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Salivating luvvies
Luvvies of the left are probably pre-emptively foaming at the mouth already about this:
Before the election, Senator Brandis had promised to amend Section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act so speech that is found to be offensive and insulting is no longer defined as racial vilification. He said yesterday he would be engaging in consultations about whether the amendment should go further and wind back other potential grounds for liability.
The changes would be in the first bill he presented to parliament, but because of the consultations it might not be introduced until early in the new year. He predicted the changes to the Racial Discrimination Act meant the government would be accused of condoning racist behaviour. He rejected that and said it was one of the initiatives aimed at supporting freedom of speech. “You cannot have a situation in a liberal democracy in which the expression of an opinion is rendered unlawful because somebody else . . . finds it offensive or insulting,” he said.
The decision to examine more extensive changes to Section 18C comes after several commentators, including Brisbane academic James Allan, had argued that the threat to free speech from the Bolt case meant the entire provision should be repealed.
– See more at: http://www.theaustralian.com.au/archive/business/attorney-general-george-brandiss-first-task-repeal-bolt-laws-in-name-of-free-speech/story-e6frg97x-1226755431421#sthash.yARBakmd.dpuf
We Grown-Ups are, on the other hand, quite relaxed and comfortable that our rights to offer even unpopular opinions are going to be protected from vexatious “shut up” litigation. Without the right to offer unpopular opinions our whole society is diminished and I for one will be happy to see the whole of 18C revoked.
Laters Comrades
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- Will Brandis boycott the anti-boycott movement? (crikey.com.au)
- Abbot Government will target Racial Discrimination Act (muslimlegalnetworkwa.com)
- In defence of section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act (colourmycolour.wordpress.com)
- I Hate You. So Shut Your Face. (theaimn.com)
Call and Response
Iain,
I just finished officially launching Labor’s election campaign in Brisbane. You might have watched on TV or followed along online. I hope you are proud of our strong campaign so far and ready for the days to come.
You supported our campaign, and I thank you for that. But this campaign is far from over, and I need to ask for something specific now.
Can you donate one more time?
This election is there to be won if we work hard until the end.
There are two election campaigns happening. One is being reported by the pundits and on the frontpage of the tabloids. That the campaign is already over, and Tony Abbott is already as good as in The Lodge. But there’s another campaign – the real campaign, where we have had thousands of donations, just like the one you gave, and where thousands of volunteers are making calls and knocking on doors. If we keep focussed on fighting that campaign, there’ll be an upset on Saturday.
As voters think about the brutal cuts to the bone that Tony Abbott has planned, they are thinking again about their vote. We’re seeing it across the country. We have a strong argument for the closing week: Labor builds up education, health, our nation’s infrastructure; the Liberals cut, they tear down. It’s a good message because it is true.
In my launch speech, I talked about the work we all need to do this week That work will cost money. It will be strongest if we can club together. Please make a donation of $5, or whatever you can afford.
I am proud of the campaign we are running this country together, and I am grateful for your work.
Kevin
to which I Replied
-
RE: What we’re focussed on:
Dear Kevin
Thank you for your email however I feel that in the light of the record of the Labor Government over the last six years that either donating to the party would be a foolish thing to do. you see I have been profoundly disappointed by both you personally and the whole ideology of the party in general.Worse yet you seem to be following precisely the same path as the one trod by Anna Bligh in the last days of her government and frankly if you want to do a truly good service to the Australian Labor Party you will try to conduct your self with good grace as you make your way towards the defeat that you have so richly earned,
Maybe the ALP will be fit to govern again in the future but I fear that iot may well be something that I will only see in my dotage.Sincerely
Iain Hall
Related articles
- It’s “Game Over” As Treasury Intervention Shreds Rudd’s Credibility (iainhall.wordpress.com)
- Election campaign enters final stages (bigpondnews.com)
- Election 2013: Kevin Rudd’s and Tony Abbott’s policy on the run at Rooty Hill debate (smh.com.au)
- Kevin Rudd support plummets to lowest level yet (theguardian.com)
- Social Media Election Prowress: Rudd vs Abbott (blewella.wordpress.com)
Why Tony Abbott won the bunfight debate at Rooty Hill
Like a lot of political tragics I watched the debate last night and in many ways it was a reiteration of the recent debate here in Brisbane. Like the Brisbane debate Rudd talked more but as usual he actually said less than Tony Abbott and there is little doubt to me that he is already a beaten man, a man who is now just going through the motions to get to the September 7 election as quickly as possible so that he can finally leave his life in politics behind him. Sadly for Labor I suspect that there are an awful lot of voters who are dead keen on helping him do just that.
