Café Talk

Open Thread has had a name change.  Welcome to Café Talk.

I was originally going to call the blog site Café Talk but it was taken, so I replaced it with Whispers.  It fits the political culture here in Canberra; everyone sitting around coffee shops whispering political scoops.

Here we don’t intend to be so secretive.  Talk about anything.

Ciao Cafe Talk-19

Cafe Talk (Photo credit: ANDY LEDDY)

402 comments on “Café Talk”

  4. Migs, just an idea for a birthday topic.. but maybe The Best Of..but that would be some task, as there would be so many to chose from.

  7. I love this one from Gary Foley:

    Why celebrate Mabo Day?
    After all, native title is the equivalent of someone stealing your car and then two hundred years later offering to give you only the wheels back.

  8. What I do not find surprising is that a newspaper that has gone all out at Craig Thomson has a poll that;

    “Majority has no sympathy for Thomson
    MORE than 50 per cent of voters believe the opposition’s pursuit of Craig Thomson was either reasonable or did not go far enough, while fewer than one-third feel the Coalition has overstepped the mark.”

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/majority-has-no-sympathy-for-thomson-20120603-1zq53.html#ixzz1wlkJyJDC

    Deep in the article, by Coorey we have this chink in the Fairfax heavy attack on Thomson, when did Kathy Jackosn become the “supposed” whistleblower:

    “Meanwhile, Mr Thomson’s supporters in the union’s internal battle are keen to turn the spotlight on the supposed whistleblower, Kathy Jackson.
    In February, the Herald reported an email alleging Ms Jackson had laundered money through a colleague’s bank account, which Ms Jackson emphatically denied.
    Six weeks later, expenditure by Ms Jackson was referred to Victoria Police by the union’s acting general secretary, Peter Mylan.

    Documentation on those transactions have been leaked in recent days but the police had declined to investigate, telling Ms Jackson there had ”not been a complaint of criminal behaviour”

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/majority-has-no-sympathy-for-thomson-20120603-1zq53.html#ixzz1wllep11o

    So it looks as though Fairfax goes to Kathy Jackson for a response to possible police investigations.
    Why not tell us Fairfax had gone to Peter Mylan for comment.

  9. This is an issue which has not been addressed…

    Over the last 20 years big business has been allowed to walk away from any responsibility it once had to train young Australians. The current business model for skills development is to invest nothing, and then insist that the cost of training be socialised.

    When the shortcomings of this system become apparent the solution pushed is the importation of malleable, underpaid 457 workers from overseas. And make no mistake about it, 457 visa workers are paid less than locals.

    And the conclusion is spot on..

    If we fixed apprentice wages and insisted on our mining billionaires being fair dinkum on training, we could go a long way to solving this skills crisis. Community concern would recede along with the case for EMAs.

    http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/bringing-in-foreigners-will-just-not-work/?from=scroller&pos=1&referrer=article&link=text

  10. from a comment
    “From AFR:

    The NSW government is asking the Federal Court to appoint a barrister who has spoken out in support of Health Services Union national secretary Kathy Jackson as administrator of the union’s East branch.

    In a submission lodged with the court, the state government has nominated Sydney barrister Jeffrey Phillips, SC, as its choice to take over the day-to-day running of the disgraced branch.

    The Federal Court is due to start a three-week hearing on Tuesday to decide applications by a number of parties, including the NSW and federal governments, to appoint an administrator to the branch.

    HSU acting national president Chris Brown said on Friday that lawyers acting for him and other branch secretaries would object to Mr Phillips’s appointment.

    Mr Phillips, a specialist in industrial law, is a general editor of the legal journal Workplace Review. In a recent article for the journal, he praised Ms Jackson, one of the parties in the case.

    “If ever anyone needed whistleblowing protection in the trade union movement it is the former HSU boss Kathy Jackson,” Mr Phillips wrote. “Jackson must be a very brave and strong person to have put up with the abuse and vile innuendo she has suffered since she started this campaign on behalf of her members.

    “Even if there be no corruption, the level of entertainment expenses incurred by some HSU officials is breathtaking. Perhaps the gulf separating union officials and their unions’ membership may be a reason that in some areas of the nation more unionists vote for the Liberal National Party than for Labor.”

    Mr Phillips told the Weekend Australian Financial Review on Friday that the article “speaks for itself”.

    Ms Jackson is understood to have made a submission that all positions in the East branch be declared vacant apart from her role as honorary branch president and the role of deputy secretary Marco Bolano. It will be opposed by the HSU branch and HSU officials led by Mr Brown.

    Sydney legal sources had said Mr Phillips was a member of the NSW Liberal Party’s Vaucluse branch but he said that was incorrect. He had been a member in the past.”

  11. Bloody hypocrites, talk up Australia to foreigners, while talking down Australia to Australians.

    “LIBERAL front bencher Joe Hockey has talked up Australia’s economic prospects, should Europe collapse, in an interview he gave to overseas finance writers.

    But at roughly the same time his boss, Opposition Leader Tony Abbott, was warning that the Federal Government was weakening Australia at a time of “international economic storm clouds”.

    Mr Hockey, the shadow treasurer, told reporters from Bloomberg TV financial service the promise of a Budget surplus would encourage the Reserve Bank to cut interest rates – possibly tomorrow – and highlighted our relatively low jobless rate and strong minerals exports.

    “Well look, Australia is in a better position than most other Western nations,” he said.

    “We have an unemployment rate of around 5 per cent, we have strong demand for our commodities and even though they probably won’t get there we have a Government that at least is promising to deliver a surplus budget.

    “Not once in the brief interview did Mr Hockey mention, and nor was he asked about, the carbon pricing policy which will start on July 1

    Read more: http://www.news.com.au/business/joe-hockey-aussie-economy-vulnerable-but-can-handle-euro-meltdown/story-e6frfm1i-1226383822266#ixzz1woggupw9

    Meanwhile on the Gold Coast Abbott was even more negative.

  13. Isn’t it amazing how sometimes things come together. Over a year ago Migs suggested that I should find out more about Lupus and so Debra Freeman Highberger has become one of my best friends. Debra is a Lupie and of course a very talented artist. Plus has written some of the most inspiring articles for this blog.

    In all my time on the blogs which is more years than I currently want to count, the most special time was this one: Imagine the privilege of being a part of the story of artist Debra Freeman Highberger and Aimee Mullins. Both of these wonderful ladies are still my friends.

    https://cafewhispers.wordpress.com/2011/08/20/aimees-story/

  14. CU
    I think Hockey was just confident the Australian msm would ignore his comments to Blomberg. Lets see how long it lasts in our msm, that is the hypocrisy of the msm. If the Coalition says something “controversial” it may be reported BUT it will be late at night or a Saturday, also it doesn’t stay in the news for long.

    Now we will watch to see if Fairfax or the ABC have a story and then watch to see if any journalists radio, tv, print get to ask Hockey/Abbott or even Robb on it tomorrow.

  15. The Brits have been trying to undermine Europes Carbon reduction targets. (apparently the push is from prominent tories and i bet if the guardian investigates they will find murdoch is behind it)
    “British officials repeatedly trying to prevent the adoption of European Union rules on energy efficiency, curtailing the proposals and making them voluntary rather than mandatory in many cases. In addition, the UK has tried repeatedly to ensure that the EU does not adopt a new target for renewable energy generation.”
    http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/06/03/leaks-reveal-uk-worked-to-undercut-europes-greenhouse-gas-initiatives/

  16. It being the year 2012, isn’t it finally time that Australia entered the 21st Century.

    I am certain that below will be howled down, but isn’t it about time that Australia recognised the impact of the social media. It’s called working with it, instead of against it.

    Particularly pleasing to myself is at last indigenous history and culture is to be a part of our children’s education. Are we the only country in the world which doesn’t/has never done this?

    AUSTRALIAN students will be encouraged to use Twitter, blogs and Facebook as study tools in the new Civics and Citizenship national curriculum.

    The draft curriculum was released for public consultation yesterday. If it is adopted, it will be compulsory for students in years 3 to 8, and optional for students in years 9 and 10, to study civics and citizenship.

    The new subject will rest on three platforms: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander histories and cultures, sustainability, and Asia and Australia’s engagement with Asia. Underpinning these is a commitment to liberal democratic values, civic duty and a multicultural and multifaith society.

    http://www.smh.com.au/national/education/new-civics-curriculum-calls-for-students-to-be-citizens-of-the-web-20120604-1zs91.html#ixzz1ws9QMEZC

  18. Migs, that is indeed exceptionally disappointing. I would have thought that Pure Poison was an essential part of Crikey in addressing media issues specifically.

  19. Does these findings surprise many. There are a lot of people who do not care about democracy. In my day, if a PM was hayed and the policies so despised, many thousands would have been out in the streets.

    That does not happen today. We have a few small gatherings. but nothing to write home for.

    I have a suspicion, that most just do not care.

    The latest Lowy Institute poll contains an alarming statistic for lovers of democracy. Only 39 per cent of young Australians (18 to 29) chose the following statement from a list of three as best representing their opinion: “Democracy is preferable to any other kind of government.”

    The two choices they rejected were:

    – “For someone like me, it doesn’t matter what kind of government we have.” Safe to say the 15 per cent (across all age groups) who ticked that one interpreted “someone like me” as meaning “a complete bonehead”.

    – “In some circumstances, a non-democratic government can be preferable.” Again, “some circumstances” obviously included events such as the Black Death, Armageddon, or an invasion of gay boat-people as advertised on a poster in Tanya Plibersek’s office. On second thoughts, given the political debate conducted by ‘straight land-people’, the latter could only be a big improvement.

    In older cohorts there were more fans of democracy – 60 per cent of Australians across all age groups still think democracy is preferable to all the other systems.

    http://www.businessspectator.com.au/bs.nsf/Article/Australian-democracy-political-debate-political-pa-pd20120605-UXTFM?opendocument&src=idp&utm_source=exact&utm_medium=email&utm_content=47569&utm_campaign=kgb&modapt=commentary

  20. One for the books. By the way, I believe she wants a administrator and all position declared vacant except for her own. This is not a first for Jackson. She has used the courts in the past to get all opposition candidates declared invalid.

    Union national secretary Kathy Jackson to task over secret emails sent to his chambers by her legal team.

    Justice Geoffrey Flick made the surprising revelation at the start of a hearing on an application to have the HSU’s east branch put into administration.

    The judge told the court that Ms Jackson and her legal team tried to communicate with his associate on the weekend and that such communication was outside the formal processes of the court.

    Justice Flick then held up a pile of printed emails and asked what he was meant to do with them.

    He said it was a “serious breach” of court processes and queried if action should be taken against Ms Jackson.

    The judge also accused one of Ms Jackson’s lawyers, Brett Shields, of wasting the court’s time by being under prepared.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-05/hsu-case-judge-critical-of-jackson-emails/4053366

  21. There was a message from wixxy that he’s working on the next instalment. I’ve popped links to recent over on Media Watch.

  22. Today Mr Bowen said he had ordered an investigation into the case, and into separate allegations that a people-smuggler’s wife works for his department.

    “That was a suggestion that was made in the media for the first time yesterday, and we will assess the veracity of that,” he said.

    And he said he had “no tolerance at all for people gaining refugee status based on false information”.

    and

    The revelations have sparked anger in Indonesia, with Tantowi Yahya, a member of the parliamentary committee on foreign affairs, saying it undermines Australia’s claim to be fighting the smuggling trade.

    “Our commitment is to find the mastermind who is behind all this,” he said.

    “And we agree with the request from Australian Government to be cooperative with them, but then we get the news that the Australian Government is giving refugee status to the smugglers.”

    and

    This morning Foreign Minister Bob Carr urged the Opposition to back the offshore processing of asylum seekers in Malaysia to take the pressure off Indonesia.

    “Indonesia has had this activity burgeon in its ports because the Australian Parliament blocked the more orderly solution, which is the arrangement with Malaysia, which would have allowed processing onshore in a country which was willing to cooperate with Australia in doing that,” he said.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-05/people-smuggler-discovery-a-catastrophic-failure/4052174

  23. I would like to bring to ones notice, the price on carbon emission is only a small part of the CEF. The Opposition is once again saying it is going to be easy to unravel. Maybe it is time for them to be asked, what are they going to unravel.

    A little noticed piece of legislation was introduced into parliament last week which is likely to make a big difference to energy bills and carbon emissions – the Greenhouse and Energy Minimum Standards Bill (GEMS).
    This bill aims to move the country toward a single national system for implementing and enforcing minimum standards of energy efficiency and energy rating labels, instead of the current state-based model we currently have.
    What many people may not realise is that the measures which have made the greatest impact to date on reducing Australia’s energy emissions have nothing to do with renewable energy, or natural gas, or clean coal. Instead it has been lots of little incremental improvements in the energy efficiency of mundane things like refrigerators, light-bulbs, houses, office buildings, water heaters, air-conditioners, televisions, and electric motors driven by regulated minimum standards and mandatory energy rating labels.

    http://www.climatespectator.com.au/commentary/can-abbott-say-yes-reducing-energy-bills?utm_source=Climate%2BSpectator%2Bdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Climate%2BSpectator%2Bdaily

  24. The GEMS Bill, if it is passed by the parliament, should help to fix this unnecessary complexity which has slowed down the implementation of standards and led to inconsistent enforcement.
    One hopes that Tony Abbott might expand his vocabulary from ‘no’ in this particular case. After all it was under the Coalition’s watch that the energy efficiency standards and labelling program started to make an impact. Minimum standards for the energy efficiency of residential and commercial buildings, refrigerators, water heaters, fluorescent tubes, air conditioners, electric motors, and transformers were put in place by the Howard Government. Indeed, thanks to Malcolm Turnbull, we started a worldwide trend in phasing out conventional incandescent light globes that create 99 times more heat than light. Sometimes I just wish we could do the same with politics.

    http://www.climatespectator.com.au/commentary/can-abbott-say-yes-reducing-energy-bills?utm_source=Climate%2BSpectator%2Bdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Climate%2BSpectator%2Bdaily

    New Abbott slogan. If the TV can find them, why can’t the government stop them.

    I believe there have been 14 charged and convicted within the country.

  29. CU @ 4.01

    It appears Ms Jackson’s legal team better have some answers for the judge by 9.30 am tomorrow. Also this must be the first time Kathy Jackson has cancelled a press conference.

  30. I reckon I know how that people smuggler was able to hide in Giralang, ACT. It was probably due to an AFP demarcation dispute. You see the AFP has 2 masters, the federal policing and the local community of the ACT policing.
    They could each blame the other for not doing the proper investigation.

  31. Sue, the issue of people smuggler operatives in Australia shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. This is why Australia has been working with the Indonesians to address the issue at it’s source, the people smugglers. The attitude of the former Howard government was to punish the victims – the asylum seekers and the impoverished Indonesian crew members. The real villains of the piece are the people smuggler organisers both in Indonesia and Australia. Asylum seekers would be only a tiny fraction of their trade, their main business being sex workers.

  32. Min

    The AFP issue is a real bone of contention in the ACT. So smugglers in Australia is a given, hiding in the ACT would be a Canberra joke. Now for that particular family in the 4 Corners report, the number of public houses they are occupying won’t go down well.
    Now I won’t mention the big new homes for the AFP and ASIO. Well I will actually, did you know that after securing and having renovated a building for the AFP, the then Commissioner said it wasn’t big enough, And the ASIO precinct, its the biggest new show in town.
    “The building will offer 40,000m2 of net lettable area, and will accommodate up to 1,800 people and operate 24 hours per day”
    http://www.asio.gov.au/About-ASIO/New-Central-Office/Design-Principles.html

  33. More history if one is still interested.

    Could that house of cards be collapsing. The judge to day did not think much of Kathy’s ramblings.

    15 9 2011
    Thomson allegations pick long-standing wounds at HSU

    Day after day, more breathless revelations emerge about the internal workings of the Health Services Union, with the spotlight now fixed on national president and ALP vice president Mike Williamson.

    Fed by a constant drip feed from forces loyal to Victorian factional bomb-thrower and HSU national secretary Kathy Jackson, The Australian and The Sydney Morning Herald have been dining out on details of Williamson’s multiple directorships and his protégé Craig Thomson’s enthusiastic credit card spending. Both have denied any wrongdoing, but the allegations are starting to add up.

    Williamson has two board sinecures on NSW qangos and is a director of IT services firm United Edge, as first highlighted by Crikey on August 25. The firm appears to have benefited from free advertising in HSUEast newsletters without any disclosure to members. And then there’s the claims, being investigated by NSW Police, of overpayments to printer Communigraphix which allegedly provided him with a credit card to play with however he wished.

    But almost completely absent so far has been any allegations relating to Jackson herself — despite logic dictating that her union’s louche approach towards personal expenses could hardly have been restricted to Thomson and Williamson.

