore-morrison-vows-to-defend-christianity-in-2018-20171221-h08jg8.html
    John Hewson proposes a new year’s resolution for Turnbull.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/a-new-years-resolution-for-the-pm-20171221-h08fpq.html
    Bevan Shields says the total cost of Snowy 2.0, as it currently stands, could be $12 billion. (What would it be if one adds the Turnbull NBN factor?)
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/building-and-buyouts-full-cost-of-snowy-hydro-expansion-could-hit-nearly-12-billion-20171220-h08cnc.html
    The SMH editorial praises BHP’s climate change stand and urges the government to get with it.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/bhp-prepares-for-a-hotter-future-20171221-h08seh.html
    Michael Pascoe calls BS on the corporate tax race to the bottom.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/economic-vandalism-we-get-dragged-into-company-tax-race-to-the-bottom-20171221-p4yxyf.html
    And Sally McManus is sick of hearing the discredited trickle-down economics mantra from Turnbull and Morrison et al.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/trickledown-economics-is-the-only-song-they-know-and-were-sick-of-hearing-it-20171220-h07qjv.html
    Waleed Aly farewells the enigmatic George Brandis, the man we never knew.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/so-long-george-brandis-we-never-really-knew-you-20171220-h08ch7.html
    Is David Littleproud going to overturn a Barnaby direction on the fraught 450 gigalitre environmental flow?
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/new-water-minister-david-littleproud-commits-to-returning-extra-450-gigalitres-to-murraydarling-20171221-h08kup.html
    Sean Nicholls explains how the pokies industry has the NSW government by the short and curlies.
    http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/gambling-report-inaction-shows-nsw-government-cowed-by-pokie-industry-20171220-h08dee.html
    The Pope’s message says plenty, but nothing.
    http://www.smh.com.au/world/pope-francis-denounces-traitors-in-vatican-during-christmas-message-20171221-h08z7z.html

  19. Section 2 . . .

    Mesma wimps out and abstains on the UN vote over Trump’s moving of the embassy to Jerusalem.
    http://www.smh.com.au/world/mother-than-100-countries-defy-trump-vote-for-jerusalem-un-resolution-20171221-h08ze4.html
    Michael Lynch writes that head coaches of sports teams are supposed to have thick skins but former Socceroos boss Ange Postecoglou has reportedly admitted a television grilling from Sydney Morning Herald columnist Peter FitzSimons was one of the reasons behind his decision to walk away from his job with the national side.
    http://www.smh.com.au/sport/soccer/past-criticism-made-postecoglou-determined-to-walk-away-on-his-terms-20171221-h08mgs.html
    The Nick Xenophon Team has suspended critical negotiations on Senate legislation until the government commits to improving transparency and accountability measures.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/21/nxt-suspends-negotiations-with-coalition-on-senate-legislation
    Richo looks at Xenophon’s landing into state politics. Google.
    /opinion/columnists/graham-richardson/sa-premiership-appears-almost-to-be-nick-xenophons-for-the-taking/news-story/ee5de5356be5333fd2d49950e2d55afc
    Nicole Hemmer writes that Trump represents the last gasp of a dying movement, not a new beginning.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/trump-has-a-dismal-approval-rating-but-hes-popular-where-it-matters-20171220-h081yh.html
    Democrats have warned Trump that any attempt to remove Mueller would result in a constitutional crisis.
    http://www.theage.com.au/world/constitutional-crisis-donald-trump-warned-over-mueller-probe-meddling-20171220-h08dhp.html
    Telecommunications providers could face fines of up to $10 million if they fail to properly manage customers’ migration to the NBN next year, under new rules proposed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). Google.
    /technology/web/nbn/telcos-to-face-big-fines-for-nbn-failures-in-2018-as-acma-plans-new-rules-to-protect-consumers-20171221-h08nu4
    The ACCC will get sweeping new powers to ban “potentially harmful” financial products, under new laws forcing banks to put more emphasis on serving their customers’ interests.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/harmful-finance-products-to-face-asic-ban-20171221-p4yxyz.html
    Brigid Delaney looks back at 2017 and gives Turnbull a big mention.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/dec/22/in-the-year-of-covfefe-turnbull-managed-to-look-more-villainous-than-trump
    “A NSW Health policy directive for doctors to not use the word “obesity” with patients is counterproductive, promotes a state of denial, and provides support for further stigmatisation and discrimination of those suffering from obesity and its complications by not providing appropriate care” says this professor of childhood obesity.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/name-game-on-obesity-will-make-blame-game-worse-20171221-h08kg3.html

