Merry xlmas

That Missing Picture.

For reasons only known to the SMH they removed the above picture from the original article.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/howard-out-for-final-count/2007/12/12/1197135558237.html

New Prime Minister Sworn In.

New Opposition Leader Chosen.

Vile Politics.

Click to enlarge.
Story.

Favourite Movies Edition.

How the Picture can Lie.

Everything just looks so calm and cosy in the picture. Yet it is likely to be a defining image for the electoral campaign. The captured video/audio gives the game away. This is the recalcitrant, naughty boy and the strong women on the move. Note the aggressive standover tactics and stink of scarcely concealed misogyny. Now that Nicola walks past him on the road upwards he can hardly conceal his anger. He is really pissed off because he has missed his opportunity to get out before the crash.

Who is this Election For?

Some 10% of the voting public you would have to say. The rest of us do not matter.

I would prefer to see much less on the 'tax cuts front' (except those earning under $2o,ooo a year who should pay no income tax) and most available money directed to the struggling service sector and decent infrastructure. Let alone, the work that needs to be done to face up to drought and climate change.

Australia has serious problems to deal with but we are reliant on these 'swingers'. Can you imagine being in a room with these people? The party focus groups must be excruciating. A real window into the psyche of moi, moi , moi.

Would you prefer a tax cut or see your granny on a hospital trolley for 2 days waiting for a bed. "I will take the tax cut because she has health care or probably doesn't want to live much longer anyway". Pass the Pretzels, please.

The system is really broken. We are living in a 'clotocracy'. All policy is filtered through the prism of some of the most dumb and venal. All of them working, at our ultimate expense, for the two major parties, tracking, the only ones that matter.

EAT AT JOE'S declares a fatwa against advertising executives, selling away our democracy, as if it were soap powder.

So No Worms Allowed in this Club ?

"With a name like National Press Club, you'd think it would be out there defending the free press and the rights of the media. Instead, it rolled over supinely when John Howard said you've got to ban the worm. That was the problem last night. The Press Club was started by journalists but it's become a haven for PR people, log-rollers (and) real estate agents. It's forgotten what it's supposed to stand for. They should be condemned."

Nice work/words from Laurie Oakes!

Congratulations, as well, to Glenn Milne, vice-president of NPC, who looks to be the only commentator to have given Howard a victory in The Great Debate. And was he the bloke that pulled the plug on worm power?

Political Droppings

I have been reliably informed, since cleaning the sand out of the sedan, after the recent fishing trip, that an election has been called for Australia. Indeed, the country has been thrown into caretaker mode. It got me to thinking how great it would be if we lived in a democracy and rabbits.

Some members of The Chaser Team joined our glorious leader on his morning walk. Boy, was he grumpy. He has never shown any sign of a sense of humour but reckons that they are "a lot funnier when they pick on someone who is alive". Since Howard is technically still alive, men dressed up as rabbits, chasing him, and wondering when he is going to "pull a rabbit out of the hat", is actually very funny because he is such a natural straightman. Video and story.

Funnier still is Chasers' "top blokes after death" that stirred up a bi partisan squirm. Neither of our prospective leaders could cop it. It has to be some of the most edgy, clever, satire you will see.

Blog Back.

Back again with a tip for the election date and a potpourri of thoughts concerning politics and society. First up, I noticed this report in The Age a while back. Chip Goodyear couldn't resist a little crack at the great unwashed as he headed back Stateside with a big bag of loot after years at the top of the now BHP Billiton tree. Apparently, Australians just don't realise how bloody good they have it.

"I read the papers complaining about health care this, or something else, but the facts are that it's a very high quality of life in Australia and the vast majority of people around the world could only dream of the opportunities that they have here," he said.

One thing I am quite certain about is that he has very little to complain about... "when he leaves the country after nine years — five of them as BHP's chief executive — he will be carting home a shareholding worth close to $60 million. His share rewards are in addition to his annual base salary and cash awards, which in the 2007 financial year were $2.03 million and $1.72 million respectively".

Thanks Chip, the peasants are grateful for all you haven't given us. Next time I sit in emergency, waiting 8 hours for a bed, I will try not to moan so much.

