So Called SUPER SATURDAY is upon us when 5 Federal by elections are to be held.2 of them in WA.Perth and Fremantle seem certain to be retained by labor with the Libs not even bothering to contest them.
Mayo in SA. held by the NXT (or whatever party she represents nowadays) Rebekah Sharkie looks like it will ,against all common sense and decency ignore the overtures from their lords and masters and reject the pure blood ,snooty snobby entitled princess Georgina Downer and stick with Sharkie. How I pity the servants in the manor on Sunday morning. It will be floggings all around with salt afters and no food for few days .
Which leaves Braddon in Tassie and Longman in QLD,
Both seats were held by labor but both members Justine Keay and Longmans Susan Lamb ruled ineligible due to dual citizenship.Both are re contesting.Both are held by slim margins 2.2% for Braddon while Longman is on a slender thin.08%.
Opinion polls in these seats have put the libs slightly ahead which has sent the MSM into a meltdown over Bill Shorten and his leadership and praising Turnbull over how wonderful he is, he has turned things around and will now go on and win at the next Election and finally fulfill his ordained destiny as the greatest PM. Rupert could ever construct.
Never mind the fact that Shorten and Labor have beaten Turnbull and the coalition in the polls since roughly the last election ,it is all about Leadership in Labor and unrest in the ranks while the libs are all hunky dory and one united tribe . I seem to think I have seen this all before but I may be mistaken as I get older.
If Labor hang on and win both it will be portrayed as nothing spectacular. You know no government winning a seat from the opposition in a byelection for 100 yrs blah blah blah. If they lose one it will be regarded as savage test of Shortens leadership and a firming of Malcom’s magnificence .
If labor lose both get ready for the biggest Kill Bill Campaign yet. It will be wall to wall,blaring from the mountains over the top non stop continuous bleating sniping unnamed sources from all the usual suspects.They will try to have him gone by next Friday.
I doubt we will know the results on Saturday night as if things are as close as predicted postal votes will have to taken into account and that can be up 13 days after polls close but if at the end of counting Saturday the Libs are even ahead by 1 vote the resulting avalanche of Leadership speculation will still begin.
Better get some drinks handy.
THE PUB 
Trumble sent in SloMo to talk to Leigh. I AM NOT LISTENING.
Funny how he won’t defend himself.
Did you see the background on 7.5?
There was this slowly rotating wheel with the outside panel with: Dutton – Morrison – Bishop – Abbott – Turnbull.
Every news I have seen or heard calls Turnbull toast. A very strange beast – never seen before.
SloMo rattled.
I suggest the L/NP put on their life-jackets.
I am not a big fan of Shane (that bloody tram?) but he will send NEG to the grave if no one else will
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/20/malcolm-turnbull-to-face-party-room-reckoning-after-energy-u-turn#comment-119559117
“White flag” will be Stumbles his political epitaph.
Just the thought that Mr Dutton could be PM sometime this week is causing my mentally unwell daughter extreme agitation.
I’m not sure the rest of the family is not in the same boat. Very tempted to ring our local federal (Lib) representative and ask him to persuade Mr Turnbull to either resign, go straight to an election, or resign in a massive hissy fit after sending all the questionable S44 LNP members to the High Court. (That last would be wonderful for annoy Mr Murdoch, don’t you think?)
This is a good read, covers many things including seat polls, and polling for The Greens in the last parliament.
Click to access ch06.pdf
😆
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Nick Ross
Verified account @NickRossTech
10m10 minutes ago
“In a stunning turn of events the Prime Minister has firmly ripped his own testicles off live on television and handed them to what appears a sentient potato. Many are calling this desperate strategy ‘the ultimate power move’” Reddit or real? #auspol
https://www.rt.com/news/436336-australia-phone-unlocking-password-jail/amp/?__twitter_impression=true
https://russia-insider.com/en/who-are-you-warn-us-duterte-rebukes-us-warning-not-buy-russian-subs/ri24505
https://www.strategic-culture.org/news/2018/08/19/why-pakistan-should-ditch-washington.html
Been watching my control group discussing politics again. Très amusing. One of them suggested Cormann as the Liberals’ only viable option. Another was angry that Bishop isn’t challenging. Frydeberg’s name was tossed up as well. They are all very disappointed with Turnbull and none of them can stand Duttton. They’re all just discovering things that most political watchers have known for months or in some cases years.