  20. Section 3 . . .

    Michael West says that Australia’s political leaders ought to charge US oil giant ExxonMobil and its directors with contempt of parliament. Exxon has deceived the Senate.
    https://www.michaelwest.com.au/charge-tax-shark-exxon-contempt-parliament/
    Life expectancy in US down for second year in a row as its opioid crisis deepens.
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/21/us-life-expectancy-down-for-second-year-in-a-row-amid-opioid-crisis
    Australia’s public broadcaster has agreed to hand over documents which Cardinal George Pell wants to use in his fight against charges of historical sex abuse. Counsel for Pell, the prosecution, the ABC and the investigative journalist Louise Milligan appeared before Melbourne magistrates court yesterday.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/dec/21/abc-to-hand-over-documents-wanted-by-george-pell-to-fight-sex-abuse-charges
    A NSW Anglican Bishop says he will not back down from plans to sell more than a dozen churches in the Central West to pay more than $2 million in redress to victims of child sex abuse.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/nsw/2017/12/21/bishop-church-child-abuse/

  21. Section 4 . . . Cartoon Corner

    Jim Pavlidis and Turnbull’s infrastructure and jobs vision.

    John Shakespeare sees George off to London.

    While Peter Broelman has London preparing for George’s arrival.

    A little ripper from Mark David who has emerged as a top cartoonist.

    From Matt Golding


    Glen Le Lievre goes OTT with this voting slip!

    Mark Knight on the Federation Square redevelopment.

    Sean Leahy on the Flinders Street incident.

    And he sees off Flo.

    He also goes to Surfers Paradise.

    David Pope has NGO legislation catching up with Santa.
    http://www.smh.com.au/photogallery/federal-politics/cartoons/david-pope-20120214-1t3j0
    Jon Kudelka gives us Malcolm of the Overflow.
    https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/53615a11f5cd86b0325c9c021ceb20bf

  23. Yesterday went into town for a foot dressing for Razz. Had to get some essentials from Aldi and was dreading trying to get a park, let alone dodging heaps of people. Surprisingly we had no problem. Have people planned better? Not spending? Have to say it was extremely weird. More like a normal quiet day. Would never know Xmas day is only four days away.

  25. Hmmmm – the NSW Anglican church had no trouble finding a spare $1 million to throw into the ‘No’ campaign on marriage equality, but has decided it has to flog off small rural churches to pay for $2 million worth of child abuse claims.

    • Leone I had forgotten about that!
      Accountants say the Anglican Church has very large real estate holdings, turning over properties when they have risen in value replacing them with cheaper real estate

      The Anglican Church undertook a massive expansion of its network of schools in the 2000’s buying up bankrupt evangelical K12s or R12s

  26. We must have gone to the wrong Aldi, 11:00 AM yesterday the Kangaroo Flat aldi was chockers, we had to wait for someone to come out to get a trolley.

  27. Ineteresting and chilling reading, because if Morrison gets his way this could happen here, too.

    The GOP Tax Bill and the Crisis of American Democracy
    The country is ruled by oligarchs and their enablers.

    It just so happened that during the week that Republicans rammed a $1.5 trillion tax bill through Congress without a single Democratic vote, Philip Alston, the UN special rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, was finishing up a fact-finding mission to the United States. Alston visited places like Georgia, Alabama, and West Virginia, which voted for Donald Trump, but he also stopped in California, which went for Hillary Clinton, and Puerto Rico, which wasn’t allowed to vote for president at all. A veteran diplomat with tours in Afghanistan, Sri Lanka, and Albania, Alston was nonetheless shocked by what he saw here, in the richest country in the world. His devastating report described the conditions facing the one in eight Americans who live in poverty—rotting teeth, crushing debt, homelessness, hunger, drug addiction, untreated illness, and pollution. It also identified the political choices that keep poor Americans poor: neglect, discrimination, the criminalization of poverty, privatization, and the evisceration of the social safety net. “If you want to talk about the American dream, a child born into poverty has almost no chance of getting out of poverty in today’s United States, statistically,” he concluded

    https://www.thenation.com/article/the-gop-tax-bill-and-the-death-of-american-democracy/

    Here’s the report referred to.

