Malcolm Turnbull’s DD delivered the balance of power to a motley crew of extremists

August 6, 2016 Kaye Lee Politics 59

Malcolm Turnbull’s strategic judgement has just delivered the balance of power to Pauline Hanson’s One Nation and what a motley crew they are.

This was not a win for democracy. In 2001 One Nation got over 5 per cent of the vote in the upper house, and won nothing. This time around they got 4.3 per cent, and have four very questionable people deciding the fate of the nation.

We all know Pauline so no need to explain any further about her.

Her Queensland colleague Malcolm Ieuan: Roberts has also made his presence felt, denying he is a sovereign citizen – he just likes to spell his name that way apparently. He is determined to expose the stupidity and cupidity (but not conspiracy because he’s no conspiracist) of the CSIRO and the Bureau of Meteorology and all climate scientists and scientific bodies who are in cahoots with the UN to impose a New World Order for the benefit of a few Jewish bankers.

From Western Australia, we may have Senator Rod Culleton depending on the result of pending court proceedings over allegations he stole a $27,000 hire car last year. But never fear, his brother-in-law will stand in for him if he gets convicted.

And then we have the delightful Brian Burston from NSW. Pauline kicked him out of the party in 2000 but apparently she needed candidates so Brian and his twin brother both ran for One Nation this time.

Brian won a Senate seat with 184,012 votes (4.1%). Labor, with almost 8 times the number of votes (1,405,088 31.28%), won 4 seats.

From what I have seen so far, Senator Burston will be as useful as the other One Nation Senators.

“Islam is an infringement on our culture; we’re a Christian country, I know we have some Jews as well…but the Muslims, they kneel five times a day and it’s not how we are in this country.”

Despite never reading the Quran, Mr Burston described Islam as “a religion of hate”.

”There are no questions about that. The Catholic Church and Jewish people don’t go and blow people up and we’re bringing people here from Syria with those ideologies.”

“They’re coming, all of a sudden they’re out to be our best mates and then one day they just take over; they will introduce the Caliphate, they want a Caliphate here and it will happen one day.”

“You can’t have a beer, you can’t have a smile, the women have to be covered up like a tent; why do you think we have so much support… people are very worried and we want to protect our own people and make decisions that are for the good of Australia,” he said.

He said the decision to return to the One Nation brand from the United Australia Party had contributed to the success of the party this election.

And these people now have the power to make laws in this country.

Thanks, Malcolm.

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About Kaye Lee 1328 Articles
Kaye describes herself as a middle-aged woman in jammies. She knew Tony Abbott when they both attended Sydney University where she studied for a Bachelor of Science. After 20 years teaching mathematics, with the introduction of the GST in 2000, she became a ‘feral accountant’ for the small business that she and her husband own. Kaye uses her research skills “to pass on information, to join the dots, to remember what has been said and done and to remind others, and to do the maths.”

58 Comments

  1. If we are peed off with Turnbull imagine how his ‘mates’ in the LNP are feeling? His day are numbered, just how many numbers is the question.

  2. Oh well, we can take heart from the current state of USA. Hate is backfiring really badly on the nasty conservatives over there. They’re turning upon each other and the entire party is being seen for the corrupt, obstructive, antisocial pack of assholes that it is. The same will happen here. We just have to hope our society doesn’t get too damaged by these horrible morons along the way.

    It would be so nice if politicians had to pass some kind of intelligence test, as well as a psychopathology screen, had to demonstrate a high level of understanding of the technology and science of the modern world, and show they have a good grip on morality and history before being allowed the job. It sure would save us from a lot of problems.

    You can’t drive a car without passing a test; you can’t be a doctor without proving you have some intelligence and ability to learn; you can’t be an airplane pilot without extensive experience and testing to demonstrate ability. Why the hell can someone control the laws, economy, and social direction of our entire country when they have a gaping hole where their brain should be, have poisonously racist, sexist, homophobic attitudes, and are happy to sell us out to big money?

  4. That sort of attitude disgusts me. This is what the Coalition has unleashed. People now think it is ok to spew that sort of vile ill-informed utter crap. I thought about answering that comment with some facts NFP but it has become obvious that facts are irrelevant to ignorant xenophobes who prefer the pack mentality to assuage their irrational fears..

