Author: Kev

Retired infantry officer. Conservative by nature and politics; Happily married and father and grandfather of eight. Loves V8 powered Range Rovers, Golden Retrievers, good books and technology and think there should be open season on Greenies. Born in the mid forties and overdue for servicing but most parts still work.

Shorten at the Royal Commission

Posted on by
Bill Shorten failed to declare a donation from a labour hire company that funded his campaign director for the 2007 federal election, but denies gaining any personal advantage from the deal, the unions royal commission has heard. The former union boss revealed to the unions inquiry he had only declared a $40,000 donation from labour-hire company Unibilt, made in 2007, on Monday. Just as well it only $40k and not something valuable like a bottle of port or he would have had to resign.
32
Trade Union Royal Commission

Q & A Bias

Posted on by
Tony Abbott has been roundly criticised by the panellists on Q&A for prohibiting government MPs from appearing on the show. I can see their problem – no Coalition MPs to gang up on and ridicule must make for a disappointing night for them and let’s face it, without them, the whole raison d’être of Tony Jones and his show is negated. As Bolt says;
Q&A was quite boring last night without a Coalition MP on – a bit like the Christian not turning up to the colosseum to meet the lions …
And do spare a thought for the battalions of Twitter front line troops, trigger fingers poised to send of another volley of insane and inane abuse aimed squarely at the  Abbott government. Personally I think it’s a good idea for Coalition MPs to give Q & A the flick.  Most viewers tune in hoping for a gotcha moment engineered by Tony Jones so getting a rational message over to these people is pointless – they are watching for the sport. Someone suggested that by not appearing on the show the Coalition is missing out on getting their message over to a million rural viewers.  That presumes that rural viewers get their politics from Q & A which is obviously not the case. I say starve them of oxygen…let them  remain what they have always  been – a platform for the dissemination of left wing views for the luvvies. By the Left for the Left. Meanwhile, this comment by Ray Martin, appointed to investigate Q & A, bodes ill for any balanced results as he raises his pro ALP colours up the flag pole
“I’d like to see what happened last year, the year before rather, when there was a Labor government. I expect Tony Jones was just as tough on the Labor government as he has been on the Coalition right now. I think a Bex and a good lie down may help at the moment.”
Not so, Ray. He goes on to suggest Barnaby Joyce should have ignored Abbott’s direction not to appear on the show.
“I just think it’s so silly to do it. I would have thought that Barnaby Joyce who wasn’t on last night should have said (to Abbott) look I’m not a member of the Liberal party, I’m a member of the National Party, I can do what I like, and go and do it.”
Nothing will come of the investigation while Ray is involved.  A slap on the wrist at most and “lets move on, nothing to see here” The only answer to the ABCs bias is to not debate the issues with them. I mean to say – who has ever heard of a Left winger being converted and involved in rational debate.
0
General Musings

Chief Justice hounded from position

Posted on by
QUEENSLAND’S attorney-general has thanked embattled chief justice Tim Carmody for standing down.
YVETTE D’Ath said it was a “significant gesture” that was in the best interests of the court.  Actually, it was in the best interests of the left-wing judicial cartel that were furious that Newman had the temerity to appoint Carmody in the first place when he clearly wasn’t one of them. It definitely had nothing to do with public interest. Although Justice Carmody has resigned from his post, he will retain his office and standing as a Supreme Court judge, and will serve as a supplementary judicial member of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Part of the joint statement by Chief Justice Carmody and Ms D’Arth reads:
“The Chief Justice’s sacrifice of the significant rights, remuneration and privileges of the Office of Chief Justice is recognised as an honourable act. Consistent with the principle of the separation of judicial power, this decision was one for His Honour alone and he has shown strength of character in making his decision to do so.
Consistent with the principle of the separation of judicial power my arse.  He was hounded from the position by the other judges with the support of the new ALP government. Hand in glove…no separation there.
5
Qld Politics