    Statement on Visit to the USA, by Professor Philip Alston, United Nations Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights*
    http://www.ohchr.org/EN/NewsEvents/Pages/DisplayNews.aspx?NewsID=22533&LangID=E

  31. Destroying Twitter myths – instalment No – I dunno, I’ve lost track, must be about eleventy-six by now.

    Today it’s about Morrison.

    Scummo is not a member of Hillsong. He attends Shirelive Property Ltd (yes, that’s its full name) at Sutherland.
    http://www.shirelive.com/our-story/

    Both churches are affiliated with Australian Christian Churches, (ACC) formerly known as Assemblies of God. Both churches are happy-clapper, both preach the same ‘God will make you rich, but only if you agree to tithe to us’ rubbish. One of the Shirelive pastors used to work at Hillsong.

    And – Tim Wilson is not a member of Hillsong either. A long time ago Timmy was photographed standing next to a ‘Hillsong’ sign. It was a joke, people, a joke. Hillsong does not tolerate homosexuality. If Wilson showed up there they would shove him into a program to ‘cure’ him and charge him a fee for doing it.

    • Scott Morrison’s ‘church’ makes a mockery of Christians.

      Some questions for Morrison –
      What about abuse of Muslims, or anyone some right-wing nutter thinks might be Muslim? Are they to be free from mockery and abuse?

      Does ‘religious freedom’ extend to allowing people to wear items indicative of their faith, like hijabs, niqabs and burqas, Star of David pendants and Sikh turbans, all of which various right-wingers want to see banned.

  33. http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/industrial-relations/accc-drops-union-pricefixing-probe/news-story/be9e623ad13b2924bd05d693fabc2744 paywalled, google the URL or try opening via twitter

    • Had to think about the ‘who is not’ bit but my brain eventually caught up with sharp wit, nicely done sir.

    • Hanson is also lathering up. She tweeted last night, after the police announcement, that the police version was ‘rubbish’. Wanting this tragedy to be a terrorist attack won’t make it one, no matter how hard these nutjobs try.

      How despicable can they get, hoping every accident or tragedy is caused by Muslim ‘terrorists’ just so they can make political mileage from them.

  36. leone

    Many relatives here and overseas will want answers. Why a mental case had not been looked after. It’s easier for the govt to say it was a terrorist attack than to admit health negligence due to funding.cuts.

  38. How about this for a Xmas present. A nice cushy job for a NSW Nat, a former Minister under O’Barrell.

    Former racing minister George Souris has been appointed to the board of Racing NSW on a four-year term during which he will be paid more than $250,000.

    Mr Souris, a former leader of the NSW Nationals and member of the Order of Australia, was racing minister for three years under former premier Barry O’Farrell.
    http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/former-minister-george-souris-appointed-to-racing-nsw-board-20171219-h07998.html

  40. HI retired today.

    She knocked off after lunch and after a bit of a send-off from her new office, came home early.

    Bloody bludging public servants!

    Some 25 year old HR numpty deleted a bunch of her entitlements worth about $10,000 a week or so ago. We wrote and asked why, not giving any of our own arguments away.

    The answer was so fatuous and naive, that we’ve appealed it to the newly minted Chief Executive, who wrote back and said she was actioning an investigation in why computer records were altered without authorization in order to financially penalize an employee.

    After sacking the Head Mrs Bitch of their HR department only yesterday, the new CEO isn’t taking prisoners. She wants her own team, not some hand-me-downs from a bygone, unenlightened era.

    So the case has been handed to the new lady in the position.

    The letter from the Chief Executive was warm and friendly, but businesslike too. It was a far cry from the usual grudging response we used to get, complete with veiled threats for complaining in the first pace. So we are hopeful of a positive resolution, particularly since their policy manual says in black and white that HI *was* due the entitlements. It was a usually small, incidental entitlement, but because of the time this train wreck has taken to be sorted out, has blown up into $10-grand without anyone noticing.

