A brochure arrived in the mail…
I probably should explain that I used to live in the marginal electorate of Chisholm which meant that we’d be inundated with electoral material in the leadup to an election. I’m now in Kooyong. When I moved into Box Hill North over twenty years ago, I never dreamed that one day, I’d be in a house worth a million dollars in the electorate of Kooyong… Well, I never dreamed that such a thing could happen without me moving… Yep, they changed the electoral boundaries. Ok, I though, my vote won’t count, but at least there won’t be much campaigning.
Gee, was I wrong. There have been Liberals hovering around the local supermarket trying to force me to accept blue canvas shopping bags with Frydenberg’s name on them. “No, thanks,” I tell them, “I’d rather a plastic one, so I can flush it down the toilet and kill a few of those whales.”
And today Josh Frydenberg wrote to me to tell me all about the “Climate Solutions Package”. As well as his letter, there was a nice shiny brochure from the Australian Government so I’m unclear as to whether this is election propaganda or just more of that taxpayer-funded Government information stuff like those ads telling me that the Australian Government is working to create a fairer tax system. I mean that’s really good to know, but I don’t know how that’s going to help all those poor people losing the franking credit refund who’ll be forced to rely on their investments and not a refund of the tax that they haven’t paid because they worked so hard to avoid paying tax and now they want a refund from the government on the tax that they didn’t pay.
One thing I immediately noticed that it didn’t talk much about how the need to take action. The first page told me that it was all about meeting our “commitments” and had helpful dot points outlining their plans. If you were one of the brave souls who knows how to turn a page, you’ll be confronted with our “strong track record on climate change action”. This is backed up by some graphs showing details of comparisons of such useful things as per capita emissions for 2030. The next few pages give more detail on the plans from the first page. As well as telling us about the plan to continue to give businesses billions to do the things that they were going to do anyway, the booklet included such helpful information as:
“A national electric vehicle strategy will ensure the transition to new vehicle technology and infrastructure is carefully planned and managed, so all Australians can reap the benefits.”
No shit, Sherlock. What a shame that after five years in government all they have to say about this: We plan to have one. In other words, it is our plan to develop a plan.
But notwithstanding the fact that this booklet left me with the feeling that it had all the sincerity of Scott Morrison’s: “I’m ambitious for this fellow,” as he put his arm round Turnbull, I couldn’t help but wonder if Liberals further north were sending out the same booklet to their constituents. I mean have people in Warringah been receiving the same letter from Tony Abbott now that he’s a born again Paris convert? Will Craig Kelly announce that he intends to embrace “Earth Hour”? Has George Christensen broken away from his fiancee long enough to let his people know what wonderful thing the government intends to do…
Speaking of Georgie, does it seem strange to anyone else that Scott Morrison forcefully told us that Christensen hadn’t been to the Phillipines “on his watch”. I mean, wasn’t it all fine because he was visiting his loved one. Ok, he probably went a little too often for someone who was meant to be a full-time MP, but stopping him from visiting his fiancee altogether doesn’t seem very pro-family.
Nope, all things considered, it looks like the Liberals are worried that we’re taking this climate change stuff seriously and that large numbers of people may actually not care how well the economy’s doing, if mankind is wiped out in the process. While some people living in Hawthorn may aspire to a beach front property, I doubt that they want to be like me and the million dollar property in the Kooyong electorate, and get one without moving.
Now I’m not suggesting for a moment that Josh will lose Kooyong. However, the level of campaigning does suggest that the Liberals aren’t taking it for granted. Perhaps, the penny’s dropped and they’ve worked out that Wentworth may not have been an outlier. Or perhaps, they’ve just decided to ignore the climate deniers and do more to reduce emissions than shutting down the automotive industry.
Either way, the election will be interesting.
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We plan to have one, it is our plan to develop a plan. I still can’t believe what I heard after somebody called Bararalo or something similar, apparently something in the hierarchy of NSW Nationlal Party commenting on the water fiasco on the Murray Darling and the death of millions of fish. When asked what they intended to do about it he replied that they had four years to figure it out. This is the sort of ignorance and naivety which will cause the climate to worsen drastically no doubt while polluting industries prosper and continue to contribute to the cause. At least the wonderful Niall Blair or whatever his name is has resigned, no doubt with comfortable circumstance donated by his ” benefactors.”
