Illegitimi non carborundum!!!

Fiona Uncategorized
Ausinc A3 Masonite Clipboard

And where do we go from here?

I’m feeling very beige, very uncertain, about what to do next.
However we MUST do something!
I wish I could do an inspiring post, but I can’t do it without your help.
This is the best I can do just now (even though I am so glad that Biden is now POTUS):

Illegitimi non carborundum!!!!!!!

639 thoughts on “Illegitimi non carborundum!!!”

  2. Well said, young lady!

    In breaking news, Brittany Higgins has issued a statement saying she has today “reengaged with Australian Federal Police and will proceed with a formal complaint regarding the crime committed against me in what should be the safest building in Australia”.

    Guardian Australia reported on Tuesday that the former Morrison government staffer planned to reactivate a police complaint about an alleged sexual assault by a colleague in the ministerial wing of Parliament House in March 2019.

    In today’s statement, Higgins said:

    By publicly coming forward with my experience in Parliament House, I’ve sought to achieve two things.

    Firstly, I want a comprehensive police investigation into what happened to me on 22/23 March 2019 and for my perpetrator to face the full force of the law.

    The Australian Federal Police have made assurances to me that they will handle this matter thoroughly and transparently. I would also ask that they handle it in a timely manner as to date, I have waited a long time for justice.

    Secondly, given my experience, I am determined to drive significant reform in the way the Australian Parliament handles issues of this nature and treats ministerial and parliamentary staff more generally.

    I expect a truly independent investigation into how my matter was handled inside the government including offices where I worked, and other offices and parties that had knowledge of my circumstances.

    I believe that getting to the bottom of what happened to me and how the system failed me is critical to creating a new framework for political staff that ensures genuine cultural change and restores the trust of staff.

    In addition to an independent investigation into what happened to me, I demand a significant review into the conditions under which ministerial and parliamentary staff are employed and how we can do better.

    Political advisers have very few protections, resources and confidential reporting mechanisms to address any workplace issues. They are not public servants and work in an extremely high-pressure environment. Too often, a toxic workplace culture can emerge that enables inappropriate conduct and this is exacerbated by the disparity in the power dynamics.

    How ministerial and parliamentary staff are treated is a bipartisan issue that impacts staff from across the political spectrum and must be treated as such.

    The Prime Minister has repeatedly told the Parliament that I should be given ‘agency’ going forward. I don’t believe that agency was provided to me over the past two years but I seize it now and have advised the Prime Minister’s Office that I expect a voice in framing the scope and terms of reference for a new and significant review into the conditions for all ministerial and parliamentary staff. It is important that the reform is real and drives change beyond dealing with just what happened to me, and how the system let me down.

    From the outset, I have driven by my desire to ensure that no other person would have to go through the trauma that I experienced during my time in Parliament House.

    I was failed repeatedly, but I now have my voice, and I am determined to use to ensure that this is never allowed to happen to another member of staff again.

    This has been a very difficult and trying week for me, my partner and my family. I would ask please that my privacy is respected as I now deal with the processes I have outlined in this statement. I do not intend to make any further public comment at this time.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2021/feb/19/australia-news-live-facebook-news-media-code-brittany-higgins-linda-reynolds-scott-morrison-covid-19-coronavirus-melbourne-victoria

    Reply
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  4. Just so

    Reply
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  8. Darn weather gods. First time in my life I have sent a parcel to somewhere in Texas right when the Nth Pole comes to town. Parcel got to LA about a week ago and gone nowhere since.

    Reply

  10. More bad news for the CrimeMinister.

    Craig Kelly’s senior aide faces multiple allegations of inappropriate behaviour made by young women
    Exclusive: Frank Zumbo continues to work in Liberal MP’s office despite being subject of an apprehended violence order and allegations of inappropriate behaviour with interns, which he denies
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/19/craig-kelly-senior-staff-member-aide-frank-zumbo-allegations-inappropriate-behaviour-young-women

