Katharine Murphy says she can’t fathom FauxMo’s embassy plans. She writes a long article trying to find an explanation and completely misses the bleeding obvious – FauxMo’s Pentecostal faith.
She says “Morrison, for the record, has said his view on the Jerusalem question is not influenced by his faith.”
FauxMo is not renowned for telling the truth, whenever he opens his mouth he lies, so why would we believe him on this? He just blurts out whatever he thinks will get him out of yet another self-inflicted crisis. He lies constantly. Not very Christian of him, but then he’s not a real Christian at all, just a member of a cargo cult church that preaches a dodgy prosperity gospel.
For FauxMo and his religious mentors and advisers it is religious doctrine to regard Jerusalem as the true capital of Israel. Pentecostal churches usually include prayers for peace in Jerusalem and the advancement of Israel in their Sunday services. I’ve never been to Horizon Church so I can’t say it’s done there, but I’d bet it is. It’s part of their belief that the Bible is the literal truth, they believe Jesus will soon return and reign in Jerusalem for a thousand years. For that prophecy to come about there needs to be an end to the strife in the Middle East and Jerusalem needs to be established as the accepted capital of Israel.
FauxMo is following his church’s beliefs with his loopy decision. The Wentworth by-election campaign allowed him to push forward his own religious beliefs dressed up as government policy. That particular belief, he thought, would go down well with Wentworth’s many Jewish voters (who are mostly rusted-on Liberal voters anyway) so his timing, to him, was clever. He forgot an important part of that particular prophesy involves the conversion of the Jews to Christianity. He, like his church and all other Christian churches, assumes that will be OK with them. Jews today see this doctrine as anti-Semitism and some regard it as something akin to the Holocaust. To this nation it looked like a desperate last-minute attempt to win a few more votes, which it was, in part. It may well have lost him some votes of former rusted-on Jews. Now not only is he in a very difficult place politically, he’s also in a very bad place with the leaders of his cult.
If he backs down then politically he makes a fool of himself and risks being accused by his enemies in the Liberal Party of allowing foreign powers to dictate Australia’s foreign policy. He will also anger his cult leaders, who have been crowing about his rise to PM as “God’s will” and rejoicing over having the first (and hopefully last) Pentecostal PM. Some have even gone as far as predicting doom and gloom descending on this country if FauxMo is not re-elected. You might remember this –
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/sep/07/darkness-coming-if-scott-morrison-not-re-elected-pentecostal-leader-claims
If he sticks with his decision he delays the signing of the FTA with Indonesia until, most likely, after the next election, when Labor will do it and claim all the credit, and he risks angering not only Indonesia but Malaysia as well. Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has already warned our government that moving the embassy would increase the threat of terrorism in this region. Even worse, he destroys Australia’s international reputation, already running downhill fast because of the way we treat refugees and asylum seekers, and because of this government’s refusal to accept the science of climate change and reduce our emissions. Insisting the embassy be moved will cause a major international diplomatic crisis, something no-one in this government is capable of handling successfully.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/15/malaysian-pm-warns-australia-moving-israel-embassy-would-add-to-terror-threat
Murpharoo tells us Pyne, Abetz and others have tried to explain FauxMo’s plan as part of a two-state solution, a plan to end up with two embassies, one in Jerusalem, one in Palestine. Sorry, Katharine, but FauxMo is nowhere near smart enough to have ever thought of that explanation, he’s just following the dictates of his church, his mentors and the RWNJs in his government.
Don’t forget, when FauxMo became PM he was immediately given a “wish list” of items that had been rejected by Turnbull and his ministry-
Soon after Scott Morrison became Prime Minister, he was presented with a policy wish list by Liberal senator Eric Abetz and other conservatives who had helped dynamite Malcolm Turnbull.
It included abandoning the Paris climate change commitments and moving Australia’s Israeli embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem
If he wants to stay as PM he has to follow up these demands. Liberal PMs and leaders who do not do as they are told by the RWNJs are disposed of. Just ask Turnbull – it happened to him twice.
So, does FauxMo back down, save an FTA and avoid a diplomatic crisis or does he do what he always does, stick to his decision no matter what, causing a breakdown in relations with two (at least) important trading partners but staying in the good books of his church mentors and the extreme right wing of his own government? It’s a dilemma all of his own making.
THE PUB 
https://outline.com/yZzKwH
Rowena Orr is taking CBA to the cleaners – by the truck load
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/nov/21/banking-royal-commission-cba-and-westpac-bosses-to-give-evidence-live
Hang in there, Harry!
