The Coalition’s path towards destruction
Three reports published in January this year for the World Economic Forum Davos meeting of business and political leaders demonstrate how our government is going in completely the wrong direction and how their actions are wilfully destroying our economy.
Oxfam’s report, ‘An economy for the 99 percent’, details how big business and the super-rich are fuelling the inequality crisis by dodging taxes, driving down wages for their workers and the prices paid to producers, investing less in their business, and using their power to influence politics, all in order to maximize returns to their wealthy shareholders.
The report calls for a fundamental change in the way we manage our economies so that they work for all people, and not just a fortunate few. Shockingly, eight men own the same wealth as the 3.6 billion people who make up the poorest half of humanity.
Their blueprint for a more human economy calls on governments to increase taxes on both wealth and high incomes to ensure a more level playing field, and to generate funds needed to invest in healthcare, education and job creation. Governments should work together to ensure workers are paid a decent wage, and to put a stop to tax dodging and the race to the bottom on corporate tax. They must help to dismantle the barriers to women’s economic progress such as access to education and the unfair burden of unpaid care work.
They also call on governments to support companies that benefit their workers and society rather than just their shareholders.
Echoing that call was a report by a group of some 35 CEOs and civil society leaders calling themselves the Business and Sustainable Development Commission entitled ‘Better Business, Better World’ which was described as “a call to action to business leaders”.
They warn that a failure by businesses to pay more attention to the world in which they operate will result in malign consequences, fuelling environmental collapse, the continuing backlash against globalisation and some very bad politics (which we’ve already started to see).
The report insists that businesses must win back trust by fulfilling their part of the social contract.
We anticipate much greater pressure on business to prove itself a responsible social actor, creating good, properly paid jobs in its supply chains as well as in its factories and offices. Business will need to demonstrate that it pays taxes where revenue is earned; abides by environmental and labour standards; respects the national politics and customs where it operates; integrates social and environmental factors in its investment decisions; and, above all, engages as a partner with others to build an economy that is more just.
Sustainable competition depends on all the competitors facing prices that reflect the true costs of the way they do business. The idea of pricing pollution at its true environmental and social cost has been around for a long time. But the need for strong carbon pricing is becoming ever more urgent to tackle the risk of runaway climate change.
Were business to move to more sustainable models, focussing on the long term and playing a part in achieving the UN’s sustainable development goals, it says, businesses could unlock up to $12 trillion of economic opportunities and create 380 million jobs by 2030. They even list the 60 biggest market opportunities related to delivering the UN Global Goals
The third report was the Global Gender Gap Index produced by the WEF where Australia ranked a shameful 46 overall out of 144 countries. In 2006 we ranked 15. Despite there being no gender gap in educational attainment, “Australia is affected by the updated estimated earned income scale, highlighting the continued existence of a gender gap in income for Australia.” We ranked 72 on health and survival gender gap and 61 on political empowerment.
While everyone from the World Economic Forum to the Pope recognise that climate change and inequality are two of the greatest challenges facing the world today, the pitiful lack of leadership in our country is taking us in completely the wrong direction.
Rather than pricing carbon, the Coalition continues their unconscionable devotion to coal and their headlong dash towards runaway climate change.
Rather than households sharing in growth, wages aren’t keeping up with price increases and jobs are increasingly becoming part time.
Without unions to amplify their power, ordinary workers’ welfare is a low priority for today’s short-term managers. Mining profits in the March quarter, for example, soared 504 per cent from a year earlier. The average wage of the miners producing that wealth rose 0.6 per cent.
Rather than lifting people out of poverty, penalty rates and family payments have been cut, the superannuation guarantee frozen, and the unemployed subjected to increasingly onerous obligations with penalties for non-compliance.
Rather than reining in property tax concessions and providing more affordable housing, the federal government washes their hands and dumps responsibility onto the states.
Rather than taxing the wealthy higher, the government just cut the rate for those earning over $180,000 by 2% and increased by 0.5% the rate for everyone who doesn’t pay millions to an accountant to hide their income.
Rather than insisting that corporations pay tax to help pay for a healthy skilled workforce, infrastructure, and security, and despite the fact that many of them pay very little to no tax, the government are insisting on slashing tax rates for big business by 5%.
Rather than investing in the education of our youth, they are saddling tertiary students with huge debts.
Instead of insisting on transparency and accountability, this government has taken secrecy to a whole new level. They despise the ABC and Fairfax press and are trying to legislate to give Rupert Murdoch complete control over our media. They have placed gags on public servants, and NGOs will only be funded if they forego any advocacy.