Anyway, the mood out there is definitely bleak for the Turnbull government.
Possibly the most baffling thing about this past week is that for maybe two years plus the electorate has been telling the Liberals – in poll after poll – that they like Turnbull but don’t like the policies of the party. Like a big red sign flashing “BE PROGRESSIVE. BE PROGRESSIVE.” The warnings have been so gentle that Turnbull’s popularity descended with a drift rather than a plummet, as if the electorate were giving him plenty of last chances to turn his attitude around.
And at the point where this has all come to a head and is threatening to take down Turnbull and in turn the entire Liberal Party, everyone there (including Turnbull) seems hell-bent on shackling him to the very worst of the Liberal agenda. They’re behaving as it it’s been the ideology and not Turnbull’s personal popularity that’s been keeping the party afloat. And the heir apparent is the poster boy for the most reprehensible of the policies.
There’s a battle going on over there all right. Ideology vs political survival. And ideology is winning hands down. Never seen anything so stupid in politics. At least Howard had the sense to try appeasing us in his last days. The current mob would rather die in a ditch.
Aguirre
Yes and yes. It probably won’t happen today………but they’re having their party room meeting at 9am according to the abc.
Good morning dawn Patrollers.
Peter Hartcher now is of the opinion that it would take a miracle to save Turnbull.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/it-would-take-a-miracle-to-save-malcolm-turnbull-20180820-p4zyiq.html
Eryk Bagshaw explains how the Turnbull government offered to exclude Australia’s big four banks from its company tax cuts in a last-minute pitch to gain the support of One Nation for the signature economic policy. But Hanson has rejected the approach.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/turnbull-government-offered-to-exclude-big-banks-from-company-tax-cut-for-one-nation-support-20180820-p4zykq.html
Mark Kenny examines the drivers and problems the Coalition is facing with respect to dumping Turnbull.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-missing-ingredient-in-the-knifing-of-malcolm-turnbull-votes-20180820-p4zyk1.html
Phil Coorey reports that Turnbull’s capitulation on energy has failed to ease pressure on his leadership and close supporters of Peter Dutton claimed momentum was growing for a spill as early as this week.
https://www.outline.com/xPGfAk
He reckons the Liberal Party is tearing itself to shreds over a policy that voters support.
https://outline.com/ASCNCx
Catherine McGregor reckons Abbott is the Coalitions’ only hope.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-obvious-choice-tony-abbott-is-the-coalition-s-only-hope-20180820-p4zyic.html
Jacqui Maley tells us how Abbott and his cronies have used the media to further their position.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/how-tony-abbott-s-supporters-have-used-the-media-20180820-p4zyl3.html
Katharine Murphy previews this morning’s party room meeting.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/20/malcolm-turnbull-to-face-party-room-reckoning-after-energy-u-turn
She writes Turnbull’s decision to give in to his right wing enemies is disastrous for him – but also for the whole country and she refers to “Canberra’s deranged circus of wreckers”.
https://www.theguardian.com/global/commentisfree/2018/aug/20/canberras-deranged-circus-of-wreckers-are-now-writing-our-future
Tony Wright says that Turnbull capitulated, leaving a band of rebels to ransack future climate policy. He says that in choosing his own survival over staring down those who were coming for him, even if it might have led to a fight to the finish that he could not win, Turnbull has handed over to his would-be assassins any power and authority he once had.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/turnbull-capitulates-leaving-band-of-rebels-to-ransack-future-climate-policy-20180820-p4zyn6.html
Deepening leadership turmoil in the federal government and increasingly toxic debates around energy, immigration and tax have sparked renewed pleas for stability and certainty from business leaders.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/ceos-plea-for-certainty-amid-chaos-in-canberra-20180820-p4zykz.html
In an excoriating assessment of Turnbull the AFR’s Mathew Stevens says that just because you cannot do what you want and need to doesn’t mean you have to go out and do something that sits on the threatening side of unnecessarily daft.
