Australian federal politics

[ronan01]

Name objective and timeline of Middle East involvement, demand Greens

LEIGH SALES: But if you want these sorts of problems to be solved by diplomatic means, at a certain point you would have to deal with IS. With whom from IS - with whom from IS should the international community negotiate on a diplomatic level?

CHRISTINE MILNE: Well it's not about diplomatic negotiation with ISIL. It is about a political outcome both in Iraq and in Syria. And in terms ...

LEIGH SALES: But then, so, what, ISIL just evaporates?

CHRISTINE MILNE: ISIL - actually, what we will end up with is al-Qaeda and ISIL joining together and forming an even worse combination and out of that we could even get more extreme terrorist organisations.

LEIGH SALES: But if we do what you're suggesting, what in your mind would happen to IS?

CHRISTINE MILNE: Well what I should - as I said, I think what should happen: the Middle Eastern countries need to take a stronger role than they have. It is clearly something that is going to lead to even exacerbated problems in Syria and we have no concept of what we want to get out of it. Is it a political change that we are wanting or are we just following the US? And that's my point, Leigh: we are just following the US. We don't know how long we'll be there for, we don't know how many people will be killed, and the fact is, here in Australia, we have already seen a deterioration because people don't feel safer here, they feel actually afraid because of what's happened.

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2014/s4098644.htm

[wazza]

Plain and simple why Arab nations are getting fingers dirty in this one again

Shia vs nonsense

Iran vs Irag

Internal religious divide once again and agree with Milne, its not our fight.

[GT93]

Milne also seems to me to be advocating a more independent foreign policy which I think is usually a good idea for smaller nations. You don't want a Yo Blair moment where the smaller nation is a serf.

I think she makes the mistake that ISIS can act like a nation. They're just a bunch of looney psychopathic thugs that can't and don't want to function at that level. The Arabs should be able to deal to them with the right support from the west. They have enough oil dollars to fund it themselves as well. I'm a fan of minimal western involvement.

[GT93]

Here's a link to a brief article on the growing desire to rid Pacific flags of the Union Jack:

http://www.stuff.co.nz/national/1058087 ... group-flag

It looks like NZ's PM is very serious about this and that change might happen within the next 3 years (the next NZ election is 3 years away). I'm not too sure though about the silver fern as the NZ flag. I trust we'll be presented with some other choices at some stage.

Key is socially much more liberal than Abbott and economically probably a bit less dry. I suspect Key wants a place in the NZ history books as a progressive in furthering our de-linking from Europe and the UK.

[ronan01]

Julia Gillard’s delusions of gender bias

She claims to have “made lasting changes to our nation” but, in reality, Australia in 2014 is little different from Australia circa 2010.

In many respects, Gillard has written a memoir for her own benefit, a form of psychological reassurance that her 15 years in Canberra – ending in record levels of Labor division, bitterness and unpopularity – weren’t a complete waste of time.

http://www.afr.com/p/national/arts_sale ... YODRLtPJSK

[ronan01]

Christine Milne is a moron on any topic - she even wants to destroy the Australian coal industry, any industry in fact.

[GT93]

The Greens in NZ, led by an Aussie, side with Labour. I read a recent article that they'd be better off siding with the Tories (the National Party in NZ) as the Tories win more elections than they lose. They get sod all votes in poor electorates and get most of their votes in wealthier electorates. Their Aussie joint leader even said they were more pro-market than the Tories in our recently finished election campaign. Tories usually dish up lots of goodies to their supporters (old folks) so they aren't as pro-market as they brag.

There's no reason why the Greens need to be left of centre. Our Greens were advocating a drop in income tax. Hooray. I expect that will become the Green position - less income tax for those who work for their living and environmental taxes for polluters. I see this as an inevitable 21 st century trend. Income tax will be a short lived tax for governments. A 20th century tax. Of course if global warming is crap or not a problem, this won't be so. I work for my income so I prefer taxes to be imposed on the rentier class and polluters. The coal industry will have far bigger enemies than Milne this century unless global warming being a significant disaster is a load of bollocks.

[ronan01]

Tony Abbott made perfectly measured comments on the confronting nature of a woman dressed in a beehive suit (as Bill Maher described it) and the creeping Jesuses came out in force. Tanya Plibersek apparently finds Abbott in Speedos, performing a public service by patrolling our beaches, confronting. I find Plibersek confronting no matter how she is dressed or whatever she is doing. Superciliousness personified. I find Christine Milne and Andrew Wilkie and Chris Bowen, among other pissants, confronting. Do Australian values mean nothing to them? Is their national self-esteem so low that any alien cultural abomination passes muster? Or is it just a tawdry case of their being votes in it?

Beehive suits are permissible on public streets and in parks. Entry into private establishments is entirely up to the proprietors. I was not allowed into a Newtown pub wearing a cap. Entry into potential terrorist targets — airports, courts, state and federal parliament buildings, and the like — should be disallowed, full stop, no exceptions.

John Stuart Mill (On Liberty) put it well, as he often did: “When a person’s conduct affects the interest of no persons besides himself … there should be perfect freedom, legal and social, to do the action”. But he added instructively “… and stand the consequences”.

