Another year, another polly on the ropes over expense claims. Sussan Ley has been on the receiving end of a media pommeling and the collective wisdom is she’s been a naughty minister. She has been dispatched to Coventry and the view is she should settle down and grow accustomed to her new home.
As an observer of various entitlements farragoes over the years, I think Ms Leys’ spending puts her in exalted company, somewhere between Peter Slipper and the guv’nor, Labor’s Mal Colston. Spending $21,000 in a week or so on transport is extraordinary. I didn’t even think it was possible. With those frequent flyer miles, you can forget about the carrot sticks and chardy in the Qantas club. It’s foot-long lobster subs and Moët by the schooner. Hell, they’ll get you your own plane. Maybe even let you fly it.
The Minchin Protocol always sounded like a bad novel and now as it comes to its denouement, it is about as satisfying as an EH Holden Mechanics’ manual or anything knocked out by Clementine Ford.
Full column here.
JTI ,.
What is going on in last nights 50 over cricket match having our test stars failing again with the bat? This looks like the Pakis mean business after watching their batting display having a real professional outlook from last nights encounter.
Our bowlers applied every trick in the book to remove the batsmen , but Pakistan were in complete control winning the match.
Good win to the Pakistan XI. I was very pleased to see them have a win. Had they gone without a win in the ODI series, they would have lost their automatic qualification for the World Cup which would have been a huge embarrassment. Australia batted poorly, yes but good on the Pakistan lads.
I am saddened by the article by Patrick Smith in the Australian today. James Hird has reached his lowest ebb, and while I agree with what he says, maybe the time has come to not say it. I don’t excuse Hird at all. He dragged the reputation of a fine game, a fine club, and many talented players into the dirt. The follies though were not his alone. The mess also lives with the politicians who sought some public mileage from the debacle. Dank has slithered away to God knows where and won’t be missed. The AFL were clueless in dealing with the fallout, and the Essendon administrators needed someone to blame and ran for cover.
But it is all passed now. Hird is ill, desperately ill, a fallen and disgraced champion The penalties have been served out and Essendon should have their list back this year. Dank is banned for life from all sports. The Essendon Board, who I can’t believe were ignorant of what was happening, have escaped serious consequences. Time now to take the lessons on board, move to prevent it happening again, leave the people involved to live with their consciences, and finally lay the matter to rest.
The VFL was the first thing I fell in love with in this great country. It is the game that has it all. The second thing I fell in love with was the fair minded Australian character. I’m sad for Hird that fair minded character seems absent for him, and that taunt and anger still follow him, even now at his lowest ebb.
I can only urge others to find some compassion for this broken man and leave him pickup the pieces as best he can. Further vileness serves no-one and no purpose. The game is bigger than the sum of its parts, and will survive and prosper. Move on, I say, for the good of all.
Very well said X
It’s very sad, X. One just hopes that Hird comes out of it okay. In my opinion, he would be best to leave this country and have an adventure overseas. Start afresh. I believe he had job offers after his stint at the Business School in Paris. It will be a challenge – but if he is well he would be up to it.
I don’t think this will ever go away until it is disclosed what the kids were injected with.
And I do think that had someone – and there must be someone -disclosed what the substance was, the whole thing may – and I say may advisedly – have come to an end.
Until such time it never will.
Your right. Travel broadens the mind and enriches the soul. It also puts some geography between the sin and the sinner, a blessing I’ve counted many times. 😉
I concur with the ladies X. Very well put. This poor bugger is in a dark place. He needs to recover, find peace with himself and hopefully then be able to rebuild his life, hopefully doing something that makes him happy and healthy. The time is well passed for bagging the bloke.
Razor, I don’t read The Age anymore, but apparently Patrick Smith, a sports writer I presume, has just come back from his holidays and probably a little miffed that he missed out on all the drama and has written a column putting the boot into James Hird for the umpteenth time. He also seems to have conveniently left out a few important details as to what actually happened . With people like him the matter will never be forgotten, but this guy needs to realise that the fans don’t forgive unfairness and ignorance.
Say hi to Dwight for me.
