Beyond a Morrison Police State.
“This is not about free speech, it’s not about the ability to protest, these people are completely against our way of life,” former Queensland drug squad and sex offenders cop, now Home Affairs Supremo and family child care business partner, self-made millionaire, MP Peter Dutton tells Channel Nine Friday.
“For many of them they don’t even believe in democracy, … the disharmony they seek to sow within society is unacceptable,” says our super minister who, only recently, was keen to dog-whistle racists by falsely claiming that African crime gangs make it unsafe to go out on the streets in Melbourne.
A fretful nation is overjoyed that Il Dutto has spotted another enemy within. In a nifty intercept, former Hillsong Elder, Scott Morrison, now our PM for extractive industries, snatches the ball and punts it.
How good is our media? By Friday night, every newspaper in the land carries the banner “radical activism threatens mining”. It’s a spectacular, mass propaganda drop which highlights how smoothly a Prime Minister’s staff of fifty can swing into gear should Dutton or any other MP steal the limelight.
“High velocity bollocks” is Katharine Murphy’s view of Morrison’s alert on ABC Insiders. A tad unfair. ScoMo has to create a diversion from Thursday’s Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety interim report of scandal that has taken place during the Coalition’s six years in government.
It’s a shocker. Health Minister Hunt bobs up also on Insiders to pat the government on the back for ordering the Royal Commission but skips the $2 billion cut by the Coalition since it came to power.
“… the aged care system fails to meet the needs of its older, vulnerable, citizens. It does not deliver uniformly safe and quality care, is unkind and uncaring towards older people and, in too many instances, it neglects them,” report commissioners Richard Tracey and Lynelle Briggs in a media release.
Images of Morrison are everywhere. Speechifying. Threatening protesters at a Brisbane mining lobbyists’ free lunch. And anyone daring to impose a secondary boycott. “Wedgislation” rasps Murpharoo.
All it would take, mumbles former News Corp hack, now Brisbane free-lance, Dennis Atkins, deftly sidestepping the ScoMo police state elephant in the room, is to change the bit in the law where unions’ secondary boycotts are outlawed and extend that … section … mumble … something DD.
The bit in the law? Generally, in Australia strikes are unlawful, in breach of international law which holds that the right to strike is recognised as a fundamental human right, as the ILO has been reminding Coalition and Labor governments for the last thirty years. But the PM’s team plays a blinder in giving him a time and a place and a text Friday, to normalise the outlawing of secondary boycotts.
“If it’s not OK to have secondary boycotts being run by unions … it’s not OK for environmental, well, they’re anarchist groups … to be able to disrupt people’s jobs, their livelihoods, to harass people as we saw down in Melbourne,” Morrison blusters, glossing over the highly contentious anti-union law.
Naturally there is no detail from such a big picture thinker. And scare tactics work best without specifics. But Morrison needs to explain what he means. How can he possibly legislate against freedom of choice, one of the set-pieces of Liberal rhetoric? Aren’t we free to choose which firms we patronise?
Also skipped is the real disruption that accrues now that our largely de-unionised workforce has so little real bargaining power over wages that spending drops and helps tip Australia into economic recession. But you’ve got to hand it to the PM’s staff. They’ve had wage cut-backs, too. 13 per cent since Malcolm Turnbull was double-double-crossed by Morrison and his right-hand evangelical Stuart Robert and crew.
At an average salary of just over $200,000, the PM’s minders work wonders on a shoe-string budget. And a skeletal staff. All up, the Morrison government must battle on with a mere 457 ministerial advisers.
(Theresa May’s UK government employed 99 ministerial advisers in December last year, including 2 who earned the maximum salary of £140,000 pounds.)
But it’s all about team work. Our press flacks fall in behind the Coalition’s muppet-show and the mining and banking lobby which pulls their strings. Morrison threatens “a radical crack-down” on protesters.
The team plan is to demonise those who protest against a government in denial that holy coal mining and coal-burning power stations even cause global warming, air and water pollution. On present trends, let alone with new mines, coal will destroy nature, our health and ultimately extinguish our future. But just as we’ve created illegals out of those who seek asylum, we’ll do it with climate protesters.
Morrison is addicted to the politics of division. And it worked with vegan activists. The Criminal Code Amendment (Agricultural Protection) Bill 2019 which outlaws “farm invaders”, passed 12 September.
Labor was wedged into voting for draconian, superfluous legislation. Trespass is covered by state laws. Labor senators Kim Carr and Anthony Chisholm warn farmers, themselves, are at risk from the new law, if opposing fracking. Whistle-blowers and journalists are also at risk of prosecution for inciting trespass.
