The Coalition is backed into a corner – its white teeth anger is frightening
Election diary No 12. Saturday, 19 February 2022.
1 In 1996, John Howard, the then Opposition leader, offered the Australian people a “comfortable and relaxed” future. It worked a treat.
Labor had been in power for two periods and had achieved bold economic and cultural reforms.
In the 1996 election, the silent majority spoke, and Australia voted for a more peaceful future, and that’s not what they got. From Howard on, conservatives have given us cultural upheaval and political ratbaggery. It seems to work for them.
The conservatives have been in power for almost nine years. By their incompetence and adherence to ideology, they have stuffed up so many things that a likely mantra for Labor is “Let’s change for the better.”
So, in March 1996, Australia opted for a bit of calm. Years later, after a succession of failed prime ministers, the conservatives continue their abysmal flirtation with corruption and bad governance to the point where you couldn’t trust them as far as you could kick them.
Now, after two years of the coronavirus pandemic and three months into a third, delivering a comfortable and relaxed Australia might be unsuitable for the times because we have become a “do-nothing else” nation.
Repairing the many things that need to be mended won’t be accomplished with a “comfortable and relaxed” attitude.
The return of the Morrison government might give us continued “comfortable and relaxed” governance of the sort you are used to while electing an Albanese government would enable “Change for the better.”
Desperately seeking re-election this week has been noticeable for the Government’s unjustifiable attacks on the Leader of the Opposition. As its desperation grows, its shame escalates to a point of disgrace hitherto unseen in this country, leaving us in no doubt about the country’s future under them.
The attacks have honed in on national security and the character of Anthony Albanese.
Even Mike Burgess, the Chief of ASIO, found it necessary to appear with Leigh Sales on 7.30 to tell Dutton, Frydenberg and Morrison to basically shut up about Albanese being a threat to national security.
Rather timely, Rachael Withers wrote in The Monthly that:
“As deputy Labor leader Richard Marles said in an interview on RN Breakfast (in which he used the word “desperate” around 10 times in 10 minutes), the scare campaign about the ALP being China’s pick actually puts Australia’s security at risk – a sentiment backed up by the experts. “The attempt to politicise this is not only desperate, but it’s also not in the national interest,” Marles said, adding there has traditionally been strong bipartisanship in this area.”
The Government’s behaviour in Parliament during the past two weeks has been deplorable, and who knows how much lower it will stoop before it reaches rock bottom. When it’s backed into a corner, its white teeth anger is frightening. It acts like an animal in a fight to the death, and what a terrifying animal it makes.
The secret of change is to focus all your energy on not fighting the old, but on building the future. (Socrates).
2 I don’t read The Australian the Daily Telegraph, the Herald Sun, The Advertiser, the Courier Mail and the Mercury (all Murdoch journals) for the same reason I don’t eat out of the toilet.
3 For your interest, The ABC show “Vera” had a higher viewer ranking than the cringe-worthy Morrison interview on 60 Minutes with 587,000 metro viewers, just ahead of 60 Minutes on 574,000.
Vera beats “At home with the Morrisons”. But liberal strategists are unfussed. She’s not a candidate in any electorate. https://t.co/oWKtkT4qPY
— Barrie Cassidy (@barriecassidy) February 14, 2022
4 In the event of a Labor win in the May (?) election, would Treasurer Josh Frydenberg become the undisputed heir to the Liberal Party leadership, or would Peter Dutton claim it? Time will tell.
5 Deals with the devil or just buying votes?
Clive Palmer, who has previously likened the Prime Minister with Hendrick Himmler, now he is doing dirty deals with him. The Liberal Party has agreed to exchange preferences with Clive Palmer’s United Australia Party in a deal nutted out by the two parties last week. The deal could decide many marginal seats and give Palmer a fair chance of gaining a seat in the Senate and perhaps even the balance of power in a close vote.
According to Newspoll, Palmer’s vote is somewhere between 5% and 14%. Talk about buying votes.
6 The Prime Minister has had a report into allegations against Education Minister Alan Tudge since 28 January in his grubby little hands. Still, the Government cannot say if it will be dealt with before the coming election. Yet another cover-up that wouldn’t pass the pub test.
The ‘journalist for leaks’, Channel Ten commentator Peter van Onselen has revealed that Prime Minister Scott Morrison will soon cut Alan Tudge from the Ministry. Well, it’s a fair bet when you observe his name being taken from the door of his office.
