tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30605342958921705182024-03-15T04:49:57.575+10:00Real World LibertarianThe politics of liberty and the defence thereof.Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.comBlogger1945125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-66910626295300295182016-04-14T12:07:00.000+10:002016-04-14T13:29:31.504+10:00High speed rail; the new Eastern Suburbs Railway line<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6TzA320eg4PUbhoFoZFCxINjIz3ssxtGkCdUAwxTQkQ3QFQOZhbaK9E_Fe-FHBWzFeE4St2QVUWugNSNvwYWEDKOHlOjMdVAlFSNwc3GWvLhDqmcGDmdPq7mP4r97TIxJyj5HjwWc4eF/s1600/12923192_10153690241172672_235287155347214207_n-1.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgG6TzA320eg4PUbhoFoZFCxINjIz3ssxtGkCdUAwxTQkQ3QFQOZhbaK9E_Fe-FHBWzFeE4St2QVUWugNSNvwYWEDKOHlOjMdVAlFSNwc3GWvLhDqmcGDmdPq7mP4r97TIxJyj5HjwWc4eF/s400/12923192_10153690241172672_235287155347214207_n-1.png" width="400" /></a></div>
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The Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull’s announcement of the
projected building of a high speed rail network up the East coast including
regional centres will come as welcome relief to many traditionalists.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is believed that it will probably
replace the Eastern Suburbs Railway Line in Australian mythology.</div>
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For those not familiar with the ESRL, it was a line
that was initially proposed in the late 1800s, planned in 1926, started, stopped,
and promised at every election thereafter. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As such it became a part of our folklore until 1979 when it
was completed by the Wran government, creating many idioms on the
way.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Unemployment, for example was
referred to as “working on the Eastern Suburbs line.”</div>
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Recognising the hole left in the Australian psyche by the
lack of a never-never election promise, the Hawke government showed interest in
the idea of high-speed rail as a politically viable though uneconomic alternative in the
early 80s. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most governments
seeking re-election since then have backed the idea, which raises the
possibility that in another thirty years or so, it could become an iconic
promise.</div>
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At this point it will have to be either acted on or dropped,
owing in this day and age to the risk of it becoming a heritage listed promise
which would prevent any further action on it.<br />
In the meantime though it will offer generous employment prospects for planners, researchers, study groups, lawyers, and think tanks, keeping them on the gravy train for the foreseeable future.</div>
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The lack of any implied commitment to HSR by the
Turnbull government, raised concerns among some commentators that the government
would rely on the newer, tried and tested pledge to adopt fiscal restraint,
balance the budget and pay off the deficit.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Economic restraint in the Liberal Party is showing signs of remaining a pipe dream for 50 – 100 years, with an accelerating rate of postponement already apparent. </div>
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You must however respect the PMs desire to stick with
tradition and offer the vision of sleepers and rails heading off into the
sunset.</div>
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We need to be grateful that Hawkie came up with high speed rail rather than our own death star, an idea which is just so 80s. Death stars, while offering the sort of kudos derived from commitments to spend a billion trillion gazillion dollars, tend to be more impractical than high speed rail. Sooner or later, everyone wants one and they lose their effectiveness when other nations realise that you wouldn't be stupid enough to blow yourself up in order to get your own way. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This would probably happen sometime after the current crop of politicians leave office.</div>
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<span style="color: red;"><b>(UPDATE) </b></span>The government has denied that this is how the idea got started:</div>
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Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com19tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-48506859951952008422015-03-23T15:58:00.001+10:002015-03-23T16:01:35.473+10:00Leyonhjelm calls Fraser condolence day a waste of time.<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7381Pp0hr968TfhXVSVQP8hzLb7FbecOwIaaBPmxbh90J3ikeLQyb8o7R_gIMYVj2Il6socSwpNNTtBBWL12aXRcRjY2kA7dPO1FdV7-dJdE9layrMq-3DOOq9Drvvi40bG9MRPu4HAq/s1600/1400153455786.jpg-620x349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgt7381Pp0hr968TfhXVSVQP8hzLb7FbecOwIaaBPmxbh90J3ikeLQyb8o7R_gIMYVj2Il6socSwpNNTtBBWL12aXRcRjY2kA7dPO1FdV7-dJdE9layrMq-3DOOq9Drvvi40bG9MRPu4HAq/s1600/1400153455786.jpg-620x349.jpg" height="200" width="186" /></a></div>
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<i>“<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1c1c1c; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I often
say after eight years in Washington, I longed for the realism and sincerity of
Hollywood.</span>”</i> – Fred Thompson. </div>
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<br /></div>
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The Fraser years (1975 – 83) began with a feeling of
euphoria at getting rid of Whitlam, followed by eight years of inertia, then a
sense of relief when he was tossed out. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Now on his death, parliament has been suspended for the day
in order to allow those who despised him, or were despised by him, to wax
lyrical on what a great bloke he was.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Irony is lost on these people. </div>
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Liberal Democrat senator, David Leyonhjelm seems to be the
only <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/malcolm-fraser-death-senator-david-leyonhjelm-rubbishes-decision-to-suspend-parliament-20150322-1m58gx.html">stand out on this: </a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">A crossbench senator says
halting Parliament for a day to pay tribute to former prime minister Malcolm
Fraser is a waste of time.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Question time and other
parliamentary business has been cancelled in the House of Representatives and
the Senate on Monday to give MPs an opportunity to make a speech about Mr
Fraser, who died on Friday after a short illness. The former Liberal Party
leader was 84.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">"We have an awful lot
of work to do and we lose a whole day for condolence motions? It might be OK to
stop for a few hours but losing a whole day I think is over the top,"
Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm told Fairfax Media.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>"I hope Hawkey doesn't die,
otherwise we'll never get any work done."</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">The NSW libertarian senator
said most Australians would agree with his view that the tributes were a waste
of time. He said voters expected parliamentarians to be working, "not
slacking".</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Senator Leyonhjelm also
doubted many MPs would even want to give a speech about Mr Fraser and said he
would not be adding his voice to the tributes. "He was a right-wing extremist
when I first knew him and he was a left-wing extremist when he died,"
Senator Leyonhjelm said.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">"And my mum said, 'If
you can't say anything good about someone, don't say anything at all.' " …</span></blockquote>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">It is easy to understand
David’s frustration given the hours of monotonous long-winded diatribes, most
delivered with all of the sincerity of mafia dons at a funeral for one of their
colleagues that they ordered the hit on.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">The Gettysburg Address,
which is still regarded as one of the finest ever delivered in American
history, contained 272 words and about two minutes to deliver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> Most of our</span></span> current crop would need several
thousand words (repeating each talking point three times) and an hour to
address an allowance motion to scratch their bums.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-84405897764567329892015-03-22T23:43:00.000+10:002015-03-23T00:16:41.292+10:00Qld Cops target law-abiding drivers under ‘hoon’ laws<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMytMvwMMKm_FXY8qRSAnkwvh97y91qw1crcI-lWwBqqDYTllUEY7OKlPfU7-UdDULrcYRUL_v86dM59WVsvJ6cIiHUAQXZbaz1-msNPAr8ZWz-NMVxMy8XWAbAD5MboPeo5j_XwReIc05/s1600/3172783569_4071144d33.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMytMvwMMKm_FXY8qRSAnkwvh97y91qw1crcI-lWwBqqDYTllUEY7OKlPfU7-UdDULrcYRUL_v86dM59WVsvJ6cIiHUAQXZbaz1-msNPAr8ZWz-NMVxMy8XWAbAD5MboPeo5j_XwReIc05/s320/3172783569_4071144d33.jpg" height="320" width="224" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
Image (R): A cop’s eye view of motoring enthusiasts.<br />
<br />
The late and unlamented LNP government in Queensland were masters at running scare campaigns in order to push through draconian laws attacking basic liberties.<br />
<br />
As an example, a fistfight among a few bikers outside a Gold Coast restaurant was turned into a national emergency necessitating immediate action to rectify the situation. The result was the brutal anti-association laws under the VLAD act under which having been a member of a declared club in the distant past could result in prosecution.<br />
<br />
In a similar vein, we were propagandized extensively on hoons doing burnouts and street racing on every road and street in the state, requiring anti hoon laws to bring us under control.<br />
<br />
The result was an act in which hoon was not mentioned nor defined, but gave the police more powers to harass motorists.
