One of the more of the many appalling – things – incidents – catastrophes of WW1 that happened:
Gallipoli.
Australia and New Zealand and the UK and – we should NEVER forget – Turkey – were embroiled in this utterly futile and destructive stretched-out battle. So many young men – teenagers, on both sides, were doing their best to kill each other, probably without any idea of the politics behind that war.
So many young lives wasted.
So many parents and siblings mourning.
So many families grieving forever.
Now the wannabe warlord/tsar of the world is wreaking his hubris on Ukraine – a place fought over for centuries. Who’s next? Poland, aka the battleground of Europe?
When I was a child, my family and I often visited the War Memorial in Canberra. For me, it was an important way of learning part of our history, and I learned so much from those visits: respect, sorrow, and – hey – let’s NEVER do that again.
Now I completely and utterly deplore the Australian War Memorial’s morphing into being a celebration of war. I don’t see anything in their glorification of war that supports the amazing efforts of the people of Ukraine. That is so sad.
I want the AWM to return to what it used to be: a memorial.
It’s not a memorial or a museum now. Instead, it’s – under its current leadership – a glorification of endless war.
My father served in the RAAF throughout WW2. He would be appalled by the current state of the “museum”.
THE PUB 
Lest we forget – the horrors of war.
Untick allow comments and press update (up the top)
Dear Duckie,
Thank you as always for your help.
Well said, Fiona.
I have a great-great-uncle in a WW! grave in France. He was 25 and didn’t last six months from embarking from Australia.
I commemorate his death and the deaths of all who died in war, including animals and wildlife. My Mum said my Grandfather never talked about his war. ANZAC Day is a memorial service, for meeting mates, swapping stories, and remembering the ones who didn’t make it, or did not make the latest ANZAC march. Not glorification nor celebration.
Thank you Fiona for an excellent thread about a topic that is slipping under the radar, namely what the rightwing warmongers are doing to the Australian War Museum.
And I ask this question, does the AWM have anything on atrocities, including by our own, and the use of rape in war as a weapon? Remember, Ukrainian women and girls are suffering this now.
I used to work in The Dept of Veterans’ Affairs so I met many veterans in my time there.
For example:
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/21/australian-war-memorial-seeks-new-funding-from-lockheed-martin-despite-veterans-
Lockheed Martine to fund our National War Memorial.
How is this not utterly disrespectful, totally vomit-inducing?
Exactly, Puffy!
The boys (mostly boys) on the front – then and now – didn’t clamour to be there.
Neither did the children (both genders), girls and women want to be raped.
The poor horses and other animals drafted into armies didn’t consent to putting their lives at risk.
Neither did the civilians or the wildlife – so-called “peripheral” war casualties.
Whereas the boys in the back room (aka the men in khaki with loads of tabs on their breasts) just gave orders that caused the deaths of all those poor creatures who would much rather have kept on living and loving normal lives. One of the exhibits that always brought tears to my eyes were the dogs and horses of war. For some strange reason, they no longer exist. “Moth-eaten” is the likely excuse.
The last time I visited the AWM was in 2009. Not one iota of space for the suffering of children, women, disabled people. Not one mention of concentration camps. No genuine mention of the Allies’ bombing of Dresden, of Hiroshima, of Nagasaki.
If we (mostly) Europeans won’t admit our own war crimes, why should any other people do so?
When I think of World War 1, I usually think of grainy black-and-white sped up images of men running about firing guns and cannons and not much else. It’s hard for my Gen-Y mind to even comprehend what happened there, what with my current world surrounded with life and color, while these horrifying events of what happened to my ancestors a century ago might as well have just existed in an old textbook.
However, I am grateful that increasingly there is attention and care being put into making this history relevant to the modern day. Projects like Peter Jackson’s “They Shall Not Grow Old” series, and on the other side, ordinary people putting effort into colorizing and modernizing those grainy old monochrome photographs in wartime.
Like this image taken from 1915 of French soldiers with German prisoners. Originally it was taken from one of those grainy monochrome photographs, but with the restoration, it just feels so much more real that these are people just like us, only from 100 years ago.
Kirsdarke,
It does help to have colour photographs – to some extent: to remind us that the “other side” were also human beings just like us. The more we understand that, the more we should fight against the forces that want us to fight on their behalf – for their alleged glory and, more importantly, for their spoils of war.
What I really want us to see is the deprivation and ruin wreaked upon the noncombatants: deprivation, starvation, concentration camps, death camps – and to understand that this is NOW seen as a ‘natural’ outcome of any war.
IT IS NOT!
IT IS SHAMEFUL FOR ANY HUMAN BEING TO BELIEVE SUCH A LIE!
I think the closest we’ve been to human obliteration in my lifetime was the Cuban missile crisis. Somehow my parents shielded from my knowing about that (okay, I was only 6 years’ old, but always listened to the radio news).
The Korean and Vietnam Wars were to an extent proxy wars between the USSR and the USA. Since then we’ve had the Afghan Wars (hint to America, Russia, India, and Europe: DON’T MEDDLE WITH AFGHNISTAN – you will NEVER WIN!).
And that’s only touching on the intra-European, intra-Asian, intra-African, intra-South American wars.
I’m trying not to bash my head on my desk. I really do not understand why we are so collectively stupid when we are so individually pleasant, co-operative, and constructive.
And I really wish that the chichuahuas of war at the AWM would shut tf up and attend to their toenails.
