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.
Stephen Colbert one of the funniest and cleverest people on TV imho, Mr Insider, here doing his “Goodbye to the Mooch” segment on his fabulous show in the last 24 hours.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-nPHybGPDdA
Resumes ready Chaps/Chapetts! Mr Insider, a job vacancy here from NASA and I quote; “The U.S. space agency is currently in search not of life on other planets but of a “Planetary Protection Officer”, who can protect Earth and its inhabitants from alien invasion.The job, which is offering a salary of between $124,406 and $187,000 per year, involves preventing alien microbes from contaminating the Earth, as well as ensuring human space explorers do not damage other planets, moons and objects in space.” How hard can it be!
http://tinyurl.com/yagkncnn
Andrew Denton not too well. Let’s hope he recovers well from major bypass surgery.
He has done an enormous amount to promote the cause for voluntary euthanasia.
Victoria seems to be making some positive move in the right direction on the issue – but I cannot for the life of me (no pun intended) understand why a human being should not have the right to exit this world humanely (Nembutal) when they feel like it, and for whatever reason they might have. Violent suicide, hich some see as their only option, is catastrophic for the family and friends – affecting their lives forever.
Nikki Gemmell’s book on the suicide of her mother is a very good read.
I have met Phillip Nitschke and listened to him speak and found him to be a compassionate man doing what he believes is right.
Bless Andrew Denton, Boadicea, lets hope he comes through the heart surgery 100% ok. Cheers.
Apropos of nothing, if I lived in NZ i’d vote Labour. I just love the lovely Jacinda’s policies. She’s not only reminded I of the U in labour, she’s given me a new U in I LUV U !!!! (a bit cheesy??)
Why is Turnbull giving Foxtel 30million of our hard earned…Rupert does not need the money and avoids billions in tax in Oz.
As I understand it is payment to broadcast women’s not covered by the commercial networks, ABC or SBS. The ABC stopped covering the women’s national soccer and basketball leagues last year.
so fund abc n sbs then
ABC had it’s funding slashed last year for alleged bias so it just may be the Fibs just found a more worthy recipient…. to broadcast women’s national sports games.
Again the ABC made its choice and while I’m sure they were related to costs and savings, they could have cut somewhere else and kept covering the women’s soccer or basketball. They chose this path.
Presumably the ABC will have their Treasury funds reduced by $30 million.
What the ABC chooses to broadcast is a matter for it. It decided it didn’t have the resources to cover the two sports and this left these two women’s sports without television coverage.
I thought the ABC was governed by its charter JTI which means that it is supposed to support minority sports.
Long reply but the ABC Charter says no such thing. There’s a lot of talk about the ABC Charter and what it requires the ABC to do and not do. Like most similar documents it does not make specific, detailed requirements of the organisation. Anyway, here it is for you to look at.
6 Charter of the Corporation
(1) The functions of the Corporation are:
(a) to provide within Australia innovative and comprehensive broadcasting services of a high standard as part of the Australian broadcasting system consisting of national, commercial and community sectors and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to provide:
(i) broadcasting programs that contribute to a sense of national identity and inform and entertain, and reflect the cultural diversity of, the Australian community; and
(ii) broadcasting programs of an educational nature;
(b) to transmit to countries outside Australia broadcasting programs of news, current affairs, entertainment and cultural enrichment that will:
(i) encourage awareness of Australia and an international understanding of Australian attitudes on world affairs; and
(ii) enable Australian citizens living or travelling outside Australia to obtain information about Australian affairs and Australian attitudes on world affairs; and
(ba) to provide digital media services; and
(c) to encourage and promote the musical, dramatic and other performing arts in Australia.
Note: See also section 31AA (Corporation or prescribed companies to be the only providers of Commonwealth‑funded international broadcasting services).
(2) In the provision by the Corporation of its broadcasting services within Australia:
(a) the Corporation shall take account of:
(i) the broadcasting services provided by the commercial and community sectors of the Australian broadcasting system;
(ii) the standards from time to time determined by the ACMA in respect of broadcasting services;
(iii) the responsibility of the Corporation as the provider of an independent national broadcasting service to provide a balance between broadcasting programs of wide appeal and specialized broadcasting programs;
(iv) the multicultural character of the Australian community; and
(v) in connection with the provision of broadcasting programs of an educational nature—the responsibilities of the States in relation to education; and
(b) the Corporation shall take all such measures, being measures consistent with the obligations of the Corporation under paragraph (a), as, in the opinion of the Board, will be conducive to the full development by the Corporation of suitable broadcasting programs.
(3) The functions of the Corporation under subsection (1) and the duties imposed on the Corporation under subsection (2) constitute the Charter of the Corporation.
(4) Nothing in this section shall be taken to impose on the Corporation a duty that is enforceable by proceedings in a court.
Long, perhaps, JTI, but clearly necessary, given the tendency of some to cite their own imaginary versions of the Charter with the same serene confidence that Rod Culleton brought to Constitutional interpretation.
