We’ve always known it. We are miles ahead of the New Zealanders.
Last night in tortured reminiscence of our own political events post the 2010 election, NZ king/queen maker, Winston Peters announced he would support Labour and the Greens in loose coalition and allow Labour to form minority government. Thus Jacinda Ardern became NZ’s fourth prime minister in the last 18 years.
We have proven we can manage that feat in the space of about 18 months.
Bill Shorten got so excited he forgot how to spell or at least forgot how to spell the name of the freshly anointed political big wig of New Zealand, omitting the second ‘r’ from Ardern.
A correctly spelled missive was quickly dispatched but it did make me wonder. For the last 50 years the Americans have been having fun with our prime ministers’ names. From the simple misunderstanding over Malcolm Fraser’s preference for using his middle name as the more familiar to his first, all the way to our current PM who is known in Washington DC as Marlon Tumblington at last check.
Full column here.
There are North Queenslanders, there are bogans, and then there are these guys: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/nation/crocodile-trap-trio-idiots-of-the-century-qld-mayor-says/news-story/fb1b632f919cb4f60bbb1de22d8da09d
Four men photographed swimming into a baited croc trap near the scene of a fatal attack in Queensland appear to be vying for the “idiots of the century award”, a local mayor says.
Photos of the men swimming around and even climbing into the trap at the Port Douglas Marina have surfaced online, leaving Douglas Shire Mayor Julie Leu stunned.
Dwight, when we were in Port Douglas a few weeks ago, there was a crocodile sighted off Four Mile beach and everyone was warned to not go near the water. One guy ignored the warning and when we reminded him that it might be an idea to move away from the water he just waved us away and said that he was from Victoria and no crocodile was going to scare him away. I wonder what he thought when that elderly woman was taken a few weeks later. We see terribly stupid behavior out at Cahills Crossing in East Arnhem in the NT as well. A ranger at Kakadu told me once that we were fortunate that crocodiles are aggressive man-eaters otherwise there would be no fishermen left in the Territory
That should have said aren’t aggressive man eaters….
When I first moved to Cairns I would swim the beach here a couple of days a week. A local told me I was nuts. “What about the crocs?”
Every croc seen on my beach is reported as 2.5 to 3 meters long…which means it’s 2. Half of that is tail. It can’t eat me.
That is the definition of optimism, Dwight. Well done. Actually the real definition of optimism is being in a croc’s mouth and thinking, “The good news is they only eat 50 kgs a day.”
The 15-foot python we had in the neighborhood for a while was a different story. Still couldn’t eat me, but there were no stray cats around here.
Hehehe. They may keep the extras in a doggy bag
I’d be scared if a place had crocodile on the menu.
Mt Isa pub Milton. Salt and Pepper croc. The live ones are miles away.
Yes indeed , Penny. A few years ago we were standing at the lookout above Cahills Crossing watching fishermen standing calf deep on the causeway while crocs came up to breathe not 100 metres away. You may get away with it today, you may get away with it tomorrow, but one day you won’t.
they will do something to address the croc situation in FNQ when some toddler is snatched off the Esplanade in Cairns, until then we will be told we are entering their territory etc etc.
I hear they were wearing budgie smugglers with the Malaysian flag on them
Not as dangerous as you think. From what I understand the croc had been caught. They are very territorial and the chance of another one being in the immediate vicinity unlikely so quickly unlikely.
The newest innovation, the self-baiting croc trap!
Many US folks must have thought that they were voting their favourite dessert at the election: http://www.houseandgarden.co.uk/recipes/desserts-cakes/boodles-orange-fool
Oh dear! I suspect terrible news is in the offing. My guess is new and startling allegations against the POTUS
http://www.news.com.au/technology/innovation/us-air-force-preparing-to-put-nuclear-bombers-back-on-24hour-alert/news-story/9a25b08bb7cbb61ff6369ab89622c472
you’re supposed to suspect that….mind control is everywhere
How low can Donald Trump go: http://edition.cnn.com/2017/10/23/politics/trump-johnson-call/index.html
Moments you never recover from:
Man hits himself with car in bizarre road rage at Malabar
http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/man-hits-himself-with-car-in-bizarre-road-rage-at-malabar/news-story/432ebacb18bdc7f03e3261ccf8ded710
They will bring this up at his wake.
I think it happens a fair bit with seniors, Dwight, in automatic cars, who put their foot down and forget what gear it’s in!!
Does one of you have the missing 1000-page manual on security for Parliament House?
997 pages. sorry….All it was good for
‘All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy ‘
I wonder who proof read it.
There’s another 1000 page ( first in a series) about STEM education etc.