Reporters who merely publish footage of animal cruelty, or who publish a map of factory farms and slaughterhouses where such cruelty is known to occur, may face a criminal charge for “inciting trespass onto agricultural land” regardless of whether incitement to trespass is intended by the publisher, and regardless of whether the cruelty is legal.
While the brave new ag-gag law has yet to be tested in court, Morrison is playing hyper-partisan politics again with the help of his imaginary arch-fiend “absolutist environmentalism”. Some complain that attacking an “ism” indicates mental laziness. Imprecision. But fear-mongers just love it. And it works.
Protesters are “anarchists, radical activists; extremists”. If a lie is half way round the world before the truth can get its boots on, vilification is even quicker. Once the PM puts the boot in; Morrison’s gutter politics leadership immediately has its own followers; copycats -even in the police.
A Victorian police officer faces disciplinary action for wearing a sticker with the phrase “EAD Hippy” – slang for “eat a dick” – while patrolling this week’s anti-mining protests in Melbourne. Instead of heeding dissent, the federal government joins some states in choosing to dismantle democracy instead.
Protesters have a right to stage community campaigns to voice their concerns, as Kelly O’Shanassy CEO of Australian Conservation Foundation ACF quickly points out. Moreover, demonstrators and protesters come from diverse walks of life and their dissent is expressed in many different ways, she explains.
“People protesting in the streets are not the only ones expressing alarm about climate change – the head of the Defence Force, the deputy governor of the Reserve Bank and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority have all recently raised serious concerns,” Ms O’Shanassy says.
Morrison’s not listening. The PM loves his bully-pulpit. You can tell he gets a buzz out of casting out evil.
Progressives seek to deny the liberties of Australians, he tells The Queensland Resources Council, (QRC), another mining lobby, Friday – giving his spin an extra twist by preaching to the converted. It’s a whopping lie, of course and a masterly piece of projection and deflection. But the QRC is cheering.
“The QRC welcomes new laws passed by the Palaszczuk Government to deter people from using dangerous devices …” runs the lobby’s 25 October media release.
Yet the “dangerous devices” turn out to be unsubstantiated claims that some “lock-on devices” contain dangerous items, such as glass or gas canisters aimed at deterring police. No evidence has yet been provided, beyond a few images of a protest in 2018, a case which was prosecuted under existing law.
“Any laws that may infringe on important rights such as peaceful protest ought to be subject to a detailed and proper parliamentary scrutiny process. We are concerned that this has not occurred…,” says Bridget Burton, Director of Caxton Legal Centre’s Human Rights and Civil Law Practice.
Enter Macca. QRC CEO Ian, “Chainsaw”, Macfarlane, a former federal Minister for Industry. After being sacked from the front bench and when his attempt to defect from the Liberals to The Nationals was blocked, Macfarlane quit politics and signed on to head QRC, for a modest half million dollars a year, in 2016, to help eke out his $150-200K income from the Parliamentary Contributory Super Scheme.
Ian’s terribly worried these days about the need to lock up protesters. Their bullying and reckless endangerment of lives – even their own – must be stopped. Tougher laws are the key. Always.
“It is often the case that fines are small and no convictions are recorded,” he tells Brisbane Times in August. Morrison says he is working on legal measures to outlaw the “indulgent and selfish practices” of protest groups that try to stop major resources projects. As if he can outlaw protest.
“Now, we will take our time to get this right. We will do the homework and we’re doing that right now. But we must protect our economy from this great threat,” he thunders. It’s the sacred economy again. Amen. Or did he mean surplus? Meanwhile, the multinational mining companies protesters target bleed us dry in tax evasion. Not to mention what they cost us in subsidies.
Tenderly, our government takes our taxes and spends billions of dollars to help more coal, gas and oil to be extracted and burned. Other favours include tax-based subsidies, direct contributions, concessional loans from public financial institutions, lax environmental laws and approvals for disastrous projects.
Now ScoMo takes time to hiss the villain. Progressivism, a “new-speak type term”, ScoMo claims (of a movement achieving social and political reform in the US, two decades before Orwell published 1984), aims “to get in under the radar, but at its heart would deny the liberties of Australians.”
“Apocalyptic in tone, it brooks no compromise,” Elder Morrison continues, as if he were describing the template for a Hillsong sermon. “It’s all or nothing. Alternative views are not permitted.”
But no “needless anxieties”, please. Think of the children. What we need at times like these is some “context and perspective”. The Australian Way of Life must remain secure in its glass case along with a bust of Langley Frederick Hancock, a piece of coal and a blue ribbon for best country in show at Liberal HQ, protected by the eternal vigilance of Dutton’s AFP, ASIO and the web of eighty-odd federal national security laws governments have spun to catch evil-doers since September 11, 2011.
Nobody seems to know precisely how many laws. Or care. The more the meh-factor.
