How Good Are Secret Deals?

Image from crikey.com.au (Photo: AAP/MICK TSIKAS)

Forget Jacqui Lambie, I have a secret deal with the government to make something very important happen so you shouldn’t attack me for the fact that I’m now going to say nice things about them…

Ok, the government won’t admit that they’ve got a deal with me, but thanks to me they’ve put off their religious freedom bill and they leaned on Israel Folau to make him drop his case.

Don’t believe me? Well, the proof is that I’m about to say nice things about the government and Scott Morrison. And there’s further proof of what I’m saying by the government’s refusal to even acknowledge the deal that we have.

So, here goes.

As one commentator said today this is a big win for the Morrison government and I agree.

This is probably their most significant achievement. Yes, they’ve managed to repeal the legislation that they didn’t like and they’ve gone back to the situation as it was way back in 2018. Wow, this is almost as impressive as when they got rid of that silly carbon tax. And their repeal of all that red tape and green tape.

After all, isn’t getting rid of things what we hope all governments do? Isn’t the history of the world a record of the progress of what we’ve eliminated? Don’t we celebrate people like Edison for his non-inventions?

Repeal. Repeal. Repeal. The most repellant government in the history of the world.

 

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About Rossleigh 1447 Articles
Rossleigh is a writer, director and teacher. As a writer, his plays include “The Charles Manson Variety Hour”, “Pastiche”, “Snap!”, “That’s Me In The Distance”, “48 Hours (without Eddie Murphy)”, and “A King of Infinite Space”. His acting credits include “Pinor Noir Noir” for “Short and Sweet” and carrying the coffin in “The Slap”. His ten minutes play, “Y” won the 2013 Crash Test Drama Final.

33 Comments

  1. Lambie is, as my Irish granny would have said, ‘…all wind and piss.’ At bottom, she’s a hard line conservative. Her electorate knows this and votes for her, so she’s entitled to be what she is; but let us not be gulled into thinking she’s even remotely a bleeding heart.

  2. Yes, people are now focused on yet more examples of secrecy employing bogus excuses to justify a take over.

    How alien to open government and good faith is the perversion of national security by the government?

    The Medevac laws were to do with swift transport and treatment of ill people on a doctors commendation, not Dutton’s idiot, obsessive nonsenses, which many suspect to be merely an opening for the current government to achieve authoritarian control of a once thriving democracy.

    This “deal” concerned itself with the main issue, the suffering of ill people?

    On the Drum, former Nats Senator John Williams lied his guts out about the adequacy of medical facilities on Nauru and was quickly taken to task by other panellists, but the lie was out there before the rebuttals. The excuse of national security to determine cases necessity is a despicable misemploy of “Border Protection” when hundreds of thousands rock up at airports every year, who we also know little about.

  3. I’m speculating here but, based on how brazen Lambie was initially and how she seems to have caved and turned into a simpering wimp, something has happened and it will all come out shortly.

    Lambie has said of the repeal of Medevac that she would not support it unless there was a deal to resettle these folk once and for all. We have speculated about NZ but Morrison has smugly denied that option.

    So my theory is that as there are only 550 people left on Manus and Nauru that the government has come up with another deal – remember how Cambodia was going to be the dumping ground and we paid the corrupt Cambodian government $50 million but nobody would go – and it could be in the Pacific through the UNHCR and may be Fiji. If we throw enough money at the Fijians they might come to the party.

    Lambie keeps talking – between tears – about being bound by national security which could mean that the deal is not yet done and she doesn’t want to preempt what is going down.

    Between their bravado and their lies there is no doubt that the government are worried about how long it has taken to resettle these folk and even Peter Dutton must realize that continued indefinite detention will lead to substantial claims for compensation.

    All very strange nonetheless !

  4. Given time , they will succed in eliminating Australia entirely. Climate charged fires are making a sizeable start. Of course we will not be the only ‘disappeared ‘ we will have company in the bonfire of vanities

  5. Puking Wallflower – Just because lambie is from my electorate certainly DOESN’T mean I or my better half voted for her.
    We know better than that.
    In fact lambie was the last person I voted for if you don’t count the reverse order lieberal non-people on the senate ticket.