<br />
<br />
These <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/cars-taken-off-queensland-roads-under-anti-hooning-laws-for-offences-other-than-hooning/story-fnihsrf2-1227272917802">are being abused:</a><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Although the LNP sold the laws as their tough “anti-hooning” policy, the term “hoon” is not referenced anywhere in the legislation. … </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
… Insp Krang said hardcore hoons were still active throughout the state but they were less prone to routine illegal meets in public because of increased enforcement of the laws. He said law-abiding motoring buffs who liked to “show and shine” their vehicles at sanctioned events should not be mistaken for hoons. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
But law-abiding revheads have slammed hoons who tarnish their image, saying they are being unfairly targeted by police as a result. Downshift Australia has the largest gatherings of revheads in Australia, with two meets a month in Queensland. Director Matyas Fulop said police target people at his events for “trivial” offences. </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“We’ve got people trying to come to a car meet that is properly organised, insured, on private property and away from residential housing,” he said. “They (police) come to our events looking for things wrong on the cars, they’ll say it’s their job, but really, is it?” … </blockquote>
Here is (now) Liberal Democrat senator David Leyonhjelm on similar issues at Summernats:
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Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-16831184073388445052014-11-26T01:07:00.000+10:002014-11-26T01:07:44.163+10:00SFP stupidity causes Deer Association to recommend below the line voting in Victoria<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgZj9cKq-RAebRsyjivieDpHS93UM3g5d2mzUqIb7gOLxYjUZD2Bbg1HJncm1Yelb5__w-kP4q8QuAlGweUlhGLtPSKyFj5OC_-7HhpG40Pvi7KVCsE-XI7X1MZrK3-SYhoSkRFb6WgP3/s1600/98f3602d-3a2c-47a4-8382-77fb9cbe8cc7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhrgZj9cKq-RAebRsyjivieDpHS93UM3g5d2mzUqIb7gOLxYjUZD2Bbg1HJncm1Yelb5__w-kP4q8QuAlGweUlhGLtPSKyFj5OC_-7HhpG40Pvi7KVCsE-XI7X1MZrK3-SYhoSkRFb6WgP3/s1600/98f3602d-3a2c-47a4-8382-77fb9cbe8cc7.jpg" height="130" width="200" /></a>Shooters and fishermen are by nature sensible, pragmatic,
active people who brave the elements and government regulation in order to
pursue their sport.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Both have to
be so; they could come to grief quickly from any miscalculation or
inattention.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In order to protect what rights they have left, they have
formed the Shooters and Fishers Party to try to develop some political clout.</div>
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Unfortunately, unlike the membership, this party seems to be
run by a mob of tossers who through either crass stupidity, or deliberate bloody
mindedness have developed a long history of favouring anti-gun parties over
more shooting friendly ones.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
As recently as the Western Australian senate rerun, they
passed their preferences to HEMP, which has no affinity with shooters, then on
to <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/wa-senate-2014/detail/">Palmer, whose candidate they were instrumental in electing</a>.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(See count 31 and 35)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Palmer detests guns and has refused to
work with Bob Katter because of that. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Despite this, in the current Victorian election, SFP have
given their first preference to PUP in three regions including two where
shooters have a large presence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
one of these, (Northern) the lead Palmer candidate previously stood as a
Green.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The concern that shooting enthusiasts may inadvertently
elect supporters of gun control has caused the <a href="http://us7.forward-to-friend1.com/forward/show?u=e126ff12cbbcb8d3dfa71147b&id=547ed73103">Australian Deer Association to advocate voting below the line.</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Under Victorian electoral rules voters only have to vote for five
candidates below the line: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">The
how-to-vote cards demonstrate that the preferences of political parties do not
necessarily reflect their policies and values. In fact, it appears that, in
most cases, if they do so it is more by accident than by design.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">There are
four parties which are pro- hunting and shooting contesting the elections this
year: Australian Country Alliance</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">The
Liberal Democrats</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">The
Nationals; and</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">The
Shooters and Fishers Party. …</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">The
Shooters and Fishers Party, for example, have given their first preference in
Eastern Victoria, Northern Victoria <i>(the two regions where a party which
supporters hunters and shooters and other users of public land have the best
chance of being elected)</i> and Western Victoria to the Palmer United Party.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">As we
have highlighted elsewhere in this newsletter, Clive Palmer is 'anti-gun' and
the Palmer Party’s main candidate in Northern Victoria was the Greens’ main
Northern Victoria candidate in the 2010 state elections.</span> <span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">The
Party’s second candidate ran as an independent in the 2004 federal election on
an anti-logging platform. …</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">The
Liberal Democrats have given their first two preferences in Eastern Victoria to
the Shooters and Fishers and Australian Country Alliance, their first
preference to Country Alliance in Northern Victoria and their third in Western
Victoria and their first preference to Shooters and Fishers in Western Victoria
and their third in Northern Victoria. …</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">… Unlike
voting for the Senate in Federal elections, it is easy to vote below-the-line
in the Victorian Upper House elections. All you need to do is mark at least the
squares of five candidates with the numbers 1 to 5. After that you may fill in
as many squares as you like with consecutive numbers. …</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"><a href="http://us7.forward-to-friend1.com/forward/show?u=e126ff12cbbcb8d3dfa71147b&id=547ed73103">Follow the link to see recommendations on how to maximize the shooter friendly vote</a> by
going below the line, its simple and eliminates the danger of electing gun
grabbers by mistake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">It is a
shame that other shooting orientated organizations like the SSAA do not have
the wit or foresight to come up with or support such ideas, but continue to
blindly vote the SFP ticket in the mistaken belief that they are protecting the
interests of their members.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #4d4d4d; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">An
alternative to the advice above is to vote for the Liberal Democrats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have placed all shooter friendly
parties above the majors, including the SFP in two regions but were duded by
them on the agreement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Liberal
Democrats have <a href="http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1152-firearms">an excellent raft of shooter friendly policies,</a> and have placed
Palmer down at the bottom of the ticket with the Greens across the board. </span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-2392307526697681562014-10-29T23:49:00.000+10:002014-10-29T23:51:38.443+10:00Cormann reaches for his pen and his phone<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsS3cL0ZuoMS4bTHCGECL0K6kcp2ZeJQMzEaCFKylmCIE3Xqk3yqfbLqOWFkQ7mOQ139zvWtdqrWi5L74YMUzw29ecx5pGzd4lDT-7yvcgBo1BIecEN3PIaDU8Z2tLXOYrzilgIcSSoqMi/s1600/530723-67c7e4b2-5f44-11e4-a377-9d0943ea8d1d.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsS3cL0ZuoMS4bTHCGECL0K6kcp2ZeJQMzEaCFKylmCIE3Xqk3yqfbLqOWFkQ7mOQ139zvWtdqrWi5L74YMUzw29ecx5pGzd4lDT-7yvcgBo1BIecEN3PIaDU8Z2tLXOYrzilgIcSSoqMi/s1600/530723-67c7e4b2-5f44-11e4-a377-9d0943ea8d1d.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Cartoon: By
<a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/cartoons/photos-e6frg6zx-1226796005926?page=1">Bill Leak</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">President
Obama has been accused of ruling by decree in our language or to use the US
term, by executive orders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><br />
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">Under
this system a king, emperor, dictator, autocrat, or sundry despot picks up the
phone and orders that his will be done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">It seems
now that the minister for finance, Mathias Cormann has caught the bug and is
using his pen and his phone, (to use the President’s own term) <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/treasury/fuel-tax-to-rise-as-mathias-cormann-announces-indexation-adjustment/story-fn59nsif-1227104519189">to increase fuel excise without senate approval:</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">MOTORISTS are set to pay a $4 billion increase in
fuel tax over the next four years despite the Senate’s objections to the
controversial budget measure as the Abbott government uses administrative
powers to impose the change.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Finance
Minister Mathias Cormann declared the government would adjust the indexation in
the belief the change would be legislated in due course, ensuring the revenue
could be raised while the Senate argues over the bill.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">The
change will take effect from 10 November when the fuel tax will rise from
38.143 cents per litre to 38.6 cents per litre.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">The
national average price for unleaded petrol was about 1.52 a litre last week
according to the Australian Institute of Petroleum. …</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">The
Liberals and Nationals are playing a dangerous game here if they are relying on
Green support to pass this legislation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>While the Greens would welcome any legislation that raised the cost of
fuel out of the reach of the poor, they will be in the box seat to move their
agenda forward.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">They
will undoubtedly aim to eliminate the fuel rebate to non-road users, something
they have always had in mind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
fuel tax was originally designed as a user pays system of financing highway
construction, although only a small portion goes toward that purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The rest is pissed against the wall and
the Greens are smart enough to understand that the LNP are desperate enough to
sacrifice the mining and agricultural industries if it is needed to buy votes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">The
Liberals have come up with some Gillardesque spin in attempting to blame
Shorten in advance for any attempt to block this effort.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They are claiming that if it is not
passed, the revenue raised will go back to ‘big oil’ and it will be all his
fault.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is a slight element
of truth in this as the tax raised will be paid by oil companies and passed on
to consumers.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If it fails to pass,
the revenue will go back to those companies, not to the consumers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">It
is however, completely dishonest to blame the opposition for a circumstance created
by a unilateral decision by the government to start taxing now and waiting for
the umpires verdict.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">It
is worth noting that from the figures above, about 25% of the cost of a tank of
fuel goes to the government and they want more.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-17624653154057524152014-10-03T00:04:00.000+10:002014-10-03T00:11:16.202+10:00Senate ‘Q&A’ style panel to investigate Qld government<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Or: Beware of Greens bearing gifts</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2t7oCMeMnarhIpV1ltgeVhWl3es3NZZk86nk7Gk8oPpDSrMhQwUP_g4j2f09tEudcuUE8RgtLcfUaDr_1PuGWGIz-SCgf44sATqIdtg7LluBwH01fwMJZNdFsXVlmEkwvuUl18KWlcxPo/s1600/1236837_794561967251856_7188267235853421862_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2t7oCMeMnarhIpV1ltgeVhWl3es3NZZk86nk7Gk8oPpDSrMhQwUP_g4j2f09tEudcuUE8RgtLcfUaDr_1PuGWGIz-SCgf44sATqIdtg7LluBwH01fwMJZNdFsXVlmEkwvuUl18KWlcxPo/s1600/1236837_794561967251856_7188267235853421862_n.jpg" height="225" width="320" /></a><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Cartoon: By <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Paul-Zanetti-Cartoonist/521460511228671">Paul Zanetti </a></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
About the only thing that inspires any confidence that the
Newman government is doing anything right is that crony capitalist and white
shoe brigade wannabe, Clive Palmer has an obsessive hatred of it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
After years of being in bed with the LNP and a major donor
to it, Clive has spat the dummy after receiving unfavourable decisions on some
of his projects.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span>
While most
ex-mistresses settle for writing tell-all books or at least a series of well-paid
television interviews, Clive has instead used his diminishing wealth to establish
his own political party, which he uses to obstruct the federal government’s
agenda and use as a stalking horse against the Newman government.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
He has now done a deal with Labor and the Greens to set up
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-30/senate-opens-inquiry-into-newman-government/5780264">an inquiry into the Queensland government: </a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">... Clive
Palmer has been engaged in a bitter and long-running personal feud with
Premier Campbell Newman and has now been given a significant weapon to use
against him. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">It is a loss
for the Federal Government which had successfully seen off a previous attempt
to establish the inquiry, arguing it was without legal precedent and overrides