    Comment from Destroy the Joint –

    Destroyers,
    As members of the Government wring their hands and claim ignorance about sexual assault in their offices, more stories about the ticks of sexism burying deep in their ranks are revealed.
    ‘The Guardian has seen evidence that senior Liberals were aware of similar allegations stretching back several years. Despite being raised by Kelly’s former staff in 2014 and again during torrid preselection tussles in Hughes in 2016 and 2018, the alleged behaviour appears to have continued.
    ‘The numerous complaints raise questions about the culture the Liberal party tolerates within political offices and whether the party has turned a blind eye to serious potential issues of workplace safety and misconduct.
    ‘The Guardian has spoken to a number of young women* who worked in Kelly’s Hughes electorate office…’
    ‘The Guardian approached the prime minister’s office and the Liberal party over the last three days to respond to the serious allegations about the workplace culture in Zumbo’s office and specifically about what steps have been taken in response to the AVO and the police investigation.
    ‘As the member for the adjoining seat, it is extremely unlikely that Morrison’s office was not aware of the AVO proceedings, which were reported in the local press and have been widely discussed among Liberals in the Shire.
    ‘The Guardian has also asked the prime minister what he knew about Kelly’s office when he pushed for Kelly to stay as the MP for Hughes in 2018.
    ‘“The NSW Liberal party said it had no record of any complaint or evidence of the allegations raised by the Guardian,” a spokesperson said.’
    *You can read more about their stories by going to the main article TheGuardian.
    Destroyers, is such ignorance possible and is it any defence?

    Reply

  12. Former prime minister Julia Gillard has praised the bravery of Brittany Higgins in going public about her alleged rape in Parliament House, expressing horror at the incident and the way it was handled.

    In a powerful statement of support, Ms Gillard called for “genuine change” to the workplace culture of Parliament House to make it safe for all its workers.

    …

    “I hugely admire Brittany Higgins’ courage in coming forward with her account of her rape in Parliament House,” Ms Gillard said in a rare statement on contemporary politics.

    “I am horrified both by the incident, and the aftermath.”

    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/brittany-higgins-takes-parliament-house-rape-complaint-to-federal-police-20210219-p5746a.html

