About Us

Since its beginning in June 2010 Café Whispers has evolved into a ‘light’ political blog with a definite lean to the left. About 80% of our topics would be of a political nature with the remainder made up of media discussion, social issues and the occasional light-hearted banter. Yes, we do take our blogging seriously but we also like to have a bit of fun.

Whatever the topic, we like to leave them ‘open’ for our readers to fill in the gaps with their own thoughts.

We have over ten authors who are all highly regarded for their expertise in their fields, but the most credit should go to the wonderful contributors for their insightful comments. And to our numerous readers, of course, many of whom share the articles on Facebook where they also receive lively debate.

At the time of writing the blog is within a whisker of receiving its 100,000th comment and by Christmas this year we will have welcomed our 750,000th visitor.

The blogmaster is Miglo, who in real life is Michael Taylor, a Canberra resident and ex-Public Servant. That’s him in the photo (which was only taken a few weeks back 😯 ). Miglo is ably supported by Min (Carol Ahern) who helps run the blog.

Credit too to Nasking, joni and Ben Tolputt who put in the hard yards to help set up the blog and to previous authors Nasking, Pip and Ben, as well as our guest authors, for their great work.

63 comments on “About Us”

  1. Hmm a rather rose-coloured view of yourselves. I would have said a hghly biased Slander Sheet directed at Tony Abbott in particular and conservatives in general. Please advise us by whom are the writers “highly regarded’?. Excepting of course those within this incestuous circle of Leftists.

  2. @1:43 PM Said by someone with the darkest blinkered rose coloured glasses around, except maybe for the other wingnuts here.

    And typical that incestuous jerk circles of Right wingers are perfectly OK, it’s only left blogs that are to be condemned and denigrated.

    Right wing hypocrite much.

  6. “hghly biased Slander Sheet directed at Tony Abbott “

    Could be true, but is does balance up the job the media does on out PM and government.,

    Point out one lie you have found.

    In spite of what was said this morning on the Insiders, our society is not made up of John and Janette Howard look a likes.

    It is much more a diverse society than the Opposition and MSM like to admit.

    We do not expect any respect from the right, none at all. That in itself is a sad state of affairs.

    A political movement that can stand no opposition or criticism. A political party that feels it has to destroy everything it’s path.

    A party that cannot and does not believe that alternative views and desires exist in our society. In other words the party that believes they are born to rule, and do everything in their power to bring a dictatorship about.

    Mr. Abbott cannot win by following procedures and convention of the parliament. He sets out to break or ignore all.

    That was what the PM was about last week. Protecting procedural fairness and the conventions and procedures of the parliament.

    One would have more respect for Mr. Abbott if he learnt to play within the rules.

    We would have nothing to write about, if this occurred.

    Your criticism only makes us stronger.

    Notice whenever a troll visits, more come out, supporting what we have to say, there is never support for the trolls.

    For a democratic system to thrive, all must be allowed to put their views across
    .

    There needs to be a strong government and Opposition.

    There needs to be respect for office holders, in spite of their gender.

    There is no longer a place for gender politics in the twenty first century.

    A way around this is to drop the Ms. Mrs. Mr. etc and address those who hold office by their titles.

    We could start with Prime Minister and Attorney General.

    With Finance Minister and Health Minister.

    It is not that hard.

  7. I’m still recognisable, Bacchus. I haven’t changed in the few weeks since that the photo was taken. 😳

  8. Good one.
    Congrats to the Cafe Whispers team for creating a top blog. And maintaining it so effectively…and adding useful, truth-telling…and occasionally humorous posts.

    I enjoy the music and coffee too. And Bacchus in the wine cellar. 🙂

    Lovely to see Pip, Ben and joni’s names there.

    And Mobius did a top job with the original design of the Cafe pics.

    How time flies eh.

    Ke up the great work Migs. And Min the Cafe fixture. Working overtime.

    N’

  19. Yes, yes, we know you fantasise about Third World working conditions for your neighbours and loved ones under the Liberal WorkChoices Party, bottom-of-the-barrel scraper.

  22. No, shame on you, ‘Cruppa’ for even suggesting that I’ve supported Workchoices. Obviously you are a recent blow in to the blogosphere as I’ve not changed my stance for six years.

  24. A vote for the Liberals is not a vote for Workchoices. You are just pushing the Labor propaganda line to justify your unbalanced hatred of Abbott.

    Talk about spin!

  26. Reverting to your childish default position I see because you have no proof I support Workchoices. The old timers here know my stance on Workchoices so you’re on your own on this.

    Someone, pass Cuppa a towel, egg all over the face! HAHAHAHAH!

  27. What do you think Abbott meant when he spun the line that WorkChoices was “dead, buried and cremated”, scraper?

    Something like Howard meant when he said almost the identical thing about that other signature Liberal policy, the GST?

  28. Abbott has stated that the economy needs more flexibility, no other word for it other than WorkChoices. Tony owes Gina big time and he’ll give her what she wants including the return of 457 visas.