    In fact, the history of the HSU suggests the opposite — that it was the emergence of Jackson and her ex-husband Jeff Jackson as key players in the union’s Victorian branch in the mid-1990s that sparked the internal war threatening to bring down the Gillard government. And ironically, for most of this period, Williamson and the Jacksons were notionally on the same team.

    http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/09/15/thomson-allegations-pick-long-standing-wounds-at-hsu/

  34. Obviously, these problems are too intractable for us to solve. They feature factors that are well beyond our control. It is unlikely that any Australian government will ever solve the asylum seeker problem.
    In reality, Captain Emad is just a symptom of the problem. He is a problem in his own right, but he is not the entire asylum seeker problem.
    We should also be really clear on what Howard-era policies involved.
    Firstly, under Ruddock and Howard the detention of asylum seekers tended to be punitive in nature. Strictly speaking, this is not allowed under the law. Inevitably, the Howard government had to pay out compensation to mistreated asylum seekers. A modest amount of litigation emerged around the notion of asylum seeker compensation. Many of the settlements involved confidentiality agreements and this is why it has never been a big issue here.
    Second, Ruddock encouraged a departmental culture in the Department of Immigration that was hostile to asylum seekers and to anybody that they suspected was an asylum seeker. What was the result? They deported an Australian citizen named Vivian Solon. They wrongly detained Cornelia Rau and other Australian citizens. More confidential settlements followed.
    Third, legal challenges arose in the face of the harsher aspects of the Howard government’s asylum seeker policies. The conditions of detention were challenged in the High Court in the Behrooz case. The notion of perpetual detention was challenged in the Al Kateb case. There were other cases as well and other costs borne by the taxpayer.
    The only saving grace for the Howard-era policies was that post-September 11 and around the time of the Iraq invasion, the number of asylum seekers dropped. They started to rise again after the surge in Iraq and the last stages of the Sri Lankan Civil War. That coincided with the election of the Rudd government.
    This has given rise to the false notion that the Howard-era policies worked and that the Rudd-Gillard Government has failed on asylum seekers.
    Never mind that all the backflipping on asylum seekers under Rudd didn’t stop the boats. Never mind that Gillard hasn’t exactly been soft on asylum seekers. Last year the Gillard Government got an unconscionable piece of legislation through Parliament. The legislation provides that the minister can cancel or refuse a protection visa where an asylum seeker commits any offence while in detention. The legislation covers any offence, no matter how trivial. No allowance is made for mental health issues.
    In reality, the legislation is now being used so that the detention of asylum seekers can be extended indefinitely. You cannot get any tougher than that.
    I have no doubt that Captain Emad is a rogue. Similarly, it is likely that a small number of bogus claimants get through the system. Yet, the overwhelming number of people who are fleeing persecution are genuine refugees. The people who come by boat might have access to more money than the people who are still stuck in those awful refugee camps, but that doesn’t make their plight any better. They have usually sold everything and gambled on freedom and a better life.
    Scott Morrison and Tony Abbott might think that the existence of Emad and a few rogues warrants tougher action on asylum seekers. Yet, by the same logic the existence of a few rogue politicians would warrant harsher and more punitive measures against politicians. Fortunately, it doesn’t work that way.
    An intractable problem cannot be solved with slogans and harsher and more extreme measures. We will only wind up paying compensation later.
    Dilan Thampapillai is a lecturer with the School of Law at Deakin University. View his full profile here.

    http://www.abc.net.au/unleashed/4053590.html

  35. As I said, el gordo, much wind, little substance.

    Once more the National Secretary of the Australian Workers’ Union (pictured on left) has been caught doing a little background bragging to the media in 2012:

    Howes’ famous threat to withdraw support for the carbon price if it cost “one job” paid off when the government delivered a package containing large free permits for trade exposed industries, a $300 million steel transformation package and big support for coal industry jobs.

    There is just one small problem with any brag, one can get quickly caught out. Howes does not appear to have publicly made this threat until 13 April 2011 at the earliest.

    http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/paul-howes-braggart-extraordinaire.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/UtodS+(North+Coast+Voices)

  36. Health Services Union whistle-blower Kathy Jackson could be charged with contempt after allegedly trying to make private contact with a judge.

    The judge is currently hearing the case to place the troubled union into administration, following allegations of corruption.

    Ms Jackson is accused of contacting an associate of the judge last Saturday.

    Her barrister’s been ordered to make submissions as to why further action shouldn’t be taken.

    http://bigpondnews.com/articles/TopStories/2012/06/06/Kathy_Jackson_may_face_contempt_charges_757911.html

  38. “The patients suffered from nervous excitability, with buzzing noises in the ear, giddiness, and neuralgic pains … in some cases …objective lesions, such as a subinflammatory condition of the membrane tympani … All the trouble speedily vanishes if the ear is allowed a sufficient measure of physiological rest; this it can only obtain by the cause of the evil being withdrawn. The victims … seem all to be of markedly nervous organization, and the moral may be drawn that such persons should not use the telephone.”
    British Medical Journal, September 21, 1889

    http://www.climatespectator.com.au/commentary/wind-turbine-syndrome-mass-hysteria-21st-century?utm_source=Climate%2BSpectator%2Bdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Climate%2BSpectator%2Bdaily

  39. Migs, you wouldn’t live near a wind farm. If so, that could explain your ongoing illness.

    That aside, I hope you are feeling better.

  41. Tweet from: Alan Kohler ‏@AlanKohler

    Today’s GDP growth is a bit awkward for us gloom merchants. Oh well, things’ll be bad any day now…
    Retweeted by Jonathan Green

  42. Watching Hockey today, is a sight to behold. He started off so well at 6.00 am. Sadly his day got worse as it has gone on.

    Have not seen Abbott, suspect he has scurried down his hole again.

    Talking of holes, Mr. Hockey made a funny comment. He said that Mr. Abbott is one that you would want in a fox hole. At the sound of gun fire, he would be the first over the top. Mr. Hockey could not be reading our blogs, could he.

    It was a aside that came out of thin air.

    Min, it appears the gloom merchants are being held to account fir the first time. Why they have waited 12 months is beyond me.

    Maybe the business world is screaming, enough is enough

    Sue, nothing amazes one with this woman, except for her ability to take so many in.

    It is amazing how easy easy the shadow front bench is to con. How many are we up to now.

    Ashby, Jackson, and the Utegate.

    They have great trouble with emails.

    .

  45. CU

    On Hockey and the fox hole, did he mention which direction Abbott would be running when the firing began.
    Or even when Kathy Jackson starts talking at the HR Nicolls dinner.

  46. At 11:30 this morning, the ABS published the Australian national accounts for the March quarter of this year. Among other things, they show that the rate of productivity growth has surged – in the past year, labour productivity in the market sector grew at its fastest pace in over a decade. I’m sure this will be a major focus of the news coverage tomorrow, just as the disappointing productivity numbers were closely examined in early 2011. Just in case The Australian doesn’t choose to highlight the issue, here’s a handy chart for your reference:
    http://mattcowgill.wordpress.com/2012/06/06/chart-of-the-day-productivity-growth-surge/#comments

  50. Sue, Kathy was told not to talk at that dinner by the HSU. Not that will stop her.

    If anyone gets the chance, and wants a bit of entertainment, listen to the Hockey PC.

    I believe Hockey is in shock,

    What Australians want is stability, certainty, predictability. If we had those factors in play coming out of Canberra, we would be doing even better.

    Now how does that fit in with the only promises that Mr. Abbott has made, that of dismantling all this PM has done.

    How does that fit in with the prospect of two three or more elections in quick succession.

    That does not sound like stability to me.

    The exact words were that Swan was not someone if you were in the trenches, and he blew the whistle, you would jump over the top for. It appears I got it a little wrong. I assume you would for Abbott.

    What Hockey seems to be ignoring is the patch work economy we have.

    Where one takes from the strong sectors to bolster the weak. In other words, share the wealth.

    Not that hard to understand.

  51. Hate to be a nark.

    The GDP figures released today got me thinking about how unusual the economy is right now. And when I hear talk of Joe Hockey about “how much better we would be if we had a good government” I got to wondering if we have ever had it better?
    So here’s a bit of a reality check for Hockey and others.
    The last time we had annual GDP Growth of above 3.5% and the RBA’s trimmed mean inflation gauge below 2.5% (it’s currently 2.2%) was in September 1999 when GDP Growth was 3.7% and the Trimmed Mean was 2.1%.
    But unemployment then was 6.6%. In March 2012 it was 5.1% (trend terms).
    So I wondered, how many times in my lifetime (I turned 40 last month) has Australia had a quarter of GDP growth showing greater than 3.5% annual growth, the trimmed mean inflation below 3.5% and unemployment below 5.5%?
    Well since 1978 (I only have the figures for all 3 back to 1978) – NEVER
    I’ll wager we’ve not had it since the 1960s as the 1970s was not a decade of what you would call low inflation.
    Yep. What a terrible government.

    http://www.blogotariat.com/node/389752

  52. Could it be Venus. After all it was Venus that led Captain Cook to this wonderful country of ours. Maybe the gods have decided to smile on us, and it is nothing to do with Labor at all. We all know that Labor can only do bad, therefore all bad is laid at the feet of Labor. Any good must be in spite of Labor, or as the Opposition now says, should be better.

    We might as well put today’s “stunning” set of economic figures down to the Transit of Venus. At least we knew that was coming.
    As Lucy explained to us yesterday, while rafts of economists were split three ways on what the RBA would do with interest rates: “Astrologically speaking the Transit of Venus symbolises a time of hope and optimism, and many believe will signal the end of a particularly bad patch of economic woes.”
    And then today, as Venus made it’s wondrous progress across the face of the sun, Wayne Swan got to gloat about a set of economic indicators no-one foresaw.

    http://www.blogotariat.com/node/389660

    http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/economics-about-as-scientific-as-astrology/

  53. Well, everyone except Joe Hockey, who was trying to find the dark side this afternoon in economic growth of 1.3 per cent.

    As the debate immediately descended into a race to label the other side the economic bogeyman, Hockey said the “scariest thing in Australia is Wayne Swan”.

    “Wayne Swan doesn’t exude confidence. He is not someone who, if you were in the trenches and he blew the whistle, that you’d readily jump over the top for.”

    Typical Leo.

    I wonder what Jonathan Cainer thinks the RBA will do next month?

    http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/economics-about-as-scientific-as-astrology/

  54. You don’t get much better than that.

    Joe Hockey said today in response:

    “The scariest thing in Australia is Wayne Swan. Imagine how well our country could do if we had a good Government.”

    Or, in other words, these good figures prove the Government is bad.

    Yeah, GDP growth might be increasing, but logic sure as hell ain’t.

    You don’t get much better than that.

    Joe Hockey said today in response:

    “The scariest thing in Australia is Wayne Swan. Imagine how well our country could do if we had a good Government.”

    Or, in other words, these good figures prove the Government is bad.

    Yeah, GDP growth might be increasing, but logic sure as hell ain’t.

    http://grogsgamut.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/gdp-grows-by-13.html

  60. On Capital Hill, Jamie Briggs, Gawd Bless Him, was trying to give an apt analogy of the economy and the treasurer.

    Jamie said, The economy is like Black Caviar and what you want for a jockey, is not Fat Albert but a Damian Oliver.

    Now when it comes to comparing the treasurer and the shadow treasurer, who do you reckon looks like Fat Albert and who Damian Oliver.

    Now I bet the punters would much rather Swan to Hockey, every day of the week.

  62. Prostitute talk wars in the commercial current affairs programs.What a joke, what self rightousness

    Looks as though Craig Thomson won’t have to worry about his legal bills, thank you A Current Affair, for trying to entrap Craig Thomson into answering false allegations.

    Now just when the prostitute retracted her sworn statement will determine the settlement.

  63. News flash on Prime around 5pm. The prostitute who said she had been a customer of Thomson’s and had been paid with by a HSU credit card has apologised to Craig Thomson.

    Apparently it was all baloney and she has withdrawn all statements after being interviewed by the police.

    How many other accusations against Thomson are going to be withdrawn and how many against Jackson and co. are going to come to light?

  64. The big issue, according to the ABC news online, for the hearing on whether the HSU should be placed with an administrator

    “On the second day of the hearing, the Federal Court was told it may mean job losses for union officials and that national secretary Kathy Jackson could lose her $270,000 salary.”

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-06/court-told-of-defamatory-remarks-against-fwa27s-lawler/4056228

    Now I am sure all the HSU East members will have that as their number one concern.

  65. Now I am confused but wasn’t it Kathy Jackson who sent affidavits to the court last Saturday? http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/judge-questions-kathy-jackson-contact-20120605-1ztgi.html?skin=text-only
    And who prepared the affidavits for Kathy Jackson, her partner or her lawyers? So how can you then proclaim being defamed?

    “Lawyer David Rofe told the court he has been engaged by Mr Lawler, who is not even a party in the case. Mr Lawler is Ms Jackson’s partner.

    Mr Rofe said Mr Lawler’s name has been mentioned in a defamatory way in a number of affidavits that are part of the case.

    But Justice Flick said the lawyer was proceeding prematurely because decisions have not yet been made about the affidavits.”
    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-06/court-told-of-defamatory-remarks-against-fwa27s-lawler/4056228

  66. Sue, the apology I am waiting for, is from a certain Opposition leader and his offsider.

    Jackson was trying to get everyone else sacked but her.

  68. Tom, defamation is always a good one..where you can think that you can say what you like..then the chooks come home to roost.

  69. then the chooks come home to roost.

    A few of them appear to be roosting right now. The court case doesn’t appear to be heading in the right direction for the libs right now either 😉

  70. Bloody hell they are certainly trying to do their best to put down the good economic figures for the government on ABC at the moment.

    One economist said the word tax as many times as he could to intimate how bad this government is, but the taxes he mentioned were all taxes bought in by Howard or in place before Labor came to government.

    As record massive mining investments are mentioned just about every week they had a mining spokesman saying that because of this government’s carbon tax, high dollar and high operating costs this is not the place to invest in. For a starters the high dollar is a direct result of the massive investment in Australia, so it’s his fault, not the governments.

    By the way the two states with negative growth figures are the Liberal states of NSW and Queensland.

  71. That’s correct Mo, Queensland had a natural disaster and NSW is still struggling out of an economic black hole…left by Labor.

  73. Of course el gordo, it is always Labor’s fault.

    This is whether they are in power or not.

    Could not possibly be anyone else.

  74. I seem to remember that NSW has a little flooding, along with Victoria. Of course when it effected the Feds income, it was not the floods but bad management that was the trouble.

  75. Hang on el gordo Labor left a surplus, O’Farrell blew into a deficit in his first budget.

    O;Farrell was elected to fix it and he said there would be no excuses. Well he hasn’t fixed it and not only hasn’t he, he hasn’t made any moves to fix it and every measure has gone significantly backward under his stewardship. In 15 months in government he has done very little except prance around for photo and TV opportunities whilst breaking just about every promise he made. Even breaking his promises is a broken promise as he promised he wouldn’t break his promises.

    So the question is just when is O’Farrell going to fix things as he promised as his highest priority, for every day he prances around doing nothing for the State the more it’s going to cost the NSW people down the track.

    Just fix it Barry.

  76. As to Queensland. I see they are going to fix things by destroying the Great Barrier Reef and much of the environment whilst allowing the mega rich who fund their party to get off on traffic infringements.

    Yep that’s going to get that state back on track.

  78. CU
    The msm was always so worried that Thomson could have been bankrupted. By golly gosh it could have led to a change of goverment!

  79. CU
    it appears the prostitute contacted ACA was told on 21 may and said story unreliable but ACA went to Thomson on 24 May, if true payout should be huge

    The woman said she had told A Current Affair on May 21 via a text message that she was now “totally unsure” that she slept with Mr Thomson, and was therefore “not a credible witness.”

    She said the program went ahead anyway three days later and broadcast the allegation without her knowledge, permission or consent. “Once (reporter Justin Armsden) aired it, I felt really screwed over.”

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/mistaken-identity-prostitute-unsure-if-she-slept-with-thomson-20120606-1zwed.html#ixzz1x0cmppNC

    Now what was that about a media review

    “Labor MPs took to social media to blast the network and media standards. Labor whip Joel Fitzgibbon declared on Twitter: “Bring on the tort of privacy! Bring on Finkelstein!”

    Victorian Labor MP Steve Gibbons said the imbroglio underscored the need for a media inquiry. “Media outlets who print/put to air a story knowing it to be false should have their licence to broadcast print suspended for … ?” Mr Gibbons tweeted.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/mistaken-identity-prostitute-unsure-if-she-slept-with-thomson-20120606-1zwed.html#ixzz1x0csrYQO

  80. I suppose now would be a good time to look at the laws of trying to intimidate a politician.

  83. Tom it appears to be something that might or might not occur under common law.

    Not too sure if they are saying it is about time it was bought in as law.