Our most recent bit of spy fly-paper is the Coalition’s Foreign Influence Registry, part of its visionary Foreign Influence Transparency Scheme, which became law last December. In a mass mail-out last month, the Attorney General asks all foreign agents of influence to put their hands up. Way to go.
Who? What? Defining influence can be a tricky business, which is probably how Tony Abbott got caught in the net. In deathless prose, Porter’s department appeals to lobbyists of a “parliamentary and general political nature” but includes those involved in “communications activity” and “disbursement activity”.
Transparent? Sheer genius. Sadly, this little list is in its infancy. And it’s a one way mirror. It does not run to how we influence other nations such as our ASIS agents’ spying on Timor Leste’s cabinet in 2004.
Given the high esteem with which they are held in Timor Leste, you might expect the whistle-blower, Witness K – as the ASIS officer has become known – and his lawyer, Bernard Collaery to feature. These men represent our finest, as former Timor-Leste president José Ramos-Horta writes in August.
“Individuals with a conscience and courage, representing the very best of Australians as I know them – instinctively sympathetic to the underdog, the weak and vulnerable.”
The tribute is a salutary corrective to ScoMo’s rhetoric. The men should be venerated as public heroes.
Yet their secret trials, revealed by Andrew Wilkie under parliamentary privilege, in June 2018 and currently under way in two Canberra courts, the Magistrates Court for Witness K and The Supreme Court for his lawyer Collaery, represents “… the national security state’s assault on Australia’s democratic culture”, writes Clinton Fernandes, University of NSW Professor of International and Political studies.
Both face lengthy prison sentences. An example must be made of whistle-blowers to discourage others. Some suggest that given some unexplained questions in his past careers and the fact the someone knows the answers, Morrison is keen to diminish the likelihood of the whistle being blown on himself. Whatever his personal investment, national security agencies are keen to punish whistle-blowers.
It’s not citizens in Queensland and Melbourne exercising their rights to protest but the state itself which is attacking the rule of law, a corner-stone of our democracy. A police state? To Fernandes, it’s more.
“These prosecutions come at a time of vastly increased powers for police and intelligence agencies, raids on the homes of journalists and news organisations, and the deployment of technologies of mass surveillance. The aim of this power grab must be understood clearly, if it is to be resisted. The national security bureaucracy doesn’t want a police state. It is more ambitious than that. The hope is to return Australian culture to the conformity and political quietude of the 1950s.”
In this context, Porter’s Registry is but one small step but could well escalate into a flight of stairs.
In the last decade, 81 per cent of political donations from the mining industry have been to the Coalition; 71 per cent to the Liberal Party. The Grattan Institute reveals that mining has the most lobbying contacts with government. Many of these are foreign-owned firms. Surely these should appear on the registry?
Nowhere does the registry list other influential foreign companies who run local branches to great tax advantage. These include household names: Uber, Google, Facebook, Microsoft, McDonalds, Ikea and Aldi. Perhaps they need more than four weeks to gauge their influence. If it can be done at all.
Multinational parent companies do not register their Australian operations as branch operations. Consequently they do not comply with ASIC’s disclosure and reporting obligations. In fact, we generously give them a tax deduction when they send royalty payments to arms of their own company overseas.
Are we Thinking Big enough? Perhaps, given the meagre 194 entries, so far, there is room for our own agents of influence abroad to declare themselves. Scott Morrison would doubtless be keen to explain what he did to get the flick from his job as head of NZ Tourism and Sport in 2000.
It would help greatly with our close trading neighbour – where Think Big was a state intervention strategy – and it would clear up a mystery or two. The Saturday Paper’s Karen Middleton reports that a Kiwi Controller and Auditor-General audit found that ScoMo hi-jacked the NZ Tourism Review.
It is early evidence of ScoMo’s gift for taking charge and his top-dog inter-personal skills. Not for him the namby-pamby consensus type or a democratic style. “Absolute arsehole” is former MP Michael Kennan verdict. Keenan served as Justice Minister when Scott Morrison was Immigration Minister.
His comment is recorded by Niki Savva in Plots and Prayers as having been made to colleagues at lunch at Garum Restaurant in Perth in April 2018 just before Morrison deposed Malcolm Turnbull.
“Porter joined in, saying he did not think Morrison was a team player. Cormann said he had seen Morrison up close now, and, in his opinion, Dutton was better,” Savva writes.
Similar charges would be made by the Australian National Audit Office, (ANAO) nine years’ later when it looked into his management of Tourism Australia. ANAO found “non-consultation, making unilateral decisions, not observing due process and restricting board access to information.”