Of course, Mr Tudge will be sacked, but Morrison cannot say when. You can bet it won’t be until the Parliament has risen.
7 After three years, the Conservatives confirmed today that they didn’t have the intestinal fortitude to legislate for a Federal ICAC. Incredible when you have had three years to do something about it. Yet to be seen if it will cost them votes.
8 Oh my God, not another one. Another Government grant’s scandal. This time, as reported in The Guardian, the Auditor General found that the Coalition used its $187m safer communities grants program to fund at least ten projects deemed “unsuitable” by the department.
This was after the project applicants were visited in person by Peter Dutton’s assistant minister, Jason Wood.
The Guardian reported that:
“… the audit, which found the program favoured Coalition-held seats in the lead-up to the last election, is critical of how grants were awarded more than half delivered without a “clear basis for the decision.”
9 Remember when? Memories of the last election?
With the knowledge we now have, it is perfectly reasonable to suggest that the Coalition won the last election in circumstances contrary to what people expect of our democracy.
Clive Palmer spent $60 million on advertising. This year it’s reported he will spend another $20 million. Why?
Street Signs were written in Chinese. Why?
Grants were given to sporting bodies in Coalition electorates, and the Auditor General found them out.
Unequivocally the Prime Minister lied repeatedly.
Then another $150 million scheme for government or fringe seats appeared without rules and no need to apply; just let us know how much?
If we had some form of ICAC, they would be out on their arse.
Have I made myself clear?
10 On the subject of winning, Eddie Otto, on 17 February, wrote the following Facebook comment:
“Thanks to Lynton Crosby, the Liberals have been winning elections since Howard in 1996 with the old “dead cat on the table” and contentless policies and vacuous platitudes.
And it happened again in 2019 with the Death Tax, Retiree Tax, and it has already started again…
Already creating fake Labor policies, fear-mongering, Labor “high taxing & spending”, economic mismanagement.
With no facts and figures, no justification, no validation… just lies…
And it was amplified repeatedly by the complicit mainstream media.
All the accusations are projections of the Liberal’s shortcomings.”
10 Broken promises.
In addition to breaking its promise to pass Religious Discrimination legislation this term, it can now add a bill for a National Integrity Commission.
Except on Wednesday 16 February, outgoing Liberal MP John Alexander, who reckons he would “seriously consider” supporting Helen Haine’s bill for a federal integrity commission if the independent member for Indi attempts to have her draft legislation debated by Parliament before the election.
11 Remember, $16 billion in the last budget for unallocated policies. Well, that’s code, meaning that its money put aside for Government giveaways in the election campaign.
12 The wash-up of the NSW By-elections was that large swings favoured Labor and the independents. No point repeating myself.
13 I received a message from an AIM reader asking why we don’t have donations with real-time online- and online voting. They are good points, and l will do some research.
14 The closure by Origin Energy of Australia’s most significant and largest coal mine says the 2,880MW black-coal generator in NSW is not well-suited to rapidly changing conditions in the national electricity market. Certainly, throws a cat amongst the pigeons.
My previous diary post: Let’s hear it for the ladies.
My thought for the day
If my judgment, my common sense and what my heart says is different from yours, then I might also be correct.
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23 comments
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Terence Mills -
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Kaye Lee -
wam -
Keitha Granville -
Phil Pryor -
wam -
Keith -
GL -
Fred -
Max Gross -
Michael Taylor -
Keitha Granville -
Trevor -
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Keith -
leefe -
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ajogrady -
wam -
New England Cocky
Return to home pageIf a foreign government wanted to have an influence on our political system or disrupt our democracy they wouldn’t need to penetrate the Labor party. It would be much easier to insert a couple of stooges into Palmer’s UAP who, if they got into the Senate would be able to jam up our parliamentary proceedings : it’s happened before !
Interesting to note that the NSW Liberal party is self destructing and cannot or will not endorse candidates nominated by their branches for the seats of Hughes, Craig Kelly’s old seat, Dobell on the Central Coast, Sussan Ley in Farrer, Alex Hawke in the Sydney seat of Mitchell, influential moderate in North Sydney, Trent Zimmerman.Tony Abbott’s former seat of Warringah, Parramatta in Sydney’s west, and also Bennelong, Eden Monaro and the party’s key NSW Senate spot – none have an endorsed candidate.
Looks like Morrison will bypass the local branches and put in his choices. But will the punters vote for them ? No matter how rusted on you were to the Liberal party how could you possibly vote for a dud like Alex Hawke who has proved himself a complete waste of space as immigration minister.
