The cavalcade of identity confusion continues in the federal parliament with Labor backbencher Justine Keay announcing today she would refer her case to the High Court. Despite taking steps to renounce her British citizenship prior to nominating, the Tasmanian MP was a British citizen on the date of the election.
In the ugly partisan to and fro bargaining between the Prime Minister and the Opposition Leader over what is to be done to bring this crisis of confidence in the parliament to an end, what is being offered from both sides is little more than a protection racket for those of their number who are still hiding under rocks.
Apparently the answer, rather like a good shampoo and conditioner, is to rinse and repeat.
For the many Australians who have not seriously considered a run at the federal parliament, it will be instructive to learn that the nomination form issued by the Australian Electoral Commission for all candidates to the federal parliament features a word-for-word reproduction of Section 44 of the Australian Constitution.
Full column here.
Jean Baptiste – re codeine and alcohol:
I don’t really buy the idea that keeping the populace nicely dull with booze is the governments way of keeping us under control. That credits them with far too much cunning. No, they don’t fuss too much about grog because politicians, police, judges, doctors, health activists and all the usual fussy-britches enjoy the idiot soup as much as the rest of us. Never mind that ethanol causes more death, illness, social dysfunction and poverty than every other drug put together, they ain’t about to deny themselves a belt.
As for the TGAs restrictions on codeine, that has much more to do with public servants trying to find things to justify their time sheets than a concern for public health. When the bureaucracy starts sniffing out around the bleeding margins of human activity for things to keep themselves occupied it’s a sure sign of a department ripe for culling. The fact that the Liberals are now captive of them is a sign we won’t be getting out of this hole during my lifetime.
“A wise man will gore the government, mind his own business and hope the government will ignore him.” Daoists I think.
That’s the whole point isn’t it TBLS, because the whole country is pissed, or at least using goombu to interfere with the natural processes of a rational mind we end up with the misery gutted society, the sort against which you rail.
Try to be more forgiving. What on earth do you expect from a nation full of jumped up monkeys pied eyed on fermentation? And subverting Darwinian natural selection. Let ’em take what they like when they like I say.
When the God Botherers no longer have the mind control they once enforced the masters are happy to keep the masses sedated. Inefficiency and injury are mere bagatelles of collateral.
Sit back and enjoy the show. The Government will be handing out Serapax for free about five years now.
They aren’t too dusty on crowd control in the land of the Dao, Master.
They’d need to be I reckon.
Here is an interesting article for your interest Grasshopper.
https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2012/01/how-china-stays-stable-despite-500-protests-every-day/250940/
Send in the gunships and put ’em back on the opium.
Think you’re wrong about codeine, TBLS. Highly addictive and dangerous to health. Many are addicted to it without even realising it. Unlike alcohol, it’s something that can be controlled fairly easily.
You can’t get it over the counter in Europe either.
Yes you can Boa. I bought Codeine quite legally in France when after a cold remedy, although it didn’t say it was Codeine. I had an unfortunate reaction to it and it wasn’t until I translated the label that I realised what it was.
Wouldn’t give it to me in Italy, Penny, when I tried to buy the equivalent of Codral for sinus. But they were very happy to give me pseudo ephedrine (which is the other ingredient of original formula Codral)! It’s the opposite here at the moment – pseudo ephedrine us the baddie and needs a driver’s licence produced to purchase.
The thing is, I love Codrals and gwit used to taking them for sinus headaches. But to be honest, pseudo ephedrine on its own is just as effective and these days i try to avoid Codral because I am not prepared to pay a $95 GP fee to get them next year!
That’s the point I’m trying to make about an addictive drug like codeine perhaps not being the B all and end all for chronic pain.
A national government should be focussed on matters of national importance. No matter how tragic on a personal level, codeine overdoses are not a matter of national importance. Not even a tiny bit. This is just another lot of the busy-bodying that the Liberals should be putting an end to, but won’t because they have the Canberra disease as bad as the other mob.
I’m expecting people with chronic pain to do worse out of all those restrictions than the junkies and the doctor-shoppers myself.
But that’s the issue Rhys. There could be other drugs that are just as effective and not as harmful, but they are not given a try. They will be, and the habitual users may find they feel a lot better on something else?
Of course they will. And most especially if they live in the bush, have to drive ninety or more kilometres every week to get to town and can’t get a GP appointment in under ten days. Take it from me – I’m going through it right now with my shoulder (though not taking codeine for it).
Not complaining – I’m relatively young and fit but I wouldn’t want to be an oldie out here dealing with chronic pain issues and being told there’s another bureaucratic hurdle and another bill to pay for a bit of relief.
Just one more way the Liberals have discovered to screw their base.
Correct me if I’m wrong here – but rather than screwing their base, this will cost the government more in Medicare rebates from visits to GP’s won’t it?
Maybe they did the algorithms or whatever and decided that the cost of GP visits was less than advanced care for kidney and other organ damage?
So throwing more taxpayer-provided money at people to compensate them for unnecessary government-imposed inconvenience? Yep, that sounds like federal thinking alright.