Bob Dylan says it all:
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
Shane Wright and Katina Curtis tell us that the Coalition has promised $833 million a day to electorates around the country since the week of the March 29 federal budget as it goes on a spending spree to hold on to power at next month’s election.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/coalition-has-promised-voters-833m-a-day-as-it-outspends-labor-in-campaign-mode-20220422-p5afd8.html
Following Morrison’s “ironclad guarantee” that there would be no tax increases or spending decreases, Ronald Mizen points out that of 34 developed nations tracked by the IMF, Australia will have the eighth-largest structural deficit next financial year at 3.6 per cent of GDP. A structural deficit is measured by stripping out one-off spending measures.
https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/scott-morrison-rejects-higher-taxes-and-cuts-to-spending-20220424-p5afq1
Sean Kelly looks at the nature of political ads during this campaign and the reasons for them.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/fearing-the-worst-campaign-ads-point-to-mood-shift-in-the-lucky-country-20220423-p5aflx.html
In what was a bit of a train wreck interview on Insiders yesterday, Barnaby Joyce said a “transition” from coal to cleaner energy “equals unemployment” in the regions, declaring the Coalition would not use the term during the election.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/24/barnaby-joyce-refuses-to-use-term-energy-transition-because-it-equals-unemployment
Scott Morrison drawing a red line against a Chinese military base in the South Pacific serves one genuinely useful purpose – it helps to alert the Australian people to the absolute seriousness for them of what’s going on between China and Solomon Islands. However, the Prime Minister’s red line carries the enormous risk of being mocked into derision because of the obvious hollowness of the implied threat, writes Greg Sheridan.
https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/memo-to-scott-morrison-this-bluster-will-leave-us-with-egg-on-our-face/news-story/861f92c66c835f498f7681bc998a158b
A scathing Michael Pascoe is concerned that Australia’s spooks are going dangerously rogue – or lie. Or both.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2022/04/25/michael-pascoe-australia-spooks-rogue/
An Australian War Memorial sponsored by weapons dealers is no place for quiet reflection on Anzac Day, complains Paul Daley.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/postcolonial-blog/2022/apr/25/an-australian-war-memorial-sponsored-by-weapons-dealers-is-no-place-for-quiet-reflection-on-anzac-day
The Australian government has missed a deadline to decide on compensation for victims of alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, potentially leaving the thorny issue to be sorted out after the election. Defence blamed the delay on “legal, practical and logistical issues”, while Labor accused the Coalition of breaking a promise to keep parliament informed of progress on reforms sparked by the “damning” Brereton inquiry.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/24/australian-government-misses-compensation-deadline-for-victims-of-alleged-war-crimes
Michelle Grattan examines the usefulness, or otherwise, of the Liberal party rolling out John Howard for the campaign.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2022/04/25/view-from-the-hill-teals-liberals/
Josh Dye continues the Katherine Deves saga who now says her family has left Sydney due to death threats received following her comments about transgender people.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/katherine-deves-breaks-silence-pledges-nuanced-debate-20220424-p5afqy.html
After Scott Morrison’s endorsement of Katherine Deves, it seems the PM is calculating on a new political future for the Liberal Party, opines Chip Le Grand.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/deves-endorsement-shows-pm-is-willing-to-risk-progressive-seats-20220422-p5afb1.html
The Australian’s Chris Mitchell reckons Deves is saying what a lot are thinking about transgender athletes. He neglects to say anything about the many other subjects she has raised in a nasty fashion.
https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/business/media/katherine-deves-is-saying-what-a-lot-are-thinking-about-transgender-athletes/news-story/2c8420ff7fc2cc2146c8a412cab91cc9
Making too many jobs insecure and homes too hard for too many young people to afford is not just about the high social price we’ll pay – we’ll damage the Australian way of life, laments Ross Gittins.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/if-you-care-about-australia-s-future-care-about-declining-home-ownership-20220424-p5afoc.html
Furious officials have threatened legal action against a conservative activist group after the images of Emma McKeon, Emily Seebohm and swimming legend Dawn Fraser were used.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/swimming-australia-fuming-after-athlete-images-hijacked-for-anti-trans-campaign-20220424-p5afra.html
As an endocrinologist who treats trans people and a clinician scientist, endocrinologist Ana Cheung is passionate about research to improve health to guide policy and enable evidence-based decisions. She writes that sometimes, as in the case of transgender health, which has long been stigmatised, there is not a lot of evidence, but plenty of assumptions.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/let-evidence-not-fear-drive-policies-on-trans-athletes-20220423-p5afm1.html
Warnings of dramatically escalating extinctions in Australia over the next two decades seem to be falling on deaf ears, writes Lisa Cox.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/apr/25/worst-its-ever-been-a-threatened-species-alarm-sounds-during-the-election-campaign-and-is-ignored
Ratings agency Moody’s is concerned that the Victoria’s big debts and deficits leave the government with few fiscal resources to react to fresh health or economic shocks.
https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/downgrade-pressure-pallas-warned-on-state-s-spiralling-debt-20220421-p5af02.html
Hundreds of thousands of Australians are estimated to quit their jobs this year for more meaningful work or a better life balance, creating a talent loss for some employers and opening up opportunities for others, writes Lisa Annese who explains how flexibility a powerful tool for employers facing office return reluctance.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/flexibility-a-powerful-tool-for-employers-facing-office-return-reluctance-20220419-p5aee3.html
For six years, the state insurer knowingly underpaid NSW workers who had deadly dust diseases and faces a total claims liability of more than $93 million. Icare has been a monumental stuff-up
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/icare-forced-to-repay-almost-40-million-to-workers-or-their-estates-20220424-p5afpe.html
Marine Le Pen, defeated for a third time, is now a spent force, declares Rob Harris.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/as-world-breathes-sigh-of-relief-macron-s-hard-work-starts-now-20220425-p5afs3.html
Emmanuel Macron is reelected but the French are longing for radical change, explains history academic Romain Fathi.
https://theconversation.com/emmanuel-macron-is-reelected-but-the-french-are-longing-for-radical-change-181488
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe
Peter Broelman
Jim Pavlidis
https://static.ffx.io/images/$width_1680/t_resize_width/q_62%2Cf_auto/0c845a026f7a0c2c56e731fd74a04ad6cd257d7d
Mark Knight
Leak
From the US
I do not understand why we always seem to be at war, eager to take part in wars that are none of our business. It makes no sense at all. Yet Scovid desperately wants to start a war with China so he can have his “khaki election. Dutton was on TV this morning saying this rubbish –
Don’t these idiots realise how quickly such a war would end, or that Australia would not have the faintest hope of winning?’
