Australian Politics thread [merged]

[dwaino]

My favorite is the redirecting of funds from the royal commission into sex abuse within the church to the botched insulation trial. Not a conflict of interest at all. Meanwhile real education and CSIRO are being stripped of hundreds of millions of dollars only so more state sanctioned kiddie fiddlers can be put into schools.

[mightytiges]

Leadership tensions building already.

[1965]

Even the Americans think Tony Abbott is a moron.

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/tony-abbott-roasted-by-john-oliver-on-hbo-show-last-week-tonight-20140602-zrvl1.html

[Judge Roughneck]

I think you'll find there are large numbers of people in Europe the Americas etc. that think tony a knob die to his Great Barrier Reef and tasmaims trees policy - which are seemly valued highly by those outside of our island. Timber and coal companies excluded 

[🏅Dooks]

Even the Americans think Tony Abbott is a moron.

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/tony-abbott-roasted-by-john-oliver-on-hbo-show-last-week-tonight-20140602-zrvl1.html

haha anyone now prepared to admit the voted for him to.be the leader of the country?

[1965]

More on the real power behind the throne.

I think I am going to enjoy Clive Palmer's time in parliament.

 

Clive Palmer refuses to apologise for remarks about Tony Abbott's chief of staff Peta Credlin  
June 3, 2014 - 9:21AM
 
Lisa Cox
National political reporter

Clive Palmer is refusing to apologise for comments he made about Tony Abbott's chief-of-staff Peta Credlin and the paid parental leave scheme and has rejected the suggestion the remarks were sexist.

The Fairfax MP has come under fire after accusing the government in Parliament on Monday of designing its paid parental leave scheme ''just so that the Prime Minister's chief-of-staff can receive a massive benefit when she gets pregnant''.
 
Paid parental leave became a rallying point against Tony Abbott and his chief of staff Peta Credlin.

Leader of the House Christopher Pyne immediately demanded an apology from Mr Palmer but the Palmer United Party leader was unrepentant on Tuesday, issuing a further attack on Ms Credlin as having "undue" influence on the government.

Government MPs who have swooped on the comments have highlighted their insensitivity given Ms Credlin’s highly publicised struggle to have a child through IVF.

Foreign Minister Julie Bishop said on Tuesday the remarks were “particularly hurtful” and said Mr Palmer should think twice before making such personal attacks.

''I hope Mr Palmer reflects on what he says,'' she told Sky News.

''Of course he can debate policy but he shouldn't debate staff members in doing so.''

Mr Palmer on Tuesday stood by his comments and said that he was not aware of Ms Credlin’s personal struggles.

He also denied that he was being sexist by singling Ms Credlin out before the parliament during a debate over paid parental leave.

''I'm not going to apologise because that's my position,'' he said.

''Being elected to parliament carries a lot of different privileges in relation to raising certain issues.

''If people don't agree with me that’s fine.''

Mr Palmer said anyone who did not think Ms Credlin influenced ''the so-called ideas of the Liberal Party'' was ''naïve'', adding Ms Credlin was the ''top dog'', which he then quickly changed to ''top person''.

''I'm saying that I'm concerned that she has been able to exercise that influence on the PM and I believe as chief of staff, regardless of whether she is a woman or man, she exercises undue influence on government policy to the detriment of many of the elected members of Parliament,'' he said.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/clive-palmer-refuses-to-apologise-for-remarks-about-tony-abbotts-chief-of-staff-peta-credlin-20140603-39fdd.html#ixzz33WohjzBI

[WilliamPowell]

Even the Americans think Tony Abbott is a moron.

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/tony-abbott-roasted-by-john-oliver-on-hbo-show-last-week-tonight-20140602-zrvl1.html

It is a very funny parody that's is so close to the bone it is embarrassing

Enjoyed it immensely 

[mightytiges]

Even the Americans think Tony Abbott is a moron.

http://www.theage.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/tony-abbott-roasted-by-john-oliver-on-hbo-show-last-week-tonight-20140602-zrvl1.html

It is a very funny parody that's is so close to the bone it is embarrassing

Enjoyed it immensely 

Our very own GW .