When do the pre-poll votes get counted? I asked the supervisor there, but she didn’t know much, so I go more confused than I was.
Counting of pre-poll votes starts at 6.00 pm on election day, apparently.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-09-27/victorian-voters-continue-to-vote-early-for-november-election/10311854
It does seem to me as if the Morrison government is starting to settle on an election strategy. It’s the old tried-and-true immigration/border security one. Don’t expect it to make any sense, it’s not supposed to. It’s just intended to tap in to the country’s latent racism. it’s the easiest policy area of all to make headway with. You don’t have to back any claims. You just need to make the people that are already here feel badly-disposed towards those who aren’t here yet. Easy as pie.
Morrison jabbering away about our Australia being ‘full’ and immigrants adding to our infrastructure and transport issues is just blame-shifting. At some level everyone knows that. But it still makes insular, xenophobic types feel like somebody else is the problem. It’s cheap, nasty messaging, but it is something to keep an eye on.
Victorian poll update: there are Liberal billboards everywhere, all promising ridiculous things with no detail to back any of it up. Down on the Nepean Highway, I saw one which promised something like more open space and less development. From a Liberal!? Easing traffic congestion has been a constant one, though my experience (and I drive a lot) has been that the congestion has eased quite a bit over the past few years. I don’t think that was ever likely to resonate the way the Liberals here thought it would. Plus, not one specific promise on any of these billboards, just an ambit thing. The other one is laura norder. Again, there’s no suggestion that people in this state feel there’s a crime problem, or that the Liberals would do anything about it if there was one.
I like the
END TRAFFIC CHAOS
billboards placed next to Skyrail in Carnegie city bound on Dandenong Rd
I might be biased but you can’t spout Law & Order when you
– eat Lobster with a Mobster
– drink coffee with a convicted drug grower
– have accusations of grubby land development deals
I don’t want to
– close the drug injecting room
– revisit euthanasia laws
– revisit abortion laws
Eddie is a year too late.
February 2011, but the suggestion was made at a Lib meeting in December 2010 –
Morrison sees votes in anti-Muslim strategy
https://www.smh.com.au/national/morrison-sees-votes-in-anti-muslim-strategy-20110216-1awmo.html
Moving the Victorian Trade Commission from Tel-Aviv to Jerusalem sounds fairly counterproductive as I reckon that Tel Aviv is the commercial heart of Israel. Has to do something to shore up David Southwick’s vote
The Jewish News is militantly Zionist and pro-Netanyhu so people round here mouth their platitudes or profess disinterest or ignorance. It’s a secret ballot ya know
Well! That didn’t take long!
The ongoing saga of Northern Beaches Hospital.
Northern Beaches Hospital chief executive Deborah Latta resigns
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/northern-beaches-hospital-chief-executive-deborah-latta-resigns-20181121-p50hcf.html
I suppose the O’Farrell/Baird/Gladys government thought they were on a winner inflicting this private/public disaster on the people of the northern beaches – it’s a staunchly Liberal-voting area so the assumption was probably no-one would protest, except a few lefties.
Is there something wrong with the Spaminator at WordPress?
I did a longish post on voting at the election. When I went to Post Comment, I got a response, “Sorry, your comments could not be accepted”.
Worse still, when I tried to turn back a page to get to my draft, alas, it had disappeared. I really don’t feel like doing the post all over again when even my draft disappears in the ethernet. I mentioned WordPress because a similar thing happened to me on another blog.
GD, I’ve checked, and there’s nothing in Spam or Bin.
The best suggestion I can make is that if you are writing a long comment, don’t do it online. Instead, write it in whatever format best suits you, save it, then copy and paste your comment into the comment box.
I use this extension on Chrome. It saves the work that you type in forms.
https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/typio-form-recovery/djkbihbnjhkjahbhjaadbepppbpoedaa?hl=en
Of interest
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/21/labor-to-keep-national-energy-guarantee-in-bid-for-climate-truce#comments
and
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/nov/21/victorian-election-leaders-debate-daniel-andrews-and-matthew-guy-go-head-to-head-live
Which apparently is going to be on the WIN 83 here in the backblocks, so Razz and I will be watching. Oh and then the same two are going head on tomorrow morning on 774 abc.
Leone
Thanks for the info about the pre-poll counting, the woman did say something like that but then babbled on about something else about the counting which thoroughly confused me. I know I confuse a lot of people on here with some of my comments, but I’d like to think I’m not quite as vague as she was.