If our leaders want to fight then why not do it the old-fashioned way – strip naked (so everyone could see who had the biggest dick) and engage in hand-to-hand fisticuffs? It would all be over in seconds and without any of the misery war involves.
Good to see Le Pen being given the heave-ho (43 – 57)
Now if those numbers where repeated here, that really would be a truly beautiful set of numbers indeed!
I can dream can’t I?
Dare I be contrarian on such a sombre thread?
Had a great great uncle who was a farmer in between fighting in the Maori Wars, Boer War, he fell at Gallipoli in the big push on August 8th, 1915
His sister was a nurse on Lemnos, then at a field (dressing) station on the Western Front – the Army notified her very quickly that her brother was missing presumed dead. She did not work in a hospital again upon her return to Australia
When I visited Gallipoli I was surprised to see 16 other poppies on his memorial stone
My grandfather who returned from the Western Front joined the CMF in WW2
His battalion/group/???? held the Kokoda Trail until 7th Army arrived – he remained in Australia
He thought his sons weren’t real soldiers because they remained in Australia during the war although uncle was sent to New Guinea after war over, to mop up the Japanese – all danger & discomfort but no glory
About the War Memorial being turned into a glorification of arms manufacturers –
I first visited in 1959, aged 13, on a family trip. My dad was surprised to see oil still dripping from the aircraft on display.
I hate to think what he would have thought of its current focus.
Dad had been in the RAAF since 1940, the earliest he could join. He spent the war safely at Point Cook, training young pilots. What he was preparing those pilots for – almost certain death – must have been constantly on his mind. He never took part in Anzac Day marches, although he did follow them, first on radio, then on TV. Like many others he never talked about his experiences to his daughters although he did talk to No 1 Son. They were very much kindred spirits.
War damages all those involved – family members, friends, non-combatants – as well as those those taking part.
War is not glorious. Those who think it is have not lived with the damage it causes.
It’s time to recognise the Frontier Wars to make amends for the way settlers have destroyed aboriginal lives and culture
Watching the Melbourne March it’s is a hollow husk of its glorious 1960s masses of Australian and empire ex-servicemen, I saw Chetniks, Serbs, Turks and descendants of Boer War (Boer-side) marching
Remembering my great-grandmother’s brother who died in France in 1916. He was from rural Queensland and went to the trenches in France in 1916 and was dead within six months at the age of 25. He is in a war grave over there.
Remembering all the horses and other equines, dogs, pigeons, camels, ship’s cats, and other animals in war, along with wildlife whose lives were taken in humans’ wars.
Lest We Forget.
image from https://www.purplepoppies.com.au
More gibberish from Scovid –
From Oh What a Lovely War: They’ll Never Believe Me – highly moving visuals
Pleased to see Le Pen defeated.
The two below from before the election are worth reading, sheds some light.
It is interesting that the polls moved to Macron between the first and second round, and his final vote slightly exceeded his best final poll, which might be partly accounted for by the fact that there is no last day polling by law. As with the last election, I think some who don’t like Macron and who love to complain about the way things are admit to themselves in the last week or even the last day that they will still vote to block the one they like even less. This 2021 post on french performative miserablism and polling on vaccination partly covers what might be a national political and polling tendancy.
https://www.tomforth.co.uk/miserabilism/
The below is a good read, I’ve copied in just the opening part.
https://www.thelocal.fr/20220419/opinion-macron-will-win-the-french-election-and-then-his-real-problems-begin/
JOHN LICHFIELD
OPINION: Macron will win the French election – and then his real problems begin
Incumbent president Emmanuel Macron is widely tipped to win the second round of the French elections. But, argues John Lichfield, the fragmentation of the French vote into three ‘tribes’ means that he faces a very difficult five years at the head of an increasingly divided country.
Published: 19 April 2022 09:30 CEST
There are two ways (at least) of viewing the second round of France’s presidential election on Sunday.
Some commentators see a confrontation of “bloc versus bloc”; of people versus elites; of anti-System versus System. They imagine that it will be a battle between an anti-Macron front and an anti-Le Pen front.
They are wrong, luckily.
If you combine the votes for all “anti-system” candidates of both Right and Left in the first round you reach 58.7 percent of the total. How could Emmanuel Macron be re-elected this weekend if the “anti-system” voters were a coherent, political force? He would not have a chance.
As it stands, the opinion polls give Macron a lead of between 9 and 12 points. How can that be?
The answer is that “bloc versus bloc”, “people versus elites” is an incomplete and misleading description of the French electoral battlefield.
I have been arguing for months – in this column and elsewhere – that the old French Right-Left system has mutated into a muddled pattern of three broad tribes: the scattered Left and the Greens; a pro-European, consensual Centre; and a nationalist-populist, anti-migrant and anti-European Right.
I thought that these three blocs would become clearly defined and maybe develop party structures in time for the next presidential election in 2027. I was wrong. Events have moved much more rapidly.
If you assemble the first-round votes along my new fault lines, France divided on April 10th into three, almost equal parts. The six candidates of the Left got 32.2 percent; Macron’s Centre and the Valérie Pécresse rump of the centre-right got 32.4 percent; the three candidates of the nationalist Right got 32.5 percent.
The remaining 3 percent went to the eccentric and egocentric Jean Lasalle, a man who defies all categorisation.
The geology of this new electoral landscape is unstable. The boundaries can be drawn in different ways. (Should all the remaining Pécresse be counted as part of the Centre?) Each camp or tribe is internally divided. Each tribe contains parts of the “elite” and parts of “the people”.
