Category: Politics

Mad Mayor

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THE mayor of Waverley, Mora Main, has a vision of a perfect world and it’s practically car-free.
Residents in Sydney’s east who needed to get somewhere would borrow keys to “share cars” – preferably electric ones – from the council carpark and use them to, say, do some grocery shopping.
 You might remember Mora Main as the idiot who decided not to fly the Australian flag at Bondi.
The rest of the time, they could just walk serenely from place to place (lugging the children, car seats, sand buckets, mobile phones, handbags and the shopping) or glide along on the light rail (that doesn’t yet exist).
 Besides cars, Ms Main would also like to see fewer air-conditioners (“because we get beautiful seabreezes and it is only 40 degrees once in a blue moon”), and fewer backyard swimming pools (because the sound of children splashing can disturb creative types trying to work from home). In the course of promoting these ideas, Ms Main – who is 50 years old, never married, has no children and whose politics are Green – has been accused of being many things, among them a batty Leftie, an autocrat determined to tell others how to live, while being out of touch with the lives of “ordinary people”. Could someone explain to me why people vote these fruitcakes into office. Surely the Ms Mains of the world can’t hide all their stupidity during the elections. Poor fellow, my country indeed.
Politics

ALP produces irrelevant policy

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The ALP continue to reinforce their lack of relevance by listening to the left wing of the party, that group busily working at keeping the ALP out of office.
Labor environment spokesman Anthony Albanese and Pacific Islands spokesman Bob Sercombe said a Labor Government would provide regional leadership to ensure that Pacific Islanders forced to leave their homes by rising sea levels would be considered refugees and given assistance to resettle.
 We have a potential problem miles and years away and the ALP use doubtful science as a reason to impliment a policy that may not be necessary Even Planet Ark are doubtful about the problem
“The evidence is building that the oceans are warming but so far we still have not seen any change in the sea level rise rate so that acceleration is not there,” he said.
So one day in the far distant future people living in Kirrabati might have a problem. The sea might rise a few centimetres and they might be obliged to rebuild their huts a little further up the beach. Anthony Albanese, believing all the worlds problems emanate from global warming and the subsequent rising seas, studiously ignores the myriad of others problems facing Australians, including the ones who elected him, and suggests we concentrate on people who don’t have a problem and who aren’t Australian. Get with the plan, Anthony, help produce some policies that are relevant to Australians. What is your party going to do about terrorism, defence, education, transport infrastructure, pensions, the Tax system….you know all that boring stuff that politicians who aspire to leadership worry about. The stuff that concerns the electorate. If the ALP only trusts you with environmental matters, as appears to be the case, then start working on our environment. What is your policy for plantation timber? Explain it to the electorate now so they can balance the jobs lost should your party be elected to power, with the doubtfull returns of having you actually being responsible for something. Environmental refugees…give me strength!
Politics

Letterman not smart

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Suffering from insomnia I occassionaly let the TV pause at David Letterman’s show from New York. Sometimes it is mildy amusing but has little to recommend it other than there is mostly only rubbish on the other channels.

Last night Letterman gave us all a brief glimpse into his intelligence

From Opinion Journal

Letterman to O’Reilly: ‘I’m Not Smart Enough’ to Debate War

It didn’t take long for fireworks to erupt last night when Fox News Channel’s Bill O’Reilly guested on David Letterman’s “CBS Late Show,” with the late night host finally admitting he wasn’t “smart enough” to engage in a debate over the Iraq war.

The verbal fisticuffs began when Letterman asked if O’Reilly had a good holiday.

O’Reilly responded: “I had a nice Winter Solstice,” prompting a contentious exchange over whether Christmas traditions were indeed under attack.

But the confrontation really heated up when Letterman suggested, “Let’s talk about your friends in the Bush administration. Things seem to be darker now than they might have been heretofore.”

The comments prompted O’Reilly to launch into a point-by-point defense of the Iraq war, beginning with the argument that even if U.S. intelligence had “screwed-up” on weapons of mass destruction, “for everybody’s protection, it’s best for the world to have a democracy in that country functioning and friendly to the West.”

Letterman seemed to turn downright hostile, however, after O’Reilly defended U.S. soldiers and attacked Cindy Sheehan.

“The United States, particularly the military, is doing a noble thing – the soldiers and Marines are noble,” the Fox host insisted. “They’re not terrorists. And when people call them that, like Cindy Sheehan called the insurgents ‘freedom fighters,’ we don’t like that. It is a vitally important time in American history and we should be very careful of what we say.”

