It seems trite to start with anything like “We are all Ukrainians now”. However, in so many ways, we are. We are all little people, doing our best to get on with our lives, looking after those dear to us.
Then life as we’ve known it explodes, and we are shattered into devastating uncertainties – precisely what’s happening to everyone in Ukraine.
To backtrack 60 years, my parents were remarkably open with me from my earliest days about social issues, e.g., cancer and smoking, sexuality, religion, racism, politics – local and world – and everything in between. I knew about the Holocaust, I knew about Anne Frank and so many other victims, I knew about the nuclear bombing of Japan, Yet I don’t recall ANYTHING about the Cuban Missile Crisis.
I do wonder – and now wish I’d asked them – if they’d decided to adopt media silence as far as I was concerned (I was only 6 years old but was already aware of the dangers of cigarettes and often cried myself to sleep thinking about mum’s smoking.
I was well-aware of the Malaysian/Indonesian war. I knew about the Korean war. I most certainly knew about the Vietnam war. And – unbeknownst to them – I had listened to a dramatisation of the Nuremberg Trials.
The only reason I can imagine is that, for them, it was an existential crisis, and they didn’t want me to know about it until it might have affected Australia.
And I weep for all Ukrainians, all of whom have been children, and for all and every Ukrainian child.
THE PUB 
Would you like the good news or the good news?
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7687009/new-polls-show-re-election-trouble-for-seselja/?cs=14329
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Here we go! The High Court will be asked to make the final decision on an extraordinary legal challenge to the validity of Liberal Party pre-selections on the eve of Prime Minister Scott Morrison calling the election, after a NSW court threw out the case yesterday. The High Court, however, is not obliged to hear the appeal.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/path-to-election-cleared-as-pm-wins-court-case-over-preselections-20220405-p5ab0p.html
Meanwhile, the Liberal Party’s campaign to retain the marginal inner west Sydney seat of Reid has been destabilised after members of one local branch withdrew their support for the campaign of sitting MP Fiona Martin on Monday night. There’s trouble in paradise!
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/local-liberals-withdraw-from-sitting-mp-s-campaign-in-reid-20220404-p5aard.html
Scott Morrison had a win over NSW pre-selections in court, but the political scars have badly damaged the Coalition’s hopes of picking up seats in the state, writes Jennifer Hewett.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/no-limit-to-the-pile-on-from-morrison-s-many-enemies-on-his-own-side-20220405-p5aay0
Latika Bourke outlines Morrison’s 7:30 appearance.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/i-stood-up-for-women-pm-defends-captain-s-picks-in-federal-seats-20220405-p5ab40.html
The allegations that Scott Morrison played an active role in white-anting one of his preselection rivals over his Lebanese heritage and false claims that he was a Muslim should spark big questions about Australia’s attitude to race, and inspire deep soul-searching about our country’s media and political institutions, argues Osman Faruqi.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/racist-campaign-against-towke-says-more-about-australia-than-morrison-20220404-p5aalm.html
Scott Morrison has presented himself as the least substantial of all the prime ministers in my time, but his influence on the way politics is conducted is profound, explains Shaun Carney.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/pm-s-schtick-pales-against-past-giants-20220405-p5aaut.html
“From Banks to Cusack: Why is it always Liberal women speaking out?”, wonders Jenna Price. She says there is a circle of men surrounding the Prime Minister and it doesn’t help Morrison that his closest political mates are also all blokes, with Alex Hawke leading the group.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/from-banks-to-cusack-why-is-it-always-liberal-women-speaking-out-20220404-p5aasi.html
Labor now has a real opportunity to break its 26-year-old cycle of decay and decline at the national level by achieving two results – resurrecting its long-depressed primary vote and winning a parliamentary majority in its own right devoid of reliance on the crossbench, writes Paul Kelly.
https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/labors-fresh-chance-after-decades-of-failure/news-story/56e2457b4599e17a1826ecfcab10b1dd
Labor has once again failed to set out a credible fiscal repair strategy. For budget policy, this again looks like being a zero mandate election, complains the AFR’s editorial.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/budget-platitudes-no-alternative-for-fiscal-principles-20220404-p5aaqz
True to form, The Australian trumpets, “Jim Chalmers rekindles Kevin Rudd’s spending mantra”.