    I suppose the question is, do we have a right to privacy.

  84. It must have been a hard twenty-four hours for the Coalition lynch-mob headed by Opposition Leader Tony Abbott and his trusty henchman Christopher Pyne.

    First a Federal Court judge asked for reasons to be presented as to why he should not find Health Services Union (HSU) national secretary Kathy Jackson in contempt of court because she attempted to inappropriately contact him.

    The judge also referred to a June 1 affidavit of Ms Jackson which contained “potentially scandalous allegations” and unless it was read in court, he would not allow the public access to the document. “This case is going to be conducted in court and not in the newspapers,” he said on Tuesday.

    http://northcoastvoices.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/plot-begins-to-unravel-will-abbott-and.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed:+blogspot/UtodS+(North+Coast+Voices)

  85. I believe that Jackson has done no more that she attempted last time the union had the administrators in. If my memory is correct she tried to influence the courts then. She was not successful, but she was not challenged as she is being this time.

  87. Tom, just for you, suing in tort is suing as a civil action which compares with a criminal action. Suing in tort may be claimed by anyone offended such as defamation.

    I would speculate that a privacy tort would mean actions which were meant to be private but were made public with malicious intent. It’s close to defamation.

  90. Bacchus
    As the woman’s credibility is obviously now seriously an issue, something we strongly suspected,

    One may well ask, WHY THE HELL ADVERTISE IT SO VIGOUROUSLY THEN?

    I hope the suffer big time for this.

  92. Have you tried having a beer?

    If I thought about it long and hard, I might realise that the source of the pain may well lie with the beer itself.

    Hence, I am not thinking about that at all 😉

  96. Cu, the last one was a dud. ACA spent 90 minutes talking to Thomson today about fresh allegations. Me thinks they’ve damaged themselves enough as it is, without trying to pull new rabbits out of the hat.

  98. We now have two prostitutes

    Actually, you might find that one is actually a journalist, although, I guess prostitute sounds better on the resume these days

  102. After consultation with Victorian Fraud and Extortion Squad detectives it became clear more than one escort associated with Boardroom Escorts was allegedly involved.

    Is there something not quite right about releasing details of an ongoing police investigation, simply because you are trying to cover your arse with mud so no-one can see the shit?

  104. Can anyone tell me what they were doing on the 6th June 2005.

    DRINKING!!

    (probability indicates this anyway ) 🙂

  109. I commented earlier about what were the affidavits that Lawler was so unhappy about that he needed representation in federal court today.

    Well it goes to last December when G Hayes,HSU, complained to FWA that Lawler had telephoned him at home on behalf of Kathy Jackson.

    “Earlier in proceedings barrister David Rofe asked permission from Justice Flick to be able to counter allegations made by some officials in affidavits including one by acting assistant general secretary Gerard Hayes.

    Mr Rofe told the court that “some of the references to Justice Lawler are highly defamatory allegations”.

    “If put to cross-examination they would be shown to be false and fabricated,” Mr Rofe told the court.

    “This constitutes gross interference in his rights as a citizen, and as a prominent citizen, and a federal court judge,” Mr Rofe said.

    He asked that Justice Flick make an order that any such allegations made against Justice Lawler be suppressed.

    Justice Flick said he was not prepared to make such an order. “A lot of allegations are made against a lot of people, none of which I have to get involved in,” Justice Flick said.

    But he granted Mr Rofe leave to apply to make an appearance on behalf of his client if any such allegations were to come on to the public record.”
    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/hsu-officials-failure-to-recoup-allegedly-rorted-members-money-outrageous-says-judge/story-fndsip4d-1226386383995

  111. It appears the only one that does not have any rights is Mr. Thomson. Watched that interview with the prostitute. I am inclined to believe her.

  112. A FEDERAL court judge has described as “outrageous” the failure of officials of the scandal-plagued Health Services Union’s East branch to make any effort to recoup huge sums of money allegedly rorted from members.

    Justice Geoffrey Flick also said he was astounded that the union only recently mounted an internal inquiry into allegations of cronyism, nepotism, corruption and lavish spending going back to the 1990s.

    Justice Flick made his comments in Sydney on the second day of formal hearings of the case to place HSU East into administration.

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/in-depth/hsu-officials-failure-to-recoup-allegedly-rorted-members-money-outrageous-says-judge/story-fndsip4d-1226386383995

  113. CU, from the En-Passant link

    Why is it that with the economy going so well, people are so angry, apparently with Labor?

    It truly is hard to put a finger on it. I’ll give it a go but 😉

    http://christopherjoye.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/as-predicted-good-economic-news-buried.html

    “We’re having a horrible time in retail … there’s certainly no bounce in our step,” Harvey Norman boss Gerry Harvey said

    Read more: http://www.news.com.au/money/money-matters/bouncy-wayne-swan-out-of-step-with-a-nation-of-realists/story-e6frfmd9-1226386839034#ixzz1x2snDxA5

    😯

    Well might Wayne Swan proclaim them as a victory but it would be best not to look in the rear-view mirror for long. It’s what’s ahead that’s worrying everyone.

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/opinion/lovely-figures-belie-crisis/story-e6frgd0x-1226386758670

    Fear is the Key (with thanks to Dickinson/Gers …We live in fever….)

  114. I also note the oo is running that this is all entirely due to mining. While it is probably the main driver, it is not alone, and it is not only the mining states leading it. There is also no indication that the mining tax will slow it at all, much as the oo would try and have people believe.

    One of the most important drivers of Australia’s above-trend economic growth over the last year has been household consumption. In seasonally-adjusted real terms, household consumption rose by a stonking 1.6% in the March quarter alone, and by 4.2% on a year-on-year basis. Household consumption is now running significantly above the 3.6% per annum long-term average since 1959.

    http://christopherjoye.blogspot.com.au/2012/06/australian-economy-grew-at-way-above.html

  119. “Alleged people smuggler Captain Emad should have been granted a TPV, rather than refugee status when he arrived in Australia in 2010, the opposition says.

    Opposition immigration spokesman Scott Morrison said the Gillard government had serious questions to answer following Captain Emad’s departure from the country, which could not be prevented because of insufficient evidence into his alleged people smuggling activities from Indonesia.”

    http://bigpondnews.com/articles/TopStories/2012/06/07/Captain_shouldve_had_TPV_-_Morrison_758682.html

    Why, what difference does it make. One can have any visa rebuked at any time.

    It appears from what the police said this man has been under observation since the day he landed. Which would not be surprising, as the boat arrived without crew.

    How does Mr. Morrison once again knows more that the authorities involved. He might have been more use to the police left where he is.

    It is time politicians stepped back and let police get on with the job.

    The Justice system should not be a play thing of politicians.

  123. Talking about the police letting that man go because of lack of evidence. Someone remind us that they arrested Haneef with no evidence. How much did that cost us.

    I am sure they can bring him back, if the need arises.

    He would not have run, if others did not push their nose into police business.

  125. Another thing you see in the MSM, but I heard passing mention of it on ABC local radio.

    Yesterday, the national accounts released by the ABS showed that we had the fastest productivity growth in over a decade, in the year to the March quarter. You would think that this would give pause to the alarmists who claim that our current industrial relations laws are ruining the economy. You would be wrong.

    We are all dead.

    The big talk from Howard and business at the time of WorkChoices was flexibility that would lead to productivity gains. WC failed in that respect and Howard’s excuse was that it wasn’t given enough time.

    He was wrong as workers were never going to work harder and produce more for less.

    Increased productivity, the best in over a decade, should be splashed across the headlines and lauded by the MSM as it’s something they have been decrying for sometime. Big business should be crowing that production is increasing yet they are preaching doom and gloom if they don’t get huge tax breaks and cheaper labour.

    I’m fairly certain of one thing, and it will be kept mum by the MSM if it happens, productivity will probably go down under Abbott for the same reasons it was stagnant and went down under Howard. His response, at the behest of big business, will be to bring in WorkChoices under another name in the name of flexibility and increased productivity.

  126. Oh and that links shows another example of News Ltd directly lying and distorting facts yet again.

    It really is about time the media in this country is bought to heal for their lies and decits.

  127. Mobius, you forget that no matter how good the economy is now, after July 1 we’ll be a third world country. I doubt there’ll be any shops open in the whole country. No industry will survive. You won’t even be able to buy a ham sandwich at the corner deli.

  131. Sue, I am not too sure our women get treated any better. Watch the Senate QT ir hearings and see what Senator Wong for one endures. At least this mob are honest and in the open.

    Migs. no interest in visiting Coota.

  132. Yes I am angry. No longer is it believed in this country that one is innocence until proven guilty. One can be accused by anyone, with impunity.

    The police pointed out today that the man under observation. They let him leave the country. They have no concern here, as they said if further evidence emerges, they can bring him back. They know where to find him.

    That idiot Morrison, has said they could have locked him up of TPV were still in use. Just like they locked Haneef up after the police let him go because there was no evidence that he committed any crime.

    We want these idiots back in power, that have no respect for the law or judicial procedure.

    The Federal police said today, they are investigating up to 12 other groups. I wonder how many of these will fail because the Opposition once again, using law and order as a political football.

    You rightly might say I am in no position to judge. True. But then neither is Four Corners. And something about evidence and due process comes to mind.

    Maybe the AFP is in a better position to judge.

    There was so much evidence against Ali that after 2 years of investigations the AFP had not found enough to charge him with anything.

    And despite the furore and frenzy the Four Corners report on Monday night created, Ali left Australia on Tuesday. The AFP knew but couldn’t stop him because there was no evidence he had committed any crime.

    Minor point AFP. Four Corners said he was guilty so you should arrest him. Oh and revoke his visa. put him in detention. Maybe we should torture him to get the truth out of him. Water-boarding, or solitary confinement without charge? After all, Australia is under threat….Well, actually, it isn’t.

    What has been the result of this ABC induced mass hysteria? Ali lost his job, unfairly sacked by Coles because of allegations by journalists, allegation which aren’t evidence.

    Ali has left the country, knowing what treatment he would get from the frenzied dogs the ABC has unleashed.

    His life is turned upside down; his home threatened; his visa in jeopardy; his job gone.

    All on teh say so of Four Corners.

    Heck, why don’t we just abandon trials and ask journalists who is innocent or guilty? Or maybe just cut out the middle men and women and ask the media proprietors to rule? Rupert, what do you think about this Ali guy? Gina, should we put Doctor Mohammed Haneef away indefinitely…

    It is all so familiar.

    Remember Dr Haneef? Locked up for 12 days without any evidence. The anti-terrorism laws allow that rolling detention on suspicion of terrorism.

    ASIO pointed out to Government within 2 days of Haneef’s arrest that there was no credible evidence against him.

    After 12 days in solitary confinement Haneef was charged with providing support to a terrorist organisation. He was released on bail, because the magistrate wasn’t convinced about the strength of the AFP case.

    After Haneef was granted bail, the Immigration Minister of the time, Kevin Andrews, revoked Haneef’s visa on character grounds. He ‘reasonably suspected’ that Haneef had an association with people involved in terrorism. The cancellation, the Minister argued, was in the national interest.

    The AFP was going to issue a criminal intent certificate if he did post bail. This meant that Haneef would have been put into immigration detention pending the trial. He didn’t post the $10,000 bail and stayed in police custody. Presumably that was better than immigration detention which awaited him if he did post bail.

    The media played its usual shouting from the rooftops role. Clearly Haneef was guilty. It was assumed. Some News Ltd papers even ran stories about Haneef allegedly being involved n a plot to blow up a Gold Coast building.

    It was all bullshit, every last bit of it. There was no case against Dr Haneef.

    But hey, what does that matter when we can jail another non-white and spike terrorist fears?

    http://enpassant.com.au/2012/06/07/captain-emad-is-innocent/

  133. The Health Services Union (HSU) East Branch should be demerged immediately under the scheme to appoint an administrator, the branch’s lawyer has told a judge.

    But Justice Geoffrey Flick said, while he had the power to order a demerger, he was hesitant to do so without knowing what the overwhelming majority of members wanted.

    He added he thought the merger which led to the formation of the HSU East Branch was a “silly idea” in the first place.

    The Federal Court judge is hearing applications to place the state union, HSUeast, and the HSU East Branch of the federal union, into administration

    http://wap.news.bigpond.com/articles/TopStories/2012/06/07/Demerge_HSU_East_Branch_-_lawyer_758593.html

  134. On Thursday, Steven Crawshaw SC, for the HSU East Branch, said ultimately the members of the organisations and their interests were the most important issues.

    “It is important for the members that the organisation be restored to regular operation as soon as possible,” he said, before calling for the administration scheme to provide for an immediate demerger.

    Mr Crawshaw agreed with the judge’s comment about the merger being a silly idea in the first place, noting the judge had no submissions before him which suggested anything different.

    He told the judge that at the annual convention last November the rank and file members expressed their wish for the demerger.

    The hearing is continuing.

    http://wap.news.bigpond.com/articles/TopStories/2012/06/07/Demerge_HSU_East_Branch_-_lawyer_758593.html

  135. Some excellent news..contributor Tony B now in remission. It’s news such as this which always gives one hope.

  138. RGGI States Cut CO2 by 23 Percent in First Three Years

    The predictions of economic collapse and suffering ratepayers? Not happening.

    Once again, real world experience proves that absurd doomsday scenarios about cap and trade pushed by pundits and political disinformers are wrong.

    “A three-year summary of America’s first carbon trading program was released yesterday. The news is pretty good for anyone who cares about reducing carbon emissions; it’s inconvenient for anyone hell-bent on preventing America from implementing a carbon pricing plan.

    According to the program administrator of the Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) — a nine-state cap-and-trade market established in the Northeast in 2008 — average annual CO2 emissions have fallen by 23 percent compared to emission levels before the start of the program:
    http://www.renewableenergyworld.com/rea/news/article/2012/06/rggi-states-cut-co2-by-23-percent-in-first-three-years

  139. Now how will Abbott and the msm spin this as BAD

    “The man in charge of the national broadband network says he will forgo annual bonuses worth more than $300,000 because of personal objections to short-term incentive schemes.

    Mike Quigley told BusinessDay he had philosophical problems with the idea that a bonus would make him work harder and he would never accept one as chief executive of NBN Co.

    “I came to an agreement with the board that I would not participate in the bonus scheme. That’s my personal decision. My motivation for taking this job was to get this network built,” he explained.

    Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/business/nbn-chief-voluntarily-surrenders-bonuses-20120608-200xj.html#ixzz1xBCLkvaW

  140. One of mine on a number of issues including children people smugglers and the incarceration of young males all in the name of “coming down tough on..”.

    AN INDONESIAN boy wrongly convicted of people smuggling will be freed today after spending more than two years in detention in Australia.

    Much of his time was spent in adult jails with paedophiles, rapists and murderers.

    http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/boat-boy-freed-after-two-years-detention-20120607-1zz0v.html#ixzz1xBHkZh1i

  141. I received a message that my Twitter account may have been hacked because I’m allegedly sending everybody recipes. Has anybody else had the same problem?

  143. Yes indeed after all this time, I finally took your advice and learnt how to Twit. 😀 EddieL messaged me.

  146. In a speech in Melbourne today on social inclusion, Mr Abbott justified the need for his generous paid parental leave scheme by arguing that poorer people can have more children because of the welfare support they receive.
    ‘‘At present, the only families that can have more children without damaging their financial position are those on welfare,’’ he said.

    Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbotts-welfare-tilt-on-parental-leave-20120608-200mb.html#ixzz1xBUWHveH

    Amazing, our most precious possessions actually cost us money. Is Mr. Abbott saying, we should have them for free.

    Talk about the sense of entitlement, we have all come to believe is our right.

    A man that knows the cost of everything, the value of nothing.

    What was frightening about hos speech today, was how rational he sounded. It was not his usual ranting,raving and three word slogans.

    Saying that, it was still based on lies and misinformation.

    We all know, that to solve the Child Care problem, all that is needed is nannies. Maybe he can rope in some of those lucky mothers on welfare.

    Maybe they could take a child or two in, to care for, while the wealthy mothers are out at work.

    After all, we do need a even playing field.

    Who is playing the class war card.

    .

  149. I don’t think you’ve been “hacked” as such Migs – just some malware spreading through Twitter. If you search for that site, you get hundreds of twitter accounts with a link to the site. My virus scanner won’t let me open the page in the link.

    Do you have some sort of virus protection on your iPhone Migs?

  150. ‘People are sick of self-evidently absurd situations, such as the now notorious flight of Captain Emad, where the computer at the airport gate could identify a people smuggler but the government couldn’t stop him.’’

    Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/abbotts-welfare-tilt-on-parental-leave-20120608-200mb.html#ixzz1xBX6Gf7K

    Of course my government will know better than the police and legal system, when it comes to crime. We will just take the whole lot over.