I’ll give Rudd points for an improvement in his delivery at last night’s debate but as Abbott has also improved on his own performance Rudd still came out the loser at the debate with stunts like his attempt to welcome Abbott into the ALP with an ostentatious handshake falling very flat when Abbott refused to take his hand,
More than anything though what killed Rudd on the night was his refusal to show any generosity to Abbott and concede that his rhetorical points were rubbish . His eternally repeated “seventy Billion dollars” is the perfect example. This figure has repeatedly been denied and denounced as false by Abbott and yet Rudd keeps trotting it out as if it is holy writ, Likewise the claims about the PPL scheme are overblown and over sold. While the generosity of the scheme can be subject to criticism for Rudd to give the impression that every woman who will benefit form it will be getting 75K is just utter nonsense.
By way of contrast what we got from Abbott was a consistent and credible show of humility and a desire to serve the people with real engagement with the questions and the voters who asked them. Certainly he trotted out his rehearsed responses but even then his delivery was far more persuasive than Rudd and in this sort of debate its all about positive engagement, Abbott engaged while Rudd performed his routine which is why in the end it was Abbott who won the debate,
Cheers Comrades
Did someone say buns?
Related articles
- An utterly predictable debate (smh.com.au)
Hot in the kitchen for Rudd
HE started the day with the sombre announcement that the campaign had been suspended so he could focus on urgent talks about the Syria crisis.
What the Prime Minister didn’t say was that he had his taxpayer funded VIP jet waiting so he could fly home to Brisbane for the afternoon to appear on a cooking show, Kitchen Cabinet, billed as an opportunity to watch politicians cook dinner in exchange for “a bring-a-plate dessert and a cheeky glass of wine”.
In a bungle reminiscent of his infamous Dawn Service scandal on the Sunrise Show, Mr Rudd made no reference to his afternoon-long commitment with the ABC when he announced he would not be campaigning all day.
The episodes, featuring Mr Rudd and Liberal leader Tony Abbott will air in the final week of the campaign.
Click for source
As the chief cook and bottle washer here it pleases me no end to discover that our pollies can and do do their bit in their family kitchens, however the story about our New Again Dear Leader first “suspending” his campaigning due to the matters in Syria and then going off and spending time in Brisbane filming an episode of the Kitchen Cabinet with the lovely Annabel Crabb has me quietly giggling here.
In the first instance I find it rather a stretch to suggest that we have a horse in that quite despicable race in Syria. Assad is clearly a despicable despot but the Islamists on the other side are hardly any better so to be frank I think that rather than picking sides between two loathsome choices both the USA in particular and the west in general should just take a step back and let then kill each other until there are none of them left. Does that sound harsh and uncaring? Well I for one don’t think that in intervention of secular (or Christian) nations is going to solve or heal the endless feud between Sunni and Shia Islam and one thing that you can be sure of is that no matter who we choose (even the lesser of the evils if we can work who that is ) win or lose both sides will still hate us, better to let them kill each other and allow God to judge them in the next life. Anyway it is that cesspit of certain intervention disaster that our New Again Dear Leader wishes to involve himself and the nation. Even though he can’t solve the vexed issue of irregular boat arrivals he thinks that he might be able to solve the Syrian Civil war? Nah that is just bonkers its obvious to this sauce bottle shaker that our New Again Dear Leader just wanted a break from the endless failure of his campaigning. Who could blame him as he faces the clear reality that when he goes to press the flesh he is being heckled and jeered at by an electorate that has utterly lost faith in Labor? So by citing Syria our New Again Dear Leader has been able to avoid the voters for a day or so without appearing to be craven. It is however an excuse that will not last forever and at least it looks like our humiliation adverse New Again Dear Leader may be spared the ignoble fate of outliving his government as another survey finds him trailing in Griffith. Which makes me wonder if the electors in the Rudd Family might just be doing the right thing by their patriarch and voting for Bill Glasson to ensure a quick and smooth departure from politics for their New Again Dear Leader…
Cheers Comrades
Related articles
- PM denies delaying Syria talks for TV show (smh.com.au)
- Rudd and Abbott to appear on Annabel Crabb’s Kitchen Cabinet (mumbrella.com.au)
- Human rights groups estimates 322 people dead from alleged chemical attack in Syria; rebels blamed (vancouversun.com)
- PM rejects cooking show claims (bigpondnews.com)
- Annabel Crabb’s Kitchen Cabinet sees off Masterchef and Great Australian Bake Off in Tuesday’s ratings (mumbrella.com.au)
- Syrian victims of alleged gas attack smuggled to Jordan for blood tests (theguardian.com)
- Al-Qaida branch blames Hezbollah for Lebanese bombings (theguardian.com)
- False Flag Chemical Weapons Attack on Syria. Pretext for All Out War? (thedailysheeple.com)
Daring to dream the perfect dream
There would be something truly delicious if the the New Again Dear Leader were to lose his own seat on September 7 as polling in the Guardian suggests is possible:
click for source
I would think that If I were an elector in Griffith I would be mighty pissed off about Rudd failing to front up to a candidates debate in his own electorate. It shows rather disgusting arrogance and its proof that he is taking the voters in his own seat entirely for granted and if there is one thing that turns voters off its being taken for granted, Then again this could be a calculated effort from the New Again Dear Leader to deliberately loses his own seat so that he would not have to resign after the landslide. That is a scenario that I would not doubt knowing the practice that our New Again Dear Leader has had over the last three years he spent undermining Gillard. Rudd is a one man conspiracy and his whole strategy has been about his ego and what could be more humiliation for the New Again Dear Leader than losing the election and retaining his seat? The upside of him losing his seat would be a large saving to the tax payer as a by election would not be necessary…
Hopefully the New Again Dear Leader’s snub will be enough to make that saving and we will finally be rid of this loathsome man and his over inflated ego.
