One Nation senator Malcolm Roberts’ testimony in the High Court yesterday might have been a crippling blow to the 77 people who voted for him but let’s look on the bright side. We haven’t had a senator so amusing since Mal Colston and truth be known, Malcolm Roberts is far more trustworthy around a packet of Tim Tams.
While the senator left the High Court yesterday looking cheerfully optimistic, there was general agreement from most observers that perhaps things had not gone quite as well as expected. This was rudely confirmed when the overflow room, established to accommodate the large number of visiting journalists who couldn’t fit into the gallery of the Brisbane court, spontaneously burst into uncontrollable laughter on numerous occasions.
The case, as far as we can tell, revolves around Malcolm Roberts firing off missives into the ether seeking to determine his citizenship status prior to nominating as a candidate for the Senate. The emails bear the subject heading, “Am I still a British citizen?” which stands at odds with the senator’s belief he has always been an Australian despite arriving in Australia in 1962 as an eight-year-old.
Full column here.
BRADMAN:- 11.41pm….copping a pasting at the moment Hindia 0-126. Masterful batting by the 2 Curry Muncher openers. All of our good work was undone by the usual middle order collapse.
Nobody can beat The Storm. Sad Cafe for NSW.
Exciting news this week for Adelaide, Mr Insider, our Dismayed will be chuffed. Adelaide will be the centre of the space industry universe this week as 4,000 delegates stream through the city for the “2017 International Astronautical Congress”. Lunar landing veteran astronaut Buzz Aldrin, Australian astronaut Dr Andrew Thomas and billionaire space entrepreneur Elon Musk will make appearances at the congress in a week of space talks on topics including colonising the Moon and Mars, what to do with space junk and the laws of space. Elon of course will also be checking on the progress of his giant Battery installation that is expected to hold up the SA Electricity supply this coming scorching Summer, although it may pay our beloved SA correspondent to also stock up on the old Everyready torch etc.
http://tinyurl.com/y72c5ahq
Nice afternoon at Lang Park watching QRL Grand Final. Sunny Coast Falcons playing PNG Hunters. Ten minutes in the Coast are 10 – 0. A timid start from the Hunters.
Finalists in both major codes decided. Cats were just awful, and Tigers too powerful for GWS. Should be a great GF with neither side taking the flag for decades. Storm win wasn’t a surprise but the score was. Hat off to the NQ Cowboys. They’ve swept all before them.
A huge weekend f sport beckons. Aust XI faces India in the 3rd ODI, too. Starting in a few minutes.
Forgot about the cricket. I’ll flick it on when I get home. QRL GF was a ripper. Favourites Hunters went to 1/2 time down 10 – 0 but came out and scored immediately after the break for 10 – 6. Hunters scored in the final 2 minutes to lock the scores up at 10 apiece before Ase Boas took the kick right in front for a 12 -10 lead. Coast stuffed up the short kickoff and the siren ended the tussle. Hot day here and the ball was like a cake of soap in sweaty hands. They’ll be rocking in Port Moresby tonight!
Cotchin could be in strife with the MRP I feel.
We have a winner in the “Wally of the Year” (WOTY) contest Mr Insider and it goes hands down to fat little Kim Jong un for threating to Nuke the USA! Goodness me do hope “Rocketman” has a very deep Bunker, provisioned for quite some time as it could be years before he is able to resurface to view the desolation of his Country. Pity Jean Baptiste, a huge fan of Fat Kimmie, was not around to comment.
http://tinyurl.com/yaymrwd6
Someone should reassure the ‘no’ mob that no-one will stop them being narrow minded hating bigots, nor raising their children to hate. Its all good. You can still be horrible.
Hi Wraith, good post. Great to hear from you.
I think Scott Ludlam said it best last week.
“YES, you miserable carnival of bastards.”
It appears that getting out of politics agrees with him.
And you wonder why the other dude might be a little testy about the rhetoric.
I’m a yes voter Wraith but at the moment many on the yes side are behaving like narrow minded hating biggots.
Razor,
I got the text yesterday, which didn’t bother me too much , but I do wonder how they got my phone number which is only used for 6 months a year. Someone said it was Telstra giving out the numbers but my husband got a text as well and he’s not with Telstra.
I just wish that Malcolm Turnbull had had the balls to do what he’s paid to do and make the parliament decide. Laurie Oakes got it right at his Press Club address, MT needs to learn how to be a politician….he certainly isn’t a good one now.
This business is certainly going to get way nastier and from both sides.
Penny with regard to MT a truer comment has never been uttered on this blog. With regard to the text issue I reckon we haven’t heard the last of this. Something’s crook in tallarook…..
I don’t have an issue with SSM. None at all.But I wish I knew what the wider implications are. I feel uneasy having an emotional vote – and I certainly won’t be bullied into voting.
I don’t understand why No voters should be regarded as “haters”. I’m sure they love their children and those around them just as much as same sex couples do.
Surely one is entitled to an opinion and still be a nice person?
