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FWA Investigation

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Shorten on Fair Work Australia taking three years to investigate Thomson “The best way to protect Fair Work Australia is to protect its independence,” he told Channel Ten today.
“The argument which says the government needs to intervene would undermine its independence.
What about the argument which says the government already has intervened to slow down the investigation. It might not be true of course but if not, then FWA and the government will need to clarify why it has taken nearly three years to investigate the allegations that Thomson used Union credit cards on prostitutes, lavish meals and cash withdrawals. Had I had done the same whilst employed I would’ve been stood down during an investigation that would have been concluded in weeks at the most. Bill, the problem is, rightly or wrongly, the punters don’t believe you.
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Politics
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Greens lonely MP Adam Bandt says Tony Abbott should be focused on Aboriginal disadvantage not political point scoring. He is. He spends a couple of weeks every year in the outback helping Aboriginal communities. No cameras, no journalists – just trying to help and understand their problems. What are you doing for them Brandt?
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Politics

Canberra riots

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Gillard’s answers questions on the Canberra Black’s camp and radical left wing permanent white student riot The Prime Minister was quick to emphasize that though Tony Hodges had acted in a way that was inappropriate, he “did not misrepresent Mr Abbott’s remarks, nor did he incite violence or a demonstration. Sorry PM, I don’t believe you. My concern is that there exists within the government, and particularly the Prime Minister’s Office, a mindset that understand that the government can’t gain any ascendancy in the polls or with the electorate based on their record, thus all steps must be taken to make Tony Abbott look bad. Tony Abbott’s remarks are continually being misrepresented – a case or two in point “Well that’s one ship that did get stopped” and “Shit happens” The PM went on to say;
…..Mr Hodges tried to contact the Minister for Indigenous affairs Chris Burke who was unavailable and then contacted the representative for UnionsACT Kim Sattler.
Now why would he contact Kim Sattler? Because she is in the same game of trying to damage Abbott’s reputation as is Hodges. What’s the odds that they are on each others speed dial. According to Sattler:
“Tony Abbott is like your typical bar-room brawler who starts a fight and then disappears like a coward when it is in full swing,” she wrote.
And this is, I believe, after she had set him up. In the Canberra Times Kim denies being the go-between
When contacted by the Sunday Canberra Times this morning, Ms Sattler said she had been at the tent embassy but she was not the go between. “I heard it from the crowd,’’ she said.
Which is not how Barbara Shaw, Greens candidate and aboriginal activist remembers it;
“Now I know who she is and what her position [is], it’s really disappointing,” she said. “It breaks my heart to know who she is.” Ms Shaw said she didn’t identify Ms Sattler on sight at the embassy rally but later confirmed her identity speaking to others who were there. “She said I should let people know Tony Abbott is over there, so I did,” Ms Shaw said. “I wasn’t the first person she told and the coffee shop is a public area, but there were already people from here going over there. “I was told and I was told to tell everyone else.”
Grubs, the lot of them!
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Politics, Radical Ferals

Qld ALP denial

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How’s this for Qld ALP denial;
Of course state issues will dominate the campaign and the focus will be on the experienced Bligh and untried Newman,” one ALP insider told Inquirer yesterday. “The problem for Queensland Labor is that our brand here is damaged because of the party’s poor federal standing.It means that the mood of the electorate in general has turned against us and it becomes easier for swinging voters to vote for the other side.”
Mate, don’t hide your achievemnets, You have damaged the QLD ALP brand all by yourselves – the Feds are another issue that won’t help you, but take credit where credit is due.
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Politics

They still don’t get it!

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I have just been watching ABC24 and they claim yesterdays thugs are still at the camp on the lawns of old parliament house demanding Abbott explains himself. I’m almost beside myself with rage that these thugs have the temerity to continue with their garbage after yesterdays assault on the PM and Opposition Leader. Good thing I don’t live in Canberra – I’d be in all sorts of trouble. The Left are all over this blaming Abbott, the police and protection services for over reacting and even the public servant who organized the event so close to the thugs. But not, of course, the thugs. I’ll make a prediction – no one will be charged and the thugs camp will stay. Like modern day parenting – everyone is too scared to smack the kid on the bum and tell him to behave.
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Politics

Radical, feral aborigines threaten Gillard and Abbott

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PRIME Minister Julia Gillard and Opposition Leader Tony Abbott were trapped in a Canberra building for up to half an hour after 200 Aboriginal protesters stormed the entrance this afternoon. The unnamed journalist who penned the piece lays the blame at Abbott’s feet. Abbott is quoted in a speech in Sydney where he suggests it’s time to close down the gathering of rabble otherwise known as the Aboriginal Tent embassy.
Mr Abbott said he understood why the tent embassy was set up “all those years ago”. “I think a lot has changed for the better since then,” he told reporters. “I think the indigenous people of Australia can be very proud of the respect in which they are held by every Australian. “I think a lot has changed since then, and I think it probably is time to move on from that.”
Sounds about right. For a gathering of rabble rousers to be in situ for 40 years does seem a bit much. Maybe they had been drinking commiserating with each other over “Invasion Day”. Whatever, they are idiots and they have done their cause a lot of damage.
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Politics

