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Day to Day Politics: “That’s just super” said the rich

Saturday 17 September

“Never in the history of this nation have the rich and privileged been so emboldened”.

1 Not having attended his own Press Conference to announce his backflip on Superannuation, it must have personally outraged the Prime Minister when larger than life MP George Christensen called his own press conference to announce that the Government had backed down after he had threatened to cross the floor.

“All of my requests have been acted upon” he gloatingly said.

Turnbull must have been further offended when Eric Abetz did much the same thing.

At first blush after having read and listened to a number of media outlets the consensus seemed to be that the big winners in the Super changes are the rich. Sure, the changes will help the budget bottom line but it is not a decision for the common good, it is one where one section of the community has been given, (including the PM) an economic advantage over another.

The Morgan Daily Newsletter quoted The Australian saying:

“Industry super funds and professionals such as accountants and financial planners will ultimately be the main beneficiaries of the revised super policy’’

They also quoted The Australian Financial Review:

“Wealthy come out winners in new super deal”.

Two things: firstly, Christensen has publicly demonstrated just how beholden Turnbull is to the far right of his party. He seemingly cannot make a decision without the authority of Christensen, Bernardi, Abetz and others. Secondly, all matters of economic budget repair, there seems to be a ”protect the rich and privileged” agenda at all cost principle involved.

An observation.

Invariably when I read about how successful people are. The measure is always the value of their assets. Why is this so?

2 This week saw the first anniversary of Turnbull’s ascension to power. Much has been written about his first 12 months, with very little of it good.

Former Victorian Premier Jeff Kennett said:

“NO VISION, no plan, and a loner who thinks he is brighter than the rest of us … Malcolm Turnbull has had training wheels spinning for 12 months and it’s time he started leading”.

But what are your thoughts? How would you rate him out of 10 on the following? Be fair and let’s see it we can get a serious conversation going.

Firstly though, remember what he said:

“We need a different style of leadership. We need a style of leadership that explains those challenges and opportunities, explains the challenges and how to seize the opportunities. A style of leadership that respects the people’s intelligence, that explains these complex issues and then sets out the course of action we believe we should take and makes a case for it. We need advocacy, not slogans. We need to respect the intelligence of the Australian people”.

I, despite being of the left thought that when he came to power he did the Australian people a great service in disposing of Abbott, and that should never be forgotten. I also thought he would usher in a new era of civility in the body politic. I will save my marks until later.

Out of 10 please:

1 Leadership/stability

2 Economy

3 Defence

4 Immigration

5 Education

6 Health

7 Communications

8 Trust

9 Transparency

10 Infrastructure.

11 Jobs

3 I thought I would share just one of the responses I got from a reader on Facebook to my piece yesterday about Pauline Hansen.

Barry Clements:

“Get your head out of your fat arse John you dispicable arse wipe. Your just another parasite that doesnt like or dont want to like the truth. This lady has more intelligence in her little finger than you have in you whole decrepit body and she always speaks the truth where as idiots like you always talk bullshit just to try get a name for yourself. Well this yime you have failed you wanker. You are a unaustralian dispicable left wing parasite and should shut you filthy mouth and f*ck off just like you greenie friends”.

(I’m told The AIMN receives similar comments but filters them out).

My thought for the day.

Those who cannot forgive are condemned to suffer for it“.

PS: If You haven’t read Kaye Lee’s piece ‘No wonder business confidence is rising‘ – you really should.

40 comments

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  1. Peter F

    The problem with that comment from a PH supporter is that there are many seemingly more intelligent people who support her simplistic comments.

  2. Kaye Lee

    I am getting a very uneasy feeling that Malcolm may be achieving exactly what he needs to.

    There are so many leaks and so many interviews and we are being distracted by so many issues, defending on so many fronts, while they whittle away at regulations, weaken regulatory bodies, sell off bits of information gathering, offshore services, spend up big on defence to inflate growth figures…all the while aiming for the big goal of reducing the company tax rate. We are being brainwashed by the ubiquitous Kate Carnell (and many others) to accept that the prosperity of the nation depends on it so we must cut social services to pay for it.