They should have it managed. Unless Dutton’s Idiots do a Ruby Princess.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2022/apr/25/australia-live-news-updates-anzac-day-scott-morrison-anthony-albanese-election-politics-nsw-victoria-qld-weather-coronavirus-covid#maincontent
Friendlyjordies and Neel Kolhatkar having a frank discussion about the election.
Jordan seems very pessimistic about Labor’s prospects, saying that they just don’t seem to be able to pick up enough to win in the seats they need and saying at best it’ll likely be a hung parliament.
I can’t really say that I agree with that currently, but I suppose we’ll have to wait for some polling this week before I can be certain. My current “vibe” guess is that Labor would clearly win at least 75 seats on the night, and in the following days about 10 seats will be sorted out with late counting in the following week, with Labor winning about another 2-5 from there.
But I do agree with him that if the Coalition manage to sneak in another win, it would be an utter tragedy for the country. After all this blatant incompetence and corruption and that’s still just fine for most of the electorate, there really is no hope of change for the good.
Leroy,
I’d appreciate your thoughts. Does it seem to you that Frydenberg is slightly rattled?
Also, if you have the time and the inclination, a primer on French politics would be a terrific thread-starter.
I think Frydenberg is rattled. There is no way of knowing what the Libs internal polling is telling him, and you can never be sure with seat polling or alleged leaked results anyway, but it must be close enough to him really being able to lose for him to be reacting the way he and the Libs are.
I’ll have a think about a post on French politics, could maybe do something Tuesday night or Wednesday night. It would mainly be links to good reading for outsiders.
Leroy,
There’s every reason for Josh to be vibrating like a hummingbird’s wings: the number of Mon Ryan corflutes around Kooyong is astounding. Of course Josh has all of the paid-for ads on Telstra phone boxes, highly visible places, but Mon is very visible. As, incidentally, are Peter Lynch for the ALP and Piers Mitchem for the Greens – I’ve not seen such diversity in Kooyong for the 38 years I’ve lived here!
Oddly, I haven’t spotted a single UAP corflute …
Your plan for a French election/politics thread sounds great. Something I should emulate re Ukraine, since I’ve been bingeing on news from there for the last 2 and a bit months.
Russia doesn’t stop:
https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js
Doing this in plain sight.
This obscene war MUST end. NOW
Gladys “Butter wouldn’t melt” Liu? Surely not!
The AEC will only say these are screenshots from 2019. They did nothing about Liu’s cheating then.
Dearest Lioness,
I’m so glad that your hip isn’t connected to your witty/acidic bone!
Fiona – if that bone ever breaks I’ll be in real trouble.
Indeed! Love you lots, Leone.
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
From the latest Newspoll, Simon Benson manages to distil, “Labor in front but Scott Morrison builds lead over Anthony Albanese as preferred PM”.
https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/nation/newspoll-labor-in-front-but-scott-morrison-builds-lead-over-anthony-albanese-as-preferred-pm/news-story/6cab41ad2fa7003e62a10e55b737dc99
Phil Coorey fiddles and farts his way through the AFR’s latest polling results.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/trust-in-pm-at-record-low-both-leaders-competency-rated-rock-bottom-20220425-p5aftx
And he has trouble typing out “55/45” in this higher level review of the poll.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/trust-in-pm-at-record-low-both-leaders-competency-rated-rock-bottom-20220425-p5aftx
Paul Bongiorno writes that Albanese is regrouping for the final showdown, unfazed by the government’s war talk.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2022/04/26/albanese-regroups-paul-bongiorno/
Shane Wright and Rachel Clun reveal that the Coalition is up to a year behind delivering almost $20 billion worth of budget promises including recommendations from the aged care royal commission to deliver a new funding model and its efforts to boost the digital economy. All announcement, eh?
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/new-government-faces-20b-of-promises-that-need-legislation-20220421-p5af0q.html
Bob McMullan has a crack at predicting the outcome of the Senate election.
https://johnmenadue.com/what-will-happen-in-the-senate-election/
Angus Thompson tells us Penny Wong will, in a policy announcement today, that Australia will train Pacific nations’ troops under a Labor promise that intensifies the national security debate over China’s potential military expansion into the region.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/muscle-up-labor-pledges-pacific-defence-school-as-experts-urge-boost-in-military-might-20220425-p5afx4.html
And Thompson reports that Peter Dutton has warned Australia needs to prepare for war in light of the looming threat from China and global insecurity spurred by Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/reality-of-our-time-dutton-warns-australians-to-prepare-for-war-20220425-p5afuy.html
Daniel Hurst outlines what will be in Labor’s foreign affairs package to be released today.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/26/labor-pledges-more-foreign-aid-to-pacific-with-plan-to-restore-australias-place-as-first-partner-of-choice
Doug Dingwall wondered how far the Coalition would go on Anzac Day. As it turned out, it completely overstepped the line. This wasn’t just a display of predictable (and publicly accepted) opportunism. It became an attempt to exploit a day that is and should be reserved for the commemoration of men and women who died serving their nation, for paying tribute to veterans and military personnel currently serving. He says the temptation proved too great for Defence Minister Peter Dutton, who leapt at the chance to turn up the rhetorical heat on morning television, saying Australia should prepare for war. Rather than reflect on the horrors and futility of war, as Australians have been urged for countless Anzac Days past, Mr Dutton drew a different lesson.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7712213/coalition-overstepped-the-line-on-anzac-day-for-a-political-point/?cs=14329
The contest over foreign policy has to be partisan, even if it seems wiser for Labor and the Coalition to pretend to agree so they can present a united front in the national interest, opines David Crowe.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/why-labor-has-to-fight-over-foreign-policy-even-if-it-s-unusual-ground-20220425-p5afyd.html
It is like the 1930s – and again we are defenceless, laments Greg Sheridan.
