Category: Politics

Swannee, how I love ya!

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Wayne Swan has two bob each-way
“The good news is that Australia is well placed to absorb a slowing in the world economy which may be caused by a more protracted US slowdown,” Mr Swan said. “The truth is that the fundamentals in the Australian economy are strong.
Well, that’s good. he has acknowledged that the Libs left him a sound economy. Oops, he thinks…have to change that…must get the message across that the Libs really stuffed up the economy…God! What was I thinking.
“Australian families have had something like six interest rate rises in the past three years as a result of rising inflation and the complacency of the previous government when it came to addressing key capacity constraints in the economy,” Mr Swan said.
There, that’s better. You need to lift your game, local member of mine.
Politics

Come the Kevolution

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From DD McNichols Strewth in todays Australian WHILE Kevin Rudd is enjoying his summer hols on beautiful Sydney Harbour at Kirribilli House, his supporters (or perhaps detractors) are beavering away to boost his image. Following the now-collectable Kevin07 T-shirt comes the Viva la Kevolution T-shirt in three fetching shades – red, green and white. The brainchild of Sydney artist Graham Brown and his poet mate Adam Gibson, the shirts feature the PM’s unmistakable jowls and rimless spectacles under a communist-star embossed beret. The image is a shameless knock-off of the still popular Che Guevara image from the 1960s. Brown, who tells Strewth he is a sucker for a bad pun, reckons it is the ideal summerwear for everyone from yummy mummies to latte-sipping lefties. The T-shirts, which are a rather pricey $40 each, can be ordered from…find out yourself if you want one – I’m not going to tell you……oh, all right….www.plastikzen.com. And while we’re talking about Kevin Rudd enjoying his holidays what happened to “Taking only Christmas and Boxing Day off”
Many ministers appeared to have ignored his pre-Christmas edict – perhaps said tongue in cheek – that his team was only allowed Christmas Day and Boxing Day off.
In todays press some are listed as working but the man who said Christmas and Boxing day only is not. Under the “Howard Lied” rules Kevin has clearly told another porky. Get used to it.
Politics

It starts with another review

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Australia’s Chief Clerk, KEVIN Rudd will clamp down on overuse of foreign-owned ships to transport freight around the nation’s coastline in a bid to bolster the shipping industry.
Transport Minister Anthony Albanese told The Australian last night: “This review will be about boosting Australia’s international competitiveness and finding ways to increase coastal shipping’s share of the domestic freight market.
What Anthoy means is the review will be all about reinstating the power of the Maritime Union of Australia enabling them to run our coastal shipping and not any damn politician from Canberra. Mr Albanese’s comments came as the Maritime Union of Australia said it expected Labor to deliver on its policy platform, requiring stronger laws to protect cabotage – the principle that nations should protect domestic shipping routes for domestic shipping fleets. The way to protect cabotage is keep shipping costs to a minimum so shipping companies will want to be involved but that’s not exactly the forte of the MUA or their wharfie cousins. Expect higher costs but no increase in Australian ships – at least not privately owned ones.
Politics

Who’s lying now?

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Breaking News on TV today. Australia’s Chief Clerk, Kevin Rudd is talking about his mad-cap scheme to send the Navy thousands of miles away to ‘monitor‘ and ‘get evidence‘ of the Japanese harpooning whales;
“We all know what the Howard Government did about whaling – nothing!”
Wow, I thought, fancy the government not doing anything – this can’t be real – is it? No, it’s not true. I Googled Howard Government+japanese whaling and come up with hundreds of hits. Sought legal advice…advised Japanese won’t accept International Court rulings on the matter….applied pressure…Howard writes letter to Japanese PM…Downer applies diplomatic pressure, etc, etc. Obviously Rudd’s staff could’ve done the same as me, or just referred to Hansard and would therefore know that the Howard Government had been applying pressure for years to get the Japanese to stop whaling so the only take I can get from Rudd’s opening line is that he is lying. Tell the lie often enough and people believe. Tell it and people, possibly even those ones who voted him in, will believe. Look at that Howard…never done anything to save those poor whales….what a bastard. Look how world savvy and compassionate Rudd is! Of course the media, being totally unbiased, picked up on it and raised the question – like hell. I’m not holding my breath for any mention tomorrow either.
Politics