As a US citizen, Murdoch is taxed on his global income.
yes, the provisions do lead to a certain amount of grumbling amongst Americans who live in low tax jurisdictions.
I must confess…I have Foxtel…for the Bradman and Footy…that is all I watch….paying for a HEAP of channels I never look at. I would like a system where i pay as I use….type of slot machine system. No way they will do dat tho.
Bassy,
Have a look at ‘Foxtel Now’. I recently switched and love
Greetings from Ottawa.
It’s sort of good to get wall to wall coverage of American politics here, as it’s so interesting at the moment.
Unless someone’s already claimed this line, I’m going to call the Trumpster’s latest effort “Screwing the Mooch”.
What a roller coaster ride it’s been, so far!
Am loving it The Outsider, what a change from the stifling, politically correct, stale, go nowheere politics here in Australia where no one is game to say what they really feel for fear of “offending” someone. Go hard POTUS Trump I say and never change! Cheers
Ol’ Eric doing a fab job of running the case for a Bill & the sooner the better. Every time he gets up behind his pulpit to denounce on the basis of God’s grace, I’m pretty sure many like me, who haven’t given it much of a care, are getting angrier about the obvious tactic of the plebiscite.
Which leads me to wonder – is Turnbull actively encouraging Abetz & Craig Kelly to front the cameras?
I’m beginning to think this is not the issue to twain the Libs in two. Abetz et al are becoming shrill and desperate. This shows they realise the will get rolled IMO. And if they get rolled on this, what are they going to do? Join Cory’s Tories?
The crazy thing is when Abetz was asked if hecwould abide with the pleb if it supported camp marriage he refused to answer.Whatca hypocrite.What did other hard righters say….oh I will have to consult with my constituents…pity they did not do that when Howard took us to war on a lie.
I think this whole SSM thing is being used by Labor, once again, to bring the Coalition into complete disarray, whilst Bill plugs his tax the rich agenda. Which is all being pretty sucessful as we speak.
2% of taxpayers will be effected by the trust changes. Last week you were saying its not just the wealthy that have trusts. this week the wind has changed down in oaky oaks again apparently. You really live on another planet . I bet you support the slave labour path program as well that will actively discourage employers from actually employing people. Why would they employ someone when the taxpayer will pay for them to churn through kids for $10K a pop without having to actually pay or train them. It takes certain sort of ignorance to make the statements you make continually.
I know a few very highly paid people who can do the same job anywhere in the world.
They have openly stated that if they get taxed any more they are off overseas.
Shorten is a bloody idiot if he thinks increasing the tax of those who supply the greater part of the tax revenues is going to work.
He will actually reduce his tax base.
On top of that, Australia is a very high cost country to live in. This cost is already a deterrent to attracting world class research people. Push the tax over 50% and you run into trouble in this area also.
We need these talented people if we are going to maintain our quite precarious living standards.
I’m getting by just fine with my certain kind of ignorance – thanks anyway for your concern, Dismayed.
We certainly do live on a,different planet down here in “oaky oaks” as you so quaintly term Tasmania. Some woukd call it paradise in fact.
I wouldn’t bag us too much sonny boy – SA has the worst NAPLAN results in the nation. Funny that…..
You would appear far more intelligent if you stated your counter-position in a positive and rational way rather than insult.. Many on this blog have tried to tell you that
It certainly takes a super special type of ignorance to conduct onesself as you do
Have a great day
I lived in the bush for 25yrs and cockies used to brag and mouth off to me about their trusts at the pub and wondered why I did not have one…simple. I didn’t earn enough money I would tell them.
John Kelly, Mr Insider, the hard nosed new White House Chief Of Staff, the man who got our lovable Mooch sacked, have only one question about him and that is “has he ever smiled?”
Semper fi. Do or die.
I think a lot of the squabbling folks have been told if they don’t behave they’re out. Kelly seems like a man who tolerates little nonsense.
The true test will be if he can tone down Trump’s nonsense.
I hope he can.
Nothing much to smile about, HB – and constant concern about job security one would think! What a circus.
Millions of dollars later we are told that our universities are cesspits full of rapists. What a load of hysterical bollocks.
I can’t disclose why I know that sexual assaults on campus are a very long way from “bollocks” B, but suffice to say it’s now very much the reality for too many young victims. Most never file a complaint out of fear or shame of exposure, however over 500 official complaints in five years have been lodged to universities across the country & only 6 men have been expelled as a result. Not good enough by any standard.
The powers that be would rather run protection for the reputation of their university & it’s paramount ability to attract cashed-up overseas students, than support a rape victim seeking some kind of justice.
Regards, Bella
If I may ……. a very fine man decided he’d had enough this morning. I’m not a believer but Carl and the others a prayer please.
🙁
Know how you feel Razor.
He was a great bloke but just couldn’t shake the black dog TV.