2019: The Top 5
Welcome to our annual Top 5. Being an election year we expected the Top 5 would have been filled with election talk, but it was not the case (as you will see below). It is safe to say that with Labor expected to win the May election in a canter, we were not as vociferous as normal at election time. Indeed, it wasn’t until December when Morrison’s profound incompetence as a leader was on full display that we really threw ourselves into full-time politics.
This year the Top 5 went down to the wire, with three articles published in late December making the Top 5. Even as late as the 30th of December there were positional changes.
Anyway, here are The AIMN’s five most popular posts in 2019:
(The Top 5 is based on the number of views only. It does not take into account the number of comments or the post’s popularity with other online media sites such as Facebook or Twitter).
Number One: The LNP Welfare Card: the true facts exposed. Corruption disguised as philanthropy!, by Michael Griffin.
This one surprised us. Why? It was also Number One for 2017!
Mid-year we noticed it being shared by widely Twitter – and it grew legs from there.
Excerpt:
The Liberal National Party (‘LNP’) Welfare Card programme resembles a LNP rort for the benefit of the Liberal and National Parties and their members, donors and supporters. Indue Pty Ltd, the corporation awarded the contract to manage the Welfare Card programme and to operate its underlying systems, is a corporation owned by Liberal and National Party members and that donates to various Liberal and National Party branches around Australia. The former chairman of Indue is none other than former LNP MP Larry Anthony who is the son of former Liberal Country Party Deputy Prime Minister Doug Anthony. Anthony now holds his shares in Indue in his corporate family trust managed by Illalangi Pty Ltd. Other companies now owned by Larry Anthony, or by the corporate trustee of his family trust, Illalangi Pty Ltd, work under ‘sub’ contracts for Indue itself and make their profits from dealings with Indue in the course of Indue performing its contracts with the LNP Government. These corporations are SAS Consulting Group Pty Ltd – a political lobbying group that counts Indue as a client – and Unidap Solutions Pty Ltd – a digital IT services corporation that provides Indue, as well as the current LNP Government directly, with various IT services. Larry Anthony is also current president of the National Party of Australia, that is, the ‘N’ in ‘LNP’.
Number Two: Bridget McKenzie revealed the Adani jobs lie and no-one noticed, by Kaye Lee.
This was another article that went crazy on Twitter, with even Zali Steggall, the Federal Member for Warringah retweeting it.
Excerpt:
Nationals deputy leader Bridget McKenzie made an amazing admission in an interview on Sky but nobody (except The Australia Institute) seemed to notice.
“[Adani will] be employing 1500 through the construction phase and around about 100 ongoing.”
Just to emphasise, that’s 100 ongoing jobs – not 10,000, not 1500 – ONE HUNDRED.
Considering Ms McKenzie is an avid Adani fan girl, the “around about” makes even the 100 jobs dubious. After all, Adani told investors the whole project would be automated from mine to port (meaning driverless trucks and trains to reduce on labour costs i.e. jobs).
Compare that to Queensland’s renewable energy projects committed since 2015: 5687 construction jobs & 273 ongoing. Projects proposed: 33975 construction jobs & 1,562 ongoing.
There are around 40,000 jobs in tourism in reef regions on the North Queensland coast — twice as many as in coal mining, according to ABS data. Other estimates put the number higher at 59,000.
Number Three: Scott Morrison should resign, by RosemaryJ36
With the outbreak of the terrifying bushfires across four states our ineffectual Prime Minister did little to endear himself to most Australians. Rosemary summed up our thoughts with her article.
Excerpt:
When our accidental-Prime Minister, Scott Morrison, took office, he swore an oath to ‘be faithful and bear true allegiance to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Second, Her heirs and successors according to law.’
No mention of his duties to his wife and daughters. They are a private matter and, as long as he remains Prime Minister, his duties lie to the high office to which he has (sadly) been elected, and for which it appears he totally lacks competence!
Prime Minister – this is not all about you.
You really don’t have a clue, do you?
It is not about your promises to your daughters.
It is not about sharing the grief of people whom you have let down.
It is not about getting a few more photo ops, showing the caring Prime Minister comforting the distraught property owner who has lost everything.
Or the grieving widow with a young family whose partner died fighting the fires because he cared about his community.
That is all hypocritical flim-flam which highlights your failings.
Number Four: Dutton could be next, so God help us!, by Kathryn.
This colourful article – which was originally published as a comment – made an impression on both sides of the political divide. Those of the Left roared their support, whilst those of the Right … well … let’s just say that our moderators were kept busy deleting their less than thoughtful responses.
