Australian Politics (4 Viewers)

[Lentern]

How do you so effortlessly misinterpret peoples's posts and opinions in general, Lentern? I don't even like or respect Latham, yet you've based your entire rant there on the premise that I do, that people remember and care about Latham, and that who a politician allied with 5 years ago for one reason or another is an accurate measure of his intelligence. Your attempt at equating Gillard with Latham is also highly amusing.

I know you read my posts, so I'm left wondering how you manage to avoid actually understanding them.



Because Rudd had more powerful allies to appease? Come on Lentern, keep up.



See, this is exactly what I'm talking about. I'm an economically centrist, social liberal who supports the welfare state and thinks Howard was a manipulative and often callous bastard and you somehow manage to take that and interpret it as some kind of admiration for him. Seriously Lentern, WTF?

That you did not swallow the "whatever he stood for, you gotta respect Howard was a conviction politcian" narrative has meant an enormous increase in my respect for your analytical skills. On everything else though I still think you're dead wrong. I'll be relatively genuine now.

Honestly(as opposed to some less genuine although carrying meaning comments, eg "if it comes to Ferguson being the best man left for the job they should just abolish the positon of treasurer") I think Latham and Gillard although having different politics have like views on the art of politics. That is, amongst other things, this idea of proving you are "tougher" than the other guy. The belligerence in parliament, the passion shown in public addresses, the hatred they seem to demonstrate for the other side; its all so militant and most swinging voters reasonably content with life don't like what that kind of fierceness could do if it got into the lodge.

As I also mentioned before there are people who voted for Latham like Crean and people who supported Latham like Fitzgibbon. The former were foolish, but the latter I have grave concerns about. To me it says they honestly believed that robust demeanour Latham cultivated(intentionally or otherwise) was political dynamite. Those who closely advised Latham once he became leader are even more worrying and the fact that one of them was Fitzgibbon, another Laurrie Ferguson says alot. Thankfully I don't think Julia was in Latham's inner sanctum but she certainly was a supporter not a voter.

As for Rudd appeasing the factions, surely a Latham relic like Fitzgibbon didn't have more clout in the party than the former ALP National President? And its not as though anyone with an iota of common sense would try and take on an elected prime minister anytime in his first five years. And if they did that person would be Julia Gillard, who would absolutely need the support of Faulkner to beat Rudd.

 

[Iron]

The belligerence in parliament, the passion shown in public addresses, the hatred they seem to demonstrate for the other side; its all so militant and most swinging voters reasonably content with life don't like what that kind of fierceness could do if it got into the lodge.
.

This applies to Gillard in absolutely no way, you total skitzooow

 

[Lentern]

This applies to Gillard in absolutely no way, you total skitzooow

Pray tell what it is that convinces Peter Hartcher and Annabelle Crabbe that La Belle dame sans merci is such dynamite. If you say wit I think i'll be ill. I'll see if I can dig you up a Henderson article on Gillard that more or less says it all. If I fail I'll dig up the slightly less weighted Peter Brent(a fellow ANU student I believe, ) who makes fun of Gillard about once a month.

 

[blue_chameleon]

Thread has been ground well down. Well down. Ground.

 

[Lentern]

Thread has been ground well down. Well down. Ground.

This thread had fundamental structural problems to begin with. Page one straight off the boot insinuates Brendan Nelson is a political dud.

This will do Elections: voting with Mumble

Julia Gillard seems a brilliant person in so many ways, but much of the evidence points to her having a dud political ear. Remind you of anyone? And just as her mentor(Latham) laid out his 'muscling up' leadership credentials to the Fabian Society a few years ago, Julia did the same yesterday, with (from reports) a collection of straw men and grand narrative cliches right out of the commentator's handbook. She even talked of Labor's need to fight the 'Culture Wars'.

 

[Iron]

... Informative, quality, relevant and recent.
Thankyou.

 

[MaNiElla]

your welcome

 

[Lentern]

Man, Gillard/Combet sounds amazing to me. Good idea, Lentern!!

Now it all makes sense, you're a union hack.

 

[S.H.O.D.A.N.]

Now it all makes sense, you're a union hack.

That's a pretty tenuous conclusion to draw.

I'm so drunk, but fucking pay attention!

 

[S.H.O.D.A.N.]

That's a pretty tenuous conclusion to draw.

I'm so drunk, but fucking pay attention!

I would bone Avril Lavigne,,,r

 

[Iron]

Reshuffle!