parliamentary convention.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Over the next
six months the committee will examine Queensland's use of Commonwealth funds,
the administration of the state's judicial system, and questions around
development and environmental approvals.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">The select
committee, which will consist of five members but only one from the Coalition,
has a reporting date on or before March 27 next year, very close to the date of
the next Queensland election.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Mr Newman is
on holidays but issued a statement calling the inquiry a stunt. His federal
counterparts said the inquiry would abuse an established principle that
federal and state parliaments stay out of each other's business.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Senator Eric
Abetz, the Leader of the Government in the Senate, said it was part of Mr
Palmer's vendetta against Mr Newman. "Basically it's a bitch session about
Queensland," Senator Abetz said. …</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The composition of the inquiry is very reminiscent of the
ABC’s Q&A show in which one member of the right is confronted by three or
four lefties plus the moderator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In this case, the Liberals who have 33 senators have a single
representative, Labor (25) have two, the Greens (10) have one, and PUP (3) also
have one.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The inquiry was scuttled on an earlier attempt to set it up
when the Liberals moved to include the Bligh Labor government’s activities as
well.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This one was supposed to
avoid such scrutiny.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
In further developments, Labor and PUP have found <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/campbell-newman-inquiry-may-backfire-on-clive-palmer/story-fn59niix-1227077117859">they have been duded by the Greens</a>: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
… <span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">The
backing of the Greens was crucial to the Palmer United Party’s third attempt to
secure a Senate investigation into all aspects of Queensland Premier Campbell
Newman’s Liberal National Party government.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Greens
senator for Queensland Larissa Waters denied her party had been caught up in
what the Abbott government has dubbed Mr Palmer’s “personal vendetta’’ against
Mr Newman.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">“The
terms of reference that we’ve had included will ensure that we can look at not
just the Newman government’s environmental track record but the dodgy coal-seam
gas approvals under the Bligh (Labor) government, and also Mr Palmer’s own
activities with his mega mines in the Galilee and his Yabulu refinery on the
shores of the Great Barrier Reef,’’ Senator Waters said.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Yabula
is Australia’s highest emitting nickel refinery. </span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">The
Newman government is taking legal advice on the inquiry, and is expected to
turn the tables on PUP and use the Senate probe to retaliate and dump on Mr
Palmer and Labor. ...</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Palmer
and Labor would do well to remember the old adage; beware of Greens bearing gifts.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-19684006465804660362014-09-24T01:27:00.000+10:002014-09-24T01:27:11.381+10:00Probable terrorist incident in Melbourne<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Initial reports were of a stabbing of two police officers in
suburban Melbourne, however as more information becomes available, there is
little doubt that this incident <a href="http://www.news.com.au/national/victoria/man-shot-dead-two-counterterrorism-officers-stabbed-outside-endeavour-hills-police-station/story-fnii5sms-1227068293410">is terrorist related: </a></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">A MAN shot
dead by police in Melbourne’s southeast tonight was a “person of interest” in a
counter-terrorism operation and had been under surveillance for making threats
against Prime Minister Tony Abbott.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Senior
intelligence sources confirmed he was among a number of people who have had
their passports cancelled recently.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">A Victoria
Police officer and Australian Federal Police agent involved in a joint agency
investigation were stabbed by an occupant of a car they pulled over outside
Endeavour Hlils police station about 7.40pm.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">It is
believed the Victoria Police officer drew his gun and shot the alleged attacker
dead.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">It is not
known what the threat involved, or whether the man had been involved in planning
some kind of attack.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is
understood the counter terrorism operation was aimed at detaining and
questioning the man in relation to the threats.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">A bomb squad
officer dressed in an explosives suit and bomb squad robot are combing the
police station as forensic detectives comb the scene.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">The Prime
Minister was tonight on a plane to New York from Canberra, where he will attend
UN meetings dealing with the rising threat of Islamic State.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">A Monash
Health spokeswoman confirmed one of the officers was taken to Dandenong
Hospital in a stable condition with non-life-threatening injuries. He was
expected to be discharged late tonight or tomorrow. The other was taken to The
Alfred and his condition is unknown.</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">There are
unconfirmed reports that the second officer is in a critical condition.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We wish him well and hope for a speedy
recovery, and thank both of them for their effort on our behalf.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">While it is
becoming increasingly difficult to distinguish the difference between random
acts of drug, alcohol, insanity, or radical Islamic fueled acts of violence,
this one appears to be the latter.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">The passport
cancellation is most likely the result of a reasonable suspicion that the
person involved was attempting to leave the country in order to join foreign
fighters in conflict zones.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Threats against the prime minister (or anyone else for that matter) are
not to be tolerated and it is reasonable to suggest that the police officers
were within their rights here.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">While its
possible that the suspect was playing with a couple of cards short of a full
deck, or the odd fatwa short of a jihad, there are reasonable grounds to think
that this is a terrorist incident.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-45484032002895300972014-09-15T01:20:00.000+10:002014-09-15T01:20:08.693+10:00Fred Nile calls for dress code<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: -1.0cm;">
Cartoon: by <a href="http://balooscartoonblog.blogspot.com.au/search?updated-max=2014-08-27T13:01:00-07:00&max-results=7&start=7&by-date=false">R May</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: -1.0cm;">
Australia’s wowser in chief, Fred
Nile is having a second crack at banning the burqa, or at least preventing the
covering of the face in public.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He doesn’t mention the terms, burqa or Muslims in his bill and it will
be interesting to see how this affects brides at traditional Christian
weddings.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: -1.0cm;">
Fred is a man who knows what he
hates and believes that all things he detests need to be prohibited via the
auspices of the great and good benevolent state which, under his gentle guidance
knows what is best for all of us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="tab-stops: -1.0cm;">
He will though, <a href="http://news.smh.com.au/breaking-news-national/fred-nile-move-to-ban-burqa-antiislamic-20140911-3favq.html">allow us to wear ski masks in a blizzard,</a> but only if it becomes fashionable: </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">He says the measures come
at an "opportune" time after Wednesday's arrest in Queensland of two
men allegedly linked to terrorist groups in Syria.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">"We also face the new
Islamic State (IS) terrorist threat, whose black uniforms for both men and
women include face coverings to prevent identification," he told the upper
house.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Labor MP Amanda
Fazio said the measures were "anti-Islamic" and had more to do with
Mr Nile's bid for re-election in March. …</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">… Under Mr Nile's plan, a
person who covers their face in public would face a $550 fine and a person who
forces someone else to cover their face would be hit with a $1100 penalty.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">The plan allows
faces to be covered under certain conditions, such as during a parade or if
"Sydney is suddenly hit by a blizzard and ski masks are the latest
fashion", the MP said. …</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">… John Blaxland, an
intelligence and security expert at the Australian National University, said
authorities already had powers to ask for face coverings to be removed.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He said Mr Nile's plan was unlikely to
be supported by the security community. …</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">It is uncertain why the
time is “opportune because of the arrest of two men with terrorist links.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>None of the reports on the incident
indicate that either of them was wearing a burqa at the time.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 11.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
It is difficult to see this
as anything other than an attempt to capitalize on anti-Islamic sentiment using
their traditional dress as an excuse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We shouldn’t fall for the PC line that anti-terrorism measures are by
nature anti-Islamic, (we have yet to see a Lutheran or Baptist suicide bomber)
but banning religious symbols does nothing to improve our security.</div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-9520423446555538762014-09-03T00:21:00.000+10:002014-09-03T00:21:51.996+10:00Bob Day; “enemy of the state”<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Image: Bob Day, Weatherill’s nominee for first against the
wall when the revolution comes.</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Since the demise of Leonid Brezhnev and later the Soviet
Union, the term, ‘enemy of the state’ has largely gone out of fashion.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While there are occasional references
to it from regimes like North Korea, and Zimbabwe, its use in the west is
virtually zero.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
South Australian premier Jake Weatherill has resurrected it
though with his reference to SA Senator, Bob Day as an enemy of the state over his opposition
to <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/news/investigations/there-are-limits-to-who-you-call-mate/story-fnk76wj3-1227040554668">interstate tax transfer payments:</a> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">…
Mr Weatherill describes the fellow South Australian as an “enemy’’ of the
state and a “lost cause’’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">“Senator
Day wants to cut more deeply than even Tony Abbott wants to cut,’’ the Premier
told a Senate select committee on health yesterday.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">“Senator
Day wants to sell out South Australia to the Western Australians and hand over
$1 billion of our GST payments. Senator Day is an enemy of South Australia. I
don’t need to meet with him.’’</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Senator
Day hit back, saying the Weatherill government just wanted to “spend, spend,
spend’’.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">“The
Premier shouldn’t come to Canberra just to listen to those who will tell him
what he wants to hear, but to those with initiatives to help South Australia,’’
he said. …</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Weatherill
is being dishonest here in his claim that Bob supports ‘handing over $1 billion
of South Australia’s GST payments’ to Western Australia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The reality is that for every dollar
contributed by SA in GST, it receives $1.29 back, the majority of the
additional sum coming from Western Australia.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">WA
on the other hand, receives only $0.38c per dollar back from its dollar, soon
to be reduced substantially.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">The
money Weatherill is talking about is not South Australia’s; it is the proceeds
of an interstate welfare arrangement based on the idea of from each according
to his ability to each according to his need.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This may be the origin of Weatherill’s ‘enemy of the state’
nonsense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps Jake will use
some of that Western Australian and New South Wales money to establish a
reeducation facility for Bob.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Whatever happened to the good old-fashioned “capitalist (or
imperialist) running dog?</div>
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Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-10659295974012535222014-08-23T00:33:00.000+10:002014-08-23T09:28:41.652+10:00Oh great; we give $21.6 million to Disney, or:<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;">Captain Jack meets the broken window
theory</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqC5kheI1tqhloPDU_2TrmNT6JY3AjnCub9-rBT4fGSxxOYxR6e81hyphenhyphenC3m4ggCs7gzIfKMkNkD0MecG5eInmmY_W2fVLJNTPY0YWzxGQ9nIOSLaSG-M-K-MKx6Qo-2kEmYEq6UyhVdwkfA/s1600/592994-f3f74656-28be-11e4-9cd4-169c4b45f9f2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqC5kheI1tqhloPDU_2TrmNT6JY3AjnCub9-rBT4fGSxxOYxR6e81hyphenhyphenC3m4ggCs7gzIfKMkNkD0MecG5eInmmY_W2fVLJNTPY0YWzxGQ9nIOSLaSG-M-K-MKx6Qo-2kEmYEq6UyhVdwkfA/s1600/592994-f3f74656-28be-11e4-9cd4-169c4b45f9f2.jpg" height="200" width="151" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Most of us today are familiar with
<a href="http://www.econlib.org/library/Bastiat/basEss1.html">Bastiat’s broken window theory</a>, where those observing the replacement of a