  5. Kaye, that comment you refer to is about to be deleted. Pure filth like that has no place in our society.

  7. I wonder if the media had reported on these candidates before the election, would they have got so many votes? The media concentrated on the 2 leaders, with endless unedited coverage of Turnbull spin stops. Bill Shorten got some air time but not as much as Malcolm spinning the jobsengroeth mantra. Nothing at all about these oddballs. Perhaps there should be a website/ FB page where all candidates set out their qualifications, experience, beliefs and so on. Comments would be fun to read, and give us links to articles and items like Malcolm Roberrs letter to Julia Gillard.

  10. The delcons of the LNP will be rapt to have a few like minded people in the Senate. They may have lost a few seats but this must be manna from heaven for the likes of Bernatdi, Christensen et alia!

  11. Oh dear, Kaye Lee, you do such an enormous job, your articles are always well read. Thus ends the attempt at reasonable discourse. More concrete, I say, more effing concrete, pack it spread it, pour it between the effing ears, have your heart and soul scream in pain. Hate rules, hate is good, hate dem motherfluckers until you are consumed by your effing vile shitty attitudes. How joyful it is to be a ignorant xenophobe, kill em monster em eff em till they bleed. Dem boat people, sink em, machine gun the survivors, that’ll fix em. How many of us wake each morning choosing to hate, to look for revenge, to despise that flucker, wrong color, wrong language, just effing wrong. To end this effing rave to try and finish with some sanity, if that is possible, we are all effing insane.

    From Eckhart Tolle

    Love is a state of being
    Your love is not outside; it is deep within you.
    You can never lose it, and it cannot leave you.
    It is not dependent on some other body,
    Some external form.

    Go in peace dudes, thanks Kaye, thanks A I M N

  13. Seems to me that the Australian people are responsible for delivering a ‘motley crew of extremists’. How is that not the case, regardless the type of election? It was a free election, was it not?

  14. Can you imagine what Senate committees are going to be like with this lot grilling experts with their ignorant assertions?

    I really hope that this brings the Greens and the majors closer together to shut out the lunatics. Xenophon will go wherever he feels the wind blow. Hinch has fallen into the clutches of Bernardi (let’s hope they have a falling out – on the cards I’d say). Katter is listening to Christensen.

    We also have a rising gun lobby. I shudder to think what One Nation thinks about guns.

    One thing – David Leyjonhelm announced ages ago that he would just contest the election then hand over to someone else, I wonder if he will keep his word or hang around for revenge.

  15. Clive,

    Because it was a double dissolution we elected 12 instead of 6 senators for each state which allowed some people to be elected with significantly less than a quota. As I pointed out in the article, in the 2001 election they got many more votes but did not win any seats. This has given the extreme section of society disproportionate representation.

  16. Thing is, the populist right can’t think for themselves, so they import all this crap from the USA, like “sovereignty”and the “right” to own weapons you wouldn’t dream of using if they were just for hunting bunnies. Hansonist represent the paranoid, denialist biker right, while people like Morrison do the bible-bashing and Turnbull, neoliberal open season on consumers and ordinary people.

  18. Ms Kaye Lee,

    “Because it was a double dissolution we elected 12 instead of 6 senators for each state which allowed some people to be elected with significantly less than a quota.”

    I do not understand your point, Madam. Does not the election of 12 Senators rather than 6 simply change the quota math from (whichever number/ (6 + 1)) + 1 = whichever number to (whichever number / (12 + 1)) + 1 = whichever number thus creating a different quota level?

  19. Clive of India August 6, 2016 at 7:59 pm

    The 6 States have 12 Senators each and every 3 years 6 of them face the electorate [Senate is a 6 year term]
    So 6 per State being the full quota 100% is divided by 6,meaning 16.666% for a Senator to achieve their seat [it has averaged 14.4 % for many years]

    In a Double Dissolution election ALL Senators face the electorate,therefore halving the percentage need for a quota
    The 2 Territories have their 2 Senators facing the electorate every 3 years like the HoR

    Throw in preferential voting etc and you need to be Antony Green to keep abreast of it all

  20. Not to mention the rampant propaganda from the mainstream media having undue influence upon the election….

  21. So 6 per State being the full quota 100% is divided by 6 (No! Never! – Sometimes 7 but with a DD 13), meaning 16.666% for a Senator to achieve their seat [it has averaged 14.4 % for many years]

    Really? Both the logic and the mathematics are hilarious.