Unless they heed the message resonating around the world and change direction, this government will send us on a path towards the destruction of our environment, our democracy and our social fabric.
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Return to home pageMuch of the 20th, and now the 21st, Century has been about the 1% entrenching the worlds wealth and power with them and for the moment this will continue unabated. As long as governments and politicians continue to feed at the trough of the corporations and powerful the little people will matter not a jot. How long it lasts before change blows through is anybodies guess because no-one has yet made an accurate prediction. Look at what has happened with the Wall Street and bankers protests from a handful of years ago; a lot of hope and noise and nothing has changed. It’s the old golden rule at work.
< The third report was the Global Gender Gap Index produced by the WEF where Australia ranked a shameful 46 overall out of 144 countries. In 2006 we ranked 15. Despite there being no gender gap in educational attainment, “Australia is affected by the updated estimated earned income scale, highlighting the continued existence of a gender gap in income for Australia.” We ranked 72 on health and survival gender gap and 61 on political empowerment.
Oh, dear, just when I was starting to feel patriotic, I found out that out of the people on Queen’s Birthday Honours list, only 30% were women…
Inequality has been confronted in previous centuries, usually resulting in a lot of bloodshed and social upheaval, because this “1%” don’t surrender their perceived entitlements readily. Take for example the Russian Revolutions of 1917 when the Tsarist regime was overthrown to be replaced by several years of bloody infighting among the Bolshevists and eventually the rise of the Soviet Union. And behind all this of course was adoption of a very different ideology and social structure in the form of Communism. Regrettably it may take just such a disruption to rid Western democracies of the huge inequalities they have allowed to develop. I cling to the hope that humans have become more sophisticated than our early 20th century forebears and have learnt from their mistakes, but on the other hand I often despair at the capacity of the “1%’s” and those who aspire to join them to protect and enhance their patch at the expense and suffering of the majority.
Yes it’s a depressing picture. Maybe the ALP is the answer?
Not much hope when we have visionless, careerist minders driving the political bus Always focussed on the tactical – always, all about the short term – while disregarding the strategic because it’s too far into the future.
Maybe The Greens?
But maybe not, given that they are unwilling to take on the economic structure. And then we have the PHON on whom the protest vote will be an utterly wasted. Yes it’s depressing.
As for – only 30% women – yes but we do have a ‘woman’ on the throne. And that must count for a lot extra. lol
There is no much hope with the ALP as long as Chris Bowen be in charge of economics.
September 2015:
“I would like to see the corporate tax rate come down over time. I have previously said the nation should be aiming for a 25 per cent corporate tax rate,”
In his 2013 book ‘Heart and Minds’:
“The United Kingdom, facing a much tougher fiscal situation than Australia’s, cut its company tax rate to 23 per cent in April 2013, to be reduced further to 21 per cent in April 2014.
“At 30 per cent, our company tax rate is now above the OECD average…It is how the rate compares to that of our competitors that counts.”
All this economists come from the “same school” they have been conditioned to a macroeconomic model based on neoliberal ideology and the only difference between of them is that some are prepared to feed more peanuts to the working and middle class.
To measure the target their are using the same metrics.
It would seem that “Big Business” sees the solution to fix their lack of commitment to the “Universal Social Contract” is to create MORE big business…wouldn’t that just be shifting the deck-chairs once again to the upper decks, rather than cutting the ownership of essential utilities (the once major employment and training authorities in a country). Surely the better move toward equality would be to secure employment practices rather than more free-market bullshit?
Indeed they do. In Treasuries across Australia one finds such graduates – and they are in plague proportions. They have a ‘common sense’ that soon infects those appointed to be Treasurers. Such people soon adopt not only the ‘concepts’ but also the language and rationales.
Want to sell off assets? Starting referring to the lazy capital locked away and how it could be better used elsewhere. But, invariably it isn’t.
Yes it’s group think on a massive scale that reproduces itself – via appointments and then promotions. If MMT insiders get there, they would do well to keep their heads down – and talk only in whispers.
Yes Matters Not: Always focussed on the tactical – always, all about the short term – while disregarding the strategic because it’s too far into the future.
It’s about this or the other side winning, not about us, but about them… What a FIZZA last night’s Q&A was. Sigh again.
At least the youngest guest on the panel, Amanda McKenzie was keen to aim for high emission targets….
