Welcome to the 46th Parliament.

leonetwo Uncategorized

Meet the new parliament.

Same as the old parliament.

Same lack of policy

Same dearth of ideas.

Same corruption (except much worse now FauxMo has surrounded himself with happy-clapper mates.)

Same demonisation of anyone FauxMo doesn’t like – which is everyone earning less than $200,000 a year.

Same plan to make the rich richer and kick the disadvantaged to the kerb.

What on earth will FauxMo find to do once his tax legislation has been passed? There’s precious little on the agenda. 

What will the media find to talk about when they are no longer able to make up crap about how Labor will vote?

 

 

1,491 thoughts on “Welcome to the 46th Parliament.”

  1. It’s been a week for rights and freedoms in politics. Christian Porter, at the Great Synagogue in Sydney, finally unveiled the government’s much anticipated religious discrimination bill – providing his response to an internal campaign from colleagues to enhance religious freedom that will now be superseded by an external campaign from religious, civil society and LGBTQI groups.

    On the same day, in another part of the city, heavy hitters from the legal and media worlds, including the new chair of the ABC, Ita Buttrose, caucused to try and advance the cause of press freedom. Now, obviously, Porter has a substantial workload, and any minister would have been hard pressed to front two time-consuming events on the same day, but the attorney general’s presence for one, and his absence from another, seemed to speak volumes about the order of priority for the Morrison government.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/aug/31/australian-journalism-must-fight-for-its-future-o-because-the-times-could-not-be-more-serious

  2. Today was nearly run over by a rogue lycra lizard ignoring signs for CYCLISTS DISMOUNT. He yelled a warning as he powered up the footpath. Where was his f’n bell? Complained to Melbourne City Council and the campaign begins in earnest on Monday as I rev up other 3 witnesses. We know just the bollards to castrate the arsehole

    Noticed in Coles yesterday at the self service checkout that card payment options now have a selection for INDUE

  3. Can we start a new thread tomorrow?
    It’s spring, the wattle is out, the days are getting longer, the coldest air has disappeared so we don’t have to cower next to the heater

  4. Dutton’s secret police tactics are redolent of the Gestapo, NKVD, KGB
    August company

  6. It hasn’t had a lot of MSM coverage even in the US, and nothing here that I’ve seen, but here’s another example of the US taking inspiration from Australia’s brutal anti-refugee policies, and taking it to the extremes….

    Lucy Lawless tweeted this Rachel Maddow segment yesterday, and all I’ve seen in the US news since is an editorial in the Boston globe…

    https://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/editorials/2019/08/30/the-most-inhumane-trump-immigration-policies/UiGRwbjJohgsdkypKWOHfJ/story.html?s_campaign=bostonglobe%3Asocialflow%3Atwitter

    I’m so tired of feeling outraged…

    …the endless destruction of the environment, treatment of refugees around the world, the Biloela Tamil family being deported, the list is endless. And now Qld’s LABOR(!!) govt final insult of extinguishing native title for the Adani mine…

    but I will be at the Canberra rally for #HOMETOBILO tomorrow because what else can we do but keep showing up…

    • That is horrifying, and I can’t help thinking it is the next step in Australia, too.

      This move is definitely inspired by Dutton’s thinking, it reeks of his determined persecution of refugees.

    • The child can’t eat because she is not being given food she can handle after her recent mouth surgery. Deliberate, calculated cruelty.

  11. Clever of Jim Chalmers to mention Dutton’s intervention to save au pairs from deportation. I was hoping someone would do that.

    Now, if only someone would talk about those two Rwandan murderers Dutton gladly accepted from the US to preserve the refugee resettlement deal, and if only someone would mention that was a result of Turnbull telling Trump to send us anyone he wanted to get out of the US, to save the same deal.

