11th Hour, 11th Day, 11th Month, 1918. Lest We Forget.

Puff, The Magic Dragon Uncategorized

The final ceasefire of World War One, the war to end all war except it didn’t.

Let these images help us remember the animals who served. Let us also remember the farm animals, pets and wildlife who were the innocent victims of human stupidity, stubbornness and sense of superiority. We had a choice. They did not. Lest We Forget.

Only one horse was taken back to Australia at the end of WWW. Some were transferred to the British Army in India, some went to the abattiors to become meat for the troops. A lot were shot by their own riders to give them a quick and humane end. It is understandable but tragic that these horses were fated not just by the logistics of returning., but our animal diseases quarantine laws.

Of course WW1, in my opinion, was just the royal houses of Europe and Britain, all related, squabbling over territory. A family feud played out with the lives of millions. Then the end of WW1 was the beginning of World War Two, followed by the cold war, and the crazy era of nuclear Mutually Assured Destruction.

(I will load citations later).

499 thoughts on “11th Hour, 11th Day, 11th Month, 1918. Lest We Forget.”

  2. I don’t know if this will work but here we see eh!

    From my inbox –

    Senate Estimates this week finally had Labor ministers back at the table. But the priority this week in the Reps was to make sure that all the legislation that needed to be in front of the Senate when it next sits was ready and waiting.

    BEST

    1. Secure Jobs, Better Pay passed the House
    2. Peter Dutton’s not so bright idea
    3. Paul Fletcher *still* not getting the hang of standing orders
    4. Jim Chalmers vs. Angus Taylor
    5. Catherine King’s incredibly fair point

    WORST

    1. The Libs/Nats knew Robodebt was illegal
    2. Cash’s “close down Australia” prediction
    3. The Opposition treating Defence as a show ride
    4. Angus Taylor’s terrible question
    5. Our cybersecurity being 5 years behind because of the Opposition

    1. We said we’d get wages moving again – and this week we took another step towards that. The House passed our Secure Jobs, Better Pay legislation. After a decade of deliberate wage suppression, we’re taking the opposite approach. Our legislation will get wages moving especially for those in female-dominated sectors, who’ve been left behind. Thank you to the early childhood educators who stood with me after the Bill passed the House.

    MEETING WITH EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATIORS

    2. Peter Dutton thought asking the Prime Minister about climate change policy was smart. “One of the things I won’t do, in front of a boom mic, is makea joke about our island neighbours drowning. That’s one of the things that Iwon’t do!” the PM responded. Relations with the Pacific are just another mess we’ve had to clean up.

    PARLVIEW

    3. The Manager of Opposition Business is still struggling to get his head around the standing orders. After Angus Taylor asked the Treasurer a question on mortgages, Paul Fletcher shot up with a point of order on relevance. Thankfully the Speaker Milton Dick put him in his place. “The Treasurer is referring to interest rates which in my understanding is linked to mortgages.” Poor Fletch.

    4. Treasurer Jim Chalmers didn’t let Angus Taylor off the hook when talking about the cost of energy in Question Time. “There are two people in the world most responsible for what we’re seeing in energy prices. One of them sits in the Kremlin, and the other one sits over there.”

    GOOGLE TRANSLATE

    5. The mess we inherited from the previous government isn’t just confined to the economy, energy policy and foreign affairs – they also made a mess of infrastructure spending. As Catherine King rightly pointed out. “The previous government was more interested in going out and getting an announcement in the papers and putting the press release out. You can’t drive on a press release”.

    PARLVIEW

    1. It was illegal and they knew it. This week we learnt the previous government knew their deadly Robodebt scheme was unlawful back in 2015. In 2016 Alan Tudge had this message for people who apparently owed Centrelink money: “We’ll find you, we’ll track you down and you will have to repay those debts and you may end up in prison”. In a way he had a point, someone was breaking the law. Turns out it was the Liberal government.

    2. I don’t often thank Peter Dutton, but this week I thanked him for keeping Michaelia Cash in the Workplace Relations portfolio. The melodrama is hysterical. She’s gone from predicting that Labor would end the weekend, to now saying our Secure Jobs, Better Pay legislation could “close down Australia.” I presume Armageddon is next.

    SKY NEWS

    3. When asked about our plan to fix the mess we inherited in Defence, Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles gave a good reminder of how seriously the Libs took the portfolio. “Johnson, Andrews, Payne, Payne-Pyne, Pyne, Reynolds … and then Dutton. … They regarded ministerial jobs in the Defence portfolio as like a ride at the showground. Literally everybody got a go.”

    4. “We’re not going to take lectures from the lightweight on the hill over there.” Angus Taylor thought it would be a good idea to ask the PM about the economy. Fantastic. Great move. Well done Angus.

    5. Continuing their run of bad questions the Libs decided to ask Clare O’Neil about cybersecurity. If only Peter Dutton and Karen Andrews had been in government for close to a decade so they could do something about it. “We are about five years behind where we need to be on cybersecurity. And do you know who the Minister was for the previous five years? It was the Shadow Minister for Home Affairs and the person who sits in the Opposition Leader’s chair.”

    Thanks to the work done this week our Secure Jobs, Better Pay bill will be waiting for the Senate when Parliament returns on November 21.

    ‘til then,

    Tony

    PS. This week’s song goes out to the member for Hume.

    Anatomy of a hit: The Beatles – Back In The USSR

  3. Hi Puff! I really appreciated seeing your commemoration of Remembrance Day with all its tragic sadness for all those men and animals who served and suffered in those few years of futile fighting from 1914 to 1918. I think about that ‘Siegfried Line’ song often as I still hang out my own personal bits on my garden washing line in preference to my modern tumble dryer. It’s a little ritual which gives me pause for thought about my own life and the good fortune I’ve enjoyed since I was born on 11/11/1935! My Dad wanted to call me Poppy! Can any Pubster link a good version so we can somehow feel the sad bravado those boys were expressing in a ‘marching’ song?

    PS. I’m in two minds about the next bit of memorabilia I found just now from earlier days and old friends here at the Pub way back on 11/11/2016. Can’t seem to link it so, please, Fiona or Puff, use it if it works for you.

    “I’m Eighty-One Today!

    Who ever thought I’d live to say,
    I’m eighty-one today!
    Thanks to UK’s Labour Party,
    I’m still here, all hale and hearty,
    Good teeth, free education;
    Product of the welfare nation.
    Eighty-one today! Hip Hip – Hip Hooray!

    I posted that little birthday memento verse at The Pub yesterday and time just ran away with me for responding to some really encouraging responses from…………………………….”

