It is clear that Angus Taylor is a man on a mission. What’s less clear is whose best interests are driving him.
Taylor has long been an opponent of the Renewable Energy Target, claiming it is what has driven power prices up. In reality, he was just pissed off because a neighbour of his family property in the Monaro Plains built a wind farm.
Angus boasted to Ray Hadley that he’s been speaking out against renewables policies “for many many years, well before anyone else … I argued in the party room many times to reduce it … I was able … to reduce the [RET] working with Tony as prime minister”.
He’s a hero according to the anti-wind power site STOP THESE THINGS, in part because, as Assistant Minister for Cities, he was somehow able to have the Finkel Review’s plan to reform the energy sector with a Clean Energy Target trashed.
Never in the field of political conflict has so much been owed by so many to so few. So few, in fact, we can name him: Angus Taylor, Liberal Member for Hume.
But fighting against renewable subsidies and ugly wind farms spoiling his view has not been Angus’s only crusade.
He, and his associates, have also been involved in properties where Barnaby Joyce approved dubious water buybacks for exorbitant prices with the money making its way to the Cayman Islands.
And now it’s been revealed that there’s been a full court press by the Taylor family regarding an investigation into alleged illegal clearing of critically endangered grasslands on property they own.
Taylor, who was minister for cities at the time, had meetings in 2017 to discuss the federal government’s designation of a critically endangered grassland species after which Josh Frydenberg’s office made enquiries about whether they could secretly change the endangered classification.
Also involved in the company, Jam Land, are Angus’ brothers Richard and Duncan, and Duncan’s wife Bronwyn who just so happens to be a NSW Nationals MP who was asked in parliament whether she sought to influence the state government’s submissions on the upgrading of an endangered grass species. The question was ruled out of order.
She was also asked about a federal department meeting with the NSW Local Land Services to discuss the listing immediately after Angus Taylor had contacted Josh Frydenberg in March 2017.
As it happens, the head of the Local Land Services in the south-east at the time of the alleged poisoning of the grasslands was David Mitchell, who was also a shareholder in Jam Land along with the Taylors.
Richard Taylor also made a submission to the department’s review of how environment laws affect the agriculture sector. His submission called for changes to make the laws more simple and compatible with broadscale agriculture and best-practice weed control.
It’s handy when your family has such a prominent platform on which to express their views and such insight into investment opportunities. Even handier when they get to make and change the rules that directly affect them.
Fantastic. Great move. Well done, Taylors.
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Truly it may be said that the analogy of “the pub being managed by the town alcoholic” applies to present day Australian misgovernment.
The corrupt Angus Taylor.
Not fearing any court in trying to find the truth, I’d say Taylor was a backward boy, a nazi type of arsehole, a reactionary snob and crony cuddler, a deviate on matters of decency, legality, a crook determined to find the edge of getting away with blood money, a traitor to the real interests of Australia, a political pervert who ignores duty to all those sworn to be served, a country privileged clod and clown, who abuses position and a disgrace to this disgusting government which does not investigate all the filth. We have too many adolfs and benitos and eduardos and juans in public life, dictatorial asserters and self congratulating onanists of larceny and swindles.
If I could find a weeping emoji it would be my comment.
Here’s one for you, James. (Courtesy of the Editor). 😥
Corruption is no longer just a throw-away insult when describing the Libs. It’s reality.
A Federal ICAC with teeth? Not on their watch. You could see the panic in their eyes when they thought Labor would win and introduce some scrutiny.
It is interesting that the Labor saga ovber Setka is front page, or at least very prominent news, but this latest example of Taylor’s greed, stupidity and blatant corruption gets attention in The Aim, Crikey and perhaps the Guardian, but virtually no other media attention. I would have added, “even from the ABC”, but the ABC long ago ceased to report on matters of genuine public interest, knowing full well that if it attacked LNP corruption and reported news in the public interest, the quid pro quo would be the LNP ordering further funding cuts and AFP raids.
We think that we live in a democracy, but in principle the things the LNP is doing in this country to silence its critics, to confect an anti-union/anti-Labor campaign and to punish dissenters and those who reveal dastardly and corrupt acts of the LNP and its sycophantic bureaucrats (yes Messrs Potato Head and Pezzullo, this could mean you) are exactly the same strategies being used by power-crazed despots like Trump in the US and Erdogan in Turkey. The difference is only degrees. And there are many Australians who think they made intelligent and informed decisions to re-elect this bunch of chaotic and corrupt nincompoops.
As indicated before, the final demise of the ABC will be the last vestige of our democracy.
When that happens we will be a full blown Corporatocracy. Then we move to Feudalism.
This from the web.
Corporatocracy
Corporatocracy, not to be confused with Corporatism, is a term used as an economic and political system controlled by corporations or corporate interests. It is a generally pejorative term often used by critics of the current economic situation in a particular country, especially the United States. The term has been used by liberal and left-leaning critics, but also some economic libertarian critics and other political observers across the political spectrum. Economist Jeffrey Sachs described the United States as a corporatocracy in his book The Price of Civilization. He suggested that it arose from four trends: weak national parties and strong political representation of individual districts, the large U.S. military establishment after World War II, big corporate money financing election campaigns, and globalization tilting the balance away from workers. The term was used by author John Perkins in his 2004 book Confessions of an Economic Hit Man, where he described corporatocracy as a collective composed of corporations, banks, and governments. This collective is known as what author C Wright Mills would call the Power Elite. The Power Elite are wealthy individuals who hold prominent positions in Corporatocracies. These individuals control the process of determining society’s economic and political policies.