  14. Good morning Dawn Patrollers.

    Now Barnaby Joyce has weighed in on the Tamil deportation matter, urging the government to reconsider, especially given the support from the Queensland town where the family lived and work before they were apprehended.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/tamil-asylum-seeker-children-constantly-crying-on-christmas-island-20190831-p52mor.html
    The children are “constantly crying”, according to supporters of a Tamil asylum seeker family taken to Christmas Island for possible deportation from Australia.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6359462/tamil-asylum-seeker-children-constantly-crying-on-christmas-island/?cs=14350
    “The Coalition is calling for religious freedom – so why has it forsaken the media’s?”, asks Katharine Murphy.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/aug/31/australian-journalism-must-fight-for-its-future-o-because-the-times-could-not-be-more-serious
    Over the past few years, we’ve seen our Government go from bad to worse while news and mainstream media fuel the fire, writes Grant Turner.
    https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/our-countrys-political-decline-isnt-being-helped-by-the-mainstream-media,13062
    The Koziol-Bagshaw duo tells us about how ministers and staff charged taxpayers millions to travel the country during the 2019 election campaign.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/ministers-and-staff-charged-taxpayers-millions-to-travel-the-country-during-election-campaign-20190830-p52mip.html
    The ALP needs to reshape its image. A discount supermarket bag might be suggestive of its working-class roots, if not its illegal cash donations writes Jacqui Maley.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/what-exactly-is-the-labor-brand-these-days-an-aldi-shopping-bag-20190830-p52mh3.html
    Former counsel assisting the ICAC Geoffrey Watson $100,000 cash in a shopping bag is eye catching, but it’s not the real issue. He says political parties are utterly shameless in what they will do to get their hands on money. Bear in mind that the laws which are being broken are being broken by the same kinds of people who made those same laws. This is a real call to arms.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/100-000-cash-in-a-shopping-bag-is-eye-catching-but-it-s-not-the-real-issue-20190830-p52mda.html
    With China wielding its big stick over Australia, our monopsonistic relationship could tip it into recession, warns Michael Sainsbury.
    https://www.michaelwest.com.au/australias-monopsonistic-relationship-with-beijing-could-tip-it-into-recession/
    In a very good contribution Julie Szego explains why the discrimination bill saves the religious lobby from themselves.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/discrimination-bill-saves-the-religious-lobby-from-themselves-20190830-p52mgj.html
    Researchers say hackers indiscriminately infected Apple iPhones with spyware over two years, in what security experts have called an alarming security failure for a company whose calling card is privacy.
    https://www.smh.com.au/technology/operation-indiscriminately-infects-thousands-of-iphones-with-spyware-20190831-p52mo6.html
    Ross McSwain writes about the ubiquitousness and stigma of mental health problems in Australia.
    https://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/health-and-wellness/no-one-sends-you-a-get-well-card-in-the-psych-ward-20190831-p52mn5.html
    The taxpayer-funded infrastructure business is now not expected to come out of the red until 2023, making it the third consecutive miss of its targets reports Jennifer Duke.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/national-broadband-network-won-t-break-even-until-2023-20190830-p52mau.html
    The leasing battle between retailers and shopping centre landlords is set to heat up with Myer and other retailers likely to join David Jones’ “aggressive” stance in renegotiating leases. This showdown has been looming for years.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/battle-between-landlords-and-retailers-heats-up-20190830-p52meq.html
    Simon Cowan has some ideas on how to resolve the Newstart debate.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6357045/getting-the-job-done-how-to-resolve-the-newstart-debate/?cs=14329
    Peter FitzSimons is unhappy about the planning hypocrisies with respect to Sydney’s Star Casino.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-big-end-of-town-s-towering-gall-makes-a-mockery-of-fair-play-with-star-casino-20190830-p52mhi.html
    Bill Shorten has likened the leadership of the National Disability Insurance Scheme to a “runaway train” after reports that providers are wasting funds on lavish dinners and five-star hotels.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6359360/ndis-like-a-runaway-train-shorten/?cs=14231
    John Kerry will deliver a keynote speech in Melbourne on Tuesday to agricultural and food industry leaders about changing food habits amid a global population boom and acceleration in global warming.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6359690/john-kerry-gets-tough-on-food-in-australia/?cs=14231&utm_source=website&utm_medium=home&utm_campaign=latestnews
    Nick Miller tells us about the mystery of the Privy Council and its role in the prorogation of the UK parliament.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/how-did-we-get-to-the-brexit-prorogue-the-privy-council-is-where-royalty-still-makes-the-rules-20190831-p52mnt.html
    Senior politicians, a former cabinet secretary and an ex-head of the home civil service have called for a top-level inquiry into how Boris Johnson’s closest aide, Dominic Cummings, was able to sack an adviser to Sajid Javid, the chancellor of the exchequer, without Javid’s knowledge and then order an armed police officer to escort her out of Downing Street in front of staff.
    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/31/boris-johnson-must-launch-inquiry-dominic-cummings-reign-of-terror
    This bastard is today’s nomination for “Arsehole of the Week”.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/6359252/man-who-allegedly-struck-partners-dog-with-shovel-seven-times-has-bail-refused/?cs=14329

    Cartoon Corner

    From Matt Golding.



    Mark David and the economy-deaf Frydenberg.

    Zanetti and the religious freedom act.

    From the US




  15. Bill Shorten has likened the leadership of the National Disability Insurance Scheme to a “runaway train” after reports that providers are wasting funds on lavish dinners and five-star hotels.

    Surely “runaway gravy train” would be more apt.