  4. Good morning Dawn Patrollers. It’s Saturday Special time!

    Mike Foley and Nick Toscano report that the Albanese government has fired a warning shot at the mining sector, declaring it will “not sit back and watch Australians suffer” due to soaring power and gas prices even as powerful lobby groups warn that intervention in energy will imperil jobs and investment.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/labor-warns-miners-it-won-t-watch-australians-suffer-as-power-prices-soar-20221111-p5bxhm.html
    Luke Henriques-Gomes summarises the first two weeks of public hearings of the robodebt royal commission.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/12/conspiracy-or-stuff-up-robodebt-royal-commission-probes-how-far-up-the-chain-of-command-blame-falls
    Fresh details have emerged about Scott Morrison’s first briefing on robodebt, but notes that may reveal exactly what was said at the meeting have been destroyed, writes Rick Morton. This is an excellent description of what has come out during the royal commission hearings.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2022/11/12/inside-morrisons-push-robo-debt
    Robodebt victims were told to borrow money or use their credit cards to pay their debts with Centrelink staff refusing to help with inquiries, the royal commission into the botched scheme has been told. Others were so traumatised by their experience with Centrelink that they refused in future to engage with the organisation, even if they were fully entitled to payments. At a commission hearing yesterday, a series of case studies were related to Commissioner Catherine Holmes.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/national/2022/11/11/robodebt-victims-told-borrow-to-pay/?breaking_live_scroll=1
    It’s good to see the return of Laura Tingle. She writes today that the Albanese government is not playing crash-through on its IR bill for lack of a good case, but because it thinks the low-paid can’t wait.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/the-government-wants-to-fix-low-pay-and-quickly-20221109-p5bwxx
    Gough Whitlam made his election policy launch 50 years ago, but it reads today as an address to the Australians of 2022. Mark Sawyer looks at the enduring changes and the enduring challenges wrought by the reforming Labor leader.
    https://michaelwest.com.au/rebooting-a-nation-how-gough-whitlam-crafted-the-australia-of-2022/
    “The big uptick in one metric in Australia was obvious this week. Political productivity in Canberra is booming. So many issues were substantively pursued by the Albanese government, on so many fronts, it was hard to keep up”, writes Chris Wallace who says the Albanese government’s action-oriented ministers contrast sharply with the rorting, shovel-leaning gaslighters of the Coalition government before it. This makes their relaxed demeanour in parliament all the more striking.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2022/11/12/the-might-the-hill
    Ross Gittins tries to read the tea leaves from Treasury’s utterings about price controls on coal and gas markets. He describes how the market reacts to high prices.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/treasury-thinks-the-unthinkable-yes-intervene-in-coal-and-gas-markets-20221110-p5bxau.html
    John Hewson begins this contribution with, “As the weeks roll by, it’s becoming easier to believe that the inflation task is slipping away from the government and central bank authorities. Inflation numbers have already exceeded predictions, even after seven consecutive increases in the cash rate. That means the government can’t afford to be too successful in its push for higher wages, in case they contribute to the rising cost of living and expectations of more inflation to come, in a vicious cycle. So it is focusing on initiatives to increase wages in what is hoped will be a non-inflationary way, by tweaking bargaining rules.”
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2022/11/12/inflation-unleashed
    Global carbon emissions from fossil fuels will reach a record high this year after the COVID-19 pandemic, with no sign of the deep reductions urgently needed to tackle global heating, writes Miki Perkins who lays out six chart that support the assertion.
    https://www.smh.com.au/environment/climate-change/global-emissions-will-reach-record-levels-this-year-these-six-charts-explain-why-20221109-p5bwsn.html
    Earth is approaching horrific climate change tipping points. It’s not a matter of an extra few tenths of a degree, some more monster bushfires and extra floods. It’s about sudden collapse in the systems that sustain us. Michael Pascoe is concerned that Australia’s biggest diplomatic effort is going into creating a bifurcated world, preparing to fight another war for another imperial power, surrendering our sovereignty and our military in the process – and happy to remain in the rear on climate.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2022/11/12/michael-pascoe-g20-china/
    In the same week a conservative industrial relations warrior passed away, a new generation of workplace reforms gave Australians a deeper insight into the heart – and true agenda – of their new government, writes Michelle Grattan. She says that, given the extent to which the government is willing to compromise, the odds would seem to favour the bill being passed before Christmas. Even though there is a strong case against haste, it would be a big deal for Pocock to hold up for an extended period what the government is casting as urgently needed legislation.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/ironic-timing-as-canberra-farewells-a-workplace-warrior-from-a-bygone-era-20221111-p5bxcz.html
    A network of childcare centres touted by Labor as a role model for multi-employer bargaining warns the reforms won’t succeed in the sector without greater funding and says the government needs to intervene urgently with a 10 per cent pay rise needed to stop staff from leaving.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/calls-for-government-to-fund-pay-rise-for-childcare-staff-20221110-p5bx9q.html
    Australia’s progressive forces show signs of fracturing – and a test on free and fair elections looms, writes Katherine Murphy who looks at the joint standing committee on electoral matters inquiring into the conduct of federal elections.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2022/nov/12/australias-progressive-forces-show-signs-of-fracturing-and-a-test-on-free-and-fair-elections-looms
    “As things stand, the opposition leader is driving the Liberals towards a brick wall. Whatever possessed him to take the wheel again?”, writes Chip Le Grand who analyses Matthew Guy’s elevation to leadership.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/he-s-not-gracious-the-dan-andrews-phone-call-driving-matthew-guy-s-comeback-20221031-p5bug3.html
    Former Court of Appeal judge Stephen Charles KC provides some reality to the IBAC circus in Victoria, saying, “The public certainly has a right to know, as The Age contends, but not until those fearing an adverse finding have been given natural justice. If the court’s decision is in their favour, the final report may be in terms wholly different from the draft. Those who receive a draft report and leak it to the press are acting in breach of the IBAC Act, and journalists would be aware that to publish a leaked draft report would be to publish a document that may well bear little relation to its final form – as well as potentially being highly defamatory of someone.”
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/the-public-has-a-right-to-know-but-natural-justice-must-also-be-protected-20221111-p5bxdy.html
    Christopher Knaus describes how the Herald Sun amplified conspiracy theories about Daniel Andrews’ 2021 fall.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/12/stepping-into-the-mainstream-how-the-herald-sun-amplified-conspiracy-theories-about-daniel-andrews-2021-fall
    The ransom attack on Medibank involving the personal information of nearly 10 million Australians has exposed another front in the geopolitical confrontation between Russia and the world, writes Chris Zappone who says the criminal gang REvil’s hacking, ransom and release of personal details of Medibank’s customers serves a secondary strategic goal of the Kremlin by “punishing” businesses in Western allies.
    https://www.smh.com.au/technology/pax-mafioso-the-geopolitical-side-to-the-medibank-ransom-attack-20221110-p5bxbr.html
    The Australian Federal Police has identified the individual criminals responsible for stealing and releasing Medibank patient data and says they are part of a loose group of Russian hackers.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/data-breaches-surge-as-minister-warns-against-paying-ransoms-20221110-p5bxac
    Karen Middleton reveals that new details in the governor-general grant saga reveal the haste with which Scott Morrison allocated funding – and show that support was also sought from TAB and British American Tobacco. She tells us Morrison earmarked millions of dollars for a pet project of Governor-General David Hurley more than a year before revealing it publicly, four months before the recipient organisation legally existed and just three weeks after Hurley wrote asking for support.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2022/11/12/morrison-hid-governor-general-grant-money-year
    Abul Rizvi tells us that a three-member panel to review Australia’s migration system – former PM&C Secretary Martin Parkinson, academic Joanna Howe and businessman John Azarias – has been set the task of producing “a holistic strategy that articulates the purpose, structure and objectives of Australia’s migration system to ensure it meets the national interest in the coming decades”.
    https://johnmenadue.com/a-migration-system-for-australias-future/
    Australians are facing soaring insurance premiums with many households and businesses facing the choice of underinsuring their properties if they can afford policies at all. Peter Hannam tells us how a near-endless series of climate change related disasters – from the Black Summer bushfires across much of eastern Australian in 2019-20 to regular bouts of floods spanning three La Niña years – has sent premiums rocketing, particularly in areas insurers deem to be higher risk.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/12/australians-facing-prohibitive-insurance-premiums-after-climate-related-disasters
    “As the number of climate-related disasters almost doubles, and refugee numbers surge, the UN climate summit is finally asking a key question: How do you make the countries that caused the crisis pay?”, writes Mike Seccombe.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/news/politics/2022/11/12/what-being-decided-cop27
    Aboriginal families in Perth say their children have been chased in cars and attacked in the street with knives, bats and metal bars by vigilantes whose hostility is fuelled by racist comments on social media, particularly in Facebook community groups.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/11/its-racial-profiling-aboriginal-families-fear-social-media-is-driving-vigilante-attacks-on-young-people-in-perth
    A swarm of new subvariants is driving the latest COVID-19 wave in NSW as the virus comes under increasing pressure to find new ways of evading the population’s immunity. One of the new variants – BR.2.1 – has established a base in NSW, with the state home to the vast majority of cases globally, explains Kate Aubusson.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/it-s-becoming-a-contortionist-new-covid-19-subvariants-drive-wave-of-infections-20221111-p5bxfz.html
    Harriett Alexander chronicle how clubs got hooked on pokies and fundamentally changed the social fabric of NSW.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/it-fundamentally-changed-the-social-fabric-of-nsw-how-clubs-got-hooked-on-pokies-20221110-p5bx6p.html
    Teachers in NSW have been effectively been handed a real wage cut by the state’s industrial umpire, unions say, in a decision celebrated by Education Minister Sarah Mitchell but that has infuriated workers. The NSW Industrial Relations Commission handed teachers a 6 per cent pay rise over two years, with headline inflation currently running at 7.3 per cent and expected to peak at 8 per cent in December as Australians grapple with a cost-of-living crisis and surging power bills.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/nsw-teachers-delivered-real-wage-cut-as-inflation-expected-to-hit-8-per-cent-20221111-p5bxmd.html
    Conditions in Australian public schools are at crisis level. In searching for a cause, there is a Chinese proverb ‘The fish rots from the head’. A clear-cut example is the Department of Education in NSW, where modern neo-liberal, rational management of a public service has failed under current leadership, laments John Frew about the demise of NSW public schools.
    https://johnmenadue.com/the-demise-of-nsw-public-schools/
    The crypto industry is known for dramatic twists, rollercoaster prices and fortunes that appear and disappear overnight. But even by crypto standards, what happened this week was bonkers, writes Kevin Roose who wonders if we might be seeing crypto’s Lehman Brothers moment.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/is-this-crypto-s-lehman-brothers-moment-20221110-p5bxc4.html
    On Monday, Sam Bankman-Fried, the CEO of the cryptocurrency exchange FTX, took to Twitter to reassure his customers: “FTX is fine,” he wrote. “Assets are fine.” Yesterday FTX announced that it was filing for bankruptcy, capping an extraordinary week of corporate drama that has upended crypto markets and sent shock waves through the industry.
    https://www.afr.com/technology/embattled-crypto-exchange-ftx-files-for-bankruptcy-20221112-p5bxnk
    The spectacular collapse of a $30 billion crypto exchange should come as no surprise, writes John Hawkins.
    https://theconversation.com/the-spectacular-collapse-of-a-30-billion-crypto-exchange-should-come-as-no-surprise-194442
    Dear old Gerard rabbits on about the ABC yet again, this time singling out Louse Milligan and what he describes as ABC double standards.
    https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/louise-milligan-speech-exposes-abcs-double-standards/news-story/bdd9d0af014f0cbcbabb912c7481b4ab
    The “sensational” and “inaccurate” reporting of a trial by the Daily Telegraph and a Nine broadcaster’s wish that the offender be “riddled with cancer” were taken into account when sentencing a convicted paedophile, a Sydney district court judge has said. Amanda Meade explains this in her weekly media round up.
    https://www.theguardian.com/media/2022/nov/11/daily-telegraphs-innacurate-reporting-taken-into-account-by-judge-when-sentencing-paedophile
    High-profile Adelaide bikie bosses Tom and Perry Mackie have lost their final battle to avoid being deported – and will be kicked out of the country within days. Have a nice trip, fellas!
    https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/truecrimeaustralia/police-courts-sa/descendants-bikie-bosses-lose-final-bid-to-stop-their-deportation/news-story/99c6cdcedb5cc92b131779c06dc56f1a?amp
    If so-called mainstream Zionist groups keep defending a fantasy Israel, they will be completely disconnected from many younger Australian Jews, writes Antony Loewenstein who says Australian Jews are changing their views on Israel. He believes that it’s time for accountability and new, more enlightened voices to improve our multicultural society.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/middle-east/australian-jews-are-changing-their-views-on-israel-and-they-need-a-new-voice-20221109-p5bwv1.html
    As Australia considers signing a treaty against nuclear weapons, the United States has taken a bullying approach against the Albanese Government, writes Julia Conley.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/us-slammed-for-decrying-australias-anti-nuke-stance,16956
    Albert Palazzo argues a definitive case against nuclear subs.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/opinion/topic/2022/11/12/the-definitive-case-against-nuclear-subs
    Mick Ryan tells us why Putin needs a story that may even include some facts.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/kherson-retreat-why-putin-needs-a-story-that-may-even-include-some-facts-20221110-p5bxbc.html
    It is the great economic guessing game about China: When will the Chinese government ditch its zero-tolerance approach to COVID-19? Companies and manufacturers are worrying about their profits, while uncertainty is rippling through financial markets. Global leaders and policymakers are sizing up Beijing’s moves as part of their own growth calculations, given China’s central role in the global economy.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/flying-blind-china-s-great-zero-covid-guessing-game-20221110-p5bx05.html
    Four years after riding the Trump train, Ron DeSantis’s ambitions have grown. But so has the tension with the former president whose endorsement propelled him into the national spotlight, writes Farrah Tomazin who tells us why \ DeSantis has become the man Trump should fear the most
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/why-ron-desantis-has-become-the-man-donald-trump-should-fear-the-most-20221110-p5bx72.html
    Peter van Onselen says we shouldn’t write Trump off just yet.
    https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/comeback-kid-dont-write-off-a-donald-trump-resurgence-justyet/news-story/dc1ce50013d4c91977c0fbda9481c26f
    Donald Trump has taken to his Truth Social app to lash out at the empire of media magnate Rupert Murdoch, after it knocked the former president with unflattering coverage in the aftermath of the midterm elections. Ha ha!
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/donald-trump-fires-back-after-sharp-attacks-from-rupert-murdoch-s-news-outlets-20221111-p5bxe0.html
    Donald Trump’s malignant narcissism has given medical experts great cause for concern. Dan Jensen takes a look at a fascinating glimpse into the psyche of the former President.
    https://independentaustralia.net/life/art-display/the-experts-have-spoken–trump-is-mentally-unfit,16959
    Sensible America finally spoke, but ‘Trumpty Dumpty’ won’t shut up, writes Nick Bryant who tells us Donald Trump and his hard-line allies have always benefited from America’s minoritarian system of democracy, with features such as the Electoral College, but at least the sensible majority has spoken.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/sensible-america-finally-spoke-but-trumpty-dumpty-won-t-shut-up-20221110-p5bx52.html
    The Democrats’ midterms performance shows how Trump – and his imitators – can be beaten, explains Jonathan Freedland.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/11/democrats-midterm-donald-trump-joe-biden-republican-right-labour
    The Republicans had hoped for a sweeping victory at the US midterm elections on Tuesday but made only slight gains in the house and lost a crucial seat in the senate, writes Jonathan Pearlman.
    https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/world/north-america/2022/11/12/democrats-hold-back-red-tide-midterms
    We were told abortion wasn’t an important US election issue. How wrong that was declares Moira Donegan.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/11/abortion-important-election-issue-wrong
    Just hours after the Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v Wade in June, US President Joe Biden put an extra name on the ballot in every American state. “This fall,’’ he said, “Roe is on the ballot.’’ It was a strategic call; a bid to galvanise Democrat voters to turn out in force to have their voice heard; voices – and votes – that would be a midterm fillip, writes Madonna King.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/opinion/2022/11/11/midterms-roe-v-wade-madonna-king/

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  6. Just hours after the Supreme Court decided to overturn Roe v Wade in June, US President Joe Biden put an extra name on the ballot in every American state. “This fall,’’ he said, “Roe is on the ballot.