Gravel, you are never vague.
Never ever.
I concur with my esteemed colleagues.
Off to a fun start
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2018/nov/21/victorian-election-leaders-debate-daniel-andrews-and-matthew-guy-go-head-to-head-live
Me ‘eart bleeeeeeedz. Troooly rooooly it duz …
Fiona,
My angst is beyond words. My heartstrings are so taut a fiddler could play Danny Boy amid my waterfall of tears, and still not touch the bottom of my well of sadness.
Woe: woe is mine.
What next? One Nation?
Nah, has to be Katter.
Now you may think you have had a bad day at the office but you just cannot compete with this Forkie’s day.
Was that Morrison doing his ordinary bloke persona again: Forkie for five minutes?
This worm says Andrews won by the length of the straight.
Judging by #vicvotes, Sky “thinks” (as an aside, Sky doesn’t think) otherwise.
Watched it, but being so Labor orientated, don’t know how a swing voter saw it. Dan knew what he was talking about. Guy made every Q about himself or someone he knew and came across to me as a try hard over emotional, thought he was going to start crying any minute.
Worm farms will be shut down within a month if Lobster boy wins on Saturday?
When she gets here, leave her alone. She has been punished, she has changed and deserves a new unmolested life
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-21/renae-lawrence-bali-nine-member-released-from-prison/10520018
Didn’t the AFP dob the Bali 9 into the Indonesian Police because the Indonesians have the death penalty
Isn’t there a statute of limitations on most crimes of 7 years
Decency would say – leave Renae alone
There is this outstanding stealing a car. Reports are that she won’t be arrested for that on entry …
BillieII
Spot on.
Dad or Grand-dad of one of the young men went to the AFP to have his boy stopped from going to Indonesia to courier drugs. AFP took the info, thank you very much, and then proceeded to let them all go out of Australia while dobbing them into the Indon police. Nice little pressie just to keep both forces in the good light. The group could have been arrested on our side for planning it. But stuff Aussies, let’s give a gift to our Indonesian counter-parts. It never hurts to scratch a back.
But it all went tits up when the Indonesians applied the Death Penalty (which was off the table according to the agreement between the two police forces, or so it was reported.
So the son or grandson ended up being shot in the forest.
Any parent of rellie with worries about a young man/woman going over to do illegal activities in Asia need to think again before they contact the AFP for help.
Ir was a fvcking disgrace.
I remember that the AFP dobbed them into to the Indons because Indonesia applies the death penalty to drug carriers
Could someone please explain why Frankston (Vic. electorate) is marginal?
Wannabe Mount Eliza aspirationals?
Guy-positive Mafiosa links?
Shit-stirrers?
It used to be a safe Lib seat, until a redistribution brought in more inland territory.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electoral_district_of_Frankston
I have a relative down there and sometimes visit. A lot of it is very nice houses in large blocks with a lot of trees. Not many blocks of flats except around the station. In the 60s & 70s I reckon it was almost tree/sea change territory for some people, while still being accesible to the city.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frankston%2C_Victoria
But, but…….clogged roads, full schools, no room on trains?
Ducky:
They apparently thought the debate was a draw. In real terms, that’s a significant victory to Andrews. As confirmed by that post-debate poll of undecideds, which had Andrews winning easily.
Sky’s general attitude is that the electorate is biased, and that they need to act as a correction to that. Their inability to perceive the debate the way everyone else did is a perfect example of that. They really are their own worst enemy in that respect. This country isn’t big enough to support a Fox News style outlet without it looking a bit silly. They come across as a magnet for nutbags. If they want to influence political perceptions they need to be a lot more subtle about it. A raft of Speers types would do it, probably. But they’re overloaded with Bolt/Murray/Jones/Credlin figues, people who are clearly trying to troll the news cycle.
Good morning awn Patrollers.
