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Day to Day Politics: Anything but the truth.

Wednesday 15 February 2017

1 If nothing else, since electing Tony Abbott as its leader, one has to admire the determination of the Coalition to prove themselves deplorable managers of Climate Change policy.

From the day Tony Abbott declared Climate Change crap and a socialist plot in 2009, hardly a day has gone past that it hasn’t denigrated renewable energy and championed coal at every turn.

Now it is subjecting Labor, after it put in place an answer to the problem, to a torrent of anti-coal abuse. The spectacle in parliament yesterday with the Coalition trying to justify its scare campaign against renewables after they had been found out telling lies about the cause of the South Australian blackouts, said much about its inability to accept the science.

The scare campaign is in two parts. Firstly, that increases in renewable energy would lead to blackouts and secondly, that Labor was endangering our ”energy security”.

Is nobody listening? We are screaming out for our politicians to stop lying but they are getting worse. Trump seems to have inspired them to reach for greater heights. Turnbull’s hypocrisy on this subject has jumped into the realm of illusion and fantasy. Is he trying to out Trump, Trump? He lies with a self-belief born of pathological delusion.

It has been rightly suggested that we need a consensus based policy developed with the help of experts. Of course we do, but when you have a government that is determined to ignore the expert advice it already receives and the science behind it, what do you do?

It is only a short time ago that Turnbull castigated the Energy Minister for mentioning the words carbon price and last week they were playing show and tell with a piece of coal in question time.

On Monday it was revealed that the Coalition knew that the report would say that renewables were not the cause of the SA blackouts. (Shades of Tampa).

The fact is that everyone was aware of this but it didn’t deter the conservatives of lying about it. You would be hard pressed to find an economist that doesn’t support a carbon tax. Alan Kohler put it this way, “the only reason coal is ‘cheap’ is that the cost of dealing with the carbon dioxide that comes from burning it, is not included in the price”.

Kohler added, “The rest of Australia’s leaders, in particular the CEOs of our largest companies, should declare now that enough is enough, and pull these idiots into line.”

There is a consensus among those expert in these matters that urgent action is needed. It is not beyond the intellect of Turnbull, however, he apparently thinks the pursuit of power for power’s sake is more important than saving the planet.

2. Yesterday Bill Shorten introduced legislation to reform political donations in Australia. We have a 3 point plan to restore trust in politics, he said. 1) inquiry into the merits of a Federal ICAC. 2) Reform the expenses system. 3) Ban foreign donations, disclose all donations above $1000, and close loopholes in political donations.

Anyone listening?

3. I took the American Facebook political quiz and they declared me extremely Left wing.

”You are a very solid liberal. You believe in social welfare and equality. You believe that large corporations should be regulated by the government. You also don’t believe that religion has a place in policy making and that people can make moral and just decisions without the belief in God. You do not see the need for growing and strengthening our military. You feel we all have a responsibility to help the less fortunate and that the government needs to help ensure that all people have their basic needs met. When it comes to marriage and family, you believe that they should be enjoyed by everyone”

4. Social Services Minister Christian Porter must wish people would stop listening when he talks. In Parliament, trying to justify his cuts to family payments he said:

“We invest all of the money we’re saving in the Family Tax Benefit system.”

This is wrong and Jenny Macklin was quick to let him know:

“Under the government’s policy, it’s cutting $2.7 billion in family payments and only spending $1.6 billion on its child care policy. Is the Minister aware he was misleading the Australian people, or is he just plain incompetent?”

Mr Porter embarrassingly conceded that:

“I should have said almost all, that is true, that is true.”

Hang on. Almost all? There’s a gap of more than $1 billion. It seems Christian Porter thinks that’s just a rounding error.

Anyway, as it stands the Nick Xenophon Team has rejected the Child Care legislation and unless the Government compromises further it is dead in the water.

On this day last year I wrote.

”Malcolm Turnbull came to power promising much. A fresh approach to Government following the dark, angry style of Abbott. He promised fairness, transparency and explanations of why change was needed.

”’Change is our friend, our ally, we’ve got to be nimble, agile”

He said he could take us in the direction of honest Government with stability and purpose. A return to what Abbott opposed. A return to orderly Westminster processes defined by cabinet government. A Government that outlined its agenda and explained it.

The past fortnight has proved that besides looking and sounding like the Lord of the Manor, at the end of the first parliamentary fortnight for 2016, he has turned out to be a monumental flop.

Did we create an unfair expectation or did he?

