IF you’re like me, you’re sick to death of the Barnaby Joyce story already and it has only been out there for little more than a day.
And oh, how the Op-Eds rolled out, like a torrent spewed out by the terabyte.
What we might kindly call the new media babbled on about conspiracies between the press gallery and the parliament. Democracy denied was the collective shriek, as if the readers of these inner-city websites were exclusively the denizens of New England.
Joyce won New England with a 7 per cent swing and if an election was held in his seat tomorrow my best guess is he would win by a similar margin.
Even during the campaign Twitter knew. I knew and I didn’t care. Indeed, during the New England by-election campaign, mainstream media reported Joyce was no longer living at the family home. Any journalist worth his or her salt could have chased the story down.
Full column here.
http://andrewelder.blogspot.com.au/2018/02/out-with-bathwater.html
cranky huh?
Spotto Smoko!
Some of the folks over the wall have complained about values. However, in my opinion, if you are using politicians as your moral compass the fault lies within you.
Good point.
An interesting perspective, Dwight. Barnaby has, of course, been an incredible hypocrite in this. But to take your point further, if you are determined to not be a hypocrite, perhaps politics should not be your chosen profession.
If you were using politicians as your moral compass then you wouldn’t be complaining in this case surely?
From the previous article and in response to my criticism of Dismayed, Tracy says: February 8, 2018 at 8:50 am
“It’s a fair observation CotC, how much of the affair has been conducted on the taxpayers tab?
This is a bloke who was going on about the sanctity of marriage while trying to deny same sex couples their right to the same thing, rather ironic that he wanted his daughters to feel safe in a marriage with someone they can trust.”
I take your point Tracy, it is a fair “observation”. But there was no scrutiny on Dismayed’s part. He just couldn’t wait. The ink on the tabloids had not even dried before he jumped head first into the gutter and immediately believed that Joyce had misappropriated taxpayer funds to have his “bit on the side”. Joyce has since appeared on national television – ABC (you may have seen it last night at 7.30pm) and gave what I believe to be an acceptable response to the questions put. It appeared to me to be a genuine conscience-stricken admission that he had failed his family. Just as many thousands of families sadly, in all walks of life experience each year. I dare say the late Lionel Murphy’s view in similar such matters may be that ‘no fault’ applies.
But of course our fellow poster Dismayed would find it difficult accepting any explanation/admission proffered on matters of personal sensitivity, especially from those on the conservative side of politics, given the blundering boots-n-all bloke that he is.
Carl, JTI has said before that this blog caters to a broad church, move on and don’t read posts from people you don’t like….
Penny, you have obviously read mine ??
Of course Carl, I like your posts……and you too
what you believe to be “an acceptable response.”
Oh well, that’s closed case then.
Carl, given your penchant for ribald quips at the expense of Skye Laris a couple of years ago, it’s a bit rich for you to get all sanctimonious now about Barnaby and admonish Dismayed for taking a partisan swing at his latest travails.
Yes, we’re all fallible TO, and I think we’re all entitled to our own human responses. Including to those who appear to have a selective fixation on morality, probity and rectitude. Regarding your charge of me having committed a Rabelaisian misdemeanour two years ago, I must say I have no memory of such incident. If you’re quite sure of your facts, then it seems to be a classic illustration of the underlying human frailty I referred to above and that besets us all.
“……………………. we are all entitled…………………… ”
Okay, so run it past me again. What exactly is your problem?
Oh, there’s no problem at all JB, and I do acknowledge you may have a perception issue occasionally me old mate.
Mirabile dictu, Carl!
Have you just admitted to getting something wrong?
Well lets hope you never have a problem. That would run into a novel.
Well my mind must have been in the gutter as well because that’s what I thought, wouldn’t be the first time.
Technical issue – anyone experiencing delayed keystrokes – maybe just when the blog gets long? I’m not getting it with this new post
Virus. Reload Windows.
That’ll be $300 thanks. Bitcoin not accepted.
My new android phone, Triv, which has anti virus software – I’ll see what happens. I don’t think tulip money is worth that much anymore 😧
Yes. Barnaby should face heavy scrutiny on the pork barrelling of over $3 billion in sugar and dairy the waste of over $4 billion in water funds this new $2-3 billion bank of Barnaby announced today and the over $5 billion NAIF.
Watch out if the Looters feel they are going to lose the next election as we get closer to it.. They will leave a HUGE set of debt ridden booby traps for the incoming govt like Howard did…we are still paying off his $90billion structural deficit.
Bassy,
Would that be like pushing most expenditure out past the forward estimates and leaving an unfunded NDIS?
The Liberals blocked extra funding in the Senate every time Labor tried to make savings for the NDIS. And mate, there is NOTHING more unfunded that the $65billion tax gift to Big Business that is enjoying massive profits at the moment.
Isn’t that what Labor did to Abbott & co?