Here we are still in perpetual election mode. Obviously the running of government is a pretty slack job. The wheels just keep turning, though our P.M. and Ministers are on the road all the time, and have been for over a year. And fools keep making a case for them being underpaid. The money being spent every day on election propaganda, dressed up as community service announcments, is scandalous. Bushfire Bill a blog commentator has put his finger on the great "heist".

"Howard is not failing to call the election because there is so much more pork to hand out to his cronies. This includes the “information” ad campaign. It doesn’t matter if it fails. The moolah will have been paid out - at full freight - just in time for the discounts to the party to arrive, come the campaign. The cronies are minting money and it’s all coming from our taxes… pissed up against the wall.

He still needs a parliamentary session to lock in some legislation (nuclear waste disposal, anybody?) that will bind a future Labor government or force it to pay millions, if not billions in reparations to the cronies. forget nuclear power. That’s a trojan horse. The aim is to get the ancilliary industries up and running. The rest is diversion (which many are falling for by arguing about the siting of power plants).

The aim is not to win the election. That might be a bonus, but it’s not of paramount importance. The aim is to shovel out as much money as possible into the hands of urgers, sycophants, business cronies, advertising gurus and suchlike. It will all be repaid whether or not the Libs win… after the election… and in private, in the form of jobs for the boys, consultancies, positions on various boards, discounts to the party on election campaign ads, donations to the party and backdoor deposits to Swiss bank accounts.

The aim isn’t to grease the palms after the election. They’re already being greased, and plenty. What we are seeing is one of the biggest heists in Australian history, right in front of our noses."

Sums things up you would have to say.

A diversion next to the speech made by John Buchanan at politics in the pub which apparently made everything he has said or done since totally without value. I would have liked to have heard more.

Now for the election date prediction stolen from Damien Kingsbury who really seemed very confident about it. December 3rd with a visit to Yaralumla in the next few days to save a return of parliament, next week. And a special thanks to Bilegrip Admin for their kind words and always compelling blog.

Blog Gone Fishin'

Bishop on Drugs.

Bronwyn Bishop chairwomen of The Federal Parliamentary Committee on Family and Human Services has let the cat out of the bag on future drug policy. The Tough on Drugs theme will move to new heights of madness if The Liberal Party is returned. They wish to redirect the entire drug strategy away from harm minimisation to harm prevention, as does the failed American model, for purely dogmatic reasons.

"The inquiry into the impact of illicit drug use on families" suggests the abandonment of needle exchange programs. As Dr Alex Wodak, director of St Vincent's Hospital's Alcohol and Drug Service in Sydney, so rightly says the report's contents were "frightening". He said the report's advocacy for drugs to be considered a moral issue ignored evidence from the US. About one person in 100,000 contracted HIV in Australia each year, compared to almost 15 in the United States, where a zero tolerance stance meant needle exchange programs could not receive federal funding. Let's not forget, also, the other STD'S that needle exchange has helped protect the population from.

It also recommends that the Federal Government establish adoption as the "default" care option for children aged up to five where child protection orders involve illicit drug use by parents. Any illicit drug use by parents would trigger the new Centrelink income management provisions under which payments to parents can be withheld and only spent on food and essentials.

The report blames "drug industry elites", who it said had hindered the zero-tolerance approach advocated by the Federal Government. These "elites" advocated treatment approaches that aimed to reduce harm, "but do not have the aim of enabling users to become drug-free". They are, of course, the people who work in the field, day after day, that Bronny and co Know far better than.

Coupled with that, the committee has proposed a new wave of television advertising that is even more graphic than the current campaigns.It wants words like "harm" to be replaced by "damage", "destruction" and "danger". Yeh, let's give another grant to advertising executives and media companies for more pointless propaganda at the publics expense.

Tony Trimingham's son died 10 years ago from a heroin overdose. He the CEO of the Family Drug Support organisation and is appalled. "I could have actually cried this morning when I read the recommendations and some of the report," he said. So also, might the rest of us, if these morons ever get to implement any more of their, head in the sand, nonsense.


Picture by Tim Sanders.

Mainstream Akubra Man.