    These silly notions of procedural fairness, innocence until proven guilty and needing admissible evidence before locking someone up, is just rubbish. Mr. Abbott is promising to put a end to such nonsense. At least that is what I believe he is saying.

  151. Eeekkkk!!! Thank you Migs, you’re a treasure. Now all I have to do is to work out how to check tweets..you’re talking to a non-technological newbie here…

    And if hacked what do I do about it. Double eekkkk!!

  152. By the way, the Federal Police do not seem too concerned about that man leaving the country.

    They said they knew when he left. Not enough evidence to pick him up. Also they said, if the situation changed, they can pick him up, as they know where he is.

    Why is Mr. Abbott still trying to use the matter as a political football. He should pull his head in, and allow the police to get on with their work.

    I suspect he is only a minor player anyway.

    I have been getting fummy email mesages from the mail server. Cannot seem to stop it. Does not appear to cause harm.

    This message was created automatically by mail delivery software.

    A message that you sent could not be delivered to one or more of its
    recipients. This is a permanent error. The following address(es) failed:

    centernot@mail.ru
    SMTP error from remote mail server after end of data:
    host mxs.mail.ru [94.100.176.20]: 550 Message was not accepted — invalid mailbox. Local mailbox centernot@mail.ru is unavailable:
    user not found

    —— This is a copy of the message, including all the headers. ——

  154. It’s telling you that the user “centernot” doesn’t exist in the mail.ru domain CU. Either that user has been deleted from that mail service, or it’s an incorrect address to start with.

    mail.ru is a Russian free e-mail service, perhaps like hotmail or gmail…

  158. lol Min.

    CU is sending an email from her PC. It’s looked at by her ISP’s mail server, which works out that it needs to send it to another mail server for delivery. The other mail server looks at the address on the email & tries to find the user, but that user doesn’t exist, so it sends a message back to CU’s mail server to that effect. There – easy isn’t it? 😆

    I’ll put it in snail mail terms:
    * CU writes a letter, addresses it, and puts it in the post box.
    * Australia Post looks at the address on the letter and determines that it must be sent to Russia as that’s where the address specifies it has to go.
    * The Russian post office tries to deliver the letter, but the address doesn’t exist – perhaps the house that used to be there has been pulled down, or CU put the wrong address on it.
    * The Russian post office sends it back to Australia Post saying that the address doesn’t exist.
    * Australia post passes this info on to CU.
    🙂

  159. I have sent nothing that I can think of. I have come to the conclusion it must have been a flagged message. Run everything I have. It appears to be fewer coming through.

    Contacted the mail server, got no reply.

  160. Finding where it originally came from is the problem. Appears to be going around in circles.

  161. Not sure about that Migs – probably wise to do so anyway.

    What devices do you use to tweet from Migs. Obviously your iPhone, but anything else?

  168. The “i” devices are less likely to pick up malware than Windows machines Min. Apple lock their operating system down quite tightly so it’s more difficult (but not impossible) to spread malware on Apple machines.

    Just make sure you’ve got anti-virus software on your desktop (or any Windows machine.) I use the free avast anti-virus which has never let me down.

  169. Oh I am so stoked at the moment.

    Headline Channel 7 evening news, “O’Farrell Broken Promises” in big white letters on the backdrop and O’Farrell’s face large and prominent.

    Then the story that follows details a set of his broken promises including the latest one of sacking 10,000 public servants and puts the opposition leader up front highlighting O’Farrell’s failures.

    There is only so much the MSM can cover up for in failing Liberal governments, and when those failures and litany of broken promises are blatant and numerous, and the public murmurings over them begin to become loud mutterings and threaten to turn into vocal protestations, then the media has no choice but to report the Liberal government failings and broken promises.

  170. Bacchus, I used to use avast but Norton came free with my new desktop. When I tried to reply to the person who was trying to alert us to the problem my iPad wouldn’t let me..obviously for a reason.

  171. Oh and the, “I’m a much better economic manager than Labor Premier”, after delivering a $2 billion excusable deficit in his first budget because of fixing some infrastructure, is now turning a forecast $900 million surplus into a deficit. A $1.1 billion turnaround, but with nothing to show for it in the last 12 months.

  173. ABC also reporting the litany of O’Farrell broken promises with O’Farrell’s Treasurer blaming it on world events outside their control.

    And it’s a $290 million surplus now being a $926 million deficit for the $1.1 billion turnaround.

    Increased speed cameras and now a 12% increase in traffic fines across the board, the bad news under O’Farrell has become a flood.

    These are all things that O’Farrell as opposition leader continuously beat the Labor government with, and it was the constant berating that won him the election. He is now using the same excuses he berated the Labor government for using and is blame shifting, running as fast as he can from his failings. Telling also that after being front and centre for most things over the last 12 months, swanning around for every photo and TV op he could, O’Farrell is now very conspicuous in his absence, with his ministers wearing the brunt of the media’s grilling.

  174. ‘…the public murmurings over them begin to become loud mutterings and threaten to turn into vocal protestations, then the media has no choice but to report the Liberal government failings and broken promises.’

    I agree, but it also goes for any government…because that is what the media do.

  175. No el gordo, that is not what our media has been doing, and we have shown you enough examples of them breaking their own guidelines to prove it.

    So if that is the case, where is media exposing the litany of Abbott lies, distortions and broken promises along with holding him to account for the promises he has made that he has no hope of keeping?

  176. Also where was the media holding O’Farrell as opposition leader to account for all his blatant lies and distortions whilst the media engaged in distortions in attacking the State Labor government?

  177. Yesterday we had stories of hospital waiting lists being doctored.

    Has anyone seen the Jackson stories on any of the news, on any channel.

  178. ‘where is media exposing the litany of Abbott lies’

    Abbott is not the government, he doesn’t have to be held to account. Do you have a list of O’Farrell’s supposed lies?

  180. While my comrades gather stuff on right wing politicians…I will say a few words about the weather in the UK.

    ‘… the inclement weather looks set to continue. In fact, forecasters have warned our flaming June is likely to be… flaming awful.

    ‘The temperature will struggle to get anywhere near the 19C (66F) average for this time of year.’

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2155614/Firms-prepare-lift-hosepipe-ban-20m-customers-pictures-prove-water.html#ixzz1xCKetCSa

    Cool wet summers in the old days meant starvation and were usually accompanied by harsh winters, with monstrous seas and storms.

    This is a cooling trend.

  181. Why the double standards el gordo?

    When Labor was in opposition the Liberal government continously stated they had to be held to account as they were the alternative government. Abbott started by saying he was the alternative government and only shifted away from that when questions were asked, not by the MSM by the way, as to what alternative he had to offer and could come up with nothing but three word jingoes.

    Not being in government is not and has never been an excuse for any political party not to have policies or not to be held accountable to the people.

    So if I understand you Labor had to be held to account when in government or out of it. The Liberals never have to be held to account.

    If you haven’t been following O’Farrells litany of lies then you are either not a New South Welsh person, have been living in an alternate universe or have deliberately decided to keep your mind closed.

    I pick the latter as you do the same with AGW.

  182. Again changing the subject and bringing in short term weather events to make a point, and as always wrong.

    Tell us el gordo why do you only pick cooling weather events to highlight and always ignore heat waves around the world?

    Also tell us how come a short time ago you were saying the globe was warming, before that cooling, but the latest was warming, only it was natural, now you have it cooling again, so what is it? And will you stick to it with credible evidence to prove your contention.

    I really don’t know what it would be like to go through life being so wrong on just about everything, but I need only look at el gordo’s efforts here and I get a little inkling of it.

  183. See I can play el gordo’s silly games as well.

    Exceptionally warm temperature spike seen across U.S., Canada, and UK

    September 28, 2011 – LONDON – Met Office forecasters say the hot spell will last until Sunday after a weather system which usually bakes Greek and Turkish beaches was pushed thousands of miles northwest by high pressure. The warm weekend will represent the highest October temperatures for 26 years.

    As for this year:
    Heat wave kills 15 in West Bengal
    Amazing Stats from the March 2012 ‘Heat Wave’
    Videos for 2012 Heat waves
    March 2012 United Kingdom heat wave
    250 people dead in Andhra Pradesh heat wave
    2012 Texas Heat Wave
    …

    This is a warming trend.

  184. Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has used an address to a business forum in Melbourne to say there’s now “public unease” about the future of the Australian economy.

    Mr Abbott says the government looks like it’s deliberately trying to set Australian against Australian with its class war rhetoric.

    In an appeal to Labor-leaning voters, Mr Abbott says next year’s election would be about a return to this consensus approach.

    Mr Abbott also called for ‘more imaginative ways to include Aboriginal people in the mainstream economy’.

    http://bigpondnews.com/articles/TopStories/2012/06/08/Public_unease_about_economy-_Abbott_759079.html

    Is this wishful thinking, or talking the economy down. More likely the latter.

    Mr. Abbott has gone down a path of campaigning, that is can only succeed if the economy fails. He cannot allow the PM to have one success. If the PM has no successes, we also pay the price.

    Yes, el gordo, this man looks like be our next PM. We at least have a right to know what he is about, or do you say, we take him on trust.

    el gordo why does the prospect of a CEF upset you so. If you are correct, what is the worse that will happen. What does it matter whether man made change is real of not,

    The worse is that a little money might, in your eyes be wasted. I as sure the economy in the long run will recover.

    We will have alternative fuels, that will lessen our dependence o oil and the middle east.

    In the long run, renewal fuels will be cheaper, cleaner and more efficient.

    el gordo, you waste so much energy on something that in the scheme of things, is not that important, if we are incorrect..

  185. Cu, if Mr Abbott thinks people will believe that load of rubbish then he surely is a stark raving lunatic. Either he is delusional, or he talks complete bullshit.

  186. El Gordo is a seed sowerer, part of the ‘think tankerer’ sow the seeds of doubterers… 😀
    Hope it pays well El Gordo… well I supose it must, I mean such a hard working self employed cleaner from a regional area on a low wage has gotta supplement their income some how. 😆 …. I know this blog must be having an impact cause your here…… and I wouldnt want you to leave anyhoo, ’cause as Ive stated previously read’n your meme shows me how not to be !!!!! A true Merchant of Doubt… El Gordo (the skinny one) …… F’n great thunk tanked ya got there if ya cant fool a labourer from the bush 😕

  187. CU

    nothing on jackson on the tele. i just rely on wixxy and vex.
    surprised to see th papers with their story on the court proceedings.

    i wonder just how many articles the bloggers will have to write before the msm finally decide to do an “explosive ” “breaking” or “exclusive” expose of the whistleblower who was the real crook.

  188. Sue, “i wonder just how many articles the bloggers will have to write before the msm finally decide to do an “explosive ” “breaking” or “exclusive” expose of the whistleblower who was the real crook.
    She will probably be on the Queens honour list next year, mm…..

  189. Nothing anywhere I believe. Appointing as administrator in itself was a story. Especially it is a matter that could bring down a government. I suppose two young swimmers visiting a shooting range is more newsworthy.

    I have no love for guns, but that beat up is bordering on the ridiculous. Once more trial by media.

    When once challenges a high court judge and accuse him of not doing his job, in itself a story.

    When one accuses another judge of being in cahoots with a governments minister, generally draws attention. Not much of the Glen Stevens speech either.

    PS. I forgot, she also demanded the judge resign.

  190. So Cu, Abbott has called for more imaginative ways to include Aboriginal people in the mainstream economy. Goodness, last year he was calling for more interventions.

    What will he call for next year? Assimilation? Genocide?

  191. Mo we know from experience that when the summers are cool/wet in Europe and UK then this usually means a cooling trend.

    I’ll look for a link….

  192. I forgot, the lady also demanded the judge allow her to cross examine all those in her affidavits. There are allegedly hundreds of pages in her documents/ The court will be sitting until Christmas to get through the list.

    Who does Jackson believe she is.

  193. I’ll start with something easy….the world stopped warming 15 years ago.

    ‘The supposed ‘consensus’ on man-made global warming is facing an inconvenient challenge after the release of new temperature data showing the planet has not warmed for the past 15 years.

    ‘The figures suggest that we could even be heading for a mini ice age to rival the 70-year temperature drop that saw frost fairs held on the Thames in the 17th Century.’

    Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-2093264/Forget-global-warming–Cycle-25-need-worry-NASA-scientists-right-Thames-freezing-again.html#ixzz1xCtDjdyC

  194. Now this is a great example of how Murdoch press can turn a story on a “bad liberal” into its all “labors fault”

    “THE State Liberal MP under investigation for using his taxpayer car and fuel card for commercial purposes was once a Labor member.

    Besieged Frankston MP Geoff Shaw is being probed by the Ombudsman and a parliamentary committee amid claims he used his electorate car to deliver goods for his private companies.”
    http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/embattled-liberal-mp-once-backed-labor/story-fn7x8me2-1226389364667

    Now I am not reading any more of this tripe as it is more than likely the story will say that poor Ted Bailleau is probably now having to fix up a mess that was caused by this chap who once met J Gillard

  195. Oh, El Gordo, how true to form you are…. thank you, Im so glad you paid me the compliment, mm…… ya can fool some of the people etc…. 😀

  196. Mo to understand climate change its important to analyse weather trends over a decade or more and there is a cooling trend.

    With the O’Farrell government its not important whether he lies or not…the people only want progress and aren’t all that involved in the political intrigues which brings it about.

    Unlike ‘you lot’ the average punter is not all that interested and are primarily concerned about the hip pocket nerve.

  197. SMH big story tomorrow, apparently
    Craig Thomson, how much the ALP paid in legal fees, he would have been bankrupted, the gillard govt would have fallen etc
    so still pushing the attack on CThomson, not interested in anything else.

  198. Tingle on Lateline. She pointed out that it was the government in that deregulate the milk market. Hockey is wrong to say carbon tax is destroying the milk market.

    My emphasis.

    he troubled Health Services Union (HSU) has been placed into administration and its officers have been suspended by a Federal Court judge.

    Justice Geoffrey Flick on Friday appointed former Federal Court judge Michael Moore as interim administrator of the state union, HSUeast, and the East branch of the federal HSU, despite heated opposition from national secretary Kathy Jackson.

    Justice Flick ordered the suspension of union officers at HSUeast and ordered that officers of the HSU East Branch be prevented from exercising any powers.

    He gave officers of both organisations seven days to return all property to the interim administrator, including credit cards.

    http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8480727/kathy-jackson-sacks-lawyers-in-hsu-case

  199. As interim administrator, Mr Moore will co-operate with the investigation by Mr Temby and any other investigations into the conduct of HSU officers.

    Most of the parties involved in the case, Mr Brown, federal Workplace Relations Minister Bill Shorten, NSW Finance Minister Greg Pearce and HSUeast supported the appointment of Mr Moore.

    But Ms Jackson, who parted ways with her legal representatives on Friday morning, vigorously opposed the appointment, describing Mr Moore as “the darling of NSW officials”.

    Mr Moore was one of three people appointed by Workplace Minister Bill Shorten to review the Fair Work Act in December last year.

    Work Place Review editor and barrister, Jeffrey Phillips, was also put forward as a candidate for interim administrator, but the court heard he had written an article describing Ms Jackson as an “innocent whistleblower”.

    Ms Jackson submitted the Bar Association should appoint an administrator, “not someone the ALP has hand-picked”.

    “Michael Moore is an employee of the federal government,” Ms Jackson said. “This government is an ALP (Australian Labor Party) government. In my submission, it could be perceived as controversial.”

    She added it would be “manifestly unjust” to make a contentious appointment on that interim role when she had not been given the opportunity to make submissions.

    Ms Jackson accused the judge of “lapping up” the advice of other lawyers, something Justice Flick said he found “offensive”.

    The judge interrupted Ms Jackson several times, telling her “you are reading a press release”.

    “You’re not doing your case any good,” he said.

    Justice Flick found that while he had not yet heard all of the evidence in the case, the appointment of an interim administrator was justified.

    “I’ve reached a decision today in my own mind that whatever may ultimately happen, there is a sufficient basis at present to justify the making of that order on an interim basis,” he said.

    He adjourned the matter until next Friday, June 15, and he invited Ms Jackson to make further submissions then, telling her, “I’m not that easily offended”.

    Mr Moore will take up the position from midday on Tuesday.

    http://news.ninemsn.com.au/national/8480727/kathy-jackson-sacks-lawyers-in-hsu-case

  200. el gordo, who cares. When are you going to come up with something new.

    “Unlike ‘you lot’ the average punter is not all that interested and are primarily concerned about the hip pocket nerve.”

    Well they better stick with this PM

    I fail to see how the media could ignore the orders made by the court today in relation to HSU East.

    I am sure that Thomson will have money over, when he begins to collect his may defamation cases that are in the pipe line.

