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!!!!!!!

684 thoughts on “Illegitimi non carborundum!!!”

  1. Fourth woman makes complaint about former staffer who allegedly raped Brittany Higgins

    The fourth woman, who for now wishes to remain anonymous, told the ABC that when she learned the identity of Ms Higgins’s alleged rapist through staffer networks, she winced — she remembered him as being “really sleazy”.

    Socialising after work in 2017 with colleagues at Canberra’s Public Bar, the favoured drinking hole of the political class, the woman said she was startled when the man who would later be identified as the staffer who allegedly raped Ms Higgins reached his hand under the table and stroked her thigh.

    The woman said this was completely uninvited and the incident made her angry

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-22/fourth-woman-accuses-staffer-in-brittany-higgins-case/13178190

    She was very lucky, she only had to deal with inappropriate touching. Had she allowed this sleaze to buy her drinks she too would have been raped.

    This creature had a method, get a young woman drunk, then take her somewhere quiet. I would not be at all surprised if he drugged those drinks – all three rape victims say they fell asleep.

  4. Interesting short thread, notable for the time this incident happened.

    The PMO had plenty of time to trawl through Twitter looking for things to harass people about but no time to help Brittany Higgins.

  6. What Bruce was previously most famous for

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/mar/26/former-liberal-minister-bruce-billson-faces-censure-for-failing-to-declare-lobbying-job

    • Answer – never!

      The CrimeMinister and the minister in charge of the NDIS both belong to a cult that believes disability is a punishment for sin (whose sin is never explained) and can be “cured” by prayer, tithing and the laying on of hands.

      Good luck with that alleged “cure” – it comes with a stack of conditions. You must be “saved” and baptised (full immersion, adults only) in a Pentecostal church. You must then tithe to that church. If the alleged cure still doesn’t work it’s not the church’s fault, it’s yours because you did not pray enough or tithe enough.

  11. The first person to receive a Covid-19 vaccine in Australia has repeated an obscene gesture live on television and admitted she did not recognise prime minister Scott Morrison.

    Morrison sat alongside Jane Malysiak on Sunday, as the 84-year old received the first Covid-19 vaccine administered in Australia.

    But the historic moment descended in hilarity when Ms Malysiak, a Polish-born World War II survivor, accidentally flipped off a room full of journalists after receiving the jab.

    The PM encouraged Ms Malysiak to flash the peace sign for the cameras, saying it meant “V for vaccine”.

    She obliged, but turned her hand the other way, which has a very different meaning.

    After the room erupted with laughter, Morrison pushed Jane’s hand down saying “always front, always front”.

    While the photo op went a little awry, the awkwardness for Morrison continued on Monday when Ms Malysiak admitted live on Sky News she did not realise it was the Prime Minister sitting next to her when she received the vaccine.

    “I did not recognise him until later on, when I asked ‘Where is the prime minister?’,” she said.

    https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/covid-19-coronavirus-v-for-vaccine-moment-turns-even-more-awkward-for-australian-pm-scott-morrison/G3X7KDRK2AKFWLQ6OYQ6L7EA6E/

  14. The story –

    JobMaker could pay bosses to cut wages and jobs, warns Treasury
    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-22/jobmaker-could-pay-bosses-to-cut-wages-jobs-treasury-foi/13157500

    Well, of course bosses will sack experienced staff and take on cheaper part-time workers. Anyone who thinks this is a great idea must be a Liberal voter.

  16. Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins has slammed Defence Minister Linda Reynolds’ refusal to answer questions in the Senate over her alleged rape citing privacy concerns.

    Ms Higgins told news.com.au on Monday afternoon that she had watched the Senate question time and was disgusted with Senator Reynolds’ attempts to avoid questions by using her as a human shield.

    “My privacy has been breached at every turn in this process,’’ Ms Higgins said.

    “I don’t think she’s ever respected my privacy, so her sudden concern for it now, I find patently false.”

    https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/patently-false-brittany-higgins-slams-former-boss-linda-reynolds/news-story/a4e6d112bb27016002af56ba028adcd9#.1uhv3

  17. Scott Morrison’s office has acknowledged another current prime ministerial adviser knew about the termination of a staff member in Linda Reynolds’ office alleged to have raped Brittany Higgins in 2019 because of their “previous role”.