Commander in chief Howard triumphantly touched down in Hermannsberg, conveniently close to Alice Springs airport , to make it "very clear" to the community that the Government had a simple aim.

"And that is whilst respecting the special place of indigenous people in the history and the life of this country, their future can only be as part of the mainstream of the Australian community," he said.

"Unless they can get a share of the bounty of this great and prosperous country, their future will be bleak." In other words, if you want some of the funds we have been making from ripping up the ground, our ancestors stole from, you better drop your old ways and do what we say.

He then goes on to spell things out more clearly. "I want to assure you that we haven't come here to take anybody's land or to push anybody around." Directly translated from the Howardish ... "I have come to take your land and push you around".

Adele Horin, from "The Sydney Morning Herald", is about the only journalist to put one aspect of the Howard governments intervention in the N.T. under the spotlight. The end of the CDEP scheme. She identifies in this article how aboriginal employment has been cut by 8000 to fit in with generalised control freakery. As she points out, "It will turn many workers into unemployment statistics, rob communities of vital services, create havoc and potentially deal the death blow to 50 Aboriginal organisations". All aboriginals, regardless of perceived good/bad behaviour, are to have half their payments held, in Howards' new paternalistic world. Adele Horin continues...

"the real reason for the abolition of the scheme is that it is the only way the Government can get control of the money paid to such workers. Ironically, it must convert workers to welfare recipients and replace their wage with an unemployment benefit before it can legally quarantine their money to ensure it is spent on children not alcohol.

Regardless of whether the programs are effective, or the workers are model parents, the Government is moving against them. Will this sledgehammer approach deliver children better lives? We can hope. If it doesn't, the losses will be incalculable".


It is worth popping over to mattjjin-nehen to read a bit about this and the real squanderers of money claimed to be spent for indigenous needs. Also some very ugly propaganda that the government is pedaling in the top end.

Photo by Wayne Taylor.

UPDATE: See this Crikey report for advanced cruelty.

Were On the Road to Nowhere.

Click on the piccie for a larger view.

Naturally, when Gummo Trotsky at L.P. called for an "Apec Dress Up Challenge", the resident artist swung into action. It might not be real oz gear but they are talking heads.

We were thrilled today to find that violent protesters are to blame for the disruption that has not yet happened at the conference that is, so far, yet to happen. Good to get in early in the blame game, I guess.

Family Snapshots.

John Howard is often referred to as a clever politician. People go further and call him "tricky". Given this report, "devious" comes to mind.





Some interesting links on Exclusive Brethren and fundys below...
peebs
unBelief
EB

Wink, wink and say no more.

Postscript: Mud will stick. After all the discussion, about this storm in a teacup, organised by Poison Dewarf, the real details came through. Trouble is, the media cycle relys on the next 'big thing'. Which means that there is never a chance to catch up with the truth of the matter. Funny, that!

The Higher Plane

Says Simon Bowes from the British Airports Authority, operators of Heathrow, that the protest is "naïve" and further...

"If you look on, at what they're talking about this week, it's a version of sustainable living which involves no one going on holiday, veganism (phonetic), compost toilets and the end of capitalism, and I just don't see that that's a vote winner over in the UK, or in the rest of the world."

This bloke is the complete diplomat. The sought you need if you want to ark up WW3. It gets better. The powers that be most stupid are planning to invoke terrorism laws to quell this domestic protest. Yep, their idea is to deem it a terrorist activity. There are lots of interesting links/ pictures to this story, so I have no plan to give any more details.

Just saying, though, that what is happening there is likely to happen here. People have real concerns about climate change and aeroplanes are big polluters. They quite reasonably believe that world leaders are dragging their feet and want to let them know, predominantly, in a peaceful manner. When they are seen as terrorists for exercising their democratic rights it becomes clear who the legislation was really really drafted for. Not Bin Laden and co but to control the population.

"before the cock crows you will deny me three times"

How wimpy,sooky and spooky is this?

Peter Costello is likely to deny 3 times on his Leo-style, 50th birthday, that he ever had the ticker to take on his boss.
See hear for appropriate biblical references.

Shanghireing for Baghdad.