O, ye of little faith. For a fleeting instant BASSY, I was was tempted to substitute “faith” with “fact”.
show business for ugly people? where is wannabe PM mr potato head dutton. Surely we need another hysterical outburst bout the serious gang violence in chapel street? Oh that right no black people involved, no minority to demonise, no mileage in it. Almost brings you to tears oh wait, he tried that on to. first hockey now potato head looking for a gig on days of our lives.
Would Ms Lamb, Craig Thomson and Bob Hawke be the same?
Breaking news. Victorian crime levels lowest in a decade and have dropped for several years before that. Apart from a high during the Baillieu Liberal government. No wonder potato head is turning on the tears. No Surprises.
Timely article indeed. Had the opportunity offered once and as soon as the preposterous notion crystallised in my mind I couldn’t look at the watch and say ‘is that the time’ quick enough.
They work long hours, put up with untold idiots of all persuasions and are sentencing their families to hell. Politically families mean nought in the scheme of things and should be kept out of it. I thought the way all parties closed ranks yesterday was a credit to them.
HAHAHAH and the quick straw poll at the Noccundra Pub showed NIL support. Oh Population 2. HAHAHA. No surprises.
Still too hot for the grey nomads ay?
I think politicians have it pretty damn good. They don’t have to do it and so far as “putting their families through hell?
Really?
Most of them have bugger all time with their families JB. That type of thing leads to family breakdown. It’s why the FIFO people do it pretty tough.
Well why are so many of them lining up trying to score a gig if it is so bad?
They choose to do it. I don’t know the figures but do you think politicians have more family breakdown that the average Australian family? Are politicians more likely or not to suicide?
As for being away from their families, for some of them at least that’s a perk, one that their families might appreciate too.
Razor, don’t the people you refer to make a choice to be away from their families?
You said yourself that you couldn’t do it.
To my knowledge no-one has theirarm twisted up behind their backs when they go for a job that requires long absences from home.
It’s the big money, they’re addicted to it mate.
For many people Bella it’s either unemployment or FIFO.
Show Business for Ugly People indeed, Mr Insider, quite an entertaining and to the point column. Possibly its the huge Salaries that attract all manner of “entrants” to the “gig” and the super fabulous Perks. As for poor old Barnaby who is bemoaning his current media plight I don’t see him resigning from Parliament to get away from the spotlight. Am sure though in the right light, blinds drawn, with a rose in his teeth and a pair of sexy jocks on he may look the “goods” to some admiring lassie. As for the rest of us he can pull that big hat he wears down a lot further over his ugly mug imho!
Henry, you have made me choke on my glass of wine with the vision of Baanaaby in sexy jocks with a rose in his mouth. Having said that I still believe that his behaviour has been pretty average….I don’t care who he sleeps with, but to espouse family values is hypocrisy to the extreme.
There is no way this is going to die down soon, the man will be under incredible scrutiny and so he should be. There are an awful lot of women on both sides of the voting spectrum who are angry about this and the government ignores them at their peril…
LOL. Apologies Penny for that dreadful word picture wasn’t a nice one am sure. Cheers
Admiring lassie or aspiring lassie?
I am disappointed that nobody has wheeled out Paul Anka’s hit “Your having my baby” to rub salt in the wounds…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZNtcCM3Cvo
The Hollies To Young To Be Married is apt.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WtIiL7Tj_HI
Oh no, don’t start them off UQ! It’ll be “A Little Ray of Sunshine” next.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GWfliMUqy64
Well, actually that’s a spotlight!
I thought something from Carole King ‘Child of mine’
Perhaps ‘I Feel the Earth Move’…inappropriate much?
You expect a certain level of integrity/behaviour when someone is on the public payroll.
I don’t know if it’s true (and why should we care) but there was (allegedly) muttering from staffers that Mr Joyce was concentrating more on his friend than on his job in parliament, he’s a deputy PM and when Malcolm’s not here he’s PM so it’s in the public interest that this person is fit to do their job.
You know it’s bad when you find yourself agreeing with an article by Clemantine Ford, that this politician is a supposed leader in society championing moral values whilst not adhering to those self same values.
As for the Senate appears to be one big dash for the cash, people are more than eager to get their backside on a seat and no doubt Ms Lamb will have to be carried kicking and screaming all the way to the high court.
I understand where you and……GULP………Clementine are coming from but surely a line has to be drawn somewhere. We had Julia Gillards government, including Penny Wong, reject same sex marriage for nothing more than base political purposes. Where’s the morality in that?
I actually think all this stuff is a sideshow which detracts from what they should be doing; Governing. They ALL play the game of party politics if anyone considers they 100% support what they say in parliment then I have a bridge to sell them. It’s brutal and like Anthony Mundine left testicle, neither fair or right, but it’s the party system and we’re stuck with it.
Good point. If a man is genuinely in love he wont be giving his job full attention.
We pay these turkeys good money and first signs of cupid flitting about they either leave by their own volition or we have their nuts off. Especially the older ones, theres no fool like an old fool.
Eunuchs were renowned for their focus.
Give ’em heaps.