    Throw in preferential voting etc and you need to be Antony Green to keep abreast of it all

    Actually the maths is very simple. Unless you are a …

    Here’s the Formula for determining a Senate quota

    (Number of formal ballot papers / (Number of senators to be elected + 1)) rounded down + 1 = Senate quota.

    There’s so much nonsense posted on Blogs. The advice should be along the lines of: If you don’t know what your are talking about, then shut up. It does so much damage to the ‘party’.

    Look above. ?

  23. As I say ‘look above’. Another link that’s completely irrelevant to the topic he pontificated upon.

    Actually (if I put on my conspirator’s hat) I think he’s a LNP plant whose mission is to drive people far away for the progressive side of politics as possible.

    And he succeeds. ?? ?? ??

    But no more. I won’t comment on his contributions ever again. I apologise. Moments of weakness. I must learn to suffer fools gladly. ?

  26. It was a fair and square election. Good. Luck to One Nation. Tuff luck For leftie/greens. You all think you have a monopoly of the high moral ground. You all are a bunch of elitist snobbish buffoons . More power to the Aussie battlers

  27. I am not sure what you mean by “high moral ground”. I certainly prefer facts to idiotic ramblings. These people don’t represent Aussie battlers. They represent ignorance and irrational fear. Their climate change denial and Islamophobia are dangerous.

  28. If we had a true democracy, the Government would be negotiating with the second biggest vote winner to arrive at policy, not the smallest vote winners. This point seems to have been lost.

  29. Peter,

    We can only hope that sense prevails and, as I said before, the three parties co-operate to shut out the lunatics. The trouble is, the lunatics in the Coalition are feeling empowered too and Turnbull seems powerless to rein them in.

    I also hope our security agencies sit these people down and explain to them how counterproductive their intemperate language is. They should also have some information sessions with actual scientists.

  30. I wonder if there is any way to force politicians to do their actual jobs instead of being drunken, corrupt mouthpieces for moneyed interests.

  31. Ted the head, the Aussie battlers that voted for One Nation and for other racists have been diddled into voting against their own interests. It amazes me that politicians can still, in the 21st Century, reliably use hate and fear to trick people into voting to hurt themselves.

    What really struck me in your comment were the words “elitist snobbish” and moral high ground. That shows what is really going on. It is the same thing that’s happening over in USA. It is the bewildered and lost and fearful who have been told that they should be proud of being ignorant. It is a very worrying trend… especially in an age when knowledge is easier to access than ever before in history. You’re either one of those who spend so much time at work they don’t have the energy or time to learn anything, or else you’re stubbornly and willfully ignorant and lying to yourself that it is a good thing to be stupid.

  32. Yes, Kaye, We have been mesmerised by the lunatic fringe, and Turnbull has called an election in the hope it would stall his detractors in the coalition, simply to maintain his position as ‘leader’ without any consideration of the results of his selfish actions.

  33. I am so sick of hearing politicians and media telling me I must respect this lunatic fringe. I don’t respect someone just because they got elected. I don’t expect them to be experts. I will respect them if they show a willingness to listen and learn from experts. I will respect them if they work towards social cohesion and equal opportunity for all. At this point in time, they have done nothing to earn my respect and everything to earn my contempt.

  34. I think there may be a positive side to this result.

    Dragging these people and their beliefs into an arena where they can be properly addressed and debated is better than having them whispered as half-truths on the internet.

    Exposing them as extremist crackpots is better done in the full light of day.

    Saying “I just don’t like it” is not good enough anymore – it’s time for them to put up or shut up.

    The real problem is that it has empowered the flag-waving neo-Nazis and professional haters to ramp-up their rhetoric and some sort of violence will be inevitable. At least that will increase pressure on the new parliamentary members to show us all what kind of people they really are.

    As well as the climate conspiracists, which one will be the first to break ranks and tell us about the secret shape-shifting reptilian overlords that really run the world?