    Morrison has repeatedly said his office first became aware of the rape allegation on 12 February. But one of the prime minister’s current staffers, Fiona Brown, knew about the allegation because she managed Higgins in the aftermath when working as chief of staff to Reynolds.

    Brown worked for Morrison before she worked for Reynolds, who was the defence industry minister at the time, then returned to Morrison’s office after the 2019 election.

    Guardian Australia has now confirmed a second staffer currently employed in the prime minister’s office knew details about the termination of Higgins’ former colleague because that senior staffer was employed formerly as an adviser to Alex Hawke when Hawke was special minister of state.

    In response to questions from Guardian Australia, a spokesperson for Morrison said: “Due to a previous role, the adviser was aware of the termination of the staffer involved in the security breach in Linda Reynolds’ office in March 2019.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/22/second-staffer-in-pms-office-knew-about-termination-of-man-accused-of-raping-brittany-higgins

  23. Brittany Higgins’ partner has been forced to abandon his job over fears he will be frozen out by ministers as payback for the crisis now engulfing the government.

    Higgins’ partner, David Sharaz, says his job in Canberra, where he handled federal government clients for a media analytics company, is no longer tenable.

    The role required daily interaction with government and the maintenance of healthy relationships with ministerial offices and the prime minister’s office.

    “I do not believe I can continue to do that following the events of last week,” Sharaz told the Guardian, speaking publicly for the first time since his partner came forward.

    His resignation is yet another sign of the way that parliament’s power dynamics can work to discourage the reporting of sexual assault.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/22/brittany-higgins-partner-abandons-canberra-job-due-to-fears-of-payback