As for the algorithms and costs thing, maybe, but I’m strongly suspicious of anyone who thinks they can work things out that precisely. Especially if they are public servants. Look at Treasury’s recent record of predictions.
Trabvitch – re the post below about dogs:
It all ended well. After an exchange of emails in which I pointed out a few legal realities (and I’m sure they would have run it past their lawyers), I got over $600 refunded, an apology and an undertaking that their people would be better trained in future. That last bit didn’t get done because the two individuals in question were sacked shortly after – turns out my case wasn’t their only little over-step. Truth be told, I was -technically – in the wrong but I pushed them a bit because it was a certainty they were going to make a mess of things. They didn’t disappoint.
But it was stressful and annoying and all-too typical of the kind of harassment of the citizenry by governments that has become pretty standard.
@ JackSprat says:
NOVEMBER 12, 2017 AT 9:22 PM
.
You know Mr Sprat, when I swore my citizenship oath the Mayor made a point of telling me that we dont make people denounce their previous countries as citizens. I think we should, it could make things clearer (maybe). Im still for swearing some sort of new oath as you join up for parliament, that wipes out all previous ties. But that would be too easy and playing nice wouldnt it? You know they cant do that.
cheers.
Denounce seems a tad harsh wraith. I’d go for renounce.
Precisely.
No 23 Consecutive Negative Newspoll for the old “Barry Crocker” PM Turnbull, Mr Insider as he now moves to only 7 away from the “Champeen” ex ousted PM Abbott who scored 30 before being shown the door by his own Party. ,Malcolm came to power quoting Abbotts shocking Newspolls too! The Polls toll for thee Malcolm ohh yes they do you wally, close the door on your way out!
http://tinyurl.com/yb5m8ov2
Ok, I must admit that I’ve not been keeping up with this citizenship mess and I’m a bit confused but i’ll go ahead anyway . My Mum and Dad came out from Scotland in 1947 along with four of my siblings , I was born in Australia , so does this make me a duel citizen ? … Help having sleepless nights …
Almost certainly yes.
If you are a duel citizen you must be pretty good at it. You’d have been skewered or shot years ago otherwise.
🙂
Makes ye a braw bonnie lad wi’ a sporran that would choke a sassenach Billy boy! Hoots!
Bill? Hmmmmn.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hp4mENrAnq4
A good thing that Turnbull like all politicians pays no mind to the polls as today would be an ideal day to be indifferent as “in freefall” leapt off the page. As did Julie Bishop having the numbers. It must be her turn. The busiest person in Australia would have to be the Prime Ministerial portraitist.
Here’s Turnbull on Newspolls Milton, as he scores No23 consecutive negative today. Cheers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGdoenynrRs
Come to think of hit Henry it’s hard to do freefall if you’ve never really soared to any heights. Wheel him out, roll in Bishop, she’ll get the people’s thumbs down and Abbott will be leader of the opposition once more.
The way things are going they’ll need to re-purpose one of those old unemployed car-building robots to turn out the leadership portraits. It’s hard to imagine a human could keep up.
Hark ! A distant sound. Sounded like Peta Credlin’s head exploding.
I see the §44 farce might just become a ‘nuclear’ farce if the threats from both sides of the Despatch Table are realised.
Get Kimmie in to mediate
What it says to me Rhys is that the rules that Shorten plays by is that there are no rules unless you are found out.
This whole sorrow debacle has lowered the opinion of Parliament by all and sundry – that is if it could go any lower than it was.
What Shorten, Turnbull and Co do not realize is that they set the moral tone of the country.
Latest Newspoll 55-45 Labor but the BIG but is Stan. Now Stan STILL cannot score preferred PM against a stumbling bumbling T.Bull and possibly the worst govt since Federation as The Dutchman says… ANDREW BOLT, Nov 5th, Daily Telegraph:- “The Liberals have delivered record debt, record spending and record electricity prices.” If T.Bull must go Labor should also put up somebody who may be respected as PM and survive a Khaki election based on scare, terrorism, sabre rattling and refugees.
Albanese used to annoy the crap out of me, Bassy. Bit he looks like a more desirable inevitable option.
But with a surname like that can we be sure he’s not a dual citizen?!
I like people like Jim Chalmers, Dreyfus, Andrew Leigh, Jason Clare…many with Ph.D’s in Economics. I like these people because they don’t have the smell of Gillard/Rudd assasinations about them. Clean skins, articulate and all good on their feet….they would sly and Looters in debate.
As I have said many times on here Bassy, Andrew Leigh is the man.
“Liberals often talk like they’re born to rule.
Alas, the problem is quite the opposite.”
Andrew Leigh MP 12/11/17
This guy would wipe Morrison out in a debate on the Economy.
I don’t know if Jesus Christ wants the gig BASSMAN.