    No-one noticed a lot of things regarding HI’s case and I get the feeling that this is being dealt with now on the “New Broom Sweeps Clean” principle. I’d like to think we had something to do with the exit of Cruella de Ville yesterday, but we’ll probably never know.

    Given that staff under her direct control wasted over a quarter of a million dollars (probably a lot more, but I’m being conservative here) on a case – HI’s – that was hopeless from the start, persisting with it even after the complainant had retired, gives some indication that a cover-up was in train. It went from being a petty and vindictive local mobbing exercise in a far-flung departmental office, to a colossal waste of public money and a travesty of justice.

    The 25 year old numpty was cc’d in on the Chief Executive’s letter. I’d say she’ll need to keep a packet of Kimbies handy for the next couple of weeks. For herself, that is. You never know when the bowels will become loose with the Chief Executive looking into your ad hoc decisions made in contravention of official policy. Maybe she’ll learn that the old days of HR “Rule By Decree” are nearing their end?

    As to the rest of the perpetrators from over the years, the departure of Cruella de Ville yesterday completed the set. Everyone who had ever scribbled their executive signatures onto a form or memo calling for the termination of HI’s employment has gone – been pushed, retired, demoted or transferred – before HI herself decided to go, on her own terms.

    That has to count for something doesn’t it?

  41. I’m not happy with Jim Molan representing NSW in the Senate. I’m not sure what’s worse, Fiona Nash back again or Molan the Warmonger.

    Fiona Nash isn’t taking her sacking lightly, she’s planning a quick return. What a self-entitled botch!

    Former Nationals deputy leader Fiona Nash is determined to make a speedy return to the Senate, less than two months after being disqualified by the High Court.
    https://www.sbs.com.au/news/fiona-nash-eyes-speedy-return-as-a-senator

    • I actually met Fiona Nash at the Bennelong by-election.

      She was one of the Lib hander-outerers.

      No power-dressing or airs about her. She wasn’t part of the “official” entourage. Just a helper in a jeans and a T-shirt.

      I have to say she’s a much nicer and personable person in the flesh than the screaming banshee she’s portrayed as on the telly.

      After enquiring as to whether she was that “person who used to be a Pom?”, I asked her if she “had a job yet?” She told me she was having a relax for a while. We chatted about the heat, the voting turnout and the dreadful “brutalist” architecture of Meadowbank TAFE. It was quite enjoyable actually, a few minutes with a complete stranger just enjoying chat. WhenI told her I there to support Labor she said, “well we can’t all be perfect,” I replied pointedly, looking right at her, “No. We can’t, can we?”. We both laughed.

      She has quite a warm smile, that I’ve only ever seen as a leer before. No tickets on herself (at least that day), just a woman out for the afternoon to do a bit of work for a friend.

  42. BB thanks for your news re HI & Fiona Nash. It’s been a long battle for HI
    I think Jim Molan is Labor’s not-so secret weapon.
    Today I met a Filipina who votes Pauline Hanson. Jesus wept, has she no sense of self preservation

  43. The moment that summed up the political year 2017 for me came in the first sitting week when treasurer Scott Morrison marched into parliament brandishing a lump of coal.

    “This is coal – don’t be afraid, don’t be scared”, the treasurer cried out maniacally, before passing it along his front bench where Barnaby Joyce proceeded to fondle it like Gollum his precious ring.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2017/dec/22/a-lump-of-coal-metaphor-for-a-wretched-year-for-malcolm-turnbull

    • Yes, but then he goes and spouts the usual ‘Isn’t Turnbull wonderful, look, jhe’s making a comeback’ rubbish by talking about the latest Essential figures as proof of a resurgence or a renaissance or a reset or some other ‘r’ word, as beloved by the press gallery types.

      As the recent numbers indicate, this actually represents a significant comeback for a prime minister who just a few weeks ago seemed to be facing his own existential crisis

      When you look at the graphic he provides you see Labor’s vote has not budged, the Liberal vote has gone up just one and the Greens are down one. Somehow, by whatever maths Essential uses, that translates into a 2 point first preference increase for the Coalition and an overall drop from 54/46 to 53/47. Still a landslide-winning vote, no matter how the Turnbull Adoration Society try to spin it as something else.