Yesterday at the royal commission Rowena Orr dropped a bombshell at Catherine Livingston over the potential criminal illegality of scant board minutes writing. All in all Ms Livingstone did not have a good day.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/cba-accused-of-board-minutes-breach-20181121-p50hcp.html
The 24-hour trial by royal commission of Catherine Livingstone has ended, with the Commonwealth Bank reporting mixed success in its no-expense-spared bid to save the reputation of its chairman.
https://www.outline.com/GHkvkW
And Elizabeth Knight says that the royal commission’s corporate governance gold medal for the category of “refusal to accept responsibility” must be awarded to former Commonwealth Bank chairman, David Turner.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/cba-s-gold-medal-for-refusing-to-accept-responsibility-goes-to-20181121-p50hfv.html
The AFR explains that Kenneth Hayne looks like reshaping the governance of Australia’s leading public companies judging from the line of questioning directed at Commonwealth Bank of Australia chairman Catherine Livingstone and chief executive Matt Comyn.
https://outline.com/phLGTj
At the commission yesterday Westpac chief executive Brian Hartzer said the bank was unable to quantify what proportion of a billion dollars in fees it will have to repay customers who were charged with services they never received because the records were so poor.
https://outline.com/Nz5tK8
And Aaron Patrick goes to the yesterday’s ten minutes that shamed the CAN’s board.
https://outline.com/j3r9Ch
Jess Irvine looks at the inevitable shake up that will happen with the mortgage broking industry. It’s certainly overdue.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/no-free-lunch-get-set-to-pay-upfront-for-your-mortgage-broker-20181121-p50hfn.html
Greg Jericho says that the next frontier in the attack on welfare is likely to be on government spending on essential services.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2018/nov/22/if-we-care-about-equality-we-must-defend-health-and-education-budgets
Paul Daley attacks Abbott’s call for prayers. He says Abbott should read up on the importance of Indigenous connection to country after his latest opportunistic – or wilfully ignorant – stunt
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/21/tony-abbotts-lament-that-prayer-needs-a-greater-role-ignores-a-history-of-christian-invasion
Matthew Knott writes that the Morrison government should block right-wing US provocateur Gavin McInnes from entering Australia next month because of the strong risk he will incite violence during his visit, according to former Australian Border Force chief Roman Quaedvlieg.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/as-bad-as-a-muslim-hate-preacher-ex-border-force-boss-wants-gavin-mcinnes-banned-from-australia-20181121-p50hdl.html
In a highly critical article John Hewson says that Morrison’s captain’s call on Israel embassy was a misguided stunt.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/morrison-s-captain-s-call-on-israel-embassy-was-a-misguided-stunt-20181121-p50har.html
David Crowe reports that in a speech from Bill Shorten today Labor will vow to underwrite a series of mammoth new energy projects that ramp up the supply of renewable power, in a long-awaited plan that sidelines a bipartisan agreement in Parliament out of concern the Coalition cannot agree on a united policy.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/bill-shorten-sets-new-course-on-climate-boosting-renewables-and-subsidising-batteries-for-100-000-homes-20181121-p50hgz.html
Crowe writes that when it comes to climate/energy policy Shorten has learnt from the political disasters that swamped Gillard and Rudd.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/on-climate-policy-bill-shorten-has-learnt-from-the-political-disasters-that-swamped-gillard-and-rudd-20181121-p50hht.html
The SMH editorial advises Morrison to avoid population populism.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-must-avoid-population-populism-20181121-p50hfm.html
Meanwhile Morrison has accused senior members of Australia’s Muslim community of being in denial about the causes of Islamist terrorism after top community leaders announced they would boycott a proposed meeting convened by the Prime Minister to tackle extremist violence.
https://outline.com/5As2fM
Micheal Koziol writes that the peak legal body has warned Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton an attempt to deport alleged foreign criminals before trial would endanger national security and undermine natural justice. The push by the Home Affairs department to allow unlawful non-citizens facing criminal charges to leave the country without facing court has also angered public prosecutors and attorneys-general.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/lawyers-warn-home-affairs-bid-to-deport-alleged-criminals-without-trial-threatens-national-security-20181121-p50he9.html
The seat of Warringah will offer a lot of entertainment over the next six months or so!
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/abbott-gives-turnbull-benefit-of-the-doubt-on-vote-tony-out-instagram-follow-20181121-p50hhu.html
The PM remains mute as his mentor, Pentecostal Pastor Brian Houston, is investigated for covering up child sexual abuse but demands Muslim leaders take responsibility for their communities’ criminal behaviour, writes Dr Jennifer Wilson.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/why-is-scott-morrison-protecting-hillsong-pastor-brian-houston,12123
It seems Derryn Hinch’s Justice Party could be the main beneficiary of the “preference whisperer” Glenn Druery’s lucrative work on the Victorian state election. According to media reports this week, Druery is on leave from his day job as a Justice Party staffer in the office of Senator Hinch. Academic and journalist, Dr Martin Hirst, crunches the numbers and reports.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/victorian-election-micro-party-candidates-to-do-well-in-legislative-council/
Stephen Koukoulas writes that the usually careful and well considered Reserve Bank of Australia is taking a huge gamble on the Australian economy into 2019 and 2020 as it rolls the dice on house prices.