Sorry just realized that Patrick Smith writes for The Australian….makes no difference it’s still extremely poor form. I won’t be reading it anyway X.
I think it all went too far Penny, and it dragged on too long. I like Smith but reading his rant over my morning brew and porridge put me in an ill humour. I worked in horse racing for most of my life. They are quicker and more robust about investigating any wrongdoing. I’m sad to say wrongdoings are more common than punters would like to believe. But justice is swift, and can end careers.
Our wish come true over politicians rorting with bloggers and callers intervention responding appropriately . This been an explosive issue , now appeared to have the public sensitivity reacting in anger at both sides.
You can bet both sides will monitor this rorting frequently judging by the response out in voterland.
rodent
With astonishment and breathless admiration I have followed your prolific essays. I am convinced you have the capacity to compete for Australia in the “World Championship Marathon of Mindless Regurgitation. ”
https://sethfrantzman.com/2014/09/05/how-the-west-is-responsible-for-all-the-problems-in-the-middle-east/
Ooops!
He’s not the only one JB !!
Rodent or Seth Frantzman?
serhenry 2:32PM 15th.
My goodness serhenry! Did you get separated from the herd? Thinking, very risky behaviour, will do that.
https://www.amazon.com/Inventing-Reality-Politics-News-Media/dp/0312020139
Ooopsie, finger slipped! Sorry, that was meant to be a link to “My Kitchen is Full of Idiots.”
Give ’em heaps!
Baptiste one should look in ones own kitchen first when searching for idiots. Snott is all over you big boy.
Touchy! My Kitchen Rules your favourite is it Trevor?
Here have chew on this you gormless gourmet.
https://cleantechnica.com/2016/05/02/climate-change-deniers-getting-angrier-heres/
Thanks for coming.
Hmmmm…things hotting up in Qld. Will One Nation win the jackpot? Given the parlous state of politics that wouldn’t surprise.
A Coalition with the LNP I’d imagine Yvonne.
Penny: Hugo Boss do do ladies too. Not frilly stuff, but tailored jackets etc, sunnies and even perfume. In fact Julie is probably a good role type for the brand. She always looks good.
I wonder if she gets to.keep the clothes she agrees to wear? One could call that a rort too I guess.
Off on another tangent – once upon a time it was Darren who was noted for his long comments. The tendency seems to have spread.
Maybe there should be a limit imposed on us. Things are getting a tad out of control – and tediously repetitive – to the point where it’s easier to skip over them
Razor – thanks for the nun one chief. I purloined that and gave it a quick run this arvie with the desired results.
On other good news, a fortnight ago I ordered, online, a penis enlarger and joyeux Friday I checked the letterbox and received in a well packaged, package a magnifying glass.
I wonder why Milon, why are you wasting your hard earned and time on such a pursuit.
Specially when I have it on very good authority that you are already very well packaged.
Perhaps you’ll use said magnifying glass here to see if you can find anything that actually makes sense.
Anytime Milt.
BASSMAN says:
January 15, 2017 at 1:57 pm
“Cherry picking again
Out of all that
is that all you could dig up on me? One thing?”
No, not “cherry picking” Bassy, and no, not just “one thing”.
You know very well that the inclusion of “etc, etc, etc.” in my earlier post is a common abbreviation. It is used to avoid giving a complete list and is another way of conveying “so on and so forth”
I was simply making the observation that many “things” (read stats and commentary) in your 2.35pm post on 14 Jan were strikingly similar to those stats and commentary in the lengthy paper presented by Brownstein and Joseph on 11 September 2009.
Now, it may just be pure coincidence Bassy, that you just happened to be on the same Bushnomics wave-length as the aforementioned Brownstein and Joseph were, 8 years ago. And that you just happened to decide in your 1.15pm 15 Jan response, to neither confirm or deny (which is your absolute right to do) that you may have just been undertaking a spot of unattributed cherry picking yourself mate.
Mack the Knife 03:21pm .
Thanks confirming the danger in the ME history you describe with Sadam at large .Hope Penny reads that .
You present knowledge us bloggers don’t know about. Back home here , we didn’t hear much happening over there.
Cheers .