  201. El Gordo, seeing as Bacchus,ME or Tom(G)RR arnt here, I’ll just say.. oh, another of your throw-away lines…..
    “Unlike ‘you lot’ the average punter is not all that interested and are primarily concerned about the hip pocket nerve.”… no, I’m not !

  202. Sue, nothing new in the story. It is between Thomson and Labor. As far as I know, there is nothing illegal in the transaction.

    Not half as interesting as to what occurred in court today.

  203. CU
    hsu court case? whats that say msm

    exactly, once Thomson gets the chance a few news organisations will need to pay up. he can then pay back the ALP.

    It is so disgusting that with all the antics of Jackson the media seems to have lost interest,
    Where are the front page spreads with caricatures, such as pinocchios and rats or even an evil witch, and bold headline “we don’t believe you”

  204. Ah, Sue, can’t besmirch the Abboott or his besties missus …… ya just gotta disappear it..and claim how the Gov.au is ‘mud-erering the waters……

  205. “Mo to understand climate change its important to analyse weather trends over a decade or more and there is a cooling trend.”

    Not quite correct and wrong. The trend is over many decades and it’s warming. Show us the empirical and credited evidence that it’s cooling. And you haven’t answered the fact that only a short time ago you stated the trend was warming, but its natural. How come you often flip between warming and cooling?

    “With the O’Farrell government its not important whether he lies or not…the people only want progress and aren’t all that involved in the political intrigues which brings it about.”

    Crap, utter crap. It’s all about the lies and again you ignore my questions to you, something you always do when asked something that proves you wrong, which is just about always.

    Again you’re applying double standards. The previous Labor government was continuously hounded over lying, and it was O’Farrell as opposition leader leading the charge. He was there front and centre almost daily accusing the government of lying even when they proved they weren’t. He made a huge thing in the election campaign about his would be and honest government and he and his ministers would be held to account for their dishonesty. So it’s extremely important that O’Farrell is lying and a big thing should be made of it, and it’s good to see that the media finally are doing just that, but only because the people are beginning to make a big thing of it.

    And progress, what progress? On just about every measure NSW is going backwards at a greater rate than under the previous Labor government. And things that were progressing with the previous government are now declining under the current government. The things O’Farrell said were of the highest priority and he would fix on getting into government he’s shoved off to committees that are not to convene for a long time down the track, all the while the things they are to convene on are getting worse. By the time the committee sits the thing they are investigating will be a wreck.

    Whilst O’Farrell lies, breaks promise after promise and allows NSW to decline he allows the big end of town every break and favour he can give them. The caged egg industry being the latest where O’Farrell at the behest of the big four producers has introduced legislation that will see the smaller caged egg producers, the barn and free egg industries collapse. He has been doing this for big business from the day he got into power and it’s the only thing he has made progress on and moved at any great pace with. The caving in and selling off of NSW to vested interests. Something all the new Liberal governments have done from the day they one power. No one moved faster on this front, with the Great Barrier Reef being sacrificed as a result, than Newman in Queensland.

    “Unlike ‘you lot’ the average punter is not all that interested and are primarily concerned about the hip pocket nerve.”

    There is some truth in that, but it’s not a saviour for or an excuse for O’Farrell as the average punter is going backwards under him, and he is doing things like changing the IR laws, sacking thousands, favouring the big end etc. that sees the average punter’s hip pocket empty to the point they are grumbling loud enough for the MSM to start reporting unfavourably on O’Farrell.

  206. ‘And you haven’t answered the fact that only a short time ago you stated the trend was warming, but its natural. How come you often flip between warming and cooling?’

    The 20th century was warm, everyone agrees. The warminista say that this warming was created by industrial CO2, whereas the Denialati believe the sun is solely responsible.

    Since the strong El Nino year of 1998 the temperatures have come down a tad and plateaued for 15 years. World temperatures have stabilised, even as CO2 continues to rise, so natural forces seemed to have the upper hand in the debate.

    The cooling trend, which is clearly visible in the UK weather, is probably caused by the lack of activity on Sol and nothing to do with human ‘pollution’.

    While I’m at it the Gergis et al paper may end up in AR5 even though its being roundly condemned as another broken hockey stick. Climate Audit, Watts and the Bish are all discussing it as we speak.

  207. AFP: Captain Emad source ‘unreliable’
    BY: DENNIS SHANAHAN, POLITICAL EDITOR From: The Australian June 09, 2012 12:00AM

    THE ABC’s prime source on allegations of people-smugglers operating within Australia is being discredited as a former Australian Federal Police informer and agent who was taken off the federal police books because he was “unreliable” and got things wrong “most of the time”.

    Senior government sources contend that Hussain Nasir, the ABC’s “guide” in two major Four Corners exposes of people-smuggling between Indonesia and Australia, had to be thoroughly vetted before being granted a visa to stay in Australia because of his links with “various organisations” in Iraq, including the CIA.

    http://www.theaustralian.com.au/media/afp-captain-emad-source-unreliable/story-e6frg996-1226389519862

  208. Even on Bolt

    Hmm:
    THE ABC’s prime source on allegations of people-smugglers operating within Australia is being discredited as a former Australian Federal Police informer and agent who was taken off the federal police books because he was “unreliable” and got things wrong “most of the time”.

    Senior government sources contend that Hussain Nasir, the ABC’s “guide” in two major Four Corners exposes of people-smuggling between Indonesia and Australia, had to be thoroughly vetted before being granted a visa to stay in Australia because of his links with “various organisations” in Iraq, including the CIA.

    The Weekend Australian has confirmed that the ABC’s award-winning journalist Sarah Ferguson, and Q&A and Lateline host Tony Jones, extensively lobbied government ministers to get Mr Nasir residency in Australia after he had been removed from the AFP’s informer list.

    Senior government sources last night described Mr Nasir, an Iraqi refugee, as a “colourful character” who had approached the CIA in Iraq and had supplied the AFP with information for two years.

    But is the information in the Four Corners report wrong? If it is, why did Captain Emad flee?

    More information, please.

    UPDATE

    http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/emads_dobber_doubted/

    Why flee. Maybe to get away from the media.

  209. O’Farrell has presumably had to backtrack on some issue because of economic necessity and the people don’t care if he lied.

    All the people want from Barry is infrastructure building, like the Parramatta Road revitalising project.

    ‘…and it’s good to see that the media finally are doing just that, but only because the people are beginning to make a big thing of it.’

    This is good news, governments should be held up to ridicule, but ultimately the only thing that matters is the infrastructure building, which should give the Coalition a second term.

  210. Baird brings down the NSW budget on Tuesday and the people are already pleased that they will sack 10,000 public servants.

    The government idea of scrapping stamp duty (if you buy of the plan) is smart politics.

  212. Cu @8.32am..I am of the opinion that it would be highly unlikely that there were no people smuggler operates in Australia. This does not fit in with some who I believe, are wearing rose coloured glasses about the “wonderful people smugglers”, but the fact remains that people smuggling for whatever purpose is a crime. This fact being quite separate from peoples’ right to seek asylum.

  213. At last, a good piece from Hartcher..it’s been a while…

    And the “wrecking ball” that Abbott and the opposition have warned time and time again is going to smash its way through the economy? There was no sign of it, not yet, anyway. Business investment surged, mainly in the mining sector. Household spending was even stronger.

    What happened to the desolate, tumble-weed strewn ghost economy you’d expect as firms and families run for cover in fear of the economic Armageddon so long foretold by the Abbott of Doom?

    http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/merchants-of-doom-beware-20120608-201el.html#ixzz1xFLHUfDG

  214. “the people are already pleased that they will sack 10,000 public servants.”

    Lets hope all the shops and small businesses and home buyers/sellers are all pleased with the loss of spending of these 10,000 customers.

  215. Min @ 9.15

    Lenore Taylor has a similar theme to Hartcher. What a shame that these 2 journalists have waited until now to do an anaylsis of the “Abbott of Doom” vacuous argument on the Carbon Price.

    It will equally take the msm the arrest of Kathy Jackson before any journalist finds any evidence of wrong doing in their “whistleblower”.

  216. Electricity bills: be afraid, but not of the obvious

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/electricity-bills-be-afraid-but-not-of-the-obvious-20120608-201da.html#ixzz1xFM5wVqq

    Some common sense on the Carbon Price, not that el gordo will buy it as CDF and el gordo are total opposites.

    el gordo @.8:30 AM What a load of disjointed nonsense that didn’t answer anything.

    I won’t even go into the crud you posted on O’Farrell, which again didn’t answer anything and even had you mind reading the people of NSW.

    And the excuse made for O’Farrell is the same excuse made by the previous Labor government, but they were pilloried for it and the one leading the attack was O’Farrell, who by the way said he wouldn’t make excuses if he was in government but has done nothing but make excuses since.

    So yet again the double standard is on display.

  218. Wow, CU, does this mean that their abc is sitting on channel nines side of the fence as one of the worst examples of media manipulation in the country? Running stories before validating things, or, as it appears in the 9 one, after validating, knowing they have it wrong, and then still running it?

    And I also note that, even though this is on the front of the oo, it is surrounded by stories declaring that, due to what the abc story apparently ‘reveled’, it is evidence of Labors border ‘failure’.

    Now that is really giving both sides of the story lol. Ignoring facts though, but still both sides.

  219. Sue, and 10,000 public servants gone is going to do wonders for house prices, with the downward trend already being blamed for lack of consumer confidence.

  222. Testing, testing..

  224. Abbott brain farts yet again.

    This is the dipshit who accuses Labor of playing class warfare? 😯

  226. ME @ 9,27

    Tony should know! He with 3 kids decided to get into politics, then when he got a demotion, thanks to the voting public in 2007, he found he couldn’t live on his new “welfare” salary and opted for a much bigger mortgage. He also decided he didn’t want to do any work as a shadow minister, so stayed home and wrote a book.

  227. Wow, he’s really off the reservation

    Paid parental leave ought to be paid at a person’s wage rate, like holiday pay and sick leave, because it’s a workplace entitlement, not a government benefit.

    http://www.liberal.org.au/Latest-News/2012/06/08/The-Coalition-s-Plan-for-Stronger-Communities.aspx

    I guess, being a workplace entitlement, workplaces should foot the bill, not Government? That should make him friends with the employers 😯

    Wonder if he gets called on any of this?

  230. Seems all the talk and opinions of Abbott’s one track negativity and talking down the economy whilst being a policy free zone must be biting, he’s now attempting to ellucidate policy, very badly mind you, but still it’s talking about policy.

    Yet his current brain farting illustrates the problem for the opposition and his minders. The moment he moves to policy he’s all over the shop, sprouts very expensive nonsense and adds billions in unfunded liabilities to the Liberals budget bottom line whilst not being in anyway believable all while alienating one group or another, often groups that are traditionally conservative supporters.

  232. This is great – source unknown:

    At the cash register of the store, the young cashier suggested to the older gentleman that he should bring his own shopping bags because plastic bags weren’t good for the environment.

    The man apologized and explained, “We didn’t have this green thing back in my earlier days.”

    The cashier responded, “That’s our problem today. Your generation did not care enough to save our environment for future generations. You didn’t have the green thing.”

    She was right – our generation didn’t have the green thing in its day.

    Back then, we returned milk bottles, soft drink bottles and beer bottles to the store. The store sent them back to the plant to be washed and sterilized and refilled, so it could use the same bottles over and over. So they really were recycling. We refilled writing pens with ink instead of buying a new pen, and we replaced the razor blades in a razor instead of throwing away the whole razor just because the blade got dull.

    But we didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

    We walked up stairs, because we didn’t have an escalator in every shop and office building. We walked to the grocery store and didn’t climb into a 300-horsepower machine every time we had to go two blocks.

    But she was right. We didn’t have the green thing in our day.

    Back then, we washed the baby’s nappies because we didn’t have the throw-away kind. We dried clothes on a line, not in an energy gobbling machine burning up 220 volts – wind and solar power really did dry our clothes back in our early days. Kids got hand-me-down clothes from their brothers or sisters, not always brand-new clothing.

    But that young lady is right. We didn’t have the green thing back in our day.

    Back then, we had one TV, or radio, in the house – not a TV in every room. And the TV had a small screen the size of a handkerchief, not a screen the size of the Melbourne Cricket Ground. In the kitchen, we blended and stirred by hand because we didn’t have electric machines to do everything for us. When we packaged a fragile item to send in the post, we used wrapped up old newspapers to cushion it, not Styrofoam or plastic bubble wrap. Back then, we didn’t fire up an engine and burn petrol just to cut the lawn. We used a push mower that ran on human power. We exercised by working so we didn’t need to go to a health club to run on treadmills that operate on electricity.

    But she’s right. We didn’t have the green thing back then.

    We drank water from a tap when we were thirsty instead of demanding a plastic bottle flown in from another country. We accepted that a lot of food was seasonal and didn’t expect that to be trucked in or flown thousands of air miles. We actually cooked food that didn’t come out of a packet, tin or plastic wrap and we could even wash our own vegetables and chop our own salad.

    But we didn’t have the green thing back then.

    Back then, city people took the tram or a bus, and kids rode their bikes to school or walked instead of turning their mothers into a 24-hour taxi service. We had one electrical outlet in a room, not an entire bank of sockets to power a dozen appliances. And we didn’t need a computerized gadget to receive a signal beamed from satellites 2,000 miles out in space in order to find the nearest pizza joint.

    But isn’t it sad the current generation laments how wasteful we old folks were just because we didn’t have the green thing back then?

  233. Migs, that reminds me of when Peter Garrett put forward that he intended ban/phase out plastic bags. The OUTRAGE..mostly relating to, But what are we supposed to do with doggy do-do.

    Umm, doggies were invented a long time before plastic bags.. 🙄

  235. Migs, I promise I won’t go all environmental on you and say that it ends up in landfill..by the tonne. About which time you might be thinking, well WTF should I do with it then!!

  237. Miglo
    on the news yesterday, they had a person bemoaning the fact their electricity bills would rise.
    the person got up and turned off the air conditioner/heater and walked to the kitchen to make a hot drink. there on the kitchen bench were an array of appliances all in standby mode.
    the person was dressed in light clothing.

  240. They are calling it the ‘bullet train’ but in reality its just a revamped 20 year old used on the Picton run. This costs $7 million to spruce up and the local member Toole (Nats) is sure to get reelected on the strength of it.

    Very cheap pork barrel.

    ‘Monday’s surprise announcement by Premier Barry O’Farrell of a daily return commuter rail service between Bathurst and Sydney starting in October has been greeted with enthusiasm by the community.’

  241. Hi Min! I’m a fanatic about using as few plastic bags as possible, even for doggie doos, although I hate seeing them on walkways and on grassed areas in parks. Over the years on our walks Tacker has somehow learned that street verges or garden areas are the places to go, particularly those with soil beds or woodchips I can easily cover and tread firmly down, maybe with an extra scattering of dead leaves or lawn clippings.

    Rarely do I use a yellow bag. I think that they are too freely available and some people think they are mandatory for pet waste disposal, or forget that any kind of plastic bag can be usefully recycled for doggie waste, if they have to be used at all. I haven’t bought plastic bags for waste disposal of any kind for years. Bin liners can be made from plastic shopping bags.

    You have to pay attention at supermarkets and shops generally to discourage the checkout people from using more of the cursed things than is necessary. Of course they are trained to separate items like foodstuffs, dairy produce etc. from other goods, and they do need your permission to use one bag only if possible. Having your own shopping bag helps, of course. But we aren’t always prepared, are we?

  242. Via Migs’ Australians for an Honest Media FB group and Doug S:

    A liberal MP told me “Rich people need more money because they have more expenses ”

    These guys actually believe they deserve more money because of who they are.

  243. Patricia, I remember standing next to a chap one time and he put 1 x banana into a plastic bag, 2 x onions into a plastic bag, 3 x oranges into a plastic bag. You guessed it, when he got to the checkout the whole lot went into yet another plastic bag.

    Why would people put a banana into a plastic bag, for heavens sake. It’s not as if it’s going to get contaminated by hand-germs..unless you plan on eating banana peal that is.

    I plead guilty to having a small stash of plastic bags for doggy-do purposes, but these come from when it’s only unavoidable, such as when buying snow peas..they tend to run away if placed in a general bag. Otherwise my good old hessian market bag does the trick.

    A Yellow bag must be something from WA. I gather that they’re non biodegradable.