The comment prompted Letterman to admonish O’Reilly, “Then you should be very careful about what you say, also . . . I’m very concerned about people like yourself who don’t have endless sympathy for a woman like Cindy Sheehan. Honest to Christ, honest to Christ.”

The sometimes volatile Fox host let the personal attack slide and continued arguing his case.

A few moments later, Letterman threw in the towel, admitting: “I’m not smart enough to debate you point to point on this.”

The CBS star, however, couldn’t resist tempering his concession with one last insult, telling O’Reilly in the next breath: “I have the feeling that about 60 percent of what you say is crap.

It’s worth repeating.

I’m very concerned about people like yourself who don’t have endless sympathy for a woman like Cindy Sheehan. Honest to Christ, honest to Christ.

Honest to Christ, I’ll never be caught watching Letterman again.

Politics

Packer memorial service upsets luvvies

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Age readers aghast at memorial service for Packer.
But since news of the state memorial service broke, The Age has been deluged with letters from aggrieved taxpayers. Noel Howard, of Heathmont, asked whether the memorial service would involve “a conga line of Coalition MPs delivering their eulogies to their patron saint and number one supporter”.
 How sweet the sound; the politics of envy.
The Opposition spokesman for public accountability, Kelvin Thomson, said: “I would suggest the guidelines might be in need of some review.”
 Don’t make the review to big or Gough Whitlam will dumped in a hole at midnight when he finally departs. Whatever you think of Packer, his life had more positives than Whitlam’s.
Politics

ID card next on the agenda

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PHILIP Ruddock is treating the controversial national identity card as the “the next cab off the rank” for the Howard Government’s security agenda following the passage of its tough anti-terrorism laws. I know there is a lot of opposition to an identity card but for the life of me I cannot imagine why. Unless you are a criminal or in Australia illegally what on earth is there to be afraid of. For example, I think I should be called upon to identify myself when I vote and can only imagine if someone doesn’t want to be identified at the polling booth then they have something to hide. What’s the problem readers?
Politics

Beach Wars

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CRONULLA’S beaches might be divided into sections to remove some of the tensions that erupted into mob violence this week. No. A thousand times no! We shouldn’t even consider changing our lifestyle to accommodate thugs. They are required to mix in, not us and whereas pretty well every other group of migrants has settled into our national melting pot the Lebanese Muslims stay aloof. From the Thin Man Returns
“We don’t care where you are from, but once you decide to make this your home, you are Australian, becoming one people and one culture from which the best parts of the ‘old country’ are brought to the new.”
Terry Sweetman in Brisbane’s Sunday Mail can’t string two words together without slipping “Howard” in as a part of the problem.
However, it would be an act of denial of Howardesque proportions to pretend that there was not a huge element of racism behind the riots.
 It could also be described as an act of denial of Sweetmanesque proportions to ignore all the other evidence available. Having shown his colours he then proceeds to write several hundred words trying to prove that the 100 plus extreme right fools present at the riots were running the show.
Since the festering of One Nation, we have been deluged with the rubbish that wells up into talkback and spills into the public domain. The messages often feature animated Australian flags, rousing choruses of Waltzing Matilda and the authors glory in chauvinistic net nom de plumes such as “Aussie”, “Digger” and “True Blue”. They try to project an image of the blokey Australian as big as the land, although their thoughts betray small, mean minds.
 You’re most probably right Terry but there were about 100 plus of these idiots at Cronulla amongst the 6,000 odd rioters of both pursuasions and common sense would tell us they weren’t calling all the shots. Very few Australians listen to them, they’re just an aberation every society has to put up with – like journalists who simply don’t get the picture. If Australians are racist as some of the media, the Left wing and all the multi cults would have us believe why haven’t we had daily riots between Aussies and Italians/Greeks/Croations/Irish/Russians/Vietnamese/ Iraqis/Iranians and all the other races that go to make up our population base? Why is that the Lebanese Muslims are the only targets? In the meantime the real problems are best described by Platey Mates at Tim Blair Communities all over Sydney are caving into the demands of the Lebanese Muslims channelled through the Premiers Department and the Police commisioner to cancell Christmas events. Just in case you didn’t get the message the Lebanese Muslims have burnt churches to the ground and fired shots at others. Why have we surrendered?
Politics