Listening to ABC program Country Hour on local AM radio today while driving in Rockhampton and heard some heavyweight from Murray Darling water authority criticising the commie-leftie-greenie insane idea to meddle with environmental water return allocations when the you beaut bipartisan program currently in place was only half way through. So regardless of fish kills etc, we need to wait until this failing crockofshit allocation plan has completely failed ….. as long as certain parties continue to get their way all is good apparently.
I noticed, as I was driving to one of my favourite $2 shops today that the journey was spotted with Josh Frydenberg ads.
Until I turned a corner and came across many Julian Burnside ads.
For a moment there my faith in humanity was lost.
I have a question, way off topic I know, but I was hoping someone on this great website could provide me an answer or at least some insight, as it has been ‘bugging ‘ me for a few days now. The question is- how the hell do you get bitten by a tick on your face? I mean wouldn’t you notice that a tick is on your face, before it bit you? How quick is a tick? I hope this passes moderation, I know it is rather small an issue in relation to treason and seeking Koch and NRA millions to undermine our safety and democracy, but like I said, it has really been bugging me.
Skeeper, I thought at first that instead of shooting herself in the foot as she usually does, PoorLeaner had missed and got her face instead. My mate reckons she had a skin cancer removed.
ABC Local Radio in Newcastle features a ‘Fishing and Boating’ show (weekend mornings) which is a Fishing and Shooters get-together.
Coal Ash refuse from Eraring Power Station has become such a massive toxic risk that nearby Myuna Bay Sports centre is closing and bike races in the area have been cancelled.
Skeeper Abberton,
I work in bush regen, so I tend to cop more than my fair share of ticks (about 10 per year on average).
The main tick that bites humans here is Ixodes holocyclus (‘shellback’ or ‘paralysis’ ticks).
Interestingly, although both sexes feed on blood (ectoparasitic haemophagia) at the larval and nymph phases, in the adult stage it is only the females who stab and suck, whilst the adult males are much more interested in breeding than feeding.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ixodes_holocyclus
As an adult I would estimate they move at about 2 foot per minute, and the light tread of their tiny little feet on our skin can be easy to miss. How much they sting when they start feeding varies from a slight itch to a sharp sting, and seems to depend upon both where they hit and their prior feeding habits. The toxic envenomation (poison spitting) is usually a reaction to disturbance of feeding (such as absent-minded scratching),
Not to defend the intelligence or awareness of Pauline Hanson (I think she is an oblivious ignoramus), but from personal experience I can verify that a tick can feed un-noticed on or around the face for a length of time, and that sometimes even a brief jab to a sensitive area (such as the corner of the eye) can instantaneously produce a severe and prolonged reaction.
Hope that helps you to scratch your itch.
No matter how you look at it, its a crap bit of spinning going on. If you understand that climate change is happenning, you dont throw spanners into changing your behaviour. You dont hesitate to go BEYOND the bare minimum.
The fact that our emissions are rising tells you we are not on the ball. NO EFFING KIDDING JOSH.
Maintaining status quo implies more emissions, its not rocket science. Its basic logic.
So the ball is in the voters hands, kick them out if you care.
as for the murray darling its going to die unless more water is found. Just look at its tragectory. We knew we had a problem so we set up the murray darling authority. Now its effing worse.
The only solution long term is to find new water. What are the options? Dam the yearly floods further north. Its big con is the environmental effects we will induce by disrupting that ecological cycle. I am sure that part of Australia hasn’t evolved over millions of years, right?
The only other viable solution is desal. $13b could have gone a long way.
But first, we need to get rid of privatised water. Its a con. Oh yea, an open market will allocate to its greatest efficiency. Hence we grow cotton instead of food. If i suggested we privatised all roads, wouldnt there be an outcry, lol. Sure water is precious, thats why we meter it. To make a profit from buying and selling water makes it easy to support our farmers by reducing their costs or cutting red tape., not to mention 70% allocation of 0% water. Sorry, the nationals have barnaby ready to go again, the special envoy for water and drought. You just couldnt make this up.