  35. Globalization, perpetual wars, the dislocation of once stable countries, the procrastination on climate problems which add to the movement of people globally, TPP with its investor rights agreements and loss of sovereignty, underemployment, stagnant wages, no growth, insecurity, neoliberal doctrine that attacks, defunds and threatens privatization of social infrastructure, a mainstream media which follows a neoconservative theme globally and adds a negative type of nationalism to the mix; they all reinforce fear and anxiety. Our global neoconservative system is in decline and in this current climate why would a group like One Nation not thrive and become a force like other extreme right wing groups have done in other parts of the world!

  43. Malcolm-Ieuan: Roberts was elected with only 77 first preference votes, the smallest winning margin of any senator. His vote is much lower than the 44th parliament’s “accidental senator” Ricky Muir who was elected on 479 personal votes.

  45. guest, I dislike most of what Bighead says most of the time. Good luck getting him to retract. He is quick to take offense at what others say, but seems to think it’s his right to insult others willy-nilly.

  46. The meaning of this idiom escapes me – “willy nilly”. Is this to suggest a fellow is cockless?

  47. “Roberts was elected with only 77 first preference votes”

    Wrong, he got 77 votes below the line, most people voted him in on party votes above the line. Nothing unusual about that.

  48. heheheh 🙂 I doubt that Bighead is cockless, in fact the opposite would appear to be true.

    “Willy nilly” usually means doing something carelessly, almost randomly. Sometimes it can hint that it is done to excess too.

    It can mean that someone has no choice but to do some thing, though that seems to be rare nowadays, and I didn’t mean it that way.

  49. Sooo, wait a minute. This ‘roberts’ thing. Was he the one doing the double with ‘lay on him’ on insiders this morning? If my word’s offend them, by their own decree, they shouldn’t be offended. It is, apparently, my right to offer offensive nonsense, devoid of fact or reason, and vilify any who argue against me. My argument can be devoid of fact or reason, yet retains validity, because it’s my argument. Go figure that one.
    This ‘roberts’ thing and his dislike of fact, that climate changy thingy, is amusing. A non-conspiratorial conspiracy. Wow, this guy is a genius. Thankfully, the Kiribati family seeking to define ‘climate change’ as a precursor to refugee status on a legal basis were unsuccessful.

    http://www.google.com.au/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwin7867ua7OAhWGo5QKHaaDBMMQFggnMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.abc.net.au%2Fnews%2F2015-09-23%2Fnew-zealand-deports-kiribati-climate-change-refugee%2F6800230&usg=AFQjCNH2gmzMvOTs2vgmSr7bbQS9pHlWvw

    It’s not like climate change is real, or could ever effect a country, is it?

    http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-08-07/carteret-climate-refugees-new-home/7693950

    It’s lucky they are a couple. Nuph needs nuph. They both Need Urgent Psychiatric Help.
    “And these people now have the power to make laws in this country.”
    Be afraid, be very afraid.
    Thank you, Ms Lee. Take care

  52. There is an option we haven’t considered -the LNP and Labor could join hands in the Senate and NONE of the others would have any say !! Wouldn’t that be delightful.

  53. 🙂 Bighead, you might pause to read more carefully before jumping in.

    Where did I say I took offense? I merely noted that you often insult people but are quick to take offense if others appear to insult you. You’ve insulted me before, but instead of being offended I have to admit it just makes me smile as it merely reinforces your unflattering online persona.

    In real life you might be a very pleasant person for all I know, but online is another thing entirely.

  54. Keitha, that is a distinct possibility on a number of topics, considering both parties have been bought by fossil fuel corporations and miners. Thankfully Medicare might be safe.

  55. Keitha, that is a distinct possibility on a number of topics, considering both parties have been bought by fossil fuel corporations and miners. Thankfully Medicare might be safe.

  56. Oh well, the rumors yesterday about Four Coeners proved to be correct, Turnbull is in a big trouble!

    Quote from the Guardian:
    Eric Abetz warns ‘it will only take one person’ to cross the floor, and says it would have been gracious to return Tony Abbott, Kevin Andrews or himself to cabinet.

    Add to that the Christensen and Bernardi and I cannot see how this government will survive 12 months.

  57. Perhaps a ‘Faustian’ is the key to his survival?

    Or has he already played that hand?

    Can’t mortgage the rent forever?

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