  244. Abbott’s dilemma is likely to compound. Because he has sworn an oath in blood that he will repeal the carbon tax and the mining tax. But if the taxes come into effect, and nothing terrible comes to pass, and Australia continues to succeed, why bother? Why put companies through the cost and inconvenience of dismantling all the changes they’ll have put in place already?
    The Abbott opposition needs more than doomism. It needs a bigger story to tell. It needs not just to damn the government. The vacuity of the opposition’s response to the good economic news this week exposed exactly the need – it needs to be able to say: The Australian economy is doing OK, and here’s how we will make it better.
    Doomism is a course of diminishing returns in the face of economic success. The Coalition needs a plan to extend Australia’s prosperity, not just to pretend it’s not there. To use the fashionable argot of our time, the Coalition needs a positive narrative about itself and its purpose.
    This week we heard from a couple of opposition frontbenchers the beginning of a search for some positive alternatives. Its foreign affairs spokeswoman, Julie Bishop, sketched a Coalition plan to embark energetically on a wide range of new free trade agreements.
    Questioning the wisdom of complacently sitting back to allow the mining boom to do Australia’s export promotion, she proposed not only more trade deals but also more diplomatic posts around the world to maximise Australia’s options.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/merchants-of-doom-beware-20120608-201el.html#ixzz1xGUVmO4Q

  245. Abbott studied for a Bachelor of Economics and a Bachelor of Laws at Sydney University and for a Master of Arts as a Rhodes Scholar at Oxford University. He later trained as a seminarian and worked as a journalist, business manager, political advisor and Executive Director of Australians for Constitutional Monarchy. Abbott has also been an author, ultramarathon runner and member of the New South Wales Rural Fire Service.

    Abbott was born in London, England on 4 November 1957 to expatriate Australian parents.[5][6] On 7 September 1960, his family moved to Australia on the Assisted Passage Migration Scheme ship Oronsay.[7] His mother was an Australian citizen and his father had lived in Australia since 1940 when he arrived as a 16 year old to get away from the dangers of wartime Britain.[citation needed] His father trained in dentistry and then returned to England.[citation needed] His family first lived in the Sydney suburbs of Bronte and later moved to Chatswood. Abbott attended primary school at St Aloysius’ College at Milson’s Point, before completing his secondary school education at St Ignatius’ College, Riverview in Sydney (both are Jesuit schools).[8] He graduated with a Bachelor of Economics (BEc) and a Bachelor of Laws (LLB)[5] from the University of Sydney where he resided at St John’s College, and was president of the Student Representative Council.[9] He then travelled via India to Britain to study at Queen’s College, Oxford as a Rhodes Scholar, where he graduated with a Master of Arts (MA) in Politics and Philosophy.[10] Following his time in Britain, he returned to Australia via Africa and advised his family of an intention to join the priesthood. He subsequently entered St. Patrick’s Seminary at Manly, in Sydney.[11]

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tony_Abbott#Early_life_and_family

    All this studying, yet he appears to know little about the law or economics.

  246. Says it all.

    It turns out that Kathy Jackson’s previous barrister, Brett Shields was no longer appearing for her.
    “I know nothing about this case really … counsel of their choice … I’ll simply sink,” he said, if he had to start without an adjournment.
    Justice Flick: “Don’t talk over me. It’s an unsatisfactory state of affairs … on the final day of submissions … Does anyone oppose a short adjournment while Mr Rofe gets instructions?”
    Mr Rofe: “I will need one week to get myself in a position where I can properly assist the court. There’s a massive amount of material that I haven’t been able to absorb.”
    Justice Flick told him there were four volumes. “This case was on the cusp of completion this week, evidence is in, Ms Jackson has agreed to the Statement of Facts … It’s a considerable prejudice and inconvenience to us, to be told the case may now go in a completely different direction … A party should not be able to create this dis…. I don’t think you have to be too bright to guess what happened … Advice was given and in the absence of anything further … The way the case has been conducted is going to be departed from. Mr Rofe, is the application for adjournment ….?”
    Mr Rofe: “That’s a matter I can only determine … counsel for what’s his name?”
    Justice Flick: “’Lawler.’ Will they stick to the statement of facts? My impression … it’s a mess.”
    Mr Rofe: “It’s not my fault she’s lost her present counsel.”
    Justice Flick: “Whether it’s her fault or not … If there is any unfairness, it’s unfairness to the other parties, not Ms Jackson … Why should that unilateral decision on her part be visited on the other parties?”
    Mr Rofe: “I don’t know enough about it.”
    Justice Flick: “Evidence stays as it is and your sole task is to put … further written submissions within a week … Whether Ms Jackson wishes to depart from the agreed Statement of Facts … if she wants to call further evidence, I want an explanation … It should take no longer than 15 minutes to get those instructions. … unless you get leave on those … If there was an adjournment one would be making an application for costs. If there … No reason why Ms Jackson should not have to pay costs, paying costs of an adjournment.”

    http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/merchants-of-doom-beware-20120608-201el.html#ixzz1xFLHUfDG

  247. Abbott. Refugees without papers not to be given refugee status. Minister to be given powers to over rule all decisions.

    What he is forgetting, even if the man accused this week of being a part of the boat trade, does not mean he is not a genuine refugee.

    it would not surprise me if many that get here, are assisting the rest of the family to come. Does this make them boar traders.

    I wish that Mr. Abbott would desist in using the refugees as a political football.

    ABC 24

  249. Mr. Abbott needs to remember our system of government is based on the separation of power. That is the government enacts laws. The judiciary carries the laws out.

    There is good reason for this. Recall the disasters of the Howard government when they interfered in the legal process. Haneef is one of many, that comes to mind.

    There would be, I believe good reasons for the actions of the Federal Police this week. The first being, that5 maybe the man is not guilty as alleged. As they have had him under obligation for two years, they just might know better that the Opposition and the media.

    It is time for some bi-partisan solutions and Mr. Abbott to stop playing politics. He is correct, it is a serious problem for all concerned. Too serious for his games.

    “The minister would exercise the right to appeal against affirmative decisions, an existing right which has never been exercised under this Government.”

    Mr Abbott says the policy also includes the creation of a new refugee status commission to regularly audit assessments to ensure consistent decision making.

    The new stance toughens the Coalition’s existing policy of offshore processing at Nauru, temporary protection visas and turning boats back where possible.

    Mr Morrison says it will restore public confidence in border protection measures.

    “Otherwise you simply have a system where the perception can be created that this Government is just basically ticking and flicking people through the process in order to try and remove a headache of their own making, which is the record level of arrivals coming into Australia,” he said.

    “[We need to have] confidence that if someone is accepted as a refugee in this country they are fair dinkum refugees and a government can say to the Australian people that these claims are fair dinkum.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-09/opposition-toughens-refugee-policy/4062132

  251. In a statement, Mr Bowen dismissed the Coalition’s announcement as a “cheap political stunt” that was nothing new.

    “What the Coalition want to do is introduce another layer of bureaucracy to asylum seeker processing which would almost certainly be judicially reviewable, meaning more asylum claims will be tied up in the courts,” he said.

    “The last thing refugee processing in Australia needs is another layer of bureaucracy and more reviews.”

    “Australia has a robust process for assessing asylum seeker claims under the UN Refugee Convention, with each claim judged on a case-by-case basis.

    “People found to be genuine refugees must also pass health, security, identity and character checks to be eligible for the grant of a protection visa.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-09/opposition-toughens-refugee-policy/4062132

  252. Bacchus..shhh, I think that Cu is currently in hyper-drive..that girl sees an issue, so is completely focussed. (Hugs and xxx).

  254. 😆 OK MIn, but if CU wants any further help with her email, I’m happy for you or Migs to give her my email address 🙂

    I assume Migs got over his Twitter problem. As you noticed, I’ve created a Twitter account at long last – it’s time I started learning about these new-fangled do-daddies…

  257. It just gets better and better. Why is the MSM not running with this story.

    At 3pm, Kathy Jackson came in with two boys who sat at the back.
    I don’t like the way Kathy Jackson has used the media to create the ‘trial by media’ of Craig Thomson, which the LNP ran with to the extreme because they wanted to bring down the government. I was interested to see the way she confidently criticised Justice Flick. She’s gutsy, a politician, a fighter. You just don’t criticise a Federal Court judge, it’s his domain. Follow the law’s policies and procedures, especially when you’re standing in front of Justice Geoffrey Flick, the author of ‘Federal Court Practice’ authoritative guide to Federal Court practice and procedure http://www.thomsonreuters.com.au/federal-court-practice-online/productdetail/89477
    I would never want to represent myself to a Federal Court Judge, it is just not part of the formal process, you pay a barrister to represent you.
    Orders were made.
    Kathy Jackson: “Your honour I contend that you must make this order now because denial of procedural fairness to me, Miss Hart and Mr Morries … apprehended bias claim …”
    Justice Flick: “… apprehended bias application.”
    Kathy Jackson: “Michael Williamson is corrupt.”
    Justice Flick: “Confine yourself to that which is relevant.”
    Kathy Jackson: “It’s not a media release.” She was argumentative. “… determination to appoint Justice Moore, the darling of NSW …”
    Justice Flick: “You’re only colouring it. The court proceeds on the basis of objective facts … rather than prejudice it … media release.”
    Kathy Jackson: “You haven’t heard any of the evidence.”
    Justice Flick: “… submissions are rejected.”
    Kathy Jackson complained that the SMH reported that her solicitors were sacked by her, but she said they were unavailable, not sacked.
    Another barrister: “Mr Moore is prepared to act and can start on Tuesday.”
    They prepared and distributed an order in relation to HSU East Branch.
    Justice Flick asked the barristers in the room: “Do any of the represented parties think that I should disqualify myself?”
    Everyone shook their heads.
    Justice Flick to Kathy Jackson: “have no hesitation in making an application to disqualify me. I’m not that easily offended. You’re free to do so.”
    Everyone is entitled to the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. In Latin, ‘Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat.’
    Trial by media (including Twitter) is wrong, often highly emotive and biased. People need to look rationally at facts and evidence in a court.
    This story is so complicated.
    I have to see things with my own eyes, in person, to know things in my own mind. Speaking directly with people is very different from reading about them, everyone projects their own experiences in their writing. We’re all human and we all have reasons for the way we behave, shaped by our upbringing and our experiences.
    Most quotes are not complete because I couldn’t get every word down.
    The barristers previously representing Kathy Jackson, Harmers Workplace Lawyers, released this statement:

    http://francesjones.wordpress.com/2012/06/08/a-day-in-court-with-kathy-jackson

  259. They seemed to have disappeared. Have an idea where they came from. Had some funny badly written emails which I sent to the junk bin.

    Thanks

    Min, why is not what I have put up, not in MSM.

    You, I assume have been in court enough that one does not even talk to a lowly magistrate, as Ms. Jackson is talking to a high court judge in his court.

    I wonder when the judge is going to say, enough is enough. He appears to be humoring her.

    She actually told the judge, that Williamson was corrupt. He sis pull her up, and told her to stick to matters that were connected to her.

    There has to be a contempt of court in the near future.

    if this was a TV show, it would be laughed off the screen for being ridiculous.

  260. There was something much better before plastic bags for lining ones garbage bin, It was the daily newspapers. It soaked up the liquid and broke down when the rubbished was dumped.

  261. Cu and:

    Min, why is not what I have put up, not in MSM.

    Because they have nowhere the investigative powers that you have. I sometimes think (hopefully not too egotistically), why can the MSM not see what you and I et al see. Are they dumber than we are? Can they not think laterally? Why is it that they, the MSM have become so intellectually inert except for a few brief glimpses?

  262. Cu, my 88yr old mum in Hawthorn still saves all of her newspapers to wrap up her rubbish. Who needs bin liners when there is newspaper. It was a waste not/want not generation. My dad used to bring all the scraps of leather home from when he was working for Hardie Trading which was for about 45 years (yes the Hardie Trading) – these were used to resole shoes.

    I was thinking..does anyone actually wear out a pair of shoes these days? Or do some types of people just throw them away when they become unfashionable.

    Newspapers biodegrade quickly, there is a small problem with the toxins from printers ink, but this problem is now infintesimal compared with the landfill and other environmental problems associated with non-recyclable plastic.

  263. ‘What a load of disjointed nonsense that didn’t answer anything.’

    I thought it was alright up to the last par…arrogance on my part…but as I said, the world stopped warming at the end of last century and the science proves it.

  266. Asylum seekers who are believed to have destroyed their documents before arriving in Australia will have a presumption against refugee status under a coalition government, Tony Abbott says.

    Now how the hell is Tony going to police that one. There are numerous reasons for people not having papers, for starters that their government would lock them up for 99yrs if they were found and so they never had papers in the first place, lost along the way, confiscated by the Indonesian government authorities. But let’s not let factual information get in the way of a good scare campaign….

    Abbott is f*rting in the wind. There can be NO presumption against refugee status, every case must be taken on merit. Let me count the ways that Abbott cannot do thing. To explain, it’s akin to saying that if you don’t have your Driver’s Licence on you then there is a presumption that you are guilty of drugged driving.

  267. (“…but as I said, the world stopped warming at the end of last century and the science proves it.”

    That’s great news; we can recycle our possible future and put it to alternative uses, then…”The Earth has cooled since its formation, yet the decay of radiogenic isotopes, and in particular uranium, thorium and potassium, in the planet’s interior provides a continuing heat source. The current total heat flux from the Earth to space is 44.2±1.0 TW, but the relative contributions from residual primordial heat and radiogenic decay remain uncertain.”)

  268. “Because they have nowhere the investigative powers that you have”

    Min, they cannot, as it will take away from their campaign against Labor and Thomson.

    As for leather, there is not much in shoes today. I am one that wears them to pieces. I hate buying shoes, as I cannot get any to fit with my feet. They only become comfortable when worn out.

    Newspaper is still the best for that bin

    Does one today save string, not that we see much.

    PS. Today’s paper is not much good for cleaning windows. I think there is different chemicals in the ink.

    Tingle bought up a point last night on Lateline, when talking about her essay.

    She said there is a quick turn over in journalist. They just do not have that not have the knowledge to ask the questions.

    She mentioned that story of Hockey who said he visited his corner shop which was going broke. Hockey mentioned the price of milk and attempted to blame the coming cost on carbon emission.

    Tingle said that the real problem was the price war between Coles and Woolworths. An experience journalist would have reminded Hockey that the cause of the downfall was the deregulation of the dairy industry, which his government introduced

    An experience journalist would have been aghast at the behavior of Jackson in court. .

    Young journalist might be much better educated and cleverer than those in the past. The just do not have the memories and experiences. Only time can fix this for the,.

  269. Afternoon Meta…they are saying thorium is abundantly cheap and harmless. It would be wonderful to see the technology develop, assuming the principle is sound.

    ——————–

    Mo the O’Farrell govt plans infrastructure building and the blueprint will probably be adopted by the incoming Abbott crowd, presuming it works. Its Keynesian so how could it fail?

    ‘The Treasurer, Mike Baird, said yesterday the government faced ”immense challenges” due to the collapse of GST revenue but promised ”a whole range of initiatives across infrastructure” would be included in Tuesday’s budget.

    ”Predominantly we are creating the firepower for the report of Infrastructure NSW in September,” Mr Baird said.

    ”That’s what this budget is about. Creating and establishing the firepower we need to fast-track the infrastructure on the release of that report, and that will be achieved.”

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/trouble-brews-over-budget-threat-to-public-service-jobs-20120608-201fn.html#ixzz1xH8dK6sp

  270. Cu, one day I’ll be back down at Darling Harbour and I am taking you shopping to buy you a good pair of shoes..that’s a promise.

    I now own 4 pairs of shoes, that’s the most I’ve ever owned in my life. I love shoes but am difficult to fit due to having lost both big toe nails due to frost bite, plus osteoarthritis and nodules (Min waves to wixxy).

    Do I see an excuse coming: that journalists do not have the knowledge. Well why not hire ones that do have. I should imagine that there are any number of young up and comers who have the time to do the research, plus the ability to put it into words. Hell, if we can do it, then why can’t the professionals?

  271. “The Treasurer, Mike Baird, said yesterday the government faced ”immense challenges” due to the collapse of GST revenue but promised ”a whole range of initiatives across infrastructure” would be included in Tuesday’s budge”

    Was not that Mr. Howard’s greatest achievement. Seems to be another flop.

  272. Min, we have a little age on them.

    Do not take me shopping for shoes, you will be sorry. I know the shop girls are.

  273. El gordo, from your link..

    the O’Farrell government cannot guarantee frontline services won’t be affected.

    So by cutting back substantially on frontline services..especially effected TAFE teachers..just the strategy we need during a major skills shortage..ummm.

    Just me, but when you give large amounts of money back to the high rollers, it does not mean jobs..it means more money in the hip pocket of the already wealthy.

    Funny that, give a low income earner a few extra dollars then they’re going to waste it on the pokies, but give the wealthy a million more then it’s “jobs creation”.

    http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/trouble-brews-over-budget-threat-to-public-service-jobs-20120608-201fn.html#ixzz1xHIAx41D

  276. Rabbit, I’ll never forget you…the world’s best hugger…plus you’ll share a cig when a person runs out. What else could a woman want. 😉

  277. I refuse to go shopping for shoes, though.

    When I have to buy new footwear, I go to Rebel sport, tell them I want the cheapest pair of joggers, size twelve, try them on , if they fit, I’m outta there. Sooo simple.