PS
I understand that there is a 1800 number employers and employees can call to help keep Morrison out of their workplace !
Morrison and Hawke are trying to parachute Alex Dore into Hughes. The Liberal preselectors in Hughes have had their wishes overruled at the last two elections and they are not happy about having the nephew of The Australian’s Editor in Chief, Chris Dore, thrust upon them.
As pleasant read as usual, lord. I loved hendrick.
You need to read and watch rupert’s media to understand what the voters read. I presume you don’t watch the morning shows ? Why?
Your thought is on topic, in that the majority of Australians do not agree with you or they agree but are frightened of the alternative government. Socrates would be asking ‘why’. My guess is he would not be saying “If my judgment, my common sense and what my heart says is different from yours, then I might also be correct.” but If my judgment, my common sense and what my heart says is different from yours, then you might also be correct. ps Socrates was no friend of the pencil and democracy and was described at his trial ‘… pretends to care about people and to offer them advantages but withholds what he knows because he is full of disdain.” sounds like he would fit with scummo’s ministers? https://www.britannica.com/biography/Socrates/Life-and-personality Socrates is a hero of mine because he was a learner not a teacher and for my 40 years in the classroom my motto was the essence of a teacher is being able to learn with and from the students and other staff. (until the education system accepts it can learn from Aboriginal students it will be unable to teach. Historically grade 3 was their assessment of the limit for Aborigines and the year 12 NT Certificate is granted to students with the writing, reading and arithmetic of an 8 year old. Aboriginal children can negotiate that standard)
All of the above.
But my dyed in the wool LNP voters still thunk Scummo is ‘ a nice man’. I have nomwords that counter that, I cannot make them see that Labor is just a step away from Communism.
I greatly fear there are many many more who feel the same and will vote him in again.
Interesting and pre-turbulent times, as the emptiness of the coalition and its putrid leader suggest, as here.., a new reality where lies must be forcefully promoted as a new truth, and the false realities of superstition are wilfully promoted and advance for egofixated reasons. Morrison the cartoon is not substantial, but people believe in fictions, fantasies, frauds. Sheer wilful fantasising is the reality for many, those who admire ads and sing along to the lovely lies. The superstitious fantasists of this conservative crowd of crap piles know only that life is consumption, deviation, dreaming up diversion. Morrison will appeal to superhero lovers with big utes, beer guts, regular routines, total avoidance of cerebral activity and a loyalty to a mythical past. Wanting a better civiised world with Australia prominent does imply thinking, planning, reconverting, admitting, readjusting, caring and embracing. Is that too hard for most?
ps lord
I just remembered the old socrates wasn’t too keen on democracy???
The LNP have continually used divide and conquer strategies for some time; in my opinion we are seeing a more divided country through the stupid “freedom movement” which comprises nazis, libertarians, religious people and anti-vaxxers. The LNP have provided the climate for the “freedom” marches to develop.
I looked under all the beds at home today but did not see any communists, a really stupid concept the LNP are trying to promote. The scare campaign about reds under the bed might have worked for Fraser and Howard, but the political climate has changed; we are now in the 21st Century.
It seems the Liberals cannot even rule themselves when a number of seats have no chosen candidates in NSW.
Jeez, they are really scraping the bottom of the scumbag, bastardry, scare tactics, lies, deceit, and vileness barrel this time. Shows how truly frightened and desperate Scummo and Crony Co. Inc. have become with this election…and it hasn’t even been called yet.
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2022/feb/19/liberals-spend-up-on-anti-albanese-national-security-attack-ads-on-facebook
Keith,
Also looked under my bed this morning and didn’t see a single communist lurking there. I did, however, see a head shaped like a potato and painted to look like a clown staring at me from the darkness. Scared the Dutton out of me.
All of this electioneering without a date. The coming budget must be a doozy if it is stopping Scummo from visiting the GG – pork spread far and wide.
Relaxed and comfortable like Howard’s “Pacific Solution” which always sounded a bit like the “Final Solution” of the Nazi era
I can’t help but predict that the forthcoming election campaign is going to be the dirtiest ever run by the Coalition. It will be brutal.
They’re finding it hard to put together a dirt file on Labor so now they’re just making stuff up.
should have fixed my typos.
Dyed in the wool voter friends*
Think *
Labor isn’t just a step *
Last election, MorriSCUM’s miracle, was run out of a Brisbane office by Corrman.