https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/it-is-like-the-1930s-and-again-we-are-defenceless/news-story/43132e56a679426094bf4099cd9e2483
Daniel Hurst reveals that a Coalition MP praised a now contentious trip to China featuring Labor’s deputy leader, Richard Marles, as “an invaluable opportunity to have open and candid dialogue”.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/26/richard-marles-contentious-china-trip-was-praised-by-coalition-mp
Crispin Hull writes about the Morrison government’s excellent response to Covid-19, and other myths.
https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7711200/the-morrison-governments-excellent-covid-response-and-other-myths/?cs=14258
In this essay about how liars and bullies can win elections, Hugh Mackay begins with, “I’ve met them; you’ve met them. You can find them in the corporate world, in academia, in the public service, in publishing, the media, the church … and, of course, in politics. The bullies who get away with it because of their capacity to turn on the charm when required. The barefaced liars who mask their mendacity with a disarming grin.”
https://johnmenadue.com/how-liars-and-bullies-can-win-elections/
The world has given Australia a pay rise. Perversely we have become a beneficiary of the post-COVID supply chain constraints and European war-induced energy crisis, but where are the wage rises for working Australians, asks Elizabeth Knight.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/the-world-has-given-australia-a-pay-rise-its-workers-are-still-waiting-20220425-p5afxx.html
Amid higher fuel and food costs, and the spectre of looming interest rate hikes, Australian families are busily battening down the hatches on their household budgets. How galling it is, then says Jess Irvine, to watch the nation’s politicians merrily traipsing around the country maxing out the national credit card on netball courts, surf lifesaver change rooms and boondoggle infrastructure projects to buy votes in marginal electorates. She’s had enough of this palaver and makes a suggestion on how to improve things.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/a-cancer-on-our-democracy-how-to-fix-australia-s-pork-barrelling-crisis-20220425-p5afsy.html
Michael Springer destroys Morrison’s “no increase in taxes and no reduction in spending” pledge.
https://theaimn.com/a-morrison-guarantee-i-would-rather-do-a-deal-with-shylock/
Matthew Elmas helps Springer out by pointing to the $14.8 billion in planned tax hikes over the next 15 months the Liberal Party failed to mention.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/finance-news/2022/04/25/tax-morrison-lmito/
Scott Morrison and Josh Frydenberg will ramp up their “superior economic managers” rhetoric now that their credentials are so badly damaged on national security by China’s pact with the Solomon Islands. Michael West looks at their track record.
https://michaelwest.com.au/who-do-you-trust-to-manage-the-economy-not-you-lot/
Scott Morrison wants the election to be about competence, but an examination of his record suggests that he is not capable of delivering good government, argues Michael Keating.
https://johnmenadue.com/scott-morrisons-competence/
Albanese’s bid to gain a swing of 8.7 per cent against the government in Flynn looks unlikely on paper. But the retirement of the Nationals’ member, Ken O’Dowd, has put the seat in play, writes David Crowe.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-searches-for-the-right-medicine-in-queensland-climate-campaign-20220425-p5afxp.html
To kick off the third week of the election campaign, Scott Morrison on Sunday released his lower tax guarantee. The problem is his own budget papers confirm a re-elected Morrison government would challenge the Howard government as the highest-taxing government in Australia’s history, writes Craig Emerson.
https://www.afr.com/policy/tax-and-super/history-belies-morrison-s-tax-promises-20220425-p5aft0
Climate change connects crucial Australian interests, and we are the developed country that has most to lose from climate disruption, argues Ross Garnaut who is concerned that the election campaign is being conducted as if Australia has no fundamental problems, and can afford to squabble over personality and trivia.
https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate/why-we-need-to-stop-kidding-ourselves-about-climate-change-20220425-p5afw5
Andrew Taylor reports that disability advocacy groups are saying the National Disability Insurance Scheme is turning into a “bureaucratic nightmare” that is failing to meet the needs of many of its clients.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/bureaucratic-nightmare-ndis-putting-lives-at-risk-say-advocacy-groups-20220423-p5afkz.html
As such we have once again earned our Lucky Country label as the world scrambles for the commodities we produce – minerals and grain, writes Elizabeth Knight who reckons Australian workers are still waiting for a pay rise. The inequity of Sydney’s sprawling toll road network and its effect on cost of living have been highlighted as key focuses of a sweeping NSW government review into the way motorists are charged, explain Tom Rabe and Matt O’Sullivan.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/inconsistent-confusing-network-of-sydney-tolls-in-the-spotlight-20220425-p5afy1.html
The Greens may talk a big talk about their support for the Uluru Statement, but their actions have shown the complete opposite, argues James Blackwell.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/greens-choosing-division-over-uluru-s-unity-20220425-p5afw4.html
AOC is preparing to drop the legal hammer on Advance after its continued use of Olympic rings.
https://www.smh.com.au/sport/aoc-prepares-to-drop-legal-hammer-on-advance-after-use-of-olympic-rings-20220425-p5afyj.html
A large Sydney developer has been ordered to fix serious defects in a 10-storey apartment building in the city’s southwest for the second time in three months. In the latest orders, the state’s building watchdog has warned of a serious defect in the construction of load-bearing walls in the Canterbury building’s basement car park which it found “did not support a ground floor slab”. Something is seriously sick in this game!
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/developer-hit-with-fresh-orders-to-fix-serious-defects-in-10-storey-tower-20220425-p5afwd.html
Musk has done it. He’s got Twitter for a cool A$61 billion!
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/elon-musk-to-buy-twitter-for-44-billion-20220426-p5ag1l.html
A New York judge has held Donald Trump in contempt and fined him $10,000 a day, following the former president’s failure to hand over documents to prosecutors investigating his business practices.
https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/apr/25/donald-trump-contempt-new-york-attorney-general-investigation
Cartoon Corner (I’m really missing Matt Golding!)