  24. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    The former Liberal staffer accused of rape by three women and sexual harassment by another has checked himself into a private clinic after being stood aside from his job at a large corporation.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/not-a-nice-person-man-accused-of-parliament-rape-stood-down-from-current-job-20210222-p574sh.html
    Christopher Knaus and Katherine Murphy reveal that Brittany Higgins’ partner has been forced to abandon his job over fears he will be frozen out by ministers as payback for the crisis now engulfing the government.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/22/brittany-higgins-partner-abandons-canberra-job-due-to-fears-of-payback
    “There is a greater sense of male entitlement in Australia’s parliament than in any workplace I have seen”, writes Claire O’Neil in this op-ed.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/22/there-is-a-greater-sense-of-male-entitlement-in-the-australian-parliament-than-any-workplace-i-have-seen
    Paul Bongiorno accuses the government of employing the “shambles excuse” in the Brittany Higgins saga.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/australian-politics/2021/02/22/paul-bongiorno-brittany-higgins/
    An ex-staffer has accused SA Senator Simon Birmingham of ignoring her assault claims, as Canberra is rocked by more bombshell sexual misconduct allegations.
    https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/exliberal-staffer-chelsey-potter-slams-simon-birminghams-handling-of-her-2019-sex-assault-allegations-against-a-fellow-staffer/news-story/790792fc416e311e9ebe0d2fc0de5123
    Jenna Price says rapists are weaponising alcohol against women.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/rapists-are-weaponising-alcohol-against-women-20210222-p574qc.html
    The Department of Parliamentary Services has been in the news following reports that it withheld its security incident report into the Brittany Higgins case from the Australian Federal Police, despite multiple requests, and was only provided after the police escalated inquiries. It seems the DPS has form in wanting to bury bad news. Marcus Reubenstein reports.
    https://www.michaelwest.com.au/free-speech-for-the-public-service-friends-only-foes-face-prosecution/
    According to Shane Wright and Jennifer Duke, unemployed workers will get a boost to the JobSeeker payment, set to be announced today, as new data shows an $80-a-fortnight lift would cost the budget less than $3 billion a year.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/jobseeker-set-for-increase-as-data-shows-it-could-cost-less-than-3-billion-a-year-20210222-p574mv.html
    Euan Black reports that internal Treasury documents have confirmed a federal government policy provides a financial incentive for businesses to replace older full-time employees with younger part-time workers.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/work/2021/02/22/jobmaker-older-worker-treasury-foi/
    The SMH is deeply troubled over the cuts to the federal Auditor-General’s budget.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/deeply-troubling-cuts-to-federal-spending-watchdog-20210222-p574s5.html
    A better post-virus Australia means junking our mistakes in immigration, monetary and climate policy, explains Craig Emerson. Quite an interesting contribution based on Ross Garnaut’s recommendations.
    https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/good-bye-to-all-that-complacency-20210221-p574gg
    Carrie Fellner reports that in documents that Transport for NSW tried to keep secret, an official demanded to know who had been talking to MP Daryl Maguire over the location of a new motorway.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/how-did-daryl-know-transport-for-nsw-outrage-over-leak-to-disgraced-mp-20210222-p574to.html
    Crown’s future as the operator of its giant Melbourne casino has been thrown into doubt after the state government announced an unprecedented inquiry into whether the company had broken the law and was suitable to hold a gaming licence in Victoria.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/victoria/victorian-government-announces-royal-commission-into-crown-casino-20210222-p574sc.html
    Patrick Hatch tells us what we learned about Crown from the NSW inquiry.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/what-we-learned-about-crown-from-the-nsw-inquiry-20210222-p574sr.html
    And Nick McKenzie reckons the decision of the Victorian government to call a royal commission into the money laundering and corporate governance scandal that has enveloped Crown Resorts smacks of political expediency.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/the-crown-casino-royal-commission-is-long-overdue-and-the-andrews-government-a-laggard-20210222-p574t2.html
    The Australian environment cannot survive the National Party, writes Sue Arnold.
    https://independentaustralia.net/environment/environment-display/national-party-waging-war-against-australian-environment,14824
    And Michael Pascoe says that the National Party’s failure adds to educational disadvantage in the bush.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/02/23/michael-pascoe-national-party-failure-education/
    John Quiggin goes into considerable detail in explain why Texas’s power outage has implications for Australia.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7137355/why-texas-power-outage-has-implications-for-australia/?cs=14258
    And Ketan Joshu says that Australia was the first casualty of the big blackout lie blaming wind power and the US could be next.
    https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2021/feb/23/australia-was-the-first-casualty-of-the-big-blackout-lie-blaming-wind-power-the-us-could-be-next
    Meanwhile, Texas residents have been hit with eye-watering electricity bills after the deadly snowstorms smashed the state.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/02/22/texas-snow-storms-electricity-bills/
    The start of the vaccine rollout is boosting confidence, but it won’t be a quick fix and most restrictions will remain in place indefinitely, writes Jennifer Hewett.
    https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/virus-safe-doesn-t-mean-virus-free-20210222-p574rz
    Experts have warned the vaccine rollout must be managed by data scientists and AI platforms, similar to how supermarkets move fresh produce without wasting it.
    https://www.afr.com/technology/why-tech-needs-to-drive-australia-s-covid-19-vaccine-rollout-20210221-p574gn
    The Covid-19 vaccines being used in the UK could reduce a person’s risk of being admitted to hospital by as much as 94 per cent four weeks after the first dose, new data suggests. Interestingly the Astra-Zeneca is performing better than the Pfizer vaccine in this study.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/02/22/astrazeneca-vaccine-hospital-admissions-study/
    No figures are publicly available for the three largest bushfire recovery funds, which account for more than 55% of the $2.73 billion the federal Coalition has promised to devastated communities. Furthermore, by the end of last year, less than half of that $2.73 billion had been spent, some $500 million less than claimed by David Littleproud, the minister in charge of the recovery effort. Is the Coalition keeping a few hundred million in its back pocket for a federal election mooted for later this year? Matt Lloyd-Cape investigates.
    https://www.michaelwest.com.au/bushfire-money-mystery-recovery-funds-withheld-to-fight-the-election/
    Greg Jericho explains how women continue to carry the load when it comes to unpaid work.
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2021/feb/23/women-continue-to-carry-the-load-when-it-comes-to-unpaid-work
    Greg Hunt may be dragged into a messy legal fight with Victorian Liberal Party officials threatening to use the courts to expose the authors of an anonymous party email that accuses them of damaging leaks.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victorian-liberals-threaten-to-call-in-the-pm-over-treachery-claims-20210222-p574r4.html
    Paul Karp reports that human rights agencies have blasted Peter Dutton’s bid to keep the information used to cancel visas and Australian citizenship secret, warning it could result in more people being held in indefinite detention.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/23/peter-duttons-push-to-use-secret-evidence-to-revoke-citizenship-condemned
    The former executive for infrastructure giant Leighton has been charged on a second corruption-related charge after a series of investigations into the company now called CIMIC.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/australian-former-executive-charged-with-bribery-offences-over-african-plot-20210222-p574ru.html
    Katina Curtis reports that some Labor MPs have criticised the Australian War Memorial’s planned $500 million redevelopment, calling on the national institution to do the job more cheaply and without demolishing an award-winning addition to the building.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-mps-break-ranks-over-500-million-war-memorial-development-20210222-p574sm.html
    Australia’s job market will shrink by 11 per cent by 2030 due to the rise of increasingly capable automation technology, knocking 1.5 million people out of work and stranding a million beyond a digital divide, a new study by global technology research firm Forrester has warned.
    https://www.afr.com/technology/automation-set-to-gut-1-5m-jobs-from-australian-economy-20210221-p574fi
    Stephen Bartholomeusz writes about concerns that the rate at which 10-year bond yields have picked up and yield curves have steepened in recent weeks, if it were to continue, would pose a risk to asset prices, particularly shares.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/a-tale-of-two-investors-the-economic-optimism-that-could-rattle-sharemarkets-20210222-p574ng.html
    Peter Hartcher writes about the embarrassing no-shows by six European countries at China’s 17+1 summit are a sign that Europe is charting a new course.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/embarrassing-no-shows-at-china-s-summit-are-a-sign-europe-is-charting-a-new-course-20210222-p574lu.html
    Washington can wield a big stick and has Facebook’s authoritarian antics under the microscope, writes Bruce Wolpe.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/washington-can-wield-a-big-stick-and-has-facebook-s-authoritarian-antics-under-the-microscope-20210222-p574lw.html
    Matthew Knott tells us that Donald Trump has suffered a major legal defeat after the US Supreme Court declined (6-3) his effort to block a New York grand jury from obtaining his personal and corporate tax records.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/supreme-court-paves-way-for-prosecutors-to-seize-trump-tax-records-20210223-p574vd.html
    Today’s nomination for “Arsehole of the Week” goes to this enterprising prick.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/1m-in-cash-seized-as-man-arrested-over-alleged-money-laundering-via-cryptocurrency-20210222-p574sb.html