Turnbull should Man Up about Manus…It has cost $500,000 per refugee to incarcerate asylum seekers offshore. On economic grounds alone it would make sense to process them in Australia when this mob wailed debt, deficit our grandchildren for 6yrs. The Rudd agreement with P.N.G. was for 12 months-they have been there under the Liberals for over 4 years. Dutts says he will not contemplate sending asylum seekers to New Zealand because of ‘pull factors’. Strange considering Howard sent refugees to New Zealand under similar circumstances. Using Mr Dutt’s logic, wouldn’t refugees to the USA also be a ‘pull factor’ ? Let us be very clear. The boats have stopped because of turnbacks, not offshore processing. Some 31 boats have been turned back in the last two years with the usual Dutt’s secrecy and ‘out of sight out of mind’ mentality.
Let me make a prediction Bassy.
Labor will win the next election;
The people on Manus and Narau will come to Australia;
The purveyors of that lucrative trade known as people smuggling will use that as a signal to their customers that there is a Government in place that is weak on border protection; ( an accurate one in my view)
Then it will not be 31 boats in 2 years it will be 31 boats a month and there will be no stopping it.
It will be worse than the last 6 months of Julia’s reign when 20,000 appeared on on our doorstep.
Your answer to this will be bollocks, fear mongering etc. but many, and they are not all in the right wing of the Liberal Party, agree with it.
The left side of politics are very big on issues but usually have a total disregard for consequences of their actions.
By the way, have you calculated the to date cost of the 50,000 that came in under Labor?
I will bet you $100bux 31 boats a month will NOT start arriving as soon as Labor gets in.Now put up or shut up.Jack has my email address. I am waiting son.And dont forget every attempt Labor made to stop boats or deal with other countries Abbott was always there to say NO!And on Malaysia he has now said he should have backed Labor on this….just as Credlin has fessed up there never was a carbon tax.The Libs made it into one to wedge Labor.
Abbott said he should have said yes to Malaysia to watch it fail and further wedge Labor Bassy. You have had this pointed out to you on countless occasions.
There will be a lead time of about 6 months for the pipeline to fill up.
Then it will slowly build up to a crescendo. Then Shorten will run around like a chook without a head and curse the day he went to bed with the Greens and pretty well every other power group so that he could sample the wine cellar at the lodge.
Labor did NOT stop the boats Bassy – that is pure Labor fantasy. They did admit that they were naive in winding back the controls the Libs had put in . They had no idea how to solve the problem they caused and to a man/woman condemned Abbott’s plan to turn back the boats and stop advertising the results of the trade . It was going to create all sorts of problems that never eventuated.
I never bet and besides, when I won, I would be prone to make a gift to your young baby.
And I am not going to shut up and you know, deep down, that I am right.
One only has to listen to the Labor left to know what they will do and then KABOOM!
You are wrong
It was Labor that stopped the boats this time
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/did-tony-abbott-stop-the-boats-new-analysis-casts-doubt-on-claims-20150924-gjtwfo.html
Yep.
UR on Bald…read the wording of the bet carefully and keep in mind the boats did NOT stop under the Looters
I’m not joining the bet, mate. Of course it won’t start the instant they get back in. As JackSprat says, there will be a lead-time where the new government will be tested – as was Rudd’s government – it will fail, the pipeline will start to fill again and there will be a gradual increase in arrivals of the type you denied every hour on the hour was happening last time.
Don’t think you’re going to make an easy $100 out of me by pretending you know what you’re talking about. On this topic you never have and never will.
I’m with swantoony! He is our immigration expert. His having worked in the field helps immensely.
Razor…I respect Bow being a customs man from the old skool but he knows as well as I do that caging people has not stopped boats. Its the turnbacks.
firstly, i believe they have all been processed, that is their refugee status has been determined.
now it’s just a question of where do the refugees get to settle and when do the non-refugees go home or somewhere else.
i think the hawke, keating and howard governments would have found a way of dealing with the refugees by now, and it is a government failure that they have not worked out a way to do this. though i would agree it has become harder to pull off a deal like that due to the increasingly poisonous politics of the situation.
there is something at least slightly absurd about people locking themselves up and refusing to leave a centre where they have claimed to be jailed for years.
immigration and refugee issues do tend to throw up the absurdities.
the other thing that should be obvious by now is that this not likely to be a winner for Labor.
a comfortable majority of australians are both pro-immigration and against open borders and free entry to unauthorised arrivals.
twenty-one years of being abused, screamed and called racist has not shifted that majority more than an inch.
I just don’t get Malcolm Turnbull’s strategy – if there is one – on the citizenship matter. One one hand, he threatens to use government/crossbench numbers to refer suspected Labor irregularities to the High Court. On the other, he ‘s not pushing an audit of all MPs, so their bona fides can be established and the Government can go on with what their supposed to be doing.
This latest move just makes him look partisan and desperate.
The whole sorry business is a disaster.
Agree though, Shorten is managing to avoid scrutiny whilst running rings around Turnbull.
Ugly stuff.
Just audit the whole bloody lot of them and let’s move on to whatever comes next.
He has a strategy?
No!