  16. Sounds like the rorts that accompanied the introduction of the Job Services Network. The worst offenders will be culled and Sarina Russo will get even richer

    another shining example of the inefficiency of competition

  17. The rorting by disability services is nothing new, it’s been going on for years. It’s only now the commonwealth is funding services instead of state governments (who have always been fond of rorting) and a lot more money is involved that these accusations are coming to light.

  18. Kerist! Fran Kelly has a very aggressive voice interviewing Tanya Plibersek, interrupting and talking over the top

    Contrast that with her dulcet tones when Frydenberg was lying his head

  19. wouldn’t it be nice if poll results were presented pictoraly

  20. Dutton and his department keep on insisting there are no children in detention in Australia or in our off-shore detention centres.

    They are using weasel words.

    Home Affairs Minister Peter Dutton insists there are no children in detention, with the Department of Home Affairs classifying the living arrangements of Tharunicaa as happening within a residential precinct of an “alternative place of detention”.

    The Australian Human Rights Commission said in a report last month that even though such an arrangement is “far less harsh and restrictive”, closed immigration detention “should never be used for children

    https://www.sbs.com.au/news/mother-of-injured-toddler-held-in-melbourne-detention-centre-issues-desperate-plea

    Melbourne Immigration Transit Accommodation, where Tharunicca and her family were held for 18 months, and where other children are cuurently in detention, (MITA) is very much a detention centre, a high security facility. It us not a pleasant place to be.

    Take a look at this thread. Isabella and her mother have been detained in MITA for months, Isabella was born there. They have a father/husband outside, he is working and legal, but because we are bastards the mother and daughter are not allowed to live with him.

    More on Isabella in this article –
    https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/peter-dutton-is-repeating-false-claims-there-are-no-children-in-detention/ar-AAD2RJv

    Here’s the UNHCR’s position on detention of children.
    https://www.unhcr.org/en-au/protection/detention/58a458eb4/unhcrs-position-regarding-detention-refugee-migrant-children-migration.html

    And here is a report form our Human Rights Commission on legal aspects of detaining children. It concludes with this –

    Current detention law, policy and practice does not address the particular vulnerabilities of asylum seeker children nor does it afford them special assistance and protection. Mandatory detention does not consider the individual circumstances of children nor does it address the best interests of the child as a primary consideration (article 3(1)).

    Detention for a period that is longer than is strictly necessary to conduct health, identity and security checks breaches Australia’s obligations to:

    detain children as a measure of last resort and for the shortest appropriate period of time (article 37(b))
    ensure that children are not arbitrarily detained (article 37(b))
    ensure prompt and effective review of the legality of their detention (article 37(d))

    https://www.humanrights.gov.au/our-work/5-what-does-law-say-about-detaining-children

    No matter how you look at it, Australia is in breach of international law with our mandatory and indefinite detention of children.

    Maybe the media would like to take a look, instead of bleating about the need for freedom of the press in a democracy. (Looking right at you, Murpharoo.) Maybe someone might even like to ask how it is possible for someone born in this country to be deported. If kids born here can be deported because Dutton says they must be then how safe are the rest of us?

  21. Greg with another good one

    In a world of misinformation, spin and lies, good journalism is more vital than ever, and this week revealed just how important it remains for journalists to look past the spin and let the facts and data lead the way.

    This week, my colleague Paul Karp broke a rather stunning story that when the Bureau of Statistics released the two-year survey of household incomes and wealth in July it had changed references to wealth inequality in its media release in order to craft a “good media story”.

    In effect the ABS media releases sought to downplay the reality of growing inequality.

    Such a move saw it ignore the data in its own release and instead push an angle that was more in keeping with the government’s political agenda.

    The government has long been seeking to downplay the issue of inequality. This week the finance minister, Mathias Cormann, told the Sydney Institute that “Labor in more recent years explicitly committed itself to the flawed socialist pursuit of equality of outcomes – falsely asserting that Australia had a major and growing inequality problem”.

    Except, as the ABS survey showed, this is not a false assertion at all.

    And yet despite the survey data showing there had been an increase in inequality, the headline of the media release was “Inequality stable since 2013–14”.

    The media release did note that “the data published today also showed there was a marginal increase in wealth inequality in 2017–18 and that wealth continues to be less equally distributed between households than income amongst Australians.”

    Basically the ABS was unable to keep to the spin throughout its own media release.

    https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2019/sep/01/abss-shameful-distortion-of-the-truth-shows-why-good-journalists-see-beyond-the-spin

  23. “Rentagospel” – what a wonderful description of the Pentecostal cult. I might adopt it.

  24. Why the fek would anyone choose to visit the US? I’d like to know the statistical chance of being shot by a nutter in the US compared to the chances of dying in a plane crash.

  25. Bert

    I’d like to know the statistical chance of being shot by a nutter in the US compared to the chances of dying in a plane crash.