https://thekouk.com/item/650-the-rba-rolls-the-dice-on-house-prices.html
A “crisis” in Australia’s child protection services is forcing government agencies to resort to glossy advertising campaigns and mass hiring sprees in a desperate attempt to attract staff to key frontline roles. An investigation by The New Daily has revealed child protective services across the country are battling to attract new talent and combat staff attrition in crucial positions.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2018/11/21/child-protective-services-in-australia/
A small but vocal Liberal Party branch in Sydney has passed a motion calling on Malcolm Turnbull to be expelled by the NSW division.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/state/nsw/2018/11/21/turnbull-expel-vote/
A food delivery company and a powerful union have proposed alternative ways of regulating gig economy workers to avoid lengthy court battles over whether they are really employees and not independent contractors.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/employee-contractor-or-something-else-push-to-regulate-gig-economy-20181120-p50h45.html
Emma Koehn reports that lawyers acting for former Retail Food Group chief executive Tony Alford have argued it would be unconstitutional for a parliamentary inquiry to force him to appear for questioning.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/former-rfg-boss-alford-claims-forced-appearance-unconstitutional-20181121-p50hd2.html
Matt O’Sullivan looks at a worrying Sydney infrastructure symptom apparent in one busy location.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/transport-mess-passengers-at-one-sydney-station-nearly-double-in-three-years-20181119-p50gwf.html
Phil Coorey tells us how the nation’s 3000 largest businesses will be forced to pay their bills to small and medium enterprises within 20 days as a condition of future government contracts and they will have to disclose every year the details of how promptly they pay bills to these enterprises.
https://outline.com/HJp4jy
Jane Gilmore is not overly impressed with Kelly O’Dwyer’s announcement about women being able to access their superannuation to escape domestic violence.
https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/life-and-relationships/do-you-want-to-risk-violence-now-or-poverty-in-20-years-20181121-p50hdu.html
Peter FitzSimons gets straight to the point when he says the common factor in rugby league atrocities is plain to see – it’s drinking.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/the-common-factor-in-rugby-league-atrocities-is-plain-to-see-20181121-p50hgu.html
Military historian Peter Stanley tells us that the Australian War Memorial should cease engaging in the mercenary drive to please corporate suits, and focus on the people it ostensibly serves.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/commemoration-without-conscience-the-war-memorial-must-remain-sacred-20181110-p50fb0.html
The Defence Department could hide the results of audits into billions of dollars in military spending by using the same excuse the federal government has in suppressing parts of a report into a $1.3 billion spend on armoured vehicles, an inquiry has heard.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/politics/federal/auditor-general-gag-could-apply-to-more-defence-projects-inquiry-told-20181121-p50hfj.html
The Australian’s Cameron Stewart writes that Trump has decisively turned America’s moral compass away from human rights and towards realpolitik by allowing Saudi Arabia to escape sanctions over the Jamal Khashoggi murder. The decision is a blunt statement about the sort of international misbehaviour Trump is prepared to tolerate in pursuit of his America First foreign policy.
https://outline.com/ZKgKWM
Secret deals, mates’ deals and the promise of riches after politics all undermine democracy and the power of ordinary citizens. The following investigation of fossil fuel networks in Australia – put together by Adam Lucas and curated by Simone Marsh – is designed to deliver public awareness.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/revolving-doors-australias-fossil-fuel-networks/
The Age has analysed the true crime statistics applying to Victoria.
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/beyond-the-spin-what-has-happened-to-crime-in-victoria-20181108-p50eqt.html
Helen Hunt explains why fellow farmers are fighting the Inland Rail route.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-great-train-robbery-why-farmers-are-fighting-the-inland-rail-route-20181121-p50hef.html
The Morrison government’s plan to roll over forestry agreements for another generation is dire news for endangered species, writes the is the national director of the Wilderness Society.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/logging-deals-are-death-warrants-for-native-animals-20181121-p50hhh.html
The European Commission and Italy have escalated their stand-off over Rome’s expansionary budget, prompting Brussels to kick off a sanctions process that could saddle the EU’s fourth-largest economy with fines totalling billions of euros.
