Might as well launch a new thread here. too.

A pinch and a punch – this time, in the wallet:

Happy New – financial – Year!

Paying more for less?

Call it what it is – Shrinkflation!

This was on our watch. Wake up & hold them accountable.
15 m ·

Two Parts to this post. Here Dutton making divisive claims in a letter to his own electorate. The follow up post from #AuspolExplained tells us how the executive powers work.

It is telling that Peter Dutton’s letter on the Voice was sent only to his electorate. Partly, this is about printing allowances. His convictions always have a budget. Partly, it is a reminder that Dutton’s concern is not about the Voice but the people who vote for him. He sees this as a winner.

“The government has overlooked the concerns of many legal experts,” Dutton wrote in the letter, sent this week. “It is pursuing a voice that covers all areas of ‘executive government’ … Many legal experts warn this voice could risk years of litigation. The High Court would determine its powers, not the parliament.

“This voice is legally risky, with unknown consequences. It’s divisive and permanent. Yet when Australians raise reasonable concerns, they’ve been dismissed.”

Alongside the letter, Dutton sent a six-page pamphlet criticising the Voice. It described the Voice as unknown and disruptive. It would be ineffective and costly and forever.

“The Liberal Party supports regional voices, with powers clearly defined by parliament,” the pamphlet said. “However, the Albanese government wants to go much further – enshrining a voice in the Constitution, with few limits to its scope and few details.”
The trouble with writing is it makes ideas concrete. The slipperiness of language is suddenly fixed in place. The unnamed legal experts are 11 words on a line, a half-truth not worth the energy of embellishment. Suddenly the absence of detail is everywhere. The holes are clear.

When Dutton says the High Court will determine the powers of the Voice, he is describing its role in interpreting and applying Australian law. He could make the same observation about any piece of legislation. The banality of this is extraordinary. It is essentially saying the parliament should not make laws because a court will be able to review their use.

The argument around scope is just as weak. As Ken Wyatt tried to explain to his former colleagues, he’s never known an Indigenous group that wanted to talk to the Reserve Bank about interest rates or to Defence about expenditure. If they did, what would be the problem?

Wyatt doubts the people left in the party he quit have read the consultation reports on the Voice. When they ask for detail, they ignore hundreds of pages of patient explanation. When they talk of unknown consequences, they mean only that there is some limit to the lies they are prepared to tell about the Voice.

Dutton’s pamphlet is the clearest account yet of the Coalition’s position on the Voice. It is proof of the smallness and unscrupulousness of the campaign he is running. The Voice was offered to the country as an opportunity. Dutton so misunderstands this he can see it only as an opportunity for himself. That is the way he thinks, after all: in printing allowances and pamphlet subheadings.

https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/…/2023/07/01/the-hole

I’d rather stab myself in the eye than vote Dutton.

mollwollfumble said:

I’d rather stab myself in the eye than vote Dutton.

Well most of us are glad to hear you say that.

Mr Maguire’s legal team took aim at the media following the ICAC findings, saying there had been “serious invasions of privacy” to his client, family and business associates.

The statement said drones had been flown above Mr Maguire’s rural property “contrary to regulations, which in turn spooked the valuable horses, raising concerns from agistees”.

Hmm…

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-06/brittany-higgins-legal-options-linda-reynolds/102571390

I see our age pension is now 67, what is a reasonable minimum retirement age
I’m assuming it’s likely to get bumped up to 70 by the time I am getting near retirement as society need to drain every last bit of excess energy out of skilled workers.

Cymek said:

I see our age pension is now 67, what is a reasonable minimum retirement age
I’m assuming it’s likely to get bumped up to 70 by the time I am getting near retirement as society need to drain every last bit of excess energy out of skilled workers.

yet when we started working, they were mooting a 30 hour week and earlier retirement due to computerisation. More leisure for all!

Cymek said:

I see our age pension is now 67, what is a reasonable minimum retirement age
I’m assuming it’s likely to get bumped up to 70 by the time I am getting near retirement as society need to drain every last bit of excess energy out of skilled workers.

There is a planned change of access age. It depends on when you were born. This change is not something just announced. It’s just a change, like the change to employers’ superannuation contributions, that starts with the new financial year and was legislated years ago.

sarahs mum said:

Cymek said:

I see our age pension is now 67, what is a reasonable minimum retirement age
I’m assuming it’s likely to get bumped up to 70 by the time I am getting near retirement as society need to drain every last bit of excess energy out of skilled workers.

yet when we started working, they were mooting a 30 hour week and earlier retirement due to computerisation. More leisure for all!

When i began working for Centrelink, the qualifying age for age pension was 65 for men, and 60 for women.

Some groups began to lobby about this, claiming it was discriminatory, their aim being to have the age lowered to 60 for everyone.

The govt said you know, you’re right, it is discriminatory, and raised the qualifying age for women to 65.

Oh… said the lobbygroups.

I see this is the last of the changes mooted for now.

https://www.dss.gov.au/seniors/benefits-payments/age-pension

Mr buffy fits into the second last group and I’m in the 67 years group. But I’ve known that for years. That is only the pension age. You can access your private pension (super) earlier than that. When we set up my super back when I was about 23 years old, we set my pension age at 60 years because Mr buffy is 6 years older than me. I went onto a transition to superannuation mini pension before I retired (when I dropped back to part-time consulting) and we still keep my pension low. I am using savings as well. With the money Mum left me and my super, I’ve got about the same money “in the bank”, (super and savings), as Mr buffy has got in his super. It is enough that we will be living on our own money for many years if we only spend what we would be getting with a government pension. In fact my current allocated pension is a bit less than a government pension. (which is why I have to dip into savings sometimes)

buffy said:

I see this is the last of the changes mooted for now.

https://www.dss.gov.au/seniors/benefits-payments/age-pension

Mr buffy fits into the second last group and I’m in the 67 years group. But I’ve known that for years. That is only the pension age. You can access your private pension (super) earlier than that. When we set up my super back when I was about 23 years old, we set my pension age at 60 years because Mr buffy is 6 years older than me. I went onto a transition to superannuation mini pension before I retired (when I dropped back to part-time consulting) and we still keep my pension low. I am using savings as well. With the money Mum left me and my super, I’ve got about the same money “in the bank”, (super and savings), as Mr buffy has got in his super. It is enough that we will be living on our own money for many years if we only spend what we would be getting with a government pension. In fact my current allocated pension is a bit less than a government pension. (which is why I have to dip into savings sometimes)

Is 1958 a 67 year old retirement?

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

I see this is the last of the changes mooted for now.

https://www.dss.gov.au/seniors/benefits-payments/age-pension

Mr buffy fits into the second last group and I’m in the 67 years group. But I’ve known that for years. That is only the pension age. You can access your private pension (super) earlier than that. When we set up my super back when I was about 23 years old, we set my pension age at 60 years because Mr buffy is 6 years older than me. I went onto a transition to superannuation mini pension before I retired (when I dropped back to part-time consulting) and we still keep my pension low. I am using savings as well. With the money Mum left me and my super, I’ve got about the same money “in the bank”, (super and savings), as Mr buffy has got in his super. It is enough that we will be living on our own money for many years if we only spend what we would be getting with a government pension. In fact my current allocated pension is a bit less than a government pension. (which is why I have to dip into savings sometimes)

Is 1958 a 67 year old retirement?

Yep. Anyone born after 01 Jan 1957.

https://www.servicesaustralia.gov.au/who-can-get-age-pension?context=22526

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

I see this is the last of the changes mooted for now.

https://www.dss.gov.au/seniors/benefits-payments/age-pension

Mr buffy fits into the second last group and I’m in the 67 years group. But I’ve known that for years. That is only the pension age. You can access your private pension (super) earlier than that. When we set up my super back when I was about 23 years old, we set my pension age at 60 years because Mr buffy is 6 years older than me. I went onto a transition to superannuation mini pension before I retired (when I dropped back to part-time consulting) and we still keep my pension low. I am using savings as well. With the money Mum left me and my super, I’ve got about the same money “in the bank”, (super and savings), as Mr buffy has got in his super. It is enough that we will be living on our own money for many years if we only spend what we would be getting with a government pension. In fact my current allocated pension is a bit less than a government pension. (which is why I have to dip into savings sometimes)

Is 1958 a 67 year old retirement?

From 1 January 1957 onwards 67 years 1 July 2023

From the chart at the link

buffy said:

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

I see this is the last of the changes mooted for now.

https://www.dss.gov.au/seniors/benefits-payments/age-pension

Mr buffy fits into the second last group and I’m in the 67 years group. But I’ve known that for years. That is only the pension age. You can access your private pension (super) earlier than that. When we set up my super back when I was about 23 years old, we set my pension age at 60 years because Mr buffy is 6 years older than me. I went onto a transition to superannuation mini pension before I retired (when I dropped back to part-time consulting) and we still keep my pension low. I am using savings as well. With the money Mum left me and my super, I’ve got about the same money “in the bank”, (super and savings), as Mr buffy has got in his super. It is enough that we will be living on our own money for many years if we only spend what we would be getting with a government pension. In fact my current allocated pension is a bit less than a government pension. (which is why I have to dip into savings sometimes)

Is 1958 a 67 year old retirement?

From 1 January 1957 onwards 67 years 1 July 2023

From the chart at the link

I squeezed through by being born in 1953.

>>Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the release of the Robodebt royal commission’s findings is being used to harm the Coalition’s chances at next weekend’s Fadden by-election.<<

Always someone else’s fault.

From here:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/robodebt-royal-commission-final-report-live-updates/102488602

buffy said:

>>Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the release of the Robodebt royal commission’s findings is being used to harm the Coalition’s chances at next weekend’s Fadden by-election.<<

Always someone else’s fault.

From here:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/robodebt-royal-commission-final-report-live-updates/102488602

Heh. The robodebt thing was their fault anyway.

buffy said:

>>Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the release of the Robodebt royal commission’s findings is being used to harm the Coalition’s chances at next weekend’s Fadden by-election.<<

Always someone else’s fault.

From here:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/robodebt-royal-commission-final-report-live-updates/102488602

Nods.

Michael V said:

buffy said:

>>Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the release of the Robodebt royal commission’s findings is being used to harm the Coalition’s chances at next weekend’s Fadden by-election.<<

Always someone else’s fault.

From here:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/robodebt-royal-commission-final-report-live-updates/102488602

Nods.

There’s a lesson there, Peter.

When you do stupid, nasty things while in government (e.g. to distract from how all of your mates in the mining industry get away with paying bugger-all taxes on their profits, and because it’s always fun to punish people for being poor), you may not be able to control the timing of when the skeletons fall out of the closet.

captain_spalding said:

Michael V said:

buffy said:

>>Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the release of the Robodebt royal commission’s findings is being used to harm the Coalition’s chances at next weekend’s Fadden by-election.<<

Always someone else’s fault.

From here:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/robodebt-royal-commission-final-report-live-updates/102488602

Nods.

There’s a lesson there, Peter.

When you do stupid, nasty things while in government (e.g. to distract from how all of your mates in the mining industry get away with paying bugger-all taxes on their profits, and because it’s always fun to punish people for being poor), you may not be able to control the timing of when the skeletons fall out of the closet.

Quite eloquently described. :)

captain_spalding said:

Michael V said:

buffy said:

>>Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the release of the Robodebt royal commission’s findings is being used to harm the Coalition’s chances at next weekend’s Fadden by-election.<<

Always someone else’s fault.

From here:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/robodebt-royal-commission-final-report-live-updates/102488602

Nods.

There’s a lesson there, Peter.

When you do stupid, nasty things while in government (e.g. to distract from how all of your mates in the mining industry get away with paying bugger-all taxes on their profits, and because it’s always fun to punish people for being poor), you may not be able to control the timing of when the skeletons fall out of the closet.

:)

“On the evidence before the Commission, elements of the tort of misfeasance in public office appear to exist,” Ms Holmes wrote.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/robodebt-royal-commission-final-report-live-updates/102488602

buffy said:

>>Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the release of the Robodebt royal commission’s findings is being used to harm the Coalition’s chances at next weekend’s Fadden by-election.<<

Always someone else’s fault.

From here:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/robodebt-royal-commission-final-report-live-updates/102488602

I mean…

_shouldn’t _ this kind of thing hurt their chances?

“The ALP is using abundant evidence of our depravity and i competence to dissuade people from voting for us.”

dv said:

buffy said:

>>Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the release of the Robodebt royal commission’s findings is being used to harm the Coalition’s chances at next weekend’s Fadden by-election.<<

Always someone else’s fault.

From here:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/robodebt-royal-commission-final-report-live-updates/102488602

I mean…

_shouldn’t _ this kind of thing hurt their chances?

“The ALP is using abundant evidence of our depravity and i competence to dissuade people from voting for us.”

Yes, it should hurt their chances. And I hope it destroys their chances.

dv said:

buffy said:

>>Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the release of the Robodebt royal commission’s findings is being used to harm the Coalition’s chances at next weekend’s Fadden by-election.<<

Always someone else’s fault.

From here:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/robodebt-royal-commission-final-report-live-updates/102488602

I mean…

_shouldn’t _ this kind of thing hurt their chances?

“The ALP is using abundant evidence of our depravity and i competence to dissuade people from voting for us.”

Yeah, it’s a clueless sort of complaint.

“They’re only pointing out our sins so people will notice.”

“Peter Dutton opting for the nuclear option for Australia’s energy future”.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/peter-dutton-david-littleproud-coalition-nuclear-reactors/102574782

dv said:

buffy said:

>>Federal Opposition Leader Peter Dutton says the release of the Robodebt royal commission’s findings is being used to harm the Coalition’s chances at next weekend’s Fadden by-election.<<

Always someone else’s fault.

From here:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/robodebt-royal-commission-final-report-live-updates/102488602

I mean…

_shouldn’t _ this kind of thing hurt their chances?

“The ALP is using abundant evidence of our depravity and i competence to dissuade people from voting for us.”

He still has time to throw some children overboard.

So Matt number one went through a heart attack and bypass. The amount of medication he was on skyrocketed as did the amount of time spent with medics and shrinks. He went to Brisbane and testified to the Commission. And today he got an apology.

but he still paying robodebt out of his pension.

sarahs mum said:

So Matt number one went through a heart attack and bypass. The amount of medication he was on skyrocketed as did the amount of time spent with medics and shrinks. He went to Brisbane and testified to the Commission. And today he got an apology.

but he still paying robodebt out of his pension.

there will be no compensation.

Michael V said:

“Peter Dutton opting for the nuclear option for Australia’s energy future”.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/peter-dutton-david-littleproud-coalition-nuclear-reactors/102574782

I’d bet that’s a wag the dog trick. So what is he covering up?

Spiny Norman said:

Michael V said:

“Peter Dutton opting for the nuclear option for Australia’s energy future”.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/peter-dutton-david-littleproud-coalition-nuclear-reactors/102574782

I’d bet that’s a wag the dog trick. So what is he covering up?

Diverting attention from the Robodebt thing…according to the Wisdom of Mr Buffy.

:)

Michael V said:

“Peter Dutton opting for the nuclear option for Australia’s energy future”.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/peter-dutton-david-littleproud-coalition-nuclear-reactors/102574782

I don’t entirely disagree with this.

As a bridging strategy towards the broader implementation of renewables, it’s in some ways preferable to the gas-driven plans of others.

We know that coal and gas-fired power plants are killing the planet RIGHT NOW. Yet, we shy away altogether from an alternative because of what it might do.

captain_spalding said:

Michael V said:

“Peter Dutton opting for the nuclear option for Australia’s energy future”.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/peter-dutton-david-littleproud-coalition-nuclear-reactors/102574782

I don’t entirely disagree with this.

As a bridging strategy towards the broader implementation of renewables, it’s in some ways preferable to the gas-driven plans of others.

We know that coal and gas-fired power plants are killing the planet RIGHT NOW. Yet, we shy away altogether from an alternative because of what it might do.

while I agree with the sentiment the problem with adopting nuclear power is that is will take a few years to do the feasibility study work, a year or so to to the front end engineering design, a construction period of two years and then another five before we have even have even an assemblance of the necessary nationalised technical skills to sustain the industry. It would also increase the price of electricity.

IMO we’re far better off perusing wind, solar and hydrogen

captain_spalding said:

Michael V said:

“Peter Dutton opting for the nuclear option for Australia’s energy future”.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/peter-dutton-david-littleproud-coalition-nuclear-reactors/102574782

I don’t entirely disagree with this.

As a bridging strategy towards the broader implementation of renewables, it’s in some ways preferable to the gas-driven plans of others.

We know that coal and gas-fired power plants are killing the planet RIGHT NOW. Yet, we shy away altogether from an alternative because of what it might do.

I suppose we can excuse them for doing nothing about it in 9 years of government because that would have required them to actually acknowledge that climate change was a problem.

I’m kind of with d-s on this. I don’t have any in-principle opposition to nuclear power with an appropriate regulatory framework, but I think that there’s no way that nuclear power with an appropriate regulatory framework will compete on price with the renewables and storage options that will be available i Australia 20 years from now, so (shrugs) why even bother.

diddly-squat said:

captain_spalding said:

Michael V said:

“Peter Dutton opting for the nuclear option for Australia’s energy future”.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/peter-dutton-david-littleproud-coalition-nuclear-reactors/102574782

I don’t entirely disagree with this.