  6. Lambchop Simnel, John Reginald “Wacka” Williams was possibly speaking the truth when he said the medical facilities on Narau and Manus Island are superior to those at Wilcannia. But what he didn’t mention was that seriously ill people at Wilcannia (and elsewhere) will access the Flying Doctor to take them to a more appropriate location without seeking the permission of Peter Dutton. Such transfers will result from medical opinion not political considerations.

    Wacka’s perspective results from too many wacks received in his schooling. Yet he advocates the same for future generations. He’s a great mate of Barnaby. Marx referred to the condition (pejoratively) as rural idiocy. An exaggeration that certainly doesn’t apply to all. But they do have the vote.

  7. MN, sums it up in a nutshell. One of the panel, more closely acquainted with conditions on Nauru, tore strips off Williams for his strange comments.

    And because people in the bush had it tough when he was a kid, means it should be the rule for Nauru?

    As for “rural idiocy”, Marx certainly did observe the various phenomenal examples of socialisation, commodification and individuation in currently extant society and it is a great shame for many in our era, especially as to matters of gender relations and conflict and social structure and conflict in general.

    Alienation is more fun as an abstract concept than an experienced conditioning reality and the grief that goes with that.

  8. Puking Wallflower, false consciousness, let alone psychosis, are sad places to be and so is lack of brains, although humility allows many people to live happily within our limitations.

  9. Lambchop Simnel, Louise Addler was on the panel tonight. She was the brains behind Melbourne University Press (MUP) until she published a work critical of George Pell that raised the ire of the new VC who had religious affiliation to Pell. Without going into the gory detail, she resigned and went elsewhere.

    She’s one smart cookie. She (almost) set Wacka up re immigrants and educational achievement but Wacka’s loaded with rat cunning and saw it coming. But there’s always wheels within wheels on The Drum on good nights. Both of the hosts are top draw, really across the issues but have to play dumb.

  10. Yes, missed some with tech problems but agree as to the show. Adler is smart, and the person I had in mind with my earlier comment, nailing Wacka, was one of the Muslim women, a smart woman also.

    It is not a perfect show but Australia is an absolute wasteland for current affairs and I agree that when you get into the flow of an episode that much can gleaned from a look.

  11. I will bet that most of these mongrels have their own Medevac arrangements when they are taken ill overseas.
    My sister is a nurse who worked in Medevac teams for health insurance companies.

  12. Having witnessed footage of Lambie and her “tears”, I am, frankly, appalled. I saw no semblance of genuine emotion, but a stupid little girl blubbering over what she wants us to believe is her heartfelt attempt to “do the right thing” because, well, because it’s RIGHT. It went beyond pathetic. In reality, I think it proved Lambie not only lacks intellect, but lacks emotional intelligence as well and is utterly incapable of “walking and chewing gum at the same time”. Let’s look at the facts as I understand them. Since the Medevac legislation was passed, no boats have arrived in Australia (and if boats were on their way, the government would most certainly have made sure the whole world knew about it). Hmmm. So there’s one line of argument, which is to say that Medevac threatens our national security (one issue that Lambie seemed to be tearing up about), that looks a little fragile. 180 refugees are in Australia being treated. But are they, or are they not, under the supervision of the Federal Police? If they are not, where is the national security threat? If they are, where is the national security threat? The confected outrage over 180 refugees pales when one considers the many, many tens of thousands of Asians who have come to this country, fraudulently obtained tourist visas (they weren’t tourists) and then claimed asylum (their real intention all along). No doubt they paid big money to an “agent” who helped them game the system. This example of how the government agencies have lost control of our borders gives the lie to the repetitious drivel about national security. The plane-bound tsunami is kept quiet because that is a political liability, whereas 180 sick refugees (who have been assessed by doctors) are a political football – so that Lambie can cry in parliament, Hanson can shriek about vile refugees and Mr Potato Head and Morrison the Messiah can proclaim they are “keeping Australians safe”.