Just another Greenie

Posted on by
I thought I’d reserve my opinion on Di Natale and not presume he’s just another stupid Greenie hellbent on destroying the economy whist espousing opinions that deny the truth of life, the universe and all that. I could’ve saved some time and gone straight to “he’s just another Greenie” as witnessed by his take on Scott Morrison.
“It’s not easy to sit in a room with somebody like Scott Morrison and look him in the eye and know this is somebody who locked up young kids, but you have to get past that,” Di Natale told this newspaper.
Well, I thought, if he has that opinion about Morrison who has been steadily releasing kids from refugee lock-ups, then he must have been apoplectic when the Rudd/Gillard/Rudd government were just as busily incarcerating them. It appears not, or at least I can’t find any record of him commenting on the matter then. I would suggest the good doctor has a lot to get past, starting with his political hypocrisy.  
1
Green Insanity

Sharrouf killed

Posted on by
Foreign Minister Julie Bishop says the return of Khaled Sharrouf’s family to Australia will only be considered after his death has been confirmed.
Sharrouf and fellow Australian Mohamed Elomar are believed to have been killed in the Iraqi city of Mosul in the past week. “Once those reports have been verified, then we can deal with other circumstances, including the children,” she told the Seven Network. Good! I mean the bit about them being killed. Labor leader Bill Shorten, asked if Sharrouf’s wife should be allowed to come home, said it was “a pretty complex situation”.
“I feel very much for the children. For me the well-being of the children is what’s important,” the Opposition Leader said in Canberra.
I wonder how Bill feels about the guy whose severed head was held by one of these children, photographed and posted on the media like it was a happy holiday snap. Does he feel very much for him? UPDATE:
Notorious Australian terrorist Khaled Sharrouf survived the drone attack in Syria that killed fellow extremist and friend Mohamed Elomar, it’s been reported.
Classified images captured by the US military in Al-Raqqah have confirmed the death of Sydney terrorist Elomar, the Sunday Telegraph reports. But none of the photographs suggest Sharrouf was killed in the Predator drone missile strike on an Islamic State group convoy, authorities say.
Reload, regain the target and fire.
1
War on Terror

Muslim leader confused about racism

Posted on by

muslimwomanDiana Abdel-Rahman, president of the Australian Muslim Voice in Canberra, says the Muslim community has “very deep concerns” about the Abbott ­government using its counter-terrorism policy as a “political wedge” to evoke anxiety.

Evoke anxiety!  The way I see it is that it’s the Muslims provoking anxiety.  9/11, Bali; Jakarta, London, happy snaps with son holding severed head and then there is this little list.

  • 2003-04: An investigation of Faheem Lodhi found he was plotting to bomb the national electricity grid or defence sites; he was convicted of terrorism offences.
  • 2005: Nine individuals were arrested in Sydney after sourcing chemicals and materials for use in the preparation of an explosive device; possession or attempted purchase of firearms and ammunition; and possession of large quantities of extremist material. All were convicted of terrorism offences.
  • 2005: 13 individuals were arrested in Melbourne and charged with plotting mass casualty attacks, with the intention of coercing the Australian Government to withdraw from Iraq. Nine individuals were convicted of terrorism offences.
  • 2009: Five men charged with conspiracy for preparation for an attack using firearms on Holsworthy Army Barracks in Sydney. Three were convicted.
  • 2014: In response to intelligence revealing an alleged plot to kill a random member of the public, entry and search operations were conducted on multiple occasions in Sydney.
  • 2014: Lindt Cafe Seige. On the morning of December 15, 2014, a self-styled spiritual healer, clairvoyant and sheikh who had arrived in Australia from Iran in 1996 under the name of Mohammad Hassan Manteghi, took staff and customers hostage at gunpoint inside the Lindt cafe in Sydney’s Martin Place.  When the smoke cleared away there were two hostages dead and Monis was killed.
But wait, there’s more;
Authorities believe that around 150 Australians are currently fighting alongside ISIS in Iraq and Syria, making the country the highest foreign per capita contributor to the violence. Many more have left the country for the Middle East in recent weeks, though their intent in doing so has not yet been determined.
And Abbott is evoking anxiety.  God give me strength! She continues;
“I believe the language that he uses and the tone that he uses, the consistency of the words that he uses … (is) as if he is taking advantage of a situation to heighten the levels of fear in the community to a point that it can be perceived as being racist,” Ms Abdel-Rahman said.
Technically she is wrong.  If Abbott’s legislation was targeting Lebanese, Syrian, or Iranian nationals then she might have a case but Islam is a religion followed by Muslims of all nationalities so targeting them may be lots of things, but it isn’t racist. The levels of fear have been evoked by the radical Muslims, not by any politician.  The politicians are simply trying to make the country safe.
Her father migrated to Australia from Lebanon 64 years ago and Ms Abdel-Rahman said four generations of her family had felt “alienated” during the political debate on how to combat Islamic State.
If four generations of her family are feeling “alienated” then they need to talk to their Muslim mates and get them to quieten down. No good talking to us. we’re not the problem.
9
War on Terror