As a bridging strategy towards the broader implementation of renewables, it’s in some ways preferable to the gas-driven plans of others.

We know that coal and gas-fired power plants are killing the planet RIGHT NOW. Yet, we shy away altogether from an alternative because of what it might do.

while I agree with the sentiment the problem with adopting nuclear power is that is will take a few years to do the feasibility study work, a year or so to to the front end engineering design, a construction period of two years and then another five before we have even have even an assemblance of the necessary nationalised technical skills to sustain the industry. It would also increase the price of electricity.

IMO we’re far better off perusing wind, solar and hydrogen

Careful fellow conservative or your membership will be revoked

diddly-squat said:

captain_spalding said:

Michael V said:

“Peter Dutton opting for the nuclear option for Australia’s energy future”.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/peter-dutton-david-littleproud-coalition-nuclear-reactors/102574782

I don’t entirely disagree with this.

As a bridging strategy towards the broader implementation of renewables, it’s in some ways preferable to the gas-driven plans of others.

We know that coal and gas-fired power plants are killing the planet RIGHT NOW. Yet, we shy away altogether from an alternative because of what it might do.

while I agree with the sentiment the problem with adopting nuclear power is that is will take a few years to do the feasibility study work, a year or so to to the front end engineering design, a construction period of two years and then another five before we have even have even an assemblance of the necessary nationalised technical skills to sustain the industry. It would also increase the price of electricity.

IMO we’re far better off perusing wind, solar and hydrogen

Careful fellow conservative or your membership will be revoked

dv said:

I’m kind of with d-s on this. I don’t have any in-principle opposition to nuclear power with an appropriate regulatory framework, but I think that there’s no way that nuclear power with an appropriate regulatory framework will compete on price with the renewables and storage options that will be available i Australia 20 years from now, so (shrugs) why even bother.

Last I heard, even the nuclear power companies weren’t enthusiastic about Australian stations.

Bubblecar said:

dv said:

I’m kind of with d-s on this. I don’t have any in-principle opposition to nuclear power with an appropriate regulatory framework, but I think that there’s no way that nuclear power with an appropriate regulatory framework will compete on price with the renewables and storage options that will be available i Australia 20 years from now, so (shrugs) why even bother.

Last I heard, even the nuclear power companies weren’t enthusiastic about Australian stations.

That’s twice I’ve omitted the n in in today.

It’s the ‘r’ word that makes politicians quake. No, it’s not recession

Don Harwin
Former NSW arts minister
July 7, 2023 — 5.00am

Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender will go head-to-head for the same federal seat at the next election. The plot for a new novel? Believe it or not, the truth may be stranger than fiction.

As our federal parliamentarians are back in their electorates during the winter recess, those from NSW, Victoria and Western Australia may have a bit more on their mind than a break from the chill of our national capital.

On or after July 27, 2023 electoral legislation requires that Australia’s electoral commissioner must determine how many MPs will represent each state from the next federal election, due no later than 2025. And the consensus among those who watch this closely is the two big states will lose a seat each and Western Australia will gain one, making 150 MPs in total.

Even if the number of seats doesn’t change, the law says the boundaries need to be adjusted every seven years to try to keep the number of voters in each seat as close to equal as possible, factoring in population shifts around our nation. Time’s up NSW.

And so begins a process that unsettles our MPs until resolved: the redistribution of electoral boundaries. The drawing of these boundaries can sometimes advance or end a politician’s career.

Paul Keating described them as “bloody awful things”. In his first attempt to be preselected as a candidate, he spent his salad years in the late ’60s building up his support in Labor’s Condell Park branch. But a change in boundaries in 1968 moved this suburb into the adjacent seat of Banks, forcing a messy and controversial pivot which ended up with his party’s federal executive getting involved. He survived, became Labor’s Blaxland candidate for the 1969 federal election and the rest is history. But it was a pothole on the path to power not forgotten.

We are lucky as Australians. Drawing electoral boundaries is a contentious matter around the world. In the USA, the highly politicised process where politicians draw their own boundaries is a blight on that nation’s democratic processes. By contrast, independent commissioners do the job in Australia. Here, political parties make submissions, but the commissioners have the final say.

A redistribution is designed to smooth out disparities so that MPs represent roughly the same number of voters. When the number of seats changes, it gets trickier. For NSW, a reduction to 46 seats means that almost every seat will be affected by the changes.

It’s not a short process. After the number of seats is settled, history tells us it’s likely to take between 12 and 15 months. We may not even have the new boundaries finalised in August 2024 when the prime minister can call a general election for the House of Representatives and half the Senate, if he is inclined to go early.

This will place enormous pressure on our political parties selecting their candidates, as most seats significantly change. The federal opposition wants its representatives in the field when there’s a risk of an early election. The NSW Liberal Party state executive has met Opposition Leader Peter Dutton’s request to do just that, opening nominations for seats held by its sitting MPs. Yet it’s possible that re-endorsed MPs may have dramatic changes to their seats, forcing some of them into messy and controversial pivots, like Keating, once the final boundaries are known.

Of course, the prime minister might just save them from this predicament if he decides that he wants to call the next election as soon as he is entitled to in August 2024, before the redistribution process is finished.

And that’s where it would get hairy for two sitting MPs. If a reduction to 46 seats is announced later this month but the process of drawing new boundaries isn’t finished, then electoral legislation requires a mini-redistribution. The seats with the lowest enrolment at the time – whose boundaries touch in at least one place, including boundaries touching over water even where there is no connection such as a bridge – are combined into one seat for the duration of the next parliament. The commissioners have no discretion to vary this process, even if the outcome can seem nonsensical.

And the two most likely to suffer that fate? You guessed it: Zali Steggall and Allegra Spender fighting it out in a new seat called Warringah-Wentworth. That seems most likely at present, but others will come close.

Labor MPs Sue Templeman (Macquarie) and Andrew Charlton (Parramatta) could also be vulnerable. Templeman might come up against the Liberal Julian Leeser in a seat of Berowra-Macquarie, while Labor’s star recruit Charlton could be pitted against ministers Jason Clare, or Chris Bowen. And if Steggall escapes a head-to-head with Spender, she might have to contend with fellow teal Sophie Scamps, the MP for Mackellar, instead.

And just in case the Liberals think this sounds like fun, Liberal MPs David Coleman (Banks) and Jenny Ware (Hughes), or Paul Fletcher (Bradfield) and Leeser might be forced to compete.

These potential electoral contests do point to the areas with considerable change should the full redistribution exercise proceed. Most of these seats are held by Liberal, National and independent MPs. By contrast, most of Labor’s seats are in strongly growing areas. In some areas of western Sydney, without a change to their boundaries, we could see their MPs representing more than 140,000 voters within five years. These seats will have to get smaller. And these will be the boundaries the next federal election will be fought on.

Don Harwin was a minister in the Berejiklian Coalition government. He has helped the NSW Liberal Party with its state and federal redistribution submissions for over 35 years.

https://www.theage.com.au/politics/federal/it-s-the-r-word-that-makes-politicians-quake-no-it-s-not-recession-20230705-p5dlwj.html

What the Royal Commission said about ScoMo and others

They said he’s a liar. He says “AM NOT!!!!!!”

I haven’t read it all yet.

buffy said:

What the Royal Commission said about ScoMo and others

They said he’s a liar. He says “AM NOT!!!!!!”

I haven’t read it all yet.

They rejected ScoMo’s claims and he rejected theirs.

Mr Morrison issued a more than 1,200 word statement following the release of the royal commission’s findings.

“I reject completely each of the findings which are critical of my involvement in authorising the scheme and are adverse to me,” he said.

“They are wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear documentary evidence presented to the commission.

“It is unfortunate that these findings fail to acknowledge the proper functioning of government and cabinet processes in the face of not only my evidence as a former prime minister, and cabinet minister for almost nine years, but also the evidence of other cabinet ministers.”

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

What the Royal Commission said about ScoMo and others

They said he’s a liar. He says “AM NOT!!!!!!”

I haven’t read it all yet.

They rejected ScoMo’s claims and he rejected theirs.

Mr Morrison issued a more than 1,200 word statement following the release of the royal commission’s findings.

“I reject completely each of the findings which are critical of my involvement in authorising the scheme and are adverse to me,” he said.

“They are wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear documentary evidence presented to the commission.

“It is unfortunate that these findings fail to acknowledge the proper functioning of government and cabinet processes in the face of not only my evidence as a former prime minister, and cabinet minister for almost nine years, but also the evidence of other cabinet ministers.”

In evidence to the royal commission, Stuart Robert claimed that he could make false statements on the basis of “cabinet solidarity”.

“As a dutiful cabinet minister, ma’am, that’s what we do,” he told Commissioner Holmes.

To that she replied: “Misrepresent things to the Australian public?”

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

What the Royal Commission said about ScoMo and others

They said he’s a liar. He says “AM NOT!!!!!!”

I haven’t read it all yet.

They rejected ScoMo’s claims and he rejected theirs.

Mr Morrison issued a more than 1,200 word statement following the release of the royal commission’s findings.

“I reject completely each of the findings which are critical of my involvement in authorising the scheme and are adverse to me,” he said.

“They are wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear documentary evidence presented to the commission.

“It is unfortunate that these findings fail to acknowledge the proper functioning of government and cabinet processes in the face of not only my evidence as a former prime minister, and cabinet minister for almost nine years, but also the evidence of other cabinet ministers.”

Too bad, so sad. ScoMo can GAGF!

party_pants said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

What the Royal Commission said about ScoMo and others

They said he’s a liar. He says “AM NOT!!!!!!”

I haven’t read it all yet.

They rejected ScoMo’s claims and he rejected theirs.

Mr Morrison issued a more than 1,200 word statement following the release of the royal commission’s findings.

“I reject completely each of the findings which are critical of my involvement in authorising the scheme and are adverse to me,” he said.

“They are wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear documentary evidence presented to the commission.

“It is unfortunate that these findings fail to acknowledge the proper functioning of government and cabinet processes in the face of not only my evidence as a former prime minister, and cabinet minister for almost nine years, but also the evidence of other cabinet ministers.”

Too bad, so sad. ScoMo can GAGF!

Twice.

sarahs mum said:

party_pants said:

roughbarked said:

They rejected ScoMo’s claims and he rejected theirs.

Mr Morrison issued a more than 1,200 word statement following the release of the royal commission’s findings.

“I reject completely each of the findings which are critical of my involvement in authorising the scheme and are adverse to me,” he said.

“They are wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear documentary evidence presented to the commission.

“It is unfortunate that these findings fail to acknowledge the proper functioning of government and cabinet processes in the face of not only my evidence as a former prime minister, and cabinet minister for almost nine years, but also the evidence of other cabinet ministers.”

Too bad, so sad. ScoMo can GAGF!

Twice.

… and sideways.

sarahs mum said:

party_pants said:

roughbarked said:

They rejected ScoMo’s claims and he rejected theirs.

Mr Morrison issued a more than 1,200 word statement following the release of the royal commission’s findings.

“I reject completely each of the findings which are critical of my involvement in authorising the scheme and are adverse to me,” he said.

“They are wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear documentary evidence presented to the commission.

“It is unfortunate that these findings fail to acknowledge the proper functioning of government and cabinet processes in the face of not only my evidence as a former prime minister, and cabinet minister for almost nine years, but also the evidence of other cabinet ministers.”

Too bad, so sad. ScoMo can GAGF!

Twice.

He deserves the cat“O“nine tails.

sarahs mum said:

party_pants said:

roughbarked said:

They rejected ScoMo’s claims and he rejected theirs.

Mr Morrison issued a more than 1,200 word statement following the release of the royal commission’s findings.

“I reject completely each of the findings which are critical of my involvement in authorising the scheme and are adverse to me,” he said.

“They are wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear documentary evidence presented to the commission.

“It is unfortunate that these findings fail to acknowledge the proper functioning of government and cabinet processes in the face of not only my evidence as a former prime minister, and cabinet minister for almost nine years, but also the evidence of other cabinet ministers.”

Too bad, so sad. ScoMo can GAGF!

Twice.

Creepy box of tricks, that critter.

party_pants said:

sarahs mum said:

party_pants said:

Too bad, so sad. ScoMo can GAGF!

Twice.

… and sideways.

The final report argued that Mr Porter at the very least should have directed his department to produce legal advice underpinning the scheme. The commission found he likely would have then sought external legal advice. This, the report agues, would have likely resulted in “its unlawfulness would have been identified and the scheme ended”.

The report states:

“Mr Porter could not rationally have been satisfied of the legality of the scheme on the basis of his general knowledge of the NPP (new policy proposal) process, when he did not have actual knowledge of the content of the NPP, and had no idea whether it had said anything about the practice of income averaging. A simple “yes” to his question about whether there was advice was not enough to meet his obligation to ensure that the program was operating lawfully under the Social Security Act, particularly where he had already identified shortcomings in the information provided to him by DHS (Department of Human Services).”

party_pants said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

What the Royal Commission said about ScoMo and others

They said he’s a liar. He says “AM NOT!!!!!!”

I haven’t read it all yet.

They rejected ScoMo’s claims and he rejected theirs.

Mr Morrison issued a more than 1,200 word statement following the release of the royal commission’s findings.

“I reject completely each of the findings which are critical of my involvement in authorising the scheme and are adverse to me,” he said.

“They are wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear documentary evidence presented to the commission.

“It is unfortunate that these findings fail to acknowledge the proper functioning of government and cabinet processes in the face of not only my evidence as a former prime minister, and cabinet minister for almost nine years, but also the evidence of other cabinet ministers.”

Too bad, so sad. ScoMo can GAGF!

I hope he gets the full force of the law placed on him.

buffy said:

Spiny Norman said:

Michael V said:

“Peter Dutton opting for the nuclear option for Australia’s energy future”.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-07/peter-dutton-david-littleproud-coalition-nuclear-reactors/102574782

I’d bet that’s a wag the dog trick. So what is he covering up?

Diverting attention from the Robodebt thing…according to the Wisdom of Mr Buffy.

:)

Well I’m afraid he’ll have to come up with more than that because this stain is on his party real bad now.

party_pants said:

sarahs mum said:

party_pants said:

Too bad, so sad. ScoMo can GAGF!

Twice.

… and sideways.

With the rough end of a pineapple, with box jellyfish nematocysts attached.

Michael V said:

party_pants said:

sarahs mum said:

Twice.

… and sideways.

With the rough end of a pineapple, with box jellyfish nematocysts attached.

Even that isn’t enough.

“I have not received a notice of inclusion in the sealed section and I understand they have all gone out.”
—-

I think I got away with it.

But on the prospect of compensation for victims, Commissioner Holmes said she expected it wasn’t feasible because different people suffered different harms.

sarahs mum said:

“I have not received a notice of inclusion in the sealed section and I understand they have all gone out.”
—-

I think I got away with it.

That’s what he thinks.

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

Spiny Norman said:

I’d bet that’s a wag the dog trick. So what is he covering up?

Diverting attention from the Robodebt thing…according to the Wisdom of Mr Buffy.

:)

Well I’m afraid he’ll have to come up with more than that because this stain is on his party real bad now.

What the Liberals will have learned is NOT that they shouldn’t do stupid, cruel and damaging things aimed at hurting poor people for being poor, but to make sure that any future ideas they have in that direction have a firm legal basis.

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

Diverting attention from the Robodebt thing…according to the Wisdom of Mr Buffy.

:)

Well I’m afraid he’ll have to come up with more than that because this stain is on his party real bad now.

What the Liberals will have learned is NOT that they shouldn’t do stupid, cruel and damaging things aimed at hurting poor people for being poor, but to make sure that any future ideas they have in that direction have a firm legal basis.

Oh aren’t you the comedian. Name the last time an LNP member broke the law and was punished more than a gentle slap on the wrist. The only thing they’ve learned is that they can get away with nearly anything with no repercussions.

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

Diverting attention from the Robodebt thing…according to the Wisdom of Mr Buffy.

:)

Well I’m afraid he’ll have to come up with more than that because this stain is on his party real bad now.

What the Liberals will have learned is NOT that they shouldn’t do stupid, cruel and damaging things aimed at hurting poor people for being poor, but to make sure that any future ideas they have in that direction have a firm legal basis.

Yeah well I wish them luck trying to make their criminal intent legal.

Spiny Norman said:

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

Well I’m afraid he’ll have to come up with more than that because this stain is on his party real bad now.

What the Liberals will have learned is NOT that they shouldn’t do stupid, cruel and damaging things aimed at hurting poor people for being poor, but to make sure that any future ideas they have in that direction have a firm legal basis.

Oh aren’t you the comedian. Name the last time an LNP member broke the law and was punished more than a gentle slap on the wrist. The only thing they’ve learned is that they can get away with nearly anything with no repercussions.

That’s my point. They’ll do the same again, but next time, they’ll make sure that no-one can even suggest that there was anything unlawful about whatever it is that they do.

roughbarked said:

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

Well I’m afraid he’ll have to come up with more than that because this stain is on his party real bad now.