https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/nation/jim-chalmers-rekindles-kevin-rudds-spending-mantra/news-story/66d9e1d357421f04b74882a969918628
The Liberal party crisis is not a dysfunctional family soap opera – democracy is at stake, warns Anne Davies.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/05/the-liberal-party-crisis-is-not-a-dysfunctional-family-soap-opera-democracy-is-at-stake
Scott Morrison’s willingness to sign a statutory declaration over accusations of racism feels invalid considering his track record of lying, writes Dr Jennifer Wilson.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/morrisons-misogyny-racism-and-bullying-wont-disappear-with-a-stat-dec,16228
The Canberra Times has a new poll that shows ACT Liberal Senator Seselja in the fight for his political life.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7687009/new-polls-show-re-election-trouble-for-seselja/?cs=14329
There is an overwhelming sense of doom hanging like a pall over the Morrison government. If Scott Morrison embarked on an expedition to try to find some good news for his future, that search would undoubtedly prove fruitless and forlorn. The polls are just one pointer, but they are a significant one, Writes Graham Richardson.
https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/overexposed-and-underwhelming-scott-morrison-appears-to-have-run-his-course/news-story/0490094d330e18c98d996993388ff119
Anthony Albanese is taking the weight of Scott Morrison’s shortcomings and deploying these against him, explains Peter Lewis. He concludes with, “Morrison will continue to huff and puff about the risk of Labor and repeat his mantra that the former deputy prime minister has never held an economic portfolio; he will splash the cash around and attempt to dominate the daily news cycle with lovingly choreographed moments. But every day he does so he will be shining the spotlight on what has become his government’s greatest weakness: him.”
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/05/anthony-albanese-is-taking-the-weight-of-scott-morrisons-shortcomings-and-deploying-these-against-him
With Scott Morrison on the nose in parts of the country, Liberal MPs may want ‘permission to distance’, writes Katherine Murphy.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/05/with-scott-morrison-on-the-nose-in-parts-of-the-country-liberal-mps-have-been-given-permission-to-distance
Crispin Hull explains how the Liberals’ Senate deal with the Nationals puts their own party in jeopardy.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7685687/liberals-election-chickens-coming-home-to-roost/?cs=14258
“The polls look grim for the Coalition. Will Queensland buck the trend again?”, asks Professor Anne Tiernan.
https://theconversation.com/the-polls-look-grim-for-the-coalition-will-queensland-buck-the-trend-again-180249
If Liberal-National Party voters have a skerrick of integrity left they should assist the rest of Australia in ushering this Government out the back door, in a landslide, declares Geoff Dyer.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/the-coalition-is-no-longer-fit-for-purpose,16229
There is a fundamental mismatch between the government’s rhetoric of national security and its astonishing lack of action. This isn’t a PR problem. It’s a substance problem, says Greg Sheridan as he continues his criticism of the government on defence.
https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/nation/defence/all-at-sea-on-rhetoric-without-substance/news-story/15bf7781709f93c4ed42ed9200a73c78
In the Morrison Government’s attempt to frame a “khaki election”, we have had a flurry of big announcements recently – nuclear powered submarines, new tanks, a new east coast submarine base, more people for the ADF and west coast dockyard infrastructure. What’s really going on? This is the first of four articles evaluating Australia’s defence written by “Admiral Prune”who represents a few very senior, long serving uniformed military officers with deep specialist expertise.
https://johnmenadue.com/admiral-prune-defending-australia-part-1-of-4-whats-going-on/
Ross Gittins looks at the budget as a guide to who’s a Morrison mate and who’s not.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/budget-winners-and-losers-a-guide-to-who-s-a-morrison-mate-and-who-s-not-20220405-p5aavm.html
Peter Martin explains the budget super giveaway that allows the already wealthy to amass even more tax-free money.