    Malcolm and Barnaby and the party machine could probably stop these interviews and press conferences if they wanted to. The fact that they don’t either means they are weak as piss or they want to secretly appeal to the One Nation voters via these muppets…..or they appreciate the distraction?

  3. paulwalter

    Kaye Lee, yeessss! They are slimier than a herd of outhouse rats with a gold tooth.

    As for Barry Clements, this is surely the very paradigm of a rationally constructed, respectful syllogistic argument relative to actuality.

    John Lord is seen to be so impressed that he has included Barry’s coherent and generous contribution, that we oiks get to see the difference between a well put together argument and subjective reactive abuse.

    Just as well I know now that the coalition flunks on Lord’s 11 dot points is folly, or that my sense that that $160 million wasted on a referendum when the process could be done for nothing over half a day is an unintelligent misconception. We realise that Clements is actually an ANU professor, moonlighting.

    Tragically, we are left with an inferior mind, John Lord, as to our education on current affairs..deeply mortified, but there you go, if I wasn’t a Pinkie rat, I too could be on the path to Enlightenment.

  4. Michael Taylor

    I see that Peter Martin gave Turnbull 5.5/10 for Communications. That’s 5.5 more than I would have given him. The man destroyed our NBN. How on earth did Martin find something among that debacle to award him 5.5.

  5. helvityni

    “Invariably when I read about how successful people are. The measure is always the value of their assets. Why is this so?“

    I have often thought and talked about that very same thing. I don’t think that even American’s put as much value on money and possessions as we do.

    And if the big boy Christensen calls money adulation Australian values, he can keep me out….

  6. wam

    Good one, lord! But is george starting to look sane?
    Pauline puts a meaning to truth that will not be in a dictionary but is understood by many labor and liberal voters. Arguably this could give her a huge supporter based which has potential to become the balance at the level currently claimed by the diludbrankims. Today’s news is her hiring a ‘trump economist’ so her truth will be infused with the economy. The result will be an informed explanation that her supporters can understand.
    Looks like we are in for a torrid time until her structures sink into the quicksand of her verbal nonsense.
    Torrid because the morning shows for 3 years day after day fell over themselves with anti-gillard bulls… which was lapped up by the rabbott et al. Pauline talks nonsense that sounds like commonsense.
    She doesn’t need rabbottian slogans because she is a slogan, Can anyone deny the power of a slogan campaign????

  7. Jaquix

    Super headline, mylord !

  8. Kaye Lee

    The IPA wrote a very interesting paper in March 1960 where they discussed the rise of gadgets in the1950s and the advent of television which convinced us all we needed said gadgets (cars, fridges, washing machines, telephones, pop-up toasters, vacuum cleaners etc). Combine this with the advent of hire purchase and it is a capitalist’s dream.

    Whilst conceding that this rise of gadgets “does not reflect, in itself, any improvement in morals, or character, or understanding, it does reflect a vastly higher standard of living for the wage earners.”

    According to the IPA, the continued lack of success throughout the 50s of the Labor Party stemmed primarily from the fact that they had failed to recognise the significance of the “gadgets”.

    “The great majority [of wage earners] are becoming “men of property” and men of property are conservative. What they have, they do not want to lose. This is economically, socially and politically one of the most portentous developments of the 1950’s.”

    I wonder if Howard will include this in his assessment of Menzies.

    https://www.ipa.org.au/library/publication/1210641262_document_review1960_vol.14no.1.pdf

  9. helvityni

    The way Mal responded to Christensen’s comment on immigration was pathetic; he mumbled something weak about treating all races the same.
    Yes, you too Mr Mal.

    Julia grew into the job of being PM pretty quickly ; Mal has now a whole year behind him as our PM, I would not give him any points in any of those eleven categories.

  10. Bob Kledge

    John, an increasing number of studies in recent years have demonstrated a correlation between conservatism, racism and low I.Q. Barry Clements comment which you shared with us above seems to bear witness to that. Pauline Hanson herself exhibits simple, uneducated, black & white thought processes. I find it sad that so many Australians are much like her.

  11. helvityni

    Kaye Lee, Howard already mentioned the rise in car and house ownership under Liberal leadership (on Lateline interview), add to that the pop-up toasters purchased but not paid, and there you have a recipe for a happy, inclusive, moral society.