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  26. Why does everyone keep insisting the government has a one seat majority which will vanish if Kelly crosses the floor?

    It’s a myth which the media has been happily pushing since the 2019 election.

    Look at the numbers.

    As of yesterday this is how things stood.
    Government – 77 seats.
    Labor – 68 seats.
    Crossbench (including Greens) – 6.

    The Speaker, being a member of the government and only voting if there is a tie, reduces the government numbers to 76.

    Kelly’s defection reduces government seats to 75 and increases the crossbench to 7..

    Until today, to win a vote Labor would have needed every crossbencher to vote with them and it would still not be enough.Two government members would have had to cross the floor to give Labor a win.

    Kelly’s new position means if he voted with Labor (extremely unlikely, not going to happen), and every other crossbencher did the same, there would be a tied vote.

    In a tied vote the Speaker gets a casting vote.

    The decisions of successive Speakers in the House of Commons in giving a casting vote have not always been consistent but three principles have emerged:
    – the Speaker should always vote for further discussion, where this is possible;
    – where no further discussion is possible, decisions should not be taken except by a majority; and
    – a casting vote on an amendment to a bill should leave the bill in its existing form

    https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/House_of_Representatives/Powers_practice_and_procedure/Practice7/HTML/Chapter6/The_Speaker's_vote

    To avoid a tie a member of the government would have to cross the floor for Labor to win a vote. That is never going to happen.

    Craig Kelly will keep on voting with the government and says he will guarantee confidence and supply, so nothing changes.

  28. Excellent description of Craig Kelly

  30. One thing has been nagging in my brain since last Monday- we know the alleged serial rapist was sacked not for being a rapist but for a security breach.

    Something the media don’t mention though – that security breach was in the office of the Minister for Defence, not the office of a minor politician. It is a serious thing, to breach security in an office where national secrets are handled.