Still hanging over Turnbull’s head is a defenceless policy on equality in marriage, a refusal to even give tacit approval to a debate on a Republic suggesting that he is beholding to those on the extreme right of his party instead of the national interest.

He has not as yet provided us with an answer as to why a change in leader was necessary. Abbott’s policies survive and there is little differentiation from this period.

He pumped up the innovation statement but at the same time would not commit to the final years funding of Gonski and the CSIRO, because of a lack of funding, will have to release more scientists. That’s hardly encouraging innovation.

On top of all this they decide to charge ahead with another Abbott policy, the Medicare payment system. It will not win votes even if it could be justified.

Leadership changes can throw up some unrealistic, even unfair expectations. The past two Coalition leaders have promised good leadership. Abbott never delivered and Turnbull thus far is following suit. Even with the revised Ministry announced on Saturday it is hardly likely to make a difference a few short months prior before the election.

Good governance will have been on hold for three years.

OMG. When will it all end.

My thought for the day.

‘When you tell a lie you deny the other person’s right to the truth’

43 comments

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  1. Peter F

    Turnbull has solar panels and backup battery system on his harbourside mansion. Despicable little man who will protect himself while blaming the installation of renewables for blackouts. The drop in demand which has seen coal fired power stations close down is partially a result of the actions of homeowners installing solar panels, and the effect is about to increase dramatically in the next few years as the cost of storage reduces. Turnbull knows that, and is following Party orders to slow down the inevitable.

    The man is not worthy to be at the head of our parliament.

  2. Kaye Lee

    When does legal liability for inaction kick in? The Dutch were successful in suing their government. I would love to hear them argue that coal is good for humanity in a court.

  3. Roswell

    “When does legal liability for inaction kick in?”

    That one should have constitutional lawyers scurrying for their law books, if of course there is any liability.

    Kaye, good question.

  4. Kaye Lee

    Roswell,

    There is some action as mentioned at newmatilda.

    EXPLAINER: Can Australians Sue The Government Over Its Climate Inaction?

    a group called Our Children’s Trust had secured the right to sue the federal government over its public-policy approach to climate change.

    The trust — which, according to the Popular Science column comprises 21 plaintiffs aged 9 to 20 — is targeting President Obama, the fossil-fuel industry and federal agencies for allegedly violating their constitutional rights by declining to take action against climate change.

    “Federal courts too often have been cautious and overly deferential in the arena of environmental law, and the world has suffered for it,” wrote U.S. District Judge Ann Aiken in a ruling officially clearing the trust’s path to sue the government, according to the Motherboard report.

    http://www.marketwatch.com/story/federal-judge-gives-kids-right-to-sue-government-over-climate-change-inaction-2016-11-15

  5. stephengb2014

    Is it possible to sue the LNP for deceiving the parliament and thus the people, it os clear to me that, as the governing party, they:
    1. Have a duty of care!
    2. They have failed that duty!
    3. They have caused loss!
    (I would even imagine loss of life by their actions – inaction is still an action)

    Surely these three pillars of tort law can be proven to exist, surely it is worth a class action by citizens of this country to seek sufficient compensation for losses incured.

    Do we have any legal beagles willing to take it on and make themselves world famous, if not extremely well paid?

  6. Leanne Jones

    Malcolm Trumbull is a huge disappointment. I am not impressed by what he stands for. Zilch.. He is a distant cousin of mine and my grandmother was a Turnbull. The Turnbull clan would be disgusted with this man who only cares for his position. He is a snob and behaves as if he is superior to all of us, when in fact he is just a man who sold his soul for his position as prime Minister. The Coal-ition is destroying our country by the very fact that they have no plans for the future generations and have screwed most of us and especially those that really need assistance. They must hate the poor, the mentally ill, families, the elderly, the unwell and more. All they care about are their mates in big business. The LNP are always lying about what great economic managers they are which is a great big lie. They do not care for the environment which is important to sustain life. I just hope that people wake up to these liars and kick them out at the next election.

  7. Peter F

    The PM might not care for THE environment, but he does care for HIS environment. He has installed solar panels with battery backup on his home in Sydney, at the same time as he is calling renewable irresponsible.

  8. Ella Miller

    Mr. Lord, a very truthful and depressing read.

    We do not have “HUMAN ADULTS ” in charge.