https://theconversation.com/the-budget-super-giveaway-that-allows-the-already-wealthy-to-amass-even-more-tax-free-180582
There is a biased opinion amongst mainstream journalists that Labor governments overspend and are not prudent economic managers, whereas Liberal governments are “good with money”, writes Victoria Fileding
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/comparing-the-budgets–labor-cares-and-liberals-spend,16226
Even a monetary policy alien from Mars would know interest rate rises are coming. But the RBA wants to wait a little longer before finally moving, says Shane Wright.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/patience-finally-running-out-for-an-rba-trying-to-avoid-election-20220405-p5aaui.html
Katina Curtis reports that Attorney-General Michaelia Cash made captain’s picks for six of the 19 people appointed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal on the eve of the federal election. Federal ministers have made more than 120 appointments or reappointments to Commonwealth bodies over the past two weeks. A disgusting performance.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/six-captain-s-picks-put-on-government-tribunal-on-election-eve-20220405-p5aaxb.html
Giving cushy jobs to political fellow travellers looks, and smells, like cronyism, says to Grattan Institute.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/giving-cushy-jobs-to-political-fellow-travellers-looks-and-smells-like-cronyism-20220405-p5aaxy.html
Public institutions need the guidance of expert boards, and appointments to them should be well considered, transparent, merit-based and non-political. In many countries that’s normative and taken for granted. But not in Australia. Under the Coalition government the boards of some of our great institutions have been thoroughly politicised, declares Dr Ray Edmonson.
https://johnmenadue.com/ray-edmondsoncoalition-jobs-for-the-boys-and-girls-before-the-caretaker-period/
The Morrison Government has ramped up its multi-million dollar spending on its most egregious rort of all, propaganda. Paid for from the public purse, to try to influence (in its favour) the way the public votes, writes David Solomon.
https://johnmenadue.com/the-propaganda-rort-2/
The Labor campaign has walked back leader Anthony Albanese’s promise to mandate 24/7 nurses in aged care as part of its $2.5 billion reform package, clarifying that providers will be given “flexibility” if they cannot find enough staff. The difficulties go well beyond that. The size of a facility makes a big difference to such a proposal.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/albanese-s-pledge-to-mandate-24-7-nurses-in-aged-care-comes-with-a-disclaimer-20220405-p5aawa.html
Despite its grim truths, not all the news in the climate report is bad, writes Nick O’Malley.
https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/despite-its-grim-truths-not-all-the-news-in-the-climate-report-is-bad-20220405-p5ab3a.html
Rob Harris writes that as part of its climate change commitment, a Labor government would seek to co-host a UN COP meeting with Pacific Island nations.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/clear-message-labor-promises-to-bid-to-host-global-climate-change-summit-if-elected-20220405-p5aaz8.html
The Morrison government has been accused of sitting on a major report card on the state of Australia’s environment it received more than three months ago to avoid “more bad news”. Lisa Cox reports that Labor, the Greens, the independent MP Zali Steggall, environment groups and scientists have called on the government to release the Australia State of the Environment report, which is produced by scientists and compiled every five years.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/06/coalition-accused-of-sitting-on-environment-report-to-avoid-delivering-more-bad-news
Anthony Galloway tells us that Australia will develop long-range missiles that can travel at least five times the speed of sound under a new agreement with the United States and Britain. Any questions on where the money’s coming from?
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/australia-to-build-hypersonic-missiles-with-us-and-britain-as-arms-race-heats-up-20220405-p5ab22.html
Patrick Hatch gives us more from the inquiry where the Star Entertainment Group’s top financial crimes officer did not tell directors about a string of incidents that suggested dirty money was being laundered in the private gaming room of its notorious “junket” partner Suncity, when updating them on a media expose about the group’s criminal links. (Perhaps he was under an impression that the directors didn’t want to hear).
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/junket-s-suspect-money-bags-glossed-over-in-the-star-s-board-report-20220405-p5ab2b.html
The US had its moves worked out three years ago. Australia, with the most pro-American government since Holt, has been malleable, fawning, uncritical and easily led, laments Bruce Haigh.
https://johnmenadue.com/hysteria-hyperbole-hubris-and-denial-are-driving-foreign-and-defence-policy/
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has warned the United Nations that it is giving Russia a “right to sow death” by allowing it a veto on the Security Council.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/zelensky-urges-un-to-take-action-against-russia-remove-its-veto-power-20220406-p5ab4y.html
Putin may be a war criminal but prosecuting him is futile, opines the editorial in the SMH.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/putin-may-be-a-war-criminal-but-prosecuting-him-is-futile-20220405-p5ab3k.html
Super funds must reveal on their websites the investments they hold, but some of the biggest and best resourced funds are leaving consumers befuddled, explains John Collett.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/clear-as-mud-super-funds-portfolio-disclosures-are-barely-intelligible-20220401-p5aa35.html
Cartoon Corner
David Pope
Cathy Wilcox
David Rowe
John Shakespeare
Andrew Dyson
Matt Golding
Mark David
Fiona Katauskas
Peter Broelman
Mark Knight
Spooner
From the US
Here we go again – more billions to be spent on pie-in-the-sky weapons that may benefit our allies but not Australia. When will Australian governments realise that the US is willing to use Australia as a source of cannon fodder and as a first strike target but will be off in a cloud of dust when Australia is in trouble? The Brits already have form on abandoning us.