Excerpt:
This depraved, unspeakably callous monster, Dutton, is using inhumanity, hatred, fear, division and breathtaking sadistic mistreatment of desperate asylum seekers to cater to the decreasing number of his putrid rabble of xenophobic racist supporters in the red-neck haven of far northern Queensland and other areas of Bogan Australia!
What is really worrying, is that this demonic creature has been salivating after the PM job for years and now that MorriScum has chosen to abandon Australia, race over to Hawaii (in order to hand over $150K of taxpayer funds to his mentor, Brian Houston of Hillsong notoriety), it looks like SlowMo has committed professional suicide with Dutton waiting in the wings like some enormous, demonic Grim Reaper!
In the Lying Nazi Party, the psuedo-leaders, bible-thumping hypocrites and sociopathic sadists just seem to get worse and worse!
Number Five: Where is Scott Morrison and why is it a secret?, by Dr Jennifer Wilson.
The Prime Minister’s whereabouts during the early days of the bushfires were a mystery. Was he hiding somewhere?
Excerpt:
The secrecy surrounding the PM’s location is bizarre. Leaving the country in the midst of a national emergency with bushfires out of control and soaring temperatures threatening to elevate the danger to another level altogether is, in itself, an odd choice of timing. Shrouding his destination and the length of his absence in mystery only adds to the sense that we are in the hands of a very peculiar individual indeed. The man is already copping serious condemnation for clearing off, why conceal his destination as well?
I’m trying hard to think of any other world leader who has simply disappeared from his country at any time, let alone when that country is in the crisis we’re currently experiencing. We’ve never had a PM who buggered off when there was a national disaster. They’ve all had their flaws, some of them major, but nobody ever buggered off and left the country rudderless and burning.
Rumours have placed Morrison in Hawaii, enjoying a summer break with his family. More rumours suggest Hawaii was merely a stop over in a much longer journey to New York, where his Pentecostal mentor, Hillsong’s Brian Houston, has just opened a church in a multi-million dollar property recently acquired by Hillsong in Manhattan. I couldn’t possibly comment. Well, actually, I could.
Special mention must go to Dr Tristan Ewins, whose article Jordan Peterson gets it wrong again on inequality was firmly set in the Top 5 until Scott Morrison fired up our readers.
And a big special mention must also to every author who published articles on The AIMN in 2019. Anyone of those could have been, and deserved to be, in the Top 5.
To see more cartoons by Alan Moir visit his gallery on moir.com.au.
Like what we do at The AIMN?
You’ll like it even more knowing that your donation will help us to keep up the good fight.
Chuck in a few bucks and see just how far it goes!
21 comments
Login here Register here-
Phil Pryor -
New England Cocky -
Carol Taylor -
Carol Taylor -
Michael Taylor -
paul walter -
corvus boreus -
John Lord -
wam -
Michael Taylor -
Presser#1 -
corvus boreus -
James Cook -
Kaye Lee -
New England Cocky -
Michael Taylor -
Kaye Lee -
Michael Taylor -
DrakeN -
Keith -
Kathryn
Return to home pageThank you to all who contribute in making an effort to be aware, informed, alert. It’s been a hard year on the nerves and many are now frustrated, disappointed, depressed. We always need honesty, confidence, foresight, planning, positive and progressive attitudes, some hope. With a government from the top down consisting of dung, droppings, drainblocks and deviates, we feel stalled, dumped, betrayed.
The Welfare Card story is the one that needs following and further investigation to determine the extensive political connections. Larry Anthony was de-throned from his Northern Rivers NSW sinecure by tree changers demanding metropolitan standard government services. Regional Australia will be a better place when the local bogans also demand that same metropolitan standard of government services rather than accepting third best and every excuse for non-performance from politicians of all persuasions.
Still Australian voters get the party of government that wins the most seats in the House of Representatives, so the disaster of 2019 is very much a self-inflicted wound that too many regional voters are prepared to accept without question.
I thought that we might have not much to talk about once Morrison had cheated and stole his way into office (note that he had spent $136,000,000 of taxpayers’ money on electioneering before he even called the election) – but not so, after a certain flatness, everyone was back into it, holding this government to account. In other words trying to fill the void which is the majority of the MSM; and doing this admirably. Congratulations to those in our Top 5 and to all of our authors who write with such passion and conviction.
NEC, Larry Anthony treated the electorate as if the position was his birthright, then did a massive public sulk when he lost to Justine Elliott. He’s not a scratch on his dad. A lot of what he’s been up to subsequently fits in with his character.