PM cops flak over new 'male-heavy' Cabinet - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

Mark Arbib: Minister for Employment Participation

Greg Combet: Minister for Defence Personnel

Brendan O'Connor will take on Mr Debus' portfolio of Home Affairs! Debus not recontesting Macquarie! This upsets me very much. The man's a hero. My hometown member. My friend
Was he pushed? Too much of the glug-glug? What a waste

 

[whatashotbyseve]

Arbib and Combet as ministers - one step closer to unions running the country outright as opposed to by stealth. Scary.

Fascinating stories out today about NSW politics, and how Rees disposed of Stewart because of political convenience with no substantial evidence. Ignoring key witness accounts? Check. Hiding behind inconclusive report findings? Check. Not referring the matter to police because it would 'waste their time', despite her allegations adding up to assault? Check. Rees terminal leadership should be hanging by a thread. It makes no difference who they put it because they are all as incompetent as each other.

 

[Iron]

Yeah, I said the same thing when Boris sacked that kiddy-fiddler.. Orkopolis or something.. as soon as he was arrested. Though I think waf pointed out that you cant have someone festering on the front-bench with charges pending, especially if they are later found guilty. It just makes your party look complicit in the crime.
Politically radioactive, if not principled

 

[Lentern]

Anyone else see it?

 

[Iron]

Brown is a coward. His murder will be carried out with the usual graphic barbarism so unique to our British masters
Rees will just fade away

 

[spiny norman]

Now it all makes sense, you're a union hack.

I can't claim to be, no, but what's wrong with the unions? The ALP is, after all, the political wing of the union movement. Several of Australia's greatest ever Prime Ministers were unionists, and one of the reasons why Australia was, in many ways, a workers' paradise until the past 30 years or so is because of the strong connections between Labor and the union movement.

Arbib and Combet as ministers - one step closer to unions running the country outright as opposed to by stealth. Scary.

You mean like the time when Curtin, a former union official, was Prime Minister, followed by Ben Chifley, a former unionist also? Where they went and saved the nation from its greatest ever threat and ensured Australia didn't collapse following it as so many other nations did? The unions sure fucked us up then!

Let's try to justify our fears of "oh noes them unions have a say in the government of Australia" - given they've had a say every time Labor's ever been in power, and our country has been stronger as a result. Where's the fear for the amount of corporate lawyers/bosses/church leaders running the Liberal Party?

 

[MaNiElla]

Brown is a coward. His murder will be carried out with the usual graphic barbarism so unique to our British masters
Rees will just fade away

http://community.boredofstudies.org...urveys-research/212067/calling-catholics.html

 

[Lentern]

I can't claim to be, no, but what's wrong with the unions? The ALP is, after all, the political wing of the union movement. Several of Australia's greatest ever Prime Ministers were unionists, and one of the reasons why Australia was, in many ways, a workers' paradise until the past 30 years or so is because of the strong connections between Labor and the union movement.

My experience with unions including my own is that they don't care about the broader picture and will screw the nation if it helps their members. Case in poin my own union two months ago voted to demand a pay rise whilst our employer is currently running at a loss to avoid having to let people go.

I am fairly sure there is some unwritten rule in the unions to give a rough time to anyone who dares to break ranks and keep working when the unions decide to kick up a stink I certainly know in my workplace we were.

Then there is the way they seem to be the voice of environmental destruction on the left. They love the environment right up until the point it will cost one member a pay rise and from thereon in they wont budge till the rest of the world does.

On the political side of things i just realsied i overlooked an even worse leadership combo, Gillard/ Ferguson. You like Laurrie Ferguson Spiny?

You mean like the time when Curtin, a former union official, was Prime Minister, followed by Ben Chifley, a former unionist also? Where they went and saved the nation from its greatest ever threat and ensured Australia didn't collapse following it as so many other nations did? The unions sure fucked us up then!

Oh please you think Menzies would have had us all speaking Japanese? Curtin might have been placed in scary situations but in terms of policy he did nothing extraordinary.

Let's try to justify our fears of "oh noes them unions have a say in the government of Australia" - given they've had a say every time Labor's ever been in power, and our country has been stronger as a result. Where's the fear for the amount of corporate lawyers/bosses/church leaders running the Liberal Party?

I've got no problem with intelligent unionists, Brendan Nelson for example its just the militants that offend me. Bill Shorten for example a product of the union machine seems level headed, sound, responsible, polite, sincere, articulate, affable man and I wish him all the best.

 

[Lentern]

Bob Brown appears in a fair bit of trouble. Someone who knows something about political donations is 230 grand in a month possible for a minor party

 

[blue_chameleon]

Bob Brown appears in a fair bit of trouble. Someone who knows something about political donations is 230 grand in a month possible for a minor party

It's sad fact that if he does indeed declare bankruptcy, he'll be booted from parliament.

I don't know much about the guy, and don't pretend to. But that's a rubbish way to go.