Aukus pact extended to development of hypersonic weapons
Britain, US and Australia to cooperate on high-speed missiles to counter Russia and China
https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/apr/05/aukus-pact-extended-to-development-of-hypersonic-weapons
Our role in the project will be to supply $$$$$$$$$$$$$s and firing ranges for tests. The Russians and Chinese are a million miles in front of ‘us’ when it comes to this tech so we’re coming from a fair way back. Which means
bucketsswimming pools of money in the ‘catch up’.How far back are ‘we’ ? While the US has had 3 partial tests and all have been a bigly FAIL the Russians have them on all branches of the services and have demonstrated them in Ukraine. It was quite a message for Nato.
Not too long ago the Chinese scared the crap out of America with a demonstration of one of their weapons. The US tracked it as it circled the globe doing 40,000 km . So now the Russians and Chinese have global hypersonic weapons that currently cannot be intercepted.
Thank goodness it is a wonderful bright blue sky Autumn day here in The Cave to enjoy. As Michael Stipe and REM sang a long time ago
AUKUS and hypersonic missiles???
What happened to the Quad. That seems to have gone very quiet lately.
Don’t mention India!
The Shovel –
Morrison does emergency photo op in Lebanese kebab shop to prove he’s not racist
https://www.theshovel.com.au/2022/04/05/morrison-emergency-photo-op-lebanese-kebab/
There’s more. The last sentence is a doozy!
The new ‘core’ could well be China-Russia-India and possibly Iran .The era of Eurasia may be on the horizon.* It might happen rather quickly too. Apart from them there is a mighty long list of countries in Sth America , Africa and Asia who have good reason to resent the West. So ‘we’ might suddenly find ourselves Nigel No Friends.
The following is but one story but do you think the Indians forget this or the Chinese The Opium Wars , the list goes on ? .
https://www.monbiot.com/2005/12/27/how-britain-denies-its-holocausts/
* Europe becoming a peninsular stuck out on the outer edge of the new centre of gravity.
You can see from this map the ‘core’ forming already in this map of the SCO. India is well into it which is why all the trumpeting of Teh Quad did not ‘excite’ me.
The Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), also known as the Shanghai Pact,[2] is a transcontinental political, economic, and security alliance
And our daft government (and Labor) insist on tying Australia to the US. Why? Because of the myth about the US “saving” Australia in WWII?
Climate 200 candidates are targeting Liberal seats so Peta is having a big sook,
Over in The Cave.
Laugh ? Cry ? 😆
(paywalled)
Non-paywalled version here –
https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-10686137/Sacked-Western-Australian-workers-argue-unvaccinated-disability.html
I know a lot about disabilities – I can tell you these loons are in no way “disabled”. Stupidity is not a disability.
This case should be thrown out of court.
Mentally disabled ? That angle would hold water.
No it wouldn’t.
They would have to prove they had an intellectual disability, take all sorts of tests to do that and then explain why they had not been immunised when disabled people were being given priority.
Are any of them on DSP because they have intellectual disabilities? I suppose not.
Having known how hard it is for deserving people with genuine, permanent disabilities to get DSP these days these loons have no chance of even beginning to prove their alleged “disabled” status.
I believe catch 22 aplies here.
Stephen Colbert –
Jimmy Kimmel –
Chris Hayes –
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=erwParThdr0
Brian Tyler Cohen –
F.M –
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/06/a-tiny-group-of-wealthy-people-refuse-to-stop-making-more-money-in-order-to-save-the-planet
Nearly ran off the road on the way from work due to the lols from a SfM announcement. Scotty the Morrison , the famed announcement but no delivery artiste, added another layer to his announcing but not delivering technique. He was announcing Straya would be getting hypersonic missiles. Hurrah !…………………. missiles that don’t actually exist.
I’m expecting Dorothy and Toto to make an appearance any minute.
TLBD
Perhaps he plans to borrow some from Vlad or Xi. They actually have them. Meanwhile………..
https://www.thedefensepost.com/2021/12/20/us-hypersonic-missile-fails-trial/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hypersonic_weapon
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2022/apr/06/australia-news-live-updates-weather-warnings-rain-floods-nsw-qld-victoria-scott-morrison-election-covid-coronavirus-omicron#maincontent
If anyone is interested, they should should check out The Project with the interview on Towke. It is mindblowing.
