Such outrage
“Prime Minister slams Human Rights Commission,” was the headline for an article today. Wasn’t that a shock after the courts dismissed a case against three Queensland University students? In comments in a radio interview, the PM also indicated his stance against repealing race hate laws was softening. I kid you not – Malcolm Turnbull may have actually changed his opinion to (coincidentally I’m sure) more fully abase himself before the hard right bigots he refuses to stand up to.
Much as I am against changes to the Racial Discrimination Act, I couldn’t get too worked up about this latest backsliding. There was nothing surprising about it. Just Turnbull being Turnbull for the most part. However, I was struck by how cheerfully – and without any apparent embarrassment at the contradictions involved – he extended his criticism to the commission’s waste of public money.
Take a breath, Malcolm. The Australian people would love you to take the expenditure of taxpayer funds seriously. I imagine you are equally furious about the huge amount of taxpayer money frivolously wasted by George Brandis fighting legal battles to keep his ministerial diary private. I look forward to your response to your Deputy PM’s plan to relocate the Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority into his own electorate whilst refusing to release costings of this blatant pork-barrelling. On the subject of wasting taxpayer money, shall we again talk about your push for a 170 million dollar (conservative estimate) plebiscite over marriage equality, which no one wants (including you)? How about the billions of dollars we spend on an inhumane offshore detention policy that is condemned globally?
I get that government MP’s never miss a chance to take a shot at Gillian Triggs, but this is more like shooting yourself in the foot.
This article was originally published on Quietblog.
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Mark Needham
Return to home pageThe commission released a statement clarifying that it “terminated” the QUT complaint in August 2015 — meaning no resolution could be reached — and “had no role in the subsequent law suit in the Federal Circuit Court”.
It also noted it had no power to prevent a complainant proceeding to court once the commission terminated the matter.
“At no stage does the commission initiate or prosecute a complaint,” it said in a statement.
what next from our chameleon pm? red budgie smugglers? knighthoods? er um blank stares?
this entire government redefines the concept of corruption and regularly evinces outrageous hypocrisy and contempt…
without a single instance of accountability.. apart from Bronnie’s slow motion disastrous implosion
Taxpayers money ? – no such animal.
Sure there is better ways to spend money but the govt isn’t funded by taxpayers.
The govt creates money to spend and drains it out in order to spend more money. Fed taxes destroy money … Just like water from the bathtub isn’t reused.
Has anyone seen crinkled up notes coming out of the arm ?
Malcolm, you are a fu*kwit.
Just watched Triggs on the 7.39 Report here in QLD. Also watched Collins on The Drum.
It’s a full frontal attack of the HRC, based on a completely inaccurate, ‘manufactured’ description of its role, as outlined in the Legislation under which it operates. Are they seriously suggesting that Triggs ought to go beyond her legislated brief? To be a judge and jury? To go outside her (HRC) legislated conciliation role?
Perhaps a real probability.
Well said!
and now we have TWO IPA children on Q$A telling us with absolute certainty that the HRC is at fault . Georgina Downer is dumb as a post and James Patterson has that unassailable belief that all Young Liberals have that the mantra they regurgitate is right.
Saw Turnbull in parliament today – aged – ashen – listless – lost for any sense of purpose – a man in manacles – enemies in front, to the sides and behind.
Attacking Triggs, talk of repealing 18C, winding back the renewable energy target, arguing for a plebiscite on marriage equality, persecuting refugees…….how long until Malcolm dons the red budgie smugglers and makes the Queen a dame? Oh wait…..
Q&A is now better described as the weekly reunion of current and former IPA stalwarts. Nevertheless I felt somewhat sorry for the ‘minor’ Downer and her complete inability to ‘rationalise’ the IPA’s stance re the science behind ‘climate’ science.
If it were me, I would be thinking about walking home very, very slowly in order to provide a distraction.
No wonder Downer had to intervene to give her a job in the diplomatic service.
A generous view of the frequent appearances of IPA apparatchiks on the Q&A program would be that the ABC is taking a stance that while they need to keep their friends close, they need to keep their enemies closer.
But I for one am getting heartily sick of the show-casing of this Liberal Party sheltered workshop for young neo-liberal ideologues.
It is simply at one level, lazy programming.
There are other institutes that rarely get a run: the Evatt Founation, the Whitlam Institute, the Grattan Institute.
Kaye Lee,
Very disturbing photo in your post. What is the woman to the left of Malcolm staring at?
Good news tonight Newspoll ALP 53% LNP 47%. That will cause a bit of heartburn in LNP troops.