  29. There is also..

    TONY Abbott has pledged to revamp flexibility arrangements in the Fair Work Act if he wins office, telling employers the workplace laws are making it harder for them to operate at weekends and on public holidays.

    Providing a further glimpse of the Coalition’s workplace policy, the Opposition Leader committed to making the individual flexibility arrangements “more workable”.

    In other words bye bye to weekend penalty rates for the lowest paid workers as is already being attempted in Victoria.

  31. Why does Abbott owe anything to Gina.

    It was Labor that granted Gina the right to import foreign labour for the Roy Hill project. Clearly, you don’t know what you are talking about!

  32. Conservative leaders, present and ex, are feeling emboldened to make calls for greater “flexibility” and “individual contracts”. (That’s right wing code for “WorkChoices “, by whatever name, though their scrapers will try to spin it away). Brisbane Times, 28 August 2012:

    Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has backed greater flexibility for small businesses after former Liberal prime minister John Howard called for a return to individual workplace contracts.

    Read more: http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/newman-weighs-into-howard-abbott-ir-debate-20120828-24xkx.html#ixzz24oA5w9bF

  34. Rinehart:

    “Africans want to work, and its workers are willing to work for less than $2 per day. Such statistics make me worry for this country’s future.”

  35. Gina..she who campaigned furiously against both the carbon and the mega-miners tax. Tony already said that he would shift the unemployed in other states to work on the mines..you beauty Tones! Gina also spent considerable time running down the economy saying that Australia was “too expensive” for business to operate which is odd indeed given Australia’s exceptional performance in this regard. All negative impact and anti-Labor and anti-worker…

  41. It’s not about wanting to work for $2 an hour, it’s about being given no alternative except to have to do so..hence the reason why the unions’ campaign against WorkChoices was so effective, not because it was a scare campaign but because it reflected what was already happening in people’s lives.

  42. Come on, explain how paying someone $2 an hour could be possible in our economy?

    On second thoughts…don’t bother as you obviously have not a clue. Talk about spinners, or more plainly, liars!

  45. Clearly we end up like the USA with an underclass of working poor who have to subsidise their slave wages with government handouts.

  46. They don’t get government handouts in Hong Kong, Min, and Sloppy Joe Hockey has already let slip that that’s the example for Australia to follow. Nope, it will be slave wages and 12 hour days ultimately.

  48. Min, spot on about Workchoices would have created an underclass and in the land of the fair go…not on!

    Not one to look at now but the future, the real damage of Workchoices would have become evident in the economic down turn and the new underclass would have eventuated and be permanently entrenched.

    Contracts are still common today in some professions but that is a personal arrangement that sees the employer and employee in a win situation. One example is my wife who works in legal. She signs a contract every June. Conditions are above the award as set out and the pay is $25K above the award with the flexibility needed for a modern working mother.

  49. Scaper, clearly “flexibility” works for some..professionals with superior negotiating skills but that has been so for some considerable amount of time. For a majority such as the semi-skilled negotiating will never be an option hence the need for reasonable basic wages and conditions.

  50. Right on, yet again. Individual contracts for semi skilled workers is nonsense!

    The system has to protect the most vulnerable and Workchoices opened the way for the preying bastard bosses of taking full advantage. Not saying that all bosses are bastards but you find a lot of them overseeing industries that require semi skilled labour.

    I was not always a boss and have a very good memory.

  51. easonable basic wages and conditions

    Rinehart is on the record as believing the minimum wage is too high. In other words, the lowliest paid are being paid too much.

    Right wingers have long demonised the Australian minimum wage. When in government they resisted almost every move ever made to increase it. They have called for its lowering and even abolition.

    If you lower or abolish the minimum wage, how low do you force workers to go?

    $2 per day makes a good round figure for the IR ‘reformers’ to aim for. After all, if it’s good enough for African workers then why not our grandkids?

    It buys a cup of rice a day, that’s sufficient…

  52. Pingback: The Australian Independent Media Network – TruthInNewsMedia

  53. Dear Blog Author

    The National Library of Australia is interested in contacting you with regard to its possible inclusion within PANDORA: Australia’s Web Archive. We were unable to locate any contact details onsite and are requesting that if you are interested in your blog being archived that you contact us at: jkim@nla.gov.au and we will send you an official permission request form.

    You can see more details on the Archive at the link below. http://pandora.nla.gov.au/about.html

    Regards

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  57. Pingback: Alternative media — the Fifth Estate – TruthInNewsMedia

  59. You wankers need to go to bed with a mirror and wake up to yourselves! What a bunch of losers! Tony Abbott will be a better PM than the lot of crap you dish out! Gillard and Krudd fucked this country and are competing for the worst PM in history gong! As for 2GB wonder why they rate so highly? Might have something to do with credibility, something you losers no nothing of!

  63. Seems the great white father is dumping Abbott, according to UK Independent, Another loser could one say.

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