Koalas are officially listed as endangered in NSW, ACT & Qld
Koala not endangered in WA. Mind you the lazy buggers never bothered to walk across the Nullarbor .
For those interested in Australian Naval History, youtube naval historiographer Drachinifel has put up a near-90 minute documentary of the Australian WW2 Destroyer group known as the “Scrap Iron Flotilla”, complete with interviews with veterans.
Michael West –
A long post by Kevin but worth a read.
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Niki Savva begins this week’s column with, “This election campaign was always destined to get dirty. It was shaping up as one of the dirtiest ever. And so it has come to pass, but in ways not even seasoned operators predicted. The surprise is that the missiles launched from each side have targeted their own, although it has to be said with much greater precision by Liberals, inflicting potentially fatal wounds on Scott Morrison.”
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/friendly-fire-forces-morrison-albanese-into-the-crosshairs-20220406-p5ab5r.html
Australians could face days or even weeks of political limbo after the federal election, with key crossbench MPs declaring there will be “no deals” struck with Scott Morrison or Anthony Albanese in the event of a hung parliament, says James Massola.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/crossbench-warn-morrison-albanese-there-will-be-no-deals-in-a-hung-parliament-20220406-p5ab69.html
Scott Morrison has been heckled during a pre-election visit to the Edgeworth Tavern in Newcastle. Lynette Eyb reports that In a video circulated on social media last night, Mr Morrison is seen cornered by a pensioner, who repeatedly points his finger at the Prime Minister and accuses him of breaking election promises.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/broken-promises-scott-morrison-heckled-in-newcastle-pub-20220406-p5abgw.html
The man who has accused Scott Morrison of “racial vilification” in a Liberal Party ballot more than a decade ago, Michael Towke, has gone further in new claims about the reaction from a cabinet minister to his explosive claims in recent days. David Crowe fills us I with the latest.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/i-believe-you-michael-towke-says-current-cabinet-minister-backs-him-20220406-p5abe6.html
Peta Credlin leads The Australian’s pack attack on independents, saying they “must come clean” on who they would support. They also say several of the current independents support Labor.
https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/coalition-or-labor-independents-must-come-clean-with-voters/news-story/544e0069bf76148e0384596896e971f8
Another of its packs is getting stuck into the “who is Anthony Albanese?” mantra.
https://www.theaustralian.com.au/nation/politics/believability-poll-faith-in-anthony-albanese-but-who-is-he/news-story/01decc74288a210cbf2de7b2d5684500
Media coverage of Scott Morrison’s alleged comments about Michael Towke reveal harsh truths about Australia, writes Roland Jabbour.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2022/apr/06/media-coverage-of-scott-morrisons-alleged-comments-about-michael-towke-reveal-harsh-truths-about-australia
The AFR tells us that the NSW Liberal Party has expelled an official who took court action to stop Scott Morrison imposing candidates in key seats, as two female Liberal MPs defended the Prime Minister, saying his intervention spared them from being rolled by “malicious factional players”.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/female-mps-say-morrison-saved-their-seats-20220406-p5ab6q
The man seeking a high court challenge against federal intervention in New South Wales Liberal pre-selections has been expelled from the party. In an escalation of the NSW Liberal factional stoush, Matthew Camenzuli has asked the high court to prevent Scott Morrison’s hand-picked candidates from receiving Liberal endorsement on ballot papers pending the urgent case.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/06/nsw-liberal-seeking-to-challenge-federal-intervention-in-high-court-expelled-from-party
Scott Morrison is dangerous because he is driven by a fantastically flawed personality, mixed with a deranged political ideology, with the added bonus of crazy end-of-times religious lunacy. In Australia we presume the good faith of our political leaders. It has held to be true for over a century, but Morrison has picked up certain traits from his role models overseas, which are foreign to us, posits Mark Buckley.
https://theaimn.com/scott-morrison-is-dangerous/
The Australian Electoral Commission has over $15 million in contracts with printing and marketing company IVE Group which is run by former NSW Liberal Party President Geoff Selig. Geoff Selig, former NSW Liberal President between 2005 and 2008, runs IVE Group/Blue Star which is a printing/marketing company. IVE were in the news for over $18 million in contracts that were awarded without an open contract, as reported by Adele Ferguson in 2020, explains Callum Foote.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/aec-pays-15m-to-company-run-by-ex-nsw-liberal-party-president/
Scott Morrison has a problem with climate change which reflects his style of governing, opines Chas Keys.