    We have a party ‘machine’ with no morals , no vision , who appear to have no responsibility to our nation or world.
    They lie, mislead and destroy not only the environment but the social safety net and justify it all with more bull shit.
    Like their TROJAN HORSE bills of late.
    They have destroyed our social cohesion ,giving rise to the ‘basket of deplorables’ like Hanson,et al.

    While NSW is on fire, WA is being flooded, they pass around a lump of coal in Parliament. It appears that COAL is GOD.

    They stir up nationalist emotions to divide us.

    Hannah Arendt had tis to say:

    “supernationalist emotions have helped form the collective mass consciousness necessary for the development of totalitarianism.”

    The next quote is worth a thought,

    “Mass Man has become a refugee within his own Society, a man led by declassed intellectuals”

  9. Harquebus

    Renewable energy is a lie.

    “You would be hard pressed to find an economist that doesn’t support a carbon tax.”
    A good reason not to implement it which, will only hurt the poor, again.

    Why should we listen to yet another politician [Bill Shorten] who has proved himself yet another idiot.

    “OMG. When will it all end[?].”
    It’s only just started.

    “The point of modern propaganda isn’t only to misinform or push an agenda. It is to exhaust your critical thinking, to annihilate truth.” — Garry Kasparov

    Cheers.

  10. wam

    Depressing, the new kidofasmallcar’s slogan outsizes the rabbott for ‘fake’ truth.

    our income tax:

    85% goes to welfare
    wow that truth will deflect any fall out and get the boys and girls on my page bashing the s..t out of bill.

    Just keep pushing 50 billion to business keep it simple. Avoid any answer that will sound hollow, just smile and ask is this the time to follow what trump says???

    but let us repeat on facebook the tax avoidance by multinationals costs us $50 billion in tax.

    ps is it true that if we had zero emissions the effect on the climate would be negligible?

    In a climate(oops) where septic right wing rubbish has a change of flag and touts no foreign aid till homeless vets are housed and pensioners climate change is negligible.

    oh my f*cking life how can anyone listen to this turd at the srilankan conference
    bashed bill and SA notice bill you get asked question and try to answer these prick don’t get questioned because they don’t answer
    ‘hard yards’ this was just after the srilankan praised the liberal party and said send srilankans back because it is now safe.
    bowen?????

  11. Harquebus

    Ella Miller
    Will you please ask Cody’s permission for me to distribute his letter to and the response from Malcolm Turnbull.
    Thanking you and him in advance.

    My apologies for the interruption.

    Cheers.

  12. Henry Rodrigues

    I apologise for any offence that some of you might take to my descriptive language about Turdball, but as far as I am concerned, there has never been such an unmitigated, lying, hypocritical bastard as PM of our beautiful country and nation. He is a blemish on our Australian ethos and a blot on the landscape. He’s way beyond the brutishness and the deviousness of Abbott and Howard. They at least believed in their actions. This bastard only believes in occupying the seat.

  13. helvityni

    Henry, you are getting quite poetic there… 🙂

    I agree that he’s the worst Oz PM, makes me miss Abbott, at least in all his silliness ,he was authentic.

    And even I did not like Howard, I did not lay awake at night worried, like I do with this narcissist…

  14. Ella Miller

    Harquebus
    Yes and yes. I will see Cody soon no doubt he will respond appropriately.

  15. Ella Miller

    Wam, what ever happened to the recommendations made by the Henry tax review?

    We can’t play around with corporate profit can we?
    How could we find out the before tax deductions income of the major 20 corporations and see what tax they pay?

  16. Henry Rodrigues

    helvityni……ironically, this worst of all PMs, brings out the most heartfelt opinions. I’m losing sleep just waiting for the next elections.

  17. stephentardrew

    As I always noted John Turnbull was always a fake tin man with no moral convictions other than to get ahead. Proof in the pudding.

  18. jimhaz

    God, anyone would think Cody actually said something moving and significant. I don’t get it – isn’t he just a kid parroting what he has learnt from his mother.

  19. helvityni

    jimhaz, you obviously don’t have grandchildren… 🙂

  20. Ella Miller

    jimhaz, I don’t want this conversation to be about Cody…it is obvious that you have never been a child in a family that is struggling to make ends meet. He a sensitive thinking being who did NOT “learnt his views from his mother” but has lived the struggle his mother faces every day. He has more compassion than what you seem able to demonstrate..What have you done other than make smart comments ????

  21. Ella Miller

    jimaz…I am PROUD OF MY GRANDSON…I won’t allow the likes of you to belittle his capacity to care or his attempt to make life better for the likes of his mother.