Brevity is not in the Lexicon of today’s “Analysts” – unless of course they are being paid by the page
Yes Dwight 1000 blank pages similar to what PM Turnbull’s Memoirs will look like when published. Cheers
BAE? Not as if they are bidding on any classified projects, right?
Doesn’t take 1000 pages to read “division required, close the doors for 4 minutes.”
I think there may also be a “ring the bells” in there somewhere too.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eje4IrmSVJI
“What is the point of economic growth when we have some of the worst homelessness in the developed world?”
Bravo Jacinda Ardern for caring for all her citizens, not just the wealthy.
Unrestrained capitalism doesn’t look after the wellbeing of ordinary people & our government is a perfect case in point, concentrating most of the wealth to the few to exploit the rest.
I admire her already..makes a very nice change from our dodo PM who’d be unable to comprehend such honesty.
Onya Bella. Here are some quotes which will give the capo forelock tuggers a case of the gripe!
https://www.goodreads.com/author/quotes/21234.Michael_Parenti
Give ’em heaps!
Don’t know about you but that first quote explains everything. Love me some Parenti….here’s another.
“Maintaining silence about a dirty truth is another way of lying, a common practice in high places.”
Yes, and let’s not dismiss that it’s free enterprise that allows Parenti to scribble his opinionated offerings.
Bella, don’t let the rhetoric lead you off the metaphorical cliff. Where are they practicing “unrestrained capitalism”? The main argument in since Hayek/Keynes is not if, but how much.
Do the kiwi’s even know what ‘laissez-faire’ means?
The only place we’ve ever come close was Hong Kong prior to the handback. And at Honker’s height, every dollar in the world passed through there once a year.
I think they do Carl.
Normally the All Blacks do whatever they like with the Wallabies. 😊
Metaphorical cliff?? What the hell are you on about?
Where are they practising unrestrained capitalism?
Here, there & everywhere Dwight, Scandinavian countries excepted.
Apparently, though, even asking such questions is Marxist, or whatever Noth Korea is.
economic growth is one of those things that don’t matter much to those who have enjoyed it most of their lives, but matter a helluva lot to those who have never had it.
http://reneweconomy.com.au/victoria-renewable-energy-target-written-into-law-without-support-of-lnp-31448/
and tictoc for hazlewood
Turn out the lights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aOwieWRkY5o
should read tictoc for Latrobe valley ..
Should be right for the first Test
Carl on the Coast Esq.
I apologise for the delay in replying but great and weighty matters of international diplomacy press upon me and time has been at a premium.
However, your choice of Peter Wadhams as an example of a level headed AGW pundit has left me wondering if you are quite alright yourself old boy?
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2015/oct/02/the-times-did-not-misrepresent-arctic-expert-in-assassination-story-ipso-rules
If he did think, whether he does or does not admit to thinking and stating it, that three climatologists had been
possibly murdered by fossil fuel interests, surely his future observations would be tempered by self preservation and the possibility that he might join the departed?
Disregard the question in the second sentence, it strikes me on reflection that your star witness fits perfectly with your notion of a level headed commentator.
Recalling the poetry of that social climbing jingoistic twat “When are all others are losing their heads and you can keep yours (or thereabouts) then the chances are you’re an idiot and have no comprehension of the seriousness of the situation.”
Cheers me old mate.
JB, it seems those “great and weighty matters” you refer to, whatever they may have been, appear to have pressed too hard.
My best wishes for a speedy recovery me old mate
Yes yes, thanks I appreciate it, but what about the link and your expert? More “fake news” in the world according to Carl?
Cheerio, here ya goeeoh!
https://www.nationalgeographic.com/magazine/2017/07/antarctica-sea-level-rise-climate-change/
Would that be your apparent missing link me old mate?
Crikey. No doubt the correspondents here are all immaculately formed and devastatingly beautiful/handsome.
Long way to go yet before they are as fickle as us.
Why thank you Mr Baptiste was just almost saying the same thing about myself as I looked in the mirror today. Cheers my good man.
Ah! The red dress, the pearls and the diamante tiara! Hubba hubba Henry.
Im with you on this JB, its childish, but, what can you do hey?
What can you do? Elementary my dear Wraith. Give ’em heaps.
I see Jacinda has already been asked about babies vs career too. What is reasonable about a question that’s never asked of a male politician?
Asking her to reveal her plans for her uterus smacks of sexism and discrimination & frankly so does any petty discussion on her appearance.
Agree Bella. But journalists often ask the most excruciatingly dumb questions, not so?
Sheesh, that’s so wrong Bella. Agree with you there.
oooo grrr. so wanna see some sheila answer that from the heart…
sorta ,like….Navratilova style
Males cannot have babies as I understand the biology.