A minutes silence

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It’s been two weeks since Nguyen Tuong Van met his maker on the road to drug trafficking riches and he is mostly gone and forgotten. What hasn’t been forgotten is the reaction of some to his death. Some 4,000 people attended his funeral in Melbourne, a city that had previously denied a digger the right to having his casket covered with the Australian flag and in Brisbane, the Premier, ordered a minutes silence in the House to mark his demise. This act alone inflamed the sensitivities of all of us who consider a minutes silence as a mark of respect for those who have died in the service of their country or community or have been the victims of terrorist obscenities such as Bali. In noway should it ever become a political statement as was Beatties call. I have reproduced two letters to Beattie, one from the Persident of the Royal Australian Regiment Association (Qld) and one from the President of the Qld RSL. I have deliberately delayed the posting of these letters to allow time for receipt and answer by Premier Beattie. We wait in vain.
6 December, 2005 Premier Beattie, Your decision to have the Queensland Parliament observe a minute silence in remembrance of Nguyen Tuong Van is considered offensive, disrespectful and an insult to Australian veterans and Australian families who have lost loved ones in service to Australia and in natural and man made disasters. The Royal Australian Regiment Association (Qld), the largest Army Association in the State, is appalled at your decision. It unanimously directed me to express their disgust to you. Never before have I seen such solidarity of the ex-service community with any one issue. By your act, under the explanation as “a mark of respect for the sanctity of human life� you have successfully alienated yourself and your Government from the services community. Most people do respect the sanctity of human life and choose to display that in a private and personal way. We will not let you demean the tribute principle of a minutes silence as a mark of respect for those who gave their lives in the service of their country or were victims of natural or man made disasters, by linking it to any convicted criminal. Duty First Lieutenant Colonel Ted Chitham MC (Retd) President
Naturally enough, as of Friday, the letter from the President remains unanswered.
6 December 2005 The Hon Peter Beattie MP Premier of Queensland PO Box 15185 City East QLD 4002 Dear Mr Premier I write on behalf of the Returned & Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch) members in regards to the minuteÂ’s silence that was observed in Queensland Parliament on Friday 2 December on the occasion of the execution of Nguyen Tuong Van. The RSL was deeply offended and strongly opposed to the Parliamentary move to recognise this event through a one-minute silence and we are extremely disappointed in your leadership in this matter. Our vehement opposition is rooted in the apparent disregard for the concept of silence for remembrance of departed comrades, who have sacrificed their lives and health for the sake our nation. Our members strongly believe the decision to move the momentÂ’s silence showed a complete disregard for the origins of remembrance silence, which is attributed to Australian journalist and returned serviceman, Edward Honey. HoneyÂ’s appeal for five silent minutes of national remembrance in 1919 was the beginning of what he described as a “very sacred intercessionÂ….communion with the Glorious Dead who won us peace…” The concept of remembrance silence remains an essential feature of commemorative services and League functions to this day. No matter how small, members stand in silence for a brief interval to remember their departed comrades. The RSL believes it is totally inappropriate to start using the moment’s silence for any other circumstance. To do so otherwise, is offensive to our veterans, war widows, and all those who have lost loved ones in the service of our nation. The fact that Queensland Parliament publicly bestowed the same honour and mark of respect reserved for those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice, on one who has been convicted of a criminal offence, was insulting and disrespectful. Furthermore, as Chairman of the ANZAC Day Commemoration Committee (Queensland) Incorporated, we believe you have a responsibility to uphold the objects of the Association, specifically: – the recognition of the gallant courage displayed by the Australian sons and daughters in fighting for the preservation of liberty and civilisation; and – the commemoration of our fallen and the acknowlegement of the suffering of our wounded. We strongly urge you, as Premier of Queensland, to exercise more appropriate discretion in future to preserve the sanctity of the minuteÂ’s silence so it remains as it was intended to be – a very sacred intercession. Lest We Forget. Yours truly, GW Mason State President Returned & Services League of Australia (Queensland Branch)
Politics