    This student did not like the odds 🙂
    .
    .

    Chinese student carrying bulletproof vest denied entry to US: ‘How are we supposed to avoid getting shot?’

    China’s ministry of culture warns citizens to ‘fully assess the risk of travel to the United States’
    https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/china-student-bulletproof-vest-us-school-shootings-border-world-journal-a9083841.html

  29. Hi folks.

    I just wanted to say that the reason I post so many videos on American politics and trump especially is because I have totally given up on the Australian voter.

    The fact that this mob of sociopaths and psychopaths was re-elected left me stunned but I could see it happening, I remember posting just before the election how we needed at least a 4 point buffer in the polls as there is always a 1 – 2 point swing to the conservative side on election day.

    At least in America there are people who are telling it like it is unlike here in Australia where the media is in lockstep with the government. Meaning that there is a chance of a win for the good guys.

    End of mild rant.

    • I’m glad you post these videos, it’s an easy way for me to keep up with what’s going on in the US.

      The Australian media are scandalously devoted to the government. There are few journalists who dare to criticise. Most just give us reprints of government statements, drivel about how wonderful FauxMo is and a continual stream of “Labor is bad”.

      Katharine Murphy, who seems to have completely forgotten how enthralled she was with Turnbull, and how that coloured everything she wrote, gave us this yesterday –
      “Journalists are servants of the truth, and the truth is what we do is critically important, but we don’t always do it perfectly. I’m not perfect”
      https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/aug/31/australian-journalism-must-fight-for-its-future-o-because-the-times-could-not-be-more-serious

      Too damn right she is not perfect. The adoration of Turnbull that clouded her vision for so long has now gone, but surely she remembers the way she gushed about everything he did, whether it was wise or not, right or wrong, for so long. If he was still PM she woulds still be gushing.

      Our journalists have rarely given us the truth, instead they follow the orders of whoever owns their company, or ram their own political views down our throats. As most of our media is owned and run by Liberal Party fans and donors it’s no wonder what we see on our screens and read is so biased.

      If only we had Australian commentators who were willing to do what the US lot in your videos are doing – being critical.

  33. ckwatt

    September 1, 2019 at 4:04 PM
    Hi folks.

    I just wanted to say that the reason I post so many videos on American politics and trump especially is because I have totally given up on the Australian voter.

    So you still have hope for the mob that since 2000 has voted for Dubya…………….twice ! and a Trump ? 😀 Personally I’m looking at taking the sit back and larf at the stupidity route.When Empires, in this case the US, start to hit the skids my casual impression is that they are not the most sensible of times.

    • I take your point kk but a sliver of hope is worth hanging onto and don’t forget the midterms where D’s turned a minority into a 40 seat majority. It can be done hope is all we have got left –

  35. Ken O’Dowd (LNPMember for Flynn is very conspicuous with his silence on the “hometoBilo” situation.
    Maybe an increase in his margin from 1% to 17% at the last election has him believing the people of Biloela can be ignored. Whose sorry now.

  37. Because I can find no cheerful political news anywhere this week, instead I’ll post this amusing video my friends shared with me.

  39. Also, for anyone who ever has cause to look at academic articles (e.g. Kirsdarke), I’ve installed this extension that searches for free versions of paywalled articles. When you are looking at a paywalled journal article, a little icon appears on the side of the screen that tells you if there is a free version elsewhere. Click it and it takes you there.

    “An open database of 24,088,099 free scholarly articles.
    We harvest Open Access content from over 50,000 publishers and repositories, and make it easy to find, track, and use.”

    https://unpaywall.org/

    https://healthcog.com/free-scientific-journal-articles/

    • Thanks for those links. Although I’m a little despondent these days because knowledge no longer seems to have any real power anymore, hopefully this current global celebration of ignorance won’t last forever.

  40. The Bullingdon bully-boy

    Rebellious former cabinet ministers will have a showdown meeting with Boris Johnson on Monday, as the former justice secretary David Gauke said he believed the national interest would come first if he faced deselection for opposing a no-deal Brexit.

    Gauke, one of several ministers who resigned from the cabinet after Johnson became prime minister, is among a number of ex-cabinet ministers who will back moves in parliament next week to legislate against no deal.

    A cross-party alliance of MPs opposed to no deal are expected to begin moves on Tuesday to table a bill mandating Johnson to ask the EU for a further extension to the UK’s membership, which they hope to complete including passage through the House of Lords by the beginning of next week before parliament is prorogued.

    Gauke said he hoped Johnson would not follow through with reported threats that any Conservative MP who voted against the government next week would face deselection at the next election.

    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/01/tory-brexit-rebels-showdown-meeting-with-boris-johnson

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