    When many Repugs went YEEEHAW ! over the Supreme Court decision I became sure the Repugs had blown it. Despite the oversupply of religious nuts and fanatics ‘average’ Americans would sure as hell not want to go down the abortion path so many Repugs seemed to want to take them. A top way to lose millions of votes that otherwise would have been yours.

    The cry though is ‘TRUMP LOST IT FOR US !’ a convenient scapegoat but a much smaller part of it than is being portrayed……imho. Ask yourself how many Americans after years of Trump would be sitting on the fence regarding their opinion of someone as polarising as Trump ? Votes one way or the other would be locked in . Now ask yourself how many people would be affected and have to really consider their voting positions when one party starts making a lot of noise about cracking down on access to abortions a few months before an election ?

    • Yes Kaffee, the Roe V Wade case was a massive own goal. It just shows how nutty the right wing religious loons really are. If they had just a sniff of reality they would not have revisited that case.

      They say that the mid-terms usually swing against the incumbent government, and they didn’t. I don’t think the loons will shut up about it either. All the Democrats have to say in two years time is that Roe is still on the ballot paper and they will get another crack at POTUS, irrespective of who they endorse.

  8. Roe vs Wade would have galvanised Democrats to turn out to vote

    But Democrats were discouraged from voting in Texas because the MAGA crowd encircled polling booths forcing Black (Democrat) voters to push through them to get to the polling booth. Then there was the usual shit of long lines to vote, 6 hours?, in working class and black districts

    I do not understand why Americans have to state their party affiliation when enrolling to vote.
    Don’t they have a secret ballot?
    If you have declared your party affiliation why do you have to mark a ballot paper for your vote to count?

    • There are a lot of things about the US voting system that do not make sense to me. For a start having to list your party affiliation, the Electoral College, no early voting in some states, which would avoid all those queues and the refusal of the US to make voting compulsory.

      Also there’s the weird insistence on holding elections on a Tuesday, a mid-19th century hangover dating back to 1845. It was designed to give farmers a chance to travel to polling places, often a long journey on horseback. It makes absolutely no sense now but it is part of their electoral law. For the same reason presidential and congressional elections are always held in November, a slow time for farmers.

      https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Election_Day_(United_States)

      https://www.britannica.com/story/why-are-us-elections-held-on-tuesdays

    • There is probably no such thing as a perfect democracy but if you were to rank them the United States would be far from the top.

  11. I don’t know how to apologise for my misrepresenting Bill Maher as new. I watched it for a while and realised it was from last year. I hope I can be forgiven and maintain my exhalted status as toilet cleaner extraordinaire and for your viewing pleasure I present :-

    Bill Maher – (new rules 44:05)

    Overtime –

  12. 3 years ago my wife applied for medibank health cover, we decided that it wasn’t worth the money and cancelled after just 1 (one) month. So we thought we would be OK with the data breach thingy but we just got this email today at 7:35 pm. Very disapointing at the least 🤬💩

    The following is a small section of the email –

    ******************************************
    We’re deeply sorry to inform you that some data relating to your former membership has been stolen in the recent cybercrime event.

    This email details what specific membership data was stolen, outlines actions you can take to safeguard your online identity, and the services available through our Cyber Response Support Program.

    Which of your data has been stolen

    Based on our investigation, we can confirm the following data relating to your membership has been stolen:

    • first name and surname

    • gender

    • date of birth

    • email (where you have provided it to us)

    • address

    • phone number (where you have provided it to us)

    • policy number

    • Live Better activities & rewards data (where this applies to you)

    We believe the criminal has not stolen:

    •

    Credit card and banking details

    •

    Your health claims data

    •

    Primary identity documents, such as a driver’s licence. Medibank does not collect primary identity documents for Australian resident customers except in exceptional circumstances

    •

    Health claims data for extras services (such as dental, physio, optical and psychology).

    **************************************************

    I expect a lot of spam calls, texts and emails for the foreseeable future.

  13. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    In an excellent contribution, Mark Kenny posits that Australia is not immune from the democracy crisis facing USA. He says, “The irony in the US is it is the most furious of flag-wavers who rail the loudest against their country. They declare themselves patriots yet seem to have fallen out of love with America’s signature achievement – that of being a secular, constitutional, rule-of-law super-power through centuries in which rivals have come and gone succumbing to totalising ideologies of communism, fascism and theocracy.”
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7979182/making-australia-great-again/?cs=14329
    Katherine Murphy writes that Anthony Albanese has sent a clear public signal to the Chinese leadership that Australia is open for dialogue during international summits over the coming days, saying he is prepared to meet his counterpart without “preconditions”.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/12/anthony-albanese-signals-to-china-that-australia-is-open-for-dialogue-without-preconditions
    Producers and importers face tougher regulations unless they step up to deliver on Australia’s recycling and reuse targets, as federal Environment Minister Tanya Plibersek fires a warning shot at “cowboys” bucking the good work of others in the industry, writes Mike Foley.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/plibersek-threatens-waste-industry-cowboys-with-tougher-regulations-20221111-p5bxjv.html
    There’s a lot going on in policy land, especially with the vogue for intervention. In case you missed it, the fuse has been lit on tax. As a nation, we’re going to pay more – it’s simply a matter of how much more, by whom, and when, writes Tom Dusevic who says older, asset-rich Australians are in the firing line for the taxing challenge.
    https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/inquirer/older-assetrich-australians-in-the-firing-line-for-taxing-challenge/news-story/f430b73d72e2bdc3f59425468bb50818
    Australia’s living standards are going backwards, and it’s young people who will suffer the most, writes demographer Liz Allen who says, “Wealth is becoming more concentrated among older Australians. Perverse, politically strategic policies are to blame”.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/13/australias-living-standards-are-going-backwards-and-its-young-people-who-will-suffer-the-most
    Jacqui Lambie’s instinct is to blow the IR debate up while David Pocock is all ears – that’s why he is the kingmaker, writes Paul Karp.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/12/jacqui-lambies-instinct-is-to-blow-the-ir-debate-up-while-david-pocock-is-all-ears-thats-why-he-is-the-kingmaker
    The Victorian Electoral Commission is urging the public to vote early once polling booths open on Monday to avoid missing out if they fall sick on November 26.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/how-to-vote-or-avoid-a-fine-if-you-get-covid-19-20221109-p5bwum.html
    There are pets, freedom and weed on the ballot. A record number of candidates and controversial voting system could leave Victoria’s upper house with a lively crossbench, says Tom Cowie.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/how-victoria-s-wild-upper-house-election-could-shape-the-next-term-of-government-20221110-p5bx81.html
    Here are the weekly views on the Victorian election from Jon Faine and Neil Mitchell. Faine is less than happy with the performance of the MSM.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/media-scrap-with-media-as-andrews-takes-to-his-big-red-bus-20221111-p5bxg4.html
    And Mitchell goes off on how the premier avoids accountability.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/thumbs-down-how-the-premier-avoids-accountability-20221111-p5bxg7.html
    Older workers say they are less prepared for retirement than a year ago because of higher prices for essentials and poorly performing investment markets, writes John Collett.
    https://www.smh.com.au/money/super-and-retirement/australians-feel-less-prepared-for-retirement-as-markets-fall-inflation-rises-20221109-p5bwve.html
    Adelaide’s new Lord Mayor has been provisionally declared but by a razor-thin margin. The Electoral Commission of SA released a provisional declaration at 10.26pm, which saw Jane Lomax-Smith nudge out her nearest rival Rex Patrick by 52 votes.
    https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/sa-council-election-results-roll-in-as-adelaide-lord-mayoral-race-drags-on/news-story/67b862146f1e09f75db1200032bd3bcb?amp
    The big four Aussie banks have posted a $29 billion profit, a 10% increase over last year, with more to come as interest rates rise, reports Callum Foote. It was a massive week for Australia’s banks. With Westpac’s profit result posted on Wednesday morning, the picture of the big four banks’ dazzling profitability is complete. Money-printing from Covid stimulus, as well as rising interest rates, are helping massively too.
    https://michaelwest.com.au/banks-rake-in-29-billion-profit-bonanza-as-rates-on-mortgages-outpace-rates-on-savings/
    Audio recordings taken at the Brisbane city police watch house reveal officers joking about beating and burying black people, referring to Nigerians as “jigaboos”, and raising fears that Australia “will be fucking taken over”. A series of tapes, leaked to Guardian Australia by a whistleblower, record several Queensland police service officers using racist slurs and offensive language while working in the holding cells. Charming!
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/13/queensland-police-service-qps-leaked-audio-recording-tape-brisbane-city-watch-house
    Four new paediatric operating theatres have been left unused at the Children’s Hospital Westmead amid a worsening backlog of elective surgeries and a staffing crisis that doctors claim is putting the safety of young patients at risk. Kate Aubusson reports that fifty senior staff specialist intensive care doctors and anaesthetists have signed a letter to Health Minister Brad Hazzard to “raise the alarm”, pleading for him to intervene before they are “unable to maintain the best standards of safety for the babies and children in our care due to the senior staffing recruitment and retention crisis”.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/new-children-s-operating-theatres-left-unused-amid-staffing-crisis-20221111-p5bxi1.html
    A joint taskforce to “hack the hackers” and disrupt cyber attacks before they are committed has been launched by the Albanese government. Mike Foley tells us that the new taskforce between the Australian Federal Police and the Australian Signals Directorate has been described as a new model of policing, and follows confirmation from AFP Commissioner Reece Kershaw on Friday that Russia is the home of the hacking group holding health insurer Medibank to ransom.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/hack-the-hackers-new-joint-taskforce-will-hunt-cybercriminals-before-they-strike-20221112-p5bxol.html
    The authors of an independent report pushing for restrictions on paracetamol sales have expressed concern about teenagers accessing stockpiled medications in the home. Mary Ward tells us that, on Friday, the Therapeutic Goods Administration will consider limiting supermarket purchases of the painkillers to two packs per person and restricting sales to over-18s, amid evidence teenagers – particularly teenage girls – are increasingly using the medication to self-harm.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/experts-pushing-paracetamol-ban-fear-teen-access-to-household-stockpiles-20221110-p5bx50.html
    Five years after the vote on gay marriage, Michael Koziol writes about the unfinished business of a religious discrimination bill.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/unfinished-business-and-a-teal-reckoning-same-sex-marriage-five-years-on-20221108-p5bwlm.html
    Andrew Hornery despairs at the loss of Australian children’s TV programs and has a good dip at Alex Antic’s effort at estimates last week.
    https://www.smh.com.au/culture/celebrity/drag-queens-aren-t-the-problem-with-australian-children-s-tv-20221108-p5bwjf.html
    Joe Biden’s Democrats have claimed two key victories in Arizona, a former right-wing stronghold, putting the party within one seat of retaining control of the US Senate, and Farrah Tomazin writes that as recriminations over the Republicans’ midterm results continue, Trump is lashing out at anyone rumoured to be considering a run for the White House.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-takes-aim-at-another-potential-rival-with-racist-jab-20221112-p5bxnn.html