This also from the web.
Feudalism
the social system that developed in Europe in the 8th century; vassals were protected by lords who they had to serve in war.
Just substitute ‘vassals’ for ‘workers’, Lords for Corporations and ‘war’ for ‘war.’
Top points Ill fares the land – The MSM are the promotional wing of the Coalition,anti-Labor,and corrupted our former democracy long ago. Your example of MSM double standards is a case in point,of many examples.
The fascists and the mediaocracy continues…
I said not long after this mob got back in that they would eventually self implode due to arrogance and hubris,and you can see it already in the way they just do exactly as they please with absolutely no accountability from the media what so ever, and may i add a cowered opposition too scared to even blink in case it sets off the baying mongrel dogs of News Corp.
But have no fear friends,they will self implode, i dont know when but l think i know how,it will be thru a mixture of arrogance.. over confidence,stupidity and Super Mega hubris and it will devour them as quick as a starving dog thrown a 10 Klg slab of meat!
Loved the picture, kaye, angus and his electorate.
Loved the words more because they show the corruptlessness with which these people rationalise their behaviour as normal family business.
anti-corruption easy to say but no federal politician really considers the need.
I wish Labor would worry less about Setka and more about government corruption!
I so agree Rosemary. The Coalition are masters of deflection and Labor fall for it every time. I can only hope that when the Senate resumes, Labor does their work investigating all these contracts with no tenders. I also hope they can convince the crossbench (and their own members) that locking in tax cuts in five years time is madness. But I fear they are more concerned about being wedged than making the argument.
They are their own little mafia.
For those on Twitter follow this thread:
https://twitter.com/MsVeruca/status/1141972122748612610
From your link GG…
“From the time Angus Taylor entered parliament in September 2013, companies & organisations the Taylor family have managed, directed or are directly associated with have benefited from over $93,515,673 in federal & state government funds.”
As someone commented “Puts Eddie Obeid to utter shame”
Grumpy Geezer: All very illuminating. The question is: is this information getting to the “voters”? You know, the ones who have no idea who to vote for until they get into the booth? If not, your effort is being wasted.
I am sorry to sound so cynical and disillusioned, but that is not the intent. I would like to see how all this information will “inform the voters in our democracy” so that they can do a better job. What is the mechanism we can use to change things. After all the sheer venality and crookedness of this government was known (to those who cared) long before they were even elected in 2013. But it made no difference.
Any ideas?
And I can see that Labor is again going by simple “gut argument” that they need a changed strategy which consists mostly of rolling over and agreeing that it is OK for the top end of town to get tax cuts and all this “top-end of town” rhetoric doesn’t go down well with the electorate and they should drop it. What is the evidence for that?
Are they really so daft? If that is the case they have lost all my support. Possibly that of many others, but they think they will pick up some aspirationals which will more than compensate. Well, good luck with that, because I think that is the way to another loss, and another. We can now resign ourselves to another decade of coalition governments.
Angus seems like a right plonker
$93,515,673 in federal & state government funds Kaye Lee indeed. Lucky we don’t have those socialists in power, eh?
totarum,
I despair at times. When i raise such issues in various contexts most people’s eyes glaze over and they change the subject. So many people just don’t effing care.
GG,
I asked one of my best friends who was her federal member? She said “I can’t remember. He’s nobody important.” Turns out it is Angus Taylor. She is a very capable woman who is the principal of a challenging high school. The real life stuff she deals with on a daily basis makes politics seem paltry in comparison so I kind of understand her disinterest.
Another of my best friends asked her 21 year old son to tell me (on the phone) why he voted Liberal. (he is approaching the end of a building apprenticeship). He said they are better economic managers (though I have since heard that he is furious with his mother for putting him on the spot like that – it was like when my boyfriend’s father asked me to say grace the first time I had dinner there. Thank God for the Waltons. He just repeated what he had heard someone say as I did).
These are good people. They just don’t know, and politics is not high on their interest list.
All we can do is keep talking to people and try to be patient. (I’m good on the talking but really need to work on the patient part)
And we can also come up with or pass on other’s suggestions. There are solutions out there and progress to be made towards them.
And we can put a rocket up the politicians. They rarely answer me but they do keep some sort of tally of phone calls and emails – positive or negative.
And we can let the media know that there are some of us who actually prefer factual analysis to reality tv.
The trouble is timing things so people will remember. The Coalition are adept at reflecting any spotlight that strays near them. Quick quick, African gangs, murdering raping sick asylum seekers, unions…..and here’s a cheque for the local bowlo and a few CCTV cameras. Would you like a selfie?
You’re more forgiving/tolerant than me KL.
I blew up at a bloke this morning at a Bunnings sausage sizzle when he:
a) suggested Trump had done a lot for the US and then
b) bagged out ‘greenies” ala Adani.
With a) he had a point but he meant it differently to my take on the bloated mango’s achievements.
Yelling at someone rarely changes their mind – which doesn’t mean I don’t still do it. I just know it doesn’t work.
From the time Angus Taylor entered parliament in September 2013, companies & organisations the Taylor family have managed, directed or are directly associated with have benefited from over $93,515,673 in federal & state government funds.
Devoid of values.
We need an ICAC with sharp teeth