    Reply

  13. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    Peter Hartcher says that the monstrous act on Higgins exposes the cold inhumanity at the heart of the Morrison government.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/monstrous-act-exposes-the-cold-inhumanity-at-the-heart-of-the-morrison-government-20210219-p5745m.html
    Laura Tingle has a good look at who knew what and when with respect to the Higgins case.
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-20/brittany-higgins-rape-allegations-basic-questions-accountability/13173128
    From Dennis Atkins. “Smug Scott was nowhere to be seen for most of this week. This was a change as Smug Scott has become a fixture of the political landscape, as much as its owner, Prime Minister Morrison, might want a different face for the nation.” Atkins is not at all impressed,
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/2021/02/20/dennis-atkins-smug-scott-morrisons-rape-ignorance-plea-is-as-believable-as-harold-holts-chinese-abduction-theory/
    Brittany Higgins’ shocking story must be a turning point. Women in politics have had enough, proclaims Katherine Murphy.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/20/brittany-higgins-shocking-story-must-be-a-turning-point-women-in-politics-have-had-enough
    Eighteen months after publicly reporting her assault, former Liberal staffer Dhanya Mani explains why this week does not represent ‘progress’.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2021/02/20/i-was-staffer-and-so-was-my-perpetrator/161373960011138
    Julia Baird tells us what she’d like the hear Morrison say.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/what-the-pm-should-tell-colleagues-about-the-brittany-higgins-case-it-sickens-me-if-it-doesn-t-sicken-you-your-time-is-up-20210219-p5740c.html
    In quite a good article Paul Bongiorno says, “Morrison denies he has a “don’t ask don’t tell policy”, but this is undermined by his claim that his senior staff didn’t think he needed to be informed of an alleged criminal assault just 50 metres from his office.”
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2021/02/20/notes-coalition-scandal/161373960011140
    Julia Gillard has praised the bravery of Brittany Higgins in going public about her alleged rape in Parliament House, expressing horror at the incident and the way it was handled.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/brittany-higgins-takes-parliament-house-rape-complaint-to-federal-police-20210219-p5746a.html
    Now The Australian reveals that a second woman has come ­forward to allege she was sexually assaulted late last year by the same former Morrison government adviser accused of raping a junior female colleague in the Parliament House office of Defence Minister Linda Reynolds.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/exliberal-staffer-brittany-higgins-takes-rape-complaint-to-afp/news-story/06f7ef4816f20f4a10b5bff8f0984240
    It’s been a long time coming but federal parliament is about to have cultural change forced upon it, writes Jennifer Hewett.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/canberra-s-shame-political-culture-s-failure-is-on-full-display-20210218-p573th
    Expecting women to speak up after a sexual assault won’t change the toxic masculine culture that allows violence to happen in the first place, writes Dr Jennifer Wilson.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/it-takes-more-than-speaking-up-to-change-a-toxic-culture,14815
    Shane Wright and Jennfer Duke write that direct cash assistance to the nation’s struggling tourism operators is being considered by the Morrison government to help them survive the end of the JobKeeper wage subsidy next month amid fears it could trigger business closures and job losses.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/direct-cash-an-option-to-help-tourist-firms-survive-end-of-jobkeeper-20210219-p573y0.html
    After another week of major scandals, the Morrison Government is now in damage control once again to escape serious consequences, writes John Wren who suggests that the alleged rape cover-up and Facebook ban should sink PM Morrison
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/wrens-week-alleged-rape-cover-up-and-facebook-ban-should-sink-pm-morrison,14818
    The reset to lift us out of the COVID recession has to be bold and returning to where we were is nowhere near good enough, says Ross Garnaut.
    https://theconversation.com/the-reset-to-lift-us-out-of-the-covid-recession-has-to-be-bold-returning-to-where-we-were-is-nowhere-near-good-enough-155565
    Ben Oquist concludes this good essay with, “If Australia wants democracy to thrive around the world then it needs to show that it can thrive here in Australia. The introduction of a federal corruption watchdog, driving up voter turnout at the next election and, of course, letting the ACT decide for itself if it wants voluntary euthanasia all provide the federal government the opportunity to show not just Australia, but the world, that it is serious about invigorating democracy.”
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7134435/canberras-euthanasia-insult-weakens-democracy-for-all/?cs=14258
    David Crowe reports that a political backlash is threatening Facebook with stronger regulation and cuts to its advertising after federal MPs responded with fury to the company’s attempts to suppress their criticism of its sudden decision to block the sharing of news.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/pm-stops-advertising-on-facebook-as-mps-call-for-more-regulation-20210219-p57443.html
    Facebook’s devastating display of defiance is vintage Zuckerberg, writes John McDuling.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/facebook-s-devastating-display-of-defiance-is-vintage-zuckerberg-20210219-p5741b.html
    Doug Dingwall tells us how Facebook hit Australia with a Zucker-punch.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7133172/how-facebook-hit-australia-with-a-zucker-punch/?cs=14350
    The UK Daily Telegraph’s Laurence Dodds tells us that we are about to get an idea about just how powerful Facebook is.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/we-are-about-to-get-an-idea-about-just-how-powerful-facebook-is-20210219-p573wv.html
    Despite the damaging effects of Covid-19, higher unemployment and flat wages, the Australian housing market has snapped back. But home ownership is becoming increasingly unaffordable for young people, with dire consequences for their future, explains Mike Seccombe.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2021/02/20/inequality-and-the-housing-bubble/161373960011139
    Australia’s COVID-19 vaccine rollout now has some certainty but there are still many unknowns.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2021/02/20/coronavirus-vaccine-rollout/
    Katina Curtis reports that the watchdog in charge of keeping the government accountable for its use of taxpayer money says his budget has fallen so much, some agencies might only face scrutiny once every 20 years and auditors are tolerating “uncomfortable” risks in financial statements. We have SUCH transparency and accountability these days!
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/alarm-bells-auditor-general-budget-cuts-will-see-agencies-avoid-scrutiny-for-decades-20210219-p5741h.html
    Peter van Onselen writes, “Other than presiding over the pandemic, albeit successfully, so far Scott Morrison has yet to achieve anything meaningful, something he may want to discuss with Jenny this weekend.”
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/opportunity-knocks-open-the-door-pm/news-story/42bf235b0ac177a64b1be85b82c017b9
    The government claims it thought debts raised by its robo-debt scheme were legal, but experts now point to two cases that went before the High Court and clearly highlighted the program’s risks. Rick Morton says that Robo-debt was shonky from the very start.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2021/02/20/robo-debt-shonky-the-start/161373960011136
    Before the electric vehicle revolution consigns crude to history, the next five years promise to be a rollercoaster ride, explains Ambrose Evans-Pritchard.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/the-oil-industry-is-facing-its-biggest-squeeze-in-history-20210219-p573we.html
    The Canberra Times’ editorial calls for the Nationals’ dog whistling on coal to stop. It says theye are engaging in the politics of a misplaced, and self-serving, populism. It is a dangerous game and it should stop.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7134741/nationals-dog-whistling-on-coal-must-stop/?cs=14258
    And the editorial in The Saturday Paper reckons The Nats are off the planet.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/editorial/2021/02/20/nats-the-planet/161373960011130
    Karen Middleton says that, as the Australian government readies to vaccinate against Covid-19, our state quarantine systems, contact tracing and testing also need to be addressed before we can reopen our borders to the world.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2021/02/20/lifting-standards-quarantine/161373960011132
    Ross Gittins urges the government to tackle one problem at a time – jobs first, inflation (much) later.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/one-problem-at-a-time-jobs-first-inflation-much-later-20210218-p573ts.html
    Nick Bonyhady and Rachel Clun report that shoppers and diners may have to be vaccinated before entering stores or restaurants after the workplace safety regulator allowed businesses to require their customers to show proof of immunisation.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/shops-cafes-allowed-to-make-covid-vaccination-a-condition-of-entry-20210219-p57451.html
    More from Bonyhady who reports that unions fear big project deals could lock workers out of pay rises for years.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/unions-fear-big-project-deals-could-lock-workers-out-of-pay-rises-for-years-20210219-p5742i.html
    The Family Court system has been struggling for years, yet a decision to merge it with the Federal Circuit Court has provoked both concern and support from stakeholders across the spectrum, explains Rick Morton.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2021/02/20/family-court-merger/161373960011128
    The Australian says that the Liberals are headed for a generational wipe out at the upcoming West Australian election, with the party at risk of emerging with as few as two seats in the next parliament.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/popular-premier-mark-mcgowan-to-lead-wipeout-in-the-west/news-story/b6d8d964ec454ca28d7cd1a16e6a3a48
    The Tamil family who settled in Biloela, Queensland, with their two Australian-born daughters have now spent more than 1000 days in immigration detention. But legal pressure is attempting to bend political will towards compassion, writes Rachel Withers in The Saturday Paper.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2021/02/20/biloela-family-wait-compassion/161373960011125
    Daniel Hurst writes that Mathias Corman’s ‘climate pivot’ has been met with a mixture of exasperation and bemusement at the OECD.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/19/mathias-cormann-the-australian-oecd-candidate-trying-to-airbrush-his-climate-record
    The Australian’s Yoni Bashan reports that Gladys Berejiklian was personally briefed in July 2018 that two ministerial advisers were making disclosures to corruption investigators about her then secret boyfriend Daryl Maguire’s alleged misconduct — two years before the Premier was forced to disclose their relationship.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/gladys-berejiklian-told-of-boyfriend-daryl-maguires-conduct/news-story/df29a179cbc25390e20981b9b0f532ef
    Britain’s Supreme Court has ruled that Uber drivers are workers and not self-employed and are entitled to benefits like holiday and sick pay, in what unions say is a “historic” decision that could upend the gig economy.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/uber-drivers-are-workers-and-not-self-employed-uk-supreme-court-rules-20210219-p57483.html
    The ABC is standing by its decision to shift Q+A to Thursday nights, despite early signs the new timeslot may not be resonating with viewers.
    https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/q-a-ratings-drop-but-abc-says-it-s-far-too-early-to-draw-conclusions-20210219-p5744m.html
    Mattew Knott explains how Mitch McConnell went from Trump ally to Trump enemy.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/how-mitch-mcconnell-went-from-trump-ally-to-enemy-20210219-p573wd.html
    Today’s “Arseholes of the Week” nomination goes to these two Floridians.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/two-women-in-florida-dressed-up-as-grannies-to-get-vaccinated-health-official-says-20210220-p5748g.html