    Cartoon Corner

    Peter Broelman

    Matt Golding

    Mark Knight

    From the US















  14. Some ‘war humour’ from Eastern Europe. Praise be for Google Translate.

    Dežo wakes up in the winter and the apartment is very warm. He grabs the radiator – it’s hot. He opens the water tap – the hot water comes out. He turns on the gas – the gas flows. An upset Dežo shouts: “Aranka, get up! The communists are back!”
    .
    The difference between 1942 and 2022 is that the Germans don’t have to go all the way to Stalingrad to freeze.
    .
    The prices of flour and breadcrumbs have risen so high that manufacturers are thinking of putting meat in sausages again.

  15. This is about “Le Diner en Blanc”, held yesterday. an event staged for vacuous wankers in which public spaces are rented by the “team” for a dinner where everyone has to wear white. Participants are not told where the dinner will be until just before the event.

    Here is some info about it –
    https://sydney.dinerenblanc.com/about

    Previous locations have included the Opera House forecourt and Hyde Park. The event has been happening since 2012.

    How very Sydney!

    • All praise to the holy Flying Spaghetti Monster for making Sydney a 4,000 km drive from Perth.

  23. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    In the first of a three-part series Peter Hartcher and James Massola examine the moment from which former prime minister Scott Morrison could never recover – and why Josh Frydenberg didn’t save their party.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/only-one-man-could-save-scott-morrison-from-himself-and-he-chose-not-to-20221011-p5bovf.html
    A deal pulled together by then-treasurer Scott Morrison in 2018 to placate WA over its GST revenue was supposed to cost $2.3 billion, but it is on track to surpass $24 billion – just as government debt hits $900 billion, explains Shane Wright.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/cost-of-morrison-s-wa-gst-deal-blows-out-by-20-billion-as-debt-hits-record-high-20221111-p5bxh7.html
    The Coalition’s practice of sacking a bunch of government department heads whenever it gets back to office is clearly calculated to discourage bureaucrats from giving frank advice. Fortunately for us, the Albanese government is not as arrogant, says Ross Gittins who is pleased that Treasury’s advice now back in favour. Gittins gets a lot off his chest here.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/the-economy/treasury-s-advice-now-back-in-favour-with-the-government-20221113-p5bxr5.html
    Phil Coorey reports that Anthony Albanese and Joe Biden have swapped notes on the eve of a historic meeting between the US President and China’s Xi Jinping which is expected to be dominated by Western concerns about North Korea, Beijing’s designs on Taiwan, its disregard for international law, and its support for Russia in Ukraine.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/albanese-and-biden-unite-over-china-20221113-p5bxsy
    More trade, not less, the key to Australia’s prosperity, says Don Farrell in this AFR op-ed.
    https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/more-trade-not-less-the-key-to-australia-s-prosperity-20221109-p5bwy3
    NDIS Minister Bill Shorten rejected his department’s suggestion that the Productivity Commission run the major new review of the scheme, believing it shouldn’t be “marking its own homework” after conducting two earlier inquiries.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7977441/marking-their-own-homework-why-shorten-rejected-advice-on-ndis-review/?cs=14329
    The world’s biggest carbon pollution reduction project at Chevron’s Gorgon gas plant is working at just one-third capacity after six years, delivering a setback to the credibility of carbon capture and storage as a means to achieve net-zero emissions, explains Peter Milne.
    https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/gas-giant-s-3-2b-effort-to-bury-carbon-pollution-is-failing-20221113-p5bxtw.html
    “‘A political force of nature’: despite scandals and a polarising style, can ‘Dan’ do it again in Victoria?”, wonders Paul Strangio.
    https://theconversation.com/a-political-force-of-nature-despite-scandals-and-a-polarising-style-can-dan-do-it-again-in-victoria-187344
    It appears COVID-19 crisis management policies have impacted voting behaviour — all the more relevant given incumbents campaign primarily to retain their seats, writes Professor Francesco Paolucci, Pablo Arija Prieto, Marcello Antonini and Andrew Greenland.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/covid-19-crisis-management-fodder-for-political-gamers,16958
    Billionaire media scions Lachlan Murdoch and James Packer have a close friendship which has endured the ups and downs of mega-deals including Australia’s ‘Super League’ war, the collapse of One.Tel, the rise of Realestate.com.au and failure of Channel Ten – some of the best and worst moments of Lachlan’s career. This edited extract from Paddy Manning’s new biography of Lachlan Murdoch sheds new light on their tumultuous business history.
    https://michaelwest.com.au/how-james-packer-and-lachlan-murdoch-kept-their-eyes-on-the-prize/
    The Guardian reveals that The Queensland police minister, Mark Ryan, was sent an audio recording of officers joking about beating and burying black people last month, but declined to meet with the whistleblower who sent it. The whistleblower, watch house officer Steven Marshall, had approached Ryan and sought a private meeting, citing “significant” prior alleged reprisals for making complaints via official police channels. Seen together with the inquiry in the NT, this is not a good look for police forces.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/14/queensland-police-minister-was-sent-recordings-of-racist-sexist-police-comments-whistleblower-says
    As Principal Solicitor at the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, my team and I meet people seeking asylum every day. We see their suffering as they struggle to access basic rights in an intimidating and often hostile system, and we see the effect on them of vilification and exclusion in public discourse, writes Hannah Dickinson who says the Nine Network perpetuates tired, politicised, militaristic discourse on refugees.
    https://johnmenadue.com/what-the-media-get-wrong-about-reporting-on-refugee-processing/
    The big four banks raked in $28.5 billion in profits this year, and experts predict rate rises will boost their bottom lines further, writes Clancy Yeates.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/banks-yet-to-feel-economic-pain-as-higher-rates-lift-profits-20221111-p5bxgv.html
    How many staff should parliamentarians have? It depends whether they hold the balance of power. Marian Sawer writes that figures tabled at Senate Estimates by the Finance Department confirm the arbitrary nature of the decision of the Albanese Government to cut the staff entitlement of cross-benchers in the federal parliament.
    https://johnmenadue.com/behind-closed-doors-deciding-which-parliamentarians-get-what/
    With Twitter, Trump and Xi in the news, Sean Kelly wonders if democracy is safe.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/twitter-trump-xi-is-democracy-safe-yet-20221111-p5bxmg.html
    The spectacular collapse of a $30 billion crypto exchange should come as no surprise, explains John Hawkins.
    https://theconversation.com/the-spectacular-collapse-of-a-30-billion-crypto-exchange-should-come-as-no-surprise-194442
    Margot Saville argues that cruise ships shouldn’t be able to flush sick passengers into the community.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/cruise-ships-shouldn-t-be-able-to-flush-sick-passengers-into-the-community-20221112-p5bxpy.html
    The SMH editorial describes the defeat in Kherson as a personal humiliation for Putin.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/defeat-in-kherson-is-a-personal-humiliation-for-putin-20221113-p5bxut.html
    Democrats’ triumph may be miraculous but the US is still split down the middle, writes Michael Cohen.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/13/democrats-victory-miraculous-but-us-still-split-down-middle

    Cartoon Corner

    David Rowe

    Matt Golding


    Megan Herbert

    Mark Knight

    Peter Broelman

    Jim Pavlidis

    Leak

    • S H A M E

      couldn’t happen to a nicer fella

      Completed my stint handing out How To Votes in Ashwood with a nasty Liberal shoving me, spewing lies and hissing in my ear that he would report me to VEC for being “mouthy” when I asked about the Liberal campaign manager fired 2 months ago for asking for $100,000 backhander from major Liberal donor

      As instructions were to smile and not end up in Herald Sun I left

    • What a laugh! Man who rigged elections comes unstuck – you could not make this up if you tried.

      Let’s hope we have seen the last of “preference whispering”.

    • You would Their ABC would at least devote aa few minutes to Albo getting to talk to Xi Jinping, but no, real news is no longer important to the Liberal-dominated ABC.