But Morrison gets off Scott-free. Not so one of his illustrious predecessors. All hot and bothered this week, Tony Abbott, The Australian’s Prime Minister-in-exile is asked to sign The Registry…
Abbott is incensed by Christian – (but a Jedi on his census) Porter’s department’s recent demand that the budgie-smuggler register as “an agent of foreign influence”, just the day before CPAC, in Sydney, last August. The department of the Attorney-General is not one to rush matters. But it has improved.
Porter’s predecessor, George Brandis dithered for two years and three months over prosecuting Bernard Collaery and Witness K. Then he got posted to London as our High Commissioner. Porter, on the other hand, took the decision to prosecute only six months after coming to office. But Abbott’s underwhelmed.
The Incredible Sulk is happy to ear-bash fellow reactionaries at non-events such as CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference, an oxymoron on steroids. Tipped to be the next Director of the weapons industry sponsored National War Memorial in Canberra, he’s clearly still a VIP.
But foreign influence? The former Riverview boy refuses the request, labels it “absurd” and in a direct dig at the Jedi claims “senior officials of the commonwealth have better things to do with their time.”
If only.
Scott Morrison’s pledge to crack down on climate protesters is in part a deflection, a ruse to encourage climate change deniers by implying that there’s nothing wrong with building more coal-fired power station; it’s the “extremist, radical activists” who are out of line. And it’s a way of wedging Labor. Yet it would be wrong to see it merely as an act of bellicose posturing from a wannabe populist strong man.
Morrison’s past record suggests more than a hint of an authoritarian, if not autocratic, personality beneath the evasions, the secrecy and the cultivated, folksy veneer of the sport-loving, cap-wearing , beer-drinking suburban dad as populist leader.
Given the proliferation of national security laws which have hugely strengthened the power of the state, since 2011, moreover, we must challenge Morrison’s latest florid, rhetorical assault on democracy; resist all attempts at division and the silencing of dissent. Our future as a civil society; our freedom depends upon it.
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Return to home pageDutton the great Dickhead, a nazi type nong, a queensland queerite, a poltical pervert and a totally uncivilised reject, is a serving minister under a most obnoxious superstitious fool, a fantasy fellatio friendly farcical knob polishing peanut, a self inflating ritghteous religious ratbag and savage simpleton survivor of the pre mediaeval days of murder, rape, theft and slaughter as normal policy.
Re MPs entitlements. Apparently, the six-figure salary isn’t enough. Our politicians are claiming plenty more extravagant perks at your expense. Take a look at this 2016 article. I would assume figures are higher now in 2019. Scroll down to Here’s what MPs Can Claim. Prime Minister’s salary is $507,338, no wonder he can smirk at Newstart recipients. https://www.news.com.au/national/federal-election/eyewatering-extent-of-pollies-perks-as-doubledipping-scandal-emerges/news-story/9fbdbb5e83cc058beb52979480f410a6
mmmmm, I may even get off my arse and protest too. What a bunch of likely Nazis.
I was thinking today about Mr Shouty Mc Shout Face and why he is so hostile to criticism. There seems to be a deep insecurity in his make-up and he is aware now that we know he is a fake. All bluster and blow, with no real back bone. Got to maintain the lnp fable as better money managers at all costs, regardless of the misery inflicted on the Australian people. He ought to be ashamed to claim to be Australian!
When Mark Carney (BoE boss) announced recently that the banking system and the insurance industry will introduce a zero emissions policy and only provide funding for governments who have demonstrated the ability to move from “brown to green” industries. If he moves to take over the IMF and Christine goes to the European Central Bank, ScuMo could become the victim of the Wedge!
Remarks given during the UN Secretary General’s Climate Action Summit 2019
Mark Carney, Governor of the Bank of England
Monday 23 September 2019 – Climate Action Summit, UN General Assembly, New York
Sunday 22 September 2019 – Insurance, Risk Financing and Development: Driving Public Private Action for Climate Resilience, event hosted by UNDP, German Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development, Insurance Development Forum and InsuResilience Global Partnership, New York
All speeches are available online at http://www.bankofengland.co.uk/news/speeches
The only difference between Dutton and Morrison is Pentecostalism
Businesses have more to fear from the LNP than the XR demonstrators. The LNP policy of doing nothing in relation to climate change is an extremely dangerous and reckless policy. It displays a total lack of concern for the future of young people.
The science is very clear, satellites provide data that underscores the greenhouse effect scientists have warned us about for decades. Politicians have tin ears.
Children are better versed in understanding science than politicians.
As usual David Tyler, you’re a master of up-to-date political information and insight. A weekly must-read,
Re Denis Atkins (and just for the political record) was Wayne Goss’ Press Secretary – chosen to present a new face for a (Goss) Labor Government after 32 years out of power. Was ‘reasonable’ before a very liquid lunch – ‘impossible’ by the late afternoon. But doesn’t have that excuse anymore so they say. How times have changed.