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  14. Scotty told us………….

    4 Nov 2020 — …….our strategy puts Australia at the front of the queue,

    NZ starting 2 days earlier than Australia said today
    New Zealand’s place near the back of the global queue – largely because of our successful response wiping out local transmission – means regulators have more time to assess…..

    Reply

    • A bit hypocritical Peta calling Sunrise “Scumrise” when her own show is pure scum. Is she afraid of competition from another right-wing outfit?

  20. No Bill Maher this week, Rachel Maddow is having the night off so –

    Chris Hayes –

    Brian Tyler Cohen –

    Anerson Cooper –

    Reply

  22. In Parliament House in Canberra, he is responsible for the “workplace culture.”

    Scott Morrison says he is “very upset” at reports a second woman was sexually assaulted by the same man who allegedly raped former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, as he acknowledged Parliament House was failing in its duty of “setting the standard” for workplace culture in Australia.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/20/scott-morrison-upset-after-reports-second-woman-assaulted-by-man-who-allegedly-raped-brittany-higgins

    Reply

  23. Oi ! Australia. come and collect your Karen ! 🙂
    .
    .
    ‘Show me the evidence’: Woman in isolation 25 days still refuses test

    An Australian woman who’s being kept in managed isolation for refusing to get a Covid-19 test says she just wants more information before agreeing.