  28. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    Paul Karp outlines what the latest Essential poll reveals. High support for Labor’s plan for multi-employer pay deals was the big take out.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/15/guardian-essential-poll-almost-two-thirds-of-voters-back-labors-plan-for-multi-employer-pay-deals
    Chinese President Xi Jinping will hold a landmark meeting with Prime Minister Anthony Albanese today, signalling China may be prepared to begin removing crippling tariffs from $20 billion worth of Australian goods. The meeting, to be held on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Bali late in the day, represents a significant diplomatic breakthrough after years of increasing tensions, say Matthew Knott and David Crowe.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/anthony-albanese-to-hold-landmark-talks-with-chinese-president-xi-jinping-at-g20-summit-20221114-p5by7m.html
    That Anthony Albanese will meet Chinese President Xi Jinping is constructive and long overdue. And it is to the government’s credit that this has come about without Canberra making any compromise or concession on all the things that most annoy Beijing about Australia, says Greg Sheridan.
    https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/world/so-far-so-good-on-china-relations-butmany-pitfalls-still-lie-ahead/news-story/84344a285bdff91afd48c3d4fb0fcd37
    The Business Council of Australia has hailed the Albanese government’s “tremendous reset” with China ahead of a breakthrough meeting today between the Australian prime minister and the Chinese president on the sidelines of the G20.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/14/australian-business-hails-albaneses-meeting-with-xi-as-tremendous-reset
    Percy Allen explains what had led to the trade issues between China and Australia.
    https://johnmenadue.com/anthony-albanese-on-china-what-next-who-started-the-trade-war/
    Here’s part 2 of the series from David Crowe and James Massola about how it all fell apart for the Morrison government.
    https://amp.smh.com.au/politics/federal/revealed-the-letter-that-scott-morrison-ignored-that-foresaw-the-teal-wave-20221109-p5bwpc.html
    Chris Barrett tells us why Albanese won’t storm out on Russia at the G20.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/why-albanese-won-t-storm-out-on-russia-at-g20-20221114-p5by2v.html
    Peter Hartcher explains what Australia is doing to rein in the excesses of the internet when it comes to online child sexual abuse and other vile material on the major platforms.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/cyber-safety-needs-seatbelt-moment-to-cope-with-metachaos-20221113-p5bxvw.html
    Greg Jericho says that in February one of the best things ever happened for gas companies: Russia illegally invaded Ukraine. Since then they have been making out like … well, like bandits – profiting off the human misery of that invasion. Jericho goes on the explain just how much more revenue the Australian government would have if it taxed gas companies properly.
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2022/nov/14/how-much-more-revenue-would-the-australian-government-have-if-it-taxed-gas-companies-properly
    One of NSW’s largest dams will spill vast amounts of water over the coming days, triggering warnings that overflowing rivers, waterlogged soil and new bands of rain threaten to unleash a rolling series of deadly disasters between now and Christmas.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/an-incredibly-difficult-situation-more-than-100-people-rescued-as-floods-inundate-central-west-20221114-p5by42.html
    Floods are becoming as much a part of our annual cycle as bushfires – but our ability to plan for them and help those affected is sadly lacking, says the editorial in the SMH.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/once-again-state-caught-napping-by-inadequate-emergency-response-20221114-p5by01.html
    Tony Wood writes about the biggest climate challenges that lie ahead for the Victorian election victors.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/biggest-climate-challenges-lie-ahead-for-victorian-election-victors-20221114-p5bxz8.html
    “Why is Albo so set on clipping Teal wings?”, wonders Jack Waterford.
    https://johnmenadue.com/why-is-albo-so-set-on-clipping-teal-wings/
    Mark Butler has given in to pressure from some media outlets and on 5 November announced an independent review into Medicare compliance to report in four months – a requirement which means it will struggle to deliver on its main terms of reference, argues Charles Maskell-Knight.
    https://johnmenadue.com/medicare-compliance-review-unlikely-to-succeed/
    An indefinite lockout of critical port workers in response to damaging strikes is set to grind the country’s major ports to a halt, threatening the supply of consumer goods, supermarket produce and farm exports. Tugboat giant Svitzer, whose services are critical to hauling container ships into and out of ports, notified 582 striking workers across the country it will bar them working from Friday as a way to short-circuit a lengthy industrial dispute.
    https://www.afr.com/work-and-careers/workplace/svitzer-lockout-threatens-port-supply-chain-shutdown-20221114-p5by0t
    Labor’s Industrial Relations Bill has exposed a lack of progressive politics from some Independents and a failure in objectivity by supposedly progressive media outlets, writes Victoria Fielding.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/so-called-progressive-media-show-true-colours-over-industrial-relations-bill,16967
    John Davidson writes that a lawyer behind that a class-action lawsuit over Medibank’s huge data breach has said the company could find itself in front of the High Court arguing that Australians have the right to sue for invasion of privacy.
    https://www.afr.com/technology/medibank-class-action-could-go-all-the-way-to-the-high-court-20221111-p5bxm6
    “Will Matthew Guy’s gas reservation plan drive down power prices?”, ask Josh Gordon and Nick Toscano.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/will-matthew-guy-s-gas-reservation-plan-drive-down-power-prices-20221114-p5by38.html
    The Australian Defence Force is short thousands of uniformed members and faces a staffing crisis requiring urgent action, Defence Minister Richard Marles says. James Massola tells us that in the first of three major speeches Marles will make over the next six months before the Defence Strategic Review and the review of the purchase of nuclear-powered submarines is finalised, the acting prime minister says the ADF is facing mounting challenges to recruit, retain and grow its workforce.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/defence-facing-a-personnel-crisis-with-thousands-more-uniformed-members-needed-20221114-p5bxz7.html
    Home Affairs is desperately trying to cope with a huge surge in overseas student visa applications, many lured by the prospect of unlimited work rights, writes Abul Rizvi.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/overseas-student-visas-entering-a-new-phase,16966
    Perhaps to save the planet we need to damage it even more, posits Graham Phillips who explains some contrary possible mitigative actions.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/perhaps-to-save-the-planet-we-need-to-damage-it-even-more-20221107-p5bw9b.html
    The AIMN looks at the way Dutton is hanging his hat on the $275 cheaper power cost election undertaking from Labor.
    https://theaimn.com/coming-back-to-haunt-you/
    The NSW government has been forced into a humiliating backdown after Christian Democrat MP Fred Nile refused to back its native forestry bill. Alexandra Smith reports that Agriculture Minister Dugald Saunders confirmed late on Monday that the Nationals would pull the hugely divisive bill in a bid to avoid an embarrassing loss for the Coalition in the final sitting week of parliament before the March election.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/nsw-government-faces-defeat-in-koala-wars-as-mp-fred-nile-refuses-to-back-bill-20221114-p5by3c.html
    Regional renters’ lives are about to get harder still. Brendan Coates and Joey Moloney offer a potential fix.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/regional-renters-lives-are-about-to-get-harder-still-here-s-a-fix-20221109-p5bww4.html
    Michaela Whitbourn writes that a fresh inquiry into the conviction of Kathleen Folbigg over the deaths of her four children will examine a novel genetic variant shared with her two daughters that may cast doubt on her guilt.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/kathleen-folbigg-inquiry-to-examine-role-of-novel-genetic-variant-20221111-p5bxm5.html
    Children and adolescents are exposed to growing risks from online games that make them more likely to graduate to harmful or addictive gambling, according to researchers who are calling for stronger federal rules over “predatory” games, explains David Crowe.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/children-given-unrealistic-view-of-real-life-gambling-through-exposure-to-gaming-apps-websites-researchers-warn-20221114-p5by4t.html
    Simone Fox Koob reports that Ian Narev, CBA’s chief executive between 2011 and 2018, was cross-examined yesterday as part of a class action brought on behalf of investors who suffered losses when the financial intelligence agency, AUSTRAC, announced it would begin legal proceedings against CBA in 2017 for breaching anti-money laundering laws. He had a fairly tough day.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/is-that-seriously-your-answer-former-cba-boss-narev-in-class-action-hot-seat-20221114-p5bxyt.html
    Has the government forgotten who employs it? Everyone should get their Freedom of Information requests dealt with in a reasonable time, writes former senator and transparency warrior Rex Patrick.
    https://michaelwest.com.au/come-on-mr-attorney-general-transparency-is-more-than-a-cry-for-opposition-benches/
    It has been a bleak year for investors but a string of good news out of the US and China has injected some major optimism into the brittle financial markets. Whether it is premature remains to be seen, writes Stephen Bartholomeusz.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/markets-are-euphoric-but-they-may-have-jumped-the-gun-20221114-p5bxyr.html
    Property values for higher-end homes have fallen faster during the downturn than for more affordable or mid-market properties, new figures show. Elizabeth Redman says that the pace of the top-end price falls is starting to show signs of stabilising after months of weakness that pushed Sydney’s upper-end values down 13.5 per cent from their peak and Melbourne’s upper end down 9.2 per cent.
    https://www.theage.com.au/property/news/more-pain-to-come-top-end-property-values-record-deepest-falls-20221114-p5by56.html
    The entire $US16 billion ($24 billion) fortune of former FTX co-founder Sam Bankman-Fried has been wiped out, one of history’s greatest-ever destructions of wealth. Here’s how it all went to poo over just five days. I just can’t (or won’t) get my head around this cryptocurrency stuff).
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/24b-to-zero-sam-bankman-fried-s-fortune-dissolves-in-days-20221114- p5bxxl.html
    Writing about the cryptocrash, Alan Kohler says the decline has been partly due to rising interest rates, but it’s also due to the fact that we’re at the end of the beginning of the fourth industrial revolution.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2022/11/14/crypto-revolution-alan-kohler/
    The Catholic church has adopted an increasingly aggressive approach to alleged victims of now-dead paedophile priests, using recent rulings to pressure survivors to accept “paltry amounts” or risk having their claims permanently blocked, lawyers say. Surely not!
    https://www.theguardian.com/world/2022/nov/15/catholic-church-pressuring-alleged-victims-of-dead-paedophile-priests-to-accept-paltry-payouts-lawyers-say
    Here’s this week dose of the acerbic John Crace on the state of British politics.
    https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2022/nov/14/rishi-sunak-and-emmanuel-macron-go-from-flirting-to-committed-in-a-week
    “You’re fired!” That was the message from the American electorate to former president Donald Trump. If Trump this week announces a further run for the presidency in 2024, it is as much a manoeuvre in his forthcoming legal battles as a real shot at the presidency, writes Greg Sheridan. He says Trump’s candidacy will guarantee ugly conflict within the Republican Party and greatly handicap its chances at the presidency in 2024. Of course, it’s ­possible Trump could win. Anything’s possible. But his record now as a gifted election loser and destroyer of Republican chances is prodigious.
    https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/democrats-praying-toxic-trump-will-run-again/news-story/b25ff1a6e7d64667e82bc84717c8b124
    Despite record inflation, rising crime, and a president with one of the worst approval ratings in history, Biden’s Democrats have had one of the best midterms for a party controlling the White House in decades, writes Farrah Tomazin.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/we-underestimated-joe-biden-the-midterms-prove-it-20221114-p5bxyi.html
    Crispin Hull gives us a very good examination of how the Republicans got what they deserved at the mid-term elections.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7980397/a-republican-tragedy-plays-out-over-abortion-rights/?cs=14258
    Events in the USA suggest the Trump era may be ending, but not before hundreds of thousands of Americans have died unnecessarily, as Alan Austin reports.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/americas-destructive-nightmare-may-soon-be-over,16965

    Cartoon Corner

    David Rowe

    David Pope

    Matt Golding





    John Shakespeare



    Fiona Katauskas

    A gif from Glen Le Lievre

    Mark Knight

    Spooner

    From the US




















  32. Back again. Could someone do a precis what has happened, politically over the last week, please. And anything else relevant. With much gratitude.

    • Albo is overseas (G20 and ASEAN). Talking to Biden and Chinese bigwigs.