David Pope
Cathy Wilcox
David Rowe
John Shakespeare
Andrew Dyson
Peter Broelman
Leak
From the US
The new official portrait of Il Dutto.
🙂 gif
Live shot of Twitter HQ at this very moment
Scovid’s minders taking their job far too seriously.
friendlyjordies –
Seth Meyers –
Rachel Maddow –
Chris Hayes –
Brian Tyler Cohen –
Jimmy Kimmel –
At her press conference in Sydney this afternoon Marise Payne has commented on what she describes as “the travesty that is Russia’s illegal war in Ukraine”. There are lots of words that could be used to describe this abomination but “travesty” is hardly one of them.
On Youtube I am watching Kristina Kenneally being interviewed by Fran Kelly over the Soloman Island stuff up, KK keeps the conversation on track.
KK is doing very very well. She is getting her points across and when Fran tries to cut her off, which seems to be whenever KK is making an excellent example of the Morrison govt incompetence, or when KK is explaining the good points of ALP policy for the Pacific nations.
KK is assertive without being rude or pushy, and she has the match of Fran Kelly. KK is also making a good meal of the Libs killing off Radio Australia, and Morrison’s pathetic belittling of Labor’s plan to restore funding to the ABC for Radio National broadcasting to Pacific nations.
I would have thought Fran would be doing cartwheels at even a hint of increased funding for the ABC.
Fran seems to have a bias towards to the Coalition, but maybe I am just showing my political petticoat.
That is one thing that gives me the shits about ANZAC Day ‘these days’. Growing up in NZ the Lest We Forget bit came with a strong ‘so that we don’t let it happen again’ message. The ‘never again’ part was the message .That has been lost and I believe it was something the original ANZACs very much felt. At least in my family. The Rodent totally ‘dead buried and cremated’ the ‘never again’ message such as it was. Bastard made it all rah rah rah shite.
I’m currently reading a biography on Don Dunstan, and I’ve found a strikingly good simple manifesto that he wrote in 1954 titled “Why I Support Democratic Socialism”, after condemning Communism and the Australian Liberals in the weeks before.
Kirsdarke
And fascism. Many many many moons ago I listened to the late great JK Galbraith speaking to Philip Adams for nigh on an hour. Marvellous stuff. He pointed out something that the arseholes as represented by ‘Thatcherism’ and Reaganism’ ignored and what 99% have forgotten or never knew. The welfare state was NOT inspired by a desire to look after the poor. JK Galbraith was there when it was discussed and planned in the post war period so he heard what was discussed.
The welfare state was looked upon as a way to look after the ‘elites’ as he called them. How so ? The destruction of wealth caused by WWII for the ‘elites’ was enormous, total in the countries left behind the Iron Curtain. The great and the good had concluded that it was the ‘peasants’ falling into dire economic straits that saw them turn to radical political movements be they right or left. The obvious answer was to make sure the ‘masses’ do not do so and thereby stop them from looking to extremist ideologies.
Sadly the ‘elites’ seem to have largely forgotten that. I call Trump as a symptom of that failure to remember the lessons learned. It will get worse.
Good morning Dawn Patrollers
James Roberston writes that the Coalition has made marginal inroads into Labor’s lead, but only independent candidates have emerged as winners from a tight week of campaigning, a new Roy Morgan Poll has found. Labor maintains an election-winning lead on a two-party preferred basis, 54.5 to 45.5 – a gain of half a point to the government, its second consecutive rise, according to the poll taken from April 18 to April 24.
https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/politics/2022/04/27/poll-hung-parliament-coalition-labor/?breaking_live_scroll=1
Peter Martin explains the four economic wildcards waiting for us between now and the federal election.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2022-04-27/federal-election-economy-inflation-interest-rates-wages-jobs/101016006
Shane Wright says there will be no hiding from inflation pressures for either side.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/no-hiding-from-inflation-pressures-for-either-side-20220426-p5ag6x.html
It’s time. Time to consider the unthinkable – another term in opposition for Labor. What would it look like? Mark Sawyer looks at a post-Albanese era as if one were fated to begin on May 22.
https://michaelwest.com.au/wake-in-fright-what-another-election-loss-would-do-to-labor/
The key purpose of a government’s budget is to propose the spending on essential government services and how that spending will be financed. Judged by this standard, the latest Budget is completely inadequate and belies the claims of the Morrison Government to be competent economic managers, argues Michael Keating.
https://johnmenadue.com/the-funding-of-essential-services/
Mike Foley and Nick Toscano say that Scott Morrison’s hard-won climate change peace within the Coalition has fractured during the election campaign as prominent Nationals insist the 2050 net zero emissions target is dead and criticise the government’s billion-dollar push into hydrogen infrastructure.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/net-zero-dead-nationals-force-climate-war-eruption-in-coalition-20220426-p5ag4g.html
Chris Uhlmann reckons we are heading for a hung parliament, saying all the public polls show neither major party has electoral support to hit the magic 76 members.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/coalition-s-primary-problem-how-to-stop-the-teal-20220425-p5ag12.html
Scott Morrison and Anthony Albanese have ruled out deals with the independents and minor parties to form government in the event of a hung parliament, but George Williams says the promises lack credibility.
https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/crossbench-deal-might-be-essential-for-nations-stability/news-story/09859b35d067f5b41343860cee5d8058
John Lord wonders who can scare us most.
https://theaimn.com/who-can-scare-you-the-most/
The heads of Treasury and the Finance Department have just issued the most pessimistic Pre-Election Economic and Fiscal Outlook report since PEFOs have been a thing, as Alan Austin reports.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/department-heads-give-worst-ever-economic-report-after-eight-coalition-years,16294
Paul Sakkal writes that the Liberal Party’s candidate for the Melbourne seat of Macnamara, Colleen Harkin, has said that describing global warming as a climate emergency is almost child abuse, and defended the views on trans women of controversial Warringah candidate Katherine Deves. Some of these Liberal women are crackers!