Australia Day Awards

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BY and large I have no argument with Australia Day honours but these two did attract my atenttion. Public Service Medal (PSM)
Martin Gerard BOWLES, Yarralumla ACT. For outstanding public service in delivering highly successful energy efficiency policies and remediation programs for the Home Insulation and Green Loans programs.
One wonders if he would have been made a saint had the programs actually been successful. Order of Australia – Officer (AO)
Professor Stuart Forbes MACINTYRE, Brunswick West Vic For distinguished service to the social sciences and to the humanities as a leading academic in the areas of 19th and 20th century Australian history, particularly through advancing the understanding of social and political life, and as an author, researcher and mentor.
All from a Communist perspective.
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General Musings

Turn the boats back

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TONY Abbott’s plan to send back all asylum-seeker boats has drawn fire from Indonesia’s police as well as the UN High Commissioner for Refugees as dangerous and in breach of international law. Presuming the Greens, human rights activists and other assorted left wing bleeders also disagree then that most probably makes it a good plan. The fact that he says he will turn back the boats doesn’t mean every boat will be turned back. It will depend on how quickly the illegal Social Security applicants can sabotage their boats, but at the very least, this should make for good video. I am a bit surprised at Admiral Barry being quoted in the media as being against the plan. He may care to look up ‘ethics of service officers’, particularly the bits that refer to how he should be apolitical lest he end up shoveling coal with the other RAN stokers after the next election. There will be more to Abbott’s plan than ‘turn the boats back’ but by announcing this aspect now it will allow the Social Security applicant’s fan club to wear out their angst and perfect their underestimation of Abbott to a more disillusioned level.
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Politics

Pokies and Pollies

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Like most of the Australian population, Wilkie now has reason to feel dudded by Gillard. Leaving his electorate to get on as best it can while he pursued a personal vendetta on pokies, Wilkie strikes me as a obsessive/compulsive type of guy. Obsessive people really worry me particularly when they have power, however fleeting it may be. From behind The Australian’s paywall
Tasmanian sources say that the pokies issues has taken up so much of Wilkie’s time that his capacity to perform as a local member has been diminished. “He doesn’t get a huge amount of press down here to be frank,” another insider said. The two main issues where Wilkie has had strong local coverage, the insider indicated, have been pokies reform and the agreement he struck with the government as part of his deal to keep Labor in power for extra funds for Hobart Hospital, only to discover the money would come out of other grants to his struggling state. Local observers say this indicates Wilkie is naive.
Gillard must feel particularly annoyed by Craig Thomson having a go at her. Be quiet Craig…the ALP don’t want any mention of your name in the media lest the public remember that it is alleged you have stolen monies from the poor Health Services Union members. The Australian Tax Office are also interested in having a chat with Craig. All this is old news as discerning readers know but it doesn’t hurt to remind others. Noting how the Fair Work Australia division of the ALP has been investigating this matter for three years I’m sure Abbott will bring it up in parliament when it sits again in a couple of weeks. The Police are on it as well. Certainly a shaky start to 2012 for Gillard. Her power rests on Peter Slipper. Good luck PM!
Politics

The Constitution

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THE Constitution would be amended to encourage respect for indigenous Australians, and denounce discrimination, if an expert panel’s findings are adopted. Personally I’m of the “respect is earned” school but I am against race based discrimination. The report calls for the removal of sections 25 and 51 and the inclusion of a new section 51A that recognises that the continent and its islands now known as Australia “were first occupied by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. I have just read section 51 and the only mention of race is section xxvi that says The Parliament shall, subject to this Constitution, have power to make laws for the peace, order, and good government of the Commonwealth with respect to:
-The people of any race, for whom it is deemed necessary to make special laws:
Why would the expert panel recommend the removal of all of section 51 rather than just the sub section that deals with race? Anybody? Section 25, however, deals explicitly with race;
25. For the purposes of the last section, if by the law of any State all persons of any race are disqualified from voting at elections for the more numerous House of the Parliament of the State, then, in reckoning the number of the people of the State or of the Commonwealth, persons of the race resident in that State shall not be counted.
I can see a case to remove section 25 but not to remove all of section 51. The panel want a new new section 51A that recognises that the continent and its islands now known as Australia “were first occupied by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.” I don’t get the point of that. If you did that in European countries their constitutions would simply be a litany of races that have been through their countries. On first glance I would be happy to support removal of sections that specifically mention race but not any inclusions of same just to point out they were here before us.
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Constitution
1 … 51 52 53 54 55 … 228