Australia General Discussion

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Howes quits AWU and the ALP executive. Admittedly I haven't been following for 6 months, but is there some sort of backstory here?

I'm not entirely sure myself, although I'm sure him missing out on Carr's old Senate seat would be part of the reason.

In other news, Clive Palmer and the Palmer United Party haven't paid a $5300 debt to a northern NSW club. The club hosted a calamari and chips night for the party.

I swear, Palmer is getting crazier and more imbecilic every day...

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

I believe... what I've read and what I've heard on the grapevine is that Howes wants to be free of both bodies to be an advocate for specific causes and views that he expects blow-back for, namely a formal separation of the party from the union movement.

On that issue, I can't believe he's only just over 18 months older than me... I expected him to be closer to 40.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

So... the Government continues to dive to depths of horrible even I didn't think possible.

* Abbott (without Cabinet or Party Room consultation or approval) has decided to re-instate the ranks of Knight and Dame of the Order of Australia. Something the Hawke Government removed in 1986 and John Howard in 11 years refused to touch. In fact, John Howard made a comment today that he disagrees with the decision and sees it as "slightly anachronistic" and said he would refuse a Knighthood if offered... that's correct, John Howard is more in touch with modern Australia than Tony Abbott.

* The Institute of Public Affairs wishlist of horrid continues to be ticked off, with the Attorney General presenting a watering down of the Racial Discrimination Act. He argued in Parliament that people have the "right to be bigots" and have removed specific wording including the terms "offend, insult and humiliate" they left "intimidate" and added "vilify" ... so essentially only the worst examples of public racial discrimination where someone felt physically threatened was referred to in an abusive manner would be considered for prosecution. And this was a watered down version of a more extreme change that Brandis took to Cabinet.

* The actively partisan way in which the Speaker has been doing her job has been raising the ire of even the most loyal Coalition supporter. Even PVO has been highly critical suggesting that she needs to pull her head in and display even a veneer of impartiality (which is all you ever really expect from the Speaker) or she needs to go.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/the-pulse-live/politics-live-march-27-2014-20140327-35jl9.html

Very entertaining day in Question Time (as it's the final one until the Budget session starts on 13 May. Motion of no confidence moved against Bronwyn Bishop as Speaker (thanks be to GOD!)... but it obviously did not work (although, I'd love to know what the vote would have been if it had been a private ballot)....

[Hifly]

Also, I don't think it had been mentioned that Joe de Bruyn will be stepping down as Secretary of the SDA this year, and from the ALP National Executive next year.

[morgieb]

Also, I don't think it had been mentioned that Joe de Bruyn will be stepping down as Secretary of the SDA this year, and from the ALP National Executive next year.

[Platypus]

I wanna be a Sir one day.

[Hifly]

Also, I don't think it had been mentioned that Joe de Bruyn will be stepping down as Secretary of the SDA this year, and from the ALP National Executive next year.

He will be replaced by someone just as socially conservative don't you worry

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Also, I don't think it had been mentioned that Joe de Bruyn will be stepping down as Secretary of the SDA this year, and from the ALP National Executive next year.

He will be replaced by someone just as socially conservative don't you worry

Just depends on whether the successor will try to force the conference to bend to his will as vile Joe did and fixate on single issues that don't relate to his remit.

[Simfan34]

So... the Government continues to dive to depths of horrible even I didn't think possible.

* Abbott (without Cabinet or Party Room consultant I on or approval) has decided to re-instate the ranks of Knight and Dame of the Order of Australia. Something the Hawke Government removed in 1986 and John Howard in 11 years refused to touch. In fact, John Howard made a comment today that he disagrees with the decision and sees it as "slightly anachronistic" and said he would refuse a Knighthood if offered... that's correct, John Howard is more in touch with modern Australia than Tony Abbott.

How supremely excellent!

[Mordecai]

So... the Government continues to dive to depths of horrible even I didn't think possible.

* Abbott (without Cabinet or Party Room consultation or approval) has decided to re-instate the ranks of Knight and Dame of the Order of Australia. Something the Hawke Government removed in 1986 and John Howard in 11 years refused to touch. In fact, John Howard made a comment today that he disagrees with the decision and sees it as "slightly anachronistic" and said he would refuse a Knighthood if offered... that's correct, John Howard is more in touch with modern Australia than Tony Abbott.

* The Institute of Public Affairs wishlist of horrid continues to be ticked off, with the Attorney General presenting a watering down of the Racial Discrimination Act. He argued in Parliament that people have the "right to be bigots" and have removed specific wording including the terms "offend, insult and humiliate" they left "intimidate" and added "vilify" ... so essentially only the worst examples of public racial discrimination where someone felt physically threatened was referred to in an abusive manner would be considered for prosecution. And this was a watered down version of a more extreme change that Brandis took to Cabinet.

* The actively partisan way in which the Speaker has been doing her job has been raising the ire of even the most loyal Coalition supporter. Even PVO has been highly critical suggesting that she needs to pull her head in and display even a veneer of impartiality (which is all you ever really expect from the Speaker) or she needs to go.

I remember thinking how awful the next three years were going to be on election night last year, but I severely underestimated their capacity to be nasty just for the sake of it. Paul Keating was dead right, Tony Abbott really is the poor man's John Howard. No policy ambition whatsoever.