broken pane of glass tend to look on the bright side by thinking of how good it
is for the glazier to get the trade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Bastiat points out though that this ignores the fact that the window
owner is left with no gain for his expense, and the cobbler, tailor, or perhaps
bookseller who might have benefitted from the trade instead, miss out. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Keynesian economists though, love broken
windows and never cease telling us at the advent of any disaster, just how good
all of the resultant repair work will be for the economy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The Kiwis were said to be<a href="http://jimunro.blogspot.com.au/2010/09/brighter-side-of-nz-earthquakes.html"> the luckiest people in the world after the Christchurch earthquakes</a>: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Our Treasurer Joe Hockey though, sees no
reason to hang around waiting for something bad to happen in order to strip the
economy of funds to repair damage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Joe is ahead of the game to the point where he supports
event and project lobby groups in spending on what aint broke.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Krugman is so yesterday.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Instead of spending money on
devastation, <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/major-play-for-next-pirates-of-the-caribbean-movie-to-be-filmed-on-the-gold-coast/story-e6freon6-1227031592815">he wants to piss it away on something fun, like making movies</a> with
similar results:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">MOVIE
giant Disney is being offered a near $22 million treasure chest to bring Johnny
Depp’s billion dollar <i>Pirates of the Caribbean </i>franchise to the Gold
Coast.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 18.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The <i>Bulletin</i>
understands high-level discussions have taken place between US film bosses,
Screen Queensland and the Federal Government to bring the lucrative franchise
to Warner Bros’ Village Roadshow studios at Oxenford.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The sweetener being dangled
in front of producers of the film, tentatively titled <i>Pirates of the
Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales</i>, is a one-off payment of $21.6 million.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The money, originally
offered by the Gillard Government to Disney for director David Fincher’s
stalled <i>20,000 Leagues Under the Sea</i> reboot, is at the centre of talks,
with hopes the funds can be transferred to the Pirates production, which is
expected to begin shooting early next year.</span> The Media Entertainment and
Arts Alliance has also met with Disney.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">A film industry insider told
the <i>Bulletin</i> discussions had progressed well and that the project was
desperately needed for the city’s stalling film industry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“We really need this movie for the Gold
Coast and we are hoping things come together,” the source said. …</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">… Gold Coast Tourism boss
Martin Winter said securing the filming of a major blockbuster would pay
dividends for the city. “The most immediate opportunity would be with the set
itself becoming an attraction for people to visit, similar to the ship
construction on The Spit for the <i>Chronicles of Narnia</i> film,” he said.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">“However,
the long-term benefit to the local economy would clearly be the boost to
employment numbers and if we reinforce the industry then it can only be a great
thing for the Gold Coast.” …</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Effectively, there is
little difference between the two ideas; the first being that the
diversion of funds to disaster reparations is an economic boon, and the second
being that a similar diversion towards an unnecessary project does the same.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Both have visible results
to show for the expenditure.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In
both cases the lost opportunities of non-government activities in the private
sector with the money used for those purposes cannot be assessed.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Industry and regional
lobbyists can point to the relatively small amount per capita to be used for
this project and the benefits that will accrue to little battlers like Disney
and Warner Bros’ Village Roadshow, along with extra wealth for the glitter strip.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The things that might have happened
instead elsewhere are invisible, because they didn’t occur.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><b>A better solution</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The real injustice of this
proposal is that money is taken from taxpayers across the country and
funneled into the Gold Coast, only benefitting that area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>If making the movie there really needs
to happen here, a scheme that will encourage this yet benefit the wider population
would be fairer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">A little imagination, (or
in this case whimsy) offers a far more equitable solution to the problem of
getting it made here while still spreading the benefit to the wider community.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">An approach could be made
to Disney offering to use $21.6 million for the following benefits to
Australian viewers to encourage them to watch it if it is made here:</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<ul style="text-align: left;">
<li>First; Every ticket sold will be
rewarded by the government with a free large bucket of popcorn, soft drink, and
packet of Jaffa’s, (Do they still roll those down the aisle?) to have while
watching the show, and:</li>
<li>Second; Every rental or
download will come with a government gift certificate for a family sized McHappy
meal, (or the equivalent from Hungry Jacks, KFC, Subway, etc) along with fries,
large coke, and whatever.</li>
</ul>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">While this could cop some
criticism from the AMA and associated health Nazis, all of the proposed benefits to the Coast
would still come to fruition, and fast food joints across the nation would
benefit, creating additional regional employment and generating untold wealth everywhere.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Truly, this represents a
win win scenario.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-82356616181199191132014-08-08T00:28:00.000+10:002014-08-08T00:28:34.462+10:00Jew hating journalist quits rather than apologize<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Few articles on the Gaza conflict could
be as deliberately misleading as the one, by veteran leftist shill and
apologist, Mike Carlton who launched into a quixotic diatribe under the cartoon
(below, and since removed), which can only be distinguished from Nazi
propaganda from the 30s and 40s by virtue of the remote control, which was not
available back then.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsn2a7SvDfoxYsXTuKQgmh8eRgyhHP6n8JzG-8IDyATW0z4nJUN789b25uJiMA9LgO9eLFdgHsj3wNRnHS90xGj7rpR4GfCWxN6unGDKB5RPkF_3-BG7h72g5hzC9yJDpAgdAsd-dvQXqz/s1600/article-2715083-203B6F2900000578-855_634x343.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsn2a7SvDfoxYsXTuKQgmh8eRgyhHP6n8JzG-8IDyATW0z4nJUN789b25uJiMA9LgO9eLFdgHsj3wNRnHS90xGj7rpR4GfCWxN6unGDKB5RPkF_3-BG7h72g5hzC9yJDpAgdAsd-dvQXqz/s1600/article-2715083-203B6F2900000578-855_634x343.jpg" /></a></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The Sydney morning Herald has apologized
for the cartoon after a week of criticism and complaints, however Carlton has
engaged in a vulgar diatribe against readers who have complained.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some have been told to f**k off, been
called pathetic f***wits, likudnicks, and a variety of other abusive terms by
him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">The ABC has referred to this as<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2014/s4061853.htm"> “</a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2e4021; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.abc.net.au/worldtoday/content/2014/s4061853.htm">strident debate with his readers.” </a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">After numerous complaints about this SMH
apologized on his behalf, then decided to demand that he do so and accept a
suspension. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Being too arrogant and
self-righteous to accept this he has quit his position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Good bye and good riddance.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Australian media coverage of the Gaza
conflict has largely followed the type seen internationally with most of the
journalists embedded with Hamas and reporting on the war from the terrorist
side of the border.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Reportage
therefore is one sided and gives a false impression of aggression by the
Israelis against relatively helpless Palestinians.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Most Palestinians are helpless, but are
ruled by the terrorist group Hamas which sees advantage in launching rockets
into Israel from among the civilian population, who cop the consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Among <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/comment/israels-rank-and-rotten-fruit-is-being-called-fascism-20140724-zwd2t.html">Carlton’s more hyperbolic rating is:</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">… Yes, Hamas is also trying to kill Israeli civilians,
with a barrage of rockets and guerilla border attacks. It, too, is guilty of
terror and grave war crimes. But Israeli citizens and their homes and towns
have been effectively shielded by the nation's Iron Dome defence system, and so
far only three of its civilians have died in this latest conflict. The Israeli
response has been out of all proportion, a monstrous distortion of the
much-vaunted right of self defence.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It is a breathtaking irony that these atrocities can
be committed by a people with a proud liberal tradition of scholarship and
culture, who hold the Warsaw Ghetto and the six million dead of the Holocaust
at the centre of their race memory. …</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">Carlton neglects to mention the tunnels
through which Hamas launched attacks into Israel, which along with rocket
attacks were the primary source of the necessity to invade.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">His defense of Hamas appears to be based
on the argument that their barrage was largely ineffective, owing to Iron Dome,
which intercepted many of their rockets, more than 300 of which were reportedly
defective to the point where they fell on their own population.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Incompetence in offensive actions does
not make those actions excusable, nor insulate them from consequences.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #10131a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Helvetica;">There will probably still be a position
available for him at the public broadcaster, The ABC, which has no worries
about offending subscribers as the taxpayer picks up the tab.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
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Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-45958833470568796112014-08-05T00:31:00.000+10:002014-08-05T00:31:04.996+10:00Leyonhjelm doing the right thing for no good reason (or something)<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC573OrRtpbuTQJ5szrmr4G0gfYDMoXCSIfw-QP9eLTxsSAcK_fs8lYFcVDTc_xXltf3O6Ogfp5R24ZQ-tAxmOmTp4q5a59IAJgOwvGi_W_fHqZfHJbyNxGDTHxJgKZm1C5UKaX3QY9loc/s1600/1400153455786.jpg-620x349.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiC573OrRtpbuTQJ5szrmr4G0gfYDMoXCSIfw-QP9eLTxsSAcK_fs8lYFcVDTc_xXltf3O6Ogfp5R24ZQ-tAxmOmTp4q5a59IAJgOwvGi_W_fHqZfHJbyNxGDTHxJgKZm1C5UKaX3QY9loc/s1600/1400153455786.jpg-620x349.jpg" height="200" width="186" /></a></div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
Statists struggle to understand libertarians on those odd
occasions where they actually bother to try to get a handle on the thinking
behind non-interventionism and personal liberty.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Patrick Stokes, a lecturer in philosophy at Deakin
University is an example of this phenomenon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Patrick seems to think that it is not enough to accept that
it is OK to let people do stuff that you might not care to do or might even not like on
the grounds that it is non-coercive and doesn’t affect you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You have to have a good reason to leave
people alone in his jaded point of view.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Stokes starts off with the antics of Philip Nitschke in the
euthanasia field, then attempts to link this with the LDP’s stance on same sex
marriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He demonstrates his
confusion on the subject matter by <a href="http://theconversation.com/strange-bedfellows-euthanasia-same-sex-marriage-and-libertarianism-29651">trying to link libertarian thinking to the old left/right paradigm:</a> </div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">This
problem isn’t unique to the euthanasia debate. Last week, newly-minted Liberal
Democrats senator David Leyonhjelm announced plans to introduce a bill to
legalize same sex Marriage.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">As
a libertarian, Leyonhjelm has called for lower taxes and a massively reduced
role for government. Yet his position on marriage equality aligns him with a
policy more closely associated with the political left. …</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">…
Philosophers such as Richard Mohr have argued that committed same-sex
relationships already <i>are</i> marriages in a substantive sense, and the law
should simply recognise that.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">For
libertarians (for the most part), the only real substantive good is individual
autonomy.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">Leyonhjelm doesn’t argue, as far as I can see, that certain types of
relationship have a special, substantive value; he simply thinks, “It is not
the role of government to define relationships.” (In which case, we might ask,
why should governments get involved in certifying marriage at all?)</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">Those
of us who support same-sex marriage can probably live with that tension, if it
