Much has been made of the Turnbull government’s successes in the last week of sitting in the federal parliament. Malcolm Turnbull is crowing but there is a broad understanding the hot ticket item, the ABCC legislation which passed through the Senate earlier this week, has been rendered a dud and that Derryn Hinch was played by the CFMEU to cough up concessions.
While being tricked by the CFMEU’s office bearers is hardly something anyone would want to put on their political resumes, Hinch would not see it that way. He may have his own explanation for it. I have no doubt he could spout some rationalisation at the drop of a hat. That is a talent he undoubtedly possesses.
More generally, I’d suggest voters should be leery of people like Hinch becoming representative politicians. Perhaps we should adopt a tacit rule that wherever a political party appears with the word ‘justice’ in it, that party is not worth the ballot paper it is written on. Where it appears featuring the name of a media personality before the word ‘justice’ you can put the house (or indeed the Senate) on it being a self-serving exercise in the sort of ‘look at me’ politics we have come to know and despise in this country.
Full column here:
Haven’t followed it, but does anyone know if the Green Army initiative actually achieved anything – anything at all. Were there any benchmarks?
Why single out the Green Army Yvonne?
Apart from making our lives miserable, has Government actually achieved anything?
I think that that is exactly what the proposed review of the Green Army will explore. One thing that government departments (mostly) have down these days is process, so I’d be surprised if there weren’t any KPIs.
Carl on the Coast 11:32 AM
My frivolity towards prissy apostropheists is warranted Carl, but I take AGW and the future of our successors very seriously indeed, as would anyone under the circumstances, unless they are a complete imbecile.
I believe you tried on the consistency of sea level rises red herring some time ago and I answered at some length. I don’t believe you thanked me for my efforts to educate you but here is a brief summary. When the sea levels have risen three feet the great ocean currents will probably have been affected so pressure may well cause different disparities to that we see now. The great masses of land ice will have considerably diminished altering the gravitational factor so it is predicted that there will be much higher than the average sea level rise in some areas.
Clearly in denial you have no intention of availing yourself of the science and believe you can hold back the sea by the force of your will. Not everybody is a complete fruitcake so I will ignore your request not to refer to learned work. You can always exert the force of your will to influence any intelligent passer by who has a brain and gives a sh*t not click on the link if it will help you feel secure.
http://ocean.nationalgeographic.com/ocean/critical-issues-sea-level-rise/
If a lightning bolt hits you between the eyes and knocks a bit of sense into you, I wouldn’t worry too much about a three foot sea level rise, in Bondi or London Carl, most humans will already be dead from starvation or suffocation by then.
Kind regards. I love your work.
“You bastard Malcolm”, screams ex ousted PM Tony Abbott, Mr Insider, as he learns late today of his Green Army scrapping by that nasty Mr Turnbull. But if you study the figures it all works out $$$$$$$ wise. Last week Turnbull had to give the Greens $100Million for Landcare to get his Backpacker Tax thru and by scrapping the Green Army he saves $350million. The bottom line in Malcolm’s favour is 350-100 = + $250 Million to the Budget bottom line! I have never seen anyone from this so called Green Army anywhere at all?
http://tinyurl.com/gnc4nru
They’re well camouflaged, HB like any army. Abbott’s a genius like that.
I see Abbott is channelling Dismayed. Oh the Humanity ! ? HAHAHAHA
Oh my goodness then there is Mad Barnaby. Off course the sheep here will say decentralisation but to what end? Ongoing disgrace.
http://www.theage.com.au/national/public-service/barnaby-joyce-listened-to-a-celebrity-gardener-over-veterinary-industry-experts-labor-20161205-gt44ik.html
I, Daniel Blake – not a movie to go and see if you need cheering up. A stark look at the reality of dealing with the welfare bureaucracy in Britain. Powerful – I need a stiff drink………………..
Abbott has just said this is a baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaad government for killing off his Green Swarmy. But what retiring John Key said about The Looters when he visited in 2015 was much more interesting-definitely a man of vision:-
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“The Australian Prime Minister’s office is a crucible of crisis, waging a full-time operation just to keep the PM in his job for even a single term”. Key saw that the Abbott government had no reform narrative. It had slogans, but no persuasive case. Second, the Key Team concluded that it had no “political architecture” to manage the government. They were “puzzled about the absence of an architecture for conducting the business of government– how to take the backbench along with the executive, how to reach out to the crossbenches, how to connect with key constituencies”, said a participant. A glaring example the Kiwis remarked on – how could a political party whose support base is 50 per cent female have but one female member of cabinet? In sum, The Looters were not equipped to carry the people or manage the government. The situation is even worse since Key was last here!
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It was obvious to an experienced overseas leadership team. NZ’s Deputy Prime Minister, Finance Minister Bill English, was able to say in a speech in Melbourne : “A guiding principle of the John Key-led government has been to take the public along with us as we make changes”. Could any Looter minister make this claim? Only if he wanted to get some laughs. Abbott never set up a serious “political architecture” for government because his operation was essentially unchanged from his time as opposition leader. This is how the En Zedderz saw us.
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Why can’t I scroll from the centre of the page any more…only from the side? Could on the old blog.
Sheep jokes, Jack?
Former critic of Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, now says he would be ok with Mitt getting the US Secretary of State job Mr Insider. Maybe Newt has some “inside” news on this selection, we will know for sure very soon!
http://tinyurl.com/hjendsl
TBLS – I read somewhere that Victoria (the state) has a list of banned children’s names. Not good enough. I think couples should be made to fill out a list of names that they would choose from if they were to conceive. If these weren’t acceptable I believe sterilisation is the right way to go. You know it makes sense.