https://outline.com/YquUVt
Steve Bannon’s political operation to help rightwing populists triumph in next year’s European parliamentary elections is in disarray after he conceded that his campaign efforts could be illegal in most of the countries in which he planned to intervene.
https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/nov/21/steve-bannons-rightwing-europe-operation-undermined-by-election-laws
Christopher Knaus tells us that an inquiry has heardt he Coalition’s unprecedented suppression of parts of a report by the auditor general has prompted fears that future criticism of Australia’s massive submarine and naval shipbuilding projects may be suppressed.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/nov/21/coalitions-redaction-of-arms-deal-report-sparks-fears-shipbuilding-criticism-will-be-suppressed
More than 350 South Australian doctors have signed an open letter protesting the closure of two suburban sexual health clinics amid warnings it will lead to a spike in unplanned pregnancies and sexually transmitted infections.
https://outline.com/9DfYMq
This politics lecturer says that the Greens are set to be tested on a number of fronts in the Victorian election.
https://theconversation.com/the-greens-set-to-be-tested-on-a-number-of-fronts-in-the-victorian-election-105857
Two of the biggest wholesalers of the national broadband network are not delivering NBN Co’s new cheaper bundles in full to retailers, a failure that has contributed to the collapse of at least one NBN reseller and predictions that more will follow.
https://outline.com/k3S9E6
The Washington Post says that US Chief Justice John Roberts has issued an extraordinary statement in response to Trump’s criticism of federal judges.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/us-chief-justice-john-roberts-rebukes-trump-on-obama-judge-comments-20181122-p50hiq.html
Orders to US factories for big-ticket manufactured goods fell by the largest amount in 15 months with a key category that tracks business investment showing weakness for the third consecutive month. Trump will probably blame the Democrats for this.
https://outline.com/edaJdw
Tony Featherstone wonders if Australia’s largest cities at risk of being swamped by international tourists. He looks to overseas experience to make his point.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/small-business/tourism-backlash-overseas-provides-lessons-for-australia-20181120-p50h5r.html
Interested? I’m not!
https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/how-bali-nine-drug-mule-renae-lawrence-spent-first-moments-of-freedom-20181121-p50hi8.html
It’s an easy choice for today’s nomination for “Arsehole of the Week”.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland/father-faces-murder-charge-after-baby-girl-s-body-discovered-on-gold-coast-beach-20181121-p50hf6.html
Cartoon Corner
At the royal commission with David Rowe.
Mark David compares Morrison to Trump.
And he drops in on the modern Liberal Party.
Paul Zanetti with Morrison and immigration.
Jon Kudelka and the fun-loving Turnbulls.
https://cdn.newsapi.com.au/image/v1/b598367f74a8572c635e1f8d57d4ee0e
A cracker from David Pope as he gives us Trump the Turkey.
https://static.ffx.io/images/$width_828/t_resize_width/t_sharpen%2Cq_auto%2Cf_auto/dc9453a0a3ce7b84adde846532eb8955f8de7d6b
FDOTM.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/nov/21/womens-lives-as-a-political-tool-girl-power
More very good ones in here.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/best-of-fairfax-cartoons-november-22-2018-20181121-h186lp.html
“Matt O’Sullivan looks at a worrying Sydney infrastructure symptom apparent in one busy location.”
Green Square is another self-inflicted debacle from the NSW government, with willing assistance from the City of Sydney Council, but Gladys and her rabble can’t carry all the blame. The project was first suggested in 1995 and was in the planning phase for a few decades, until construction finally started in 2014.
For years sensible people have commented on the strain this redevelopment would place on existing infrastructure, and have stressed the need for the NSW government to plan ahead. The NSW government,no matter who was in charge at any stage of planning, just ignored this problem.
A submission to a Sydney council Inquiry into the role of transport connectivity on stimulating development and economic activity in Green Square had this to say –
This link might work –
https://webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache:WAh_wtoRIcgJ:https://www.aph.gov.au/DocumentStore.ashx%3Fid%3D0ef7e43c-805f-47ea-85c5-f1e453759413%26subId%3D410360+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=au
Now we are seeing the result of this negligence.
You cannot decide to rip the heart from four suburbs, (Waterloo, Zetland, Alexandria, Beaconsfield) replace 19th century cottages with high-rise apartment blocks and concrete plazas, forget all about providing transport for those who will live in this hideous place and then years down the track, when people are moving in and need to get to their workplaces, start to whine about the number of train users in Green Square placing pressure on an already inadequate system.