    So why on earth does the CrimeMinister still insist he knew nothing? He is clearly lying about what he knew and when he knew.

    Surely a matter involving national security would have gone straight to the PM, not to the PMO, not to his secretary but to the boss himself.

    If he wasn’t told then what fracking purpose does he serve and why don’t his staff tell him immediately about security breaches involving Defence?

    • The CrimeMinister is not the only one lying.

      Cash has just gone against everything Ms Higgins has said, she has verballed a rape victim.

      Why are all these female ministers lying to cover up for their leader? Surely they don’t expect to be rewarded for this abysmal behaviour. Linda Reynolds will be lucky to survive another week. Only Cash’s family connections can save her from a sacking.

  31. If Reynolds went to Hogwarts she would definitely be in Slytherin

    “The answer is of course I have. But as I’ve said on many occasions in this chamber, but Brittany’s story is hers and hers alone to tell publicly. Brittany has said that tomorrow she is speaking with the AFP. I believe… to the bottom of my heart that these discussions should be had with the AFP.”

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2021/feb/23/australia-news-live-albanese-covid-jab-vaccine-morrison-pressure-higgins-claim

  32. Tanya just skewered the Crime Minister

    Tanya Plibersek to Scott Morrison:

    Can the Prime Minister confirm that one member of his staff [knew] about the reported sexual assault of Brittany Higgins two years ago, a second Member said it would be raised with his Chief of Staff two years ago, a third Member of the staff [knew] the alleged perpetrator had been dismissed two years ago, a fourth Member of the staff checked in with Miss Higgins after Four Corners last year, his office dealt with journalists on 12 February and the Prime Minister still says he had no idea about any thing until the story broke last Monday?

  36. Comment on the government’s not at all generous increase to JobSeeker and the new mutual obligations.

    This mean and tricky plan has not gone down well, not at all.

    Morrison’s meagre jobseeker rise is a political fix that only tightens the screws on the unemployed
    Rick Morton
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/23/morrisons-meagre-jobseeker-rise-is-a-political-fix-that-only-tightens-the-screws-on-the-unemployed

    Jobseeker: welfare groups say $50-a-fortnight rise a ‘heartless betrayal’
    Other changes include an increase to amount job seekers can earn before it impacts their payment and a return of mutual obligations
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/23/jobseeker-welfare-groups-say-50-a-fortnight-rise-a-heartless-betrayal

    Business and welfare groups denounce hotline to dob in unemployed Australians who reject job offers
    Small business peak body says there is no need for hotline as ‘most unemployed people are not dole bludgers’
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/23/hotline-to-dob-in-unemployed-australians-who-reject-job-offers-blasted-by-business-welfare-groups

  39. Time for the journalists to do their job

    Former Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins will make a formal complaint today, allowing police to pursue an active investigation into her alleged rape inside a ministerial office at Parliament House.

    At the same time her former boss, Defence Minister Linda Reynolds, will face renewed scrutiny over the way she has handled the young staffer’s complaint when she delivers a speech at the National Press Club.

    She will face half an hour of live televised questioning from reporters, the first time she will be grilled by reporters since the allegation surfaced.

    https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-24/brittany-higgins-expected-police-formal-complaint-alleged-rape/13185066

  40. Joining the long list of who knew

    The home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, has refused to say whether federal police followed “standard practice” for politically sensitive matters and notified his office of the Brittany Higgins rape allegation “at the earliest opportunity”.

    The government has continued to deflect questions from Labor about which ministers had knowledge of the allegations in late March and early April 2019 when Higgins and her then-boss, Linda Reynolds, first spoke to the AFP.

    Internal federal police guidelines suggest that at the time Higgins and Reynolds spoke to police, officers were compelled to alert the home affairs minister “at the earliest opportunity” to any “politically sensitive” matter – unless there was a clear conflict of interest in doing so.

    Politically sensitive matters include an investigation likely to be of “particular interest” to MPs, the government, or the media. The alleged rape of a staffer by her co-worker in a minister’s office would have met this threshold.

