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.
the photo was taken at one of the world’s great swimming pools, the Bondi icebergs, or at least i think so. the water is fresh sea water replenished each week.
almost all the blokes who swim there do so in budgie smugglers, or sluggos, or whatever you want to call them, as who wants board shorts flapping around your legs when you are swimming laps. there are buffed young things there of course, with plenty of waxing going on, but plenty of crusty old men and women as well, and if their bodies offend you then do the well-mannered thing and avert your eyes.
as to wearing a swim cap, that is very common during the winter swims all round sydney, as it keeps the head warm and makes the whole experience a lot less bracing.
bondi, like most swim clubs with sea water pools used to make it a condition of continued membership that you swam a certain number of Sundays during the brass monkey season.
i always thought of george costanza myself.
Bondi Iceburgs it is Jack.
Perhaps we could do a quick whip around with JTI’s help and buy Malcolm a burkini. It would make for the perfect coverup.
We always called them slingshots Jack.
You mention Jack that vile Clementine Ford in the’ epicentre of ratbags ‘ of the SMH has continued her warped posts on twitter after been disgraced not long back .
Slipper ,.where is he lately? Pauline has an Asian family running her fish shop, Susie Ley abusing the travel rules, Donald fueding with bed-wetters while Mexicans tell Trump to stick your wall up your arse , pay for it yourself, Obama lighting the fuse possibly setting up a some form of offensive rallying the troops , Bill Clinton still shuffling Monica Lewinski away from the cameras ready to make a big hit more dollars after their bedroom duties of the past ,
Bassman still restless that Bush may return some day, Malcolm stealing Tony’s budgie smugglers shown here .
Well Jack ,..the bloggers are gearing up for an interesting 2017 so “please” stay on stage , we need your umpiring and master our good blogs you present.
After today’s ultimate viewing pleasure of President T ‘in the zone’ fronting reporters, I reckon they should forget all about building a wall.
Americans urgently need to build a big mirror to take a good long hard look at themselves for trusting the narrative of a narcissist.
That guy is only about ego, me first & stuff the rest.
It’s worse than I ever imagined.
Dwight says: at 11:03 pm
Renting the planes that she then piloted was the final straw for me.
Me too Dwight. To keep her commercial pilot’s licence Sussan needs three take offs and landings every 90 days (if she wants to carry passengers). I can understand why she would want to avoid the hire costs of $300-500 per hour to keep her licence rating and pass it on to the taxpayer.
The smellier one for me is from 2013 when Corman, Bushby & Ciobo attended the AFL grand final as guests of NAB. Now what would NAB think it might get in return for lavish corporate entertainment of someone like Corman and Ciobo. After all, Corman was appointed as Finance Minister on 18th September and the grand final was played 10 days later. Ciobo was appointed as parliamentary secretary to the Treasurer on the 18th as well.
I don’t think I’m drawing too long a bow to say the current disinclination of the Government (and Finance minister and Ciobo) to pursue a banking royal commission stinks.
The fact that they claimed “entitlements” for the trip compounds their dishonesty. Kudos to those MP’s who made the trip and put their hands in their own pockets.
I’m not giving the other side of politics a pass either. There are rorters on both sides of the House.
Mac, hat’s a very interesting point you make about Ley’s reason for chartering planes. The press don’t seem to have latched on to that one yet.
Henry Blofeld 09:32am.
Maybe you should follow Bassman that media reports are crap , don’t read them .
American media 98% tried to run Trump out of town, now still staging a dog-fight dragging in unconfirmed reports before the courts in belting Trump over the head before convicted or innocent.
I am staying clear on this brawl cat-fight , dog -fight whatever they call it.
Lets just accept he has gained the public where the other fake mob lost the public and watch the next 12 months first before wetting your pants CNN . Now looks like CNN banned from public speeches by Trump him calling them “fake reporters “after they got egg on their face and still running down their faces.
BASSMAN you say Rodent, wasn’t he the one who predicted a landslide win for Turnbull at the last election? Methinks he was. He does write a witty story tho do love him, he’s an entertaining read.
Rat predicted Trump would win at the very start of the scrap
for the Publican nomination….before anyone I knew had him trumps.
RE: Carl on the Coast says:
January 12, 2017 at 8:14 am
plmo (Jan 11 9.21pm)
CotC,
No this dinosaur goes a fair way back. I used to have a fail-proof strategy for the ‘know-it-all’ starred variety. If two well intended conversations were ignored then so be it!!
Of course one stood-by to help them out of the poo!!
It wasn’t necessary that they concede error because those that did had sufficient nouse to progress to greater things and I had a very good professional relationship; those that didn’t were manifest ‘Peter Principle’ and by a strange coincidence they kept tripping up prior to their early departure!!