Pope confirms AGW is faith system

Posted on by
Washington: A draft of an environmental encyclical by Pope Francis says “the bulk of global warming” is caused by human activity. He calls on people – especially the world’s rich – to take steps to mitigate the damage by reducing consumption and reliance on fossil fuels.
Pope Benedict proposed we should recognise that the natural environment is full of wounds produced by our irresponsible behaviour. In words likely to anger some of his conservative critics, the Pope backs the science of climate change, saying “plenty of scientific studies point out that the last decades of global warming have been mostly caused by the great concentration of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, nitrogen oxide and others) especially generated by human action”.
It’s not often the case but the Pope and I are in lockstep. His encyclical confirms what I have always believed, that belief in AGW is a faith system, a religion. I have long referred to the more extreme followers of AGW as members of The Church of the Latter Day Alarmists. Damn. I got it right again.
26
Climate Change

Money for old rope

Posted on by
The Olkola people are scattered across the country but Aboriginal elder Michael Ross wants them to come back home. The cattleman is confident more of his people, a clan of about 500, will begin making that journey after the Olkola Aboriginal Corporation won a seven-year contract in the federal government’s first emissions reduction auction last month. The corporation, which Mr Ross heads, plans to capture 65,000 tonnes of carbon each year through early burning — a ­method used by the elder’s family for generations — to reduce wildfires across its 766,272ha of land in central Cape York “It’s not all about getting handouts. We have to make this land support the Olkola people for the journey home and put something back on to our country. It’s a great hurdle we’ve overcome.” And the bottom line is:
The corporation could not disclose how much the government would pay it but under the average auction price of $13.95 per tonne it would receive $906,750 a year.
Who makes this stuff up? Could someone explain to me how back burning bush to prevent dry season bushfires helps the ecology. I understand that small wet season fires could produce less ash and smoke than dry season events but seriously, paying someone nearly a million dollars to do it doesn’t seem like money well spent to me. It seems like money for old rope to use an old saying
0
Climate Change, Front Page

Bye, bye Gen Morrison

Posted on by
Outgoing army chief David Morrison says the focus on the white, Anglo-Saxon males of the Anzac legend has made it more difficult to recruit a diverse defence force. Lieutenant General Morrison said that the “iconic narrative” of the Anzac story did not reflect the reality of modern Australia, nor the needs of a modern defence force.
“Some of the stories we tell ourselves about Anzac — overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly male, overwhelmingly Anglo-Saxon — if those stories are given an undue emphasis then how do you attract in today’s ranks, men and women who aren’t male, who aren’t Anglo-Saxon, who aren’t rough-hewn country lads who never salute ­officers, particularly the Poms, and who fight best with a hangover?”
Maybe I’m being over sensitive here but I never fought with a hangover and always saluted officers where applicable. I think that’s a put down on today’s diggers The ANZACS were overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly male and overwhelmingly Anglo-Saxon and no amount of politically correct thinking or pushing gender equality and people of non-English speaking backgrounds is going to change that. I might add that today’s diggers are also overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly male and overwhelmingly Anglo-Saxon. The other people in our society overwhelmingly do not volunteer for military service. They are more into Friday’s mosque rantings and place religion above all else, particularly service to their new nation. They are yet to assimilate into our society and considering too many of them support the Islamic sub-humans in the Middle East slaughtering Christians and Moslems or anyone that stands in their way, then I’m not sure when, if ever, they will consider themselves Australian and look at service as part of their civil responsibility. From my perspective, I’m glad to see you go General Morrison. UPDATE: An article by Ross Eastgate here
0
Defence

Bikie gangs back in business?

Posted on by
I just went down to the shops and passed about a hundred bikies all resplendent in their club colours and taking up about a kilometer of road. I take it that under the new Queensland ALP Government crime gangs are once again free to consort and indulge in extortion, prostitution and drug running as in days of yore. I haven’t noticed any press releases on the matter but it must be so.
7
Crime
1 … 11 12 13 14 15 … 192