delivers the outcome we want. But the philosophical tension between approaches
is still there.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">And
the very moral thinness of libertarianism, its refusal to trade in any ethical
currency other than liberty, sits uneasily with issues of life and death, where
all sorts of other moral considerations are in play. …</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">There
is no explanation offered as to why we should think, “that certain types of relationship
have a special, substantive value.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In an argument for marriage equality, it simply makes no sense to claim
that one form of relationship is special, something that those opposing SSM
claim as a key point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Such a claim
is counter-productive.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">It
is nice to know though, that statists arguing the issue as a special case for
SSM as some kind of state granted privilege are prepared to hold their noses
and accept Leyonhjelm’s support, even if they don’t really like it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">He
then goes on with the following doozy:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">One
reason death is viewed as normally being a harm to the person who dies is that it
deprives us of goods we would have enjoyed had we lived. In a situation where
there is nothing left in the patient’s future but pain and loss of dignity,
there are no more goods to lose.</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">For
those of us who deal more with the real world rather than academic navel gazing,
the biggest reason for death to be considered a harm, is that we don’t get to
live longer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">At
this point, he exposes the weakness of his argument under the rather dramatic
heading of:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<b><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 23.0pt;">Libertarianism’s moral moonscape</span></b> </div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">If
you think, as Nitschke apparently does, that the question here is simply about
exercising a right to suicide, why should it matter whether someone is
terminally ill or not? If someone wants to die, and they’re clear-headed enough
to make competent decisions, who are we to interfere with their personal
liberty in order to stop them? …</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">…
When teaching classes on the ethical debate over euthanasia, I’ve found that
students often seem to struggle with explaining why it should matter whether
the patient is dying (or at least permanently debilitated) or not. Yet from a
mercy perspective, it matters very much that there are, in fact, no truly good
options left open. …</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">It
sounds like those students have a more consistent view than their teacher.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>To assume the right to deny a person
the right to die, we are adopting the assumption that we have a right to insist
that they live, even against their own wishes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No explanation of this position is offered. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">Assuming
the right to refuse the right to die implies a form of ownership over the
person involved which is an anathema to all decent civilized people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The problem most of us have with
Nitschke’s position on the recent suicide of a depressed 45 year old is that he
didn’t advise him to seek psychiatric advice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">Nitschke
is not a libertarian, never was, and never will be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is a statist leftist who proved in the Western Australian
senate election rerun, that he prefers to support leftist parties, even those
who oppose his cause to a libertarian party that in the main, supports his
single issue.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">In
attempting to secure some sort of dispensation from the state in relation to
his plea for special interest, he has fluked a position where the LDP has a
similar morality based position.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This does not make him a libertarian in any way, shape, or form.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #2a2a2a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Helvetica Neue"; mso-bidi-font-size: 17.0pt;">The
LDP policy on voluntary euthanasia <a href="http://www.ldp.org.au/index.php/policies/1142-assisted-suicide">can be found here.</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-72414132649681672142014-07-30T00:41:00.000+10:002014-07-30T00:43:19.679+10:00WA Potato Marketing Corporation bites the dust<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYiwXRsb_36iAF18D4Gak4vtQ7sIo82SrD8CWjCH_PbKXhsIpFfZqElFKvtC2q1pH4rpwAbkwqjYrAfJX_rXpKlYxMDxMljXQJ-ulZn0NbgGHO6d60-2VG-5iiFvfHgMIrg0uAN6p9eVY/s1600/caveman_wheel_wife_mashing_1065575.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiwYiwXRsb_36iAF18D4Gak4vtQ7sIo82SrD8CWjCH_PbKXhsIpFfZqElFKvtC2q1pH4rpwAbkwqjYrAfJX_rXpKlYxMDxMljXQJ-ulZn0NbgGHO6d60-2VG-5iiFvfHgMIrg0uAN6p9eVY/s1600/caveman_wheel_wife_mashing_1065575.jpg" height="142" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Cartoon: <a href="http://www.toonpool.com/artists/rmay_997">By R May</a></span></b> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It looks like Western Australia is sliding off into anarchy
with the removal of another regulator.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>The Potato Marketing Corporation appears to be heading towards the
chopping block on the recommendation of the <span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Economic
Regulation Authority (ERA) apparently at the behest of the Labor opposition.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Fears of
rogue potato growers doing whatever they want and street vendors selling
illicit potato products to unwary addicts in dark alleys <a href="http://www.watoday.com.au/wa-news/wa-potato-laws-embroiled-in-controversy-20120315-1v7ap.html">have been dismissed: </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Arguably an anachronism in today's capitalist world,
WA's Potato Marketing Act of 1946 - and its subsequent regulator, the Potato
Marketing Corporation of WA - trace their history back to the shortages of the
Great Depression and post-war food security.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">The corporation not only controls what potato
varieties can be grown and sold, but who grows them and how much they are paid.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">It has the power to search premises, confiscate
equipment and crops, and prosecute farmers - as rebel southwest potato grower
Tony Galati has found over the years after being threatened with legal action
for overplanting and trying to sell excess spuds cheaply. …</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">… ''The Potato Marketing Corporation and Western
Australia's absurd laws have stifled competition and denied choice to growers
and consumers,'' Mr McGowan said. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">''No other Australian state has a body that decides
what varieties of potatoes can be grown, who can grow them and at what price
they can be sold.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">''It should be left to the growers to decide if they
will grow a particular variety of potato.''</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Mr McGowan said the restrictive laws were responsible
for some of Australia's highest potato prices and, of the 66 commercial
varieties grown around the nation; only 13 were permitted in WA.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">''It would be comical if it wasn't so damaging to WA's
economy and consumer and grower choice,'' he said. ...</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Marketing
authorities and regulations became popular after World War 2, possibly as a
reaction to the demise of wartime rationing, fears of a free market
renaissance, and a need to find spots for all of those bureaucrats likely to
be left with nothing to interfere with.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">Both Labor
and the Liberal and Country Party, (now National Party or LNP) were very keen
on the idea; the difference being that while Labor aimed to control production,
distribution, and marketing of products, the conservatives chose to regulate
it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There was little difference in
the result.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 15.0pt;">During the
60s, and 70s, the most heinous crimes you could commit in Queensland on the
basis of penalties, were breaches of national Party orderly marketing
regulations. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-35544549794099235202014-07-23T00:42:00.000+10:002014-07-23T00:42:02.911+10:00Newman government backtracks<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><i>"In retrospect it becomes clear that
hindsight is definitely overrated!"</i> Alfred E. Neuman. (No relation to Campbell)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupPoRKJzmSnEWk_CH7OwTs8BVUnQmS4VZXYo8nIR1nTVc8Jv3HwPSwvzIC6KUJDGq-pUVt9NlSi1qbyek0duuwZRx8q7aH3UIqVCzMlYRo8mKU5DAVzuLT3y1d4sZoM1v8bcfy7ym8dX6/s1600/election_vote_politician_hear_1188755.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjupPoRKJzmSnEWk_CH7OwTs8BVUnQmS4VZXYo8nIR1nTVc8Jv3HwPSwvzIC6KUJDGq-pUVt9NlSi1qbyek0duuwZRx8q7aH3UIqVCzMlYRo8mKU5DAVzuLT3y1d4sZoM1v8bcfy7ym8dX6/s1600/election_vote_politician_hear_1188755.jpg" height="200" width="142" /></a><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ascii-font-family: Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-style: italic; mso-hansi-font-family: Cambria;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;">Cartoon: By <a href="http://www.toonpool.com/artists/rmay_997">R May</a></span></b></span></div>
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</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">In the wake of their second crushing
by-election defeat, the Newman government has decided to reverse some of its
more controversial, or at least idiotic decisions made in the last couple of
years. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">It’s sometimes said that the first step to
recovery is to admit that you have a problem.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The government seems to be doing this, which is something we
should give them credit for.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Their task is made more difficult though,
in that they apparently have little idea <a href="http://www.couriermail.com.au/news/queensland/campbell-newman-will-today-retreat-from-some-of-the-governments-most-controversial-decisions/story-fnihsrf2-1226995399249">what the problem really is: </a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 14pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Mr Newman left the door open to wind back other
controversial decisions. …<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">… “They want us to have a good relationship with
the judiciary, they want those sort of arguments to cease and desist and they
want the focus of everyone to working for Queenslanders.”</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><i><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The Courier-Mail</span></i><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"> had earlier
revealed Cabinet would today discuss scrapping several of the most contentious
elements of reforms to Queensland’s corruption watchdog and tough anti-bikie
legislation.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The Queensland Premier spent yesterday briefing
senior LNP MPs on his plans after the Government suffered a massive 18.6 per
cent swing against it in Stafford.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">It is understood the Government will reintroduce a
bipartisan appointments process for the chair of the newly named Crime and
Corruption Commission.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The controversial decision by Attorney-General
Jarrod Bleijie to remove the bipartisan parliamentary committee’s role in
appointments was heavily condemned by former corruption inquiry head Tony
Fitzgerald in one of his numerous salvos at the Newman Government.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Cabinet will also discuss removing some of the
harshest aspects of the criminal motorcycle gang legislation that Mr Newman has
repeatedly insisted he does not like but were an important weapon in the war
against rebel bikies.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">It is also understood Cabinet members have been
assured there will be no reshuffle and each will fight on to the election and
be tasked with better selling the Government’s achievements.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">A senior Government source last night said Mr
Newman had briefed colleagues that the Stafford result showed the Government’s
pace and extent of reform had worried Queenslanders and they must now act. …</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The problem with the biker laws is not pink
jumpsuits, nor isolation of these prisoners as the LNP seems to believe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The entire act is draconian, from its
aim of outlawing the act of associating through to huge penalties for being, or
having been a member of an organization since declared criminal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were already sufficient laws to
do with all aspects of criminality among these groups; making these laws
unnecessary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The idea of 15 – 25 year mandatory prison sentences
for being, or having once been, a member of a currently declared organization
is an anathema to fair minded Australians, and have no place in a free society.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Asset sales are going to have to be done
and should be.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a modern nation
state there is really no reason for the government to run commercial
enterprises.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On budgetary issues
they have been respectable, although they have not yet produced a surplus.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Since taking office just over two years
ago, the Queensland government has been something of a showpiece in how not to
do it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A massive majority seemed
to convince the LNP that it was immortal and could act in any way it pleased,
and it did.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The massive loss in the Redcliffe
by-election earlier this year taught it nothing other than to pay lip service