No worries, I feel so reassured knowing there is a woman on the throne, makes up for the domestic violence, interrupted careers spent caring for children & extended family.
MN – If you were trying humour, you failed.
Appears as if .0001% of the iniquitous 1% are female, then “women are everywhere”.
How can we expect action on climate, let alone the marginalised 99% of the world’s population, when it still matters what variety of genitals one was born with?
Equality and opportunity starts at home.
An the Coalition now is happy to following Trump as an example and attacking independence of Victoria judiciary system.
“It’s the attitude of judges like these which has eroded any trust that remained in our legal system,” Michael Sukkar
…and yes indeed who’d want a republic when you can have a WOMAN on the throne, and without her, we would not even have the Queen’s Birthday long weekend.
Ms May looks and behaves a bit like a Royalty, her husband sweetly walking at least two steps behind her…
helvityni, I gave it way somewhat early into the tape. As an aside, I am not sure that it’s good political tactics for Butler et al to be all smiles when discussing serious matters and also for ALP representatives to form a temporary coalition with their political rivals. A dose of political mongrel (passion and all that) doesn’t go astray in the public domain – at least once in a while. After all, they are our representatives in this class war. Keep the white flag of surrender, completely out of sight.
As for Mr May – I would walk a few more steps behind – as I’m sure he does in private.
You all seem to forget that it is the ordinary workers and families out there that political parties have to appeal to not you lot and Pauline Hansons One Nation is doing that because correct me if I’m wrong but polling has them as Australias 3rd MAJOR PARTY. They will do well in the Queensland election and build up momentum for the Canberra election so all you disillusioned Labors and vote wasting Greens why don’t you get on the Pauline wave and get Paulines team to Canberra to throw a can of worms at the 2 Big parties. When One Nation announce their policies I think a lot more will come on board
I was disappointed when T May was holding hands (and walking behind) Trump.
No point in abusing Labor right now. It is the Coalition which is in power – and failing badly.
See how they have taken on Labor policies as if they themselves invented them – and now can do them better. It smacks of “populism”, which they accuse Labor of employing.
So the Coalition gets Gonski to support their watered down Gonski policy (saying Labor had watered down theirs). The Coaition has come up with an NDIS scheme and says Labor never funded theirs. And they come up with a pale and watery Finkel Report which has as its main aim to reduce the cost of energy – a clearly populist aim.
And the people who love coal will go along with the Report because coal still gets a jersey and is not just on the bench, but very much part of the team. Everyone is happy(?)
But I am not sure what energy generators feel about the idea of having a 3 year period of continuing to run the obsolete business before it is shut down so that the workers are not dumped unexpectedly. Good luck with that.
Meanwhile, there is a great deal of talk about reliability as well as cheapness, and some carbon capture and storage, and “clean” new-technology coal-fired power stations which might be built…And it takes a great deal of talk on Q&A about how SA lost the lights on one day last year before the Labor man pointed out that 22 power pylons had been blown down in high winds. A twitter from a watcher pointed out that their region had had blackouts – and they were powered by coal!
The Finkel Reort is a half-baked compromise. It is as if those who belong to the group who, over the past couple of centuries, have pumped millions of tonnes of greenhouse gases into the air, polluted waterways, poisoned the soil, affected the health of millions etc etc…and it will cost them nothing. Kind of like avoiding taxes.
Helen, it appears to me that you are in the wrong site, the intelligence level of the viewers and bloggers here is well above of what you think.
…it was all waste of time, nothing to celebrate or laugh about…
🙂 for dear Mr May, he looks a bit downtrodden….
The “Better Business, Better World” report admitted that “uncertainty makes it hard for business leaders to see the way ahead. Rather than commit to longer-term investments, many companies are treading water – sitting on cash, buying back shares, paying high dividends. The latest global report on trust in business from Edelman shows a double-digit decline in the credibility of CEOs in 80 percent of countries.”
They expressed fine sentiments in the report and worthy aspirations but, as the Independent cynically pointed out, “The trouble is pretty words and CEOs wearing tie dye shirts on dress down Fridays are all very well, but actions speak louder.”
PS I will go down with this ship
And I won’t put my hands up and surrender
There will be no white flag above my door
PPS If I was Mr May I’d have a seat rather than following her around.
Freethinker
I guess Mrs May got her ideas from Trump, as Helvitini said, poor Mr May. I may be wrong to use the title ‘Mrs’ for Theresa, however I do understand that to be part of the .0001% of the 1%, it helps to be traditional.