https://johnmenadue.com/climate-change-scott-morrisons-achilles-heel/
The NSW Premier doesn’t want any state seats without Liberal candidates when he’s heading to the polls less than year from now. If the party’s preselection fiasco for the federal election is a guide, he should get to work, says Alaxandra Smith.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/state-of-cascading-debacles-perrottet-can-t-let-federal-preselection-mess-poison-his-own-campaign-20220406-p5ab8j.html
Josh Gordon writes that the latest polling shows Matthew Guy is back in the race, though he faces an uphill run to November 26 that will require grit, skill and a huge amount of luck if he is to prevail. The Andrews government has one big advantage. Labor has a hefty 10-seat buffer in the parliament, controlling 55 out of 88 lower house votes.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/guy-back-in-the-race-but-labor-riding-high-on-10-seat-buffer-20220406-p5ab6j.html
Allegations of senior Liberal figures cavorting with sex workers in the Parliament prayer room. Another whistleblower raid. Yet two days on, deafening silence. Not a word from the corporate media and the national broadcasters, says Michael West.
https://www.michaelwest.com.au/jordan-shanks-the-parliament-prayer-room-a-police-raid-and-the-sounds-of-silence/
Michael Read report that climate independents are outspending both major political parties and the union movement on Facebook and Instagram, prompting Treasurer Josh Frydenberg to unleash an expensive catch-up ad campaign in his seat of Kooyong in March.
https://www.afr.com/politics/frydenberg-unleashes-catch-up-ad-campaign-as-independents-spend-big-20220405-p5aavw
Jana Stewart, who has become Labor’s first Victorian Aboriginal senator, is proud of the party’s 50-50 gender split in caucus but says it needs to take greater action on increasing cultural diversity.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/history-making-opportunity-jana-stewart-sworn-in-as-kitching-s-senate-replacement-20220406-p5ab7l.html
The RBA’s decade without a rate rise is coming to an end – but the market’s expectations are absurd, declares Greg Jericho.
https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2022/apr/06/the-rbas-decade-without-a-rate-rise-is-coming-to-an-end-but-the-markets-expectations-are-absurd
Here is part 2 of 4 of the series on Australia’s defence.
https://johnmenadue.com/admiral-plumedefending-australia-part-2-of-4-are-we-delivering-the-adf-we-need/
According to Lucy Cormack, Resilience NSW boss Shane Fitzsimmons has rejected assertions the government “dropped the ball” in handling floods in the state’s north.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/who-dropped-the-ball-emergency-service-chiefs-defend-flood-response-20220406-p5ab8i.html
Brightly coloured vaping products with flavours like bubble gum and fairy floss that claim to be nicotine-free could be banned in a national crackdown as new research finds e-cigarettes are “harmful and addicting youth”, writes Dana Daniel.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/harmful-and-addicting-youth-vaping-crackdown-flagged-in-national-report-20220404-p5aals.html
Little has been mentioned in the mainstream media about the United Australia Party’s ties to antisemitism, writes Tom Tanuki.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/clive-palmer-must-answer-for-uap-antisemitism,16232
Promised jobs in Adelaide will never take off after a much-hyped drone project was scrapped, triggering alerts over an increasing number of failed military projects.
https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/business/sa-business/companies-angry-at-failed-project-to-build-drones-in-adelaide/news-story/1c5840efcb6103457625a673ac4df7b7?amp
Michaela Whitbourn reports that a senior lawyer at The Star Entertainment Group has admitted that patrons at its Sydney casino were permitted to use a Chinese debit card indirectly to buy gaming chips, despite the company behind the cards banning gambling transactions. The stench continues to emanate.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/star-used-hotel-charges-to-sidestep-ban-on-using-chinese-debit-cards-for-gambling-inquiry-hears-20220406-p5ab8h.html
Elizabeth Knight tells us how Victoria’s new casino watchdog boss is prepared to ruffle feathers.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/from-christian-porter-to-crown-new-casino-boss-is-prepared-to-ruffle-feathers-20220406-p5abc3.html
The catastrophic floods in Lismore offered a terrifying vision of the impact of climate change but NSW Planning Minister Anthony Roberts has, in the past two weeks, made two decisions which will help make these sorts of disasters more frequent and more damaging, argues the SMH editorial.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nsw-puts-property-developer-profits-before-climate-action-20220406-p5abd3.html
The CEO of Catholic Health Australia writes that the sheer magnitude of the challenge means we need a better system for getting those who can afford to pay for their aged care to dip into their own pockets.
