Day to Day Politics: The thought of business as usual with this government has horrific implications.
Friday 3 November 2017
We should not be under any illusions that the citizenship crisis will leave us of its own accord. On the contrary, it will be with us for as long as the possibility exists that another MP holds dual citizenship.
The Prime Minister has no intention of having an audit of MPs because he knows that if another of his side is found to have a dual-allegiance then it could terminate his government. This is the truth of it despite the legalese being spoken by the Prime Minister, Mathias Corman and others.
Who knows when the next Government MP might have a moment of enlightenment and reveal the truth of their identity. It well may be that at present that the Coalition’s one seat majority has been temporarily expunged, but that could change in an instant.
We cannot at this time in our democracy’s history be sure that all the sitting members in both chambers are doing so legitimately. A crisis of national import may be showing all the characteristics of a duck paddling ferociously under water, in a state of panic while seemingly calm on top. That probably describes Turnbull’s state of mind at the moment.
No one needs convincing that Australia’s political system is at an all-time low and its leadership, in recent years, has been deplorable. The decline in public confidence and in public institutions has been observable for some time. Nobody seems to care though. The citizenship saga has done much to lower the public’s trust in our democracy. That’s if it could go any lower! To restore it would require a bipartisanship effort that maybe a bridge too far for this current crop of no-hopers.
It has all come together under the guise of what we now recognise as “Neo-Liberalism”: a form of right wing governance that requires the casualisation of the work force, tax avoidance, environmental destruction,super-profits, the digitisation of everything, including the public discourse, and the outsourcing of everything.
The dumbing down of the populace is in part responsible for the cynicism that abounds. We have a new breed of politician. Those who speak with the language of the elitist tongue. The one per centers and the populists like the mad Trump.
At a time when the world needs more internationalism, the citizenship debate feeds into right-wing nationalism. You have to be a “true blue fair dinkum dinky-di Aussie” to qualify to sit in our parliament. Sadly, it fits the life and times of our nation and has the potential to create a dangerous constitutional quandary.
Just think about what is happening in our society and how the government responds. We question their capacity to fill in forms. They say “get stuffed”. We say the constitution is past its used by date. They say it’s fine. We say politicians are just self-serving twits. They say we will fix it … but they don’t. We say they treat us with a “need to know” arrogance. They say “so what”. We say they tell far to many lies. They say “so what”. We say there isn’t enough transparency. They say “stiff shit”.
If another Coalition MP can’t work out his identity, and he/she sits in the House of Representatives, then look out.
My thought for the day
“The thought of business as usual with this government has horrific implications.”
23 comments
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Harry.V.Dirchy
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Adrianne Haddow
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Terry2
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Harquebus
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wam
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helvityni
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Jack Straw
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Ricardo29
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Shevill Mathers
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helvityni
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Glenn Barry
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OPPOSE THE MAJOUR PARTIES
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jim
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wam
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OPPOSE THE MAJOUR PARTIES
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wam
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OPPOSE THE MAJOUR PARTIES!
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Percy
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Wayne Turner
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Kronomex
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John Lord
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lawrencewinder
Return to home pageCan anybody else see the HUGE dose of irony in Josh Frydenburg getting all indignant about the queries on his citizenship, because his mother arrived in Australia as a stateless refugee. I wonder if she came by boat.
But Harry, in the LNP, the ‘rules’ only apply to other people, not them.
The Australia that welcomed Frydenburg’s mum no longer exists. The LNP have worked for decades to change it. Now their attempts to create this country according to their fortress mentality is biting at their own posteriors.
The irony is delicious.
The Australian newspaper has been doing some due diligence on parliamentarians with the objective of having a gotcha moment on dual citizenship – presumably their main target in the Labor party .
Interestingly they have turned up Josh Frydenberg who they tell us, after enquiry, may have acquired Hungarian citizenship by descent, through his mother.
When The Australian embarks on a campaign they usually throw a lot of resources into it and there is no reason to doubt that their research on Frydenberg is based on some facts obtained from the Hungarian authorities.
There is no reason whatsoever why an audit of all sitting politicians (150 House and 76 Senate) should not be conducted by the AEC : it is relatively simple and now essential.
This duel citizenship saga is a joke that, I happen to be enjoying. I wouldn’t class its implications as horrific. Horror we will increasingly see as ‘business as usual’ aka ‘ponzinomics’ continues.
Funny thought this morning Lord? Have you looked up horrific?
Those born overseas took money on false pretences and should be receiving an invoice, as does Parry and anyone else hiding his/her birth. Although it is ridiculous to say that a foreign government decision can overule Aussie birth.
‘No one needs convincing’? ‘political system is at an all time low…’ more people think the lnp is doing a good job than support bill shorten more people support the libs than labor. are those observations not true, Lord??
I love it, harry. Did you see my fair lady? Remember the language expert announce that eliza is a fraud!! The ball stops and he announces she is “hungarian”!!!. I am laughing my head off for that image.
A positive is the point of matrilineal duality rather than pater doing the leading.
As hungary has not a pommie connection we should put him on xmas island detention, outside of Australia, till the matter is cleared.
We spent a lot of money on a postal survey that was totally unnecessary; Oz is and was ready for SSM.
Now we are told that to audit all sitting politicians will be too costly and time consuming….
I just heard Josh Frydenberg state that in his mind he is certain that he is an Australian citizen. When asked if he had checked with
Hungarian authorities he said there was, to paraphrase; no need to.This reaction just highlights the arrogance of the born to rule
Conservatives.