[mightytiges]

Looks like the Liberal State government is teetering on the brink. The Governor has even called the Labor opposition leader to meet with him.

http://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/rogue-frankston-mp-geoff-shaw-ready-to-see-coalition-dumped-from-government/story-fnii5sms-1226941927060

[Judge Roughneck]

[mightytiges]

Looks like the Liberal State government is teetering on the brink. The Governor has even called the Labor opposition leader to meet with him.

http://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/rogue-frankston-mp-geoff-shaw-ready-to-see-coalition-dumped-from-government/story-fnii5sms-1226941927060

Ch 7 said the Governor called Andrews but that was wrong. ABC said that meeting had been scheduled two weeks ago. Having said that the Victorian Liberal Government is dead man walking. They no longer have the numbers on the floor of the Parliament with nutcase Shaw withdrawing his support. It can still just hang-on to the November election if there isn't a no-confidence motion but for the next 5 months the parliament and the Government just won't function without the support of the Labor opposition (such as passing the budget). Andrews now wants a joint meeting with Napthine and the Governor seeking the latter's advice but the Governor can't force an election without a successful no-confidence motion and the Premier then requesting an early election. The Liberal Government could still chuck Shaw out of Parliament and hope they win a Frankston by-election to regain a one-seat majority but that's unlikely and if Labor wins the by-election then it will remain a hung Parliament and it's back to square one. The alternative is for there to be a vote of no-confidence and both sides agree to support it with the Premier then asking the Governor to desolve parliament and call an early election. That's not in Napthine and the Libs political interests though as voting yourself out of government isn't a good look lol. So really the Victorian Government is stuffed either way.

[1965]

An early election would be a good time for the public (the poor the sick and the old especially) to give Tony a whack.

 

[1965]

More on that stupid federal budget. What were they thinking?

 


Budget help for ballet Australian Ballet School's new $4.7m mansion
 
June 4, 2014
 
It is one of Melbourne's grand mansions - a sprawling century-old stately home that will be a new boarding school for Australia's aspiring ballerinas - and it has just been purchased with $1 million of taxpayer money granted under Joe Hockey's tough budget.

More than a few eyebrows were raised when young ballerinas emerged as rare winners on budget night, especially after the federal Treasurer declared, ''The age of entitlement is over.''

Tucked away in the budget papers was a $1 million grant for the Australian Ballet School, to help with its purchase of a new boarding residence. Armed with that taxpayer money, the school has spent more than $4.7 million on a mansion.

Set on a 2025-square-metre allotment, the Queen Anne mansion in Parkville boasts sweeping parkland views of the Royal Park Golf Course, a pool and gardens. According to Jellis Craig Kensington estate agents, the mansion is one of Melbourne's ''last grand residences''.

''Exquisite period detail and soaring ceilings showcase gracious formal rooms and heritage splendour,'' said the estate agent.

Whether ballerinas are lifters or leaners is a matter for debate, but the Ballet School seems to have been given a lift while many other arts institutions took a cut - more than $87 million of cuts over the next four years.

Screen Australia was cut by $25.1 million, while the Australia Council lost $28.2 million.

Just how the Ballet School came to be a beneficiary amid the cuts remains a mystery, but already many in Canberra - including some within the Liberal Party - are pointing out that it's often not what you know, but who you know.


On the board of the Australian Ballet School is Daniele Kemp, the high-profile wife of former Liberal arts minister Rod Kemp, a predecessor of George Brandis as arts minister. Mr Kemp is now the chairman of the Institute of Public Affairs, a right-wing lobby group.

Mr Kemp and Mr Brandis are said to speak regularly, but Ms Kemp on Tuesday denied that she had any private discussions with the Arts Minister about the $1 million grant

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/budget-help-for-ballet-australian-ballet-schools-new-47m-mansion-20140603-39h29.html#ixzz33bU5k91h

[one-eyed]

An early election would be a good time for the public (the poor the sick and the old especially) to give Tony a whack.

 

It would be an early Victorian state election through so any federal flow on effect would whack Napthine rather than Abbott.

[1965]

An early election would be a good time for the public (the poor the sick and the old especially) to give Tony a whack.

 

It would be an early Victorian state election through so any federal flow on effect would whack Napthine rather than Abbott.

I don't know why you assume I'm a simpleton?

Yes it would be an early Victorian state election. 

Voters, in part, would be voting Labor because Tony gives them the proverbials

And a resounding win for Victorian Labor would help marshal the anti Abbott forces in the Federal Liberal party.