Corvus boreus,
Thank you for that insight, I just hope that tick is o.k.
What is the difference between Pauline Hanson and Ixodes holocyclus?
One is a poisonous blood-sucking parasite, the other is an arachnid.
Climate change is more than just pollution from burning fossil fuels. Fukushima radiation, volcanic eruptions and de-forestation are also contributors. Large volcanic eruptions such as Pinatubo (Philippines), Mt St Helens (USA) and Krakatoa Junior (Indonesia) all reduced the average temperature in the northern hemisphere, mainly due to increased cloud cover.
What the LNP is doing is calculating emissions per head of population. If population increases, then emissions per head go down. Now the LNP seem to be spending like drunken sailors in anticipation of a May election! What if the next election is delayed until November 2019? Will anyone care?
I would like to know what Josh is doing to improve our motor fuel security by storing more than 22 days’ supply in Australia. His last comment I read was he has a plan to improve fuel security by 2026!
The inmates really are running the asylum!
And this just smacks of, “We’re desperate for cash so why not try to use the social media networks as potential cash cows.”
https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/jail-time-and-billions-in-fines-under-fast-tracked-crackdown-on-social-media-giants-20190329-p518y7.html
Good luck with that brain fart Scummo. Those networks could destroy you and the rest of your cretinous party and gubmint you moron.
No bruce, “Climate change is more than just pollution from burning fossil fuels.” isnt what its about. Its about the COMPOUNDING amount of CO2 we are feeding the environment that is causing climate change.
Emissions per head is a rather f#cked way of spinning it. I think its one of those stats that is supposed to make us feel good without actually telling us anything. . Are we or are we not as a nation reducing emissions? The governments role is to provide the environment where emissions overall reduce. Its role is not to encroach on individual’s freedoms as they are so fondly telling us. So whats this mixed message they are putting out all about? To disguise the fact their policies are inadequate? To disquise the fact they really are incompetant? Or something more sinister, they don’t effing care ? I am so over being nice to these imbeciles.
And Bruce, the best thing we can do for motor fuel security is to not to put all our eggs in the one basket. We should go all out on alternatives. The supply of fuel here relys on a cartel, a mafia. We need to embrace electric cars and pour money into the ammonia fuel cell idea. Cut all tax deductions from fossil fuels . They want to gouge us, we need to put them back in their place. No competition means we are at their mercy. Isnt that what the libs are supposedly about, competition? All talk no action.
I suppose you need a plan. Libs dont do planning.
It is all too late we are on borrowed time. Listening to the Hanson supporters and other groups of rancid right wing loons, they think the party can go on forever. Most of these numb nuts think ‘ Wuthering Heights ‘ is a block of flats. My brother sold his citrus farm, because it is now impossible to grow good oranges with out pouring tons of chemicals on them. The river Murray is rooted. Anyone that has been out to the wheat fields of W.A. can’t help but notice the salt problem which is huge and the phosphates in the rivers are killing them. The Swan River in Perth is rooted you eat the fish out of it at your own peril. Further up stream approx. 100 k’s the river looks like the suds out of a huge washing machine. .Sustainable capitalism….Bwaahahahahaha. Out of the mouths of gibbering fcucking idiots.
David Bruce, volcanoes have always been part of the natural CO2 emissions, but at present are only a part of total emissions (about one thirtieth). The eruptions you mention were only temporary and the cooling effects are the temporary effect of cloud cover and the emission of sulphur. Some people looking to engineer a human response to global warming have thought about the unlikely solution of scattering sulphur in the atmosphere.
@andy56: I agree with your comments regarding “free market” water that I regard as the simple “economic mechanism for imposing cotton production where food production is preferred.
The real problem is the lack of 24/7/365 satellite monitoring of all pumping in the MDB supported by pump supervision and suitably serious financial and agricultural targeted pumping restriction penalties to “discourage” MDB water theft.
It is necessary to understand the thinking of these self-serving broad acre farmers and their political puppets in the Nat$. “If I want something I will just take it and bugger everybody else”.
