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The fine art of being credible
As I predicted several times in this blog Tony Abbott has decided to Keep Labor’s “compensation” package when the hated Carbon Tax is deservedly thrown out after September 14:
click for source
This is utterly brilliant politics that very neatly cuts Labor off from the otherwise guaranteed scare campaign about the coalition and it renders Gillard and Co impotent in their attacks. While I’m sure that those true believers who are fighting their utter despair with disbelief and denial will crash very hard on September 14 ordinary Labor voters like those on Pensions and benefits can breathe a sigh of relief that they won’t be the ones feeling the pain for Labor’s maladministration of the nation over the last six years. However those in cushy jobs in the Climate change edifice will be quaking in their boots right now as they will be madly searching for new positions, now before the post September rush.
Over all I think that what Abbott offers here is entirely sensible both politically and economically and he has managed to press all of the right buttons more importantly what he says is credible, something Wayne Swan is utterly incapable of being.
Cheers Comrades
Julia , its time to “toughen up princess” because no one is buying your bullshit tears
Am I the only one who thinks that Gillard’s tears are more than a little contrived here? Heaven in a hand basket what a woeful example of an excess of emotion! I can’t help but think that her tears are not for the disabled and their carers but for herself and the rabble that she leads.
Cheers Comrades
Planes and Trains
This post is nothing special, Labor’s budget certainly has nothing to inspire me, their smoke was rather thin and their mirrors were far from shiny but I expected nothing less than that to be honest. Like a lot of voters I have long ago learned that Nothing said by Swan is to be believed. In any event I think its reasonable to expect that an incoming Abbott government will be having a “mini budget” at the earliest possible opportunity after September 14 so the hogwash presented last night will be pretty well flushed away in the blink of an eye.
In this budget they are planning to spend 25 billion on roads and rail infrastructure but that item in the budget is rather illusory because it is all predicated upon the states kicking in an equal amount of funding and we all know that they are all rather strapped for cash at present. This is undoubtedly intended to give Gillard some projects to claim are on their way but also allow them not to happen because the states won’t come to the party. Its just like that railway line announced for western Sydney during the 2010 campaign they will come to nothing.
Its all incredibly yawn inducing if you ask me the soporific began with the deliberate premature release of the majority of the the new measures over the last few weeks and it has been followed by the farcical delivery of the budget by the treasurer. Now we will have to endure further farce as Swan and Gillard beg for applause for their performance when all we want to see is that long hook coming out from the wings to drag them off the national stage …
Its a train wreck and sadly precisely as we expect from Labor..
Cheers Comrades
Oh and the vid is for my bro on his way to a holiday across the ditch this morning…
Bill Shorten, the toxic tumbler of Labor leadership and happy pills
I used to rank Bill Shorten as a political talent until his rather infamous affirmation of Gillard’s position even though he had no idea what that position was. Its the sort of thing you would expect from the writers of “Yes Prime Minister” and he has quite rightfully been pilloried for that expression of (literally )blind loyalty. It is certainly not an example him being quick on his feet in a tight spot although it is evidence of a certain amount internal honesty. Now with the utter decimation of the Labor party in very stark prospect there are those who rate him as a potential leader :
My conversion to the Shorten cause occurred when I was invited to listen to a group of aspiring politicians who had just returned from a study tour of Israel. I was open-mouthed that he had grasped the complexities of the conflict so quickly. It was incredible for a newcomer to the subject. A year later I dined with him in Canberra when he was the new member for Maribyrnong. He rose quickly to become Minister for Financial Services and Superannuation. At age 45 he is perfect to lead Labor in its fightback. He has the intelligence, ideas, passion, charisma and drive to inspire Australians to once again put their faith in Labor.
Looking at Shorten’s more recent media appearances we don’t see a man with leadership potential what we see is a man on the verge of utter despair. he certainly isn’t a happy camper:
On Lateline May 9 2013
He may well be what Labor will needs as a leader after the rout but I really don’t think that he is silly enough to displace Gillard in the big chair before the election. He may be depressed(who could blame him for that?) but I don’t think that he is utterly bonkers or at all politically suicidal. Gillard and Swan will still be at the wheel when the Labor ship runs aground in September and they can go down with ship while the survivors will most likely fit into just one life boat (with space to spare) Shorten may or may not be one of them if he is then he might get the toxic tumbler of the federal leadership. Chances are though that his current depression will not be buoyed by winning that significant office in a vote from his fellow survivors. It will be a very long haul back into contention but who else is there to rebuild the Labor party? If he holds his seat Rudd may certainly want the job but I very much doubt that he would be the choice of the other survivors who will certainly remember his previous leadership and doubt that he has changed enough to justify another go. So it may be Shorten who has to put on a brave face as leader of the opposition after September but I just can’t see him being able to shake his obvious depression to be at all effective in that role no matter how many happy pills he might take.