https://outline.com/CxzqKL
Erwin Jackson tells us how Turnbull just showed what happens when ideology and idiocy take charge of energy policy.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/20/malcolm-turnbulls-emissions-backflip-sends-signal-that-climate-change-is-not-real
The rapidly disintegrating ‘agreement’ to the Neg yet again sees the Coalition refusing to face up to the threat of climate change
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/20/politicians-must-set-aside-blinkered-ideologies-in-the-climate-end-game
Australian business is entering new and dangerous territory when the federal government holds out the prospect of breaking up companies that act against achieving favourable consumer energy prices.
https://outline.com/maHhcb
Gareth Hutchens reports on how Australia’s superannuation funds and business groups have reacted angrily to Malcolm Turnbull’s decision to dump emissions reduction targets from his national energy guarantee.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/aug/20/business-condemns-turnbulls-shift-on-emissions-and-extreme-intervention
The spectre of Peter Dutton as prime minister could cost the Coalition three marginal seats at the state election, Victorian Liberal insiders fear. Some in the Liberals’ Victorian branch have described as “toxic” to their prospects in the state.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/liberals-fear-infighting-toxic-dutton-could-scupper-vic-poll-hopes-20180820-p4zymw.html
A change of leadership within the Coalition government could hurt the already-fragile housing market and the economy, if the country becomes less attractive to immigrants as a destination to settle.
https://outline.com/MYT5n8
John Passant asks, “What is the point in Malcolm ‘Cave In’ Trunbull?”
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/what-is-the-point-of-malcolm-cave-in-turnbull,11805
Progressives need to mobilise to combat the rise of the far-right in Australia, writes Ben Eltham. The time for complacency is over.
https://newmatilda.com/2018/08/20/rise-far-right-demands-urgent-progressive-response/
Professor Anne Twomey examines the s44 issue facing Dutton. Very interesting . . .
https://theconversation.com/explainer-is-peter-dutton-ineligible-to-sit-in-parliament-101840
Jackson Stiles says the constitutional crisis is perfect timing for Turnbull.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2018/08/20/malcolm-turnbull-peter-dutton-constitution/
Greg Jericho issues a warning that it may well be stagnant wages and employment growth that will become the main issue at the next federal election.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2018/aug/21/coalition-sweating-on-drop-off-in-employment-growth-as-election-looms
A high profile doctor who secured a swing against the Liberal Party in the Coalition’s 2011 landslide win will run as an independent in next month’s byelection in Wagga Wagga. And he’s got the Libs quite nervous.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/high-profile-independent-has-liberals-nervous-in-wagga-wagga-byelection-20180820-p4zymi.html
The deputy chair of the ACCC has called for a change in the law to introduce a new general safety provision that would stop unsafe goods being sold in Australia. This would give consumers the same protections afforded to people across the European Union, Britain and Canada.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/ten-people-a-day-injured-by-faulty-products-yet-aussies-not-protected-by-the-law-20180820-p4zyj3.html
When Australian parents shell out fees to send their children to private schools, they like to think they’re getting many things for their money. So they may be surprised to learn that superior student growth in literacy and numeracy is not one of them.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/aug/20/here-is-the-expensive-truth-about-private-schools-and-student-learning
From terra nullius to terra fullius, white Christians are taking over Australia, writes the Independent Australia’s Tess Lawrence.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/bring-back-the-black-australia-policy,11807
Trump will be forced to back down on tariffs on goods such as steel and aluminium because it will ultimately hurt his voters, Britain’s Investment Minister Graham Stuart says. Nassim Khadem reports.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/extraordinarily-damaging-trump-will-be-forced-to-back-down-on-trade-war-says-uk-minister-20180820-p4zynp.html