https://www.afr.com/policy/health-and-education/the-elephant-in-the-aged-care-room-is-housing-wealth-20220405-p5ab44
NSW Minister for Metropolitan Roads, Natalie Ward, explains why she changed the law to stop protesters.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/why-i-changed-the-law-to-stop-protesters-fury-of-a-minister-caught-in-traffic-jam-20220406-p5abb7.html
The Reserve Bank holds 80 tonnes of gold beneath the Bank of England in London. An official is being sent to check it is all there.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/a-golden-audit-rba-to-check-on-its-6-billion-in-bullion-20220406-p5abf3.html
Long-term Canada Bay Council mayor Angelo Tsirekas is facing a corruption inquiry over allegations he used his position to help developers in exchange for benefits including international flights and money. Local government ad developers are a toxic mix, are they not?
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/corruption-watchdog-launches-inquiry-into-canada-bay-mayor-20220406-p5abek.html
Angus Thompson tells us that convenience store giant 7-Eleven has agreed to pay almost $100 million in a class action settlement to franchisees who say they were misled about the profitability of the stores.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/7-eleven-to-pay-franchisees-98-million-in-class-action-settlement-20220406-p5abei.html
The US, along with the G7 and the EU, has imposed a further round of severe and immediate economic sanctions on the Putin regime – including his daughters – for suspected war crimes in Ukraine.
https://www.theage.com.au/world/europe/blocked-us-slaps-sanctions-on-vladimir-putin-s-daughters-20220407-p5abh4.html
Public opinion will not tolerate the continued funding of Vladimir Putin’s war machine with purchases of oil, gas and coal, writes Ambrose Evans-Pritchard who says a full energy ban against Russia is unstoppable.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/a-full-energy-ban-against-russia-is-now-unstoppable-20220406-p5ab52.html
The House select committee investigating the January 6 insurrection at the US Capitol has received a cache of emails belonging to Donald Trump’s lawyer, John Eastman, federal court documents filed on Tuesday show. The 101 emails were released to the committee after Judge David Carter ruled in federal court in California last week that Eastman, a hard-right supporter of the former US president, had not made a sufficient claim to attorney-client privilege.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/06/trump-lawyer-emails-released-january-6-panel-discuss-plans-block-biden-victory
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe
Cathy Wilcox
David Pope
Matt Golding
Alan Moir
Andrew Dyson
John Shakespeare
Mark Knight
Dionne Gain
Leak
From the US
I don’t know whether the last link I posted was the full thing, but this one should be.
https://t.co/TaUdHq152v
Scummo cannot afford to mix with the people. They hate him.
The daily cartoon in the deadwood version of the local rag here in The Cave had a LOL ‘burn’ of the State Liberal leader. It’s close to the truth 🙂
The title “On the Campaign Trail” .
The scene.Albo and McGowan on the street. Driving past is a vehicle with a billboard on it that reads “Dave Says Don’t Vote For Albo”
The dialogue.
Albo “Ur….who is that person ?”
McGowan“Face is familiar………But no one seems to know”
More wild weather in Sydney –
We had rain here in the early hours, so heavy it woke me up, and a bit of wind, but nothing like the stuff Sydney is copping.
No wonder Scovid is terrified of appearing in public -this is what happens when he doers.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison confronted by local resident while campaigning at Edgeworth Tavern in Newcastle
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-07/scott-morrison-confronted-by-pensioner-at-newcastle-pub/100972300
And –
Wild moment Scott Morrison is confronted by locals at Edgeworth Tavern
https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/wild-moment-scott-morrison-is-confronted-by-locals-at-edgeworth-tavern/news-story/0c289dff65fe5a2a8ca597ebab0ddeae
TGA has the story
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/07/furious-pensioner-confronts-scott-morrison-as-newcastle-pub-photo-opp-backfires
I wondered what Scovid was doing in Edgeworth – then I realised it was in the electorate of Hunter, a seat that will be hotly contested when we finally get to have an election. The departing MP is Joel Fitzgibbon.