Cheers Comrades
Breakfast of champions
How much is that doggie on the ballot paper?
CLIVE Palmer’s bid to create a new political party is today mired in confusion, amid the short-lived recruitment of former speaker Peter Slipper and a renewed push for registration under a new name.
The mining entrepreneur today announced his United Australia Party, formed just three weeks ago, will now be known as the Palmer United Party, to avoid a legal battle with the Australian Electoral Commission.
Mr Palmer and his political allies will now attempt to register the party by the deadline for federal registration tomorrow, with a requirement for 500 signatures.
Palmer United Party reduces to a rather amusing acronym of “PUP” which is so cute and will doubtless provide the underpinning for so many possible puns and possible dog jokes about this whole vanity project being pursued by Palmer. I can’t think straight for laughter here so instead I’m just going to post some funny dog gifs with an invitation to caption them as is appropriate to the Palmer United Party:
1
Cheers Comrades
4
Amateurish Farce: Peter Slipper Joins -- And Leaves -- Palmer Party
CLIVE PALMER'S United Australia Party was today shown up as the amateurish, unprofessional outfit it is, with news that parliamentary grub Peter Slipper had applied to join, was accepted, and then kicked out -- in five hours. The episode destroys any credibility the UAP might pretend to claim.
As days in politics go, this one has been a farce, at least where Clive Palmer and his United Australia Party is concerned.
You really could not make this stuff up! I missed all the action as I was out shopping as this went down yesterday but at least it shows what a Joke Palmer's party is. Maybe he needs to take a page out of the history of ancient Rome where the Emperor would have a slave whose only job was to remind his master that he was only human, In Palmer's case he needs to be reminded that perceptions are everything and his whole vanity project party is clearly perceived as a total joke and the sooner he accepts that and goes back to playing with his very big toy dinosaurs the sooner the grown ups can get on with the more serious political issues de jour........................................................................................................................................ Cheers Comrade Yale
Albo asks for my help
Regular readers will recall that I am on the hotline from our government members and they are always seeking my support for the important changes that they wish to make for the betterment of our country:
Dear Iain,
Labor people have always been champions for local community services.
Roads and footpaths. Parks and gardens. Sports clubs and community centres. Childcare. Help for seniors. Festivals and events. Community gardens.
For more than 40 years, federal governments have given funding to local councils to ensure our communities have these vital services.
Despite this, our most important document – the Australian Constitution – doesn’t recognise this.
That’s why I’ve just made an important announcement with the Prime Minister that on September 14 we are planning to hold a referendum on recognition of local government in our Constitution.
We need to add a few words so that federal governments can keep supporting vital services. It’s a small but important change.
If you support your local community services, can you share this with your friends?
This isn’t about politics. This change to our Constitution has the support of all the major parties – at this stage, even Tony Abbott.
Our challenge is to make sure our local communities know if they want to say “yes” to local services, they need to say “yes” to changing the Constitution.
Help us spread the word about this important opportunity.
Cheers,
Anthony
Of course there have been two previous (failed) attempts to make this sort of change to the constitution and both have been soundly defeated. I totally understand why Albo is seeking an endorsement from yours truly, he must realise that without my support that this referendum question has about as much hope as his beloved Julia has of winning another term in the lodge. That said I wonder just how necessary such a change to our constitution is. After all our cities and towns have got along quite well without it up until now so is the status quo broken enough to require this change?
Cheers Comrades
The illusory promise of bacon
Another day and another Labor promise collapses into the ever widening maw of economic reality:
click for source
Perhaps we need to add a very simple perception filter for anything that Labor promises when they are standing at the pork barrel, namely unless the bacon is being handed out immediately don’t buy any eggs to go with it because you will never taste its salty goodness if you wait for the promise to be realised…
That said I was expecting something like this and I predict that the “school kids bonus” will be the next to go, in fact as I predicted earlier the next budget will in fact cut many of the expenditure items that are on the coalition hit list quite simply because of the softening up that we have been seeing in the last few weeks of pre budget commitments. To be honest I would not be surprised to see even things like the the Green energy fund cut or severely curtailed along with the compensation paid to benefit recipients.
This is a government that knows it is dead, formed by a party that likewise appreciates its lack of a viable future, lead by an ego maniac who is a perfect example of ambition far exceeding ability and the nation will asset itself with her removal in September, but until then we will have to put up with the farcical spectacle of a Zombie government run by the decaying corpse of the once great Australian Labor Party. The only question is can we stand the stench of its decay in the mean time?
Cheers Comrades