  278. Rab’, I am likewise one of the world’s fastest shoppers. See it, do it..and then run for the nearest exit.

  279. Rabbit, problem is that being a woman, one cannot get away with that solution.

    It is all the PM’s fault, she had not let the economy go down the drain. She made a lie of me. Well that is the way I see it.

    Tony Abbott and the opposition must be careful their wrecking-ball approach doesn’t rebound and hurt them.

    http://www.blogotariat.com/node/395751

  281. Cu. “Does any one feel that the perception of Abbott might be changing.”
    Not me,didnt like him before, still dont like him now, doubt if that will ever change 😆

  282. ‘So by cutting back substantially on frontline services..especially effected TAFE teachers..just the strategy we need during a major skills shortage..ummm.’

    I cannot be certain, but my guess is that they are working towards making TAFE more relevant, directed at the major skill shortage. Up until now there have been many courses which targeted social misfits….art, pottery etc….such as myself.

    This is a waste of taxpayers money and training should be aimed at putting people to work in the quarry.

  283. ‘If the Prime Minister really cared about the Great Barrier Reef and its dugongs she would immediately ban the slaughter of dugongs by aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders in Great Barrier Reef waters.’

    Jennifer Marohasy

  284. Farmer El Gordo, plant’n them seeds…….
    1. troll stays polite
    2. pretends to have a reasoned debate
    3. Posts outrageous pieces from climate sceptic sites prolifically.
    4. Doesnt object to being called a fool
    3. Repeats step three

  287. Damnation Migs is back just as I was going to sneak down to the cellar…… prob. a waste of time as Bacchus has prob. been there done that…. and only Creme de menthe or some Passion Wine left anyway :(… let alone the smell of left-over prawns n’ lobsters…*clink* 😀

  288. If the Prime Minister really cared about the Great Barrier Reef and its dugongs she would immediately ban the slaughter of dugongs by aborigines and Torres Strait Islanders in Great Barrier Reef waters.

    El gordo, Indigenous Australians were killing and eating dugong well before the white man came here. What right have we to stop them?

  290. I can’t say that I can recall my TSI rellies ever having dugong for dinner, perhaps other families do. They do enjoy gathering shellfish tho’. I remember d-I-l saying that they’re allowed to.

  291. Another of El Trollo’s throw away lines….. a water-muddier…. a’ Merchant of Doubt.’…. a paid employee of ….. mm, whom ???? ……. (‘the consortium’ as my mate calls them), for such a hard working cleaner, she/it/him ( depends on the shift) sure has a lot of time to prey..umm..play on the web……if you google blogs, her/it etc has a long history of, umm, troll-dom…( for want of a better name) ….. El Gordo thanks again for showing moi how not to be 🙂 …… gawd your such an anti-missionary…. a.k.a. a failure….. I said pet, I said luv….. 😀 …. Dont you get sick of bitting your own bum !!! 😆

  293. ‘Indigenous Australians were killing and eating dugong well before the white man came here. What right have we to stop them?’

    They are not using traditional methods, for example screaming up in a speed boat behind a dogong mob, then shooting them with high powered rifles….is unfair and will see them decimated on the GBR.

  295. Stop trolling el gordo, you are better than that.

    I call bullshit. Will you provide links to backup this outrageous claim? 😉

  296. Here I’ve corrected it for you…

    Lovo is pissed, he’s a disgrace handsome, witty, intelligent. Mind you, he could indeed have been pissed. 😉

  297. ‘In Internet slang, a troll is someone who posts inflammatory, extraneous, or off-topic messages in an online community, such as an online discussion forum, chat room, or blog, with the primary intent of provoking readers into an emotional response…’

    Yep…that’s me.

  298. El Gordo, El Gordo, El Gordo, It was Saturday night…. can’t a bloke have a tipple… and I dispute the imputation that I was ‘pissed’….. 3 glasses of red dosnt get me anywhere near that glorious state….. sober I wasn’t, but pissed El Gordo, another of your throw away lines.. but you seem to be forgeting ‘The rules’ especially point 1.
    a refresh for you-: 1. troll stays polite 😀
    2. pretends to have a reasoned debate
    3. Posts outrageous pieces from climate sceptic sites prolifically.
    4. Doesnt object to being called a fool
    3. Repeats step three

    Min @9.59 … you must be pissed 😆

  299. Min @9.59 … you must be pissed

    Perhaps it was a case of mistaken identity LOVO. Min, I’m actually over here (waves) 🙂

  300. LOVO and Min @9.59 … you must be pissed 😆 Not yet LOVO, but I could spend later today working on it. 😀

    Plus under Troll Rules is: always throw insults at others while trying to pass these off as reasoned debate, then run away to complain about it elsewhere should anyone has the temerity to fire back in kind.

  302. El Gordo that was a wonderful clip, you do have some human qualities after all 😀 …mind you I’ve probably missed the innuendo 😕 … ( wimp.com, blog turned 2, jive etc ???) anyhoo have a great day with the relly’s, … and dont imbibe too much, especially if driving… 🙂
    Tom R, if Min does get in a ‘disgraceful’ way later, we will all look handsome 😉

  304. Speaking of which I have psycho ex suddenly lobbing. That visit to the cellar might happen sooner rather than later…

  305. What did Mr. Pierce contribute to Insiders this morning. Little of value I would suggest.

    As it was said, what is wrong for a PM to fight to maintain their position. Surely one does not believe that because an Opposition believe they should be in power, the present PM should lay down and die. I am sure that is not the way democracy works.

    Notice, the lady still keeps on smiling, and smiling.

    Prime Minister Julia Gillard says she doesn’t expect the Liberal Party to repeal the carbon tax, should it win the next federal election.

    Opposition Leader Tony Abbott has promised to dump the carbon tax, due to start in July, if he wins government in 2013.

    But Ms Gillard says her Liberal foe is unlikely to deliver on his promise.

    ‘Should Tony Abbott be elected PM, watch for the weasel words, crabwalk back,’ Ms Gillard told News Limited papers on Sunday.

    ‘(He’ll say it’s) all too difficult … it’s all too hard, I can’t do it now.’

    and

    Finance Minister Penny Wong said repealing the carbon tax would make little economic sense.

    ‘Once you introduce a price into the economy and business factors that price into its commercial decisions … it’s not sensible economics to simply take that price away,’ she told the Ten Network.

    Climate Change Minister Greg Combet has accused Mr Abbott of deceiving Australians by making doom and gloom predictions about the carbon tax.

    ‘He’s run around trying to terrify people in an incredibly gutless performance, with the objective of disrupting the minority government and get rid of it before a carbon price comes in,’ Mr Combet told Sky News.

    http://bigpondnews.com/articles/Politics/2012/06/10/Abbott_wont_repeal_carbon_tax_-_Gillard_759534.html

  306. Min June 10, 2012 @ 9:21am on Stand Up For The Burrup
    Kevin, I was thinking of one of the greatest disservices that the anti-climate change people have given us is that it seems that ALL issues pertaining to the environment have become non-issues. The underlying theme being that the natural environment will somehow take care of itself and that we don’t have any responsibility in this matter whatsoever.
    Have to agree, Could be a post on its own, Min.

  307. I agree, Cu. I think that Piers A contributed nothing but Coalition cant to Insiders today. Karen M though was a bit softer, chose to mock the story about PM’s ‘new’ image. Still, not as vicious as Piers who deserved George Megalogenis rebuking his attack on the PM for trying to hang onto her job. There are various abbreviated versions of that intervierw but it’s a much better and in depth read at source http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/why-being-pm-has-julia-in-stitches/story-fn6ck45n-1226389880551. As you say, Cu, Julia Gillard keeps smiling and there are some great pics of her there.

    I don’t think there’s anything ‘new’ in this story. Canberra has known forever about the PM being a knitter, after all. What is new is how much re-telling there is of various aspects of the interview in mainstream media. Mostly with positive angles and good pictures.

  308. Patricia, we did have the story back before the Wong baby was born.

    They tried to make a negative at that time, saying the PM pocked brown, a colour not suitable for a newborn. Bet the colour was a light fawn, or deep cream.

    Knotting and crocheting are wonderful for relaxation.

    I went through a time when I left my husband, for stressful reasons I will not repeat. It was knitting, then crocheting that kept my sanity. Every time, I paused, there was a needle in my hand. I was producing a top every day or so, so great was the obsession. I was thankful for the cheap yarn that was available.

    Decades later, I am still wearing some of those tops. They never seem to wear out.

    Funny, I do neither today. The last were the shawls I made for my three daughters, and one grand daughter.

    During my marriage, it was that vegetable garden, that ended up feeding the whole street,

    Yes, knitting is wonderful for relaxation.

    One still cannot buy such beautiful baby clothes. Crocheting is better.

    I wonder if there is anything productive that Mr. Abbott does in his spare time. Cannot imagine him building anything.

    PS Funny is it not, that a bag belonging to the PM, would be labelled “PM”.

  309. Gillard is working from a pattern-book by knitting titan Debbie Bliss called Cashmerino 3, which features saucer-eyed tots in delicate woollen garments. Gillard buys all the wool herself online from a West Australian haberdashery retailer, the Wool Shed, and has a strict rule: always make clothes to fit two-year-olds, even though none of the intended wearers of these garments is anywhere near turning two.

    http://www.couriermail.com.au/ipad/why-being-pm-has-julia-in-stitches/story-fn6ck45n-1226389880551

    I have news for this reporter, one rarely knits for young babies. One they grow very quickly, and there has been many gifts for that age. The gifts that are appreciated, are aimed at what the child is growing into, not out of.

    A very practical forwarded looking lady is our PM.

    The reporter needs to look around her at the real world.

  310. Have I got it wrong, but did not the ABC Four Corners hint that the refugees flew into Malaysia and Indonesia on false passports, provided by the boat traders. If so, one would quickly destroy them once one arrived. It is said that as long as one ios in those countries, they are in danger of being deported.

    It is said that the opposite is true. Most have other documents.

    What Abbott is talking about is a presumption of guilt.

  311. Cu, I was thinking about knitting and crocheting..it’s all about giving isn’t it. Plus creating. A male equivalent might be woodturning or home brew to give to others. It’s one of life’s greatest pleasures, to give rather than to receive. Shallow lives indeed, those who only take while giving little back in return. Those whose spare time consists only of enhancing “self”, and not reaching out to others. Where people are but pawns in their own game.

    When words have all faded and passed and forgotten, there are these small items, the ring which my great auntie gave me, the memory of the dress which my grandmother sewed. These are the things which endure.

  313. Cu, the Debbie Bliss patterns are excrutiatingly complex. The Wool Shed is expensive, but if one wants exclusive yarns, then this is the place to go.

  314. The biggest contributors to the human capital surge were a rise in the number of adults with formal qualifications, an increase in children in early schooling – thanks mostly to a ”baby boomlet” – and increasing retention rates at high schools. However, rising income inequality continues to detract from wellbeing, as did a slight rise in long-term unemployment.

    and

    Dr Gruen said the growth in human capital was Australia’s best long-term defence against declining economic growth.
    ”These things are invisible in the national accounts but are the foundation of the productivity dividends of the future. They’re money in the bank – and one hopes a happier, more intelligent society as well.”

    and

    ”The Hawke-Keating government presided over surging human capital development with strong increases in school retention and post-secondary education and training,” he said. ”That was followed by rises under the Howard government, until the mid-noughties which saw a substantial setback. I’m not too sure that I’d call it an ‘education revolution’ but the Rudd-Gillard government has presided over further strong steady growth in school retention rates.”

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/hope-for-clever-nation-20120608-201hk.html#ixzz1xMfEhJL7

    Maybe Mr. Hockey is correct, Mr. Swan is the most scary thing in this country.

    What he may have got wrong, is who should be scared. Maybe it is not the nation but the Opposition.

    The problem for the Opposition, there are many inconvenient truths that undermine their scare programme and cries of doom and gloom.

  315. We need to remember that tax deductions are not good for low income earners. That is why the government’s change to pay the money given for school expenses directly.

    Reading between the lines of what Abbott is saying with his nanny scheme and other changes to childcare. I am sure they will go down the track of taxation deductions. This would not be good policy.

    We have this government making taxation simpler, by removing another million or more from having to lodge a return.

    TAX-DEDUCTIBLE childcare would benefit only high-income families and leave low- and middle-income parents thousands of dollars a year worse off, Treasury modelling has found.
    Some industry and business groups have called for tax-deductible care costs as an incentive to increase women’s workforce participation. But modelling conducted by Treasury and released to The Sun-Herald shows this would benefit only high-earning parents.

    Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/political-news/rich-get-most-from-childcare-tax-break-20120609-202pb.html#ixzz1xMgYoVXR

  316. Is it just me but when you read a headline in the Daily Tele “Carbon tax payments for students” and that article is squashed in between other fear and doom articles about the carbon tax, that it makes is sound as if students are going to be coughing up to pay.

  317. Of course this must be wrong.

    A new US-led study, featuring research by Tasmanian scientists, has concluded that warming ocean temperatures over the past 50 years are largely a man-made phenomenon.

    Researchers from America, India, Japan and Australia say the study is the most comprehensive look at how the oceans have warmed.

    The study, published today in the journal Nature Climate Change, examined a dozen different models used to project climate change, and compared them with observations of ocean warming over the past 50 years.

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2012-06-11/research-taps-into-ocean-temperatures/4063886

  318. Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr, come in spinner. El Gordo, hooked line and sinker.

    A Corporate Climate Control Report (warning large PDF)

    So rather than acknowledging a large majority of the world’s specialist climate scientists and their credited peer review studies, papers and research. el gordo falls for the deliberate misinformation of the vested interest corporations and their highly paid for toady scientists, most who aren’t even specialists.

  319. An absolute must read and a wake up call for O’Farrell, the rest of the Liberal State governments and Abbott before he goes shooting off his mouth about slashing and burning government services.

    What Australians Believe

  320. Interesting article in The Economist, highlighted by Ross Gittins on Twitter:
    Why business needs people with Asperger’s syndrome, attention-deficit disorder and dyslexia

    Recruiters have noticed that the mental qualities that make a good computer programmer resemble those that might get you diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome: an obsessive interest in narrow subjects; a passion for numbers, patterns and machines; an addiction to repetitive tasks; and a lack of sensitivity to social cues. Some joke that the internet was invented by and for people who are “on the spectrum”, as they put it in the Valley. Online, you can communicate without the ordeal of meeting people.

  321. This par from Mo’s link, unbelievable.

    ‘he estimated that a doubling of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere would raise temperatures by 5 to 6°C, a prediction remarkably similar to the likely range of 2 to 4.5°C estimated by climate scientists today using far more sophisticated methods (IPCC 2007).’

  324. Most of the spam that gets caught up in our spam folder are attempts to sell Viagra of penis enlargers, which I don’t mind deleting.

    However, a lot we are getting lately are recipes for banana nut muffins. Damn it hurts to delete them. 😦

  331. I’d say early next week, Mo. It depends of course on whether one of the posts goes viral on Facebook over the next couple of days like ‘Not your average Aussie’ did.

    I’m not sure – despite being an optimist – that I could repeat that success.

    But you never know. 😉

  333. ‘.so, tell us , why is it “unbelievable” ? – refs. would be good.’

    Why do you think its believable?

    In the meantime I’ll get a graph.

  334. Take note… this is real science. You see the MWP but where’s the hockey stick?

    The idea that CO2 causes global warming is just a theory and its failed.

  335. What the hell is the context to that graph el gordo? You do this all the time, post a link to a picture of a graph without referring to the context, and whenever the context is given it turns out to be not what you contend it is all.

    And Steve McIntyre again, please, that is not real science and you know it.

    For those who don’t know this man and who pays him to come out with his discredit hokum here’s some background:

    Stephen McIntyre has worked in mineral exploration for 30 years, much of that time as an officer or director of several public mineral exploration companies. “I’ve spent most of my life in business, mostly on the stock market side of mining exploration deals,” he said in 2009.[1]

    McIntyre was also a headliner at the Heartland Institute’s International Conference on Climate Change (2009), a gathering of climate change skeptics in New York from March 8th-10th, 2009.

  336. I will go some way to agreeing with you el gordo if you post the source to an active climate scientist who has posted a credited paper that supports Steve McIntyre contentions.