  12. Matthew Oborne

    Some Journalists are saying there is still time for Turnbull to turn this around. the very same Journalists who though Abbott was a genius and that Turnbull would usher in a golden age. There is simply no way for Turnbull to turn anything around, this week he fired his first shots at pro marriage equality supporters and Bill shorten, effectively defending a persons right to a bigots view, It is a right issue, would it look less obvious if this was about equal pay for women? He has backflipped on so many things but the plebiscite is a solemn promise. Now he has backflipped on super he can backflip on the plebiscite 70 percent of us want marriage equality and for a year we have waited for the leather Jacket to go back on and him to do what he promised.

    Turnbull can never deliver what we thought he could it is well passed time to realise that.

    On all the points 1-11 he is a zero. especially defence which he is spending more money on because we have bigger priorities.

    These stupid America fighter jets. There is a lesson to be learnt from the russians, they unlike other major countries used the high performance fuel in their torpedos, they effectively have the ferrari equivalent of a torpedo. With a faultering economy maintenance was cut back on these high performance weapons, and in one submarine the Kursk it is thought a poorly maintanied Torpedo leaked hydrogen peroxide with reacted explosively.

    We have signed up to buy fighter jets that require a wealthy country to keep them in the air, Not good future proofing and a sign that America itself will be a target if its economy crashes and it cant maintain its high tech weaponry.

    The world is in for major upheaval as countries fight for dwindling resources and rising seas start costing us a fortune to hold back.

    We have serious issues we have to face today like Baby Boomer health costs but we dont even make an attempt, we have gone backward on energy security using renewables and we are too harsh on fish farms and not harsh enough on cattle grazing.

    You can see our mistakes coming back to bite us all the time yet we still ignore them.

    Turnbull is not the man for this job we face too many serious issues to have a do nothing PM.

  13. Kaye Lee

    helvityni, veterans got cheap home loans too – that’s how my parents bought their first home.

  14. Kronomex

    Christensen, apart from sticking it to the Anti-Abbott Turnbull, only cares about Christensen’s bank balance. He is the repulsive and revolting side of the LNP. His views that it’s alright for 16 year old girls to have it away with 50 year old men is fine but boys doing the same thing is awful…no, disgusting leads me to personally think that maybe he’s in the closet.

  15. DisablednDesperate

    I watch a progressive show out of the US called The Young Turks. They are fighting to stop whats happened over there while I watch this country getting more and more like it and there is nothing I can do to stop it. We should be renamed as US 2.0 as that is exactly what is happening.

  16. @RosemaryJ36

    Pauline Hanson has a problem shared by all religious extremists.
    She believes.
    Fact, proof, scientific method – none of these matter to anyone who believes.
    And I suspect that Turnbull, too, believes – in his case – that he knows how to be PM.
    Blind faith is dangerous and those most likely to suffer are the innocents – the poor, the honest and the young.

  17. Clean livin

    “Invariably when I read about how successful people are. The measure is always the value of their assets. Why is this so?“

    Helvetyini, unfortunately true!

    However, when the mega rich die, all they have to show for it is $$$.

    When a volunteer die, they leave the world a better place.

  18. Lyn Barrett Henderson

    0.5 for Mal. Christianensen is unfortunately is the member for Dawson where I live. I diagreed with him some years ago about what he had done for Dawson. It was in no way personal, suddenly I was a troll
    I wiped him. He tries to take credit for every thing whether state or federal. He really a media tart,if there is a camera at any event that is a community event. He knows nothing about treating anybody with respect.

  19. Harquebus

    It does not matter who leads nor what is their style, they will fail just as recently past leaders have failed and current leaders are failing.
    What we need in our leaders is the realization that, we have passed the limits to growth, are well into overshoot and no amount of legislation nor group discussion about the symptoms is going to reverse it.

  20. Peter F

    @ Haruebus: The arithmetical explanation we should all watch: It explains your claims. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-QA2rkpBSY I first saw the whole eight in the series several years ago.

  21. Harquebus

    Peter F

    Thanks for that. I have seen it.
    Here is the original for you and for John Lord if he shows up.

    Dr Albert Bartlett: Arithmetic, Population and Energy

    In my opinion, either of Dr. Bartlett’s presentations should be required viewing for all politicians and journalists.