While Workchoices is proving a large pebble in the liberal party jackboot, locally, a little reported international story has taken my interest. It is to do with the movement of workers to places of acute shortage to fill employee needs. In this case a contractor with a need to build a very important structure. A new U.S. Embassy in downtown Baghdad. First Kuwaiti have been accused of fulfilling their needs in the modern day equivalent of shanghaiing. Go to You Tube to see the testimony of Rory Mayberry to a US Congress Committee on July 26th of this year. A couple of reports here. The first The Manilla Times and a more recent, official Filipino response.

The Dog is Wearing a Bra.

That youtube debate by American Presidential hopefuls was a cracker wasn't it? New media has reached new levels of excitement thanks to the input of traditionally conservative forces. There was one predictable party pooper though.

The brilliant cartoon comes from Mr Fish here.

Ps Spanish Pierre your email ain't working for returns.

Haneef Up the Flagpole.

Howard and co have satisfactorily tested the fear factor and law and order. The little noticed, recent Morgan poll will give them hope. It showed clearly that the spook factor is still alive, well and working. Grabbing on to the right sought of issue, at the right time, might still work to get them over the line.

Important for their chances is a compliant press. This appears to have faded, a little, presently, under the force of facts and a history catch-up. Media tarts like to be on the side that wins and know manipulation , at the correct moment, can swing an election. Editorials will be cheering on the little dictator when the time is right, with the bound and gagged Aunty flailing in all directions.... forced to present Ruppy's lead line, while Fairfax does what's best for the shareholders and prepared for the carving.

APEC is Howard country. Australia on the world stage with visiting indignitaries like his great mate, shrub. All happening in Sydney. Guaranteed a large local protest community with the added advantage of an overseas contingent. We are are looking at serious huffing and puffing opportunities.

A major crisis in the wake of this meeting, with helicopters whirling, huge numbers in jail and Labor supporting a strong stand against 'good for nothing' radicals, troublemakers and extremists. Plus a peppering of a possible Al-Queda plot against Sydney , just uncovered... no chance for investigations into why the police acted so pre-emptively to clear the streets. Yep, terrorism laws might easily provide the type of cover that Howard needs to pull in that crucial strong leader vote.

He has the perfect stage for a quick, dumbed down, election.




Update.... the follow up to the Morgan poll and Haneef pick up, via a most reputable oz journo, who has inside knowledge on everything Howard loving.
Here....

Employment Opportunities for Medical Practitioners.

Australia is an advanced liberal democracy and is currently in need of highly trained professionals to help maintain worlds best practice standards of health care and ancillary support. Do you fit the criteria for a well paid position with more than satisfactory salary and bonuses?

If you have no exposure to SIM card lending, of any kind, to relatives or others, you may be considered acceptable.

Come in Spinner.

Dr Nelson, oil and other stuff.

If you were a medical practitioner and read your stars a week and half ago, it might have said "your career choice will be open to world wide speculation". The hippocratic oath might look more like the hypocritical oath..
..but we all love doctor jokes. The cartoon came from here.
More about Brendan and I Blame the Jesuits.

Fish and...

...chips.
ps..click on the above piccie, if you can't read the blurb. It is well worth it.

Widow Given Shit Deal !

The 'little paper' lives up to it's reputation, by publishing this report on page 11 , June 28th, 07 .

By way of a 'not really' apology.... it is all in the 3rd person. Considering that the paper had run reports of a surburban lawyers' death on, the front page, with suggestions of underworld connections.

You will need to click on the 'cut out' to make it readable.

The Australian Press Council, yesterday, made a ruling against, "The Paper of the Year 2005-6."

See adjudication 1361 and you would have to say that self regulation of the media is not working.

Howard's National Emergency.

John Howard's National Emergency call , on the plight of aboriginal communities is most concerning. I involved myself in a little bit of discussion at Anonymous Lefty and later at Lavatus Prodeo on the subject. Personally, I have little doubt that our PM has shamelessly run, with a report commissioned by the Northern Territory Government, for a purely political purpose.
I do not believe his motives are pure, but more about latching onto a motherhood issue, to wedge Labor , as we move closer to an election. Who would not be appalled by paedophile activity in any community, regardless of race, colour or religion? Howard has had well over ten years to improve the situation for indigenous people. He has systematically destroyed whatever leadership mechanisms they had, and actually withdrawn funds for basic services and infrastructure, over that time.
It is a big ask to believe that he has finally seen the error of his ways, as even now, he merely talks of symptoms, that need to be eradicated rather than the basic causes of problems. He found his ammunition and has declared another war.... now that a war on drugs , war on terrorism, war on asylum seekers lack quite the emotional bite.