    Lucinda Baulch has been at the Grand Mercure in Wellington for 25 days while she waits for scientific evidence of the PCR tests safety and effectiveness.
    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/covid-19-coronavirus-woman-kept-in-managed-isolation-after-refusing-covid-19-test/3DXS62OF6P6NAAK7ROX5FRE2BI/

    Reply

    • Time to move Lucinda Baulch to a small dark room without fresh air and bill her more for her accommodation

      Australian quarantine food can be disgusting and some people get allocated small dark rooms

    • She’s an attention-seeking loon. “Medical background”??? She’s a vet’s nurse FFS! You need a TAFE certificate for that, not a degree in medicine.

      And why is Australia sending kids to NZ for foster care? This sounds very fishy to me, almost like child trafficking.

      There doesn’t seem to be any organisation called “Child Services Australia” so who is she working with?

  26. I just watched the start of this

    Ms Higgins said, up front, that the (alleged) perpretator was a special favourite of Linda Reynolds’. I haven’t seen that emphasized in the “coverage.” Just another question for the Lovely Linda to answer.

    Reply

  28. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    In a measured evaluation of the situation, Jack Waterford writes that Scott Morrison’s handling of Brittany Higgins rape allegations lack empathy. He also says he has “never seen, over 50 years, a more slippery customer than Morrison, a person more impossible to pin down, chronically secretive, truculent, and given to marketing verbiage in the thickets of which it is almost impossible to separate the new from the old, the fact from the hope, or the dream from the substance.” Wow!
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7133899/once-again-the-pm-has-shown-he-has-no-empathy-for-human-emotions/?cs=14350
    James Massola and Fergus Hunter tell us that Morrison was “sickened” by the alleged rape of former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins, declaring “Parliament should be setting the standard” for workplace culture in Australia. The trouble for Morrison is who will believe that it is Higgins and the other woman that he is concerned about and not the politics.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/parliament-should-be-setting-the-standard-pm-blasts-workplace-culture-after-second-rape-allegation-20210219-p573zn.html
    John Lord expounds upon a tale of two wrongs: a rape and the Prime Minister’s response.
    https://theaimn.com/a-tale-of-two-wrongs-a-rape-and-the-prime-ministers-response/
    Michael Koziol reports that Queensland’s Chief Health Officer has indicated the state is highly unlikely to close its borders or impose any more lockdowns in the event of a COVID-19 outbreak now that vaccination is about to commence.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/queensland-s-chief-health-officer-hopes-vaccines-will-end-border-closures-20210220-p5749j.html
    And Koziol explores what it will take to inoculate us against lockdowns.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/let-freedom-ring-what-will-it-take-to-inoculate-us-against-lockdowns-20210218-p573tl.html
    The editorial in The Age is concerned that moving quarantine into the regions carries significant risk and logistical challenges. The quarantine system requires a large workforce. It says bringing a workforce of this size in and out of regional facilities and accommodating them would prove a challenge.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/regional-australia-cannot-carry-all-the-quarantine-risk-20210220-p574a1.html
    Cait Kelly reports that tensions between Beijing and Washington have escalated, with the Chinese government pushing for a World Health Organisation investigation into whether the coronavirus pandemic was birthed from a lab in the United States.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/coronavirus/2021/02/20/who-china-covid-conspiracy-us/
    Australia’s recovery appears to be going well, but it’s still very weird out there points out Greg Jericho.
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/commentisfree/2021/feb/21/australias-recovery-appears-to-be-going-well-but-its-still-very-weird-out-there
    Facebook is gambling Australia can’t live without it. Imagine if we prove it wrong writes Lenore Taylor.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/19/facebook-is-gambling-australia-cant-live-without-it-imagine-if-we-prove-them-wrong
    The Australian’s Katrina Grace Kelly writes about the parlous state of the Victorian Liberal Party.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/what-should-state-libs-stand-for-ask-the-silent-majority/news-story/6bc37f62dc4d249f876c287b96fff573
    Crispin Hull reminds us of how scare campaigns lead to significant reform.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7132096/how-scare-campaigns-lead-to-significant-reform/?cs=14258
    A league table system for the embattled aged care sector has been created by SA researchers – but they fear the public might never get to use it.
    https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sahmri-league-table-could-reveal-aged-cares-best-and-worst/news-story/c2818dc68e7628b41de6d710c0b03709
    There were a few small gatherings of idiots around the country demonstrating against the vaccination rollout.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/left-exposed-plea-to-give-australia-s-diplomatic-staff-priority-vaccine-access-20210219-p5744z.html