  13. If boats were on their way.

    I wonder how we would know what happened to any boats out on the open seas with censorship and security tightend as much as they are.

    It is a wonder we still know there is an ocean there, and that is only on memory.

  14. If, and I mean IF, todays reports are true that the ‘secret’ deal involves removing all prisoners from the islands and allowing them to go to NZ, then why not shout it from the rooftops from. the start?

    Perhaps it is too much to hope for.

  15. @Matters Not: Whacko Williams travelled with Barnyard to the Inverell meeting of the Nat$ Party to fill a casual vacancy created by the early departure of his (unknown) predecessor. Whacko was elected to the position by about 14 geriatric members of the Inverell branch.

    In the following Federal elections he was given a safe Senate ballot position and re-elected.

    His contribution has been continuous pursuit of the banks for “dubious and unfair” lending practices. Otherwise he has made little contribution to NW NSW.

  16. Peter F

    why not shout it from the rooftops?

    Probably nobody has spoken to Jacinda Ardern !

    By the way, just in case you missed it :

    Liberal staffer Josh Manuatu was on Wednesday identified as the person who distributed the false figures which were used by Angus Taylor and in a Daily Telegraph article which criticised Clover Moore and SCC travelling expenses. He’s a Liberal staffer so evidently he won’t be sacked as it was part of his job to maintain a dirt book and to fabricate smears against Labor pollies.
    Just doing his job !

  17. NEC, yes he deserves much credit for the relentless pursuit of the banks and he did score a RC after all. Can’t take that away from him. Certainly not the worst Senator who’s graced that Chamber and by a long shot. Last night on The Drum however he came across as a party hack – an apologist. Perhaps he’s looking for a gig post politics (departed July 1) and is enhancing his CV? They all do it.

    https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/john-wacka-williams-big-backbench-life-draws-to-a-close-20190206-p50vzu.html

  18. Cut cut cut, after artificial intelegence takes complete control the reason for poor people to exist will cease to be. The rich, people on $200000.00 pa or above wont need them. secret deals with fraudulent senators like Lambie, independent, sure, will cease to be required. You’ll need to fight for your right to LIVE!!!!!!!!!!!

  19. To matters not, both the women compares on the drum are top draw??????? You must be kidding, they’re both partisan liberal sympathisers and nothing more. Fanning has a rather strange sense of humour as well.

  20. Lambie is a fool to believe that any deal will be honoured. Remember Morrison was the one with his arm around Turnbull singing his praises the day before he was knifed. Morrison wasn’t even honest enough to admit he had people doing the numbers for him (wanting us to believe he magically appeared on his white charger to save the Liberal Party from the Turnbull/Dutton gorilla war).

  21. 2353NM, how right you are. Look at what the Libs did to Ricky Muir about 4 years ago. Lied to him, sucked him in to agreeing to a “deal” about what to do with asylum seekers. He lost badly.

  22. This ‘deal’ will fall over,Australia’s condition these poor souls can never ever come here from N.Z. will be unacceptable by the Kiwis so the whole thing will be a wasted exercise,Lambie’s been conned.

  23. In lambies case it’s easier to send some one to their doom from parliament, no one shooting back at ya with live ammo. Just so cowardly really.

  24. I think Morrison is realizing that this issue started to turn against him after the 1392 asylum seekers and refugees on Manus succeeded in a class action against the Australian government (i.e the people of Australia) for unlawful detention, physical and psychological injury.

    The asylum seekers recovered $70 million in damages which was distributed amongst them at roughly $30,000 each. Some of those were able to use the money to get a start in the USA.

    The reason that Turnbull took this fiasco out of the incompetent minister Dutton’s hands and did a swap deal with Obama and why Morrison seems to be about to do the same is because more legal challenges are queuing up and they could cost the Australian taxpayer (the person in the mirror) many more millions as the claims are indefensible : we have totally botched the whole process of offshore processing & resettlement largely due to Dutton’s incompetence.