As I responded to a Megami' request, in my comments, at L.P. “Can someone please elaborate on the Army claim in this?” Megami, when you declare Teh “National Emergency”, you need soldiers. Hell, you just “need them”. This is the new “War on Black Paedophile Rings”. Navy would be involved but some uncertainty as to the depth of Todd River. Brough, busy checking. Howard has his target audience in mind and knows how to bullshit them.
Other comments I made at L.P......
I am quite concerned about intentions. Given that the plans seem to have the potential to make the situation worse for all, NT, aboriginals. All families are to be treated, the same, whether they are involved in what is considered 'bad behaviour' or not. There are no rewards, but punishment in the form of suspended welfare payments and various other increased living expenses. No funding for improved education or health. Just the threat of medical examinations for all youngsters regardless of their parents wishes.
To top it off, they lose control over who may enter their lands. Can you imagine how pastoralists and miners would like their rights of control prohibited? The intention I believe is less about allowing “transparency” but more about providing a good excuse to open up areas for tourism and mining development for white carpetbaggers.

UPDATE Mutitjulu community leaders: please listen to us
I just caught up with this plea from Mutitjulu leaders Dorothea and Bob Randall , that Crikey published. This is the first community to be seized under Howard's National Emergency, probably, because it is closest to suitable accommodation for politicians, embedded journalists and bureacrats, before the army sets up 'on site', digs.

libs lurch further to the right

Liberal preselection, for the blue ribbon federal Sydney seat of Mitchell, has been completed , with the election of Alex Hawke. He is a 30 year old, Anglican with strong Hillsong affiliations, defeating David Elliot, a hotels industry lobbyist , securing 81 of 107 votes.

“This process of labelling people just because they’re Christian and because they’re socially conservative as extreme is something that I regard as unfair and particularly nasty,” he said in response to earlier comments made by Anthony Albanese, who branded him as an "extremist".

Hawke is a former staffer for the most prominent Christian right-wing NSW Liberal MP, David Clarke, and has previously worked for federal right-wingers Ross Cameron and Helen Coonan. They had worked together to build a conservative religious network within the party and end the small 'l', long held control.

In his maiden speech in 2003, his mentor, Clarke, promised to “uphold and advocate the conservative, mainstream and Christian-based truths and values that I believe our nation is based upon … with missionary zeal”. As Chloe Hooper, in a 2005 issue of Monthly, wrote and then continued... "this has included hot-housing young religious conservatives. The NSW Young Liberals were long considered the jewel in the moderate Liberal crown but, as one young New South Welshman tells me, Clarke “kind of got people together to take over”. With Clarke’s support, recruiting from organisations such as the secretive catholic Opus Dei movement, the NSW Young Liberals now have the largest membership base of all the states."

Mr Brogden, former leader of the NSW liberal leader, claimed his downfall was partly related to the behind the scenes work of conservative forces, particularly Hawke. He was regarded as too socially liberal, on issues such as republicanism, abortion, heroin injecting rooms and homosexuality.

Hawkes' precocious rise to power may well consign the Liberal Party to many years in the wilderness or, Australia, permanently, to the style of the religous right , that the libs are becoming infamous for. A sought of merger between church and state that will gladden the hearts of George Pell, et al.

Intelligent Design Proof 11

Just in case there is still a little smear of doubt , amongst the few sinners left, put this on your toast and eat it. Chuck Missler is very convincing on the subject. Hit peanut butter and praise the lord.

Intelligent Design Proof.

Today we present conclusive proof of intelligent design at EAT AT JOES.