” For many of them they don’t believe in democracy” says this autocratic buffoon whose every action smacks of despotism and fascism. What next? The African gangs migrate to Queerland? Why oh why are we at the mercy of the swallowers of the Murdoch bullshit and the Palmer millions? I fear for our beloved land and the nut job cashed up squadrons that constantly deny our rights. Maybe we should vote for a Brexit and start again?
Interesting that we have federal coalition politician like Tim Wilson going to Hong Kong and giving vocal support to mobs who are smashing the Hong Kong economy, fire-bombing business premises, stockpiling rocks and street pavers to throw at police all supposedly in the name of human rights.
Yet when it comes to peaceful demonstrations in Australia the PM wants to come down heavily on demonstrators.
A word of advice prime minister : peaceful demonstrations can turn ugly when you see the people as the enemy !
Malcolm Roberts labelled environmentalists as terrorists so scomo is almost there.
This “War on Protesters” is never mentioned when Fraser Anning speaks at Skinhead rallies or when Anti-Gay and Anti-Abortion God-botherers go marching and threatening violence upon people.
So what the fck are we the people gunna do about it?
If the Australian people do not deal with this now the only solution will be a revolution
In February 2019 I had these words published … “If you want some hope of a future for your children you will not vote LNP in my opinion in the coming Federal election, or any other conservative group. The LNP will try to push the view they are being responsible in relation to climate change; official emission figures show otherwise.”
It is worse than I anticipated at that time. Hope has been whittled away in so many areas by the incompetence of the Morrison government. A panel of Economists have been reported as saying the surplus the LNP are pushing is a hinderance to a better economy just published in the Conversation. But, in relation to climate, change the LNP are downright scary.
The number of refugees looking for new countries to live has been said to be higher now than after the second world war. Yet, there has been no satisfactory resolution to the major issue of recent refugee numbers. Sea level rise by 2050 will make current refugee matters seem like the good old times. New methods of assessing the amount of land which will initially be hit by storm surges has increased. Prior studies had difficulty to obtain accurate land levels through land being blanketed by buildings and forrests it has been suggested.
Even if the study was inaccurate helping displaced people in the numbers projected will damage economies. It does not bear thinking about the world that will be created as a result.
Is that what the LNP want to pass onto young people? Hopefully, a few LNP politicians will actually read science and will not take notice of the odious IPA and pseudo science blogs that support the “merchants of death” … fossil fuel corporations. Rex Tillerson the xCEO of ExxonMobil has just spilled the beans by stating fossil fuel corporations have known about the effects of their products on climate for a considerable time, in a current Court case.
I have mentioned this before, but take a listen to the news on any part of ABC Radio early in the morning and you can hear the how the LNP Editorial apparatchiks suddenly take complete charge of the 7 AM news bulletin.
The “themes” and talking-points they thus establish are repeated throughout the entire day. This is what they call the “news-cycle”, as though it were a naturally occurring thing, when actually there are a lot of people pushing the pedals of this particular ‘cycle.
Thank you for your very enlightening article! Pleasure to read it assured me my summation of all LNP is correct?as elderly pensioner I really live in fear of this government that most certainly lacks any empathy for people like myself people with no voice?I watched the minister Paul Fletcher announce May 2019 that all WELFARE payments will be paid by INDUE CARD 2020! Including AGED & VETERAN PENSIONS! I was astounded & felt sick! In last week I read they have prepared document to change wording PENSION to WELFARE?what conniving sneaky rats they are covering themselves? When Pensions were introduced decades ago it was stated PENSIONS NEVER TO BE CALLED WELFARE? BOB MENZIES AGREED EXACTLY NEVER TO BE CALLED WELFARE! These statements would be on HANSARD? This government is hoping to pass this all under package of WELFARE PAYMENTS on INDUE! I have sent many emails to opposition members NO replies Senator)Greens) Rachel SEIWART is ferocious fighter for people suffering on job start and only one assured me Greens are AGAINST INDUE cards only heard no verified labor are AGAINST? 80/90yr olds plus will never comprehend this evil card so much unbelieable stress lack understanding by oldest in population awaits thousands who just want to live last few years life without this needless stress? Do not understand why Labor has not uttered a word in defence of aged pension & Veterans? VETS Who fought for country? Please will someone defend us?
Aortic, turn the tune around. Morrison doesnt believe in democracy. They only have one goal, to win at any cost. Thats not democracy, that could be any other despot through the ages. Democracy is a tool for society, not an end game in itself. It doesnt start on election day and finish when all the votes are counted. It doesnt go into hybernation till the next election. Thats just a one day opinion poll. Not what I signed up for.
