Humble servant of the Nation

Our soapie Home and Away Senate

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Have you ever thought you might be a secret Italian? Maybe you’re a Canadian and never knew, eh? Perhaps you quietly pine for the fjords of New Zealand but don’t know why?

See, here’s me thinking the Australian Parliament and the Senate in particular had become a freak show P.T. Barnum have been proud to tour the world with, but really it’s just a run of the mill soapie.

It’s a series of Home and Away scripts where the chilly winters of Canberra are replaced by the constant sunshine of Summer Bay.

Full column here.

199 Comments

  • Milton says:

    Sad to read of the death of Les Murray. I’ve watched a lot of football with him at the helm and he did a great job in possibly one of the best gigs in the world.

  • Lou oTOD says:

    Speaking of home and away, here’s a bit of Aussie Rules trivia. All teams in the eight played teams outside the eight in the round just completed. The Eagles Lions match was the only one not in that catagory. I can’t remember a round like it.

    Now the results. The top eight teams had three losses and a draw, and Essendon dropped out of the eight. Looks like the AFL has nearly got its equalisation story set, and tipping has become a lottery, with the notable exception of Boa and Grzly.

  • Boadicea says:

    Geez. Dastyari’s hypocrisy is quite sickening. Little creep.

  • Boadicea says:

    I have often wondered how it is that one can book an air ticket online with no check-in baggage and just board a plane with no ID check. As long as you’re the same gender that is on the ticket you could be anyone.
    Seems at last they’ve latched on to that. About time – even if it makes for longer queues

    • Trivalve says:

      Used to have to show photo ID with an e-ticket in the noughties. That somehow got eased. Doesn’t take long to flash a licence. Mind you, that’s got nothing to do with the current issue.

      • Boadicea says:

        Perhaps not Triv. But I think it has to be reinstated. It’s clearly ridiculous not to be certain who is on a flight.
        Hmmmm. I’m flying Etihad soon. (Their target allegedly) But possibly the safest to be flying on now! Hope so. 🙁

        • The Outsider says:

          We flew directly from Sydney to Vancouver (Air Canada), a few days ago.

          Photo ID for everyone, including our five year old, was compulsory in Sydney. Photo ID was compulsory for everyone over 17 years old in Canada. We were very happy not to have to transit through the US.

          Canada has a visa waiver program for Australian citizens now, just like the US. Previously I didn’t need to do anything beforehand to go to Canada.

          The advice we received and followed was that the wife and child use their Australian passports at Australian airports and Canadian passports at Canadian airports. It’s worked well, so far. Clearing Customs in Ottawa took five minutes.

    • Dwight says:

      It always has been slightly troubling that all I have to show is my Qantas Club card. In the US it’s photo ID, and DHS is going after some of the states with slack driving license rules.

  • Huger Unson says:

    Our Senator Sam wants to ban **all** political donations?
    No response is needed, it’s all summed up in this pic (source not specified).
    https://twitter.com/mattyglesias/status/891715811156647937
    In comparison, we are a boring lot. More colour, more flair, please!

  • Dwight says:

    Oops: ALP takes ‘illegal’ tobacco donations from big Chinese cigarette importer
    A director of a tobacco company that is suspected of smuggling cigarettes has donated $400,000 to the Labor Party, possibly breaching NSW law and the ALP’s own ban on taking tobacco industry funds.
    http://www.smh.com.au/national/investigations/alp-takes-illegal-tobacco-donations-from-big-chinese-cigarette-importer-20170729-gxlcw1.html

  • BASSMAN says:

    Razor says:
    JULY 30, 2017 AT 5:47 PM :-The present NBN is in no way a mirror of Labor’s scheme. What are you talking about? This is a Looter Scheme. It has Liberal written all over it. Have you forgotten what Abbott said? He said he appointed Turnbull to destroy the NBN. The Libs are good at this. Howard said he would stab Medicare in the stomach. Sneddon ditto… “We will destroy Medicare over time”. The Liberals just have no heart for national infrastructure. They govern via the rear vision mirror.