  339. Here he makes a comparison with Mann’s tree rings, which is similar to the Gergis et al paper.

  340. It’s too hard to keep track of, LOVO. Especially if it arrives at the ungodly time of 4 am. Besides, there’s no way of telling who provided the hit. 😦

  341. Just linking to graphs proves nothing as it has no context or explanation of the science behind the graph el gordo.

    Plus as I’ve stated it’s McIntyre and his supposed science has been pulled apart and discredited many times. He is paid by vested interests to muddy waters and it works as he sucks in the clueless, who then with nary a question as to the validity go around posting his graphs out of context in blogs for no other reason than it seems to match their flawed ingrained mindset on climate change.

  342. Plus as I’ve stated it’s McIntyre and his supposed science has been pulled apart and discredited many times.

    That’s the credentials that makes el gordo a big fan. 😉

  343. EG pictures (no matter the number of squiggly lines) do not yet actually equate to scientific references – if you want to prove an argument, you’ll have to do a lot better – perhapsalong the lines outlined by Mo?
    of course you know that, don’t you ?
    trolls are a particularly low-life type of scum, imho, with their false geniality as they treat others to their lies, deceptions and equivocations and thus exhibit the contempt in which they hold their targets.personally, i find such mealy mouthed denialism cowardly and dishonest.
    why not engage positively with the reality based community, rather than try and hide your fears behind your denialist fantasies?

  346. Mo its an ice core, do try to keep up.

    ‘their flawed ingrained mindset on climate change.’

    Joker… that’s exactly how the Denialati see the warmists.

  347. ‘trolls are a particularly low-life type of scum’

    The resident troll at Jennifer Marohasy would object to your particular slant, but I’m unconcerned by your ignorance.

  348. “Mo its an ice core, do try to keep up.”

    You certainly are keeping the laughs coming as your posts degenerate into one piece of nonsense after another.

    “…but I’m unconcerned by your ignorance.”

    And another comedy gem, el gordo, the second most ignorant poster I’ve come across in blogs calling others ignorant. A fine example of Liberal hack projectionism.

  350. OK I’ll bite. Can you point out where I’ve ever professed to being a watermelon?

    But I do note that you are up to your usual distraction, side stepping and quick change the subject as you’ve been caught out again when challenged.

  353. Thank the gods you’re returned, Tom.

    At least I accept the ‘troll’ tag as legitimate and I’m comfortable doing my job, but most of the barrackers here don’t recognise that they are mindless watermelons.

  355. Mo, I too am confused by the terminology that el gordo has introduced here.

    I have no idea what she’s banging on about when she keeps mentioning watermelons.

  356. I have no idea what she’s banging on about when she keeps mentioning watermelons.

    Maybe it’s on a health kick?

  358. Miglo, I suspect neither does she.

    Eco-socialists are critical of many past and existing forms of both Green politics and socialism. They are often described as Red Greens – adherents to Green politics with clear anti-capitalist views, often inspired by Marxism (Red Greens should be contrasted with Blue Greens).

    The term Watermelon is commonly applied, often as an insult, to describe professed Greens who seem to put “social justice” goals above ecological ones, implying they are “green on the outside but red on the inside”; the term is usually attributed to either Petr Beckmann or, more frequently, Warren T. Brookes,[2][3][4] both critics of environmentalism, and is apparently common in Australia,[5][6] New Zealand[7] and the United States[8]

    A website in New Zealand, The Watermelon, uses the term as a compliment, stating that it is “green on the outside and liberal on the inside”, using the term ‘liberal’ while also citing “socialist political leanings”, reflecting the use of the term ‘liberal’ to describe the left-wing in many English-speaking countries.[7] Red Greens are often considered ‘fundies’ or ‘fundamentalist greens’, a term usually associated with Deep Ecology despite the fact that the German Green Party ‘fundi’ faction included eco-socialists, and eco-socialists in other Green Parties, like Derek Wall, have been described in the press as ‘fundies’.[9][10]

    Eco-socialists also criticise bureaucratic and elite theories of self-described socialism such as Maoism, Stalinism and what other critics have termed Bureaucratic Collectivism or State Capitalism. Instead, eco-socialists focus on imbuing socialism with ecology while keeping the emancipatory goals of ‘first-epoch’ socialism.[1] Eco-socialists aim for a world of communal ownership of the means of production by “freely associated producers” with all forms of domination eclipsed, especially gender inequality and racism.[1]

    This often includes the restoration of commons land in opposition to private property,[11] in which local control of resources valorizes the Marxist concept of use value above exchange value.[12] Practically, eco-socialists have developed different theories of ways to mobilise action on an internationalist basis, developing networks of grassroots individuals and groups that can radically transform society through non-violent “prefigurative projects” for a post-capitalist, post-statist world.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eco-socialism#Ideology

    It seems to mean we care for the world and the people who live in it. That is a shocking thing to be be for some.

    Problem is that not many here would seem to fit the picture. Maybe el gordo to enlighten us to what she finds so wrong in what we say on the site.

    if we are wrong about global warming, little harm will be done. A little money expended to make a cleaner planet and a move away from reliance on fossil fuels.

    If she is wrong, and we do nothing, it will endanger the planet.

    As the majority of science is on the side of action, I will continue to support taking action.

  359. Migs @8.18am and I have no idea what she’s banging on about when she keeps mentioning watermelons. Umm, she is thinking of making a fruit salad. :mrgreen:

  360. The thing is I have looked across this blog going back as far as possible and in the other blogs and forums I frequent and I cannot find one instance of where I have “professed” to be a watermelon.

    Or is this a case of where el gordo has it wrong yet again.

    But I have noted, just as I often mentally note with el gordo’s side steps and distractions, that my request for information on a climate scientist with credited research that backs up McIntyre has been ignored.

    On the other hand the information discrediting McIntyre’s flawed science can be easily found.

  361. Mobius, if it’s any consolation I’ve been labelled a feminist.. eeekkk!! Excusez-moi, but I most definitely need my bra.

  363. Min. Being labelled and professing are two different things. I may have been labelled a watermelon in the past, though apart from el gordo’s one post I haven’t found an instance, but I have never professed to being a watermelon as el gordo asserted.

  365. Mobius and Tom, I actually had to ask Migs what a watermelon was..duh, green on the outside and red on the inside. It’s just a stupid and somewhat boring label.

  366. Yea, Especially when, in this season of man flu, I’m actually a little green on the outside too

    does that make me a cucumber? 😯

  369. @EG
    “I accept the ‘troll’ tag as legitimate and I’m comfortable doing my job”
    so who’s paying you for your “job” – meaning your current sponsors, in addition to our children and grand children ?

  370. Open letter from an infectious disease physician: Dear Scott Morrison….

    Tuesday, 28th February, 2012 Mr Scott Morrison Member for Cook House of Representatives Parliament House PO Box Canberra ACT 2001

    Dear Mr Morrison, I am writing to you regarding your press release dated yesterday, 27th February, 2012, entitled “Typhoid cases on latest boats highlight the risk of Labor’s border failures“. I believe it was a crass piece of political opportunism and was not only using the plight of asylum seekers for point-scoring, but plumbed new depths by making the health conditions suffered by these unfortunate people a further reason for the Australian population to fear them. Even worse than this, however is the gross misrepresentation you committed through your obviously limited understanding of communicable disease and the methods for describing its frequency.

  371. Pterosaur, it seems that trolls consider “their job” is to disrupt debate by continuous throwing in of furphies.

  372. ‘meaning your current sponsors, in addition to our children and grand children ?’

    If you’re suggesting the Denialati don’t have children or grandchildren…. then you are sadly mistaken.

    The job of ‘troll’ is a thankless task, but let’s not talk about me.

  374. Min, i’ve seen EG in action over many years, and several blogs, its trolling is consistent only in that it involves the same denial of reality, with its implicit contempt for honest participants.

    EG – paranoid or not? no such suggestion was made or implied – i was referring to future generations of humanity having to pay the tragic price that you and your ilk work to realise.
    do you yet understand the term ecocide ?
    try another one- the term anthropocene age
    understanding of these terms will be useful when/if you ever choose, or are forced by circumstance, to become part of the reality based community.

  375. Pterosaur, we’ve been lucky here..she only found us 12 months ago.. She has been noted for several behaviours, not many of them pleasant. However, during my time as acting Admin..let’s just say..I’ve seen worse.

  376. For those on Twitter, watch out for this one..it’s a scam. The message reads:

    Hello this user is saying really bad rumors about you… http://bit.ly/LgEXRR

    It then gives the impression that Twitter wants you to log on. This then gives the scammer your password which enables them to post adverts via your Twitter account. **Change your password.

    I fell for it last week and *sigh* again this morning.

  378. Tom, I’ll never forget the day that el gordo arrived..I was acting Admin and thought that she was for real. Adrian and your good self quickly corrected me. 🙂

  379. It’s a good thing that we keep a ‘secret dirt file’ for times such as this then Min 😉

    Of course, when I say ‘secret dirt file’, I of course mean a similar ‘secret dirt file’ that the PM apparently has. Of course, in the old days, it was simply what journo’s used to to, you know, expose hypocrisy where it exists, from publicly available information. When Labor does it though, it is apparently a ‘secret dirt file’ 😯


    It’s fine to scrutinise Coalition members, says Gillard
    Judith Ireland
    June 14, 2012 – 1:23PM

    Prime Minister Julia Gillard

    Defending her office … Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

    Prime Minister Julia Gillard has played down claims her office has been operating a dirt unit on the Opposition, arguing it was not surprising the Coalition’s claims were being scrutinised.

    But Opposition Leader Tony Abbott said in response that the government is “seriously ethically challenged”.

    And an opinion piece written by Ms Gillard in 2007 about dirt-digging is receiving renewed attention.
    Advertisement: Story continues below

    This morning, ABC Radio’s AM reported that a few weeks ago, the Prime Minister’s most senior strategist, Nick Reece, gave staffers in other ministers’ offices a to-do list for gathering information about Coalition frontbenchers, including their younger days, study trips, ministerial records, any companies they might be involved in, fundraising and pecuniary interests.

    This was accompanied by a sheet on where to get such information – from student media, company searches, opinion pieces and social media.

    AM reported it is not known if the government intended to use the information or how. But a member of the government criticised the move as “looking for [dirt] on Labor’s opponents”.

    Today, Ms Gillard said she has not seen the document referred to in the AM report but said it was not surprising if the Opposition was being scrutinised.

    “I think we’ve just got to be clear about this,” she told ABC Radio in Brisbane.

    “First and foremost, given all the Opposition ever says is ‘no’ to everything, it’s not surprising people are scrutinising them to try and ascertain if they’re going to ever do anything else than just say ‘no’.”

    Ms Gillard said it was “fair enough” to make public “things like” Opposition members buying shares in coal mining companies despite their claims the carbon tax will ruin the economy and the coal industry.

    “I am talking more broadly about transparency and scrutiny … and how it’s relevant to political debate,” she said.

    http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/political-news/its-fine-to-scrutinise-coalition-members-says-gillard-20120614-20bfs.html

    Perhaps our meeja don’t like being shown up by MP’s staffers ❓

  380. Tom, our dirt file on you has reached its third volume. :mrgreen:

    Nothing to do of course with which footy team you follow. 😳

  381. Wonder if the PM is in the business of doing a little wedging. Was wonderful to hear Abbott decrying “dirt file”

    Same goes for business. Ask them what they want. Yes I agree now what are you going to give up.

    The PM played a little Bob Hawke. We cannot do it alone. We all have to cooperate. That is government, business and workers.

    Under Hawke, such cooperation led to some of our best productivity figures, that have been on the decline since the days of Hawke and Keating,

    Gillard told the forum that she would be happy to find a way to lower company tax rates, if a way could be found to keep it revenue-neutral — that is, to finance it without further cuts to government spending. “We’re in the cart for a lower company tax rate but it has to be affordable,” she said. “And that means it has to be funded by other changes in the business tax system.”

    This is not an unreasonable position to take. Australia’s government spending as a percentage of GDP is amongst the lowest in the OECD. In this year’s budget it will be 23.5 per cent, the lowest since 1993. Among the things that government spending pays for are many of the things business says it wants, such as transport infrastructure like roads and ports, as well as education and training for businesses looking for skilled workers.

    But could business agree to such a proposal? No. “We think that [tax cut] should be through finding savings,” the ACCI’s Greg Evans told ABC radio. According to Fairfax’s Tim Colebatch, the BCA’s Jennifer Westacott agreed. The AI Group’s Innes Willox reportedly called the proposal “ludicrous”.

    Lowering taxes by broadening the tax base? Not for Australia’s business leaders. They want lower taxes and lower government spending. Oh, but they also want all the good things that government provides, like more infrastructure, a stable rule of law, a sound currency, government-funded science and research, and government-subsidised public health care for their workers.

    It’s difficult to take this stuff seriously, frankly. Australia’s business lobby wants the best of both worlds: low taxes and less regulation, but also a safe and stable business environment in which to operate. And the truth is, those two goals don’t necessarily add up

    http://newmatilda.com/2012/06/14/tell-big-business-they039re-dreaming

  382. Tom, maybe we should link the PM office up to this site, to so how easily it is done.

    PM did not appear too fussed.

    PM on message. If one throw stones, one should not live in glass houses. They have a habit of being returned.

  384. Tom, doesn’t that ring a bell from Tim Dunlop’s Blogocracy days..no lengthy copy and pastes..we only have X amount of space, etc etc. 🙂

  385. Tom, and of course Julia is quite right..from your link:

    Ms Gillard said it was “fair enough” to make public “things like” Opposition members buying shares in coal mining companies despite their claims the carbon tax will ruin the economy and the coal industry.

    And other things like denouncing the NBN publicly, but then privately lobbying for it to be brought into their own electorates that much sooner.

  386. Pet…’paranoid or not?’

    Read your comment again, you have all the qualities of a warmist zealot.

  387. but then privately lobbying for it to be brought into their own electorates that much sooner.

    Exactly. Perhaps if the media did their job properly, it wouldn’t be left to the PM’s office to do the heavy lifting. Gillard has been doing it since the BER campaign started at the oo, slapping down article after article written in the oo during question time. And every day, they came back for more. And they still do it.

    Wonder if the PM’s office has a ‘secret dirt file’ on the oo’s various campaigns (in the real world, we call them fact sheets)

  389. you have all the qualities of a warmist zealot

    I’d take that as a compliment pterosaur1, after all, it’s what the denialists call scientists these days 😉

  391. I like ‘cafe talk’ better than ‘open thread’…it feels appropriate and comfortable.

    Migs they are almost certain the megafauna in North America was wiped out by a large asteroid, which may have broken up into four pieces before hitting the earth.

    That lets the Clovis people off the hook.

  392. There is nothing new about governments compiling dossiers on political opponents.

    Opposition Leader Tony Abbott in 2007 said in a radio interview the John Howard government “obviously” did it.

    “Of course. Obviously you want to look at the files and all that kind of stuff,” the then minister said.

    He said Coalition dirt hunters would look for “things that are on the public record”.

    In Opposition the Coalition has attempted to claim former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd was corrupt, using the infamous emails from Treasury official Godwin Grech, which were later found to be forgeries.

    Senior Opposition figures such as its Senate Leader Eric Abetz, who masterminded the Godwin Grech fiasco, have been digging around for details on the recent cases of former Labor MP Craig Thomson and Speaker Peter Slipper.

    Today, Mr Abbott said the report showed the Government was “ethically challenged”, accused the Primer Minister of knowing of the dirt hunt, and denied his side did anything similar.

    http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business/markets/opposition-mps-buying-coal-mine-shares-pm/story-fn7j1dyq-1226395374849

  395. CU those graphs are nice and with such a good economy its hard to imagine Labor losing the next election, but according to the polls they will.

    Historians will have a field day with this.

  397. Yes, they will el gordo. They will spend much time trying to work out how the voters were so stupid.

    So stupid, that they deny facts and what is in their pockets.

    Cannot help but think that Mr. Abbott will be studied along Goebbels, on how easy it is to con a community.

    There will be enough to keep the sociologists busy for decades.

  398. ‘…we’re probably due for another asteroid or comet to bump into us.’

    Its not a cyclic phenomenon.

    A fairly large one impacted the waters to the south of NZ around 1300 AD with devastating effect.

  401. A Canberra radio host has been banned from the airwaves by his employer after an on-air joke this morning about “upskirting” the Prime Minister.
    Radio 2CCs Jorian Gardner has been silenced for at least a week by station management after suggesting during the station’s morning show that Communications Minister Stephen Conroy should wear a “penis cam” during cabinet meetings so that he could film up the skirt of Prime Minister Julia Gillard.

    Read more: http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/pm-upskirting-comment-sends-radio-shock-jock-offair-20120614-20c0g.html#ixzz1xkJTeFOo

    Agree Miglo. Just like to say, we probably will not be able to destroy the planet. We will just make it unlivable. The planet will be here long after we have gone.

  402. Haha from daughter Erin and bf Ross: we’re going to a cheap Indian restaurant tonight..it’s called mum’s.

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