What the Liberals will have learned is NOT that they shouldn’t do stupid, cruel and damaging things aimed at hurting poor people for being poor, but to make sure that any future ideas they have in that direction have a firm legal basis.

Yeah well I wish them luck trying to make their criminal intent legal.

I remember reading, many years ago, a book entitled ‘The Anatomy of the SS State’, which, you will not be surprised to learn, was about how the SS came to be such a powerful institution in Nazi Germany.

The biggest impression from the book was that everything the SS did in pursuit of its aims was perfectly legal under German laws.

It was all very incremental and gradual, but, eventually, even the most reprehensible goals could be achieved without once breaking the laws that were in effect across Germany at the time.

captain_spalding said:

Spiny Norman said:

captain_spalding said:

What the Liberals will have learned is NOT that they shouldn’t do stupid, cruel and damaging things aimed at hurting poor people for being poor, but to make sure that any future ideas they have in that direction have a firm legal basis.

Oh aren’t you the comedian. Name the last time an LNP member broke the law and was punished more than a gentle slap on the wrist. The only thing they’ve learned is that they can get away with nearly anything with no repercussions.

That’s my point. They’ll do the same again, but next time, they’ll make sure that no-one can even suggest that there was anything unlawful about whatever it is that they do.

Mr Tudge quit federal politics earlier this year.

In a statement, he said his lawyers had not identified any basis for which civil or criminal proceedings could be brought against him.

“I strongly reject the commission’s comments of the way I used the media and that I had abused my power in doing so,” he said.

“I reject that finding in the strongest term. At no stage did I seek to engage in a media strategy that would discourage legitimate criticism of the scheme.

“It is part of a minister’s role to publicly defend government policy when that policy is subject to criticism.”

>FFS. Defend an illegal policy because it is being criticised?

roughbarked said:

>FFS. Defend an illegal policy because it is being criticised?

My party, right or (as in this case, bloody obviously) wrong.

ABC News:

F*** around and find out, lady.

Sorry, should have been in Chat.

Michael V said:

party_pants said:

roughbarked said:

They rejected ScoMo’s claims and he rejected theirs.

Mr Morrison issued a more than 1,200 word statement following the release of the royal commission’s findings.

“I reject completely each of the findings which are critical of my involvement in authorising the scheme and are adverse to me,” he said.

“They are wrong, unsubstantiated and contradicted by clear documentary evidence presented to the commission.

“It is unfortunate that these findings fail to acknowledge the proper functioning of government and cabinet processes in the face of not only my evidence as a former prime minister, and cabinet minister for almost nine years, but also the evidence of other cabinet ministers.”

Too bad, so sad. ScoMo can GAGF!

I hope he gets the full force of the law placed on him.

I suspect the public servants may cop it.

captain_spalding said:

ABC News:

F*** around and find out, lady.

Seems almost unimaginable that someone could keep a slave and expect to get away with it.

Unless that person was an illegal immigrant or something.

buffy said:

Michael V said:

party_pants said:

Too bad, so sad. ScoMo can GAGF!

I hope he gets the full force of the law placed on him.

I suspect the public servants may cop it.

You’re probably correct, but I can still hope. And the report was scathing of all the politicians involved.

Michael V said:

buffy said:

Michael V said:

I hope he gets the full force of the law placed on him.

I suspect the public servants may cop it.

You’re probably correct, but I can still hope. And the report was scathing of all the politicians involved.

We will see what the AFP have to say.

roughbarked said:

Michael V said:

buffy said:

I suspect the public servants may cop it.

You’re probably correct, but I can still hope. And the report was scathing of all the politicians involved.

We will see what the AFP have to say.

The AFP will probably say ‘insufficient evidence/information for any charges’.

The AFP will probably be thinking ‘elections are weird, and the L/NP could possibly come back, and i have my career to think of’.

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

Michael V said:

You’re probably correct, but I can still hope. And the report was scathing of all the politicians involved.

We will see what the AFP have to say.

The AFP will probably say ‘insufficient evidence/information for any charges’.

The AFP will probably be thinking ‘elections are weird, and the L/NP could possibly come back, and i have my career to think of’.

hmm. That might not be surprising.

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

Michael V said:

You’re probably correct, but I can still hope. And the report was scathing of all the politicians involved.

We will see what the AFP have to say.

The AFP will probably say ‘insufficient evidence/information for any charges’.

The AFP will probably be thinking ‘elections are weird, and the L/NP could possibly come back, and i have my career to think of’.

Misfeance eh…

roughbarked said:

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

We will see what the AFP have to say.

The AFP will probably say ‘insufficient evidence/information for any charges’.

The AFP will probably be thinking ‘elections are weird, and the L/NP could possibly come back, and i have my career to think of’.

Misfeance eh…

One thing that struck me were the large number of deaths involving robodebt victims. I have no breakdown of the causes of all those deaths other than that they were reported as part of robodebt.

Surely this is a bit over and above collateral damage, if proved to be as a direct result of misfeance.

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

captain_spalding said:

The AFP will probably say ‘insufficient evidence/information for any charges’.

The AFP will probably be thinking ‘elections are weird, and the L/NP could possibly come back, and i have my career to think of’.

Misfeance eh…

One thing that struck me were the large number of deaths involving robodebt victims. I have no breakdown of the causes of all those deaths other than that they were reported as part of robodebt.

Surely this is a bit over and above collateral damage, if proved to be as a direct result of misfeance.

It might need some background.

All victims of Robodebt will eventually die. Does that mean Robodebt caused all of their deaths?

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

roughbarked said:

Misfeance eh…

One thing that struck me were the large number of deaths involving robodebt victims. I have no breakdown of the causes of all those deaths other than that they were reported as part of robodebt.

Surely this is a bit over and above collateral damage, if proved to be as a direct result of misfeance.

It might need some background.

All victims of Robodebt will eventually die. Does that mean Robodebt caused all of their deaths?

Apparently during the four and a half years of robodebt there were something like 800 deaths.

roughbarked said:

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

One thing that struck me were the large number of deaths involving robodebt victims. I have no breakdown of the causes of all those deaths other than that they were reported as part of robodebt.

Surely this is a bit over and above collateral damage, if proved to be as a direct result of misfeance.

It might need some background.

All victims of Robodebt will eventually die. Does that mean Robodebt caused all of their deaths?

Apparently during the four and a half years of robodebt there were something like 800 deaths.

And probably many added attempts and even more suicidal ideation.

From the report

“Politicians need to lead a change in social attitudes to people receiving welfare payments.”

“The evidence before the commission was that fraud in the welfare system was minuscule, but that is not the impression one would get from what ministers responsible for social security payments have said over the years.

“Anti-welfare rhetoric is easy populism, useful for campaign purposes. It is not recent, nor is it confined to one side of politics, as some of the quoted material in this report demonstrates.

“It may be that the evidence in this royal commission has gone some way to changing public perceptions. But largely, those attitudes are set by politicians, who need to abandon for good (in every sense) the narrative of taxpayer versus welfare recipient.”

dv said:

From the report

“Politicians need to lead a change in social attitudes to people receiving welfare payments.”

“The evidence before the commission was that fraud in the welfare system was minuscule, but that is not the impression one would get from what ministers responsible for social security payments have said over the years.

“Anti-welfare rhetoric is easy populism, useful for campaign purposes. It is not recent, nor is it confined to one side of politics, as some of the quoted material in this report demonstrates.

“It may be that the evidence in this royal commission has gone some way to changing public perceptions. But largely, those attitudes are set by politicians, who need to abandon for good (in every sense) the narrative of taxpayer versus welfare recipient.”

Pigs will fly before that’s likely to happen.

Bubblecar said:

dv said:

From the report

“Politicians need to lead a change in social attitudes to people receiving welfare payments.”

“The evidence before the commission was that fraud in the welfare system was minuscule, but that is not the impression one would get from what ministers responsible for social security payments have said over the years.

“Anti-welfare rhetoric is easy populism, useful for campaign purposes. It is not recent, nor is it confined to one side of politics, as some of the quoted material in this report demonstrates.

“It may be that the evidence in this royal commission has gone some way to changing public perceptions. But largely, those attitudes are set by politicians, who need to abandon for good (in every sense) the narrative of taxpayer versus welfare recipient.”

Pigs will fly before that’s likely to happen.

Will they have guns?

Opposition leader criticises the ‘glee’ of Labor leaders over Robodebt findings, apologises to victims
By Ciara Jones
Peter Dutton says he does not know whether any of his former ministerial colleagues had been referred for further investigation, accusing Anthony Albanese of trying to “unseal” the contents of the confidential chapter.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-08/qld-robodebt-scheme-government-royal-commission-peter-dutton/102081464

I don’t find Mr Dutton convincing. And:

>>Mr Dutton said it was “no mistake” the findings were released a week before the Fadden by-election in Queensland’s Gold Coast, triggered by the resignation of Mr Robert.<<

Hang on there. I suspect there was a timeline for the Royal Commission. Perhaps Mr Robert should have thought about that…

buffy said:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-08/qld-robodebt-scheme-government-royal-commission-peter-dutton/102081464

I don’t find Mr Dutton convincing. And:

>>Mr Dutton said it was “no mistake” the findings were released a week before the Fadden by-election in Queensland’s Gold Coast, triggered by the resignation of Mr Robert.<<

Hang on there. I suspect there was a timeline for the Royal Commission. Perhaps Mr Robert should have thought about that…

We all know Dutton is doing exactly what he is accusing Labor of.
Look over there while I steal your lunch.

He thinks we don’t know.

OCDC said:

Well she was the one who said he was a really good bloke.

roughbarked said:

buffy said:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-08/qld-robodebt-scheme-government-royal-commission-peter-dutton/102081464

I don’t find Mr Dutton convincing. And:

>>Mr Dutton said it was “no mistake” the findings were released a week before the Fadden by-election in Queensland’s Gold Coast, triggered by the resignation of Mr Robert.<<

Hang on there. I suspect there was a timeline for the Royal Commission. Perhaps Mr Robert should have thought about that…

We all know Dutton is doing exactly what he is accusing Labor of.
Look over there while I steal your lunch.

He thinks we don’t know.

As long as we don’t politicise things.

A departmental officer observed that: “News Corp isn’t interested in the line being run by left-leaning media – but is keen on the alternative view. As such, the focus will be on working with News to achieve this.”

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/commentisfree/2023/jul/08/all-governments-try-to-manage-stories-but-with-robodebt-it-became-a-stubborn-refusal-to-admit-the-truth

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/13/robodebt-inquiry-commissioner-praises-committed-coverage-by-guardian-australia

The former Queensland supreme court chief justice overseeing the robodebt royal commission has singled out reporters from Guardian Australia and the Saturday Paper and citizen Twitter journalists for their “committed” coverage of the evidence, calling it a “remarkably useful and important public service”, while criticising many other media outlets for their “patchy” coverage.

dv said:

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/mar/13/robodebt-inquiry-commissioner-praises-committed-coverage-by-guardian-australia

The former Queensland supreme court chief justice overseeing the robodebt royal commission has singled out reporters from Guardian Australia and the Saturday Paper and citizen Twitter journalists for their “committed” coverage of the evidence, calling it a “remarkably useful and important public service”, while criticising many other media outlets for their “patchy” coverage.

Matt said to me that News Ltd weren’t really running any stories. But I haven’t checked that. ABC has been running multiple headlines as has the Guardian.

An interesting take.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-09/robodebt-inflation-targeting-economists-and-unemployment/102575336

Michael V said:

An interesting take.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-09/robodebt-inflation-targeting-economists-and-unemployment/102575336

Wm. Shakespeare said: “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers”. (Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2. ).

These days, perhaps the lawyers will have to wait until all the economists have been dealt with.

captain_spalding said:

Michael V said:

An interesting take.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-09/robodebt-inflation-targeting-economists-and-unemployment/102575336

Wm. Shakespeare said: “The first thing we do, let’s kill all the lawyers”. (Henry VI, Part 2, Act IV, Scene 2. ).

These days, perhaps the lawyers will have to wait until all the economists have been dealt with.

:)

Geraldine Allan
50 m ·
Morrison called to quit over robo-debt
The robo-debt royal commission’s damning findings have sparked calls for former prime minister Scott Morrison and a raft of public servants to resign.
What we know:
The final report handed down on Friday found a group of people were complicit in sustaining the illegal welfare debt recovery scheme motivated by “venality, incompetence and cowardice” (The Saturday Paper);
The report found Morrison “allowed cabinet to be misled” over robo-debt, sparking a factional push to move on the former prime minister’s seat of Cook if he continued to resist calls to resign (The New Daily);
Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten said, “I think Mr Morrison and some of the others learnt a very bad strand of right-wing politics that says if you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth” (7am);
Liberal MP Bridget Archer said she was disappointed by Morrison’s immediate denial of the royal commission’s findings, and felt his continued presence in parliament was hampering the party’s attempt to enter a new era (The Age);
Other Liberals, including Peter Dutton, stood firm against calls for Morrison to quit, with the opposition leader claiming the robo-debt findings were being politicised;
Education Minister Jason Clare said Dutton had displayed the “empathy of a rock” by going “straight to politics” rather than digesting the human consequences of the illegal scheme (The Australian $);
The robo-debt investigation commissioner Catherine Holmes recommended several individuals be referred for civil or criminal investigation, but controversially only included their names in a sealed section of the report (The Conversation);
At least seven public servants were the subject of adverse findings that included misleading cabinet that legislation was not required for the unlawful scheme (The Guardian);
Crossbench MPs have called on former head of the Department of Human Services Kathryn Campbell to resign, claiming it would be “an insult” to the victims if she retained her lucrative new role in Defence (The Guardian).

sarahs mum said:

Geraldine Allan
50 m ·
Morrison called to quit over robo-debt
The robo-debt royal commission’s damning findings have sparked calls for former prime minister Scott Morrison and a raft of public servants to resign.
What we know:
The final report handed down on Friday found a group of people were complicit in sustaining the illegal welfare debt recovery scheme motivated by “venality, incompetence and cowardice” (The Saturday Paper);
The report found Morrison “allowed cabinet to be misled” over robo-debt, sparking a factional push to move on the former prime minister’s seat of Cook if he continued to resist calls to resign (The New Daily);
Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten said, “I think Mr Morrison and some of the others learnt a very bad strand of right-wing politics that says if you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth” (7am);
Liberal MP Bridget Archer said she was disappointed by Morrison’s immediate denial of the royal commission’s findings, and felt his continued presence in parliament was hampering the party’s attempt to enter a new era (The Age);
Other Liberals, including Peter Dutton, stood firm against calls for Morrison to quit, with the opposition leader claiming the robo-debt findings were being politicised;
Education Minister Jason Clare said Dutton had displayed the “empathy of a rock” by going “straight to politics” rather than digesting the human consequences of the illegal scheme (The Australian $);
The robo-debt investigation commissioner Catherine Holmes recommended several individuals be referred for civil or criminal investigation, but controversially only included their names in a sealed section of the report (The Conversation);
At least seven public servants were the subject of adverse findings that included misleading cabinet that legislation was not required for the unlawful scheme (The Guardian);
Crossbench MPs have called on former head of the Department of Human Services Kathryn Campbell to resign, claiming it would be “an insult” to the victims if she retained her lucrative new role in Defence (The Guardian).

The Spud and The Marketing Failure are both confident that it will drop out of the news cycle soon enough, just like all previous Royal Commissions have done, and that nothing will come of it.

Just a matter of waiting for it to all blow over.

sarahs mum said:

Geraldine Allan
50 m ·
Morrison called to quit over robo-debt
The robo-debt royal commission’s damning findings have sparked calls for former prime minister Scott Morrison and a raft of public servants to resign.
What we know:
The final report handed down on Friday found a group of people were complicit in sustaining the illegal welfare debt recovery scheme motivated by “venality, incompetence and cowardice” (The Saturday Paper);
The report found Morrison “allowed cabinet to be misled” over robo-debt, sparking a factional push to move on the former prime minister’s seat of Cook if he continued to resist calls to resign (The New Daily);
Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten said, “I think Mr Morrison and some of the others learnt a very bad strand of right-wing politics that says if you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth” (7am);
Liberal MP Bridget Archer said she was disappointed by Morrison’s immediate denial of the royal commission’s findings, and felt his continued presence in parliament was hampering the party’s attempt to enter a new era (The Age);
Other Liberals, including Peter Dutton, stood firm against calls for Morrison to quit, with the opposition leader claiming the robo-debt findings were being politicised;
Education Minister Jason Clare said Dutton had displayed the “empathy of a rock” by going “straight to politics” rather than digesting the human consequences of the illegal scheme (The Australian $);
The robo-debt investigation commissioner Catherine Holmes recommended several individuals be referred for civil or criminal investigation, but controversially only included their names in a sealed section of the report (The Conversation);
At least seven public servants were the subject of adverse findings that included misleading cabinet that legislation was not required for the unlawful scheme (The Guardian);
Crossbench MPs have called on former head of the Department of Human Services Kathryn Campbell to resign, claiming it would be “an insult” to the victims if she retained her lucrative new role in Defence (The Guardian).