with “We’re listening.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">There is probably little likelihood of a
Labor win in next year’s election; that would require a stunning turn-around in
a state still suffering from buyer’s remorse from the Labor years.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">The real danger though, is where protest
votes from the sizable chunk of voters who find the LNP no better will go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Palmer United is the elephant in the room
here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Well funded, widely
publicized, under scrutinized, and led by a populist with a pathological hatred
of Newman, it’s potential to hold the balance of power and render the state
government unworkable should not be underestimated.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">It is difficult to understand why a
government that is not travelling well in the polls and by-elections would rule
out a ministerial reshuffle.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Newman needs to reconsider this, given that
the issues he wants to change are all the products of one minister, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Attorney-General
Jarrod Bleijie.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Bleijie had two years since his law degree in a
provincial law firm doing ‘commercial law’, (read conveyencing work) when he
was elected to state parliament.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>With the training wheels barely off his work practice, he was made Shadow
Attorney General.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is hardly
surprising that this guy’s screw-ups have overshadowed anything that the
government has actually done.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="EN-US">Newman really needs to tramp him.</span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><br />
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-10303979547270153932014-07-17T01:08:00.000+10:002014-07-17T12:53:15.282+10:00James McGrath; another ‘Libertarian’ senator?<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
On the basis of Senator James McGrath’s maiden speech he has a lot going for him among libertarians. Some of his views are straight from the Liberal Democrat’s playbook, while others are consistent with our aims:<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="169" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/RwimYvHbJ1w" width="300"></iframe><br />
Getting rid of compulsory student union fees isa step in the right direction. The idea that an organisation be allowed to charge a compulsory fee on those it claims to represent because of their employment or other status is akin to granting ownership of those people or allowing a taxation power over them.<br />
Having a senator with a strong commitment to freedom of
speech is a welcome addition to a house that sadly lacks many members who have
either an understanding, or real commitment to the concept.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It will be interesting to see how many
qualifications he puts on it, given that the LNP tends to be rather PC whipped
and timorous on the issue.<br />
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
His support for the abolition of the federal departments of
Health, and Education are basically the same as the LDP case and for the same
reasons.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Neither of them actually
run a school or hospital and merely intrude on what is a state responsibility.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There are though a number of other departments and bodies
that need the axe, the Department of Climate Change, being one that immediately
comes to mind, as well as the Clean Energy Finance Corporation.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first is designed to engage in
histrionics on Global Warming, while the latter helps the new generation of
carpetbaggers to invest in more expensive green energy that is compulsorily
sold off to consumers under a government mandate.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
There is no place in a free society for the government
picking winners or engaging in social engineering.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This raises the issue of his call to increase the GST by 50%
and extend it to cover all purchases including food ‘with compensation for low
income earners’.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While the taxes
he mentions need to be abolished or reduced, especially payroll tax, slimming
down the federal government and passing some of the savings to the states would
be a better idea than a tax increase. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The idea of a consumption tax replacing stupid and
iniquitous ones like payroll tax is admirable however, these taxes were
supposed to be abolished under the original GST proposal, but weren’t. This
seems to be rewarding bad behaviour by the states.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Low-income earners need just as much basic foodstuffs as the
rich although perhaps at a lesser quality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There seems little point in increasing the price by 15%,
then compensating them for it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>This merely creates churn, which requires more public servants to administer
the scheme.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
GST funding is not distributed rationally among states but is
rather sent out on the basis of ‘each according to his ability, to each
according to his need’, which would have to be reformed for any sort of fairness to exist.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Another problem is the ABC.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While he correctly makes the case for it to be sold or
abolished, he claims that it should be done as some sort of penalty for left
wing bias.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In an age where there
are numerous sources of commercial TV and radio entertainment there seems to be
little reason to spend over a billion dollars per year providing a government
network to compete with that.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
It’s rather irrelevant that it’s left wing; that is merely
the consequence of being a state media entity dedicated to providing ‘high
brow’ stuff that the ‘common heard’ doesn’t require and is therefore not
catered fo by commercial networks.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We don’t need it.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
The senate will be better for having this guy in it
depending on whether he follows through, or merely votes the party line, good
or bad.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-3365468882029794482014-07-12T01:20:00.000+10:002014-07-12T01:20:49.560+10:00Leyonhjelm inspires another cartoonist<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Giving inspiration to cartoonists can be a mixed blessing, frequently a negative one, even a brutal experience. Still, if it is a good likeness, your name is spelt right, and whatever it is highlighting is not a really bad, it can be as good as a big advertising budget for getting your name out there.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLRXNppo4Zqlwq7QgZyQfMnxQYPDQ1r00LzG_oVI-45ZwDe9TOWp4wHDL488yTZF0y_hX1tJbdZE5lfHSZepxpYlNj3Wj5cPrbR5kmzCIMCTBXGXJdBHxIajNtfYP47ck5XKEP45zg6IJ/s1600/999781_532545176821055_144087839_n.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjaLRXNppo4Zqlwq7QgZyQfMnxQYPDQ1r00LzG_oVI-45ZwDe9TOWp4wHDL488yTZF0y_hX1tJbdZE5lfHSZepxpYlNj3Wj5cPrbR5kmzCIMCTBXGXJdBHxIajNtfYP47ck5XKEP45zg6IJ/s1600/999781_532545176821055_144087839_n.png" height="400" width="310" /></a></div>
LDP Senator, David Leyonhjelm has come off very well, getting the cover of <a href="http://www.spectator.co.uk/australia/australia-features/9029251/in-praise-of-the-liberal-democrats/">The Spectator Australia </a>on his election.<br />
<br />
It is understood that the original is proudly displayed in his office.<br />
<br />
Recently he was seen commenting on how we have a government he likened to Godzilla, a reasonable assessment of the enormous burden of the state on the population with its attendant pernicious imposition of itself into every aspect of our daily lives as well as our wallets in order to fund its depredations.<br />
<br />
This appears to have inspired well known cartoonist <a href="https://www.facebook.com/stephen.gunnell1">Stephen Zeg Gunnell (Zeg)</a> to come up with his offering on the subject, which rather than Godzilla uses the theme of David and Goliath to illustrate this situation and David's role in opposing it.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeovg6re07GYQDpbZtD1eKhhGN5kNqE5vN_XVt1DC3BvfmCLeb6m3HUW7kg4aWxsOvA4XX9KZxx-kvvsueZR9BS-lB7WalWVK3OX40YeE_ULRJYCPk0GGnerSO6PxDWCDWEVz_naVFapK/s1600/10543771_10204264923011493_2138506189_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZeovg6re07GYQDpbZtD1eKhhGN5kNqE5vN_XVt1DC3BvfmCLeb6m3HUW7kg4aWxsOvA4XX9KZxx-kvvsueZR9BS-lB7WalWVK3OX40YeE_ULRJYCPk0GGnerSO6PxDWCDWEVz_naVFapK/s1600/10543771_10204264923011493_2138506189_n.jpg" height="426" width="640" /></a></div>
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Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-43985939759745838482014-07-10T01:24:00.001+10:002014-07-10T01:33:58.917+10:00First Australian senator elected on libertarian platform gives his maiden speech<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
All of Australia’s libertarians are feeling the joy today
with the maiden speech of David Leyonhjelm in the senate this afternoon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We have had to wait for nine months
since his election last September, for this moment.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This is the first time in Australia’s history that a
libertarian party has elected anyone into federal politics. Here is what he had
to say:</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/hQsI9u2LTO0" width="560"></iframe>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
This has been the culmination of a long haul for many of
us.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From a personal standpoint I
have pursued libertarian politics since the mid 70s with the formation of the
Progress Party, and later with the Liberal Democratic Party.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few others have been at it longer, as
the Workers Party preceded the Progress Party. </div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Nonetheless, 40 years is a long wait.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Those years have flown by like a stack of
papers caught in the breeze since I first walked into a meeting called by a
group that inspired me with their message; that we should control the government,
rather than have it control us.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Today might seem like a culmination, but as David says, “There
is much to be done.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And as
Churchill said, “This is not the beginning of the end, but the end of the
beginning.”</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
Lets all work to take control and hand that control
back to where it belongs; in the hands of the individual. </div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-64274422675385572802014-07-01T01:03:00.000+10:002014-07-01T01:03:54.408+10:00Viv Forbes gets some global warming; Al Gore gets duped<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Ever since Viv Forbes of <a href="http://carbon-sense.com/">Carbon Sense</a> moved out to
Rosewood, he has been complaining every winter about needing a bit of that new
fangled global warming.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Apparently the Bureau of Meteorology has listened to
him and decided to do something about it by revising and adjusting the records
to make it warmer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He reports: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">We live at Rosevale, just over the hills from the Amberley air base. We
have just been subjected to retrospective global warming by the keepers of the
Amberley temperature record - Australia’s Bureau of Meteorology.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Until 2012, our official temperature records showed we had been in a
cooling trend since records started in 1941. In 2012, BOM “adjusted” the
original records and, lo, now we are suffering a global warming trend.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">More<a href="http://jennifermarohasy.com/2014/05/corrupting-australias-temperature-record/"> here</a>: </span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">I’ve been telling him for years that he needs to keep
up the complaints; a squeaky wheel gets the most grease.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now he can turn down that electric
blanket.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Gore duped</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Clive Palmer, founder of the Palmer United Party,
caused a fair bit of consternation among the Liberals and the population at
large by announcing that he would be releasing his policy on carbon tax repeal
with Al Gore at a press conference. (Aussies love parties with someone’s name
attached to them, something believed to have been imported from the Peronists
in Argentina.) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">PUP went into the election with a policy of repealing
the carbon tax, but Palmer’s policies change pretty much on whim.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Clive turned up at parliament house for
a week in his own Rolls Royce and other expensive cars claiming to be saving
taxpayers money.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The following
week, he was in a chauffeur driven commonwealth car, which he claimed, was
because of his duty to keep Australians employed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">There was good reason to think that the presence of
Gore during the announcement meant that Palmer had had another change of heart
and would oppose abolition of the tax.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Instead we witnessed the bizarre spectacle of the
world’s greatest climate frantic and advocate of punishing energy consumers, Al
Gore standing beside a mining billionaire who was announcing that his party
would be voting to abolish the carbon tax.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The question on everybody’s lips is, did he sell out
or was he rolled?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Gore charges quite substantial appearance fees and his
presence may have cost Clive a pretty penny.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His Chinese partners should keep an eye on those accounts
that he can access for $250,000 withdrawals.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The answer is probably neither, rather the two of them