    Perhaps if there were more people like him in this world…we would not be having this discussion.

    Smart a…e comments won’t change what is.

  22. Roswell

    Ella, on behalf of The AIMN I’d like to apologise for jimhaz’s comment.

  23. Harquebus

    jimhaz
    Turnbull’s response to Cody’s letter clearly demonstrates his contempt for us all. Young and old alike.
    If you can not see the problem then, you are a part of it.
    Cheers.

  24. Jaquix

    Good Lord, there is absolutely nothing to admire about this government. Any determination they have is for their own benefit.

  25. jimhaz

    @ Ella,

    Look the first post you made with his letter was fine, as was posting the reply.

    But the issue has come up on threads 4 or 5 times or something like that. It seems over the top, though perhaps more due to others than yourself.

    Sometimes this forum becomes too much of a Mothers/Grandmothers club. I don’t care if you are offended by my comment, as I’m not here to please your ego as you gloat over your grandson’s Social Justice Warrior leanings. If his mother is poor then is he really being altruistic?

    There seems to be an expectation we should never be aggressive to older women. Stuff that. Surely that is more or less a misogynist’s viewpoint in that the reasoning behind this that the old women cant handle it.

    @Harquebus

    You asking for a copy was what really prompted me to complain. I thought WTF?

    Politicians (or more accurately their ministerial response writers) always respond in that ‘no real information’ fashion to anything political – and have for many decades, State and Federal.

  26. Ella Miller

    Roswell, thank you.
    Sadly the comment is a reflection on people who think like him. A reflection on the fact that he can’t realise that when 12 year olds
    realise the problem …something must be very wrong.
    Sad that our leaders are still trying to spin.

  27. Ella Miller

    jimaz
    “not here to to please your ego”

    NO you are not but you are here to please YOUR EGO …how sad.

  28. Harquebus

    jimhaz
    I have copies already and have tried by other means to contact Ella Miller.
    My request for permission to distribute was a courtesy.

    My apologies again John Lord for the distraction.

    If anyone is interested in the example of Malcolm Turnbull’s contempt for us, here are the relevant links.
    Search the pages for Cody.

    The Fiction Of Unemployment

    Legitimising hatred and misinformation

    Cheers.

  29. guest

    When Abbott was PM there was a running list of his lies, gaffes and misconceptions. I would like to see one for Turnbull.

    Oh, yes. That Turnbull, Mr “Harbourside-Mansion-with Solar-Panels-and Batteries” Turnbull. I see where stephentardrew also knows a “John Turnbull”.

    So Turnbull has a few problems when his former values and ideas keep getting in the way of his currently acquired ($1.75m) values and ideas. He has made a mess of the NBN and other technology such as the on-line census and Centrelink debt collection, his understanding of Climate Change and the part played by carbon, his management of the economy and reducing debt, the treatment of asylum seekers, his massive spending on military Big Toys for Big Boys, the mess of family payments, etc.

    Take, for example, his problem with the NDIS. He complains that Labor did not budget for it. Is he using Labor’s Budget? Why can’t he budget for it in the Coalition Budget? There are large expenditure items which could be cut: military spending, business tax cuts, negative gearing, spending on the incarceration of asylum seekers…

    The truth is, of course, that for the Coalition anything like NDIS or Gonski is socialism.

    Consequently we have this incredible circus in the Parliament where speakers avoid the question and harangue the Opposition with personal insults and incredible ideological nonsense… I fear the the Deputy Prime Minister is going to explode in an apoplectic fit, he is under so much stress with preferences, etc – and Bill grinning at him across the Chamber!

  30. MichaelW

    Time to rename the coalition party. How about coalition of liars, or coalition of secrets, coalition of misinformation, coalition of fakes, coalition for the rich, my goodness the list is endless.

  31. Henry Rodrigues

    MichaelW…………….how about the coalitions of bastards ?????

  32. Kaye Lee

    jimhaz,

    Ella’s updates have been because we asked for them. Neither she nor Cody have ever sought to dominate the conversation – far from it – she has apologised for interrupting to answer our questions on how it went.

    I think before you have said you don’t have children? Forgive me if I am wrong. Our greatest asset is our kids and they should be encouraged to take an interest. You say Cody is just parroting. That accusation could be made against all of us because we all get our information from somewhere. The fact that he took the time to ask questions is commendable. We must nurture our children. They should be encouraged to take an interest and to ask questions. Ella is rightly proud of Cody and to call it gloating is incorrect and unfair.