    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/24/peter-dutton-refuses-to-say-if-he-was-notified-of-brittany-higgins-allegation

  43. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    The sudden resignation of Craig Kelly will not rock the government, but Scott Morrison is in for some turbulence says David Crowe.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/craig-kelly-s-exit-opens-up-room-for-troublemakers-for-morrison-20210223-p5755r.html
    Rob Harris reports that Craig Kelly has warned he could block any new policy the Morrison government did not take to the last election, potentially throwing the Coalition’s ability to pass new laws into disarray following his shock defection from the Liberal Party to the crossbench yesterday.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/voting-on-my-conscience-craig-kelly-could-block-new-morrison-government-policies-20210223-p5755p.html
    Tony Wright tells us how Morrison left a time bomb in the Liberal ranks.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/how-morrison-left-a-time-bomb-in-liberal-ranks-20210223-p57536.html
    The resignation of Craig Kelly from the Liberal Party is the first structural outbreak of Trumpism in our politics says Greg Sheridan.
    https://www.theaustralian.com.au/world/craig-kellys-trumpist-outbreak-puts-conservatives-on-existential-alert/news-story/712ba013ab13f300581691201cfe5ae1
    Katherine Murphy writes about the chain of events that occurred leading to Kelly’s abrupt defection.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/23/when-craig-kellys-worlds-collided-the-events-that-led-to-the-outspoken-mps-abrupt-defection
    Phil Coorey looks at how Morrison will now have to work with the crossbench.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/pm-falls-back-on-katter-after-kelly-walks-20210223-p5756z
    Emma Koehn reports that pharmacies, GPs and healthcare organisations will be banned from displaying advertisements identifying whether they are using the Pfizer or AstraZeneca product in the national COVID-19 vaccine rollout.
    https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/tga-bans-pfizer-astrazeneca-brand-mentions-in-covid-19-vaccine-advertising-20210223-p574xl.html
    Jennifer Duke and Shane Wright report that the $50-a-fortnight increase in the dole will be ‘take it or leave it’ when the proposed boost goes to Parliament today, following fierce criticism from social services groups and Labor, which say the rise is too small.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/take-it-or-leave-it-government-won-t-budge-on-jobseeker-s-25-a-week-rise-20210223-p5752a.html
    Employer groups are sceptical about a new hotline to dob in job seekers who turn down offers of work, and critics have dubbed it “DobSeeker” and say it is wide open for abuse.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/employers-lukewarm-on-dobseeker-hotline-20210223-p57529.html
    Morrison’s meagre jobseeker rise is a political fix that only tightens the screws on the unemployed, writes Rick Morton. He concludes his article by saying, “When you hurt people, you are not teaching them to be good citizens. You are only hurting them.”
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/23/morrisons-meagre-jobseeker-rise-is-a-political-fix-that-only-tightens-the-screws-on-the-unemployed
    Tony Wright describes fairness in Australia as an extra cup of coffee a day.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/fairness-in-australia-an-extra-cup-of-coffee-a-day-20210223-p57532.html
    Economist Steven Hamilton says that the meagre dole increase plays into the tired old culture wars.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/meagre-dole-increase-plays-into-tired-old-culture-wars-20210223-p5755u.html
    Euan Black writes that economists are saying the ‘dole bludger’ argument just doesn’t stack up.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2021/02/23/dole-bludger-economists-jobseeker/
    Former NSW Auditor-general says that McKenzie and Dutton are putting democracy at risk with actions that reek of playing politics with public money. Cop that!
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/mckenzie-dutton-put-democracy-at-risk-with-actions-that-reek-of-playing-politics-with-public-money-20210215-p572rw.html
    Christopher Knaus and Katherine Murphy revel that Peter Dutton has refused to say whether federal police followed “standard practice” for politically sensitive matters and notified his office of the Brittany Higgins rape allegation “at the earliest opportunity”.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/24/peter-dutton-refuses-to-say-if-he-was-notified-of-brittany-higgins-allegation
    Josh Butler reports that Brittany Higgins will make a formal Police complaint today, allowing the start of an active investigation into her alleged rape inside a ministerial office at Parliament House, and at the same, time her former employer, Linda Reynolds, will face a grilling at the National Press Club when she fronts media cameras for the first time since Ms Higgins made the bombshell allegation that she was sexually assaulted on the Defence Minister’s couch in 2019.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2021/02/24/brittany-higgins-linda-reynolds/
    “The governance framework that applies to ministerial staff is inadequate to a public institution of its size, cost, complexity and importance. There is simply no accountability built into it, and no independent complaints mechanism, however cleverly designed, can help to resolve that”, writes Professor Anne Tiernan for The Conversation.
    https://theconversation.com/yes-the-culture-in-parliament-house-is-appalling-but-there-are-systemic-problems-that-also-need-urgent-reform-155755
    Michelle Grattan writes about Kate Ellis’s coming book, Sex, Lies and Question Time, to be published in April, that discusses the history of women in parliament, their triumphs, but also the adversities faced by female parliamentarians and staff.