1) The necessary technology for satellite monitoring already exists and is used in crop dusting planes to stop over-flying of town residential centres killing gardens when pre-harvest defoliation of cotton as was the preferred option before mandatory installation.
2) Many broad acre wheat farmers decline on-farm storage of their product because there is a cost of installing a suitable bunker storage facility to take advantage of the off-season haulage discounts that spread haulage work across the year for town residents.
Rather, the preferred macho solution was heavily over-loading semi-trailers to haul direct from paddock to silo, causing waiting lines 8-12 hours long and ruts down the main street of Moree NSW.
The solution was simple; the weight across the silo weigh-bridge was the basis of remuneration for the farmer and an automatic over-loading fine for the transport haulier who exceeded the weight limits for his vehicle.
The water theft from the MDB is driven by the exact same mindset; “I want it so I can take it and everybody else can get stuffed”.
Scummo and Friedeggburger are going to give a “Power relief payment set for 3.9m Aussies” at the budget. BUT, and there is always a BUT…
https://www.news.com.au/finance/economy/federal-budget/power-relief-payment-set-for-39m-aussies/news-story/7c9ed8aaed91ce2c34682b6f02f378c0
…it’s a bribe…I mean, it’s a ONE OFF…stuff it, stick with a piss weak attempt at a bribe, “Energy Assistance Payment — $75 for singles and $125 for couples”. WOW! Thank you Scummo and Josh, that will cover close to a whole ¼ of one power bill. Your astounding (gag, choke) generosity knows no bounds.
My favourite bit from Friedeggburger is, “…said it would particularly support older people on the age pension.” LNP reality is strong in this shit for brains.
On a side note:
You might be “Spoilt for choice: what the explosion in streaming services means for you” but the hit to your bank account each month is going to be a doozy if you want it all.
https://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/spoilt-for-choice-what-the-explosion-in-streaming-services-means-for-you-20190329-p5190j.html
I don’t have to worry about it though, I put my television out on the nature strip years ago and have not looked back.
@NEC…….Rather, the preferred macho solution was heavily over-loading semi-trailers to haul direct from paddock to silo, causing waiting lines 8-12 hours long and ruts down the main street of Moree NSW.
“loads” are seriously monitored, breaches are severe. Ruts are caused by constant compaction in the exact same drive line. The road “base” was likely under engineered for this constant tonneage. Truck line ups caused by unloading depots unable to keep up with incoming loads. “Planning” or lack of, is in this mix, growers should be allocated a set tonnage on any day, spread over 24 hrs, rather than deliver bulk tonnage and cause the crazy log jams. Transport co’s are payed by the tonnage, growers are not impacted with wait times, ( plenty of trucks available ) transport complain about wait at their peril. It’s suck it up, or go away.
Another side note:
These are, to put it bluntly, concentration camps.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-31/chinese-government-accused-of-intimidating-australian-uyghurs/10945090?section=politics
I’m also not in the least little bit surprised that the dictators in China are are trying to frighten any Uyghurs outside China. What will Scummo do? F*ck and all! Don’t want to upset them.
The SMH had a piece about the magnanimous LNP one off power election bribe earlier today and said the pensioner $75.00 for singles and $125.00 for couples, would be paid by the 1st of July. Then this pops up in The Guardian not long ago –
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/mar/31/coalition-promises-one-off-energy-payments-as-labor-pledges-to-reset-budget
What the SMH neglected to mention is the rather important and pathetic weasel words from Friedeggburger –
“…provided legislation is passed by 1 July.”
Wanker.
Then The Corminnator comes up with this bit of bullshit –
“The finance minister, Mathias Cormann, told Sky News the energy payment “will give cost of living pressure relief to pensioners and eligible welfare recipients and it will help them meet the cost of their power bills”.”
For, maybe more or less, (pardon the language) 1/4 of one effing power bill! Ye gods, the LNP version of reality is so warped that it’s hard to describe without using a lot of swear words to accurately state how angry they make me.
I’m missing out ….. nothing in my letterbox from Josh.
Maybe tomorrow.