Trump continued to attack the former CIA director John Brennan yesterday, seemingly in response to the release of a remarkable open letter criticizing the president’s decision last week to revoke Brennan’s security clearance.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/aug/20/trump-brennan-security-clearance-cia-director
Anna Patty writes on how truck drivers are in one of the unhealthiest and deadliest jobs in the country with a 13 times higher risk of dying at work than other Australians, a landmark study has found.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/truck-driving-rates-as-most-dangerous-job-study-finds-20180817-p4zy7c.html
Elizabeth Knight tells us how, when Woolworths held the line on plastic bags, Coles played dirty and successfully.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/coles-plays-dirty-but-smart-in-plastic-bag-war-20180820-p4zyk0.html
Tax Office staff should prepare for a wave of hot-desking as their bosses ready plans to adopt the workplace fit-out craze at four more offices, a union has warned. Australian Taxation Office workers in Melbourne and Queensland can expect building renovations to bring layouts forcing them to look for a new desk each day, the Australian Services Union representing tax officials says.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/federal/hot-desking-tsunami-ato-eyes-changes-in-melbourne-queensland-20180817-p4zy5q.html
Deloitte valued the Sydney Opera House at $4.6 billion. That might be “replacement cost” if you had to raze it to the ground and begin again. But how do you value something which has lured millions of tourists to Australia over the years.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/sydney-opera-house-australias-gambling-treasure/
With the Pope it’s all words but no action.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/aug/20/pope-on-sex-abuse-we-showed-no-care-for-the-little-ones
And for today’s “Arseholes of the Week” nomination . . .
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/exclusive-brethren-s-drought-appeal-after-big-wages-bill-20180820-p4zym9.html
Cartoon Corner
This one from David Rowe says it all about Canberra.
Rowe introduces the details of the new energy policy.
Two rippers from Sean Leahy.
Paul Zanetti infers that it’s all over for Turnbull.
Glen Le Lievre thinks Turnbull is running out of ideas.
Who is Mark Knight aiming at here? Andrews? Tradies? Shorten? Government regulators?
David Pope has two beauties for us.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/act/david-pope-20120214-1t3j0.html
Jon Kudelka reckons the emperor has no (NEG) clothes.
https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/e45f12d82486d6cc061d999c7d46e2c7
More in here.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/best-of-fairfax-cartoons-august-20-2018-20180820-h148gu.html
Catherine McGregor, Tony Abbott’s close friend and adviser going back decades, says Abbott is the only hope for the government.
Quelle surprise!
Did anyone expect anything else?
In February this year Cate said she believed Tony had lost balance over Turnbull and “was consumed by that”, so she had given him advice on how to get his old job back .
https://www.9news.com.au/national/2018/02/27/03/33/catherine-cate-mcgregor-says-tony-abbott-consumed-by-malcolm-turnbull-shut-up-abc-qanda
Tony ignored that and kept on offering “helpful” advice.
It beggars belief that after a 35 year friendship, Catherine McGregor seems to have no idea of the real character flaws of her pal, Abbott.
Some comic relief –
What on earth was she thinking? Bikie moll? Cat burglar? Straight from an audition for a part in the next Mad Max sequel?
She seems to be missing a handbag ….. the spraytanned one she takes everywhere …….
Much classier than Jules
What will happen to her? Still Deputy?
IT’S ON!
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/aug/21/liberal-leadership-dutton-turnbull-energy#comment-119583713
Well that was over almost before it started.
What now? Does Dutton resign from the ministry?
Did.
Dutton sitting next to Abbott. The joy. I’m already celebrating.
Waffles is not safe, there will be another challenge in as soon as a few weeks. The Geheime Staatspolizei want him gone. Dutton now has more time to shore up his support.
Definitely another challenge, maybe before the end of the week. Those who want Turnbull gone will want it to happen before parliament goes off for three weeks.
Excellent!
Deja vu all over again for Truffles.
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Tim Beshara
‘Humbled’ Malcolm Turnbull beats Kevin Andrews 48-35 in leadership spill http://www.abc.net.au/radio/programs/pm/turnbull-survives-but-humble-after-leadership/1157612 …
More fun on the way ?