    Cheers.

  22. townsvilleblog

    paulwalterSeptember 17, 2016 at 7:51 am, Paul, have you just zoomed in from Zircon to deliver that opinion? It appears to be Zirconese in nature, with a tory twist an the end. We are all entitled to an opinion, even if it is wrong!

  23. Kyran

    The ultimate irony, Harquebus. Christensen is a journalist (by qualification) and politician (by occupation). This degenerate is also a third generation cane farmer.
    “Invariably when I read about how successful people are. The measure is always the value of their assets. Why is this so?“
    Clean livin and helvityni addressed this well. There is a poet by the name (or pseudonym) of bri mar.

    “Money makes the world go round,
    I wonder who said that,
    It must have been a billionaire,
    A grass roots spoiled brat.

    They take their lead from politicians,
    Do as I say Not as I do,
    They write how to fiddle editions,
    As more funds they must accrue.

    The rich are really all the same,
    Whether they act or if they sing,
    They’ll always preach to you and me,
    Money isn’t everything.

    Don’t you find it really strange,
    It’s actually quite funny,
    That the very people who make this claim,
    Have all got loads of money.

    Now I’m not being flippant,
    Nor am I being abrupt,
    But cash along with power,
    Really does corrupt.

    They love their yachts and fancy cars,
    But you must always be aware,
    Though it’s you and I who make them rich,
    For us they just don’t care.

    As they live their lives of splendour,
    They ignore the plight of others,
    To sharing they’ll never surrender,
    Their self delusion and arrogance smothers.

    These greedy people the world over,
    Are so obsessed with amassing wealth,
    As they strive to make their trillions,
    They tend to ignore their health.

    Before they know it’s time to go,
    They shout out, we need more time,
    We’ve got loads of lovely dosh to spend,
    To take us now would be a crime.

    When they arrive at Heavens gate,
    They all put on a frown,
    No debit cards or hard fast cash,
    Just a plain white gown.

    God says, on Earth you were rich and famous,
    You stood out in a crowd,
    But you cannot take it with you,

    ‘’There Are No Pockets In A Shroud”

    Mr Oborne’s comment is somewhere between reflective and prescient, IMO.
    My thought for the day?
    Those who do not know their history are destined to repeat it.
    Which segues into yours (sort of).
    Those who cannot forgive (their history) are condemned to suffer for it“.
    Good luck with Clement time. And inclement time.
    As always, grateful for your time, Mr Lord. Take care

  24. townsvilleblog

    Bob KledgeSeptember 17, 2016 at 9:11 am I regret being uneducated myself, however I do not agree with the sentiments she expresses, so lack of education can not be blamed entirely on her point of view. Perhaps she turned bitter and twisted when her husband left her with children to look after as a single mother. In my uneducated view, I think she has had a huge traumatic experience in her life and has never gotten over it. She hits out at everyone that she feels has had a better time in life than herself, unions because unionists support each other while she had nobody supporting her when her husband left her etc…

  25. Jaquix

    Often people are called “uneducated” because we cant fathom how on earth they could be so ignorant, and fixated. But many of us, like Townsvilleblog and myself, could be called “uneducated” because our schooling was short, compared to today’s standards. That doesnt make us ignorant or fixated. We have been through the university of life, perhaps! Education doesnt stop when you leave school, its an ongoing process, and its up to you to do as much reading and learning of your own, even if at the end of the day you dont have a piece of paper to prove you went to an educational institution for x number of years. The Paulines of the world seem to stop learning at a certain point – a point that suits their purpose I suppose. What is possibly missing is skills in critical thinking. She has her viewpoint, and she’s sticking to it. After all, to move her position as a result of evidence (ahem, Malcolm Roberts) would negate the position and persona she has cultivated, and which gives her the media attention she clearly craves. They remind me a bit of a fossil, personality set in stone.

  26. helvityni

    townswilleblog/ Shaun, I think you hit the nail on the head when expressing your thoughts on why Pauline is such a hater. Many women and men turn bitter and resentful when a partner walks out. Many don’t get justice done by family courts either and that adds to their woes. Like any court it’s often the one with the best( most expensive) lawyer, who wins. Pauline also( maybe rightfully) bears a grudge towards family law court.