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  29. Over the Tasman Sea in NZ the first vaccines have been administered. Friday the vaccinators received first doses and yesterday Quarantine workers started to get their first doses. It was a thoroughly ‘unAustralian’ event. Reading the coverage in their national newspaper there was not a single ‘PR photo’ of the PM or government Minister. Nor articles on the kick off that made the PM or Pollie any more central than providing a quote. Ya reckon it will be like that tomorrow here in Australia ? 😆

    It reminds me of the first time I returned to NZ after several years here. As was my habit I bought the daily national newspaper and after about a week something ‘shocked’ me. It was a headline on the front page about the PM. The shock ? The realisation that it was the first headline I’d seen about a politician. As I said at the time in /Australia if Bob Hawke farted it would be a headline, then there would be another headline about the reaction of the Opposition leader,then another article about what Bob Hawke thought of that reaction. My thought at the time was such media attention made for polies with inflated egos and self importance.

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  30. Facebook is gambling Australia can’t live without it. Imagine if we prove it wrong writes Lenore Taylor.

    Viola Wills had a song for that back in the day.

    Got along without you before I met you
    Gonna get along without you now
    Gonna find somebody who is twice as cute
    ‘Cause, I didn’t like you anyhow

    Reply

  31. Yesterday’s anti-vaxxer demonstrations didn’t end well for some of the rabble participating.

    Here’s a humorous thread –

    And the story.
    https://www.9news.com.au/national/coronavirus-protest-melbourne-brisbane-sydney-pete-evans/a328629b-4d7f-48b1-a13f-72fe42dd8c2b

    Despite what some grubby-looking loon claimed the vaccines are not compulsory. No-one is being “forced” to have them.

    Reply

  34. Well that photo op didn’t go as planned.

    The whole internet loves Jane Malysiak, a lovely woman that got Australia's first COVID vaccine! *5 seconds later* We regret to inform you that Jane has flipped the bird to every news camera in the nation on live TV— Josh Butler (@JoshButler) February 21, 2021

    For Morrison, it's just another photo op. He was careful to only bump albows with the doctors but when it came to a little old lady, his photo op took precedence over covid ruleshttps://t.co/7jq45tQAmR— Susan Smith (@SusanSmithAus) February 21, 2021

    The CrimeMinister’s body language is appalling. Legs spread wide and one leg pressing up against Jane’s and what seemed to be a grope of her chest as he attempted to hide her very appropriate gesture from the cameras.

    The video is here (Not the first one, scroll down..)

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-21/australia-covid-vaccinations-begin-first-shots-administered/13176288

    Of course the CrimeMinister had to make it all about him, hogging the camera, blathering on and on why Jane sat there holding up her sleeve and waiting for her shot. A disgusting performance from an attention whore.

    I think Jane Malysiak did what most Australians would have loved to do, given the chance.

    Reply
  35. Reply

    • What an objectionable little puff piece, but what else would we expect from James Massol and Fergus Hunter.