They should be made to relinquish their parlimentary pensions.

captain_spalding said:

sarahs mum said:

Geraldine Allan
50 m ·
Morrison called to quit over robo-debt
The robo-debt royal commission’s damning findings have sparked calls for former prime minister Scott Morrison and a raft of public servants to resign.
What we know:
The final report handed down on Friday found a group of people were complicit in sustaining the illegal welfare debt recovery scheme motivated by “venality, incompetence and cowardice” (The Saturday Paper);
The report found Morrison “allowed cabinet to be misled” over robo-debt, sparking a factional push to move on the former prime minister’s seat of Cook if he continued to resist calls to resign (The New Daily);
Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten said, “I think Mr Morrison and some of the others learnt a very bad strand of right-wing politics that says if you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth” (7am);
Liberal MP Bridget Archer said she was disappointed by Morrison’s immediate denial of the royal commission’s findings, and felt his continued presence in parliament was hampering the party’s attempt to enter a new era (The Age);
Other Liberals, including Peter Dutton, stood firm against calls for Morrison to quit, with the opposition leader claiming the robo-debt findings were being politicised;
Education Minister Jason Clare said Dutton had displayed the “empathy of a rock” by going “straight to politics” rather than digesting the human consequences of the illegal scheme (The Australian $);
The robo-debt investigation commissioner Catherine Holmes recommended several individuals be referred for civil or criminal investigation, but controversially only included their names in a sealed section of the report (The Conversation);
At least seven public servants were the subject of adverse findings that included misleading cabinet that legislation was not required for the unlawful scheme (The Guardian);
Crossbench MPs have called on former head of the Department of Human Services Kathryn Campbell to resign, claiming it would be “an insult” to the victims if she retained her lucrative new role in Defence (The Guardian).

The Spud and The Marketing Failure are both confident that it will drop out of the news cycle soon enough, just like all previous Royal Commissions have done, and that nothing will come of it.

Just a matter of waiting for it to all blow over.

This is a lot of public expenditure to hide.

roughbarked said:

sarahs mum said:

Geraldine Allan
50 m ·
Morrison called to quit over robo-debt
The robo-debt royal commission’s damning findings have sparked calls for former prime minister Scott Morrison and a raft of public servants to resign.
What we know:
The final report handed down on Friday found a group of people were complicit in sustaining the illegal welfare debt recovery scheme motivated by “venality, incompetence and cowardice” (The Saturday Paper);
The report found Morrison “allowed cabinet to be misled” over robo-debt, sparking a factional push to move on the former prime minister’s seat of Cook if he continued to resist calls to resign (The New Daily);
Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten said, “I think Mr Morrison and some of the others learnt a very bad strand of right-wing politics that says if you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth” (7am);
Liberal MP Bridget Archer said she was disappointed by Morrison’s immediate denial of the royal commission’s findings, and felt his continued presence in parliament was hampering the party’s attempt to enter a new era (The Age);
Other Liberals, including Peter Dutton, stood firm against calls for Morrison to quit, with the opposition leader claiming the robo-debt findings were being politicised;
Education Minister Jason Clare said Dutton had displayed the “empathy of a rock” by going “straight to politics” rather than digesting the human consequences of the illegal scheme (The Australian $);
The robo-debt investigation commissioner Catherine Holmes recommended several individuals be referred for civil or criminal investigation, but controversially only included their names in a sealed section of the report (The Conversation);
At least seven public servants were the subject of adverse findings that included misleading cabinet that legislation was not required for the unlawful scheme (The Guardian);
Crossbench MPs have called on former head of the Department of Human Services Kathryn Campbell to resign, claiming it would be “an insult” to the victims if she retained her lucrative new role in Defence (The Guardian).

They should be made to relinquish their parlimentary pensions.

There’s an idea that won’t gather support from any quarter of the House or the Senate, Lib, Lab, Green, ONP, Indie, you name it.

roughbarked said:

captain_spalding said:

sarahs mum said:

Geraldine Allan
50 m ·
Morrison called to quit over robo-debt
The robo-debt royal commission’s damning findings have sparked calls for former prime minister Scott Morrison and a raft of public servants to resign.
What we know:
The final report handed down on Friday found a group of people were complicit in sustaining the illegal welfare debt recovery scheme motivated by “venality, incompetence and cowardice” (The Saturday Paper);
The report found Morrison “allowed cabinet to be misled” over robo-debt, sparking a factional push to move on the former prime minister’s seat of Cook if he continued to resist calls to resign (The New Daily);
Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten said, “I think Mr Morrison and some of the others learnt a very bad strand of right-wing politics that says if you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth” (7am);
Liberal MP Bridget Archer said she was disappointed by Morrison’s immediate denial of the royal commission’s findings, and felt his continued presence in parliament was hampering the party’s attempt to enter a new era (The Age);
Other Liberals, including Peter Dutton, stood firm against calls for Morrison to quit, with the opposition leader claiming the robo-debt findings were being politicised;
Education Minister Jason Clare said Dutton had displayed the “empathy of a rock” by going “straight to politics” rather than digesting the human consequences of the illegal scheme (The Australian $);
The robo-debt investigation commissioner Catherine Holmes recommended several individuals be referred for civil or criminal investigation, but controversially only included their names in a sealed section of the report (The Conversation);
At least seven public servants were the subject of adverse findings that included misleading cabinet that legislation was not required for the unlawful scheme (The Guardian);
Crossbench MPs have called on former head of the Department of Human Services Kathryn Campbell to resign, claiming it would be “an insult” to the victims if she retained her lucrative new role in Defence (The Guardian).

The Spud and The Marketing Failure are both confident that it will drop out of the news cycle soon enough, just like all previous Royal Commissions have done, and that nothing will come of it.

Just a matter of waiting for it to all blow over.

This is a lot of public expenditure to hide.

and death.

roughbarked said:

captain_spalding said:

sarahs mum said:

Geraldine Allan
50 m ·
Morrison called to quit over robo-debt
The robo-debt royal commission’s damning findings have sparked calls for former prime minister Scott Morrison and a raft of public servants to resign.
What we know:
The final report handed down on Friday found a group of people were complicit in sustaining the illegal welfare debt recovery scheme motivated by “venality, incompetence and cowardice” (The Saturday Paper);
The report found Morrison “allowed cabinet to be misled” over robo-debt, sparking a factional push to move on the former prime minister’s seat of Cook if he continued to resist calls to resign (The New Daily);
Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten said, “I think Mr Morrison and some of the others learnt a very bad strand of right-wing politics that says if you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth” (7am);
Liberal MP Bridget Archer said she was disappointed by Morrison’s immediate denial of the royal commission’s findings, and felt his continued presence in parliament was hampering the party’s attempt to enter a new era (The Age);
Other Liberals, including Peter Dutton, stood firm against calls for Morrison to quit, with the opposition leader claiming the robo-debt findings were being politicised;
Education Minister Jason Clare said Dutton had displayed the “empathy of a rock” by going “straight to politics” rather than digesting the human consequences of the illegal scheme (The Australian $);
The robo-debt investigation commissioner Catherine Holmes recommended several individuals be referred for civil or criminal investigation, but controversially only included their names in a sealed section of the report (The Conversation);
At least seven public servants were the subject of adverse findings that included misleading cabinet that legislation was not required for the unlawful scheme (The Guardian);
Crossbench MPs have called on former head of the Department of Human Services Kathryn Campbell to resign, claiming it would be “an insult” to the victims if she retained her lucrative new role in Defence (The Guardian).

The Spud and The Marketing Failure are both confident that it will drop out of the news cycle soon enough, just like all previous Royal Commissions have done, and that nothing will come of it.

Just a matter of waiting for it to all blow over.

This is a lot of public expenditure to hide.

There’s one thing that politicians can always rely on, especially L/NP politicians:

the ability of the public to forget.

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

sarahs mum said:

Geraldine Allan
50 m ·
Morrison called to quit over robo-debt
The robo-debt royal commission’s damning findings have sparked calls for former prime minister Scott Morrison and a raft of public servants to resign.
What we know:
The final report handed down on Friday found a group of people were complicit in sustaining the illegal welfare debt recovery scheme motivated by “venality, incompetence and cowardice” (The Saturday Paper);
The report found Morrison “allowed cabinet to be misled” over robo-debt, sparking a factional push to move on the former prime minister’s seat of Cook if he continued to resist calls to resign (The New Daily);
Minister for Government Services Bill Shorten said, “I think Mr Morrison and some of the others learnt a very bad strand of right-wing politics that says if you tell a lie often enough it becomes the truth” (7am);
Liberal MP Bridget Archer said she was disappointed by Morrison’s immediate denial of the royal commission’s findings, and felt his continued presence in parliament was hampering the party’s attempt to enter a new era (The Age);
Other Liberals, including Peter Dutton, stood firm against calls for Morrison to quit, with the opposition leader claiming the robo-debt findings were being politicised;
Education Minister Jason Clare said Dutton had displayed the “empathy of a rock” by going “straight to politics” rather than digesting the human consequences of the illegal scheme (The Australian $);
The robo-debt investigation commissioner Catherine Holmes recommended several individuals be referred for civil or criminal investigation, but controversially only included their names in a sealed section of the report (The Conversation);
At least seven public servants were the subject of adverse findings that included misleading cabinet that legislation was not required for the unlawful scheme (The Guardian);
Crossbench MPs have called on former head of the Department of Human Services Kathryn Campbell to resign, claiming it would be “an insult” to the victims if she retained her lucrative new role in Defence (The Guardian).

They should be made to relinquish their parlimentary pensions.

There’s an idea that won’t gather support from any quarter of the House or the Senate, Lib, Lab, Green, ONP, Indie, you name it.

:) So it would work then?

sarahs mum said:

roughbarked said:

captain_spalding said:

The Spud and The Marketing Failure are both confident that it will drop out of the news cycle soon enough, just like all previous Royal Commissions have done, and that nothing will come of it.

Just a matter of waiting for it to all blow over.

This is a lot of public expenditure to hide.

and death.

A lot of suicides.

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

captain_spalding said:

The Spud and The Marketing Failure are both confident that it will drop out of the news cycle soon enough, just like all previous Royal Commissions have done, and that nothing will come of it.

Just a matter of waiting for it to all blow over.

This is a lot of public expenditure to hide.

There’s one thing that politicians can always rely on, especially L/NP politicians:

the ability of the public to forget.

When your son or daughter has suicided?

roughbarked said:

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

This is a lot of public expenditure to hide.

There’s one thing that politicians can always rely on, especially L/NP politicians:

the ability of the public to forget.

When your son or daughter has suicided?

I did mean the broader public.

Government schemes of many kinds have, directly or indirectly, produced many kinds of victims over the last century or so, including loss of lives, and the devastation of the victims families.

And those people never forget, or forgive, and no-one would suggest that they do.

And they can protest and publicise as hard as they like to try to ensure that the rest of us don’t forget, either.

But, they’re up against well-funded and well-connected party machines, and media that are not interested in ‘yesterday’s news’, not as accessible to those victims, and controlled by people who select what’s publicised to suit their own ends, so, well…we do forget, and there’s not enough victims to make much difference at the the polls next time.

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

captain_spalding said:

There’s one thing that politicians can always rely on, especially L/NP politicians:

the ability of the public to forget.

When your son or daughter has suicided?

I did mean the broader public.

Government schemes of many kinds have, directly or indirectly, produced many kinds of victims over the last century or so, including loss of lives, and the devastation of the victims families.

And those people never forget, or forgive, and no-one would suggest that they do.

And they can protest and publicise as hard as they like to try to ensure that the rest of us don’t forget, either.

But, they’re up against well-funded and well-connected party machines, and media that are not interested in ‘yesterday’s news’, not as accessible to those victims, and controlled by people who select what’s publicised to suit their own ends, so, well…we do forget, and there’s not enough victims to make much difference at the the polls next time.

I know some long-term Lib voters who are angry. Sister says she won’t vote Lib while Dutton is in charge. She’s pissed that the Libs ‘attacked’ her children and grandchildren while championing people with dollars. Even though she has dollars.

Royal Commission? What Royal Commission?

I thought Scomo had a new job lined up anyway.

Bubblecar said:

I thought Scomo had a new job lined up anyway.

with PWC?

roughbarked said:

Bubblecar said:

I thought Scomo had a new job lined up anyway.

with PWC?

Lobbyist for some US energy co.

sarahs mum said:

roughbarked said:

Bubblecar said:

I thought Scomo had a new job lined up anyway.

with PWC?

Lobbyist for some US energy co.

Showing them how to avoid tax?

sarahs mum said:

That’s the seriousness of national governance these days,

SCIENCE said:

sarahs mum said:

That’s the seriousness of national governance these days,

He was really never one of them anyway.

John Hewson
@JohnRHewson
·
Follow
Robodebt is a case where Morrison clearly did “hold a hose” at the very least he should hang his head in shame and for once in his life accept his clear responsibility and resign from parliament. The LNP should demand this.
10:05 AM · Jul 9, 2023

sarahs mum said:

John Hewson
@JohnRHewson
·
Follow
Robodebt is a case where Morrison clearly did “hold a hose” at the very least he should hang his head in shame and for once in his life accept his clear responsibility and resign from parliament. The LNP should demand this.
10:05 AM · Jul 9, 2023

Sadly,

sarahs mum said:

John Hewson
@JohnRHewson
·
Follow
Robodebt is a case where Morrison clearly did “hold a hose” at the very least he should hang his head in shame and for once in his life accept his clear responsibility and resign from parliament. The LNP should demand this.
10:05 AM · Jul 9, 2023

He never accepted responsibility for anything, and that attitude got him to The Lodge.

Why would he change now?

sarahs mum said:

SCIENCE said:

sarahs mum said:

That’s the seriousness of national governance these days,

He was really never one of them anyway.

He only tackled children.

sarahs mum said:

John Hewson
@JohnRHewson
·
Follow
Robodebt is a case where Morrison clearly did “hold a hose” at the very least he should hang his head in shame and for once in his life accept his clear responsibility and resign from parliament. The LNP should demand this.
10:05 AM · Jul 9, 2023

Hear hear.

Peter Spudhead is spilling his silly again. Please distract yourself from the real issues and look at me look at me.

roughbarked said:

Peter Spudhead is spilling his silly again. Please distract yourself from the real issues and look at me look at me.

Spudhead?

Oh, the politician whose name rhymes with mutton.

I shall be sure to avoid any contact with his latest silliness.

The Rev Dodgson said:

roughbarked said:

Peter Spudhead is spilling his silly again. Please distract yourself from the real issues and look at me look at me.

Spudhead?

Oh, the politician whose name rhymes with mutton.

I shall be sure to avoid any contact with his latest silliness.

That’s the one.

https://twitter.com/AusElectoralCom/status/1677115998867173376?t=vq0Zn50kJPflBIE_dzZPxA&s=19

The AEC answering some of their frequently asked questions. Apparently they cop a bit of flack about Dominion voting machines… despite the fact that voting machines are not used in Australia.

dv said:

https://twitter.com/AusElectoralCom/status/1677115998867173376?t=vq0Zn50kJPflBIE_dzZPxA&s=19

The AEC answering some of their frequently asked questions. Apparently they cop a bit of flack about Dominion voting machines… despite the fact that voting machines are not used in Australia.

From Australians who think they are Americans and who would vote for Trump if only he was on the ballot card.

roughbarked said:

dv said:

https://twitter.com/AusElectoralCom/status/1677115998867173376?t=vq0Zn50kJPflBIE_dzZPxA&s=19

The AEC answering some of their frequently asked questions. Apparently they cop a bit of flack about Dominion voting machines… despite the fact that voting machines are not used in Australia.

From Australians who think they are Americans and who would vote for Trump if only he was on the ballot card.

There’s always been some Australians who really, really wish they were Americans. The sort who would come to work and give heated descriptions of baseball or grid-iron games that happened in the US, using all the jargon.

The line between fancy and reality probably blurs badly for some of them.

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

dv said:

https://twitter.com/AusElectoralCom/status/1677115998867173376?t=vq0Zn50kJPflBIE_dzZPxA&s=19

The AEC answering some of their frequently asked questions. Apparently they cop a bit of flack about Dominion voting machines… despite the fact that voting machines are not used in Australia.

From Australians who think they are Americans and who would vote for Trump if only he was on the ballot card.

There’s always been some Australians who really, really wish they were Americans. The sort who would come to work and give heated descriptions of baseball or grid-iron games that happened in the US, using all the jargon.

The line between fancy and reality probably blurs badly for some of them.

In fairness, its entirely possible to like baseball, or American football, or even use an American lexicon and still be “Australian”

diddly-squat said:

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

From Australians who think they are Americans and who would vote for Trump if only he was on the ballot card.

There’s always been some Australians who really, really wish they were Americans. The sort who would come to work and give heated descriptions of baseball or grid-iron games that happened in the US, using all the jargon.

The line between fancy and reality probably blurs badly for some of them.