There are consequences to dressing from head to toe in a beehive suit. One of them is being regarded as a potential security risk. There is an option: When in Australia dress as an Australian.

http://quadrant.org.au/opinion/qed/2014 ... ed-shroud/

[BobHelm]

There is an option: When in Australia dress as an Australian.

Could not agree more ronan....

[ronan01]

There is an option: When in Australia dress as an Australian.

Could not agree more ronan....

early australians.jpg

Hahaha, yes, when in Rome, but but .....

[GT93]

I'd get terribly sunburnt if I had to dress like those Australians Bob. I think I'd give Oz a miss although I'd be very interested in what young Australian women might have to show ...

[Aardvark]

I'd get terribly sunburnt if I had to dress like those Australians Bob. I think I'd give Oz a miss although I'd be very interested in what young Australian women might have to show ...

Ask Wazza, he comes from there

[GT93]

I think he'd confirm that Australia is rightfully famous for its white pointers. When I lived in Melbourne I saw a few of those in individual Street.

Fortunately I never as far as I know visited a bar where Jason Moran and the Black Prince of Lygon Street were hanging out. Be careful of downunder. On another thread he said that his Melbourne home wasn't far from where the Black Prince lived. He might know friends of the Black Prince if any of them are still alive. I want the public record to reflect that I state downunder is a top bloke (apart from his footy team).

[downunder]

Thanks for the rap GT, There are many Restaurants in Lygon Street Carlton and have eaten in most of them. but never knew the existence of the Lygon Mob. The only thing that was common was that they all seem to have their own God Father who would sit at the table with their coats draped over their sholders. We dare not stare, just minded our own business, so never had any problems. In Lygon Street there is[was] a very popular Wine Bar called Jimmy Watson's to which I had many a paint thinner and a good place to pick up ladies, who after 3 drinks would be anyone's As for Carlton, we have had the good times and recently the bad and now look to the future to which I am sure that an improvement is about to take place. Heard a rumour that the Swans are to change their colours of Red and White to Pink and Grey and will be called the Galah's

[Sport]

There is an option: When in Australia dress as an Australian.

Could not agree more ronan....

early australians.jpg

Hey bro, dem dare my rel's. Yu got du Uncle Jimmy, du uncle Witchety, du uncle Barry Mundi, du great uncle Woomera and du great grandfather Wikathunda. Great photo of du family bro.

[GT93]

Urrrrm, I think it's more diplomatic to discuss the colours of the Galah or the Mad Monk's lycra. Or something else such as Julie Bishop becoming Ms. Popularity or Smoking Joe being in the dog box.

[macca46]

Amazing feral Beryl from down under made a brilliant statement about our unwanted pests have to give credit where credit is due I just hope she is now being coached and I might change my mind about her!!

[GT93]

NZ's Tory PM presses on with a referendum on changing the NZ flag. There's going to be lots of consultation. A committee will hear public submissions and at the end of 2015 the public will vote on the best alternative flag from a choice of 3 or 4 possible flags. Hopefully there will be a clear winner. Then in April 2016 we will vote on whether we want the best alternative or the the current flag.

Some trouble and strive lies ahead. Old soldiers aren't happy but the PM said the graves of the many Kiwi soldiers buried in war cemeteries in Europe have the silver fern on them and not the NZ flag:

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/artic ... d=11342823

Once the Mad Monk is gone I gather Australia would follow if NZ has changed its flag? And to get one over us Australia might also go the whole hog and become a republic. If it wasn't for Maori political issues I reckon we'd become a republic before Australia. I think Maori now tend to see the Queen as a protector of their rights and the NZ government as more of an adversary. We could argue about that but I'd expect many Maori leaders to oppose NZ becoming a republic.

I fear the NZ rugby public's love of the silver fern is going to be a problem. I sure as hell don't want a black background on the flag.

[Aardvark]

Key is just another idiot Politician who's only concern is to put himself into the History books. The White Fern indeed. How about the "Kiwi" standing under a long white cloud ?? But of course that doesn't have the same effect as the Fern and it's relationship with NZ success on the Rugby Field. What a small minded little Man. Like Politicians from both our Countries, if they put as much effort into the economy as they do their Ego's they might actually achieve something and still go into the History Books, but for something worth while

[GT93]

I didn't vote for Key with my main vote (although I nearly did) but in the big picture of politicians he ain't too bad Ardie. He seems to be approaching the flag issue from the middle ground. He doesn't seem to have tried to rig the outcome. I see it as a step forward rather than backwards. At this stage the outcome of the process is uncertain.

With Key you pretty much get what you see and what he says. During the election campaign there were leaks about the dark arts of one of his political staff but that was largely limited to the political operator leaking information to a nasty right wing blogger to help him dish up trash on those on the other side of the political fence. Key is a bit of a teflon operator - mud rarely sticks to him. Abbott must be envious but Abbott causes a lot of his own problems with his high testosterone outbursts.

I see Pravada has replied in kind:

Bancroft-Hinchey was speaking after penning an editorial for Pravda, in which he wrote of Mr Abbott that: "It is difficult to find a more blatant example of childishness, incompetence for the position, criminal intent, downright nastiness and an indication of a disturbed mind crying out for therapy. Don't the Australian people deserve better?".

From the ABC. I don't have a problem with Abbott putting some heat on Putin but it's getting amusing and off issue now.