Each day press releases were sent out about Labor policy from Corrmans Office in Brisbane.
When the press asked Cormann about the press releases, he said, go ask labor, which the rancid Aust press dutifully did and each news item across each day heralded how labor did not know their own policies.
Labor no matter how hard they tried, was unable to counter the WA Liberal Cormann’s propaganda machine.
Bill Shorten and Labor failed at every turn to neutralise the Liberal Party/Murdoch press machine press releases on non existent Labor policies.
Stupid Labor lost to a Liberal lie machine and Lardarse Clive’s largess of stolen workers wages.
Same shit is beginning now for the coming election.
Sure hope Labor has learned how to neutralise the Liberal lie machine, cz ignoring the daily lies from Corrman’s Brisbane office cost Labor big time.
Along with foot in mouth by Labor leading lights.
Pssst the coalition is a security risk – pass it on !
We have the bungling over submarines which has set us back ten years as the Liberals have shifted from Abbott’s flirtation with the Japanese, Turnbull’s affair with the French and Dutton’s confusing pact with AUKUS – nobody seems to know when the subs will be built, where or for how much or when they will be delivered. That assumes a very high level of incompetence.
And then there are the tanks that we don’t have but seem to have ordered from the USA second hand and of course the flagship HMAS Adelaide that broke down in Tonga.
I keep thinking of the Peter Sellers movie the Mouse that Roared !
The Liar’s dirty and desperate rantings were always going to be worse than last time.The depth of the pit of incompetence, corruption and maladministration puts him and his integrity free herd of swine in a dangerous place.The spectre of a serious ICAC instituted by Labor after the next election will rend the LNP into a sour memory of chancers and spivs run amok.No wonder the lies have become louder and more panicked,there’s more than just an election loss at stake here,freedom itself will be on the line for some of the worst offenders,and they all know who they are. Our entire political system is overdue for a mighty shake up,and I’d expect Labor/Independents to be up for the ride. If the polls remain in the shitter, it’s not beyond the realms of possibility that Morrison could be on the receiving end of a knifing,as other “fully supporting.” of the current hack see their own arses going down with the SS”Broad .Church” With a little good fortune,Morrison will lie the Coalition into oblivion. ‘They deserve no less.
The original Chinese Morrison, George, is reputed to have helped to undermine the last “Qing” Dynasty of China, early last century.
The current Chinese Morrison seeks to revive the 1950’s red scare politicking of the “Ming” Liberal Dynasty.
Morrison has openly revealed his highly developed powers of focus to undermine the security, stability and safety for all Australian citizens in his desperate bid to deny the polls and retain his power but ends up at the same time serving the designs of the CCP himself.
There can be no lower mongrel act than to openly declare otherwise worthy political opponents and fellow Australians as actual “traitors”(!?!) without proof or evidence, and in face of opposing facts presented by national security experts.
I trust this week’s Hillsong sermon will focus on the eighth commandment of the Old Testament, but ScoMo’s soul is already lost in his struggle with Darth Dutton on the dark side for control of his crumbling “Daggydad” Dynasty.
GL
Right now the LNP is trying to unsuccessfully dig upwards to get to the bottom of the barrel.
It’s only “comfortable and relaxed” governance if you’re amongst them as what has. If you’re anything other than white, cis, straight, middle-and-up class blokes and their immediate hangers-on, it’s massively uncomfortable and anxious.
Michael, they’ve been making stuff up ever since Howard. Remember “children overboard”?
Not quite sure if Scroto will be bothered printing LNP how to vote propaganda in Chinese this election as he spends so much time fostering anti-China sentiment. Chinese people that I know are quite sick of this crap.I don’t think many will vote for him.
A country can pride itself on its egalitarian society and selfless humanity, its heart and soul. John Howard drove a divisive stake through the humane heart of Australia. Now Scott Morrison is finishing the job by killing Australia’s soul.
Howard made Australia heartless. Morrison made Australia soulless. The L/NP have stolen Australia’s heart and soul.
Trevor apart from two seats in qld and two in tassie labor won the election so the miracle came there. put away corrman and look at those seats.
Michael they have plenty of journalists helping with manufactured articles and ‘opinions’
@Keitha Graham 10:47: ”I cannot make them see that Labor is just a step away from Communism.”
I am confused …. Scummo & Duddo are building an authoritarian state not seen since the democratic election of the National Socialists in 1930s Germany. But what is the difference between one self-serving autocracy and any other?