It might be better for each of our ‘public reputations’ that we acknowledge but refrain from further discussion re the colourful character of the Bundama Races!!
Media reports, Mr Insider, that President Elect Donald Trump may have partaken of a “golden shower” whilst over in Russia. Being an innocent young cove I wonder what that is?
http://tinyurl.com/htv7y2g
Watch Vikings, HB. It’ll be in there somewhere.
Or Game of Thrones………does that mean he is a bit wet behind the ears?
Thank you dear Yvonne do hope I don’t blush!
Kwenthrith, Queen of Mercia is the gal……. I think she even managed to startle Ragnor.! 🙂
Jack the Insider .Not sure if it is just Malcolms ticking clock knowing Slipper an Co , their clock stopped ticking over fraud. SLIPPER the master of rorting with Ms Gillard sending him overseas into expensive resorts with wife to escape the frenzy media .Slipper we must remember painted women into dreadful comments of genatalia stuff that set the media on fire over that shameful tweet. This bloke spent two months in resorts waiting for media to settle down , that was arranged by Mable so it would not hurt her election chances. Ms Gillard made sure he was out of the country after those tweets on twitter. WHERE was the lobbyists of women then?….silent , shame on them taking media to accelerate the matter.
Now Mal,..he is ‘dead in the water’ . This bloke will deteriate further in the polls.
It appears Ms Bishop is looking down the same tunnel as Ms Ley.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-01-12/julie-bishop-charged-taxpayers-for-melbourne-cup-rugby-polo/8178408
She’s so far declined to comment but she’ll have to front eventually.
I already feel for the reporter that goes in for the scoop.
Her eyes will be ‘set to stun’ I reckon.
Bella
I’ve got a thing for Jules Bella, but if she’s gone, then bugger her. She’s gone! (Eddie not so subtle pun in the last three words!)
Sussan Ley may have to be the scapegoat Bella. But they can’t sack them all! They’re all at it. We have to have a parliament with some people occupying the seats
Turns out she is the scapegoat Yvonne, having just resigned. Turncoat made a poor show of tough talking, umming his way through the announcement of a new independent board to oversee entitlements monthly.
Few questions were allowed and reporters were left with no answers on any changes to the rules but he brightened up very quickly when announcing Abe’s arrival this afternoon.
We’re great, great friends with Japan he tells us without a peep about them illegally trying to butcher 333 whales as we speak. Japan is livid that Sea Shepherd located their fleet last week & effectively has them on the run. When they can’t access their factory ship they can’t kill.
I bet Turncoat has a big whinge about SS whilst Abe is present cos that’s what hypocrites do.
Regards mate, Bella
plmo (Jan 11 9.21pm)
Re your comment about “miscreants” and “saintly behaviour” v the “axe”, I’m reminded of the period when a bushy tailed young bureaucrat found it a bit tricky getting the import of your message across to freshly-minted Maj-Gen types returning home from o/s postings. Or to some of the residents who occupied the basement of the old DFAT.
Of course those were the days before DoS morphed to DAS, Billy bought the Daimlers, KPI’s were a ‘huh?” and the member for Denison was still in diapers. It may also have been before your time too plmo.
I know you’ll understand I need to keep it cryptic lest the walls still have ears.
“Ah the Good Old Days” indeed. From CA to SOGA, no questions asked.
The last ambassador to South Vietnam was a prime example Carl. He abandoned 3 RAAF guys on the tarmac just before the fall because he insisted that his menagerie was more important than their lives.
3 RAAF guys and the locally engaged staff Robin, and he left in a near empty plane.
not sure if it was his decision or gough’s but he should have had the balls to put them on.
Correction 4 RAAF guys Mick Sheean, Trevor Nye, John Hansen and Ian Dainer, armed only with pistols
Yes Jack the RAAF had to at considerable cost task an extremely dangerous mission to a crumbling Saigon to pick up the detritus. This really endeared Gough to all the RAAF personnel that heard the story. Perhaps when Gough got the sack that is the reason for so much celebration around the RAAF bases.
From what I have heard the aircraft commander pleaded with the ambassador to let the RAAF guys board the plane but he was told that the order was direct from Gough and he would not countermand it. As for the Vietnamese staff Gough considered them war criminals and refused visas for them
Great read. Great photo.
What a fuss. It’s in the cherished tradition of the Australian larrikin to diddle Her Majesties Treasury. What a bunch of misery gutses we’ve become.
Christopher Pyne would make a superb Prime Minister, provided he hasn’t been compromised by those damn Russians.