got together to do a dirty deal whereby Clive was given an indulgence on axing
the carbon tax, which costs him $6 million per year on his nickel refinery
alone, as well as blocking Abbott’s idiotic Alternative action plan, in
exchange for retaining the renewable energy target and the Bob Brown Bank or </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Clean Energy Finance Corporation, both of which
benefit Gore.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The CEFC is there to help finance crony capitalists and rent seekers in
the green energy field to milk the RET by building costly wind and solar farms
which survive by selling expensive and unreliable energy at a higher price to
consumers under a mandated arrangement from the government.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/clive-palmer-and-al-gore-become-convenient-allies/story-fni0ffxg-1226971201707">Andrew Bolt reports:</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Gore is a co-founder and
chairman of Generation Investment Management, which manages and advises on
green investments of the kind Gore’s climate scaremongering helps whip up.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Among the businesses it
“participates” in is Australia’s $1 trillion Investor Group on Climate Change,
which comprises Goldman Sachs and many of our bigger super funds. </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Those funds invest big in
renewable energy and are scared the Government will soon slash or scrap the
Renewable Energy Target, which forces electricity suppliers to use more
expensive wind and solar power.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">IGCC has protested that “changes to the RET scheme could undermine the
value returns on investments made to date” and “we do not favour any changes”.</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">This entire arrangement is an agreement between two carpet baggers, one
selling green investments on the pretext of a scare campaign that he has
championed, and another who is in the position to benefit from the repeal of a
tax that if Gore was even moderately honest, he would do everything possible to
retain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Times; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">The press conference says a lot about both parties, none of it
complimentary.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-84693585062959642292014-06-18T00:55:00.000+10:002014-06-18T00:55:03.342+10:00Queensland government arrested under VLAD Act<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMa3nbPTR7Q6D3resbqPwInVNggV4z0M6jqNB1ewXW3Y3VFH-S-At6syTwK6rzK-qdfRQBrqqvI23PwK-qU4r2rixg12QBxfQJJyR2PoujnVElZwoXKtwfL2D8e6BfTozNN_6_18Udxsfn/s1600/Waterboard_cambodia3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMa3nbPTR7Q6D3resbqPwInVNggV4z0M6jqNB1ewXW3Y3VFH-S-At6syTwK6rzK-qdfRQBrqqvI23PwK-qU4r2rixg12QBxfQJJyR2PoujnVElZwoXKtwfL2D8e6BfTozNN_6_18Udxsfn/s1600/Waterboard_cambodia3.jpg" height="149" width="200" /></a></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: xx-small;"><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Image: Qld politicisan, possibly </span>Attorney-General,<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Jarrod Bleijie
being interviewed by Taskforce Maxima</span></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">In a stunning development, police officers from
Taskforce Maxima raided a well-known hang-out on the corner of George and Alice
Streets in Brisbane and arrested eighty-nine ‘persons of interest’ found
there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>All are expected to be
charged under the ‘Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment act as criminal
associates.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">A spokesman for Taskforce Maxima, Inspector Mark,
“Copper” Reid announced that those taken into custody are reasonably suspected
of belonging to an organization with a higher than normal rate of criminal
convictions and are ‘helping police with their enquiries’.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“This gang, Queensland Parliament,” he said “has only
89 members but in the last twenty years, eight of them; (nearly 10%) have done
time for serious criminal offences.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“It’s not just small stuff we are talking about here,
two were for shagging schoolies, one for extortion, one for corruption and
theft, and four for misappropriation of public funds.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He pointed out that it was almost an
embarrassment that while police were sent out on a witch hunt against mainly
innocent bikers by this very group, they themselves seem to be the very essence
of everything wrong in this state today.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Asked by the media what offences these people were
alleged to have committed, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Inspector Reid
said, “That’s the beauty of a law enacted by an </span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial;">Attorney-General</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> with only two years legal experience as
a conveyancing solicitor; it is a crime punishable by fifteen years in pokey,
or twenty five for leaders, just for being in the company of persons reasonably
suspected of having criminal associations.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“This makes our job a hell of a lot easier,” he said.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">“We thought it would be worth following up on a
comment by a Ulysses Club guy we were beating … err interviewing who asked us
why we were not looking into parliament house,” he said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Civil Liberties spokesman, Perry O’Corman said that
while his organization was opposed to overuse of police powers, this lot
deserve everything they have coming to them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“While we strongly object to excessive use of force,
pick-handles are too good for these pricks,” he concluded. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Liberal Democrat spokesman Gabriel Buckley commented,
“The first sitting of Queensland Parliament was done in the old convict
barracks in Queen St, so their new accommodations will be quite appropriate and
be in line with a great Queensland tradition.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-46853157031285869952014-06-15T23:36:00.000+10:002014-06-15T23:36:15.750+10:00Truss; Your duty to democracy, support your ruling class<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Acting Prime Minister, Warren Truss seems to be a
little miffed with people voting for Palmer United, but doesn’t seem all that
fussed with other minor parties.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Speaking about the future for PUP, he claimed that it,
like others before it would ultimately fail.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is a reasonable assumption given the fate of Pauline
Hanson and the Australian Democrats.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">At this point though, Truss loses the plot with his
claim that voters have <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/politics-news/clive-palmer-may-be-saviour-like-pauline-hanson-says-warren-truss/story-fn59nqld-1226954763372">‘an obligation to democracy’ to vote for the three majors</a> (although he only mentions the LNP): <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">…
He said yesterday those who voted for him [Clive Palmer] in protest were
ignoring their obligations to democracy and putting their country at risk.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Mr
Truss, Acting Prime Minister while Tony Abbott is overseas, said the Coalition
took its responsibilities seriously and would get on with the job of delivering
what was important for Australia. He said other parties could worry about
themselves.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Asked
if Mr Palmer's Palmer United Party was just a “flash in the pan”, he said there
had always been independent parties.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">“We
have had plenty of saviours in the past, like Pauline Hanson and Bob Katter.
They all made a little bit of an impact for a while,” he told reporters at the
NSW Nationals conference in Queanbeyan.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Mr
Palmer was a big winner at the 2013 federal election, gaining his own seat and
three Senate spots.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Ms Hanson
roared on to the Australian political landscape in 1996 but was only in federal
parliament for a single term.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Despite
big predictions, the vote for the Katter's Australian Party of Mr Katter, a
longtime Queensland-based MP, was disappointing at the last election, and Mr
Katter's personal vote slumped.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Mr
Truss said there was always a protest vote.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Sometimes these people will gain support from that
element,” he said.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Those who
throw away their vote in some kind of protest are in fact ignoring their
obligations to their democracy but also putting their country at risk.”</span></blockquote>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">It
is a curious claim that voters have an obligation to democracy that requires
them to support their established ruling class.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is downright bizarre to then go on to claim that failure
to do so puts the country at risk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Of what???</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;">The
risk is not to the nation but to the governing triumvirate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Wazza, like so many other politicians,
tends to confuse his own party’s interest with the national interest.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Truss’s
problem will not end with the demise of PUP; the vote for Clive is only the
symptom of a much bigger issue for the LNP and other majors.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The real problem is that around a
quarter of the electorate has had a gutful of the dithering, spendthrift major
parties and want someone else to do the job.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 14.0pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Palmer is
offering little other than another populist party competing for the ground
already covered by the Liberal/ Labor/Greens cartel, but as a policy free zone.
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His only appeal to the electorate
is that he is not LNP, Labor, or Greens.</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-78724313070973290212014-06-14T00:20:00.000+10:002014-06-14T00:20:14.667+10:00“None of these candidates wins in Nevada<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2kcB3nhS5NZ-9X0vaYl7BYTwWd2pbqEli_YO_LwekCXkpD-oweLdZJwCRExn7uh6Bgy_fyeKO-x2ZgaV73m2TRzbIKHTyMVzblR3s80DTmVjnfyPT6P9tYr6tFg1hi-DqWM5gqdSa4E0/s1600/530557-noneoftheaboveballot-1364988248-777-640x480.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhe2kcB3nhS5NZ-9X0vaYl7BYTwWd2pbqEli_YO_LwekCXkpD-oweLdZJwCRExn7uh6Bgy_fyeKO-x2ZgaV73m2TRzbIKHTyMVzblR3s80DTmVjnfyPT6P9tYr6tFg1hi-DqWM5gqdSa4E0/s1600/530557-noneoftheaboveballot-1364988248-777-640x480.jpg" height="150" width="200" /></a></div>
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<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">There has been a major embarrassment for the Nevada
Democrats in their primary for Governor, with ‘None of these candidates’ winning
the poll. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In fact, it wasn’t
even close, NOTA getting 29.96%, and the leading candidate only pulling 24.9%.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><a href="http://www.libertarianrepublican.net/2014/06/none-of-these-candidates-wins.html">Libertarian Republican</a> is reporting that only one
candidate beat NOTC in any county, his home one, and by a narrow margin. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Unfortunately, this does not mean that there will be
no Democrat standing in November, nor does it requite a new ballot, <a href="http://www.breitbart.com/InstaBlog/2014/06/11/None-of-the-Above-Wins-Dem-Primary-For-Governor-in-Nevada">the second placed candidate will be nominated to stand</a>: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://silverstateelection.com/NVOther/"><span style="color: #2975aa; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">"None of the Above" won </span></a></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">with 29.96% of the vote. Nevada was
the first state to institute a “none of the above” line to its ballot in 1975,
as a way for voters to protest weak, unqualified candidates.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Senator
Harry Reid, who runs the Democrat party in Nevada with an iron fist, told
reporters earlier this year, that the candidate to run against the
popular Republican Governor Brian Sandoval, would be <a href="http://blogs.rgj.com/politics/2014/02/18/after-sisolak-says-no-harry-reid-says-nevada-democrats-have-another-candidate-for-governor-waiting-in-the-wings/"><span style="color: #2975aa; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">"a
respectable Democrat and someone that people know."</span></a> …</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">… <a href="http://www.greenfieldreporter.com/view/story/a53fe64ea1804eae99e3a92ae58a9b1a/NV--Nevada-Primary-Governor"><span style="color: #2975aa; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Second place
went to Robert Goodman,</span></a> a retired state economic
development commissioner, who got 24.9% of the vote. Since "none
of the above" can't win under state law, virtual unknown, Goodman will be
the nominee.</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">There is probably little point in standing a Democrat
there given the extreme embarrassment associated with the ballot with their
candidate clearly not meeting the expectations of the electorate.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His acceptance speech should probably
start with, “Boy, is my face red.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #0e0e0e; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 16.0pt;">Libertarians have long favored the idea of a </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">‘None of these candidates’, or ‘none of
the above’ option in ballots to allow voters the option of letting the parties
know that they are dissatisfied with the quality of the candidates on offer.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Parties tend to promote hacks or shills who can be
relied on to toe the party line, good, or bad, while voters have to put up with
whichever idiot is the least worst option for the term of the elected body.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The libertarian position though, is