In fairness, its entirely possible to like baseball, or American football, or even use an American lexicon and still be “Australian”

To be fair I knew a Scotsman who had been an Australian for like forty years. He played soccer and loved his Glenfiddich.
He only used the American lexicon when he was crafting a joke but he did love his Grid Iron.

Reminded me of this photo of a fellow in South Australia in 2021

dv said:

Reminded me of this photo of a fellow in South Australia in 2021

Yeah, that’s the sort of wally i was thinking of.

I agree, you can like American sports without actually wanting to be an American. I watched American football for a while, mostly because it was delightfully incomprehensible. It’s like that description of war: long boring periods when nothing happens and planning is under way, followed by brief periods of frantic conflict and action, then back to boring. At some points, one side’s ENTIRE TEAM might leave the field, to be replaced by another entire team specialising in some kind of play, and they would, in turn, be replaced at some point. Up to 110 different people could be seen on the field between kick-off and the final hooter. The referee would make elaborate and bizarre signals, and people would behave as if they’d been robbed at gunpoint.

I loved it, it was fabulously lunatic, and i had to stop watching it once i began to grasp the rules, because it lost all of its charm.

The Australian fans i disliked were the ones who’d basically parrot the remarks and over-the-top demeanour of ‘pundits’ who they’d seen on American sports shows, as part of their wish-fulfillment.

Outspoken Tasmanian federal Liberal MP Bridget Archer this week again called attention to something else the Liberals need – for Morrison to leave parliament.

Morrison came out of the Robodebt commission particularly badly. There is general agreement he has not quit earlier because he can’t get a decent job. The commission’s findings will put another negative on his CV.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-14/hurdle-is-coming-for-peter-dutton-michelle-grattan/102600110

Cassy O’Connor, Tasmanian Greens Leader, resigns for tilt at upper house
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-13/cassy-o-connor-tasmanian-greens-leader-resigns/102597110

dv said:

Reminded me of this photo of a fellow in South Australia in 2021

Do we actually have one of those?

sarahs mum said:

Outspoken Tasmanian federal Liberal MP Bridget Archer this week again called attention to something else the Liberals need – for Morrison to leave parliament.

Morrison came out of the Robodebt commission particularly badly. There is general agreement he has not quit earlier because he can’t get a decent job. The commission’s findings will put another negative on his CV.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-14/hurdle-is-coming-for-peter-dutton-michelle-grattan/102600110

Serves him right, the thieving bastard.

dv said:

Heh!

:)

dv said:

Hmm, maybe not the best choice.

Michael V said:

dv said:

Heh!

:)

A few weeks back, the young chap in the Coles Liquorland asked me if i wanted to add to my purchase a $2 donation to a charity to feed the homeless.

I asked him ‘what was Coles half-yearly profit?’. (It was $616 million)

He looked surprised and said ‘uh…a lot. Millions. Hundreds of millions.’

‘And they want ME to donate $2 to a charity that they think is a good thing?’

‘Yeah, it does seem weird, doesn’t it?’

‘Go ahead, add the $2.’

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jul/15/why-was-philip-lowe-not-reappointed-as-rba-governor-we-can-rule-out-interest-rates-as-a-reason

Time has officially been called on Philip Lowe’s leadership at the Reserve Bank of Australia, with Michele Bullock appointed as the bank’s new governor on Friday.

Jim Chalmers and Anthony Albanese have been keen to point out that the change in leaders was not a personal reflection on Lowe, stating that after “more than four decades of dedication and commitment and service … Phil Lowe goes with our respect, he goes with our gratitude, and he goes with dignity”.

Indeed, Lowe’s work as governor during the onset of the Covid-19 crisis was top-notch; working around the clock to keep the economy afloat during a myriad of lockdowns and restrictions. He was also a critical part of the RBA’s response to the global financial crisis, helping stave off a recession in 2008 as head of the banks’ financial stability group.

So why was he not reappointed for another three-year term?

One reason we can rule out is interest rates rises.

While unpopular, the recent spate of cash rate hikes has been in line with the RBA’s mandate to fight inflation and with how other central banks around the world have been responding to the surge in prices. Lowe’s successor, Bullock, will need to continue along the same trajectory – with one or two more interest rate rises expected before the RBA pauses – so this is unlikely to have driven the government’s decision to change governors.

But I would argue that there are three key mistakes that Lowe made during his time as governor that made an alternative candidate more attractive.

The Andrews govt has cancelled the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing high costs.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/victoria-commonwealth-games-announcement-daniel-andrews/102613156

Got to say, this is not a great look. It was the Andrews govt that negotiated to host the games in the first place, last year. Not that much has changed in the last year, so it looks like incompetence. A lot of money has been spent already, and there are costs that will still need to be paid.

dv said:

The Andrews govt has cancelled the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing high costs.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/victoria-commonwealth-games-announcement-daniel-andrews/102613156

Got to say, this is not a great look. It was the Andrews govt that negotiated to host the games in the first place, last year. Not that much has changed in the last year, so it looks like incompetence. A lot of money has been spent already, and there are costs that will still need to be paid.

Zemplas is proposing Perth just it with a slew of demands and shortsighted plans. The buffoon

dv said:

The Andrews govt has cancelled the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing high costs.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/victoria-commonwealth-games-announcement-daniel-andrews/102613156

Got to say, this is not a great look. It was the Andrews govt that negotiated to host the games in the first place, last year. Not that much has changed in the last year, so it looks like incompetence. A lot of money has been spent already, and there are costs that will still need to be paid.

I say, good on ‘em.

Maybe it seemed like a good idea at the time, and money has been wasted, but at least they had sense enough to say, ‘nah, this is bullshit’, and decided to close the door on a money-pit that was only going to get larger and larger.

dv said:

Not that much has changed in the last year,

True.

SCIENCE said:

captain_spalding said:

dv said:

The Andrews govt has cancelled the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing high costs.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/victoria-commonwealth-games-announcement-daniel-andrews/102613156

Got to say, this is not a great look. It was the Andrews govt that negotiated to host the games in the first place, last year. Not that much has changed in the last year, so it looks like incompetence. A lot of money has been spent already, and there are costs that will still need to be paid.

I say, good on ‘em.

Maybe it seemed like a good idea at the time, and money has been wasted, but at least they had sense enough to say, ‘nah, this is bullshit’, and decided to close the door on a money-pit that was only going to get larger and larger.

True.

ChatGPT, tell us about the effect of compound interest.

Arts said:

dv said:

The Andrews govt has cancelled the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing high costs.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/victoria-commonwealth-games-announcement-daniel-andrews/102613156

Got to say, this is not a great look. It was the Andrews govt that negotiated to host the games in the first place, last year. Not that much has changed in the last year, so it looks like incompetence. A lot of money has been spent already, and there are costs that will still need to be paid.

Zemplas is proposing Perth just it with a slew of demands and shortsighted plans. The buffoon

As silly as another Basil

Cymek said:

Arts said:

dv said:

The Andrews govt has cancelled the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing high costs.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/victoria-commonwealth-games-announcement-daniel-andrews/102613156

Got to say, this is not a great look. It was the Andrews govt that negotiated to host the games in the first place, last year. Not that much has changed in the last year, so it looks like incompetence. A lot of money has been spent already, and there are costs that will still need to be paid.

Zemplas is proposing Perth just it with a slew of demands and shortsighted plans. The buffoon

As silly as another Basil

Basil Brush?

Arts said:

dv said:

The Andrews govt has cancelled the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing high costs.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/victoria-commonwealth-games-announcement-daniel-andrews/102613156

Got to say, this is not a great look. It was the Andrews govt that negotiated to host the games in the first place, last year. Not that much has changed in the last year, so it looks like incompetence. A lot of money has been spent already, and there are costs that will still need to be paid.

Zemplas is proposing Perth just it with a slew of demands and shortsighted plans. The buffoon

All state govts except NSW have ruled it out.

The ones i feel sorry for are the people who were going to get themselves big-wig positions on the Commonwealth Games committee, and wield dictatorial powers so to ‘let nothing stand in the way of the success of the Games!’, with nice offices, generous salaries, plenty of paid travel, and a round dinners and parties and receptions and socials and what-all like most of us can’t even imagine.

dv said:

Arts said:

dv said:

The Andrews govt has cancelled the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing high costs.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/victoria-commonwealth-games-announcement-daniel-andrews/102613156

Got to say, this is not a great look. It was the Andrews govt that negotiated to host the games in the first place, last year. Not that much has changed in the last year, so it looks like incompetence. A lot of money has been spent already, and there are costs that will still need to be paid.

Zemplas is proposing Perth just it with a slew of demands and shortsighted plans. The buffoon

All state govts except NSW have ruled it out.

BZ is just the loud mouth mayor. His level of buffoonery surpasses state government decisions

captain_spalding said:

dv said:

The Andrews govt has cancelled the 2026 Commonwealth Games, citing high costs.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/victoria-commonwealth-games-announcement-daniel-andrews/102613156

Got to say, this is not a great look. It was the Andrews govt that negotiated to host the games in the first place, last year. Not that much has changed in the last year, so it looks like incompetence. A lot of money has been spent already, and there are costs that will still need to be paid.

I say, good on ‘em.

Maybe it seemed like a good idea at the time, and money has been wasted, but at least they had sense enough to say, ‘nah, this is bullshit’, and decided to close the door on a money-pit that was only going to get larger and larger.

ChrispenEvan said:

Cymek said:

Arts said:

Zemplas is proposing Perth just it with a slew of demands and shortsighted plans. The buffoon

As silly as another Basil

Basil Brush?

Basil Fawlty but he works as well

Mind you …

the fact is that there were no other bidders. That’s probably indicative of what a bad deal it is to host the Games these days.

I expect that it will go back to Blighty. The 2022 Games were originally going to be held in Durban but in 2017 it was acknowledged that the finances weren’t going to work out, so it was moved to Birmingham.

Still, there’s a difference between 5 years’ notice and 3 years’ notice.

dv said:

Mind you …

the fact is that there were no other bidders. That’s probably indicative of what a bad deal it is to host the Games these days.

I expect that it will go back to Blighty. The 2022 Games were originally going to be held in Durban but in 2017 it was acknowledged that the finances weren’t going to work out, so it was moved to Birmingham.

Still, there’s a difference between 5 years’ notice and 3 years’ notice.

How much would the public care if they just went away.
Better things to spend money on than both the games and the training of athletes.
Not like going to events are free either

Cymek said:

dv said:

Mind you …

the fact is that there were no other bidders. That’s probably indicative of what a bad deal it is to host the Games these days.

I expect that it will go back to Blighty. The 2022 Games were originally going to be held in Durban but in 2017 it was acknowledged that the finances weren’t going to work out, so it was moved to Birmingham.

Still, there’s a difference between 5 years’ notice and 3 years’ notice.

How much would the public care if they just went away.
Better things to spend money on than both the games and the training of athletes.
Not like going to events are free either

IDK

dv said:

Mind you …

the fact is that there were no other bidders. That’s probably indicative of what a bad deal it is to host the Games these days.

I expect that it will go back to Blighty. The 2022 Games were originally going to be held in Durban but in 2017 it was acknowledged that the finances weren’t going to work out, so it was moved to Birmingham.

Still, there’s a difference between 5 years’ notice and 3 years’ notice.

There’s always a lot of hype about ‘the ongoing economic benefits’ of hosting an Olympic or Commonwealth, or some other kind of games, but they don’t say whose benefit. Not so often the ‘host’ country/city, but more often the international money lenders who advance them the dosh to pay for all the fol-de-rol.

Montreal was saddled with enormous debt for decades after the 1976 Olympics, and other host cities and countries have had similar if not such severe experiences. Most of the winter Olympics facilities in Sarajevo are derelict, as are other Olympic facilities around the world.

captain_spalding said:

dv said:

Mind you …

the fact is that there were no other bidders. That’s probably indicative of what a bad deal it is to host the Games these days.

I expect that it will go back to Blighty. The 2022 Games were originally going to be held in Durban but in 2017 it was acknowledged that the finances weren’t going to work out, so it was moved to Birmingham.

Still, there’s a difference between 5 years’ notice and 3 years’ notice.

There’s always a lot of hype about ‘the ongoing economic benefits’ of hosting an Olympic or Commonwealth, or some other kind of games, but they don’t say whose benefit. Not so often the ‘host’ country/city, but more often the international money lenders who advance them the dosh to pay for all the fol-de-rol.

Montreal was saddled with enormous debt for decades after the 1976 Olympics, and other host cities and countries have had similar if not such severe experiences. Most of the winter Olympics facilities in Sarajevo are derelict, as are other Olympic facilities around the world.

Plus each time its held you are meant to outdo the previous nation in facilities and ceremonies regardless of cost

captain_spalding said:

dv said:

Mind you …

the fact is that there were no other bidders. That’s probably indicative of what a bad deal it is to host the Games these days.

I expect that it will go back to Blighty. The 2022 Games were originally going to be held in Durban but in 2017 it was acknowledged that the finances weren’t going to work out, so it was moved to Birmingham.

Still, there’s a difference between 5 years’ notice and 3 years’ notice.

There’s always a lot of hype about ‘the ongoing economic benefits’ of hosting an Olympic or Commonwealth, or some other kind of games, but they don’t say whose benefit. Not so often the ‘host’ country/city, but more often the international money lenders who advance them the dosh to pay for all the fol-de-rol.

Montreal was saddled with enormous debt for decades after the 1976 Olympics, and other host cities and countries have had similar if not such severe experiences. Most of the winter Olympics facilities in Sarajevo are derelict, as are other Olympic facilities around the world.

Very poor show by Victoria.

Peak Warming Man said:

captain_spalding said:

dv said:

Mind you …

the fact is that there were no other bidders. That’s probably indicative of what a bad deal it is to host the Games these days.

I expect that it will go back to Blighty. The 2022 Games were originally going to be held in Durban but in 2017 it was acknowledged that the finances weren’t going to work out, so it was moved to Birmingham.

Still, there’s a difference between 5 years’ notice and 3 years’ notice.

There’s always a lot of hype about ‘the ongoing economic benefits’ of hosting an Olympic or Commonwealth, or some other kind of games, but they don’t say whose benefit. Not so often the ‘host’ country/city, but more often the international money lenders who advance them the dosh to pay for all the fol-de-rol.

Montreal was saddled with enormous debt for decades after the 1976 Olympics, and other host cities and countries have had similar if not such severe experiences. Most of the winter Olympics facilities in Sarajevo are derelict, as are other Olympic facilities around the world.

Very poor show by Victoria.

Big opportunity for Townsville to step up

dv said:

Peak Warming Man said:

captain_spalding said:

There’s always a lot of hype about ‘the ongoing economic benefits’ of hosting an Olympic or Commonwealth, or some other kind of games, but they don’t say whose benefit. Not so often the ‘host’ country/city, but more often the international money lenders who advance them the dosh to pay for all the fol-de-rol.

Montreal was saddled with enormous debt for decades after the 1976 Olympics, and other host cities and countries have had similar if not such severe experiences. Most of the winter Olympics facilities in Sarajevo are derelict, as are other Olympic facilities around the world.

Very poor show by Victoria.

Big opportunity for Townsville to step up

How big is The Redoubt? Could probably do the lot there…

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/craven-furious-at-voice-no-camp-inclusion-in-pamphlet/102616252

Hmm.

Peak Warming Man said:

captain_spalding said:

dv said:

Mind you …

the fact is that there were no other bidders. That’s probably indicative of what a bad deal it is to host the Games these days.

I expect that it will go back to Blighty. The 2022 Games were originally going to be held in Durban but in 2017 it was acknowledged that the finances weren’t going to work out, so it was moved to Birmingham.

Still, there’s a difference between 5 years’ notice and 3 years’ notice.

There’s always a lot of hype about ‘the ongoing economic benefits’ of hosting an Olympic or Commonwealth, or some other kind of games, but they don’t say whose benefit. Not so often the ‘host’ country/city, but more often the international money lenders who advance them the dosh to pay for all the fol-de-rol.

Montreal was saddled with enormous debt for decades after the 1976 Olympics, and other host cities and countries have had similar if not such severe experiences. Most of the winter Olympics facilities in Sarajevo are derelict, as are other Olympic facilities around the world.

Very poor show by Victoria.

Meh. I’ve been saying for years that these sort of mega events should be given to the host city/country for the next 20 years – say 4 or 5 event cycles.

It is just getting too expensive to host such temporary events. A 5 year building program for 2-4 weeks. Just doesn’t add up.

BTW – ,elbourne should build a permanent race track for the Formula 1 too. Building temporary facilities every year and then dismantling it a week later cost a huge amount of money. The cost of a permanent track would pay for itself within a few years, just saving on set-up and knock-down costs.

buffy said:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/craven-furious-at-voice-no-camp-inclusion-in-pamphlet/102616252

Hmm.

buffy said:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/craven-furious-at-voice-no-camp-inclusion-in-pamphlet/102616252

Hmm.

poor man. gee there are some awfuls out there.

buffy said:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/craven-furious-at-voice-no-camp-inclusion-in-pamphlet/102616252

Hmm.

Goes to show the inherent dishonesty of the LNP.