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………which Professor Williams has backed.
But Williams says he doesn’t think that family trusts will protect MPs from the constitutional conflicts, given how the high court has been ruling.
Which brings a whole heap more MPs into the section 44 quagmire.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/aug/21/liberal-leadership-dutton-turnbull-energy
Now Turnbull has to manage a front bench reshuffle. It’s a real dilemma. Does he give one of the rebel nutters a spot in the hope it will calm things down, or does he appoint a moderate and stir up more trouble? No wonder he wanted Dutton to stay on.
Dutton’s old portfolio will be split up to reward a couple of new faces for their support, also easier than throwing one new person into the deep end of a very large and very difficult to manage portfolio
Politics 101. You don’t give just one person enough power to topple you. You give at least two people power so they will fight each other and not you.
But how many new faces are there to reward? Turnbull has lost support from so many, and it will only take seven more votes to get him out. Turnbull has lost the support of more ministers than just Dutton.
The talent pool for new faces is pretty much non-existent. Anyone remotely capable already has a spot.
The bottom of the slippery slide, when the LNP has to rely on mostly racist Qld’s to save LNP seats.
oh puhleeze
Ms Jayes a few minutes later said PMO says there will be no early election and he has not considered it.
So it’s on, then?
it’s the only way Turnbull can get out of this mess with a few shreds of dignity. It’s either call an election and lose gracefully (not that he’s good at being graceful, just remember his performance after almost losing in 2016) , or get booted out in the next spill.
I hope Turnbull does go to Yarralumla tomorrow and call a snap election – with a bit of luck we’ll be saved from PM Dutton and bloody Abbott sliding into the Home Affairs or Defence portfolio.
Hot desking at the ATO
the ATO union is concerned about moves to get ATO workers to hot desk, like they do in industry, but promises 50 more desks than workers – unlike the ANZ head office. The workers are also concerned that they will be supplied with small desks.
My sister spent her working life in finance: first as a teller in a now defunct bank then for the share registry then at the ATO
She was very careful not to talk about her work but would comment on ATO matters that had been aired in the press but i had occasion to watch her at work on our family’s affairs.
I can’t imagine she could do her work without access to a printed copy of the Tax Act which she had book marked and underlined and I reckon her ferocious memory would be sharper with the visual cues of her own work space She could quite happily organise her active work across a desk the size of a door
Either the ATO Head office want to defang their workers or they have no appreciation of what the work entails
ABC FM radio is playing Fanfare for the common man
How appropriate!
Dutton says it’s all Bill Shorten’s fault. Bill made him do it.
Just like it had always been “Gillard’s fault”.
No matter how bad things get, there’s always a bright side …
😆 😆 😆 Just what he needs.
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12110708
Dutton sure did mention Bill Shorten a lot. But he didn’t rule out another challenge.
So I guess we can assume that attacking Shorten really is the only tactic the Liberals have. Nothing much about what they can do for the country or anything like that. Just Kill Bill talk. Can’t possibly see them finding their way out of the hole they’re in no matter who leads them. They have no actual plan for anything. None of them.
Nice one Tanya. From Amy’s Live reporting..
“Malcolm Turnbull got up a little too quickly to defend himself against this motion, prompting Tanya Plibersek to point out that he looked like he wanted to second the no confidence motion.”
Wow ! Check out the inner Lucien showing through in this snarly sneer as Shorten spoke.
https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/422fff74ac23cf7118aed2e61fd48bbd24288975/0_0_4996_3256/master/4996.jpg?w=700&q=20&auto=format&usm=12&fit=max&dpr=2&s=0b06fc16d4ec7ffc687aed95bf7ac882
Did you notice the Speaker booted two ALP MPs under 94A? (I think they were both ALP, cannot say for sure but when was the last time he 94A hit a Coal member?)
I assume this gives Turnbull two extra breathing spaces on the No Confidence motion.
Bill Shorten’s motion of no confidence, for those (like me) who missed it live.