Navy set to aid Greenpeace

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Australia’s Chief Clerk KEVIN Rudd yesterday refused to rule out using the Royal Australian Navy to spy on the Japanese whaling fleet and collect evidence for an international court challenge against its annual hunt.
The Rudd Government has already moved to remove legal impediments to any challenge, with cabinet agreeing last week to dump the Howard government’s legal opposition to the move.
What legal opposition is that, Rudd? I think you will find the Howard Government had legal advise that they couldn’t send RAN ships out on the High seas to stop the Japanese pursuing a legal activity. How were they expected to stop them – with bofors or missiles?. Force was the only answer and it isn’t an acceptable answer. According to journalist Mathew Franklin the Howard Government failed;
The Howard administration condemned the hunt. But while it worked hard through the International Whaling Commission to prevent Japanese attempts to overturn the whaling ban, it failed to confront the Japanese fleet in Australian-controlled Antarctic waters.
It didn’t fail. it refused – any action other than keeping a watch on the Japs activities would’ve been subject to International Law. Rudd is well aware that he can’t use force to stop them thus he will have the Navy deployed thousands of miles from home on a watching brief to confirm something we already know. What’s the point of having Navy Photographers record harpooning of whales when the Japs freely admit they are doing it. All this as a sop to the Greenies after Rudd refused to put Australia’s economy on pause at the Bali ‘Green Fest’. The RAN must be rolling their eyes while they run around looking for Arctic weather gear.
Defence, Politics

Torture works

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A RETIRED CIA agent has confirmed interrogators used a simulated drowning technique on an al-Qaeda suspect and admitted that the disputed method is a form of torture. Yawn! Mr Kiriakou said the method broke Zubaydah – one of the first top al-Qaeda suspects captured after the September 11, 2001 attacks – in less than 35 seconds, according to ABC.
“The next day, he told his interrogator that Allah had visited him in his cell during the night and told him to co-operate,” Mr Kiriakou said. “From that day on, he answered every question,” he said. “The threat information he provided disrupted a number of attacks, maybe dozens of attacks.”
One for the good guys. Fairly simple really. Apply some pressure,get results and save lives and yet people are still screaming. Inquiries are happening and the media are attacking Bush and the CIA What for?
Politics

Vote Recount for McEwan

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THE Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has ordered a vote recount in the federal seat of McEwen in Victoria.
The recount will begin tomorrow following a request by sitting Liberal member Fran Bailey after losing by seven votes. Three more votes emerged yesterday – two going to Ms Bailey – but the former tourism minister is still six votes in deficit and has raised concerns about the accuracy of the counting process.
Politics

Peter paying Paul?

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A PROGRAM to fund run-down schools will be shut down under the federal Labor Government, in favour of placing computers in schools. In an interview with The Advertiser to coincide with her first day as acting Prime Minister, Education Minister Julia Gillard said Labor would stop the Investing In Our Schools program. Instead, Labor would provide schools with infrastructure such as computers and trades training centres, she said. Investing in Our Schools program was initiated by the Howard government that was unique in that it provides parents, teachers and students with the opportunity to tell the Australian Government directly what is important to their school community. I guess that’s not important anymore – Julia knows better than the parents, teachers and students – she is after all, Acting PM.
Politics

Swan sizes up threats to economy

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It’s him! Sure, there are lot’s of other words in the article but in essence the only change to the economy is the man running it. There are other potential factors of course; a wage break out as unions hit their stride and get pay-back from Rudd; a slowing down of the economy as business slows when AWAs are scrapped, a slow down and slump in employment when Unfair Dismissal laws are reversed and some costs associated with Kyoto but by and large, Swans the man. The ALP have been handed a blinder of an economy, as different from the 96 billion hole they handed over to the Libs last time the Government changed hands, so it’s up to them to maintain the upward curves. Will they?
Politics
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