      That’s supposed to be proof Turnbull has a great year ahead of him?

      Pffft.

  44. I’ve posted this before, but needed a refresher before Christmas lunch.
    It’s a bit fiddly to tie until you get the hang of it, but it works as advertised:

  45. Good morning Dawn Patrollers.

    Ross Gittins warns against following Trump with a cut to corporate tax Rates. We’d be mugs to start panicking and giving up a lot of tax revenue – and adding to the debt and deficit we used to say was so terrible – before there was any evidence we had a problem, he says.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/wed-be-mugs-to-panic-and-cut-our-company-tax-rate-20171221-h08u70.html
    Richard Dennis says that voters are burning politicians that won’t let go of coal and that the Coalition has been mute in its praise of the new-fangled battery it so recently ridiculed.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/voters-are-burning-politicians-who-wont-ditch-coal-20171222-h098qa.html
    Paul Bongiorno unloads on the ministerial reshuffle and the antics of Barnaby Joyce.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2017/12/23/spoiled-joyce/15139476005677
    Simon Cowan gives us the political winners and losers for 2017.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/australias-political-winners-and-losers-of-a-year-of-uncertainty-20171221-h093ua.html
    Mark Kenny looks ahead to 2018.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-opinion/tony-abbott-to-quit-in-2018-and-other-malcolm-turnbull-dreams-20171220-h07ys6.html
    Jack Waterford explains the problems with the ALP’s factions.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/bill-shorten-cant-rise-above-labors-grubby-selfinterested-factions-20171221-h090ux.html
    Mike Seccombe tells us that a decade after the fall of the Howard government, Australia remains unable to escape or undo the insular and unfair policies it enacted. It’s all Howard’s fault he says.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2017/12/23/its-all-john-howards-fault/15139476005689
    Peter Lewis uses a lump of coal as a metaphor for Turnbull’s wretched year.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2017/dec/22/a-lump-of-coal-metaphor-for-a-wretched-year-for-malcolm-turnbull
    The Guardian’s David Smith writes that Trump ended year in character – dodging questions and singing his own praises.
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/dec/22/trump-ends-year-in-character-dodging-questions-and-singing-his-own-praises
    It didn’t take long for people to conclude the car being driven into pedestrians on Flinders Street yesterday was driven by terrorism, writes Dr Binoy Kampmark.
    https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/flinders-street-attack-media-and-twits-pull-the-terrorism-trigger,11051

  46. Section 2 . . .

    Karen Middleton reports that a group of federal Queensland Nationals are now planning to rebrand themselves as more distinctly National and run a separate campaign at the 2019 federal election.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2017/12/23/nationals-power-plays/15139476005685
    Clive Williams writes about our changed role in Iraq.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/australian-military-can-play-a-role-as-iraq-switches-from-fighting-to-rebuilding-20171222-h09dm3.html
    Bitcoin drops 35% in one week. Had to happen.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/bitcoin-plunges-below-us13-000-heads-for-worst-week-since-2013-20171222-p4yy0c.html
    An unrepentant Peter FitzSimons tells us about Ange’s departure.
    http://www.smh.com.au/sport/fitz-column–headline-please-20171222-h099ko.html
    Jacqui Maley gives Hollywood men a serve.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/men-hush-now-let-us-womansplain-it-to-you-20171221-h08lie.html
    The Australian reports that sexual assault allegations made against Melbourne’s Lord Mayor came as no surprise to those who know Robert Doyle. Google.
    /news/inquirer/robert-doyle-the-uncorking-of-a-mayoral-scandal/news-story/d678a6c51993b7cd81ddff3aab3bd642
    The Age says Doyle’s on the ropes.
    http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/mayor-on-the-ropes-town-hall-complaints-could-doom-doyle-20171222-h09df2.html
    Jennifer Rubin nicely dismantles the clues Ivanka Trump.
    http://www.smh.com.au/world/once-again-ivanka-trump-shows-off-her-cluelessness-20171221-h093i6.html
    La Trobe University’s Tony Walker says Shorten is in trouble.
    http://www.smh.com.au/comment/bill-shorten-labors-great-hope-is-slowly-deflating-20171221-h092oe.html
    Jane Caro says that in the case of schools, given how much public money they receive, the question is not how much more leeway churches should get to discriminate but the opposite.”
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2017/12/23/religious-school-discrimination/15139476005688