A proposal to reform Tasmania’s planning laws, allowing big developments to bypass councils, could result in more social housing, while projects like the cable car and AFL high performance centre may also be considered.

Link

roughbarked said:

A proposal to reform Tasmania’s planning laws, allowing big developments to bypass councils, could result in more social housing, while projects like the cable car and AFL high performance centre may also be considered.

Link

Mixed

dv said:

Tony is making quite a bit of sense there.

roughbarked said:

dv said:

SCIENCE said:

buffy said:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/craven-furious-at-voice-no-camp-inclusion-in-pamphlet/102616252

Hmm.

Tony is making quite a bit of sense there.

Multiples of sense.

LOL

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-18/ey-fights-break-up-call-for-big-four-not-like-pwc/102615796

Big four consulting firm EY has sought to distance itself from the “deeply disturbing and disappointing” behaviour revealed at its competitor PwC

dv said:

Onya Tony.

roughbarked said:

A proposal to reform Tasmania’s planning laws, allowing big developments to bypass councils, could result in more social housing, while projects like the cable car and AFL high performance centre may also be considered.

Link

nnnnnn.

sarahs mum said:

roughbarked said:

A proposal to reform Tasmania’s planning laws, allowing big developments to bypass councils, could result in more social housing, while projects like the cable car and AFL high performance centre may also be considered.

Link

nnnnnn.

Steps backwards

Cymek said:

sarahs mum said:

roughbarked said:

A proposal to reform Tasmania’s planning laws, allowing big developments to bypass councils, could result in more social housing, while projects like the cable car and AFL high performance centre may also be considered.

Link

nnnnnn.

Steps backwards

There was a time there when Gutwein was being pretty reasonable. Chances were the Libs would get back in. He said that the govt would go along with the outcome of the Cable car license submission. And then Gutwein was gone. And everything knocked back on environmental reasons is on the table again and there’s plans for an MCG. And anything big and private now has their blessing. And we doing govt by division again.

Does this belong in this thread or the history trivia thread¿

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-19/commonwealth-games-victoria-daniel-andrews-decision-analysis/102616256

How did Andrews get it so wrong?

A disability supporter provider in Launceston has been able to buy back a property it previously owned for the bargain price of $1, thanks to the long memory of an employee.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-19/st-giles-launceston-disability-site-bought-for-1-dollar/102618724

Rosalie Ellen Woodruff is an Australian politician. She has represented Franklin in the Tasmanian House of Assembly since 17 August 2015, when she was elected in a countback to replace Nick McKim. She represents the Tasmanian Greens.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing from the University of Canberra, as well as a Master of Public Health and PhD in Epidemiology from the Australian National University, on the topic of climate and environment as predictors for Ross River Virus.

She has previously contested Franklin for the Australian Greens at the 2013 federal election, and at the state level for the 2014 Tasmanian election. Prior to becoming a member of the Tasmanian Parliament, Woodruff was a local councillor on the Huon Valley Council from 2009.

Following the resignation of Cassie O’Connor as leader of the Tasmanian Greens, and from the Tasmanian House of Assembly on 13 July 2023, Woodruff became acting Greens Leader.

sarahs mum said:

Rosalie Ellen Woodruff is an Australian politician. She has represented Franklin in the Tasmanian House of Assembly since 17 August 2015, when she was elected in a countback to replace Nick McKim. She represents the Tasmanian Greens.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing from the University of Canberra, as well as a Master of Public Health and PhD in Epidemiology from the Australian National University, on the topic of climate and environment as predictors for Ross River Virus.

She has previously contested Franklin for the Australian Greens at the 2013 federal election, and at the state level for the 2014 Tasmanian election. Prior to becoming a member of the Tasmanian Parliament, Woodruff was a local councillor on the Huon Valley Council from 2009.

Following the resignation of Cassie O’Connor as leader of the Tasmanian Greens, and from the Tasmanian House of Assembly on 13 July 2023, Woodruff became acting Greens Leader.

Bright.

prosecutors will allege he said “Na bugger it” before deploying the taser

Michael V said:

sarahs mum said:

Rosalie Ellen Woodruff is an Australian politician. She has represented Franklin in the Tasmanian House of Assembly since 17 August 2015, when she was elected in a countback to replace Nick McKim. She represents the Tasmanian Greens.

She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Professional Writing from the University of Canberra, as well as a Master of Public Health and PhD in Epidemiology from the Australian National University, on the topic of climate and environment as predictors for Ross River Virus.

She has previously contested Franklin for the Australian Greens at the 2013 federal election, and at the state level for the 2014 Tasmanian election. Prior to becoming a member of the Tasmanian Parliament, Woodruff was a local councillor on the Huon Valley Council from 2009.

Following the resignation of Cassie O’Connor as leader of the Tasmanian Greens, and from the Tasmanian House of Assembly on 13 July 2023, Woodruff became acting Greens Leader.

Bright.

I am happy enough Cassie is gone too. And it was the right time. It seems to me the Tassie Liberals are heading toward divisionism as their election stance so less mud to stick is good.

Oooh – without pay.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-20/kathryn-campbell-suspended-without-pay-over-robodebt/102623918

buffy said:

Oooh – without pay.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-20/kathryn-campbell-suspended-without-pay-over-robodebt/102623918

“In 2022 the Labor government quietly appointed Ms Campbell as a special advisor on the AUKUS nuclear submarine project with a salary package of nearly $900,000 a year.”

Fucken hell, what was on before?

Seems weird that a)
These heads make twice what the PM does
And
b)
They don’t take the high pay to be a cue to be careful to do their jobs right

buffy said:

Oooh – without pay.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-20/kathryn-campbell-suspended-without-pay-over-robodebt/102623918

good.

dv said:

buffy said:

Oooh – without pay.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-20/kathryn-campbell-suspended-without-pay-over-robodebt/102623918

“In 2022 the Labor government quietly appointed Ms Campbell as a special advisor on the AUKUS nuclear submarine project with a salary package of nearly $900,000 a year.”

Fucken hell, what was on before?

Seems weird that a)
These heads make twice what the PM does
And
b)
They don’t take the high pay to be a cue to be careful to do their jobs right

Isn’t high pay sometimes an incentive to not take bribes as you are already on a good wicket

dv said:

buffy said:

Oooh – without pay.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-20/kathryn-campbell-suspended-without-pay-over-robodebt/102623918

“In 2022 the Labor government quietly appointed Ms Campbell as a special advisor on the AUKUS nuclear submarine project with a salary package of nearly $900,000 a year.”

Fucken hell, what was on before?

Seems weird that a)
These heads make twice what the PM does
And
b)
They don’t take the high pay to be a cue to be careful to do their jobs right

why did they appoint her?
why?

Matt- ‘My robodebt ($900) is 0.1 % of her annual salary. I’m getting on with my letter to Albo.’

dv said:

take the high pay to be a cue to be careful to do their jobs right

¿LOL¿¡

How does that follow ¿

Cymek said:

dv said:

buffy said:

Oooh – without pay.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-20/kathryn-campbell-suspended-without-pay-over-robodebt/102623918

“In 2022 the Labor government quietly appointed Ms Campbell as a special advisor on the AUKUS nuclear submarine project with a salary package of nearly $900,000 a year.”

Fucken hell, what was on before?

Seems weird that a)
These heads make twice what the PM does
And
b)
They don’t take the high pay to be a cue to be careful to do their jobs right

Isn’t high pay sometimes an incentive to not take bribes as you are already on a good wicket

¿LOL¿¡

How does that follow ¿

That’s what they want to to believe, but everyone in that business knows that it just means the incentive is for bigger bribes.

SCIENCE said:

Cymek said:

dv said:

“In 2022 the Labor government quietly appointed Ms Campbell as a special advisor on the AUKUS nuclear submarine project with a salary package of nearly $900,000 a year.”

Fucken hell, what was on before?

Seems weird that a)
These heads make twice what the PM does
And
b)
They don’t take the high pay to be a cue to be careful to do their jobs right

Isn’t high pay sometimes an incentive to not take bribes as you are already on a good wicket

¿LOL¿¡

How does that follow ¿

That’s what they want to to believe, but everyone in that business knows that it just means the incentive is for bigger bribes.

Person who fucked up in Liberal apptd social role given highly sensitive and secretive position defense by Labor.

why?

sarahs mum said:

SCIENCE said:

Cymek said:

Isn’t high pay sometimes an incentive to not take bribes as you are already on a good wicket

¿LOL¿¡

How does that follow ¿

That’s what they want to to believe, but everyone in that business knows that it just means the incentive is for bigger bribes.

Person who fucked up in Liberal apptd social role given highly sensitive and secretive position defense by Labor.

why?

Perhaps they have dirt on higher ups and threatened to expose them.

Cymek said:

sarahs mum said:

SCIENCE said:

¿LOL¿¡

How does that follow ¿

That’s what they want to to believe, but everyone in that business knows that it just means the incentive is for bigger bribes.

Person who fucked up in Liberal apptd social role given highly sensitive and secretive position defense by Labor.

why?

Perhaps they have dirt on higher ups and threatened to expose them.

Similarly why did the governments keep the same health advisers who continue to promote illness¿

Agree there is a lot of incestuous fucking around.

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

Oooh – without pay.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-20/kathryn-campbell-suspended-without-pay-over-robodebt/102623918

good.

I’m glad to hear that.

sarahs mum said:

dv said:

buffy said:

Oooh – without pay.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-20/kathryn-campbell-suspended-without-pay-over-robodebt/102623918

“In 2022 the Labor government quietly appointed Ms Campbell as a special advisor on the AUKUS nuclear submarine project with a salary package of nearly $900,000 a year.”

Fucken hell, what was on before?

Seems weird that a)
These heads make twice what the PM does
And
b)
They don’t take the high pay to be a cue to be careful to do their jobs right

why did they appoint her?
why?

Yeah. That would be my question.

sarahs mum said:

SCIENCE said:

Cymek said:

Isn’t high pay sometimes an incentive to not take bribes as you are already on a good wicket

¿LOL¿¡

How does that follow ¿

That’s what they want to to believe, but everyone in that business knows that it just means the incentive is for bigger bribes.

Person who fucked up in Liberal apptd social role given highly sensitive and secretive position defense by Labor.

why?

It is a good question.

SCIENCE said:

Cymek said:

sarahs mum said:

Person who fucked up in Liberal apptd social role given highly sensitive and secretive position defense by Labor.

why?

Perhaps they have dirt on higher ups and threatened to expose them.

Similarly why did the governments keep the same health advisers who continue to promote illness¿

Agree there is a lot of incestuous fucking around.

So it is indeed who you get into bed with literally?

roughbarked said:

SCIENCE said:

Cymek said:

Perhaps they have dirt on higher ups and threatened to expose them.

Similarly why did the governments keep the same health advisers who continue to promote illness¿

Agree there is a lot of incestuous fucking around.

So it is indeed who you get into bed with literally?

We thought you’re meant to do it on the defence minister’s couch¿

“Mr Pesutto has called for the minister responsible for the Commonwealth Games, Jacinta Allan, to be sacked over the games debacle, accusing her of “gross incompetence and deceit”.

I agree, I’ve seen The Games and the whole debacle needs looking into especially the bloke building the swimming pool.

Peak Warming Man said:

“Mr Pesutto has called for the minister responsible for the Commonwealth Games, Jacinta Allan, to be sacked over the games debacle, accusing her of “gross incompetence and deceit”.

I agree, I’ve seen The Games and the whole debacle needs looking into especially the bloke building the swimming pool.

Hardly seems worth the effort now to go into a round of sackings.

Oh Look More Foreign Interference Fuck CHINA Wait We Mean

Australia

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-21/el-periodico-the-adelaide-review-spain-election-polling-laws/102408974

Still, probably done by CHINA agents so see above.

SCIENCE said:

Oh Look More Foreign Interference

Speaking of foreign interference as long as it’s done by private enterprise it’s all just Good Capitalism right ¿

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-21/canada-faces-social-media-giants-pursuing-australian-laws/102633492

https://www.news.com.au/national/former-afp-commissioner-said-decision-to-clean-room-brittany-higgins-was-found-in-was-unacceptable/news-story/e08a4c83d2fa61143bbaee7fd91deb89

Needed: More Good Guys With Guns

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-23/three-people-hospital-after-targeted-shooting-in-sydney/102636492

Check out New CHINA police state QLD under Labor, it’s

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-24/qld-thousands-of-arrests-police-youth-crime/102638742

amazing¡

More than 7,000 arrests have been made, and 14,000 charges filed, in a Queensland police operation targeting young offenders.

Of the 7,300 arrests made since December last year, more than a third were young offenders, Police Commissioner Katarina Carroll said.

Those figures are on top of “business as usual” arrests, Commissioner Carroll said.

and beautiful

I reckon the dude with the sunglasses will be voting Yes.

Australia, traditionally described as a middle power…better described as subimperial?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvLbbYB75r8

sarahs mum said:

Australia, traditionally described as a middle power…better described as subimperial?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dvLbbYB75r8

semantics

OK…

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-25/dutton-briefed-by-afp-of-bhojani-before-contract/102644618

buffy said:

OK…

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-25/dutton-briefed-by-afp-of-bhojani-before-contract/102644618

I wish they would get a new pic of Dutton.

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

OK…

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-25/dutton-briefed-by-afp-of-bhojani-before-contract/102644618

I wish they would get a new pic of Dutton.

He hasn’t got any better-looking since that one was taken.

More Football

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-25/nsw-premier-chris-minns-wont-say-future-delays-metro-west-plan/102645382

captain_spalding said:

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

OK…

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-25/dutton-briefed-by-afp-of-bhojani-before-contract/102644618

I wish they would get a new pic of Dutton.

He hasn’t got any better-looking since that one was taken.

No but he uses a different type of bowling ball polish and his head is much more reflective nowadays

Cymek said:

captain_spalding said:

sarahs mum said:

I wish they would get a new pic of Dutton.

He hasn’t got any better-looking since that one was taken.

No but he uses a different type of bowling ball polish and his head is much more reflective nowadays

I was thinking about the ‘I think I feel a tear coming on’ gesture.

sarahs mum said:

Cymek said:

captain_spalding said:

He hasn’t got any better-looking since that one was taken.

No but he uses a different type of bowling ball polish and his head is much more reflective nowadays

I was thinking about the ‘I think I feel a tear coming on’ gesture.

It’s that “see, I am human” confirmation bias cementer.

I dreamt that the Greens had appointed Pauline Hanson as their new leader.

Most people thought it a suicidal move but the Greens thought it would expand their electoral appeal.

Bubblecar said:

I dreamt that the Greens had appointed Pauline Hanson as their new leader.

Most people thought it a suicidal move but the Greens thought it would expand their electoral appeal.

perhaps self-flagellation would help.

captain_spalding said:

sarahs mum said:

buffy said:

OK…

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-25/dutton-briefed-by-afp-of-bhojani-before-contract/

I wish they would get a new pic of Dutton.

He hasn’t got any better-looking since that one was taken.

Support for the ALP has plummeted in Victoria. The previous Roy Morgan poll two months ago had the ALP ahead 61.5 – 38.5.
July’s Morgan poll shows them 53-47.

dv said:

Support for the ALP has plummeted in Victoria. The previous Roy Morgan poll two months ago had the ALP ahead 61.5 – 38.5.
July’s Morgan poll shows them 53-47.

Too many commonwealth games shenanigans.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-26/robodebt-behavioural-science-shaped-decisions/102645522

The Australian federal police says it briefed the then home affairs minister, Peter Dutton, on an investigation into alleged bribery one month before his department entered into a new contract with the target of that investigation.

The revelation has prompted the prime minister, Anthony Albanese, to demand an explanation from the opposition leader, although there is no suggestion Dutton was personally involved in the contract decision. The Greens called for a royal commission.

Guardian Australia has previously reported on how the former government continued to pay millions of taxpayer dollars to a businessman convicted of corruption to provide offshore processing services on Nauru, even after he had pleaded guilty to bribing Nauruan government officials.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/jul/25/peter-dutton-briefed-by-afp-on-bribery-investigation-before-contract-signed-with-probe-target

7 candidates have qualified for the first Republican presidential debate in August so far, though possibly more will in coming weeks. Notably they all have to pledge to support the eventual nominee.

That’s Trump, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Ron deSantis, Burgum.

dv said:

7 candidates have qualified for the first Republican presidential debate in August so far, though possibly more will in coming weeks. Notably they all have to pledge to support the eventual nominee.

That’s Trump, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Ron deSantis, Burgum.

I didn’t know we had a president.

Ian said:

dv said:

7 candidates have qualified for the first Republican presidential debate in August so far, though possibly more will in coming weeks. Notably they all have to pledge to support the eventual nominee.

That’s Trump, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Ron deSantis, Burgum.

I didn’t know we had a president.

We do, they’re the 7th one.

Ian said:

dv said:

7 candidates have qualified for the first Republican presidential debate in August so far, though possibly more will in coming weeks. Notably they all have to pledge to support the eventual nominee.

That’s Trump, Tim Scott, Vivek Ramaswamy, Nikki Haley, Ron deSantis, Burgum.