    I also think that both you and Jaquix are a good addition to any blog. Don’t be too modest. 🙂

  27. helvityni

    Kyran, love what ‘bri mar’ has to say about the rich, and ‘clean livin’ about the volunteers 🙂 🙂

  28. Peter F

    @Jaquix. “Education doesnt stop when you leave school, its an ongoing process” My 98 year old mother would agree with you. Earlier this week she said to me ” I nearly didn’t make it through last night ” . . . . . She was watching ‘Eggheads’ at the time she said this.

  29. Jaquix

    Good on your Mum, Peter F !

  30. Kyran

    My belief, helvityni, is that (like Jaquix and townsvilleblog), education is a qualification you get at the end of your course, supported by letters. Mr Lord has cited, many times, we have the most educated parliament in our history. FFS, Christensen is a journalist, by credential.
    Having barely passed HSC, I can only pass as uneducated. This does not, and never will, make me ignorant.
    ‘Carpe Diem’ was a latin expression, made famous by popular expression. “Seize the day.”.
    “in die interrogare” is another latin expression. “Question the day.”.
    Thank goodness I’m uneducated. Somehow, I get to think for myself, and ignore my ignorance.
    Take care

  31. Freethinker

    Kyran, the school of life it is more important and effective than any formal type of education. It make you think and chat with your conscience to arrive to an opinion without the influence of others.’

  32. wam

    the celebrate ignorantiam applies to hanson and to the many who believe the words she uses on TV. a MORON pontificating about her view of the economy.
    WTF will she say?. ?
    WTF will murdoch report?
    drivel

  33. I don't drink chardonnay.

    Turnbull rolling Abbott was an overwhelming tragedy, Abbott was on a hiding to nothing in the polls, Turnbull managed to only lose 12 seats, without the Nationals they’d be out on their arse.

  34. Helen Holmes

    One important point – he is not a Senator, he is in the House of Reps, hence the Whip who failed to get everyone in for the vital vote in the first week. I’d have thought he’d be keeping his head down and hope he’s not sent to the back benches, instead he’s parading around like he’s someone special.

  35. John Lord

    Helen. Sorry my mistake. A senior moment.

  36. Carol Taylor

    On Hanson, the most dangerous of combinations in my opinion, stupidity plus arrogance.

  37. Kyran

    Freethinker, there was an old expression. Matthew Henry?
    “None so deaf as those that will not hear.
    None so blind as those that will not see.”
    I like to listen to people. I like to see what is around me. Both of which allow me to live with my conscience, however unconscionable. As long as formal education teaches students what to see, what to hear, what to think, we are (as the Pharaoh’s said), phucked. Until such time as formal education teaches students how to see, how to hear, how to think, we will remain phucked.
    The school of life is, indeed, a good teacher. In the meantime, I guess we have to live with these highly educated, deaf, dumb, blind politicians to show us the way. Apparently, they were erected with a man date. If any one of these dog-botherer’s reaches for a holy book, are we meant to kneel? Or offer them a whole new hole?
    Sláinte mhaith. Cuidate.

  38. Jock Strap

    Malcolm’s vanity is only thing he lives for. Malcolm will sell his soul for more time in the top job.So many more photo opportunities to attain. Malcolm will not rest until his home has the photos of himself with all the worlds VIPs adorned upon the walls of his humble abode.Malcolm Narcissism has no limits.

  39. Jaquix

    And the opportunities for feeding his narcissism go on and on. An appetite that can never be satisfied, but this being PM is coming close for Malcolm, who cheerily proclaims he is very happy in his job.

  40. Steve Laing - makeourvoiceheard.com

    I agree with you both (though feel inclined to at least strive to slow the inevitable for the sake of my kids futures). We are like yeast cells in a bottle of beer, multiplying exponentially whilst slowly killing ourselves in our own waste products. I like to imagine them having their own party at the end of the universe, but suspect it is a little more mundane as the increasing alcohol levels slowly poison them. I sadly expect our own end, as a civilisation, will be a bit more like World War Z except the zombies will just be other people. I’m hoping I’ll be dead and gone before that happens, but the way things are going, I wouldn’t bet on it.

    I think I would enjoy watching the rich trying to buy their own survival though…

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