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/lib-hopeful-backs-deves-and-says-climate-emergency-warnings-border-on-child-abuse-20220426-p5ag7q.html
The Liberals’ campaign is divided between those inner suburban seats under pressure from independents and Morrison’s preferred territory in outer suburban and regional seats. But without coming together, it’s going to be hard for the Coalition to win enough seats, opines Jennifer Hewett.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/the-missing-middle-in-the-liberal-campaign-20220426-p5agax
“Well-intentioned billionaires have taken it upon themselves to turbocharge the clean energy transition – but are they really doing more harm than good?”, asks Charlotte Grieve.
https://www.smh.com.au/money/investing/are-well-intentioned-billionaires-holding-back-climate-action-20220426-p5ag3j.html
Labor has been accused of planning a carbon tax by stealth with its policy to cut emissions from major industrial polluters as the climate wars ignited new political brawls despite a bipartisan commitment to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, says The Australian’s Greg Brown.
https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/nation/federal-election-2022-warning-over-labors-stealth-carbon-tax/news-story/70ec5196f1fbab3ca8bfe8f20a7e93ca
Katherine Murphy declares that Scott Morrison is setting up another fake fight on a carbon ‘tax’.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/26/scott-morrison-is-setting-up-another-fake-fight-on-a-carbon-tax
Morrison and Dutton have gone hard on national security – but will it have any effect on the election, wonders Tony Walker.
https://theconversation.com/morrison-dutton-go-hard-on-national-security-but-will-it-have-any-effect-on-the-election-181868
From legal challenges to political subterfuge, welcome to the dramatic world surrounding election campaign signage as explained by former Member for Wentworth Professor Kerryn Phelps.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/kerryn-phelps-coalition-go-for-teal-in-the-corflute-games,16295
Despite heroic pre-election promises in 2019 around “putting customers first” following the Hayne royal commission into the banking sector, the re-elected Morrison government soon lost its zeal for implementing key reforms, laments Ross Gittins who tells us how the Morrison government lost interest in banking reform.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/how-the-morrison-government-lost-interest-in-banking-reform-20220426-p5ag1u.html
In the past week of the election campaign, there has been much debate about the role of Temporary Protection Visas, offshore processing and boat turn-backs in limiting irregular boat arrivals. Most of the debate on the effectiveness of TPVs has been devoid of any reference to actual evidence, says Abul Rizvi who looks at the evidence.
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/temporary-protection-visas-achieve-little-in-stopping-boats,16296
Gregory Andrews says that the election is an opportunity to move from boofhead to smart diplomacy.
https://johnmenadue.com/gregory-andrews-election-opportunity-to-move-from-boofhead-to-smart-diplomacy/
The head of Guide Dogs Victoria has been temporarily stood down after she appeared in Liberal Party campaign material endorsing Treasurer Josh Frydenberg. Rachel Dexter tells us that the chief executive of Breast Cancer Network Australia, Kirsten Pilatti, and Inclusion Foundation founder Cate Sayers have also endorsed Frydenberg in the seat, but neither charity has announced similar investigations.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/guide-dogs-victoria-ceo-stood-down-amid-frydenberg-pamphlet-probe-20220426-p5aga2.html
Labor’s tight control on media appearances and daily messaging has left prominent frontbenchers including Tanya Plibersek and Bill Shorten effectively frozen out, creating growing frustration inside the party about restrictions on who is featured during the six-week election campaign, writes James Massola.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-chosen-and-the-frozen-plibersek-shorten-benched-during-labor-s-campaign-20220426-p5ag5a.html
Jacob Greber reports that Barnaby Joyce has rejected Nationals senator Matt Canavan’s suggestion that hydrogen hubs are a waste of time, and that the government should hit pause on its net zero strategy, saying it is essential to develop alternatives to coal jobs.
https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/joyce-slaps-down-canavan-over-demand-to-ditch-hydrogen-hubs-20220426-p5aga1
At the first day of a Fair Work Commission hearing into a union application for a 25 per cent pay rise for age care workers, federal Labor MP Dr Mike Freelander says more men need to be enticed to work in aged care as employers warn against a high-profile wage case being turned into an argument about equal pay in the overwhelmingly female workforce.
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/aged-care-employers-warn-against-wage-case-becoming-gendered-20220426-p5ag7i.html
The workplace tribunal has said it won’t be swayed by government funding constraints in deciding how much to lift wages for aged-care sector workers, leaving the unbudgeted cost to whoever wins the next election.
https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/budget-constraints-won-t-limit-aged-care-pay-rises-fair-work-chief-20220426-p5ag62
More than 120 legal, health and social services organisations have appealed to the federal government to provide urgent assistance to Aboriginal families left with no way to pay for their funerals, after their “predatory” insurer went into liquidation.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/27/government-under-pressure-to-help-aboriginal-families-after-predatory-funeral-insurers-collapse
Soaring rents have dramatically outstripped increases to the commonwealth rent assistance (CRA) payment, with house rentals in capital cities rising by an average of 13.8% over the last two years while rent assistance has risen by a maximum of 4.52%, leaving low-income renters hardest hit by the national rental crisis.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/27/low-income-tenants-hardest-hit-as-australian-rent-rises-outstrip-assistance-payments
Michaela Whitbourn reports that a friend who served alongside war veteran Ben Roberts-Smith in Afghanistan has denied that he lied for his former comrade in court to ensure his legal bills would continue to be paid by Robert-Smith’s employer in a separate war crimes inquiry.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/former-sas-soldier-denies-lying-for-ben-roberts-smith-as-part-of-alleged-deal-over-legal-fees-20220426-p5ag49.html
The Guardian tells us the Seven Network was paying the legal fees of several SAS witnesses for Ben Roberts-Smith in his defamation trial until one of them revealed the payments in the federal court, contradicting Seven’s claim last week that the former soldier’s evidence about the source of the payments was “not correct”.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/26/seven-paid-legal-fees-for-witness-in-ben-roberts-smiths-defamation-trial-until-arrangement-was-revealed-in-court
Labor has defended its plan to replace the agriculture visa announced by the federal government last year and offer more incentives to farm workers from the Pacific.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/apr/27/labor-defends-agricultural-visa-scheme-as-farmers-brace-for-minimum-wage-rise
The Conversation explains how the Russia-Ukraine war is worsening climate-linked food shortages.