I didn’t know we had a president.

Is he called Fred Wrong?

Ah well better to reinterpret the fairy tales than to accept that they are fiction.

The Institute of Child Protection Studies director said he did not believe that outlawing corporal punishment was inconsistent with Christian doctrine. “I do not think it goes against Christian teaching; one of the most consistent and clear Christian teaching is the commandment to love one another,” Professor Higgins said. “In modern Australian contemporary life there is no excuse for using physical punishment of children as an act of love — and certainly there’s no data to support that.”

SCIENCE said:

Ah well better to reinterpret the fairy tales than to accept that they are fiction.

The Institute of Child Protection Studies director said he did not believe that outlawing corporal punishment was inconsistent with Christian doctrine. “I do not think it goes against Christian teaching; one of the most consistent and clear Christian teaching is the commandment to love one another,” Professor Higgins said. “In modern Australian contemporary life there is no excuse for using physical punishment of children as an act of love — and certainly there’s no data to support that.”

I think he was speaking to the Christians.

roughbarked said:

SCIENCE said:

Ah well better to reinterpret the fairy tales than to accept that they are fiction.

The Institute of Child Protection Studies director said he did not believe that outlawing corporal punishment was inconsistent with Christian doctrine. “I do not think it goes against Christian teaching; one of the most consistent and clear Christian teaching is the commandment to love one another,” Professor Higgins said. “In modern Australian contemporary life there is no excuse for using physical punishment of children as an act of love — and certainly there’s no data to support that.”

I think he was speaking to the Christians.

Left to themselves, heathens inflict violence on each other comparatively infrequently.

Put someone behind them telling them that a higher power wants them to do it, and they go nuts.

captain_spalding said:

Left to themselves, heathens inflict violence on each other comparatively infrequently.

I’m pretty sure that’s not always true.

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

SCIENCE said:

Ah well better to reinterpret the fairy tales than to accept that they are fiction.

The Institute of Child Protection Studies director said he did not believe that outlawing corporal punishment was inconsistent with Christian doctrine. “I do not think it goes against Christian teaching; one of the most consistent and clear Christian teaching is the commandment to love one another,” Professor Higgins said. “In modern Australian contemporary life there is no excuse for using physical punishment of children as an act of love — and certainly there’s no data to support that.”

I think he was speaking to the Christians.

Left to themselves, heathens inflict violence on each other comparatively infrequently.

Put someone behind them telling them that a higher power wants them to do it, and they go nuts.

I don’t know, do you have any evidence to support this?

The Rev Dodgson said:

captain_spalding said:

Left to themselves, heathens inflict violence on each other comparatively infrequently.

I’m pretty sure that’s not always true.

Beware Those Universal Quantifiers ¡

The DPP responded “we have no further comment to make in relation to your query”.

furious said:

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

I think he was speaking to the Christians.

Left to themselves, heathens inflict violence on each other comparatively infrequently.

Put someone behind them telling them that a higher power wants them to do it, and they go nuts.

I don’t know, do you have any evidence to support this?

+1

The Rev Dodgson said:

captain_spalding said:

Left to themselves, heathens inflict violence on each other comparatively infrequently.

I’m pretty sure that’s not always true.

‘Comparatively’

Arts said:

furious said:

captain_spalding said:

Left to themselves, heathens inflict violence on each other comparatively infrequently.

Put someone behind them telling them that a higher power wants them to do it, and they go nuts.

I don’t know, do you have any evidence to support this?

+1

Maybe i’m thinking more in broad societal terms than in terms of immediate society.

furious said:

captain_spalding said:

roughbarked said:

I think he was speaking to the Christians.

Left to themselves, heathens inflict violence on each other comparatively infrequently.

Put someone behind them telling them that a higher power wants them to do it, and they go nuts.

I don’t know, do you have any evidence to support this?

Well, the Crusades. And the violent expansion of the Spanish empire under the big red cross and in the name of ‘saving’ the heathens. There’s a start.

captain_spalding said:

Arts said:

furious said:

I don’t know, do you have any evidence to support this?

+1

Maybe i’m thinking more in broad societal terms than in terms of immediate society.

The 20th century was full of heathens that murdered lots of people

Cymek said:

captain_spalding said:

Arts said:

+1

Maybe i’m thinking more in broad societal terms than in terms of immediate society.

The 20th century was full of heathens that murdered lots of people

Yeah, true, like the purges and such in avowedly-atheist Communist countries. But those were often encouraged as necessary for the aims of a political pseudo-religion, or as part of a personality cult.

Cymek said:

SCIENCE said:

Groundbreaking Research

“Scientists have only begun to understand the factors that put Americans at risk of firearm injury. The double blow of ending federal funding and cutting off researchers’ access to California’s data could set the field back years.”

Sorry, we got nothing. We don’t understand at all.

Guns

Lots of guns

Idiots

Lots of idiots

So PermeateFree will probably have an autoequotic orgasm when it finds out that we pulled our own

quote across from that other thread but anyway…

A man has been shot dead overnight in Sydney’s south-west. The man — believed to be 28 years old — was treated by paramedics but died at the scene. NSW Police say the investigation is in its early stages, but it is believed to be a targeted incident.

Well if only guns were more freely available in Australia, this wouldn’t happen because there would be lots of Good Guys With Guns ¡

It comes after Sydney criminal lawyer, Mahmoud Abbas, was shot in a targeted attack in Greenacre in Sydney’s south-west yesterday. He was taken to hospital with injuries to his leg and torso and is said to be in a stable condition. There is no suggestion that any of those incidents were linked, or that Mr Abbas is involved in any criminal activity.

Wait when you’re shot you aren’t involved in the shooting¿ Or maybe it was a legal shooting¿

This is the third separate shooting incident in the city’s south-west in less than seven days. On Sunday, three people were shot at Mayvic Street, Greenacre while sitting in two different cars.

Need more of those Good Guys ¡

captain_spalding said:

Cymek said:

captain_spalding said:

Maybe i’m thinking more in broad societal terms than in terms of immediate society.

The 20th century was full of heathens that murdered lots of people

Yeah, true, like the purges and such in avowedly-atheist Communist countries. But those were often encouraged as necessary for the aims of a political pseudo-religion, or as part of a personality cult.

Exactly, until they kill themselves into evolutionary failure uh we mean extinction, we can safely say that violence is comparatively infrequent¡

Religion might also value life less as its transitory to some other better existence after you die.
If you don’t believe in an afterlife killing people is condemning them to extinction and taking that uniqueness from the world.
That being said I’d defend myself and family without hesitation or remorse if attacked by people out to kill

captain_spalding said:

furious said:

captain_spalding said:

Left to themselves, heathens inflict violence on each other comparatively infrequently.

Put someone behind them telling them that a higher power wants them to do it, and they go nuts.

I don’t know, do you have any evidence to support this?

Well, the Crusades. And the violent expansion of the Spanish empire under the big red cross and in the name of ‘saving’ the heathens. There’s a start.

That’s evidence of some religious people being nasty, not evidence of irreligious people being less nasty…

Cymek said:

Religion might also value life less as its transitory to some other better existence after you die.
If you don’t believe in an afterlife killing people is condemning them to extinction and taking that uniqueness from the world.
That being said I’d defend myself and family without hesitation or remorse if attacked by people out to kill

If you don’t believe an omnipresent deity is watching, and judging, you, then you are less likely to fear the eternal consequences of your actions…

furious said:

Cymek said:

Religion might also value life less as its transitory to some other better existence after you die.
If you don’t believe in an afterlife killing people is condemning them to extinction and taking that uniqueness from the world.
That being said I’d defend myself and family without hesitation or remorse if attacked by people out to kill

If you don’t believe an omnipresent deity is watching, and judging, you, then you are less likely to fear the eternal consequences of your actions…

Depends on who you are as person I suppose, you might think that way or value life as once they are dead its forever
Life is hard enough with the universes complete disregard for our existence to be nasty to undeserving people.
Religion feels the need to converts others by force or otherwise when they should just be quiet and mind their own business.

I think if we start determining human worthiness in the presence of doctrines we are going down slippery slopes…

Arts said:

I think if we start determining human worthiness in the presence of doctrines we are going down slippery slopes…

Not that there is anything wrong with slippery slopes.

As long as you are wearing appropriate footwear.

But yeah, having a religion of some sort does seem to have been a successful evolutionary innovation, up to now.

Arts said:

I think if we start determining human worthiness in the presence of doctrines we are going down slippery slopes…

No worries, how would you determine human worthiness ¿

The Rev Dodgson said:

Arts said:

I think if we start determining human worthiness in the presence of doctrines we are going down slippery slopes…

Not that there is anything wrong with slippery slopes.

As long as you are wearing appropriate footwear.

But yeah, having a religion of some sort does seem to have been a successful evolutionary innovation, up to now.

Exactly, that’s why all of 1 species surviving to date have them.

SCIENCE said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Arts said:

I think if we start determining human worthiness in the presence of doctrines we are going down slippery slopes…

Not that there is anything wrong with slippery slopes.

As long as you are wearing appropriate footwear.

But yeah, having a religion of some sort does seem to have been a successful evolutionary innovation, up to now.

Exactly, that’s why all of 1 species surviving to date have them.

I think of religion as a way to explain things before science came about and to manipulate people for whatever reason, money, cannon fodder, to behave, etc

Cymek said:

SCIENCE said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Not that there is anything wrong with slippery slopes.

As long as you are wearing appropriate footwear.

But yeah, having a religion of some sort does seem to have been a successful evolutionary innovation, up to now.

Exactly, that’s why all of 1 species surviving to date have them.

I think of religion as a way to explain things before science came about and to manipulate people for whatever reason, money, cannon fodder, to behave, etc

We think of it as mind virus, a parasitic collection of ideagenes that directs minor intelligences to use their machinery to continue spreading the mind virus.

Imagine a surprise¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-27/boomers-boosting-inflation-as-the-rba-lifts-rates/102610512

SCIENCE said:

Imagine a surprise¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-27/boomers-boosting-inflation-as-the-rba-lifts-rates/102610512

Yeah, that’s me, i’m out every day buying holiday houses, new Aston-Martins, booking around-the-world trips with Cunard, just shooting the entire economy to bits.

Alternative: the RBA has no idea, the only tool it has in the box is ‘raise interest rates’, it can’t deem to do anything to slow the inflation rate, it’s usual story about inflation being driven by greedy workers demanding pay rises and then spending up big isn’t going to fly in this case, so let’s try pinning it on the ‘boomers’. Everyone hates boomers, we all know that they’re evil and selfish and greedy, and undeserving and you can’t believe a word they say.

captain_spalding said:

SCIENCE said:

Imagine a surprise¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-27/boomers-boosting-inflation-as-the-rba-lifts-rates/102610512

Yeah, that’s me, i’m out every day buying holiday houses, new Aston-Martins, booking around-the-world trips with Cunard, just shooting the entire economy to bits.

Alternative: the RBA has no idea, the only tool it has in the box is ‘raise interest rates’, it can’t deem to do anything to slow the inflation rate, it’s usual story about inflation being driven by greedy workers demanding pay rises and then spending up big isn’t going to fly in this case, so let’s try pinning it on the ‘boomers’. Everyone hates boomers, we all know that they’re evil and selfish and greedy, and undeserving and you can’t believe a word they say.

We spend too much or not enough, its also not nice to demand more money so you can afford to live.

Cymek said:

captain_spalding said:

SCIENCE said:

Imagine a surprise¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-27/boomers-boosting-inflation-as-the-rba-lifts-rates/102610512

Yeah, that’s me, i’m out every day buying holiday houses, new Aston-Martins, booking around-the-world trips with Cunard, just shooting the entire economy to bits.

Alternative: the RBA has no idea, the only tool it has in the box is ‘raise interest rates’, it can’t deem to do anything to slow the inflation rate, it’s usual story about inflation being driven by greedy workers demanding pay rises and then spending up big isn’t going to fly in this case, so let’s try pinning it on the ‘boomers’. Everyone hates boomers, we all know that they’re evil and selfish and greedy, and undeserving and you can’t believe a word they say.

We spend too much or not enough, its also not nice to demand more money so you can afford to live.

All right but just imagine if supply were adequate for demand and a little surplus just in case.

Oh wait.

Cymek said:

We spend too much or not enough, its also not nice to demand more money so you can afford to live.

Oh, i know, i know. We’re idiots, we just can’t seem to do the right thing at the right time. What we need to do is send all of our money to Treasury and the RBA, and they can dish it out among corporations and banks, and that’ll stop us interfering in the smooth running of the economy.

Cymek said:

captain_spalding said:

SCIENCE said:

Imagine a surprise¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-27/boomers-boosting-inflation-as-the-rba-lifts-rates/102610512

Yeah, that’s me, i’m out every day buying holiday houses, new Aston-Martins, booking around-the-world trips with Cunard, just shooting the entire economy to bits.

Alternative: the RBA has no idea, the only tool it has in the box is ‘raise interest rates’, it can’t deem to do anything to slow the inflation rate, it’s usual story about inflation being driven by greedy workers demanding pay rises and then spending up big isn’t going to fly in this case, so let’s try pinning it on the ‘boomers’. Everyone hates boomers, we all know that they’re evil and selfish and greedy, and undeserving and you can’t believe a word they say.

We spend too much or not enough, its also not nice to demand more money so you can afford to live.

#notallboomers

captain_spalding said:

SCIENCE said:

Imagine a surprise¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-27/boomers-boosting-inflation-as-the-rba-lifts-rates/102610512

Yeah, that’s me, i’m out every day buying holiday houses, new Aston-Martins, booking around-the-world trips with Cunard, just shooting the entire economy to bits.

Alternative: the RBA has no idea, the only tool it has in the box is ‘raise interest rates’, it can’t deem to do anything to slow the inflation rate, it’s usual story about inflation being driven by greedy workers demanding pay rises and then spending up big isn’t going to fly in this case, so let’s try pinning it on the ‘boomers’. Everyone hates boomers, we all know that they’re evil and selfish and greedy, and undeserving and you can’t believe a word they say.

What policy tools would you use to lower inflation?

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

SCIENCE said:

Imagine a surprise¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-27/boomers-boosting-inflation-as-the-rba-lifts-rates/102610512

Yeah, that’s me, i’m out every day buying holiday houses, new Aston-Martins, booking around-the-world trips with Cunard, just shooting the entire economy to bits.

Alternative: the RBA has no idea, the only tool it has in the box is ‘raise interest rates’, it can’t deem to do anything to slow the inflation rate, it’s usual story about inflation being driven by greedy workers demanding pay rises and then spending up big isn’t going to fly in this case, so let’s try pinning it on the ‘boomers’. Everyone hates boomers, we all know that they’re evil and selfish and greedy, and undeserving and you can’t believe a word they say.

What policy tools would you use to lower inflation?

wire brush and dettol.

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

SCIENCE said:

Imagine a surprise¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-27/boomers-boosting-inflation-as-the-rba-lifts-rates/102610512

Yeah, that’s me, i’m out every day buying holiday houses, new Aston-Martins, booking around-the-world trips with Cunard, just shooting the entire economy to bits.

Alternative: the RBA has no idea, the only tool it has in the box is ‘raise interest rates’, it can’t deem to do anything to slow the inflation rate, it’s usual story about inflation being driven by greedy workers demanding pay rises and then spending up big isn’t going to fly in this case, so let’s try pinning it on the ‘boomers’. Everyone hates boomers, we all know that they’re evil and selfish and greedy, and undeserving and you can’t believe a word they say.

What policy tools would you use to lower inflation?

I dunno, i’m not an economist, isn’t that why we pay Phil Lowe and all the crystal-ball-gazers in Canberra the big bucks? It’s their job to come up with bright ideas, maybe something besides ‘raise the interest rates’ for a change. They certainly don’t make frequent mention of alternative measures.

What would you recommend?

captain_spalding said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

Yeah, that’s me, i’m out every day buying holiday houses, new Aston-Martins, booking around-the-world trips with Cunard, just shooting the entire economy to bits.

Alternative: the RBA has no idea, the only tool it has in the box is ‘raise interest rates’, it can’t deem to do anything to slow the inflation rate, it’s usual story about inflation being driven by greedy workers demanding pay rises and then spending up big isn’t going to fly in this case, so let’s try pinning it on the ‘boomers’. Everyone hates boomers, we all know that they’re evil and selfish and greedy, and undeserving and you can’t believe a word they say.

What policy tools would you use to lower inflation?

I dunno, i’m not an economist, isn’t that why we pay Phil Lowe and all the crystal-ball-gazers in Canberra the big bucks? It’s their job to come up with bright ideas, maybe something besides ‘raise the interest rates’ for a change. They certainly don’t make frequent mention of alternative measures.

What would you recommend?

So you’re talking out of your arse again?

captain_spalding said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

Yeah, that’s me, i’m out every day buying holiday houses, new Aston-Martins, booking around-the-world trips with Cunard, just shooting the entire economy to bits.