    https://theconversation.com/politics-with-michelle-grattan-former-mp-kate-ellis-on-the-culture-in-parliament-house-155874
    If parliamentary culture fosters sexual violence, treats rape as a political problem, undermines women and covers up criminal offences, then “further improvements” won’t cut it, write Professor Carl Rhodes, Celina McEwen and Professor Alison Pullen.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/why-morrisons-response-to-rape-is-woefully-inadequate,14828
    Annika Smethurst and Paul Sakkal tell us that a group of Victorian Liberals believe they have the numbers to defeat Opposition Leader Michael O’Brien and have set a time for a move against him.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/borrowed-time-liberals-give-o-brien-ultimatum-for-may-leadership-spill-20210223-p5755y.html
    Nine Media reports that Australia’s visa program is using a Chinese government-linked company to process applications in Beijing, sparking an internal review into the security of sensitive information. Over to you, Spud!
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/security-fears-over-state-linked-company-processing-visas-in-china-20210222-p574tk.html
    Katina Curtis says that Linda Reynolds is under pressure after giving Parliament conflicting accounts of meetings with police about ex-staffer Brittany Higgins’ allegations a colleague raped her in the minister’s office.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/minister-changes-story-on-police-meeting-over-alleged-rape-20210223-p574zc.html
    Ross Gittins follows on from yesterday’s article in support of Ross Garnaut’s thinking. He accuses our politicians as being unimaginative.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/our-pollies-are-woefully-unimaginative-but-ross-garnaut-has-a-new-plan-for-lifting-australia-above-mediocrity-20210223-p574yt.html
    Peter Martin explains how Facebook is beyond our control.
    https://theconversation.com/one-of-these-things-is-not-like-the-others-why-facebook-is-beyond-our-control-155748
    Joe Biden’s climate envoy, John Kerry, has publicly acknowledged “differences” between the United States and Australia in tackling the climate crisis while calling for a faster exit from coal-fired power.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2021/feb/24/joe-bidens-climate-envoy-admits-us-and-australia-not-on-same-page
    Professor Charles Livingstone writes about the sorry story of Crown Casino, a glittering chimera.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/glittering-chimera-that-is-crown-20210223-p57564.html
    And Patrick Durkin wonders if Crown might be too big to fail in Melbourne.
    https://www.afr.com/companies/games-and-wagering/is-crown-too-big-to-fail-in-melbourne-20210223-p5750e
    The royal commission into aged care will hand down its final report this week and the government needs to act on its findings, writes Sarah Russell.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/royal-commission-proves-we-need-a-new-aged-care-act-20210223-p574wg.html
    NBN Co is attempting to use its monopoly to increase prices, writes Paul Budde.
    https://independentaustralia.net/business/business-display/nbn-co-wants-to-hike-up-broadband-prices-for-australians,14830
    The “corporatisation” of Australian farming continues apace. Almost 14% of agricultural land is now owned by foreign investors who, according to a ruling by the ATO, do not have to pay capital gains tax on water rights. Callum Foote reports.
    https://www.michaelwest.com.au/war-for-water-why-the-foreign-investor-advantage-over-australian-farmers-in-water-deals/
    Clancy Yeates explains what is different about this property boom.
    https://www.smh.com.au/money/banking/what-s-different-about-this-property-boom-20210218-p573nh.html
    Two senior naval officers have been tasked by Prime Minister Scott Morrison to examine options for Australia’s submarine fleet, amid ongoing tensions with the French over the $90 billion future submarine program. What a clusterf**k!
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/pm-intervenes-in-submarine-debacle-20210223-p574yb
    Criminal and family violence cases waiting to be finalised by Victorias Magistrates Court have doubled in number, with about 200,000 cases pending across all the state’s courts, partly due to the impact of the pandemic on the legal system.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/lawyers-call-for-funding-fix-as-courts-face-massive-backlogs-20210223-p5756g.html
    David Smith writes that the Supreme Court’s ruling on Trump tax records could be the costliest defeat of his losing streak.
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2021/feb/23/donald-trump-tax-returns-ruling-analysis
    Raphel Behr writes that Brexit is a machine to generate perpetual grievance and says it’s doing its job perfectly. It’s not pretty!
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/23/brexit-machine-perpetual-grievance-britain-brussels
    The mob of pro-Trump supporters who invaded the US Capitol came “prepared for war”, a former police chief has told Congress.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/world/us-news/2021/02/24/senate-hearing-capitol-attack/
    Elon Musk is no longer the world’s richest person after Tesla shares slid sharply on the back of his comments over the weekend that the prices of Bitcoin ‘do seem high.’
    https://www.theage.com.au/business/markets/elon-musk-loses-19-billion-in-a-day-after-bitcoin-warning-20210224-p57592.html
    Today’s nomination for “Arsehole of the Week” goes to the corpulent Actor Gerard Depardieu who has just been charged with rape and sexual assault.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/entertainment/celebrity/2021/02/24/gerard-depardieu-rape-charges/