Kay Lee,
I wonder if the woman is looking for the two round things…..they appear to missing in policy decisions.
I heard at least 2 people paid “$5,000.00, out of court settlement”, over the alleged racial discrimination.
Where does this fall, regarding, Blackmail and Settlement.
The people who tried to use the computers, weren’t discriminated against, ie, using ” Blacks only computers?”
Ah well,
Mark Needham
As the front page story in this mornings smh makes clear, Turnbull did not just attack the human rights commission and Gillian Triggs, he blatantly lied. Either he was poorly briefed or, just like his predecessor, facts are only a rough guide.
You have got to give it to the right-wing of the Liberal party, they just never give up.
As Kaye Lee pointed out in the first post, the Human Rights Commission does not initiate neither is it a party to legal action through the courts, that is entirely the prerogative of the aggrieved party when HRC initiated conciliation has failed, as it did in this case. As Kaye has noted, when conciliation failed in August 2015 the HRC had no further involvement.
Turnbull has said that the court were severely critical of the Human Rights Commission : that is simply not true.
This is a transcript of the court’s findings and it makes interesting reading but, it is not critical of the HRC as far as I can see : https://theaustralianatnewscorpau.files.wordpress.com/2016/11/prior-v-queensland-university-of-technology-ors-no-2-2016-fcca-2853.pdf
As regards the length of time that the HRC conciliation process took, you will note that the complainant (Cindy Prior) origionally took action against ten defendants – some of whom are still in court – that’s like herding cats and that is why it was so difficult to conciliate and why, ultimately, that process failed.
The right wing of the Liberal party have put Turnbull on notice, they have demanded change to section 18C not so much because they are free speech warriors but because they want to demonstrate their control over Turnbull.
Turnball is a pathetic woose. Brow beaten by Allan Jones and so shit scared of Tony Abbott.He’s been knocked around from pillar to post like pin ball game.It’s been a very revealing shake down for Turnball. So what does Malcolm “Bligh” Turnball; ‘yes Bligh” it is very fitting. What does he actually stand for; absolutely nothing’ let me hear it again absolutely nothing. Now he’d agree to being a Monarchist to just feel loved by his party and he’d agree to divorcing Lucy if it gave more time as Prime Minister.
Jack, he’ll never divorce Lucy; he needs at least one fan, and a comforter, when his dream turns into to a nightmare….
Leigh Sales must be very thick – or politically biased (after all it was Malcolm who attached the integrity and judgement of the HRD). Professor Triggs answered her question about “why the HRC had prosecuted this case”. She answered comprehensively and patiently. (They dont prosecute, they attempt to conciliate, then the parties make up their own minds re court) Sales didnt get it, so asked again. Same answer, in full, patiently. Sales “But can you clarify for me why …. ” THIRD time same answer, same patience. Sales looked unconvinced and went on to another question. Really, is she that thick?
NoBalls and this mob need to ASAP.
Also,yes Leigh Sales is that thick.In fact ALL of the BIASED MSM are thick.
What a country – We have gone from the dumbest PM in our history (Abbott aka Idiot Boy) to the most gutless in history (Turnbull aka NoBalls).
Ultimately I blame the major of the public for voting for a party misled by those clowns.
Jaquix,
She might be both, thick and biased…
She is definitely a very rude interviewer, I’m losing all interest in ABC.
(Watched the British drama National Treasure though, mainly to see Robbie Coltrane, Julie Walters is pretty good too)
Sorry Jane Hutcheon, your interview with the baroness Jean Corston was top class !
I felt the same about Sales. Triggs answered the questions rationally but Sales acted like she had not and kept on like it was a LNP Senate Kangaroo court.
Pathetic and corrupt.
The opposition need to call on Turnbull to repeat what he said as fact in Parliament, Gillian has pointed out rightly that Turnbull is lying and they brought no such cases, indeed they dont do that.
Getting back to the situation that created the problem which was apparently having an unmarked area / room set aside for Indigenous students in the computer laboratories, the position of the woman who was supposed to police this was quite untenable. When I was last at University, at Wollongong, there was an entire support centre to assist Indigenous students. There were also facilities for Post-Grad students, which were accessed by a PIN. There was a parenting room that was reserved for breast-feeding mothers, also accessed by PIN. There is a case for special facilities but they do need to be clearly marked and not accessible by accident.
@Cliff. She has just realise why the chines call him WunHungLo
Helvityni – agree re One Plus One is a superb show. No matter who the guest, Jane Hutcheon asks such excellent questions, and you can tell she empathises, and is genuinely interested in them. A real sleeper of a program.