Alternative: the RBA has no idea, the only tool it has in the box is ‘raise interest rates’, it can’t deem to do anything to slow the inflation rate, it’s usual story about inflation being driven by greedy workers demanding pay rises and then spending up big isn’t going to fly in this case, so let’s try pinning it on the ‘boomers’. Everyone hates boomers, we all know that they’re evil and selfish and greedy, and undeserving and you can’t believe a word they say.

What policy tools would you use to lower inflation?

I dunno, i’m not an economist, isn’t that why we pay Phil Lowe and all the crystal-ball-gazers in Canberra the big bucks? It’s their job to come up with bright ideas, maybe something besides ‘raise the interest rates’ for a change. They certainly don’t make frequent mention of alternative measures.

What would you recommend?

Fines for withholding supply to force up prices when you are already making profit you just want more.

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

What policy tools would you use to lower inflation?

I dunno, i’m not an economist, isn’t that why we pay Phil Lowe and all the crystal-ball-gazers in Canberra the big bucks? It’s their job to come up with bright ideas, maybe something besides ‘raise the interest rates’ for a change. They certainly don’t make frequent mention of alternative measures.

What would you recommend?

So you’re talking out of your arse again?

Probably. It’s a life-long habit of mine. I was a sailor, a naval officer, a Centrelink employee, an IT network specialist, a sugar mill and brickwork labourer, a hospital administrator and a couple of other things.

I wouldn’t put Phil Lowe in charge of a boarding party to go aboard a Liberian-registered freighter that has no business being where it is, and i doubt that the Australian government would expect me to come up with innovative economic formulae to respond to current-day influences.

captain_spalding said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

I dunno, i’m not an economist, isn’t that why we pay Phil Lowe and all the crystal-ball-gazers in Canberra the big bucks? It’s their job to come up with bright ideas, maybe something besides ‘raise the interest rates’ for a change. They certainly don’t make frequent mention of alternative measures.

What would you recommend?

So you’re talking out of your arse again?

Probably. It’s a life-long habit of mine. I was a sailor, a naval officer, a Centrelink employee, an IT network specialist, a sugar mill and brickwork labourer, a hospital administrator and a couple of other things.

I wouldn’t put Phil Lowe in charge of a boarding party to go aboard a Liberian-registered freighter that has no business being where it is, and i doubt that the Australian government would expect me to come up with innovative economic formulae to respond to current-day influences.

Your ignorance doesn’t seem to affect your running commentary…

captain_spalding said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

I dunno, i’m not an economist, isn’t that why we pay Phil Lowe and all the crystal-ball-gazers in Canberra the big bucks? It’s their job to come up with bright ideas, maybe something besides ‘raise the interest rates’ for a change. They certainly don’t make frequent mention of alternative measures.

What would you recommend?

So you’re talking out of your arse again?

Probably. It’s a life-long habit of mine. I was a sailor, a naval officer, a Centrelink employee, an IT network specialist, a sugar mill and brickwork labourer, a hospital administrator and a couple of other things.

I wouldn’t put Phil Lowe in charge of a boarding party to go aboard a Liberian-registered freighter that has no business being where it is, and i doubt that the Australian government would expect me to come up with innovative economic formulae to respond to current-day influences.

It does come across as the economy being this beast we have to fed but not too much or too little at the expense of millions/billions of people, the environment, etc.

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

So you’re talking out of your arse again?

Probably. It’s a life-long habit of mine. I was a sailor, a naval officer, a Centrelink employee, an IT network specialist, a sugar mill and brickwork labourer, a hospital administrator and a couple of other things.

I wouldn’t put Phil Lowe in charge of a boarding party to go aboard a Liberian-registered freighter that has no business being where it is, and i doubt that the Australian government would expect me to come up with innovative economic formulae to respond to current-day influences.

Your ignorance doesn’t seem to affect your running commentary…

I’ve never let a little thing like ignorance get in the way of criticising the way other people do their jobs. And they certainly never let it get in the way of critcising how i did mine.

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

So you’re talking out of your arse again?

Probably. It’s a life-long habit of mine. I was a sailor, a naval officer, a Centrelink employee, an IT network specialist, a sugar mill and brickwork labourer, a hospital administrator and a couple of other things.

I wouldn’t put Phil Lowe in charge of a boarding party to go aboard a Liberian-registered freighter that has no business being where it is, and i doubt that the Australian government would expect me to come up with innovative economic formulae to respond to current-day influences.

Your ignorance doesn’t seem to affect your running commentary…

That holds for everyone here…

captain_spalding said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

Probably. It’s a life-long habit of mine. I was a sailor, a naval officer, a Centrelink employee, an IT network specialist, a sugar mill and brickwork labourer, a hospital administrator and a couple of other things.

I wouldn’t put Phil Lowe in charge of a boarding party to go aboard a Liberian-registered freighter that has no business being where it is, and i doubt that the Australian government would expect me to come up with innovative economic formulae to respond to current-day influences.

Your ignorance doesn’t seem to affect your running commentary…

I’ve never let a little thing like ignorance get in the way of criticising the way other people do their jobs. And they certainly never let it get in the way of critcising how i did mine.

War/disaster profiteering is another
Oh the war in the Ukraine is affecting grain supply, lets jack up the prices so we can make more money, supply isn’t an issue you know we just claim it is.

OCDC said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

Probably. It’s a life-long habit of mine. I was a sailor, a naval officer, a Centrelink employee, an IT network specialist, a sugar mill and brickwork labourer, a hospital administrator and a couple of other things.

I wouldn’t put Phil Lowe in charge of a boarding party to go aboard a Liberian-registered freighter that has no business being where it is, and i doubt that the Australian government would expect me to come up with innovative economic formulae to respond to current-day influences.

Your ignorance doesn’t seem to affect your running commentary…

That holds for everyone here…

#notboris

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

SCIENCE said:

Imagine a surprise¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-27/boomers-boosting-inflation-as-the-rba-lifts-rates/102610512

Yeah, that’s me, i’m out every day buying holiday houses, new Aston-Martins, booking around-the-world trips with Cunard, just shooting the entire economy to bits.

Alternative: the RBA has no idea, the only tool it has in the box is ‘raise interest rates’, it can’t deem to do anything to slow the inflation rate, it’s usual story about inflation being driven by greedy workers demanding pay rises and then spending up big isn’t going to fly in this case, so let’s try pinning it on the ‘boomers’. Everyone hates boomers, we all know that they’re evil and selfish and greedy, and undeserving and you can’t believe a word they say.

What policy tools would you use to lower inflation?

Prevent phenomena that fuck up supply, damn, imagine that.

OCDC said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

Probably. It’s a life-long habit of mine. I was a sailor, a naval officer, a Centrelink employee, an IT network specialist, a sugar mill and brickwork labourer, a hospital administrator and a couple of other things.

I wouldn’t put Phil Lowe in charge of a boarding party to go aboard a Liberian-registered freighter that has no business being where it is, and i doubt that the Australian government would expect me to come up with innovative economic formulae to respond to current-day influences.

Your ignorance doesn’t seem to affect your running commentary…

That holds for everyone here…

I dunno. We don’t all make pronouncements about things we openly admit we know nothing about.

OCDC said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

Probably. It’s a life-long habit of mine. I was a sailor, a naval officer, a Centrelink employee, an IT network specialist, a sugar mill and brickwork labourer, a hospital administrator and a couple of other things.

I wouldn’t put Phil Lowe in charge of a boarding party to go aboard a Liberian-registered freighter that has no business being where it is, and i doubt that the Australian government would expect me to come up with innovative economic formulae to respond to current-day influences.

Your ignorance doesn’t seem to affect your running commentary…

That holds for everyone here…

No it doesn’t, our running commentary is absolute total ignorance¡

OCDC said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

Probably. It’s a life-long habit of mine. I was a sailor, a naval officer, a Centrelink employee, an IT network specialist, a sugar mill and brickwork labourer, a hospital administrator and a couple of other things.

I wouldn’t put Phil Lowe in charge of a boarding party to go aboard a Liberian-registered freighter that has no business being where it is, and i doubt that the Australian government would expect me to come up with innovative economic formulae to respond to current-day influences.

Your ignorance doesn’t seem to affect your running commentary…

That holds for everyone here…

That is true.
Do people really not think though a lot of the way the world is run is exploitative and destructive.
Foreign policy for many nations is quite disgusting, undermining government, sanctions that only affect the poor, selling weapons, etc.
Second and third class citizens that barely have enough to eat, let alone actual decent food and so on.
It is ironic me saying this as well from the comfort of a nation that has plenty and doesn’t have the worst of capitalism to deal with.

Witty Rejoinder said:

OCDC said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Your ignorance doesn’t seem to affect your running commentary…

That holds for everyone here…

I dunno. We don’t all make pronouncements about things we openly admit we know nothing about.

Exactly missing the point, which is nothing to do with open admission.

Witty Rejoinder said:

OCDC said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Your ignorance doesn’t seem to affect your running commentary…

That holds for everyone here…

I dunno. We don’t all make pronouncements about things we openly admit we know nothing about.

“…things we openly admit…”

The suggests that many (all?) of us do make pronouncements about things we know nothing about, but we don’t admit that we no nothing about them.

This i find to be believable, and it encompasses a wide range of potential topics.

Cymek said:

OCDC said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

Your ignorance doesn’t seem to affect your running commentary…

That holds for everyone here…

That is true.
Do people really not think though a lot of the way the world is run is exploitative and destructive.
Foreign policy for many nations is quite disgusting, undermining government, sanctions that only affect the poor, selling weapons, etc.
Second and third class citizens that barely have enough to eat, let alone actual decent food and so on.
It is ironic me saying this as well from the comfort of a nation that has plenty and doesn’t have the worst of capitalism to deal with.

Yeah but therefore Communism Is Bad¡

Anyway, imagine if people claimed that yous can’t identify that something is wrong or bad unless you know all about how to make it better, laugh out loud.

Just rolled over my term deposit for another 12 months. getting 4.75%. lovely.

captain_spalding said:

SCIENCE said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

OCDC said:

That holds for everyone here…

I dunno. We don’t all make pronouncements about things we openly admit we know nothing about.

Exactly missing the point, which is nothing to do with open admission.

“…things we openly admit…”

The suggests that many (all?) of us do make pronouncements about things we know nothing about, but we don’t admit that we no nothing about them.

This i find to be believable, and it encompasses a wide range of potential topics.

LOL beat this ignorant bastard to it again but yeah, we mean as SCIENCE we can confidently say (while knowing fuck all) that pretty much anything that is said by anyone, is about stuff that anyone knows next to nothing about.

Kurt Friedrich told yous all so, as well. And that fella knew a thing or two.

SCIENCE said:

Cymek said:

OCDC said:

That holds for everyone here…

That is true.
Do people really not think though a lot of the way the world is run is exploitative and destructive.
Foreign policy for many nations is quite disgusting, undermining government, sanctions that only affect the poor, selling weapons, etc.
Second and third class citizens that barely have enough to eat, let alone actual decent food and so on.
It is ironic me saying this as well from the comfort of a nation that has plenty and doesn’t have the worst of capitalism to deal with.

Yeah but therefore Communism Is Bad¡

Anyway, imagine if people claimed that yous can’t identify that something is wrong or bad unless you know all about how to make it better, laugh out loud.

Nationalism is quite dangerous I think, we are all Earthlings, Terrans, humans
Borders, race, culture is all secondary to all that, mostly a result of millennia or centuries of the environment they were raised in.
Most of us find joy and sadness in the same things

ChrispenEvan said:

Just rolled over my term deposit for another 12 months. getting 4.75%. lovely.

That’s reasonably decent

captain_spalding said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

OCDC said:

That holds for everyone here…

I dunno. We don’t all make pronouncements about things we openly admit we know nothing about.

“…things we openly admit…”

The suggests that many (all?) of us do make pronouncements about things we know nothing about, but we don’t admit that we no nothing about them.

This i find to be believable, and it encompasses a wide range of potential topics.

Everybody does it so that makes it okay?

SCIENCE said:

Imagine a surprise¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-27/boomers-boosting-inflation-as-the-rba-lifts-rates/102610512

Surely that should be:

Boomers-keeping-unemployment-low-as-they-spend-their-savings.

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

I dunno. We don’t all make pronouncements about things we openly admit we know nothing about.

“…things we openly admit…”

The suggests that many (all?) of us do make pronouncements about things we know nothing about, but we don’t admit that we no nothing about them.

This i find to be believable, and it encompasses a wide range of potential topics.

Everybody does it so that makes it okay?

Yes¡

The Rev Dodgson said:

SCIENCE said:

Imagine a surprise¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-27/boomers-boosting-inflation-as-the-rba-lifts-rates/102610512

Surely that should be:

Boomers-keeping-unemployment-low-as-they-spend-their-savings.

Not during Labor it shouldn’t be.

Anyway what with yous childrens all squabbling let’s lighten the mood a bit, here.

Lawyers for Tim Mathieson, the ex-partner of former prime minister Julia Gillard, say he will plead guilty to a charge of sexual assault.

Something else we know nothing about, what is sexual, what is sexual assault ¿

Ah well at least we know she had a bad relationship, as everybody does, and we hope that that’s not the defining moment for her because she’s a much better person and we all know that. She’s not Robinson Crusoe – she’s human. She fell in love with the wrong guy.

SCIENCE said:

captain_spalding said:

SCIENCE said:

Exactly missing the point, which is nothing to do with open admission.

“…things we openly admit…”

The suggests that many (all?) of us do make pronouncements about things we know nothing about, but we don’t admit that we no nothing about them.

This i find to be believable, and it encompasses a wide range of potential topics.

LOL beat this ignorant bastard to it again but yeah, we mean as SCIENCE we can confidently say (while knowing fuck all) that pretty much anything that is said by anyone, is about stuff that anyone knows next to nothing about.

Kurt Friedrich told yous all so, as well. And that fella knew a thing or two.

‘…ignorant bastard…’

I’m pretty sure that i object to one of those terms. I’ll get back to you about which one.

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

I dunno. We don’t all make pronouncements about things we openly admit we know nothing about.

“…things we openly admit…”

The suggests that many (all?) of us do make pronouncements about things we know nothing about, but we don’t admit that we no nothing about them.

This i find to be believable, and it encompasses a wide range of potential topics.

Everybody does it so that makes it okay?

Now we’re getting into geopolitics.

captain_spalding said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

“…things we openly admit…”

The suggests that many (all?) of us do make pronouncements about things we know nothing about, but we don’t admit that we no nothing about them.

This i find to be believable, and it encompasses a wide range of potential topics.

Everybody does it so that makes it okay?

Now we’re getting into geopolitics.

In seriousness though even without considering that appeal to popularity is logically invalid, accepting that everyone does it but only calling it out on specific ones or matters does itself draw attention to some kind of bias somewhere.

Witty Rejoinder said:

captain_spalding said:

Witty Rejoinder said:

I dunno. We don’t all make pronouncements about things we openly admit we know nothing about.

“…things we openly admit…”

The suggests that many (all?) of us do make pronouncements about things we know nothing about, but we don’t admit that we no nothing about them.

This i find to be believable, and it encompasses a wide range of potential topics.

Everybody does it so that makes it okay?

From now on I’m thinking only of me.” Major Danby replied indulgently with a superior smile: “But, Yossarian, suppose everyone felt that way.” “Then,” said Yossarian, “I’d certainly be a damned fool to feel any other way, wouldn’t I?

Cymek said:

SCIENCE said:

Cymek said:

That is true.
Do people really not think though a lot of the way the world is run is exploitative and destructive.
Foreign policy for many nations is quite disgusting, undermining government, sanctions that only affect the poor, selling weapons, etc.
Second and third class citizens that barely have enough to eat, let alone actual decent food and so on.
It is ironic me saying this as well from the comfort of a nation that has plenty and doesn’t have the worst of capitalism to deal with.

Yeah but therefore Communism Is Bad¡

Anyway, imagine if people claimed that yous can’t identify that something is wrong or bad unless you know all about how to make it better, laugh out loud.

Nationalism is quite dangerous I think, we are all Earthlings, Terrans, humans
Borders, race, culture is all secondary to all that, mostly a result of millennia or centuries of the environment they were raised in.
Most of us find joy and sadness in the same things

more joy. less flag waving.

SCIENCE said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

SCIENCE said:

Imagine a surprise¡

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2023-07-27/boomers-boosting-inflation-as-the-rba-lifts-rates/102610512

Surely that should be:

Boomers-keeping-unemployment-low-as-they-spend-their-savings.

Not during Labor it shouldn’t be.

Labor supports higher unemployment now?

The Rev Dodgson said:

SCIENCE said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Surely that should be:

Boomers-keeping-unemployment-low-as-they-spend-their-savings.

Not during Labor it shouldn’t be.

Labor supports higher unemployment now?

We mean, they wouldn’t frame it like that on a headline during the rule of a party that is worst at managing The Economy Must Grow.

dv said:

I thought he had retired?

ChrispenEvan said:

dv said:

I thought he had retired?

No DV’s been posting all week.

ChrispenEvan said:

dv said:

I thought he had retired?

He is allowed to tweet in his free time.

dv said:

ChrispenEvan said:

dv said:

I thought he had retired?

He is allowed to tweet in his free time.

Just not needing to be paid or be accountable.