Better to wait until they get again – so they can really disappoint once again? Until Labor has a plan for action –with timelines – we will again be deceived, because it will never be the right time, can’t afford it at the moment, we’ll do it in the next term, circumstances” have changed, the budgetary position is *worse than expected, and so on.
Timelines please.
Kaye, I am not aware if there is a new report regarding corruption but the 2012 Phase 3 Report on Implementing the ODCE Anti-Bribery Convention in Australia was very worry indeed
http://www.oecd.org/daf/anti-bribery/Australiaphase3reportEN.pdf
“Only one foreign bribery case has led to prosecutions. These prosecutions were commenced in 2011 and are on-going. Out
of 28 foreign bribery referrals that have been received by the Australian Federal Police (AFP), 21 have been concluded without charges”
Oh lordy, Helen’s back.
“You all seem to forget that it is the ordinary workers and families out there that political parties have to appeal to not you lot”
Who do you think we lot are?
“why don’t you get on the Pauline wave and get Paulines team to Canberra to throw a can of worms at the 2 Big parties. When One Nation announce their policies I think a lot more will come on board”
Not that it would interest or influence you in any way Helen but One Nation already have lots and lots of policies. The fact that most of them are illegal shouldn’t bother you. As for getting on board with Pauline, or should we say James, I would rather commit self harm than inflict that moronic woman and slimy fraud on this country. Throwing worms is about the best we could hope for from them but be prepared to pay them to do it – these two do nothing unless it comes with money, or planes, to line their own pockets. Pauline has collected millions for running unsuccessfully in every single election. And Ashby is on tape about his attempts to defraud the electoral commission. But hey, they sure can throw worms.
Yes Guest it’s all so ‘ pale and watery’: their NDIS, Gonski, Finkler Report…but I wish that Labor came after them a bit more aggressively..
Also here’s Fizza lecturing Johnny -come- latelies to be more patriotic, whilst at same time Michael Cranston is resigning in connection with $ 130 million fraud…lecture him instead…for being un-patriotic.
Helen, if you are serious about wanting an alternative to the major parties then you’re wasting your time voting for Pauline Hanson. To make my point, please do me the honour of reading this short article.
I don’t know where to start on that one.
Helen, I already have a copy of One Nation Policies:
Better still, implement a Defence of the Homeland tax so the pubic pays for the ammo (the ammo cartoon)
Matters Not, @4:49
this is the kind of misery I was referring to. My memory of the last election was that Labor had a very good policy platform.
Labor lost by very very little – and what did we get? This shambles of a rudderless, incompetent policy vacuum. Turnbull must have cried into his whiskey. Now he spends his time shouting and waving his arms about.
What happened in the UK? Corbyn was reviled and ridiculed – but the voters realised they had been dudded by the Tories and their austerity line.
So also in France. The far right lost. And Merkel is the strength in Europe.
Do not give an inch to the Coalition rabble. They deserve no sympathy for their idiocy.
As one well entrenched in the bottom half of the bottom third of the 99%, all I can think of to say to the 1% when there is no one left for them to screw over, and they are hungry and looking for something(one??) to eat, is ”Let them eat their money” and watch them all die in shock and horror,
and starvation.
Gangey
I’d help shovel in the 50 cent pieces for dessert.
James Ashby’s One Nation policy on climate change is a hoot – very obviously written by Malcolm Roberts who I have a sneaking suspicion suffers from short-man complex.
“Letters from CSIRO and BOM heads contain no evidence that carbon dioxide affects climate. No CSIRO, BOM or UN reports contain evidence of human cause.”
They want to “Hold a Royal Commission (or similar) into the corruption of climate science and identify whether any individual or organisation has misled government to effect climate and energy policy.”
They will “oppose all taxes levied on Carbon Dioxide” and they want to “Abolish the Renewable Energy Target (RET)” and “Remove all subsidies and financial advantages offered to the renewable energy industry and make them compete on an even playing field with other energy sources.” No mention whatsoever about abolishing fossil fuel subsidies.
“The wind industry must compensate all residents who have been proven to suffer from Wind Turbine Syndrome and any residents where the presence of wind turbines have negatively effected the price of their home.” No mention of the people living near coal mines who suffer from REAL health problems.
“Instead of so-called ‘Alternative Energies’ that are really ‘alternatives to energy’, we will work to reduce energy prices, and bring back dependability and reliability through environmentally responsible, energies. Low cost energy enables efficiency and productivity that generate wealth to protect the environment.”