With the help of a clever little Kiwi evangelist , now residing stateside, the aim is to stick it to atheists and agnostics who need to allow themselves the opportunity of catching up with a few of the facts about their creation. The lesson requires following this prompt to the utube link and then accepting the simple and obvious logic of the preachers doin' the teachin'. Praise the Lord.

Spot on, St Paul.

PAUL KEATING: "Basically keep unions, look, any Labor Party that turns its back on a collective group of people is no Labor Party at all.

But that doesn't mean to say they have to become apologists for lolling about.

I mean you take the instance, the liquor allied entertainment restaurants, entertainment industry in this country since the '80s.

It's been massive.

Unionisation hasn't happened.

There's some of it there, basically hasn't happened.

Why?

Incompetence."

From here .......

Could have Fooled Me.

Before

And After.........................

Tony, we hardly knew ya.

That Zorba the Crook look is perfect. "Oh look , not suspicious at all, another tubby bastard with a bad wig".

Right is Right.

I know this is already a popular piccie around the blogs, but I could not resist it, either. For a start, it makes me laugh. Apart from the obvious joke about the slogan ....you couldn't disagree that Howard and co are right wing and plan to take it further. Ha ha. Look at that facial expression. No sign of arrogance there. Guess who just swallowed the latest Galaxy Poll?
Let's start with last Fridays Roy Morgan Poll.
"A recent telephone Morgan Poll finds that 57% of Australian electors think Australia is “heading in the right direction”, while 32% think Australia is “heading in the wrong direction” (11% can’t say).
Eighty-four per cent of those who intend to vote for the Coalition Government at the upcoming election think Australia is heading the right direction, compared to just 43% of ALP supporters. Forty-six per cent of ALP supporters think Australia is heading in the wrong direction compared to just 7% of Coalition supporters."
How's that for coincidence? Rodent appears behind a slogan based largely on a poll question.

The Galaxy poll result is the most encouraging sign that the Liberals have had for ages. It's a big jump in popularity and helped rouse the troops at the weekend Liberal Party National Council. If you wish to see the way the questions are framed, for this poll, see here. I'ts worth remembering who commissioned this work. There is no independent motive. In fact it reeks of a tool to help swing things back in the right direction.

The great photo is by Peter Morris. For other blogs with this picture or on this topic see.....Bilegrip, Anonymous Lefty and Broken Left Leg.

Cluster Bombs for Australian Defense Forces.

The ADF has clearly a mind of its own. It should not worry that both sides of parliament are opposed to cluster bombs.

Mind you, this is a brilliant new device, that if dropped here or anywhere, will be able to discriminate between the the good blokes and the bad blokes.

We are looking at New Clean Cluster Bombs.

We are going to have them, whether we like it or not.

The Missing Employment Figures Scam Post.

I thought i would republish a post, made recently, that fell into the blogger black hole. It is edited.

An interesting by-product of The Victorian Auditor Generals (State Investment in Major Events) report into the 'real value', to the state, of the Grand Prix, is an incidental challenge by the National Institute of Economic and Industry Research (NIEIR), headed by Dr Peter Brain.
In particular, he drops a big bucket on the employment figures that the Federal and State governments gloat about. The following are the best bits from Attachment B2 , buried well into this report.

"The core problem for those wishing to use the actual unemployment rate as an indicator of full employment is that the actual unemployment rate cannot be used for this purpose. As any competent economist would know, the official unemployment rate is corrupted and under-estimates the actual unemployment rate, as NIEIR has highlighted over and over again. The reasons are straight forward.

The first is the tactic adopted by the then government in the face of the 1991 recession to shift as many people as possible from the unemployment rolls to other forms of working age social security support, namely disability pensions, training allowances, etc. This tactic has been maintained though with reducing vigour to this day.

The second strategy to reduce the measured unemployment rate is to encourage working age social security beneficiaries to seek a few hours of work a week. This has been the tactic favoured by the current administration. This reduces the unemployment rate because to be counted as employed in the labour force statistics a person has only to have worked for one hour or more a week, in some cases as unpaid employment.

The actual unemployment rate, therefore, cannot be used as an indicator of full employment because under the current circumstances the actual unemployment rate could indicate zero unemployment, while the actual effective unemployment rate was 100 per cent, simply because everybody was working one hour. Under the current circumstances, the only way of obtaining a correct estimate of the actual unemployment rate is to use social security working age beneficiary data and construct an unemployment series from these sources".