      This says it all –

  39. Reply

  41. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    Simon Benson on the Newspoll results.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/newspoll-scott-morrison-rides-high-on-rollout-as-anthony-albanese-takes-a-hit/news-story/d74b7401748fe37dde13f69f2702bb81
    The Australian Open trophy presentation at the men’s final was at times drowned out by constant crowd booing after mentions of the coronavirus vaccine rollout and the Victorian government. Idiots!
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/fans-boo-tennis-australia-chairperson-after-mentioning-of-vaccine-and-andrews-government-20210221-p574i2.html
    The first comprehensive study of Indigenous water rights in the Murray-Darling Basin shows a “shockingly low” level of ownership, a legacy of ongoing dispossession.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/it-was-our-economy-now-we-are-dirt-poor-first-nations-people-dispossessed-of-water-20210219-p5741i.html
    Sean Kelly writes that Morrison has skated over previous treatment of women issues but, with the Higgins issue, it’s now the time for him to use the power he has.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/morrison-knows-his-power-now-is-the-time-to-use-it-20210221-p574g8.html
    Daniel Hurst writes that Scott Morrison has indicated that he has reprimanded his staff for not bringing a former government staffer’s rape allegations to his attention as soon as a reporter submitted questions earlier this month. But did he probe them on WHY they didn’t?
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/21/staff-rebuked-over-failure-to-advise-him-of-brittany-higgins-allegations-scott-morrison-says
    A strident Jacqui Maley is upset over what she describes as Morrison’s revealing over-familiarity with Ms Higgins.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/call-her-ms-higgins-the-pm-s-over-familiarity-is-revealing-20210219-p5743o.html
    But Amanda Vanstone hops in to defend Linda Reynolds’ “textbook” response to Brittany Higgins.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/linda-reynolds-doesn-t-deserve-criticism-her-response-to-higgins-rape-claim-was-textbook-20210221-p574dd.html
    The editorial in the SMH calls for leaders to call out sexual harassment and listen to victims.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/time-for-leaders-to-call-out-sexual-harassment-and-listen-to-victims-20210218-p573mn.html
    Meanwhile, The Australian’s Michael McKenna reveals that a third woman alleges she was sexually assaulted almost five years ago by the same former Morrison government adviser accused of the 2019 rape of a female colleague in Parliament House.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/brittany-higgins-to-make-formal-statement-to-police-over-alleged-rape/news-story/11ecbae5b81b87cf33244553e7167527
    Ross Gittins writes, “Philip Lowe lacks an appetite for moving to negative interest rates, if big central banks go further down that path, he’ll have little choice but to join them.”
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/here-s-the-unspeakable-truth-about-the-strange-behaviour-of-interest-rates-20210220-p5749r.html
    Paul Daley says that Anthony Albanese’s fine words in federal parliament about frontier wars are remarkable and laudatory, but they’d have been more so if spoken at the war memorial where it has long been largely deaf and blind to much Indigenous sensibility, and resistant to reform.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/postcolonial-blog/2021/feb/22/albaneses-remarkable-words-on-the-frontier-wars-should-have-been-said-at-the-war-memorial
    Well, well! A gold-plated National Broadband Network may have cost $10 billion less than previously estimated by the Coalition government, with secret figures from a review showing large savings expected from technological advancements for a full fibre rollout.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/secret-figures-show-full-fibre-nbn-may-have-cost-10-billion-less-than-claimed-20210221-p574gj.html
    The bonuses for NBN Co executives are attracting political heat, but the money that NBN is charging telcos is where the real battle is focused. Consumers should beware the results, writes Jennifer Hewett.
    https://www.afr.com/companies/telecommunications/executive-bonuses-aren-t-the-nbn-s-biggest-problem-20210219-p57484
    Sumeyya Ilanbey explains the logistical nightmare behind the biggest vaccination program in history, particularly as it applies to the Pfizer vaccine.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/overcoming-the-logistical-nightmare-behind-the-biggest-vaccination-program-in-history-20210221-p574fr.html
    The AFR’s editorial says Australia’s vaccine-led COVID comeback depends not only on countering anti-vaxxers but also on state governments accepting the science of contact tracing to manage hotspots.
    https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/vaccine-comeback-calls-for-belief-in-contact-tracing-too-20210218-p573pi
    This doesn’t help. The TGA says a group of doctors is being investigated for promoting hydroxychloroquine as a treatment for the virus, against all scientific evidence.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/22/melbourne-doctors-under-review-for-promoting-discredited-covid-treatment
    Adele Ferguson explains Deb O’Neill’s private member’s bill that proposes to lift penalties for franchise sector transgressions and misbehaviour.
    https://www.afr.com/companies/retail/private-bill-proposes-to-lift-penalties-for-franchise-sector-20210221-p574f3
    In an extraordinary move, SA’s ambulance union has penned an open letter demanding the State Government act urgently to end the staffing crisis.
    https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sa-ambos-open-letter-we-are-at-breaking-point/news-story/9e41f4e6d57ed439f7e3d3e460844fb6
    Is Sky News shifting Australian politics to the right? Not yet, but there is cause for alarm, writes researcher Dennis Muller.
    https://theconversation.com/is-sky-news-shifting-australian-politics-to-the-right-not-yet-but-there-is-cause-for-alarm-155356
    Google good, Facebook bad. That sums up mainstream media coverage of the Coalition government’s bizarre new media code. That’s because Google paid up, Facebook decided it was extortion and called Josh Frydenberg’s bluff, banning Australian news. Kim Wingerei and Michael West report on the corruption of mainstream media.
    https://www.michaelwest.com.au/laughing-stock-australias-new-media-code-rivals-our-climate-policy-for-absurdity/
    According to Shane Wright, older Australians want the Morrison government to create special green infrastructure bonds so they can direct their growing concern about climate change into a financial investment.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/senior-australians-want-to-buy-green-bonds-to-help-address-climate-20210219-p5743x.html
    Rob Harris reports that Anthony Albanese will channel the Pope by telling Christian organisations he believes the values of Labor and the church overlap with their vision to rebuild Australia following the coronavirus pandemic.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-courts-christian-groups-in-social-justice-pitch-20210221-p574e8.html
    And James Massola tells us that today Australia’s “fundamentally broken” aged care system – and its impact on grandparents, parents and children – will be highlighted in a new federal Labor campaign.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/labor-launches-new-campaign-highlighting-aged-care-horror-stories-20210219-p573zm.html
    Jon Chesterton expound on what he describes as “the political sociopathology of Murdoch, Trump and Morrison – the victim triangle (oppressor and rescuer)”.
    https://theaimn.com/the-political-sociopathology-of-murdoch-trump-and-morrison-the-victim-triangle-oppressor-and-rescuer/
    By undermining humanities education, the Morrison Government is helping create a superficial society, which opens the door to far-Right extremism, writes Alex Hipgrave.
    https://independentaustralia.net/life/life-display/neo-fascism-on-the-rise-as-critical-thinking-dissolves,14817
    There is no trial date in sight before 2022 for the cartel saga resuming today which involves criminal charges against three banks and six executives, writes Pamela Williams. This has been in train for eight years.
    https://www.afr.com/companies/financial-services/justice-delayed-as-accc-case-drags-on-for-years-20210221-p574dt
    Zoe Samios writes that tech platforms such as Facebook, Google and Twitter could issue regular warnings to users about the trustworthiness of news articles and advertisements under a newly formed code designed to reduce the spread of misinformation and harmful content on the internet.
    https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/political-ads-fake-news-targeted-in-newly-formed-misinformation-code-20210221-p574dq.html
    Samantha Dick reports that convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein had secret video tapes of former presidents Donald Trump and Bill Clinton, according to a new book.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/2021/02/21/epstein-clinton-trump-secret-tapes/