    Cartoon Corner

    David Pope

    David Rowe

    Cathy Wilcox


    Matt Golding




    John Shakespeare


    Fiona Katauskas

    Peter Broelman
    https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Eu6xAi5U4AIamcd

    Mark David

    Mark Knight

    John Spooner

    From the US











  44. Labor needs to pass the miserly rise to JobSeeker after proposing it remain at its current Covid supplement rate

    Unemployed go from $710 a fortnight down to $610 a fortnight which is better than previous $560 a fortnight

    Doug Cameron says there are 206 job seekers for every entry level job. I wonder if that includes people on JobKeeper?

    Rick Morton describes the toll of unemployment and grinding poverty on families

    studies show our brains fade away precisely because of the stress that poverty breeds in the home. It is the mental and physical exertion that does it; the ambient terror of not knowing how the day will unfold or if you will make it through it. Young children absorb this persistent anxiety in their own bodies,

    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2021/feb/23/morrisons-meagre-jobseeker-rise-is-a-political-fix-that-only-tightens-the-screws-on-the-unemployed?CMP=Share_iOSApp_Other

    • Labor has to vote for this but they can also promise to increase this payment when they return to government.

      The real question has to be will they do that. Last election Shorten carefully avoided any discussion of increases to any social security payments. The only promise Labor made was to hold a review of JobSeeker at some undetermined future time. The most he would promise for Centrelink clients was an increase in call centre workers – in Tasmania.

      That attitude has to change.

      I can vouch for that – I went onto a sole parent payment in 1985. Centrelink was a much better place in the 1980s and for the first half of the 1990s. Then came Howard and everything changed, including Labor’s attitude to social security.

  45. So Linda Reynolds has pulled out of her speech st the NPC today, claiming health problems.

    Cowardice is a health problem? Maybe, if it involves lack of a spine.

    Just a reminder of Linda’s deep commitment to Australians – during the dreadful fires last summer Linda took off for her holiday home in Bali. While defence personnel were helping clear fire damaged property, feeding fire fighters, looking after survivors and in some areas fighting fires she was loafing beside a pool in Bali. Selfish cow!

    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2020/01/05/linda-reynolds-bali-holiday/

  47. Greg Hunt need not apply to run the next chook raffle at our pub

    • Obviously there was no training for privately contracted doctors giving vaccinations. Whatever doctor did this clearly didn’t know each vial contains at least four doses. .(Even I know that, just from reading news reports.)

      The blame lies entirely with the federal government – if you read Annastacia’s thread you learn they could not even be bothered telling the Queensland government about this – happened yesterday morning – until this morning.

  48. What the hell was the CrimeMinister doing speaking to Reynold’s specialist? Talk about a gross invasion of privacy.

    I would have been furious if any of my bosses had contacted my doctors.

    Treating a woman like an infant again are we, CrimeMinister?

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