Wouldn't it be terrific to be living in Broadmeadows, on the dole, looking for work, when Costello comes on the tv, congratulating himself on the latest fab, employment figures? These are some of the closer to real current unemployment rate numbers, based on social security figures rather than from phone polls run by ABS . They have been grabbed from the provided contrary NIEIR report table, for some Melbourne suburbs.

Port Phillip (C) – West 8.9
Stonnington (C) – Prahran 6.5
Yarra (C) – North 13.5
Yarra (C) – Richmond 11.3
Brimbank (C) – Keilor 13.8
Brimbank (C) - Sunshine 21.7
Hobsons Bay (C) - Altona 13.3
Hobsons Bay (C) - Williamstown 10.5
Maribyrnong (C) 17.6
Moonee Valley (C) - Essendon 10.5
Moonee Valley (C) - West 9.6
Melton (S) – East 8.0
Melton (S) Bal 10.7
Wyndham (C) – North 9.6
Wyndham (C) - South 9.8
Wyndham (C) – West 10.4
Moreland (C) - Brunswick 12.5
Moreland (C) - Coburg 13.5
Moreland (C) – North 16.5
Banyule (C) - Heidelberg 10.2
Banyule (C) – North 7.7
Darebin (C) - Northcote 11.8
Darebin (C) – Preston 17.3
Hume (C) - Broadmeadows 18.4
Hume (C) - Craigieburn 13.1

Mother Therese Revisited.

On the 22nd of March, this year, I wrote about this now topical subject. My opinion hasn't changed. Though, this time, with a picture of the parent chosen patron saint of this strong women.

I hope she will soon be running, more than The Lodge.

"Conflict of interest is the subject on many a mind as Santo Santoro most likely moves to a small room in an outer leafy suburb of Brisbane to continue his obvious skill as a day/night share trader. Business involvements of the spouse of a possible future P.M. are worthy of consideration as well.

Therese Rein who, according to a most unreliable sensationalist weekly,..." is the shrewd entrepreneur who has weathered fraud investigations into her $175m business and made a fortune on the back of the Howard government's employment policies, and also found time to raise three children".

No prob with a god fearing women making money from government contracts. What if there is a bit of opinion about, that the Howard governments privatised employment policy stinks? That it might be appropriate for the opposition ,in developing new policy, to redirect a lot more of the funds towards the people that the system was set up to help.

You do not have to look too far in most communities to see that the job getting business is pretty lucrative, if you know how to swing things correctly. Part of the work is standing over poor Newstart sods and demanding that they struggle harder for job opportunities, that for many, only exist on paper. There are some fine fleets of new cars that carry employment providers who have no qualms about doing the dirty work of a government hellbent on demonising the powerless.

Kevin Rudd has talked about placing his family interests into a blind trust. The countries interest might involve the dismantling of a large trough that he and his wife should not be seen to be dipping into, even from a distance", said Joe2.

Osama Bird Laden Bombs Bush.

Reports are coming in that a sparrow has breached Whitehouse security by unloading on the President during a rose garden press conference.

A video of this shock attack is provided on this link but you will need to watch an ad first.

Howard Rules by Decree.

Andrew Bartlett on his blog points out that the current, very expensive, actual Workchoices Campaign is not yet based on legislation. It has neither been properly formed, or passed by parliament. Remember that the Murray Darling national water plan was similarly, cobbled together, beyond normal process; not even considered by treasury, or cabinet.

John Howard looks like a leader moving towards the corruption of absolute power that he, correctly castigates Robert Mugabe. Please look in the mirror, sir. Why worry about the middle man, when you can rule by decree? The bucks you are spending, in this wild, vote buying spree, are at the citizens' expense.

Not Governing for All Australians.

Click on the following image to enlarge this table.
Sourced from here and for the story see.

Weekend Goodies and Funnys.