I read the comments by David Bruce and have to say they really struck a chord. I agree with your conclusion. For a long time I have been reading of Morrison’s tainted, if not scandal-ridden and incompetent, commercial past and one inescapable conclusion is that he doesn’t work well with others unless he is the top dog and even then he has significant issues – he is frankly, totally neurotic. His role at Tourism Australia was short lived and it appears so because he had to seek approval from his Board and the Minister, which he clearly loathed and so he frequently ignored them (as was noted in an Auditor-General’s report that seems to have been kept out of the public gaze). When you consider that he, a Liberal flunky, was sacked from his role by a Liberal Minister, it appears evident that his performance was not just appalling, it was monumentally so.
Amongst his many failings, which I think tends to tie together many of his behaviours in his current role, is an abject hatred of being questioned or challenged. At the merest sniff of either, he enters his rather clumsy boofhead defensive mode and invariably plain lies (“Shanghai Sam”) or just swats away questions (it’s “gossip” or “that’s in the bubble”). He shouldn’t be allowed to get away with either, but the challenges to his behaviours, if any, are in the more “underground” press, where many of the more uncritical Morrison supporters never venture.
Perversely, these behaviours definitely curry favour with certain voters. I spoke very recently with a friend who has a male adult relative who is not of high intellect and who has had significant behavioural issues throughout his life. They were making reference to his social media rants, notably, his illiterate, profanity-laden and thuggish criticisms of the climate change protesters. It was not hard to imagine that the relative is strongly drawn to Morrison’s puerile attacks on those protesters. He clearly can’t articulate exactly what it is that he disagrees with, but his rage spills over nonetheless. I agree that one thug does not a tribe make, but it is easy to see the sort of mentality Morrison is trying to draw into his bovver-booted cult of hatred.
A mere 457 ministerial advisers !
And that doesn’t include all the hard working Australians beavering away at NewsCorpse and the rest of the MSM on this “government”‘s behalf !
I guess this is what ScumMo is talking about when he waxes lyrical about all those jobs the COALition has created …
And how is the Strayan economy actually travelling?
Here’s a clue …
https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/worlds-best-economy-2019-no-not-the-coalitions-australia-,13272
How true to say scummo is not just reacting to melb.
Because he knows the majority of Australians are influenced by the editors whose theme is evoke sympathy for the police. Perhaps something may be made out of police attitudes and brutality but the few aggressive loonies will divert from the activities of the antagonist attitude that all protesters are an entity worthy of considerable force.
He is certainly consolidating his donor base as part of a long term plan for control of the house and his choice of venue thanks the labor voters who switched. His qld push will get a boost with the katter/hanson drought show
As a bonus his image as a strong xstian man against the loonies protesters should linger to destroy the labor state government.
(thanks boobby)
Scummo is pre-empting his Anti-Union “Integrity” Bill by linking Unions to protests. Lambie et al will be totally suck-in by this ploy. He might be an arsehole but he’s a cunning one nevertheless!
Ill fares the land, I too have come across such illiterate thuggish ranters, egged on as they are by the populist Press and TV. It could be called class war, or an education war, except that the divisions do cut across social categories, eg many farmers are now aware, and even militant. Food comes first, that and water to grow food that suits the climate- not almonds and rice.
Note that the UK has banned fracking, while there are hundreds of gas wells approved or working in Queensland and the NT.
The hate spewed by the government is beyond disgraceful. It is brutish, selfish, and it condemns the future. For us humans anyway. I hope the thugs in power have houses by the shore line and lose everything.
Just how did we end up with a fundamentalist pentecostal weirdo in the top job – it’s alright, I know, it was just rhetorical flourish – the MSM have gone from accomplices to perpetrators
A few weeks back, the heads of various credible scientific organisations stood in front of an assembly of concerned and responsible world leaders and gave a succinct summary of the recent, current and likely future states of our planet’s climate.
For temporal reference, it was the day before a Swedish schoolgirl was globally vilified on commercial media for honouring a non-paid invitational speaking engagement and uttering less than 500 non-profane words.
The overall picture painted by all the various statistics and observations was dire and the respondent message urgent.
Global temperatures are rising, ice is melting both at sea and on land, and the oceans are rising ever-faster.
The human causes driving this cooking of the biosphere (esp fossil fuel burning and deforestation) are continuing to escalate, and the windows of our agency to avert global climatic catastrophes is rapidly disappearing.
Meanwhile, nearby, our prime minister was busy attending the opening of a box factor.
What more can you expect from someone who worships wealth, with a sideline in spouting gibberish and calling it ‘glossolalia’.