Apparently it’s very easy to get a job if you are on Newstart, the government says so, it must be true. They insist anyone out of work is a bludger, a leaner, and must be punished for being lazy.
So given that alleged ease of finding work I really don’t understand this whining.
Recently PvO had another spat on Twitter. A couple of real live historians pick his argument into very small pieces. A good read.
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Nazism, Socialism and the Falsification of History
……Thus, last week, Paul Murray complained that young people tempted by left-wing politics fail to understand that the Second World War was waged against socialism. Presumably by this he meant the Axis powers, Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan.
This bizarre view …………..
………….Peter van Onselen, leapt to his defence on Twitter late on 16 August. “There have been plenty of criticisms of Paul I’ve been reading on social media, pointing out Hitler was a fascist not a socialist,” he wrote, adding: “Nazism is national socialism which is considered a branch of socialism.” Claire Lehmann, founder of the Quillette magazine, fashionable blog of the right-wing commentariat, chimed in: “I thought everybody knew this already.” The Australian parallel universe was coming into view.
http://www.abc.net.au/religion/articles/2018/08/20/4885949.htm
There will be more
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/aug/21/liberal-leadership-dutton-turnbull-energy#comments
The media, especially Their ABC, have started on the Dutton PR campaign, all desperate to have us believe our future Fuhrer is a lovely, soft, kind-hearted family man who likes nothing better than cuddling refugee children, playing with his own kids and having huge, happy BBQs with his many, many close friends.
It won’t work.
Joseph Goebbels was shown as a devoted family man too, by Hitler’s propaganda people. There are plenty of pictures of him with his brood of six pretty, perfect Aryan kids and his older, blond step-son. He loved those children so much he had his wife and a complaint dentist poison them all in Hitler’s bunker just before Soviet troops arrived in Berlin.
I do not understand how, with all the writing on the wall, how he could not have got his wife and kids to safety. It has to come down to supreme arrogance.
The excuse was the parents thought their children would be mistreated, if they were captured. Magda Goebbels had been considering poisoning them for some time. At least she had them knocked out with morphine by the dentist before shoving cyanide pills into their mouths.
It’s an illustration of how insane all these top people were, back then. They had the resources to get their families to safety, but preferred what they thought was the glory of dying with their leader.
It also shows us why fake media propaganda about creatures like Dutton being lovely family men is completely unbelievable.
The mother, so much infatuated with Hitler and his Party, could not have her children live without this regime. It’s all beyond me.
Was Dutton’s PR campaign the only reason this was allowed? Did not happen until this afternoon. Odd timing, isn’t it.
Until today the boy was refusing to leave Nauru without his family and Dutton was insisting he either come alone or not at all. Now the boy and all his family are on their way. Probably too late to save the boy, but it will allow Dutton to try to look almost human for a few minutes worth of TV interviews.
Critically ill refugee child flown from Nauru to Australia with family
Exclusive: Experts denounce Australian Border Force’s ‘inhumane and unnecessary’ delays in transfer of 12-year-old boy, who has refused food for more than 20 days
Quite a !!!!!!!! to read this in a Murdoch paper.
Truth behind AFL Aly outrage
It’s not because Waleed Aly is brown. It’s not even because he is Muslim. It is because he is all of the above and opinionated as well.
……..Unfortunately the facts couldn’t be corrected before the outrage industry had sparked a raging bonfire of ignorant indignation.
Shane Warne thundered on Twitter that Aly was an “arrogant cretan (sic)”.
You just make it too easy sometimes Shane. Mate, he isn’t a Cretan. He’s a Melburnian, born and bred. Like you.
……Neither Goodes or Waleed knows their place. They’re what you might call uppity.
People love their indigenous players, but if those indigenous players dare to take a stand over past or present treatment of their countries they invite derision.
Play the game, be grateful and shut your mouth….
https://outline.com/KfCPYd
It’s a flood
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/aug/21/liberal-leadership-dutton-turnbull-energy#comments
They open their mouths and the lies flow out, and no-one ever challenges them.