And people vote for these morons?
The problem is not with the coalition’s path towards destruction. The problem is that they are not content with self-destruction.
The legions of spin doctors employed by governments across the country, like Newscorpse sub-editors trying to make a ‘witty’ or ‘clever’ headline to herald a tragic news article, are endlessly engaged in the formation of a slogan, to the detriment of any policy substance.
The spin doctors, their political masters and their corporate benefactors seem to be the only ones who believe the spin. They no longer care to make an argument to justify or explain their spin. They no longer care to provide details to support their spin.
They issue their edicts, with nothing more than ‘Trust me’ as security for a naturally suspicious electorate. This is, after all, one of the most distrusted professions on the planet.
Their hubris is surpassed only by their mindless incompetence.
“Instead of insisting on transparency and accountability, this government has taken secrecy to a whole new level. They despise the ABC and Fairfax press and are trying to legislate to give Rupert Murdoch complete control over our media. They have placed gags on public servants, and NGOs will only be funded if they forego any advocacy.”
On the ABC today was an article about dutton’s modus operandi.
“Twenty legal service providers contacted by Lateline reported bringing a combined total of more than 80 compensation cases against the Immigration Department since January 2015.
The majority of those cases settled before going to court, with plaintiffs awarded significant payouts. Most carry strict confidentiality agreements.”
“Documents obtained under a Freedom of Information request lodged by the Australian Lawyer’s Alliance stated that between 1999 and 2011, the Immigration Department paid $23.4 million in compensation to people who had been held in Australian-run immigration detention centres.
“Our suspicion is that that number will be a lot higher now because there has been quite a lot of litigation in the last five years,” Mr Barns said.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-13/lawyers-predict-biggest-human-rights-settlement-in-australia/8610780
It is merely one of many examples of a government being held to account by our legal system, or what little remains of it. It comes as no surprise, therefore, that our ignorant ministers now want to vilify the legal system. This government does not pride itself on its performance. This government does not pride itself on its blatant disregard for any oversight or scrutiny. This government prides itself on its ability to scream down any criticism.
“Those comments angered the Opposition, which says the Government should be defending the rule of law rather than attacking it.
The Judicial Conference of Australia, which represents the nation’s judges and magistrates, said it amounted to a “coordinated and direct attack on the character and independence of the Victorian judiciary”.”
“Shadow attorney-general Mark Dreyfus said the Coalition was out of line.
“Comments by government ministers today criticising senior members of the Victorian judiciary are disgraceful and wildly inappropriate,” Mr Dreyfus said.
“These attacks on the independence of our judiciary amount to an attack on our democracy.
“Our judges, no matter which government they were appointed by, must be free to do their job without political interference.””
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-13/federal-government-says-victoria-is-weak-on-terrorism/8612496
They have Ms Triggs as their precedent. Separation of powers be buggered.
However, there is hope for the ignorant and foolhardy.
“Today in the NSW Supreme Court, Senator Hanson’s legal representatives discontinued proceedings against the ABC and she was ordered to pay the national broadcaster’s legal fees.”
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-06-13/pauline-hanson-withdraws-abc-gag-order-proceedings/8612718
Dutton currently has over 40% of his decisions overturned at the AAT. That’s twice the non-success rate of ‘robo-debt’. No wonder he wants to change the rules.
Hopefully, when he gets his new ‘gooderer ‘strine’ legislation passed, they will use the One Notion website as a starting point and deport the lot of them.
“Unless they heed the message resonating around the world and change direction, this government will send us on a path towards the destruction of our environment, our democracy and our social fabric.”
There are none so deaf, as those that will not hear.
There are none so blind, as those that will not see.
Thank you Ms Lee and commenters. Off to the barricades, anyone? Take care
With business profits up 40% and wages up 0.3% – what can go wrong?
“Unless they heed the message resonating around the world and change direction, this government will send us on a path towards the destruction of our environment, our democracy and our social fabric.”
What makes you think they are in the least interested in these last three items? They couldn’t see what they were even if these things came and bit them on the bum!
guest at 5:47 pm
A couple of points. Good policy platforms, while necessary, are not sufficient. Especially, when these policy platforms are treated like railway platforms. Created to get in on but certainly not there to remain on. You mention ‘Gonski’ – yes a great report, offering a blueprint for the future and all that. Became a great brand name but the essence of same was hollowed out by Shorten in his effort to be the tactician. Shorten f#cked up – to the chagrin of Boston and Gonski.. In doing so, he created a brand vacuum which Turnbull filled with glee.