Here in NSW, state 2ic John Balinaro(the man who legislatively made feral horses the recipients of environmental protections and funds to the direct detriment of critically endangered native species, any resemblance to Jair Bolsanaro purely coincidental) reacted to announcements of yet more massive fish kills in the Darling basin, and the prediction of further repeated worsening incidents, by announcing that he was considering pulling out of the MDB on the grounds that it was favouring environmental flows and outcomes to the detriment of ‘irrigators and communities’ (it might be noted that despite the presence of many operating coal and gas mines within the catchment, mining allocation was not mentioned).
Apparently the spectacle of rivers and lakes being reduced to shrinking puddles ringed with multitudes of dead fish is an indicator that too much priority is being given to environmental outcomes in the commercial allocation of water.
I was already angry and disgusted with this ‘government’ before visiting this website last night for the first time.
I’m pleased to find this santuary of sanity.
At a recent family gathering, I said to one family member how chillingly similar ScuMo is to Trump; that he is the most autocratic and corrupt prime minister Australia has ever had. Completely and unexpectedly provoked by my observation, he snapped at me and in a mildly threatening tone, said “don’t you start! Don’t you dare start trying to debate this with me! I happen to think Scott Morrison is a fine prime minister!”
It appears ScuMo’s followers and disciples are just as touchy and evasive as him, clearly fearful of having to justify their reasons for being sucked into the vile cult.
Rallies and protests are clearly what irks them most; we must get to them in bigger and bigger numbers until their heads explode.
John Barilaro is his name, Corvus boreus. He is known hereabouts as Pork Barrelaro. This person appeals to community greed and self interest, nothing else.
Sadly, it works. JB was re-elected. While I was helping at a polling booth for the State election, an elderly LNP lady approached me totally puzzled as to why one would support a rival Party. I mentioned a few national and global issues, and was met with a blank stare. She invited me however to sit with her and colleagues for a short while ( my own stall had another helper). Their talk was of local gossip, especially the sale price of this house or that. Another planet… yet we have only one.
Josephus,
Correction noted.
John Barilaro, officially listed as a threatening process to the critically endangered southern corroboree frog.
Surprise surprise!
The Whitehaven coal mine at Leard’s forest (an operation that single-handedly wiped out around 30-40% of the remaining endangered ecological community of white box forest) is now under investigation by the NRAR ‘for potential civil/criminal proceedings’ regarding allegations of theft and misuse of groundwater from the Namoi catchment in the Darling basin (story available through ABC news site).
NSW Water minister Melissa Pavey was unavailable for comment.
Scomo, this is how it’s done…..Jacinda, the fresh approach from across the Tasman.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-11-05/jacinda-ardern-facebook-speed-list-new-zealand-achievements/11671918
Protest and be dammed! The clamp down on protestors is inducing Fear – the great motivator for hatred of protestors. The Extinction Rebellion is about non violence, and the Morrison intimidation is aimed at getting Media action to pretend there is violence in these protests! As within Hong Kong, paid protestors create the violence and that makes it ugly, otherwise there is little violence. In AUS we must find and expose paid protestors and bring them down by exposing them. Morrison wants to create images of what will appear to be Violence, and we must expose this immediately.
Fear of police action is designed to intimidate protestors off the streets, and this Fear must become the protestors strength. We who protest must be ready for police Violence and it will happen, but we must just take it! Wear protective clothing, and don’t resist.The camera’s will not screen the police violence as that will not support the Government propaganda system. Our Social Media will show the truth, and as Gandhi and Mandela have historically shown, non violence does win.
Unfortunately we must allow ourselves battle scares and broken teeth, but must Never Fight the oppressor as then the Corporate/Government Media has nothing to show..and will lose. Ha ha ha – Alleluia Brother!
Dutton said ……..
Maybe it should be
– these people are completely against his way of life
– many don’t believe in his version of democracy
– the disharmony he seeks to sow within society is unacceptable
Johno,
For the record, it is not just PHON whack job Malcolm Roberts who testerically labels protesters as terrorists.
George Christenson (government member for Mackay and noted whip and weapon fetishist) has also waxed lyrical about the dangers of ‘eco-terrorists’, which is doubly disturbing since he has also proposed the death penalty for ‘terrorist offences’.
John Barilaro, deputy premier of NSW (see above), has also used the t word to describe non-violent protesters.
Worrying language in disturbing times.
Corvus, we used to refer to Qld as the police state. Get Up are now concerned about this…
Scott Morrison just told a room full of mining lobbyists that he’s begun work on legislation to outlaw climate activism – banning climate protests, boycotts and “disruptive” strikes.
johno,
Yeah, I did catch that falling chestnut.
Although our PM didn’t actually invoke ‘terror’ the uber-authoritarian intent behind his hyperbolic rhetoric was pretty plain to see.
Labor was wedged into voting for draconian, superfluous legislation. Trespass is covered by state laws. Labor senators Kim Carr and Anthony Chisholm warn farmers, themselves, are at risk from the new law, if opposing fracking. Whistle-blowers and journalists are also at risk of prosecution for inciting trespass.