I made the Top 5 in 2013. I’m still gloating about it. It’s the first thing I tell all my friends.
All five confirm a dystopic nightmare.
Probably not presumptious to assume that most here would nod to the statement that 2019 was a drear old year.
Sitting here in NSW, both state and federal elections saw NAT members returned in the local contest and coalition wins in both bigger pictures.
So the popular vote was; more of the same but arrogantly worse.
Thus, when highly qualified and respected UN-sanctioned scientists gave a pre-scheduled address to an assemblage of responsible world leaders and gave a factual alarm-klaxon briefing on how the climatic prognosis was at the ‘PHUQ!!!’ end of previous estimates, our evangelistic-cum-political-salesman visited a box-factory with a pussi-grabber and joined in with the ‘bikers for trump’ chanting ‘USA!!!’.
It is good to have a place like this where you can catch another cognizant eye and ask ‘you’re seeing this shit too, right?’
My congratulations and thanks to all the writers mentioned, as well as (most of) the others who pen and peck for the AIMN as authors (and contributors).
Of those unmentioned in the article, I’d like to single out David Tyler for compiling such succinctly worded and (99%) informationally sound diatribes (along with credible links).
Of those already noted, congratulated and thanked, I’d like to offer a special heartfelt bow to Kaye Lee.
First up, to have the endorsement of the lady who, campaigning as an independent, unseated Tony Abbott is no cheap trinket.
Secondly, there is a certain quality called ‘grace under fire’,.
Today, alone, from a single source, she has copped accusations of being ‘a nutter’, ‘miserable prick’ ( 🙂 🙂 ) and (in the condensed form of a long-winded abstract) ‘a sadistic old Nazi torturer’.
KL has passingly mentioned some recent and current trying circumstances based around the health of some very close family.
I sincerely offer words of hope that next year sees less general putridity flung in her general direction.
Thanks to all at the AIMN, and here’s to a better new year.
‘It is a good thing to be good at what you do and have others appreciate you for it.’
Thanks for keeping me a little bit sane.
All the best of luck for what my vision used to be so.long ago
MN, I’ll delete the above two comments. Best if we keep this private.
Email me. 👍
I absolutely LOVE anything to which Kaye Lee turns her attention and awesome research skills. Also thank you to all the BTL people who daily reassure me that i am not entirely alone in my disgust at the shambles the current crop of crony capitalists are making of Australia.
It’s a shame that the Kanye West style ‘I should have won! It’s all a conspiracy!!!’ post got taken down.
It was kinda informative.
My thanks, too, to all the AIMN contributors and respondents. It’s my first port of call in the am, usually with my first caffeine fix. I wish I had the narrative and investigative skills of you all but I console my old-self by pinching ideas and info to use against my acquaintances/surf mates who, although they dislike the LNP, still buy and read the Telegraph or rely on commercial news for political information. My sincerest thanks and best wishes for the coming year.
Happy New Year everyone.
I would like to express my appreciation to all contributors here. It is the discussions that follow articles that make this a great place to be. The authors just start the conversation. It is like having everyone over to dinner without having to cook or clean up (not my best thing). I learn just as much (if not more) from the comments as I do from the articles.
I would also like to thank Michael and Carol and all the behind the scenes team who provide us with a safe place to chat.
(PS Hubby and m-in-law out of hospital. Still a long row to hoe but we will get there. Look out Scotty – I’ll be back)
@Carol Taylor 2: Larry Anthony did indeed consider the seat of Richmond (N NSW) his birth right and his predicted loss was sufficient for his good mate John Anderson as Minister for Roads to put up funds for the too long overdue Ballina By-pass that we now enjoy in a futile attempt to save Larry’s political career.
The feeling against Larry was seen in the start up local newspaper, The Echo, that has grown from four A4 pages stapled together to about twice the thickness of the Anthony family owned Lismore Star.
Now the Greens are making inroads into the Far North NSW Coast communities demanding ecologically sound policies and political accountability for politicians.
But I strongly disagree with your opinion of Doug Anthony, a co-conspirator in the Dismissal of the Whitlam ALP government in 1975.
@Presser#1: I agree and would like to join this club.
Thank you, Kaye. If the behind-the-scenes work wasn’t so demanding I’d be writing more and pushing you out of the Top 5. 😜
So pleased to hear that your hubby and MiL are out of hospital. The ideal rehab – so I’m led to believe – is to chuck him a tea towel. It doesn’t work with me though: as soon as the tea towel hits me I feel a relapse coming on.
We are a bit of a way off from him being able to do chores Michael but at least he is a captive audience to my political rants. No walking away to “clean the pool”.