Critics knew this would happen when the development was in the planning stage. Various NSW governments and the council ignored the protests and the problem. The NSW government is now buck-passing, it’s all Labor’s fault.
The Coalition were in government when construction at Green Square started in 2014, they have had almost eight years to sort out the transport issue, both before and after construction began. They haven’t bothered.
Click to access factsheet-green-square.PDF
Here is an article from 2015, just for a bit of background –
Green Square: infrastructure under pressure as projected population swells
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/green-square-infrastructure-under-pressure-as-projected-population-swells-20151007-gk2z1o.html
The redevelopment won’t be completed until around 2030, imagine how bad the transport issue will be by then. It’s not coping now, will an extra railway station, more buses and a light rail system fix the problem? Doubtful. New infrastructure might handle the current population, but throughout the planning phase no-one responsible seems to have realised the projected population of 61,000 residents plus thousands of non-residents employed in the area will all need transport. The place was initially planned so people could commute to their city jobs and not need to own cars. It’s not working out that way.
Gladys thinks a new light rail system will fix the problem. The current money-pit light rail systems being (very, very slowly) built in Sydney are not working out well. Why on earth does she want to inflict more?
More information on the problems foreseen for Green Square.
https://www.planning.org.au/documents/item/5025
I had to block Hunter’s ears when talk back callers, calling in about the leaders debate on 774, called matthew guy a yapping chihuahua. Hunter very rarely ‘yaps’, but by gee it was a good description.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-22/david-eastman-found-not-guilty-of-murdering-top-act-cop/10511292
That poor man!
FauxMo is desperate for an election about race and immigration. t’s all he has going for him, just ramping up racism, hatred and xenophobia.
First we had him inciting hatred of Muslims, a very small minority group in this country. He followed that by standing with Trump and hard-right European nations on refusing to sign the UN Migration Compact.
It’s despicable of FauxMo to side with Trump and the likes of the governments of the Czech Republic, Austria and Hungary, against the rest of the world. It’s even more despicable when he’s doing it because he believes it will win him enough votes to retain government. That’s all he cares about, having power, and he will do whatever it takes to hang on to it. If it means demonising part of the population of this country then that’s what will happen.
He is an ugly, ugly man, both in his physical appearance and in his thinking. He deserves to be thrown out in a record landslide.
He does. But will he? I’m a bit worried especially after listening to Dutton advising neighbours to dob other neighbours in. Terrifying!
That’s real Nazi stuff, dobbing in neighbours. Absolutely horrifying.
That’s exactly what I thought, leone. We saw that happen under Hitler’s regime. Dutton was so frightening that I had doubts about Labor winning the next election. Many neighbours, I fear, as they did in the past, will turn against their neighbours. So sad!
FYI, I will be putting up the Vic Election thread late this evening, when I return from the last night of Die Meistersinger von Nürnberg.
Bill Shorten’s speech this morning on Labor’s energy policy. Includes the questions and answers after the speech, with Chris Bowen and Mark Butler.
I’m posting this because the MSM is not mentioning it at all, apart from a few cursory articles churned out before the speech was given (like David Crowe’s piece for Fairfax) which do not include any decent detail.
This is an important keynote policy speech, so the MSM – and I include The Guardian – can’t be bothered reporting it.
The ABC did manage a report although it too is cursory and mainly focuses on criticism from Fungus Taylor, for the government and from the Greens. The Greens, of course say it isn’t good enough. As we are never going to have a Greens government in this country in what remains of my lifetime (and most likely never) I don’t give a stuff about Dodgy Dick’s thoughts on a Labor policy.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-11-22/bill-shorten-labor-to-revive-national-energy-guarantee/10521468
Leone, is it just our computer or did the video cut out after the first question?
It must be you, for me it kept going until the end of the questions, at the 1.04 mark.Just checked again, still OK.
Unless, of course, someone else is having the same problem – that makes it a Facebook issue.
In case you missed it – video of Michael Lamb’s trainwreck interview last night with David Speers.
I’ve watched this a few times, it’s hilarious, it’s a rival for FauxMo’s “I’m on the bus I just got off it” debacle of an interview. but also makes your head ache. As they say, you just can’t make up stuff like this, it’s so bizarre. Lamb (who?) has no idea what he is on about and clearly has never bothered to find out anything about his party’s energy policy, what little of it there is. He tries winging it and fails. Full marks to David Speers, who seemed to be having far more fun than Lamb.