    Politics aside both the coalition and Labor agree that when introduced, offshore detention was supposed to be a temporary solution pending resettlement, of unauthorised boat arrivals, under the auspices of the UNHCR : nobody should have been detained for more than 90 days and the PNG authorities have referred to this as being part of their original discussions with Rudd.

    A report released this week has given this process impetus, and Morrison has a good nose for potential trouble. It revealed the cost of offshore detention is $573,000 per asylum seeker, per year. It also showed that, if continued offshore processing will cost $1.2 billion over the next three years.

    This whole problem comes back to the incompetence of one minister who epitomises the conclusions of the Peter principle in business.

    The Peter Principle states that over time people tend to be promoted to a level above their competence : it is very common in government where people of little proven intelligence or ability are promoted into ministerial portfolios demanding performance well above their level of competence – Peter Dutton is a classic illustration of the principle.

  25. It is not often aimn get caught lying but:
    “I have a secret deal with the government to make something very important happen so you shouldn’t attack me for the fact that I’m now going to say nice things about them”.
    is clearly a deliberate lie.
    The government confessed to me that they know why you are being nice, so they made no secret deal..
    Whilst it is possible that you are an ex-army simpleton or it is secret because you didn’t write it down and you forgot???? The most likely explanation is you are a liar.
    ps
    Presumably labor had their meeting with you and. gave you reason enough for tears but failed to overturn the bribe. oops deal
    Possibly because your ears were ringing from the screamers and you couldn’t assimilate what chrissie was saying.

    ps Is there anything to be gained by describing a pollie as incapable of rational thought and then outlining that which she is incapable of understanding.

  26. Let us not forget that Lambie was left in a position to try and negotiate because other minor parties such as Centre Alliance and One Nation lined up with the coalition. The Senate is full of faux Liberals who toe the party line.

  27. Re:

    cost the Australian taxpayer (the person in the mirror)

    When I look in the metaphorical mirror through my government lens, I certainly don’t see a taxpayer but an Australian Citizen who, accordingly, has the power to vote. If I did conceptualise myself as a taxpayer, I would have more than a tinge of guilt because I freely admit I get more from the public purse than I contribute. Yet because I see myself as a Citizen (with taxpaying nothing more than an incidental role if any at all) I am angered that the government is so careless with the public purse.

    Yes the public purse is swelled by taxpayers both big and small. The big taxpayers are the big Banks and large companies such as BHP and they pay tax (not enough by the way) because of legal obligation. The tax paid is not a choice nor is it a donation. It’s compulsory not voluntary. Further, having paid the obligatory taxes their legal role comes to an end. They have responsibilities not rights. Taxes do not entitle them to vote and they have no a priori rights to government funds.

    Yes citizens may play many roles in life. Mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, and the like – all have some importance and should not be downplayed. And they may or may not be net taxpayers – it matters not in terms of voting rights. Wwhen it comes to electing governments and holding them accountable, there’s only one role that’s crucial – that of the Citizen. It’s to our long-term detriment that most Australians don’t see it that way. Often railing against neo-liberalism while also preferring to define themselves in purely economic terms as ‘taxpayers’. Clearly ironic. But not consciously so.

  28. Clearly this national security matter that means we must refuse medical treatment of the most desperate, and which cannot be divulged, is important as to warrant a government being so fearfully that they see it necessary to put people of the poorest in clear and present danger.

    I watched Lambie’s tears, and heard her choked plea of national security ?

    Or was it that she just realised that she has been publicly humiliated to the point that she can see her political demise, and that $200 plus income.

    This has been the most humiliating page in the life of this medically discharged acting corporal military policy woman.

    Remember, Lambie tried to be selected as a Liberal candidate, but was rejected, (The LNP could not countenance putting up an acting corporal for preselection).

    Seems to me that Lambie sees herself as a bit special, but I might be wrong !

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