    The more young people we can encourage to take an interest in politics, the better.

    “There seems to be an expectation we should never be aggressive to older women.”

    Speaking as an older woman, I haven’t noticed being treated with kid gloves. And please, give it your best shot. We older women are stronger than you think.

  33. John Lord

    Could someone point to this letter by CODY?

  34. helvityni

    “When you beat up someone physically, you get exercise and stress relief; when you assault him verbally on the Internet, you just harm yourself.”
    Nassim Nicholas Taleb

    As I have never beaten up anyone physically, I can’t vouch for its benefits…

    I agree with the latter part.

  35. helvityni

    John Lord, I found it on one of Rossleigh’s posts:

    Ella Miller
    January 23, 2017 at 10:29 am
    To All, WHO SAID YOUNG PEOPLE DON’T GET IT?
    I have my 12y/o grandson staying with me. We all listen to some news and talk about it.
    To my surprise this morning he said “Nanny , can I use your computer? I want to write a letter to Malcolm Turnbull”

    This is what he wrote…
    Dear Prime Minister,
    My name is Cody and i am 12 years old i think that you are making life for the poor people very hard.
    We are not well off and my Mother is going to find it very hard to pay for all the things we have to get for high school.
    The rich like you have a lot of money why don’t they want to pay more tax?So that life is not so hard for those people who can’t get a job and don’t make any money.
    Ps I am with my GrandMother and i asked if i could write to you
    Have Great Day
    Cody

    I nearly fell off my chair because I had no idea that he thought about things so deeply.

    Ella, I hope you don’t mind me putting it up here, it’s worth it.

  36. jimhaz

    Hi Kaye,

    I’ve pretty much already said more than I wanted to say. It was more a “shut up already“ or “get real” comment than a complaint.

    Yes, I don’t have children. I do have Anglican-based social warrior nieces though and I recall how impressionable and goody two shoes they were with such things as vegetarianism when they were mid teens.

    I wrote some more in response…but no, it’s time for me to back off.

  37. wam

    you are right, ella, why play with those who pay the piper.
    Why no medicare levy on nett pay?? Surely everyone can afford 2% ie 100000 for the postmaster and 10000 for malc plus investment think of the slime X and his multi houses or packer and his $5m ring???
    It is sadly a vested interest because such a slug on people wouldn’t affect me much, I have no deductions

  38. Harquebus

    John Lord
    See my post at 12:49 pm
    Malcolm Turnbull’s response posted by Ella Miller is in the second link but, I will put it here for you.

    Ella Miller February 13, 2017 at 11:24 am

    Kaye Lee, Roswell,
    Please forgive me I am not trying to hijack the conversation BUT I feel I must let you all know,
    CODY received a reply to his letter from the PM.

    Just to remind you all he asked two questions;
    1. Why don’t the rich pay more tax ?
    2. Why is the LNP gov making life so hard for those that can not find a job or “make money”.

    I will now type the reply date 6/2/2017

    Dear Cody,
    Thank you for writing to me.
    I always enjoy hearing about what is important to young Australian like you.
    Our democracy rests on the idea that every individual counts and everyone can have his or her say on the issues that matter most to them.

    I really appreciate you taking the time to share your thoughts with me.

    I send you my best wishes.
    Yours sincerely
    Malcolm Turnbull.

    So my questions are;
    were Cody’s concerns answered?
    were Cody’s honest worries allayed by his answer?

    LET YOU BE THE JUDGE.

  39. Ella Miller

    Just a thought as expressed by Hannah Arendt

    “words and deeds have boundless consequences often going far beyond what we could anticipate”

    What ever some people may think , at least I don’t hide behind any assumed identity,
    people know my name…not like some.

    Helvityni, all good.

  40. John Lord

    If only there were thousands more like Cody. If only politics was a major part of the final two years of secondary school. If if if if.

  41. Harquebus

    John Lord
    We have work to do.

    Ella Miller.
    I am a computer scientist and know how the internet and other stuff works. I know better than to use my real name on the internet. That’s rule number one.
    Rule number two. Never ever use a credit card on the internet.

    Cheers.

  42. Ella Miller

    Harquebus, the comment was NOT aimed at you ,sorry for the misunderstanding.The comment was aimed at @jimhaz.
    I am not a computer scientist and have probably done the wrong thing BUT so be it.
    If my father was not afraid of the communist secret police …then I am not going to be afraid of the net.

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