      The Victorian Electoral Commission doesn’t like (for no good reason) the HTV cards of four or five independents (who are targeting Lib seats).

    • Hi 2g hope you are OK, good to see you back and sounding tops.

      I’ll leave the update to more qualified commenters.

  33. I’ve got an assessor from my aged care coming shortly so this is all for now, more to come later.

    Seth Meyers –

    Chris Hayes –

    Rachel Maddow –

  34. tlbd

    Thanks, how the midterm in USA go, last I heard there wasn’t a definitive result.

    ckwatt

    Thank you, I have done the centre link thing to swap from Carer to Age pension, luckily I did it before the next payday, I was quick enough that they can transfer me to Age pension. My next step is apply for aged care to try and maintain at least the lawnmower person that Lynnette had through NDIS, and I’ll try for the same cleaner as well. I had to go to prepoll yesterday morning early to get it sorted so Lynnette wouldn’t receive a please explain. VEC they couldn’t do anything at this stage, but they could sort it out, hopefully. I have a form the the booth manager filled out so if I hear from them I should not receive any flack. I decided to vote, and was looked after by them, I felt like royalty, they were wonderul. Good luck with your assessor. I am on a roller coaster at the moment, but having Hunter to care for keeps me hanging in there.

    • Unfortunately it looks like the Republicans have narrowly won the house. At the last count they’ve won 217 of the 218 seats they need for a majority, and they look favourable to win another 3 on top of that, making the House most likely 220 Republican and 215 Democrats.

      Still, if the Democrats were to hold one part of congress, it’s better that it’s the Senate.

      Also 3 state governorships have flipped to the Democrats (Arizona, Maryland, Massachusetts) while only 1 has flipped to the Republicans (Nevada). This will be important for the 2024 election, particularly in Arizona.

  36. About My Aged Care –

    I was assessed in hospital, I even have an aged care number. They thought I needed help with home maintenance (I presume they meant lawn mowing) housework and transport.

    I have decided not to bother.

    I already have a lawn bloke, he has been very good to me and I don’t want to dump him for a rip-off aged care provided person. It is better for my diminished mobility if I do as much housework as possible, what I cannot handle family will do. I don’t need transport, if family can’t help I’ll look into Community Transport.

    I have heard so many horror stories from oldies who have signed up for Home Care packages that it has really put me off. Things like no regular workers, just the luck of the draw, and workers not turning up at all. I’ve heard of a woman being quoted $130 just to mow her nature strip, more than double what I’m paying for front and back lawns. I’ve even heard of workers who have so little English clients cannot explain what needs to be done.

    The whole system seems designed for providers to make handsome profits. Maybe if the profiteers were abolished there could be more aged care workers. Another thing we can thank Howard for.

    • Leone
      Thanks for that info. I rang the lawn mowing place and she has accommodated my financial needs. I talked it over with my son and he said it was very reasonable. I will talk to Gordon next time he comes and get it sorted. We have a large area in grass, around the immediate house, then a huge back back yard (Almost a house block size,and larger than a lot of the new houses have got). I dare not mention the garden that Lynnette diligently built up, crawling on her knees. I will let a lot go back to lawn over time and just have the front and side garden for her 82 year Mum to play in when she comes to visit. Lynnette’s mum is fitter and I am although there is 12 years difference in our age, and can’t have a big garden in her Unit, so loves coming up and playing in ours.

      I think I’ll give the Aged Care a miss, with what you told me happens, I don’t have a lot of tolerance for people who don’t do the right thing.

      Sorry to rave on, I promise I’ll try not to do it again.

  38. My assessor wasn’t what I thought I was getting, turned to be a lower level of care assisstance not the care package assessor so now I’ve been referred to ACAT (I think) that will probably be in 8 – 12 months time for the assessment and a futher 12 – 18 to wait for a package if I am approved.

    Also, for people on aged care packages, I was informed that from 2024 care providers will no longer be able to take their fees from the package and that we will need to contribute the payment from our pensions.

    So all in all a bloody waste of time and effort.

    Ah well! on wards and upwards eh!

    • Sorry to hear that, ckwatt. Hopefully you can afford some private care so you don’t get ripped off. After reading Leone’s accounts, I’ll give it a miss and when I get more info I will be able to finish and add it up, see if I can retain my home cleaner, but probably fortnightly, rather than weekly. I’ve just got spoilt by having NDIS pony up.

  40. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    Anthony Albanese has claimed a diplomatic win from a meeting with Xi Jinping in which he urged the Chinese president to end the threat of conflict over Taiwan, ensure stability in the region and drop sanctions on Australian exports worth $20 billion a year. In a breakthrough meeting after years of tensions, the two leaders spoke of restoring stability to the relationship but made no immediate concessions on either side on trade or security.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/xi-jinping-meets-with-albanese-ending-diplomatic-deep-freeze-20221115-p5byhb.html
    “So this is what capitulation by a great power looks like”, writes Peter Hartcher who tells us what resistance by a middle power looks like.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/so-this-is-what-capitulation-by-a-great-power-looks-like-20221115-p5bylw.html
    The meeting was a welcome first step, but the Australia-China relationship still far from repaired, opines Mark Kenny.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7982961/a-welcome-first-step-but-relationship-still-far-from-repaired/?cs=14329
    Australia and China agreed to bury the hatchet during a historic meeting between Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday night, but both sides cautioned there was a long way to go before the relationship would return to normal, writes Phil Coorey.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/xi-tells-australia-we-should-cherish-our-relationship-20221115-p5bydk
    The Australia-China bilateral leaders’ meeting between Anthony Albanese and Xi Jinping is a diplomatic breakthrough for the new Labor government, ending the long freeze between the nations – but nobody should think this constitutes any strategic reset by Australia, says Paul Kelly.
    https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/xi-diplomacy-is-secondary-to-defence-strategy/news-story/0788c3ec183a6b79f346e0c59dec5fb0
    Paul Bongiorno thinks that Albanese is treading a fine line at home and abroad on China.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/news/2022/11/15/paul-bongiorno-albanese-china-xi-jinping/
    Eryk Bagshaw reckons Xi Jinping is re-engineering China’s approach to Australia.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/xi-jinping-is-re-engineering-china-s-approach-to-australia-20221115-p5byl8.html
    Australia has to accept Chinese power. But Albanese shows he can ride the tiger, says Katherine Murphy.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/15/australia-has-to-accept-chinese-power-but-albanese-shows-he-can-ride-the-tiger
    The Deves factor was meant to be a campaign masterstroke. It was a disaster, say Peter Hartcher and James Massola in the last of their three part examination of how the Morrison government went down.
    https://amp.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-deves-factor-was-meant-to-be-a-campaign-masterstroke-it-was-a-disaster-20221111-p5bxim.html
    The SMH editorial says that it is almost six months since the Coalition lost the federal election but there has been relatively little public soul-searching to date inside the Liberal Party about where it went wrong. In its rather strident appraisal, it says it remains to be seen whether the Coalition under Dutton will learn the lessons of defeat, both in terms of policies and style, but if it does not it will be a very long road back to government.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/coalition-must-learn-from-its-electoral-wipeout-20221115-p5byir.html
    Treasurer Jim Chalmers says he’ll have a system in place to deal with rising energy prices by Christmas. He can’t yet tell us what it will be because that’ll depend on the outcome of negotiations with gas and electricity companies, and possibly on legislation he might have to get through parliament. But already, thanks to the head of his department, Treasury secretary Steven Kennedy, it’s possible to get a pretty good idea of what he has in mind, writes Peter Martin who makes some predictions.
    https://www.canberratimes.com.au/story/7982820/how-the-government-will-deal-with-rising-energy-costs/?cs=14258
    The mainstream media has turned the Victorian State Election into an assault on the character of Premier Dan Andrews, writes Paul Begley who says the Herald Sun fiction writers setting the election media agenda.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/herald-sun-fiction-writers-setting-victorian-election-media-agenda,16970
    Paul Sakkal and Josh Gordon report that the Liberal Party in Victoria has used a legal loophole to stall a probe into leader Matthew Guy and his former chief of staff, the outcome of which Victorians will not learn until after the state election.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/victoria/victorians-liberals-use-legal-loophole-to-stall-donation-investigations-20221115-p5byb7.html
    Michael Pascoe writes that the NDIS honeypot is inevitably attracting fat flies. He says that what they have in common is adding the expense of a profit margin needing to be skimmed between the taxpayer, the actual care provider and the client.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2022/11/16/michael-pascoe-ndis-reform-privatisation/
    Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has rejected business groups’ claims a ports dispute threatening Christmas deliveries is a “small taste” of what’s to come if the government’s industrial relations bill passes unchanged. As Ai Group and parts of the resources lobby yesterdaylinked a stand-off between tug boat giant Svitzer and maritime unions to the Secure Jobs, Better Pay bill, Burke said the long-running stoush was an example of why the laws needed to be modernised.
    https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/small-taste-of-what-is-to-come-business-groups-link-ports-conflict-to-ir-changes-20221115-p5byfs.html
    The bottom 10 per cent of NDIS providers reported paying their disability support workers less than the minimum hourly rate in 2020-21, as the scheme’s watchdog probes wage theft in the industry, reports Angus Thomson.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/bottom-10-per-cent-of-ndis-providers-underpaid-support-workers-20221114-p5by0b.html
    Dominic Perrottet has mounted a strong defence of the state’s anti-corruption agency, insisting the watchdog must hold all politicians accountable for transgressions, regardless of whether they are major or minor. Perrottet has described the Independent Commission Against Corruption as an agency with “real teeth, and real powers to root out corruption in public service” in a speech he will deliver today at the Australian Public Sector Anti-Corruption Conference.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/political-pain-comes-from-icac-but-that-s-the-price-for-accountability-says-perrottet-20221115-p5byk4.html
    Janet Albrechtsen reckons the Voice proposal is a legal minefield waiting to explode.
    https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/voice-proposal-is-alegal-minefield-waiting-to-explode/news-story/3d9117f7eb7c26e20ec89045dac50fb6
    Ben Cubby explains how NSW is currently so susceptible to major flooding.
    https://www.smh.com.au/environment/weather/horton-flows-and-dipoles-the-science-behind-nsw-floods-20221115-p5byk9.html
    Plans to raise the Wyangala Dam wall stagnated for years before a record-breaking torrent spilt downstream this week and flooded hundreds of homes. Tom Rabe and Mike Foley tell us that the laws which gave the NSW government power to fast-track the project expired before a business case was even completed.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/plans-to-raise-wyangala-dam-stagnated-for-years-before-a-torrent-spilt-downstream-20221115-p5byiv.html
    Owners’ corporations in NSW can now dob in defective buildings up to six years old and receive help from the government to resolve the dispute outside the courts under an initiative set up by the state’s inaugural Building Commissioner. “We take those matters straight out of the courts, and we start to deal with getting the work done rather than spending money on the fight,” Commissioner Chandler said.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/commissioner-s-plan-to-purge-lawyers-from-costly-fights-over-dodgy-buildings-20221114-p5by5p.html
    We need to beat the lobbyists at their own game. Rather than blaming victims, we need to demand political action and stand in solidarity with those who battle to remain healthy within our transparently rigged and unhealthy food environment, writes James Muecke, with Grant Ennis.
    https://michaelwest.com.au/sugar-shovellers-are-making-us-sick-fat-and-poor-and-check-out-what-they-pay-in-tax/
    James Guthrie and Adam Lucas give us part 1 of a series in which they tell us about multinational tax integrity and tax avoidance by the fossil fuel industry.
    https://johnmenadue.com/multinational-tax-integrity-and-tax-avoidance-by-the-fossil-fuel-industry-part-1/
    The arrest of a field umpire for allegedly passing on information about voting for the 2022 Brownlow Medal represents the most serious betting scandal to have engulfed the AFL since the code became commercially enmeshed with the betting industry, writes Jake Niall who explains how those involved didn’t count on the technological powers that these betting companies possess. The agencies – what we used to call bookies – have algorithms and a warning system that sets off an alarm whenever bets look out of the ordinary.
    https://www.smh.com.au/sport/afl/can-t-beat-the-algorithm-the-one-brownlow-bet-that-didn-t-land-20221115-p5bybf.html
    China has no interest in attacking Australia. But once America ensconces its B52 strike aircraft at Tindal, Australia perforce becomes a hot target for missile attack. Protection for Tindal will be an imperative, requiring Iron Dome technology, at vast cost without certainty. No financial provision exists for ballistic missile defence at Tindal, writes Mike Gilligan who is concerned that defence will ruin Australia.
    https://johnmenadue.com/how-defence-will-ruin-australia/
    Australian Border Force Commissioner Michael Outram concedes that Australia’s national borders are being infiltrated by illegal drugs, tobacco, money laundering and sex trafficking and is “ringing the alarm bell” for more powers and resources to fight criminals.
    https://www.afr.com/policy/foreign-affairs/our-borders-are-being-infiltrated-border-force-seeks-more-powers-20221114-p5by7b
    Writing about the Mike Cannon-Brookes coup, Elizabeth Knight explains why AGL chairman’s future hangs in the balance.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/the-cannon-brookes-coup-why-agl-s-chairman-future-hangs-in-the-balance-20221115-p5byge.html
    Mike Cannon-Brookes got his wish for a revamped board but that’s only the start of the decarbonisation challenge for shareholders and the entire energy market, says Jennifer Hewett.
    https://www.afr.com/companies/mining/bigger-shocks-to-come-for-agl-20221115-p5byd1
    Simone Fox Koob reports on another tough day for Ian Narev where he denied a CBA board member warned him the lender was likely to face proceedings over breaches of anti-money laundering laws, two years before it was hit with legal action by the financial intelligence agency AUSTRAC.
    https://www.theage.com.au/business/banking-and-finance/former-cba-boss-denies-receiving-early-warning-on-austrac-action-20221115-p5bycp.html
    FTX’s spectacular collapse shows crypto will never be the ‘future of money’, declares William Bennett.
    https://www.smh.com.au/money/investing/ftx-s-spectacular-collapse-shows-crypto-will-never-be-the-future-of-money-20221115-p5bye9.html
    Elon Musk and Sam Bankman-Fried can blame themselves for their companies’ predicaments but you can’t point the finger at them for the wider tech and crypto meltdowns, writes Stephen Bartholomeusz.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/markets/messy-and-ugly-the-bigger-they-are-the-harder-they-fall-20221115-p5bybn.html
    Despite being the richest person on the planet, Elon Musk seems to be completely losing the plot. David Donovan examines some of the more bizarre behaviour of late from Twitter’s new owner.
    https://independentaustralia.net/business/business-display/elon-musk-the-mad-megarich-twitter-owner,16971
    Israel is not suddenly a more racist state. It is simply growing more confident about admitting its racism to the world, says Jonathan Cook.
    https://johnmenadue.com/israel-is-not-suddenly-a-more-racist-state-it-is-simply-growing-more-confident-about-admitting-its-racism-to-the-world/
    Younger Americans not only represent a promising future for the Democrats’ political successes, but for the country’s political processes more broadly, argues Victoria Cooper.
    https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/america-s-optimistic-youth-emerge-as-the-democrats-great-hope-and-the-nation-s-20221115-p5byej.html
    According to Farrah Tomazin, Donald Trump is set to launch a new bid for the White House within hours, defying calls to step aside after Americans repudiated his extremism at the US midterm elections.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/trump-prepares-to-launch-third-white-house-bid-in-defiance-of-critics-20221116-p5bymv.html
    Rupert Murdoch has reportedly warned Donald Trump his media empire will not back any attempt to return to the White House, as former supporters turn to the youthful Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/15/murdoch-press-turns-on-donald-trump-in-favour-of-defuture-ron-desantis