You and Carol will always be number one here. Without your hard work and generosity none of us would have the reassurance and solidarity and hope that this site helps to provide.
Thank you, Kaye. That means a lot to us.
In other news … Scotland recorded its hottest ever December day in 2019, breaking the record held since 2019. 😳
I looked out of the window this morning and 2020 looked exactly like 2019!
Others, though, are looking at walls of flame, clouds of smoke, hot embers and ashes; consequences of more than a century of human truculence, greed and fear of change.
The economic ‘losses’ declared to be too great a cost in taking positive climate stabilising actions are now showing themselves to be petty in respect to the losses being incurred by the firestorms engulfing to much of the country.
The social, communal and individual psychological traumas will long outlast any damage to the profits of the already well-to-do and possible ‘trickle-down’ effects which may have occurred.
These conflagrations are but one symptom of the avaricious and venal behaviours which have taken control of our world and which look set to destroy us along with much of the planet as we currently know it.
Meanwhile, folk like you at the AIMN give hope that some semblance of rational behaviour might still evolve from this maelstrom of communal craziness.
Thank you all for just being here offering your perspectives on the state of humanity.
Best wishes to everyone
Happy New Year everybody.
The AIMN is a real asset where people can express their views in a safe environment, thank you to Michael and Carol.
AIMN has a number of very special authors such as Kaye Lee, Rossleigh, David Tyler, Rosemary J36, Grumpy Geezer , John Lord et al.
As stated earlier the commentary is always worth reading. One thing that shows through is compassion for other people in the articles and commentary.
Happy New Year to all the hard-working people on AIMN – your integrity and professionalism is much appreciated by us all. I absolutely LOVE AIMN because it allows “grumpy old left-wing socialists” such as myself to have a little whinge and a moan and, yes, an opportunity to rage against this fascist and very arrogant regime of smug neoliberal elitists. On this note, I wish all the authors my best wishes for 2020 and a reminder to MAINTAIN YOUR RAGE right up to the next federal election (and NSW State election)!
2020 has not started well for many people. My husband and I (together with three of our grandchildren) have just managed to get out of the beautiful coastal town of Huskisson today when the NSW Royal Fire Services advised all holiday makers and tourists to get out during the short window of time the Princes Highway was opened (probably due to close again before the weekend). The pall of unbelievable smoke and fires in the Shoalhaven was very scary. Nowra was even worse where the visibility was down to a few feet. When I returned home, I learnt that the NSW Royal Fire Services then sought to evacuate residents from Huskisson – if there is anyone left by Saturday (a day forecast to be catastrophic) they will need to be moved out by boat because, like most coastal towns of southern NSW, there is only one road in and one road out.
My heartfelt sympathies to all those poor people in Batemans Bay, Nowra and outlying areas who have suffered unbelievable loss (including the tragic loss of life) and suffering throughout the worst fires in living memory. It was shocking to learn that the NSW State LNP chose to reduce the budget of fire fighters to the tune of more than $40 MILLION as well as shutting down fire stations all over NSW. It is almost UNBELIEVABLE how callous, how short-sighted and how totally DISCONNECTED to the suffering of ordinary Australians the State and federal LNP have become – ever since the rise of John Howard, Abbott and Morrison.
Our heartfelt admiration, best wishes and sincere gratitude must go out to the heroic fire fighters who risk their lives to bravely fight terrifying fires up and down the coast in order to save the lives and property of total strangers! Their exhaustive efforts were treated with a shocking disregard by Morrison after his callous, flippant remark saying that these brave members of our communities are “there just because they want to be there”. This dismissive remark, not surprisingly, has (we sincerely hope) justifiably put the nail in his political career as the worst, most inhumane and stone-cold heartless prime monster in living memory!
My family only had a tiny, tiny little “introduction” into the frightening smoke-filled environment of a little town in the firing line but it was NOWHERE NEAR what so many desperate people are experiencing RIGHT NOW with these monstrous explosions of fire right on their doorstep. If there is a God up there, PLEASE help them and make the rain (forecast for next Monday and Tuesday) an absolute DOWNPOUR! My God, I have never seen anything like this – it is like a Holocaust and, tragically, we have NOBODY but the brave fire fighters and generous community spirit of compassionate Australian citizens to help them through it.
Morrison and Sad Glad, as expected, have NOTHING to offer but nauseating, sanctimonious platitudes, phony empathy on the advice of Morrison’s overpaid “empathy consultants” and sickening, insincere, self-promoting photo opportunities for political expedience at the expense of other people’s tragic loss and suffering. There are no words!