I agree with everything you write here JL, except about the need to change the constitution. I think s44 is quite clear and don’t have a problem with it remaining. If people want to be parliamentarians why should they not have to renounce any foreign allegiances. If they don’t want to do that they automatically exclude themselves. Those found to have breached s44 hereinafter should be prosecuted for making a false declaration. The fact that this has, again, gone to the High Court surely means everyone now knows their responsibility. Parry was a goose. What are the penalties for making a false declaration?
Until there is an independent audit, this issue will remain a ball & chain on the LNP Coalition, with some politicians looking over their shoulders just waiting for the tap-because, somewhere, someone will be digging through archives etc. The fact that in Barnaby’s case he is even allowed to run again, is to my mind, appalling. The price shout be out of politics full stop. I cannot believe people want to re-elect a person who is untrustworthy and flexible with the truth!!
Shevill Mathers, same here, I’m baffled that that Barnaby is allowed to run again; he’s just having a little holiday…
Frydenberg is labelling the possibility of him having dual citizenship as absurd – I wonder if that will come back to bite him. He has hubris in abundance also…
It’s completely incongruous that Barnaby can run again – I would have though that the false declaration on a Commonwealth form would have carried with it some penalty as an offence over and above his disqualification from parliament for dual citizenship
Xenophon and Cavanan ‘true blue dinki di aussies’? Ridiculous. One is of Greek/Cypriot descent and the other from Italian descent. In sum, the only two possible illegitimates to survive the HC ruling were the only two from non WASP backgrounds. How does that mean u need to be ‘dinki di aussie’ to sit in parliament? If you need to be ‘dinki di’ then the definition of that term has changed a lot over the years given an Italian and Greek survived. Seems the multicultual argument against s 44 is way off the mark. In any event s 44 is not concerned with culture, its object and purpose is to ensure politicians have undivided loyalties. Maybe its because dual or non citizens have been sneaking thru the system and sitting in parliament undetected all these years that Australia has been sold off to multi nationals. That will only get eorse if s 44 is amended to remove the requirement for undivided loyalties.
MT, lives in a 2 by 4ft world , overseen by the cruel heartless elitists mostly from America.
America the land of the “god fearing righteous” chosen by god to put right the worlds wrongs with more than 100 heavily armed bases on the boarders of the wrong ones mainly Russia China Iran of course these countries don’t really like the godly ones heavily armed bases and have requested that they just go home or go some place else.
Citizenship Audit ‘Too Expensive, Protracted And Inconclusive’ Turnbull Says, As the $122 Million Voluntary Postal Survey Enters 8th Week.
http://www.theshovel.com.au/2017/11/02/citizenship-audit-too-expensive-turnbull-says-as-122-million-voluntary-postal-survey/?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=citizenship_audit_too_expensive_protracted_and_inconclusive_turnbull_says_as_122_million_voluntary_postal_survey_enters_8th_week&utm_term=2017-11-03
The son of a small car called the suggestion that frydenberg was a dual citizen ‘inhumane’. Where did that come from??? The holocaust??
Then the leader of the dixxxbransimkims gave a rave ending with ‘…this never happens again’
Where T F is billy was my first thought but the the loonies started it, then the nats and one nation, next the green card, presumably still pending?, then the libs kicked in leaving labor the only party free from idiots but not confident enough to capitalise and happy to leave it to the jay lookalike.
Family First started it with bob day.
Dear ATMP,
Arguably family first bob day’s resignation was due to property rorting and the succession to replace him was the issue in eligibility with family first gichuhi winning.
Still no matter how I wriggle I had forgotten day and hope there were none last century.
ps 50% of my senators was embroiled years ago and should be invoiced to repay salary and perks.
Bob day was still caught under s44 but a different section of s 44. And it was that which prompted the Green senators to review their position and that led to them resigning.Or so they say but this fellow tells a slightly different story. https://thewest.com.au/politics/federal-politics/barrister-who-exposed-scott-ludlam-says-he-was-not-politically-motivated-ng-b88538025z
So when my Great Grandfather who was sent here as a convict from Ireland does that make me an Irish Citizen………. I WONDER
Should ask no judgement Malcrap NoBalls who’s sloppy now?
Oh dear, can it be that little Malkie is watching his doom come ever closer and in huge letters it reads (pardon the language) “Malcolm, you’re F#CKED!”
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/turnbull-slams-national-witchhunt-as-shorten-offers-peace-deal-on-citizenship-20171103-gze40p.html
http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/citizenship-fiasco-deepens-threatening-malcolm-turnbulls-authority-20171103-gze3l4.html
Methinks he’s starting to panic a little and the mad monk must be wetting his budgie smugglers laughing.
The beautiful element in all of this is that it was the Australian Newspaper – usually the media arm of LNP propaganda machine – why?
Is there blood in the water and who’s sharpening their teeth in anticipation?
With his speech Malcolm has finally become the paragon of hypocrisy – excellence in all things undesirable
Yes.
Truffles latest “solution” is a voluntary self audit… just like the really, really effective self auditing ministerial responsibility shown by The Harpy Cash in declaring her new million dollar house… or those twerps and their Rolex’s. All the parliamentarians have to do is to present the paper work they signed showing all the relevant details…. or have the AFP call for them. What a bloody farce this ruling rabble is.
http://shanewombat.blogspot.com.au/2017/11/oh-schadenfreude.html