    Cartoon Corner

    David Pope

    David Rowe

    Matt Golding




    Glen Le Lievre


    Dionne Gain

    John Shakespeare


    Andrew Dyson

    Fiona Katauskas

    Simon Letch


    Spooner

    From the US


















  43. Worth opening the below tweet and reading the whole thread.

  44. Stephen Colbert –

    Chris Hayes –

    Lawrence O’Donnel –

    Jimmy Kimmel –

    Brian Tyler Cohen –

  46. The chimp shows at the end they know who’s da boss 🙂 . Perfect music score for it too.

  47. Good morning Dawn Patrollers

    Anthony Albanese has pushed to strike trade deals with some of the world’s biggest economies in a series of back-to-back meetings with world leaders following his landmark encounter with Chinese President Xi Jinping, reports Matthew Knott.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/emboldened-by-xi-meeting-albanese-moves-to-strike-series-of-trade-pacts-20221116-p5byv4.html
    The SMH editorial declares that smart diplomacy with China won the day for Albanese.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/smart-diplomacy-with-china-wins-the-day-for-albanese-20221116-p5bywf.html
    Eryk Bagshaw writes that Fortescue chairman Andrew Forrest has hailed the meeting between Anthony Albanese and Xi Jinping as laying “the groundwork for a much more positive relationship” while accusing the Coalition of abandoning the national interest in favour of politics.
    https://www.theage.com.au/world/asia/forrest-praises-albanese-for-china-reset-lashes-coalition-for-damaging-relationship-20221116-p5byua.html
    “The meeting between Anthony Albanese and Xi Jinping put me in mind of the public reaction in Australia when Whitlam met Chinese Premier Zhou Enlai in 1971”, writes Stephen Fitzgerald.
    https://johnmenadue.com/anthony-albanese-and-xi-jinping-in-2022-and-gough-whitlam-and-zhou-enlai-in-1971/
    Chris Barrett tells us that Anthony Albanese has said a breakthrough statement agreed by G20 leaders in Indonesia demonstrates the growing isolation of Russia over its invasion of Ukraine.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/asia/russia-is-increasingly-isolated-albanese-hails-g20-statement-on-war-20221116-p5bywj.html
    Chris Richardson askes us to consider to his argument for us to “hold the line” on getting on top of the inflation genie. Worth a read, this one.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/stop-asking-for-pay-rises-or-why-you-hate-economists-20221115-p5byks.html
    Australia’s wages are showing signs of life, but if they continue to lag behind inflation living standards will fall, writes Greg Jericho who shows how the recent spike in inflation means wage rises are still nowhere near the increase in prices at the shops.
    https://www.theguardian.com/business/grogonomics/2022/nov/17/australias-wages-are-showing-signs-of-life-but-if-they-continue-to-lag-behind-inflation-living-standards-will-fall
    PM Anthony Albanese and his intrepid band of leftie ministers are soon going to have to start doing something that they appear strangely unenthusiastic about – telling companies what to do. There are six separate industries or endeavours in which businesses need to be given new rules of the game that they won’t like, and will scream blue murder about over-regulation and red tape – they already are. In a very good contribution, Alan Kohler tells us what these are.
    https://thenewdaily.com.au/finance/2022/11/17/labor-red-tape-alan-kohler/
    Alexandra Smith says that heading off into campaign land as a united and strong team, the Coalition has allowed its dirty laundry to be aired. Cracks in the marriage of convenience were revealed and a clear weakness was exposed – the Liberals and Nationals are still not on the same page on the environment. Looking deeper, Smith says, “If the teals manage to gain ground in NSW in March, or if tensions escalate between the premier and his treasurer, Perrottet will have the most to lose. He needs Kean’s moderates to keep him in the top job and those moderates will not tolerate losing any of their heartland to independents who are Liberals by another name.”
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/nsw/win-or-lose-perrottet-can-t-escape-this-rift-20221116-p5byng.html
    The union representing gaming room employees has undercut a key objection by the pubs and clubs industry to cashless gaming, saying there is little evidence it will lead to job losses and gambling reform is in everybody’s interest. Harriett Alexander writes about the concerns expressed by the workers – and it’s not pretty.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/reforms-are-coming-gaming-workers-accept-arrival-of-cashless-card-20221116-p5byp5.html
    An insurance crisis in the flood-ravaged Central West of NSW has prompted calls for the federal government to intervene as it did in north Queensland, where premiums skyrocketed due to repeated cyclones, write Josh Gordon and Catherine Naylor.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/there-s-no-easy-solution-calls-for-government-to-intervene-in-flood-insurance-crisis-20221116-p5byw5.html
    Meanwhile, the NSW opposition will not commit to raising the Wyangala Dam in the state’s Central West, with Labor leader Chris Minns saying the multibillion-dollar project is being used by the government to peddle “false hope” for flood-ravaged communities.
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/raised-dam-wall-labelled-false-hope-for-flooded-regions-20221116-p5byun.html
    Workplace Relations Minister Tony Burke has accused tugboat operator Svitzer of blackmail as the industrial umpire prepares to hear the case of the company that is aiming to lock out workers from 17 ports indefinitely. Let’s see what the full bench of the Fair Work Commission has to say at a hearing scheduled for today.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/tony-burke-accuses-tugboat-company-of-blackmail-20221116-p5byvv.html
    The strongest wages growth in over a decade won’t deter Tony Burke’s determination to “get wages moving” by passing Labor’s industrial relations bill, writes Jennifer Hewett who says Burke’s simple slogans mock the ‘silliness’ of the business community.
    https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/burke-s-simple-slogans-mock-the-silliness-of-the-business-community-20221116-p5byri
    John Kehoe writes that the Albanese government is considering tax increases to pay for the burgeoning costs of aged care, the National Disability Insurance Scheme and healthcare. He says the public expectation for government-funded services has never been higher, according to Treasury Secretary Steven Kennedy. Kehoe outlines the ways that better-off individuals and families could be made to contribute more.
    https://www.afr.com/policy/tax-and-super/better-off-aged-care-and-ndis-users-can-pay-their-own-way-20221114-p5by4g
    “What was in the minds of the originators of the NDIS, of the nature of disability? How did they see the role of the NDIS within existing social, health, and economic, environments?”, asks Ian Webster, who says the manifestations of disability must be better understood and people with disabilities more comprehensively supported by health and social systems as well as the NDIS.
    https://johnmenadue.com/re-framing-the-ndis/
    Labor is moving to force energy retailers to justify price hikes after the sector was outed by the competition watchdog as key culprits for surging bills in a report that undermines claims the nation’s gas producers are war profiteering. The AFR tells us that the gas retailers are facing greater regulatory scrutiny after ACCC found prices leapt 95 per cent, almost nine times the rise charged by up-stream gas producer.
    https://www.afr.com/policy/energy-and-climate/king-puts-gas-retailers-under-microscope-after-95pc-price-rise-20221116-p5byus
    “Victoria, it’s time to end the cult of Andrews”, whines a desperate and decreasingly relevant Peta Credlin.
    https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/commentary/victoria-its-time-to-end-the-cult-of-andrews/news-story/72bc34454e1f88f06cfe803d209122f0
    Climate 200, founder Simon Holmes a Court and four teal candidates have been accused of effectively operating as a party, in breach of the Electoral Act, writes Rachel Baxendale on the Victorian election build-up.
    https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/nation/victorian-election-liberals-lodge-criminal-conduct-complaint-over-teals/news-story/0f78b07110034176de4c6117f07549ac
    The Victorian Electoral Commission has called on candidates and supporters to stay on the right side of electoral laws after early voting in the state election got off to an ugly start.
    https://www.theage.com.au/national/watchdog-calls-for-calm-as-poll-rage-mars-early-voting-20221116-p5byvd.html
    One of Australia’s fastest growing rental application platforms is using renters’ data in obscure and potentially discriminatory ways to “score” their applications against rental properties, and gives them a higher score when they offer to pay more rent, a Guardian Australia investigation has found.
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/17/imperfect-match-australian-renters-in-the-dark-over-use-of-data-by-tech-company-snug
    Australia’s university system faces its biggest review in more than a decade, with an accord to focus on boosting access for under-represented groups, report Lucy Carroll and Adam Carey. The accord will address major systemic challenges facing the sector, including to funding, research investment and student debt, in the biggest tertiary sector shake-up since the Bradley Review in 2008.