    Go back to Howard. When he had rivers of revenue streaming in he spent less on infrastructure than any govt in 30 years….sorry about the previous post…my Tablet…shocking things to type on they are. New Zealand has an NBN with frightening speeds compared to ours and cheaper. Part of our problem is the $49billion that has to be paid back to the govt. and the worn out copper wire that will all have to be torn up anyway. New Zealand canned their similar monkey on the back. They could see that a fast NBN was linked to growth….in education, global business and medicine. There is no way our Liberals can see or plan further than the next election.

    Take your blinkers off do some reading and there is no better place to start than this:-

    http://www.smh.com.au/business/consumer-affairs/residents-fight-to-stop-nbn-and-telstra-from-axing-state-of-the-art-hfc-network-20170725-gxi8bh.html

    • Razor says:

      Bassy,
      Are you saying the Labor government should not have asked for a return on the investment?

      • BASSMAN says:

        You are not watching….the return on the investment is guaranteed…the Nbn will put us on an equal footing with the rest of thecworld in trade, education and health.You would rather spend 190billion on planes subs frigates then? Please show me the cost benefit analysis the return on that ‘investment’….ask any punter what they would rather have…a submarine or a 750 bed hospital with every diagnostic tool known to man….trouble is the average dork in the street knows nothing of these compariskns….defence is secret….defence isva sacred cow and I hate this Tablet!

  • Dwight says:

    “Home is the sailor, home from sea, And the hunter home from the hill.”

    Looong teaching weekend in Townsville. It went well, but damn, I’m tired. But, I just opened a flagon of wine and should sleep well.

  • Henry Blofeld says:

    Jesus Christ, Mr Baptiste, if you are out there, possibly in Pyongyang, get out quick good buddy! POTUS Trump, our man of Peace, has sent two supersonic nuclear bombers over the Korean Peninsula in a show of force against North Korea. Run don’t walk we want you home in one piece, one flash you could be ash! Cheers.
    http://tinyurl.com/y99d4ngl

  • Boadicea says:

    So Bill is going after trust accounts in an attempt to buy votes.
    He has put a $ figure on the potential recovery. Well he has certainly guaranteed that none of those stashing money into trusts will vote for him. I take it he presumes that everyone doing that would be Liberal voters .
    Far be it for me to tell him – but has he thought of the fact that he will have scared the bejeebers out of a lot of his own voters!!

    • Razor says:

      Exactly Boa. There are lots of different people living in different circumstances who use trusts. It just ain’t farmers anymore.

    • Henry Blofeld says:

      And on the pointless Republic tripe too he’s wheeled out too Boadicea. FGS the electorate wouldn’t give a fig about that given all the battles we have these days to stay afloat e.g. sky rocketing Electricity prices etc etc . He’s wandering off into la la land imho. Cheers.

    • JackSprat says:

      The Libs will be awash with funds B

      • BASSMAN says:

        Are you sure? Last I read their core donaters had abandoned them with many of them thinking 2019 is gone already.Dutts and co are foaming at the mouth re the latest terror scare.On the front foot beating the fear drum the Looters are at their best.Of course they want this closer to the election for maximum Old Lady effect.

      • Boadicea says:

        Not talking political campaign funds JS. I meant trust funds for tax minimalisation.

        • JackSprat says:

          I know. What I was referring to is that he is threatening the nest eggs of many well heeled people who will do their level best to keep the idiot out of power

    • Dwight says:

      If you look at the surveys of what voters think is important, Bill talks about nothing on the list. But the government is so bad, he’s likely to be PM.

      They should at least be honest and call it a Willy Sutton tax.

    • Dismayed says:

      And the continuous conservative outrage industry has another Scare campaign that amounts to? Zero. this is very small change in the scheme of things only those not using Trusts properly will be concerned?

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