Cheers Comrades
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- Kevin Rudd trails in his own seat in shock poll finding for Labor (theguardian.com)
- Three smoke trails from Kevin 747 (iainhall.wordpress.com)
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- Poll shows Rudd could lose own seat of Griffith (australiantimes.co.uk)
- ‘Selfie’ absorbed Rudd wearing thin (smh.com.au)
- Rudd Election Defeat Looms as Polls Show Abbott Gains (bloomberg.com)
- Australia rivals in second debate (bbc.co.uk)
The party is over for The New Again Dear Leader
Its entirely understandable that Labor true believers are feeling rather despondent at the moment because things are not looking good for the New Again Dear Leader as in the marginal seats where it really matters his support is evaporating away faster than metho on a hot day, soon all that will remain is the memory of that cool wetness and a faint wiff of alcohol in the air.
click for source
click for source
Until now i have been rather circumspect about calling the result at this early stage but i just feel it in my water that the result for Rudd is going to be a defeat of Queensland proportions with Labor reduced to an ignoble rump.
And that dear Comrades, is something to cheer.
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- Peter Beattie and that telling grin (iainhall.wordpress.com)
- Deakin, Labor’s most marginal seat: @SuDharmapala reports (nofibs.com.au)
- Liberal Party to preference Labor over Greens; move will put pressure on Adam Bandt (abc.net.au)
- How much is your vote worth? (politicaldeficit.com)
- Dreyfus boost from Rudd revival (theage.com.au)
Where is Craig Thomson when you need him?
click for source
Now if only Craig Thomson and his credit card had visited Brisbane more often this business may just have survived ….
Cheers Comrades
Related articles
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- And the condemned man drank lots of water. (iainhall.wordpress.com)
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The highest urination up the wall game when it comes big sporting events
The election up here is now getting very close indeed and if you watch any commercial TV you will see the ads from all and sundry, Labor are going the personal smear on Campbell Newman but the LNP have a much more potent tool in the media battle for the hearts, minds and most importantly the votes of Queenslanders. They have the record of the Bligh governemnt which is pretty shoddy by any standards, from promising not to sell the state’s assets and then doing so to not being able to pay its nurses properly the Labor administration has stuffed up on every level imaginable now we face the possibility that the Commonwealth games to be held on the Gold Coast will prove to be a huge financial burden upon the people of Queensland as well.
While Treasurer Andrew Fraser yesterday insisted the village would be delivered within its original budget set by the bid team of $48.9 million, the discrepancy exposes the risk carried by the Government as it builds the 1338-unit athlete village.
It is banking on a massive return when it on-sells the units as student accommodation and affordable apartments to recoup millions outlaid in building.But the Coordinator-General is worried that would not be achievable, according to the leaked documents, which are marked “hot issue” and “protected”.
According to the document, the Coordinator-General thinks the final cost to taxpayers is more likely to reach between $120 million and $208 million.
Mr Fraser admitted returns would be at the whim of the property market but he said the Government would protect itself by constructing and releasing the units in stages, rather than flooding the market. Some units would already be sold and lived in before the Games, he said, with owners signing agreements to vacate the buildings during the event.
Ray may be right that I “don’t get sport” but I do get that the real contest at events like the Commonwealth Games is for prestige and the race is won with public opinion rather than any particular finishing line and frankly I’m actaully rather unimpressed by the whole thing and the fact that its become something of a pissing contest to see who can build the most useless sporting facilities that will forever Blight our landscape. Architects and builders love it because they get to build some horrendous monuments to their egos, and they hope to make a quid or to from the process but the ordinary people who live in the shadows of this orgy of sporting onanaism have their lives disrupted and blighted, sometimes for years, just so some polies can have their photo ops with various over trained and over indulged athletes…
Hmm Sorry for the cynical tone but I have not yet had my breakfast of champions today…
Cheers Comrades
Iain Hall's SANDPIT 