I should stress that the Gonski program that Turnbull outlines is an abomination. It’s a continuation of the gross inequality that characterised educational funding for decades. But Turnbull has appropriated the brand. Thus he can now sell shit with one hell of a good label. The MSM bought it.
That Labor has good policies is not to be denied. But so did Rudd. Time we stopped evaluating them in terms of intention and started to look at outcomes.
Currently, governments get one term. Either they use it or we lose it. Time is of the essence.
In my opinion, pretty much every politician has become a tactician mainly concerned with their own re-election. Good policies are so often diminished in the implementation or abandoned altogether as a political hot potato.
Oh for someone with the guts to tell the truth, the nouse to understand beyond the spin doctors’ talking points, the ability to explain to the electorate, and the courage to take us in the direction we need to go rather than the direction of greatest profit for the 1%.
It looks like that Malcolm “leadership” is in life support after today special meeting to discuss the Finkel review.
Not least than twenty one backbench MPs with Abbott leading them raised concerns about the CET
“Mr Abbott, who had not read the Finkel report, slammed the CET on Monday as a “magic pudding” and “a tax on coal”.
http://www.afr.com/news/politics/coalition-mps-revolt-against-clean-energy-target-20170612-gwpsnr
Just like Pyne didn’t read Gonski before slamming it, Macdonald didn’t read the Forgotten Children report before slamming Triggs, and Abbott’s humiliating utterings about Olympic Dam when, once again, he hadn’t read the report.
I am sick to death of paltry politicians ignoring experts so they can make a noise because that is all they are….white noise drowning out sensible debate.
Yep. Once it was one of the considerations. Now it seems – the only consideration, particularly for those in a marginal seat. And in the current climate almost all seats become marginal. Indeed marginality applies to leadership positions as well. Just ask Abbott, Rudd, Gillard and if you’re being kind don’t mention it around Mal because everything he does these days revolves around that.
The body politic is sick. As are many of the other social institutions.
Change is in the air.
Helen,
Just wondering. Is Pauline and Malcolm organising any more trips to the screwed barrier reef to prove to us ignorant plebs that climate change is a hoax.
Johno theres more to it than happy snaps
I guess you too have had a gutfull of Annastacia as have most on this site it seems and we can wave goodbye to Labour in Queensland come the next election and then the LNP together with their Canberra mates can do what they please about Adani and Labour can dream about what might have been so you can give the LNP full rein or pick from the good team of One Nation candidates that I’ve given you the link to, to look after the interests of Queenslanders.
It is funny really that Annastacia cops it regularly from you lot here and the Greens on the ground in Queensland out there acting snug and telling the world how evil Labour is at sunday markets and shopping centres and things but they never mention the Liberal Nationals {funny that !} So when you get the Liberal Nationals as your next QLD government you can bet a few One Nation candidates will be elected and standing up for QLDERS along with some Katter Party members
Who knows Johno I don’t really get what you are hoping for in Queensland but give One Nation a look
http://www.onenation.com.au/candidates
p.s. Johno just who do YOU want to win the Queensland election
Helen
One Nation – no
LNP – no
Labour – no
Green – yes
Johno
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
Do you want to buy a pair of breeding Unicorns?
I bet you couldn’t even keep a straight face as you typed that as I figure even you know the Greens are toxic in Queensland {and elsewhere for that matter} and have about as much hope as Kim Kardashian of winning
At least Johno you made my day and put a smile on my face with your hahahaha
One Nation has lost its third Queensland candidate since December, with party leader Pauline Hanson dumping the candidate for Mulgrave, in the state’s far north, Peter Rogers, because ‘someone’ posted absolute rubbish on his facebook page about the drowned Syrian toddler and the Port Arthur massacre being conspiracies.
One Nation also lost the candidate for Bundamba earlier in the month when Shan Ju Lin was disendorsed, following a since-deleted Facebook post stating gay people engaged in “abnormal sexual behaviour” and “should be treated as patients”.
Another candidate, Andy Semple withdrew in late December after he was asked by the party to delete a controversial tweet which featured a man wearing a T-shirt with the letters “LGBT” accompanied by images of the statue of liberty, a gun, beer and breasts.