that in the event of NOTA winning, a new election should be called with those
candidates excluded, or that the position should be left vacant, or unfunded.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The then Australian libertarian party, the Progress
party first called for this option in 1980 when <a href="http://economics.org.au/2013/05/the-electoral-act-should-allow-voters-to-choose-none-of-the-above/">Viv Forbes made the following statement</a>: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #1a1a1a;"><b>“Election ‘illusion’,”</b> <i>The Canberra
Times</i>, April 21, 1980, p. 9.</span></div>
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">The <a href="http://workersparty.info/"><span style="color: #7e1a15; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Progress Party</span></a> yesterday called for an
amendment to the Electoral Act to allow voters the choice of “none of the above”
in all Federal, State and local elections.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">The
national secretary of the party, Mr <a href="http://vivforbes.info/"><span style="color: #7e1a15; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Viv Forbes</span></a>,
said that until voters could say “no” to all candidates, the voting system was
an illusion of free choice.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">“To many
people at the ballot box, the decision is as significant as the choice between
arsenic and rat poison,” he said.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 13.0pt;">“If a significant percentage of people vote ‘no’ to
all candidates, it would indicate massive public disapproval of the policies of
them all.”</span></blockquote>
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Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-30662923179226511062014-06-08T01:24:00.000+10:002014-06-08T01:24:24.254+10:00Move to repeal plain packaging<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"><b>Social Problem</b>: n; Something enjoyed by the multitude, as seen through
the eyes of a statist who doesn’t like it. – Jim’s Dictionary<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Image: CourtesyThe Australian</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Some time ago it was reported here that plain packaging of tobacco
products had resulted in a significant rise in counterfeit cigarettes coming in
from places like China.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Predictions that this would be the case <a href="http://jimunro.blogspot.com.au/2014/04/plain-packaging-not-doing-so-well.html">were dismissed during the passage of the bill.</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Now the very pretext for the legislation has been blown out of the water
with the finding that the decline in smoking over the previous four years has
come to a screaming halt.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
Australian has reported that the volume of tobacco products used in the last
year <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/labors-plain-packaging-fails-as-cigarette-sales-rise/story-fn59nokw-1226945123085?from=public_rss&utm_source=The%20Australian&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=editorial&net_sub_uid=77734377">has increased by 0.3%:</a><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">…
The 0.3 per cent increase, though modest, goes against a 15.6 per slide in
tobacco sales over the previous four years — and undermines claims by then
health minister Nicola Roxon that Australia would introduce the “world’s
toughest anti-smoking laws”.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Plain packaging laws, which came into
force in December 2012, have instead boosted demand for cheaper cigarettes,
with reports of a more than 50 per cent rise in the market for lower cost
cigarettes. …</span></blockquote>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Now a couple of coalition backbenchers, </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Liberal MP Alex Hawke, and Nationals MP
George Christensen</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;"> have suggested repealing
the law, oddly for the LNP on the grounds <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/policy/libs-push-to-repeal-nanny-state-plain-packaging-laws/story-fn59nokw-1226946308874">that it is nanny state legislation: </a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Liberal
MP Alex Hawke likened the initiative to other “nanny state” policies that
Labor pursued, “even when it appeared they wouldn’t work”.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">“I
think our policy should be evidence-based and where governments get the best
bang for their buck; that is on individual responsibility, rather than big
government,” Mr Hawke said. He said the tobacco policy had failed and it should
“absolutely” be revisited.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Queensland Nationals MP George
Christensen said this week that plain packaging signalled an “inch-by-inch
encroachment into our personal lives”. …</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">…
Greens senator Richard Di Natale hailed the switch to cheaper cigarettes,
saying the policy had undercut the power of brands to attract younger smokers.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Public Health Association of Australia
chief executive Michael Moore said the rise in tobacco sales recorded in the
study was a net decrease, when adjusted for population growth, and the few
remaining smokers would be the hardest to convince.</span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">The </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Public Health
Association seems to be in denial if it is seriously claiming that population
growth is solely responsible for the rise that it claims is a decline.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This ignores the previous 15.6% decline
in the previous four years and there has been no huge increase in our numbers
in the last twelve months that would account for that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Senator Di Natale’s statement pretty
much sums up the Greens approach of being against big tobacco companies rather
than smoking.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He is actually
cheering the increase in the use of counterfeit cigarettes because he doesn’t
like Phillip Morris.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; tab-stops: 28.0pt 56.0pt 84.0pt 112.0pt 140.0pt 168.0pt 196.0pt 224.0pt 252.0pt 280.0pt 308.0pt 336.0pt; text-autospace: none;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Don’t expect the coalition to act on this anytime soon.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most LNP members are probably Googling
‘social responsibility’ and staring incredulously at the answer and wondering
how such a concept could come into being.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-30948925403290549392014-06-05T12:15:00.000+10:002014-06-05T12:15:34.960+10:00Real ‘pork cutter’ wins Iowa GOP senate primary<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
Joni Earnst has won the Iowa primary with 53% of the vote, confounding pollsters and pundits who maintained that she would get less than the 35% needed to avoid a runoff.
During her campaign, she produced one of the most outstanding ads we have seen, sending PC bedwetters into a lather:<br />
<br />
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/Dh9TGDRBVk4" width="560"></iframe>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
</div>
Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-42143060722057290502014-06-04T23:50:00.000+10:002014-06-04T23:52:28.169+10:00Palmer United Party will split up<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">Cartoon: <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/cartoons/photos-e6frg6zx-1226796005926?page=48">By Bill Leak</a> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">In an interview with Miranda Devine, Liberal Democrat
Senator elect, David Leyonhjelm raised the possibility that the Palmer United
senators would cease to vote as a block and go their own way at some point in
the future. <a href="http://www.2gb.com/audioplayer/47151#.U43NCShv1FI">Flick across to the 11 and a half minute mark.)</a> : <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">David points out that they are all different
characters with no basic unifying philosophy to unite them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The only thing they really have in
common is Palmer’s money getting them into the position they are in today,
which is not much of a uniting feature.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">A split up seems to be on the cards sooner, rather
than later as Palmer himself becomes more and more, an embarrassment to his
senators.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>His act of demonstrating
solidarity with the working class man, saving him money by turning up at
parliament in a chauffeur driven Rolls rather than a ComCar appeared more like
the action of a poser than that of man of the people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A Hilux Ute would have been more appropriate.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #441337; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Georgia; mso-bidi-font-size: 14.0pt;">As if his current antic of picking a fight with
Abbott’s Chief of Staff, Peta Credlin is not bad enough, his refusal to
apologize exacerbates his original thoughtlessness, and his reason for refusing
to do so <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/clive-palmer-refuses-to-back-down-on-attacks-against-pm-aide-peta-credlin/story-fn59niix-1226941223846">must have his senators cringing</a>: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Mr
Palmer has claimed Ms Credlin wields “undue influence” over the Prime Minister,
engineering the Coalition’s paid parental leave policy so she can “receive a
massive benefit when she gets pregnant”.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Labor
and Coalition figures have condemned the remarks, with Foreign Minister Julie
Bishop branding the comments “particularly hurtful” as Ms Credlin has struggled
to conceive through IVF. As a commonwealth employee, Ms Credlin is already
entitled to a generous parental leave entitlement.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Mr
Palmer defended his comments, accusing Ms Credlin of wielding “undue influence”
over Mr Abbott by allegedly dictating ministerial appointments and guiding
policies that are imposed on the Coalition party room.</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"></span><u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">“I’m not going to apologise because
that’s my position. I’m elected to parliament and being elected to parliament
carries a lot of different privileges in relation to raising certain issues,”</span></u><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;"> the Member for Fairfax said.<o:p></o:p></span></blockquote>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">By ‘privilege’, he is referring in part
<a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Work_of_the_Parliament/Parliament_at_Work/Parliamentary_Privilege%20While%20it%20is%20design">to parliamentary privilege,</a> something politicians have granted themselves
through the ages.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sometimes
referred to as “</span><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Lucida Grande"; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;">freedom of speech
in parliamentary proceedings,</span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">” this rule effectively prevents members of the public taking legal or
civil action against MPs over any statement they make in the course of debate. </span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626;">This is intended to allow for
searching inquiry to get to the bottom of things without the threat of legal
sanctions getting in the way, all too often it is used as a cowards castle I
order for the lower forms of life in parliament, to slander the innocent and
even old scores.</span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">This is an unfortunate reflection on the
sort of people we vote into high office and Palmer is one of them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #262626; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-size: 19.0pt;">Now
<a href="http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2014/s4018926.htm">he is denying he said it</a> despite TV footage to prove the contrary: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; font-family: Verdana; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">SARAH </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">FERGUSON:
Forgive me, but the following day you also said that she had engineered the
policy in order to reap a benefit for herself. My question is: have you
apologised?</span> </blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">CLIVE PALMER: I've sent her a note
telling her that I never said that she'd done that. I said that - the following
day I said that she was influential in the policy and of course she is. Her
husband's the Liberal - director of the Liberal Party. But I sent her a note
saying that I thought that it was unequitable that women who were working
mothers and - on farms and stay-at-home mums didn't get something on the paid
parental leave and I was just using her position to highlight the differences
where she - a person like her would be eligible, and if that caused her any
problems, I was regretful. I didn't mean to hurt her in any way, but I just I -
to highlight that all women need to be treated equally.</span></blockquote>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="color: #1a1a1a; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-family: Verdana;">Hopefully, his senators have some pride
and abandon this embarrassment to all concerned.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3060534295892170518.post-11210336991246216822014-06-04T15:55:00.001+10:002014-06-04T15:55:58.880+10:00Farewell Doc Neeson <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVJiqpG2WukVdmTtMbp-NIP4E9flsOXFqltunaTyyg8f1DQJhSZcInMlToBGkdgEuxSAij6taQ_-BWABdLJcMPt8dbpc9WLkEw3q7V6tloatS6VhqEy62T6bpPwWelnc44dt-2I60VfBa/s1600/795200-a579b6e8-eb89-11e3-a4d2-9efb85c9fed0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAVJiqpG2WukVdmTtMbp-NIP4E9flsOXFqltunaTyyg8f1DQJhSZcInMlToBGkdgEuxSAij6taQ_-BWABdLJcMPt8dbpc9WLkEw3q7V6tloatS6VhqEy62T6bpPwWelnc44dt-2I60VfBa/s200/795200-a579b6e8-eb89-11e3-a4d2-9efb85c9fed0.jpg" /></a></div>
Image: Doc Neeson 1947 - 2014 Courtesy, <a href="http://www.theaustralian.com.au/arts/music/angels-frontman-doc-neeson-dies-after-battle-with-brain-cancer/story-fniwj43s-1226942722009">The Australian</a><br />
<br />
You were one of the best and will be missed.<br />
<br />
<br />
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Jim Fryarhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15780237902858889143noreply@blogger.com0