Essential Poll today mirrors the Newspoll one – they both have the Coalition at 47%, Labor 53 on a 2PP basis. No wonder, Im surprised its not worse for the government, which deserves plenty of excoriation (to use one of Malcolm’s words…..
Triggs should have told all parties that there was no breach of 18c. She should not have had/let 2 people settle for $5,000.00 each.
https://www.humanrights.gov.au/news/opinions/another-aberration-shows-18c-problem-and-must-be-changed
Triggs in effect, with the settlement, she was saying that there was a case to answer. The moneys paid, were wrong.
That is what she is guilty off.
Triggs admits that she is not a court, but a facilitator for conciliation. To allow a payment, she is by fact, a court.
That is the way I see it.
Bush Lawyer, come Electrician,
Mark Needham.
PS. So there is Racial Discrimination, as to who can use the QUT lab. No whites. But then all people can use the other lab. Someone should be going to the HRC.
Nah, and rightly so, Triggs would throw it out. No case to “Conciliate”
Now, just take a second and think about it.
Kaye LeeNovember 7, 2016 at 10:46 pm
Attacking Triggs, talk of repealing 18C, winding back the renewable energy target, arguing for a plebiscite on marriage equality, persecuting refugees…….how long until Malcolm dons the red budgie smugglers and makes the Queen a dame? Oh wait…..
Kaye Lee, like the Lady , yes that one, in the picture, you and others seem to have a problem with Budgie Smugglers, Rural Fire Brigade People, volunteers of a conservative colour.
Could you please advise readers which Fire Brigade, that any Member of the Federal Opposition, is a current volunteer at. Sure to be one.
Mroginyst, misandrist…?
Mark Needham
So you actually believe that Tony fights fires and isn’t just there for the staged photo?
Hear, hear David Chadwick.
Malcolm Muck proves yet again that any Liberal National Party Coalition member is prepared to sell their soul in order to stay in the big seat of power and elitism.
It must be freakish sometimes for at least some of them (who are not sociopaths and psychopaths) having to form a self-respecting balance in their minds that what they do by day, they can abide by night!
I suspect it will catch up with poor, old Malcolm Muck. He knows rejection and when he smells its ruthless stench again, he will be frightened.
Kaye Lee November 8, 2016 at 6:40 pm
So you actually believe that Tony fights fires and isn’t just there for the staged photo?
As good an answer as any I suppose. Talked to the people at Davidson Rural Fire Brigade., lately.
There answer was………?
As in the Trigs saga, you mob, just don’t get it sometimes. ( If not at all, ever)
Drum Roll.
And the Labour politicians in the Rural Fire Brigade is/are :-……………………………….?
Just been Laboured,
Mark Needham
Mark Needham,
have you ever considered that Rural Fire Brigades have become clicky little social groups and boys clubs that can fall into the trap of male RWNJ neoliberalism?
And before you shoot me with both barrels, I’ve lived in rural communities for more than half my life and I have respect for the community groups, but not when they allow themselves to be politicised by city slickers like Rabid and Malcolm Muck.
Ms Downer was on The Drum tonight. Lots of words, a paucity of logic and, in short, an embarrassment.
She is having a bad 24 hours. Or is the IPA just about to ditch her or perhaps providing video evidence so that she will ‘walk’?
Jennifer Meyer-Smith November 8, 2016 at 7:50 pm
You are saying, that Tony Abbot has never done any work at the Rural Fire Brigade., and is only there for the photo opportunity. That must mean, that he is a terrible person. What a mongrel he is, doing something for a community. Bludging mongrel, trying to big note himself.
I’ll let all the Boys ‘n Girls at my local Rural Fire Brigade know of your feelings. Yep, Both Barrels, 12g, Rat shot.
Best part is, that there are no women in these clicky clubs.?
Nah. Abbot must be a loser, Hey!
Clicky and politicised,
Mark Needham
…yes, there she was again, she took up most of the time, and the hostess allowed it; Mr Lewis had to interrupt her to get few words in, even the famed Canadian author wasn’t drawn in much….
I suppose that’s how the ABC operates now….
Mark Needham,
there’s no talking with a one-eyed zealot.
I’m sad to say that to an obvious good community-responsible person who must work for a local CFA.
What YOU need to be careful of is not to be manipulated by the powers-that-be whether they are Lib or Lab or even Green, so your group and the wider CFA is doing what CFA do very well regardless of what politicians are trying to make them do.