The Libs must have hopes of winning that seat, although maybe with The Gibbon, out of the picture Labor might hang onto it.
Letter in SMH 7 April
Departure tax
As a self-funder in my 70s trying to generate enough dosh to make it to the grave, Anthony Albanese’s costing of the plan to create thousands of nurses in aged care to watch us depart, will ensure taxes will have to rise to pay for the funding of these extra nurses, including taxing self-funders, thus guaranteeing there will be nothing left in my super fund to splash out on a fancy funeral (“Anthony Albanese’s aged care nurse mandate comes with a disclaimer”, smh.com.au, April 6). It recently cost $214 per day to keep my late father in aged care: imagine how that will rise to pay for these extra nurses.
What a whinger! And so obviously a Liberal voter.
Why does he need a “fancy funeral”? He won’t be there to enjoy it.
I bet he changes his tune when he is in aged care. If this person was personally paying $214 a day for Dad’s aged care then they must be a lot wealthier than they would have us believe, or Dad was.
The basic daily fee in aged care is $54.69 per day, or $19,961.85 per year – 85% of the single pension rate. This is paid by deduction from a pension.. Those who have the money to pay more will be subjected to a means test. Currently means tested rates vary from $0 and $259.26 per day.. For someone to be paying $214 a day means the person in aged care was well-off or someone is telling porkies.
https://www.myagedcare.gov.au/aged-care-home-costs-and-fees
All Labor has to do to fund aged care properly is cut out all the current rorting and handouts.
I do love those who loudly proclaim themselves to be “self-funders, ” and so somewhat special. Considering how much of that loot is taxpayers $s , directly or by way of various subsidies/concessions/tax breaks. Not to mention all the $$$$$$$$$$s they get/got in tax refunds for taxes they never paid in the first place .
Speaking of nursing homes. Way back The Rodent suggested setting up a scheme whereby people could fund their care by accessing the equity in their home. Lordy lordy the outcry. The wailing and gnashing of teeth. No not from the elderly but from their children. Not too shy about making the real reason for their caterwauling known either, it would mean their inheritance would be less. Within a few days The Rodent dropped the idea like the hottest of hot potatoes.It was added to the “Now let us never speak of this again” list.
When mum entered aged care she was charged at the higher rate but treated the same as any other resident. Don’t know if other residents were on aged pensions.
The Sunday cook was a uni student who Gladwrapped the sandwiches so tight mum couldn’t see the plastic let alone remove it. We darkly joked that people starved in the joint as we ate Chinese at the Human (Hunan?) Village every Tuesday night and ordered prawns, broccoli & can’t remember -which the cook kindly cut to finger food size
Seth Meyers –
Stephen Colbert –
Chris Hayes – (part 1 and 2)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7wH8GWwcpgw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4jjSRhHCzM
Brian Tyler Cohen –
Jimmy Kimmel –
Scotty not finding many welcome mats lately.
.
Scott Morrison clashes with a 14-year-old ‘reporter’ after being confronted over his ‘history of lies’
https://www.news.com.au/national/politics/scomos-heated-clash-with-teenager-over-lying-allegations/news-story/3a2d9150f59b58a5608ac7b89213c77c
Guffaw!
As far as using eqioty in the family home to fund aged care, there is no way I will condone asset-stripping of my family of the home and land it took half a lifetime to acquire. It is a dastardly scheme to keep the poorer classes in their place, and that is not in the home-owning class. If ever I need a nursing home, and I am required to fund it using home equity, I will be looking into self-euthanasia. To pay to end my life in one of those miserable understaffed cesspits is not the way I am going. Not only that, I would be paying to be dependent while powerless to stop abuse… all while eating party pies and steamed fish. Yeah Nah, mate.
What scares me most about aged care is the food – I try to eat a low-carb diet (health reasons) and I avoid bread as much as possible. Living on sandwiches, party pies and similar cheap crap would see me starve to death in a week.
As for steamed fish (frozen of course) all I can say is Yech!!!
I don’t own a house, so no worries about selling up to fund my aged “care”.
Self-euthanasia is looking better and better the older I get. Bugger this rubbish about needing to be terminally ill, setting up your death months in advance, proving you are still sane and all the other hoops the states that allow it have set up for terminally ill people to crawl through.
How very cosy!
Mark Humphries at 24:50
https://iview.abc.net.au/video/NC2201H056S00