    https://www.theage.com.au/education/education-overhaul-focus-on-inclusion-as-universities-face-increased-demand-20221116-p5bypp.html
    Cyberattacks on Optus and Medibank will prompt a tougher approach to cybercrime in Australia, but the government shouldn’t give too much away about its approach. Ambiguity is its secret weapon, argues security expert, William Stoltz in an interesting contribution.
    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/the-secret-weapon-to-fighting-cybercrime-is-secrecy-itself-20221114-p5by7f.html
    The spectacular collapse of FTX has highlighted that crypto assets are almost all colourful stories without any meaningful numbers to back them up. Ben Wright says There will be no bailout an declares that Crypto deserves its unhappy end.
    https://www.theage.com.au/business/markets/there-will-be-no-bailout-crypto-deserves-its-unhappy-end-20221115-p5byc3.html
    Shortly before the May election the corporate regulator started to quietly build up its internal muscle around crypto currencies, even though it doesn’t have a legal mandate from Canberra to regulate the high tech sector ASIC has been training investigators and working through the legal minefield of bitcoin, ethereum and other digital assets while it marks out the boundaries of the largely unregulated sector. It is also testing where it can quickly step in and act, explains Eric Johnston.
    https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/business/companies/asic-starts-planning-for-its-crypto-crackdown/news-story/2b61fea943ef1dd552e29eb8febe2192
    The Big Australian isn’t backing down in its quest to scoop up as much of the critical ingredients – copper and nickel – that will power the green economies of the future, explains Eliabeth Knight.
    https://www.smh.com.au/business/companies/game-on-as-bhp-resumes-its-hunt-for-future-metals-20221116-p5bytw.html
    According to Lucy Carroll, the heads of some of Sydney’s private schools have notched up annual pay packages of nearly $1 million in recent years, according to confidential industry data that has put the spotlight on transparency around top staff pay. It’s ridiculous!
    https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/principals-at-top-private-schools-notch-up-pay-packages-of-nearly-1-million-20221103-p5bv8p.html
    Deliveroo has announced the end of its operations in Australia and been placed into voluntary administration, leaving 120 staff and 15,000 riders without work and another 12,000 restaurants in the lurch, reports Patrick Durkin.
    https://www.afr.com/companies/retail/deliveroo-australia-collapses-leaving-15-000-riders-without-work-20221116-p5byw3
    Mining magnate Clive Palmer has failed in a supreme court bid to stop criminal charges proceeding against him. Palmer lost the latest round in his legal fight against the corporate watchdog and regulator after being hit with charges on two fronts. Bad luck, big fella!
    https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/nov/16/clive-palmer-fails-in-supreme-court-bid-to-stop-criminal-charges-proceeding
    Making a documentary in a cancel culture about someone who has been cancelled is a tricky business. Director Nel Minchin became acutely aware of this when she began sourcing interviews for her two-part series, Folau. The ABC documentary traces the rise and fall of Israel Folau, the former Wallabies star who ignited a political and ideological storm with his homophobic tweets first posted during the marriage equality campaign that led to his sacking by Rugby Australia in 2019.
    https://www.smh.com.au/culture/tv-and-radio/why-director-nel-minchin-took-on-israel-folau-and-cancel-culture-20221115-p5bydn.html
    Populists have lost elections and autocrats have lost the aura of competence, writes Janan Ganesh who says this was the year liberal democracy fought back.
    https://www.afr.com/policy/economy/this-was-the-year-liberal-democracy-fought-back-20221116-p5byvj
    Amid the chaos of the world, a few global developments have given us hope for a better political, financial and environmental future. Professor John Quiggin shares the good news.
    https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/its-good-news-week,16978
    Elon Musk has given Twitter’s remaining staff a Thursday deadline to commit to working “long hours at high intensity” and being “extremely hardcore” or else leave with three months’ severance pay. Strewth! Who’d want to work under those conditions?
    https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2022/nov/16/elon-musk-gives-twitter-staff-deadline-to-commit-to-being-hardcore
    Rob Harris reports that Britain’s rate of inflation hit a 41-year high in October, accelerating to 11.1 per cent on the back of rising energy and food prices, fuelled by the economy fallout of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Food price inflation rose sharply to 16.5 per cent on an annual basis, the highest for 45 years and the portents of a difficult recession are in evidence.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/uk-inflation-rate-hits-41-year-high-of-11-1-per-cent-as-recession-looms-20221116-p5byy3.html
    Neither NATO nor Russia will want a fatal missile strike in Poland to be a pretext for a widening of the war in Ukraine. The West is already responding with caution, says Mick Ryan.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/why-the-west-won-t-want-poland-strike-to-trigger-a-wider-war-20221116-p5bypt.html
    Greg Sheridan opines that Donald Trump’s low-energy announcement of his candidacy for the 2024 presidential election has in itself diminished the Republicans’ chances of winning the Oval Office next time. “Stay tuned for two more years of great political discord in the US”, he says.
    https://amp.theaustralian.com.au/world/another-trump-campaign-another-two-years-of-discord/news-story/cb8c157b2d4baa0e2cf03095aeb9a1be
    Donald Trump’s announcement of a third consecutive run for the presidency is bad for the Republican party because he is the only Republican who could lose in 2024, Trump’s own former White House chief of staff said on Tuesday night.
    https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/nov/16/mick-mulvaney-donald-trump-2024-republicans
    “Oh, how Donald Trump has fallen!”, exclaims Cas Mudde.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/15/oh-how-donald-trump-has-fallen
    History shows you’ll need time, money and a bare-knuckled brawler to stop Trump, explains Farrah Tomazin.
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/history-shows-you-ll-need-time-money-and-a-bare-knuckled-brawler-to-stop-trump-20221116-p5byw8.html
    Gen Z helped to stop the ‘red wave’ in the midterms. The Republicans’ response? They try to raise the voting age, writes Arwa Mahdawi.
    https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2022/nov/16/gen-z-helped-to-stop-the-red-wave-in-the-midterms-the-republicans-response-try-to-raise-the-voting-age
    Trump announces he’ll run for president again as Murdoch turns on him – and it could be politically expensive for both, posits Rodney Tiffen.
    https://theconversation.com/trump-announces-hell-run-for-president-again-as-murdoch-turns-on-him-and-it-could-be-politically-expensive-for-both-194709
    Kate Rose outlines the seven key takeaways from Donald Trump’s speech – and the one thing he didn’t say.
    https://www.theage.com.au/world/north-america/seven-key-takeaways-from-donald-trump-s-speech-and-the-one-thing-he-didn-t-say-20221116-p5byu5.html
    Mining magnate and Australia’s richest person, Gina Rinehart, was photographed at Donald Trump’s presidential campaign launch bid at his Mar-a-Largo resort in Florida. Enough said!
    https://www.smh.com.au/world/north-america/gina-rinehart-shows-up-at-donald-trump-s-campaign-launch-20221116-p5byxz.html

    Cartoon Corner

    David Rowe

    David Pope

    Matt Golding


    Andrew Dyson

    John Shakespeare

    Fiona Katauskas

    Glen Le Lievre

    Mark Knight

    Spooner

    From the US













  48. Alan Kohler’s excellent article contains one huge mistake – he says “The main complication is that there is excess gas only because Queensland allows onshore fracking while New South Wales and Victoria don’t.”

    NSW certainly does allow onshore fracking. The current NSW government supports it. Right now there is a major battle going on in the Pilliga Forest over Santos’s plans to frack the bejesus out of that area.
    https://www.nit.com.au/pilliga-custodians-reject-gas-project-as-santos-seeks-to-bypass-traditional-owners/

    Then there is another long-standing stoush, again with Santos, over plans to frack the Liverpool Plains – Australia’s food bowl. What sort of a country is this to willingly destroy a major food-growing area so a company can prosper?

    Kohler needs to read up on the dangers NSW faces from fracking, which has been going on for years/decades. The first exploration well in NSW was drilled in 1937!

    This article is from 2015 – things are much worse now.
    Where are the coal seam gas wells in NSW?
    https://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/where-are-the-coal-seam-gas-wells-in-nsw/hax6bo7tt

  50. Seth Meyers –

    Stephen Colbert –

    Chris Hayes –

    Lawrence O’Donnell –

    Brian Tyler Cohen –

    JImmy Kimmel –

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