Milton
Um, okaaaay? So in synopsis, “I don know a thing about climate change but I am a lawyer so trust me. Someone cooked the books by “adjusting” the temperature readings and we don’t know how but if you take a pink fluoro marker and draw a line down to the baseline on the graph we can clearly see that all the thousands of weather stations in the world are dodgy and the temperature hasn’t risen at all! Ergo the ocean temperatures could not possibly have risen, and the spectacular Greenland melt is an optical illusion. Methane? Hoho, who made that word up? All those lying scientists conspiring to scam the government and steal from the lovely oil and coal people?”
Best I can do You seem impressed Milton, and you’ve read it? Put me right here, I’m struggling with the science.
Pyne travels with a red leather handbag it would match the speedos. (I have been seated beside Pyne several times and each time he has his red leather hand bag and upon sitting orders a weak herbal tea. )
OMG how fitting…..any pics?
When Pyne’s talking about well, anything, I’ve trained myself to switch off. It’s all about survival.
Bella
Bella, No photos. I try not to interact with him. Too much Frank Spencer in him. And not the funny stuff.
Gave me a good laugh today anyway with his l
Homophobic as well as a misogynist! You really are the whole package Eddie.
You should perhaps go back and have a look at your earlier attack on Dr Penny after She offered you some very sound advice to you. I am far from homophobic. I have many acquaintances from Western Queensland and Queensland in general. But Ooohing and aahing and lips a pursing is too much of a put on and indicates falseness. Try and keep and sweet heart you really have so many issues it is hard to help you.
What does having friends in Western Qld have to do with your homophobic tendencies? Are you back on the hard stuff?
Oh Razor your projecting is quite obvious. I am sure it is not called “Queens” land for no reason. Hmmmm eh sweet heart?
I get it! You’re back on the juvenile state stuff again. Well done Eddie.
On another note could you fit in a John Inman camp joke as well just to show you’re OK because you once met a gay ringer from Hughenden! Must have been a hell of a night in the dunny’s beside the old servo if it has effected you like this. They did a great bacon and egg burger at the servo by the way.
You are indeed struggling with the science Baptiste as you admit you consummate wally. If it wasn’t for Google you would be stuffed. Snott is all over you big gurly man.
He suggests they are “correcting” the figures down and are also not overly keen in a lot of areas to explain the methodology they use to arrive at certain conclusions/predictions. If thousands of scientists could conspire over the moon landings why not here. And as far as lawyers go I’ve known of one who wouldn’t tell the God’s honest truth!
I’m neither here nor there on agw, and below par on the science but I’ve made note that the worlds climate has been changing since the day God invented the earth and it’s climate, even before us peoples arrived here by plane or boat.
He says they are correcting the figures, and then goes and corrects the graphs by overdrawing them with a felt tip pen. The mans an idiot or is taking the piss out of deniers.
If you believe God invented the earth then I suppose you can believe whatever you like without troubling science for confirmation, And yes the climate has been changing, but we are seeing changes in the space of decades which took thousands of year before the industrial revolution. It is a no brainer!
The moon landing non sequitur gets a bit tedious but clearly you ken absolutely nothing of how that scam was managed and flogged to the wide eyed open mouthed peasants. It doesn’t take much application to realise that the feat was impossible then and remains so today. It is probable that humans will never achieve it before they disappear from the planet.
http://centerforaninformedamerica.com/moondoggie/
Re lawyers that should be ive not known of one who wouldn’t be honest!
the exclamation mark is a keeper!
Relying on poor polls to justify the ouster was always a silly path to take. What amazed me was the number of people who believed (maybe still do) that Newspoll gets handed down from Heaven, carved in stone tablets on the summit of Mt Sinai every few weeks to the polling company, Moses and Associates. These people told us that it was the pre-ordained Will of God that the Abbott government was to lose the 2016 election. Following the ouster they denounced any person doubting the Infallibility of Malcolm with all the zeal of Knights Templar, striking the heads from their enemies with broad-swords infused with the Spirit of Christ.
Funnily, they seem to have gone a bit silent in recent times. (Actually, maybe “funnily” isn’t the right word. “Predictably” is probably closer to it).
I don’t know where you drink, but you should ask the publican to lock the door when the Salvos come around. They getting to you. I believe cures can be had inexpensively though. LOL!
You didn’t pick up on the overtly worshipful cult-like atmosphere around the beatification of Saint Malcolm?
Very similar, in fact, to what we’re now seeing in certain circles around Donald Trump.
I ran off to Canada before the election, and me sister there has no internet, so I avoided it all. And I’ve paid little attention since. This weeks shenanigans point to why. But could you throw in the jawbone of an ass (or the hipbone of an arse) and some smiting please? I love that smiting stuff. The old Father scared shit out of the boyo me with it and it always impresses. Harp music optional. You’re not a priest are you?
Now you bring it up, he does look wee bit like a Chinese Buddha in the picture.