https://theconversation.com/a-year-of-hunger-how-the-russia-ukraine-war-is-worsening-climate-linked-food-shortages-181160
Here we go again! The mayor of Canada Bay council allegedly accepted trips to Shanghai paid for by collapsed property group iProsperity in return for supporting its plans for an apartment block five times the height allowed, a corruption inquiry has heard.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/sydney-mayor-allegedly-accepted-trips-to-china-for-favourable-planning-decisions-icac-20220426-p5ag3u.html
Sarah McPhee tells us that a six-month trial has begun for five people accused of conspiring to defraud the Tax Office of $105 million, with one of them allegedly saying it “would be the biggest tax fraud in Australia’s history”. This is the Plutus case, which involved the illegal conversion of GST payments.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/trial-begins-for-five-accused-of-105-million-ato-fraud-conspiracy-20220426-p5ag6d.html
The ABC’s former Pacific correspondent, Jemima Garrett, says that the Pacific must hear our voices, but we must listen to theirs.
https://www.smh.com.au/world/oceania/pacific-must-hear-our-voices-but-we-must-listen-to-theirs-20220426-p5agb2.html
Mick Ryan warns that China’s transformed military must not be underestimated.
https://www.smh.com.au/national/china-s-transformed-military-must-not-be-underestimated-20220425-p5ag15.html
Musk has succeeded in buying Twitter, but now he has to make it pay, says Elizabeth Knight.
https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/billionaire-s-folly-musk-has-succeeded-now-he-has-to-make-it-pay-20220426-p5ag68.html
Boris Johnson is flailing – so he is reviving his Brexit greatest hits, writes Rafael Behr.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/apr/26/boris-johnson-northern-ireland-brexit-protocol
Stephen Brook watched Piers Morgan’s new show, so we don’t have to.
https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/snowflake-society-i-watched-piers-morgan-s-new-show-so-you-don-t-have-to-20220426-p5ag22.html
Cartoon Corner
David Rowe
David Pope
Matt Golding
Cathy Wilcox
Fiona Katauskas
Mark David
Peter Broelman
Glen Le Lievre
Mark Knight
Andrew Dyson
John Shakespeare
Spooner
From the US
Poor little LibShill James Massola is trying again to spin lies about Labor with his latest rant.
Why does he bother?
What keeps him bothering ? I’d say the very nice salary package , one that probably has him in the top 5% .
Barrie Cassidy demolishes Phil the Dill –
“Barrie Cassidy demolishes Phil the Dill”
.
Phil had already ‘dead buried and cremated’ himself long before. Taking anything by him seriously after it became a big ask. 🙂
.
The NSW Premier became the leader Australia needed during one of its darkest hours.
Phillip Coorey
Political editor
I am watching a lot of youtube news about the war in Ukraine. It is quite possible speculation that Putin is ill, with a Parkinson’s type of condition having some merit. Putin’s holding onto the table with his right hand during his last televised appearance was very suspect.
this is an interesting youtube channel.
A British sailor with 20 years of experience in private luxury yachts is tracking super-yachts and showing the ones who are arrested or seized because of sanctions. He has a lot of other information about this industry. I had no idea how big and complex it is.
One problem is tracking down who actually owns a vessel. That is why there are more likely to be ‘arrested’ {stopped in the port) than seized. Interestingly, arrested vessels have to be maintained by the owners, who usually hir a specialised company to do it, while a seized vessel is the responsibility of the country that seized it. Running costs can be a million bucks a month.
Is this Putin’s superyacht:
Michael West – (excellent, needs to be spread far and wide)
Rachel Maddow –
Chris Hayes –
Jimmy Kimmel –
Brian Tyler Cohen –
Think you’ve had a bad day ?
https://www.stuff.co.nz/travel/travel-troubles/300573970/in-she-went-hiker-rescued-after-falling-into-outhouse-toilet-in-us-park-after-she-dropped-her-phone
A bit of Covid ‘fun’. Plug in your age and rick factors and compare hospitalization and death rates rates. US site but the relative risks are probably similar.
https://www.covidtaser.com/comparison-mobile6
Some of the comparisons available.
COVID-19 hospitalization (unvaccinated)
COVID-19 hospitalization (vaccinated over 6 months ago)1
COVID-19 hospitalization (vaccinated within 6 months)1
COVID-19 hospitalization (vaccinated and boosted)
A song for our Baby Treasurer
and the original
Jim Chalmers and Katy Gallagher are giving the government both barrels and then some
Small sample: “Even by the incredibly low standards of this government, I thought what Karen Andrews said was remarkably desperate. And remarkably unhinged.”
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/live/2022/apr/27/australia-politics-news-live-updates-scott-morrison-anthony-albanese-federal-election-2022-coalition-labor-nsw-victoria-qld-covid-coronavirus-net-zero#maincontent
From this morning’s Dawn Patrol. Spooner really is gunning for Leak’s position. The Coalition’s incompetence general ignorance and arrogance towards our ‘Pacific family’ over many years has borne fruit in the Solomon Islands. So who to throw tomatoes at in a cartoon, obviously Labor.
I do not like Spooner, I always scroll past his scribbles.