“Now that’s a LGBT cause I can get behind. Queue Pink Mafia Outrage in 3, 2, 1…”
Pauline just collects as many people as she can, and some of them have been real nutters like Lawrence Shave, the “pastor” who was advertising for bikini clad baristas. Then there was Cameron Bartkowski whose Facebook page had likes to such wonderful sites as ‘hot booty ebony’, ‘world class babes’, ‘hot girls worldwide’, ‘I cuckhold all my boyfriends and ‘f**k my ex’.
Then there was David Archibald, who wrote in a Quadrant article that there were a number of welfare programs that should be slashed because they support “lifestyle choices that could be defunded”.
“The first that springs to mind is single motherhood,” he writes.
“These are women too lazy to attract and hold a mate, undoing the work of possibly three million years of evolutionary pressure.”
“This will result in a rapid rise in the portion of the population that is lazy and ugly. We know what causes pregnancy these days, so everyone who gets pregnant outside of marriage is a volunteer.”
Oh yes Helen, those One Nation candidates are just the ticket. Pauline very much has her eyes set on the dollars she gets for every vote. Quality of the candidate is irrelevant.
Perhaps you could tell me which of Pauline’s policies have convinced you she would make a positive difference. You talk of opposition to Annastacia Palaszczuk – I assume you are aware that Pauline Hanson is all for coal mining and wants to build the railway for Adani with government money – not a loan or anything – a straight out gift.
You asked a question “Johno just who do YOU want to win the Queensland election”….you didn’t ask who do you think WILL win.
Those of us who understand the dangers of climate change have very few options. The coal devotees will kill the planet unless we stop them though I can’t see anyone with half a brain investing in new coal endeavours. But Pauline and that weirdo Malcolm Roberts know better than all the scientists and economists…apparently
Helen
Are you okay, seem like you need help.
Kaye
The One Nation site still is recruiting candidates as you can see on the link I put and as for this and you mean to tell me other parties haven’t had problems with candidates?
“Pauline very much has her eyes set on the dollars she gets for every vote.” you put this with monotonous regularity but never mention the Greens have an even greater strategy of doing this to fund raise standing candidates in every seat in every election even when they get less than 1% of the vote and even running opportunity candidates as they call them
There was an article about this I’ll find it for you but I doubt you’d read it as it doesn’t suit your blinkered agenda
JohnoJune 14, 2017 at 9:32 am
Helen
Are you okay, seem like you need help.
Johno, Queensland will be need help if there to many people with that views in the electorate.
Education can help some, for others will be to late.
If they get less than 1% of the vote then they don’t get any money Helen. You have to get over 4% of the first preference vote to be paid. The Greens are also an actual party as opposed to Pauline who is a one person show with total control over where the money goes, answerable to no-one. She even sacked the long term ON treasurer and installed her brother-in-law. Doesn’t that ring any alarm bells for you? Does her well documented attempt at electoral fraud not trouble you? Does it worry you that candidates HAVE to pay James Ashby for their printing? The whole thing stinks to high heaven. And NO party has had as many lunatics exposed on such a regular basis.
In the last Queensland state election the Greens got 8.43% of the first preference votes, Palmer got 5.11% (and didn’t that work out well-NOT), Katter got 1.93% and One Nation got 0.92%. Perhaps there are not as many people who think like Helen as she supposes.
I constantly wonder what will take the modern workforce to get angry enough to protest in the street? We see people overseas doing so, we did it in the 70s but the modern workforce see stories such as this one with the 0.01% of the global population having as much wealth as the 99% combined yet do nothing. I fear for the conditions we won during our protests, most of which have been deleted. Unless they make a stand the figure of 3 million plus living below the poverty line will balloon and we will all be trying to survive on a bowl of rice per day.
townsvilleblog, we still have a to good life style here, when there is no enough bread to put at the table then you will see people marching in the streets.
Guillotine Day cometh!
Kaye Lee
“In the last Queensland state election the Greens got 8.43% of the first preference votes, Palmer got 5.11% (and didn’t that work out well-NOT), Katter got 1.93% and One Nation got 0.92%. Perhaps there are not as many people who think like Helen as she supposes.”
you use old news to support your biases and it does seem more people think like me than you Greens lot
16.7% compared to your lots 7.1% May 19 2017
On first preference votes, Labor would get 31.9 per cent of the vote, the LNP would get 30.6 per cent, the Greens 7.1 per cent, One Nation 16.7 per cent and other/ independent 4.1 per cent.
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/labor-could-win-election-if-we-voted-today-poll-20170519-gw8m58.html
This is confusing, Ms Bates. Perhaps you can help me out.
One nation is Australia’s 3rd major party, and exists to throw a can of worms at the 2 big parties.