Barnaby trumped

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Imagine if you will the smug confidence of Barnaby Joyce yesterday as he strolled across the floor to vote against the VSU legislation. The whole nation watching as he prepares to exert his disproportionate power – offering his best profile and mentally basking in his soon-to-be place in Australia’s political history where he alone stopped the power of those most terrible of all beasts – the Conservatives. The ALP/ACTU/nodding approvingly while student union representatives start budgeting more funds for printing Anti-Howard brochures and to pay for union junkets in a city of their choice where they can revell in an orgy of motions to the conference that fly in the face of almost everything that Australians hold dear. Then, while Barnaby has everyones attention, picture Senator Fielding quietly voting for the legislation giving Howard, and Australia, another victory against unrepresentative power. Priceless! Maybe one of my readers could give me lessons on textualizing triumphant giggles. Tee hee hee doesn’t seem to do the circumstances justice.
Politics

Joyce slowly coming to heel

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BARNABY Joyce has dropped his push for mandated penalty rates on “iconic” public holidays, saying he will accept a compromise ensuring Australian workers cannot be sacked for refusing to work on Christmas Day. I’m not surprised. Joyce was obviously going to be brought to heel sooner or later after certain home truths were pointed out to him.
The outspoken Queensland Nationals senator last night gave his strongest indication that he would not block the Government’s industrial relations changes, telling The Australian he would not push for penalty rates if the Government guaranteed workers could not be sacked for refusing to work on significant public holidays.
 That’s a start. Now we should see the bill passed before Christmas
Senator Joyce said later making it impossible to sack workers for refusing to be rostered on during holidays would effectively force employers to have to offer more money on those days. “If it is really essential to work I would imagine people would have to pay you double,” Senator Joyce said last night. “My protection is then the ultimate protection. Iconic public holidays will remain such — as compass points in the Australian calendar.”
 Extra money for working iconic public holidays like Christmas, Australia Day and ANZAC Day seem reasonable to me but not just for working Saturdays or Sundays. It is worthy of note, however that not all workers demand extra money for working Christmas Day and neither do all unions Sharan Burrow attacks what she perceives as the weak link in the governments armour, Barnaby;
While ACTU president Sharan Burrow tried to sway the Queenslander yesterday, delivering an 85,000-email petition imploring him to block the Work Choices Bill, Senator Joyce was leaning towards a more traditional Nationals constituency, the farmers.
Knowing it’s not difficult to programme emails and mass produce them with different signature blocks I’m less than impressed with Sharan’s 85,000 email petition than I am with Joyce’s apparent change of heart. I note that ABC radio has transformed the email petition to 85,000 signatures I also heard Anna Booth, saviour of the outworkers some years back, complaining on ABC radio about the requirement for secret ballots meeting a minimum of 50% voter return in the positive before a union can call a strike. I understand the idea is to send a postal vote to each member for them to decide on the issue. It can easily be said that it is mainly true believers that attend union meetings where a good speaker can, and often does wind the troops up to such an extent that they would kill Howard should he wonder by. In these circumstances a vote to strike is a given. I would rather the vote be considered in the cold light of the domestic scene; the kitchen table awash with bills and due mortgages and a clear thinking wife to counsel other avenues of dissent.
Politics

No Last Post for Nguyen

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Nero fiddles while Rome burns and Howard plays cricket while civilization as we know it dies. THE PM’s XI cricket match should be called off because it is to be played on the same day of Australian Nguyen Tuong Van’s scheduled execution, a Labor senator says. Senator George Campbell said today it was insensitive for Prime Minister John Howard to attend the match on Friday.
Australian Democrats senator Natasha Stott Despoja agreed, saying she felt sickened by the prospect that Mr Howard would attend the game on the same day that an Australian would be executed.
 If we needed any proof that Nguyen’s imminent death is being used as a political cosh to attack Howard then this is it. Ian Moore in an article in todays Australian says Don’t blame PM for other people’s sins;
The belief seems to be that their predicament is not the result of their own illegal behaviour; it is all the fault of the Prime Minister. This is not some fanciful notion; this charge has come from the families of those concerned, and from Opposition Leader Kim Beazley, no less. The problem is, they appear to believe it.
 Michell Leslie
“What has really shocked me is the amount of anger levelled at me, especially from the Prime Minister,”
 Her Father, Albert
…complained about the “un-Australian” treatment of his daughter and blamed Foreign Minister Alexander Downer for taking no interest in his family.
 My father, Leslie Albert, always said
Son, once you are an adult, you are responsible for your own actions
 I hope the PM enjoys his day at cricket. God knows he doesn’t get much free time and I will spend Friday doing whatever I have to do. I will pause, and I think the PM will as well, and feel sad about Nguyens fate but I will not afford him the honour of a minutes silence. That I reserve for Veterans who died honourably in the service of their country.
Politics
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