I haven’t voted – I’m not there. If my envelope is still in the letterbox when I get back, I’ll vote.
Both sides would be paying some big advertising dollars Boa so I suppose they know the groups they are targeting with their message. I actually think it’s more about getting your particular side to vote. One thing I haven’t seen in my travels or conversations is anybody who is in the grey area. 95% yes and 5% no. Haven’t heard anyone say maybe.
The whole thing seems a debacle. I’m so glad I am missing a fair whack of it.
No TV or politics for a month has been blissful.
Mostly the overwhelming majority of yes voters are kind, compassionate and generous of spirit. People like yourself Razor. Of course the bitterly opposed conservatives, fearing a loss of control of authority, are wildly exaggerating the negative aspects of the miniscule number of yes voters who are acting inappropriately.
Isn’t it wonderful that Abbott’s daughter has thrown off the yolk to vote with her conscience. Suck it up Tony your smile has never looked more insincere.
A grown independent woman obviously Bella. I’d be proud of her if she was mine. No matter which way she voted. I just think the younger generation get the same sex marriage thing a lot better than my generation. As for conservatives I wouldn’t class Joe DeBruyn, former head of the shoppies union as a conservative. I think this is more about religion than left or right. There are plenty of Labor voting staunch Catholics who will vote NO.
You got a spare olive branch for the NMHB’s Wraith?
Hi Carl on the Coast, I hope all is well as I note you’ve been gone for a while. Missed your posts mate.
I recently heard a saying you may appreciate:
“Always help a person or an animal in need, you might be the only one who does.” Unknown
My best, Bella
Nice one, Bella!
Sorry about the last one. I saw one of those “no” ads on telly, and ugh yuck, smears and fears and lies. Makes me growl.
It happens. No harm, no foul.
Anyone else get the SMS yesterday from the “YES” campaign? I did, husband didn’t and I’ve blocked the number.
Votes have already been cast in this house, wish I could bloody remember to put them in the mail😳
I got the text Tracy but I can’t see the fuss over it.
I hope for equality for people like my brother but it’s not like Turnbull’s leaders will let it come to pass anyway.
If NO can be written in the sky & same sex relationship commitment by marriage can be spoken of in so many derogatory ways, then I seriously doubt that a text message would ‘hurt’ anyone at all.
Sorry, unlisted number and do not call register and yes, I know sms’s are not covered but they should be.
Come the next election are we going to be bombarded with texts because various people see that as a better way to get their point across.
The votes in this house were for yes and not because of anything the yes campaign has said/done.
equality? It’s not about equality Bella.
how’s those Cowboys eh? What heart, what discipline, proud to be a banana bender.
Surprisingly after all the anxiety of the finals eliminations I’ve suddenly very relaxed in knowing they’re champions, win or lose.
Bring on the Storm. 🐮☇
A magnificent effort from you boys Bella! They’ve played a grand final every week and have shone! I would love them to win on Sunday though just to top things off. You can never write off a Queenslander remember! 😉
I did.
I wondered wher they got my number.
Bought a list from somewhere
Here’s a question for the AFL followers;
On the telly this morning there was a heap of commentary about a couple of hits by two Richmond players. Both hits seemed pretty innocuous to me with the players going for the ball and a head clash resulting. Why would these blokes be in strife?
Contact to the head of an opponent with body, shoulder, arm etc is a real no-no. If you choose to bump (shoulder charge in NRL which is also banned) and even accidentally make contact with an opponent’s head, you’re looking at a holiday. There are worse examples as in a player running past the ball to bump and make head contact or off or away from where the ball is in contest. In the case of the Richmond captain, Cotchin, he was low to the ground, was competing for the ball but did appear to make contact with Shiel’s head with his shoulder. Shiel left the ground concussed although some 20 minutes of play later and did not return. Personally I think Cotchin will be ok but he is likely to be cited. The club will challenge and it will go to the tribunal.
Many thanks.
The circumstances of Cotchin’s contact looked very similar to Dangerfield’s to me – both being unintentional – so why the differences in penalties? Is it because of the looming GF?
It would have been a travesty if Dangerfield had outpolled Martin at the Brownlow (as I thought he might).
Eddie Betts for the Norm Smith medal.
Probably, yes, TO.
A hung Parliament in New Zealand, Mr Insider, with Winston Peters, who lost his own seat but heads up a Party, the Kingmaker. Love our NZ Cousins but a strange voting system imho.
http://tinyurl.com/y9ut57q5
Having lived through the Muldoon dicatorship 1975-1984 and Lange and /Douglas until 1989, where both had majorities in unicameral parliament, I welcome hung parliaments and minority governments with a vengeance…
Vote YES for well hung parliaments.
😀
Tassie and the ACT use the same system.
Explains a lot.
A good cover of a good song by Cold Chisel. Not sure what it has to do with Tim Tams, though: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6BvucwtoXiw
This is pretty funny diversion from the ODIs: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nAv_R1tOUBo