  47. Section 3 . . .

    Turnbull defends Snowy 2.0’s high price. Google.
    /news/politics/national/malcolm-turnbull-defends-snowy-hydro-upgrades-high-price-20171222-h09hbw
    RFG’s woes continue.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/hole-in-donut-king-owners-earnings-could-get-bigger-20171222-p4yxzv.html
    Adele Ferguson takes another pot shot at 7-Eleven.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/retail/we-worked-like-slaves-and-no-one-cared-7eleven-worker-20171221-h092ff.html
    US survivors of clergy sexual abuse reacted with outrage after the Catholic Church honoured disgraced former Boston Archbishop Bernard Law with a full cardinal’s funeral on Thursday.
    http://www.smh.com.au/world/he-was-evil-sex-abuse-survivors-slam-vatican-over-bernard-law-funeral-20171222-h09lwy.html
    Alex McKinnon writes that as recommendations from the child abuse royal commission are swept aside by senior Catholics, The Australian newspaper continues its unwavering support for the church.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/media/2017/12/23/murdoch-and-the-royal-commission/15139476005687
    I don’t know why anybody would ever use American Express cards.
    http://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/amex-faces-customer-legal-challenge-over-credit-card-surcharges-20171221-p4yxz9.html
    This is a case for throwing away the key. 1.2 tonnes of meth! But I suspect the Mr Bigs are still swanning around Sydney.
    http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/four-nsw-men-charged-over-record-12-tonnes-of-meth-in-wa-20171222-h09gwe.html
    Tony Wright reviews 2017.
    http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/this-crazy-political-year-started-with-an-angry-phone-call–but-love-ultimately-won-the-day-20171221-h090j2.html
    Dean Jones gives the Poms some advice.
    http://www.theage.com.au/sport/cricket/the-ashes/when-the-wheels-fall-off-on-an-ashes-tour-20171221-h08xyj.html
    Meanwhile Jason Gillespie says that the Aussies will be ruthless at the MCG.
    https://www.theguardian.com/sport/blog/2017/dec/22/jason-gillespie-no-ashes-dead-rubbers-australia-mcg-england-fourth-test

  48. Section 4 . . . Cartoon Corner

    Glen Le Lievre in the wake of Trump’s tax bill.

    John Shakespeare and Jim Pavlidis are down on Shorten.


    Alan Moir’s Trumpian Santa.

    David Pope goes right off at Trump.

    I love this work from Pope!

    Peter Broelman farewells Flo.

    Paul Zanetti on new rules that will make life harder for minor parties.

    A trio from Matt Golding.



    A nice little video from Glen Le Lievre.

    Sean Leahy with the three wise men.

    Jon Kudelka and a hopeful Abbott writing out his Christmas wish list.
    https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/fff3bf904b3ba290afb5b140f12f633f

  50. All this talk about Turnbull sure to have a wonderful 2018, with, of course, the usual suspects vowing to do their very best to make sure it happens, sounds very familiar. The Press Gallery pack always like to head into Christmas with a cheery article or fifty about Turnbull ‘turning a corner’ in the New Year, or using the summer break to reset whatever it is he resets, or they look at the last poll of the year and declare Turnbull is surging back. These things are as predictable as the sunrise.

    Also predictable is the inevitable post-Christmas stuff-up, like the Jamie Briggs resignation scandal, or last summer’s robo debt debacle.

    It’s inevitable, just like Julie Bishop’s end of year trip to the US where she swans around in designer evening wear at functions with ex-pat Aussie ‘celebrities’, appears on the red carpet at the ‘G’Day USA’ bash and charges it all to us as “ministerial expenses – attending bilateral meetings”.
    .
    This is what Julie’s minions say about G’Day USA – it’s quite the fantasy.
    http://losangeles.consulate.gov.au/losa/gdayusa.html

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