    Cartoon Corner

    Peter Broelman

    Matt Golding

    David Rowe

    Mark Knight

    John Spooner

    Joe Benke

    Sean Leahy

    From the US



    Reply

    • No wonder he checked himself into a mental health unit. He certainly has a problem.

      How many other women has he raped? I think he deserves to be called a serial rapist – after all, if he was killing women he’d be a serial killer.

  47. This strikes very close to home.

    Disabled young people living on poverty-level benefits rises 300% in Australia
    Exclusive: government urged to address ‘intractable problems’ as tightened rules on disability pensions blamed for fueling increase
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/22/disabled-young-people-living-on-poverty-level-benefits-rises-300

    I hate to say this, but Labor is partly responsible for that tightening of eligibility. They did it in pursuit of a budget surplus that never happened. This information is from May 2019, it’s even tougher to qualify now.

    From 2009 to 2012, the Rudd and Gillard governments both tightened assessment criteria and processes further, creating a “structural shift” in the DSP. Since then the DSP has been based on a judgment of whether claimants are able to perform certain activities, as opposed to a medical diagnosis of their disability. Applicants have also had to complete an employment support program with a registered provider for at least 18 months before getting the DSP.

    Further changes in 2012 and 2014 mean that DSP recipients under 35 assessed as being able to work at least eight hours need to participate in a variety of compulsory employment-related activities, including regular Centrelink interviews

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/may/07/ask-a-policy-expert-why-is-it-so-hard-to-get-on-the-disability-support-pension

    Maybe if DSP is too expensive to provide we should look at increasing taxes, especially on the wealthy, instead of continually cutting them.

    Reply

  50. On vaccine scams –

    Coronavirus scammers prepare to target Australians over vaccine rollout, experts warn
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-22/coronavirus-queensland-scam-vaccines/13173404

    Don’t people have GPs? My GP clinic will contact me when they have vaccine available. They usually contact by phone, occasionally by letter, and I recognise their number.

    Why would I take any notice of some scammer telling me to click on a link? Why would I believe I can get a better (allegedly) vaccine by paying a scammer? Why would any sane Australian believe they had to pay for a vaccine? It’s all covered by Medicare, it’s free.

    For months I’ve been getting scam emails from the US about imaginary vaccinations. I’m pretty good at spotting scams after all these years online so I know what to expect here.

    It’s a shame so many people are still incredibly naive about scammers, despite all the warnings.

    .

    Reply

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