So to summarise: Morrison was handed the PM-ship in August, seemingly because the hard-line attitude of Dutton was a turn-off and wasn’t playing well. He did the whirling dervish for a while, then he had a go at man-of-the-people for a bit. Then he panicked over a by-election and buggered up our relations with Indonesia over an embassy in Israel. So he did the break-glass-in-case-of-emergency thing and played the racist card. Which is where he finds himself now.
Turnbull was fond of the racist card too. He turned to it whenever he felt he was in trouble. The most prominent of these was his African Gangs tilt, which he sprung on us in January this year. When the electoral cycle was quiet, so it was a bit of an ambush. With all the clear air he got a short-term boost, which he dissipated as soon as Parliament resumed. And then he continued on his downward spiral to oblivion.
Morrison’s worked his way through all the tactics in record time. How long has it been, three months? It wasn’t that long ago he was setting House of Reps stunts to rap music and trying to look cool. Now he’s ranting about terrorism and Muslims like all the rest of them. He’s at the last tactic all Liberal leaders reach, the foolproof foreigner-bashing that reaps small rewards but turns the rest of the agenda into a void. It’ll nail him into a solid 47-53 2PP once it settles down, and he’ll be unable to get out of it. Race-baiting is always a poisoned chalice. It only appeals to the base, and not even all of them.
I know none of us had any expectations of him, but still, it’s a bit disappointing that he’s given up on all the stunts so soon. The Liberals never seem to know what the electorate want or need. They only know what’ll get our attention.
Labor bloody better not be “reviving” the same NEG I heard Josh explaining a few months back. Basically a kick the can way down the road and help coal scheme .
Kaffee, I didn’t take you for such a cynic, here’s something that Bill Shorten retweeted, hope it helps.
Good headline
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2018/nov/22/bill-shorten-chooses-to-be-the-grown-up-on-energy-as-coalitions-toddlers-have-a-tantrum
“Scott Morrison and his offsiders are competing for the title of biggest numpty as Labor offers sensible solutions” 😀
“The energy minister, Angus Taylor, by way of riposte, bunged on a high-vis vest, stood in front of a smelter in Tomago, and talked about Shorten having to nominate which burping cows he would cull, which, for a person of Taylor’s intelligence and technical expertise, must feel about as close as it comes to End Times.”
I do wish the press would not call it “underpayment” it is not an accident it is a business model it is theft it is stealing it is criminal
.
.
“‘I wasn’t paid at all’: Jaden was left empty-handed after a month’s work
Mr Barber’s experience is not a one-off, with a recent blitz on 638 businesses in the farming industry finding more than half underpaid workers, falsified pay records or failed to provide pay slips.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/workplace/fair-work-blitz-finds-widespread-underpayment-of-farm-workers-20181122-p50hjn.html
Deliberate theft. They know exactly what they are doing.
Just a couple of comments on Shorten’s speech.
And one on Angus Taylor –
Plus a bonus blast from the past profile of Taylor, from 2014. Another one who bought his way into a safe seat.
The biggest donor: Liberal MP Angus Taylor gives a chunk of change to his party
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-biggest-donor-liberal-mp-angus-taylor-gives-a-chunk-of-change-to-his-party-20140205-320qo.html
Maybe the Libs would attract better people if they did not focus only on who could bring in the most money.
2gravel
Not a cynic, just someone who remembers there were more than a few troglodytes within the Labor caucus during the Rudd/Gillard years . Are they all gone ? Hopefully, until then cautious optimism only from me 🙂
Okay, it just upsets me a bit when people I have grown fond of here in The Pub get a bit negative. That’s okay though, it’s my problem not anybody else’s. 🙂
Leone, scrap that other message, I refreshed and got all the questions and answers, thank for putting in up. As Razz said, it’s a pity not all Aussie would tune it and see how good these guys are.
Desperation or stupidity, or just taking voters for gullible idiots?
Liberals announce hospital revamp that government has already started
https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/liberals-announce-hospital-revamp-that-government-has-already-started-20181122-p50ho8.html
Desperation.
“If you don’t believe that, I hate a metric shit-tonne of sewerage to sell you.”
https://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/vic-libs-to-sell-sewerage-service-for-5b/news-story/befd56454a99e8ad0eeec8251f17bb85
Correction: Sewage.
If Labor did it, undo it.
If it’s not nailed down, sell it off.
etc.
etc.
Deleted that tweet, its actually a ReachTEL poll
NEW THREAD
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