Is that right?
If it’s now one of the 3 major parties, does that explain why they keep throwing worms at themselves? I’m not suggesting for a second that Ashby, Roberts, Hanson, et al are worms.
Allah forbid.
It is entirely appropriate to discuss the one notion phenomena in an article about the coalition. After all, one notion have been so busy throwing worms, they haven’t had time to actually consider policy. Does that explain why they keep voting with the coalition? Shouldn’t we then describe them as a worm farm for the coalition? I suppose that allows them to pretend to be a third party, whilst merely being an adjunct of a second party.
Just out of curiosity, do you know if they have resolved that thingy with the AEC? You know, back in April.
“The Sydney Morning Herald reports One Nation secretly switched legal structures last year.
It’s reported it changed from an unincorporated association to an incorporated association in a bid to shift legal liability away from senior party officers.
Under this new structure the party’s constitution does not comply with the requirements of a registered political party.
Senator Hanson also failed to notify the QEC or One Nation members as required under electoral laws.”
Whilst I understand the biggest one notion policy is that laws are only for Muslims, refo’s, the downtrodden, Aborigine’s, and anyone else appalling doesn’t like, dependent only on the direction of the wind (whether the wind be political, popular, or insipid), do you think she may pay some attention to the laws of the land? It is not, after all, sharia induced.
Anyway, I digress. I actually wanted to enquire about the purchase of the pair of breeding Unicorns. Are you sure one notion wants to sell its only assets? Clearly, the plane isn’t for sale. Nobody seems to know who owns it.
Take care
Jobs and Growth, just in the news:
Telstra has confirmed 1,400 jobs will be cut within Australia.
The Coalition is on target……………
And for my 2 cents worth, I think Helen Bates must be a relative of Master Bates.
How are you Phill?
Vikingduk
2 cents worth! my god you are over rating yourself if you think that sick attempt at humour was the best you could do.Ha Ha you are so funny …………not!
Kyran
you don’t expect me to read your drivel do you?
Wasn’t an attempt at humour, it was an attempt at subtlety, i.e., instead of calling you a wanker. From my perspective, this tends to describe one notion supporters, and I’ll even throw in a free spelling lesson — the Labor Party, you’ll notice that Labor, when referring to the political party is spelt without a “u”. Clear? Or should I use simpler words?
LOL, Ms Bates. Funnily enough, I didn’t expect you to read it. But I’m even more confused now.
Did you read it before you declared it ‘drivel’? Or did you declare it ‘drivel’ without reading it?
The first proposition makes you a thinker. The second makes you a future one notion candidate. Best of luck with that.
Take care
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/peter-dutton-blasts-ambulancechasing-law-firm-after-landmark-90-million-manus-island-settlement-20170614-gwqum0.html
And so Mr Brussels Sprout falls back on the now exceedingly tiresome and hoary phrase from the LNP lexicon; It’s all…and can you guess the rest. Gosh, I wonder why the gummint settled, could it be that there are many skeletons lurking in the closet that can cause a problem or two for Little Malcy and cronies?
Helen, as long the gummint keeps giving in to what One Ashby, sorry, Nation wants then they’ll keep voting for policies that are atrocious by any standards.
You want funny? Gov. Paying out $70 million compensation to refugees, plus $20 million in legal fees and the projectile vomit dutton blames Labor, Telstra sack 1400 workers and say this will enable them to offer more efficient customer service, Malcolm robert’s thought processes, climate policy to suit phony Tony and his merry band of arseholes, turnbull’s prime ministership, poorline Hanson, ashby, what plane? LNP policy . . .
Yes Kaye, “our government is going in completely the wrong direction”.
Probably true of most governments. And the reason?
The actors are not really conscious of what they’re doing. But their actions are stirring up the masses and it’s this activation of consciousness that will in its own way overthrow those who would seek to profit from a deeply unconscious society. I don’t know how it’ll unfold but I’m confident the one percenters are going to wake up. There are other options no doubt but this is really the only one worth entertaining.
Phill – how are you?
No, no, havanaliedown, have you taken the Bex yet?
(Now there’s a test he’ll fail!)
By the way, how is Phill?
Who the bloody hell is Phill?
Where the bloody hell is havana?
Mm, isn’t he somewhere in Cuba?
Helen Bates is using Troll 101 technique of ‘Forum Sliding’ by entering unrelated postings to dilute reasoned and logical postings. Best defense is to recognise the troller and not to feed them.