[RogueBeaver]

So Lab's leading WA Senate candidate has a criminal record for assault. If a background check was done, why no veto?

[Hifly]

So Lab's leading WA Senate candidate has a criminal record for assault. If a background check was done, why no veto?

Because he is a good union leader and he deserves the seat. Also remember that the SDA is like the largest donor to the party. This isn't the only time that candidates have been found to have a criminal record (one of Labor's successful candidates in SA last month also had a criminal record for assaulting a police officer) but it's not a major incident and it has no relevance whatsoever in how he will perform in the senate.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

So Lab's leading WA Senate candidate has a criminal record for assault. If a background check was done, why no veto?

um

[Mordecai]

So Lab's leading WA Senate candidate has a criminal record for assault. If a background check was done, why no veto?

He's a union boss. Uggh. Still voting 1 Labor.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Some very interesting polling and news stories.

Nielsen Poll

Primary vote
LNP: 40% (-4)
ALP: 34% (-1)
GRN: 17% (+5) ... that's a record level of support for the Greens.

TPP
LNP: 48% (-3)
ALP: 52% (+3)


Approval
Abbott: 43%
Shorten: 43%

Disapproval
Abbott: 50%
Shorten: 41%

Preferred PM
Abbott: 45% (-3)
Shorten: 44% (+4)

Do you support the re-introduction of Knight and Damehoods?
Support: 35%
Not Support: 50%

Do people have a right to be bigots?
Yes: 34%
No: 59%

Should it be lawful for someone to insult, offend or humiliate someone based on race or ethnicity?
Lawful: 9%
Unlawful: 88%

... pretty bloody awful polling position, especially if you consider the Commission of Audit and the Budget of Evil is getting closer, and while people want the Government to do something about the Budget, they don't want it to affect them...


....

Interesting news out of the continuing WA Senate count... Louise Pratt is leading Joe Bullock on the below-the-line count, which Antony Green has described as "unheard of". It should be noted that in that Nielsen poll (but with a massive MoE) - the Greens are out-polling Labor in primary vote. But even considering the MoE that's been read by almost EVERYONE as a reaction to the Joe Bullock's comments and the personal campaign FOR Pratt that emerged.

Even members of the right are arguing that the presence of the hard-core social conservative union voices are risking seats being lost to the Greens (such as Freemantle) and they risk losing the urban progressive vote to the Greens. Which of course is news to some people's ears around here, but considering how important that vote is in most ALP seats and the Libs are pretty well targeting the bigoted/xenophobic vote... it's a recipe for disaster.

[Smid]

Former independent Senator Brian Harradine has passed away

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[RogueBeaver]

Don't know the backstory, but holy crap: O'Farrell's resigned after being caught lying to a corruption inquiry.

[Filuwaúrdjan]

The NSW ALP will win the next election.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Don't know the backstory, but holy crap: O'Farrell's resigned after being caught lying to a corruption inquiry.

It's shocking... he's a genuinely good guy.

Basically a dodgy character sent him a $3000 bottle of wine that he said last night he 'had no recollection of'.

Then they found a thank you note hand-written by the Premier... so yeah.


...this means, after Colin Barnett, Katy Gallagher (Chief Minister of the ACT), who's been in office for just under 3 years, is the longest-serving head of Government in Australia. 

[Wake Me Up When The Hard Border Ends]

Don't know the backstory, but holy crap: O'Farrell's resigned after being caught lying to a corruption inquiry.

It's shocking... he's a genuinely good guy.

Basically a dodgy character sent him a $3000 bottle of wine that he said last night he 'had no recollection of'.

Then they found a thank you note hand-written by the Premier... so yeah.


...this means, after Colin Barnett, Katy Gallagher (Chief Minister of the ACT), who's been in office for just under 3 years, is the longest-serving head of Government in Australia. 

Honestly, why lie about these sorts of things? On another note, who's going to be the next Premier? Will be interesting to see if O'Farrell resigns his Parliamentary seat too.

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Don't know the backstory, but holy crap: O'Farrell's resigned after being caught lying to a corruption inquiry.

It's shocking... he's a genuinely good guy.

Basically a dodgy character sent him a $3000 bottle of wine that he said last night he 'had no recollection of'.

Then they found a thank you note hand-written by the Premier... so yeah.


...this means, after Colin Barnett, Katy Gallagher (Chief Minister of the ACT), who's been in office for just under 3 years, is the longest-serving head of Government in Australia. 

Honestly, why lie about these sorts of things? On another note, who's going to be the next Premier? Will be interesting to see if O'Farrell resigns his Parliamentary seat too.

My gut says Mike Baird... but Gladys Berejiklian is another option.

It's less than a year until the election, I'd be surprised if he didn't wait and just not stand.

[Knives]

What are the repercussions for this? Will there be any?

[Fmr President & Senator Polnut]

Quentin Dempster put it pretty well, "with this and Sinodinos ... they've wiped out 5 years of good will" - they'll suffer some political damage for this, no question. This is despite the efforts of Sky News and PVO to say 'this is about a bottle of wine?! and ICAC is rubbish". The reality is that this is potentially about perjury.

[RogueBeaver]

If he's charged with perjury... what are potential sentences?