By the way, why do CFA people continue to ‘proudly’ fight fires for NO money when that is another way for neoliberals to undermine workers, especially the desperate and denigrated unemployed?
Answer that with both barrels and make sure your answer is accurate.
Mark Needham
It seems that everybody is ascribing to Gillian Triggs powers that she simply does not hold and actions that are beyond the scope of the Human Rights Commission.
You say that : “She should not have had/let 2 people settle for $5,000.00 each.”
She didn’t, there is no evidence of this. What would have happened was that the lawyers for the complainant would have, as their opening gambit, approached the respondents for a cash settlement to drop the complaint. Evidently two of the respondents saw this as the best option for them : a pity in my opinion as they had done nothing wrongs and were being hustled. Triggs had no involvement in this.
The IPA influence on the ABC is a bit worrying.
This week have seen Georgina Downer (adjunct fellow of the IPA) on both Q&A and the Drum and Senator James Paterson (formerly IPA deputy executive director) also on Q&A.
This is not balance and is not a diversity of views and opinions : these people have a very narrow conservative view of life and the ABC needs to take this into account.
Good, however to see Naomi Klein on Q&A.
Lawyers very often suggest settlement because the cost, time and energy to defend a case is often just not worth it. As has been said to me as a business owner, it isn’t about right and wrong, it’s a commercial decision.
Terry2 “Triggs had no involvement in this.” ie, the $5,000.00 payments.
Triggs facilitated the payment, because she did not throw out the complaint, in the first instance. She enabled the complainant.
“there’s no talking with a one-eyed zealot.” ( that’s me, apparently)
Mark Needham
Jennifer Meyer-Smith “By the way, why do CFA people continue to ‘proudly’ fight fires for NO money when that is another way for neoliberals to undermine workers, especially the desperate and denigrated unemployed?”
That is the sort of question, that shows.
If you think your 1/2 stated answer, “stopping unemployed from having a job” is because of volunteers, then I can say nowt to satisfy a “one eyed zealot.”
Reloading Rat Shot,
Mark Needham
Still no Labour politician type Fire Fighting Volunteers.???????????
Ah, that’s right, they are creating jobs, by not doing work for nothing.!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Wot a load of bullshite,
Bowels emptied,
Mark Needham
Volunteers are proof positive that governments are failing in their responsibilities.
One-eyed zealots are also selective with what they see and understand.
Why are rwnj’s obsessed with their bowels?
Good question
One-eyed zealots, tend to ignore that which they don’t like, ie, show that maybe their line of thought is, maybe due for reconsideration.
Y’know, I have often thought about this, and had conversations with those of an opposite view, ( face to face, usually nice people) and it is a conundrum, no denying that.
With the RFB, it was a time/era thing. Nearest facility to help, distance travelled, population, assets requiring protection and economies for protection., et al.
How are we going here. This is starting to sound like a conversation. Not a “You retard, You Zealot, You non person, you different thinking type person you, neoliberal……………..”
Mine was a comment about passing judgement about a remark on Volunteers, their mode of dress, castigation and belittling of a person in particular and volunteers in general. Yes I know it is a flippant remark, a jibe, humour at best, but one which arises readily and often, here on The AIMN, and I was just having my flippant remark back.
But underlying my reply, is my disagreement with the “Joke”
There are most probably 100 lines of conversation, in my one remark. I was just questioning the commentator, about their views. I am not looking for a fight, just views.
But to further your idea of Volunteers, if there were none whatsoever in this country, you are implying that there would be employment for all. Question to ask, is, “Who would fill the vacancies” 457 workers, backpackers. Our unemployed do not show a great propensity to even want to do the work.
Before you bite my head off, i’ll relate a true story, circa, last week.
3 men, ( 3, 5, 6 years unemployed), were arranged to arrive 12 noon work to 5 pm. Paid work, not Volunteers. Just labouring, moving some stuff, cleaning up around a rural shed, whipper snipping etc. Bit of hard dirty work, all good, worked well.
Next day 2 turned up. All good, 1 chap in particular said, “Great to be working” “Good feeling”. The father of the bloke who was employing the now 2 men, asked 1 chap if Tractor slashing, said yeah, love to, mate well come down to-morrow early saturday, and you can have all the cash in hand you want.
” Saturday, hey. Not really, taking the missus to the beach, Saturday.”
Sunday then mate.
“Sunday, yeah, well Sunday, got to…um Sunday…….geeeez”
That’s the bones of the story.
I say, “that without volunteers, there would be a great problem, or a shortage of services/stuff, available.”