This cartoonist is an artist , with extraordinary drawing skills and a penchant for cutting through the crap. Jump into the net and see more here. Do not miss the Pope or farewells to Jerry Falwell, that may be considered "funny but harsh" by the compassionate Arthur Vandelay but to me incredibly insightful, as well. Incidentally, the great 5 public opinions has a link to Christopher Hitchens' Falwell obit that should not be missed.

And for a great video laff, with a slight bite of Apple and big hit of ," i had no responsibilty for that", go to this ........

..........and a thankyou to veni vidi blogi for that tip.

WorkTurds New ™

WorkTurds New is to be the campaign name that, ‘The Hock’, is currently polishing up.

Fully approved by every employer lobby group. Guaranteed to scare the shit out of socialist underpants. With none of that exploitation aroma that surrounded a previous, unnamed product.

See....

Leaving this Plain.

All the indications are that Pete the Spiv, will jump early , rather than endure the pain of time in opposition. A golden parachute will be provided, after he has left the plane , for sure , from Saint Alchemist Mal…… who knows better, how to turn bullshit into gold, than The Abbot knows how to turn religion into fuel.

“Comfortable and relaxed, he urged his hosts to call him “Pete”. Pressed to ponder a hypothetical in which he was on a plane about to crash, and told he could offer a sole spare parachute to either Mr Rudd or Labor’s deputy leader Julia Gillard, he was asked to choose.
“So it is me, Julia and Kevin,” he clarified slowly.“You know what I would do? I would jump out!”

See this...

Pete the Spiv.

Pete believes that bribery will work. A couple of months and the punters will get a few extra bucks and the dumb bastards will take the bait. His arrogance and disrespect for the electorate is palpable.

"You generally find it takes, well even a month or two, and then by 30th of June the pensioners receive a bonus and they say: 'Gee I wonder where that came from'. Tax cuts come into effect in July and people say: Well that's nice, a little bit more money to help with the bills".

cartoon...Don Lindsay.

Who has the biggest Poll?

My alternative take on the latest Galaxy poll is thus……

Rudd is actually getting more ‘bounce’ from his ‘delayed honeymoon end’, than expected, despite being ‘tired’.

Howard, while ‘working harder’, after each bad poll result, ‘is looking fitter, cleverer and more Prime Ministerial’, but ‘may well lose his seat’, if he doesn’t sit down soon.

Got that?

Aunty Kidnapped !

I still can’t believe the degree of editorialising, even ABC radio/tv news, is ingaging in.
Today, was the perfect example. All day, radio ran a story, every hour, about the mining industry concern on awa’s and Rudds discussions.

All framed under the not said, but obvious opinion, that a cave in, is imminent. It was likely, given his misunderstanding of the need for “flexibilty”. And yes, a later report, Rod Cameron had ‘come out’, suggesting time for a Rudd, policy change.

This is pravda style aggenda setting . Nothing to do with fearlessly, reporting, the news.
Possibly so unproud of their manipulation, they do not even mention this ‘big newstory’ on their website, so far.

See ya Tony....

The first part of the guilty, 'tag team' , is to leave the political scene.

Let's celebrate!

Two to go....

Mr Pork Barrel.

Guessed pretty well, didn't I? Sadly, no cute little piggy tail.
This is a Spooner work, of course.

Get ready for pigs to fly.......

We know they are shadey, shifty and lie....
With a noses like that, they will hoover the trough of any little scrap.

Best grab, any bit you can, and THEN vote these 'bracket creeps' out.

Budget Night Rant.

Right now, cartoonists around Australia are drawing ‘pork barrels’ with Cossie, sitting on one, with a tiny little tale. It is to their drawings I will be looking too, for balance. It will not be the conga line of suckholes, that pretend to be the ‘balanced’, press gallery.

If Labor were to win the Federal election, which is still unlikely, given the extreme advantages of incumbency and ‘the win at all costs’ mentality of those born to rule…… a fine chance, will be available, to twig the relationship between the Fed boss, who holds all the cash and options, and his almost employees, the premiers.

Presently, the states have all the important roles to fill, but are hampered, by the flash, fully paid up Prime Miser , who will squander around 15 billion to provide fine driving experiences for those lucky enough to be RAAF pilots; while many old codgers sit at home, in pain, and are unable to get their teeth fixed.