You delude yourself. The way it’s going Labor will be keen on this legislation. When Rudd & Gillard were at the helm they were slow to unwind some draconian legislation.
The 14 Characteristics of Fascism
by Lawrence Britt
The 14 characteristics are:
1. Powerful and Continuing Nationalism
Fascist regimes tend to make constant use of patriotic mottos, slogans, symbols, songs, and other paraphernalia. Flags are seen everywhere, as are flag symbols on clothing and in public displays.
2. Disdain for the Recognition of Human Rights
Because of fear of enemies and the need for security, the people in fascist regimes are persuaded that human rights can be ignored in certain cases because of “need.” The people tend to look the other way or even approve of torture, summary executions, assassinations, long incarcerations of prisoners, etc.
3. Identification of Enemies/Scapegoats as a Unifying Cause
The people are rallied into a unifying patriotic frenzy over the need to eliminate a perceived common threat or foe: racial , ethnic or religious minorities; liberals; communists; socialists, terrorists, etc.
4. Supremacy of the Military
Even when there are widespread domestic problems, the military is given a disproportionate amount of government funding, and the domestic agenda is neglected. Soldiers and military service are glamorized.
5. Rampant Sexism
The governments of fascist nations tend to be almost exclusively male-dominated. Under fascist regimes, traditional gender roles are made more rigid. Opposition to abortion is high, as is homophobia and anti-gay legislation and national policy.
6. Controlled Mass Media
Sometimes to media is directly controlled by the government, but in other cases, the media is indirectly controlled by government regulation, or sympathetic media spokespeople and executives. Censorship, especially in war time, is very common.
7. Obsession with National Security
Fear is used as a motivational tool by the government over the masses.
8. Religion and Government are Intertwined
Governments in fascist nations tend to use the most common religion in the nation as a tool to manipulate public opinion. Religious rhetoric and terminology is common from government leaders, even when the major tenets of the religion are diametrically opposed to the government’s policies or actions.
9. Corporate Power is Protected
The industrial and business aristocracy of a fascist nation often are the ones who put the government leaders into power, creating a mutually beneficial business/government relationship and power elite.
10. Labor Power is Suppressed
Because the organizing power of labor is the only real threat to a fascist government, labor unions are either eliminated entirely, or are severely suppressed .
11. Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts
Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts is openly attacked, and governments often refuse to fund the arts.
12. Obsession with Crime and Punishment
Under fascist regimes, the police are given almost limitless power to enforce laws. The people are often willing to overlook police abuses and even forego civil liberties in the name of patriotism. There is often a national police force with virtually unlimited power in fascist nations.
13. Rampant Cronyism and Corruption
Fascist regimes almost always are governed by groups of friends and associates who appoint each other to government positions and use governmental power and authority to protect their friends from accountability. It is not uncommon in fascist regimes for national resources and even treasures to be appropriated or even outright stolen by government leaders.
14. Fraudulent Elections
Sometimes elections in fascist nations are a complete sham. Other times elections are manipulated by smear campaigns against or even assassination of opposition candidates, use of legislation to control voting numbers or political district boundaries, and manipulation of the media. Fascist nations also typically use their judiciaries to manipulate or control elections.
The good thing about The Australian Police State is that some days they forget where the thumbscrews are and the next day they have lost the batteries for the cattle prod.
Stuff a levels of Government , be it , Local .State or Federal .
It ought to be a privilage to serve in Government , Not a luxury !!! – Make all Politician’s pensions -Uniform to the age pension !!! …..
Imagine how much this would save the tax payers ? ?????????????????????????????
Tax payers work their Asses off till their retirement age !!!! And get an Age pension ,
What Gives Politicians the right to full over blown pensions – till the day they die ..And the rest of us get the crumbs ? .
Like I said ..it ought be a privilage to serve in government , Not a Luxury !
Reform the Pension for all Politicians !! And end this massive Rort !!! How much will this save tax payers from this farking Rort !!!! ???????????
All politicians to receive the same uniform age pension ,,like the rest of us !!
save the economy and debt and deficit disaster from their greedy little hands !!……………..
( And why where at ,,End -Work for the Mole ! – And End – Dead start payments –
Starvation wages for the poor !!!..
Bring back a Permanent RED SCHEME – Job Creation programmes , End the misery for the side lined in this country !!!
The Fiberals are poor on poverty ! And a Prime minister , Devoid Of any Love and compassion of Christ in side Him ! Just on a power trip with the Right- Wing – sting , Mob !!!
You cant serve 2 masters Scott .. who is your master ,,Is it Jesus or is the right wing -Ding bats
that you serve ???…………………………………………………………………………………………………………