Nicely,
Mark Needham
Jennifer Meyer-Smith
“By the way, why do CFA people continue to ‘proudly’ fight fires for NO money when that is another way for neoliberals to undermine workers, especially the desperate and denigrated unemployed?”
That was a good way to piss off generations of rural and regional people who have come together to serve their community and their own.
I’ve been a unionist all my life but really do admire the community spirit of those who are volunteer fire fighters .
No everything needs to be paid employment .
There volunteers give of their time when and if they possibly can
Paid fire fighters are fine for metro and larger regional centres but without the volunteers in the bush, the outback, the smaller communities they would be cactus.
What do you want them to do ? phone the paid firies and wait a few hours, BBQ a snag on your burning property while waiting.
Idon’t know about where you live JMS but in my area apparently the volunteer fire fighters have been around in some shape or for for 150 years or more
You tend to see volunteering is a family thing with wives volunteering for Meals on Wheels , The fire truck staffed with volunteers and Santa doing the rounds of the streets in December doing food and toy drives for the needy and volunteering atall manner of community events .
They are there in the interest of their community JMS and I’m quite proud to support them
Anyone in the Illawarra, the Albion Park ,Oak Flats ,Jamberoo Rural Fire Service and all the rest deserve our support.
The paid firies would be up shit creek without the dedicated volunteers
Bona fide volunteers, who are truly filling gaps and who are not compelled to do ‘voluntary’ work because of Job Network mutual obligations, obviously are doing important work.
However, both federal and state governments and assorted NFP’s exploit the dire unemployment situation to derive unpaid workers aka slave labour.
The CFA grew out of a heritage of community engagement and initiative and is generally respected for the good works it does in times of emergency. However, it must not allow itself to be politicised by the likes of Malcolm Muck and Micky Cash, who don’t care about exploiting workers and the unemployed, who more often than not would gladly do your grass slashing on the weekend, if there was a decent wage for it.
(This comment was meant for Mark Needham but now that cornlegend wants to join the party, it applies to you too.)
Country firefighters, by constantly extinguishing bushfires, have created the deadly and destructive megafires that we see today. Emphasis on bush. They are fools, not heroes.
thats not quite what you said the first time JMS
hence the comment
” ‘proudly’ fight fires for NO money when that is another way for neoliberals to undermine workers, especially the desperate and denigrated unemployed?””
was what my objection was to.
you tend to conjure up the image of scabs
I was not accusing CFA firefighters of being scabs, thank you.
But I did intend the ambivalence on the word “proudly” because despite CFA people’s good intentions, the bigger picture of dire unemployment and under-employment could be better served if the CFA took a different tack and promoted paid employment for its people.
That would increase employment opportunities for diverse men and women both on the ground and in the operations planning.
Harquebus
“They are fools, not heroes”
you tell that to the poor bastards whose houses are about to burn down
“”However, both federal and state governments and assorted NFP’s exploit the dire unemployment situation to derive unpaid workers aka slave labour.””
and then:-
“Country firefighters, by constantly extinguishing bushfires, have created the deadly and destructive megafires that we see today. Emphasis on bush. They are fools, not heroes.”
Now that, is about enough, I reckon.
If that is your true belief, then I will not get in the way of you proving, your current mental state.
But Trigs, is still on the menu. She allowed it to happen, and should be crucified for it.
Mark Needham
Cornlegend
If “bushfires” were left to self extinguish, eliminating excess fuel in the process, houses and other assets would be much easier and safer to protect.
We are getting off topic here. I only wish to make a point.
I suggest Mark Needham, you concern yourself with your own mental state, especially as you are on the bandwagon of flogging Gillian Triggs and the AHRC.
If you are so concerned about the ramifications of s18C on a bunch of nasty little university students, you might also show concern for Save the Children workers such as teachers, who are still denied their human rights to report the human rights abuses they witnessed on Nauru and Manus under the MAL-administration of the Turnbull Government and that criminal, Peter Duddon.
I question my beliefs daily. One of the reasons I read this site.
Every now and then…..I have changed some, but mostly what is written here, is the exact same diatribe, but opposite, in political flavour, than that written in the Right wing babble.
The diatribe in both, is somewhat venomous, childish, ie, as in bullying, and atypical of a non reasoning mind. Yeah, occasionally I bite, and have done the same. Buttons can be pressed, Hey!
Stick with one subject at a time, chopping an changing…waste of breath…………..
I’m now bored with this conversation, I do not think that you really have anything to say, that is of any worth.
As my ramblings are to you, I reckon. Difference is, that I have tried at least.
Tired,
Mark Needham